Prophecy of Ruin or Salvation (closed for heartofcourage)

[heartofcourage]

Bryn glanced towards the door as Enna poked her head through and told her that Valius was on his way. She suddenly felt nervous, her palms sweaty as Enna looked over what she was wearing and suddenly started grinning.

“I wanted to wear something green. It’s the only thing I own that’s green.” She said in a shy voice as Enna proclaimed that he would be putty in her hands. What did that mean, she thought to herself as Enna backed out and left her alone.

She walked to her window, pulling the shades until light filtered into her room. She pulled open the outside door and let the soft breeze that was still full of the smell of rain filter through. She glanced around her small balcony, making sure that her small couch with pillows on it was in good condition. She hardly every used the balcony because the sun would burn her skin, but it seemed like the appropriate setting to meet with Valius.

She jumped when there was a knock at the door and his voice sounded through. Her heart leapt into her throat as she moved across the room and opened the door after his request. She stared at him for a moment, taking a deep and steady breath as she moved aside and allowed him to enter.

“I thought we could sit on the balcony.” She said softly as she turned and walked through the other door. She sat down on the small couch and motioned for him to sit beside her. She didn’t know how to start and she wanted to say so many things.

“Valius, I’m sorry.” She started, thinking that this was as good as any place to begin. “I shouldn’t have gotten so angry with you. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for the things that I said. It’s been so confusing and I fear that I acted completely unladylike.”

[Armphid]

Valius' eyes went wide, almost bulging as Bryn opened the door and his mouth opened as if to speak but then closed. Gods great and small, she looked incredible. She had before as well, but not so...so sensual and so sexy and daring. The green gown left pale, perfect skin bare in many places and the plunging neckline cupped and showcased her bosom magnificently. There was a slit in the sides of the skit so that as she moved, almost all of her shapely, supple legs could be seen. "Rot and blight," he murmured, "Bryn you look...damn, I wish we were married right now."

He'd been worried about how things would be between them but right now, with her looking like that, his heart was pounding and his mouth dry. He wanted her. Wanted her so badly he could taste it.

He followed her into her chambers, shutting the door behind him. It seemed neither of them knew what to say; for his part, he didn't trust himself to speak properly until he'd had a minute to digest how she looked in that gown.

Valius let her speak but before she'd finished he had taken her hands in his. That contact would help, he hoped, to re-assure her that there was no real harm done. "Bryn, it's all right. I'm sorry too; I didn't mean to sound as if I was insulting your people or Dax. He's a good man and I never doubted that. But his actions and the rangers in response to them could have had...bad consequences back home. I think I've headed that off though, and it won't be a concern in the future."

He gave her hands a squeeze. "I don't think your people are raving zealots and neither does Claudius. When he spoke, he wasn't referring to all your people but he was worried that one or some might react badly. If we were back in Ithilien he'd have said something similar. People everywhere react in strange and unpredictable ways when things like this happen. Please don't take it personally or think that he looks down at you or your people." He smiled a bit for a moment, "More than he looks down on anyone else, that is. My old mentor is an untrusting man and it's served him well but he's too suspicious sometimes."

Valius took one of his hands from hers and reached into the pouch on his belt. He drew out the broach, the golden bracelet hanging from it, and pushed them into her hands. "These are yours. Even if we don't marry, which we will, I'd want you to keep them and think of me when you wear them. But we are going to get married, Byrn. I'm more determined than ever about that. I want you to be my wife. The fire you showed me...it made me angry at the time, but it also was good. I like that you have fire."

[heartofcourage]

Bryn looked down at the items that he pressed into her hands. He had retrieved the items that she’d thrown at him? She could feel tears rising in her eyes as she looked up into his handsome face, a trembling smile crossing her lips before she leaned forward and pressed them to his warm embrace. She sighed as she kissed the man that she was falling for, knowing that this was the best way to undo the harm that had been done. She clung to him sweetly, her fingers curling around the brooch and bracelet before she gently broke the kiss.

“I wish…oh, Valius, I wish for so much.” She said with a sigh as she slipped the bracelet back onto her dainty wrist. She made herself a solomn promise that she would never take it off again. “I shall have Enna instruct the palace seamstress as to what is proper for a queen of Ithilien to wear. Perhaps Sir Claudius might instruct me on how to use a bow? I assume this would be proper to do. After all, we do have many days to pass while you negotiate the marriage price. I would never have guessed that my hand would come with such high a price. You‘re a god among men to have the patience to push through the negotiations.”

Her gaze turned back to his and she gave him a warm smile. “I also have one more request, Valius. I wish to marry you in Ithilien. I want to show your enemies that their strong king has chosen a strong queen to stand beside him. I will fight for your kingdom as if it were my own.”

Bryn took a deep breath and shyly averted her eyes from Valius’s intense grey gaze. “Enna told me briefly about how people from Ithilien court. She said that the men and women…get to know each other before their ceremony.” Her cheeks blushed brightly as she fiddled with the fitting of the brooch, unable to look at him. “Is this something you would like to do with me?”

[Armphid]

Gods, her kiss was a miracle. The pure emotion and warm sweetness of it seemed to wash through him and it was as though the heated words that had passed between them never were uttered or heard. One of his arms slipped about her waist and pulled her a bit closer as the kiss deepened and his heart beat faster, his blood rising, to feel her so close.

