Liliah Willowmist Ch. 06

She had done it all. She had prevented every interested suitor from approaching by reminding them the consequences for pursuing her property romantically, and denied all four of the buying offers from would-be proposals, denying Vonion alone three separate times, declaring each not good enough for her, when the truth was, she couldn't bear to part with Lili herself. She had so resisted that things could not remained as they were, that she had in fact secured the worse outcome. Instead of Liliah marrying someone in Balmora, she was going to be the whole of Nirn away on the Island of Summerset.

She had even orchestrated the encounter between Liliah and Zan in an effort to stall the inevitable, promising a random customer at her bath house a fair number of golden drakes to help her stage the theft that had led to her services being offered to the Khajiit in the first place. The Khajiit played his role admirably, even not knowing he was a part of the game. Everything would have gone beautifully if he had returned, to visit, written to her, sent word. Instead, he had taken Liliah's innocence and vanished with a vague promise of returning to free her.

She sighed feeling unbelievably alone as she sat at the table, Lili's seat beside her sitting taunting empty as she watched the other nobles in attendance laugh, dance and gossip, likely about her. She excused herself from the banquet room, making her way to the outer balcony, looking out over the courtyard and leaning on the railing. She gave a startled gasp when she felt a hand suddenly warm on her thigh and sliding up her hip, then smiled, peeking back over her shoulder to find Vonion's leering face smiling at her appreciatively as he grabbed her hips firmly in his warm hands and pressed his himself against her, murmuring seductively,

"God's but the sight of you in silk makes me wish we were not in public," he slid both hands up over her hips and around her, grazing the top of her pubes before they ran firmly up her belly, dragging the silk over her skin, then higher to cup and squeeze her breasts as he pressed his lips to the arch of her neck, kissing then biting her gently, raking the skin lightly with his teeth, chuckling softly as her breath changed in response to him, saying in his soft husky voice,

"I have something for you," Korinne turned her head giving him a suspicious look, arching an angular brow at him as she turned in his embrace, his thumb coming up to graze her cheek as he chuckled at her expression, reaching into the pouch tied as his belt and retrieving a box slightly larger than the palm of his hand. It was carefully carved of wood and had Nordic patterning etched into the lid. Her eyes went wide as she saw it and a look of delight came to her eyes, followed instantly by another suspicious look as she demanded,

"Who told you I liked Nordish chocolates...and don't you dare tell me you have your ways." Vonion had laughed cheerfully releasing her as she had pushed away, giving a dramatic bow, declaring, "Liliah did, the morning I proposed actually. Told me that she would not see me sacrifice the status I had gained by settling for her, and told me you favored daffodils and..." he offered her a charming smile, presenting the box with a dramatic flourish as though it contained fine jewels, bobbing an eyebrow, "Nordish chocolates, you were right it would seem, she was far too good for me... Even while crushing my heart she did so gently, and gave me a new tactic to tame you with."

Korinne had smiled in spite of herself, accepting the box with a slight bow of her head, then chuckling softly and shaking her head. "Remind me to thank her for that in my next letter," she said a bit snarkily, causing Vonion to flinch and grab his chest pretending to be wounded, before smirking and stepping in closer. He caught her chin in his hand, his thumb tracing gently over her jaw, his other arm drawing her tight to his body, his voice low and close enough to her face for his lips to graze her skin and his breath as he spoke to fan her cheek.

"She was too pure for either of us. We are corrupt, both of us, we know the hunger of the flesh and crave it." He ground his hips slowly against hers, and Korinne could feel how excited he was as he held her tight against him.

"She never wanted the politics or power or status or even sex, she craved something most Dunmeri never talk about in the same breath as marriage or sex..." Vonion's lips trailed over her cheek, to her ear and down the side of her neck as he spoke,

"She wanted to be loved, and I would have loved her, worshipped her, but my love is as corrupted as I am, twisted with lust. I can be considerate, attentive, warm and even gentle, but always that hunger. She would have tired of my advances within a few days, but not you dear Korinne." He had steadily pushed her backward walking slowly until her had her backed up against the stonework wall beside the door leading out from the dining room to the balcony.

