Chapter 15: A Sight to Behold
Igraine awakened in the prince's arms, feeling the heat of his male body surrounding her. He had her in his iron grip so she could hardly move, but it was not uncomfortable at all. Indeed she felt so warm and safe that she closed her eyes, sighing. Then she fell asleep again, listening to the sound of his deep breathing while the birds were greeting the new day with their morning song outside.
The soft touch of dark lips on her shoulder had coaxed her to leave the alluring world of dreams and return to the wooden dwelling he had built for her, finding herself in his embrace. But this time his breathing was not regular; it had become heavy and ragged with desire as he cupped her breasts with his large hands, his thumbs tenderly rubbing their aching peaks. She arched her back to mold herself into his palms, wanting more. The movement required that she pressed her rounded behind against his lower body, where she felt his hard arousal already waiting for her. It rubbed against her while his lips and tongue left her shoulder and travelled higher to the base of her neck, easily finding the right places where she longed for his touch.
When the elf started kissing his way down along her spine with lips and tongue, she gasped, surprised by her own reaction. She hadn’t even known how sensitive her skin was there. Shivers of pleasure ran through her in waves, and her whole body began to tremble violently. His hair followed his movements while he went deeper, caressing and tickling the overly sensitized skin of her back. Igraine lost control completely. Her soft laughter started to alternate with deep moans of raw desire.
When she wriggled too much under his teasing lips, he started to place tiny bites all over her back. It felt so good she bit into her own hand to stop herself from screaming, needing the pain to endure the sensations that threatened to overwhelm her. The prince traced her spine all the way down to her waist while his hands covered her buttocks and turned her on her stomach, holding her down while he pleasured her without mercy. A liquid heat spread in her lower body, and she rubbed herself instinctively against the silken blankets. Her nether parts felt moist and swollen, yearning for him to enter her most private place.
She winced when he reached the swell of her bottom, his tongue tickling just the top of the cleft between her rounded cheeks. She heard his dark laughter and screamed out when he bit both her soft mounds with his sharp teeth, just a bit to mark them as his property. “Mine, too,” he murmured as he stuffed a few pillows under her belly to lift her bottom to him. Igraine’s eyes widened when his hands slid between her inner thighs, pulling them apart as he spread them as wide as possible. He bent back with a very wicked smile on his regal face, enjoying the erotic sight unfolding before him. Igraine held her breath. She was totally exposed to his gaze now. But she was ashamed only for one moment before she felt his eyes resting on the wet petals of her womanhood, opened for him now like a sensual flower.
She buried her face in the softness of a pillow and closed her eyes, expecting to feel the velvet head of his manhood there, ready to plunge deep into her welcoming heat. His hands covered her voluptuous bottom, kneading the silken flesh, but leaving no doubt that she was not allowed to move. But he didn’t sheathe himself inside her. Instead she felt his hot breath right at her naked sex, heard his hoarse laughter before he playfully blew against her, cooling her moist flesh that shivered at the unexpected sensation.
Igraine tried to lift herself up to give him full access where she needed him, to do whatever he liked, if he only touched her. But he held her down and kept her waiting, his hardness throbbing with need while he inhaled her delicious womanly scent.
She heard his smile in his voice when he said, “Ask me, Igraine.”
Igraine blushed, glad that her face was hidden in a pillow right now. She tilted her head to the side so he could hear her answer. “My Prince … I want you to take me,” she whispered.
“Oh, I know,” he chuckled. I can smell your desire, and I know exactly how much you want me inside you right now. But is there anything else your master can do to reward your … eagerness to please him, little slave?” He blew over her wetness again, the cooling effect was torturing. She moaned with frustration.
“I need you to … “
“Yes?” the prince asked, one brow raised questioningly.
“To touch me … there.”
“Only to touch you? Like this?” He ran a finger over her, so gently she could hardly feel it. He touched only the outside of her swollen flesh, intentionally avoiding the sensitive parts within. She tried to change her position to rub herself against him, but his other hand held her firmly in place.
“Or … would you prefer if I did this to you?” He bowed his head, and his tongue flickered ever so slightly over her, but stopped before she could even think of an answer.
“Y…yes,” Igraine breathed. “I want this.”
“What do you desire from me, pleasure slave? You humans are prone to saying one thing and doing something else. But if you want to pleasure me, you will learn to call everything by its name, especially when it comes to the art of love. If I utter a command in bed, I will leave no doubt about the exact nature of my wishes.”
She started to tremble, longing for his tongue so desperately she would have cried and begged if that had been his order. But she wasn’t used to saying what her own body desired, she had never dared to before. She pressed the pillow against her hot face, suddenly ashamed to speak it out loud.
“I want you to … pleasure me with your tongue, my Lord.” When he still didn’t move, she whispered, “Lick me.”
