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"The Queen's Assassin" (closed)

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Sundown:

"I need to go to the Capital," Clara told Rolph and Betty, "to get what I need to do my work, with Betty."

Rolph knew what that meant. His reaction, a slight smirk, told Clara that. He controlled his desire to say something suggestive. "I understand. But you can't ride alone. Where is this Morrow who you mentioned? Was he to come here and meet you?"

The answer to that turned out to be no. Rolph put his foot down regarding Clara's safety. "One of my men will ride with you. I won't have making that trek without protection."

Clara could fight the offer if she wanted, but it wouldn't work. He was sending someone with her.

Regarding the other topic, Rolph looked to Betty. She eagerly nodded her agreement with speaking to her father about a marriage between the two of them. To Clara, he said, "My man traveling with you tomorrow will look for the Viscount in Treyla, and I will send a second messenger south to my brother-in-law's home. As soon as we know where he is, Betty and I will travel together to see the Viscount about his permission for us to marry."

Those arrangements seemed to satisfy all concerned. A raindrop struck Rolph's arm, followed by another and then a succession of them. He looked to the sky. It had become dark in a surprisingly short period of time. Then, a flash and a crack in the sky led him to tell the women with concern, "Get back to the house now. Take the cart. Hurry."

Clara and Betty hopped up into the cart, joined by Timmon. Rolph looked to the fields. The residential peasants and other hires from the nearby town began gathering their tools and hurrying for the road to the hamlet outside the Keep.

The Nomadi had been a step ahead of the others. Rolph looked their way to find them already disappearing into the forest. The Troupe had been camping in the trees since their arrival for work 6 days earlier. Their tents and tarps were stretched between both trees and their covered wagons.

Rolph made a habit of visiting them each day to ensure that they had all they needed. They were a simple, resourceful people and rarely asked for anything. The only thing of import that Rolph had had to give them was permission to hunt, trap, and forage in the forest.

The entirety of the forest's resources, from the smallest, most abundant flower to the deer, elk, and bear belonged to the Nobles who owned the forest, of course. The forests nearest Windham belonged to Rolph, of course. The forests farther out belonged to his brother-in-law. The last thing Rolph wanted was for the Nomadi to piss off Ulronni. The Viscount already didn't get along well with Rolph. The last thing Rolph wanted was to lose his wandering working troupe.


Three hours later:

By the time Rolph, Betty, and Clara were ready to head to their respective beds, their plans for the next day had been tossed aside. A downpour had begun that was already flooding the roads and endangering local bridges with flash floods.

Rolph had learned that two of the older hovels were suffering from rain seepage or were threatened with roof collapse. He'd ordered the families brought inside to sleep on the main level in the Great Hall. (Rolph had never thought that name very appropriate seeing how the hall in question was less than 20-feet across at its widest.)

With the long table pushed aside and the chairs stacked upon it, though, there was plenty of room for the refugees from the storm. Rolph also sent the Chief of his work crew out to check on the Nomadi. He'd found them weathering the storm without a care. Storms were of no concern for them.

The fires throughout the Keep were built extra-large to please one and all. Mantha put on hot, sweet, creamy drinks for the children and adults alike. Once everyone on the first level were settled in, Rolph escorted Betty and Clara up to their room on the next level for the end of their day.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: "Coming-of-age" means legal age, fyi. You'll see what I mean near the bottom.)

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Preparing for the end of day:

Clara wasn't entirely disappointed to learn that she wouldn't be heading for the Capital the next morning. Another night here meant another opportunity to find sexual pleasure in Betty's arms, Rolph's, or both. Then she learned that a dozen or more of Rolph's residential peasants would be staying the night one level below Betty's bed chamber, and -- knowing the possibility of someone hearing one or both of the women in the throes of ecstasy -- Clara doubted that sex would be taking place, at least on that floor. I might still get to put Rolph's cock inside me, though, she conforted herself.

That, of course, reminded Clara of a problem with which she had planned on dealing once she'd gotten to the Capital: Rolph's seed inside her fertile garden. Ironically, after having refused Morrow's cock entry into her pussy two nights earlier because she was in the most fertile days of her Moon Cycle, Clara hadn't hesitated to mount Rolph and let him fill her with his own seed -- multiple times. Passing on fucking Morrow had a simple case of postponing him; Clara knew that she'd be fucking him many times in the near future. Rolph, though, might very well have been a one-time only opportunity, and Clara hadn't wanted to pass on having such a beautiful man's cock inside her.

The simplest way of preventing Rolph from putting a child in her womb had been for Clara not to let him fuck her, of course. Rejecting that option had simply meant that Clara needed to visit one of the many Herbalists for an appropriate herbal solution when she got back to the Capital City. She had 3 days to prevent a pregnancy from beginning, and Clara would have been beack in the Capital in two days.

Thankfully, she had another option. While she was helping with the relocation of the peasants into the Keep to get away from the strengthening storm, Clara quietly told Betty that she was going to slip away to make a visit to the Nomadi. "They will surely have a practitioner of the Frenkish Grooming Arts, someone from whom I can purchase the things I need to teach you what you need to know."

Betty was excited about that and covered for Clara as she mounted her horse bareback with only a harness and rode out to the Nomadi camp in the woods. The Nomadi were well known for providing a vast array of services, some of them legal, some of them not. In Clara's case, neither the Grooming requirements nor the herbs to deflect her pregnancy were illegal, although the use of the latter were considered immoral by the Teachings of the Book of the Un.

Clara had been right and had found a Nomadi woman who could provide for both of her needs. Because of the urgent nature of the Herbal treatment, the price Clara found herself paying was high: 14 Silver Sovereigns for the woman and relieving her son of his virginity as part of his coming-of-age ceremony. The irony of the cost was that the Nomadi woman laughed, "Lease ya don' have't worry 'bout a babe."

Getting back to the Keep as soon as she could, with Betty helping her slip back inside without attracting attention, Clara headed up to her hostess's bedroom, first to apply the treatment to her own self, then to clean and sanitize the Grooming supplies with clean, boiling water and a hot flame for Betty. Once the tools were put in cold water, Clara and Betty shared a bath, kissing and caressing but refraining from anything more ... for now.

Once out of the bath, Clara began; she used special oils that allowed a variety of razor blades to glide gently over Betty's flesh, their radically different shapes and sizes made to serve every inch of the young woman's body regardless of the curves around which they were curling or the pits in which they were exploring. Despite not actually being a Frenkish Grooming Artist, Clara was very skilled at shaving her own body, from arm pits to toe knuckles; she tended to Betty's body like a pro, never once drawing blood or making the girl question her story in the least.

When Clara believed them done, she stood the naked Betty before her and turned her ever so slowly, looking for hairs with her eyes and her fingers both. She found only a few stragglers and took care of them with easy. After an in-depth inspection of her, Clara ordered, "Run your hands over your body. Feel for hairs I missed."

Betty did as told, smiling frequently with delight as she felt the absolutely perfect smoothness of her skin. She questioned Clara again, "And this ... Rolph will like this?"

Clara, of course, was a practitioner of the Art, and Betty's uncle had very much enjoyed her body when they'd spent those hours in bed together. She promised the girl, "Rolph is going to love this."

She put Betty into a fresh bath, cleaning the lubricating oils off of her, then removing her from the bath to coat her with an entirely different oil meant to sooth her skin after having had the blade run over it. At the bed, Clara gave in to her desires, laid Betty back, and made love to her again. When they'd finished and rolled up in each other's arms, Clara promised, "Tomorrow, I will teach you to perform the Art on me. It's been a few days, and part of me are getting scratchy, as I'm sure you could tell."

Betty laughed and whispered jokes into Clara's ear about her feeling like the back of one of the hogs out back of the Tower. They laughed and teased and tickled one another until finally they pulled each other close and drifted off to sleep.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread


The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Preparing for the end of day:

Rolph had been so busy with helping his peasants that he'd lost track of Clara. Each time he spotted Betty assisting the others, he'd ask where their guest was. The answer was always some version of Over there somewhere, I think or Helping outside if they were inside or Helping inside if they were outside.

Finally, everyone who didn't normally sleep in the castle was settled into the Great Hall. Rolph headed up a level to find the girls. However, he found Mantha coming out of Betty's room instead. "Oh, you cannot go inside, m'lord," she warned. "The ladies are not decent. Dressed for sleeping, m'lord. You see tomorrow."

Disappointed, Rolph headed upstairs to his own bed chamber. He was delighted to find Timmon there preparing a hot bath for him. He stripped and stepped inside, telling the boy he was done for the night. He soaked for the longest time. He ran today's activities and conversations through his mind. In all his life, Rolph had never had such a shift in his life. It even surpassed when his brother-in-law had given him Windham, mostly to keep Rolph out of his hair.

At some point, a hand wrapped around his cock. His mind's eye shifted between images of the two women. One moment, he was seeing Clara atop him again, shaking to the core from yet another deeply felt orgasm. Another moment, he was imagining what Betty would look like taking the same position in his lap. Still another moment, they were taking turns licking at and sucking on his cock.

He finished with beating off, rinsing off, and drying off. Dressed, Rolph ventured down one level of the Keep again, silently. Despite the greatly increased number of people inside, the stone home was as silent as when it was just him, Mantha, and Timmon.

Rolph moved up silently to Betty's bed chamber door. He was disappointed to find it not cracked for his viewing pleasure. He didn't know that Clara had purchased the razors and oils necessary to groom his niece. Still, he couldn't help but imagine the two of them naked and pleasuring one another.

He pressed his ear to the door near the latch. He could hear their voices but not make out their words. After a moment, even beyond the door, Rolph could tell that they'd moved locations. Then, he clearly heard, "And this ... Rolph will like this?"

It was Betty he believed. Not just because of the voice but because of the question.

It was followed with the unmistakable voice of Clara, answering, "Rolph is going to love this."

He smiled wide. He knew what this referred to: Frenkish Grooming Art.

Somehow, from somewhere, Clara had gotten her hands on the necessary tools to perform the job. The Nomadi! Yes, of course. Rolph knew how handy the people of the Troupe could be. He'd made use of their tools and services in the past, too. Particularly their services.

The Nomadi women were some of the best suckers and fuckers in the Known World. There was always a sufficient number of them willing to trade their sexual services for coin. Rolph was tempted to dress against the weather again and head out to the forest. He had two favorites amongst the Troupe. One was an older woman with incomparable oral skills. The other had been a virgin when the Troupe arrived. Her father had been saving her specifically for Rolph. The charge had been steep. But the thrill of deflowering such a beautiful girl just days after she'd come of age had been a joy.

Rolph would have listened longer, but he thought he heard someone moving about near the stairs. He hurried back to his own bed chamber. There he slipped out of his robe and into his bed. He masturbated again.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the Tertiary Walls
Capital City of Yalla
The next afternoon, two days later:

Morrow's return to the Capital had been delayed by the storm. It had washed out a portion of a main south end road.

That road had been elevated about a man's height four several miles. Here, it served as a dike. It's collapse in just one location had caused the flooding of more than a thousand acres of yet-to-be harvested grain fields.

The fields belonged to the Crown directly. The harvest had been intended to replace the thousands of bushels that then-Princess Luna had released to the populace preceding her coronation. The loss was going to be hard if the winter became harsh.

One of Morrow's contacts had informed him of Queen Luna's planned location and event that afternoon. He found her on the Royal Falconry Grounds. They were located just outside the outermost protective barrier of the Capital, the Tertiary Walls.

South of the city, the grounds were surrounded by a Commoner community to the north, the Tertiary Wall itself to the east, the Royal Hunting Forests on the west, and the now-flooded fields on the south.