She felt him reach under the silk skirt of her gown running his hand up the outside of her thigh to her hip, smirking confidently as he verified that she had gotten his note and done as instructed by wearing no undergarments. He scratched her skin lightly as her traced a line from her hip to her inner thigh, then reached up between her legs, teasing her lightly with his fingertips, pressing into the fleshy folds just far enough to wet the tip of his finger in her excitement, pulling the finger back to lightly run up her seam and flick over the sensitive tip of her clit, before sliding under her leg in one sudden movement, leaving her leg hooked at the knee over his elbow as he kept her pinned to the wall with his body.

Korinne gasped, casting a nervous look at the door, and hoping nobody decided to come out to the balcony, as she realized with a little thrill of excitement, he was going to take her right there. She felt him reach down with his other hand freeing himself from his pants, rubbing the swollen head of his shaft teasingly near her opening, causing her to squirm in anticipation.

Leaning in close to her face, he ran his lips over her cheek, murmuring huskily, "I want you to announce our courtship...I want them all to know you are spoken for." he punctuated his demand by pushing part way into her, then pulling back out and rubbing the lubed tip of his shaft between her wet lips, teasing her.

Korinne gave him an irritated look, realizing she was being toyed with and struggling to free herself, but was unable to gain any leverage as he trapped her against the stone wall, the head of his cock rubbing teasingly between her lips but not penetrating her while she balanced on one foot, the knee of her other leg pressed to her chest by the way Vonion had her pinned. She gave a little growl of frustration, unable to escape the infuriating, unsatisfying touch,

"You know the consequences if I do that...My father has expectations and I would likely be disowned." Vonion snorted softly, thrusting his hips and entering her in a single powerful stroke, grinding his hips against her hard and rotating in a slow circular motion while buried in her to the hilt, drawing back out of her again to return teasingly to her opening as she whimpered in protest, telling her insistently, "I don't care about your titles, I want you...It would be a good match for you as well, despite my humble status. I would be good to you, and only to you."

Korinne scoffed at him retorting, "As though you expect me to believe I'm not just some prize to be conquered with your cock. To be simply discarded the moment I have given you your way and am no longer of use to you." She fought to push him off, her face twisting with anger, making a sudden sound of surprise as he released her abruptly.

Vonion reached down fixing his trousers and looked back up at her with a narrow eyed look af actual anger, holding up his hands and seemly lost for words for a moment before saying in an almost menacingly soft voice. "If after the all time that you have known me...more than a decade, if that is truly your thought of me, then I have made a grievous error. I... believed somehow that perhaps you had some spark of something real inside of you, and perhaps if I revealed that I had sincere feelings for you, they might be reciprocated."

Korinne had blanched in the heat of his glare, aware that she had actually offended him and hurt him unintentionally, believing him immune and unfeeling.

Korinne reached out catching his sleeve as he turned to leave, saying softly, "I am...sorry Vonion...I did not mean to offend or wound you," he turned, a masking smile coming to his face, and he nodded politely saying, "No apology required, I admit having loved your handmaiden from afar for so long has left me weakened and not as guarded as I ought to be. It was foolish of me to hope for such, from either of you."

Korinne's throat closed up as a sudden lump rose to it as she replied, "I..should never have kept her from you..I was terrified of losing her... That trusted soul I shared... everything with. You are not the only one who has been left weakened," she admitted softly, swallowing hard and wiping away a tear that had run down her cheek as her gaze dropped to the floor. Vonion's expression softened and he reached out drawing her close, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheeks to wipe away tears, telling her gently, "I'm not sorry you denied her to me. I may have been at first, incensed and outraged. But each time I came to speak with you, I found myself..captivated, longing..."

He reached up, running his hand gently over her cheek in a tender gesture, turning her face up to his and capturing her lips. Korinne expected a heated assault that was going to leave her heart racing but it didn't come. He kissed her gently, tracing her lips lightly with the tip of his tongue as his arms slipped around her, simply holding her close. As the kiss ended he held her tenderly to his chest.

