“Talia has an intelligent and curious mind, Nardo, and I wish to satisfy it. Let’s just say she has expressed an interest in our ways.”
Bernard’s smile grew wider. “Now I see why you’re so besotted, Your Majesty, who would have thought it of a spiritual Lokian visionary…” He shook his head, his eyes glazed with disbelief. “So… are you looking for anything special, Sire?”
Bernard prided himself on his role as guardian of this room. He considered himself expert in the erotic arts and relished advising less experienced men on how to use the aids to sexual pleasure. He was renowned as a skilled lover and women had clamoured for his affections until he had married only two short years ago. Isaac smiled indulgently, but it was a smile brimming with power and status. He knew he was the one man Bernard considered as skilled as himself in the erotic arts.
“There was a little something I had made recently,” Isaac murmured as he walked over to the cupboard containing his personal collection of implements. Bernard loitered nearby, clearly desperate to glean whatever fragments of erotic information he could. Isaac took pity on him.
“Something perfect for enhancing my precious little visionary’s pleasure,” he murmured, at ease with this level of disclosure. Bernard wouldn’t discuss this with the other men but would hint at secrets only he was privy to, details of the intimate relationship between the Lokian visionary and their king. This knowledge would make Bernard feel privileged and he would enjoy dropping a few cryptic clues to whet the other men’s curiosity. Just a little more confiding would not go amiss for it would ensure his advisors learnt exactly what Isaac wanted them to…
“Ah!”
Isaac retrieved the cuffs and chain he had designed himself before asking Darren to create them. They were fashioned from heavy metal but crafted by the gifted Darren to be completely smooth to the touch. They were not watered-down versions of handcuffs but the real thing, designed to ensure the wearer felt no discomfort and was free to concentrate on their pleasure. Talia’s pleasure. His cock stiffened as he ran his fingers lovingly over the smooth cuffs. How delicious would she look with her wrists encased in these beauties, his exquisite Talia bound and helpless, completely dependent on her king? Bernard’s eyes bored into him as if trying to read his thoughts and he turned to his prurient friend.
“Darren is extremely talented. He understood the need for these to be authentic but formed with the absolute comfort of the wearer in mind.”
“As it should be,” Bernard offered, and Isaac’s smile became wide and genuine. Bernard was a lusty sort but had great affection and respect for women. They thought alike on sexual matters and had indulged their appetites without restraint, but felt contempt for those men who resorted to violence and coercion. Sex was a shared pleasure to be indulged in freely with a willing woman, an exhilarating, life-affirming game of lust. It had always been a game to Isaac, no more, no less… until now.
Until Talia.
“Your Majesty? Are you alright?”
“Just recalling our erotic adventures over the years, my friend.” The two men shared knowing smiles and spontaneously burst into laughter. “They have made me the man I am and a fine time was had indeed but I am glad all that is over. I have finally found the deep peace and satisfaction of true love in the arms of a unique woman.”
Bernard’s shock was apparent in his widening eyes, but he recovered quickly. “I am pleased for you, Your Majesty, and wish you the greatest of pleasures with Talia. Will you be taking anything else with you?”
Bernard’s question contained none of his usual raunchy humour. There was a grave sincerity to his words that was rare. This was all new…
“No. I don’t need all this…” Isaac waved dismissively at the contents of the cupboard. It was bulging with aids to sexual pleasure, excessive erotic evidence of his immersion in debauchery. There were dildos of various shapes and sizes with raised nodules for the enhancement of feminine pleasure. And there were many, many different implements of restraint… cuffs and chains, ropes and leathers, and even tiny clamps for use on the erogenous zones. It was a cupboard for the sexually adventurous… or the sexually jaded. That was not him anymore. He no longer needed extreme methods of stimulation, imaginative ways of reviving an overindulged, desensitised libido. He had everything he needed in one small Lokian visionary. Talia was everything he had ever dreamed of and more. Her uninhibited sexuality, her tenderness, her unique mind and sensitive, spiritual nature – they bewitched him. His emotions were so intense it was terrifying. He responded to her on a profound level whatever she said or did, even when she challenged him.
