Gria's streets had been somewhat resuscitated by the recent goings-on. Both the tournament and the redoubled efforts to construct a new castle town gave hope to Tor's helpless population. Even at that time of night, guild members and guardsmen walked the streets with their heads held high for once. By all accounts, and considering the relative coolness in the air, it was the perfect night for a drink.
Mandrake wine was a splendid concoction brewed by a select few Beastkin tribes, using the oil of the elusive Mandrake root as a secret ingredient to provide the drink with a spicy kick. Due to its scarcity in the Steppe and its lack of trade with any other nation, the beverage was exceptionally rare and prized as a collector's item.
"Hah…" The aroma and taste of the wine transported Barion to a far simpler period of his life, when all that mattered was his family, "I can't remember the last time I had a drink like this."
"Oh? Well, I certainly do." Dorma replied, "Whenever we returned to Gria after a long and tiresome expedition, you would drink so much that you weren't able to get out of bed the next morning."
"That's true… I was always trying to drink Shilahi under the table."
"Honestly. She's known as the Great Hermit, but that woman can be awfully crass sometimes."
"She's calmed down a lot since then." He reminisced, "We all have."
"Isn't that the truth…" She muttered, "But the truth is that you were never satisfied with a simple life. Isn't that right?"
"No… not entirely."
"I understand how it is." She sympathised, "You don't feel like yourself when there's no battle to fight. The 'Barion' you know is one overcome with strife--so completely involved with despair that peace simply doesn't suit you anymore."
"Is that something you dislike about me?"
"No! No…" She leaned towards him, "I cannot put into words how happy it makes me that you've come to terms with that. To see you taking a step forward on your own terms, rather than acting how everyone expects you to--that's the man I've always known you were."
"If it wasn't for you, I would never have thought of it that way." Barion replied, "-At the same time, I never considered how difficult I was making this war for others, always refusing to take the initiative or push myself. The truth is: I've done nothing but make our lives harder. But I'm going to change that."
"I know." Dorma smiled, "That's all I need to hear."
"But, it also feels like I'm wasting time…" He confessed, "Sitting here, sharing a drink with you… when it feels like I should be fighting for a better world, instead of wasting time."
Dorma's smile faltered, "Do you… not enjoy spending time with me?"
"Of course I do!" He answered quickly, "...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Don't apologise." She interrupted, "I just worry for you, is all. You're always telling me and the others to avoid pushing ourselves, but you never seem to take your own advice. You deserve rest just as much as we do. You understand that, don't you?"
"Rest…" Barion lowered his head, "I'm not entirely sure I even know how to, anymore."
"Well…"
As she spoke, Dorma lifted her hand and entwined her fingers with Barion's beneath the table. The warmth spreading through her body was almost scalding. As she slowly began to massage his hand with her own, she leaned into his ear.
"It just so happens that upstairs, there is a very comfortable bed." She whispered, "If you'd like, we could enjoy a long and eventful night of de-stressing one-another…"
A lump formed in Barion's throat, "...What's with this, all of a sudden?""
"Don't be coy, now." She smiled wickedly, "I'm se-du-cing you. Don't think I haven't noticed you casting glances at places you shouldn't be every so often…"
"You're imagining things."
"Barion~" She teased, pressing her lips to his ear, "Come to bed with me."
There was something tantalising about the shameless tone in Dorma's voice compared to her regular personality. Gria--and especially the royal council, knew her well as an aggressive, no-nonsense politician capable of overturning just about any decision with her vicious and calculating remarks. Barion was the only person who had ever glimpsed another side of her--a indulgent and irresistible side that made his heart race.
He didn't respond. He didn't have to, really. His silence told Dorma all she needed to know. Leading him by the hand away from the soul-crushing paperwork littering the desk, the two of them made their way to the stairs leading up to the tower's bedchamber. Somehow, the silence only seemed to intensify the sudden shift in their conversation, as if neither of them wanted to waste any time teasing each other with pointless words.
