Chapter 163: Did He Just Say...
That night, Alistair and Sierra cuddled close after a soak in the hot spring. She didn’t want to let him go and neither did he. As she laid her head on his chest, she closed her eyes as she listened to his rhythmic heartbeat. Alistair ran his hand through Sierra’s hair.
Neither of them said a word. They simply enjoyed each other’s company at that moment, wishing it would last forever.
"I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep," Sierra whispered softly.
"Same here," Alistair replied as he leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.
Sierra got up, resting on her arm as she looked down at him. She allowed her long locks of hair to cascade down past her shoulder. He reached out his hand, cupping her cheek as she leaned on the palm of his hand.
"Don’t worry, sweetling. We’ll have plenty of time with one another once the ceremonies are over," he reassured her with a smile.
"You’re only saying that to make me happy," Sierra said coldly as she averted her gaze.
But he made her face him again, making sure they made eye contact as he spoke, "I will make time for you."
He reached for her free hand and brought it close to his lips. He planted a kiss on her soft supple skin, causing shivers to spread through Sierra’s body. She leaned down and planted a kiss on his lips.
They pulled closer together as their lips parted for each other, eagerly exploring the insides of their mouths. Alistair’s hands traveled the length of Sierra’s body. She was wearing a loose-fitting robe that was held together by a rope belt around the waist.
He traced the silhouette of her body with his hands, stopping at her waist to pull her in closer to him. Sierra obliged, leaning in closer. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she felt Alistair’s bare skin beneath her. He wasn’t wearing anything to cover his chest.
"Aren’t... aren’t you cold?" she managed to blurt out in between kisses.
Alistair chuckled, his chest moving beneath hers as he did, "Not when I have you to warm me up, sweetling."
She traced her finger down his bare chest, placing her hand firmly on his chest as she laid back down. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest.
"Well, then I’ll do my best," she said as she squeezed him tightly with a giggle, praying her body heat would be enough to warm him up.
The next morning, they woke up at the crack of dawn. Sierra helped Alistair get dressed back into his royal garments. It was bittersweet to see him in formal attire, knowing their time together at the hot spring resort came to an end.
"So which outfit do you prefer me in?" he asked, hoping it would lighten the mood and bring a smile back to her face.
She narrowed her eyes as she circled him, looking at him from head to toe like an antique vase on display.
"I think... I prefer you in the yukata. You look much more relaxed in it," she mused, "What about me?"
The answer for Alistair was simple. He pulled her into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist as he whispered into her ear.
"I prefer you with less on..." he said seductively with a cheeky grin.
It earned him a quick pinch on the arm from Sierra, who quickly turned her gaze away to avoid him from seeing the blush on her cheeks. She had her back faced to him now as she crossed her arms.
Alistair did not give up. He embraced her from behind, not allowing her to escape his grasp no matter how much she fidgeted.
"But if I really have to pick, I like you in armor the most," he confessed.
"What?" Sierra was surprised by his answer. She turned around to face him, biting her lip as she looked into his eyes to see if he meant what he said.
From the looks of it, his answer was genuine.
"Really?" she asked, not believing his words.
Alistair nodded, "From the intel I gather, Knightess Sierra often spotted a mix of armor and casual wear as she took on many military duties alongside her father, General Bancroft."
Sierra folded her arms as she narrowed her eyes. She didn’t believe he would have been able to gather such intel. After all, who in Cair would remember what she wore on the regular? Even if she stood out as a woman in armor in court, she had made every effort to make herself unnoticable in those situations.
"Intel? Who did you get the intel from?" she questioned.
Realizing she had caught him red-handed, Alistair sighed as he held up his hands, "You caught me, it was not based on the intel I received."
He leaned close as he continued, "But judging from your expression, it’s true, is it not?"
Sierra bit her lip. She tried to find a suitable excuse for the way she dressed back in Cair.
"I had to be ready for anything, wearing armor was just easier..."
"Sweetling, you don’t have to justify anything," he reminded her, "I like you all the same, no matter what you wore. But if you’re more comfortable in armor, I would love to see it. To be quite honest, I can imagine what you look like and I think I’ll love it very much."
"You mean it?" she asked him with wide eyes and anticipation. But it quickly dissipated when her excitement was replaced with worry, "But I thought the standard formal attire for princesses were those long dresses? With no exceptions."
"Well, you aren’t a princess, are you?" he reminded her.
"That is true..." Sierra realized he was right, "But are you sure you’re alright with it?"
"Yes, yes I am. Like I said, I love you all the same, no matter what you’re wearing," he cheekily pinched her on the nose as he continued to speak, "perhaps more so when you’re not wearing anything."
"Alistair!" she yelled at him as she playfully punched him on the chest as she felt the heat beneath her cheeks.
As he chuckled at the way she looked, Sierra replayed what he had just said to her in her mind.
Did he say he loved her?
