Category Archives: Series

His Absolute Assignment & His Absolute Betrayal (An Illicit Billionaire Love Story)


The re-release of His Absolute Assignment and His Absolute Betrayal is here! There were complications before, but everything has smoothed out now, and things appear to be going well.

The re-release includes updated covers, bonus scenes, and slightly different book descriptions! (I just added one line, but I like it and I think it makes the concept of the books pop a little more, you know?)

As a quick note, the bonus scenes are also available in the Freebies section of my website (you can get the password by signing up for my newsletter ❤ )

Anyways… without further adieu…

Elise Both

As a special limited time offer, both of these books are available for free on Amazon from February 4th to February 8th (2/4/15 – 2/8/15). (Also, February 7th is my birthday, yay)

They’re both also available to borrow for free by Kindle Unlimited subscribers!

You can get them at:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

If you’ve already read them, plus the bonus scenes, I’d really love if you would consider leaving a review, too. It helps a lot, and I appreciate it so much.

And now… (dun dun duh! Haha)

Fantastic photo of stylish young couple

I am his absolute obsession…

Six months ago I was trapped in a library with a man who wanted to possess me. For three days, a record-breaking blizzard kept me confined with Lucent Storme, the dominating and enigmatic Director of Public Relations for Landseer Enterprises. Rumors existed of his forbidden desires and darker passions, but I didn’t believe them. I should have. For one weekend, I became Lucent’s sole obsession.

When the snow began to melt, he tried to leave me. He thought he could save me from himself, from his control. I didn’t let him. I was already his.

From USA Today Bestselling Author Cerys du Lys ~

Six months ago my entire life changed. I never meant to fall in love–especially not with Lucent–but his allure transcended common sense and tapped into a dark, primal need inside me that I didn’t know existed. The snow melted, our lives quieted, and everything seemed to be going perfectly.

Until today.

I thought I knew Lucent, but I realize now I never really did. A mysterious calm exists even within the eye of the darkest storms. I love Lucent. I am his and he is mine. I want to believe he is a good man. After seeing another side of him, after being the object of his absolute obsession, I fear I might have fallen in love with a monster.

(This scintillating steamy romantic suspense novel contains themes of domination and submission)


Elegant and c attractive ouple in the middle of the night

I may have fallen in love with a monster…

I thought I knew Lucent, but now I realize I never really did. He’s kept so many secrets from me. I fear I might have fallen in love with a monster. Worse yet, I’m afraid I’m becoming one, too…

From USA Today Bestselling Author Cerys du Lys ~

I thought I knew Lucent’s secrets. I thought I knew about his dark past and forbidden obsessions.

He likes control; a lot of it. He enjoys seeing me kneeling on the rug in front of him while he paces back and forth, planning exactly what he’ll do with me. He likes caressing my cheek with soft fingers before squeezing my jaw tight and forcing me look him in the eyes. His seductive smirk when he calls me Miss Tanner while tying me to the bed, reciting everything he’s going to do to me in intricate detail, and telling me why he’s going to do it, sends shivers through my body.

I thought that was it. I thought that was the worst of it, and in time I came to enjoy our sensual games. Lucent likes control, but he loves me. He would never hurt me.

Or so I thought.

Lucent’s dark past contains secrets darker than I ever could have imagined. Unwittingly, I’ve been lured into his world of sordid conspiracy and corporate scandal. We’re running from the law for a crime we didn’t commit, but saving ourselves isn’t as simple as just telling the truth. I don’t know what the truth is anymore.

Beneath Lucent’s fractured facade, I still feel his absolute attraction towards me. I still want to love him, and I want him to love me, too. I hope I’m making the right choice.

(This captivating contemporary romantic suspense novel contains themes of domination and submission)


I hope everyone enjoys them! Have you read the bonus scenes yet? What did you think?

