The Wind of Revolution (II) : The Revolution Rising

The Loriento River’s water washed over her feet, as her body was lying on the warm ground. With her eyes closed, she remained in this position. Her light blue long-sleeved dress, completely soaked with this river water, was glued to her. Around her, seagulls and other water friendly birds were having their own conversation, not minding the female human body lying on the beach, alone. From afar, one could hear the fainting sound of the busy Famiri port and the merchants’ boats coming from the sea and entering the Loriento River, to do their business in the affluent and busy town of Famiri.

However, Basirpadar Carmena was relaxing by one of the emptiest river shores. Earlier, she had taken a swim, in her dress. The Liorian dresses were much more practical – as it allowed to swim in the water. Opening her eyes once again, the sun, right on top of her head, blinded her. Lifting her left hand up to hide her face from the aggressive sun, her eyes fell on the ring Darius had given to her, the day of their wedding. Realising now where the sun was in the sky, she began to panic. It was midday – she had been dwelling on the shore for three hours. If she was not back at the castle by lunch, people would certainly hunt her down.

Getting up with her soaked hair and dress, she grabbed the dark blue coat that had stayed farther from the shore and put the cap over her head. Not everyone in Liory knew her identity. She was known by name, but few knew exactly what she looked like. After making her away through the bushes bordering the river, she arrived in the town of Famiri. The town, under the palace, was always busy. Merchants were hailing everyone in the crowded paved streets, children were playing amongst the racket, men were on their way to work or to the town hangouts – called the karmars, which were simultaneously bars, cafés, restaurants, and hotels – and women were doing their family’s shopping or going to their own work.

Watching the tumulus around her, Carmena was smiling. Famiri was completely different than Ortelly. Whilst poverty plagued Ortelly’s streets, Famiri showed wealth and prosperity. The houses were multicoloured, changing their colours as soon as you arrived in another street. Looking up, she saw the palace, on top of the hill. The town seemed to have spread all around the shiny palace on its hill. Carmena climbed it to finally arrive at Famiri Palace. By a staff’s backdoor, she managed to slip inside the palace’s walls unnoticed. Before going to lunch with the Imperial Family, she needed to change. Quickly, she walked to her room, keeping her head hidden in her hood – here she was much more likely to be recognised.

As soon as she arrived next to her room, she went inside. However, once she closed the door behind her, she heard someone tell her: “Where were you?”

Carmena jumped and turned to see Vicilia standing by the vanity, her arms crossed on her chest. The princess smiled. “Just enjoying some fresh air, outside.”

Vicilia examined Carmena’s soaked clothes and hair with a quick glance. “You went in the river, again! Alone!” Vicilia told her, getting angry at her friend. She knew that Carmena had the tendency of running off outside of the castle, alone, for an extended period of time. The princess never seemed to realise how dangerous this could be. Vicilia, her maid and very concerned best friend, had tried to warn her against it, but Carmena was too stubborn.

Carmena shook her head. She knew her friend hated when she did that. “No, it rained in the gardens.”

Vicilia arched an eyebrow. “And how stupid exactly do you think I am, Carmena?” Before Carmena could say anything else, she sighed and added: “You are so headstrong! I told you how dangerous it can be. What if something happened to you?”

Carmena retorted: “I am fine, Vicilia. Every time I have gone out, I came back fine.”

Vicilia sighed. “Right…” She paced much closer in Carmena’s direction. “I should get you ready for lunch. You are already late.”

After Vicilia had hastily got Carmena ready for her lunch, they both heard a knock on Carmena’s bedroom door. Whilst Carmena was finishing to put her golden hoops with purple diamonds on her ears, Vicilia went to open the door. She thought she would see an infuriated Emperor’s messenger inquiring about Carmena’s tardiness. However, after opening the door, she was surprised to see Darius. He was wearing a simple long-sleeved white linen shirt with black pants. His hair was pushed back, with only one curl rebelling on his forehead. With his usual charming smile, he told Vicilia: “Hello, Vicilia! Can I see my wife?”

Vicilia frowned. She knew exactly why he was here. “You will see her at the lunch your wife is already late to, Darius.” After spending three months in Liory, being the maid of Darius’s wife, Vicilia had begun to have a more familiar relationship with Darius – he was the one to tell her to stop calling him by his title two months ago, when he got back from his honeymoon with Carmena.

Darius kept his smile. “I know. But I just need to see her quickly, before lunch.”

