Torgan Wine Ch. 13

My profuse thanks to Todger65 for all his help with editing!

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A quiet, insistent murmur roused Isonei from her comfortable sleep and she tried to bury her head under her pillow in annoyance. Draeseth's low laughter as she buried her face in his underarm woke her up the rest of the way.

"My Isonei, I would keep you in bed for the day and let you use me as your pillow but the Daga wanted you to be reminded that you were meant to return to your room. The sun is not yet up."

With a whine and then a sigh of resignation she nodded against him and started to sit up, "You make a very comfortable pillow, though someone should wash you." Isonei wrinkled her nose at him with a mischievous smile.

He narrowed his eyes at her and gave her a growling grunt. "The way you bury your face in my skin, I think you like the way I smell. I think you just like to tease me."

"I love to tease you." She kissed his chest with a smile. "And you don't smell bad, just... strongly." Moving to kiss his smiling face she felt the roughness of his cheek. "Your cheeks are rough!"

Draeseth's smile widened into a grin as she climbed on top of him to straddle his chest and rub his face. "It pleases you?"

"It does, it feel so strange. It fascinates me." Isonei leaned to rub her cheek against his.

The sound of Krouth clearing his throat pointedly made Draeseth snap something in Torgan that didn't sound complimentary.

"Don't snap at him, my Draeseth. He's trying to keep us both out of trouble." Giving him a soft, yearning kiss before stroking his rough cheeks again and climbing out of bed, she picked up her chemise from the floor, shook it out and put it on.

Pulling the covers aside Draeseth moved to the edge of the bed, watching her intently as she picked up her dress as well. "Come here for a moment?"

She laid the rumpled dress on the bed and stepped between his legs with a smile, running her hands over his bare chest and shoulders. "My flower wine?"

"Were you angry that I was praying when you came in last night?" He glanced to Krouth. "It was suggested that I ask."

"I was a little angry and very disappointed, because you told me not to linger and then I came here to find you busy with something else." Isonei gave him a wry smile. "If it had been anything other than prayer I'd have sulked at you until you stopped."

He made an amused sound in his throat. "You think that a wise choice?"

"I think with the mood we were both in we'd have quarreled loudly enough to bring the Daga. As it is I need to try to compose an eloquent apology in Lerian for losing my temper with him." She pressed her face to his for a moment before stepping back. "I need to go, my Draeseth. I will see you at breakfast."

Isonei slipped into her underskirt and dress, fastening it as she walked around the bed looking for her shoes. Krouth held them as he stood by the door, making no move to give them to her.

"You seemed soundly asleep when I left the room, Lady Isonei. Did something wake you?" He pointedly avoided looking in Draeseth's direction as he kept his eyes averted.

"I had a bad dream. I don't remember much of it but I think I was being chased through my father's house."

"Going to bed in a foul mood leads to unpleasant dreams." Krouth offered her her shoes once she'd finished fastening her dress completely.

"It does. I hadn't intended to go to sleep any more than my poor Draeseth did in the chair." She could have sworn she saw him suppress a smile.

"Perhaps next time you'll try to improve your mood before lying down?" He opened the door as she slipped her shoes on.

Stopping in front of him, and in her sweetest tone, Isonei informed him, "I would have been happy to but my husband was praying and I didn't think it was appropriate ask him to kiss me out of it while he was occupied."

Krouth stiffened and frowned but Draeseth was grinning broadly as she glanced back at him before leaving the room.

Making her way out of the family rooms, Isonei paused. If Draeseth and the Daga would be going to see the elder Daga in her place... She wondered if the veiled priests would even be awake at this hour. If they weren't, she could always offer him an apology for her behavior first and then speak to him properly later. Changing her direction she went to find out.

Down in the crypts there were lanterns already lit making her hopeful she could speak to the elder Daga. But when she saw the Daga standing in the chamber with his father's sarg she almost turned around. Daga Liadith turned first, beckoning her closer.

Worrying the inside of her lip with her teeth she tried to think of the best way to begin her apology. Entering the chamber she looked at him nervously, "My Daga-"

"Kneel, daughter of Liadith. My father is taking me to task."

