by S. J. Lewis
“How am I supposed to eat it?” she asked. She knew the answer as soon as she asked.
“Watch and learn,” Goatee chuckled. Mana had sat up. He slid another bowl towards her, and she immediately got on all fours, brushing her hair back with her hand. She crouched low over the bowl and began eating as a dog would. Even in that pose, her body looked perfect. Corliss copied her. The food was nice and hot, but not too hot. She began gobbling it down. As she did, she felt Goatee begin stroking her back gently. It felt good after all the rough use her body had been subjected to that day. She kept on eating, and Goatee began talking.
“We’ve got a proposition for you, Corliss,” he said.
“A proposition? ‘We’?” Corliss paused her eating long enough to ask. Goatee chuckled.
“Yes, ‘we’,” he said. “I was going to wait for a couple of days to put it to you, but this seems as good a time as any.”
Corliss kept eating. She felt starved, and wished that there was a bit more food in the bowl.
“I guess you were really hungry,” Goatee observed. “Anyway, we were wondering if you’d like to work for us.”
“Work for you?” The question was so utterly unexpected that she stopped eating and sat up to look at him, licking her lips.
“Yes,” he nodded. “That’s why we had you come all the way out here this time, so we could evaluate you.”
“Evaluate me?” Corliss asked. She suddenly felt silly asking questions like that.
“Yes,” Mana replied from behind her. She slid her arms around Corliss and hugged her close. One hand was around Corliss’ waist. The other was draped over her shoulder. Mana’s hand gently cupped Corliss’ breast.
“I’m…confused…” Corliss gulped. She didn’t try to pull away from Mana. The other woman’s touch felt too good.
“Think of us as a private club,” Goatee smiled. “We’ve got chapters all over the country. We’re very well funded, and very secretive. We like our privacy. It protects us, and it protects the women who come to us for fun and games.”
“Ah…okay…” Corliss nodded. She was still hungry, but she had to hear this out.
“We have some women working for us,” Goatee continued. “Not many, but they perform a vital function. Think of them as referees. If they see that one of our playmates is being pushed a little too hard, or starting to freak out, they step in. We want to keep our women happy and horny so that they come back again. Still confused?”
A little,” Corliss nodded warily. “Why me?”
“Well, first of all, you’re a natural. Also, you came all this way on your own. We gave you plenty of time and chances to back out, and you didn’t. Plus, you’re a very attractive young woman.”
“I see…” Corliss frowned. It made sense, in a strange sort of way. It was also exciting, in an even stranger sort of way. She felt Mana’s warm breath on her neck and shoulder, and it also felt exciting.
“But…work for you?” she said. “How?”
“It depends,” Mana purred into her ear. “If you agree, we will keep you here for more training. Some of that can be very rough, and even painful. I enjoyed it very much.”
“Rough?” Corliss cursed herself for sounding silly again.
“A bit rough,” Goatee picked up the conversation. “We have to test your limits. We might have to push those limits a bit.” He grinned at her. “You’re a spectacular cocksucker. We’ll teach you some deep throat techniques.” His grin sharpened. “We’ll also introduce you to anal sex. Still interested?”
“Uh…” Corliss gulped.
“We will also train you to make love to other women,” Mana murmured. Her hand squeezed Corliss’ breast gently, and Corliss shivered. “Uh…” she repeated.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” Goatee said. “You don’t even have to decide tomorrow. In any case, we’ll be keeping you here for the rest of the week you’d signed up for. Sleep on it. Think about it.” He winked at her.
***
Corliss lay on her side at the end of the pen, watching as Goatee gently and carefully brushed out Mana’s gorgeous long hair. Mana, on all fours, seemed to enjoy the grooming. Her dark nipples were puffy and she kept making tiny moans of pleasure. Goatee occasionally caressed Mana’s perfect body as he worked. It was as if he couldn’t keep his hands off of it. Sometimes when he did that, Mana would open her eyes and give Corliss a long, steamy look that made Corliss shiver again. She had fooled around with other women a little back in college, but had never really gone too far. Now she was wondering what she might have missed.
She didn’t have to decide now. She didn’t have to decide tomorrow. But, sooner or later, she would have to decide. Corliss hugged herself and lay quietly. She didn’t have much to go back to. Amy hadn’t gone to the police after they’d been released, but she had started a nasty and effective whispering campaign that had dried up almost all of Corliss’ prospects. She shook her head and returned to the here and now. What would Goatee do once he was done brushing Mana’s long, glossy mane? If he came to her, Corliss knew that she would do just about anything he wanted…except for the anal sex part. She felt herself puckering up as she thought about that. If she accepted their offer, she also left herself open for it. It would hurt, she was sure…but what else would it feel like?
If Goatee just left her alone with Mana, the lovely little Asian would come to her, she was sure…and she wondered what that would feel like too. She looked at one of Mana’s swollen nipples and imagined it in her mouth…or Mana’s tongue in her mouth…or in her pussy. She could feel herself getting wet at just the thought of it, and then she wondered what Mana would taste like.
She didn’t have to decide right away. Maybe not, but it felt as if on some level she’d already decided. She didn’t have to tell them about it right away.
