*This is the last part! I hope you've enjoy my maiden attempt at romance! It may sound like they're going somewhere but... Read on to find out 😄*

"Looks like we had an audience," Snow said when she re-entered their chambers.

"What? An audience?" Erden said from the bed, his cheeks blushing violently.

"Yes. We should have chased each other around the room and given them a good show."

"Ha!" His eyes crinkled with mirth as he covered his smile with his hand.

Moments later, the shame-faced ladies came in with a pot of wine and plates laden with snacks and pastries. Snow suppressed her laughter when she saw Erden sitting upright on the bed like a gentleman, with the back of his robes spread over the bloodied spot to hide it from view. As the ladies set the table, he maintained a cool demeanor, with one bandaged hand behind his back and one leg crossed over the other. She did not have the heart to tell him that he still had smudges of lip paint at the corner of his lips.

After the attendants left and she made sure there were no more voyeurs lingering outside, they fed each other snacks and drank until the wine ran out.

The moment finally came. Erden circled the room a little unsteadily to extinguish the lanterns and red candles save for one. After drawing the sheer curtains around the bedframe, he crawled into bed with her. 

"Are you ready, my love? I'll be very gentle," Erden said slowly, and he looked at her longingly through half-closed eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. Well, I did say he can do whatever he wants with me, though the wine still hasn't gone to my head yet. After what he has done for me, I'll just bear with it.

She nodded, and he pulled her by the waist into his lap. She loved the feeling of his firm thighs underneath her, and the way he gazed deeply into her eyes, even as their faces drew closer to each other. His mouth fumbled over hers and she could taste the wine on his lips. She slid her hands up his muscular arms and intertwined her fingers in his long hair.

Gods, I love your hair so much, she thought as her kisses became more urgent. She gripped his hair close to his scalp and he gasped beneath her mouth. They stared at each other for a moment, before Erden kissed her hungrily, one hand holding the back of her head and the other roaming south of the small of her back.

For a moment, she thought about all the times she yearned for him over the years, and how even just brushing her sleeve against his or accidentally touching his fingertips made her feel like she could soar to the moon. Now, she was his, and he was hers to cherish, and they were completely lost in each other's arms and ardent kisses.

They pulled back from each other, both of them panting like they had just run a race. His gaze went to the buttons on the front of her dress and with trembling hands, he tried to unfastened them. For once, Snow was quicker than him and she managed to yank off his sash belt and pull open his robes in seconds. She bit down on her lip as she feasted her eyes on the bare chest and well-defined abdominal muscles in front of her.

Seeing that he was having trouble with her buttons, she pushed him onto his back. "Let me do it," she said, and he laid back with his hair spilling all over the pillow. An eager grin spread across his face.

She struggled with the front of her dress. These buttons are impossible! And there are so many of them, she thought, her impatience mounting.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she unfastened the last button. She was about to slip the top of her dress and her inner robes off her shoulders, and let Erden see his wife's body in all its naked glory, when she looked up to find him with his eyes closed.

Huh? Is he asleep?

His bandaged hand across his chest rose and fell with every slow, steady breath.

"Erden?" Snow shook him by the shoulder. She called his name a few more times, shook him some more and patted his cheek but he would not awaken. The realization hit her, and it felt like someone had splashed a bucket of cold water over her.

HE'S ASLEEP!

Erden! How can you fall asleep now?? On our most important night?? she screamed in her head as she stamped her feet on the bed like a petulant child. After kicking her legs in the air enough times, she flopped onto the bed next to him with a loud sigh. Just when I was getting into it. What do I do now? 

After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, she slipped out of her dress, loosened her hair and laid back onto the bed in her inner robes. Snow turned her head to look at Erden's face. My sleeping beauty, she thought, turning her body towards him to lay on her side.

She reached out to trace his eyebrow and touch his eyelashes. Her finger moved down his nose, across his lips and then his chin. It travelled along his jaw and traced a line down his neck to his collarbone, where it stopped.

A diabolical smile curved on her lips.

Propping herself up on an elbow, she brought her face close to his ear and whispered, "You're mine now. I can ravish you in whatever way I like." A cackle escaped her lips before she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Wait, that sounds so wrong.

Still, her eyes travelled down his body as she considered her options, each one more devious than the next, but then she stopped herself. I wouldn't like it if he did anything to me while I'm fast asleep. If I touch him without his consent, I'm not being respectful towards him.

Ah, I'll just go to sleep. She laid her head back onto the pillow and was about to close her eyes when an idea popped into her head: Why don't I find out what it looks like before he wakes up? That way, when he shows it to me, I won't be so afraid.

Her eyes flew open and she almost clapped her hands to applaud her own brilliance. She sat up and stared at Erden's waist.

No, it's wrong, it's so wrong, a voice sounded in her head.

