CHAPTER 66:
1st of Sioba, Summer
27:00 hours, Dusk
KAT
Kat walked arm in arm in the cloister gardens with Los. They'd had an unscheduled assignation to enjoy one another this afternoon, and now they walked together. They'd formed a fast, close relationship, and he'd expressed nothing but happiness for her—despite her fears—that she'd gotten her dream with Maël.
“Does it have to be this way?” she said, throat tight.
“I'm so happy that you're together, Kat, but… yes. I need to leave. I can't… I can't keep on like this, hoping for something that isn't going to happen. It hurts too much.”
“But—”
“I've already had my F.I.D. taken out, I'll probably regain fertility soon if I haven’t already. I'll store sperm until I find a breeding contract.” Los stopped and turned to her, he met her eyes. His gaze lion golden and heartbreaking. “I want kids, love, and if… well…” He shook his head. “If I can't be with him, or you, then I need to be somewhere else.”
Her heart ached, it burned at the impending loss of him. Would she ever learn to keep her heart protected?
“It'll be easier for me, my Portia.”
Kat caught her breath, remembering the way they’d read Shakespeare to one another after dubbing each other with names from his plays. She remembered the way he’d tasted, as they’d made love in the same gardens they walked in. How the taste of champagne from their picnic had blended beautifully with his flavor of vanilla struck roses. She remembered the moment she realized she’d fallen in love with him, and though it broke her stupid heart to razor edged fragments, she said, “I know, my Lysander. I know. I wouldn't want to watch him with someone else either. Not without hope. I wish…”
Los closed his hand over hers where she had it wrapped around his forearm. His voice grave, he said, “You know, I think he does love me. I'm always the one he contracts with when he wants a male. I'm the one he drinks with and who he comes to when he's hurting. You've no idea the number of times he's talked to me about you over the past couple of ilamonths.”
Kat winced and whispered, “Ouch.”
Los laughed and shook his head. “You'll see, I hope. You were raised on Earth, it's probably odd to you, still. I'm thrilled Maël has finally found head-over-heels love, and I love you too. It makes me happy that you're together.”
Kat shook her head in confusion. “How can you say that when you aren't with him too? When that very thing is costing us… us.”
Los lifted her chin with a finger, he met her gaze with his own. “We Ilavanian’s are a sex and love positive culture. There's a term we've covered in class, and with your mind I know you know it?”
“Compersion,” Kat said reluctantly when Los raised an eyebrow at her.
“Right. It means that we're happy when the one we love is happy.”
Kat shook her head. “But, damnit… Los, have you never asked him why, if you think he cares about you, why can't you be together?”
Los shook his head fondly as he watched her with those kind golden eyes. “I know what he'd say. That’s why. Very few people know him as well as I do. He'd say because I'm not a submissive masochist that I have little place with someone as sadistic as he is.” Breaking the gaze, Los looked away and whispered, “It doesn't matter to me, I'd submit to him until the end of my days, bear any pain he cared to give me, because I know he'd always stop if I used my safe word.”
Kat snuggled her body close to Los and whispered up at him, “And because the pain of not being with him is worse than anything he could ever do to your body. Oh, Los…”
Los nodded and wrapped her in his wings. They held one another as the crickets started chirping in the closing dusk.
“Los, let me speak to him? Please? Before you sign any contracts? Stay here and keep coming to me for a few ilaweeks and let me find a way to talk to him?”
Los looked down at her, and she could see the way he warred with himself as his eyes flickered through an emotional storm. Kat lifted her hand and put a softly furred finger over his lips.
“No. I may be submissive, but I will not have you leave without at least talking to him, all cards on the table. You say something to him or I will.”
Los shuttered his eyes and nodded, with a swallow, he said, “You then. I don't think I can watch his face if the answer is no.”
Kat burrowed close to this man she'd come to love and sighed as he held her tightly, trembling with emotion. Kat squeezed his waist. “Keep hope, my love. I know how you feel and I won't let you down.”
He nodded and let her go. He held her face in his big hands and kissed her softly on the mouth, then on each eyelid. “The sun is setting, go to him. No matter what the answer is, know I'll always value that you offered.” He smirked and said with a return to his joyful nature. “Wait until tomorrow morning, though, and have sex with him first; he gets cranky at night.”
Kat smiled up at Los and shook her head before kissing him. She stepped back. “I'll see you tomorrow?”
He grinned widely and moving quickly stole a kiss, surprising a laugh out of her. “Of course. I'd never miss a service appointment with you.”
He gently turned her and smacked her ass. “Get going now. I've heard the gossip, they executed the traitors today, Maël will need you tonight.”
Kat turned back and grabbed his hand, squeezing in wordless promise, then she left. She wasn't brave enough to turn to see if he watched her walk away to join the man they both loved with reckless passion.
Maël had avoided the court’s elaborate dinner; he just hadn't had the heart to attend to the politics tonight. The whole court roiled tensely after the executions. Two days ago had been the auction day for those given the leniency of indenture and the rest… well, the rest had been executed that afternoon in a public, barbaric method as an example to others. Alexander Righ hadn't exiled a single one. Yiasa city plaza had run red with blood. When angry enough or when necessary, Maël knew himself capable of torturing someone, yet the cries of the crowd and the final thunk of the beheading had sickened him.
