For the rest of the day, Naomi was a bundle of nerves with the weight of Darius's plan in her mind, searching for justifications of keeping it a secret. She kept repeating to herself that it was for the betterment of the group's safety, for their mission, and the innocents around them that could be caught in the crossfire. But no matter how many times she repeated it to herself, the sharp and stubborn pain of guilt remained deep in her chest. She even had Cressida deliver a message to Cassien that she'd prefer to sleep in separate rooms tonight, under the guise of wanting to stress test their psychic connection before the expedition. Normally they'd share the bed, but the toll of today's emotional burden was far too much, and she desperately needed solitude.

By the late evening, all she had managed to do was exhaust herself emotionally and mentally before dragging herself to her quarters. Inside, Cressida nagged at Naomi to eat a few bites of stewed meat and some herbal concoction that her friend claimed was 'necessary' of a courted woman. Ever since Naomi had divulged Cressida with even a tiny bit of information into her blossoming love life, her friend had become increasingly persistent with trying to educate Naomi on the topic of physical intimacy, much to her embarrassment.

"What is this really?" Naomi asked, chewing tiredly at the bitter mixture.

"Well, I know you don't want to talk about it, but it's important that a courted lady follows safe practices. It's pretty much an inevitability," Cressida chirped. "Would you like to know more?"

Naomi's face burned. "Less. Much less."

After she finished, Cressida fixed up a hot bath and led Naomi into the attached bathroom, helping the duchess slip into the steaming, silky waters laced with fruity oils.

"Thank you," Naomi murmured, her eyelids drooping. "I've got it from here."

"You look like you're about to fall asleep any second. At least let me help you scrub," Cressida protested as she rubbed Naomi's back with a cotton towel.

Naomi shook her head, her pale hair swishing softly in the water. "I'll be okay. I really would like some time alone."

The maid hesitated but gave in to her orders. "Yes, my lady. Please ring the bell if you need anything."

Cressida placed down towels and a nightgown on a nearby wooden stool before bowing, closing the doors to the bathroom. As soon as the bedchamber doors outside closed shut with a heavy clang, Naomi leaned her head back with a heavy sigh. She let her body slip deeper into the soothing, citrus-scented waters until it submerged just below her nose, enjoying the heat that enveloped her entire body. Her tightened chest and tense muscles relaxed slightly as she forced her thoughts to quiet, allowing the tranquility of the moment to take over before finally cleaning herself up.

After some time when the water had cooled down, Naomi rose and dried herself off before slipping into the white nightgown Cressida had chosen. The fabric caught at her hips - tighter than she expected - and tugged firmly before it slipped over her upper body, using the silky sash to secure around her waist. Naomi looked down at her body, frowning at the sight of the V neckline dipping low - almost scandalously so. The sleeves were sheer and embroidered in floral designs, and the skirt was loose and stopped just before her knees.

Naomi sighed as she pulled the neckline up slightly, though the fabric fell back almost immediately. Annoyed, she threw her hands up in defeat, no longer caring about anything other than drying off before sleep. She settled herself on a low stool in front of the fireplace that Cressida had stoked, pulling her damp hair around her shoulders. She brushed slowly as the heat of the hearth pulled the moisture from her silvery-blonde locks, its volume and waviness remaking an appearance.

A soft knock sounded at the door, interrupting the silence. Without glancing up, she called out. "Cressida, I promise I'm fine. I'd just like to be-"

"It's me," A familiar deep voice responded, her heart lurching.

Her entire body stilled as she looked down in horror at her far too revealing nightgown - all thanks to Cressida's meddling, there was no doubt about that now.

Damn it, Cressida! I bet she never even sent him my message, Naomi pictured shaking her friend erratically.

Naomi leapt to her feet. "Um, I am so tired tonight, I think I'll-"

Her foot caught on the leg of the wooden stool, sending her tumbling forward in a crash as her brush skittered across the stone floor. She groaned as she scrambled to stand, tugging the hem of her nightwear downwards to cover her exposed legs. The door flew open as Cassien charged in, midnight hair tousled with urgency and eyes alert. In one hand, he tightly held a now crumpled assortment of flowers as he scanned for the source of the commotion - only to find Naomi - completely flushed with mortification as she clutched the bottom of her nightgown. Her long hair was in a messy tumble around her shoulders, and her cheeks redder than even the flames of the hearth.

He took a step forward, hands reaching out. "Are you-"

"I'm perfect," Naomi let out a huff, blowing a strand of silvery hair from her face as she forced a tight smile. "I, um… tripped."

