Strange Bedfellows Ch. 03

NOTE: Chapters 1 and 2 (of 5) of this story were posted under the reluctance category. Despite that, it's a true romance/love story between good people, just with a rocky start. Enjoy. :)

Chapter 3:...because you just might get it

* * *

Kalus finished removing Tornado's tack and gave the powerful warhorse a gentle pat on the neck. The horse gave him a reproachful look in response, as if he was doing him some great personal wrong by not riding him into battle at this very moment.

"Not all battles are fought with swords and armor." Kalus replied as he stroked the horse's mane.

He glanced back to where Katia and Lyra were similarly unsaddling their horses, though his new bride was already done. Despite her young age, she was probably similar in horsemanship skill to many of his knights. His wives had ridden closely together on the way back to the camp and far enough from him that he only caught hints of their conversation. He was glad they were getting along so well and he couldn't help but smile as he thought about how that alone would frustrate King Tyso.

He gazed at Katia, wondering if perhaps she would ever come around. He hoped she would, but she was his wife and so he would do right by her even if she didn't. Katia glanced at him, and she seemed startled that he was looking at her. He gave her a small smile, which she didn't return. Instead, she pointedly looked back at Lyra

He sighed.

They all walked to the door of his tent, where he stopped. "Lyra, please go inside and make yourself comfortable for a few minutes; I need to speak to Katia."

"Yes husband, but please don't be too long." She grinned, and that grin turned into a coy smile that -- if he didn't know better -- would've looked like she was anxious for her wedding night to start.

Hmm.

Curious.

Once she was inside, he spoke to Katia in a low voice so they wouldn't be overheard by his war council, which was sitting not far away.

"I want you to explain why you started to dislike me so much." He stated plainly. "I would understand if it had begun after we were forced to wed and what happened in that field. However, it began before that, specifically on that first morning you woke in my tent. Do you deny it?"

She shook her head.

"I had thought it began when I surprised you with the knife that first morning, but that isn't it, is it?"

She hesitated and then shook her head again.

"Then you need to tell me."

"I would prefer not to." She replied simply.

"That is your right and I won't make you speak." He admitted. "However, I am your husband and I think you know how much I've protected you from and continue to protect you from. Now, you can maintain this stony silence for the next several decades and I won't compel an answer from you, but is that really how you want to spend your entire married life?"

She frowned slightly and seemed to consider that.

"I would see my wife -- excuse me, my wives -- happy, and that includes you. I cannot correct what vexes you if I don't know what it is."

Katia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She made a thoughtful sound and gave him a piercing gaze for several long moments, which was followed by a thoughtful frown.

"You're the enemy." She finally replied in a tone that was cool, but not quite disrespectful. "You are forcing me to literally sleep with the enemy, with the man who is most responsible for my country's defeats in battle. You're forcing me to bear the enemy's child. You're forcing me to commit treason against my father and my country every day, and you don't understand why I hate you?"

"Ah." He nodded, the unfortunate truth dawning on him, especially as he remembered their conversation on that first night about how much she loved her country. "Alas, that is not something I can easily correct. I would've kept you a virgin and had our marriage annulled later had the king left me that option."

She stared at him, disbelief in her eyes.

"Katia, you have the most magnificent body of any woman I've ever bedded, plus a personality that -- when you don't hate someone -- is marvelous to be around. I absolutely would've had our marriage annulled, but then I would have asked your father for your hand properly after courting you."

Her mouth fell open slightly.

"Even after--" She started to say, but then apparently realized that she was speaking to him and closed her mouth.

"Yes, even after how you've treated me." He replied. "I remember the first night Katia, and I remember how pleasant you were once you realized I wasn't going to rape you. That is the vision of you that is fixed in my mind. I suspect it is more the real you than the cold woman in front of me. Am I wrong?"

She started to shake her head, then stopped.

"I'm glad to hear it."

She made a thoughtful sound, then glanced back at the tent. "Your new wife is waiting."

"And so she is." He nodded. He started forward but she touched his arm to stop him.

"I can't stand when we..." She closed her eyes as if remembering a painful memory and then shook her head. "...but she is looking forward to this. If you aren't good to her tonight I'll... I'll..." She seemed to cast about for an appropriate threat, and finally did land on one that had some force. "...I'll never forgive you."

