Bride To His Darkness-Chapter 374: Winter’s Embrace (I)

Three Months Later

Ivan stepped into the cobblestoned path, his foot leaving imprints in the pristine snow. In the heart of the royal estate, Ivan stood before the marble statue of his late cousin, Alistair, and he had taken a free time from his schedule to come and see the finishing touches Tobias wouldn’t stop telling him about.

The chains his cousin always wore were not crafted into the statue, and that was to symbolize his freedom in the afterlife. He was surprised that Alistair’s father would agree to the building of the statue, since the statue built here was specifically for great kings who have ruled and passed on their responsibilities to their kin.

Alistair’s crafted scythe bore a delicate cap of snow, and those eyes of his remained frozen with determination. It was the perfect image of his cousin, for it embodied his playfulness and an unarguable bravery.

Ivan’s blue eyes softened as he traced the chiseled features of the statue, recollecting the good times, and he knew whatever happened, it happened for the best. His cloak billowed behind him, and he adjusted the silver circlet around his raven hair. An unconscious motion he did in order to get his emotions together.

"Rest well, Alistair." He murmured, and as if in response, the snowflakes swirled, creating a gentle halo atop Alistair’s head.

"He would be proud of you." came a sweet gentle voice behind him–a familiar voice that made him smile without even realizing it. He immediately turned around to see his wife approaching, her rounded belly cradled protectively. Her golden hair peeked out from beneath a fur-lined hood, and her cheeks glowed with the promise of new life.

His wife, his heart— she has never looked more beautiful.

Samantha came to stand beside him, and she slipped her gloved hands into his, peering at his human-like face. His blue eyes glistened with warmth from the depth of his stylishly round glasses, and he seemed to be getting more and more handsome by the day.

"You’re looking quite handsome than usual, your highness. What is the occasion?" she inquired, and Ivan simply cupped her cheek before dropping a tender kiss on her forehead.

"The magic of your presence must be taking a positive toll on me." He answered, "my heart won’t stop pounding, look at what you’ve done to me?"

He clutched his chest before shaking his head, "you are beautiful, gorgeous, not even the loveliest roses could compare to my wife. Perfection should be deemed illegal."

"Stop." Samantha’s cheeks were flushed red at his comments, and she went into his arms in an attempt to conceal it. "It’s been three months since we returned to the palace, and everything still feels like a dream. I still wake up scared atimes, cause I’m afraid that one day, all this happiness would be gone... like it never happened."

"You’re holding me, aren’t you?" He reciprocated her hug, "what part of this feels unreal? You are standing in front of me, hugging me, and you are carrying the family’s legacy within you."

Samantha rested her head on his shoulder, her breath visible in the frigid air, "I feel our little one here," she whispered, "I feel our child, Ivan. If Alistair were here, he would have been the perfect godfather, don’t you think?"

Ivan’s heart swelled, and he glanced at the statue that suddenly seemed to come alive in his eyes. "Perhaps he’s watching us, I doubt that vampire would let us walk away from him. I sense his persistence." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"I want to go for a walk."

"Come." Holding his wife’s hand, Ivan led his wife into the palace garden, which was nestled within the stone walls of the huge estate.

Samantha remembered when the place used to be a riot of colors—a symphony of roses, lilies, and daffodils. But now, the garden was draped in a silvery veil of snow.

"Ivan." Samantha began, "with Lucy and Madeline gone, I want Aunt Lucinda to be around me more often. The other servants in the palace make me really uncomfortable."

"Why? Is someone bothering you?" Ivan’s eyebrows furrowed, and Samantha quickly shook her head before he thought otherwise.

"No one is bothering me, I just think it’s because I’ve been around these people and I’ve grown accustomed to their presence. Aunt Lucinda said she doesn’t mind coming, I sent her a note yesterday, so all I need is your approval."

"If it makes you happy, then you are free to act as you please." he kissed her knuckles, "if Aunt Lucinda has no issues coming over, then I don’t see the problem."

"Really?" Samantha’s eyes lit up, and he nodded.

As the stroll continued, they reached a part of the garden where a pond lay still, its surface, a mirror of silvers. Beneath the icy surface, Samantha observed the dormant fishes, and Ivan stayed by her side, all the while letting her explore to her satisfaction.

Icicles hung from the willow branches, their tips like fragile daggers. Samantha glanced at Ivan as he gazed into the distance, looking peaceful with himself, and he noticed her subtle glances, whilst he looked at the woman who had been caught stealing peeks at him.

"Can’t get enough of your husband’s looks?"

Samantha’s cheeks flushed at his inquiry, and she shook her head, "It’s not that, I have a feeling," she placed a hand on her perfectly growing round stomach, "I think it’s a girl."

"A daughter?" Ivan’s smile turned tender, "a little one with your eyes and my stubbornness, how fascinating."

The idea of their child being a girl didn’t bother him in the slightest, a reaction Samantha did not expect, and she hesitated in her next phrase, her expression shifting, "I worry, Ivan. The midwives all say the same thing as well, matching my emotions and symptoms to me having a girl, and from how they say it, it makes me very worried."

Ivan stopped walking after perceiving her slight panic, and he gently turned his wife by her shoulders so she could look at him.

"What troubles you? What did they say?"

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