by Kat Brewer
“Oh, Taylyn, you are very well-made. Turn for me, love.” Taylyn turned, and she nearly bit through her lip as the muscles in his ass flexed with each movement.
Cassie rose and stepped closer to him, pressing herself flush against his back, reveling in the moan that rasped out of his throat.
Her hands slid around his waist then slowly moved down his belly to cup and caress his rapidly hardening cock. Taylyn’s breath exploded out of his chest when her fingers caressed him, expertly making him hard.
The light calluses on her hands provided an exquisite friction that had him fighting for control. His Mistress was unlike any woman he had ever known; she praised his looks and treated him gently and with great kindness. All of these things puzzled him greatly. He felt he had no right to touch or desire her, he was a field slave after all, one of the lowest of the low.
Men in his position had only the pleasure of looking at the warriors of Erla, those exalted women would not give one of his class even a moment’s notice. Now, the highest and most amazing woman he had ever seen had claimed him for herself. His insides quivered with longing whenever he allowed himself to look upon her.
Cassie released his hardened flesh and let her hands glide up his silken skin to scrape her nails across his taut nipples, enjoying his groans of pleasure.
Turning him around, she pulled his head down and ravaged his mouth with her own, biting his full lower lip gently as her hands found his round firm buttocks, stroking and kneading. His cock pressed hard against her belly, and he carefully caressed her shoulders and slid his hands up to cup her face softly, hesitantly.
Cassie slowly rolled her hips against his, enjoying his gasps and moans as she ground into his erection.
Her tongue was doing magical things when Taylyn looked at her, and saw the desire plainly displayed on her face. It sent shivers up his spine and lust spiraling through his groin.
Cassie was very ready for him now. She led him to the bed, lying down with her knees up and parted. Taylyn looked confused for only a heartbeat as his gaze narrowed on her exposed womanhood. Then he fell to his knees before her, Mika’s instructions ringing through his desire fogged brain.
Cassie tensed a bit, as he was a little clumsy at first, but he made up for his lack of skill with pure enthusiasm and brought her to orgasm more quickly then she anticipated.
Gripping his hair, she pulled him away and rolled him over, pausing to run her thumb across the dampness that had accumulated on the tip of his hard, throbbing cock.
Taylyn groaned in bliss as she straddled him, rubbing him across her opening, and she teased the both of them with the feel of it before slowly lowering herself along his lengthy hardness and beginning to slowly rock atop him.
“Taylyn, look at me,” Cassie demanded, and his sex-drugged gaze met hers. “Do not look away. I want to see your eyes when you come,” she said as she quickened her pace, bringing him and herself to a shuddering completion.
When Cassie was able to move she rolled onto the mattress and pulled him to her. Satisfied and languid she sank into sleep, Taylyn curled next to her.
Chapter Eight
Light filtered through Cassie’s eyelids, pulling her to consciousness.
She sat up, finding herself alone in a bed that had held such delight for her the night before. Glancing towards the window, she could tell by the light that she had slept later than she had initially thought or intended.
Stretching and yawning, she rose from the bed and put on her robe, listening to her men talk quietly as they moved about the room on the other side of her bedroom wall.
Tying the belt on her robe, she entered the lounge area and saw they had been busy. Weapons and leather bags were readied and set near the door.
Without being told, they had gathered what she would need for the coming battle. Cassie hoped it would be over soon and she would be back home with them again soon.
Home.
She truly did think of Erla as her home now.
The suburbs of Atlanta seemed like a distant dream, and she vaguely wondered again what had happened to her house, her things...and then she realized that she really didn’t care. The only shadow of sorrow was for the friends she left behind.
She saw they were all staring at her strangely and realized she had been in a daze for a moment, lost in thought.
“Sorry, deep thoughts. Good morning!” she greeted with a bright smile. “Mika, I would speak with you privately,” she said and walked to the food preparation room. Mika followed and closed the door behind them, looking at his Mistress expectantly.
“Mika, I want to thank you for how you have welcomed Taylyn and mentored him. He pleases me greatly, and I know it is your influence. Please continue while I am gone.”
“My Lady, I am humbled by your praise.” Mika was relieved. For a moment, he had thought he had done something wrong. “Taylyn has been no trouble for me. I am sorry for the way his life has been...Such a thing could have happened to any of us. I remember Taylyn from when I was growing up; he was highly favored and even being groomed for the Queen’s mother.”
“Well, I am happy he stumbled into that kitchen . . .” She looked into his face.
Mika was ashamed to feel envy, but he wished he had spent the previous night with her instead of Taylyn. He would love to be alone with his Lady today, since she would be leaving for an uncertain fate tomorrow. They had no doubt of Cassandra’s battle prowess and strength, but, in a battle, any number of things could occur, and accidents did happen.
Cassie pulled Mika’s head down and stared into his eyes for a moment, loving the way they turned into molten gold whenever she was close to him. She put her mouth to his, kissing him softly at first and then more passionately, moving closer as he enveloped her in his arms.
Mika would never question any chance to receive affection from his Lady, and he was thrilled by the attention he was receiving; he would treasure these moments and use them to remember her when she was not there.
