Kissing Cousins - Part Two

"You really should wear your pendant during the wedding," her father commented.

"But, Merlin, it's driving me crazy," Elaine objected. "It's getting stronger and... it's really hard to concentrate now."

"What's getting stronger?"

"The pull towards Artie and his thoughts and..." She shook her head. "Honestly, if it's this strong before our wedding I don't know how I'll be able to concentrate on anything afterwards."

"I don't think that will be an issue, Elflet. I think it's just your magic's way of reminding you to get on with it," he replied with an apologetic shrug.

"Well, it's giving me a headache," she complained, folding her arms with a pout.

"Perhaps, but if you appear a little distracted today, I'd say you've got a good excuse, seeing it's the day of your wedding and, if it really is still a problem tomorrow, let me know and I'll see what I can do about it."

"Alright. That'll have to do, I suppose." She looked up at Merlin with a glare at his perfectly neutral expression, more than aware that he was amused by her reaction.

"What about everything else? Are you ready?" he asked.

"I think so. There's been lots of dressing up and hair fussing going on again and now I've got two mothers you can just imagine what that's like."

"You have my sympathy," he replied solemnly and she knew he wasn't entirely joking.

"The dress is nice though," she admitted. "White and gold. Morgana said it was one of her favourites years ago and she and Gwen have adapted it slightly for me with both needlework and magic."

"Oh," Merlin blinked and she felt a hint of a strong emotion from him before he managed to block it. "I think I might remember that one."

"I'm really not sure about the nightdress she's suggested though. There's so little of it there's almost no point bothering."

"Information your father really doesn't need to hear," Merlin complained.

"What? You're the one shoving us into an isolated tower and telling us to get on with it," she replied with a small smile.

"Honestly, Elaine. Do you have to?"

~o~0~o~

Elaine had to admit that the dress did looked amazing, but Gwen and Morgana complained bitterly when Merlin insisted that his daughter wore her plain stone gem as part of the outfit. In the end, she decided to use magic to change it slightly; a glamour really, nothing more, but it did now appear to be a pale white stone on a gold chain, which her two mothers admitted looked much more acceptable.

Merlin was currently having a long talk with Artie on the other side of the palace and Elaine found it especially annoying that her abilities allowed her to be aware of that fact, as well as knowing that the pair were discussing something about magic and pendants. Elaine found it a real struggle to block out that conversation and concentrate instead on the one that was actually happening in front of her.

~o~0~o~

Fleur was Elaine's exact opposite; petite, blonde and waif like – which meant that there was no real competition between the two brides that day – both looking totally different and totally stunning in their own way.

As much as she wanted to enjoy the day, Elaine found that the headache continued to get worse and, as the morning progressed, the pain and her telepathic skill became more and more of a problem for her. It wasn't just Artie that she could hear now either, but most of the people within the Hall and it was all becoming annoyingly loud even though she couldn't distinguish the actual thoughts. All the same, the constant buzz and the strange persistent pull towards Artie was very disconcerting and, despite the fact he was spending most of the morning on the opposite side of the castle, Elaine found that she always knew his exact location and just how nervous and exhausted he was feeling.

She hadn't got that much sleep either, having stayed up talking with her family until the early hours and then having to come to terms with the fact that she was being married today and so, by the time she was standing up at the front of the Great Hall with Amr, Fleur and Art, it seemed that the whole world was just a buzz of noise. It was the hardest thing she'd ever done to concentrate on the ceremony and somehow manage to respond to the words.

"Our Druid marriage was much easier than this," she thought at Artie and his muffled laugh appeared to confirm that he'd heard her. It seemed that his telepathic skills were getting stronger rapidly now, especially in regards to her, and she knew that he too was wearing his pendant under his smart white shirt, again at Merlin's insistence.

It seemed that their inadvertent bonding had not created any major issues for a pair whilst Artie had been away on his negotiating errands for Arthur, but their renewed contact two days ago – from the initial hug to the later kisses – had apparently sped up the process and, if that hadn't been bad enough, as soon as the band was draped over their joined hands and their promises were exchanged, Elaine felt a renewed rush of sound and emotion and her pedant practically burnt against her skin.

It was going to be a very long afternoon.

