The first rays of the morning painted the sky in soft hues, gently filtering through the curtains of the guest chamber.

Rheanne was sitting gracefully at the table and her long white hair cascaded loosely down her back, still slightly tousled from sleep.

She held the teacup with both hands, taking slow sips as steam rose in lazy curls.

She took another sip, trying to push the unease away.

Then, the sound of footsteps on the balcony drew her attention.

Brandon stepped in through the open doors with a wry, slightly sheepish smile on his face.

"Morning," he said softly.

Rheanne’s gaze narrowed the moment she saw him.

She set her teacup down on the table with a deliberate *clink*, as irritation flashed across her features.

"You scoundrel. You come to sleep with me only when you need ether."

She stood up and reached for one of the decorative pillows on the nearby couch.

Without hesitation, she threw it at him with surprising force.

Thump!

The pillow struck Brandon squarely in the chest. He caught it with one hand, blinking in mild surprise, but the wry smile remained on his face.

Rheanne didn’t stop there. She grabbed another pillow and threw it at him, this one aimed at his head.

Thump!

"You disappear with Freya for the night, then come crawling back here in the morning like nothing happened?" she muttered, her voice rising with frustration as she picked up a third pillow.

"Do you think I’m just a convenient source of ether for you? A place to rest when you’re low?"

Thump!

The third pillow hit him in the shoulder. Brandon took the barrage without dodging, simply holding the first two pillows under his arm as he watched her with a mix of amusement and genuine regret.

Rheanne’s chest heaved slightly as she reached for a fourth pillow, "I held you every night for more than two years,"

"I gave you my ether without question. I let you rest in my arms... and the one night you choose someone else, you still come back here expecting comfort?"

"You bastard, wretch, rascal, good for nothing."

"You choose other women and spend nights with them... leaving me waiting for you."

"I was expecting you so much yesterday night."

"We were sleeping together for so long, but yesterday night, you left me for a woman."

She threw the fourth pillow, but this one was weaker, landing softly against his chest before falling to the floor.

-

Rheanne blinked and looked around at the surroundings and she was still lying on the bed ’What in the world am I imagining?’

She had imagined herself scolding him, hurling cushions across the room in frustration over him spending the night with Freya.

As she turned her head, she was startled to see Brandon lying beside her on the bed ’When did he come in?’

She didn’t sense his return... she must have fallen into a deeper sleep than she realized.

A complicated smile touched Rheanne’s lips.

She shifted closer, crawling over him with graceful ease until she was lying fully on top of him.

Her body pressed flush against his and she rested her chin on his sternum, looking down at his sleeping face with soft, tender eyes.

"You scoundrel..." she whispered in the quiet morning light.

Brandon’s eyes opened slowly and glanced down at her as one of his hands moved lazily to rest on her lower back, holding her gently in place.

"Morning..."

Looking at her, he muttered "I am sorry I wasn’t able to sleep with you yesterday night."

"Things with Freya... got more complicated than I expected. I didn’t want to leave her alone after-"

Rheanne interrupted his explanation "Shut up."

Then she let out a soft sigh and lowered her head, resting her cheek against his chest "Let’s sleep a little longer."

Brandon stared at her for a moment and nodded his head "Mhm..."

He tightened his arms around her, holding her close as he closed his eyes again.

The warmth of her body, the familiar scent of her hair, and the gentle flow of ether between them made it easy to drift back toward sleep.

But as Rheanne lay there, something caught her attention.

She raised her head slightly, her gaze drifting to the side of his neck, just below his collarbone and saw a faint, reddish bite mark.

Her eyes narrowed and a flicker of irritation passed through her gaze ’A bite mark...’

Her gaze quivered for a brief second.

Without thinking, she moved forward and sank her teeth firmly into the side of his neck.

"Ah!" Brandon was startled by the sudden bite.

His eyes snapped open as he glanced down at her. "R-Rheanne?"

Rheanne held the bite for a moment longer, then slowly released his skin, leaving a fresh, matching red mark beside Freya’s.

She pulled back just enough to look at him with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"This is for not sleeping with me yesterday night," she said softly, almost matter-of-factly.

