Chapter XLV Dance
XLV Dance
Magnar carries me, sucking possessive kisses into my neck on the way.
“We won’t have time or energy for fucking when we travel,” he murmurs, licking a sensitive spot until I gasp from the rough texture of his tongue. “And I want you even more now that you’re so nicely bred. You’re killing me, pet.”
“Are we in for a sleepless night?” I ask, gasping when he bites my throat gently, licking the sting away at once. I blush harder, knowing it probably bleeds, and he has no qualms about licking it off.
“Oh, you can sleep, love. Sleep like an angel.”
It sounds like a repeat of my wedding night, only much more pleasant because I know what to expect. My insides tingle and warm, and I tighten my thighs around his waist and roll my hips until Magnar growls and squeezes my bottom.
“Finally.”
He pushes the bedroom door open with too much force, catching it at the last moment before it bangs the wall.
The table is laid with food, but he ignores it, putting me down on the bed.
He makes short work of unbuttoning my dress and takes my clothes off with quick, impatient movements, leaving only my stockings.
When I reach down to untie the ribbons holding them in place, he catches my hands.
“No, pet. These stay on. My belt.”
I have enough practice by now to undo it fast, and Magnar exhales sharply when I work him open, a sly smirk curving his lips.
“We’ve actually prepared something for you. Come here.”
He throws off his clothes and sits on the bed, feet planted on the floor. When I stand in front of him, unsure of where exactly he wants me, he pulls me in for a kiss, then turns me around.
“I’m going to lift you and impale you on my cock. Breathe, love.”
He barely gives me enough time to brace before I’m up in the air, his grip sure on my ribs, his thighs comfortably spread. He makes me straddle him with my back to his chest. I hiss when he slips inside, and my thighs shake as I work him in, inch by inch as fast as my body allows.
When I’m seated, my belly full and aching, he strokes himself lightly through my flesh with one hand, the other strumming my clit.
“Watch, love.”
I was so preoccupied with him, I didn’t realize what our knights were doing. Raduna sits with his legs comfortably spread, his muscular thighs hugging a drum. Khay lounges by his side, snacking on apple slices.
Arvi stands in the middle of the free space, his chest bare. He just finished putting away what looks like all of his knives. They sit in a pile on a chair. He raises his arms, stretching, and Magnar chuckles when I squeeze him with involuntary attraction.
“My queen enjoys her knights, does she?” he murmurs loud enough for Arvi to hear.
Arvi looks up just in time to hear my loud moan when Magnar pinches my clit with a low laugh. A look of frustration crosses my knight’s face.
“Do you want me to botch it?” he grumbles. “I’ve spent two years developing this dance. It’s fucking complicated, my king.”
Magnar pats my clit with an open palm, then settles his hand on my hip. “Sorry. I’ll be good.”
“The courting dance?” I ask, watching Arvi take off his boots.
“Mhm. We’re going to travel to human kingdoms, pet. Sure, you’re married, consummated, and impregnated, but we need your heart firmly on our side. Let your knights woo you.”
I squirm in his lap, and he jerks inside me, hissing from pleasure.
“And you?”
He huffs softly, cupping my breast. “I’ll dance for you when you love me. Now watch.”
Raduna beats out a slow, thudding rhythm on the drum, and Arvi shakes out his arms and jumps in place a few times, his bare feet supple and strong. He settles into a low pose with his arms gracefully stretched over his head, and looks at me, his amber eyes gleaming red.
“I dance for you, laruna. Please watch me, enjoy me, and accept me as yours.”
I nod with a sigh, admiring his long, graceful muscles, the beautiful lines of his body displayed for my sake, his handsome face. He moves his blunt-nailed fingers as if tapping out a rhythm on an invisible instrument, and straightens suddenly, leaping to the side.
A song pours out of his throat, slow and lyrical, and I gasp, leaning forward in Magnar’s lap. I didn’t realize the dance would involve singing.
Arvi flies through powerful, dynamic movements, his body arching, muscles playing under his skin. The melody grows faster, then slower, and all the time, Raduna beats the drum until I feel the rhythm reverberating behind my sternum.
Magnar rocks us gently, his hand low on my belly, pressing in just enough to keep the fire of arousal simmering between us.
There is no friction, no thrusts. Mellow candlelight caresses Arvi’s skin when he falls to his knees, arching his body back, and rolls gracefully in an athletic feat.
His song grows guttural and plaintive, and when something wet touches my thigh, I realize it’s a tear.
