Torgan Wine Ch. 03

Offering him a bite of her bread as she chewed, she almost choked at the look of surprise and dismay on his face as he took a bite. "You don't like it?"

"Torgans rarely enjoy Aran manirel. If you want to feed him I would suggest the," he paused, "brown spread."

"That sounds almost ominous." Setting down her slice of bread she took another and spread the unappetizing looking dark goo on it sparingly.

"Thicker. It tastes better than it looks, my jewel." Draeseth kissed her shoulder as he watched her put more on the bread. "Good." Taking it from her hand he bit into it and nodded, offering it to her to taste.

Biting into it she wished she hadn't. Covering her mouth she tried to jump off of Draeseth's lap to go spit it out. "I swallowed your Aran food, you can swallow this." He was almost grinning as he held her in place.

Her eyes were watering as she barely managed to get it down. "That is wretched. Gods. How can you eat that? It tastes like-like..." she shuddered at a loss for words.

"It tastes like the sludge left from brewing Torgan beer," Andnaeuth helpfully supplied. "Because that's what it is."

"Gods, who would think to eat that?" She shuddered again.

Draeseth began to laugh in his throat. "You may grow to enjoy it, you like my flower wine."

"The flower wine had pleasant notes behind the bitterness, that is just-just wretched." Isonei watched him take another bite and smile at her as he chewed.

"When it was introduced to me on a visit to the Torgan court, I was told it would put hair on my chest." Andnaeuth was trying to contain his amusement. "Obviously, Prince Draeseth enjoys it on a regular basis."

Twisting her lips as she looked at Draeseth. "Then it does have at least one likable quality, but I don't want to eat it."

The Torgan's eyes glittered as he chewed and swallowed, "I won't make you. I like your hairless chest." He was starting to blush.

"Is he blushing?" Andnaeuth leaned on the table putting his chin on his hand.

"He is, he blushes so easily. It's marvelous!" Isonei couldn't help but beam, leaning in to kiss Draeseth giddily. She broke the kiss almost immediately with a shudder. "You taste horrible, my flower wine."

Grunting and leaning to kiss her neck, the Torgan wore a bemused smile.

"As badly as your neck is bruised you don't flinch away from his mouth on your skin?" Andnaeuth asked curiously.

"No, I like his kisses, especially when he gives me the biting ones." She smiled as Draeseth pulled her closer. "He's been very gentle with his kisses this morning, I think he forgot how easily I bruise when we were reconciling last night."

"You encourage me when you should be reminding me to be gentle." He pressed his face into the side of hers, holding her head in place with his palm against the other side of her face.

"I envy you, Draeseth." Andnaeuth leaned back to pick at his plate. "It can be hard to find a woman to entertain a man of a certain... stature." He gave Isonei an almost imperceptible lift of his eyebrows as he smiled ruefully. "And to find one that enjoys," he paused, "all that you have to offer is even rarer."

"She is mine," Draeseth spoke firmly.

"Until the year is over, yes. And she may well choose to see you afterward, though she may not be exclusive to you." Andnaeuth cautiously reminded him. "You may consider what I suggested and even discuss it with her. It's not something that will appall her."

"I do not wish to entertain the thought of sharing her." The Torgan's grip on her became painfully tight. "And I do not need advice on how to please her."

The two men scowled at each other. And Isonei rubbed Draeseth's arm. "You're holding me too tight, my flower wine."

"Perhaps you can speak with him, Isonei." The Aran prince didn't break his locked glare with the Torgan.

"He doesn't need advice on how to please me, he does it skillfully." At her words, Draeseth relaxed his grip slightly. "As for sharing me between the two of you, I'm not going to discuss it with him until he's ready to. If he ever is. He might prefer never to see me again if he can't have me to himself, some men can't bear to share affection."

"Some women are the same, I haven't been able to keep one because I've refused to remain exclusive." Andnaeuth shifted his gaze to her.

"Daeira said it was because you got bored with them." She teased gently.

"That too." He gave her a genuine smile. "Arans are not as eager as Torgans to bind themselves," Andnaeuth looked past her to Draeseth, "but many do eventually. More common are arrangements that allow for variety while keeping loved ones close."

"The reputation for Aran infidelity is well known to me."

"You misunderstand, my flower wine." Isonei sighed and shook her head but refrained from saying more.

"How are your mothers Isonei? I expected to see them."

