It is the following afternoon, and Maria is in her rooms, brushing out her hair. She is in a particularly good mood; the doors to her balcony are open, the summer sunlight streaming in. She regards her expression in the mirror with the secretive pleasure of kisses remembered, then sets down her brush to take up a sweet. It isn't as if brushing will do any good; five minutes from now, and her hair will be as untamed and bushy as if she hadn't bothered.
     "...I really like him," she murmurs, telling her reflection as much as anyone in the room. "He is so kind, and so gentle. And he tells me things, and I could listen to him for hours more." She sighs, then stands, picking up her ribbons and bows, fiddling with them irritably. "I sometimes rather want to hit him for it. It isn't fair - liking him so much. The only thing which makes it bearable is I - I really think he likes me back..."

     For all the useless relatives Maria has, it is good to know that she has at least one she can count on and confide in. They say where God closes a door, he often opens a window, and her cousin -- on her father's side -- is an open window of fresh air in comparison to ... all those other cousins. On her way to nineteen, Aureliana is a lovely young woman. It is less for particular features that she is lovely and more for the light and goodness that shines through her.
     Married now these last six months, she so rarely gets to spend quality girl-time with her favorite cousin. But with deer season in full swing, she has found an unexpected respite.
     Such is the explanation. In truth, she was called from the country by her aunt Anna to lend support to her cousin and a friendly ear.
     Aureliana smiles sweetly, her nut-brown hair gathered loosely in her hands as she pulls it back to tie it out of the way. She comes to stand behind her cousin, taking up the ribbons to help tie back her wild locks. Though they are wild, they are enviable to be sure. Her hazel eyes twinkle in reflection, looking at the reflection of her cousin's face. "He definitely likes you," she assures quietly. "He can hardly keep himself from looking at you or for you. And that is what they do -- they make you like them so much you could just hate them for it." Grinning, Aureliana begins to tie back your hair. "Boys. Do you want it like this, loose, or really plaited. I like it when tendrils come free. It is so beautiful..."

     "Oh, loose. I hate how it feels, when it's all tied up. It feels like it's fighting me, then." Maria wrinkles her nose. "Just try and keep it out of my eyes, that's all. I've given up on trying to make it look nice..."
     She sits so you can tackle her hair more easily, dreamily looking at her reflection. It is, of course, not herself she is seeing. "We got to walk out in the garden together last night, you know. After dinner. It was - it was very nice." From her blush, you may well imagine that it was not dinner they talked about. "I really, really like him. Even though I still want to throw apples at him, Lee."

     Aureliana smiles as she gathers your hair in her small hands and she ties it back loosely. She plaits it just enough to give it texture and to tame it just slightly. "I can see it was very nice." That is as close to teasing as she gets. "And so, walking in the garden... beneath the moonlight. Very romantic. What do you like most about him?" She smiles and brushes back the tendrils of your hair. "And what most makes you want to throw apples at his head?"
     Hazel eyes look to your dreamy reflection in the mirror and her own face goes roseate. She is also in love. She knows what the blushing means. "Have you had your first kiss?"

     The question - what a question! - has her blushing anew. "I did not want him to kiss me. He did without asking me - the night we met. I told him why I did not want him to kiss me - because I wanted to decide for myself if I would want to marry him or not. And he told me - that marrying him would not be the worst thing in the world. I wanted to hit him. And I wanted him to kiss me again."
     She does not forget it. She cannot forget it. How could she forget it? A broom closet, of all ridiculous places. Maria turns to you, and her face glows with it. "He is sweet, and wonderful. He is strong. When I see him - I remember him as he really was, when we were able to just be the two of us together - how he worked past my defenses, how he went with me, even diving after me into the water. But he also is so persistent - I want to throw apples at him for that, you know. Because there is that - that easy-going side to him, but he is stubborn, so he will not just let me win, or let me go. He wins me over. And," she sighs, "he kisses so well."
     Maria turns back to the Maria. "...Will you keep a secret from mother, if I tell you?"

     Her eyes widen and she grins, the apples of her cheeks glowing. "Does he?" Aureliana cannot help the soft giggle. She's a girl, the same as you, not long ago married herself. "Just how many kisses have there been, Maria?"
     She finishes with your hair -- it is both tame and wild. It is plaited and free. Aureliana has a real gift for coiffure. She takes a seat beside you and offers you her hands and her confidence. "I saw him when I arrived. He is very handsome, and very tall. Taller even than my Edmund! And ... of course... I will always keep your confidences cousin."
     And that has always been true...

     "Twelve," Maria whispers. She has counted them, each and every one. "Of course, that includes the times he has kissed my hand, and my cheek. But - if you mean on the lips? ...Eight." She blushes again, vivid with the recollection. "Three times that night. Two that were stolen. And three last night, after dinner."
     No wonder she needs a chaperone...
     She takes your hands, squeezing them. She is trembling slightly with the memory. "I am used to being tall and strong and fast, Lee. I am not used to being so outmatched, so outwitted - so, so wishing very much to let him win! It makes me fight him, a little. But - mostly - I like it."
     You are her confidante indeed. Who else could Maria, with the storms in her eyes, admit to that she might wish to lose? "He is tall. I - I like it."

