“General, you have outdone yourself on this mission. It will be completed in no time,” Lord Bilal boasted.
Vadiim remained silent as he took a drink. He never relished in compliments, but his silence seemed troubling to Lord Bilal.
“Is there something the matter with you?” Lord Bilal pried.
“You warned me, but I did not listen. Now I feel everything is wrong.” Vadiim confessed solemnly.
Surprised, Lord Bilal queried, “General; in our entire span, I have never known you to be so full of despair or self-doubt. Not to mention, you have never once agreed with anything I said. What in the devil is this babble about?”
Vadiim landed beside the river bank and dazed past the surrounding treeline. “This is about Keinah. You said that I had no business meddling in the human realm. You were right. Now my actions have brought upon eternal damnation to her. She was robbed of the opportunity to visit the heavenly realm and reunite with her grandmother and mother, for that matter,” he said.
Lord Bilal chuckled, then took a sharp tone. “If I remember correctly, it was you who infiltrated the gates of Sheol, guided her past the menacing ghouls, and brought her safely to the paradise side. Let us not forget that because of your worth to our kinsmen, the Queen had mercy and released you to rejoin us in the Emerald Kingdom. Not only that, but she also adopted your lover as her daughter, made her a princess, and gave her permanent residence in the palace. Princess Keinah is highly revered among our clan and worshipped as a national treasure. I know little about humans, but I’d say her outcome in the afterlife comprises the stuff that they fervently pray to their deities for.”
Vadiim glanced with a half-smile. “I am sure you are a right old friend. It’s just that I still can’t help but feel responsible for ruining her in some ways, because I wanted her for myself,” he said.
Lord Bilal looked him in the eyes and said, “There is nothing you can do to change the course of the way things played out. Keinah came with you and became your eternal mate. Do not exhaust yourself with worry, when everything turned out very well in the end. You are probably just getting anxious because you will see her shortly after this mission concludes.”
A reinvigorated Vadiim rose and said, “You must be on a streak, as we agree once again. I will be reunited with Keinah within a short while.”
Lord Bilal corrected him, “You will join her as soon as we conference with all the other Lords at the Capital.”
When the year-long excursion successfully ended, Vadiim made haste to the Emerald palace to Keinah’s estate. It was stark of the night when he arrived. One of the lead manservants called Edytheos, came to greet him at the entrance.
With a deep bow, he said, “Great General, please forgive me. We were unaware of or prepared for your arrival this late evening.”
Vadiim prompted him to stop bowing and eagerly asked, “Where is Keinah?”
A flabbergasted Edytheos quickly answered back, “Why at this late hour, she is fast asleep in the royal chambers. Shall I rouse her for you?”
Vadiim interrupted, “No, do not wake her. Do not alert anyone to my presence. I assure you, this visit will be brief.”
Edytheos bowed again as Vadiim entered the house. In human form, he freshened himself with a bath in the hot springs. Upon entering their bedroom, he stood over Keinah, watching her sleep. Her long tresses of unruly coils spread about the pillows and even covered most of her face.
“She has been granted the status of a Princess, yet she still sleeps like a wild child in the village,” he chuckled to himself.
Within a moment, he quietly slid onto the bed beside her. As he removed the covers, her tousled sleeping position revealed that her nightgown was hiked up, exposing a healthy portion of her bare buttock. This sight instantly aroused him. Of all the species he had known, only she could provoke such overwhelming emotions from him. He leaned further over her to inhale the sweet fragrance from her hair. Even though her aroma drifted throughout the estate, being that close to her caused him to become drunkenly mesmerized. His tender caress over the succulent cheek of her rump caused her to stir with fret. She opened her eyes to see Vadiim lying next to her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes to awaken.
He softly whispered to her, “There is no need to fret, my sweet love. Tis I, your husband, who has come home from yet another long journey.” With all the valiant titles and honors he had gained in his lifetime, being called and acknowledged as Keinah’s husband was equally cherished and important to him as being a General.
In a disappointed tone, she said, “My dear, why did no one inform me of your arrival? I could have waited outside to greet you properly, or at the very least have a hot meal prep….”
Vadiim silenced her by gently placing a finger over her mouth. Then he slowly traced the outline of her full lips with his tongue before kissing her. She knew there was nothing left to say, so surrendered to his lust. He could feel her body trembling as if to be feverishly aching for him, so he agilely eased himself between the warmth of her thighs. She graciously guided him into position before they vigorously romped about the large bed in ecstasy throughout the night.
The Far Side of Hereafter, Ch. 14
Living Works of D.K. Fair 