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The Sorcerer's Bride

By: cymry



Samis was barely able to suppress her scream of terror when her foot caught on a projecting root and she toppled over. She held utterly still, the muscles in her legs screaming in pain, and listened for any sound of pursuit. She'd been running nearly all night now and her body just couldn't take much more. If she didn't lose them soon she would be captured and her flight would have been for nothing. She cursed her own stupidity. If only she'd done as Dunen had asked then she wouldn't be running for her life now. Guilt crashed over her at the thought of her beloved old mentor lying on the side of the King's Road drowning in his own blood. It was her fault he was dead. He'd only been trying to protect her. She wanted to give up, lie down on the carpet of damp forest leaves and give herself over to despair, but she couldn't let them take her so easily. Not after what they'd done to poor Dunen and the two palace guards who'd been escorting them home. 

When she was satisfied that they hadn't heard her fall she got quietly to her feet and started forward again. No matter how many times she'd backtracked over her own trail she hadn't been able to lose the bastards. It was as if they could sense where she was no matter how she tried to fool them. Several times she'd been forced to dive through thick briar patches to avoid them. Her face stung from the scratches she'd gotten and her tunic was torn in several places. Not that it had done her a great deal of good anyway, they'd still been able to find her trail again, but it had bought her precious time. 

She trotted through the undergrowth at a slow but steady lope, though it cost her dearly to keep even this pace. Just as she was beginning to think she'd finally given them the slip she heard a shout from a few hundred yards behind. 

No! She groaned to herself. Not so soon! 

She broke into a run, her leg muscles protesting forcefully. She could hear them, calling back and forth to each other as they closed on their prey. They couldn't be just ordinary robbers or they'd have given up hours ago. No. Most likely they were minions of the Black Prince. He wanted her badly for some reason, and was obviously prepared to go to great lengths to get her. Even so far as waylaying an escort of palace guards. It had to be him as no one else but the emperor had that kind of power. And she was beginning to suspect he'd given these men a charm to help them find her. There was no other explanation for their uncanny ability to track her every move.

"There she is. I see her over there."

The grating voice sent shudders down her spine. She'd been spotted and there was nowhere for her to hide now. No more briar patches for her to shelter in. She was tempted to stop then. Just give in and let them take her. But she couldn't make herself do it. Even if the Grey Prince had ordered her capture these ruffians would make her pay for the chase before she was delivered. She was positive that she'd wish for death before they were through with her.

Suddenly a huge form cloaked in shadow stepped from behind a tree right in front of her. She slammed right into his hard chest with a thump. This time she didn't hold back her scream and she was too exhausted to fight anymore. They had won. As the powerful arms lifted her from her feet she let herself fall into blessed unconsciousness. 

Samis sensed warmth surrounding her; light bright enough that she could see it through her eyelids. She smelled something cooking nearby and the savory scent made her mouth water. She hadn't eaten anything since morning. She wondered what Dunen was cooking that smelled so enticing, especially since he was a terrible cook. It must be one of the guards, she thought. She wondered why she'd been sleeping when she couldn't even recall having made camp.

The memories hit her all at once, like a clap of thunder. The murdered guards, Dunen gasping his last breath, her headlong flight through the dense Blackweld Forest, and finally her capture. She wondered if they were watching her right now, laughing at her helplessness. She tried to hold still so they would think her still asleep but the horror of her situation overwhelmed her and she started to tremble. The more she tried to calm herself, the more she shook. Her fear built until it was at a screaming pitch and her stomach was starting to turn over violently. She tried to push her fear aside and take what stock she could of her situation. She was wrapped in a warm blanket, laying on something hard. She still had her tunic and breeches though her belt had been loosened. Her pack was gone, but at least her hands were not bound. Maybe they weren't going to torture her after all. She was just working herself up to open her eyes when someone nearby spoke.

"You need not fear. The ones who sought you will trouble you no longer."

This caught her completely by surprise. She'd expected jeering laughter at the very least. This mellow rumbling voice seemed unreal. Giving up the hope that she could fake sleep a little longer she opened one eye to peek at the person attached to that voice. Kneeling a few feet from her was a man, or at least what she thought was a man, wrapped in a black cloak. The hood of the cloak concealed his face but she could tell from his bulk alone that he was enormous. For a moment the fear returned but when he spooned some of the stew he'd been cooking into a rough wooden bowl and held it out to her. She put her fear aside in favor of hunger and sitting up on what she now recognized as a bench of some sort she took the bowl. She put the bowl to her lips and took a few sips without even waiting for it to cool. It burned her mouth horribly but she was so hungry that the pain barely registered. 

Her eyes darted around trying to make out were she was in the dim light from the fire. It was apparently a small stone cottage, though where it was located she couldn't say if her life depended on it, which it very well could. The stranger cleared his throat softly and her gaze swung back in his direction. 

"You must be hungry. You have slept through the day without waking," the stranger rumbled and Samis thought she could detect a faint trace of amusement. 

"Who are you?" She knew she was being rude even as the words left her mouth. The last thing she needed was to anger her captor. Cursing her idiocy she ducked her head and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. Thank you for the food."

He chuckled, the sound like rolling thunder in the distance, but said nothing as he spooned himself some of the stew. She finished her meal in silence, peeking at him over the rim of her bowl. With his hood hiding his face she couldn't tell if he watched her in return or not. It was an uncomfortable feeling but her instincts told her that she had nothing to fear. Her instincts were usually right though hey hadn't been when she'd decided to press on past that small inn last night. Her fear resurfaced, despite sensing that she was safe now. She'd been wrong before.

"I can understand if you don't trust me. You should not. There is a price for my help," his quiet statement sent a shock through her. How could he stay so maddeningly calm?

"P-p-price?" She stammered. "What price? What will you do to me?"

"I will not harm you, if that is what you fear. No, little dove, I would never harm you."

"What do you want then?" This was too much. Samis just couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening to her. It was just too unreal.

"What is your name, little dove? I have waited all the day through, letting you rest so that you could regain your strength," he reached out a large gloved hand and Samis shrank away until she realized he only wanted to take her empty bowl. She stared at it, realizing for the first time she'd already eaten the whole thing. She shook her head mutely when he offered her more stew with a gesture. "You will take no more? As you wish, little one. Tell me your name."

His quiet words were a subtle compulsion. She answered, unable to do otherwise.

"Samis."

Why had she told him that? It wasn't like her to blithely give out her name especially to men she didn't know who rescued her from murderous thugs for nefarious reasons. Then it donned on her.

"Oh Gods, you're a mancer!" The words were past her lips before she could stop them. She gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth in dread. A mancer! She'd been rescued by a mancer! Talk about jumping from the pot into the fire. A man who could bend others to his will with a thought was much more dangerous than thugs with a location charm. She was truly helpless with him, whereas she could at least have fought the men chasing her. The reality of her situation finally hit home and a groan of despair escaped her throat.

"Yes, I am a master of the forbidden arts, but you need not fear me Samis. That is a truly beautiful name. Samis. It suits you well." 

The way he could completely change the subject without seeming too unnerved her. Samis felt more and more that she was trapped in a strange dream, or nightmare. She had yet to find out what he wanted from her. Before she could ask he started to speak again.

"I have watched you from afar Samis, nearly all your life to be honest. Not only are you a beautiful woman, you are very intelligent as well. I suspect also, that you harbor some small gift of magic. I have a great need for one such as you. I had hoped to persuade you to my cause but, alas, you have managed to elude me each time I would speak with you."

As she listened he removed his dark gloves, revealing huge callused hands though strange enough, with neatly trimmed nails. She stared dumbfounded as he then reached up and lifted back his hood. Her breath caught in her throat. He had to be the most handsome man she'd ever seen, in a way. His face was solid, well defined, but sharp. His hair was nearly white, though it did not look as if from age, and his skin was so pail she could almost see a tracery of blue veins underneath. His eyes were an intense blue and he focused on her with staggering forcefulness. Her overall impression of him was of a falcon when it has sighted prey. Shivers ran up and down her spine. She was so enthralled by his appearance that she nearly missed what he said next.

"If the emperor's cutthroats hadn't come for you in the exact place they did I might never have had the chance at all. It is a sign I would think."

"What do you mean the Emperor's cutthroats? I had thought them sent by the Black Prince. Emperor Augastine had just offered me his protection. He sent two of his own personal guard to escort us," Samis couldn't believe it. I just wasn't possible. 

"I speak the truth. They were the emperor's men. What are two palace guards to one such as him? For our beloved emperor the life of an innocent is a small thing, not worth his attention. I am surprised that you did not realize this yourself."

"Dunen warned me. Why didn't I listen to him? He was my mentor, my trusted friend. I've never brushed off his advice like that before. What was I thinking? And now my stupidity has cost him his life. Oh what a fool am I!"

She was a fool. Now that her strange benefactor had said it aloud she knew it was the truth. Her special instinct, the one that lay deep inside, told her she had been deceived by Augustine. 

"Do not feel you have failed dear Samis. You simply had a compulsion laid on you. That is why you did not listen to your mentor. It was no fault of your own. Augustine is a treacherous man. Now you have some idea of what he is capable, why I have set myself against him."

If anything his gaze became even more intense as she pondered his words. This obviously powerful mancer had set himself against the emperor? Only one man had the power to defy Augustine and he was the Black Prince. Samis began to tremble.

"Ah, I see you understand now who I am. Do you still believe me an evil demon?"

She wanted too, more than anything, but her gift was always doing that to her. She could never deny that inner truth. It always managed to strip her of her certainties when she least expected it. She wanted to scream in frustration, all this time she'd been hiding from the wrong man. But he still had not told her why he wanted her so badly. She took a deep breath and asked him, point blank.

"Why do you want me? I'm asking for the truth, I will know if you lie."

"I would never lie to you Samis, for I would have at least trust between us."

She didn't speak again. She wouldn't until he'd told her once and for all what he wanted. When he saw her jaw stiffen in resolve he sighed. 

"I had hoped to have some time to gain your affection but it is now far too late for that. There is little time left now and I dare not delay any more. I need a child Samis. I want you to bear that child. That is what I would have from you for saving your life. It is a high price, but know this, I do not ask lightly."

Samis nearly fell over with shock. A child? From her? She didn't understand why it must be her. Surely there were many women willing to give him what he wanted. Why her? But she knew from the way he was looking at her that if she did not agree he would force her anyway. With a sinking feeling she realized she had no choice. He would have his way, no matter weather she was willing or not.

"I am truly sorry. I had not meant for us to meet in this way. I would rather you had felt some affection for me first, though now time grows short and I have not that luxury. I must have a child of my blood by mid-winter and to do so you must quicken with my seed by the next moon."

She couldn't bring herself to speak. Too many things were whirling through her head to allow for words. Numb with shock she could only stare at him. Then it began to sink in what they would have to do for her to get with child and she became distinctly aware of him in a new way. Shivers ran up her spine again, though now for a different reason altogether. She'd never lain with a man before. Dunen had explained to her the ways of a man and woman years ago, but she'd never been interested in anyone like that. No one had ever struck that chord in her, though many had tried. Now she was going to have to be intimate with a man she barely even knew. She glanced at him and the power of his presence took her breath away. She started to tremble again. 

"Why me?" she whispered the question, barely able to get even that much out.

