After a light dessert, Claudita excused herself from the table to get some air. She stood out on the balcony of Alexander's quarters and looked out over the city. The sky was dark, but filled with beautiful shining stars. She shivered a little, and rubbed her arms to try and warm herself. Cleitus had followed her out, and noticed her rubbing her arms. This time, he pulled off his red cloak from around his shoulders and carefully placed it around hers. She flinched at the unexpected contact, and also in surprise of having company.
"I thought I'd join you. You seemed lonely," Cleitus told her, standing behind her and looking over the balcony.
"I'm not lonely. I just, needed to be alone for a moment," Claudita said. Cleitus was almost heartbroken by this.
"I shall leave you to your thoughts, then," he said, and turned to leave. Claudita turned around immediately and grabbed his bare arm.
"No! Please, Cleitus.. Don't leave me. Stay," she asked of him, turning back around to lean on the balcony. Cleitus smiled, and stood behind her, feeling so bold as to wrap his arms around her waist, and rest his chin on her shoulder. She felt his hair mix with hers, and she leant back against him, pulling his strong arms tighter around her waist. He gently moved one of his arms and pulled her hair back from her neck, kissing the sweet skin he had unveiled there. He felt her lean back into him more, and lightly rake her nails across the tanned skin of his forearm as she moaned quietly.
"Cleitus," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as her breathing started to become more ragged as Cleitus continued to kiss every inch of skin he was exposing.
"Am I hurting you?" he asked her, pulling back from her. She turned to face him, and pulled his face down towards hers, kissing him as passionately as they had done earlier that afternoon. Cleitus stumbled against her slightly as she pulled him flush against her body, and straight back against the balcony. Before he lost all sense of reasoning, Cleitus grudgingly pulled himself away from her kisses.
"Claudita, we must not. This is improper behaviour for two who are not yet married," Cleitus told her, quickly stealing a kiss as he finished his sentence. Now it was Claudita's turn to be heartbroken, but it was a look that Cleitus quickly recognized.
"No, no Claudita. Please, don't be upset.. What I meant was," he said, kneeling in front of her on one knee and pulling the ring out of the top of his robes," What I meant to say was… Claudita, I'm in love, with you, and I wish to spend my entire lifetime with you by my side. I wish you to be my wife, and I your husband, and I wish you to bear my children. I do not care if they are boys or girls, I only know that you must be their mother. Claudita, will you let me take you as my wife, will you marry me?"
Claudita was speechless. Never had she imagined that a proposal could be so romantic. She felt it was all too soon, but there was a strong connection with Cleitus, and she would serve him well as his wife. She nodded furiously, and bent down to his level.
"Yes yes.. A thousand times, yes Cleitus," she answered, leaning into him and kissing him deeply, a few stray tears flowing gently down her cheek. Cleitus rubbed them away with his thumbs, and kissed her again. He placed the ring onto her finger and picked her up without effort, placing her on a nearby lounge and climbing over her to meet her mouth with his.
"Is this still inappropriate behaviour, Cleitus?" she asked him, cautiously. He was a man with 10 years more experience on her. He stopped his assault on her mouth and looked down at his beautiful bride-to-be. Nuzzling his nose with hers.
After a light dessert, Claudita excused herself from the table to get some air. She stood out on the balcony of Alexander's quarters and looked out over the city. The sky was dark, but filled with beautiful shining stars. She shivered a little, and rubbed her arms to try and warm herself. Cleitus had followed her out, and noticed her rubbing her arms. This time, he pulled off his red cloak from around his shoulders and carefully placed it around hers. She flinched at the unexpected contact, and also in surprise of having company.
"I thought I'd join you. You seemed lonely," Cleitus told her, standing behind her and looking over the balcony.
"I'm not lonely. I just, needed to be alone for a moment," Claudita said. Cleitus was almost heartbroken by this.
"I shall leave you to your thoughts, then," he said, and turned to leave. Claudita turned around immediately and grabbed his bare arm.
"No! Please, Cleitus.. Don't leave me. Stay," she asked of him, turning back around to lean on the balcony. Cleitus smiled, and stood behind her, feeling so bold as to wrap his arms around her waist, and rest his chin on her shoulder. She felt his hair mix with hers, and she leant back against him, pulling his strong arms tighter around her waist. He gently moved one of his arms and pulled her hair back from her neck, kissing the sweet skin he had unveiled there. He felt her lean back into him more, and lightly rake her nails across the tanned skin of his forearm as she moaned quietly.
"Cleitus," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as her breathing started to become more ragged as Cleitus continued to kiss every inch of skin he was exposing.
"Am I hurting you?" he asked her, pulling back from her. She turned to face him, and pulled his face down towards hers, kissing him as passionately as they had done earlier that afternoon. Cleitus stumbled against her slightly as she pulled him flush against her body, and straight back against the balcony. Before he lost all sense of reasoning, Cleitus grudgingly pulled himself away from her kisses.
"Claudita, we must not. This is improper behaviour for two who are not yet married," Cleitus told her, quickly stealing a kiss as he finished his sentence. Now it was Claudita's turn to be heartbroken, but it was a look that Cleitus quickly recognized.
"No, no Claudita. Please, don't be upset.. What I meant was," he said, kneeling in front of her on one knee and pulling the ring out of the top of his robes," What I meant to say was… Claudita, I'm in love, with you, and I wish to spend my entire lifetime with you by my side. I wish you to be my wife, and I your husband, and I wish you to bear my children. I do not care if they are boys or girls, I only know that you must be their mother. Claudita, will you let me take you as my wife, will you marry me?"
Claudita was speechless. Never had she imagined that a proposal could be so romantic. She felt it was all too soon, but there was a strong connection with Cleitus, and she would serve him well as his wife. She nodded furiously, and bent down to his level.
"Yes yes.. A thousand times, yes Cleitus," she answered, leaning into him and kissing him deeply, a few stray tears flowing gently down her cheek. Cleitus rubbed them away with his thumbs, and kissed her again. He placed the ring onto her finger and picked her up without effort, placing her on a nearby lounge and climbing over her to meet her mouth with his.
"Is this still inappropriate behaviour, Cleitus?" she asked him, cautiously. He was a man with 10 years more experience on her. He stopped his assault on her mouth and looked down at his beautiful bride-to-be. Nuzzling his nose with hers.
"We must stop now. We both may want it, but not yet," he told her, kissing her again and helping her up. She held him tightly, and placed her hands through his long dark hair.
"I like your hair. It's very sexy. You're very masculine," she told him. He smiled at her.
"You have no idea," he said, and she raised an eyebrow. He cursed himself for saying such a thing in front of a woman, even if she was his future wife. Claudita smirked, and ran a hand down the length of his hard, muscled body, letting it come to rest on his groin and gently stroking him through the thin fabric.
"Yes, you are all man, Cleitus," she told him, kissing him again, as the two headed back inside to make the official announcement.