Chapter 4
Solyma yelped and reached down behind her to pull Menelaus's hands away from her bottom. "Please, Menelaus, don't touch me like that," she said as she squirmed in his arms, managing to move a lot without actually doing anything.
"Solyma, wha-" Menelaus began to say as Solyma jerked herself out of his arms and backed away until she bumped up against the table.
"I've said before that I don't appreciate your advances, Mr. Tamrasyos," Solyma sniffed. Menelaus stared at her for a moment and twitched when he saw her wink at him. His eyes flicked over her shoulder towards Jaric and then back to her face.
"Well, we'll see what you think once we're back in my room," Menelaus said in an overly dramatic voice. "My lovely," he added.
"Go away," Solyma hissed. "I never want to see you again."
"Solyma, is this person bothering you?" Jaric said as he walked around the table. Menelaus's eyes widened slightly when he realized exactly how muscular Jaric was compared to him.
"Oh, yes, Jaric, he is. He's been such a pest, I've done my best to be rid of him, but-" Solyma let her head fall as she fluttered her eyelashes at Jaric.
"Get rid of this oafish human and let me show you what a real lover is," Menelaus said slowly as he watched Jaric's face redden. Solyma's breath hitched as she turned and rushed towards Jaric, throwing herself into his arms as she buried her face in his shoulder. "He's so horrible," she gasped, and began to shiver delicately.
"You'll be thanking me when we're done?" Menelaus said and then took a hurried step backward as Jaric gently moved Solyma to the side and approached him.
"How dare you speak to her like that!" Jaric snarled, loudly enough to attract the other diners in the palaces dining room. "Apologize at once!"
Menelaus smiled weakly at the sight of Solyma waving with glee at him. "I, I'm terribly sorry," Menelaus said. "I must have had too much to drink," he stammered as he turned and fled from the room.
"How disgraceful," Jaric muttered as the elf retreated from the room. "I can't believe he would be in such a position."
"Thank you so much, Jaric," Solyma said softly as she walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm. "How can I ever thank you?" Jaric reddened and stuttered something about his duty as a knight before Solyma sighed and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
"I-I-I don't think this is entirely appropriate," Jaric said, looking around the dining room at the other diners. Although not at all uncomfortable, he thought to himself as Solyma pressed her body against him. He immediately flushed an even deeper red and cursed himself for thoughts unbecoming of the knighthood.
With obvious reluctance, he slowly pushed Solyma away. He cursed himself even more furiously when he saw how flushed Solyma was and how heavily she was breathing. Obviously he had horribly embarrassed her with his crass behavior. He was acting no better than that elf.
Solyma was trying to control the beating of her heart when she saw Jaric spin on his heel and rush from the room. Was he going after Menelaus? No, she thought as he turned in the opposite direction that Menelaus had gone. Then why was he leaving?
"That was lucky," Menelaus said from behind her. "I thought he was going to beat me to a pulp. You really like those dangerous types, don't you?"
"Oh, shut up," Solyma snapped. Best case scenario, she had so aroused him that he was running back to his room to jerk himself into insensibility. But she hadn't really felt anything like that. Worst case scenario was that he was disgusted by even the hint of forwardness from women. "Damned knight," she muttered. Why should she spend so much time and energy trying to attract him? There were plenty of good lovers who would be willing to fall into her bed at the snap of her fingers.
"Solyma?" Menelaus said, waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?"
Tancred had been eying her for the entire trip. Even Adelard would probably let lust overcome his fear if properly motivated. Ismene wouldn't be averse to having a romp in bed. And there was always Amadrin. A shiver ran up Solyma's spine when she remembered some of the long nights she had spent with the Queen of the Elves after falling into the bathing pool.
"Hello?" Menelaus said again. "Solyma!"
"What?" Solyma said irritably. "Don't yell in my ear like that."
"So do you want to go back to my place now?" Menelaus said with a hopeful smile. "You didn't get that knight with that scheme of yours so-" He stopped mid-sentence as Solyma snarled and shoved by him to stomp out of the dining room. "-why not," he finished.
Solyma stared at the two dresses hanging across the bathroom as she soaked in the bathtub. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she slouched back in the white porcelain tub and let her chin sink into the water.
"I like the one on the left, myself," Tancred said from behind her. Solyma grimaced as he folded his arms on the edge of the tub and looked down over her head at her. "It's very nice with the-" he made a cupping motion in front of his chest.
"What are you doing here?" Solyma sighed as she slowly sat up and turned around to face Tancred. He grinned at the sight of her naked body in the tub. Solyma crossed her legs and leaned back with a frown on her face.
