Topic: First of Forever

Bryce Darroch

Date: 2016-01-10 02:46 EST
((Contains material of an adult nature.))

December 14th, 1614

Time, it seemed, was on the side of the new lady of Darroch. Wedded to her chosen lord in the chapel of Arindale in the company of her brother and his new wife, Justine had been given a celebration to rival any other that might have been laid on by the Duke and Duchess of Lonnare. Brimming with pride in her, Bryce had not disappointed on their wedding night, teasing her with promises that it would get even better when they were in their own home, in their own bed, with the only key to their own door in their possession.

Within days of the wedding, they had been obliged to leave the beauty of Arindale or risk being cut off from Darroch and Dunfayre for the duration of the winter, offering a bittersweet farewell to the family and friends they left behind, and a promise to return in the spring. The journey was hard on them all, newly-weds and escort both, the winter blizzards growing in strength as they traveled north, but finally they had reached the sheltered valley where Bryce's family home lay, only a day before the passes were blocked entirely.

Justine had been welcomed to the town and village with raucous good wishes, the good nature of Bryce and Juliana seemingly having offered only a hint of just how warm their people were, even in the depths of winter. Aidan had welcomed them without ceremony, but with a fine feast, delighted to have his remaining son home again and with a bonny wife at his side. Yet he had not begrudged them time to themselves, and before the sun set on the day of their arrival, they had hidden themselves away in the privacy of their own rooms, behind that promised locked door, lulling one another with their closeness until weariness got the better of them.

Now, with the winter sun struggling to make itself known through the swirling snow outside the window, Bryce opened his eyes to the first morning he had seen from his own bed in over a year, his head turning to look down on the tousled blonde curls that crowned the fiery wife sleeping at his side. Now that was a sight worth seeing every morning.

Better still was the softness against his side that told him she was as bare now as she had been when they had fallen into oblivion together the night before. He couldn't help himself, already adoring the sounds she made, the way her skin flushed, the way she seemed torn between embarrassment and pleasure when he touched her. Rolling gently to his side to face her, he let his hand slip beneath the warm furs that covered them both with a knowing, caressing touch, his lips teasing tenderly against Justine's, just to see what would happen when she woke.

The smile she offered him and the way she edged closer to him, lips warming to his even in her sleep, seemed an encouraging sign that she enjoyed his touch, his warmth, his closeness, and especially his kisses. She had never known such feelings as those his every touch aroused in her, and she had never in her wildest dreams imagined it could be this way between a man and a woman. Oh, she'd known what to expect, but she had never realized how lovely and how beautiful this kind of sharing could be - and how intimate.

He chuckled against her lips, drawing her closer to him as he turned those teasing kisses into a single kiss that claimed and loved in one motion. "How long have you been awake, pet?" he asked her, utterly shameless in the sweep of his hand over her hip to squeeze the soft roundness of her rear end. Juliana had warned her that Bryce wasn't one to hide away his feelings, after all.

Though a shy bride, she was also an eager one, wanting to both please her new husband and explore the new feelings he was awakening in her - feelings unlike anything she'd ever experienced before, both physical and emotional. "Not long," she replied as she stroked his jaw with gentle fingers. "Et toi"" she asked, sleepily slipping into her own foreign tongue, though she was making a distinct effort to speak the language of him and his people.

Lucky for them both that his mother had been a Frank, and had taught all her children the language that came most easily to Justine's lips. Bryce grinned as her fingers touched his cheek. "Och, you know," he teased in a murmuring tone, "I've planted my seed in you at least twice while you've been sleeping. Or was that a good dream, darlin'?"

And at least as many or more while she was awake. She smiled at his question, a hint of playful mischief sparkling in her eyes as she teased him in return. "You should know we are in a race with our siblings to have the first baby," she said, in the somewhat broken words of his language, her accent still heavy. "Would you like to win that race, mon amour"" she asked, her fingers tracing the line of jaw.

