Vhenan Aravel
Chapter 9: Married Life - The Knots That Split

Copyright© 2017 by eatenbydragons

Fan Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 9: Married Life - The Knots That Split - Raviathan, a city elf with too many secrets and regrets, undergoes a long journey in order to find his way in the world. Part 1 is a Dragon Age Blight fic with many additions and twists to the original story. This story starts off on the fluffy side, but beware. Thar be dragons, and it will dip into darker territories. I'd rather overtag for potential triggers than undertag. Rape and prostitution occur rarely in the overall narrative, but they are present.

Caution: This Fan Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa   Ma/Ma   Consensual   Magic   Rape   Reluctant   Romantic   Gay   BiSexual   Heterosexual   Fiction   Fan Fiction   High Fantasy   Interracial   Anal Sex   Analingus   First   Masturbation   Oral Sex   Petting   Prostitution  

“The old knight was really drunk,” Nesiara said as she watched Raviathan mop up the shop floor. She was sitting on the counter, legs dangling over the side. “He couldn’t figure out how to get out of the alienage. He fell and knocked his helmet sideways then staggered around and ran into a house. My sister threw up a stone so it would land on him and said, ‘it’s raining. Ser knight, you should hurry or you might rust.’ We all started throwing stones so they would land on him and ran in a wide circle around him crying ‘it’s raining, it’s raining.’ The knight kept stumbling about going, ‘Eh? Eh? What’s this?’ Then we started chanting, ‘Life’s unjust, you shall rust, Statue still, you’ll roll downhill.’ Then my sister said, “Ser knight, please come this way. We’ll help you out.’ We must have circled him around the alienage ten times, running him into every building on the way.”

“And I thought I was a trouble maker.” Raviathan leaned on a wall as he laughed.

“Get this. When we went to the Chantry that week, I saw him talking to another man. He said, ‘that storm came on all a sudden. Devilish hail it was too. Those poor little elven children must have been bruised by it, but they wouldn’t leave me, Maker bless them. Not until I was back in the city proper.’”

“We’re closed,” Raviathan called when there was a knock at the door. Finished with the mopping, he went to his wife and kissed her wrist. “And here I thought you were smitten for shems.”

“Not all of them,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “And we didn’t hurt him. Just had a bit of fun.”

He was about to say something when there was another knock. He raised one eyebrow in annoyance. “I said we’re closed.”

“Please,” Nola said from outside. “I was supposed to get an onion for dinner, and I forgot.”

Lips pressed, Raviathan opened the door. “One bit and hurry up.”

She came in, head bowed, but stopped in surprise when she saw Nesiara sitting on the counter. “Oh. I didn’t...”

“Get your onion, one bit,” Raviathan reminded her, and Nesiara wondered at the harshness of his tone.

“Ah...” Nola lowered her head further and hurried to the counter to leave the coin then picked up an onion without examining it.

“Wait,” Nesiara said. “I’m still learning names. You are... ?” Nola briefly turned in her direction without looking at her then ran out the store. “What was that about?”

Raviathan went to hold her and rested his head on her chest. “Alarith says she has a crush on me.”

“Yeah, that’s the look of it. Have you talked to her about it?”

“She’ll get over it.” Raviathan kissed her the base of her neck. His lips lingered over her fine skin to caress her.

“You should talk to her.”

“I think it’s better to let it go.”

“What you’re doing is cruel. You can at least tell her you’re flattered but the circumstances weren’t right. That it’s nothing to do with her.”

He sighed. “She wouldn’t be the first. A few years ago there was someone else. The marriage was already arranged, but ... I wanted to ... I didn’t want...” He turned his head to smell Nesiara’s hair. “The last thing I wanted to do was cause more pain. I felt horrible about it, but I didn’t know what to say. I just made everything worse.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Almost three years ago.”

Nesiara ran her fingers through his hair. “That was three years ago. Just talk to her. I’m sure you’re much smarter now.”

“You know, I should write to your sister and get some of the stories about you growing up and being foolish.”

“Oh, I was never foolish,” she said with a smile. “Just born perfect I suppose.”

“Of course you were, my sweet,” Raviathan said then leaned in to kiss her. “Still, I should write your sister. Just for the sake of argument, what stories, obvious lies I’m sure, would she tell me about you?”

“Hmm. Maybe the time I confused the salt and the sugar when I made a pie for her birthday. It’s a lie of course, but our family and her friends did make the most interesting faces.”

Raviathan laughed and kissed her temple. “What else?”

