Dies Irae

~~~ DIES IRAE ~~~

Decima Charta: Sweet Lovin'

Motto: Agnisco veteris vestigia flammae. -----Vergilius, Aeneis,4, 23 ----


Three months later


Aemilia and Daizus were laying down on the bed, face to face, their heads on the pillows. They were so close that their breaths were mixing. The girl was sleeping peacefully, tired by the day's hard work. The man slowly traced the contours of her face and moved his fingers through her short, black hair.


He was feeling guilty. For the last months, tirl irl had to go hunting and practically took over the entire work. Daizus had been extremely surprised at her skill with the weapons. His horse had grown accustomed to her too, and he tried to help her as much as he could by tipping her about the forests and its animals.


He himself had gone through a rough time. The lost of blood had combined with the infection and subsequently with a fever which had kept him on the verge of dying for weeks. He had regained enough strength to stand up relatively recently and slowly he started to take over the work, bit by bit, first the easy tasks, then the more difficult ones. Last week, he had taken over hunting, leaving Aemilia with the easier domestic tasks, but he was unsatisfied by himself. The girl had been loosing some weight lately and her skin had taken an unnatural tone. She had been feeling dizzy and almost fainted once. Despite his inquiries, she had continued to deny that anythias was wrong, yet he knew better.


Daizus moved closer to her, and kissed her softly, gently turning her so that she was laying on her back. Since it was summer, she only slept dressed in a large chemise, so he had little problems with partially undressing her, lifting her robe until it bunched around her waist. Slowly, he kissed her chin and neck, his lips and hands carefully travelling down her torso, kissing and sucking through the fabric.


Many similar nights had made her body react openly to the sexual stimulation and she opened her legs invitingly in her sleep, to allow him even more intimate contact. Daizus chucked smugly, promising himself that soon she would have the same reactions while awake. With practised ease, he settled himself between her tights and started pleasuring her, holding her hips firmly, as she used to writhed powerfully.


Aemilia moaned wildly in her sleep and placing her hands against the wall pushed herself closer to the source of her pleasures. Daizus took it as a clue to increase his efforts, so he inserted one wetted finger into her heat, while grazing the sensible button hidden between her folds.


At that, she came, arching her back and meowing her satisfaction, the tension in her limbs disappearing, leaving her body spent.


Daizus grunted his satisfaction, and lifted himself from her body, pulling the hem of the chemise down and arranging the bed a little. In the beginning, he had tried to clean her afterwards, but found out it was quite a difficult task, as her body had remained extremely sensitive to the touch. So, taking his chance, he had left her like that, and, because of her inexperience, his little nocturnal escapades had remained a secret. He could tell Aemilia suspected something was strange, but fortunately she was unable to pin point it.


Daizus watched her relaxed face with smug satisfaction, before spooning her, one of his hands laying protectively across her ribs and cupping one small breast. He tried to fell asleep smelling her skin and fighting to ignore the bulge in his pants.


***


"Tomorrow", he said during breakfast.


She circumflexed her eyebrows in silent inquiring.


"I am well enough to travel. Plus, I must go home soon, or else they will be worried", he stated calmly, watching the subtle change in the expression of her face.


"Oh", she murmured, the full implications of his words falling down on her. So, they will depart and part tomorrow. She did not understand why she was not so happy as she should be, after all that only meant freedom. She pondered on her own thoughts: freedom. Freedom to what? To spend her life with Marcus, behaving like a proper patrician lady? Freedom to be locked in a room, sewing and spinning the wool?


"So, I guess tonight's the night?", he rhetorically asked. At her puzzled expression, he added: "You know, our wild night together?"


"Oh," she repeated, remembering her promise. If she were to be truly honest, she would have admitted that she had nothing against a passionateht wht with Daizus. The only problem was that, despite the butterflies she felt in her stomach every time he would look at her in a certain way, she still remembered the first time they had been together. Or, because she was not afraid to use the proper words, the night hd rad raped her.


Truly, the second time was not at all so unpleasant, as a matter of fact it was quite enjoyable, yet she could not get over their very first encounter. Though mentally she realised that a husband would have behaved the same way, emotionally she could not forgive him for what ha had done, even if he had said he was sorry the next d


These past months, had been quite a revelation. Daizus had turned from the angry barbarian he had been on their first encounter to a big teddy, all sweet and tender. Just a smile from her and he would positively melt, grinning boyishly.


