ONE DAY LATER
“I want his measurements precise. I don’t want my son-in-law’s outfit to feel tight or loose in any places,” Evelina says, touching my waistline.
“Yes, ma’am,” Vanessa says, measuring my waist.
“And where’s my daughter? She should’ve been here half an hour ago for her measurements.”
“Ulrika told me she was going to see our tailor about a concern she had for her dress.”
“Hmm? She has her own dress?”
“Yes.”
“Kaioson, have you seen it?” If I’m thinking correctly, this dress might be the one I never sought to see until Ulrika is ready to show it to me.
“Assuming that this is the dress I’m thinking about, I believe she’ll want to reveal it to me in a surprise,” I answer.
“Hmm, I’m gonna go look for her and see what it is.” Evelina walks over to the door but stops to look back at Vanessa and me. “Perfect measurements, Vanessa.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Vanessa replies, checking the length of my right leg. Evelina closes the door behind her. It somewhat echoes in the room. Vanessa lets out a sigh that sounds worrying. I look down at her face, but she’s smiling.
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry, sir. Don’t mind me.”
“What was that smile about?”
“I... uh... I’m super excited about the ceremony. I can barely hold my excitement.” I laugh a bit at her saying that, yet I feel the same way. “I’ve never felt this excitement when I attended all of her brother’s weddings.”
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t have a powerful bond with them as I do with Ulri. I became her first friend when she was just six years old.”
“Wow,” I say, stretching out the word with admiration behind it.
“She declared it. I was honored by it. When she was a teenager, she wanted to enlist in the army. Her brothers inspired her so much that she would play with sticks and acted like they were swords.”
“Ah, yes. Ulrika told me this story. She also told me she had previous training from a maid beforehand due to her father not wanting her to enlist.”
“Guilty.”
“You trained her?”
“I did, but keep the secret between Ulrika and us, okay?”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you.” She rolls the measuring tape into a tight roll then puts it into her pocket. “Alright, I’m done. I’ll take your measurements to our tailor.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“I don’t mind.” I jog over to the door to open it up for her. “Such a gentleman. Ulri fell in love with a wonderful man.”
My face warms up from my blushing. I shy away from looking at her, focusing my attention down the hallway. She slithers her hand under my left arm, gently gripping my biceps.
“Let’s go,” she says, leading me.
We walk down the long-lit corridor, passing several rooms. Some rooms have maids in them, cleaning or fiddling around with things. Once we near the main stairwell, a volume of thunderous voices explodes. I look down to see what the commotion is. All over the foyer, maids, servants, workers, and some of Ulrika’s brothers begin decorating the main hallway. I view people carrying candle stands, white-clothed tables, and chairs in the dining room.
“This is gonna be one big wedding,” I say, continuing to watch everyone work.
“My gosh, yes. We’re gonna serve thirteen family members plus you and a few of their friends,” Venessa says, walking me past the stairs.
“When do you think everything will be ready?” We stop by a nearby window. She gazes at the sky and the rising sun out of view to our left.
“Maybe around noon.”
“Wow, really?”
“We’ve been planning for days since you and Ulri consummated in secret.”
“It wasn’t in secret,” I respond in a whisper. Venessa giggles through her teeth, then we continue walking. “It was in private. We were going to tell once we’ve taken a short vacation.”
“Sure, sure. But, since the attack and what Ulri mentioned about this cultist problem, we are working overtime, so you will have your celebration today.”
“y appreciate you and everyone is doing. It makes me happy to know everyone is making our ceremony possible.”
“It’s my honor, Kaioson.” We make a right-hand turn, entering another hallway. Ulrika and Eveline’s conversation faintly increases in volume as we walk over to them. It sounds like they’re arguing loudly but not screaming their words. “Oh, dear. What’s going on?” Vanessa lets go of my arm and speed walks over to them.
“Momma, I won’t do it,” Ulrika says.
“Damnit, Ulrika! You need a haircut!” Evelina says.
“Ladies, please,” Vanessa interjects. They both look at her, then Ulrika notices me.
