Worlds Apart

by Stein Willard

  Her eyes widened at the threat, but just as irked as she was at the gall of the man, she couldn’t help but take pleasure in his arrogance. Her hands were trembling slightly as she reached for the hem of her nightdress. She had never undressed before a man and she had never thought that she would ever have cause. The experience was incredibly nerve-wracking. Over the years, she had found that female lovers were much more forgiving of their bed partners’ shortcomings. Maybe because willing bed partners were difficult to come by, considering societal restrictions. Or maybe, because women, rather than men, realized that there was more to a woman than a pretty face or a large dowry.

  As she lifted the sheer cloth over her head, she wondered what Pope was thinking. He only sat there, quiet, his dark eyes sharp as they followed her movements. Naked, the urge to cover herself up was hard to resist. He held out her his hand and Tia blinked at him.

  “Come closer, milady.”

  Tia hesitated. She hadn’t expected this. Truth be told, she had expected him to order her to lie on the bed and then have him mount her. “What are you doing?”

  “I want you to straddle my lap.” The dark eyes held hers as he murmured the words. Tia exhaled shakily. This was too much. She would not be able to look him in the eyes while they… She shook her head.

  “I can’t.”

  Pope smiled, his dimples showing. “I promise you’ll like it. A lot.” His hand still hung in the air, still Tia hesitated. “You know by now that I won’t hurt you, Tia.”

  She studied his eyes, his smile and then his hand. This was a man she knew and trusted. No matter how dangerous he was. He wouldn’t hurt her. She placed her hand in his larger one.

  ***

  Oasis was almost wild with want for this beautiful creature. When her aunt had left the room, her eyes encouraging Oasis to stay, Oasis had doubted that she would be able to go through with what was expected from her. Especially not when Tia had acted like she had the upper hand and home-based advantage. Then and there the realisation had struck her that the respectable Pope had to make way for Oasis, aka The Maverick.

  And it worked.

  Tia had immediately responded to the authoritative Maverick. Her aggressive seduction tactic and sharp tongue had shrunk before the forceful persona. But even then, Oasis hadn’t wanted Tia to fear her. The schedule for Oasis’ seduction of Tia had been pushed up and the venue and timing could’ve been better, but there was no way that Oasis was going to compromise on the experience. She was going to give Tia what she needed and more.

  “Like this?”

  Oasis was immediately pulled from her musing by the timid query. Her heart began to hammer against her chest again at finding a naked Tia straddling her lap. The heady combination of sweat and arousal spurred Oasis into action and she gently placed her hands upon Tia’s hips. “I want you to stop me if I do anything you feel uncomfortable with.” She looked up into Tia’s eyes. “I promise I will stop immediately.”

  Tia trembled slightly under her touch as Oasis pulled her closer, her lips closing over a hardened nipple. She heard a soft gasp and began to suck. It felt almost surreal for Oasis to have the most sought-after woman in Britain sitting naked in her lap while Oasis was gently sucking on her nipple. She felt a tremor running through Tia’s body and she switched breasts, her hand stroking down the satin smooth skin to the coarse curls. Looking up, she found Tia looking intently at her. Having the blonde’s full attention now, Oasis’s hand slid lower and she joined Tia in a soft moan when her fingers slipped into the wet heat between the blonde’s legs. She grazed her thumb over the proud swollen clit and smiled around the nipple in her mouth when Tia gasped again. The blonde wouldn’t last long— and that was okay with Oasis. They didn’t have much time left before dawn anyway and there were so many things she still wanted to do to the duchess.

  She began to thrust inside Tia, her tongue mimicking the act around the hardened nipple. Tia’s eyes were shut tightly, her head thrown back as her hips began to slowly undulate. Oasis placed her hand in the middle of Tia’s back.

  “Now you need to hold on for me, duchess, for it is going to get a little bumpy.”

  ***

  Two years had been a long time, Tia thought, as she felt herself stretch to accommodate Pope’s fingers as he eased into her. She arched her back outwardly so she could push herself onto his invading fingers. When he was as deep as he could go, she rolled her hips to adjust to the pressure inside her. She looked down into his eyes and found them glowing with a fierce light.

