Tremendous thanks to Todger65 for his help in editing and to Nthusiastic for beta reading and asking good questions!
*****
Walking back to their rooms with Draeseth and Lislora, Isonei felt exhausted and elated. Even Draeseth seemed in a good mood. Lislora, however, looked as though the evening had taken a great deal out of her. Once they reached their chambers she murmured something in Torgan and went directly to the study that had been prepared for her.
"She is too tired for anything else tonight." Draeseth frowned slightly looking at the now closed door.
"It was tiring, but very enjoyable. I think she may not enjoy parties as much as I do."
"You enjoy them as my mother did. She loved the gowns and the conversation."
"You haven't spoken much about her." Isonei smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Draeseth made a pleased sound in his throat. "Come to bed and we will talk. When you called my uncle a fat rabbit and threatened him, it put me in a kittenly mood."
Isonei began to laugh, "I did not! He teased you about being called a kitten and all I said was we had a wonderful cat in Ara who loved to snuggle and occasionally brought home fat rabbits as big as he was."
The grinning Torgan Prince stooped for a kiss. "Woman, it was a pointed reminder that your kitten can kill." He began backing her toward the bedroom. "If I could bed you we would be awake all night. I want to reward you for the startled look on his face and the way he thought better of continuing his teasing."
"I think he thought better of it because you rolled your shoulders back and smirked. You could have rolled them and glowered while asking if he wanted to stroke you and gotten a similar response." She grinned impishly as he began to laugh in his throat.
"Our son may be too mischievous to be a priest. They may refuse to accept him." He pushed the door closed catching Mes with it. Opening it again he barked a question in Torgan.
Her answer seemed to stutter.
"She wishes to help you put away your jewelry and undress."
"You should be kinder, my flower wine."
"I do not enjoy being interrupted."
"And I remember how you liked to help me take off Aran dresses." She laughed at his wicked grin. "I don't have so many you can keep doing that."
"I prefer you in Torgan gowns, woman." Draeseth bent and kissed her hungrily, "Or bare in my bed."
"If you want me bare in your bed, let Mes help me undress."
Kissing her again and giving her a growling grunt before he nodded to Mes, Draeseth moved to the other side of the bed to begin undressing himself. "She should ask if Lislora needs help as well."
"Master Krouth is assisting her," Mes spoke quietly.
"Good, she looked so tired..." Isonei put her ring back in its box and let Mes remove her necklace and bracelet. "Has she been ill too?"
"No," Draeseth answered her before Mes could attempt to. "She has been well. Though the convent did not suit her as well as she had hoped."
"I liked it there. The children were so wonderful."
"I will make certain you have enough children to keep you content, woman." Draeseth laughed in his throat and came back to where she stood as Mes unfastened her dress, to pull the pins from her hair. "You may adopt more if those you and Lislora give me are not enough."
"Less than twenty still sounds nice."
He laughed and kissed her head, tugging at her dress. "Undress, woman, and come to bed."
Mes hurriedly helped her out of everything except the small clothes that would keep her from bleeding on the linens. Before Isonei could ask for water to at least rinse herself with, Krouth came in with his eyes averted carrying a basin. He helped Mes pick up the clothing and put it away with the jewelry as Isonei began to wash herself. Draeseth had retreated to lie on the bed and watch, though he turned away as she removed the small clothes and Mes changed the padding.
When she had finished, he pulled aside the covers for her and made a contented sound as she curled close against his side.
After a moment, once the servants had covered the lamps and left the room, Draeseth murmured, "The bleeding has not yet stopped."
"No. But it had gotten better. It did seem a little worse when I washed."
"You should not have danced. Rest is what you require, although it seems to aggravate you."
"Did Krouth tell you about the book the Kamrus sent?"
"You forget that I woke you to retrieve it?" He laughed softly.
"I did!" Isonei rubbed her face against his side. "The medicine he gave me makes me so sleepy."
"It forces you to rest, my Isonei."