"I have already said you are beautiful, though of course that is not the only reason. I also admire your intelligence and wit. But most of all you have the truthsayer's gift. Combined with my powers your gift will make our child a mighty sorcerer. One powerful enough to break Augustine's death grip on this land. That is my goal, though I would hope that you could come to feel something for me as well. I am lonely Samis. I desire the companionship you could provide. You may even grow to love me in time, if you allow for it in your heart."

He stood then, and with a feline grace removed his dark cloak. His breeches were black as well but he wore a simple white tunic wrapped around his wide chest and held fast with a thick leather belt. The clothes were simple, yet finely made. Her first impression had been right. He was enormous though she could tell from the way he moved not an ounce of it was fat. He stood at least six feet tall and his wide shoulders rippled with muscle. She felt light headed just looking at him. She was certain he could crush her without much effort. He was easily the biggest man she'd ever seen. His size coupled with his sheer presence set her heart to thudding painfully in her chest. 

He had said she was beautiful, but she'd always though herself to be a little on the plump side though her own tall stature for a woman lessened some of her curves. She was five foot six, very tall compared to most other females she'd met. His towering height made her feel somewhat like a child. He held a hand out to her and without thinking she took it. His palm was rough but warm. As he helped her to her feet she caught his scent. He smelled of good dark earth mixed with a hint of something musky that she didn't recognize. It was a good scent, decidedly male, and it made her stomach flutter as if she'd swallowed a hand full of butterflies. She hazarded a glance at his face and was caught by his intense blue stare. Those eyes had a power of their own, unrelated to his sorcery. Unable to look away now that she was trapped in that stare she didn't notice that he'd pulled her close until she felt his hand at the small of her back.

"I am truly sorry Samis. I would that we had more time to become accustomed to one another but I dare not wait," with that he leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss. His lips barely brushed hers but it still made her knees weak. Without moving away he murmured. "I will be gentle, I promise. If you relax, and do not fight me, I will give you pleasure as well."

His deep voice rumbled through her setting off an answering chord deep in her belly. The fog on her senses lifted and she became painfully aware of his huge hand at her back, of his face so close that his breath stirred a loose lock of hair across her cheek. His breath was warm, almost hot and the tingling in her stomach spread to other regions of her body. She started to speak but he kissed her again. This time with more force and she completely forgot what it was she was going to say. She closed her eyes, lost in the sensation of his full lips pressed firmly to hers. 

His free hand cupped her face while the one at her back began to trail softly up and down. The intimacy of the touch made her gasp. He took that as a sign of acceptance and slid his tongue over her quivering lips deep into the warm softness of her mouth. A moan nearly escaped her at the sensations this provoked. With a shock she realized that she wanted what he was doing to continue. She'd never had these feelings with any other man. There had been a few who had kissed her before but they had been clumsy attempts that left her feeling a little queasy. No so now. This man's touch had almost an intoxicating effect on her. 

She relaxed into his embrace, letting her body mold to his as the hand on her back trailed down again. This time it didn't stop at the small of her back but continued down to lightly cup her round buttocks. This sent sharp thrills through her body and she shuddered, encouraging him further. His other hand left her face to trail softly down her neck leaving fiery tracks in its wake. This time she did moan, deep in her throat. 

Her moan had a pronounced affect on him. He pulled her tightly to him and broke off his deep probing kiss to move his lips along the line of her jaw with a rumbling growl. He took her ear lobe into his mouth and sucked on it gently. The feeling of his hot mouth on such a sensitive place was almost more than Samis could take. She placed her hands on his chest, splaying her fingers out across the hard muscle, making soft noises of encouragement. 

He pulled away from her and a feeling of utter loss overwhelmed her. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her with a look that shook her completely. It was desire, that special intuition she had screamed it at her. He desired her and it only made her want him that much more. She leaned forward to kiss him again but he gently held her back.

"Do you come willingly to my bed? I must know before we go further."

His face searched hers looking for something she couldn't define. She could barely get the answer out, but answer him she did.

"I am willing," 

He grinned fiercely and it transformed his sharp features completely. He truly was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Suddenly he scooped her up into his arms, earning a startled squeak from her. 

"Then, my lady, let us retire."


The Sorcerer's Bride Ch. 02



Samis came slowly awake with a feeling of utter contentedness. Terregan's arms were wrapped securely around her and a thick soft blanket lay over them both making a warm cocoon that she snuggled even further into. Samis still felt a little like this was all a dream but the wonderful ache in her loins told her it was not. Now she wondered what they would do next. Terregan had said he wanted her to bear his child. What if she couldn't become pregnant? Would he want her anyway? What was going to happen now? Suddenly her feeling of content evaporated. What was she doing laying here in the arms of one of the most powerful sorcerers in centuries? Terregan had told her himself that she shouldn't trust him. Doubt began to creep its way into her heart. Last night had seemed like it was meant to be. Even her gift had seemed as if it pushed her toward what had happened. Samis felt close to tears. She didn't know what to do. 

Terregan watched her face as she woke. It warmed his heart to see her small smile, but as he watched her the smile faltered. It was replaced with a worried frown. Samis' face was so expressive he could almost tell what she was thinking simply by watching the emotions that flickered across her features. He almost laughed as a look of desperation overrode every other emotion. Samis was such an innocent in this terrible contest of wills between himself and the Emperor Augustine. It was just one more reason for him to hate the man. His absolute disregard for the damage he did to others made him a monster in his own right, but the means by which he carried out his wishes were the most monstrous of all. Terregan would have lost her forever if Augustine's thugs had decided to attack her anywhere but beside the great Blackweld Forest, his own lands. He simply couldn't bear the thought.

Samis caught a lip between her teeth, worrying it until she made it bleed. What was she going to do? Her mind told her to run, run as fast as she could away from this place, but her heart and even her gift told her to stay. She had given her body to Terregan and if she was honest with herself her heart as well. He just felt so right. Samis couldn't help thinking of something her mentor Dunen had said to her one time after extracting her from a bit of trouble she'd gotten herself into. Dunen's kind eyes had crinkled in amusement at her in that way she loved so much as he said "Samis my dear, you trust your head entirely too much. Your heart should be your true guide. It will never lead you astray". The least she owed him now would be to listen to his advice. The weight on her heart she hadn't realized was there suddenly lifted. No matter what happened, she would stay with Terregan as long as he wanted her. If he decided to cast her aside when, or if, she quickened with his seed she would deal with that when the time came.

Terregan watched her stormy expression clear with trepidation. Samis had come to a decision and he feared what that decision might be. How could he explain to her that he had given her his heart long before she was even born? In all fairness he had no right to give her that burden. What she did now had to be her decision alone. He desperately needed their child, and even if it destroyed any chance he had to gain her love he would see that it happened, but her feelings toward him had to be her own choice. He could not bring himself to force her to love him, though the power was his to do so. Fear of her rejection made his eyes sting with tears.

Samis had turned to see if he was awake yet and was caught off guard by the tears in his eyes. What had caused him such anguish? She lifted her hand to his cheek in a soft caress and his expression changed utterly with that one simple gesture. With a start Samis realized that he had been watching her all along, seeing her troubled expressions as she thought about what to do. It hit her with a jolt that he was worried about how she felt. Samis had to reevaluate everything she thought about this man. For some unknown reason he actually cared for her. The care he had taken with her last night should have been proof enough but his tears made it more real somehow. She knew without a doubt then that she had chosen right.

Samis' soft caress, the concern in her eyes, made his heart sing with joy. She had decided in his favor. He wanted to shout his elation to the world but instead drew her to him for a passionate kiss. Her lips were so soft and welcoming he felt a surge of lust rocket through his body. He had lain with hundreds of women in his long years but none had had the effect on him that Samis did. It was as if her body had been made for him alone. As he deepened their kiss her tongue tentatively flicked out to meet his own. Emboldened by this he cupped her small round buttocks in his hand, squeezing gently. Her soft moan turned his passion into a roaring blaze and he let his kisses wander across her cheek to the supple skin of her neck.

Terregan's large hands roamed across her body leaving trails of fire in their wake. Even though she was still rather tender from their coupling last night she felt that wonderful ball of pressure awake again in the pit of her stomach. Feeling a little surer now she explored his lean body with enthusiasm. Every time her hands caressed him he would shudder slightly and Samis reveled in her ability to make him do so. Letting her hands wonder down to his semi-erect organ she wrapped her fingers around the silky shaft and stroked him gently. Terregan groaned softly into her ear and she suddenly wanted to know very badly how to please him, how to make him cry out in passion. In order to do that she had to ask him what he wanted but was a little daunted by the prospect. It struck her just how little she really knew about loving a man.

Terregan felt her hands hesitate in their ministrations and leaned up on an elbow to look into her face. Samis ducked her head and blushed fiercely under his scrutiny.

"What troubles you, little dove?"

"I don't know what to do to...to please you," Samis felt like an absolute fool but he only smiled a breathtakingly charming smile and cupped her face in one of his huge rough hands.

"Your very presence pleases me Samis."

This warmed her heart but it wasn't what she wanted to know.

"Thank you, but what I meant is, well, teach me how a woman pleases a man's body," Samis wished she could melt into the soft mattress. This was mortifying. Terregan looked at her with and intense expression for a moment before he nodded.

"You should not be embarrassed by your curiosity Samis. I would not have you feel as if you could not talk to me about anything you wished," Terregan nearly lost his composure as she turned an even deeper shade of red. Such a sweet little thing she was. He said a silent thank you to the Gods for their gift of this woman. "There are many ways to please a man. Your hands were pleasing me greatly just now. You could also use your mouth to give me pleasure."

Samis nearly choked at this. Terregan could see she understood immediately what he had meant and barely stifled a laugh at her reaction. 

"What...what would I need to do?"

Terregan closed his eyes for a moment trying to find the right words to tell her. Just the thought of her soft lips on his shaft made his heart thump but he did not want to frighten her. It would be best to let her try for herself with a little guidance from him. He sat up and stacked a few pillows behind himself to lean on. She watched his every move with such intensity that he nearly blushed himself. What a strange effect this beautiful woman had on him.

Samis watched him prop himself up with the pillows. Gods his body was glorious! She had never seen a man with skin so pale but it didn't take away from his handsomeness. In fact it only enhanced it. Then his stiff protruding organ caught her attention and despite herself she could not look away. Samis couldn't help her fascination. She had never seen a naked man this close before him, especially such a large specimen. Tentatively she reached out and touched the head of his organ with the tips of her fingers and was rewarded with a stifled gasp from Terregan. Working up her courage she moved between his legs until her face was only a few inches from his shaft.

Terregan thought he would explode soon if she did not stop staring at him. He wanted her so badly it was torture to sit still like he was while her lips were only inches from the tip of his organ. Then she shook her head as if to clear it and grasped his shaft where it joined to his body. With a soft exhalation of breath she took him into her mouth. The hot moistness of her mouth was almost too much for him to take. He let his head fall back with a loud moan as her tongue twitched over the head of his shaft. His hands drew up into fists with the blankets bunched in them. Every muscle on his body was tense with need.

Samis loved the feel of him in her mouth, his reaction to what she was doing. His whole body seemed to vibrate and his hands clutched at the blankets. Emboldened by this she drew him further into mouth, letting his organ slide past her lips until it bumped against the back of her throat. She could actually feel his pulse throbbing against her tongue. The feeling of power it gave her was intoxicating. Slowly she lifted herself back up, his shaft glistening with her saliva as it left her mouth. Terregan's eyes were tightly shut and his lips pressed firmly together.