His brow rose as he shared his grin with her once again, tasting her lips in appreciation of the mischief sparkling in her eyes. "If you wish to win, m'lady, you will have to grow used to my lifting your skirts whenever the mood strikes," he warned her laughingly. "I've not made love to a woman in the deep drifts outside the gate, but I may yet make love to my wife everywhere the keep has to offer and a few more places besides if she wishes for a babe so much."

"You ..." she started, swatting him playfully in the shoulder. "You ....how do you say' Couqin" Would you have your wife freeze to death just so you can say you have her in the snow?" She smiled as she teased him, even as she called him a rascal in her own tongue. "Qu'est-ce que tu veux"" she asked him. What do you want" "Do you wish for a bebe? Or do you like to wait some more?"

He laughed at her response, wrapping his arms about her to hold her close as his lips brushed her temple. "I would have you happy, pet," he told her honestly. "Aye, t'would be fine to have wee ones to dandle and love, but I've no objection to waiting if that's what you would rather." He lowered his forehead to hers, looking into her eyes. "I love you, my bonny lass, the heather on my hills. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy, until the end of days."

"Such a long list of names you give me," she teased further, tapping a finger against his nose. "I only wish to make you happy, mon bel homme. If you wish a bebe, we make a bebe. If you wish to wait, we wait," she told her, leaving the choice up to him, though it was possible the decision had already been made.

"If the Goddess wishes it, pet, then it will happen," he told her affectionately. "Shall we leave it in Her hands, and just enjoy each other" I've no real wish to intentionally upset my sister or your brother by fighting to win a race none of us has any control over."

"My husband is almost as wise as he is handsome," she said, sliding closer until she pushed him over onto his back and covered him with her own body, her curves fitting perfectly to his angles like two long-lost pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. "Or is he almost as handsome as he is wise," she teased, touching a kiss to his lips, while her arms went around his neck.

Bryce chuckled, going easily onto his back as she guided him. He had not expected her to be a timid lover, rewarded for that expectation with the same fire she carried in every part of her life. His hands skimmed over her back, retracing the curves he had already grown intimate with as he returned her kiss, his desire for her evident between them. "Which would you prefer, my bonny?" he asked her mischievously. "A wise troll, or a handsome fool?"

"I would prefer you," she replied simply enough, rejecting either of the descriptions he gave himself, while in jest or otherwise. "Je t'aime, mon amour. Does it frighten you to hear it?" The timid girl seemed to have been replaced by a passionate lover, her confidence growing with each lesson in lovemaking he gave her. She was a enthusiastic student.

"Frighten me?" His grin took on a predatory glint for a moment, and suddenly he moved, tossing her onto her back to pin her down, one hand holding her wrists above her head as the other began a familiar trail to the sweetness he was growing addicted to at her core. "Say it again," he growled softly against her lips, fully intent upon answering her tease with teases of his own that would leave her shattered and sated in his arms once more.

"What will you do if I do not do as you ask?" she said, more than ready to tease him in return. After all, either way, they would both reap the benefits of such teasing at one point or another. Her body had other ideas, however, warming to his touch and practically melting with desire.

Bryce Darroch

Date: 2016-01-10 02:47 EST
"I won't let you play," he promised her with a fondly wolfish grin. As his fingertips slipped gently between the warmth of her thighs, his head lowered, lips claiming the crowning bud of first one breast, then another, putting all he had learned of her in their short time together into practice with devastating confidence. "Say it, my bonny."

She sighed and whimpered as he played her like a master musician, making her body sing, and yet, she was too stubborn and too playful to let him have his way so easily. "It, my bonny," she teased back at him, unable to suppress a girlish giggle.

He narrowed his eyes, grinning against the soft ivory of her flesh, redoubling his efforts with skillful fingers and mouth. "'Tis not what I meant, minx, and you know it," he chuckled with her, his voice vibrating against her tender skin as he teased and caressed, enjoying the freedom she had given him to dominate her, however gentle he was.

She exhaled a long sigh again, clearly enjoying his kisses and caresses and knowing he was only just getting started. If this was what it was to belong to this man, then she was right where she was meant to be. "Je t'aime," she whispered at last, repeating it in his own language, though the meaning of her words was obvious enough. "I love you."

