The Quest for the Heart Orb (The Orbs of Rathira)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Please do,” Zakiel said, smiling.

  “Thank you, Highness,” Lochlin said, relieved to have something happy to focus the men’s minds on. “The palace is still fully staffed, Highness, and we have no food or water shortages. I’ve no doubt you will all wish hot baths and hot meals as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you, Lochlin, that’s good to know,” Zakiel said. He frowned in thought and glanced toward the window, gauging the time. It had been such a long and eventful day that he was almost surprised to see that it was not only still light out, but barely late afternoon. “We will dine in the Great Hall this evening. Please select fifty men, including yourself, to join us. After dinner, we will fill you in on our current status. I will send Timon to inform you of the time later.”

  “Thank you, Highness,” Sir Lochlin said, bowing once more. “Once again may I say, welcome home, and congratulations to you and Lady Techu.”

  ***

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ren stood in the doorway of the bed chamber Prince Zakiel had offered them in the family wing of the palace, staring around herself. She’d never dreamed such richness existed in the world. Not only was the bed chamber enormous, it had two bathing and dressing rooms attached, one for each of them, and a large sitting area as well. She and Marl had eaten a sumptuous lunch that she’d barely tasted before they’d separated for their baths. Then a maid had brought her a peach colored robe that was made of the finest, softest fabric she’d ever seen. It was also nearly transparent, which had made her blush when she’d looked at herself in the mirror. But she didn’t think her husband would mind too much.

  Marl stood staring out a window, his side to her, so she took a moment to study him. He wore a black robe that clung to his broad shoulders, and he held a glass of wine in his hand. After a few moments, he raised the glass to his mouth, revealing the tented fabric of his robe in his groin area.

  She stared in surprise, uncertain what it was she was looking at. She’d felt his hardness a few times when they kissed, but she’d never known what it was she felt. She’d almost asked him a few times, but had never had the courage. Whatever it was, the sight of it caused her to shiver uncontrollably.

  Sensing her presence, Marl turned his head and then froze as his eyes traveled from her coral lips to the hard points of her nipples pressing against the sheer silk of her robe, down to her tiny waist, and finally the shadow of blond curls at the juncture of her thighs. “You are so beautiful,” he said, crossing the room toward her. He set the glass down on a table as he passed, then noticed that her eyes were fixed below his waist, the expression on her face unreadable.

  “Ren?” he asked, approaching more slowly. Her eyes met his and she blushed. “Don’t,” he said, stepping closer to place a gentle finger beneath her chin. “There should be no embarrassment between us, beloved.”

  “I’ll try,” she whispered. “It’s just…new.”

  “You’ve never seen a male unclothed, not even a child?” Ren shook her head. “Would you like to see?” Ren nodded quickly, and he bit back a smile. She was shy, but eager. That was good. He reached for the belt of his robe and untied it, then opened it, revealing himself to her eyes. He wanted to drop his robe to the floor and add hers on top of it, but decided it would be best to take small steps.

  “Oh,” she said, her hands automatically reaching for him. She stopped just before her fingers touched him, causing him to clench his teeth against a groan. “May I?” she asked.

  “Yes, please,” he growled, unable to prevent his hips from arching toward her that last little distance. She smiled shyly at him, and then, finally, her fingers brushed his most sensitive flesh. Never in his life had the touch of another brought him such intense pleasure, and she’d barely brushed him with her fingertips. He had to close his eyes against the sight so as not to disgrace himself by coming all over her hands.

  “Am I hurting you?” she asked, her tone worried. Marl laughed, breaking the tension.

  “No, beloved, you are not hurting me,” he said. “What you are doing is making me want you so much I’m about to explode.”

  “Should I do something else?”

  “Oh no,” he said, shaking his head. “I want you to do anything and everything you want exactly as you want.”

  Ren smiled and returned her attention to his erection. “You are so hot, and so silky soft,” she said, running her fingertips down his length. “And so…different.”

