His Highness the Duke (11 page)

have time alone to sort this out.

Unfortunately, there wasn‘t much said in Qurilixian tradition about how to

restore one‘s honor after a lapse. Lapse? His failure as a husband was more than a mere

lapse. It was a catastrophe. He‘d taken his wife before the ceremony was finished. What

should have been a time of discovery had turned into a, well, it had turned into

something purely fantastic and utterly satisfying in every physical sense. Regardless,

physical ecstasy did not excuse his behavior. The reason there was nothing in the

tradition about reviving honor was because tradition demanded that they not lose their

honor to begin with.

Bron was torn. How could failure still feel so sweet? He‘d give anything to touch

her again, to kiss her. Perhaps that was his punishment. He‘d been weak on the night it

mattered most. Now he must be strong until the gods forgave him for that weakness—

even if it took months, years, a lifetime. No matter how much he wanted her, no matter

the temptation, Bron could not make love to his wife until his honor was restored.

* * * * *

Aeron wanted nothing more than to grab her ―husband‖ and drag him to the

rocky ground next to the narrow path to have her way with him. She wanted to feel his

fullness again. She wanted to kiss him and touch him and rip his clothes off his body.

She refrained, barely, but that didn‘t stop the thoughts from circling through her brain.

Now that she knew what pleasure could be found, she wanted it again, and again,

and—
sweet black hole of temptation
—she wanted it yet again after that.

The damage was done. Her fate was sealed. What point was there in resisting

what she wanted? And what she wanted was pleasure. She wanted her heart to pound,

her breath to catch, and her body to explode and weaken. Oh, and his hands, she

wanted to feel those hands on her skin. She had become mesmerized by their strength.

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A steep incline forced her back onto the ceffyl. Bron ordered her to hold on

tightly to the center horn as he shifted to his dragon form and leapt ahead. The shift

should have been frightening, but it wasn‘t. She remembered all too well the powerful

feel of him shifted beneath her thighs.

Bron whistled once and the ceffyl began to climb, moving deftly for its size up

the incline in a zigzag pattern. She held her breath and closed her eyes tight as it

moved. Only when the ground leveled beneath her did she open them again.

A long building stood at the top of the cliff. The walls were constructed from

blocks of grey stone and topped with a flat roof. A dirt path led around the side toward

the thick brush. Unlike the forest by the palace, the trees here were skinny with thick

willowy tops. Behind her, the view stretched for miles. From this spot, it would be easy

for Bron to see her on the trail should she decide to make her way back to the palace

alone. Though, even without the view, she imagined Bron would be able to track her

quite easily. This was his home world, after all.

At the moment she was too tired to even think of running away. Letting go of the

ceffyl‘s horn, she carefully dismounted and took several steps away from it. The beast

ignored her, more interested in the thin slivers of grey-blue grass growing on the

ground. It licked at them, twirling its tongue before pulling the blades into its mouth. A

low hissing noise sounded as it chewed.

Aeron walked away from the cliff‘s edge toward the cabin. The stone wall was

precisely cut and smoothed. A single plank of wood made the door, the grain spiraling

from the middle. Most likely, it was part of a larger tree at the base of the mountains

that had been carted up the mountain paths. Bron reached above his head and placed

his hand against the middle stone. Seconds later the door unlatched. He hooked the side

with his finger and pulled it open.

Aeron looked up as she passed under the hand scanner, but the unit wasn‘t

noticeable. Inside lights from the narrow window streamed in. Bron turned a

rectangular mirror mounted on a tall column. It reflected the sunlight onto other

strategically placed mirrors higher on the walls and instantly bathed the cabin‘s interior

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with light. The entryway led to one large room with three arched doorways. The walls

and floor were stone, built from the same kind of precisely cut blocks as the exterior.

There wasn‘t much by the way of décor beyond the fine craftsmanship of the structure.

A large fire pit stood barren in the middle of the room. A domed hood hovered high

above it, leading up a long column to the ceiling to filter out the smoke. Right now the

pit was dormant.

A shadow was cast along the ceiling as Bron walked in front of the reflective

mirror. Aeron glanced at him before continuing her exploration. Cushioned furniture

surrounded the fire pit. The bases were a combination of stone and wood. A long

polished stone table stood at the far side of the room, large enough to seat a dozen

people. Benches curved around its oval shape.

―Bathing room,‖ Bron said, motioning to the closest door. ―The kitchen is over

there on the opposite side and that doorway at the far end leads to the sleeping

chambers. Since this cabin is normally used to house hunting parties, there are twelve

rooms. You may have your pick of any one, though I might recommend the one at the

end of the hall. It is the largest and most comfortable.‖

―Is that where you will be staying?‖ she asked, unable to help the small smile

forming on her face.

―I will take one of the other rooms,‖ he stated.

At that her smile frowned. ―Why? I don‘t see any logic for it. No matter how this

situation is going to end up, we‘ve already been intimate. I see no reason why we don‘t

continue as long as we‘re together.‖

The man actually looked shocked at her forward proposal. She wondered if she

should fake embarrassment, but really she saw no need to pretend. She was merely

stating the logical conclusion to their relationship. The damage was done. They‘d found

pleasure. It‘s not like she could get pregnant. The Federation unit she worked for was

very strict about issuing their birth control shots and she‘d just had hers—even though

she‘d never found the need for them until now.

―If you are unsure about our marriage, then I think it will be best if we don‘t—‖

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―If you wish to stay married to me, you must find me attractive. Have your

bodily responses toward me changed?‖ she countered. ―Mine haven‘t. I find you quite

enjoyable to look at. Physical pleasure need not coincide with marital arrangements. I

am able to separate the two in my mind. I believe you could come to the same

conclusion should you choose to consider it.‖

He actually looked speechless.

