A Familiar Face (4.30, Late Morning, Royal Hunting Grounds, Valen/Arycelle)

[Valen Alysworth]

Valen had woken early, as was his wont, and gone out riding. He was restless, spurring his horse ever onward. Faster and faster, until gardens blurred into lush pastured, blurred into woods.

It was that same dream again, the one that only seemed to catch hold of him when he was away from home. He hadn't had it for so long... Voices calling out to him, some of them with the death-rattle, some with no words at all, hands reaching out of dense underbrush to pull at him like so many hungry thorns. A huge, androgynous figure of such magnificence that they seemed to fill his whole vision, calling him to some hero's destiny. He protested! He was no hero, just a...well, there was the rub. A what? He knew the answer so well, in waking hours...

Valen didn't like not being absolutely certain...about anything. Perhaps that was why the dream always left him restless - it hearkened back to a time he had known doubt. Doubt...the bane of weaker men! It hadn't plagued him for years, but even the thought of that now-unknown and unwanted emotion prickled at him, got under his skin.

He rode out into the forest, and wasn't paying much attention. A flash of sunlight flashed in his eyes and filled his head with brilliant light, and he didn't even think before lifting an arm to cover his eyes, blocking out the light.

[Arycelle Redwald]

Those accursed roses, reminders of all the dead. They said it would honour them once more, but it didn't feel that way for her. It simply was acknowleging that they were gone for good, forever, never coming back. She could feel the blur building in the corner of her eyes. Angrily she raised her palms to either eye and rubbed away sulkily. Nothing was fair, it was supposed to be a fun trip. Finally getting to see the capital, meeting all the noble lords and ladies. There was a great tourney, any other time she would have loved that kind of thing, but not right now. She couldn't bear to.

She mumbled into her knees, curled up at the base of a tree. She was a Redwald, yet she still couldn't master these simple emotions, all that talk of being iron, she didn't feel like iron, not since the plague. A horse trotted by, like a fleeting dream. It may have been real, or not. So many roses...

There was a thump ahead of her, and the neigh of a horse as a rider fell. The horse was real. She pushed herself to her feet, and brushed away what dirt she could imagine would be on the backside of her dress as quick as she could, before bounding over. A familiar face.

She fell in beside him, cheering up enough to forget her troubles and giggle, "Valen, you're so clumsy..." She casually took his arm in the grip of her own and hauled him to his feet with what strength she could, he'd have to do the main labour though, if he wasn't actually sparked out. Valen...

[Valen Alysworth]

What had happened?

There had been a flash of light, filling his brain. He'd lifted his arm, turning his face from the sun...

A girl. There had been a girl, curled up in the roots of a tree, trying not to cry. It seemed so strange, the way time slowed, making the whole thing so clear in his mind. Her bright ginger hair cried out to him. She looked so....familiar. Was that one of his own dear sisters, crying!? He had to dismount, go and see her, see if she was allright...

As it happened, a low branch did that job quite tidily for him.

Pain. By the gods, as many smacks as a man took, a good thump in the head was never a kind thing! Valen went down like a sack of rocks, rolling to his knees and holding his head. His horse - a rather no-nonsense roan gelding - seemed to roll its eyes andgave a snort, going off a little ways to find a patch of thistle.

Feeling soft hands on his arms, Valen rose a little bit, then sank to his knees again, dizzy. He clutched at the girl, blinking up into her face and trying to focus his eyes.

"Beautiful..." he slurred, squinting. "as the dawn...oh, lovely."

Some dim part of him intoned that the knock to his head had sent him quite silly. At the moment, he didn't care.

[Arycelle Redwald]

"Beautiful" he called her. Her heart was a flutter, and she didn't know what to do. She bit her lip in attempt to cease her stupid smile, when he looked up and spoke to her. It was like a dream. Blast that delirious smile of his, that knock didn't seem to quell the young man's stunning good looks. She unvoluntarily threw back on a smile that must have ranged from ear to ear, it was all she could do but melt into his arms, or would have if he wasn't so lacking in balance right now. He had propped himself up on her shoulder as she helped him up to a vertical base, and it was threatening to give way under his weight. She was strong but, by the gods...Her knee almost buckled and she pushed him up onto his own two feet.

