“It is to me,” Sean said as he sat at the table. “I’ll try, because you’ve asked me to, but I regard you that highly. Your Shame has no meaning for me, but I’ll try to do as you’ve asked. I only ask you don’t get upset with me when I slip up.”
Not looking at him, her cheeks heated at his words. “Incorrigible,” she muttered.
“I know you could’ve handled them, so why don’t you stand up to that sort of thing?”
Shaking her head, Fiona met his gaze briefly. “Those Shamed are not supposed to act like those who aren’t. You don’t understand what it means to be Shamed, and I don’t know how to explain it to you.”
“Darragh is Shamed, but everyone still treats him with respect,” Sean pointed out.
“Darragh is different…” Fiona trailed off, her eyes going distant for a moment. “Before his Shame, he was known throughout the Quadital. His Shame was… no, that is his story to tell.” Shaking her head, she looked away from him again. “I might not have entirely deserved my Shame, but it helps remind me of my old pride and where that leads.”
“Will you tell me?” Sean asked.
“Not today,” Fiona said as she stood. “The inn might have calmed down some. I’m going to bathe before turning in. Come with me?”
Getting to his feet, Sean gave her a small smile. “Lead on.”
Fiona led him away from the stairs that they had taken to their room. Down the hall and around the corner was another set of stairs leading down. Taking those brought them to a door that stood ajar to reveal a large, simple room. Tubs just big enough for a single person to soak in were set against the walls, and Sean felt a little relieved that it wasn’t a giant tub. One wall was dominated by a series of stoves and racks of kettles. A hand pump for water was nearby.
Fiona crossed the room and picked up a kettle. Filling it, she set it on the closest stove. She filled another three before she filled a bucket with water and took it over to a series of small stone blocks. Turning, she saw Sean still standing just inside the doorway. “Get your kettles ready and grab a bucket. I’ll teach you the proper way to use a public bathing area.”
Doing as instructed, Sean finished after a few minutes and turned with bucket of cold water in hand to find Fiona nude. Jaw dropping and mouth going dry, his eyes roved over her body. “Uhm…”
“Clothing goes in this tub, we clean them first,” Fiona said, her cheeks pinking slightly under his gaze. “Don’t just stand there, set your bucket by the seats and come join me.”
Swallowing hard, Sean set his bucket down by one of the stone seats and went to the tub. Stripping, he tried to keep his eyes and thoughts off Fiona, hoping to calm his libido. He couldn’t help himself, though, and his eyes kept going back to her.
Standing an inch or two shorter than him, her body was more lithe than his. Her skin was a creamy white where the sun hadn’t gotten to her, and a light tan where it had. The mithril side of her body gleamed in the lantern light that illuminated the room. Her small, firm breasts, a little bigger than a handful, stood proud, her nipples hard points that drew his eye. He didn’t consciously notice that the reactions on her metallic side mimicked her flesh side perfectly as his gaze drifted down her toned body. The dividing line of flesh and metal was almost perfectly symmetrical, only wavering twice. The first was where it followed the line of her collarbone away from her neck to her shoulder, the second was where his eyes were traveling now, down past her navel. Just above her sex, the mithril veered to the left, leaving her womanhood unmarked by metal, though it did encompass her entire hip and leg.
“Gorgeous,” Sean murmured without thought as he drew his eyes back up her body and pulled his shirt off. Noting the way her metallic side shifted smoothly as the muscles underneath moved, he marveled at her beauty.
“It’s impolite to stare,” Fiona said softly.
Blinking as he began to undo his belt, he found her dual-colored eyes staring at him. “Err… sorry…”
Shaking her head, she knelt down next to the tub and pulled her shirt from the water. “I understand, but please try not to stare.”
Quickly stripping off the rest of his clothing, he dropped it into the tub, setting his boots and belt next to Fiona’s. Kneeling next to the tub, he began washing his shirt, missing Fiona covertly checking him out and her eyes going wider as she caught full sight of his manhood before he knelt. The tub held cold water, and had small wash boards attached to the sides. Fiona handed him a small lump of soap to use on his clothing.
