The Taller they Stand, the Harder they Fall

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The kiss took him by surprise, the feeling of soft lips against damaged flesh made goosebumps form on the back of his neck. Watching her in a bit of amazement he allowed her to kiss, watching the girl curiously, wondering how kisses alone eased the old ache of the wounds that still lingered. His lips curling into a small smile while he reached down to caress her head, brushing a bit of hair from her delicate features. She amazed him on some deep level, truly amazed him. Her presence brought him joy and her absence brought him despair. How he could feel such after just meeting her he blamed on the fates.
 
She could feel him tense, then relax. Feel his hairs briefly stiffen before they lay flat again. Feel his pulse, feel the way it shifted as she moved. All of this she knew, yet she felt like, on some level, the connection she had with him was more spiritual than physical. And, at the same time, she had never seen his face, never marveled in the way he moved or the way the sunlight played off his hair, like all of the poets spoke of.

After a moment she tilted her face up, wishing desperately she could see him like this, just once. There was no point in wishing, though... or regretting what she might have done. So she decided to just do it. Leaning forwards, Cassiphaea now pressed her lips to his own, as though she could answer every question and feel every aspect of him through such a simple gesture.
 
The kiss made him truly tense, his eyes widening from her boldness before he allowed them to close. A symphony of emotion in a simple touch. How did this bring him such joy and yet such trepidation? His hands soon fell to her sides, running along her ribs before resting in the curve of her midsection. His body leaning back slowly to drag her with him, letting her lay ontop of him while they kissed. Hands slowly roamed back a bit, moving over the swell of her hips to her outer thighs and back again.

He longed for her, longed to join with her but he wouldn't, no he couldn't dare to do it. He didn't want to ruin their chances of meeting so soon. She'd be stolen away if she was pregnant after all, no he had to win them freedom somehow first. He had to raise them both out of the ashes of this world they new. Until then he'd be content to touch, to kiss, to adore her company.
 
His every touch sent a shiver down her spine; she knew it made no sense to react in such a way but her mind was helpless to keep her body from melting. Was this love? Was this what it felt like to want to give yourself completely to someone? She could not begin to describe what she felt. While she wanted him, as much as she had ever wanted anything, the words of the great poets still echoed through her mind. She desired him, she was far happier in his presence, she could imagine the heartache of losing him, but in all the poems and the sonnets and the songs, love meant giving oneself entirely to another, meant putting oneself behind one's love.

And that... that she did not feel. Not yet, at least. They had met so recently, and only for a few hours...

"Iren," She murmured reluctantly as she pulled away, still resting atop him, her small frame fitting against his like it was made to do so. "Iren... I don't know what came over me..."
 
He almost appeared hurt as she pulled away, his gaze falling upon her while she rested upon him. His hands slowly leaving her body so she wouldn't feel like she was trapped upon him. That urge was in the back of his mind, the urge to conquer, but he suppressed it down deep within his psyche. No now was the time to console her. Slowly a hand came to her head rubbing her hair and cheek. "It's okay Cass... it's okay." He spoke softly, the deep rumble staying in his voice while he tried to console her. She had just let her body dictate her actions that was all. "There is nothing wrong with what you just did... nothing at all." He spoke a slight cheer in his voice to try and confer his own bemusement that was clear upon his face.
 
She wished he had never put his hands on her at all; she wished he had never taken them away. Was it normal to be this confused?

"I... I wish I knew what I was doing," She admitted softly. "This is not fair to you. I don't know what I want, or how to get it if I did. I don't know how I feel or what I should feel. I want you, Iren, but I want so many things. I want to be free. I want to leave this place. I want to stand over a burning city at your side. Will you forgive me if I stop myself now and go sit somewhere else? Will you hold me tightly if I want to stay?" A single tear dripped down her cheek, but she wiped it away angrily.

"I don't even know what I'm saying. Talk to me, Iren. Give me something to think about, something to plan, something to do."
 
"I will do whatever you wish... if you'd ask me to hold my breath until I died I would without question." He replied simply before he rubbed where the tear had been, his eyes searching her own. Even if she couldn't see she couldn't hide her emotion within them. "Where would we go when we're free? What do you want to experience first?" He asked softly, giving her something else to cling to while he shifted slightly beneath her, just to move his hips away from her own for both of their sakes.
 
She laughed softly, and realized the situation she was in. If he asked the same of her, she'd have called him crazy. Was that what love felt like?

"I want... I want to go on a ship," The young woman said, smiling gently. "I want to feel the rocking of the waves, the gusts of wind, the fish and the seaweed and the rope and tar... I want to know what it is like. And I want roast lamb. With yogurt sauce, and mint, on a bed of rice. And I want to drink wine with it, good wine, like the priests have. And for dessert I want peaches, peaches with honey and almonds. Then I want to learn to play the harp." God, she must sound like such a child, so wanting and so petty, but these dreams had formed for so long, in such detail...

"And you? What do you want to do when we are free?"
 
He smiled, glad she had such hopes and dreams. They were admirable, they were adorable. He would do that for her, get her on a boat and get her a lamb. "I want to be free of this violence, to be in a place where I don't have to fight every day just to live." He replied softly, "Somewhere that the mead flows and the fire is always warm... that's what I want." His eyes lifted to the ceiling while he smiled, relaxing into the bed while he simply smiled. The thought of a warm fire, even at an inn brought him a bit of contented joy. "I want to take you on adventures, to experience the spice routes, to a place with snow up to your chest, to the thickest of jungle and the most fine of restaurant."
 
