Goddess’s Choice

by I. T. Lucas

  That did not make any sense. “Why would I want to carry him on my shoulder?”

  Esag laughed. “I meant to throw him over, so he hits the ground, not keep him there.”

  “Oh.”

  “I would have demonstrated, but I do not want to hurt you.”

  That defied the purpose of the lesson. If she was already there and suffering Esag’s disturbing proximity, she should at least learn a few moves.

  “I am not easily hurt. Please show me how it is done because I do not understand what you mean.”

  “Are you sure? I am going to throw you on the ground, and it is going to hurt your back, and your tunic is going to get dirty.”

  It felt good to be treated like a girl. Not many people did, most expecting her to act like a boy just because she was as tall and as strong as one. Gulan did not like it, but she was used to it, and to gain the ability to protect her lady better, she was willing to suffer much worse than an aching back and dirty clothes.

  Those were nothing.

  The problem was Esag. Touching him, and getting touched by him. She was not herself around him. A different teacher would have been preferable. Except, she could not back out now without offending him.

  Besides, no one else had offered to train her, and she was too shy to ask one of the guards, or any male for that matter. It would have been nice to have a female warrior to teach her, but there were none.

  Females did not train for combat.

  “Do not worry about me. It is my duty and obligation to protect my lady to the best of my ability. I want to learn.”

  “As you wish.” Esag did not look or sound sure. “I will try to make your fall as gentle as possible.”

  “Do not.” She wanted to add that she was a big girl and could take it, but that was kind of obvious and nothing she wished to emphasize.

  For the first time in Gulan’s life, a male was showing interest in her, and not just any male, a handsome squire who could have any girl he wanted. If he found her desirable, she was not going to point out why she was not.

  “Try to grab my tunic again.” He pointed at his chest.

  Taking a deep breath, Gulan lurched forward, hoping to catch Esag before he had time to react, but his reflexes were fast, and he grabbed her wrist the same way he had done before, only this time he did not stop.

  Turning, he gave a mighty pull on her arm and swept her leg from under her with his. For one short moment, she was draped over his back, and in the next, she was flying heels over head in the air. With a loud thud, she landed on the ground.

  Still holding on to her wrist, Esag straddled her, a knee on each side. “This is how you make sure your opponent does not get up. You sit on him.”

  “You are not sitting on me.” Thanks the gods for that.

  “No, I am not.” He jumped up, helping her to her feet by pulling on her wrist again. “But you get what I mean.”

  Gulan nodded, then patted her tunic to dislodge the leaves and dirt clinging to its back.

  “Are you all right?” Esag asked.

  “Yes. I think I can do it.”

  He turned her around and patted her back to clean the rest of the dirt off her, making her blush again as his hand brushed against her bottom.

  Did he do it on purpose?

  Gods, she hoped not.

  When he was done, Esag walked over to the middle of the clearing. “I am heavy, and you may not be able to lift me. Use my momentum and put your back into it.”

  Was he teasing her? Esag had seen her lift a boy and throw him across the schoolyard without using any technique. This was going to be easy.

  On second thought, though, maybe she should pretend and fail on purpose?

  It was not feminine to be so strong.

  The thing was, Gulan hated to lie and was exceedingly bad at it, which was the main reason why Annani’s shenanigans were so difficult for her. Duplicity of any kind was foreign to her nature. Even keeping secrets was an effort.

  She would have to throw him. The other thing that bothered her was where exactly was Esag going to grab her? She could not point at her chest as he had.

  “I am sure that I can throw you over my shoulder.”

  “We will see. Drape your braid over your front. I am going to pretend as if I am going for it.”

  Thank the gods Esag solved that dilemma.

  She followed his instructions, pulling her heavy braid and draping it over her left breast. Hopefully, she could catch Esag’s wrist before his hand reached her. What if he got ahold of more than her hair?

  As his eyes followed her movements, they lingered on her chest for a moment too long before returning to her face. Apparently, the same thought had crossed his mind.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  Gulan nodded.

  Esag did not move as fast as she had expected him to, giving her ample time to catch his wrist before his hand could close around her braid.

  Another thing she had not expected was for her pull to be so strong that she did not need to trip his leg in order to send him flying over her shoulder. If not for her hand still holding onto his wrist, Esag would have landed in the bushes bordering the clearing.

  As it was, he landed on the ground with a mighty thud and a loud grunt.

  Gulan stopped his forward movement, letting go of his wrist only when she was sure he would not slide further away. As she straddled him, her knees on either side of him, her long tunic rode up her thighs.

  Esag smiled up at her as if he was the one who had emerged triumphant, his hands landing on her thighs. “Gods, you are beautiful. I could stare into those green eyes of yours for eternity.”

  That was the last thing Gulan had expected him to say. She had been ready for comments about her strength, or about her heavy weight on top of him. She had even braced for a disgusted expression or a sour one. But not this.

  For a moment, she remained frozen, looking into Esag’s smiling eyes, terrified by how good his hands felt on her thighs.

  What was she supposed to say? That she found him beautiful as well? That she could stare into those smiling eyes of his for eternity too?