     "Twelve!" She sounds astonished. But she smiles knowingly. Yes, there is reason you need a chaperone. Uncle must be out of his wits! Holding your trembling hands to her cheeks in a sign of female solidarity and affection, Aureliana smiles. "I think your heart is a worthy prize, cousin. Has he already won it?"
     Pausing she walks to the vanity and takes some of the flowers she picked on her way in. "Do not make it too easy on him. Men like to fight for what they truly want. It makes them want it all the more. Has your mother ... spoken to you about... relationships? And what you ... should be aware of? I hope she is not saving that for the wedding night."
     Hazel eyes glance in the mirror to see the reflection of the room behind her and her cousin. Aureliana returns to sit beside you. "Here, I picked these periwinkles. I hear he has eyes close to this color. You should wear it ... now and then. It will let him know that you are thinking about him. That you want to wear his colors."

     "I think so," Maria whispers. "I do not know. I only know I - I wish him to value me. I still wish him to win me; I wish him to wish to win me. How do I know, if he has won me?"
     She takes your words into account, and she blushes a bit, lowering her gaze. "Mother has had me work with the midwives, so I - well, I know a little. I have seen babies being born." She makes a horrid face. "I... I do not know much else. I mean, who else has there been? My brothers and my father have scared some away, and my aunt's daughters..."
     She need not finish that thought. You know yourself where it leads. She looks to the flowers, and her color heightens, and she nods. "It is a good idea. I will wear them today - I will see if he notices." Maria smiles. "I will introduce you to him, so you can watch him, and you may learn of him. Tell me what you see, because my eyes will be blind. What should I know, Lee?"

     "When you want him to win you is when the game begins. But it never really ends. Edmund loves me, and I love him. We are married. But he tries to win me every day." She smiles at that, in her own memories. "And that is what you want. You do not want the game to end, yes? So... every day, every night, it begins again. Some days he will win, some days he will lose. But... the point is more... does he want to play?"
     Her eyes widen a touch and her lips purse. "There is a great deal more to it than babies. There are so many... layers." She winds the flowers in your hair, plaiting them and knotting them in the ribbons she tied before. "There is pleasure, enjoyments -- some you can enjoy and keep your virginity intact. And then of course there is the loss of maidenhead, which is different for every girl. It can hurt, but such pain passes quickly. The rest is so enjoyable, momentary pain is easily forgotten. Kissing... kissing is only the introduction. It is like... saying hello!"
     Giggling, Aureliana glances behind her to make sure no one is eavesdropping, particularly Edwin and James. "It is so wonderful," she breathes out, sighing to think of Edmund.

     "I do want him. I mean - to win me." She blushes again, rising to her feet. She brushes aside her curtains, looking out to the gardens, and to the distant harbor where the Draigamor and its fellows are safely in port. "I want - I do not know if I can speak of it, Lee. When he looks at me, I see stars. I have never known anyone like him. He has shown off for me, and the ways in which he has done so leave me without words."
     Maria lets the curtains fall, and she turns to you, eagerly. "He wants to play, I think - I don't know. We have not had the freedom to truly challenge one another, not since we asked mother to let me go. Perhaps we spoke too soon, but I don't care. I just know I want to go with him. There is an entire world out there waiting for us, and I want to see it with him, not just through his eyes and his words!"
     She settles herself, but it takes an effort. She is so full of the moment, it takes more effort than usual. "I would not let him take my maidenhead so soon." Maria colors, chin snapping up. "When we were alone... that first night ... I made myself return. It was - he was too tempting."

     "How... close have the two of you gotten? How... tempting was he?" Her eyes widen as she smiles. She wants all the gossip! "A little trick I learned... when you are talking to him, reach out and touch his arm. One, this lets him know that you are interested in him and what he is saying. And two... you can feel how muscular he is." She giggles a little at that, biting her lower lip.
     Aureliana finishes with your hair, periwinkles dotted amid the dark of your hair. "Is all you know about men and women... about babies? Or... do you know what happens, cousin? I was never told. I was told only that my husband, my dear Edmund, was going to take off my wedding shift and lie with me in bed. I thought to myself: Why did we wait until we were married just to lie in bed together? We lay in meadows all the time. Why was this so different. There were a lot of details omitted, cousin! But I think a girl should know. After all, how else does she know what she is protecting? Or how? If she does not know what it is?"
     She moves to your wardrobe. "Perhaps we should have the queen make you a periwinkle scarf or...oh! Perhaps earrings. Something with a little sparkle, just to catch his eye. And fragrance. Not a lot, just a little and in a place maybe a little unexpected -- like the inside of the bend of the arm instead of the underside of the wrist. Behind the ears so when we tenderly brushes back your hair, he gets a hint of something sweet."
     Aureliana smiles at you. "Of course, sapphires and rubies are so pretty on your skin and with your coloring. I wish my hair was as dark as yours. And so full! I bet he is thinking of it," she coyly grins. "Losing his hands in it. Maybe you should let him untie your ribbons. Or, better yet, you should untie them while you are talking to him, like you do not even know you are doing it. I promise you that will get his attention."

