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The Ties that Bind	By : Lady_Kae Category: +M through R > Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Views: 2280 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used from the game Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. All characters and game related material, plus any lyrics, save for original content is property of their respective owners and no money is being made from this

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
A/N: Again, apologies for such long spans between posting. The only thing I have to say in my defense is that writer's block seriously can go suck an egg. I hate the damn thing. I've got two other stories I've been working on, and I've hit a snag with all three at this point. Thankfully, I was able to get myself far enough out of my rut with this chapter to get it done. Please be sure to let me know what you think of the story thus far, and if you have any criticisms to offer, please feel free to do so. It honestly would be appreciated. None the less, please continue to enjoy, and this book will be ending very, very soon. More than likely in a chapter or two. Then Book III will be in the works. I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to it either. Where as the first two parts have been far from the cannon material, Book III will be touching closer to the cannon, but still a/u if that makes any sense. Thanks again for sticking with me for so long!
~Kae

The Ties that Bind
Book II: Bond

Chapter 12: Too Close for Comfort
A Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Fanfiction

Gason could still feel his heart hammering in his chest. That had been a terrifying sight to behold. He had seen her eyes flash to orange every now and again in the time they had known one another, but Gascon had never seen his wife's eyes turn blood red like that. That was her elvish influence on her, but it had still scared him to his very core to see her that enraged. Darkness suddenly settled over him as he looked blankly at the archway that Amara had hurried through and he thought over what she had said a moment ago. Oh gods! She was going to question the prisoners herself! That was a recipe for disaster! She could easily go too far and not care! He leapt to his feet and he began running. Gascon had to think quickly. Amara had a solid three minutes on him in her trek down to the dungeons where the prisoners were being held and the eldest of the porcine princes knew that he couldn't let his wife do this herself.
Not in the fragile frame of mind she was in.
Gascon all but skidded around a corner in his haste, all the while trying to keep his thoughts and feelings focused on the love he had for her in an attempt to calm his beloved. He could feel Amara's inner core of darkness welling up faster than he could soothe her. She was beyond pissed at the moment, rightly so, but she could easily be swallowed by that evil if she didn't calm down. Gascon saw her ahead and he poured on the speed. He couldn't lose her like this! " Amara!" he shouted. He saw her turn around to look at him and his breath hitched in his throat. Those eyes, the ones that he loved to look into as he made love to her, were still crimson. It sent a chill through him that she was capable of such rage. It terrified him to think of what could have become of her if she hadn't called him back from the beyond. She would have become a shell of who she had once been, there was no doubt in his mind now.
Amara stopped in the hall as she watched her husband catch up to her and she shook a little as his arms wrapped around her. His love for her was washing over her the longer he held the contact, battling with her growing animosity towards Vana and her ilk. She had to do something about this now! She couldn't allow Vana to get the drop on them ever again!
" You're not going a step further." Gascon whispered against her neck. He had buried his face against it the moment his arms had pulled her into their embrace. " I can't let you do this, love."
Amara shoved him away, suddenly feeling hurt and betrayed. How could he not understand what she was feeling right now? " I'm going to end this stupid war she's waging one way or another, Gascon!" she screeched.
" We will end it in one way or another, Amara! But I will handle questioning the prisoners. You are much too close to toppling over the edge right now. I'm not going to allow Vana to take you from me like that. Not when she almost had me out of the picture." Gascon countered. Her fear and anger was starting to affect him as well and Gascon took a deep calming breath. He felt tears prickle in the corner of his eyes the longer he looked at her. This version of his wife scared him so much, it was such a far cry from the normally gentle, tranquil woman he had known for most of their lives. She offered so much love and light to the world and Gascon was witnessing that light be extinguished by her own hand. He had to bring it back before it was gone for good. His throat bobbed a bit as he swallowed hard, the knot in his throat refusing to leave. Gascon laid a hand on her chest, right over her heart. " Can't you feel that Amara? What I feel terrifies me, because it's not who you are. Not the woman I know." He swallowed thickly once more as Amara’s hands closed over the one against her breast. “ Not the Amara I love.”
Amara’s lower lip trembled as she felt Gascon’s worry for her wash over the hatred and murderous intent she had been feeling. He was scared. Scared for her and scared of her. Of what she could have possibly become. The more she felt him, the more she felt his love for her. Yes, she had scared him, but Gascon still loved her. Her arms flew around his chest as she burst into tears and Amara felt Gascon hug her tightly.
Too much had happened that morning. All that they could feel at the forefront were the emotions that had been riding high since Vana’s sneak attack on Gascon. The fear, the uncertainty, the loss...It was overwhelming both of them though Gascon was attempting to push them past that. He was trying to bring their love to the fore, trying to reassure Amara that he wasn’t going anywhere.