~o~0~o~

Elaine was pacing impatiently when Artie finally entered the sparse turret chamber that Merlin had chosen for them that evening. She had also been randomly casting spells in an effort to keep her mind off the dull buzz of thoughts from around the palace, as well as distract her from the strange itch that had been getting steadily stronger ever since their bond had started to make itself felt the other day. Luckily, much of that discomfort had eased the moment she'd entered these chambers; the strong joint spell that she and Merlin had created acting as a block to keep the worst of other people's emotions out as well as ensuring that the young couple's emotions stayed in.

"Where have you been?" she growled, not really cross with Artie or nervous about what might happen tonight, but simply frustrated that her magic wasn't really giving her much time to come to terms with it all.

"Nice start to our marriage," Artie countered with a lazy grin. "First private words to your husband and you're telling him off."

"Husband," she breathed, blinking as she took in the unfamiliar term and belatedly noticed his appearance. He'd changed clothes since the ceremony, now wearing cream coloured sleeping trousers with his loose white fitting shirt. She suddenly smiled then, his own relaxed attitude starting to rub off on her as it always had done in the past. "Sorry. In fact I do know where you've been really it's just … all of this has given me a terrible headache."

"Yes, even I started to sense that pain from you after the actual ceremony. So, do you want to shout at me some more or are you going to come here and give me a hug?"

That had always been the case as children, she remembered as she approached him. It seemed that whenever one of them was stressed and upset that other would be relaxed and would calm the other down. No matter how hard she tried, Elaine couldn't remember a single time when they were both seriously upset at the same time. As Artie drew her towards him in an affectionate but chaste embrace, the pair both sighed in relief as their pendants buzzed and a great warmth and calmness spread quickly through them.

"That's better," she breathed.

She felt him Artie shift slightly and sensed that he was looking around over the top of her head. "Well, Merlin wasn't kidding when he said he was going to make this room safe," he stated. "It looks more like a dungeon than a bedchamber."

"I know. I started to decorate," she replied with a grin, pulling away very slightly and chanting a spell. Another set of small white lights floated up and drifted towards the ceiling to join the few she'd started to position earlier. As she moved around the room to add some more, Artie sighed loudly and Elaine realised that he was suddenly feeling uncomfortable simply because they had moved further apart. "Better?" she asked coming back for another hug and quickly noticing some of the tension ease.

"Yes, thank you."

"Well, the lights are not just there to make the place look pretty. I was beginning to get a bit cold in here whilst I was waiting for you."

"I see. They're warming the room up too?"

"Yes." She pulled away very slightly to look up at him and noticed just how pale he was and how bloodshot his eyes looked. "You're still so tired," she commented.

"I didn't sleep at all last night," he admitted.

"Yes, I know."

He laughed. "That's going to be very annoying, you know."

"Well, you'd better get used to it. Anyway, I didn't get much myself."

"So, that brings us to what I was saying yesterday," he started nervously. "I really am very tired and I don't want to pressure you in any way so … can we go to bed? I mean, just to go to sleep?"

"Really?"

He nodded and started to walk toward the bed but, before he got under the covers, he took off his shirt and grinned slightly at her wide eyed expression on seeing him topless. "Seeing you've warmed the place up so effectively," he explained

"Well, I'm certainly not complaining," she replied, before looking at his hopeful expression and quickly understanding it. "Well, if you insist," she replied to his unasked question, untying the front of her dressing gown to reveal the very lacy, practically see-through, nightdress that Morgana had insisted she wore tonight.

"Oh my..." His comment was quiet and understated. The emotions that went with it were not. Luckily she was used to such thoughts from Artie and others around her nowadays and they no longer concerned her – if they ever had. She jumped into bed quickly, now more than aware that she hadn't warmed the room up that much and soon found herself back in Artie's embrace, this one feeling even better as she placed a cheek against his bare chest and felt his hands gently travel up her arms and back. That strange itch got stronger but so did the level of relaxation. She wriggled with pleasure and felt that Artie was fighting two different sensations too.

"Still tired?" she teased, aware of his sudden wish to kiss her everywhere, undress her, and then kiss her some more.

"Yes," he mumbled, and she realised that he wasn't just considering her feelings. Despite his desire for her, his mind was already starting to distance itself briefly as his exhaustion began to make itself felt.

"Sleep then," she said, moving a hand up to stroke his hair. "Now we're this close I think that will be easier for both of us."

Elaine closed her eyes and relaxed further, feeling the rise and fall of Artie's bare chest under her cheek as he drifted off to sleep. She had barely registered that fact when she felt the comforting pull herself and quickly joined him.

