Wedding Aftermath Pt 2

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 11th August 2014

Characters: Taril, Humari
Description: Taril and Humari face their wedding night.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: Pt 2 of 4; Mentioned: Yriadha, Yarmel

Humari

Perverted. Taril stood frozen, staring at the girl at his feet. Rage flared
and his hand tightened on the crossbar of his crutch hard enough to make it
creak. They'd lied, and thought they could trap _him_ -- fools. He could
destroy Yriadha and her perverted little family with a word. He _should_.

But... he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But. It wasn't as if
he had ever thought Humari came without flaws. Why else would Yriadha had
thrown her youngest at a cripple? And it wasn't as if he'd been fending off
women before that. Humari was imperfect, but so was he. Politically she
could be an asset, and her... tastes... didn't preclude her from bearing
children. More importantly, he now had something a little more subtle to
hold over the Headwoman's head. He sighed, releasing any last, lingering
hopes of a real marriage with that breath. "Get up, Humari."

Humari was an old hand at identifying rage and immediately flinched away
from it, refusing to meet his gaze. She should have never said anything. She
should have continued to lie. Now he would look at her the same way they
did. The ache at her back grew worse at the thought. Would he beat her too?
At his command, she rose, but it wasn't without difficulty. Keeping her gaze
down, she stood before him, trembling. "What will you do with me, sir?"

"I'm going to tell you to sit while I get us both a very stiff drink." She
looked terrified, so Taril flashed a quick smile before wheeling around and
stumping over to the nearest cabinet. When he wrenched it open, it revealed
a very nice tray with a pair of small, carved crystal glasses and a bottle
of whiskey. The glasses went into his pocket, and the whiskey into his free
hand. That done, he joined Humari where she sat, handing her the bottle and
a glass from one of his pockets before sitting down beside her. He held out
the other glass. "Please do us the honour and pour?"

The laces of her gown bit into her as she sat and she swore that they were
only getting tighter. They forced her back ram-rod straight, but she refused
to complain; she didn't want another reason to anger him. Hands visibly
shaking she had to steady them as she first poured his glass full and then
her own. She put the bottle aside and held her glass in her hands, not
drinking it, just holding it. She suddenly wished her hair was unbound away
from the ridiculous hair piece that that been fashioned; it would have been
good to hide behind. Her voice was soft. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry they did this
to you."

Taril stared at his whiskey for a moment, then downed most of it in a single
gulp. It burned going down and helped to clear his head. "I knew that there
was... something off when your mother approached me. To be honest, I thought
you were with child. But this... changes things." He sighed and set aside
his glass. "You and I both want something. I want a legacy. Children. You
want to get out of your mother's house. These aren't incompatible goals."

At that, Humari's face flamed. "I've never been touched by a man." She
stared at her glass. "Once I began maturing, Mother and Yarmel wouldn't
allow me out of the house without an escort or unless I was with respectable
friends. She wanted my reputation to be perfect." Even then, she'd been
watched. She had resented it then, deeply. She bit her lower lip and glanced
at Taril from beneath her lashes. "I made my vows. I'll keep them. I'm your
wife, if you'll keep me. I never had a thought not to give you children."
Her face softened as she looked back down to her glass. "Children...would be
nice." She thought of her mother's orders and flushed. "Mother made sure
that I would be fertile for you this night."

He choked a little, then covered it with a cough. **Of course she did.**
"Ah."

Her eyes shot up to his face for the first time since she confessed to him.
Her face was confused. She had thought he'd be more interested in that.
Maybe he thought she was too disgusting right now... She lowered her gaze
back to the glass and then slowly lifted it to her mouth. She took a deep
drink, then her eyes widened and she coughed at the taste and the sudden
heat. The drink spilled over her hand and onto the pink nightmare of a dress
as she took too gasping breaths.

"Whoa." Taril put a hand on Humari's shoulder. "Easy. Whiskey's strong. And
unfortunately doesn't stain," he said, nodding to the wet spot on her lap.

The moment he put his hand on her shoulder, she winced. Even though the
touch was light, her back entire back throbbed. She tried to cover it with
another soft cough, and then downed the rest of the whiskey surprisingly
well, though she did scrunch up her face at the taste. "I noticed." She
looked down at her lap, the heat from the whiskey still making her ears
tingle. "I want to burn this thing. I absolutely hate it." She looked at her
empty cup and then at his, took a breath and picked up his as well. She
poured them both another glass full and handed him his own. She took a sip,
made a face and glanced at him. "Along with this thing on my head."

"Hold still, then." This, he could do. Perhaps it could ease the awkwardness
that lay between them; his scars, her perversion, their mutual need for...
something and paired inability to make it happen. He plucked out the pins
holding the pink fabric bouquet to the side of her head and handed it to
her. "You ought to do the honours."

At first she was still as he unpinned the bouquet off of her head and then
slowly relaxed. Her hair tumbled down her back, the auburn strands glinting
with health. Deciding to be brave, she downed the whiskey in the same
fashion, made the shuddering face and stiffly rose. She stared down at the
bouquet with distaste, walked to the fire and tossed it in with pure relish.
She watched the fabric flowers catch on fire and turned, finally giving him
an open, satisfied smile. "Now, as soon as I can get this horrible thing
off, I can watch it burn too." She paused and then her face flushed as she
looked over at him. "That is uhm...well..." She looked down at plucked at a
ruffle. "Well...I have to take it off eventually, I mean. "

She would. Damn it. Taril reached for his crutch and stood. "I suppose I
ought to show you my-- the bedroom, then." He was silent a moment, wondering
if he'd be able to bed her, and if she'd scream when she saw the nothing
where his leg should be. "This is-- if you don't want to..."

That brought even more color to her cheeks, but she took a quick breath.
"You're my husband and you want children." She knew this was coming, and
Torinya had explained enough to her for her to know what would happen. It
was better to get it over with now, then continually be afraid of it.
Perhaps it was the whiskey and its warmth that plucked up her courage, but
she met his gaze and managed just a bit of a smile. "And I do need know
where I'm to sleep."

"You do." He held out his hand.

Last updated on the August 26th 2014

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Wedding Aftermath Pt 2