What Marriage Is

Writers: Miriah
Date Posted: 13th August 2014

Characters: Humari
Description: Humari reflects on her marriage
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Taril, Yarmel, Yriadha

Humari

The kitchen area was now thoroughly cleaned, the shelves were dusted
and the floors swept. The apartment looked spotless. A dinner of slow
cooked roast was in the oven and a candlemark or so before Taril came
home, she'd make sure to put in the tubers, then steam vegetables.
Humari sat at the table and wiped her brow, pleased with her activity
for the day. She'd have to clean up and change before he came home of
course, she doubted he would want to see a sweaty, grungy wife. But
still, she'd done quite a bit today. And tomorrow she'd have to find
something else to do.

She sipped her water as she looked around, settling further into her
seat. The past week living here hadn't been so bad, she mused. Taril
wasn't the loud sort, honestly, easing into the life of living with
him wasn't difficult. She was slowly beginning to relax a little
around him and after the first few days, no longer felt she had to be
in fear of getting struck. She still wasn't quite certain he wouldn't
eventually lose his temper with her, but as of yet, his temper hadn't
seemed to peak. That could, she reasoned, be because she endeavored to
do what he wished. But he really hadn't made many demands on her.
There was of course, the inevitable time in bed, but even that wasn't
so bad.

Actually, she was finding it to be a little frustrating. It _wasn't_
like Torinya had claimed. She had made it seem like it was just a
quick thing, over and done with. Yes, it was usually quick, but Taril
_touched_ her. Maybe not much, but enough to make her want more. The
problem was, there wasn't the _more_ part. And he kissed her. She put
her hand to her mouth, feeling her lips at the thought. She was
getting to like the kissing. It certainly wasn't the slow gentle,
exploratory kisses that she and Vreena had shared. No, it was far
more. Once his interest was roused, it was intense and hungry and she
was getting to like the taste of him. She blushed at the idea of
actually liking it, but she did.

Maybe it was because when he was kissing her like that, she was
pressed close to him. He was warm. He was solid. He held her close
when his desire was on him. She hadn't ever really been held close
like that. She felt _wanted_ and she couldn't remember the last time
before her marriage that she had felt that way. He may have just been
wanting what her body did for him, but it was enough. Humari hugged
herself and rubbed her upper arms. She had already gotten into the
habit of waking before Taril did to make him breakfast. Just that
morning, she'd woken to find herself pressed to the warmth of his
back, a first. Her hand hand been on his waist and she had been so
surprised that she had went still at the realization. But he hadn't
woken and she was able to take in the situation and their position.
Her curiosity had nearly led her to touch him further, but she hadn't
had the courage. Instead, she was able to lay there a bit longer
before forcing herself to rise.

What was even better was her mother was leaving her alone. She'd not
seen much of her mother at all. She hadn't visited and she hadn't
checked in to see how they were doing. Well, her mother could stay
away as far as she was concerned. And her brothers. Definitely her
brothers. She thought of her husband, scarred and with one leg, and
compared her barrel chested eldest brother to him. Despite her
husband's injuries, as far as she was concerned, he was more of a man
than Yarmel could ever try to be. If Yarmel had had those injuries,
he wouldn't have wanted to do something else, his poor wife would have
been miserable. She looked around at her surroundings. Taril had made
something of himself and despite only being wed to him a little more
than a week, she was already proud of it.

Was that what marriage was? How could she make him proud of her? She
wanted that. She wanted her husband to like being married to her.
Maybe someday he would be.

Humari finished her glass of water and rose from the table, brushing
her hands along her skirts. She looked down. She would have to do
their laundry soon. She could do that tomorrow, she decided. She had
to have dinner ready and look presentable before he came home.

Last updated on the August 26th 2014

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What Marriage Is