"Why my Daga?" She took her place on the kneeler and after a moment's silence began to try to apologize. "I uhhmm I did not suffer my anger well. There was disrespect and I am sorry."

"There was disrespect on both sides, your anger was justified and my father doesn't believe you should be chided." He paused and she turned her head to look at him.

He hadn't placed his hand on her head. Isonei noticed the way he looked at the sarg. When his father had gently chided him as a child he'd looked defiant, now he looked the way she'd felt when her father had chided her. Isonei reached out and took his hand.

"I did something I should not have done, daughter of Liadith. My father... my father says you must be told. I went to speak to Arissa through her window. The maids went to sleep and we went walking in the garden." His eyes were a muddy green and he hesitated looking away.

"I don't know how to ask this delicately in Lerian, my Daga. Were you... intimate with her?" She studied his face.

"Yes." The Daga looked back to the sarg.

"I'll share my silphium with her immediately." A thought occurred to her and she asked apprehensively, "Did you give me time with Draeseth so that you could-"

"No!" The Daga pulled his hand away and rubbed his face before crouching next to her. "No, I didn't. She and I... we went to see if you had fallen asleep. It was late and you hadn't returned." He sighed and covered his face. "Through the window..."

"You-you watched us?" Isonei felt like she must be misunderstanding him.

"Yes." He took a deep breath and switched to Aran, lowering his hands. "We watched. When you fell asleep we spoke of what you'd done and... I took her to my bed. I have violated your privacy and that of my guest, and I have broken Daga Gildith's trust. Please... forgive me."

Isonei blinked and took a deep breath trying to comprehend. He and Arissa had watched them through the window... "How much did you see?"

"When we arrived you were in your chemise, the Torgan was..." he cleared his throat and looked away from her.

She started to laugh and covered her face, "You saw that and didn't walk away? I know your fondness of peering into windows, my Daga but..."

"You're laughing?"

"My Daga, what else should I do? I think I'm more upset that you took her to bed. I thought better of you, you should have more self-restraint."

"Arissa wanted to be sure I wasn't as large as your Torgan, the sight of him frightened her. And the more we watched, the two of you were laughing and talking while you..." He cleared his throat. "She and I both wanted to enjoy each other that way."

"You could have waited to do that after the ceremony."

"It didn't feel that way." The Daga looked at her sheepishly.

Isonei reached out and touched his face with an exasperated sigh. "How was it?"

His face started to flush. "That's private."

"Is it? It's not as if I'm peering in the window at you." She tried not to laugh at the mix of chagrin and annoyance on his face. "Did you enjoy each other? Or do I need to go find out what you did wrong from Arissa and have Draeseth teach you how to do it right?"

The muddy green of his eyes started to clear as he gave her an indignant scowl. "We enjoyed each other. We listened to each other and moved as slowly as we could bear to. She went back to her rooms just before I suggested you be woken."

"You sent her back to her rooms alone?!" Isonei pushed him and he fell back with a startled look. "You-you, Gods!" She stood up and stepped toward the doorway before turning back for a moment. "I'll be coming back to talk to your father later, either you'll be coming with me or Arissa will, my Daga."

As quickly as she possibly could, Isonei left the crypts and went back to her rooms. Amay and the other two maids were looking nervous as she came back in. "Please have two cups of my silphium tea fetched and brought immediately. Is Arissa in the bedroom?"

"No Lady Isonei, she's in the bath." Amay answered looking relieved.

"Thank you. I'll see to her." She walked purposefully into the bath and Arissa looked up, startled.

"Isonei! You're back!"

"So are you." Isonei began undress as Arissa blushed and went back to washing herself carefully.

"You saw the Daga?"

"I went to see his father on my way back to our rooms, he was there being chided." She laid her dress and underskirt on the bench and slipped out of her chemise. Walking around the raised tub she saw the way Arissa avoided looking at her. "Talk to me. Please."

Arissa gave her an embarrassed look, "He told you we-we watched?"

"He did. And that he took you to his bed. After we bathe you'll have a cup of silphium tea with me." Isonei gave her a small smile. "How was it?"

The Lerian woman flushed and began to smile. "I was afraid you'd be angry."

