"The Queen's Assassin" (closed)

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC


The Office of  Sir Morrow:

"Thank you, m'lord," Clara told Morrow with a devilish smirk on her face. "You were great."

"You weren't bed yourself, Clara," he returned. Morrow's heart was still running a bit fast. He smiled, thinking I remembered her name this time. That hadn't always been the case for him.

"I hope to do that often," she continued, "now that I am working up here in your office with you."

Morrow smiled even wider. He knew that she was testing his honesty. He was finished dressing and turned to walk around the desk he'd just fucked her over. He only replied, "Yes. Yes."

"What exactly will I be doing up here, m'lord," she pushed onward. She claimed she could read and write.

He finally confirmed her employment with him, saying, "Mostly, you will be acting as a go between. At times, I will need someone to deliver messages for me. Beyond the castle and even the city walls. Do you know how to ride a horse?"

He listened to Clara's answer. If it was a negative one, Morrow would tell he that he'd teach her.

"For now," he continued, "go let your missus know that you have been employed else where."

Morrow knew that a servant in any castle just simple quit their assigned position within it without the permission of their boss. He told Clara, "Tell her you have been hired by one of the Queen's own. Go home. Clean up."

Morrow pulled a trio of silver coins from a pocket. He tossed them onto the table. "If you do not already own one, buy yourself a nice dress for work here in the office. Also, you will need something you can ride in."

Morrow remembered what she had just let him do to her. He knew he didn't need to pay her for the fuck. The job was her payment.

Still, Morrow pulled out two more coins. Tossing them onto the desk, he told Clara, "This is yours. Services rendered."

Then, with a hard tone, Morrow stressed, "You do not talk to anyone about what you do for me. Understand? Any one."

Morrow was done with Clara for the time being. He would dismiss her and return to perusing the papers of the office's previous occupant.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC

The Office of  Sir Morrow:

(OOC: Imagine the image of Luna without the crown and fox fur.)

Luna knocked on the door to Morrow's office, pausing for him to call for her entry or open the door himself. Once inside, she took a look around, musing, "It's smaller than I'd been told. If it's not enough..." She looked to Morrow for a reaction, if any. Returning to looking around without really looking around as she strolled slowly, Luna said, "I heard that you attended Commoner's Court today. Was it what you had expected? It seems that there were some -- particularly the Nobles -- who weren't ... happy with what happened there."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC

The Office of  Sir Morrow:

"Enter!" Morrow called in response to the knock at his office door. He hadn't expected it to be Luna. He'd had a Guard tell the Queen that he'd be in his office, of course. But Morrow had expected Luna to send for him to come to her.

He stood from his chair, came around the desk, and bowed politely. It probably wasn't the super subordinate bow she was used to from her subjects. But Morrow hadn't dealt with Royals often. When he had, they'd typically been employing him to kill someone. In those cases, Morrow hadn't seen the need to show deep respect to them.

"My Queen, your visit was unexpected," he said. He cleared a chair of documents, gesturing her to it. "Please. Should I ring the kitchen for tea or anything."

More movement in the doorway caught Morrow's attention. He froze at the unexpected but very welcomed sight of Stella. He'd made a request of Luna for the young beauty to become a member of his household staff in the near future. Luna had to understand that Morrow's intention for the beauty was to have her in his bed, naked, on her hands and knees while he pummeled her pussy as he just had Clara.

"Please, come in," Morrow said, gesturing to another chair. He cleared it as well, not knowing whether it was proper for her to sit while in the presence of her Lady. Morrow had earlier located a bottle of wine earlier during his wandering through the office. It was still corked, and he considered offering it to the women. But even he knew that it wasn't the best if vintages, so he let it lie where it was.

He returned to his chair, studying Luna as he went. She had shed her crown and fur but still looked regal. And beautiful. And sexy. Despite having just emptied his balls into Clara and imagining doing the same to Stella, Morrow couldn't help but imagine fucking Luna as well. Queen or not, she was still a woman. A beautiful woman.

Morrow had no problems working for women. Particularly beautiful ones. He'd work for many of them in the past. Often, he'd been paid to kill their husbands. The wives had felt their lives would be better without them. Other times it was a father or an older, heir-apparent brother.

The reasons had rarely concerned Morrow. All he'd cared about was the coin they were putting into his pocket. Often, he'd had the opportunity to bed the grieving widow, sometimes before the widow actually was one.

"I heard that you attended Commoner's Court today," Luna said. "Was it what you had expected?"

"Yes," Morrow answered, adding, "and no."

She told him, "It seems that there were some -- particularly the Nobles -- who weren't ... happy with what happened there."

"Fuck'em," Morrow said without thinking. He feigned an embarrassed grimace looking between the women. He told her, "My apologies, My Queen."

He paused for more from Luna. When nothing came, Morrow informed her, "I've been working on our project. It is going to take me to the Barony of Orland. I'll be visiting the son of the Baron, actually. Paul."

Morrow explained how the current Baron was old and senile, and Paul was actually running things. He also spoke of the difficulty in successfully completing the project. "The Barony of Orland is only a day's ride from here, meaning we can take care of this in short order. The issue is our target. Paul rarely leaves the family Keep, which is well protected. If he does leave, it's to visit the hamlet on the estate. Even then, though, he travels with security. It is very unlikely that I could get close enough to Paul to do the job on my own. If I was to take a squad with me, to deal with the security, we would likely be detected and exposed before we could get to him."

He glanced to Stella a moment, smiling. He took in her beautiful shape while his mind worked. He looked back to Luna. "Paul is betrothed to the daughter of the Duke of Dorchen. The Duchy of Dorchen is flush with coin. The Barony of Orland is not.

"However, a vein of tin ore was recently discovered in the Barony of Orland," Morrow continued. He turned a map that was atop his desk for Luna's viewing. He tapped a fingertip to a black mark he'd made. "If Paul of Orland was to marry Reema of Dochen, her money and his ore could make them one of the wealthiest couples in the Republic of Yalla."

"Which makes his visits to the hamlet something to be held in secret," Morrow continued. "He visits women there. Paul informs the owner of the Inn when he intends to be there. And the owner ensures that there are at least two or three women there who would tickle Paul's fancy.

"If Paul's sexual exploits were uncovered," Morrow continued the detail, "it would be a financial disaster to Paul. The betrothal could be dissolved. The Duke could demand a much greater percentage of the future mine's profits. The Duke wouldn't let such a betrayal stand, regardless of the coin involved."

Morrow paused in case Luna had something to say or ask, then continued. "However, if we were to put our own woman in the Inn. And if that woman could catch Paul's eye. And if she could convince him to take a walk away from his security for something special, I might be able to get to him."

Again, Morrow gave Stella look, smirking knowingly.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC

The Office of  Sir Morrow:

"Fuck'em," Morrow said when Luna spoke about the Nobles and their discontent with her actions in Commoner's Court, adding, "My apologies, My Queen."

Luna couldn't help but smile at his freedom from concern about protocol, even before a Queen. She only nodded her acceptance of his concern. He spoke about what he called their project, referring to The Baron of Orland and his son, both of whom she knew well. The Baron had been a notorious womanizer throughout his life, a lifestyle that his son had assumed even while still in his mid-teens.

Luna didn't know all of the details, but she'd heard that several earlier attempts by his father to betroth the young Paul to Noble women from wealthy families had been dismissed due to his use, misuse, and possibly abuse of those and other women. So when Morrow seemed to be suggesting that her Handmaiden be used to pull Paul away from his bodyguards, Luna snorted in derision.

"I will not associate Stella with such a man," she said firmly. "I am very aware of how Paul of Orland treats women, and I won't have him within a mile of her, let alone within arms-reach."

Just then, a light knock came on the door -- which had not been closed tightly -- and Clara poked her head inside. She found Morrow at his desk but did not immediately see either of the other two women as she entered, smiling flirtatiously as she began, "I have done as you said, sire, and I'm now available to--"

Then Luna turned to face the former scullery maid, causing the latter's eyes to bulge with shock. Clara immediately dropped to both knees and bowered her head, begging, "Forgive me, My Queen! I ... I didn't ... I didn't mean to interrupt."

Luna studied the woman a moment, then glanced knowingly to Morrow; it didn't take a genius to understand that something untoward had happened between the two. To Clara, Luna said, "Rise, girl." Clara returned to her feet, her eyes still looking to the floor before her. Luna inquired, "Did you have something you needed to say to Sir Morrow."

She wasn't sure why she emphasized his title, particularly since she assumed that the servant already knew of it. Clara looked lifted her eyes only to look Morrow's way, then glanced ever so momentarily to her Queen before looking down again and saying, "No, Your Highness. I ... I was just ... I came to tell him ... Sir Morrow ... I came to collect his dirty dishes, My Queen."

Luna was on the verge of laughing at the younger woman's dancing but managed to maintain herself. She told Clara to gather the dishes, which the girl quickly set to doing. Before she left, though, Luna held up a hand, stopping her and asking her Handmaiden, "Stella, could you please take these to the kitchen ... and bring us back a pot of that tea from the Yallan Slopes?"

Stella looked a bit confused to be asked to do the other young woman's job, but she took the platter without question and headed out, closing the door behind her as requested. Luna gestured Clara to the chair that Morrow had earlier cleared for her Handmaiden, asking for her and receiving her name.

"Clara, I need you to do something for me," Luna began, adding, "More specifically for the Crown."

The girl was nervous, looking as though she might turn and retch at any moment. Luna could see this and promised her with a sincere tone, "I would never ask you to do something I didn't think you could do, Clara ... nor something that would put you in danger."

That was untrue, of course; Morrow's idea for presenting a female to Paul of Orland had the grave possibility to getting Clara hurt or even killed. Still, Luna went on, "I need you to ... flirt with a man ... a Nobleman ... someone from whom I want something that he doesn't want to give up. Do you think you could do this for me?"

