"The Queen's Assassin" (closed)

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

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

Betty's heart was pounding as she stood before Rolph, her robe open to reveal her front side in its full nakedness; the robe slipped from her shoulders to rest upon her bent arms, only making the scene more erotic in nature. Her uncle's gaze took a walk up and down and up again, taking her in like he never had before and -- if she didn't preserve their prospective relationship together -- he likely never would again.

Finally, he asked with a shocked tone, "That's, that's why you went to the Nomadi last night?" She tried to speak, couldn't, and nodded instead. He continued, "You, you had them do this?"

Betty was uncertain about his question, thinking that maybe he was either disappointed or appalled by what he was seeing; sure, seeing her naked was surely a joy for him, but what if he saw the Frenkish Grooming as unnatural, even damage?

She hesitated before answering, not wanting to continue lying to him any more than was necessary. "No, m'lord, they ... the Nomadi ... they didn't do this to me. Lady Clara did ... before she left. I ... I went to the Nomadi camp to have the blades sharpened ... so that I can..."

Betty went silent; studying Rolph's reaction -- his expression and body language -- she still hadn't fully decided whether or not he saw the Grooming as a good thing or not. And, of course, there were other concerns far beyond just the fact that another person -- female or not didn't matter -- had done this to her. Clara had assured Betty that Frenkish Grooming was performed upon women by other women all across the Known World, and that there was nothing dishonorable or even overtly sexual about having the Art performed by that second person.

"Do you not like it, uncle?" Betty asked. She let the robe fall to gather about her feet, then performed a slow, full turn, showing him her profile, her backside, and her profile again as she explained, "Lady Clara helped me shaved my legs, too ... all around."

"Why?" Rolph said, breaking his silence. "I mean, why now?"

"For you, m'lord," Betty said without hesitation. "Lady--" She paused, feeling as though she was speaking of the other woman as though they weren't friends, let alone lovers. She began again, "Clara said that men liked the Frenkish way."

Betty didn't realize that her reference to men in general might be misconstrued. By the time she realized her error, Rolph was asking with a weak voice, "Are you still a virgin, m'lady?"

Instantly, the color in Betty's face flushed away. How was she supposed to honestly answer Rolph's question when she didn't honestly understand the definition of virgin. Had she ceased being a virgin when she let Clara put her mouth to her womanhood and drive her to the first explosive orgasm of her life? Had she ceased being pure when she'd learn to do the same to Clara? What about watching the Nomadi siblings? Watching Payley suck her brother's cock, making it spew his seed all over his torso and her hand, seed that she then licked up and swallowed before letting him fuck her? Betty had fingered Payley, helping her toward her euphoric explosion. Had that ended Betty's purity?

"I have never had sex with a male, m'lord," she answered as she began a slow approach toward Rolph. "I promise you that, uncle. No man has ever touched me ... and I have never touched a man." She went silent a moment, continuing forward. "Clara ... and I ... she ... taught me ... taught me what it felt like to be a woman."

She stopped, now within Rolph's reach as she looked into his eyes and continued her confession, "I am not sorry that I was with Clara in that way. She believed that I needed to know ... to know what it felt like ... so that when I was with you for the first time, uncle ... that I wouldn't be afraid ... so that I would be overwhelmed by the great joy that I'm sure you can give me ... that you can share with me."

Betty reached out to take one of Rolph's hand with the intention of placing it upon on of her bared breasts ... to encourage him to caress it, grope it, toy with its pert, swollen nipple ... and, if he chose to do so ... to take her to her bed and make love to her.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

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

"No, m'lord, they, the Nomadi, they didn't do this to me," Betty told Rolph when he asked who'd shaved her body. "Lady Clara did, before she left. I, I went to the Nomadi camp to have the blades sharpened, so that I can..."

She went silent. Rolph's reaction must have told her that he was unhappy with what he was seeing. He wasn't. Not all. He was just shocked and confused.

Shocked because he would never have expected this. Before Clara, Betty hadn't had any really close female friends. At least none that she'd spoken of with Rolph. Her mother had died before Betty had reached puberty. And she didn't have a Handmaiden per se. There were female servants at home. But Betty had never spoken of them as being close enough to suggest the Frenkish Grooming Arts, let alone perform them upon her.

