A slave dreams

Once returned to the king's tent, Astrid feels proud of herself. She finally stood up to Tamara.

Loras is already asleep so she gently lays next to him, careful not to wake him up. Her king... Her mate. She almost laughs at herself remembering how much she hated him when she came to the palace. Even though she didn't know him, she choose the king to blame all her sorrows on.

She lifts her head ever so slightly, so she could see his face in the soft light of the fire. With his eyes closed and soft breaths, sound asleep next to her, he looks so relaxed, so peaceful. She raises her hand to follow the line of his jaw. She brushes her fingers against his lips.

"Astrid..." He whispers.

"Did I wake you up?" She asks, a bit sad that she interrupted his sleep, but nevertheless glad to hear his voice."Loras?"

No answer. He is asleep, but he still turns around to wrap his arms around her, holding her tight against his chest. She tries to pull away a little bit so she could see his face again, bu