  Instead, she bolted upright and ran.

  “Gulan!” Esag called after her. “Wait! What happened?” He chased her, the sound of his flopping sandals thundering in her ears.

  She wished she could put the storm of feelings raging inside her into words or at least calm down for long enough to answer him, but it was no use.

  Gulan just kept on running.

  4

  Khiann

  As Annani let go of Khiann’s hand, he clasped it again. “I need to keep touching you.”

  “Someone might see us.”

  “I added a visual shroud to the sound barrier. Anyone passing by will see us sitting with our heads bent over my tablet and will think we are studying. We can do whatever we want as long as we are inside the gazebo.”

  Annani’s demeanor changed in an instant, the seductive smirk and smiling eyes hinting at her intentions. “Anything we want?”

  My princess is not shy. Thank you, wise Fates.

  Other males might have preferred a demure mate, but Khiann did not. Annani’s assertiveness and commanding presence excited him, challenged him, and made him eager to play. With her, there would not be a dull moment.

  In one swift move, he lifted her off the bench and onto his lap. “Anything your heart desires.”

  She cupped his cheek. “My heart and my body are in accord in their desires. I want your lips on mine and your hands all over me.”

  Dear Fates, the girl was temptation personified. Khiann had a feeling she would not object if he threw her over the table and had his way with her.

  Was he the luckiest of gods or what?

  But even though the hard rod in his breeches disagreed, it was too soon for that. Annani was an untried virgin, and despite her bravado had a lot to learn about intimacy and what it entailed.

  According to the sensual arts teacher his fath
er had hired for him, a female required a buildup of intimacy and trust before surrendering her body to a male, and the first time was the most important one. If the experience were fulfilling, both emotionally and physically, it would set a positive tone for the future. Conversely, a less than satisfactory first experience had the potential of ruining her expectations and making her less than enthusiastic for repeats.

  His teacher had warned Khiann to take his time with females, especially the young and inexperienced ones. Even when the girl was impatient and implied that she was ready, it was not always so. It was his responsibility to ascertain that she was.

  People were not animals, she had said, and the sexual act was not only about fulfilling basic needs and procreation. Without the heart and the mind, the joining was not as satisfying.

  Her teachings had served Khiann well. He had not been in love with any of his former partners, but he had never taken to bed a female he had not liked or one that he had not felt some sort of a connection with.

  How much more fulfilling would the experience be with the one he loved? No doubt unimaginably so.

  Provided he exercised restraint.

  It would be a mistake to succumb too soon because his sprite was in a hurry to sample the fruits of passion. Too much was at stake. They had eternity to enjoy each other, and he was going to make sure that they started it right, which meant following his teacher’s advice to the letter.

  By the time he joined with Annani, he would know her soul, and her heart and her body’s every response to every touch better than he knew his own.

  Lifting his hand, he gently rubbed his finger over her lush lower lip, then bent his head and kissed her, just a soft, featherlight kiss.

  “You smell like sunshine and first rain,” he murmured against her lips.

  She giggled. “What is the difference between the first and the second rain? And I did not know sunshine had a smell.”

  “It is how I imagine the scents of happiness and vitality.”

  “Oh. It sounds nice.” She leaned into him, pressing her small body against his chest as if seeking to touch as much of him as possible. “You smell like thunder and lightning.”

  “I did not know they had a smell.”

  As Khiann held her to him, his palm slowly sliding up and down her exposed back, he applauded her choice of dress. It allowed him to touch her bare skin which was as soft as a petal and as smooth as silk.

  “That is how I imagine the scents of power and vigor.” Annani closed her eyes and submitted to his soft touches, her back muscles relaxing under his hands. “It feels so good,” she mumbled into his chest. “I feel so close to you. Closer than I ever felt to anyone.”

  His heart swelling with love, he kissed her forehead. “I feel the same way.”

  “But as good as this is, I ache for more.” She sighed and put her hand over her flat belly. “There is hunger in me that only you can satisfy.”

  Clever sprite, she was redirecting their conversation to where she wanted it to go.

  “Have you ever satisfied yourself?” he asked.

  Annani chuckled. “Many times, and more so since I saw you again in the throne room. I do not want it to go to your head, but you have been the star of all of my girly fantasies.”

  He leaned back. “All of them? You have never thought of another male?”

  “No, only you.” She leaned away and looked up at him. “I have been loyal to you even in my dreams, and it makes me angry to think that you were not.” She pouted and looked away.

  Fates, if he had known that he would have never touched another female. But then he would have been just as inexperienced as she was and could not teach her all the marvels of the sensual arts he had learned.

  “I am so sorry, but I have not dared to even dream of you because you were an impossible dream. If I have known, I would have waited.” Khiann hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “I do not know if this is any consolation to you, but I think of my former partners as teachers who prepared me for you so I could bring you the most pleasure. Can you think of them in the same way?”

  “Teachers, huh?” She smiled. “I prefer it to lovers, that is for sure. I am still jealous, but I understand why it is unreasonable for me to wish you had not partaken. Besides, I like it that you are well-versed in the sensual arts. I feel safe in your hands.”

