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Vhenan'ara	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6577 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Dragon Age: Origins is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine, however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.
This chapter is *incredibly* long, but it well worth it! Rated Mature (18+) for adult themes and sexuality. Also, mild trauma warning **TRIGGER** in the beginning.
Thank you all so much for your continued readership! It means so much! And a BIG thank you to everyone who leaves a review!
Translations:
Mi bella: Antivan. "My beauty." Endearment Zevran uses for Riel.
Mi diosa: Antivan. "My goddess."
Aravals: Elven landships. Used for sleeping and storing their belongings.
Mi amor: Antivan. "My love."
Indescriptiblemente hermosa: Antivan. "Indescribably beautiful."
Mierdas: Antivan. "Shit." A common swear word.
Ar lath ma, ma vhenan'ara: Elvhen. "I love you, my heart's desire."

After Leliana had left, Zevran made quick work of setting up the tent that she had given them, as well as starting a small fire near to where Riel still sat. And in all that time, she still never moved, even when Zevran wrapped a blanket around her shoulders to help keep her warm. Fen'harel had already came back to the small camp and now laid lazily by the fire, his breathing even as he watched his mistress several feet away.
Even though Zevran would have wanted to be alone with Riel while he tended to her, he was still thankful for the hound's presence. Unlike their other companions, Zevran knew there was no ulterior motives or designs behind why the hound served and followed Riel. Like himself, Fen'harel followed purely out of devotion and love, not because of obligation or an on coming Blight.
Perhaps that is why the two of them got along so well, despite the tales that said a mabari only truly listened to their chosen master or mistress. When it came to these intelligent, powerful canines, the dog picked the owner, not the other way around. And the bond was for life. A mabari was bred to be willing to follow his master through anything, even battle, without a second thought.
Just as Zevran would do for his Riel.
"Riel, I am back," Zevran crooned as he sat next to her. Yet still she stared unseeing ahead of her. Sighing, Zevran placed a light hand on her arm, hoping that his touch may help bring her back. Yet when he touched her, Riel jumped back, startled by the contact. "Shhh... It is only I, Zevran… Riel… I…" Zevran didn't know what to say to her. What words to apologize or beg to even begin to make things right between them. "May I…" Zevran paused doubting his own voice. "May I still hold you?" he asked tentatively, unsure if she would want him after everything that had happened.
She was quiet for a breath, yet there was a slight nod of her head that Zevran was sure to have missed if he wasn't studying her so closely. Breathing a sigh of relief, Zevran carefully positioned himself behind Riel, setting his daggers on the ground within reach in case he needed them.
Before when he held her like this, Zevran would lightly wrap his arms around her, holding her to him. He would also caress her bare arms, and kiss her cheek or temple as they talked or laughed. Now however, Zevran took nothing for granted. Not even his own breathing, as he was even careful not lay breath on her skin in case it triggered a memory that frightened her.
Gods, how he hated himself in that very moment. Not just for what happened in the Fade, but also his lack of knowledge in knowing to help her. So he did what he always did when he tried to comfort his Warden yet didn't know how. He spoke to her of his time in Antiva. Alternating between both Antivan and the King's Tongue, Zevran spoke of some of his adventures and his more entertaining missions. Nothing too dark or private…. Just light stories that might have made her laugh if the situation were anything different than it was.
And between all that, Zevran spoke to Riel of his love for her. Of how she was a goddess to him, and that no matter what any demon or mortal said or did, nothing would ever change that. He told her of how beautiful she was to him, even in the midst of battle or when she was angry at him. And how he would sometimes lie awake at night watching her sleep, making sure that she was safe even in her dreams.
It was when Zevran mentioned her dreams that he felt a slight touch against his hand. Looking down to his leg where his hand lay, Zevran couldn't resist smiling as he saw that Riel had placed her hand into his own. It the first real movement that she had made in hours, and the small gesture filled Zevran with his first real hope that maybe she was finally coming back to him.
Gently he caressed her fingers with his own as he continued to speak to her, telling her of one of the few memories he had of when he was a child. Zevran used careful words as he spoke of his mother, hoping that the memory would somehow ease her. He told her how his mother was Dalish and that fell in love with a city elf who later died, leaving her and Zevran alone in Antiva city. Yet despite that and the life his mother had lived to provide for them, he was happy with her. And that the small amount of time that he had spent with her were the best memories that Zevran had.
Until he had met Riel, that is.
Zevran went on to explain that by her side, he had found a new purpose in life. A new and better form of happiness and completion than he ever thought possible. And that no matter what his past was or what it contained, it wasn't until he found Riel that his life truly began. With her in his arms, nothing of his previous life mattered, and he wouldn't change that for anything. She was what mattered to him now. And nothing was ever going to change that.
"Why did you come to Ferelden?"