Clara immediately glanced toward Morrow, the memory of what she'd just done for him to get out of the scullery kitchen fresh in her mind; in fact, she'd had to slip away to a changing room to clean up her womanhood and change her shift, which had been sticky with the combination of her and her new boss's fluids. Looking back to Luna, she meekly said, "I ... I think I could do this for you, My Queen."

"Good," Luna said with a happy tone. "Will you please excuse Sir Morrow and I to speak then." As Clara rose to her feet, presuming she was to leave, Luna said, "Please, wait outside." Clara gave Morrow one last glance before hurrying outside to the hall. Luna looked to Morrow, smiling. Knowingly, she said, "As quickly as that girl let you get up under her dress, I'm going to presume that she won't have any trouble attracting the attention of Paul."

She smiled wider, saying, "She smells of sex ... and when I entered your office, the same scent was polluting this place." She chuckled softly. "Of course, perhaps that scent was present before you moved in...? And perhaps that young beauty was spending time with a fellow member of the Castle Staff...? I'll have the Castellan send up a crew to clean your office for you."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC

The Office of  Sir Morrow:

Morrow wasn't sure whether or not he should be surprised that Luna was familiar with Paul of Orland. Paul was well known as a philanderer, despite only being in his mid-20s. Of course, his father's behavior had been very public. Sons often follow in their father's footsteps, whether for good or bad.

There was a possibility Morrow didn't like. Had Luna once upon a time been one of Paul's early conquests? Morrow didn't know precisely how old Luna was, but she had to be fairly near Paul's age. Perhaps they'd known one another as children. Or teens. Perhaps she been one of the many young women betrothed to him at one time or another. Perhaps, and this curdled Morrow's skin, Luna had been conquered by Paul before being tossed aside?

Another possibility was even more of a horrible thought. Perhaps Luna been a conquest of Paul's father? Dirty old Noblemen loved their young women and even girls. Morrow didn't want to consider this one at all. He didn't believe that the King of Yalla would have allowed his daughter, a Princess, to be accessed by a man like the Baron of Orland. But shit happened every day in the Republic, particularly as it was slowly but surely collapsing all around them.

Luna's refusal to let her presumably-pure Handmaiden anywhere near Paul only reaffirmed Morrow's fear that Luna herself had firsthand and tragic experience with one of the Orland nobles. Maybe he'd ask her one day. Most likely he wouldn't. It wasn't something he really wanted to know. And besides, Paul was going to be dead soon.

Clara's equally unexpected arrival at his office caused Morrow to squirm a bit in his chair. Her words, tone, and body language screamed a familiarity that the two of them should not have had. After all, Morrow had only begun his first visit to the castle a few hours earlier.

The servant dropped to her knees and groveled before the Queen. Her quick reaction only seemed to confirm her need for feeling guilty about something. Morrow found it ironic then that Luna then asked Clara to stay and discuss playing a part in Morrow's project.

Morrow had wanted Stella to seduce Paul. Oh, it wasn't because he'd thought Stella would be more effective at the job. She wouldn't. Clara had let Morrow stick his cock inside her after knowing her for just 5 minutes. It might take Paul of Orland longer than that. Maybe 10? But he'd empty his balls inside the scullery maid just as surely as Morrow had.

His desire to see Stella in the position had been about his own desires. He would escort the beauty to the Barony of Orland, fuck her either before or after killing Paul (or perhaps both), then return to Yalla to do it all over again. Simple.

Clara agreed to play the part before being sent away. Luna playfully confronted Morrow about Clara, saying she could smell the sex in the air. Morrow decided it was best to keep quiet on the subject. Instead, he stood and curled around the table toward Luna, saying, "I have something you should see before you go."

He asked Luna if she'd known who had occupied this office before it had been assigned to him. She hadn't, so he informed her: "A thief. And a traitor."

He opened before her one of the many journals he'd peeked through earlier in the day. Page after page of entries looked like nothing more than common financial bookkeeping. Morrow pointed to a column down the right side. Only one out of three or four entries had an alphanumeric two-digit code here. Some of them were circled. Some had a slash through them. Some had both.

Morrow then rolled out a piece of parchment. It had a column on the left with similar codes. Next to them were the names of people and their professions or social statuses. They ranged from teamsters to merchants to Nobles. "I found this hidden behind a false panel in a bookcase while I was searching for a bottle of something stronger than Yallan wine. These guys, these bookkeeping types. They always have a bottle hidden someplace."

He went on to explain what he thought the codes were: bribes and cuts. "I am familiar with the names of many of these businesses, Your Highness. And I am familiar with the name of many of these individuals. And I can tell you that whatever business was being done with these businesses and these individuals was not legitimate."

They continued talking for almost two hours. Morrow picked out specific names and entries and told Luna what he knew about them. Many of them were Yallan businesses that were hiding most or all of their income in an effort not to pay taxes to the Nobility and/or Crown. Some were weapons manufacturers that were selling their arms to enemies of the Republic of Yalla. Some of those enemies were the entities that had rebelled against the Republic over the last couple of decades.

"Workers in your cities and towns are making weapons that are being used against you, Your Highness," Morrow told her with a serious tone. But there's more."

He showed her how valuable resources from the lands of the Republic were being shipped out to other regimes. Very little if any tax was paid to the Crown. And very few of the transactions had been properly recorded. "Most of them are simply illegal."

The midnight hour had passed long ago. Stella, who had thrice delivered meals, snacks, and drinks to them had fallen asleep in a chair in the hallway. Morrow volunteered to carry the Handmaiden to her room. The look he got from Luna told him that that wasn't going to happen. The girl was awoken to accompany Luna off toward their own quarters.

"I would like to offer you another service, My Queen," Morrow said before the two women departed. "I will need the help of someone much smarter than me to figure this all out. I'm not afraid to admit that. But if you would permit, I would like to deal with these people on your behalf."

Morrow listened to Luna's response, then wished them both a good night. He returned to his office, donned his weapons belt, and headed out of the castle. He still had a room in the Inn to which he'd retreated after killing Luna's brother days ago. And he still had whores willing to keep him warm and comfortable.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC

The Office of  Sir Morrow:

(OOC: Again, Luna is not wearing the crown and fur. She is wearing what's underneath, though, which is the reason I am using this image for now.)


Luna could have eased Morrow's worries about whether or not either or both of the Orland Nobles had sexually misused her during her childhood or adult years but didn't; she didn't imagine that he was actually considering that as a horrific fact of her life, nor did she want to speak of the trials and tribulations that many females went through just for being female, even if they were a Noble or Royal.

She hadn't been about to let Stella face such horror, and she was hesitant to permit Clara to suffer the same. But before they sent the girl off to Orland, Luna would speak with Morrow about ensuring that nothing untoward happened to the young woman, even if she was nothing more than a scullery maid.

"I have something you should see before you go," Morrow told Luna as he moved to stand over her on her side of his desk. She had to stifle a smirk that tried to spread her lips as she wondered if the something was the very same cock that Luna correctly presumed he'd just slipped to Clara. When Luna admitted that she hadn't known who'd occupied this office before him, Morrow said flatly, "A thief. And a traitor."


Five hours later:

The two of them had poured over the journals and related parchment sheets that spoke of a widespread and long-lasting conspiracy to weaken the Crown and Republic by stealing from it and -- sometimes -- giving those pillaged items to the enemy. Luna had always known that corruption existed in the Republic, of course; when she'd first taken control of the port city of Tiala, the corruption had been rampant there, a scourge that had taken her almost five years simply to fully identify, let alone defeat. Tiala certainly wasn't the only jurisdiction within the Republic that suffered that problem.

Stella had stayed close to her Lady the entire evening, despite being told twice to retire to her own quarters for the night. The Handmaiden refused, instead keeping Luna and Morrow supplied with tea, water, dinner, and many other foods leftover from the coronation party.

Even Carla had made another appearance at Morrow's office, respectfully reminding the pair that she'd been told to await Luna's return in the passageway outside the Queen's private chambers and -- hours later -- worried that perhaps she had misunderstood her instructions.

"Where do you lay your head at night?" Luna asked the former scullery maid.

"I live in the South Town neighborhood, Your Highness," Clara told her, "With my family."

"Go home, Clara," Luna told her. "Get a good night's sleep and come back to see Sir Morrow after sunup tomorrow. Oh, wait." Luna touched her dress as if looking for a pocket that she expected to be there, but finding none looked to Morrow and asked, "Do you have some coin I can borrow until tomorrow? Let's make it six Silver Sovereigns."

To Clara again, she explained, "Before you come to the Castle tomorrow, I want you to go to the Marketplace and buy a dress. Something that will cause a man's eyes to spring out of his head and his ... well, you know."

Clara giggled and blushed, meekly responding, "Yes, Your Highness. I believe I understand." She watched Morrow loan his Queen some coin, doing her best to hide the smirk that was desperate to escape at the knowledge that Morrow had already given her a handful of silver earlier in the day for the same purpose.

With Clara gone and -- as she only now discovered -- Stella asleep in an armchair she'd had a Guard bring to the passageway outside Morrow's office, Luna returned to her disturbing discoveries. They concluded the investigation for the evening, and as Luna headed out to depart for the evening, Morrow volunteered to carry young Stella up to her room.

"I think not," Luna responded, laughing softly as she jostled the girl awake. She wanted to make a lewd comment about Morrow and Carla and how he didn't need to slip it to two young beauties in one day, but she restrained herself as she told her Handmaiden, "Stella, time to rise."

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty," the girl apologized, a bit unsteady as her mind was still waking and telling her body what to do.

As they departed, Morrow offered to deal with the people who had deceived, cheated, and betrayed the Crown and Republic. He admitted, "I will need the help of someone much smarter than me to figure this all out. I'm not afraid to admit that. But if you would permit, I would like to deal with these people on your behalf."

