Diamond Elf - Chapters 12 + 13

Chapter 12

Chelindra patiently waited at the site of the main ambush. She was certain that the enemy’s main army would come through here, but she had several other ambushes set up anywhere else parts of the army may go. Their goal was first and foremost to defend their borders, but she knew that they would need some serious good luck to withstand the Emperor’s army for long.

She knew that the Emperor had access to many thousand more soldiers than King Collin did. Eventually, the enemy would wear down her army, and cross the border, but if she could manage to surprise the enemy, ambush and kill them when they weren’t expecting it, they might stand a chance.

She had to wait a whole day longer than she expected them to take, but finally, they arrived. She led her soldiers onto the field, praying that most of them would live. She was tired of winning the battles at the expense of her soldiers’ lives.

*******

Gabriel scrutinized the meat pie in his hand. It smelled and tasted great, but he could not find the appetite to eat it. Even so, he forced himself to take another bite.

He followed a party of soldiers who were taking some laundry to a nearby river to wash it. They had asked him to join them as a lookout, and he had agreed mostly because his tasks were done for the moment, and he wanted to keep his mind off Chelindra. He heard a soldier grumble about how his rations had not filled him as they passed, and handed the complainer his mostly uneaten pie.

The party arrived at their destination, and Gabriel was asked to keep watch from the top of a tree, but since he could not climb, they had him sit on a large protruding rock that gave him a good view of any and all traffic on the river. Of course, it made him a good target too, but no body expected a problem to arise.

He didn’t realize that he was moping, but the soldiers washing the laundry did. They began a steady stream of chatter – raunchy banter and tall tales – that kept him amused. With his mind off his lover, he was able to concentrate on his task.

An hour later, the group had washed half the laundry, and Gabriel noticed that there were three ships making their way up the river.

“Look,” he pointed them out.

“They bear King Collin’s army insignia. They are probably supply ships,” a soldier remarked.

The ships passed them slowly enough that several of the crew were able to trade good-natured insults with the laundry washers. One man sneered at everyone, but no one paid him any mind. He was wearing shackles, and chained to the deck, so everyone knew he must be a prisoner of war.

The dirty, straggly prisoner spotted Gabriel sitting on his rock, and stared at him in a way that made his skin crawl. He didn’t recognize him, but Gabriel felt as if he should know the man.

Some speculated on whether they were going to house the prisoner, but most agreed that they did not have the basic necessities to secure a prisoner. After that, everyone wondered who he was, and why he was given such special treatment.

Two of the ships did stop at their base, but the ship with the prisoner continued on its way, and Gabriel suddenly remembered something that made his skin crawl even more. The very first man who had sodomized him was one of the Emperor’s lovers, the only one who was male. That man had been captured during an attempted siege about two years ago, and was probably the prisoner who had just sailed by.

Gabriel shivered, and closed his eyes. Memories flooded him. He vividly relived every moment of that first time. The man daring him to resist, tapping his own hand with a whip in anticipation. Being forced to suck on his tormentor’s thick member. The man’s laughter as he encouraged Gabriel to cry. Even after he had finished with Gabriel, there had been blood to clean up, and pain that took a few days to fade. The memories probably never would.

Gabriel faced away from the group, and forced himself to remain silent as tears streamed down his cheeks. To all appearances, he was busy keeping watch. In reality, he was reliving nightmares, and falling apart.

Ten minutes later, the tears had stopped, but Gabriel was sure they would start again if he opened his eyes. A runner approached.

“I was sent to find the CCO!” The runner announced.

“Is it urgent?” A guard asked.

“Not terribly,” the runner replied with a shrug. “They just want his help with the new supplies.”

“We’ll be finished here in a few minutes. Tell them he’ll get there as soon as he can,” the guard ordered.

The runner saluted and ran off. Gabriel thought about this. Technically, he was a senior officer, which mean that he outranked everyone in this group, but he was also not a soldier, which meant that he didn’t have the experience to actually command them. Therefore, the guard, who was in charge of the group, was both within and not within his rights to issue commands on Gabriel's behalf. Gabriel wondered how he should handle this.

The guard came up to him, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you better now?” He whispered.

Gabriel took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. “How did you know?”

“You are not the only one who has to deal with sudden unpleasant memories. Mine involve watching my wife die. I can recognize the signs of trying to suffer in silence.”

Gabriel nodded, it made too much sense not to be true.

“Sharing the burden can make it easier to bear,” The guard offered in sympathy.

“I was a slave… I had to allow men to use my body… I think that prisoner was one of them,” Gabriel admitted. Both men were trying hard to speak quietly, but the washers had gone silent as they packed up the clean wet laundry. As a result, they all heard Gabriel, and stared at him in silent shock. They knew women slaves often had to accommodate their master’s lust, but they had no idea that male slaves had to as well. They quietly turned their heads away, and finished their work.

The guard in charge looked their way, and noticed they were ready to go. He held a hand out to help Gabriel up, and then ordered everyone to march back to base. The soldiers returned to their previous lighthearted banter in an effort to banish Gabriel's painful memories. It worked, and Gabriel silently thanked them.

*******

Chelindra’s ambush was a success, and there were only minimal losses. She waited to hear word from the other ambush units.

As she waited, she helped tend to the wounded until Randy dragged her away to get some rest and something to eat. They settled into Chelindra’s small backup tent, which was only big enough for a cot and a small table with two chairs. He massaged the tension from her shoulders as she ate.

“It’s not going to work, you know,” she informed him. He stiffened. “I’m not going to lust after you just because you touch me tenderly.”

“I…” Randy stammered. “I hadn’t meant… It wasn’t my intention to.”

“I’m sorry,” Chelindra apologized. “That was wrong of me. It’s just that you’ve been so moody lately…”

Randy removed his hands from her, and sat next to her. “I can’t help it, when I picture his hands on you, I just want to kill someone!”

“Lucky we are fighting a war then,” Chelindra remarked.

Randy chuckled.

Chelindra sighed, and informed him seriously, “Just as you can not help how you feel, I can not help loving him so strongly that my heart aches every moment that we are apart. When I think of his hands on me, I just want to abandon my duties, and rush back to him.”

“I figured,” Randy admitted. “In all the years I have known you, I’ve never once seen you express any emotion but confidence. I’ve never heard you make any sounds but those required to make your point. You never lose your calm or cry out, not even in the midst of battle. That’s what I love the most about you, but he…” Randy bit his tongue.

“Yes, I know,” Chelindra grinned.

“Just who is your father anyway? I know he’s not an Armintan noble, I would have known you growing up if he was.” Randy had been trying to figure this out for days.

Chelindra shrugged. “My father’s dead.”

“Good, then he’s not around to dictate who you marry,” Randy blurted, then flushed. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.

“I know. In truth I am the daughter of –“ Chelindra saw Randy stare at something in alarm, and turned to look at it. It was a shimmering portal through which her brother stepped.