“Kaio!” Ulrika shouts. She smiles, but it goes away when she looks back at Evelina. “Kaio, do I need a haircut?” I examine her hair as she stares at me, gawking with her arms crossed. “Well?” Even though her hair is nicely straightened out, some areas need a few inches off.
“How much do you want to be cut off?” I ask, looking at Evelina. Ulrika furrows her brows and frowns, giving me a death stare.
“Since it’s short, I want long in the front, but the length recedes moving to the back of her head,” Evelina says, touching Ulrika’s hair.
“Kaio, don’t side with her. I’m trying to grow it out for you,” Ulrika says.
“Why are you making a big fuss, Ulri? It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.”
“No!”
“Everyone, settle down,” I say, gently pulling Ulrika to me. I make her face me and play with her hair to see what I can do to satisfy everyone. I’m not trying to change her hair’s shape but I’m trying to visualize what type of style can be used. “I got it!”
“Got what?” I turn Ulrika to face Evelina, then I comb my fingers through Ulrika’s hair.
“Make it curly.”
“Curly?” Ulrika and Evelina say at the same time.
“Yeah, wavy. Swept to the left if you like. Also, trim some of this peach fuzz off.” I tickle the little hairs going down her neck. She shoots her shoulder up, shielding her neck from me, then locks her fingers around my hand.
“Hmm, that might work. I could do that myself,” Evelina says.
“Will that work, Ulrika?”
“I’m fine with that,” Ulrika says, then puckers up her lips. I reward her with a kiss then she gifts me three more.
“Alright, that’s enough, you lovebirds. I expect everything to be done around noon. Ulri, come to my room two hours before that to get your hair done.”
“Okay, mom.” Evelina exits the room with a big smile on her face. Vanessa watches her walk away for a moment, looks at me, then sighs with her hand over her heart.
“I’m gonna help the others set up stuff downstairs,” Vanessa says, leaving us.
Something that sounds like glass hits an object with the same texture. It’s the tailor. I’m surprised I didn’t see him standing there when I came in. To the right of him is the same bag that Ulrika’s dress is wrapped in.
“So, what do you plan on doing to your dress?” I whisper out of earshot from him.
“It has a hole in it. I need it fixed,” Ulrika says, turning my head back to her. She strokes my cheek with her thumb and plays with a single twisted strand of my hair. “Come, let’s go to my chamber.” I follow her out while holding her hand. “I’m in the mood for something intimate yet calming with a bit of aggressiveness.”
“What is that supposed to be?” I ask with curious excitement.
“I’ll show you once we get there.”
“Ah, a surprise?”
“Not this. We’ve done this before, but I believe we’ll make it more erotic.”
She’s making my heart speed up, firing off my adrenaline. She lets go of my hands and jogs away while looking back at me. Her playfulness is making me more excited to see what she wants to do. I chase her down the steps, all the way into her room. She runs to her bed and lays on top of it. I prevent my overexcitement by walking over there.
“Hurry up, Kaio,” she says, sitting up by laying on her elbows.
“Are you in a rush to get this started?”
“Well, when you say it like that, I best tease you to hurry up.”
While she opens the breast window of her shirt, I start to unbutton my tunic. I can see she doesn’t have her chest wrapped on. She opens the window of her chest broad enough that both of her breasts are in full view. Seeing them is enough for me to not care anymore about taking my shirt off. I lay on top of her, once again mesmerized by her sexual attractiveness.
“So, what do you want to do?” I ask.
“I desire what we’ve done many times when we began our love.”
“Kisses and cuddles.”
“Yes.”
“So, what will be the aggressive part about this?”
“Strip me bare, and I’ll show you what you inquire.” I sense she’s alluding to sex since we didn’t do it yesterday because the whole house wouldn’t leave us alone after telling them we wanted our wedding.
After I altogether remove every bit of clothing from our bodies, she pulls me on top of her. She locks her legs around my back. Nothing too strange, but her kissing is aggressive, packed with intensity and hunger for me. I love this type of fierceness she’s throwing at me. It feels like we’re moving into a new stage of devotion, where we don’t shy away from our lust.
When Ulrika moves away from my face, I’m left stunned and silently craving for her to continue.
