A Knight and his Squire (Closed for Apollo Wilde)

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus

He was running on fumes, but seeing Taika reinvigorated him. She looked so beautiful in the loose, comfortable clothing. He rushed into her arms and squeezed her body to his, breathing in her scent. They were so close now! As long as she didn’t object, there wouldn’t even be any time for him to sin in his mind, dwelling on the feel of her softness and curves against his body. His concern for his vow felt quite distant--all that remained was finalizing a new set of vows at a priest.

“Taika, I need to apologize. I talked about leaving my family to their nobility, and running away with you, but I was passive. I assumed that decision would be a bright, bold line I would happily cross. I didn’t realize it was a hill before me that I was hesitating to climb. That indecision put a burden on you that I didn’t see until now.”

He reached down and took her hands in his. “I spoke with Visha Visserig. I broke off the engagement. As far as I’m concerned, that is the end of my responsibility to my family. I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to find a priest and marry you, this morning. Will you come with me? Will you marry me today?”

He was near to collapse, but his smile refused to dim and his eyes refused to stop looking at his love. If she didn’t answer soon, she was going to have to hold him up off the ground, but he trusted her not to let him fall anywhere except further in love.

Percy

Percival held his sister and she wailed against his chest. He’d heard that Connard Chevalier, who must have been the men he didn’t recognize, was not the most honorable man, and it seemed that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. The sheer disregard for humanity it would take to agree to an engagement and then reject one’s fiancé at first sight was despicable. There were still some things Percy needed to piece together, though.

“I saw a knight ride south. I assume that was him?”

The man Percy assumed was Lord Chevalier nodded. “That must’ve been my son.” Well, that answered two questions.

“Visha, why was he in such a hurry? Was he afraid we would come after him?”

His twin explained that Albus had another fiancé. Of course the cad did. He was apparently riding off the marry her immediately. That was an unfortunate complication.

Wait. Riding south, toward Annicatu, at a breakneck pace, to marry someone he was engaged to. He was a knight, who hadn’t been in Salariche in years due to the war, and he had a female squire. Could she be the fiancé? Could Taika be the woman he intended to marry? That would explain why she hadn’t wanted to spend time with him. Maybe, just maybe, if Percy could get Albus married to his sister, both of them could have the spouses they wanted. Percy turned to Connard. “Lord Chevalier, what do you know of this woman that your son considers his fiancé?”

Connard blinked, and shook his head. “Nothing. This is the first I’m hearing of this. Rest assured, though, as soon as I get my hands on my son I will drag him back here by the neck.”

Percy shook his head, eyes narrowed at the nobleman. Percy was good at reading people. He’d had to, growing up as the least favorite son. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Father, I need something with your seal on it so I can instruct the clergy in Annicatu not to marry a knight to anyone.” He looked more pointedly at Lord Chevalier. “Especially not to a half-dragon.”

Lord Visserig turned, giving instructions to a nearby servant. “Ernst, go with your brother and sister. I’d go myself if I were younger. My daughter will be married today.” It was a marked contrast, the pure command in Lord Visserig’s voice compared to the arrogance in Lord Chevalier’s.

The ride was long, and it the sun had been up for hours by the time the three siblings arrived in Annicatu. Percy left Lisse in his father’s stables and rode a fresh horse. As soon as they entered the city, Ernst peeled off to find the bishop and enough messengers to pass their instructions to the priests.

Percy led Visha toward the inn he’d stayed in the night before. “If I’m right that his false fiancé and his squire are one and the same, I have an idea where they might be.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Taika

She let out a small “oof” of surprise as he engulfed her in his arms. His weight, increased by the armor, was enough to catch her off guard. She stumbled back, just a bit, before she was steading herself, her arms and wings wrapping around Albus fully. She listened to him attentively, but still a bit dazed - it had been an eventful few days - until the long, romantic sigh of Matsu brought her out of her stupor.

Realizing that she’d sighed (loudly, at that), Matsu’s face flushed red, nearly washing out the galaxy of red freckles across her nose and cheeks. “I’m so sorry!” She exclaimed, backing up, running into the wall, giggling furiously, “But it’s so romantic.” It didn’t need to be said again - but for the young girl, long feeling “trapped” by her domestic life at the Inn, seeing two beautiful people embrace each other, hearing the confession of love and marriage: well, it just didn’t get any better than that. Her friends would be SO jealous, even if they tried to act like cool, seen-it-all, done-it-all, city girls.

Taika actually chuckled - the sound warming, soothing, as she rubbed her thumbs over Albus’s hands still in hers. “Let’s discuss this a bit more privately,” and she gave Matsu a knowing, but not unkind look, to which the girl had to choke down a squeal. As she lead Albus into her room, she could hear Matsu’s excited breathing, her stumbling down the last step and falling to the floor with an unceremoniously loud thump that shook the paintings on the walls. Taika glanced around the room, ensuring that none of them fell, then shook her head, her normal, placid smile replaced with the real thing.

“You look exhausted,” she said, gesturing for Albus to take the bed. “We can be married today, if you so choose, but only after you’ve had the chance to rest.” As she spoke, she was digging through her pack. Ever conscious of the Knight’s vow, she slipped on a pair of loose, baggy black pants as modestly as she could - but with her tail, the inevitable flash of her lack of undergarments would sure to be seen. Well, she had deserved that much, she thought - having the room to herself meant that she’d actually slept naked, only putting on the shirt when she heard footsteps approach her door. Before her skin was engulfed in the void of her pants, the smooth brown of her inner thighs, the hint of flame-colored hair covering her sex would be seen.

Once she had her pants on, she went to Albus in long practiced movements - and began to help him remove his armor. It was an action she’d performed innumerable times as his squire, and truly, she thought nothing of it. Getting the armor on was a two person job - and though she hadn’t helped him this time, she would be sure not to be remiss in her duties when it came to taking it off. Her hands were as practiced and careful as always, undoing a buckle here, smoothing out the shirt there. The only thing that would make it appear much more sensual than it was was the fact that her hair was down, loosened while she’d slept. It spilled over her shoulders and down her back in long coils, seeming a living thing as she moved. She moved behind him, and her hair whispered with her, carrying the faint smell of spice and fire as she always had, her breath warm against his throat, his ear, as she unfastened his neck guard, her hands slightly chill, the long curve of her claws a silent reminder of her power as she moved.

When she was finished with him - in the sense that he could remove the rest of his armor himself - she stepped back, not wanting to say anything more. And, truly, not much had been spoken in the past times of her helping him to either dress or undress. She had a myriad of questions, that was true - he could tell by the set of her mouth, or the occasional quirk of her wings, but she would hold off until he’d rested.

“May I make…one request?” It was itching her tongue, and after all they’d been through, she wasn’t going to deny herself the asking, “That we share the bed?” The unspoken part of the request was that she understood if he said no - but wished that he wouldn’t. But she wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor, if he did refuse. The room, though modest by the city’s sensibilities, was warm and welcoming. The inn itself was a repurposed mansion, and each room suggested an old finery of being a valued guest of an old friend’s house, rather than the someone utilitarian inns that were located closer to the city. The room itself was spacious, slipping into a private bathing room and a bit of a living room equipped with a lamp and comfortable chair and desk, a quilled pen and sheets of creamy paper laid out upon it. She’d ushered Albus into this small drawing room, setting his armor on the chair, before pulling him deeper into the small suite to show him the bedroom. The bed itself was large enough to suitably fit nearly 4 people - so not having the room to share the bed would have been a meager excuse.

Either way, rest was inevitable for the two of them.


Visha

Unbeknownst to the pair as they slept, the Visserigs were busy. They’d arrived in the town by midday, and Visha’s spirits immediately improved as Ernst had ridden off. In fact, she was so pleased that rather than stay focused on the task at hand, she’d dragged Percy off to a fine and quaint cafe on one of the busiest thoroughfares of the city. The cafe, decorated in the Northern style, featured the newest dining craze - ice cream - and Visha had quickly developed a massive sweet tooth for it.

And now, as she licked a spoon free of Chantilly cream and vanilla, she took the time to actually muse on the situation. “How funny! The mystery woman turned out to be his squire! And that you’d fall for her at first sight - proof that she’s a witch!”

It was easy to be secure now - so many of the priests in town lived in refined churches that Visserig funds had propped up for centuries. Why, it could be argued that a least a fourth of the churches (religion, as always, being a hot commodity with plenty of competition within the ranks), even some of the oldest and most storied, wouldn’t exist without funds from one Visserig or the other. And Percy, her love, her star, had come through with such a brilliant plan! Though it’d been ages since Visha actually paid attention in church, surely there was something about not marrying non-humans to a knight or some such that the priests could use - so of COURSE now would be the time to settle back and take it easy.

And “take it easy” Visha did - dragging Percy from one shop to another, she oohed and ahh-ed at potential wedding dresses, “I think that one would be nice,” pointing at one, “if it had the lace trim of that one, I wonder how long it would take for them to make it? I’m not a fan of long courtships,” she pouted, looking at Percy for agreement, “but I think we should at least wait maybe two weeks? Oh, that seems too long!”