His confusion, of course, centered on his lingering question about Betty's purity. His brain was torn on what he should believe. He almost missed Betty's question, "Do you not like it, uncle?"

Of course, her dropping the robe and turning to show her full nudeness didn't clear the confusion. Rolph couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was perfect. Everything about her that should be rounded was. Everything about her that should be tight was. Soft? That, too.

She told him, "Lady Clara helped me shaved my legs, too, all around."

"Why?" Rolph found himself asking. It was an unexpected question even for him. He clarified, "I mean, why now?"

"For you, m'lord," Betty answered without hesitation. "Lady-- Clara said that men liked the Frenkish way."

Clara had been right, of course. Rolph had enjoyed many shaven women over the years. The sex was somehow more erotic. That usually led to it being more enjoyable. Rolph didn't eat out many women. That was more because most of his lovers had been whores, upscale and otherwise. He was paying women to pleasure him, not the other way around.

But some of his lovers had been with him for reasons other than silver or gold. Of those, he'd so badly wanted them to enjoy their time together as much as he'd planned. Eating out a shaven pussy had always been such a joy for him. Eating out Clara had been an extreme joy. Rolph had questioned whether or not she might have actually been a whore. Still, he'd spent a good long time with his head between her thighs, driving her to multiple, euphoric explosions and loved it.

There was still that dreadful question bouncing around the inside of Rolph's skull. He didn't know how to ask it. He decided to be frank. "Are you still a virgin, m'lady?"

Betty's reaction showed what Rolph thought was horror at his question. He looked away, angry with himself. Looking back and speaking with desperation, he begged, "Be truthful with me, Betty. Please."

"I have never had sex with a male, m'lord," she answered.

It didn't take his full attention for Rolph to note that she'd said with a male. He knew, of course, that Betty and Clara had enjoyed each other's bodies. He watched them from the hallway while stroking his own cock.

He never even considered the possibility that Betty had had sex with a female in the Nomadi camp, let alone a male.

"I promise you that, uncle," Betty said. "No man has ever touched me ... and I have never touched a man."

Rolph studied his niece's face a moment. He decided that he believed her. She considered, "Clara and I, she taught me, taught me what it felt like to be a woman."

He tried to contain his smirk but failed. He knew about the two women, of course. He wondered whether or not he should tell Betty so.

"I am not sorry that I was with Clara in that way," she continued. "She believed that I needed to know ... to know what it felt like ... so that when I was with you for the first time, uncle..."

"With me?" Rolph cut in, surprised. "When did--" He didn't finish his question. He'd been about to ask Betty when she'd decided that he would be her first lover. Male lover anyway.

She continued her explanation, "That I wouldn't be afraid, so that I would be overwhelmed by the great joy that I'm sure you can give me, that you can share with me."

This time, Rolph didn't attempt to hide his smile. She wanted him to please her. She wanted him to send her to heights of ecstasy. He wanted that, too. Worse than she did, Rolph was sure.

Then, Betty reached out and and took his hand. Rolph didn't resist as she lifted it to her bared breast. He eagerly cupped it, squeezing gently. She enjoyed it. That was obvious. He moved closer, wrapping his free hand around Betty's back and pulling her to him for a kiss.

They'd kissed once before, of course. But Betty had ended it. She'd been afraid. She'd fled to Clara. Maybe to ask about what she and he had been doing. Maybe to satisfy her lust with a known factor, the woman she'd already had sex with.

Rolph deepened the passion, with mouth, hands, and body. Betty reciprocated, which greatly pleased him. The feel of her naked body in his hands and against his body, clothed as it was, was overwhelming. He leaned to sweep her up in his arms, carrying her to her bed.

He laid her down in the middle and immediately began undressing. Looking down on her, Rolph couldn't wait to push himself into her. But then he hesitated. His lust and desire for Betty was immeasurable. But Rolph's brain was suddenly reminding of what the two of them were supposed to be doing today: ask her father for his blessing for their marriage.