The question came during one of the quiet moments where Zevran prayed and hoped for guidance. It was the first words that Riel had spoken since what had happened at the Inn, and again hope fluttered in Zevran's chest despite the hoarse whisper in which she spoke. However, the question also brought back painful memories for him of why he left Antiva and took on the near suicidal mission of hunting one of the infamous Grey Wardens.
"As you know-" Zevran began, being careful as he chose to words. "I was hired by Loghain to hunt down any surviving Grey Wardens who managed to escape Ostagar. The mission was laid out by the elders of the Crows, and the bidding for the mission began. I was the one who won." Zevran paused, hoping that she would say more. Yet when silence filled the space between them, he cleared his throat and continued. "Seeing as the mission was was declared a priority due to Loghain's status, I was told to leave immediately from Antiva city and travel south as quickly as possible."
"You could have died," Riel whispered, her eyes still locked on the lake beyond.
"Yes well…" Zevran paused, unsure of what to say. Yet with everything that happened between them already, he didn't think it would help to keep anything from her. He needed her to trust him, and it would not serve his purpose to begin hiding things. Even if speaking of them to her was one of the last things he wanted to do. "In truth, Riel, a part of me wanted to die."
Hope again fluttered in Zevran's chest as he felt Riel's tiny hand squeeze his own, as if it were a silent protest against his words. Taking a breath, Zevran pulled together his lacking will to continue on with his story. However, the words that he wished to speak still clung to his throat, his fear at her reaction holding him back.
"Your final mission," she whispered again, as if she could read his very thoughts. "Before you came here. Tell me of it."
"Are you sure, mi- I mean-" Zevran cursed to himself again, still trying to not use the words he used to call her out of respect for her hurt feelings.
"Yes," she breathed, still unmoving. "And please... don't stop…saying... " she shuddered then, a brief release of the pent up emotions that swirled inside of her.
"I could never deny you, mi bella," Zevran quietly said to her, a sad smile on his face.
Taking a chance, Zevran placed his free hand lightly around Riel's midsection, holding her gently. When he then heard her sigh softly and lean back against him, Zevran's last bit of reluctance broke and the story he always dreaded finally came pouring forth.
"Things are different within the Crows. Weaknesses were shunned and used against us, so we learned to never take anything seriously. Even our own feelings. We took pleasure and happiness where we could, never growing attached to anything or anyone. However, perhaps I wasn't always the best at that," he stated with sad chuckle. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for the next words to come. "There was a woman who I had grown attached to." Zevran cursed when he felt Riel slightly tense, yet he hurried on with his tale, knowing that it would get no easier. "She was a fellow Crow, and was beautiful and very deadly. At first it was just something fun, something to ease the stress or to relax. However, eventually, I-" Zevran stopped, not knowing if he could continue.
"You loved her." It was a simple statement. Not even a question, just a statement of fact. Yet hearing the words from Riel's mouth crushed him.
"I thought that I did. Although we both hid it from the others. We knew that any one of our fellow Crows would not hesitate to use us against each other. So we were careful. Or so, we had thought."
"What happened?"
"We were in a border city, sent there on a mission to kill a wealthy noble to make way for a scheming relative. Three of us were sent in due to the security and difficulty in actually getting to the target. Myself, a Crow by the name of Taliesin, and…. Rinna."
Zevran was went quiet for a moment as he remembered that awful day over a year ago. This was something that he had never wanted to talk about, and thought that he would never would. Yet as he already told to Riel, he couldn't deny her when she asked it of him.
"During the mission, Taliesin approached me quietly, telling me that he had proof that Rinna had betrayed us to the noble who we were sent after. Payed enough coin to be able to disappear from the Crows forever, she would give both myself and Taliesin over to the noble and then escape with her coin. The Crows would be told all three of us were killed, and she would be free."
"You believed him." Again, not a question. A statement of fact, as if she knew his very words before he spoke them.
"Yes, I did…" sighed Zevran in regret. "Taliesin was so convinced of her treachery, and I knew of how badly Rinna had wanted away from the Crows. She would tell me sometimes of how she wished she could just fake her death and disappear, leaving behind everything. And as far as I knew, I was the only one who knew of her secret desire to leave. So when Taliesin told me of what he knew, everything fit into place. I grew angry, and let that anger and hurt control my better senses. Even when I later confronted her over what Taliesin had said, all I felt was anger over her betrayal."
"Did she admit to it?"
"No. She denied everything. She claimed Taliesin was lying or was being set up to make her look bad. And yet, I couldn't let go of my anger. That she would take a bribe to not only just kill Taliesin, but myself, after everything that happened between us…."
"What did you do?"
"I-..." Zevran paused, the words getting lodged in his throat. However, he felt the slight squeeze of Riel's hand in his own and somehow found the courage utter the words he dreaded. "I killed her." There. It was said. Yet Zevran felt no better for saying it. In fact, he felt so very much worse. Of all the things that Riel knew or even suspected about him, to kill someone that you claimed to love… That was something else. He only hoped that she wouldn't now hate him. Or worse, fear him.