As she spoke, he felt his heart ache. Gods, he had to tell her. Aldor might not be happy with him for it but she needed to know that the negotiations wouldn't take as long as she thought. And she'd ask why. When she did, he'd tell her.

"Bryn, I..." But before he could speak again, she went on. Her cheeks were rosy as she averted her gaze and her hands toyed nervously with the broach. Enna had told her about that? He didn't know if he should be angry or happy with his childhood friend. But Bryn...did that mean that she wanted to...?

He took a deep breath. His heart rate had picked up yet again and his manhood had responded to the mere thought of being with her that way. "Bryn, my beautiful desert rose. I would like that, I'd love that, with you. But it isn't your way. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or that you feel like you have to do that. I know that the way is different here."

Valius kissed her again, "I want you to feel happy and safe. Our courtship can go however you like, so long as it pleases you. If you wish us to...become more intimately knowledgeable of one another, then I would be very glad to do so. But there is no expectation of it, or pressure for it, from me."

[heartofcourage]

His kisses were like a fine wine. It made her slightly dizzy with a heady sensation. Bryn could feel herself most definitely becoming addicted to what this man had to offer. Her felt her belly quiver in the most unusual of ways, a warm wetness pooling between her thighs as her skin felt achy.

“I…want…” Bryn sighed, her eyes lowering as she took Valius’s hands in hers. She needed to learn that this man wasn’t going to use her and leave her. She would be his wife. She could trust him. “I want everything, Valius. I want you to teach me what can be between a man and a woman…”

She sighed deeply as her deep blue eyes met his and she gave him a slight smile. “I just wonder if we can wait until we are back in Ithilien. The palace here is full of spies that would serve to spread rumors or ruin others. I would hate for our…love…to be used against us in any way.”

Bryn leaned forward until her lips were close to his ear and she steeled her nerve to tell him what she felt. “I ache for you, Valius.” She whispered, her words for him alone. “I dream of you and of the things that shall be done when we are married.”

She pulled away from his ear and smiled shyly, her cheeks pink but her eyes meeting him directly. “In the desert they bind the husband and wife together palm to palm.” She pressed her left palm against Valius’s and pressed her lips to the back of his hand. “And they may only be separated when the consummation is completed over three days. Three days of pleasure, from what I’ve heard, and there are many children born nine months after the occasion.”

[Armphid]

Gods, he'd nearly ravished her right there when she said she ached for him. Her soft, smoldering words had sent fire through his body, his manhood painfully engorging, and his desire spiking.

What a woman, she was!

But there were spies about, she said, and they couldn't risk anything that might add to the negotiations. Not now. Not with Bryn's unknown enemies so close.

He smiled at her recounting of the desert tradition. "That," his voice was warm and thick, throaty with desire and he took a moment to cough and clear his throat. "That is a find tradition," he answered. "We'll take that one with us, I think, and start a new fashion in Ithilien. Maybe it will become tradition there as well."

Valius kissed her again, not caring too much at the moment if it was untoward for a Fire Nation courtship. He really did hope the negotiations went quickly. Otherwise he wasn't sure how either of them would hold out all that time. He wanted her so much it almost hurt.

The kiss broke and he smiled, "You have given me a great deal to look forward to. And to plague my dreams and moments of idle fancy. I'll be thinking of you, and of us, and all the things we'll do together."

He sighed and leaned back on the couch, but he did not relinquish her hand. Instead he pulled her to his side, one arm looped about her slender waist and the other still holding her hand. "Bryn. Your father and I are both eager to see this done. We will be negotiating again after dinner tonight. I hope to do as much as possible, even finish if we can. It might be overambitious but it is my aim."

Valius paused a moment. "These is a reason for our haste. I think if your father had his will, you would never leave his side, but something has happened that has made us both think we need to be quicker." Gods, was this wise? Aldor may be furious...but Bryn was to be Valius' wife. He would never hide things from her and he would not start their engagement that way. "There is an enemy that has come into his lands, those strangers we met this afternoon. They are here because of a prophecy of their own; one that involves you. You father told me of them our first night here and bade my keep it a secret from you. But I will not do so; never will I hide truths from you, my wife and queen to be."

The forest king gave her a squeeze. "I and my homeland can protect you in ways that your father cannot and he sees this. He also feels the dragon and the rain were a sign that this is to be. I have told you this not to frighten you or make you angry against your father or Dax, for he knows of these men as well, but because I want you to know that I will protect you. I will not let harm come to you and I will help you to protect yourself. You will know what I know of our enemy. Claudius will teach out to shoot, Masha will show you to use a knife, and I'll find the best to reach your to ride and hide in our woods."

He took a breath. "We barely know each other. But I...I care for you so much, I think...that I love you. And so I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Know that I mean that with all my heart and soul."

[heartofcourage]

A smiled crossed her delicate features as Valius mentioned that he wanted to take her tradition with them back to Ithilein. It would mean a great deal to her if he would and it made her feel warm inside to think that he wanted to honor her home land.

