Chapter Text
Alain still couldn’t believe this was really happening.
A flirty voice giggled. “Oh my, Alain, you certainly appear to be quite excited tonight.”
A gentle voice then cut in. “Now, now, Ionísa, you can’t blame him for getting excited. He just got married, after all.”
Lying his head back against the pillow, Alain let out a pleased moan as one soft hand began stroking his erect cock while another hand gently caressed his testicles.
“That’s quite true, vin'nísa. It’s not every day that a human marries an elf.” As she continued rubbing his cock with her hand, Rosalinde grinned at Alain. “Especially when he got to marry two elves at once~”
The dark elf then leaned over and kissed him, which he happily reciprocated. “You’re so greedy, Alain.”
All a moaning Alain could do in response was tightly grip the silk bedsheets with his hands as Rosalinde increased the speed of her strokes along Alain’s cock.
As she gently ran her fingernails along Alain’s testicles while pressing a kiss to his chest, Eltolinde playfully glared her twin. “Please, Rosalinde. Enough teasing. You know we wanted this just as much as our husband did.”
The word “husband” rang loudly in Alain’s ears. He still couldn’t fathom how he was not only the king of Cornia, but also the spouse to the two women he loved. He genuinely didn’t know how he had become so fortunate.
After the royal wedding ceremonies in Cornia had concluded, the three of them had retreated to Alain’s bedchambers (or rather, now their shared bedchambers) to celebrate the occasion. Alain could barely pull off his wedding attire before the two elves threw him onto his bed.
After shedding their exquisite wedding dresses extremely quickly, his wives had straddled his thighs, Rosalinde on his right and Eltolinde on his left. As they showed their adoration for his cock, the elven sisters were rubbing themselves along his muscular thighs. He could feel cool wetness on his skin as both women rutted against him.
As Rosalinde deftly ran a finger along his cockhead, Alain let out a hiss. He felt like he was going to explode.
In his hazy state, Alain felt Eltolinde lift up his left hand from the bed sheets and brought it up to her left breast. Immediately entranced by his wife’s large bosom, Alain started groping her chest.
As he massaged Eltolinde’s breast, Alain smiled. The light elf felt so soft. Eltolinde gasped and bucked her hips against Alain’s left thigh. “Ah! Yes! Just like that, Alain!”
Not one to be outdone, Rosalinde picked up Alain’s right hand and brought it up to her left breast. When he gently pinched her nipple. Rosalinde happily moaned and continued rubbing her wet crotch against his leg.
Alain didn’t know how much time passed after that, but he savored the melody of his wives’ pleasured cries that echoed throughout the room. Eventually, Alain felt himself reach his limit. With a final, guttural moan, he ejaculated. Globs of white, warm, sticky cum erupted from his cock and splashed onto his bare chest.
In an instant, both Rosalinde and Eltolinde leaned down and began licking his chest. After savoring every taste of his ejaculate as they cleaned off his chest, the two sisters sat back up and gently kissed.
As Eltolinde happily moaned into her sister's mouth while the dark elf massaged her sibling's breasts, Alain could already feel his cock stirring again.
When the elves parted, leaving but a thin trail of saliva between them, they both smirked and gave Alain half-lidded stares. It was as if those emerald and ruby eyes could pierce into his soul.
Rosalinde winked at him. “Surely, you’re not spent after just that, Alain?”
Eltolinde followed suit with a wink of her own. “Surely, your wonderful wives deserve a reward for such excellent service, Alain?”
Feeling his cock throb in excitement once more, Alain grinned.
Using his strong arms to easily overpower the two elves, Alain flipped their positions on the bed. With a delighted cry, the two elves fell onto the bed and looked up at Alain, now looming over them with a once-more erect cock.
A thin string of cum dripped from his cock onto one of Eltolinde’s milky thighs.
Smiling warmly at him, Eltolinde and Rosalinde gently spread their legs, giving Alain a clear view of their glistening, pink entrances.
Positioning his cock over the entrance of Eltolinde’s core, Alain slowly started rubbing himself against the blonde elf. He smiled as Eltolinde brought her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his back as he moved back and forth.
Of course, he very well couldn’t ignore his beloved Rosalinde. After glancing over at her and giving her a wink, Alain used his right hand to stroke Rosalinde’s slit, causing the dark elf to close her eyes and let out a pleased moan. As Alain deftly rubbed her clitoris, Rosalinde started panting as she kneaded her large breasts with her hands.
And then, he moved forwards. As he penetrated Eltolinde’s warm pussy, he inserted two fingers into Rosalinde’s wet vagina. Both women let out loud, satisfied screams.
Feeling pride swell within him, Alain continued to show his absolute adoration for the two elves that had captured his heart.
As his wives writhed in pleasure underneath him, Alain tried to remember how things had ended up getting this crazy.
Really, it had started back when they were in Elheim.
After defeating Alcina and reclaiming all of Elheim, Eltolinde and Rosalinde had graciously offered Alain their assistance in the Liberation Army’s quest to retake the rest of Fevrith from Galerius and his forces.
