"Cassandra, are you okay?" Valamar said with worry as Cassandra was blushing and slightly warm "Do you feel at all ill?"

Valamar got up and held his wife's hands "Maybe you need some rest for today, is all... Being up since dawn has definitely taken a toll on you, dear."

"I... I'm fine my lord..." Cassandra said while slightly stuttering "Completely fine. There's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine, healthy, young..."

"Well you don't sound normal..." Valamar became even more worried

"I am just a little bit... alright, maybe more than a little bit nervous... we're husband and wife now... and as a wife I have my share of duties to fulfill..."

"We all have our duties to fulfill. Me as a husband, a son, a prince, a general..." Valamar said still not getting at where his wife was going with these talks "I think we should really get to bed and..."

All of a sudden it dawned on Valamar of what his wife was talking about. Immediately his face became flush as well as he looked at his wife with an embarrassed blush.

"Ah... I see..." He also began to feel awkward "So that's what you meant by marital duties. You really don't have to think about all that, Cassandra. It was a tiring and eventful day and I won't fault you for wanting to get some rest as do I... Come now, let's rest our weary heads and..."

"My lord, would you mind going to the room yourself first..." Cassandra said suddenly with a collected voice "I believe I need a little time to myself... to cool off and prepare..."

"Honestly, Cassandra, you needn't worry too much about..."

As he saw his wife giving him a silent yet meaningful look, he immediately quieted and nodded his head as he left for the room. He immediately threw himself on the bed, feeling nervous, awkward, and confused at the same time, though he also felt a little bit of excitement within him. It hit him as if a hammer to a nail that this was to be his first night as a married man with his wife and they have yet to consummate their union.

Valamar sat himself on the bed in a fetal position as he rested his head on top of his knees. He didn't know what to make of his current position. 'Valamar, you are her husband yet you are a gentleman...' he thought to himself 'You shouldn't force her into doing anything not of her will... though we are rightfully wed... and that body... those breasts...' As unsavory thoughts started clouding his mind he slapped his cheeks slightly to get a hold of reality. He was seventeen and a man according to Rumasilian traditions yet here he was mulling over something as if he were a boy still fresh from childhood.

While Valamar was busy contemplating to himself, he failed to notice that his wife had already entered the room. Cassandra made herself noticed as she coughed to grab her husband's attention.

"My lord..." Cassandra said quietly as an ever-luminescent blush was on her face "...I'm ready and prepared for whatever you wish to do to me..."

Valamar gulped as he saw his wife in such a meek expression. He felt like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey yet he struggled for the life of him to hold back on his urges.

"It really is fine, Cassandra. You needn't try so hard. I love you and you know that. Such things can wait until you're finally comfortable and ready. I am nothing if not for my self control. So I urge you to be at ease, dear."

"My lord, I am thankful, happy, and gladdened to have your kind considerations. It makes me even more elated and relieved to know I married such an honorable man..."

"That's good..." Valamar said as he began to calm himself down "Now we can get the rest we need..."

"However...!" Cassandra continued as she began to blush even more and as she started to undress herself in front of her husband

"Cassandra! What do you think you're doing...?!" Valamar began to act even more frantically as he saw the scene unfolding in front of his very eyes

"I am of a set mind, my lord..." Cassandra said as she had finally finished undressing and stood there as bare as a baby on the day of its birth "I implore you, my beloved, to do your duties as my husband and make me a woman."

Valamar began to sweat as his mouth fell into an agape. The sight of his wife's body in front of him made his heart race. All this time he could only imagine this scene in his wildest imaginations, but to actually experience it… It wasn't the first time for him to see a naked body or a bare breast, but he'd be hard-pressed to find a body as brilliant as the one he saw in front of him.

"Cassandra..." Valamar began to talk slowly as he stared at her

"Though It is very embarrassing, especially with you staring at me like that, I also feel a little delighted that my lord would look at me so..." Cassandra said

"Cassandra, a man has only so much self-control..." Valamar said as he recited prayers in his mind though to no avail as Cassandra motioned closer towards him. She then surprised Valamar by throwing herself at him into his arms.