Focusing on the task helped Sean ignore the beauty kneeling opposite him. Fiona stood up with her dripping clothing and took them to the line that hung above the stoves. Draping her clothing on the line, she picked up her kettles, which should have been whistling by then, but weren’t. She dumped them into a tub after plugging the drain with a cork. Sean did the same a moment later, following her example.
“Now we wash,” Fiona told him as she placed the kettles back beside the stoves. Going to the buckets they’d set out before, she took a seat and began to wash herself.
Sean copied her example, forcing his eyes away from her every time they started to stray. He was red and acutely aware of the way he’d been responding to her ever since he’d stripped down. The water, which had been cold when it had been drawn, was simply cool now, after sitting in the warm room. He briefly wished it was ice cold to help quell his libido.
Light suds dotted Fiona’s body when she stood. Picking up the bucket, she carefully poured some of it over her head, sluicing a majority of the suds from her body. Sitting back down, she started running soapy hands through her hair. Eyes closed, she hummed a song as she lathered.
Glancing over at her, Sean’s lips turned up as he listened to the song. It was a happy, upbeat melody that was in time to her hands massaging her head. Pulling his gaze away, Sean rinsed himself. It took him less time to wash his hair, and they finished together.
“Good, you’re done,” Fiona said. “Now we get more water and fill the tubs the rest of the way, then we can relax until you’re ready to leave.” Moving with her bucket towards the pump, her body was a sight to behold. She didn’t flaunt herself, but the sheer grace that she moved with was beautiful, in its own way.
Shaking his head, he knew it was pointless to worry about her knowing he was attracted to her. Sean filled his bucket as Fiona carried hers to her tub. When she returned, he handed her his bucket. “A bucket chain will fill your tub quicker,” he said.
“That’s not the proper way things are done,” Fiona said, stepping aside. “Each person carries their own water.”
Nodding, he carried his bucket of water to his tub, the hot water still steaming slightly as he poured in the first bucket of cold water. Two buckets later, the tub was only half full. Checking the water, he found it cooling faster than he wanted. “Can we add more hot water to them?” Sean asked as he set his bucket down.
“Yes, but it takes time for the kettles to heat,” Fiona said as she carried a fourth bucket to her tub. Testing the water, she frowned. “I see your point, though.”
Stepping over to her tub, Sean murmured the song he needed and mimicked a teapot. Feeling the energy rush through him, he tilted to his left and poured water from his hand into the tub.
“I forgot about your ability to do that,” Fiona chuckled. “Is there more you can do?”
Having poured a couple of kettles worth of steaming water into her tub, he released the magic. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “I get the feeling that the Tuatha Dé Danann gave me as much as they could. I’ve been able to pick up on a lot of stuff since I came here.”
“You’re so odd,” Fiona murmured as she touched the water in her tub. “You did, however, make my water just right.” Stepping into the tub, she sat down. “Thank you, Sean,” she sighed.
Meeting her eyes, he smiled. “Thank you, Fiona.”
As he went to his tub and magicked more hot water for himself, Sean didn’t see Fiona’s brow furrow as she watched him.
Getting in, he sighed as the heat seeped into him. Laying back in the tub, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
Sean didn’t know how long he had been soaking, but the sound of the door opening brought him upright. Wiping at his eyes, he found the lady from the tap room coming in. The cool gaze of the new arrival went from Fiona to Sean. Walking past them, she put six kettles on the stove and a bucket next to the washing stones, then went to the clothing tub. “Fiona Silvershame, I never thought I would see you out in this part of the world.” The tone was cool, but not completely unfriendly.
“Velin. I wouldn’t have expected to see someone connected to Lord Truestrike in this town, either,” Fiona replied, her tone equally cool.
“What is the Shaper who lost half her Talent doing here, and with such an interesting companion?” Velin asked as she began to undo the buttons down the sides of her dress.