Eltolinde, however, had requested a moment for her and her sister to settle their affairs in Elheim before the army moved onto Bastorias in the north. Ever the dutiful leader, the blonde elf wished to make sure proper leadership was in place to support the recently liberated citizens of Elheim while the Turanós and her sister were away.
Alain happily acquiesced to Eltolinde’s request, which led to the Liberation Army returning to Laurhal for a few days and preparing for the trip back to Cornia and then Bastorias.
With the break from the nearly constant fighting and traveling across the continent, Alain had finally felt the past few months catch up to him. Liberating Elheim, Drakenhold and most of Cornia had been a tremendous physical and emotional effort for all involved, so taking a short break would be good for everyone.
One day, he had been on a quaint walk with Eltolinde around Laurhal. She was giving him a private tour of her hometown.
“I have to know, Alain. What was your first impression upon arriving in Elheim?”
Alain turned towards Eltolinde. She was smiling at him, but there was look of curiosity in her eyes. Returning her smile, the prince watched strands of the elf’s long blonde hair sway in the breeze before he responded.
“It would have to be the greenery, of course.” Alain brought a hand to his chin. “…It is a far more magical land than Cornia, with a near untouchable divinity to it all.” He chuckled. “It even feels as though the trees themselves could pick me up and carry me off to parts unknown.”
Eltolinde frowned. “I can’t deny that possibility, Alain. Our forest is a beautiful place indeed, yet it shall show no sympathy to those who threaten it.”
Alain tilted his head in thought. “Then, would a command from the Turenós be enough to make me vanish into these woods for the rest of time?”
Eltolinde brought a hand to her chest. “If the breadth of evil in your heart demanded such measures, then yes." Eltolinde then gave Alain a soft smile. “I can’t imagine that ever being the case, though. Not for the man who was so brave in saving me.”
Alain felt his face burn. “There’s no need to specially thank me for that, Eltolinde. It was thanks to your sister and everyone else that we were able to rescue you and thwart Zenoira’s efforts.”
He saw a frown cross Eltolinde’s face before she smiled once more. “So you say. But my faith in you shall not waver, Alain. No matter what lies ahead.”
With a blush on her face, Eltolinde gently grasped Alain’s hand with one of her own. Her hand was quite soft. “If there’s anything you need, Alain. I will do my utmost to help you.”
Still blushing, Alain smiled. “I’m honored, Eltolinde. I’ll be relying on your guidance and support for the trials that await us.”
Still holding his hand, Eltolinde beamed at him.
Then, an idea crossed Alain’s mind. “Say, Eltolinde, there is something I wanted to ask you about.”
Eyebrows raised, Eltolinde pulled her hand away from Alain and crossed her arms. “What is it, my prince?”
Alain rubbed his chin. “With all the time we have spent in Elheim, I’ve learned much about the powers of the fae that live the forest. In particular, I’ve heard talk of hot springs within these woods that are powered by the fae’s magic. Supposedly, these springs can heal one’s fatigue.”
Alain sighed and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. “I’ve been feeling a bit…tired since our trip back here to Laurhal. I was hoping to use one of these springs to relax and I was wondering if you knew where one of these springs could be found.”
Eltolinde’s eyes lit up. “Why yes! I indeed know where such a spring can be found, Alain.” She then frowned. “But what ails you so? Are you not sleeping enough? I’m certain we have elven remedies that could help.”
Eyes wide, Alain fervently shook his head. “Oh, it’s nothing like that, Eltolinde!” He then sighed. “I’d just like a chance to recuperate before we set off for Bastorias.”
Eltolinde’s frown deepened. “I see…”
Then, placing her hands on her hips, the elf sighed. “Well, we do have a spring here in Laurhal that should fit your needs, my prince.” Eltolinde wistfully smiled. “It’s quite a wonderful spot, nestled deep in these woods. Why, I’ve used it plenty of times whenever my duties as Turenós get a bit too stressful.”
“Erm…” Now red-faced, Alain felt his cock throb as a vivid image of a nude Eltolinde serenely bathing appeared in his mind. Thankfully, Alain was quickly distracted from that thought when Eltolinde then began excitedly gushing about the wide variety of mushrooms near the spring.
As the elven woman regaled him with tales of her collection of fungi, Alain thought it was really cute to see someone so refined and dignified be so passionate about her hobby.
After a moment, Eltolinde blushed and coughed into her left fist. “My apologies, Alain. I got a bit carried away there.” Now smiling, Eltolinde placed a hand atop her chest. “I will make the preparations so that you may use the spring tonight in peace.”
Alain returned her smile. “Thank you, Eltolinde. I’m looking forward to it.” Alain then laughed, “Now, just what else did you want to show me here in Laurhal?”
Brightly blushing, Eltolinde gently took his hand in her own and led him along the rest of their walk.
Alain softly smiled at how warm her hand felt, intertwined with his.
That night, when the others had gone to bed, Alain quietly snuck out of his lodgings and made his way to the spring, following Eltolinde’s directions.
As he walked along the stone path that led to the hot spring, Alain could see tiny wisps of faerie light hovering in the air. With how dark it was at this time of night, the balls of light gently illuminated the wooded path before him.
Alain heard the leaves of the trees around him softly rustling as a soft breeze swept through the area. Alain slightly shivered when he felt the wind brush his bare skin. After disrobing in the changing room just a short distance behind him, Alain was now just wearing a white towel, safely secured around his waist.
