The Assassination War (13)

Edan had braced himself accordingly upon entering this intimate encounter.

He harbored certainties that his relationship with Freugne would undergo imminent, profound transformations – a prescience that proved accurate.

However, the extent of those metamorphoses had diverged somewhat from his projections.

Just as courtships precede romantic relationships, all human bonds inevitably traverse gradual progressions, marriage notwithstanding.

“Provide me with evidence.”

“Evidence that I no longer resemble a child in your eyes, and that the love I proffer stems not from filial affections, but from romantic yearnings…!”

While refraining from overt verbalization, that essentially constituted a de facto proposal.

The incremental stages Freugne had already traversed proved far from negligible.

She had naturally progressed to suggestive physical intimacies with Edan, even exchanging kisses, deriving vicarious thrills from his flustered squirming.

In essence, their dynamic had surpassed conventional romantic boundaries.

Merely precluded from jointly vacationing amidst the ongoing warfare, they had otherwise explored most conceivable amorous avenues – the sole remaining escalation being matrimony itself.

While not overwhelmed to Edan’s extent, Freugne too inwardly grappled with disorientation.

‘How did circumstances escalate to this juncture?’

Initially, she had harbored no intentions of imminent espousal.

This spontaneous, unpremeditated proposal devoid of precognitive indulgences rendered uncertain how subsequent events might unfold – an inherently paradoxical premise for her.

Carried away by the intensifying atmosphere, she had pinned Edan beneath her in a heated crescendo.

And upon achieving that dominance, some recessed, prurient impulse had ignited within her subconscious.

Despite retaining the ability to release him at any moment, Freugne instead persisted in straddling his prone form.

“…Haah.”

Her breaths emerged ragged, but only momentarily flustered.

Rapidly accelerating with concupiscent ardor, her heart now raced with relish rather than perturbation – apparently, she harbored proclivities for such domineering dynamics despite presuming mere teasing preferences regarding Edan.

That he – unquestionably her superior in strength, always so dependable, so cherished –

Now lay splayed vulnerably beneath her in absolute acquiescence.

The situation itself exuded an undeniable, intoxicating eroticism.

While others might demur, Freugne indisputably interpreted it thus.

Having failed to preconceive this eventuality, no contingencies had been initiated to formally abrogate Edan’s legal familial statuses.

No need existed to petition governmental councils at first light – a mere visit to any local municipal office would have expeditiously processed the requisite paperwork within hours. But that potentiality remaining unactualized proved intrinsically significant in itself.

Freugne even mused that her precognitive abstinence represented a fortuitous boon.

Had she remained fixated upon ensuring his capitulation through iterative projections, her responses might have faltered with demure hesitance upon his probing inquiries.

Instead, Freugne felt certainty that this represented an outcome only achievable through unvarnished candor – an authenticity that choreographed amours could never replicate.

“Despite my overtness, you harbor no intent to recant, do you.”

“…….”

“Excellent.”

Interpreting Edan’s wordless silence as affirmative acquiescence.

Originally, she had merely aimed for a successful proposal, perhaps accompanied by soliciting dates or indulging in deeper intimacies – hence formulating no preconceptions regarding this specific eventuality.

Yet despite accelerated progressions beyond her projections, she remained unperturbed about the requisite proceedings.

Freugne leaned downwards, her gaze lingering upon unmistakable implications that prompted Edan’s startled intake of breath.

No, to escalate so abruptly without any prelude?

Observing his disconcerted expression, Freugne languidly licked her lips as if presented with a delectable delicacy – not an inapt analogy, in retrospect.

Despite absolute certainties about her harmless intentions, Edan instinctively recoiled from the predatory glint in Freugne’s eyes.

Yet as her erstwhile guardian, he felt compelled to caution this careening runaway – mustering his depleted bravery, Edan tentatively inquired:

“Do, do you grasp the implications if we proceed fur–”

“Of course I comprehend them perfectly? I’m no mere child, so what exactly do you perceive me as?”

Freugne curtly intercepted his words – allowing him to prolong would inevitably derail this pivotal evening into dissipated irrelevance.

At twenty years, she surpassed the age of innocence – among her dropouts from Cardiff School, parenthood would hardly represent an anomaly.

The rambunctious masculine discourse surrounding her had always revolved around intimate subject matter, matters the feminine cohorts certainly did not remain obliviously quarantined against. Freugne’s relevant comprehensions proved anything but naive.