This was true love.
“I need nothing other than Talia – she gives me everything I need. These…” He stared down at the imposing-looking cuffs in his hands. “These are merely for her delectation. I want to bless her with new pleasures, enrich her erotic experience. That is all.”
Bernard nodded, his grey eyes glinting, an enigmatic smile playing around the corners of his mouth. Isaac was having none of this.
“Speak, Nardo, you know you can always speak freely with me.”
Bernard stared him straight in the eyes, clearly relishing the invitation. “Your Majesty, I see such peace and contentment in your eyes and I find it most affecting. I recognise it because I discovered the very same wonder myself when I met my wife. It is a secret only those who have been blessed with the right woman are lucky enough to understand. I am thrilled for you, Sire, no one deserves happiness more than you.”
Isaac stared back in silent shock. Bernard recognised his attachment to Talia, had welcomed him into an exclusive club of men who had discovered the true meaning of happiness. Did all men secretly yearn for love? Did they enjoy a riotous, lusty time while secretly dreaming of their very own Talia? It was a revelatory thought. He had been blessed with a profound, life-changing bond. He was one of the lucky ones.
Isaac left Bernard with only one thought in his mind – making Talia happy. This morning’s events were haunting him and he wanted to banish any lingering fear from her mind. Talia wouldn’t be human if she didn’t have doubts about him. She was a fragile, vulnerable woman captured and enslaved by her king. God knows what she had expected to happen to her when she had been seized by his soldiers. The very worst… He shuddered at the thought of his beloved Talia being violated, but she had surely expected to be abused by them, by him. Talia deserved all the beauty and love life could bless her with – and he would give it to her. The angel hawk would show her how deeply he valued and respected her, it was a good start. Yet just as his spirits soared a terrible portent of doom sparked in the recesses of his mind. This other part of his plan… was it a step too far? His grip tightened around the cuffs and chain, wrapped in pale blue silk for their journey to his bedroom. He had never used sexual aids in his bed before. Talia was the only woman ever to share his bed; she was his destiny and he was risking their future. You and you alone are all I need. That’s what he had said and he had meant it. Would she think he was backtracking from that definitive statement and had secretly desired this all along? Would she feel like an object of lust rather than his beloved Talia? He understood how much it meant to her to be valued for herself and not just because she was a beautiful, sexually desirable woman. He sighed heavily. This had seemed like such a good idea, a profound expression of trust and intimacy that could bond them closer together. It was his way of proving she would never have anything to fear, could surrender physically and spiritually, and only receive tenderness and reverence in return. These cuffs were not mere sex aids, they were symbolic of his promise to be honest, showing Talia he was willing to share everything he was with her. Such transparency would give birth to an intimacy he had barely dared to dream of before meeting her.
Fuck! Who was he fooling? Certainly not himself. He was terrified.
This was make or break time. If he decided to go ahead with this, it would either bond them even closer or shatter them apart. Could he really take that risk? He
had found such joy with Talia. Could he risk that because of greed? That had always been his problem, whatever he achieved he always wanted more. Never satisfied, he thought ruefully, even now. He had found his destiny but was compelled to push their relationship into a new and dangerous arena that could destroy them both, in the fragile hope he could create something even more beautiful for them to share. Share. He had to focus on that. He was doing this for Talia, so she could learn to have complete trust in him. She had expressed curiosity about the aids to sexual pleasure and was a strong, confident woman. He had to trust she could handle this. If she trusted him in return, she could experience a new, intense erotic pleasure. She deserved that. Tears stung his love-struck eyes. He wanted Talia to know nothing about him was to be feared. She could trust him with anything and everything. So he would do this, take the biggest risk he had ever taken and fight the hardest battle of his life, muster every last shred of courage within his soul and risk everything in order to gain everything. He wanted Talia’s body and soul bound irrevocably with his until death separated them and they were reunited in infinity and beyond. He wanted them to be inseparable, become part of each other, not know where one ended and the other began…
In order to have such a spectacular bond he had to take risks.
