Torgan Wine Ch. 04

Isonei dozed in the carriage while Draeseth and Burgath spoke quietly in Torgan. The sound was surprisingly soothing, especially with her head against Draeseth's chest. Andnaeuth's name had come up more than once. She had her doubts that Burgath was going to be told exactly how the Aran Prince had been persuaded to spirit them out past prying eyes.

After Draeseth pinched and prodded her until she was awake enough to dress and drink her tea, Andnaeuth had kept his word. Draeseth had even allowed him to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek as he helped her into the carriage. Isonei thought it might be because Andnaeuth had been calling her Draeseth's songbird, the Torgan had enjoyed that.

His hand stroked her hair pulling her from her drowsy thoughts. "Mm?"

"My silver jewel, Burgath asked if you were going to wake up and join us."

"She should be calling us both by our titles, brother. Father will insist on it."

Burgath's pointed words prompted Draeseth to make a profoundly annoyed sound in his throat.

She tilted her head up to kiss the underside of Draeseth's jaw. "I can do that if required, Prince Burgath."

"Can you refrain from kissing him and sitting in his lap like a harlot?" His dry tone stopped her kisses and made her turn to judge his sincerity.

"No," Draeseth growled something else at the now disapproving Prince in Torgan before speaking to her again. "You may kiss me and sit as close to me as you wish, my jewel."

"When I met your brothers, my flower wine, I knew that there would be no warmth or pleasantness for me in Torga." Isonei sighed and kissed him when he tilted his face down and tightened his arms around her. "Not outside of your embrace. I chose to come with you knowing that."

"Lady Isonei, I didn't mean to make you think that. Arans and Torgans have very different etiquette. Open affection isn't permissible in Torga. You will be greeted as my brother's wife, and you will be expected to behave appropriately." Burgath leaned back with a wry smile. "Aran etiquette was baffling to me when I first began to learn it. You may find the Torgan court to be easier to understand if less warm. You'll have two weeks for my brother to arrange lessons for you."

"My flower wine can't teach me himself?"

"Ha!" He eyed Draeseth with amusement. "The Beast of Kroscur is known for disregarding the niceties. And the way he dotes on you I doubt he would correct you if you insulted the King himself."

"I would do it privately." Draeseth tried to look nonchalant but she saw his light blush.

"I should hope so, my flower wine. Even Arans would be scandalized if you-" she yelped and began to laugh as he pinched her. He was blushing furiously as she grinned up at him. "Making you blush is too delightful to resist, my beautiful Draeseth."

"I'll try to convince father to give you more than two weeks. Even by Aran standards, she's," Burgath paused and spoke a Torgan word carefully, "areshen."

"Ar-esh-EN?" Isonei asked curiously.

"Ar-esh-HEN" Burgath's face split in a grin correcting her, "It's the polite way to say flirtatious in the Aran manner."

Leaning into Draeseth's shoulder she tried not to laugh. "There is a reason I've tried to avoid royalty while my brothers sought them out. I've been chided for mischievousness all of my life."

"You avoid royalty?" he gave her a dubious look as Draeseth snorted.

"Yes. If I'd known Draeseth," she paused, "Prince Draeseth was a prince, I'd have tried to find another way to avoid Feyrith."

"That's why you hesitated at the door to my rooms and I had to reassure of your manners." Draeseth shifted his arms to hold her more securely.

"Yes, my flower wine. And had you mentioned you were a prince during the night I might have made a different decision. It occurs to me you kept a great deal from me while asking me to stay." Isonei jabbed her finger into his chest. The layers of cloth and leather protected him far better than her dress protected her from his answering pinch.

"You said my name sounded familiar."

"I didn't remember where I'd heard it until you referred to yourself as the Beast of Kroscur. My brothers had spoken of you."

"Unkindly, I would assume." Burgath was smirking. "Draeseth was rather impolite when offered your father's wine."

"To be fair, it's rare to hear my brothers speak kindly of anyone behind their backs. They're ambitious and that seems to leave little room for goodwill and kindheartedness."

"Something I've noticed about the ambitious as well, Lady Isonei." He inclined his head. "If you aren't ambitious... You chose to stay with my brother out of?" Burgath searched her face as he inquired.

"I chose to stay because he's the first person who ever made me want to consider it. He was so sweet and eager." She looked up at Draeseth. "Magnificent. Skillful." He bent his head, kissing her ardently and breaking her train of thought.