(Also, Book 3, His Absolute Proposal, will be coming soon! Keep an eye out for that ❤ )

Merry Christmas! (Free Elise & Lucent Christmas Story)


I didn’t know if I’d have time for this originally, but then I got hit with some inspiration after someone showed me a neat picture that was perfect for an Elise and Lucent Christmas story, so…

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

GIF All I Want Regular

This is just a fun Christmas story I wanted to write with Elise and Lucent. It’s a little sweet, a little sexy, and a little something more, too. You can download a copy for your Kindle, Nook, iPad, Kobo Reader, or you can also just read it online. It’s about ~40 paperback pages long or so.

In addition to that, I kind of went overboard with the cover and made an animated version, haha. I thought it’d be fun. It’s nothing too crazy, but I think it ended up looking pretty neat. Also, please feel free to share this post with anyone you think might like it! It’s my Christmas gift to you, but you’re welcome to gift it to others, as well.

This story goes along with The Billionaire’s Paradigm, so it makes a bit more sense if you’ve read that. It’s kind of a throwback to what happened in the library that fateful weekend. I hope you enjoy it! ❤


All I Want for Christmas is Lucent (Download or Read Online) ~
Kindle Version
Nook, Kobo, and iPad Version
Online Version (Read Online)


All I Want 0

~*~ Sneak Peek Preview ~*~

Snow fell in fluffy white flakes outside, covering the empty streets in a heavy winter frosting…

I stood inside, near the door, looking out and remembering the time I’d been in almost this exact same position nearly a year ago. I was in the library then, standing behind the counter, warm and watching the gentle flakes of snow drifting down into the street. It was Friday afternoon then, and the library had been almost entirely empty. No one had wanted to go out in the storm, and for good reason.

We were in a record-breaking blizzard at the time. Over seventy-eight inches of snow. I didn’t find out until after, but most of the city had been snowed in, trapped because of the weather. The power had gone out almost everywhere, though the library had fared much better because of the emergency electric grid it was on. It was lucky, I thought. I was lucky. Not just because of that, but because of what happened.

Lucent came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my stomach. Instinctively, I leaned back against him and nuzzled my head into his chest. He leaned forward somewhat, his cheek close to mine, his lips near my ear, soft, almost kissing me.

“Hello,” he said. “Am I interrupting anything?”

I laughed, and Lucent grinned. I felt the tug of his cheek near to my ear. He squeezed me even tighter, holding me close.

“That’s not what you said,” I told him.

“No,” he agreed. “You weren’t napping, though.”

“Should I?” I asked. “Can we do that?”

I twisted in his arms until we were face to face and I was looking up at him. He smiled down at me and nodded slightly. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it, Miss Tanner?”

“I know, but… you don’t think it’s silly, do you? You don’t think I’m being too weird?”

He shook his head, no. “Those are fond memories for me, too,” he said. “Also, it’s almost Christmas. This is the time of year when we’re supposed to honor and cherish our true feelings.”

“My true feelings are that I love you,” I said with a small smile. “But I think it would be fun to do a sort of recreation of when we were in the library, that’s all. I think it might be nice.”

“We’re going to start at the beginning then?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Um, sort of? This isn’t exactly a library, you know.”

He shook his head, letting out a low chuckle. “No, not quite. It’s snowing, too, but not nearly as bad as it did back then.”

“Alright, well, um… wait! Wait, before we begin, did you order food yet or were we going to cook something here?”

“I ordered something,” Lucent said.

My ears perked up and I stared at him, rapt. “What did you get?”

“Curious little one, are you?” Lucent said with a grin.

“Lucent, you can’t start yet!” I said, laughing and pushing him lightly.

He’d said almost exactly that to me those many months ago in the library. Wrapped his arms around me again, he pulled me close to him.

“Is it good, though?” I asked. “Did you order something nice?”

“Of course I did,” he said, as if the idea of ordering something not nice had never occurred to him. I supposed that made sense, too, but I still kind of wanted to know what he got.

“We have about an hour,” he added. “The snow isn’t too bad, but it’s going to take them a little longer than usual to get here.”

