Free Web NovelChapter 395: One of the beauties of the North
"A surprise?"
Julian’s breath hitched, the soft words echoing in the quiet space between them.
A sudden, profound wave of relief washed over him, so intense it made his knees feel weak. He felt a quiet, overwhelming surge of thankfulness that he hadn’t used his divinity to search Alaric’s mind when the anxiety had first crept in.
If he had, he would have stripped away the raw, clumsy vulnerability of the man standing before him, ruining a gesture that Alaric was clearly pouring his entire heart into.
"Then... I’m sorry," Julian whispered, his fingers reaching up to tightly grip the Duke’s large, warm hands. He lowered his forehead against Alaric’s chest, his voice laced with genuine regret. "I let my paranoia get the better of me. I shouldn’t have assumed—"
"Julian, no. You don’t need to apologize," Alaric interrupted softly, his voice a deep, comforting rumble as he tightened his embrace, pressing a warm kiss into the scholar’s disheveled hair. "It’s only right for you to feel anxious when you can clearly see your partner keeping secrets from you. The fault is mine for not realizing how my clumsiness would affect you. Never apologize for demanding honesty from me."
Julian let out a small, wet laugh against the fabric of Alaric’s tunic, feeling a little foolish but incredibly cherished. The dark twist in his chest had completely vanished, replaced by a soft, blooming warmth.
Alaric pulled back just enough to look down into Julian’s vibrant blue eyes. A rare, breathtakingly tender smile broke across the Duke’s rugged face, his eyes glinting with a sudden, playful spark.
"Since I’ve already made you worry for a week, I think I need to make amends," Alaric murmured, his thumbs lightly tracing Julian’s jawline. "You know... I actually have another surprise for you. Though, it’s entirely different from what I am preparing for tomorrow at dusk."
Julian blinked, his curiosity instantly piqued. "Another one? Lucien, you really are terrible at keeping secrets."
"Quiet, scholar," Alaric chucked, his chest vibrating. "Tonight, after the children are asleep and the manor settles... I want to take you somewhere. Just the two of us."
Just the two of us? Julian could not help but wonder what this surprise was. The thought of it made him quite curious and the anticipation began to grow.
When night finally fell over the North, the heavy blizzards retreated, leaving behind a vast, ink-black sky studded with millions of brilliant, icy stars.
Alaric led Julian far past the estate’s outer borders, guiding him down a narrow, hidden stone path that descended into a secluded, low-lying valley.
The air down here was shielded from the biting northern winds, surrounded by towering, frosted cliffs that kept the sanctuary entirely untouched by the rest of the world.
"Watch your step," Alaric whispered, gripping Julain’s hand firmly as he led him. "If you trip, I will carry you."
"Oh, Lucien." Julian chuckled.
As they finally stepped onto the valley floor, Julian’s breath caught in his throat.
Before him was a wide spread land covered in rare winter flora that didn’t just survive the cold—they thrived in it.
Thousands of pale, delicate petals covered the earth, pulsing with a soft, bioluminescent luminescence that cast an ethereal, pale blue and silver glow across the snow.
In the very center of the valley stood an ancient, massive mistletoe tree, its frosted silver leaves cascading all the way to the frozen ground like a shimmering, weeping willow, creating a natural, private canopy.
Beneath the sweeping branches, Alaric had arranged a low wooden platform covered in plush blankets, a small silver lantern illuminating a perfectly prepared picnic with a bottle of rich, deep red northern wine and two crystal glasses.
"I deliberated on this a lot." Lucien spoke. "And I wanted you to see it. This is one of the beauties of the North."
"It’s beautiful, Lucien," Julian breathed, his eyes wide as he took in the glowing landscape.
He shivered slightly as a stray gust of wind caught his collar, the northern chill still present despite the valley’s shelter.
Alaric smiled, stepping behind him to wrap his large arms around Julian’s waist, his solid chest providing immediate protection. "It’s cold. But I figured you had a solution for that. Right?"
Julian smiled, a soft, knowing look crossing his features. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back against Alaric’s shoulder as he allowed a tiny, effortless burst of his divinity to seep out through his fingertips, to the rest of his body, making him glow with golden hues before it spread across the entire area.
The effect was instantaneous and breathtaking.
A wave of pure, golden warmth rippled outward from Julian, spreading across the snow like a gentle, invisible tide.
The freezing air immediately softened into the balmy, fragrant temperature of an early spring evening.
As the golden divinity mingled with the natural luminescence of the valley, the pale blue flowers began to glow with a brilliant, combined radiance.
Shimmering particles of gold lifted into the air, floating lazily around the ancient mistletoe tree like a swarm of silent, ethereal fireflies.
With the cold entirely banished, Alaric reached up and gently unclasped Julian’s heavy fur mantle, letting it slide to the blankets before shedding his own; not that he had felt the cold, but he far preferred the feeling of Julian’s bare, warm skin against his hands.
They sat together on the thick furs, the rich wine poured, but neither of them paid much attention to the food.
Alaric leaned back against a cushioned root of the tree, pulling Julian tightly between his thighs so the scholar could rest against him and stare into the night sky through the curtains of silver leaves.
It truly was beautiful... And Magical. It brought him peace and made him feel loved.
Alaric’s large fingers reached down, plucking one of the glowing, frosted flowers from the grass.
Then gently, he carefully tucked the radiant petal behind Julian’s ear, his finger lingering on his ear, his cheek and then moving to cup the back of his neck.
Julian turned his head, his blue eyes locking onto Alaric’s intense, unwavering gaze. In the warm, golden light of his own divinity, the Duke’s rugged features looked softer, rawly exposed, stripped of every armor he wore for the empire.
"You look beautiful tonight, Julian," Alaric whispered, his gravelly voice dropping into a rough, fiercely emotional register.
He leaned in, his thumb lightly brushing across Julian’s lower lip. "Sometimes... When I look at you like this, surrounded by a light that belongs entirely to you, I still can’t believe you are real. I can’t believe you chose to stay here. With me."
Julian’s heart swelled, a profound, aching affection filling his entire chest. He leaned forward, pressing his palm flat against Alaric’s chest, right over the heavy, steady thudding of the Duke’s heart.
"I will always choose you, Lucien," Julian promised softly, his voice full of an absolute, grounding certainty that echoed through the quiet valley. "You are the reason I breathe. You are the sanctuary I was searching for all my life. I am exactly where I belong."
Alaric’s eyes darkened with a sudden, overwhelming wave of devotion.
"I love you with my entire life, Julian." he whispered and Julian’s heart swelled, his eyes nearly tearing up in happiness.
Every single time he heard those words, it was like he had been loved anew over and over again.
"I love you too, Lucien. I love you so much."
Alaric closed the remaining distance, capturing Julian’s lips in a deep, agonizingly slow kiss that tasted of sweet wine and ancient, unbroken promises.
His large hands held Julian steady, pulling him so close that their heartbeats fused into a single, rhythmic pulse beneath the glowing canopy, completely sealing them away in a world built entirely on their love.