As he rubbed his arms to stay warm, Alain glanced up towards the night sky. With how clear the sky was, he could see hundreds upon hundreds of tiny stars twinkling above him. He smiled. With the revolution taking him and his allies all across Fevrith to combat Zenoira, he had been privy to a wide variety of breathtaking sights.
Of course, that also included his beautiful female comrades. An image of a nude Eltolinde bathing once more surged to the forefront of his mind.
His face heating up in embarrassment at the sudden thought of his elven companion, Alain shook his head to refocus himself. He was trying to use this moment to relax, not to get worked up.
He then turned his attention back towards the hot spring just a few steps ahead of him. Alain could already feel his body warming up. When he reached the precipice of the spring, he stopped in place and gazed in awe at the scene before him.
The hot spring was quite spacious, extending in a circular shape at least two dozen meters ahead of him. He watched white wisps of steam rise above the water before quickly disappearing. The spring water itself was clear, allowing Alain to see the intricately crafted stone floor of the pool. Most importantly, there was no one else around.
All in all, the inviting hot spring lived up to Eltolinde’s praise.
Dipping his left foot into the water, Alain couldn’t help but smile when he felt the warm water brush against his skin. Stepping fully into the spring and sitting down, Alain let out a deep sigh of relief as warmth enveloped him.
Almost in an instant, Alain felt all of his stress and worries wash away. All of the prince’s aches and pains from fighting were soothed as though gentle kisses were being placed along his body. Alain leaned back against the edge of the spring and closed his eyes. This was exactly what he was looking for after the last couple of days.
Ever since the last battle against Alcina to liberate Elheim, Alain had felt conflicted.
When he had fought Zenoiran forces up to that point, he had been able to use the Ring of the Unicorn to free those under Galerius’s control and then convince them to join his side. Except for Alcina.
Ever since the Liberation Army had entered Elheim, Alcina had wanted to capture Alain in order to use his body to resurrect his father, Gerard. From what Alain understood from Alcina’s story, Alcina and Gerard were close, though Alain wasn’t sure as to what degree. It ultimately wasn’t his business to pry, but he did understand from her words and her tone that Yahna’s old mentor cared deeply, romantically, for his father.
Romance had never really been something that interested Alain all that much when he was growing up on Palevia. He was perfectly happy living each day with Josef and his childhood friends until they set off to take back Cornia. His mind had been (and still was) focused on avenging his mother and reclaiming his homeland from Galerius. But, ever since his quest to rescue Scarlett and embarking on this fight across Fevrith, Alain now recognized how little he knew about romance.
And that brought Alain to the main issue that had plagued his mind during the trip back to Laurhal. The Ring of the Maiden.
After the battle with Alcina, Eltolinde bestowed Alain with the Ring of the Maiden, the counterpart to his Ring of the Unicorn.
According to the elven texts, Alain had to present the Ring of the Maiden to the companion he trusted the most in order for the Rite of the Covenant to be completed.
Once the rite was completed, both the Ring of the Maiden and the Ring of the Unicorn would be restored to their full power, which would be critical for their fight against Galerius.
As he laid back in the spring, Alain frowned.
The rite was a necessary step in his quest to reclaim Fevrith from Zenoira, but the undertones of the rite basically implied that Alain giving the Ring of the Maiden to someone he deeply trusted was essentially same as proposing to that person.
Hence, to say that the idea of Alain presenting someone with the Ring of the Maiden caused a bit of a kerfuffle in the Liberation Army would be an understatement.
Scarlett seemed to be doing everything in her power to be at Alain’s side each day, whether it was joining his unit in battle or, unfortunately for his stomach, cooking for him. She also got into arguments with the other women in the army more often. Usually about him, apparently. But Scarlett wasn’t the only person acting strange.
Every time Alain tried to converse with Chloe these days, his childhood friend would turn bright red and shyly run off. Ridiel would usually follow after her after giving him a knowing smile and a wink.
Out of the corner of his eye, he would routinely see Sharon and Ochlys whispering together and shooting him heated glances.
Alain had noticed Railanor giving him longing stares whenever they finished training together, though the blushing Elven Fencer awkwardly tried her best to hide it.
With a sultry smile and a cocked hip, Yahna had offered to give Alain private lessons in her tent.
Virginia had been pretty unsubtle, with his older cousin usually going out of her way to remind Alain how she had been trained to rule from a young age and she would be a great queen for Cornia. A belabored Leah usually had to intervene and tug the blue haired princess away while apologizing to Alain for her lady’s behavior.
Melisandre had been more forward than usual. Openly declaring in front of Alain that she wanted to have his children was certainly an effective way to send Scarlett into an absolute tirade.
As she had been during their chat earlier in the day, Eltolinde was always kind and supportive with him, though Alain had noticed how much the light elf tended to blush around him recently.
And then there was Rosalinde.
Staring up at the moon shining bright in the sky above him, Alain shifted in the spring and listened to the water jostle around him. Ever since their first meeting, the dark elf had perplexed Alain.
