by Alexis Ward
Sebastian moved back toward us, and sneered at us as he passed. “Guess I’ll see you both in court then.” he said. Shortly after, he disappeared into the crowd and we didn’t see him again at all that day.
“Well, I suppose that all could have gone worse.” I said. Sasha nodded. We passed the remainder of the day pleasantly, wandering around looking at various things, sampling strange food, and in general, having a nice time together. As the sun went down, we retired to our usual room. I unbuckled my sword belt then flopped down onto the bed. “Well, that was nice. Other than the bit with Sebastian. I feel like either he’s a natural asshole, or we started off in a bad way with him and are quickly passing the point of no return.” I said as I closed my eyes for a moment.
I felt the bed shift as Sasha sat down next to me. “True. Honestly, I don’t really care that he was trespassing, so much as I take offense to how he acts. And he got a little too close to my cabin for comfort. Can’t really trust him and his with that knowledge. But lets--” She paused and I felt her slide her hand up under my shirt. Her touch warm, in contrast to the cold air of the room. “--forget about that for a little bit?” she said softly.
I opened my eyes, and found that she had removed her shirt, and was turned part way toward me. As my hand found the small of her back, she let inhaled slightly. “Oh, your hands are warm.” she whispered.
“If you’re cold, maybe I could help heat you up?” I said as I worked on unbuttoning my shirt with my other hand. Sasha turned to face me and crawled over me so that she was straddling me with her hips, her exposed nipples formed rounded points, which dangled tantalizingly close to my face as she brought her lips close to my ear.
“I think that would be nice. I don’t mind that other ladies seem to flock to you, but I do miss having you all to myself occasionally.” she said as she pressed her face close to mine. As she pulled away I grazed my lips across one of her nipples. She stopped moving as my tongue slid out, and worked its way around and across her left nipple. I could feel her body temperature rise slightly as her breathing quickened. I wrapped my arms around her, and sat up, which put her into a position where she sat in my lap, her legs wrapped around my hips. I could feel her thigh pressed against my steadily swelling cock. Which was when I realized it would be impossible for us to get out of our pants in this position.
“Hmm. I think we’re going to need to disentangle to get to the next step here.” In response, she pressed her bare chest to mine. His skin was silky smooth, but also icy cold. I shuddered. “Yeah. Someone needs to be under blankets. That’d be you.” I stood up, picking her up in my arms as I did so. With one arm wrapped around her to support her, I used my free hand to fling back the covers of the bed. Then I crawled forward onto the bed on my knees, laid down on top of her, and pulled the blankets over us. Her lips found mine, then her tongue found mine, and we kissed deeply.
After a long while, she pulled her mouth away from mine and I felt her hands reach for her pants. “I think I’m warm enough to not need these.” she whispered. I lifted my hips up to allow her to slide out of them. When her legs wrapped around me again, pulling her hips against mine, they were warm, almost too warm. I cupped one of her small breasts in my hand, then twisted the nipple gently between my thumb and forefinger. She moaned softly and planted kisses down my neck and across my chest. “Please, give it to me.” I heard her whisper as her hips bumped and ground against my fully firm erection again.
In a moment, one of her hands found the clasps and buttons of my pants. She undid them one by one with expert precision, though she’d had lots of practice over the past few months with this exact pair, I suppose. Once she unfastened the last one, her hand dived into my pants and pulled my hard cock free. I felt her slide my tip against her wet opening, I lowered myself onto her, my cock sliding easily into her pussy. I felt her quiver from the inside as she moaned slightly with pleasure. “Roll us over please? Let me do some of the work for once.” she whispered. I did as she asked, the blankets tangling around our legs.
Once she was on top, she settled into a rhythm, raising and lowering her hips slowly atop my cock as she stroked my chest with one hand, her other hand on the bed to keep her from falling over. As her tempo increased I felt her convulse and clench around my cock. Her hips started to slam against mine as she steadily lost control, lost in her own burgeoning feelings of pleasure. I felt the edge of my own orgasm began to build, swelling slowly upward from the base of my cock.
