Tuesday Excerpt, "Repercussions"

Soon, a great half-elf male sleeping next to an average-sized human female was clearly nestled in the morning light. A butterfly drifted through the window and landed on the headboard just above the man. He woke as the sun hit his eyelids and struggled momentarily to find his bearings. When he spied the guest, he smiled. Carefully he lifted his forefinger to see if it would climb aboard. Sadly, the insect flapped its wings vigorously and left as it had entered.

He rolled toward the woman and propped his head up with his hand. She was a beauty if ever there was one lying by his side. Her soft, gently tanned skin took on a radiant aura in the morning sun. Long flowing locks of honey brown hair ran down her right side as she lay on her left, with her tranquil face pointed directly at him. Both her hands were under her cheek, but the left one betrayed the slightest glimpse of a ring matching the man’s.

He took his finger on his free hand and touched her knee. Then he slowly pulled it over the blanket and up the thigh. He passed her waist and skipped to the elbow of her nightgown. From there he slowly caressed her arm until he reached her neck. His fingers ever so gently slipped behind the head and held it firm. Then he moved in slowly and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

At first she was surprised and then kissed him back. Her hypnotic emerald green eyes immediately focused on his blue ones and held his gaze. “Good morning Argentoe, My Beloved. You seem full of vigor so early in the morning.”

Argentoe slid his arms under the covers and tickled her. “It is not morning yet, Corilon. The moon just happens to be particularly bright tonight.”

She laughed at the tickling and swatted him half-heartedly. “Sorry to bring you back to reality, but it is morning and there is hay to be harvested. The others will be waiting by the great house. We best not be late again.”

Argentoe used his great strength to pick her up and place her face to face on top of him. “They will have to wait, My Wife. You promised two months ago when we wed to obey me, and right now my command is that you spend some quality time, right now, in this bed with me.”

“Are you not still tired from last night? Besides, I never promised to obey you. That was never in the marriage vows. I checked.”

Argentoe was both actually surprised and overplaying it for fun. “I could have sworn it said…”

“Nope. Not once did it say anything about obeying. I wouldn’t have married you if it had.”

Argentoe mumbled something under his breath that even Corilon could not make out at her close range and then said, “Well, it was implied that you should obey me.”

Corilon wrapped her legs around her husband and pinched his cheek. “Oh, it was implied. Well, if we are going by those rules then there is some washing and mending of the clothes you can do for me. And then…”