The Dragon's Den

by Katy Katz

  "Fuck me, Maker" Haley yelled.

  Haley's world felt like a roller coaster or color feelings, pain, love, pleasure, and she found herself coughing she didn't know why, but everything felt incredible. Her throat felt scratchy. Had she been loud?

  Was it minutes?

  "Stop."

  Isabela pulled out and cupped her hand touching her feeling the after shocks as Haley's body shook.

  It was Isabela for once who took Haley in her arms. Haley wasn't quite sure what all she felt, though she felt a tear slip outside her eyes and dampen her short-cropped hair.

  "Maker." Haley choked.

  "That's why you should trust your pirate at least twice a day. I'm glad the neighbors got to hear me taking care of you for once." Isabela with that twinkle in her eye she had of late and let her weight fall down on Haley who tokk her in her arms for a greedy well- earned kiss.

  Haley's body was sore from being clenched that long in, was it just orgasms? Maker. She stretch from underneath Isabela, and Isabela never did tire of Haley's muscles.

  She was amazingly strong, but not bulky, just tensile strength. Still she loved to feel her abs as she gripped them under her hands.

  Isabela held her for a long time saying nothing. Haley wasn't sure what to ask.

  "What was that?"

  "That is something that supposedly can happen if you love or trust someone enough. It happened with me about six weeks ago, though I'd see if it would work on you. I know the mechanics, but it requires a whole bunch of trust."

  Haley pushed Isabela off with a delighted sigh and a final moan.

  "I see." Haley said. "Normal people have that during sex?"

  "Multiple orgasms? Most women don't have them ever, certainly not with someone else in the room. I've never heard of it happening with a man, unless your doing it yourself. All these years, I never once bothered to give you a real…I am a shit." Isabela started. "Then again, I don't know that you would have let me before a few weeks ago. That toy changed you. That orgasm. You mixing love with sex."

  Haley was shocked. Incredulous. "Me mixing love with sex? What about you?"

  "What? We all know I never do it. It's not surprise there. Of course, everything has changed for me. I've never mixed love in with another person, much less in the bedroom, but you…you pretend you have…you never have." The pirate leaned against the bed smirking.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Oh, you talk a good game Haley, but you were about emotionally invested in this, whatever this was I was." The Rivani gestured leaving her one armored arm and one red sash to shrug for her to the heavans.

  "Relationship is the word escaping you." Haley said, amused.

  "Relationship. Whatever. Bundle it up and call it a bunny. You were just as shocked as I was to bring up love during sex and have your eyes roll in the back of your head." Haley had started to get off the bed, but Isabela pushed her back down without protest. Straddling her. "You didn't know what love was anymore than I did. You still don't. I still don't. All you know…okay to be fair…all I know…if it feel bloody incredible and I want to see where it goes. I'm willing to risk it. Yes, the sex is great, but it's been great. There just seems to be something more. I want to see what that something more is. I know it's a big risk, but maybe you're worth it. Maybe I'm worth it." Isabela bit at Haley's bottom lip sucking it in her mouth.

  Haley bit back.

  Instead of getting more complex the kiss just got simpler. Haley held Isabela closer, but ran her hand through her hair.

  Isabela Let her hair and and neck fall back and she laughed.

  "What's so funny?" Haley asked. Her hair more fussy than usual after their morning tryst. Isabela liked it and decided to mess with it more.

  "I was just thinking about something that Rivani Seer said to me about the talisman and the toy that one would boost the other. If love was involved it could bring the ultimate joy, bestow the ultimate gift that two women could never have. I laughed at the time and told her I didn't see how you could get a ship out of a dildo."

  "What did she say? What did you mean? What is this ultimate gift?" Haley asked suspiciously.

  "A way a Rivani seer gets 10 sovereign out of someone for a strap-on". Isabela sighed. "I don't know, it's like the sales pitch crap my mom used to used for anything. She knew I had a lover that was a woman, so she sold it to me using that kind of sales pitch. I was wearing a love talisman so I was seeking love or fertility, that's what these are used for…so that's how she's going to angel the sale. Didn't think the damn dildo would work that well. Hell of a ride. We should go pick up another one. That kind of orgasm might be worth it. I like to watch you have your eyes roll in the back of your head, though this morning was pretty nice too."