"We can't," he murmured softly, lowering his eyes. He hesitated, then clarified, "I can't."

Rolph wondered whether or not he was he doing the right thing by denying Betty what she wanted? He was. He was sure of it. Rolph looked to her, trying to keep his eyes on hers. He failed. She was simply too erotically beautiful not to ogle.

"I want to be with you, Betty, so badly," he told her. He picked up her robe and laid it over her, hiding her womanly features. He explained, "But I want to be with you again and again. As my wife, m'lady. I can't do that, have you again and again, if I have you now.

"I can't ask your father for his blessing to marry you if I've already been with you in this way," Rolph went on. "He will ask. I'm certain of it. I would. And he will accuse me of having violated you. To him, this is a violation. A betrayal. He would never allow us to marry. He would never allow you to visit me again. He would send you to Tella-Un, to be locked away in some dark, damp, drafty nunnery. I can't do that to you, m'lady."

 

[HumanBean]

(OOC: This continues the storyline from Post #99.)

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Central Commercial District
Capital City of Yalla
Republic of Yalla

Late morning:

Morrow was busy getting his cock sucked when he was alerted to the arrival of Luna and Stella. He would have preferred to continue to climax. But they'd only just begun. He didn't want the Queen to wait. He refastened his clothing and donned his weapons belt. Standing, he handed the woman several Silver Sovereigns. "We'll finish this another time."

Downstairs, he smiled to the women, bowing to Luna. "My Queen. Good to see you. Sorry to make you come out into the city like this."

"It's good to see you again, m'lord," Luna greeted him.

Morrow reached for Stella's hand, kissing it as he looked into her eyes. With a more suggestive tone, he said, "Lady Stella, a pleasure as well."

"I received word that you had something to show me...?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "Please, come with me." He looked to Stella, saying, "It would be better if you remained here."

If Stella insisted on coming, Morrow wouldn't stop her. He headed for a door that opened into another room. Inside, a trio of his mercenaries stood at the room's windows. They were dividing their attention between the streets outside and the man bound by ropes to a chair.

"My Queen, please let me introduce you to Lord Jarwik of Indingo," Morrow said. His tone sounded friendly and respectful. They didn't seem to go with Jarwik's injuries, though. Both eyes were swollen shut or nearly so. He had cuts all across his face. His lips were cut or swollen or both. Still friendly, Morrow said, "Lord Jarwik owns a pair of ships that transport Viscount Ulronni's copper ore to some locations outside of Yalla. He was about to tell us those locations and the customers he is serving. Weren't you, m'lord?"

Morrow nodded to the mercenary nearest Jarwik. The man slammed a fist into the Noble's nose. A stomach-turning sound of the bone breaking was accompanied by a gushing of blood down his face. Morrow looked to Luna (and Stella?). If they appeared appalled by the violence, he would apologize.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

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

Late morning:

Betty giggled in joy as Rolph swept her up into his arms, carrying her light form easily across her room to and dropping her gently upon her bed. She wanted this so badly, and yet she was trembling at not fully understanding what to expect. She'd watched the Nomadi siblings fuck one another to explosive orgasms, something they'd done for her, for her to learn, and yet Betty still didn't comprehend what it meant to have a man's cock inside her.

Then, as she moved back into the bed to await Rolph's undressing, he went still and silent for a long moment before murmuring softly, "We can't ... I can't."

Her heart dropped, leading her to ask softly, "Why not, m'lord. Did I ... have I ... done something wrong, uncle? Please, tell me."

He explained that he wanted to be with her, but that it couldn't happen like this. "I can't ask your father for his blessing to marry you if I've already been with you in this way."

Betty understood what Rolph was saying, not that she agreed with it. He collected her robe and offered it to her, leading the suddenly very self-conscious girl to use it to hide her womanly features. She suddenly felt silly and naive; she thought she'd learned what she needed to make this happen with Rolph, only to have him reject her.

"To him, this is a violation," he continued, "A betrayal. He would never allow us to marry."

