Full chapter title: Words Float Off Into The Night.
"I have not, and I will not, answer to a pagan deity!"
"I never said you had to worship me, mo grá. You just have to be my husband. And in doing what we just did, we are now married."
"Sex does not make two people married."
"It does for us. But I know you enjoyed it. I know you enjoyed me."
"Unfortunately I did."
"And we'll keep going until we have a child."
"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime? I don't know this land. I'm going to be missed in my world."
"People in your world will hardly notice your absence, mo grá."
Domhnall just went into the sleeping room and plopped down on the bed. Rhiannon went in behind him. She took down his ponytail and ran her fingers through his hair.
"Relax all you want, mo grá. I don't expect anything of you, m'fhear céile. You will need your strength."
She took off her dress, revealing her naked form to him again. She curled up next to him, and they both fell asleep.
Domhnall woke up, thinking that he was back in his bead in his house in Ireland, but when he looked at his surroundings, he saw Rhiannon curled up against him, her very long hair flayed out to one side of her, and his arm around her waist. He still had his clothes on, but she was still naked.
"I thought this would all be a dream."
"Good morning, mo grá. Did you sleep well?"
"I did, surprisingly."
"Surprisingly what?"
"I slept well despite the fact I am in an entire other world, and I am supposedly now married, to a goddess nonetheless."
Rhiannon stood up from the bed to put a dress on, but she turned and faced him.
"Our marriage was set into motion the day you were born, Domhnall. Mainly as a sentence for me, but I think I am rather going to enjoy our relationship. I am most fortunate that the gods I answer to have blessed me with a most handsome husband. And you're not arrogant, you don't abuse power, and I know that you won't abuse me. Despite the fact that I am a goddess who could kill you in the blink of an eye for hurting me."
"Yes. I would never hurt you, regardless of the fact that you are a goddess. And I suppose I am unfortunately fortunate that my bride is as beautiful as she is."
"What do you say after our morning meal, we go for a swim? I have yet to see you without clothing on, my love."
"As long as you don't rush me."
"Oh no, my love. I would never rush you."
After they ate their morning meal, Rhiannon practically dragged Domhnall to the pond where he met her the day before.
"Aren't you worried people will see us in here?"
"No, I have no reason to be worried. I just want to see the gift the gods I answer to gave me in all of his natural glory."
She stepped out of her dress, and stepped into the water.
"Do you have plans of bewitching me?"
"No, that is the one thing I cannot do to you. It is a test. I have been with many men, but they want you to be my last. I want you to be my last."
He took off his shirt, not yet ready to take off anything else.
"Are you satisfied, my bride?"
"No. I have only felt your manhood, mo grá. I also want to see it."
He hesitantly and slowly unbuckled his belt and untied his trousers.
"Is that better for you?"
"Much better. Now come join me in the water."
Domhnall swam out to Rhiannon and moved to stand behind her, and he began to run his fingers through her hair.
"Since I am to be your husband, I want to take this slow. I want to know everything about you, and I want you to know everything about me."
"But I already know everything about you, my love."
"But I know hardly anything about you. So speak."
"As you wish. I am a daughter of the goddess Ernmas, granddaughter of the god Nuada."
"What exactly are you the goddess of?"
"My Morrígan form is the phantom queen. My forms of Macha and Bedb are both of war, death, and crows. My form of Rhiannon is of horses."
"But what am I to everyone else now?"
"Everyone will see you as my appeaser, the one who tamed me."
"Is that what I am to you?"
"Oh, you are so much more to me than that. You are my husband, my new love, you will be the father of my children. You will be with me until it is decided that our time is up."
"A goddess that will die, I thought you were immortal?"
"I am, until it is decided that I am not, which I don't know when that will be."
She walked out of the pond onto the shore, and did not even bother to reach for a towel or a dress. She lay down on the grass, and closed her eyes taking in the feel of nature around her.
"I suppose you expect me to come and join you?"
"Of course I do, my love."
Domhnall got out of the water as well and proceeded to put on his clothes, but Brighid objected. He then moved to lie down next to her.
"What do you wish to do now?"
"Let us just lie here and enjoy the feel of nature around us."
"Who is it presides over you? Who do you answer to?"
"I answer to the gods that deem me unfit and unruly. And to Eru Ilúvatar. He has a son, a lion called Aslan. A wise and all-powerful lion. There is a special council set to decide what to do with me because of all of my escapades."
"Your escapades? Such as?"
"All the chaos I start. The battles, the bloody battles. And all of the death I cause, and all of the horses I cause to run loose. I don't like seeing horses in captivity. People have feet, why not use them?"
"Horses are faster, my dear."
"You are essentially a trial for me."
"And what happens when it is time to pass judgment on you?"
"I suppose we will see."
"Will outlive you?"
"That will be part of the judgment. I am not of liberty to know what they will decide for me until it happens. Now, take me back to our cottage. If those men from yesterday come back around here, I do not wish for them to see us making love out in the open."
They both got dressed and headed back to her cottage. Her judgment started to take place the moment her husband's seed took root in her womb.