“An hour,” I said. “Alright, that’s good. That will work. I’ll um… I’m going. Into that room. The one with the bookshelves.” I glanced towards the couch in the main room of the log cabin, a sudden idea coming to me. “I’m taking these!” I added, slipping out of his arms and towards the couch, excited. I grabbed the blanket and two overstuffed couch pillows, piling them in my arms.

Lucent smiled. “I’ll give you a few moments, Miss Tanner.”

“I only need about a minute,” I said. “Then come in, alright?”

“Hurry, then,” Lucent said, staring after me as I rushed away.

Before I ran into the adjacent room, I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. He smiled after me, his eyes twinkling, interested and intent. This was going to be fun, I thought. It was what I wanted to do, and I thought it’d be a lot of fun.

***

I awoke, or I thought I did, and I saw a man…

Lucent stood in front of me. He wasn’t wearing the same dark, crisp suit with the black shoes and his grey tie that he’d been wearing that evening when he found me in the library nearly a year ago. No, he wore simpler clothes now. A plain, dark grey sweater, with a nice pair of dress pants. His shoes would have looked similar if he had them on, but neither of us wore any at the moment. He had on black socks, though.

Before he came in, I plopped the couch pillows next to each other, and then lay on top of them. I cuddled under the blankets, keeping one eye shut while I kept the other carefully trained on the doorway, waiting. When I saw Lucent come in, I snapped both my eyes closed and waited for him to step closer. As soon as he did, as soon as I no longer heard his quiet footsteps coming towards me, I yawned and blinked open my eyes, pretending to have just awoken from a nice nap.

Lucent cleared his throat. “Hello,” he said. “Am I interrupting your nap?”

I yawned and stretched my arms up over my head. I didn’t have a book this time, just a blanket. I pushed the blanket aside and stretched my arms even higher, arching my back and pushing out my breasts to give Lucent a show.

“Quiet little one, are you?” he asked, staring at my breasts. “What if I were looking for a book?”

“I…” I paused, trying to remember what I’d said back then when he’d asked me these very same questions. “Um… I hardly think it necessary…” Oh, and I’d yawned! I yawned quick, hoping to hide my hesitation and uncertainty.

“To deal,” Lucent said, finishing my sentence for me, “with figments of your imagination.”

I pouted at him, crossing my hands over my chest. “Lucent, you stole my line.”

“What if I am a figment of your imagination right now?” he asked me, grinning, coy. I didn’t like that look; or, I liked it a lot. He had a plan, and I thought it meant he was up to something.

“What if you are?” I asked. “What would you do?”

“Do you want to know what I was thinking that day, Miss Tanner?”

The way he said it, the way he kept looking at me so intently… I gulped hard, then swallowed even harder.

Lucent pulled the blanket away, sweeping it off to the side. He knelt down, joining me on the pillows. One of his knees pushed between my thighs, claiming space between my body. The rest of his body… well…

He leaned forward, closer to me. I started to lean back and away from him, curious and wanting to watch this sudden turn of events. I didn’t have far to go, though. There was nothing behind me to keep me from falling, and I inadvertently found myself doing exactly that. I fell backwards, my back and my head bouncing atop the overstuffed couch pillow beneath me.

Lucent loomed over me, staring at me, watching me.

“I refrained, because I didn’t want to frighten you at the time, Miss Tanner. Obviously it would have been more than untoward and inappropriate, as well, but the sight of your breasts propped up by that book nearly sent me into a frenzy,” Lucent said.

“It did?” I asked him. “I remember I was nervous, because I hadn’t realized it at first, but then… then you were real.”

“You were wearing a skirt, too. Do you remember what happened?” he asked.

I did. I wasn’t wearing this exact skirt, but I had a skirt on right now that was close enough to the one from before. I wore a dressy blouse, too. No shoes, and no pantyhose this time, though. I had stockings that went halfway up my thigh instead, and then panties further up.