The only topic on anyone’s tongue for days had been the cleansing of Kedowyth. It nauseated him now, he couldn't bear another retelling of it. As if the death of so many were a glorious occurance. He'd spent the last several hours in his seraglio, seeing to his duties. Now he stood in his shower, the water as hot as he could stand it and maybe just a bit too close to scalding. He scrubbed himself with harsh soap, a habit he'd picked up since being relegated to man-whore for the kingdom.
He followed the scourging of the harsh soap with a milder body wash that smelled of cedar and sandalwood, a gift from Kat. She'd said nothing about his need to scald himself upon returning from his duties, only discreetly put the comfortingly scented soap next to the abrasive one. She'd purchased a whole set of the scent for him once he'd told her how much he liked it. When Maël stepped out of the shower into the steamed up bathroom he slathered his sore skin with moisturizer.
So many losses. He shook his head as he stood and brushed his hair out, using the scented spray conditioner Kat had purchased for him. Onyx still hadn't woken and the longer his coma dragged on, the less hope the medical professionals had for him. Onyx had been with Cam since he turned sixteen. The idea that neither Onyx nor Agate were around anymore tore at Maël, it was much worse for Cam and Maël could do nothing to help.
Shaking off his gloom he finished up and left the washroom, padding naked into the coolness of his rooms. Kat had come in since he'd gotten home and he wallowed in his blessings, to walk into his chambers to find them lit by the candlelight she so loved. The only thing that could make it more perfect would be if Los were there too, and that knowledge stabbed Maël in the heart. Fuck… what a mess that was.
She sat waiting for him seated cross-legged on a soft floor pillow she'd purchased just for his quarters. Dressed in a filmy silk gown that barely concealed
her coloring Kat had taken her hair down and sat brushing the long platinum locks as she read a book and waited for him. She looked up from her book reader with a smile that was just for him and his heart swelled. Love proved to be something amazing indeed.
She'd ordered his favorite foods and wines and set the small table in the sitting area with place settings and candles. Maël's two cats lounged as close to her as they could. The little traitors lay sprawled on their backs purring and pawing at her fingers for more attention as they always did when she came home. Maël slid into the turquoise silk robe embroidered with copper cats that had been another lover's gift from her and said with a nod to his two feline betrayers.
“Good thing I'm not a jealous man or those two little apostates might find their treats severely curtailed.” Kat giggled and put her book to the side. At her movement, the cats moved off to attend to catly business. She went to her knees and proceeded to serve him. His stomach growled with sudden hunger at the scents of the roasted meats and fresh bread. Maël sat across from her on another pillow as she served first him and then herself. As he watched her eat and sated his need for food another hunger rose. He raised a brow at Kat and bit his lip.
Smiling at him she shook her head. “I've a gift for you.”
He smiled fondly at her; she delighted in giving him gifts as much as he liked gifting her. It touched him deeply and turned his heart to mush whenever she brought him something. Her gifts were always well thought out and often something he needed, even if he hadn't known he needed it. She slid a small, heavy package through the detritus of their meal and refilled their wine glasses.
He opened his gift and almost dropped it when he realized what it was. A silver braid of her hair had been interwoven with platinum and cut sapphires to form a bracelet. He looked up at her and bathed in the warmth of her eyes.
“You remembered,” he murmured. He handed her the bracelet and held his left wrist out to her.
“Ben cut it for me that same night… after we were together. I had it made the same week. Before we decided to try for a relationship, it wasn't appropriate I give it to you, but now I want you to have it.”
As she closed the cool metal around his wrist, he said, “Will you come to bed with me?”
It hurt that her eyes shot to the seraglio doors, but he knew what she needed to ask.
“I've done my duty by them today; the rest of the night is yours.”
Smiling widely, she stood and pulled him to the bed. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed her gently. Softly he parted her lips with his own and slid his tongue inside. She pressed tightly to him, her nipples hard beneath the silk dress and he growled as she freed his erection with her talented hands.
He stripped the gown from her with a quick movement and then lifted her into his arms. She slid her legs around his hips and without fanfare took him into her heated depths. She was so ready for him, so hot as her lips spread around his cock. She slid him deeply into her and kissed him with soft, gentle emotion, holding him tightly.
Maël took the few steps to the bed and fell forwards onto it, landing gently on her. He started to move, slowly, maintaining the gentle kisses and soft dueling of tongues. He loved this woman, so very much. He thrust into her pliancy, loving the way she cried out for him and clutched him in the peaks of her pleasure. Allowing his pleasure to build slowly, he wrapped her long legs over his shoulders and thrust faster and harder into her. She moaned.
“Maël,” she breathed. Her cat eyes gleamed with enjoyment as she lifted her hips to meet each of his thrusts. When she tightened around him again, the fluttering of her body made him lose it. The wave swallowed him up, his back and ass tightened. His cock ached he was so swollen and tight. His nipples were hard; deliciously painful around his rings and his belly taut as he pushed faster and harder into her. Thrusting deeply into his beloved a final time he filled her with his heat, growling his pleasure. As the warmth of his orgasm made her go again, she tightened hard around him and she arched her back with a cry. Her rhythmic contractions caressed him and as she gasped his name in his ear he cried out in exquisite gratification.