"I am a little. You should have waited, but I'm also dying to know." She gave her an impish grin, sinking to her knees to help her wash, "It's not like I got to watch."

Arissa began to laugh and shake her head, "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have but the two of you together..." she brushed Isonei's hair back, "You both looked so joyful. With Daga Liadith it wasn't quite like that but I liked the way it felt."

"Draeseth and I have had more practice." Isonei fluttered her lashes and set Arissa back to giggling. "But I did tell him I'd ask you and if he did anything wrong I'd have my Draeseth teach him how to do it right."

"I don't think he did anything wrong. I enjoyed it."

"I'm glad." Helping Arissa rinse, Isonei teased, "I'd love to hear the details."

"My father made it very clear; if I take a Daga as my match I'm not to discuss what happens in our bedroom." Arissa looked at her almost nervously.

"I won't pry, but I do have a favor to ask."

Frowning, Arissa studied her face, waiting.

"Don't tease my Draeseth about what you saw?"

"I won't." Arissa took a breath of relief and with a smile she switched places helping Isonei wash, breaking into laughter as she pointed out the mark from Draeseth's bite to her ass cheek. "When he did that we almost started to laugh. The look on his face as you went under him was so wickedly playful."

Beaming, Isonei tried to stifle the yawn that crept up on her. "He likes to tease me about how sleepy playing with him makes me. When a man does it right all you want to do is curl up and sleep next to him afterward." She almost giggled at the flush on Arissa's face.

"I wanted to but... it was almost morning and..." The Lerian woman looked suddenly wistfully unhappy.

"I pushed him over when he told me you went back to your room alone. Sometimes it can feel lonely afterward." Isonei stroked her hair before she finished rinsing herself and led Arissa to the tub.

Climbing in to soak together, Arissa snuggled close with her arms around Isonei's waist and her head just above her breasts. "It did feel lonely until you came. But I was dreading you coming back too. You were in such a sour mood last night."

"My Draeseth can kiss me out of any foul mood." She kissed Arissa's hair. "I just can't believe my Daga left you alone afterward. I might push him over again at breakfast."

Arissa began to laugh, "He told me you used to throw things at him; maybe we can do that instead."

"I would prefer you didn't." The Daga spoke from outside the doorway. "I knocked and got no answer and as angry as Isonei was... I needed to know you were..." they heard the sound of him taking a deep breath, "That I hadn't done something so wrong you would leave."

"Can we invite him in?" Arissa asked hopefully squeezing Isonei.

"I don't know if that's appropriate and the two of you are going to be on your very best behavior until the ceremony. You can speak to each other at breakfast." Hearing Arissa's small disappointed sigh she teased gently, "You could tell him now if you're angry with him or make him wait until then. I would make him wait but I think he already knows I'm a little unhappy with him."

She could feel Arissa smiling against her. "I'm not angry with him, but I didn't like being alone afterward."

"It won't happen again, my love. The next time you're in my bed you won't have to leave it. It will be yours as well." The Daga sounded relieved and Isonei couldn't resist piping up.

"As you should have done first!"

Arissa began to giggle, "We'll see you at breakfast Daga Liadith."

"I will see you both then." He hesitated, "Should I speak to Draeseth before breakfast or-"

"No!" Isonei sighed and shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "I will talk to Draeseth. You might need your head attached to your shoulders for the ceremony."

She heard him suck his lips against his teeth. "That is one of the requirements, I think. Daga Gildith might hesitate to give her to me if I were headless."

"I might still ask to stay; I'm rather fond of you." Arissa smiled pressing her cheek tighter against Isonei's chest. "Isonei seems to like lying on the sarg..."

He stepped around the doorway with a sparkle in his now vividly green eyes "You-"

"Your best behavior!" Isonei pointed imperiously for him to leave and he gave her an annoyed look before obeying. Arissa was beaming.

°°°°°°°°°°

Dressed and heading to breakfast hand in hand after their tea, tea that Arissa had loathed. Isonei and Arissa were both starved and had started to yawn. They talked longingly about taking a nap on the benches while Draeseth and the Daga went below to the crypts.

Arriving in the family dining room, both the Daga and Draeseth were already there and waiting impatiently. Seeing her, Draeseth frowned slightly, looking at her with consternation as she approached the table.

