Kiera twisted in front of the mirror watching the smooth fall of the simple black satin as the gown draped along her body. Tight along her torso, the deep v-shaped neckline revealed the swells of her breasts - pushed up by cleverly laced stays. Her hand pressed along her belly, feeling the concave surface as she ran fingers along her ribs. Still too thin; her body and mind were recovering slower than anyone would like from her abduction.
Silently she debated adding a sheer overgrown to help soften her lack of curves; the loose wrist-length sleeves were enough to hide the fragility of her arms. The dark circles around her eyes could be brightened with cosmetics, but the shadows that chased in those pale gold eyes couldn't be banished. She still woke in the night soaked in sweat from the nightmares that plagued her. On the nights she woke alone, those same terrors sent her to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach. Kiera gave herself a look of disgust. Weak and worthless; she hadn't come to any permanent harm and yet night terrors plagued her until her healer had to press sleeping draughts on her.
On those nights Alessi or Luca stayed with her, unable to bear the muffled sound of her sobs and screams as she remained trapped in sleep unable to wake from whatever terrorized her. Her cousin bore his demons and while they tried to cleave together something unspoken forced a strained distance between them until Alessi was more a comfort to her than the mild-tempered prince. Kiera could feel the pieces of her triangle shifting and fracturing in tiny flakes but couldn't figure out how to stop the bleeding.
Kiera took one last look and breathed a resigned sigh. The gown was beautiful for its simplicity; where the careful shift of her body revealed the shimmer of gold laced threads through the black material- the barely visible embroidery was meant to look like spun webs in homage to Witch and the promise she represented. Carefully she peeled off the dress before slipping it back onto its hanger. Winsol was only a few weeks away and just looking at herself in the formal dress made her stomach twist in anxiety.
Formal dresses meant public parties; meant mingling with other members of the Blood outside the safety of her court. Ceremonies, balls, and introductions. These were all things she needed to do to establish her place in the hierarchy of rulers; other warlord Princes and whatever informal courts they had formed would be coming. It was dangerous; her stomach twisted and knotted on itself as she stood there shivering in just her thing undergarments.
Unable to stand with her fragility so visibly exposed to her critical gaze Kiera drug on the layers of clothing she buried herself within. A dress shirt, then a bulky sweater, leggings, then a loose wool skirt. Her room had turned into both a haven and a personal jail. She knew, without speaking, that Orion would be there. The steadfast warlord had become family to her and between him and Illario someone was always there to guard her door as the poorly kept secret of her lingering fears kept her court on edge.
"I am going to see Prince Gerodi." Somehow she managed to at least sound composed. Things had to progress or they would remain stalled and inviting unknown Warlord Princes and other members of the Blood into the manor would only end in disaster. Alessi was already treading the thin razor's edge of his temper each time her fear spiked. His protective instinct pushed him to remove the cause of her fear; real or imagined.
"Of course, Lady." Orion offered her arm to her as a proper escort and for a moment she lifted her hand to press against his wrist. They looked composed to the outside view, even if her hand trembled ever so slightly as they left the private wing of the house and entered the more public areas. Their pace slowed as Kiera fought through her desire to flee and the necessary discussion she needed to have with her Master of the Guard. Things had to progress, needed to move out of this deadlock stalled by her fear and the lack of physical recovery she had made.
Politely she knocked on the door, waiting for the Sapphire jeweled Warlord Prince to acknowledge their presence before opening the door. She felt that subtle caress, a tasting of her presence before the door opened to reveal the office. Still tidy as ever, the extra chair across the desk now had a knit lap blanket neatly folded and draped over the arm as a subtle invitation for her to join him. Concern crossed his expression briefly as she swept in with a long huffed sigh of relief.
"No, no stay sitting." She quickly waived him down when he made to rise. Without a thought, she dropped into the thoughtfully positioned chair. The soft sound of his chair sliding away from the desk filled her ears as she focused her attention on the fading and worn pattern of the rug in his office. Worn enough that in spots the dye and pattern had been scuffed away leaving only barren backing fabric to show.