She smiled, rolling off of him just enough that she was nestled at his side, one leg still wrapped protectively over his, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm sprawled over his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. His smell was almost intoxicating, and she snuggled in closer to enjoy just that much more of him. "That sounds wonderful," The Oracle murmured, halfway wanting to peer into the future to see if such a thing could be. She was quite tired from the last prophecy, though, and didn't want to overdo things, not when she had an entire night with him. Sleep could wait, he could not. "But... wouldn't you want to go home? To be with your people again?"
 
He cantered his head slightly to look at her while she moved to his side, an arm wrapping around to give her head a resting spot. "My people think I'm dead... I may as well be to them. Being captured is a crime, it is banishment. We don't negotiate for the lost beyond them recieving an honorable death... I am shammed in their eyes." He replied with a frown, slowly shaking his head while his arm hooked to rest upon her side once more. He gently caressed her side while he relaxed into the thought of never returning home. "I'd take you to my land but not to my people... not after this long." His voice grew soft before he tried to come with words. "I barely even remember my language."
 
She sighed, holding him all the more tightly. It was a sad thing, she imagined, to know that the previous happiness of one's life was gone, forever, to a place where it could not be recovered. Perhaps it was a blessing after all, to have no place to call home. Then, at least, it could not be taken from her as it had been taken from him. "You are not shamed in my eyes," Cassi whispered, her voice almost painfully earnest. "And you will never be lost to me. I am content to have my home be wherever you are."
 
He smiled softly at her words, her loyalty surprised him, she only just met him after all. Still it made him tug her in closer, his eyes falling closed before he placed a kiss to her head. "I am glad you care for me so... it gives me something to fight for..." He replied softly while he held his adoration so very close. His hand splaying as he held her, gently massaging her back while they reclined. "I will find a way to make your prophecy come true Cass..." He spoke softly, a bit of determination within his tone as he let his chin rest against her forehead, probably tickling her with his beard.
 
"And I will find a way to make sure there are warm fires and mugs of mead aplenty," She replied softly, snuggling just that much closer to him. If she could have laid beside him for the rest of her life, she probably would have gone for it. Was it truly asking so much that she be warm and happy, and next to the only person in the word she truly cared for?

Eventually, though, the silence wore on, and Cassi sighed, shifting positions slightly. "We have the whole night ahead of us," The young woman murmured. "They won't come to get me until sunrise. What should we do with these remaining hours?"
 
He raised a curious brow while he opened his eyes, pondering what they could do. "Well they think we'll spend it having plenty of sex... but I think what we're doing is fine..." He replied rather matter-of-factly while he gave her a small squeeze just to elicit a response from her. "We could plot how we escape, where we go once we do... or I can make you squirm again." The latter took a teasing tone while he smiled at her, adoring her reaction the night before.
 
She flushed, self-conscious in spite of knowing better. There was nothing to be ashamed of about what they had done- was there? She had never "squirmed" for anyone else though, to use his words for it, and was completely unsure how she ought to act. Would it please him to see her shy and bashful, or brazen like she'd been before? Cassi wished she had answers to half of her questions.

"Wh-whatever you want," The blonde murmured after a moment, wondering what he would choose and unsure what she should hope for.
 
He chuckled at her response, slowly shaking his head. "It's not all about me..." He replied with a small nod a he shifted to roll his chest to meet her own. "I don't want to rule over you... that make me no better than our masters..." Iren gave a small kiss to her forehead while he held her near as he could. Nose gently pressing at her hairline while he sighed softly. "I want to adore you, I want to show you the world... but to do that I have to free us..." His voice grew softer while he spoke, "so I can't give you what I want... not yet."
 
"You will always be better than our masters," She protested weakly, but the argument was bad and she knew it, and so she sighed. "Very well. Let us speak of escape, of how we shall shrug off these chains. And when we are bored unto tears of that... then you can make me squirm... and when that too ends, we can speak more of this plan, and do one until we are sick of the other until dawn and the priests come?" Cassi suggested, and immediately felt a bit guilty. "I... I mean, if you don't mind. You don't have to, if you don't want to."
 
He smiled softly as she spoke so highly of him, that simple statement meant the world to him while he held her. "Alright, planning and squirming..." He replied teasingly just before a kiss was placed to her forehead, holding it a long moment. "I don't mind at all little Cassiphaea... I don't mind at all." Her lack of confidence was the only fault he saw in her, now he had to build that as well. "So... a full scale rebellion... it will be hard to do." He spoke with a sigh, letting his hand trail along her spine while he contemplated. "We'll need more than just the gladiators..."
 
She nodded, thinking of it. "I can rally the temple slaves," Cassi murmured after a moment, planning it. "We will rise up, and spread the word to others. Hundreds visit the temples daily... their slaves will soon know. With the fire being so important, though... we must get the blacksmiths in on this, and the fire brigade. I cannot be sure, but their help will be good even if they have nothing to do with prophesy. The real problem will be the Guard. We ought to make sure they are... indisposed. Do they have slave cooks? It would be risky, but the simplest way. And then if we held the bridges and harbor, we could get the city in order before any reinforcements arrive."
 
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