STARLIGHT AND LACE, Ch.2 - Matrimony

Author's Notes: Little longer than I thought to get the second chapter up, been really busy with stuff but things have been finally simmering down. Things progress with another chapter  of storyline (steamy stuff coming soon!).

Once again, I should forewarn you that this is a largely story and world-driven project. Have fun in Southworld, and to like/favorite it on Hentai-Foundry, it can finally be found here!

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Sina awoke with a moment of panic, forgetting where she was and how she had gotten there. She recovered quickly, the pumping of her heart starting to gradually slow as she picked herself up out of bed, chilly and stiff from her rest – the diurnal cycle of Crannith was already beginning to wane on her, and the fact that the humans slept during the night was truly bizarre to the young Vay noble.

Sighing and rubbing her slim shoulders with her hands, Sina stood up and took a closer look at the room around her – specifically, what it had to offer. A small, clockwork dumbwaiter at the far corner of the room contained a few refreshments that, while unexpected, were appreciated. It let Sina keep her privacy, which she currently dearly cherished, while also providing a much-needed snack.

A deep yellow fruit juice went down quickly, rejuvenating her more than she had initially suspected and leading her to experiment with the other refreshments provided, none of which she immediately recognized. A variety of sliced, slightly sticky matter she quickly decided was some form of cheese was not greatly to her liking, though after sampling a few of them she did find one that she found pleasing, finishing that. Though her appetite was more or less appeased, Sina continued to experiment a little bit more – investigating a bowl of dried, crunchy flakes and chunks, which she did not at all enjoy. Sadly, her cultural differences did not guide her to combine the bowl of strange chunks with the provided sealed jar of milk, which she enjoyed on its own later.

The girl exhaled softly, setting the bowl of dry flakes and the rest of the unwanted cheeses back inside the dumbwaiter, flicking the switch that sent it back to wherever it came from. Her big, emerald eyes turned towards the doorway that led to the rest of Castle Drathwyn and... honestly, who knew what else. She had no way of predicting what the rest of the day would entail – if she'd be left alone, if she'd be given some kind of tour she wasn't ready to take in, or if she'd be caught up in the whirlwind of marriage the very first day.

It was the last of those things, and a whirlwind didn't even begin to describe it. She'd barely wandered twenty paces from her room before she was spotted by a young woman – a Kaldric human, like seemingly many of the other inhabitants of Crannith – who quickly rushed over to Sina as if monitoring her was literally her job. “My Lady T'i,” the woman said excitedly, face glowing with excitement and holding her hands out to take Sina's. “Please, come with me. Lord Endon said not to disturb you, but it won't be long until the wedding. We need to get you prepared!”

What ensued felt more like a blur than any sort of decent procession of events. Sina withered, her already-tiny frame seeming downright murine in comparison to the increasing flurry of human women that were scurrying around her. They led her away from her room, the first woman quickly joined by more as the Vay girl was put on the fast-track towards what appeared to be some kind of changing room, the place filled with every kind of dress imaginable but, of course, there was only one that was suitable for Sina – for today, anyway.

It looked a little big for her at first, obviously cut for the basic proportions of a slender Vay woman – though even as tiny as the dress was, it needed to be rapidly taken in near the breasts and hips in order for Sina to not look like she was wearing a tent. She ground her teeth at the frequent comments that she seemed “mousy,” “boyish,” or even “childish,” the seamstresses and others gathered talking about Sina as if she weren't even present. Like the fact that she was Vay meant she couldn't even understand the universal tongue.

Now that she thought about it, maybe they had some ground on that assumption – after all, Sina hadn't spoken a single word since being whisked away from her room. She blamed that on not really having had an opportunity to, but as she was stripped down to her undergarments (a flimsy lace bra and panties, all in white) to be fitted for the adjustments on her wedding dress, she had to admit that she could see where she'd gone wrong.

