Selected for Sport Ch. 20

Xanir's mouth twisted. "That will be many years' work. I will need your help."

He cast her another hopeful look. Alanna grinned. Kissed him on the lips, then pulled herself back again as he began to deepen it.

"Um," she searched her mind for further demands while he was being so amenable.

"Alanna," her husband rumbled.

"Lay me down and take my throat -." Xanir's mouth stopped her words, and he growled against her lips. "Stop playing with me, witch. Yes or no, will you stay with me?"

She laughed and hugged him to her. "I love you, Xanir. So long as you get over this amenable mood and promise to be your normal decisive, demanding self, then yes. Please. I love it when you go all Great Tahl on me."

Xanir kissed her lingeringly.

"I'm not going to get over loving you," he retorted. "Witch."

"Good," she retorted. "Because I'd hate it to feel all one-sided again."

Xanir sighed in relief and collapsed against her. "Princess," he complained into her hair. "You can't let anyone know how I crumbled to all your demands. I have a reputation to maintain; an empire to run."

Alanna laughed and combed her fingers through his hair, tilting his head back. His smile was so joyous, it made her heart burst. "Kiss me and I'll consider it," she sparkled.

"Demanding," Xanir grumbled under his breath as his smiling lips descended.

Alanna was breathing hard when he drew back, fingers digging into the delicious muscles of his back. He slid a palm up to cup her face. "How did you cope? In the tower?" She blinked at him, looking deep into those black eyes, a wavery smile on her face, and leaned in to kiss him softly. "I kept thinking of you, at war; I was pretending I was one of your elite soldiers, my Tahl. Tasked with keeping a great secret that would tip the balance."

He shuddered a sigh against her. "How did you really manage to evade the Sianese fleet?" she countered.

Xanir kissed her gently, and told her.

They spent hours in the shade under the tree, sharing kisses, caresses, exchanging news and thoughts from the last months apart. Peace crept in and Alanna was lying half-asleep, boneless under the light, skimming touch of her husband's hands on her skin when he sighed, and murmured, "We should get back."

Alanna grimaced. A naughty thought flickered across her mind, and she blushed.

"What are you thinking about, my little matra?" teased Xanir.

She peeked an eye open. "You didn't -," she had to swallow. Tried again. "You didn't fulfil the last two conditions."

Xanir's voice was laughing. "Later, my love."

She pouted. "I'm not falling for that - once we're back there's nothing to stop you reneging."

"I promise to completely fulfil you. I mean them."

She gave him a look. He grinned.

"You've been neglecting me of late," she pouted again.

Xanir's eyebrows rose, incredulous. He actually looked hurt. She cast him a naughty look and he relaxed a little, eyeing her.

"Neglecting you into exhaustion every night?"

"Yes, but it's all been about me," she complained. "Me me me." Her cheeks were so crimson she could feel them, and she fell back on their game, cupping his cheek as she stared at him pleadingly. "Please don't take my throat, my Tahl, please."

Fire lit his eyes, and her eyes flitted away as she blushed further. "Please."

Xanir's hands were suddenly lifting her, forearms taut, beautiful as he rolled onto his back, swung her above him and lunged to suck a dangling breast into his mouth. Fire shot down Alanna's spine and she bucked with a shriek as teeth grazing the nipple.

"Naughty," Xanir breath was tantalising on the wet fabric. "We'll be late."

Alanna dropped her head, eyes wide, and glared. "Please, Xanir."

He smirked at her, drew her down for a kiss. "And now your wrap is wet. You'll get cold." He was pushing it back off her shoulders as he spoke, stroking it down to pool about her waist as he sat her back up above him. Her breathing speeded up and excitement pooled in her blood.

"Xanir!" She broke off, squirming as desire crashed through her when that expert touch brushed feather-light over her nipples. "I want you to..."

"Shh." Xanir was folding her wrap above her waist. His gaze was fixed on the moist little slit he revealed, eyes feral. "Hold this." An exasperated, frustrated, horny noise escaped Alanna as weakly she took over holding her wrap up, shuddering at the intent look on his face, melting. "Please take my throat," she whined.

"You need to learn to negotiate. Each side has to allow some concessions." Xanir liked his lips, gazing at his prize. Alanna shuddered again, telling herself to drop the damn hem, but not quite wanting to - she loved the look in his eyes as slowly, slowly he lifted her closer. The anticipation was killing her.

"This wasn't what was agreed," she whined, shuddering as his breath brushed over the sensitive, wet flesh.

