Chapter 143

Adolph and Laurel followed the attendant towards their rooms. chuckled as Laurel walked into their quarters and began to undress, fanning herself as she unbuttoned her traveling cloak and pouted.

"I'm burning up and I'm hungry."

Adolph closed the door behind him as she started fumbling with the buttons on her dress.

"All these laces! I can't wait to go to the temple."

Adolph chuckled, approaching her and stilling her hands before she damaged the dress that she was so fond of.

"Let me," Adolph said, kissing her forehead. She practically purred before turning bright red. Adolph grinned at her, lifting an eyebrow at her as he began to unravel the mess she'd made of the fastening ribbons. She was no longer wearing gowns with corsets due to the baby. In its place, her gowns were cinched to her frame using a network of silk ribbons. He wasn't surprised how sick of them she was already given how hot she could get, not even wanting to cuddle next to him in the night and soaking the sheets with her sweat.

"I'll get you a bath," Adolph said as the last of the ribbons slipped free and she slipped it off her shoulders, leaving her in just her camisole.

Desire stirred in him, looking at her undressed state. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked away.

"I promise not to ravish you before you've had a proper meal."

"Th-The doctor said you couldn't!"

He chuckled, "She said quite a few things and there is more than one way to ravish."

She squeaked and darted away from him. He chuckled and picked her gown up as she stood behind the couch as if it would protect her. Once her gown was hung over a nearby chair, he took off his cloak and looked at his wife.

"Shouldn't you be eating?" Adolph asked, casually.

"Adolph, we're in the den of an enemy."

He chuckled, "I think there's a certain kind of pleasure to be derived knowing I am enjoying myself in the house of my former father-in-law."

Laurel shook her head, "You You Adolph, I am seeing a very different side of you."

"I am far too old and too important to be squeamish about indulging in whatever pleases me when I wish." He glanced at the basket, "I believe Maria packed enough jam for you to have a full jar with each slab of meat if you wanted."

Laurel stuck out her tongue, "More like so you could have a jar for every loaf of bread."

"Those too."

Laurel crossed the room, humming softly as she unpacked food from the basket and he stepped out of his boots carefully. Slowly, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her temple.

"Cooler now?"

Laurel shook her head, setting a jar of jam aside, "I think your mother ate her weight in jam while she was pregnant with you and Raven. And spent most of her days in cool water."

He laughed, "Probably. Let me get your bath ready, hm?"

"You're going to carry buckets of water?" Laurel asked. "I was under the impression that only the castle had running water in the rooms."

"If I know Minister Mirabelle, he will have updated his entire manor to have something like it. After staying in the palace and being able to run his bath at any time he wished, he would have spent a great deal of time looking into a way to make it so he could have a similar level of comfort."

He entered the bathroom and smirked. As he expected, there was a pump over the lip of the tub and a fireplace nearby.

It wasn't the luxury of the castle, but it was as close as he could get without having a connection with the Wiccan Alliance. His lips twitched as he pumped water into the tub and watched it fill after he plugged the drain. He ran his hand under the flowing water and chuckled.

"You will have to let it sit for a while. The water is a bit warm."

Laurel huffed, "When do we get to go home?"

Adolph smiled at the sound of the word and came back into the room once the tub was filled.

"Home?"

She nodded, biting into a sandwich of meat and bread, "Home. Where the water is always cold when I want it."

Adolph sat beside her and made a sandwich, "As soon as his celebration is over."

Laurel hummed in delight as she put another swath of jam on her bread.

"I quite enjoy being pregnant. No one complains about how much jam I eat."

Adolph lifted an eyebrow at her, "Is that a request?"

"A request to." Her eyes widened as she looked up at him in shock. "No! No that is not a request."

Adolph shrugged, "You have no desire for more children?"

Laurel flushed. She had always wanted children. The fact that they would have been heirs to the throne when she was Laura was just icing on the cake, but she had given up those dreams when it was clear that Basil would never touch her that way. She had given up on those dreams.

She hadn't even let herself consider the potential until recently, now she had a baby on the way with her mate. She looked up at him, a little dizzy with the idea as dreams she had long forgotten began to bubble up.

"... at least not right now."

Adolph turned his head and his eyes heated just so, smirking at her.

"I'm glad I planned to enjoy my mated life."

She wrinkled her nose.

"You can have as many of my children as you'd like. Including the eldest."

She laughed, "No, thank you!"

They ate in companionable quiet before she decided she couldn't stand it any longer and needed to get in the tub. Without much preamble, she tossed her camisole off and climbed into the tub.

He eyed her, wondering if she would be receptive to the idea that was currently running through his mind and making his pants inexplicably tight.

Laurel sighed, relaxing in the cool water before looking at Adolph who seemed pensive, watching her in the bath.

"What's wrong?"

His eyes lowered and a jolt of anticipation went through her. Heat pooled between her thighs and she clenched her hands on the rim of the tub. He lifted from the edge of the door and crossed the room with nearly silent steps, prowling towards her until he reached the edge of the tub and kneeled. His eyes drifted over her naked form and she gasped as he rolled up his sleeve.

"A-Adolph?"

He licked his lip and cupped the back of her head, pulling her close enough to share a breath with him. He dragged his lips across hers. She gasped feeling the heat of his hand warming the water as it drew closer to her. He trailed a finger down her stomach, over the slightest bump and lower. She clenched her thighs together, looking at him worrying her lip.

"Open," he breathed, his voice rough and near pleading. He seemed as desperate to touch her as she felt to let him.

"I Adolph"

"Please."

His fingers were near burning against her thigh, trailing over her thigh. She let out a little whimpering gasp as she relaxed and opened her legs for him. He growled against her mouth, taking a firmer grip of her neck and nipping at her lips.

"Good girl," he said and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She whimpered as he slid his hand between her thighs and stroked her without warning. PLeasure struck through her, making her toes curl at the intensity of it. She heard herself cry out and him growling in pleasure.

"Yes, Laurel. Just let me"

"Adolph, you-"

He kissed her, swallowing whatever she was going to say as he licked into her mouth and slipped a finger into her, curling it just enough to make her cry out and her body jerk. A knock sounded on the door and she froze, her body tensing and she felt the smirk on his lips.

"What should we do, my love?" Adolph asked, slipping another finger into her, stroking and pumping his fingers into her, sending shocks of pleasure through her. She pressed her lips together, reaching for his hand to make him stop before they heard her cries.

"Your Majesty?"

"A-" She smothered a cry in his chest as he pumped his fingers faster and pressed nibbled on her mating mark. Her hips jerked at the spike of almost painful pleasure and she panted, rolling her hips against her hand and trying to keep quiet as the orgasm began to build.

"Your Majesties?" A voice called through the door. "There's a message for you."

She heard the doorknob turning and panicked as the bathroom door was still wide open. He picked up his pace viciously as she tried to pull his hand free and pressed their lips together as the pleasure crested and her vision went white.

"Just a moment," Adolph called back, his voice seemingly unaffected as he lay her back in the tub panting and dazed. He licked his lips before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'll bring you a fresh gown."

He turned and left, closing the door behind him as she tried to catch her breath.

"A message from the capital, Sir Chasel sent it urgently."

"What is it?"

"The Wiccan Alliance says that Eden has woken up, and they're making their way back."