Sacrifice for Love

Here it is! The much overdue chapter 5. I apologize for the wait, life caught up with me.

Huge thanks to my editor, trrgrhppy. You are awesome!

Please enjoy, comment, and vote.

T

*****

Once she reached the end of the miniature staircase the toasty water had risen to her collar bone. Hunching down Katia could cover her shoulders completely. Even now she grasped at any modesty she could get. Crossing her trembling arms over her chest and twisting her legs to protect her innocence. She pretzeled herself into a protective stance. Then wiggling her feet backwards Katia sat on the smooth bench carved on the inner side of the tub.

Nikolai sat on the marble bench across from her, water stroking just under his perfectly chiseled pecs. Ripples of water pulsed between their bodies sending Morse Code to their every nerve. His elbows rested on the upper lip spread out in a welcome to her naked body. His feet were like wise spread apart, leaving his body open to the relaxing ministrations of the water.

He bent his head to the side, peering at Katia as a curious puppy. A grin parted his lips, and one curly tendril fell across his forehead tempting her fingers to stroke it. "You look tense." Nikolai waved his fingers cross the surface of the bath water sending vibrations of movement to Katia.

"I'm not tense, not really."

"You're a human boondoggle."

"A what?"

"It's an Earth reference, never mind. Come sit by me."

Delicate steps moved her just within reach of Nikolai. She refused to move any farther, if he wanted them closer he'd have to move.

Seeing her steel herself for his disapproval Nikolai did in fact move closer to her all on his own. Katia grinned with her small victory. A young woman walked in toting a large basket, sitting herself at the top of the steps she began too undress.

"Whoa! Ummm what is she doing?" Katia glared at Nikolai ready to jump up and leave.

"This is my bathing maid, she's going to wash us." Duh! Could've followed that statement, of course he had someone to wash his body! He couldn't do anything himself!

"Well she isn't washing me!" Turning her eyes to the young girl Katia meant to say "no offense" with her eyes.

"Fine. Leave."

"Fine!" Hurt and furious Katia jumped up to leave. A wet hand intertwined with hers tugging her down onto a thick thigh.

"Not you! Her!" The girl had already gone, vanishing as a ghost would through a wall.

"If you won't let my servants wash you," Nikolai pulled her back against his chest,"I will." His husky voice growled into her ear. He lifted her to where the basket perched. Grabbing a thick luffa he started to work up a foamy lather with sweet smelling soap.

"What if I'm not ready?"

"Not ready to bathe?"

"Not ready for sex." A soft plop could be heard as the luffa fell from Nikolai's stunned hand. His arm was still suspended in midair.

"We were going to have sex?" The arm holding her loosened noticeably.

"Weren't we?" Katia peeked over her shoulder to look at Nikolai, his large eyes confused her to no end.

"This was just a bath! I wouldn't... wouldn't take your virginity here, now."

"What does THAT mean?" Suddenly her female ego got in the way, he didn't want her. "Why not?! Because I'm a slave? Or is it because I'm not slender like your food bearing... concubines!"

Nikolai grabbed Katia forcefully by the upper arms, lifted her half way out of the water, spun her the rest of the way to face him properly, then sat her back down on his lap. By now she was straddling him and not covering herself, too hot headed to care, Katia fumed.

"First, my girls are NOT concubines. Second, you being a slave has nothing to do with anything its completely irrelevant. Third, your body is fantastic and exceptionally slender in the right areas. And last, If we ever make love it will be in our bed after our wedding."

"We're getting married?" Her squeaky voice and bugged out eyes didn't compliment her ashen face. Bile crawled up her throat tickling her voice box as it passed. The urge to vomit was over whelming. "I can't, we can't! We don't know each other!" Rushing to the stairs Katia ascended to the second step, goose flesh rose up on her body. Ignoring the chill she rested her head between her knees, one on each side of her face.

"Did no one tell you? Snake? Sherone? Anyone?! I sent for a wife, I was buying a wife. Had to really, no woman wants to marry into such a dangerous life. Constant threats and possible kidnappings..."