She froze when she was suddenly whirled around to face a mirror, one of the... she could only describe them as “handmaidens,” messing with her hair and raking a comb insistently through her long, light hair, something that might have been agonizing for someone without the ultra-fine tresses of one of the Vay. Sina blinked a few times as she was faced with the mirror, her throat going dry as she was faced with the woman who was soon to be married, all dressed in a gossamer white wedding gown – something she understood to be a human tradition, rather than bride and groom baring themselves to the world during their wedding as Sina was used to. Admittedly, she rather preferred not being nude for an event like this. Maybe living among the humans wouldn't be that unpleasant after all.

“Are you ready for your wedding, my Lady T'i?” one of the women said, not the one who had brought her here. Actually, Sina couldn't see her anywhere. Maybe she'd finished her task in one fell swoop.

“Not remotely,” Sina replied honestly.

“Oh no! Cold feet?”

“My feet never warmed up to begin with, actually. But...” she let out a little sigh, looking back into the mirror and chewing her lower lip anxiously. She was wearing a bride's uniform. May as well be a bride, right? “Let's do it.”

The woman smiled, taking Sina's hand and leading her away from the mirror, though a set of heavy wooden doors and into a dimly-lit area resembling the backstage area of a theater. Heavy crimson curtains diffused the bright light coming from the area beyond, a long hallway leading to an altar – something similar to the Dragon Shrines from Endwood, but... less intricate, Sina supposed. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw her husband-to-be, Lord Tharis Endon, standing at the end of the hallway before the altar, dressed in some form of traditional Kaldric garb, white with bits of black trim, creating a shaded appearance to his short tunic and epaulets.

“Go on,” the woman behind her whispered, putting her hands on Sina's shoulders and nudging her in the direction of the curtains, which would lead her to the long aisle.

“What do I do?!” Sina hissed, recoiling from the woman's grip and looking back at her. “I haven't exactly done this before, you know.”

“Walk down the aisle. Go to him. The rest will work itself out.”

Great. That sounded like it'd go smoothly. Everything just “works itself out,” doesn't it?

Swallowing hard, then taking a deep breath, Sina took a single, hesitant step into the room outside, the bright lighting reflecting down from from the glittering matrix of crystalline windows above stinging Sina's night-adapted eyes. She blinked hard, trying to adjust, only to be jarred as some rumbling music began.

Her heart pounded as she made her way down that long, red-carpeted hallway, all eyes on her now. She hadn't even noticed how many eyes there were. It was like all of Crannith had arrived to watch, some of them snapping pictures on their flashcams as Sina slowly made her way towards the altar – not only slow because she was nervous, but because her legs were simply too short to keep up with the vastness of human architecture.

Sina tried to stifle another gulp of awkwardness when she finally reached the altar, craning her neck up to look at Lord Endon. The man gave her a small, peaceful smile, the gesture more one of calming than of genuine contentment, and he reached out to take her hands in his.

The rest of what transpired seemed to move like a blur, the pounding of her own heart all Sina could really make out. She said what she was supposed to say, did what she was supposed to do – mostly just copying Tharis, as he had the decency to take the lead on all of the strange human rituals she had to go through in order to actualize their arranged marriage to one another, tying in the Kaldric and Vay families, creating a political link between Crannith and Endwood. A marriage that, to her knowledge, neither she nor Tharis particularly wanted. And a marriage that they would, by human tradition, have to at least attempt to consummate.

“My lady?” the man said, shaking her out of her daze, his hands gripping hers a bit more firmly, though his touch remained gentle and unpossessive. “Shall we... go to my quarters?” He kept his voice low, though whether it was not to embarrass her or not to embarrass himself, Sina was unable to easily tell.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, tilting her gaze to look at the legion of people watching the wedding, cheering, starting to fan out as the curtains were withdrawn – revealing rows of food and drink that Sina had not noticed on her way in, likely because she was being rushed along so quickly. They began to eagerly partake of the feast that had been laid out, the bounty of Crannith, eating and drinking, a few people waving or calling out to Tharis, congratulating him on his “exotic” new bride as if Sina were not present.

Her heart continued to thump in her chest, feeling like it hadn't stopped since she'd arrived in Crannith. The light, and the heat, and all the people and all the pressure. She found her hand tightening around Tharis's, her eyes looking up to his to seek some comfort in those dark orbs, finding a little. Tharis looked nervous, yet composed, willing to go through with what he had to. He showed a strange strength... her only question was what he had to be strong about.

