We kept on living our normal lives, playing with the babies, working in the garden, eating good meals cooked with love and dreaming of other worlds. I was swamped with work but it felt good to be designing what I saw in my head. My clients probably wondered why I had to visit the site or lot where they wanted to build but occasionally one of them understood that the land suggested or even dictated what could be built there.

I kept a list of good contractors, i.e. ones who didn't take short-cuts or skimmed off profits before buying their building supplies. There were still craftsmen near by and one would lead to finding another one with a casual drop of a name or mention of a former job. They were precious to me so I kept their names locked away in my working files. I even turned down a client whose demands made me feel cold.

My boss, Mr. Sprat could have raised a fuss but I'd brought in so much business already that he simply took the client on himself. Oddly enough, the man decided that he wasn't ready to build yet and left. I told Carson about it later and we called Solomon to give him his name, in case he had something to do with the nastiness that was being uncovered. I was angry and frightened at the same time that someone could be so cruel as to try and smear Carson's good name.

He's a fair man with an honorable sense of ethics and this Denver was an unmitigated bastard as far as I was concerned. How could he even think about using our family life in his campaign? I shuddered to think of what might happen if we were photographed doing something that could be taken out of context. The girls could get away with hugging each other in public but Carson and I had to be even more careful about being circumspect in our touches.

I couldn't even spread sun tan lotion on his back while we were lying by the newly completed pool. Nancy and George swam every day and we all four took turns taking the babies into the cool water to get them used to it. We were determined to have no accidents in our pool and that meant teaching them to swim from the moment they could take a first stroke.

The grandmothers, Laura, Connie and Hannah all took their turns so we pretty much lived in the water that first month of summer. One side of the pool had shade and one side sun depending on the time of day. Some of the plantings had yet to grow to their full potential but we didn't want the babies to get burned so we also put in movable umbrellas about eight feet in diameter.

It would have been idyllic if only we didn't have that ominous cloud on our horizon.

***

While the lords were at the morning audience, I slipped over to see Laital. I was pretty sure that he'd have questions after his first night with his new lord. Sepira came with me while Lasira stayed with Sar in our suite. When the Sister named Karel opened the door to us, I welcomed her smiling greeting.

"Oh, Nephrites," Laital's heartfelt cry told me that I'd been right about his questions. "It's all so confusing. Oh, how pretty!"

Sepira had brought some of the new material with her so we went into the sleeping chamber so Laital could be measured properly. For a few moments, he succumbed to the joy of looking at all the beautiful colors and textures but once Sepira indicated that he should sit down, he did so. He was still moving stiffly after his birthing ordeal but I could already see his natural grace reasserting itself.

I joined him on the pillows and poured us both tea. "Now, I know it's confusing but what confuses you most?"

"He touched his lips to mine like Lord Carthenal did to you yesterday. He did it several times both while we were out of bed and within it." Laital blushed.

Oh dear, we really did have a lot of ground to cover, I thought to myself. "It's called kissing and it's very pleasurable. There are many kinds of kisses from greeting kisses like this," I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Between friends, this is customary but between lovers there are as many kinds of kisses as there are stars in the sky."

"Lovers," he said so wistfully that my heart wept. "I have never had a lover. But last night, he put his tongue in my mouth. That made my stomach flutter and I don't know why."

"Ah, that's one of my favorite kisses of all. You can put your tongue into his mouth, too. Sometimes, Car and I will kiss for long moments, trading tongues back and forth. If you've been eating or drinking, the taste is always changing." I sipped my tea while giving him a little time to think about that. "Even better are the kisses you place on his body or him upon yours."

He flushed again and dropped his eyes. "He . . . kissed," he fumbled a bit with the new word he'd just learned, "he kissed my throat and then he brushed his lips over my nipples. I felt so odd and my shaft hardened a little so he kissed me there. He actually put his lips on my shaft and sucked. Seed came right out of me and it felt good."

Poor little one, I thought compassionately. "You spoke of kissing your former lord's shaft but between lovers, both like to take turns. Or so it is with Car and me. I like his taste so usually I swallow his seed."

