032

Noah and Chastity left the others behind. Berenice, Cardi, Sven, and Jori found their way into Hoomtree and into the wedding celebration. Apparently, Cardi had used her heart bubbles on some elven guards to make them love her so they could sneak in. They all congratulated Noah and Chastity on the wedding. Noah was happy they came, though he was weirded out seeing Berenice and Cardi holding hands. Were they a thing now? Berenice had been teary-eyed earlier when she congratulated him. She seemed happy for him, but disappointed, too, which was understandable.

Now, the group was walking Noah and Chastity to Chastity’s spire.

“We will meet you back at the royal palace tomorrow, yes?” asked Sven. During the wedding celebration, the Queen had congratulated the new couple. She thanked Noah personally for bringing them the cure, but Noah had asked for a meeting with the Queen to discuss the Antimogne situation, and she’d been happy to oblige. Anything for the “hero of the Southern Isles.” (Apparently, Noah’s fair skin and round ears made him look like a distant race of elves to the south.)

“Yeah,” said Noah as he entered the spire with Chastity. “Good night.”

“Good night, lovebirds!” cried Cardi as they turned to leave.

Then, it was just Noah and Chastity. They climbed the stairs to Chastity’s apartment. The stairs were cramped, but clean and ornamented with foliage and glowing yellow crystals. Noah followed after Chastity. Noah remembered she lived in Spire B, Floor 11, Room B11C. It wasn’t long before they were at her unit.

“Here we be! Our marital apartment. I wager Angel shall be blithe to see ye again!” smiled Chastity. The door had no lock and opened easily.

Chastity’s apartment was identical to her father’s in layout. A living room and a hallway with three doors. Noah thought there must be a kitchen in one room and a bathroom in another. In the living room was a sectional couch that ran around all four walls – with a gap to enter from – and a table in the center, which was covered in books. The walls were lined with storage compartments and covered in organized rows of plants and flowers. Like her father’s apartment, the room was lit by a large orange crystal chandelier, which glowed with soft orange light.

“She be in mine bedroom,” said Chastity. She set down an armful of gifts she had received from family and friends and opened the door to her bedroom.

“Arf! Arf!” yapped Angel as she came barreling out of the bedroom and started running around Noah and Chastity’s ankles. Her little tail was buzzing, and the flower growing from the top of her head kept getting caught on Noah’s robe until she yanked it away. Noah leaned down and tried to pet her, but she raced into the living room in excitement and leapt onto the sofa that ran around the edge of the room.

“Down, cur!” chastised Chastity. Angel stared back guiltily and then bounded off the couch and continued running laps around the living room. “Angel, ye hound! Rest, will ye?”

Finally, Angel calmed down enough to submit to being petted by Noah. He ran his hands through the grass that covered her body.

“This be Noah. He be mine husband now, which makes him yer father, understand?” said Chastity. Angel didn’t seem to follow.

“Ah, yer still wearing mine father’s robes. Well, we may yield it to him on the morrow. After we wash it, nie? As for mine gown, I nie want to doff it. I nie can believe I be a bride! I want this night to last forever.” She beamed at Noah, standing close to him without touching him. He felt warm, looking into her eyes.

“Should I show ye to yer chambers?” she asked.

“Huh?” asked Noah. “My chambers? You mean we’re not gonna share a bed?”

Chastity shook her head. “Elven couples sleep in separate chambers. It be only seemly. Else unholy contact might occur. Human couples nie do the same?”

“No, not really,” he replied.

She opened the bedroom door next to his. “Lo! Soon we may buy ye some clothes. For now, ye can keep wearing the robe or doff to yer breeches. And the privy be through yon door,” she said, gesturing to the last door.

“I think I’ll do that,” said Noah. “This robe itches.” He started taking it off.

“I’m blithe. I hope to catch a glimpse of mine husband’s fiddle. Alas!” she exclaimed, realizing the flirting necklace had caused her to break convention again.

Noah smiled. “So where do you eat, then? There’s no kitchen?”

“Oh, we eat in fellowship. Meals be cooked twice a day in the feasting hall. There be restaurants and cafes in the city also.”

“Ah, I see.” Noah followed Chastity into the room and sat next to her on the bed. He was just wearing boxers, but she was still in her dress. The bed in his room was different than Chastity’s small, rectangular bed. The bed was huge, circular, and in the center of the large circular room. There was no head of the bed – instead, you’d rest your head on the circular pillow in the center, and your legs would go outward in any direction.

