it only took a flick of the fingers to cause the fabric to fall away and his wife lay half bare in the moonlight waiting only on him. he smiled softly and easily finished moving the dress from the other. laying back against the lad he started on the other hip to work his way back up

He felt exposed to the night there in the garden, but with the Prince being there by him he did not mind. as the lips crawled their way up his body, taking the scenic route to kiss what seemed like every inch of skin on his front with how slow it seemed. As the mouth sarted to find his jaw, an arm reached out to wrap around the Prince's shoulders before the lips pulled away and pressed themselves against his. Letting his silvery eyes fall closed he returned the intimate touch

his wife offered no evidence of the night's play though seeing a dark bruised circle barely hidden by soft fabric the lad did not need to. as they walked to chapel he let his hand slide around to encircle the duke's so they could walk hip to hip, sweetly he spoke in lowered tones, "blue is a beautiful color on you wife"

The brush and touch of the hand around his waist brought about memories of their night in the garden, and the low whispers was enough to set a flush of blush across his cheeks as a hand lifted to touch at the spot where the darkened bruise laid to make sure it was covered. "It is, like the darkest crocus emerging in a field of snow."

he was pleased with the analogy and only the thought of having people see and stare kept him from kissing the spot. "you lost my son during the ride to your ancestral home, that is why we were both so unhappy when we arrived back here. it is early but you think you may be with child again. if it is too soon to know then the child was lost the day of the return. either way you woke up this morning feeling ill in a woman's way, you do not feel able to sew today and you wish only to rest." he tightened his grip around the narrow waist though it did little more than impeded his ability to walk, he slowed down. " i will support you in this deceit if you wish a day or two reprieve from those 'cows in the garden'. you have the mark on you that would put the blame on me if you were to be questioned"

"I do not wish to put blame on you when we both know the truth of how it came about, and though I wore a dress with the intention of covering up the mark I would not mind taking a day to keep myself from them. If they were to hear the story I am sure they would offer no question and nothing more in front of me than condolences. After chapel I will decide if I wish to go sewing or now, dear husband." He moved his hand to let it lay upon his stomach as the pregnant women did before it fell lax to his side again

he was heading to the garden after spending the morning delegating with his brother when he heard the first whispers of the 'princess' having miscarried and figuring the lad to have decided to skip out he detoured to the kitchens to find them both something sweet to eat

He found himself in the sanctuary of the library. No one was around and the only thing offered was the silence of the books and the smell of leather and ink in the air. Despite the ruse of not feeling well enough to work on sewing his textiles with the women in the garden, he kept his fabric and needle on hand to be worked on at his leisure. He did not think to look for the Prince after his daily work was to be finished with

he found his wife in the library working on the needlework he had so complained about before and looking more content than anywhere but the garden and his own home. as he approached he kept his voice low so it would not startle, "the worth of a book is as much on it's content as it is on the number of monks' backs that went into the pages"

He glanced up a he heard the sound of the voice as it quietly echoed through the room, and as his eyes left the work he poked himself with the tip of the needle. Frowning he left the needle back in the tapestry as he gently sucked on the pinprick of his finger. "It is true. This room is well over the price of my home by the price of the monk's work."

nodding at the admission he came closer so that he was standing over his wife and looked down at the lad before kneeling and pulling the hand from his wife's mouth turned it over to kiss, "i am sorry for your unfortunate lose my fair princess, i am certain it would have been a fine and hale son had god not seen fit to take it away"

It took him a moment to gather what the Prince was saying, and after he realized his mental stutter he scolded himself for the mishap. "It is simply not meant to be that I bear a son now. God's will is as it shall end, and my son's life ended by his hand."

he could not help but smile against the thin fingers that lay against his own, "your god is a cruel but just one. i am certain it is better for the mother that the child is lost instead"

Gently he wriggled his fingers in their gentle grip as he slowly withdrew them. "I agree, the moth could not enjoy her evening strolls in the garden if she were with child."

he shared his smile with the other as he looked up though he made no effort to stand, "you make it sound so inconvenient dear wife, surely a son is worth a little discomfort"

One of the hands came to rest in his lap, and in an effort to rid of it the boy turned and folded his legs. "He is the heir to the kingdom, he is worth plenty of discomfort. However, I do not believe the son to a fairy kingdom is worth a little discomfort."

he was hardly deterred by the cold act and pressed his lips to the side of the knee closest to him, "no but if it were a daughter it would be more than perfect for any unseelie court. it would have been a fortunate babe no matter what...though you are better without it, i am without my wife should she be with child"

"Yes, and your wife is the one who has roped you along with her to an eternity in hell, being without it is better for you," he cooed sarcastically as he worked to re-thread his needle. "The benefit for you is no child shall be bared by my name, I am essentially barren."

