At first I had two versions of this chapter, but I ended up having three. Go figure. Anyway, this is the one I decided to go with and I believe it's the best, so I hope you enjoy it.
Teela's Visitor Chapter 38
He had always heard about pre-wedding jitters, but he never thought he'd be one of the men who actually had them on his wedding day.
Adam stood in the Worship Center of the Ancients at the altar, waiting for Teela to make her appearance. After leaving Haelan's office, they had met up with Orko and Cringer at the side palace gate and together they had walked to the church. As soon as they had stepped inside, Ileena had surprised Teela by running up to her and giving her a fierce hug. When he had heard Teela question enthusiastically what she was doing there, he knew he had made the right choice in choosing her to be their second witness. He had wanted Teela to have a close female friend with her on this occasion. He had wanted someone to be there for Teela if she had some pre-wedding jitters of her own. Also, he had wanted someone to help her get ready, which was what they were doing at that moment.
Adam sighed for probably the thousandth time and started pacing again. His nerves were starting to get the best of him. Of course, he wasn't nervous for the usual reasons that guys might have. He had absolutely no problem with committing to Teela—truthfully, he had done that long ago even if she had been unaware of it at the time. What unsettled him currently was the amount of time it was taking her to get ready. He was nervous that word would get back to their parents that Teela and he were there. Just like people saw him enter the center earlier in the day, they had seen him enter again along with Teela. He worried that some imaginative people might very well guess why they were there and tell the king.
Fighting the compulsion to run to the ladies' room to see what was taking so long, he glanced at Orko and Cringer who were merely watching him. "What?" he asked, despite already knowing that he was making quite a spectacle of himself since he rarely got this nervous.
Cringer and Orko gave each other a quick glance before the feline walked over to him. "A-Adam, are you sure this is what you should be doing?"
Of all the people he thought would question his actions, Adam never thought it would be Cringer. He widened his eyes at his friend and was about to respond when Cringer added, "I…I'm not saying you sh-shouldn't marry Teela. I'm just saying that you're obviously very worried, a—and if you have any doubts that this is the right thing to do, then…"
Adam sighed. Then, he turned around and walked several feet to sit down on the raised altar floor. "I'm not worried about getting married," he confided finally. "I'm worried about someone possibly stopping us. There's a big difference."
Orko floated over and said, "Adam, I was happy earlier when you told me that Teela and you were getting married. You know that you are two of my closest friends, but as I look around at this place now and see no other friends or your family…doesn't this feel wrong?"
Adam wanted to get mad at them. This was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, and yet they were trying to make him question it all. He wasn't angry, though. He knew they were only trying to help, so he would answer honestly. "There are several things that I will regret about eloping, Orko. I will regret that Man-at-Arms won't be walking Teela down the aisle. I will even regret that my parents and Adora won't be here for the event…but I have to go through with this. It's too much of a risk not to marry her. I love Teela with all of my heart, and I can't bear the thought of anyone taking her away from me. There are just too many people who have reasons to break us up now, so we have to find a way to put an end to that so we can focus on protecting Eternia. This is the only way to do that. I'm hoping that I have your support."
"Of course you do, Adam!" Cringer exclaimed, sitting beside him. "It's just that we want to make sure that you're confident about this being the best course of action. The king is going to be angry, so you shouldn't have any doubts."
Adam smiled at that and replied, "Oh, I don't have any doubts about marrying her, Cringer, none whatsoever."
At that moment, they heard the large wooden doors to the main hall opening and Adam immediately sprung to his feet. He watched Ileena walk into the room with Daniel, but there was no sign of Teela. His heart jumped into his throat and he wondered if perhaps she had changed her mind. He held his breath and continued to stare at the entrance, hoping she had simply fallen behind.
"Prince Adam," Daniel said seriously as he came to stand beside him.
He turned devastated eyes to the man, expecting to hear the worst.
"Are you ready to become a married man?"
Letting out a huge sigh of relief now that he knew the wedding was still on, he nodded and answered, "Yes, more than ready."
Daniel smiled, put his hand on the prince's shoulder, and whispered, "Then, turn around."
Adam immediately whirled around and stood in shock as he saw Teela standing at the back of the altar with a huge smile on her face. She wasn't in a stereotypical wedding dress thanks to the abruptness of their wedding, but he had asked Ileena to bring the closest thing she could find from her city and he'd pay her back. She had done well: Teela wore a white princess-cut dress. It was sleeveless and the bodice wrapped around her torso tightly giving just a hint of cleavage. The skirt of the dress flared out from her waist all the way to the floor. It had two layers: the top was a white see-through veil-like material, while the underneath layer was made of a shiny white fabric. She looked breathtaking.
"Teela," he said softly under his breath. He quickly made his way across the altar and took her hand in his. He immediately bent to kiss it. Afterward, he whispered, "You look so beautiful."
She grinned as Adam then offered her his arm. When she took it, he led her to the main floor. Daniel smiled and took his place behind them on top of the altar. "Are you sure you two want to do this?" he asked.
"Yes," they both said loudly with grins covering their faces. Adam then added, "I've been waiting for this moment for years."
"I have, too," she whispered with tears springing to her eyes.
Daniel then reached down to grab their hands and placed them together with his covering theirs on each side temporarily. "Then, let's begin," he replied. He stepped back and announced as if he were reciting the ceremony to a large audience. "We are here today to celebrate the union of Prince Adam of Eternia and Lady Teela of Eternos. I have only known the couple personally for a short period of time, but I can testify to the fact that these two have a strong love for one another, stronger than many I have seen before me in this same manner. The trials you have already gone through and will continue to go through is a testament to how much you mean to one another and how you will handle adversity in the future: you will always do it together, and that is the only way a relationship and marriage will ever work."
Adam swallowed roughly as he heard this speech. Daniel had captured the very essence of how he viewed their relationship. They had a partnership stronger than any that he had ever known. The Sorceress, Man-at-Arms, and even Cringer had filled that role in different ways at different times, but no one had ever given him the sense of comfort, peace, support, and love that Teela did. Just her presence by his side made him feel like the luckiest man alive regardless of the situation, good or bad. She had always made him feel that way, and now he would feel that way for the rest of his life, because they would face everything together. Tears swarmed to his eyes as he watched a few tears slip down her cheeks. The moment was especially touching, because he knew she couldn't stand to cry; yet, this occasion elicited the response. Even more heartwarming, she continued to hold his hands and didn't hide or wipe away her display of emotion in embarrassment. He smiled at her and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. Her smile widened even more as Daniel turned to face Adam.
"Prince Adam of Eternia, you are here in the Worship Center of the Ancients to take Lady Teela of Eternos as your lawfully wedded wife. You are here to proclaim to the Ancients and the world that this is the woman you wish to spend your life with. Do you vow to love, protect, and honor Lady Teela for the rest of your lives?"
He didn't hesitate for a moment. He let out a large breath and said loudly, "I do."
Teela squeezed his hands and winked at him as she continued to smile. The response made him want to laugh with joy, but he held it in. He continued to stare into his soon-to-be wife's eyes as he saw in his peripheral vision Daniel turn to her.
"Lady Teela of Eternos, you are here in the Worship Center of the Ancients to take Prince Adam of Eternia as your lawfully wedded husband. You are here to proclaim to the Ancients and the world that this is the man you wish to spend your life with. Do you vow to love, cherish, and honor Prince Adam for the rest of your lives?"
"I do," she answered confidently as more tears slipped down her cheeks.
Daniel then looked over at Orko, Cringer, and Ileena. "Is there anyone present who can think of a reason why these two should not be joined together in matrimony?"
As Adam continued to gaze into Teela's eyes, his mind supplied horrible scenarios of his father interrupting at that moment, King Moraius showing up to claim that Princess Janice was his true wife, and even Durriken showing up to proclaim that this marriage would lead to hardships to not only Morainia but all of Eternia. It was a relief when not a sound was heard at that moment. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath to make sure nothing could be misconstrued as an objection.
Daniel smiled and said, "Then, we will move on to the signing."
The minister walked farther onto the altar to a small table centered in the middle the stage. He gestured for Adam and Teela to join him. When they did, they each got on a different side of the table. Then, Daniel looked at the audience and asked, "Would the two witnesses please join us?"
Orko floated over in a matter of seconds while Ileena crossed the stage carefully. Orko floated beside Adam as Ileena stood beside Teela. The minister picked up a feather pen from the center of the table, dunked it into a small vial of ink, and handed it to Adam. "Please sign the first line."
Adam didn't hesitate. He signed his name quickly and fought the impulse to push the pen into everyone's hands to hurry the process along. Now that they were so close to being declared husband and wife, he felt an overwhelming sense of urgency. Instead, he breathed in and out to calm himself and waited for the minister's instructions.
"Now, hand the pen to Orko."