Ernst, relying on Percy’s mind (as he would rather be at home, balancing the ledgers of his own properties than be this involved in this scheme, but his honor would accept no small apology for this, insulting his younger sister! And so grievously that PERCIVAL, of all people, had to get involved!), started at the finest church in the city - one that had plaques dedicated to a great great great great grandfather and the most beautiful stained glass in town, paid for all by the Visserigs, and, finding his task easy enough, by the time evening had fallen, he’d paid off half of the churches on his list.

The three siblings met up that evening, at another fine dining experience.

“Well,” harrumphed Ernst as he eagerly stabbed into his pheasant, “I’ve taken care of Our Lady of Happiness through Blessed Joy-”

“But that’s only half of the Visserig churches,” wailed Visha, stamping a tiny foot under the table. “You were supposed to pay ALL the priests off!”

“Oh, Visha,” Ernst rumbled in possibly the nicest tone that the man could muster, “I’m but one man and could only go so far. We still have tomorrow, and as long as it takes, to ensure that all of the churches here that that Knight would go to would be closed to him.”

“Yes, cheer up, pet,” added Percy, taking a sip of his wine. It wasn’t quite to his tastes, but as he wasn’t footing the bill for this meal, it would have to do. “Give it another day, and we’ll be all set here.”

“But I want to be married nowwwww,” Visha whined, poking sadly at the sponge cake on her plate. A lady should be dainty and eat airy things, had been her argument, and she’d forgone dinner and went straight for the desserts. “That tailor said that the dress could be ready by the morning!”

“Darling, you will be wed by tomorrow afternoon!” Ernst boomed, slamming a fist down on the table. Percy carefully lifted his wine glass as the cutlery and the fine china rattled precariously on the table cloth. “The priests have been sworn to secrecy, and the announcement of marriage hasn’t been made public. So there is still time for us to make everything right as rain.”

Visha, much cheered by the words of Ernst, squealed in joy. “I love you so much, Ernstesy-Wernsty! You always take care of me!”

“Hey!” Percival chimed in, setting his glass down, “It was MY idea.”

“Oh, of course I love you, Percy,” Visha rolled her eyes, and waved her fork at him. “But this is as much for you as it is for me. I can’t imagine Daddy will be too pleased with you marrying a half-dragon!”

“Yes, about that-” Ernst started.

“Neither one of you have SEEN the Lady Taika,” Percy sniffed, as if not believing his good taste was up to being questioned. “She is a beauty beyond compare - no small wonder that your knight fell for her-”

Visha squeaked in protest - but before it could turn into an all out tantrum, Percy continued, “But she is much too sophisticated, too well traveled, for your knight-”

Visha squeaked again, ending it in a growl that suggested a tantrum was imminent. Ernst shot a glare over the table to Percy.

Percy ignored it.

“And would be an added welcome on my adventures. Plus, in case both of you have forgotten, dragons are notoriously wealthy, and I have my suspicious that she, too, has wealth that would dwarf our own. And it would be good to add some exotic blood to the family tree.”

Ernst grimaced. Though he had no argument with the whole “dragons are wealthy” assertion, the idea of adding…dragon blood to the family tree seemed to really take the piss. But he knew that Percy could sweet talk his way out of (or into) anything, and thought better of starting an argument. With Percy, one truly did have to pick and choose their battles.

“Albus isn’t boorish at all!” Screeched Visha, apropos of absolutely nothing. “He is as brave as the sky is blue and as chivalrous as the day is long! He is absolutely perfect and I will not have you bad mouthing him, no matter how much I love you!”

“Yes, but-AGH” - Percy’s thoughts were cut off by Visha driving her heel into his foot. “Damn you, Visha!” He yowled, scooting his chair back from the table to make sure that she hadn’t actually pierced a hole in his boot. Visha, unrepentant, merely grinned. Realizing that she still had cutlery at her disposal, and not wanting to risk a stabbing by butter knife, Percy swallowed his next words, and sighed as he scooted his chair back to the table. Well, no matter - it wasn’t like HE was marrying Albus, and if Visha wanted him, Visha would have him.

“Anyway,” Ernst cut in, taking advantage of the sliver of silence at the table, “We’ll get a fresh start in the morning. I will finish paying off the churches by mid-afternoon, and then we can head back to the Estate. You’ll want to be fresh and ready for when your knight returns to you, darling.”

“Oooo! I love you so much!” Visha launched herself across the table, sending glasses and forks and knives and plates flying, and wrapped her arms around Ernst’s broad chest. With a fatherly chuckle, he patted her head, smoothing back her curls, and ignoring the wine that was spilled onto the table cloth and onto his breeches. Percy mournfully looked down at his salmon fillet, now scattered on the floor, capers sadly rolling off of the plate.

As Visha straighten herself up, she realized that the sponge cake that she had eagerly began to nibble on was now plastered across the front of her bodice. Waving over a waiter (the very same that had been trying, desperately, to ignore the scene going on at the table), she picked up a menu. “I’ll have another cake, since mine’s been ruined.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Percy

Cleaning up and making their way to the inn was more of an ordeal than Percy thought strictly necessary. He loved Visha more than anyone in the world, but she could be a handful when she wanted to be. Her sedona attempt at cake had to be accompanied by a glass of dessert wine, of course, and they had left in such a hurry that they had to buy sleep clothes for her, which they’d forgotten to do during the day.

Once they got to bed, sleep came quickly for Percy. He felt confident that he would help secure his sister’s husband as well as a wife for himself. He dozed off, dreaming about his future half-dragon lover, walking by his side through ancient temple halls searching for further treasure to add to their collection. The thought warmed his heart.

The morning light warmed his face. He opened his eyes to a new day, full of promise. After picking up a few more supplies for Visha, they were stopping at two of the church’s on Ernst’s list. The first went smoothly. The priest was appalled at even the idea of marrying a man to a half-dragon. The second was going smoothly as well, until Father Verter made an off-hand comment that made Percy nervous.

“Have you gotten Father Ehrung to agree?”

“Ehrung?” Percy asked. “I’m not familiar with him.”

Verter laughed. “That old grump has been an annoyance in Annicatu for decades. He’s always railing against the encroachment of materialism in the Church, as if magnificent cathedrals sprout from the ground, grown by God himself. He reserves some particular ire for your father. If you’re concerned about someone marrying these two, he’s got to be a concern.”

Percy immediately asked where to find this man, learning that he pastored a small chapel in a farming community in the outskirts of Annicatu. Apparently he was the last ordained priest on the region not on their father’s payroll.

“Damn! Visha, we need to make a detour before we return to the estate.”

Albus

“Please share the bed, Taika. I haven’t slept as well without you.” That was very true, even if it wasn’t the only reason. “But first, I’d be happy to...uh, to answer your…” Albus fell asleep without finishing his sentence, so he finished it when he woke. “Questions.” Nearly ten hours had passed, and he was feeling much better. He blinked, and looked around to see Taika waiting by the bedside. They talked for some time, discussing the events of the previous day and their future together. Once they were caught up, it was time to find a priest.

Taika helped Albus with his armor, making sure he looked every bit a knight of Salariche. Then he helped her with hers, even though it wasn’t strictly necessary. He just wanted to keep touching her. He was so deliriously happy that she still wanted to marry him. They packed up a their things, including Taika’s purchases from the day before, and checked out of the inn.

They were shocked to be turned away at the first church they found. “No knight will marry such a creature in my church!” Albus only restrained himself from clocking the man due to his advanced age.

The scene repeated itself in several more churches before Taika had the idea to ask the girl in the inn for help. She’d been friendly and thought their story was romantic. Perhaps she could recommend a more tolerant man of the cloth…

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Visha

She could barely contain her excitement as the day went on. She’d gone shopping several times, and already had the absolute perfect dress picked out. Her bouquet, she’d decided, would be blush-colored roses, and after they’d said their vows, wouldn’t it be just perfect to have white doves released? Oh, and the wedding cake had to at least 10 tiers - maybe with a champagne glaze? Ooo, wouldn’t it be even better if each tier of the cake had a different flavor? And of course, ice cream, lots of it!

It was just fine that Ernst had gone home - Visha had given him a long list of the things that she wanted taken care of at the estate. After all, she was planning to bring home her truant fiancé. And Percy had already agreed that he’d marry that squire, whatever her name was, at least a month or so later. There was no rush for him to be married, after all, and the family surely wouldn’t take to his choice, no matter how much Ernst would try to speak on his behalf. What was it with men and money? The minute Ernst seemed to consider that the squire-lady whatsherfaface had tons of money, even he couldn’t argue.

But, as they were winding down at the last church, she could catch snippets of Percy’s conversation with Father Verter - and by the time Percy had stepped away and informed her that a detour was needed, her face looked like a storm cloud. She’d wait until they were outside before she put her hands on her hips, and growled out, “Percyyyyyyy - I thought your plan was foolproof!” Her cheeks already were starting to flush red, her nose crinkling across the bridge with her displeasure. “What’s all this about a priest who won’t take money?!”

Taika

Though she had no use for churches - admiring them as anyone would admire fine workmanship and architecture, Albus’s dismay at being turned down at one church and then another was tugging at her heart. From his slumped shoulders and dejected sighs, she knew that offering to be married out of the church was out of the question. Though she hadn’t been surprised at the first priest’s response, seeing the second, then the third, and so on, refuse to marry the two seemed…odd to her.

Though she would brush it off - because, in all honesty, what did she know? Churches weren’t a thing in her homeland, the religion of the region being animist (another reason why she was so naturally good with animals; she’d been taught to see them as vessels for the gods, and each would be accorded their own respect), and the only places of worship that she recalled from her childhood were those in nature. Marriage, there, too, was something completely different; nothing so formal. People announced their intention and simply moved in together. It seemed that the pairing off was less important than bearing heirs - for the first child that was born in the islands was greeted with massive feasts and weeklong celebrations, regardless of the gender, though infant girls were often gifted with things that they would eventually need as wives and mothers.

Around midday (after she’d ceased to keep count of the rejections), she felt her stomach rumble. Their quest had taken them across the entire eastern side of the city, and though, under any other circumstances, she may have enjoyed the wandering, there was a pressing matter below it all. Though she had kept quiet about it, sleeping next to him, as exhausted as he was, and knowing full well that she had no undergarments on had simply increased her ardor. If he wanted to be married right away, so be it.

It hadn’t been easy to pull him away from his single-minded quest - but upon more gentle prodding, he agreed to come with her back to the inn. At the very least, they could see friendly faces, which would be sorely needed after so many scowling ones. As she finished off her chicken, complimenting Koda on her cooking and Matsu on her serving, did it dawn on her that perhaps they might know of a priest, or someone a bit more understanding. As the post-lunch tea and coffee was being served, Taika had asked both Matsu and Koda to join them, to take some time off of their feet. Both women had been flattered by the offer, and eagerly joined them. Conversation turned from pleasant to dismayed as Taika and Albus told them of what had happened, Matsu having filled in her mother earlier about the proposal she’d witnessed.

“Well, that’s just a crying shame,” Koda scowled into her coffee. “Prejudice in the church! And for someone as lovely as you, Lady Taika!”

“I know, right?!” exclaimed Matsu, nodding in agreement, nibbling on a scone. “I can’t believe it.”

“I am a bit vexed,” sighed Taika, leaning back with her cup of tea. The meal had been delicious, and the tea was helping to calm her spirits. “I had no idea marriage would be so difficult.”

“It shouldn’t be,” added Matsu, frowning. “Everyone I know that got married just arranged it through the parents-oops,” she cut herself off, with a slight glare from Koda. “Sorry, mama,” she whispered. With her natural smile, Taika leaned over and gently patted the girl’s hand, causing her face to instantly turn pink and her to giggle in appreciation.

“You’re going to spoil her,” Koda set down her cup. “But, you know, if you’re not set on one of the bigger churches…why not have something smaller? There’s a little church, gosh, maybe a few more miles away from here, out past the Freeman’s old place. I don’t even know if the place is still standing; I remember it from when I was a little girl. But the whole point of it was that it was to be a sanctuary for all travelers, and I’ve never heard anything about them turning anyone away. But again, that was years ago,” Koda rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Taika, more for Albus’s sake than her own, looked with some interest at Koda. “Really?”

“Yes - it was run by Father Francis, back when I was younger, but I’m sure he’s passed now. I want to say it was Father…oh, what was his name, oh! Father Ehrung, that’s who it was! Father Ehrung should be running it now, if he’s still alive. No one really comes into Annicatu by that way. Too far out into the boonies and on the edge of the unknown regions, but I bet for a brave knight, headed that way shouldn’t be much of a problem.” Koda gave Albus a knowing smile, and then, turning her attention back to Taika, added, “It’s a few hours from here, though, by horseback. If you leave now, I bet the two of you could make it before night fall.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

After some cajoling, Percy had managed to get his sister on her horse, riding southeast to Our Lady of Humility. An odd name for a church, that. Ernst should have been nearly back to their estate by now to begin wedding preparations, and this was their own last stop before heading back. Well, except one last shopping trip to find Visha a particular style of sash made of giant spider silk that she simply couldn’t get married without. Sometimes Percy thought his sister would benefit from accompanying him on one of his expeditions: living out of a tent, making her own meals, roughing it. Then he thought better of it. She had a good heart, but not a lot of experience with hardship.

They were outside Annicatu proper, now, and they should be reaching the little fishing village that made up Father Ehrung’s parish soon. The land here was green and vibrant, bursting with life. Percy knew from experience that the ocean was less than a league away to the south. It was quite a contrast with the old-fashioned and backward culture that Father Ehrung apparently cultivated in his church.

Percy and Visha emerged from the tree-covered path to see a broad plain leading west to the little village. They were almost there! He looked at his sister, who seemed to be suffering a bit in the heat. He’d warned her to wear more practical traveling clothes, but she’d been adamant that a lady should look like a lady. Her face seemed to brighten a bit at the prospect of being done with what Percy thought was an extremely pleasant trip so far.

Then, suddenly, a shadow passed over them. Literally, something blocked out the sun. Percy looked up, shielding his eyes. At first, all he could see was the outline of a massive pair of wings. Then, the shape moved further ahead, and Percy recognized Miss Taika, flying through the air with a knight of Salariche in her arms. She looked so majestic and beautiful! And powerful! Carrying a knight in armor must have been exhausting, and she made it look effortless.

Percy gawked for a few moments before realizing that they must be headed for Father Ehrung! He spurred his horse, trusting Visha to follow. They had to get there first!

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Well-fed, rested, and motivated, Taika flying with Albus was scores easier -and faster- than if they tried by horseback. Carrying him bridal style, it had taken two great beat of her wings before they were airborne. It was hard for her not to start laughing with sheer glee as she took to the air. The fatigue from the last few days seemed to melt away, and though Albus was fully decked out in his armor, he felt light as ever.

She was still in her traveling clothes - her armor, Boy, most of her things back at the Chevalier Estate - and though the wind cutting through them was chill, it didn’t bother her. Now this was something that she could get behind. No formalities, no families, no titles - nothing but him and her, finally starting their life together on the right foot. The way things should have been all along.

At such speeds, it was nearly impossible to hold a conversation without shouting, and with her face so close to his, she didn’t want to nearly deafen him with the effort. In the past, it had been a matter of careful memorization of battle plans, of where she was going, that had enabled them to fight in flight before. This had been much of the same - with her rapidly memorizing the directions that Koda had given her. Their departure had been bitter-sweet, with Matsu, Koda, and her nearly forgotten husband all stopping their duties to bid them farewell, and expressing that they’d come back to the inn as husband and wife. Since they’d end up coming back to the inn after so many rejections, Taika decided that it would have been easier just to leave her belongings there, and encouraged Albus to do the same.

“After all,” she’d said to him before she’d taken wing, “I think it would only be fair for us to celebrate our wedding night with those who have shown us such kindness.” The mere mention of the idea had sent Matsu into hysterics, and Koda into a flurry of action, the latter promising to make the inn even more welcoming and, with a knowing wink, that they would have the entire place to themselves for the whole night, no extra charge. At Albus’s pink face, Taika laughed softly, and, unable to help herself, added, quietly, so only that he could hear:

“Good. I plan on making quite a bit of noise.”



“What was th-HEY!” Visha could barely get her statement out before Percy was sprung his horse into a breakneck pace. Clearly he’d seen something that spooked him - and, following suite (timidly - she liked to ride, but not to race!), she took off after him, squealing all the while and riding with one eye open. She would have kept both of them closed, but that would have been sheer folly.

Before long, she’d caught up to him, and her face was red from the exertion, not to speak of the dust that had collected at the hem of her dress and spattered her fine skirts! By the time the small church was drawing closer, she had just about had it.

That would be what that shape was - Albus, in the arms of some winged creature? Huh. It looked almost human…wait. It WAS human. Sort of. Visha watched as the winged creature glided to a stop in front of the church, those reddish wings flapping once before the creature settled onto the ground, setting down the armored figure in their arms. Visha could only gape - those wings were huge! They had to be the size of two average men standing side by side when they were open - she’d never seen anything like it. What’s more, the wings were attached to a woman!

Oh, she’s beautiful!

Wait, no! No!

Before Visha could speak, Albus was slipping from Taika’s grasp, Taika ensuring that he was safe on his feet before she folded her wings against her back again.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus felt invincible. Maybe it was flying with Taika, which always made him feel so free. Maybe it was knowing how close they were to beginning their life together. As soon as he landed he kept walking, knowing his half-dragon fiancé would be right with him. His boots made heavy footfalls on the dusty road, laden with purpose.

There was nothing in his way, now. There was something behind him, though. Albus had heard a lot of horses in his lifetime: the gentle trot of horses touring the Chevalier estate, the thundering hooves of warhorses charging into battle, the steady gallop of a horse traveling through the countryside, the weary clops of tired horses, the irregular stumbles of wounded or ill horses. He knew this horse was rushing toward him after a more leisurely journey. That meant trouble, and that trouble was meant for him.

The horse, a plain steed with a simple saddle, rushed past him and whirled around to allow its rider to hop down into Albus’s path. The man was clearly wealthy, but not foppish like Albus’s father. His face was set in grim determination.

“Halt!”

Albus kept walking. “No.”

Albus almost laughed out loud at the man’s double take. He must not be used to refusal. Albus intended to walk right past him, but the man out his hand on the knight’s chest. Albus kept walking anyway. The stranger was no weakling, but Albus was a knight of Salariche, used to swinging a broadsword and hefting a lance in full armor. He kept walking. The man stumbled backward, trying to keep pace with Albus.

“You are betrothed to my sister, sir. I, Percival Visserig, am here to enforce the agreement be—“

Albus had stopped in confusion. “I thought your name was Ernst.”

Percy blinked in confusion. He and Ernst looked nothing alike! “Ernst is my brother.”

“Ah.” Albus started walking again.

Percy hopped ahead, trying to stay in front of the determined man. “Listen here, rogue,” he tried as Albus chuckled, “you have an obligation to my sister.”

Albus stopped and put his hand on Percy’s shoulder. He felt compassion for the Visserigs. It wasn’t their fault he’d fallen in love. “Your sister is a lovely girl. The compensation will be paid, and she. You have my word.”

He started walking again. “That’s not good enough! I—we demand that you marry my sister!” Percy was flustered. This ruffian was being completely unreasonable. Albus kept walking. That was one demand he would not be meeting.

“No.”

Percy stumbled over a rock in his shock, but caught himself. What else could he do? He had a feeling that priest would be even less reasonable. Why couldn’t everyone behave like civilized adults and bargain with him. He’d haggled a Tamaki merchant out of his last cherry blossom tart on festival day, but this knight was intractable! He made a decision. If he was going to act like a barbarian, then he should expect to be treated like a barbarian.

“I challenge you!”

Albus stopped and looked at the hopping nobleman.

“I challenge you to a duel! My honor and the honor of my sister must be defended!”

Albus started walking again. “No.”

Percy almost fell over. “What do you mean no?”

“No. No to your duel.”

Percy froze, and was forced to hustle to catch back up to Albus. “What of your honor, you brigand?”

Albus chuckled to himself. “You think my honor is at stake because I won’t marry someone I never agreed to marry? No.”

Percy was enraged. He rarely lost his temper, considering it unproductive, but even he had his limits. He ran ahead, nearly to the door of the chapel. He unsheathed his rapier, the thin, flexible blade flashing in the sun as he pointed it at the knight.

“I’ll run you through!”

He thrust, and Albus knocked the sword aside with his mail-clad left forearm. His right hand, closed into a fist, clocked the Visserig in the jaw, sending him flopping to the dirt. Albus didn’t even stop as he stepped over the threshold into the small village church.

“No.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Once Albus was settled on the ground, Taika stretched her wings out with a flourish, the appendages flapping with a mighty crack into the air, like snapping out a large sheet before hanging it onto the line. The rest and the reassurance (not to mention the actual use of her wings for her hurried flight before) had worked wonders for her, and she noticed hardly any stiffness as she gracefully folded her wings across her shoulders, much like a cape. Around full humans, she hardly ever wore her wings in such a fashion, but she was intending to be comfortable.

Albus had some distance on her, having started walking as she stretched out her wings - but she had noticed the riders furiously closing in on them as she’d swooped lower in preparation to land. It was only with some surprise that she noted that the first rider was Percy. A small leap of logic would bring her to conclude that in the time that she’d spent with Albus and exploring the town, word had gotten to him about the marriage. The thought was confirmed as Visha slide off the side of her horse, and strode towards Taika with clear purpose.

Taika tightened her wings about her shoulders; a reassuring hug of sorts. Though she hadn’t met Visha, she knew that she was responsible for the young woman’s troubles, and a pang of guilt coursed through her. She had to handle this as diplomatically as possible.

For Visha, as she strode forward, she felt it harder and harder to keep up the pretense of money. Oh, she was rich; she knew that much, and there wasn’t much, if anything, that money couldn’t buy. But as she got closer to Taika, she was beginning to realize what true power actually was. With the sun behind her, and Taika only looking at the girl in a three quarter’s profile, Visha felt as if she was intruding upon the lair of some great beast. There was a calmness in Taika, an unwavering stillness that wasn’t human, and it both set her at ease and frightened her.

Could I talk about her clothes?

The rich girl go-to - mock someone for wearing less than the finest apparel. And true, Visha could have, for Taika’s traveling clothes were modest, though not dirtied by the road. Before Visha could come up with a suitable retort, Taika turned to face her fully, and at once, Visha felt the blood rush to and from her face in one moment.

She’s beautiful.

It had been a thought that crossed her mind moments before, but now, this close to her, Visha felt as if she’d been physically punched.

No wonder Albus fell for her. I can’t compete.

It was a realization that sunk into her stomach, pulled down her normally cheerful (if somewhat haughty) attitude. There was no way she could buy her way out of this - and suddenly, she found herself laughing, the sound trembling on the verge of tears. No wonder that even that profligate womanizer Percy had agreed to set this plan up; she could have asked him to cut off his right arm for the right to marry this woman and he would have.

For the first time in her life, Visha experienced what it was to truly lose.

This is awkward, thought Taika, though it didn’t show on her face. Visha had come to about 6 inches in front of the half-dragon, and stopped. Her defiant glare had buckled, shivered, and finally, fell, as Visha lowered her head, her clenched hands shaking by her side. Though the air around them was broken by the words of Albus and Percy, between the two women, there was quiet - before a loud sniffle from Visha disturbed it. Taika unfastened her wings, held out a hand to put on the girl’s shoulder, but before she could, Visha looked up at her. Tears were already streaming down the fair cheeks, the tip of her nose red.

“I can’t compete with you,” Visha said, brokenly, and Taika’s heart ached.

“I’m sorry,” and Taika did what came naturally - wrapped the smaller girl up in a hug. Caught in the arms that had just held the knight of her dreams, Visha was surrounded by Taika’s warmth, that sweet spice of her fragrance. And the tears came freely, her sobs with them, and Taika did nothing but held her close, stroking back the fine curls with a delicate hand. In the haze of sorrow, one thought cut through Visha’s head -

I haven’t been held like this since I had a nurse.

And Visha clung tightly to Taika, burying her face in the taller woman’s chest. Taika could hear the words, the skirmish behind her, but she did nothing to acknowledge it, and simply held the younger girl closer.




When Visha’s eyes had started to dry on their own, the deep well of tears finally empty, she sheepishly pulled away from Taika, trying in vain to straighten out her hair, her dusty clothes. Wordlessly, Taika handed her a small square of silk. Visha, taking it, blew her nose as daintily as she could, and, still caught in the sweet smell of Taika, laughed again, still shaking, but somehow, growing firmer.

“This is going to be rather silly,” she started, knowing that she very well couldn’t give the half-dragon back a soiled handkerchief, “But…I…I don’t know, would you care to be friends?” The request surprised Visha - the words seemed to spring out of her from a place that she wasn’t sure. But they felt right.

Taika, for her part, blinked that languid blink of surprise, the tips of her ears quirking up, and Visha knew that if she were a man, she would have fallen in love with the woman on the spot - then, she smiled, and Visha knew she’d remember how that smile made her felt for the rest of her life.

“Of course, Lady Visha,” Taika bowed at the waist, her wings against her back, the gesture as queenly as if she were in court. Visha, smiling through the remnants of her tears, managed a small curtsey in return, tilting her head down, lowering her eyelids.

“You’ll have to find me another marriageable knight, you know. As my friend and former rival,” Visha blurted. Gasping in surprise, she held a hand to her mouth, her cheeks flushing, Taika looking at her, utterly baffled -

Before both women started to laugh, the tension finally dissipated between them.

“I will do what I can, Lady Visha,” Taika managed out, once her laughter had flown. Oh, how nice had it been! And to think - to have another friend, and a girl, at that. Save for Albus, Taika’s circle extended to just her family. This was an interesting and new thing - and truly, she couldn’t sense any ill-will coming from the girl. A surprise in and out of itself, but perhaps, truly, a blessing in disguise.

Thank you, Goddess.

“Oh, save the ‘Lady’ stuff for someone who’s fiancé you didn’t steal!” At Taika’s instantly pained expression, Visha could have cut out her own tongue. “I’m joking,” she hastily added. “As much as I wanted a knight of my own…” she sighed, looking at Percy flailing about in the dust, half in indignation, all in shock, “and as much as I thought it’d be romantic to marry someone who clearly longed for another…I don’t think this is how the story goes. The other woman isn’t supposed to be as beautiful as you.”

Taika did the unexpected.

She blushed.

Visha felt invisible hands on her heart, squeezing, and for a moment, she wondered just how sure she was that she indeed preferred men. Fighting back the sigh that gathered her throat, she cast her eyes up to the expanse of blue ahead of them - and laughed to herself, thinking back on the absurdity of this whole situation. But…if she hadn’t acted like she had, she never would have gotten to meet this Squire - and, as she watched Albus approach the church, he stopped and looked back to see if Taika was still following. Taika gave Visha a slow incline of the head, and, as she lifted it, showed her that dazzling smile again, the one that seemed to rival the sun in its brightness. Taika then went to join Albus, and, watching as the half-dragon stood beside Albus, Visha knew that she was watching a fairy tale come to an end.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus stepped inside the humble wooden structure. Beams of sunlight streamed through gaps in the shutters, illuminating the dust that clouded the air. The floor was a mosaic of tiny ceramic tiles, white with geometric patterns of blue. Wooden pews filled the floor below the altar. A middle-aged man swept the dust off the floor with a broom.