"Just thought I'd visit," Tancred said. "You know, I like it when you have your hair up, it makes your neck stand out."
"Don't tell me you have a neck fetish, I thought that was a myth. And how did you get in here?"
"You have a lovely neck, Solyma," Tancred said as he slid over to her side of the tub and sniffed her hair. "Among other things."
"I told Hector to keep everyone out," Solyma said.
"Air ducts. You know, I heard about Jaric. Why don't you forget about him now?" Tancred smiled and leaned closer as his hand dipped down into the water to stroke Solyma's stomach. "He's a virgin, you know. Wouldn't know the first thing to do if you managed to get him into your bed. Probably spurt in his pants too."
"Go away," Solyma said as she shoved Tancred back from the tub. "I don't care what you heard. How can you tell he's a virgin, anyway?"
"Smell, my dear," Tancred said as he dried his hand on a towel and stood in front of the mirror. He wiped the condensation with his sleeve and checked his hair and teeth before turning back towards Solyma. "Virgins smell different. Sort of...minty."
"Minty?"
"Yes."
"He's really a virgin?"
"Definitely," Tancred said with a smirk. "I just don't understand why you like him so much. He's just another muscle-headed basher."
"He's more than that," Solyma said as she stared at the wall. "He's-"
"Bah, romance," Tancred said. "Well, when you're through trying to get him into bed, let me know. This sweetness and light act is getting tiresome." With that he bowed and puffed apart into a cloud of mist barely discernible from the steam filling the room. Only a slight motion of the air set him apart as he floated up into the air duct and out of the room.
"Hector!" Solyma called out as she slid around in the tub to study the dresses again.
"Yes?" Hector said as he opened the door and floated into the room.
"Which do you like more?" Hector paused to study the dresses.
"The one on the left seems to be more your style," he finally said. "Especially how your breasts would be hanging-"
"Why does everyone say that?" Solyma said. "I don't dress like some cheap tart!"
Hector was silent.
"An expensive tart, maybe," Solyma finally said. She glared at Hector as the helmet and gauntlets somehow managed to have a coughing fit.
"They would both look good on you, Solyma," Hector finally said. "But judging from past preferences in dress-"
"Fine, fine, I know what you're trying to say," Solyma said as she slumped back in the bathtub. "Which do you think Jaric would like more?"
"I'm sad to say that I don't know the knight that well."
"Just guess."
"Seeing how he has continually frustrated your admittedly blatant and disgraceful attempts to seduce him, I would say that a more...modest dress would be his preference."
"You could have just said, 'the one on the right'."
Hector remained silent.
"Oh fine, thank you," Solyma said. "Go polish your helmet or something."
Hector sniffed once and floated out of the room, managing to convey hurt without a face, shoulders, or even a body.
"And stop that pouting!" Solyma called after him as he shut the door. She sighed as she looked at the dress on the right again. Simple, expertly sewn, conservative, attractive. "And boring," Solyma muttered. "Barely any cleavage. No leg," she paused and looked the dress up and down again. "But I've done better with worse," she said with a smile that bordered on predatory, and closed her eyes...
...and scratched under the heavy nun's habit she wore, quickly looking down as the line moved forward. The Daughters of the Silver Water were a small group of devotees to the elven twin gods, Talas and Taleh. They spent most of their time performing good works and traveling the countryside preaching the glory of their gods. Generally unknown outside of Taladros, their numbers did contain a few non-elven converts.
Solyma scratched under the habit again and wished she could have found a sect that didn't place so much value on chastity and purity of the body. Along with the smothering habit she had to wear a headscarf which was almost certainly messing up her hair. Almost any group of nuns worshiping Liaya, Krisephyr's goddess of love and life, would have been dressed in whatever they wanted. Usually the less, the better.
"And what can I do for you today, Revered Sister?" one of the polite young guards at the gate asked Solyma as she reached the gate of the Taladrosian Royal Mint.
"Oh, I'm here to speak with the commander about minting a commemorative coin for the sisterhood," Solyma said, her eyes never quite making contact with the guard's.
"Of course," the guard said as he checked his list. "Sister Sally?"
"Yes, that's me," Solyma said.
"Then go right on in," the guard said with a smile. "The commander's office is on the top floor at the end of the hall." Solyma bowed and thanked him with a shy smile before walking past him into the first floor of the mint. "What a waste," the guard said to his companions as they watched Solyma climb the stairs. "Didn't think there were any humans in the Sisterhood though."
Solyma walked slowly down the third floor of the mint, her head bowed as she passed a guard coming from the commander's office. She took a last glance around the hall and saw no one as she knocked on the office's door.
