Elena slinked into Kieran’s bed-chamber the next morning, and frowned when she saw no sign of him.

“Kieran?” she called, walking around the empty chamber. His bed was made and the windows were open, letting in the bright sunlight. She opened the door to the bathhouse, but he wasn’t there.

Why did she peep in there? What if she’d walked in on him?

Elena shut the door and headed to his walk in closet that almost matched the size of his room. Two wardrobes were embedded on either side and divided into four parts; the part for shirts, the part for trousers, the part for doublets and the part for coats. When she walked further in, she also saw a rack for his boots and a stand for his belts, plus a large comfortable satin stool and a full-length mirror at the extreme end.

She wondered how they would rearrange it to make room for her clothes as well. Would he be comfortable changing up his style for her?

She opened up one of the drawers in the wide dresser along the wall and found his socks, folded in neat piles. She closed it up and looked around the chamber one more time, particularly at the intricate designs in the ceiling.

She gasped when she felt a pair of hands on her hips and promptly turned around, her hands meeting Kieran’s hard bare chest a second before he kissed her on the lips. She smiled against his lips and leaned into the kiss.

“Good morning.” He grinned once he pulled back.

What a splendid way to be greeted in the morning.

“You are…” Elena’s hazy mind was a bit slow from the kiss, and her sense of touch ahead of it. Her fingers felt up his chest. “You aren’t wearing a shirt.”

“Like what you see?” he teased, quirking an eyebrow.

Elena stepped back and let her eyes observe his chest. She noticed a scar running across his pectoral muscles. It was narrow, but looked like the wound had been a deep gash from the slightly bumped skin.

“Battle of Guttery a couple of years ago,” Kieran explained. “Lukas was being reckless and would have lost an arm if I hadn’t jumped in.”

It sounded just like Kieran to do something like that.

Elena traced the scar with her finger and didn’t miss how he tensed under her touch. Her eyes lowered south to his abdominal muscles. Very defined, and very attractive.

Her finger traced another scar; this one on his left side.

“That was either because of a fall from a tree or a sword duel in J’bel. I can’t remember.”

She glanced up at him, and his gaze was dark as he looked back at her. Her finger travelled further south, onto that deep line just above the pelvis that curved even further south. She was in a trance as she let her finger trace it downwards.

“Elena,” Kieran warned.

She retracted her hand right before it touched the belt in his pants and peeped at him with what she hoped was an innocent apologetic look.

He smirked. “Done exploring me?”

She couldn’t tell whether his tone indicated a dare or not. She decided to go with the former.

“No,” she replied and placed a palm on his abdomen, spreading her fingers out.
He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as his muscles rippled under her touch. She liked that.

Kieran was sure whatever Elena was up to was on purpose. Previously, she may have been oblivious but at the moment, she knew her effect.

She walked around him, leaving her fingers to trail on his skin as she did.

Exactly what was she looking for?

Her hand was at his lower back, and her finger started to trace his spine; from the bottom and moving up in an agonizingly slow fashion. It lit up his neutrons as it went, and she could probably see the goosebumps form on his skin.

Oh, she woke up something alright.

“What about the scars on your back?” she asked, and some sense drifted back to his brain.

He hummed. “My father,” he replied. “Young Lukas was kidnapped on our watch and flogging was the punishment he chose. He was burning mad at that time, so the whip left behind its mark. It usually didn’t, though – thanks to my grandmother’s special ointment.” He smiled. “You should ask her about it when she comes. You two might bond over it.”

Silence answered him, and he hadn’t realized that he could no longer feel her touch.

Curious, he turned to face her. Her face was scrunched up in sheer worry, her eyebrows knitted.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, confused by her flipped reaction.

“You talk about serious things like it is a walk in the fields,” she said with a slight whine in her voice.

Serious things?

Right. This was Elena. Her compassionate nature had her making a big deal out of things he felt didn’t matter.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “It happened a long time ago. Don’t worry about it.”

She heaved a sigh that was a mixture of frustration and concern. But when her eyes glistened with a sheen of tears, he saw empathy.

“It must have hurt a lot,” she murmured. “They all must have.” She looked at the scar on his chest.

“Yes, but it is all in the past now,” Kieran assured her. “I’m used to physical pain, so I can handle it. What I cannot handle is you shedding tears.”

Her bottom lip quivered and she wrapped her arms around his midriff, pressing the side of her face into his chest.

“I’m sorry that this is all I can do for you,” she muttered.

Kieran chuckled and stroked her hair. “That you are here and you love me is more than enough,” he said. “But there is something you can do.”

She pulled away quickly and looked at him with eager eyes. “What?”

He shrugged. “I’ve heard that a small kiss on the injury makes it better.”

Her eyes widened a fraction and he smirked. Sure Elena was gullible, but even she wouldn’t fall for something as inane as-

She leaned in and planted a kiss on his chest, her cool lips lingering on the scar.

