by Robin Roseau
Valsine laughed. “Now you’re thinking like me.”
“You need to do your best against me.”
“Oh, please. I’m a pussycat. You should consider something?”
“Oh?”
“If you think Dee is going to win, you should add one more in the number two position, so at least you’ll beat two before Dee beats you.”
“And be tired enough that Dee definitely will win?”
She shrugged. “She’s good. She’s beaten Allium in this event, and it wasn’t after Allium had already tired herself out with someone else.”
“Do you think you can tire me out?”
“I’m going to try.”
“Come on.” I led the way back to the dining hall. Olivia was just passing out the notes. “Wait.”
“Cold feet?” Olivia asked.
“No. Allium, it has been suggested I made a mistake inviting Dee into this game. What do you think?”
“I’m not letting you back out, Darfelsa.”
“I’m not sure that’s your decision.”
“No, but it’s mine,” Olivia said. “And I’m not letting you back out.”
I laughed. “I’m not backing out. But I would like Allium’s opinion.”
Allium considered me. “That portion is going to be a good match. Darfelsa, I don’t know. I’ve grappled with her. I haven’t grappled with you.”
“Olivia, what do you think?”
“If Valsine gives you any trouble at all, Dee will beat you.”
“Darfelsa,” Corale said. “You should do this in the order you think will be easiest to hardest.”
“Dee will almost certainly win, then,” Olivia said immediately.
“Except I want my chance to do it,” Corale said. “And I think Dee is going to beat her.”
“Ah,” Olivia said with a smile.
“I’d win if I were willing to hurt her,” I said.
“I’m the only one in the room who would give you a challenge under those rules,” Allium said. “And I don’t know which of us would win.”
“But I’m not willing to hurt anyone,” I said. “That’s not what this is about.” I paused. “I don’t mind if I lose my little event. It wasn’t my intention when I started this conversation. But if people want to alter things, we can.”
“I want to go second,” Corale said. “Let Valsine tire you out, and then I get you.”
“I’ll win,” Dee said. “But could then untie Corale.”
“You think she’s going to beat me?”
“If she beats you,” Dee said. “Or she and I can have an event another time, and someone else can take my place.” She sounded disappointed to make the suggestion.
“Or add a third person, with Dee fourth,” Valsine suggested.
“Now I’ll really win,” Dee said.
“If Darfelsa beats the first three,” Valsine said, “We’ll consider her as winning her base wager, and three of us become clerks and barmaids.”
“No,” I said. “Two of you, because I’ll lose to Corale.”
“Oh. Right. That,” Valsine agreed.
“Let’s see a show of hands. Who wants to do this the way I originally suggested?” No one raised her hand. “Everyone wants to adjust it?” They all raised their hands.
“I want my chance,” Corale said. “Let me go before Dee. I won’t vote other than that.”
“All right,” I said. “So do Dee and I have a different event, or do we add a third and understand Dee will probably beat me?”
“Add a third,” Valsine said. “Dee is last.”
“If Dee and I grapple to a standstill, then it’s a draw?”
“Sure,” Dee said. “Otherwise the same rules. Ten minutes to secure one limb, and steady progress after that.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want to do that?” I asked her.
“Sure,” she agreed.
“Who is the third?” I asked. I looked around. “I’m not picking one of Allium’s former road crew. I could do one or maybe two of you in a separate event, but third? I’m not so confident.” I settled my eyes. “Viella.”
“Sure, pick an easy one,” Valsine muttered.
“Hey!” Viella complained.
“She’s going third, and her hand was up earlier,” I said. “Or am I mistaken?”
“No, you’re not mistaken. My hand was up.”
“Dee, whether it gets to you or not, we can have future events, but I’m time-limited.” She smiled.
“Runners. Go.”
* * * *
We gathered at the arena. Allium took me into one of the rooms to change. While I was undressing, she said, “Please don’t hurt anyone.”
“I can’t promise no bruises.”
“Try.”
I nodded. “I had intended to.”
“I am going to be angry if you lose control because someone is harder than you expected.”
“I won’t.”
“This wasn’t the event you wanted.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Valsine could have calmed them down but decided to stir them up.”
“I could have calmed them down,” Allium said.
“Why didn’t you?”
“That’s a good question,” she replied. She grinned at me. “Perhaps I’m looking forward to watching.”
I laughed and pulled the shift into place. “Do I look princessy?”
“Entirely,” she said with her own laugh.
“I don’t know if I should braid my hair or leave it loose. I know for a fact Valsine knows how to hair-pull.”
Allium stepped around me and began braiding my hair for me. “Hair pulling is valid.”
“And giving her a handle is better?”
“If you would prefer having it pulled out in clumps, I can leave it loose.”
“That’s okay,” I said.
She finished braiding, and then we turned to each other. “If Valsine beats you, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“She’s not going to beat me.”
* * * *
We gathered. Night had fully fallen, but we had the braziers going, and dozens of lamps helped to light the area. There were areas of deep shadows, but that wasn’t a problem. But I avoided looking directly at the lamps, hoping my eyes would fully acclimate to the subdued light.