“Chehiro!” Chelindra rushed to him. Her husband stepped through the portal as one of the King’s bodyguards. “Is something wrong? It’s barely been two weeks since I last saw you.”

“Chelindra… our sister has died.”

“Oh Chandra,” Chelindra replied with a bit more emotion than elves normally showed, but for the circumstance, it was warranted.

“Your Highness,” Aeryc gave Chelindra a brief bow. “It is my hope that you make time to stay for a few days when you come to attend the funereal.”

“A few days?” Chelindra asked. “I… This is not a good time to stay away for a few days. My ambush was successful, but only at driving the enemy away for today. They may well return tomorrow or the next day.”

“Is it so much to ask to spend time with my wife?” Aeryc pressed.

Chelindra sighed. “No, and if I weren’t so busy, I’d agree.”

“So you say,” Aeryc shrugged.

“I also wish you to spend a few days, Chelindra,” Chehiro added. “I have many things I would like to discuss with you.”

“I am not just making excuses!” Chelindra stated in near frustration. “If I do not defend the border now, all the progress I have made will be lost!”

“I understand that, but this is important Chelindra.”

“You’re Majesty,” the other Elven bodyguard interrupted. “I keeping hearing noises I do not like. Perhaps we should return to the Elven Realm.”

Chelindra cocked her head to the side; she heard the noises too. “Yes, go! It’s not safe here. I’ll come as soon as I can.”

“The funeral is in two days. If you have not come by then –“

“If I haven’t come it means that I am tied up in battle! We are being attacked as we speak, you must go!” No way in hell did Chelindra want to inherit the throne due to him dying in an attack on her.

“Sire!” The bodyguard insisted. It was obvious by now that an attack was underway, and that most of Chelindra’s ambush unit was busy fighting it off. The Elven King and his bodyguards stepped back into their portal.

Chelindra turned to find Randy staring at the portal. “We have an attack to defend against!”

“Right,” Randy shook off his shock at seeing a trio of Elves appear and disappear out of nowhere. Together, they ran to command their soldiers.

Chapter 13

“It’s about time you rescued me.”

“My apologies, none of our spies could uncover your location until you were spotted aboard that ship.” The rescuer pointed to the burning wreck of a supply ship.

“No matter,” the filth-laden ex-prisoner stated. “I have found someone that the Emperor will be very interested in recovering. I need you and your men to help me capture him.”

The rescuer was an ambitious man working his way up in the Emperor’s army, and the thought of the reward the Emperor would bestow on him for not only rescuing the Emperor’s favorite lover, but also aiding in the capture of someone important to him… Well, the thought was dizzying.

“Anything you need.”

*******

“I know you haven’t eaten anything at all today!”

Gabriel stared at the female attendant who had decided to be his guardian in Chelindra’s absence. She was annoying, but she was right. He sighed. “What’s your name again?”

“Candace,” she stated, pushing his plate a tiny bit closer to him.

“Thank you, Candace, for bringing me food,” Gabriel said. He forced himself to eat a few bites.

“It’s been four days, and I don’t think you’ve eaten more than a dozen bites of food. At this rate you will fall ill and collapse. You need to maintain your strength,” Candace insisted.

“Don’t worry so much, I’ve often had to go a few days without food,” Gabriel waved her concern aside.

“I know… I was a slave once too. I know how thoughtless and cruel masters can be,” she admitted.

Gabriel suddenly found his appetite; apparently talking helped. He ate a few more bites. “How long was the longest you went without food?”

“A week; you?”

“The same,” Gabriel replied.

“Did you ever get locked in a closet as punishment?” Candace asked.

“Yes… What were you punished for?”

“I was made a slave at age 9, and I was very willful. For the first three years, my master would beat me and lock me in a closet as punishment anytime I disobeyed. I stubbornly insisted that no matter how much pain he inflicted on me I was never going to stop, and then I experienced my first monthly. After that he raped me rather than lock me up, and I stopped disobeying. Of course, he didn’t stop raping me, but I didn’t dare risk bringing that upon myself. I took to hiding whenever possible,” Candace confided.

“I’m not surprised. My master never beat me, and thankfully he didn’t rape me, but he did allow others to do so,” Gabriel confessed.

“How old were you the first time?” Candace wondered.

“I don’t know… 13? 14?” Gabriel shrugged, and was surprised to find his plate was empty.

“Thank the Gods for Chelindra!” Candace praised, and Gabriel knew that she meant that Chelindra had rescued her too. He nodded in agreement.

“As much as I am glad to see you clean your plate, I have to go now. I should not have stayed so long as it is. I hope you will consider me a friend that you can come to whenever you need to talk, especially about your past as a slave.”

Gabriel nodded. “Thank you, Candace.”

Candace stood to leave, and fell. At first, Gabriel thought she had simply tripped, but when she didn’t move or make any noise, he looked at her more closely. She had a small thick dart protruding from the back of her neck, and her eyes were wide open but unfocused.

Gabriel was torn between trying to help her, and looking around to see what had likely killed her. He suddenly knew that he was in grave danger. He felt a sting, and pulled a tiny dart out of his own neck. It was miniscule compared to the one in Candace’s neck, and he felt the world spin as it went dark.

“You are certain he is not dead?” The Emperor’s lover asked.

“Absolutely,” his cohort responded.

“Good, you can kill the woman.”

“That would be a waste of a perfectly good woman, and my men haven’t had any release in far too long.”

“I don’t care what you do with her as long as she doesn’t impede our escape.”

“She won’t.”

*******

“Are you hurt?” Chelindra asked Randy as she helped him up.

“I don’t think so; I think I was simply hit over the head.”

“Thank the Gods!” Chelindra sighed in relief.

“So much for ambushing the enemy! They hit us twice as hard, and I’ll bet they are halfway to our main camp by now,” Randy sighed in hopeless defeat.

“No, I made sure of that,” Chelindra ground out menacingly.

“How many of our men survived?” Randy asked.

“Surprisingly, most of them. I think the enemy was hoping to knock us all out and move on to our main camp. Perhaps they considered us too small and pathetic a unit to bother with,” Chelindra offered her opinion. “Though they did take their time about it.”

“I think they simply wanted to get a unit in front of us so that they could take the main camp while a following unit dealt with us… Or perhaps this was a distraction to occupy us as a larger unit circles around us,” Randy theorized.

“That still doesn’t explain their sudden change of tactics,” Chelindra mused. “In any case, I think it would be best if you led our men back to the main camp. I need to…”

Randy took her by the arm and dragged her to the relative privacy of her small back up tent. “I wasn’t just imagining it? There really was a trio of elves here… yesterday?” Randy accurately guessed at how long ago the attack had begun.

“Yes, there really was,” Chelindra confirmed.

“I remember something about a sister dying and one of them called you his wife.” Randy’s expression turned dark as he uttered the last word.

“Yes, my brother and husband were both here to tell me that my sister has died. I need to attend her funeral, but while I am gone, I will have the ability to study the enemy’s position and possible tactics.”

