Henri neared Solene, his pace unhurried. He relished watching her get all flustered with his words, words that even he himself was surprised. They spilled unchecked from his mouth, but he didn’t regret actually saying them. She had to know she was safe ′from’ him, ′with’ him, and that he cared about her safety and happiness above all. Gently, he ran his thumb along her cheekbones all the while she stayed glued to her seat. He saw her stiffen briefly, felt her slight discomfort, but he understood why she had these instinctual reactions. Just like him, she was new to this kind of relationship. They both needed to adjust. They both needed to take each step with caution. He leaned a little planning to end this evening dinner with a kiss or kisses maybe, but then he noticed a shadow move in a darkened part of the mansion roof. He knew immediately what this meant. “You must be tired,”

Solene found a place where she could cry her heart out and oddly enough, it was the center of the maze where the statue of the theta lay. This was illuminated with soft spotlights numerous enough to make her feel safe around the darkness of the area. She sat at the edge of the fountain and brought her knees closer together so that her head could rest, while the grimoire, well, she left it lying on the ground. She didn't have an urge to open it yet. There was not a single sound of her sob, but her eyes streamed grossly with tears. They fell like liquid crystals onto the cobblestone ground, similar to the fountain's splashes of water. Indeed she felt betrayed by her family and it deeply stabbed her trust in them, but still, she understood their side as to why they had to keep the truth from her. After all, her mother and father got what they wanted. She was able to live her life normally, or at least for the past six years where the tattoos pr

 “Easy now, Solene, are you trying to drunk yourself?” Henri asked when he noticed Solene downing her third flute of wine in less than two hours. They were in the couple’s table located in the central area of the customized stage inside the grand hall of the Rantzen mansion. Behind them was a wall of white tulips supported by massive Greek-inspired pillars. In their front were the guests, comfortably sitting on their seats while a popular Spanish band played their lively tunes. The reception party was in full swing. Spectacular introductions of the Mr. and Mrs. were done earlier by Joyce’s team and well wishes by Solene’s family and Henri’s siblings were done along with the cake cutting, first dance, and the toast. Solene was all smiles during these moments while Henri remained pleased with her reactions. He couldn’t keep his eyes off his beautiful wife then, more so

 It was early eight in the morning when Solene woke up. She first registered the soft rays of the sun filtering through the glass doors and then a faint sound of water running inside the bathroom. She hummed a relaxed tune, still wanting to enjoy the softness of the mattress and the pillows, but as the events of last night started flooding inside her, she quickly sat up and tossed a wide-eyed look at the empty space beside her. Henri wasn’t present, but she was willing to bet it was he who was inside the bathroom showering. ‘Showering...’ her thoughts voiced out and ideas of him naked—something she wasn’t able to witness last night—drowned her poor, virgin mind. Her heart skipped beats then. She took a long breath to calm herself and fortunately it worked. “Uh, what the...” she muttered, her mouth hanging thereafter upon seeing her current state. 

 En route to the manor, heavy rain fell down just like Henri claimed. Solene, as she rode her horse, threw a surprised look at him. She couldn’t shake off the feeling he had something to do with it. It was either he had freak weather-controlling powers or he had incredible foresight, but whichever the case, the rain didn’t bother her. As a matter of fact, she was happy with this development. She now had an even plausible excuse to strip herself naked in front of him and fast. Quite a wild way for a virgin lady to think about, but what the heck... Henri simply tossed her a secretive smile and ordered his stallion to gallop faster. She followed him, holding her reins harder. Despite the biting cold, the heat and desire in their bodies didn’t disappear. It was as effectively hot and fresh as it was before the rain poured. Both were drenched when they reached the swimming pool. Henri led them t