"Isn't this exciting?" Dorma smirked as they breached into her grandiose quarters, "Walking silently to bed as if we're afraid of being caught--keeping our hands to ourselves while imagining the sorts of things we might get up to…"
Her honeyed words got the better of him. Barion's hand reached out to grope the flesh hidden beneath Dorma's robes, eliciting a cry of surprise from the sorcerer as his fingers freely explored her body.
"Barion…" She didn't try to stop him, "Aren't you being a tad disgraceful? Freely touching wherever you want as if I belong to you…"
"It's your fault." He countered, "You already knew what you were doing from the moment you invited me here tonight, didn't you? And seducing me with words like those… it's almost like you wanted this to happen."
"Oh dear. Are you trying to suggest that I'm an indecent woman?"
"If that's not the case, I can stop whenever, you know?"
"I do wonder…"
There wasn't a trace of deceit in her words. Perhaps Barion's perception was distorted, but to him, Dorma may very well have been the most beautiful woman in the world. To say nothing of her exquisitely plump figure, the woman's lewdness extended even to the manner in which she received Barion's touch, shamelessly shaking her hips as if encouraging him to tease her supple, dark skin while moaning all the while.
"Wouldn't you rather I was wearing something more comfortable?" She tempted.
"It doesn't matter to me." He answered, "Anything you wear makes me want to touch you. Knowing that your body is being hidden beneath these scholarly robes somehow makes you seem even more irresistible."
"Why is it that you don't flatter me like this every day?"
"Is that what you want?"
"Oh dear…" Dorma's tongue poked out from her full lips, "Hearing you say such vile things about my body every day… I'm not sure I would be able to cope…"
"You've been stressed lately, haven't you?" He continued, "I can feel how stiff you're getting."
"Are you offering a solution?"
"I could try to relieve you a little, if that's what you want."
"How could I ever refuse an offer like that?"
The two of them didn't separate as they moved to the bed--in fact, Barion's groping only seemed to increase in intensity as he pulled the sorcerer with him onto the velvety sheets. Placing himself behind her, he moved his hands onto her shoulders and began to lightly massage them.
"You really ought to stretch more." He recommended, "A battle is over instantly if you end up pulling a muscle before it even begins."
"Really now--lecturing me on physical health now, of all times? Do you expect me to become some muscle-bound pugilist like yourself?"
"I'm just saying what needs to be said." He excused himself, "And, if that's really a career change you'd enjoy, I'm afraid you already have a problem."
"Hm? And what would that- oh…"
Threading his hands through her arms, Barion helped himself to the enormous pair of breasts filling out Dorma's clothing, allowing his fingers to sink into her flesh.
"You might have a bit of trouble fighting up-close with these in the way." He teased.
"Touching wherever you please, I see…" She sighed, "Isn't it polite to ask a lady her permission before sinking your hands into her chest?"
"Do you really think we're still at that stage?" He asked, "I can touch your body whenever I like. When we're together like this, I may as well own you."
"What's gotten into you, all of a sudden?" Despite her words, Dorma was smiling, "I'm free to resist however I wish. Think of me as a shrinking maiden if that's what pleases you, but the truth is that I have more self-control than you- o-oh!?"
The moan that came from her mouth didn't suit the prim-and-proper Dorma at all. It was more like the yelp one would hear from a woman who had completely given into lewdness. The tips of Barion's fingers had suddenly pivoted to gently pinching her nipples, twisting the protrusions beneath the thin fabric separating their flesh.
"Ah- no, no… Barion, d-dooon't~" She twitched while unable to string words together, "I-I'm very…"
"...Very what?"
"Y-You know what I mean to say!"
"Sorry. I guess you didn't like that."
Barion's teasing came to an abrupt close, with his fingers retreating to the soft flesh of her breasts, eliciting a sigh of abject disappointment from the girl.
"What…?" She muttered, "Why did you-"
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
"O-Oh… you really mean to play this game with me?" Her expression became competitive.
"I'm not sure what you're on about." Barion answered immediately, "I'll get back to massaging your shoulders, if you don't mind. I was only playing around a little."
"Unbelievable. What is it about me that brings out this wickedness in you?"
"I want to hear you say what you really want." He answered, "I already know you've got a lecherous side to you, so why act embarrassed now?"