“Let’s slow down a bit, okay?” Ulrika says, coming back up to me. I lure her into sitting on my lap by repelling from her lips. We tongue, kiss, then cuddle until boredom or someone wanting us splits us apart.
TWO HOURS TILL NOON
While Ulrika gets her hair done by her mother, I take the time to train in Ulrika’s room, practicing my sword handling. I know today is supposed to be relaxation, love, and celebration, but I need to be prepared for Nite. I’m going to take Rhyndac’s words to heart and improve on every technique I know from Thyrna. Even the ones I haven’t used in years. Those special abilities need to be improved upon as soon as I can find a more prominent place to use them.
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Garret’s actions are still in my mind, but I’m not as mad. Ulrika’s comment on my anger not being a part of my personality is correct. Anger like that is new to me. I can’t recall anywhere in my life where I have gone ballistic in such a manner I would want to end a life. Would Thyrna condemn such radical emotion? Maybe I should seek her counsel before the world is on fire and Paladins try to smother it.
Someone opening the door causes me to freeze in mid-maneuver where I twirl my sword behind my back.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?” Vanessa asks, moving half of her body in the room.
“I was doing some little swordplay,” I say, sheathing my sword manually. “Is Ulrika’s hair done?”
“No. At this time of the wedding, you won’t see Ulri until her mother hands her off to you.”
“Her mother is giving me Ulrika?”
“That’s right. Evelina was adamant it be her since Ulri is her only pride and joy.”
Momma’s girl. Ha!
“It’s time for you to get dressed, Kaioson,” Vanessa says, pushing the door all the way open. My heart sinks when I see maids behind her holding something white. In the dim light, I can see something sparkling off it. “Alright, guys. Time to set the scene.”
“The scene?”
“It’s time to practice the wedding ritual.” A wave of servants and maids flood the room. They roll in an ivory white outfit with pink and blue accents on a clothing rack. On the rail are white shoes with a yellow outer soul. “Here is your wedding attire, Kaioson.”
I take a closer look at the details of the coat. It’s sleeveless. The inside fabric is yellow. My shirt is a standard white long sleeve with cuffs. The pants are baggy, but as I look down at the legs, they narrow towards the ankles.
“This looks angelic,” I say, feeling the fabric of the coat. It’s coarse, so I move my interest to the shirt. It’s soft. “Wow!”
“Nice to see you like it. Now, time to practice,” Vanessa says, walking me to the center of the room. “Erika!”
“Right here!” Erika responds, hopping over to us.
“Let’s begin.”
“Alrighty. Kaioson, I want you to pretend I’m Ulrika.”
“Okay...,” I say. Erika is a short, chubby yet shapely brunette with blue eyes. Her height stops right at my stomach.
“This is how it will go down, so pay attention.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I will walk with my mother walking by my side. She’ll hand me off to you. The priest will say I’ve entered your sacred presence, and I will remove my shoes.” She takes off her black slippers and carries them in her hand.
“So, you’re saying I’ve become special?”
“Greatly special. Next, I’ll bow, then take a seat behind you.” Vanessa pulls up a chair behind me. “I’ll sit on it, and you’ll take a knee, wipe my feet, and put my shoes back on.” I raise my eyebrow, confused about what I just heard.”
“Why?” Erika walks up to me. I move out of the way. She takes a seat with her right foot raised and pointing at me. “Your kneel is a sign of respect and humility to your wife. The wiping of my feet shows your delicateness to the lower sex.” Vanessa hands me a silk handkerchief. I perform the rite as if Ulrika is sitting in front of me.
“Was that good?” Erika’s cheeks are blushing. She looks at Vanessa, then Vanessa looks at me, giggling. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No. You did it right,” Vanessa says, still giggling. “Continue, Erika.”
“Right. Once you’ve put my shoes on, you stand up; hold me.” Erika says.
“Like this?” I hold the divot on her waist. The red in her cheeks turn redder.
“Is this how you would hug your wife, Kaioson?” She asks in a soft voice that feels curious yet disappointing. I lean over and readjust my arms around the uppermost part of her butt and pull her close.
“If Ulrika were your height, I’d hold her like this. Close as our bodies will allow so that she’ll feel me.”