His kiss was beautiful, full of both love and comfort. Bryn’s body melted against him as he pulled her to his side, tucked against his warmth and strong body. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. His voice was deep and soothing and she never tired of hearing him speak, but the words that were leaving his lips in that moment were anything but calm.

Bryn turned her eyes towards his face, a frown wrinkling her brow as he told her about how the men that were in the desert that afternoon were looking for her. She shivered upon hearing that they had a prophecy of their own and it involved her. Bryn sighed deeply, unable to be angry with her father. She could only imagine what stress he was under with his day to day duties. Add in the fact that she was being hunted and needed to be protected.

She was tired of prophecies. She was tired of being the woman that fulfilled them. She wanted to live a simple life as a wife and mother. Perhaps Valius could give her that by teaching her the bow and knife and how to protect herself. She pressed her lips against his cheek and gave him a small smile.

“It’s frightening to think about, but there is no use in dwelling on the bad things in life.” She said simply, her breath stolen when he said that he loved her. “You can give me a life that isn’t possible here in Al’Tir. I’ll be your wife, your queen, your lover…and hopefully one day that mother to your children.”

“And I love you, Valius.” She said to him, a smile on her face as he vowed to protect her and keep her safe. “I know that you will do whatever in your power to keep me safe.”

“Tell me about your family.” She said in a soft voice, knowing that it was a sensitive subject. She held his hand tightly and looked up towards his stormy grey gaze. “Did you have any brothers and sisters? What about your parents?”

[Armphid]

Valius was more than impressed once again with the small, slender beauty nestled against him. Having the truth of being sought by the outlanders revealed, she had merely accepted it and gone on. No uncontrolled fear or concern. She was magnificent. What a queen she would make! The whole kingdom would be inspired by her!

And she loved him. He didn't doubt her for a moment; already in their brief association he knew her as a woman who said what she meant in earnest. He smiled and lowered his head, unable to keep a wide, somewhat wondering smile from spreading across his face.

If they survived what was coming, they'd be very happy. Though he should not think that way now. They would survive. He would not accept any other situation. He needed to see if they still had any messenger hawks or if those sent out had yet returned. He wanted to start mobilizing and moving Ithilien's might now, before the Glacans moved on him.

Bryn's next questions cut through that line of thought like a sharp knife through a taut rope. She wanted to know about his family. Grief and loneliness welled up in him. Valius did not speak for several long moments. He did not want to talk about it. But she wanted to know, and in truth she should know.

"My family." He closed his eyes for a few moments and his shoulders sagged, "Yes, I did have a brother and a sister. I'm oldest, was...oldest," he corrected himself. "My brother Fidelius was a year younger than me, and barely a year at that. He's, was, my best friend. My closest ally and companion." Gods. He could hear his own voice sounding hollow and heavy, but continued to speak. "He loved the military life and the arts of war; a skilled tactician and a natural strategist. He would have been the commander of the rangers after I was king. He was quiet but had a sharp, dry sense of humor, and keenly saw into problems. He was better than I am. He would have been a better king."

He tried not to give her a chance to interrupt, wanting to get this all out at once. "My sister was three years younger than I, and Veria...she was the one we all loved most, I think. She was bright and fiery, the temper we all have wasn't as severe in her, it made her merely energetic and vivacious. She was the best shot out of all three of us kids and she lorded it over Del and I all the time." He was smiling but it was a sad smile. He'd never hear her tease him again. "But she could be very sweet too; she was very empathetic and aware of people's hearts and motives. She had a kind of...light in her that drew people and made them confide in her and trust her." He sighed. "She would have been a better ruler than me."

He was the worst out of his siblings, he had always felt that. And his father had let him know that as well, at times. Not that Del or Veri ever seemed to think or say so.

"My parents...it's hard to know where to start with them." He shook his head, "My father was actually the youngest of my grandfather's sons but his older brother died in battle with the Sea Raiders, and his mother died when I was just a child. Those things hardened him, I think." Valius sighed, "He was a private man who was guarded even with his family; he disapproved a bit of the noise and laughter we got into, though he always was on the edges of it. He had a temper and was stubborn. It didn't happen on all things but sometimes he could set himself in a decision or course of action and no force on earth or reasoned argument could sway him. He'd have hung Claudius today, if he didn't just strike his head from his shoulder himself. He was a giant of a man, three or four inches taller than me and strong. He was a good administrator and well respected by our nobility and out people, though I don't know if he was loved by them, exactly. He did believe in education for both the nobility and the populace at large, and he made sure his own children were always learning, training, or studying something new."

Valius paused and then went on, "Mom, my mother, I mean, was actually older than our father by a year, an unusual thing for a royal marriage. She'd been married before, actually, but that's another story. She had a brilliant mind and a clever tongue; her words could lift men up or cut them to pieces. She was compassionate and gentle for the most part but she didn't suffer fools well or gladly at all and she could be vindictive and utterly ruthless if she felt someone or something threatened the family in any way." He shook his head, "She believed in reason over all else; that one needed to think clearly at all times, that emotion and belief should be considered and inform reason but that thought was the ultimate strength and definition of people. Together, she had my father spread education through Ithilien to a new level and actively reduced the power of the clergy and religion. She thought religion was dangerous; that it lead to people letting others think for them." He quirked his eyebrows, "She believed in the gods but distrusted priests and clergymen deeply. I suppose we all inherited her more...secular approach to the supernatural."

