The sun was already up when he came back to their room, Marius waking, his black hair a tousled mess.
He ran his hand through it, yawning. “Where’s breakfast?”
Kyle looked at him, mildly pained. “Domina wants you to join her in the dining hall.”
Marius rolled his eyes. “This bitch... she’s not going to leave me alone.”
Kyle held his tunic, matter of fact. “She’s your wife?”
Marius got up, smirking. “Some wife!”
He dressed though and followed Kyle to the dining hall where Seraphina was already eating.
She gestured him over. “Lie next to me, dear?”
Marius was too tired to argue, and he even made an effort to kiss her hand. “How are you?”
Seraphina’s lips pursed. “Are you genuinely interested, or you’re asking out of politeness?”
Marius swallowed his irritation, determined to keep calm. “I’m genuinely interested, dear.”
Seraphina eyed him, but he just ate, waiting for her answer. “I’m fine... it’s just becoming difficult to sleep with the baby kicking all the time in my huge belly.”
He smiled. “It is certainly impressive.”
Seraphina stroked his arm, her large eyes welling up with tears. “I wish you would spend more time with me... you’ve been away for a long time and...”
Marius sighed, annoyed. “I am with you now?”
“I meant just the two of us... I missed you.”
Yeah, right....He looked into her eyes, and she seemed genuine, her malicious smirk gone, her lips trembling. He shifted, a bit thrown, and her large teary eyes lifted to him, her voice soft. “I love you, Marius... I always have... even if you don’t...” Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, and he sat up, shocked.
What?!His shock quickly turned to a mild anguish, and he patted her hand. “Now, now... you’re just too emotional in your state... Maybe it’s a too early to talk about love? We barely know each other.”
Her face sank. “I knew it! I knew you didn’t love me...”
Marius sighed, his brows furrowing in irritation, his voice clipped. “Just what did you expect, Seraphina? We didn’t marry out of love!”
She shrugged, pouting. “Maybe you didn’t... I fell in love with you the first night I saw you.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, right!”
She remained calm. “Yes, exactly.”
His eyes widened. “You can’t be serious...”
Seraphina sat up, her eyes blazing. “Why? You don’t believe me? I am your wife and I carry your child. What other proof do you need?”
“That’s not proof of love...”
Her face darkened. “Oh... I see... so what is?” Marius didn’t reply, and she hissed in his face. “What is proof, then, for you?”
He got up, trying to tame his rising anger. “Stop this... you should not work yourself up.”
She stood to face him, her belly pressed against his stomach, her voice rising. “Oh... of course... ever the considerate one... but you don’t really care about me, do you? Do you?!”
His face darkened. “Stop this, you’ll make yourself sick…”
