Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the original World of Two Moons etc.
Submitting to Love
"You really should get some fresh air, Ekuar." Zhantee smiled at the aged rock-shaper. "It'll do you good. Come, I'll take you up to the surface. Rayek can last down here a while longer.
"Go on," Leetah told her friend. "We'll be fine; I can take care of him for a while, at any rate."
"Oh, I suppose you're right. It would be good to see the wolfriders after all this time, and it's not like Rayek will bring up the palace any time soon."
"Great," Zhantee said with a grin. "Let's go." He wrapped himself and the rock-shaper in his magic bubble and they stepped past the magic barrier at the door to the palace and into the ocean. Leetah watched them until they were out of sight, and sighed. It hurt her heart to know that her old friend could not be trusted to be left alone in the Palace of the High Ones, but it had been his choice to spirit her, her children, Skywise, Ekuar and the palace into another time. That had been only a hand of eights of days ago, and this was her first revisitation to her old friend. She could only hope that he was still sane after his thwarted attempt at joining two palaces from different times together. But faithful old Ekuar would have mentioned it, or flatly refused to go to the surface of the water the palace sat in.
The healer turned away from the door and went into the room of the Scroll of Colors. As often, Rayek stood there, gazing at the two tall pillars with their odd, swirling carvings. She was unsure if he even knew she was there, or of Ekuar had left. "Rayek?" Suddenly he turned.
"Leetah? Where's- I thought Ekuar or Venka, or Zhantee-" She shook her head.
"I'll stay with you for now, if you wish." The dark-skinned maiden settled herself onto the small steps, leaning against the throne-like chair Orolin, and then Timain, had once occupied in turn. Instead of going back to staring blindly at the unmoving Scroll, Rayek gazed into her face for a long time, as her eyes remained fixed on the door, unseeing as she thought.
After some time he stirred, and came to sit beside her. She looked at him, seeing a peculiar expression on his dark features. "Rayek? Is something wrong?" The healer reached her hands out to him, closing her eyes as she prepared to use her gift on him to ease whatever it was that hurt him from within.
"No, don't," he said, holding her by the forearms to keep her from touching him with the power only she could give. Leetah wondered why he did not accept the ease she could give him, and remained silent, trying to search his face for something, some hint of what raged within his troubled soul.
"I can help, if you only tell me, dear friend," she told him softly, once more reaching for him, but something in his gaze stopped her, and she frowned. Rayek moved so that his arms circled her body. Sensing the sadness in him, she embraced him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "It's all right," she whispered. "All tears must come, some just later than others. That's what I tell my children." For long moment neither moved.
"Rayek, I'm sorry about the pain I caused you when you were taking me to Winnowill, the night I found Cutter again," she told him. "I should not have. Forgive me?"
He pulled away, still holding her, and looked into her face. "Always, my beloved."
She looked away, the pain in her own heart rising again. "Please, don't say that, Rayek," she begged. "Cutter and I are lifemates. I will always love you-" she looked up into his eyes, tears starting in her own, "-but as a dear friend, and nothing more. I hope you can live with that." Leetah tried to stand, but his arms didn't ease their firm hold about her. "Please let go," she requested, looking away. Instead he rose, bringing her to her feet as well. She made as if to go to the door, but he still held her. Again she looked up at him. "Rayek, let go of me," she asked, more firmly this time, and pushed back against him.
Instead he swiftly picked her up in his arms, cradling her, and carried her through another door off the room of the Scroll of Colors. Suddenly afraid of him as she had never been before she struggle against him as he walked over to the bed in the room and closed the sliding sheaf of pale blue crystal that was the door. "Rayek, stop!" she begged as he placed her on his bed. "What are you doing?" He didn't answer, but sat beside her on the bed, knees dangling over, and leaned over her. Paralized by his eyes she could not move, though her mind wanted to thrash away, to turn and run back to the safety of Cutter's arms.
Rayek! she sent, crying out with all her might. Stop, please stop...
"No," he whispered in her ear, removing her head-band and earrings and placing them to the side. "You loved me, long ago, before Cutter came. You will love me again, even if there is pain first. I won't hurt you, so lie still, my beloved. Lie still- with me." Rayek bent over her, gazing into her eyes with a mixture of pain, love, lust and anticipation so powerful she stopped struggling against his control for a minute. Thinking her ready to accept him he let her go, closing his eyes to burry his face in her hair as he pressed down on top of her.
Leetah reacted as soon as she knew she was free, slamming against him and throwing him off her. She was terrified. Never before had he done anything like that, never used his powers on her in and attempt to force her to force her to join with him. The healer frantically ran for the door and slammed her hands against it, trying to feel some way to make it open, but she couldn't find anything.
Suddenly Rayek's arms were around her again. "No!" she screamed in anguish as he held her close, one of his hands against her wildly hammering heart. "Please stop, Rayek!" He only held her as she sobbed, trying to break away from him.
For a long time he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her against him, until at last her fighting grew weaker, so that he could lead her wearily to the bed and lay her on it once more. With one arm about her slender waist, pulling her against him he used the other hand to try to gently bring her to face him. Leetah refused, pulling away from the hand on her neck without opening her eyes and trying once more to sit up and flee from him. Rayek pushed her back on the bed and, straddling her stomach, pulled her head so she could only face him. For an instant her eyes opened, but it was enough.
He ensnared her mind, forcing her to go still beneath him. The maiden looked up at him with scared, resigned eyes. "Leetah..." He whispered her name as he leaned closer, lying on top of her with his hands on her shoulders. "Don't be afraid, lovely one. I wish only to remind you of the love we shared so long ago. You will remember... and you will come back to me."
My body is yours to do with what you will, she sent to him, for I cannot hinder you any more. I cannot hinder you- but I will not aid you in this. Though you take my body and force me to join with you, my mind -and my heart- will stay locked from you forever.
It is your choice... what I am to be to you.
Leetah stopped fighting then, and, her form went limp beneath him. I leave it to you.
For a long while Rayek only sat above her. For so long -ever since she had Recognized Cutter, all those years ago- he had dreamed of her coming to him alone. So long he had wanted to hold her as he did now, and know she was his, and that she loved him. But never had he dreamed she would do this.
Force, had she called it? Force her to join with him? It surely wasn't force, was it? To make her see that she loved him, and how far he would go to bring her love back only to him... that was only cruelty for an instant, surely! She would remember, and be his again. It was not rape, then, surely,
It couldn't be force, couldn't possibly be rape. It was unthinkable. Rayek pushed up the short skirt of soft fabric, and prepared himself to enter her body, to do with her as he had dreamed of for all those long years. Still she did nothing, either in help or hindrance, as she had said. Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind he tried to move into her again, and again hesitated, gazing down at her dark beauty.
He realized that he was no longer using his power over her, and yet she was not responding to the fire that seared within him. She did nothing, only lay there as one dead. "Leetah?" he asked quietly, leaning his lips close to hers.
I told you it was your choice, she sent softly, not even opening her eyes. The despair in her voice crushed him.
You truly do not love me, do you? he asked her just as quietly.
There was a lengthy pause, as she prepared to cause him great pain. No, she told him, opening her eyes and turning her head to face him. Rayek gazed into her green eyes, eyes that held too many emotions to read. I don't love you like that. Not any more.
Rayek bowed his head for a moment, submitting. Then he slowly pulled away from her, and sat beside her again with his back to her. He made a gesture with his hand and the door slid back into the wall. "Go," he said softly. "But I will wait for you." And some day, he thought to her as she ran from the room, you will come back to me... my beloved.