Torgan Wine Ch. 03

It was too early when it felt like someone was trying to steal her pillow. Isonei whined and tried to cling onto it before realizing it was Draeseth's side.

The Torgan started to kiss her hair. "You have a moment longer to sleep. But if you want me to bathe I need to run the water."

"Do you know how?" She rubbed her eyes and looked up at his annoyed expression.

"Are you trying to tease me again, woman?"

"No, it was a genuine question, but if your blood is already flowing to other places you might need some help thinking about which valves need turning." She could see he was trying not to look amused and it sent her into a fit of giggles as he pulled away.

"Teasing me, my jewel, when I have limited time to answer you properly will get you punished." He stood looking down at her with what was probably supposed to be a stern expression. But he was enjoying himself as much as she was.

"If you offer me another night with the Beast of Kroscur as punishment I will never stop teasing you, my flower wine."

Draeseth laughed in his throat as he pulled her to where he stood and rolled her onto her belly. "I should put you over my knee but where you are will work as well." Pressing one hand into her back to hold her down he brought the other down on her cheeks, striking each twice as she gasped and struggled at the sting of his hand.

"Draeseth!" Her face was flushed as she looked up at him unsure if she was horrified or aroused.

"Are you going to tease me again, woman?" His eyes were glittering and the wicked curve of his lip almost begged her to.

"Yes, but I might wait until we're in the bath."

"Woman. You acted so horrified at the thought of having my hand applied to your perfect blue ass." He pinched her, making her squeal as she tried to get away. The Torgan held her in place effortlessly with one hand.

"It sounded awful! That you would want to hit me and expect me to think it was amusing baffled me." Isonei kicked trying to get out from under his hand and away from the pinching and poking fingers he was tormenting her with.

"Do you enjoy being at the mercy of the Beast of Kroscur?" He teased as he pinched her again.

"When you're not pinching and poking me so spitefully, yes!" She tried to twist and kick him.

With a growling grunt, he flipped her over and climbed on top of her pinning her to the bed with his weight. "Good." Draeseth's demanding kiss made her remember her sore lip immediately but she couldn't bear to pull away from it. He sighed as he pressed his face against hers. "Go run the water, woman."

"I would, but I seem to have a very beautiful beast weighing me down." Isonei placed gentle kisses on his lips, "I wouldn't dare ask him to move."

"Why is that?" He began to kiss along her jawline.

"Because he might." She murmured as he kissed just below her ear. "And I think I would prefer he stayed."

"Woman." His breath was hot on her skin as he started to kiss her neck with a gentleness she wasn't accustomed to from him.

A timid knocking came from the closed bedroom door and she felt him tense before he pushed away from her and cracked the door only enough to look through, blocking her view as she sat up curiously. "What?"

"The-the Lady, we thought she might-might want a bath."

"You may draw one and depart." Draeseth shut the door and held it closed for a moment. The way his jaw was clenched almost made her think he was afraid.

"What's wrong, my flower wine?" Rising from the bed, she came to him to stroke his back.

"Look in the mirror, my jewel." His voice was quiet and he remained in front of the door as she moved to the mirror with a growing sense of trepidation.

The sight in the mirror made her feel dizzy. Her neck and throat were mottled with bruises. "It looks like you were trying to kill me last night. Gods, the bruises." The bites on one side of her neck were much darker than the other but all of it together looked horrifying.

"I was too rough with you."

"No!" She hurriedly tried to reassure him and he smiled faintly. "I enjoyed it, my magnificent beast, but I bruise easily."

"I don't know which I like better, when you call me your flower wine or your magnificent beast." His eyes moved over her hungrily. "But if they see what I've done to your beautiful blue skin, my jewel, they'll never let you leave with me."

Nodding, she darted into his arms and buried her face in his chest. "None of my dresses will even come close to covering this, my Draeseth."

"I should have brought you a dress from Torga. But I came with as little as I could. We were told not even to bring our own servants."

"Do you think you hide me under your cloak and take me out that way?" Her fingers traced his tattoo.

"I will try if no other solution presents itself." Draeseth paused, thinking for a moment. "Do you have a cloak?"

"Yes, but it's for cold weather, I was told it's cold in Torga all year."

He snorted, "No, it just doesn't get as wretchedly hot as it does in Ara. Show me your cloak."