“I know why. And no! You are both late, already,” Vicilia insisted. Since they got married, Carmena and Darius were very close – especially in the bedroom. Vicilia had seen it – as had most of the palace. It was a known fact at Famiri’s Imperial Court that the Basirpador and the Basirpadar were both crazy for one another.

Carmena walked closer to the door. She told Darius from afar: “Vicilia is right, Darius. We must go, before your mother gets angry.”

Darius’s eyes lightened when he heard Carmena’s voice. Moving his head away, he saw her, behind Vicilia. His eyes detailed her attire from top to bottom. Her long pink salmon dress had flowy butterfly sleeves and a V-neck. Around her, was braided pieces of brown leather, cinching her waist. On her neck were four different gold and purple necklaces of different sizes. Her puffy brown curls had been assembled in a big high bun, with some curls falling on her forehead. She was absolutely gorgeous – the more they werewqqqwqq married the more she seemed to glow with pure beauty. “There you are, Kami.” Kami was the nickname Darius had begun to give her during their honeymoon, very suddenly. She did not mind it. “I have been looking for you all morning. Where were you?”

“Just on a walk,” Carmena replied. She knew Darius would be as unhappy – maybe even more – as Vicilia to know she was alone in the river.

Vicilia retorted: “By the river. Downtown. Alone.”

Darius frowned. He stepped inside the room, Vicilia moved aside, and the maid watched Darius’s face show his clear unhappiness face to this piece of news. “Again? Do you want to get killed?”

Carmena rolled her eyes. “Why do you two think I shall be killed as soon as I step outside the palace’s walls?”

“Because the Red Axe wants to cut your royal head off, Carmena,” Vicilia retorted, sharply.

“There is no member of the Red Axe in Famiri,” Carmena answered.

Darius crossed his arms on his chest. “You cannot be sure of that. None of us can. The city is dangerous if you are alone. Especially if people discover who you are.”

“Told you,” Vicilia added, happy to know Darius was on her side on the matter. “You need to stop to go out alone like that.”

Carmena frowned, looking at Vicilia then at her husband. After sighing once again, she replied to both: “Fine. I shall not go out of the palace alone anymore.”

Both Darius and Vicilia smiled, feeling victorious to have changed Carmena’s stubborn mind. Darius then turned towards the maid and Carmena’s best friend: “Now, if you may excuse us, Vicilia, but I need a private chat with my wife.”

Vicilia frowned. “Out of question, Darius. You are both late.”

Carmena grabbed Darius’s right arm and told him: “She is right. We must go.” She was beginning to walk him out of the bedroom. Vicilia smiled, feeling victorious again.

Darius looked disappointed. “Fine…”

The couple walked down the corridors and the Kotia Luma. Some courtiers watched them as they were pacing together to the Dining Room, the Kotia Estia. She was holding his arm – normally, couples were not that close at Famiri. Darius and Carmena were very demonstrative of their intimacy. In the Kotia Estia, Empress Noor, Emperor Ahmad, Princess Marissa and Captain Ahsan were all impatiently waiting for the newly married couple. Seeing them enter at the same time, Carmena on his arm, they all sighed, relieved they could finally eat.

Carmena and Darius sat at the rectangular table. Emperor Ahmad and Empress Noor were sitting at the head of the table, watching Darius and his wife take a seat by their right. Marissa and Ahsan were sitting by their left. As soon as Carmena and Darius were at the table, the castle staff entered the room with the Imperial Family’s lunch. “Why were you two late?” Empress Noor asked Carmena and Darius.

Putting his arm on the top railing of Carmena’s chair by his side, Darius was the one who replied: “We did not see the time.”

Noor was ready to scold them. She despised tardiness, especially at family meetings. Ahmad intervened: “Well, they are both here, now, aren’t they, Noor?”

The empress nodded. “Yes, they are.” After sighing, she looked in Carmena’s direction. “I have hardly seen you this morning, Carmena. I hope you do not seclude yourself in your room too much. Sun and fresh air are known to improve fertility.”

Marissa interrupted her mother: “Materia… I am sure you do not need to hammer her about fertility, every day.”

Noor did not see why insisting on making Carmena pregnant was wrong. After cutting a bit of the beef in her plate, she retorted: “They have been married for three months. She should be pregnant by now.” Darius’s and Marissa’s mother turned towards the young bride: “Are you with child, Carmena?”

It was the same question Empress Noor asked the princess every day since she got back from her honeymoon. Noor was insisting for the young bride to get pregnant as fast as possible. It was true that Carmena’s period was late – but it was usually late. She did not want to give her mother-in-law false hope. “No, I am not,” she replied.

