Chapter Seventeen

Kalasin had studied love potions while at the University. There were many different kinds, ranging from the innocent types used to gain a first kiss, to ones as potent as to make one become obsessed with the person whom the enchantment dictated.

Love potions weren't real. Not in the conventional sense. No potion could imitate or manufacture love. The emotion generated was more of a strong infatuation. Lust. Or obsession so strong it pushed reason and logical thought aside. Needless to say, the stronger varieties could be very…dangerous.

Kalasin squinted at the clear liquid inside the fragile glass vial. "This is it? Amoria? Are you sure?"

Zaimid sighed. "Kalasin, it's labeled as a highly dangerous substance, class three. Of course it's Amoria."

She blushed. "Yes, well, I haven't actually seen this potion before. Studied it, yes, but never seen it. It looks so innocent, though…"

"Pfft. Innocent, this? Of course," he eyed the potion dubiously, holding it up to the light. "This lovely little vial is the reason the Iliniat line was founded."

"Oh, really? What happened?"

"The illegitimate Princess Aishwarya used this potion to make her elder royal half-brother fall madly in love with her. The half-brother, Raj, was so blinded with his infatuation that he killed his father and two younger brothers, in order to marry her. It was a bit of a tempestuous marriage. Especially after the potion began to wear off, but by then it was a bit too late to rectify things."

Kalasin made a face. "How lovely."

"Yes, I know," yawned Zaimid. "It's my job, as guardian of all the dangerous medical potions to be guarded, to make sure these lovely creations never see the light of day."

Kalasin sipped her wine. "Well, it sounds exciting, dealing with so many different kinds of dangerous substances."

"Hardly." He contemplated the Amoria thoughtfully. "This actually isn't the most hazardous love potion available. Its potency could be decreased by dilution in liquid."

"Hmm. What's the most hazardous love potion available?"

"Te Amor. Why the sudden interest?" he smirked. "Thinking of slipping a little into Kaddar's drink? I didn't know you were that desperate for some attention. Well-deserved attention, at that…"

Kalasin smirked back and got up, dusting her skirts off. "I have all the attention I need, thank you very much."

"You know where to find me!" he called desperately as she walked away. She didn't seem to hear him, but instead fluttered her fingertips in a flirtatious wave. Zaimid sighed theatrically, and settled back in his chair to continue his lonely, miserable existence. Women were so cruel.

Kalasin, oblivious of the distress she had caused, undressed in the privacy of her room, sighing in relief as she pulled her brutal corset off. Carthak was beginning to warm up for mid-spring, and it was far too warm for the layered, intricate dresses. Her fingers fumbled on the dark red silk of her slip's sash, and something small fell out of it.

She blinked and went down on hands and knees, groping around on the bearskin rug for whatever it was that she had dropped. Her slender fingers found the familiar shape of a glass vial, and she groaned aloud. It was the Amoria. She must have put it in her sash on accident. And now it was here with her, not being guarded by the guardian of dangerous things to be guarded.

"Kalasin?"

Kalasin looked up, startled, and bumped her head against the nightstand. "Ow!"

Kaddar stared at her. She was lying on her front, both elbows propped in front of her, looking utterly shocked. The skirt of her shift had gotten caught against the wood of the nightstand, giving him a very nice view of her legs. And down her shift. "Kalasin…I had no idea you were interested in that kind of thing. However, bear fur provides a beautiful setting for your skin."

"Pervert!" she yelped, rolling upright and trying to cover herself, tugging her skirt to a modest length. "I…you…looked down my dress!"

"I couldn't resist," the emperor smirked, helping her up. "I thought you were trying to seduce me. I was only playing along."

Kalasin glared at him icily. "I am going to get dressed, since my husband's perverted mind prevents me from doing something as simple as walking around with a shift on."

She swept out of the room, and Kaddar resisted the temptation to laugh. Maybe it would be best for him to pour a few drinks for both of them, at least to calm his little firebrand down. A small vial on the nightstand, next to the wine bottle, attracted his attention. He picked it up curiously, uncorked it, and smelled it.

It was without doubt one of the most seductive scents he had ever smelled. The aroma of freshly cut, ripe mangos, and the smell of red roses in full bloom. Many other smells and tastes lingered, but one in particular teased all of his senses—the warm, inviting scent of Kally's hair and skin. Kaddar swallowed. It was obviously one of Varice's new taste-enhancing concoctions—even though he stayed away from her culinary inventions most of the time, this was just too tempting.

He poured a small amount into Kally's glass, and then into his, before corking the vial and putting it back down. Taking the glasses back to the sofa, he sat down and waited. Kalasin emerged from the bathroom after a while, looking less cranky. She had taken her hair down from its elaborate style, leaving it to hang down her back, begging to be touched. Predictably, she had also put on a rather modest nightgown.

Kaddar offered her a glass as she sat down, leaning next to him. "Here. I think you're really going to like this."

Kalasin gave him a little smile. "Thank you."

"To us?"

