by Shae Mills
Talon looked back at the ceiling. For the first time in his life, he thought about his brother as a man rather than as an adversary. And for the first time, Talon realized just what he had stripped Korba of. His life and his Empire were secondary; the alien woman-child, the woman who now captivated Talon himself completely, was Korba’s greatest loss. And Talon’s heart went out to him at last.
He rolled over, stared at Chelan’s back, and then smiled warmly. What had just taken place was beyond his imagination. His fantasies of making love to the pretty woman had been fulfilled above all expectations. Despite her innate timidity and reticence, her physical loving, in his mind, had been flawless.
Talon watched her soft respirations. She had stated with apparent truthfulness that she did not love him. But now, Talon could imagine what life would be like with her if she did, a dream come true.
Finally, she stirred and took her first few breaths rooted in wakefulness. She moaned and then became still as soft lips traced over her satin shoulder. She closed her eyes. Flashes of their lovemaking exploded through her mind. A lump formed in her throat as contradictory feelings washed over. But like all else that had gone before, it was done. There was no turning back.
Chelan forcefully shut out the past and tried to focus on the future, but his feathered kisses distracted her. He had been all he had said he would be. He had indeed left no part of her body untouched, his ability to arouse and satisfy no less than perfect. It was as though he had known her body a lifetime. If only she could have enjoyed it.
Chelan rolled to her back and looked up into his bright, azure eyes. She watched as he took her fingers and pressed them to his lips. His tongue ran the length of one slender finger before taking it in his mouth and savoring it in its entirety. Then he held her hand in his and looked down into her dark eyes. “Your fighter still awaits, my Lady.”
Chelan’s thoughts flew through her limited options in a last, desperate attempt to justify her decision. “It can wait,” she finally uttered.
Talon’s fingers travelled over her jaw and neck, and then down to the white sheet. Slipping it off her breasts, his hand flowed over her fullness, his fingers just brushing the tips of her hard nipples. “Are you sure?” he whispered.
She looked up at him; his apprehension was plainly evident. She chewed at her cheek, staring at the visage above her. He was so familiar—his scent, his looks, his touch—yet he was not Korba or any of her other men. But they were gone, and for the first time, she hoped that maybe she could actually accept this being before her without guilt dogging her at every turn. Finally, she spoke. “I am sure, but there are many things we still need to discuss.”
Talon seemed to liquefy next to her, all the hard planes of his muscles releasing their tension in an instant. “Like what?”
Chelan drew the sheet up tight to her, thus removing his touch. “Getting straight to the point, I do not want to rule beside you, per se. I want to remain in the background, be more or less a figurehead. But I do want to learn everything about the Empire. And I want to be involved in the diplomatic end of decision-making processes when I can.”
Talon opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
Chelan took advantage of his pause and continued. “Most of all, I wish to pursue my own separate causes, things that matter to me.”
“I would welcome your participation at any level. Now, pertaining to the diplomatic end of things—”
Chelan interrupted him. “I want nothing to do with the military portion of the equation. Your military advisors are yours to deal with.”
“Granted. So, what are these other causes to which you refer?”
“I want to be available to hear and meet the needs of the common people. I want to bridge the gap between the North and the South, and I want to do it by walking among the masses as one of them.”
Talon frowned. “By becoming my wife, you are not one of them. You—”
Chelan placed her finger over his lips. “You may surround me with as much security as you deem fit, but I will not be denied. Yes, some of my time will be spent in the Palace by your side, but I also want the freedom to indulge in my own pursuits to better this world. I was just about to begin doing so with the old Empire; now, I wish to do so with the new.”
“Just some of your time will be spent by my side?” he questioned in a rumble.
Chelan tensed but held her ground.
Talon looked over her determined features. “Granted,” he finally whispered. “You give me a list of your interests, and I will supply you with the advisors and the necessary resources.”
Chelan smiled. “We may not see much of one another. I have a lot of plans.”
Talon smirked. “We shall see about that aspect of the deal.”
Chelan sat up to avoid getting into that discussion. As far as she was concerned, her life now revolved around helping others, her bond to Talon making that possible. Then she looked down and winced. “I am sore,” she admitted softly.
Talon smiled. “I am sorry. I know it has been a long time for you.”
Chelan turned around and looked at him. “By the way, who is running things while you are here enjoying yourself?”
Talon shrugged.
Chelan frowned at him. “Come on. You had planned to ship me away this morning. You should have been working.”
Talon shook his head slowly. “No, my Lady. If you had left, I would have been in no condition to work. I have made arrangements for several days.”
Chelan’s breathing faltered, and she nearly choked. “Days?”
Talon nodded.
“Oh, my Lord,” was all she could manage as her stomach clenched.
Talon rose and kissed her gently. Then he sprang from the bed and scooped her into his arms. “A long soak for the weary tissues?” he offered.
Chelan clung to him as he walked into the en suite and descended into the swirling spa. Then she glanced at him. “This will be too warm for you.”
Talon smiled. “I will worry about me.”