Suddenly she dug into my chest with her nails as her hips spasmed frantically. Her eyes were closed, and she bit down on her lower lip as her body was rocketed into a climax by my cock. Her pussy convulsed and roiled around my cock, violently pulling me into a climax of my own. For a stretch of time our bodies curled around one another as we both convulsed, lost in an overwhelming pleasure. I felt my seed roil forth, filling her from the inside. Then suddenly the intense pleasure faded, she collapsed atop me, and I once again felt the chill of the cold air within the room. As I pulled the blankets back on top of us, Sasha slid off of me and curled into my side. Soon we were both fast asleep.
Chapter 12 - Rightful Claims
Around mid morning, Sasha and I stood in a church building that had been rearranged into what looked like a courtroom. Atop a raised platform, in plain looking chairs at the far end of the room, sat Princess Yenette and Baron Hightower. There were a few empty benches in front of them, with a line of guardsmen separating the impromptu court area from the crowd of onlookers. It seemed that a case had just finished being resolved, and the spectator area of the room was packed shoulder to shoulder with locals and foreigners, all talking over one another. Sasha and I stood near the back, unable to get any closer to the court area through the teeming mass of people.
A man stepped near the platform and blew a loud long low note on his trumpet. The crowd quickly quieted down, and the Princess stood up in front of her chair. She looked much the same as she had yesterday, except that her black hair was gathered in a bun at the base of her neck. “Next on our agenda is the matter of the forests near this town, once owned by the Trevarthan family, a name which has regrettably faded from history these past ten years. If there is a claimant to the name of Trevarthan, let them come forward now.” Princess Yenette said.
Sasha pushed her way through the crowd, as I followed behind her. At first people were reluctant to move out of the way, but as we gathered momentum, the crowd started to make room for us all on its own. The guardsmen stepped aside to allow both of us to step into the court area and soon we stood before one of the benches, about ten paces from the Princess and the Baron. “I have a blood claim to that name, Princess. I am Sasha Trevarthan, only daughter of Cerald Trevarthan, I was born twenty six summers ago.” Sasha said. There were murmurs and whispers from the crowd behind us, audible, but not coherent enough for me to make out what was said.
Princess Yenette’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. “Sasha! I haven’t seen you in a decade. I’m sorry, things have been so busy, I honestly forgot this corner of the kingdom existed till father insisted that I visit. You look well.” she said. At this, the crowd’s noise got a bit louder.
Sasha nodded. “I… don’t remember meeting you too clearly. Most of my childhood is far behind me, and just a blur of memory. The matter of my claim to the lands?” she asked.
“Of course. I forgot myself in my excitement. There is no matter of claim. I recognize you as the rightful claimant to all of the Trevarthan family’s ancestral lands. This matter is dismissed, but we should speak later, if that is agreeable?” Princess Yenette said. Sasha nodded. “Then you are dismissed, Lady Trevarthan.” Princess Yenette said. For a moment, my eyes met those of the Baron’s. I realized throughout this exchange, his expression had remained locked in a slight icy frown as he looked out at the crowd. As he looked at me, then to Sasha, his expression grew harder, more distant.
Sasha and I turned and left, the crowd parting before us as before, though we rec
eived many strange looks as the people in the crowds chattered amongst themselves. We left and tried to spend our time enjoyable as we had yesterday on main street, but it seemed that news spread quickly, and wherever we went, crowds followed us, gossiping and trying to talk to Sasha. As we wandered further from the Festival proper, we found ourselves back in a ghetto-like section of town, similar to where we’d first met Marybeth. The streets were covered in slushy half melted snow, mixed with unidentified foul smelling substances. There weren’t many people out and about. It seemed the cheer and celebration of the Winter Festival did not quite reach every corner of town. As Sasha and I passed by a narrow alleyway, we heard what sounded like a whispered argument, and saw three men who had a woman surrounded and cornered.