"Come in," she heard from the other side of the door. "What can I do for you?" the commander, a rather imposing and very handsome elf in his late middle ages, asked as she entered.
"Hello, sir," Solyma said, keeping her head bowed. "I'm here as representative of the Daughters of the Silver Water."
"Ah, yes, your group wanted a special coin minted?" the commander said as he looked up. Solyma could feel his eyes flicking over her body even through the heavy fabric of the habit.
"Yes, your eminence," Solyma said.
"Please, call me Tindros," the commander said. "Have a seat."
"Thank you...Tindros," Solyma said. She glanced up and made eye contact with him for a moment before looking back down again, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Do you have the plates for your coin?"
"Oh, yes, they're right here-" Solyma reached into her handbag. As she was pulling the small plates of metal out, they caught on her handbag and dropped onto the rug. "I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy," she said as she knelt and began to fumble for them.
"Here, let me help," Tindros said as he knelt beside her and helped her pick up the remaining plates.
"Oh, thank you so much," Solyma said as she shyly handed the plates to the commander. Their hands touched for a moment and Solyma stared down at them before reluctantly drawing them away.
"Is there anything else you wanted?" Tindros said a little while later after she had finished signing the appropriate forms.
"Oh, um, do you think-?" Solyma said and stopped. She looked down and bit her lip. "No, no, it's nothing."
"Please, whatever I can do to help I'll do," Tindros said.
"Do you- do you think I could see where the plates will be stored? It's just that we've spent so much time on having them engraved-"
"I would be delighted," Tindros said as he stood and moved to a tapestry hanging behind his desk. "We keep all our plates in a safe here," he said as he moved aside the tapestry and used a hidden panel to slide aside a section of the wall. "It's a ten digit combination lock combined with a key lock," he said as he turned the knob and slid his key into the lock. "Without both, the safe won't open."
"That's so ingenious!" Solyma said as she stood beside him and watched him open the safe. She could see the neatly stacked rows of plates that were used to mint the official coins of the kingdom lying within. "I'm sure our plates will be safe now." She smiled shyly again and touched Tindros's shoulder. "Especially with someone like you guarding them."
"Thank you, Revered Sister," Tindros said with a smile. His eyes widened when Solyma leaned forward and kissed him.
"I'm so sorry!" she breathed, her face scarlet, as she turned to rush out. "I-I just couldn't help myself, I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's nothing to worry about," Tindros said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're a very beautiful woman, Sister."
"Oh!" Solyma said with an even deeper blush. She held her hand up to her mouth and giggled as she looked at Tindros. "Thank you so much for saying that, but I know I'm not beautiful."
"But you are," Tindros said as he moved closer.
"I-I am?"
"Yes, you are."
"Really?" Solyma said in a small voice as Tindros backed her against his desk and took hold of both of her shoulders.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I shouldn't do this but I can't help myself-" With that he leaned forward and kissed Solyma deeply, his arms wrapping around her body. Solyma resisted for a second and then melted into his embrace, her arms hesitantly embracing him.
"Oh, Tindros, I don't know-" she started to say.
"Shh," he said as he looked into her eyes. "Don't say anything." Solyma moaned as he ran his hands over her back and around to cup her breasts through the fabric of her habit. She leaned back, her arms moving to support herself on the desk as Tindros kissed down the curve of her throat to the base of her neck.
"Oh, oh, Tindros," she whimpered as he began to hike up her habit. She leaned forward and raised her arms to let him pull it over her head, tangling with her headscarf and letting her hair fall free, before dropping it to the floor. Solyma blushed and looked away from him, her arms crossing in front of her breasts as her coppery hair fell down across her shoulders to the desk.
Tindros took a moment to admire the woman before him. He hungrily gazed at her full breasts trapped behind her shift and her long, stockinged legs. He half-growled as he leaned forward again and pulled her hands away from her breasts while kissing her again.
Solyma moaned into Tindros's mouth as one hand ran down her flank and slid underneath her shift. She gasped and jerked when he slid it down the front of her underwear and began to caress the outside of her quim.
"Please, please be gentle," she moaned as he rubbed her lightly and slowly edged a finger into her.
"I will, I will, my dear," Tindros whispered in her ear as he pushed his finger deep inside her. Solyma gasped again and clutched at his shoulders as he pulled her shift off. She slipped off the desk and stood as he backed away before slowly inching her underwear down her legs. She began to remove her stockings but stopped when Tindros said, "No, I like how you look in them."
"Oh," Solyma said and blushed again. "Do- do you still think I'm beautiful?"