"I never acceded to that one," Xanir chuckled. "You need to show goodwill also."

"How noble of me," she breathed sarcastically, her retort ending in a cry as his tongue licked swiftly over her clit.

"Shh," he admonished.

"But I wanted to please you!" burst out of her, this time ending in a full shriek as he pulled her legs down and impaled her on his tongue.

Xanir didn't answer, too busy eating her out, making her writhe, buck, shriek to his skilled tongue as he tilted and held her so he could feast. She was pitched over the edge within minutes, shuddering, gasping and crying as she begged him to stop, to let her down. Panting harsh breaths to recover she shrieked, "Not yet!" when he drove in again. Xanir ignored her, suckling her labia into his mouth and swirling with his tongue while she moaned and tried to wrench away.

It was after her third orgasm that he swung her down to lie on his chest, tucked in his arms, panting harshly while he ran his fingers gently over her glowing skin.

"What was it you wanted again?" he teased.

Alanna blinked her wet eyes open, drawing in a shuddering, shaky breath as she tried to gargle out a coherent answer. Xanir tweaked a nipple, making her choke. "You want everything your own way?"

Alanna's eyes gleamed, and she smiled, beautifully. "I just wanted you to stop being so nice to me," she rasped, choking a laugh. "Success!"

A short swirl of movement later and Alanna was on her knees, head tilted back by his firm grip in her hair as Xanir eased his cock into her mouth. She was whining in pleasure around the thick length.

"You forget," said Xanir, pulling out and smiling down at her. "I too know how to negotiate. Do you promise to learn every dance in the saktra for me?"

Slurping her tongue over the head of his cock, smiling, she gargled, "Yes."

Xanir slid down her throat, then withdrew. She whined and reached for him. "And you promise you love me?"

"Yes!"

A third thrust, fully in, and he took several swift strokes before holding himself deep inside as she choked and spluttered, pushing at him, nose pressed to his skin. The flush was strobing through her skin as she shuddered in pleasure, melting. "You will never go for a ride without me."

She threw him an incredulous look.

He drew back so only the tip was in her mouth, watching her slurp her tongue desperately over his cockhead hands clamped to his thighs to try to prevent him from pulling away entirely as her eyes pleaded with him and she heaved air into her lungs. "Or at least two zalmat," he conceded.

She nodded frantically.

He tightened his fingers and pulled her throat back over his cock, bottoming out. "I love."

Another thrust, watching her choke, "That you love."

His third thrust was even deeper, her nose buried against his skin, "what I do."

"To you." His growl was growing deep and he held her there, cock massaged exquisitely by her desperately convulsing throat until her hands were beating against his thighs, then pulled back out fully, rubbing his precum on her tongue as she coughed and gasped for more breath.

He touched her nose with his fingertip. "Sexually."

He tilted her head up gently and smiled down into her tear-wet, pleasure-floating eyes. "As I love."

A spark warmed her eyes just as he plunged back down her throat, and they rolled back in her head. "That you can't."

He pulled back out on a groan, the word, "deny me!" rising to a roar as he thrust back in and came, head flung back, holding her with balls pressed against her chin as he groaned again and again, his seed spurted into her belly.

Alanna was coughing on hands and knees, panting, when Xanir dropped down beside her, slid a hand down her belly towards her dripping wet slit, and repeated silkily, "Although you may, if you want to. If you promise to be a good wife."

Indignant, she shrieked and tried to pull away, but he was too strong, too skilled, and she arched at the excruciating touch against her overstimulated, needy lips. "Yes, yes, I know. I will. You know I will. Please don't touch Xanir, I can't take it, please."

"... in public." Xanir finished, chuckling. She nipped him half-heartedly and he lifted her to lie on his chest, stroking his hands over her back. "Once the empire is fully stable, I will take you to visit your home."

Tears lit her eyes. "I am home," she whispered.

His heart thumped hard and he drew her into a brief cuddle before rolling to his feet, ignoring her groan as he tugged her after him. "Come on, your grandmother will have reached the encampment by now; it's really rude of you not to be there to greet her, we should get back."

On hands and knees, Alanna stopped and gaped at him. "My grandmother?"

Xanir stared at her hanging breasts, fire lighting his eyes. "I never thought that those could grow more delightful, more bewitching." His eyes flicked teasingly to hers. "More sensitive."

She sat up, folding her arms over them, glaring at him. "My grandmother is here?"