The destruction was devastating. It hadn't been just fields that had been destroyed. More than a hundred hovels and small family businesses had also been affected.

Morrow identified himself to the Royal Bodyguard. They stopped him a good distance from the Queen's location. When he finally reached her, he gave her a very respectful bow.

To the others around them, Morrow was mostly unknown. He obviously wasn't the Queen's Assassin. A Princess who had just risen to power after the assassination of her Heir Apparent brother didn't publicly keep an assassin.

"Your Highness, I have returned with good news about your business interests to the south," Morrow said. His volume was intended to be heard by all of those in the immediate area.

Luna was in the process of cleaning house with regards to unfriendly informants and foreign-paid spies. But Morrow was still playing things carefully.

Whispering, Morrow said, "We need to talk, m'Grace. Privately."

Luna dismissed the others. Morrow caught her up on his discoveries in the Village of Treyla, the County of Ulronni, and even here in the Capital City.

"The corruption extends from the Boss of a Teamsters crew," Morrow told her, "to members of the staff of your own Chamberlain."

Luna's reaction to that last identity was as Morrow had expected. He looked off the his right. The man who monitored and managed Luna's treasury was here with her.

He'd come to supervise efforts to help those effected by the storm and subsequent flood. He'd brought a large wooden box of Silver Sovereigns with him. They were to be distributed to the needy. Morrow wondered how much of that silver would actually be distributed to those who needed it.

Morrow concluded his report on Viscount Ulronni. "Clara remained behind to get closer to the Viscount's daughter. She is young, barely 18. But I believe that after we have dealt with the Viscount, she may be of use to us, Your Highness."

Morrow had no idea just what Clara was up to, of course. When he found out, he was going to be happily surprised.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: Oh, I'm so excited to have Luna back in play, particularly with the image below. I've had this reply waiting to be edited and posted for daaaaays. BTW, thank you for letting me run wild with the geography stuff. ;))

The Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the Tertiary Walls
Capital City of Yalla
The next afternoon, two days later:

Luna had been planning an outing to the Royal Falconry Grounds for days, just waiting for a break in her other activities to give her the opportunity to let Orion and Athena loose upon the migrating waterfowl now thick in the waters and skies of Yalla. Then, of course, the storm changed everything -- or at least, nearly everything. The falconry hunt was still on, only with slightly different aims and a much larger entourage.

Originally, Luna had planned the hunt as a way to spend time with members of the Nobility; some of them she'd already met with since her return to the City of Yalla; some of them she'd be seeing for the first time in years; and still others of them she'd never met at all. Her original goals had been simple: meet the people who -- presumably in her name -- ran the City and Republic of Yalla, feel them out for their loyalty and yearning to assist her, and ferret out those who she felt were not going to be an asset in the future.

As a course of function, many of the names of those invited today were already known to Luna and Morrow as the very people who'd been party to her brother Nellan's assassination of their father to seize the Crown for himself, which -- of course -- had included an attempted assassination of Luna herself. Luna wanted to look these people in the eyes, give them a friendly smile, and speak to them kindly and regally ... before having her Queen's Assassin end their lives.

With the storm and flood of the south end farmlands, Luna had made two alterations to the planned hunt. First, she brought with her almost half of the Crown Forces to help with the disaster: soldiers, sailors, laborers, even staff from the Castle kitchen and Public Eateries that served free meals to the poor nearly every day of the year. They all came south to tend to those devastated by the water, cleaning up after what the Gods had done and providing the affected with food, water, medical care, shelter, and more.

The second alteration had been to the falconry hunt itself. Luna had turned the event into a competition amongst the Nobles, pitting them against one another in tasking their birds with killing the greatest number of Gray Geese in the least amount of time. The Grays, as they were more often than not referred, spent their summers in the thick, forested swamps south of the Capital where they nested high in the trees of the Yalla River Delta and fed on the abundant and suitably name goose grass that would have otherwise clogged the riverways, making them impassable to commercial and military boat traffic.

This season, the Gray population had soared, allowing Luna to declare an open hunting season as the species was in the process of migrating. Within a month, the Grays would be gone, flying to their winter residences in: the Great Steppe River Delta in the west, south of the City State of Lux; to the Known World's largest wetlands, The Fenwater, in the northwest; and to the wetlands of the north that formed the current southern border of the greatly-diminished Frenkish Empire.

Luna leapt from her horse into the back of an oxen-drawn wagon to stand atop a keg of ale that had been positioned there for her announcement. Her people called in all of those participating in the hunt, and once they were assembled and silent, she began. "We can all see the devastation that the Gods have brought down upon us over just a single day. We here, the Royalty ... the Nobility ... those who work closely with us ... we will survive this practically unscathed."

That wasn't precisely true, of course; the Royalty and Nobility would be hit financially by the storm and flood, too. The difference, though, was that most of them would recoup some if not all of their losses by increasing taxes, fees, and tarriffs on those who served them, from the Commoners to the Merchants to the lesser Lords.

Luna gestured off toward a portion of the housing area that had been virtually swept away by the heavy rains, the flood, or a combination of the two; there were people amongst the ruins -- Commoner residents and rescue workers alike -- moving through the damage, looking for salvageable possessions, surviving food stocks, valuable tools for their work, and -- tragically -- the dead.

"Those people, however," Luna continued, "They have lost everything ... and today, we -- the people for whom they toil day in, day out, bettering our lives with their sweat and tears -- today we will do for them as they have done for us all their lives." She gestured toward one of her falcon handlers, the woman bringing her one of her birds. Showing off the falcon to the others, Luna said, "I present a challenge. Orion here is the best goose hunting falcon in the Republic."

A challenging chuckle waved through the crowd of falconers, making Luna smile, then gesture for silence. "I see my challenge is already working." Some of the crowd laughed, realizing that they'd been set up. "So, the challenge." She gestured a man to join her in the bed of the wagon. He took his place, above the others yet still lower than Luna upon the ale keg. "For those of you who don't know this man--"

There was a sudden round of laughter, mixed with some hoots that were in some ways playful and other ways not. Luna again silenced the group with a raised hand, continuing, "For the one or two of you who don't know him, this is Chamberlain Prior ... otherwise known to most of you as the taxman." Again, there was a mix of laughter and hoots of all sorts. Luna waited, then continued, "Chamberlain Prior has with him ... a prize."

Prior gestured to a pair of men standing at opposite ends of a second wagon, a tarp covering its cargo. Luna gestured to the men, who pulled the tarp to expose three trunks, which they then opened as well. Luna announced, "Ten ... thousand ... Silver ... Sovereigns..."

There was a rolling sound of surprise and awe as the group waited for the rest. Luna continued, "...to be divided between the owners of the five birds that delivers the greatest number of Grays before sunset."

More excitement followed, with cheers and applause. Luna gestured toward an assembly of 20 or so Game Processors, cooks, and more, explaining that the Grays would be cleaned, roasted, and used to feed the victims of yesterday's horror. Then, knowing that Luna would very soon be telling them anyway, someone in the crowd called out, "What's the entry fee...? There must be a cost to us, Your Highness ... yes?"

Luna smiled, then laughed. Playfully, she asked, "You saw that coming, didn't you?" More laughter and a few critical hoots followed, after which she announced, "The cost to you for attempting to win this spectacular prize ... is a mere 500 Sovereigns."

(Part 2 follows)
 
(Part 2)

This time, there was more howling and hooting than applause. The voice from earlier called out again, "There are at least, what, 50 birds present. That means this costs the Crown nothing!" A second voice rose, clarifying, "You're going to profit from this challenge!" Yet a third voice called, "And what if your birds win the challenge. Do YOU, get this great prize?"

Luna quieted them again, then -- smiling with delight -- explained, "If Orion and or Athena place as amongst the winners of the challenge ... I will not take a share of the prize. That means that, possibly, the top six or seven birds could partake of this prize, excluding mine, of course." She hesitated while some in the crowd showed their doubt or satisfaction, then continued, "Additionally...! I present another challenge ... to those of you who truly believe that their birds will surpass my own.

She hesitated, looking across the crowd at the expectant faces; Luna had, of course, expected her own participation in the challenge to be ... challenged. Smiling, she said, "Any participant who wishes to partake of a wager ... I will bet any amount you wish to risk ... that at least one of my two birds will surpass any number of your own birds you wish to put up against them."

Luna looked to a trio of Nobles who had been standing together, surrounded by their bird handlers. Between the three of them, they had brought 11 birds with them. She smiled to them, even pointing an extended index finger their way as she said, "You know who you are."

"I have five birds," one of the Nobles proclaimed, gesturing to his bird handlers, who each raised the falcon resting on their leather-gloved hand for Luna's viewing pleasure. "You think that of your two birds ... that one of them will outperform all five of my birds?"

There was another round of laughter and mocking hoots both. Luna only smiled through it, and when the crowd became silent enough, she added to her challenge: "Baron Elwith ... I will make you an even better challenge. I will wager ... that one of my birds will best all of your birds ... and my other bird ... will perform better than at least two of your birds."

Again, laughter and hoots. The Baron stared at Luna for a long moment, then looked amongst the other Nobles, then his bird handlers; he got a mix of reactions from them, with some questioning whether he would win while others were eager to see the Noble take on his Queen. He turned toward Luna again, only to catch sight of what was happening beyond the circle of Nobles and their entourages; farther out, Commoners and others who'd come to the Falcony Grounds to play a part were crowding around, eager to see what came next.

"One ... thousand ... Silver ... Sovereigns," Elwith announced loudly. The excitement level rose in every direction. "What say you, My Queen?"

Luna scanned the crowd, finding looks of both encouragement and hesitance. She looked back to Elwith, saying, "My dear Baron ... make it two thousand Silver Sovereigns..." Immediately, Luna thought she saw hesitance to up the bet and quickly added, "And I will give you two to one odds."

Once again, if it was possible at this point, the excitement rose. Elwith looked around himself to his supporters, still receiving a mix of reactions from them. Then, looking to Luna, the Baron bowed respectfully, then said, "You have a wager, My Queen!"

In all directions, joy and applause erupted. It took a long moment for Luna to regain control, after which she finished explaining the details of the hunt, prize, and wagers, then waved everyone off, calling loudly, "Let the hunt begin!"

The Nobles and their teams, if they had them, spread out in all directions; their routes would take them toward the now-flooded grain fields on which the Gray Geese fed to fatten themselves up before migrating north. It would be an hour before the Nobles and their people reached the hunting grounds, but their birds were already in the air.

A few minutes later, one of the members of the Warrior Elite -- now serving as Luna's Bodyguard -- approached her, telling her that a man named Morrow wished to speak to her. She smiled with delight, ordering him brought to her. He reached her, telling her, "We need to talk, m'Grace. Privately."

He reported his work, which included discovering that her own Chamberlain or someone on his staff was dirty. She looked to the man with disappointment; she wasn't naive about how high corruption rose in most organizations, but to learn that he might be crooked was hurtful.

"Clara remained behind to get closer to the Viscount's daughter," Morrow continued his report. Speaking about Lady Betty, he said, "She is young, barely 18. But I believe that after we have dealt with the Viscount, she may be of use to us, Your Highness."

"Is she married, Sir Morrow?" Luna asked, using his prefix as was appropriate for the title or titles that he was in the process of earning. Regarding Betty, Luna was also very aware that if the girl was not married -- to a Nobleman, no less -- she would be of no use to them as she wouldn't gain control of her father's estate. Morrow told Luna the girl wasn't married, to which Luna said, "We have to correct that."