"If a woman of your beauty spoke of me so highly and looked at me half as adoringly I would have fought as hard as my brother to keep her. I wonder if you would have found me so enthralling if I had chosen to walk the gardens." He looked at her with a speculative smile.

"Forgive me, Prince Burgath, you seem to be one of the kinder of Prince Draeseth's brothers but you are not half as beautiful as my flower wine, nor are you as sweet. I don't know that I would have accepted a drink from you, and I don't believe I would have stayed if I had." Isonei gave him an apologetic half smile before Draeseth pulled her face up to press his forehead against hers.

"To be told I'm not half as beautiful as the Beast of Kroscur would make me doubt any other woman's sincerity." He sounded sour. "But having seen the way you look at him, and only him, with such open desire I am inclined to believe you feel that way."

"She can't understand why anyone would ever want to strike such a beautiful face." Draeseth murmured with amusement.

"Because he's infuriating and insulting. All the more so because he hasn't lost a bout in years."

"Infuriating I can understand, he pinches." She grinned as he growled something at her in Torgan. "But he's so charming and sweet to me, it's easy to forget that his manner is sometimes a bit coarse."

"I didn't realize he knew how to be charming or sweet." Burgath snorted.

"I never had reason to be. For her lips I am honey." Draeseth's kiss was urgent and hungry. Isonei forgot for a moment that Burgath was there as she reveled in it returning it with joyful abandon.

"That was almost poetic, brother. Adareth could turn that into a proper verse for you. If you wanted to let him that close to your jewel." Burgath was looking at them with annoyance.

"You want to provoke me, brother. I am in too good a mood." Draeseth adjusted himself under her and leaned back pulling her into a comfortable position against him.

"Who is Adareth?" Isonei asked curiously.

"Our youngest brother." Burgath gave a sly smile. "He's a poet and much like Andnaeuth, there isn't a woman he hasn't been able to seduce."

Feeling Draeseth tensing under her she corrected him, "You're mistaken. Andnaeuth wasn't able to seduce me."

"You truly turned down the advances of the Aran crown prince?" Burgath scoffed.

"Yes. I remained exclusive, as much as I knew to be," looking up to Draeseth apologetically, "I'm very fond of Andnaeuth but Draeseth is the only man I've gone to bed with, the only man who's been inside me, or brought me pleasure since the festival."

"I find that difficult to believe." He frowned.

"Speak to my brother Ivorith. I'm certain he'll be glad to voice his displeasure with my choices. On the journey to the palace, he was very angrily pointing out to Ialath that if it was a prince I wanted I could have one much closer to home." She returned Burgath's frown.

Draeseth spat angrily at his brother in Torgan for a moment and the man inclined his head.

"Forgive me Lady Isonei. I was unaware that you faced so much displeasure from your family. I assumed they would be pleased because of Prince Draeseth's station."

"No." She leaned her head against Draeseth's shoulder and started to bite her lip. Realizing what she was doing she stopped abruptly and hoped it hadn't been noticed.

"Are you biting your lip?"

"I stopped as soon as I noticed, my flower wine."

"Are you unhappy?" He pulled her close asking softly.

"You've done nothing wrong."

"That isn't..." Draeseth exhaled noisily. "Andnaeuth said you would be miserable as long as your family was angry with you. You can't bear to see those you love angry or in pain."

"They weren't angry after dinner. After seeing you so furious with me they were afraid you would mistreat me."

"I would not." He gripped her painfully tight. "You never need to fear that."

"I know that you would never harm me purposely, but you sometimes hold me too tight and it hurts," she said softly. His grip loosened immediately. "I'm not going to run from you. I chose to spend this year with you, my flower wine."

"I was amazed that Andnaeuth let you leave with us after he'd seen the bruises on you. Even I thought my brother had mistreated you in the night." Burgath shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "The servants will talk when they see them. Modest dresses will cover most of them, but someone will have to help you dress and undress."

"That I know my flower wine can do."

"It would suit his reputation for them to say he's so wretchedly jealous not even the maids can look at you." Burgath eyed Draeseth with amusement, "It's already widespread that he can't stop himself from ravishing you at every opportunity. Most of the court thinks he's mad. He fought for months to have a woman returned to his side he'd barely spent a day and a night with."

