Aphrodite's Reward Ch. 02

"Of course," Davos nodded, and laughed a little as he sat facing her on the edge of the bed. "I'm not sure how a man turns down any request or invitation you make."

"You might be surprised, then," Ariella replied dryly. "Many see little value in what we hold dearest here. The goddess of love does not often win wars or make the rain fall or the crops grow. She does not keep the seas safe, or guide the craftsman's hand, or bring out the sun and moon. It is not Aphrodite's name that is called out during childbirth, by mothers or by those who watch over them. The only souls she guides into the afterlife are those that dedicate themselves to her. Some resent my influence in the city, and see me as little more than a pretty face accorded far too high a place on account of looks alone."

"I can already tell that you are much more than that."

She nodded. "I am irritated by such reactions, but no person is loved by all. Attitudes such as those arise from a number of sources. I do not let it stand in my way, nor do such concerns cost me sleep at night." Ariella let the thought pass without trouble. "I see that you hold much different attitudes."

"Anyone can see the importance of all those other concerns you mentioned," Davos conceded, "but in the end, love is still at least as important as the rest."

"Yet you have no lover in your life," said Ariella. She didn't explain how she knew that, nor did Davos stop to wonder. "I would know more of you, Davos. Why a life at sea? What was life in Murried that you chose to sail away? Or was it your choice at all?"

"My parents wanted me to marry a girl to bring her farm into our family and raise our fortunes. She was a lovely girl, and my parents quite insistent, but... I wasn't in love with her," he explained. "Nor did she love me. We got along, but we could not call it love. I would not allow us to be trapped together to make our parents happy, so my parents cast me out. Hers were much more forgiving," he added, "or that story might have turned out differently.

"I just wanted something more. There was a whole world out there to be seen, and I wanted to see it. Others value peace and quiet and stability, and I don't blame them, but... I felt like I would suffocate there. I didn't want the same life that was handed down to my family and our friends' families. I scouted out ships in the port, found one that did not strike me as unsafe or untrustworthy, and I signed on."

"So you left your family behind?"

"I've been home a couple of times and we've made our peace, but I've always left. It's not the sea that I love so much as the freedom of travel."

"Yet you are lonely," observed the priestess.

"Yes and no," he nodded. "I've always been the independent sort. My mother used to say that my siblings never wanted to go to market or out into the woods alone, but I hardly ever even stopped to say when I was leaving.

"There are times when I'm lonely, yes. I enjoy companionship, but not many of my shipmates have made for good company. I like people. I like to have friends. But most people get tied down, and it becomes a choice of either being tied down with them or moving on... and that's a hard choice.

"I've seen islands and coastlines that I would call paradise, but their beauty is somewhat wasted when you've no one to share it with."

Ariella smiled. "It doesn't sound as if you took to the sea in search of fortune."

"Oh, I like money as well as the next man," Davos laughed, "but if I struck it rich, I don't think I'd put my money into a home."

"A ship of your own, perhaps?"

He shook his head. "Too much responsibility. The captain can't just walk away from his ship. It's every bit as much work as tending a farm, if not more. You might see far more of the world, but in the end the ship is still your home."

"I imagine being tied down to a lover is just as unpalatable, then?"

"No, not at all," Davos answered. "Not if she were to travel with me. As I said, I enjoy people. I enjoy meeting new faces and making new friends... but I don't especially like leaving others behind. It's simply the cost of travel."

The thoughts that occurred to him required a little consideration of the proper words. He'd always been a relatively witty sort, but apparently his short time here in Loewen had encouraged him to work toward eloquence. "On the night of the battle, I chose to come here to defend the ideals of love... but in truth, I wish it wasn't such an abstract matter in my life."

"You made love last night, Davos. No, no one told me; Aphrodite graces her servants with a certain degree of insight," she explained gently. "You had a wonderful night with a woman you did not know beforehand, and while it was fleeting, you felt loved, and for the night you loved your partner in return. I imagine it was beautiful and fulfilling."

Davos pursed his lips. "She asked for discretion. This is twice now that we've been discovered."