Katia pressed her knees into her head effectively muting the outside world, Nikolai's words were a rhythmic humming now. Trying to process what had happened, 'marriage, loveless, kidnappings,' an image of her mother and father came to mind. Their tan hands clasped together under the dinner table. 'Marriage, love, Nikolai'. Releasing her legs all sound came rushing back.

"...keeping the children safe would be almost impossible."

"Children?" A sweet baby to cuddle, listening to coos at 2am.

"You want children?" She could picture Nikolai snuggling a tiny bundle, arousal coursed through to her center heating up the junction between her legs.

"I hope for children, a few actually. Not right off but eventually it would be very nice..." He waded over to her chilled form. Grasping hips and dragging her back in the water. "I had hoped for a woman with spark, and heart. You, you are an enigma."

"I hope you weren't planning on being married soon...? I want to get to know my fiancé first, possibly even learn what my last name will be." "Really?!" Nikolai's grin shown brighter than the largest sun in their sky. He wrapped her in his beautiful arms and proceeded to kiss every square inch of her face except her lips. He even kissed right behind her earlobes and down her neck, reducing her muscles to jelly. They molded themselves together, embracing in a lovers lock more intimate than sex. Truly laying their hearts on the line in the hopes of an everlasting love.

Nikolai washed her long tresses, lathering her hair and massaging her scalp with his strong fingers. After her hair was soaking in a thick moisturizer he sat her up, on his lap and thoroughly cleaned the smooth skin on her shoulders and back. Staring at her flawless shoulder blades, Nikolai lost his thoughts, content to stay like this, he ran his finger nails lightly up her skin. His tickling sensation chilled Katia's skin in an arousing way, hardening her nipples and wetting her core. She shifted on his knees delicately.

"Tell me something about you." Her only hope of distraction from her hormonal loins.

"Like what exactly?" Nikolai was still zoned out on her flesh, memorizing the individual angel kisses sprinkled on her shoulders.

"How about a story from your past? And if it's good I'll wash you." Truly enthused by the possibilities now, Katia wiggled on his lap unaware of the male appreciation he had for her movements.

"Alright... Something good... Oh! I know, when I was much younger, well barely a lad really, there was a great war, one so terrible it covered all the lands, no one was free from the horror or troubles that followed. In the midst of this turmoil a warrior arose so powerful he single handedly led our world to peace. Like a wild fire word of this man spread.

My father was the Grand Sulzar then, he led his armies out across the plains up North wiping out anything in his path, until some of his men came across a family out in the wilderness the whole family had blond hair, the father and mother took up arms fighting in vain. Fighting against the Sulzar's army is punishable by death, the parents were killed at the first chance. There were two children left in a false hole in the wall a boy and a young woman, they both were taken as property, yet, on the way to the Monarch's Station, the boy became ill and died. The sister, I hear, was so distraught she begged my father to kill her. He instead promised to give her to a man he knew would kill her." Katia washed Nikolai's hair slowly, mesmerized by his story and the images it painted in her mind. She wept inside for the siblings. And silently cursed the soldiers who were so cruel.

"Watch that soap beautiful, I would hate to get it in my eyes." Snapped out of her musings Katia hurriedly washed away the soap, using her fingers to brush the suds off his eyebrows where it had collected.

"Sorry. I started daydreaming." Feeling sheepish she tucked her head down.

"No, you're fine." Nickolai grasped her wrist, kissing the palm of her hand he continued with his tale.

"At the Monarch's Station, where all the tribes give gifts to their most decorated warriors and leaders, my father found the powerful warrior and gave the blond woman to him, sure that she would be dead by the nights end."

"What happened?!" Gripping his stone built shoulders Katia was leaning up to see his face, her breasts mashed into his back.

"Wh... What?"

"To the girl? What happened to her?!"

"The next morning the warrior and the girl show up for morning meal, and the mid day meal, and for supper. Everyday for the whole week of festivities and each day the warrior is more and more relaxed, he's smiling, conversing with this girl, even making her laugh. Everyone was taken back by the completly out of ordinary characteristics.