He made a gesture of distaste. "My . . . former lord tasted bitter and sour. I hated swallowing his seed but I had no choice." His eyes widened a little. "I saw Lord Roylant's shaft last night. It is huge! It will probably kill me to take him inside of me."

I bit my lip and swallowed hard before answering. "How long was he? Use your hand to show me."

Laital held out his fingers and measured from his wrist out to his longest finger. About eight dokars long and perhaps three dokars thick, I thought approvingly. That size would give him much pleasure but how to reassure him that he wouldn't be killed by his lord's cock?

"That is an excellent size, Laital. Once you have been stretched and have taken him a few times, you will grow to love it in either sheath." I reassured him.

He looked unconvinced and still worried.

"Chosen, would you permit me a demonstration of the pleasure to be found with your female sheath?" Sepira laid down the fabric that was quickly becoming a robe and the Laital's Sister nodded approvingly to her charge.

Laital was wide-eyed but he agreed and soon Sepira had him naked on the cushions. I distracted him with soothing kisses to his throat and shoulders, wishing that my kisses would banish the scars I could feel there. Sepira stroked his rising shaft to full hardness then kissed her way down to his female opening where she must have immediately found his sweet spot to judge from his moan.

Excellent, that bode well for his lord's future pleasure and his own. Laital was shaking all over with the force of his first climax and his nipples seeped a drop or two of milk. As if the baby knew that, she woke up and whimpered for her breakfast. Karel brought her to her mother and Laital nursed her with such a beaming smile that I silently cursed the name of her former lord with every bad curse I knew.

He thanked Sepira for showing him something new about his body and we chatted about what his new home would be like and how he might want to change things to better suit him. I could see from his expression that he'd never been asked his opinion about his surroundings. Sepira and Karel were whip-stitching so quickly that Laital's new robe was almost complete when the outer room door opened. Laital looked up with a small freezing motion that told me more than words how much he'd feared his old lord.

I helped him back into his morning robe and took his hand to lead him out to greet his new lord. Car was with him and his fond smile brought me to his side in an instant so we could share our lips after our separation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Laital bow to his lord then shyly reach up to kiss his cheek. Lord Roylant beamed down at him and softly caressed his Chosen's lips with his own. It was more comforting than passionate but I thought that would come with time.

Our lords sat and we served them the tea and cakes that the kitchens had sent down to us. The cool peppermint tea was soothing on a hot day and both the lords unfastened their robes to let out the heat. Laital kept sneaking peeks at his new lord's chest and I got the impression that Roylant's dark curls fascinated him. There was a whole new world of textures, tastes and sights awaiting my fellow Chosen and I wished that I could be there to watch his introduction into passion.

That was rather naughty of me; I thought and smilingly flirted with my lord. He chuckled and drew me closer to kiss me again. I spread my hands on his chest and plucked his nipples gently the way he likes me to and he drew me closer yet until I was sitting in his lap. I could feel his shaft rising beneath me and I wriggled just a bit to tease him. His chuckle made us break apart our lips.

"My naughty Nephrites, is there something your poor, aging lord can do for you?" He teased me, kneading my cheeks with his big hands.

"I have an itch, my lord that only you can scratch." I batted my eyes at him and Lord Roylant laughed out loud while Laital blushed, a small smile crossing his lips. Good, he needed to see that laughter was a part of passion, I thought before rising to my feet. "If my most virile and magnificent lord would follow me back to our rooms, I promise to help him forget the no doubt boring meeting from which he just came."

Car laughed and rose to his feet. "It appears that I'm being seduced for lunch, Ro. I will see you both at the evening audience."

"Both?" I asked for Laital since he was too shy.

"Ro is declaring Laital's freedom and his adoption of his daughter." My lord said with satisfaction.

Laital burst into tears at that and Lord Roylant immediately took him into his arms. "You deserve your freedom, Laital. We are still so new to each other, little one but in time I hope that we can find the happiness that Car and Nephrites have found."

Laital sniffed hard and smiled at him. "I want that too, my lord. I never want you to regret buying me."

"That will never happen, sweetheart," he kissed each tear from his face. "Now, I think that someone else wants lunch and doesn't want to wait."