Adam watched as Orko dunked the pen carefully into the ink once more and then floated over the paper to sign his name carefully. He couldn't help but smile at the Trollan's actions. Orko was being so careful. He even held his freehand under the pen to make sure no ink dropped onto the certificate. Adam wanted to reach out and hug the little guy for recognizing how important this was to Teela and him. Orko signed his signature and then handed the pen back to the minister.
Daniel then turned to the ladies. Like he had done before, he dunked the pen into the ink before handing it to Teela. "Please sign on the first line on the other side of Prince Adam's." Teela did as requested and without waiting for instructions from the minister speedily handed the pen to Ileena.
Adam couldn't control his response: he laughed a little and grinned brightly at her. She shrugged as Daniel laughed, as well.
"You might as well go ahead and sign, Ileena," Daniel instructed.
Once she did, she handed the pen back to Daniel. He dunked the pen in one last time and then signed the document himself and dated it. He then reached for Adam and Teela's hands and placed them together for the last time in the ceremony. "In front of these witnesses and the Ancients above, I now lawfully declare you, Prince Adam of Eternia and Lady Teela of Eternos, husband and wife."
At that precise moment, Orko started clapping loudly as Cringer ran onto the altar to stand beside his master. Adam couldn't stop the tears from slipping down his cheeks now. He couldn't believe it! They had done it without a single snag at all!
Daniel leaned over and whispered, "This is where you kiss your wife, Your Highness."
And, there it was. That word: wife.
It felt so strange, so foreign…and yet, so right. Teela was his wife now. His. No one could take that away from them now. No one. Not even his father. He wasn't the first prince to elope in Eternia's history, and that act had never been undone. It would have been much more of a hassle to undo them since the marriages had typically already been consummated by the time the kings at those times had found out. It would have looked bad for all involved, including the reigning families so the marriages had to be accepted. And, the same would happen here. He knew his parents liked Teela, so he knew they would accept her. It would just take a little while for them to accept their actions, but he knew it would happen.
He grinned happily, stepped around the table and took Teela into his arms. He stared deeply into her eyes and whispered, "Wife."
She chuckled a little and replied, "Husband."
He leaned down and their lips met in a scorching kiss that heated up their entire bodies. Now that they were husband and wife, they both knew that everything that had stopped them from expressing how they felt fully was now obliterated and they could hardly hold themselves back.
When they parted, Adam kissed her nose lightly and Teela laughed again. He tightened his hold on her and then looked at Ileena. "Did you do as I asked?"
She nodded. She produced a key and slipped it into his hand. "I'll go there straight away and wait at the back door. Just knock twice and I'll let you inside." He nodded and she hurriedly walked away after congratulating them.
Teela raised her eyebrows at him and questioned, "What was that about?"
He moved to her side and led her away from Daniel and the others. He answered softly, "I didn't want to risk going back to the palace tonight, so Ileena rented us a hotel room in her name. Our marriage can still be annulled at this point by the king. We still have to…you know, consummate it to make it even more legal." He looked down at the ground and added, "Not that I'm saying we have to do anything tonight. We don't have to! I just want us to be away from everyone until everything is settled."
Teela raised her hand to Adam's cheek. He immediately looked at her and she smiled. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him again softly. He grinned and asked, "Are you ready to go?" When she nodded, he turned to Daniel and said, "Thank you so much for doing this. I am forever in your debt." Daniel nodded, but before he could say anything the prince then turned to Orko and Cringer. "And, thank you for coming. Teela and I are happy that at least some of our friends could attend and it wouldn't have been the same without you."
"Ah, shucks, you're welcome, Adam!" Orko exclaimed as he threw his arms around the prince's neck and then Teela's.
Adam then knelt down so he could look at Cringer at eyelevel. He scratched behind his pet's ears and said, "Thank you especially, Cringer." He looked up at Orko to make sure he was paying more attention to Teela than him. He then whispered, "You know you would have been my witness if you had been able to write and were an actual recorded member of the Eternian society, right?"
"I know that, Adam," the tiger answered without hesitation. "Don't worry about it."
The prince grinned at his best friend and continued, "Teela and I will be home soon enough. Make sure you and Orko don't reveal anything. I want to be the one to tell our parents the news. Okay?"
Cringer nodded and replied, "I wouldn't tell the king. He's going to be angry and I'd rather not be in the room when that happens!" He shook a little and Adam laughed.
"I'll keep that in mind when I choose to tell him." He then reached over and hugged the tiger's neck. "I'll see you soon. Both of you."
He stood up and then took Teela's hand in his. Without any more discussion or delays, they walked to the back of the worship center and left out of the rear door. Neither wanted to be seen or followed, so they traveled the back roads to the hotel where Adam had told Ileena to register.
