Sorrows of Adoration (30 page)

“That didn’t stop us by
the lake a few weeks ago,” he said with a laugh. “If you keep
teasing me in this manner, I cannot be held accountable for what I
might do.”

His challenge and
thinly veiled threat enticed me to continue. I don’t know that I
actually thought through whether or not he would make good on his
threat, but I didn’t care either way, to be honest. I kept walking
and swaying, glancing back at him every few steps.

All of a sudden, he
bolted towards me. I squealed out a girlish scream and ran from him
as fast as I could.

I probably could have
outrun him, for he was not much of a sprinter, but of course, I
didn’t want to. Plus, it slowed me down to keep looking at him. He
soon caught up to me, threw his arms around my waist, and slid
himself to a stop.

He turned me around by
my shoulders and kissed me hard on the mouth. He grunted like a
beast as he moved his lips hungrily down my neck. My legs felt as
water, and I left myself go limp in acquiescence in his arms. Much
as I had loved straddling him at times and being in control, I
found that I equally loved giving myself to him and letting him
have his beastly way. In fact, I realized that I didn’t care all
that much about how the sensuality happened, only that it did, and
often.

Kurit lowered me to the
grass. He tugged at the laces at the front of my gown, opening it
and then pulling down the underclothes. He put his face between my
exposed breasts and growled playfully as he kissed them and nibbled
them.

Soon he lifted his head
from my bosom and took hold of my legs. Roughly, but without
causing me pain or discomfort, he lifted them and pulled my
underclothes from me, then pushed my skirts up to my waist.

Still on his knees, he
unbuckled his belt and lowered his trousers. In a flash, he grabbed
my hips and lifted them to his kneeling lap. Continuing the rough
play, he shoved himself into me. I loved it, and I made sure he
knew it by virtue of my moans of delight. He took me like a true
beast, grunting and growling and groping. He held my hips with one
hand, a breast with the other, and moved in me with a fast
fury.

I could not help but
cry out in ecstasy as he took me so. It was so naughty, so uncouth.
I felt a glorious freedom. It was not painful or savage, but it was
scandalous and animalistic, and I felt wonderfully alive.

As I thought of how
wanton we were, and as Kurit increased his fervent speed, I was
overcome by a fierce pleasure that was very different from all
other climaxes I had known. I lost touch with reality for a moment
and was brought back only by Kurit’s loud exclamation of
delight.

He fell to the ground
beside me, panting and exhausted. We lay there for some time, our
clothes still half off, just catching our breath. Then Kurit rolled
himself to me and gently stroked my cheek. I smiled at him, and he
smiled back a bit sheepishly. I suspected he felt a little guilty
for having been so rough. I promised myself to tell him later how
much I had enjoyed it, just in case he couldn’t tell.

To ease him in the
moment, however, I simply whispered, “I love you.”

His whole face lit up
with delight. He closed his eyes for a moment and touched his
forehead to mine. His hand wandered to my belly, where we knew our
child to be growing, and he caressed me there. Then he put it back
to my cheek, opened his eyes, and said, “You are my
everything.”

He kissed me tenderly
for some time. Then he moved onto me and made love with me again
there in the field, but this time it was slow, sweet, and
passionate, as though he was proving to me that his love and gentle
adoration had not wavered, even in his animal lust.

* * *

The sun was at its
highest point in the sky when we left the cottage the next day. It
was very hot and humid, so I chose to wear a lightweight dress with
short sleeves and not very many layers of underskirts. Kurit wore
simple light trousers and a laced shirt, looking like an average
merchant or the like.

“Too casual?” he asked
when he caught me staring at him. “I can change into more
appropriate clothing at home.”

“I know,” I said, still
admiring him. “I like it. It’s not very Princely at all.”

He smiled and slipped
his arms around my waist. “Not regal enough for you?”

“I don’t need you to be
regal. Sometimes I’m happy to think of you as just a man.” I
clasped my hands behind his neck and fiddled with his hair.

“Oh, I’m more than just
a man. I’m your happy husband,” he said and then kissed me. “I like
your dress, you know.”

“It’s not fancy either,
though.”

