Chapter 28: Painted Memories


    [The Past]


    "Erik, I am going to the northern border for a bit," I told him as I began packing.


    Erik pulled me by my arm into hisp.


    "Whatever you can do, you can stay with me."


    There it is... Erik is being needy again.


    I touched his cheek with my hand.


    "You have be King... You are in a position where you must not leave from your tower is what I


    should say," I said as I pulled his cheeks. "You have been sneaking out here and there..."


    "Ow... how did you find out?"


    "I know that you have been sneaking out with the number of books piling in our bedroom. Most of them


    are not even aboutw or medicine. That means that you have been obtaining these books outside of


    the Royal Library," I said as I pointed towards the unorganized pile of books.


    A few maids woulde and clean only once a week since Erik hated peopleing and going out of


    our room often.


    "I have seen you taking a few books here and there as well..."


    I flinched slightly.


    He found out...


    Erik was an avid reader much like me and Garett. It was a bit unexpected seeing as though he loves to


    skip out on his official duties.


    "Who do you think has to cover for you?" I asked him. "Even for sneaking out, you leave for far too


    long...Please think about your wife as well."


    Erik pulled me aside and threw me on the bed. I fell down onto my side and pulled my legs up slightly


    as I curled my body and looked at Erik. He crouched over me and encased me in his arms.


    "You are absolutely right. I have been disregarding my wife for too long," he said as he picked up the


    bottom of my long skirt.


    I did not mean like this!


    I felt like panicking.


    "W-Wait..."


    "Why wait? We are already married, Ari," he said as his hands ran under my shirt.


    This might be a bit bad. Erik has had a bad case with overdoing things. If I let things go on like this, I


    will be bedridden and be forced to move my ns back a day.


    He suddenly kissed my neck.


    "...Erik, I really can''t today," I said in a not so convincing voice.


    I was suddenly pinched on my sides.


    "You have gone soft..."


    How dare he?


    I grabbed the closest pillow I could and began smacking Erik as much as I could and left him as a


    decrepit corpse on our bed.


    I had begun a sedimentary lifestyle with Erik''s increasing truancy. I had disregarded my strict diet and


    exercise regime.


    I was not particrly fat, but it is discerning if Erik is able to grab my sides and tell me that I have


    grown soft...The royalty life is a very scary thing.


    I barged into the maids'' lounge.


    "Your Highness!"


    I suddenly felt oing tears.


    I was quickly surrounded by my worried maids.


    "What is wrong, Your Highness?" a maid asked.


    "...I need...I need to diet," I said as I began wiping my tears with my wrists. "His Highness grabbed my


    love handles."


    My hands were suddenly sped by the younger maids.


    "Say no more," a maid told me.


    "For honor! For Arundel! For the best body!" the maids said in unison.


    I cannot let this go on before I head off on official business.


    I was put on a strict diet by the maids and went intense training that was even more brutal than Knight


    training in the morning and night for the next three days.


    In the end, I really did have to push my trip back, but my getting my body back in shape is very


    important. During the time I was under strict observation, I had avoided Erik the whole time.


    "Congrattions, Your Highness!" a maid said as she measured me. "22 centimeters!"


    Upon leaving, I was seen out by the maids who helped me get back to my ideal weight and a few close


    officials.


    Erik was nowhere in sight. He must have been angry with me for leaving him alone while I went on my


    diet. He should have at least seen me before leaving.


    I was crying before I knew it.


    "His Highness is such a dummy!"


    I left for my trip right afterwards.


    "Wee to the Northern Fortress Ste, Your Highness, Queen Arielle," Commander Darian Derek


    said. "I hope your trip was smoothing here?"


    Themander seemed to shake slightly in my presence.


    "Mdy, your re is frightening the Commander," my butler Sebastian whispered.


    I am still mad about Erik.


    I went to put back on my official smile.


    "Thank you for your very warm wee."


    "Shall I show you around, Your Highness?"


    "I am very honored to be shown around by the Commander himself...Even so, I may be an esteemed


    person, but there must be other people that are less busy with their work to show me around. There is


    no need for the Commander himself to serve as a tour guide for me."


    He seemed taken back by my remark.


    "Yes...Things are not as busy around here as the capital."


    "I trust that management must be as smooth then," I said with a sly smile.


    He seemed to be taken back by my presence. I am a little girl to them, but at least they still respect my


    position.


    "Of course..."


    His response was rather dyed...


    "...Could I take a look at the training of the Knights?"


    "Of course!" he said as he brought me to the training area.


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    I was brought to an open training ground.


    The ground maintenance was rather poor and the tools they were using were rather worn down and


    old.


    "There are awfully a lot of younger men."


    "We usually get new blood sent here to train. Somee from the Academy, while moste from


    small surrounding viges with little education. Over here, we ept everyone. We could use all the


    help we can get."


    "What does the training regime look like?"


    He handed me a written list of their training regime.


    "This is written up by them. They mostly train amongst themselves."


    "There is no one to oversee their training then?"


    "There is someone..."


