”Inraya…” Anara spoke gently, moving forward to touch her forehead to Kes’s, her hands laying at the back of the base of Kes’s neck.

”I will always love him, and he hasn’t… he hasn’t lost honor to me, but…” Kes sighed. ”I suppose I’ll just… be very happy to go back under the surface with you, with them, so that this… So that he won’t have to worry about things like vengeance again.”

Anara moved forward and kissed her again then, Kes letting the blankets drop from her chest. –You are so beautiful…– Anara told her, thoughts to thoughts, as Kes gratefully returned the kiss, relieved to have the difficult issue resolved between them. Relieved that Anara accepted her still. It had been hard to talk about, but Kes knew in her heart it was good that Anara had made her confront her feelings and share her heavy heart with her. She knew that, because, somehow, her heart felt so much lighter now for having told her.

Anara moved forward against her then, one hand traveling upward to cup one of Kes’s breasts. –Lay for me?– She asked a little shyly.

–I’m yours. My heart and soul… for you…– Kes replied, letting her wife lay her down on their cot before her so that she could claim her once again. Their lips met again for a long string of kisses, Kes tangling one hand in Anara’s long curly hair.

When she whimpered a little, trying to work Anara’s clothing off, her wife pulled away, slowly at first, and sat up straddling her. Kes looked up at her in question as Anara smiled down to her and began to take off her clothes as Kes looked on. Kes’s hands traveled up to slide over the skin of her thighs and Kes swallowed, her heart beating faster in her chest and her body alive with want and anticipation of the passion to come… She loved being married, even more than she’d ever imagined she would.

When Anara was as unencumbered as she, her wife lowered herself down over her again and they kissed, Kes’s hands going one to one of her wife’s breasts, the other to her back. Her body arched a little against Anara’s, seeking more closeness. Their mental bond deepened as they continued to make love, it happening even without Kes consciously thinking about doing it. She could feel Anara wanted it, wanted to fall into each other again and share their feelings and perspectives all over again as they had before. Kes wanted that too, so much it was almost overwhelming, and it felt so very good when their bond bloomed again in full.

They made love three times over until tiredness made them stop and they snuggled together under the blankets, Kes very contentedly kissing the skin on her wife’s neck while they held hands and held each other close. Anara was smiling and humming just softly, both of them feeling very thoroughly satisfied. Kes stilled her kisses after a time and lay her head down, snuggling all the closer with her wife, her eyes closed and breathing soft.

They lay like that for Kes was pleasantly unaware of how long, but, at one point, she heard Tresit bring his sister inside and put her to bed to rest, her having tired herself out, and him telling her that he was going to go outside and meditate for a while before he came in again, and that then they’d have a meal together.

The mention of a meal reminded Kes, and, by the extension of their mental bond, Anara as well, that she would need to go out for another round of thieving soon in order prepare for their exodus across the desert and down under the surface. Kes sighed, not really wanting to think about it until she had to, because she knew Tresit would want to go with her, and that he’d also want to steal his little brother back while they were in the city. Kes could easily tell that Anara was as well aware of that as she, and further, she could tell how conflicted and secretly hopeful her wife was at the idea of having her lost son back. Kes could hardly blame her of course, she remembered that cute little boy she’d seen in the hallway in his cousin’s arms and her heart all too easily went out to him. He was her son now too, after all – Tresit and Lanam’s brother – she couldn’t help feeling that way… Still, it was dangerous… she didn’t like to think how dangerous it might actually be.

——

to be continued