Elowyn, who was now dressed in a proper cloak and dress, hung off Orion’s arm. Her lips were widely parted, hiding behind her hand, scandalized.
Meanwhile, Orion glowered as he took in the intimate scene.
Soleia had new clothes on, and the cloak he gave her was strewn on the floor like a dirty rag. His face darkened further as he realized how close the both of them were sitting. They were even eating out of the same sachet!
"Oh, are we interrupting something?" Elowyn asked with a twinkle of her eyes.
Now that Soleia had seen it once, she couldn’t unsee it any longer. This girl was rejoicing! Openly so!
Soleia instinctively wanted to dart away from Ralph as though she was a child who was caught somewhere she shouldn’t be, but Ralph’s grip on her hand was firm. He held her in place, impassively returning Elowyn’s gaze.
"Not at all," he serenely said. "But since Princess Soleia hadn’t eaten with you two, I thought she might be hungry." He then turned and smiled warmly at Soleia. "Isn’t that right, Your Highness?"
Soleia’s lips parted, her words stuck in her throat. When she felt a light squeeze come from Ralph, she hastily nodded.
"O-Of course," she said. She then turned and looked at Orion. "Whatever else could we be doing?"
"I don’t know," Orion said, raising an eyebrow. "You tell me. Did you injure your hand?"
Soleia glanced at her hand. "No," she answered.
"Then why is Ralph holding it?" Orion shot back. "I didn’t realize you need to be coddled and fed like a newborn babe."
Soleia bit down on the inner side of her cheeks, staring straight into Orion’s eyes. They were a stormy gray in color, but occasionally, hints of bright blue peeped through the storm clouds, as though the sky was brightening up.
Then, she surreptitiously looked at the way Elowyn attached herself to Orion as though she was a leech, unwilling to let go. The woman was barely wearing anything worthwhile, choosing to stick her exposed skin as closely to Orion as she could.
Similarly, Rafael’s eyes caught the things that took hold of Soleia’s notice. He scoffed under his breath and shook his head, resisting the urge to straight out laugh. That would explain why Orion Elsher was starting to sound more and more like himself, and why Elowyn was so desperately clinging on in such a parasitic manner.
She was slowly losing her control over him!
"I am sure Lady Soleia has her reasons, my love," Elowyn said, using the opportunity to shove her breasts further into Orion’s biceps. "Her dress... We previously saw the state of it. It was so tattered and torn that she needed something to change into. Otherwise, the men would’ve seen everything!"
She then squeaked, her eyebrows shooting up her forehead as she touched her lips.
"I... I suppose that means that Sir Ralph... He too..." She trailed off, looking at Ralph before slowly pulling her gaze back to Orion. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see his fist clench, causing a small smile to tip the corners of her lips upwards.
"He what?" Orion asked, prompting her to speak.
"I... Forget I said anything," Elowyn hurriedly said, shaking her head. "I was just... I didn’t think before I spoke. Sir Ralph and Lady Soleia would never..."
Orion’s veins could clearly be seen, popping out right beneath his skin.
"Out with it," he said curtly, causing all three of them to jolt a little in surprise.
Elowyn swallowed. "I just thought that if Sir Ralph was the one who brought Lady Soleia a change of clothes, then he would’ve seen her in some state of undress..."
"I have no interest in watching good, innocent women change," Ralph immediately shot back, his eyelids twitching in irritation.
Elowyn merely gasped in fright and cowered behind Orion’s hulking figure.
"That’s why I said," she muttered softly, just barely enough to hear, "forget what I said. It’s probably nothing."
"But you said everything right," Orion said, pulling Elowyn out from behind him. Instead, he held her protectively in his arms, cradling her from any possible danger.
"A man and a woman, alone out here in the open woods?" Orion huffed. His cold eyes fully misted over as he stared straight at Soleia. "Do you know no shame?"
"I know just about as much shame as you do," Soleia retorted evenly.
She didn’t back away from Orion’s gaze. After all, Elowyn was watching. She needed to put on a show.
"You chose to walk away, leaving me here alone in the woods," Soleia continued. "If not for Sir Ralph, I could’ve frozen to death!"
"Oh Orion, please don’t blame Lady Soleia," Elowyn hurriedly said. "She’s cold and hungry. It’s only of human nature to seek out some warmth during these trying times."
"Even in the arms of another man?" Orion said with a scoff.
Before anyone could react, he had let go of Elowyn and stepped forward. In one swift movement, he tugged Soleia up to her feet and out of Ralph’s hands. Orion’s fingers dug into Soleia’s pale wrist, holding it up so that the scarlet ring on her finger could be clearly seen.
"And how would you explain this?" he asked. "A ring? On your left hand? Or does the Princess not remember that she is now still the duchess of Drakenmire, and thus my wife?"
"Orion!" Both Ralph and Elowyn exclaimed at the same time, but one look stopped both of them in their tracks.
"It’s a ring for her safety," Ralph slowly said. "Just in case―"
"There’s no need for that," Orion growled out. But his eyes never once turned away from Soleia. "I am her husband. It is my duty to keep her safe. Not yours."
"Let go!" Soleia gritted out. "You’re hurting me―"
A startled gasp ripped from her lips as Orion pulled her closer toward him. But even that was quickly cut short when a sudden pair of lips met hers, pushing back every word she would’ve liked to say back down her throat.