"And the mission?" she asked, seemingly unfazed by his revelation. Zevran wasn't sure to take that as a good thing, or a bad one.
"Taliesin and I completed it and returned to the Crows. We told them of Rinna's attempt at betrayal and how I killed her for it. Yet there was no surprise from them about it, and no questions in my actions to Rinna. I learned a bit later that it had all been a set up. The one that had actually betrayed Rinna and I was Taliesin. And the elders had known everything about it. They had in fact learned of our growing affections for each other, and decided to use us as an example to the other Crows. To declare that all of us - even myself, trained personally by one of the masters of our order - were expendable."
"I am so sorry Zevran…" Riel softly cried, turning herself around to embrace him. Zevran felt her tears against his neck, and suddenly found himself crying as well. He hadn't cried since he was a child, as it was another weakness amongst the Crows. Even after learning the truth about Rinna, Zevran pushed aside his inner turmoil and instead drowned himself in drink and women until he had heard of the mission here in Ferelden.
"Before I met you, I wanted to die. So when I learned of a contract to kill any surviving Grey Wardens, I laid down every coin I could spare to buy the rights to it." Zevran gently pulled Riel's face up to meet his, not bothering to hide his tears from her. "Before you, I was dead. My life did not matter. Who I was did not matter. Only with you have I found a true purpose."
"And what is your purpose?"
"To love you - only you - and to keep you safe for as long as I draw breath." Zevran paused while he looked deeply into her silver eyes. "I love you, mi bella. You have taught me the true meaning of the word. And I would gladly die at your feet if it would ease your life. Anything that I may have felt for anyone, is nothing but a pale spark compared to the roaring flames of love and devotion that I feel for you."
"Oh Zevran... I love you, too!" Riel exclaimed, her eyes filling with fresh tears.
Zevran's mind whirled, unbelieving at first what she said. Although he had always hoped, never had he thought she could ever love him. Not with who he was. Not with what he had done in his past. And especially not now after he told her about what happened with Rinna. Yet his disbelief was quickly overridden with an immense joy, overshadowing every other thought and negative emotion inside of him.
She actually loved him!
"Are- are you sure... ? I do not wish to rush you.."
"I think that I have loved you for a long time. I was just too scared to admit it…" she revealed, a shy smile upon her lips.
"Mi bella, never be afraid to tell me anything. Above all else, you are safe with me. By the Gods above, your happiness is all that ever matters to me."
"Kiss me Zevran, please," Riel begged, her hand moving to rest upon his cheek.
Zevran smiled, reveling in her touch. "As I said, mi bella, I will never deny you," he purred before lowering his lips down to meet hers.
The soft touch lips grew more desperate, more needful. They hadn't kissed like this since that first night when she had again asked him to kiss her. Her soft voice pleading, pulling on every male instinct that he had. To provide for her. To care for her. To serve her with everything that he had.
The few times they had kissed since then were more chaste, and always initiated by her. Despite his need to feel her against him, Zevran would sooner bleed himself dry than force her to do anything that she wasn't comfortable with. Riel's kisses were always soft, more tentative than passionate, yet Zevran relished them. Each one being little bridges being built between them, fortifying her trust in him. And her confidence in herself, as well.
There was nothing tentative in the kiss that they shared now, however. It was passion, and desire, and a need to express that which words never could. And as Zevran cradled Riel in his arms, his heart felt as if it grew wings and was flying. Not only did his Riel come back to him, but she loved him. Even after everything. After his blunders and the Fade, and the demons and her fears and his horrible revelation.
She loved him.
If there was ever a reason to believe in a god, that was it. For to have her love was surely the greatest divine gift ever given.
When the need for air broke through, Zevran laid his forehead against her own while he looked down into her eyes. That spark of life that had first drawn him to her was now back where it had always been. A smile on her lips, she returned his look of love and devotion with her own. And didn't that just make his heart take wing once more.
However, as he stared into her eyes, lost for the words he wished he could express to her, a familiar darkness crept into her expression. Zevran could feel her slight shift of emotion, her body tightening against itself as if she were thinking of something unpleasant.
"About the Fade…"
"Riel there is not enough time in all of existence for me to properly apologize for what you saw. Please believe me now when I say to you that at no time did I ever want that. What those… things… did was-"
"I know, Zevran," Riel interrupted, placing her fingers lightly across his lips. "That isn't what I wanted to say." Riel sighed, a look of shame in her eyes. "When I was in there… When I first woke up inside that demon's nightmare… I was… I was in…" Riel stopped, a sob in her throat as tears fell down her cheeks.
"Shh, mi bella… You do not need to say anything," crooned Zevran, wiping away her tears.
"I need to say this, though…" Riel reaffirmed, both to Zevran and to herself. Taking another breath for strength, she let her mind wander back to her past. "I don't know who my real parents are. The humans who held me were the only people that I remember ever knowing. There were two of them… Two men..."
By the gods… Zevran cursed, his anger rising.
