After a while, Arvin and Mirha left Kilimah Estate and began their journey back to the Imperial Palace. Night had already settled in, and the carriage swayed steadily beneath the darkened sky.
Mirha sat opposite him, her head dipping every few moments as sleep tugged insistently at her. She tried to fight it—blinking slowly, straightening her posture—but it was no use. Fatigue softened her features, her lashes fluttering as her eyes finally surrendered.
Arvin noticed.
Without a word, he reached out and gently took her hand, guiding it to rest atop his thigh. His touch was warm and reassuring, steady enough to anchor her drifting thoughts. Mirha stirred slightly at first, then relaxed, instinctively trusting the closeness.
Within moments, her breathing evened out, her grip loosening as sleep claimed her completely.
Arvin remained still, watching her with a quiet fondness, letting the carriage carry them home as the night deepened around them.
Mirha stirred at the gentle give of a mattress beneath her, the softness pulling her slowly out of sleep. When her eyes fluttered open, the familiar golden glow told her where she was—the Emperor's chambers. For a brief moment, confusion passed over her face, then understanding followed, and with it a quiet sense of ease.
The journey had claimed her completely.
Exhaustion returned almost at once, heavier than before, and she barely had time to adjust beneath the covers before sleep welcomed her back.
Not long after, Arvin returned. He paused when he saw her already there, peaceful and unmoving, her breathing slow and even. Without waking her, he lay beside her, careful, restrained, as though not to disturb the fragile calm of the room.
Sleep claimed him just as swiftly.
Side by side, they rested, the palace hushed around them as the night carried on in silence.
In the dead of night, the palace lay shrouded in silence, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder fading from the earlier storm. Arvin stirred awake, a sharp tingle shooting through his right arm, numb and heavy where Mirha's head rested on it like a soft pillow. Her dark hair spilled across his chest, her breath warm and steady against his skin, her body curled trustingly into his side beneath the tangled sheets.
He shifted slightly to ease the pins and needles, the movement rousing her. Mirha's eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep, and she lifted her head, blinking up at him in the faint moonlight filtering through the heavy curtains. 'Arvin?' she whispered, her voice thick and groggy.
He smiled down at her, his free hand coming up to brush a stray lock from her face. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, his lips lingering on the smooth, warm skin there, tasting the faint salt of her earlier exertions. 'Go back to sleep, my love,' he murmured against her, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room.
But as he settled back against the pillows, intending to pull her close again and drift off, Mirha sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. The numbness in his arm faded as she moved away, but sleep evaded her now, her mind too restless, body still humming faintly from the day's passions. 'I... I can't,' she admitted softly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. The cool air kissed her bare skin, raising goosebumps along her thighs and arms, her thin nightshift clinging to her curves.
Arvin propped himself on one elbow, his gaze following her as she rose. He watched the sway of her hips, the way the fabric shifted over her ass, revealing glimpses of the bruises he'd left earlier—marks of his grip during their frantic joining. She padded across the room toward the adjoining bathroom, the door ajar, steam from a forgotten basin still lingering in the air from her evening bath.
He didn't speak, just observed, his eyes tracing the line of her back, the gentle curve of her waist, as she disappeared into the shadowed space. The sound of water splashing softly reached him—perhaps her splashing her face or trailing fingers through the basin to cool her thoughts. Arvin lay there, arm finally free, but now his mind wandered, wondering what kept her awake, if it was the same pull that stirred him even in repose, the undeniable hunger between them that sleep could never fully quench.
Mirha stood by the water, her nightshift hiked up slightly as she splashed water on her face, droplets trailing down her neck and between her breasts. The moonlight caught the curve of her ass, the fabric clinging damply now. She startled at his approach, turning with wide eyes, but he closed the distance in two strides, his hands finding her waist.
"It's too late for this," he murmured, his voice low and rough with sleep and desire, pulling her against him. Her body molded to his, soft and warm, her nipples hardening through the thin cloth against his chest. "Come, let me put you back to sleep."
She opened her mouth to protest, but his lips crashed onto hers, silencing her with a deep, hungry kiss. His tongue pushed past her teeth, tasting the cool water on her mouth, tangling with hers in a slow, insistent rhythm. Mirha's hands came up to his shoulders, gripping tight as she melted into it, her breath hitching when his fingers dug into her hips, pulling her flush against the growing hardness of his cock pressing into her belly.
The kiss deepened, turning frantic—his teeth nipping at her lower lip, her nails scraping lightly down his back. He broke away just enough to growl against her mouth, "Bed. Now." Without waiting, Arvin scooped her up, one arm under her knees, the other around her back, lifting her effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her pussy grinding against him through the fabric as he carried her out, her arms looping around his neck, lips finding his jaw, sucking lightly there.
He kicked the bathroom door shut behind them and strode to the bed, dropping her onto the mattress with a bounce that made her gasp. The sheets were still warm from their earlier sleep, but Arvin wasted no time. He climbed over her, pinning her down with his weight, his mouth claiming hers again in a bruising kiss while his hand shoved her nightshift up to her waist, exposing her bare pussy, already slick with arousal.
"Majesty ah—" she started, but he silenced her by sliding two fingers along her folds, parting them to circle her clit roughly. She arched, a moan escaping into his mouth as he thrust his tongue in time with his fingers dipping inside her, feeling her walls clench around the intrusion. Wetness coated his hand, her body responding instantly, hips bucking up to meet him.
He pulled back to strip off his own loose pants, his cock springing free, thick and veined, the head already leaking pre-cum. Mirha's eyes locked on it, her chest heaving, and she reached for him, but he grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head with one hand. "Stay," he commanded, using his free hand to guide his cock to her entrance, rubbing the tip up and down her slit, coating himself in her juices.
With a single, hard thrust, he buried himself inside her, her pussy stretching tight around his length, the heat of her gripping him like a vice. Mirha cried out, her back bowing off the bed, tears pricking her eyes from the sudden fullness, but her legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper. He groaned, holding still for a beat to let her adjust, then started pounding into her, each snap of his hips driving his cock balls-deep, the slap of skin on skin echoing in the quiet room.
"Gooood girl, you're so perfect," he grunted, releasing her wrists to grip her thighs, spreading her wider as he slammed in harder, his balls smacking against her ass. Mirha's hands flew to his hair, tugging as she met his thrusts, her pussy fluttering around him, building toward release. He leaned down, capturing a nipple in his mouth, sucking hard while his teeth grazed the sensitive peak, making her whimper and clench tighter.
She came first, her walls spasming wildly around his cock, juices flooding out as she shook beneath him, nails raking down his arms. Arvin didn't stop, fucking her through it, his pace relentless, chasing his own peak. He flipped her over suddenly, yanking her hips up so she was on her knees, ass in the air, and plunged back in from behind, his hands bruising her hips as he rutted into her like an animal.
"Take it," he snarled, one hand fisting her hair to pull her head back, arching her spine. His other hand slapped her ass, the sting making her yelp, her pussy gushing more around him. He felt his balls tighten, the pressure building, and with a final, deep thrust, he came, flooding her with hot spurts of cum, groaning her name as he collapsed over her, still buried inside.
They panted together, his weight pressing her into the mattress, cock softening slowly within her. He kissed the back of her neck, murmuring, "Sleep now, my love," as he rolled them to the side, staying connected, his arm draping over her waist to hold her close.