“Complete and total lies my sister would tell you? Maybe there was that time I was changing my little brother’s diaper and he peed all over my front. In my Chantry clothes too. Or when I was making a dress and accidentally sewed the sleeves on wrong and inside out. Or when we started giggling uncontrollably during the Satinalia Annum service and our embarrassed parents had to send us out. There is nothing worse than Chantry giggling. It’s absolutely impossible to stop. But these are total lies. Not one of them is true.”

“Should I have you swear in front of a mother that you’re telling the truth?”

“No. You should take my word for it because I would never do any of that. Obviously.”

Raviathan ran a hand through Nesiara’s hair admiring the shine. So soft. “The spirits envy your perfection. I, however, am not perfect. And I’m just going to screw it up.”

Nesiara sighed and rubbed his back. “Rav. I’ve rarely met someone who is so gentle. Just be patient and listen. You can already do that well enough.”

Head down in resignation, he sighed. “Here are the keys. I’ll be back to help with dinner.” There were so many ways this could get worse, but Raviathan left to find Nola anyway. She was probably home already or near it in which case it would have to wait. Good. This was stupid. He turned down a narrow alley that would lead to her home but froze when he saw her leaning against one of the buildings. She looked up, tears streaking her face, bright in the gloom of dusk. She shrank into herself in embarrassment and ran down the alley. “Nola wait! Please.”

She hesitated but didn’t turn around. This was just awkward. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” He reached out to touch her arm, but she skittered away from him.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed.

Bad idea. All of it. “Okay. I didn’t mean... ,” Maker’s ass, what to say? “We’ve never talked...”

Nola turned to face him then, her chin lifted defiantly. It was a shock to see her angry. She was one of the quietest elves he knew. “You have that ... that wife now, so why would you want to talk to me? You never wanted to have anything to do with me.” She scowled at him. Even angry she could not raise her voice, so her words were sharp but quiet in as much rage as she would allow herself. “Besides, why would I want to talk to you? You just use girls. And you’re mean. I’m glad you never wanted me.” Raviathan’s shoulders slumped, and he put his head down. “You hear that? Those girls were too young to know better, and then you come along and got them all twisted up so, so you could do to them what you wanted to. You never cared about any of them. Anyone else would get exiled, but not you. And that wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair to any of us, especially the girls who didn’t know to stay away from you. And ... and this way I can be pure. When I’m married, my husband will ... he’ll know I’m a good girl who waited for him. You would have just ruined that. So I’m glad.”

He had never heard that many words out of Nola in a week let alone in one speech. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “I never meant to hurt anyone. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that I did anyway.” What could he say? It was true that he hurt the other girls, and they both knew it. He felt like a fool staring at her shoes, but he was too ashamed to look her in the face. It was embarrassing that everyone knew about him and what he’d done. If he knew Nesiara was going to be his wife, he would have been much more careful with who he shared himself with. It was supposed to be special, and right now, with Nola staring at him, he felt like a pair of soiled old boots. “I, um, I just wanted to say that your husband is going to be very lucky. I always thought you were a good person. You were always so devout. I didn’t think you’d ... anyway. If you’re happy, then I guess it was for the best. And I am sorry.”

Ness, why did you make me do this? Raviathan folded his arms over his stomach and left. Maybe this wasn’t as bad as Jaslyn, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a disaster. There were times he wondered if he’d ever be able to hold his head up in the alienage. Once he was out of the alley, he jogged back to his apartment ready to be rid of these feelings. Ness would be there, and he wanted to hold her and smell her hair and forget about everything else.

A young boy with old eyes the color of jade stepped out when Raviathan was halfway down the main street. “Justen? What are you doing out here?”

“I don’t want to go home.”

Raviathan knelt down, and Justen wrapped his arms around his cousin’s neck. “Sweetheart,” Raviathan said as he stood with Justen in his arms, “you know it’s dangerous for you to be out so late. And it’s getting cold. What were you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” he said burring his face in Raviathan’s neck.

Ever since his sister had been taken to the Circle a year ago, his family had been strained. Raviathan kissed his little cousin and squeezed him tight. “Let me talk to your parents. If it’s alright with them, you can stay at my place tonight.” He felt Justen’s tears against his neck but there was no accompanying shake that most children had when they cried. “Hey little bear. Don’t you ever forget I love you. And your sister loves you even if she’s far away. And your parents love you too. They’re just hurting right now.” He ran his nose up the long ridge of Justen’s ear. In another year or two, the boy would be too old for that, but for now it was a comfort. “You know, I really miss Eldwyn.”

“Me too,” Justen said in a tiny voice.

“You remember what she looks like?”

Justen’s arms tightened around Raviathan’s neck. “It’s getting harder.”