The fact that Aemilia had found herself enchanted by him, had been a shock. Having been raised as the daughter of a ruthless Roman general, she had been convinced that a true man had to be rough and cold, never smiling, just snarling, never serene, just frowning. That somebody totally opposed to this model could attract her was unbelievable, yet it was happening.


"What are you thinking about, Aemilia?", he asked, petting her hair and turning it into spikes. "Nothing much", she answered, conscious of his seriousness. He only called her that when he was sober, or preoccupied. She remembered that he had called her by her name during the worse phase of his illness, when he hadn't been sure he was going to pull it through.


"You look a little pale, are you sure you're all right? Haven't you have a good night sleep?", a little mischief was present in his voice.


She looked at him under lowered lashes, wondering how he knew about her pleasant dreams and willing herself not to blush.


"Nothing out of the ordinary," she countered in a steady voice.


"You're sure?" he bated, moving behind her and circling her waist with his strong arms and nibbling on her ear.


"Yes, I'm sure", Aemilia replied leaning into his embrace. She was now comfortable with these little gestures, having been accustomed to them over the time, and now she had even began to look forward to them. "Why do you ask?"


"You were moaning in your sleep…", he trailed off.


"Really?"


"Yeah, did you have a nice dream?"


"I really can't remember…it could have been a nightmare, though."


don don't think so, I remember your nightmares. Don't you wanna tell me what they were about?"


"Non." She abruptly said, stiffing a little.


"All right then, you will tell me some time", he ended the discussion by kissing her, and Aemilia was so caught up in his fervour that she didn't realise he spoke about things that couldn'tpen,pen, as they had to go on separate ways tomorrow.


"So," she breathed out, once they split, "what are we going to do today?"


"Since we have enough food and provisions, I say we do a little relaxing… would you like that?", he inquired.


"Sure", she enthusiastically breathed out, decided to forget all about tomorrow and concentrate on living the day. Carpe diem!, as they say.


"Come on!", he encouraged, springing to his feet and pulling her with him.


They walked slowly down a narrow path which led to a beautiful grassland, Daizus knew. The early summer had brought with it a pleasant heat and wonderfully-coloured mountain flowers. Aemilia girlishly decided to chase a butterfly, while Daizus just stood on the rich grass, absently plucking some flowers. A light wind was blowing turning the vegetation into multicoloured waves, making the girl look like a vegetation nymph, if not Diana herself.


"What are you doing?", she asked, breathlessly throwing herself on the ground near him, tired by the effort.


He just threw a wreath at her, and she cried out in admiration.


"Did you do that? It's so beautiful!", she praised. "How come you can do such a delicate thing with those hands?"


"Hey, what's wrong with my hands?", he growled incredulously, feeling a little ashamed as he looked at those respective hands.


They were large, with long, powerful fingers, with callosities on their back. He flexed them a little and decided that there weren't the best hands in the world, especially since they felt so rough, even to him. Sure, she was used to those soft Roman hands, hands of Roman brats, who spent their time in baths and parties.
He was started, when the girl threw herself at his back, circling his waist with her legs.


"Why so upset?" she chided.


"What do you think?"


"I think you're just a big baby….", she teased laughing softly in his ear ."Big baby, big baby, you big baby… Are you upset? Did I hurt your feeling? Oh, the poor baby.."


"Shut up," he felt himself blush at his own behaviour, "you don't know what you are talking about!"


"If you say so", she counteredusemusement laced in her voice, and unwound herself from him, moving in front and sitting herself graciously into his lap.


"Comfortable?", he asked in a rough voice, still upset, but it had been a long time since she had stopped being afraid of him.


"I've been worse.", she replied merrily taking the wreath from her head and placing it on top of his. "You know you are rather pretty with that?", she mocked, the innocent and feminine flowers on top of his head a delicious contrast to his scowl. "Maybe, you ought to wear it permanently. You know Caesar used to wear laurels to hide his bolding head. Do you think you'll be bolding soon?"