"Oh yes," Tindros said as he stared at her bared breasts. He licked his lips at their motion when Solyma breathed heavily and took a step closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to kiss her, stumbling back to bump into the wall. He let go of her with one hand long enough to open his breeches and pull out his cock, ignoring the sound of metal clinking somewhere.
"Be gentle! Be gentle!" Solyma whimpered as he lifted her back onto the desk and lowered her down to the surface.
"I promise I will," he said as he parted her trembling thighs and stepped between them.
Solyma closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted as she panted for breath, and felt Tindros step between her legs. The fabric of his breeches brushed against her inner thighs as he leaned over her and caressed one breast with his hand, his fingers lightly stroking her nipple. She cried out as he took her breast into his mouth and began to suck lightly while his tongue licked at her flesh.
Solyma cried out in pleasure, her back arching off the desk, when Tindros slowly eased himself into her. Her stockinged legs moved up to wrap around his waist, urging him deeper as he continued to suck at her breast. Her hips pushed against him as his cock slid deeper into her, her breathing coming faster already.
"Take me," Solyma breathed as she balled the fabric of his shirt in her hands while bucking her hips up against him. Tindros moaned and moved up to kiss her again while placing his hands on both sides of her body. Solyma moaned in time with the movement of his cock, her cries growing louder and more urgent as she continued to meet each thrust of his hips with her own. "Ooooh, it's so big," she whimpered as his thrusts sped. "Yes, yes!" she cried out as he moved one hand to roughly squeeze and knead her breasts. She felt herself jerked across the surface of the desk as he continued to thrust into her, his breathing fast and hard as he leaned back and put his entire weight into each thrust. "Yes!" Solyma screamed as she felt her orgasm, and squeezed at his cock. Tindros looked down at her with a smile as his thrusts continued. He groaned one last time and bent over her as he hilted her and shuddered, his seed shooting deep inside her...
"Keep doing that and you'll go blind," Hector said as he peeked in the bathroom door. Solyma's eyes snapped open and she slowly pulled her legs back into the tub from where they had rested on the edges. She made sure Hector wasn't watching as she slowly eased her fingers out of her quim and slouched back, her breathing gradually slowing.
"Now if only Jaric would do that," she sighed as she stared up at the ceiling.
Ismene stopped and stared for a moment at the small, neat house tucked away in a back lane of Taladros. The stuccoed walls were still painted a faint green. A small bed of red tulips still grew along the edge of the garden by a white fence. And her mother still was tending to her herb garden under the kitchen window.
"M-" she started and stopped, watching as the elven woman hummed to herself and clipped a bunch of basil free. "Mother?"
"Ismene?" Edimece said as she spun around and smiled. "Ismene! It's you!" she said as she rushed down the garden path and through the gate to pull Ismene into a close hug. "It's been so long. And you don't write enough!"
"I'm sorry, Mother," Ismene said as she returned the hug and buried her face in her mother's shoulder. "I'm glad to be home," she said and found herself sobbing in relief, the tears, pent up for far too long, soaking her mother's blouse.
"The Queen has been expecting you, your excellency," the royal bodyguard said to Asgrim.
"I'm sorry to keep her waiting, I expected to be here yesterday but there was some trouble with the weave," Asgrim said. Instead of his heavy suit of armor, he wore a simple suit of the style popular in Corannon. His hands, faintly transparent black shadow, adjusted the collar of his jacket and made sure that his credentials were present in his breast pocket.
"It is no trouble at all, your excellency. The Queen does not have much use for elaborate formality," the bodyguard said with the barest hint of disapproval. "She greeted all the diplomats at dinner last night." The bodyguard's eyebrows furrowed as they approached the Queen's chambers on the top floor of the palace. "Nothing like what would have happened when the King was still alive." He nodded to the two other bodyguards standing outside the Queen's chambers and knocked.
"-I love him!" a young woman's voice shouted from inside the room. Asgrim stiffened and looked around uncomfortably at the bodyguards. They seemed to share his discomfort although they controlled their faces expertly. "Why does it matter if he's my bodyguard?"
Another, quieter, voice answered, the words to low to be made out through the door.
"I don't care! I love him! Doesn't that matter at all to you?"
More words were spoken that Asgrim couldn't make out. He stepped back in surprise when the door was flung open and a young elven woman rushed out, tears running down her face.
"I'm sorry for that," Amadrin said to Asgrim as she stepped out of the room and motioned for him to enter. "My daughter is-" she stopped and sighed, "-young." The Queen motioned for Asgrim to seat himself and waved the bodyguard out of the door. "I'm pleased that you've arrived," Amadrin said as the door closed.