"Everyday they would come to me. Sometimes themselves… or…" a sob broke past Riel's lips, stopping her words.
"Please, mi bella…" Zevran whispered, his heart breaking for her. Still she continued, however.
"Others would pay them to… to do things… Or it would be just them. Sometimes they just wanted to hurt me. Those times were better," she stated absently, either ignoring or not noticing the anger that boiled off Zevran at her words. "Sometimes I would fight back. Once I even broke Sam's nose." Riel remembered with an angry yet satisfied smile. "He was so angry at me. Yet I never regretted it. Even after he whipped me."
Zevran's arms squeezed around her tighter, his anger near volcanic levels. Suddenly Zevran tasted blood in his mouth and realized that he had bit his lips trying to keep himself calm. A feral part of him wished that it was the blood of this Sam that he tasted instead. What he wouldn't give to be able to hunt down the bastards who hurt his Riel and make them pay a thousand fold over what they did to her.
"One day," Riel continued, calling his attention back to her words despite how badly he couldn't bear to hear anymore. Yet he let her continue, knowing that this was something that she needed. Even though it tore it out his heart to hear each word she described. "I tried to escape. I had overheard Rich saying that he was thinking of selling me to some Tevinter magister the day before, and as much as they terrified and hurt me, I feared even more what would happen to me in Tevinter. I didn't know much about magisters, only that they were mages and incredibly cruel to their slaves. One of the people who paid to… see me... was a mage from Tevinter," Riel stopped, remembering. "He was even crueler than Rich was sometimes."
Zevran could barely control his anger, his body beginning to shake from the effort of it. Of all the horrid things that he imagined her to have gone through in her life, he raged at how so much worse reality was compared to his naive fears. Even Crows were not treated so badly, even when they were trained to resist torture and pain. To hear her describe what she experienced so young in her life, it was all Zevran could do to keep still.
"I was so afraid they would find magic in me. I had hid it so well with my old master's, thinking they would kill me if they knew. But to be at the mercy of another mage who knew how to work magic in horrible ways…." Riel stopped to wipe at the tears that ran down her cheeks, and Zevran hated himself even more for being so lost in his own anger to not notice them in time to wipe them himself. "I decided then and there that death was better than anything that waited for me in Tevinter. So the next time they came to me…"
"What did you do?" Zevran finally uttered, his grief weighing his words. Yet he still felt as if he should say something.
"I burned him," replied Riel viciously. "He was on top of me, touching me. And suddenly, it was there. A wave of fire came forth from my skin, covering him completely. The fire was everywhere, not just my hands either. Every part of me was on fire, yet it didn't hurt me. It comforted me. And when Sam collapsed on the floor covered in fire, I ran. And while I ran, I grabbed at various things, setting them on fire as well. Soon the whole house was on fire. Yet I escaped. I escaped from the burning house and I didn't look back. I just kept running. I ran and ran until the fields ended and I was surrounded by tall trees. And when I finally couldn't run anymore, I collapsed, naked and bleeding from the branches and thorns of things that grabbed at me as I passed them."
"And that is when the Dalish found you?" Zevran asked, remembering the one other time that she had ever really brought her past. All she would say was that a Dalish clan had found her one day, and they brought her back to the clan immediately. Riel had explained that had stayed with them for a little while until the Grey Warden Duncan came and took her to Ostagar to join his order.
Riel nodded sadly. "The Keeper was always very kind to me. Even after how much trouble I caused."
"You would never cause trouble, mi bella," joked Zevran, needing to see her smile with a desperate need. And thank the gods, he was awarded, even if it was a small one.
"You didn't see the two young hunters I landed on a healer's bed," she replied with a slight laugh. "Keeper Marethari allowed me to stay with her in her araval, and telling the others that I just needed 'space' or some other old woman thing," she said with false bitterness through a smile. "That's not what I wanted to tell you though."
"I will always be here for you to say anything you wish, mi bella. All I ask is that you only say what you are comfortable with saying."
"I know you're here for me. And that is what I wanted to tell you." Riel idly played with the corner of his leathers, keeping her eyes away from him. "When I was in Fade, I woke up in my old room. The one those men kept me in," her voice turned hard as she spoke. However, Riel took comfort in Zevran's tighter squeeze, and continued on. "I was so terrified, yet there was one thing that saved me." She smiled now, thinking. "Wynne said that I 'somehow' escaped the cycle of nightmares of that demon, and was able to save you all." Riel finally raised her eyes to meet his, warmth and love spilling forth from her gaze and taking his breath away. "It was you, Zevran. You saved me."
"I don't understand…-"
"Your voice. I heard it, telling me that you were with me and that I was never alone. That was how I broke free."
Zevran couldn't keep himself from bending down and taking her mouth. The swell of mixing emotions within him were threatening to overtake him. Fear, anger, sadness, joy, hope, love… Every emotion capable was suddenly invoked, and his only outlet was this one kiss. And he used it. The Gods damn him, he kissed her with every bit of passion that he had previously held back so carefully before.