She nodded up to him, and Tharis offered a few last nods and a little wave to those milling about the (apparently instantaneous) afterparty. Keeping her close, he moved back behind the altar to the winding staircase behind it, very similar to the one that had been behind the court when Sina had first arrived. Guiding her upwards, the bright lights dimmed a little, taking the strain off of the Vay girl's big, dark eyes, and leading her up to the second level of Castle Drathwyn.

“I'm sorry if that was uncomfortable for you,” the man said honestly, releasing her hand now that they were away from the crowds. “I did some studying on Vay ceremonies – actually made a few motions to have a more traditional wedding, for you – but my advisors... well, advised against it.” He sighed a little, offering a nod of his head towards a second staircase at the end of a long, broad hallway that led to a multitude of different rooms, the purpose of none of which Sina had any guess towards. “As much as they pushed for this union of houses, it all seems to be a big show for them. Something for the people to latch on to, to talk about. Something that makes Crannith seem like a real kingdom, rather than a tiny island oligarchy.”

“Wait...” Sina murmured, stopping in her tracks and looking up at Tharis as he turned to face her, trying not to crane her neck too much. As enchanting as his eyes were, she settled for looking at his chest. “You mean, you didn't want this? This is all just the advice of your court?”

“Sound advice, but yes,” Tharis admitted, heading up the staircase and gesturing to the large door that crested it, the one leading to Lord Endon's personal quarters. “As we were, Crannith had a... shelf life. We'd last until someone found a way to exploit or steal our connection to kadnivite – or worse, until we were conquered.”

“So you arranged a marriage with one of the most powerful continental nations.”

Tharis nodded. “The Vay. I did wish it didn't have to come to this, but it was the most... efficient, solution. Rest assured, though – consummation or not, I won't touch you if you don't want me to.” The pitch of his voice raised just slightly, almost... hopeful? His eyes diverted from hers as he opened the door leading to his quarters, exposing the massive, lavishly-furnished room within. A bedroom fit for the solitary monarch of one of the Southworld's wealthiest new nations. Quite different from the quarters that had been designed for Sina, this one was warmly lit from a single, large lamp embedded in the ceiling, basking the place in a fierce yellow glow.

The man's offer rung in Sina's ears, an offer to leave his Vay bride chaste even after their wedding. It was a chance to opt out, an opportunity that she'd never dared to hope for... an opportunity that, now that she'd gotten it, she realized she didn't really want. She had come to accept what she was going to do with Tharis, and while the modest part of her would never admit that she'd been looking forward to it, another part of her was getting more excited by the moment on that long walk to the Kaldric monarch's quarters. He was beautiful, nearly angelic, his soft features and wavy hair making him both comfortable and exotic to Sina's sensibilities. She'd never thought that she would feel such anticipation to... be with... a human man, but Tharis was making her feel a lot differently.

Sina nudged the door shut behind her, a little click sounding out to ensure her that they were alone and safe. Biting her lip a little, she backed away from the human – then reached to the corner buttons of her wedding dress, unclasping one, then another, the back of her sleeve popping open and exposing one slim, pale shoulder. “I...” the Vay girl inhaled slowly, unclasping her other sleeve. “I do want you to.” Exhaling, she unzipped the side of her dress, shimmying downward out of it. Still covering her nethers was a set of lacy panties the color of the night sky, and matching stockings climbing up to the middle of her slim thighs. She tried to search for some kind of reaction in Tharis's face as she bared herself, her embarrassingly flat, pale chest now fully exposed to him, tiny white nipples stiffening a little from the room's cool air.

What she saw on his face was... well, to be honest, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting. The human lord had been acting odd since her arrival, particularly around her, and as she uncovered herself his expression became more one of unease than desire. However, unease or not, he extended his hand to gently take one of hers, drawing her close and softly pressing his lips to hers. His skin was soft and smooth, lacking any sign of the great dark beards Sina had heard of, towers of fur that were supposedly mounted on the chins of human men.