“We must change that, then,” Noor automatically replied.

Ahmad told his wife: “I thought we must not rush nature.”

Noor frowned. “I do not wish to rush nature, Ahmad. I just want to help our dynasty survive.”

Darius quickly told everyone, in hopes to brush off this topic that made Carmena and him uncomfortable in front of his parents: “Maybe we should talk about something else. Anything else.” After his eyes panned the table to see a distraction, he stopped on his sister: “Marissa?” He knew she could change the topic at once.

Marissa tried to think of something to say. “Well… Yes! Do you know that the famous Forsythian poet Meryl Benito is in Famiri today?” Carmena lifted her head up – she did not really know who she was, but oddly, the name sounded familiar. Maybe it was someone Rainer had told her about.

Ahsan frowned, no clue of who this person was. “Who?” Everyone else at the table did not know who Meryl Benito was.

Marissa gave a tap on her husband’s arm, reprimanding him: “I have told you about her, Ahsan! She is the first renowned female Forsythian poet.” Looking at everyone’s interrogative gazes, she told them: “Does no one know about her?”

Ahmad retorted: “I did not even know there were female poets.”

Marissa looked offended by her father’s statement. “Of course, they are, paterio. Meryl Benito is the most famous. For years, they have been overshadowed by the male poets. Meryl Benito is changing that. She is extraordinary! You must hear her poetry and her ideas! She is helping women all throughout the Continent have their own voice. She is giving a poetry reading this afternoon. You should all come hear her.” Marissa looked very passionate and was trying her best to motivate everyone to be as excited for Benito’s poetry reading as she was.

However, most of the people at the table did not seem as excited as her. Ahsan quickly replied, seeing Marissa was expecting him to answer: “I have Guard duty.”

Marissa turned towards her father. Ahmad swiftly said: “I have meetings.”

She then pivoted in her brother’s direction. Darius told her: “I have… things.”

She frowned and shouted at him: “Darius!”

He stood his ground. “I am a busy man, Marissa.”

Her last hope was Carmena – as she knew her mother was no poetry lover. “Carmena?” she asked the young princess.

Carmena seemed to be happy to go there. Smiling, she replied to Marissa: “Yes, I would like to go hear her.” Marissa smiled, happy to know at least one person in her family was cultivated and interested enough about the new progressive ideas concerning women’s right.

Darius frowned, not expecting Carmena to answer that. He had never seen her interest herself with poetry. Pivoting towards her, his arm still on the top railing of her chair, he told his wife: “You do?”

Looking at him, she replied to him: “Yes. I really do.” And she was not lying. She truly wanted to hear the poetry reading from this Forsythian female poet. Carmena never read anything written by a woman. She had had a very good education – as prestigious as the one her mother gave to her brothers. Queen Mother Isabella wished for all of her children to be well-educated. Carmena had had access to an amount of knowledge most women in her generation could not have. She was grateful to have had access to all that, but she was also saddened most women were not allowed to have this sort of education.

Empress Noor never liked poetry, nor books in general. Thus, the poetry reading did not sound appealing to her, at all. “Well, I would have accompanied you, but I have a Purification at the temple.”

Marissa frowned and asked her mother: “Why do you need a purification every day, materia?”

“The world is sinful. One must be purified as much as possible,” the empress said.

Ahmad rolled his eyes. His wife had always been obsessed with religion. Since she stepped foot in the palace, she went to the temple every day. “You are exaggerating, Noor.”

Noor knew Ahmad thought her temple habits were too much, but she did not care. “I am saving all our souls every day. I am not exaggerating, Ahmad.”

Princess Marissa and Carmena were both walking to the poetry reading in the afternoon. Meryl Benito was expected to be giving it in the Festia Sinctia. This octagonal building was in the gardens, on the southern part of the palace. The Festia Sinctia were reserved for women. Its exterior walls were painted reddish brown, and many white roses would climb up the bricks, almost becoming one with the walls. Inside the walls were painting with different kinds of flowers, disorderly put together in a mix of colour and design. The ceilings were high – to Carmena’s small height, they were almost touching the sky – with golden leaves sculpted in the stone. It had five different rooms with almost identical walls and ceilings: the Orlona, which was a sort of Boudoir, was the largest room, the Pivia, a sort of communal sauna, was next to it, then there were the Mariala, a sort of dress showroom, and the Hallama, a quite full library.

