The Harem Ch 06

Magdalyn stretched her arms high over her head and yawned hugely. Through the misty residue of sleep, she heard a chuckle next to her. Her eyes remained closed, and she smiled slowly. "I suspect that I am not in my bed, with Faunthra waking me."

"You suspect correctly." Nictolanus turned to his side and raised himself on his elbow to look down at her. When she only snuggled deeper into the robe and pillow he raised one eyebrow in surprise. "While I cannot find fault with your current disposition, it does make one wonder."

Opening her eyes, Magdalyn raised an eyebrow in imitation of him. "If you cannot find fault with it, why wonder?"

Moving to straddle her, Nictolanus brushed the hair back from her face. Her expression remained serene, if slightly mocking. "When one lives in a world of intrigue, one must wonder about everything."

"The only intrigue you must worry about is that planned against me by Helenia, and whatever I might plan against her." Magdalyn's eyes were steady and serious even as his narrowed slightly. "I will not seek to harm her if she does not seek to harm me."

"Understandable. And yet I feel like there is something you are still keeping from me." Despite his absence, Ikthyer was still able to reach Nictolanus. He had known the moment that Magdalyn had decided to embrace her new life, and was reasonably certain what Ikthyer and Cyrenia had told her to accomplish such a thing. Since the thought was not an entirely unpleasant one, he had decided to do nothing to disillusion her.

"Of course there is. If you knew everything about me, how much longer would you care to know these things?" Raising her hand to tentatively trace a finger over his jaw line, she smiled at him shyly. "Would you not rather always know that you would find something different with me than something always the same?"

Catching her hand with his, Nictolanus pressed a kiss to her open palm. "Come. The morning is still early. Let us steal a bit more of it before duties call."

* * * * *

They snuck through the manor like children sneaking away from chores, giggling and shushing each other whenever they heard the sound of servant's footsteps. Ushering her through the library door, he pulled her across the room to the double glass doors that opened out onto the first gardens. When she would have stopped and studied the blossoms, he tugged on her hand, giving her no choice but to follow.

Heading towards the first grove of willows, Nictolanus suddenly turned and stooped, hoisting her over his shoulder. When she squealed and swatted at his back, he only laughed. "If we were to continue at your pace, half the morning would be gone before we reached our destination."

"And I suppose that asking me to hurry would have been too simple." Turning her head, she managed to nip his ear with her teeth lightly. "Imagine the stories that would be told if the servants were to see you treating me thus."

"Since we are already out of sight, they would be poor stories indeed." Nictolanus lowered her to her feet, touching his finger to her nose. "Now your gratitude would be appreciated."

"My gratitude for...." Magdalyn trailed off as he gently turned her around. When she remained speechless, he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "You're quite welcome."

Before them was a small, intimate clearing, cleverly concealed by the triple ring of willows. A tiny pond, crystal clear, lay at the far edge of the clearing, surrounded by....

"Lilies. Similar to the type they once had on Earth, and what some of the colonies have now." Stroking a hand down her back, he played with the tips of her hair, fine as thistledown. "Our scientific team brought them back, and adapted them to our system."

"We didn't have any flowers." Magdalyn stepped forward, her feet silent on the thick grass. Kneeling, she bent her head, breathing in the sweet scent. "I've seen more flowers and plants in the time I've been here than in my whole life."

Sitting down beside her, he plucked a flower and handed it to her. "I could not imagine my life without such beauty. That is why the founders created this place. To preserve a simple way of life, a simple type of beauty."

Curious, Magdalyn sat as well, drawing her knees up to rest her chin on them. "And yet you go to war with other peoples, and send your people to study them and their ways of life."

"To keep them from coming here to war, and to keep our people from dying out." Nictolanus picked another flower, twirling it absently. "The knowledge we have is put to use in medicine, in productivity. The life the founders chose, what might have been called feudalism many years ago on Earth, is just that--choice. If we can accomplish so much while still living in such a simple way, why change it?"

Impulsively, Magdalyn leaned forward and brushed her lips over his, a bare whisper. Drawing back, she watched his study her. Slowly, she leaned into him again, letting her mouth connect with his fully. Her quiet sigh was answered with his as his hands wound into her long mass of hair.

Laying back, Nictolanus pulled Magdalyn until she lay sprawled over his chest. With his free hand, he pressed her body more firmly to his, her curves as soft and lush as her remembered. When he ran his tongue over her lips, they parted instantly, granting him access to the sweetness within. Stroking his hand down to cup her rounded bottom, he moaned low in his throat when her tongue slid over his, first shyly then more assuredly when he groaned again.

Rolling over to press her into the soft grass, Nictolanus raised himself to his elbows, continuing to indulge himself with her soft mouth. The first feel of her small hand on his chest had the breath in his lungs catching. His muscles froze when that small hand moved slowly and curiously down his torso until they reached his manhood. Her touch was light and hesitant, and he broke the kiss, groaning aloud.

"Did I do something wrong, did I hurt you?" Magdalyn's face was flushed, and she chewed on her lower lip anxiously. Nictolanus's eyes were closed and his breathing was ragged. The body under her hand seemed to grow and throb, and her eyes widened slightly. "Nictolanus?"

At the sound of his name, he opened his eyes, and the breath caught in Magdalyn's throat. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." Nictolanus gritted the word out, holding onto his control by a thin thread. When her hand moved over him again lightly, he sucked in a breath. "What are you doing?"

Blushing, Magdalyn whispered, "I know that you have a...thing, that you put inside me, and it brings pleasure and makes babies. But I do not know what it looks like, or feels like."

Stunned enough to focus on something besides his own raging desire, Nictolanus stared at her. "They don't teach you anything about your body on the colony?"

Blushing deeper, Magdalyn shook her head. "No, only what they feel is necessary. Girls learn about female things, and boys learn about male things. The elders said it was to discourage promiscuity and promote faithfulness."

"Of course they did," Nictolanus muttered under his breath, the absurdity of such thought almost making him laugh. Taking a deep breath, he stood, stripping off his clothes quickly. He did laugh when Magdalyn covered her eyes with her hands. "You cannot see if you do not look."

Laying over her again, he pried one hand from her eyes, nipping at the fingers. Placing it on his chest, he pried the other hand away, kissing her closed eyes. "Even if you are too shy to look, you can still feel."

Trailing her fingers lightly over his well muscled torso, she paused when she felt raised tissue. Opening her eyes, she whispered, "What did this?"

"Some sword. The wielder died before I felt the pain from his blow." Nictolanus's jaw dropped in shock when she lifted up enough to brush her lips over the long healed wound. "Soft heart."

"One of us must be." Moving her hand further down, she paused and took a deep breath before grasping him firmly. Raising her eyes to his, she smiled slightly. "This is not soft."

"With your hand upon me, I would hope not." Nictolanus sucked in a harsh breath when she squeezed him gently, and began to slide her hand up and down the length of him.

"I do not think this will work. You seem to be rather...large." Magdalyn felt him pushing the bed robe up her thigh, and heard him chuckle. "I am serious. You are much too large for this to work."

"When the time comes, your body will welcome me, have no doubt. If you can birth a child, you can surely be made love to by a man." Before Magdalyn could point out that she had not birthed a child, Nictolanus moved his fingers over her smooth thigh and down the opening of her body.

Magdalyn arched her hips at the feel of his hand, unconsciously tightening her grip on him. Nictolanus grinned when he felt the wetness on his fingers and lowered his face to hers. Before he claimed her lips again, he whispered, "Continue as you are. It will be enjoyable for us both."

Their tongues dueled as Nictolanus smoothly slid a finger into her tight opening. Already her breathing was fracturing, and he marveled at how responsive she was. As her hand continued to glide up and down his length, he also marveled at how easily she learned. When he slid a second finger into her, feeling her stretch, and feeling her hand tighten on him, he turned his concentration to bringing her to release.

Magdalyn could feel it beginning, the painful tightening in her belly, the shortness of her breath. Her free hand gripped blindly at his shoulder, desperate to hold onto something steady in her spinning world. Above her she could feel the slight shudders in Nictolanus's body, and knew he could feel them coming from her as well.

Suddenly, the spinning stopped and the darkness exploded into white light. Wave after wave of pleasure flowed over Magdalyn, leaving her breathless and gasping. Through it all, she was aware of Nictolanus gasping above her, and the length of him in her hand pulsing and throbbing. As the world settled, she became aware of other things, such as the stickiness on her thigh, and the ragged breathing of Nictolanus as he collapsed next to her. As she curled into him, his hand came to rest on her back, sweating lightly in the thick robe.

When he felt able to speak again, Nictolanus said, "We should greet the mornings in this way every day."

Magdalyn laughed low in her throat, a sound that caused Nictolanus's breath to quicken slightly. "If we were to start every day this way, I would be too tired to see to my studies, you would be too tired to see to your business, and the laundry staff would soon come to dread the arrival of our clothes."

Puzzled, Nictolanus tilted his head to look at her. Magdalyn's response to his unanswered question had his laughter ringing through the clearing.

"Grass stains."