The Countess And The General
“You do not seem at all surprised to see me,” The Countess of Sciarre smiled prettily as she leaned back in the chair she had appropriated upon entering. She had unerringly chosen the most comfortable chair in the room. The fact that it was his chair would have meant nothing to her even if he bothered to tell her. She was still in her traveling clothes: Fine, embroidered wool of the very best quality, all browns and dark greens with an occasional bit of red, long-sleeved, high-necked and full-skirted. Unadorned but elegant boots of soft tan leather completed her ensemble. She had unbound her hair, and now it flowed around her head and shoulders like a pale golden halo. There was still some color in her cheeks from the chill winter air outside. She was lovely. But then, the Countess Angelica always looked lovely. He peered into her sky-blue eyes and smiled back. There was nothing angelic about her, in spite of her name. Those eyes showed it, even if they rarely revealed anything else.
“On the contrary, milady,” he bowed slightly from the waist. “I am astonished to see you. I am just very skilled in concealing my thoughts. But I am wondering…” he poured a goblet of dark red wine and offered it to her. She stretched out her arm and took it in one slim-fingered hand. Her enigmatic smile did not change. It rarely did. She wore it as habitually as a soldier wore his armor. It always suggested that she knew more about things than others did. It also suggested to men that she knew exactly what they were thinking and found it amusing. But then, any hale man in her vicinity could scarcely keep himself from thinking of one particular subject when confronted by such an achingly desirable woman. Her beauty was her most apparent weapon: It could stab like a spear, slash like a sword, or crush like a mace. Her keenest weapon, though, was her sharp and agile mind.
“You were wondering?” she prompted as she settled back in his chair. She took a small sip of the wine, gazing up at him over the rim of the goblet.
He poured himself his own goblet of wine instead of replying. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire on the hearth.
“I was wondering what could bring you so far from court in so inhospitable a season,” he said as he se
ttled into a less desirable chair facing her. He leaned back and took a drink.
“Always the warrior,” she laughed. Her laugh always reminded him of small bells chiming, or water chuckling along a rocky stream. “No expression of surprise and delight at my appearance here, no fulsome compliments at the rare honor I have bestowed upon you, no fawning obeisance. Just a question that cuts right to the heart of the matter.”
“I know that you receive compliments and praise and obeisance aplenty at court,” he said. “I would not think that you came here seeking more of the same.”
“Ah, that is true!” She nodded, just the briefest bob of that lovely golden head. She sighed. “The fact is, this winter at court has been a most dreary time: Lesser nobles whose only conversation is about farming or breeding livestock, greater nobles scheming to get their hands on each others’ lands…or titles…or wives, or daughters.”
“I have spent time at court myself, milady,” he said. “Is it not always like that, no matter what season?”
She laughed again. He heard the chiming bells. “Of course it is!” she responded. “And you always stood out when you were there, like a lion in a flock of sheep. I noticed that immediately, the first moment I saw you.” Her smile widened. “And so did all the other ladies at court. Surely you noticed that the men there barely dared to approach you, while the women could not seem to keep away?”
He let his own smile widen. “Is that why you are here now?” he asked. “Because you could not keep away?”
She waved a hand. “I came because I was bored,” she replied. “I go where I will, General.”
That was true. Very few at the Imperial court were free to leave whenever they chose. Some were there to petition the Emperor for some boon or favor. They could not leave without an audience, or at least an answer delivered by some functionary. Some were there to protect their interests from others. And some were there because the emperor had ‘requested’ their presence. The last was an effective way to keep an eye on potential troublemakers. But Sciarre was an ancient holding with some peculiar inherited rights and privileges, and the lovely Angelica made frequent use of them.
“So,” he said. “Now that you are here, what do you think of Andallene?”
She dimpled and took another small sip of her wine before she answered. “What I have seen of it so far is very interesting, General,” she said. “Very rustic. A very male place.”
“It is an army encampment, milady, above all else.”
“Yes, indeed. I felt quite daring coming here on my own.”
Only the Countess Angelica would think of traveling in two coaches, with one handmaid, two additional maids, assorted male servants and an escort of two dozen men-at-arms as traveling ‘on her own’. It had been a task to find lodging for them all.
“It is dangerous to travel through these territories in the winter, milady,” he said. “There are still wolves about, both the four-legged and two-legged kind.”
“Are you trying to frighten me, General?”
“No. That would be foolish of me. I am simply advising you.”
“Surely you and your soldiers can at least keep the roads safe.”
“As safe as can be, milady. But this is a wild land, and very near the border.”
Her eyes showed mirth. “Very much like you, I think,” she said. She leaned forward and set her goblet down on the small table between them and then lounged back, one arm raised and bent over her golden head. “I could have my pick of the men at court,” she mused. “Why, then, do I find myself drawn to such a rude, rough-hewn soldier as you?”
“Perhaps, my lady, because the men at court never forget that you are a countess, while I never forget that you are a beautiful woman.”
“Ah,” her smile seemed to be a challenge now. “So you enjoy taking me down a peg or two?”
