And so the afternoon wore on, with no rain or mist in sight, and then the sun set and the older and more distinguished guests took their leave, the banquet tables were taken down and cleared, Jordis took the girls home, and Argis and Elisif took little Lirela back to Markarth. The Forsworn folk band that had been doing gentle background tunes all afternoon started up something a bit more raucous and the traditional bale-fires were lit.
“For the fire dancing,” Madanach explained. “Normally the bride and groom would be the first to leap them for fertility and good fortune but I am opting out of this one on the grounds I already have children. And because I'm too old for this sort of thing. So seeing as my daughter just got engaged, she and her lunatic consort can lead off instead.”
Cicero had already squealed, swept Eola in his arms and sprinted towards the nearest fire, leaping over it in style before landing like a cat and depositing Eola, who'd clung on to him throughout.
“Jenever, get me jenever,” Eola gasped, flagging down a passing Forsworn with a drinks tray. “Sithis, I'm never doing that again.”
“You'll have to at your own wedding!” Borkul called from where he was cuddling two giggling young Reach girls. Eola just knocked back her jenever shot in one and cuddled up to Cicero, shivering. He just giggled, kissing her cheek.
“Don't worry, sweetling, Cicero would never drop you. He never drops anything he cares about.”
Eola nestled closer, relaxing as the drink took hold and the festivities started in earnest. She'd never had anyone see her as she was and want more before. They'd usually run screaming or wanted sex but no more or not been interested in that at all, just the meat. Not Cicero. He'd not only accepted it, he positively loved helping her indulge. She was definitely keeping this one.
While Eola and Cicero snuggled, Liriel had been very surprised to find a large hay pile covered with furs and pillows set up for her and Madanach, surrounded by a structure a bit like a Forsworn tent but open to the sky.
“What...” she began, but it was obvious what it was, especially when Madanach indicated for her to go in.
“Normally bride and groom don't retire to this until late at night, but as I said, I am old and have been socialising all day. Now what I mostly want is to retire to bed with my lovely wife while my daughter takes care of the festivities for me.”
Drunken cheering from outside and Liriel lay back on the bed as Madanach closed the tent flaps behind him and lay down alongside her, torc and circlet placed to one side as Madanach slipped out of his finery and under the furs, reaching for Liriel with a smile on his face as he undid the clasps on her dress. Liriel shivered as the cloth fell away but the furs were soft and her new husband's arms were warm, and soon she was comfortably naked, looking up at the stars.
“You really meant it when you said everything important in a Reachman's life happens under the open sky.”
“Of course,” he murmured, nuzzling at her ear. “And marrying you is one of the most important things I'll ever do, my Dragon-Queen.”
Once again, Liriel could feel it, that magical connection between them communicating the truth of the feelings and she wondered just how deep and how long that magical connection was going to last. So she asked him.
“Last?” Madanach laughed. “It doesn't wear off, macreena. It's the Forsworn Bond of Matrimony, a constant awareness of where your spouse is, or what direction they're in anyway, and what's going on in their mind – not actual thoughts, I might add, just emotions. It's a remnant of the days when a lot of marriages were arranged and it was a way to help spouses who wouldn't have known each other very well work together and take care of each other. We kept the custom on because when two people love each other and have this in place, the result is... mindblowing.”
“The sex is that good?” Liriel asked, grinning. Madanach shot her a sly grin at that.
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 28.6
“For the fire dancing,” Madanach explained. “Normally the bride and groom would be the first to leap them for fertility and good fortune but I am opting out of this one on the grounds I already have children. And because I'm too old for this sort of thing. So seeing as my daughter just got engaged, she and her lunatic consort can lead off instead.”
Cicero had already squealed, swept Eola in his arms and sprinted towards the nearest fire, leaping over it in style before landing like a cat and depositing Eola, who'd clung on to him throughout.
“Jenever, get me jenever,” Eola gasped, flagging down a passing Forsworn with a drinks tray. “Sithis, I'm never doing that again.”
“You'll have to at your own wedding!” Borkul called from where he was cuddling two giggling young Reach girls. Eola just knocked back her jenever shot in one and cuddled up to Cicero, shivering. He just giggled, kissing her cheek.
“Don't worry, sweetling, Cicero would never drop you. He never drops anything he cares about.”
Eola nestled closer, relaxing as the drink took hold and the festivities started in earnest. She'd never had anyone see her as she was and want more before. They'd usually run screaming or wanted sex but no more or not been interested in that at all, just the meat. Not Cicero. He'd not only accepted it, he positively loved helping her indulge. She was definitely keeping this one.
While Eola and Cicero snuggled, Liriel had been very surprised to find a large hay pile covered with furs and pillows set up for her and Madanach, surrounded by a structure a bit like a Forsworn tent but open to the sky.
“What...” she began, but it was obvious what it was, especially when Madanach indicated for her to go in.
“Normally bride and groom don't retire to this until late at night, but as I said, I am old and have been socialising all day. Now what I mostly want is to retire to bed with my lovely wife while my daughter takes care of the festivities for me.”
Drunken cheering from outside and Liriel lay back on the bed as Madanach closed the tent flaps behind him and lay down alongside her, torc and circlet placed to one side as Madanach slipped out of his finery and under the furs, reaching for Liriel with a smile on his face as he undid the clasps on her dress. Liriel shivered as the cloth fell away but the furs were soft and her new husband's arms were warm, and soon she was comfortably naked, looking up at the stars.
“You really meant it when you said everything important in a Reachman's life happens under the open sky.”
“Of course,” he murmured, nuzzling at her ear. “And marrying you is one of the most important things I'll ever do, my Dragon-Queen.”
Once again, Liriel could feel it, that magical connection between them communicating the truth of the feelings and she wondered just how deep and how long that magical connection was going to last. So she asked him.
“Last?” Madanach laughed. “It doesn't wear off, macreena. It's the Forsworn Bond of Matrimony, a constant awareness of where your spouse is, or what direction they're in anyway, and what's going on in their mind – not actual thoughts, I might add, just emotions. It's a remnant of the days when a lot of marriages were arranged and it was a way to help spouses who wouldn't have known each other very well work together and take care of each other. We kept the custom on because when two people love each other and have this in place, the result is... mindblowing.”
“The sex is that good?” Liriel asked, grinning. Madanach shot her a sly grin at that.