His mouth opened as he was about to speak before his eyes caught on the neckline of Naomi's nightgown, exposing far much more skin than he had ever seen of her; the delicate sharpness of her collarbone combined with the swell of her chest reflecting the shine of the firelight. Cassien whirled around as he slammed the doors to the chambers so loudly that it could have woken half of the castle. Even with only his ears and the back of his neck exposed, she could see the shade of embarrassment that matched her own.

"I- Sorry, um, I didn't realize-" He stammered, unable to face her.

"I didn't do- I think Cressida gave me the wrong gown-" She stuttered at the same time, hastily pulling the fabric up again in an futile effort.

Neither dared to move, with Cassien's back kept firmly to her, his wide shoulders stiffening with the effort to remain as still as possible. "If you want me to leave-"

Naomi accidentally cut him off, the words rushing out all at once. "Um, there's… there's still cold water in the bath if you need to cool off-"

As if either could be any more still, they froze at the doubled meaning of her words. Cassien let out a quiet, strangled laugh of which the emotion was indiscernible. "That's… Yeah, okay."

"Sorry… That's not what I meant," Naomi's words were a muffled groan as she covered her face.

Cassien began to shuffle sideways, refusing to turn his body. "I'll… just be.. Some time then. I, uh… needed to wash up anyway."

He turned slightly with one eye closed to precariously place the bouquet on the edge of a nearby shelf. "Um… I got those for you since it's spring and all… flowers are, uh, everywhere."

"That's very sweet of you," Naomi smiled, trying to keep her voice from squeaking.

He kept his eyes fixated to the wall as he moved slowly, bumping into the edges of furniture without the ability of his full vision to see the room. Naomi had to stifle a giggle at each bump despite the awkwardness of the situation, only able to finally move when the bathroom door closed shut with a thud.

"Oh my god," Naomi mouthed silently to herself as she sank onto a nearby couch, lost in her disbelief. But despite her embarrassment, Naomi felt the heat pooling between her legs - like Cressida had said, it was an inevitable longing that she couldn't pretend she had never thought about. But she had no idea what to expect or even if she could concentrate on such acts with her mind so muddled.

Naomi shook herself out of the haze after some time to focus on more pressing matters - she needed a new gown, immediately.

Naomi scrambled for her wardrobe, rifling through the folded clothes for anything more modest than what she had. Just as she pulled out a better suited gown, another knock rang at the door - far much more insistent and erratic than one would expect. Before she could even react, the doors burst open in a loud groan.

At the entrance stood Ysonna Archfeld, whose usual elegant brown curls were frizzled and her face a deep shade of red. Even her normally immaculate dresswear was wrinkled and stained with small droplets of red; the sour smell of wine wafted in the air as the lady staggered in a step, but not before Naomi rushed forward to stop her from entering further. For a heartbeat, the two women just stared at each other - Naomi half-dressed and startled - and Ysonna swaying in the doorway, brown eyes burning with pure hatred.

Ysonna's words were slurred and bitter as she spoke, her gaze lowering at Naomi's chest. "Of course this is what you're wearing."

"Lady Archfeld, this - um, perhaps you should return in the morning if you have any matters to discuss with me," Naomi squeaked in disbelief at the situation.

"No," Ysonna said firmly. "I have some things I'd like to say."

"That wasn't really a request, and this really isn't appropriate," Naomi frowned, beginning to push the door close. As she began to push, Ysonna's arm shot out in a brace against the wood, forcing one foot inwards.

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Her eyes were red-veined and glassy, voice completely venomous. "Shut up. You don't get to dictate things for me."

Naomi's jaw tightened. She did not have the energy or care to be dealing with this right now - especially not for Ysonna, who had not acknowledged her since the dance. "You're drunk, Lady Archfeld. I'm only saying this for your own good: please return to your room before anyone sees you like this. I'm willing to let this go if you leave now."

Ysonna's usual mousy, timid face twisted bitterly as she laughed mockingly at Naomi, her fist clenching. "Oh, you think you're so much better than me. It's not good enough for you that you humiliated me and my mother in front of everyone, but now you want to pretend to be the bigger person?"

"You both humiliated yourselves," Naomi's words were clipped, the day's weight seeping out as anger through her. She forced her weight forward slightly to force the door closed, though Ysonna pushed back equally as hard.

"Oh, trust me, if I really wanted to humiliate you, I would've done much worse than just steal your stupid dance move," Ysonna spat. "Maybe it's not too late, anyway."

Naomi's eyes narrowed at the threat. "Last chance, Lady Archfeld. I'm asking you kindly to leave."

Ysonna's eyes flashed, baring her teeth. "You're such a snake - Seraveth should make you their nation's mascot. I can't believe someone like you ever convinced Cassien that you're good enough to be with, because you're not! You're just some southern whore who seduced him-"

What little remained of her patience and tolerance finally snapped as Naomi's grip on the frame tightened, a golden spike of energy splitting a deep crack into the thickness of the wood. Every single frustration, every slight and wrong she had ever dealt with due to her southern identity, surged into a ball of pure rage. Her voice was quiet, barely controlled with fury. "I dare you to say that again."