Jessla was waiting with paperwork. I only had to sign the agreement for my event with Corale. The others had their own sheets to sign. “We’ll get final decisions when we see how this ends,” Jessla declared.
I stepped over to one of the trenches. It was steaming, and there were ropes available, tied off to the stakes, and carefully arranged to avoid tangling. I bent down and swirled my fingers through the resin. It felt good, and it was warm.
I noted where the braziers were. I didn’t want to get too close to them. Then I turned. Everyone was watching me.
“I’m ready.”
We didn’t use the stands. Instead, Allium drew the non-combatants to the side, near enough they could all watch, but far enough they wouldn’t interfere. My four challengers were in the center of the arena, and there was a circle drawn. Olivia stood nearby. She looked about. “Valsine?”
“Ready.”
“Begin.”
Valsine offered a curtsey to me. I returned it. And then she stepped out of the circle and stopped.
“The timer starts at first physical contact,” Olivia said.
“Come further from the circle,” I said. “I don't want to unintentionally involve anyone early.”
She halved the distance and then waited again. I stepped forward, smiled, and made a come-hither gesture.
“If you want me, come get me.”
I was expecting everyone else to make a lot of noise. Instead, they were very quiet.
“This is a grappling event, not a running around event,” I told her.
“I’m not running.”
“Just to be clear.” I stepped closer.
She reached out and pushed
my chest, then snatched her hand back. “Physical contact.” Olivia laughed.
I tried grabbing Valsine. She pulled away. I grabbed her again and this time let her pull me with her. She fell on her ass but guided me over her, which was fine. I held tightly and pulled her along, and we ended up with her on top of me, but I had firm hold.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” she said.
“That’s fine.” And then I rolled us both over, her on the bottom. She squirmed and wrapped her legs around me.
Excellent.
I stood up, clasped her legs, and began dragging her backwards.
“Hey!” she complained. She struggled, trying to throw me off balance, but I picked a trench and pulled her towards it, Valsine complaining the entire way. Then she finally unlatched her ankles, but I still had both legs, and I pulled her right into the trench.
At that, she tried scrambling away, but I held onto one ankle and reached for a rope.
“No!” She complained and tried kicking me. I was waiting for it and grabbed both legs tightly, hanging on, and then wrapped the rope around them.
“No!” she yelled again. She climbed up my back and tried pulling me off her. I got her legs tied, barely, and tucked my chin as she wrapped an arm around my throat.
If this had been Mariya or Allium, by now, I’d be the one in trouble. She had firm hold of me and was trying for the choke, but she hadn’t settled it in.
So I squirmed. I pushed off, and I landed backwards. There was a big splash of resin, and I knocked the wind out of her. She relaxed her hold. I finished squirming out of it then spun around, helping her sit up to catch her breath. She made dry heaving sounds, trying to draw air in, and I held her gently until she was breathing again.
“Better?” I asked.
She nodded. “Was that intentional?”
“No. Sorry.”
She looked at her legs. “Touch that rope,” I said. “And you’ll regret it.”
“I suppose you think I’m going to meekly let you finish tying me.”
“Not at all. I’m waiting for you to declare you’re ready to continue.”
“I think you should let me reapply the choke.”
I laughed and threw a leg over her hips, now straddling her. I collected her wrists and then leaned forward, pressing her backwards into the resin. She struggled, but it was weak. I laid her out, her hands over her head, and looked into her eyes. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Just tie me,” she whispered.
“Valsine.”
“Just tie me,” she said. “I’m fine, Darfelsa.”
“I thought you were going to tire me out.”
“Please just tie me.”
She didn’t resist. I did her wrists, then retied her legs. Some of the other embassy staff seemed disappointed she didn’t fight harder. I ignored them. I finished then moved to the edge of the trench, lying down. It was cool, but I didn’t intend to stay long. I caressed her cheek. “You look good like that.”
“I bet.”
“Are you going to get cold?”
“The resin feels good,” she said. “You’ll see soon enough.”
I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Cousin.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Then getting the wind knocked out of me was worth it,” she said.
“Don’t go anywhere.”
“If I get loose, I get to help them, you know.”
“You aren’t getting loose.”
I stood and walked back to the center. “Next.”
“I want to go third,” Corale said. “Viella agreed to switch with me.”
“Fine by me.”
“You’re free, Viella,” Olivia said.
She didn’t wait. She rushed me. That was as big a mistake as she could have made. I took her charge and then sent her over my hip, holding onto one arm. I set her down on the ground as gently as I could, but then I dragged her by the arm. She scrambled to get up, but I dragged her a good distance before she pulled her hand from me.
That was fine. I jumped back towards her, and she tried to scramble away, so I landed on her legs, grabbed them both in a hug, then stood and began dragging her again, not all that differently from how I’d dragged Valsine.