He spoke in a husky murmur, one of his hands rising to run lightly through her long dark hair, "I never dreamed that a day would arrive where fate would smile upon me and I would have an opportunity to hold you. I do not wish to stay only for the night or the week, and you are not just some prize to be conquered by my cock." he tipped her chin up to meet his red eyed gaze, scowling at her, "You are more than just your titles to me. You are cunning... brilliant, a ruthless negotiator... Treacherous and manipulative, aside from being stunningly beautiful, and I want you. You. Not your titles or status."

He looked into her eyes with a tender sort of look, searching, almost pleading, "Announce us Korinne, I beseech you, and if your father would denounce you and leave himself no heir, then let him do so, and we shall build our own empire, the two of us against all of Morrowind if need be. We will build such an Empire as Tamriel as has never seen, and we will make our own Great House."

Korinne looked up at him, meeting his eyes and finding no mirth on his face, no treachery in his eyes. She found herself considering everything he had accomplished in just a few years while he reached higher in an attempt to convince her he was a worthy husband for Liliah and she was starting to see him in a different light.

He wasn't just some horned up ladder climber with designs on nobility, he wasn't nearly that simple. He was ambitious, true, but even more than that, he was resourceful, determined, and he dared to dream in the same way Liliah had. He was passionate and driven, emotional and had the inner power of a storm, rather than the empty, shallow, preening sons of lords that generally came her way, looking for advancement and favors, with hidden agendas and various conflicting loyalties. He had in fact asked her for nothing aside from her company and now...this.

Korinne looked into his eyes, remembering the first time she had seen him in the stables, and how she had spooked a horse and he he run over to help her, capturing the reigns of the horse as it had reared, calming it with the power of a gentle touch and pure force of will. He had always been close, watching, but never a part of her world. She imagined what it would be like to have him as an ally, to share her world with him, and allow him behind that mask after the parties were over.

She nodded slowly, looking into his eyes as she did, saying softly, "Alright..." Vonion looked a little stunned by the word grasping her face in both of his hands and peering into her face with suspicion to see if she was toying with him, demanding, "Truly? No jest?" his face was close to hers and there was an intensity in his eyes Korinne found herself almost lost in, and she drew a slow breath, shaking her head slightly in his grasp and saying,

"No jest, but I swear by everything that means anything, if I let you in and you betray me, I will end you," she hissed menacingly. Vonion almost giggled with glee, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her off the balcony, swinging her around in a full turn before drawing her close and kissing her face multiple times, the last landing on her lips, as he declared, "Should I blunder and betray you even mistakenly and be unable to repair what I have wrought, madame, I would end myself rather than earn your ire."

He smiled at her, a soft expression of simple happiness uncommon for a Dunmer, lacking in arrogance or an attitude of victory, without pretense or motive, and Korinne found herself relaxing into his embrace and leaning in as his face dipped lower and he brushed his lips over hers, kissing her affectionately, his hands warm on her back as they slid up over her skin.

Korinne returned his affectionate kisses, but pressed her hips against his, slowly grinding against him provocatively and grinning against his lips as it had the desired effect and she felt him swell and stiffen and he groaned softly, breaking the kiss to peer down at her, catching her expression with an arched brow.

"Lusty wench, careful you don't leave me believing you only want me for my cock, my dear," he scolded her teasingly, gripping her hips and grinding himself hard against her. She smirked at him, quipping back, "You started it, making me believe you were going to ravish me on the balcony like some ill mannered savage, and then leaving me craving you so completely," she said, her hand coming up to his face as she grazed his lips with her thumb, meeting his eyes with a soft fiery look. She shrugged one shoulder and raised a brow at him adding in a seductive tone, "Also, though the deal has been struck, and terms agreed upon, you have yet to seal the deal... officially."

Vonion chuckled, pushing her back to the wall again, flashing her a smirk as he murmured, "As you wish my lady." He freed himself from his pants, pulling her skirt up and running his hands firmly up her thighs, cupping under her to lift her off the floor, her leg wrapping around his hips. Bracing her carefully against the stone wall, he pulled her silk skirt out of the way and lined himself up, pushing smoothly into her, moving to wrap his arm around her, placing it between her bare back and the stone wall.