“So that’s how you – wait! Does that mean that Gabriel was with you – “ Randy shook his head, pushing his jealousy to the back of his mind. “So… you are an elf?”

“Yes; my father was the previous King, and now my brother is the King of the Elven Realm… I am his sole heir…” Chelindra informed her longtime trusted Second in Command. She forced some of her hair behind her ear for a moment.

“I see… that’s why you said couldn’t marry anyone – except you are married – “ he sighed in frustration.

“It’s also why I didn’t encourage you when I first suspected that you had feelings of a romantic nature towards me. I knew that I would need to marry the Elf chosen for me. My husband is fated to take an active role in the Elven government, and was chosen very carefully,” Chelindra explained more than was necessary.

Randy nodded in understanding. He was actually the heir to a Duke himself, and if Chelindra wasn’t the greatest General Arminta had ever seen, there’s no way his family would allow him to marry someone like her, since she was a commoner as far as they were concerned. He was supposed to marry a suitable bride, and only his duty as Second in Command had given him an excuse to delay starting a family.

“I have to go,” Chelindra stated. “Tell the men that I am out scouting, as it will be half true anyway.”

Randy nodded, thinking about letting his mother finally find him a bride when he returned from this tour of duty.

“Please leave,” Chelindra commended gently. She didn’t want him to see her create the magical doorway. He nodded reluctantly, and turned to leave then stopped.

“One last time,” he decided aloud, turned, gathered her in his arms, and gave her a kiss that should have made her knees go weak. In truth, when she thought of this as a kiss between friends it was rather nice, but nothing like Gabriel’s kisses.

He let her go, wondering what she would have done had he kissed her years ago rather than waiting for her to show interest in him. She may have allowed him to be her lover, but he would never know now. He held her for a moment, putting her and all of his feelings for her into a mental compartment to store in the back of his mind. Once that was accomplished, he left.

Chelindra was saddened to see her dear friend suffer because of her, but she could not do anything for him. Instead, she focused on creating an opening to the Elven Realm.

She had her innate Elven gifts, of course, but she also inherited a good deal of magic from her Sorceress mother. She had never had anyone to teach her to use the human magic, and as a result even her Elven magic was hard to control and unpredictable. She avoided using any magic whenever possible because she didn’t want to think of what could happen if she did.

She pictured the magical doorways she had seen her brother create recently, and tried to create an identical one. The last and only doorway had been rather wild and fiery. Closing her eyes, she willed a doorway into existence, feeling her hair blow wildly in a sudden magical wind. When she was sure the door was ready, she opened her eyes to look at it.

“Grr…” she growled softly in annoyance. Sure enough, her doorway looked as if it were an ovular wall of fire. She could see Chandra’s body on the other side, so she knew she had willed the door to take her to her sister, even so, it took her a moment to gather the motivation to go through it.

A deep breath, three steps, and she was through the door.

Go To Chapter 14

Here I Go Again!

Last July, when it was awesomely warm out still, we liked to leave the boys window open at night. The boys took advantage of this by creating a quarter-sized or slightly bigger hole in the screen >:-( so... when Gryffin started suffering bites every night, we thought MOSQUITOES! Oh well, too bad for him, maybe he will remember not to pull the patch off the window, lol! We also wondered why the mosquitoes didn't bite Phoenix; but figured he must not be as tasty, lol.

Time went by, and eventually we had to close the windows at night. Around November, we thought it was strange that Gryffin was still getting bitten, but it wasn't too hard to imagine that there might be a few mosquitoes left hiding somewhere in our house. We looked everywhere for anything, mosquito or not, that could be causing such bites, because Gryffin was starting to look like he suffered permanent chicken pox or something. Phoenix still looked fine, but he had gotten bitten once or twice. We specifically checked their bed, because bites at night indicates that what ever it is might be hiding on or in the bed. There was nothing, nothing!

A little after that, hubby started getting bites, but not me. I wrote this off because it is a fact that mosquitoes are attracted to sugar in the blood, and it is also a fact that Gryffin and Hubby are more likely to eat sugar than me and Phoenix. It was exceedingly strange that there were still mosquitoes alive in December, but hey, the boys flood the floor in the bathroom every day, so it's possible that they were breeding in there.

More time passed, and the bites didn't really stop, but they didn't get worse either. Gryffin had bite marks, but you know what, they didn't look so bad any more, like he had finally gotten used to them, and his body wasn't reacting quite so much. We would have thought that the mosquitoes were gone, but hubby kept getting more bites. I had tiny little bumps on my one arm, but that really could have been anything. 

I started taking a flashlight into the boys room and our room at night when I went to bed so that I could look around and see if anything was out of hiding. There was nothing. I posted on my Facebook status that we must have a case of the dreaded invisible mosquitoes.

Then, our neighbor started spraying noxious substances in his apartment, and we thought Is it a meth lab? Turns out, he had them too. Now I am not really pointing fingers here, but here are the facts. We had an inspection last March, and they specifically looked for bed bugs and roaches. We had none. The bites started in the boys' room, which borders the neighbor's apartment, and took months to move to our room. The boys have NOTHING in their room. They never really have. Other than a mattress my grandma bought them new 2 years ago for Christmas, and toys. Lots and lots of plastic toys. We finally put a dresser in there about 3 months ago, and it was in our closet, having been mine since I was a baby.

During the time when these bugs - which were confirmed as bed bugs when we finally thought to check our bed after the neighbor started spraying for bed bugs - were slowly invading our apartment, we DID NOT bring anything new into our apartment. We didn't even get a couch until December, and the couch we got had been sitting in a freezing garage for a week or more. (We have since checked with official government documents, and freezing something for a week will kill all of the bugs and their eggs.)

We do NOT see how these bugs came into our home as a result of anything we did. That said, where they came from is not the issue. The fact is that we have (had) them, and we told this to our management. They came in, told us what to do, we complied, and they sprayed. We still have 2 treatments to go.

NOW, here's the part that's probably going to piss some people off. Bed bugs suck, they invade your home, infest your bed, and drink your blood, BUT they do not make you sick, and they do not hurt you. Yes, having bites all over your body is not pretty, but again, they don't hurt, and they don't make you sick. So... why they hell are bed bugs such a big deal???

My home is regularly infested with spiders, and once a year box elder bugs (shudders), lady bugs, flies, fruit flies, mosquitoes, and probably carpet beetles (which are also year round) also make their presence known, yet no one insists that we call in an exterminator for them. This is good because all of these bugs have an important role in the ecosystem. I could totally understand it if bed bugs carried disease, like tsetse flies do. HELL even mosquitoes are known to carry disease!

 Oh well, we've done our part to get rid of them, so the point is moot, but I seriously wonder...

For more information about bed bugs, see This handy guide or consult these books: The Bed Bug Book: The Complete Guide to Prevention and Extermination or The Ultimate Collection Of Tips For Wiping Out Bed Bugs Totally!: Easy Do-It-Yourself Pest Control To Kill Bed Bugs, Treat And Stop Bed Bug Infestation ... Bed Bugs From Top To Bottom, Inside And Out

Have a happy day, and please, whatever you do, don't let the bed bugs bite, lol!