Brandon stared at her in surprise ’What?’

He reached up and gently touched the new bite mark on his neck, feeling the faint sting.

Rheanne watched his reaction, then lowered her head again, resting her cheek against his chest once more as if nothing had happened.

He smiled wryly and lay back on the bed "Haa..."

---

Amelia walked briskly through the quieter side hallway, her pale blue dress swaying around her legs.

She stopped in front of Freya’s door and knocked gently.

"Aunt Freya?"

A few seconds passed and then the door opened with a soft click.

Freya stood in the doorway, wearing a loose morning robe and there was a noticeable glow to her skin like a flush that made her look even more beautiful and mature than usual.

Amelia frowned slightly as she looked at her aunt’s face.

"Huh... why do you look different today?" she asked, tilting her head as she stepped inside the room.

Freya tilted her head slightly in return as she closed the door behind Amelia "What does that mean...?" she asked innocently.

Amelia’s frown deepened as she looked her aunt up and down.

"I don’t know..." Amelia murmured, narrowing her eyes. "Your face looks quite radiant... and you look more mature? Like you’ve... I don’t know."

Freya’s gaze softened. She walked over to the vanity table, picking up a brush and running it slowly through her hair as she glanced at her niece through the mirror.

"Hmm... is that so?" she replied though a faint blush colored her cheeks.

Amelia shook her head, stepping closer with a determined expression.

"No, no, something feels off. What happened with you?"

Freya paused mid-brush. She set the brush down gently and turned to face her niece fully.

A shy smile touched her lips as she remembered the events of the previous night.

"Some things happened yesterday night."

Amelia’s eyes widened. She stepped even closer, "What things? Don’t tell me it was with Sir Kael-"

Freya didn’t deny it. Instead, she gave a small, secretive smile and sat down on the edge of her bed, patting the spot beside her for Amelia to join her.

Amelia sat down immediately and muttered "Aunt Freya... did you...?"

Freya let out a soft laugh, reaching out to gently tuck a strand of Amelia’s hair behind her ear.

"We went to the lake. We talked. We kissed. And then... things became more intimate." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Amelia stared at her aunt with her mouth slightly open "You... you slept with him?"

Freya’s blush deepened, "Yes. And it was... wonderful. He was gentle at first, then passionate."

Amelia looked away, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

A complicated mix of emotions crossed her face... happiness for her aunt, but also a sharp sting of jealousy and insecurity.

"I see..." she murmured.

Freya noticed her niece’s expression and reached out, gently taking Amelia’s hand.

"Amelia... you know I’m not trying to steal him from you," she said softly. "I know how much you care for him. And he cares for you too. Last night was... spontaneous."

Amelia squeezed her aunt’s hand back, though her voice was small "I know... I just... I wanted to be the first one he was intimate with."

Freya pulled her niece into a gentle hug, stroking her hair affectionately "You were the first one he kissed in the rain. And you were the first one who made his heart flutter. I’m just... greedy."

Amelia hugged her back tightly, burying her face in her aunt’s shoulder.

"I’m not angry," she whispered. "Just... surprised. And a little jealous."

Freya chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head "That’s alright. We can be jealous together."

---

Sitting in her room, Amelia was eating her breakfast and her maid was standing beside her if Amelia wanted any assistance.

Amelia turned to her maid and asked "Lara, have you ever slept with a man before?"

Lara’s eyes widened in pure shock and she hurriedly shook her head "N-No, young lady. I... have not."

Amelia’s gaze lowered to her plate and she poked at a piece of fruit with her fork "Are there any books in the royal library that show how to seduce a man or how to have sex?"

Lara stared at her young lady in complete amazement ’Is she asking for Sir kael?’

"I... I remember seeing a book about it, young lady."

Amelia’s eyes lit up "Bring that. And please... be discreet. No one else can know about this."

Lara bowed deeply, her own cheeks "As you wish, young lady. I will retrieve it immediately and bring it to you in private."

Amelia took a deep breath, trying to steady herself "If Aunt Freya can be so bold... then I can learn to be bold too."