Epilogue.
It was nearing dusk the following evening by the time Zafirah made her way to the seraglio. A cool breeze was blowing in from the north, herald of a vast bank of dark clouds massing over the sea, but above her there were still clear skies and the first faint splattering of stars. Her bare feet moved soundlessly over the trimmed lawn and along a meandering stone path through the lush garden, moving in the direction of the inner harem. A half-dozen or so nubile and naked figures were discernible in the fading light, sprawled about the harem grounds in assorted pairings, their limbs embracing even in sleep. From somewhere in the shadows she heard soft, erotic moans and low words of encouragement; apparently a few of the girls were still caught in the rapturous influence of Inshal's elixir. Zafirah might have lingered a moment to listen, perhaps even investigate the sounds further, but instead she continued along the path deeper into the garden.
It had been a restless night for the Scion; in the absence of her Consort, Zafirah had sought to distract herself attending to affairs of state which had piled up during her march east. Sakinah had kept the city safe and the citizens happy, but the role of High Priestess was a demanding one even without the additional responsibilities of leadership. Any issues she felt might benefit from the Scion's personal attention had been set aside until her return, and though most of the matters were trivial or mundane, Zafirah found they effectively occupied her focus and prevented her imagination from drifting back to contemplations of what Dae might be experiencing without her.
Zafirah had been tempted to go to her mate the moment the sun had cleared the horizon, but again she restrained the impulse, knowing from her own experiences what a marathon of endurance these type of ceremonies could be. Dae would likely sleep till full dark, and only when the sun finally kissed the western horizon did Zafirah allow herself to part with her duties.
Entering the antechamber that led into the harem proper, she found more of her pleasure-servants sprawled about the room in peaceful slumber. A few figures stirred languorously, watching her with inviting, sultry eyes, but Zafirah only flashed the hopeful girls a quick smile before making her way into the hallway beyond, not recognizing her mate among the tangle of female flesh.
When she reached the entrance to Dae's room she glanced inside and sighed. Her young Consort, naked and only half-covered by a sheer sheet of fine silk, lay amid the cushions of her sleeping pallet with her hands folded under her head. The expression on her face as she slept was relaxed and utterly untroubled, and Zafirah stood there watching her for a long while, enjoying the warm sensation that spread through her heart.
Stepping into the room, Zafirah ran her eyes over the parts of Dae's body not hidden under the sheet. She saw little lasting evidence of the many ravishings Dae had doubtless enjoyed through the ceremony—a few faint marks here and there where fingernails had scored her pale skin, and others around her throat and chest where kisses had turned fierce and bruising, but it appeared Dae had come through the experience well. A roguish grin spread across Zafirah's face when she saw milky-white flakes of dried wax still clinging to the fine hairs over her lover's stomach; it appeared Inaya had been introducing her mate to more exotic pleasures.
As she carefully slid into bed beside the sleeping blonde. Zafirah sighed low in her throat as Dae's arms slipped unconsciously around her hips and pulled their bodies tight together. Dae snuggled her face against her neck and smiled innocently in sleep. Zafirah held still as Dae molded every part of her body against her taller frame, guessing by the way she rocked her hips gently against the firmness of her hipbone and released the most erotic-sounding sigh that the girl was likely still enjoying the lingering effects of Inshal's blessings. Once her mate seemed settled, Zafirah relaxed fully. With her left arm wrapped loosely about Dae's waist and the fingers of her right hand combing through tendrils of her fine blonde hair, Zafirah let her gaze wander curiously around the room.
It suddenly struck Zafirah how infrequently she’d visited this room. Even before their joining, Dae had spent most of her nights in Zafirah's lavishly appointed bedchamber, and upon their return from the eastern lands she had asked that her things be brought there so she could sort through them. And yet, looking around the room now, Zafirah realized how little of her presence was recognizable in the space she hoped to share fully and equally with her Consort. Here, Dae had arranged the furnishings and decorations according to her own tastes, adding her own personal touches in the process. Zafirah wondered what would become of the room as Dae began to accept the Scion's space as her own. Perhaps it would be given to young Kaylee, who, at Dae's insistence and despite her obvious desire to join the harem, was currently sleeping in one of the rooms reserved for visiting foreign dignitaries.
They lay peacefully like that for a long while, and Zafirah was just starting to doze a little when Dae's arms tightened around her and she blinked sleepily. Emerald jewels foggy with sleep gazed up at her, and the young blonde gave a low hum that turned into a drowsy, “G'morning.”
“Good evening would be more accurate,” Zafirah said, fondly running her fingers over the girl's eyelids. “The sun has just now set. I trust you found great pleasure during the ceremony?”
Dae stretched her muscles against her and winced slightly in stiffness. “Great pleasure indeed…though I seem to be paying a price for it now.” She laughed sheepishly and let her body melt once more against Zafirah. “Mmm…there are so many things I can't wait to share with you,” she whispered softly. “So many new ways to love you. I plan to keep you busy in the days to come.”