"They're well. They can't stand father when he's angry so I saw them before I left." She started eating her bread again. "It's easier for me if I don't have to endure the arguing."

"They couldn't try to get along with him for an evening?" Andnaeuth raised his eyebrows.

"They could, he couldn't. Father sulks and quarrels over everything when he's out of sorts. I love him dearly but he's unbearable sometimes."

"Ah. Your brothers managed."

"My brothers share his opinion, that I've done something almost unforgivably stupid." She bit her sore inner lip, staring at the plate.

"I'm sorry that I drove you into returning home." His violet eyes were soft and he rubbed his face. "Stop biting your lip."

Draeseth's hand flew to her mouth and pulled her lip out away from her teeth. "You were warned."

"Warned?" Andnaeuth blinked.

"That he'll do something I won't like if he saw me biting my lip again."

"I see." He grinned, "If I might offer a suggestion simply to allow us to continue to linger over breakfast." Andnaeuth reached out and lifted the small bowl of brown goo.

Isonei stared at him aghast. "You horrible man!"

The Torgan put his finger in the goo and lifted it to her mouth, which she clamped closed. "Open your mouth."

She tried to wriggle out of his lap, forcing him to hold her in place with his other arm.

"Allow me." Andnaeuth stood and came around the small table to take hold of her head pressing behind her ear.

Opening her mouth in a squeal of pained surprise, Draeseth quickly wiped the goo on her tongue and held her mouth closed.

Returning to his seat, Andnaeuth was smirking. "I approve of you breaking her of chewing on her lip."

"You're both horrible," Isonei muttered getting a dark piece of bread to put cheese and cold sliced chicken on.

"Don't bite your lip and deprive me of your kiss." Draeseth ran his finger over her lips as she turned to offer him the first bite.

"I'll try." She gave Andnaeuth a sharp look, "Harder now because someone had to give him a horrible idea."

Andnaeuth fluttered his lashes leaning forward on his hands. "I have so many more. I'm dying to share them with your favorite Torgan."

"I imagine you do, your majesty, it's why your queens all run away." She wrinkled her nose at him."

"I'm only horrible to you because you're horrible to me." He grinned at her.

"Untrue!" She laughed and tossed a piece of bread at him. "Spending time with you, I'm learning to be horrible in self-defense!" Settling back against Draeseth, she took a bite of the laden bread still smiling.

"Why does she call you, your majesty?" His pensive tone made her look up.

"I'm the jester king. She knows I don't want her to call me by my proper title, so she avoids it as much as she can and calls me by the one I most enjoy." Andnaeuth smiled at her indulgently. "Why does she call you her flower wine?"

"She called me sweet and I told her most said I was as harsh as my wine." He shrugged and shifted under her.

"Ah. You favor flower wine, I remember."

"It's very nice when you get used to it." Isonei kissed under Draeseth's jaw. "I started looking for it at home."

"You missed me?" He looked down with a hint of wonderment on his face.

"She did. She wrote to me of it." Andnaeuth sounded amused.

"I told you that I thought of you." Isonei caressed his face and watched the pleased smile curve his lips.

He looked at her for a long moment before asking, "Your mother doesn't mind sharing your father?"

"My mother died when I was very young. My brothers' mothers raised me as if I were theirs. They share my father, and they each have another he shares them with." She smiled at his confusion.

"How does he know you are his?"

"Aran children are planned... usually." Isonei tried not to laugh. "But from the time of year, you can tell. They spend certain parts of the year together."

"Children belong to their father's house. Women do not change houses, even when they become exclusive with someone. Isonei will always belong to House Ernelis. Her children will belong to their father's houses, but she will raise them and travel with them." Andnaeuth was leaning his head on his hands. "Their fathers will keep them clothed and make certain she has all she requires to return to him."

Draeseth grunted and frowned. "Arans. You make things complicated."

"It doesn't seem complicated to me." Kissing under his jaw again, Isonei felt him begin rubbing her thighs.

"Your brothers have different mothers, do their mothers have other sons?"

"And daughters." She considered his bewilderment for a moment. "We were raised together. I stayed with my father and when they came I had a house full of brothers and sisters even though we weren't all of the same House. It makes the bonds between Houses stronger."

"It occurs to me that you may be so fond of horrible men because your father is unbearable, my poor bruised fruit." Andnaeuth smiled wryly, "You spent most of your time with him."