And for every ounce that he gave to her, she returned in full measure.
Riel's hands laced through Zevran's hair, pulling him in closer to her as his hands fisted against her back. His tongue darted around her mouth, tasting and pulling on her, drawing out her passion even further. As well as his own.
Suddenly Zevran pulled away, fear and shame on his face. He was losing his control, and if he didn't force himself away now, he was going to do something that he would not only regret, but want to die because of. No matter how he felt, Zevran would rather die than ever force her to do anything like what happened to her in the past.
"I'm not afraid, Zevran," Riel said softly, her fingers caressing his cheek. To prove her point, Riel pushed herself closer to him, bringing her hip in direct contact with the hard length that was pushing behind his trousers.
"Riel wait…!" Zevran cursed, damning his foul body and traitorous reactions. He tried to move her away, fearing her reaction, yet she resisted his attempts. Instead she took hold of his hands and wrapped his arms back around her.
"Zevran, it's okay," she whispered, trying to reassure him. "I told you. I'm not afraid. Not with you."
"Riel, you do not know what you ask of me. I…-" Zevran wracked his brain trying to find words to explain himself without either scaring or hurting her.
"Don't you want to be with me?" Riel asked, hurt flickering in her eyes.
"More than you can imagine, mi bella," Zevran stated quickly, pulling her against him. "And that is what I fear most. I cannot do that to you. Not after everything you have been though."
Riel stayed quiet for a minute, her eyes searching Zevran's. There was love there. So much love that it made Riel's heart ache. There was also desire. And passion. And need. Yet it wasn't the type of corrupt, foul need and desire that those in her past had. The look in his eyes didn't make her stomach lurch or her blood run cold. In fact, it did the exact opposite.
Being there in his arms stirred something deep within Riel. Like a flame being given its first breath of air, it grew larger, warming her very being. And although there was some left over feelings of trepidation and anxiety, they were no match for the other growing feelings inside of her. Feelings she was learning to no longer be afraid of.
"I don't want to be afraid anymore, Zevran," Riel stated simply, looking into his eyes. "And I know you can teach me how not to be. I want this."
Zevran felt his heart leap into his stomach at her words, feeling the weight of them break down what little resistance he had left. Smiling softly, he nodded to her, taking her hand in his and kissing the tips of her fingers. He then stood, pulling her up with him.
"What are you doing?" she asked, worry on her face.
"I told you before mi bella that anything worth doing is worth doing right," he paused as he pulled her against him, kissing her softly. "And with you, everything is worth doing." Smiling, Zevran walked her over to the tent that he had set up earlier. Reaching down to pet the hound that rested by the fire, he whispered to the hound "Stand guard for us boy. I am going to make your mistress very happy." The mabari answered in a low bark, seeming to understand and even wagging his tail in approval, causing Zevran to chuckle lightly.
Zevran let Riel enter the tent first, following closely behind. He then let the tent flap fall closed before gently guiding Riel down to the bedrolls. Gently he took her cheek in his hand and kissed her, again relishing the taste of her.
"We will go slowly. However, you must promise me, mi bella, that if at anytime you wish to stop, you will tell me immediately. I would rather die a thousand ways instead of hurt you, so you must promise me that you will do this if you need to."
Any doubt Riel may have had in her mind about what they were about to do vanished as he looked at her. True, she was nervous. And a little part of her was still afraid. However, she trusted him. And she knew that beyond anything else, she was safe with.
"I promise, Zevran," Riel responded, her voice husky with need.
Zevran smiled then kissed her again, resolving to take as much time as needed to be with her. And at any point would she wish to stop, he would do so, and instead just take pleasure in holding her for the rest of the night. She was his goddess. His diosa. And he will spend the rest of his life worshipping her. Tonight… This was only the beginning. For then both of them.
Slowly Zevran undid the straps on Riel's leather armor, pulling off her braces and gently tugging on the chest piece until it finally gave way. Underneath was a light grey tunic, yet he left that on while he slowly kissed his way up from her collarbone to her jaw. Zevran heard her gasp in pleasure, the sound going straight to the ache between his legs. He could feel Riel's hands on his own leathers, pulling blindly on them as her eyes closed against his kisses.
Pulling away from her briefly, Zevran kept his eyes on her as he quickly shed the armor, leaving on his own tunic and trousers. He then bent over and lifted up Riel's left leg, kissing her knee as his hands drifted downwards to her boots. With sure hands he removed first one, then repeated his actions on the other leg, removing both her boots and laying them aside. Zevran then let his hands wander up her body, tracing the outside of her frame up her thighs, and over her hips until he got to a place just below her breasts.
"Will you allow me to touch you, mi bella?" he whispered hoarsely, keeping his eyes on hers. When she nodded, he smiled again, mentally praising the gods above.
With slow careful motions, Zevran ran the back of his fingers over her breast. The fabric of the tunic was between his flesh and hers, yet he didn't want to push her too fast by removing it just it. First he wanted her to get used to the feeling of his hands on her, even if just through the fabric.
