Private Tales Fire and Water

[Gerra]

Bleary eyes, made heavy by lack of sleep and inordinate amounts of wine, fluttered open. Gerra stared up at the ceiling. He lay in his bed, the sheets tangled around his legs, a warm body beside him. Slowly, memory of the previous night’s events returned.

Ah yes.

A smile quirked his lips and he rolled onto his side, one large arm still trapped beneath the sleeping woman.

“Noelani.”

 

[Noelani]

"Again?" A soft and sleepy sigh. "Already?"

The heat of him had meant there had been no need for sheets at all during the night and they were kicked down on her side of the bed fully. Instead she had draped herself across his arm and used him as a glorified hot water bottle. Her cheek was still pressed against the crook of his elbow as she attempted to open her eyes.

Slowly she stretched like a lazy cat then simply reached for his other hand and pulled his other arm over her like she would a blanket to cocoon herself in the warmth.

"Gimme five more minutes."

 

[Gerra]

He snorted, eyebrow quirked. She thought- ah, well, no matter. The way she stretched, arching her back like a cat, drew his eyes to parts of her he was not certain he had fully examined.

Best to be certain.

As she pulled him around her, he curled his arm inward, pulling her close against him. He could feel the warmth of her as she nuzzled against him. The softness of her skin. He ran his fingers down her chest and across her stomach as he might explore a new fabric of sheer silk offered to him, amazed at the smoothness.

"Five is an awfully long time," he whispered in her ear... just before he bit it.

 

[Noelani]

A soft husky laugh would make its way out of the small nest she had created for herself.

"I thought we stopped negotiations last night?" a soft shiver ran down the full length of her body as he playfully nipped at her ear. In retaliation she pressed back against him and wriggled just so... Then with a sigh she rolled within his arms until she was on her back and could turn to face him. Sleep still clung to her like a morning mist but as her hand came up to stroke down his cheek and curl her fingers under his chin it began to retreat like the morning tide.

"Three minutes more minutes and you owe me breakfast after?" a quirk of one brow as she held those eyes of molten lava without so much as a flinch.

 

[Gerra]

The way she wriggled her naked body against him instantly drove further sleep from his mind. He stiffened. Eyes narrowed and he kissed her, tugging on her lower lip with his teeth before he pulled back.

"If that's..." his fingers roved in narrowing circles on a breast, "...what you want?"

The thought of driving into her and making the bed slick with their sweat seemed incredibly appealing. Especially given her... performance the other night. She was no stranger to pleasure, it seemed. Or perhaps just a natural talent.

Gerra wondered which was which, but could not dwell on the matter because she was still pressing up against him just so. It made thinking rationally hard.

Very hard.

 

[Noelani]

A soft moan vibrated in the back of her throat as he seized her lips in a heated kiss. She ran her tongue over the imprint of teeth on her lower lip and cast him a dark smile.

"Breakfast? Most definitely," as his hands wandered she found hers did too. She had explored every inch of his skin with her lips and tongue last night and they were feeling oddly left out now. So they ran down his sides and then slowly round to his back to pull herself flush against him once more. One leg came up to frame his hip.

"Waiting... not so much anymore," now it was Lani's turn to claim his lips and pull him down onto her in gentle but firm manner.

 

[Gerra]

Afterward...

Gerra lay back and stared up at the ceiling with a half-lidded gaze. He barely registered as two servants entered, dropped off trays of food upon a bedside table, and left.

After a moment, Gerra sat up. He plucked a date from one of the bowls and ate it, frowning slightly, thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"We should talk about Vel Anir."

 

[Noelani]

Lani propped herself up amongst some pillows facing him with her legs curled about her. There was a slight sheen to her skin and when one of the servants came by with drinks she gladly took the offered goblet of sweetened water. Only when her thirst was sated did she pick from the offered platters, dragging a few of her favourites onto the bed so she didn't have to keep reaching over.

"You want it?" if the princess was surprised it didn't come across in the tone of her voice. Neither did she seem particularly put out by the pillow talk being less than wholesome. She stretched one leg out and stifled a yawn. "It is a pretty impressive force, their Dreadlords are..." she paused with a bit of fruit hovering about her lips, "definitely something to see. We have had a few tradings with them but they are suspicious of any magic they do not control," she gave a lazy shrug then put the slice of mango onto her tongue.

 

[Gerra]

"No, no," Gerra shook his head, chewing on another date, then swallowing. "I don't want Vel Anir. It is far away and brings no real economic benefit. But if we wish to take the free cities of Cortos, then Vel Anir will oppose us. Even if we do not, the further our dominion grows, the more likely it is that they will challenge us for dominance of Western Liadain."

He looked at her.

"We must be prepared. Their navy is mighty, the largest and most powerful in all of Arethil. They have blackwood ships capable of resisting magic that are like floating castles, from the decks of which their dreadlords can eviscerate navies. Aivrid alone may prove capable of taking on many such sorcerers, but we must not be so reliant on one being."

