Cleansing

After Jere removed the skeleton - and any trace that someone had died in the cabin - they began settling in under the warm afternoon sun. Ylfa curled up on the couch, too weak to move, while Eny explored every nook and cranny with bright-eyed curiosity. Jere immediately set to work making the house livable, cleaning with the thorough precision of an overpowered maid. His eyes caught every speck of dust, well-trained after weeks of tending to Ylfa’s hair.

Within hours the cabin looked restored, every surface returned to its original state, as if the former owner had never passed at all.

Ylfa watched his every movement, her gaze empty yet full of waiting. When he finally finished - and Eny had wandered outside - he sat down beside her. She smiled faintly, arms lifting in invitation, and he pulled her close. But she wanted more.

“Closer.”

He obeyed, gently lifting her onto his lap. She curled up against his chest, letting her eyes fall shut.

“Thank you.”

A shiver went through her despite his warmth. She stilled when she felt his fingers begin working through her hair, the strands still blackened with soot. Her voice came out soft, each word an effort.

“Jere…”

“Mmm?”

“Why… why am I cursed?”

His hands kept moving, careful and patient.

“What do you mean?”

She wrapped her arms around herself weakly.

“I mean… everywhere I go, something bad happens. Everyone I start to appreciate loses their life. Every place I stay in gets destroyed. Why am I cursed like this?”

He shrugged lightly.
“I did say it was a bad idea to follow me when we met.”

She smiled faintly.
“I remember that. But if I hadn’t persisted and followed you, I would’ve died anyway.”

She burrowed closer - though there was hardly any space left between them.

“I think… even if I knew everything that was going to happen, I still would've chosen this route with you instead of running away alone.”

He smiled. His hands stilled; then he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tightly. She could feel his heartbeat through his chest, and he could feel hers.

He rested his chin atop her head, her ears brushing his jaw.

“Then I don’t think you’re cursed,” he murmured. “I’d say you’re blessed.”

She let out a soft chuckle.
“If I was blessed, I wouldn’t be in this condition, would I?”

He shrugged again.
“But I like it when you’re needy. I like being able to do things for you.”

She tucked her face into his neck.
“And I like it when you do things for me…”

A tired sigh escaped her.

“I need a wash. I’m filthy.”

He looked her over. She was caked in dried blood and soot from the castle basement.

“I can walk you down to the water,” he said with a small smile.

She managed one in return.
“Thank you, but… I don’t have a swimsuit anymore…”

“We’re married, aren’t we? Besides, I thought you liked being naked.”

She glared briefly, then softened.
“...You’re right. We are married.”
Her eyes lifted to his.
“Okay. You can take me down. But you have to help me wash. Okay?”

He nodded, his smile steady even as his heartbeat picked up.
“I was going to do that anyway.”

She smiled back and shifted so he could slide his arms beneath her. He stood, lifting her easily, and carried her out the door. As they crossed the short path to the sandy beach and waterline, Eny burst from the trees.

“Ooo! Are we going swimming?”

Jere nodded, and Eny squealed, racing toward the water. Her clothes came off in a trail behind her until she was in just her undergarments, leaping into the lake with a bright splash.

The sun was warm and golden, the clouds puffy white, the sky glowing above them. Jere stepped into the water, wading deeper. It wasn’t warm, but far from freezing. When he reached thigh-height, he lowered Ylfa gently. She clung to him until she could sit on the sandy bottom on her own, water lapping at her chest.

She had only one outfit - this one - same as Eny. Washing them would have to happen alongside washing themselves. Jere, with his specialized clothing, didn’t share that problem.

Ylfa shivered at first, but the temperature quickly became bearable. Eny swam past them, surprisingly strong for her age. Ylfa turned to Jere crouched beside her, offering a small smile before giving a tiny nod.

“Okay.”

His heart beat harder, but he forced it steady. With deliberate care he reached for the clasp of her lace choker, fingertips gentle as he undid it. The ribbon slipped free and arced onto the sand behind him. Ylfa raised her arms, and he lifted her top away with painstaking caution, careful not to drag the fabric over her torn skin. He placed the garment in the water beside him, letting it soak while he worked. Her bra followed - simpler to remove, the straps less threatening to her wounds. Then he lifted her slightly as she unclasped her skirt, letting it drift away on the slow-moving water.

Only then did he take in the full extent of her condition. Her legs - she realized only now - were just as scratched as her arms, though far less severe. Soot covered her from head to toe, clinging to every hollow and curve of her body, interrupted only by small, angry patches of burned skin. She looked back at him, eyes tired, nervous.

“You’re staring, darling…”

He nodded but lingered, choosing his starting point with care. Her arms first - they needed the gentlest touch. He lifted one from the water, resting it along his thighs where the lake still lapped at her skin, and began the slow, deliberate task of cleaning. His fingers moved like a surgeon’s: precise, measured, impossibly soft.

A sudden tug on his shirt startled him. Before he could react, Ylfa yanked it over his head in a burst of surprising strength and tossed it aside. She didn’t meet his gaze.

“It’s not fair if I’m the only one who’s naked, darling.”

He chuckled under his breath but didn’t pause in his work.
“Maybe, but that’s not the goal right now.”

Eny splashed by again, laughing brightly, and some of Ylfa’s tension eased. She exhaled.
“You’re right… carry on.”

He did. He moved with such exactness that she braced for pain that never came. Her arm seemed to float in his hands, weightless, as he cleaned away blood, soot, and layers of accumulated suffering. Then the other arm. Her legs he worked on beneath the water, where the small movements were even gentler. Bit by bit, the grime melted away beneath his care until the evening light gleamed against clean skin.

When he finished with her, he turned to her clothes, scrubbing the bloodstains and soot until even a seasoned maid would have sworn it impossible. He laid the garments out across the warm sand to dry, then sat beside her in the shallows, chest bare, water rippling around them.

“Feeling any better?” he asked.

She nodded faintly.
“Yes. Thank you.”

A little way off, Eny floated on her stomach, watching darting fish beneath her, occasionally tipping her head up for air. Ylfa smiled at the sight.
“This isn’t too bad.”

“No,” he agreed. “It isn’t.”

She nudged him gently.
“Reckon we can build a family here?”

He gave a noncommittal shrug.
“Maybe.”

She laughed under her breath, soft and warm. Then she beckoned him closer until he bumped lightly against her side. She leaned into him, her skin soft despite the lingering tenderness.

“Just say yes next time, darling. I know I said I didn’t want to be separate from a community, but… this feels nice. It feels right.”

He slipped an arm around her shoulders, but she tugged insistently at his waist until he got the message and lifted her onto his lap. She settled against his neck as they watched the horizon blush pink under the setting sun. His arms naturally wrapped around her again - at first resting around her hips, until she guided his hands upward, letting them brush her chest before placing them above her shoulders. She leaned back against him with a small, steady breath.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

She shifted on his lap, embarrassed.
“You must be really holding it in to be able to have a naked girl sit on your lap with no reaction at all…”

He blinked, confused - then understanding hit.
“Oh. I just turned that off. No issue.”

She stared at him, bewildered, then let out a breathless laugh.
“Of course you did, of course you did.”

She relaxed fully then, sinking into his chest as Eny squealed nearby when a fish brushed her belly.

“I’ll do my best to heal quickly, okay? And then we can have children.”

His mind raced, heart lurching - but he held it all inside, arms wrapping more securely around her warm, fragile form.
“Okay.”

The sun dipped lower, casting their quiet promises into the water - soft, hopeful things carried safely as the world continued to turn.