But you're already married, you're going to see it sooner or later anyway, another voice countered.

She tapped her chin with her finger as she wrestled with her conscience. In the end, she decided, I won't touch it. I'll just take a quick peek. Nothing wrong with that, right?

She tried to loosen the belt of his trousers. All the while, she imagined that the moment she pulls down his pants, a gigantic snake would spring out at her with its mouth wide open. I will definitely die of fright if that happens.

Let it be a bird, let it be a bird, she prayed.

Just as she thought she managed to undo his trousers, Erden suddenly grabbed her hand.

"No!" he said.

What? Her heart pounded from the shock. She looked up to see that his eyes were still closed, though his eyebrows were furrowed.

"Leave me alone," he slurred, as he batted her hand away.

What in the world... Is he dreaming?

She reached for the top of his trousers again.

"I said leave me alone! I'm... spoken for. I'm... a married man!" he said before turning his body away from her.

Snow covered her mouth with her hands, and she laughed silently to herself until her stomach ached. Ah, my sweet husband! she thought, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. Alright, from now on, I'll be extra nice to you! She laid down next to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

***

The next morning, Erden woke up with a terrible headache, feeling like he had been run over by his horse. "What happened?" he croaked. He opened his eyes to find Snow sleeping next to him.

My beautiful wife, he thought, feeling the corners of his lips curl upwards as he gazed at her angelic face. I can wake up to this every day.

Snow stirred. When she opened her eyes and smiled at him, he felt his whole body melt. "Good morning." 

"Good morning," she replied sleepily.

"Uh, what happened last night?"

She looked at him wide-eyed. "You don't remember?"

He blinked, trying to recall the previous night's events. He raised his bandaged hand to his face, and then looked down at his clothes which had come half undone. He remembered that they kissed, then he tried to take off her dress...

He looked up at Snow. "Did we..."

She sat up in bed with the blanket pulled to her chest. He thought he saw her mouth twitch ever so slightly but in his hungover state he wasn't so sure. 

"Oh, Erden, we did," she said, tilting her head away bashfully. "And you were. . . Amazing."

Huh?? 

"I never imagined that you could give me so much pleasure. How can you forget how you ravished me?" she said as she gave him a look from beneath her dark lashes.

"What? I don't remember anything," he gasped, holding his head in disbelief. "How can I... Why can't I..."

Gods, the most special night of my life and I can't remember a thing!

A snort of laughter escaped Snow's lips and his eyes snapped up to her impish face.

I knew it! "You!"

She shrieked as she hopped off the bed and he stumbled over the blanket to give chase. They ran around the table a couple of times, laughing and screaming before he caught her and carried her over his shoulder to the bed. 

Erden threw her down onto her back. He never imagined that he would one day do this to Snow, but in the heat of the moment, he held her wrists above her head, and placed his knees between her legs.

She stared breathlessly at him. The sight of her pinned underneath him, looking flushed and wildly beautiful with those mesmerizing eyes locked on him, did something to him. With a deepened voice, he said, "I'll show you how I am in bed." The corners of his lips tugged up in a devilish smile. "Just you wait, I will ravish you until you beg for mercy."

"Ooooh, I'm so scared," she taunted, before shouting, "Let me go, let me go!"

Just when he was about to lower his mouth to hers, the doors swung open.

"Your Highness, we heard you screa–"

Snow and Erden turned their heads at the same time towards Lotus, who was gaping at them in horror.

It's not what it looks like! Erden wanted to shout, though with his opened robes, the compromising position they were in, and the words he just uttered, he doubted anybody would believe him. He leaped away from Snow and crashed backwards onto the floor.

"I'll get breakfast!" Lotus said as she slammed the door shut.

Erden let out a low groan from the floor.

"Husband! Are you alright?" Snow lifted him to a sitting position and rubbed the bump on his head.

"What did you call me?"

"Huh? Husband?"

He stared at her. "Say it again."

She looked like she wanted to chuckle but after seeing the expression on his face, she took a deep breath before saying, "Erden, my darling husband."

He felt his heart brimming with emotion. "Snow." He gently lifted her jaw with his fingers and he bent his head to kiss her. "My wife. My love," he murmured between her lips.

Author's note:

Okay! That's enough for today! I some how feel the ending is a wee bit rushed, but this was the ending I had in mind.

How would you continue this story? Would there be more kissing on the floor? 😁

Snow doesn't know this but she's impervious to most poisons and this in turn means that alcohol has hardly any effect on her!

Fans of Mo Dao Zu Shi will know I took inspiration from some parts of the book 🤭

Also, one of the events written here was based on a real life event 😆

Let me know what you think!

Snow and Erden's married life continues in the sequel titled The Fox Princess and Her White Dog. See you there!