"I can see what you have experienced," said Ariella, "but not the details. I don't know who your lover was. Regardless, the secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," he said, taking her at her word. "I could stand to have more such nights."

"Many more?"

Once again, he blushed. "As many as the goddess might grace me with," he admitted.

"That is the most important reason I summoned you here, Davos. You will indeed have many more such nights. More than any other man or woman would believe, if you tried to tell them."

Davos blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Aphrodite has blessed you with her grace," Ariella explained. "I see it in you as plainly as you see me. She wishes to reward you for your service, for your courage and willingness to sacrifice, and for everything of hers that you saved. She is a goddess of beauty, of passion and love--erotic love in particular, though tact and pragmatism keep me from loudly proclaiming that central aspect," she smiled. "Yet you should know. You must know, lest you misinterpret the rewards and the joys to come.

"Davos, let me ask you: have you found yourself feeling braver with women in the past day or so? Have charming words come to you more easily? Do you find that women's eyes linger on you longer than they did before you came here?"

His eyes widened as she spoke. It was all the answer she needed.

"And last night, did you find yourself able to give and enjoy more pleasure than you ever had? Did you feel more potent and virile? Did your partner rise to the occasion of lengthy, passionate lovemaking without fatigue?"

"Yes," he answered quietly.

"And did you both find it easy to part on good terms, with neither longing nor a sense of loss?" Ariella mirrored his nod. "You carry the blessings of the goddess of love, Davos. Aphrodite has rewarded you as only she can. Intimate companionship will be far easier for you to find from now on. She will help you find it when you seek it out, and even when you do not, she may often still guide you to erotic pleasures you do not expect. And though you should not take it for granted or enjoy yourself recklessly, you will find fewer negative details or unwanted attachments."

The thoughts processed in his mind. "Does she--does Aphrodite want anything of me in return?"

"Yes," Ariella nodded again, smiling. "You may occasionally be guided toward matters of Aphrodite's interests. That will likely not bother you, for you already followed her as your patron. For the most part, she wishes you to embrace her rewards and enjoy them, but on occasion you may find yourself... directed toward certain affairs. All you need do is be true to yourself; again, the goddess knows you to be a faithful devotee, or she would not invest you with such a reward.

"There is nothing sinister or manipulative at work. She knows your heart and your needs. The goddess cannot love you herself, lest her full glory end your life. But she can love you through intermediaries. Rites and rituals within the temple serve much the same purpose. Every indulgence can be an act of worship on your part, Davos, if you keep the goddess in your heart.

"Had you a lady love to whom you were committed, I imagine Aphrodite's rewards would be much different, though equally wonderful. But as you say, you wish to enjoy the beauty of the world. You value love, but also your freedom. Aphrodite has honored that, and struck a balance."

Davos's heart pounded. He felt himself growing aroused as she spoke, though the gravity of her statements were as much to blame as the beauty before him. Davos knew in his heart that her every word was completely true. Even if he had trouble digesting it all, the ramifications sank in and excited his body.

"One often hears sagas of heroes who roam the world and love freely, only to leave their paramours behind in search of new adventures," explained Ariella. "Yet one is often left wondering if that hero leaves behind a broken heart, or an unwanted child or sickness or shame. You need concern yourself with none of that, Davos. The goddess wishes you to know her love, on your terms, and not to trouble yourself with a sad aftermath because such things simply will not happen. You will not leave behind children or broken hearts or shattered dreams. Your liasons will not easily or likely be discovered. Your trysts are between you and your partners, and your life and loves a matter for you and for the goddess herself. Enjoy your fortunes, and remember and honor the one who grants them."

The thought took his breath away. He'd never even considered living such a life--even if he could muster up the charm, he worried about exactly the sort of aftermath that Ariella now said would never be a problem. "What if... what if I someday find someone that I want to settle with?" he asked. "What if I find one special woman?"

"Then stay with her," Ariella shrugged. "Aphrodite does not disapprove. But I think you will find, even then, that matters of jealousy and possessive feelings will be quite muted. A blessing such as this is meant to be more than what most men and women find in their lives. Love freely. Embrace your lusts. Take love and lust as an adventure.