"To us," she confirmed, clinking her glass against his. She took a deep swig of it, and immediately noticed that something was different. The wine's taste was fuller and richer, and burned down her throat and stomach. It made her feel lightheaded immediately, and she gasped aloud. It tasted different, and smelled different. The feeling of her silk nightgown against her body was suddenly heightened, and the colors around her whirled, and when they settled, they were brighter.

Her senses were sharper, more acute, and yet her muscles felt deliciously languorous. "Kaddar?" she murmured. Her voice sounded quiet to her ears, and yet she noticed every rustle of fabric and every beat of his heart.

He blinked at her, trying to clear his vision. "Mmm?" Kaddar watched the graceful sweep of her eyelashes against freckled cheeks. Out of sheer curiosity, he reached out and touched her bottom lip, rubbing the pad of his thumb against the soft skin.

Pretty.

Kaddar didn't know whether he had said it aloud or thought it, but she leaned forward a little, rubbing the tip of her nose against his cheek. The sense of touch burned them both a little, electricity tingling where their skin brushed. It didn't hurt, though. Kalasin rather felt as she wanted more of it.

Kissing was a bit of a change, although maybe it was because she more fell across his lap than sat in it, as usual. Kaddar found that he really liked kissing her, though…all he noticed was the feeling of pure Kalasin. The scent, the touch, the feel of her. The little sounds she made when they changed position, or the way she would squeak as he rubbed his hands against her sides.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pressed her against him tightly. Kalasin pulled away suddenly and looked into his eyes, as if seeking reassurance. "This—us—"

"Shh," he murmured gently, wrapping her in his arms again. Kaddar put one finger against her lips. "Don't talk. It'll be all right."

The setting changed in a whirl of color and feel as she felt not Kaddar's chest at her back, but their crushed velvet bedspread. Kalasin vaguely registered her nightgown being coaxed off, and the millions of different textures against her bare skin as Kaddar pulled her down into the warmth of the covers and pillows with him…

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Kalasin woke up, and wished she hadn't. "…Bright…light…" she moaned. "Keep it away."

"It isn't bright light; it's a sliver in the curtains." Gentle hands brushed her bare arms and back as they pulled the covers up to her chin. "It'll take a little while for you to get used to it."

"Oh, Kaddar," she mumbled. "We…did we…"

"Yes," he said quietly, bending over to kiss her on the cheek. "Are you…are you all right?"

She blinked up at him. "I think. Yes."

"Be more convincing, sweetheart," he murmured, stroking her hair. "Your head hurts."

Kalasin nodded shyly. She didn't know what to say or how to talk. She shifted a little, feeling the echoes of minor aches in her exhausted muscles. "Mmmgh," she said in agreement.

He offered her a goblet, and she drank it down. Her headache and muscle pain disappeared instantly. "Kally," he murmured, rubbing his finger across the line of her jaw. "Kally, what happened last night? Was it the wine?"

Kalasin shook her head ruefully. "You poured the vial into our goblets, right?"

"I did. I thought it was a…taste-enhancer," he said, feeling a little stupid. "Although now I see that it couldn't have been just that."

She smiled up at him. "Love potion. From when I was working with Zaimid. I brought it in here by accident."

Kaddar couldn't help but feel shocked. "L—love potion? But, but, if it was love potion, wouldn't we still be feeling the results?"

Kalasin blushed a little. "Love potion…it, um, in some cases, it creates feelings of passion and desire. Love, if you will. In others, it only fuels what's already there."

"Oh," he said, blushing as well. "So…it was like a push in the right direction."

The empress nodded, toying with the sleeve of his dark green robe. "Maybe it was a good thing," she suggested, squeezing his hand. "Do you think that we would have really, ah, gotten down to it otherwise?"

He had to grin. "Oh, I think we would have. After all,"—he bent and nuzzled her neck—"you are the most beautiful person I have ever met. I think that this would have happened sooner or later. I'm all right with sooner, though."

Her arms raised and pulled him down to her in a tight hug. "Thank you," she mumbled against his neck. "For this. For everything."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" he asked, sounding worried. "I mean, we spent most of our married life hating each other. Are you okay with what happened?"

"More than," she assured him. "It was, um…" she hesitated and blushed, glad that she was safely covered by the blankets, "…it was nice. And I never really hated you."

"Same here." Kaddar eyed the pillows longingly. "We didn't get much sleep last night, did we?"

Kalasin moved over, creating a space for him. "Come here, handsome."

Within a few moments, she had fallen asleep again, leaving Kaddar awake. He stroked her hair away from her shoulders and chest, before pressing a kiss to her collarbone. She purred slightly and snuggled closer, and he wrapped his arm around her waist snugly.

They would have to talk, he realized, after they woke up. They would have to explain to their councilors why they had missed a very important meeting and dinner. They would have to look each other in the eye and deal with more blushing and awkwardness and learn how to interact with each other on a new level.

Kaddar closed his eyes and buried his head in the crook of her shoulder. But as long as Kalasin was content and happy, he was, too.

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