"Am I doing it right?" She couldn't help teasing him a little.

"Yes," he hissed softly, "Please, do not stop."

Lust blossomed in her belly at his words and she took him into her mouth again with more enthusiasm. Remembering the night before, she set a slow steady rhythm, letting her tongue curl around his shaft as she bobbed her head up and down. Her hands kneaded his thighs softly and the soft grunts and gasps he made as she pleasured him made her loins ache in a completely different way. After a few minutes he placed his hands on either side of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair.

Terregan groaned deep in his throat. Samis' mouth was hot on his organ as she took it nearly to the hilt. He could feel her tongue working around his rigid shaft in little darting movements while her lips gripped him tightly. It was glorious torture. He was tempted to let her bring him to release in this way but he wanted to please her as much as she was pleasing him so he held back, letting his lust ride a plateau of sensation. 

Samis could sense that Terregan was holding himself back and she marveled at his ability to control his body so completely. The fire that had been growing steadily in her loins blazed to a new level and she felt the juices of her body respond to that heat. She groaned just as the tip of his organ touched the back of her throat and his reaction was instant. 

The vibration of her groan sent shock waves through his body. With a growl he lifted her head free of his organ and leaned forward to capture her lips in a fierce kiss. He pushed his tongue past her lips to delve deep into her mouth where he tasted traces of his own fluids. Gripping her waist he lifted her up to straddle his hips, lowering her onto his throbbing shaft with a grunt. Terregan was a little ashamed that he had lost control of himself so thoroughly but her sheath was drenched with her own juices and she slid easily onto his organ. 

"Ah I burn for you Samis," he rasped as she took him to the hilt with a sharp gasp, "Let me show you pleasure like you have never known before!"

Terregan's words sent delicious shivers up her spine. His silky shaft literally throbbed inside her, filling her completely. It only stoked her fires all the more. Samis splayed her hands across his chest and leaned forward a little to open herself even further, which earned her another growl from him. His hands gripped her hips firmly and pushed her down against him as he ground his organ into her. The tip of his rod pressed hard against that extra sensitive place inside her causing her to orgasm instantly. She cried out, throwing her head back in abandon.

Terregan hadn't expected her to react like that. He was taken aback at how wild and passionate she was when she let down her barriers. It gave him a wicked idea. He withdrew from her hot dampness groaning at the friction her spasming muscles created around his organ then rolled them over pulling her underneath him. He flipped her over onto her stomach then kneeled between her legs admiring her firm round buttocks. Gently he pulled her back until she was on her hands and knees with her plump round globes tantalizingly close. His fingers trailed down the crease of her buttocks gently spreading her cheeks to reveal the tight pink bud hidden there. He stroked a finger over it, delighting in the quiver that caused. When he leaned down to place a light kiss there she stiffened a little.

"What are you doing Terregan?"

"I promised to show you pleasure like you've never known before," he growled at her.

"But...but," Samis didn't know what to say. It had never occurred to her that her bum hole could be a source of pleasure. It frightened her a little. He was so large surely it would hurt her terribly?

"Shhh little one, I will be careful I promise. The more you relax the easier it will be," Terregan told her, "Trust me." 

"Alright."

Samis still sounded unsure but he thought she would change her mind soon enough. He let his hands knead her buttocks as she relaxed a little. Then he drew a finger past the slit of her sheath flicking her clitoris as he did so. Her quick intake of breath made him smile. She was so ripe for the plucking, like an overripe peach. He leaned in to kiss her again and this time she didn't stiffen but instead moved her legs a little further apart. Terregan used his index finger to make little circles around her small bud teasing it. It was so small he knew it would take a lot to make her ready for him.

Samis had to admit what he was doing was sending chills up her spine, especially when he kissed her there. Her loins started to ache again and she whimpered a little as one of his fingers brushed her clitoris again. Then the finger that had been tracing circles around her bum hole left her. It returned slick with what she assumed was his saliva. Again it traced small tight circles around her bud then she felt him put some pressure there and she had to fight to keep her body from tensing up. It just felt so strange to be touched in that place but she did trust him and so with an effort relaxed her muscles.

Terregan sensed her struggle and moved a hand to her clitoris to help her loosen up. It worked just as he had hoped. Samis started to moan as he massaged her sphincter and her sensitive little clitoris at the same time. Encouraged, he pressed a little harder with his finger and felt the tip slide past her tight bud. She gasped but he did not believe it was from pain. He continued to massage her clitoris but did not push his finger further inside her. Instead he again made circular motions with his hand, getting her sensitive muscles used to the invasion of his digit. When he judged she was ready he leaned forward and spit a large drop of saliva on his finger before pushing it into her up the second knuckle, all the while stroking her clitoris with his other hand. Samis gasped, but did not otherwise protest so he pushed a little further. Her sphincter muscles tightened for a second then relaxed again as he twisted the finger back and forth spreading his saliva over her skin.

Samis wasn't sure anymore weather she would be able to do what he wanted. She could feel his finger pressing into her and while it did not hurt it was distinctly uncomfortable. His fingers working over her clitoris helped for her to stay relaxed but it was such an unusual feeling having something going into her bum hole instead of out that she didn't know how he expected her to enjoy it. Then his finger started to twist around inside her and the discomfort started to wane. It was still strange but she was starting to feel a little tingle in her buttocks caused by his finger's movement. When one of his other fingers slipped inside her sheath she shuddered with pleasure.

Terregan was very pleased with how easily she was adjusting and started to move the finger in her tight arse in and out slowly. Samis groaned in obvious pleasure at this. She was ready now for him to add a second finger to the first and with another dollop of saliva he did just that. She accepted it easily though her sphincter gripped his digits tightly. He twisted them both inside her, stretching the muscles gently. Soon she would be ready to take his organ and the thought made his rod ache. For a few more minutes he continued to work his fingers around inside her, stretching her even more in preparation for him. When she was moaning and whimpering with enthusiasm he decided it was time. Slowly he withdrew the fingers and positioned his shaft at the entrance to her backside. He moved his other hand back to her clitoris pinching it a little harder now to make her even more ready for him. Making sure his rod was well lubricated with the saliva he had rubbed around her hole he started to push forward. 

Terregan's organ felt like a log compared to his fingers and Samis had a hard time keeping still as she felt him press the tip into her bum hole. The hand he was using to caress her clitoris didn't have as much room with his body so close to hers so she pushed her own hand down past her thick patch of pubic hair to help him. 

He was surprised when he felt her hand next to his at her clitoris but let her take over as it was harder for him to reach her now. That left both his hands free to spread her cheeks wide, allowing him even better access to her. With extreme care he pushed his organ a little more and groaned as her sphincter opened enough for the tip to slide inside her tight warmth. A groan escaped his lips as the sensation sent sharp jolts of pleasure through his brain. Terregan moved side to side a little letting her get used to the much bigger width of his rod. When she started making small whimpering noises he knew she was ready for more. Carefully he pushed himself further inside reveling in the feeling of her body wrapped to tightly around him.

Samis had been worried about his size but so far she hadn't felt any pain. In fact the tingling she had felt before was even stronger now and as she worked her fingers across her clitoris her nerves itched for more. Apparently he sensed her need and pushed himself further in. A warm feeling spread from her buttocks up her back and across her scalp. It felt good in a very strange way, not at all like when he had filled her sheath with his silken rod. She felt him move again and the warmth burst into a blaze of sensation. Samis buried her head in the blankets of the bed and groaned loudly.

Terregan had to force himself to go slowly with her muscles gripping him so firmly. He was almost completely inside her now and her body seemed to be pulling him even deeper into her tight hot core. With a growl he pushed himself to the hilt in her arse. Samis shuddered and groaned loudly again letting him know that she was enjoying this as much as he. He paused for a moment, letting her adjust even more to his size before he started to move back again. Her bum hole felt like a thousand mouths all sucking on his engorged rod at the same time. He was having a hard time keeping himself from letting his restraint go and ramming his organ into her again and again. Soon enough, he told himself. For now he needed to take it slow so that he did not hurt her.

Oh Gods she felt so full of him and his growls were only making her want him more. His slow withdrawal was torture itself. Samis wanted him to fill her again with his hard shaft, fill her completely. With a growl of her own she pushed her buttocks back against him trying to push herself onto his throbbing organ. 




The Sorcerer's Bride Ch. 02



Terregan almost laughed as she squirmed backwards trying to impale herself on him. She was such a passionate creature. Unwilling and unable to tease her he thrust into her again. Her answering squeal of lust dissolved the last of his restraint and he began to pound into her. Each time he buried himself in her she cried out loudly into the blankets. The friction of their movement was driving him insane and he began to ram his rock hard shaft into her, the cheeks of her buttocks shaking with each powerful thrust. 

Samis' mouth had fallen open and she was drooling a little into the blankets but she hadn't even noticed her mind was so focused on the explosive feeling building deep in her belly. She had moved bother her arms up in front of her so that she could keep herself from moving forward as he crashed into her again and again. Her cries had become little shrieks and her muscles were taut as her arse took his glorious assault over and over.

Terregan could feel the familiar pressure building in his stomach as he pounded into her arse. Her small shrieks were driving him as much as the feeling of her body gripping so tightly. He knew she was close to release and he increased his tempo even more. Their bodies came together with an audible slap as he brutally drove himself into her.

Their coupling reached a fevered pitch, his body pummeling into her with such force that she was literally lifted off the bed. At exactly the same moment Samis let out a blood curdling scream Terregan roared loud enough to shake the roof slates of his little stone hut. Samis' orgasm was so powerful that her juices were running down the inside of her thighs. Terregan strained into her as his seed burst from his pulsing organ to fill her bowels with hot fluid. For minutes they held their poses, both shaking visibly. Then, as if they had choreographed their movements both collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. Terregan pulled his still hard organ out of Samis' arse with an audible pop. 

For a moment both lay in silence as they recovered. Then Terregan reached out to draw Samis into his embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her quaking form. 

"Samis, would you consent to be my wife?" he whispered to her in a raspy voice. When she did not answer right away his heart fell. Maybe it had been too soon to ask her, he though. Then she stirred in his arms, turning to face him. Her face was covered in a sheen of sweat and her hair curled in wet tangles around her flushed face. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes on and his heart was breaking just looking at her.

"You want me to be your wife?" 

Her brown eyes searched his blue ones, looking for something he prayed to the Gods she would find.

"Yes and yes again," he told her fiercely, "I have waited for you a dozen lifetimes."

Her truth sense told her what she wanted to know. 

"I will strive to be a good wife for you Terregan." 



The Sorcerer's Bride Ch. 03



Samis strolled along through the forest absently trailing her fingers through the branches lining the narrow path. It had been nearly a year now since she had married Terregan but sometimes she still found it hard to take in all that had changed in her life. When the strangeness became too much she would leave the little cottage they shared in the heart of the Blackweld Forest and wander for hours through the dense undergrowth to quiet her mind. Terregan would be upset if he knew she had wandered off alone again as she was now nearing the end of her pregnancy and would give birth to their child in just a few weeks but she needed the time alone.

Samis lingered for a moment next to an enormous moss covered tree that had fallen along the path as she thought about her husband. He was such a gentle man, at least with her. Samis would sometimes think of the stories she'd heard about the "Black Prince" in her youth. They had been terrifying and more often than not kept her awake at night as a small girl, but the Terregan she had come to know had never shown any darker side to himself. He was brutally honest and did not suffer fools lightly but Samis had never seen him mistreat anyone. 

