His Majesty's Devious Sins

"I-I can't move them," Adeline said in a breathless voice, suddenly panicked by the realization. What if she was paralyzed for the rest of her life? She was terrified of this possibility, but knew it was the result of a good thing—her children were safely born.

"What?" Elias's face became stormy and serious. 

The atmosphere thickened, and the air became suffocating. He squatted down to observe her tucked legs. She jumped when he touched her leg, squeezing her muscles painfully. She didn't even flinch, and instead, naively peered at him.

"Does it hurt?" Elias asked, continuing to press his fingers into her legs.

Adeline shook her head. She grabbed onto his arm to steady herself and nervously looked at him. "I don't feel anything."

Elias sucked in a sharp breath. He deeply frowned and bent down to pick her up. She held onto him immediately, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

"Your nerves aren't working," Elias coldly said. "We'll summon for the doctor immediately."

Elias began bringing her in the direction of her bedroom, located right next door. His bedroom was too messy from being destroyed by him. The entire time, his expression was thunderous and terrifying.

"No!" Adeline shouted, realizing where they were going. "I want to see our babies," she insisted.

"Darling—"

"Now!" Adeline demanded, leaving no room for an argument. She pulled away from him and glared into his aloof eyes. He was holding her princess style, but he was a tall man, and she felt like a child in his arms.

"You've just awoken from your coma and told me you can't feel your legs. Our first priority is you," Elias calmly explained to her, continuing walking. 

Adeline struggled in his arms and pushed at his chest. All of that suffering and pain, and he refused to let her see their infants. It was making her think the worst had happened to them. Her motherly instincts kicked in.

"If you keep on moving, you'll fall, darling," Elias warned her, his lips pressed into a deep frown.

"I'll crawl to my babies if I have to," Adeline retorted. "Your secretiveness is making me think something serious happened to them."

Elias debated his options. Seeing her fiery spirit and soul, he knew he couldn't deny her any longer. Staring into his ruby eyes were her emerald ones. She was resilient and resolved.

"Alright, alright," Elias relented. She was still tense in his arms and refused to hug onto him.

Elias frowned at this. He liked it when she relied on him. He preferred if she was spoiled rotten by him so that no other man in the world could equate to his level of pampering. Only when she was spoiled rotten by him, would she realize no one in this world would love her like he did.

"Is this the direction of their nursery?" Adeline asked when he turned them around and began walking in the opposite direction of their bedroom.

"I didn't recall we had one…" Adeline added on, realizing how horrible it sounded. They had all the wealth in the world, but didn't build a nursery prior to the baby's arrival. In her defense, she didn't think they'd come that quickly.

"I had one built the day they were born," Elias responded, glancing down at her. She appeared a bit tired and was beginning to lean in his direction. Instantly, he shifted his chest and she laid her head upon his shoulders, her hair tickling his neck.

Elias finally smiled a bit, his lips curling upwards. He wanted her to rely on him, just like this. 

"Why aren't their cribs in our room?" Adeline countered. "Babies should sleep in the same room as us, so that when they cry—"

Adeline paused. That crying she heard in her coma. Her eyes widened and she pushed away from him.

Elias's head sharply snapped towards her. "Don't move so abruptly, you'll hurt yourself," he growled.

"Did you let our babies cry their heads off?!" Adeline demanded, grabbing him by the collars of his parted robes. "In my coma, I was terrified of waking up because I heard demonic crying, but to think they were actually our children, I—"

"Adeline," Elias coldly said, settling her upon one of the window seats. She peered up at him, her glare prominent and persistent.

"You had fallen into a coma. I thought you died!" Elias shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders. "My priority was not the children. It was you, it always has been you, and it'll forever and always be you!"

Adeline was immediately heartbroken. She looked at him in disbelief. "But they're your babies, your—"

"But you are my wife, my one and only woman!" Elias lowered himself onto his knees, so they'd be at eye-level. His fingers dug into her upper arms, his gaze intense and bitter.

"I can have many children in this world, but I can only have one wife, and that is you! My one and only love." Elias's face softened at the sight of her dismay. He cupped her cheek tenderly, leaning his forehead upon hers.

"I love you, Adeline. Only you. No one else." Elias pressed a kiss upon her lips. "Our children, I'll learn to love them, but I've already fallen head over heels for you. I'm obsessed with you at this point. I'd wage war for you, launch a thousand jets, and a thousand ships if I must, just to keep you by my side."

Elias hugged her tightly, pressing his face into her shoulders. Even though she had been in a coma for three days, her scent remained the same. Her soft smell calmed his nerves, and he embraced her harder, her body molded against his.

"Elias…" Adeline trailed off, wounded but touched by his words. She squeezed her eyes shut, whilst struggling in a dilemma of what to say.

"Don't you dare think this justified the fact that you let them cry for three days straight and—"

"They cry because they're spoiled. I've hired nannies and wetnurses for them."

"They're not spoiled." Adeline frowned. "They just want the attention and affection of their father."

"..."

Elias was silent for a few seconds before he buried his face into the crook of her neck. "I did give them attention and affection tonight. That is the only reason I left your side for the first and only time."

Adeline's face softened. She squeezed her arms out of his embrace to caress his hard upper back. She felt his muscles strain under her fingertips, powerful and strong. 

"I know you were by my side," she whispered. "I felt your touch."

Elias didn't say anything. He simply rested his head upon her neck, allowing her scent to tickle his senses. 

Even though their bodies were inseparable, he still didn't think it was enough. He wanted more of her. He wanted to hug her to death, to squeeze her in his arms, and hold tightly onto her. He didn't realize it was possible to be addicted to a living thing.

"I will always be by your side, Adeline."

"Even if death has us apart?"

"Then I'll follow you to the grave, darling."

"What if you don't get into Heaven?"

"Darling, I'd wreak havoc at Heaven's gate if it meant seeing you again."

Adeline nervously laughed. She could picture him doing that. And he'd do it with class. No one would keep them apart. The thought was quite frightening and enthralling.