"He's only sometimes unbearable." Shaking her head with a faint smile, "Did they bring tea?"

"No, I'll have it sent for. If you'd like to dress, Draeseth might enjoy being able to feed himself. You've done a terrible job of it."

The Torgan laughed in his throat. "I thought my jewel wanted to keep me hungry."

Slipping out of his lap she ran a hand through his hair, "I'll leave the two of you to your terribleness. Is my dress still in the other room?"

"Yes. When you need me..." Draeseth looked at her pointedly.

"When I need you to fasten my dress I'll come out to you, my flower wine." Isonei bent to kiss him and moaned softly as he wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her for a deeper kiss. "I'd ask if you wanted to help me dress but we'd be here for hours and I would probably end up with nothing under my dress." She murmured teasingly.

"I will turn you over my knees." He growled quietly.

"So you say, but you haven't yet." She grinned impishly as she stepped quickly away. Seeing him stand she started to laugh and darted to the other room and closed the door.

This door wasn't as thick and she could hear the murmur of conversation. He would probably chide her later for that, but he and Andnaeuth seemed to be getting along markedly better. And the thought of possibly being able to have both of them was... perfect.

Isonei sat on the bed and began pulling on her stockings. Draeseth would still need persuading but it made her thrill to think of it. Her flower wine and her jester king. Her face was flushed and she couldn't stop smiling as she slipped on her undergarments.

The door opened as she laid the dress out to put on. "I have come to a tentative agreement with Prince Draeseth." Andnaeuth wore his best jester's smile. "It isn't what I'd hoped for but it does give me hope."

She started to carefully pull the gown on wanting to hide the giddiness on her face. "What agreement?"

"I will help him get you out of Ara with those marks on your neck and in exchange, I get to see for myself if you enjoy being turned over his knees."

Her eyes were wide and her face was flushed as she turned to face him. Her mouth opened and closed but she couldn't think of what to say for a moment.

He stood grinning. "Your tea will be here shortly, my poor bruised fruit." Andnaeuth gestured for her to come out of the room.

"I think I may have changed my mind about wanting the two of you to get along." She noticed Draeseth's door was closed.

"You weren't giddy at the prospect of being shared?" He widened his eyes incredulously.

"At different times of the year!" Isonei hissed at him crossing her arms.

"Your face is so flushed. Is that anticipation or embarrassment?" He was enjoying himself immensely and it showed.

"Both," she moved to the sofa to sit and try to sulk at him. His grin was infectious and she struggled not to return it.

"This is almost proper punishment for you trying to make me laugh as we entered the dining room." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"I was very proud of that." She gave in and laughed. "It made me feel better until dinner ended, at least."

His smile faded slightly as he looked at his hands. "I may never forgive my father for that. It was..."

"Cruel. But if he hadn't made you take it back, I would've had to give it back. He spared me the greater pain." The urge to go embrace him was almost overpowering.

"Then perhaps I can forgive him after all." Andnaeuth looked up with a faint smile. "You're refraining from coming to console me because Draeseth is more difficult to reconcile with?"

"No, I hurt him by giving you a piece of my heart. I can't take it back, and I wouldn't. But knowing that I hurt him... I want to do everything I can to ease his pain." She studied his face hoping that he understood. "Wrapping my arms around you to ease yours would make him unhappy. For the rest of the year, I am his and he is mine. His happiness is what I want most."

"I have never been so envious of another man. And I fear it will only get worse when the tea arrives." He looked over her shoulder and she turned to see Draeseth looking at her much as he had when he told her she would be spending the night with the Beast of Kroscur.

Rising from the sofa, she came to get a closer look at him. "Your clothes..." He wore layers of black, at least one of them was so long it reached his midcalf. Isonei pressed her lips together.

"You'll come to find them less strange." Draeseth smiled faintly.

"I'm waiting for her to tell you, you're wearing a dress." Andnaeuth sounded gleeful.

She covered her mouth looking at Draeseth apologetically. "It does look like one."

He growled and pointed toward the bedroom as a knock came at the door. Hurriedly, she darted in and let him close the door behind her. Seeing him in something other than Aran clothes would take getting used to.

It was only a moment before Draeseth opened the door. "The tea will wait until after."

"You're really going to let him watch?" The flush was washing over her face again she could feel it, and her stomach fluttered in what was either nervousness or excitement.

