When she walked past Redd, she did not look at him, her shoulders did not tilt, and her steps did not pause. Anyone observing her would think that she was just passing by.
Only Redd noticed that the moment she walked past him, her fingertips touched the edge of the tablecloth slightly, as if brushing away a crumb that did not exist.
The movement was so light that if he hadn't been looking at her, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
Only Redd and Rhaenyra were left in the banquet hall, as well as a few attendants who were clearing away the tableware.
Rhaenyra put down the wine glass in his hand, turned his chair, and faced Redd.
She put her hand back on his thigh, this time without making a circle, just pressing it gently, as if to confirm that he was still here and not leaving with Alicent.
"Where are you staying tonight?" Her voice was very soft, with a deliberate casualness, as if she was asking about a trivial matter.
Redd glanced at her and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. "Didn't you already decide for me?"
Rhaenyra's cheeks were slightly red. She didn't deny it, she just grabbed his collar, pulled him up from the chair, and dropped a short but powerful kiss on his lips that could not be refused.
"Follow me." She held his hand and walked toward the door. Her palms were warm and dry, and her fingertips were slightly pressed, as if she was afraid that he would break away.
Redd followed her, walked out of the banquet hall, and walked through the long corridor illuminated by candlelight and filled with portraits of past kings.
The faces in the paintings watched them pass by in the candlelight, and the curvature of the corners of their mouths was deeper or shallower.
He felt Rhaenyra's fingers tighten slightly in his palm, then loosen, then tighten again.
Night has completely fallen, and warm orange-yellow lights shine through the windows of Red Keep. The lights are connected together in the darkness, like a string of pearls hanging on a huge black velvet.
There were several calls of unknown birds in the distance, sharp and long, breaking the silence of the night.
Redd's hand moved slightly in Rhaenyra's palm and held her fingers back. His thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand. The movement was very light, but it was enough for her to feel.
Rhaenyra paused for a moment, then continued walking forward, a little faster than before, as if he couldn't wait to reach a certain place.
The evening breeze blew through the corridor, blowing the candle's flame askew, and then returned to its original shape.
The shadows of the two people stretched very long on the wall, overlapping each other, like an ink painting being completed, one stroke after another, layer upon layer, getting deeper and thicker.
In the distance, on the Blackwater Bay sea, the moonlight breaks into thousands of silver-white light spots among the waves, like a road paved with broken silver leading to the endless distance.
Sunlight streamed in from the high window lattice, spreading a warm golden color on the stone floor.
King's Landing's early mornings always carry the sound of the ocean tide and the faint hustle and bustle of the market in the distance. Those sounds pass through the thick stone walls and become vague and distant, as if they are wrapped in a layer of gauze.
The room was very quiet, except for two breathing sounds, one deep and one shallow, one long and one short, as close as two threads intertwined.
Redd woke up first.
When he opened his eyes, the morning light fell right on his face. He squinted slightly before getting used to the brightness.
He turned his head and his eyes fell on the sleeping woman next to him.
She was lying on her side, her long dark silver hair scattered on the pillow, flowing like spilled honey in the sunlight.
Her eyelashes cast a fine shadow on her cheeks, the tip of her nose quivered slightly, and her breathing was long and even.
The sheet only covered her waist, revealing a large expanse of snow-white back and round shoulders, which glowed with a warm, pearl-like luster in the morning light.
There were a few faint finger prints and shallow red marks scattered on her back. They were traces of last night, a silent confession of passion, possession and unabashed desire.
A little separation is better than a newlywed, this sentence is not adulterated at all.
The craziness of last night was far beyond anything they had experienced before.
Rhaenyra seemed to have poured out all the longing and suppression that had been accumulated for too long. Her response was more enthusiastic, more proactive, and less reserved than ever before.
Her fingers gripped his back, her teeth bit his shoulders, and her legs wrapped around his waist, as if she wanted to crush her whole body into pieces and stuff it into his bones and blood.
He remembered the moment she bit her lip - at a certain critical point, in order not to cry out, she bit her lower lip and made a small gash, and blood seeped out, and he kissed it off.
The smell was as sweet as iron, which made his sanity finally break, and then completely disappeared in the afterglow of that night.
She never shouted for mercy from the beginning to the end. Even though her voice had changed in tone, even though her breathing was broken into sentences, and even though her body was as soft as a puddle of beeswax that had been melted by the sun, she just gritted her teeth, stubbornly held her bones, and held her neck, and would not let go.
The look of someone who was still trying to be strong even though he could no longer hold on, ignited him more than any show of weakness.
So he had a great time last night.
Redd looked away from Rhaenyra, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the warmth that was quietly rising deep in his lower abdomen.
The morning light just fell on her back that was exposed to the air, and the light slid down the arcs on both sides of her spine, outlining a smooth curve like an undulating hill.
The whiteness of her skin is almost translucent, and you can vaguely see the light cyan blood vessels under the skin. It looks like the texture has been polished thousands of times by the most delicate suet jade, which glows softly in the sunlight.
Her waist is slender, forming a just right arc above her hip line, and further down, the part covered by the thin quilt outlines a graceful curve that makes the eyes unable to stop.
He looked away and pressed down the ignited fire. He had never been the kind of person who liked to suppress his desires, but he had other plans for the fire today.
He lifted the sheets and moved very gently, trying not to cause any vibrations in the mattress.
He stepped barefoot on the cold stone floor, walked to the clothes rack, casually pulled off a large black robe, put it on his body, and tied the belt around his waist.
The robe hung loosely around his body, covering the red marks and tooth marks scratched by Rhaenyra's nails.
There was a knock on the door at this time. It was not a strong knock, but an extremely soft sound, like a slight scratch on the wooden board with your knuckles.
The people outside the door were very careful, for fear of disturbing the deep sleep inside the house.