What an exciting three days it had been. To propose, to wed, to bed, and back out to witness the marriage of a friend he had never thought would be so eager to find a wife - Ezra could never have imagined such a joyful conclusion to a chapter of his life that had been filled with loneliness and worry. He also never could have imagined himself sitting securely on his bed, his wife between his knees, brushing out the tangles in her hair and thoroughly enjoying every stroke.

Ezra wasn't the only one who was happy. That wife of his was overcome with happiness. She'd babbled all the way back to their quarters, laughing and crying at the same time and smothering him in kisses, until he finally had to calm her down long enough to get them both undressed and ready for bed. Oh, the last three days had been a whirlwind for all of them. The only thing that might make things even better was if, in a few weeks' time, she found herself pregnant with Ezra's child.

"I'm so happy, Ezra. Are you sure we're not dreaming?" she asked, barely able to sit still long enough for him to brush out the tangles in her hair.

"Would you like me to pinch you to be certain?" he asked her in a laughing tease, gently turning her head forward once again as the brush swept through the fall of her dark hair.

"You can pinch me wherever you like, husband," she said coyly, giggling before sighing with contentment as he went back to brushing her hair. "Did you ever think you'd be so happy, Ezra?" she asked him.

Gathering her hair into one hand, he laid the length over her shoulder, inching forward to envelop her in his arms, his chin resting on her other shoulder.

"No," he admitted quietly. "I hoped, but hope is just a wish you give to the Goddess. What She does with it will be what you need Her to do, whether you know it or not. I am very happy that She drew us together, askim."

"I remember you," Teres told him quietly, a soft smile on her face as she leaned into him, content for the moment just to be held. "I remember the shy, studious boy you once were. I think I loved you even then," she confessed, though it was likely not the first or last time she'd admit to it.

"Is that why you teased me incessantly about the fact that I never smiled at anything but Nasir's terrible jokes?" he asked, as curious as he was teasing in that moment, enjoying the quiet. The luxury of holding his wife in his arms and knowing he would have many more moments like this in their lives to come.

"I teased you because it was the only way to get you to notice me," Teres said, frowning just a little at the memory of those early days in the harem, when they'd just been children. "You were always so serious. I wanted you to smile at me and laugh the way you did with Nasir."

"I know," he murmured, "but as long as I didn't smile at you, I had all your attention. Perhaps it was selfish, but I have never pretended to be a saint. It was worth it to be able to tear you away from Safiya from time to time."

His own admission made her smile, softly, warmly. "We were just children then. And when you went away ..." Her smile faded a little, though he might not notice. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again," she whispered, a small hitch in her words. But it hardly mattered now - all the years of pain and worry and loneliness had been worth it, now that they were together.

"You need never fear such a thing again, askim," he promised her, soft lips touching her temple in a gentle contrast to the tickle of his beard. "I will always come back to you."

She smiled again, leaning into his embrace and settling his hands against her belly. "I have prayed to the Goddess to give us a child. I do not care if it is a son or a daughter," she told him quietly.

"Perhaps there is a child already planted," he replied. It was perhaps strange for others, how easily Ezra placed his life and his hopes into the hands of the Goddess, yet he had spent a good part of his life studying for the priesthood before deciding that was not his path. His faith was unshakeable, and it bled into every part of his being. He tilted his head, smiling down at Teres lovingly. "I think I would like very much to see you rounded with child and glowing."

"I am already glowing," she assured him, slipping out of his arms, only to turn and take his hand to draw him upwards so that she could lead him to bed. "Would you wish for a son or a daughter first?" she asked, though she believed it was not for them to decide.

His hand evaded hers, both rising to latch gently onto her hips and pull her down to straddle his lap as he encircled her in his arms once again. Dipping his head to the crook of her neck, he breathed her in for a long moment, finally looking up to find her gaze with a soft smile.

"I would hope for a daughter," he admitted, smiling at his own admission. "There are too many warlike boys in this world. The best joys of my life have come from women."

She giggled as he pulled her into his lap, all too willing to oblige him in every way. "Truly' A daughter" And here, I was hoping to give you a son," she admitted, smiling almost shyly at her confession. It filled her heart with joy and relief to hear him assure her that he'd welcome a daughter, especially in a place where sons were so valued.

"Do you remember what Baba always said when we were small?" he asked, nose to nose and smile to smile. "A son is a son 'til he takes a wife, but your daughter's your daughter all her life."

"If the Goddess so wills it, I would like to give you both a son and a daughter," she told him, brushing her nose against his. "But I would be very happy to give you a daughter, Ezra, if that is what you wish. A little girl who will adore her father as much as I do." She moved onto her tiptoes to touch a kiss to his nose. "Now, let us go to bed. If we wish to make a baby, we cannot do it standing up," she told him, playfully waggling her brows at him.

"How much would you like to bet on that?" he asked, waggling his brows back at her and, without removing his arms from around his wife, tipped backward, secure in the knowledge that they would both land safe on the bed in one of his fast becoming favorite positions.

She squeaked as he dropped them both onto the bed, giggling as she landed atop him and once again smothered him in kisses as her hands worked his nightclothes open, eager to taste and touch and memorize all she could of her Ezra.