~o~0~o~

Elaine slept deeply and the first thing she was aware of when she awoke was Artie and his presence in her mind, even though he was still asleep. For once this sensation wasn't annoying or overpowering but simply comforting, and being so close to him meant that she was no longer aware of that constant other buzz from outside of these chambers. Her headache was fading and, what sleep she had already had seemed to have done her some good. She pulled gently away so as not to wake the prince and, despite it still being dark outside, found she could see him perfectly well due to the numerous magical lights which were still floating around the room.

She leant up on one elbow and took a long look at her new husband. She knew Artie so well but couldn't ever remember seeing him when he was asleep. She knew that they had shared a nursery when they were very small, but all her memories of that time were about playing rather than sleeping and, as soon as they'd reached a certain age, etiquette had dictated that she moved to separate chambers away from the boys.

Not any more though, she thought with a grin, using the opportunity to look more closely at her new husband's features; his mid toned skin and light brown hair. She gently allowed her fingers to follow her eyes as they traced a line across his chin, feeling the stubble that she definitely didn't remember from all those times they'd spent together as children. She travelled lower then, down his chest to his stomach and back up, feeling that strange itch again and then, suddenly, a familiar push on her mind as he started to wake up.

He wriggled slightly as her fingers again traced a line near his stomach before a gentle smile crossed his face. "That tickles."

"Sorry I just..."

"Not complaining." He opened his eyes and she blinked in surprise at just how bright and pale they were. With brown skin and hair most would expect his eyes to match but, for some reason, he'd ended up with green. "Hello." This last word was almost a whisper.

"Hello," she responded. His eyes briefly flicked downward before suddenly widening and Elaine reeled from the sudden power of the emotions she felt from him. Allowing her own eyes to travel down she realised that, propped up on one elbow like this, she was giving Artie a very clear view down the front of her already low cut nightdress. "Oh."

"Beautiful," he said and now it was his hand that started to explore her neck line before very slowly travelling lower.

Elaine suddenly grumbled loudly and he pulled his hand back at once, misunderstanding her reaction.

"No, I don't mind what you're doing it's just this annoying pendant," she explained, sitting up. "It's making your thoughts far too loud."

Merlin had suggested they kept them on during the night but she knew that she no longer needed to wear hers to read Artie's mind, quickly putting it on the table by her side of the bed before turning back towards him. "Should have done that sooner," she sighed. "That's much better."

"I should take mine off too?"

"No, you don't have to. In fact, it might help if you kept it on."

"I don't..." That was as far as he got before she surprised him by leaning forward to kiss him and, after no more than a moment's pause, he kissed her back, pulling them both back down under the covers, pressing himself up against her and allowing his hands to wander along her shoulders, arms and waist. Suddenly Elaine no longer felt confused by her feelings or by the emotions she could still sense from Artie. Just like the previous evening it suddenly felt perfectly right to be this close to him – to be this intimate.

"I promised..." Artie gasped suddenly, pulling away from her. "I said I wouldn't insist on anything tonight."

"You misunderstand," she replied moving towards him again. "I thought you'd be able to read me now."

"I ah..?"

"Right, let's try this then." Ever matter of fact, Elaine retrieved her pendant and this time put it around Artie's neck so that he was now wearing both. "Now can you sense what I'm feeling?" she asked as she kissed him again.

At first his kiss was a bit cautious, almost reluctantly until, suddenly, he pulled away again his eyes now wide and surprised. "Oh! You mean you want to..?"

"Yes so..." she continued, sitting up and pulling the covers back. "Shall I take this nightdress off myself or would you like the honours?"

There was a moment's pause as Artie's hand went up to grab the pedants, as if still not certain of the emotions he was sensing from his new wife. Finally, Elaine realised the exact meaning of the itch that she'd been feeling ever since yesterday – sexual desire. She wanted this now. She wanted Artie to do all the things he'd been thinking about about for years and, frustrated by his indecision, she took matters into her own hands and slowly lowered her nightdress down to her waist closely watching his wide-eyed reaction to the move.

The next thing she knew she was on her back on the bed with Artie lying above, kissing her passionately with his hands greedily exploring her naked breasts. She gasped at the sensations she was feeling; now even stronger than the ones she'd mistaken for magic the night before and all the little lights in the room that had faded as they slept, suddenly pulsed brightly.