She didn't know any more than Morrow did that Clara was already working on that. Curious about the former scullery maid, Luna asked, "Speaking of Clara, am I to assume that that former dish scrubber is somehow playing a key part in your work, sir? How did that happen ... and ... if this something about which I need to be informed ... or would it be better if I simply didn't know?"

Luna was in an awkward position when it came to Morrow and his operations; he did, in fact, work for her, but at the same time, it was probably a good idea that she didn't know the full details on some of that in which he had had his fingers. She listened to his explanation, discussed more of the mission to bring down Ulronni and his corruption cohort, then asked, "Is there anything more you need from me, sir?"

If Morrow needed money, she would offer to provide it to him later or -- if he needed it immediately -- would inconspicuously get some of the massive amounts of silver that surrounded her at the moment. Again, if he needed to get away to continue, she would offer him good luck and let him go. If he was in no hurry, she would invite him to both stay around for the hunt and join her for dinner later tonight.

"Stella is here," Luna said with a smirk and a bit of a taunting tone as she nodded her head toward her Handmaiden. Stella was speaking with the people organizing the effort to process the dozens or possibly hundreds of Grays that, hopefully, would soon be coming. Stirring up the man's emotions, Luna whispered, "I'm sure she would love for you to say hello, Sir Morrow."
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Morning:

Clara and Betty awoke early together, immediately becoming intimate once again; Clara made great efforts to show her awe at the other woman's newly shaved body, and Betty was practically giddy at the attention the Artist showed her. Clara put her mouth upon and finger inside the younger woman, driving her to an orgasm that she was forced to hide from the increased population of the Keep with a pillow over her face.

They dressed in gowns and called Timmon to the bed chamber to help with building the fire and transporting hot water for a bath. As the boy left, they gave instructions that they were not to be bothered by anyone for any reason. During their alone time, following the soothing bath and application of oils, Clara taught Betty the Frenkish Grooming Art using her own body as a canvas. The younger woman nicked the older a couple of times, drawing minor amounts of blood, but overall, Betty proved herself to be entirely capable of maintaining her own grooming in the future.

"You'll come back, though," Betty asked with a tone of desperation, "to help me ... yes?"

"You won't need my help, m'lady," Clara told the girl, pressing her nude form to Betty's scantily dressed one as she promised, "But you will continue to see me, friend. This is not an end to us, Betty."

It was nearly midday before they finally emerged from Betty's bed chamber. The Lady of Ulronni immediately felt guilty having not come out earlier to help with those people who'd had to seek refuge in the Keep the night before. But the situation had been handled well enough; a portion of the Nomadi had come to the stone home to offer their assistance, just before announcing that they'd be moving on, what with the end of the harvest caused by the destructive rains.

Rolph had received a report that the road north to Treyla was open, though, both a bridge and a road had been destroyed by flash floods between Treyla and the Capital. Clara reluctantly told her host and hostess that she needed to move on. "Lord Morrow will be awaiting me in the Capital. I must return to him. You know men: they are lost without a good woman to lead them."

Clara smirked as she looked between the man and woman for whom she'd promoted a marriage. She reminded them, "You will go speak to the Viscount soon. You should go today ... tomorrow at the latest." She was concerned that the two of them didn't fully understand the need for expediency. Clara feigned not being able to find a bracelet she'd left in Betty's room, sending the girl to look for it while she traded her farewells with Rolph.

"I need to speak to you in private before I leave, m'lord," Clara stressed, asking him to step outside with her. Out on the wet ground before the keep, she began, "We must speak ... about the Viscount. I have information I believe you need to know, but ... you cannot share this with Lady Betty. Do you understand?"

Regardless of his response, Clara continued, "I have been told by sources for whom I have the utmost trust and respect ... that Viscount Ulronni is soon to be arrested ... for corruption and betrayal to the Crown." She paused a moment for his reaction, then continued, "Within weeks ... possibly even days ... he will be taken into custody, tried, and punished." She moved closer, stressing, "Before this happens, you and Lady Betty must be wed. Whatever you have to do to make this happen ... do it, m'lord."

Clara caught sight of Betty approaching and continued in whispers, "Betty is just a girl. She needs you to take care of her. Please, m'lord. If not for you, do this for your niece."

Unless Rolph had more about which he needed to speak with her, Clara would trade her farewells with the two, as well as with Mantha and Timmon before mounting her horse and -- with Rolph's demand -- head with an escort for Treyla.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Early afternoon:

Rolph hadn't been surprised when he'd been told that Clara and Betty weren't coming down for breakfast. He'd overheard them talking the night before. He'd been pretty sure they'd been discussing Frenkish Grooming, despite Clara having said she didn't have the tools she'd needed.

He spent the morning tending to the effects of the previous night's storm. The wheat harvest was virtually destroyed. Oh, some of the crop could be salvaged. But Rolph would be lucky to harvest a quarter as many bushels as he'd expected. And the Nomadi had told him that they were moving on. There was a nut crop in the Salfar Mountains that would be ready for harvest any time.

He convinced them to stay just two days more, though. They would help with new construction in and repairs to the hamlet after the damage of the rain and high winds. The storm hadn't been Rolph's fault, obviously. Still, he'd offered the Nomadi their full wages for the aborted grain harvest. It was going to hurt his purse. But he wanted the Troupe to come back next year, just as it had each year for more than a decade.

Rolph smiled as he caught Clara and Betty finally emerging from the Keep. As they descended the stone stairs, he thought of how lucky a man he'd become in the past two days. He'd had one of the most exciting days in bed in years. And the sexy beauty who'd done him so good had convinced the second sexy beauty to marry him.

They chatted about the storm, hamlet, and Nomadi. Then, reluctantly, Rolph gave Clara the news she was hoping for. "The road to Treyla is open. The storm knocked some trees down across it, but they'll be clear by now. Good firewood doesn't go to waste around here."

Betty tried to convince Clara to stay. Rolph only shrugged his shoulders. She knew that he wanted her to stay. His cock got hard every time he looked her way. It was hard now.

"Lord Morrow will be awaiting me in the Capital," she told them. "I must return to him. You know men: they are lost without a good woman to lead them."

Rolph chuckled, looking between them as Clara smirked and did the same. Mantha had been passing by just then with food for the workers. It was she who spoke up, snapping with humor, "Ain't that the truth, m'lady."

Rolph opened his mouth to speak but didn't. He'd planned on pointing out that Clara hadn't been speaking of her. Then he remembered that without the housekeeper/cook/laundress/caregiver, he would have hung himself from the crenellations years ago.

Clara prodded Rolph and Betty to speak to the latter's father. Then, as Betty was distracted, Clara told Rolph she needed to speak to him in private. She told him about Viscount Ulronni's upcoming troubles, stressing, "...you cannot share this with Lady Betty. Do you understand?"

Rolph hesitated before answering, for two reasons. First, he wasn't certain that holding this back from Betty was best. And second, his mind was overwhelmed with the news.

Oh, he wasn't at all surprised that his brother-in-law was in legal troubles. Rolph had always suspected Ulronni of being involved in shady operations. There had been hints over the years. One of them had been that Ulronni had exiled Rolph to Windham. Rolph loved his little estate. He was proud of his work.

But originally, he'd wanted to be close to his sister. They'd been close all their life. She'd been his protective older sister. Then they'd crossed the world from Abad in The Fenwater to the Republic of Yalla for her to marry Ulronni. And Rolph had wanted to become his sister's protector.

Clara assured Rolph that Ulronni's days were numbered. "...you and Lady Betty must be wed. Whatever you have to do to make this happen ... do it, m'lord."

Betty returned. They traded her farewells, and Clara rode off with her escort. Rolph looked to Betty, smiling as he reached out a hand to take hers. This wasn't uncommon for them. They'd held hands often over the years. But this time, Rolph interlaced his fingers with Betty's. That was new.

"We'll leave in the morning," Rolph told her. "I'll have a man ensure the road is open to your father's home. I'll send him all the way, to ensure that he's there."
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the Tertiary Walls
Capital City of Yalla

Afternoon:

"Speaking of Clara," Luna asked Morrow. "Am I to assume that that former dish scrubber is somehow playing a key part in your work, sir?"

He smiled, chuckling softly as he diverted his eyes. Morrow could have said so many things. Instead, he only responded, "Yes, Your Highness."

"How did that happen?" Luna asked, "And is this something about which I need to be informed? Or would it be better if I simply didn't know?"

"It might be better if you didn't know, My Queen," he answered. Morrow performed a slight bow, asking, "If you don't mind."

She considered him a moment, then asked, "Is there anything more you need from me, sir?"

"Coin," Morrow said without hesitation. "I need some men from outside your Forces. Men I know I can trust, who might not be beholding to some of the very men we are trying to bring down."

They discussed how much Morrow thought he needed. Luna told him she'd have it slipped to him before he left the hunt. Then, she surprised him with, "Stella is here."

Morrow's interest immediately piqued, he looked around himself for the beautiful Handmaiden. Luna indicated her position. Morrow smiled, then did his best to suppress the reaction. He didn't know why. Luna was already more than aware that he had his sights set on her.

Luna whispered, "I'm sure she would love for you to say hello, Sir Morrow."

His smile widened, his head shaking side to side almost imperceptibly. Moving closer to Luna, he said softly, "You are a wicked, wicked woman." Then, again bowing his head, Morrow added, "My respect, My Queen."

He gave her a deeper, official bow. Then walking across the grounds slowly, Morrow closed the distance to the Handmaiden. She caught sight of him when he was just a few steps away. Again, Morrow smiled in delight. He stopped close to her, reaching for her hand to kiss her fingers. "M'lady. It is a treat to once again be in your presence."

He hoped to engage her in conversation if she wasn't too busy for him. If she was, he would respectfully take his leave.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Afternoon:

As she watched Clara ride away with her armed escort, Betty felt Rolph's hand take her own, interlacing his fingers with her own. She smiled up to him, thrilled with the unfamiliar gesture; it might not have seemed all that special to others, but Betty knew that it was Rolph's way of reinforcing how he felt for her.

"We'll leave in the morning," he told Betty. "I'll have a man ensure the road is open to your father's home."

"Da might not be home," she informed him. "He could still be in Treyla."

"I'll send him all the way," Rolph said about the messenger, "to ensure that he's there."

They each went their separate ways, each of them helping with the work resulting from the heavy rains.

Later in the day:

"Lady...?" an unfamiliar female voice spoke, catching Betty's attention. She turned to find an older Nomadi woman, bent over greatly with her weight supported by an old, crooked cane on one side and a child of about 8 years of age on the other. The woman approached Betty, speaking in broken Common with a heavy Nomadi accent as she asked, "Do Lady need sharpen razors?"

Betty didn't immediately understand the question but then suddenly remembered the source of the Frenkish Grooming razors. Her face exploded in a deep blush as she looked for but luckily did not see her uncle anywhere near. To the old woman, Betty whispered, "No, I ... no, I think ... we only used them once ... twice. They're still sharp ... aren't they?"

"Bring," the Nomadi said firmly. "Bring. We make sharp. Tonight, dark. You bring. We make new." Then, struggling to get her hand free from the accompanying boy, she tapped a finger to her chest, saying, "Vree. My name."

"Betty," the young Noble said, intentionally omitting her title; the Nomadi weren't known for caring too much about Noble hierarchy except in cases when paying attention to it benefited them more than not paying attention to it. "I am Betty."

Vree nodded her acknowledgement, stressing again as she turned away that the razors were to be brought to the Nomadi camp after sundown to be sharpened. The last words Vree spoke, her bent back to Betty, were, "Come 'lone, self, only."