She wasn't used with being called beautiful, not by anyone but her family, but this was certainly different, some other senses were stirring here. She basked in the moment of helping him to his feet, just enjoying the touch, before letting her hands fall from him, and back into her control once more, she hugged her arms close, shy and wondering how to proceed, she wasn't used with any of these feelings. Not yet.

"Are you hurt?" She thought about putting a hand on his shoulder...but froze at the idea, and just stood trying to keep her gaze steady and not to stray to deeply into those eyes of his. Her hair fell from behind her left ear and gave her a perfect opportunity to casually dry the sweat from her palms, before brushing it back into place.

[Valen Alysworth]

"Nono...don't let go of me." he protested, almost instantly. How could she! How could such a perfect creature abandon him, when the world felt all hazy and indistinct, and his head thumped so? His hands reached out for hers, and he swayed a bit. His dizziness was real, but might have been just the tiniest bit exaggerated. Those eyes of his, as it happened, were a brilliant sea-blue, and rather intently fixed on her face...if perhaps a tad unfocused.

Once, when very small, Valen had caught a fever. It was a bit like that, like speaking and looking through water. He just grinned at her, as goofy as anything. He looked down at the girl before him, his hand reaching out to curl around her shoulder. Not his sister, but...still, she's so familiar.

"Yes. No. That is. You'll make it better, won't you?"

You're being an absolute idiot. A voice intoned. He still didn't care.

"You make everything better."

You dolt, you don't even know her.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

[Arycelle Redwald]

He clung to her, what was happening? She wasn't prepared for any of this. All her cares of roses, or whatever she was thinking about a few minutes ago had vanished, in a torrent of mixed emotions. He clung to her. And she let him. She had no reins over her smile anymore, she had a lord, a gorgeous young lord clinging to her. She had seen him a couple of times in the Vale, both were younger then, and Ary in particular hadn't ever feel as giddy as this. She was smiling for joy, and she had no say in changing it, her face was not hers to control anymore.

"You took a nasty...knock on the head?" She smiled as her new unfound senses overwhelmed her, she felt embolded somehow, playfully embolded by his seeming vunrability. Her hands raised gently and deftly and found his hair. She entrailed them in the side of his thick, auburn locks. So soft. She measuredly searched for a bump, why she was looking around the back of his ears she never knew or even realised. But she knew it felt good. She had no idea what she was doing, or trying to get away with, but whatever it was, there was no turning back now.

[Valen Alysworth]

The bump was just starting to show - a dull red burn across his forehead just starting to form. Still, Valen was less and less considered with the ringing in his ears, and more and more concerned with the lovely young lady he held in his arms.

Might as well hold her properly, he supposed, if he was going to hold her at all. One arm slid securely about her waist, tugging her flush against him, and the other slid into her hair, tenderly tucking it back behind an ear. Her fingers in his hair felt lovely. Nothing quite like pets from a pretty girl...he shivered, as content as a hound getting scritches behind the ear. Her body against his was warm and soft, and he looked down at her, finally feeling his head clear a bit, and his eyes focus.

She was lovely. And...and she looked at him like was some sort of dashing Knight from a storybook. It was that, perhaps, more than her beauty, that made him feel instantly fond of her. Or perhaps it was the last shivers of his dream, or the fact that he'd tossed too many roses in the water, said goodbye to too many brilliant hearts. ....mostly, though, it was the way she looked at him. As if he were a good man, a pure man, a man a girl could idolise. A hero...

"...you know, my mother says a kiss heals every wound."

[Arycelle Redwald]

Their bodies were starting to intertwine in awkward ways, he took a firm, yet tender hold of her, pulling her into him. Her small hands took more more gentle caress through his locks and then fell lower, taking refuge now on his chest. Her eyes turned their attention from his hair and feel into those bottomless pool, he called his eyes. It was then that his hand found a place behind her ear, amongst her hair. She tilted her head slightly to receive his touch.

She closed her eyes for a moment and bathed in the warm of his touch, his hand was like silk, her eyes slid back into wakefullness, and she drowned in his stare. "...you know, my mother says a kiss heals every wound." Her eyes glittered, but this time, no smile found its way onto her face, the eagerness was all in her eyes, the unblinking passion of those grey blue eyes. But she didn't make the move, she didn't know how. Was she really going to have her first kiss? She slid her hands smoothly up his chest to his collar, what felt like hours, would only be in reality, a few seconds of bliss.