I reached down and pulled my skirt up a little, reliving that time in the library. I’d fallen asleep on a bean bag chair and hadn’t fully realized my surroundings at the time, but Lucent must have.

My skirt hiked up, a book held close to my stomach, pushing up my breasts, and him standing over me, watching me, gazing at me with…

With what? I didn’t know before. I knew now. I wondered what I would have thought about it back then. Would we have… what? Nothing good, I thought. Things like that didn’t happen, not really. Or, they took a little more time. Lucent couldn’t very well have forced himself onto me right then and there, you know? And, I knew him now; he wouldn’t have done that, regardless. No matter what he said, and no matter how he acted, Lucent was always careful with me. He cared about me. He didn’t want to hurt me.

Or, he didn’t want to hurt me a lot. He’d gladly spank me, tie me up, make me beg, and do other wonderfully unspeakable things to me, but… well, I liked those things.

“You were watching me,” I told him as he stared at me with that intense and steady gaze of his. “You were always watching me, and so I know you must have been watching me then. You made me upset later, though. You said you didn’t want to look at me, and that was when I wanted you to look at me.”

“I was always looking at you, Miss Tanner,” Lucent said. “Always.”

“Where?” I asked. “Where were you looking then? What were you thinking when you found me in the library?”

“When I first found you, I immediately noticed your skirt,” he said. “It was up to about here, as you may have already realized.”

His fingers caressed up my stockings, towards the barest inkling of my upper thigh hidden beneath my skirt. He wrapped his fingers around my thigh, gripping me tight.

“I wanted to see more,” he said. “You really have no idea, Miss Tanner. You were wearing pantyhose, but I wanted to see the rest of you beneath that skirt of yours. It took all of my willpower to keep myself from staring between your legs.”

“If I remember correctly, you stared at my breasts instead,” I said, laughing. “I don’t think that’s much better, Lucent.”

“They were beautiful, too,” he said. “Propped up, plump, and luscious. I licked my lips when I saw you like that. It was over all too soon, though. Once you realized what position you were in, you jumped up and returned the state of your dress back to normal.”

“Yes,” I said, grinning at him, coy. “I think that’s what people usually do.”

“I know,” Lucent said. “In my mind, it went more like this, though.”

“Like–” I didn’t have a chance to ask him how it went; Lucent was already upon me…


(Read the rest by downloading your free copy or reading the online version)

All I Want for Christmas is Lucent ~
Kindle Version
Nook, Kobo, and iPad Version
Online Version (Read Online)

His Absolute Obsession: The Billionaire’s Paradigm (Audio Books Like Fifty Shades of Grey)


Want to get this audiobook for free?
Sign up for a 30-day free trial offer on Audible
(includes one free audiobook)
then go here to get your free copy of His Absolute Obsession

The Fifty Shades of Grey official first movie trailer comes out today! Because of that, I thought it’d be fun to do something a little different and special. I can’t quite create my own movie trailer (not yet at least…), but some of what I write is like Fifty Shades of Grey in a way, and I do have audiobooks, so…

I thought it’d be fun to create a YouTube sample of His Absolute Obsession: The Billionaire’s Paradigm!

(This is the scene when Elise first meets Lucent, before that fateful weekend they spend together trapped in the library during a record-breaking blizzard)

Trapped in a library during a blizzard, Elise finds herself stuck with the untoward magnate, Lucent Storme, who’s rumored to have more than a few forbidden desires…

What do you think? I love the narration and I think Irma Kent did a wonderful job at it. Just a little sneak peek there, but I really enjoy that scene, and it’s the start of so much more, too. Elise and Lucent are some of my favorite characters.

The rest of the audiobook is fairly long, but it’s only the beginning, too. His Absolute Obsession is over 2 hours of steamy romance, commanding intrigue, and dominant mystery. There are more audiobooks in the series, too. Can’t wait for the Fifty Shades movie to come out and want something to tide you over in the mean time? For less than the price of a movie ticket (and for more than 2 hours of romantic enjoyment) you can get His Absolute Obsession right now.

