Everyone I knew or loved is dead." I didn't mean to sound so morbid, but it could not be helped.
"Sorry Kaiyer. I forget sometimes about your past." She pulled me back down on the mat with her and stroked my face and hair as she lay on her side.
"How about children?" she asked hesitantly.
"They were trained and educated with our warriors. Parents could be involved if they wanted to be but we had people that cared for them. They were placed in the army, either as soldiers or as support, when they came of age." She nodded.
"Did you have children?"
"No. At least I don't remember. I would think that I would remember them. Don't you?" She nodded in agreement. Then she bit her lip again and looked down at me. I waited for her next question and she took a deep breath before she asked it.
"Do you want to have children?" She could not disguise the eagerness in her voice.
"I always wanted to kill the Ancients and never thought of my life after that. It seems like a logical choice for some. I like children, but I took care of the whole army. In a way I had hundreds of thousands of children."
"What about now? That is all behind you. Do you want children now?"
"I have not considered it. Are you getting at something?" I realized we had been doing the very thing that would end up conceiving children.
"My moon flow should begin today or tomorrow. I wanted to know if I should be excited or disappointed on the outcome." She was carefully studying my face.
"What do you want?" I asked as I reached up and ran my fingers across her face. She closed her eyes and enjoyed my touch for a few moments.
"I am unsure. On one hand I believe that my father and mother would be horrified if I was to have a bastard. On the other hand, the thought of bearing your child makes me very happy. It makes me feel warm all over." She smiled wide enough for me to see her dimples.
"What is a bastard?"
"It is a child born out of marriage or joining."
"Is that bad?"
"It is if you are a member of royalty!" She smirked "My father wants to marry me off to another noble family so we can strengthen our export policies." I recalled her talking briefly about this when we had eaten lunch together and the night we first made love.
"I see. So it would be simpler if you were not pregnant?"
"Yes." She nodded." But that means nothing. Would you be upset if Father asked me to marry someone else?" she stuck her tongue out at me again.
"Yes." I realized that an honest answer might not have been appropriate. I did care for Jessmei, and I would be interested in seeing and raising any child she would give me. However, I had lived my life without the sense of commitment that weighed on her heart. This time we spent together I would always fondly remember. But if circumstances drove us apart I didn't see reason to punish myself.
"So . . . should I make breakfast while you ready the camp?" I was surprised that she wanted to change the subject, but grateful that she wished to continue our journey. I nodded and we set off on our separate tasks.
By the time I readied the horses and packed up our sleeping area she had finished making a small pot of thick oatmeal. It had been our usual fare for the last few weeks, but Jessmei was a capable cook. She always managed to make it tasty and slightly different each morning. Even though I wasn't that picky with my food, I was glad she took the time to prepare it. After a half of an hour we had eaten and loaded the rest of the equipment on the horses. Then we were off toward Nia.
"I will always remember this cave and the time we spent here," Jessmei said looking back from atop her horse as we made our way through the thick forest to the trail that led south. My eyes met hers and I smiled in agreement. It had been a very pleasurable week.
We were in the northern part of Gradar and it would take us another week to get out of the forest and into the milder parts of Nia. We were two miles east of the main highway. I didn't want to risk the
"Sorry Kaiyer. I forget sometimes about your past." She pulled me back down on the mat with her and stroked my face and hair as she lay on her side.
"How about children?" she asked hesitantly.
"They were trained and educated with our warriors. Parents could be involved if they wanted to be but we had people that cared for them. They were placed in the army, either as soldiers or as support, when they came of age." She nodded.
"Did you have children?"
"No. At least I don't remember. I would think that I would remember them. Don't you?" She nodded in agreement. Then she bit her lip again and looked down at me. I waited for her next question and she took a deep breath before she asked it.
"Do you want to have children?" She could not disguise the eagerness in her voice.
"I always wanted to kill the Ancients and never thought of my life after that. It seems like a logical choice for some. I like children, but I took care of the whole army. In a way I had hundreds of thousands of children."
"What about now? That is all behind you. Do you want children now?"
"I have not considered it. Are you getting at something?" I realized we had been doing the very thing that would end up conceiving children.
"My moon flow should begin today or tomorrow. I wanted to know if I should be excited or disappointed on the outcome." She was carefully studying my face.
"What do you want?" I asked as I reached up and ran my fingers across her face. She closed her eyes and enjoyed my touch for a few moments.
"I am unsure. On one hand I believe that my father and mother would be horrified if I was to have a bastard. On the other hand, the thought of bearing your child makes me very happy. It makes me feel warm all over." She smiled wide enough for me to see her dimples.
"What is a bastard?"
"It is a child born out of marriage or joining."
"Is that bad?"
"It is if you are a member of royalty!" She smirked "My father wants to marry me off to another noble family so we can strengthen our export policies." I recalled her talking briefly about this when we had eaten lunch together and the night we first made love.
"I see. So it would be simpler if you were not pregnant?"
"Yes." She nodded." But that means nothing. Would you be upset if Father asked me to marry someone else?" she stuck her tongue out at me again.
"Yes." I realized that an honest answer might not have been appropriate. I did care for Jessmei, and I would be interested in seeing and raising any child she would give me. However, I had lived my life without the sense of commitment that weighed on her heart. This time we spent together I would always fondly remember. But if circumstances drove us apart I didn't see reason to punish myself.
"So . . . should I make breakfast while you ready the camp?" I was surprised that she wanted to change the subject, but grateful that she wished to continue our journey. I nodded and we set off on our separate tasks.
By the time I readied the horses and packed up our sleeping area she had finished making a small pot of thick oatmeal. It had been our usual fare for the last few weeks, but Jessmei was a capable cook. She always managed to make it tasty and slightly different each morning. Even though I wasn't that picky with my food, I was glad she took the time to prepare it. After a half of an hour we had eaten and loaded the rest of the equipment on the horses. Then we were off toward Nia.
"I will always remember this cave and the time we spent here," Jessmei said looking back from atop her horse as we made our way through the thick forest to the trail that led south. My eyes met hers and I smiled in agreement. It had been a very pleasurable week.
We were in the northern part of Gradar and it would take us another week to get out of the forest and into the milder parts of Nia. We were two miles east of the main highway. I didn't want to risk the
Similar Books
Letters to Penthouse XIV
Penthouse International
Everything on the Line
Bob Mitchell
Rise and Fall
Joshua P. Simon
The Secret Lives of Housewives
Joan Elizabeth Lloyd
27 Wagons Full of Cotton and Other Plays
Tennessee Williams
The Sum of Our Days
Isabel Allende
McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery in Ireland
Pete McCarthy
Always
Iris Johansen
Code Red
Susan Elaine Mac Nicol
Iron Seas 03 - Riveted
authors_sort