The Shield of Gentem

Chapter 4 : Under the Shirt

Holy cow, he was in pain all over.

Eyes wide open, with Flavia in his arms, Lev had no idea how long he had slept. In any case, the medicine Eleazar had concocted was no longer working. Or maybe it had eased the worst of it and only huge aches remained. That was probably it.

In any case, he was in pain. And he didn't dare move.

He had no desire to wake his wife.

Perfectly alert, he took advantage of this moment of calm to reflect on his situation. As a result, he smiled like a big fool.

Never, ever, would he have thought to see Flavia at the wedding.

So, when he had recognized her by lifting her veil, he couldn't help but embrace her. The heart swelled with joy. Then he had realized a detail. Theoretically, they only knew each other by sight. He had met him only once, at Vera's house, where he had come to complain for he didn't know what reason. He had then crossed his younger sister. He would have wanted to speak to her, this day. To tell her that he knew.

But Vera had thrown him out for daring to come to her house to break her feet.

Well... We were going to say that this was the official meeting. The truth is...

-Mmh... Lev?

To hear her pronounce his name made him smile again like a big fool. The head against his chest, Flavia emerged slowly.

-What time is it? she stammered.

-Time for a bath. I stink, my sweet.

This remark, quite unexpected for her, made her laugh. He liked that laugh. Gentle, delicate. Sincere.

-I must admit that the scent of the battle was not only on the armor. Your shirt stinks.

-Hey ho!

-What? Wasn't I supposed to say that?

- No, I was saying "hey ho", for polite conversation.

-Oh. I told you it was a reflex.

-But it's sad that you were so formal with me in bed, he complained, holding her close.

-Lev...

-Yes?

-Shall we take a bath?

Ah... His shirt must have smelled really bad.

-You've never tested the Clypeus hot springs, have you?

Rhetorical question. He would have known immediately if Flavia had set a toe here.

-No. But I hear they are famous.

-So come and discover one of your new treasures, my Duchess.

When he took possession of the northern fortress, Lev had some things moved in. His grandfather was a nice man, but he had Spartan tastes! Still, it was no luxury for a Shield to have a huge bathtub fed with water from the hot springs beneath the residence. A whim? No.

It was a real necessity for his battle-scarred body. To be able to relax his muscles, his wounds and his scars was a real need for him. So, of course, it was expensive. But damn, he had the fortress, the sources, he did not see why he would deprive himself of it!