I have no idea what he’s singing, but the moving melody, the graceful gestures, and his expression, tight and vicious, speak clearly of the nature of his love. It’s deep, heart-wrenching, inescapable. I never thought I’d be loved like this.
I remember what Arvi said about poetry. It seems this, too, is his preferred way to express his feelings. I let my heart open and receive this powerful confession, tears streaming down my face. Magnar holds me close and wipes them away with the side of his thumb.
The final drumbeat pulses through the air, and Arvi falls down to one knee, breathing hard. His body undulates with every breath, and a sheen of sweat covers his defined back and arms. When he lifts his head, he gives me a sharp, challenging smile.
“My laruna.”
He drops to his knees at Magnar’s feet and takes my face in both hands, kissing me deeply. Arousal thrums in my bloodstream, and I writhe in Magnar’s lap, his length throbbing. Oh, it’s depraved to kiss one man when another is inside me. I love it.
“Thank you,” I whisper when we part. “It was perfect. I loved every second.”
His smile is beautiful, smug and happy. Before he stands, Arvi takes Magnar’s hand and kisses his knuckles.
“Thank you, my king. You found us a wonderful queen.”
Magnar rumbles with pleasure. “Yes, I did. Great dance, Arvi. It was a delight to watch.”
Arvi nods and gets up, sitting down in the spot vacated by Khay. Magnar’s first knight has undressed to his trousers, too, his bare feet sinking into the carpet. He wraps a shimmery, diaphanous blue scarf around his shoulders and grins, combing his fingers through his long hair.
“I hope you remember this song, my lady,” he says, taking a deep, elegant bow. “I sang it to you after you fell asleep in the bath.”
I jolt with surprise, and Magnar leans in as close as he can to whisper in my ear. “I think I was unfair, pet. It was the second night, wasn’t it? And there he was, singing his courting song well before I fell for you. I suppose it’s right that you loved him first.”
My throat tightens with an aching, terrible gratitude and love. I watch Khay, who rolls his shoulders and lifts his face with his eyes closed, smiling. He’s my first knight, the one who made me feel safe when I was lost and hurting.
And he loved me first.
When Khay’s ready, standing on tiptoes, his body stretched up in a beautiful arch, Raduna starts a slow, ponderous drumbeat. The familiar song pours out of Khay’s throat as he moves through a series of fluid, beautiful motions, the diaphanous scarf billowing with his every flamboyant gesture.
Tears stream down my face, and I shake my head, sniffing again and again until Magnar reaches for our stash of clean handkerchiefs on the bedside table.
Khay turns fast and looks at me with a snort of laughter when he sees my blotchy, tearful face.
He shakes his head with an affectionate smile and keeps singing, his dance a lovely show of intricate gestures and subtle play of muscles.
It's different from Arvi’s and more restrained, just as the song. Khay keeps smiling, and I remember how I thought this melody was a lullaby when I heard it first. It is soothing, yes, but the drum gives it a powerful heartbeat that makes the song urgent and wanting.
When Khay is done, he comes to me, laughing, and leans low to kiss the top of my head.
“What are we doing, little diamond? Making each other cry all the time. This has got to stop.”
I laugh through tears and cup his cheek, looking into his dark eyes sparkling with mirth. I know it will hurt Magnar, but Khay deserves to hear it without it being awkward and overwrought.
“I love you, my knight.”
His smile widens, and he nods. “And I love you, my lady. Did you like my dance?”
“Yes, it was beautiful.”
When he retreats, kissing Magnar’s knuckles the same way Arvi did, my husband releases a long breath and presses me closer.
“It’s more bearable when I’m inside you. I don’t begrudge you, love, or them. They waited a long time to hear their queen say those words. They deserve all the love you can give them. And I’ll wait.”
I clasp his hand in both of mine and lift it to my lips for a kiss.
“I’ll do anything I must to heal the part of me that balks at loving you. I promise.”
“Good.”
Raduna hands his drum to Khay, who hugs it with his thighs, beating out a quick, invigorating rhythm.
His dark blue hair shakes as he gives himself over to music.
Raduna stands tall, and I flush, squeezing Magnar with arousal when his bulky arms and broad shoulders gleam in golden candlelight.
Oh, Raduna is absolutely delicious, emanating mature, masculine power.
He raises his arms high, his stomach muscles rippling, and Magnar presses down on my lower belly, his free thumb running lazy circles around my nipple. I jolt, his touch filling me with heat. I almost forgot we were joined like this, his weight inside me a heavy comfort, not a lewd invasion.
The comfort is gone now. I squirm, seeking friction as I ogle Raduna with shameless appetite. Magnar snorts softly.