  “You are so incredibly tight, milady. I like it.” His voice sounded foreign, it was so deep. Tia blushed at the crude remark, but her body seemed to love it, for she felt a wave of wetness ooze from her, coating the strong hand between her legs. “Oh, you’ll need to hold on now.” Tia gasped when he withdrew his fingers and thrust them back inside. The power behind the hand almost unseated her and Tia quickly curled her arms around Pope’s neck, holding on for dear life as his arm moved between her legs. She arched her back and timing the thrust of her hips with his. She gasped every time they come together deep inside. A tingle in her toes made her lose her rhythm for a moment. She locked eyes with Pope.

  “You feel it, don’t you?” He licked his lips and knowing that she was watching him, he licked her nipple. “Imagine my mouth down there, Tia. Doing the most delicious things to you.” Tia had an image of Pope between her legs, his tongue on her clit. The image caused the burn to move from her toes to her knees, making them tremble.

  “Come for me, my darling. Let yourself go.” Pope’s fingers curled up and Tia felt them graze the sensitive spot deep inside of her. At that same moment, the buzz hit her between her legs. With her whole body going into spasm, Tia opened her mouth to scream but no sound was forthcoming. She had fallen backwards as her body was wracked by tremors and had it not been for Pope’s strong arm around her, she would’ve crashed to the floor.

  ***

  Oasis felt her own clit jerk as she also came at the sight of Tia’s spectacular climax. She looked up from where her head had fallen on the trembling woman’s chest. Tia arms were flung wide and her body was gleaming with a sheen of sweat. Lower down, her thighs were still twitching, coated with a wetness. Suddenly eager to continue with the night, Oasis pulled Tia into her arms and on wobbly legs, carried her around the bed to lay her in the middle. She moved between Tia’s legs.

  “Wh…what are you doing?” Tia looked dazed as she looked down at Oasis from where Oasis’ head was cradled between the trembling thighs.

  “Cleaning up after myself, milady,” Oasis teased. She held the dazed blue eyes as she languidly dragged her tongue over the spent clit. Tia’s eyes widened instantly.

  “Oh my!”

  Oasis didn’t miss the fact that not once during her ministrations down there, did Tia look away. Except for closing her eyes on a few brief intervals, the blue eyes studied Oasis with rapt attention as Oasis used her tongue to pleasure the blonde.

  “Oh, I think…” Tia’s face was pulled in a mask of tortured pleasure as she fell back, her body quivering through her orgasm.

  Three hours later, Oasis let herself out of the room. The hallway was empty and Oasis was relieved not to have to deal with Burton at that hour. Especially, not so soon after she had thoroughly ravished the woman he considered his sister.

  At least Tia was sleeping now and hopefully the potion had run its course.

  XIV

  ‘The King’s Strategy’

  Oasis touched the welt gingerly. How she had cheated death that time was still a mystery. A knock on the door made her quickly right her clothing. “Enter.”

  Caleb strode in, a half-smoked cigarette between his lips. “He’s still refusing to give up the location of their safe houses.” He walked over to the fireplace and threw a few more logs on the fire. Oasis, in turn, poured him a healthy amount of brandy. It was one of the coldest nights she had ever experienced in Britain. Before coming to the inn, she had spent a good three ho
urs scouring the streets of Fairfield and Glenville for the homeless and had them transferred to the soup kitchen. They would have to remain there until the cold front blew over.

  Her presence on the street had been accepted with almost joyous abandon and Oasis believed that was what had sent Durham into hiding. With his second in command missing and his soldiers turning up stiff, any crime lord worth his salt, would run for cover. Caleb accepted the glass with a huge smile and immediately took a long sip.

  “It’s been three days, Caleb. I say we deal with him and find Durham ourselves. Since we have the roads and the docks under surveillance, I believe he is hiding right under our noses.”