Valius was silent again for a few moments. "I had aunts and uncles too, cousins as well. But they're all gone. I'm the only one left." He let go of Bryn and stood up, walking to the edge of the balcony abruptly. "There was a family gathering; the whole line assembling for the celebration of a hundred and fifty years of our House ruling Ithilien. We were all riding over the bridge of the Great River and it broke." It shouldn't have. It should have stood for another hundred years before it needed work. "The whole thing came apart and we fell into the river. It was swift and cold, the bridge's timbers and stones fell down on us. I was the only one to emerge alive. Most of the bodies were never recovered. The river took them."

He leaned on the railing of the balcony and looked out over the palace, the city, and the sands beyond without really seeing them. "I should have been able to pull some of them out with me. Del and Vari were both near me, I...they should have lived. I should have saved them. I was their big brother. I was supposed to die first. And now it's all on me. They were going to help me, I could trust them, and now..."

Valius shook his head. "Listen to me whine. Pathetic, unworthy of a king. Forgive me, Bryn." He stood up straighter, trying to push his sorrow and his grief and his guilt away and make himself cold and hard in response to it. "In the future, there's no need to speak of my family again." It hurt too much, though he wouldn't say that. "They're gone and nothing can change that."

[heartofcourage]

Bryn listened to his story with tears in her eyes. He hurt deeply, that much as evident, but it was the hollow sound of his voice that made her concerned. His wound was festering and he thought himself unworthy to be king. It was a role he was born to do , she thought as he said that there was no need to speak of his family again.

“Valius, there is always reason to think about your family and to honor them.” She said in a soft voice, standing from her seat to step beside him. She took his hand and held it tight, looking up into his handsome face that was now covered in a cool mask. “You honor them in the job you do guiding your kingdom. When you speak of your brother and sister, I can hear the fondness. You don’t want to forget them and it doesn‘t make you weak to feel sadness at their passing.”

She tugged on Valius’s hand and pulled him into the shade of her room. She had him sit on the edge of her blue covered bed, giving him a smile as she moved to her vanity and pulled out her locked jewelry box. She produced a golden key from her neck and pulled open the ornately carved lid. Inside the box, she dug until she found what he was looking for.

Sitting back beside him, she showed him the miniature painting on a golden chain. The woman shown was a raven beauty, laughter and light showing in her eyes. The finest painted in Alerum had captured the woman in great detail, from her stunning blue eyes to the fine, delicate structure of the bones in her face.

“This is my mother.” She said in a soft voice, a smile on her face as he looked intently at the pendent that she showed him. “Her name was Tali. I miss her horribly but I think about her every single day. She might be gone and there might be nothing I can do to change that, but it makes me feel peaceful to know that she’s watching over me.”

“She would have loved you, Valius.” She said, pressing her lips against his handsome cheek as she tried to ease his sadness and help him come to terms with what he was feeling. “She was so sweet and loving. She never said an unkind word to anyone and I think that it broke her heart when she had to leave Al’Tir. She died in the winter of my third year and I’ve always believed that it was the broken heart that killed her. She loved a man that she couldn’t have and that grief and sorrow ate at her soul until she could no longer bear it.”

“I don’t want that to happen to you, Val.” A pet name? Already? Bryn blushed deeply as she realized what she said, but she continued on. “You are a good and honest man. You are fair and considerate with your retainers and I can see that they love and respect you. Do not let your sadness kill your soul. I don‘t know if I could bear to be without you.”

She rose to place the pendant back in her jewelry box. She nestled Valius’s brooch beside it and started to close the lid when something caught her eye. She gasped when she saw it, forgetting that it was even there. She pulled it out and turned towards Valius with a grin.

“I have something for you.” She said as she moved back to the bed and sat down beside him. The took his hand and placed the bright blue clay pendent in his hand. It was on a plain leather cord and was completely out of style for the grandeur of what a daughter of Al’Tir might have in her jewelry box.

“My brother, Victor, made that for me as a welcoming present when my father brought me back to live with him. I was three and thought he’d given me the moon. He made it himself out of the clay mined just outside the palace and he painted it blue to remind me of home.” Her voice caught as she thought about her older brother. She couldn’t help the tears that came as she bade Valius to take her gift.

“I miss him every day too. The only comfort I have is that Dax was with him when he died so he didn’t die alone. It broke my father’s spirit the day they burned his funeral pyre. He fears the day that he dies himself because there is no one to lead Al’Tir. My sister doesn’t care. He worries and I wish there was something I could do to stop that. I wish I could make him happy again.”

She was crying openly then, her fears and concerns laid bare for Valius to see. She only hoped that he did not treat her like a silly crying girl. She wanted him to understand what was happening to her people went far beyond a drought. It was deep in the heart of the king that no one could reach.

[Armphid]

He'd forgotten she knew what it was like to lose your family. Her mother and her older brother....their hurt was similar. She bore it so well; her will was so strong. He didn't think he could match that aspect of her but he could borrow from it, be inspired by it.

