3.07: Welcome home (🌶🌶)

Mentally tired, we trudged into the bastion that was our home.

I put the torch on its bracket, closed the heavy wooden door and slid the bar into place.

The moment I turned, Aprilia crashed into me.

Her arms wrapped around me with desperate strength as sobs shook her body. Tears soaked through my tunic while she buried her face against my chest.

“I almost lost you,” she whispered between sobs. “I almost lost you…”

My hands rubbed slow circles between her shoulders as I hugged her back.

“I wasn’t going to die,” I said softly. “I’m immune to poison.”

“What about arrows?” she shot back, lifting her tear streaked face. “You were worried about that earlier and I just dismissed it!”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

I wasn’t going to hide the truth from her.

Nowhere was perfectly safe.

I had thought that at least Chadom would be safer, but it didn’t turn out to be, either.

Her fingers twisted in my clothes.

I bent down and kissed the tears away from her cheeks.

She made a soft sound and grabbed the back of my neck.

Then her lips crashed against mine.

The kiss was fearful and desperate.

Her lips were warm, possessive and trembling beneath mine.

I opened my mouth, drinking in her taste.

She met me eagerly, pressing herself against me, trying to fuse our souls together.

The world narrowed.

We separated after an eternity; her breathing ragged and lips glistening.

As I took a step back, she caught my hand and began pulling me towards the bed.

“I need you,” she whispered.

“Wait,” I said, reluctantly taking another step back.

“Please,” she said in frustration, stepping closer.

“Listen first.”

She reached for me, caressing my rising length.

I caught her wrist.

“A lot of things happened while I was away. In Aldersthron and Nobart.” I swallowed. “You should know the whole truth before I fulfill the promise I made you.”

Her shoulders sagged.

“Can’t it wait?”

“No.” My grip softened. “It wouldn’t be right if you didn’t want to be with me anymore afterwards and have our child growing inside you.”

She froze.

“Did you spend your time away killing babies and raping women?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t care.”

I lifted a finger.

“One.”

She blinked at it.

“And not rape.”

That earned me a stare.

I exhaled slowly and wet my lips.

“What I’m about to tell you must not leave your lips. It could be used by our enemies.”

She nodded to acknowledge the seriousness in my voice.

“I swear.”

“Laira has a lover and… we slept together.”

Her eyes widened as her eyebrows rose as high as they could. “You… laid with a man?”

I stifled a laugh. “No, a woman.”

She stared.

“But you said lover.”

“Some people are attracted to those of same sex. Some are attracted to both men and women.”

“But that’s… wrong. Degenerate.”

“They are born that way. Not something they can change.”

“That can’t be true.”

“Why?”

“Because…”

I watched her form arguments in her head and discard them.

“Why haven’t I heard about them?”

“What will happen to them if they let others know?”

Her mouth opened and froze.

The Church didn’t look kindly on such relationships, especially if they were openly flaunted.

Nodding carefully, she looked back at me. “So,” she said carefully, “you slept with this woman?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I took a long breath.

“Laira is deathly afraid of childbirth. She wanted to know whether I would force myself on her if she refused me. So she arranged an encounter between us while she watched.”

Aprilia just stared.

“The lover’s name is Reshma. She is a Sindhi.”

She remained silent for some time.

“I understand the fear, but to ask your lover to bed someone else? Your husband-to-be no less…”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Laira is rather unusual, but not by choice.”

“I gathered.”

“She also enjoys that.”

She blinked.

“What?”

I chuckled, partially to hide the building anxiety.

“She would enjoy watching me give you every inch of my love. Actually, she wants to see me give you our child.”

She almost lost her balance.

“I need to sit down.”

While she settled herself, I lit a candle with the lit torch.

Shades of gold spread throughout the room

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face her, bracing for impact.

“There is… more.”

She groaned.

“What now?”

“Reshma accompanied me to Nobart. She handled problems I’m not the best at. Smoothed things over with the local nobles, and… took care of me when I was bedridden.”

Her expression softened.

“She sounds kind.”

“She is.”

“I’ll have to thank her.”

My throat tightened.

“We became close.”

She looked up.

“Very close,” I continued. “She told me about her past and secrets and… I told her about mine.”

Her eyes widened. “She knows that you’re… not from here?”

I nodded and forced myself forward.

“And… we might have fallen in love.”

She froze.

The candle hissed softly.

“That doesn’t change anything that we have together,” I said hurriedly. “The only thing it would take away from you would be some time and attention. I love you just as much I did when I left for Nanon.”

She didn’t cry or explode in rage.

“Let me think,” was all she said before closing her eyes.

After some time, she opened them to search mine.

“You truly love her?”

“Enough to risk a war. So, yes.”

“War?”

I hissed.

“I shouldn’t have told you that. It’s a big secret. I would rather you didn’t know.”

She tilted her head. “If she is going to be a part of our family, I need to know.”

My chest loosened at those words.

“It could put you in danger.”

“More danger than being conquered by Vozoran?”

I chuckled. “No.”

“Then tell me.”

I sat beside her.

“You truly cannot tell anyone, no matter how angry you get. One slip up and we might be at war with Sindhu.”

Her eyes widened. She sighed, then cradled her head in her hands.

“Everything with you is so complicated, Jack.”

Then she looked up at me.

“But I know I love you.”

I went to my knees and kissed her gently. “I love you too.”

Her hand cupped my cheek. Then she leaned in to kiss me again.

Gently.

The kiss lingered.

As we separated, I swallowed.

One last knot remained.

“Reshma made a proposal.”

Her expression turned wary.

“What?”

“That I should take more partners if it advances our political goals.”

“Political goals?”

“A strong Nanon that can survive Vozoran.”

She frowned.