Initially, Rosalinde was cold and standoffish. The elf was clearly hesitant to rely on the Liberation Army to save her sister. When Alain and his allies had proven themselves, however, Rosalinde had begun to open up, allowing Alain a glimpse at the Augur’s real personality.
Rosalinde was playful and teasing, but also very thoughtful and self-aware. She had a deep love for her sister and clearly did everything she could to support Elheim, despite her apparent lackadaisical attitude. Whenever she entered a room, the dark elf naturally drew attention to herself thanks to her charm and charisma.
It also helped that Rosalinde was incredibly attractive, at least in Alain’s eyes. Alain had learned pretty quickly that Rosalinde was quite proud about her appearance. Alain could understand. The contrast between her dusky skin and her bright turquoise hair made for quite a striking sight.
Of course, Rosalinde’s choice of attire also naturally drew attention to her.
Alain felt himself blush as images of Rosalinde’s smooth, long, powerful thighs and bare, wide hips appeared at the forefront of his mind. How Rosalinde could fight so effectively while wearing just a strapless white leotard was a mystery to Alain.
Chuckling, he shook his head. Even out of battle, Rosalinde seemed quite comfortable moving around with her light clothing, to an almost shameless degree.
Sometimes, Rosalinde would smile at him and coquettishly lean forward, presenting him with a clear view of her bare shoulders and her bust. Alain would desperately try to avert his eyes whenever he saw the slight bounce of her chest, much to Rosalinde’s amusement.
Speaking of what seemed to amuse Rosalinde, the dark elf had a strange fascination with sidling up closely to Alain every time they spoke, ever since he first received the Ring of the Maiden.
I look forward to us getting to know one another, prince~
Bringing his right arm out of the water, Alain rubbed his forehead in frustration. Drops of water slid off his arm and trickled back into the spring.
Alain didn’t understand Rosalinde’s intentions in sticking so close to him ever since he got the Ring of the Maiden. It sometimes seemed like she was messing with him for fun, but then at other times, it seemed like she was genuinely interested in him.
Alain didn’t think he had done anything special to warrant her attention. It was only thanks to everyone’s combined effort that they had been able to save Rosalinde’s homeland from Zenoira. Alain just happened to be the face of the liberation.
Then again, Alain didn’t think he deserved so much attention from his other female comrades either.
Considering how the others had been behaving recently, Alain more than once had thought that it was possible that the presence of the Ring of the Maiden was the only reason for the increased interest in him.
Once the Liberation Army reclaimed Cornia, Alain would become King and, with the Ring of the Maiden now present, that meant the position of Cornia’s Queen was up for grabs, so to speak.
Leaning forward from the edge of the spring and placing his hands on his lap, Alain frowned. Maybe that’s all he was to the others. Just an opportunity to ascend to royalty rather than a person with his own thoughts and feelings.
Alain grimaced. That was a dark train of thought that he’d rather not pursue further. But he just didn’t know what to do with all of this attention from the fairer sex.
Reclining against the edge of the spring once more, Alain closed his eyes. At least he had this wonderful hot spring to help him relax, even if only for a short while. It was just him, the warm water and the dense forest around him.
Alain let out a relieved sigh. And then he heard footsteps.
Alain’s eyes shot open. Stirring the water around him as he shifted his body to look behind him, Alain froze when he realized who was approaching him along the forest path.
“Oh? Did I startle you, Alain?”
Alain really should’ve expected this.
Sauntering towards him was a grinning, and very much unclothed, Rosalinde. Her turquoise braids bounced with each step she took towards the spring. She ran her left hand through her hair. “I’m nothing to be scared of, you know.”
Alain vehemently disagreed. The sight before him was extremely dangerous.
As opposed to Alain covering himself with a tightly wrapped towel, the dark elf was using her right arm to lazily hold up a loose white towel against her front. The cotton towel fluttered as Rosalinde moved towards him, providing Alain with quick glimpses of the elf’s inner thighs and the sides of her breasts.
Alain felt his cock quickly becoming erect.
Feeling his face burst into flames in embarrassment, Alain finally whipped his head away from her and tightly clenched his fists in his lap. “W-what in the world are you doing here, Rosalinde?”
He heard Rosalinde titter as she reached the edge of the spring. Even while he was looking away from her, Alain could sense that she was standing just to his right.
“Why, I was just having the most dreadful sleep, Alain. I thought a trip to the spring would do wonders for me.” Out of the corner of his eye, Alain could see Rosalinde dip her left foot into the water.
“I see…” Alain then closed his eyes and sighed. “And why are you really here, Rosalinde?”
At first, Alain didn’t hear a response. All he could hear was the sound of his pounding heartbeat and the gentle waves of the spring. Then, to his right, Alain heard the sound of a towel hitting the ground and someone, definitely naked, stepping into the water. Alain nervously swallowed. When the water had settled, Rosalinde spoke with a soft tone. “I wanted to see you, of course. I thought you’d like the company.”
Alain warily opened his eyes and turned towards Rosalinde. Immediately, he felt his eyes widen while his mouth parted open in shock. He had expected Rosalinde to be seated right next to him in the spring, sticking closely to him as she always seemed to. That wasn’t the case this time.