A whimsical smile turned up the corners of her lips as she thought about her first time in Terregan's "court". There were no courtiers or servants to wait on their every whim as he presided over Barons and Warlords. No. Terregan's court was made up of woodsmen, fairies, sprites, and every other assortment of mythical folk that Samis had ever heard described in a bard's song. None served another unless in friendship or generosity and Terregan ruled them by their own choice, not by right of birth. He was loved dearly by all his subjects and it obvious in the deference they showed him.

Samis couldn't help the warm blush that crept up her cheeks as she also remembered his introduction of her to that same court. He had stood tall, looking so very noble even in his simple tunic and cloak, and informed them all without mincing words that Samis was his wife and none would lay a finger on her without permission or they would answer to him. Terregan's possessiveness had mortified her while at the same time given her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite her misgivings in the beginning, he had made her happier than she had ever thought she could be.

She ran a hand over her pronounced belly and felt the life within stir at her touch. Samis felt tears welling in her eyes as she thought of the precious child she carried. Terregan had made it clear from the beginning that he would have a child by her one way or another, but Samis had come to want, to need, the child as much as he in the following months. When her courses had stopped, Terregan had placed a big callused hand over her womb trying to sense if she had indeed quickened with his seed. He had wept with joy when a strong spark of life answered his call.

Now that she was so close to giving birth Terregan was near to smothering her with his attention. Samis had barely had a moment alone and wouldn't have even have been able to walk in the forest today if Terregan hadn't had to rush off on some emergency. He hadn't even been able to take the time to tell her what it was. They'd been enjoying a cup of warm mint tea when a group of tree sprites rushed in and hauled him out the door. Samis had sensed her opportunity then and wrapping a warm shawl around her shoulders had headed out right behind them.

That had been almost two hours ago and Samis knew she needed to start for home lest Terregan had the entire forest searching for her. That was the last thing Samis needed now. Being the wife of the Black Prince gained her more attention that she warranted was necessary already. With a sigh Samis turned back the way she'd come and began the long walk home. It was probably for the best that she didn't go far now anyway. Though Terregan assured her it would be close to a fortnight before the babe came, Samis still worried a little. This was her first child after all.

Samis hadn't gone ten steps when she heard a sound that didn't quite seem to belong in the quiet forest's usual background noise. She stopped again, tilting her head a little in an effort to hear it more clearly. There it was, a soft tinkling of metal against metal, Samis was sure of it. Before her mind could process just how wrong that particular sound was a pair of strong hands grasped her from behind. A cloth, smelling of something strong and pungent was placed over her face and Samis didn't even manage to call out before unconsciousness claimed her.

"Ah, I see she is coming around now."

Samis heard the voice as if from a great distance and thought she recognized the slightly effeminate tone but the fog in her mind kept her from forming a coherent image of the speaker. Her entire body ached as if she'd been beaten soundly and she wondered if that in fact had happened. She couldn't say, her truth sense seemed to have deserted her. It chose a bad time to do so. Then she remembered the babe. Terror knifed through her clearing her head instantly. The child! Samis groaned in horror. What have they done to my child? Her trembling hands clutched her still rounded belly. When she felt the familiar movement within she nearly sobbed with relief. 

"Is she unwell? You said there would be no damaging effects."

That voice again, Samis knew that voice. Augustine! Samis knew then what had happened. She had been captured by the Emperor. Oh Terregan, she thought in anguish, if only I had listened to you and given up my walks. Samis couldn't help remembering the last time she had ignored advice from a man who loved her. It had been one of the last things her mentor Kartis had said before drowning in his own blood, murdered by order of the very man who had just spoken.

"She is listening to us, Exalted One."

Samis winced at this new voice. Its desiccated dry rasp belonged to someone she knew, though the knowledge of that person was like a clinging black stain in her mind. Entraitenne, the Emperor's chief advisor and assassin, laid a cold smooth hand on her forehead and Samis flinched at the reptilian touch. She couldn't help comparing Entraitenne's soft hands to her Terregan's rough callused ones. The difference was vast. Samis opened her eyes though she had no wish to see the two men occupying the room with her. 

"Hello my dear. Nice to see you again, though I see you have been quite busy sense we last spoke."

She hated the amusement that laced his rasping voice, knowing he referred to her pregnancy. Samis felt dirty, violated by the laughter that filled his words. Letting her anger strengthen her courage Samis glared up at the smirking face looming over her own. She couldn't believe she had once thought this man handsome, believed his narrow features refined.

"Why have you brought me here?" Samis grated through clenched teeth. 

"Why? For your own protection, of course."

"Protection from what, pray tell? From my own husband?" Samis knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as she saw Entraitenne's arching brows draw together in a frown, though why it would anger him that she had married Terregan Samis couldn't understand. 

"What are you saying Entraitenne? What is she saying?"

Samis could hear Augustine shifting from foot to foot impatiently behind his assassin. Disgust filled her at the plaintive sound of his voice, though it was her own fault that she was here. If only she had listened to Terregan. Oh Terregan, she thought as tears filled her eyes, what have I done? A fierce longing for her husband filled her, causing her body to ache even more than it already was. Her throat closed tight as the reality of her situation hit home. Augustine would never let her go, especially with her carrying the child of his nemesis. In fact, it was more than likely he would kill her along with the unborn infant. Entraitenne's grating voice interrupted the train of her thoughts as he answered Augustine.

"Our guest was just inquiring as to why she was here, Exalted One. I was endeavoring to answer her question. That is all."

"Oh, well yes, of course that's it. Well, now that I know she's been brought safely to the palace I must attend to my court, if you will excuse me?"

"Of course Exalted One. I will stay, with your leave, and keep our lovely Samis occupied while you see to your duties."

Augustine had leaned around Entraitenne to peer down at Samis and she was shocked to her core by his appearance. In the year since she'd last seen the Emperor of Marchet his large body seemed to have shrunken in on itself leaving great folds of loose skin hanging on his bony frame. His red rimmed and slightly senile eyes shone wetly as he gazed absently at her. Augustine was a shadow of his former regal self and Samis wondered what had caused the obvious decline in his health. Then she shifted her gaze to Entraitenne and realized with a chill what had happened. 

The imperial advisor had been well into his forties the last time Samis had set eyes on him and now he looked to be a man of no more than twenty two years. In fact, Samis thought, he might possibly be mistaken as a youth barely into his majority by someone who hadn't known him as he was before. Samis had never thought him to be a mancer, but she had been wrong about many things concerning the Empire of Marchet, so she was not overly surprised by this new discovery. She did know however, that she was in much more trouble than she'd thought at first. There were things worse than death.

Without another word Augustine turned and left and Samis cringed at the thought of being alone with Entraitenne. His leer as the Emperor shuffled out the door told her more than enough of what his intentions would be. Her only hope now was to anger him to the point that he would kill her outright. Entraitenne had always had a terrible temper and she didn't think it would take much to turn that temper onto herself. 

Anguish filled Samis as she realized that her own death would certainly cause the death of her child but she knew that if Entraitenne were to take the babe he would twist it into something craven and evil. Samis could not, would not, allow that. Now that her decision was made a serene calm spread through her body, displacing the fear that had held her in its thrall since she had waked to find herself in Entraitenne's and Augustine's clutches.

"I know what you are thinking my dear, but you might as well save your breath. I will not kill you. Oh no, I have something infinitely more pleasing in mind."

Samis shuddered with loathing, all too aware of what he meant. The very thought of him laying a hand on her made her stomach roil violently. 

"I would take my own life before I would ever let you lay a single slithering finger on me Entraitenne. You disgust me thoroughly," Samis hissed at him, putting every ounce of the hatred and repugnance she felt into the words. Samis felt her heart fall when all it earned her was a narrowing of his beady eyes and a vicious looking smile.

"Unfortunately taking your own life is not an option I'm prepared to give you Samis," he said softly, though the quiet pitch of the words did nothing to lessen their potency. Samis did give in to her tears then. She was virtually powerless against this vile creature no matter how she wished otherwise and to make matters worse, he knew it. 

Entraitenne reached out then and stroked her cheek, catching her tears as they trickled down her face and his touch as cold as death. Samis whimpered, shrinking away from his chilly caress. This only seemed to spur him on and his fingers trailed down her smooth cheek to linger against her quivering neck. Samis could feel his soft fingers pressing lightly against her feverish skin and she closed her eyes in dread of what would surely follow.

"I can feel your heartbeat Samis. It races so swiftly through your veins. One would think you frightened of me," Entraitenne whispered softly. She wished he wouldn't taunt her, gloat so over her helplessness, but with a man like Entraitenne that would be like wishing that the cat wouldn't play with the mouse. It was simply in his nature to do so. 

Samis could here him murmur strange words under his breath and the chill from his icy fingers began to spread through her body. She panicked as a numbing lassitude followed the coldness, making her limbs feel heavy and useless. Samis tried to scream, protest in some way, but her body would not obey her commands to move. Even her throat seemed to be frozen, though she could breathe without difficulty. She knew then what he had been muttering softly before. It had been a spell, an enchantment that took away her ability to fight. It was a cowardly thing to do, but then she really could not expect anything better from this man.

Entraitenne's hand drifted down her body then, a burning cold touch that she could feel even through the heavy material of her clothes. Samis tried to close her eyes as his fingers worked the buttons of her tunic, cringing each time another slipped through its loop, but his spell prevented even that. It took only seconds for him to reach the last one and then his cold hard fingers parted the cloth, exposing her swollen breasts to his abhorrent touch. Samis couldn't even cry out against his vile assault, could not plead with him to leave her alone.

Samis drew on every ounce of her considerable will in an effort to move away from him but still her limbs would not obey. Entraitenne knelt on the floor next to her, leaning so close she could feel his dry sour breath drift across her bare skin. Then Samis felt his soft wet lips as they closed around her nipple, the light touch of his slick tongue as it darted across her flesh. If he hadn't already immobilized her she would have been violently sick then.

The revulsion that filled her nearly made Samis black out and she wished in vain that she had. Apparently his spell also had the effect of keeping her conscious, making her aware of every depraved act he performed on her body. Entraitenne's hands were now moving over her hips and thighs, down to the hem of her skirt. With a sharp twitch he flung the fabric up and Samis felt the cool air rush over the skin of her legs. She wanted to cry, to scream, anything to vent her terror and frustration, but still her body did not respond to her will. As Entraitenne's wintry touch traveled over her legs again, this time in the opposite direction, Samis' mind began to crumple. As his mouth continued its molestation of her breasts he pushed her legs apart just enough to open her to his hands.

She could feel his long slender fingers part her nether lips and they were as cold as ice. Samis' mind gave a little more as his index finger found her core and forced its way inside her. There was some pain sinse she was completely dry, unwelcoming, but it did not stop his invasion of her body. Samis could hear the slurping sounds Entraitenne made as he took first one then the other of her engorged mounds into his mouth. He was making low sounds now as his assault began to rouse his lust and he pushed another finger into her dry sheath.

Samis' mind nearly broke then as he plunged his soft smooth and utterly cold fingers in and out of her body. A small whimper escaped her then but went unnoticed by her as her mind shied even further from her rape. 

"Take. Your. Filthy. Hands. Off. My. Wife."

