Let the night pass

Those were the last words of the night. But you find the silence of the room to be unbearable; you may be husband and wife, but each of you hugs the opposite end of the bed, not wanting to be the first one to enter the no man's land... which feels like its 90% of the bed.

You can tell by her breathing that you both were just pretending to be asleep as you settled in for what could be a long night.

The cold, stale air of the room made it clear she may think highly of you for saving her, but she does not love you, and it may be a very long time before she ever feels that way... a long time of leaving your wife pure and the marriage unconsummated... You remember what happened to one of your father's Lords who was discovered to have not consummated his marriage to his wife... Rumors circulated he was flaccid or a cuckold, destroying his reputation in the realm.

The morning sunlight finally brings an end to the long night and the dreaded silence. In an almost military fashion, you both quickly rise from the bed and get dressed in your day clothes without even glancing at each other.

As you head for the door, she finally speaks up, " Wait!"

You turn to face her, seeing how conflicted she is as she says, "I really appreciate what you did for me last night, but... if we are going to make this work, we at least have to find a way to connect...." She pauses. "Hopefully, in a way that doesn't strip me of my will... Unless that is what you want...?"

One last chance.