Chapter 136: Champion, Chapter 67: Reflections

Aidan

The Realms

Secondday, 2nd week of the 11th month, Age of the Chosen 1

After Midnight

Caellach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

"I assure you," Aidan said, "I stayed within the precise bounds we agreed on."

Eldrid blinked up at him, then heaved herself into a sitting position. "You're telling the truth, but how?"

"You banned spells, but not magic in general. I would have thought an experienced merchant would be more careful with her wording," Aidan said with a teasing smile.

"Oh, hush and help me up. Somebody did a number on my body to prove a point." Eldrid extended a hand to Aidan. He grabbed it with his own, then pulled the blue-haired woman to her feet. Her knees buckled as soon as she was upright, and the momentum carried her forward straight into Aidan.

Aidan took a half-step back to brace himself as Eldrid slammed into him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her up—and holding her against his body. "I know I just rocked your world, but I didn't expect you to throw yourself at me so soon."

Aidan expected to get a quip and maybe a playful slap in return. Instead, he heard a whimper escape her lips as she shuddered and shook in his arms. "You bastard," Eldrid whispered a moment later. She placed her palms against Aidan's chest and pushed off of him. Aidan let her go.

Still wobbling, Eldrid turned her back to Aidan. "You know exactly what you did, too, don't you?" She hugged herself and shivered again.

A tendril of remorse wormed its way through Aidan's chest. He stepped forward, placed a hand on Eldrid's bare shoulder. "I'm—"

Eldrid whirled around, slapping his hand away. "Don't you dare," she said in a low, rough tone. "Don't you dare apologize. 'Sorry' doesn't fix anything. Every time I think about sex from here on out, I'm going to see you." Eldrid's eyes started to glaze over as she spoke. "Standing over me. Watching me with those eyes of yours." Her thighs pressed together and rubbed against each other. "Tight pants bulging with excitement. Never making a move, just watching as my body dances and sings for you."

Eldrid's eyes focused on Aidan, and she stepped forward, molding herself against him. She grabbed him by the back of his head and yanked him down to meet her lips. Her tongue speared out into his mouth, seeking, insistent. Then she pushed off from him again. Took several steps back, stared at him through hooded eyes.

"Don't think for a minute that I'm going to make it easy on you. You've got the tiger by the tail now, Aidan." Eldrid flipped her hair over her shoulder. Her posture straightened, her chin coming up, her eyes clear once more.

"Here's how it's going to be. You promised that if I told you to stop, you would. We're going to go one step past that." She stalked up to Aidan again. Stopped with her breasts just brushing against his chest. Eyes boring into his from a foot away.

"So you decided to make yourself the only candidate for fulfilling my needs? Fine. I am going to use you as my scratching post." Eldrid jabbed a finger into Aidan's chest. "Whenever I'm feeling pent up, I will track you down, and you will get to see me come for you again. But," she poked him again, harder this time, "on. My. Terms." Three more sharp jabs.

"You will not touch me except under my guidance. You will not touch yourself at all while I'm making use of you. And you damned sure will not get your dick in me unless and until I put it there myself. Are we clear?"

Eldrid tried to project confidence, but Aidan saw the flush on her cheeks. Arousal, not anger. He caught the catch in Eldrid's voice when she realized she said she'd come for him again. He felt the indentations in the front of her top where they scraped against him with her rapid breaths.

Aidan knew the intent behind Eldrid's demands. He'd fucked up, used too much power, taken too much away from her. She needed to be in control, needed to stabilize herself before she could trust anything more. Aidan knew all that and accepted it.

The challenge in Eldrid's voice and actions, however, brought forth an instinctive response in Aidan. All he would need to do is step forward, erase the space between them.

He could see it in his mind's eye, the way her eyes would widen at his sudden movement. A brief moment of resistance as her mind fought. Then she would lean into him, her head tilting back. Her arms would loop around his neck, her right leg would lift and hook around his. Silver eyes would close and midnight blue lips would part as she waited for him to make his claim.

