The next morning I awoke before Andrian and lay in the temple bed watching him sleep. Memories of the night before flooded my mind, leaving me feeling embarrassed, fulfilled, and somehow hungry for more. For the first time, I truly understood how mistaken I had been about what happens between two lovers in the bedroom. I had always associated being penetrated with being victimized, but last night there had been no victims. In fact, Andrian was as powerful and amazing beneath me as he was when he fought monsters. It wasn't the act itself that created victims, but the intentions of those involved, right?I hoped that one day I would be able to overcome my past enough to give myself to him as he had given himself to me.
As I watched his chest rise and fall with each breath, I admired the undeniable beauty of his peaceful sleeping face. His sculpted jaw, kissable lips, and fine cheekbones were surrounded by a sea of rarely seen, loose, flowing auburn hair. Andrian almost always kept his hair in a braid or bun and had only worn it down for the joining ceremony. This hair, which flowed down his back in a cascade of waves, was highly impractical for battle or training. A red sheen of stubble could be seen in the light of the morning sun, decorating his cheeks and jaw. I brushed my hand across his cheek, and the tiny, coarse hairs lightly scratched my skin.
Suddenly, I was looking into Andrian’s lovely amber eyes, which had been previously hidden from view. Those eyes instantly softened when they found mine. He nuzzled my hand that was still next to his cheek, frozen mid motion in my surprise at being caught. It wasn’t that I’d done something wrong, but it was embarrassing to have him catch me staring at him and stroking his face. My cheeks grew hot but I didn't even consider pulling my hand away.
“Good morning, my Falyn,” he murmured as he scratched my palm with his cheek.
“Good morning, my Andri,” I replied softly, my face immediately breaking into a smile at his warm greeting. I had already forgotten what I was feeling embarrassed about, seeing his tender expression and the joy in his eyes.
“Mmm…” He trapped my hand with his own and pressed it against his cheek, making a happy sounding noise. “My Falyn, my bonded one, my joined mate. Since the very first moment I discovered what love was, you were the one and only love in my heart.”
A memory came to me and I suddenly laughed, despite Andrian’s loving words. When I saw his confused expression, I explained, “For some reason, what you just said reminded me of something. Back when we were first reunited, I don’t think I ever told you this, but before you told me about the bonding, I convinced myself that you already had a mate waiting for you back home.”
“You did?!” Andrian asked loudly, looking more rather than less confused. “But… how did you even come up with that?”
“Well, because I knew you were hiding something and I was pretty sure it was regarding your mate,” I laughed, “I completely misunderstood and thought you were avoiding the subject so I wouldn’t have to feel guilty. And it wasn't like I could just ask you about it.”
Andrian looked utterly bewildered before roaring with laughter, “That might be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you say. If I had a mate, why would I offer to join with you in the first place? I could have just let you go with Ras if that were the case.”
“It might seem as simple as that now, but it wasn’t simple then, at least not for me,” I told him, memories of the anxiety I’d felt darkening my mood a bit. “Before that day, all I knew was that my choice was to be married to a stranger or die, and I had no way of knowing if that stranger would be just as bad as the people I was finally getting away from. I know now that Rastari isn't like that at all, but I had no way of knowing that then.” I paused for a moment before adding, “Plus, he's a male. I know that sounds like a ridiculous concern, given our current situation, but–”
“It’s not ridiculous at all,” Andrian interrupted, “even if your homeland wasn’t so strict about only joining males with females, I know enough about what you've been through to understand why you felt that way. I'm just glad that you were willing to be with me in spite of all that."
“Andri, your being there that day… It was a miracle for me. But the idea that you would consider me your mate never crossed my mind.” It was true. It seemed far more plausible at that time that he would have someone else, not me, who was most important to him. It was hard to believe that it had only been about a moon cycle since we were reunited. Was it really only a few weeks since we had departed Vrayna? It felt like a lifetime ago. Long enough that I could find the humor in it now.
“So, were you jealous of my imaginary mate then?” he suddenly asked with a teasing grin. It seemed to me that he was secretly enjoying this.
I couldn’t help but smile alongside him as I admitted, “Yes, I think I was. Although I didn't know it at the time. At first, I didn’t really understand what agreeing to marry you actually meant. I just knew that you were my best option and that you made me feel safe. There was more to it than just that, of course, but those were the feelings that were in the forefront of my mind. I just assumed that you wanted to help me because of our history, not because you wanted to be with me. How could I ever think that when I didn't believe I was worthy of love at all? But the way I felt about you having a mate, it wasn’t just guilt. Even if I didn't realize it right away, I’ve wanted you to be mine from the first time you held me in your arms.”