He squared his shoulders and sucked in a huge lungful of air. He could do this. He was terrified, but he would do it anyway. Talia was worth risking everything for. He would gladly lay down his life for her and risk his happiness in order to take their bond to the deepest level of intimacy. He had always been a bold, courageous king and look where that had taken him!
But this was different. There were no kingdoms to lose, no lives to be lost. Something far more profound was at stake.
True love.
Talia. She was everything to him.
He would win this game. He had to.
Erotic Delight
She snuggled into him, as close as she could get, curling her legs over his and burying her head in his chest. She wanted to crawl inside of him yet feared even that wouldn’t be enough. She yearned to lose herself completely, immerse Talia in Isaac, and never be separated again. As she wrapped herself around him, poor Isaac tried to eat. He had painstakingly fed her, watched her savour saffron rice and herb-drenched vegetables, denied himself until she was replete. How had she ever doubted the depth and sincerity of his love? His kindness had demonstrated it time and time again. She moaned happily and stroked her hand gently over his chest, wishing it was bare so she could feel the soft hair under her fingertips. She pressed her head against his heart, its strong, steady rhythm the most comforting sound on earth, resounding with the promise of eternal love. Their hearts played the same mellifluous melody, proclaimed their love in perfect harmony. They were as one unable to beat without the other. Every time she listened to that powerful, regular beat she knew life would always be this way; she was destined to be cherished, safe in Isaac’s arms until the end of time. She was a Lokian visionary, she knew such things, mystical things others did not understand. She just had to be patient, help Isaac overcome his fears…
Her mind drifted to Isaac’s advisors and servants, pondering what they thought of his prolonged absences from court. Their king spent the majority of his time locked away with his Lokian slave; his behaviour must seem strange and incomprehensible. Did they resent the interloper who was monopolising their king? Would she ever be able to forge friendships here? She sighed. There were many obstacles standing resolutely in her path to eternal peace and contentment. The longer she was here, the more complicated things became.
“Are you alright, Wanwisa?”
She blinked up into his concerned eyes. “Yes, Your Majesty, I am so very happy being here with you.”
He smiled but there was a shadow of uncertainty in his eyes. It was as if he had something to say and was unsure about her reaction.
“A little more wine, my love?”
My love. She beamed and took a long drink from the goblet he held to her lips, her worries cast aside on hearing his warm words. She watched as he moved their crockery to the bedside table before rejoining her on the bed. The hesitancy had disappeared from his eyes and been replaced by burning intensity.
“I have a gift for you, Talia, in recognition of your intelligent, enquiring mind and my admiration of it.”
Isaac admired her? She knew he loved her, but it was wonderful to hear him express his regard so openly.
“Your Majesty is so very good to me,” she whispered, stroking her fingertips over his face. He smiled wryly. “I hope you still feel that way after receiving your gift, my love.” He brushed his lips over the top of her head and murmured, “Close your eyes,” before moving away from her again. She did as she was told, feeling nurtured, pampered… safe. Her heartbeat accelerated as she heard a soft rustle.
“Open your eyes.”
His eyes were soft, consumed by the spectacular something, yet the burning intensity was even brighter than before. She wrenched her eyes away from his and stared down at the pale blue silk on her lap. It was wrapped around a bulky, heavy weight, solid and unforgiving against her legs. She blinked up at Isaac. Wariness was in his eyes again but the burning desire had increased tenfold. This gift was of an erotic nature. She breathed in, slowly, deeply.