Aidan shook the images away. Why were his instincts screaming at him to do just that? He had never been this sexually aggressive back on Earth. He preferred a slow romance. Meeting, talking, flirting. Slow escalation to friendly touches, a chaste kiss, cuddling on the couch. Then, a tight hug and a brush of the lips to say goodbye. Repeat several times, advancing incrementally until the touches were under clothes, the kisses were hot and hungry, and the cuddling moved under the sheets.

But ever since he came to the Realms, that all seemed to go out the window. From the very beginning, walking to Ceallach Macht with Brighid, Aidan had trouble controlling his pace. His mind still spun at how quickly they'd gone from vague hostility towards each other to confessing their love.

True, they'd spent a week in each others' constant company. That was more time than Aidan spent romancing several previous lovers before sleeping with them. And they'd fought off ambushes together twice as well. That explained part of the bond that formed between him and Brighid. It did not do so for Sunnild, Aoife, or Eldrid. Aidan felt drawn to all three from the first time he saw them, each with their own flavor of attraction.

Sunnild was a precious cinnamon bun who deserved to know she was worthy of love and respect. Aidan wanted to wrap her up in his arms and cuddle her forever. His blood still boiled when he remembered Ecgwena's casual abuse toward his songbird. And, of course, the innocent way she'd tried to seduce him made her even more adorable and precious.

His attraction for Sunnild was the easiest for Aidan to understand and accept. She was the girl next door, the one who always had a smile and a cheerful greeting. She was a bird with a broken wing who nonetheless trusted him with her whole heart. The only thing unusual about Aidan falling in love with her was how little time it took. But, even that could be explained by Brighid urging the three of them together.

Eldrid, on the other hand. There was no one pushing Aidan towards her. She was a free spirit, confident and capable. She flirted and flaunted but retained control of the situation. Yet some inner dragon of Aidan's had its beady eyes set on adding her to his hoard. He didn't want to crush Eldrid's sexy swagger. No, he wanted her to bend the knee, surrender herself to him, all the while radiating defiance.

Aidan wanted to revel in the tension. He wanted Eldrid to fight to the bitter end, then dare him to do his worst. And, once he finished with victory's spoils, Aidan wanted her to sit back down at the table, place all the pieces back at their starting positions, and demand a rematch.

If Eldrid was a constant struggle for dominance, then Aoife was an intricate puzzle to solve. From the first sight of her reclining against Searlas's throne, Aidan knew that she was part of his future. He didn't understand why or how. Understanding wasn't necessary. The truth existed regardless of his ability to comprehend it.

Every interaction with Aoife deepened that fundamental confusion. She was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Every time Aidan thought he figured her out, he found himself faced with a new layer of the onion. She felt at once familiar and alien, comforting and frustrating, like a favorite meal cooked with exotic ingredients. Yet, despite how they clashed and sparked, Aidan and Aoife also fit together in the most perfect ways.

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And yet, somehow, the only romance he'd managed in the Realms with a normal pace was with Ailis. She was someone he never would have considered pursuing in a life that made sense. The mother of the girlfriend he loved more than life itself? A woman who sent him on a quest she expected to kill him? Someone who made people into tools? All of those should have driven Aidan far, far away.

But they didn't.

What was happening to him? Was this some unmentioned aspect of the Brighaid's influence? Aidan knew he was a playing piece on some cosmic board. His Patron never hid that from him. He suspected that the lion's share of the Quests he received were direct from Their hands. Eldrid's mention of Quests from her own Patron only solidified that suspicion.

Were They interfering on a more direct level? The thought unsettled Aidan. So far, he hadn't encountered anything that made him balk at his Patron. But, given what he could do with Language of Origin, how did Aidan know that wasn't the Brighaid laying a divine finger on the scales?

A sharp-nailed finger dug into Aidan's ribs. He blinked, his attention returning to the Council tent. Eldrid glared up at him. "Well?" Her foot tapped a rapid beat against the ground. "Do you understand the rules?"

"I understand," Aidan said. Her silver eyes darted back and forth as if expecting to see a lie in his aura. When she found none, she relaxed and nodded once.

"Good," she said.

