The Arete - Princess-Consort Ch. 04

"Yes!" Open happiness finally graced her countenance and our day was set, "Um, excuse me first for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

I took the opportunity to find Hevliun and inquire after Imogen and Miriam.

"Milady, you're kind to ask, but you needn't worry. I take good care of my girls. Imogen shows promise in sewing, so she'll train as a seamstress assistant. Miriam wants to learn to cook, so I'm setting her up in the kitchen for now. They'll both need to work hard, but they seem smart and dedicated. I'll look after them."

Pleased and contented, I was about to return to my bride when Hevliun did bring up a concern.

"Milady, I must ask though for some pecuniary resources for the household budget?"

"Oh. Of course. I don't have much gold with me, but I've two years' wages saved with the Bank of Qwine?"

"Meaning no offense, milady, but that would likely be insufficient for very long with costs here in the palace for a household of this size. Her Highness is also accustomed to certain luxuries that aren't common to career officers," my majordomo politely informed me of the pointlessness of my wages. "Your marital annuity is now available, though. I can go and acquire sufficient funds, if you'll sign me access?"

She held up a note and quill. I signed, grateful that my majordomo would act in good faith in my wife's interest in ways I didn't yet know how. (The next day, there was more gold bagged in my closet than I'd ever seen outside a paymaster's wagon.)

Matters settled as far as I knew, I walked back to our bedroom and knocked on the door.

"I'm in here already," I heard Caeli's voice from another room.

"Hey," she greeted me, seated in a rich, umber, leather-upholstered chair with a matching chair next to it.

She also already had a book opened in her lap, but that was not the one I was awed by.

The largest collection of books I'd ever seen lined the wooden shelves of the spacious room. Spine after spine in rows upon rows, there must have been hundreds. Thousands maybe.

"Hey," I gazed about in wide wonder, "Where did...? How did...? All the books?"

"A wedding present from my mother," Caeli was smiling again, "I told her that you were going to let me learn to read."

"I'll teach you myself, if you'll let me try," I took it a step further, "and it looks like we'll have no lack of options to start with. What did you choose?"

"I picked this one because it kind of looks like you and Savaran," she held up the glided book, displaying an armored knight astride a pale horse painted on the cover.

"The Story of Vertax and Gauqi. It looks like a romance. Great choice."

We delved into the book, enjoying the story for itself and getting Caeli into the basics of reading. In a few hours, she could recognize many common words. We broke for lunch, then I started teaching her the alphabet in the afternoon and evening. My wife is smart and she was motivated, so she learned fast.

After dinner, we returned to reading the romance. 10 bells rang and she rubbed her tired eyes, so I convinced her to call it a night and walked her to our bedroom before kissing her goodnight outside our door.

"Milady, where are you going?" Hevliun asked me, startling me a touch. She moves so quietly, always.

"To bed?" I thought maybe she thought I was trying to leave the apartments.

"Where?"

"A spare room," There were several dozen sleeping rooms of various sizes and configurations in our new apartments. And my household was still under forty people. Maybe fifty? Either way, there should have been plenty of empty space. "Any will do fine, I'm sure."

"That is very irregular, milady. You should share your wife's room."

"She's had a stressful day."

"Your place, milady, is with your wife. I really must insist."

I looked at her quizzically.

She sighed and clarified, "I've been instructed to insist, milady."

"Oh. Ah, okay. But Caeli seemed fine with it."

"Not by the princess, milady."

"By whom, then?"

Hevliun shook her head. Slight frustration crossed her face. I think she let it. "By the woman who made you a princess-consort. So I must insist that you...consort."

Frustrated, but always dutiful, I consented with a nod.

My concern in the moment was breaching Caeli's much needed serenity, but irritation flared in me also that - even in my home - I couldn't make what should be personal choices.

I knocked on the bedroom door.

"Tai?"

"Yes, dear Caeli. Can I come in?"

"Yes."

I opened the door and Praden and Jekron dashed out.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything, milady," Praden assured Caeli as she rushed by me.

Caeli herself stood in a silvery-grey nightdress, looking at me with a mixture of apprehension and adoration. She wasn't ready for a night together-together yet, and I remained unwilling to take her before she was ready.

Pushing myself on her would be unquestionably wrong. At least it would be wrong so long as she gazed at me in the same manner as I'd gaze at a wild shewolf, admiring the majestic beast but fearing attack if I neared.

