The day that Eska was well enough to move from the dungeons back to their room was quite possibly one of the most relieving days of his life. His clinging to hope had worn threadbare toward the end and he was very close to feeling like there was nothing left to do but give up when her condition finally began to improve. He had told her again and again while she fought off this sickness that she was going to be okay, that she was going to make it to the other side and they were going to get to live out all of the travel and plans they made with one another, but he had begun to question his own reassurances. But finally, after what felt like ages, he had her back and he couldn't be happier. It made him all the more grateful for her presence with him. He knew she still had a lot of recovering to do, but he was more than happy to take care of her for as long as she needed.

For a couple of days they simply stayed in their room, catching up on sleep and relaxing together. He'd leave to get them meals and they'd sit out on the balcony to get fresh air, but otherwise they didn't go far. Once they were both slightly less exhausted he got some soaps and oils from their stores and set up a little bit of a spa day for his mate by the castle's baths and brought Eska down to surprise her. They had wiped away most of the ooze and gunk that had clumped and matted her fur over time while she was in the dungeon, but he hoped that a good bath in some warm water would help refresh her even more. He slid into the water first before turning to face her with a little grin, lifting a paw to invite her in. "Come on in, beautiful."

"Ulric & Eska"

Eska's body was sore and she'd lost a considerable amount of weight while the infection had ravaged her, but the woman's mind was whole and had no lasting damage. Everything else would be put back to rights with time, so she wasn't worried about her fatigue or her appearance. Just like Ulric, the brindled woman had also been incredibly relieved when she'd felt that very first day of a turning point. She knew that she was going to live and she knew that she hadn't been taken by the same madness that had killed her mother.

Ulric had been her anchor through the whole ordeal. She firmly believed that he was the very reason that she hadn't died in the cage beneath the castle. His love, bravery and insistence that she would be okay was what had pulled her through. It was what had given her the hope that she needed to fight. He had reminded her daily of everything that she had to live for and everything that they still needed to do together. For that, she would never be able to repay him, though she would spend a lifetime trying.

As one might imagine, Eska had needed a lot of rest once she was finally well enough to leave the dungeon. They'd both done their best to get her cleaned up, but all she had really wanted to do was sleep and sleep and sleep, and so Ulric let her do just that. On a day where she felt a bit stronger, he surprised her by leading her to the baths where he already had everything prepared. One brow lifted and the silvered woman shot her love a little grin. "Do I stink? I stink, don't I." She teased him a bit, but slid into the warm water after him, releasing a little sigh of relief before sliding through the water and into her mate's embrace. Eska tucked her head up under Ulric's chin, golden eyes closing. "Thank you for this. Thank you for never giving up on me."

"Ulric & Eska"

Ulric grinned back and gave a little snort of laughter at her questioning over whether this was because she smelled, giving a shake of his head at her teasing. She slipped into the water then, immediately settling into his embrace and tucking into him with her head under his chin. He smiled and wrapped her up in his forelegs, holding her against him and nuzzling the top of her head. "Of course, my love. I never will," he said softly, squeezing her in his embrace while he just enjoyed the fact that he could hold her again for a moment. This whole ordeal had only made him more appreciative of her place in his life and strengthened the love and devotion he had for her. It was a glimpse into what life would have been like if he had lost her and it was a life he didn't want to live. He began leaving a trail of gentle kisses across her ears and the top of her head, his paws moving down across her sides with a low chuckle. "I guess we better get to bathing you before I get too distracted," he commented, still holding her with one strong forelimb while reaching over to the side of the tub to grab the bar of soap.

He refused to release her from his embrace, holding her against his chest while he began working the bar of soap through the silver, brindled fur along her back and sides, moving up along her shoulders as well. He kept giving her dark ears tender kisses while he worked, a permanent smile lingering on his lips while he gazed down at her. Even after everything her body had been through, even with the fact that she had lost so much weight and how much recovery she had ahead of her, she was still the most stunning woman he had ever laid eyes on. He knew he didn't need to say it, he knew that she knew how happy he was that she was okay since he had probably said it a hundred times since she was finally well enough to leave the dungeon, but it was all he wanted to say. He just wanted to say how relieved he was and how happy he was over and over. Instead he dipped his head a bit more while he was massaging the soap into the thicker fur along her scruff to catch her lips in a quick kiss, saying, "I love you so much." It went without saying and he knew that she knew it was a fact, but he still wanted her to hear it none of the less.

With her back and sides throughly sudsed up he gently turned her around so that her back was up against his chest and stomach, a little smirk on his lips as he wrapped his forelegs around her middle, nuzzling into the side of her neck. He started massaging the soap across her chest and stomach and at some point it became less about getting her clean and much more about just savoring her and making her feel loved. Once he was pretty sure he had gotten soap everywhere he could touch without letting himself venture too low, he dropped the fresh, lightly floral soap back on the edge of the bath and then started working his paws all over her body under the water, rinsing out her fur and making a cloud of suds slowly begin to form around them on the surface of the water while he rubbed across her chest, stomach and sides.

