She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on her lips, setting down her glass. "Careful, emperor, you're starting to sound like an ordinary man," she teased, her voice clear, mischievous. "But I'll grant you, you're not just a pile of muscles and lightning. You've got a mind, and I like that. So, tell me, what do you truly want? Another kingdom? Or… something else?"
He leaned in, his fingers brushing hers on the table, a light but charged touch. "Something else," he murmured, his eyes locked on hers. "A future where I don't fight alone. Where you and I build something that lasts, not just ruins. You're the only one who makes me want to stop running."
Nyxara blushed slightly, a rare moment of vulnerability, but she squeezed his hand. "You talk as if I'm the answer to everything," she said, her voice softer. "I'm a witch, Val, with demons in my head and blood on my hands. But when I'm with you, I feel… understood. It's new, and it scares me, but I want to see where it leads."
They ate, their laughter filling the inn, discussing spells, battles, but also dreams—hers, of deciphering the Codex Nihil's secrets, his, of a world where he was no longer defined by war. At the end of the meal, he raised his glass. "To us," he said, a sincere smile. She clinked glasses, her eyes sparkling. "To us, and to all we'll destroy… or create."
They retired to their separate rooms, the inn silent under the moon. Valzaroth, in his wooden-walled chamber, couldn't sleep, his mind haunted by Nyxara. At midnight, he knocked on her door, his heart racing. The door opened, revealing Nyxara in a thin linen shift, light, her curves visible in the candlelight. Her tattoos glowed softly, her expression a mix of surprise and anticipation. "Val?" she murmured, her voice hesitant. "What are you doing here?"
He stepped in, his hands brushing her arms, his gaze soft but intense. "I couldn't sleep," he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. "Not without telling you I love you, Nyxara. Not as an emperor loves an ally, but as a man loves a woman. If you want me to leave, I will, but I want to be with you tonight."
She shivered, her cheeks flushing, but she didn't pull away. "I… I've never done this," she admitted, her voice trembling, revealing her virginity.
He drew her in gently, closing the door, the candle casting dancing shadows. He kissed her, a slow, tender kiss, his lips exploring hers, his hands caressing her cheeks, then moving down her shoulders.
"I'll take care of you," he murmured, his fingers slipping under her shift, making her shiver. He lifted her gently, laying her on the narrow bed, its sheets rumpled, smelling of fresh linen.
He removed his shirt, revealing his war-marked torso, then unfastened hers, exposing her tattooed skin, her firm breasts, her flat stomach. He caressed her breasts, his thumbs brushing her nipples, drawing a soft moan. "You're perfect," he murmured, his lips tracing her neck, his warm breath making her tremble. He moved down, kissing her stomach, her hips, her thighs, his hands always caressing, slow, reassuring.
Nyxara, breathless, gripped his shoulders. "Val, I… I'm nervous," she murmured, her silver eyes veiled. He rose, kissing her, his lips soothing.
"Let me guide you," he said, his fingers slipping between her thighs, caressing her wet sex, preparing her gently. She moaned, her legs parting, her hands gripping the sheets.
He positioned himself, his hard member brushing her entrance, his eyes seeking hers. "If it hurts, tell me," he murmured, his voice filled with care. He entered her slowly, a gentle motion, his hands caressing her hips, his lips kissing her forehead. Nyxara cried softly, a mix of pain and pleasure, her warm walls gripping him, her body trembling. "Are you okay?" he asked, stopping, his fingers caressing her cheeks, her hair.
"Yes," she gasped, her cries turning to moans, her hands clutching his back. "Keep going… I want you." He moved, his hips swaying slowly, each thrust tender, his hands caressing her breasts, her flanks, her thighs, repeating the motions, soothing, loving. "You're everything to me," he murmured, his lips brushing hers, his caresses incessant, his fingers tracing her tattoos, his body pressed against hers.
Nyxara, her cries rising, surrendered, her raspy moans filling the room, her legs wrapping around his waist, their bodies connected in deep intimacy. "Val… I love you," she gasped, her cries turning to sobs of pleasure, her tattoos pulsing, her orgasm approaching. He caressed her cheeks, her lips, her hips, his thrusts remaining gentle, repeated, his whispers of love constant. "I'm here," he said, his caresses enveloping, his own pleasure rising.
Their orgasm struck them together, her sharp cries tearing the air, him releasing inside her, his soft groans mingling with her moans, their bodies trembling, glued by sweat. He stayed inside her, his hands still caressing, his lips kissing her forehead, her cheeks, a repeated gesture, anchoring their connection. "You're my home," he murmured, his caresses persistent, his body still against hers.
They lay entwined, the candle flickering, their breaths synchronized. "I never knew it could be like this," she murmured, her fingers tracing his torso. He smiled, caressing her hair. "With you, everything's different," he replied, his lips brushing hers, a final kiss sealing their night.