Instead, the elf was a short distance away from him. Rosalinde was sitting on the edge of the spring, her hands resting comfortably against the stone edge. Her legs were daintily lying in the spring, with the water going up to the top of her calves.
More importantly, Rosalinde had discarded her towel, leaving herself completely exposed in front of him. Alain felt his mouth run dry when he saw the large dark pink tips of her nipples.
Still smiling at him, Rosalinde followed Alain’s gaze and looked down at her exposed chest. “My, am I so entrancing that you’ve been struck silent?” With a reddened face, she winked at him. “It’s okay to stare, Alain. I don’t mind.”
Still blushing, Alain looked away from the nude elf. “How did you know I would be here this late at night, Rosalinde?”
Alain heard Rosalinde gently kicking her feet in the spring, splashing water around her. “My dear vin'nísa told me. She asked for my help making sure this spring was reserved for you tonight.”
Rosalinde then chuckled. “Of course, I don’t think Eltolinde realized the opportunity she gave me.”
Staring down at the water, Alain frowned. Eltolinde had a tendency to admonish her twin sister whenever the dark elf was causing mischief. The Turenós hearing news of her sister joining Alain in the spring this evening would surely not end well.
Then, Alain’s eyes went wide in realization. If news of the two of them in the spring got out, not only would Eltolinde be upset, but so would the others as well.
Alain could already imagine an insistent Melisandre demanding that he share a bath with her, which would likely to lead to Scarlett angrily requesting to join in as well. That’d probably cause Chloe and Virginia, among others, to get involved. All in all, that’d probably make for a very crowded bath.
Alain sighed. So much for him taking a break. He needed to leave before things got out of hand.
Just as Alain was about to stand up and get out of the spring, he felt a soft hand press down on his right shoulder. “You’ve been looking away for a while now, Alain. Surely seeing a little bit of bare skin isn’t cause to be fearful of me, right?”
Alain winced. Rosalinde’s tone was light, but she was putting a lot of force into the hand firmly gripping his shoulder.
Rubbing his forehand with his left hand, Alain sighed. A ‘little bit of skin’ was putting it mildly. He had never even laid eyes on a naked woman before. “No, that’s not it, Rosalinde.” His eyes flickered towards her for but a moment before his gaze returned back towards the water in front of him. “But I don’t believe it’s proper for you to be undressed in front of me.”
A moment of silence passed between them.
Then, Rosalinde let out a snort, causing Alain to glance at Rosalinde with a quizzical look. Removing her right hand from Alain’s shoulder, Rosalinde giggled. “Honestly, I forget that you grew up on that small island, Alain. It’s quite adorable, really!”
Alain raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself from her laughter, Rosalinde had a mirthful smile. She placed a hand just above her chest. “I’m sure this is obvious, Alain, but the people of Elheim are quite different than from those that hail from Cornia or Drakenhold.”
She then held her left palm outstretched in front of her. Small balls of light began to float into her palm. “The spirits course throughout the woods of Elheim, Alain. Exposing our bare skin to the air allows us to better commune with the magical fae that we elves rely on to protect our home.” As she gently closed her hand into a fist, causing the balls of light to scatter back into the air, Rosalinde smiled at him. “Shedding one’s clothing to bathe is showing respect to the spirits of these woods. So my current state is perfectly acceptable here.”
Coyly pointing an index finger towards him, Rosalinde then shot Alain a teasing look. “As opposed to a certain someone wearing a towel in the bath.”
Alain flushed in embarrassment, but kept his gaze firmly on Rosalinde’s face. Her ruby eyes were shining with mischief.
Crossing her arms under her exposed chest, Rosalinde grinned. “Besides, haven’t you pondered why Railanor would wear such little metal armor in battle, Alain? I’m sure that’s the reason why I’ve seen you staring at her so much.”
Alain grimaced. Of course Rosalinde had noticed his eyes lingering on the buxom Elven Fencer for just a bit longer than was appropriate.
Alain then felt his throat run dry as he watched Rosalinde gently cup her breasts with her hands. “I don’t quite fill out the metal armor that she wears, but my clothing is perfectly sufficient to communing with the fae to use my magic. It's quite comfortable too.” Then, still palming her bust, she shot him a sultry smile. “Then again, I’ve read that the ancient founders of Elheim used to fight in these woods without a single stitch of clothing. It wouldn’t be so wrong for me to do the same, would it?”
Alain shifted uncomfortably in the spring. “I…suppose not, Rosalinde.” He sighed. “But I’m sure your sister, among others, might take issue with that.”
When he said that, Rosalinde smirked. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so certain about that, Alain.” Splaying her arms behind her, Rosalinde stared up at the starry night above them. “My dear sister is no prude when it comes to nudity. Why, when we were young, she’d happily ditch her clothes to play in the mud and search for mushrooms!”
The dark elf looked back at him with a bright smile. “Did you know Eltolinde sleeps unclothed at night?”
Alain couldn’t help but clench his fists tighter as his member hardened in response to that visual.
As she ran a hand through her long hair, Rosalinde shot him another wink. “I do the same, you know. The feeling of soft sheets against my bare skin is just divine.”
