2. Terms of Sleeping
They sat there for longer than an hour until sun had hid itself behind the horizon. Only tenuous sunbeams glimmered in the distance of the endless-appearing desert behind the city, enlightening the sky one last time before nightfall. Stars and moon were slowly appearing above them and the air got colder.
The fountains downstairs in the gardens made their wonderful monotone sounds while a soft breath of air shook the trees and bushes making Tamina freeze for a second.
She and her husband had watched leaving horses and their lords without sharing any conversation only eating the grapes from the bowl. They had watched birds fluttering through the air and feeding their chicks.
When the sun had reached her face during its journey, Tamina had closed her eyes for a while. She had enjoyed the warmth on her cheeks and forehead for a while hoping this moment would last forever.
It didn't.
Darkness came much too fast and the bowl was emptied much too early.
"Do you want me to creep back into the hall to get us new?" Dastan asked when he offered her the last one.
"No. I think I had enough for tonight. Thank you." Tamina rose from where she had seated and stretched her arms and legs again.
"It's late enough I guess." She tried to stay calm and apathetic when she went to her dressing table and put off her earrings and chains.
"If you depend on your wedding night I should probably get ready for it."
She signed but did not look at him.
"Wait. Stop." He said with a confused voice. That was quite a fast change of topics.
A little bit amazed but also frightened she turned around.
"I'm not a child anymore." She smiled with half of her mouth. "And I don't wish to be treated like one, your highness. I'm perfectly capable of spending a night with the man who is my husband."
"When did we go back to formalities?" he also rose and looked at her questioning. Did he do something wrong? He was actually trying to delay this topic for as long as possible.
"Stop distracting." She cleared her throat while getting rid of her rings and bracelets.
"Tamina," he went a few steps towards her and stopped in front of his wife not entering her personal space "I won't force you to do anything you don't want, I thought we talked about that earlier today."
"I am not a child Dastan. Don't fear you'll break anything if you touch me." She sounded a bit upset. What was he thinking of her? Was she too ugly? Or too fat?
Dastan groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. There she was back again. This was the Tamina he loved but also hated more than anything else. He actually had missed the bickering between them, but he withdrew this thought after her next words.
"Or is this about you not being man enough?" she grinned spitefully and shifted her weight unto her left leg. "I would understand it, I mean…" she teased.
"Thi-is is about none of us ha-having no problems with anything!" Dastan's cheeks had turned red and he started stammering again just as he did when she had confronted him of not being able to turn his eyes off of her in the valley of the slaves.
"Of course Dastan. I totally understand you, your highness." She grinned mischievously and turned away again to grip her sleeping robe and to disappear behind the separating wall in a corner of the chamber. She took of the wedding gown and placed it carefully on her chair.
Dastan remained silent for a while until he pressed "I'll sleep on your carpet, your royal highness." Trough his teeth and set down on the steps again, waiting for her to get ready.
She looked so beautiful when she left the corner. She was wearing a long, white night robe made out of silk and her hairs were open and long. And it was scenting sweet like lavender and fruits. He could smell it even ten steps away from her.
This was probably once meant to attract him but he tried not to look at her while she was crossing the room. He had sworn to himself not to touch her until she truly wanted him too. Not for he was her husband but for being the man she loved.
"Are you sure?" she asked before bringing him his bedding and a few extra pillows.
He just nodded and took them thankfully.
"You don't have to do this." She repeated herself again but he was already making himself comfortable on the floor.
"Your choice."
She knew that spending the night at his own chamber would have meant making the gossip factory work overtime: A husband spending the wedding night in his own room? No way. She would have had accepted him sleeping next to her. She would have had slept with him if he had asked her to but she also recognized the sweetness in what he was doing. She had heard many things about Persian men and their brutality. But Dastan seemed to be totally different. He was… sweet and caring.
She thought about asking him to sleep next to her for a moment but she didn't want to show any weakness, so she just closed the curtains and went back to her big and empty bed lying down on her usual side.
"Is that how it's going to be, you, sleeping on my floor?"
"Yes." He said, also changing his clothes behind the separating wall. She could see his silhouette because of a light he had taken there so see better in the darkness.
His body looked stunning. She could easily recognize his well trained muscles when he changed.
He appeared again only moments later wearing white linen trousers but nothing to cover his torso. She could see his scars before he douse the small light of the oil lamp and the room returned to darkness. She heard him sneaking across the room and stopping aside her bed. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead and his right hand on her cheek. He stayed in this position for about a moment until he was gone again.
"Sleep well, my princess." Was the only thing he said before he returned to his auxiliary bed, making almost no further sounds.
Tamina shivered. Her skin broke out in goose bumps for a moment as if a cold breeze had touched her suddenly.
This had been their first kiss. A sweet, gentle one. She smiled and turned on her side to find a good position to sleep.
"Good night, my prince."
Hello again.
For my holidays are fortunately not over yet I have enough time to write.
It wasn't that easy to write this chapter. I wanted them to banter but that much.
I think I found quite a nice way to do it hopefully you liked it too.
She really is going to drive him crazy (for her) XD
Again, sorry for all the mistakes, please inform me, if there are some capital ones _!
And please leave a comment :)
Magnolie
