Authors Note: I originally posted a version of this story on another site back in 2010. I just remembered it and thouht I would bring an updated version of it over here too. This story takes place directly after In the Coils of the Snake. Now that everyone knows Nir is really the elf King, he is referred to by the title, Aganir, by his people and the goblins. Miranda refers to him by his name, Ash.

"You told me you would give me anything that's in your power to give," Miranda whispered to Aganir Ash, as she pulled him aside from the rest of the band.

It was the second night of their marriage. Her second as the King's Wife. But half the night was over and she hadn't managed to get one moment alone with her husband. Between the joyful elves demanding their new King's attention and Seylin's need to speak of the future, Miranda had to struggle to so much as get close to him.

Ash studied at her, his black eyes bright. "I did," he agreed.

Miranda drew him in closer and whispered, "I want you."

"That's good," he whispered back, on the verge of laughter. "That is in my power to give."

Turning down Hunter's urging for them to join a game he was trying to put together, Ash and Miranda walked hand in hand toward their tent.

"Aganir! Miranda!" Seylin called, hurrying after them. "When do you think we should begin those tutoring lessons? Oh! And the spell to adjust your eyes to the night, Miranda, we should start that as soon as possible. And-"

"Friend goblin," Ash interrupted, smiling. "I know your people value the truth, so I will be honest. Right now, my wife and I need to be alone."

"But-" Seylin stopped when he realized where they were headed and what that must mean. "Oh...Oh! I see. Well then. We'll discuss this later, I suppose." He paused, embarrassed. "Good luck."

Miranda blushed at the goblin's last words.

Truth be told, when the young woman said she wanted her husband, she wasn't entirely sure what that would entail.

First, they went through their normal bedtime ritual. He tugged off her slippers and cleaned her feet before tending to his own. Then they crawled into the tent and closed the flaps behind them. Their determination turned to tentative reserve as they knelt before each other. Miranda could only see Ash by the dim light of her bracelet, but he could make her out perfectly. He studied her, trying to decide how to proceed. This would be his bride's first time and he didn't want to traumatize her. She had already gone through so much with the goblins and Catspaw's perverted assaults. Ash didn't want to put her through anything more upsetting.

So, he decided to start by removing his own clothes, putting off touching her for the moment. He slid his green tunic over his head, gracefully managing not to ruffle his curly black hair.

Miranda ran her eyes and then, tentatively, her hands over his bare chest. She ached to kiss the smooth skin, but doubted she could be so bold yet, even with her husband.

Not wanting to seem as timid or naive about marital relations as she felt, Miranda tried to lift her dress and under dress over her head. The effect wasn't nearly as effortlessly graceful as her husband's. Somehow, on their way up, the garments caught her arm, making it impossible to pull the clothes all the way over her head. She spent a humiliating moment squirming helplessly before Ash free her from the fabric, easing the dresses off.

His black eyes shining mischievously bright, he smoothed her ruffled auburn hair. The humor left Ash's face as his gaze slid down her body.

Miranda's embarrassment deepened when she realized she was completely exposed in front of him. A flush burned her skin a shade of crimson and the reserved woman just barely resisted the urge to cover herself.

She watched shyly as Ash removed his britches.

They sat studying each other for some time.

"You look nothing like an elf," Ash said, cupping her face. "You're so beautiful."

He kissed her deep. So deeply, Miranda thought she might faint from the force. Just as she had known months before, Ash's kiss was nothing like Catspaw's. The elf's lips were soft and cool against hers; his tongue, gentle, yet keenly tracing hers. His hands moved over her body and she shivered. Wanting to touch him too, she ran her fingers over his chest again, this time going lower. Ash gasped and drew back as she ran her fingers over his moist length. Seeing that he liked that, Miranda continued stroking him there, marveling at the way he hardened in her hands. She had never seen this part of a man before, so she took the time to slowly explore the slick rimmed length.

"Sika," he sighed. "Stop."

The stars around her wrists and ankles shined in protest, but she removed her hands.

"Maybe you should lie down," Ash said.

She noted that he wasn't giving her a direct order and appreciated that.

"What are you going to do?" Miranda asked.

Ash looked around, embarrassed, his black hair falling into his eyes. "I don't know the English words for it. I want to please you, before we- Will you please lay down?"

Conceding, Miranda laid back onto her mat.

With an expression of the deepest concentration, he knelled over her. Tentatively, Ash caressed her breasts, molding them in his hands and brushing his fingers over her nipples. Miranda shivered again, not feeling the least bit cold. A heat rose in her as he closed his mouth around a pink nipple and sucked. Just seconds before, Miranda would have found the idea of him suckling at her like this absolutely absurd. But the feel of her husband's tongue flicking over her made rational thought completely out of the question. She found herself arching up against him, she tangled her fingers through his curly black hair.

"Nir- Ash…" she gasped and let out a moan from the back of her throat as this new and wonderful sensation rocked through her.

Miranda was raised not to show her emotions, not to let them control her. But Ash had the habit of making her lose her reserve and love it. Now, as he touched her in ways she never dreamed of and made her feel sensations she didn't understand, reserve and dignity were the last concerns on her mind.

Ash moved on to her other breast. At the same moment he closed his lips around the new circular nub, the man rolled the other wet nipple between his fingers. A whimper escaped Miranda and she gripped his hair all the tighter.

Under Ash's touches, a heat steadily built within the young woman, pulsing between her thighs.

She cried out when he gave her breast a final suck and moved down her body.