Valamar could feel the warmth of her body then and there as she looked at him with an expression that showed a renewed courage.

"We must consummate the marriage... My lord father told me that he will be expecting his first grandchild as soon as possible..." Cassandra said as she slowly started to disrobe her husband "Allow me this once to be bold, my lord..." She then leaned her head in as she pressed her lips to Valamar's and started to attack his mouth aggressively with her own tongue. Valamar was caught by utter surprise yet he felt himself unable to resist as he unconsciously found his arms wrapped around his wife's body.

After a few moments, Cassandra had pulled her head back as she saw Valamar with a sheepish grin.

"How was that?" She asked him

"It was... where in the world did you learn how to kiss like that...?!" Valamar asked as if snapped out of a trance

"I have many reference books..."

"Books...? I need to get myself one of those books..."

Cassandra wasted no time in letting Valamar catch his breath after the last kiss as soon she had again begun her assault upon his lips, laying her weight against him as she made him lay on the bed from a sitting position. Valamar felt overwhelmed by his wife's newfound ferocity. He realised her ladylike body and stature hid a ferocious strength within her as she continued to pin him down.

Valamar finally managed to find an opening as he got his lower part to sit up and hit against Cassandra's abdomen which startled her and made her loosen her grip. Valamar immediately jolted up and turned the tides on her as it was now him who was pinning her down. He noticed her expression became a little meek again as she closed her eyes and braced herself as if she were expecting him to do something.

Cassandra's chest was throbbing uncontrollably as she was both fearful and excited at what her lord husband might do to her. She braced herself for him to do something to her, be it to fondle her breasts or other parts or maybe force himself on her immediately. But this was what she expected, it was her duty after all as his wife. She herself was surprised by the earlier courage she had managed to muster. She had thought of the bed as the battlefield and her husband as her opponent, but now the tides of battle had turned as it was he who had her pinned down now. It was as if she fell into an unexpected ambush.

To her surprise, after closing her eyes and bracing herself, she felt the hands that had pinned her down loosening up, though she could feel her husband's body still close to her. Then, she felt his hand caressing her head to her cheek gently like what a father would do to his child. When she opened her eyes she saw him smiling at her with the gentlest expression as he leaned his face in to bestow a kiss on her forehead.

"Cassandra, you really don't have to try so hard..." Valamar said in a calming tone "We can take things slowly and easily as it goes... I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me... your expression just now scared me and it snapped me back to my senses..."

Hearing her husband's calming voice, seeing his warm demeanor and feeling his gentle hands on her cheek, tears started streaming from her eyes to her cheeks as she immediately embraced her husband whose upper body was bare after she had taken the clothes off of him.

"My lord, I'm sorry!!" she started to sob "I was so scared I didn't know what to do... I love you so much and there is nothing I wouldn't do to please you! I have no regrets, but I was so scared..."

As she hugged him, she could feel the warmth coming from his body as well as their bare chests were pressed on each other's. She could feel his heart beating fast as well if not faster than hers. She then began to smile as she felt his hand caressing the back of her head gently in an effort to calm her down.

"Being this close to each other... I can feel our hearts are beating together... My lord's heart was beating just as fast as mine was..." Cassandra said as she calmed down though her eyes were still wet. She faced her husband who blew a sigh of relief as he got off from her and threw himself to her side as he put his arm around her.

"You're not the only one who was scared." Valamar admitted "Mind you, I'm not as experienced as most lords. Most definitely not as much as your brother."

Cassandra let out a laugh at her husband's remarks. "Why would you mention my brother at a time like this..." She laughed

"I see that came out weird... It's just... I'm pretty green as far as most men go. I'm confident most of the common-folk might know a lot more than me about these things... The Law of Fidelity is really a big hamper on any chance of practice..."

His wife only giggled more as he continued to talk. Cassandra then again laid herself on top of him though this time, it was just to put her head against her husband's chest.

"Just being like this is enough to make me happy..." Valamar said as he felt his wife intertwining their hands together

"I love the sound of your heartbeat... it makes me feel so close to you..." Cassandra said softly

"Woman, you are literally on top of me in the nude right now, how much closer can you get?" Valamar joked to which she only blushed but smiled "Well, now that things have calmed down, what say you we get some rest? I think that was enough excitement for one night..."