Meryl Benito was sitting in a sofa in the Hallama, while the other women, who had come to hear her poetry, were sitting on small cushions of various colours, almost touching the ground, covering with red carpets. The poet was tall and impressive in her overall appearance. Contrary to most women, she wore her hair in a turban and no make-up on her pale skin. What was the most striking thing was her attire: compared to the usual long dress women wore at that time, she had men’s trousers and a men’s shirt and coat on.

When Carmena and Marissa stepped inside the Hallama, all women stood up and bowed. Meryl Benito’s eyes widened seeing them to her poetry reading. Spreading her feminist – even though feminism had not yet become a concrete name yet – gospel all throughout the continent, Meryl had never heard members of Imperial or Royal families to her readings. She was stunned to see a princess from Liory and from Forsyth, coming to hear her. Walking closer to them, she said: “It is an honour to meet you both, Princess Marissa, and of course, Princess Carmena.” Meryl bowed once again.

Carmena was politely smiling but remained silent behind Marissa. In this room of well-spoken and older women, she felt much less clever. Marissa, broadly smiling, said to the poetess: “Thank you for coming to Famiri. It is such an honour to have a mind as beautiful as yours in our court.” Meryl seemed enchanted. After a quick pause, Marissa then told the poetess: “I have just finished reading some of your poems. I have to say that I find your lines so profound and thought-provoking. It was as if you could capture all the struggles women go through in only a few words.”

With a very important princess as a reader, Meryl felt very happy. She did not expect her work to attract the ears of someone as prominent as the oldest daughter of the Liorian emperor. “I thank you, Princess Marissa. I am happy more and more people take notice in my work and in the message, it carries. Us as women had longed been shut up. I think it is time we speak up.”

The princesses sat among the other women on the cushions. Meryl Benito began the reading. Usually, the poems were followed with minutes where everyone would discuss of what they felt hearing them. Carmena mostly stayed quiet – every woman present had much more thoughts to communicate than what Carmena had. It was not that she did not find anything to say at the poems. She just had issues to communicate what she was thinking about. Soon to turn nineteen, Carmena still felt like a reckless child. All her life she had been sheltered from the world, expected to marry the son of the emperor, educated to fill that role. One poem struck her mind in particular:

“They shut me up in Prose –

As when a little Girl

They put me in the Closet –

Because they liked me “still” –

Still! Could themself have peeped –

And seen my Brain – go round –

They might as wise have lodged a Bird

For Treason – in the Pound –

Himself has but to will

And easy as a Star

Look down opon Captivity –

And laugh – No more have I –“

She did not have the right words to voice her feelings about it. The words had imprinted in her mind so strongly that she had issues getting them out of her brain. All her life her mother educated her to be the still, proper, and pretty woman fit to marry the son of an emperor. Many times, she had been called loud, erratic, reckless, headstrong… Many times, people forced her to shut her mouth and sit still. Many times, she felt it to be unjust. During the entirety of the poetry reading, her mind was racing, thinking about all those instances. Carmena followed the usual patriarchal model for a princess: she never worked, she was forced into a political marriage, and her only job was to give Liory heirs. Even though she had agreed to this life, she still felt odd only following that model. What would she do with her life, besides having a husband and children?

The poetry reading lasted the entire afternoon. As the sun was setting in the gardens, Marissa and Carmena began to walk back to the Kotia Estia to join the Imperial Family for dinner. Carmena sighed, thinking about the thoughts that had arisen during the reading with Meryl Benito. Suddenly, whilst entering the Kotia Luma, she heard Marissa ask her: “Did you like the poetry reading?”

Carmena turned towards her sister-in-law and smiled. “Very much. Thank you for taking me, Marissa.” Since she got married to Darius, Carmena had grew closer with Marissa who also grew very fond of her sister-in-law.

Marissa smiled back. “You are welcome. I am so happy we could enjoy this. I think it is so important for women to find their voice. Meryl Benito is helping all women throughout the Continent to finally have their voice. For long we have been forced to sit still and look pretty.” Among the Imperial Family, Marissa was the most educated and interested by the new wave of ideas taking by storm the Continent’s intellectual circles.

Carmena nodded. “I have seen my brother read some of her poetry back in Forsyth. I have always been intrigued by the new poets of Forsyth. Their new ideas tend to frighten most monarchs. It is the first time I have heard advocating so proudly and broadly for women’s rights.”

Marissa retorted, seeming very adamant: “Someone must do so. One voice can force others to speak up as well. Forsyth is the new ground for ideas. Things are moving in your home country. And fast. They are talks of a revolution.”