[Valen Alysworth]

Valen blinked a bit, as she came near, so near...but no farther. What was this? She clearly wanted to kiss him, it was shining out from those gorgeous eyes of hers, in every line of her body and every breath from her lips. If Valen Alysworth knew one thing...well, he knew quite a few things, actually, but one of them was knowing with absolute certitude when a girl was eager and impatient for kissing. And this one absolutely was. And yet she waited...

Oh! Oh, yes, of course. Right. She wanted him to kiss her. Must have been the knock on the head, he hadn't thought of that, at first. Likely one of these girls raised up on storybooks of knights and princes, who couldn't even imagine taking an active hand in their own enjoyment. He'd have to fix that! But first...

With a little sigh, Valen pulled the girl up against him, wrapping both his arms around her, rubbing her back and bit and stroking her hair. He gazed into her eyes, as knights and princes (according to books, at least) were wont to do, and gave her a tiny smile. The way she was blushing, one might think she'd never kissed before! Lowering his mouth to hers, he closed his eyes, determined to give her the best, most thorough kiss a maiden could wish, and leave her in a swoon.

...hopefully, he wouldn't' topple over himself in the process.

[Arycelle Redwald]

He made her wait longer than she had expected, he made the moment perfect. Just like in tales when prince's would ride up to a princess' and sweep them offf their feet. Was this real? Or was it a dream. She didn't care anymore. He set up the kiss, and she accepted it, he back arched under the passion, as he seemed to loom over her, closer in the passion, and she gave way before him. His lips felt so good, more, and more.

They reached a climax, breathing heavily, Ary leant into him, cheek to cheek, breathing into his beard. Her eyes were closed. So good... It felt so good. Forgetting her purpose in the capital entirely, forgetting her father, mother, brothers, the dead, the king, the tourney, everything. She drew back only an inch of two and slipped back onto his lips, pecking his lower lip ever so slightly, before slipping her hold on him. Her hands took his shirt in her fists, and things seemed to spiral.

She drove him down and onto the ground, and mounted him, her mouth slipped open and her natural instincts took hold, she sent her tongue to play with his, and took passionate hold of his hair once more.

[Valen Alysworth]

Well. This was certainly....unexpected.
But nice!

Valen shivered as he kissed her, letting himself fall into it...ah, she was sweet! A bit inexperienced, perhaps, but certainly eager...which was always nice. A moment passed, he gave a strangled yelp as she grabbed his tunic and tossed him down, as they both tumbled together to the mossy earth. He blinked a bit in surprise, and clung to her, gasping to catch his breath. And she...moved to sit astride him?! And then she was kissing him, her mouth hot and wet, her tongue assertive in re-establishing the kiss that he'd just begun what seemed like only a moment before. Valen's hands flopped about uselessly for a moment, and then remembered what they ought be doing, and took hold of her hips. He kissed her back, of course, but his head was already spinning again.

This must be a dream. Had to be. He'd been unhorsed, hit his head...dream. Definitely a dream. No way this could be real.

Not a chance.

[Arycelle Redwald]

She felt amazing, and he felt amazing. Why had she had to wait seventeen years for this? Her hair had long since fallen from behind her ears and merged in happy union with the hair of man who's face she was threatening to suck off at this rate. His hands had made camp on her hips, and his touch just seemed to fuel the passion. Her loins were throbbing in ways she had never known before, not until now.

She raised from her comfy seat atop his pelvis, and took her legs parallel to his own, steching herself over him, and slid her groin down his side, to his hip to lie astride him, she let out a quick gasp of pleasure into his mouth, that broke the mutual trade of saliva for all but a second. It was like a dream, a fleeting dream. She didn't want to wake, or him, whoever it was who hosted this dream, it was the best dream she had ever had. Never let it end.

She hugged his side with her full body, and her lips broke into a gleeful smile, by now she needed a breather. She nuzzled against the rough of his beard and gave his neck a kiss, as she hugged his side from inside his arm, her chest heaved against him from the sudden wave of momentus passion she had thrown at him, figure of her imagination or not.

[Valen Alysworth]

Without thinking, Valen snugged an arm around the girl's waist, holding her close. It was automatic, just what one did when a girl was snuggled up to one's side, nuzzling close like that.

He stared up at the sky, the golden sunlight dappling his face through the leaves of the very tree that had unhorsed him. The sunlight set his coppery hair to shining, and he squinted into the light, letting himself fancy for a moment that Mirtha herself was smiling down in her generosity.