  Caleb nodded. “When you say deal with him…”

  “I mean I want to talk to him personally.”

  “Fine by me. In the meantime, I’ve had word that the Merry Belle is but a few days out.”

  Oasis smiled at the news. “That’s good to hear. You keep me updated.” She drained her glass and looked at Caleb. “Are you going to be long?”

  With a grimace, Caleb finished his drink. “You get to drink this high-end stuff all the time and therefore do not fully appreciate its taste.”

  “In that case, bring the bottle with you,” Oasis threw over her shoulder as she left the room.

  ***

  “Your Grace! Lady Tia!”

  Tia spun around and smiled when she saw her friend Lady Penelope rushing towards her. Rushing was probably too loose a term to use in this case. The Royal Palace had its own rules of decorum. Ladies of nobility should adhere to them or face a lengthy ban from the Palace. She waited until her friend had caught up with her.

  “Hey! I’ve been calling your name almost five times. Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

  “I have an audience with the queen.” Tia said quickly. She didn’t want to go into the long explanation that she had woken this morning with an urgent missive from the queen waiting for her. She didn’t know why she was summoned and she wasn’t going to speculate. What she knew she wanted to do, was to discuss an idea she had for poverty alleviation in the poorest neighbourhoods. If the queen could bend the king’s ear, areas like Fairfield and Glenville would see a great improvement.

  “Lady Miriam Pembroke has one of her ‘Naughty Ladies’ Nights’ planned for the weekend. Will we see you there?” Tia felt her neck heating up and noticing that made Penny chuckle. “For someone with such a liberal outlook on life, you can be flustered so easily. I don’t want you to keep the queen waiting, but think about it. It would be great to have you there.” Lady Penelope walked away and left Tia flustered and with her heart beating thunderously in her chest. It’s been three days since that night and she had tried her utmost best not to think of anything remotely sexual or erotic in case it brought up images and memories of that night.

  And she had been doing so well.

  Until Penny. And Lady Miriam with her naughty nights. She lifted her hands and found them trembling slightly. Bloody Penny! Now she had lost her focus and the queen would quickly pick up on it. Speaking of the queen; she couldn’t let the woman wait. She made her way to the queen’s private drawing room on somewhat unsteady legs. As she neared the door, the guards quickly opened it and Tia saw the queen sitting at her writing desk. From where she stood, it was evident that the other woman was greatly troubled.

  “Her Grace, Lady Tia Bellingham, the Duchess of Camphor,” the courtier announced her presence.

  The queen looked up and Tia noticed that not even a smile could hide the queen’s distress. She curtsied deeply.

  “Your Majesty.”

  “Lady Tia. It’s been a while, my dear.”

  “It has been, Your Majesty.” The queen took Tia’s hand and led her over to the sitting area. Tia had been in this room too many times to remember, but not once had she felt as discomfited as she did right now. She couldn’t help but feel that whatever had the queen so concerned, had to do with her.

  “So, tell me. What have you been up to since the last time we saw each other?” The queen tried hard to sound cheerful, but her eyes were still dark with distress.

  “Not much, Your Majesty. I’ve spent the bulk of my time volunteering at the St. Moira’s hospice. It’s such a joy to spend time with the babies.”

  “I know. I have ten of my own, but to this day, I still find myself completely smitten with babies.” A servant entered with a tray of tea. They waited until she had left before they continued their discussion. “I’ve heard about the gang war in the slums. How did it affect the hospice? Were you not scared?”

  Tia smiled. “Not at all, Your Majesty. My time spent there has accorded me the opportunity to make friends and they protected me every time I found myself in the area.”

  The queen blinked. “You ventured to other areas besides the hospice?”

  “I promise you that I was always safe. Yes, I’ve visited the soup kitchen once and found it to be a great and valuable social mission for the poor.” Tia saw the queen’s eyes gleam with excitement. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad time to run her idea by the queen now that they were discussing the social projects in the slums. “It was during my time there that I noticed how truly impoverished these areas really are. Even those who are lucky to find work, still struggle to make ends meet. They, too, can be found queuing up at the soup kitchen.” She took a sip from her tea, thrilled to find that she still had the queen’s attention. “I’ve been running a few ideas through my mind on how to somewhat remedy the situation. I was hoping to call for an audience with you to discuss them.”