He laughed into her kisses, easing his own hands inside her robe, smoothing it from her shoulders to toss it aside and let his touch begin the teasing trail up her legs that had turned her to jelly more than once already. He adored how sensitive his askim was to his touch, delighted to find that the wife he loved was not ashamed of her own desires in his arms.

And in another part of the palace, a pair who had made the same vows were nonetheless having a very different wedding night. Idris and Sasha had retired later than Ezra and Teres, only now reaching their rooms after spending an enjoyable evening in the company of friends. Sasha could not help but hesitate as she glanced toward the bed, realizing that she would be sleeping there tonight, and not alone.

"Are you nervous, hanim?" Idris asked, noticing the way she glanced furtively toward the bed. "Would you prefer I sleep on the couch?" he asked, though he was far too tall to find it comfortable there. There was a hint of amusement in his voice, as though he found this entire situation amusing.

"You are injured, you cannot sleep on the couch," was her immediate response, her eyes turning toward him with a certain amount of command in her expression. "Are you in pain, commander?"

"I have had much worse," he assured her, not for the first time. She had already seen the proof of his claim in the scars that bore the evidence of it. "You should make yourself comfortable, Sasha. These are your quarters now, as much as they are mine," he assured her, with a wave of his hand at their surroundings. He had not been back long enough to really make himself at home here or to add any personal touches, but his set of rooms were quiet and comfortable enough for his liking.

"I should check your bandage," she answered, but she did venture further into the collection of rooms, orienting herself as to what was where. It was a small relief to see the little chest that held all her own belongings nestled in the dressing room, drawing a soft smile for something familiar as she stepped back into the bedroom. "I did not expect this to happen today," she admitted, raising her hands to fumble with the fastening of the necklace at her throat.

"Are you having regrets?" he asked, misinterpreting her statement as she rejoined him, to find he had already doffed his kaftan and was working on peeling off the second layer of clothes. His gaze flickered to the opals at her throat and he clicked his tongue. "Here, let me," he said, stepping close to help her with the necklace.

"I am not the sort to regret my decisions," she assured him, raising a brow as he clicked his tongue. "I am not a horse, koca." It felt strange to call him that - husband - but since she had yet to summon the courage to call him by his name, she was comfortable with it. She turned, drawing her hair over her shoulder to expose the fastening at her nape.

"I am not a beast, Sasha. I do care for you and I do wish to make you happy," Idris assured his new wife as his fingers adeptly worked the fastening open and drew the necklace from around her throat. "There. I assume these belong to the Teliran," he said, turning her to pool the opals into her palm.

Even that was an intimacy Sasha was unaccustomed to, feeling the brush of his fingers against her skin as he drew the necklace from her throat. "Yes," she confirmed, letting the strangely warm shiver flow through her. "I must return them to her. They were a gift from the king."

"They will be safe enough here for one night," he assured her. After all, there was no one there but them, and neither of them had any desire to rob their friends. He left the opals in the palm of her hand, trusting her to put them someplace safe until she could return them to her friend.

"Are you cold?" he asked, noticing her shiver, though he thought it warm in the palace.

"No, I ....I am warm," she said, seemingly confused by her own sensations. She had never shivered at anyone's touch before, and it was not cold in any way. Looking down at the opals in her palm, she smiled. "I will put these somewhere safe."

"They will be safe enough here, Sasha," he told her, closing his hand over hers and guiding it to a low table. No one would dare enter his rooms uninvited this night, and no one would dare steal the opals without risking the consequences.

This close, she couldn't hide the flush on her cheeks as his hand enveloped hers, letting herself be drawn closer as her hand was brought down to the table. "I did not mean to say that your quarters are not safe, commander."

"I know what you meant, Sasha," he assured her with a warm smile and a soft tone of voice, much quieter and calmer than he had shown her before. "Shall we retire?" he asked, wondering if she was going to stick to her promise to wait for the outcome of their wager.

"It will not be water," she promised, rolling her eyes at his comment. Gathering together her supplies, she rose, quick to put them to one side to be dealt with another time, and investigated the carafes set aside for them. Spiced wine was warmed gently before she served it into goblets, bringing him his drink before daring to sit on the bed beside him once again.

He remained silent while she poured the wine, silently admiring this beauty that had somehow come to be his; silently thanking the goddess for all she had given him. He held out a rough hand, callused fingers closing around the goblet as he took if from her. He did not bother to pat the place at his side, as she had already decided to claim it, just as she was quickly claiming his heart. The thought of that made him smile, too.

"Do you think Leyla will be happy for us, hanim?" he asked, lifting his goblet in salute of his new wife.

Sipping her wine, Sasha considered her answer before giving it. She had not forgotten his harsh view of her former harem-sister, a little troubled that anyone could see such venom in someone she had always known as sweet and kind.

"Happy but envious, I think," she offered. "She longs to be a wife, now that she cannot be the king's."