“Father?”

The man turned, surprise on his face. “A knight of Salariche?” He paused as Albus nodded. “Welcome, but...service is not until this evening…”

Albus heard Taika land just outside the door. “Father Ehrung, I presume?”

The man narrowed his eyes, but his smile retained its warmth. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Would you be willing to perform a wedding?”

Taika walked in, and Albus reached out for her hand. “My fiancé and I have been refused at nearly every church in the city. We heard you might not object to an...interracial marriage?”

The man cleared his throat. “Well, of course not.” He shook his head. “I’m surprised you were refused on that basis. Salariche is not the most diverse nation in the region, but I’ve not heard anything about priests refusing to perform ceremonies on that basis. Neither of you are from this village. I’m sure I would recognize you if you were, especially you, ma’am. Are you sure you’d like it to be here?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“I see no problem with the marriage taking place here.” After all, the whole thing had meant little to her, save for the desire that Albus was so insistent on it. And, compared to the grandness of the churches that they had seen, this one…felt right. It was warm, ancient in its own way, spreading roots through the earth and connecting to the world in a manner that she hadn’t felt from any of the other places. Even now, as tiny dust motes danced through the shafts of golden light, Taika nodded to herself again. “That is, if you do not mind marrying us?”

Her voice echoed a shadow of Albus’s uncertainty. If this man refused, it would be one more obstacle - but, somehow, it didn’t bother her much. If their new quest would be to find someone to marry the two of them, then so be it. It would make having her Time a bit more difficult, if her last one had been any indication. Perhaps during, she could make Albus some sort of cage that would keep her out and away from him.

“I can answer that, about the priests,” came a soft voice from behind. Visha had slipped into the church, looking much abashed. “In order to stop the marriage, our family started to bribe the priests. Some were easier than others, and then there were some who would have refused, regardless of the money that they offered. If…” She looked down, grasped a fold of her dirt-spattered dress in resolve, then looked up, her eyes clear, “If they will have me, I will bear witness to their marriage. And I ask for forgiveness from the both of you.”

Visha wanted to say more, wanted to explain how much she’d wanted to marry Albus - but it wasn’t him as so much as the idea of him. And even though she knew she’d lost soundly to Taika, there was still a small flame of love that she nursed in her breast. Albus had proven to be everything that she had dreamed of, had aspired for, and every moment that she saw him in action only proved that further. Despite that flicker, she knew she was doing the right thing. And, somehow, beneath that, there was…a bubbling, of sorts. Something that made her feet lighter, that made her eager to see the two of them actually marry.

“I guess I should ask for forgiveness as well, for what it’s worth,” grumbled Percy as he entered behind Visha. Laying in the dust hadn’t befitted someone of his standing, and, noticing that Visha had entered, he’d decided to follow her. Seeing Taika with Albus was enough to churn his guts - but like his sister, he knew defeat when he saw it. This was a bit more bittersweet; surely, Taika would have been a woman he could have truly fallen for. But marriage? Eh, that may have been a bit much - and she apparently seemed somewhat insistent on it. The irony, of course, was that Percy couldn’t have known how immaterial Taika truly was to marriage. “It was my idea to pay them off. Though what my sister said was right - just mentioning that a human wanted to marry a dragon-half was enough to convince them; the gold coin just sweetened the deal.”

Taika glanced behind her to look at Percy, seemingly unaffected, with a puff to his lower lip that suggested a child fuming about being told ‘no’, and Visha, shame surrounding her, but so was resolve to see this through. A low “hum” as she tested the air, searched her own heart for the words to say. It had been…a plot, certainly, and one that apparently would have worked just fine. All the more reason for Albus to better understand the power of money and nobility within the land. “That certainly was ingenious,” Taika finally said - for letting silence sit in the air didn’t feel proper. And she had to do something to acknowledge the ferocity in which Visha had fought for her marriage; far from what any other maiden would have done, she assumed. To see something and not want to let go - that was something that Taika understood, all too well. “Determination is key in life,” she looked up to the light filtering through the windows, “As well as a little scheming.” The last was said with a small smile in Visha’s direction, letting the younger woman know that all was forgiven. Visha, suddenly bashful, flushed, but took a seat towards the back of the church, dragging Percy with her. The man appeared to seem near to protest - but a single glare from Visha was enough to stop any argument before it started.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The priest glared at Visha and Percy, but there was no malice in it. “The church is a place of forgiveness, even for Visserigs.” He shook his head. “If the couple has no issue with it, they do need a witness. I certainly never expected to see a member of your family in my church for any purpose other than threats and corruption, so this will be a welcome change.”

Albus smiled at the siblings. He bore them no ill will. Visha seemed like she would be a nice girl now that she had gotten over a bit of her entitlement. Hopefully she would find a knight of her own. Percy seemed a bit of a dick, but Albus knew that was an issue endemic to the noble population of Salariche. If Percy could live and let live, so could he. “I’ve no objection, Father.” He turned back to the two. “Thank you to both of you.”

Father Ehrung set down his broom, opened some of the shutters, and pulled out his holy book. “Well, I would be honored to perform the ceremony.” He stood in front of them, just at the edge of the altar. “If there’s no reason to delay, let us begin.”

Albus and Taika shook their heads. Albus held his hands out to his fiancé, and she held them as they stood at the foot of the low altar. The shutters were only partially open now, and one of the sunbeams was pointing right at Taika’s face. Her horns were shining in the midday light, and her flame colored hair almost looked like it was dancing like one of the many campfires they’d shared over the years. Albus thought it was perfect.

“Marriage is a sacred covenant, a promise that in many ways you will both no longer be one person, but one half of a whole. With that in mind, do you each promise to love each other for the rest of your lives, forsaking all others, supporting and treasuring each other through trials, hardships, and anything else that may come your way?”

“I do.”

“I do.”

Father Ehrung smiled, and cleared his throat.

“This is the part where I am required to ask if anyone has any objections.”

Visha slapped her hand over Percy’s mouth. “We don’t!”

“I wasn’t going to!”

“You were thinking about it.”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Well, you don’t have any objection, anyway.”

“No, but I did have a prior injury, you know.”

“Oh, you’re fine.”

Father Ehrung rolled his eyes and then smiled down at Albus and Taika warmly. “I know you’re ready for me to finish, but there’s one more thing I want to say to the two of you, so I may as well get it out of the way while you’re listening. You’ve clearly overcome quite a lot to get here, but that doesn’t mean your marriage will be easy. In my experience, none of them are. But, as long as you each remember that the other person is more important to you than you are, you’ll be fine.”

Albus didn’t think that would be a problem for him. He nodded along with the priest.

“In that case, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Albus beamed at Taika while Visha cheered.

Father Ehrung shook their hands. “Thank you for coming to my little chapel, here. You’ll always be welcome in Pescaton.”

The goodbyes with the Visserigs were a bit awkward, but heartfelt. The trip back to the inn was slow, but Albus didn’t mind. If they’d ridden or flown, he would have had to let go of Taika’s hand. He didn’t want to do that.

The feeling of anticipation he had as they walked into the inn was not as intense as he’d expected for his wedding night. Mostly he just felt happy. The mother and daughter innkeepers screamed when she saw their smiles, and Albus’s smile just got wider. He was a married man, now, and he was only starting to believe it had really happened.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Finally.

To Taika, the day had seemed like a never-ending campaign, with the reward a distant ideal that she couldn’t wrap her head around, and truthfully, cared little for. The important thing to her was that she was with Albus; he was the one insistent on marriage. At least he’d agreed to the smaller church; she wasn’t sure if she could have honestly handled anything larger, though as a part of their leaving the Visserigs, Visha had promised over and over that they were to have a real wedding, on the Visserig’s dime, and no expense would be spared, and she had to have the most beautiful custom made dress, and the cake would be filled with rose sponge and vanilla bean frosting, oh, and the meal would be rosemary garlic pork loin, no, that wouldn’t be fancy enough, and she could just see it, the church draped in pale cream roses, woven through with jasmine…

Taika couldn’t help but to smile to herself as she sat down on the foot of the bed, pulling off her boots. She could still hear Visha’s planning in her head - and the unspoken hope that among Albus’s fellow knights, she might make a worthy match. Or, perhaps, as Visha had leaned over to Taika, maybe Taika knew of a handsome dragon? If anything, Taika had to admire the girl’s pluck.

True to Koda’s promise, the room was spotless - save for a dozen candles, rose petals strewn across the ground, and a spray of roses and peonies placed between the pillows, tied together with a large pink ribbon. Curious, Taika leaned across the bed, and picked it up. Attached was a card. “ ‘To the newlyweds - congratulations,’” she read aloud, a small smile at the corners of her lips. “ ‘As a special courtesy, the inn has been vacated - please make use of it as if it were your own home. We will return in the morning for a celebration breakfast. We have the honor to be your obedient servants, John, Koda, and Matsu Shinjiki.’”

The implicit trust was astounding; Taika had to settle back on the bed before it really clicked. The family had left them with their entire livelihood, for no other reason than they got that a “good feeling” from them, and had sympathized with their plight. Well. As soon as she had the opportunity to make it home for a bit (which she suspected would be sooner than later), she would make sure that the Shinjikis would be rewarded handsomely for their kindness. And Father Ehrung as well; for things like this, there would be no problem for her at all to part with her hoard.

“We have been shown great kindness,” her voice was muffled as she pulled her shirt overhead. The day was rapidly beginning to catch up with her, and the bed was growing more comfortable by the moment. Since she’d been in town, she’d thought enough to replace her undergarments with something a bit more functional (and pretty, she thought) as opposed to her typical garb. So, now, as she reached back to take her hair down, she was clad in a sheer peony pink bra, the fabric little more than fine mesh trimmed in rows of rose lace. Her areolas and nipples were dark spots beneath the fabric, all the more tantalizing for the bit of fabric that covered them. Snapping her shirt outwards, she quickly folded it, before setting it on the floor. Sliding off the bed, she undid the laces of her pants, sliding them halfway down her thighs. The panties she wore matched the bra - the cleft of her rear clearly visible through the pink mesh, even more so as she bent down to tug her pants the rest of the way off. It could have been scintillating if she had not been so matter of fact about it, not thinking for a second that this was, perhaps, the first time that Albus had seen her in such a state of dress, in her true feminine form.

Folding her pants much as she had with her shirt, she set them down on the ground beneath her shirt, and was reaching behind her to unclasp her bra when she suddenly stopped, and looked at him. “I’m sorry,” it was with a bit of a laugh, “All I was thinking about was getting into a bath to soak the day away. I didn’t think to ask if that was what you wanted.”

Come to think about it… “Hm…” A thoughtful purr from her, “I thought that marriages were sealed with kisses. You didn’t kiss me at the church - should we do it now?” And with that, she unfastened her bra, and let it drop to the floor, leaving her topless in front of her now husband.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus would have said that he agreed with Taika that they had been shown great kindness. He would have pointed out that the innkeepers must trust them, mostly Taika, quite a bit to leave the inn completely in their care for the night. He would have said he appreciated Father Ehrung’s willingness to stand up to the Visserigs. He would be expressed his pleasant surprise that those same Visserigs had not only stopped standing in their way, but had even assisted them. Albus didn’t say any of those things out loud, because Taika had taken off her shirt.

If he had been able to think more clearly, he would have noticed more quickly that her bra was more feminine than he would have guessed she would have. It made him happy to be reminded that she didn’t have to pretend anymore. First, though, he noticed that he could see dark circles on her skin underneath the thin material. The idea that Albus would feel such an irresistible, magnetic pull to nipples was a new discovery to him, but it made sense. They were Taika’s nipples after all. He was trying to get his mind around the fact that he could see her nipples when she pulled her pants down and off. Her underwear was of a matching set with her bra, and he could see her shape even more clearly in the small room than he’d been able to in the woods weeks ago. His mouth felt dry. He swallowed. She was so beautiful. He’d known for weeks that he loved her, and he knew he was attracted to her as well, but he hadn’t felt that physical attraction so intensely before.

Albus almost didn’t hear her mention taking a bath. He was still playing mental catch-up. If she wanted to take a bath, though, that was fine, of course. He could wait for her. Wait, had she phrased that like he would be taking a bath, too? Could they take a bath together? Wouldn’t they get in each other’s way? It would be worth it, though. He wanted to see her naked again. He wanted to touch her. Their baths could take hours, even days, and he wouldn’t mind. As long as he was there with her, running his hands over her body. She would be touching him, too, wouldn’t she!? Oh God, that thought made what little blood was left in his brain rush down to tighten his pants.

He didn’t think he had any blood left anywhere else in his body. He was wrong, though. He knew he had been wrong when Taika unfastened her bra and let it fall to the floor. Now all the blood in his body was in his penis. His mouth hung open, and he couldn’t think of anything to say. Had she said something about a kiss? They should kiss. He wanted to kiss her. He willed himself to think of something, anything, just to have a word in his head. Boobs.

Had he said that out loud? No, he was pretty sure he hadn’t. That was good. Good.

He swallowed. He needed to say something, though. What had Taika been talking about? She had said some things, and taken off some things, and Albus was still standing just inside the door in his full armor, with his jaw halfway to the floor and his mind thoroughly broken. A bath and a kiss, that was it! He wanted those things, too. How should he say it? He didn’t want it to squeak out of his mouth like he was some pubescent child. He wanted to sound confident and manly for Taika. He should be seductive. How do you seduce someone?

He put on his best low, confident voice, and tried to keep her tits out of his mind for a moment.

“I would like to kiss you, and then maybe we could take a breasts together?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She blinked - then, realizing what he said, looked down at her bare breasts, then back up at him.

And laughed.

“Don’t you mean ‘bathe’, as in, ‘We can bathe together?’” Though she’d laughed, she wasn’t mocking him. In fact…From the way he was looking at her, it was hard to be anything but flattered. “Because we certainly can.” She was striding over to him now, her wings folded down against her back, her tail trailing behind her. She had been with others, yes, but it had all been during her Time, when niceties and being slow, indulging in your partner, wasn’t a thing. Now, though, she had the opportunity to indulge as much as she wanted. “But I want that kiss first.”

She didn’t wait for him to take the next step, or for him to even get more comfortable. He was still in the doorway; she’d have to correct that. Taking his hands, she turned him so that his back was towards the bed. He’d need the support, after all. Once she was confident that he was carefully situated, she simply pounced him. Throwing her arms about his neck, she pressed her lips happily to his, with an intensity that spoke of years of desire. How often had she’d dreamed about this, had hoped that one day he’d do it? Without any of her typical grace and poise, she used her mouth to wedge his open, tangling her tongue with his; just enough to take the worst of the edge off for her.

She’d let him up long enough to catch his breath, so she could smile down at him, run a hand down the side of his face. “Let me take care of you,” she murmured, her opposite hand trailing down the lines of his armor. Though he wouldn’t be able to feel it directly, her intent was all too clear. Her tail slipped around his right leg, twining round his calf, sensuously tightening on his thigh, dipping between his legs to rub brazenly against him. Laying on top of him, she moved to straddle him, his armor, the mesh of her panties standing between the two of them. Propping herself up on her elbows, she leaned down, touched her nose to his - before capturing his lips with her own.

Not wanting to overwhelm him (and in an attempt to slow herself down), she kept this kiss surprisingly chaste, a molding of her lips against his, before her tongue gently caressed his lower lip, and she pressed harder, to take his lower lip lightly between her teeth before letting go, breaking the kiss all together. Her hair was a flame colored curtain around them, shielding them from the dying light of the sun outside. She’d caress the side of his face again, tracing the lines of his lips with her mouth, before leaning down to kiss him softly. This time, when she broke the kiss, she slid off of him, unwrapping her tail from his leg, but not without one fond brushing against his crotch.

“Why don’t you get undressed? There are other kisses I’d like to show you."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“Yes--bathe together. What did I say?”

Before he’d even finished speaking, Taika had turned him around and pressed him against the bed. Her reply was to tackle him. Surprised, he barely managed to catch her before falling backward onto the bed. Before he could express his surprise, her lips were on his. It was Albus’s first kiss, and it was wonderful. Her lips were soft and warm, and his lips tingled wherever they touched. Her body pressed against his armor, and he chastised himself for not having taken it off already so he could feel her against his body. Her tongue pushed into his mouth, and their tongues rubbed against each other. Was this how kissing was supposed to work? Nevermind--he didn’t care. It was how he wanted kissing to work. It was so intimate! Caressing each other’s tongues with their own, sharing breath, faces pressed together, Albus would have been happy to kiss his wife for hours, but she pulled away all too soon.

He looked into her golden eyes as she caressed the side of his face. She wanted him to let her take care of him. He wanted to argue, to ask her to let him take care of her as well, but he had to acknowledge that he didn’t really know what that meant. Maybe he should let her take care of him and then show him what to do for her? She certainly seemed to know what she wanted to do.

Her tail wrapped around his leg, squeezing him through his armor, and even rubbing directly on his crotch. That sent electricity coursing through his body. He’d never been touched there before, and it was such a new and intense sensation, even with his armor between them.

Their next kiss started out more tame, just their lips pressing together, until she nipped his lower lip with her sharp teeth. The shock of it made him laugh out loud, the carefree lust Taika was displaying was very arousing for him--he was sure he’d never been so aroused before--but it also warmed his heart. He’d been concerned before that she had felt rushed into their marriage, especially when she had left for Annicatu to think about their relationship. He’d been worried she was having second thoughts. She was doing a wonderful job of dispelling the last of those fears. She really wanted him, physically! Albus had never been aware of any woman’s sexuality, except for his vague knowledge of Taika’s Time. Being able to see her enjoy him was a rush.

Then she climbed off him and asked him to undress. He started undoing his armor even before she finished asking. He couldn’t wait to feel her against his body! And she wanted to show him more kisses! He was so happy!

“I liked those two kisses very much. I want to do those kisses more, but I also want to try all the other kisses.”

It took a few minutes and Taika’s help, but eventually they got Albus’s clothes off. It was the first time a woman had seen him unclothed since he was a small child. He hoped that she liked what she saw. He knew his body was in good shape, with plenty of well-defined muscles, a tiny bit of hair, and just a few scars. He didn’t know what women expected a man to have between his legs, though. He just hoped she liked it.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“We have an entire lifetime to try them all.”

Moving aside as he undressed, she watched with no amount of small interest. She had seen bits and pieces of him naked, legs, arms, torso - and on one notable occasion, his butt (that had been a fun night!), but to see the whole was better than her imagination had been able to piece together. But, to be fair, only seeing parts of him had been more than enough to spark her desire and carry her through her Time. Hesitantly, she stepped forward, careful not to even breathe, feeling as if she did, the illusion would fail. As she closed the gap between them, she reached out, touched his shoulder. He was warm; familiar warmth. Ducking her head for a moment, she looked back up at him, and smiled, instantly feeling energy return to her. She had been tired, the bed had been tempting, and indeed, she wanted to go back to it, but not to sleep.

With the same gentleness as before, she pushed him back onto the bed. As he got situated, she reached down and tugged off her panties, leaving her as bare as him. Standing there, she looked at him, splayed on the bed, completely nude, and before she could stop herself, she sighed in utter contentment. He was finally hers. All. Hers.

“Where to start…” There was no hiding the excitement in her voice; it was barely beneath the surface, barely restrained by what remained of her patience. You’ve got all night, she reminded herself, And time more after that. She could just eat him up, though - that innocence, the faint dusting of hair across his body, the scars that she knew so well, some of which she’d tended to herself, all of him, why, her mouth fairly watered, her fingers twitched in excitement. Suddenly, she closed her eyes, and took in a long, deep, breath. She didn’t want to scare him - and she wanted to make sure that he enjoyed himself. And, even moreso, that he would be able to be cum, over, and over…

Ah. The best place to start…would be to know his body. So, she delicately climbed onto the bed, positioning herself over him. And, as a reassurance, she leaned down, pressing her lips to his, coaxing his tongue out gently to play with hers. It was much softer, calmer, than the heated kiss she’d given him before, and those sharp ears of hers were put to work, listening for any change in his breathing, any slight whimper, sigh, that would have given her a clue of what he really liked. Her hands were not still as she kissed him again, though - she ran one down the plain of his chest, tracing the lines of his pectorals, the darker flesh of his nipples, the other, trailed across his arms, down the biceps, across the forearms, the backs of his hands. She would break the kiss long enough for him to breathe, before she would join them together again, her hands never stopping in tracing, mapping out his arms, his throat, the side of his face, the line of his jaw, his chest. Though she ached to touch him lower, she had to show restraint - and, perhaps, a bit more wickedly, she wanted him to tell her where she wanted him to touch him. For now, she wanted him to get used to the touch, to enjoy it - to know that she enjoyed it as much as he did. She didn’t mind taking the lead, though, she did hope, that it would stoke his courage.

But she would give him some help.

“You can touch me too, anywhere you’d like,” she whispered against his mouth. She wouldn’t force his hand; his exploration of her would be as important as hers was of him.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As much as the sight of Taika’s body turned him on (and it did, very very much), it was how turned on she was that made his cock twitch in the warm air of the room. He could hear her excitement in her voice as she looked at his body, a predatory gleam in her eyes. Albus has known her for so long, and seen her truly express her emotions so rarely, that he had learned to treasure the moments she let herself visibly and audibly feel.

Another kiss, this one slower, more smoldering than scorching hot, with tongues caressing and exploring each other much like the two people on the bed. Albus melted into his wife’s mouth, putty in her hands. A light hum of bliss escaped his lips. Those hands were rubbing his chest and sides now, feeling the scars and muscles there, mapping his body into her mind. He wanted to touch her. He could see her now, all of her since she’d shed her panties. The tuft of hair between her legs, red and orange with a bit of blonde, promised something delightful hidden just within.

He loved all of her: the lean, defined muscles in her torso and on her legs, the smooth, perfect, russet skin covering her strong body, the curves promising pillowy softness to counter those powerful muscles. Everything. He didn’t touch her, though, at least not until she gave him permission. He’d wanted to let her guide him in these unfamiliar experiences.

This wasn’t what he’d imagined his wedding night to be like, after all. He had imagined something more like what probably would have happened if he’d married Visha. She would have been just as inexperienced as he was. They would have been figuring out how and where to touch each other, how much, and the whole time they would have been trying to figure out how the other person was feeling and how honest they were being. This was so much better.

Once she gave him permission to touch her, his hands didn’t leave her body. Part of him wanted to dive into the flaming forest between her thighs, but even virgin Albus suspected it would be better to save that. They had the rest of their lives together, after all. His hands went immediately to her hips, running up the swell of them to her taut, well-developed torso. She was like steel wrapped in velvet, immovable strength covered in impossible softness.

He couldn’t resist cupping and squeezing her breasts, moaning into Taika’s mouth at the twitch his cock gave at the feeling of those plump, weighty globes in his hands. How fortunate he was to have such a gorgeous wife. He squeezed every inch of her body that he could reach, except that thatch of mystery he was saving for later. Then, a thought occurred to him. Was she waiting for him to touch her there before she touched him on his penis? He didn’t want her to wait! He wanted her to touch his penis!

As soon as he thought about it, he slid one hand down between their bodies, lightly running a couple of fingers in the dense and fiery hair. He paused to see how she would react. He knew she would let him know.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Sighing against his mouth, she pulled back only to rub her face against his throat, reaching up to caress his throat soothingly. His touch was spurring her to new levels of heat, a sensation that rivaled the mindlessness that came with her Time - and were she not so focused on the caressing of his body, to keep feeling him, listening to him, she very well would have taken him in that moment.

His hands traveled down her sides, the dip in her waist, her hips, squeezing, stroking - clumsy, but she didn’t mind. And she let him explore her, resisting the urge to move his hands where she wanted them. There was plenty of time for that later - though, when he cupped her breasts, she moaned against his open mouth. “That feels nice,” she breathed out, wanting to encourage him - before giving a slight jump of surprise as one of his hands slipped between her legs. The touch was blinding, unexpected, but oh so wanted - the surprise had come from him actually going for it, for him reaching for her, and now, she would pull back, with a sucking kiss placed to his lower lip.

“Would you like to see?” She shifted, so that she was laying beside him, on her side. With her arm draped over her side, completely nude, she looked as if she was posing for a painting. Now that she was on her side, it was easier for her to run her hand lower - her right hand propped under her chin to keep her upright, the left rubbing his chest, below drifting lower to his navel, then, gently, to the top of his crotch, her fingers slipping into the tangle of hair. Just at her fingertips, she could feel how hard he was, nearly feel him throb against her. But she was going to wait, though her mouth watered at how little effort it would take for her to simply shift lower and take his cock between her lips. He truly was beautiful - and her cunt gave a small throb of impatience the longer she looked at him. And, unable to stop herself (and it would be clear what she was looking at), she idly licked her lips, still keeping her hand just above his cock, wanting to hear him ask for it, but also wanting him to explore her…so many choices.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The muscles in Albus’s pelvis contracted involuntarily when Taika’s fingers reached his pubic hair. He wanted to know what she was feeling. He didn’t want to just wait and watch her face and listen for her reactions. He wanted to know, already, so he could make her feel as good as she was making him feel. It was hard to put in to words what he even wanted to ask, so he just did the best he could.

“I feel, like...there’s this pull, where every time your hand gets close to...um, to that part of me, that I want to push your hand onto it. It feels…” He couldn’t think of the word. Meaningful was too vague. Hungry sounded like a joke. Heavy just didn’t have the right connotation. “It feels like my body can’t focus on anything else.”

He hoped that she would at least know what he meant, but now was the important part of his question. “What does it feel like for you?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Pull”, he called it. That was one way of putting it. As he spoke, she moved closer, so that she could rest her body against his. For what she had in mind, she would need both of her hands.

“Mmhmm,” was her response, distracted, unlike how she’d been so far - until he could register what she was doing. For as he was speaking, the hand that had inched closer to his cock slipped closer and closer, before she loosely wrapped her hand around the base of him. Her other hand had not been idle - taking his left and stretching it across her body, below the dip of her navel, through the tangle of her multi-colored pubic hair. She shifted, just a bit, to part her legs. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it would serve its purpose.

With her right hand still on his cock, her left hand pressed against his, guiding his fingers between her labia. They were plump, swollen with arousal, and already she was damp, a sensation that only increased as she guided his fingers back and forth across her lips.

“Do you feel that?” It was a quiet whisper against his ear, her breath warm, and she punctuated her question with a gentle nip of his earlobe. “That means that I’m enjoying what we’re doing very much. It feels good.” It was to reassure him - and also to give voice, to vent, just a little, to how this was driving her nothing short of mad. She was doing her best to restrain herself, not wanting to overwhelm him, for him to enjoy it, but she had to be honest. “It is very hard for me…” another bite to his earlobe, followed by a slow sucking, a swirl of her tongue around the drop of flesh, “Not to take you right this moment. You have no idea how long I have wanted to do this. But I want it to be good for you.” If her words weren’t testament enough to how she felt, the reptilian hiss that punctuated them did. It wasn’t threatening as so much as a throatier reverb, a rumbling in her chest, a drawing out of syllables that indicated that perhaps her semblance of control was thinner than it actually was. In their years together, it was a tone that perhaps he’d only heard once or twice; indication that her Time was either close or at hand.