Carmena had some reserve about a revolution. Forsyth had the smell of revolution in the air. She knew that if the people began to revolt, it would mean the end of the monarchy and the destruction of her family. “I know. If a revolution happens, the entire dynasty will crumble. My mother and…”

However, the princess was swiftly interrupted by a familiar voice coming from behind them: “Ladies! There you are!” Marissa and Carmena pivoted and saw Empress Noor walk to them. Noor then asked the two women: “How was the reading?”

Marissa replied to her mother with a big smile: “Delightful and thought-provoking! You should read her poems, materia. It makes you think of your condition as a woman and how oppressed we have been…”

Not seeming interested at all, Noor interrupted her daughter with haste: “I am sure it was a delightful reading, Marissa, but I have no time for reading poetry all day. Prose is better. It is clear and much less straining to the brain.” The three women continued to walk down the Kotia Luma to go to the Kotia Estia. Whilst pacing, from afar, the three of them saw the emperor, followed by guards, and his son walking up the Kotia Luma. Noor shouted at her husband: “Ahmad!” Darius and Ahmad quickened their pace and stopped next to the three of them. Looking at them, Carmena noticed they seemed in a rush. Empress Noor questioned her husband: “Where are you going?”

Ahmad replied to her: “We have an urgent meeting with the Ministers. Darius and I must take care of it.”

Noor looked displeased by that information. “Do not come back too late, Ahmad.”

With a small smile, he softly told her – almost in a whisper: “Ego none estiere, caramia.” (I shall not, darling.)

Darius moved closer to Carmena. He leaned in her direction and murmured to her: “I shall see you later tonight, Kami.” He put his lips on her forehead, kissing her swiftly.

She smiled at him and nodded. “All right.” Carmena watched her husband and her father-in-law walk away to the Kotia Guerrio.

The women continued their walk to the Kotia Estia. Noor was walking ahead of them, preoccupied not to have her husband and son to dinner with her. A bit away from the empress, Marissa and Carmena were walking side by side. Marissa told Carmena: “I cannot believe you have agreed for him to call you that.”

Carmena turned towards her and asked: “Call me what?”

“Well, Kami.”

Carmena frowned. “What is wrong with it? It is just a nickname.”

Suddenly, Marissa looked embarrassed. The Liorian princess thought her sister-in-law knew what Kami meant in Liorian – she did not think she would have to tell its meaning to Carmena. “Well, no… I thought you knew Liorian. Do you not know what it means?”

“I did not think it meant something in Liorian.”

Marissa began to explain, painfully: “Kami is a sort of slang in Liorian. It is quite embarrassing to tell you its meaning…” She paused. After scratching her throat, she lowered her voice to say: “It means, to be literal, girl I like to fuck.”

Her eyes widened enormously, Carmena yelled: “What?” She had stopped walking. Noor had already entered the Kotia Estia. The two younger women were a few paces away from the door.

Marissa made a strange face, showing her discomfort. “I thought you knew.”

Carmena tightened her fists. How could Darius call her that? In front of everyone! He did it on purpose! She looked a fool, now! She then muttered, her anger rising quickly: “I am going to kill him.”

Prince Darius was happy to walk to the quarters he had with Carmena. It seemed to have been forever since he last saw her. The palace’s corridors were almost empty, while he was walking back to Carmena’s bedroom. He needed some fun after tiring himself out. Since they got married, Carmena and Darius always slept in the same room – one night, it was in her bed, another night, it was in his. He never spent a night away from her since they were married. He opened the door to her bedroom.

Unexpectedly, he found her standing in front of her bed and face to the door. Her arms crossed on her chest, wearing a flowy white cotton nightgown, her curls falling around her and her eyes showing an intense feeling Darius could not figure out at first, she was looking straight in his direction. Smiling and quickening his pace towards her, he joyfully told her: “Good evening, Kami.”

He was about to kiss her, but she sharply stepped back. “Stop right there! We need to talk.”

Darius frowned. Staring into her brown and golden eyes that were now darker than usual, he now knew what feeling they expressed: anger. “What did I do?”

She said to him: “How could you have hidden this from me?”

He sighed, pushing back his hair. “Oh, Elmar (shit)… How can you already know about it? I just did the bet.”

Carmena frowned. Oh, no… He did something else. She asked him: “What bet?”

Darius frowned. What else did he do? “Were you not talking about the bet?”

