Chapter 4 - Faces
The sex was great.
He was extremely attentive and almost frustratingly gentle.
And now he held her as she idly gazed at the ceiling, laying a few chaste kisses on her shoulder.
It was nice.
"Forgive me, my lady," he finally spoke, his voice mirthful and perhaps even a little awed, "but I do not believe this was your first time."
Nalia wondered if she should be offended. Instead she just laughed. "It most certainly wasn't," she said, unable to stop a hint of wicked pride from mixing with her amusement. She turned to see one of his eyebrows prominently raised and laughed again. "Would you like to hear a story?" she asked him sweetly.
"And what story would that be?" he asked uncertainly.
"A story I've been able to tell to but a few, and far too few at that. The story of one of the greatest moments of my life," she said, her voice taking on a slightly theatrical lilt.
"Should I be feeling inadequate, Nalia darling?" he said even more uneasy.
Now it was Nalia's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Please, hardly." She rolled her eyes. "It has nothing to do with that," she reassured. "Well, not nothing, but…just let me tell the story."
"As you wish, my lady," he said, sounding a bit more certain of himself.
"Okay, so…," Nalia faltered. The beginning of the story was extremely unpleasant. Utterly awful, in fact. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to continue. "Some two months ago I was betrothed," Nalia thought she felt Fith tense briefly, but hastily dismissed the notion, "to an absolute brat of a man." She scowled at the ceiling. "He is the absolute worst kind of noble; selfish, arrogant, insensitive, pig-headed, sniveling, prissy, stupid, orcish-"
"I think I understand, my lady," Fith interrupted softly.
Taking a moment to calm herself Nalia continued. "My aunt couldn't have been more pleased, of course. His family is wealthy and powerful, after all. She was clucking like a hen for days, telling me how fortunate I was and we were and lecturing me on…," Nalia searched for a polite way to put it and finally gave up. "On how not to screw it up," she said harshly. "I mostly managed to block her out – else I'm certain I would have struck her with something long and heavy before the end of the first day – but one day, Ogmha knows why, she started off on the importance of me preserving my 'purity' for my future husband."
Nalia laughed darkly. "The thought of Isaea Roenall being the first man I lay with made me want to throw up." She paused. "More so than thought of laying with him, period, did, anyway. I still don't know how I'll avoid the latter, but I decided then I would do anything I could to prevent the former."
"Are you certain this is a happy story, my lady?" Fith interjected. "It only seems to be making you upset," he said, turning her face towards him and looking at her with concerned eyes.
"It gets better," Nalia answered, wishing she didn't sound like she were trying to convince herself. "There was a man, a commoner, quite handsome, and charming," she said, pleased to notice her smile was returning. "He delivered messages to the keep from our residence here in the city, often spending the night at the keep before returning, and often one of our more attractive maids spent the night with him." She grinned widely. "It proved surprisingly easy to convince him to spend one night with the young lady of the keep, instead."
"I don't find that very surprising at all," Fith said with a grin of his own.
Nalia felt herself pink and looked away. "Hush, I'm not finished yet."
"I beg your forgiveness, my lady, please continue."
Nalia turned back with a mock glare before smiling once again. "Well…the experience was…satisfactory," she blushed again. "But the best part…" she said, trailing off deliberately.
"Yes?" Fith prompted her.
Nalia's grin almost lept off her face as she continued, "was when I told my Aunt exactly what I did." Fith's eyes widened appreciatively, and Nalia almost cackled with glee. "Her face turned so red," she said, joyfully drawing out each word. "And her mouth," she opened and closed her mouth soundlessly in demonstration, "Like a fish!" Then Nalia did cackle. "She couldn't say anything, so then…," another laugh, and a blush, "I started describing h-how he made love to me." She put a hand over her mouth, still not entirely believing her own audacity. She snickered. "Didn't get very far before she finally found her voice, and screamed at me to get out of her sight. When I got back to my room I think I laughed until I almost passed out." She sighed happily as she looked into Fith's eyes, smiling back at her.
"That is quite a story," he said. "Though I notice you spoke of the messenger in past tense. Nothing happened to him, I hope?"
"Of course not, I wouldn't let him be hurt. My aunt is too self-absorbed to even notice we have a regular messenger, and I think she's trying to pretend it never happened, anyway, so he's safe. I've seen him at the residence a few times since then, he just traded his messenger duties with someone else."
"What about your father?" Fith asked. "What did he think of all this?"
Nalia's smile disappeared. "I don't know," she said, looking down. When she looked back up she saw questions in his eyes, questions she had no desire to answer even if she knew how.
"So…," he finally said, looking down and moving a hand along the chain around her neck. "Ilmater," he finished, holding the holy symbol at the end of the chain between his fingers.
"Yes. What of it?" she asked defensively.
"I don't mean to question your faith, my lady," he said apologetically. "It is just rare to see a noble worship the Crying God."
Nalia studied him with narrow eyes for a moment longer before she decided he was being sincere. Or at least not trying to mock her. She couldn't really blame him for doubting. If she saw another noble wearing the symbol of Ilmater she would doubt, too. "Well…it's also rare to hear a thief who talks like you," she finally said.
He looked affronted. "Wot? You ken every dimber damber should be cawwin' in cant all da time, den?" He smiled as Nalia laughed. "A thief has many voices, my lady," he said, brushing a hand through Nalia's bangs.
"Hmm. And a noble has many faces," Nalia recited to herself.
"Without doubt, my lady, though I do rather like the one you have now," Fith said, grinning as he brought his face closer to hers.
"You…you know you don't have to call me 'my lady', Fith," Nalia stammered after he kissed her.
"I know, but I rather like it," he said, kissing her again. "Besides, my father called my mother his lady, and she had as much noble blood as a church mouse."
"I see," she said, not sure what to think of that seemingly easy association. When he kissed her again her arms went around his neck as she decided she was tired of thinking, anyway. Soon after, his hand drifted away from her necklace to settle somewhere far more interesting.
They made love twice more that night. Three would become their average.