Maël lay on her afterward, not wanting to separate their bodies. He braced his weight on his elbows, his arms under her shoulders and buried his fingers in her hair. Still held tightly within her, he met her eyes and breathed what he'd never dared to believe existed.
“I love you, so much you make me lose myself.”
The heartwarming smile that lit her face thrilled and tightened his throat.
“I love you, too. I have for so long now.”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose and smiled as he said softly, “You make me so happy. Giddy even.”
She nodded and kissed the tip of his nose, then his lips. “I love you so much it scares me, I always will.” She hugged him tightly and buried her face in his neck. “Always,” she whispered.
“Always,” he murmured back.
They cleaned up and snuggled together into Maël's huge bed and watched the moons come up as they drifted to sleep, spooned together.
The End
The story continues in Ilavani Dreaming; Coming in 2018
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DICTIONARY OF ILAVANIAN TERMS AND CONCEPTS:
A.C.E. After common era. (replaces AD in earth year nomenclature)
A.L.G.Y After Landing Ilavani Years.
Age of Majority: Eight Ilayears old, or eighteen by Earth years.
Anamchara: (ah-naam-hhara..hard h sound) Soul friend, an empathic or telepathic bond blessed by the twin goddess/god of love, only a powerfully gifted telepath can form such a bond. It is a bond of the mind, those who share it can have differing levels of intertwining and differing levels of control of the bond depending on their gifts. See Nasc-Anam (bond-soul)
Anam-Bond: Soul-link. Nasc-Anam The name of the empathic or telepathic bond of the anamchara.
Ard-Righ: (Aerd-Rrree, rolled R) Literal translation is High King, refers to the AI program which policies eco-planetary issues, enforces genetic improvement of humanity, controls the amount of permissible technology, monitors satellites and acts as a planetary record keeping device and if requested, an impartial judge.
Astirewyre: (Ah-steer-wire)The Kingdom of Astirewyre, Li’s former home. Maya and Kanti’s home. Amaya is a Princess of Astirewyre. Kanti is a Dal'la of Astirewyre.
Ava Cloister: (ahva) Cloister dedicated to service. The best servants are Ava Cloister Guild Companions and are highly sought after. Onyx is a Guild Companion from Ava Cloister.
Beyond the walls: a term which means outside the laws and moors of the rest of the society. Although all areas of civilization are within physical walls to defend against the dangers of the unsettled lands, the term does not refer to physical walls so much as living beyond civilization.
Bond contract: An indentured service contract of varying length depending upon the circumstances of entrance into servitude. Colonists and criminals tend to have the longest length of bond contracts.
B-Rac-Bastion’s Royal Academy
Breeder: A position of respect within a house. Who one has children with is not a matter of love in most cases, but of best genetic match. A breeder is the equivalent of an honored mistress. They are accorded all forms of respect and care within a household.
Council of Thirteen: Made up of the thirteen righ/kings righ’ana/queens of Ilavani.
Crafters’ affidavit: Proof of which gene-crafter created a gen-con.
Circumvolution: The year of the planet (number of days) AKA Year
Circum: Short for circumvolution, alternative term for Year
Comfort house: A house where many untrained sex workers or those trained as odalisques work, providing comfort, mostly in the realms of sexual service to paying customers.
Commander: Unit le
ader equivalent to modern field grade officer like a lieutenant colonel.
Companion: A highly trained, well-educated person who hires their services of companionship, conversation and sexual services for pay.
Coreform: Basic, un-enhanced unchanged human. Most of the population of old earth is still coreform.
Crea-ivory: Created Ivory
Crea-steel: Artificially created steel: as mining the earth is forbidden without strict guidance.
Crea-wood: Artificially created wood: real wood exists and is farmed but is still relatively rare for many uses.
Culling: The act of killing or sterilizing any person or psi-gen who does not cooperate or is not useful for a houses genetic breeding goals or one who is dangerous. Only used in extreme cases, but used often enough that the threat is real
Cyber hound: Genetically modified cybernetic tracking hounds. Used for tracking down escaped gen-con too valuable to cull.
Dál/Dál'la: (Daahl/Daahl’ah) Equivalent to Duke or Duchess
Dál’sa: (Daahhl’sah) Dukedom
Dállic Council: (Dah-lek) Internal Council to a Kingdom made up of the Dukes/Dál's and Duchesses/Dál'la.
Elerimma: (Ehl-er-eeema)The Plains Kingdom to the southwest of Ereiria.
Expressive Aphrodisia: The gift of Mal and Cam’s family, the ability to cause lust in others.
F.I.D.: Fertility Inhibition Device. Implanted, reversible device which keeps fertility suppressed. 99% effective.
Ferine: (fair-een)Clan name
Ferinite: (Fair-een-ight)One belonging to Clan Ferine
Gen-con: (Jen-con) A creature genetically constructed and crafted for a specific purpose.
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