Marriage

Xander cradled Valeria in his arms, his strong hands gently encircling her waist as she rested her head against his chest. The cool air of the room seemed to disappear, leaving only the warmth of their proximity. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, softened as he held her close, feeling the steady rhythm of her breathing against his skin.

Valeria, the heartless beauty who had always been a perfect mistress—cold, commanding, unyielding—now seemed different in his embrace. Her usual icy exterior melted into something gentler, something that he hadn’t seen before. Her lips, once drawn tight in an expression of unshakable power, now relaxed into a soft curve, a fleeting sign of tenderness that Xander had learned to treasure. She was no longer the woman who kept him at arm's length, the one who dominated him with every word and action. In this moment, she allowed herself to lean into him fully, a rare vulnerability flickering in her eyes.

Without warning, Valeria’s fingers lightly grazed the fabric of his shirt, a subtle touch that sent a shiver through his body. She looked up at him, her gaze softer, almost shy. There was something undeniably cute in the way she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a small, human gesture that contradicted her usual air of perfection.

“I hate how you make me feel,” she murmured, her voice uncharacteristically small, the usual command replaced with something else—something that Xander could almost call... sweet.

Xander smiled, his chest tightening with both affection and something deeper. He could sense that beneath her hardened facade, Valeria was beginning to show a side of herself she’d long kept hidden—a side that wasn’t about control or power, but about connection. And though she would never admit it aloud, Xander could tell that in her heart, she was starting to soften toward him.

He kissed her forehead gently, his lips lingering there. “You don’t have to fight it, Valeria,” he whispered. “I’m here. Not as your slave, not as your servant—but as someone who understands you. Someone who doesn’t want to control you, but wants to be with you, however you are.”

Her breath caught, a barely audible sigh escaping her lips. She nestled deeper into his chest, her hand resting against his heart. For a moment, she seemed to lose herself in the quiet intimacy they shared. But when she pulled back slightly, looking up at him with that cool, calculating gaze, there was a faint trace of something unspoken.

“You really don’t want to leave me, do you?” Valeria asked, the edge of her usual coldness wavering, replaced by a softness she had never shown anyone. “You’d stay by my side, even if it meant... not being in control?”

Xander could feel her internal battle, the conflict between the powerful mistress she was and the woman beneath that icy shell who, for the first time, wanted something else. Something gentler. Something more human.

He pressed his lips to hers, soft and tender, willing to show her in that kiss that it wasn’t about power anymore. It was about them. About a shared bond that didn’t need to be forged through control or submission.

“I would stay,” he whispered against her lips. “Because what we have now, this moment, this connection... it’s worth everything.”

Valeria didn’t respond immediately, her eyes scanning his face for any trace of insincerity. But after a long, quiet moment, she finally exhaled, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“You’re impossible, Xander,” she murmured, her voice light but filled with something softer than usual. “But maybe... just maybe, I’m starting to believe you.”

And as she lay there in his arms, Xander felt a shift in the air between them; something unspoken, but undeniable. Valeria, the heartless mistress, had allowed herself to soften, to show a glimpse of the woman she could be. Not perfect. Not untouchable. Just real.

And for the first time, Xander felt that perhaps he wasn’t just a slave anymore. He was her equal, her partner.

Xander looked down at Valeria, his heart beating louder than ever in the quiet of the room. He had been holding back for so long, unsure of how to bridge the gap between them, unsure of what he really meant to her. But in that moment, with her nestled so perfectly in his arms, the words slipped out—words that he’d never imagined he’d say, let alone to her.

“I want to marry you, Valeria.”

Her eyes widened in shock, the cold mask slipping for just a moment as she processed what he’d said. For a split second, time seemed to freeze, the world around them fading into the background. Valeria stared up at him, her expression unreadable, but the intensity of her gaze told him everything.

Then, in a burst of laughter—sharp, almost mocking—she pulled away slightly, hands flying to her face. “No wonder,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “I’ve been wondering how long it would take for you to fall into my trap. You really think you can tie me down with some proposal? How pathetic. You must really be under my spell, huh?”

Her words hit him, but instead of pulling back or regretting his decision, Xander only smiled, his resolve only growing stronger. “I’m not trapped, Valeria. I just know what I want. And I want you.”

The laughter stopped as quickly as it had started, replaced by a flash of something—something darker, something sharper. Valeria’s eyes gleamed, a spark of something like amusement but also a predatory gleam. She stood up, her posture shifting from that of the woman who had been cradled in his arms, to the one who would now make the decisions.

“You really are an interesting man, Xander. I thought I could break you, keep you under my thumb. But now, you’ve done something I never expected. You’ve forced me to take control of this situation.”

Xander stood with her, his confidence unwavering, a small but resolute smile still on his lips. “Then let’s do this. Together. I’m not asking for you to change, Valeria. I’m asking for you to choose me. Not as your slave, not as your tool, but as your partner.”

For a long moment, Valeria said nothing, her eyes dark as she studied him. But then, in a move that shocked him even more than her earlier laughter, she reached out, taking his hand with surprising tenderness. Her fingers brushed against his, the touch soft yet commanding.

“I accept,” she said, her voice low but clear, “On one condition.”

Xander’s heart skipped a beat. “Anything.”

She smirked, her icy demeanor returning in full force, and for the first time in their relationship, Xander saw the full scope of her plan in her eyes. “You’ll follow my lead, Xander. Every step of the way. But now, we’ll do it as equals. You and I. Together.”

Her words, laden with power, carried a promise; a promise that she would no longer just dominate him, but also let him rise alongside her. But Xander knew one thing for sure: whatever she had planned, he would be by her side, no longer under her control, but walking this path with her, shoulder to shoulder.

And as she leaned in, her lips brushing against his in a kiss that was both fiery and cold, he knew that whatever came next, it would be their game to play.

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