Angel lay down in the hallway, looking into the room. Evidently, she wasn’t allowed in Noah’s bedroom. Noah looked at Chastity, and she was still smiling at him.

“I be so blithe, Noah. I thought I should go all my life as a maiden alone.” Her expression became more serious, and she spoke softly. “Then, when I secured that bargain with the Longfolk Empire for my people, I was no longer considered an outcast. Folk in elfin society accepted me, even respected me. Folk sought to wed me – but not the right folk. Folk that despised me all my life. There was rumour of a fair young man – a master gardener – who was bound to propose to me next. Mayhaps I would have accepted. But I am glad ye came first. I am joyful it was ye. I am blithe yer friends could be there also, save maybe that flamevein shepfolk child. He maketh me nervous. Flameveins are perilous, Noah. But let me not mar our bridal night… I am even softening to Berenice. Albeit the beast tried to openly hug me. Can ye believe that? Oh well. Forgive me, Noah, I mean not to speak ill of yer friends. I am joyous they were there to support ye.”

Noah blinked. He hoped Chastity would learn not to be so racist toward non-humanborns. But she seemed determined not to let her prejudices get in the way of their relationship, so he didn’t try to debate her. “Yeah, I’m glad I finally got to meet your family,” said Noah. “Your mom is so nice.”

“Yer lucky I saved ye when I did, or she’d have talked yer tiny ears off,” Chastity smiled.

Noah laughed. “Yeah, I saw her talking to Sven near the bonfire. He couldn’t get away.”

“What did ye think of the elfin wedding? Was it like to human weddings?” Chastity asked.

“Uhh, there were some parts that were similar. Both usually happen in a church, and the families show up and all that. But the whole kidnapping thing doesn’t happen.”

“Truly? Then how does the maiden arrive at the church?”

“She just shows up?” said Noah.

“She be expected to come of her own will? Strange.”

“Yeah,” said Noah, “But other parts remind me of human weddings. Gifts are given. There’s a ceremony followed by a celebration. The celebration was wild, though. That bonfire was amazing. I have had several dreams about Hoomtree burning. Now I wonder if that’s what I was dreaming about. Anyway, usually a human wedding celebration is just people’s nephews doing a chicken dance while their parents kiss in the bushes or something.”

“That is a quaint tradition in sooth. I am glad I be an elf,” said Chastity.

The two fell silent for a few seconds. Noah wasn’t sure if they were going to go to bed or what. Chastity just kept looking at him and smiling. Which he didn’t mind.

After a while, Chastity spoke. “Noah, I am not wont to speak such things aloud, but we are in bed, so it is allowed. Let me give ye a hint since yer so daft. I’d not be lying in yer bed if I but wanted to chatter, fool! The living room suffices for that. I desire ye to ravish me.”

Noah’s jaw hung open. Finally, he noticed the devious, teasing aspect of Chastity’s smile.

“Gift me yer seed so we may have a child, Noah.”

Oh, right. They were married. Of course she would want to have a child. Noah wasn’t opposed to the idea. Living here and raising a child with Chastity would be nice, wouldn’t it? So long as they could stop Antimogne from taking over the world first. Noah wasn’t ready to be a father – at least he didn’t feel ready – but elves moved quickly. He didn’t feel opposed enough to protest. It was a problem he could deal with in nine months. If elves gestated for nine months like humans did. Anyway, he wasn’t going to stop himself from fucking her.

Noah kissed her. She kissed back passionately, like she had been waiting her whole life for him. He heard Angel plod away into the living room. Evidently, she wasn’t interested in watching, which was a relief for Noah. Chastity gripped Noah tightly, and he felt her tongue slip past his lips into his mouth.

They kissed for a while before Chastity pulled away. She slid off the edge of the bed, kneeling before Noah. “Now, let me fulfil the promise I made ye long ago, my love.” She pulled his boxers down, revealing his hard cock. She didn’t hesitate in taking it fully into her mouth. She grabbed his back with her hands, using them to pull herself deeper onto his cock until she gagged. It was nearly all the way in. She was unskilled but enthusiastic. She moaned as she sucked him.

