fandomania | The Adventure continues... (Reply)

All of these have two days or less to go! I am very worried about them! Please help me? Please don't let them die? Sob!

Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

I gradually healed and regained my strength. I won’t say that every day was a good day. There were some days where I couldn’t stop crying. And others where the impending sense of doom overwhelmed me. I continued to have nightmares, although with time they came less and less frequently. It helped that I had such a wonderful supportive family. I was very blessed in that way.

Donal found a weapons master in town and became his student. Most mornings he studied with his master. He spent a couple of hours in the afternoons working out and practicing. It was beautiful watching him exercise, especially on a warm day, when he had his shirt off. I could tell that he was developing and toning his muscles. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that while he really was improving his skills, he would never be the weapons master that Jaizel was. Jaizel had spent most of his life perfecting his skills, not just in a studio but also in battle, where every fight was life or death. He might be twice Donal’s age, but he had learned all the tricks and moves necessary for a successful soldier. I kept praying that Donal would never have to test his skills against Jaizel.

Orlando spent a lot of time going on trips or ‘errands’ as he called them. He would never tell me what he was doing or where he was going. I do know that he did return to his cave on occasion, because he brought back books and scrolls. I was constantly finding him reading them.

At one point, he brought back a book of simple magic and started to tutor me. I wish that I could say that I was a brilliant student, but the reality was that I was unable to do even the most basic of spells. We would stop for a while, when he grew frustrated with me and my ineptness. A couple of days later, he would bring out another book and try a different route, but with the same results.

Our lives seemed to be on hold as we waited for the Thaw and the opening of the pass. Truth be told, I was praying that the pass never opened, so that the inevitable confrontation with my husband would never happen. Cramped though it was, our little cottage became a haven of happiness and safety for me.

The children thrived and grew. Little Loysa started to walk and talk more. Little Jayzon, the happy three month old that he was, cooed and smiled and finally started to sleep through the night.

One night, during the midst of spring, I had a revelation, although it came in the form of a nightmare. When I awoke, I realized how foolish I had been, how much time that I had wasted hiding behind fears and pointless loyalty. I had to do something about it now, before it was too late. I got up, put on my robe and went into the sitting room. There, sleeping on the floor in front of the fireplace, slept Donal. His handsome face and beautiful body lay peaceful and relaxed, lit only by the light of a slowly dying fire.

I sat down on a chair and watched him slumber. I lost track of time as I sat there. A log collapsed as the fire consumed it, making a soft thunk as it did so. Donal stirred and woke. As he shook off the tendrils of sleep from his brain, he noticed me sitting there.

“Patra, love! What are you doing up? It must be late. You should be in bed.”

“I was in bed, but I cannot sleep. I have come to the realization that I have been such a fool, such a deluded fool.”

“I don’t understand, love.”

“All my life, I have been taught what the duties of a loyal wife should be. All the things that she should do to make her husband love her. All the ways she had to behave so that she would bring honor to her family. Earlier tonight, I had a dream. I dreamt that Jaizel came and took possession of me again. He called me a harlot and said that I brought shame and dishonor to our marriage. Nothing that I said, nothing that I did would make him change his mind. He said that I deserved to die and strangled me with his bare hands until I died. And do you know what I was thinking about as he did it? I was thinking about how much I loved you and how stupid I was that I never showed it to you.. When I woke up, I realized that I didn’t want to die never knowing what it would be like to make love with you.

“Do you know that up until that time in Gudrun’s house, I had never been kissed by a man? Any man? Jaizel has never kissed me. Not once. Not even after I gave him the son that he wanted so badly. He has never touched me lovingly; he has never given me any pleasure; he has never told me that he loves me. The only things that he has ever given me are pain and sorrow; beatings and humiliations; torture and rape.

“All this time, I have been faithful to him. I have kept myself pure for him, for what? He will never believe that I have done this for him. He will never believe that anyone can remain loyal to another. And why? Because he have never remained loyal or faithful to anyone but himself, and especially not to me. Not once in the ten years we have been married has he not cheated on me. He even cheated on me on our wedding night. After he took his pleasure on me, he left our bed and spent the rest of the night in a brothel. When I was in agony, giving birth to his children, every time, he was cavorting in the next room with his mistresses, because screams and suffering arouse him.”

“Oh Patra! I didn’t know that things were so bad for you. Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Because I was ashamed to tell you. And foolishly blind.”

I got up from the chair, took off my robe, and stood in front of him totally naked, both in body and in spirit. I started to tremble as I lay down next to him. I took his hand and placed in on my breast and said, “Please, please, please, show me what I have never known before? Show me what it is like when two people who love each other make love and give each other pleasure?”

“Oh my love! Oh my Patra!” was all he said and continued to say throughout. He started to kiss me with kisses so sweet and tender and which then became so filled with passion that it made my head reel. He kissed and touched me everywhere. He made me feel pleasure for the first time. He kissed and caressed me and made my body sing with joy and love. Just when I thought that it couldn’t get any better, he showed me that it could. And when at last, when my body was aching with desire for him, he explored me deep into that intimate part of my body and he showed me ecstasy. Again and again, until I lost myself to him and our souls and bodies merged.

As we lay together, slowly climbing down from the pinnacle of our passion, I said, “I love you Donal with every fiber of my being and always will, now and in the future.” Donal kissed me deeply, and then got up. He picked me up, carried me into the bedroom and showed me the depth of his love, over and over again. When the sun began to rise, we fell asleep, tangled up in each other.