“How would that work? You couldn’t marry them.”

“The Church does allow polygamy in exceptional cases. Forming a strong alliance for our very existence would qualify.”

“Wouldn’t that weaken the Queen’s position?”

“No. Not if she is legally the first wife, and succession remains with her children.”

Aprilia sat quietly for some time, then looked at me.

“Promise you’ll never abandon me?”

I took her hand.

“Never. We’ll be together the rest of our lives. Nothing will change that.”

She searched my face.

Then nodded.

“Then I’m fine with it. I trust you.”

She was reaching for me when she stiffened, her eyes almost popping out of her skull.

“Can we marry as well?”

I smiled.

“Of course.”

“Really?” her voice rose an octave.

“Yes. After the marriage with Laira.”

Joy exploded on her face as she fell on my lap and began peppering me with kisses.

When she pulled back, her eyes were half-lidded with lust.

“Now,” she whispered, trying to pull off my clothes, “what did you promise me when you left?”

I leaned closer.

“That when I'm back I will plow your valley like an angry farmer.”

Her breath hitched.

“Again and again,” I murmured, “until I've put my seed deep inside, in every, single, hole.”

Her next words were hoarse with desire.

“Then get to work, farmer.”

We quickly undressed ourselves, Aprilia clearly struggling with the desire to tear her dress. Finally, she snaked her thick, glorious thighs out of her clothes.

The sight stole my breath away.

I crossed the room in two steps and picked her up.

She squealed as I tossed her on the bed.

Her hair spilled across the sheets.

Then I got on the bed myself, prowling towards her on all fours.

She opened her legs in invitation. Her desire was glistening, already leaking out of her swollen lips.

My hardness throbbed with anticipation.

Grabbing hold of her shapely leg, I began kissing and biting it, from calf to inner thigh.

She shivered, as I reveled in the smooth and cool sensation.

“No time for that,” she whispered. “Get inside me. Now.”

“Say the magic word.”

She gave me an exasperated look, then acquiesced.

“Please.”

I almost fell upon her in my eagerness, then bent down to kiss her.

“I missed you,” I whispered.

“Me too. Now stop teasing me.”

Positioning myself at the entrance of her eager valley, I pushed myself in.

Her insides welcomed me in with a hug so warm it made my knees buckle.

She gasped, digging her nails into me.

Following her command, I sheathed myself fully inside her.

Nerves lit up at every point of contact. I turned down my sense of touch low, lest I let go immediately.

A shiver ran down our spines as we reestablished our bond.

She locked her legs around me.

“Welcome home,” she whispered.

“It’s good to be home.”

I pulled back, then drove back into her.

Her scream echoed through the room, her head tilting backward.

I caught her wrists and pinned them above her head, interlacing our fingers together.

The poor bed began creaking in protest as I carved deep furrows in her valley.

Her hips rolled in rhythm with me, taking me in deeper.

“God…” she moaned. “I missed this.”

“Shameless whore.”

She froze, her eyes wide with fear.

I whispered in her ear.

“I like it.”

Relief rolled over her, her insides unclenching.

Then her eyes twinkled.

“I don’t mind being your whore.”

I bent down to kiss her.

She met me halfway.

While our mouths met, our hips kept moving on their own with growing urgency.

Time lost all meaning as the world shrank to our bodies desperately trying to fuse with each other.

The room reverberated with rhythmic impacts of flesh on flesh, the creak of wood, our moans and labored breaths.

“Give it to me!” she pleaded some time later, her voice trembling.

“What?” I asked gruffly, as my body slammed against hers.

“Our child! Give me our child! Put him inside me!”

I became laser-focused on her.

The desperate rhythm of her body around mine.

The rising pressure and the way she clung to me.

Slam!

Slam!

Slam!

There were no more words, only grunts, moans and heavy breaths.

I slammed into her, again and again, until her shuddering became frantic. Her hips moved rhythmically around me and I felt my own climax arriving.

With a powerful shove, I buried myself deep inside her, as my balls began depositing their load. Our moans mingled, overwhelmed as we were by our simultaneous climaxes.

She trembled violently beneath me as her insides milked me.

I held her as if my life depended on it.

Her legs locked around me.

Refusing to let go, until I had nothing left to give.

At last, breathless and shaking, I collapsed beside her.

She immediately turned and nuzzled into my chest.

For some time, neither of us spoke.

“Will I?” she asked hesitantly, her eyes vulnerable.

I kissed the top of her head.

“I’ll plow you however many times it takes,” I whispered, “until our child is growing inside of you.”

She relaxed.

We finally drifted to a restful sleep, the terrible events of the evening forgotten.

I woke up to soft lips brushing against my collarbone.

A delicious weight pinned me to the bed, while thick, silken hips rolled against my crotch.

Aprilia’s face was above mine, flushed and smiling.

“Good morning, daddy.”

My body reacted immediately.

“Did you not have enough last night, you nympho?”

“No,” she purred, rolling her hips. Her outer lips brushed against my length, coating it in her desire.

My hands rose up on their own and dug into her extra-thick, silky soft bottom.

She gasped, her body grinding against me. When she looked at me, I didn’t need to be a genius to figure what her eyes were begging me to do.

She bent down to whisper in my ear, “I’m not letting you go anywhere until you’ve put a child inside of me.”

“Then we should’ve been two irresponsible teenagers, not adults with a life.”

“What?”

“Nothing. It might take some time.”

“As I said, not letting you go.”

“Your wish is my command,” I said, easily lifting her up and impaling her on my weapon.

She squealed loudly, in surprise and pleasure.

Sunlight crept into the room while we lost ourselves in each other again.

We did not stop until we were out of breath and slick with sweat, lying over the wet, sticky mess of a bed sheet.