A Convenient Marriage (2/2)

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 29th October 2020
Series: The Assassin's Husband

Characters: Lorican, Lusilk
Description: The wedding night commences and is more than what it was assumed it might be.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 6, day 5 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Jayzine, Varlin
Pt 2

Lusilk

As the door closed behind them, she chortled. "Well, well, smith, now
that you've got me in here, whatever are you planning on doing with me?

Lorican set her down gently, only to slip his arms around her waist, his
fingers stroking the smooth fabric of her gown. "I seem to recall a
suggestion of bedding until one of us begs the other to stop..." Shells,
he'd never have dared say such a thing before. The Weyr must be rubbing
off on him. He looked down into her dark, amused eyes and for once,
managed not to stammer or blush. "I was thinking we could find out who
begs first."

That brought a low chuckle and she reached up her arms to wrap them
loosely around his neck as she pressed against him with a twist of her
hips. " Oh, Lorican. I think I've been a rather bad influence on you.
Let's see if you manage to keep _up_, hmm?" At that challenge, Lusilk
stood on her tiptoes, pulled his head down, and pressed her lips to
his in a fiery kiss.

The kiss, heated and passionate, lit a flame of desire that banished all
holdbred doubts, and he returned it with a gasp, his hands running over
the curve of her back, searching for the soft skin beneath. With her
lithe body pressed to his, moving against him...he didn't think keeping
up would be any trouble at all.

Somehow, before he knew it, they'd made it to the bedroom, a trail of
clothing discarded in their wake, as he kissed her throat, the hollow of
her neck and the swell of her breasts. Only for a moment, he hesitated,
seeing the new scar pale against her side, and remembered how recently
she'd been in pain. "I won't...hurt you?"

While Lusilk had claimed initially that she held no attraction to
Lorican, that had gradually changed over their months together. His
kind gentleness and perseverance had shifted her perspective on the
man, feeding a growth of respect within her that easily translated to
a desire. His callused hands felt rough, but pleasurable to her skin,
and his lips were warm. And it had been so long since she'd shared a
bed. Laying back and feeling his warm body hovering over hers, she
beckoned him closer with soft touches and sighs. At his question, her
lips lifted and she reached for him. "I'm tougher than I look. Come to
me...husband."

And Lorican did so, the thrill of desire rushing through him as their
bodies joined and moved together, completing the bond that the marriage
ceremony had begun. Still mindful of her injury and his own strength, he
found that care and lingering gentleness brought unexpected pleasures,
sensations that heightened until the rising wave of his passion banished
all thought.

Afterwards, he lay beside her, his arms encircling her, the softness of
her hair against his cheek. His lips brushed the back of her neck, and
he murmured his question again. "Are you happy...wife?"

"Mmmhmmm." Her murmur of assent was filled with the glow of
contentment. She hadn't expected to easily fall into tune with him,
nor had she ever been treated with such gentle sweetness while sharing
a bed. Nothing had been rushed; the gentle fire of his caresses had
touched her more than she cared to admit. There had been emotion
there, shared between the two of them. It was almost scary to her
because for a moment, she could imagine that they'd be happily married
and she could forget all of her troubles. That she could eventually
love him as a partner, if she let herself.

But she couldn't allow herself that. She'd made a promise to the man
who she had loved...and slain. She couldn't be too distracted by
emotions while all of them were still in danger. So she smiled and
rolled over in his arms, resting her cheek against his chest. Draping
her leg easily over his, she allowed herself to take pleasure in the
warmth of his embrace. "After that, how could I not be?"

Lorican couldn't help but feel a bloom of warmth at her words. It was
hard to believe that, a few short months ago, her image had filled his
nightmares. She'd come so near to killing him, in the smithy at the sea
hold, as it had blazed around them. The burns were long since healed
now, but the scar she'd given him remained, faint but still visible, a
small, neat white line on his chest.

For a moment, the image of Urlene's golden hair as she bent over him,
stitching the wound closed, returned and he closed his eyes, pushing it
away. Instead, he bent his head and kissed her dark hair, his fingers
drifting lightly across her back. There were scars there, too, and the
feel of them made a deep, instinctive compassion well up inside him.
**You're safe,** he thought, though he didn't say it out loud, not
knowing if it could ever really be true.