"Please don't stop," Miranda begged.

"I'm not, Sika." Ash continued trailing kisses down the young woman's belly until he reached the auburn curls between her legs. Readily, Miranda parted her thighs at his urging. The elf's fingers caressed her moist folds, readying her for what was to come.

"You're already wet," he murmured softly, stroking circles over her clit at the pace of her hitched breaths.

The elf King watched the face of his young wife with wonder as ecstasy spread over her. Pleasing Sika this way made what he was about to do much easier. Years ago, when he took his first wife's virginity, the pain he caused her was traumatic for them both. At least this time, he wasn't a young man who didn't know what he was doing. Pleasing her now would hopefully lessen her pain later.

Bowing his head over her waist, Ash's tongue swirled over her wet flesh and Miranda felt herself falling apart. All the heat and energy building up inside of her was going to make her fall apart. She just knew it. Instinct told her, it wouldn't be long. Sure enough, just one more flickering dance of his tongue over her sensitive skin and that was it. A shudder and a clenching ran through Miranda's body and she found herself crying out her husband's name in an undignified moan. She had the wild idea that the only thing keeping her from going everywhere at once was the boundary of her own skin.

In a second, her husband was on top of her, covering her mouth, his eyes bright with amusement and apprehension.

"Someone might here you, Sika," Ash whispered.

The elf King hadn't expected such a loud response. Elves didn't scream when they made love. They sighed, they laughed together playfully, they might even moan softly. But they never let out such a guttural response. Kara certainly hadn't. He examined his wife as she shuddered in his arms. Perhaps this was yet another difference between humans and elves. Not for the first time, Ash admired the uniqueness of his foreign bride.

"What spell was that?" Miranda asked after a time.

"That was no spell," he assured her.

"Is that how we make a baby, then?"

Her governess had taught her very little about how babies were made. Only that it would be very unpleasant and painful, and was a necessary evil in every woman's life that led to the joy of motherhood. So far, Miranda couldn't imagine anything less unpleasant.

"No," Ash said. "That's how I show you I love you. This is how we make a baby."

Ash positioned himself between her legs, the rosy pink thighs curved around him. The elf hesitated. Should he tell her that what came next would be painful? Or should he just get it over with quickly and please her again to make up for it? Looking into those brown eyes filled with desire for him, Ash wasn't sure he could do either.

"Is something wrong?" Miranda asked.

"Sika, this...this will hurt," Ash said. "But only the once. I promise."

The young woman's brown eyes widened, but she nodded encouragingly.

He placed a quick kiss on her lips. "I love you," he whispered.

Ash eased into her as slowly and gently as possible until he met with resistance. Squeezing his eyes shut, he gave a push and felt a pang of agony at his wife's sharp gasp.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Do you want me to stop?"

Miranda shook her head fervently, forcing a smile. "It's alright. It doesn't hurt so badly."

She was only partially lying. It didn't hurt so badly as she had thought it would. Just a bit uncomfortable, like she was being stretched.

Miranda ran her hands through his hair and guided his mouth down to hers. Their lips moved together as Ash pulled out of her and fused their bodies again. Miranda gasped into his mouth.

The feel of her husband sliding through her was electrifying. Along with the pain Ash warned of mingled the same overwhelming pleasure that sent tingles of heat all over her body. The feeling was the same as moments before, but intensified. He sank into her deep, touching parts of Miranda she never knew existed.

Ash moved slow at first, but steadily he sped up.

Unsure of what to do herself, Miranda let her hands rove over his body, taking in his firm muscled arms, his strong shoulders and his flawless face. Not for the first time, she marveled that this beautiful man was hers. All hers.

Miranda pushed her hips up against his, inciting groans from both of them. Seeing the pleased surprise in her husband's eyes, Miranda pushed against him again. Their bodies fused and drew apart in a graceful rhythm. What made Miranda's bliss all the greater was the look on Ash's face. He wasn't just pleasing her. She was pleasing him, too. It was too much for her to stand.

Ash looked into his wife's brown eyes clouded over with passion and smiled, easing into her again. Surrounded by her warm depths, he felt her come undone around him in waves of shudders. Ash was ready for her response this time. He covered her mouth with his own. Her moans were muffled into their kiss.

The King didn't out last his wife long. With one final thrust, he followed her over the edge.

The slick bodies of the elf and human clung to each other in the last moments of their release.

Ash rolled over, bringing her with him so her head rested just below his neck. Miranda laid her arms over his chest and rested her chin upon them to look up at her husband.

"Are you sure that wasn't a spell?" Miranda asked.

The elf King laughed. "Quite sure."

Ash ran his fingers through the red strands of her hair. He had expected her to be a mess of tears by now, the same way Kara had been on the night of their marriage moon. He thought he would be comforting her and mentally tearing himself apart. He certainly hadn't expected things to go so well.

Miranda rested her cheek against his chest again, suddenly embarrassed by what they had just done and what she was still feeling.

"Do you think we just made a baby?" she asked, to fill up the silence.

"No," Ash said. "When we first met, my magic told me we wouldn't have a baby for some years. The elf goblin says I won't have a child until after my magic fully matures. That won't be until I'm at least forty. At least six years from now. I suppose we have no need to do this again until then."

Miranda's heart stilled, then she sat up like a shot to glare at him. "I can't wait six whole years to do this again!"

But Ash's black eyes were bright from suppressed laughter. He sat up as well and stroked that lovely red hair. "No, I suppose I can't wait that long either. These next six years will make us well versed in making babies, I think."