Reluctantly, she stepped away from him and looked in the chests until she found the cloak. Warm golden-brown sueded leather lined with white fur. Lifting it out and pulling it over her shoulders, she frowned at her reflection. It was far too warm to wear it without looking strange, but with the fur, the worst of the bruises were covered when it was clasped.

"The cloak will do. You favor pale colors, and white, my jewel?" Draeseth sounded amused.

"I do, but I don't think the cloak will work. It's too warm."

"It will do. If you argue with me you'll wear nothing beneath it."

She could feel her face flushing. "How could I have mistaken you for prudish, my magnificent beast? You are depraved."

"I've spent too long without your skin under my hands. If I could keep you with nothing between your skin and mine I would do it."

Opening the cloak and facing him with a smile, she asked with as much sweetness as she could put into her voice, "Even as much as I tease you?"

The growling groan as he stepped away from the door made her grin. "Because you tease me, woman."

"The bath should be drawn by now, if you're a very good beast I'll help you wash and let you have your wicked way with me." Isonei grinned impishly as he started growling in Torgan at her. "Was that a yes, my magnificent beast?"

The timid knocking on the door made him turn and brace it with his hand as if the maid would try to force her way inside.

"They're much more afraid of you than you are of them." She murmured as she came up behind him and kissed his back.

"Stay, woman." He half turned to run the back of his knuckles along her cheek before he opened the door and stepped into the other room, closing it behind himself.

Isonei took off the warm cloak and laid it over a chest. A bath would be divine. It shouldn't take long for the maids to leave and then she could get clean, and probably dirty again before breakfast. The thought of Draeseth in the bath made her wish he would hurry.

Perching on the edge of the bed she watched the door with anticipation. After a few dragging moments she frowned. It shouldn't be taking this long. The door was too thick to listen at without opening, she was standing next to it debating cracking it ajar when Draeseth opened it.

"I was starting to wonder if something was wrong." He ran his hands over her as she embraced him in the doorway. "Or if you'd decided to bathe without me."

The stinging slap to her backside made her jump. "I've turned down an invitation to breakfast. We should bathe quickly, I want you back in the room before our meal arrives."

"You don't trust them to leave it just inside the door?" Isonei frowned. "I wanted a nice long bath with you."

His hand cupped and squeezed the cheek he'd slapped. "As did I. But I won't risk a maid seeing you and running back claiming I've tried to hurt you. I want to get you home to Torga safely. You'll enjoy the Torga Kroscur, it is the most beautiful part of Torga."

"I'm almost certain the most beautiful part of Torga is holding me close right now, but I want to see your home."

"You've been praising my beauty since I took off my mask, woman. Do Aran men need to be told constantly how pretty they are?" Scooping her up, Draeseth carried her to the bath.

"No, I don't think I've ever felt the need to comment on any man's beauty but yours, my flower wine. You wore the ugliest mask I'd ever seen and when you took it off the most breathtaking face was beneath it. The color of your skin, the black of your hair and eyes, my Draeseth." She kissed his shoulder as he waded into the pool. "I still can't understand how anyone could have ever wanted to strike this face." Isonei traced his curved scar and ran her finger over his scarred lips as he lowered her legs into the water.

"Wash me." His voice was soft and almost hoarse with desire. "I want those delicate hands on every inch of my skin."

"I'll start with your hair if you come down into the water." She laughed as he dunked his head under and then came up to kiss her. "Do you have a soap you favor?"

"No. Choose one for me." Draeseth followed her to the side as she chose.

"I like this one. Do you mind smelling like vaina pods? I know you usually smell like leather and spices but I don't know what soap that is."

"Leather and spices?" He was grinning at her. "That isn't soap, that's to keep clothes fresh smelling while stored. I don't wear Aran doublets in Torga."

"And the leather?" Isonei soaped his hair with the sweet smelling liquid, massaging it into his scalp as he wrapped his arms around her and tried to rest his head on her shoulder. "You can't stand like that, my flower wine. I need some room to wash you properly."

He let her step back but kept his hands on her hips. "Leather is what I wear between my tunics. I don't change into Aran clothes until I have to. I won't be wearing them on the way back to Torga."

