A Memory of Love

'My heart aches, my lord caliph,' she admitted. Why was it she could talk to this man as she never had talked to any other?

'Of course it does. You have lost much, my beautiful Noor. It is almost like a death, isn't it?'

She nodded. 'Aye, it is.'

'Why are you afraid of passion?' he asked her gently.

'I am afraid of nothing!' she insisted.

'You are afraid of passion,' he said. 'Why? Tell me who you are and what land creates such beautiful women.' He sat up now and drew her to his side.

'I am Rhonwyn uerch Llywelyn-Rhonwyn, daughter of Llywelyn. My father is the prince of all the Welsh. My mother was his lover. I have a younger brother. When our mother died in childbirth my father took us to one of his castles to be raised. Unfortunately, he did not think to put us where there were women. I was raised among men, and thus copied their behavior.'

'They taught you to fight,' the caliph said.

'Aye, but only because I begged them to teach me. I loved them and wanted to be like them. Then one day my father appeared after many years and said I was to be wed as part of a treaty between him and the English king. He was horrified to find his daughter was more a lad than a lass. I was sent to my aunt, the abbess of a small abbey. For six months I was instructed in women's things, and then I was taken to England to be wed to Edward de Beaulieu, the lord of Haven Castle. When my lord decided to come on crusade, I said I would accompany him.'

'And could not resist the call to arms, so you thus ended up my captive,' the caliph said. 'But where was your husband, Noor, that he allowed you into such danger?'

'He was ill with fever and a running of the bowels,' she replied. 'He was getting better and knew I suffered from a lack of exercise. When I said I would practice my swordplay with Sir Fulk, he agreed. During the battle I was captured and poor Sir Fulk followed after me. Had he not, he might be free.'

'I shall not sell your knight off, for it would be a poor reward for his dutiful and faithful behavior toward his master's wife. I will set him the task of teaching my son Mohammed how your crusaders fight. It could prove useful to the lad one day. Does my decision please you, Noor?'

'Yes, my lord, and thank you,' Rhonwyn said, daring to look up into his handsome face.

'I am said to be kind to those who please me,' he murmured, and he bent to kiss her small ear. Then he let the tip of his tongue explore the delicate whorl of flesh.

What is he doing? Rhonwyn thought, feeling the hot wetness in her ear. She shivered. Edward had never done that. 'Oh!'

His teeth gently worried the fleshy lobe. He pushed the mass of her hair aside and began to kiss the soft nape of her neck, intrigued by the tiny golden curls that sprang from it. They had perfumed her body with a mixture of rose and lily. It was an intoxicating fragrance that set his pulses racing. He nipped tenderly at the back of her neck.

'Oh!' She started nervously.

'Did your husband ever taste you, Noor?' he asked her. He took one of her hands and licked the palm slowly. Then he began to suck each of her lingers in turn, finally taking three of the digits into his mouth at once, murmuring his approval as he did so.

She was astounded by his behavior. It was surely depraved. Why did he not simply use her and be done with it? Then he surprised her further by laying her flat, his tongue licking at her body in long, leisurely sweeps. 'Please!' she said.

He raised his dark head a moment. 'Please, what?'

'Don't do that, my lord! Oh, please, don't do that!'

His tongue was laving over her breasts now. She could actually feel the flesh swelling. Her nipples puckered as if they had been touched with ice. Rhonwyn knew the panic was rising up in her, and to her surprise he seemed to sense it, too.

He said, 'Why are you afraid, Noor? I am not hurting you. I am merely tasting your flesh, and I find it utterly delicious. I intend to bath your entire body with my tongue. There is nothing wrong in what I do.'

'It is strange to me,' she said weakly.

'Do you find no pleasure in it?'

'Nay!'

'You will eventually, my beauty, when you stop fearing the unknown and start to enjoy the pleasure I can give you this way,' he told her. Then he continued onward.

Rhonwyn closed her eyes and attempted to ease her fears. He was right. She was being foolish. He wasn't hurting her at all. The fleshy tongue was warm, and she began to feel a tiny tingle when it swept over her skin, leaving it wet and then cool. He moved over her belly and then across her Venus mons, which caused her to cry out, startled and not just a little nervous to be touched so intimately.

He raised his head and laughed softly. 'You are not ready yet, my exquisite Noor,' he told her.

'R-ready for what?' she quavered.

'In time, my precious,' he said mysteriously, and then began to lick her right thigh. His tongue moved down her leg to her feet, which he kissed most passionately. Then he sucked each of her toes in turn before beginning on her left leg.

'You are mad,' she managed to gasp.

'Your flesh is an opiate of which I cannot get enough,' he responded. Then he turned her over onto her belly and licked the soles of her feet until she giggled. He bathed her legs and her buttocks, running his tongue up the split between the twin moons of her bottom and raising another surprised cry from her. He only laughed again and continued onward until her back and her shoulders were damp with his excesses. He finished by giving her neck a final nip, then turned her over again.

'You're shivering,' he said low, and brushed her lips with his lightly. 'Have I begun to melt the ice that surrounds your cold northern heart, Noor?' He ran his tongue along her lips tauntingly. 'Now, my beauty, it is time for you to begin your lessons in pleasing your lord and master.' He leapt from the bed, pulling her up with him.

'Undo the wrapping about my loins,' he commanded her.

'You will be naked,' she said foolishly.

He chuckled. 'I will.' He reached out and undid the delicate chain about her hips, laying it aside. 'Come now, my beauty. Why do you demur? You know what a man's body looks like. There should be no surprises in store for you.'

'You are constantly surprising me, my lord caliph,' she admitted to him, blushing as she spoke.

'The wrap,' he firmly pressed her.

With hesitant fingers Rhonwyn loosened the cloth and then pulled it away from him, laying it aside. Her eyes were carefully averted.

'It pleases me to see how modest you are, my Noor, but you may look upon the object of your defeat without fear. Come, my beauty, and touch it. I want to feel your hands upon me.'

She shrank back from his words, her hands instinctively going behind her back.

'What? You have never touched a manhood? Allah! Allah! You are practically a virgin, Noor. Come now.' Reaching out, the caliph drew the resisting hand forward and placed it upon his smooth groin. He could feel her desperate to pull away, and so he kept his own hand (irmly on hers. 'There, now, my beauty, let your fingers explore and caress me.'

She knew she should not, but the temptation was simply too great. She bad always been curious about Edward's manhood, but had never been brave enough to touch him. Now here was this man inviting her to do so, and she couldn't resist, particularly when he lifted his hand off hers. She brushed her fingertips across his mound. Her hand closed gently about his manhood. It pulsed within her palm, and she could feel it swelling with each passing moment. Unable to stop herself, she caressed its great length, her breath coming a bit more quickly now. He was warm and hard in her hand.

'That's it, my beauty,' he encouraged her. 'Now cup my twin jewels in your palm. They are cool to your touch,