A courtier, at that point, would have been reduced to a stammering, red-faced heap looking for something to crawl under. He was no courtier. “Is that how you see it, my lady?”
“Just like the first time,” she sighed, looking upwards for a moment.
“Just like what first time?” he asked.
“The first time we met at court,” she said. “Surely you remember.”
“I do indeed, milady. It is not every day that I am challenged to a duel by a woman.”
She laughed again, a deeper laugh this time, not so suggestive of tinkling bells, and reached for her goblet. She took a deep draught of it. Now she seemed a bit uncertain, perhaps even nervous. This was an interesting development. Was she worried that he would send her packing back to court?
“I used to do that with every new man at court,” she went on. “It was never truly a duel, my dear general, merely a passage at arms. I wanted to test my skill. Until you, no man had ever bested me.”
“I think it was not in their hearts to truly fight you, milady. Yet, you made it impossible for them to refuse. Since you are an excellent swordswoman with your light rapier, their fates were sealed.” He was certain that she had counted on that. As fine a swordswoman as she might be, it never hurt to have some advantage.
“And then you showed up in the dueling hall with that monstrous heavy broadsword.”
“As the challenged party, I had the choice of weapons. You had said nothing about which weapons could be used.”
She laughed once more and stood up, looking down at him, still holding her goblet. “And that was my undoing,” she said. “At first I hoped you would not be fast with so heavy a weapon. But you were! With your very first blow you sent my rapier spinning from my hand! The next I knew, the point of your sword was at my throat and you were calling for me to yield.”
“I saw no reason to hold back. You relied on quickness. I relied on strength.”
She tilted her head to one side. Her enigmatic smile was back. “And you forced me to yield. I had never yielded before.”
“As I remember, you were furious.”
“I was, indeed! When I came to your quarters that evening to hear what forfeit you claimed, the news was buzzing all through the court, and that made me even more furious. I thought that I knew what you would demand from me. And then…all you wanted to do was feed me strawberries.”
That was not exactly all he had done. There had been fine brandy and rich whipped cream to go with those strawberries. She had watched, puzzled at first, as he dipped the first strawberry into the bowl of brandy, and then into the bowl of whipped cream before he presented it to her, telling her that she must eat from his hand. He had expected that she would see that as a dare, and that her nature would make her unable to refuse it. He had been right. It had been a most unusual and very effective seduction.
“Do you know what I was wondering halfway through that bowl of fruit?” she asked. There was color in her cheeks again, but not from the cold.
“In truth, milady, I do not.”
“I was wondering: What is he going to do when there are no more strawberries?”
“Ah,” he smiled up at her, wondering why she was reliving their first meeting. “I am afraid that there are no strawberries available at this time of year.”
“A pity,” she sighed as she stepped closer to him. She smelled faintly of flowers. He recalled that she always smelled of flowers, regardless of the season or the circumstances. Her smile took on a conspiratorial quality as she continued. “But I am sure that you will think of something equally interesting for our private dinner later.”
She had just invited herself to dinner with him. Well, he was not of a mind to refuse. “I will see what I can do, milady.”
***
“So, what have you learned?” he asked.
Evangeline shrugged expressively. She was dressed as a pageboy, and was small enough and slender enough to be convincing in that costume. She had been assisting in finding quarters for the countess’ entourage, with instructions to keep her eyes and ears open.
“Nothing of interest, my lord,” she said. “Her servants and
guards are convinced that this is simply another of the countess’ whims.”
“Well, they may be right, but something about this bothers me. Long travel is usually too uncomfortable for her. And it is now winter, which would make it doubly uncomfortable.”
“You suspect some plot, my lord?” Her hand came up to rest on the hilt of the dagger at her waist. She had, no doubt, a stiletto concealed in one or both of her high boots and another blade hidden somewhere about her person. She stood proudly. One would never guess that he had rescued her from a gang of street toughs in the reeking stews of Sepire five years ago. She had been a woeful sight them. A gang of street toughs had brought her to bay, trapping her in a short blind alley. Ragged, dirty and half-starved, like so many of the city’s poor, she had still spat defiance at them as she gripped the hilt of an old knife that had the point broken off. She had seemed to him like a half-grown wild kitten desperately facing down a pack of hounds, and at that point he simply had to intervene. He’d left two of the toughs bleeding their lives away on the filthy cobblestones. The survivors had fled into the night, one of them limping badly and unlikely to survive for long.
When you save a cat, or a dog, it becomes your responsibility. Evangeline had been with him ever since. She had nowhere else to go, and no family that she knew of. Now, after years of tutoring and training, she was his most loyal and effective spy.
“Always,” he answered her. “See if you can find out more from her servants. I will make sure that her guards have plenty to eat and drink and some sympathetic ears to listen to anything they might say.”
“At once, my lord.” Evangeline bowed from the waist exactly as a well-trained page would before turning to leave. She did not like the countess, he knew. Few women did. If there was anything at all suspicious about this extraordinary visit, Evangeline would ferret it out. In the meantime, he had his own preparations to see to.
***
“The food is quite good,” the countess remarked. “Even delicious.”