You can find His Absolute Obsession on:
Audible – His Absolute Obsession
Amazon – His Absolute Obsession
iTunes – His Absolute Obsession

The e-book version is available on Amazon, as well.

Hunted: Audiobook?


So… I’m not actually sure how this is going to go, but I figured I’d try it. I just put up a listing for a request for a narrator for the full-length version of Hunted: An Erotic Retelling of Beauty and the Beast yesterday, and I’m hoping to maybe get that done by Christmas.

The thing with that is that uh… well, I never planned on doing an audiobook version of this one, per se. I mean, the idea was always in my mind and of course I was open to it. If a random narrator approached me about doing it, then I definitely would have said yes. That doesn’t really happen too often, from what I know, but I’d honestly probably be open to a lot of things like that.

For random reference, I like to do royalty shares with my audiobook narrators, since I think it’s more fair to everyone. The problem there is that a royalty share can be a good or a bad thing, you know? If the story doesn’t sell very well, then they’re kind of out some time and effort, which is sad. If the story sells well, they can make a good amount of money, though. On the flip side to that, if I paid them per finished hour (this is also relatively standard), then they could technically make more money if the story sells well, or a lot less of the story sells poorly.

As of now, most of my audiobooks have at least broken even, just about. I don’t know if anyone really cares about the business side of that, but the narrators and I have a 7 year agreement, too, so basically like… they’re all pretty much going to get paid more than the industry average, but it might take awhile for them to get it? So far they’ve broken even, or are very close to breaking even, and my first audiobooks ever were released this year, so it should work out for them in the long run. That’s kind of how this business is on all fronts, though. Not always, and sometimes a story sells really well right from the get-go, but not always.

Anyways! The point of all of that? I like doing audiobooks because it helps the narrators, gives them legitimate credits for their voice-over work, and kind of sets them up for more, you know? They can use the audiobook as a stepping stone to a better foot in the narration industry, or for acting, or whatever. I honestly think all of the narrators that have worked for me could do really well with this, either strictly voices or acting, or whatever. They have talent and drive to succeed.

So… saying that, I wasn’t going to do an audiobook version of Hunted at first, because I didn’t actually think it would sell amazingly well. I didn’t think it’d sell poorly or anything, and I thought it’d be a good book. Honestly, I like it a lot, myself, and I think it’s pretty sexy. It’s different and fun, with a bit of darkness to it, and more than its fair share of eroticism. That’s uh… well, that’s kind of the thing, I guess. I don’t want to make anyone feel awkward narrating it? Haha.

I don’t know why I think anyone would feel awkward with it, though. I’m pretty upfront about what it is and what to expect, so if they’re interested, then I think they should be given the chance to give it a try. And if I think it’ll be a decent seller and good for their career, then I don’t mind offering the opportunity to them, either, you know? I’ve been given some chances in life when I thought I could do something that others might think was too difficult or too strange, and I think those are the best types of chances sometimes. Just to get things out there and try something different, but also something good and useful, right?

So… well, Hunted is doing well. The e-book version is doing very well, and the paperback is doing pretty good, too. Paperbacks are honestly a harder sell, since, as an indie author, I can’t really get them into physical bookstores at the moment. That’s just an industry thing, and the big traditional publishers mostly have a stranglehold on that. E-books are a lot different, though, and I think I have a good understanding of that side of things.

For reference, Hunted is currently #16 in the entire All Romance eBooks store. They even sent me a neat little image thing for this site, which I’ll throw up on the sidebar soon! It might be there by the time you read this.

It’s also doing exceptional on Amazon, with a max ranking so far in the low ~1200s. This has translated into being on these best sellers lists there:
#4 Paranormal Romance > Angels
#6 Paranormal Romance > Ghosts
#6 Fantasy > Fairy Tales
#6 Paranormal Romance > Demons & Devils
#10 Paranormal Romance > Witches & Wizards
#11 World Literature > Mythology
#28 Paranormal Romance > Werewolves & Shifters

That’s just in the US. It’s ranking pretty well in Fantasy > Fairy Tales and Fiction > Fairy Tales, plus Myths & Fairy Tales in the UK, as well.