"Good girl," he murmured back to her, raising his head to kiss her lips tenderly once again. "As I love you, my darlin' bonny." The hand holding her wrists released her, but he did not stay within reach for long, slithering down the bed to hook her legs over his shoulders and reward her for those beautiful words in her heart.

Some might think it was a little too quick; some might even think the affection between them was purely for show, but they would be wrong. Yes, Bryce had won his lady's heart quickly, she knew it had not been through any false words or actions on his part. It was Justine who benefited from her new husband's experience and from the desire to please her, as evidenced by the abundance of soft sighs and moans from his lady bride.

He had never tried to pretend that he had not been with other women, but they were entirely in his past now. She was his present and his future; the heather on his hills now and for all his days to come. He may have seemed in a rush to love and be married, but life was short in this brutal world in which they lived. Short enough that they should take what was given to them, and short enough that he would do everything in his power to give her pleasure whenever she allowed it.

Though she might voice some protest to rutting in the snow, she was perfectly happy to let him give her pleasure whenever and wherever he wanted, and though she had teased him about starting a family, it wasn't just about having a baby - it was about learning each other, giving each other pleasure, and learning how to love one another.

Bryce loved his fiery Justine. He didn't want her to be anything but who and what she was, nor did he want there to be any secrets between them. There were certainly no secrets here in this bed, as he explored every nuance of her beautiful form, listening to her sighs of pleasure until he finally took mercy on her and gave her the release he had been holding out of her reach.

She reached for him, needing to hold him close, even as her own body's reaction to his ministrations spun out of control. He was her world now - he was all she wanted and all she needed. As he was learning her, she was learning him, though she needed a moment to recover from his merciful assault on her before she could manage to return the favor. She whispered entreaties to him in her native language, and while he might not understand the words, their meaning was clear. She clearly adored him in every way, shape, and form, rewarding him with kisses and whispered words of love.

Pleased with himself for the sweetness of her response, he took her into his arms once again, lips caressing her throat, her cheek, allowing her the time she needed to find herself once again. Each loving word she gave him was countered with words of his own, tenderly echoing promises of devotion he knew he would rather die than break. He drew her up from where she lay, cradling her in his arms as his smiling lips found hers once more. "D'you beg mercy, my bonny?" he teased affectionately.

"I think perhaps it is you who should do the begging, mon amour," she countered, a soft smile on her face. After all, he had already satisfied her hunger, she would not deny him if he wanted more. And then, there were his needs to think of. She stroked his bearded cheek with an affectionate caress. "It is sad we cannot stay in bed all day."

He chuckled, rubbing his cheek against her palm fondly. "Who is it says we cannot, love?" he asked her playfully. "Or is it that you would rather the whole keep not know that we've such love to keep us abed together on our first true day of married life?"

"I care not what the whole keep thinks. I would rather they know I love the man I married than wed for some other reason. I only worry what your father might think. We cannot hide in bed forever, mon amour. You have duties and responsibilities to tend to, but perhaps those duties can wait one day more," she said, one hand moving to trace a bare shoulder and slide over the curve of his muscles and bare chest, both savoring and memorizing the feel of his warm flesh beneath her fingers.

"They've gone without me a year," he murmured. "One day more will not do so much harm." He was eager to return to his duties, yes, but more eager to be sure his wife was warm and comfortable in her new home, in her new bed, secure in his love above all else. "Father can find himself a wench if he gets jealous," he added with a grin. "You're mine."

"A wench!" she gasped in undisguised shock, followed by a giggle, as she tried to imagine his father with a woman of his own. "That would be scandalous!" In truth, she was rather fond of his father, especially since she no longer had one of her own. She hoped he would learn to love her like a daughter, or at the very least, like a friend. "I belong only to you, my lord and master," she teased, tapping a finger to his nose playfully.

"Your laird, aye," he chuckled in agreement. "Never your master. You are your own woman, my bonny; your mind is your own, your choices are yours. I'll not seek to take them from you. I don't want a woman who does as she is told and never thinks. I want you." He drew her closer, loosing a low groan against her lips as he found his place within her. "I love you, Justine. Only you."

