Authors Note:
Shhhhhhhhh..... I am well aware that it has taken me probably a year and a half to touch this story (I have some reedits on previous chapters, some of which are already submitted) yeah, your and you're.... I did really really have a problem with that, even though I know the difference I was passing them by in my edits.
ANYWAY, I was writing so much before because we were trying for our first child, and I had sex on the brain non-stop. Well, my hormones are shifting again and I found myself sitting up in the middle of the night needing to write, so here is more of the story!
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Silvanus:
Rubbing his temples he left his head in his hands, too drained to care much about what Alam was lecturing him on. Thankfully, he had missed the main event in the bath house, but having realized they were there together, had come immediately. Silvanus couldn't even focus on what the Seer was saying to him.
Suddenly standing up, hands pressed firmly against the table Silvanus leaned in towards the Seer to get his attention. "Her virtue is still intact Alam. It is not something I would take without thought. All you are doing here is making me want to rethink that just to spite you. Unfortunately for me, I realize that will cause me more problems in the long run than bothering you is worth. Now unless you have something more important to say than this older brother or spurned lover speech-" he held up a hand and closed his eyes to stop Alam's objections, "-I am going back up to our room. I promised not to leave her alone. Stop for a second and think about what your putting her through before you try and stop me because of your own inadequacies,"
Thankfully it was easy enough to leave, Alam seemed to be too bemused by Silvanus' different attitude and emotionless voice to respond properly. On his way up the stairs he stopped one of the barmaids and requested a strong magic barrier spell be delivered to the room, and that the man standing awkwardly in the corner would pay for it. Goodness knows he didn't need to be watched all night. He was already feeling awkward about what happened earlier with Zorah.
Silvanus went back up to their room to find Zorah in a chair by the window, her blanket spewed awkwardly between her and the bed. After what seemed like an eternity of watching the sunlight shine in her hair, but was probably only about 20 seconds, Zorah spoke.
"I lost my blanket on my way over here. Do you mind helping me?" Her voice was as small as it was when she was in his arms, but had lost most of the rest of the spark. Silvanus felt an odd twist in his throat as he went and gathered up her blanket and draped it around her, fingers lingering on her hair after pulling it from under the material bunching at her tall neck. "Sorry."
"What?" Silvanus said, dumbly, after quickly withdrawing his hands from her, before he realized she was apologizing, not insulting.
"I am sorry," she said more clearly, stealing a glance at him. He sat down on the end of her bed wondering what else was going to happen today. He apparently was quiet too long because, in the same small dry voice she continued, "normally you respond in some way, or another, to a phrase like that."
Running a few things through his head, Silvanus finally settled on one. "You are forgiven?" Ah, it came out too obvious of a question, Silvanus cringed.
Zorah ignored that, "You are forgiving me without knowing what I am asking forgiveness for?"
"Alright," Silvanus sighed, heaving his heavy chest, "What are you sorry about?"
"One, I took without giving, and two I took with no qualms, and that is not like me,"
"Zorah I only touched your hips, nothing-" Silvanus choked on the rest of the sentence when Zorah turned and caught his gaze. He found himself drawn forward by the turmoil in her eyes.
"Don't-" she said, stopping him. Silvanus had scarcely realized that he was about to scoop her into his arms.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Remembering his order Silvanus quickly answered it and took the spell. Turning it over in his hands a few times he found what he wanted and activated the small crystal. A dim glow issued from it and he placed it in the middle of the room on the floor. Looking up Silvanus saw Zorah's quizzical look and said, "To keep the prying eyes out, I am rather tired of being watched by His Royal 'Peek In On Everyone Because He Wants To' I would like to sleep in peace tonight."
Zorah let out a little giggle, but covered her mouth and sighed. "It is important that I tell you this Silvanus," She gave him a moment to sit back down and turned in her chair to face him more comfortably. "I did not know it was fake," she cleared her throat to remove an emotional frog before continuing, "I did not know that those advances were just a parlor trick and not actually happening to me, and yet I stood there, let it happen, and worse yet for you, did not even try to reciprocate-" she lifted her arm in a painful gesture and silenced Silvanus before he realized he should be objecting. "it was completely inappropriate and out of character of me to act that way and I am sorry to my self for not maintaining my own established morals, and I am ashamed about being so greedy when put in that situation,"
Formulating the fastest response possible, Silvanus found himself saying, "But you did try and give back," When she cocked her head he touched his lips and Zorah blushed.
"No," Zorah said softly, "I am not apologizing for that, I gave that knowing full well what was going on, I am talking about when I thought we were having sex, I just accepted it. Past not trying to stop you, I didn't even try and reach out to you, or acknowledge that it would have been both of us committing the act,"
"Oh," Silvanus said suddenly, realizing what was bothering her so much, "No, Zorah, don't worry about that! When I am using my magic like that I can anticipate what you are going to do next and I purposefully distract you from it so you can't reach out and find out it is a mirage. It is a tactic I developed to keep my talents hidden. That is not on your head at all."
Zorah's mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to sort her thoughts. Finally more of her spunk was in her voice when she replied again, "I still should have fought you off in the beginning so it never got to that point,"
"Mmnn, for that I have no answer," Responding to her typical personality slipping out, Silvanus found himself goading her again in a patronizing tone, "but what did you mean by, 'That's all I can spare', and 'It will already hurt to have what I have given shared'? Are you jealous of the other girls?"
An embarrassed flush crept over Zorah's face before she managed a response, her voice was timid at first, but grew into her usual obstinate tone with every word, "oh, we are bringing up that conversation are we? Well then, you wouldn't mind explaining to me about how you are not what everyone things and says of you." Silvanus was too relieved to have her normal mood back to stop her before she hit the nail on the head, "So is the reason you are so certain you don't have ninety something kids running around isn't because you keep tabs on the women, it's because you haven't actually had sex with any of them," Silvanus' jaw dropped and his usual charisma was long ago gone, Zorah was still talking through her theory but Silvanus wasn't hearing it, the world shrunk down to him and about 3 square feet of floor.
Silvanus swung his legs over the bed to get off on the opposite side, away from her. He stood there a while, completely detached from everything except his tiny world, unsure what to do next. A gentle caress on the back of his arm drew him into reality. He looked over his shoulder and saw Zorah's apologetic face, her concern for him was larger than the pain she felt in her body from her wounds.
They stood there some time before she spoke, "There is nothing wrong with it, unless you are wishing you weren't a virgin,"
Silvanus snorted, breaking the spell, "whether or not I have physically done the act with my body, I have done it with my magic, I am far less innocent than you,"
"True, but if you are holding out for something, I find that admirable,"
"No, no I don't think I am, not anymore." Why was he telling her this? Who is this woman placed in his charge? Why is he talking like this with her? "It is true I don't like waste, I was taught that from a young age,"
'Really? I am still talking? Am I just going to be some Sap, be That Guy, and talk like this?'
"But really from the start, it was an accident, then it was as a game, who could I trick as payback, then it was a kind of trademark, and now it is what it is and who I am, and yes it is starting to bother me, but who can I really go to and have that moment and honestly share it? It would be just ridiculous, after all this time, just to take it to take it, and have it be only for me."
"You will find her," Zorah said simply, Silvanus realized she was getting heavier and heavier against his arm, turned and scooped her up, sucking out the pain in her body as he did.
"Stop being so sentimental, I don't know what to do with you,"
"Sleep with me," Zorah said, nestling her head against his chest again, his entire body froze and she looked up, giggling sleepily, "I literally mean sleep, not sex, I don't hurt when I am with you, and I'm feeling a bit attached to you right now, can we? Or is that crossing a line? I thought those all got crossed already."