So… anyways, it’s doing well! Which is fun and great, and I really appreciate everyone’s support in this one and I’m glad to hear that a lot of people have liked it so far. I’m always kind of nervous about these things, you know? Like… I want things to do well, and I try my best to make them good and something that people will like and want to read, but I guess I’m sort of a pessimistically optimistic person. Like… it would be really nice if everyone loved everything I wrote, but I know that’s not how things work, and different things work for different people, so I just hope that at least some people will like some of the things I write?

I don’t know if that makes sense. Don’t take any of this as being especially pessimistic, because I’m not. I get really excited about things, to the point of being maybe too excited, but I try to have realistic expectations, too. The two things sort of clash sometimes.

I’m rambling a bit now, but the point of this whole thing is that I’m hopefully going to make an audiobook of Hunted, and I think this will be a great opportunity for the narrator. I like helping people out and in a creative entertainment sort of place, like with fiction books and everything, it can be really hard to get a foot in the door, you know? It takes a lot of time and effort sometimes. I’ve spent a lot of my own time and effort on all of this, so I’m hoping to share it a little by providing someone the opportunity to use some of my time and effort to help themselves out and to further their creative endeavors.

I will let you know if I find anyone! I’m still kind of picky when it comes to narrators, and I have a certain sort of voice in mind for this one, but I like to leave my options open, too. Sometimes people can surprise you, you know? I like when that happens, since it’s a lot of fun.

(This is a weird sort of post, but these are just some of the things I think about sometimes, so I thought I’d share for those who were interested in that kind of thing. I hope you liked it! What are your thoughts on audiobooks? They’re a lot different and they take a little getting used to, but I really like them)

A New Freebie!


Hello!

I mentioned in my newsletter this week that I was going to put up a new free story in the freebie section soon, and… well, hey! It’s there now. This is a sweeter one, and some of you may have read it already, but for those who haven’t, I hope you’ll check it out and see if you like it. I won’t spoil what it is, because it’s kind of like a present, I guess? You know, like… it’s fun to find out what it is after you open it (after you go to the freebie page), and then you can either get really excited or bemoan receiving a fruit cake for Christmas (or whatever holiday, I guess. I kind of like fruit cake, though, so maybe that’s not a great example).

Anyways! It’s there, so go check it out.

For those who can’t figure out how to get on the freebie page (because I haven’t figured out how to put good directions for it yet. Sorry!), you’ll need to sign up for my newsletter, which you can do on the side over there somewhere (—->). I send out newsletters on a weekly basis, and include the password to access my freebies from there. You also get fun information about stuff! What kind of stuff? Well, it varies a bit. I’ll mention my new releases and how I’m doing on specific stories, or what’s coming soon, all of that. I like to talk about other random things, too, like what I’m reading, or what I think of book things. And, I include fun little tips and tricks about sexy things (or things I think are sexy, at least. They aren’t always strictly tips, I suppose).

So… yes! Newsletters go out on Tuesdays, generally, and I’ve got two freebies available as of now, so… if you haven’t signed up yet, what are you waiting for?

Kings and Outcasts


Since I’m working on The Monster Within at the moment, I figured I’d take some time today to talk about Solace and Bastion (and maybe Faith or others. We’ll see how it goes). I’ll be trying to keep things as spoiler free as possible, but if you’d like to make absolute certain that you don’t have anything spoiled, then you might want to consider skipping this one. I’d mostly like to discuss concepts and my ideas, so it should be relatively safe, though.

Anyways!

Solace is an outcast in the town of Glenwood, for (currently) reasons unknown. There are some reasons, and they’re pretty good ones once the story gets to it, but for now they’re secretive. I’ve dropped a couple of hints in Ember of Ecstasy, and there’s more to come soon, too.