"With you being around, I think that would be the least of my worries. And, just because you do not respect me as the great warrior I am, you will not be getting my little gift."


"Oh, I respect you, you big worrier.."


"Worrier?"


"Yeah. You are always worrying. Puella, don't do that, be careful with that, don't go that way and all kinds of stuff like that. Though I admit, it is a pleasant feeling to know that somebody is worried about you."


"Really?"


"Of course!", she batted her lashes enthusiastically. "So, can I have my surprise?"


He sighed as he realised she was only flattering him to get her prize.


"You can," he ansd, "d, "that you can".


They walked hand in hand to some spiky bushes, Aemilia bouncing enthusiastically behind him like a little child, until it became a little irritating.


"Will you stop that?"


"Stop what?", she inquired leaping again.


"Ugh", he grunted, trying to ignore her. Having arrived at their destination, he let her go and crunched over a small bush.


"Now stay put!", he advised, as he carefully started plucking.


"What is it? What is it?", she demanded curiously, leaning over him. Daizus didn't bother responding, merely extending a hand full of blackberries to the girl and she picked it up quickly, squealing in delight as she ate them. It had been such a long time since she had had anything sweet to eat. They continues the feeding until Aemilia could eat no more and she patted her tummy delighted at the feeling of being full of such delicious food.


"Did you like it?", he asked uselessly, as her whimpers of delight had been an obvious sign of her enjoyment.


"A lot!", she confirmed, "gratia tibi!"


Daizus burst into laughter as he turned to face her.


"What?", she asked full of indignation "What is it?"


"You look like a baby, you're full of stains from the blackberries!", he sincerely laughed, extending a hand to wipe her mouth and chin. Yet, his hand was also dirty from the swashed fruit, so he only succeeded in dirtying her worse.


"Come, let's get you washed!", he managed to let out through bubbles of laughter and he led her to a near by stream. She walked furiously and enraged and ashamed behind him, stomping her foot from time to time as he continued to snicker.


They both sat on their knees on the stream's side, washing their hands and faces in the cool mountain water, and, once she was clean, Aemilia had to reluctantly confess she must have been pretty funny with blackberry juice smeared on her face.


By now the sun was at its peak, bathing the air into a sea of fire, and they looked for the pleasant coolness a linden tree, which had somehow managed to grow and resist in the harsh climate. From time to time, the wind would slowly blow, burring them into fine-smelling lime flowers.


"I like it in here", she confessed. "I like the smell"


"Yes, it's very pleasant indeed", he replied, lazily massaging her shoulders. "But maybe it's because of the company"


"Ha!", she snickered "I didn't know you were such a smooth talker"


"That's because you never took the time to talk to me."


"That's because you kidnapped me, need I remind you? You kidnapped and raped me!", she countered, growing angry by every moment, as she remembered.


His hands on her shoulders tightened, and he forced her backward until her back was pressed against his chest.


"I am sorry, Aemilia, I have already told you that!", he whispered, tightening her hold on her, lest she should escape. "However, I don't regret what I did, but rather how I did it, do you understand?"


She said nothing, just stared right ahead, making Daizus uncomfortable with her silence. Her eyes clouded and she shivered slightly as she began to cry silently.


"Hush now, don't cry…", he murmured soothingly.


"It' s just, it's just… that I imagined it differently, so differently, and it wasn't…" she babbled


"What are you talking about?", he asked softly.


"Nothing, nothing…", she assured, brushing away her tears in an angry movement.


He let her relax for a while before whispering into her ear.


"I think it's high time you paid your dues."


She obediently turned around so that they were face to face, and kissed him softly, without saying a thing. Their clothes disappeared in a frenzy, though their lovemaking was slow and gentle under the tree, guarded by the pure light of the sun. Aemilia still had flashbacks and would tense from time to time, while Daizus wanted to make it perfect, despite the previous months of frustration. They rocked against each other for a long time, lost in the other's particular scent, and drowning in their own pleasures.


Later, as they shamelessly curled together, totally spent the girl whispered softly:


"It should have been like that".


~~~~~


Agnisco veteris vestigia flammae = I recognise the thrills of my first love (of the first time I am in love)


gratia tibi = thank you!