Betty had two issues with doing as Vree said, although -- for reasons that escaped her at this moment -- she didn't outright tell the woman no. The first issue was that Betty had always been told never to find herself alone with the Nomadi. There were stories of the Troupes kidnapping children and young women in the middle of the night, taking them away to be sold as laborers or as sexual servants. Betty didn't want to believe that these stories were true; she didn't personally know of anyone who'd ever disappeared while the Nomadi were in the vicinity.

The second issue was Vree wanted her to come alone ... at night ... into the woods and into the Nomadi camp. If the first issue had been a sliver in Betty's finger, the second would have been a stake through her heart.

And yet...!

After the workday had finally ended and Betty had headed to her bed chamber to bath and sleep, Betty found herself waiting for the others to head for their own beds before she dressed warm against the cold she expected, gathered the grooming razors and scissors, and slipped out of the Keep. Ten minutes later, she found herself standing inside the forest, staring at the the Nomadi camp.

There were multiple fires casting their flickering light upon a dozen covered wagons, a dozen men, women, and children gathered around a roaring fire, playing instruments and singing in what Betty presumed was the Nomadi language. A bearded man playing the spoons caught sight of Betty, smiled, and pointed toward a wagon on the far side of the fire from him; he'd obviously been expecting Betty, which she soon realized all of them had as none of them showed any surprise as her unexpected arrival.

Standing in the doorway of the indicated wagon was Vree, waving Betty to her. She had to pass through the group to get to Vree, and as she did, one Nomadi after another reached out to tug on the fabric of her sleeve. Betty had no idea what that meant and told herself to remember to ask.

"Come, come," Vree said as Betty reached the wagon and ascended the steps. The old woman led the way inside, gesturing Betty to sit on a padded stool set near a tiny but very warm iron wood stove. Vree saw the cloth case holding the razors and scissors; its outside was decorated with Nomadi art and writing. She gestured for it, saying, "Give. I sharpen."

After Betty handed over the bag, Vree pulled a rope that freed a flat board from the wall; it fell down onto the mattress of one of the wagon's two beds and would serve as a tabletop as the old woman began sharpening each of the tools, humming and sometimes whistling to the music still playing outside.

Vree had very quickly and very skillfully finished with three of the razors when Betty practically leapt off the stool as the quick opening movement of the wagon's door. A young Nomadi woman stepped inside, freezing with an emotionless expression at the sight of Betty. After a moment, she smiled, stepped farther inside, and -- like Vree before her -- tapped a fingertip to her chest. "Payley," she said, tapping again before repeating, "Payley."

"Betty," the Viscount's daughter responded. "It is a pleasure to meet you ... Payley."

"Pleasure me," the Nomadi said. She passed between the two women already inside the wagon, going forward to sit on the second bed; unlike the one Vree was sitting on, which ran down one side of the wagon, the rear one ran across its rear end. Payley studied Betty intensely, taking in everything about her, before saying, "You beautiful."

Betty laughed, then blushed. When she'd regained herself, she countered, "No ... no, you are beautiful. Stunning! Do you know this word, stunning?"

Payley shook her head, and Betty was about to explain it with perhaps some more synonyms but suddenly a fourth person entered the wagon: a young, equally stunning Nomadi, this time male, who would introduce himself after giving Betty a long up and down ogle.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the Tertiary Walls
Capital City of Yalla

Afternoon:

"You are a wicked, wicked woman," Morrow said after Luna told him suggestively that Stella was not only present at the Falconry Challenge but would likely love to speak to him.

Luna laughed, saying only, "Yes."

He bowed to her, wanting her to understand that his description had been in jest, even adding, "My respect, My Queen."

He made his way over to Stella, telling her when they made eye contact, "M'lady. It is a treat to once again be in your presence."

Stella blushed at the compliment and, even more so, at what she knew that Morrow didn't. After he'd requested that she be transferred to serve in his home once he actually had one, Luna had informed Stella of the request, asking, "You understand what he's asking, don't you?"

She'd blushed then, too, understanding just what he wanted. In a soft voice, she'd answered Luna with a knowing tone, "He wants to deflower me, My Queen."

"Yes, he does," Luna had confirmed. "What do you think about that, Stella?"

The girl had lowered her gaze to her fingers as they'd fumbled before her, eventually saying, "I serve at the pleasure of the Queen."

They'd talked extensively about Luna's control over Stella innocence and purity without the Queen saying one way or the other whether she was going to sacrifice the young woman's flower to Morrow. Now, as she looked into the man's eyes for the first time in several days, Stella responded, "Thank you, m'lord. It is good to see you again as well."

They simply stared at one another for a long moment before -- wanting to know Morrow better just in case she was essentially given to him -- Stella asked, "Do you know anything about falconry, Lord Morrow? For if you don't, I could teach you something about it."

Morrow, it turned out, wasn't a hard sell when it came to being educated by women with whom he wanted badly to get naked and sweaty. Stella took him on a slow, steady stroll through the grounds, explaining how the birds were caught as chicks and trained on a line that was made increasingly longer and longer until it was certain that the bird would always come back.

"This is Lightning, one of Queen Luna's birds that won't be used today because of an injury to its wing," Stella told Morrow when the arrived at a stand with a bird waiting idly upon it. "The hood over its eyes keeps it calm ... keeps it from flapping while tethered to the trainer's hand. Ironically, the most dangerous time for an injury to the bird is while it unhooded on the handler's arm before a flight. The birds become very excited, flapping their wings wildly. This is what hurt Lightning."

Very nearby, the crowd got excited when a falcon noisily arrived to land on its handler's leather wrapped arm. The people cheered at the sight of the Gray Goose dangling in the bird's talons by its neck, with the bird's owner calling out loudly, "One for Victory!"

Stella slipped her arm into the crook of Morrow's arm and pulled in closer to him for privacy as she said softly, "That's Baron Elwith." She recapped the bet the man had made with Luna in case Morrow had missed it earlier before whispering, "He cheats."

She giggled, then explained about how one of the birds he'd registered for the hunt had a backup that was so identical to it that even the judges at Falconry Competitions couldn't tell the difference between them. Stella continued, "I know one of his Attendants, and he says that when the first bird tires, they secretly swap it out for the replacement bird. That's how the one bird seems to be able to hunt for so many hours without either tiring or choosing no longer to hunt."

They continued their walk with Stella continuing to hold onto Morrow's arm. Upon a trio of wagons stationed end to end, a series of Attendants bore flags representing the Nobles competing in the Challenge, as well as one man representing the Queen. At this point, one of Luna's birds was two geese ahead of the next best bird, but her second bird was only running 9th in the field.

"I'm afraid that My Queen will lose her bet, m'lord," Stella said with a disappointed tone. She turned him back toward Luna canopy tent, saying, "I really should be with her."
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Nomadi camp on the Windham Estate
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

After dark:

Style stepped up into the Nomadi wagon expecting to find only Payley. He was disappointed to see Vree, of course. Her presence here meant he wasn't going to get what he wanted from Vree's granddaughter.

Then, looking to his left, Style caught sight of someone he would never have expected to see in the Nomadi camp, particularly at night and especially without an escort. Style was very aware of who Lady Betty was. This was his fourth year of working the grain harvest on the Windham Estate. He'd come to know Lord Rolph's niece when she'd been just 14 years old and still growing her curves. Even then, though, he'd fantasized about being alone with her.

As he stared at, no ogled, Betty, Payley snapped the man's name with a chastising tone. She followed that with a rant in heavily accented Nomadi. He instantly pulled his eyes from Betty. He asked Payley a question in their language. She glared at him, then at Betty, then back at him again.

Trying but failing not to glance at Betty again, Style made his way to the back bed and sat next to Payley. Anyone could tell by their body language that they were a couple. They just sat there in silence as Vree continued working on the razors.

Finally, the old woman looked up from her work. She took in the silent Betty, then the silent couple. After a moment, in Nomadi, Vree asked a question of them with an expectant tone. The inquiry seemed to shock Payley. Style, though, only answered the question calmly. That, too, seemed to shock Payley.

A three-way conversation erupted between the three of them for a couple of minutes. Finally, Vree returned to sharpening the razors and scissors, ignoring the couple. Style began staring at Betty again. After a while, he asked, "Are you clean?"

What he meant by that was Are you Frenkishly Groomed. He hesitated to see if Betty would answer. He then nodded his head toward Vree's work and asked, "This is for you, yes?"

Again, he hesitated, then asked bluntly, "Are you fucking your uncle? That's who you are clean for, yes?"
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Nomadi camp on the Windham Estate
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

After dark:

Betty caught how the beautiful, young, male Nomadi was looking her over with wide eyes, his ogling only ending when Payley chastised him, then argued with him in Nomadi. All Betty could do was sit there and watch; she knew a bare number of words in their Meretheni-based language, and none of the ones she knew were being tossed back and forth between them. The male went to sit next to the even more spectacularly beautiful young woman, a long moment passing with the only sound being that of Vree continuing to sharpen the Grooming tools.

Then, Vree got involved in a conversation with the other two, a discussion that seemed to upset Payley while not doing the same to her male friend. Again, all Betty could do was sit, watch, and listen, the last one without understanding. Vree returned to her work, only to then have the only male in the wagon suddenly ask Betty, "Are you clean?"

She didn't understand what he meant; Betty didn't connect clean with groomed. He clarified, nodding his head toward the row of uniquely shaped and sized razors and scissors, "This is for you, yes?"

Betty's face exploded in a fiery blush as she realized that the beautiful young male Nomadi was asking her if she shaved her private places. Her stomach turned over anxiously, and her eyes were as big as saucers. And yet Betty remained silent, unable to even contemplate a response to the unexpected and -- as far as she was concerned -- entirely inappropriate question.

Then, he got even more crazily personal, asking, "Are you fucking your uncle?"

"Style!" Vree chastised with a harsh, loud voice, finally putting a name to the male for Betty.

The two of them got into an argument in Nomadi that ended with the male asking, "That's who you are clean for, yes?"
All three of the Nomadi in the wagon with Betty argued in their language for a minute or two, leaving Betty with nothing to do but suffer through it. She could have gotten up and ran out of the vehicle, but the old woman was still working on the grooming tools; if she was to abandon them and then not see Clara for a long time -- if ever -- Betty could end up beginning her marriage to Rolph without the wonderful Frenkish Grooming that Clara had been told he would treasure.

"May I ask you a question, Lady Betty?" Payley inquired in very clear Common Tongue, despite the heavy Nomadi accent.

Betty didn't immediately respond; she was still shocked over the very personal questions. Eventually, she said softly, "You may ask." The implication, of course, was that Payley could ask, but Betty might not answer.

"Are you a maiden still?" Payley asked softly.

Betty contemplated whether to answer or not, then said just as softly, "Yes, I am."

Glancing to Vree -- still working dutifully on the razors -- Payley continued her inquiries, "Did you clean with those...? Shave...? You call it Frenking, yes?"

"Frenkish," Betty corrected. "Frenkish Grooming. And ... yes. I did."

"For who?" the girl asked.

"No one," Betty lied, trying to sound honest.

Beside her, Style murmured something that the girl cut off with a sharp hiss sound. She whispered in a growl to him, then looked back to Betty, asking again, "For who?" When Betty didn't respond, Payley stated plainly, "A girl does not clean ... shave ... for no one. She does it because she wants someone to appreciate what she has done for him."