  Marl heard the question beneath her statement, and set aside his pleasure for a moment. “Yes, men and women are quite different.”

  “Why?”

  “So that our bodies can join together.”

  Ren thought about that for a moment, then her eyes widened. “Do you mean that…you can’t…this is far too…but no, that can’t be right.” She frowned, shaking her head as one hand wrapped around him, measuring him. When she could not fully encompass his thickness, her frown deepened. “Marl?” she asked, an edge of fear in her voice.

  “Do not worry, beloved,” he said. “We will fit together perfectly, and it will not hurt.” He sighed. “I take that back. You have a thin membrane inside of you that will be broken when we join the first time. That will hurt, but only for a few moments. After that you will feel nothing but pleasure.”

  “All right,” she said, but Marl heard her doubt.

  “Trust me, Ren,” he whispered. She looked into his eyes and smiled, letting the fear and the worry go.

  Marl returned her smile. “My turn,” he said. Ren blushed again, and his smile turned to a grin as he loosened the tie on her robe and slipped it off her shoulders. It fell to the floor in a puddle, leaving her standing naked before him. He stepped back to see her better, and this time he didn’t bother to hold back his groan. Her breasts were full and firm with dark coral nipples that he immediately bent down to taste, running his tongue over one, then the other, then back to the first before taking it into his mouth and suckling gently.

  Ren’s hands went to either side of his head as the unfamiliar sensation sent ripples of pleasure spreading through her. When her nipple stood hard and stiffly erect, he moved to the other one, suckling until Ren whimpered. Then he straightened and shrugged out of his robe before scooping her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her down carefully, then walked around to the other side before climbing in beside her.

  “You truly are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said as he ran one hand down the side of her body from breast to waist, to hip, loving the silky warmth of her skin. “It’s hard to believe you’re mine.”

  “I think you’re beautiful too,” Ren said, reaching up to run her fingers over his chest, down to his stomach, before stroking his erection again.

  Marl shivered, but made himself gently pull her hand away. “I want you so much, Ren. Too much. If you continue to touch me, I’m afraid I’ll get ahead of myself.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ren said.

  “I know, beloved,” Marl said, “but you will. Very soon now.” Then he leaned over and kissed her while he let his hand drift down to the curls between her legs. He slipped his fingers between her thighs, and after a moment, she widened them, giving him access to the place where she ached so much.

  He explored her wet, silky folds with his fingers, then brushed his thumb against something that sent a jolt of pleasure through her so strong that her hips bucked and her back arched. She gasped in surprise, but Marl only hummed against her breast and stroked that sensitive spot again and again. Her surprise was quickly replaced with pleasure, and a growing need for something that seemed to intensify with each stroke of his thumb.

  “Let go, Ren,” Marl said hoarsely. “Relax and let the pleasure take you.”

  Ren raised her head to look into Marl’s eyes. While she watched he opened his mouth and deliberately swirled the tip of his tongue around her nipple and stroked that little nub hard. Ren’s head fell back as her entire body exploded with pleasure so intense she saw li
ghts flash behind her eyelids. Her fingers clenched the sheets as her body shook and strained, her back arching helplessly off the bed.

  The sight of Ren in the throes of her first orgasm nearly sent Marl over the edge. She was stunning in her passion, more erotic than anything he’d ever seen or imagined. He made himself think about training drills and endurance marches as he rose up on his knees and gently spread Ren’s legs wide before positioning himself above her. When she opened her eyes and looked up at him with surprise, love, pleasure, and desire all mixed together, pride filled him.

  “There’s more,” she said softly. “Isn’t there?”

  “Yes, there’s more,” he agreed.

  “I’m glad because I still feel…I need…something. Please.”

  Marl smiled as he reached down between them, his eyes locked with hers as he placed himself at her entrance. He clenched his jaw against the enticing call of wet, silky heat, reminding himself to go slowly this first time. He pressed forward, groaning helplessly at the feel of her hot, tight walls giving way, making room for him, accepting him, enveloping him. By the time he reached her barrier he was panting heavily with the effort of holding back.