Despite the furious blush on his face, Alain grimaced. This was getting way too intense for his liking. Based on the gleam in her eyes, Rosalinde was clearly messing with him again for the fun of it. Alain absolutely needed to get out of this spring.
And so, Alain quickly stood up in the water. He could see small wisps of steam emanating off of his body. “I see. Thank you, Rosalinde, for the…erm…illuminating story.”
He then glanced over at his naked companion. With a bright smile across her face and her red eyes wandering everywhere, she was clearly admiring his mostly exposed body. Alain was quite thankful that he still had his towel wrapped around him, even if it would be quite clear to any onlooker he was very aroused.
“My, my, Alain. You hide quite a lot under your armor, don’t you?” Rosalinde purred.
Alain felt a pit form in his stomach as he felt her eyes crawl all over him. Was seeing him like this why she was here? Was this all he was to her? Just someone to tease and physically admire?
Grinning, Rosalinde gently patted a spot next to her. “Here, Alain. Why don’t you sit next to me?” She fluttered her eyes at him. “I don’t bite~”
Crossing his arms as he turned away from Rosalinde, Alain sighed. “I seem to be becoming a bit of distraction for you, Rosalinde, so I’ll head out now.”
Ignoring the stunned look on Rosalinde’s face, Alain hastily stepped out of the spring. “I’ll make sure to forget this ever happened. You don’t need to worry about anyone learning about this incident, not even your sister.” As beads of water streamed down his legs and onto the ground, Alain briskly walked back towards the changing room.
He frowned. Using the spring to relax had ultimately been a miss, unfortunately, so Alain would just have to find another way to rest his head before the army moved towards Bastorias. Maybe Josef had some good ideas.
Then, Alain heard wet footsteps quickly moving towards him. “Alain, please wait!”
Alain felt a soft hand strongly tug back on his right arm, stopping him in place. It felt like a hundred weights were now keeping him pinned to this spot. He glanced back. Rosalinde was now right behind him, her right arm outstretched as she tightly gripped onto Alain’s arm.
Though the dark elf was still quite naked as she stood behind him, Alain ignored that and kept his gaze on Rosalinde’s face. Her mouth was trembling and he could see tears forming in her red eyes. “…Rosalinde?” Alain quietly whispered.
With a grimace, Rosalinde raised her free hand up to her chest and clenched it into a fist. “Alain, what’s wrong?”
Alain just stared at her in shock as Rosalinde sniffled and looked down at the ground. “I-is it my fault? Am I bothering you? Would...would you rather have Eltolinde here?”
Alain frowned. He had never seen Rosalinde this upset before. But this reaction seemed to be his fault, so he needed to clear the air with her.
“No, that’s not it. I..I just…” He sighed. He might as well be honest. “I just don’t know what to make of you, Rosalinde.”
Rosalinde’s head sprang back up. She had a shocked expression on her face. “What?”
Alain glanced away from her and towards the woods around them. “You said before that you were looking forward to us getting to know each other, but I don’t believe I know who you are at all.”
Struck by his words, Rosalinde frowned, but remained silent.
“Every time we speak, it feels like you’re always looking for a way to make me flustered. You said you followed me tonight because you thought I’d like the company, but I think you’re only here because seeing me like this because it amused you.”
He could see a flash of hurt in Rosalinde’s eyes, but he kept going. It felt intoxicating, getting this all off his chest after how frustrated he had been. “I’m sure exposing yourself and saying all those things was an easy price to pay to get to witness how uncomfortable I could get around a naked woman.”
Rosalinde’s mouth parted open in protest and then abruptly closed when Alain motioned for her to wait. “But, despite all of your antics, I’ve also seen other sides of you, Rosalinde. I’ve seen how much you care for your sister. I’ve watched how excited you get in battle. I’ve witnessed how passionate you are about the things that matter to you.”
Alain frowned at her. “That’s exactly why I’m confused about what you think of me, Rosalinde. You get quite up close and personal with me, yet you feel so distant.” Grimacing, Alain looked away. “I suppose the crux of my concerns is that I just can’t trust you.”
Rosalinde lowered her head and stared at the ground. Alain couldn’t see what expression she had on her face. When he heard her quietly sniffle, Alain immediately sobered up. He felt a pit form in his stomach. He had gone too far. Rosalinde didn’t deserve that.
Alain sighed. “I apologize. My behavior was completely uncalled for.” He then turned towards the changing room. “I completely understand if you desire for me to keep my distance moving forward.”
As he tried gently removing his arm from Rosalinde’s grasp, Alain felt her increase her grip on his arm. Confused, he turned back towards her. “Rosalinde?”
She tugged on his arm again. “Don’t you dare walk away from me, Alain.” Sniffling, Rosalinde lifted her head back up towards him. Tears were freely falling down her face as she sadly smiled at him. “Do you really think I’d do all this just to tease you?” She whispered.
Alain’s mouth parted open in shock. “I-I-I don’t-“
“Do you really not trust me at all?” She whimpered.
“I….”
Suddenly, Rosalinde forcefully tugged on Alain’s arm, pulling him back towards her. With a cry, Alain stumbled on the ground. Before he lost his balance and fell to the ground, he found himself safely kept upright when Rosalinde caught him and wrapped her arms around him. As he felt the sensation of her plush chest pressed up against him, Alain realized that Rosalinde was hugging him. She felt quite warm.
