Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
“Because of this, it was my assumption, one I now know was mistaken, that you would greatly enjoy sex in its myriad varieties.”
Oh faith.
“There are women like Zosime who wants naught but Guard and he knows this, so he would never take another but his wife,” he shared. “This is why they suit, as Guard is a man who does not want another woman, but his wife. And there are women like Nyx who enjoys exploring different things. This is good, for Lorenz enjoys giving this to her. They also suit. I had no idea what kind of husband I would be, until I knew you’d had no one before me, which meant when I had you, you would never have anyone but me. And Silence,” he squeezed me, hard, and did this dipping his face to mine, “now that I know this is also your wish, you will have no other but me.”
I would have no other but him.
My heart squeezed.
And it did this with gladness.
“All right,” I breathed.
“And as it is your wish, I will have no one but you, and that suits me.”
But he’d just been flirting.
Thus, tentatively, I asked, “Are you sure?”
“I don’t know, I’ve not been inside you yet, but unless you suffer from a heretofore unknown condition that renders you catatonic the instant you take a cock, all evidence suggests I will not ever be disappointed.”
This made me so glad, if I could jump with joy, I would.
Mars was holding me pinned to him, so I couldn’t.
Thus, instead, I muttered, “I don’t think that condition exists.”
“Let’s bloody hope not,” he grunted.
I wanted to laugh but was afraid to do so at that juncture for he appeared still to be cranky.
Therefore, I fell silent.
Mars also fell silent.
I eventually had to break it or start squirming under his stare.
“Are we done talking?” I asked.
“No,” he answered. “You should know, infidelity might be defined differently in Firenze, but it exists. No husband or wife takes a lover that is not known to the other or without the other present, either participating, or watching. It matters not to you. We have our accord. But you should know this as this will be your world, your way, and the way of the people around you.”
I nodded, for I agreed, I should know this.
“Further, an accusation of infidelity is taken very badly, my wife. Our society is such that this doesn’t happen often, for it needn’t, with this openness between lovers, between husband and wife. However, what is not different amongst our two realms is the understanding, to those who have shared vows, this act is considered the height of an abuse of trust. Thus, if an innocent is accused, it is the deepest affront. And in some clans and tribes, infidelity, if proved, can go punished. Depending on the clan or tribe, this punishment can range from a baron or chieftain granting the severance of a marriage to parts of a body being shorn free.”
“Oh my goodness,” I whispered.
“Yes,” he agreed, and then carried on, “And from this point forward, if you ever have any question about the ways of your people that you do not completely understand, you ask me, or Mama, so you do not make a blunder that will upset or embarrass you, or, say, make your husband very, very angry.”
I nodded again while biting my lip, for he was definitely right about that.
“At least this time it was but days I had to deal with what was eating at you before you shared it with me,” he declared. “Though, from the words you hurled at me, I would say this was what had actually taken you away from me all the way back in Firenze.”
What he said was right.
However…
Just a moment.
“You were chopping wood,” I reminded him.
“My ears still worked,” he returned.
“No, Mars, you were in a mood because you were angry at me and you said nothing to me about it.”
He appeared astonished for a moment before his face grew gentle.
“I did do that,” he murmured.
“And I didn’t hurl words. I was just upset.”
His lips twitched, and he kept murmuring when he said, “A poor choice of my words, amore.”
I huffed.
He gave me a squeeze.
And then he whispered, “I’m very sorry, mia bellezza. I should have spoken to you about what was troubling me.”
I loved it that he could apologize like that.
So quickly.
So sweetly.
“You’re forgiven,” I whispered in return.
“You are too, though I would have done that anyway, after what you said to your father.”
Balls and begorrah.
I had a feeling he had not just appeared in that doorway.
“How much did you hear?” I asked.
“It started around, ‘Do not endeavor to drive distance between my husband and myself.’”
“He was being vexing,” I muttered.
“I do not know what he’d been saying, but our conversation started with you demanding I dismiss that maid, so I could guess, and that is not vexing. That is him trying to drive distance between you and me, and that, my Silence, will not be tolerated.”