"And you will," Luna said without hesitation. "I know of no one more appropriate to handle this situation than you ... Sir Morrow." She turned Stella in the right direction after the half-awake girl began the wrong way, then told her Crown Assassin, "We are going to do great things together to get this Republic back on track, Sir. I am not afraid to say this: blood is going to spill ... but it will be in the name of justice ... and I can live with that."

 

[HumanBean]

Two Days Later:

Morrow brought his mount to a stop. From the rise in the road, they were looking down on the Hamlet of Tall Oak. It was a typical small village. A dozen cottages. A blacksmith. A chapel. A windmill driving a millstone. Other necessaries.

The point of interest, of course, was the Tavern. Morrow had a hard time actually calling it an Inn. He hadn't been inside it, but a contact had. A bar good for five men standing. Three four man tables. A bench and a couple of stools before the fireplace.

There was even less to say about the rooms. There were only two for patrons. Morrow understood that. He doubted that the Inn served many travelers. They were mostly for locals to drunk to travel home. And for a rendezvous as Paul of Orland was planning.

He looked to his traveling mate. Smiling, he asked, "You ready for this, Clara?"

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Clara looked down on the hamlet from beside Morrow, seeing the same he was. Surrounding the hamlet to one side were fields of grain, nearly ready to be harvested, while to the other were rolling hills of thick forests; some of them showed signs of logging. There was nothing that seemed important about the area or hamlet except for why she and Morrow were there.

"I'm ready," Clara answered to Morrow's question. "I know what's expected of me."

They started forward again, walking their horses down the hill. It seemed to be taking forever, she thought, knowing it was just her anxiety.

"How far do you want me to go with him?" she asked; they'd discussed their goals and their plan to accomplish them. But she knew that things didn't always go the way people wanted. She asked, "If I find it necessary ... to accompany him to his room ... do I?"

The plan involved Clara trying to get Paul to accompany her outside of the Inn, hopefully away from the babysitters Morrow was expecting to be accompanying the Nobleman.

"I mean if it becomes necessary..." Clara told Morrow with a serious tone, pausing before finishing, "I will do so ... for you ... and for my Queen."

 

[HumanBean]

Riding into the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Morrow had been avoiding bringing up the possibility that Clara may end up actually having to fuck Paul of Orland in order to successfully accomplish the mission. Honestly, he was surprised that the question hadn't some up until now. For two full days, the conspirators (Morrow, Luna, Clara, and to a lesser degree Stella) had managed to speak on the upcoming plot without ever pointing out that Clara might actually have to go through with her seduction of Paul.

"I mean if it becomes necessary," Clara continued, "I will do so ... for you ... and for my Queen."

Morrow didn't want to imagine his most recent lover having to part her thighs for another man. It was better that that man was soon to be dead at Morrow's hand, of course. But still. "I'm not going to let that happen, Clara. I'm going to do all I can to ensure that it doesn't go that far.

"You follow the plan, and this will be over long before anything like that happens," Morrow said with a sincere tone. "The girls slated to be here tonight for Paul will not make it. My contact made sure of that. They will be intercepted enroute and, once they receive payment for services they are not even required to provide, they will return to the Capital whore house from whence they came.

"That leaves just you alone to catch the man's eye," he went on. Making sure that Clara saw him ogle her delicious form, Morrow promised, "And you will catch the man's eye. Beautiful."

They continued onward until they reached the Inn. Morrow dismounted, then aided Clara to the ground. A boy of little more than 6 years of age came running up from a small stable. He snatched the reins without asking whether his aid was needed. Then, smiling, he held out a hand for his gratuity. Morrow returned the smile as he pressed a copper coin into the boy's hand.

"You get one now," Morrow said, "and four more when I come to collect the horses later. Do you have someone a bit bigger to help you feed, water, and brush the horses?"

The boy nodded as he pointed and excitedly answered, "Da!"

Morrow looked toward the stable and found a man raising a hand in signal. Must be Da, he thought. To the boy he continued with a hard tone, "If I find anything missing from my bags when I collect the horses..."

The boy understood Morrow's implication, shaking his head just as excitedly. "No stealing."

"Good," Morrow said, smiling. Gesturing to his horse, then to Clara's, he said, "I may need both horses ready for collection just an hour after sunset."

He nodded the child's attention to the west. The sun was perhaps two hours from reaching the crowns of the tall oaks for which the hamlet was named.

Without another word, the boy backed up between the horses, pulling the reins. It made Morrow smile seeing the small child muscling the relatively massive horses. But they were well trained steeds, and they turned and followed the boy as directed.

Morrow led Clara inside the Inn. He found it just as described. The clientele was light: two men sat at a table in a near corner while two others stood at the short bar. Morrow gestured Clara to the nearest table to the fireplace. It had been a dry ride from the Capital, but the air had been cold and crisp.

She began to sit, but Morrow caught hold of her and urged her to another chair. "I want you back to the door, Clara."

A man came out from behind the bar to take the pair's order. Morrow asked for a flagon of ale for himself, a glass of wine for the lady, and two plates of dinner, clarifying, "Whatever you're serving as long as it isn't mutton."

As they sat there, they garnered many glances from the four men and even the barman. From their appearance and weapons (or lack thereof), Morrow determined what the men were. The two at the bar were likely local farmers, while the two at the table very likely were Paul of Orland's advance men.

They received their plates of young lamb, potatoes, and bread. Morrow ate quickly. He wanted to be done with his meal before their target arrived. Ironically, his empty plate was just being taken away when two obvious bodyguards entered, followed a moment later by Paul of Orland.

Morrow made eye contact with the Baron's son, smiling thinly and nodding his head to the man. He wanted Paul to immediately assume that Clara was the woman waiting to serve him. Paul and his men joined the men at the far table, chatting a moment. They each peeked Morrow's way at least once, obviously discussing the pair.

"Okay, here we go," Morrow whispered to Clara. Still whispering, he said, "Turn and give him a look at you. Then, stand and shed your cloak, and return to you seat."

Clara did as she was told. Morrow kept his eyes firmly on Paul. He wanted to see the man's reaction. And it was obvious that the Nobleman liked what he saw. To Clara, Morrow whispered, "I'm going to make an introduction."

Morrow stood to walk to the bar. Even before he reached it, one of Paul's men stood and came to join him. Morrow simply nodded to the man politely. The man didn't return the nod, instead just looking Morrow over. The bodyguard took interest in Morrow's weapons, a sword and a dagger. Each of Paul's bodyguards were similarly armed. Morrow's arms spoke of him being a bodyguard. For the Lady.

Then, Paul arose and came to the bar. He smiled to Morrow, saying, "Good evening, sir."

"Good evening to you, sir," Morrow said, also smiling. With no reason to hide what he knew, Morrow said, "I assume you are Lord Paul, son of the Baron of Orland."

"I am," Paul confirmed. "And you are?"

Morrow looked to Clara. When Paul followed his gaze, Morrow said, "I am the Lady's escort."

Paul ogled Clara for a long moment before suggesting, "Would it be inappropriate for me to ask to be introduced to your Lady?"

"That depends," Morrow responded. Being both subtle and not, he let his hand jostle the coin pouch attached to his belt. He clarified, "On how badly you wish to be introduced."

The jingling had drawn Paul's eyes for a brief moment. After he looked back into Morrow's eyes, he smiled wide. Reaching for his belt, he removed his own coin purse. He pulled open the leather thong and poured a handful of silver coins onto the bar top.

Morrow studied the coins a moment. Then, he looked to Paul with a disapproving expression. "That will get you an introduction, sire. But not much more."

The two men stared into each other's eyes a long moment. Then, Paul looked to Clara again. After a moment, still looking at the beauty across the room, he dumped the remainder of the coins onto the counter. The sum was now at least five times what it had been.

"Do you need me to actually walk you to her?" Morrow asked flippantly as he began slowly collecting the coins. "Or--"

Before he could continue, Paul was already walking slowly toward Clara. Morrow pocketed all of the coins but two. He pushed them toward the barman saying, "A round for me and my friends."

Without asking to join the bodyguards, Morrow took a seat with them and began chatting them up. They weren't very interested in conversation initially. But after two rounds in a very short time, they relaxed a bit.

Morrow kept an eye on Clara and Paul, of course, though inconspicuously. Eventually, the Nobleman stood and offered a hand to the lady. A chill ran up Morrow's back as he waited for the answer to just where the pair were heading. Outside for a walk? Or upstairs for a fuck?

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

The Inn in the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Morrow reassured Clara that she wouldn't be fucking Paul of Orland tonight, his tone firm and reassuring. Clara wasn't as confident as her partner was, though, and -- honestly -- she didn't think he was as confident as he was feigning to be. Their discussions over the past two days had been filled with talk of Paul's security measures, and of how difficult it was going to be to separate him from them: the Nobleman rarely went anywhere without at least four bodyguards, Morrow's contact had told him; he rarely separated from them during his liaisons with women except for the actual time spent in the upstairs room; and -- despite being a professional killer and, Clara believed, very good at his job -- Morrow would be just one man against so many more.

Clara was appreciative of Morrow's reassurance that she would catch the man's eye, and sure enough -- no sooner had he entered the tavern -- Paul found he couldn't keep his eyes off Clara, and that was even before she stood at Morrow's directions and shed her cloak. Underneath the long coat that had been hiding all but her beautiful face, Carla was wearing a bustier that elevated and pushed together her young, firm breasts and little more; she'd gone without the bustle so ubiquitous in today's Lady's Fashions and her riding dress was made of far fewer yards of cloth than most, meaning that the delicious shape of her was more readily displayed than would normally seen in public outside of most brothels.

