Chapter 14 Brismond

      Before they hit the road to Brismond Aurelia undid the latch on the chest. The lid squeaked open and soft wool and the smell of tanned leather entered her nostrils and she tingled with excitement. Inside was a set of leather armor and a matching outfit. She held up the breastplate and then turned it upside down, “Ummm, how do I...? I've worn such a thing before.”

    Zinjo grinned wickedly, “I know-how. If it is proper to you, I shall dress you.”

    “That would imply I have to get naked,” Aurelia felt her loins boil over at the thought, while her mind worried her bare form would drive Zinjo away. Girl

    “Your slender form pleases me, dark princess.” the werelion blushed, “If it makes you feel any better, I worried about the same thing the first time I undressed in your presence. I promise to keep on task.” 

     Aurelia removed the dressed and related undergarments dropped to the rough stone floor. She didn't bother to cover her sensitive areas. Her pulse skyrocketed and her entire body went rigid at the thought of Zinjo's hands on her. She panted softly.

   Zinjo handed her the under armor and began to lace up the bodice. He would slowly pull the leather strings out and then tighten them. The whole thing caused Aurelia's head to spin with lust. He belonged to her, and she wanted Zinjo to know it. She gripped his hand and slowly moved it up her thigh

     “Not like this dark princess,” Zinjo whispered in her ear before his soft lips touched hers, and his hand caressed her face with love. “It will be rushed, and unsatisfying for us both. Give it time.” Aurelia noted his pants looked a little tighter in the front.

    The entire act took a little longer because the pair kept kissing in between buckles. A pair of short swords, in ornate scabbards, were the last things to be added to the armor. The armor weighs less than Aurelia expected, more than she wanted. 

   “You are a true lioness now,” Wonder and awe took Zinjo by force as he stared at his future bride. 

   “Thank you, shall we get our parchment before we leave?”

****

    The queen blubbered the whole way to the front gates of the castle, “My baby has grown up. She has a man now, what does she need me for?”

    “To walk behind me and complain about how hard it is to let me go,” Her mother's melodramatic nature irritated Aurelia to no end. 

    “Are all human mothers this silly?” Zinjo whispered.

    “No, my mother is ridiculous enough for them all. What a mother lion likes?”

    “They are equally silly about their children growing up. I remember the day I was eligible to become a warrior. My mother Nadira refused to come out from our home until I had passed. She missed my ceremony.”

    “How did you feel about that?”

   

    “I was angry for a time, but my father explained it. He said when a mother bears a child into this world it creates an unspoken bond between mother and child.”

   Sophie poked her head between the young companions, “What did you do?”

   “Mother, don't pry, you're being rude,”

   Zinjo chuckled, “I apologized to my mother for putting myself in danger, and thanked her for her care and concern.” 

    “See that?” Sophie said in a triumphant tone, “Even the savage knows the importance of mothers.”

    Aurelia rolled her eyes, “Mother I am sorry, but we have to get ahead of this hyena problem, and it wouldn't hurt to have allies. Our soldiers are spread thin. It would be nice to have a little breathing room where our defense is concerned.”

    “You were always paying attention to me weren't you?” Sophie embraced her daughter with tears in her eyes. 

     “For heaven's sake mother, get a hold of yourself,” Aurelia said with a smile on her face. “I love you, she whispered in her mother's ear.

    The queen let her daughter go and wiped her eyes, “Now go, before I lock you both up,” She thrust the parchment into Aurelia's hand, “Amadeus can be a bit vain, make sure you compliment his latest wife, she'll look younger than him, and never ask him how many have come before.”

    “We'll figure it out, Pride Mother,” Zinjo embraced her. “Your daughter is in good hands I promise.”

     “Your future husband treats me better than you do,” The complaint earned a scowl from Aurelia, but she left it alone and let her mother have the moment.

                                                                           ****

   The young couple didn't say much as they traveled. The silence came from a place of comfort and familiarity. They stopped for the night and made camp. Zinjo transformed and rubbed up against several trees around the site. The action caused Aurelia to giggle, “I assume there is a method to the madness?”

   “Marking territory is an ancient instinct of my people. It will also tell predators to find a meal elsewhere.” Zinjo sat by the fire. “Are you disappointed?”

    “By what?”

    He moved closer to her, “Earlier when I was helping you into your armor.”

    Aurelia kissed him softly and shook her head, “Zinjo, I am grateful for your presence of mind, or else we would still be back at the castle exploring each other...” She paused to imagine the passion, and ecstasy of being Zinjo's lover and she quivered for a moment. “Where was I?”

    “We would be back at the castle exploring each other?”Zinjo encircled her in his arms and purred a little. 

    “Right.” She took a few moments to gather her thoughts. “Anyway restoring the kingdom to its former glory is the perfect project for an intrepid young couple such as ourselves,” She moved to Zinjo's lap and put her hands around his thick neck. She inhaled his spicy scent and let her mind drift, “When the moment comes for us to express how we feel physically it will mean more.”

    “I agree, let's get some sleep Amadeus awaits us tomorrow...Aurelia?” Zinjo looked down and Aurelia's small angelic form in his arms and smiled, “Sleep well, Dark Princess.”