"I've been informed that I'm to sleep in here with you," I started, but held up my hand, "so you get the bed and I'll get a couple blankets and a pillow from the closet."

"You don't have to sleep on the floor," she tilted her head in soft compassion.

"I've slept far worse on the march than on the plush carpets in a palace, dear Caeli," I assured the sweet girl, "And I don't fully trust myself to not take some small advantage if we share a bed. Especially when you look so alluring in that nightdress."

She blushed, but she smiled too. "I admit that I couldn't wait to wear all my new blue and grey clothes. I've my outfits picked out for the next whole week at least."

I smiled back, "I look forward to seeing them all. If you're that eager, you can model them each in turn for me in the morning?"

"No. I want to keep reading. And it'll be a fun little surprise everyday, what I choose to wear."

"It will be."

She pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. I took a sleeveless nightshirt from the standing wardrobe. (All my clothing had been placed in it.)

I changed clothes facing away from Caeli, but very aware of her eyes on my shoulders, back, ass, hamstrings, and calves.

"Do you prefer a few candles lit, my love?"

"Yes, please."

I put out about half of the open flaming candles, leaving enough light for her to comfortably see the room. Then I laid the pillow and blankets on the floor and curled up for the night at her bedside.

Oddly, I felt like I was being observed, even after the easy quiet measured breathing of a restful sleep sounded my overwrought bride's surrender to slumber. A good soldier, I attributed the groundless feeling to the same overwroughtedness on my own part and forced myself to sleep as well.

Always an early riser, I woke to her easy quiet measured breathing too. Not wanting to interrupt her rest and not sure when I should leave the room, I did some calisthenics. (With no hard riding or weapons training, I had to put in some work to ensure I stayed in fighting form at least physically.) Push ups, crunches, vees, leg raises, squats, and calf raises. Nothing that would make noise to wake her.

Nonetheless, during lunges, I felt her watching me from the bed. I let her watch, moving into a bridge, then a frog stand, each flag, and finally a plank.

"You are very strong, aren't you?"

I looked over at my lovely wife. "Fairly strong, yes. Would you like to exercise with me?"

"I thought maybe you'd join me instead? I've fantasized so often about falling asleep in your arms, and I'm still so sleepy."

It's exceedingly difficult to say no to my sweet Caeli. I only rarely make the effort.

I rose and climbed into bed with her, taking her tenderly in my arms and holding her from behind. Her shoulders fit against my chest inside my shoulders, her butt against my lower abs, and her calves against my knees. She smelt of zanabaqs still and I took a long deep whiff of her as we cuddled in snugly together.

"Perfect," she sighed contentedly.

Yes, her lithe body was a beacon of temptation, but it also felt good to just lay in bed, being with her. I sighed in contentment too.

We drifted in a warm semi-slumber, happy together.

Vostiv knocked on our door, "Yon's here," she warned as Yonjax sauntered in.

I rolled away from Caeli, but she followed me and tucked her head into my shoulder.

"How are you?" Yonjax addressed her close sister, mostly ignoring me.

"Really good," Caeli announced, "I can read a little."

"Are you going to learn more?" Yonjax asked indulgently.

Caeli nuzzled in deeper, "Yes, but later."

"Alright," Yonjax laughed, "Come with me, Vos. We're going riding."

So as suddenly as she arrived, Yonjax left. We stayed snuggled up.

Knowing we were now awake, an older woman ducked her head in. "I'm Bakian, milady. Your cook. Would you like some breakfast brought in to you?"

"I'm sure we can get up and eat at the table, Bakian," I demurred, uncomfortable enough with being served in general, but utterly displeased with the concept of being waited upon while lounging.

"Please, Tai?" Caeli asked.

"Yes," I agreed to her want without any cogitation.

"Your breakfast will be in momentarily, milady," Caeli's cook smiled professionally and amusedly at once, and ducked back out.

"Thank you," Caeli whispered, "Would you tell me 'yes' no matter what I asked?"

"Seems likely," I admitted, stroking her long dark hair, "to nearly anything."

"Stay here? Don't go off to war?"

I kissed her forehead, "That would be one of the few 'nos,' my dear."

"Why?"

"It would shame us both."

"Why?"

"Because it would mean I didn't love you enough to value your security over my safety."

"Can't we both be here, safe and happy?"

