Harriet's supple lips brushed against the bacon Charles held, catching the rasher between her teeth. Their lips swept by each other, the warmth of them radiating. She pulled back in that instant, chewing the piece slowly and thoughtfully while her husband leaned up against the plush seating of the carriage, gray eyes watching her closely. Harriet moaned lightly from the wonderful flavors brought out by the bacon. The young knight smirked in amusement, his eyes glinting playfully as he watched her.
"See, I told you Briar's butcher was far superior to the one in Vale," she purred teasingly, bringing up an old debate the couple had had months ago. Charles rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.
"I told you, Vale's meat is wonderful. It must be an acquired taste," he countered, looking away in a playfully childish manner. Charles glanced back, smirking. "I guess the bacon was good though." Harriet wiped her hands off slowly and turned her attention to Charles, eyebrow arched, scarlet lips turned upward in a grin. Charles arched a brow quickly, cocking it above the other in confusion, even though he fully knew what she had on her mind. She shifted her position on his lap, rubbing against him softly. As she most likely had hoped, the movement prompted a light groan from Charles which passed through his lips slowly and softly as if he were fighting it back. Her chest pressed to his, closing the already thin gap between their bodies while her nails ran along his bare shoulders. Charles rolled his shoulder blades against her fingers, wordlessly expressing his pleasure as she did so.
Oh Lord, he could have stayed there all day. Why did he have to go to the summit, again? It was obvious the South was to go to war with the North. Years of studying government and tactics taught him that the building tension between the two families was the greatest sign that trouble was on the horizon. No longer did he try to lie to himself and say there wasn't a war coming. There certainly was battle in his future and, being the brash, reckless young man he was, Charles was not frightened at all by the idea. He welcomed the idea of proving himself in battle. His father still showed signs of all of the battles he'd fought. He looked broken so often and, even though that idea worried Charles, he seemed to think he wouldn't be so horribly affected by the war. In his mind, he had nothing to worry about. He'd fight for his family alongside his father, win, declare their independence, and finally prove he wasn't just a tactician; he was a warrior.
In the midst of his thinking, a soft hand came to lie against the area of Charles's cheeks that dipped inward slightly. Blinking rapidly in shock, Charles looked up to meet his spouse's gaze. Her gaze was now loving and admiring instead of lustful and sensual, as it was just moments before. She gazed into his eyes and he looked right back into her bright blue irises, smiling in tandem with her.
"Regardless of what happens today, I hope you know that I will never leave your side. The Queen may be my sister, but my loyalty and my heart lies solely with you, Charles. " Her voice held a sincerity Charles swore he had never heard before except for maybe their wedding vows. He was speechless. Not only was Charles surprised by the suddenness of the statement, he was also still digesting the intensity of this statement. She would put him above her own sister? It meant more to her to stay loyal to him than to stay loyal to her sister, the Queen? They were ideas he'd worried about earlier on his ride up to Briar on Serenity. He had worried she would be torn between her sister and her husband. But, hearing her promise she'd stay by his side caused Charles to literally sigh with relief. Harriet slowly brought her lips down upon his, resting her other hand on his other cheek. The love between them was powerful. In just a heartbeat, they'd gone from teasing to promising loyalty. Charles pressed his lips against Harriet's, his eyes closing in contentment. The young man wrapped his long, sinewy arms around the waist of his wife, drawing her close.
Reluctantly, he pulled away and stared back into her eyes, smiling happily. "Dear God...I could not have been blessed with a better wife," he cooed, his brow furrowed with unspoken professions of his love. The simple expression seemed to cry out, My love, how can I possibly profess my love to you now? How shall I compare to this promise you made to me? Words can not begin to express the adoration I feel towards you. Charles pulled her close again, moving one hand up to cradle it behind her neck while the other stayed on her waist. Holding her close, the man's breath, coupled with his facial hair, tickled at her neck. "I love you...I love you more than life itself." Pulling away, Charles looked his wife back in the eye. "No matter what becomes of me, no matter what becomes of us...I shall always love you." He wouldn't bring up the fact that a potential battle could be the death of him...that would certainly ruin the mood. Regardless, he wasn't worried in the slightest about dying in battle.