How can I make her believe that when Vana got the drop on me once already? Gascon thought morosely. The darkness that had settled over Amara was slowly disappearing the longer she sobbed brokenly against him, though Gascon couldn’t help but feel as if it were transferring over to him the longer they stayed this way.
“ Gascon…” Amara sniffled softly. “ I’m going to leave for the Briar in a moment. My uncle was right. I need to get a better control over my emotions…”
Gascon shook his head slightly, but he knew it was best in the long run for Amara to be away from here. Especially with what he was getting ready to do. “ Just be safe, love.” he replied. He dipped his head in to kiss her, and he felt the gentle caress of her lips against his. Her tongue tentatively swept across his bottom lip and he groaned despite himself. He could never get enough of his wife, even if it was the simple matter of just kissing her. Gascon savored every touch, every kiss, every single embrace. He loved Amara more than life itself, though their son fit into that category now as well.
Amara gasped slightly at the current that seemed to pass through both of them as their mutual passion began climbing higher and higher. A soft moan escaped her as her back hit the stone wall behind her, though she paid no mind to the slight flare of pain that came with it. She was tired and sore after the night they had had, but this moment with her husband was much more important to her. Her tears licked both of their cheeks as his tongue began curling around hers ardently, though Amara refused to let him pull away from her to ask if she was alright. The fingers of one hand tightly fisted the short locks near the base of his neck as Gascon pinned her tightly to the wall and Amara felt his chest rumble as he groaned in return. The other hand was fisting his shirt just over his heart, needing to feel the steady beat for herself to reaffirm that he was here. The longer it beat heavily against her hand, the more one thought kept crossing her mind.
She had almost lost him…
More tears licked their cheeks, the saltiness of them stinging her eyes the more they flowed. By the ancients, she had nearly lost the love of her life, had nearly followed him into the darkness willingly. She had felt the despair so keenly it was unsettling.
“ Don’t think like that anymore, Amara.” Gascon whispered against her lips. He had sensed how she felt through their connection, and he could still feel her hurt, her loss, the toll it had put on her heart when she had found him dead. Gascon’s own heart clenched painfully at the thought and he tenderly brushed the tears from his beloved’s cheeks. “ Please Amara. No more tears right now. You know you look a fright when you cry…”
Amara couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled forth as her husband teased her so. “ I love you, Gascon.” she whispered. She hummed happily as he kissed her once more and she reveled in it. Yes, she couldn’t keep dwelling on what happened, she had to dwell on the good things that this entailed.
“ And I you, Amara. Now, I believe you have somewhere you need to be going…” Gascon replied with the barest of smiles in place. He couldn’t really smile with what he knew he was going to do. He would do his damnedest to keep Amara shielded from what he would be feeling as well.
Amara nodded numbly and she gave Gascon a tight squeeze. “ Please be safe, darling. I lost you once already. I can’t lose you again…” Two tears trickled down her cheek despite her attempts at calming herself and Amara kissed Gascon one last time before stepping backwards. She brought her hands up and she began tracing the travel rune with shaking fingers.
Gascon’s jaw was tight as he watched Amara disappear due to her magic and he swallowed thickly. He shut his eyes for the briefest moment and he softly intoned a spell that his brother had taught him. It would allow him to keep his emotions from bleeding over to Amara for the most part. The only bad side to it was that it was going to drain his magic like hell.
When the prince opened his eyes again, they were dark and full of anger. Now he could show those damn goblins just who the hell they had messed with. Gascon knew one thing was for certain, and he remembered Sean saying something like this many times over.
Vana and her ilk had just fucked with the wrong man.

Dagaron was surprised to feel Amara’s presence in his palace, and he was currently winding his way through the halls to find her. “ Granddaughter?” he asked her as Dagaron found her. She was in the infirmary grabbing some of the potent healing brews off of the shelf.
“ I’m sorry I didn’t contact you first, grandfather. The situation is a little more urgent than we anticipated however.” Amara replied in the elvish tongue. “ I need you to teach me how to rein my emotions in before this bond get Gascon and I killed.”
“ What happened, Amara?” Dagaron said gently. His fingers curled over her shoulders as he pulled his granddaughter closer, and Amara’s head fell in shame. “ Nevermind, I will not make you speak it. Just allow me to sift through your memories, young one.”

Tarin coughed a bit. His ribs hurt worse than dragonfire and he wanted nothing more than to get out of this godforsaken dungeon. While as a dwarf he liked being underground, but this was too damn damp for his tastes! He was currently being held in Vana’s tower, and to make matters worse, a drop of water was hitting him on the head every ten seconds or so. He couldn’t even move slightly to keep it from hitting him. Even then, he had lost track of the days since he had been here, but the guards had made it a habit to come into his cell every couple of hours and to beat him viciously. However, there had been none so far today. The dwarven prince was mostly sure he had counted at least ten hours since his last beating.
What in the blazes was going on?
