Learning from a master (Cheshire x Tema)

Oh, she'd pushed a nerve there. A low, dark growl escaped Vallios' lips as he pinned her down, though the action, even in it's overwhelming dominance was still careful. Their hips did not touch, and Vallios' body language made it clear that he would not hurt her. With one hand Vallios reached up and cupped her cheek, looking down into her eyes. Those topaz orbs burned with a bright, almost feral fire. When he spoke again, his voice was surprisingly smooth, a deep velvet purr. This was refreshing for Vallios, he could not recall the last time he'd been able to simply enjoy a woman's company.

"Hmm...I suppose I'll have to make sure you never have a reason to find another man's company then, won't I?"

Another kiss, this one passionate enough to make most women swoon, all the while keeping her pinned. If she struggled, even the slightest beyond what could be considered play, he'd release her and resume that supportive embrace. Perhaps there was hope for the two of them to develop a strong relationship, even if it was truly forged because of their shared duty. Either way, it certainly seemed as if Anistazi and Beatrix's cruel machinations had worked in complete and total opposite against them.

She'd not expected such a swift reaction and before she knew it, her soft, dark eyes were staring up at Vallios'. She'd only meant to tease him, but apparently what she'd said had struck a nerve that it hadn't the previous time and there was just the tiniest part of her that was pleased with that fact. As he spoke of making her not wanting another man, she stiffened, but the moment his lips touched hers again, she yielded, letting him almost brand her in this fashion. But she was not without attitude.

Until this point, her lips had remained closed through each of their kisses, but she had an inclination to see how he tasted. So out popped that tiny pink tongue that between breaths then licked the outside of his lip in a way that was wholesomely innocent and yet powerful in that it showed a woman willing to 'play'. She just didn't realize what kind of playing he had on his mind. Maybe later she'd reflect on why this felt more real than all of the disasters happening around her.

It wasn't really an exertion, but even the slight movements of her weeping and his consequent comforting had been enough to loosen some of the binds of her hair so that a few tendrils flew free to frame her face; a face that was softly glowing with the arousal of the innocent. As he shifted them both, her eyes became wider, allowing a deeper gaze into her if one knew how to look. To see how lost she was, how poorly she hid them, and yet how still no one saw.

But slowly, a bemused smile crept over her face as she looked down at him. "Only time ever you'll have to look up at me," she teased, not realizing how else they could be taken, before leaning down and laying her arms across his chest, her chin upon her hands so she could look at him at her leisure. It hurt a little, sitting in this position with her corset on, but it was worth it for this view of Vallios. Thank goodnes also for thick skirts to protect her from anything that might scare her off from this curiosity.

Is it wrong of me to do this to him?, she thought for the tenth time this morning. Yes, he had agreed to go along with her words, but was it really fair to him. Serefina took honesty very seriously, and if it hadn't been for the fact that her House, the only thing she had left, was in danger, she wouldn't have even dared to be that dishonest. Just looking at him, her fingers began swirling small designs on his chest as she thought, she felt completely safe. Her father was broader, but this man, this barbarian made her feel as safe as he had, which was no small wonder to Serefina.

She thought back to her Mother's room, and had to fight back a shudder as she winced, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment to repress the terror she had felt. There was no way she could live in that room, and yet she had no choice. It was the only room that adjoined another; that of her Weapon Master and husband. It would be fixed and she would ask Anastazi to make sure that there were no secret passages there so that she couldn't be snuck upon. It would help. That bed had seen so much. From the first coupling of the House Mother to a member of the Bere'nohl to this day. It had been a gift from the Council to hint at the kinds of things that should occupy the Warrior instead of meddling in their affairs. He'd done plenty of that if the number of children that Ruling Mother had given birth to, but he'd also found ways of making sure that no one found a way to take advantage of the House and had established things for years to come. Every child of the Ruling Mother had been born in that bed.

Silently, her fingers wandered from his chest, stroking up his neck, the appendages light enough to cause hairs to raise upon the skin, almost as if she was exploring his body with her fingers, not realizing the things that it could lead to or how it could be perceived. I'll do my best to make you a good wife, she silently promised and laid her head down upon the hand that remained upon his chest, pressing a small kiss it as her hand continued to wander and caress.