Chelan smiled back as she attempted to retreat from him. “So, back to business. Tell me, how do we tie the knot, or was what we did last night it?”
Talon chuckled. His hands surrounded her waist, and he drew her back to his lap. Then he reached for some fruit, which he offered to her. “We did things a little backward, I suppose, but as far as the formal bond, that is easy. I ask you, you accept, and I reciprocate.”
Chelan took a bite. “Sounds a little on the simplistic side. No ceremony or witnesses?”
Talon shook his head. “Only if you want them. A formal announcement sets it in stone.”
“Hmmm… Lethiason intimated as much. And if you decide to dispose of me?”
Talon chuckled and wiped his mouth. “Not that it will happen, but that is a little more complicated.”
Chelan licked her fingers and then stared into his eyes. Talon stopped eating and looked at her expectantly.
“So?” she prodded.
“Oh, that.” And he shielded himself from a well-placed slap. Then he became very serious. “Will you marry me, my Lady?”
Chelan hesitated, the persistent knot in her stomach re-forming. But saying the words was relatively simple after having allowed him inside her body. “Yes, my Lord, I will.”
Talon kissed her lips tenderly. “Then I accept you unconditionally as my wife, and I will remain true to you, our bond that of consideration, respect, and fidelity, for all time.”
Chelan swallowed hard as images of her lost loves knifed through her mind. Dar lingered in her thoughts along with their child, and she almost crumpled. But she held herself together. “And will you be my husband?”
Talon took a moment to drink in her beauty. “You know I will, sweet woman.”
Chelan felt her eyes burn, but she knew not why. Regardless, her new path was clear. And Lethiason was right: accepting Talon completely was the way to give her life purpose once again. “I am sorry about my past behavior, my Lord.”
>
Talon hugged her fiercely. “No more sorry than I am about my own conduct.” They lingered together for a time, and finally, Talon drew her away from him. “I want only the best for you, Chelan.”
“I know.”
Talon hesitated. “And I want you to talk to me always. There is still much I do not know about you.”
Chelan smiled. “Just be here for me when I need you. I want to feel comfortable in my new role. For a while, I will require your guidance.”
“You have my word. Unlike my predecessor, I will rule from the Palace.”
Chelan suppressed a shudder at his reference to Korba, and out of necessity she hugged Talon tight, squeezing out threatening emotions. “And you will not force me to endure your officers.”
Talon laughed. “No, I won’t. Besides, after last night, I no longer want you in the company of my men.”
“Oh, come now!”
“I mean it. They may seek to learn about your hidden passions and talents, which I alone now claim.”
“But we are wed. I am off-limits.”
“The limits are defined by your own devotion. The men, if taken with you, will not hesitate to test your boundaries or your control.”
Chelan’s lips thinned. “With Korba, I could lie with whom I pleased. With you, what would happen if I chose another?”
Talon sobered. His fingers traced along her jaw. “You think of infidelity so soon?”
“No, of course not. I only seek to learn your society’s ways.”
Talon remained still. “I have witnessed your interactions before, my Lady, and it tore my heart to shreds each time. I watched your approach to Lakit and Lethiason, and then your Southern man, my feelings no less intense. Please do not force me to endure any more.”
Chelan hesitated, realizing that the cultural mores she had dealt with for years had just flipped. Here, Talon was espousing Earth-like possession and demanding fidelity, while deep down, she knew it would not bother her in the least if he sought out others. But their marriage was what it was, and for her it was an easy pledge to make. “I will not touch another. You have my word.”
Talon’s smile finally returned. “The week is ours.”
Chelan glanced at him. “We should eat.” She turned away. But it was not to be.
His hands took her by the waist again, and he lifted her effortlessly. With a simple twist, he rotated her in his lap, turning her back to him. Then he settled her back down over himself… sheathing himself to his base.
Chelan gasped at the quickness of his internal possession. She tipped forward slightly, her hands on his knees to brace her. She squeezed her eyes tight, knowing that for now, she was his to do with as he pleased. And so, she allowed him to continue, her emotions as safely detached as she could manage.
*****
The week continued as Chelan and Talon shifted from mortal enemies like no other to partners by necessity born. And as the time passed, Chelan’s understanding of her new mate began to come together, one tiny bit at a time. Talon spent every moment with her, showering her with gifts of the heart, his dedication and commitment laid out before her in stunning fashion. But her heart still stubbornly held on to the strong thread linking her to her long-dead Warlords. And because of that link, she could never release herself to him fully. Though at times her body responded, her emotions remained stubbornly locked within her.
As for her feelings toward him when it came to her son, she was still strangely disassociated from that ordeal. She could work though everything on an intellectual level, but her emotions were somehow truncated. A casualty of war, a strategic play, a vital pawn, an innocent victim… no matter what the excuse, her baby was forever gone. In essence, both her son and herself had been decisive acquisitions, spoils of war awarded to the victor. How Talon had chosen to deal with each of them had spanned the spectrum, but now it was up to her to do whatever she could to honor her son’s brief life. She would address that by using Talon and his power to her advantage in any way she could. And one of her first endeavors in her new capacity would concern the common children of Iceanea and their welfare. No child, Imperial or otherwise, would go without.