"We can't remain in limbo. Winsol is coming and with that a week of celebrations and meetings. We need to get that matter behind us." She spoke quickly, proud that her voice didn't tremble. Kiera wasn't afraid of Alessi, wasn't scared of his body against hers, but the risk and act itself left her afraid of what would happen to them if things went wrong. No; the fear wasn't for herself in truth but how it would hurt Alessi.
"You aren't in any condition." His hands curled around hers, jerking her gaze upwards to focus on his expression. Concern, but never pity rested there. Etched in what seemed permanent relief, that concern cut at her. Impatiently she pulled her hands from under his. The sensual heat of him wrapped around her, pulling at that nameless need that stroked through her core. The heat that remained and never built that first kiss shared between them.
"I am fine." Kiera kept her tone firm as her palms cupped his face between them. Not forceful, but enough to keep his attention on her words. For once her touch was steady and unshaking as she silently commanded him to listen. "I have nightmares, but I am physically fine. "
"You don't seem fine, Gattina." His pet name, once mocking was now endearing. A tender testament of what they had become to each other even if they danced around the whole issue of her virginity. Kiera often wondered if the landen women had this same issue facing their own or since they had no risk to their inner connections to that power, it was an awkward evening between two lovers.
"Physically I am fine. Waiting longer won't change what is." A little smile crossed her lips as he pressed a kiss to the center of her palm. The silken caress of his lips combined with the warmth of his breath had her catching her own as desire threatened to steal what sense she could muster. Restlessly she squirmed in her chair, trying to relieve an ache she didn't have a name for or the experience name.
"You promised to protect me, Prince. I need you to, now, before the district leaders start arriving." The look on his face challenged her demand of now. His lips parted as if to speak only to have her press a palm against them with a hasty shake of her head. "Not, now now, but you know what I mean." The absurdity of the moment had her fighting a round of nervous giggles. Who was this woman? She never giggled; laughed or gave a half smile, but giggles were for school girls and had been trained out of her.
"My office not good enough for you, little queen?" The tilt of his head, the barely there smile, and the faint crinkle around his eyes told her the words were mainly in jest. His hand lifted to stroke his broad palm against her hair's length before returning to his seat behind the desk. The movement deliberate to put distance between them; a physical barrier that meant an end to the conversation she had started.
"Several of the remaining queens have written back along with the other leaders; all will be sending a representative for the public festivities of Winsol." Alessi pushed the stack of letters toward her in implicit permission to read through the correspondence. Kiera took the stack onto her lap to start going through the letters before reaching for a blank sheet of paper and pen. The silence that fell between them was comfortable as she took the letters and noted what she could from what was said and unsaid.
"I am going to need my own office sometime," Kiera murmured as she reviewed another letter. The paper in front of her was divided into columns as she took stock of the mentioned able queens. A frown rode her lips as she continued; even if they used every juvenile queen in the territory the harvests would only continue to decline until Hayll finally failed. Their reports of continued landen resistance only added to her worry; they needed that population to contribute to the districts. If they decided they would rather let crops rot than the blood take their tithe it would only harm Hayll further.
"There aren't enough of us." Kiera looked at the hash marks almost despondantly. "There won't be enough of us even if we counted the children who just got their birthright jewels." Her mind turned to the hunger in the earth she felt when connecting to it. The yawning chasm of the land that pleaded for more; begged to be fed and loved. A never-ending void that would drag her down and consume every drop of her power if she dropped her guard during any of the small offerings she made.
"Then we will figure out how to make it enough." Alessi refused to let her sink into despair. As awful as the ruling class had been Hayll was home and there were thousands left behind who depended on them to figure out how to make their territory fertile again. The short-lived territories wouldn't welcome them; not after everything Hayll and Dhemlhan's ruling courts had done to subjugate and pervert the courts and laws around them. The Hayllian people didn't have the option of failure.
Kiera didn't need to speak as she read his expression. She gave a little nod in acknowledgment before compiling the list of anticipated representatives that would serve as guests for the public days of the holiday. She would need to work with Mirella and the rest of the staff to find accommodations that would allow for the court's residential wing to remain private and also keep them in inhabitable rooms.