"Tilt your head back into the water." Rinsing it out was always the difficult part but the very fine soap came out more cleanly. She almost giggled at the look of bliss on his face as she massaged the soap out thoroughly. "If this soap wasn't so expensive I would wash the rest of you in it as well, it comes out of hair very nicely." She couldn't resist teasing him about his hair.

"You enjoy my hair." Draeseth opened his eyes just enough to see her smile and pinched her hip.

"Stop that before I make you wash yourself." He lifted his head from the water as she began to laugh.

"Wash me, woman." Lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his hips to kiss her he moved her back to the side for the other soaps. "Now."

"So impatient and demanding, my flower wine."

"You like that too," Draeseth growled out softly.

"I do. I don't know why, but," Isonei caressed the back of his neck and his shoulders, flushing as she made the confession, "it makes me feel... powerful somehow."

"Because I can't wait to have you?" He was grinning wickedly.

"Yes." She felt almost breathless as he turned to lean against the wall of the pool. Bending to kiss him as he lifted her and pulled her into position, she tried to explain, "This magnificent, beautiful man finds me so desirable he loses his control."

He pushed upward into her welcoming sex and groaned. "Woman."

Rolling her hips in his firm grip and trying to take more of him she moved her hands over his chest, "Do you know how delicious it feels to me when you can barely speak for need?" Bracing her hands on his chest as she let him set the pace, Isonei watched his face as she bore down on him.

"Woman. Your hand."

"No," whispering as she traced his tattoo, "I don't want to lose myself in the rush of it this time, I want to feel you. I want to feel it when you release. Let me feel it." Isonei leaned back a little more letting him pull her hips down until she felt too full of him. Her face was flushed as she kept her steady pace.

"More." Draeseth moved away from the wall to the steps that led down into the pool, pulling out of her and turning her.

"Yes. Please." She tried to choose a lower step to make certain he wouldn't go too deep but he lifted her hips as he pushed back in, she had to brace her arms on the step to keep her head above water. "Draeseth!"

His thrusts were urgent and relentless. The feeling of him stretching her, pushing in until she thought he might split her in two made her moan and whimper, arching her back desperately trying to give him more room. "Please! Please, my Draeseth! My flower wine!"

Holding her hips in his iron grip he ground himself deeper and she realized he was completely inside her. The feeling of him so tight, so deep made her pant, she tried to squeeze and release him deliberately, aching to feel his release. His groan and the string of indecipherable Torgan words that followed were accompanied by the delicious throbbing sensation she had been wanting to feel. "Yes, yes please!" It felt as though he was trying to force himself even deeper as he drove forward in his release.

Draeseth began to massage her hips as he caught his breath. "Did that please you?"

"Yes, my flower wine, that was..." She felt him pull out slowly and lower her hips, letting her put her feet back down. Sinking onto the step and turning, she looked up at him admiringly, "You are magnificent."

He stepped forward to caress her face. "My perfect jewel."

The sound of breakfast being laid on the table in the other room made him look to the doorway in apprehension.

"Come here," she murmured quickly putting him between her and the doorway. "If I wash you the water will be clouded. I can just sink into it up to my chin." Hurriedly, she began to soap his chest with a dollop of the creamy soap.

"I did say you needed to wash me quickly." He was smiling faintly.

"You did, my beautiful Draeseth. And I thought I mentioned I wanted a nice long bath with you." She could see he was trying to look stern again. "This is something of a compromise. I'm washing you quickly and I-"

Bracing his arms on the wall behind her, he growled something in Torgan. Isonei grinned up at him impishly as she took the opportunity to wash under his well-muscled arms. "The sounds you make."

"Lady Isonei?" A nervous voice came from over Draeseth's shoulder.

Isonei promptly sank into the water up to her chin and moved closer to Draeseth to continue washing him. "Yes?"

"Prince Andnaeuth requests your presence at breakfast. He insisted the invitation be extended again when you were out of bed."

"The request was declined." Draeseth snarled and turned keeping himself between Isonei and the doorway.

"It's not a request that can be declined, my flower wine." She stroked his back and pressed her face into it.

"You are mine, Isonei. I refuse to allow you to sit at his table when he has spent the months he stole from me trying to seduce you."

She kissed his back and wrapped her arms around him. "If you decline the offer I won't argue. But it is incredibly rude and offensive."

"I am aware, my jewel. He tried to take you from me, I am not concerned about offending him."

