Chapter 233: v2- - 52: a moment of peace

Marian looked at him over the edge of her teacup.

"So..."

Adrian glanced at her.

"Three weeks?"

There was a faintly teasing note in her voice.

For a moment, Adrian simply regarded her.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

"I would have preferred sooner."

Marian laughed.

"Sooner than three weeks?"

"Yes."

"Adrian."

"There are still certain protocols that cannot simply be ignored."

He sounded almost inconvenienced by the fact.

Marian shook her head, smiling.

"I suppose the Empire must be allowed some time to prepare."

"Unfortunately."

His hand caught hers.

Before she could react, he drew her toward him and settled her comfortably on his lap.

Marian laughed softly, one arm instinctively slipping around his shoulders.

"Why?" he asked.

She looked at him.

"Why what?"

"Would you rather have it later?"

Her smile softened.

"No."

She leaned closer.

Then, almost without thinking, she kissed his forehead.

Once.

Then the bridge of his nose.

And finally his lips.

When she drew back, she remained close enough that their foreheads nearly touched.

Her eyes met his.

She was happy.

Truly happy.

For a long time, she had thought she might never feel this way again.

She had loved Cassian.

She had lost him.

And for a while, Marian had believed that whatever happiness she had once known had been lost with him.

Yet here she was.

Sitting in Adrian’s arms.

About to marry the man she had known almost her entire life.

"I love you," she whispered.

Adrian’s expression softened.

"And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life by your side."

She smiled.

"So no. I don’t want it later either."

Her fingers brushed lightly through his hair.

"Actually, I’m quite happy you pushed it to be sooner."

Adrian said nothing.

For a moment, he simply looked at her.

Her eyes were bright.

Her smile was completely unguarded.

And hearing those words from her filled something inside him with a satisfaction so deep that he almost forgot everything else.

Almost.

Then, as quickly as it came, another thought surfaced.

Test her.

Ask her.

Make her prove it.

The old instinct.

The familiar temptation.

Adrian’s gaze lingered on hers.

Then he pushed it away.

Not now.

He didn’t want to test this.

He wanted to enjoy it.

Instead, he kissed her.

Marian smiled against his lips.

The kiss deepened.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his coat as Adrian drew her closer.

The papers on his desk were forgotten.

The empty luncheon table was forgotten.

For a while, neither of them seemed particularly concerned with anything beyond the other.

Eventually, Marian pulled back, breathless.

She glanced around the room.

Then at him.

"Adrian."

"Yes?"

"We’re in your office."

He glanced around as though he had only just remembered.

"I know."

Her eyes widened.

"You don’t care?"

"No."

Marian laughed.

"You’re impossible."

His hand tightened gently around her waist.

"You came here."

"I came to bring you lunch."

"And you stayed."

She smiled.

"Yes."

He kissed her again..

The papers remained untouched.

And the closed doors of the Emperor’s office remained closed for quite some time.

--

Later, Marian lay comfortably against Adrian, her head resting against his shoulder.

The room had grown quiet again.

Marian traced a lazy line over the fabric of his shirt.

"There was something else the Master of Ceremonies mentioned."

Adrian looked down at her.

"The investiture?"

"Yes."

"That can take place with the wedding."

Marian nodded.

"That makes sense."

She was quiet for a moment.

"And afterward?"

"What about afterward?"

"My duties."

Adrian considered her.

"You will have them."

"I know."

"You’ll have appearances, audiences, charitable patronages, court functions, correspondence, and matters that require your attention."

Marian made a small face.

"I know that..."

She sighed dramatically.

Adrian’s mouth curved.

"But your first duty will be rather more important."

Marian looked at him.

"What is it?"

"To give me an heir."

She stared at him.

Then burst into laughter.

"Adrian!"

"What?"

"You’re terrible."

"I am being perfectly serious."

"No, you’re not."

"I am."

She shook her head, still smiling.

"Well, in that case..."