“Oh, these arms right here?” he asked, pulling me into a tight embrace. A little too tight, actually. And he’d pinned my arms as well.
Realizing I’d been trapped, I struggled to escape his rough, playful hug, but he laughed and refused to let go. The slight melancholy I’d felt disappeared as the embrace turned into a gentle grapple and I began fighting back in earnest. We rolled around on the bed, laughing as I struggled to free myself, until we lost our balance and fell off the bed onto the cold, hard, stone floor.
Taking our rough landing on the temple floor as a sign, we started getting ready to leave. When Andrian got up and I could see him clearly, I felt somewhat abashed. A feeling that only increased when I looked down at my own condition. Angry looking red marks decorated both our bodies, some with the clear indentation of teeth, and I was shocked to see I’d left scratch marks on Andrian’s back at some point as well. However, the stinging sensation on my own back told me that I probably had matching marks, which made me feel a little better.
Last night, after lying on the bed together for a while, we’d gone upstairs to the large bathing area to soak in the hot water pool. With the line already crossed, it only felt natural to continue touching each other and quickly replenished our spent desire. Beginning again in the bathing area and continuing once we'd returned to the bed, we didn't sleep until both our staminas were completely exhausted. As I lay there next to him and fell asleep, I had felt a sense of warmth and fulfillment that went beyond anything I could have imagined. In his arms, I'd put to rest some of the fears that haunted me. An act that I'd only thought of as terrifying before, was now something that I could think of with anticipation and joy. I felt like I was one step further from the nightmares that haunted me.
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By the time we left the temple, the city was already open for business. The merchants had opened their doors, the streets were full of beastmen, and the late morning sun was beating down on us from above. The smell of spices and cooking filled the air and I was amazed that we hadn't noticed the noise when we were still inside.
Now that the ceremony was over, we had to stick around for a few days in case the council needed us for anything, but we were otherwise free to do as we pleased. So, ee’d decided to spend the day exploring the areas nearest to the city center, and go on a food tour of the city. I was excited to try the food stalls and cafes that littered the endless streets. Andrian also suggested that we go to the clothing stores, since the small collection of clothes I’d brought with me was getting a little tight. Constant access to so much good food had increased my weight quite a bit, filling out my cheeks and helping me gain a small amount of much desired muscle. When I looked in the mirror, I almost didn't recognize myself.
Andrian was already talking about browsing other types of stores as well, so I insisted we eat before we shopped and dragged him towards the first food stall I saw. We broke our fast with spicy, fire grilled bird meat, wrapped in flatbread with fresh tomatoes and a sharp cheese. After such intense activities the night before, my stomach growled as soon as I caught the scent of the grilled meat, and the wrap was gone in a few bites. Since we wanted to try as many stalls as possible, we didn’t order any more, despite the wraps doing little to sate our hunger.
We chose another stall to eat from before we started looking at the shops, one that offered a special type of flatbread, which was extra light and fluffy, filled with whipped cream and fruit. The stall owner told us there were nuts ground into the bread dough and the cream was sweetened with honey before being whipped. He drizzled extra honey on top and told us to eat carefully so as not to get it all over our clothes. I saw some people standing off to the side, eating their cream breads in a position that looked like they were bowing to a Lord, with whipped cream falling to the ground below them. We copied their postures and managed to eat the sticky cream bread without ruining our clothes.
Throughout the day, we visited numerous clothing stores, and Andrian insisted on buying me a wardrobe large enough to please a Vraynian noble. The simple designs and fabrics, emphasizing comfort over luxury, were practical but still appealing to the eye. All of our purchases would be dropped off at the inn by their delivery cart, so we didn’t have to carry everything around with us. From our purchases at the first store, I chose an outfit that I could wear for the day; a simple set of dark brown, loose fitting pants, a light blue linen shirt, and a pair of sturdy sandals that suited the climate well. The bulk of what we purchased was warmer clothing that would be more suited to the climate in the west.
I was a little disheartened that I had no money of my own, since I wanted to buy things for Andrian as well, but he insisted that such things didn’t matter. Promising myself that I would make it up to him when I started making a wage at the apothecary, I started picking clothes I liked for him as well. Anything I chose for him, he immediately purchased and had sent back to the inn with the selections he’d picked for me.