“I know,” he said.
“That’s why I like it. It’s clean and pretty and ladylike but
simple. Like you were when I first saw you, except for the clean
part of course.” He laughed and then kissed me again. After the
kiss I put my head on his shoulder and let him hold me. “I know it
infuriated you, and I understand why, but when I told you in
Mikilrun that I’d give up the crown for you, I meant it. Don’t be
angry, but I still would.”

“Kurit—”

“Hush, I know. I have a
duty. And I’m not going to dismiss that. I don’t have to—you
married me anyway!” He chuckled softly. I loved the sound of his
laughter when my head was on his shoulder or chest. “But honestly,
Aenna, I could have been very happy learning any trade or skill
instead, if I had had to. Seeing you now like this, so beautiful in
a dress that would make another woman look plain, I know in my
heart I don’t need all the luxury of the palace. I need only
you.”

He put his hands on
either side of my face and kissed me softly but for a long time,
stopping only when we heard Leiset interrupt us with a polite
cough.

I looked over his
shoulder to her and caught her reproachful yet slightly amused
look.

“Dear husband, it would
seem that I have offended my maidservant by letting you kiss me so
boldly out here in the public view,” I postured.

Kurit turned briefly to
Leiset and then back to me with a beastly grin. “Dear wife,” he
replied in a similar tone, “it would seem your poor maidservant is
jealous because she has not been kissed so in such a very long
time.” He peeked at Leiset again and saw her annoyed look, though
again she was having trouble not smiling at the roguish Prince.

He turned back to me
with a silly grin and said, “I’m going to get a sound beating from
her for that one, aren’t I?”

“Certainly Your
Highness knows that I would never overstep my station to ever
accost your noble self,” Leiset said, mocking our previous
sarcastic tone as she stepped towards me. She took my arm and
started to pull me away. “Not when it’s entirely more effective to
simply lead my Lady Highness elsewhere.” She started to leave,
pulling me behind her, but Kurit held onto my other arm and kept me
where I was.

“Nobody takes my wife
from me unless she goes of her own accord, Leiset,” he said, still
smiling but with a very light edge to his voice.

Leiset released my arm,
curtsied and said, “Of course, Your Highness. My apologies.” Then
she walked away from us towards the carriage that would carry her
and Gilrin back to the palace.

“You shouldn’t have
scolded her,” I said. “She’s only trying to protect my
reputation.”

“I know. Sorry. I just
don’t like the idea of anyone telling me I can’t be with you. It’s
bad enough that I have to hear it from my mother.”

“Ah, that explains it
then. Kurit, Leiset is hardly trying to keep us apart. And you did
tease her. Rather rudely, actually. She’s a proper lady, much more
so than I.”

“You’re right, I was
rude. Why don’t you go to our carriage? I’ll go apologize to her
and meet you there in a moment.” He dropped a quick kiss on my
cheek and added, “But you are a proper lady, and stop saying
otherwise, or I shall tickle you until you scream in a very
improper fashion.”

I lightly smacked his
arm as he ran off.

When he joined me in
our carriage, he said Leiset had left because she thought she’d
offended him, speaking so boldly as a maidservant to the Prince. He
said that he had reassured her that it was all just silly teasing
and everything was well again.

We sat across from each
other and talked for the first half of the trip, but after the
brief pause half way home to stretch our legs outside, he took the
place beside me and put his arms around me. We kissed and spoke
silly words of love for some time.

“Do you think it would
be inappropriate if we were to disappear into my bedchambers for a
while as soon as we’re back?” he asked after a particularly long
kiss.

I laughed softly.
“Undoubtedly.”

“That’s hardly fair.
They send us away to make a child and then expect us to behave
ourselves when we come home.” He put his hand over my waist and
rubbed me gently. “I cannot imagine that there is a child in there.
I cannot imagine that in a few months I shall be a father. What a
ridiculous notion!”

“Why is it
ridiculous?”

“Aenna, really,” he
said with an odd smile on his face. “Look at me. I’m a beastly brat
myself. My father, now there’s a man who knows how to be a father.
He’s stately and full of great words of wisdom and guidance. What
have I to teach a child? How to make their mother blush? That’s my
greatest skill, you know.” He winked at me playfully, and I
laughed.