Perhaps, the Vay girl thought, her husband was a virgin? Not something she had suspected, but a possibility. He looked young enough for it, and Sina herself still was one. That would explain his seeming discomfort. Endeavoring to make things as easy as she could, she lightly wrapped one slim leg around his opposite side, straddling her negligible weight around Tharis's middle and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as best she could, pressing her lips to his again in a slow, lethargic kiss that her husband barely met.

She laid one hand on his, pulling it from his side to her chest, fitting it between them and laying Tharis's palm against her (admittedly flat, waifish) chest. His breath appeared to catch slightly, his hand still against her, his heart pounding. “Are you okay?” she whispered, giving him another gentle kiss, trying to coax some reaction from him, something she could work with. She squirmed in his lap a little, trying to feel anything stirring down below.

“Yes, I...” Tharis's cheeks flushed a little, giving Sina a light kiss on her cheek as his free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her gently. “I may have had a bit too much wine at the wedding.”

Sina tilted her head slightly, trying to remember seeing Tharis eating or drinking anything at the wedding, coming up with nothing immediately. Nonetheless, she couldn't feel him stiffen beneath her, couldn't feel his skin grow warm with anticipation, couldn't really find any sign that he desired her at all. The strange part was... why did he seem so embarrassed?

“Perhaps we can... try another time, when I am...” he searched for any excuse, finding a weak one after a moment. “...In better health.”

Blinking, Sina slowly drew away from him, swallowing silently as his hand drifted away from her neglected breast, the blush fading from his cheeks as the immediate threat of intimacy appeared to pass. “I can go back to my room, if you'd like,” she whispered after a long moment of uncomfortable silence, reaching for the unfastened remnants of her wedding dress before realizing that it required far too much work to put back on. At Tharis Endon's uneasy nod of response, she tossed the dress back down, reaching for one of the Kaldric lord's overshirts and tossing it over her tiny figure, the garment easily passing for a robe on someone of Sina's size.

“You don't have–” Tharis began, pausing, then falling silent as Sina opened the door and slid back out into the small, carpeted “patio” where the second spiral staircase began to descend. Whatever the reason, it was clear that her new husband had no desire for her, and Sina did her best to come up with an explanation – for her own benefit if nothing else – as she wandered back down the long, empty hallways towards her own dimly-lit quarters. Maybe it was her fault. Maybe it was that she was Vay, maybe she was too small, maybe she seemed too... fragile, maybe? That could be it. Maybe Tharis was afraid he'd hurt her.

But that still didn't begin to explain why he hadn't felt firm beneath her. Even if his mind had, for some reason, prevented him from taking her, his body would have reacted in some way.

A turmoil of confusion and self-doubt plagued Sina's mind as she finally arrived back at her room, clicking the door shut and closing her eyes for a moment. It was still early in the day, too early to sleep, leaving the newly-ordained Lady Endon alone with her murky, swirling thoughts.

The shirt she still wore smelled like him, the still-unfamiliar scent of his expensive soaps and natural musk filling her nostrils until she finally pulled it up over her head and tossed it away. Naked once more except for her panties and stockings, Sina tossed herself onto her too-large bed and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a quiet sigh. Today had not gone how she'd expected, nor how she'd wanted. Just as everything had started to seem like it might be bearable, she had to learn that her attractive, polite, and wealthy new Kaldric husband wasn't attracted to her in the least bit. Maybe not even attracted to women at all.

Sina's eyes snapped open as the realization came upon her, almost as if by accident, gazing up at the starlamps that lit her room as she wrapped her head around the possibility. It explained everything, far better than Tharis being a virgin. The issue with Tharis's sexuality being the problem, was that it had no answer.

Dragging her sheet lazily over one shoulder, Sina rolled over onto her side, looking at the thoughtfully-installed curtains that, despite making the room more comfortable, never allowed her to look outside. Without a husband she could bond with, she'd have a harder time adjusting to Crannith than she'd anticipated... which actually said quite a bit. The best she could hope for was that somehow, in the morning, some new development would come along that made things better, or at least easier.

What the Vay monarch didn't know was that just such a development had arrived by boat that very morning. Well, perhaps not one that would make things easier. Or even necessarily any better. But certainly... different.