Each word was spoken distinctly and Samis almost, almost, did not recognize the deep voice who spoke them, so far had she retreated into herself. Entraitenne's hands stilled and began to shake. Terregan. He had come for her and if she could have she would have sobbed with relief. Suddenly Entraitenne's hands were gone and the cool air that took their place felt like the warmth of a roaring fire next to the chill his touch left on her body. Just as suddenly his enchantment was gone, freeing her from the prison he had made of her own flesh. She heard a shout, the sounds of a scuffle, then silence.

Samis felt her abdomen cramp painfully and leaned over the couch she'd been laying on to be sick on the floor, though all that came out was thick bile, her stomach empty of anything else. Her body shook from the force with which her stomach heaved and Samis felt something inside her tear. A warm gush of fluid rushed out between her legs then, soaking the couch and her skirts and Samis cried out as another ferocious cramp racked her. She doubled over, falling in a heap on the floor. It lasted only a moment before it passed, but left her gasping for air in its wake.

Samis felt someone lift her off the floor and clutch her unresisting body against a broad warm chest. Just as she opened her mouth to speak another painful cramp seared through her and a wordless cry was all that came out. 

"Samis, it is the babe. It is early but it comes now," Terregan told her softly as she trembled in his arms, his own body shaking as he though about how close he had come to losing her and the child. He cursed himself for leaving her alone like a fool. He knew that Augustine and his assassin advisor were capable of anything but had let his guard down at the worst possible time. His thoughts were interrupted when Samis tensed and cried out again as another contraction hit her. Shaking himself free of his torpor, he dashed to the door of the room and out into the corridor.

"Samis, heart, you must not push. You will feel like you have to, but do not. You must wait until your body is ready. Please, listen to me," Terregan pleaded with her. He had delivered more babes than he cared to remember over the centuries and knew that if she began to push to soon it would damage her body. He did not want to lose the child but neither did he care to lose the woman who bore that child. In the year they had spent together Terregan had come to treasure her above all else. He would give anything to see her live. His own life, and if he must make the choice, even the life of the child. 

"Terregan? I'm sorry, so sorry," Samis choked out the words as she sobbed in pain. The contractions were coming hard and fast now and she knew something wasn't right. It shouldn't be happening so fast. Her truth sense screamed in her mind, returning with a vengeance, warning her of the wrongness. "I can feel it Terregan, something is wrong, terribly wrong. Please help me."

Her pleading tore his heart into shreds as he ran down the corridor, looking for a room where he could bar the door from the inside. Entraitenne had managed to slip out of his coat and flee and Terregan knew the entire palace would soon be searching for them. Desperately his eyes scanned each door until he saw one that would suit his purposes. He swiftly carried Samis inside and laid her gently on the bed where she curled up as much as her distended belly would allow. Not pausing a moment he turned back to the door and threw the bolt then placed a chair that had been sitting nearby under the latch as further assurance.

Samis felt the baby twisting, as if in pain, inside her and groaned in terror. No, it couldn't end this way, not after Terregan had found her. Tears ran freely down her face as another violent contraction began. Samis tried to calm herself, knowing instinctively that her fear wouldn't help, but the pain was so great she couldn't make her body relax. She could hardly breath as it was and could barely keep from passing out because of the lack of air in her lungs. Then she felt Terregan's big rough hands on either side of her face and the peace she needed so badly filled her.

Terregan used a simple spell to calm Samis and take away some of the pain she was feeling. As her brow lifted and her face cleared he knew it had worked as he had hoped. Moving quickly he removed her skirts and tunic then covered her with a soft warm blanket. Terregan cursed their situation. The babe was coming whether he willed it or no and he needed boiled water and clean towels but there was no way to get them now so he would have to do without them. He saw Samis' stomach ripple as another contraction gripped her. There was no more time, the babe was coming.




The Sorcerer's Bride Ch. 03



Samis sensed the baby's terror as it pressed down hard against her pelvic bones. She didn't know how, but she could, and concentrated her mind on the child, trying to project her own calm to the frightened infant. The feeling of terror from the babe lessened and Samis whimpered in relief. The pressure in her loins increased and she could feel the baby's head moving through the passage there. 

"Terregan! She's coming, she's coming now," Samis screamed, her truth sense shouting along with her in her mind. 

"Shhh, heart. I am here," Terregan tried to keep the fear from his voice but knew he had let some slip through when Samis' scared eyes met his. He was so focused on trying to help her birth the child that he failed to notice Samis had called the child a "she". Terregan lifted the blanket that he had thrown over her up over her legs and grasping an ankle in each hand he forced her legs back until both knees were bent sharply. Terregan wrapped the ends of the blanket around her ankles then, to hold them next to her body. He could see part of a dark haired head forcing its way out of her distended body. Quickly he crawled onto the bed, kneeling between Samis' legs. 

Samis felt as if she were being torn in two as the baby's head slowly inched out of her body. She was completely exposed now that Terregan had lifted the blanket back but she didn't care. Samis felt like she was dying and the fact that she lay naked on a strange bed in the Emperor's palace didn't matter at all in the scheme of things. Suddenly the pressure became too much and Samis threw her head back to let out a shriek of pain, the peace she had felt a few moments before gone entirely. 

Terregan placed one of his large hands on her belly and gently pushed when Samis screamed. More of the babe's head slid out as he applied pressure to her stomach then with a spurt of bloody fluid the entire head appeared. His hands shook violently as he pushed down again trying to help Samis deliver their child. Its wrinkled face was a bluish purple color and covered in the thin membrane that accompanied every living being into the world. When Samis let out another scream of pain Terregan began to weep, though he did not notice the tears running down his face in his terror. 

Now that the baby's head had passed the birth channel Samis felt a little less as if she were being ripped apart. Still, the infant's shoulders must come next and as the pressure returned Samis gritted her teeth and bore down. With Terregan pushing on her stomach and she herself straining it was only a moment before blessed relief returned, this time for good. Samis lifted her head to watch as Terregan pinched their daughter's nose to remove any obstruction. When a sharp cry filled the air Samis slumped back onto the bed, content in the knowledge that she had given her husband the child he so dearly wanted. Darkness pressed at the corners of her vision and the baby's cries grew distant. Samis smiled a little as the darkness closed in. She had given Terregan a daughter and she was happy.

Terregan quickly cut the babe's cord with his knife and tied it off with a length of cloth he had ripped from his tunic. He wrapped the screaming girl child in another of the bed's blankets and laid her gently beside him then turned back to the still form of his wife. His heart seized in panic when he saw that even the rise and fall of her chest had stilled. Blood, thick and bright red, was soaking the bed rapidly and he knew if he didn't work as fast as he could to stop the flow Samis would die.  

Taking a deep breath he calmed himself then laid his hand on her empty stomach again, grasping the cord he had severed. Drawing his hand down her belly and pulling at the same time he urged he afterbirth out. It slid out relatively easily but was followed by a great gush of blood. Terregan cast aside the bloody mess and concentrated on his wife. With his power he explored her womb, looking for the hemorrhage that was letting his love's life seep away. He felt a pang of relief as he sensed what he searched for and focused on it, using his power to knit the torn flesh. 

It seemed like an eternity passed while he knelt there working with all his might to save Samis but in reality only a few minutes went by. When Terregan saw that he could do no more he hung his head, waiting to see if he had been in time. The babe had quieted while he had been concentrating on Samis and now lay still, making small sounds as she clutched her tiny hands close to her face. Terregan couldn't help but marvel at the thick black hair that graced his daughters head. His daughter. The thought made him smile. Samis had given him a beautiful girl child and from the looks of her she would favor her mother. 

Terregan reached out his hand to touch her and she grasped a finger tightly. His hands were so big, nearly as big as she was. His heart swelled so full of love for the tiny infant in that moment that fresh tears sprang to his eyes. He let them fall as they would, not caring in his joy. He started when he felt a cool hand touch his arm and turned to see Samis' deep brown eyes glittering with her own tears. Without a word he lifted his small daughter, oh so carefully, and placed her in Samis' waiting arms. Joy as he had never known filled him as he watched his wife cradling his child in her arms.

Samis couldn't look at her enough. She was so tiny and perfect that it awed Samis beyond words. All the pain and discomfort of the last few months evaporated as if it had never been. Samis shifted, pulling her baby close. When the babe began to whimper Samis knew, without the help of her truth sense, that the infant was hungry and needed nourishment. Gently Samis pulled the blanket covering her down and held her full breast to her child's mouth. Without any urging at all her daughter latched on and began to suckle vigorously. 

Terregan had left the bed to fetch another blanket from the wardrobe against the wall of the room but quickly returned to wrap it around Samis and the baby. He settled himself on the bed next to her and placed a gentle kiss on his wife's moist brow. Her hair was wet, plastered to her head with sweat from her labor and Terregan thought to himself that she had never looked so beautiful. 

"What do you wish to name your daughter?" Samis asked him in a whisper, not wishing to disturb the infant suckling at her breast.

"I must admit, there is a name I am partial too, if you approve," he whispered back to her, "Sara."

Samis said the name softly, rolling it over her tongue. She looked down at her happily nursing daughter and a sharp tingle from her truth sense answered her own question.

"Sara Marie."

"Sara Marie. Yes, I like that. It suits her well," Terregan repeated the name to himself, thinking. 

A sharp thud on the door interrupted his train of thought and Terregan stood, striding swiftly to the door. He had no weapon other than his knife and it would do him little good against armed palace guards. The men outside the door probably knew that from Entraitenne but what they didn't know about was his power, which was formidable in its own right. Summoning his strength, Terregan formed a sphere of glowing bluish light in his palms, concentrating it into a tight ball of magic. 

Another sharp thud rattled the door and this time the blade of an ax pierced the wood. Terregan heard Samis gasp and knew she had seen the blade but he focused his attention to the sphere of light he held in his palms. He waited, watching the ax blade cut the hole it had made larger with each stroke. Terregan's nerves tingled with raw energy as he forced himself to be patient. The timing had to be just right if his plan were to work. 

Slowly the breach in the door grew larger, but he waited still, agonizing with each fall of the ax. When the gap in the doors panel was just wide enough for a man's head to fit through Terregan released his compact ball of energy with a roar. If flew through the hole with a high pitched whistle of displaced air and just as it reached the other side exploded violently. The concussion nearly ripped the doors hinges from the wall and pushed Terregan backward a few steps. He had managed to keep upright, knowing what to expect. The guards outside however, had not been so lucky. 

Terregan reached out and unbarred the door, knocking the chair aside in his haste. When he got the door open and peered out he could see at least five men lying in boneless heaps across the corridor. None of them moved and Terregan was quite sure they were all dead. The smell of burnt flesh was strong in the air. Taking a moment to look up and down the corridor to make sure it was clear, Terregan hurried back to the bed to gather Samis in his arms. She clutched Sara, who had finished feeding, tightly. The infant offered a small protest but otherwise was silent. 

Samis' heart raced as Terregan carried them at a run through the door and down the passageway. They managed to get down two flights of steps before running into any guards. Terregan simply flicked a hand at them and kept going. Samis craned her neck over his shoulder trying to see what he had done but all she could make out in the dim hallway were empty clothes. She buried her head in the crook of his arm with a shudder, but said nothing. She knew he would never use his powers this way if he had any other choice.

Terregan wished wholeheartedly that Samis did not have to witness the use of his power to kill. He only hoped she could understand he had no other options at this point. Anyone who found them would not wait for an explanation or stop to hear any pleas of innocence. 