For the first time, Ysonna faltered as her eyes widened in fear. "You wouldn't-"

The floor beneath Naomi's feet began to crackle with magic, the iris of her eyes turning more bright yellow than pale blue.

"This childish jealousy, unrequited love or whatever you want to call it - I could handle any other time - but none if it justifies you showing up unannounced to my room to insult me, to threaten me. I overlooked your stunt in the banquet hall because I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe, just maybe, you regretted it. But since you want to be the victim - I can make you the victim." Naomi leaned forward, revelling at the sight of Ysonna flinching. "But I won't. Not because I'm afraid to, or because you don't deserve it - because you do."

"But as you probably already know, we songbirds have a very careful reputation to maintain," Her every word was dripping with sarcasm and a complete, utter lack of patience for any more nonsense. "Now - you need to leave."

Ysonna's mouth popped open and shut repeatedly, stuck in stunned silence before yanking herself from the threshold of the door and stumbling away. Naomi let out a slow breath as her anger simmered down, reaching for the small silver bell that hung beside the door. She rang it once, waiting only moments before Cressida emerged from the adjoining chamber.

"My lady, is there something you need? You look upset," Cressida said, concern tinged in her voice.

Naomi shook her head. "Lady Archfeld came by and just left down this hallway - she had far too much to drink. Could you please watch her and make sure she gets back to her room? I'd rather she doesn't roam the halls freely in her state."

Cressida nodded. "Of course, my lady. Should I return afterwards?"

"No, please make sure I'm not disturbed," Naomi's reply was short as she gave a tired smile to Cressida. "Thank you."

Naomi turned away, closing the doors behind her with a final thud. She felt the splintered wood beneath her as she rested against it, sighing heavily at what had just happened. The adrenaline faded, and she pushed herself away from the door with the full intention to collapse into slumber. Just as the tips of her fingers touched the soft down of her bed, the bathroom doors opened.

Cassien stood at the doorway with a towel hung around his waist, water trickling down his taut abdominal muscles and defined lines of his lower body. His short, dark hair was devilishly unruly, with droplets of water racing down his sculpted chest. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard at the sight of her delicate skin, slightly parted plump lips, the way she shyly crossed her slim legs, his shoulders rigid with tension. Her exhaustion vanished like it had never existed, and Naomi felt like she was going to drool with voracity at the sight of him - like he was made entirely of sculpted marble that she wanted to trace every cut and angle of.

"Sorry, I, uh… didn't see another robe," Cassien finally said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "And my clothes are dirty from moving crates all day."

Naomi choked back a nonsensical sound, unable to tear her eyes away from his frame. "Yeah… Um… Don't worry about it."

"Everything okay? I thought I heard shouting," Cassien said cautiously as he stepped forward, and the towel slipped lower ever so slightly.

Naomi felt something else snap in her this time, a self-control that held back a gnawing hunger that she didn't realize she had been holding back until that very moment. Not only that, but just his presence alone made her desperate for his comfort and reassurance.

Her body moved without another thought towards him, meeting his eyes of molten gold that widened slightly - but to her pleasure, did not shy away from her. The provocation of Ysonna's words burned away like tinder in a campfire, with a strange sense of smugness rising in her chest as she rose to the tips of her toes and covered his lips with her own. His body reacted to hers immediately as his hands shot up to circle her waist, pulling her tightly against the wetness of his chest to deepen their kiss. Her fingertips fluttered over every inch of his face - straight, strong nose, sharp jawline, the thickness of his brows and defined cheekbones. Naomi thought she had never seen anyone that could even begin to rival his beauty.

"I thought you were tired," Cassien whispered against her soft lips.

"Are you?" She sighed softly into him. Every moment she spent around him felt like a renewal of emotional energy.

A chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Not anymore."

Cassien's arms tightened around her slim frame as he lifted her in one swift motion, and her legs wrapped loosely around his waist as a laugh bubbled up from her chest into their kiss. Their lips never fully parted even as he gently pressed her into the bed, the sleeves of her nightgown slipping and exposing her delicate shoulders and most of her chest. Despite her earlier embarrassment, Naomi didn't feel a single shred of shyness as he began to trail kisses down the crook of her neck.

Yeah, Naomi thought, banishing Ysonna's twisted face from her mind. He is mine.

"Not that I'm complaining," Cassien let out a soft groan as she gently raked his bare back. "But where did this come from?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The delirium of the day's exhaustion overrode all inhibition and logical reasoning to something more primal, full of want. "You were standing half-naked in my room. I don't need any other reason."

