Page 26 of Vows of Sacrifice

“No one can control the fear felt by others, especially if they are in large numbers.”

“We’ll see. It only takes the appearance of something that terrifies them more than a hair colour for them to forget the latter.”

“Ah? And you have that in your leather satchel, along with a clean shirt?”

“It could be.”

I immediately thought of the Abyss and its monsters, which were gaining ever more ground. Perhaps Muvaria was still far from its clutches, but it was only a matter of time. I kissed the nape of her neck in comfort. Oh, a brief kiss; too short to ignite my senses, but long enough for me to taste the flavour of her skin. Ashana jumped and stiffened. I immediately cursed myself.

It was the persistent feeling that I’d known her all my life. As if the young woman was a part of me that I’d just discovered. A different part, but strangely complementary.

“You don’t like me touching you?”

The question burned my lips. If that was the case, my nights would be long and my agony certain.

“It’s not that,” she began hesitantly.

Praise be to our Father!

I smiled inwardly at the relief I felt after hearing her answer. It might not take many full moons before I turned into a lovestruck youth, enamoured with his lady.

It was hard to imagine being stripped of my independence as a single man who had lived for many centuries on the battlefield. I refused to accept this possibility. And yet . . .

“Good. The thought that you find me physically repugnant is quite painful to me.”

I wish I could have swallowed those words before I uttered them. She fidgeted in front of me, on Vulcan’s saddle, as we continued to move forward at a leisurely pace.

“It’s, I mean . . . Our relationship is too new and under the circumstances, I’m going to need some time, to . . . to . . .”

“To?” I pressed, curious.

Ashana cleared her throat.

“To be ready to experience a certain kind of intimacy.”

This sentence awakened a thousand questions in my mind.

“Did your mother educate you on the subject? I know it’s customary for them to do so, but since, um . . . you mention the, uh, ‘circumstances’ that led to our marriage, and that, from what you’ve told me, you weren’t expected to marry, I think that, as your husband, it’s important to know now.”

I felt awkward, perhaps even terribly clumsy. In my defense, I had only shared my bed with experienced women who were well versed in the ways of physical love. Not that the subject or talking about it really bothered me, but strangely enough, discussing it with my wife made me feel as comfortable as a fish trying to swim out of the river.

“Not . . . really.”

I suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“Have you been taught the . . . uh . . . basics?”

“You seem worried,” Ashana remarked.

Ten to one she was smiling! It was my turn to fidget in the saddle.

“Not at all.”

Which was entirely false. But it was all the more reason to be patient and delicate with my wife. I could already see myself trying to give her multiple orgasms before . . .

“My lord!”

I jumped.

---