―It‘s not as if you had never been with a woman before me.‖ Aeron gave him a

pointed look and dared him to answer. He didn‘t move. ―I thought so. Our races are

different in that regard. I did not anticipate that a man as well,‖ she looked him over,

trying to think of a tactful way of saying,
well endowed with obvious sexual appeal and a

body that radiated a natural aphrodisiac
. Instead, she said, ―that a man with your physical

presence would be without female company.‖

―My company was before I entered into my first ceremony,‖ he tried to answer,

only to stop with a pained look. ―I do not see how this conversation is relevant to our

current situation. Now that we are married, I want no other woman.‖

―Great, then you admit that you do want me. Should we find one of those

rooms?‖ Ok, so maybe she was being obstinate on purpose. Aeron found she liked him

a little speechless. It beat his dictating tone. ―Well, you think about it. Last room at the

end of the hall is fine with me. I will take your word that it is the best.‖ She began

moving toward the kitchen doorway. ―Is there a food simulator? I‘m famished.‖

―No. We don‘t require them,‖ he answered. ―The larder should be stocked with

basic supplies.‖

―I‘ll manage. I‘ve taken cooking uploads.‖ Aeron had never really used the

cooking skills, but whenever she had downtime, she liked to learn new things. ―I cannot

guarantee the outcome, but I believe I should be able to make something palatable.‖

―I will assist you.‖ Bron followed, almost eagerly, as if he were glad to have

something to discuss other than sex. She found his reaction curious, considering how

open his people were to expressing their primitive physical states. ―You will need help

with the cooking fire if you have never used one.‖

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Bron lit a fire in a stone oven built into the wall. Hand levers brought down

various styles of cook tops from grates to smooth metal. The gentle sound of water from

a small indoor waterfall created a constant background to her work.

The problem with uploads was they gave all the information a person needed,

but the practical application was somewhat trickier to apply. Aeron knew how to cut

the meat Bron supplied for her, but the actual process of it was much more difficult

than she‘d anticipated. Luckily, Bron was able to provide her with spices and herbs to

compliment the meat‘s natural flavor, otherwise she would have been lost on how to

combine their tastes. Cooking was an exact art, one that the uploads only provided

vague skills about. Each planet had unique spices and herbs, staples and flavors.

Without more specifically detailed instructions into local cuisine, it became a matter of

trial, error, success, and instinct. Even with the challenges, she found she enjoyed the

creative process.

―Are you looking for something?‖ Bron asked from the doorway. His hair was

wet and combed back from his face. He‘d changed his clothes from the ceremonial tunic

to slightly less auspicious in design. The loose-fitting pants and long overtunic were

crafted from a lightweight, flowing material. As he leaned against the archway, it

molded against his hips and chest to give a teasing hint of what lay beneath. She found

herself staring at the curve of his hip, forgetting what she‘d been doing. ―My lady?‖

―Ah,‖ she glanced at the food, ―something to put this on? A trencher is what the

palace servant called it.‖

Bron nodded, pushing away from the archway. He ran his hand over a sensor

near the waterfall. The sensor‘s design was hidden in the stone wall, completely

unnoticeable if a person didn‘t know where to look. The wall opened and he took out

two small, square trenchers for the food. Without waiting for her to ask, he plated the

strips of meat and carried them out to the table.

Aeron followed him. Wine goblets had been set out on the table. She caught the

scent of soap and eyed his wet hair as he sat down. ―This cabin has a water bath?‖

―Yes.‖

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She looked down at her gown. It was the same one she‘d worn to the crystal

breaking ceremony, and then on the journey up. She‘d been sitting on the ceffyl. It was

not the most pleasant of smelling creature. Slowly, she took a seat, not feeling as

confident as before.

―I will show you after we eat,‖ he offered.

―Thank you,‖ she said, reaching for the pronged dining tool. She watched as he

tried a strip of meat.

Instantly, a surprised smile crossed his features. ―You have a natural talent for

food.‖ He quickly took another bite, chewing and nodding his head in approval.

Aeron smiled, pleased by the compliment. She tried a bite. It might have been the

work behind it, or just self bias, but she was sure it was better than anything that could

come from a simulator.

―You will make me a very fine wife,‖ he continued. ―I am pleased. My brothers

will enjoy visiting.‖

Her smile fell. The man didn‘t seem to listen to her at all, or was just too

obstinate to admit defeat. How many times, how many ways, did she need to tell him

she was not staying on as his wife? The more confused her situation became, the more

she longed for the safe, familiar metal Federation quarters. Even as she thought it, she

knew she also longed for adventure. The conflicting desires warred inside her.

She ate in silence. When they were done, she said, ―I would like to bathe now

and then perhaps sleep.‖

―Of course.‖ He stood and motioned for her to follow him to the bathing room

door. ―This way, my lady.‖

* * * * *

Bron tried not to think of his wife, her body naked and wet, trailing with soap as

she bathed in the cabin‘s large tub. He
tried
not to think about it, but with every

enhanced sense in his body focused on the sounds coming from the bath he couldn‘t

help himself. Water dripped, splashed, stirred. Hands brushed flesh. He heard the slide

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of them, the silky glide of soap easing the way. Next, a tiny moan, a relaxed sigh, a deep

breath, and then the seductive process started all over again.

He stared at the stone doorframe, able to see each minute grain in the polished

gray pattern. His hand lifted and pressed against the stone. Bron caressed the hard