"I got you a wedding gift," he said, suddenly remembering. "I meant to
give it to you earlier but..." His cheeks flushed. "We were distracted."

The touch of his hand along her scars made her shift uncomfortably.
She'd never liked attention brought to them so she used the excuse of
her words to half-rise and pull away just enough to look down at him.
Her brow arched. "Did you? You know I didn't expect anything like
that." She gave a half-smile, then bent to lightly nip at his chest.
"Good distraction though." She pushed her hair away from her face,
letting it tumble down her back "I must say, I like your type of
distraction." She kissed upwards along his chest then to his neck.
"Plan on doing that often, mm?" Lusilk then chuckled, resting her chin
on his shoulder as she idly played with his earlobe with her lips.
"What is it?"

Her playful touches, feather-light on his skin, were enough to distract
him again, and Lorican had to make an effort to remember what he'd just
told her. "It's in my tool bag. Wait, I'll get it." Reluctant to move
from her, he turned on his side and reached under the bed, extracting a
slim folder. Leaning back against the pillow, he slipped an arm around
her shoulders and opened it so they could both see.

The simple ink drawing showed a figure at the edge of the lake, the
shoreline and the horizon marking it as the spot where they'd spent the
restday together, where he'd made his proposal. Dark sweeping lines
traced out the woman's hair, tumbling loose in the breeze, and though
she was drawn from behind and to the side and they half-obscured her
profile, there was a strength, a wild freedom in her stance that was
instantly recognizable. Ripples out on the water and scudding clouds in
the sky hinted at a coming storm, which the woman faced defiantly.

Lusilk fell silent as she studied the picture, holding her breath at
the drawing. In that moment, she had no control over her facial
expression; her mouth parted in surprise as she felt a warmth in her
chest. Her fingertips lifted to touch the figure, obviously her. It
was as though he'd captured her perfectly. "You drew this?" Her
fingertips lightly slid over the figure, then touched the image of the
storm. "Lorican..." she exhaled. "I'm...it's beautiful." She turned in
his arms and kissed him. It was a sweet kiss, full of warmth and real
affection.

"Mmm." His hand caressed her skin, taking care now to avoid the scars,
while with the other he closed the folder and put it to the side. "It's
how I see you. You're beautiful. And fierce, courageous..." The hand
slid down to her thigh. "Skillful..."

She wasn't beautiful and never had been, but if he wanted to tell her
she was, she wasn't going to argue. But skillful, she did know her
skills well. She wondered idly how much experience he'd had before her.
One woman? Maybe two? It really didn't matter, his slow touch lit a
fire that well exceeded her expectations of him She purred at his touch
and shifted against him. "You see me with eyes I don't understand. "
She slid her hands over his chest. "Help me to understand them."

"Yes. Lusilk..." His eyes closed and his head tilted back with a soft
intake of breath at her touch, the feel of her. "I'll show you all the
beauty I see in you. Tonight and every night."

She should have remembered that he was a romantic soul; she wished
she could give him back those flowery words, but didn't know how to
form them. They sounded tawdry and dishonest when she attempted them,
so she didn't. Instead, she slowly stroked his body, learning where
and how he liked to be touched, priming him with soft kisses and
caresses. Then, when she knew he was ready, she spoke softly. "Then
show me, Lorican.." She stroked his face. "Show me again how a good
man makes love to his wife." She studied his face, whispering. "Help
me feel special." Just for once, she'd like to feel that and know for
a time that it was true.

"Oh, my wife..." Lorican felt his pulse quicken, as her touches stirred
him, deftly finding the places where he was most sensitive and drawing
sighs and soft, inarticulate sounds from his throat. His eyes met hers,
the light kindling again in his usually mild gaze. "There's no-one quite
like you." Then there were no more words as he drew her into his arms
and kissed her with a greater depth and urgency even than before, fully
intent on doing just as she'd asked.

Last updated on the November 11th 2020

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A Convenient Marriage (2/2)