Noah leaned back, resting his head on the circular pillow at the center of the huge bed as Chastity sucked him. He moaned, but Chastity moaned louder, which turned Noah on. Her eagerness was exciting. After sucking for a while, she took him from her mouth and took both balls into her mouth while she jerked his dick with her hand. They barely fit. She moaned while sucking on them and swirling her tongue on them. Then she started sucking his dick again, but kept playing with his balls. She slowly got faster and faster.

Noah felt he was already close. He wasn’t sure if he should stop her or let himself reach climax, but he decided to let go and finish in her mouth. “Oh, God,” he moaned as he came. Chastity loudly moaned as he finished inside her mouth. Some of his cum spilled out of the sides of her mouth, but she eagerly swallowed the rest. After taking his dick out of her mouth, she sucked the spilled cum from Noah’s pubic hair with her mouth, moaning while she licked it up.

At once, she broke contact and lay beside Noah on the bed. Noah tried to put his arm around her, but she shuffled away. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Soon, he could hear a faint whistling. Soft and melodic. He opened his eyes and saw Chastity’s eyes were closed, and she was faintly whistling some tune, unknown to him. It was a soothing sound, like a lullaby. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, listening to her beautiful song.

Soon, Noah was recovered, and found that he was still horny. It was his turn to please Chastity. He was eager to repay her favours. He looked at her. She was still lying down, whistling. He slipped out of bed without her noticing and knelt on the ground like she had just done. His hands went up her dress to her waist, grabbing hold of her panties and beginning to pull them down.

“Oh,” whispered Chastity. She looked down at Noah, smiled softly at him, and then lay her head back on the pillow. When her panties were off, she spread her dark legs wide for Noah and moved forward so her vagina was right at the edge of the bed. He was close enough to smell her, and the scent aroused him. It was heavy but pleasing. Noah leaned forward and licked her clitoris gently.

“Ahh!” screamed Chastity as she sprang up onto her feet, standing on the bed. “What devilry do ye do? Are ye a lunatic? That be right foul!”

Noah stood up in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Are ye a lecher? A pervert? Why do ye taste my nether regions as if they were a dessert? It be disgusting… and horrific!”

“Calm down,” said Noah. “You just did the same thing to me!”

Chastity looked at Noah like he was speaking a different language. “Hardly! I merely worshipped thy manly member. I took ye into my body as a wife should, and swallowed yer heavenly emissions. What I did was beautiful – hallowed, even. What ye did was profane, Noah! Why should ye put yer tongue near my hole, where blood and mucus flows? Would ye similarly tongue my hind?”

Now was probably a bad time for Noah to mention that he would, in fact, be open to licking her asshole. He wasn’t easily grossed out. Anything to bring her pleasure, he’d do. “Uhh, sorry, I didn’t think you would react like that,” said Noah. “I thought you would like it.”

“Like it!” she exclaimed.

“Can you sit down, please?”

Chastity paused and then sat next to Noah on the bed.

Noah spoke. “I don’t think it’s disgusting, Chastity. It’s a very normal thing to do among humans. Maybe it’s taboo among elves. You guys have a lot of weird taboos. And that’s fine; I’m not trying to change you. But I think if you just let me do it, you’d see that it’s not a big deal. I just want to please you the same way you pleased me.”

Chastity looked bemused at Noah. “Please… me? Noah, it hath been my dream since I began to flower to have a man to please. Mine fantasies are about being the one doing the pleasing, aye? I think not what it would be like to lie there selfishly and receive delight. I could not abide it. I pray, Noah, let me give ye joy. Use mine body for yer own selfish, manly purposes. Alright? I desire not to be pleasured. Especially not in such a way. I would never use yer mouth as a privy so. I revere ye, Noah. Yer my husband.”

Noah swallowed. She was so intense. He didn’t agree with her at all. There was nothing about giving her oral sex that was disgusting. The idea turned him on, in fact. But he appreciated the intensity of her love and respect for him.

“Noah,” Chastity said, smiling slightly, “How about ye stick something there that the Eye designed to go there?”

Noah contemplated this, and nodded. Despite the argument, Noah was still hard. He rolled on top of Chastity, who spread her legs for him. He used his hand to guide his dick to her pussy, and pushed it in. It went in easy – more easily than last time. He hoped this time there wouldn’t be any blood.

“There ye go, Noah. Right as the Eye intended. Let him watch as we become beasts.”

Noah fucked her for a long time. Having just came, it took him a while to come again. Chastity moaned loudly while he fucked her.