Rather, feigning complete ignorance amidst the Londinium underworld’s diversely depraved undercurrents would have proven outright embarrassing.

Instead of theatrically portraying an implausibly chaste ingénue to stimulate his protective paternalism, preemptively severing all exits proved the preferable recourse.

Edan could hardly remain oblivious to her implications. Yet persisting in voicing them inevitably signified residual reservations.

“Holding hands while sleeping leads to pregnancy – a simple fact, is it not?”

“Who in the world imparted such distorted ‘common knowledge’ unto you?”

“It remains essentially accurate.”

Or rather, she comprehended the implications excessively, to the point of prolonged denial provoking agonizing duress.

Perhaps her current extremes stemmed from perpetually deferring proper catharsis until this catalytic juncture.

Her grip upon Edan’s wrists tightened adamantly.

Inadvertently accurate about the requisite ‘hand-holding’ – merely the subsequent proceedings remained ambiguous. Yet Edan had undoubtedly deciphered her precise insinuations by that point.

“If you lack the necessary preparations, fret not. This should be a secure interval for me.”

“Truly?”

“Or perhaps not.”

“…?!”

While the conventional sequence underwent potential reversal, initiating potential offspring amidst ongoing warfare did admittedly engender trepidations.

Regardless of Edan’s receptiveness, Freugne believed herself truthful to the best of her awareness. Yet even under improbable circumstances, little ultimatelyhinged upon that potentiality.

While uncertain about her prospective parenting aptitudes, swiftly resolving this conflict within the next ten months would suffice to provide an auspicious world for any offspring.

“You seem beset by lingering doubts.”

“No, that’s not–”

“No matter. I shall oversee the remaining proceedings myself. Simply occupy yourself by scrutinizing the ceiling’s blemishes – it shall conclude swiftly. An eminently pleasurable experience awaits, I assure you.”

Truthfully, lacking practical experience herself, Freugne overcompensated with projected assertiveness now that she had seized the initiative.

More crucially, she could no longer restrain herself.

Undressing him, Freugne pounced – that intimate consummation marking the culmination of this heated encounter.

---

Ultimately, the unseasonably chill early spring had emboldened them to transcend boundaries amidst passion’s throes.

Exhaling ragged breaths while cracking the window to ventilate the stuffy chamber, Freugne’s perspiration-beaded nape glistened under the faint moonlight as she perched upon the bedframe’s edge.

“…Heh.”

Though her mind had cleared, vivid recollections of their preceding actions persisted undiminished.

Undoubtedly not a fleeting reverie – savoring her lingering internal warmth, Freugne softly giggled.

In contrast, shuddering faintly against the wintry drafts wafting inwards, Edan huddled beneath the bedsheets, clutching them tightly.

Shattering that awkward silence first, Freugne uttered a line she had longed to deliver from her precognitively previewed futures:

“You enjoyed that too, didn’t you, Uncle?”

“…….”

“Did you not?”

His catalog of indiscretions rendered Edan speechless in guilt.

Exhaling a wispy sigh reminiscent of extinguished smoke, Freugne had evidently attempted to temporarily reverse their positions atop the mattress on multiple occasions during their preceding intimacies.

Not that he could realistically protest enjoying those endeavors, feeble as those efforts might have proven. Ultimately, she had demonstrated superior endurance.

Instead offering the flimsiest of excuses, Edan could only mumble:

“I, I was inexperienced, so……”

“…You performed splendidly, almost maddeningly well. From your words, you seem quite capable of further encores – why don’t you discard those sheets once more?”

Unwittingly severing Freugne’s tentative restraints with that single utterance.

While both had understandably faltered during their shared debutante forays, the experience itself had imparted its own insights.

If Edan had become overwhelmed by the proceedings, Freugne simply intended reasserting the precedent of guiding him adroitly.

Sufficient recuperation had surely transpired, she assessed – Edan’s depleted stamina merely represented the inevitable consequences of his customarily sedentary scholastic vocations eschewing physical exertions.

As Freugne shifted, leaning forward provocatively, the bedframe creaked faintly in protestation against her distinctly unsubtle overtures – prompting Edan’s own silent lamentations.

And amidst his flustered floundering, his hands found themselves entrapped within Freugne’s grasp once more.

Not pinned by the wrists this time to prevent escape, but rather with their fingers interlocked, effectively disallowing withdrawal.

Inevitably, that locked door would remain unopened until morning’s light.