The men looked local to this area, dirty and patchwork clothes, hats with crumpled brims. The woman, in contrast, looked like she belonged on a theatre stage. She wore tight cotton pants, combined with a loose frilly cornflower blue shirt, and a wide brimmed hat with an overly large red feather pinned to one side. Her hair hung in brown curls, framing her face. She didn’t appear to be carrying much, other than the coin purse and sword that were hooked onto her belt. As Sasha and I exchanged a glance and slowed our pace the woman lunged forward and lashed out at one of the men.
She threw a loose jab toward his face and he raised his arms instinctively to defend himself, then she grabbed his wrist with one hand, and his belt with her other hand, spun about and threw him bodily into one of the other men. They both crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs, as she stood facing the last man. As the two men tried to untangle themselves and get back to their feet, the last man drew his sword, held it over his head and rushed toward the woman. She took a step back as she drew her thin rapier, then reversed direction and thrust it toward the man’s head. Her blade went straight through the man’s eye socket, and protruded out the back of his head. His own momentum did most of the work. The other two men gained their footing just as she planted her boot on the chest of their dead companion, and pulled her blade free of his skull.
The other two men looked at their fallen ally, then to the woman, her sword still drawn, held out effortlessly in front of her. They turned and ran past us, out of the alley, across the street, and disappeared down another alley. Sasha and I made no move to stop them. The woman wiped the blood off of her sword on the dead man’s coat, then sheathed it. As she stepped forward to exit the alley, she noticed Sasha and I. “Greetings. I hope we can keep what transpired here just between ourselves? I’m not sure how self-defense laws work in these lands, and I’d rather not spend Festival days wasting away in a jail cell.” she said as she tipped her hat to us.
“No problem here. I’m from a neighboring… province? Territory? Anway, looked like they were going to attack you to me.” I said as I shrugged. Sasha held up one finger and looked at me.
“Technically they’re called domains. And also, weren’t you looking for a sword instructor Clive?” Sasha said. The other woman’s eyes wandered from Sasha, back to me, then down to the sword on my hip.
“You require a tutor, masterful in the use of the blade? Look no further than I, Stella Sedlow. I am on holiday currently, but I am usually an instructor at a private school across the ocean. I have missed having a regular practice partner and-- “she paused, “this country is markedly more expensive to tour in than I had imagined.” Stella said.
I nodded. “Then it seems our needs align perfectly. Perhaps we could discuss this further somewhere indoors, away from the dead body?” I asked. Sasha and Stella nodded, and we made our way back to the more posh and populated streets around the edge of the Festival activities. We made our way into a relatively empty coffee shop on a quiet street. We choose a booth area, Sasha and I sat next to each other, with Stella across from us. “So how much money are we talking, Miss Sedlow?” I asked.
“One hundred twenty five coins a week. I also request two days off, of my choice, per week. This is standard for how these things normally work. I presume I’m just to work with you, or will there be others? What are your names, by the way?” Stella said.
“Sasha Trevarthan, Viscountess of the Eastern Wood.” Sasha said.
“Clive Dumont, uh… I’m a soldier I guess. Though I’ve done a lot of different things lately. And it’s just me that’s looking for training.” I said.
“Very well. When do we begin and when do I get paid?” Stella asked. I dug a fistful of coins out of my pack and set them on the table.
“Will that get you started?” I asked.
“Of course.” Stella scooped them up in her hand, and stuck them into the pouch on her waist.
A short while later, the door to the coffee shop slammed open and I grimaced as Sebastian stomped into the room. He held a rolled up scroll in one hand as he spotted us and came directly to our table. “The Princess sends you a summons, Lady Trevarthan.” Sebastian sneered. He threw the scroll down onto the table, and stomped back out the front door before any of use could respond. I shrugged.
“What’s it say?” I asked. Sasha broke the wax seal and unrolled the parchment.