"Yes, your majesty, as am I," Asgrim said. He paused and wondered what to say next. If this were the court back in Kathaln he would have known what to say. If this were Kathaln, he would have never been invited to sit. "I-"
"Don't worry about the informality, Asgrim of Takrask," Amadrin said with a comforting smile. "My husband enjoyed the formality of the ancient court. No doubt you would have been more comfortable meeting him. But I've always felt that too much formality impedes a free discourse."
"Yes, your majesty," Asgrim said and coughed. "As ambassador from the Empire of Kathaln and representative of His Divine Majesty, Emperor Natenue, I present myself to you for approval." With that, Asgrim reached into his pocket and withdrew the slender envelope containing his credentials before handing them to Amadrin.
"Thank you," Amadrin said as she took the envelope and opened it. Asgrim watched her blue eyes move as she read the piece of paper contained within and set it to the side. "Asgrim of Takrask, I accept you as ambassador from the Empire of Kathaln and welcome you to the Kingdom of Taladros."
It was well past midnight when Solyma walked down the quiet halls of the palace, a bowl of still steaming chili in one hand and a bottle of cider in the other. She hummed a popular drinking song to herself as she walked, idly swinging the cider and occasionally tossing and catching it.
"Good evening, Solyma," Amadrin said as she emerged from a side hallway. "Are you still awake for any particular reason?"
Solyma jerked to a halt and had to lunge for the cider, nearly dropping the chili in the process before she regained her balance. "No, your majesty," she said. "Just getting something to eat."
"Really?" Amadrin said as she stepped closer, her gown swishing along the rug behind her. "You're not on the way to some romantic tryst?"
"N-no," Solyma said. "Why do you ask?"
Amadrin smiled and moved even closer. Solyma closed her eyes and swallowed when she realized she could smell the queen's expensive perfume wafting around her. "I heard that you and your knight were-" Amadrin grinned and ran one hand up Solyma's leg, "-seen in a...compromising situation."
Solyma stared at Amadrin for a second, not even feeling as the elven woman stepped closer and rested both hands on Solyma's waist. "No- I mean, he tried- I mean," Solyma stuttered as she shook her head. "We were hugging. And he wouldn't even let me do that for long."
"Oh Solyma," Amadrin sighed as she smiled gently and reached up to hold Solyma's chin. "To be in love again." Amadrin shook her head with a smile and leaned forward to kiss Solyma on the cheek. "I'm afraid all my power and influence won't help you win this struggle, my dear."
Solyma nodded as Amadrin smiled and drifted away down the hallway, her perfume hanging in the air for a moment, a silent reminder of her presence. Solyma looked down at her food and sighed as she shook her head and resumed her journey back to her rooms.
Amadrin stopped by a window looking out onto the gardens and the lake. She leaned against the wall and watched the moon glitter on the waters of the lake, a brilliance so bright it seemed almost solid. How long had it been since she had gazed at this very scene with Odryas by her side?
"Penelope is growing up so fast," she whispered to the moon and lake. "How you'd rage if were here. You were always loved your etiquette and protocol." Amadrin sighed and allowed herself the small luxury of creasing her forehead in thought. "But neither of us would ever have the strength to deny her anything, especially love." Amadrin straightened and placed one hand against the cool glass of the window. She sighed and found herself thinking of Solyma as she gazed on its waters. It had been on a night like this...
~~~
...that they had gone out to walk by the shore of the lake.
"Why are we out here?" Solyma asked as Amadrin gently pulled her by the hand. "These damn mosquitoes are horrible."
"Do do this," Amadrin said as she leaned forward and kissed Solyma. The elf woman gently pulled Solyma closer and ran her hands down Solyma's back to caress her bottom. Solyma moaned into Amadrin's mouth as the elf slid her hand around to the front of her breeches and slid her hand down.
"Gods," moaned Solyma as she felt Amadrin's hand sliding into her underwear. "Out here? What if-" she sucked in a sharp breath as Amadrin began to caress her quim, "-someone sees us?"
"No one will see us," Amadrin whispered as she continued to stroke the outside of Solyma's quim. "Everyone is indoors keeping away from the mosquitoes." The queen smiled as Solyma groaned in pleasure and leaned forward on her.
"You're amazing," Solyma whispered as Amadrin's fingers slowly curled up into her. She groaned again, her breathing coming in sharp pants already, when Amadrin pulled her hand free and turned to walk towards the lake. Solyma shook her head and trotted after her, barely suppressing the urge to tackle the elven woman.
"I think a swim would do nicely," Amadrin said as if this were a normal summer day and Solyma were just a friend. "Don't you think so?"
