Chapter 182
182 Sugar
Clank!
Anastasia inhaled sharply and woke up from her sleep when a gust of wind frolicked the curtains and pushed a metal brooch off the bedside cabinet.
She turned her head toward the window to check what it was. However, since the curtain was closed and it was now staying still, there wasn’t ample light in the room.
Anastasia took a deep breath in and then gulped. ‘I guess it was just the wind,’ she thought.
She then closed her eyes to go back to sleep again, but she got startled when something cold suddenly touched her foot.
Anastasia quickly turned her head to the other side, only to find her husband sleeping soundly beside her.
‘When did he come back?’ she sighed and wondered.
She had waited for her husband to come back until it was way too late in the night. She had finally gotten on her bed when she started to feel extremely drowsy.
Anastasia turned to face her husband. She was only able to see his outline. And yet, a smile bloomed on her lips.
.....
She gripped the thick blanket and happily thought to herself, ‘I thought he would be sleeping in his bedchamber tonight. But I guess...he quietly snuck in.’
“How long are you going to stare at me, Anna?”
Anastasia got startled when she heard her husband’s hoarse whisper. She smiled in embarrassment and quickly buried her face into her soft pillow.
“You were awake?” she asked with her muffled voice.
Caspian put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “Maybe...” he whispered back and rested his leg on his wife’s thigh.
Anastasia looked at her husband’s face. She could vaguely see her husband beaming at her. She slowly lifted her hand and brought her fingers close to his lips. She wanted to feel her husband’s smile.
Caspian gladly let her feel around his lips. He then gently held her hand and planted a soft kiss on her palm. “You didn’t stay up until late to wait for me, did you?” he asked in a low voice.
Anastasia smiled and wrinkled her nose. “Maybe...” she replied.
Caspian sighed because he knew she would do that. He pressed her head against his chest and apologized, “I’m sorry, wife. I had a few things to discuss with Hamilton. And it was already late before I realized it.”
“No, it’s alright. You don’t have to be sorry.” Anastasia closed her eyes and cuddled with her husband.
Caspian also closed his eyes and asked, “You will be okay though, right? The journey is going to be a long one. And I know that you don’t do really well during long travels.”
Anastasia’s main concern was also the same. She was hoping that she wouldn’t end up falling sick again. “I will be alright if we take short breaks in between the travel,” she replied to her husband.
Caspian had already taken the breaks into account while planning the journey. Still, he asked her, “If you don’t feel well, then you have to tell me immediately, okay? We will stop and rest.”
Anastasia slightly nodded her head. “I will.”
Caspian pressed his lips on his wife’s forehead and then asked, “Okay, now you should catch your sleep. I don’t want you to be sleep deprived on the first day of our trip.”
“Mhmm...” Anastasia mumbled, the drowsiness already dancing in her eyes.
—
“Your Majesty!”
Both Anastasia and Caspian were woken up early in the morning by Tilla’s voice.
“I’m coming in!” Tilla gave a warning before pushing the main door open using her shoulders with force. Carrying a tray with one of her hands was definitely making it hard for her to push that huge door open. She knocked on the bedroom door again and asked, “Your Majesty, are you awake?”
“Come in, Tilla,” Anastasia gave a sound from her bedroom.
When Tilla walked inside the room, Anastasia was standing near the door while yawning and rubbing her eyes.
Caspian, on the other hand, was still sleeping.
“My Queen,” Tilla offered a warm glass of water to the Queen.
After Anastasia took the glass, Tilla said while keeping her head down, “I will prepare the bath for you.” She then immediately rushed inside the bathroom.
Anastasia gulped down the water and set the glass on the table. She turned to look at her husband. He was still sleeping while facing the window and curling into a ball.
“My Queen,” Anastasia’s attention was caught when she heard a polite voice from her antechamber. “It is time for His Majesty to get ready,” Caspian’s maid said while bowing to Anastasia.
Anastasia gave a nod and replied, “I will send him to his chamber.”
That maid bowed again and disappeared from the antechamber like a puff of smoke.
Anastasia walked closer to her husband and sat on the edge of the bed. “Caspian...” she called her husband while gazing at his bare back, but he didn’t even budge.
Anastasia then wriggled a little closer to him and held his shoulder. She leaned down and whispered softly in his ear, “My dear husband, it is time for you to wake up. We have to leave soon, remember?”
“Mmmm...” Caspian let out a throaty groan; his eyes were still shut.
Anastasia bent down further and softly kissed him on his cheek. “Get up...get up...” she asked while pinching his cheek.
Caspian finally turned to lie down on his back, his eyes still closed. But instead of getting up, he wrapped Anastasia in his arms and pulled her down.
“Hey...” Anastasia giggled as her body got slammed against her husband’s chest.
“Let me sleep for a little longer,” he mumbled while sounding sleepy.
She pecked on his chin and replied, “You can sleep again in the carriage if you are still feeling sleepy. But for now, you have to get ready. Or else, we will make everyone wait for us.”
Caspian tightened his hold on his wife even more and mumbled in his throaty morning voice, “I am the King. I am allowed to make everyone wait for me.”
“Yeah, sure...” Anastasia sarcastically replied to her husband. She then playfully blew cool air on his eyes.
Caspian chuckled and finally opened his eyes wide. “Okay, okay. I will get up, but only after I get my daily dose of sugar.”
Anastasia furrowed her brows and shook her head. “You sure know how to sweet talk me into kissing you.”
“You’re damn right.” He swiftly rolled Anastasia over and lay on top of her. He then moved his gaze from Anastasia’s eyes down to her lips.
Anastasia gave a shy smile. “Caspian! We are going to be late...” she whispered. Her heartbeat was slowly escalating.
Caspian instantly closed the unbearable gap between his and his wife’s lips. “Mmm...” he let out a satisfied moan when he tasted the sweetness of his wife’s mouth.
Tilla happened to come out of the bathroom at that exact moment.
‘Oh, dear lord!’ Her whole face turned red and her eyes widened upon seeing the King and the Queen getting intimate with each other. And rather than running out of the room, she turned on her heels and shut herself inside the bathroom again.