"Mm…" The sorceress closed her eyes, "But that kind of person… isn't really who I am, is it?"
"Whether it is or isn't--that's always been your decision to make from the very beginning." Barion explained, "I struggled with it too. I understand how you feel. In fact, it was you who helped me to understand in the first place. So, just as you said to me; I don't want you to hold yourself back. I want to embrace every part of you."
"Barion…" A soft smile appeared on her face, "I'm sorry… for bringing up something like this when we should be enjoying ourselves."
"Every second I spend with you is enjoyable. You don't need to please me at every moment. Hearing you express your doubts and worries to me… that only tells me how much you want to be understood. I adore that part of you."
"Then, before anything else…" She glanced sideways at him, "Would you kiss me?"
Her answer came without force or apprehension. Barion moved his hand to cradle her chin as the two of them took one-another's lips. Despite their heated encounter, it wasn't the type of feverish kiss shared by those who couldn't resist each other, but a gentle embrace between two smitten lovers. As they separated, there was a moment of silence between the pair, their mouths still parted as if poised to steal one-another at a moment's notice.
Dorma giggled as she averted her gaze. It was a wonderful sound, "...I love you, Barion."
"I love you too." He answered immediately, "...Have I ever told you that?"
"You haven't!" She grinned, "When we were last together, I said the same thing, but…"
"-But I hurt you." He finished, "Because I couldn't bring myself to return your feelings."
"I was hurt. I was very hurt…" Her voice faltered, "To give myself over to someone, only to have them struggle to reciprocate my feelings, and leave the next day as if our rendezvous didn't have any meaning… I was- I was furious with you!"
"I'm sorry." He apologised, "I was wrong to treat that night as if it meant nothing. But I won't take advantage of your feelings again. I don't want to flutter around our relationship anymore--I want you to be mine, Dorma. And I want for you to desire me in that way as well."
She smiled, "Isn't that a little ambiguous?"
"How would you like me to say it?" He asked, "Become my lover--my wife. Never again do I want us to be separated by circumstances beyond our control. I want the two of us to spend our lives together, showering one-another with the love we were so deprived of in our youth."
"How very passionate of you." Dorma teased, "Is it shameful for the heart of this old woman to skip a beat?"
Taking the back of Barion's head with her hand, she rested his chin on her shoulder and brought her mouth to his ear.
"But words are pointless, aren't they?" She whispered, "So, on this bed, why don't we thoroughly consummate the relationship we've denied ourselves for so long?"
"Wasn't there something you were denying yourself just a few moments ago?"
As he spoke those words, Barion's hands crept down to Dorma's chest, stopping just inches from her nipples.
"Oh…" She sighed, "Don't be such a tease."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Touch them… play with my nipples…" She requested, a sultry tone leaking shamelessly from her voice, "Just… be gentle. They're rather sensitive."
Sweet moans overtook her plea as Barion happily satisfied the demand, catching the aching nubs between his fingers through her clothes and teasing them with slow, deliberate movements. Her reaction would seem completely exaggerated by Barion's standards, but he knew better than anyone that Dorma was not the sort of woman to exaggerate pleasure.
"You must play with your chest a lot if your nipples are this sensitive." He noticed, "Just how often does Gria's most powerful sorceress masturbate, I wonder?"
"A-As if I would ever part with such embarrassing secrets…"
"I could easily just stop moving my fingers, you know? You're in no position to negotiate."
"Oh… twice…" She caved instantly, "I masturbate twice a day."
"And you always play with your nipples?"
"They've always been sensitive- ah…" She moaned, "But recently, every time I touch my chest… the pleasure is almost unbearable…"
"What do you fantasise about?"
"You…" She admitted, "Of course my fantasies are always about you… ever since that night at the inn, I haven't been able to forget the way you treated me…"
"Sometimes I also have trouble forgetting about it." Barion related, "The way you were acting was too erotic. I would have never thought that you were such an indecent woman, but seeing that side of you made me excited. I wanted to own you completely."
"A-Ah… the feeling of giving into pleasure… why can't you always be that aggressive? My body has been so lonely ever since you returned…"
"I'll make up for all of the times I've left you waiting tonight."