The unspoken plans lingered between them as Kiera knew that tonight would come too soon, and perhaps not soon enough. Anything to remove the odd tension that lingered between them in the form of unspoken promises. Whatever happened tonight; she could at least count on not waking up frightened and alone.
Kiera turned the decanter of wine a couple times; adjusting the way it was placed on the tray with a simple plate of dried fruits, nuts, cured meat, and sliced cheeses. The wine glasses sat to either side; unfilled as she kept nudging it one way or the next until it sat perfectly centered on the small table.
The room was warm, heated by the comforting glow of a wood fire combined with a warming spell cast. She drug her shawl closer, draping it over her arms left bare by the thin slip of her nightgown. Nerves rode her hard as she paced the four steps wide on the soft rug, then the next four back. Her bare toes curled against the soft knap as she paused. The soft knock on her door had her heart racing and the too-familiar sense of panic rose until her limbs locked and she could barely squeak out her invitation to enter.
"Are you alright? If you aren't feeling ready we can wait." Alessi didn't give a preamble as he walked over to her, barely drinking in the sight of her scantily clad body. He took an assessing sweep of her physical presence. Still too slender; she had yet to regain the weight lost during her ordeal. Her shivering bothered him more than the allure of her body beneath the thin fabric; though he knew the image of her pert breasts outlined by the drape of the thin material, the peak of her cold tightened nipples would haunt him in his dreams.
"I am scared Alessi." She whispered. Her face tipped up as she stepped closer to his embrace. The warmth of him eased away the trembling that took over her body. The death grip on her shawl was released as she reached up to press her palm against his chest. "Not of you, just what comes next." She clarified quickly not wanting him to think even for a second that she doubted him.
"It is normal to be frightened, but I am here and won't let anything harm you. Not even myself." He looked down, studying her face that had become so precious to him. Watched as her breath caught at the brush of his bare hand along her jawline; the way her pupils dilated just slightly as desire warred with her natural fear.
"Think of it as a traditional court dance; we only need to reach the other side of the ballroom." Gently he pried her fingers off the shawl before guiding her to the start of one of the more intimate dances. Kiera felt her muscles relaxing as he guided them through the familiar steps. The sway and brush of their bodies against each other made her aware of him in a different way. Alessi allowed more of the signature heat of a Warlord prince to escape his control.
His head dipped down to capture her mouth with his. The dance changed to something unshaped. A swaying of their bodies together while standing while he coaxed and teased with his kiss; promising her so much more. Kiera gasped as his hand traced along the curve of her breast, cupping and rubbing his thumb in lazy circles over the taut tip of her fabric-covered nipple. She stumbled, arching further into him with a silent plea for more.
His hands roamed lower, tracing along the lines of her spine before cupping along her hips. A little whimper escaped her as she allowed herself to sink into whatever spell he was weaving around them. There was no room for fear or doubt between them as he toyed with her; teasing her as he pulled away to lead the dance in another direction until she was so lost in him; in his guidance that she lost track of where they were in the room until the back of her legs bumped against the side of her bed.
"Alessi.." His name was a plea off her lips; a gentle whispered prayer into the night. He pulled away then, again studying her expression. The kiss-swollen pout of her lips, the faintly glazed glint of her eyes, and the longing for more; still he waited until impatiently Kiera reached up to slide the straps of her nightgown down her arms, letting the garment fall on the floor; the soft pink satin became nothing more than a pool of fabric at her feet.
"Please." She wasn't above begging as she felt the weight of his gaze on her; hungrily devouring her. He was too clothed for her liking as she reached out with a trembling hand to free his shirt from the waistband of his pants. Dressed for work, still in his slacks and dress shirt - though at least barefoot- he was a counterpoint to her nudity. Determined she worked the material free to run a soft palm along the smooth warm flesh of his abdomen only to pull away confused at the soft hiss that escaped him.