"you forget wife," he said as he nimbly snatched the needle and circle from the other, "you are a woman, mortal or not you have no name"

He took on a look of surprise when he lost his needle and circle, and it took him a second before his attention returned. "I remember, but this is what everyone else thinks, we know the truth of me and where I am to go after I die."

setting the edge of the hoop on the lad's knee he pushed the needle through and swapping hands back again. "this is not so difficult wife as you make it seem"

He reached forward to gently take the hoop and needle away, and at a mere glance he could see hoe poor the stitch was. subtly he tried to take it back out as he felt the face lean forward to rest itself on his thigh, and leaving his sewing for a brief moment he ran his fingers through the red hair. "I am beginning to get the hang of it, I will be as good as the others soon, husband."

the hand felt pleasantly warm and held the softness he had learned was uniquely his wife's though that it was used on him was unexpected. he sighed softly, "i would rather you did not if the outcome is that i may sit with you in my time to myself"

A soft hum played into the air as he let his fingers trickle away to free them from tangling locks to allow him to begin his stitching again, "I could always pretend to be bad so that the women don't know any better, but in truth I can just be spending my time with you instead of my needle"

"or," he grinned against the fabric, "you can say the prince wishes to learn woman's work and you will be spending your time teaching him needlework"

He managed a grin of his own, "You want to learn how to work a woman and study the hem of the dress to see how quickly you can get it off, not needle work and the job of a woman."

the grin turned lecherous and shifting closer he moved up to kiss the soft curve of the lad's inner thigh, "you have me dear wife. i am less interested in the subject than the tutor that would teach it"

He fought the blush that threatened to emerge at the gentle kiss, and striking his linen with another stitch he focused his attention closer to it than the one at his thighs. "I could come to your chambers tonight if you wish for me to."

softly he pressed his lips down again before resting his head once more, "i would be pleased if you did though i would not mind either to stay here like this"

He gave his leg a little shift beneath the warm head before settling again. "I have naught to do but sew and the day is still early, we do not have to go anywhere just yet"

nodding into the fabric he sighed again, "that sounds good then. you will sew and i will rest. i approve of this new thing"

It did not take long for the silence and his rhythmical stitch work to put the prince to sleep, as he could feel the steady breathing and warm breaths as he laid against his thigh. It was not until he got most of his stitch-work finished that a timid looking made came into the room without hardly noticing the two until the boy looked up at her and she decided to leave the two of them alone, and to no doubt gossip with the rest of the help. Giving a quiet sound he reached down to wake his sleeping husband.

it felt strange waking on the floor and leaned against the other. yawning he stretched out the pain of sitting in such a way an slowly stood as his wife gathered up his things and stood as well, "....wife, let us sew together again..." he yawned again and turning from his wife left to see what needed to be done

He did not see much of his husband the rest of the evening, the each of them taking care of their own duties and both attending the evening meal before temporarily retiring to their rooms. He spent part of his evening looking over his stitched from the afternoon and found them to be wonderful, and made an attempt to make ones just as marvelous before the remembrance of visiting the Prince came to mind again. Setting aside his hoop and needle he went to venture through the halls.

the lad was late in arriving and though he was wanting he had figured him not to come but before he could think to call for a servant to ready him for bed he heard a knock and found his sweet wife on the other side. ushering him in he closed the door and bullied the lad against it where he left light kisses over the false breasts, "wife, i have been thinking of you since i laid beside you in the library. you have bewitched me"

His laugh was quiet as he allowed for the gentle peppering of kisses that were even gentler to him by fault of fabric padding. "I do not remember casting any a spell, for my magick only seems to work in the darkness of the garden and we have not spent our time among the roses for a few days." Reaching for one of the hands that lead him to the plush bed, he intertwined their fingers, "I would not doubt it if my beauty was enough to entrance you, husband."

"it is dear wife and only your sex assures me you will not bear me bastards should others be captured in your dangerous net." trailing upwards he found the angle of the lad's jaw and kissed that as well, "i know if i saw you passing by i would risk my life to touch you"

A hum escaped his lips at the gentle ministration to the soft joint in his jaw, "You are already risking your life with being with me, not as your wife, but as another man. It makes every touch from you feel that much better and that much more exhilarating."

returning the hum he pressed closer, "i might be but as the prince there are only a few bodies that dare argue your sex. i have no fear"

A sound escaped him with the sensation of the body pressed closer, and despite himself he wanted more of the touches and more of their banter. "And I have all of the fear, but the more time I spend with you the more resistant I become to the opportunities where my secret could be found."