“Mmm.” Zafirah squeezed her mate fondly, not doubting the promise at all. “Before we get too distracted by passion, I should tell you a caravan arrived today from the Herak camp; Jestart sent his son, Kalid, to deliver a parting gift from the tribe which they were denied a chance to bestow in person. I think you will be pleased, though it may occupy your time in pursuits not carnal.”
Dae looked up at her curiously for a moment, then her eyes lit up with hopeful joy. “The falcon?”
Zafirah nodded with a grin, and her young Consort's wriggly, rapturous response was every bit as adorable as she’d guessed it would be when she had accepted the year-old bird from the sheikh's younger son. “She is waiting in our room now if you would like to see her,” Zafirah tempted. “You shall have to find a name appropriate for your new friend.”
Dae was already getting stiffly to her feet and searching the room for discarded clothing, her excitement overwhelming most of her physical discomfit after the exhausting ceremony. “Do you know anyone in the city who can teach me how to train her?” she asked, pulling on one of her old skirts of gauzy, transparent fabric…clothing more suitable for the pleasure-servant she had been rather than the Consort she was. Still, Zafirah wasn't about to suggest she change; the sight of her Tahirah dressed once more in this fashion made her want to get the girl back to their bedchamber as fast as possible!
“There are several among the scouts who practice the art; any would be honored to pass their knowledge on to you.” Zafirah watched her don a similarly revealing top, then got to her feet and held out her hand. As Dae linked their fingers together, a sudden booming noise echoed from the hallway outside, startling them both. Zafirah, half-expecting the sound at some point tonight, recovered quickly, and smiled reassuringly at her wide-eyed Consort. “Have no fear, Tahirah. It is only the coming of spring to the Jaharri. Come…you will want to see this.”
She led the blonde out of the room and back down the hallway, through the antechamber and out to where the pleasure-servants had gathered to watch the coming spectacle. A sudden flash of light illuminated the darkening seraglio, and they saw the first drops of rain falling before the rolling, rumbling boom of thunder caught up to the lightning. Soon they could hear the sound of that rain falling heavier by the moment. Dae glanced up at her questioningly.
“The first rains of spring,” Zafirah explained. “It is a wild season in the desert, but also a beautiful one. In many places the rocks and wastes will bloom with flowers and thick grasses; the rainstorms will turn rock formations into towering waterfalls. Animals that have slumbered all year in caves and burrows beneath the sands will venture forth to seek mates during the brief span of this bounty; birds and insects will migrate across the desert, journeying from one distant land to another. All the tribes will be busy making the most of what is given by the rains…and enduring the sandstorms that so often act as harbingers of the deluge.”
Several loud squeals and peals of laughter came from the gardens then, and the other girls laughed as those who had still been enjoying the effects of Inshal's elixir made a mad dash back to the safety of shelter. Dae pointed, chuckling, and Zafirah saw Inaya—naked and quite thoroughly drenched—stalking behind her fleeing brethren at a measured, sour pace. The look on her face brought a wry grin to Zafirah's lips, but she managed not to laugh at Inaya as the girl strode into the antechamber, dripping all over the ornate rugs and the marble floor. Inaya caught her eye and gestured outside.
“Cursed am I if those foul rains I endured have followed us home from the east!”
Zafirah bit her lip to hide a widening grin, but the others all laughed cheerfully as Inaya stalked past her and back down the hallway, muttering under her breath the whole way something about never being dry again.
Their merriment died away to quiet whispers as the girls all turned their attention back to watching the gardens being flooded by the downpour; like most weather in the Jaharri, these spring rains could be fierce and spectacular. Dae wrapped her arms around Zafirah's waist and leaned against her, watching for the flashes of lightning to properly appreciate the storm. Zafirah gave a contented sigh, no longer in such a hurry to get her partner back to bed.
They had time, and the storm was beautiful.
The End.
A word from the author: If you’ve made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the continuing saga of Dae and Zafirah. I imagine many will be disappointed there wasn’t more of the harem featured in the tale, but rest assured, we’re back in the desert now and not going anywhere for a while yet. When I decided to continue Nights of Silk and Sapphire, I realized this was sort of the inevitable direction it had to take (I always thought of Nights as a ‘coming to terms’ story, and wanted this to be more of a ‘coming out’ story), so it was important to me that Dae face her parents and defend her love. I hope it wasn’t too much of a shift from the first one.
I do have plans to continue building this into a larger series, so there will be more coming (and hopefully, it won’t take as long to finish). One of the reasons why I struggled completing this chapter was because my over-eager imagination got ahead of me, and I was too preoccupied with what comes next. Having it a bit better planned out, I shouldn’t get stuck trying to split the next in half, either.
As I said, I’ve no plans right now to publish the sequels, but if it feels like there are enough people out there who want a nice copy for their collection, I might look into getting some cover art put together and maybe try to self-publish.
Thank you for taking the time to read my silly little tale.
~Amber.