It turned out that Leonās assumption was entirely wrong.
There seemed to be no limit to a living beingās capacity for sensation.
The experience brought by the third dragon mark far surpassed that of two.
On this wild and indulgent night, Leon and Rosvisser ascended to the pinnacle of passion over and over again.
They lost all sense of time, completely immersed in the intoxicating euphoria, unable to extricate themselves from the endless spiral of desire.
Rosvisser found herself utterly overwhelmed, unable to discern where one session began and another ended.
The man above her seemed like an unstoppable beast, tireless and relentless.
There was no reprieve; all he did was take, push, and conquer her, stripping away her dignity and pride in a way that she found disturbingly satisfying.
Her reason shattered under the onslaught of desire, dissolving into nothingness.
And because of the overwhelming physiological stimulation, Rosvisser began to exhibit unusual signs of dragonification that night.
The silver dragon scales on either side of her temples vanished at the height of ecstasy.
Meanwhile, faint ice-blue dragon pupils appeared at the corners of her eyes, shrinking tightly.
Had Leon not been entirely out of control himself, the budding dragon horns emerging from Rosvisserās forehead might have become another toy for their games.
By dawn, the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, spilling into their bedroom.
Clothes lay scattered across the floor, the room a complete mess, evidence of their nightlong revelry.
The two of them sat on the edge of the bed, backs leaning against the couch. Exhausted beyond measure, they couldnāt even fall asleep despite their fatigue.
Rosvisser wrapped herself in a white bedsheet, looking up at the man whose silver eyes were half-lidded and staring at the floor.
She sniffed, leaned against his shoulder, and spoke softly:
"Last night⦠was I too out of control?"
Leon rested his cheek gently on her head and replied:
"Mm, you were a bit tooā"
"Squeakā"
"Shut up! Itās the dragon marksā fault."
Leon chuckled softly, closing his eyes. "Yes, yes, of course."
Rosvisserās face turned crimson as she shrank into the bedsheet, pulling it tighter around herself.
She bit her lower lip, clearly wrestling with some internal dilemma.
After a long pause, she finally spoke:
"Leon, do you think⦠our relationship is too⦠shallow?"
"Shallow? In what way?"
"I canāt explain it well."
Having broached a more serious topic, both of them straightened up.
Rosvisser glanced at the battlefield they had created over the course of the night and continued:
"Itās just⦠I sometimes wonder, if we rely on this as a way to maintain our relationship, what would happen if we lost it?"
She hesitated, biting her lip again before mustering the courage to voice her thoughts:
"If we lost the physical aspect, would our love eventually fade away?"
"Donāt misunderstand me, Leon. Itās not that I donāt want to be intimate with you. Itās just⦠sometimes my thoughts run wild."
"I wasnāt like this before. I wouldnāt let go of my pride or seek out physical pleasure. But now⦠look at me. Not only am I lost in it, but Iām also the one constantly initiatingā"
"And Iām afraid youāll think my love and intimacy are cheap, that youāll stop cherishing me, that your feelings for me will gradually fade awayā¦"
Her voice grew quieter and quieter until she curled into a small ball, wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face in her arms like a wet kitten.
For once, Leon fell into an unusual silence in response to Rosvisserās worries.
Of course, his silence didnāt mean agreement.
He would never consider Rosvisserās feelings or their intimacy as cheap, nor would he think that physical connection was the only bond holding them together.
But even so, her concerns were heavy and complex, not something he could resolve with a simple answer.
Leon took his time, searching for a response that would perfectly address her insecurities.
Rosvisser didnāt rush him for an answer. She knew he was taking her seriously and was willing to wait patiently.
After a moment of silence, Leon finally spoke:
"When you think about it, we rarely talk about āintimacyā as a topic, donāt we?"
Rosvisser: "ā¦"
She peeked out from behind her knees, her head tilting slightly as she nodded.
"Was it last night, under the stimulation of the third dragon mark, that we lost control and gave rise to these doubts and concerns?"
Rosvisser paused for a moment before a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Yesā¦"
Leon had always been able to see things from her perspective when addressing their relationship, and that was what comforted Rosvisser the most.
"Hmm, about that..."
He exhaled, relaxing his slightly tense body, then lifted his arm naturally, wrapping it around Rosvisserās shoulder to pull her, curled into a ball, back into his embrace.
Leon continued:
"I think this is simply biological instinctāin essence, itās a natural way for living beings to express their importance to one another."
"You donāt need to worry. Even something as basic as this, an instinct thatās hard to articulate, is crucial. Because if we lose even the most fundamental desire for each other, how
could we possibly have a deeper kind of āloveā?"
His straightforward words struck a chord, gently erasing the subconscious shame Rosvisser felt after their passionate night.
She nodded slightly, choosing not to interrupt, waiting for him to continue.
"So, to be honest, thereās nothing wrong with wanting to do those things with me. In fact, it shows⦠that you love me."
"Iā!"
Rosvisser, realizing she was about to retort, tried to lift her head but was promptly pushed back down by Leon.
She obediently rested her head against his knees, pouting and muttering in a small voice:
"Mm⦠I, I do love you. And then?"
"If thereās any fault in this, then itās mine."
Rosvisser raised an eyebrow. "Yours?"
"Because Iāve been too passive," Leon said, gently ruffling her messy hair with a warm smile. "My passivity forces you to be more active, which in turn caused you to have these
doubts. So⦠itās my fault."
The queen narrowed her eyes and glanced sideways at him, teasing:
"Then why donāt you take the initiative more often? After all these years of marriage, are you not interested in me anymore?"
She almost laughed at her own joke, though deep down, she was genuinely curious about how Leon would respond.
"Let me be clear," Leon replied firmly, "dragon marks can be placed recklessly, but words cannot. How could I possibly not be interested in you?"
"This ties into your second concernāwhether I see your love and intimacy as cheap, right?"
"Mm."
She kept her nose and mouth hidden behind her arms, exposing only her beautiful silver eyes, which gazed expectantly at Leon.
"The answer to that," Leon said softly, "is something we both already know in our hearts."
"But I understandāyou want to hear me say more, donāt you?"
"Who wants to hear you say more? Hmph. If you donāt want to say it, then donāt. I donāt care."
Leon chuckled knowingly and took a step back, saying:
"Alright, alright. Itās me who wants to say more. Please, my dear wife, have the patience to listen, will you?"
Rosvisser let out a smug little hum. "Fine, Iāll listen, but only because Iām feeling generous."
Leonās expression turned serious as he continued:
"Of course, I donāt think what you offer me is cheap. The significance you hold in my heart is indescribable. Everything you give me cannot be measured by simple words."
"And my love and intimacy for you are the same. They are neither shallow nor reliant solely on physical connection."
"Every moment spent with you, every day we share, every word spoken, and every action takenāI see it all as⦠a blessing."
"If there are gods, then I would thank them for allowing us to love each other so deeply, even after everything weāve been through."
"So, Rosvisser, Iā"
As he spoke, Leon gently tilted his head and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Feeling the lingering warmth of the kiss, Rosvisserās eyes wavered as she looked up at him.
For her, everything Leon had just said was already more than enough.
"So, is this where the promise comes in?"
She wrapped her arms around Leon lightly, speaking of commitment.
But sometimes⦠Rosvisser wished to hear something elseāsomething simpler, more direct, and free of embellishments.
And Leonās answer, as always, was:
"I love you. Rosvisser Melkvey, I will always love you, forever and ever!"