“Well, I remember. You know what, my wife is really good at drawing. Maybe together we can make a picture of her, something you can keep so whenever you miss her, you can take out the picture and remember all the happy times you had. Would you like that?”

“Yeah.”

A half hour later Raviathan was at the stove cooking while Nesiara and Justen collaborated on a picture. He looked over his shoulder at their work. “Her eyes were a little more far apart. And...” he made a shape in the air, “elliptic with the ends turned up.”

Nesiara sketched and cleaned the lines. “Like this?”

“That’s it,” Raviathan said. “Wow, that’s looking good. What do you think little bear?”

Justen smiled up at Nesiara with open adoration. He snuggled next to her, and Nesiara put an arm around him. “I think you like it.”

“I forgot what she looks like, but that’s her.”

“I told you.” Raviathan shook the pan to turn the potatoes over. “My wife, beautiful and talented.”

“Are her eyes the same color as yours?” Nesiara asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good. I’ll finalize the sketch then add a little color to bring it out. It’s easier when I have a model,” she said and kissed the top of his head. “What’s your favorite memory of her?”

Justen thought about it while Nesiara cleaned the portrait. “One time my mom gave her a jar of peaches, and we all sat on the floor and shared. It was funny and we were all laughing and she made a game of putting a drop of the juice on one of our hands and someone else had to lick it off.”

“You know, my brother is about your age. He and my parents are all the way over in West Hills, and I miss him. And then I think about the time he dipped my hair in ink, and I chased him all around the alienage yelling at him.” They both laughed at her story, and when Raviathan glanced over his shoulder to look at her, she felt the now familiar warmth spread in her chest. “So, to remember peaches, I’m going to use those colors in the background. But if you two have the same coloration, she’ll need something cooler. Maybe apple red,” she mused more to herself.

Raviathan and Justen shared a look of confusion. “Sweet Ness? Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Of course I am. Why do you ask?”

“You do know that red isn’t a cool color, right?” Was she color blind?

She laughed at their looks. “Justen, go get me that apple.” She pulled out another sheet of thick paper and a kit of slender colored chalks then placed the apple in the center of the table. “Red chalk only,” she said showing Justen the chalk piece then drew a quick representation of the apple. It looked like an apple shaped red blob. When Raviathan could take a break from cooking, he stood behind her to watch. “Now, instead of red, I’m going to use blue to shadow and highlight, and a little bit of yellow.” They watched as strange blue and dark blue forms were shaded that didn’t look anything like an apple. She added a yellow corona and little flecks of green. When she added the red overlay, smudging the colors together or leaving tiny traces to show through, an apple image formed that looked real enough to pick up.

Justen stared wide eyed. “That looks so real.”

Raviathan nodded in mute appreciation. “You’re going to burn dinner,” Nesiara said.

“Maker’s ... beard,” Raviathan amended for Justen’s sake as he rushed back over to the stove.

Nesiara held the apple close for Justen to see clearly as she explained. “Do you see now how many colors it has? Apples aren’t just red. Next time you see a storm, really look at the clouds. They’re never just grey. There’s almost always blue, and often there’s shades of pink, rose, and peach, little hints of orange or purple. One of the first things my grandmother taught me was to see the colors within colors.” She took out what looked like a large perfume bottle and sprayed a fixative so the chalk would not smudge. “For you. To remember the lesson.”

“Thank you.” He watched in rapt attention as Nesiara add the colors necessary to capture his sister on paper. Step by step, she explained the process of what colors she chose and why, how they affected one another, and how each added to the mood that went beyond a straight forward representation.

Later that evening, when Justen was tucked into the top bunk, Cyrion smoking his pipe downstairs, and Raviathan and Nesiara snuggled together in bed, Raviathan kissed her hands. He whispered, “I want you to touch me with these hands.”

He held her wrist and glided her hand across his shoulder, down his chest then around his side and back. Her thick, calloused hand roamed over his back along the hard muscle and slight raise of his bones then caressed down the dip of his spine to the curve of his rear. He moved with her hand’s caress, their bodies pressing and melding together. “I love your hands,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. Creator’s hands. In her hands he wanted to be recreated, have the disjointed lines erased and made into someone clean. With these hands he would be ready to accept the colors she would bestow on their lives.

~o~O~o~

“We need more soap,” Nesiara said as she finished scrubbing Raviathan’s shirt.

“I’ll get some from Alarith tonight.” Raviathan wrung out her skirt and added that to the sack. A neighbor on the third floor let them use their clothes line once a week in exchange for some babysitting Raviathan had been doing for the last five years. Before that they had to dry the clothes in the room which could leave it smelling moldy when the weather was bad.

 
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