He spoke about how they'd never see each other again, with Betty likely being sent away to isolation on the distant, Holy peninsula of Tella-Un. She sat up, keeping herself covered as she pleaded, "He wouldn't. He couldn't. I am his only daughter. His only child. His heir!"

But even as she was saying it, Betty knew that her father would do just that; he would rather send her away, find a new wife who would give him a son, and start all over. The only reason her father had tried to find a new wife to birth him a proper heir following Delora's death was that he had known that Betty hadn't yet gotten over her mother's death. Betty had heard the rumors at Noble parties, balls, and other events about her father; the word was that as soon as he married Betty off, he was going to wed again and fuck away until a son popped out of his new wife, producing an Heir Apparent to replace Betty, who was only his Heir Presumptive.

"I can't do that to you, m'lady," Rolph finished.

Betty wanted to talk him out of his decision, but she knew that he was right. Sitting up, slipping the robe on, and tying it around her waist again, she stepped off the bed to her feet and wrapped her arms around Rolph. She held him tightly for the longest time, eventually pulling back to look up into his face and say, "I understand, uncle."

She stood on her toes, urging him to kiss her again. When they separated, she asked, "Will you send Mantha up to help me pack my things? I will be ready to leave for home very shortly."

After Rolph departed, Betty almost immediately broke down, sobbing and crying for several minutes until the house servant knocked, entered, saw her Mistress bawling, and came to hold her until she'd calmed down. In less than an hour, Betty was dressed and packed for departure. One of the men who often worked inside the castle retrieved Betty's trunk and six soft-sided bags, loading them atop the coach.

She caught the look that Rolph gave her when he saw how many bags she'd packed; they included essentially everything of hers here that was important to her, from clothes to riding gear to trinkets. Waiting until no one else could hear her, Betty explained, "If my father refuses his blessing, uncle ... I ... I don't think I could bear coming back here ... knowing that I would never be yours."

She took the helping man's offered hand and stepped up into the coach.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Central Commercial District
Capital City of Yalla
Republic of Yalla

Late morning:

"It would be better if you remained here," Morrow told Stella, not wanting her to see what was in the other room.

Luna looked to her Handmaiden, saying softly, "Remain here. We won't be long." She looked to the Warrior Elites in the room with her with an expectant expression. They nodded their understanding that she was to be protected from all dangers, including -- if necessary -- the armed men who served Lord Morrow.

Stella met the assassin's gaze as he headed away, giving him a slight smile. Deep down, she knew that he was entirely the wrong kind of man with whom she should be involved, let alone the man to whom she should surrender her virginity. And yet there was simply something about him that -- in Queen Luna's own words -- made her all warm and fuzzy inside.

"My Queen, please let me introduce you to Lord Jarwik of Indingo," Morrow said after Luna had followed him into the other room. He explained about the Noble's connection to Viscount Ulronni's illicit copper ore business, saying, "He was about to tell us those locations and the customers he is serving. Weren't you, m'lord?"

Suddenly, one of Morrow's hired thugs pounded a fist directly into the man's face. Jarwik grunted, then cried out; his face exploded with blood, a thick, red flood of it flowing down the center of his face. The strike had startled Luna, but she quickly regained her composure, soon enough to prevent Morrow from seeing her reaction.

The man who'd struck Jarwik flexed the fingers of the striking hand, grimacing as he casually said, "I think I broke a finger that time." He looked to Morrow and laughed, then looked to Luna, hesitated, nodded his head, and apologized, "Forgive me, My Queen."

"No need to apologize," she said as casually as he had asked for forgiveness. She stepped closer to the groaning man, studying him a moment before asking, "Have you heard the saying ... the way of the stick or the way of the cheese, Lord Jarwik?" The man didn't respond, leading Luna to point an extended, gloved index finger at Morrow, saying, "That ... is the way of the stick."

The torturer cleared his throat, looking for Luna's attention and correction. She smiled to him, saying as she gestured to him instead, "Correction. Sorry. He is the stick." The man chuckled before thanking Luna. She looked back to Jarwick, continuing, "I ... am the way of the cheese. I can make this end. I can see to it that you leave here without suffering any further damage. I can see to it that you keep your boats and your ability to continue your way of living ... of supporting your family. I can even see to it that you land lucrative Crown contracts ... enough business and the gold that comes with it to double your fleet ... triple it."