“I went with Darragh to establish a village south of here,” Fiona said. “Sean is a friend who wanted to see the town. I had business here, and he was gracious enough to come with me, to make sure the beasts of the wilds stayed away.”
“Ah. Darragh Axehand, such a tragic tale,” Velin said mockingly. “Who would have guessed that he would have fallen so far?”
“What are you doing this far south?” Fiona asked, her tone cooling further.
“I have business here, of course. The person I’m expecting to meet will be along in no more than another day or two.” Stripping her clothing away, she revealed a thin figure that bordered on skeletal. Kneeling, she began washing her clothing. “The small towns are such a bother. No one who can be trusted to care for one’s clothing. Such drudgery is truly below me, but the Lord wills it, so I must endure. Sean—that is your name, right?” Sean nodded, looking away from her. “You seem to have some Talent for fighting, you would be wasted out here. I’m sure my Lord would be interested in hiring you. Would you care to come with me back to Southpoint, to hear his offer?”
Sean noticed the thin black bands encircling Velin’s wrists. He’d missed seeing them while she was dressed, but against Velin’s pale skin, they were easily visible when she was naked. Sean kept his head turned away, shaking it. “I have an Agreement with Darragh, and it would be wrong to break it.”
Tsking, Velin shook her head. “A pity. I shall not accrue a bonus on this trip, then.” Turning, she presented her profile to Sean. “Are you sure I can’t entice you to change your mind? The Lord does offer some very good benefits to those who have Talents he’s interested in.”
Lips quirking up, Sean chuckled as he briefly met her eyes, “I’m sure he does, but I still have to decline.” Standing up, Sean looked around for towels and popped the cork from the tub, allowing it to drain.
“The cupboard in the corner,” Fiona told him as she also got out of her tub.
Retrieving a couple of towels, he handed one to her and let his eyes drink her body in one more time. “For you,” he told her as he began to dry himself off.
“I see. So her Shame doesn’t deter you?” Velin said casually as she hung up her clothing. “Or does that make it more exciting for you? The idea of having damaged goods, or maybe you like something exotic? I am sure Lord Truestrike can arrange something that will catch your fancy.”
Her persistent offers began to grate on Sean. “I doubt he has someone as singular as Fiona. If you will excuse me.” He slipped past her, grabbed his clothing, and began to dress in the still slightly damp clothes.
Fiona did the same, her cheeks red as her eyes kept darting to Sean. They finished dressing at almost the same time, just as Velin began to lather herself. “Pity,” she said with a smirk. “Oh well, I know it’s impossible to have everything one wishes presented on a platter all the time. I do wish you a happy life, however long that may be.” The last sentence seemed to hold a trace of dark humor and Sean paused briefly on his way out the door.
Shaking his head, Sean continued after Fiona, following her out of the chamber and back to their room. As the door closed behind them, Sean let out a deep sigh, “I wouldn’t touch that with a ten foot pole. Something is wrong with her, to so freely offer that kind of thing to a complete stranger.”
“She is a Bonded servant to a Lord,” Fiona said, as if that explained everything.
“The more I hear about the nobility of the Fey, the less I like them,” Sean said, looking out the window at the setting sun. “It’s about time to turn in, isn’t it?”
Fiona glanced from him, to the window, and then to the bed, “It probably is.” Biting her lip, she began to strip off her clothing again. “About earlier... I know you just turned down Velin, but…”
Sean crossed the room, stopping inches away from Fiona. His heart was racing as she looked at him, their eyes meeting. “I would never consider her. You, though…” Trailing off, he tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear while he caressed her cheek. “It’s been a long time for me and it’s kind of quick to be doing this, with us only knowing each other a few days, but I will not say no.”
Leaning her head into his palm, her dual-colored eyes seemed to search his for a moment. “Gern was wrong. I’d lain with men before my Shame, so it’s been equally as long for me, if not longer.” Swallowing, she pressed her hand to his, holding it against her cheek. “You make me feel like a young maiden all over again. My heart pounds, my hands go clammy, and I wonder if maybe I don’t deserve this moment.”