“See? You can trust me to catch you, Alain.”
Blushing brightly, Alain kept his arms locked at his side. He didn’t want to lay his hands on anywhere indecent. “Rosalinde? What are you-“
With teary eyes, Rosalinde shook her head. “Not another word! I listened to your ridiculous explanation, so now you must listen to me, Alain!”
His eyes wide, Alain just dumbly nodded.
With a deep breath, Rosalinde looked down from Alain’s face and laid her head against his chest. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Alain. I know how frustrated you’ve been lately with everyone demanding your attention, so I thought I could help you relax tonight.
Alain’s eyes widened. She had noticed that too?
She darkly chuckled. “I suppose I just made things worse though.” Rosalinde sighed and turned her head up towards him. “As for your concerns about my intentions towards you, I promise you have nothing to fear.”
Rosalinde continued. “I do quite enjoy teasing others, but I am going to speak honestly now, okay?"
Alain wordlessly nodded.
Tightening her embrace around him, Rosalinde continued. “When I first met you in the Winding Woods, I will admit that I was underwhelmed. We elves don’t typically rely on the assistance of humans and the Liberation Army appeared to be quite the eccentric group. You didn’t appear to be worth my time.”
Alain watched her long ears wiggle in delight. “But you proved me wrong, Alain. Overwhelmingly. Fighting alongside you and the others, I learned just how strong the Liberation Army was. You sparked a hope in my heart that we could rescue my sister and save Elheim. Which you then did effortlessly.”
She looked up at him. Her ruby eyes were shining with adoration. “But that wasn’t all. When I saw how close you and your comrades were as you all celebrated your victories against Zenoira, how everyone laughed and smiled and cared for each other, I felt a strong warmth bloom within my heart.”
Rosalinde laid her head on Alain’s chest, just over his heart. “From then on, I knew I wanted to be a part of that warm world. I wanted to be part of that happiness.” Closing her eyes, Rosalinde smiled. “I’ve always been a bit of an outlier among dark elves, Alain. My people prefer to remain in the dark, but I desire the light, the warmth, of being close to others.”
Alain’s eyes widened in realization. “Then that’s why…”
Rosalinde nodded. “Mhmm. Like a moth gently fluttering in the moonlight, I’m drawn to your warmth, Alain.”
Alain could see a vivid blush appear on Rosalinde’s face as she continued. “I was enthralled by how you would protect me from enemy strikes, even when we were just strangers. I was entranced by how brave you were, leading an army at such a young age to recover your home. I was smitten with how kindly you treat those around you, regardless of their station.”
Rosalinde smiled softly at him. “That’s why I want to stay close to you, Alain. I want to learn more about the man that captured my heart.”
His heart pounding, Alain felt his face burst into flames at Rosalinde’s confession. “Rosalinde…”
Untangling herself from the hug, Rosalinde stepped away from Alain. Still completely unashamed by her naked state, she gently took his right hand and cradled it in her own right hand. Alain marveled at how naturally her fingertips intertwined with his.
As they held hands, Rosalinde beamed at him. “Alain, you’ve done so much for me and my homeland that I can’t even begin to repay that generosity.” Blushing brightly, she brought her free hand to her chest. “I wanted to use this evening to try to show my appreciation, but I overstepped my bounds. I truly apologize for that.”
She then frowned. “But, with your worries about my intentions towards you, I want to make one last thing very clear.” Rosalinde moved her hand from her chest and laid it atop their joined hands. She gave him a gentle smile. “My body and soul are yours, Alain. Please never forget that.”
Alain could only gaze in awe at Rosalinde’s serene expression as she said those dangerous words. His heart skipped a beat.
He had been such an idiot.
Frowning, Alain then looked down at their joined hands. “I’m truly sorry for what I said, Rosalinde. I was a fool and misinterpreted your feelings. But if you feel that way about me,” Alain then looked up at her and smiled. “I’ll do my best to remain worthy of your affection, Rosalinde.”
Blushing, Rosalinde giggled. “I look forward to it, Alain.”
As he admired the beautiful woman before him, Alain felt an idea surge in his mind. Maybe it was due to the heat of the spring. Maybe it was due to all of the recent talk of romance and rings and rites. Maybe it was because he wanted to prove his trust in her. It was a scary idea. It’d probably make things in his life more complicated.
But still, Alain wanted to try. Trembling, he took a step towards the woman before him. Rosalinde’s eyes went wide as Alain leaned down towards her. When he stopped, their lips were but an inch apart.
“Alain?” Rosalinde whispered. Alain could sense a rush of hope in her tone.
Alain felt like his face was going to catch on fire in embarrassment. “Is…is this okay? I’ve never done this before.” He whispered.
Eyes tearing up, Rosalinde smiled. “Neither have I.” She whispered. She then closed her eyes and gently parted her lips.
Closing his own eyes, Alain closed the gap and kissed Rosalinde. As he kissed her, Alain quickly realized that Roselinde’s lips were quite soft. When he finally pulled away from her to come up for air, a beaming Rosalinde quickly used her free hand to pull his head back down to another kiss. Rosalinde snuck in a little bit of tongue that time. Alain clumsily reciprocated, causing Rosalinde to let out a delighted moan.