=)=)=)
Adam and Teela followed Ileena into their hotel suite. Inside, they were pleasantly surprised to find a kitchen, a living room, and a large master bedroom.
Ileena grinned at her friends and exclaimed happily, "I wanted to make sure you two had the option to stay for a while if you wanted to! I wouldn't be in a rush to return to the palace! I'd enjoy being away with one another for as long as possible!"
Both Teela and Adam blushed at her words. They were grateful and happy about her actions, but their thoughts immediately turned to ideas of what they could and would be doing during their time away. "Thank you so much, Ileena," Adam said gratefully, pushing his slight discomfiture aside; "I couldn't have done any of this without you."
"Oh, I'm sure you would have found a way. Teela's worth it." She winked at him.
"That she is," he agreed.
Teela walked to her friend and hugged her tightly. "Thank you for coming and helping us make this day possible. This all looks so amazing."
"I'm glad you like it," she said as she returned the hug. She then leaned her lips against Teela's ear and whispered just loudly enough for Adam to hear. "There's something in the bathroom for you to wear tonight, so make sure you go in there before Adam does." She pulled back and then winked at her.
Teela blushed scarlet red and Ileena laughed loudly. "Let me get out of here, so you two can enjoy the rest of your wedding day. I expect to hear from both of you very soon to tell me how married life is treating you."
"You will," they both replied simultaneously.
Ileena walked out after a joyful goodbye and then shut the door firmly. Now that they were left alone, the newlyweds had no idea what to do now. They didn't have any luggage to unpack. They didn't have the luxury of going outside right now, because people would notice them. All they could do was stay inside with one another…
Adam knew what their next step should be to make sure their marriage stayed intact, but he didn't want to push Teela. Despite the fact that she had always been aggressive about making love, he knew it was different now that they had no barriers in the way. Teela and he now knew without any doubt that if they both wanted it to happen, it would.
He glanced at his bride and saw that she was still blushing. She had turned away from him and was busy looking out the windows before stepping out onto the balcony. Fortunately, they were up high enough that no one would notice them from the streets far below. He went out there to join her. She stood at the railing, so he quickly walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her. His actions were so reminiscent of the first night they had expressed their feelings for one another verbally…and physically. They had stood on the palace balcony and he had held her just like this.
Adam closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to that occasion. He had held her so tenderly that first night and had used his hands to bring her comfort. She had been in pain, so he had used one hand to massage her lower abdomen while the other had simply explored her torso without going too far. Presently, he heard a soft gasp and Adam snapped out of his reverie to realize that he was doing the same now.
He turned his head slightly and kissed Teela's neck softly. She moaned and he wanted nothing more than to take her clothes off and make love to her right then and there. Now that she was his wife, he found himself wanting her so much more than he had before. He hadn't thought it possible; regardless, he was determined to control himself. He breathed deeply and whispered, "This sure is a beautiful afternoon." He was trying to get his mind off of their future actions.
She nodded as she replied, "Yes, it is. Today is absolutely perfect in every way."
He grinned. "I'm glad you think so. Do you want to stay out here, talk, and watch the sunset for a while?"
She turned in his arms slowly. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and whispered, "Adam, it's our wedding night."
He nodded and responded just as softly, "I know, but that doesn't mean we have a set schedule or…things that we absolutely have to do right away."
She furrowed her brow. "Actually, it kind of does."
He placed a hand on her cheek and said, "No, it doesn't. Teela, we don't have to rush anything. I know that we've gotten married quickly, but if you want to take some time to adjust to being a wife and taking that next step, that's completely fine. Ileena is right—we don't have to rush back to the palace. You can take all the time you need."
Teela bit her lip. "I'll admit I'm nervous, Adam. Being married and knowing that this is to be our next step is a little intimidating. Taking this step always has been…but I want this. I want you. We've been waiting long enough." She broke their embrace and took him by the hand. She led him into the master bedroom and then stumbled over her next words. "I'm…going t-to step into the bathroom to….freshen up."
Already knowing the true reason why she wanted to go in there, Adam gave a soft nod and replied, "Okay, and I'll wait for you here." They both smiled at one another and as soon as Teela shut the bathroom door, his grin faded.
=)=)=)
Adam looked around the bedroom having no idea what he should do. For some reason, he felt almost in a near state of panic. Should he turn down the sheets? Should he run to the kitchen to see what kind of refreshments they had? Should he make himself look more appealing? Maybe he should take off his tunic and shirt? He could take off his boots.