“Is it okay if we change positions?” Noah asked. He didn’t want to accidentally violate some elven taboo saying all sex positions besides missionary were evil or something. Chastity nodded.

He flipped her over onto her stomach and pulled her hips up toward him, pulling her into a doggy-style position. He pulled her white wedding robe up, exposing her soft, round ass. He thought about how his white cum would look splattered on her dark ass cheeks, but he didn’t think elves would be too keen on that sort of thing either. Besides, she wanted him to impregnate her, so he’d have to finish inside. He pushed his cock inside of her and she groaned. “Oh, Eye…”

He fucked her hard for a while. Angel stopped by to see what all the noise was about and then turned away, bored. Noah leaned forward and grabbed her boobs, kissing her neck while he fucked her. She smiled and moaned. Finally, he came inside her, spasming as he gave her what she wanted.

Once he was done, she shouldered him off of her and lay down separately from him. Elves were strict about their taboos. Once sex was done, it was back to no contact.

Noah sighed. “That was great,” he said.

“Aye,” said Chastity.

“Did you come too?”

“What do ye mean?” asked Chastity.

“Did you have an orgasm, too, or was it just me? If not, I’d offer to give you oral sex, but you think it’s disgusting, so I’m not sure how I can finish you off.”

“Huh? Are ye asking if I had an emission? Have ye not read any pillow books? Aye, right, I forgot. Ye’ve verily done the deed with other women before. So ye must know that only the man ejaculates, nie?” She worded it delicately like she was trying not to embarrass him.

“What? Yeah, I mean, usually, the man is the only one to ejaculate, though not always, but a woman can have an orgasm. She can experience the pleasure a man has when he finishes.”

Chastity looked puzzled. “None of the pillow books speak of such a thing. I will admit, I have no knowledge of such things, and yer clearly an expert. But I find the notion shocking. Are ye certain?”

“Yes,” said Noah. “Definitely.”

“Oh…” said Chastity. She became quiet, thinking to herself. She touched her lips with her finger while she was thinking, which Noah thought was cute. “Oh! I think maybe during the wedding I had such an orgasm. It was incredible, yet I thought I was simply overcome with joy for our wedding and rapture for the Eye. But there was an intense, unforgettable feeling of pleasure in my nether region around the same time as you were climaxing. That can happen again? Do couples always climax together?”

Noah smiled. “Yes, it can happen again. And no, they don’t usually. But sometimes they do. I think most women can’t come from penetration alone. It’s why I was going to give you oral sex.”

“That’s what ye call tonguing my privates like a lecher? Please, I need not orgasms or pleasure. It be not important. I want ye to have delight. Alright?”

“Sure,” said Noah casually. He would convince her eventually, but now wasn’t the time. “Are you sure we can’t cuddle? We just had sex. It feels silly.”

“If ye refer to touch, I dread it be uncivilized when we be not mating. Sorry.”

“It’s alright. I just want to hold you, that’s all,” said Noah. “I think I have to use the bathroom,” he said, sitting up.

“Hold,” said Chastity. She sat up to face him. “There be a bit more pillow talk I’d fain to have before we leave the bed. I was approached during the festivities by a friend of mine, Patience, and she said she thinks yer comely and she and her husband Peace would fain come over sometime and mate with us. Would ye demur? She is full fair.

Noah blinked. “What?”

“We could mate with them if ye want. This bed be sized for four or five couples. Maybe I could find more if ye’d like that better?”

“You’re saying like an orgy?” asked Noah.

“Aye, if that be what ye call it. We would share our love with my friends and their husbands. I think Peace has a close friend who be married, whose wife is right fair, too. I could invite them as well.”

“Uhh,” said Noah. “I mean, I’m not opposed, I guess. I am surprised you would have an orgy when you won’t even cuddle with me. It seems backward.”

Chastity scrunched her eyebrows. “Backward? How?”

“Like, group sex seems way more extreme than oral sex or cuddling or talking about sex when you’re not in bed together. Doesn’t it?”

“No,” she said sternly. “The Eye permits coitus among married people. The Eye prohibits the other things you mentioned.” She said it like it was obvious, and that no reasonable person could disagree.

“Okay, well, if you say so. Like I said, I’m not opposed, and I’m surprised it wouldn’t make you jealous, but… Look, we might not be here in a few days. I need to talk to the Queen tomorrow-“

“Aye, what be that about? What business have ye with the Queen?” she asked eagerly.

