ITL 75

[Mountie]

I'm going to cry I just know I am...

“Hey.”  A whisper in the night.  “Selorin.”

            “Hmm.”  Rolling from Jekari’s embrace, Selorin tugged the covers aside.

            Rini snuggled in beside him, fingers threading through his hair.  “I thought you’d be with Orinakin.”

            He’d like to be.  But, “Tonight, there’s someone who needed to be there more than I did.”

[Mountie]

  

Raising his head, he cupped Orinakin’s face in one hand, kissing his cheek.  “I am always proud of you, Inanodat, and always grateful for everything that you do for me.”  His fingers grazed Orinakin’s hair, and Bade was almost disappointed that it didn’t change color.  “The world is a better place, every day, because of you.  People are happier.  Lives are improved.  Lives are saved, Anosamim, because of you.  I want your focus to be on that work, on your own happiness, and on your new husband.  I would like to see unity in the world, and I would like to see alliances, and I would like to see people working together, nations supporting each other.  In that, I know that you and I share the same goals.”  The space of a breath, and then Kudorin kissed Orinakin’s forehead.  “No, Inanodat.  Do not take on that burden.  My king will come to me when it is time.  I would rather see you busy with your other tasks, and with your own handsome prince, than occupy yourself with that search.”  His eyes narrowed.  “You consciously, deliberately intend to ignore what I’m saying to you.”

            “How can I not?” Orinakin asked, sitting up.  “Look at where we are, look at who we’re with.  Not only did I fail to find you a husband, I married one of your suitors!”

            “Of course you did.”  Kudorin didn’t seem to mind.  “He’s a wonderful man, and perfect for you.  I would’ve liked to marry him myself.”  Vade grabbed Bade’s arm.  “But he isn’t for me.  My king is out there, somewhere, waiting for me.  I’ll know him when I see him.  Don’t worry about seeking him out or tracking him down.  He’ll cross your path when it is time.”

            “Your life won’t be complete without him,” Orinakin said firmly.  “You need him, Kudorin.  I can feel it.  I don’t know where it’s coming from, I don’t know if it’s Ilanosa or Setanoto or something else, but I feel an urgency to bring him to you.  I have to bring the two of you together.”

            Kudorin looked at him carefully.

            Very carefully.

            Bade couldn’t help but tense.  What was Kudorin thinking?

            Orinakin’s shoulders straightened, as he eyed Kudorin.  “You know something that you’re not telling me.”

            “That’s been true for your entire life.”  Kudorin tucked Orinakin’s hair behind his ear.  “I trust you to do as you see fit.  The gods will lead you down the right path.”  Kissing Orinakin’s cheek, he rose.  “Good morning, Inanodat.”  With that, he left the room.

[Mountie]

  &   

Anosanim shot him a dirty look.  “Despite your dismissive attitude, I’ll have you know that I fully expect you to fall apart the first week we’re separated.  The first twenty-eight hours, in fact.”

            Not a problem.  “We won’t ever be separated.”

            “But if we were-”

            “We won’t be.”  He reached for another muffin.

            “We don’t know that.  What if you marry a foreigner?  What if I have to spend a year abroad to supervise a building project?  What if-”

            “We’ll go together,” he said matter-of-factly.

            Anosanim eyed him.  “You’d move to Granete and live there for a year, in some strange country far from home, just to be with me every day.”

            “Yes.”

            Right in front of him, Anosanim melted.  “Oh, Talin, I knew you would.”  Sighing happily, he reached for his goblet of juice.  Then, “Honestly, Remin, please try to save something for everyone else.”

[Mountie]

  &   

I know that you’ll come back to me.”

            “I want to know that you have it.  I want to look at the moon and think of you.  I want you to understand, not just know but understand, how relentlessly I’m pulled back home to you.  The Wanderer doesn’t return to the Maiden because he wants to, he does it because he has to.  I have to come back to you, Selorin.  Not just to Orina Anoris, not just to the palace, but to you.  I want you to see this, or see the moons, and remember that.”

            Selorin sighed.  “If you’re handing out gifts, you at least could have given me the tadjka.”

            “No one touches my tadjka.”  Orinakin looked into Selorin’s eyes.  “Will you accept this gracefully, or not?”

            Reluctantly, Selorin took the moon from his hand.  “Thank you, Orinakin.”

and

Orinakin waited.  He’d have Bade; he needed Selorin to have someone, even just a boyfriend.

            “If I need companionship, I have six other brothers,” Selorin argued.  “I have-”

            “Belas, cousins, assistants, yes, I know.  Promise me.”

            Stalling for time, Selorin set the moon on a table.  Repositioned it.  Ran his hand over his braids.  Sighed.  Faced Orinakin.  “All right.  Yes.  I promise that I will keep Kapesuk as my boyfriend for a month.  He will be my constant companion.”

            “Thank you.”  Relieved, Orinakin hugged him again, kissing his cheek.  “Now, let us go to lunch.”

            And after lunch, he would say good-bye to almost everyone he loved.

[CourtneyLee]

Talking about Bade's reaction to seeing the erotic painting Rini and Hitari posed for:

Now Orinakin wished that he’d been there.  “What did he think of it?”

            “It’s hard to say.  I think he’s just being polite,” Rini said.

            “He had a lot of questions,” Anosanim added.

            Selorin laughed.  “What a surprise.”

            “I’d say he liked it,” Talin said.

            Shaking his head, Remin accepted the candies that Rini was handing out.  “He loved it.”

            “Loved it?” Orinakin asked, hoping.

            “He was like a virgin who’d just had his first orgasm,” Remin said.  “He’s just discovered there’s a whole new world of pleasure out there, and he wants to learn all about it.”

            Rini grinned.  “Hear that?  I just took Orinakin’s husband’s virginity.”

I adore the words MHT puts in Rini's mouth.