The warmth of her smile and the relaxing warmth of the baths had an uncommonly calming effect on him.
He was convinced it was mostly the smile.

Her slim and almost fragile appearing figure was hypnotic to him. Especially since this was his first chance to truly observe it in the Daylight. Unguarded and unafraid of public watchers. Her large opalescent eyes with the violet irses....drew him in ...like the touch of he Goddess granting her a mirror of the starry heavens, through which to filter her visions...her gift.

As she dropped the torque of the Thracian Kings and entered the water the sound was a dull cold clang of copper and bronze against the dust and stone. her entrance by comparison was a musical melody of water splashing and swirling cascade of high and melodic notes, so much more alive.

He briefly acknowledged her thanks and allowed her room enough to lower slowly into the water. It was pleasing to see it rise slowly over the swell in middle, barely marked at all except she had told him the great news. The night before she had told him that her Goddess had given her a certainty of the life that now grew in her.

QUOTE:
Will we be home soon ....promise me ....you will not change

For a moment the look on his face must have gone through a hundred transformations.
Home, soon. He desired the safety and shelter of a home for the two of them so long...
Promise me. Almost as though she had lost him and needed his oath that it should not be...
You will not change. Oh so much hurt rang from this he could not see how he would ever do anything so drastic as this an immediately took her to himself and squeezed her in a warm and lingering embrace.

My dear I will endeavor to be FIRST, your husband and protector and friend and lover. Second...the Priestess consort and guardian and brightest of joys as confidant.
This time his words alone could not ease her worries...his kiss could not erase her troubles from her brow. Then he knew what it was she was most worried about losing in him.....

You will stop worrying or you will regret it!
He said with a lop-sided grin. her distracted face of course continued. So he gave her what she had been asking for. He begins to TICKLE her abruptly! At first just playfully. Then as she still cannot smile while she tells him to stop he continues relentlessly in the face stronger resistanse and her splashing in the pool! Suddenly the two of them find themselves wrestling naked in the pool and out onto the nearby mud becoming thoroughly mmucked until they both collapse there.

She looked so precious to him with nothing between them but that drying layer of mud...funnier as he watched her breath rapidly and tiredly laying next to him. He realized he must look deranged if anything, covered the same and just laying in the mud, chuckeling to himself lightly. ...She's a good fighter he had to admit, even for her small size.
Rising on one arm he looked to her.....

Look, I must do what I think is best for us. I will never come to you without at least one new treasure for our child, and at least one new thing to make you laugh when I return from the most serious times. You and our Babe are the center of my world and my True North. You can show me how the knight sky of Nyx, can always lead me home. Surely she will always help me back to you and guide me if you can only show me what I must look for. And as a proof of my hearts bondage to you.....use what you know how and make of me a slaves collar of this Thracian Torque of the Chieftans this leaders yoke of bronze and copper. One for which you alone will have the magic or the key to remove. I swear it will be my reminder of last resort of where I am most important in this life.

I can think of only one thing that should make you doubt me after all this. I mean, tell me please..... Has she already shown you a vision of us two failing?

And there he let the talking stop as he watched his wife's face and waited for that most important answer.....though it would change his love for her not one drop.