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Horse Ride – Hadrian & Alessa (POV)
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 15:00:00 +0000 UTCHis back is so straight, it could be made of stone.
Hadrian barely dares to breathe, the only air allowed out is through the tiniest crack in his lips. His face is heating, both from the pressure in his lungs and your proximity.
Lord in Heaven.
He shouldn’t have invited you to ride with him, but he had to. Billy seemed exhausted, and Hadrian couldn’t bear seeing you walk. Not after the roughness of the road, not after the bandits and that sword that had come so close to—
Hadrian shuts his eyes closed as you shift in front of him. Your legs brush against his thighs and Lord, he should have just given you Elly. He could have walked, why didn’t he think it? But as his fingers tighten on the reigns, a small voice at the back of his head, a treasonous, sinful, undeserving voice whispers that he lies to himself. That he wouldn’t have it any other way, now, would he? The false honorable of man that he is.
“… and beyond, the harbor.”
Alessa’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts, and Hadrian opens his eyes to the night once again. Tarragona materializes in front of him, the road ascending to the top of a hill.
Hadrian shakes himself. There are more important things to worry about like the maps, this Rafael, and the fact that both you and Alessa kept him in the dark for so long. You don’t trust him; he reminds himself for the hundredth time. A dark wave spills over his thoughts as Hadrian’s eyes dim. You don’t trust him, and why should you?
The road grows steeper and Elly struggles against it. At the inclination, you fall back on the saddle. Hadrian doesn’t have time to process as a warm weight press on his chest. It’s not sudden but gradual, like the shift of slow-moving sands in the landscape of a desert. You don’t clash against him but melt instead, first your lower back, then your shoulder blades, and then the back of your skull rests just between his collar bones.
His hands freeze on the reigns, the palms clammy, and if there’s sand in his thoughts, there is sand right now in his throat and his ears and his tongue because they all feel numb and rough and Father from above, he can smell your hair. It sends his already spinning thoughts into a violent whirlwind.
He can feel his body locking, and vaguely, between the madness, he can feel you stiffing too. You adjust your weight, starting to lean away—
And Hadrian may be an idiot, but he's not as big an idiot as to let this go. He bends his arms and tentatively, his ears burning with a fire of a thousand suns, he rests one hand against your stomach. He feels your intake of breath through both his fingertips and his chest, and he smiles, then, when you nuzzle closer still.
Father, you bless me.
Resting his chin on top of your head, Hadrian decides he’s done thinking. You’re in his arms, safe and warm, and the city doesn’t look as menacing as before.
“The road eventually drives towards the sea.” Alessa’s voice cuts through the silence like a knife. She is staring with narrowed eyes. “But we will go east, find our way into the residential district.”
His smile doesn’t waver. He’s done thinking. His thoughts are all made of senses and those... those can feel nothing beyond you.
- - -
Your arms are wrapped around her, and Alessa does not mean to, but she can feel her spine lose its strength. Even as she rests against you, Alessa tries to keep her composure, fighting not to make a complete fool of herself.
You hum faintly, the vibrations traveling from your chest and spreading through her back like the earthquakes following the step of a giant. Your voice tingles against her ear in a slow drawl that nonetheless makes a shiver run down her spine, and Alessa does not mean to. But whatever little distance her pride had forced her to keep disappears as she melts against you.
‘Tis such a warm night, and tiredness weakness her resolve. She does not mean to, but a sigh leaves her parted lips when you tuck her in, your warmth not unpleasant, your closeness much too safe and she is a fool, but Alessa decides then, that for the ride, just for this ride, she will not mind it.
She will not mind it as the Devil’s Bridge comes into view. She will not mind it as Kroner walks through the streets of Tarragona full of shadowy corners and buildings with too many windows. Too many possible hidden eyes. She will not mind it; she commands herself through clenched teeth. She will—
Your hands suddenly envelop her own. Alessa blinks and looks down to see your fingers intertwining with hers, your thumb making little soothing circles against her skin. Alessa instinctually stiffens, her joints locking tight in her shock.
And she regrets it immediately when Alessa feels your hands lose their confidence. You hesitate and she hates it.
So, stiffly, always too stiff, she grabs your hands back and embraces your touch. Your cheek rests against her forehead, and she swears she can feel you smiling.
Fool.
But so is she, because Alessa smiles a secret smile as her muscles lose all tension and you intertwine your bodies as closely as your hands. Her fingertips find your wrist, and in there, she seeks the soft, faint rhythm of your heart. She cannot feel it on her back, beating through your chest, but Alessa imagines that she does. She imagines the sound pulsing in tandem with the one on your wrist, the vibrations enveloping her in a strange, new reality.
They pull her away from her doubts and fears, away from her worries and thoughts of treasures stolen by former allies.
The inn is right ahead, but Alessa wishes that the road could somehow stretch, and time could slow or even halt altogether. Her skin is too cold, she knows. It always is. But in your hands, it warms. And in your arms, she calms.
And with your breathing in her ears and your pulse in her hands, Alessa lets herself go.
For a while. Just for this ride.
- - -
This story used to be on Tumblr, but I edited it and decided to save it here instead. I'm starting a series with the RO POVs, so I want them all in the same place. 😊
Comments
Anathema
Thank you, Laura!!