Acting on impulse, he brought his lips to hers. The kiss was tentative and uncertain at first, then his other arm went around her waist as the kiss began to deepen. Her arms went around the back of his neck as her body pressed against him. An almost electric current seemed to pass between them as their tongues met. Neither was trying to dominate the other—instead it was like being a teenager again, each of them uncertain, yet eager.
After a minute, Sean pulled his head back. His breathing was rapid, his face flushed. “Fiona, I don’t want to hurt you…”
“Shh,” Fiona said as she caressed the back of his neck. “Just give me this, tonight at least. I know you’ll leave eventually, but you treat me like a woman, and I know your kindness isn’t feigned. So please, don’t push me away.”
Arms tightening around her, Sean nodded. “As you wish.”
This time, his mouth met hers with passion and a demanding need, to be met with the same from Fiona. Hands slipping lower, he pulled her against him by her tight ass, a small groan of need coming from her as the kiss continued. The moment became a blur to Sean as they kissed and stripped each other’s clothing off. His hands roamed over her body, her mithril skin cool to the touch, but yielding like normal flesh to his hands.
Ducking his head to her left breast, the hard metal nipple had a faint metallic tang to his tongue. A moan came from Fiona as she arched her back, pressing her breast into his mouth. Glad that she could feel his ministrations, he continued to lavish attention to her breast. He traded off between both nipples as her hands found his erect manhood. She began to caress him much like she did logs when shaping, gently gliding her fingers along his length.
Pulling back, his passion filled eyes met her lust filled gaze. “Going to Shape me to fit?” he asked with a smirk.
“I just might try,” Fiona said, dropping to her knees before him. “But maybe a little differently than normal.” Tongue snaking out, she began to lick at him, happy noises coming from her as she lavished his shaft with attention.
His hands rubbed her back as she brought him pleasure with her mouth. He had never been a selfish lover, and all he wanted was to give her the same pleasure. “Fiona,” he panted, “let me lay down and I can return your attentions in kind.”
Looking up at him through her lashes, one corner of her mouth tugged up in a smile, then she took him into her mouth. Moaning, Sean’s eyes rolled back as what little blood he had in his brain quickly fled south. Satisfied that he was indeed enjoying her attentions, she let his shaft go. Standing, she led him to the bed and pushed him gently, but firmly, down onto i
t. “I accept,” she said as she climbed atop him, her legs to either side of his head as her mouth quickly resumed what she had been doing moments ago.
Fiona’s sex glistened above him, the faint scent of honey wafting to his nose as he lifted his head and lapped once across her wet slit. Not quite honey, but it was sweet and delicious, more so than any woman he’d ever been with before. Grabbing her ass with both hands, he pulled her down to his mouth, eager to get more of her sweet nectar. It was only a few minutes later when Sean gasped, pulling his mouth from her sex, “Fiona, stop or I’ll burst.”
Happy to know he was enjoying her attentions, she wasn’t about to stop. If anything, his words spurred her on. Forcing him as deep as she could into her throat, she choked, unable to take him all, but trying time and again regardless. Breath catching in his throat, he shuddered as his orgasm tore through him. The first spurt of his seed caught Fiona by surprise as it coated the back of her throat. Quickly pulling back, she kept his head in her mouth as she began swallowing all of his offering.
Body rigid as she suckled on his cock, Sean could barely remember to breathe. When his orgasm passed and he went limp under her, Fiona didn’t stop. Her tongue went to work cleaning his length, which kept his manhood from flagging. Shuddering as small aftershocks coursed through him, he pulled her back to his mouth and viciously attacked her sex with his tongue. Fiona moaned around his shaft as he picked right back up where he had left off. Her own orgasm wasn’t far off, and she eagerly rode his mouth as she kept him hard.
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