  He paused, squeezing his eyes shut as he struggled against the almost irresistible desire to ram himself deep inside of her. His concentration was such that it took a few moments for Ren’s voice to penetrate.

  “What?” he asked, opening his eyes. The expression on her face of need bordering on pain shocked him. “Ren?”

  “Please, Marl,” she gasped. “Please, I need…please.”

  All thought fled as every fiber of Marl’s being immediately focused on one thing and one thing only. Ren’s need. Without thought his hips pulled back, then thrust forward until his entire length was buried within her. Ren’s breath caught, and held, freezing Marl in place for several heartbeats.

  “Ren?”

  “It’s all right,” she whispered after a moment.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, searching her face carefully.

  “Yes,” she gasped, arching her hips against him. Marl groaned, unable to resist her invitation. He pulled back, then thrust forward, setting up a rhythm that Ren caught and followed. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her nipples brushed his chest, and her hips rose to meet his thrusts with a passion that matched his own. The aroma of their combined pleasure filled their senses, increasing their need, their desire, and urging them both to come together faster, harder, deeper.

  Ren’s head went back, her body arched, and her sheath tightened around him as her orgasm took her. He thrust himself as deeply as he could get and held himself there, shouting his pleasure as he found his own ecstasy. They clung to each other for long minutes as their bodies shook and trembled together. Worried that he was crushing Ren, Marl rolled them sideways, lifting her leg over his hip so they could remain joined. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, savoring the feel of her breath against his chest while he stroked her back soothingly.

  “So that is the secret of what married couples do,” Ren said a little while later.

  “In part, yes,” Marl replied, smiling.

  “There’s more?” she asked, raising her head to look at him, an expression of warm curiosity on her face.

  “There are many ways for us to love each other, yes,” he replied.

  “Such as?”

  Marl smiled and withdrew from her body, then gently pressed her back to the mattress. “I will show you,” he whispered, then began kissing his way down her body.

  ***

  After a long, hot bath and lots of pampering from Lashi, Karma left Zakiel’s chambers with Nikura at her side. Zakiel had insisted she use his bathing room rather than return to the guest apartments she’d used before. He’d gone elsewhere to bathe, though she didn’t know where. In fact, she thought as she looked around, she didn’t even know where she was. She’d never had a good sense of direction, and the palace was enormous. “Where are we going, Nikura?”

  “Prince Zakiel asked that we all go to the King’s Audience Chamber before dinner. And yes, I know, you have no idea where that is.”

  “Of course not,” she said without embarrassment. “Lead on, please.”

  “I thought you’d like to know that the King and Queen of Mareon have returned,” Nikura said casually.

  Karma’s mouth fell open. “King and Queen of Mareon?”

  “Yes, Hara Ren and Sir Marl were crowned by Khenzhu, the Water Dragon. Oh yes, and Ren successfully claimed the Heart Orb.”

  “And just how long have you known about all of this?” Karma asked suspiciously. Nikura sounded altogether too pleased with himself.

  “They returned while you were having lunch with Princess Kapia and Lady Tiari,” Nikura replied.

  “Nice try. I’ll rephrase my question. How long have you known they’re the King and Queen of Mareon?”

  “They were only just crowned…,” Nikura broke off when he noticed that Karma had stopped walking and was now staring at him, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor. “Very well,” he said with a sigh that didn’t fool her a bit. He was bursting to tell her this and she knew it. “I’ve always known. Or at least, I’ve always known it was probable. One never really knows what will actually happen with humans. You’re quite unpredictable.”

  “It appears to me that Vatra Gariel did a good job of planning ahead,” Karma said as she began walking again.

  “Of course not, he was human,” Nikura said. “Well, partly.”