Lo
I just love Alessa. ❤️ Like *sigh* I also love other characters POV. You are an amazing writer, I absolutely love your work! Thank you so much for bringing this world you made into mine! Hope you are well, that you had a great week, and your weekend is wonderful!! 💙
Anathema
I'm so glad 💗 and no worries, there are a lot of Hadrian faithful players!
vi.ravlyk
I won’t lie, though I ABSOLUTELY ADORE every character in this IF, I only ever romanced Hadrian 🥹🫶 I fell for him since the first demo and that’s it! I can’t do any other route, at least in the near future 🙈 I literally have heart palpitations (in a good sense of the word) when I read Hadrian content because you write SO PAINSTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL it feels like I’m experiencing all this in real life 💔😭💔 And I never even been in love, but I cherish deeply those books that make me feel this way and yours is one of them!! 🤲
Rue
I will never complain about more Beka, and I'd definitely welcome more Shari. I was so sad when Cynthia revealed she died in the pirate attack. I'm loving the idea of the market/cathedral scenes from Hadrian and Alessa's perspective, both before Romanus showed up and possibly after. (I'm so curious to know what happened in Hadrian's meeting with the High Priest)
Linh Luu
Thank you! Reading the POV stories (esp with Hadrian) is so healing after work :D
Anathema
Hahaha it's completely fine! Once in a while, someone goes on a liking spree on the blog (it's happening right now actually) and I love it 😆 It's cool to see some of the old posts I had forgotten about. 🧡
d
I remember reading this on Tumblr during the height of my GR🌹 addiction. Good times 😌 tho I was kinda feral with my likes 😅, liking everything I could. Somehow the thought is just occurring to me that you might have seen all the notifs, my bad 💀.
d
naughty! 🎶🤭 (same tho 😔💔)
d
Such great suggestions! 👍 I'm getting excited! 🎶🙈
shrek4ever
Yessss Vallen POV, I need to know her thoughts
AndrasteN7
I rarely work in the morning and my hours are not always fixed but if it is after 1-2 in the afternoon I am probably either already at work, I just got to work or I am eating lunch before I get to work. After 1-2 is when you normally post though 😭 but this is also a good thing because I always have your post to look forward to reading as soon as I am off work 🥰
Grey Jaffe
Alessa, I love her so much. I'm looking forward to Neia's pov from her encounter with us. It doesn't help that I wonder about what if she had more time.
Dakota
I enjoy coming home from a long day of work to Alessa content! Yo this girl goes crazy for real! Shout out to Alessa! 🤎🤎🤎
Ribbit_rabbit
Please do Rafael’s POV if Romanus stops for him on the roof. Or maybe when they don’t stop too. It would be really interesting to see the difference between the two scenarios.
Red Phoenix97
The first kiss with Alessa and Hadrian would be amazing to see in their POV.
Warpotato
Chefs kiss 🤌
Anathema
I love adding Beka and other non-ro characters!! I'll change the name of the series to Character POV Thank you 😊
mila (yugocar)
i have no idea if anyone besides me is interested in this, and it doesn't exactly fit this series, but some day i would love to read pov's from the more minor characters such as beka, matilda and shari! but i also don't know if there is perhaps too much variance in those depending on the personality of romanus? also scenes where romanus isn't there yet, such as hadrian's/alessa thought process at the market/cathedral, since the whole team was pretty focused and determined! (the bits with romanus are great too obviously, and i assumed planned. :') ) i'm super excited for first meeting bella/alain pov but obviously those are super spoilery so im not expecting them any time soon. honestly, so looking forward to all first meeting pov's! these are just ramblings off the top of my head, no idea if it fits/works!
Wrap Wrapowy
Idk how many would be interested but personally I've always wanted Vallen's POV from the chasing scene (when our trio went after her & Rafael with maps) 👀 Other than that, I'll greedily take any scene of her talking with MC, naturally 😇
Anathema
So glad you like the idea! If you or anyone have specific scenes you'd like to peek at the ROs minds, pls tell me! I have some in mind already, but I'm always open for more inspiration
mila (yugocar)
oh i’m so excited for this series!! i think i mentioned before how interesting it is to see what the characters were experiencing at the time in comparison to romanus. loved reading this again and excited about the upcoming ones!!
Anathema
😆 at work once again! I have the worst timing when it comes to you. 🧡
AndrasteN7
Anaaa what is this?! Why?! I am still at work and I will not be able to read, no not read, eat, consume, DEVOUR this the way it deserves for another 1-2 hours 😭 This is THE horse riding scene? The iconic one that still lives rent free in my mind to this day?! 😭 I swear getting all the POVs from book 1 and onwards is such a treat and a blessing. Thank you Ana! I cannot wait to read this the way it deserves when I get home! 😫thank you for feeding us again today 🍽 Edit to say that you did not disappoint again 🥹 hadrian is so so precious and adorably cute 🥰 and as much as I am looking forward to the ball, I cannot wait for the ball POVs even more 👁👄👁 the awe of seeing Romanus all dressed up, the jealousy when romanus will be talking (possibly dancing?) with others, mainly Alain... 👀😳🤭
ameartthyst
I thought I had a bit of déjà vu until you mentioned that this was on tumblr lol. It made me so happy to read it again, this scene is so precious it makes my skin tingle ✨✨
Anathema
Thank you! I'll definitely write the Pirate meeting in the Harbor! Some ROs I can't write the POV yet, because their thoughts would give too much away xD but as soon as I can, I'll write their first meeting POV as well After this upcoming update, Vallen will get one
Rue
I welcome a full series of these iconic scenes from the RO's POV. The little freezes Alessa makes before allowing herself to fully enjoy the cuddle Romanus gives her, that was the moment I knew I was gonna love her. The scene I'm most looking forward to in the future is our first meeting with The Pirate in the Harbor. I need to know what was going through his mind when he decided that we were as sweet as a peach!