“Oh my... That’s... really good.”
“Should we practice this again?”
“Uhh, yeah... Vanessa will take over for me for a moment?”
“Umm, okay?” Vanessa says.
“I need to... uh...umm... I forgot to cook something.” Erika jogs out the door in a near hurry.
“Okay. Let’s take it to the top, Kaioson.”
ONE HOUR BEFORE NOON
I’ve perfected this celebration ritual. I’m confident Ulrika will enjoy this moment of our wedding. I’m super excited to see what she’ll look like. With only an hour away, I’m stuck on what to do to pass the time. Vanessa and Erika talk to each other in the middle of the floor. I can only pick out a few words from sitting on the bed. I’m apprehensive about asking them about what they’re discussing, so I lay back on the bed to wait for the moment to be called out for the wedding.
“Kaioson,” Vanessa whispers from my left. She nudges my arm with her fingers. “Are you asleep?” I open my eyes to her, then feel the bed sink on my left side. Erika and Vanessa flank me, both giving alarming frowns.
“What’s up?” I say, sitting up.
“Erika and I want to know the severity of Nite.”
“Hmm. The severity...”
“We were in the market earlier this morning and saw warning papers posted on walls. I know these people are alarming, but how dangerous are they?” Erika says.
“Nite is a religious fanatic determined to spread chaos through Inaubirato revive their goddess, Zadione,” I say.
“Zadione? I don’t know who that is.”
“Me neither. What is she?” Vanessa asks, sitting on the bed with us. I tell what I know using Haleema’s explanation of Zadione. Then, I tell them how ruthless they can be, from Olly’s bounty to the siege of Tawaragata.
“By the gods,” Erika says, looking away. “They’re evil! Thank goodness the Paladins and our city’s forces prevented another massacre. ”
“Oh, Kaioson. You and Ulrika went through some hell,” Vanessa says.
“Yeah,” I mumble, looking down at the bed.
“I’m happy you two made it through it okay.”
“It’s taken a mental toll on us. But it seems Ulrika is more resistant to the mental price than I am.”
“I’ll pray for your well-being.”
“Me too,” Erika jumps in.
They both clasp their hands together and start praying in their native elven tongue. I’m astounded, speechless, and honored by this. They’re saying different things, but the message of giving me strong will, protection, and peace is stated. My eyes tear up. It’s not enough to make me cry until they start giving Ulrika good blessings as well.
“You’re gonna make me cry, you guys,” I say, letting my tears flow.
“Save those tears when you see your wife,” Vanessa says.
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The moment is here. I stand with a bishop on an elevated platform in the middle of the main hallway. Directly in front of me is Ulrika’s whole family. They’re split into two rows, separated by a red carpet that reaches the front door. I’m so anxious that my heart has been beating fast nonstop for minutes. I’m starting to hate and love this feeling. It’s driving me crazy seeing myself want her so badly that I’m laughing at my impatience.
The front door opens, and everyone in the room becomes silent. Two servants enter the building, holding the door wide open. A blinding white light highlights Ulrika and Evelina’s bodies. I can’t see what Ulrika’s wearing, but her dress bleeds through in a shimmering hot red color when she steps in. Her dress sways gently as she walks with her mother at a languid pace, arms locked, eyes focused on me.
The more Ulrika gets closer, the more details emerge from her appearance. She’s wearing crimson lipstick. Her dress exposes her shoulders and stops above her mid-thigh. The floating light orbs above everyone’s head are making something on her right finger shimmer. Her shoes are black, low cut, exposing her ankles.
My eyes tear up, seeing my wife look so beautiful. Her curly hair, red lips, red dress, and deep emerald eyes are ethereal.
Oh, Xanlos, father of us all, I praise you for creating the most beautiful woman ever to grace my life.
Right when they pass the last bench, Ulrika lets go of Evelina. Evelina keeps her hold but removes her grip when Ulrika nods at her. She takes her seat next to her husband and takes her final few steps nearing my presence. I recite every detail of the customs so that I won’t make an ass of myself in front of everyone.