"If you don't want him to, I won't allow it." The Torgan moved to sit on the edge of the bed facing the door and beckoned to her. "It would make leaving with you easier, and it would please me to show the one who would steal you how completely you are mine."

Measuring his calm serious expression, Isonei came to perch on his lap with her back to the door. "If it will please you and help you get me back to Torga, I'll do it. I want to see your home and have my time with you."

Pulling her into a hungry kiss, Draeseth massaged the back of her head where it met her neck. When he broke the kiss, he murmured to her in Torgan. She hesitated, trying to remember what it meant, it sounded familiar.

"You said that before, was that asking me to undress?" Isonei looked at him for direction.

"A command to undress, or he'll do it for you." Andnaeuth offered quietly from behind her.

Draeseth took hold of her dress and she pushed off of his lap to slip out of it. "All of it?"

He shook his head with an amused murmur and pointed to her lower undergarment.

"I don't understand, everything but those or just those?"

Grinning wickedly, he beckoned her closer saying something else. Moving closer curiously, Isonei let out a surprised squeak as she was pulled down and across his lap.

Her chemise was pulled partly up her back as he gripped her lower garment ripping it off making her flush and whimper. Draeseth's hand cupped and squeezed her bare bottom as he spoke his infuriatingly incomprehensible language.

"He says," Andnaeuth paused sounding almost breathless, "you won't be wearing those anymore. He doesn't want anything between his hand and your finer parts ever again."

"He wanted me to go to dinner with nothing under my dress, nothing at all. For someone who was so prudish when I met him-"

Draeseth brought his hand down sharply on her bare ass ending her teasing with a startled yelp. Growling in Torgan he rubbed and massaged the place he'd struck.

"What did he tell you about teasing him when he doesn't have time to deal with you properly?"

"Not to. But in fairness, I didn't promise I would stop."

His hand came down again four times in quick succession as Andnaeuth laughed delightedly.

"And now?" Draeseth asked in Torgan and Andnaeuth translated promptly.

Her face was flushed and as much as her bottom was stinging she couldn't resist, "I still won't promise, teasing the beautiful Beast of Kroscur is-"

She squealed and struggled as four more rained down on her. Bowing her head and pausing for a moment, she whispered, "I might wait a few hours after that."

Draeseth's hand caressed her sore cheeks before he purred something in Torgan. The feeling of his hand slipping between her thighs had her parting them without thinking. He languorously explored her already aroused sex and she moaned as he pushed two fingers in. "Yes, please. I thought you said you didn't have time?"

He barked a laugh as Andnaeuth groaned something in Torgan. She covered her face having forgotten for a moment he was there.

"She forgets that other people exist when she's being pleased." Draeseth's hand kept moving. "My brothers enjoyed hearing her in full voice."

"I can believe it. Such a sweet-voiced songbird was meant to be heard." Andnaeuth's ribald tone was much the same as it had been at the party when he was playing the jester and propositioning her.

"Tell me, woman, where do you belong?" His fingers were driving her relentlessly toward release, the scandalousness of being watched while he did it made her even more breathlessly lustful. He spoke the command again in Torgan.

"Tell him," Andnaeuth whispered urgently.

"I belong mmnnnnn," arching her back and her hips moved of their own accord wanting more than his fingers. "I belong in front of the Beast of Kroscur," she paused to catch her breath, "with my fine legs spread. Mmmmnnn please, please my magnificent Beast!"

Draeseth purred again and Andnaeuth translated sounding almost hoarse. "All of it. Tell him all of it."

"For the Beast of Kroscur I am mmmmnnnn I am willing and wanton." He pulled his fingers away. "Please! Please don't stop!" Being so close to release was almost painful.

She panted and pleaded as he lifted her and turned her upside down as he had before holding her with her head and shoulders on the bed and his arms clamping tightly around her. His fingers pressing firmly in just the right place as his lips and tongue began to tease and torment her. His other hand gripped her breast with her nipple between two of his fingers, squeezing.

"My Draeseth! Yes! Please! Mmmn, please! My magnificent Beast! My flower wine!" Her trembling thighs tried to grip him as he pushed her over the edge, the flood of relief and release made every inch of her tingle and go numb for a moment until it passed and left her feeling deliciously limp. "My Draeseth, my beautiful Beast of Kroscur."