  The queen shrugged. “How about now?”

  Tia smiled broadly and was shocked to find that the queen looked even sadder at the sight of Tia’s smile. Something was off and the queen was not going to say anything until she was ready. “Well, I found that after a few discreet discussions with well-placed sources, that not all employers are fair with regards to their employees’ remunerations. Draconian rules allow these unscrupulous employers to deduct more than half of an employee’s wages when they fall ill or miss work due to work-related accidents.”

  The queen looked stunned. “That can’t be legal.”

  “No, it’s not, Your Majesty, but they have the law and strong political connections to hide behind.”

  The queen shook her head. “I thought we were creating more work opportunities to ensure every citizen has a share in the wealth and prosperity of the kingdom.” She looked genuinely dismayed and Tia quickly jumped in to assure her friend and monarch.

  “And you did your part for your citizens, Your Majesty. It’s the corrupt and greedy middlemen who line the pockets of even more corrupt individuals who divert your vision of a prosperous Britain.”

  “So, what do you suggest, Lady Tia? I have known you long enough to know that you are not one to stare yourself blind against a problem. Do you have a solution?”

  Tia blushed. “Maybe not a solution, yet, Your Majesty, but an idea for a possible solution.”

  “Let me hear it.”

  “An average wage barrier for all in their respective industries. If a miner gets 4 pounds 3 pence, then that should be the average for all miners across the board. Wages according to experience and years spent could vary to the discretion of the employer, but the entry wage for all should be 4 pound 3 pence. This way, each and every miner can afford decent housing and basic commodities. On top of that, labour laws should be revised to accord them compassionate and sick leave. Workplace injury expenses should be shouldered by the employer.” Tia took a sip of her tea.

  The queen looked intrigued. “It sounds like an excellent idea. However, I’m sure you’ve also anticipated any downsides to such an idea.”

  Tia nodded. “We could be faced with massive layoffs and that is in addition to the outcry from big industry leaders. This might not even get passed by the king for a vote.”

  The queen smiled. “You leave the king to me, my dear. How do you envision to make this work considering the fact that many might lose their
work?”

  “Be selective when it comes to awarding public contracts. A business needs to adhere to all the above-mentioned criteria. Secondly, a contract will be awarded depending on the size of the labour force of a business. A larger workforce will ensure that you are favourably placed as a beneficiary.”

  The queen giggled, making her green eyes dance with mirth. “The poor man who marries you will not know what has hit him.” Tia stiffened and the queen, realizing her slip stared at Tia with wide eyes. “Oh, Tia…”

  ***

  Oasis rolled the brandy in her mouth before swallowing it. Caleb was right. It was a great brandy. Maybe she should find the time to start enjoying the smaller things in life. Since she could fend for herself, she had always chased after what had been perceived as the unattainable. There was her grandmother. She had tried to win the old lady’s affection and every time had been brushed aside with obvious distaste. At least she had rendered the old dragon speechless once when she had read a Latin text and gave a flawless translation of the piece. Even her tutor had sat in stunned silence. That was much better than love. Since then, they had treated her with a lot more respect and her grandmother had started to ask her to stay longer to help her with the translations of her foreign correspondence.

  Then there was the Antler, a deer twice her height with antlers that touched the branches of trees when it walked in the forest. Everyone in the camp wanted to be the one to take down the majestic animal. She had proved that with a bit of knowledge from a book about an indigenous tribe in the colonies and a spear, the impossible was attainable. Those two were some of her earliest memories of how resilient she was when faced with a challenge. Those were also the events which set her path as she grew to adulthood.

  It’s a shame that she had literally rushed through life and forgotten that it was the journey and not the destination that counted. She took another sip of the brandy. Already there was a new challenge on…