28 The Differences in Intercourse 1 (1/2)
{A/N--Brief intimate scene.}
James stopped short, but she kept walking.
'Hey. Whoa. Hold on,' he said, getting in front of her to get her to stop. 'Are you saying you had sex with Briar?'
'If that's what you Humans call it...yes.'
'How could you be unfaithful to me?!'
'I told you you'd take it wrong.' She stepped around him and kept going. He grabbed for her wrist and she moved it just out of reach.
'Lilly, stop! Why did you do it?'
She kept walking. 'To fill the vacancies.”
'So, why didn't the other Adremedians do it then?'
'Because it was Forbidden to the others.'
'If it's Forbidden, why did you do it?'
'Because we were the only Adremedians that weren't sick or refused the first contact!' Lilly's pace quickened and James tried to stop her, but she avoided his hands and ran.
'Lilly!' James chased after her, but soon lost her among the trees of the forest. 'Lilly!' He looked everywhere but she was nowhere to be found. Finally he sat by a tree muttering softly to himself.
'…What's… wrong James?'
James looked up and saw a young man about twelve. 'Sapientiis?'
'Yes.… Where's Rosae Lilly?'
'Your mother has run off somewhere.'
'Mother? No, I don't have parents. Only brothers and sisters and my leader Rosae Lilly.'
'Sapientiis, how old are you?'
'According to your time, t… wenty days.'
'Huh. What have I gotten myself into?'
'James?'
'It's nothing. I think I need a moment to myself.'
'All right.'
James watched until Sapientiis was out of sight. Then he sat and pondered on those things he had learned. He was surprised when Torta walked through the trees, but didn't hesitate to climb on and return to the castle. Torta stopped in the courtyard and James got off. He entered the study and found paper and ink. He wrote late into the night, recording everything he had learned that last month. At last he set the quill down and retired to his room.
James lay awake in bed for a long time trying to understand why Lilly didn't seem concerned about having sex—and children—with another man while they were engaged. How she could brush off her connection to the twin as if they were not her own. Maybe he just needed to ask the right questions to get her to explain herself better. James blew out his breath then rolled over to try and sleep.
James woke the next morning to a knock on the door. He got up and pulled on some pants before opening the door.
”James, your...are you okay?” Carthago asked. ”You don't look so well.”
”I had a late night.”
”With Lily? Is everything okay? She's not sick is she?”
”No.” He sighed. ”I don't know how to take her way of life.”
”What do you mean?”
James leaned against the doorway and said softly. ”She had sex with an Adremedian before she married me.”
”What?! She should be hanged for that.”
”I love her too much to kill her.”
”Then we'll cut her hands off, so she won't be able to touch another man. Bring her to the dungeon. We need to settle this now.”
”I can't do that, Carthago.”
”James, this can't go without punishment.”
”Give me some time to talk to her. Then I'll decide.”
”Very well.”
James closed the door and rested his head against it.
He turned to finish dressing when he heard the door open. Turning back, he watched Lilly step into the room. The door closed quietly behind her as knelt on the floor before him.