  Karma rolled her eyes. “Tell me, Nikura, how much of what we’ve done did you know about ahead of time?”

  “Almost nothing, and that’s the truth,” Nikura said. “I know a couple of things about the Mareon because it was a matter that Vatra Gariel struggled with after the Eschaton was averted. It was a frustrating time for him.”

  “Did Vatra Gariel see whether or not the Orb Quest succeeds in holding the Djinn back?”

  “If he did, he did not share it with me,” Nikura said. “I promise you, if I knew anything at all about that, I would have shared it long ago.” Karma reached down to rub Nikura’s ears, relieved by his answer, but still curious.

  Suddenly, the bent and misty figure of an old woman with a thick braid of gray hair over one shoulder began to coalesce before them. Karma and Nikura both stopped in their tracks and waited for the woman to fully manifest.

  “Forgive me, Lady Techu, for my intrusion,” the woman said. “I am Brai Adaya. I beg you to help me speak with Ren, her husband, and her father.”

  “Is this something they need to know now?” Karma asked coolly. “I’m not trying to be nosy, but we all have enough problems to concern ourselves with at the moment. If all you want is the chance to apologize, this really isn’t the right time for it.”

  “No, Lady Techu,” Brai Adaya said. “That is not my purpose. I will not deny my wish for Ren to understand what I did, but I am here for their sake, and for the future of the Mareon. Unfortunately, I fell ill before I could share important knowledge that Ren must know. I fear this may be my only chance to do so.”

  “All right,” Karma said. “Nikura, do you happen to know where Sir Marl and Ren are?”

  “Yes, I saw them a short while ago in the King’s Audience Chamber,” Nikura replied.

  Karma looked up and spotted a Knight she knew crossing the connecting hall. “Sir Jenz?”

  He immediately changed direction and hurried toward her. “May I be of assistance, Lady Techu?” he asked with a bow.

  “Yes, Sir Jenz,” she said. “If you would please ask Sir Garundel to meet me in the King’s Audience Chamber as soon as possible, I would appreciate it.”

  “Of course, Lady Techu,” he said, “at once.”

  “Thank you,” Karma replied, then watched the Knight hurry away before turning to Brai Adaya again. “I know it takes effort for you to be here. If you like, I will call you when we’re ready.”

  “Thank you, Lady Techu,” Adaya said.

  “I cannot s
ummon you, so you’ll have to listen for my call,” Karma warned.

  “I will wait, and listen.” She faded away and Karma glanced at Nikura and shrugged.

  “I don’t think I have much choice in this,” she said. “What do you think?”

  “Of course you have a choice,” he said as they resumed walking. “However, in this case, I don’t think you will regret it. The Braii had a pact with Vatra Gariel, and I’ve no doubt Brai Adaya acts on his behalf even now. If it helps at all, I do not believe Brai Adaya acted out of selfishness before, or now.”

  “It helps,” she said. “I just hope it helps Ren.”

  A few minutes later Karma stood before the tapestry of Techu Samyi and Vatra Gariel that had always drawn her when she visited King Rhobar in this room.

  “Karma, is something the matter?” Ren asked, unable to restrain her curiosity any longer.

  “No, not exactly,” Karma said, turning from the tapestry. “But if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to explain this to all of you at the same time.”

  “Of course,” Ren replied, watching as Karma removed her staff from her waist and extended it to its full length. Marl took her hand and squeezed gently, which helped. They all looked up when Garundel entered the room and approached them at a near run.

  “You sent for me, Lady Techu?”

  “Yes, Sir Garundel,” Karma said. “I hope the timing wasn’t too inconvenient but… it’s just…well, if you’ll stand here.” Giving up on explaining the situation, she placed Garundel beside Ren, with Marl on her other side, then stood facing them with Nikura beside her.

  “A spirit has approached me and asked that she be given the opportunity to speak with the three of you. She says she has important information regarding the Mareon. If you agree, I will manifest her so that you can see and speak with her.”