"Please offer Prince Andnaeuth my apologies, and inform him we are regretfully declining his invitation."

"Yes, Lady Isonei." The woman sounded stunned.

"Thank you."

Draeseth gently pulled her arms open, turning to look down at her with an astonished smile. "For that, I'll give you your long bath, my jewel." He stroked her face before sinking into the water at her level to kiss her and push her back against the pool wall. "And any pleasure I can persuade you to take."

"Let me bathe you, my flower wine. And then, perhaps, you'll return the favor?" Isonei pressed kisses to his lips as she asked.

"To have my hands on you is all I've wanted for months." His hands were moving over her under the water. "My silver Aran jewel."

"Stand up, let me..." She laughed as he stood, leaning over her with his dark eyes alight with anticipation. "My magnificent Draeseth."

Taking her time she soaped him front and back making him stand on the steps so that she could wash his legs one at a time. He squirmed as she washed between his toes, with delight she washed them twice. She tugged him back into the water to rinse him, being as thorough as she was with his hair. His groans and growls made her feel giddy and she knew her face was flushed.

When she'd finished she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him lift her for a kiss. Isonei expected him to bend her over again, she didn't expect him to grin and dunk her under the water.

Coming up sputtering to his wicked laughter, she splashed water at him sulkily. "You-you-"

"Beast is the word you're looking for, my poor bruised fruit." Andnaeuth's cool voice made her look up in startlement. "You declined my invitation and I was told you were hiding. The maid overheard something that suggested Prince Draeseth had forbidden you a long bath out of displeasure with you." His eyes were hard as he looked at her throat. "It looks as though he had a great deal of displeasure he wished to express."

"No-"

"Isonei, go to the bedroom." Draeseth snarled coming out of the water, advancing on Andnaeuth.

"No, let her bathe. You and I have things to discuss." Andnaeuth stepped out of the doorway.

"Draeseth?" Isonei started after him and he held up his hand.

"Bathe, my jewel. When you have finished we will be leaving."

Isonei washed as quickly as she could, listening for sounds of violence from the other room. What she heard was a low quiet conversation she could only make out snippets of. Her name was spoken repeatedly. After she was finished bathing, and well-rinsed, she climbed from the bath and dried herself as thoroughly as she could, wrapping the towel around her before stepping into the other room.

The sight of the two men at the table was a pleasant surprise. Though, it was amusing to see Draeseth sitting naked across the table from the elegantly dressed Prince Andnaeuth as if there was nothing amiss with his attire.

"Isonei," Andnaeuth smiled wryly and raised his hand in a beckoning gesture, "Join us for breakfast. Though, you will have to arrange your own seat, my poor bruised fruit."

Draeseth looked as though he wanted to murder the Aran prince until she came and murmured into his ear, "May I sit on your lap, my flower wine?"

The growling grunt he answered with as he pulled her across his lap made Andnaeuth's smile flicker.

"I was trying to explain to my Torgan guest that I would not have him leave while we are on poor terms." Andnaeuth began to fill the plate in front of him. Breads, dark and light, with a selection of spreads, cheeses, and meats were laid out on the table.

Andnaeuth had his duties, and he loathed them. This one would be particularly painful. She nodded her understanding.

"I've been informed that you will not be attending any of the masquerades or drinking from anyone's cup on your return?" Andnaeuth looked up with a faint smile, the slight emphasis on anyone told her he'd already recognized the flaw in Draeseth's request.

"That is what I've promised. I know you were looking forward to drinking and dancing with me, but I couldn't-"

"Bear the sight of his anguish." Andnaeuth looked at Draeseth meaningfully before taking a bite. "Eat, Isonei."

"The," Draeseth paused and then spoke with deliberate politeness, "Prince Andnaeuth says you are as tenderhearted as you are mischievous, my jewel."

"My one redeeming quality if you ask my brother, Ivorith." Isonei smiled bitterly at the bread as she thinly spread the soft spicy sausage across her slice of bread.

"How fortunate that you have one, my sister would tell you with glee that I have none at all." Andnaeuth teased gently.

"She wouldn't." Isonei looked up with a grateful smile. "Daeira adores you even though you sometimes drive her to the point she'd like to see you choke on your bells." She took a bite and then realized she should be offering something to Draeseth since she was blocking his access to the table.