We browsed stores that offered various wares for the home, everything from cooking utensils to furniture, but Andrian said it was better to wait until we were back in the lion village to buy household items, as they would be cumbersome to travel with. The beast army was going to provide us with a townhouse to live in as part of Andrian’s new position in the village, but we would still need to furnish the house ourselves. He said that when the time came, I could furnish and fill the house as I pleased. I was a little nervous about having the choice be left to me, since I knew nothing about what a house needs, but Andrian assured me he'd make sure we didn't miss anything. He would teach me how to do all the things that the servants had done for me before. Some of it, I'd already learned during our travels, and thus far it had been easy to pick up.
We shopped and ate until the sun made its way across the sky and the afternoon began to fade. After visiting numerous stalls and cafes, my stomach felt like it was about to burst from all the delicious food and drinks I'd consumed. My favorite was a small cafe that made coffee drinks that consisted of a thick and rich coffee mixed with sweet cream and poured over ice cubes. We each had two at the cafe and then asked for more to take with us when we left.
When we arrived back at the inn, the sun hadn't yet begun to set, and we found Uncle Alek as he was also returning for the night. The three of us went to the inn’s restaurant to have dinner together. I didn’t have much of an appetite after our day of food touring the city, but I couldn’t say no after he said he wanted to spend some time with ‘his boys’. Uncle Alek seemed determined that I was to be his son now, and where I still couldn't call him 'dad' comfortably, it meant a lot that he was working so hard to make me feel like a part of his family. I wondered what life could have been like if my father had been this kind of man instead.
Since neither of us had any real interest in eating, Andrian and I both ordered a bowl of soup and nothing else. Uncle Alek didn’t mind and ordered enough food for all of us, then ate it all himself. Aside from coming in to give some official greetings to his superiors in the dome, he’d been touring the city as well, but hadn’t thought to stop for a proper meal. As a ranger, Uncle Alek led a reclusive existence, so he was taking in as much of the city that he could before it was time to go back. He complained quite a bit about the crowds, the smells, and all the noise, but I could tell he’d had a good time. We said our goodnights and agreed to spend the following day out together.
With Andrian and Uncle Alek, the next few days were filled with exploring, shopping, and lots of delicious food. On the fourth day, there was a message waiting for us when we returned to the inn, informing us that we were free to depart for the lion village and thanking us for our time. We decided to set out immediately the next day, using our time that evening to pack and say our goodbyes to our friends who remained in the city. Rastari said he'd see us in a few months' time, when we were to depart for the Vraynian marriage ceremony.
For the trip back, we purchased a cart and donkey to carry all of our newly purchased clothing, and linens. We had accumulated far too much to carry on horseback, so it was a necessary expense. Uncle Alek had to return to his forest home, as he had already been gone for too long, and would join us on our travels this time. He was grateful for the cart as well, having done a fair bit of shopping for himself while we were touring the city.
The trip back was peaceful when I compared it to our encounter with the Devourers on the way to the trading city. No monsters attacked in the desert, and the ones we encountered when we were back in the jungle were easily dealt with. Andrian and I would get up for the second watch each night while the moon was still shining, and drank coffee made over the fire before beginning my morning training. Some mornings, I questioned if my mate had been possessed by a sadistic demon, as he made me stretch, strain, and overwork my muscles, but I couldn’t deny the results. Since he was so hard on me each morning, he would massage my aching muscles every night in penance. It was enough that I could forgive him for his brutal tactics.
We arrived in the lion village without fanfare and found the street where our townhouse was located. Following the directions we’d been given, we discovered our new home, nestled in the midst of other similar structures. Each unit was two stories high, with an upper and lower living area. We were on the bottom floor, which meant we entered from the street and had access to a tiny yard in the front. Our neighbors had a similar sized yard in the back with stairs leading up to their door. In every direction you looked, you'd see more rows of the exact same design.
The whole structure was made out of a pale, blond wood, and the inside was covered from floor to ceiling in the same material. With a simple kitchen, a small but open living area, and a bedroom with a bathing room attached, it was perfect for the two of us to share. We unloaded the cart and said our goodbyes to Uncle Alek, who couldn’t even spend the night with us in his hurry to get back. His leave ended in two days and there was already no way he could make it in that time. He'd already admitted that he should have left a couple days before us, but didn't want to miss out on a rare opportunity to spend time together.
After he'd left, our little house was completely empty, other than the two of us and our luggage. There were a couple curtainless windows that opened up to look at the houses around us, and a fire stove and ice box in the kitchen, fueled by an unknown magic source. It was simple and unadorned. It was home.