shook her head and said, “I still have trouble believing any of it is true, but how can it not be? Your mother has said it is so.”
Ashinji tugged hard on the rings in his ear, frowning. “Why didn’t my mother tell me any of this?”
“Perhaps she did not wish to worry you. Ashi, your mother says that the Kirian Society can deal with…this key thing.”
Ashinji shook his head and a stray lock of hair fell across his eyes. He brushed it away impatiently. He took her face between his hands and looked deep into her eyes. “Whatever this all means, if it bodes danger for you, I will protect you.” He kissed her on the lips then, with visible effort, smiled and said, “A delivery came for you just now.”
Jelena raised an eyebrow. “Who would want to send me anything?” she asked.
“I think it’s from the king,” Ashinji replied, pausing for dramatic effect.
“What? What is it?” Jelena cried, goaded by the look of sly amusement on her husband’s face.
“I saw a most becoming tunic and trousers in green and blue with a matching pair of slippers. Quite suitable for a high-born lady, or, dare I say, a princess? Shall I go get them, or perhaps you’d rather keep your old clothes?”
Jelena growled and playfully punched Ashinji’s shoulder. “I’ll take the new things, thank you very much!” she exclaimed, then sighed and looked down at her hands. “I may be the king’s daughter, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the idea of being a princess,” she remarked softly.
Ashinji did not reply, and when Jelena looked at him to gauge his thoughts, she could see the war he waged with his feelings—apprehension and happiness together made of his face a shifting landscape of emotion. She knew Ashinji found it just as hard to process the stunning change in her circumstances as she did, and Jelena believed she understood why.
All of her life, she had struggled with feelings of inferiority. Because she had believed herself unworthy of it, she had almost let the blessing of true love slip through her fingers. Now, the man who had freely given her this most precious of gifts suffered from the very feelings that had afflicted her for so long.
“I love you, Ashi,” she murmured. “You’ll never lose me, no matter what.”
“I’m only a captain in the army, my love,” Ashinji said. “I have nothing but what my father, and when he’s gone, my brother, chooses to give me.” He hung his head as he spoke. “You’ve said to me in the past that you felt you were not worthy of me, but in truth…it is I who is not worthy of you, Jelena.” The pain in his voice tore at Jelena’s heart.
“Stop talking nonsense, Ashinji Sakehera!” she chided. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. “You are stuck with me. Did you not promise to always protect me?”
“Yes, but…”
“But nothing! I am proud to be an army captain’s wife…. Here, let me show you.”
She pushed him down and straddled his hips. As their bodies joined in the timeless rite of lovemaking, Jelena strove to drive out all of Ashinji’s doubts with the strength of her passion. Afterward, as they lay in each other’s arms, the steady rise and fall of Ashinji’s chest soon lulled Jelena back to sleep.
She awoke a short time later to find Ashinji propped on one elbow, watching her. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “How long have I been asleep?”
“About an hour. Mother just knocked. She says it’s time for you to get up and get dressed.”
Jelena sat up and stretched. “She’s presenting me to the other members of the Kirian Society today,” she said.
“Oh, yes. My mother’s mysterious society of mages. I had no idea she even still practiced magic until she started tutoring you. The idea that this ‘blue fire’ of yours must be removed from you because it’s too dangerous for it to remain where it is…it scares me, love.” He huffed in annoyance. “I just wish she’d told me about all of this
Ashinji tugged hard on the rings in his ear, frowning. “Why didn’t my mother tell me any of this?”
“Perhaps she did not wish to worry you. Ashi, your mother says that the Kirian Society can deal with…this key thing.”
Ashinji shook his head and a stray lock of hair fell across his eyes. He brushed it away impatiently. He took her face between his hands and looked deep into her eyes. “Whatever this all means, if it bodes danger for you, I will protect you.” He kissed her on the lips then, with visible effort, smiled and said, “A delivery came for you just now.”
Jelena raised an eyebrow. “Who would want to send me anything?” she asked.
“I think it’s from the king,” Ashinji replied, pausing for dramatic effect.
“What? What is it?” Jelena cried, goaded by the look of sly amusement on her husband’s face.
“I saw a most becoming tunic and trousers in green and blue with a matching pair of slippers. Quite suitable for a high-born lady, or, dare I say, a princess? Shall I go get them, or perhaps you’d rather keep your old clothes?”
Jelena growled and playfully punched Ashinji’s shoulder. “I’ll take the new things, thank you very much!” she exclaimed, then sighed and looked down at her hands. “I may be the king’s daughter, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the idea of being a princess,” she remarked softly.
Ashinji did not reply, and when Jelena looked at him to gauge his thoughts, she could see the war he waged with his feelings—apprehension and happiness together made of his face a shifting landscape of emotion. She knew Ashinji found it just as hard to process the stunning change in her circumstances as she did, and Jelena believed she understood why.
All of her life, she had struggled with feelings of inferiority. Because she had believed herself unworthy of it, she had almost let the blessing of true love slip through her fingers. Now, the man who had freely given her this most precious of gifts suffered from the very feelings that had afflicted her for so long.
“I love you, Ashi,” she murmured. “You’ll never lose me, no matter what.”
“I’m only a captain in the army, my love,” Ashinji said. “I have nothing but what my father, and when he’s gone, my brother, chooses to give me.” He hung his head as he spoke. “You’ve said to me in the past that you felt you were not worthy of me, but in truth…it is I who is not worthy of you, Jelena.” The pain in his voice tore at Jelena’s heart.
“Stop talking nonsense, Ashinji Sakehera!” she chided. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. “You are stuck with me. Did you not promise to always protect me?”
“Yes, but…”
“But nothing! I am proud to be an army captain’s wife…. Here, let me show you.”
She pushed him down and straddled his hips. As their bodies joined in the timeless rite of lovemaking, Jelena strove to drive out all of Ashinji’s doubts with the strength of her passion. Afterward, as they lay in each other’s arms, the steady rise and fall of Ashinji’s chest soon lulled Jelena back to sleep.
She awoke a short time later to find Ashinji propped on one elbow, watching her. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “How long have I been asleep?”
“About an hour. Mother just knocked. She says it’s time for you to get up and get dressed.”
Jelena sat up and stretched. “She’s presenting me to the other members of the Kirian Society today,” she said.
“Oh, yes. My mother’s mysterious society of mages. I had no idea she even still practiced magic until she started tutoring you. The idea that this ‘blue fire’ of yours must be removed from you because it’s too dangerous for it to remain where it is…it scares me, love.” He huffed in annoyance. “I just wish she’d told me about all of this
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