A knock on the door mercifully interrupted what was sure to be a circular conversation, although not even I was foolish enough to believe the topic wouldn't come up again.

"Milady?" I recognized Miriam's voice.

"Come in, Miriam."

She set a wooden tray on my knees.

"How are you settling in, Miriam?"

"I love it here," she confessed cheerfully, "I made the honeycakes."

I tasted one reflexively, ready to tell the kind child how good it was even if it was ashes in my mouth. I was spared having to lie to spare her though. "These are wonderful, Miriam," I articulated through my mouthful of light and sweet deliciousness.

She smiled in pure pride and curtsied as she left.

"I love you," Caeli confessed in turn as she tried a honeycake, "and these are amazingly good."

"I love you, too," I answered just as reflexively and kept petting her head as we ate, making her fairly purr.

Still it was a leisurely breakfast, taking the better part of an hour before I set the tray aside to play with her pretty hair with both hands.

She kissed the inside of my hand.

I caressed the side of her face.

She kissed my neck.

I kissed her properly, my lips sparking as they touched hers.

Her mouth opened.

I rolled onto her, letting my weight settle gently onto her smaller frame.

She rubbed my shoulders with rising urgency.

My kiss grew in intensity too.

"Tai," she moaned, "Tai, I don't know."

"It's okay," I rose, only onto my elbows, and looked into her lovely dark eyes, "We have six weeks together here. Here in this warm safe place. We can go slow," I kissed her languorously and deeply. "Or we can go fast," I kissed her hard and bit her lower lip so that she whimpered just a little, but her hips jerked.

"Okay," she breathed.

I rolled off her svelte body and pulled her on top of me, touching her long loose dark hair again as she straddled me. "Want to read some more?"

"Yes," she smiled down at me.

I smiled back.

But she stopped me with her hands on mine when I tried to rise. "Someone else can go get the book?"

Resolutely, I lifted her from on top of me. "I will be right back to cuddle up while we read," I promised.

As so I was. We read through the afternoon as I held her, stopping to makeout a few times. Then we snuggled in together to sleep. When she woke, she joined me for a less arduous version of my morning calisthenics. More physically romantic too, as I stretched and bent her graceful body with interested hands.

A week passed with us that way; eating, sleeping, reading, exercising, and playing together. We even left our bedroom to read in the library or eat with Kemptrux and Vostiv occasionally. I think we went to other rooms of the apartments each day partially so that she could justify dressing in her prized new clothes.

Oddly, I am always strongly encouraged by my insistent little bride to leave the room whenever she dressed up fancily with her handmaidens' help, meaning whenever she'd don what were apparently higher quality dresses and whenever she'd apply cosmetics and detailed hair accessories. I'm allowed to see her before and after - naked or dressed - but not during the transitive process.

This peculiarity mystifies me, but Caeli is resolute in its enforcement. I worried at first that it might be an unusual insecurity rather than a common custom, but didn't know whom to ask. I've since come to accept that my darling wife simply needs privacy for some things, even from me.

And the week rolled by happily by and large, with us each naturally discovering more of each others' quirks and caprices.

Then one morning, after a set of diving push ups, Caeli put her hands on my bare (and slightly sweaty) shoulders. She requested shyly, "Can you do that without your tunic? Will you?"

I smiled, a little vain but mostly pleased that I pleased her, and I stood. The welcome hunger in her eyes told me that she wanted more than my simply becoming naked in front of her, so I waited for a beat to give her time to ask more.

"Can I do it?" she amended.

I nodded and lifted my arms above my head. She took my tunic by the hem and slowly, tentatively, raised the fabric up my hard body as high as she could. I helped her with the last part and tossed the garment aside to stand before her naked.

Her hands and eyes traveled over my shoulders, my chest, and further down. "So strong," she said, mostly to my abs.

I didn't mind that her comments were more directed to my body than to me in that moment.

She knelt, tracing my v-lines and then over my hips and down my thighs. She cupped my calves and tried to wrap her small hands around my ankles. Then she stepped behind me, ran those same soft hands over the back of my legs, caressed my ass, my lower back, my shoulders, my biceps, and my traps.

My military bearing held, but my muscles wanted to tremble at her touch.

I took her hand, led her to the bed, and laid back. She followed me, climbed on top of me, and kissed me. I let her.

An aggressively wet kiss became licking my jaw and I groaned loudly.

"Ahem," the Queen's voice interrupted us.