"Anything to get your clothes off," Solyma said as she reached up and around Amadrin to cup the elf's breasts. Amadrin smiled, her face shadowed in the moonlight, as she turned her head to kiss Solyma. The elf woman pulled away for a moment and reached up to undo the laces of her gown. Solyma watched, her tongue sliding over her lips, as Amadrin undid the laces of her gown and slid the silk off one shoulder, then another. Her skin glowed in the moonlight as she shrugged and sent the gown in a cascade to pool around her ankles. Solyma moved forward, entranced by the sight of Amadrin's breasts, so full and perfect, in the moonlight, her nipples hardened by the summer night air and something else.
"Ahh, your turn," Amadrin said as Solyma bent and began to kiss her breasts. She reached up and stroked Solyma's soft hair, her hand tightening when Solyma took a nipple into her mouth and ran her tongue over its stiff surface.
Solyma paused from her tender ministration to pull her shirt over her head and shuck her breeches. She kept her eyes on Amadrin, loving how the elven woman's eyes were glued to her body as she slid her underwear down her legs. She smiled back at Amadrin as the elven woman took her hand and led her into the cool waters of the lake. She shivered for a moment and then forgot all about the temperature of the water as Amadrin waded towards her and kissed her again.
Solyma kissed Amadrin back, her arms wrapped around the elf's waist. She moaned into Amadrin's mouth as she felt Amadrin slide her fingers back into her quim. The elf woman pulled her into waist deep water and pushed her back so that she was floating with only Amadrin's hand holding her up.
Solyma gasped, her head splashing water as she clutched at Amadrin's arms. Amadrin smiled and bent over to suck and lick at Solyma's full breasts while her fingers plunged deeper into Solyma's quim. Solyma's coppery hair was soon soaked and stuck to her forehead in heavy locks as she splashed and jerked in pleasure from Amadrin's touch. Each slow thrust and caress of Amadrin's fingers sent rolling waves of searing pleasure through her body. Solyma's face was flushed and she was sweating despite the cooling effect of the lake's water.
Water beaded on Amadrin's pearly skin, catching the moonlight like diamonds as she leaned forward to kiss Solyma and felt the other woman climax around her fingers. Solyma's cry rang out over the lake as she jerked herself up in the water and clung to Amadrin, her body trembling and quaking from the force of her orgasm.
The two women kissed tenderly, their breasts pressing together as they stood in the shallow lake water. Amadrin nuzzled Solyma's neck as she listened to Solyma pant for breath. Her fingers continued to stroke Solyma's quim, gradually increasing their pace until Solyma was clutching to her like a spar on a storm tossed sea. Solyma raised one leg over Amadrin's hip, letting the elven woman push her fingers even deeper inside of her. Solyma's breath was deafening in Amadrin's ear, each of her gasps sounding almost pained as Amadrin slowly brought her to the brink of another shattering climax. Amadrin gave one last thrust of her fingers and pulled Solyma against her as the other woman screamed in her ear and bit down on her shoulder from the force of her climax.
"I'm sorry about that," Solyma said between pants as they lay in the shallow water near the shore.
"I'm sure I can find a better use for your mouth," Amadrin said as she rolled over and straddled Solyma's waist. Water dripped from her breasts onto Solyma's body as she leaned forward and kissed the red-headed woman again...
~~~
Amadrin sighed and rested her flushed forehead on the cool window pane. Solyma had been so much fun to have around. And, she thought, having a warm body with her in bed was something she missed dearly. Amadrin stood up straight and and composed herself. No use pining for the past, at least not now, she thought. She was about to turn and walk away from the window when she spotted something by the lake. Amadrin's eyes narrowed minutely at the sight of the faintest extra glimmer by the lake, the glow of moonlight on metal.
Tancred walked along the lake, his boots kicking at the occasional unlucky bit of vegetation and mourning his lack of companionship for the evening. A particularly tempting elf woman, a lower level functionary or something, had canceled dinner to go shopping for a dress for the celebration tomorrow.
He lifted his head at the faintest scent of soap and flowers, finally looking towards the servant's quarters. A light still burned in one of the windows of their rooms. His eyes, even at this distance, could make out the haze of condensation on the glass. Some maid taking a relaxing late night bath before retiring. Most of the servants had been given the day off for the birthday celebration tomorrow. They would have spent most of the evening preparing their clothes for the feasts and parties that would fill the city and palace.
"Probably pining for a lusty elf man to share her bed," Tancred mused as he watched the window. "Or maybe a lusty elf maid," he said with a grin. "Or both- eh?" He turned as he smelled the unmistakable scent of weaponblack. "Assassin," he said with a smile as he turned to follow the scent. "Something to do at last."