Surprisingly they met no others as they fled out a side entrance. Terregan headed directly for the wall that surrounded the palace and just as they drew close held a hand out stiffly in its direction. He shouted a strange word and with an ear splitting crack a huge section of the wall collapsed. Terregan swept the rubble out of their path with a flick of his wrist and ran as shouts rang out behind them. 

Samis risked another glance over his shoulder then wished she hadn't as twenty or so men lined up behind them with bows. She started to shake as they strung the bows with inhuman speed then lifted long deadly looking arrows from quivers on their backs. She started to warn Terregan when out of nowhere a swarm of multicolored lights descended on the archers. Samis didn't understand what was happening until the screaming began. She realized then that the glowing lights were fairies, come to defend their lord. The last glimpse Samis had of the scene as Terregan turned along the outside of the wall was of total chaos. No few men lay in bloody heaps under the vicious attack of the forest folk.

Now that his wife and child were safely outside the palace walls Terregan gathered into himself every ounce of power he could draw from his surroundings and let his anger stoke the frizzling energy flowing through his body. With a roar of rage he focused it on the structure behind him. A dull rumbling reached his ears as stone pillars started to crumble and the entire building gave way in a huge cloud of smoke and dust. Terregan had no doubt that Entraitenne and Augustine had fled long before, but it gave him some satisfaction to know the Emperor's Palace was no more. A feral smile graced his lips for just a moment before Samis' light touch on his cheek brought him back to the present. He pulled her closer to his chest and ran even faster.

Samis tickled Sara's round little belly with her finger as they sat next to the warm fire in their cottage. Her lovely little daughter gurgled with delight, trying to catch her mother's fingers in her own chubby little hand. Samis smiled at Terregan's deep rumble of laughter. He doted on them, especially Sara, but she didn't mind at all. It only served to prove his great love for the two of them. Samis stood, holding her wiggling infant securely in her arms, and stepped to her husband who sat at their small table's bench watching them. She put Sara in his waiting arms, bending slightly to place a tender kiss on his brow as he pulled a thin chain of polished gold from the pocket of his tunic and gave it over to his daughter's grasping hands.

"You're going to spoil her rotten," Samis told him with a wink.

"That is my intention."



The Sorcerer's Bride Ch. 04



Entraitenne's face held a look somewhere between disgust and indignation as he stared at Augustine's broken and bloody body. It was beginning to bloat and a dark cloud of flies hung around it, attracted by the smell of decaying flesh. In a few more days the flies would be replaced by maggots feeding on the former Emperor's corrupted flesh. Augustine's wasn't the only body that had been trapped in the rubble when the imperial palace collapsed. Ruined bodies lay everywhere in the rubble, the destruction almost apocalyptic in its scale. Most of the dead were the Emperor's sycophants but no few of those killed were powerful nobles. The Black Prince had effectively ended the Marchet Empire with this single act.

But the end of an empire wasn't what concerned Entraitenne, he craved far grander things that mere mortal power. The link he'd had with Marchet's Emperor had broken upon his death. With the loss of that link came the loss of the spell he'd woven into it. Entraitenne could no longer feed off of Augustine's life essence to bolster his own and it was a crippling blow to him. Only a few days had passed since the collapse of the palace and already the warlock could feel his newly acquired youth slipping away, taking his superior abilities with it. The Beatha spell required a continual link with another person in order to work. Now Entraitenne would have to find new prey on which to perform the difficult incantation. 

Entraitenne needed Adoneal's Pearl, a source of unlimited power created by the Goddess herself. If he ever intended to possess the Pearl though, the Black Prince would have to be destroyed. An idea began to form in the back of his mind as he stood staring over the remains of the palace. If Entraitenne could find some way to trap the ancient sorcerer long enough to perform the life spell, it would eliminate his only rival while at the same time giving him back the magic he so desperately needed. A cruel smile parted the warlock's thin lips exposing his sharp yellowing teeth as he thought of the perfect bait for his enemy. Had any living being been present to see that smile they would have fled in terror.

Samis sighed as she watched her daughter sleep peacefully in her ornately carved crib. Terregan had crafted it himself out of a fallen tree in the forest a few weeks before. The young woman couldn't help but admire the beauty of her only child. Sara's ivory skin practically glowed in the shaft of sunlight streaming through the window. Samis couldn't help thinking it was almost fey the way the small girl child seemed lit from within and smiled at the irony. There was a very good chance Sara was fey considering who her father was. 

Samis heard the father in question coming up the path to the small cottage they shared as she trailed a hand gently down her daughter's smooth cheek. His rumbling voice carried in the still forest and Samis could always tell when he was near. She turned away from the crib to greet her husband as he opened the door and strode into the single large room of their home. Samis smiled at Terregan then held her arms open for him. 

"She sleeps?"

Terregan grimaced as his words echoed loudly through the room. He always had a hard time keeping his voice low enough not to disturb the babe. Samis winked at him playfully and gathered her into his arms for a quick embrace. Terregan forgot about the troublesome activities his forest sentinels had been observing as she pressed her body close to his. When Samis pointed to the door then slipped out of his arms he followed without question. 

Once outside Samis caught her husband's face in her hands and offered him a deep kiss of welcome, letting him know she'd missed him while he'd been gone. Terregan had just returned from the other end of the immense Blackweld forest, a journey of several days, and Samis was happy to have him home again. She still found it strange sometimes that not only was married to this powerful mancer, but that she had born him a child only months before. His big arms tightened around her as her mind wandered, reassuring in their strength.

Terregan loved the feel of his wife's womanly body next to his. Samis had been curvy and supple before the pregnancy but now that the babe was here her curves were full and sensual. He desired her more now than ever before. She had more of a presence now than she'd ever had before, as if lit from within by some wondrous illumination. The more time Terregan spent watching her, the harder it was to pull his eyes away. He reached out and caressed her silky cheek with the back of his hand, his heart swelling at the bright smile his touch elicited.

"I have missed you wife," Terregan murmured, his eyes wandering over her body as he thought of how much he needed to hold her warm bare flesh next to his own. Samis blushed a rosy pink, reminding him of the strange changes giving birth had wrought in her. 

"You read my mind."

It wasn't a question and Samis knew it. Since Sara's birth, her small gift of truth sense had grown into something altogether different and she had started to develop frightening abilities. Hearing the thoughts of others was only a trifling example of the powers she'd discovered in the last few months. Samis looked into Terregan's deep blue eyes and nodded hesitantly. She hated these changes in herself. They frightened her beyond anything she'd known before. Samis didn't fear magic; her truth sense had been a part of her as long as she could remember. No, what terrified Samis more than anything was the pleasure she felt when she used the new powers. She was afraid of herself, of becoming something others feared. 

Seeing the troubled look in his wife's eyes Terregan's heart fell. He knew she did not trust her growing abilities, though in truth Terregan had known it was coming. He had known for centuries. He'd tried so many times to tell his love of the things he had learned in the stars so long ago but each time the words just would not come. Terregan was terrified to reveal the truth to her and at the same time he was terrified not too. Deep inside he knew she would find out eventually but he just couldn't bring himself to risk the bond they had forged. 

Samis stiffened in his arms and Terregan realized with growing horror what he had done. Samis could sense the thoughts of others now and in his carelessness he had let his mind stray to the one thing he did not want her to know. Before he could speak she wrenched herself out of his grasp, whirled away from him, and dashed into the forest. 

"Samis wait!"

He started after her, calling for her to listen, to give him a chance to explain. He hadn't gone more than a few yards when he took a vicious blow to the head. As darkness flooded his vision Terregan's last thoughts centered on his small daughter, who he had just left alone in the cottage.

"Where is the woman?" Entraitenne asked, his eyes shifting back and forth to watch for any movement in the darkness around him as he took the small bundle Targo held out. The grime covered ruffian's beard parted in an idiot's grin, revealing a mouthful of black broken teeth, and he shrugged. The ripe stench of unwashed body drifted over Entraitenne and he lifted a swatch of perfumed cloth to his nose to ward off the evil smell. 

"No woman," Targo slurred, waving his arms wildly to emphasize his garbled pidgin.

Entraitenne scowled at the troll-like man. He'd hired the ruffian to get both the child and Samis, but growing tired of the smell wafting off the man he pulled out the leather purse of coins and counted out exactly half of the amount they'd agreed on. Targo squinted up at the warlock, as if weighing his chances of being able to take the whole amount then apparently deciding it wasn't worth the struggle, lifted his gnarled shoulders in another shrug and left.

The small bundle in assassin's arms shifted suddenly, issuing a short piercing cry. Entraitenne cringed, expecting the brat to begin wailing ceaselessly, but the infant stilled with only a token protest. He had hoped to have its mother in his possession as well but the infant would do for what he had in mind. All that Entraitenne had to do now was take the babe to the place he had prepared and wait, he had no doubt the Black Prince would find him. The assassin let out a low chuckle as he turned to his horse and climbed into the saddle. It was difficult with the child in his arms and he managed to jostle the infant before gaining his seat, eliciting a plaintive howl from the babe. The cries startled Entraitenne's high strung stallion and it shied nervously as he attempted to guide it out of the small clearing. As he fought the protesting animal the assassin failed to notice a shadowy silhouette that slid out of the trees and followed.

Terregan groaned and lifted a hand to his throbbing head. It came away sticky with blood and he wondered for a moment how he had managed to injure himself in his own forest. Then he remembered being struck from behind and that his infant daughter Sara was alone. With a curse he lurched to his feet and turned back toward the cottage, swaying drunkenly as his vision blurred.

"Samis? Are you inside?" Terregan called, his voice ringing in his ears like a clap of thunder, causing him to wince in pain. There was no answer from the cottage. His unease growing, Terregan reached out to pull the latch on the door and found it already open. The unease he felt blossomed into fear as he stepped into the empty house where there was no sign of Samis or his daughter Sara. Then he saw a small scrap of paper pinned with a knife to the top of the table in the center of the room. Terregan prized the knife, one he had gifted to Samis on their wedding night, free of the table and read the note. His blood ran cold as he read the lines penned there in his wife's hand. 

Sara is missing. I believe I can find her. 
I know I can. I can FEEL her. I would have 
waited for you but there was no time and I 
didn't know where you were. Follow
as soon as you can. I have left a trail.

Samis

A myriad of emotions flitted across Terregan's face as he scanned the note again, his mind flashing over memories centuries old. In a flash of terror and joy Terregan realized he'd misunderstood the prophesy the stars had given him and his hands dropped limply to his sides, the note forgotten as it drifted gently to the floor of the cottage. 

"I will follow you Samis," Terregan's voice broke with emotion, "May the Gods forgive me if I am too late."

Samis watched as Entraitenne carried her infant daughter with him into the cave. Terror and fury warred within her when she heard Sara scream again. The babe was hungry, but she knew the foul assassin would care nothing about the needs of a babe. Samis longed to hold her daughter in her arms, feel Sara's tiny fingers curl around her own. Entraitenne would scream for mercy before she was done with him, beg for death. 

Samis had been following the assassin for what seemed like hours, using her new abilities to cloak herself within the night's shadows until he'd finally stopped less than a league from the Blackweld Forest. Trust the loathsome snake to make sure he was just outside the reach of Terregan's lands, she thought. Samis was deeply frightened for her child, dreading what Entraitenne intended to do. The fear caused her chest to tighten painfully, her stomach to roil. In the back of her mind she screamed for her husband to help her, wondered if he yet knew what had happened.