"Barion… i-if you keep moving your fingers so violently…"
"Don't hold it back." He replied, "I want to see your shameless face when you cum."
Barion didn't relent in his teasing even as tremors overcame Dorma's body. Although she tried to suppress it, the look on her face was one that completely contradicted her normally gracious personality--a woman completely submitting to pleasure without a care.
"Hah…" She lingered in the resulting silence with laboured breaths, "You beast…"
To his surprise, she suddenly took the initiative. As she freed herself from Barion's grasp, he suddenly found himself being pushed towards the bed's assortment of lavish pillows as Dorma worked quickly to undress him, sending shivers down Barion's spine as her soft fingers freely explored his crotch.
A playful chuckle escaped her lips as his length was exposed, unsurprisingly swollen.
"Last time, you were rather rude to me, weren't you?" She frowned, "I was forced to say all kinds of demeaning things…"
"But you liked that, didn't you?"
"It was very… exciting, being forced to humiliate myself." She replied, "But tonight is a different matter. Allow me to comfort you--as a reward for all you've done recently."
Saying that, Dorma brought her mouth close enough to Barion's penis that he could feel the warmth of her breaths. Then, with a deliberate movement, she planted a light kiss on his frenulum. It was so delicate as to be completely unfelt, but the fact that Dorma was providing him with such a caring service made Barion all the more excited.
Like that, she dotted his length with puckered kisses, occasionally extending her tongue to only barely wet his skin with saliva. The image of her face being overshadowed by his penis made for an incredibly erotic sight. Despite the lack of genuine stimulation, Dorma's slow, loving service threatened to push Barion to the brink of orgasm.
"Hmhm." She giggled, "I'm really not doing too much, yet you seem to be just barely holding on."
"That's only because it's you." He replied, "Having the most erotic woman in the world tending to me like a concubine isn't an experience one can simply pay for."
"That's right~" She smiled, eyes half-lidded, "So, just relax and allow me to shower you with plenty of my love…"
Sitting on her knees, Dorma made certain to take her time slowly undressing from her council robes, unbuttoning the tunic beneath one-by-one to reveal the deep valley of her cleavage struggling to contain itself within the modest garment. Upon disrobing, she deliberately took her time while unclasping her bra, allowing the fabric to fall slowly, revealing the erect, darkened nipples Barion had been toying with just minutes earlier.
"Having trouble diverting your gaze?" She didn't even attempt to mask her pride, "All this time, you think I haven't noticed you casting glances at my chest? I'd wager you've spent more hours undressing me with your eyes than actually speaking to me."
Before Barion could respond, the sorceress inched forward on her knees, filling his lowered vision with nothing but breasts as Dorma shamelessly held them together with both elbows.
"All men love breasts, don't they?" She teased, "Is there… anything you would like to do with them? Considering they supposedly belong to you now, and all…"
A soft moan exited her mouth as Barion wordlessly moved his head forward to suck on her nipple, greedily running his tongue along her unblemished skin and gently grinding her protrusions with his teeth. As Dorma moved forward, she straddled his knees with her own, increasing the weight of her breasts on Barion's face while his penis was left rubbing against the soft flesh of her stomach. As he lifted both hands to support her chest, the man's hips bucked to extract as much pleasure as possible from her seduction.
"My… the way your hips are moving…" She noticed, "Are you getting frustrated that I'm not allowing you to violate me?"
He didn't respond, eliciting a sweet giggle from the sorceress.
"No~pe…" She drawled, "You have to pleasure yourself with my stomach first… can you resist long enough to dominate me properly?"
Again, there was nothing particularly stimulating about grinding against her stomach, but the fact that such a lascivious and beautiful woman was teasing him in that manner made anything seem completely unbearable. His prolonged silence brought a warm smile to Dorma's face.
"That's right~ just allow yourself to be pampered…" She encouraged, "You've worked so hard… as a reward, you can enjoy my breasts for as long as you'd like to. I'll always be ready to welcome my husband with plenty of love whenever he feels stressed."
