Rubies and Roses
Page 14
Once there, he lay her on the bed, and with great care and tenderness, removed her gown. He loosened the ribbons around her thighs and rolled down her stockings. He unlaced her corset and pulled it loose, then carefully dragged her shift off her body. Once she lay naked, he washed her with a hot cloth and gently lay her into his bed.
He undressed, cleaned himself and slid beneath the blanket, pulling Adrienna’s naked body against his. Kissing her silken shoulder, he murmured:
“Thank you for coming back.”
She laughed sleepily.
“I had to,” she mumbled. “You would make a terrible emperor without me by your side.”
He smiled against her skin, closing his eyes and relaxing against her.
“Because I am nothing more than a soulless soldier?”
“Precisely,” she said. She nestled into him, her limbs entwining with his. “You need me because I am the soul you never had.”
“Mm…” he sighed. “I need you because you are my soul, my heart and my world.”
And as they slipped into the abyss of a contented sleep, Sergevni realised that he was telling the truth. She was all these things, and more besides. She was his ally and his equal. She was the love of his life, the patron saintess of his heart, his empress and his wife.
She was not a rose with thorns or a faceted ruby as he had once thought. She was more than that. She was Adrienna of Veritier, the empress of Karscha — and she was everything to him. And Sergevni would never be parted from her again.
The End
Note from the Author
Thank you so much for reading my little novella, and I hope you enjoyed Adrienna and Sergevni's story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you liked this book, I would love it if you would consider leaving me a little review.
Reviews help other readers work out whether this book is worth reading or not. A couple of sentences on whether or not you liked it and why would make a world of difference to me.
I can honestly say that writing these books is a dream come true for me. Helping others discover my stories would help keep my dream afloat, and for that I would be eternally grateful.
Lots of love,
Violet