Cassie reveled in his kiss and she enjoyed his strong arms being wrapped around her. God, how she loved him. Her eyes flew open, and she broke the kiss, leaving a stunned Mika breathing heavily.
She loved him? Her hand flew to her mouth and Mika reached out to steady her.
“Mistress, are you unwell?” Mika asked with a hint of alarm tingeing his voice.
Cassie’s stomach did flips. She did love him! Her mind raced, and she realized she loved them all, each in different ways. She was in love with her slaves, and, more than that, she was in love with more than one man.
Taking Mika’s hand and looking into his beautiful eyes, she said, “I am fine, Mika.” His concern showed on his face as Cassie took a deep breath, exhaled, and took his face in her hands.
“I love you, Mika.” His eyes closed and reopened. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he could hardly breathe.
She loved him?
His heart felt like it would burst from his chest. “Mistress, I love you so...more than anything I have ever felt,” his words sobbed out in a breath, and she pulled him into her arms and held him.
“Mika, you, Aidan, Kai, Arn, and now Taylyn...You are all so wonderful, so sweet, that I think I have loved you all for a while and just haven’t realized it.” Mika looked up, and at that moment, he did not care she admitted to loving them all. All he knew was that she loved him, and he clutched her tightly to him.
“Come back to me safely, Mistress. I beg you, be safe, and hurry home!” Cassie squeezed him back tightly.
“I will, Mika. I will.”
They rejoined the others after Mika had composed himself.
He felt superior in both the knowledge of her love for him and of the fact that the others did not know yet.
The remainder of the day was spent together with her slaves. Wherever she went, they trailed not far behind, and surprisingly, this didn’t bother her. She wanted them close. They sat, talked, ate, and played games. One of the games turned out to be the card game she had seen
them play before, and to her delight, she discovered it was a gambling game that was very similar to poker.
Her men were chagrined to see her excel because she would wager intimate promises instead of the highly polished stones they used for chips. Each man desperately wanted to be the winner of such prizes.
Cassie hadn’t felt this light-hearted in days, watching their serious looks as they concentrated on winning her favors and laughing at their dismay when they lost.
A knock on the door startled all of them, and Taylyn rose to admit the sword smith’s assistant, who was carrying Cassie’s new sword. She was delighted and admired the workmanship, the balance was perfect, and the handle felt like it had been in her grip for years. The sword smith was clearly a genius.
“I cannot believe how quickly she did this!”
The assistant grinned and bowed saying, “When my Mistress heard of the troubles, she knew you would soon be in battle, and she wanted you to have your own sword in time.”
“Please give her my thanks. Tell her that when I return, this sword will have led us to victory, and I will bring her something of the spoils.” The assistant bowed and headed towards the door. Just before she slipped out the door, however, she turned to Cassie and said, “My Mistress has a preference for females, My Lady.” She then turned away with a laugh.
Cassie smiled ruefully. It seemed she would need to find a comely female slave for her sword smith.
At bedtime that night, Cassie called all of her men to sleep with her. Before the battle, she wanted them all near to her, and as they drifted off to sleep, Cassie prayed she would indeed return safely to her men.
Chapter Nine
Rising early the next morning, Cassie’s men helped her dress in what she would definitely call a Warrior-Princess outfit. It was brown leather vented skirt that went almost to her knees. It was snug around the waist and had thick molded leather cups that supported her breasts. Soft leather shorts completed the ensemble, and she looked down and laughed as she slid her feet into knee-high, lace-up leather boots.
She fastened the scabbard of her new sword to the belt that rode low on her hip. A small knife went into a holder on top of her boot, and matching daggers into slim holders on both sides of her waist. Quickly pulling her hair into a French braid, she looked into the mirror. Her reflection was indeed very Xena-esque, and her mouth curved into a smile at the sight.
Her men, however, wore masks of abject misery that they didn’t even try to conceal. They were so frightened that their beloved Lady wouldn’t return that they didn’t know what to do with themselves except follow her mutely out the door, arms laden with her baggage. When they reached the Palace doors, she sent them ahead to load her things into the supply wagons.
She took a private moment to breathe and center herself. She was ready; she knew that. Physically, she was at her peak and strong. Mentally, however, she wasn’t so sure. She had never taken a life before but she knew she had to do her duty, and she needed to stop the Trevians from harming her people.
Shifting her saddle bag, she squared her shoulders and walked to the Palace steps. The troops had amassed and were mounted, waiting for Cassandra and the Queen.
Her warriors bowed to her. She returned the salute and swung up into the saddle.
Her slaves waited on the steps, and she inclined her head at their obeisance, receiving watery smiles in return.
A fleet of supply wagons filled with provisions and camp slaves awaited the order to commence.
With a flourish of horns, Queen Nera emerged from the Palace, descended the steps, and gracefully mounted her horse. With a wave to the crowd and a nod to her warriors, Nera looked to Cassie to lead out the troops.
Cassie bowed to her liege and turned her mount, waving her arm forward and nudging her horse into a trot. Over five hundred female warriors followed her out of the city with the Queen and Kara at her side.