“It’s about Emperor Antimogne. He plans to kill the Eye.”

“What?” Chastity exclaimed. “How? Be he mad?”

“He has an artifact that will let him do it, or so we think. He plans to kill the Eye and take its place.”

“It cannot be! You know this for a fact?”

“We found the artifact in his vault at Annatto. That’s where we went to steal the cure,” said Noah.

“Outlandish! Could it be true?” asked Chastity.

“It is true. I saw it with my own eyes. He plans to install his artifact on the golgotha’s tower, and use it to kill the Eye.”

“But the golgotha tower can only kill outer gods, and they’ve only succeeded once. And even that be a myth!”

“Not with Antimogne’s artifact, apparently. That’s why we have to go north: to stop him. I would love to stay here with you and Angel and have a happy life together, but unless we stop Antimogne, that won’t be possible. We’d all be his slaves once he’s a god.”

“The chief god! It cannot be,” said Chastity. “We must stop him!”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. We have to go north. You don’t have to come-“

“Of course I’m coming, ye fool!”

“Okay, okay. But I’m hoping the Queen can help us. Send soldiers with us. Maybe some of those dragons? We need everything we can get if we’re going to fight Antimogne and take control of the Tower of Babel in Golgotha.”

“If she gave us her dragon riders, the gnoms would surely invade us. Yet, mayhaps she could spare one?”

“Whatever help she can give us. I was hoping Antimogne would be dead by now, since we freed the sheeple – I mean the shepfolk – in the Toldenhold, but apparently not, because he sent airships after us. They almost crashed our blimp.”

“Eye!”

“Yeah, so we need to kill him. And personally, I want revenge against him. For almost screwing things up between you and me, and for killing a shepfolk I cared about named Katherine. He needs to die,” said Noah. He was becoming heated and speaking loudly.

“Aye, of course. We will kill him together, the heretic!”

“When we do, Cardi has another plan. I don’t know how to feel about it. Instead of letting the Eye live, she wants to replace the Eye with the Heart. I don’t know how-“

“Noah, ye’d better not tell me you favour the Heart over the Eye! I will die of shame if I learn that!” Her voice was quiet but stern, like she didn’t want anyone to hear.

“No, no,” Noah said. He wasn’t sure if he was lying. He did like the Heart, as far as the gods went. She was nonviolent, kind of, and wanted everyone to love each other. The fact that Cardi was so pleasant was a reflection on the kind of god the Heart was. But he didn’t know very much about the Eye, other than that once a year, it opened up and deleted things it didn’t like. Would the Heart be a better god than the Eye? “I’m not saying that. It’s just that I don’t know how to feel about it.”

“Disgusted! Horrified! It’s heresy!” shouted Chastity. She was upset with him and was leaning aggressively toward him. Noah’s heart sank. Right. She didn’t know he was a Heretic. Fuck! What class had he lied to her and said he had chosen? This was a problem. He wondered how angry she would be if she knew. Would she hate him? Would she forgive him because he was her husband? Or would she divorce him? Was that even possible?

“Sorry,” Noah said meekly. “You’re right.”

“Who be this Cardi maiden anyway? The maiden with pink skin?”

“She’s just a friend,” said Noah. Best to leave out the fact that she was literally sent to Earth by the Heart. For now. He would have to find a way to be honest with her eventually. But he couldn’t imagine how. She was going to freak out for sure.

“Well, she sounds like she be a heretic,” said Chastity. “Be she of human birth?”

“I don’t know,” said Noah. He guessed not, since she couldn’t level. “Maybe not.”

“Well, listen to her not. She be a fool.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

Chastity’s expression softened. She sighed. “No, Noah. I be sorry. This be our wedding night. Let us not fight. I be full sorry for becoming angry, and I feel shame.”

Noah swallowed and tried to smile. “Okay. It’s okay.” He sat up straighter. “I really do have to pee.”

“Go,” she said, urging him on.

Before Noah got up, he looked at Chastity, leaning closer. “We really can’t kiss each other if we’re not having sex?”

Chastity quietly looked into his eyes and pursed her lips like she was thinking. Finally, she leaned forward and pecked Noah on the lips. “Tell not a soul!”

“I won’t,” Noah smiled.

“Eye, forgive me!” she lamented, half-smiling.