Amadrin watched as a faint ripple sped through the night air towards the window, a faint patch of darkness that didn't match the night. Straight and true, the ripple flew towards her with a speed that the human eye wouldn't have been able to follow.
Tancred broke into a silent run when he heard the faint click and louder creak of wood as a bow was released. His eyes scanned over the underbrush by the lake, finally focusing on a glint of light shining off the trigger of a crossbow held by a man dressed from head to toe in black.
"Assassin!" he yelled as he dove towards the man, catching the assassin before he could turn to face his attacker.
Amadrin watched as the bolt smashed into the window, for the barest fraction of a second she could see each spider web crack as the bolt pressed against the glass and then shattered it. Glass exploded in razored shards around her face as the bolt flew towards her head. She could see every detail, down to the very grain of the black lacquered wood. The light from the hallway behind her shone dully on the bolt's head, illuminating the faint difference in color where the assassin had applied the weaponblack with a lighter touch.
Tancred rolled through the underbrush with the assassin, feeling a dagger stabbing three times in his ribs before he had time to blink. Any living man would have been mortally wounded from the stabs.
"Poisoned," he grunted as his hand blurred out and grabbed the blade of the dagger. "Not taking any chances, are you?"
The assassin froze for split second and in that instant betrayed his inexperience. Tancred lashed out and caught the assassin by the throat as he lurched to his feet. "How disappointing," Tancred grunted as he hoisted the assassin off the ground. "I've known some good assassins. Things have really gone downhill since the guild was destroyed."
The assassin thrashed in Tancred's grip, his feet smashing against Tancred's face and throat in two expert kicks. Tancred growled and smashed the assassin headfirst into the soft dirt, kneeling on the assassin's back as he examined the dagger and tucked it into his belt. His head jerked around when he heard faint footsteps behind him.
Tancred jerked his head to the side and felt a sword blade cut into his cheek as it stabbed towards the assassin below him. Out of pure reflex, Tancred snatched the blade as it brushed against the assassin's neck and pushed it to the side to stab into the earth. As soon as he let go he cursed loudly as he felt the pain in his cheek and hand.
"Who are you?" Tancred hissed before he could control himself.
"Lord Gamenos Loradros," the elven man standing behind him said, an unsheathed rapier in his hand. "And you are both dead, assassins."
Glass lay scattered across the stone and carpet of the hallway, each shard shining in the light of the lamps as Amadrin's bodyguards raced up, their boots crunching on the glass. They came to a silent halt by the window, the swords in their hands drooping as they stared at Amadrin.
"I'm not an assassin, you idiot!" Tancred hissed as he hopped to his feet and faced Loradros. "I'm the one who kept him from getting away." He looked down at his injured hand and swore. "You nearly killed both of us!"
"That was the point," Loradros said as he continued to stare at Tancred. His cool eyes never flickered once as Tancred picked up the assassin by his collar and hoisted him over his shoulder. "No assassin can be allowed to live after they have killed a member of the royal househould."
"What's happening?" Laros yelled as he ran up, his sword in hand. Penelope wasn't far behind him although he seemed troubled that she was there. "Tancred?"
"I caught the assassin but this lunatic tried to kill us both," Tancred said as he gestured towards Loradros.
"Lord Loradros," Laros said as he sheathed his sword. "Tancred is a friend of the kingdom, he helped save the princess's life and has rendered services to other citizens. I am sure that he is not an assassin."
"It's true!" Penelope said. "Tancred wouldn't do something like that."
Loradros stared at Laros for an icy second and then turned, his sword dropping back in its sheath. "Very well," he said. "I shall take your word, your majesty," he said to Penelope. "You should watch yourself, corpse," he said as he turned to leave. "One such as you has no place in this kingdom."
"Your majesty, we're sorry," sobbed the kneeling bodyguard. His dagger was out and poised over his heart. The other bodyguards were in a similar position as they knelt in the hallway, their heads bowed.
"Stop that melodrama this instant," Amadrin snapped as she stared at the bolt floating a half inch in front of her eye. "I wasn't in danger for an instant and you well know it." Her right hand was raised, palm towards the window, the threads of a weave floating in the air around it as she studied the bolt. More glass, caught in her weave, was frozen in mid-air around her head in a sort of gleaming crown. "I don't know how I put up with you," she muttered loudly, her words slightly spoiled by the affection in her voice. "Go check on Penelope," she said as she plucked the bolt out of the air and sniffed the tip. Poisoned. "And go collect the assassin, I think that vampire friend of Solyma caught her."
"What happened?" Dravon said as he walked into the palace's infirmary.
"Some assassin took a shot at the queen," Tancred said, wincing as the healer, a pretty elf woman, tied the bandage around his hand. "They've got him in the dungeon."