She had thought to return the favor, to show him what she, too, was capable of, and yet, she was feeling lazy now that he'd satisfied her every need. She let him do as he would for now; there would be plenty of time to please him later. She sighed against his lips as he filled the aching need inside her. There had been pain at first, but no more - only pleasure and desire. "I am yours, mon amour," she whispered back, arms and legs holding him close in her embrace. "There is no one else for me but you."

Even in his taking, he was careful to see to her first, his years of tutelage under the instruction of various women enough to make certain that he was not a lover who would disappoint his wife. He would be a faithful husband, too; Justine was the only woman now who would benefit from the ways he had grown to manhood. But more than that, he poured his heart into her as they moved together, sharing hopes and dreams in tender murmurs, words of love that came unbidden as he found the release he'd denied himself in her arms.

She was more than happy to give him that release, to let him use her body to satisfy his own needs and desires, hoping she could please him in return for the pleasure he'd given her. While there was passion and desire between them, it wasn't so much the physical pleasure that made her happy as it was knowing he loved her. It was not only a physical sharing, but an emotional one - two hearts and bodies tangled together as they grew in love and affection. Years from now, it was these first days together that would come back to them as they built the foundation of not only a marriage, but a family yet to come.

Bryce Darroch

Date: 2016-01-10 02:48 EST
They lolled together in the warmth of the furs around them, trading kisses back and forth with smiles meant only for one another. Bryce gazed into the eyes of the woman he had never expected to love. "If any man lays a hand on you, I will cut that hand off," he murmured to her softly. "Or I will hold him still to let my fiery lady beat him for his crimes. You need never sit by the fire and sew; you do not have to pretend to be happy to be a delicate flower, my bonny. Take up your sword and your bow and prove yourself better than any of us. Be happy in yourself."

She smiled and touched a finger to his lips to silence him. "No sword, love. No need to tell me not to sew. I shall sew if I feel like sewing and ride when I feel like riding. Even more often, if my lord husband would find time to accompany me, but I will try to be careful and not put myself at risk. I know the dangers of living on the border, and I would not worry you overmuch."

"I shall always worry when you are out of my sight," he admitted with a wry smile, kissing her fingertips softly. "But I will not stop you. You should be the woman you are, not the woman you think you should be."

"I am not sure I know who I am or who I should be," she pointed out, settling into his embrace with a soft sigh. "I was a daughter and a sister, a friend and a lady-in-waiting. Now, I am your wife and the lady of the keep and the woman who loves you. I do not know what else I am or who else I am meant to be."

"You are Justine," he told her softly, fingertips gentle as they passed over her skin. "Elder twin of Joslin, close friend to Alys. You are wise and brave and bold; you are soft and hard as you need to be. I am honored to be the man you chose as your husband, and I will do whatever you need me to do, to help you find your place in this world again. I swear it."

"I chose?" she echoed with a slightly amused smile. "Was it not you who chose me, mon amour"" she teased, savoring his touch and returning it with a caress of her own, loving and tender. In truth, they had chosen each other, it seemed.

"I asked," he reminded her fondly. "T'was you who decided." Leaning in, he let his lips brush hers in a soft kiss. "One day, perhaps, I'll be the man you deserve, with you to teach me how."

She clicked her tongue at him and gave him a shocked look, more than a little surprised by his words once he was done kissing her. "You are the man I deserve, mon amour - the only man I want or love. What is it you think you lack" It is not courage or kindness or ....how do you say' Les esprit"" she said, tapping a finger to her temple to indicate his mind, his intellect. "I do not know what I can teach you that you do not already know."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," he chuckled, not prepared to argue this point with her, especially not when they were warm in bed together. Rolling her onto her back, he shared his grin with her tenderly, nipping the tip of her nose as he drew back. "Shall we see if the Goddess wants us to make a bairn again, my bonny?"

She gave a little squeal of delighted surprise as he rolled her onto her back once again, glad to let him have his way with her, so long as they both were able. "If Jos and Jules do not keep up with us, I think we will be first."

