His caress against my skin had not gone unnoticed, and I reveled in the evidence of his continued attraction. I know that I could spend another entire day, week, month touching him without ever growing tired of the feeling of his body against mine. Even the words he speaks to me are meant to reassure me of his adoration, and the thought of him being replete amuses me. Exhaustion had carried us to the sands, not the wavering of our want of each other. And while my other bodily needs had begun to assert themselves, I was not immune to the pulsing need he had awakened in me in the dark.

Still, I am afraid. He is perfection made into flesh, as glorious as Allah's own countenance and I am but a mare that has taken his fancy for a night, hardly a worthy half to such a specimen.

He does not let me get far, and his squeal of disapproval warms me. As he moves back to me, I lean into him, eager for his reassurance. Again he swears to me, and the wave of emotion that rolls over he is so deep that my eyes shutter, lashes fluttering. I had not known that anyone could have such control over me, or that a simple phrase would leave my mind as addled as heat sickness. I cannot think beyond the phrases he utters for me, their meaning rolling around in my head. First Wife. I am his first wife. He is mine, and I am his.

My body leans against his for support once more as his reassurances spill into the still air between us. A smile grows wide on my lips, betraying the fullness of my heart at his affirmations and I yield my soul to him all over again. His worries though have me backpedaling and my brow creases in my sadness at his pain and I rush to him, pressing myself against him.

"No, no, no, my love." I touch his cheek with my own, smiling despite the tears that have not dissipated from my eyes. "My own heart would cease to beat if you asked it of me. I need only you. I regret nothing of us, I only wish.."

I trail off, not entirely sure how to communicate the feelings that clamor for attention in my head. "I only wish that I could have come to you as a True Wife should."

I smile again, the truth of my words giving strength to their conviction as they are spoken. I press my shoulder to him again, I try to gather my strength once more. I do not know why speaking the vows of my father's people leave my stomach tight with nerves, but I feel it all the same. "I pledge to always be faithful to you, my husband. I will be obedient to your wishes, and to support you in all things."

My eyes search his as I speak the words of my father's people. They are by far the least flowery things that I have uttered to him, but I have dreamed of saying them my whole life. Even before I had been betrothed to Antares, before I understood what marriage was or what it entailed, I dreamt of these words. Of the moment that I would become a true woman, one who was adored and cherished by the only person closer to me than my father.

Bashfully I smile at him, my lips curving upward again. "I do not even know the name of my alzawj, but I know my heart to be true."