Payley stood from the edge of the bed and suddenly pulled her dress and shift up to her waist, entirely exposing her Frenkishly groomed crotch and legs. She gave the shocked Betty a few seconds to see what was being shown, then dropped her clothes again and sat back down. Vree saw what happened out of the corner of her eye, her reaction to it being to look to Betty for her reaction and snicker. Beside Payley, Style did nothing at all; he showed no interest in taking a peek or in registering their guest's reaction.

"I clean for Style," Payley said, confirming what Betty was already imagining. Then, persistently to the end, she repeated, "For who?"

Betty realized that she was beginning to tremble from nervousness. She wanted to run away; she wanted to hide under the bed; she wanted to get on a horse and ride for Treyla, hoping to catch up with Clara. Still, she suddenly confessed, "I shave for my uncle ... Lord Rolph of Windham."

Style immediately said something sharp in Nomadi, then translated it in Common, "Told you."

"But your Lord has not seen," Payley asked, clarifying, "You clean?" Betty confirmed with the shake of her head. Payley continued, "You have not shown him? He has not seen you with no clothes?" Betty's response: another shake of her head. Payley went with Style's earlier question. "You are a virgin?"

Betty wasn't entirely certain what the truthful answer to that question was. No, she'd never had a man's penis inside her vagina. But she had had a woman's finger inside her, as well as that woman's mouth and tongued all over her pussy. Did that mean she was no longer a virgin? Betty didn't think it did, so she answered the question, "Yes, I'm a virgin."

"You know how, though?" Payley asked. When Betty's expression showed her confusion at the question, the other young woman clarified, "You know how to fuck?" Again, Betty's face exploded in a blush with no other reaction forthcoming. Payley asked, "You've watched...? Watched others fuck?"

"No!" Betty answered quickly. "Of course not. That would be rude!"

(Part 2 next)
 
"Not if you were invited to watch," Payley responded. When Betty only laughed, the other girl asked, "You watch...? You watch me and Style fuck?"

Betty was again stunned, asking, "What're you saying...? You want me to watch ... watch the two of you ... have sex?"

"Do you want to watch?" Payley continued, unphased by the other girl's shock. When Betty didn't respond yet again, Payley asked with a tone of concern, "Do you not want to know how to do it? Fucking first time can scare. You need know how what to expect ... what to see ... what to feel."

Payley looked to Vree, who'd been silently sharpening the tools without showing any concern about the conversation. In their language, the younger woman asked the older woman a question, to which Vree said to Betty, "Watch. Learn. Know what."

Betty felt a chill run up her back, the sensation causing the skin of her arms and legs to explode in gooseflesh so intense that it hurt. She was at a total loss for how to react or what to say. She didn't understand her state of confusion right now, but later she would realize what the source was: she'd wanted to watch the young, beautiful, perfect couple fuck!

Payley and Style began talking softly in Nomadi, occasionally glancing toward Betty. At one point, Vree offered something in their language without looking up from their work. Then, Payley stood and moved to Betty, taking her by the hands to stand her up. She moved her toward the back of the wagon and sat her on the edge of the bed at one end. Then, smiling, she said only, "Watch ... learn."

Over the next several minutes, Betty simply sat there and observed as the couple set about making love. They began with kissing, soft and loving at first, then more erotic, before the clothes began coming off; one item shed from Payley, one from Style, repeat, repeat, repeat, until both of them were fully naked just barely out of arm's reach. Betty couldn't take her eyes off the two Nomadi; they were the most beautifully composed people she'd ever seen, with tight, slim bodies, firm muscles on Style and firm breasts and buttocks on Payley.

Betty suddenly realized that her pussy was leaking onto one of her thighs, the lust and desire and need rising in her, recalling her delicious times with Clara during the previous two evenings. She very nearly crawled across the bed to join the pair, rejecting the idea simply because she was entranced with simply watching the pair.

She'd never seen an erect penis -- not on a person, anyway -- and Payley's shift in position suddenly revealed Style's rock-hard cock to her. It was incredible! Betty hadn't really thought of what she'd see, and now that she was looking at it, she simply found it amazing.

The Nomadi girl laid her male counterpart back into a massive stack of pillows, leaving his upper body at an angle above the bed. She herself took a position near his side on her knees, then -- bending over at the waist -- suddenly took Style's cock into her mouth until it was nearly gone; her hand grasped the base of his shaft, and together, they moved quickly up and down Style's full length, taking him in and out again and again.

Betty's attention shifted repeatedly between their faces; she watched Style's expressions and listened to his moans of joy, then watched Payley's head continue to bob up and down in her lover's lap, taking almost every inch of him into her mouth before then removing almost all of it simply to start again.

After being with Clara, Betty had come to understand the sounds and expressions of sexual enjoyment, and there was no doubt at all that Style was enjoying everything the girl was doing to him. But Payley was moaning, too, which Betty didn't quite understand; how did having Style's penis in her mouth cause Payley pleasure.

Then, tilting a bit to her left after thinking she'd noticed something move, Betty found that Style had a hand wrapped around Payley's backside and was fingering her pussy from behind. Suddenly, Betty again wanted to leap into the fray and partake of Style's manipulations.

Suddenly, the male began repeating a few words again and again with increasing volume and intensity, leading Payley to lift her head from her lover's groin and stroke a hand wetted by saliva up and down his full length. Suddenly, a string of white fluid shot out of Style's cock, shooting straight up in the air as high as was Payley's head the way she sat there on her haunches. Another volley of the stuff -- his seed, obviously -- took flight, followed by another and another and another; each reached into the air above him a bit less than the one before it, until finally little globs of Style's cum was leaking out of him onto Payley's curled fingers.

The girl's made eye contact, with Betty's expression one of awe while Payleys was one of pride. "You see?" she asked. Betty hesitated, then nodded. She hadn't known what to expect when this began, but now that she saw it, it all made sense. She'd watched stock animals breed, of course, so she understood the mechanics. But people aren't horses or cows are they?

Then, after all the incredibleness that Betty had seen, Payley did something she would never have expected: she leaned back down over Style's body ... and began licking up and swallowing the seed that had been splashed all over his torso and legs.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Nomadi camp on the Windham Estate
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

After dark:

Style loved sex with Payley. But tonight, he was more interested in Lady Betty's reaction to what was coming. He had sex with his lover often. But watching the young Noble watch them could be a once in a lifetime event.

Honestly, Style didn't expect Betty to remain. Any moment, she'd jump up and flee the wagon. And yet she remained. Remained after the pair began kissing. Remained after Payley began stripping the two of them. Remained after both he and Payley were nude with the exception of their socks. Remained until his lover took his cock into her mouth.

Style was justifiably shocked. Despite the word noble, many Nobles often weren't in the presence of the Nomadi. Style's people were well known for providing questionable services to Nobles for coin. Style had participated in some of those services.

But he'd never seen a young, beautiful, virgin Noble woman sit to watch a pair of Nomadi have sex. Even this was new to Style. He wondered what was going through Betty's mind. Was she appalled? Intrigued? Stimulated? Envious?

At one point, then another, Betty licked her lips. Style wondered the reason behind this. Were her lips simply dry? Or was she imagining being in Payley's place? Maybe she yearned to have her lips wraps around his cock.

Or maybe she was thinking about having Payley's mouth on her. Style had reached a hand around his Nomadi lover's leg and had been rolling her clit between two fingertips. The result was noticeable. The sounds of her mouth moving up and down his shaft mixed with moans beginning in her throat. Perhaps it wasn't Style that Betty wanted but was Payley instead?

Suddenly, Style's questions faded from his mind. The pleasure in his groin had reached that point. His head dropped back as his climax came closer and closer. He groaned loudly, warning Payley of his impending expulsion of seed. Suddenly, his cock was jerking within Payley's grasp. Style didn't see the result. His eyes had gone closed as the euphoria overwhelmed him.

When next he opened his eyes, his lover was asking the girl watching them, "You see?"

Betty's expression was of stunned awe. She nodded her response to Payley, then looked to Style. His lips were parted, his chest rising and falling from the joy of orgasm. Like she had, he licked his own lips. He considered things to say to the Noble girl. What could he say?

Before he could speak again, Payley began licking up his seed. She swallowed again and again as she cleaned him up. Style's eyes were again set firmly on the Noble girl's face, watching her reactions. She was entranced. Or, again, was she appalled? Was she about to lean over and puke? Style wished he knew. But Betty was hard to read.

"Ne, nedělej," he said to Payley in Nomadi. She'd finished cleaning up the strings of cum on his torso. She'd ceased stroking his cock and was about to clean her hand of his seed. He repeated in Common Tongue with some additional words to clarify his command, "No, do not. Do not."

Style leaned forward, grabbed Payley's cum-covered fist, and held it out toward Betty. In an inviting tone he offered, "Taste?"
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the Tertiary Walls
Capital City of Yalla

Afternoon (of the same day that Betty is in the Nomadi camp, I believe?):

Morrow had to contain a happy smile when Stella slipped a hand into the crook of his arm as they walked.

She explained about a nearby Noble cheering on his bird's success, "That's Baron Elwith. He cheats."

"Cheats?" Morrow asked with surprise. "How exactly does one cheat in falcony?"

Stella explained how the Baron would sometimes swap out a fresh bird for an exhausted one. Morrow didn't doubt the girl's story. Elwith was one of the names on his and Luna's hit list. He was one of the Nobles named as a conspirator in all the shit harming the Republic. Morrow had an urge to simply walk up to the man and sink a dagger deep into his chest.

They came upon the wagons in which the score of the Challenge was being kept. Stella checked the current results. She said with disappointment, "I'm afraid that My Queen will lose her bet, m'lord."

"Oh, I don't know, m'lady," Morrow said. He laid his free hand upon the back of her hand in his elbow. It was a bit more intimate than was appropriate. But Stella was the one who'd taken hold of him. If she didn't like it, she could pull away. Morrow was happy when she didn't.

She turned him the other direction, saying about Luna, "I really should be with her."

"Of course, m'lady," Morrow said politely. He took her hand, kissing the back of her fingers. He intentionally let the embrace of his lips on her flesh go a bit longer than appropriate. It was just another test. Would she jerk her hand back? Would she permit the act? Once they were again as two not one, he told her, "I have something to attend to, m'lady. I hope to see you again before the challenge is completed."

Morrow watched her walk off into the crowd. He loved the way her ass swooshed side to side with each step. He was determined that he'd have her on her hands and knees on his bed as he parted those ass cheeks to find her warm wetness.

Once she was out of sight, Morrow went on his new quest. It took him quite some time to gather the intel he needed. He didn't want anyone to know that he was gathering information after all. Finally, he found what he was looking for: the coach in which Baron Elwith's replacement bird was being hidden.

Morrow could have simply killed the bird, of course. But that meant killing the armed guard and bird handler chatting outside the coach. He needed another way. And he found it. He located some rambunctious Commoner boys playing near the edge of the grounds. He explained what he needed and jingled a bag of copper coins before them.

A couple of minutes later, the horses still harnessed to the coach went crazy. Both men watching the coach and bird within ran up to calm the beasts. The mayhem was extended as the boys continued their stone throwing at them and, now, the men, too. The armed guard ran at the boys, causing them to scatter in all directions. They didn't evacuate, though. Instead they regrouped and continued their barrage.

Other armed guards came to assist their fellow guard. Only then did boys, laughing, disappear into the crowd. They weaved about through people, coaches, and other objects. The adults chasing the children never had a chance.

Eventually they gathered again beyond the trunk of a massive oak. There, they found Morrow with a small cage covered by a black cloth. "Well done," he told them as he distributed the Copper Coins as promised. "Remember, I was never here, and I didn't pay you to do this, did I?"