"I understand, Eldrid, but take care not to push too far. Do not forget who won our bet. You owe me a favor." Aidan let a hint of a growl creep into his voice. Eldrid's irises dilated, her nostrils flared, and her breath caught. Then she shook herself and gave him an imperious look.

"If you would use a favor like that, you aren't as dangerous as I thought. Don't worry, I won't forget what happened tonight." She hesitated, her shoulders sagging a fraction. "Do you mind if I put off repaying the first part of my debt until tomorrow? If I'm going to tell you about my Patron, I might as well give you my whole story, but I find myself exhausted for some reason."

Aidan chuckled and relaxed. "Absolutely. I'm curious, but it can wait. Besides." He winked at Eldrid. "This means you have to come back."

"Hmph!" Eldrid tossed her head in mock irritation, but Aidan caught the smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She stretched, then yawned. "Given how long we've been alone, absolutely everyone is going to assume we fucked. Do you want to fight that or go with the flow?"

"Um." Aidan thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure what the consequences might be. For either of us."

Eldrid waggled her hand from side to side. "For me? Nothing significant. My crew had a betting pool going before we dropped anchor. For you?" There came that smirk again, the one that made Aidan's blood boil in the best way. "That depends. A reputation as a lady's man can be a deadly weapon in the right hands. Or," she sliced the air with her hand, "it could undermine your authority."

Eldrid gave him a fanged grin. "Mostly, it depends on how people perceive our interactions. For example, if they see me taking advantage of you, they'll start thinking that any pretty girl can lead you around by your cock. But, on the other hand, if you can turn that around on me..." She spread her hands. "Well, then you'd be the Lord who brought a Snow-Water Rider Captain to heel with a single glance and a word. Another victory-feather adorning your cap, and all the more reason for them to follow you."

Eldrid tilted her head and locked her eyes on Aidan's. "So, what do you say, Lord Aidan? Shall we hide our indiscretions? Or do you think you have what it takes to tame me?"

Well, now he couldn't take the easy way out. Aidan knew that was Eldrid's intent, but he couldn't let a challenge that direct pass by unanswered. "Oh, I don't think it, Eldrid." Aidan let his voice drop low as he stepped toward her, pursuing her for the first time that night. She stood her ground, head lifted in defiance.

Aidan cupped Eldrid's chin and tilted her head back. "Now then, if we're supposed to have been busy for the last hour, we'd best be sure to make it convincing. Right?" He didn't give her time to answer. Instead, Aidan bent his head down and captured Eldrid's lips with his. They parted at his touch, her tongue emerging to meet his, then withdrawing, opening the way for him to follow.

Calloused hands tangled in Aidan's hair. His own were busy making their way across Eldrid's body, pushing her clothes askew as he explored. She moved into his touch, twisting and arching to draw his attention to where she wanted it.

Then, like someone flipped a switch, Eldrid pushed away from him. "That's enough for tonight," she panted. "You're not supposed to touch me, remember?"

She wasn't really objecting. It was all part of the game. Aidan bowed his head to her anyway. "Of course, I apologize. Your beauty drove me to distraction."

Eldrid blushed and bit her lip at the compliment. She recovered quickly, giving Aidan a sharp nod. "Good. See that you do a better job of controlling yourself in the future. Now then, I will take my leave for the night and seek you out tomorrow to fulfill the first part of my obligation."

"I look forward to it."

Eldrid hesitated, blew Aidan a kiss, then vanished out of the tent. Aidan looked down at the tent in his pants, sniffed at the musky air, and growled. He stuck his head out and looked around. "Brighid," he called, voice demanding.

Aidan spotted his lover laying on the grass a dozen or so yards away. Siwan was there with her, the pair of them chatting away. When Brighid heard his voice, though, her head snapped toward him, and she sprang to her hooves. She trotted over to him and clasped her hands together in front of her.

"You called for me, love?"

"Get in here," Aidan growled. "I have some frustrations to work out."

Brighid's eyes widened. Then she grinned. "Ooh, yes, Sir."

Zurai

Aidan's current status screen:

Pronunciation Guide (infinitesimal spoiler warning, names only without any details)

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