She rested her cheek against his chest.

"I suppose I wouldn’t mind."

Adrian looked down at her.

"I can’t wait to build a family with you either."

That silenced him.

Marian’s smile softened.

She had never said anything like that to him before.

Not like this.

Not as something they would actually have together.

Children.

A home.

A family.

A future.

Their future.

Adrian’s hand moved slowly through her hair.

"Neither can I."

Marian rested her hand against his chest.

"I want to spend every day with you."

Adrian looked at her.

She smiled softly.

"When I go to sleep, I want you to be the last person I see."

Her fingers curled lightly against his shirt.

"And when I wake in the morning, I want you to be the first person I see."

She paused, her eyes meeting his.

"I hope we can spend the rest of our days like that."

Adrian was quiet for a moment.

They had spoken about their future many times when they were younger. Back then, such things had seemed so certain that neither of them had needed to question whether they would actually happen.

Now, hearing Marian say it again felt different.

Not because the idea was new.

Because this time, it was real.

His hand moved gently through her hair.

"We will."

Marian smiled.

"Then I’m happy."

She leaned closer and kissed him softly.

And Adrian held her there, allowing himself, for once, to think only about the life waiting for them.

Marian remained against him, quiet for a while.

Then she smiled.

"I think I’m looking forward to the mornings most."

Adrian glanced down at her.

"The mornings?"

"Yes."

She lifted her head slightly.

"I want to have breakfast with you when you don’t have to rush to court."

A small smile touched her lips.

"And when you do have to leave early, I want to see you off."

Adrian listened.

"I want to know what your day will be like. I want to ask you how court went when you come back."

She paused.

"And I want to have dinner with you."

There was something almost childlike in the happiness in her expression.

"Even if you’re working."

"I work quite a lot."

"I know."

"You may find it tedious."

"I won’t."

She settled against him again.

"I’ve spent eighteen years knowing you, Adrian. I think I can survive your paperwork."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

Marian smiled.

"And perhaps sometimes you’ll finish early."

"Perhaps."

"Then we can go somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don’t know."

She thought about it.

"Somewhere without ministers."

"That may be difficult."

"Then somewhere without ministers who are asking you for something."

Adrian smiled.

"That sounds more achievable."

Marian laughed softly.

She grew quiet again, her fingers absently tracing the edge of his sleeve.

"I want the little things."

Adrian looked down at her.

"What little things?"

"I don’t know."

She smiled.

"Waking up beside you. Having tea together. Sitting with you in the evenings."

Her voice softened.

"Knowing that when I look for you, you’ll be there."

Something in Adrian’s expression softened.

Marian smiled.

"We used to talk about things like this."

"I remember."

"When we were younger."

She laughed softly.

"We thought we knew exactly what our lives would be."

Adrian’s gaze remained on her.

"And now?"

Marian thought for a moment.

"Now I think I’m happier not knowing everything."

She settled against him again.

"I just know that I want this."

Adrian’s arm tightened around her.

"I want to be your wife."

Her voice became softer.

"And I want to build our life together."

Adrian said nothing for a moment.

He simply held her.

He was happy.

Truly happy.

There was something deeply satisfying about hearing Marian speak this way—not about the crown, or the palace, or what being Empress would give her, but about him.

About mornings.

Evenings.

Tea.

Dinner.

A life shared in ordinary moments.

It was the kind of future they had once imagined when they were young.

Only now, neither of them was young enough to mistake certainty for permanence.

Adrian knew better than that.

The old question remained somewhere inside him.

Quiet.

Buried.

But he did not reach for it.

Not now.

Marian was happy.

And so was he.

For once, he didn’t need to know what tomorrow would bring.

He simply drew her closer.

Marian sighed contentedly against him.

"I think we’re going to be very happy."

Adrian looked down at her.

Her eyes were closed.

Her expression was peaceful.

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"I think we will."

And for this moment, that was enough.

--

Tbc