The boys unanimously agreed. But Morrow was the careful type. He wasn't going to chance that once out of his sight, they didn't go and fink on him for more coins. He jingled the coin bag again. "If in ten days, what we did here today is still a secret, we will all meet back here at high sun, and each of you will get a Silver Sovereign. Understand?"

This time, the reassurances seemed far more certain. Morrow shooed the boys away but reached out to snatch the arm of the oldest boy. Morrow asked the teenager, "Do you know where the Broken Arrow Brothel is, in South Town?"

The boy nodded confirmation, unphased by being asked about a brothel. Morrow held out the cage. "Take this there. Use the back door. Tell the man there that Morrow sent you. There is a whore there, Evelyn. You can't miss her. Wild red hair, and..."

He held his hands out before him, indicating huge tits. The boy laughed. Morrow told him, "Give this to her. Have her take it to her room. Wait there for me. She'll find a place out of the way for you. When I arrive, there'll be four Silver Sovereigns in it for you."

The teen's reaction showed his delight. Morrow also pulled a metal token from his pocket and handed it to the teen. "Give this to Evelyn. She'll take care of you."

"Food?" the hungry, naive teen asked.

Morrow smiled, responding, "Yes, something like that."

The token was what the Brothel Madam gave patrons who'd paid for services but hadn't yet decided on a girl. The teen ran off, through the forest bordering the grounds, through the opened gate, and into the narrow alleys of the south end of Capital City.

Behind him, Morrow casually rejoined the crowds enjoying the Challenge. He would make himself known to those who could provide him an alibi once the missing bird was discovered. Finally, though, he departed for the Broken Arrow. He arrived to find everything he'd hope to find: the cage in the corner with the bird still inside, a happy, smiling teenager awaiting his coins, and Evelyn, ready to make some real money for her skillful services.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Nomadi camp on the Windham Estate
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

After dark:

Betty had been absolutely entranced by what Payley had been doing to Style's cock. She knew of oral sex, of course; after she and Clara partook of their own upon each other, Clara had described what women did to men and -- shocking Betty to the core -- what some men did to other men as well.

"Men...? Men, doing that to men?" she'd asked. Clara's response had been to remind her what the two of them had done to each other, making Betty giggle, blush, and concede, "Well, okay, I ... I guess."

Seeing Style fire threads of his seed all over himself, followed by Payley licking it all up and swallowing it, had simply been ... incredible to Betty. Despite Clara's description of the act, she'd somehow not imagined what it would actually involve and look like. The excitement of how new this all was to her had Betty trembling deep inside; she didn't know at what point she'd done it, but she'd leaned forward a bit, then crawled onto her knees for a better viewing.

"Ne, nedělej," Style said to Payley, using his native language. Betty actually knew those Nomadi words -- no and do not -- but she didn't understand his meaning until Style offered out the girl's seed covered hand, asking, "Taste?"

Betty's eyes grew large as her mouth fell open in shock. "What...? No!" She couldn't believe that Style had asked her that. Unimaginable! But then she saw Payley looking at her with a slight smile, gently nodding her head as if giving permission. Betty looked between the two of them before saying quietly, "No, that's ... that's kind of you, but ... I ... think not."

A metal-on-metal sound suddenly reminded Betty that she wasn't there in the wagon with just the lovers. She looked to Vree, finding her still sharpening the grooming tools as if nothing had happened behind her just feet away. Payley told Betty, "Is okay. Gramma does not care." The old woman waved a hand dismissively in the air. Payley giggled, telling Betty, "See?"

Betty looked back to the lovers finding the young woman licking the young man's cum from the back of her hand and fingers; she smiled through the entire process. Betty took a long moment to ogle the perfect features of both the male and female, then began to slip off the bed, saying, "I ... should wait outside."

"No," Payley said quickly, reaching out to grab Betty by the arm. She pulled her back onto the mattress as she threw a leg over Style's body, her back to him. She smiled to Betty, saying, "Not done learning. Stay ... please."

Betty neither said yes or no, but the fact that she didn't try to leave the bed told Payley what she thought she needed. She reached a hand down between her thighs, grasped Style's shaft, put it in place at her hole, and slowly lowered herself upon it. Betty's gaze shifted repeatedly between the place of penetration and Payley's face, as her expressions showed first the pain of the intrusion, then the pleasure that followed.

The sight of the Nomadi girl bouncing in her lover's lap was as entrancing as was what Payley had done to Style's cock with her mouth. Betty saw and heard some of Clara in the young beauty, reminding her of when the girl from Abad -- as Clara had claimed to be -- had taught her the proper way to pleasure another female. Occasionally, Betty would peek past Payley to look upon Style; he had grasped his lover at her hips and was helping her in her up and down movements, moaning to the pleasure her tightness was causing him.

Betty flinched suddenly when she felt the other woman grab her by the wrist. Payley pulled at her, urging her closer first by the one wrist, then by the other she quickly grabbed, too. Betty resisted at first, but -- wanting to be involved but having no idea what was right or wrong -- then allowed the girl to pull her closer, until Betty was close enough for Payley to press her mouth to her own.

This is so not the thing I should be doing, Betty told herself as she fully engaged in the progressively erotic kiss. Payley placed her hands upon her bared breasts, and -- recalling how she'd enjoyed Clara so deeply -- groped them tightly and pinched their pert nipples. Suddenly, any reservations Betty might have had about what she was doing here faded; she moved in closer to Payley, pulling their bodies together with one hand while the other continued to pleasure -- and find pleasure from -- the other woman's wonderful bosom.

Suddenly, Payley was trying to undress Betty, and just as suddenly, Betty was helping her. It only took seconds for her to be as naked as the others, with Payley barely even slowing her up and down bouncing in Style's lap. Remembering what Clara had taught her, Betty reached between the girl's thighs, quickly found her button, and went to work pleasuring it while returning to kissing her. It wasn't long before Payley's moans turned to cries and -- as the building pleasure peaked -- to a loud scream of ecstasy as the two clutched each other tightly. The Nomadi girl trembled fiercely before finally coming still in Betty's arms and slouching forward.

(Part 2 next; sorry, I couldn't stop writing)
 
(Part 2)

With Payley in her arms and her head on her shoulder, Betty was able to look down into Style's face again. She smiled to the man, happy with having learned from the pair. After Payley recovered from her orgasm, she dismounted from her lover, laid between him and the wagon's back wall, and gestured invitingly to Style's still hard cock, saying, "You learn more, yes?"

Betty laughed, blushing, as she hesitantly said, "No, oh no, I couldn't." She saw the confusion on their faces; she'd allowed Payley to strip her to her waist shift, leaving her own bosom as bared as the Nomadi girl's, then fingered said girl in an effort to help her male lover push her to orgasm. It had all been new to her, and -- as they'd wanted -- Betty had learned, but the thing that they had wanted her to learn was what intercourse was all about. She'd watched Payley enjoy it; shouldn't she now do the same?

"I want to remain pure ... a virgin," she told them, "For my husband."

"Your Lord," Payley said knowingly, clarifying, "our boss, Lord of Windham." Pausing to see if Betty would confirm -- which she did with a meekly nodded head -- Payley added, "Your uncle."

Betty looked away, embarrassed, only to look back again when Payley began laughing. She and Style began speaking quietly in their native language, with the female seeming to prod Style into reveal something while the male seemed reluctant to comply. Finally, with them seeming to have agreed on an action, Payley looked to Betty as she patted a hand upon Style's chest and spoke two words in Nomadi, "Můj bratr."

The words seemed familiar to Betty, but as her brain worked for and recalled the translations, she couldn't force her to believe them. Payley smiled again, seeing that the other woman had understood her. She nodded, then confirmed Betty's reluctant conclusion, "Style is my brother."

Betty was in shock, not for the first time tonight, of course. Payley laughed again, rising to move to Betty as she argued, "Is not wrong. Not wrong in Nomadi. Feeling good, not matter who, only matter good, yes?"

Payley engaged Betty in another passionate, erotic kiss as her hands found the girl's body. Betty was shocked and confused, but the pleasure of having the Nomadi girl like this was too great overpowered all else. Payley pulled back again, asking, "You not be with Style?"

Betty looked to the young man again, letting her eyes drop to his cock as well; it had softened somewhat and -- glimmering in the light of a nearby oil lamp -- lay there across his waist, twitching once, then twice. She looked into Payley's eyes and -- as much as she hated to do so -- said, "I wish I could, but ... I cannot." Then, slipping out of the girl's arms and to her feet, Betty grabbed her clothes, saying, "I should leave."

"Don't go," Payley begged. "Stay. I can be good to you. Not my brother, me."

Behind her, Vree -- who had never once turned to view any of what was happening behind her -- spoke in rapid Nomadi, and when neither of her grandchildren translated for her, Vree looked to Betty and said, "Sharp done. Can take."

"Thank you," Betty said as she continued redressing herself. She looked to the lovers again, admiring their beautiful, perfect bodies before saying, "I wish I could stay. But ... it's different for me." She could have delved into a deep explanation about love, lust, sex, proper and improper relationships, and so much more, but instead Betty only said, "I'm sorry. Not for what I saw here tonight. I want to thank you for that. I enjoyed it ... immensely. But I'm sorry ... that I cannot stay and ... be good with you."

Betty gathered up the rerolled bag of razors and scissors, accepted another bottle of grooming oil offered to her from Vree, then pulled some loose Silver Sovereigns from a little pocket in her dress, telling the old lady, "For your services, Vree. Thank you."

Then, hurrying out of the wagon and camp, Betty ran across the harvested grain field all the way to the Keep. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, bending over to catch her breath. A male voice sounded, asking what she was doing outside. She made up a story about bringing herbal medicine to one of the children, then hurried up the stairs to and through the door, then up another flight to her bedroom.

Once there, Betty immediately stripped to her bare skin, slid into bed, and masturbated until she was crying out in orgasm. She fell asleep, giggling to herself about how absolutely strange and wonderful her evening had been.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Nomadi camp on the Windham Estate
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep


Style was once again intrigued with Betty as she watched Payley mount and begin fucking him. When the Noble girl joined in, fingering the Nomadi one, he thought for sure that he was going to be fucking two beauties tonight.

But Betty politely refused the offer, saying, "I want to remain pure ... a virgin. For my husband."

"Your Lord," Payley said, "our boss, Lord of Windham." Betty nodded, and Payley added, "Your uncle."

Betty was embarrassed. Payley thought she could ease the other girl's embarrassment by revealing that she and Style were siblings. He disagreed. He wasn't concerned about their privacy or anything like that. He was more concerned with what the Noble woman would think about those savage Nomadi.

But he gave in. He realized that he didn't care what Betty or any other Yallan might think of him. They already thought the Nomadi were baby stealing, murderous whores. What would this matter.

Betty most certainly showed her shock at the news. Payley only laughed and explained, "Is not wrong. Not wrong in Nomadi. Feeling good, not matter who, only matter good, yes?"

Style certainly agreed with that. He'd had sexual relations with many women during his years of sexual activity. Some had been Nomadi, though most had not. Of his Nomadi lovers, some had been from other Troupes, though most had not. Most had been from this Troupe. The Troupe was his extended family. That meant that he'd laid with many a relative. They'd typically been some form of cousin: first, second, first once removed, second once removed, and the like. Some had been aunts while others had been nieces. They'd all been of proper age, of course. Relations with an underage member, relative or not, was subject to exile from the Troupe.

Some of Style's lovers had been very good in bed. Others not so much so. But his sister had become the best, once he'd trained her. Payley was the only lover Style who he'd maintained a lasting relationship with. They typically fucked many times during a Moon. She had learned to do things to, for, and with Styles that no other woman had.