    Commander Derek looked over at a man sitting under an umbre who seemed to be sipping some


    lemonade.


    "Howfortable looking..."


    "He is the son of Marquis Pir...It is difficult for even me to tell him how to do his job."


    Sebastian handed me a sheet of paper and a pen. I quickly wrote up a new training regime and handed


    it to the Commander.


    "This is the same training done by the Knights in the capital. I expect them to at least do half if they


    intend to stay as soldiers."


    "Understood, Your Highness," he said as he epted the sheet of paper.


    I would have thought that I would meet with a bit of resistance because I was a woman. My position as


    Queen and my high birth must have aided in my persuasion.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar person with long ck hair tied into a long low ponytail. He


    looked much different without his sses and had grown out his bangs to cover half of his face.


    "Garett?"


    "Arielle?"


    I tried to control my excitement from meeting an old acquaintance.


    "Your Highness is acquainted with Garett?" Commander Derek asked.


    "We went to school together at the Academy," I said.


    "That''s right," Garett said.


    "I got married to His Highness about a year ago," I informed him.


    Even though he was a member of the Royal Family, he did not attend my wedding for some reason.


    "I see...Congrattions, Your Highness," Garett said with a solemn smile.


    ''Your Highness''...


    That''s right...I am a Queen now.


    "Did you be a Knight, Garett?"


    "I am more of an assistant of sorts," he replied vaguely.


    "Garett is my Vice Commander. He is rather good on his feet as well as his hands. Honestly, he is a bit


    too good for here," Commander Derek said.


    "I suppose we will be working together for a few days," I said with a smile. "I look forward to working


    with all of you."


    I was soon seen to my room by Garett.


    "You seem a bit different," I told Garett.


    "Do I?"


    "You were a bit unapproachable during our Academy days...Do you still read books often?"


    "...Not nearly as much as I used to. I say that you have changed a lot too."


    "In what way?" I asked him.


    "You have be much more beautiful," he said as he stopped before my room. "My job ends here. I


    will see you tomorrow."


    "Yes..."


    That scared me a bit.


    Even Garett can say sweet words once in a while...


    I went back to my room and heard a rustling sounding from my bed.


    I have a bad feeling about this...


    I pulled on my sheets and saw that my husband was lying sound asleep in my bed.


    He followed after me...I thought it was a bit quiet after the storm.


    As for whether or not I enjoy this surprise, my feelings are mixed. I should probably wake him up before


    anything. Erik was the type to be very particr with the way he would be woken up.


    A gentle caress...a soft whisper...


    "Wake up, my King."


    "Ari," he said as he pulled me into his embrace.


    I am definitely a weak person...


    Just one hug is enough for me to forgive him.


    I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I wonder if I overworked myself for so long since I


    fell asleep almost instantly.


    I woke up about three hourster and saw Erik''s face right next to mine. He was awake and staring


    right back at me with a smile.


    "How long have you been awake?" I asked him.


    "I just woke up."


    "That''s a lie..."


    "I woke up a bit earlier and watched your sleeping face."


    I rubbed my head onto his chest.


    "I will scold youter...For now, hug me."


    "As you wish..." he said as he held me tightly.


    I had Erik sit across from me on his knees on the bed not long after our short nap.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked Erik as I crossed my arms.


    "I came to follow my beautiful wife."


    "I can see that...I just want to know why."


    "It has been a while since we have gone anywhere together."


    "...What is the underlying reason?"


    "I was worried that you might cheat on me."


    I pped his arm.


    I knew it was for a stupid reason...


    "Why would you ever think I would cheat on you?"


    "I heard that your old me was here."


    "Who?"


    "Garett..."


    I rubbed my head slightly.


    "We are married...If that is not all, you could have me killed for having an affair with your position."


    "I''d rather just kill the man you had rtions with and lock you up in my room forever."


    "That is a scary thought..."


    "There was a moment of time when you liked Garett, right?"


    "I liked how he reminded me of you," I said as I stared into his eyes.


    His face suddenly became red.


    We sat informally in front of each other.


    "I-I see..."


    I raised my leg and pressed my foot on his abdomen slightly.


    "You won''t be going back for a while, right?" I asked as I pulled the drawstring to his pants with my toes


    and lifted my skirt slightly.


    This was my best attempt at inviting him...I wanted him to hold me today. A hug just was not enough for


    today.


    Erik grabbed my leg and brought it closer to his face. His lips began traveling up my leg to my inner


    thigh. I gasped as a tickling sensation went through my spine.


    He removed my outer dress and brought me onto hisp with my underdress slightly sliding off from my


    shoulders. I met with his eyes and covered my lips with his as I sat over hisp.


    "...Things won''t end today with a simple kiss," Erik said dazedly.


    "That was my intention," I said as I pressed my body closer to his.


    We have been married for a while...One or two children should be alright during this time. Even I want


    to have children with the man I love.


    I was suddenly pushed onto the bed by the heavily breathing Erik. I was given no time toin


    about anything when he roughly took me by surprise with his rigidity.


    I gasped multiple times as he took his time in gently teasing me over and over again.