When they pulled away again, Rosalinde giggled as she stroked the side of his face. “I never thought I’d see you be so bold, Alain.”
Embarrassed, Alain could only chuckle as he leaned into Rosalinde’s warm palm.
Then, he heard the leaves of the forest rustling. Alain then felt a cool breeze hit his body, causing him to let out a shiver. When he heard Rosalinde do the same, he pulled her back into his embrace, which she happily accepted.
He saw that they both had tiny goosebumps forming all over their skin. With how long they had been standing here, the warmth from being in the bath had finally worn off.
Alain looked past Rosalinde towards the empty hot spring just a few meters away and smiled. “Say Rosalinde, what would you say to relaxing in the spring for a bit longer?
Rosalinde’s eyes widened for a moment before she gave him a warm smile. “That sounds wonderful, Alain.”
And so, with their hands still linked together, Rosalinde led Alain back towards the hot spring.
This time, when Rosalinde stepped into the spring, she fully sat down in the spring, allowing the water to rise up to her chest. With a relieved sigh, Alain sat down in the water next to her. They were still holding hands underneath the water.
After a moment, Rosalinde spoke. “I see you’re still wearing a towel, even after all of that. It seems like someone wants to be free, you know?
Alain let out a sigh and glanced over at her. She had a sultry smile on her face. He now understood that her relentless teasing was just who she was, but that didn’t mean he was used to it yet. “You’re still fixated on my towel? We’re here to relax, remember?”
Rosalinde tittered as she playfully tugged at his towel. “Sure, sure, but it isn’t quite fair, is it? You’ve seen me unclothed for quite a while now.”
She shot Alain a sly grin. “Surely I should be rewarded for being so honest, right?”
Alain playfully rolled his eyes. He removed his hand from Rosalinde’s and lifted it out of the water, causing the elf to give him an intrigued look. With Rosalinde sufficiently distracted, he used both of his hands to pull the dark elf towards him.
Rosalinde let out a surprised shriek as Alain drew her into his arms. Thanks to Alain, the two of them were now closely pressed up against one another in the spring as the water stirred around them. Smiling at the feeling of her soft skin against him, Alain caressed the flustered woman in his arms. “I’m not quite comfortable with removing my towel, but is this reward sufficient for now?”
Brightly blushing, Rosalinde silently nodded into his chest. Alain smiled and gently rubbed her bare back, causing Rosalinde to nuzzle closer to him.
The two of them quietly laid there in the hot spring, simply enjoying each other’s presence.
When he sensed Rosalinde’s breathing had slowed, Alain glanced down at her and softly smiled. She had fallen asleep in his arms. For all of her bravado, tonight had probably been a lot for her. After pressing a soft kiss to Rosalinde’s forehead, Alain looked up at the bright night sky above him and smiled. He still had a lot to think about regarding the Ring of the Maiden, but he knew one thing for sure now.
He wanted to keep spending time with the woman in his arms.
Alain then let out a relieved sigh. But first, he was going to enjoy this spring for a little bit longer. He’d figure the rest out later.
When it was eventually time to get out to avoid overheating, Alain had quite a difficult time carrying a dozing Rosalinde out of the spring without touching anything too scandalous.
(As she feigned sleep, Rosalinde couldn’t help but smile as Alain delicately lifted her into his warm, strong arms.)
(She then let out a pained moan when Alain accidentally bumped her head against the changing room door.)
After finishing his drink, Lex slammed his empty mug onto the wooden table. With a conniving grin on his face, he turned to his right and faced Alain.
“C'mon Alain, I just gotta know! Who’s the lucky gal getting the Ring of the Maiden?”
To Lex’s left, Chloe blushed and slapped Lex’s back. “Lex! You can’t just ask Alain that!.” Her eyes flickered towards Alain. “It’s an important decision for him.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know that, but I’m just curious!” Lex then turned towards the others sharing their table at the tavern. “You two must be curious as well, right? I mean, you’re the ones that helped Alain get the ring in the first place!”
To Alain’s left and right were Eltolinde and Rosalinde. As she picked at her salad, Eltolinde’s cheeks flushed as she gently smiled at Alain. “There’s no need for us to pry. I’m sure Alain will make his choice once he’s ready.”
Alain returned Eltolinde’s soft smile. She really was a nice girl.
Rosalinde on the other hand…
“Oh, I’d love to hear who you plan to choose, Alain.” The dark elf bumped her left foot against Alain’s right foot.
As Lex and Chloe began to bicker, Alain felt Rosalinde gently grasp his hand underneath the table. When he glanced at her in confusion, she winked and rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand.
Just as quickly as she grabbed him, Rosalinde pulled her hand away. Alain quickly missed that feeling of warmth with her hand atop his.
With a grin, the dark elf then grabbed her fork and brought a piece of her herb-crusted chicken up to Alain’s face.
“Here, Alain, you should try some. It’s delicious!”
Eyes wide, Alain blushed, but accepted the offering. Her ears wiggling in delight, Rosalinde giggled.
Watching Alain and Rosalinde silently, Eltolinde frowned.