Everything happened so quickly, and she was soon in her old apartment. It felt good to be back home, but was it really home now, she was so confused?
Wasting no time, the first thing she did was take a hot bath, using her most fragrant bath oils and luxuriating in the warm foamy water. Afterwards, she ordered pizza, and they both sat eating it whilst watching TV.
A thought occurred to her as she watched Niyol eat pizza for his first time ever, which had been most amusing. He had told her that when he had travelled previously, through the portal, he would get in and out as quickly as possible, never lingering long enough to have to eat or even sleep. This would be his longest time away from his own world.
“How do you find it, Niyol, now you’ve spent some time here?” she asked him, as he licked his fingers.
“Noisy, smelly, and the pace of life is far too fast. Add into that mix, rude and obnoxious people, I think there is little to commend it, but,” he said, holding up a half-eaten slice of pizza, “the food’s not bad.”
She smiled at his reaction, once again imagining his kiss. Why did her mind keep doing that?
After dinner she turned off the television. They had been watching the news, but it all seemed mundane and boring now. This world was unexciting when the fate of a whole nation rested in her hands in the other world. Checking her inbox in her email, she sighed at all the notifications from Facebook friends that had built up. Her Twitter account was also flooded with messages. Last week all of this had been important in her life, but now it meant nothing. She didn’t even want to read the messages. When so many people were relying on her in the other world, it made her feel guilty that she was back in this one.
Niyol noticed the change in her. She had seemed happy when she first returned, pleased to be back in her old haunt, but as time wore on he could see that she was deep in contemplation.
“Would you like to return now, Princess?” he asked.
“Would you please stop calling me that, at least whilst we’re here?” she snapped back at him.
“We must return to my world, there is much preparation to be done. Your brother continues his slaughtering, while you are here relaxing,” he reminded her.
“You don’t think I don't know that,’ she snapped at him, anger in her voice. “It’s all I can think about, since I’ve been back. I’m scared Niyol, do you understand that word, scared?” she looked at him, but he didn’t reply. “No, of course not. Not the fearless Niyol. He is scared of nothing. But, me, I’m scared. Scared of dying in a strange land, of making a complete fool of myself, and most of all I’m scared that I’ll let all those people down. All those who are depending on me.”
Again, Niyol thought to himself, the Princess had surprised him. He thought it a mistake letting her return to this world of technology, but he could see the reasoning of the elders, this return had allowed her some thinking time. He reached over and laid his hand on hers.
“I am scared too,” he simply said.
She was taken aback by his hand touching hers, but she didn't brush it off, it felt surprisingly comforting.
“You will not make a fool of yourself, I am certain of that,” he reassured her, “you are of Royal blood, and that will always show through in the end,” he squeezed her small fingers. “Of course, you may still die.”
She thought it too good to be true, a compliment from Niyol, a smile played on his lips, those very kissable lips, wishing that he might just give her one little kiss.
“Thank you, I hope you’re right,” she replied, before quickly adding, “Not the dying part, of course.”
They both laughed in unison and for the first time since she had met him, she was glad that Niyol was here with her.
“You must learn your birth skills of magic. You must use your knowledge. My father said that in this world you would have received a good education and would be able to assess our world quickly, upon your return. He told us that you would be a wise leader, with an understanding of many things.”
“I wish it was that simple,” is all she said, feeling a little ashamed of her weaknesses. “I’m just a nobody. I live in an empty world where no one even notices you unless you’re a celebrity, or a mass murderer. What do you want of me? My life has been without guidance, without love, I’m really not a person experienced on making wise decisions.”
Niyol, remained silent, and she found that even more uncomfortable than his normal sarcasm at her weaknesses.
“I don’t have a plan,” she announced. “I just don’t know what to do with this so called brother of mine. If your wise old men can’t sort him out, how do you expect me to?”
“I do not know what surprises the future has in store for you, but I do know that you are the person to throw off the shackles of your brother’s tyranny. How you will achieve this, is beyond my comprehension, but the elders have faith in you, as does my father, and I have never known him to be wrong.
His words offered her some comfort but still her head was full of unanswered questions.
“We should sleep, and make our decisions in the morning. I am loath to wait much longer, but you still seem uncertain, and I see no point in pressing you before you are ready. The people need you in our lands, willing and fully prepared. Your task is great, it will not help our cause to have you pushed before you are ready.”
“No,” she said, surprising even herself. “We can wait no longer, take me back, I need to learn as much as I can. Every day I delay, he grows stronger and more of our people fall under his yoke.”
He takes both her hands in his, “are you sure of this?”
She nodded her reply.