     She smiles, and there is a reminiscence in that smile; tempting. Oh, yes, he can be tempting, and was. "I have not sat in his lap so far," Maria tells you demurely. "We have held hands. We have kissed. He has touched my hair. And my shoulders, and my back..."
     She is blushing before she gets further than that, looking to the side and then back. "Amethysts of just the right shade - that would be perfect! I wonder if mother has anything already." She jumps up to her feet. "We should go see. We can get into the vaults, after all - mother won't mind, and father won't care as long as we aren't smuggling out weapons for Bryan..."

     "Amethysts would be lovely. And now's the best time, with those other girls out of the way." The hedgehog and the snake, she means. You didn't answer her question about what you know or don't know, or what you've seen or not seen, so she drops it for now.
     Tilting her head with a sigh, Aureliana follows you as you rise. "So romantic. Has he written you any poems? Any little tokens? Surely he has given you gifts." What sort of prince would he be if he hadn't given you any gifts? "I cannot imagine being courted by the crown prince of all people! With all the wealth of the many kingdoms to bestow. A girl could grow to feel quite spoiled, I'm sure." Hazel eyes look to you and she grins. "You are the envy, I am sure, of your cousins. For me, that is gift enough!"
     Aureliana all but skips as she walks alongside you. "So... tell me more about your handsome prince, the man who shall one day be High King. All I know is that he is handsome and kisses very well. And apparently often. You are traveling with him. Will you be on his own boat or one of his company?"

     "No poems," Maria admits, "but what he did... well. Come to the balcony, let me show you." She takes up the spyglass from her dresser drawer, moving out the doors to the balcony. She puts it to her eye, scanning the horizon, briefly turning its glassy magic upon the Draigamor with a little sigh. Eventually she is moved to actually look for something else; she locks the spyglass upon the location, then backs out of its line. "Here. Look. See? He made me those."
     A row of islands, where before there had been none; on no recent map, save those which update themselves by magic, perhaps...
     "I will be on his boat. His grandmother is to be my chaperone - the Queen Mother herself. You would never guess it to look at her," Maria adds naively. "She does not look or act much like a Queen Mother. Well, except when she does, of course." She makes oblique reference to the fate of two of her three cousins, batting absently at her plaited hair. "I do not know what to tell you. I hardly know what to say myself. He is handsome. He is brave. He is definitely bold. He is a good swimmer. He is," she sighs, "a good kisser. And - he likes me..."

     She is curious as you ready and set the spyglass and she peeks into it eagerly. Astonishment. "He made you a string of islands?" Backing up, she looks at you with wide eyes. "Most girls just get a string of pearls. If they're lucky! How... how did he make you a set of islands?"
     It is not that she doesn't believe you -- actually, she does believe you -- but one does not usually get geography as a courting gift! "On his boat." Aureliana smiles and she turns the spyglass toward the ships in the pier. "I wonder which is his. This glass is quite powerful." Biting her lip, she peeps back at you. "Do you ever use it to... spy on him? Can you see into his window while he's bathing?"
     She goes bright red and giggles with glee at the thought. "What a wonderful view you have of the ships from your balcony, cousin. Hmmm... on his ship. I wonder if you will have any time with him at all while the Queen Mother is present. That presents a bit of a pickle. Still," she smiles, "... he will be close. "Will your room be small? I've never sailed before, but I hear the bathrooms are quite tiny. I'm not sure I could be on one for long."
     Lowering the glass to you, she spins about and rests against the balcony with a sigh. "I wonder what it would be like to sleep in a man's arms with the sea rocking gently beneath." She tsks. "I wish Edmund were coming home tonight," she sighs suddenly. "All this talk of boys... I want my own to come home to me!"
     There is a glint of mischief in her eyes. "He will be very eager when he comes home. My favorite thing about being a new wife is waking up in his warm arms every morning and feeling his kisses on my stomach." She closes her eyes and smiles wistfully. "When he's gone," she whispers to you, leaning in with a smile conspiratorial, "...I sleep in his shirts. You should see if you can ... lift one of the prince's shirts when you're on his ship!"

     "He is the son of an houri. I don't know how he did it - well, not in specific - but he did. He - it was after he'd kissed me in the broom closet, but before we'd kissed again - when I was on his ship with him." You give her ideas, and she goes brilliantly red. "I wouldn't do that! - I shouldn't, anyway." You have given her the idea. God help Gruffydd.
     "The room is enormous! I have never seen so big a chamber on any ship. You have to see it before we leave, Lee. Tell you what - why don't we go see if I can show you now? You can even meet him, perhaps." Maria's smile has budding mischief in it, though she goes cranberry at the words which follow. "...Maybe," she murmurs. "One of his shirts..."
     Unbidden comes the image to her mind, of Gruffydd shirtless, wings outstretched. Of the feel of peacock-colored feathers, of their winding about her to pull her closer. Her eyelids hood, half-closed in memory and in thought before she shakes herself out of it. "I want to shove him into the bay," she mutters. "...Then you will see what sort of a chest he has! Do you want to go and do that, Lee?"