"On my honor, I shall use all my skill; little and rusty though it is." He nodded, then cocked his head to one side. "You care so little for our coupling?"

"That would imply that I cared at all." She said coolly, then hastily added in a more respectful tone. "Sir."

He nodded heavily. "That is your right."

* * *

Shara nodded her head towards the inside of the tent, hoping that he would get the hint and go take care of Lyra.

He did.

The moment he was out of sight, she let herself feel all the emotions that she'd been bottling up the entire conversation. How could he possibly care about her like that? It didn't make sense. After how she'd treated him for the few days they'd known each other, she would've thought that he would be aching to get rid of her. But apparently he wasn't. If he was telling the truth -- and she didn't think he'd lie -- he actuallywanted her to be married to him.

It didn't make any sense.

None at all.

Putting it out of her mind, she shook her head and went into the tent.

Kalus was standing in the middle of the tent with his back to her. She could see two slender feminine arms around his neck and two feminine legs wrapped around his waist with the ankles locked somewhere around his butt. The other woman wasn't touching the ground at all. They weren't being loud about it, but Lyra was kissing him for all she was worth... which was a lot. Apparently, she had literally jumped on him the moment he'd entered the tent and their lips probably hadn't parted since.

That reminded Shara of the first time that those two had kissed. And for some reason, that reminded her of the sensation she'd experienced for the first time while they had. She had never touched herself between the legs as Lyra had suggested, and the sensation had been delightful.

Lyra started speaking haltingly in between kissing him passionately. "I'm sorry--" Kiss "--If I'm--" Kiss "--being forward--" Kiss "--but--" Kiss "--I'm just-- " Kiss "So fu--" She paused. "--freakin' horny." She leaned back slightly. "I didn't get a chance to use my fingers yet today and I hope I'm not being, um..."

"You're going to be quite the handful, aren't you?" Kalus said, and Shara could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes sir." She nodded. "And speaking of hands full..." She glanced down and said quietly with a sly grin. "Your king might be the most comprehensive and unmitigated ass I've ever met, but he wasn't wrong about one thing."

"Oh?" Kalus replied.

"I do have an excellent..." She wiggled her butt against him. "...seat. Could you help a girl out? I'm holding myself up here." There was an almost coy smile on her face as she said it, and it left Shara in no doubt that she was practically begging to have him fondle her butt.

He did.

Both his hands pressed up against her butt and he helped hold her while she kissed him again, this time tenderly.

"Hold a moment Lyra." Kalus said when their kiss broke.

"Yes husband." She nodded and she gracefully hopped down and smoothed out her dress. Anyone walking in would have no idea what had just been happening.

"I am certainly not opposed to such enthusiasm, but I must ask; how are you so free after knowing me barely an hour?"

"Pa'pa chose you to be my husband. He loves me dearly and would rather die than let me marry a man who wasn't exceptional." She replied with absolute confidence, and plenty of evidence given her father's behavior earlier.

He made a thoughtful sound.

"Besides..." She batted her eyes at him once or twice. "You bought me from my father, meaning you own me, and an owner should get proper 'use' out of what he buys..." She smiled coyly at him. "Don't you agree?"

"You are diving in rather faster than I would've expected." He said.

"If you had kept your war horse in a small pen his entire life with no outlet for his natural instincts, and then one day you opened the gate and let him run to his heart's content, would he do any less?"

Kalus made a thoughtful sound and nodded.

"I've been dreaming of this since..." She blushed slightly. "Well, not long after I discovered how good my fingers could make me feel. My father just opened the proverbial gate with our marriage. If you would permit me, I wouldreally like to run to my heart's content."

The whole time she spoke, she was the picture of a high-spirited but demure and proper woman, flirtatious comments notwithstanding. Shara found that interesting. Lyra obviously had an incredible desire to couple, but was in control enough that she could rein it in when she needed to.

Kalus looked back at Shara. "It appears that I need to 'go riding'--" Lyra beamed at that before he continued. "--but I would not ask you to leave this tent so close to dark though." He said to Shara and then turned to Lyra.