The blood he’d recovered rushed back to his groin in a flash.

She looked up at him, and her blue eyes appeared bigger from his view.

“I can kiss all your other scars too,” she said it so easily, as though she didn’t fully understand its implication.

He was at a loss for words, and she must have taken that as a go ahead, because she bent to his stomach. He swiftly pushed her up by her shoulders and kissed her on the lips instead. She willingly obliged.

“Let’s stick to these kinds of kisses for now,” he whispered, teasing her lips with his.

The rest of his family was coming over, and they were to have a memorial ceremony for his fallen brethren later that evening. He wasn’t supposed to be getting too excited and having illicit fantasies about Elena.

*****

There was just one word fitting enough to describe Hammedatha extended – numerous. They were so many, Elena could hardly remember all their names. At the moment, there were four generations of Hammedatha under one roof, ranging from Kieran’s grandparents to his nieces and nephews.

The Commander had four brothers and two sisters. Minus Ansel’s father, they came down to three brothers and two sisters. And Elena met them all, except one of his sisters who couldn’t make it to the memorial.

There was Xerthes’ branch (Kieran and the rest), Alexander’s branch, Reuben’s branch and Elias’ branch, each with their own wives and children. There were a total of four grandchildren all below the age of ten, and one on the way from Kieran’s cousin-in-law, Marissa.

Marissa was quite the vocal woman. She’d talked, nay, complained about the ache in her bones and hunger pangs one minute into her conversation with Elena. She was about six months pregnant, and she’d had her first child already – a hyperactive five year old daughter who hadn’t stopped asking Kieran for joyrides since she’d arrived.

In general, the Hammedathas were a handful, but individually, interesting and a joy. Especially Kieran’s numerous cousins. Elena was busy engaging and interacting with them all day long. All of them had been looking forward to meeting her and practically pounced on her one after the other, asking anything and everything.

They were like a horde of cats watching a small flicker of light bounce about from a mirror reflection, with how attentive they were towards her.

She came to know that not all of them were soldiers, but they had all undergone some kind of warrior training; be it sword fighting, archery or plain sparring. Even Aaron knew how to handle a bow and arrow quite well.

She met Lady Alyssa’s mother, who was famous for her herbal concoctions and love for small furry animals. Granny Cata, as they all called her, was pleased to meet Elena especially for one reason.

“By the stars, my grandson wasn’t joking when he said you look like Agnes,” Granny Cata cooed, pinching Elena’s cheeks. She was rather short and tiny, so Elena had to bend while the old woman assaulted her cheeks.

“I’d like to take you back home and keep you in my pen,” she added with a beam.

“Mother, please,” Lady Alyssa forcefully yanked Granny Cata’s surprisingly fierce fingers off Elena’s cheeks. It left a sting.

“My daughter-in-law is not a rabbit but a human being,” Lady Alyssa scolded. “Have some shame, my goodness.”

Elena only let out a little nervous laugh.

“Oh, but she is just too adorable!” Granny Cata chirped and shot her hands out to Elena’s face again.

“Mother!” Lady Alyssa seized her hands before she could proceed with her cheek attack.

Elena also met Lady Alyssa’s two sisters. Both stood tall and fierce, just like Lady Alyssa. One of them had short dark brown hair cropped in a boyish haircut and five piercings – two in each ear and a lip ring. The other one was a blonde with curls cut in scuffs to just along her jawline. The blonde – Aunt Bridget – said she had two children whom she’d left behind in Zefiria. Said she didn’t want them bugging her while she was ‘on vacation.’

Aunt Bridget would be staying in Rievelt a while.

The people Elena was most nervous to meet were The Commander’s parents.

As Kieran had said, his grandfather was a man of few words, but he did give her a small warm smile alongside a ‘Pleasure to meet you.’

His hair was as white as his beard and he had a left eye missing, which was replaced by a thick diagonal scar across it. Granny Cata complained about him needing an eye patch to cover up ‘that nasty eyesore’ but the former Commander was proud of his scar.

Elena could tell he and Granny Cata had a history of bickering.

Soon after the extravagant luncheon in the gardens, Kieran’s paternal grandmother called Elena to sit with her in the otherwise empty pavilion.

“You’ve charmed my entire family, girl,” she pointed out without looking at her.

Elena blushed, taking it as a compliment. “Thank you.”

She scoffed. “Do not get me wrong. They are only behaving that way because they are curious about you,” she stated. “I personally never thought my phoenix would marry out of love. And the others are curious about the woman he chose to give his heart to, after a lifetime of sharing it only with his siblings.”

Elena fidgeted with her fingers on her lap. Kieran seemed to be his grandmother’s favorite. She even had a nickname for him. Elena didn’t want to have bad blood with her.