Clara stood in profile to Paul for a moment, letting his ogle her curves from the side, then turned to face him to show off her bosom. Then, smiling, she sat again, looking to the fire as if not that interested in the man for whom she'd just flashed her assets. Morrow told her he was going to make an introduction, but Clara snatched his hand quickly to stop him. Looking up into his eyes she whispered, "I will fuck him if I have to. And I will be thinking of having you inside me, Morrow ... but I will do what I need to let you succeed."

She watched Paul head away and begin his negotiations, turning once to smile invitingly to Paul. Finally, their target crossed alone to Clara, asked permission to sit -- which he got, obviously -- and spoke with her for a few minutes. Clara was her most charming, asking about Paul, his family, his position, his likes, and more; she was careful not to make her inquiries seem too much like an interrogation, though, fearful that the Nobleman might begin to suspect that there was something more going on here than foreplay.

"The sun is about to set," she whispered to him after looking to the west-facing windows of the tavern. Leaning in, she asked, "Would you like to take me outside and watch it with me." Before he answered, Clara reached a hand under the table to his thigh, caressing it slowly up its inside until she had his manhood in her grasp, very much as she had had Morrow's in it days earlier. She whispered even softer, "I have always enjoyed being bent over while I stare into the beautiful colors of a descending sun."

Paul's lips spread in a hungry smile as he offered Clara a hand and whispered back, "Let's go enjoy the sunset."

They stood, and as he escorted her toward the door, Clara caught him nodding toward the men sitting with Morrow in the corner, drinking their second or third flagon of ale. Two of them began to stand to which Clara asked with a pouty tone, "Oh, they're not going to watch are they. I get so nervous with an audience. Makes me less ... receptive."

Paul must have interpreted that last word as being important, because he paused, gestured the men to stay put, and continued them on their way. Outside, the temperature had dropped noticeably, and -- though it would have gotten in the way of what was ahead -- Clara wished she'd brought her cloak. She ensured that they didn't hurry while directing him toward a stone wall beyond which were a field of grains, the distant forest, and the much more distant sun, very near to touching the treetops.

At the wall, she turned to face Paul, immediately meeting his mouth with hers while both hands began slowly working his lower body free from, first, the belt holding his weapons in place and, second, the belt holding his trousers in place. She didn't hurry, taking some time to reach into his undergarment to grasp and stroke him as she whispered sweet nothings of how impressive his rather common cock was.

There was no sign of Morrow yet, and Clara wished to delay having to let the Nobleman intrude upon her womanhood if she could, but she was running out of time as Paul pointed out, "The sun is setting. I think it's time for you to become ... receptive."
Clara turned away from Paul and toward the sun but skillfully pressed her knees close to the stone wall to cause her dress to snag on it as the Noble was eagerly pulling it upwards. She giggled at the awkwardness of the situation, moving about as if helping while actually only delaying things. But she could only do so for a limited amount of time before Paul became angry, turned her roughly toward the wall, and tore her dress as he pulled it up roughly to expose her now-bared ass to the cold of the country night.

She was prepared to take the Nobleman's cock into her as she'd told Morrow. Whether that happened or not was up to how quickly Morrow arrived -- presuming he did at all.

 

[HumanBean]

The Inn in the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

One of Morrow's strengths had always been his ability to make others feel at ease. He used that strength tonight with Paul of Orland's bodyguard. The men kept a close eye on their boss before, during, and after his introduction to Clara. They should have been. They were, after all, protecting him.

That attention to their job, though, meant they weren't paying attention to their flagons. Morrow found it easier than usual to palm the essence of Cordyceps into those flagons. He'd begun to see the sleep-inducing effects on the first two men drugged even before Paul stood to escort Clara outside to watch the sunset.

When he'd sat with the men, Morrow had intentionally taken a seat that looked out the window toward the west. He couldn't have guaranteed a view of the pair. But luck had been with him, and Clara took Paul to a position that gave Morrow a good line of sight.

He watched with growing anxiety as his most recent lover fondled the other man's privates. If Morrow was going to interrupt the activities, it was going to have to be soon. But the last two men to be drugged weren't showing signs of drowsiness yet. Morrow calculated the odds of eliminating all four men before he himself was dispatched. Those odds were improving with each passing second. But they were improving too slowly for his comfort.

Finally, through the window, Morrow saw Paul roughly spin Clara to the rock wall and pull her dress up. The action caused him to act as well. He pulled his dagger in a flash, slicing it across one bodyguard's throat. Even as he was stabbing a second man, Morrow was pulling his sword with the other hand. He swung it as hard as possible horizontally before him. The head of the nearest man flew away as the tip of the blade caught the fourth man across his nose. As the man screaming in pain, Morrow sunk the dagger into his chest, silencing him.

Before any of the four bodyguards could get their weapons out for use, they were each bleeding out on or near the table. Morrow looked to the barman with a hard expression. The man casually held his hands out, indicating his lack of intention to act in any way.

Morrow headed for the Inn's front entrance. Before departing, though, he told the Innkeeper, "Leave it as it is. I'll be back to clean it all up." Then, he pulled loose the coin purse that was mostly full of Paul's coins and tossed it through the air to the man. "Compensation. I hear its tough getting blood out of wood planks."

He peeked out the cracked door to Paul. From here it was hard to tell whether the man was inside Clara yet or not. The only thing Morrow was sure of was that the noble hadn't heard his men screaming. Thank the Gods for a stiff westerly wind, he thought as he stepped outside.

He had planned on hurrying across the open ground to stab Paul in the back. But suddenly, the man performed a forward-thrusting maneuver with his lower body that didn't speak well for his promise that he wouldn't allow the noble to fuck Clara.

Instead, Morrow reared back and threw his dagger as hard as he could at the man. The blade sunk deeply into Paul's back. The noble arched at the pain, crying out into the wind as he backed away from Clara. Her bared ass flashed to Morrow for an instance before her dress fell back into place, hiding her.

Paul flailed at the blade, unable to reach it. He'd turned toward Morrow, not intentionally it appeared, just in time to have the second, larger blade sink into his chest. The sword cut through his heart, essentially killing him. He dropped to his knees, prevented from hitting the ground only because Morrow still had control of the blade.

"Are you okay?" Morrow asked his lover. "Clara! Are you hurt?"

As he listened to her response, Morrow put a foot to Paul's chest for leverage, then jerked out the sword. The noble twisted as he fell to the ground. With him face down, the dagger was easy to also withdraw. He returned both blades to their scabbards without concerning himself with wiping them clean of blood.

His concern was for Clara. He moved to her, taking her into his arms. He told her softly, "We need to leave. We need to put distance between us and this place. Are you okay to ride?"

If Clara was prepared to once again return to the saddle, Morrow would get her to the stable. If he had to sweep her up in his arms, he would.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

The Inn in the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Clara knew she was out of time when Paul spun her forcefully away from him, pushing her upper body forward over the rock wall with one hand while the other pulled her dress up, exposing her warm flesh to the cold air of the autumn night. She'd delayed the Nobleman as long as she could without him possibly becoming violent, turning an adventurous fuck into a potentially horrendous rape.

She felt the head of his cock at her opening as his hands moved to grasp her hips, and she braced for his impact upon her. His first thrust -- and as it would turn out to be, his last thrust -- rammed deep inside of Clara, causing her to cry out at the painful intrusion of her tightness.

Then, suddenly, it was Paul of Orland who cried out into the night. Clara looked over her shoulder to see Morrow walking toward her, the glow of the falling sun off to their left lighting one side of him while the other remained dark; if she hadn't known that he was coming to her rescue, Clara might have seen evil in that eerie contrast of color and dark nearing her. She realized quite quickly that the noble's cock had exited her nearly as fast as it had entered her; Paul was crying out and flailing his arms, the blade in his back only becoming visible to Clara as he turned slowly during his pain-filled staggering.

As she turned to face the men, Clara watched in horror as Morrow sunk his sword into Paul's chest. She'd never witnessed one man doing such a thing to another from such extreme proximity. It wouldn't be until they were mounted again and on their way from this place that Clara discovered drops of the Nobleman's blood on her neck and cleavage.

"Are you okay?" Morrow asked as we worked to recover his blades. "Clara! Are you hurt?"

She searched for enough calm to answer, eventually calling back, "Yes, yes! I'm unhurt." Physically, Clara was fine; the pain in her privates was almost nearly gone by now, and what remained was overshadowed by the shock of seeing Paul of Orland so brutally dispatched. Clara hadn't really thought much about how Morrow would kill his target during their plotting of the assassination, and seeing it now performed so closely to her was affecting her more than she'd expected.

Morrow came to her, saying, "We need to leave. We need to put distance between us and this place."

"Yes ... yes, I understand," Clara responded.

"Are you okay to ride?"

Clara tried to walk with Morrow as he guided her toward the stable, but her knees gave out and she would have fallen to the ground if her lover hadn't had hold of her. Before she knew it, Clara was in Morrow's arms as he hurriedly took them toward their horses. The stable offered a Mounting Step to make it easier for women to set upon their saddles, and Morrow initially set to helping Clara up it and onto her horse. But he must have believed her too unstable to ride, for he put her on the front of his horse before they rode off into the night with her horse falling alongside.

By the time the night was as dark as it would get, the emotions finally got to Clara, and she began sobbing into Morrow's chest. She pleaded with him, "Stop ... stop, please!" When he did, Clara urged Morrow to help her to the ground. She was trembling deep to her core, her mind's eye unable to stop seeing the sword sinking into the Nobleman's chest.

Clara needed something to get that image from her brain, and she knew just what it was that would accomplish such a feat. Dropping to her hands and knees on the grassy shoulder of the road, she looked to Morrow and demanded, "Fuck me. Now, here! I need you."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Leaving the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Morrow pulled his own horse close to the mounting steps to get Clara into his own saddle. "Hold on. Just hold on."

He found a bridle rope and used it to secure her horse to his. By now, the Stable Master had arrived to help. Whether he knew of the nobleman's slaying or his part in it, Morrow didn't know. But the man helped get the pair ready to ride in any case.