My father, upheld by his promise, confronted the warrior on his intentions with the girl. He was straightforward as he asked if the warrior would kill the girl as he was meant to. The warrior was outraged! Lashing out at my father, threatening to kill him if he came within reach of the warrior's girl. My father took the threat seriously ordering the warrior be taken into custody. The great warrior killed more than twenty men with no more than his mercury sword. Finding an opening he ran away with his girl, completely vanishing for a few years before reports came out that the two had died. No one saw them again."

"No! What do you think happened?" Katia's nails had dug into his shoulders, praying that the couple were okay.

"I don't know, but he was my hero, The Bear! Oh I wish I could've met him. To see the great warrior fight or even breath would be an honor. And the girl who captured his heart? She must've been some thing amazing!"

"The Bear?" Katia gasped.

"Mm-hmmm... But I was a boy then, if he was alive some how he'd surely be a hermit or a withered old man." Plunging his whole body underwater Nikolai rinsed himself off, Katia began to become concerned when he didn't resurface after a few moments. Her concern changed to panic as her body was pulled under water. Lungs burning, throat spasming for air. Katia kicked and squirmed, she and Nikolai came up sputtering for air.

"Now that all that seriousness is out of the way, how about we get you settled in?" The look he gave Katia was pure excitement, he was a boy on Christmas morning and she was his present.

Katia was given her own room right next door to Nikolai's, it was smaller which suited her perfectly, all the walls in the house were cranial hyperlink, you thought it, and it happened. Katia had wished her far window was larger upon first walking in, within seconds it had grown and morphed into an impressive floor to ceiling look out. Katia was relieved to learn that only select few had access to the cranial hyperlink, so peeping Toms wouldn't be a concern.

The smaller room was hers to decorate as she saw fit, within moments the oversized king bed had been dissolved into the floor along with a wardrobe, mother of pearl vanity, and a miniature chandelier that was sucked up into the ceiling. Picturing a whole new room Katia closed her eyes and focused on her dream room. A simple Moroccan theme, a bed draped in vibrant colors to encase it like a plush cave, a few dim lamps for nightly reading, a pouf by her window, and an empty space for her giant chest up against the far wall. As each item was thought of a soft rustling could be heard, as Katia opened her eyes her room was just as she had imagined it even her chest was in place.

"How...quaint? Why not a bed made of pure crystal? Or a solid gold floor?" Nikolai eyed her choice of room with contempt. "This is so..." His inner snob was emerging, a haughty countenance took over his handsome features.

"It's cozy. A crystal bed wouldn't be very comfortable, and a solid gold floor? You're outrageous! A bedroom is meant to be a sanctuary, a restful environment that is all your own." Taking to ignoring the way he was eyeing her bedroom, Katia moved to her window. Looking out at the wondrous view of the ocean Katia became homesick. "Why does it matter what my bedroom looks like?"

"You are going to be married to the Grand Sulzar of the Western Tribes, everything you do, say, wear, or even eat makes a statement to those around you."

"Is that why your house is so...so... Ugh! It's awful is what it is, I'm scared to do anything because I might break a priceless art or dirty some fine heirloom! How can you live here day after day?"

"My home sees a lot of visitors; dignitaries, military leaders, politicians, and other Tribe Sulzars. My house makes a statement of power, wealth, and history. It is important that I always have a house as grand as my title." Puffing out his chest while pacing Nikolai took to defending his home. No one had questioned his choice in homes before. The urge to please Katia and the habit of making a statement were warring factions.

"Okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult. But my quarters are private so it shouldn't matter what it looks like."

"But you could have anything, and you choose this!?"

"Nikolai!" Raising her sweet voice to one of stern command was new for Katia, she wouldn't back down on this. "It's my room."

Frustration boiled over, clenched fists were the only indicator of his true feelings, Nikolai had left quietly no slamming doors or shouting. He was polite at supper and curtiously walked Katia to her bedroom door before saying goodnight. He had kissed her tenderly on the forehead before turning to walk the few paces down the hall to his door, reaching it he had nodded to Katia before entering his domain.