His jade green eyes scanned the hall that he could see clearly and Tarin scowled a bit. Normally, he wouldn’t mind tidings such as these, but the absence of the guards meant only one thing to him. The goblins had made another attack.
Whether they tried to sack Uzrathane again, or if they attempted another city, Tarin didn’t know. What he did know was that he now had an opening. He smiled darkly and he looked to his right. Unlike Amara, Tarin still needed to watch his hands a bit.

Gascon twirled his dagger dangerously between his fingers and his eyes were leveled cooly on the goblin stretched out on the rack before him. “ This is your last chance. If I pull this lever even once more, both your shoulders are going to be torn from your sockets.” he growled out dangerously. There was no warmth in his gaze, just cold indifference.
“ Just kill me and be done with it. The dwarf is as good as dead no matter what.” the goblin said through gritted teeth.
“ Oh no no no...I don’t intend to kill you that quickly. All I have to do is just put them back into place, heal you, and do it all over again.” Gascon sneered, though his face was twisted in dark humor at the thought. “ I’ll have you know that I can keep making this even worse for you. My father is a master at torture, and he taught me everything he knows. I’ve even come up with a few ideas myself since then…” That wasn’t a lie either. Vigo preferred to question enemies himself, and he had taught his sons everything he knew. It was a side of himself that Gascon would rather not Amara ever learn about if he could help it.
The goblin’s yellow eyes went wide. He had forgotten that the prince could use magic as well. The only one they were ever concerned about was the princess. She was deadly with her magic! He swallowed hard and he shook his head. He wouldn’t tell this bastard where they were keeping that damn dwarf. It was bad enough he had followed the princess’ lead as it stood.
Gascon’s brow rose curiously at that remark. “ What did you mean by that? That he followed in the princess’ lead?” he asked calmly. While he had locked his emotions off from Amara, he could still feel hers bleeding through to him a little. Thankfully, whatever Dagaron was doing with her was keeping her calm.
The goblin bit his tongue for that. He had been muttering under his breath without realizing it. “ What do you think I mean, human?” he snarled back. “ That damn dwarf is the first in nearly three hundred years to bear a wand of their make.” He had felt how harsh Tarin’s spells were first hand.
If Gascon was surprised, he didn’t let it show. “ Really now?” he purred, his fingers resting a little on the wheel that would crank the rack another notch. He looked between the nervous goblin and his fingers with a dark smirk plastered on his face. Then he pulled the wheel toward him.

Amara! Are you conscious?
“ Grandfather, Gascon’s contacting me.” she whispered. They had both been meditating in his private garden, and he had been whispering instructions to her to help her rein in her emotions.
“ What news does he have?” he asked her. His golden orbs were locked onto her serene posture and he nodded approvingly. She had always been such a quick study.
Amara’s eyes snapped open a moment later. “ What?!” the statement was both spoken aloud and through their connection. Shock was very evident and even Dagaron was curious as to what could have distracted her so easily. “ By the ancients! I’m going to kill that ale swigging, skirt chasing bastard myself for making me worry so much!”
Dagaron’s golden eyes leveled on his granddaughter. “ What news is there, Amara?” he asked a bit impatiently this time. He could understand her excitement however.
“ Tarin’s been using magic in the time we’ve been gone! And because the invading force was decimated at Cygnus last night means it’s giving Tarin a chance to more than likely escape. A dwarven wand can only be removed by it’s wielder once it’s worn for the first time! They couldn’t disarm him!” Amara said excitedly. She closed her eyes and she began concentrating as hard as she could. She wanted to contact him now!
Dagaron smirked just a bit. He already knew about Tarin using magic. Not only had the dwarven prince been using it for nearly two years now, but he had been the only dwarf allowed to walk the forests of his realm while he had been studying the arcane arts with Dagaron. “ Amara?” he asked her. She wasn’t moving, her breathing was deeper than he had ever seen it before. She surely couldn’t be attempting to do what he thought she was, was she?! She was only still learning herself!
Amara felt as if her consciousness was flying over the land. She was pouring everything into finding him, she needed to be sure about his intent to escape. She was quickly moving over familiar territory, the plains that she had traveled with Gascon and Tarin, the Vale where her father’s sister and her family lived. Now the forest where the still ruined nest where Palisanther had been held prisoner for nearly three hundred years, but the surroundings were quickly turning foreign to her. Tarin!

The dwarven prince all but skidded to a halt. He had just heard Amara’s voice ring through his mind. That was impossible!
No it’s not you womanizing drunkard. Keep thinking like that and I’ll find a way to light your breeches on fire even from where I’m at. Amara shot back, though there was amusement evident in her voice.
By my very beard, Amara! I can’t believe it! I know you’re not here at the keep. Tarin replied, though he was quickly moving to the end of the hallway. His weapons and armor were in there, made in the style of ancient dwarven make from centuries long past. They were fairly new to him, and Tarin had no intentions on leaving without his newest toys behind just to escape.
You’re right about that. However, I need to be sure you’re trying to get out of there while you can. I’ll be going back to Cygnus to get Gascon and we’ll rendezvous with you at the base of the mountain. You need to get out of there as soon as possible though. Vana is still alive and she will be there soon if she’s not already! Amara’s voice was quickly growing more worried for him if the crescendo it was rising in was any indication.
Tarin found the chest with his items and he smiled at the sight. Why bother meeting me there? he asked her, his voice beyond amused. If you’re not at Cygnus, I can only assume you’re at Galaniath then, princess. Please tell your grandfather I’ll be there shortly. Tarin pushed Amara out of his mind then and he readied himself for travel.
He still couldn’t believe that she had reached him that way.

Amara’s eyes opened and she looked to her grandfather curiously. “ Why would Tarin ask me to tell you he’ll be here shortly? No dwarf has set foot in the Golden Wood before.” she asked him. He was looking at her in amazement and wonder. “ Namerar?” She placed her hand on his shoulder and Dagaron jumped at the touch.
“ You actually contacted him?” he breathed out. Amara had truly grown into her abilities in her time away from Evesta if she was capable of doing that. What else was she capable of now? Dagaron had no clue what her abilities were since she had returned.
Amara had the grace to look stunned herself. “ Yes...I did.” She replied slowly. The only other being with that skill was sitting before her. Not even Amara thought she was honestly capable of such a feat.
Dagaron quickly shook it off as he smiled. “ Come granddaughter.” he said brightly.
They had a visitor to welcome after all.

Gascon as scowling as he scrubbed himself clean. He had a hollow satisfaction that the goblin had suffered greatly, despite the fact that he hadn’t been able to glean any other information out of it other than the shock that Tarin had become a mage in their absence. According to Amara, Tarin had already gotten free and had joined her and Dagaron in the Briar. He was comforted by the thought that his friend was safe though.
Gascon held his breath as he slipped down the basin of the tub and under the water. He hated the feeling that doing...that...left him with. Despite the fact that he had a core of darkness of his own, Gascon hated embracing it. Like Marcassin, he hated torture. But unlike his brother, Gascon had no qualms in using it when the situation arose.
That’s enough of that Gascon. Your spell to keep your feelings from me wore off almost an hour ago. Wallowing in that won’t get you anywhere. It didn’t do anything for me five years ago. Amara said to him through their link.
Gascon couldn’t help but smile a little as he came up. I know you’re right love. You would know better than both of us after all. he replied playfully. Will you ask your grandfather if I can come to the Briar as well. I…He paused, unsure how to continue without making too much of a big deal of it. The longer he thought it over, the more Gascon realized there wasn’t anyway to keep him from sounding like a sap. Thank the ancients he was only talking to his wife.
Amara could feel a myriad of emotions coming from her husband. What is it, Gascon? she asked him. What could bring such emotions to the fore in him like this?
I need to be beside you tonight. I need to hold you. I know I was the one who was killed, but I swear Amara, I saw my life, what was supposed to have been...I watched it all flash before my eyes. I’m scared Amara. Gascon replied. He hated how defenseless that admission made him feel, but he knew Amara wouldn’t use it against him.
Now if he had said that five years ago before they were cast out into the wilds...Gascon knew that wouldn’t be the case.
Amara’s eyes grew wet and her throat tight. She had been through a ringer at finding him like that, but in all honesty Amara had a feeling that this was going to give Gascon night terrors for quite some time. I’ll be there shortly. You’re in no condition to travel by magic, dearest. she replied. Amara looked over to Dagaron and he nodded.
“ Just apply what we covered earlier as often as possible. This way, there will be no chance of your emotions bleeding over to the other like they have been these last few years.” the elf king said kindly. “ Tarin and I will start preparing for…”
“ No, the goblin force was almost completely obliterated last night. Tarin only just escaped. Vana doesn’t know about either his escape or Gascon’s resurrection.” Tarin’s surprised gasp echoed in her ears and Amara fought to keep her blood from pounding in her ears. It was a very sore subject to even mention after all. “ We are not going to draw attention to ourselves yet.” Amara interrupted harshly. “ It’s going to take a very long time before she even has numbers like that again. If you want to do anything, make sure he’s more than prepared in three weeks time. We’re going right to the keep now that you’ve been there Tarin.”
Tarin nodded. “ I’ll send my father a missive to keep all units close to the city then. I can’t return back to Uzrathane until the menace has been dealt with completely.” Someone had killed Gascon? And even then, Amara had called him back? He had heard his friend say it many a time when they had traveled together.
That damn, crazy half elf!
“ I expect to hear more about what happened when you’re ready, Amara. I understand it’s still fresh, and I won’t ask…”
“ Vana got the drop on Gascon, Tarin, and she…” Amara throat grew tight again as she thought of the state she had found him in. The words refused to come however, so she made a motion with her finger across her throat.