Diamond Elf - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

            Gabriel’s job of Chief Coordinating Officer required him to know exactly what was going on at all times. He not only had to keep track of their supplies, including what they had, what they used, and what they needed, but he had to spend time working with all of the senior officers ensuring that they had what they needed, or allocating if they were short on something. He was an administrative clerk in the best sense of the term, and took pride in finding solutions to every problem.

What he did not expect was all of the other officers and soldiers who came to him when they needed help. Often a dispute between soldiers would be brought to him despite the fact that settling disputes was not part of his job. However, he had a knack for hearing both sides, and coming up with a fair solution. His advice was considered invaluable even though he had only been CCO for a few weeks.

He spent his midday meal breaks with whomever invited him to sit with them, and managed to keep his attention on his conversation partner rather than on Chelindra. He could feel her presence the moment she stood in line to collect her meal, and knew that she was also mingling with the soldiers.

The camp gossip still featured their relationship prominently, but now speculated on why they practically avoided each other during the day. In truth, in order to downplay the fact that they shared a bed, they minimized all unnecessary contact during “working hours.” Chelindra didn’t want people to start questioning her judgment, and whether or not Gabriel had any influence over her decisions.

In the evenings, they continued to take their relationship slowly, spending most of their time talking to each other. Chelindra wanted Gabriel to tell her all of the unpleasant details of his life as a slave as she felt that it was important for his healing process to talk about it. Gabriel wanted to know all about the various Elven customs as cultural differences had always fascinated him.

It was in the mornings, before they remembered that they wanted to take things slowly, that their passions had free reign… until their inevitable interruption and call to duty. Which meant that they still hadn’t done anything more than kiss and caress each other. Though, according to the various attendants who brought them their breakfast, they had a steamy sex life.

“According to my estimates, the enemy should be nearing our ambush sometime tomorrow or the next day, so, I am going to ride out to join my soldiers in the morning. I expect you to remain in camp,” Chelindra informed Gabriel that evening as they cuddled in bed.

“I know,” Gabriel acknowledged quietly.

“You’re not a soldier,” Chelindra defended her decision, “and I don’t want to risk you getting hurt.”

“I know,” Gabriel agreed, but in a way that made Chelindra feel that he was disappointed nonetheless.

She glanced at the entrance to her tent. She had instituted a curfew for her open door policy, but that would not stop her officers from coming to her tent and knocking if something important occurred. She half expected someone to come inform her that her ambush was already being deployed any moment.

Gabriel had a sudden irrational fear. He felt that once she left in the morning, he would never see her again. His fear was irrational because he was afraid that the reason he would never see her again was her death. He couldn’t bear this thought, and squeezed her tightly.

Chelindra took this as an invitation to kiss him, and was surprised that he removed her nightgown in response to her kiss. Generally, they minimized their temptation to rush things by remaining clothed. Gabriel wanted to memorize every inch of her body, taking his time to explore and caress everything.

Chelindra moaned, and let him do whatever he wanted. She arched into him as he swirled his tongue around her nipples, and gently grasped his hair in encouragement.

His hand found its way between her legs, and he wondered if elves even had female pleasure centers. She did and he stimulated it with first his thumb, and then his tongue.

Chelindra quickly covered her mouth with a pillow. Her husband had managed to make her make noises, but nothing like this need to cry and scream. She knew that everyone assumed they were doing exactly what they were, but she really didn’t want to loudly announce it for all to hear.

Gabriel had decided that if a god were to tell him right now that his fears were correct, and she really was going die tomorrow, he would regret not being intimate with her. He now saw clearly that his biggest reluctance to join with her was based on the fear that doing so would prove to be no different than his previous experiences. He also realized that he actually did consider her his owner, and probably always would. Even so, she let this important decision be his, and he had finally made it.

He shed his sleeping garment, and positioned himself to enter her. She removed the pillow from her face to stare at him in amazement.

“You’ve decided?”

He nodded, and kissed her. “Is this your decision as well?”

“Yes!” She left no doubt that she was willing and ready. He entered her with a powerful thrust, and nearly cried in relief. It felt so good to be inside her!

Chelindra wrapped her arms around his neck, and encouraged him to move in rhythm with her. They were both afraid that their long anticipation would end their lovemaking quickly, and were relieved that the opposite was true. They used each other’s mouth to muffle their gasps and moans, and took their time.

Chelindra loved every thrust, and found herself scratching Elven symbols into his back with her nails. She would have stopped if he gave the slightest indication that it hurt, but he seemed to like it, and the slight smell of his blood heightened her pleasure. She carved the symbols for protection, health, and longevity, and added prosperity. She traced these symbols on his back almost nightly, but this was the first time she had used her nails. She still had no wish to bind him to her by adding the symbol for love, but she couldn’t stop herself from actually writing the words “I love you” on his back in the old Elvish language. If anything, the words would bind her to him.

She knew how important her child was to the Royal line, but even so, when he filled her, she wished that she could have conceived his child instead. The irony was that everyone would assume it was his, though they both knew it was not.

They remained thoroughly entwined as they panted in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

“Mistress…” Gabriel sighed as he drifted off to sleep. Chelindra stiffened in shock. Her biggest wish was that when he joined with her, it would not cement his crazy idea that she owned him, but it seemed that it had.

“What have I done?” She asked herself softly. She knew that he was mentally fragile from his slavery, but made him dependant on her anyway. This truly was all her fault for not letting her officers drag him to his own bed that first night he shared her tent. Worse! If she tried to correct things now, she would only damage him more!

She hugged him tightly to her, and allowed a couple of tears to escape her eyes. She gradually relaxed and succumbed to the peace of sleep.

*******

It was still dark the next morning when Gabriel awoke. Chelindra had her arms and legs around him in a way that he couldn’t escape, but he didn’t mind. His right arm was numb under her from the pressure of her weight, and he knew that it would tingle and sting painfully when she moved.

He licked her lips a couple of times, and kneaded her behind with his free hand. At first, it was like massaging a rock - not very effective - but soon she “melted” and began to groan. She ran her hand up and down his back, and encouraged him to kiss her again.

They kissed and explored each other’s body for several long minutes, progressing to the point where he slid inside her without even thinking about it, and she shifted to give him better access. Just one touch from his hand was enough to make her mind completely lose concentration, and she was extremely glad they were not likely to be attacked at this moment. If they were attacked, there’s no way she’d notice until it was too late… for him.

This morning was all about hot and heavy. They had taken all the time they wanted last night, but somewhere in the back of their minds they knew they were likely to be interrupted at any moment. Gabriel tried to roll on top of her, but his numb arm couldn’t support his weight, and so she rolled them until she was on top of him.

They both grunted with the pleasure, and tried to be quiet as they made primal noises. They ground their hips together as hard as they could, and Gabriel dug his fingers into her hips.