Laying in bed Katia thought back on each moment of their disagreement. She worried herself to the point of a headache before getting up and walking downstairs to the kitchen. Upon finding that she had taken the back stairs instead of the front Katia was too depressed to correct her mistake. Her only companions the alcoves and the back walkway to the ocean, Katia miserably gave up and lay down in the secluded curve of the bench in the far alcove. Falling asleep to the sounds of waves Katia was finally able to drift off to sleep.

Nikolai was laying in bed after waking from a nightmare, Katia had ran away because of their argument.

With it still being early morning Nikolai conjured up a plan to settle the air between them. Once he was satisfied that enough time had passed into a decent hour of the morning he thought of an arch way into Katia's room. Striding in with a fresh determination Nikolai was met with a cold, empty room. Searching the bed Nikolai hoped Katia's small person had been lost in the frumpy bed covering. Finding nothing after stripping the bed of its cover Nickolai stormed into the servant's quarters to find Bezac, half naked and still asleep.

"Where is she?!" His voice carried across the large sleeping chamber waking more than a handful of other sleeping guards.

"Sir?" Mashing the sleep from his dark brown eyes Bezac was beyond confused with his Leader's outburst.

"Katia! Where is she? She's not in her room! You're suppose to be with you!"

"Sir she never sent for me. I was sure she was still in her chambers adjoining your rooms." Jumping out of bed and hastily dressing Bezac and the on duty guards began a sweep of Katia's room. "No one else has been here, there's no sign of struggle. She must've left on her own."

Nikolai sent his men out to search the gardens, if she had run away she couldn't have gotten far. Jogging down stairs, passed scurrying servants, Nikolai was on his way to alert his ocean patrol when a dark figure in one of his alcoves stopped him. Stutter stepping to a halt Nikolai peaked in on the sleeping form of Katia, her deep breathing proof enough that she'd been there all along.

Katia woke up to excited voices next to her head. Squinting through sleep sealed lashes Katia viewed the lower half of a finely tattooed body, every inch of skin was marked with miniature symbols still indecipherable from this distance. A bouncing knee was just inside her vision.

"...I want you and her fitted with them today, as soon as they are here, I'll have mine reactivated and also linked with yours so this won't happen again."

A soft pressure glided from the top of her head down her back, a soothing petting motion. Katia closed her eyes basking in the chill it sent down her spine. A soft moan purred in the back of her throat, upon opening her eyes Katia almost burst out laughing.

Nikolai and Bezac were bent over so their heads were within her line of vision. Still business like and tense they met her with stern stares, Bezac's more so than Nikolai's.

"What were you thinking!" Bezac raised his voice. "You were told to have me with you at all times when you weren't with the Leader. You had all the guards in an uproar!"

Nikolai slid her still sleepy body onto his lap. Rubbing her back was the only soothing touch he gave. He let Bezac continue reprimanding her.

"Did you think of the chaos your little night walk would cause?" She shook her head in the negative. "Irresponsible! Careless! And ignorant! I have never NEVER met a more selfish human." His tattooed face was slightly red from his fuming. His chest rising and following in a ferocious heaving.

Katia was scared, her galloping heart echoed clear up her throat. "I don't understand. I went for a little walk, I was still in the house."

"Dear you have to have one of us with you to walk down the hall. You should've called Bezac if you wanted to take a late night walk." While soft and patient Nikolai's voice still had a level of lecturing in it.

"You were upset and I didn't want to wake Bezac." Katia's mind was raising. Her own home wasn't safe to be alone in? What about bathroom visits?

"It's his job love. He gets paid to be at your beck and call. He will gladly wake up multiple times a night just to walk with you to get a night snack. He doesn't do anything else but wait for word from you."

Katia's ear picked up the sound of Nikolai's heart, the vicious thrumming was unexpected. Had Nikolai really been that upset? His stressed out organ softened her heart, no man could fake a frantic heartbeat. Butterflies sprouted in her stomach, swirling fluttering in a dance without music. How could she already have feelings for this man? A man older than her oldest sibling, someone she had barely met, and someone who was too powerful for his own good. Deciding to hold off on declarations of feelings unknown, Katia was wisely taking these moments in stride. She could wait to see what would develops between them.