Riel closed her eyes, lost in a swirl of emotions. Evil memories tried to surface in her mind, yet she stamped them away, focusing all of her attention on the feel of Zevran beside her. When he lightly cupped her breast through the fabric, Riel couldn't help but let out a moan.
"By the gods, I love that sound," Zevran groaned, leaning into capture her mouth. He could feel her body respond to his touch, her back arching as he gently massaged her breast with his palm and thumb. However he wanted so much more. Zevran looked down into her eyes, his expression serious as he watched her carefully. "I am going to remove your tunic now, mi bella," he stated, giving her time to disagree before he reached for the hem at the bottom of the fabric.
The feel of the cold air on her skin was quickly shut away as Riel felt Zevran's warm hands along her skin as he pulled the fabric up and over her head. The only thing left covering her now was the breast band and the small clothes down lower. Riel tried reaching for the strip of leather holding her breasts, however Zevran stopped her, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing her fingers.
"Slowly mi bella. There is no rush," he purred before leaning down and laying sweet kisses along her neck. Tilting her head to side, she offered him more of her as another moan left her lips. His hands lightly along her spine and back, each gentle caress feeling more like kisses than touches.
"Zevran," Riel whispered as she leaned into him, losing herself ever more to his touch.
"I am here, mi bella. For as long as have need of me."
"Forever."
Zevran chuckled softly against her neck. "Forever it is then, mi diosa."
Slowly his hands went to the band at her breasts as his mouth moved up to kiss her again. Tasting her sweetness, Zevran undid the leather strings keeping it together before letting the small strip of leather fall to the ground. His hands then rose to feel the soft mounds that were revealed. Unable to resist anymore, Zevran had to dip his head down, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck to her chest.
"Mi bella, mi bella, mi bella," Zevran whispered over and over as he head dipped ever lower until he was finally able to see the beautiful mounds of flesh before his eyes.
Riel lifted up her arms, her hands coming up to cover her breasts as he looked at her. Yet Zevran gently took her hands and kissed them before looking at Riel.
"You do not need to hide from me, mi bella. You are unbelievably gorgeous to me," he whispered, his voice soft yet firm as he spoke to her.
"Zevran, my scars…" she answered, tears beginning to prick at her eyes. "I am not beautiful like other woman."
Zevran leaned back and looked at her fully, his eyes roaming over her mostly exposed body. And while yes her skin was puckered by scars and marks, that is not what he saw when he looked at her. And he was determined to show her that.
"The only thing I see is the woman I love, mi bella," purred Zevran, his voice thick. "And she is indescriptiblemente hermosa." Zevran leaned up and kissed her deeply before pulling back and looking at her. "Indescribably beautiful," he repeated again in King's tongue for her.
Zevran ran his hands over her breasts, his thumbs pausing over the raised nipples to lightly massage them. Again Riel moaned, her head tilting back and her eyes closing. Zevran smiled, watching her react to his touch. A greedy part of himself was pruning, knowing that despite her wretched past, he was the only one to ever make her feel like this. That out of anyone she could have chosen to place her trust and body in, she chose him. And by the Gods, he was going to spend his life showing her just how grateful he was.
Zevran's hand slid around Riel's back, bracing her weight before slowly lowering her down to the bedrolls below. Weightless under his touch, she went willingly, following his gentle lead. When her back finally touched the fabric below, Zevran positioned himself lying next to her. Bracing himself on his forearm, Zevran took a moment to stare down at Riel, losing himself in her beauty.
"Mi bella, you are a dream," Zevran said softly, letting his fingers drift from her cheek down her skin to rest in between her breasts. He then lowered his head and kissed the valley where his hand rested, eliciting a gasp from her. Encouraged, Zevran took a chance and placed kisses along her skin until his lips met a perked and beautiful nipple. Slipping out his tongue, he tasted her flesh, getting a fresh moan from her.
"Zevran…" Riel gasped, her fingers weaving into his hair and pulling him closer.
Zevran grinned against her flesh, before taking her breast into his mouth. Riel moaned louder, her body writhing under his touch. Her hands slid down his back, reaching for the tunic that separated them. Leaving her perfect breast, Zevran pushed himself up and quickly took the tunic off and tossed it aside.
"Zevran…. you're beautiful…" Riel gasped as she looked up at him. The twin tattoos on his temple were only the beginning. Dark swirls ran down his chest and shoulder on one side of his body, reminding Riel of the smoke from a fire as it curled and flowed in the air. Tentatively she reached out her hand, running her fingertips along one of the lines.
"Mi bella," groaned Zevran, his eyes closed as her touch seared into him. Hot as fire, yet the burn was blissful as she traced his tattooes with her fingers. He looked down on her through hooded eyes, watching her as she explored his skin. "Your touch…" he whispered, shuddering as her hands went lower down his chest, stopping just above the line of his trousers.