The bishop starts narrations of the meanings of each ritual step. Ulrika slips off her shoes and bows to me. Her toenails are painted red, just like her fingernails. I come down the steps with my hand out to her. Her cheeks redden, then her whole face. I can tell she’s about to cry, so I come down to her and grab her hand with care.
“Hold those tears in,” I tell her in a soft voice, walking her to the seat.
She sits down, puts her shoes on the ground, then I get on one knee. I cup my hands near her right foot, and she places her right foot in them. Her skin is smooth, a bit oily, freshly shaved, and somewhat shines from the light. This is my first time holding her feet. Something about seeing the smoothness of her thick, round, crafted muscular legs added with her feet and glittery nails is alluring.
I pull her foot up closer to me while I get out the white handkerchief from my pocket. The aroma of citrus perfume catches me by surprise. The smell is lovely and highlights an unknown beauty that I overlooked before. I wipe both feet to show my humility and gentle side. When I’m done, I carefully put her shoes back on, then look up at her. Her face is still red, but she’s smiling. A tear comes out of her eye, causing her to look to her left.
“I’ll get it,” I say, using the handkerchief to soak up the tears.
“Thank you,” she says, in a weeping tone. I help her up and caress her waist, staring deep into her eyes. The red on her face recedes away when she gazes into my eyes.
“So damn beautiful.” She glances at my lips, and that’s my cue to let her taste them. We kiss, and the whole room blows up into cheering. She doesn’t stop kissing me, so I keep going until she’s quenched. When she stops, she pulls away.
“Oh!” She covers her mouth, muffling her laughter.
“What’s so funny?” I turn my head to face the family, but she puts her hands over my mouth.
“Wait! You got my lipstick smeared all over your lips.”
“Oh?” I say in a muffle.
“Give me your handkerchief.” She wipes my lips clean, then folds it with the red stain inside. “A little memento.”
“Of our marriage kiss?”
“Mhmm.” She hands it back to me then says, “Keep a hold of it until we return back to my room.”
“Okay.”
----------------------------------------
To let our bellies digest our grand feast, we cower under a tree in her family’s big garden. No one is in sight. All we hear is the natural nature ambiance. She lays between my legs, against my body, with her shoes off. I can’t stop staring at her legs, feet, and the color of her toenails. All of this admiring reminds me of the time I kept gazing at her muscles when she first showed me how built she is. Her feet are like the last piece of the puzzle that completes the whole picture I adore. Just like those intense days of high admiration towards the different areas of her sexy body, I believe I’ll be consumed with infatuation only by her feet or the color of nail polish she chooses.
“I’m loving your feet,” I say. Ulrika lifts her left foot and spreads her toes out.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“That’s new. Is it my feet or the polish I’m wearing?” I whisper, saying both, including her legs, then snuggle my face on her neck while peering back at them.
“Now I adore you from head to toe.”
“Well, that puts an emphasis on that phrase.” We laugh together for a short moment before she turns on her left side to cuddle. I curl my body in so I can achieve the best satisfaction from our hold.
“Kaio, I want to talk to you about something vital to me.”
“Yes?”
“When we were feasting, I pondered deeply about one of your promises.”
“Which one?”
“Your promises to give me daughters.” My heart pauses for a second, and a tiny knot emerges in my neck. She laces her fingers between my left hand, then smooches them. “Recently, in the time we’ve walked over here, I’ve come up with their names.” She looks up at me, having a big grin on her face. “Wanna hear them?”
“Yes.”
“For our firstborn, I wanna name her Joyce. Because she’ll be our first joy as a family.”
“Joy,” I whisper.
“For our second, she’ll be named Rosalie.”
“Rosey?”
“Yes! What do you think?”
“These are perfect names, Ulrika.”
“I’m so happy you like them.” She tucks her head back on my chest, and we cuddle in silence for a time. “Kaio.”
“Hmm?”
“When would it be alright for us to return to bounty hunting?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“I’m trying to gauge the importance of when you think it’s time versus my own. I honestly am not looking forward to being on the road again.”
“I say the sooner we return, the better our lives will be at the end of it all.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Why?”
