Getting Ready
"They should start arriving any minute now," said Numair, as he laid out another tray of fruit for the party. "Are you ready?" He asked this as his lover walked out of their dressing room. Wearing a light green dress the color of new leaves in the spring, the fabric of the dress flowed over from her slowly swelling belly. She looked like a perfect replica of her mother, the Green Lady. "You look stunning, even more so with my little one growing inside you!" Leaning down he kissed her stomach.
A smile lit up her face, looking up into his eyes as he straitened, she asked.
"Whose expression do you want to see the most tonight?"
Taking her hands, Numair looked down into her smiling face. "Yours, when the first person realizes the message we are trying to send. And they come and congratulate you. I want to see your face glow! Like earlier today when we asked George and Alanna to be the Godparents and the day when you told me I would be a father. Since the war started I am sure this is the happiest you have been."
Standing on tiptoes, Daine captured his lips with hers, melting into the shape of his body as if she were a perfect fit for him. And as far as anyone concerned, she was. But a knock on the door brought the soon to be parents, lovers and best friends to the end of their embrace.
Looking into the full-length mirror, Yuki smiled. For being at a fort, and living out of what little luggage she had brought along, she thought she had done rather well for herself.
"Stunning as always my blossom! I have to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Turning around and placing her hand on his chest Yuki smiled. "And who am I to argue with a knight?"
Kissing him lightly on the lips, she pulled back and smiled. "Come on we will be late. And I am still not sure if I am going to let you sleep in our room tonight."
Giving a mischievous smile. Neal picked up his beloved and kissed her so passionately it took her several moments to retaliate. Soon they were in a battle for supremacy. Neal was winning by a landslide when he suddenly pulled back.
"Yes, you're right. We should be going. And, of course, I will behave. I want to finish this up later. Shall we go?"
Slightly out of breath and taken back, Yuki shook her head and stepped out of their room. "That was not really fair. Now I am all turned on for nothing." She said think as soon as she could think clearly again.
"Well, that might come in handy later. But right now we are late and missing the food." Ushering her down the hallway Neal smiled to himself. His spur of the moment seemed to have worked. The floor was going to be vacant tonight, that was for sure.
"Love, are you here?" Even though George could sense Alanna with his gift, he still asked out of habit.
"Almost ready. You want to hear some news that for once I know before you?"
"We will see about that, dear." George answered as he walked into the dressing room. Alanna had chosen to wear a dress as well. A deep plum-like purple, with quarter length sleeves, and a golden belt went around her waist to snugly show off her curves, She had just finished pulling her hair up into a lose bun with a few stray strands of hair curling around her face.
"Saying you look pretty would practically be an insult, the way you look right now, you're much more than beautiful." (My little tribute to the amazing book Twilight)
"I'm flattered." Alanna said as she turned back to face the mirror. "So do you want hear my news?"
"Go for it."
"Well when I went to look for Kel this afternoon I found her along with Dom. Naked in a stream kissing like the World was going to end. After I finally got them apart, I had them promise to meet me here after dinner to discuses said even that happened earlier today. So now after meeting with them I find out that they are going to secretly court."
"That was a mouthful. For once darling you do know something before me." Remarked George with raised eyebrows. "So they finally stopped beating around the bush and took the plunge... in a matter of speaking."
"Yes, but they have asked for me not to tell anyone other than you. It will get around eventually, but for now they want it to remain a secret."
Taking her hand George smiled like the rogue he used to be. "I think I can keep a secret!" With that, he led her out the door towards the party.
"Raoul! Come on we have to go! Its Daine and Numair's party!" Buri, for the life of her, could not get him to agree to come to the party. "It's more like a gathering! Not many people will be there!"
"A party is a party, no matter how small," said Raoul from the other side of the bedroom door.
Raoul was infamously known for skipping out on balls, banquets and parties. But this was getting ridiculous.
"Right before Kel was knighted you had parties bigger than this every night in your suite. How can you not want to go to this even smaller one?!" Buri was getting more and more peeved by the second.
"I just don't want to go. Leave it at that."
Sighing she asked. "Why do you pick this particular night to be even more difficult than usual?"
"No reason really." He answered
Buri knew she that some how she would have to get him to the party.
"Fine don't go then. That just means nothing special for you on our wedding night."
The last statement made Raoul open the door in a hurry and look at her questioningly. "What are you saying?"
"You hear me. No party tonight; no put out wedding night."
"You wouldn't!" He accused but he knew she was always good to her word.
"Try me." She taunted. Now he was starting to sweat a bit under the collar.
"Give me five minutes." He finally said after a brief stair down with his fiancé. As he disappeared back into their room, Buri smiled. Oh, the power of withheld sex, she thought.
"This is going to be so jolly." Owen announced to his knight master.
"Yes, I am sure it is going to be quite 'jolly,'" He replied. As they walked to the party, Owen was constantly chattering about all the new things his friends had told him. When they arrived at their destination. Wyldon turned to him and started checking his appearance. Making sure everything was up to his standards.
"How do you always manage to crease your sleeves in a matter of minutes?"
"I don't know, sir." Owen replied while pulling on his shirt to straighten it.
"Well, try to work on that. At the very least figure out how you do it and stop what ever it is you keep doing." Stepping back, he said. "Alright, you look fine."
"Thank you, sir."
As he knocked on the door, Wyldon added, "Behave, and try to keep the 'jollies' to a minimum."
Owen let out a small laugh as Daine answered the door.