"No, my lord..." Valamar could feel his wife asserting her strength upon him again, this time stronger than ever "Once I've set my mind on something, it's difficult for me to change it."

"Cassandra, are you sure?" Valamar asked with slight worry

His wife's response was only to kiss him once again, however gently this time.

"I have found my resolve, my lord..." She said finally able to smile sincerely though with a luminescent blush on her expression. She then motioned herself to pull down his trousers though he felt his hand stopping hers.

"We're going past the point of no return, dear..." Valamar said again gently "Are you sure...?"

Valamar can't deny he was fully aroused by then as his 'weapon' was fully prepared and awake now.

"My lord, we've passed that point when we said our vows in the church..." Cassandra said calmly "And you're not fooling anyone... I thank you for your concern, my lord... But my strength has returned, and the War Flower of Florentia has re-entered the battlefield."

The meek Cassandra was gone as her bold side as a Florentinian general had returned. This time Valamar had returned to being her losing opponent on the battlefield.

"Ah!" Valamar let out a slight groan as he felt his weapon had been gripped by his opponent. He could see his wife's expression was startled for a second, but it was quickly replaced by a grin.

"I know the Rumasilians are famous for their pike tactics but my lord's pike is a truly impressive thing..." The shy and awkward Cassandra was gone and was now replaced by her assertive and confident persona of a warrior princess though Valamar could see she was also still very flushed.

Without further ado, Cassandra had completely disrobed her husband, her right hand still gripping on his 'pike' firmly. Valamar's expression she found cute and priceless as his eyes widened to contain his feelings inside of him.

"My lord, I have heard the Rumasilian Pike and spear are of a stronger sort than any other in all of Terra. What say you if we put that strength and durability to the test?" As Cassandra said that, her right hand began pulling up and down, at first slowly and gently but began to get faster and faster. She pulled, tugged, and played with the 'pike' from it's base to it's shaft to it's very tip. Not too long after testing the durability, she felt something had been 'shot'. "Not only a pike, but I feel the shot of an arquebus as well... my lord is very dangerous..."

Valamar's expression was amusing to Cassandra, though she kept her collected expression. She then moved her head closer to her lord's 'weapon'. Valamar only kept on playing along with her.

"I see my lord has now equipped his firelocks. And my how strong they are..." Cassandra began to say "However, it appears they need to be tended to and cleaned... Maybe I owe my captured opponent at least that sentiment..." After saying that, Cassandra had put the 'arquebus' into her mouth as she started to clean it. Her head moving diligently up and down as her tongued and lips doing their parts as well.

She cleaned from the shaft to the long and heated barrel. After a while of the 'cleaning', Valamar let out another groan as he let out another surprise shot from his 'arquebus' as it was in the middle of 'cleaning'. It definitely took Cassandra by surprise, but she waved it off completely as she finished.

"My, my, milord..." She said as she brought her face closer to Valamar after what looked like her swallowing something, her eyes a little red and teary and looked like she was holding herself from barfing "You should be careful in your maintenance of your firearms. It looks as if the cannon artillery has arrived... Well, let's see you face my 'mounted troops'.

When Cassandra said that, she had their abdomens close together, though before she had 'saddled on her mount', she whispered to Valamar's ear in all seriousness and sincerity "Please be gentle with me, my lord."

Valamar nodded silently as he held her rear in place.

"This will hurt slightly, so bear with me, dear..." He said to which she nodded and braced herself.

Valamar thrusted in his 'spear' into her and slowly and gently started to motion back and forth. He could see his wife gritting from the pain, but she encouraged a smile at him. Valamar kept on with his thrusts, while Cassandra was beginning to accustom herself to the feeling as she started to let out moans.

Now the two were joined, their marriage had been consummated. They could truly call themselves man and wife. They looked at each other with blushes on their faces as they continued on. How they both wish they could just spend their days in moments of marital bliss like this.

Though they know tender moments like these will eventually come to an end. A storm will come soon, they know.