Pressing kisses into his neck she had to smile. "Despite my family's consternation, I'm glad he did. I wanted my time with him."

"If you keep saying such things and kissing me, woman..." Draeseth's hands had begun kneading her hip and thigh where they were resting.

"I will not be leaving the carriage. You can contain yourselves until we arrive in our lodgings for the night. And it will be night. What took the two of you so long to ready yourselves? More of this?" Burgath sounded annoyed and amused.

"This and a long breakfast with Prince Andnaeuth." Isonei smiled as Draeseth grunted and tried to look sour. "The two of you got along better than you'd care to admit once we all started talking."

"Did they?" Burgath sounded curious.

"Andnaeuth is easy to get along with when he wants to be. And they're both generous, persistent, and kind."

"What gifts has my brother given you to make you think him generous?"

"You don't have to give gifts to be giving." She grinned impishly and looked up at Draeseth.

He began to blush as he realized what she meant. "Woman, what did I tell you about teasing me?"

"Not to." Her own face was flushing as he tilted his head down with a wicked smile as if he were going to kiss her. "But I enjoy it too much to stop, my magnificent Draeseth."

"Do you? Will you enjoy it when I have you alone?"

"Yes." Isonei shivered and teased back, "Are you going to let me sleep afterward this time?"

"When I'm finished." He grinned still blushing.

"The two of you are shameless." Burgath adjusted himself on the seat again. "The priests are going to be blaming you for corrupting a pious man. Despite his reputation for temper and confrontation he was always chaste and proper."

"They're going to blame me? When he's the one who-" The sharp pinch warned her to stop. "Well it's true, you're the depraved one." She muttered almost sulkily as he smirked.

"If he's depraved what are you?" Burgath asked drolly.

Lifting one shoulder in a half shrug, she airily replied, "Affectionate."

Draeseth began to laugh in his throat. "Your affection could make a saint embrace depravity, woman."

Burgath leapt on the opportunity to change the subject, "Did you explain to her the story? Of the saint and the demon?"

"No!" Isonei sat up straighter in Draeseth's lap. "He didn't! I'd almost forgotten."

"As the story goes, Ganas and Mezaldir made a wager. Mezaldir persuaded Ganas to allow him to chain his worst demon to Ganas' holiest saint. And whichever was corrupted at the end of a year would be given over to the other."

"Who won?" She asked curiously.

"Ganas. The demon had been tormented for the year by the saint's goodness but hadn't been able to corrupt him, and it had learned some small amount of goodness."

"So my flower wine not only called me a demon but suggested I'm worse than the worst?" Keeping the amusement off of her face as she looked up at him was impossible.

"He certainly did. I didn't expect that to amuse you." Burgath gave a rueful half smile. "I hoped you'd sulk by the window."

She could feel the careful way Draeseth's arms tightened, his hands open as he kept her close growling something in Torgan.

"Don't be angry my flower wine. I think your brother is trying to say he's uncomfortable being trapped in a carriage with us when we're being, what was the word, areshen?"

Watching Burgath try to contain his laughter, coughing and looking away with his fist in front of his mouth made her grin impishly. Draeseth muttered in Torgan, kissing her hair before sliding her off of his lap onto the seat next to the window.

"To hear the Beast of Kroscur called areshen is," he cleared his throat, "more amusing than you can possibly understand."

Leaning close to Draeseth and wrapping her arms around his, Isonei began to consider closing her eyes again as the gap in the conversation stretched on.

"She should be hearing some very basic etiquette, Draeseth. You don't want her to scandalize our hosts."

Taking a long inhale and a long loud exhale, Draeseth made a sour face, "Leria is nearly the same as Ara. It can wait."

"Small wonder Aran manners baffle you my flower wine!" She peered up at him aghast. "Leria is not the same at all. They may be more accustomed to Arans than you are but if you go into a Lerian's home you are expected to follow their customs."

"You're familiar with Lerian customs?" Burgath leaned forward with surprise.

"My father has friends there, and he does business with them often. I traveled there with him when my mothers were away and there was no one else to look after me."

"Do you speak the language?" Burgath asked with a half smile.

"Some, I haven't been back in years. I used to play with Daga Gildith's daughters in their garden."

"Daga Gildith... He's not fond of Torgans, he is, however, a very powerful man in Leria. An Aran wife who knows him could serve you very well, brother." Burgath looked at her speculatively. "Our host tonight will be Daga Liadith."