Tarin glowered openly at the news. “ It’s good that he’s still among us then, even though it must have been a great sacrifice on your part I’m sure.” Tarin’s voice held a dark edge to it that was impossible to miss. All Amara had done was add fuel to the already burning flame that Tarin was feeling since his incarceration behind enemy lines. Amara could count on the fact that Tarin would be more than battle ready in the time she had given him. “ Get home to your husband, princess. I’ll meet you in the Vale in three weeks. This way we can appraise Sparah of what we’re doing as well.”
Amara nodded. She would have Gascon summon Palisanther as well and the two could work on gathering the rest of their kin. Having the guardians in their corner would be beneficial indeed. “ Go ahead of us and speak to Sparah then. If we can have the guardians backing us up when we go to finish this, we’re going to be hard pressed to lose. Especially if we have all five with us as opposed to just one.” Her blue eyes fell as she thought about what had happened just a few months ago, well if felt like just a few months at least. Amara knew that it had been eight months, six months in that comatose state that Vana had left she and Gascon in, and two months since they had woken up. It had been two months since Tamrand had been born.
Two months since they had buried her mother. Even though she still felt the sadness, Amara could feel in her heart that the end to all this was near. Grimlock had died by Gascon’s hand, successfully avenging Marion’s death, now it was time to kill that damn witch. “ Take care, both of you.” she whispered before tracing the travel rune. She had to get her mind off of all of this, needed to find a way to just erase everything from her memory until she was ready to deal with it.

Gascon felt her presence before he could even turn around to look at his wife. That was one thing about their link he appreciated. Amara couldn’t sneak up on him anymore like she could when they had been children. His mouth quirked up a little at the thought. They had pranked one another so much in those days.
Amara’s arms wrapped around Gascon from behind him and she nuzzled his back. “ We never really stopped you know.” she murmured. Happiness welled up from within her. They still bickered every now and again; what couple didn’t, and she relished that they would still be able to do just that.
Gascon was silent, but he nodded in agreement as he turned to face her. It was good to feel happiness from her, good to feel the love that they shared. The eldest of the porcine princes wrapped his arms around his wife in turn, relishing in their bond. Their hearts were one, their souls forever connected because of that love. His lips pressed against her forehead in a quiet display of affection and Gascon smiled serenely as Amara's arms tightened their grip a bit.
Amara looked up at him as her arms wound their way around his neck and she shook her head. " If you ever do anything like that to me again, I'll bring you back only to kill you myself for putting my poor heart through that." she teased. Gascon chuckled against her and she hummed happily as he bent down to capture her mouth.
" I consider myself fairly warned then." Gascon replied as he chuckled still. " Come on you, I'm bloody well knackered after the day we've had, and I feel as if I could fall asleep standing." He picked Amara up bridal style in his arms as she gave a slight shriek of surprise, but her laughter soon echoed in his ears as he threw her into their bed. He followed her not even a moment later, his body curling around her own as he pulled her tight against him. Her hair smelled of the flowers of Galaniath, lavender oil anointed onto her skin. Dagaron must of had her use it to calm and center herself earlier. He felt a calm sweeping over him as well the more he kept inhaling her aroma. " I love you, Amara."
Amara turned in her husband's arms to kiss him. " I love you as well, Gascon." she replied softly. Their mouths met again, and Amara sighed at the feeling crashing over her. Gascon's love for her always left her feeling drunk when he let the full brunt of his emotions loose. She hadn't known how deeply one could love another person until she had been bonded to Gascon. Ever since that night...
Gascon groaned as he felt a familiar stirring between them and he sighed heavily as he pulled away. As far as he knew, Amara was still healing after the birth of their son. Not only that, he wanted to be sure she was using that spell again. It would be disastrous if she were to get pregnant this soon. Nope, not having a set of irish twins...he thought, before realizing that he had used a term he wasn't familiar with himself. That was Sean's influence again he was sure.
Amara wasn't having any of her husband's reticence however, and she pulled him back to her as her lips slid demandingly over his. One hand quickly wove the spell she had been using for years to prevent pregnancy while the other fisted his mahogany colored locks in an effort to keep him in place. It had been too long since she had made love to him. The last time had been the morning before they had left for Hamelin to see Gascon's family on their way back home.
Gascon groaned as Amara's desire bled over to him, igniting his own want for the woman in his arms. He would never be able to get enough of the feeling that she gave him, the way their bodies sang together like this. Everything they felt was compounded upon and intensified by the magic binding them together. It was the most addicting thing Gascon could imagine. More emotion from Amara fluttered like a breeze through him as his hand caressed the gentle curve of her body, his fingers retracing the physical memory of her.
Amara gasped at the gentle touch, relishing in the tiny shocks of pleasure that lanced through her as his fingers began pulling at the waistband of her pants. She could easily use magic to relieve both of them of their clothing, but Amara loved the care Gascon took in disrobing her. It was as if he was opening a present every single time.
