***SMUT WARNING***

Maramel was the second livid man she had to deal with. The priest ranted for a while and then stopped abruptly. "Mara teaches us to forgive," he intoned, his voice returning to its usual register. "If your intended has forgiven you." He looked searchingly at Argis who nodded once. "Very well. The wedding is back on. Tomorrow from dawn until dusk."
"Thank you," Arianna whispered as her hand was caught in a firm grip and Argis lead her from the temple back to Honeyside.

Arianna slowly removed her leather armour and stowed it on the mannequin in the cellar. Argis's ebony was on the other and it was strange to see the two lifeless figures standing side by side. As if it were them struck dumb and motionless.

She could hear Argis moving about upstairs and then the front door slammed. She knelt on the floor and rummaged through her pack, searching for the dress that she had looted a few weeks before. She smiled as she remembered Argis's naughty smirk as he looked at the dress, his head tilted to one side in a considering way. "Nice. When can you try it on?" he had commented with a lewd wink and snorted in amusement when she had blushed and stuffed it into her pack rather than discarding it.

"There you are," she muttered, pulling the dress from the depths of her over-stuffed pack and shaking it out. She took off her underwear and slid the dress on over her naked body, carefully adjusting the bangles on her upper arms to hide the bracelets of bruises, settling the straps on her shoulders and tightening the wide leather girdle. She discarded the white rag tucked into the belt and looked down at herself. The bodice, what there was of it, plunged between her breasts exposing the soft swell almost to her nipples and the skirt was slit on one side right up to her hip. It was even more indecent on than it had looked.

She knew that she wanted to chase the lingering pain from his face, to re-affirm their love but she had no idea if this was the right way to go about it. She took a deep breath and silently climbed the wooden stairs up to the bedroom.

The double doors out onto the deck were wide open and neither Argis nor Iona were anywhere in sight. She walked out into the bright afternoon sunshine and peeked around the corner. Argis sat at the little table, a bottle of ale in his hand and his face brooding. Two platters of food sat waiting on the rough-hewn tabletop and her heart melted at the thought of him preparing them. His head swivelled towards her as he sensed her presence.

"Come and eat." Argis gestured at the chair opposite him.

Both of his eyes widened as she came into full view and he took in what she was wearing, almost wearing, his face flushing. "God's woman," he muttered, staring at her.

"I wouldn't wear it out of the house," she said, quickly, "but I'll wear it for you. If you wanted me to," she floundered, trying to gauge his reaction by his expression. "I can change." She started to back away but was stopped dead by his lightening-quick, calloused hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist.

Argis swung his legs out from under the table and pulled her down into his lap, her skirt twisted as she landed, leaving one toned thigh exposed almost to her crotch.

His arms encircled her waist, his breath hot on her shoulder. "You're alright," he rumbled and it was more a growl than anything. "But tell me one thing; why does a beautiful, young thing like you want to saddle herself with …" He gestured self-consciously at his face. "Well, with this?"

Arianna frowned at him, grateful that he hadn't mentioned the soon to be high king, and leaned in. She gently kissed the scars on his cheek, her lips trailing down the vivid lines until she found his mouth. His arms tightened around her as she lightly ran her tongue across his full upper lip and the end of the scar.

"You think I care about that?" she whispered. She looped her arms around his neck, feathering kisses across his forehead to his dead eye. He jerked back. "Does it hurt?"

"Well no, but..."

"Then hush." She continued her gentle exploration, kissing his eyelid softly and along each of the deep scars again until her mouth met his.

He groaned, deep and low in his chest as one hand slid up her back into her hair and his mouth opened to hers, his tongue playing across hers. His other hand dropped to her thigh to stroke and caress the pale skin, his fingers inching higher and she could feel the hardening that was happening beneath her.

"We should wait," he groaned against her lips.

"We should be married by now," she reminded him.

"True." It was a primal grunt. "If you push me much further woman, I won't be able to stop," he warned as his hand reached the top of her thigh and his breath hitched as he realised that the dress was literally all she was wearing. He extended his thumb to brush lightly across the tight, soft curls at the junction of her thighs.

"I don't want you to stop," she whispered and stifled a gasp as he adjusted the arm around her so that she almost lay across his lap, her back resting against the wooden wall of the house. He lowered his head and began to nuzzle and lick the exposed swell of her breasts, his thumb slowly circling across her pubic bone as his fingers worked to insinuate themselves between her thighs.

"I think I still remember how to do this," he muttered against her skin as his lips found her nipple through the thin material and sucked hungrily. Her body arched into his touch, her legs parting just enough to let his hand slide between them, his index finger brushing the line of her sex.

Arianna stifled a moan as his finger worked carefully into her folds and his lips moved to lavish attention on her other breast. She was terrified that he was going to stop. She wanted him so badly, had wanted him for weeks but he had never let things progress past kissing and very occasionally his hand straying to her breasts. She was unsurprised when he lifted his head from her quivering body and his fingers stilled but his words did surprise her.

"I think we should take this inside," he growled.