She managed to free her legs just short of the trench. I let her get up, and then we circled each other before I was able to grab a wrist. She tried to pull away from me, but I went with it, turning, and then pulled her over my hip again, right into the trench. I followed after her.
There was a struggle for her wrists, but once I got a rope on one wrist, the fight left her, and she barely struggled for the rest while panting heavily.
I finished, also panting heavily, and lay down atop her, half in the resin myself. I kissed her cheek and panted in her ear for a minute before rising up. Viella was watching me. I caressed her cheek then lowered for a kiss, just a sweet, little kiss.
Then I grinned. I scrambled out of the trench and found a waiting device. I held it up for everyone to see, then knelt back down. I let Viella see, too.
Then I began using it to tease her. I dipped it in the resin and stroked her body with it. Dip, stroke. I untied the shift and pull the top away from her, and then I teased.
“Do you want this?” I asked.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Darfelsa, could I have an event with you sometime?”
“Yes,” I said. And then I got serious, taking another minute or two.
And slid the device deep inside her. She gave a gasp and then smiled. I played with it for just a minute and then stood.
My hand was red, to the elbow, and there was more red elsewhere. I looked at it then shrugged.
* * * *
Corale was smiling. I simply gestured. She walked straight to me, right into my arms. We kissed, deeply, and she ran her hands down my back, cupping my bottom.
“That’s not the event,” Olivia said dryly.
“I think you’re going to kick my ass,” Corale whispered into my ear. “Maybe we should do this my way.”
“You think so, do you?”
“Come with me.” She ran her hands down to mine and clasped, and then I let her lead me to another trench. She stepped backwards into it and then invited me with her. I let her turn us, and I let her draw both of us to our knees in the resin. We came together for more kissing, more stroking, and I was pretty sure if I let her control the pace this way, she would absolutely win.
I could feel the resin climbing my legs.
I broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. “Was this your original plan?” I asked her.
“You’d enjoy it,” she said. “Do this my way, Darfelsa.”
“Was it your original plan?”
She tried to pull me into another kiss. I resisted that, but I let her continue to stroke my sides, reaching inside the shift. “Touch my breasts, and we go back to my way. Answer me.”
Her hands froze. “No, it wasn’t my original plan.”
“You’d win this way,” I said.
“So let me.”
“Sorry.” I moved closer, wrapping arms around her. “Try to get away now.”
She struggled. I let her do so for a while, but then I pushed forward, pressing her backwards into the resin. She struggled further, and I had a hard time capturing a wrist. She almost got away from me while I was tying it, actually managing to push me off of her and climbing over me, but I got the wrist, grabbed her by the waist, and shoved her back in.
She didn’t give up, but the second wrist was easier, and then she lay, panting, although she kicked while I caught her legs. Not that it mattered.
Then I lay down with her, like I had with Viella.
I kissed her. I teased her. And I collected one of the devices.
“No,” she said.
“Oh, yes.”
“Use one of the other ones.”
“No,” I said. “If Dee beats me, she’ll untie you, and you can do what you want. If I beat her,
I’ll come back and do whatever you ask.” And then I entered her.
I teased her for a while, but then I climbed from her and did my best to get myself back under control.
Dee was waiting for me by the time I arrived, and she was out of the circle. She was grinning broadly. “I’m not going to be as easy as they were.”
I nodded understanding then tried to brush some of the resin away. That didn’t really help. It just coated my other hand even more. I stared at it for a minute then shrugged.
Dee rushed me.
I felt that was a mistake, and I was ready to toss her as I had the others. She reached me. I grabbed her and twisted. She spread her legs, wrapping them around my waist, and between my motion and hers, we both went down.
“Oof.”
I landed on her leg, and I froze. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she said. And then she scrambled on top of me, her legs still around me, me on my side. She lay on top of me, now giggling. I turned my head to look up at her.
And then I tried to free myself.
Dee was tenacious. She clung tightly, and somehow she managed to drag both of us closer to the nearest trench besides. I didn’t try fighting that, because I needed to get her there, anyway, but for the life of me, I couldn’t unlatch her legs, and I couldn’t scramble free of them.
Oh, if I were willing to hurt her, I had no end of choices. But I wasn’t, and I went into the trench, a giggling Dee atop me. “This is fun,” she whispered. Her hands went looking for my wrists, and we ended up struggling with that. And I still couldn’t free myself. She caught one wrist, lifting it over my head with both of her hands, then leaned her weight down.
And kissed me.
I froze, and then I turned my head for a better kiss.
I felt my body relaxing. She felt it, too. Hers didn’t. She held me, and she kissed me, and I knew I was losing, and she was making it look easy.
“I told you,” she whispered. She nuzzled my neck. She nipped my ear.
And I moaned. “Dee. I wish this were our event.”
“It will be,” she whispered. “I could beat you this way now, but I have a time limit.”
I thought she might be right. She spent another minute kissing, licking, nipping, and I let her do anything she wanted.
But when she began dragging me further up the trench towards the waiting ropes, I renewed my struggles.