She turned away, giving him a moment to consider her offer; she leaned against a table near Morrow, studying Jarwik as blood continued to flow down his face into his mouth and down his chin into his collar. "All you have to do ... is tell my friend here--" She tilted her head toward Morrow. "--where your ships are heading when they next leave port ... and to whom those shipments are going. Every detail. Be sure not to leave anything out, m'lord. You wouldn't want me to pull back my offer in the days to come because you--"

Crying out and spitting blood with each word, Jarwik said, "I will! I will! I'll tell you everything, anything. Just ... don't hit me anymore!" He sobbed as he rambled on, reassuring Luna that he wouldn't resist any further. She turned her back to the man and said softly to Morrow, "Well, that was easier than I'd expected." Turning back toward the blathering Nobleman, she said to the men surrounding him, "Why don't we free Lord Jarwik from his bindings ... get him some water and a towel to clean up his face and something to eat. I thought I smelled Sweet Bread and Vellick Berry jam out in the other room."

She turned for the door, meeting Morrow's gaze as she said, "I'll be in the other room. Get it all. If you have to, break some fingers. But only if he holds out. I want him to think he's getting the cheese."

Some time later:

Luna and Stella sat near the fireplace with a small fire in it, trying their best to keep warm on this unusually cold day. Eventually, Morrow emerged to report that he'd gotten everything they wanted from the man. Luna asked with a doubtful tone, "All of it? He didn't hold anything back?"

Morrow reassured her that there wasn't anything more to get from the man. Luna considered the news a moment before asking a pair of the Warrior Elite Bodyguards to escort Stella outside. She was hesitant initially -- she knew something untoward was about to happen -- but then did as requested. Once Luna was the only female left in the room, she gestured to another Bodyguard; he pulled a purse from his belt, handing it to her. She opened it to show Morrow the Gold Sovereigns in it; it was a lot of coin, but then he had a lot of men here to pay off after he decided how much of the payoff would remain in his own pocket.

As Morrow took the purse and thanked her, Luna stepped closer to him, asking quietly, "How many men have you identified as being involved in this conspiracy?" Morrow answered; it surprised her to hear a number that high. She asked, "If you had all the men you needed--"

She glanced around her at the mercenaries, then back to Morrow. "--including your men, any of my men you needed ... could you sweep up all of these men in a short enough time frame to prevent any of them from knowing what was coming and escape." He again answered Luna, a response that again surprised but pleased her, too.

She looked to the door beyond which Lord Jarwik was still being held, bound or not Luna didn't know, and told her assassin, "Gather them all ... every ... last ... fucking thief of them. Once you have them all ... bring them to the Castle. Feel free to make a spectacle of it. Let the people see what happens when you betray the Crown ... my crown."

Luna listened to Morrow's last words if he had any and turned to leave, then paused. She turned and strode purposefully to the other room again, pulled the dagger she carried on her left hip with her left hand so that she was holding it in a stabbing position, and with all the force she could muster, sunk the blade into Lord Jarwik's chest all the way to the hilt. The man tried to cry out, but nothing came out.

The Queen stared into the Nobleman's eyes with great intensity until his head fell back, signaling the end of his corrupt life. Luna attempted to pull the blade out, only to find that its tip had lodge in the back of the wooden chair. She looked to the Warrior Elite who had followed her inside to be close in the case of trouble, asking, "Would you mind?"

The man stepped over, grasped the dagger's hilt, and jerked it outward; a spray of blood shot onto his reversed cloak, to which he only added more of the red stuff when he cleaned the blade off before offering it back to Luna. She looked to Morrow with a serious expression, saying before she left to repeat her route in reverse order, "We have a lot of work ahead of, m'lord. Let's get started."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

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

"Will you send Mantha up to help me pack my things?" Betty asked after accepting Rolph's decision that they were not going to make love. "I will be ready to leave for home very shortly."

"Of course, m'lady," Rolph said.