"And which would you rather, my bonny' A lad or a lass?" Not that they had any control over what the Goddess would give them, but it was sweet to dream. Besides, Bryce had discovered a wicked pleasure in casually chatting to his squirming wife while his hands were busy elsewhere, and he was fairly sure she would put a stop to it as soon as she caught on.

"I would give you one of each, perhaps at the same time," she replied saucily, wondering if that would get his attention, even as he seemed intent on exploring her body once again. She did not have much power over him, except for this, but it was hard to resist teasing him a little.

His brows rose, though he shouldn't have been surprised. She was a twin, it stood to reason she might well deliver twins at some point. "I'd rather live childless than lose you to the birthing bed," he said, the words coming out blunt and honest as he frowned faintly. "I do not know if I could love a child that killed my bonny to enter the world."

That brought a frown to her pretty face, and she pushed him over onto his back so that she could glare down at him. "I will not hear you say such a thing, my lord," she scolded him, tapping a finger against his lips. "Any child who comes to us comes from love, and they will be raised in love, whether I am there or not. You must promise me. There is no point in loving me if you cannot love our children. They will be part of you and part of me, too. What is not to love about this?" she asked, blond brows rising questioningly. Perhaps he would like to hear the story of her own mother's death and of how she wished that child had survived.

He smiled as she knocked him onto his back, letting her assume control as she scolded him for his honesty. "I'm a jealous man, love," he told her, aware of his flaws and unashamed of them. "I love you. You're the only woman I've ever loved. I cannot promise to be a loving father if you should be taken from me, but I can promise you I will try."

She sighed, still frowning down at him, not disappointed, but worried such a worry of his might come to pass. "When my brother and I were small, my mother was with child. I do not remember much about her, but I remember the grief my father felt that he had lost them both. If I could not have kept ma mere, I would have liked to have known my sister." That statement alone explained much about Justine - and about why it was so important for her to be close to Alys and Juliana.

"Och, my love ..." His frown turned to guilt as she offered this quiet confession, drawing her down into his arms once again. "I didn't know. I should never have said anything, I'm sorry." Honesty was not always the best policy, but that was something Bryce was going to have to learn over the years to come.

She would have disagreed with him here, believe that honesty was the best policy. To truly know and understand each other, they had to be honest, and yet, with that honesty, there had to be compassion and understanding and perhaps even some compromise. "Tout va bien," she told him, dismissing any apology he might make. "We need not worry of this yet, but if it happens, I am certain you will love our children, as you love me. And you will love again. I do not wish for you to be alone, mon amour, or to be sad, but why do we speak of this now, when we are only just wed" Should we sleep in separate beds?" she asked, wanting him to see the silliness of his worries. "This is life, Bryce. This is why we must love and live while we can, not knowing what tomorrow will bring."

He snorted with laughter as she reduced his concerns to their most ridiculous conclusion, rolling his eyes as he smiled. "I will love you as long as I have life to love you with," he promised her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Longer, if the Goddess allows." And he would not mention his fear of the birthing bed to her again, he was certain of that. She knew better than him the dangers of it, and she seemed unafraid. He could pretend to be unafraid of it, for her sake.

There was only one way to prevent the possibility of her dying in childbirth and that was to not have children, but it was already too late for that, and what was the point of being married and being in love if they could not share that love with each other as a husband and wife" "Should I forbid you from doing your duty as a soldier and laird of this land?" she asked, turning the tables on him once again. "I promised to love you all the days of my life, however long or short those days might be," she reminded him, touching a soft kiss to his lips. "No more talk of death or sadness. This is a happy time."

"I do not want you to think of us as a duty, my bonny," he told her gently. "If ever I become that to you, tell me. I will put it right." His fingers drew through the tousled tangle of her curls, savoring the silk softness between his knuckles as he drew her down to him once more, his kisses tenderly promising more pleasure.

Bryce Darroch

Date: 2016-01-10 02:49 EST
She frowned into his kisses as he seemed to misunderstand her, and she pushed away from him, just momentarily to make herself understood. "Not us, mon amour. I would never think of this ..." she said, gesturing between them, "....as a duty. I speak of your duties as a soldier and a man of the border." She was talking about war and about his sworn duty to uphold peace and keep his people safe, especially from the Coimbrans. It was not often she spoke of such things, though she was aware of the conflict between countries.