“How come we didn’t do the tunnel and the walking, when we came here? How did we get here so quickly?” She asked, puzzled that they had travelled in what seemed only seconds.
“The tunnel was simply an illusion to entice you there. In reality I only need to choose certain words. That is my skill as a Traveler, if others repeated those words, it would not work for them,” he explained to her.
“What’s my skill?” She asked.
“That is for you to discover,” is all he would commit.
He looked at her, her small frame, seemingly weak, her mind uncertain, but still he noticed a determination on her face and a steely glow in her eyes. He felt sure that had not been there before. For the first time she emanated a strange power, and he felt a pity for their enemies. He leaned down and pulled her tightly towards him and pressed his lips on to hers. Surprised that she had accepted his kiss, he did not force it, but was gentle. Each of them wanted more, but yet neither of them dared to push for more than what was offered.
He pulled away and smiled.
“I have an ache for you Princess Tamara, a desire so powerful it consumes me,” he admitted to her, his passion rising. He knew he was taking a risk but he could not hold his feelings back any more.
“Niyol,” she said, a teasing smile on her lips, “are you allowed to make love to a Princess, in your world?” she dared to ask him.
“No, it would mean almost certain death,” he replied, his face stern, but his eyes had a mischievous glint and she couldn't be certain that he was being serious. “But, this is not my world, Princess,” he continued. “It is your adopted one, here we can do as we please.”
He reached forward again and kissed her, more passionately this time. His lips wet and slippery as they slid on hers. Growing in confidences he probed at her lips with his tongue, she allowed it to slip into her mouth. She met the invasion with her own and their tongues danced a tango together.
Tammy’s head was spinning with excitement. The kiss was delicious and sent wonderful sensations through her body. She wanted this man so much, but she worried at losing his respect. With that in mind, she broke their embrace, pushing him away from her.
“Sorry Niyol, I don’t find it easy to give myself to you.”
“But I love you, my Princess, I would willingly die for you, not only because you are Royalty and it is be deemed my duty, but because I love you as a person, I love you Tammy.”
He had used her shortened name for the first time and she felt a sudden rush of emotion at this. She couldn’t deny that she felt the same way.
“Oh, Niyol, I love you too,” she cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, pressing her lips to his.
Their kiss was long and deep, but Niyol wanted more and he sensed that Tamara did too. He kissed down her neck, slowly, not wanting to rush things. Just small butterfly kisses, that made her shudder with delight. As he reached the top of her blouse, his fingers deftly undid the buttons and he continued the kisses down across the milky white flesh of her breasts, pushing aside the cup of her bra and suckling her already erect nipple into his mouth.
“Ohhh, Niyol,” Tammy whimpered. “That feels so good.”
Encouraged by her moans of delight, he moved himself into position between her legs. His thigh pressed into her mound, he pushed firmly with his leg. She responded back by rubbing her mons onto his leg. Tammy was completely lost now and had no resistance to his hot touches. He made her feel like no man had ever made her feel before, she was willing to give him everything. Niyol could sense her reluctance slipping away under his touch, he was not one to take advantage or bed a women by deception, but he so desperately wanted her and he felt certain she wanted him too.
Breaking away from their clinch, he kneeled down between her legs and unfastened his pants, freeing his erection, which was so hard it hurt. Reaching forward he pushed her panties to one side, exposed her lightly haired mons and in one single stroke, embedded his throbbing member deep into her wetness. Tammy felt an incredible feeling of fullness as his erection stretched her opening to its limit, but she loved it. She shifted slightly so the tip of his manhood was pressed deep inside and she circled her hips in time with his thrusts. Every time he pushed into her, the tip of his erection pressed into a spot deep down inside, one that gave her so much pleasure as she rode her hips back and forth. She could feel her climax building and it wouldn't be long, but she didn't care, she so desperately needed this release and she selfishly continued grinding her hips into him.
When the release came it wasn't as a gradual build up, but as a flood of sensations that swept through her body like a tidal wave crashing against her erogenous zones. She screamed out her desire as she felt his erection swell to a new thickness and a warmth spread inside of her, she knew that they had timed their climax to perfection.
They lay together afterwards, basking in the glow of their mutual satisfaction and love for each other. Tammy could stay here forever but she knew now what she had to do. She quickly dressed and took Niyol by the hand.
Feeling that nothing could hurt her now that she had her lover, she spoke confidently, “I’m ready to go, speak your words, Traveler, my people await.”
He spoke in his archaic tongue, and soon he was holding her by the flowing stream that they had left earlier, in the other world. Darkness had blanketed the land, but Niyol would guide her. He was her strength, her guide, and her lover.