Samis had made an effort to sooth her daughter's terror, to push aside her fear and put a serene calm in its place, but the hours of tension were taking their toll and Samis' capacity to calm her daughter was slipping away. If she didn't get to Sara soon, she would lose their link, leaving her blind to what was happening. Samis waited a few more minutes, making sure she had not been seen then crawled from behind the large stone where she'd been hiding and scuttled toward the mouth of the cave. She was careful not to dislodge any loose rock as she made her way inside the dank cavern, knowing any sound would alert the assassin to an intruder. 

Samis could see a flickering glow further back into the fissure, the flickering of a torch. She ignored the sting of her hands scraping across the sharp rock, focused instead on the dim light ahead. Exhaustion pushed at the edge of her awareness. Her mind swam with questions which she did her best to ignore, though they still floated unyielding through the stormy sea of her thoughts. Why here? Why this place? Why did he want her child? What was he going to do? Samis had an idea what the answers were but pushed them aside, too terrified to face them. She knew she wouldn't have the luxury of distraction, not with Entraitenne.

Samis let her anger wash over her, build until her hands shook from fury. She wanted the fury so she could do what was needed when the time came. Samis had never raised her hand in violence to anyone before and knew she would need every ounce of strength she possessed to get Sara back. She wished Terregan were there with her, could save their daughter. Her husband would know exactly what to do, Samis had no doubt. 

Terregan didn't know what to do. Samis' trail had petered off into nothing as he'd left the boundary of the forest. He was wary of using his magic to find her, wary of traps Entraitenne might have left. Without realizing it, Terregan came close to panic as he searched for any sign of his wife. His heart thudded wildly and his hands shook slightly. He only vaguely noticed that he'd begun to perspire when it began to sting his eyes. Absently he lifted a hand to wipe the moisture from his brow. There had to be something, anything to tell him which direction his wife had gone. He couldn't have gotten this far only to loose her and any chance of helping her. Terregan wouldn't accept that, not when his child's life dependant on him. 

He took a deep breath, forcing his body into a calm stance, his mind to settle. His eyes scanned the ground again looking for the tell tail signs of passage. Terregan was beginning to grow impatient with himself when he finally noticed a divot of grass to his right that he'd nearly missed in his haste. He knelt, running his fingers along the shallow cavity in the earth. A horse and a large one from what Terregan could see from the depth of the mark. He could find no sign of Samis, the trail of broken twigs she'd left for him gone now that he was out of the forest, but this single print in the ground told him what he needed to know. When he found another print it told him the direction that the animal had gone, and with his face set in a grim scowl, he followed. 

Samis watched as Entraitenne placed her small daughter on a flattened stalagmite and pulled back the blanket in which she'd been wrapped. Samis could here Sara's loud protest at his touch echoing in her mind and cringed knowing the thin sleeping gown the infant wore would be no protection against the chill air of the cave. Even though the small shelf of rock which she hid behind barely concealed Samis' crouching form she couldn't bare to let her daughter out of her sight now. Whatever Entraitenne intended to do, it was obvious that he wouldn't wait much longer. He had arranged a cluster of small clay jars on the floor of the cave near where Sara lay and was now busy lighting a brazier filled with something pungent smelling.

As Samis watched in horrified fascination Entraitenne began to pull of his long loose robes, and she noticed he looked closer to his real age now. Samis wondered if he'd cast a glamour over himself at the palace, but it was a fleeting thought. Soon he stood clad in only a thin loin cloth, exposed to the cool moist air of the cavern. The flickering light of the torch cast his emaciated body in harsh shadow, highlighting his protruding ribs starkly. Samis could no longer see the man who had once inhabited the warlock's body; she could only see a nightmarish demon consumed by greed and hate. Entraitenne had rotted from the inside and only now was the disintegration underneath his human husk obvious.

Samis knew she had to do something now, time had run out. The anger and hatred that she'd been building, gathering into her self, fought for release now. Samis felt her body tense in readiness, her muscles coil tightly as she prepared to move. With a deep breath she let her fury go, let it burn through her veins leaving a trail of fire under her skin. Just as she started to stand, a big rough hand closed over her mouth and she was held fast in an iron grip.

Terregan could see the tension building in Samis, knew without a doubt she was preparing to act. He couldn't let her face Entraitenne alone, couldn't permit harm to come to his wife. With a swiftness that surprised even him, he rushed forward just as she started to move and grasped her tightly. Terregan felt her body stiffen for a split second, then she began to struggle. Samis was a wildcat in his arms and it took all his control to keep from hurting her. He knew she didn't realize who held her and took a deadly chance. He spoke. 

"Samis," he hissed into her ear, "It is Terregan. Stop struggling."

Instantly she stilled, her ragged breaths warming the hand he held to her mouth. Terregan feared they had been heard, that his actions had given away their presence. He held them both immobile, hoping against hope that Entraitenne was to preoccupied with preparing his ritual to notice them. But the warlock had begun to paint runes on his body and his concentration was focused on his work. Terregan let out the breath he'd been holding in a rush, his muscles aching from tension.

As silently as he could he drew Samis back out of the cave with him. Terregan knew what Entraitenne planned and how he hoped to accomplish it. He had a plan of his own, but first he needed to talk with Samis. His blind need for the child the stars had promised had nearly caused him to blunder into a deadly trap. All this time he'd thought the babe was the key to Adoneal's Pearl. All this time he'd made the mistake of thinking of the Pearl as a thing to be found. All this time he'd been wrong. Samis was Adoneal's Pearl.

Entraitenne dipped his finger one last time into the small jar of blood he'd collected so long ago. All this time it had waited for his use. He still remembered the dying screams of the elemental spirit who'd shed it. The corners of Entraitenne's lips twitched. Soon he would hear more such screams from his most hated enemy the Black Prince. Again and again the mancer had thwarted his plans. Again and again he'd been humiliated. Now his time had come and his revenge would be sweet indeed. 

The warlock grasped another jar, containing something equally as precious as his elemental blood. This one held the powdered remains of a unicorn's horn. It had been the most elusive prize Entraitenne had ever sought, the most difficult to capture. The pain and suffering he'd endured in taking it would soon be repaid ten fold. Then, then Adoneal's Pearl would be his and he would bring the world to its knees.

Entraitenne removed the jar's wax seal cautiously. If he made a single mistake in its use he would pay dearly for it, perhaps with his life. Oh so carefully he formed a circle around the babe with the powder, knowing a single stray grain would ruin the spell. When he was done Entraitenne moved to stand behind the pillar of rock where the infant lay, positioning him self just outside the sphere. The Black Prince would be here soon, he could feel it, feel the delicious ache of hate filling his bones. 

There was a scuffling noise at the entrance to the cavern and Entraitenne knew he had come at last. His ancient foe did not disappoint him. As Entraitenne watched, his beady eyes shining with conquest, The Black Prince stepped into the torch light. The warlock nearly crowed his victory out loud, but at the last minute his joy faltered. Something was not right, some small nuance was just the tiniest bit skewed. Entraitenne frowned in confusion. Then he saw the Prince's tears and forgot his caution. The great Black Prince was brought to his knees at last. One small infant, a miniscule human life had become the Prince's Achilles heel. Entraitenne did gloat then, unable to hold back his triumph.




The Sorcerer's Bride Ch. 04



"At last! I have you at my mercy at last!" Entraitenne's voice rose in pitch until it echoed through the cavern with a terrible inhuman shriek. "I will make you will crawl on your knees before me! Wallow in your own filth at my very feet! There is nothing you can do now to stop me!"

"You are right Entraitenne." 

The Black Prince spoke softly as if in fear and Entraitenne could scarcely contain his glee. But the Prince had not finished speaking and his next words filled the warlock with a fear unlike any he had known before.

"I cannot stop you now vile beast, but there is one who can. Oh yes, there is one who can."

Entraitenne watched in bewildered horror as something behind the Prince began to glow, its light growing in brilliance until nothing could be seen of the Prince at all but his dark silhouette. The warlock's mouth went slack in open dismay as Samis stepped from behind her husband, her body lit from within by a blinding light. Entraitenne's eyes began to sting and burn as if the mere sight of her shining power was enough to hurt him, his mind gibbered in fear of her great light.

Some small part of Samis still wanted to deny the things Terregan had said, deny the truths her flesh knew even if her heart rebelled. But as she drew the power into her core, letting it fill her until she thought she might burst from its glorious heat, she knew he had been right. Samis gasped in awe as her eyes saw the world for the first time as it truly was, saw the beating heart of the earth and the veins of life shining with their own ethereal light. Everything was connected, every living being giving a part of its own spirit to the pulsing web. Even the very soil of the earth gave of itself, adding to the essence of the world. Samis knew in that instant that she did not exist as the separate entity she'd always believed she was, but as a small part of vast being made of billions of souls. She was the world, and the world was her.

With her newly awakened eyes she saw Entraitenne for what he truly was. A deluded vampire, drinking in the life of the world and hording it into himself. She saw his withered soul, grey and clinging like a malignant parasite that has invaded a sound body. Samis knew pity, for Entraitenne had committed the greatest crime against himself. He had fooled himself into believing his hatred was for anything but his own wretched soul and in so doing had robbed himself of the very thing he so desperately sought. It was her pity for him that finally allowed her to do what needed to be done. The wrenching sorrow for a crime that a living soul had committed against its own existence that allowed her to reach out and sever his tenuous link to the world into which he had been born. 

Samis wept, knowing now that Entraitenne could have been a glorious light shining in the world's web if only he had understood the most important power of all was the power to love one's self. Her tears flowed free, glistening like stars against her cheeks. Samis looked upon the whole of the earth again, drank in the dazzling network of life in its truest form one last time. With the joy of that sight caught forever in her mind, she let go of her power. 

Terregan caught his wife as she fell, the inner radiance that had burst from her body only moments before gone. For a moment he feared she had lost herself in the power, but his terror soon passed when he saw her chest rise and fall steadily. Laying her gently on the floor of the cavern he ran to his daughter's side, gathering her carefully into his arms. Sara's dark eyes watched him solemnly, as if her infant mind had understood all that had just passed in her midst. Terregan cradled her small form to his chest, his heart thudding with joy, relief, and worry all at the same time. 

His fixed his gaze for a moment on the crumpled body laying a few feet away, wanting to hate who had once inhabited that body but finding that there was no room for hate in his heart anymore. Not after what he had witnessed that night. Instead he simply turned away, carrying Sara to where her mother laid waiting on the cavern floor. Samis' eyes fluttered open as he kneeled beside her and her smile made his heart soar.

Sara could hear her Da's voice calling her in the distance. She loved it when he played this game with her. He would never guess where she'd chosen to hide this time. Sara giggled into her hand, careful not to let the sound carry to far lest it give her away. It was only a few moments later when she saw her Da was standing far beneath her, his hands cupped around his mouth as he called her name. She almost giggled again as she made out the confused expression on his face through the old oak's thick canopy. Sara knew he'd figure out sooner or later that she had learned to fly, but for now she would have some fun watching him search for her.

"That's not a very nice thing to do young lady." 

The quiet voice startled Sara and she nearly fell off the limb she'd been sitting on. She steadied herself first then turned to see her mommy sitting on the branch next to her with a reproachful look on her face. Sara almost pouted until she saw the sparkle in her mommy's eyes. She couldn't help herself then; she laughed out loud. A few seconds later her Da was shouting up at her from the forest floor.

