The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 245: He Found Her

Jerrick saw the stress line disappearing between her eyes and she was smiling from her heart. He picked her up and sat her down on his lap, his hands wrapped around her abdomen, gently cupping her belly.

"You looked extremely beautiful today. I was not even surprised you caught the attention of other men..."

"You weren’t?" Jessamyn tried to look at his face, but he pressed his cheek on hers and made her look to the front.

"I wasn’t," his voice turned to a husky whisper and he kissed her earlobe.

Jessamyn leaned on him. "You weren’t jealous at all?" she asked.

His warmth spread on her back and she closed her eyes.

"I like the way you dress at nights... no corset..." his hand on her abdomen traveled north, cupping her twin peaks.

Jessamyn giggled, tickled by his naughty fingers tracing on her neck.

"So perky..." his warm breath fell on her earlobes as he hissed. He gently massaged them, her laugh turning into a moan.

She arched her back, letting him slip his hand inside her flimsy nightgown. Under the gentle care of his nimble fingers, even the soreness she felt on her chest during her pregnancy vanished, and her abdomen tightened.

Jessamyn’s breath hitched as Jerrick’s touch grew more intimate, his fingers sending shivers down her spine. She could feel the warmth of his love enveloping her, making her forget all the stress and challenges of the day.

"Jerrick..." she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of longing and contentment.

He responded with a gentle kiss on her neck, his lips leaving a trail of warmth. "Others can look at you, Jessamyn. But only I have you... Always."

"You truly aren’t jealous," she chuckled. He says one thing but his actions prove otherwise. But she could feel his love.

"I am not," Jerrick peppered kisses on the back of her neck.

Her heart swelled with love for him, as his touches turned gentler. He was always considerate of her changing body. She turned her head slightly to capture his lips in a tender kiss. The connection they shared was deeper than words could express.

"I love you," she murmured against his lips, her eyes closing as she savored the moment.

"I love you more," he replied, his voice a soft rumble against her skin.

The night outside was calm, a stark contrast to the charged atmosphere of the day’s events. Inside their private chamber, surrounded by the quiet and the warmth of their love, Jessamyn felt at peace.

In his eyes, she saw trust and affection that couldn’t be expressed in words. Under his melting touches, she surrendered herself to him, once more, for she knew he would take care of her the best.

And he did take care of her to his heart’s content.

As their bodies meld and moved, they were not just making love; they were making art. Each touch was a brushstroke, each kiss a splash of color on the canvas of their shared night. Together, they painted a masterpiece of intimacy, a portrait of two souls united in a gentle rapture.

When the crescendo was built, it was not a rush to the end but a journey savored. And when they finally found release, it was like the soft fall of petals in a summer breeze, a gentle exhale of the universe’s breath.

They lay together, spent and sated, the warmth of their shared moment lingering like the last notes of a beautiful song.

In the aftermath, they hold each other close, basking in the afterglow of their connection. The world outside might be vast and chaotic, but in the cocoon of their love, everything was simple and pure.

Jerrick kissed her forehead after wiping the pearls of perspiration from her body. His hand rested on her belly, still flat, showing not much sign of a wonderful life she was nourishing.

Jessamyn didn’t have the energy to open her eyes. Her lips curved as he placed his warm hand over her abdomen. "Do you think our child will surpass your strength?" she asked, her hand covering his on her abdomen.

"Perhaps," Jerrick said with a smile. If he lived in a time where someone stronger than him existed, he’d prefer that man to be his son. He wouldn’t like it very much, but he could bear with it and might be proud of him just because he was Jessamyn’s blood.

"But I hope he inherits your wisdom, kindness, and beauty..." Jerrick said.

"He will look just like me," Jessamyn said. "Do you really want to curse our son with my wisdom?" she asked.

She never considered herself as wise. And she was not kind to everyone. Maybe that was not a bad trait. Kindness to everyone might be perceived as a weakness. She didn’t want others to perceive her son as weak.

But wisdom?

"You’re smart," Jerrick kissed her forehead. "In your own way... like... "

"You can’t even explain and you call me smart?" Jessamyn chuckled and rolled to lie on his arm.

Jerrick kissed her forehead. "I can’t put it into words, Jessamyn. But you are smart. Not book smart but... If you were raised differently, you’d have been more confident about your abilities..."

"Are you sad about my past?" Jessamyn opened her eyes to look at him. She could feel his pain. "It’s fine. You’re enough. I mean it," she kissed his lips.

"You’re right," he hugged her. He wanted to be everything for her.

Slowly, Jessamyn drifted to sleep. Jerrick gently tucked her in the blanket and kissed her forehead.

"I’ll be back soon, my love," he whispered before jumping out the window.

-----

Jerrick got on his horse and went to William’s place. As he expected, William was not there. He tied his horse in William’s residence and covering himself with a cloak, got to the tavern where the dancers who accompanied the crown prince of Altania were staying.

Just like he predicted, he sensed William’s presence there. He found her!

Jerrick tried to get closer to William, but before he could pinpoint where Willaim was, he lost his scent.

Jerrick gritted his teeth. William must have sensed him near and blocked his access through a spell. He regretted giving the keys to the Theodulf library. Now, William had learned to use spells against him.

Not giving up, Jerrick searched for William. Finally, he found him in the dark corner of the garden. And beside him was her—Elaine. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Jerrick observed them from a dark shadow in the distance, veiling his presence beneath a spell. William might have learned to use spells, but he was a veteran in using spells. He surely was better.

Jerrick’s heart skipped a beat seeing William, broken to tears as he kneeled in front of that woman. The wind carried his broken voice.

’Please, stay with me, Elaine...’