The day was bright and seemed a poor match for their grim mission. The women went over their plan of attack as they rode, and had decided on a full-out assault. The Trevians totaled no more than a hundred and fifty at present, but they were ferocious fighters, and Nera wanted to see them all dead.
Cassie had decided to hit them hard and fast, hopefully catching them unaware and ending this quickly with no siege.
A siege was unlikely in her opinion because the village had no fortress to garrison the Trevians. The longer the fighting drew out, however, the higher her casualties were likely to be.
It had been decided that no survivors would be left, no prisoners taken. They intended a complete end to the Trevians that day. The slaves and any plunder would be taken back to Erla and distributed to the deserving amongst the ranks.
No survivors…The words echoed through Cassie’s head, and her stomach tightened. She pushed away any thoughts other than those pertaining to what was required of her. The procession seemed to move excruciatingly slow and that only added to her tension.
Nera had attempted to soothe her impatience by reminding her that the number of troops and supplies would require a slower pace. Once they neared the village, they would leave behind the supply wagons and surplus personnel that currently slowed them down. Cassie understood, but she still chafed at the pace.
They traveled throughout the day without stopping to eat, using the travel food they had brought with them instead. Cassie’s men had sent too much, and she shared some of Aidan’s baked goods with Nera and Kara.
“I will give you one hundred gold pieces for him!” Kara cried, tasting the cookie-like treats.
“Nay! I will give you five hundred!” Nera said, and Cassie laughed and shook her head.
“Part with my Aidan? No way. He delights me as well in the bedroom as he does in the kitchen.”
“Careful. You will have to send him to me soon. I am very curious to see how he has put that smile on your face.” Nera laughed back.
“Your Highness, I shall be honored for you to enjoy Aidan. Kara, I make this offer to you as well. Just let me know when you wish for him to come to you,” Cassie said.
“No, no. I change my mind. I want a night with that big blond beauty of yours!” Kara joined in.
“Very well! When we return, I will send them to you both…But remember, you cannot keep them.” They all laughed at her words.
The force rode through the forest making small talk that was occasionally interrupted by a warrior bringing in reports on the state of the troops. There had been no incidents along the way, and they were relieved.
They had brought one of the younger physicians and nearly every physician’s assistant in the city. The Queen’s physician and a handful of helpers remained to care for the citizens of Erla. The medical personnel were safely quartered in a covered wagon near the end of the procession.
It was nearly dusk when they called a halt. The warriors began setting up camp, and a dozen or so came to set up tents for the Queen, Cassie, and Kara.
Kara took charge of ordering the night guards as the camp settled, and they smelled the rich aroma of meat being grilled over open fires. Fortunately, they were far enough from the settlement that the fires and torches wouldn’t give their position or intent away.
Cassie’s concern was getting enough warriors into the village before the Trevians had a chance to arm themselves fully. She reminded herself that the Erlans had a superior force, she was still concerned for the welfare of her warriors and the success of the mission. This was her first real battle and test of her leadership.
The women talked it over thoroughly, and acknowledged there was no real hope to catch the Trevians completely unawares, but they would have very limited time to plan a defense strategy.
Cassie’s concern for the warriors was very clear to Nera and Kara.
“There will be casualties, Cassandra. There always are. Such is the way of warfare. You will lose some, but you have trained them well and given them the advantages of your unique fighting skills, so you have done all that you can.” The Qu
een smiled sadly. “It is never easy, You will become accustomed to the losses after a time.”
The day had been long and grueling, fatigue was quickly settling in on them. They disbanded and went to their tents. Cassie looked down upon her bed roll, that was surprisingly comfortable looking, and she smiled because she knew her men had arranged this for her.
She ached for them, wishing to be lying in any of their arms, but Cassie knew that by this time the next day, the battle should be over and hopefully would be won. Then, she would return to the men she loved so dearly.
She left her clothes on, removing only her boots before lying down. She rolled onto her stomach and fell asleep faster than she would have thought possible.
Chapter Ten
The following morning, Cassie awoke refreshed and as ready as she could be for what she would have to do this day.
After pulling her boots on, she lifted the tent flap and saw some warriors had already begun cooking a morning meal. She walked towards the fire and smiled at the warriors who sat around it.
They scrambled up and bowed. Cassie gestured for them to sit.
“Are we ready?” she asked them.
“Yes, My Lady. We are.” they chorused, smiles on their faces.
“I want you all to be careful and help each other when you can. I want to see us all home in Erla in two days, laughing and bragging of our prowess.” Cassie said as she looked each warrior in the eye.
“Yes, Lady. To victory!” They raised their cups and drank, so Cassie took up some tea and joined their toast.
Moments later, Nera and Kara joined them and they ate breakfast together.
Once the camp was dismantled and they had mounted they rode towards the captive village.
Several hours passed before they neared the outskirts of the village. Advance scouts were sent to report, and as they rode up to Cassie, she could see the gleam in their eyes.
“Your Highness, Lady Cassandra, they are not stirring much this morning. It appears they had a celebration last night, and many of them over imbibed.” The scout was excited and her fingers caressed the hilt of her sword.