His hands were now at her waist, deftly sliding the nightdress down even further as his lips left hers, finally able to fulfill his long held daydream to kiss every part of her naked body. He started with her neck, then her shoulders, before moving across to suckle her breasts as his hands continued to slide the nightdress even lower.

"I want my turn," she managed to gasp as he slid the material off her feet and threw it impatiently onto the floor. "I want to kiss you everywhere too. I know that's what you want, and I know exactly were you want my lips to end up."

"This is where having us be able to read each other's minds might be rather interesting," Artie thought very deliberately.

"Can you hear me too?"

"Yes. Very clearly."

"Really? So if you can read what I'm thinking, why do you still have those trousers on?"

He laughed at her comment and quickly stripped, looking at her nervously. "Well?" he asked as he saw her wide eyed reaction to his naked body.

"Isn't that a bit uncomfortable?"

"Yes," he replied with a cheeky smile. "Aren't you feeling uncomfortable too?"

"Very … itchy."

"Well then," he replied, one hand moving down towards her legs, "Let's see what we can do about that, shall we?"

As they continued to become more intimate, the small enchanted lights continued to pulse brightly. However, once the young couple started to make love properly, they began to explode in turn, each accompanied by a little burst of magic which simply added to the wonderful sensations that Elaine was experiencing.

"I can feel your magic, it's everywhere," Artie gasped. "I do hope that spell is strong enough to cope with this."

"My magic made this shield – it'll hold just … please don't stop."

He groaned with pleasure at her comment and she sensed that he was surprised and delighted at just how much she was enjoying this. He had worried that he'd hurt her or that she'd dislike what they were doing for some reason but, as far as she was concerned, him being inside her felt perfect right now. The final culmination of the magical bonding spell that she had inadvertently cast four years ago.

"Why would I not enjoy being this close to you?" she replied silently. "It's almost not enough. I want you closer still."

"I don't think that's possible," he replied with a small laugh. The feelings she was experiencing were mounting; she was sensing Artie's passion and he was sensing hers. Back and forth the emotions went, amplified each time, until Elaine began to think that it was her turn to explode just like her magical lights. Then it felt as if that was exactly what did happen, as she felt the strongest wave of emotion from Artie to date, just before her whole body shuddered with sexual release.

At which point the whole tower trembled too.

The pair froze briefly, torn between staying in their close, intimate embrace or moving apart to look for any damage.

"Oops," Elaine giggled and Artie joined in before kissing her deeply, the action causing both of them to groan with delight again.

"I think the room's still intact," he decided eventually.

"Yes, the spell held," she agreed as they slowly moved apart.

"Are you alright? I mean. I didn't hurt you?"

"I thought you knew me better than that," she replied, as she sat up to check for any real signs of damage in the room. "Since when have I ever been a delicate little flower that needed protecting?"

"That's true but, still..."

"I also thought you'd know exactly how much I enjoyed it," she continued with a big grin. "I mean, I thought that all of this rather proved it?" She waved a hand around the room as she spoke.

"Well yes, this bond is all your fault, after all," he teased, although she was more than aware that he was far more interested in the sight of her naked body than anything else.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, husband," she scolded him, "and I should remind you that, because our marriage was so unexpected, Arthur arranged an alliance meeting with many of those important guests tomorrow which he assumed his second son would be attending. You're the one that did so much of the negotiating on his behalf, after all."

"I know, but he did say he'd postpone it to the afternoon for me," Artie countered with a large yawn.

"Right and, you do realise it's dawn now?"

"What? Already?"

"So, as interesting as your thoughts are, and as much as I'd like to try those ideas out at some point. I think it might be far more sensible to get some sleep, don't you?"

"I suppose I can try," he replied as his hands started to wander across her body again.

"Or, there is this sleeping spell I know," she smirked.

"You wouldn't dare?" he asked. "Isn't there some sorcerers' rule about using magic on your husband?"

"Actually, I was thinking about all the interesting ways that I could use my magic in bed that you might actually approve of," she continued with a smile.

His eyes widened. "Such as…?"

She grinned. "You get some sleep and attend Arthur's meeting and perhaps we'll discuss that tomorrow night."

"There is no chance that I am ever going to win an argument in this marriage," Artie complained as he pulled her close to him under the covers.

"You never did when we were children," she replied, enjoying a short gentle kiss before they attempted to get a little more sleep. "Why change the habit of a life time?"

The End