"Iona is-"

"Out," he finished, rising to his feet easily with her still in his arms. He carried her the few feet back into the house, kicking the doors shut behind him and let her fall onto the bed. He swarmed over her, his knees between her thighs, and his hands settled on her shoulders, his fingers hooking under the wide shoulder straps of her dress and pulling them impatiently down her arms exposing her breasts fully.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered. His face darkened as he saw the rings of bruises on her upper arms. "I'll kill him," he growled. "This cannot be allowed to stand."

Arianna shook her head. "I've had beatings before. There are far worse things a man can do to a woman. Please, Argis. Just let it go."

"For now," he agreed, his face clearing. He stared down at her for long moment before he bent his head, his lips fastening on her nipple once more as his hand delved under her skirt.

"Uh!" It was a guttural moan torn from her throat as she felt a sweet, tugging ache begin to build at his fingers working into her, teasing and caressing her increasingly wet pussy. She whimpered in protest when his mouth left her breast and arched her body up toward him.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked.

Arianna frowned and nodded, slightly confused by the question. "Of course."

But his lips didn't find hers. Instead, her skirt was pulled eagerly to one side, exposing her to the waist and Argis shuffled back on his knees until his face was level with her triangle of golden hair. His hands hooked under her knees and pulled her legs apart, holding her wide open. She stiffened as he blew gently onto her hot, wet folds and very deliberately licked the line of her sex before feathering a light, circling touch on her aching clit. She felt rather than heard him groan deep in his chest as he breathed in the scent of her.

"Argis!" Her body bowed under his skilful mouth, his tongue was working in a maddening, sweet rhythm licking and sucking the sensitive nub. He pushed her legs wider apart, one hand slid up her inner thigh and she felt his fingers carefully explore her entrance before one substantial digit pushed slowly into her body.

"Oh!" It was a long keening wail, she felt her body tense and clench around his finger as the throbbing ache grew more intense. The muscles in her thighs began to quiver as her body began to reach for release and the pressure of his tongue intensified, his finger sliding more quickly in and out of her body.

"Oh. OH!" She ended on a high-pitched scream as something gave deep inside her and her world exploded into a nerve shattering, toe-curling pleasure that radiated through every part of her. Her hands clutched desperately at the bedspread, her head whipped from side to side. It was too much, she would fly apart but Argis kept up the delicate pressure, riding her through her first orgasm in months and the first she had ever had from a mans tongue on her.

When her trembling body finally subsided back onto the mattress, he raised his head and sat back on his heels, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before grinning down at her limp form, a gleam of smug, satisfaction in his eye.

"If you knew how long I've wanted to do that to you. Good I still remember how."

Arianna looked at him through heavy lids. "How long?" she asked, archly.

"Oh, let me see." He lay down beside her and tenderly gathered her into his arms. "It was most inappropriate," he punctuated his words with light kisses on her face, "you'd just been hit by an arrow and I was trying to get a potion down you but when you did finally suck the stuff off my finger, I nearly lost the ability to think straight. I was also terrified that you were going to die." His mouth settled on hers and she could taste herself on him as he kissed her, his tongue tracing her lips before slipping into her mouth.

Arianna reached down between their bodies, her hand found the laces on his breeches and was stopped by his hand firmly catching hers and guiding it back up to his chest to rest over his heart. She could feel the strong, steady beat under her palm.

"That can wait," he said, breaking the kiss. His voice was low and tinged with something she didn't understand.

"But..."

"Later tonight. When we're married." He drew her closer to his body, relaxed back into the pillows and yawned widely.

The silence lengthened, his breathing became deep and slow and she realised that he had fallen asleep. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him, his face was relaxed, almost boyish. She kissed his cheek lightly and carefully disengaged herself from his arms. He grumbled a protest but didn't wake.

Arianna put her underwear on and stuffed the slutty dress into the wardrobe. It had certainly had the desired effect, she shivered as she thought about his mouth on her and glanced back over her shoulder at the sleeping Argis.

Since she had been injured, they had slept in the same bed. There had been kisses, many, many kisses but he would always ruthlessly stop himself, muttering about how it wouldn't be right to go any further until they were wed. She had tried arguing that as they were promised to each other, it didn't make much difference and each time, he had fixed her with a steady stare and said "Not to you maybe. It does to me. We will wait." That was that and he continued to drive her crazy with his sweet, intense kisses.

She was amazed that they had gone as far as they had that afternoon but she still had neither seen nor touched him.

She studied him through narrowed eyes. He was big like most Nord men were, powerful and honed from years of physical training and fighting. Older than her by a few years though no grey showed in his blond hair yet. She realised that she couldn't wait for him to finally drop all his reservations, cover her body with his and fuck her senseless.

She involuntarily shivered at the thought, a pulse coursed through her body to spark in her loins. She crossed the room on silent feet and let herself out of the doors onto the deck, looking forward to the cold water on her suddenly super-heated body.

Arianna swam for a long time, her strong limbs cleaving through the glass surface of the lake, the exercise easing the aches from her body. The sun was setting when she finally turned for home and it was fully dark when she climbed the steps back onto the deck. She wondered if Ulfric knew that she was no longer in the cell and shuddered at the thought of his fury when he discovered that she had disappeared.