There came a short knock, probably to announce the arrival of an attendant with breakfast, and something about the interruption set them both off. Chelindra arched her back, and cried out in release as Gabriel grunted, a signal that his own juices were flowing. Chelindra collapsed atop him, and both panted heavily.

There was a sigh. Odd… the attendant usually just sets breakfast on the table and leaves. Chelindra thought.

“I know you are occupied, but you are the one who told me to come get you at first light,” Randy stated.

“Yes,” Chelindra panted in agreement. “Just give me two minutes of privacy.”

Randy turned to leave, and bumped into the attendant bringing a small pack of food for the General, and a tray for Gabriel.

“Sorry,” the attendant apologized, a blush coloring her cheeks. She watched the Colonel leave the tent, and then muttered, “At least I had the courtesy to wait until they were done.” It was the same attendant who had brought Gabriel food during Chelindra’s absence.

Chelindra purposely hadn’t forbidden the attendants from bringing her breakfast because she knew that the interruption was the most effective way to force her brain back into General mode, but now that she thought about it, it did seem that they were trying to wait until the couple had finished. They never really made any noise, at least she didn’t think they made much noise, so the attendants never knew what to expect. This morning must have been an exception, or else perhaps the attendant had taken a quick peek.

“As long as you are here, please hand me a small cloth.” Chelindra pointed to a small wooden box atop a pile of other things. It contained several absorbent cloths that Chelindra kept on hand for those times when she menstruated. The attendant blushed, and did as asked, keeping her eyes from staring at the couple.

“Thank you, hand me my clothes.” Chelindra indicated the outfit she had laid out the previous evening. The attendant turned to do as ordered, and Chelindra took the opportunity to slide her womanly sheath off of her lover’s sword, and wipe the excess juices from between her legs. She tossed the cloth over Gabriel to cover his still half erect anatomy just as the attendant turned to face them again.

Gabriel blushed, but ultimately a slave was taught to have no modesty. He figured that if his mistress wanted him to cover up, she would have ordered him to do so. Not receiving such an order, combined with her action, meant that she did not want him covered.

Wait, I’m not a slave anymore. I decide if I want to be covered or not. He reminded himself. The problem was that he felt lethargic, like he needed a nap.

Chelindra was dressed in no time, and Gabriel accepted a robe from the attendant. He stood, donned the robe, and gathered her in his arms before she could escape the tent.

“Please take care of yourself,” he begged as he squeezed her tight.

Chelindra laughed, and whispered in his ear, “Impenetrable Elven Princess, remember?”

“Even so,” Gabriel insisted.

Chelindra kissed him, and may have continued to do so for quite some time had Randy not chosen that moment to step back in the tent.

“Are we going?” He asked impatiently. He was perilously close to insubordination, and he knew it, but he was too jealous to care.

Chelindra sighed, and left with her Second in Command.

“Don’t you dare forego eating!” The attendant warned Gabriel. “Who knows how long the General will be gone, and I do not want her blaming me if you fall ill!”

Gabriel nodded sadly, and sighed. He grabbed two slices of bacon, and ate them as he dressed. Satisfied that he was following orders, the attendant left. Gabriel left the rest of the food on his plate as he left to do his job.

Go To Chapter 12+13

Diamond Elf - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Both of them had been so tired last night that they fell asleep almost immediately after returning to bed and getting comfortably entwined. Gabriel woke first, his long time routine of getting up early waking him before dawn. He allowed himself the luxury of doing nothing except hold her for at least an hour. She had one of her legs between his, and an arm under his neck. He had one arm under her shoulder, and the other rested on her hip.

He mentally reviewed all of those who had made use of his body as a slave. The first time was when he was serving a wealthy guest of his Master’s. His Master had known what was going to happen because Gabriel already knew that a slave never refused to do anything, yet his Master had specifically told him that the guest was vitally important, and that Gabriel needed to take extra good care of him.

The guest found Gabriel handsome, and he liked that Gabriel obviously didn’t want to. He had a small whip ready to use as punishment if Gabriel dared to so much as hint that he refused. Gabriel had been forced to use his mouth on the guest, and then he had to let him sodomize him.

At least he had been allowed to cry. Normally, a slave was supposed to do as told and pretend to be happy to do so no matter what, but this guest had wanted him to cry. It made him happy to hear Gabriel cry, and he encouraged him to do so.

There had been a fair amount of other guests who had made use of him after that, even women. It was harder with women because with them he had to pretend like he wanted them, and he had to somehow find the desire to create and maintain an erection. With men, usually he just had to hold still until it was over, and then he could be on his way.

He honestly couldn’t say he had ever enjoyed sex before. No one had ever touched him in a way that he liked, and that’s why no one was more surprised than him when he discovered that he liked having Chelindra in his arms. It’s also why he was content to just hold her, but doing so had awakened his desire.

Gabriel realized that he’d grown uncomfortable because he was now poking Chelindra in the thigh. He tried to shift them, but she was surprisingly heavy and unmoving. In fact, she was a bit cool to the touch, and stiff. She was breathing, he was sure of that, so he wasn’t too worried about her, but he really needed to move.

He pressed his lips to hers, and found them in the same condition as the rest of her body. This fascinated him, and he gave into an impulse to lick her lips. She parted them unconsciously, and they softened. He kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He explored the inside of her mouth with his tongue, and marveled at how the rest of her body softened. Finally, he could shift her and relieve the pressure on his shaft.

He wanted her, badly! He wanted to possess her, and make her his, but the very idea also left him confused. Actually making her his was slavery, and he did not ever want to make someone his slave.

“I could get very used to this,” Chelindra informed him.

Gabriel massaged her buttocks, and she pressed her body into his. If not for her nightgown and his thin under pants, they would be about one centimeter from joining together. The thought made Gabriel groan, and grind his hips into her.

Chelindra gasped at the intensity of her need to have him inside her. She struggled to remove her nightgown, and he helped once he realized what she was doing; yet some hesitation in the back of his mind prevented him from removing his sleepwear.

Chelindra knew why he was still partially clothed, and didn’t try to undress him, though she was powerfully tempted to. Instead, she shifted so that she was sitting atop him, careful not to apply the wrong kind of pressure to his groin. She flattened herself atop him, pressing every inch of their bodies together as possible. He grabbed her hips and helped her press her genitals to his.

Their kissing deepened, and Gabriel wondered why he still hesitated. It was obvious that he wanted to be inside her as badly as she wanted him there. He moaned as she pinched one of his nipples.

They heard a short rap on the knocking board before the tent door was opened by an attendant carrying breakfast. He was young and newly married, and seeing them reminded him of his honeymoon. He blushed, set the tray on the table without saying a word, and turned to leave.

Chelindra sighed, and sat up. She had her back to him, so she didn’t bother to cover up. “Please inform my senior officers that I require their presence here in 10 minutes.”

“Yes General,” the attendant replied. He left the tent, and bumped into the Second in Command.

“Colonel!” The attendant saluted. “You should probably give them a minute or two.”