He held her as she wept, feeling it was not so much for those gone but for Aldor now. He had seen a bit into the king's heart the day before and knew that the man bore great pain. He felt a surge of sympathetic admiration for the man; he was surrounded by so much but far more than Valius he was truly alone.

"My sweet Bryn," he said softly, pulling her to him in a warm embrace, "you cannot make your father feel happy, it is up to him to feel that. But from our conversations together, I know part of him will be happy to see you wed and safe. If you are happy, I think that will mean a great deal to him."

Al'Tir was another matter, however. Princess Charissa was unsuited to lead a nation and disinterested in learning, according to Bryn. How Aldor had allowed her to get that way was...besides the point. "I do not know what to say about the fate of Al'Tir. Is there no one who would be a good ruler that your father could adopt? What about Dax? I know his lineage not but the king seems to set great store by him." He pursed his lips, "For that matter...when we wed, I could technically claim to be his heir as you would be my wife, unless Charissa was married also." Then that would get ugly. War kind of ugly, most likely. "Our children will certainly have a legal claim to Al'Tir's throne, should they be old enough when your father passes."

It was grim talk to speak of the fates of nations; for it was all caught up in their lives and their endings. "We will speak to your father together, once things are agreed, and see what we can do that ease the pain of his heart. Queen Sophi does little to do so, I can see, but perhaps were he to..." He let his voice trail off. They probably didn't officially have concubines here, so that wasn't an option either.

He paused and reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks. "...I like that you called me Val."

[heartofcourage]

His strong arms around her soothed her tears and Bryn found herself pressing closer to Valius. She sighed and dried her eyes, listening to the words that he was saying to give her comfort. It was true that there were others that could rule the land for her father. She nodded her agreement as he said that they would speak to her father when the negotiations were finished.

“Dax was an orphan when he came here. His family was part of a nomadic tribe that was killed in a civil war. He was the only one left and my brother took pity on him. They were friends for many years.” She said as Valius asked about him.

The topic of kings was one that was both unsavory but important. It would mean the difference between war and peace. She sniffed as he gently stroked her cheek, brushing her tears away and mentioning the nickname that she had called him earlier. She blushed and gave him a slight smile.

“It seemed right.” She said with a shrug, pleased that she had pleased him. “Val. I like the idea of having a name that only I call you. It makes it more special.”

She pressed her lips to his, clinging to him as she sighed. She was quickly becoming addicted to his taste and smell. He soothed her, brought her balance, and she couldn’t think of a life without him. The kiss deepened and she parted her lips beneath his, gasping as his tongue entered her mouth. She moaned softly, her body pressing more firmly against his as she slowly burned from the inside out.

[Armphid]

Valius could only hope that Bryn had no more reason to cry today. She looked lovely even with tear reddened eyes but surely this was enough weeping as they prepared for what was supposed to be joyous. But it was stopped for now, what he had offered her enough to consider as possible amelioration of the difficulties ahead for Al'Tir.

Her blush and smile about his comment of her nickname for him was gratifying. He nodded at what she said. Perhaps he should come up with a pet name for her? Her own was so short already though. Perhaps something about her hair? He could call her Red or Firehair or-

Her kiss took him my pleased surprise. She was growing bolder with him physically and he loved it. Gods, she felt so good, and her kisses truly were divine. Valius need consumed him and the kiss grew hotter and heavier, his tongue invading her mouth. Her taste was amazing; sweet and clean.

Her early talk of spies and rumor flew from his mind. Their bodies, their burgeoning love, the skimpy, clingy fabric of her dress, the cursed fullness of his own clothing, that was all he could think about.

Valius pulled her onto his lap as the kiss broke, giving them only a moment to catch their breath before he claimed her lips again. His hand moved to stroke her hips, fingers caressing the curve of her hip and waist with tender exploration before sliding back to gently cup the swell of her ass. Their lips parted and he dipped his head to kiss her neck, just where it met her jaw, and then more, kissing down her neck to her pale, slender shoulder. "Bryn, you are as lovely as any goddess, to kiss you, to touch you, is to feel the divine."

He should stop. He knew it. But gods, he wanted this badly. But did she? She knew so little of this part of life...did she even know what it was she wanted? And it might ruin her reputation, cause trouble for the negotiations...rot and blight, why couldn't this just be simple?

[heartofcourage]

When Valius pulled her into his lap, she let out a soft moan. She could feel a hard ridge of flesh pressing against her bottom and she blushed, smiling up at him as he claimed her lips again in a savagely passionate kiss. This man would consume her soul and she would let him do it willingly. She would enjoy every moment of it too, she thought as his caressed the curve of her hip and waist before he cupped her bottom and pulled her firmly against his chest.

She was panting as he broke their kiss, dipping his head to kiss her neck and jaw. She tilted her head back to give him more access to the sensitive flesh as he kissed her shoulder. She shivered at his lovely words that were full of husky seductiveness. She wanted him, she knew that, and she was aching for him, but was it worth the risk to give into their carnal pleasure.

“Surely…” She started, her voice caught in her throat as his lips caressed over her throat again. “Surely there is something we can do that won’t compromise us…” She trailed off with a sharp gasp as his lips caught her earlobe and pulled on the small dangling gold earring that resided here.