"Remember, the goddess appreciates a pure heart, but she is not borne of the strict standards and traditions of any age. Her restrictions are few. She despises rape and views incest as a crime. Yet she has aided many an affair outside the bounds of parental approval, or marriage, or the enmities of kings and queens. Not all of her affairs have been altruistic, either; Aphrodite understands a little selfish lust. There are tales of her having a husband before she came to this world, yet she had so many lovers that it was impossible to keep her infidelity secret. And yet we cherish her still.

"It is not Aphrodite who will dictate your standards, or your sense of right and wrong. She wants you to be loved, and to enjoy her rewards. To be blunt, Davos, you could be quite ruthless and selfish with the charms you wield and never once draw the ire of the goddess." Once more, Ariella tilted her head, watching him curiously. "But I don't think that will happen. You are too kind for that."

Davos shook his head. "This is much to think on," he said, "but to take what you say at face value--and I don't doubt you, but it is much to accept--even if all this comes to pass, I don't see how I could abuse it that way."

"The goddess would not see it as abuse," Ariella shrugged. "She can be a bit naughty, as it were. But if you are true to yourself as well as to her, I doubt you will have many regrets. It is one of the reasons I wished to speak with you," she added softly. "Cinna read kindness and humility in you, and I see it, too. Another man might grow arrogant knowing he had such gifts. I don't think that will be the case for you... and so I thought it best to tell you, explicitly, lest you mistake the blessings of Aphrodite for blind luck or something sinister."

"Thank you," he said. "Last night seemed like such a stroke of luck, but if it happened with frequency, I would have wondered, yes. Do you know how this works?" he asked curiously. "Will I know... will I know when it happens? I'm not even sure what questions to ask."

"Ask anything at all," the priestess assured him. "You would not find anyone else with these answers. I am her trusted servant, and I am the one with whom she shared her intent. And I am somewhat similarly blessed," Ariella conceded, "though my blessings do not play out as yours shall.

"As to your first questions, you will likely not feel anything different at all other than a greater urge to indulge. There is no glow of magic or recognizable portent. Your charms are already developing, and your visage is deeply appealing; you may see no difference in the mirror, but I can promise you that I see an exceptionally attractive man before me."

He did not blush this time, but it was a near thing. "I don't know if I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as you," Davos replied.

"Even the most beautiful people often doubt their appearance, or think themselves ugly or that those who compliment them are misguided. There is power in knowing that one is, in fact, greatly attractive." Her grin turned soft, and her voice dropped a little further. "Not every woman will find you so... but most will. I think you'll know it when it happens."

Davos's eyebrow rose. A grin played at his lips. "Like now?" he asked, leaning in closer.

"What makes you think so?" she asked, but didn't move away.

"Your tone," he said. "Your smile. The way you lean forward and touch your neck. It's no sure thing, but I've felt a tension build through our conversation."

"A moment ago you were overwhelmed," she reminded him coyly.

"I'm still overwhelmed," he nodded, but he gave no outward sign of it.

"You're aroused," she corrected with a cool, playful rise of her eyebrow. She didn't need to look to his groin to know.

"After everything you've just told me, it would be hard not to become aroused, don't you think?" He shifted closer to her, and she did not move away. "If I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but I believe I am on the right track."

"Others have thought so, and been wrong."

"I imagine you have a long trail of disappointed suitors."

"Dozens more with every passing year," she admitted. "Brave and fine men, many of them. Confident, and not without reason. But not what I want."

"Then I'll try not to join them."

"Would you have been this bold four days ago?" Ariella asked. Her eyes followed his fingers as they reached out to touch her flowing red hair.

"Not with a high priestess of any god or goddess, no," Davos admitted evenly.

"Then why now? Because I've told you that you are attractive? There is a difference between appreciating the grace of the goddess and being susceptible to it."

Davos nodded. "I think both are at play here."

"Ask yourself why you know that," she said as he drew closer.

His advance halted teasingly. He could feel her breath on his cheek. The heaviness of that breath supported his instincts, but her choice of words confirmed them. She did not ask him why he felt certain, but why he knew. "I'm not sure I have an answer for you," he whispered. "I just know."