"Is it okay?" Riel asked, fear edging her voice and her eyes filling with worry.
"It is nearly more than I can bear, mi bella…" Zevran purred, taking her hand and placing it fully on his skin. "Please don't stop."
Riel's worry was replaced with a sweet look of mischief as she let her hands roam along his chest. And just like Zevran, she loved the sound her lover made when they moaned. Laughing softly, Riel began to feel a curious need to taste him as he had tasted her. Pulling him down to her, Riel took advantage of his sudden surprise and kissed his chest, right above a swirl over his heart.
"Mi bella…" Zevran gasped, his hand fisting the bedroll beside her.
Riel kissed his skin again and again, following the line of the swirl across his chest. And with each kiss, Zevran felt what little of control shredding until almost nothing was left. However, he was far from being done with her. Gently Zevran lifted Riel's chin before kissing her deep and long, enjoying her murmurs of pleasure as his hand skimmed down her chest and down to her hips.
"Do you want to stop?" he breathed against her lips.
"No…" she answered him back, her voice laced with just as much lust as his own.
Zevran took her mouth again as his fingers drifted lower, grazing over the hot center between her legs. They moaned at the same time, her from his touch and him from how wet she was. Already the light fabric of her small clothes was dripping with her desire. Again Zevran ran his knuckles over her core, pressing a little harder than before.
"I am going to remove these now, mi bella…"
"Yes…" she replied, arching her back with pleasure.
Zevran lowered his head to her jaw, gently nipping at the bone before placing a kiss there. He then repeated his motion along Riel's neck as his fingers hooked the fabric between her legs and pulled, moving it slowly down her legs.
Within a moment, she was completely bare before him. And once again Zevran was awed by her beauty. Certainly the gods had gifted him a goddess to worship, and he was somehow deemed worthy enough to touch her. Not that he felt that he deserved such an honor, but he wasn't going to give it up now that he had it.
"The gods have blessed me, and I am left speechless by their gift."
"I don't understand…"
Zevran ran his hand up Riel's side, going from her knee up to her hip, then skimming further until he reached her breast. Briefly he cupped her, before moving his hand higher until he could hold her face in his hand. Smiling, he realized that it was the side of her face that held the vicious scar that cut down from her temple to her chin.
"You are my gift, mi bella. A treasure worthy of the gods themselves," purred Zevran, a look of pure devotion in his eyes. "And a gift that I intend to worship properly, if you'll let me."
"I am yours, Zevran…" Riel answered, hoping he could see as much love in her eyes as she saw in his own.
"As I am eternally yours, mi bella…" Zevran kissed her as his hand once again found her center, cupping her in his palm. He groaned as her heat invaded his palm, the silky wetness covering it. "I am going to make you feel good, but you must trust me…" he breathed against her.
"Yes, Zevran…. Anything…"
Taking a chance, Zevran rubbed two of his fingers against her opening while his thumb lightly grazed the sensitive nub above it. Riel arched in him, a pleasured moan filling Zevran's ears. And when one of his fingers slipped inside of her, Riel felt her world break apart. Her vision spun behind her closed eyes as every sense in her body exploded. Riel cried out, reaching for anything to hold on to as her body spasmed in strange and glorious ways.
"Zevran!" Riel screamed, a mixture of pleasure and fear in her voice.
"I am here, mi bella…." Zevran voice echoed next to her, his breath against her ear. "Do not be afraid…"
"What's happening to me?"
"What should happen to a goddess when a man worships her, mi bella," Zevran chuckled softly. "Do you want me to stop?"
Riel shook her head, lost in the feelings that still cascaded through her in rolling waves. "By the Creators, I want more…" she moaned, her hands going to Zevran's chest then slowly moving slower.
Zevran hissed as her hand grazed the tip of the shaft that stretched the fabric of his trousers, yearning to be free. Quickly Zevran grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. "You would test the control of a saint, mi bella, and I am far from a saint. However, I do not wish to rush you…" he whispered to Riel, kissing her hand again. "Just say the word, and I will gladly gather you in my arms and hold you for the rest of the night. We do not have to go any further."
"I don't want to stop, Zevran. I need this. I need to know what this feel like. What it feels like when a man loves a woman, instead of hurting her."
"You deserve no less, mi amor," Zevran purred, kissing her deeply. He then sat up and quickly shed the rest of his clothes and boots, angling his body so to hide the aching swell between his legs. Zevran then returned to Riel's lips as his hand found her core once more. Gently he caressed and dipped his finger inside her slit, drawing out another orgasm from her. And the second was even sweeter than the first. Her back arched, lifting her gorgeous breasts up to his hungry gaze as her legs scissored against him. Zevran took her breast into his mouth, laving her nipple with his eager tongue.
One more, and she will be ready Zevran thought to himself, forcing himself under control through a sheer force of will alone.
"That's it, mi bella… Lose yourself to me. Let me replace everything bad in your past with my touch…" Zevran placed a second finger inside of her as his mouth found her other breast.