"You not be with Style?" Payley tried one last time.

"I wish I could, but ... I cannot," Betty told them with a reluctant tone. She slipped out of the bed and began dressing. "I should leave."

Payley begged Betty to stay, saying, "I can be good to you. Not my brother, me."

Style was offended initially. Had his sister dissed his lovemaking ability? But he quickly realized that Payley was offering to pleasure Betty herself. Style liked that idea. Very much. He'd always enjoyed seeing his sister with other women for two very good reasons: first, it was exciting to watch, and second, he usually ended up fucking the other woman, too.

Vree, though, could see that the Noble girl needed to leave. She announced about the Frenkish Grooming tools, "Sharp done. Can take."

"Thank you," Betty said, snatching up the cloth bag. "I wish I could stay. But ... it's different for me. I'm sorry. Not for what I saw here tonight. I want to thank you for that. I enjoyed it ... immensely. But I'm sorry ... that I cannot stay and ... be good with you."

Style hadn't spoken more than a handful of words to Betty thus far. Now, though, he told her, "Troupe leaves two days. If wish, come back. Be with my sister."

"Yes, please," Payley chimed in eagerly. "Come be with me. Learn some more. Or just be good."

Betty dropped some coins on the sharpening table, saying, "For your services, Vree. Thank you."

And then, she was gone. The siblings laid down in each other's arms. Vree put her tools away, securing the table to the wall. She carefully exited the wagon to join in the singing still taking place around the fires in the camp.

Earlier in the evening:

Rolph had gone to his bed chamber after taking his walk around the Keep and through the hamlet. His mind was still filled with wonderful thoughts of Clara, Betty, and Clara's promotion of him marrying Betty.

He was unable to even contemplate sleep for the longest time. He descended a level to Betty's door. He stood outside it for the longest time. It was normally seen as improper to enter a lady's bed chamber after it had been made clear that she was in for the evening.

But Rolph was eager to speak with her more about his plan to go speak to her father. He was also eager to see whether she would engage in kissing him once again as they had earlier, before she'd gotten overwhelmed by it and fled to speak to Clara.

He knocked softly on the door and waited. He knocked again, listening. Despite knowing that it was wrong, Rolph opened the door, inquiring, "Betty? Are you asleep?"

He heard nothing. He stepped in farther, looking around the bed chamber. There was no sign of Betty. He entered fully, closing the door behind him. "Betty? Are you here? It's Rolph."

He felt silly telling her who was invading her room. But a quick search showed that she wasn't here, so what did it matter?

Leaving her room, Rolph began a search for her. He went to the roof. She'd sometimes gone up there to look at the stares and moon. He knocked on Mantha and Timmon's door, waking up the latter. Rolph didn't want the boy to know who he was looking for and simply asked, "Is anything different? Is everthing alright?"

After Timmon shrugged, Rolph searched the rooms of the lower two floors. There simply was no sign of her. He was beginning to worry. He went out into the hamlet. There were a few outdoor fires burning. Some had food drying above them. Others were simply keeping the men around them warm.

There was only one man amongst their numbers who Rolph trusted with the questions on his mind: Have you seen Lady Betty? And after a no from the man, Do you think my niece if visiting a man in the hamlet?

The man laughed. He said with a sincere voice, "No, m'lord. No man here would risk his cock, regardless of how beautiful your niece is, m'lord."

Rolph believed the man. He was very good to the people who worked his land. But they knew better than to betray him with something as personal as fucking his niece.

He returned to the Keep, ascending the stairs to the top. He pulled his coat tight to him. It was cold and would only be getting colder. He began a slow stroll along the Wall Walk, looking out upon the estate. It was too dark to see much at all. At one point, he spotted a torch coming his way. It turned out to be a hunting party returning with their catch

Each lap around the tower top, he looked toward the Nomadi camp. He couldn't see anything in particular. Just the flickering orange flames of the fires. Rolph didn't want to entertain fears regarding the camp and its occupants. He knew the stories that followed the Nomadi.

Rolph didn't believe most of the stories. But some he had firsthand knowledge of some of them. Most of them revolved around their sexual skills. He'd partaken of them on occasion. He'd been satisfied with each and every one. Ironically, he'd partaken of both Payley and Style. Not this year, but last year. And the year before that. He would have found it embarrassing to learn that Betty had just been nearly naked with them in Vree's wagon.

The cold finally did him in. Rolph descended past the level of his bed chamber to that of Betty's. He was going to check there for her again. But this time, he caught the flickering of a lantern escaping under the door. It hadn't been there before. He reached up to knock. But then, he didn't. Rolph wasn't sure he wanted to know where Betty had been. Or what she'd been doing.

He returned to his own bed.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the Tertiary Walls
Capital City of Yalla

Afternoon (of the same day that Betty is in the Nomadi camp, I believe?):

"I have something to attend to, m'lady," Morrow told Stella. "I hope to see you again before the challenge is completed."

"I look forward to that, m'lord," she said, smiling. A blush filled her face as she realized she was flirting with the man who'd openly made an attempt to be the man who deflowered her. She turned and headed away, intentionally putting a little extra swing in her tail end; she assumed -- correctly as it was -- that he'd watch her depart, yearning to get his hands on that swooshing backend.

She returned to Luna, who didn't hesitate to ask, "Did you have a nice visit with Lord Morrow, Stella?"

Again, the girl blushed, this time looking away to hide her redness. When she looked back, she was smiling guiltily. She answered meekly, "Yes, My Queen. Lord Morrow was very inquisitive about the Challenge." Stella told Luna about her walk with Morrow, including what she'd said about Baron Elwith.

As if on cue, mayhem erupted near the north perimeter of the Falconry Grounds. The two women watched the happenings, not knowing that they had anything to do with Morrow or Elwith. The Challenge went on for quite a while, with one of Luna's birds rising to the top score while the other was consistently one or two birds short of Luna winning her bed with the Baron.

After some time, world began circulating that one of the coaches of Baron Elwith's entourage had been at the center of the earlier mayhem. The official story from Elwith's people was that it had been a simple case of children being children. But Luna was well aware of the rumors that the Baron had cheated in the pass by substituting fresh birds for exhausted ones. She couldn't help but wonder if the excitement had had something to do with the backup bird; had someone perhaps stolen it? Or -- and this was a stretch without additional information -- had Stella's explanation about Elwith to Morrow caused the latter male to do something about it? And, if he had, had he done it simply to harm the Baron, or had he done it to assist Luna in winning her wager?

The Challenge continued, with the number of Grays brought in, slaughtered, and roasted beginning to decrease later in the day; the presence of so many falcons in the Yalla Swamplands had caused many of the surviving geese to flee the area. They would return to their nests after dark, of course, but by then the Challenge would be over.

Luna had been watching the scoring of the Challenge's best birds closely and had been happy with the first standings. But over the past hour, her best bird, Orion, had been passed in Gray count by Baron Elwith's best bird, and her second bird, Athena, was now trailing all five of the Baron's birds. Luna's first concern with the Challenge was that it raised money for the Commoners and others who had been so badly hurt by the storm and flood, but she was also desperate to beat the Baron as well.

When she retired to her tent for dinner, drink, a short rest, and -- importantly -- some time in front of a raging fire, Luna was certain that she'd be paying Elwith a trunk of Silver Sovereigns. It wasn't the money that really mattered, of course; Yalla's treasury was in fairly good straits, despite the loses suffered during her Father's reign, many of them do to his reliance on his son, Nellan -- Luna's brother -- who had often been given a free hand by their father.

Then, a Messenger hurried up to the tent, asked for an audience, and -- once given -- reported excitedly, "My Queen! You must come! Come see!"

(Part 2 next)
 
(Part 2; I really don't mean to write them this long. I don't know what's wrong with me.)

Hurrying to don her warm clothes again, she followed her Bodyguard with Stella at her side to the scoring wagons where she found that everything had changed with regards to the wager with Baron Elwith. His winning bird had suddenly ceased returning birds, instead simply soaring in the sky on the thermals to conserve energy. Luna couldn't help but recall the rumors of the Baron's bird in reserve and wondered if his falcon had simply tuckered out and decided to stop hunting.

As the sun was disappearing behind the western forest, she checked the score and realized that Orion was again the top bird with three geese more than Elwith's best bird, and -- sealing the wager -- Athena had only trailed behind two of the Baron's birds, while his bet had been that she would trail three of them.

A horn sounded the end of the Challenge, with the near entirety of the gathered Nobles and Commoners applauding and hooting in joy ... or at least in simulated joy to please their Queen. Luna again mounted the ale keg -- now empty -- to announce the winners and present them with their heavy purses of Silver Sovereigns. To her great joy, the Count who won the greatest amount held his two bags aloft and called out his intention to give one of them back to the Queen to be used to help the suffering. One by one, each of the winners proclaimed the same.

People began chanting for Baron Elwith to come forth and make good on his wager to the Queen. Not unexpectedly, he explained, "It's not like I travel with two thousand Silver Sovereigns in my coach." He received howls of derision, accompanied by plenty of laughter at his undignified response to them. But then he gestured to his men, who came forward with a couple of bags of coin. "I have my entry fee of 500 Silver Sovereigns, My Queen. And I will have the remainder of the wager delivered to you promptly tomorrow."

That resulted in cheers, delight that repeated itself even greater when Luna announced, "And rather than keep the good Baron's money ... I will donate it to the effort as well." Chamberlain Prior handed Luna a piece of paper with the tally of the day's accumulated coin, and she gestured everyone quiet once more. After scanning the faces, she announced, "Including the prizes that were returned by our very generous winners ... the fees paid to participate ... and Baron Elwith's wager which I will also give back ... the tally is more than 38,000 Silver Sovereigns."

The loudest uproar yet occurred, pleasing Luna greatly; it wasn't often that Nobles applauded giving their money away. As she scanned the most excited of the people, though, she concluded that the greatest joy was coming from the arc of Commoners on the fringe of the Falconry Grounds. It was they who were the benefactors of this event, after all.

Luna descended from the keg with the helping hands of her Bodyguard and headed for her coach, trading farewells with both Nobles and Commoners along the way. Once loaded up, though, she told her driver to remain. From behind her curtain, she watched as one Noble after another -- some on horseback, others in coaches, and a few with entourages -- made their departure.

When finally, the Nobility had evacuated the area, Luna exited her coach and headed for the area where the many scores of Grays were being roasted and distributed to the victims of the Gods. With her Bodyguard standing back to make her seem more accessible, Luna socialized with the people; she asked about their families, about what they'd lost, about what they needed to go on.

After a point, there were dozens of people surrounding her, telling their stories of hardship, the greatest one being the loss of their homes to the floor. Luna had prepared for this; she had had the owners of several Inns and Boarding Houses on the South End brought to the Challenge and now had her Aides assign the homeless to the Inns and Houses, on the Crown's Sovereigns, of course.

"You will have warm dry beds and food and safety for as long as it takes to rebuild your lives," she promised. Then she warned, "This isn't entirely free, however. Each of you will contribute to your future. You men will be responsible for rebuilding your homes and businesses. You will be paid a fair wage to do so." She received applause. "You women, you will do what we women do: take care of our men!" Again, applause, with laughter as well. Scanning some of the children who'd fought to get up front to see their Queen, Luna smiled and said, "And every child under 16 years of age ... you will attend school, where you will learn to read and write and count, so that when you are big and strong and beautiful like your fathers and your mothers, you will be able to do all the things that they can do, only better."