     An adventure! Aureliana's eyes light up as you make your suggestion. "I would love to meet him! I should meet him, do you not think? I am, after all, your confidante cousin. Will we have to sneak out?" The prospect of that is almost more than she can take. It's a double adventure! "Let's," she says most enthusiastically as she takes you by the hand, squeezing it gently.
     Winding her arm in yours, she walks with you to your chamber, leaving the view of the piers -- and your far off islands! -- behind. "What is a houri?" She delighted in your wild blush to think of spying on your would-be lover. The sneak in her -- your partner in crime, ever -- adores the thought of it. Not that she wants to peek so much, mind you. But she would love to hear all the gossip! "And we will see if we can get one of his shirts," she whispers gaily.
     She calms herself and straightens, looking the mature married woman she is supposed to be -- Duchess Aureliana. She smoothes out the fabric of her dress, fixing he ribbon around her waist that secures the bodice of her gown. "Shall we walk to the markets, cousin?" she says for the benefit of any other who might be passing by.

     "It is some kind of angel, I think. I do not know entirely - but they say that his mother is of heaven's kingdom," Maria explains, looking pensive. It is quite the tough act to follow. She is no kind of angel. "Oh, yes, the markets," she answers you loudly, arm in arm with you. "After all, I do wish to shop for amethysts. We will see if the traders have brought anything interesting."
     In a quieter voice, she turns to you - a whisper, to throw off eavesdroppers - "I believe we can get out of the castle without difficulty. What will be harder is getting down to the docks - father no doubt has someone watching," she knows her father that well at least, "and if they see us, even together, approaching the ships..."
     She frowns. This is so difficult! And then, she has an idea. You see it the moment it appears. She moves hastily to her desk, taking paper and peacock quill, and she begins to write with a flourishing, fine hand.
     Prince Gruffydd, my dear friend and cousin, the Duchess Aureliana and I, would both very much like to visit you. The difficulty, of course, is in that we are likely to be watched, and there is no real way for us to sneak on board past the watchers. But if you could arrange a diversion...

     The peacock quill needs no ink. It creates its own. And the feather is as warm as if it were still attached to his wing. Did he pluck it out just for you? As soon as you script your last word, you feel something like the stroke of fingers against your skin, only its from beneath you skin. And in the heart and soul of your ears: Of course, princess. Consider it done. I believe I have the perfect decoy. I can't wait to see you.
     At the docks, the veiled figure of the crown prince, the ship's tall captain, appears on the deck of The Draigamor. He checks a note held in his hand and, looking left and looking right, disembarks. He seems to be walking with a purpose toward the marketplace when he turns to look hither and yon once more. To see if he is being followed. And then he detours! Turning to head toward Maria's favorite caves -- the low end of the marketplace. A clandestine rendezvous!
     The king's watchers take the bait and give chase...
     Do not knock on my door. Simply come in. I will be there waiting for you. Quickly now... your father's men are following my decoy to the marketplace...
     Arm in arm with you, Aureliana motions toward the side door. "This way... I do not think we will be seen and stopped by your mother if we take the servants' exit..."

     She is blushing already, for the thought; the touch; the intimacy as well as the sheer naughtiness of it all. "He has set up a diversion," she whispers to you. "Yes, the servants' exit! A wonderful idea!" Maria is hurrying now, arm in arm with you but lengthening her stride. She is eager to see her lover, even if he hasn't become her lover.
     The king's watchers have no idea of the chase they are in for...
     Maria's cheeks glow with eagerness and triumph. Anna is still secreted with Fiona - somewhere. Paperwork, no doubt, is being drawn up for the High King's approval...

     The trip to the ship has been eventful - involving a certain amount of sneaking, a fair amount of ducking, and some quiet but hysterical giggling. It is eventually reached, and the two young ladies hurry up the gangplank, all but fleeing to the master cabin. Their footsteps rap soft on the deck, the sound of their quiet chatter and laughter carrying over the water.
     Really, they're much better at sneaking when not together...
     And then a hand is on the door of the cabin, footsteps moving down the steps, and there is the light tapping. Please, sir, may we enter? the tap says - but it ends on another trill of lady's laughter. Lee receives a grey-eyed glance, storming with anticipation.
     "I almost don't want to knock," she whispers - and Maria pushes the door open without waiting for a response. Will you be ready? Will you be shirtless?
     Or will you simply be who and what you are...
     (That's really quite enough for Maria...)

     It was like a trip back through time, and not even to the distant past... just last summer, when you and Aureliana were still considered girls. She was your accomplice sneaking to the water caves and playing shell games with merfolk. She is wide-eyed, grinning, and breathless from running and laughing. Aureliana giggles as you whisper, a hand lifting to her mouth. "Let's not and see!"
     The door is unlocked and as you push, it easily gives way...

     It is as if he has been waiting all day. Down the spiral stairs from the deck to the main floor of his living room -- soon to be your own! -- the several small round tables are decked in lovely clothes and crammed and crowded with the most delicious assortment of food to be found in any kingdom. Along with thumb-print scones and buns, there is an assortment of fruit -- apricots, dates and figs -- and jars full of honey with the comb still in.
     The doors that were closed on Maria's first visit to this chamber are opened -- a large bath revealed in one and a lavish bedroom in the other. And then suddenly there he is, the crown prince himself, pausing at his bedroom's door and peering out. "I wasn't sure you were going to make it. I could hear you giggling before you hit the pier."
     He is clothed. Today it is in an assortment of grey but in the same strange cut of clothes as worn the day before... wholly unlike anyone else in the kingdom to be sure. He wears a purplish grey jacket over a soft heather grey shirt. The shirt is a simple pull over and rests against his form. The trousers are a darker grey, almost to charcoal. The color comes in the dazzle of his eyes, a shock of periwinkle and lavender that is echoed in the scarf around his neck.
     There is a glance for the other girl -- a recognition that he's not yet made her acquaintance -- but then his attention is squarely on the periwinkle-dotted princess. He comes to stand before the girls, meeting them at the stairs. "I like the flowers," he says to Maria. The look he gives to Aureliana is apologetic -- pardon me for my rudeness -- as he bends to welcome Maria with a warm and unapologetic kiss. It is not a peck on the cheek or the lips but a sweeping, grand thing, complete with the enfolding of his arms around her and a playful lifting off her feet from the floor.

     Aureliana puts both hands to her mouth to hide her delight and to stop the squeal she'd like to give!

     As Gruffydd sets Maria back upon her feet, upon the floor, he parts from the kiss with a winking tug. "Your father's been trailing me all day," he murmurs. "I didn't think I was going to get to kiss you." Looking again to Aureliana, he smiles and offers his hand. "My lady, pardon my shocking boldness. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Prince Gruffydd. I'm guessing you are the cousin Maria likes. There is food and drink. After running from the palace you must be hungry and thirsty... please..." Help yourselves.

     Maria looks to you, for you, the moment she enters. The surroundings are noted, but much less interesting to her than are you. When you step out, her eyes, her entire face lights up - there is a step in your direction which she isn't aware of taking. She retorts, "You must have exceptionally sharp ears, then, your highness, to hear us as well as that. We made it, of course. Give us a little credit!" There is no sting in the words, just sass and spirit, and the smile you receive is radiant.
     Her heart in her eyes, it is becoming yours more every passing day...
     You sweep her off her feet, and her eyes widen, her arms going round your neck with an emphatic force and a happy sigh. It is unexpected - but not unwelcomed. When you put her down, her hair has shed at least two of its ribbons despite Aureliana's efforts, and her cheeks and lips are both blushed with vigor.
     "Your highness," Maria licks her lips, doing her best to act as if nothing has just happened (though her face and her hair both tell the lie of that!), "this is my cousin, the Lady Aureliana. She is Duchess d'Agostino, lady wife to Duke Edmund of the Rolling Hills."
     Introductions first. She has eyes only for you. Food? She will feast upon the fruits of love. Until her stomach growls, anyway.

     An arm around his girl, his hand held out to Aureliana, Gruffydd looks to the duchess. He lifts her hand to his mouth and kisses it in customary greeting. "Lady Aureliana, a pleasure," he quietly repeats and he smiles. "Thank you for accompanying Maria." Now, all eyes are for her, and both hands and eyes are focused solely on her. "I should not have seen her until dinner, otherwise."

     Aureliena curtseys to the crown prince as she is returned her hand. But she doesn't wait for him to look to her again. She can clearly see that's not going to happen any time soon. In fact, she does not want to interrupt the lovers. Ever the romantic, she is thrilled to see them kiss again. And I helped make this beautiful moment!

     A hand on Maria's face, a gentle touch to her cheek, Gruffydd bends again, kissing her sweetly. "I have missed you. I have been thinking of you," he murmurs to his darling girl in between his lips' embrace. Halting the kisses, not for Propriety's sake, he plucks one of the periwinkles from your hair. The flower is touched and dragged against your cheek to his smile, and along the side of your neck. "Thank you, cousin," he says to Aureliana, but his voice is soft, as if in murmured affections to his love.
     "When tomorrow you hear gossip of my being in the ... greeting houses of the lower market, do remember it was my decoy. I wasn't sure your father's men were going to buy it. But I give you your due and full credit. You sneak with real distinction, cariad." Gruffydd grins to you, his eyes following the tracing of the flower petals from the side of your neck to the hollow of your throat. Your cousin is a sweet accomplice. His voice drums within you as he lets the periwinkle flower drift downward to the rise of your chest. It is taking all of my courtesy not to usher you into my room and let her stand guard while I send your blossoms scattering.
     "I should be polite," he notes with a dimpled smile as he kisses you again, and again. He drops the flower to let it fall where it will, his arms surrounding you in a warm embrace.

     Aureliana doesn't mind in the slightest. A fig in her mouth, she is already sneaking toward the prince's chamber. While he is so distracted, she might as well try her hand at thievery!

     There is a soft murmur from Maria - not of protest, but of words jumbling together in greeting, introduction, explanation, endearment. Her eyes are on you, still, not having once looked away. One small hand steals to your wrist, the other to your chest, fingers drifting and settling. Her heart thumps mightily, drumming with it all, until she fears she might swoon. That snaps her out of it better than anything other than a bucket of cold water. Imagine. Her. Princess Maria, swooning over a mere prince.
     Her eyes are filled with that blossoming love, grey crystallized emotion as endless as winter skies preparing to blanket the world. Aureliana? Aureliana who? You are not quite forgotten, but it is close. "I won't pay it any mind. My cousins are the only ones who'd try to throw it in my face," Maria tells you, leaning in and dropping her chin. She inhales your scent, and quivers with it, young flesh and desire made one. "Though hopefully James doesn't hear of it. He might think he has to challenge you."
     There is at first no word for your internal voice, moving beneath her skin. You bend to kiss her again, and she looks up to you, lips parting as the dark sweep of her eyelashes come down, and she answers you within herself with a sudden explosion of internal force. It is emotion making itself known; force and feeling, heart and mind hurtling towards you as much as her body is already in your arms.
     I love you. I love you. I love you, even if you are a crown prince...

     You are lifted again in arms strong, your body held against his so solid. The jacket and the shirt are both soft, but they overlie musculature honed by sea and surf and steel. Your parted lips are parted widely and warmly, and kisses that hinted at fullness in broom closets and on sofas and in the last dreams of morning become fully expressed. The tongue that had only teased before takes now what it has wanted, and there hums between you a shared soft sound and deep of pure (and impure) enjoyment.
     Oh yes, if there weren't families and kingdoms and honor between us, I would lay you down right here and now...
     And I love you, Maria. Your emotion is answered softly and confidently. It rings with the harmonics of plain truth. Gruffydd carries you, holding you, kissing you into the chamber and toward the food and sofas. He suckles on your lips, your tongue, nibbling even now and then, and he smiles at you, his smile becoming an embrace of its own. I love you, sweet girl. My little apple. I would dust you with cinnamon and sugar if I could. And the way he thinks it, feels it, there is the knowledge that if he has his way he one day shall.
     He sits with you upon the sofa, sits with you, holding you, his face turned to you for the small, echoing kisses he knows will follow. His dark hair moves against the red silk of the sofas cushions as he leans his head there. His fingers lightly brush your blushing cheek, and then reaches around you to undo your hair. "I like it unbound, wild and free," he says. "It is who you are. It is how you laugh." He grins. "It is how you kiss."

     Behind the canoodling lovers, Aureliana is full of grins, and her dress is a bit fuller than it was before, not that either of you shall notice. "You have quite a lovely ship, Prince Gruffydd," she says softly, moving around the sofa to one halfway across the room. She makes light talk she doesn't anticipate shall be answered. She picks at the food that will otherwise most likely go uneaten.

     "Thank you," Gruffydd replies, but it is muffled against your neck as his mouth plays and kisses at your skin. There is the soft sound of Aureliana's giggling.

     "Don't make me get the cold water, my prince. As her chaperone-in-attendance, I do not mind you... making fair with her, but... have a care with her."

     Laughing softly, making a muffled sound in his throat, Gruffydd returns his mouth to your mouth. "I think I'm being scolded, sweet. Bad prince," his mouth parts yours widely for a claiming kiss. "Bad prince." And then, finally, he pulls away.
     He has to roll away to get a bit of cool air.

     Aureliana flushes and clears her throat. "Anyone for tea?"

     Families and kingdoms and honor and all sorts of things which seem to cease to matter, now. She moans, a sound in the back of her throat for your claiming of her mouth, and she leans in against you with arms and legs gone weak as jelly. It is good you hold her, because right now she is not holding herself. She hangs there, ripening visibly, red blushed cheeks and lips, trembling in your arms as you do things she had not yet begun to think of, to dream of. She will from now on, however.
     Her lips move to yours, echoing your kiss, belatedly trying to mimic what you have done. It is in miniscule; she is overwhelmed. If anything could straighten her wild waving locks, this might just do the trick. The remaining ribbons are easily drawn from them, leaving her hair to regain their life and vitality, almost popping audibly free as she sighs, leaning in against you with a hand stealing up to trace the contours of your face. "Nothing is as free as you are," Maria murmurs shakily. "I..."
     It is cut off by the reminder that you and she are not alone. She starts to stiffen, then gasps as you move to her neck, her eyes going closed in a rush. "Bad prince," Maria echoes, and a hand goes up to your hair, through it, grabbing a handful of ink black and tugging lightly. "Wicked prince. You should be punished for that." She stops you from pulling away, following you to nip at your ear - and then she sinks back, flushed and almost sticky-looking, like a child that's been eating jam. She licks her lips, tasting only you. "Tea. Yes. Er. Would you care to pour, Lee?" Her hands are none too steady.

     "I should be punished," he agrees quietly with a serious look. The corners of his mouth quirk up as he tries valiantly not to grin. He rolls back toward you, his arm behind you drawing you, just as his wing would, toward him to meet him. "Someday soon," Gruffydd whispers at your ear, "...I will show you how."
     As love nips and bites and kisses resume -- once started, it is nearly impossible to stop -- Gruffydd motions to Aureliana with his free hand. "There is orange blossom tea. And almond biscuits." Periwinkle eyes are intense, flickering lavender. "I could eat my weight in them just at the moment."

     Aureliana giggles quietly as she pours three cups and piles the almond cookies on a plate. She says nothing just now, not wanting to interrupt you. You and your lover should be granted the time to ... get to know one another. As long as honor is intact, what is the harm?

     Periwinkle flowers drip drop to your lap as your hair is freed of all its plaits and gathers. Gruffydd watches them fall, drip drops of color like fairy rain. They grace your skin like gentle fingers padding softly. "You have discovered the secret of the feather. One of its secrets." He smiles to Maria, bending to kiss her lips again. "Write your thoughts, and I shall hear them. Tonight... when you lie down to sleep, place the quill on your nightstand, and I will be able to write to you. That way, it is as if I am with you. As I wish to be."

     "Here is your tea," Aureliana murmurs to you both, setting one cup beside her dear Maria and the other near the prince. "It is so easy to see you love one another," she remarks. "How shall you both endure this trip on the same boat, sleeping mere feet from one another?" She giggles and settles her skirts as she gently sits.

     Dark waves of thick hair, though short, dip in the bend of his head. "I don't know," he whispers, placing a kiss upon the rise of Maria's chest. "I have no idea how I shall endure it but... that I will be made to by her majesty the Queen Mother." He smiles at that, and smiles to Maria. "I will have to put the feather quill to ...good use. That is all I know. And... dunk myself in the cold waters of the deep sea. I am the cleanest man in all the kingdoms," he says to Maria. "So frequently I have showered since making your acquaintance."

     She blushes at the whisper, her hands moving to frame your face. You will educate her - she is confident in that. Aureliana is confident in that. A blind man would be confident of it, too. It emanates; resonates. Anyone in range would have no doubt of it. Her lips move to your own, with another little lover's sigh as her hair is freed to twine round your fingers.
     "I want to learn all your secrets," Maria whispers to you, against your lips, against your ear. "I want to be yours, in truth and fullness, Gruffydd. To be alone with you..."
     Alone in truth, not just moments...
     Your head dips to her chest, and Maria gasps a little, fingers dragging through your hair, down to the nape of your neck, clinging to you. She very nearly is swooning. This is more contact than she has had in her young life. "I told Lee I should push you into the bay," she whispers. "I still should. A punishment, but also so that she may see how beautiful you are."

     Aureliana giggles as se sips the tea. She blinks prettily and not-so-innocently at the suggestion of dunking the prince. A glance in his direction certainly indicates, at least to her, that he could use a bit of dunking presently. She nibbles on the cookie and is content to listen, all the while thinking of her Edmund. She will have to call him home early from his hunting excursion...

     Gruffydd grins, his caramel colored skin reddening slightly at Maria's suggestion. He glances toward her cousin, even as Maria whispers nearby. "Can she not tell already?" he teases, turning his head toward his sweetheart. He laughs quietly, exotic eyes sparkling. "If your father were not hunting for me, I should suggest it myself. Maybe we should try to sneak to the coastline behind the market and swim in the water caves before we leave."
     His full lips slide against your cheek and to your ear. "I want to show you," he breathes there. "And I want nothing more than to be alone with you. To take you in my arms and show the world to you. I want you," he breathes. "Oh, if only your cousin would take pity on us. I would show such things to you now."

     "My, it is getting warm in here," Aureliana blithely remarks. Maybe it's from all the extra clothing she has on under her skirts. "I think I will open a window." Rising carefully and smoothing out her skirts, the duchess moves to the captain's bedroom, opening the small windows.

     "It is going to be such torture when you leave," Gruffydd notes quietly, his voice an intimate brush of warmth between you. His hands are on you, unable to keep from you. One lifts to your hair, letting it trap him thickly. He smiles, his other reaching for your hand that rests upon your skirted lap. After squeezing your fingers, he plucks one of the periwinkle petals and lifts it to your lips.
     Lashes sweeping downward as his gaze lowers to your mouth, Gruffydd outlines your petals with that of the flower. "I should not be greedy. To be honest, I am surprised I have been offered the liberty of kissing you this much without some interrupting lightning strike." He smiles as he brushes your lips with the petal then draws a line downward over your chin and then over the rise of your breasts, modestly presented -- which is to say but barely at all. "I am sure your father is soon discovering that the decoy was, in fact, not me. Come... kiss me again while we may..."
     The tea is ignored and so is Aureliana as she comes and goes most silently. His hands cradle your face to his, and his mouth parts yours sweetly but strongly. You are tasted, enjoyed as you have ever seen him enjoy his fruit and figs and dates. He teaches and he reveals, the veils to this mystery parting for you as surely as your lips beneath his. Now you have been kissed and quite thoroughly, more than a maiden should be without a promise ring.

     Aureliana walks quietly, smiling tenderly at her cousin. "It is getting late, Maria," she whispers. "I think they will be looking for us soon, if we do not show ourselves. We should leave the prince to his.... bathing." She takes a selection of fruit into a fine cloth, packing it away to enjoy on the way back.

     How I wish you could stay. His voice slides against your skin, beneath your skin as his mouth pulls from your mouth and nuzzles the side of your neck. Sweet love, I shall miss you. But when I see you at dinner, I will think of this and smile. I will want to eat from your fork, drink from your glass, and hold your body to mine. And you... will you think of me, too? The last is a tease, surely...

     Kisses lead to kisses, and lead to a parting of lips; lead to reactions, and such thoughts as a maiden should not have... or should she? Her eyes are half-open and half-closed, torn between enjoyment and the unwillingness to lift her eyes from you. her lips are bee-stung, her eyelids heavy, and the look of her is such that there can be no doubt whatsoever as to what pursuits pastoral she has visited. Even her hair seems softened by it; not tamed, but less vigorous in its wild escape.
     I love you. I will think of you. I will wait for you tonight - I will wait for you forever. Do not break my heart, Gruffydd, that is all I ask. I think I would die...
     It is every maiden girl's ache, in the newness of first love; how sweet that pain, the thought of losing that love! It goes hand in hand with it, as bows on kittens and stars at midnight. She squeezes your hand abruptly, shuddering as Aureliana gives her warning. "I ... yes. We should go," she murmurs, but her eyes cleave to you, implore you not to let her go. "Before someone notices. Before we are caught."
     She has almost forgotten that there is a world out there. She looks at you, ripening before your eyes, maidenhood worn as the dusky promise of womanhood to come.

     Yes, and it is a world of angry fathers and worried brothers; of hawk-eyed grandmothers and meddlesome cousins. The kissing halts and you are soon to rise, but by his look he would keep you here if only he could. Gruffydd starts to let you rise, and then, hand on your waist, he draws you in for the last suckling kiss. Parting could take a while at this rate. His lips, his teeth tug upon your own, and his words are interrupted, low moans. "Can... getting ...caught... be ...so.. horrible?" You are pulled to him, on his lap. You meet the strength of his chest as you are folded in strong arms. And you feel for the first time the strength of his thighs. "I will have to swim until dinner," Gruffydd speaks at your mouth, your neck. "In the coldest water I can find."
     But he is going to make sure that he is not alone in that. His hands guide you gently into an arch, allowing the heat of his mouth to find the softness of your decolletage. His tongue dips quickly to tickle between and then he straightens, groaning into a kiss. "God help me," he chuckles helplessly.

     "It looks like God is going to need a little help!" Aureliana giggles. Her hands come upon her cousins shoulders to help break the spell. "Bad prince," she whispers, tsking to him, winking. "Come, cousin," she murmurs gently to Maria, all but peeling her off of him. "I don't know how we are going to sneak back..."

     Gruffydd sighs, closing his eyes as he gives his weight, considerable as it is, to the back of the sofa. "I'll try to come up with a diversion." He rises, drawing his jacket to a close and buttoning it to preserve what remains of Maria's maiden senses (Aureliana isn't fooled of course!)
     Snapping his fingers, he becomes a bird of paradise with brilliant blue and green and violet plumage. He takes to the air in a spectacle of flight and lands momentarily on the golden railing. I love you, my little apple. I would not break your heart for all the world. Now... go with the memory of my mouth and with the knowledge of my adoration. I will see you for dinner.
     With the flapping of his brilliant wings, the bird of paradise flies through the bedroom door and through the windows opened by Aureliana before. The bird circles over the market and lands not far from where a gathering of the king's spies stand. What? I thought the prince was in the brothel! No! There he is!

     Aureliana takes your hand upon the deck of The Draigamor and she smiles as you and she sneak down the gangplank. "He is beautiful and he loves you," she whispers. "Oh, my sweet cousin. I think you are to be a queen! And he is wicked," she giggles. "Now... we must discuss your wedding night. There's something you need to be prepared to handle..."

     You pull her down and to you, and she is compliant, bending like a reed to your longing and your strength. She gasps softly, and it becomes an ardent moan. Such tortures you put her through. Her fists are buried in your hair, tugging not to pull you away but in girlish eagerness and quivering desire. It is only when Aureliana touches her from behind that she jumps, letting out a little squeak.
     She is flustered; she is flummoxed. And the looks she gives you tell you louder than any words as to how distrait you have her. I love you. I love you, my beautiful prince. I do not know how I will survive being apart from you. I love you...
     She is not a poet, but she is in love - deeply, fully, mooning for you as much as any girl ever has any boy, whether her own or no. She turns to follow her cousin with shaken countenance, the bright, happy eyes and dazed expression betraying her as much as missing hair ribbons and the flush of aroused passions. Maria glances to her cousin, and blushes, lowering her gaze to the gangplank. "Let's get back," she manages. "I don't suppose you could arrange to shove my by accident into the duck pond on the way back?"

     Aureliana laughs warmly with delight and loops her arm in yours. "I can more than arrange that, cousin. In fact, it will be a terrible accident. Slippery rocks and all. And what do you know, we both spilled in. Yes, we'll have to head to our room straight away!" She is your partner in crime, now more than ever.
     Pulling you to her sweetly, she lowers her voice to a whisper as you and she duck behind a moving hay cart to avoid being spotted by your father's guards: "I know it will embarrass you, cousin. But... I'm going to instruct you in a practice that will help you in this, your hour of tremendous need. If you are going to woo this prince, I fear such secret practices will be a necessity. You will certainly need it come your wedding night. I did not need to see your prince in the bath to know what's in store for you."
     The castle is ahead, and so too your destiny. She could not be happier for you. So her hug tells you. "Now, we'll fall into the pond and excuse ourselves, yes? And I will tell you all you need to know to get through tonight's dinner and all the tomorrows until you can be in your prince's arms without meddlesome chaperones..."

Posted by rowan at July 09, 2008 01:07 AM