 

[Noelani]

Lani popped another piece of sweet mango into her mouth as he spoke. The mood from a few moments ago was gone now and replaced with a professional focus. If she was going to become the Vizier of the Imperial Navy then she needed to know what her biggest threat was going to be. Once he was done she turned her face towards the balcony and the fresh breeze that played with the gauzy curtains. This far up the smells and sounds of the city didn't reach them just a sense of freshness. She didn't bother trying to tuck the curls behind her ears when they blew across her face.

"I will see what I can do. There are... techniques, hidden secrets, that my people use for our own ships to ward against magic that is far older than what the Anirian's use. I've had no need to test them out before but there are ways to test them here against powerful mages before they face a Dreadlord," her legs stretched out and she rolled lazily onto her back, popping a date now in her mouth.

"How far do you intend to extend your hand, Gerra?" the continent was large enough the two powers could live side by side. There were other ways to solve the problem but she got the feeling having such a threat on his borders was not what he intended.

 

[Gerra]

"As far as it must," he frowned at her, "or would you see Anirian policies regarding non-humans place in the circle of life spread?"

Their practice of putting humans at the top of the pyramid would be a point of enmity. Eventually, one of the lesser nations residing alongside them would cry out for air.

When they did, the Empire would answer.

Gerra looked down at the woman as she splayed out, frown lessening as he pursed his lips in an expression of appraisal and approval.

 

[Noelani]

Lani shrugged her shoulders. The movement seemed to ripple down her entire body like a clear smooth lake being disturbed by a single leaf landing upon its surface.

"There will always be regimes I disagree with but that doesn't necessarily mean I would get involved in the situation," her lips twisted to the side as she thought about Vel'Anir. Their policies towards non-humans was disturbing but it was, for the moment at least, contained to their own people. The wars with the elves had ended and they were trading with outsiders. It might not have necessarily been the nicest place but clearly they were beginning to realise they couldn't exist in solitude forever. "I guess the question is is it worth it? There will be a loss of our peoples lives no matter how prepared we are," and that was the biggest weight on any rulers shoulders.

Her eyes rose from where she had been playing a cherry stem through her fingers, tying it into a delicate bow, to meet his gaze as it wandered about her form. A playful smile flirted with Lani's lips and she put the fruit aside.

"It's also a question of whether this is what you really want to discuss in bed."

 

[Gerra]

"Oh?" His brows shot up.

"Discussing the greater good of Liadain does not arouse you?"

The smirk that touched his lips informed the jest.

"A pity."

He tapped her lightly on the nose with a finger, then ran it down her lips, over her chin... between her breasts... and further down.

"Then teach me the topics that delight Noelani, princess of the islanders."

 

[Noelani]

Lani gave a husky laugh at his jest and watched his eyes as his fingers wandered over her flesh. Goosebumps followed in his wake and she felt her lips kick up at the corners into a lazy smile.

"The discussion? No. But I would by lying if there wasn't something about a good fight to get the blood pumping," her fingers trailed up his arm and lingered on the black markings that covered his skin. "Oh, you know how Royalty are. Skilled in all types of topics from music to history... But I would be far more interested in learning about you," he had given her enough of a spiel about why he was a good Emperor, good enough to bring her people into the alliance. But she was curious about what he was when he wasn't that.

She studied him like he was an intricate piece of art.

"What do you like? Aside from pretty carpets."

 

[Gerra]

"Pretty women," retorted the emperor slyly, before taking her hand in his own and planting a kiss on each of those fingers.

"You see? Two can play at word games of elusion. But I will tell you in truth, I enjoy working the forge. I had a teacher once in my youth who taught me the finer points of smithing. Not simple horseshoes, or even the folding of steel for a blade, but the delicate handling of molten gold and silver to create twisted torcs, rings, and more besides."

He ran a hand up her arm, encircling fingers around her bicep.

"Shall I make one for you?"

 

[Noelani]

Lani couldn't help the twitch of her lips as he called her out on her own method of dodging his questions and topic of choice. Still, he gave her what she desired and she listened with interest. He had mentioned the forge and his skill within earlier but it had been a fleeting comment and she was eager to hear more. She was enraptured as he spoke. The combination of his lilting, deep voice, and those molten hues was like listening to a story by the fireside on a cold winters night.

"I would like that," her eyes drifted briefly to his hand about her arm. "Languages and history," she looked back up at him, her gaze seeking his as she offered her own answer for his. "Are the topics that delight me the most. I have a morbid fascination with ancient languages that have become lost."

 

[Gerra]

His hand slid down, fingers intertwining with her own and pulling them up to his neck, where the web of black tattoos made a canvas of his skin.

"Small wonder these intrigued you then..."

A dark eyebrow arched above a simmering gaze.

"There is a dark elf I would like you to meet one day. She too has... morbid fascinations."

His eyes went distant for a moment, then returned to her, sparking with the hunger of a newly lit forge.

"Now then, where were we?"

Large arms folded her into him and his lips met hers.

And lo the bedding did commence again.