Isonei began to laugh, shaking her head, "Did you bring any of my father's wine? He adores it, but he talks so much my father hated to visit with him. The old man is very sweet."

"The old Daga passed on, his son is the new Daga."

She tried not to wince. "His son is less sweet and more shrewd. He's fond of my father's wine..." Mentioning that he used to be fonder of her might not be wise if they would be staying with him.

"From the pensive, nervous look on your face Lady Isonei, am I right in guessing he's a former lover of yours?" The question was cool, as if he didn't wish to give too much offense, but couldn't hide his disapproval.

"We weren't old enough for that the last time I saw him, but he was the first boy I kissed and he used to talk about how perfect it would be if I would make an arrangement with him." She frowned shaking her head.

"How gentle were you when you parted with him?" Draeseth inquired rubbing her hand.

"I overheard him trying to save face with one of his friends. Like Torgans, some Lerians have a low opinion of Aran women. I..." she paused remembering how hurt and angry she'd been to have someone she cared for speak of her that way. "I didn't take it well. I'm not one to lash out in anger I just... stopped speaking to him." Lifting her gaze from Draeseth's fingers to Burgath's face, Isonei took a breath and smiled wanly. "He wrote to me, begging to know why. I never answered."

"That may be why he so generously offered. I thought the Lerians were simply intrigued." He looked at Draeseth with an annoyed sigh.

"I'll speak with him." She offered quietly, pressing her face into Draeseth's arm.

Draeseth spoke quietly in Torgan for a moment and Burgath muttered as if he were being imposed upon, opening the door to bark at the carriage driver. It came to a stop, allowing him to step out before starting again leaving the two of them alone.

"My jewel," he pulled her back up into his lap, "I would be furious if you did that to me. Promise me that if I do something that displeases you, silence won't be my only answer."

"I promise, my flower wine." Isonei sighed and turned, wriggling in his grip until he let her sit straddling his lap. "He was the first boy to kiss me, and the first to break my heart." She kept her eyes on his lips. "Will you promise me that if anyone mocks you for being with me you won't tell them it's because I'm useful or that I'm a pleasant diversion until you find a better-"

He pulled her in for an urgent kiss. "I can promise you that easily. There is no better and you would be far more useful to one of my brothers. I just want to keep you at home, to myself."

His earnestness made her smile with relief. "Thank you. I enjoy your wine but you are so much sweeter." Pressing giddy kisses to his lips and along his jaw, she murmured teasingly, "Honey for my lips."

"Isonei, there isn't room for me to take you in this carriage." His hands were pushing the skirt of her dress up her thighs. "But I need to touch you." The words were all it took to make her eager and wet.

"My flower wine, you can have me just like this, I can show you." Moving off his lap and pushing his layers of tunic up, she watched him blush with delight. "Do you blush just for me?"

Draeseth laughed in his throat and helped her free his rapidly hardening cock just enough from his close-fitting pants. "After your teasing about my generosity, I was going to have you be giving to me before I-" he groaned as she knelt between his legs and breathlessly kissed the underside of his thick member.

"I love to be giving to you, my magnificent Draeseth. The way you taste, the way you feel..." She moaned softly as he pulled her head closer, angling himself to push the dark tip into her mouth.

Growling quietly, "Look at me, woman. Look at me with those lips on my cock."

Obediently lifting her eyes, she sucked enthusiastically letting her tongue playfully swirl over and around the head. Isonei stroked his shaft, squeezing the base each time her hands moved down it. His gaspy uneven breathing and soft groans were intoxicating and she couldn't resist moving a hand between her thighs. The way his head dropped back and he grinned at the carriage ceiling as he saw was deliciously stirring.

"Up. Woman. I need." His hushed throaty words as he stroked her head made her flush.

She let him help lift her skirt as she straddled him again, adeptly guiding him to her ready entrance and pushing herself down onto his glorious cock, sinking it as deeply as she could.

Giggling as he struggled to keep his long tunics out of the way, she teased, "It's more difficult when we both have skirts to manage."

"Woman. I am going to turn you over my knees until you promise not to mock Torgan clothing." He gripped her hip with his free hand under her skirt and leaned to kiss her.

"Mmm. My flower wine, you might hurt your hand." Isonei grinned impishly as she rolled her hips enjoying the way it felt to have him inside with the motion of the carriage giving her some extra stimulation.