"Oh, I havezero problem with Katia staying." The horsewoman instantly volunteered.

Kalus looked skeptical

Lyra got a bit pink in the cheeks. "Tyso suggested that you force us to 'pleasure each other'. Well,I won't need to be forced..." Lyra looked at Shara with a sensual challenge in her eye, as if both daring and inviting her to give it a go.

The princess felt her jaw drop and her eyes go wide.

Kalus looked at Lyra like he'd never seen anything quite like her before.

He probably hadn't.

Shara certainly hadn't.

"Husband, didn't you say it might be dangerous to wander around the camp after dark?" The girl asked.

"It could be without an escort." He nodded.

"Then Katia, could you um..." She looked nearly as nervous as she was excited. "Could you buckle the tent closed? I'm happy for you two to see me, but I would never want anyone else to."

Shara nodded mutely and did as the girl requested. She stood and turned around after finishing to discover that the horsewoman hadn't wasted any time. In the short time between her finishing the buckling and her standing and turning, Lyra's dress was already falling to the floor.

She was naked underneath.

Her entire body was lean, toned, and sun-kissed. She didn't appear to have an ounce of fat on her, or at least none that wasn't perfectly placed. She wasn't muscular, but had the tiny edges of definition in a few places and Shara had to admit that she looked sexy. Her wavy ash blonde hair fell to the tops of her small but shapely breasts and was just messy enough to look wild without looking like a rat's nest. Her breasts were small but impossibly perky and the nipples were hard. Her nose was small and cute and her dimples were adorable.

For the first time, Lyra started to look a little nervous and unsure.

She crossed her arms across her breasts and almost subconsciously moved her hand to cover her slit. Shara couldn't help but notice the wild patch of thin ash-blonde hair growing down there suited the girl's personality. It grew wildly but in an almost perfect triangle above her slit. It was wild, but a contained wildness.

"Beautiful." Kalus said as he looked at her.

Lyra gave him an embarrassed smiled, bit her lip, and shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she looked down. "You really think so?"

"Anyone with eyes would." He nodded.

The nervous girl shifted her gaze to Shara. "Um, I'm not fishing for compliments, but..." She bit her lip. "I mean..."

"Lyra, you are a beautiful woman." Shara agreed with Kalus, surprised by her own honesty.

"Husband, could you kiss me?" She asked trembling slightly, probably with both nervousness and anticipation.

Kalus lifted his right hand slightly until it made contact with Lyra's outer thigh.

She shuddered in pleasure.

He started slowly tracing his finger up her side to the curve of her hip, then her slender stomach, and up around her breasts. Healmost touched them, but not quite. The girl adjusted her body so his finger would touch them, but he maintained a slight distance.

"Not yet." He said softly.

Shara couldn't believe the incredible way that her husband was treating Lyra. He was doing more than just taking her to bed; he wassavoring her. He was savoring her body and he was enjoying exploring it. Shara found herself wondering what it would've been like if she hadn't been so standoffish with Kalus; would he have treated her the same way? Would he explore her body the same way?

Kalus's hand slid around her breasts and lightly traced Lyra's collarbone.

She sighed.

He brought his hand around and placed it firmly on the back of her neck, then drew the girl's face towards him. He was several inches taller than her and she bent her neck upwards to meet his lips. The moment their lips met, Shara thought back to the couple's first kiss and the sensation she'd felt while watching it. She suppressed a sigh as her hand absentmindedly made its way down and began to gently rub in between her legs.

Little jolts of pleasure coursed through her as she watched her husband tenderly kiss another woman.

Wait.

That wasn't right.

She shook her head, trying to shake the two feelings that had somehow become intermingled. She stopped gently massaging herself in an attempt to shake her confusion, but somehow things had become jumbled in her head. She watched them kiss, thinking she might've even seen a bit of tongue, and suddenly felt like she should be feeling those little jolts of pleasure.

She wiggled her fingers again and did.

"Husband, please..." Lyra whispered as Kalus's hands continued to explore her body.

"Please what?" He asked with a note of amusement.

"You're wearing too much." She moaned as he gently kissed her neck.

"My bride could remedy that." He pointed out, and Shara thought she saw a glimpse of his tongue flick against the blonde's neck.