Gascon chuckled a bit before his lips began trailing down her jawline to her neck. " That's because you are a gift, Amara. You and Tamrand are the best things to have ever happened to me." he whispered against her ear before capturing the lobe gently between his teeth. The gasp that rewarded him for his efforts made him smile seductively.
Amara rolled to her back, pulling Gascon over her and she lifted her hips as he drew the first article of clothing away from her body. His fingers reverently traced their way down her legs, and she shuddered pleasurably at the sensation. Her hands began pulling at his shirt, and Amara gasped as Gascon cupped her sex through her knickers. By the ancients, it had been too damn long since he had made her feel like this. Gascon lifted himself from her, only to discard his shirt to the side, and his body connected to her own again as he began losing himself in her. Her back arched into him as his fingers began teasing her in earnest, playing with her through the material of her knickers.
Gascon pulled away from her for a brief moment and Amara gasped as cool air connected to her suddenly bare skin. He had beaten her to the punch this time. " I'm sorry love, I can't wait." he groaned as his fingers began teasing and toying with a pert nipple. Gascon didn't wait for a reply either as he kissed his wife passionately, entering her willing body at the same time. He didn't want to wait tonight if she was offering herself to him. His jaw went slack at the sensation as Amara clutched at him tightly for his sudden intrusion. " Oh damn." he whispered as his wife cried out into his mouth. He pulled back, moaning wantonly himself as her tight channel tried to keep him in place, and Gascon flexed lovingly into his wife again and again. She was the calm of his storm, his only true respite from the world around them.
" Shit! Gascon!" Amara cried out as he pulled her up into his lap. Her fingers laced into the short strands near his neck and her head flew back as Gascon brought her down hard against his cock. His name echoed shrilly through their room again as he repeated the motions again, though this time his lips latched tightly to her neck. " Yes!"
Gascon paused for only a moment, but he was soon standing at the side of the bed with his wife before him laying on her side. " I warned you that I would be putting you through some of the paces Sean put Andi through." He purred as he aligned himself to enter her again. Amara's screech of delight swam through his ears as he pierced her body again, and his teeth nibbled against the flesh of her ankle. Gascon had wondered if Amara and Andi had shared the same kinks when it came to love making ever since he had first caught their souls in the act. If the shudder that Amara gave him was any indication, she definitely liked what he was doing.
Amara's head hit the mattress as she voiced her pleasure again. The way Gascon was taking her was beyond incredible! He had never achieved such an angle in the four years they had been together, and it was slowly stripping the half elf of her cognizance. The fact that he was deriving as much pleasure as she was from this only heightened the feeling for her.
Gascon could already feel the heralding tremors of Amara's climax, and he pulled her a bit closer. Damn she was such a flexible little thing! He knew that he wouldn't last much longer himself, he had been deprived of her too long. " Come for me, Amara." He whispered sensually against her ear. He was completely flat against her, all the while driving into her with abandon. " Come all over my hard cock..."
Amara shuddered as she tried to hold back. Damn him for talking to her like that! The way his voice sounded as he took her was too much! " Gascon!" She screamed as her orgasm ripped through her with the force of a hurricane.
If Gascon had thought he could get through that, he was sorely mistaken. He could feel her clenching and spasming around him, pushing him to the brink just as harshly as he had sent her over the edge. " Oh shit! Amara!" He called out hoarsely as lightning raced down his spine and sent him spiralling into his own release.
The two lay gasping for a bit as they came down from the high their lovemaking had induced in them. Gascon lovingly nuzzled Amara's neck as his breath hit her skin in harsh pants. Slowly, Amara turned her face towards his and captured Gascon’s lips in a searing hot kiss that only further addled his already scattered mind. It felt as if it had been an eternity since he had last made love to her like this.
“ I love you.” he whispered against her lips. “ By the ancients do I love you.” Gascon rolled to the side so he wouldn’t smother Amara beneath his weight and he spooned around her tightly, just content to be holding her. Loving her.
Amara felt a few happy tears spring to her eyes as she sensed how Gascon was feeling through their bond. If anyone had told her more than five years ago that she would have sacrificed everything to keep the man beside her alive, she would have politely referred them to the nearest healer to be examined to see if they were certifiably insane. By the ancients, it was true. Amara knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to blot out the sun if it meant keeping Gascon at her side, with their son and herself. A tired yawn captured her before she could contain it and Amara snuggled deeper into Gascon’s embrace even as he pulled the blanket over them. “ I love you too Gascon.” she whispered.
Gascon knew she was asleep within an instant and he smiled tiredly himself. “ I know the lengths you would go to keep me from harm, love.” he whispered into her ear. “ Just don’t forget that the same goes for me as well. I don’t know what I would do if I were to lose you. The only thing I can do now is make sure it doesn’t come to that.” Gascon felt Amara sigh contentedly, and he pulled her as tight against him as he dare. His own eyes began drifting closed as well as he began slipping into the land of nod with his swan. Gascon was going to need all the rest he could get tonight.