“Oh, Val.” She whimpered as his hand caressed her bottom once more and she squirmed hotly in his lap.

[Armphid]

Well, he didn't have to worry about her knowing what she wanted. The way she moved and the sweet, scorching tones of desire in her voice felt no doubt of it. Though she knew the same things he did; the same concerns made her feel they needed to hold back.

He ran his tongue over the earlobe he'd just kissed and teased, his mind trying to engage while his body and his instincts urged him to give them both what they wanted. His hips shifted beneath them; pressing his rigid manhood against her, though both their bodies were still shielded by their clothes.

He had a thought. It might not be enough. But it might do. "I do not know what rules there are here, but I think...I think I may have a way." His words were a throaty murmur and he pulled back to look into those shining blue eyes.

One of his hands left her ass and traveled around her rounded hip and then slid along the smooth, bare thigh that her dress exposed in this position. Gods. Her leg felt wondrous; shapely, smooth flesh and silky skin. Then his hand dipped under to caress her inner thigh and then started to slide upwards to the hidden treasure of her sex. He moved slow enough for her to speak, to stop him if she wished.

[heartofcourage]

Bryn was in wonder as that mysterious ridge of flesh pressed against her so intimately as he shifted her in his lap. She sighed as he pressed it against her more firmly, the warmth coming off it scorching her flesh as he turned her so that she was more securely in his arms.

Bryn’s mind was clouded as he murmured that he knew of a way and she trembled. He was going to touch her, she thought and her eyes turned towards his stormy grey gaze, her breath coming in a quick, breathless pant. The throaty moan of his voice made her whimper, her thighs parting under the caress of his hand like a wanton creature.

His fingers were warm and slightly rough as he caressed her inner thigh. It was an intimate touch, one that was shared by lovers and Bryn’s heart leapt with joy. He was going to love her. She let out a startled gasp as his fingers made contact with the wet juncture of her legs. Her sacred treasure was guarded by her tight undergarments, but she still couldn’t help the way that her thighs clamped shut around his wrist, her eyes wide as she looked up at him.

“W…what?” She asked him in a breathless voice as his lips against her throat once more had her sighing and parting her thighs slightly again. “Oh!”

The simple word escaped her lips as he touched her again and the aching flesh became wetter. “I don’t know what you do to me, Val.” She moaned against his ear as she parted her thighs even more.

[Armphid]

Gods, the way she responded was incredible. Those breathy, sweet moans and gasps, those adorably sexy little cries, the way her body moved in his arms, her breasts swelling with her panting breaths, it was all magical. He couldn't recall ever being this aroused, this hard, or wanting a woman this much.

But he couldn't act on it. He would do what he could for her and for himself, well, he'd have to wait. Maybe just long enough to get back to his own quarters tonight but he'd wait.

"Bryn, you feel so sensual. You're so wet and ready, I'm flattered and amazed." Valius ran his fingers over the wet cloth covering her virgin slit again, pressing a little more firmly this time. He started to stroke and pet her lips, kissing her neck, her ears, those perfect lips, even daring to kiss down to her collarbone and just above the swell of her tits.

His lips slid over her right ear, "How does it feel? Are you enjoying this, Bryn? I want you to feel good, to have a taste of what it can be like for us to be together."

[heartofcourage]

Bryn lost the ability to talk as his fingers rubbed more firmly over her sacred treasure. He touched something down there that made her twitch and moan softly. She panted as he kissed her neck and ears, his lips grazing over her lips and then kissing over her collarbone and the swell of her breasts.

She nodded, her red hair draping around them both as he asked if she was enjoying what he was doing. She was more than enjoying it, she thought as her flesh grew wetter and that ache became more present. Her hips moved against his fingers, another gasp escaping her lips as he touched that spot again.

“What…” She tried to talk through bloodless lips, her mouth dry as his hot breath fluttered over her ear. “What is that?” She asked him as he touched the spot between her legs again. The little touches against her undergarments was maddening. She wondered what it would feel like when he touched her bare skin for the first time.

[Armphid]

He cradled her to him, her fiery red locks falling over them both as she clung to him in the midst of her pleasure. Gods, had she never touched herself before? It seemed not. How different this land and its people were! His fingers were practiced, yes, not well practiced or recently, but still...this much reaction made it clear that any enjoyment of this kind was unknown to her.

"That," he answered her, kissing her forehead in a tender gesture, even as his clever finger teased and pleased her increasingly wet pussy, "is your pearl. It's a place in your sex that feels better than any other, save when having a man inside, or so the one who taught me said."

He shifted his hand around to press his thumb to that spot, rubbing it and only it, the rest of his fingers continuing to stroke and pet but also moving and probing, trying to find the folds of her undergarments so he might slip inside and touch her directly.

[heartofcourage]

Her pants and soft moans filled the small space of her room, her eyes closing as he kissed her forehead gently. Her fingers clung to his fine shirt, bunching the fabric tightly as her thighs started to shake. She shivered, pleasure racing up her spin as he touched the pearl between her legs.

