Bonded

Chapter Sixty Nine

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India

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It pains me to have my 2 beloveds jump away from my person, but when we find ourselves discovered by Master Qiao as my other teachers and peers fill the hallway I know that it's for my own benefit, the way they position themselves as if to shield me not making sense to me until I find myself yanked backward by my hair back into my rooms... By none other than Jian himself, his smile is a foolish one as he whispers "Get yourself tidy and proper, please. As much as your husbands must adore your undressed state, I am very sure they want to share it with no other man but each other".

I try to hope that the heat filling my cheeks is not noticeable as I scamper back to my bed and park myself in front of the trunk at the foot of it that holds a majority of my personal belongings... But as I fling it open I hear Jian's chuckle and know that I've been spotted... I just hope he does not feel the need to tell Kavya and Ronin that I nearly forgot I was in my bedclothes simply because I was so caught up in their affection... The way they each kissed me so gently after I found my own boldness...

All night I had to lay there thinking of the way Jian embraced his future husband... How they took comfort in each other... And also about what he told me about how love between husbands and wives tends to lead to carnal pleasures that we are not allowed to read about... Things that happen in the poems of the one library we aren't allowed in as unmarried pupils...

About how if we are now in danger of possibly being executed for treason simply because King Xiang spoke out of term in a random hallway instead of in his chambers...

And how I do not want to deny myself or my husbands a chance at that kind of happiness just because we don't live in the same wing and cannot court the way others would... They cannot simply move me into their rooms so that they might hold me and bond with me... We cannot solidify our connection that way without a brand on my back...

It's the only way ID be allowed in the barracks.

But I do not wish that to be the case... And if that means I have to risk my reputation and steal kisses and secret moments... I'm going to.

And I've never been more sure about what I am planning to do.

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Ronin

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Seeing India in his night shift had not fully occurred to me until I turned to peak and make sure he was fully in his room before relaxing my stance in front of him with Kavya by my side... And found him framed in the sunlight with Jian behind him, the silhouette of his body barely muddled by his peer as he was pulled back inside.

I had just been so happy spotting him... It was like being given permission to breathe when those ghostly eyes had peered at us from just behind the door... And I am fairly sure that I can say the same for my husband.

The relief...

Then...

The way India greeted us...

Those light kisses to our shoulders...

The way he didn't object when Kavya took things further by tasting his lips... Something that damn near broke something inside of me...

If Qiao hadn't come along and cleared his throat I feel as though things may have gotten a little out of hand once my lips were blessed with a pliant press of India's mouth fully accepting mine...

And now Kavya and I have to stand here, not necessarily embarrassed by the scene... For no man should ever be embarrassed to be found kissing his wife... But uncomfortable due to the stiffness between our legs and the being found by India's main tutor of all people.

The one man who very well knows we have much larger things to be worried about and taking care of than standing in the hall debauching our beautiful wife.

Strangely enough, as Qiao closes the difference... His scowl somehow morphs into a look that could almost be called pleased...

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Kavya

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"You two really stayed outside of his room again? If you keep this up I may have to rescind permission to see India during his studies! Just to give him some rest!" at first it evades me as to why Master Qiao isn't lowering his voice as he approaches us...

But then it occurs to me that if people think we were here all night, not a single person would point at us if any rumors spread about a rendezvous in the kitchens last night... Having an alibi of sorts not just for us... But for India, as well as every soul that shares bedchambers with him!

It's brilliant, and it makes me feel grateful to have a man so smart and quick on his feet in the same boat as us... He found a way not to shield just us... But also his own little wife, Jian, and his expression tells me that that's exactly what his goal is... Protecting the keeper of his heart, "Thank the gods India has you two so infatuated with him, I do not think I closed my eye a single time last night missing Jian I know you love him already, but I must be firm!"

The first half of his words are hissed at us, low, and more from his beast's mouth than his own, the second half of his words spoken loudly enough to appease any prying ears and hopefully will satisfy anyone who spotted our kissing our slight scholar... The faux scolding is so very convincing that it's almost hard not to flinch at the mere suggestion of not being able to spend our courting period next to India every single second we can be... The hardship of not getting to sit with him while he studies one that nearly steals my breath away at just the thought.