"Anyone hurt?" Dravon asked.
"Just me," Tancred said with another wince. "That Lord Loradros tried to kill the assassin after I had grabbed him. That guy is insane, I don't know how he keeps his title."
"He's been around for a while. His family has always been among of the most powerful in the kingdom." Dravon paused. "But how did he manage to hurt you?"
"Spelled sword," Tancred grunted as the healer finished with the bandage. He tried to catch her eye and failed miserably. "It's been a while since I've hurt. I forgot what it felt like."
"Are you going to heal?"
"Yeah, I just need some blood. I'll head down to a butcher's shop tomorrow. Is the celebration still on?"
Dravon nodded. "They'll be extra security measure taken. I'll send Jaric and Kerrith around to help out too. Queen Amadrin is interrogating the assassin now. Maybe she'll find out something."
"This is a very nice crossbow. Triple pulley clockwork mechanism, superb balance," Amadrin said as she lifted the crossbow to her shoulder and sighted down its length. "This telescope, is it Alathanian?" She closed one eye and looked through the telescope mounted on the crossbow. "Quite ingenious, you would have hit me right between the eyes." Amadrin sighed and set the crossbow back down on the table before taking a seat and looking at the assassin chained to the wall. "Would you care to tell me who hired you?"
"I don't know," the assassin said, her soft voice quivering. "I-I never saw the man."
"You are very young to be an assassin. There is no way you were a member of the guild before its destruction. Who trained you?" Amadrin stood and walked over to where the assassin sat against the wall, her hands chained above her head. The assassin was indeed young, no more than two decades old at the very most. "Come now, the law calls for your execution. I would prefer to keep someone as young as you alive. Life in prison is better than death, isn't it?"
"I trained myself," the assassin said. She flinched when Amadrin took hold of her chin and turned her head upward. Amadrin studied the assassin's blue eyes and sniffed her dark brown hair.
"I believe you," she said as she stood. "You were excellent in technique but lacking experience. Didn't you know I could stop that bolt?"
"No," the assassin said as she stared at the floor. "I wasn't told you were a mage."
"And you didn't think to do any research, did you?" Amadrin shook her head. "Such a waste," she sighed as she turned away and began to walk out of the cell. "I hope that something better than death can be found for you."
Solyma smoothed the skirt of her dress and twirled experimentally in front of the full-length mirror. The dress billowed nicely and wouldn't, despite her best dizzying efforts, rise above her calfs. There was no way her dress was going to accidentally blow up over her waist.
"Hector!" she yelled over her shoulder. "Where's my invitation?"
"In your handbag," Hector said as he floated in with a slender gold and silver necklace. "I found the necklace you wanted. You shouldn't have shoved it in with your snacks, it was covered with jam."
"Is that were I put it?" Solyma said as she tugged down the bodice of her dress. Even with her best efforts she couldn't get more than a hint of cleavage. "Sorry, I was in a hurry when I packed." Solyma looked at herself again and sighed. The dress was the faintest blue, almost a the color of cream. The skirt swished nicely when she moved and she had to admit she liked the dress. Even if it did have too many ruffles for her taste. "Do you have my gloves?"
"Right here," Hector sighed as he handed her the long matching silk opera gloves. He winced when Solyma jerked them on as if they were coarse leather work gloves. "Solyma, please," he said as he reached out and began to adjust them. "The seams aren't lined up correctly."
"Sorry," Solyma said as Hector fiddled with her gloves. "I don't like them. They're too tight," she said as she began to pull them off.
"They are supposed to be this way," Hector said as he slapped at Solyma's hands. "Otherwise they wouldn't show off the shape of your hand and wrist."
"Why is anyone even going to be looking at my wrists?" Solyma complained. "It's so much simpler when they're just staring at my-"
"Solyma!" Hector snapped. "This is a ball. Not some tawdry debauch. You have to look like a lady. Even if you aren't," he muttered under his breath.
"I heard that," Solyma said as she grabbed her handbag and checked its contents. "Where's my sandwich?"
"You are not taking along a sandwich to the ball," Hector said.
"But there's never anything good to eat!"
"Solyma, you-" Hector waved his hands in the air and gave up. "Just try to keep from spilling anything on your dress."
"Please, Hector, I'm not some little girl you need to look after. I just don't see the need for all this-" she waved her hands at the dress, "-stuff." I wouldn't need to wear any of this at a real party, Solyma thought to herself as she let Hector fuss over her for a while longer. At least not for long, she thought with a smirk. "That's enough, let's get going," she said.
Continued in Chapter 5
The World of Alderest - VI - An Unexpected Journey - Chapter 4
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