All thoughts of shame were gone when he instantly took her with his mouth, opening her moist folds with his lips, running his tongue from her slick entrance all the way down until he found the center of her passion. The elf kept suckling and licking her until she felt her peak nearing, but he always knew and paused before she came too quickly, taking away his mouth just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore.
It felt incredibly erotic that she lay on her belly, her private parts upside down, spread open wide for him so his tongue plunged deep into her slick channel, giving her a taste of what his hard manhood could do there. She felt his whole face pressing against her nether lips, devouring her. It seemed as if he wanted to eat her like a dessert he liked to lick right out of the plate without using a spoon. His straight regal nose nudged at her most secret places, teasing her. She wondered how the elf managed to breathe, even thought she heard him say, “So sweet,” when he took away his mouth to move down to her tender nub of flesh again.
It didn’t take her long when the prince decided to go for her release. He shortly sucked her all in before he began to stimulate her with slow, firm circles of his tongue around her pearl, keeping his rhythm steady. Igraine took a shuddering breath, then she came with the ferocity of a storm, her screams muffled by the silken pillow while he continued licking, but very tenderly now, making her explode once, twice, again. Her whole body shook with the quakes of her aftermath before it went limp as she relaxed, completely satisfied and exhausted. The prince placed one last kiss on her womanhood, then he reached out for her and pulled her to him, turning her in his arms so he could claim her lips. Igraine moaned into his mouth as she tasted her own sweet, musky juices on his incredibly naughty tongue, noticed her own smell of arousal on his handsome face.
“Well done, Igraine,” the prince said, pulling her close to his body. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her irresistible scent.
She lay her head on his alabaster shoulder and laughed, still unable to move any limb. “But I didn’t do anything,” she protested weakly.
“The first lesson you have to learn, woman, is how to take pleasure. Only when you are well-trained in surrendering yourself to your master completely, will you start to learn what it means to give pleasure, as well. I will teach you all this, amongst other things.” A slow, seductive smile curved his dark lips. “But just now you have pleased your prince immensely, sweet Igraine.”
* * * * *
“Where are you taking me?” Igraine asked while Elathan covered her eyes with a black strip of cloth, binding it behind her head. His hands lingered on her hair, watching the shining brown curls glide over his pale fingers before he lifted them and placed a tingling kiss on her neck.
She was wearing her beautiful new gown, unfortunately without the shimmering chemise underneath. After they had made love this morning, she had sadly picked up the shreds from the floor of the tree house, feeling their incredible softness. Laughing, Elathan had promised to let his fairies weave a new one that looked exactly like the first, not understanding the female's whining about a simple piece of clothing.
He didn’t laugh now, but she knew that he smiled, delighted by her excitement. “I already told you that it was a surprise, woman, so be quiet. I want to show you something.”
Before he had obscured her vision with the band of black silk, Elathan had stood in the middle of the clearing and closed his eyes, while he appeared to do nothing more than listen to the sounds of the forest. But Igraine sensed his magic reaching out, calling for something. The air crackled with it. A few of the golden autumn leaves on the ground began to float through the air, whirling around though there was not even a light breeze to lift them up. Only a few minutes later there was a loud rustling in the undergrowth, and a huge black horse came galloping through the bushes. Igraine recognized it as the same he had ridden when she had entered the forest through the magic door.
The stallion snorted as he saw Elathan, stopping right in front of him and bowing his large head for his master’s touch. Elathan smiled, clearly devoted to the animal. He caressed his soft nose and mane, murmuring elven words to him and calling him by the name of Ahearn. Then he took the saddle he had left in the clearing before he sent the horse away after the hunt, and strapped it to the steed’s back. The prince had blindfolded Igraine and lifted her up for the ride before she knew what happened to her, mounting behind her with a graceful movement.
It was an exciting feeling to ride blindfolded at breakneck speed, leaning back against her lover’s tall body. The prince had donned his hunting habit again. He had one strong arm safely around her waist, the other holding the reins of his black steed. Igraine savored the elf’s warmth, comfortably snuggling against his chest while she felt the horse moving under her at an incredibly fast pace, perfectly synchronized with the body of its master, whose muscled thighs steered it easily through the dense labyrinth of the trees.
They seemed to ride on for hours. Evidently the enchanted forest was much larger than Igraine had expected. She couldn’t see anything, but she still had a sense of light and shade. At first she had felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, but it seemed to be colder now as the trees grew closer together. Even the birds had fallen silent. Only the cry of a lone falcon was heard, flying high above their heads. After a while, she completely lost the feeling of time; still exhausted from the prince’s lovemaking this morning and the night before, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
They proceeded deeper and deeper into the forest, the elf lost in his own thoughts while he held his sleeping human tightly in his arms, placing a kiss on her hair now and then. Igraine awakened when she noticed that the horse was going much slower now and coming to a halt at last. Elathan’s breath grazed her ear.