He bowed to her respectfully and departed. He hesitated outside Betty's door, wondering. Did I do the right thing? Our did I destroy all I had with her?

Rolph couldn't help but also wonder whether he'd just passed on his only opportunity to fuck his beautiful, young, pure niece. He shook that thought off. That isn't what this was all about, he told himself. Is it?

That was when Rolph heard Betty begin crying. It broke his heart. But it was done. And he was convinced that he'd done the right thing.

Rolph found Mantha and sent her to serve Lady Betty. He next finished his own packing. It took him less time to do that then it did to carry his one bag to the coach.

Little Timmon ran up to where Rolph and one of his men were preparing the coach. Out of breath, the boy reported, "Mantha needs a man to help with Lady Betty's trunk."

"Trunk?" he asked, laughing. "We're only going for the night. And we're traveling to the Lady's home, where all of her clothes and things are. What need of a trunk does she have."

Rolph was understandably crushed when Betty appeared and explained about having packed nearly all of her important possessions.

"If my father refuses his blessing, uncle," she told him, "I, I don't think I could bear coming back here, knowing that I would never be yours."

Rolph's stomach rolled anxiously. Betty was preparing never to see him again. He wasn't going to let that happen, though.

"You and I will be married, m'lady," he said firmly. "I will not allow otherwise."

Rolph heard a small gasp. He turned to find a shocked Mantha clamping both hands over her mouth. Beside her, Timmon's mouth had fallen open. The servants hadn't been told of the reason for today's trip to the home of Betty's father.

"Lady Betty has agreed to be my wife," Rolph told the pair and the others assisting. "We travel to Viscount Ulronni's home--"

He paused, looking to Betty. The small castle six hours ride away was her home, too. Or it had been. Not any more, Rolph told himself. Not any more.

"We travel to the home of Betty's father to tell him that Lady Betty and I will be wed, immediately," he said firmly as he looked into his niece's red eyes. He smiled to her. "We do not travel to House Ulronni to ask permission of your father. We travel to offer him the right, his right, to give his daughter away in marriage to the man who loves her."

Rolph looked to the trunk and multiple bags. He instructed those packing them atop the coach, "Return those to the Lady's bed chamber. Lady Betty is not leaving Windham. She is simply taking a day to visit her father, before returning to her home, this home, as Lady Windham."

There initially was hesitation amongst the others. Then Rolph gestured firmly. Quickly, the bags and trunk were unloaded. Rolph sat next to Betty, smiled, and asked simply but meaningfully, "Ready, m'love?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Central Commercial District
Capital City of Yalla
Republic of Yalla

Morrow was a bit miffed at Luna's offer to Lord Jarwik of Indingo of what she called the way of the carrot. He had to admit, though, that thus far, the way if the stick hadn't been working as well as he'd liked.

Morrow found himself quite impressed with how well the Queen was handling the little torture session. He hadn't seen her initial wincing at the breaking of the Lord's nose. But after that, she showed no sign of being bothered by the situation.

Luna laid out what Jarwik needed to do to for her. The man begged, "I will! I will! I'll tell you everything, anything. Just ... don't hit me anymore!"

She turned to Morrow, whispering, "Well, that was easier than I'd expected."

He smiled, whispering back, "Well, my stick did help clear the way, My Queen."

Luna told Morrow, "If you have to, break some fingers. But only if he holds out. I want him to think he's getting the cheese."

"Of course, My Queen," he said, bowing more playfully than seriously.

Some time later:

Only once had Jarwik cried out in pain again after Luna's departure from the room. The corrupt Lord had actually been cooperating. But he'd hesitated at telling Morrow where some of his ill-gotten gains could be found.

Morrow had decided that that required a reminder of the stick. He'd snapped the man's pinky finger back in the middle.

Exiting to the other room, Morrow found Luna and Stella sitting near the fire. He approached, bowed, and looking at the young woman apologized. "Forgive me. I did not mean for you to experience this, m'lady."

Morrow looked to Luna and repeated his sentiment with a simple, "My Queen."

He told her, "Lord Jarwick told all he knows."

"All of it?" Luna asked. "He didn't hold anything back?"