“I see,” the colonel stated, and took up a waiting stance.

Chelindra laughed softly. “Duty awaits!”

Gabriel frowned. His Master would have never allowed his slaves or servants to enter without permission. Gabriel knew that his morning attendant was the exception, but it was not a pleasant thought that anyone could interrupt them by walking in at any time.

A thought occurred to him. “They are the ones who started the rumors that we are lovers, despite the fact that we haven’t yet. I would think that they would have the courtesy to give us privacy in the mornings and evenings.”

Chelindra chuckled in agreement. “True, but perhaps they all just want to see it for themselves… I’ve never taken a lover before, that they know of.”

Gabriel groaned in frustration because Chelindra was rocking her hips back and forth, despite the fact that she herself had ordered everyone to be here in just 10 minutes.

Chelindra was caught between hoping that they continued this tonight, and her desire to not pressure him. She could clearly sense his hesitation. She forced herself to stop frustrating both of them, and carefully rose up just enough to shift to the side of the bed, and then off it.

The couple dressed, and then sat to eat their breakfast. They sat in their proper places, she at the head of the table, and he where the CCO should sit. There was enough food to feed any officer who hadn’t found time to grab a bite yet.

“Enter!” Chelindra commanded. Despite being a mere 7 minutes after Chelindra had sent her attendant out, all of her senior officers entered the tent, and about half of them helped themselves to some food.

Chelindra told everyone about her “scouting mission,” and confirmed her ambush plan. Business was conducted as normal, and the meeting adjourned a half an hour later. Everyone left to perform their duties, except Randy, Chelindra’s Second in Command.

Gabriel cast them an indecisive look as he left the tent. He knew that they had been 1^st and 2^nd in command for years before he came along, but even so, he was irrationally jealous that they were going to be alone together. He shook his head over his silliness, and busied himself with his tasks.

“Randy, I understand your concerns, and you had a very valid point. I trust your judgment, however, I need to know that you did not fail to follow my orders out of… something else,” Chelindra said.

“What are you trying to say? That I would disobey you out of some power struggle with a subordinate officer?” Randy asked in disbelief.

Chelindra hadn’t even considered this possibility, because she knew that Randy never engaged in power struggles.

“Or are you saying that I do not trust our new CCO because he was a slave of the enemy General?”

Chelindra had to admit that this could certainly be a possibility, but she said nothing because she realized that he was justified in his anger. She had meant to point out that he could have been in the wrong by not carrying out her orders immediately, but doing so implied that she did not trust him as much as she said.

Randy grew upset when she didn’t answer him, and he took hold of her arm. He was one of the few people with permission to touch her, though he hadn’t really done so unnecessarily in the past. He gave her a strange look.

“Or do you assume I did so out of jealousy?” He pulled her close and kissed her. She was shocked enough to do nothing for a few moments. She had assumed he was jealous. Their relationship had been strictly professional from the first moment they met. They had worked their way up the ranks in separate units. Eventually, they both stood as Colonels possessing excellent battle tactics, equals who frequently worked together. When Chelindra had been promoted and named him her 2^nd, she had done so out of genuine respect for him.

That he was kissing her now only confirmed her long time suspicions… he wanted her. Chelindra did not make him stop the kiss, which was actually several kisses, because she was busy watching how her body responded to him. It simply didn’t. She did not have any reaction either way. She was not repulsed or offended, nor was she pleased or filled with lust.

Randy felt her lack of response, and sighed. He let her go and stepped back.

“Yes, I assumed you were jealous,” Chelindra stated.

“You really have no feelings for me?”

“I wouldn’t say I have no feelings for you. I feel admiration, trust, respect, and all those feelings that I am supposed to feel toward my Second in Command… and friend,” Chelindra admitted.

“What is it about him that attracts you so?” Randy wondered.

“I really don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s powerful,” she confessed.

“You were right to suspect jealousy, because I am jealous as hell!” Randy informed her. “But… that is not why I delayed following your orders. I honestly felt that setting up the ambush so early invited their advance scouts to find the ambush. I figured it should be nearly last minute, that way, even if their scouts do go through the area, there won’t be anyone to find.”

Chelindra bit her lip in thought. “I realize that, and as I said, you have a valid point. However, I like being prepared as far in advance as possible. That way they cannot send a party ahead to ambush us.”

Randy nodded. The matter had actually been settled during the meeting, but Chelindra had not wanted to reprimand her 2^nd in front of everyone. He turned to leave, and got a mere two strides before he stopped, and cleared his throat.

“I have always hoped that one day, after the war was over, we would get married. Is there a possibility that my hope will come true?” He asked.

Chelindra smiled sadly. “No… even if I had never met Gabriel, I could not have married you.”

The way she said that puzzled him. “Why?”

Chelindra sighed. She knew that there were many rumors about her, about why she didn’t age and couldn’t be hurt. She also knew that Randy was close enough to her that he might suspect the truth, but even so, she had never told him. She didn’t know what to say now.

“I… always knew that I would have to marry whomever my father or brother chose for me. I could never have married you, just as I will never be able to marry Gabriel,” Chelindra explained what she could.

“That makes it sound like you are the daughter of someone important,” Randy commented.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Chelindra smiled. “Dismissed.”

Go To Chapter 11

Diamond Elf - Chapter 8 + 9

Chapter 8

Gabriel had an opportunity to talk with Chelindra in private in the hall outside her sister’s room.

“What exactly is going on? From what I can tell, you defied your brother’s orders, and went to the human realm. Now, you are needed to… provide an heir to the throne?” He asked.

“Yes. It is a sacred law that all elves must try their hardest to create at least one child every ten years. For the royal family, there can actually be severe punishments if a member who hasn’t already had a child doesn’t try to conceive at least once every ten years,” Chelindra explained.

“Why is it so difficult for your people to have children?” Gabriel asked.

“Before the borders were closed… the main reason was that elves are not very emotional, and actually view passion with distaste. Therefore, the actual act of procreation is somewhat repulsive to us. After the borders were closed… I’m not entirely sure why the number of children born has been so greatly reduced. There is usually at least a dozen or so children born in a hundred years… to only have a handful in 300 years… it truly is a tragedy for my people,” Chelindra leaned into Gabriel, and he put his arms around her.

“You’re Highness, His Majesty has asked that you join him in the throne room.”

Chelindra spared the messenger a glance. “Of course.” She laced her fingers through Gabriel’s, and led the way to the throne room. She let go of his hand just before they entered.

“Chelindra,” her brother began, “As I am sure you are aware, I have not yet been able to provide an heir to the throne, and so, it falls to you. You are the only heir I have, and my health seems to be declining. It is vitally important that you fulfill your responsibilities as the only member of the royal family left, other than myself, once our sister dies.”

“Chehiro… I understand, and I have already stated that I will try my best to conceive an heir tonight. I assume that I am to be paired with Phineus once more,” Chelindra stated.

