Natasha entered the room quietly. The feast had ended, and the handmaids had helped her from her elaborate wedding gown into the simple white robes she usually wore. She saw Joshua sitting on the railing of the balcony, arms folded and legs extended over the railing. His new boots lay discarded nearby. He heard her come in and smiled.

"Come here and watch the sunset with me."

She made her way to the balcony seat. The color of the sky was breathtaking. Bright oranges and fiery reds faded into topaz purple and jewel blue, all around an enormous glowing orb, creeping into slumber on the dunes in the horizon.

"It's gorgeous. I had no idea sunsets were so beautiful here."

"It's a perk we have here, I guess." They were silent for a moment, just observing the brilliant, flaming sky.

He began to speak again, in a softer voice. "My mother...when I was little, just a boy...she would watch the sun set with me. She was always so busy with palace affairs herself, but she would be with me whenever she could."

"Joshua..."

"She said that my father had proposed to her on the white sand on a night like this. My father...I didn't know him very long, but I remember his smile. It was always carefree. Like he was the luckiest man alive."

Natasha smiled gently. "I know where you get yours from, then."

"I...I just hope that I can live up to what I left behind those years ago. Jehanna deserves a ruler as worthy as my parents were."

"I know that you will be. I have faith in you."

His serious expression turned to one of delight. "You know, you always have the right thing to say. What am I being so glum about? It's the future only, from now on. I swear it."

By now, then sun was but a faint ember in a darkening velvet sky that was becoming littered with stars. A light wind howled, grazing the building. Natasha shivered.

"It becomes cold so quickly. It's colder than most nights in Grado."

"It's another quirk of the desert. Most people who visit here don't bother buying warm clothes and end up freezing overnight. Just another way it kills the unsuspecting."

She nodded, shivering more loudly.

Joshua slid towards her, a coy look on his face. "If you're cold, I can remedy that."

Before she knew what had happened, Natasha was swept up in his arms. She put her arms around his neck, laughing. He carried her inside the chamber and laid her down on the giant, elegantly carved bed, onto the giant, billowy mattress covered in silk. He leaned over her, suddenly very close, and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Natasha felt a sudden spark fly through her, as if her spine had been set ablaze. Another kiss followed, and another after that. She wrapped her arms around Joshua, bringing him in closer. The closer he was, the more intense she felt, the more her heart throbbed like the wing beats of a bird in a cage. Their lips finally broke away, and Natasha was breathless, gasping for air.

This was something entirely new...a previously forbidden feeling. She could feel her cheeks pinken as she realized what it was that she felt welling in her body.

"Natasha? What's the matter?"

She rose from the bed, breathing heavily, her face still a vivid rose.

He looked at her, concerned. "I wasn't doing anything to make you feel...violated, was I?"

Her breathing began to still, and she reminded herself that she was free. She was no longer a woman of the order, but a woman free to love, free from the aching restrictions that had kept her from spirited away from the embrace of a man.

"No, I'm fine. Perfectly fine."

"If you're not ready..."

"I...I'm ready." With newfound courage, she slid off her robes. The heavy cloths draped to the floor, leaving a blushing Natasha in nothing more than a short silk chemise. Her legs buckled together in bashfulness. She had never been this exposed to anyone in her life...yet instead of feeling embarrassed, she felt another wave of that once forbidden feeling crawling throughout her bones. She could see from Joshua's stare that the feeling was mutual. He removed his jacket and tossed it into the corner. Her eyes glided over his bared skin. He was so lean, with lithe muscles to match. She could see the scars that crossed his back, his arms, his chest, all markers of the various battles he had won.

It seemed to happen in a whirlwind. Natasha was on the silk sheets again, Joshua over her. His kisses were intense and fervent, hot like the killing winds of the desert. She couldn't help gasping. As he made his way down her neck, she gave a tiny moan. Each touch was like lightning pulsing through her body, making her shudder. She had barely even noticed that her silk chemise was gone, slid onto the floor.

And his hands...those hands. He could do anything with them. His touch was so soft, yet so savage, so wild...she melted as they ran down her curves, exploring each one with deft, expert finger strokes. Her skin felt so hot, so very, very hot, panting and moaning which each new sensation, she could scarcely bear it.

And then he placed his hands on her hips, and she knew what was going to happen. Her body knew, it ached, it begged for what was coming. Initially, there was a sharp, thick pain, provoking a silent cry from her lips. The rhythm came next though, and the rhythm drummed the ache away. The throbbing turned from one sort to another and with each thrust Natasha could feel a new wave of unspeakable pleasure surge through her, causing her to pant, to moan, to shudder and shake. Her body and soul alike yearned to be closer to this fierceness, this savage love, this desert wind. With each front, the exhilaration grew, their voices rasping for each other...

And for a moment, ecstasy lighted upon them. They trembled like the sandstorms and gasped like the winds. Natasha could feel her back arch, as her rhythm collided with his, sending pangs of a new feeling flying through her body. She could hear him moaning her name, and she pulled him close, her angelic voice quivering with the deep call of his.

And as soon as it had arrived, the ecstasy fled, but in its place was a surge of love and completion greater than either of them had ever known. In the wake of the storm, their lips met again in a long, feverish kiss, the heat rushing away into the cool desert night, and as their eyes met, they knew words were not sufficient. And so they fell asleep, locked in the warm embrace of each other.