  A laugh shook her small frame. “Now it is your turn to tutor me, and I have to wonder if that was what my father had in mind when he commissioned you.”

  “Your father is not naive. I am sure he knows what he is allowing and that my tutelage is not limited to commerce.”

  “Perhaps he expects you to behave yourself?”

  It was Khiann’s turn to laugh. “Even if he expects that of me, he does not expect it from you, his headstrong and impetuous princess.”

  As Annani opened her mouth to answer, Khiann’s head snapped in the direction of a suspicious sound. He was quite sure it had not been made by a small creature or a bird. “Shh.” He put his finger to her lips. “Listen.”

  They should have been safe in the gazebo. Other than another god, no one should be able to penetrate his shroud.

  In theory.

  Some immortals were almost as powerful as the average god, and conversely, some gods were less powerful than the most talented of immortals. It was a secret the gods kept to themselves, lest the immortals get ideas they should not.

  A moment later he caught a flash of a woman’s skirt peeking from behind a tree, and then immediately darting back.

  Annani waved a dismissive hand. “It is only my seamstress. She probably delivered my new dresses but does not want to disturb us while we are studying.”

  “Is she a human or an immortal?”

  “An immortal.”

  “Are you sure she is not here to spy on us?”

  Annani shrugged. “I cannot be sure of anyone. Although, in Delani’s case, she might be spying for herself and not for Mortdh. The woman is an incorrigible gossip.”

  “Do you want me to drop the shroud so you can see what she wants?”

  With a sigh, Annani lifted off Khiann’s lap and sat next to him. “First, let us assume the same pose as in the illusion. I would rather deal with her and have her gone before we resume our lesson.” She winked. “I want my entire focus to be on my teacher.”

  He could not argue with that logic.

  “As you wish, my beautiful flower.”

  5

  Annani

  As Khiann let his shroud dissipate, Annani lifted her head and called out. “Delani? Is that you?”

  The seamstress stepped out from behind the tree. “I am so sorry to disturb you, my lady, but I could not remember whether you wanted the flower embroidery on the yellow dress or the blue one.”

  That was odd. Annani remembered the seamstress taking notes as she usually did, using charcoal on a clay tablet. Only gods possessed tablets, everyone else had to use more primitive writing implements.

  She narrowed her eyes at the woman. “What happened to the notes you took?”

  “I am so sorry, my lady. My son thought it was an old clay tablet and used it to do his homework. He erased my notes, and I could not remember if the flowers went on the yellow dress or the blue.”

  A reasonable enough explanation, and the scent of guilt might have been because of the mishap and not because of some nefarious spying activity.

  Still, Annani decided to further censor her conversations with the seamstress, maybe even supply the woman with misleading information.

  “The flowers go on the yellow dress and the waves pattern on the blue.”

  “Thank you, my lady.” Delani bowed. “My sincere apologies for disturbing your lesson.”

  Annani waved a hand. “Apology accepted. Now, off with you, Master Khiann has better things to do than hear about my new dresses.”

  “Yes, my lady.” The seamstress retreated while bowing. “My apologies to you and to Lord Khiann.” She t
urned and ran the rest of the way.

  Khiann waited a few moments before recasting the shroud. “Do you believe her?” he asked after the gazebo had been secured.

  “I do not know. Her explanation sounded reasonable, and the scent of guilt was appropriate to her offense. I think it would have been much stronger if she was spying for Mortdh.”

  “Maybe yes and maybe no. I heard of immortals who could regulate their scents, and I have encountered a human once who emitted none at all.”

  “Is that possible? Everyone emits emotional scents, even gods.”

  Khiann shrugged. “Anomalies exist. Just as someone can be born without the sense of smell, or blind, or deaf, another can lack the ability to produce smells. Your seamstress could be one of those who can control how much smell they emit, or she might be one of those people who believe in the stories they tell. In either case, I suggest caution around her.”

  “I agree. I plan on going a step further and feeding her misleading information.”

  He arched a brow. “Like what?”

  “I can say that you are a horribly boring teacher and that I cannot wait for the lessons to be over. I can even make a few remarks about another god or gods who I find attractive.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “Like who?”

  Oh, this was going to be fun. Let Khiann feel some jealousy for a change. She should not be the only one afflicted by that most disturbing and uncomfortable malady.

  “Like Cahn. He is so tall, and you know I have a weakness for tall males. Then there is Bodhn, not a god, only an immortal, but what a physique. All those muscles and those piercing blue eyes.” She sighed dramatically, enjoying the red hue creeping up Khiann’s cheeks. “He is so mouth-watering that even goddesses pursue him.”

  Watching the red spreading to Khiann’s ears whetted Annani’s appetite for more teasing. “And there is Toven, Ekin’s younger son. He is not as gorgeous as some of the other gods, but he has a beautiful mind. He is smart and kind and loyal, the complete opposite of his older half-brother. If my father promised me to him, I would not have minded as much, even though he is not my truelove mate.”