"Ulric & Eska"

The woman couldn't help but purr with pleasure as her lover began to give her little affections. He put a stop to it himself eventually and mentioned getting distracted which brought a low, throaty chuckle from the pampered fae. "Oh, I'm sure you'll be a lot more distracted before we're done." The pure intent was there and it was so very obvious. The silvered fae was feeling exponentially better than she had been and it was showing through with the return of her libido. She simply couldn't resist her giant man and she didn't want to any longer.

Ulric's attentions sent thrums of pleasure through her as he gently and lovingly bathed away the last remnants of illness that clung to her coat. He was sweet and attentive and she was so, so lucky to have him. As he continued, his scrubbing paws stilled and their eyes met. He bestowed a sweet kiss upon her and sweeter words to go along with it. The woman's golden gaze softened and she slid her muzzle under his own once more, wrapping her arms about him to pull him close. "I know. With everything that you do, I know. And I love you."

Gently and expertly, Ulric shifted Eska's form in the water so that her back was pressed against his chest. He continued scrubbing her up, his claws and paws dragging across her sides and belly. The woman was getting more than a little heated, she had to admit. The lower he got beneath the water and the more buildup he gave her, the more she couldn't suppress little breaths and groans. Rinsing the clinging suds from her now immaculate coat almost felt better than being scrubbed up in the first place, leaving the brindled fae slick and moist in more ways than one.

Turning her head, Eska's sulfuric gaze was filled with liquid fire. "Unless you want someone to walk in on me ravaging you, my love, we'd best get back to our room." Her words were dark with lust and full of promise, need and demand. If he didn't want to wait, she would have him here and now and anyone that walked in on them could be damned.

"Ulric & Eska"

Every single thing about Eska was so entirely captivating and intoxicating. Holding her like this, hearing the slight hitches in her breath and the soft, pleasured groans as he scrubbed the remnants of her illness from her coat was like throwing wood onto a fire. He knew that look in her eyes all too well and it made a grin pull across his lips even before she spoke, warning him that they should get back to their room unless he wanted someone to walk in on them. He gave a rumbling chuckle, tightening his hold around her as he nuzzled into the side of her neck, his large paw moving down along her stomach.

The water and suds around them obscured most things from view, but even if it didn't the desire that clouded his thoughts made it hard for him to care. It felt like ages since he had last been able to be with her like this and with the relief of having her back, the deep, unfathomable love he had for her, and the pure need that she always sparked in him it was hard to get himself to wait another single second. "I want you here, there, and everywhere, my mate," he rumbled against her ear, catching the tender skin between his teeth. Keeping his forelegs wrapped around her and pulling her body back into his own, he pressed his hips to hers with a groan, burying his face into the side of her neck.

-fade-

He turned Eska to face him again when they were both satisfied, wrapping a foreleg around her lower back and pulling her tight to him, his other paw combing through the fur of her scruff, a lopsided, pleasured grin across his face as his panted lightly to catch his breath. He didn't know exactly what the future had in store for them, but even if they did nothing but savor each other day in and day out he would be an extremely happy man. At the very least he knew he was going to fulfill his promise to travel anywhere and everywhere she wanted to go as soon as she was physically up to the task. Ulric pressed a tender kiss to her lips, giving her a sly grin. "So how much of our trips around Auster and Boreas is just going to be finding beautiful landscapes to ravage each other in?"

"Ulric & Eska"

Ulric admitted that he wanted her here, there and everywhere. Eska chuckled and her lips found his, her tongue sliding over his own before she whispered into his mouth. "I belong to you. Have me everywhere for all of eternity." And he did. Together the pair made love in the large tub, the water and the heat from their bodies filling the room with a thick later of steam. They already knew one another so well that attaining heights of pleasure was simple and perfect. They were one being and Eska had never trusted another so fully in all of her days.

--Fade--

After, as they caught their breath and his claws pulled through her fur, Eska leaned into him, golden eyes closed happily as she basked in the bliss culminated between them. Ulric's words met her ears and the silvered woman couldn't help but chuckle against him. "Oh, I imagine a fair deal. You want to be a father again, after all. Shouldn't we get as much practice in as possible?" Raising her gaze, gold met silver and she silently showed him that she had considered his request for children and was very much agreeing to it. In the future, of course, but she was willing to become a parent with him since he wanted it so dearly.

"Should we tell anyone of these plans?" Her head gave a soft tilt. She didn't mind telling or keeping it a secret. Some might be unhappy about it, but... as long as Ulric was happy, she would deal with that.

"Ulric & Eska"