Korinne bit her lip drawing a sharp breath at the sudden thrust, looping her arms over his shoulders and behind his neck as his arm wrapped around her and he pressed deep, gasping softly and her voice dropping to a soft moan as he started rocking into her steady and slow with grinding thrusts, pinning her hard between his body and the arm he had between her and the rough stone wall.

Vonion felt her grip around him as she had moaned and increased his speed a bit, adding more force to the end of his thrust, chuckling as her voice rose softly and she pressed her mouth to his shoulder to control the volume, teasing her in his husky tones, "Do not scream, I implore you, you are going to get us caught..." He felt her muscles ripple around him as she giggled, the sensation causing him to draw a sharp breath and thrust into her harder a few times, the sensation cutting her giggle short with a gaspy whimper, her eyes fluttering slightly, and she whispered huskily back, "No promises.."

Vonion chuckled again, a bit breathlessly, increasing the power of his thrusts, driving hard into her as he held her pinned hard to the wall. He could feel the sharp edges of the stonework biting into the skin of his forearm, but he kept pushing still harder as he felt her tense and draw near release, clenching his jaw and fighting for control as he felt his own looming.

Korinne bit her lip as the climax hit her, attempting to quiet the sound as she heard herself cry out with the intensity of her release, and felt Vonion press his hand quickly over her mouth, chuckling breathlessly and groaning softly himself, finishing right behind her. He pulled his hand away pulling her face to his, kissing her softly and pressing his forehead to hers as they both caught their breath, setting her carefully down as she released him from the grip of her legs.

He restituated his pants and refastened them hastily, glancing towards the door, then focused on straightening her dress and then her hair, stealing another lingering kiss. brushing his nose over hers and smiling gently, he told her her in a low voice, "We can seal it more properly later tonight if you wish to discuss it again at greater length..."

*****

Liliah felt Zan's arm warm around her and rolled to face him, slipping her arm around his waist and tangling her leg through his, smiling with her eyes closed. She felt him stir slightly, asking her in his soft low rumble,

"What is it you wish little Lili...Would you have this one free you from your cage? We could leave Balmora, Zan will take you where your mistress will never find you, just whisper the word.." She smiled sleepily her eyes still closed, murmuring back softly, "We should...just run away together, I can go where I wish, and my wish is to be with you...to know love," she ran her fingertips lightly over his chest, a nagging feeling itching at the edges of her mind that something was wrong, that something or someone was missing, the groggy heavy feeling persisting and driving the thoughts away.

Corellion woke part way as Liliah had rolled in her sleep slipping her arm around him and wrapping one of her tan legs over his, stirring slightly and as she turned. He was almost asleep again as he heard her speak softly, and his heart skipped a beat in his chest as his eyes snapped open. He peered down at her in the dark, trying to see if she was awake or talking in her sleep, wondering with a slight feeling of panic if she was dreaming about him.

Liliah lay in her dream trying to make sense of the nagging feeling that something wasn't right, the events of the last month and a half filtering their way slowly to her dream, finally shaking her head saying softly, "If only you loved me in return, you...never came back," she felt a tear slip from under her eyelids unable to make them obey her brain's signals telling them to open, feeling like she was trapped under a leaden blanket, unable to move. She realized she was only dreaming and another tear squeezed from her eyes as she whispered softly,

"Good bye Zan," willing the dream to end and her eyes to open.

Corellion had listened as she talked in her sleep, realizing that in fact she wasn't dreaming about running away with him with a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment as she had continued talking to the phantom from her dream, wondering what she had been through that had caused the tears that had landed on his chest.

As her eyes had opened, his arm had tightened around her, and he whispered softly to her as he held her close, "It was only a dream sweet Liliah." She turned her head peering up at him in the dark, then reaching up to lightly touch his face as if reassuring herself where she was and who was next to her. Then her eyes widened as she looked down at the way she had draped herself over him in her sleep. She pulled her arm and leg both away, quickly sitting up and turning away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed.