"The day has finally come."
That was the first thought I had as I opened my eyes to the rays of the morning sun beaming on my face. My left side felt different than the right side. I looked and noticed that Anna was already awake. Sarah however, had my right arm in a vice grip and didn't seem to want to let it go. We had an early day today, so I thought it would be best to wake her up.
" ...not...there... John..."
Seems she was having a pleasant dream, despite the words she just mumbled with a bit of drool coming from her mouth as she spoke. I took the thin sheet we used as a blanket and used it to wipe Sarah's chin to rid it of her drool.
" Good morning."
Her purple eyes opened as I finished wiping off her chin. They changed from unfocused to sharp as she realized she was staring at me. With a greeting she smiled and stretched herself across the giant bed she, Anna and I share as our marital bed.
" Good morning, Sarah."
I greet her back; she flashes a teasing smile as she arches her back while finishing her stretching.
" Do you see something you like?"
Sarah asked me that, as she watched me staring at her.
" Of course, I see my lovely wife, it wouldn't matter how much drool I have to clean off of you while you sleep, you'll always be pretty to me."
" Is that why I felt something on my chin?"
Sarah asked, with a slight blush on her face about how I woke her up.
" Yes, it was. But again, don't worry, you're always going to be beautiful to me Sarah."
I inched closer to her as she tried to retreat from embarrassment.
" Well... Well.."
She's starting to panic. I prefer this in comparison to the almost evil look in her eyes when she began to make plans with Emily.
" You talk in your sleep!"
A desperate attempt to surprise me and stop my advance. But a useless one nonetheless!
/Chu./
I wrapped my hand around Sarah's back before she fell off of the bed, then I gave her a morning kiss. We separated and I began to speak.
" We're 2 sides of the same coin, I talk, you drool. It's a perfect marriage."
Sarah reacted with embarrassment to my words, but she didn't look away from me. I winked at her, and she began to pout a little.
" I preferred it when you were surprised when I would kiss you, My Love."
" I kind of enjoy having you taste a bit of your own medicine."
With that, Sarah and I spent a few more moments playing around before we decided to get up properly. After washing up I made my way to the kitchen where Anna was enjoying a cup of tea as she read a book on the table. Sarah wanted to take a bath since it would be a few weeks before we could properly bathe again.
/Chu./
I kiss Anna on her cheek before she notices me, and I take my seat opposite of her.
" What are you reading?"
" M-M-Master! Not in front of our staff!"
Anna was embarrassed by my kiss. Most likely because she wasn't expecting it. I smile at her as she blushes and begins to pout at me since she realizes I'm finding enjoyment from her current actions. Brandon served me a savory porridge with sausages in it and some Blackfruit juice as a drink. The food was good, watching my wife calm down from her embarrassment was better. After I finished my food, I started to talk to a recently calmed Anna.
" Sorry, Anna. I didn't think 1 little peck on the cheek would cause you to get so embarrassed. I'll be more careful from now on."
"O-o-o-Only in front of the staff..."
" Hm?"
I turn my ear to Anna so I can hear her better.
" Can you repeat that?"
Anna takes a minute before she speaks again, but this time she talks clearly in a whisper, so the staff doesn't hear her.
" I only want to do that when its only us, I don't want the staff to see us doing those kinds of things. I want our romantic moments to be between us, to be only for us. Sarah included of course."
I smile at her words.
" I see. Well, I guess it's a good thing that our carriage has curtains then. Right?"
She blushes again at my words. The sleeves on her shirt shift and wiggle. She's looking around with her other eyes. Once she's sure no one is looking at us, my cute wife Anna nods twice in a delayed answer to my words. I smile at her and nod back.
" Good morning!"
Sarah greeted us not long after we finished talking.
" Good morning, Sarah."
Anna greeted her back.
" Good morning again Sarah."
I greeted her as well. Seems she was in a good mood after her bath.
" What are you reading, Anna?"
Sarah noticed Anna was reading a book as well.
" Oh it's a book about the history of Diablos and the Dark Elves relationship with each other.
" Learning about them before we meet? That's pretty great, Anna! Anything stick out to you?"
I praised her. To be honest this all came so suddenly, it slipped my mind to actually learn anything about the Dark Elves. I was so busy figuring out who to take and what to take that everything else kind of... Went out of my focus.
" Only that there hasn't been much of a problem between the 2 sides. Its almost shocking to be honest. You'd expect Demons to at least start a fight with 1 Dark Elf. But honestly, it seems to me that the Dark Elves are so solitary, that unless it was for something important, only Dark Elf merchants made contact with Demons for any prolonged amount of time."
" I believe Father has yet to meet the new King of the Dark Elves."
" I feel like that would've been good of Warrick to let me know that ahead of time."
" It probably slipped his mind, it happened during the beginning of the War with Promethia that started when I was a kid. Father only knew about the change of Kings because the new King wrote him a letter."
" So, in a way, the first contact this Dark Elf King will be making with Demons is through us. Wonder how he'll feel when a Human Paladin shows up as a Marquess of Diablos along with his 2 Demon wives? Wonder if he'll show a funny face?"
" Time will tell, My Love."
Breakfast went by in a flash as we talked about the history of the Dark Elves. It was approaching the late morning before we knew it, by the time we had arrived at the southern gates of Paradise to start our journey, the sun was shining in the middle of the sky.
" Noon seems almost late for a take-off now that I think about it."
" It will be fine, you have a convoy of 7 skilled warriors, I doubt there'll be much danger at night. Especially if you include yourselves in the fighting ranks."
Emily offered me some wisdom before Sarah, Anna and I were to take our leave.
" That would be the case if we weren't also using this as an opportunity to test making a road this trip. Hopefully my skill with Gilbert's ability will grow leaps and bounds by the time we arrive back home."
" I'm sure it will, Matthew! Just have faith in the work you've already put in! Your training is something that will never betray you!"
" That's a nice saying, Ruby."
Ruby tried to cheer me up.
" I think I'm really going to miss you both. Make sure this place isn't on fire when I come back, okay?"
" Of course!"
They both replied to me in unison.
" Lord Matthew, the time to begin our journey has come."
" At ease, Greg. We'll head into the carriage in a second."
The pale green-skinned Demon called out to us as Sarah, Anna and I were saying goodbye to our friends. Sarah and Anna were currently hugging Janet and Ellie as I was talking to Emily and Ruby.
" Make sure to bring us back souvenirs okay!"
" If there's anything worth bringing back, sure. I mean it is a forest, I doubt they're known for their presents. Unless you like berries."
" I love fruit!"
Ruby seemed to take my joke literally. I just smiled at her as her enthusiasm washed over me. Yeah, I'm going to miss her. She's been more or less attached to the hip of my family since we arrived here. I guess during our travels if I find anything nice that would fit her, I should make sure to bring her it. I turn to Emily and it seems she has an expectant look in her eyes as well.
" Fine, fine, I'll try to find something for you both."
" What if you can't find anything, Dear?"
Anna had snuck up behind me and asked a question.
" I guess, I'll owe them 1?"
I answered with the first thing that came to mind. Sarah, who just arrived after Anna, spoke to Emily and Ruby as well.
" Do you hear that girls? Make sure you work hard so you can accept his gift guilt free!"
" Right!"
For some reason, Ruby and Emily were fired up now. I guess they really want a gift from me? Regardless, we finished our goodbyes and entered a nicely sized dark blue carriage as we took off south to begin our journey.