The baby was crying and Laital looked torn in two, wanting to go to her and yet wanting to savor the feeling of his lord's strong arms. But Sepira and Karel came out of the sleeping chamber, one holding the baby and the other holding out Laital's new robes. They were a beautiful crimson and gold, both flattering to his dark complexion. He was going to look ten years younger and even more beautiful when he appeared in court this time.

While his attention was distracted by both the baby and robe, I pulled Lord Roylant's head down to mine and whispered that he needed to go slow since Laital was afraid of his . . . size. I made a vague gesture below his waist and it was a close race of who between the two of us would blush the hardest. Car's eyebrow went up and I knew I'd be reporting in full what had happened while the lords were away.

I fully expected to have trouble walking by the time the evening audience came.

********* Hannah/Laital *********

There were tensions outside our home but none within. I'd have never believed that four infants and four newlyweds could all co-exist in such harmony. Connie was a sweet girl and such a help with all the chores that four babies engendered that I wasn't run off my feet the way that I feared I might be.

Life was good except for the oddest thing. I'd always dreamed small black and white dreams but lately I'd been dreaming in Technicolor and the dreams were . . . well, I'd never even imagined this kind of world. I was uncertain where they were coming from but I knew *why* I was dreaming such passionate scenes. Solomon Frisco was back in our lives and he made me feel things that I hadn't felt in years.

Something inside of me yearned for a lover's touch after all the years alone. I don't know why it was Solomon that made my heart beat more quickly, but beat more quickly it did whenever he was within sight or sound. After one of the family meetings, he'd come out to the kitchen and I'd serve him some of my baking and a nice hot cup of coffee.

We'd talk of little nothings but gradually, we began to share some of our personal history. Memories of forty years ago didn't hurt so much now and we both had our share of regrets for paths not taken. So, when I started dreaming small x-rated movies at night, I just chalked it up to hormones and enjoyed them.

***

My lord sat beside me while I nursed my little girl, his arm around me and his lips nuzzling my temple. "You are beautiful like this, Laital, your robe open and your tiny child suckling at your breast. Every hour I'm away from you feels like a day. Did Nephrites answer some of your questions?"

I felt like I'd been blushing nonstop for days. "Yes, my lord, he explained about kissing and how pleasurable it is." I risked a quick look at him. "It is pleasant to . . . kiss you."

"Good," he smiled at me and brushed his lips over mine again, the tip of his tongue gently tickling my lips until I opened to him.

His tongue is rougher than mine, I thought in a daze of emotions and it felt huge but I dared to caress it with my tongue and he liked it. I could feel him smiling and I wanted to smile, too. It was all so new and different but every moment pushed the bad old memories away while replacing them with exciting new ones.

"Sweet, you taste so sweet, little Laital." His lips murmured while scattering kisses all over my face. "Is she done yet?"

I opened my eyes and looked down to find my nipple falling from her lips. She was indeed asleep and Karel took her from me to place her in the little cradle that my lord had found somewhere for her. When I would have closed my robes, his hand stopped me.

"I wish to explore your tempting body, sweet Laital." His hand gently cupped my swollen breast and his thumb brushed lightly over the distended nipple. "Will you let me touch you and give you pleasure?"

Nodding, I couldn't have spoken a word if my life depended on it and he seemed to understand. Unfastening my robe the rest of the way, he bared my worn body to his sight and I wished desperately that all the scars and stretch marks would magically disappear. But he seemed not to notice them for his hands touched me everywhere and his lips followed each touch.

I was drowning in pleasure and when my shaft burst for the second time this day, I thought I'd died and gone to paradise. He licked my seed from my skin then shared my taste with me, which I thought was quite decadent. Then he tenderly laid me back onto the cushions and suckled at my breast, which brought back that funny feeling in my stomach again.

The curly chest hair that had so fascinated me tickled me everywhere, especially where my shaft lay between us. I could feel his giant shaft firming and I shivered at the thought of taking it inside of me. How could it possibly feel good, the way that Nephrites had said it would?