His eyes flickered over, noticing the low-hanging branch that had sent him toppling from his horse. The horse, the tree...the girl.
Is that how this had all started? This strange fever-dream, the golden fantasy of a girl who looked so much like kin, but acted like anything but a sister.
Or perhaps he had never woken at all this morning, but was still in his bed.

Either way, it was offensive to the gods to look askance at the gifts they sent.

She felt so soft and comfortable against him, her lips against his beard reminding him of...something. It was hard to remember. Hard to think, really, or want to.

He tipped his head a bit, catching her mouth with his own, licking along her lips before deepening the kiss. Slow and sweet, gentle...perfect for a drowsy spring afternoon.

[Arycelle Redwald]

The sunlight seemed to grow in intensity up above her, splitting the royal hunting grounds, if that was infact where she still was. It was such a mystical encounter that she doubted the reality of it, her intensity perhaps was attributed to that doubt. Dream or no, Lord Valen Alysworth was the most handsome being that Ary had ever laid eyes on, and dreamily gorgeous.

This was the best she'd ever felt in her life she well and truly believed. He held her waist and met her embrace, as she rested among his facial hair. He seemed to be contemplating something, looking to the sky. She smiled and spoke softly, drowned in her comfort and joy, "What you thinking about?" Whether he heard of not didn't matter, he responded by meeting her lips again, he eased into it playfully. Her heart quickened as he initiated it, she felt something akin to love - a young girl's love. She had spent so much time being a boy at home in the Vale, it was nice to finally feel like girl.

[Valen Alysworth]

"Hrm?" She'd spoken. He was fairly sure she'd spoken, just before his lips found hers. His kiss was slow and sweet, tasting her, learning her. After a moment he pulled back, one hand moving to stroke at her belly.

"What was that?"

When she repeated her words, he thought about it for a moment. Truth was, he hadn't been thinking at all, really; nothing more in his head than a general recognition of his incredible contentment at that very moment. The sun was warm and the day was fair, and while there was sorrow on his tongue, he could savour a moment for what it was. But he doubted she wanted to hear that. He drew in a breath, her head moving against his lips as his chest rose and fell.

"How kind the Father is, to send me such a gift, on such a day."he murmured, letting his eyes fall closed. "How soft you are, and how sweet you smell."

A moment passed. He arched his head back, trying to look 'above' and behind him. "And...where is my horse?"

[Arycelle Redwald]

The kiss was deep, and took her breath away, she found it hard to part with him at that moment, releasing her lips only when it became clear he was pulling back. He moved a hand to her abs and stroked, half-tickling her. She repeated her words, he had missed. She rested her head on his chest, and heard his heart pounding, she moved up and down with his breathing. There seemed to be a short pause, but the response was worth it.

He thanked the gods. Oh my. His eye lids fell, "How soft you are, and how sweet you smell." She'd never had this kind of experience in the Vale before, her companions there had been her bow and her axe, she knew very little else. She welcomed the change, she had grown up a boy, it was only now she was experiencing being a girl, and she'd be damned if she said she didn't like it. Valen seemed to appreciate her, and she loved him for it. Loved him. She froze a moment in thought. Wait, do I love him? She looked up at his quiet calm, as he laid with his eyes closed. I do...

Maybe it was because she had never known anyone else, a first teenage interest. Either way, she was fairly certain, lost as she was. But she knew who he was, and what he did. I will tame him, she promised herself. She hugged him tighter, "You're so sweet..."

He moved, trying looking behind, searching for his horse. She looked for him, her position being much easier to do so. She couldn't see any signs of it, she didn't even know what colour she was looking for. She made to rise; help him find his horse, and to shake her dress back down, that had rode up to her knees during the intimacy.

[Valen Alysworth]

The moment his eye caught the flash of her bare knee, his hand pressed to it. He moved to stop her from rising, clutching her around the waist; his eyes looked up at her with his best pleading, eager, puppyish expression.

"He won't go far." was all he said, trying to tug her back down with him. His hand slid over the smooth skin of her calf, and he sucked in a breath. His fingers darted back to the hollow behind her knee to flutter against magnificent softness there - ah, what joy!

