fandomania | The Adventure continues... (Reply)

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Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

It was just before supper time when I awoke. I was disappointed to discover that Donal was no longer in bed with me. He probably was working in his studio, I thought. But just as I was about get out of bed and put some clothes on, Donal came into the room, carrying a tray of food. He put the tray on the small table in the sitting area and then went back to the door and locked it.

He looked at me with a determined look in his eye and said, “Tonight is for us and us alone. No maids, no children, no interruptions, nothing but just the two of us. We need to talk, we need to spend time with each other without interruptions, we need to remember who we are and figure out where we are going with our lives, our love, our marriage, and our children. I don’t expect that we will get all of this done in just one night; that would be naïve. But we need to start, we need to learn to communicate better and we need to share ourselves with each other better. I hope you agree with me, love?”

“Yes, I do agree. But …”

“Before you go off about the children, or your other commitments, I spent time with the children while you were sleeping, especially the older ones who were in class all day. Yes, you haven’t had anytime with them today, but tomorrow, in the afternoon, we are all going on a family picnic and do all the proper things families do when eating and spending time outdoors. So the children are happy and not feeling neglected. As for your duties, the staff is very well trained and can function without you for one night. I have also clued in Pahpey, who said he could deal without you for a night.

“Also, the food that I have brought is cold food, breads, cheeses, sliced cold meats, fruits, boiled eggs and some wine.. Nothing that needs to be kept hot or cold; so that we can eat when we like. Are you hungry right now?”

“A little. But I can wait …”

“Good, because I want to start this evening off on a good note …” He threw off his clothes and made love to me, sweet, passionate, earth-shattering love to me.

As we lay panting in each other arms, Donal started to talk. “I love you more than anyone or anything that I have ever loved in my entire life. The fact that you love me in return amazes me. You seem to love me despite all of my abundant flaws. I know that I sometimes question you why you do, because I know that I have issues with self-esteem. You don’t know it, because I haven’t told you about it, but I have been talking with a counselor, just as you have been. When you were captured, I fell apart and Pahpey and Uncle Haral brought one here, so that I could learn to cope, be a help in finding you and be strong for you when you returned. Just as you are still seeing one, so am I. So I hope that you will bear with me as I try to find my way.”

“Of course, sweeting! It would be horribly inconsiderate of me not to, when I have been asking the same from you.”

“I also want you to know that I have spoken with Pahpey. He told me about what was said at the meeting this morning. I need you to know that I have never, ever had sex with anyone, wanted to have sex with anyone or even looked at a woman with lust in my heart other than you since the moment we met in Haven. When you were held captive, Vitha volunteered, without my asking, to pose for me, when I had a commission to finish. Yes, I did use her as a model and she volunteered to pose nude. But I never touched her or looked at her with lust. Any rumors to the contrary are wrong. And, yes, your half-sister did throw herself at me when we were onboard the ship, but I never, ever encouraged her, flirted with her or touched her deliberately. I want you to know that I have remained faithful to you. And I would never betray you or your love for me in any way, shape or form. I hope that you do believe me?”

“Yes, I do, Donal. I do.”

“I know that we have already spoken about the why’s of what I did last night. But I need to apologize for the words that I said to you afterwards. They were cruel and mean-spirited. They may have been said under the influence of your curse, but they were things I had been concerned about. They just didn’t need to be said. I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“I have, sweeting! I know you didn’t mean them in that way. I do forgive you.

“And I, in turn, ask for your forgiveness for forgetting that we are partners in life, that we need to share in our decision making and not forget this when important things come up.”

“I have already forgiven you the first time you asked.”

“There are things that I need to tell you, things that I should have told you yesterday.”

“Alright, love, I am listening.”

I took a deep breath. “Do you remember the discussions we had, you, Orlando and I, just after we found Loysa?”

“Yes, that you and she are twin sisters? Yes, I remember it.”

“I was actually referring to the discussions about our heritage, how we are part of a long-lost people called the Gyventi.”

“Ah, yes, I recall that. Orlando said that he had lived amongst them and that they had been conquered and exterminated by the King of Rosta over 800 years ago. He felt that you and Loysa were descendants of the few who must have survived the genocide.”

