Sometimes, Eris wondered if it had been Cresseida born to Autumn, not him.
She moved with a practiced grace that all at once threatened and beguiled; with hair like aspen, skin like mahogany, eyes like honey and a tongue like a silver blade - she was Autumn personified.
Which made it all the more comical when she sneezed so hard, Eris thought her corset might pop open.
They stood in their bedroom, already dressed to attend the evening's ball but - as they had made a habit of - allowed themselves time alone before setting out.
The habit had been born out of the conspiratorial nature of their marriage, but now, months later - even with most of their troubles solved, or deceased - they had not made any moves to break from the routine.
His mouth quirked, almost smirking as his wife frowned, hands smoothing over her intricately embroidered bodice, as if she too worried it might have ripped.
Eris glided across the room, to the vanity she had flooded with pearls and shells, to find the vial of medicine he'd asked the royal healer to concoct to combat the temporary stress on Cresseida's summery constitution.
She blushed when he approached with it, still embarrassed at the difficulty she was having. But a few drops and her senses would be soothed for half a day at least.
She'd gotten a rash the first week in Autumn, not used to wearing velvet, wool and fur. So Eris had ordered her undergarments and hosiery of summer silk to protect her skin.
She'd lost weight a month later. And he had ordered lemons, pineapples and mangoes to be made into desserts.
They were, to him, small and almost insignificant actions but they had changed the way the Princess saw him, softened her in some ways, moved her to see him in a light beyond ally, beyond possible friend and lifetime companion.
The idea of a wife was something Eris had had a complicated relationship with. From before he'd been old enough to truly understand it, he had rejected the notion of living the way his parents had. The rejection had been a violent thing born in fear and had caused him to act out, even at the expense of another.
With time, he'd come to accept the idea of a ward of sorts, an asset if not an ally.
But this, whatever it was, was something he had not let himself imagine. Not quite love but rooted deep in him, blooming quiet and unseen.
He moved to place a white fur stole around her, matching her hair but contrasting beautifully with her brown skin and the blood orange dress she wore.
He dipped his head, slow but not hesitant, to place a kiss at her shoulder as he clasped his arms around her and let the heat of his body rise as it pressed against hers.
Then another at her neck, resisting the urge to suckle and bite when he felt as much as heard her sigh.
It made her blush when his hands and eyes lingered like this. The reactions alone would have been interesting enough to encourage he continue, but the truth was he'd become accustomed to her. He found himself wanting her more and more, even just in presence.
It felt natural, felt right, to reach out, to bring her near and share his warmth. To seek her opinion beyond the next steps of allying with Winter or adding a regiment to the southern border.
They had begun to turn to each other with barely veiled exasperation during their difficult dealings with what remained of his father's loyalists. Sighs building in synchronization. Chuckles and nicknames for the rigid old fools now passed between them as easily as plans for the integration of border towns did.
And they sought tentative approval in each other and felt budding pride at how, as time went, smiles came easily, victories built into noticeable change and the distance between them seemed to burn away.
She was not of Autumn and perhaps she would always be chased by chills, but Eris knew now that Cresseida would seek his warmth to ward off the cold, and that he would be waiting with open arms every time she did.
It's not much but I had to do something, everyone has been so nice, building this ship from the ground up with me.
Inspired by ideas from @feynessupremacy, @katymckateface as well as this art by @kvitkapaporoti1
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