He laughed, deep and rich, sending shivers down her body. Cassien kissed her deeply before moving to nibble at the tip of her ears, slowly making his way down the underside of her jaw and the side of her neck once more.

"I've always adored your freckles," Cassien murmured against her, hot and tickling. He peppered kisses repeatedly at her shoulders and across her collarbone, where the flecks of brown dotted her warm ivory skin.

Naomi ran her hands across the length of his shoulders. "My mother used to try and pick them off when I was a child. She said it looked like specks of dirt."

"Well, that's another thing she got wrong then," Cassien's eyes darkened as he corrected her. "They look like sprinkles of brown sugar."

As the air between them grew charged and slick with excitement, Cassien pulled back. He cradled the roundness of her cheek, tracing the soft curve of her jaw with his thumb. When he spoke, his voice was almost hesitant, careful. "Are you… You don't think this is too soon?"

She bit her lip. "I don't really know if there is a timeline for this sort of thing. I just know I feel safe with you."

His face was softer and more vulnerable than she had ever seen him before, and in such a rare moment, he smiled so brightly that she thought her heart would stop at the sight of it. Cassien's voice was a smooth whisper. "You trust me?"

Naomi met his eyes with no hesitation in her reply. "Completely."

I need to tell him.

She felt the secret of Darius's plan about to slip as she stared into his honeyed eyes, full of yearning and earnesty. For a fleeting moment, her mouth opened to confess the truth that had been weighing her down, but not before Cassien's lips crashed down against hers once more, the heat of the moment swallowing her confession. Naomi warred inwardly for several heartbeats, though in a final, selfish decision, she let herself drown in the comfort of his touch - the crushing guilt of the plan temporarily forgotten.

The moment Naomi's answer fell from her lips, he didn't wait another heartbeat before claiming her lips in a frenzied kiss, teasing the inside of her mouth with his tongue. She whimpered quietly at the touch, her nails digging deep into his wet exposed flesh.

"If you want to stop for any reason, any time, just say so," Cassien said as he pulled away, only to begin tracing the prominence of her collarbone with the tip of his tongue.

Naomi nodded, reveling in his touch as his hands and mouth explored her body. She bent her hands to float over the sleeves of her nightgown that had pooled down to her mid arms; before she could feel the embarrassment overpower the boldness that suddenly surged through her, she pulled the silky fabric down to her waist. Visibly, his breathing caught at the sight of her exposed body.

"You are so incredibly beautiful."

She felt the rough clench of his hands grip around the small of her waist as he lifted her with one hand supporting her bare back, the other grabbing the thickness of her hip.

"....Cassien-" Naomi's words cut off into a breathy moan as she felt the wetness of his mouth take in her left breast.

A deep rumble somewhere between a growl and groan vibrated heavily against her at the mention of his name, and she tilted her head down only to see feverish gold eyes staring back in as he continued sucking. It felt exquisite - almost ticklish to a point of pure pleasure, making the knotted feeling in her lower stomach coil harder. One hand left her hip, and Naomi held back a gasp as she felt two rough fingers reach below. He raised a brow at her as if to ask if it were okay - to which Naomi responded with a trembling hand tugging off his towel.

The gold of his eyes were almost swollen whole by black, and his voice was husky and tight. "Alright then."

With nothing between them any longer, she felt a large stiffness press against her lower stomach as he pushed her back against the bed and released her swollen mound from his mouth. Naomi's chest felt like it could burst at any moment as she stared up at him. Her pale blues were wide with anticipation and curiosity, too naive to know what to expect next - yet all too ready to participate.

She caressed the thickness of his forearm. "Is there anything I could do for you?"

Cassien let out a heavy exhale from his nose, equally as flustered. "I want to focus on you, first."

She had no idea what that meant until the weight of the body shifted, and her body was tugged to the edge. Naomi's breathing hitched as he began planting soft kisses to her hip, trailing slowly and deliberately further down until he reached the inside of her thighs. When the first kiss fluttered against her intimates, she let out a squeak, full body flushed with equal embarrassment and want.

Naomi finally let out a pant. "T-that's - I'm... W-what... Doesn't that taste dirty?!"

Rough, large hands held her squirms in place. "Mm-mm. No. I'm starved for dinner."

She lost her sense of time, completely consumed by his movements. It was not long before the two lovers fully gave themselves over to the other, heart bared and soul exposed.

As a first night was to be expected, it was slow, playfully awkward and full of unknowns; yet intimate and done out of love and desire to see the other's needs fulfilled. Every inch of skin to be discovered, and every kiss with the full intention to do more. Neither of them needed any more words spoken as their worries melted away, as did the rest of the world.

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