As much as she had dreaded the idea for all of Samuel's life, to finally be free of the secrecy of his origin, and that it had, in the end, been so well received (and in fact, more well received than she could have imagined), she felt lighter, as if the weight of the burden, the guilt was no longer an obligation weighing her down. And the freeing feeling was all but carrying her away, lifting her heart and soul in the moment she allowed herself to be smothered by his love. Soft breaths and gasps escaped between each kiss before she found herself suddenly crying, but crying for joy.
"Oh, Ryk..." she murmured, her hot breath splaying across his skin as her arms went around him as she held him fierce, arms smoothing against the warm skin of his back and feeling the strong muscles there as she draped herself lightly over his shoulder, dark hair tickling down his back side and shoulder where her cheek now perched. "I had always thought to dread this day, yet here I am, laughing, smiling and even confessing to you so many truths that I had once felt so ashamed. And I had never imagined you could possess so many secrets, as many names as you do. To think, the wealthy and well to do Mister Handelaar even has a weakness..." she smiled, and he'd be able to feel it against his shoulder.
"I had always been fond of you, ever since we had first met. And I had been quite young then, feels like decades ago." She breathed a sigh through her nose, humming . "You were quite dashing. It was no wonder so many women had fallen to your charms. I think it was when I saw you with Jirelle Bates that I began to hate you, and got lured into all the gossip the Handelaar name spawned. You had quite the reputation. You.. still have quite the reputation," she went on carefully, still holding him, hugging him closely to her as she spoke. "But yet now here I find myself, realizing you're a hero, a criminal, and somehow in love with me. I never thought we quite fit that well together."
She chuckled and turned now to look at him.
"We did argue a lot. And there was that one time I told you I hated you. I think it was the first time you tried to kiss me in my father's gardens. I was so angry to think you wanted me as just another notch on your bed side, beside you pillow. Yet here I am... the only woman you saw fit to make an engagement and confess all of yourself to." And here, her eyes looked curiously into his, and the tears of joy had long since faded, but were sparkling none the less.
"Can I ask why? Why me out of all of the other women you could have had? I'm sure you could have easily been married by now. And have less slap marks for it and wine tossed in your face." She smiled a bit at that, for evne she knew, despite her hating any of his advances and flirts he had even cast upon her, she had liked the attention. Unfortunately for him, his reputation always got in the way. And there was always another pretty girl that she saw him fondling in a corner that made her jealousy and uncertainty rot within.