She heard someone grumble, followed by a mother say, "My child is needed at home, to work." Another parent mirrored the sentiment, followed by yet another. Luna waved them all silent, telling them, "Every child who goes to school ... who tries hard to learn ... who listens to and shows respect to their teachers ... will come home at the end of the day with one Copper Sovereign for each year of their age."

Luna pointed to a child, asking, "How old are you?" The child held up a hand, all five fingers splayed wide. She smiled, telling the child, "Every day that you come to school and learn and show respect to your teacher, you will go home with five Copper Sovereigns. How does that sound to you?"

The child smiled wide and nodded his head wildly, but then hesitated and looked up to his mother, standing behind him. She was smiling, too, her eyes beginning to glaze over at the thought of the money for that child and her other two coming in when none had been coming in before. She performed a respectful curtsey, calling out, "Gods bless the Queen!"

The crowd roared the praise, and after spending another dozen or so minutes mixing with the Commoners, Luna finally made her way back to her coach and headed for the Castle.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

The next morning:

Rolph was up before dawn for his usual sunrise walk about his estate. This morning, he went directly to the hamlet. The repairs following the storm damage were still underway. The Nomadi were a great help. The wind and rain had rendered the continuing harvest moot. The repair and new construction work and the coin that came with it were appreciated.

A messenger arrived to confirm that Viscount Ulronni had returned to his estate. This news was welcomed by Rolph. He and Lady Betty were clear to go to her father to ask for his blessing for their union.

The question, though, was whether that marriage was still on? Rolph couldn't get his mind off his niece's activities of the previous night. Where had she been? What had she been doing? And who had she been doing it with?

The Nomadi were purveyors of so very many goods and services. Many of them were not easily or morally available in normal Yallan society. One of those services, of course, was sex. Regular sex. Irregular sex. Even illegal sex. Betty was of an appropriate age for sexual relations, of course. Rolph wasn't worried about the illegal aspect of what she might find with them.

Regular versus irregular wasn't a concern either. Just the simple fact that Betty had been having sex was enough to drive Rolph wild with concerns. Every Noble male wanted his wife to be pure of body when he first parted her thighs. Ironically, the same wasn't expected of the Noble males themselves.

Sometimes Rolph thought about that contradiction. He was allowed to put his cock in as many women as he wanted, but Betty had to be a virgin when they wed? It wasn't right. But it was what it was.

Rolph needed to know what had happened the night before. He cut his work short, returning to the Keep and up to Betty's door. Knocking, he asked, "Betty, may I speak to you?"

She called for him to enter, and once inside he took a moment to contemplate his words. He also used that time to admire her. She was so beautiful. That alone should have been enough for him to want to marry her. Could he forgive her waywardness if he discovered his worst fears were verified?

"Last night after we all retired to our rooms," Rolph began hesitantly, "I came to your door to speak to you more, about our plans to be wed."

He paused, clearing his throat and again considering his words. "I knocked. When you didn't answer, I let myself in. I apologize for my invasion of your privacy, m'lady. I didn't find you here as expected. In fact, I didn't find you anywhere, m'lady."

Rolph realized that his heart was pounding hard. He was in deep fear. Fear that what he thought to be true was. Fear that Betty might lie to him about it. His niece had never been a good liar. He'd caught her in falsities when she'd been much younger. Silly things, like who'd gotten into the pie for dinner before dinner. Or who'd let the piglets out of the pen, resulting in hours of chasing the little guys all over the estate.

"I searched for you everywhere," he continued, beginning a slow walk about her bed chamber. "The hamlet. Every room of the Keep. I went to the top of the tower to look over the property."

He paused a moment, then suggested, "I looked to the Nomadi camp, too."

Rolph stopped there, hoping that Betty would reassure him that she hadn't gone there.
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Betty was in the middle of a bath when Rolph knocked on the door of her bed chamber, causing her to call out anxiously, "Wait! I'm not ... I'm not decent!" She could have told him to come back later or that she'd come down soon, but Betty wanted to talk to him as soon as she could; they had plans to go to her father and ask his permission for them to marry, but she wanted to discuss it more with him. To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to speak to him about, specifically; there wasn't any one thing that needed to be further discussed, yet Betty still felt it necessary to speak to him.

She leapt out of the tub, wishing that Mantha was hear to help her prepare for visitors. All on her own, Betty quickly dried her body, wrapped a long, thick robe around her body, and ran a comb through her hair, again calling, "Please wait, uncle. Don't go!"

Donning her slippers, she padded across the hardwood floor to pull the door open, smiling, and saying unnecessarily, "Sorry, uncle. I was in the bath. Come in, please." She turned away, crossing the room to her bureau to snatch up her brush and continue grooming the only hair left on her body as she asked, "What can I do for you this morning, m'lord."

She realized that he was looking her over, leading her to blush and smile again. She prompted, "Uncle...?"

He started by telling her that he'd looked for her and couldn't find her. Betty's smile vanished in a heartbeat, the color draining from her face. He told her, "I came to your door to speak to you more, about our plans to be wed."

Betty's immediate thought was We're not getting married. He's calling it off. He knows what I've done. With Clara, with Payley, with Style. What have I done?

He paused, then continued with his disappointment of not being able to find her anywhere; he listed locations searched, then -- with obvious hope that he was reaching somewhere she would never be -- finished, "I looked to the Nomadi camp, too."

"I went there, m'lord," Betty said without hesitation, stepping closer to him as she very quickly said, "But not for anything ... bad."

It was true that she'd engaged in sexual activity with the Nomadi siblings, and that could, should, and -- if Rolph learned about it -- would be determined to easily be defined as bad. But Betty hadn't engaged in intercourse; she was still a virgin with respect to that of which she was sure her uncle was concerned. She took another step closer, continuing, "Please, m'lord, you have to believe me. I didn't do anything I shouldn't have been doing. I ... I was..."

Betty felt her eyes glistening over with tears as she began to panic about what thoughts might be going through Rolph's mind about her. Making matters worse, she was lying to him -- something had happened -- and Betty had never been able to get a lie past her very intuitive uncle. She had to confess to Rolph, but if she did, Betty knew the wedding was off and, likely, their wonderful relationship was over as well.

"Something did happen, uncle," Betty said softly, her eyes on the floor before her as she fought to keep herself from sobbing. "I ... I need to..."

A long moment passed as she searched for a way to explain about Payley and Style without destroying her life. Then suddenly, another thought came to her, and she looked up with hope in her expression. What she was considering was ... scandalous ... but it was the only thing Betty could think of that might save her future with Rolph. She blinked away the threatening tears, drew a deep breath to steady her nerves; her heart was pounding hard and fast.

Then, she untied the belt about her waist, and opened her robe, revealing her otherwise nude body. As calmly as she could, Betty asked, "Do you know what it means to be Frenkishly groomed ... m'lord?"
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Castle of Queen Luna
City of Yalla
The Republic of Yalla

Late morning (the same morning as with Rolph and Betty above):

Luna and Stella made their way through the inner gate and outer gate onto the streets of the Capital, both led and followed by the members of the Warriors Elite; they'd taken over as her Royal Bodyguard as the men -- and women, too -- who'd previously guarded Luna during her time as the Mistress of Tiala were undergoing intense training under the guidance of the Warriors Elite's biggest, baddest, meanest swordsmen, archers, and hand-to-hand combat instructors.

They made their way to the nearest Marketplace, milling about, speaking to the people, and buying small quantities of food, drink, and nicknacks simply to spread about some of the Treasury's contents. They reached an upscale Inn known as a meeting place for Nobles meeting for a variety of purposes, some legit and others not so much so. There was a coach sitting in the streets flying the banner of a Duke from west of the City as Luna and her Handmaiden entered, giving the impression that this Noble was here to meet the Queen. A pair of Luna's Bodyguard posted up outside the Inn to prevent other potential patrons from entering during the Queen's visit.

However, Luna and Stella, along with their now smaller Bodyguard, didn't remain in the Inn; they instead passed through and -- after the alley was checked for onlookers and found to be otherwise vacant -- exited, immediately entering the back door of the establishment across said alley.

Their new location was a tailor shop, where Luna and Stella donned hooded capes that were more typically the garb of Commoners or, perhaps, members of the Merchant Class who hadn't yet made it big. Even Luna's escorts played their part in hiding the Queen's presence by shedding their Warrior Elite helmets and removing, then reversing their easily recognized blue and white capes; as they led the way out the shop to the street beyond, the dissimilar color schemes of the capes' inner sides -- now outside, of course -- made the men look like anything other than the Bodyguard for the Queen of the Republic of Yalla as they continued down the street, now spread out more to look less conspicuous.

Another quarter mile or so later, Luna and Stella -- preceded by four of the remaining eight Elites -- entered an unremarkable door in an unremarkable building on an unremarkable block of mixed commercial and residential buildings. A half dozen armed men already occupied the room, sitting or standing about seemingly idle but very much on guard; these weren't Luna's men but were instead being paid by the man who emerged from a door in the far wall.

Luna hadn't seen Morrow in his warrior's garb since the day they'd first met a fortnight earlier. She smiled to him, gestured her Bodyguard to stand at ease, and approached him. "It's good to see you again, m'lord. I received word that you had something to show me...?"
 
Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Home of Lord Rolph
Between the Village of Treyla and the Ulronni Keep

Rolph's heart skipped a beat when Betty confessed about the Nomadi camp, "I went there, m'lord."

He was sure she'd soiled herself with one of the Nomadi men. He looked away, disappointed so deeply that his eyes began to glisten over as hers were. Betty promised, "But not for anything ... bad. "Please, m'lord, you have to believe me. I didn't do anything I shouldn't have been doing. I ... I was..."

Rolph knew that Betty was lying. Or at least holding something back. He knew her better than she knew herself. It was probably part of why he'd so easily fallen in love with her. He'd always known she was special. He'd always known deep down that he wanted to be with her. Not in bed. Well, not just in bed. But in life.

"Something did happen, uncle," Betty continued. "I ... I need to..."

She couldn't say what she wanted to say. Rolph's heart was breaking. Not just for him but for her, too. Whatever she'd done in the village had affected her negatively. Or, at least, that was what he thought.

Then, suddenly, he was looking upon her naked body. The robe opened down the front, then fell to rest on her forearms. Rolph drew a shocked breath as he ogled her firm tits, narrow waist, and shaved private place. She was simply incredible, and after it twitched anxiously, his cock immediately began rapidly growing toward stiffness.

Betty asked calmly, "Do you know what it means to be Frenkishly groomed ... m'lord?"

Rolph didn't respond. He was simply overwhelmed by Betty's actions. And her body, of course. Eventually, his brain cleared away the many thoughts preventing him from hearing his niece's question and responding to it.

"That's, that's why you went to the Nomadi last night?" he asked softly, forcing his gaze up to her own eyes. "You, you had them do this?"

He listened to her response, then asked, "Why? I mean, why now?"

Rolph was hoping, of course, that the answer was For you, for after we are married and we get to make love the first time, husband. He had a sudden flashback to seeing Clara sitting in his lap. She'd been free of bodily hair, too, of course. Looking at her, touching her, tasting her like that, like Betty was now, had been so wonderful.

His gaze had fallen again to his niece's body. His heart had sped up, his chest was rising and falling faster, and his cock was absolutely rock hard. In his mind, Betty was lying on her back in her bed, and he was pounding in her hard, deep, and fast, desperate to fill her with his seed.

Then, a previous thought came to him. He didn't want to ask it. But he had to. Rolph took a step closer to her, asking weakly, "Are you still a virgin, m'lady?"
 
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