Joy Amidst The Sorrow

Writers: AL, Heather
Date Posted: 23rd May 2014
Series: The Unwanted Sister

Characters: Coran, Relea
Description: Coran thinks back to his wedding night with Relea
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 6, day 24 of Turn 7

Relea

Coran hated to leave the bed, not when Relea was curled so enticingly
up against him. Every part of her softly rounded body seemed to fit
against his, as if they had been carved from the same stone by the
same master artist. They fit each other in every way. He sighed as he
sat up, and reached back to tenderly tucked a strand of her hair back
behind her ear.

It was hard to believe that two months had already passed since they
had gotten hurriedly married. Those first couple of sevendays after
that had been nothing but a whirl. With an upward quirk of his mouth
Coran remembered when they had finally been able to consummate their
marriage upon returning from Emerald Falls....

~~**Flash back.**~~

Time had flown since their hurried retreat from Green Valley to
Emerald Falls. Their elopement had ended sadly that day and was
followed by more, but that wasn't to say there wasn't any sense of
happiness. Coran was a good man. If anything she'd be taken care of
- and he was the sort of person she felt she could eventually love.
She liked him. And that said a good deal right there.

Reven still hadn't been found and what had become of him, no one knew.
In their quarters, away from the madness that plagued outside of
their door. It had been the first quiet moments since their rush to
and from Emerald Falls.

"I'm sorry." Relea's hands spoke where her lips could not, but her
face betrayed the concern that she felt, both for her Holder and her
new husband.

Coran was still reeling from his brother's disappearance. How could he
leave Green Valley and everything be fine, just to return to complete
chaos? He looked into the eyes of his new wife, and he reached up and
cupped her face, "Me too. I am sorry this hasn't been much of a honeymoon."

"It's not your fault." The intimate gesture had to be interrupted so
she could 'talk' to him, but she drew closer once she was done.
Despite everything, she was glad they'd done what they did. Now her
brother couldn't scheme to find her some wherry of a man and women
wouldn't look upon her so strangely. Hopefully, the marriage would
kill all the rumours.

The healer drew his new wife into his arms, remembering how eager he
had been that morning to finally have his bride alone. He looked
around to her things sitting in his quarters, "Do you need help
unpacking?" He drew back so she could read his lips.

"I haven't even packed all of my room." All that was packed were the
few necessity items she'd needed for a couple of days at Emerald
Falls. Their travels and experiences had been a whirlwind since. "So
there's not much save what I brought with me for the trip."

"Should we go to your room for a few things then?" Coran wanted her to
be comfortable and he was ashamed that he hadn't considered her need for
her things sooner.

"I've got enough for tonight. I can worry about it on the morrow."
Things might be better in the light of day, better once the sun rose
and the cold night didn't surround them. Relea didn't really want to
leave and worry about things like that right now. Honestly, compared
to everything else, it was a trifling matter.

Coran captured Relea's face between his hands before pressing a kiss
to her lips, "Thank you, Relea." He told her. Other women he knew
might have pitched a fit at having their wedding and honeymoon
disturbed, but not Relea. She had been nothing but supportive since
the day they had rushed back to Green Valley.

Thank her? She'd really done nothing but stand around and be useless.
Still, the words brought a small smile even amid the gloominess that
permeated the hold. She lifted a hand to rest upon one that gently
held her cheek and allowed it to lay atop his own in a silent, but
warm gesture.

The healer studied his wife's face for a moment, his eyes searching
hers before he dipped his head and kissed her again. It was refreshing
knowing that he could now do this without fear of reprisal. It had
taken every fiber of gentleman in his body to withstain from Relea on
their trip to Emerald Falls. Now there were no restrictions to keep
them from each other.

Though it was still gentle the kiss was deeper that time, and beneath
the surface rippled hints of desire. She had forced abstinence, for
she hadn't wanted anyone to say she'd done anything wrong before her
marriage. Now that they were bound, there was no reason to refuse, so
she accepted the kiss with no protest and allowed herself to lean into
him.

Coran could think of no reason to hold back. After all, abstaining
from his wife wasn't going to bring Reven back, and he couldn't stop
living his life, not when it had really just begun again for him. When
his first wife had died Coran had never thought of marrying again, he
hadn't exactly planned on Relea's entrance into his life. He wrapped
one arm around her slender waist as she pressed against him, and he
used it to guide her back toward their bed.

She didn't resist, simply allowed him to guide her. The hesitation
she felt wasn't due to a lack of matrimony, but to a lack of
experience. Relea had a vague idea of how things went, but without a
prominent female presence in her life to explain things, she honestly
didn't know what to expect. Her teeth worried her lower lip, but she
still made no attempt to stop the proceedings.

As her legs brushed against the edge of the bed, she slowly sat down
and tilted her gaze up toward Coran. Should she do something? Kiss
him? Wait? Perhaps it would be safer to wait, to just let him guide
since she was woefully uncertain.