"Wife, you're no longer wearing the Torgan style gowns?"

"I thought since you enjoyed calling me your exquisite Aran wife you might like to see me in an Aran gown for a change." She gave him a mischievous smile and stroked his arm as he flushed slightly, offering her her chair. "I think it complements the handsome Torgan tunic you're wearing this morning, my flower wine."

"You're teasing me, woman." His eyes glittered as he tried not to smile.

"I love to tease you, my beautiful Draeseth."

He made an amused noise in his throat, blushing a little deeper as he teased her back, "You do it well. It reminds me of where you belong."

"Where is that?" Arissa asked curiously as Daga Liadith placed several of the Lerian breakfast rolls on her plate.

The loud, displeased noise Draeseth made in his throat made both of the Lerians look at him with surprise.

"That was a private jest; I don't think he expected you to ask." Isonei reached for a roll and Draeseth stopped her hand pulling it back and placing it on his thigh.

"I will fill your plate today, wife. The Daga explained to me what it means, that you are my responsibility. Had he told me sooner I would have been filling it from the moment he stopped." He reached for a roll and broke it in half making certain it wasn't the brown spread she loathed before placing it on her plate.

"It never occurred to me to tell you. I thought it was something widely known and that you chose not to as a protest of your wife being separated from you."

"No." Draeseth glowered at the Daga before Isonei poked his thigh and he softened his expression. "It is a reminder that she is mine. I would not give it up in protest."

"Is he allowed to touch her now?" Arissa smiled mischievously at Isonei. "I think she might appreciate that."

"He is, but he must be mindful of his behavior."

"As you must, my Daga." Isonei gave him a cool smile.

"I am aware, daughter of Liadith." The sharp look he gave her begged for an answer.

"You are? How many times did your father say warnings and how many times did you forget?"

"I see why she's your father's favorite." Arissa teased with a smile.

The Daga coughed trying not to laugh. "He never chides her. I think he would have been happier with a house full of daughters like your father had."

"My father often said he wouldn't trade a single one of us for a son." Arissa shrugged delicately and gave Isonei a flutter of her lashes. "Boys must be difficult."

"May you have four." Isonei fluttered her lashes back.

Arissa gasped and tossed a roll at her, "May you have five!"

"I think I see why my father only had one." Daga Liadith offered dryly.

"How many brothers do you have, my flower wine? I just realized I've never asked." Isonei smiled up at the bemused looking Torgan.

"You've met Burgath and Ougath, Rogath is the eldest, Adareth is the youngest. There were two more but they died some time ago."

"I had six brothers too, four weren't of my House, but it was wonderful. I got to play in their secret hiding place when they were gone and the eldest made me a rope ladder." Isonei beamed up at him.

"A rope ladder?" Draeseth looked at her curiously. "Why a rope ladder?"

"He told my father it was in case something happened. My room was on the top floor of our house with father's and there had been a fire near where my brother's House lived. A child tried to jump out of fear and landed on his head. It was a tragedy that even we had heard about. My father made certain the ladder was long enough and sturdy enough and he even had special braces to hold it put onto the wall."

"If that's what he told your father, what was it really for?" Daga Liadith was already smiling.

"The rooms for my brothers and sisters were on the floor beneath us. And the stair was in front of my father's room. He knew every time I tried to sneak down to spend time with them after I was supposed to be in bed and I would be chided and sent straight back. With the ladder I could sneak in and out of my sisters' window. Yornaith got the idea after he heard my father chiding me for sneaking out of the window with you that first time."

"He started chiding you again in Ara?" The Daga frowned and took a bite of one of his rolls.

"My Daga, he never stopped. He chided me from here all the way back to Ara. Ivorith's mother had to make him stop."

"My father told him no harm was done and there was no need to chide you. Pointedly." His green eyes were sharp and clear.

"My misbehavior embarrassed him. That's something he could never bear, feeling embarrassed. He's very proud." Isonei gave him a small smile.

"It didn't stop you, you did it again." Arissa looked at her with some confusion.

"Not for more than a year." Daga Liadith looked at her as if she'd kept something hurtful from him. "You should have told me."