"You never saw us," Morrow said with a hard tone as he tossed the man the coin pouch that he'd pulled off Paul after retrieving his blades from the man's body. "Do not spend that anytime soon or you may be implicated."

The man's confused expression told Morrow that he didn't yet understand what had happened. He'll learn soon enough, Morrow thought to himself. He considered whether or not it would be better to simply kill this man, too. What about the kid? he asked himself. Morrow didn't kill children, and he only killed women with a better reason than a purse of coins. He knew he'd have to kill the barkeep, too. And what about the two farmers who'd still been drinking when he'd slaughtered the four bodyguards?

He used his strength to lift Clara from the saddle, move onto it himself, and pull her into his lap. Her arms wrapped around him. One of his did the same to her while the other grasped the reins. Morrow kicked his horse's sides, and out of the barn they flew.

He didn't slow them down until they'd passed over the rise and were out of sight of Tall Oak. Then, he slowed them to a gentle canter, then finally to a comfortable walk.

Then, Clara pleaded, "Stop ... stop, please!"

Only now did Morrow realize that Clara was trembling all over. She urged him to lower her to the ground. He athletically threw a leg over the saddle and dropped them both to the ground together. He tried to hold her to him, but she broke away.

"Clara, talk to me," he begged. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What can I do?"

"Fuck me," Clara said, shocking Morrow. She dropped to her hands and knees on the grassy shoulder of the road, demanding, "Now, here! I need you."

If he'd been asked, Morrow would have confessed that he'd had sex in stranger places under stranger circumstances. Still, this one was new to him. As he watched, Clara pulled at her dress's backside. Again, her shapely, bared ass came into view.

Morrow wondered whether this was really the best time and place. His wondering didn't last long. He covered the few yards to her, unbuckling and untying as he went. As he dropped to his knees, his trousers and braies came down. He was heading into action so quickly that he was still semi-flaccid. But he would make it work.

He grasped his shaft and pushed his head at her wet hole. He played the bulb up and down her slit while he continued to harden. Then, more gently than had Paul of Orland, Morrow pushed. He grunted at the combined exertion and pleasure as he thrusted three more times to fully sink within her.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Leaving the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Clara felt Morrow's cock push inside her, causing her to cry out again, not so much at the pain of the intrusion itself, but at a combination of it, the pleasure, and the anxiety that was surging through her. She immediately began using her hands and knees to shove herself at Morrow as he himself shoved the opposite direction; she needed something other than seeing the sword sink into the Nobleman's chest, and having Morrow's weapon sink into her instead seemed to be working.

Still, as he continued pounding forcefully into her, Clara found tears escaping both eyes, dripping downward, some to the ground and others to the backs of her hands. She begged over one shoulder, "Harder ... harder!" Then, just as the sobs began to escape her, the pleasure on which Clara was trying to focus rose thankfully quick, pushing her to orgasm, causing her to cry out into the night as the climax overwhelmed her.

Clara slumped to the ground, spent, her mind whirling from the euphoria. She would later wonder whether or not Morrow had cum, too, whether before her, with her, or in the seconds after before his own movements ceased. Right now, though, the only thing on her mind was the desire to simply lay here on the cold ground and forget that this night had ever happened.

She'd never imagined that she could feel so emotional over seeing a bad man killed. Paul of Orland and his conspirators had tried to have Luna murdered; he deserved what he'd gotten. Of course, Clara had never even met the Princess-turned-Queen before walking into Morrow's office and practically announcing that she had begun fucking the man just an hour or so earlier. Still, deep in her heart, Clara had an affinity for Luna; the stories of what she'd done for the Port City of Tiala were legendary, and the thought that she could and would do the same for the rest of the Republic of Yalla pleased Clara greatly.

Once her brain could formulate a thought and speak it aloud, Clara asked, "Do we have to ride...? Can't we stay here tonight? Is it safe?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

After leaving the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Morrow felt somehow guilty that he was so enjoying fucking Clara as he was now. He'd known women who were excited by danger. By violence. He'd fucked a few women who he'd very recently made widows by killing their husbands at their request.

But that wasn't what was driving Clara. Morrow knew that. Her hunger wasn't a happy result of having seen Morrow take the nobleman's life. He knew that. At the same time, though, as she demanded Harder ... harder, he understood that she needed this.

Ironically, or sadly maybe, the pleasure he received from this unorthodox encounter was greater than normal. Morrow's balls pumped out his seed faster than they had even their first time together in his office days earlier. While his head spun from the delight, Clara collapsed to the ground. Had she cum, too? Or had she given up after realizing that he had?

Either way, Morrow rode out his climax without a word spoken to her. Just a grunt followed by several gasps as his heart pounded and his body trembled.

They came down from their clouds, with Clara asking, "Do we have to ride...? Can't we stay here tonight? Is it safe?"

"No," Morrow said without hesitation. "We must get away from here."

But then he rethought the situation. Paul of Orland was dead. The four bodyguards who'd been traveling with him were dead. Other sword-bearing men in the Baron's employ might happen upon the Inn and discover what had happened. The barman or stable master could hurry to the Keep to report it.

"But," he began. He went silent. Morrow was trying to convince himself that fleeing was more important than comforting Clara. But he couldn't. "I will find us a place to make a fire."

Morrow retrieved the bedroll that he nearly always carried on his saddle. He made a quick bed for Clara, wrapping her in both his bedding and cloak. A few minutes of searching the woods found a half-moon shaped ledge that provided some comfort from the wind. There was an old fire pit indicating that others had used it before.

He spent a few minutes striking and fueling a fire. He retrieved Clara, carrying her once again. Once she was settled, he returned for the horses. He kissed Clara softly on the lips. "I'll be back soon. I'm going to make sure we aren't found."

Morrow retraced their path to the road. He mussed up where they'd left it, even laying a downed log and some branches across it. Halfway to the fire, he strung a line between two saplings he bent over almost to the point of snapping. Anyone passing through them would trigger them. The noise would be obvious, even over the sound of the crackling fire.

Morrow collected firewood on the way back to the camp. He built up the fire. It was larger than it should have been. Too much glow. But he wanted to snuggle up against Clara to keep her warm without waking her to stoke the fire later. She was asleep before he was. And he didn't sleep soundly, waking to the sounds of the forest on several occasions.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

"Camping" outside the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

Clara had calmed greatly by the time that Morrow curled up with her in his bedding. She clung tightly to him, feeling more comfortable and safer than she had since Queen Luna had first involved her in the plot to kill Paul of Orland.

She fell asleep almost immediately once Morrow had settled in next to her. Unlike him, Clara slept soundly through the night, waking only when Morrow pulled her from her sleep.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The morning after killing Paul of Orland (near the Hamlet of Tall Oak):

"Clara," Morrow whispered as he knelt over her. He hated to wake her. She looked so cute and sweet when she was sleeping. When she wasn't sleeping, she was sexy and erotic. Morrow liked that, too.

Clara stirred, her eyes cracking open, blinking clear, and finally opening wide. Morrow smiled. "It's time to go."

Morrow had snuffed out the fire and collected firewood for the next people to use this camp site. Everything but the bedding was already on the saddles. They packed three rest up now.

They didn't return to the road from Tall Oak. Morrow kept them on the train instead. It would take longer to get back to the City, of course. But they were in no hurry.

Morrow suggested silence until he knew they were clear of the Barony of Orland. They stopped twice to water and feed both the horses and themselves.

During the second stop, Morrow asked, "Are we okay?"

He'd enjoyed fucking Clara last night. And here believed that she'd cum along with him. But that didn't mean that their relationship was okay.

"A great deal happened yesterday," he reminded her, unnecessarily. "I just want to know if you and I are still okay."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the way back to the Capital from the Hamlet of Tall Oak:

"Are we okay?" Morrow asked Clara after they'd finally left the Barony of Orland and -- Morrow hoped -- were free from retribution by the Baron's people.

She looked at him with a confused expression, leading Morrow to clarify, "A great deal happened yesterday."

Clara couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped her. When she didn't respond verbally, he continued, "I just want to know if you and I are still okay."

"We are okay, M'lord," she responded in a formal way. She saw his reaction to her response, smiled, and blew him a kiss. She was pretty sure of what it was that was bothering Morrow and tried to reassure him with, "I was ... emotionally compromised, you could say." She laughed again, explaining, "Someone said that to me once, and I remembered it. And no, I do not typically speak like that."

Clara urged her horse closer to Morrow's such that she was close enough to lean close enough to offer her mouth to his for a kiss. Simultaneously, she reached her nearest hand his way and grasped his manhood, then -- either after the kiss or instead of it should it not materialize -- said to him, "This is usually the way I speak: I liked the way you fucked me last night ... it was exactly what I needed ... and I would beseech M'lord to do that again to me at his earliest convenience."

She gave his now-growing cock one last playful squeeze, then released her hold, spurred on her horse, and laughed as she rode off ahead of him.

Later:

They rode into the little village of Treyla in the late afternoon, finding a stable across from an Inn at which Clara knew they could find a good meal. She told Morrow as they crossed to it, "When I was a little girl, my father was a teamster, and he would take me with him on his wagon sometimes. We passed through here, and he always took me in here for a slice of berry pie. We never told my mother, of course. Two slices cost us as much as it did to feed the entire family at home most days of the year."

Once inside and sat at a little table near the fire, Clara smiled knowingly at Morrow until he finally quizzed her about her heightened state of humor. She asked, "You don't know where we are, do you...? Not the Inn, I mean. I mean the village ... Treyla?"

She gave Morrow a moment, and although the village's name seemed familiar to him, he couldn't put his finger on the precise reason for Clara's increased mood. She leaned in closer to speak softly enough not to be heard by the nearest patrons, asking, "Remember when I was sitting on your desk yesterday...?"

