That was how Ashurran had been living in Ruatta's castle, and not a single day passed without her learning something new about herself and the world around her. Only the host was still a mystery for her.
Ruatta ordered gowns and veils, girdles and shoes of a noble lady made for Ashurran and adorned her himself with necklaces, rings and bracelets of precious jewels. At first those clothes and jewels seemed strange for Ashurran to wear, but she noticed Ruatta glance at her more often, and resigned to it. Her love and respect for that man grew with each passing day, and she would do anything to put a smile on his face.
At will she could behave in a stately manner, speak demurely and with refined words, and could be easily taken for a noble lady in any Lankmarian town, even in the capital itself. More often than not Ruatta invited her to dine with him at the table laid elegantly and lavishly, and they would converse while dining like any noble prince and princess would.
Yet nothing could turn Ashurran away from the arts of the field, and nothing offered a greater pleasure for her than a sword and a lance, a stallion and a saddle, a war and a hunt, maybe except a smile on Ruatta's face.
She had read many books on wars of the past, often trying to imagine how she herself would have fared instead of those mighty warlords. Ruatta taught her to play chess, and they would spend hours with the chessboard between them. He used to win two games out of three, but never easily, never without her putting up a fierce and cunning fight.
Even in fencing he was able to teach her some useful moves and tricks, unknown to her. But with a sword in hand he was no match for Ashurran. Their training fights always ended the same, with Ruatta hard pressed and disarmed by his ward.
"Indeed your swordsmanship is great and second to none," he would say often. "I was considered a decent swordsman in my time, but I can never be your equal. In ten years there will be no equal for you even beyond Irshawan."
"And what's beyond Irshawan?" curious Ashurran would ask, but he would answer as always, "All in good time."
Once she said to him, concealing a sly smile, "It's unbefitting to fight without stakes."
"And what stake would you be wanting of me, oh warrior princess with eyes of sapphires?"
"Nothing much. Your kiss will do."
Ruatta laughed. "A fair bargain it's not. We both know you will win anyway. Yet I could give you a kiss for free."
After saying that he touched his lips to Ashurran's, and his kiss was fresh and sweet as spring water and heady as strawberry wine. After one kiss, however, he left Ashurran and went about his business, and she stayed alone in the garden racked with desire. With that single kiss she was so aroused that the water in a pool boiled up around her when she went to refresh herself.
For a longest time Ashurran had been lusting for Ruatta the wizard, and that kiss threatened to shutter the last remnants of her patience and self-mastery. She racked her brains seeking for a way and could find absolutely none. Neither could she take him by force nor would entice him with making sheep's eyes at him as a maiden from a romance. As for Ruatta himself, so far he had been chaste, reserved and respectful towards her, and showed no signs of being attracted to her. After the kiss his breath never even quickened, and he went away as calm and composed as ever.
Ashurran decided to test him. She donned her field attire, a hard leather corselet and knee-high riding boots. She braided her hair in four braids after the steppe fashion, girded herself with a sword and went straight to the tower where Ruatta used to conduct his magical studies.
He was a marvel to behold that day, clad in green silk embroidered with leaves and blades of grass. He wore a garland of emeralds on his head like a crown of a forest king. Ashurran had a hard time of suppressing her emotions.
She made a graceful bow to Ruatta and spoke to him,
"A year had passed since I came to your castle, and now it's time for me to leave it."
Ruatta averted his gaze, but not before Ashurran had noticed sudden sadness in it and rejoiced secretly.
"Why should you want to leave my castle so soon, oh fair maiden with a heart of a lion?" Ruatta asked ever so courtly, and there had been only a slight echo of regret in his voice.
"I have been a diligent and eager pupil, and you can teach me nothing else. I'm going to find another tutor who will teach me how to get my heart's desire."
"And what is your heart's desire, pray tell?" Ruatta asked quietly, without looking at her, but her eyes were fastened on him. There was a slight blush on his cheeks now, and he had never been more beautiful.
"I want to find someone who will teach me how to seduce a haughty sorcerer," Ashurran said ardently and came closer to him, with only a step between them.
"You already know how," Ruatta the haughty sorcerer breathed.
"Is it false then what they say, that you prefer men in your bed?"
"I had neither man nor woman in my bed since you came to my castle. But I would never make the first move, because I am a host and you are my ward, and that would be coercion."
"Same as you, I don't stand coercion, and there is none," Ashurran said, and Ruatta moved closer, with only a palm's breadth between them.
She tried to embrace him, but he stopped her.
"Wait," Ruatta said, his breathing uneven and heavy. "I should say something first. I had a beloved, ages ago, and left him to came here, and never saw him again. You are like him in so many ways. I fear I will think about him while being with you."
"I fear neither love nor death, and that concern of yours troubles me even less so," Ashurran said unabashed. "I give you my word that with me you will think only of me, no one else, and my word is unbreakable."
Not able to hold back their desire any longer, they embraced one another and abandoned themselves in passion right there on the floor. Ashurran was so hot with desire that her fingers left burns on Ruatta's hips, and he laughed and healed himself with magic.
From this time on they would spend every night together, with one pillow and one blanket, close like two pearls in a shell, and their mutual love never ceased for even a heartbeat. Every day they would indulge in various amusements, but their favorite one still was a battle of love, and they would never grow tired of caressing each other now gently, now fiercely, of touching lips to lips, skin to skin, and the red and auburn locks upon the pillow would entwine with the raven-black ones.
Nearly a year had passed in continuous delights, and no one in whole Irshawan could have been happier than Ashurran and Ruatta.
YOU ARE READING
Gates to Glory: Epic Fantasy Adventure Tale (Ashurran #1)
Adventure[FINISHED]She was born in a tribe of fierce female warriors. Swords and spears have been her toys from the cradle. She has the only path before her, to become the tribe chief after her mother. Yet Ashurran dreams of strange lands, of bigger battles...
