The Tattooed Princess

The Annihilating Nature of Love

          When Sharvur and his men returned from their warfare training, seven days and nights in the field, there was a general anticipation among the Pazyryk people to get things back to a regimented life. Without Sharvur and the fearful respect he demanded of all his people, the clan might not have lasted so many years. Sharvur and his generals—valuable men like Murka, came back to the relief of the people and also to the affection of those who had missed them. Svetlana understood that Murka would be himself glad to return to his two children, and their mother, Dressa, his mate. The fact that she, as his slave, missed him too, spoke highly of the hero and was rare. By the seventh day she missed him to a degree she did not want to admit—either to her friends Zaria and Branka, or even to herself. Hers and Murka's almost nightly trysts, prior to his departure had galvanized within her a need for what they so passionately enjoyed, sometimes lasting all the night. From Murka's gentle and sensitive ways of love making—always ensuring that it was she who cried first out into the night from pleasure, Svetlana had become endeared to that magic he provided for her. And though her feelings for him had never come to the surface, now in his absence they were raw and she hungered for what she refused to accept was at a dangerous level of desire.

        When that eighth morning arrived and brought the whole community out for the men's return, Murka shunned the celebration and simply entered the pathway to his household. After so much time away, Dressa greeted him with his children in tow. She had dressed them carefully in their finery and held each by the hand as they waited for him. Svetlana watched the scene surreptitiously from the doorway. In the distance she noted that Murka knelt down, kissed each child enthusiastically and then held the boy and girl in his arms separately, hugging them lovingly. It wasn't until they neared the main doorway that he gave his mate Dressa an obligatory hug and kiss, and Svetlana watched even more critically to see how Murka's body language and gaze upon Dressa's face would speak of his love for her. On that day it seemed of tantamount importance to her just how much love the hero would find it his heart to share with Dressa.

          As he performed this in a cursory fashion, there arose in her a feeling she had never experienced before—a mixture of emotions which caused her heart to beat wildly. Part of that curious feeling was the joy at seeing Murka's strong presence again, but another was a selfish sentiment—and one that surprised and disturbed her. This feeling made her glad that the hero made so little of his greeting to Dressa. She was astonished  at herself for not feeling the empathy she should have felt for a mate not receiving a passionate reunion from her man—it would seem a crushing disappointment to any woman.  But she instead, with some guilt, felt her own her own selfish satisfaction buoy her up that Murka did not dote upon Dressa, or even stop to talk to her as they walked from the entryway toward the doorway. Noting this, Svetlana quickly ran back and hid herself at the back recesses of the house.

            Once there in the dim hallways, she wondered how Murka would approach her when he encountered her. She even feared that he might not call for her to be with him on this night of his return. There was in Svetlana a burning desire that he would greet her with greater feelings and attention than he showed to Dressa.

            Prior to his and the other men's arrival, Dressa had Svetlana perform certain duties to properly prepare the house and meals for his return. She was already tired from this work, but looked forward to her bath and the preparation of clothing she would wear for him should he make demands to be with her that late evening. Svetlana now longed for the consistency Murka had shown for her prior to the campaign of military readiness which took so many of the men away from their women. If only this night he would spend several hours with her, she hoped, to ensure nothing had been lost of their sensual and the erotic adventures she had come to adore.