Bryn welcomed his touch as he searched for entrance into her undergarments. Her blue eyes were darkened with desire as she took his wrist and placed his fingertips at the ribbon that held her undergarments around her slim hips. She let out a whimper and a sigh as his rough fingers slid over her bare skin, through the red hair at the entrance of her sacred treasure and then over her flesh for the first time.

“Val!” She whined, her cheek pressed tightly against his shoulder as she felt his fingers pet her wetness and she thought that she would burn from the inside out. “I…I…” She couldn’t form the words as his fingers parted her lips and he stroked her pearl directly.

Bryn melted, her body jerking against his as he held her tightly against him. “What is this?” She asked him, her voice low and husky as she panted for breath. Something was building deep within her belly. It made her feel warm all over, but it frightened her with its intensity.

[Armphid]

He smiled as she guided him to the ties of the cloth that hid her sex from him. It came loose easily enough and then, Gods, then he felt paradise. Her skin was smooth and warm and slick from sweat and sweeter juices. His fingers moved through thin, soft red curls and then felt the wet, pulsing lips of her treasure beneath them. "Glorious," he whispered.

The forest king did not keep her waiting, his thumb found her pearl once more, rubbing and caressing it, making her gasp and almost squeal. His fingers petted and stroked her sex from the outside of the sensitive lips.

He could feel her breathing growing more rapid and ragged, her form starting to tense, and her words made him smile. "Pleasure builds, Bryn," he answered her, "it builds until it reaches a point and you cum. It's called a climax or an orgasm. The pleasure builds slower in women than in men, but the climax can be all the greater, or so it is said."

"It won't hurt, it won't damage anything. It's powerful and intense, but you'll feel only good." He kept up his pace, steady and certain, driving her towards what seemed like would be an explosive finish. "Let this be the first I give you, Bryn, my beauty, but not the last." Perhaps not even the last today. Though maybe all for now; he didn't want her to be unable to breathe and if this was effecting her so hard now...

"Just let it build and then let it go, love, don't fight it." He continued to whisper into her ear, "Enjoy this little gift of life, this pleasure allowed us by the gods."

[heartofcourage]

As he rubbed and caressed her aching flesh, Bryn clung to him like he were the only steady point in her world. It was like clinging to a rock in the middle of a raging river. She shook and shivered, moaning softly against his ear as he drove her towards the end of something amazing.

She let her body enjoy the sensation instead of fighting it. It was consuming her, a fire deep within her belly growing until it threatened to burst. She sighed as he whispered encouragement into her ear, calling her love and beauty. It was like magic, she thought as her eyes closed tightly against the sensation that was pulsing up her spine.

She didn’t speak, she couldn’t speak. It was nearly impossible as she panted for breath, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out over her skin as his fingers caressed her pearl. She took in a deep gasping breath and let out a loud squeal as her body went rigid and that hard pressure in her belly burst.

She saw stars and colors behind her eyes, Valius’s warm words against her ear making her shake and shiver even more. She felt wetness gather on her sacred lips as his fingers continued to stroke her. She was pulsing inside and out, her body jerking and moving against his with an involuntary motion. It was the most amazing sensation she’d ever felt in her life and also the most frightening.

He was holding her close, murmuring against her ear, soothing her down from the terrifying heights of heaven. She slowly relaxed into his muscled chest, shaking and shivering as she gave him a shy smile. She pressed her lips against his cheek, moaning gently as his lips soon captured hers for a proper kiss. When she dared to open her eyes, the blue orbs were filled with a mixture of adoration and wonder.

“Thank you.” She murmured, knowing that it sounded silly to be thanking her soon to be husband for such a thing, but it seemed appropriate. “I love you, Val.” There, she thought as she nuzzled her nose against his. That sounded much more appropriate.

[Armphid]

She trembled and shook in his arms like a wounded bird, but her expression and her aching, soft moaning gasps made it clear that it was pleasure not pain that made her shake. Her clung to him; her hands digging into his chest through his shirt and her body pressed to his fiercely.

He spoke to her, "Feel it, love, this pleasure between us, for you, this beginning. It's all right to feel it, to like it, to want it." He kissed her sweaty forehead, her quivering lips, "You deserve this, and I want to give it to you, take it and enjoy it, Bryn, from me, for you, for us both. You're so sexy and so so beautiful, you deserve to feel enough to match that."

When she came it was like a landslide; a sudden explosion of movement, of frenetic and frantic whimpering cries, and a rush of her sweet release over his fingers. He held her close through what may be her first orgasm ever, whispering still further to her, "Gods, cum, Bryn! So good, my love, so sweet and so right, you're doing wonderful, ride it out, that's my love, my queen."

He slowed his ministrations and slid his hand away from her treasure, though he did not with to. Too much at once would be bad. Her breathing evened and she looked up at him, smiling shyly.

He grinned at her thanks and they kissed. Her next words made his smile more happy and gentle. "I love you. What a remarkable thing to have happened to us." He laughed then, hugging her to him with one arm.

Then he winked at her and brought the hand that had been on her sex to his face. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent...and then licked up his index finger to taste her. "Mm, you taste very good, Bryn, and that's indirect." He kissed her again, whispering against her lips, "I'll have to taste you directly soon, love. I cannot tell you how soon I wish we were wed."