Coran could see the hesitation in his wife's eyes and he made himself
slow down. Despite the rumors, Coran knew that his wife was chaste and
as badly as he needed her, tonight would have to be an introduction to
what love making could be. As a healer he probably knew better than
most men what the female body required.

Kneeling in front of her, Coran slipped her shoes off, shooting her a
little smile, reminiscent of a child opening up a sweet, "Trust me."
He said with his hands before his fingers began to work on the buttons
of her dress.

If she trusted anyone, it was Coran. She nodded and Relea's lips
attempted a smile, even as it belied her nervousness. Consequently,
the brush of his fingers against her in such an intimate manner
spurred her body to react in a manner that was rather pleasant. As
his motions revealed more of his body to her, colour sprang into her
cheeks and she let her eyes drop to watch his fingers work at her
garments.

Coran had seen Relea in nightgowns since they had been married, but
never anything less than that. With each button he came closer and
closer to the skin that he had often been able to imagine in his mind.
When the buttons were all freed from their restraints he cupped her
face, and then ran his hands slowly down either side of her neck,
under the collar of her dress, and then pushed the material down her
shoulders.

His fingers upon skin that had never been touched by a man caused a
shiver to tremble up and down her spine. More heat flowed into
Relea's cheeks, but his hand upon her face forced her gaze to rest
upon him even as he freed the cloth from her shoulders and let it fall
to her waist.

Suddenly Coran's mouth felt as dry as the desert as he looked at the
perfect, flawless skin of his wife.Good grief, how had he gotten
distracted from her since their wedding day? He knew that sort of
distraction would never happen again, no matter what the circumstances
were.

His eyes flicked back up to her eyes as he grabbed the hem of his
shirt and pulled it over his head. Now they were even, so to speak,
and he hoped it helped ease any of the insecurities that she might be
feeling. Although his hands were aching to explore all of the smooth
flesh exposed to him, Coran instead pulled his boots off and then
hooked an arm around Relea's waist and pulled her up onto the bed and
by his side.

Skin against skin, flesh against flesh, Relea pressed into the warmth
of his body. Awkwardness marred her touch as he uncertainty rose once
more to the surface. What should she do? Where should she put her
hands. Another kiss cut off those thoughts and her hands
automatically pressed against his chest while his hands elicited more
shivers.

~*~Fade to Black~*~

Coran panted softly as he scooped Relea up against his chest and
pressed a kiss to her shoulder. Words were not an option for Coran at
that moment, as he closed his eyes and tried to regain control of his
erratic breathing. Almost without thought one of the healer's hands

stroked soothingly down the line of Relea's spine and down into the
small of her back.

It had been interesting. When Joseli had passed away, Relea had just
been old enough to star receiving talks about a woman's place and what
men and women did together. There had never been any details, but
she'd known that certain activities were considered desirable,
particularly by the men, and resulted in children. Sex had never been
a subject her brother had ever dreamed of broaching after the death of
his wife and only vague impressions from her memories.

She had remembered a warning about pain, but that it would pass
quickly. That experience had been just as she had been told, and
afterwards it had been pleasant. Coran's reaction was far more
severe, but it seemed in a good way, despite her clumsy attempts that
had been tinged with embarrassment. If he was satisfied, then that
was satisfactory to her. Maybe she could learn to make it even
better.

His gentle strokes were more than welcome as she settled into his warm
embrace. Her eyes lifted to study his face. Yes, he seemed
satisfied, and some of the anxiety that had remained in evidence
dissipated and she allowed a small smile to trickle over her lips.

Coran opened his eyes to find her smiling, and a grin of his own
covered his face, "It gets better, I promise." He stroked her hair
away from her face. Having had all of the pressure of Reven's
disappearance on his shoulders for days, the physical release left him
feeling much more relaxed. "Do you feel okay?"

Well, it hadn't been horrible and felt pretty good toward the end, but
she merely smiled a little more then nodded slightly. "Just..." One
hand flicked the word, then pink etched over her cheeks once more.
Did it get easier to talk about things like that? She had to wriggle
her other hand free to finish her thought. "I should clean up."

"Come on, then, I will help." Coran promised, to which he was sure, he
was going to earn another blush from his bride.

~*~Back to Present~*~

He still had a blushing bride on occasion, but he felt as if he had at
least shown her that sex could be more than just something a wife
_had_ to do for her husband. It surprised him, at times, to realize
how much he had come to care for Relea in such a short amount of time.

"What are you thinking about?" Relea's silent query pierced into the
inner thoughts. She eyed her husband, eyebrows raised but a smile
playing upon her lips.

Coran smiled at being caught while watching his wife sleep, "Just how
I wish I could stay here with you rather than go to work.... And about
how I am the luckiest man alive."

That small smile brightened a little. He sid similar things often,
and it made her feel good. Beneath the surface there was worry that
he'd tire of her, but it was his kindness and gentleness that made her
feel like she could truly love this man. Perhaps she already did a
little it. One hand rose to allow finger to trace a path down his
cheek. Then she pressed her lips against his and kept him from
speaking or leaving just a little bit longer.

Last updated on the June 2nd 2014

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Joy Amidst The Sorrow