Irene was finally able to take in the sight of the guestroom that had drastically changed from its previous state. As Henry wrapped his arms around her waist, they both observed their new surroundings.

There was a giant bed made of soft cushions that had been set up in the center of the sizable room. Over it, dark red blankets and furs had been laid. Under the golden candlelight that lit up the room, it seemed so warm and inviting. Sheer curtains were hung from the ceiling over the bed, which further bent the light and cast shadows. It truly seemed like a new world they were stepping into.

Not just a new world, but a new phase in their relationship. Something Irene knew she needed courage to even approach.

Her ivy eyes settled on the basin that stood to the right of where they were. Steam rose from the hot, milky water. There were also flower petals on the top, and Irene knew that the finest soaps and oils had been prepared.

This was an aspect of Sunstoian culture she didn’t know entirely how to feel about. It was extremely representative of the bond between husband and wife. He would help her disrobe and then wash her from head to toe, representing the shedding of her maidenhood and officially becoming a woman.

It was a beautiful thing, truly. That didn’t entirely assuage her nerves.

The red haired knight faintly smiled as her eyes drifted downward, and she saw Henry’s strong arms wrapped around her, her freckled hands covering his. His arms were tanned and contrasted the cream color of the dress she wore—her wedding dress.

She could do it for him. Allowing someone to fully have her body always terrified her, but she truly trusted him. They had spent plenty of nights inching closer and closer to this reality, after all, yet he was the one who often stopped them. He was a knight with honor ingrained in his heart.

Now that she had relaxed more, Irene pulled away from her husband, and instead she gently tugged at his hand.

"Hurry, before the water gets cold," she said quietly. "You still have to bathe me."

Her eyes met his, and to her surprise, he seemed caught off guard. He certainly must have read about this part of the ritual after all he had gone through to get updated on Sunstoian wedding customs.

"M-Me?" he asked, wavering. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

It was relieving knowing that he was equally as nervous as she was, that it meant as much as him as it did to her. When it came to her, he never took things lightly. That was also why she could relax a bit and follow his lead when it came to things regarding their relationship. Never before had she felt like that with someone whether friend or family. She always felt she had to be the strong one or they wouldn’t like her.

"I’ve wanted this for as long as you have," Irene assured him. "This is just one step closer."

She gently pushed at his cloak, and as he began to remove it, she also started to loosen the leather straps of the small amount of armor he wore. His breastplate and shoulder guards were only worn because they held the Duke’s seal. It was representative of who he was.

When he was rid of his outer layers, including his boots, he returned to Irene, approaching her from behind as she gazed at the bath once more. He pressed a light kiss against her shoulder. To his surprise, she requested, "Help me untie this dress."

His hands found her waist and then went to her lower back. He undid the cream colored tie that was keeping everything together.

When everything was loosened, Irene took a deep, calming breath and instead of holding the bodice of her dress to her chest as she had been, she extended her arms which caused the dress to fall away from her, it pooled at her feet until she was able to step away.

Unlike usual, she wore nothing underneath the gown. Her half chemise and shorts that fit under her writing pants and tunics wouldn’t fit underneath something that fell off her shoulders the way that this one did.

She was too nervous to see how Henry took to the fact that she was naked, so she merely continued forward. She took comfort in the fact that the light was dim. At least she didn’t have to bear herself to him for too long because she quickly stepped into the bath and lowered herself in.

Her head felt hot both because of the water and her shyness. She looked up at Henry who had approached the bath. The smile on his face was pleased. Her heart thudded.

"I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful," he whispered.

"Wash me," she requested.

At that, he rolled up his sleeves so that they wouldn’t get wet.

Taking initiative, he found a bar of milky soap and a washcloth.

He began at her feet and occasionally met her eyes as he sought approval. Occasionally she would nod. However, most of the time his eyes were on each part of her body that he touched as he washed her. Each time his eyes lingered, Irene could feel butterflies in her stomach.

As he made it up her legs so carefully, Irene heard him say, "There isn’t a bit of you lacking freckles."

"If that’s a good thing..." she uttered, unsure how to feel.

"It’s perfect," he insisted as he continued diligently washing up her thighs.

His touch elicited a tingly feeling she was more accustomed to. There was excitement brewing amidst the nervousness.

This was the last time she could truly hide from him. Most of herself was still hidden in the milky white water except for her chest, which she resisted covering with her arms especially when he had made it up her taut stomach and then to this place that he had admittedly been acquainted with before. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

They had seen one another naked as they fought the boundaries of what was socially appropriate for an unmarried couple behind closed doors. There were usually blankets and darkness involved. It was much more intimidating since there was still the last bits of daylight through the windows and plenty of candles so that they could see what they were doing.

Henry was practically finished bathing her when he finally made it to her shoulders.

"Now help me remove the flowers and ribbons from my hair so it can be washed as well," Irene quietly requested.

Henry nodded. He seamlessly began to help her with this as well. It was helping her get more comfortable with the situation they were in.

Once the last flower was removed from Irene’s hair, his face was close to hers and he felt that he had to kiss her.

"I couldn’t help myself," he admitted. "My heart hasn’t calmed down since the moment you stepped into the water."

"Mine hasn’t either," she confessed.

"Now, close your eyes so I can wash your hair," Henry responded. "Or I’m going to want to kiss you again."

Instead of being obedience, Irene gently pulled at his shirt and requested another kiss. But she had to stop both of them so that they didn’t ruin this slow pace they had taken to. The anticipation was growing.