"That is cheating Sara!"

THE END



The Sorcerer's Bride



He carried her to a large bed in the corner that she somehow hadn't noticed before. Without another word he set her on the floor and began to unlace her tunic. Samis had never been unclothed in front of a man before, not even Dunen. For a moment she didn't know what to do with herself, her natural shyness making her feel clumsy. Then she looked into his eyes again and the shyness evaporated. There was a hunger in his eyes that took her breath away. When he lifted her torn tunic over her head it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

He caught his breath at the sight of her bared breasts. She looked like a goddess with her midnight black hair floating around her shoulders like a dark cloud. Her skin had a golden cast and though she bore a few scars it only enhanced her beauty in his eyes. Her breasts were full and round. The areoles were dark and her nipples stood out virtually begging to be touched, kissed. With a skill born of long practice he quickly unbuckled her belt and her breeches slid down her full hips with a soft whisper. The soft doeskin loincloth she wore complimented the tone of her skin perfectly and he was almost loath to remove it. He stared at her for a moment, taking in the glow of her skin, her soft round curves that were so alluring to him. Her eyes were deep brown pools that glittered in the light from the fire. Then he sensed that she was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"I do not wish you to be uncomfortable Samis. It is only that you are so beautiful that it takes my breath away," he knew her gift would hear the truth in his words. He remembered the night so long ago when he had read in the stars the foretelling of her birth. The promise of one he would love like no other, the promise of one who could bear his child. The centuries of waiting had nearly drained his soul but now she stood before him and his heart soared like it had not in many a long year. He must remember to savor this night, to make it one she would hold dear for all time. 

She heard the truth in what he said but could not understand why he was so affected by her. It felt like he'd been waiting for her a very long time and now that she was here he seemed to radiate joy. She wondered for a brief moment how old he really was. He looked to be some thirty cycles but his eyes spoke of an unfathomable age. She forgot her train of thought completely when he took a step back and unbuckled his belt. His tunic fell open revealing a smooth well muscled chest with no few scars to mark it. She couldn't help wondering were all those scars had come from and who had put them there but again her thoughts scattered when he shucked his breeches. He wore no loin cloth to cover his manhood and Samis' knees nearly gave way at the size of him. His shaft was well in proportion to his bulk. She quivered at the thought of taking him into her body. She was not at all sure she would be able to accommodate him. 

He could see her hesitate when she saw his size. It was somewhat of a worry for him as well but he knew if he was gentle and made sure she was ready that he wouldn't hurt her. He stepped forward again reaching out to cup her firm round breast in his hand. She closed her eyes with a soft sigh that parted her rose colored lips just the merest bit. The sight of her looking like that made his manhood grow hard with a speed that surprised even him. He bent his head to her other breast and took the stiff bud into his mouth, rolling his tongue across it. The soft whimpering noises she made as he did so nearly drove him mad. He lifted her onto the bed with a groan, stretching out beside her.

The sensation of his tongue on her breast sent hard shivers through her body. She'd never experienced anything like this before. If this was only a prelude to what came next she knew she would lose all control before they were through. His big hands were wondering all over her body eliciting reactions from places she never would have thought erotic at all. And the roughness of his palms only heightened those feelings. He caressed her belly, her thighs, her hips, and her breasts with feather light touches that sent her reeling. She wondered if she could do the same thing to his body with her hands alone. Tentatively she reached out and flicked her thumb across one of his nipples. She felt him shudder under her hand and was rewarded with a soft groan. So, she could give him pleasure as well. She let her hands wonder along his body as they would. 

Her gentle caresses sent trails of fire through his body at each touch. He was having a hard time concentrating with her soft hands moving everywhere. He was going to have to exert every once of control he had not to move to fast with her doing that. Then her hand moved down to his hard shaft, nestled in a thatch of tightly curled white hair. When he felt her long thin fingers close around his pulsing manhood he had to hold himself still for a moment lest he lose reign over himself. It was obvious to him that she had never lain with a man before but this only made him ache that much more to posses her. Her light stroking of his shaft nearly pushed him to the brink and he had to gently disengage her lest her touch push him over. With a soft growl he trailed a line of kisses down her softly rounded belly toward the soft patch of black hair nestled between her legs.

She wondered if she'd done something wrong when he pulled her hand away but when he started kissing her stomach moving slowly toward her most private place she forgot her worry completely. He gently urged her legs apart then touched her so lightly with his fingers that she barely felt it. It still caused delicious shivers to race up her spine. He kissed the hair surrounding her nether lips then his tongue traced lazy circles on the top of her thigh. She wanted him to touch her again, make her feel that shiver again. She arched her hips with a groan and he parted her lips gently with his rough fingers. She gasped when his tongue touched the sensitive bud hiding there. 

She ran her fingers through his hair and urged him to continue. His tongue slid over her bud again, causing her to arch her hips in response. She threw her head back with a loud moan as he ran his tongue over her clitoris again and again. She felt a pressure building in the pit of her stomach as his lips nipped at her playfully. She had never known that lying with a man would feel like this and she had a strong suspicion that no other man would have given her this kind of pleasure. 

She tasted sweet with a hint of musky tang and he gloried in her reaction to him. He sucked gently on her tender bud, slowly urging her to open to him even more. When she began to squirm under him he parted her nether lips even more. Slowly he trailed a finger around her wet opening, gently urging her to accept him. When his finger was wet with her juices he slid it into her warmth. Her reaction was just what he had hoped it would be. She cried out softly, shifting her hips to give him even more access to her tight sheath. He worked his finger back and forth slowly as his tongue continued to caress her now swollen bud. He could feel the tender muscles of her womanhood contracting around his finger as she quivered under him.

When she felt his finger pushing into her body she couldn't help the cry that escaped her. His tongue never once stopped stroking her clitoris as he slid his digit in and out. The pressure that she felt in her stomach grew into a pulsing need. She pulled his head closer to her body urgently and he responded by wrapping his tongue around her bud and suckling it with more force. Suddenly the tight ball of need burst and a feeling like lightening rushed through her body. She screamed in pleasure arching her body completely off the bed.

He felt the orgasm rush through her as she screamed. The muscles in her womanhood convulsed around his finger, gripping it tightly, and a flood of her juices rushed over his hand. Just knowing that he had been the first one to bring her this made his organ harden almost painfully. She was ready for him now. He was more than ready for her. With a growl he lifted himself over her bending his head to take one of her rock hard nipples into his mouth. He moved his hips between her legs reveling in the heat that radiated from her. When he had positioned the head of his organ at her quivering sheath he paused. He had to tell her there would be some pain. If she was caught by surprise now it could ruin everything.

"Samis. I must tell you that there will be some pain at first, but it will pass quickly, I promise."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, seeing his obvious concern for her. She had known that losing her maidenhead would be painful, but knew that whatever pain it caused would be soon forgotten. She gave him a little nod. He nuzzled her breasts again then kissed her so passionately it took her breath away.

It made his heart turn over that she trusted him so completely. He prayed that his size would not make this any more painful than it had to be. He kissed her breasts and when she moaned softly he knew it was time. He kissed her, putting all his passion into it, then with a forceful thrust pushed his organ into her tight shaft. In a single trust he buried himself in her, breaking her barrier quickly to lessen the pain. She cried out, clutching his shoulders tightly. He held himself still, giving her some time to adjust, quaking with the restraint needed to do so.

It hurt! She hadn't expected it to hurt so much. All she could do was cling to him, gritting her teeth until the worst of it passed. Little by little the sharp pain eased until it was just a distant ache. She could feel him inside her, a kind of pulsing fullness. His shoulder muscles were so tight that they felt like bands of steal and she realized with a start what kind of control it took for him to hold himself still like that. It awed her that he cared enough about her to torture himself so. That strange pressure in her stomach returned as she felt the blood engorging his member throb against her own sensitive flesh. She turned her face to his neck and kissed him lightly, trying to let him know that she was alright now.

His heart melted all over again when she kissed him with such tenderness. He knew he had waited long enough then and began to move. Slowly at first, letting her fluids ease the friction of his motion. Gods she was so tight it was nearly painful. Oh but what a glorious pain. Her snug sheath caressed every inch of his organ, sending jolts of electricity through his nerves. He nuzzled her neck as he lifted himself away from her, pulling his shaft out of her warmth until only the head remained inside her. Then he pushed forward again reveling in the feeling of her slick warm flesh gripping him, sucking him back in. He moved a little faster loving the little sounds escaping her throat. 

Her body sang with the sensations he was giving her. Each time he withdrew she wanted to beg him to fill her up again. As his pace increased the pressure in her stomach moved down into her loins, centering itself around his movement. She lifted her legs to wrap them around his hips, opening her body further to him. He thrust even faster into her, running his hands down her sides to grip her hips firmly. Each time he entered her he pushed himself in to the hilt of his organ, touching a place inside her that sent tingles all the way to the top of her head. She moaned and gasped, knowing she sounded wanton and not caring at all.

He felt the pressure of a building orgasm as he pumped into her but he knew she was not ready to reach her own release yet. Her body was so warm and tight, it took every once of his considerable will to force down his lust until he could control it again. She was moaning constantly now, though he knew she was not ready to orgasm just yet. He reached behind him and caught her legs up with his arms, opening her completely to him. With one last deep thrust he slowed his pace until he was moving excruciatingly slow. With a growl he pulled himself almost completely out of her then pushed forward again inch by maddening inch until he could go no further. Again and again he eased out only to slowly, slowly push back in. After a few minutes of this sensual torture she was tossing her head wildly and clutching him desperately. He knew then that she was ready.

She was being turned inside out. Every time he thrust into her again he hit that spot that sent tingles all the way up her spine. She tried to lift her hips to meet him but he had pulled her legs up so far that she couldn't move at all. Thinking she could take no more she began to plead with him.

When she started to beg he almost spilled his seed right then. No other woman had tested his control like she did. No longer able to hold back, and knowing she was ready now, he began to pound into her. With each thrust her muscles tightened a little more and he felt the pressure of his orgasm started to build again. He let go all his control then, ramming himself into over and over as she made little mewling noises in his ear.

Samis only thought she could take no more, but with each powerful thrust he proved her wrong. Again the pressure she felt in her loins turned into a ball of need, only ten times greater now. She felt herself teetering on the edge of a great precipice when with one final grinding thrust she fell over the side. She turned her head to the side as a piercing scream erupted from her throat.

He felt her spasm a final powerful time around his organ and she screamed. With one last vicious thrust his seed burst forth into her welcoming womb. He threw back his head and let loose a deafening roar then collapsed. He let go of her legs then, and rolled them both over until she lay atop him so he wouldn't crush her with his weight. Both of them were gasping for breath, exhausted by their love play. Some time passed before either spoke then in a voice made raspy by her cries she asked him his name. He was so shocked that he was speechless for a moment. He hadn't even told her his name. How could he have forgotten something as important as that?

"My name is Terregan, little dove. That is my given name and the only other person on this earth who knew it was my mother. Keep it safe, give it to no one, and you need only think it if ever you should need me and I am not there. I will hear you."

"Terregan is a strong name. It suits you," she murmured.

He lay there quietly, relishing the feel of her small body against his. When he stirred enough to speak again she had fallen into a deep sleep. He eased her over to his side, careful not to separate their bodies as he did so. With a sharp tug he freed the blankets and pulled them up over both of them. Holding her close he let sleep take him as well.