Shara shuddered, imagining him doing that to her own body. She gently pressed her hand against her own mound, rubbing gently as she watched the horsewoman mold herself against their husband. Kalus's fingers began to knead her skin, making her moan and sigh in equal measure.

"Stop." He said quietly but firmly.

"Huh?" Lyra did, but seemed confused and a bit surprised.

"Clothes." He said with a wink, then raised his arms.

Lyra attacked Kalus's clothes like they were a mortal enemy, yet it didn't look like she would rip them. She clearly had no experience undressing a man, but she was a quick study and had him out of everything faster than Shara would've thought possible, finally leaving him in just his undershorts.

The blonde girl swallowed, then knelt down so her face was roughly level with the large bulge. "May I please, um, take this off?"

"I wish you would." He replied, and she could hear a playfulness in his tone that she'd never heard before.

She untied the strings at the front, pulled the front out, and then pulled it down. Her eyes went wide and she got a huge smile on her face when she saw it. Shara had seen it before of course, but it still looked like it shouldn't fit inside of her; inside either of them.

Lyra bit her lip, winked at Kalus, leaned out so her mouth was facing the tent flap, and then spoke rather louder than was necessary. "Dear Illuminar in heaven, it's so big!"

She then quietly giggled as she stood up and whispered into his ear. "That shouldn't hurt your reputation with the men."

Kalus laughed.

Shara had never heard him laugh like that. It was a true and deep 'from the belly' kind of laugh that not only made her smile, but also made her want to laugh along with him.

"Come here." Kalus said as he wrapped her in a full-body naked hug.

It looked wonderful.

He held her for several moments before she whispered into his ear. "Husband, you really should get moreuse out of your new wife..."

He gave her a playful smack on the butt, which made her shriek in delight before she hopped up and wrapped her legs around Kalus again. He caught her with his hands so she was partially supported by him. She was kissing his neck, shoulders, and face; she kissed anything within the reach of her lips.

Shara had never seen such a raw, sensual display of passion before. She had never known that sex could be so... so raw, so primal, and so...

Fun.

Could she have had this with Kalus all along? If she had been a bit more...

Or perhaps a bit less...

Lyra and Kalus looked like they were not only in the throes of passion, but also like they were having a very good time too. Her experiences with Kalus had been the most miserably wonderful ones of her life, but what if she stopped fighting him so much?

What if she was a bit more like Lyra?

What if she gave Kalus a chance?

The blonde woman started kissing him again and Shara shuddered slightly as she started gently rubbing herself in time with the blonde woman's kisses.

Lyra leaned back so she could look him in the eyes. "Please husband, could you..." She glanced down to where their hips met.

Shara could see Kalus's cock pointing skyward, in the direction of the other woman's slit which looked like someone had spread water or oil all over it. She couldn't possibly be that wet from this, could she? Could she be enjoying it this much?

"You'll have to guide me; I have my hands full." He replied, and she could hear that same playfulness in his tone that she'd never heard before.

It was good to hear from him.

Lyra gave him a sly smile, then reached down, grabbed his cock, and angled it so it was pointing directly at her slit. Shara could see her tighten her legs slightly and hook her other arm around his shoulder before speaking.

"Husband, may I please... um, control the... you know."

"It would be a lot easier if we laid down and..." He trailed off as Lyra shook her head.

"Please, could we do it just like this? I have always loved the idea of my husband holding me as he enters me for the first time."

He nodded and took his hands off her butt so she was supporting herself, and instead started tracing his fingers up her sides and back.

The blonde sighed, then moaned. "You're making it hard to..." She sighed. "...to concentrate." She mewled again, leaning her head against him.

"You're a woman; I'm sure you can learn to multitask." Kalus replied with a playful challenge in his voice.

Where had this side of him come from?

This playfulness, this fun side of him was something she'd never seen before. Had it been there the whole time? Was he really like this and she just made him all stiff and rigid? Was it perhaps the military? Or Tyso being his king that had done this?

Could he be like that with her?

Lyra nodded, panting slightly as her body subtly writhed under her husband's touch. She held herself up with one arm and her legs while using her other arm to align his cock with her slit, then rubbed it back and forth a bit across her slit.