Bonded

Chapter Nineteen

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India

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I had not expected to be excused so early in the afternoon... But I do not think I can truly be upset over being dismissed so much earlier than my peers for what Master Qiao labeled as a  self-study even though I am so very far from being all by myself at the moment... One that is currently being supervised by his lovingly bonded Jian so that Kavya and Ronin might be able to stay with me without endangering any of our reputations...

The four of us are now relegated to the small library where I had met my suitors only yesterday... And not a single one of us are actually focused on the scrolls laid out in front of us on the table that Ronin and Kavya so kindly have pushed into the corner of the room so that we might have just a touch more privacy than we did before...

Some... Somehow I ended up sitting between my suitors... My legs draped over Kavya's lap while I lean against Ronin... His fingers combing themselves through my hair while his partner lets his curious fingers trace the hem of my robes... The smiles on both of their faces so very enchanting... Jian sitting angled so that he might keep an eye on the door for us while I collect this strange new form of physical affection... All of it started when Ronin noticed a chill in the air and asked if I might need warming... As if the fires inside my own belly might not be enough to combat the cool air surrounding us...

Urged to accept his offer from my chaperone... I found myself shy as the two of them scooted their chairs as close as possible to mine... Ronin's arm snagging me around the waist to gently rearrange me to lean against him while he sits sideways in his chair with his legs splayed to accommodate me... My cheeks red even though I know I am not truly in his lap... Even if it does feel like I might as well be... Kavya having offered his lap up to my legs so that he may keep that part of me warm...

The position leaves me feeling strangely both vulnerable and protected at the same time... But even so, I have no desire to change the arrangement... Especially not with how affectionate they are both allowing themselves to be... A clear picture of what our shared nest might look like becoming so very clear in my mind as they hold me close and share the responsibility of protecting me from the draft...

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Kavya

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Not finding India here in the first place had frightened me so very much... But now watching Ronin as he continually nuzzles and caresses the possible future wife that we both have in common it occurs to me that I was not the only one in a panic... Even if my future husband did his best not to show his alarm...

When India first agreed to let us warm him he had seemed so shy... He and Ronin both... Both of their faces flushed as Ronin all but pulled our lovely India onto his lap... And just as I suspected it seems he has no intention of releasing our shared love... Ronin's nose buried in India's raven strands as he slowly lets the fingers of one hand tangle themselves in India's long silky mane...  The level of affection he's currently willing to show in such a public place surprising even to me...

It's actually just as surprising as the fact that India himself is not only allowing it... But returning every bit of it... Tiny chirps leaving the back of his throat as he blushes and hold Ronin's other hand with his ink-stained fingers... His face always turning towards our future husband every time Ronin lets his face drop down to the delicate crook of India's neck for a nuzzle that even makes my cheeks feel warm as if to make sure to greet him properly each time...

One might think jealousy might spring up in my heart... But it is nowhere to be found in this new and strange situation... My own body allowed to be used to keep our precious India's legs warm as I hoard them in my lap... The feel of his weight on top of my own legs so very delicate and light compared to that of mine or Ronin's in a way that neither of us would ever be able to achieve thanks to a lifetime of what I can only hope was softness.

I may only be warming India's legs... But the fact that he's trusting me enough to put himself in such a vulnerable position speaks volumes... Allowing me to flit about the bottom of his robes the way I am with no true purpose... My fingers finding the black embroidery that is so close in color to the outer robe itself that I've never actually noticed it before so very fascinating... And I know that neither one of them would mind it very much if at all if I felt the need to ask for a reversal of the situation... Not that I currently feel the need to...

There is no room for jealousy inside my heart... Not when it is so very warmed by the sight of Ronin allowing himself to be so open... And in front of our chaperone no less... All I feel is the most overwhelming washing of love and affection towards them both coursing through me and I hope so very much that it never changes...

The next fourteen days of us courting him hopefully successful and spent just like this one... With the three of us unable to resist giving each other such free-flowing affection...

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Ronin

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I had not exactly thought that India would say yes to me... Or that he would take such a comfortable shine to the arrangement of our bodies... Or that Jian, our chaperone who seems more concerned with letting us be ourselves rather than reminding us to be proper, would allow this much affection...

But here we are... With the ache that had built up so heavily in my chest over the thought of something terrible having happened to our India finally dissipating now that he is safe and in our arms... My dragon finally settling itself and channeling its energy into expressing the heat that would have poured out of me in the form of flames if I had found our delicate scholar hurt or damaged by someone else's carelessness due to us not being around to protect him...

I had not been able to express myself to Kavya while we hunted for India... I had seen the panic in his eyes and knew it was best to show him the calmness he had needed to see from me, no matter how hard my soul had also been rocked...

Luckily we had found our lovely scholar safe from harm... Tucked away between dusty shelves with his peers and friends... His mind circling around us instead of his studies like he should have been... The minuscule chirps he is allowing us to hear at the moment telling us of how happy and content he feels at the moment putting me more and more at ease and making me want to never move from this place... If only to keep him in my arms and under our protective watch just that much longer...