6 New Life

Startled, I surged up in the bed at the sound of heavy disturbance. The torch had almost gone out and the room was only dimly illuminated as a night without end continued on outside. How many hours had gone by I didn't know, only that I felt surprisingly rested and yet it was dark as night outside. Would it ever be light again?

There was more pounding on the door and Torin hurriedly got up and put his pants on. He tossed me a blanket from off the floor and I covered up with it as he went to the door and unbarred it.

With shock, I watched as my father barged into the room unescorted by anyone. He held a torch in his hand and as its light fell over me, I pulled the blanket up higher about my neck.

His gaze studied my no doubt highly disheveled appearance before tracing over the tossed away bedcovers until finally his gaze settled on the pillar that Torin had claimed my virginity up against. I knew what he saw.

Traces of my virginal blood had stained an area of the pillar red. Feeling embarrassed to the extreme I dropped my gaze as his thoughtful gaze came back to me.

I heard him address Torin, "It would seem you have succeeded at making a respectful bride out of my daughter when I never gave any man half a chance of accomplishing that. Truly, it is that I say that I did not know an Ar'morian yet remained with the ability of your forefathers long before you."

Torin remained silent and my gaze rose as I watched my father begin to pace about the room. This was very unusual behavior for him.

His gaze fell on the empty alcove once filled with the idols of my people. His gaze switched to me and he pointed to the alcove questioningly.

"Yes." I said simply by way of admitting responsibility for the act of desecration that would've seen a commoner either killed or lashed to the point of death.

"You believe in this Ar'morian God then?"

Hesitantly I said, "I do, but I have much to learn. I do know that I will never serve the falseness of my people's religion again though."

He stared at me angrily for a moment before turning to Torin. Tight-lipped he asked, "What will it take to lift this curse? Ticonga has great wealth and I'm willing to see you receive a King's percentage of it and a safe journey from here and back to your colony, of which I am now willing to spare, if you lift this curse. You may also take my daughter with you, if it pleases you, too."

Once more my father's rejection of me burned deeply into what softer feelings I yet felt for him. My father's offer was far beyond anything I had expected of him to make and yet as my gaze traced to my husband, I acknowledged just how badly he had underestimated my husband.

Torin wasn't anyone to be bought off, as I had come to see that he was a man ruled by his fleshly desires secondly, as his faith in his God commanded all of his first allegiances. He confirmed that by saying, "Ticonga has no more wealth for without the light of the sun your empire will be a deserted wasteland within two more days' time and your people scattered to the far reaches of the jungle. A people without a home. We Ar'morians well know how that can be and let me tell you King that you do not want that for your people. You will become a prey for all nations and slaves to whomever chooses to make of you one. I have no interest in anything you can offer me. The words of my Master remain, let my people go and cast off your idols or Ticonga will never see another sunrise."

Father stared angrily at Torin for a long moment and yet I had never seen such restraint from him before. At last he said, "I shall have to think upon it some more. Indeed, it does seem that our gods have been outmatched, but without slaves Ticonga will never be the same."

Torin nodded and said, "I agree and it will be for the better of it. A people who do no labor of their own handiwork have no appreciation for what really matters in life."

Father studied Torin thoughtfully for a long moment and it was a look of grudgingly won respect that I saw upon his face in his regard for Torin. Father glanced away from Torin and seemed to ponder on something for a long moment.

He glanced at me and then to Torin. Glancing back to me he said accusingly, "Do you not realize how you have cheapened our royal bloodline by having one of his race spew his seed within you? Think of the children of such a union that you are enabling by your collusion with our sworn enemy of old to bring forth into this world as an embarrassment to the remembrance of my name."

Finding my voice and hoping for the right words I said, "What is the value of royalty when it is mired in foolishness? You taught me to respect and seek out strength and indeed that is what I have done. The seed of my husband is of greater strength than any of the men of my people in this moment for he has the favor of God. Ask yourself whose land is overcome right now? Who is in control? If I should be blessed to bear this man's children I will do so with honor for strength is not found in the legends of past history or the arrogance of perceived superiority over another human. Strength, true strength comes from within. Not of the flesh, but of the spirit and you father have lost your soul, why else would you have thrown me to the wolves to be eaten alive as you did? No, I have chosen well and nothing you say will change that for it is you who is blind to reality. Enjoy the darkness father for what you see outside is but a mirror image of the way your heart has become inside." I stopped talking and for a moment I saw the father that I remembered from my youth, but then he was gone and the stranger returned.

Father stormed briskly from the room and following after him Torin closed the doors and re-barred them. A sob shook its way through me that was followed by another and another after it.

Strong arms came around me and I willingly allowed myself to fall into the comfort of my husband. Sobbing out I said, "He'll never change! He's lost his soul! I... everything's over!"

"Shhh" Torin comforted, but he said nothing to the contrary. Truly, it was a dark day for my people.

Torin was right. The people couldn't go on like this for long. They would have to leave and my home would become a wasteland of perpetual darkness.

I felt Torin's lips moving silently against my hair and emotionally I asked, "What are you saying?"

"I'm praying for your people, and your father." He responded back with.

"Could you pray out loud?" I asked.

"Yes." He said and then proceeded to do so and listening to his words I felt a peace come over my soul and in a barely audible voice I confessed my belief in the God that my husband talked to, as if He was his friend, and in His Son Jesus, who died for my sins. I asked for the forgiveness of everything I'd ever done wrong that separated me from God, even as I asked for the Spirit of the living God to dwell within me, as I had witnessed His presence within my husband and I greatly desired His presence within me also.

My prayer was answered and I felt suddenly gloriously new and crying all the more I clutched onto Torin as emotions, both of joy and done away with pain coursed throughout me, as if the current of a mighty river had been given birth within me. Torin held me tightly to him and I spoke out loud in my own praise to the God I now served, as Torin praised the same God for my salvation.

Somehow everything that truly mattered in life had just been accomplished and now with whatever happened, I knew things would be okay. I hugged Torin even tighter as I whispered out my love for him.

It only felt like a culmination of everything that had just happened to celebrate it together by doing the act that brought forth new life. My thighs split apart and Torin was in me to the full, as his chest smashed my breasts flat, even as he kissed me and told me of his love for me.

I whispered back the same as I squeezed reflexively about his shaft hungry for his seed. I wanted this man's baby.

I wanted to experience everything with this man. I sank my nails into his back, as we once more came together, and I screamed out my pleasure as some deep awareness occurred to me that his seed had just succeeded in claiming my womb and that a child would be born out of our union together in this love filled moment.

"I love you!" I whispered again and again, as he breathed heavily against my ear, even as his shaft remained steady within me.

I rubbed his sweaty back with pleasure as I imagined what our child would look like. For my people this endless night might be their undoing, but in this room there had just occurred a new beginning.