“Actually, no. Phineus feels that he is too old, at over 700 years, to conceive an heir. Since he is the one father chose to be your mate, he suggested his grandson as his replacement… There’s more,” Chehiro paused as if he fully expected Chelindra to express anger.

“Yes,” Chelindra prompted.

“By law, you should have been married by your 200^th birthday, but it was agreed to bend that law in your case to give you extra opportunities to conceive with someone other than the mate chosen for you, but the law must be honored as soon as possible in light of our current dire circumstances,” Chehiro announced.

Chelindra nodded in acceptance. “You wish me to wed this evening before I attempt to conceive an heir with my young and hopefully virile mate. It is perfectly understandable, and I did just vow to Chandra that I would do my best to ensure the survival of our people and the royal line.”

Chehiro sighed in obvious relief, and nodded to a group of elves standing off to the side.

The oldest of the elves greeted Chelindra with a brief embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

“Phineus,” Chelindra acknowledged.

“Princess Chelindra, I present to you my grandson, Aeryc. I sincerely pray for your successful mating.”

“Thank you, Phineus. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aeryc. I promise to try my best to be successful tonight, but I hope you understand that I cannot stay here much longer than that at the moment,” Chelindra informed him.

“I do understand. We have been watching your activities in the human realm just closely enough to understand that you are close to obtaining peace in part of the realm. It’s a start, and we feel it is worthy of your time and effort,” Aeryc smiled at Chelindra. “However, I have a request. Would you consider using our scrying basin to view your enemy to determine their position in relation to your army’s? If you determine that you have some time, say three days, would you consider devoting them to me before you return to the human realm?”

Chelindra considered his request, and nodded. “Yes, it actually would be a huge help to my army to determine the enemy’s position, numbers, and strategy, if possible. If I feel confident that I can remain here for three days, I will.”

Chelindra smiled at Aeryc’s almost eager expression, and remembered that the youngest elves were the ones most likely to express emotions. Then, she caught Gabriel’s expression. He looked as if he was going to be physically ill. Chelindra gave him a sympathetic look, but wasn’t able to reassure him at the moment.

The last member of the group of elves was a beautiful, and elegantly dressed female. She held out one of her hands to Chelindra, who took a deep breath before offering her hand in return.

“As a priestess of our sacred gods, I am here to join you in holy matrimony with your designated mate.” The elf sent a visible glow of power into Chelindra’s hand. “The gods have given you their blessing.”

She turned to hold her other hand out to Aeryc, who gave her his hand without the slightest hesitation. The priestess sent a glow of power into his hand. “You are blessed as well by the gods with the hope that your union will be productive. I wish to add my most heartfelt hope on your success as well.”

The priestess placed the bride’s hand in the groom’s. “You are now joined in marriage with the full blessings of our gods. Go forth to consummate your new status as husband and wife.”

The rest of the elves in the room gave soft-yet-hopeful applause.

Chelindra smiled at Aeryc. “I will, but first, give me a few moments to scry, and hopefully send my companion back to the human realm with orders.”

“Of course,” Aeryc agreed.

Chelindra gestured for Gabriel to follow her to the scrying pool, feeling deep concern over his ashen complexion. “Gabriel…”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Gabriel assured her hastily.

Chelindra was grateful that the rest of the elves had allowed her a few moments privacy with Gabriel. “You may understand, but you look very upset.”

Gabriel shrugged.

“I hope you also understand that I will return to the human realm in three days or less, and then I plan to continue exploring this feeling between us,” Chelindra informed him honestly.

Gabriel was well aware that marriage did not necessarily mean that a couple would remain monogamous with each other, but he still felt it was a bit strange to hear her discuss infidelity before she had even consummated her marriage. He directed his gaze into the large basin they were standing in front of.

Chelindra decided to let the subject drop for the moment, and mentally informed the basin of water to show her the enemy army. Gabriel felt nauseous as they looked on the enemy army as if they were birds flying. Chelindra directed the basin to change the view as if the bird was flying back and forth, and in wide circles, until she felt she had a complete picture of their whereabouts.

Then, she asked the basin if there were any smaller units headed toward her army, and discovered that there were indeed three smaller armies following the first. The last thing she asked of the basin was to shift the view the exact distance the enemy could march each day until they reached her army, and found that they really were just under two weeks away.

Chelindra returned her attention to Gabriel. “It seems I do have a little time after all. I want you to return to our army, and tell them-“ she used the scrying basin to show Gabriel strategic positions she wanted units of her army to set up ambushes and various other surprise attacks. Being able to see the actual land in the basin helped Gabriel to fully understand her strategies, and he promised to carry out her orders exactly.

Chelindra opened up a door between the realms, and asked him to step through it. He squeezed her hand briefly, sadly, and then did as she asked.

Chapter 9

Gabriel spent the next couple of days helping the other senior officers carry out Chelindra’s orders. He kept as busy as possible to prevent himself from thinking about Chelindra in the arms of another man.

Meanwhile, Chelindra was discovering that while her husband did not make her feel as passionately as Gabriel did, he did manage to make the experience a whole lot more enjoyable than any of her previous partners, and she wondered if part of the reason was because she had a good deal more practice softening her skin to pass as human.

As an elf, Chelindra knew the moment she conceived, which came as a complete surprise during the morning of her third day of marriage. Aeryc was showing her some things he had learned from a strange old human text, and her enjoyment was increased exponentially when the certainty that she was pregnant filled her.

She even gasped and made other noises elves generally did not make as they felt them to be undignified. Aeryc smiled, pleased that he had caused her such pleasure.

When the couple decided they were too hungry to continue, Chelindra sent a message to her brother to meet them at the scrying basin. The three elves looked into the basin, and were shown a full body reflection of Chelindra with a light glowing from her womb. It was the traditional sign of confirmation of pregnancy, and the males greeted it with joy. Or rather, they greeted it with the elvish equivalent of joy.

“Tonight, I plan to return to the human realm to accomplish my mission,” Chelindra informed them.

“I understand,” Aeryc replied. He tried to sound as if he trusted her judgment, but didn’t quite manage it. He was now concerned about his unborn child.

Chelindra gave a small sympathetic smile. “You needn’t worry about this child. There isn’t anything that can hurt me, therefore, he or she will be perfectly safe until I give birth.”

Aeryc nodded.

“And I promise, I’ll return before the birth so that the baby can be born here, as is only right,” Chelindra added.

Aeryc nodded, feeling slightly better about the prospect of her absence.

*******

Chelindra appeared inside her tent that night by stepping through a magical doorway created by her brother. She found Gabriel in her bed staring morosely at nothing.

“Did you miss me?” Chelindra teased.

Gabriel gave her a look that plainly said he was torn between being happy to see her, and betrayed by her actions. Chelindra kneeled on the bed next to him, and pulled him up level with her.

“Well, I missed you,” she informed him just before she kissed him.

“I think you lied to me,” Gabriel muttered once his mouth was free.

“Lied to you? Why do you think that?” Chelindra wanted to know.

“You told me I was a free man, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like you own me; in a way that’s vastly more gentle, and yet a thousand times worse than when I was officially a slave,” Gabriel explained.