The thing I find interesting about the whole thing is that Solace doesn’t know why everyone hates her, though. I really enjoy this concept and theme, because I think it’s easy to relate to that in a lot of ways. Why does anyone hate anything? I have some reasons for why I dislike things, and then I have reasons for why I hate things. I try to reserve really good reasons for the things I hate, but I don’t know if everyone does the same. As to the things I dislike? Sometimes I honestly couldn’t tell you why I do or don’t like something. It’s just personal preference and opinion based on bias and preconceived notions a lot of time.

Solace deals with it, though. She deals with it even though literally almost everyone in Glenwood hates her. She never questions it, nor gets upset, she just tries to become better. I like that about her. I can see where some people might think she’s a weak character or a bad one, because of all these bad things that happen to her, but she doesn’t let it get her down. I think there’s a huge difference there, you know? A character who has bad things happen and then just drops into depression is maybe “real” but not very fun? One who has bad things happen and then strives to overcome them, become better (even if there might not be a better), and just continues to live and try despite the odds being against them… well, I like characters like that.

Solace might seem weak or bad or a bunch of things at times, but honestly I think she might be one of the strongest characters in the story. She continues to try when she has no reason to, and I envy that somewhat and would like to replicate it in my own life.

As to Bastion, he’s in somewhat the same position, except backwards. As the Demon King, no one really hates him. I don’t think they can afford to, as there’s bound to be consequences. At least openly, you know? I mean, the occasional disagreement or dislike is probably fine, but open revolt? There’s got to be a huge reason to resort to something like that, and then the consequences could be huge, too.

The thing is, Bastion isn’t a mean person or a tyrannical Demon King or anything like that. He’s relatively nice, all things considered. He and Solace got off to an odd and rough start, but I think that’s understandable. I mean, she’s a human who was sent as basically a sacrificial bride for the ruler of the monstrous host in Runehaven. In her mind, he’s a monster. In his mind, he’s being sent some woman in order to maintain the peace, and he’s expected to marry her, but where is the love?

(Random side note field trip)
Arranged marriages are interesting in those regards. It’s one of those things that isn’t really applicable to a lot of countries nowadays. On a random side note to that, while I have no reference at hand, I’ve heard that arranged marriages that occur in India (I don’t know if they still do, but these were older statistics I was reading) actually have a high percentage chance of working well, and the two people who become married eventually come to enjoy it. I’ve always curiously wondered if it has something to do with the whole Kama Sutra love-making lesson and teaching thing, at least in part. The Kama Sutra isn’t that entirely, but I really like how it teaches and advocates pleasure in intimate unions, you know? I think other places should teach people these things, because to be completely honest a lot of people are oblivious about sex and how to make their partner happy, which is sad.
(Field trip is done!)

And… they’re trying, you know? Bastion and Solace are, perhaps, not compatible at all. They don’t know much about each other, nor do they know if they can even love each other. They aren’t sure if they have a future, or what their future is, or anything like that. They’d like to try, though. Together. Bastion finds that he enjoys Solace and the fact that she’s curious and unsure. I think he might see some of himself in her in those regards. As the Demon King, he’s not really allowed to be unsure, and the fact that Solace is, and is open about it, kind of complements him in a way. Bastion is strong and caring and treats her fairly when no one’s ever treated her that way in her entire life, which is interesting to her, but also leaves her feeling wary and cautious. Is it a lie? A ruse? Demons have a reputation for being less than respectable, at least according to the human books she’s read, and so you can’t really blame her for her initial wariness.

They work together, though. I think they go good together, too. They aren’t the same, not by a longshot, but the similarities that they have are a great base for a potential relationship, and the differences they have complement each other well, in my opinion. There’s a high chance for love there, blossoming and burgeoning.

Except there’s that whole issue of a human inevitably dying when she gives birth to a demon’s child…

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