"Your hands are cold." He grinned as if finding it an endearing trait unique to her. A small discovery that seemed more intimate than sex; and instead of letting her pull away he pressed his hand over hers, capturing it until the warmth of his body chased that cold away. Carefully he sent a psychic caress along her outer barriers; a gentle request as his mouth descended- nipping along her jawline and teasing the promise of a kiss.
"Let me in, little queen." The psychic pressure became more until she released the barrier engrained from centuries of practice. She felt him sinking into her webs, weaving himself and filling the gaps of that inner rose web until it was protected and sheltered within a netting of sapphire. Suddenly she felt him and herself at the same time. The duality of their touches and pleasure as hands explored; the lust and longing that fueled them also numbed away any opportunity for fear to enter.
Her body became its own thing as her mind was swamped in the dueling sensations; each stroke and teasing play meant to prepare her for him. His satisfaction became her own as her body writhed and hips bucked in demand with the skilled stroke of fingers or tongue until she threatened to shatter around him. No fear, she fought to stay present in the moment not wanting to miss a thing.
Her focus remained on his face as he positioned himself between her legs. Her body divided on all the contact points between them as she felt the hard length of him pressed against her slick folds. Her breathing came in little pants as he teased her slowly. A gentle advance then withdrawal until she was writhing against him attempting to guide him deeper inside her.
"Alessi, if you keep teasing me..." The threat escaped her and Kiera barely recognized her husky voice. The words were a groaned threat and plea as she arched beneath him again. His low chuckle provoked a sense of ire that quickly dissipated as his mouth closed around her nipple, suckling before nipping firmly. A hiss escaped her of combined pleasure and the faint sting of pain; then suddenly something sharper came as their hips pressed together and she was full, so very full.
"Stay with me." The command wasn't one she could resist as he held her inner webs in place; even if she spiraled now he wouldn't let her fall to ruin. She could feel his pleasure as her body gripped tight and hot around him. Feel her own as he moved slowly while using craft to tease phantom touches along her clit. Keira felt too much and not enough as she fought to cling to the moment as their bodies moved together, sweat-slicked and entwined until her world shattered with a keening cry and her muscles tightened around him. He followed her to that release; his whispered words of praise were lost to comprehension as he pressed soft kisses along her face and jaw.
Carefully he withdrew, before pulling her against him. Their breaths were rapid and panting as both worked on letting their heart rate fall while he carefully pulled away from her inner barriers to leave her mind once again her own. Kiera felt oddly bereft even as she felt completely sated and at peace, curled up in his arms as the languid traces of pleasure eased away what remained of her tensions.
Her books had it wrong, it wasn't the coupling that was intimacy- though it had been rather nice; it was this aftermath. The embrace of their bodies as they held each other like no one else existed in their world. Intimacy was the warmth of his breath against the crown of her head. It was the press of damp skin against each other as they found reality once more in each other's arms.
"That was it then?" She whispered against his chest. Kiera fought to keep her mischievous smile out of both her voice and her expression.
"Not enough for you?" Alessi grumbled aware that she was baiting him. His hand stroked idly along the curve of her hip and thigh. Not a seductive motion as he simply enjoyed the feeling of her so soft skin beneath his hand. So delicate and yet she had survived so much in her life.
"It was.." She paused trying to think of a word that wasn't a lie but would still tease him. "Nice.."
"Nice?" His aggrieved tone had her jerking her gaze up only to see the bemused expression on his face. He knew and was in on the game. "Just nice?"
"Well, a little better than nice but I can't say for certain." She laughed as his fingers stroked along her sides tickling at the sensitive flesh until she squirmed against him; caught in that gale of lighthearted laughter. Relief that they both had made it whole only added to her giddiness.
"Cruel little minx." He paused in his tickling to capture her mouth in a kiss before pressing his brow to hers. "We will address nice later. You need sleep. Relax, I will stay with you tonight" His tender kisses to each of her eyes only earned a contented sigh as she drifted off; aware that Alessi kept his promises. For the first time since their return, her sleep was deep and dreamless as she lay cradled in his arms.