“I know about our commitments. I’m just... not ready to leave the comforts of the small bubble we’ve made.” I sigh, not knowing how to respond. “We can set out tomorrow if you want. I’ll just suck it up.” She hums, then scoffs. “You probably think I’m a selfish hypocrite. If not, you need to.”
“Ulrika... stop it. Stop bashing yourself.”
“Why? Do you not see that I’m prioritizing staying in peace with you rather than going out and hunting those cultist fuckers down?” Once again, I’m lost for words. “It’s okay, Kaioson. It’s funny that within a day, I’ve lost a sense of concern with what I stated I would do.” She breaks my hold on her by rolling over to face me. We look at each other in silence, then she smirks. “Your wife has gone mad on our special day.”
“No, she hasn’t. She wants the best life for us. Nothing wrong with that, but this calmness we’re in will eventually end.” She starts to frown but covers it before I can fully see the extent of it. Her eyes flood up with tears that don’t hesitate to fall out. “Have you heard what’s going on in the town?”
“No?”
“They’re on edge, Ulrika. The Paladins gave out the warning and, I assume, informed all the kingdoms.” More and more tears come out. I can feel myself begin to tear up. “I’m gonna set out to Nebulas tomorrow to see if Haleema or the agency has bounties.”
“Okay,” she says, nodding her head and taking deep breaths. “Mind if I come along?”
“I don’t mind.” I kiss her forehead, then her lips. I create a smile with a burst of short laughter from her. “Ulrika.”
“Yes?”
“I see your desires and feel your fears. My vows remain intact. We will get our happy little world you’ve envisioned. We just gotta work for it, okay?”
“Understood.” For a second time, I kiss her forehead but don’t kiss her lips. “You are forgetting something.” Her lips pucker, so I give her what she wants. She looks down between our legs, then starts tapping her knee on my thigh.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know.”
“Stop that.” I touch her thigh, but she continues tapping my leg. The upper portion of her thigh, where the hem of her dress stops at, activates a lewdful thought into wanting to pull it up further to expose more of her leg. But her bumping is pulling me away from that action. “Stop, Ulrika.”
“Does this hurt you?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’ll just keep going.” I ignore her knee by trying to keep my attention on her upper thigh. The need to satisfy my lust makes me crawl my hand under her dress. She continues bumping my leg but looks at me now. I push it up to expose more of her leg but notice she’s not wearing underwear.
“What?” I say.
“Hmm?”
“Why aren’t you wearing underwear?”
“Oh...” I stroke her soft leg to indulge my thirst. She bites down on the corner of her lip and stops hitting me. “I’m not wearing my bandeau either.”
“Are your undergarments uncomfortable to wear in this dress?”
“I actually don’t know. I’ll have to check that later on.”
“So, why are they not on you?”
“So you could have quick access to see my body.” I stop moving my hand to take in what she just stated, then she pulls her dress up to her stomach. “No one’s around, my love, plus we’re hidden here.”
“You wanna do it here? Out in the open?”
“Like I said. We’re secluded. We’ve pushed this off twice, Kaio.”
“Twice? I thought I mentioned it yesterday.”
“That cuddle we had today was nearly a hair away from sex. We’ve teased each other for long enough. So...” She takes her dress entirely off her head. I’m appalled yet amazed by her boldness to want to do it outside. “Waiting on you, my dearest husband. You gotta lot of clothing to take off.”
“Give me a sec.”
“Take your time. This is the last tease I’ll endure.”
Jeez, I hope no one gets the idea to come over here. If anyone sees us, that would be so damn embarrassing.
Ulrika looks like she’s drunk with lust the way she’s staring at me. Her smile is wide and her eyes are in a tight squint. The hair on her forearms, armpits and even her pubic hair is shaved. She’s smooth all around.
Once I sit on the ground naked, she wastes no time pouncing on me, making love with my lips. In record time, I’m fully aroused by her aggressiveness. She stops momentarily to insert herself into my lap. Her orgasms are boisterous, filled with passion from the pleasure I’m giving her. She’s giving me pleasant chills from the sounds she’s producing. I think this time, we’ll not try to silence our exuberant moans. I’m feeling bold to let her know how much I genuinely relish this.