"I do not believe so, My Queen," he reassured her. He confessed, "I believe that his cooperation was more due to you than it was to me and my stick, Your Majesty. You should be proud of this accomplishment."

Luna had Stella escorted outside. Morrow immediately presumed that was because she was going to order him to kill the Lord. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Luna turned over a purse of Gold Sovereigns. Morrow glanced inside at the contents. He wasn't about to count it. First, it would have been disrespectful to the Queen. Second, the two of them had not negotiated a payment, so whatever was here was the payment.

Most importantly, though, Jarwik had told Morrow where to find the bulk of his remaining illicit profits. It was a small treasure which Morrow was going to personally retrieve. He'd decided later whether or not it would be turned over to the Queen.

"How many men have you identified as being involved in this conspiracy?" Luna asked quietly.

Morrow answered, "Nine who I would say were conspirators, My Queen. Another seven or eight who knew they were doing wrong yet didn't know all of the key players. I would consider them common thieves."

She asked if he could sweep up these men in short order. Morrow reassured her, "I have men watching each and every one of them. Your orders could be relayed to even the most distant if my men within two days."

Luna was noticeably pleased. She gave instructions on how to proceed. "Feel free to make a spectacle of it. Let the people see what happens when you betray the Crown ... my crown."

Morrow smiled, bowing his head. "Your wish is my command, My Queen."

Luna appeared ready to depart. Then, she turned and went back to the room in which Jarwik was being held. Morrow didn't immediately follow. When he did, he had two big Bodyguards before him.

By the time he could see the Lord again, Luna's blade was fully plunged into the man's chest.

Morrow was quite impressed to be honest. It was one thing for Luna to hire him as her personal assassin to dispose of her enemies. It was another to kill one of those enemies by her own hand.

And with such fury. Luna's dagger had passed entirely through Jarwik's torso and lodged in the chair behind him. One of Luna's Elites had to retrieve the blade for her.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us, m'lord," Luna said without comment on the man she'd just killed. "Let's get started."

"Yes, My Queen," Morrow said, again bowing.

He watched Luna and her entourage depart. He had Jarwik wrapped in a cloth and tossed into a wagon for later display. Then, giving orders, Morrow set into action the first great anti-corruption sweep of the new Crown.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

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

"You and I will be married, m'lady," Rolph said after Betty explained the reason why she'd packed up all her things for a possible permanent departure from Windham House, as opposed to a simply overnight travel bag. "I will not allow otherwise."

She was heartened by his determination, but Betty still couldn't help but fear that her father would deny their wish to be married. Ulronni had never liked Rolph; he'd never accepted his wife's half-brother as a legitimate Nobleman first, and he'd never appreciated the tight relationship between the half-siblings either, a bond that he'd always blamed for his inability to fully bend his wife to his will in times of tension between them.

Betty had heard the same gasp from the house servant that Rolph had, and looking to him realized that he had likely suspected that she'd already informed Mantha and Timmon of the wedding bells in her and Rolph's future. She hadn't, of course, fearful that the marriage was still only a possibility and not a sure thing.

"Lady Betty has agreed to be my wife," Rolph told the pair. "We travel to Viscount Ulronni's home--"

Betty caught the expression on Rolph's face and wondered what was going through his mind. Then, he let them all know, "...Lady Betty and I will be wed, immediately." To her he said, "We do not travel to House Ulronni to ask permission of your father. We travel to offer him the right, his right, to give his daughter away in marriage to the man who loves her."

A smile spread Betty's lips as she realized that this was going to happen. Sure, her father could still say no; theoretically, if his anger rose to that level, he could seize the Windham Estate as well if Rolph betrayed him. None of this meant anything to Betty, though. All she knew was that she was going to be Rolph's wife. She had no doubt about that, even if it meant the two of them running off to some distant land to raise goats in the Salfar Mountains or gather in fish nets in the Eastern Blight. (map)

Rolph ordered Betty's bags and trunk returned to her home, boarded the coach, and asked, "Ready, m'love?"

She smiled broadly, responding, "I am, m'lord."