“When I was praying with Uncle Haral to ask Deivė for help with the curse, afterwards,she brought up my heritage and how I had to go and free it from its prison. She gave me something to help me and told me that I had to do so only with Loysa. She also warned me that if I ignored her help, it would mean a long journey and a long time away from my family. I wanted to tell you about this before I left last night, but I was afraid that you would either try and stop me or want to go with me. Deivė implied that neither should happen and I can tell you that if you had come along, the protector would have destroyed you, because you have no Gyventi blood.”

“Okay… So what is or was this heritage that you had to free?”

I got up from the bed and went over to my drawer and brought out the crown. I returned and showed it to Donal. “The protector said that Loysa and I are descended from Gyventi royalty and we have the right to wear this crown. It ordered us to bring our people together and to make them a nation once more.”

The astonished look on Donal’s face was priceless. “I knew that you were above me in station, but I didn’t know that you were so high above me. I don’t know whether to abase myself before you or what …”

“Donal conAgri! You are not to go there! As far as I am concerned, we are equals in station. This whole class system is stupid and should be abolished. It is just a bad excuse for one group of people to make other people feel inferior and miserable. That is why your grandfather and I get along so well. He is one of the few people who could buy his way into the upper classes, but he isn’t interested, because he believes that such is stupid and a waste of time. I have watched him in his business dealings and I have never seen him use either status or his superior wealth in order to secure advantage over others. Sure he can and does use his money to get what he wants, but no one ever goes away from him feeling humbled or taken advantage of. No one. So get it out of your head, Donal conAgri, that I am an exalted and unattainable person. I am your wife, your lover, and the mother of your children. That is all the status that I really want.

“Yes, I am in line to inherit the Freedonian throne. But it is non-existent at the moment. Just my cousin and her courtiers are trying to find help to restore them to a class system that I don’t like. They can have it.
I don’t want it. If it weren’t for the fact that the Georgists are just as bad, if not worse, about treating people horribly, I would say let them have the country.

“As for being heiress to the throne of the Gyventi people, I never knew this until yesterday. I have no idea what I think about this. I am as astounded as you are. I have no idea what or how to accomplish the quest that the protector gave me. I know that this crown is magical, but I have no notion as to how to use it or control it. Deivė told me that I had to ask my friend to help me. I assume she meant Orlando. But I don’t know what I want to do about this. The whole “bringing our people together” part does appeal to me, but I don’t know how to accomplish that, and, even if I did, I would only do so if you were by my side to help me every step of the way.

Right now, if you were to tell me that you didn’t want me to follow this quest, I would give it up this minute. I would send the crown back to where I found it and spend the rest of my life being your humble wife, your obedient lover and bear you a thousand children, if that is what you wanted.”

“A thousand children, huh?” Donal said with a wicked grin, trying to bring in a little levity to our discussion. “What if I wanted two thousand instead?”

“Then your wish is my command, O Mighty King of My Heart.”

Donal smiled sweetly and then went back to seriousness. “Thank you. Despite my humor just now, I know that this is a very serious thing. I appreciate your openness and honesty in sharing this with me. As much as I want to lead a normal, quiet life, I did marry you ‘for better and for worse’. Neither of us knew that this was part of your destiny [a word that I am beginning to dislike]. However, it is obvious that this is part of you. I cannot in good conscience and because I love you ask you to not do something that you want to do. All I can ask is that you let me help you and be a part of whatever it is that you want to do. I realize that I am just saying back to you what you just said to me. I think that before we make a commitment to go one way or the other, we need to consult with others. Just as we did when you shared with me the story of Jayzon’s conception. If you don’t mind, perhaps we can call together our triumvirate of advisors: Pahpey, Uncle Haral and Orlando. With their input and ideas, perhaps we can then make an informed decision as to what we should do and how we can go about doing it? How do you feel about that?”

“That sounds like a good idea to me.” I smiled at Donal.

“I don’t know about you, but I am starting to get hungry. What are you hungry for?”

“You.”

“Why you little minx…”