He remembered, obviously; how could he forget having his head under her dress and inside her shift, eating her out and leading her to scream out in ecstasy? She giggled, then continued, "While you were ... warming me up ... I took a peek at the papers atop your desk." She smiled wider, blushing before admitting, "Yes, yes, I was spying. But only for me 'cause you wouldn't tell me what kept you and the Queen up so late that first night after we ... you know."

Again, Morrow remembered what you know meant. Clara continued, "There was a sheet of parchment, something about a copper mine ... with the name Treyla atop it ... and someone -- I assume you -- wrote the words Thief and ... is it embezzer...? No, embezzler, yes? That's just a big word for a fancy thief, yes...?"

She paused while some patrons passed by, then continued, "Well ... to the best of my knowledge, there is only one copper mine in the jurisdiction of the Village of Treyla ... and it is owned by the Viscount Ulronni..." Clara leaned forward again, to hide the hand that outstretched an index finger toward a distant table at which sat an elegantly dressed man, a woman who might have been his daughter, a wife half his age, or a companion.

"That's the Viscount Ulronni," Clara informed Morrow after he'd followed her finger. When he looked back to her, she shrugged her shoulders, saying, "Just thought you might be interested."

Clara had no idea whether Morrow would do anything about this happenstance or if he even had an idea of what to do or if he remembered his investigation of the mine thievery situation to even think about doing anything. But she'd had time to think about what had happened yesterday with Paul of Orland, and she'd realized that watching Morrow work was the next best sort of foreplay after what he'd done under her dress that day.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The village of Treyla:

Morrow was happy that he'd chosen to take the long way back to the Capital. It meant spending another night on the road with Clara. Only this time, he'd be sleeping in an Inn, in a soft, warm, dry bed. And before that, he'd be inside a warm, wet Clara.

They took a corner table in the Inn's tavern and ordered ale and food. As they waited, Clara asked if he recalled their third sexual encounter in his office. Morrow most certainly did remember that. Eating Clara out had been the highlight of his month. Killing Baron-to-be Paul of Orlando had been nice. Killing Prince Nellan days before that had been far better than that. But putting his mouth on Clara's pussy had simply been magical.

Clara had the cleanest, tastiest pussy Morrow had ever snacked on. He didn't know exactly what she'd done down there to make it so. Some women knew things that they would never share with a man about that part of their body that they liked to share with a man.

She was also Frenkish down there. Morrow really liked that.

More than a dozen years ago, Frenkish Emperor Kernan of Norla had made a tour of his realm. At the time, his empire had been the largest and most powerful in history. It had included two-thirds of the Known World outright: Vint, the Fenwater, the Meretheni Federation, the Free Cities of Tut (in the east) and Lux (in the west), and of course, the lands of the Frenkish Empire.

The majority of the remainder of the world were vassal states. This included most of the island cities of the Grey Sea, the Eastern Bight, and the whole of the Republic of Yalla from Survivor Bay in the east to the mouth of the Kokalla River in the west.

Really the only lands and waters not controlled by Kernan's forces were the the forested, mountainous lands south of the Meretheni's Great Steppe, the Golden Isles, the Bitter islands, and the pirate ports of Useless Bay.

Kernan's Frenkish Empire had been the most powerful and most influential entity ever known to man. And yet, today, after its near-total collapse, all that was left of it was The Frenkish. Oh, it didn't describe the Empire or its culture or its influence or its art or anything like that. It described the way a female shaved her entire body below her neck.

Before Kernan, such shaving of a woman had never been a part of any culture outside the Frenkish Empire. Most people believed it had begun with Kernan's own harem. When he'd begun his tour of the Known World, he'd done so with 11 of his 36 wives of the time. The remainder of them had remained behind in Ras Rufna, then the Capital of the Empire. It was believed that the reason those 25 women had remained behind was that they all had been in some stage of pregnancy and not suited for the Tour.

Kernan's wives had come from different cultures, nations, and states from across his Empire. They'd come in every skin color, every hair color, every body style. And yet they'd all had one thing in common: a total lack of hair below their neckline. No one really knew what the Frenkish had originated. The only thing known about it was that it had come to the greater-Known World via Kernan.

The way that the Frenkish spread was even more interesting, Morrow thought. As he traveled, Emperor Kernan collected new wives from each of his territories and vassal states. History claimed that by the time he returned to Ras Rufna, his traveling harem of 11 had swelled to nearly 50 women. They had ranged in age from 12 to 30. Some had been the sisters, daughters, or granddaughters of his subject Royals and Nobles. Some had been Commoners who Kernan had believed to be the most beautiful women in their culture or nation.

There was a great irony in the 50-plus women who'd returned to Ras Rufna with Kernan: none of them had been with him with he began the Great Tour. Not a single wife who'd begun the trek with Kernan returned to Ras Rufna. They were given to (in some cases married to, in others presented as a gift) to other men across the Realm. And just as his wifes included Royals, Nobles, and Commoners, Kernan gave his former wives to Royals, Nobles, and Commoners.

Legally, though, none of those former wives were ever former. Each of them retained the title of Wife to the Emperor Kernan of Norla. And they all lived in relative lives of luxury. Even the one married to Commoners. They were protected by Bodyguards and lived in better homes and circumstances than their husbands had before them, whether Royals or Commoners.

And they remained Frenkish.

Regardless of what changed in their lives after leaving Kernan's haren, the one aspect of their lives that continued was shaving their bodies below the neckline. And soon, women across the Empire and beyond were doing the same. Initially, it was seen as being sophisticated. High class.

Over time, its popularity began to wane. As the Frenkish Empire, like so many realms, began to collapse, it became less common. In some areas rebelling against Kernan and his successor, the current Emperor of the much smaller Frenkish Empire, Loran of Bind, the Frenkish came to be outlawed. It was casted aside, like the Empire itself. Most Noble and Royal women of these rebelling States stopped shaving as a sign of rebellion against the Empire.

Thankfully, Morrow thought, The Frenkish was still popular with two groups of women: whores and Commoners. It made sense to Morrow for the first category. That was all about hygiene and pleasing men who liked to dine down yonder without gaining a mouth full of kinky, curly hairs in their teeth.

The second category, he'd been told, fell into two trains of thought. Some lower-class women simply liked it, for whatever reason. Others thought it continued the feeling of rebelling against their current government or, simply, the men who thought they controlled them.

Clara had her own reasons for going Frenkish. And Morrow, of course, had appreciated it. In fact, just thinking about it now was getting Morrow stiff again.

Clara continued explaining what she'd seen while Morrow's head had been under her dress and shift, "While you were ... warming me up ... I took a peek at the papers atop your desk."

She spoke about Treyla, the copper mine, the embezzler, and Viscount Ulronni. Only now did the situation he'd read about come back to Morrow. (He and Luna had gone over so many journals and papers that night.)

Clara inconspicuously pointed across the tavern, saying, "That's the Viscount Ulronni. Just thought you might be interested."

Morrow casually turned to look the man's way. He'd never met the Viscount before. Honestly until he'd seen the man's name on the documents, Morrow had never heard of Ulronni. He studied the Noble and the woman sitting with him a moment. Then, he turned back to Clara, smirking.

"Yes, I am interested," Morrow said. "Very."

He contemplated the situation as the barmaid delivered their dinners and a second round of locally made sweet, thick liqueurs that he liked. As they ate, Morrow's brain ran wild with thoughts of what was to be done about the Viscount. He and the Queen had decided upon a course of action regarding the thieves, embezzlers, and other corrupt members of her Court: punishment.

Oh, sure, that was a rather vague word. But it was the best word for the moment. They hadn't yet fully determined what the punishment was to be for the crimes they'd uncovered. Some of these crooks would simply be publicly admonished. Stripped of titles or contracts. Others would be publicly flogged. Others would be jailed. And still others would be executed.

In most cases, Luna had told Morrow that the punishment had to be public. It was the only way to stop future corruption. But there were other situations in which Luna had determined that they needed to be subtle. Even surreptitious. These mostly centered on powerful people who could bring down a lot of hurt on the brand-new Queen of the Republic of Yalla.

Despite being the Monarch of a great land, Luna and her realm were still vulnerable. Much of the former Yallan Empire was no longer under the control of the Crown. Much of what was perceived by the public to be under control actually wasn't.

There were more than two dozen Counties, Duchies, and Baronies whose Noble leaders had been thumbing their noses at the Crown for years. They didn't pay their taxes. They didn't fulfill their obligations regarding troops for Yalla's conflicts. In some cases, their forces openly clashed with the Republic's Standing Army.

Luna and Morrow had decided that this would end. Beyond Paul of Orland, the two of them hadn't determined on a starting point. As he glance over his shoulder at the Viscount, Morrow thought to himself, Starting point.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: By the way, Frenkish? I love it!! When you said you had an idea with which you wanted to run and I said Go for it, I had no idea. )

(OOC: Another "by the way" for our readers and the moderators. I use the word "girl" several times below in reference to a new, young character, but I assure you, she is 18+.)


The village of Treyla:

Some casual and friendly conversation with others in the tavern, along with a little flirty from Clara with the owner of the Inn, resulted in she and Morrow learning that the Viscount Ulronni was staying in the Inn for several days while doing local business. Clara and Morrow decided that they'd work on a plan tomorrow, leaving tonight for more important things ... things involving warm, dry beds, and warm wet holes.

Unfortunately for Morrow, Clara knew that she was entering her most fertile stage of her Moon Cycle, and away from home and the herbal treatments she kept for preventing -- or at the least greatly minimizing -- the chances of her conceiving a bastard child, she was reluctant to let Morrow empty his balls inside her pussy tonight. That misfortune, though, came with good fortune of another nature.