Come morning, he had work to do.

A hammer striking an anvil made Aden’s brow furrow. The blacksmith here at the palace was supposed to be at home tending to his family, as they had been quite shaken up after the goblin attack the other night. Well, if Lod was there, Aden was going to be quite firm in sending him back home. The steward’s son hastened his pace a bit as he headed near the guard’s drilling grounds, and Aden shook his head in disbelief. Lod was one of those men who couldn’t just sit at home and do nothing. It wasn’t that his work ethic was unappreciated, but his wife and sons need him more at home than here.
Hell, I need to see to my own wife and daughter. Thank the ancients that Arissa as able to get herself and little Talia out of here. I should probably let her know it’s safe to come home. Aden thought briefly. He turned the corner, drawing breath to soundly tell Lod off for working today when other things needed to be tended to, and Aden nearly tripped over his own two feet when he saw who was there.
Gascon paused a moment to stop swinging the hammer and he wiped the sweat from his brown. Aden was stunned still at the sight of the man so hard at work this early in the morning, but he quickly shook it off. What in the devil was Gascon working on so soon after the attack?
“ You’re up early.” Gascon called over to him between hammer strikes. A small smirk was on his face as Aden came over closer and the young lord looked over everything his longtime friend had already shaped.
“ You’re constant racket is what woke me. Have you eaten breakfast yet, man?!” Aden retorted teasingly, though he quickly brought his arm up to protect his face from the sparks that were flying towards him.” Dammit Gascon! Quit aiming them over here, you prig!”
Gascon laughed a bit even as he kept hammering away. “ Amara already brought my meal down. I’ve been working since just before dawn. I couldn’t sleep in all honesty.” he responded.
Aden picked up a small piece to examine it and his brow quirked as he looked as Gascon curiously. Truesilver? Now Aden wasn’t leaving until he knew what in hell his friend was working on. “ I doubt any of us will be getting much rest. Especially if we can anticipate another attack like that happening any time soon.” Aden added sullenly. He didn’t even bring up just how badly shaken his father and uncle were after yesterday’s events.
Gascon paused his crafting a moment as he sighed heavily. “ How are your father and his majesty holding up?” he asked softly.
“ They’re worried as hell for the two of you, as am I Gascon. I don’t like the fact that both you and Amara are being bullheaded enough to take the Witch of the Void by yourselves. I don’t like it one bit.” Aden said seriously, his blue eyes blazing a bit. “ She killed you yesterday, Gascon, what’s going to stop her from doing it again once she learns you’re still alive?”
Gascon smirked a little, despite the hurt he felt in his heart at his friend’s honest words. “ Quite frankly, you really have no clue how much of a force Amara and I are together. We are not to be reckoned with when we work in tangent. Vana’s tried killing the two of us twice already. I like our odds that Amara and I will take that bitch down when the time is right. Hence why I’m working on my new gun.” Gascon held up the glowing piece of metal that would be the barrel of the gun. A dark chuckle escaped him a bit. “ Or should I say guns?”
Aden looked carefully at the pieces Gascon had already assembled. Sure enough, there were two a piece of each component. “ Twin pistols?” Aden asked, his voice in silent awe. “ Amara told me that you two were meeting with Tarin in three weeks. Do you seriously think that you can finish both of them in time?”
Gascon gave Aden a cocky smile. “ Definitely. Besides, Amara will be bringing Tarin here in four days so that he can help me with them. He’s currently headed towards the Vale to speak to the forest guardian there. I fully plan on condensing the power of my rifle into each gun.” he replied confidently. He dunked the barrel into the water trough nearby and steam hissed high into the air.
Aden shook his head as if to clear it. Surely the man was jesting. He just had to be! “ I don’t think I heard you correctly, Gascon. I thought I heard you say that you were going to put the same amount of power that is in the dwarven rifle that Thaden gifted to you into both of these pistols.” he said once he had cleaned his ears out a bit.
Gascon chuckled darkly. “ I did Aden.” He used the tongs to pluck the other piece of metal for the other barrel from the forge. His brown eyes were narrowed as he looked down at the anvil. “ I’m not giving Vana another chance to lay a hand on Amara or I, Aden. We know that I’m the best damn shot in the kingdom. I will shoot that bitch between the eyes if it means my wife isn’t harmed.” He began bringing the hammer down in a steady rhythm again, thus signalling to Aden that he was ready to get back to work. He had a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it in.
Aden could all but feel the malcontent that Gascon was radiating as he thought of the goblin queen even harming his wife and he shuddered from the sudden chill that raced down his spine. “ I’ll leave you to your work Gascon. Just don’t neglect yourself please.” Aden told him gently.