“We’ve been invited to dinner. Or rather, I have, and I’m allowed to bring up to three guests. Stella, fancy meeting a Princess?” Sasha asked. Stella raised an eyebrow.
“Sounds interesting. Didn’t think I would be rubbing elbows with royalty.” Stella replied.
We showed Stella where we were staying, and helped her move into the room next door to us, then after a brief rest, it was time to go meet with the Princess. Directions had been included in the summons Sasha received on how to get to the mansion that Princess Yenette was staying at.
After some walking, we arrived at the proper street. Here, the snow had been shoveled out of the middle of the road, and piled to the side, where it lined the cobblestone walls that separated the streets from the large houses of those that lived here. There were not very many people out and about, other than the occasional guardsman. No one lingered in this area, everyone seemed to move with purpose toward one destination or another. The Princess’s rented mansion was a large three story affair, all stone, pillars, and ornately carved archways, cordoned off by a shoulder height cobblestone wall, with an iron wrought gate to allow entry. At this gate stood an old man, with a bent back, wearing a golden tabard. As we approached he looked at each of us in turn, his eyes moving slowly. “Lady Trevarthan and company, I presume? The Princess is expecting you.” he rasped. Then he shuffled toward the gate, unlocked it, and stepped aside. Once Sasha, Stella and I crossed the threshold, the old man closed and locked the gate behind us.
We followed the path up to the mansion proper, and the large wooden doors at the front opened just a crack as we approached. A tall blonde haired woman in traditional maid’s garb peeked out at us, then pushed the door open wider. “Welcome guests. The Princess is expecting you in the purple lounge. Right this way.” she said cheerily as she performed a small curtsey, then she turned and went into the mansion. We followed her inside, down a twisting maze of wide halls, which mostly featured little tables with expertly arranged clusters of flowers. Flowers that weren’t in season, given that it was winter.
A short while later the maid opened another door, into a room where the walls were all painted a deep purple. The Princess sat in a corner, in an oversized cushioned chair, a book open in her lap, and a bored expression on her face, till she saw the three of us. “Sasha! You brought friends. Do come in. Catelia, that will be all.” she said.
The maid, Catelia, bowed and made sure to quietly shut the door behind us as we stepped inside. Once we were alone, Sasha introduced Stella and I to the Princess, who shook her head. “No formalities here please. Just call me Yenette.” she said. For a brief while, Yenette focused on bland and casual topics, the weather, how boring things were at home, and so on. I tuned out for a few minutes.
“So Clive, how did you come to this part of the kingdom? Your clothes mark you as a foreigner of lands I am unfamiliar with.”
Yenette asked. This jarred me back to reality.
“Ah, I came from a quite a ways away. It’s not even on a map.” I said. At this she looked even more curious which was exactly what I didn’t want. How do you tell someone you’re from another world, or that the second best theory is that this is the afterlife?
“Interesting you must have had a long journey then. What do you think of our fair little Kingdom here?” Yenette asked.
“It’s quite nice here, I think I intend to stay a while.” I said as I glanced toward Sasha, who caught my eyes and smiled slightly.
“Indeed, it’s a fine place!” Stella said.
“I for one am glad for the company. I’ve lived alone for so long.” Sasha whispered. Yenette looked toward Sasha.
“I won’t pry too deeply, but you needn’t stay isolated any longer. The kingdom welcomes it’s landed nobility, even if they are on the edge of the kingdom, and a bit reclusive. The fact that you’ve not been active socially for a long time could actually work in your favor.” Yenette paused. “And to that note, you should be aware that Baron Hightower is not terribly happy with the situation about your land. He was hoping to purchase it from the Crown and parcel it out to his subordinates as fiefdoms. He made assurances he cannot keep, and he told me some of his subordinates were quite cross with him.” Yenette said as she leaned in toward us. She spoke in a hushed conspiratorial tone, as though someone might overhear us.