  "What was the pitch exactly? Do you remember?"

  "It's been a while, and I'd been drinking…who pays 10 gold for a magic dildo? I just remember it two women declared their love, and it was deemed to be true, that they would blessed with the ultimate gift two women could in love could never naturally have together or some such rubbish."

  "You are kidding?"

  "I just got it for a hell of an anniversary present. Glad it worked. Hell of a toy. You're right, we should buy another one." Isabela said remembering the orgasm after that round.

  "'Bela. You've been sick every morning for over a couple of months since we used that... toy. I think we need to go see a healer."

  "Haley what are you on about?" Isabela was positively annoyed. "You're as bad as Merrill and Big Girl. I'm glowing. Do I look like I'm glowing to you? Can you see me easier at night?"

  "They have a point."

  "Did you not just have your first multiple orgasms or did I imagine that? You should be languishing in bed, not thinking at all, or I didn't do a very good job of it."

  "Yes, well I…" Haley stammered. "It was amazing 'Bela. It's not that. It was. I can't explain it, I just don't think you put the last few months together. We should see Anders."

  "He's a bore." Isabela started to get dressed.

  "I'm not talking about a game of Wicked Grace." Haley said.

  "You know most women go through their lives without having one. You should have seen yourself. Maker you looked amazing. Thinking that I was there when that happened. Before you Haley I thought a good lover was a good lover, but that was amazing. I thought good sex was enough. Love, though. It's quite delectable." Isabela pushed Haley back over. "Care to have another go?"

  "Delectable? Have you been looking up words, again?" Haley asked laughing.

  "Yes, say what you will, but you always like it." Isabela laughed freely. She loved looking into Haley's eyes lately, and instead of feeling smothered all she saw was freedom with being with the woman she loved.

  How the idea used to bother her. Love. It annoyed her to hear people talk about it. Drone on about it. Mix it up with with sex, but lately she wouldn't have it any other way. Coming back to Kirkwall Haley had made her practically crawl to make sure she wouldn't take off and hurt her again. She really hadn't understood why. Not really. Not until she dealt with the fact that she had the same feelings Haley had for her.

  It was early in the day, and suddenly she went from quite willing to quite ill. She dashed off Haley to the privy cursing whatever she ate. It certainly hadn't been whatever she'd been drinking. She didn't know why, she just hadn't been in the mood for drink lately. She'd been staying at Haley's Estate she'd not been back to the Hanged Man since their anniversary. Haley had said nothing.

  Isabela felt a cool rag and closed her eyes as she felt Haley next to her waiting for whatever it was to pass as she knelt by the basin. "I don't want to hear it. I'm not going to Anders."

  "He's the best healer in Kirkwall." Haley implored.

  "Then will have to go somewhere else." Isabela muttered throwing up again. Haley caught her and wiped her face off with the cool rag.

  "Sundermount then. We could go to Keeper Marethari." Haley said evenly.

  "Thes
e are my choices?" Isabela moaned.

  "You've been sick for months, every morning. You haven't had your period, or haven't you noticed?" Haley said evenly.

  "I haven't been with anyone but you Haley." When I'm with men, I take precautions. I've never been pregnant, I see no reason why I would be now.

  "Then if you're just ill, why not just get it checked out?" Haley asked.

  "Because it's probably nothing." Isabela wiped her mouth and got up unsteadily to her feet.

  "You've never refused a healer. Why now?" Haley asked.

  Isabela stopped. She'd never really considered the question. "Because I'm happy dammit. For the first time in my life I'm happy, and if I'm not okay I don't want to hear about it."

  "If you sick, Anders is the best healer there is. If your pregnant…" Haley started.

  "I'm not pregnant" Isabela shut her down as best she could.

  "If you are pregnant, I'm not leaving you." Haley said. She eyed Isabela steadily.