"There are plenty of other men who can take her to wife," Idris pointed out, before taking a swallow of his wine. As for Nasir and Ezra and Idris, they and their hearts were all spoken for. He was sure Nasir - or more accurately, Shahista - would find matches for all the women, but he was grateful he'd been able to make his own choice. "I have a feeling Nasir was hoping for this all along." Not only Nasir, but Safi and Shahista, as well. "I wonder if they hope to domesticate me," he said with a laugh.

"She wanted you," Sasha mused, looking into her cup. "But since we have already had one poisoning attempted in the palace, I do not think she would ever consider going quite that far to get you." She giggled quietly, looking back to him. "I do not believe you can be domesticated," she assured him. "Broken to the saddle, perhaps."

"I am not so important or powerful as the king," Idris pointed out, that that was not entirely true. He was, arguably, the second or third most powerful man in all of Valentia now, but he did not think in terms of power, only duty.

"You have the loyalty of the army," she pointed out. "You are, arguably, the most powerful man in the country, should you choose to wield that might against your king. But you are a good man, and a good friend. Nasir is lucky to have you with him."

His expression darkened at her suggestion, if only for a moment, before realizing she meant nothing by it. "Nasir is my brother, if not in blood, than in spirit. Anyone who thinks to use me against him would be a fool," he said, not in warning but as a simple point of fact. Something had happened in the past that had bound the three men together, but as of yet, none had spoken what that was.

She stared at him, aware of what he had thought before she finished speaking. "Do you believe me to be so disloyal as to grab for power over the bodies of the two people I consider my family more than any other?" she asked him bluntly.

He blinked, his expression softening. "No, not you. Never you. But there are others," he said, remembering the rage he had felt as he'd helped slaughter Nasir's enemies. He'd hung their heads upon the gates in warning to any others who might do the same and had paid for his loyalty with a wound in his side, but that had not been Nasir's doing. "It is not over yet, Sasha. Not until those who plot against us have been utterly defeated."

"I do not know much of how it all works, but I would assume that the Pomeran alliance will move on Lotharingia when the next season for war arrives," Sasha mused thoughtfully. "Next year, perhaps. It does not give us much time to secure our borders and the loyalty of our people."

"No, and we must be ready to stand with our Pomeran allies," Idris said, pausing to take another gulp of his wine. "But this is our wedding night, and we should not be talking about war," he added, dismissing the subject, not because he did not think her capable but because he did not find it a pleasant topic of discussion, given present company.

"And what else do you think will be happening on our wedding night, commander?" she asked in amusement, leaning back on one hand as she sipped her wine. Her dark eyes watched him over the rim of the cup, glad that she was relaxing into his company once again.

"Sleeping, no doubt," he replied, with a twinkle as his own dark eyes regarded hers. "Unless ..." he murmured, taking the goblet of wine from her and turning to set both goblets aside, for now. "Do you trust me, Sasha?" he asked, that bearded smirk of his lighting up his whole face.

Wariness lit up her eyes as he took her goblet from her, pushing herself to sit up once again in the face of his twinkling smirk. "I do not want you to harm yourself, koca."

"I will not harm myself, nor will I break your vow," he promised, though she had not yet answered his question. He touched her chin, tipping her face to meet his gaze. "Answer me, hanim. Do you trust me?"

What a question to ask her. They had known one another barely more than a day, yet she had married him when he asked her. There must be trust there, somewhere. Sasha looked into his eyes, her nervousness plain on her face. "Yes," she said, as confidently as she could. "I do."

He smiled, pleased with her answer. She must have trusted him a little to have agreed to marry him, and yet he preferred to ask, rather than assume. "Lie back and relax," he urged her, as he shifted to his knees at her feet. "If you cannot bear it, tell me to stop," he warned her, though his goal was to give her pleasure, not pain.

"What are you doing?" she asked, frowning in confusion even as she obediently lay back. She lifted her head to look at him. "I thought men were not supposed to kneel before their women."

"I assure you it is entirely for your benefit," he told her, his hands moving beneath her nightgown to find her legs, an almost lecherous smile on his face, knowing something she did not. He had not even kissed her yet, yet in his eagerness to please her, he dared touch her in such an intimate way.

She gasped, startled to find his hands slipping beneath the silk that covered her to brush against her legs. The calluses from years of weapons' use felt strangely erotic against the softness of her skin, sending a flushed ripple through her body as she bit her lip, trying not to tense up too much. "I-I don't know what to do."

"So should you," she countered. "You have had a busy day, commander." She sat up briefly, pulling off her robe to reveal bare arms that reached down for the sheets to cover them both before lying back once again.

He reached for the sheets with her, trying not to gawk or appear awkward at the sight of her bare arms. She was still wearing her nightgown, after all, and it was not the first time he had been with a woman. "Good night, Sasha," he whispered, before turning to put out the lights.

She waited until they were both settled in, listening to his breathing for a long moment before answering in barely more than a whisper. "Good night ....Idris."

It occurred to him again that he had not even kissed her yet, and he frowned, thankful that she could not see his expression in the dark. She had not wanted to disappoint him, but he was equally worried about disappointing her. He couldn't help but smile a little as she finally called him by name though. Perhaps there was hope for them yet; perhaps in time, they'd be as happy as his friends and their brides. Perhaps.