Carmena got even angrier. Darius was known to be very impulsive and reckless. After being married to him, she really saw that side of him. She knew that this bet thing would certainly upset her even more. “Why are you talking about a bet? What did you do, Darius?”

He tried to dig himself out of his own hole. Quickly, he tried to brush it away: “Nothing! There was no bet. How about we have some fun and forget about…” He was ready to kiss her, as the two of them were already very close.

Putting her hand on his torso, she pushed him back. “No! I want to talk about this bet.” Her voice was sharp and a clear testimony of her rising ire.

Darius looked into her furious eyes. He was reckless and impulsive, whilst his wife was stubborn. He knew she would not let it go. Thus, he decided to come clean: “Fine… After the meeting with the ministers, Ahmet invited a few friends to drink at the bar downtown. We drank a lot, and we were talking about you getting pregnant.”

Carmena shouted at him, instantly: “What?”

He looked down. “I am sorry.”

She sighed, trying to calm herself down. “What is the bet about?”

Still looking down, he replied: “I bet that I could get you pregnant by the end of the month. If it did not happen, I would just give them a couple of horses…”

Her coolness evaporated. She yelled at him, her voice echoing in the room: “Darius!”

His eyes down, he added: “And the dogs.”

Once again, she screamed at him: “Darius!”

He lifted his head back up. “I know. Bad idea. But, think about it, if we do it tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon and every day before the end of the month, I shall win.” She was prepared to yell at him again, but before she spoke, he grabbed her face in his hands, approaching her face to his. Gazing straight into her eyes, he told her: “We shall win.”

Carmena swiftly pushed him away. “I am not doing anything with you tonight. Nor tomorrow. Maybe not anymore at all.” She walked away from the bed and closer to the desk.

He followed her. “Oh, Carmena… I am sorry. I am stupid. But I love you.” Stopping face to her, he slightly flicked her nose, while smirking. “And I know that you are crazy in love with me, Kami.”

She pushed his finger away. “Do not call me that! I know what it means, now.”

Darius frowned, not understanding what she meant by that at first. “What?”

Carmena crossed her arms on her chest, again. “Your sister told me. You are disgusting calling me that in front of everyone. How could you have hidden this from me? I did not know it meant something.”

“I thought you knew.” And he was not lying. When he started to call her that, she did not mind it. Therefore, he thought she was all right with it.

She arched an eyebrow. “Would I have agreed for you to call me that if I knew?”

He smirked. “I do not know. You are quite dirty in…”

Quickly, she interrupted him: “Shut it! Go to your own room. I am not sleeping with you anymore.” She pivoted to the window, turning his back on him.

“Just because I called you Kami.” She did not reply to him. Darius sighed, then continued face to her silence: “It is the truth, Carmena. I called you like that because I like to fu…”

She shouted at him: “Stop!” Keeping her eyes on the window, her back turned, she said to him: “I cannot believe you said that in front of everyone…”

He retorted, making one step closer to her. “No one knows Liorian, Carmena.”

“Your mother and father do,” she sharply responded.

“They do not know this word.” And again, he was not lying. He would have never said that if her mother knew the word. Darius wrapped his arms around her waist, from behind, gluing her back to his torso. She did not move away from him but did not speak. “Listen, I apologise, Carmena. I really thought you knew. I promise I shall not call you like that anymore.” He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear: “I promise.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. She was upset at him, but she was very intrigued about that bet thing. Staying face to window, she said: “Fine. But to go back on the bet…”

He kept her body close to him. “I am sure everyone is too drunk to remember.”

“Who heard about the bet?”

“A couple of guys.”

She insisted, turning back to face him: “How many, Darius?”

“About a dozen.”

She sighed, getting frustrated with him. “Darius…”

Again, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He kept on insisting, in hopes to reassure her: “But they were very drunk.”

Sighing once again, she concluded: “You are lucky I love you.”

He smiled. While his smooth lips hovered over hers for a few seconds, he whispered to her: “I know. I love you too, Carmena.” They, then, touched, locking them in a kiss that involved much strength. Almost forgetting everything that had happened before, one of Carmena’s hands automatically went to his neck and the other gripped his soft black curls. Every time she was kissing Darius she felt possessed, unable to think rationally, unable to control herself, and unable to separate herself from his body. In a way she as much loved as hated that. She loved him with every fibre of her being, but she also hated that feeling of powerlessness. Gripping the underneath of her thighs, Darius lifted her off to the bed. In his arms, she was in a world where her body would want to relish in forever.