Xanir shrugged, pulling straight his clothes. "Lady Sharim said pregnancy can be overwhelming. You needed someone to talk to about it, someone you trust - I asked. She agreed to come."

Tears lit Alanna's eyes, and she sat back on her heels, hugging herself. She watched as Xanir picked up her robe and boots and shook out the sand as best he could. He glanced at her, perplexed. "Her passage over the straits was swifter than anticipated, Zander got word last night that she had made landfall and was only hours behind the messenger. Come on. What's wrong?"

"Can I have a kiss?" she whispered.

Still looking confused, he strode over and stooped.

Alanna flung her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. "Don't you ever dare try and pretend that you don't love me."

He was still frowning in confusion; shrugged. "I won't."

She laughed and kissed him again. "I love you too."

*

They rode back into camp together on the back of the disgruntled Rigal, Alanna wrapped in Xanir's arms.

The sentries and mass of ghelber who had turned out to greet their Tahl peeled back to reveal a white gazebo straddling the gathering circle at the centre of the camp. Under its shade a tall, white-haired woman dressed in a voluminous travelling cloak of bright-dyed northern wool was standing next to Em Feliz's litter. Xanir's face whitened at the sight of his cousin sitting up, awake for the first time since the ambush.

He slid from Rigal's back with Alanna in his arms and ran to the waiting pair. Zander snapped the order for a shield wall as they passed, and reluctantly the rest of the camp moved back into motion, distanced by the bodyguards spaced around the four in the center. Xanir halted, swaying in shocked disbelief as Emf smiled wearily at him. "Thank-you for inviting the Kjeldahl healer here. We have a lot to learn of herbs from her," his cousin said.

Xanir's eyes widened and he turned to the lady, lowering his wife carefully to her feet before he bowed deeply, reverently. Alanna was grinning at her grandmother, face alight. "I can't believe you came!" she cried joyously. "Grandmama!" Happily she felt herself enfolded in a hug, crying tears of joy as they peeled apart to smile at each other, then hugged again. "I've missed you!"

The sprightly old lady held her away, an eyebrow raised as she looked her over carefully, ignoring the men jabbering beside them in their own language. "I can't believe that your husband asked me here because you are depressed," the lady Marianne Kjeldahl complained. "You look tired, but radiant. You just need to sleep more," she admonished, pressing another kiss to her to Alanna's cheek before standing back to look her over again. Her eyes narrowed. "What have you been doing to yourself, little squirrel?"

"Forgive me, my Tahl."

Alanna's attention snapped sideways at the echo of Limaq's dying plea, seeing Xanir's cheeks blench while he snapped straight. Em Feliz lifted a supplicating hand. She slid her own into Xanir's, felt it crushed. Her grandmother fell silent, glancing between the two men.

"What do I need to forgive?" hissed Xanir, voice glacial.

"Treason." Em Felix looked at the couple's entwined fingers. His gaze flickered on to her tiny bulge, and slowly he smiled. "But it worked."

"What are you talking about?" rasped Xanir. Alanna could feel him shaking.

"Many months ago, after your bride had sent her grandmother secret drawings of the Queen's garden, the Lady Marianne Kjeldahl here sent a reply, in their hidden ink, explaining how the seeds of the fruits were used in its native land to prevent pregnancy." He looked across at the Lady Kjeldahl, who lifted an eyebrow at her granddaughter. Faltering, Alanna translated and the old lady nodded regally.

"But it is reversable: if you stop taking the seeds, fertility reportedly returns within a month or so," she explained.

Xanir drew in a long breath, but just released it, looking shell-shocked.

"It was treason to conceal this from you, my Tahl," Em Feliz inclined his head, eyes pleading. "But I had good reason. Many years ago, after the Shatraz informed you that the injury at your groin prevented you from fathering children, he took me aside and explained that there was a slim but not insignificant chance that you might heal, and in fact impregnate a woman. But your own desperation to do so was killing your chances: better that you believe there was no chance, and not try so hard."

Alanna translated again. "That is also likely," agreed her grandmother, eyebrows raised.

"And so I did not tell you of the properties of the seeds - or let that missive reach the Tahl-Matra." Black eyes met Alanna's briefly, dropping again to her belly, a faint grin lighting the drawn face. Alanna leaned into Xanir. She always felt a slight jolt, hearing someone refer to her as his empress.

"I found the way they harvested and administered the seeds, and intercepted the drug, over half a year ago."

"Panya," acknowledged Xanir, nodding at Alanna who was murmuring a translation.

She nodded back, "I have seen this."