“You’ll be a fine
father. You’re a good man, Kurit. And I’m sure your father couldn’t
imagine himself having a son all those years ago anymore than you
can now.”

“Can you imagine
yourself as a mother? I can. I can see you now with a baby in your
arms. You’re lucky. You have nothing to be nervous about.”

I looked at him in
surprise. “Are you mad? Nothing to be nervous about? I’m common
rabble, and yet I’ll be expected to raise the heir to the
throne!”

Kurit’s face became
serious. “Stop saying those things. You’re my Princess now. There’s
nothing common about you.” He kissed me again, kindly at first, but
as usual it became very passionate. I lightly bit his lower lip,
which I had learned made him gasp in delight.

“Don’t arouse me if we
can’t make love on our return. I’ll go mad waiting for the night,”
he whispered. I ignored his words and kept doing things that I knew
made him wild. “Aenna, if you don’t stop, I’ll kiss you on that
spot on your neck that makes you lose control, and then I’ll take
you right here in this coach.”

“You’re bluffing,” I
said. “There is no such spot.”

“Oh, is that so?” he
asked. He lowered his head to my neck and quickly proved me wrong
by nibbling along the curve between the neck and shoulder on the
right side. I tried not to moan in soft delight, but I could not
prevent the sound.

“See?” he whispered
between nibbles and kisses. “And now I’m going to be as beastly as
ever and make love with you right here and now.” He lifted me up
and set me on the opposite bench, kneeling one on knee on the floor
between. Still kissing my neck and chest, he pushed his hands
slowly up my legs, lifting my skirt to my hips.

“Kurit,” I said
breathlessly.

“You’re going to stop
me, aren’t you?” he sighed in disappointment, looking up at me.

I shook my head. “No.
But at least have the decency to pull down the shades. There are
mounted guards on all sides.”

He smiled a wicked grin
and did so quickly. “I love you, my little klysh,” he said and
continued his kissing, caressing my legs. He rose back up to the
bench across from me, lifting my legs with him. He tugged on my
underclothes from their lowest point at my knees until they slid
out from under me and he could remove them completely. Then he
knelt again to resume his kisses, putting his hand on the aroused
flesh between my naked legs, making me cry out for him.

“Hush,” he said softly.
“The coachman shall hear us. We have to be quiet naughty people, or
he’ll stop to make sure we’re all right.” He touched me again,
moving his fingers in slow circles on me, then pushing between the
soft folds to tease the tender spot near the top. I clenched my
teeth to prevent myself from making noise.

Still kneeling, he used
his free hand to unclasp his trousers and push them down below his
hips. He rose, putting his hands on the bench on either side of me.
He leaned forward to enter me, but the angle was wrong and we kept
having to shift around.

Finally he said, “This
isn’t working. Here, I have another idea.” He sat on the other
bench and pulled me towards him. He positioned himself at the very
edge of the bench, leaning back to rest only his head and shoulders
on the wall behind him.

With his arms clasped
around my waist for balance, I was able to kneel on the bench over
him and position myself so he was inside me. He pushed himself up,
moaning my name happily. When he found I was too high up for him to
kiss me, he left one arm around me for balance and used the other
to unbutton the front of my dress. He did so far enough to gain
access to my breasts, which he happily put his face between. Then
he replaced his arm around me.

I could not move well
without slipping, so he let the steady rocking of the carriage help
him to move in me. Because that tender spot was pressed hard
against him and because what we were doing was so lustful and
scandalous, I began to reach the point of ecstasy right away. When
finally I bit down on my lower lip to prevent my cries of pleasure,
the intensity of it was such that I almost fell off him. Only his
locked embrace kept me there as my mind reeled.

When I regained
self-control, I looked at him, not even knowing if he had finished
as well. By the happy, tired look on his face, I realized he had.
He opened his eyes and smiled at me wickedly.

He helped me remove
myself from the kneeling position without falling, and we redressed
ourselves in a ridiculous, awkward fashion. I asked if I was a
mess, knowing Leiset would suspect me if I was, but he said no one
would be able to tell what he had been up to.