“We are there,” he said. She felt his long fingers untying the knot behind her head, removing the black silk. The light hurt her eyes at first, and she shielded them with one hand. It took her a while before the blind spots disappeared from her vision, but then she saw it.
They stood at the edge of a thickly forested ravine, the slope plunging steeply down into the tops of the huge, old trees that grew up from below. Igraine thought she glimpsed oaks, hickories, wild olives and cedars there, a lush variety of nature in all its glorious forms. On the far opposite side of the ravine she saw the rugged cliff of a mountain, only sparsely scattered with pines. The grey, unyielding rock stood in stark contrast to the trees covering the ravine floor like a green sea, their leaves softly waving in the breeze. A massive waterfall cascaded down the mossy cliff over a river, seeking its way along the foot of the mountain. The spraying water reflected the blue-green colors of the sky and surrounding trees, giving life to the plants below.
A falcon high over them spread its wings and dived down through the air to the ravine, carried by the winds which had brought him here. Igraine believed it was the same one whose cries she had heard on the way. He seemed to have followed them.
She did not notice the single tear that rolled down her cheek until Elathan caught it with his finger and wiped it away tenderly. Then he touched the salty moistness with his dark lips, tasting it.
“Do you like my surprise, sweet Igraine?” he asked, his voice deep and low. “It is a beautiful sight indeed, even for the eyes of an immortal. In my long life I have seen many wondrous lands, but none of them could be compared with this place. I never showed it to anyone before.”
She didn’t answer but turned her head to the prince, looking up into his amber eyes. They rested on her face with a warm, yet unfathomable expression. It was astounding how different he looked and acted now. He hardly resembled the embittered, cynical warrior she had encountered in the caves anymore. That other Elathan had been brooding, dangerous and darkly seductive. He hadn't smiled or told her stories at the fireside, and she couldn't imagine him rolling around with her on the ground, laughing.
Igraine opened her lips as words ascended from the depths of her soul, demanding to be spoken out loud. But she didn’t dare to cross the line, couldn’t tell him that she loved him. She was only a lowly human to him; his pampered slave whose body he owned, even if he honored her and fulfilled her every need. It was undeniable that he desired her and enjoyed her companionship. But in his world, she would never be his equal.
All thoughts were forgotten when Elathan tightened his arms around her, turning her to face him. He entangled his fingers in the shining mass of her hair and pulled her up to him, bringing his lips to hers. There he paused for a few moments. It was strange. Whenever he looked deep into her beautiful eyes, green and alive like the lush valley before them, he felt like coming home. The scent of her skin confused his senses; he wanted to take her again, right here on horseback. It would have been so easy to lift her skirts and make her sit down on his lap. He longed for her softness, her moist heat that welcomed him into her body every time they joined. But she wasn't ready for him again after he had strained her too much during the last few days. She needed some rest.
Igraine shivered when the prince’s long fingers caressed her temples as he took her face into his hands. Then he lowered his head and kissed her so gently he barely brushed her mouth with his as their breaths mingled. He closed his eyes before he began to stroke her softly with his lips, touching not only her mouth, but her chin, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, one after another, then her eyelids. His mouth wandered down her face again, tugging at her lower lip and nibbling a bit before he coaxed her with his tongue to let him in. His touch had never been so tender before. She felt his male desire burning under the surface, but this time he kissed her with deep affection and feeling, showing her how precious she was to him.
He bent her back in his arms while his kiss deepened, yet still it was not taunted by raw lust but loving, cherishing her. Her long dark hair spilled over the sleeve of his tunic and entwined with his blonde tresses. The elf’s touch was so pure, so beautiful it brought tears to her closed eyes, and instinctively she knew that this was a part of himself that he would not share with any lover. She even doubted if he had ever kissed a female like that before. It might be presumptuous for a mere human to think that way, but the blood bond connected them in more ways than she had expected. Sometimes she did not merely assume what he was thinking or feeling anymore. She just knew.
When they finally separated, it was Igraine who broke away from him, breathing heavily. Her hands slid inside his soft shirt, parting the loosely laced fabric over his broad chest as she started to place small kisses on his skin, feeling his strong heartbeat under her cheek. “I want you, my Prince,” she whispered, starting to kiss his neck.
Elathan groaned, the sound showing his pleasure but also his effort to control himself. “There is nothing I wish more than to take you now, mo ghrá. But I didn’t bring you here just to show you this place. I would like you to meet … let’s say, a very old friend of mine. And we still have a long way ahead of us if we want to see him before he leaves for the hunt at night.” He stretched out his hand and gestured to the waterfall at the other end of the ravine. “This is our destination.”
He kissed her again, pressing her against his body to make her feel his desire. Then he turned her around in the saddle, took up the reins and urged the horse forward to begin the long descent into the ravine.
Igraine only threw a quick glance at the deadly steep slope and closed her eyes, clinging to his arm for dear life.
“I hope you are a good rider, elf,” she said.