February 22, 2011

In Which Jadin Ruins the Moment

June 1, 1172

There were several advantages to large parties, Jadin had learned over the years. When he had been a child, the adults had always managed to get so spectacularly drunk that he and his friends were free to run wild and wreak havoc to their little hearts' content--and then when he'd gotten a little older, he and his friends had always managed to get so spectacularly drunk that they could run wild and wreak havoc regardless of their parents' states.

And now that he was even older... well, the crowd did always manage to keep itself occupied. It was never difficult for a pair of lovers to slip away for an hour or so.

Lovers... were he and Xeta lovers? Not quite, he guessed--not physically. But then again, didn't the word have more to do with love than it did with sex? Surely he would have never called the chambermaids he met for quick afternoon romps such a thing. Didn't lovers... love?

He pressed the last of series of kisses to her lips and smiled down at her. "I love you."

For a second, she fell rigid. He could only stare in anxious, privately horrified silence--had he really just said that? And how was she going to take it? "Err..."

A tip of a finger against his lips rendered him speechless. Laughing, Xeta pulled herself upright, her fingers interlocking with his as she pulled his shocked form along. "You mean that?"

God, he'd never seen such dazzling eyes. He'd never been to sea, but he'd spent many a summer afternoon on the shores of the lake, watched the sun's stray sparks shimmer like diamonds on the water's surface, but nothing could compare to Xeta's blue eyes in the candlelight. He could have just as easily drowned in those eyes as he might have in the lake. "Of course I do."

That wide, pretty smile a little wider and a little prettier, she inclined her head and kissed him once more. "I love you too."

She didn't say anything after that--not that he thought she needed to. It was kind of nice, the quiet, just holding her, loving her. Tame, perhaps, but was that not to be expected of a duke's sister? She was a different breed entirely from some whore at one of the brothels. He never would have paid one of them just for cuddling, but snuggling up to his charming little sweetheart was a different thing entirely. Maybe this was what his sister Viridis called a 'moment'.

Yes, that was it--a moment.

Don't ruin the moment. It was a nagging little voice in the back of his head, one that sounded like a blend of his father's and his older sister's, with perhaps a hint of... Florian? What the hell was he doing in there? Not that it mattered; it was good advice, and he had to admit that ruining a moment was something he would do. Jadin had lived long enough to know all the best ways of ignoring one's conscience, but for once--just this once--he supposed it was worth the listen. Don't ruin the moment.

Don't ruin the moment.

Don't ruin the moment.

Don't ruin the--

"Do you want to have sex?"

Well, so much for not ruining the moment.

NEXT CHAPTER:

16 comments:

Van said...

Getting in Jadin's head is always so weird.

Epi said...

That was brilliant, Jadin. Utterly brilliant.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Jadin, you idiot. You had to go there, didn't you? You just had to go there.

And now she's going to think (for just long enough to make Jadin really squirm, of course) that he only said that he loved her in order to get under the sheets with her, which isn't true at all. It's just that Jadin is one of the horny Kemorins, and, well, sex is what they do.

Speaking of the horny Kemorins, how are Raia and Falidor and Severin and Nora doing these days? What's the baby count? ;)

Van said...

Epi: Not one of Jadin's brighter moments, for sure :S

Morgaine: You're right, it's pretty much instinct for Jadin. He was trying so hard not to do anything stupid, but he's young and horny and hasn't developed whatever relative self-control his dad has.

But yeah, that's definitely going to be Xeta's big fear for the next while. I guess she doesn't know how he is with her compared to how he is with other girls; if she did, she might just figure it's reflexive for him, and it's probably a miracle he didn't say something like that sooner.

All of the aforementioned parties are doing just fine right now. Baby #2 is on the way for Raia and Falidor (much to Raia's annoyance, I'm sure), plus Fenrick and Riala (who are probably still adjusting to the fact that their stepmom is two years older than they are), and then Falidor's four stepkids from Ailede. So that's going on eight in total, all of which are (effectively) Falidor's and two of which are Raia's.

As for Severin and Nora, that count's still what it was last time we saw them--two together, seven others for him, four others for her, giving a grand total of six for Nora, nine for Severin (err... at least, nine that anyone knows about), and thirteen (!) between them... and looking at upcoming pregnancies, they're not done yet :S

The Lunar Fox said...

LOL! Florian's surprising mental appearance made me actually laugh to myself. (Do you see the things he does even to real people?)

Poor Jadin. He's got it bad, but oh man is he ever going to be trouble for Xeta, lol.

Van said...

Yaaay, ninja comment :)

Laughs are what Florian does :D

Jadin is pretty dead-gone, but trouble is his middle name, for sure. I wonder if Xeta knows what she's gotten herself into :S

Thanks Lunar :)

S.B. said...

LMAO!!! Wonder what REALLY ruining the moment would look like? The sad thing is that Jadin does love her, but he's well...who he is. Poor guy. Poor Xeta! All dressed up in her love clothes and here comes SEX.

Brilliant, just brilliant!

Van said...

Heheheh :)

He does love her, but you're right--he is who he is. And Xeta is pretty damned shocked :S

Thanks Beth :)

Joseph said...

Just out of interest how long has that disclaimer been there?

Van said...

The disclaimer just went up this morning. I was bored :P

Joseph said...

Thank god for that. I thought I was going mad :)

Van said...

Nope. Just a new feature :)

Verity said...

Haha! I love that Florian was mixed in there too. That's so hilarious. Oh Jadin you horny little man. That was quite the ruin of the moment :D

Van said...

Florian is never out of place ;)

Thanks Verity :)

Penelope said...

Oh, I laughed. :D :D

Van said...

Glad I could amuse XD