"Yes, or her attendants. I believe the Tahl-Mat used this contraceptive on your father's harem, and began using it on you and yours once it became clear that Haman was truly determined to step aside and leave the throne to you," Em Feliz continued wearily. "However, as we discovered, one of her lesser attendants guessed or uncovered the use of the seeds, and secretly sold the knowledge to Siane, via Rihanne's zalmat, Beguine"

Em Feliz nodded to Alanna, who breathed, "Rebeqa."

"Siane would have paid to halt its administration once I was wed to the Inchotan," mused Xanir dryly, his thumb stroking over his wife's.

"Yes. They were building up numbers to stage a coup once the Inchotan was pregnant - you would no doubt have died in a mysterious accident, but the Tahl-Mat discovered the betrayal and ordered Rebeqa killed."

"Tea!" exclaimed Alanna. "Limaq became your agent in the palace when you had to leave with Xanir? He never let anyone else give me my tea once you'd gone."

Heart-felt relief swept across Xanir's drawn features. "You swore him to secrecy too - even from me. 'I took the Tahl-maia's tea.'," he quoted, choking. His eyes clenched closed, jaw working as he tilted his head back. Alanna lifted their entwined fingers and gently kissed the white knuckles clenched around hers.

"I don't know how you managed it," Xanir forced out to the sky, strangled. "Limaq always loathed keeping secrets from me."

"Relentless persuasion," Em Feliz admitted. "Eventually he acknowledged that even you would accede the potential reward outweighed the dishonour." He smiled at Alanna.

She was poking Xanir in the side. "You knew it!" He smiled a little grimly, and she reached up on tiptoe to blot the tears squeezing out of his eyes with her fingers, kissing his cheek. "You knew it, you knew it - let it go," she whispered, tears in her own eyes. "He was true. As you knew him, Xan." Her words choked off on a sob of her own

Xanir wrapped his arm around her, hauled her to his chest and rested his cheek against her hair, stroking her back gently as she cried for her friend, and for his friend, her husband. The hurt of the doubt. After several minutes Xanir lifted her chin and kissed her gently, whispering, "Later," wiping the tears from her cheeks. "We will speak to Zander, Raqi and Kurim later. Return to the Sharim to honour him."

Em Feliz was looking soberly at them when they turned back, his own eyes glistening.

His voice was subdued. "Yes, Limaq promised that he would drink your bride's tea, so that the conspirators would not suspect. As I drank yours. We supplied the tea you actually drank from a replacement keg that I knew had not been doctored."

Alanna's mind leapt ahead again. "The powder has been discovered," she quoted. Em Feliz tilted his head at her in enquiry.

"I forgot; you would not have heard." Swiftly, Alanna explained what she and Zander had eavesdropped under the Tahl-leia's terrace.

Em Feliz looked at Xanir. "Can we keep her?"

Xanir tightened his arms while Alanna laughed. "Yes," they chorused.

Em Feliz nodded slowly. "So: the laws protecting Sianese serfs curtailed their building of a secret army; Panya had their informant killed, at we know not what stage in the negotiations; and the Tahl was proving obstinately reluctant to commit to a betrothal with the Inchotan despite his fruitless existent contract."

The men were still, considering how much closer the Sianese had been than they had realised, while softly Alanna concluded the translation.

Her grandmother nodded slowly. "Hence their deciding to strike early," she concluded. "Before they lost the forces they had already put into play, but before everything was ready."

"The hasty stroke oft goes amiss," quoted Alanna in response, smiling at her grandmother. She snuggled against her husband while she asked, "Are you really coming back to the palace with us?"

"You think I'd miss the birth of my great-grandchild?" her grandmother retorted. She fastened an eye on Xanir. "Your attendants there don't seem to have been chosen for their knowledge of midwifery."

He grimaced, and inclined his head. "Panya's wing will be made ready for you, Lady Kejldahl, before we arrive - if you care to visit the Sharim with us first to honour Alt Limaq for his protection of both myself, Alanna, and the child."

Marianne Kjeldahl nodded, and looked back at her granddaughter. "You need to rest more, child." Alanna opened her mouth to argue, then gasped as Xanir swung her up into his arms.

"We haven't heard everything!" she protested. "Em Feliz -."

"Needs to rest also," her grandmother interposed as her husband strode towards their tent.

Xanir chuckled at his wife's frustrated expression, and she bit him on the jaw. Then, penitently, she kissed him better. "Not supposed to do visible, sorry."