“I do not want to hurt you,” her lips pressed lower now, beneath his ear, against the beginning of his jaw, her teeth peppering each kiss with a playful sharpness, her right hand slowly stroking him, her fingers gliding over the pillar of flesh with a lazy ease, “So I need you to tell me what you want me to do.” She would be hard-pressed not to admit that she wanted him to voice his desire more than he already had (if she was a sadist, it would be nice to hear him beg for her), but it was also out of concern, the flicker of logic that still kept her from just taking what she wanted. It was his first time, and a wedding night that he had long dreamed of; she didn’t want to do anything that would make him either regret it, or look back on the night and cringe.

However, as she spread her legs a bit more, her labia parting, his fingers brushing against her entrance, she shuddered in delight, a breathy sigh escaping her. “That’s where I’ll take you,” she murmured against his ear again, that hiss sharper, and if he could see her eyes, he’d notice that the pupils were ever growing dark pools. “And I want you so very, very much inside of me.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

If it was hard for Albus to think straight before, then once her hand was on his cock, slowly pumping it up and down, tugging his skin back and forth, it was nearly impossible. He tried to listen to her words. He really tried! It was just so difficult. That pull he’d felt was now dragging all his attention to her hand, the feel of her grip, and her surprisingly soft skin. His hips unconsciously moved up and down to buck against her hand.

Then she moved his hand down to her core, to press his fingers into her dripping, silky folds. There was so much wetness there! And apparently that meant that he was making her feel good. He managed to catch that she wanted him inside her.

“Taika, inside?” He wanted to ask her how that would work. She didn’t look deep enough! There must be a way. He tried to turn his body to point his cock at her crotch. They were close enough that he poked her in the thigh, but he struggled to line himself up. He was no quitter, though. He wanted to make her feel as good as he could. He’d seen her face contorted in need and pleasure in the woods, weeks ago, and the thought of being able to do that to her with his body made him feel flush. If putting himself inside her did that, then by God he was going to find a way!

He might need some guidance. He suddenly realized he’d said almost nothing. That was one thing he knew how to fix.

“I think I would like to be inside you, too.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Yes, inside,” she repeated, with a soft laugh, his words tickling her enough that she forgot her need for a moment. “Here…I’ll show you…”

His first effort, that bucking of his hips into her side, simply sparked more laughter, and she stopped him from moving again by removing her left hand from his and placing it on his chest. “Lie back.” That sharpness was back in her words, a guttural hiss now that she was getting that much closer to what she wanted. The pressure she exerted on his chest was soft, but firm.

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to move, she shifted on the bed, moving to straddle him. Rather than sit on him, though, she used the strength in her legs to keep her body positioned well above his. With a flexing of her wings, she made sure that they were pressed against her back, her tail held up enough so that it wouldn’t get in the way. Still, positioned above him, her hair a curtain down her back and around her sides, her sex fairly dripping above him, she may have looked less half-dragon and more half-demon, if the hunger in her eyes was any indication.

Reaching between her legs with her right hand, she gently parted her sex, shifting a bit more to make sure that they were lined up. Leaning forward, she pressed her chest against his, her breasts pillowing against him as she shuffled just a bit more, ensuring that they were indeed lined up just so. Her left hand slipped between their bodies, grasping the root of his cock lightly to hold him in place. For reassurance, she kissed him, quickly, heatedly, her tongue surging into his mouth as she pulled back again, to better sit atop him.

Holding herself open with the right hand, holding him in her left, she began to lower herself onto his body. Slowly, painfully slow, his head slipped inside of her, and she let out a low growl of absolute pleasure. She was so wet that he was easily able to part her folds, and she’d taken less than an inch in before she’d nearly drenched him, and, despite her normally clean language, she couldn’t help it, and a low “Fucccckkkkkkk,” drawn out, hard, guttural, escaped her as she took more of him in. He fit her tightly, his girth stretching her walls to that fine point of nearly pain that she loved so, “Yesssss…” she snarled again, leaning forward, her hands grasping the sheets on either side of his head, her talons making small cuts into the fabric, but she was too far gone to care. How had she gone this long by his side without taking him like this? Without the feel of him inside of her? It was better than she imagined and, at that first shift of his hips, she knew she wanted more, and would get it.

Still, with a great amount of effort (and no small shredding of the sheets in order to keep her wits), she stopped half-way down his shaft, her thighs trembling with the effort. “Is this okay? How does it feel?” Her eyes were nearly black now, her wings shaking against her back. It was taking every bit of her self control not to plunge down on him, taking him with a violence that could possibly destroy the bed. “Tell me you want more,” less of a question, more of a command.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus already knew Taika was strong, but feeling her press him against the bed made him impressed, and even more turned on than he had been. This was for the best, as well. He would be inside her, making her feel good, faster if she showed him how. Indeed, she didn’t delay. She straddled him, lowering her dripping folds to his cock. Once the tip touched her, electricity shot through his body. When the tip disappeared between those folds, his eyes rolled back in his head.

The idea that they had lain next to each other almost nightly, for years, almost made him angry. The fact that this bliss, this sensation, had been right next to him, and she had wanted to do this, was maddening. They had held each other as they slept, for God’s sake! But, he couldn’t be made while he was inside Taika. She felt too good.

Plus, he felt like their history made it better. This was no tentative feeling each other out. This was no new relationship that needed careful navigating. These two people had shared so much, and now they could share this, the pleasure of each other’s bodies. It was wholesome and good. Albus sighed and smiled in joy, but he was by no means satiated.

He wondered what it felt like for her. She seemed to be struggling to get him this far in. He must be all the way in. It must be a tight fit. It certainly felt tight! Albus didn’t know what to ask for, but then suddenly he did.

“I want you to show me what we both want. All I know is that I want more: more of you, more of us, more of everything. Will you show me?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Her ears twitched at his comment, and she looked down at him, her head quirked slightly to the side as if he had been speaking a language that she didn’t understand. As realization of what he was asking dawned on her, she stopped. Leaned forward.

The only time she had looked more feral was when she was in the heat of battle, her draconic blood rushing to the forefront, fire pouring from her open mouth. Rather than striking fear into the heart of Albus, however, it was a wildness that came from unfettered desire, the glittering of a creature who has been granted what her heart desired most.

“Oh, I will show you,” she growled out, raking her talons into the bedding on either side of him. “I will take all of you until you know nothing else.” True to her word, she suddenly dropped on him, her rear meeting his hips with an audible wet slap, her body engulfing the rest of his length, squeezing him, pulling him ever deeper. She yowled low in pleasure, dropping her head next to his neck, her teeth closing in on the tender flesh - not enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a mark, enough to hurt, as she rocked her hips forward, stirring his cock within her depths. Once, twice, slowly - riding him by gliding her hips back and forth, rocking him deeper within her.

Pulling away from his throat with a gasp, she sat up now, flinging her hair back over her shoulders, away from her face. Releasing the sheets, she grasped his shoulders. Despite the show of strength and carelessness she’d shown before to the sheets, her grip on him was light, but again firm, with only the slightest prick of her talons dancing across his shoulders. From the rocking now, she lifted herself an inch, then two, her walls clinging to him, refusing to let go, then slowly, slowly, painfully, teasingly, she slid back down him again, grinding her hips eagerly into his once they were flush again, again pulling him deeper, molding the feel of him inside of her.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“I will take all of you until you know nothing else.”

Those words were music to his ears. He wanted to get lost in her, drown in her, follow her wherever she was taking him.

“Plea—oh!” He had been so, so, very wrong. He hadn’t been all the way inside her at all. Her soft, warm cavern was far deeper than he’d assumed. It was deep enough for him. It was deep enough for all of him. Her muscles pulled him in as she pushed her hips against his, stroking and squeezing his sensitive shaft with every tiny millimeter.

He cried out in shock and bliss as Taika’s head dipped to his neck. Her teeth pressed against his skin, just enough to mark him, to claim him. They belonged to each other now, and this mark would have to suffice to show the world that he was hers until they could get rings. Albus already treasured his Marriage Bite, and he nuzzled against Taika’s head as she rocked her hips into his own, sending sparks shooting straight from his cock to his brain. He couldn’t see straight. This closeness, her ass against his hips and upper thighs, slapping wet skin against wet skin, this was right. This was their sacred union.

She lifted herself up, her walls massaging his length, pulling his hips off the bed. She was so beautiful, holding herself up in the air, concentrating on their joining. Albus just watched her and smiled until she slowly lowered herself back down, her core stroking him down with one long, teasing thrust. Seeing his cock disappear yet again into the bright patch of hair between her legs, feeling those hairs mingle with his own light brown and tickle his pelvis; he would never tire of that sight.

“Oh, Taika!” He couldn’t believe how wonderful this was. If it was half as good for her as it was for him, her willpower not to take him in the woods weeks ago was superhuman. “This--is what you were missing? What you knew you needed? And I said no? I’m so...unh...so sorry!”

He put his hands on her hips, squeezing and caressing the brown skin and plump, soft flesh. His fingers wandered up to her breasts, the dark points calling to him. She had said she liked it when he cupped them and gave them gentle squeezes, so he did that again, letting his thumbs occasionally rub against her nipples. The feel of her incredible softness in his hands made his cock twitch, and he idly wondered if she noticed.