They paid an extra Silver Sovereign for a room with a bathtub, into which the pair sank their soiled bodies for a hot scrub and some generous petting. Once clean, Clara directed Morrow onto the wide, wooden rim surrounding the bronze tub, parted his thighs, and moved into position to take his cock into her mouth. Oral was something Clara had learned at the request of her first lover, back when she was actually much too young to be doing such things. She'd gotten very good at it over the years with subsequent lovers, and it was what she'd turned to when she wanted to please these men without ending up pregnant with a child she'd likely have to either raise on her own or give over to the Church.

Many women performed oral sex, of course, but most of them did so for coin in the brothels of the bigger cities. Clara had been propositioned by the owner of a brothel once, invited to join his flock where she could earn a great deal of money in a short amount of time and then retire to a small farm or start a shoppe in the city. She'd been tempted to take him up on his offer, but the one fact that he had kept from her but of which she'd been well aware was that the vast majority of brothel whores either ended up pregnant and tossed out onto the streets; beaten up to the point of no longer being of use and, again, tossed out onto the streets; or simply destroyed by the life they led to the point of having no spark left in them for a beneficial future.

The irony, of course, was that passing on becoming a brothel whore left Clara living the glorious life of a scullery maid. Sometimes, as she was scrubbing greasy pans or flinching at the feel of some male Castle worker's hands grabbing at her ass, Clara wondered if she'd made the wrong decision. Now, though, as she bobbed her head slowly up and down in Morrow's lap, she believed that she'd made the right choice of waiting for something better to come along.

Clara was good at what she did between men's thighs, and it wasn't long before Morrow was flooding her tongue with his seed. She'd been fondly his balls with the fingers of one hand and adding to the feel of her lips and tongue on his head and shaft with the fingers of her other hand around his base; when his cock began spasming, she jerked his full length tight and fast to extend his orgasm until every last drop had been expended.

She licked Morrow clean, then invited him back down into the tub. She turned her back to him, laid between his parted thighs, and pulled his hand to her pussy. Clara spent a minute showing Morrow what made her feel the best, then laid back to enjoy a level of euphoria she hadn't expected from just the man's fingers.

After she'd come down from her high, Clara called out loudly, "Hot water! More hot water!"

"Yes, m'lady, right away," a female voice called from beyond the rented room's door as footsteps rushed by, the young female repeating, "Right away, m'lady." A minute later, footsteps sounded again, this time heavier and slower, stopping at the door. The servant girl asked, "M'lady?"

"Enter!" Clara called as she sat up in the tub. The door pushed open, revealing a young woman with two wooden buckets from which steam was rising. She picked up one in each hand, stood tall, then froze in surprise; she hadn't been aware that the lady beyond the door was with a companion, nor that she would be rising naked from the tub as she herself entered. Clara smiled and waved her inside, laughing as she said, "Don't be shy, girl. Enter, enter."

The girl entered as instructed; she did all she could to keep her eyes off the naked woman and the presumably naked man still in the tub. Clara slipped into a robe provided with the payment of the tub, then dipped an empty bucket into the tub, filling it with cooling, dirty water; she dumped it into a bucket-shaped drain on the room's wall that drained out the wall to the alley behind the Inn. She told the girl to go get two more buckets while she herself repeated the draining of the tub.

By the time the girl returned, the water level had dropped far enough to reveal Morrow's torso and cock, still more swollen than not and seeming to float there on the surface of the dirty water. Clara gestured the girl to empty the bucket into the tub, knowing that from where she was standing, she couldn't yet see Morrow's naked body in the tub. When the girl moved forward and caught sight of Morrow, she nearly dropped the bucket into the tub; hot water splashed into the cooler water, onto Morrow's body, and onto the floor at her feet.

Panicked, the girl recovered, then apologized, "I'm sorry, m'lady ... m'lord!"

Clara laughed as she helped the girl with the bucket. "It's fine, it's fine. You did nothing wrong." Looking to Morrow, she asked, "Nothing burned that won't heal ... m'lord?" She reached into the tub, clutching Morrow's cock a moment before asking, "No harm done here ... m'lord?"

Beside her, the girl tried to shrink away, but Clara caught her by the arm, bringing her back to the tub's edge. "What's your name, girl?" The girl told her Rosalyn, and as she did her best to make the girl face Morrow, Clara asked, "Amazing, isn't he? Isn't he a beautiful man...? It's okay, you can look. I don't mind." Clara looked to Morrow, winking and asking, "Do you, m'lord."

Rosalyn tried not to want to look into the tub but failed, peeking between Morrow's face, torso, cock, and back up again. Clara giggled and again reassured Rosalyn that it was okay to look. Once the girl was spending more time looking down upon Morrow than not, Clara asked, "Do you want to bathe with us, Rosalyn?"

The girl's eyes swelled with surprise as she tried to back from the tub. Clara held her in place, giggling again as she repeated, "Do you want to bath with us Rosalyn?" When the girl didn't answer, Clara asked, "Are you a virgin, Rosalyn?" Again, the servant didn't answer, but the expression on her face answered the question.

Clara instructed Rosalyn to finish emptying the buckets into the tub, then grabbed her hands and led her to the chair over which Morrow's clothes were hung. Looking to Morrow for his reaction, she fished out his purse and removed several Silver Sovereigns. Showing them to the girl, Clara whispered suggestively, "Do you want to bathe with us, Rosalyn?"

The girl looked at the coins hungrily, then looked up into Clara's eyes and smiled. Meekly, she nodded before whispering, "Yes, m'lady."

Clara returned the smile, slipped the coins into the pocket of Rosalyn's skirt, and began undressing her. Rosalyn mostly just stood there, letting her undressing occur and only occasionally aiding in the process. Very quickly, Rosalyn was naked, and when Clara shed the robe, she was, too.

Clara looked the younger woman over hungrily, moving closer to begin caressing her hands over Rosalyn's youthful, curvy, womanly features. Then, moving closer yet, Clara pressed her lips to the other woman's, engaging her in a soft kiss that became progressively more erotic. One hand caressed down to in between their bodies, finding her womanhood and causing Rosalyn to draw a sudden, deep breath that swelled her chest. The two of them giggled together.

The older of the two continued to toy with the younger's labia and clit a long moment as they continued to kiss before Clara finally separated from Rosalyn, took her hand, and led her to and into the tub. Climbing in behind her, Clara manipulated Rosalyn into Morrow's lap, leaving Morrow to decide whether he put himself inside the other woman.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: Repeating my writing partner's notice: "...for our readers and the moderators. I [MarieDavisRPs] use the word "girl" several times below in reference to a new, young character, but I assure you, she is 18+.)


The village of Treyla:

Morrow had initially been disappointed when Clara told him that they couldn't fuck. Then, she took his cock into her mouth and treated it as no woman ever had, pro or not. She'd slowly driven him to the edge of orgasm. Then, just as he thought he'd cum, Clara held him there for the longest time.

When he finally exploded, his climax seemed to last forever. His cock jerked and jerked and jerked again. The pulsing reduced to a twitching, it, too, seeming to go on forever. Morrow had looked down to Clara, watching. She amazed him. Her mouth never left his cock.

When his balls were finally empty, she licked him clean. It was just so erotic. When they met eyes, Morrow chuckled. "My Gods, woman. That was unbelievable. I could never make you feel that good no matter how I tried."

She pulled him back into the tub. Morrow held Clara to him with one arm around her torso. That hand groped her breasts and teased her nipples. The other hand slipped down between her legs to return the favor as best it could. He felt good making her cry out in orgasm. It still wasn't enough, though. He would have spent the night rolling her clit in his fingers, driving her nuts.

But the water in the tub had gotten cold. She called for the servant girl. Morrow expected more hot water, nothing more. What he got he couldn't have even dreamed of. Clara helped Rosalyn out of her clothing. She'd seemed sweet and innocent when she'd been diverting her eyes from Morrow's naked body. Now, though, she was naked, kissing Clara, and letting the other woman pleasure her between her legs.

In the tub. Morrow's cock was fully hardened. The two women had refilled the tub with hot water. If they hadn't, his cock would have been standing in the clear.

Morrow wondered whether or not Rosalyn would have continued with this if Clara hadn't given her a handful of his silver. He thought he would have liked to see that. But then he decided it wouldn't have matter. Actually, with her being paid, it gave them more control over her. Or it should.

Clara walked Rosalyn to the tub, helping her into it. Morrow didn't hesitate to reach for the girl's hips and pull her closer. He engaged her in a deep kiss while looking past her into Clara's eyes. He could see in his lover's face that she was enjoying this as much as he hoped he would.

Rosalyn sat tall again, smiling to Morrow. He shifted her back and forth over his cock. The feel of her slick pussy sliding over his shaft led Morrow to groan deeply. He wanted inside the young thing. But this was Clara's doing. He would leave the next steps to her.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: Same OOC note about "girl" as in the above post.)

The village of Treyla:

Clara slid in behind Rosalyn, moving up close to her as Morrow pulled the girl to him; the round tub, which had originally been built to haul ale but had had leaks, as evidenced by the water stains and wet spot on the floor -- was round and large enough to give all three of them room to sit together. Her lover's mouth found Rosalyn's in a deep kiss, but his eyes found Clara's over the other woman's shoulder. Clara smiled, delighted that the sexual interaction that she'd chosen -- to fill in for reluctance to fuck while fertile -- was obviously fully acceptable to Morrow.

When Rosalyn sat tall again, Clara slipped a hand around her body to grope a tit while Morrow did the same to the other from the front. Her other hand caressed down to between Rosalyn's thighs, her fingers again finding the younger woman's pussy. This time, of course, there was a rock-hard cock lying beneath it as its owner slipped the beauty's slit to and fro over that hardness.

Clara had been expecting Morrow to ram himself inside Rosalyn as soon as possible, yet he made no effort to do so. She looked into his eyes, smirking, mouthing, Go ahead ... fuck her. But still, smiling to her like a cat with feathers in its teeth, he only slid the beauty over his shaft. Clara tilted her head at him, laughing; she grasped his shaft, pulling it upwards away from his belly as her other arm lifted Rosalyn upwards to put him at her hole.