“ No worries. Amara’s like clockwork when it comes to meals and taking breaks. She’s perfected how to get me to stop, though I haven’t the foggiest idea how she managed such a thing.” Gascon laughed a little at the thought as Aden did as well. “ I’ll definitely be at supper. That’s the one meal Amara won’t stand for me working through, as I would do with breakfast and lunch. We’ll talk a bit more then, Aden. I promise.”
Aden smiled a little even as he began walking away. “ I’ll hold you to that Gascon.” he said with a wave.

Percivical smiled softly as he came around the forge to check on his son in law. Gascon was still hammering away, and his brow was furrowed in intense concentration. He had been working and shaping for the better part of the day, and Percivical chuckled. Amara had also sent him out here to be sure that her husband took a break while she finished tending to some of the wounded around town. Thankfully almost all the denizens who had been injured were hale and hearty again.
Gascon’s eyes flitted over to Percivical as he came into his peripheral and he shook his head with a small chuckle. “ I see Amara strikes again.” he laughed out loud. He took another swing before deciding that this piece was set to be polished and he dunked the hot metal into the cool water nearby. “ To what do I owe the pleasure, your majesty?”
Percivical guffawed himself. “ It’s only the two of us Gascon. Call me Percy. You should know that by now.”
Gascon reached out the clasp the man’s shoulder as the evestan king looked over the small pieces that he had been painstakingly crafting for the last five hours. Percy, there’s someone here who shouldn’t be. I don’t know who it is, but I’ve felt nothing but their malcontent for the last hour or so. I don’t wish to see you come to harm if it is an assassin. “ So many little pieces. This one’s going to take me the better part of a month to complete.”
Percivical’s brow rose in curiosity. “ You’re sure about that?” he asked, though he tried to keep the edge out of his voice from what Gascon had just told him mentally. It was better to make it sound as if he were making light conversation to draw the would be assassins out. “ I heard from your father that you built your current pistol much faster than that.”
Gascon chuckled a little even as he set to cleaning his hands and rolling up his sleeves. Percivical could just barely see the harness that Gascon utilized for his wand on his left arm. Considering the young man before him used his gun with his right, it only made sense that he would. “ It was also a simpler design than this to be honest, Percy.” He clapped his father in law on the shoulder again. They’re attempting to move into your blind spot. Count to five and be ready to go to the left.
“ Ah. Of course.” Percivical responded with a light chuckle. You’re much better than your father at this you know. he told Gascon amusedly even as he began mentally keeping count.
At the count of five, Percivical dodged to the left as a goblin, shrouded in many layers of cloth to protect itself from the bright light, launched itself from the tree near the forge. In that same instant, Gascon picked up his hammer and clocked the bugger on the back of the head when he missed the evestan king.
“ I had a good teacher in Amara for that, Percy.” Gascon replied, seemingly unphased by the botched attempt on the other man’s life.
Percivical chuckled. The goblin had a pretty good sized goose egg raising from where Gascon had struck him. “ Amara takes after the elves quite a bit. Maybe Tamrand will be the same as she.” The evestan king’s eyes went wide even as his own magic flared to life. A golden hammer came down with a sickening splat on another goblin that had managed to sneak up on Gascon while the two of them had been distracted by the first. Barely a second later, an arrow of light struck out three more that were in hiding waiting for their chance. More than likely they were only grunts who had been separated from the main force that had attacked two days ago. Pleased that he couldn’t sense any more would be assassins in the area, Percivical nodded to himself. It had been a long, long time since he had engaged an enemy like that.
Gascon looked at the second goblin with a mild sense of shock, then to the rest of the bodies littering the courtyard. It wasn’t about the attempt that had just been made on their lives, it was the fact that Percivical hadn’t even used a wand to use his magick. He turned his gaze to his father in law, his jaw dropped in a sense of awe now. “ That was bloody brilliant, Percy.” he breathed out. “ How in heaven’s name did you do that?”
Percivical smiled. “ You learn a few things when you get to be my age, son.” he chuckled. “ Like Dagaron, not many assassin’s could escape me while I was in my prime. Once you and Amara take the throne, it will be clear as to how I was able to do that. I promise.” He straightened his overcoat a little and flicked an imaginary mote of dust from his shoulder. “ Besides, an old man like myself is afforded a few secrets.”
Gascon laughed richly as Percivical began heading back inside. Well, no time like the present to get this blighter to the dungeons if he still had a pulse. The porcine prince shook his head in disbelief. “ Amazing.” he whispered under his breath. “ Magic without a conduit…” He was in big trouble if Amara was able to accomplish such a feat. He shuddered a little at the thought of the hijinks his beloved would pull if she were able to always access her magic like that. Even as he set to checking the pulse on the goblin nearest him, a large smile spread across his face at what he had just witnessed.
That really was bloody brilliant.
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The Ties that Bind