"Then you know how it feels when the grace of the goddess takes hold," she smiled, close enough that he felt her cheek against his as her lips moved. "You do not have to fumble through impressions and mixed messages as ordinary people do. Not anymore. Now you know."

Davos smiled, too, but only until he turned his head to meet hers in a soft, longing kiss. He would willingly have drowned in those lips. The feeling of her body against his as she slipped into his arms was as nothing he'd ever known; even after the passion he'd experienced last night, Ariella amazed him. He knew instantly what she meant by sharing the grace of Aphrodite, as the mere caress of her fingers along his arms and his shoulders pleased him as much as the directly carnal touches of other women. The taste of her kiss thrilled him.

He knew, as surely as he knew that she wanted this, that she was equally aroused.

"You are a good man, Davos of Murried," she told him softly. "I know that much of you for certain. As I said before, you saved my life and all that I hold dearest in this world. You are kind, humble and exquisitely attractive. And above all, you and I come together here in this holy space as two favored and loved by my goddess." Her eyes glimmered as she looked up into his for only a moment. "I could have any man or woman in the kingdom, most with little effort... yet I desire you as much as I have ever wanted anyone or anything. I want every intimacy with you."

The confession hung in the air until the space between them closed in another kiss. Davos ran his hands over her shoulders, knowing his touch affected her the same way hers excited him. "Is it hubris to lie in this bed?" he breathed against her ear as his hand drifted down to her breast.

"No," she whispered back, and then gasped as he gently cupped and kneaded her flesh. "Remember... we are as welcome here as... as lovers." The sensual pleasures of his touch on her breast and the stroke of his fingers on the back of her neck had her head swimming. "It is a sacred privilege... and should be honored... and accepted."

Her hands untied the knotted leather at the rings of his belt and let it fall to the floor. Ariella's body writhed at his touch, flowing this way and that in his embrace to offer as much of herself as she could. She panted when his lips came to her neck and kissed her flesh hungrily.

Davos's confidence grew as quickly as his desire. He had indeed changed. As she suggested, he would not have approached her so surely a week ago. He might have made his best and bravest effort had he thought her interested, but a week ago he almost certainly would never have gotten close enough to try. Nor did he blame her for that; she had responsibilities and concerns he did not yet know. But now the high priestess of Aphrodite melted in his arms and wordlessly begged him for more... and he knew, without even considering it, that he could deliver all she wanted.

It was all he wanted to do, too.

They kissed and clung to one another, heightening need and appreciation propelling their movements. Ariella did not wait for Davos to take the next step. She pulled the shirt from his shoulders with a sudden fierceness and all but shoved him onto his back on the bed before straddling his hips.

Her hands ran over his chest and his tight stomach. "A sailor's muscles," she noted with open lust. "Your body is lean and strong. Tanned by the sun. But your hands are much softer now than they should be, aren't they?" Her hips gyrated to grind her crotch against his, leaving her gasping with pleasure. "Ah," she whimpered softly. "This is... ah... ah."

Davos's hands slid up her arms and over her shoulders. He took the fabric of her dress in his fingers and slipped it down, watching in wonder as her lovely breasts were revealed to him for the first time. The trembling breath of his partner gave her every approval. She enjoyed the rapture on his face almost as much as the feeling of his body underneath hers. Ariella gracefully rose on her knees, allowing him to pull her dress the rest of the way down.

"We have been dressed for far too long," she told him solemnly. With the fabric down past her thighs, she lifted and swung one beautiful leg away, then brought it back to his side and did the same with the other. She sighed happily at the sensation of her partner's hands on her naked hips and ass, and then slid down against him to grip the hem of his pants in her hands and pull it down with deliberate slowness. Her eyes lit up at the sights it revealed; again, she did nothing to disguise her lust.

He understood why. Lust was sacred here.

Ariella kissed and caressed her way back up his naked legs, but as her fingers moved in on his groin, Davos gently took her wrists. "Come up here," he said. "I want to taste you."