"Fuck him," Clara whispered into Rosalyn's ear before biting its lobe, then licking at it. Feeling Morrow's cock disappearing into the girl's hole, she smiles wide with happiness. Looking into Morrow's eyes she whispered, "Fuck her hard, lover."

As the pair got active, Clara pulled Rosalyn tighter to her with the arm wrapped around her chest while the other got active on her clit. The girl was quickly crying out in joy to what the pair were doing to her.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: Same OOC note about "girl" as in the above post.)

The village of Treyla:

Morrow felt the bulbous head of his throbbing cock penetrate Rosalyn's gates. He groaned as Clara helped the girl slide down onto him.

He couldn't help but realize that there younger woman was even tighter than Clara. Morrow would never tell his lover that, of course. She might presume it herself, though. Would she care? Hell, it was Clara who was responsible for this!

"Fuck him," Clara whispered to Rosalyn. Then to Morrow, "Fuck her hard, lover."

Soon, Rosalynn was bouncing in Morrow's lap. Their repetitious movements created growing waves across the surface. Water splashed onto the floor. Morrow put his all to work giving the girl his full length in every thrust.

Morrow would have loved to believe that here alone was the reason Rosalynn was crying out in building pleasure. But Clara was working the girl's clit, too. Morrow didn't care who made Rosalyn cum. He only cared that she did. Oh, and that he did, too.

Soon, and almost simultaneously, they both erupted in orgasm. Morrow rammed hard into Rosalyn's depths, grunting and groaning. He filed her as Clara had told him he couldn't do to her.

His eyes had gone closed during the euphoria. Morrow opened them again, wondering what next, girls?

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: Same OOC note about "girl" as in the above post.)

The Village of Treyla:

Holding her closely, Clara could feel Rosalyn's body begin trembling as she climaxed, the waves of pleasure washing through her. She cried out louder and longer than she had this far, one hand reaching up to clasp the back of Clara's neck while the other clutched at one of Morrow's forearm.

Clara didn't stop the circling of her fingers on the girl's clit, wanting to extend the euphoria as long as possible, like she would want Rosalyn -- or Morrow -- to do for her.

She couldn't know this -- not that anyone should care at this point -- but, as Rosalyn leaned back into Clara, creating angle between her own body and Morrow's, it was the contact of the big, bulbous head of the man's cock against the extra sensitive front of her canal that was driving her crazy.

Morrow came a moment later, too; Clara knew his sounds, expression, and body language by now. This was what she wanted, of course, leading Clara to smile with delight. It made her happy to see Morrow in the throes of ecstasy, even if it wasn't her directly causing it.

The two fucking came off their peaks of ecstasy, Morrow relaxing back into the wall of the tub while Rosalyn relaxed into Clara's arms. The Inn's servant laughed, turning her head to the other woman, kissing her before whispering, "Thank you, m'lady"

She turned back to Morrow, pulling on his forearms to move to him, kissing him as she had Clara. Whispering again, she told him, "Thank you, m'lord"

Rosalyn lifted up from Morrow's cock, which ironically squeezed her vaginal muscles tight around his shaft. She grimaced, then laughed, saying, "Sorry, m'lord."

The servant rose, carefully exiting the tub; water ran down her curves and legs, leaving a trail of water drops as she headed for her clothes. With an apologetic tone, she said as she dressed, "I have to return to my work, m'lord ... m'lady."

"Go, Roslyn, go," Clara said playfully waving off her concerns. She herself stepped out, walking toward the servant. "You have other guests to serve."

Clara, still naked and dropping water, took Rosalyn into her arms and kissed her again; her hands drifted down to grasp Rosalyn's ass cheeks, squeezing them. "We may be here a few days. Perhaps we will call on you again...?"

"Yes, m'lady," Rosalyn said excitedly. She felt Clara's hand grasp her pocket, shaking it; the coins Clara had given her earlier jingled as a reminder. Rosalyn quickly whispered, "No, m'lady. No coin. I just..."

She looked to Morrow, smiling. Excitedly, she told them, "No coins. Just for the fun ... yes?" Looking back to Clara, she asked again, "Yes...? Fun?"

Clara kissed her again, telling her, "Yes, for the fun of it."

She asked Rosalyn if she could have someone bring food and ale, then sent her on her way.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Village of Treyla
The next morning:

Clara was the only one of the three in the bathtub who hadn't enjoyed their own orgasm the night before. Morrow couldn't let that stand, obviously. He put his mouth to that delicious pussy of hers before they fell asleep. And then, this morning, he'd awoken her by crawling under the covers to repeat her climax from the night before.

"That's how you begin your day, m'lady," Morrow whispered to her as he emerged from under the bedding to kiss her. He wanted so badly to slip his cock into her pussy. He even thought of promising not to cum inside her. But Morrow was sure she'd heard that one before. Leaping out of bed, he stretched as he looked out the window onto the small village. "It's going to be a beautiful day."


Later:

Rosalyn wasn't working when they went downstairs for breakfast. The tavern keeper said she worked her family's farm in the mornings and tended to the Inn's patrons in the evenings. The person Morrow really wanted to see, of course, was the Viscount Ulronni. And luck be with them. The man and his female companion descended to the tavern for their own breakfast just as Morrow and Clara's was arriving.

Both tables finished eating and were ready to get on with their days. Morrow helped Clara to her feet and headed them toward the door such that both pairs would practically collide. Morrow apologized, then introduced himself as, "Morrow of Kinth. And my traveling companion, Clara."

Acting as if he was unsure, Morrow continued, "I thought perhaps I heard someone mention your name when we were having dinner last night. Ulron? Of Treyla? Of this beautiful little village?"

"Ulronni", the man corrected. He very quickly added, "Viscount Ulronni. And yes. My family has an estate just outside Treyla."

"Wonderful," Morrow nodded respectfully to the man.

Morrow smiled to the young beauty accompanying Ulronni and offered out his hand. "And this amazing beauty would be...?"

Ulronni answered with a rather a terse tone, "This is my daughter, the Lady Betty of Treyla."

Betty waited for her father's hesitant nod before she placed her hand in Morrow's. He leaned forward, respectfully and ever so gently touching his dry lips to the backs of her fingers. "Lady Betty, it is a pleasure."

Morrow rose to height again, leaving pulling her hand back to Betty. He wanted to see whether she would pull it back quickly, slowly, or what. Often, such a reaction said a lot about a woman. He looked to Ulronni with a somewhat confused expression, asking, "Lady Betty. I thought it was Yalla custom for unmarried daughters to carry the title Honorable."

"My wife has passed," Ulronni explained, adding, "Some years ago. My daughter serves as Lady of the Estate. And what makes you believe that my daughter is unmarried?"

Morrow smiled wide as he looked between the two. "Because if I had a wife as incredible as Betty." He paused, feigning an error. "Lady Betty. Well, I would not let her out of my sight for the time it takes a hummingbird's wing to flit."

Ulronni growled, "My daughter is perfectly safe with me, sir."

"Of course," Morrow said, nodding to the man respectfully. Then, as if all that hadn't happened at all, he asked Ulronni, "Since you are a man of this area, would you be able to point me toward the owner of the copper mine that I have been told is located near this village?"

As expected, Ulronni's face showed his immediate interest. Morrow continued, "I have been sent from Fothala by the Lord Chamberlain of the Meretheni Federation in search of new sources of copper and tin for use in our industry. A contact of mine in the Capital City of Yalla sent me this way, but..."

"But?" Ulronni prodded.

Morrow chuckled softly as he looked around, feigning concern about eavesdroppers. Softer, he said, "My contact is, how do I say this? A bit on the shady side, if you know what I mean. He refused to provide me with much more information that the name of this charming village and the directions to it."

Ulronni studied Morrow for a moment. He didn't know this stranger from the man in the moon. He was deeply involved in operations that could see his head chopped off. But then Morrow pulled out a document that looked vaguely official. (Morrow had used parchment he carried in his bags to fake them first thing this morning.) He unrolled the battered scroll, revealing a hand drawn map. It featured the general area around Treyla, as well as notes written in both his hand and Clara's.

Morrow rambled on a moment about looking for the mine without asking the locals. He laughed, saying, "Commoners. I never know how much I can trust them for directions. For all I know, they are or at the least know highwaymen. And there goes my horse and coin."

"I own the copper mine about which you speak," Ulronni finally admitted. The two men spoke about the mine and Morrow's feigned business needs a few minutes. Finally, Ulronni asked, "Would you be interested in visiting the mine. It is only four miles from here."

"That would be wonderful," Morrow responded with a feigned tone of joy. The pair spoke more, and made plans to meet back at the Inn for a late lunch. After that, they would go to the mine. "My traveling companion will have little interest in such business. I shall leave her behind. If your daughter has about as much interest in mines as my--"

Ulronni laughed aloud. "If you were going to suggest they remain here together without the two of us, I think not. However, I have men nearby who I trust. If you were inclined, they and my daughter could take your companion with them to my estate. It is half a day's ride. If they left now, they would arrive well before sunset."

"I think that is a wonderful idea, Viscount Ulronni," Morrow said. "Just let me inform Clara."

They headed outside. Ulronni and his daughter's horses had already been brought up. Morrow and Clara walked a few paces away for privacy. Morrow told her, "You're going to go with the daughter to the Viscount's home. Keep your eyes open. Learn what you can. I will study the Viscount and learn what I can about his illegal activities.

"He was to stay here for a few days, we heard," Morrow continued, "So my assumption is that he has business here. I will stay here as well. We will reconnect tomorrow, maybe the day after that. Stay safe! And do not do anything that would give anyone an idea that we are anything other than what we claim to be."