Through it all, Talon sensed her aloofness when it came to their personal interactions and their intimacy, and he wished with all his being that she would surrender her heart to him. But he did not press. With time, he would do everything within his power to prove his love and devotion. He knew his task was going to take an effort of herculean proportions, for the atrocities of the past infused the memory like a potent toxin. But he was determined. He would win her heart one way or another, even if it took an eternity.
And so, the lines of royal marital protocol and expectations were etched in the ice fields of Iceanea, with Chelan bound and determined to be Talon’s wife in name only, while Talon strove to mend the chasm between them. Captor and captive, warrior and maiden, now husband and wife. Only time would tell what storms would be weathered, what gulfs could be bridged, and all while the Empire watched and waited, patiently.
Chapter 21
The Iceanean months passed quickly, and as they did, Chelan developed a guarded respect for the ruler of the Empire. Lethiason had been right: the man was not much different from her other men. The only difference was that her induction into Talon’s domain had been as a prisoner of war. On the other side of that battlefield, the true Iceanean man had emerged. And the warrior who now cared for her did so with a dedication that rivaled, and at times surpassed, that of all those who had gone before him.
In the beginning, Chelan allowed her Earthly biorhythms to dominate her life, thus shielding her from Talon as much as possible. Between both their schedules and his almost nonexistent sleep requirements, the odd prearranged meal or meeting was all the interplay they had. But the Emperor did not let that avoidance tactic flourish for long. Like his brother, Talon was an organizational genius, both on and off the battlefield. Inevitably, he shifted his work so that he was in her presence as much as possible, and soon, despite her initial standoffishness, she actually came to appreciate his attention. But in all their interactions, what surprised her the most was that he never pushed their physical bond upon her, as she had expected he would. Instead, he attended her as would a love-struck suitor, swaying her slowly, but indelibly, his way through wanton romance.
Though Talon’s culture paralleled the old Empire as far as equality between the sexes was concerned, the pair bond expectation within the new Empire was very different from the Let. Through law and dictate, it was within Talon’s rights to demand that she attend him in their marital bed as his wife, but he never did. That was not to say that he never engaged her sexually, but when he did, he did so in a manner so warm and so full of daylong seduction and foreplay that no matter her emotional state, she eventually responded, and at times easily. But still, she never initiated sex. Periodically, she actually felt herself craving the giant man for the acts he carried out so masterfully upon her body, but to come to him first, to express her sexual need, was still somehow a betrayal of both herself and her long-lost loves.
On another level, his stellar interpersonal behavior was matched only by his unflagging support of her professional pursuits. Not only had he stuck to his promise of allowing her her freedom to do as she pleased with her humanitarian endeavors, he actually took time out from his reign to attend her on some of her more heartfelt causes. Almost one Iceanean year into their marriage, the sheer volume of positive incoming reports amazed him. Bluntly put, his people simply adored her.
*****
On this particular morning, it was Talon who awoke to an empty bed. It was usually he who rose early to work in the Command Center until Chelan stirred, so this was a surprise. Talon sprang from the bed and dressed quickly. Entering the Command Center, he was brought up short by Lethiason’s presence.
“Good morning, Sire.”
Talon smiled. “My good man, my Lady seems to have vanished.”
“Ah, yes. She told me to tell you
that she would be in the Palace gardens.”
Talon nodded. “Hmm… one of her many projects. Thank you. I will be talking to you later.” And he left.
He stood quietly by the entry to the gardens, a large grin on his face. There before him was his elegant lady, on her knees, in her uniform, and up to her elbows in dirt. “You are determined, aren’t you?” he said.
Chelan looked up at him and smiled. “Good morning.”
Talon walked down the path to where she was crouched. “We have people for that, you know.”
Chelan wiped the sweat from her brow, leaving a large, brown streak across her forehead. “I know, but this is my personal portion of the garden, and I enjoy it.”
Talon looked about the massive, domed structure. “It is all so beautiful, my Lady.”
Chelan stood. “Yes, it is. But it will take years to rebuild it into a truly magnificent space.”
Talon looked at her closely. “Why this? I understand that Ticees used to keep this garden, the likes of which was equaled by no other in the galaxy. I am surprised you follow his passion.”
“I had a passion for plants long before Ticees. And his garden was one of the most beautiful places in the universe.” She looked about her. “As for him, he was different here. He was a dedicated man, like a father, a man pampering and loving unconditionally all of his children. In the garden, he never threatened me. He never touched me here. Though in the end, I hated him with all my heart, that emotion was never transferred to this area. In fact, when his Empire fell and the Palace was partially destroyed, the only thing I mourned was this place, though a lot of it survived.”
Talon smiled. “Your garden will be as beautiful as his someday.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Ticees put decades of work into his. To some degree, maybe I can compete, but mine will never compare to his in splendor, nor in scope.”