“So beautiful,” she whispered, stroking the soft material as she stared into his mesmerising eyes. The silk was the colour of her transcendental tool… the blue room – and Isaac’s eyes. This was not accidental, this was destiny. This gift was meant for her – whatever it might be.
“I will treasure this gift, Your Majesty, because you give it to me.”
His eyes widened. “Oh, Talia, I think you may be even cleverer than I thought.” He brushed his knuckles reverently over her cheekbone. “Go ahead, open your present now.”
She carefully folded back the delicate material, her heart pounding with anticipation. There were several layers of silk wrapped around her gift, which clanked loudly as she handled it. Her gift was made of metal and the way it moved in her hands… the feel of it between her fingers… it felt like… but it couldn’t be…
“Oh!”
It was. Her head swam as she stared down at her gift.
Handcuffs.
Isaac had given her an uncompromising pair of heavy-duty handcuffs, the kind used to restrain prisoners. Her head whirled with confusion and her stomach churned as sickness hit it hard. Pain pierced through her shoulder for the first time that day as her world spun and realigned on a new axis. Her tender feelings of love were obliterated and replaced by such agitation she could barely breathe. But behind the pain and trepidation lurked a welcome physical response, building desire, a tightening in her womb, the clenching of her sex, the throbbing of her clitoris…
Handcuffs.
She had invited this gift upon herself with her relentless questioning and curiosity.
Isaac had not taken her to the rooms of pleasure. He had brought the implements of sexual pleasure to her.
She breathed in sharply, and his hand curled around hers.
“Talia?”
The heat in his eyes was hypnotic. Isaac was ready for this… whatever it might be. The wariness had disappeared from his soft gaze, desire and tenderness taking its place, the spectacular something burning brighter than ever before.
Isaac loved her, but he was afraid of the depth of his feelings. Isaac was the vulnerable one, not her.
Isaac was experienced with handcuffs. There were cuffs and chains in the cage that he had used on their first night together, but then she had been terrified. Isaac was a sexually sophisticated king with incomparable erotic expertise born of many, many years and many, many women…
But he was vulnerable…
Doing this with him would make him stronger, would prove how much she trusted him. It would give him absolute control, make him feel safe. Secure. If she did this, Isaac could love her unreservedly in the sure knowledge she reciprocated his feelings, for how cou
ld she have this much trust without feeling true love?
These were the implements of pleasurable restraint he had talked of in the blue room and they were his gift to her.
She would bless him with a gift in return.
“Your Majesty, I am innocent in these matters. I have heard whispers of such erotic games, but that is all. I am happy to entrust myself to you. I know I can rely on your kindness and expert care. Thank you for blessing me with a gift we can enjoy together.”
His eyes were misty as his hand tightened around hers. “You seemed so curious, Talia, but I did not want to take you to the rooms of pleasure. This is our room so I have brought the pleasure here. You will only ever experience joy within these walls. I will never hurt you and will always take care of you.”
“I trust you,” she whispered timidly. Her heart was pounding, her stomach churning, the fear of the unknown consuming her. But she wanted the intimacy and eroticism of this experience and would trust Isaac with it, with her…
“I don’t want you to think I need this, Talia, I meant what I said earlier. You and you alone will always be enough for me, but I want to satisfy your curiosity. I want to introduce you to a new erotic experience I am sure you will find extremely pleasurable.”
The pleasure was her gift, it was perfect.
“Tell me what you want me to do, Master. I give myself to you to use in any manner you desire. You have my absolute trust.”
His eyes narrowed, and he chuckled softly. “Oh, Talia, you are frighteningly intelligent. You instruct me. You have made your act of surrender a powerful personal choice. You flatter me with your words of submission and trust yet you still hold the upper hand.”
He chuckled again, clearly unperturbed, but this was not what she had intended at all.
“Your Majesty, I want to experience this with you, but I am more vulnerable than I have ever been before. I am unsure as to what you will expect of me tonight, but I trust you completely.”
Talia and Isaac Page 27