She stood in our doorway, large as life and as imposing as herself. Thankfully, she'd left her hetaireias outside, but the Queen alone seeing me do things to her daughter...

I swiftly guided Caeli off me, not roughly, and launched myself into a kneeling position on the carpeted floor. "Your Majesty. We were only kissing. I swear."

"You are married, Ser Taiglox." The corners of the Queen's mouth twitched and I believe that only her queenly bearing kept her from laughing at me outright..

To be fair, I don't know that I'd ever felt more ridiculous. "Yes, Your Majesty," I agreed with the fact as stated.

"Maybe you could step out and let me speak with my daughter, though?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." I walked out quickly.

Once in my hallway naked, I realized I was in my hallway naked.

"Milady," Praden saw me and my consternation, "perhaps in the corporal's room?"

I took the helpful suggestion with a quick bow of thanks, dashed into Kemptrux's room, and returned wearing one of her many blue tunics. The fit was ill, too tight across the chest and thighs as Kemptrux hadn't had as many years to develop her musculature, but it was still better than awaiting the Queen in the nude.

The wait was fairly long, about an hour I think. My mind didn't race though. One of the pleasant side-effects of loving Caeli and therefore treating her well was that she'd be unlikely to have many complaints. And she didn't.

"Your Majesty," I knelt again as she walked out.

"Stand, Ser Taiglox," she commanded, "You've made my daughter very happy. As a result, I am very happy."

"I am glad, Your Majesty."

"You've not consummated your marriage yet."

"Er, no, Your Majesty."

"You have time yet, but I trust you won't put me in the awkward position of ordering you to take Caeli's virginity?"

"No, Your Majesty," I affirmed. I intended to, certainly. When Caeli was ready.

She canted her head as she walked away, "You're a good egg, Ser Taiglox. See that you continue to treat Caeli well."

"I will, Your Majesty," There's something to be said for the kind of natural legitimate supreme power that makes a casual compliment and familial extollation into a clear marching order and a simple death threat. Nothing menacing per se, just an open articulation of enduring commands with implied consequences that she'd never actually need to imply.

Again though, I didn't plan to hurt Caeli by word or deed. My intention was to only take actions that would make her proud of me and proud to be my wife.

"Hi, Tai," she frowned slightly as I walked back in, "Whose tunic are you wearing?"

"Kemptrux's. I thought it'd be best to be clothed for as much of the royal audience as possible."

"Yeah," she smiled in gentle amusement from the bed, "but, can you be naked again? In here with me?"

"Yes," The tunic was off and on the floor next to my own in an instant. I flexed as she watched me come to her in order to provide her with the best visual, but I slipped under the covers with her on reaching the bed.

Caeli immediately drew near me as I laid on my back. Her uncalloused hands felt up my upper body, fingers splayed like she was trying to tactually take me all in at once.

And, again, I let her. With my fingers interlaced behind my head, I relaxed into the plush bed as my charming little wife touched, licked, flicked, twisted, pinched, scratched, caressed, petted, fondled, squeezed, and stroked.

Tension built rapidly in my body even though her touches weren't studied or driven to arouse me particularly. She was rather more checking me out. Almost like a new warhorse.

I nickered and sighed similarly as I was examined. But - with the same discipline as a seasoned warhorse being sat by a new rider - I remained still and calm with her hands on me, resisting my natural urge to toss my head, rear, and gallop.

Caeli's hands slid under my shoulder blades in a kind of brooding hug. She huffed cutely, "Tai, can you?"

Taking a small risk with little potential downside, I guessed at what she wanted, pretty sure she didn't know herself yet.

With unsurprising ease, I flipped us so that I laid across her. I interlaced our fingers together and pinned her down with my forearms. In addition to the pressure of my body weight on her slighter torso, I pressed a knee between hers so that she had something to squeeze.

Then I resumed kissing my lovely wife unhurriedly. Her supple lips opened as her firm thighs closed. She moaned into my mouth, her breath escaping around my questing tongue and into my soon burning lungs.

She held out as long as she could, but needed air before I did. I gazed lovingly into my oh-so-innocent wife's dark eyes.

"Tai, my mother said we needed to become more...intimate, but I..."

"She said the same to me," I smiled down at her, releasing her left hand so that I could caress her fair face and dark hair with my right. "But she also said there was no rush. So how about we go have some breakfast?"