"I slept almost all day. I'm not as sleepy now as I should be, even though I do feel a little tired."
Draeseth made an amused noise in his throat. "I had considered finding a way to enjoy you that would be less strenuous but my desire faded when I saw your blue-green blood soaking the padding. I need you to be well and you must care for yourself and our child."
"I am trying, I promise you that." She idly curled her fingers in the hair of his chest. "The Queen said, troublemakers-"
He began to laugh cutting her off. "Troublemakers begin before they escape the womb. Your son could be nothing less, woman. He will be quick and clever."
Smiling, she sighed and pressed a kiss to his grey-green skin. "I like this."
"This?"
"Lying in bed and talking. We don't do it often."
"What do you wish to talk about, my loving wife?" Pulling her closer and rolling onto his side, he breathed the words into her hair.
"Mm, everything." Isonei pressed more kisses into his skin. "Tell me about the first girl you ever loved."
"You are the first," Draeseth caressed her back, "the first I have ever loved."
"That explains a great deal, my flower wine." She sighed again, resting her forehead against his chest. "You're still learning what to do with yourself."
After a moment he asked, "Liadith was the first boy you loved, who was the first man?" His slightly sour question made her smile.
"After Liadith there were a few... but I couldn't say the words. I had little pieces of my heart broken when I realized it. But, I just..."
He made a pleased sound in his throat. "I am the first man you have loved and been able to speak the words to."
"Yes. Heartbreak is such a painful thing. I was afraid of it for years, and I have tried to be as careful with the hearts of others as my own. But something about you..."
"I knew when I saw you that I needed you. I needed to protect you and keep you by my side. You are mine Isonei. Ganas gave you to me."
Twining her fingers idly in the hair of his chest she took a deep breath, debating telling him that she wasn't Ganas' to give.
"Why did you stay with me? You said I was the first to make you consider it, but why?"
"I'm not sure. You fascinated me. Your manner... and you are the most magnificent man I've ever seen naked." Isonei grinned as he laughed in his throat. "I liked that you listened to what I was saying about our positions even though you were desperate to be deeper inside me. You trusted me."
"Other men did not?"
"They did, but none of them had your urgency. I prefer men who are loving and who like to be touched." She smiled to herself, "The way you react to my touch makes my stomach flutter the same way the sight of you with your head in your hands makes my heart ache."
"I showed you my vulnerability and you wrapped yourself around me. You wish to protect me as much as I wish to protect you."
Isonei pressed her face against his chest. "I do. I want to protect that sweet, loving man I see when I look at you. I can't bear the thought of breaking your heart. If I leave you, I want to leave you in better condition than I found you." Her voice cracked slightly.
Draeseth began to rub her and kiss her head. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he asked softly, "You are patient with me because you wish to teach me. But not for your own enjoyment?"
"I love you Draeseth, but we're not well suited. I love you enough to want you to find the perfect match-"
"I will never love another woman as I love you. I would not hear you speak of parting with me. Teach me for your own pleasure, Isonei."
"It's true that you won't. Every time has been different for me, and my sisters say that's as it should be. But... it wouldn't be fair to you to try to teach you to suit my needs." She wiggled until she was face to face with him in the dark as he protested, silencing him with a kiss. "I want you to learn to be the best man you can be without compromising who you are. Whether you are with me or anyone else, Draeseth, I want you to be able to look at yourself and be proud of your actions and your..." Her voice cracked again and tears ran down her cheeks as her throat closed. Why she was breaking into tears she wasn't wholly sure but it felt like trying to hold back a lake with only her eyelids.
He murmured in Torgan as he began to kiss her cheeks and stroke her hair. After a few long moments, she could breathe again and the tears subsided. Isonei kissed him sweetly as a reward for his gentleness and found once she started she didn't want to stop. She kissed him until he was groaning helplessly into her mouth and moving his hands over her before pulling back just enough to leave little kisses on his lips and along his jaw.
"Woman, I ache for you and cannot bed you."