  "Haley, when I said, I've only been with you, I meant it. There hasn't been another man or even another woman. There hasn't been anyone unless you've been there, and it's been over six months. It's just not possible." Isabela had set her jaw and she wasn't listening.

  "Did you even consider the seer had to say the talisman boosting the toy? We live in a land of magic." Haley started cautiously.

  "My mother was a seer, or claimed to be one. It's all rubbish." The Rivani started.

  "We fight demons that come out of Thedas everyday. They take over the minds of men, and you question this possibility?" Haley asked.

  "I haven't cheated." Isabela stated.

  "I haven't accused you of it." Haley said.

  "If I go will you stop this rubbish?" Isabela asked.

  Anders clinic was always busy, but it maintained a steady cliental from every socio-economic class. People paid what they could. Haley would pay for a week's worth of Dark Town's patient's. Anders and Isabela not getting along was an understatement; however, he had grown accustomed to treating her over the years. He never said complained, because he knew keeping whatever Isabela caught away from Haley, kept Haley healthy. Besides, Haley was aware of Isabela's tastes, even if he never understood the couple. Haley could have had anyone in Kirkwall. Why she stayed with Isabela was beyond him.

  Really why she chose Isabela over him was beyond him, truth be told. His eyes flashed Justice for a moment. This was not the time.

  It took less than 10 seconds for Anders to confirm the fact that Isabela was pregnant, which really should have come to no surprise to anyone. The thing that left him floored was he usually ran a simple spell to see if the father was near or in the vicinity, he did it automatically without thinking.

  Then he did it about 5 more times.

  It was Haley.

  This he had no explanation for this, except that it wasn't blood magic, but it was magic.

  Normally, when you told the couple the reaction could be any number of things. He really didn't know how this was going to go over.

  He didn't even know how he felt about it.

  "You're pregnant, Isabela." Anders finally said, simply.

  "You're mistaken." She said back.

  "I'm not. You know I'm not. Do I question whether or not you know ships? You know I'm right. So I'm guessing congratulations are in order?"

  "It's not possible. It's got to be a demon or something. Get rid of it, Anders." Isabela glared at him.

  "I see. No, it's not a demon. It's a normal pregnancy. Well, fairly normal. There is an oddity or two I can't explain." Anders said rubbing his forhead as he did when he wished things would just go away.

  "It's yours and Haley's." Anders tried to say neutral. "Though I can tell you there is magic involved, I can tell you it's not blood magic. Fertility magic, perhaps. It's strong, but not malevolent. The child and mother should not suffer. You're both very lucky."

  Haley who had been silent this entire time, shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Haley had imagined Isabela was pregnant, but though more traditional means. She figured the talisman was more of an elaborate ruse, and Isabela wanting to get rid or the baby was more or less an instant reaction to her having been with another lover.

  "It's mine." Haley stated flatly. She ran her hand through her rumpled short hair.

  "I'm guessing this wasn't a planned thing then." Anders said.

  "No." Isabela and Haley said at the same time.

  "It is mine." Haley sat heavily in a chair. Well it was one of the purposes that chair served, though he'd never had a woman slump in it before now.

  "Yes." Anders said. "I think you might want to take some time and think about things. You are quite early on in the pregnancy, there is time to abort."

  "It's really Haley's?" Isabela said with a small voice. She sounded very small and tiny. "So I'm really pregnant, and Haley is the father? Well the…"

  "In the case of magical intervention, we'll just call her the other parent." Anders said.

  "Would the baby be healthy?" Haley asked.

  Anders considered this for a moment, "If the only magic used was for the child's conception, which seems likely the case from what I can tell, it seems a normal pregnancy, then yes, the baby has the same chances of being healthy as any other child. Avoid alcohol and try not to stress out your body unduly. Let me be the first to offer congratulations."

  Chapter 9

  Isabela and Haley walked out of Anders office numbly without even touching one another.

  "Haley?" Isabela began looking up at her with large amber eyes that seemed filled to the brim and threatening to overflow with emotions.