Adam sat on the edge of the bed and did the latter hurriedly. Then, he was back on his feet. He looked around the room and then decided to turn off the overhead lights. Then, he turned on the few lamps that scattered the room. His actions gave the room a luminous glow that wasn't too bright. He had always heard from other guys that women liked that kind of environment in this situation. He then decided he would turn the sheets down. The room was kind of cool, so maybe they would be a little chilly when they were actually naked…
Of course, their actions would heat them up.
He blushed at the thought and turned down the sheets anyway.
He then looked over at the chronometer on the wall and wondered how long it would take Teela to get out there. He sat down on the edge of the bed again and took a deep breath.
"Calm down, Adam," he told himself. "Stop being so nervous. This is your wife and she's just as new to this experience as you are." His thoughts were meant to impart comfort to himself, but unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. At the reminder that this was Teela's first time, too, he began to wonder what would happen when they actually joined for the first time. Would he hurt her? He had heard that some women had an absolutely dreadful time the first time they came together with a man. He hoped Teela would be one that would only experience a slight pain and then be able to enjoy herself…
Of course, she would only enjoy it if he was able to do things correctly. The only thing that calmed him a little was the reminder that he had already given Teela pleasure several times. He already knew some of those places that was sure to drive her crazy. He was determined to be mindful of her responses and focus solely on giving her pleasure again tonight. That would please him more than anything else, he knew.
It was at that moment that Adam heard the bathroom door creak open. He immediately stood and watched as Teela walked into the room. His heart jumped into his throat and pounded fiercely. He couldn't believe he was staring at his Teela—she looked so different than he had always imagined she would on their wedding night. In the past when he had dreamed of this moment, he had always pictured her in something sexy and yet innocent. They had been sleek nightgowns, similar to the one he had seen her in before. The colors had always been light: white or pink.
Teela looked anything but innocent right now. Aside from her blushing cheeks that belied the rest of the look, she looked downright sinister and he found his body growing rigid at the sight. She was dressed entirely in black. She was wearing some kind of two piece negligee that was tied together with strings and belts over her stomach. Her red hair, which tumbled down her neck and shoulders, complimented the outfit perfectly, giving her that dangerous and seductive look even more.
Swallowing his heart back down forcefully, he crossed the room. "Teela," he whispered as light as air. He placed his hands on her arms and rubbed them slowly. She looked up and smiled at him despite the darkness of her cheeks. He could tell she was worried about this outfit.
"Ileena picked this out and left it for me. I have no idea if you like this, but…"
To calm her nerves, he said immediately, "Oh, I like it. I never thought I'd see you in something like this, but…it's amazing." He leaned back a little and ran his eyes up and down her body suggestively. He wanted to show her his immediate interest. Unfortunately, his actions caused her blush to deepen even more and she looked back down.
Holding back a sigh that threatened to escape his lips, he carefully pulled his wife to him and hugged her tightly to calm her. He was grateful that he was still in his fur pants and tights, so she couldn't feel what this moment and her look were doing to him well. He wanted her so much at that moment that he was almost in pain, but he wouldn't rush this if she was now feeling a little intimidated.
"You look beautiful," he told her softly as he felt her wrap her arms around him.
"Thank you," she mumbled. They stayed that way for several minutes, simply holding one another. Adam eventually rubbed his hands up and down her back.
When he finally pulled away slightly, he met her eyes and whispered, "We don't have to do anything if you've changed your mind. I know this is a scary moment for the both of us, and I want it to be right, so if you have any doubts…"
Teela immediately responded by taking him by the hand and leading him to the bed silently. Once she stood beside it, she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. They kissed each other softly at first, but Teela soon opened her mouth and encouraged Adam to open his with her tongue. Soon both were dueling it out until they had to pull back for air.
"Adam," she whispered, "I want you so much."
"You have me," he replied with a soft smile. "I'm yours. I'm your husband now, remember?"
He smiled with pleasure as her eyes darkened. "Yes, you are," she agreed. "Just like I'm yours: heart, soul…and body." With the last word, Teela sat down on the bed and scooted across it. She patted the spot next to her and he immediately followed her. Facing one another, they each stared into the other's eyes. They knew the big moment had arrived. In order to ensure that their marriage would stay intact once everyone found out, they would have to consummate the marriage before they returned to the palace.
He reached out and cupped his wife's cheek softly. "Are you sure you're ready?" he asked.
With a soft nod, she questioned, "Are you?" When he nodded, she scooted her body closer to his and brushed her lips against his lightly.
=)=)=)
I know, it was totally mean of me to stop right there, BUT I had to! LOL! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. Tell me what you think, please!