Riel reached up and grabbed hold of Zevran's shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as waves of pleasure washed over her. Zevran hissed, the pain becoming pleasure that rocketed through him and straight to his hips. He didn't know how much longer he could last, yet his pride and love for this woman refused to allow him to fail her so disgracefully.
A third orgasm shot through Riel, nearly levitating her off the bedrolls beneath her. She cried and moaned, grabbing at Zevran and pulling him down to her lips. She kissed him hard, taking control as her tongue explored his mouth. "Please, Zevran," she mewled, breathing heavy in long gasps.
"Tell me you want this…." Zevran demanded, accepting no less of himself or her.
"Oh Creators, yes, Zevran!"
Zevran gently pushed Riel's legs apart, then positioned himself between them. His aching member straining to find her as he hovered above her. Carefully he positioned the head at her opening, a tingling of fear biting at his mind. Please do not let her regret this he prayed as he looked down into her half closed eyes.
"Accept me, Riel, and know that I love you," he whispered, leaving the last step solely in own power.
"I love you, Zevran," Riel breathed heavily before lowering her hips onto him, impaling herself on his manhood.
They moaned in unison, Zevran throwing his head back as intense pleasure shot through him. So this is what heaven feel like he briefly mused before passion overtook him and he moved slowly inside of her. Keeping his eyes trained on her, Zevran watched for any signs of fear in her eyes, yet all he could see was the love that she held for him.
Moaning, Riel again dug her nails into Zevran's shoulders, arching her back as she rose up to meet him. Dear Gods, he was fully in her now, and didn't that just lock everything into place for him. Moving steadily, Zevran increased the pace, driving into her with careful yet powerful strokes.
"It's… happening… again… Zevran…!" Riel exclaimed breathless as she felt another release build within her.
"Come with me, mi bella…. Let me feel you- Mierdas!" Zevran shouted as Riel's legs locked around his waist and her insides latched onto him, milking him. The combination undid him, sending Zevran over the edge just as she was, each crying out in pleasure as they rocked against each other.
Several more strokes and Zevran felt all the energy leave him. Exhausted, yet filled with more happiness than he ever felt possible, Zevran lowered his head next to Riel's, careful to keep the majority of his weight off of her. For several minutes Zevran remained still, allowing himself to fully enjoy the feel of his beautiful woman underneath him while still inside of her. It was everything he ever wanted. Everything he had ever craved. And it was so much more. He had tasted heaven, and her name was Riel.
Suddenly he felt something wet touch the side of his face, confused Zevran leaned back and became horrified to see his Riel crying, her eyes filled with tears.
"By the Gods, no! Riel! Please do not cry!" Zevran exclaimed, quickly moving from off from her and pulling himself away.
Stupid, stupid man! Too soon! You bastard! Look what you have done! Death! You deserve death for your damnable lusts!
Zevran cursed himself over and over again in every language that he knew, which was quite a lot considering his line of work. Yet none of it was enough for how he felt. He had done the one thing that he had sworn to never do!
"Zevran! Zevran please!" Riel reached up to him, trying to pull him back to her. Yet he was too disgusted with himself to allow her. No, what he needed was his blades. Something to cut off the evil that had sullied the one good thing that he ever known in his life. Maybe then he would be able to beg, plead for her to forgive him.
"Riel, please, do not touch me! I do not deserve it!" Zevran cried out, trying to avoid her touch as she reached for him.
"Zevran! Look at me!" Riel demanded, her voice hard and firm as she finally took hold of his face, a hand on each side. Instantly he stilled, yet he refused to meet her, keeping his eyes lowered down to the ground. "Zevran, look at me…" Riel demanded again, her voice no longer as hard but still firm. Slowly he lifted his honey gaze to meet her silver one, shame shining forth from his eyes. "You didn't hurt me. I'm crying because I am happy."
"Mi bella…?" he asked tentatively, not sure whether he could believe her.
"Trust me," she smiled beautifully. "That was the most amazing thing that has every happened to me. And believe me when I say that I have no regrets."
Zevran claimed her mouth was a hungry passion, fear and anger at himself getting lost in the feeling of her against him. Trust in her a voice said within his mind, and he knew that it was right. Pulling back from her, his eyes searched hers again.
"You truly have no regrets?"
"Not one," she smiled back at him, her eyes revealing the truth of it. She did not fear him. She did not distrust him. And most of all, she did not regret him.
Zevran pulled Riel against him in a tight embrace, one hand circling her waist while the other found her hair. He started to whisper Antivan to her, his words coming too quickly for Riel to understand given the short amount of time that she had been learning. The meaning, however, was clear. He was whispering his love to her. His devotion. His thanks to the gods for her. Everything that Riel felt inside of herself for him.
"Ar lath ma, ma vhenan'ara…" Riel whispered to back to him. It was one of the few phrases that Riel has learned from the bonding ceremonies from when she was her clan.
I love you, my heart's desire.
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Vhenan'ara