[heartofcourage]

Bryn blushed as he brought the hand that had given her pleasure to his lips. He breathed deeply of her scent and then licked his fingers to taste. She let loose one last shiver at his action and his words, his kiss gentle before he made a solemn vow to her.

“If our time together will be like than every time, then I cannot tell you how soon I wish we were wed.” She said with a small grin on her face.

She held him close, sighing as they simply enjoyed each others company in the aftermath of what had happened. She could still feel the ridged flesh beneath her bottom and wondered if he were aching as much as she was. She sighed gently, knowing that she didn’t dare do the same thing for him just yet.

“Let us go walk in the garden.” She suggested after a long few moments together in each others arms. “Give us both time to unwind before dinner.” Her blue gaze looked up at him and she smiled at the look on his face. “I wish, my lord, that I could help you in the same way that you helped me, but I fear that we do not have the time. A walk will clear your head.”

[Armphid]

Valius could only smile at her suggestion. It was for the best, she was correct. Even what he had done might be too much depending on how invasive and diligent the spies she'd mentioned were. They dare not tempt fate by going further. He kissed her forehead and nodded, "A walk would be good, I agree. I will want to get my head clear and my heart calmed before dinner."

Walking in with an obvious erection would be a bit gauche of him.

He lifted her from his lap and set her down on the bed before he rose from it. "You may need to re-adjust your dress, my desert rose, and, ah, re-secure certain garments." In a just world, he'd have watched her do so but she was so modest and unknowing about this part of life that he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Instead he picked the pendant she'd given him off the bed and then turned away to give her privacy, striding out of the bedroom into the adjoining suite. He washed his hands in the basin of water left there for such purposes, thinking again that showing up smelling of that particular aroma could cause trouble.

She came into the room he was in just as Valius slipped the blue clay pendant over his head, leaving it to hang openly at the front of his shirt. He held out his hand to her, "Let us go and walk then, Bryn. For the air in here does little to clear my head, only inflaming my desire." Dax was on her door, of course, as they left her chambers. Valius inclined his head to the guard, "Sir Dax, My Lady and I are taking a walk in the gardens. Perhaps you and Masha might join us to provide your guardianship in a more pleasing way to you both?"

The two young lovers walked through the palace toward the gardens in quiet, content merely to be close. Her arm in his was a sweet, aching reminder of the closeness they could have but not so much to cause any embarrassment. They came out under the desert sky and the clean, sharp, arid air was almost a slap in the face; refreshing and bracing in a rough way. Valius breathed deep and looked down at the woman who had come to so quickly and easily hold his heart. "We should talk while we walk, I think. Left to myself, I would move to talking of our enemies and plans, your training, and such dire topics. So if you spare us, now is the time, Bryn. What would you like us to talk about?"

[heartofcourage]

Bryn blushed as he mentioned her garments and as he left her room, she was quick to retie the silk ribbon that held her undergarments to her hips and then readjusted her dress. She walked to the vanity, placing sweet smelling perfume under each ear before she made her hair more presentable. As she entered the other room, she smiled at her husband to be as he slid the clay disk over his head and left it hanging openly on his shirt.

“It suits you.” She said as she straightened the collar of his shirt and then took his hand, smiling as he lead her into the hallway and asked Dax and Masha to join them.

They walked in silence, the only sounds that of the weapons that adored their protectors as they entered into the king’s private gardens. The heat was back and in full force. She worried for the delegation that Valius had brought with him. The heat would take away the breath of the strongest man and render him weak. She hoped that they took care of themselves.

“We have a great deal to discuss, my lord, but it is true that we should not speak on dire topics right now.” She said, her arm slipping through his as they walked along the rows of wild and exotic plants. “Although, I am at a loss of what to talk about.”

She grinned up at him as they walked past the sparkling fountains of water that sprang from the sand like magic towards the white washed stone walls that gave them a perfect view of the desert beyond. Bryn had always loved this view and standing there with Valius made it even more perfect.

She started by talking about the plants as they passed by. She knew that the tropical ones were not common where he lived and they were some of the most beautiful. She stopped them in front of a bush from Alerum that grew giant blue speckled fruit. She picked one of the orbs that was the size of her palm and offered it to him.

“Our soldiers take it into battle with them. It provides both food and water when there is none to be had.” She glanced over her shoulder at Dax and smiled. “Although they are so use to eating it that the novelty has worn off. Dax is quiet sick of the fruit after all that time.”

“We call it zerbi.” Dax said, drawing strange looks from the Ithilien as Bryn giggled. “It means vomit.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders as Bryn continued to laugh in earnest as the two forest dwellers exchanged glances.

“And this is a cartir.” She said, pointing out a glorious red bloom that grew from a plant as black as midnight. “They are both beautiful and deadly. If you are pricked by one of the thrones, it has enough poison to kill a grown man. Our gardeners are some of the best at harvesting it.” The red flower was the same color as Bryn’s hair and she smiled at Valius as he admired it. “Before my father’s family became the kings of Al’Tir they were called Cartir after this flower.”

“Oh, and this!” She called, dragging the forest king to a plant that was very familiar to him. “A lily, I believe you call it.” The delicate white flowers were blooming in the middle of the garden, tall and hearty. “I love the smell of fresh lilies.”