It was surprising how peaceful the moment was, the two of them just laying together and enjoying each other's company. Vallios had not been informed of the secret passage as of yet; However, it was certain that he'd be told soon. After all, it wasn't much of a secret considering Anistazi had used it as an escape in front of at least one maid. She'd surely have told the court guard, and the court guard was bound to relay the message to Vallios, who would likely have that chamber swiftly and permanently sealed.

But, for now it remained open...Which meant that should the Spymaster decide to come investigate he'd be able to see the fruits of his efforts in healthy bloom. Vallios began to run one of his hands up and down Serefina's back, his own long nimble fingers dancing across her spine, touching on all the sensitive hot-spots. Thoughts of their new arrangement slowly drifted into Vallios' head, and he found himself feeling somewhat reluctant to relinquish his current chambers. They were directly next to the training room AND the armory, providing him access to whatever he would need as Weapons Master. Of course, there was a smaller armory within the Weapons Master's chamber...But, it wasn't quite the same. Though, the fact that it was conjoined with the Ruling mother's room, separated only by a half wall and a blind (If privacy was so desired) definitely weighed towards favor of the move. Though, Vallios knew they'd spend most of their time sharing that bed, enjoying the nights and bathing in the after glow of such events.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked in a whisper.

"Hmm?"

She glanced up, it took her a moment to realize he was actually asking her a question. "I was wondering if normal Bere'nohl are as lustful as my how many ever great grandfather was. They had 13 children." There was a small chuckle. "The legend goes that the Council gifted the bed that's in my mother room to the newly confirmed Ruling Mother and Weapon Master in the hopes that they would find more useful things to do than to stick their noses in the Council's business. It didn't work, but still she gave birth to 13 children, only two of them believed to possibly not be his." Not all Ruling Mother's were as loyal as Serefina and her mother were after all, and a woman does get lonely when left for long periods of time by herself.

"You seem like you know what you're doing, but I've haven't heard any tales of your prowess from the recruits or my Spymaster." she admitted then, that she had done some spying on him.

"A truly talented man keeps his exploits private, my dear. As for thirteen children...I'm sure I have an appetite to match that of my kin, yet that is quite a lot of children. It is obvious that your grand-mother was blessed with fertility by the goddess."

THIRTEEN children? Vallios could barely keep himself from wincing at the thought. Of course he wanted children, but thirteen was stretching it quite far. Vallios would be satisfied with four, preferably three. Two daughters and a son, if he could truly have his way. Though, he was confident that they'd have quite an active love life. Something in the back of Vallios' mind told him that he'd be granted his wish in number of children, regardless of how many times they coupled. As for gender, that was something the goddess decided at whim.

It did please Vallios that Serefina was at least thinking about their intimacy, even if she was focusing on the after effects. Vallios leaned in and bit at Serefina's neck teasingly, his hands roaming along her body slowly. The touches were light, he was now taking his turn to give shallow exploration to the womanly curves beneath her clothing.

"I think I'd be happy with even just one," she thought aloud. Because of my build and activity, the House doctors aren't even sure I'll be able to carry a child to term." She liked children well enough, but she wasn't sure how good she'd be as a mother. The idea was more unreal than anything else. But she felt it was best to be as upfront with Vallios as possible. She'd like to give him a boy and a girl at least. One to train and one to carry on the House legacy.

But she got distracted from her thoughts as she felt the nip at her neck that raised hairs on the back of it. And then the fingers roaming lightly at her sides. She couldn't resist squirming just a bit, but the touches were slightly more firm than the ones that had caused the tickling so they weren't quite so bad. She shifted her legs to brace herself, and ended up effectively straddling Vallios' hips with several layers of clothing between them. Adjusting the rest of her body to match, she tried shifting, but his hands just kept up with her. To punish him, she moved her finger that was along his jawline and flicked his ear.

"No tickling..." she really was quite sensitive to tickling. And was quite sensitive to a lot of sensation. Which is why she wore so many more layers than she had to when she was dressed properly.

Vallios leaned down and actually bit Serefina on the nose. The bite was light, but still sharp enough to be fitting recourse for her completely uncalled for ear flick. Vallios' hands stopped roaming and he settled once again, curling his arms around her hips. Vallios stuck his tongue out at her again, feeling that such an action went straight along with the nose-bite. Then, Vallios decided to voice a question that'd been lingering in his mind for awhile now.

"How can you stand all those layers?"

That fact did baffle Vallios quit thoroughly. He personally hated clothing, and tried to wear as little as he could get away with on any occasion. He was only fully dressed right now to be respectful of Serefina's feelings. He didn't want to trigger any sudden reactions to her previous ordeal, and so he was making sure to treat her gently. In about a weeks time she'd probably become very used to his unclothed, or barely clothed figure.

Her nose scrunched up at the bite, which of course simply served to make her appear even more of a little imp sent to torment him. But as he asked his question, there was a bright pink blush that flooded her cheeks. "There's a couple of reasons really..."

She then sat back up, so she was literally straddling his hips as she explained. " I look a lot bulkier in the clothing, so it just adds to the difference between me as Lady Serefina and me as Seres the soldier recruit. " She gave him a bit of a glare. "I'm not giving Seres up." She was firm about this, Seres was one form of escape for her, where she knew she wouldn't be treated with kid gloves. She'd probably be more willing to give up Anastazi than Seres. Anastazi at least would understand, she felt. But Seres was part of her very being.

"The other reason I'd rather not mention." She crossed her arms over her body, and tried to appear as unapproachable as ever. Yet, as was often the case with small women, they tended to look more adorable and vulnerable the harder they tried to appear cold.

Unapproachable to any but Vallios, possibly. Vallios sat up and held her chin, making her look into his eyes. Something told Vallios just what the other reason she'd rather not say was, and Vallios felt he needed to speak, to remind her of her beauty. However, women were so damn frustrating! How many times in the last few days had he told her this? Even publicly he'd defended her, and she still didn't seem to understand. But, of course that was just part of life. And so Vallios caught her with another kiss, speaking as he pulled slowly away.

"How many times will I have to tell you you're beautiful before you listen?"

Vallios chuckled quietly and then pushed Serefina onto her back, pinning her once more so that she could do nothing but look up at him and listen. He leaned down, lips just inches from her. Then, he lingered there for a moment, allowing anticipation to build, knowing that the situation would gain her sudden and careful attention.

"Enough so to make a man who's seen most of the world and it's infinite wonders relinquish something so sacred as his true freedoms..."

And just as quickly, she was on her back, staring up at Vallios with large doe like trust. He wouldn't hurt her. He was far too honorable. But as he mentioned all of his freedoms that he was giving up, she thought to protest that he was only doing it because honor demanded it. But that was not something that she could bring herself to say outloud. It totally confused her as to how her not wanting to say why she wore so many clothes seemed to spur him saying she was beautiful.

Puffing her breath out so that a stray tendril moved from her face as she looked up at him. "I wear a lot of layers because my skin is extremely sensitive. To the point of being painful if I'm not careful. I can remember the feel of your lips hours after the fact." She admitted, but did not seem happy about it in the least.

Well...We'll just say that the right answer was somewhere in the general vicinity marked by the x in the following diagram, and Vallios' answer is marked by the V. X ============================================> V
With that being demonstrated, Vallios felt like something of an ass. He sighed quietly and leaned down, brushing his lips against her neck. Vallios settled down beside her once more, leaning up onto his right side so that she could move closer if she so desired. When he spoke again his voice was somewhat quieter.
"I see. Well, that's an important thing to know..."

He didn't seem in the mood for a fight, which was a good thing in Serefina's opinion. As he shifted to his side however, she marked a change in his playful attitude. And she felt herself melt just a little. Shifting around in his arms, she looked at him. "I don't understand why it's important to know that but I like it when you smile. So please don't be upset." And this time, she leaned up, and was the one to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I can take quite a bit of pain when it comes down to it, but I find that..." It was hard to explain. "That pain feels a little too good. And it worried Father. He said that it could be used against me. I'm not sure why." but if she couldn't trust his successor with the information, who could she trust. Besides, as Weapon Master, he would need to know any weaknesses she did have, so they could be gotten over.

It was a very shy, tender kiss that she gave. More to comfort what she saw as him being upset about something than anything. Besides, when he smiled he wasn't quite so fearsome. As she pulled back from the kiss, she looked up and saw his furrowed brow, and tried to explain, thinking it was because of the words she'd said.

"It's not--" her words cut off as she puzzled over Vallios leaning down, her spine straightening at his closeness. She put her arms up as if to keep him from getting too close, but as his teeth pricked her skin her body, almost visibly, relaxed. Her fingers against his chest uncurled and a soft sigh slipped from her lips, her violet eyes darkening with the pleasure she took from just the slightest bit of pain. She felt her eyelids droop over the darkening orbs, her cheeks flushing a pale shade of pink even from just a simple taste as he'd gotten from her. If the 'taste' continued for more than a moment, he'd find her hands re-curling, almost as if to pull him closer to her but then sliding open across his chest as if to explore it's expanse.

She could feel the pressure through even the corset that bound her body so well. Her back arched, aching for that pressure again, yet she found herself unable to pull away from the throbbing pressure at her neck. Small whimpering moans slipped through her lips as she is crushed towards Vallios, not even thinking of the inappropriateness but instead, to the feelings he inspired within her. Even then, it was apparent the differences in their sizes as one buttock was gripped almost easily by one hand, even through the layers of her dress.

Her hands were trapped between their bodies, but she had a small amount of room to move and used it accordingly. Her hands once more uncurled and her nails carved grooves into his flesh, even with his shirt between them. None of course would be permanent, but the pressure of them would give Vallios good indication of her response if the sounds she made did not.

It wouldn't take much, the current fashion called for side lacing so one side came easily off, leaving only the various layers of simple fabrics barring his way as the corset fell free. But it was that same freeing that lead to the splash to water to Serefina's amourous exploration which had started to dip lower and lower upon Vallios' chest.

"Ah!!!" She gasped, the sudden relaxation of the pressure against her breasts shot bits of pain pleasure through her entire body, her hands gripping Vallios' waist as she tried to reconcile the sensations occurring to her body. "Oh goddess!" the violent motion of her attempting to pull back even while his teeth gripped her flesh only made it more painful which fueled her heat. She didn't understand anything that was happening to her body. Yes, she enjoyed the pain, but this seemed directed, purposeful and she didn't understand.

"My breasts..." She whimpered, trying to explain not even thinking about how inappropriate it was, after all, he was her consort and had more right to know than most anyone else. Not realizing how it could be taken even as an invitation.

Her eyes widened, the darkening of desire still not having left her eyes as she tried to focus on him. "What are you do--" her sentence cut off as she heard her own voice and how husky it had become. As his head dipped lower, her hands fell away from his waist, her only grip on reality or so it seemed. But that wasn't the end of things,the situation between that as her hands moved back up his chest as he moved down her fingers began to bring up his shirt from his flesh, the warm skin startling her contrasting with the cool air of the room.

"Ooh..." her back arched, offering her torso for his perusal and taste as her hands once more gripped his shirt. In his hand, her thighs tightened around them, the press of material making her hips twitch in reaction to the material pressing so close. "We can't..." She protested, not quite sure what she was even protesting...but her body was most definitely not protesting. She of course had no memory of this mornings 'crime', and so it wasn't a part of her reaction.

"Vallios..." Her whispered voice was questioning, seeking his guidance; she knew that he had more experience than she and he was the one she had to trust.

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean we can't learn each other, can't enjoy other pleasures..." Vallios purred.

Vallios had all intentions of waiting until the declared date to actually join with her, but he wasn't going to push off everything until then. When his lips crested over her nipples he gave shallow but sharp nibbles, knowing the tiny spikes of pain would further her desires. Serefina's innocence was endearing, her trust filling Vallios with a new confidence. Vallios leaned up and snared her in their deepest kiss yet, giving her a familiar medium to release some of her frustrations.

"Don't be afraid..." he purred in her ear when the kiss broke.

Vallios reached down and pushed her hands to her sides, directing her fingers to her layered skirt. He'd let her decide whether to lay with him half naked, or take that final step into this new territory. His arms came up and curled around her, holding her close so he could resume his affections to her chest. He'd bite at one nipple, then the other, allowing his tongue to flit across it's hard surface, the heat and moisture of his breath battling the chill of the room in a constant cycle.