"Ah, love ....we make a great deal of our struggles here, but 'tis not so rough a life as we pretend," he promised her. "Aye, there are skirmishes, and aye, deserters from both sides pass through, but it is a rare idiot who will attack a town or keep. Rarer still is the idiot who will attack us now that Francia has set her men to our lands." He stroked her cheek gently, willing her to believe him. "This is my land, my home. I will not willingly travel far from it, nor from you, I swear it."

"We shall grow on each other and get on each other's nerves like a proper couple, then," she teased him, touching another kiss to his lips. Whatever he had said to upset her was obviously forgiven, and she thought it was her turn to show him what little she had learned of him, a mischievous smile on her face. "Shall I show my husband how much I love him?" she asked as she touched more kisses to his lips, her hands eager to touch and her lips to kiss.

He chuckled at the mischief in her as she kissed him, winking up at her as he raised his hands high to grip the headboard of the bed. "Do your worst, my bonny," he challenged her with a smile. "See how long I last before I have you on your back again."

If she was a more daring lass, she might have thought to lash him to the bed so that he could do nothing to stop or interrupt her. Perhaps it would come in time, but for now, she was satisfied merely to explore and in exploring, she hoped to please him. Whatever she lacked in skill, she more than made up for with effort, letting her fingers and mouth and even tongue explore his body, as he'd explored hers. Though timid at first, she was more daring than a virgin, taking her cues from every sigh of breath and moan of pleasure.

And he was not too shy to offer her advice when she seemed to falter or hesitate, only too happy to teach her about him, to give her a level playing field since he had learned so much about her since their wedding night. He gave her his passion, the wood beneath his fingers creaking with the ferocity of his grip, but for all his teasing, he refused to let go of the headboard. If his Justine wanted to play, then play she could, to her heart's content.

And play she did, learning how to bring him to the same heights of passion as he had brought her. His reaction - both physical and emotional - to her own ministrations shocked and surprised her, as she learned what seemed to give him pleasure and what did not, wondering just how far he'd let her go before he took control again.

For all his good intentions, there was only so far he could let her go. She drew one climax from him with her explorations, and threatened to draw another, when he suddenly moved, lunging from where he lay to snatch her up in his arms with a growling laugh. "Enough, my bonny," he laughed against her throat, perching her atop his kneeling thighs. "I'll bring you with me next time, or not at all."

She laughed as he snatched her up in his arms, blushing to know she had pleased him in such a profound and personal way. It had frightened her a little at first, the way his body had reacted to her kisses and caresses, but she soon learned from his moans and sighs of pleasure that this was a good thing and nothing to be alarmed about. "I wish I knew more how to please you, my lord husband," she told him, blushing nervously like the near-virgin bride that she was.

He smiled against her lips, caressing her blushing cheek with his knuckles. "You do please me, pet," he assured her. "In every way, you please me, and I'll teach you as much as you teach me. For example ..." His hands slipped to her hips, gently adjusting her position over him until they were joined once again, his voice painted with a low groan of desire. "You're in charge, pet."

"Moi"" she asked, eyes wide as he settled her atop him, sighing a little as he filled her emptiness once again with his warmth. "But ..." she started, unsure what to do at first, though instinct was a wonderful thing. She was familiar enough with her own body to know what she liked, and it was only a matter of figuring out how to put that knowledge to use to please them both. With hands planted firmly against his chest, she pushed him unto his back again so that she could straddle his hips and rock her body slowly back and forth creating the friction between them necessary to please them both.

Laid back, Bryce smiled to see her giving in to her instincts, admiring the view she offered him as his hands roamed once again, guiding her, touching her, letting her find her own rhythm before he began to match it. This, too, was a part of being in love for him; knowing when to let go and be the follower, when to trust her in all things, even this. She truly was the heather on his hills, settled deep in his heart and his bones, a match for him he could not have found here in his homelands. He was hers, as she was his, and this was only the beginning.

((We thought they deserved a little romance after making them wait so long to get married!))