  Haley slipped her hand in the small of Isabela's back as she had done years before. Isabela felt the hot tears sting the cheeks of her lover. She honestly had no idea what to say. Perhaps, just asking was best. "This is not something I ever planned on. I never once considered having children, my own mother was a horrible."

  "I know." Haley said evenly. "Mine wasn't.

  Isabela plowed on with words without thinking, "I never met a single bastard I would consider having a child with—for—or-whatever reason-I don't even know if I like them. Smelly, strange, and if it happened to be yours…how can it be yours?"

  "Anders seemed pretty certain." Haley laughed for the first time. "It wouldn't be like him to cut you any slack."

  "Isn't that truth?" Isabela laughed. "If it wasn't yours I'd already be picking berries if Anders didn't have any on hand and damning my luck. I know how to get rid of it."

  "Is that what you want?" The Champion of Kirkwall moved in on Isabela. She whispered it in her ear. It was a question, not a demand.

  "Did you mean what you said back there? About not leaving me? That was before you even knew it was yours? How could you even think it could be yours?" Isabela found Haley's body intoxicatingly close to hers. She was sure a conversation like this should happen with all the lights on and not when she was getting so turned on.

  Haley was not doing it deliberately, of course. She shoved Isabela up outside the wooden walls farthest from the archways of Anders clinic. It was dark there. Normally most would find it scary if they hadn't killed dozens of would-be criminals there, would-be if they had lived.

  As the first moan escaped Isabela's lips Haley pushed her luck and began nibbling on her neck, it didn't take much to get the desired reaction.

  Isabela's head was foggy. She instinctively wrapped her legs around Haley's slim waist. It's not unlike many a semi-public screwing she had so enjoyed in the years passed after a battle or outside the Hanged Man. The rough wood scratching into her back was nothing compared to Haley's mouth finding hers. Maker she was wet, but Haley didn't seem to want to push anything faster than just kissing her.

  Haley pushed a scrap of long hair that had fallen into isabela's face back out of the way and Isabela just allowed herself to just be swept away by messy emotions that all seemed to be conflicting, but all ended in one thing, which was wanting Haley to continue
whatever she was doing.

  Isabela felt a dampness on her cheeks. She pulled back and looked at Haley. She hadn't realized it during whatever time had elapsed, but Haley must have been crying, at least a little. She guessed, she had been too.

  She pulled back from Haley and rubbed a tear from Haley's face with her thumb. Isabela just spent a moment looking at her. She wasn't looking at Haley, the Champion of Kirkwall, or the famous warrior, or any other labels or monikers she's been given over the years. The Rivani woman looked at her lover. The very fallable, easily hurt woman, who just wanted to be safe and keep her family safe…her family safe…Isabela was her family…so was this child if Isabela kept it. Is that what Haley wanted a family together?

  It changed things, but not in an unpleasant way. Isabela just wanted a moment to process and unfolded herself from the wall. She took Haley's hand and headed for a seated alchove that was well-hidden not far from there.

  "Did you know? Before we came?" Isabela asked.

  "That you were pregnant? Yes. Probably. Merrill knew, or thought she knew. Something elfy. It's Merrill." Haley took in a deep breath. "It's Merrill, though, you can't be sure when she starts talking about the wind or something in there."

  "No, I meant about you." Isabela was watching her closely.

  Haley had to laugh. "No, that one was a complete surprise. "Merrill said she was surprised about who the father might be, but she said it didn't make sense. I thought maybe it was Fenris or something."

  "Oh, now that would have been hard to turn down. That brooding piece of raw lyrium muscle and elf art. I might have to have gone solo on that one and told you about it later." Isabela smiled. "He might have been interested years ago, but not now. He would never do anything to hurt you. He even contains his brooding. I swear it."

  "What are you talking about?" Haley was feeling playful. She was trying not to thing about the obvious, because she really didn't know what to think about it.

  "Like you haven't noticed how everyone caters to you. I mean everyone. It's like the cult of Haley lately." Isabela laughed.