“Don’t go thinking that you are some kind of irreplaceable gem to Kieran. Rather in this relationship, you are the one to feel lucky that he chose you. He is doing you a favor,” his grandmother continued. “So if you dare take his love for granted or hurt him, I will personally throw you out of his life for good, because I know he wouldn’t have the heart to do it.”

Elena looked into the old woman’s almond shaped eyes and knew she meant every word. She hadn’t seen her smile yet, and from the resting impassive face, Elena had a feeling smiles weren’t something she did.

“I know I am the luckiest woman in the world that Kieran fell in love with me,” Elena said. “He has given me his heart the same way I have given him mine, and that is how it will stay forever. There is nothing less I can do but take care of him, protect him and love him.”

Kieran’s grandmother looked at Elena for a while, but said nothing. Elena didn’t know what his grandmother expected from her, but she knew she would stay by Kieran’s side no matter what.

One of Kieran’s cousin’s wives was passing by.

“Hey, young one!” Kieran’s grandmother called out to her and snapped her fingers. “Bring coffee.”

“Oh no, I will do that directly,” Elena said, getting up.

“Sit,” The old woman ordered, and she obeyed. “The coffee is for both of us.”

Elena didn’t like coffee, but she wouldn’t say that out loud, nor refuse it if it came from the elder.

Kieran’s cousin’s wife – Alma, groaned.

“Grandmother, why must you only pick on me even when we are guests!” she whined. “I will tell one of the servants to bring your precious coffee, okay?”

“Quit complaining and do as you’re told,” Kieran’s grandmother snapped.

Alma huffed and stuck her tongue out before stomping away. Elena was dumbstruck.

“Such a crass young girl. I don’t know where my grandson found that one.”

Once Alma returned with the coffee, Elena attained mixed feelings about their in-law relationship. Alma actually brought along her own cup and proceeded to sit with them to drink. She didn’t budge no matter how many times Kieran’s grandmother ordered her to get lost.

“You should get used to me sticking around, dear,” Alma twittered, pouring some coffee for the old woman. “I’m not going to leave your grandson alone.” She beamed at her. “Would you like some honey in that?”

Kieran’s grandmother only let out a long grunt and Elena held back a smile. It looked like there was a story behind those two.

*****

Later at dusk, a bonfire was lit near the lake and the entire family gathered around it to chat and drink to the memory of the fallen Hammedatha branch – Ezekiel’s branch.

The Commander and his siblings all gave such heartfelt speeches about Ezekiel; from his jolly nature, his likes and dislikes, to his habits that Elena felt she knew him. Kieran’s cousins also had a lot to say about his wife and about his children Ansel and Anthony.

Some of them could not talk about them without shedding a few tears. The ambience was a sad one, but it was also full of familial warmth and love. Each one of the Hammedathas had had a piece of themselves with their fallen brethren, and even the younger ones who barely knew them behaved like they had. That even if they didn’t know them well, they still loved them.

After every speech, the Hammedathas drank to the memory of whoever was spoken about.

Kieran sat silently on a bench next to Elena, listening to all the speeches and drinking when called upon to. His hand held onto Elena’s the whole time, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Finally, it was his turn to say something. He kept his speech short, since so much had been said already. Everyone knew how close he had been to Ansel, and he probably didn’t have the need to repeat himself or review their bond.

Elena only saw him smile once since the memory lane started, and it was while he said, “And he can rest well at last.” He lifted his mug and added, “To Ansel.”

Everyone else raised their mugs and chorused, “To Ansel,” then took a swig of liquor.

Elena had helped to make the four flower wreaths for Ezekiel, his wife, and their two sons. Along with their portraits hang on small easels, these wreaths were settled on wooden planks and lowered onto the lake from the bridge.

Kieran’s grandfather fired the first flaming arrow onto his son Ezekiel’s tribute. The Commander fired the next onto his wife’s tribute. The flaming arrow to Anthony’s was fired by one of Kieran’s cousin sisters. Kieran fired the last flaming arrow to Ansel’s tribute.

Four flames burned and flickered on the surface of the waters. Everyone else stood in grave silence as the fire flared, and the final goodbyes were said within their hearts.

Elena looked to her right at Kieran. The flames were clearly reflected in his eyes as he looked straight ahead, giving them a glassy appearance. But then he lowered his head and brought his palm over his eyes, and his hair curtained his face from view.

It wasn’t the flames that had made his eyes glassy.

Elena reached for his free hand and turned him gently to face her. He bent and rested his face in the crook of her neck, and her skin cooled from the slight wetness that dripped there. He inhaled deeply as she stroked down his hair and rubbed a soothing circle on his back.

A/N:

Next update on Thursday! Or sooner. I'm not sure.

Also, prepare for some steam. *sips tea.*

Hit the ⭐ before you go and as always, thanks for reading!🤗