The stimulation proved too much for Barion to bear. As he continued to suck on Dorma's nipples, his length gleefully unloaded itself onto her bare stomach, staining her dark skin white with ropes of semen.
"Oh dear… did the Hero of Legend lose to a pair of breasts?" The woman sounded pleased with herself as she lowered her hand to fondle Barion's penis, "But, it seems to me like you haven't enjoyed your fill quite yet…"
Dorma yelped gleefully as the man took her by the shoulders and reversed their positions in an instant, running a hand across her cheek while hovering over her.
"I still haven't made you feel good enough." He replied, "As far as I'm concerned, we've barely gotten started."
Dorma answered his words with a sultry grin and happily aided him in ridding herself of her last scraps of clothing, exposing the girl's deepened skin in all of its splendour.
"You're looking at me with such wicked eyes…" She noticed, "Haven't you already seen me naked once before?"
"You make it sound as if I could ever contain myself." He replied, "No matter how many times I look at you, I can never peel my eyes away. It makes me wish that every night could be exactly like this."
"And they will be, once our duty is done. I promise you." She proclaimed, "I could live this moment every moment of every day and never tire of it. I've grown so tired of my busy life in this castle… the two of us were never meant to live for so long, but to have finally arrived at this end--I would do it all again if it meant remaining by your side."
"Dorma…"
"Come here, Barion…" She extended her arms, offering an unending embrace, "Tonight, let's cast all thoughts of this war into the void, and enjoy ourselves completely. Make love to me… no--make a wife of me."
The opportunity to place his woes and worries aside was too great of a temptation to resist. Selfishly, the two of them wasted no time in indulging themselves with each-other's bodies, concerned with nothing more than their own desires. Never was a spare thought dedicated to responsibility or temperance between them--officiated or not, the duo began to consummate their wedding, whispering their love to one-another amidst ceaseless throes of passion.
Their lovemaking stretched for hours on end. Neither Barion nor Dorma displayed any interest in resting, fully-aware that the next opportunity to have a night to themselves was further away than either of them could bear to think about. And so the two of them channelled their frustrations and stress into a frenzied session of uninhibited sex, entangling their bodies so as to share in the unbearable heat of passion together.
Even when Dorma's strength was finally exhausted, they refused to part--joined at the hips with her legs curling around Barion's waist, basking in the afterglow of their most recent climax. The lofty bedchamber was stifled with a stench of sweat and juices. As Barion made to retrieve his member, Dorma's irresistible leg-lock only tightened around him. The girl flashed him a devious, but completely spent smile.
"No… don't…" She pleaded, "I want to feel you still… so, please…"
"Don't worry. I won't leave you yet." Barion replied, "Hold my hand."
The still-vigorous man intertwined his fingers with Dorma's. He could feel her grip tightening even as she neared the last of her strength.
"Hmhm…" Closing her eyes, she giggled to herself deliriously, "Your wife… is that who I am?"
"Yes." He answered, "Marry me, Dorma. I won't accept no for an answer."
"It's… a little late for that, don't you think?" She smirked, "How irresponsible… mating like animals when we should be seeking the counsel of a priest."
"Do you want a wedding?"
"I don't care…" She answered honestly, "As long as I'm with you… as long as this isn't a dream, I don't care."
"It's no dream. But I've made you wait for an unbearable amount of time." He assured, "No more. Your happiness is my responsibility from now on."
"Responsibility…" She repeated, "I wouldn't say we've been very responsible tonight."
"I don't care." He resolved, "I want that. A family, with you."
"I do wonder." Dorma averted her gaze, "Is it right for me to desire something so picturesque? A home somewhere quiet and far away… a pair of my own eyes staring back at me…"
"We've always deserved our rest." Barion's grip tightened, "Together, we'll find that future. No matter how difficult it is. I promise."
"Barion…" She muttered, "My darling… my husband… I love you."
"I love you too."
In a few hours, the sun would rise on a new day. A day of untold trials and difficulties. Despite their proclamations, the world outside of the castle had yet to change. But somehow, Barion felt even more renewed than before. Not only had he found the resolve to press onward, but also a reason to live on. He was certain, if only for an instant, that the end of his journey was finally approaching.