[Arycelle Redwald]

She had managed to get to one knee before he hooked her again, and reeled her right on back. Her heart fluttered again, both at his delicate and deliberate touch on the hind of her leg, and at the dreamy eyes he sported. She let him hold her waist, and massage her leg. The thought of letting her dress return to the innocence of her ankles drifted back out of thought as he caressed her skin tenderly.

She lurked there for a moment before moving in closer as he had beckoned her. She leant over him, arching her back, still on one knee, she ran her hands from his abs to his neck, before locking onto him again. She lowered her chest to enjoin with his and pecked the tip of his nose playfully.

[Valen Alysworth]

He looped one arm about Ary's waist, his hand flattening against her soft thigh. Stroking and petting, he couldn't help but suck in a breath at her softness, her warmth. The thrill of working up a skirt hem just another few inches...it never seemed to fade. It was always exciting...maybe not as much as the very very first time, but not much less!

He looked up at her, tilting his head to kiss at the corner of her lips, then pulling her into a deeper kiss. "Stay awhile, goddess." he whispered, his free hand slipping over her belly to gently cup one of her breasts. "We are alone - and the day will be darker if you leave me."

[Arycelle Redwald]

Her mouth was still wet from the kiss when he broke off and wispered sweet words to her. She cupped his jaw fondly with one hand, she whispered back into his ear, "I am but a mortal, in the arms of a god."

His hand had made its way up to her thigh, yet she did not noticed, too lost in the pleasure of his touch. His hand cupped her breast, for half an instant she made to stop him, but it felt so good. Her hand embraced his instead of stopping it, she moaned through her breath subtly as he toyed with her.

She had a literal throbbing urge to grind herself against him, she didn't know where the throught had came from, but it felt natural. She very slowly began rolling her hips moving as his strokes retracted and detracted up and down her thigh, rubbing herself against his thigh.

[Valen Alysworth]

With a girl so confident in seeking her own pleasure, what could a man do but help her out? Valen adjusted himself to be more helpfully placed, tugging her more securely against him. His hand slid up, finally spreading flat along her flank and giving long, slow rubs. His other hand was just as eager, and quite skilled in making her gasp again and again. He looked up at her, his face perfectly earnest, quite adoring already.

"You, a mortal? Nay, goddess." he whispered, against her lips. "You are Mirtha herself, I think, come down to corrupt and seduce this poor hapless mortal man." he protested, kissing her between words.

Right. She was seducing him. That was absolutely what was happening.

[Arycelle Redwald]

He seemed to help her in the motions and make them feel even more intense and rough in a good way, she breathed heavier between kisses. Her eyes closed under the sweet feeling radiating between her legs and the sweet comfortable pressure that kept absorbing her breast. He whispered such honeyed words, unable to come up with a reply in the heat of the moment.

She rolled off of him, to his side, with a gasp. Her legs felt moist, and her womanhood pounded in satisfaction. She wanted to keep doing that - she'd have to try it again sometime...only next time she'd make it last, she didn't know how long she had done it for, but it didn't feel like a long time.

Her chest heaved as she lay on her back, she held one of Valen's hands into one of her own, and just laid there. "Wow," she said turning her head to smile broadly at him as she regained her breath.

[Valen Alysworth]

He laughed, a low rumble in his chest. He clasped her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss his palm. No words on his lips, not now - no words were needed. He just pulled her in against his chest, happy to doze in the sunshine and joy of their seemingly gods-gifted encounter. He hadn't expected that - not anything close! - but was infinitely glad for it. He'd needed something to ease the numbness and sorrow of that heavy day.

He fell into napping for a bit, and was woken by a soft, whiskery feeling against his cheek. His gelding had returned, of course, and was nosing about his face, trying to wake him - likely a bit annoyed at having been dismissed so rudely. Valen blinked his eyes open.

"Oi, Geffin." he rasped, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes. His equine companion responded with a disdainful snort, and started munching on his curls. "Ack!" he shoved at his horse, who gave a whinney and ambled off to a slightly more appetising bunch of clover. He turned to the girl, gently shaking her awake, lifting her to her feet, pressing a sweet kiss to her brow.

"Ah, my sun-goddess - when night comes, your job is done. Meet me then?" a look over at his horse. "Behind the stables." he unclasped a brooch from his cloak, pressing it into her hand. "I will not fail."

The day had begun with tears, but - he dearly, dearly hoped - it would end with joy.