"Don't be afraid, little one. He's not coming inside of you until you are ready." He kissed me tenderly and I blushed again at his reading of my thoughts. "Does he seem so very big and frightening to you?"

The wistful tone in his voice made me take hold of my courage. I slid a hand down between us and grasped him for the first time. He felt so alive in my fingers, his velvet soft skin more tender than I was used to. He caught his breath and began to pull away, afraid that he was forcing me to do something I didn't want to do. But my heart had already begun to belong to him and I was learning to trust again so I followed him until I was lying half on top of him.

"He is much bigger than any shaft I have ever seen but Nephrites says that he will feel - he will feel good inside of me once you stretch my sheath. Um, both of my sheathes."

His eyes lit up and his smile was rather boyish when he hugged me close. "I promise to wait until you tell me that you're ready."

I sat up and pondered his big shaft standing upright between his legs. He was bigger than me by half so he was definitely bigger than my old lord but his warmth called to me and I slid my hand up and down him, watching a tear of seed form upon his crown. I wouldn't be able to swallow him the way I had Lord Sacralus but perhaps if I could stretch my lips around his flared crown that would suffice for now.

So I tried and discovered that his seed tasted at the very least bland, not sour. He moaned just a bit and I checked to be sure that it was a good moan before smiling around his shaft and rubbing my tongue over the tender skin I found. Five minutes later, he was still hard and I didn't know what to do. His stamina was wonderful but my lips were getting tired.

He sat up and cupped my face with his big hands. "Sweetheart, that's enough for now. I don't want you getting too tired."

"But you didn't come," I said with downcast eyes. "I'm not doing it right."

He kissed me harder than ever before and I finally understood what Nephrites had meant about different tastes and the many kinds of kisses there were. This one was passionate and reminded me of what I'd felt like at sixteen, excited about belonging to a great lord and sure that I would be loved.

Finally we had to breathe and he cradled my face in those warm hands of his. "You're doing just fine, sweetheart. I'll show you how I pleasure myself then you'll know how to help me come."

"You could . . . come inside me." I offered, trying not to look at the shaft that loomed ever so large near my female sheath.

"Not yet, Laital, not until we know that you're completely healed." He kissed the tip of my nose. "And definitely not until we know that you can't get pregnant. I will never force you to bear me children."

That was perhaps the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me and that's when I gave him all my heart. "Thank you, my lord. But I liked carrying my babies until I saw that He would never allow them to live if they were girls. You don't mind girls?"

"I will always love any child of yours that blesses our lives." He promised me with his hand over his heart. "Until then, however, perhaps I can show you the pleasure that comes from utilizing your male sheath?"

I nodded slowly, I still couldn't see how that would be pleasurable but he just laughed and showed me how to grip his shaft firmly and rub up and down until long thick ropes of his seed sprang forth. Since I hadn't been able to suck him to climax, I did the next best thing and licked his salty skin clean. Perhaps Nephrites was right and I would learn to enjoy making love.

Once we redressed, I brought him his lunch and we fed each other the small savories that the kitchen had sent up. Sister Jarwhal had tasted it all so it was safe for us to eat. I'd never been so comfortable before. Lord Roylant kept his arm around me the entire meal and kissed me between bites so I was never sure which was coming next, food or a kiss.

I liked it. I liked being important to someone. When little Jasmine woke up hungry again, Karel brought her to me and I nursed her right there at the table. Feeling her tiny lips suckle at my nipple made me want to cry and I said another prayer for the four babes that I'd never been able to nurse.

Lord Roylant seemed to know when I became sad because he started telling me how beautiful I was nursing our daughter and how it would be when one day in the far future, I nursed another child. I looked at him with my heart in my eyes and silently promised him that that vision would not be so very far away as all that.

He kissed me again and that funny feeling in my stomach and between my legs appeared. I'd have to talk to Nephrites some more and have him show me what he meant about my male sheath. But for now, I let Karel take the baby when she fell back asleep and let my lord pull me to my feet so we could take a nap before bathing. He liked sleeping naked and he really liked pulling me into his arms so we could sleep intertwined together.

I thought that I could learn to like that, too.

*********************
The end of part 16