“I don’t own you, Gabriel. You are free to make your own choices. You can choose to walk out of this tent right now, go back to King Collin, and ask to serve him. I won’t stop you, though I’ll really want to,” Chelindra told him.

“You say that as if I actually have a choice in the matter, but I don’t. If given a choice between anything and you, I’ll choose you a hundred out of a hundred times. I don’t think I could ever choose to leave you, even if you decided to treat me violently for no reason,” Gabriel confessed.

Chelindra’s heart was pulled nearly in half. She was infinitely happy that Gabriel wanted to be with her that badly, and at the same time saddened that he would let her abuse him rather than be away from her.

She shook her head. “This is why we are taking this relationship so slowly, remember. You told me that you needed time to realize that you belong to yourself before you could even consider sharing your body with anyone. It sounds to me like you still haven’t figured out that you really don’t belong to anyone but you.” Chelindra stroked his cheek soothingly, and leaned in to gently kiss him.

Gabriel couldn’t help feeling hurt by her kiss. He had no idea if she had literally just come from her husband’s bed, and yet she kissed him as if there could ever be something lasting between them. He turned his head slightly aside, but didn’t do anything else to stop her.

Nevertheless, she got the point, and leaned away from him with a sigh. She left the bed so that she could remove her clothes, and don a nightgown. Now that she had experienced some actually pleasant bedplay, she was dying to know what it would be like between her and Gabriel, but she knew better than to push him into that right now. He already felt as if she owned him, if she bedded him now, he’d probably never heal from the trauma of slavery.

She climbed back into bed and got comfortable, snuggling up to him as much as possible without actually laying on him.

“Did you… Did you try hard enough to fulfill your duty? Enough to satisfy your brother that you tried your hardest, I mean,” Gabriel didn’t really want to talk about her past few days, but he wanted to know if her brother was likely to come for her anytime soon. Maybe, if the rest of the elves left them alone, he might be able to stop himself from feeling so betrayed.

Chelindra could see that his mind was still occupied, and waited for Gabriel to finish his thoughts.

Gabriel knew that Chelindra really didn’t have any other choice, and that more people married for duty than actually married for love, but he had been feeling so… so wonderful just being with her, that he had actually begun to feel as if they belonged together.

More than that, he had begun to feel as if she belonged with him. To him; but that was only an illusion created by his mind, and her actions made him feel betrayed mostly because he now knew he couldn’t even trust his feelings. Maybe he should leave until he learned what it was like to live by and for his self, like any other free man.

That thought caused him to hold onto her tightly, and sigh as he admitted to himself once again that he would rather die than choose to be without her. His thoughts finally finished, he realized that she hadn’t answered him yet.

He stroked her back, and prompted: “Well?”

Chelindra figured that he must have sorted things out well enough in his mind for the moment, and smiled. She stroked his face with her finger, and then grimaced. If she was right, her answer was going to stir up his emotions again. “Actually, yes. I conceived an heir, and it was confirmed by the scrying basin in front of my brother, so he knows.”

“You did?” Gabriel was too emotionally exhausted at the moment to figure out how that made him feel. “How can you possibly know so soon? Can that basin predict the future?”

“It can for those whose gift it is to see the future, but as to how it confirmed my pregnancy, it simply showed a light glowing in my womb, which is the traditional symbol of pregnancy. I didn’t need it to know though… I felt it. It was a moment of knowledge so profound that I think it must be like what religious humans call the state of divine ecstasy,” Chelindra tried her best to explain, though she knew he couldn’t understand.

She shifted to look at him better. “I looked over the enemy troops again just before I returned.” Her distraction worked.

“What did you see?”

“Only that they are continuing their course, and are on schedule. We should be able to see them coming in about a week. Did you do as I asked?” Chelindra wondered.

“Yes, though your Second in Command advised that we wait to actually deploy the ambush units until you returned to confirm the orders. He figures that having them in place more than a week early does nothing but increase the chances that they’ll be spotted by enemy spies,” Gabriel reported. “I could tell he had a hard time believing me because I couldn’t tell him how you knew, or where exactly you were.”

“He has a point, but he should have followed my orders without question… Though, I suppose that since he didn’t have any tangible proof that the orders actually came from me, he was merely exercising caution… It seems like we are going to have an interesting meeting in the morning.”

They were both unconsciously caressing each other’s back, and Chelindra realized that she was drawing the Elvish symbols for protection, health, longevity, and love. She stopped herself from completing the last one in case she somehow cast a spell that bound him to her.

Chelindra stared at Gabriel’s lips, wishing he would kiss her, but trying her hardest not to force herself on him. Perhaps keeping him here in my bed is not the best idea. All I want to do is mate with him… If this keeps up, I may not be able to respect his need to claim ownership of his body.

Gabriel’s hands found her hair fascinating. Each strand was defined, and together they formed a solid. He removed the pins and all the decorations from her hair, and yet it stayed exactly as was. He wondered how she managed to style it, and was amazed a moment later when it seemingly melted. Now, it felt almost as soft as hair should feel, and he could twirl it around his fingers.

Chelindra closed her eyes and moaned. He was only touching her hair, but it felt so erotic! She bit her lip slightly, and Gabriel’s attention shifted to her mouth. He kissed her softly, and she responded by pressing her body into his. He kissed her a bit more firmly twice, and then had a strong urge to devour her. He rolled her under him, and deepened his kiss.

For as long as Chelindra had been in command, it had always been her policy for her officers and attendants to simply knock once on the small board before walking right into her tent, so it really wasn’t a surprise that one of her attendants walked in just then.

“Gabriel, you really need to eat, or else – Oh! General! I didn’t realize you had returned. Allow me to fetch more food, or um… would you rather I didn’t?” The attendant focused her eyes on the floor. She wasn’t sure what to do. They were obviously occupied, but Gabriel hadn’t eaten the entire time Chelindra was gone, and she didn’t want to be deemed responsible if he fell ill.

Chelindra gave a throaty laugh. “I may need to change my open door policy.” She noticed an inner war in Gabriel’s eyes, and realized his desire was fighting with his emotions, and judging by the sound of his stomach, with his bodily needs as well. She hadn’t eaten much today either.

“We’ll start with that, and yes, I would be grateful if you brought more,” Chelindra responded. The attendant placed the tray on the table, and hastily left to do as ordered.

The couple untangled and seated themselves at the table. They ate quietly, each absorbed in their thoughts. If they hadn’t been interrupted, would they have stopped on their own?

The attendant returned with more food, and Chelindra heard the news of her return spread through camp. As the attendant left, Chelindra heard her whisper to a few officers, “Not now! Let the couple have some time alone.” They must have mistaken the suggestion as an order from their General as they quietly left.

Ironically, knowing that no one was likely to interrupt them for the rest of the night did not put Chelindra in the right mood. It almost felt as if everyone in camp were listening to her, trying to hear her in the act. She blushed.

Go To Chapter 10