Mina felt his hand travel up the skin of her thigh, leaving a trail of tingling warmth behind it. It seeped into her, filling her body with a need for more. He hesitated, looking her in the eyes before taking her mouth with his. His fingers danced through the sweet ginger curls across her pubic bone as his lips sucked gently on hers. One of his fingers slipped just barely inside her, and then just as quickly back out, pulling a deep moan of frustration from her depths. Another quick entrance and exit, and she was squirming.
"Are you sure?" he whispered into her lips. She grabbed his lower lip between her teeth and nodded gently. "Can you answer out loud?"
'Yes, I'm sure." There was a definite tinge of frustration in her voice. He smiled against her lips and began to gently nudge her clit. First up and down, then side to side, then she blissfully lost track.
Right when she felt like she might explode, he stopped and circled her opening. He gently dipped one finger into her over and over, little by little, until he had put the whole digit inside her. Then he started the same process with two fingers, over and over, watching her reaction as he carefully worked into her. He was worried about hurting her, since she had never done much more than some touching before. Her life didn't give her much of a chance to explore her own body, let alone for someone else to.
He began to sweetly kiss his way down the front of her night gown, stopping briefly to free a nipple with his free hand and lavish some attention onto it. When he pulled it into his mouth, she felt a pull in the warmth growing inside her. She grasped at her pillow and bit her lip. She didn't want to make too much noise and draw the attention of Lantha.
"I'll be back to those," he said playfully when he released her breast, then he began to give more kisses down her shift to where it was bunched over her hips. She wasn't prepared for what came next. When his tongue made its first journey over her clit, she was lost to the world. His fingers pressed inside her, hitting a spot that she'd not yet found on her own, while his tongue and lips danced across her clit in a way that made it impossible for her to keep quiet. The building of warmth inside her was unbearable.
"Evander!" she called out.
"Mina?" The confusion in his voice began to pull her from her high. "Mina?!"
She sat up in the dark, knocking into someone with her shoulder. Understandably disoriented from what should have been an amazing orgasm, she looked around to try and get her bearings. She was quite irritated by the interruption. As the world came into focus, she realized she was not sprawled with her legs open on her bed. She was covered by both her nightgown and the layers of blankets Lantha had tucked around her, though a bit less neat than they had been. A warm hand rested on her back just below her shoulder.
"Are you okay? You were calling for me, but you were asleep. Were you having a nightmare?" If she hadn't already been flushed, the blood would have been rushing to her cheeks. A sex dream? With HIM? And she was calling out his name in her sleep?!
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to wake someone up from a nightmare?" she snapped, more irritated at her own subconscious than the man who was trying to help. Maybe she didn't have to be so short with him, but she was wholly embarrassed.
"It seemed pretty intense," he said, ignoring her spite. "I'd have wanted someone to wake me." She was fairly certain that he wouldn't if he knew.
"You should go back to sleep. We're going to have a lot to do tomorrow." She pulled her blankets up and rolled away from him. After a moment, he adjusted her blanket so it was properly covering her back, and she listened to his soft footsteps as he left the room.
The next morning somehow both dragged on and didn't seem to have enough time. Getting ready in the privacy of her room felt too rushed. Lantha helped her dress as usual and pulled her hair back into a complicated updo to keep it out of the way. The awkward breakfast with her family and soon to be husband lasted for centuries. Her father was pleased with himself for what he was sure was an uncomfortable night for his daughter. Eldon was still sour and unpleasant while Aureleus practiced his aloofness. Evander just sat uncomfortably, taking in her dysfunctional family. Her turn about the garden with Lantha was short and full of dread. Worst yet, dancing lessons with a man who hasn't been in society for 10 years. He couldn't even do folk dances popular among common people and he was expected to learn several complicated dances before the week's end.
Thankfully for Mina's poor feet, after he'd stepped on her a few too many times, the instructor, out of frustration, took over in her place in the dance. Mina was glad that she wasn't the only one who felt put out by the new wielder's two left feet. She watched from a cushioned bench on the sidelines as the instructor barked corrections at him while they twirled awkwardly around the ballroom floor. He tried what was obviously his best to follow her instructions, but Mina had very little confidence that he would be able to become proficient enough to not break a toe or two at the wedding. Something else to look forward to.
"Come, come," the instructor called to her, motioning for her to resume her part. She sighed in disappointment as she stood and approached Evander cautiously. "Slowly."
The instructor began tapping the floor and counted them in at half pace. Evander looked down at his feet and began to "lead" her through the dance. She watched the concentration furrow his brow and pull his lips into a frown. The instructor yelled for him to lift his head and he practically snapped his neck following the order. Suddenly, she was looking into his dark blue eyes far more intently than she meant to be. She really wanted to look away, but was stuck looking at him because of dance etiquette. She adjusted her gaze to his eyebrows, which danced on his forehead with frustration. They were more in sync than the rest of his body. The thought made her lips turn up against her will. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to mistakenly think she was enjoying herself. Before she could correct the action, a blunt explosion of pain traveled up her foot and ankle, causing her to grimace and drop her arms from her dance partner.
"This is impossible!" She exclaimed after swearing loudly in an ancient language. The instructor clicked her tongue at her disapprovingly. "He will never be ready and I'm the one who has to pay for it." She limped over to the nearest bench and took off her shoe to examine the damage. A bruise was already forming above her toes on the top of her foot.
"I'm sorry," Evander said, stepping towards her. His eyes were annoyingly soft and his face was once again filled with concern.
She put her shoe back on, wincing as she stood up, and tried her best not to limp as she walked back over to him to resume. She'd only taken a few steps when a loud crack sounded from above them, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. A chandelier swung menacingly as a dark shadow of a figure leapt from it to the wall and slithered out the open window. Before she could assess what was happening, she found herself making swift contact with the stone floor as a loud crash echoed through the great hall, and glass shattered over everyone in attendance. Everyone except Mina.
"The darkness," she whispered almost inaudibly. It was too terrifying a thought to say out loud.