As the coach lurched forward, Betty slid over against Rolph, wrapping her arms around his torso. She was giddy, looking up into his face to kiss him. When their lips parted, she smiled devilishly and whispered, "I'm going to have you inside me tonight, m'lord ... my husband."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Central Commercial District
Capital City of Yalla
Republic of Yalla

Stella didn't like being dismissed from the room where her Queen was speaking to Sir Morrow about the man she'd heard screaming in the adjacent room. Despite being half a decade younger than her, Stella had always been very protective of Luna; she knew that during their years together in Tiala, her then-Princess had often gotten what Stella had called too close to the dangers that had often reared their ugly heads. And yet, Luna had survived them all and come out of it all a strong, confident woman who was now Queen of the Republic.

It wasn't long before Luna emerged onto the street, her hooded cape again hiding her identity from others on the street. They retraced their route to the clothing shop, shed their costumes, and continued on to the Inn. There, they were directed to a private dining room where a vast array of food items filled a table. They all sat -- Luna, Stella, even her Warrior Elites -- and ate and drank and talked about the Falcony Challenge and the flood and the future; no mention was made of what had just taken place, though.

At one point, though, the Handmaiden's face filled with a look of shock, leading Luna to whisper with concern, "What is it, Stella...? What's wrong?"

The servant answered by snatching up a cloth napkin and, respectfully, dabbing it at Luna's neck; when she brought it back into the Queen's view, it very noticeably had been stained with blood. Stella asked with obvious concern, "What happened in there, My Queen?"

Luna took the rag, folded it to hide the blood, and set it aside, answering, "Nothing of which you need to be concerned, Stella. I promise."

They completed their meal, with Luna seeming not to even recall what had happened while Stella couldn't get past her Queen's ease of doing just that. Eventually, they made their way out to the street, where the Royal Coach had arrived to prevent Luna's need to walk back to the Castle. Arriving back at Luna's bed chamber, Stella helped her Mistress out of her clothes for a warm soak to recover from the chill of the morning.

"Join me," Luna said invitingly to her Handmaiden. She caught the look of surprise on the younger woman's face, smiled, and waggled the fingers of one hand at her. "Join me, Stella. Please."

Luna wasn't requesting anything new to the pair, of course; they'd begun enjoying one another's touch many years earlier, before Stella had reached the age by which traditional standards typically made such activity appropriate. But the two of them had quickly -- almost immediately -- developed an intimate connection that Luna had never had with any Handmaiden or other servant before Stella, so she'd dismissed any reservations she or anyone else might have had and initiated the relationship.

Stella's hesitation wasn't due to disliking or disapproving of what Luna was asking of her. Her pause was that she'd always felt that their encounters -- as infrequent as they were -- had prevented Luna from accepting any of a number of marriage proposals from Royals and powerful Nobles from around the Known World. Stella understood that sex and marriage had very little to do with each other at the social level in which Luna was placed, of course. Still, Stella felt that if her Queen hadn't been satisfying her occasional need for intimacy and -- more dramatically -- sexual release by getting naked with her, then maybe Luna would be married and producing heirs to her Realm.

As she undressed, though, Stella realized that had Luna married younger, she might never have become Queen at all. So many factors had been arranged just right to end up with Luna here now, in the Capital City of the Republic of Yalla, and a change in any one of them might have prevented this.

Naked, Stella slipped into the hot bath, moving into Luna's arms to begin what would become a four-hour long session of love making that would leave each of them exhausted and ready for a nap that would take them into the early evening in time for dinner and a ball.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

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

Rolph smiled as Betty moved over to curl up in his arms. She looked up, and he met her lips with his. The kiss began soft. It quickly became more passionate, though. And when their lips parted, Betty whispered, "I'm going to have you inside me tonight, m'lord ... my husband."

He liked that prospect very much. He kissed her again, letting a hand find and gently grope her bosom. If she responded positively, he would whisper, "Why wait?"

Things had changed in the last five minutes. Rolph had decided that he didn't need Viscount Ulronni's permission to marry his daughter. If he didn't need his blessing, then he didn't have to wait to become her lover. He pulled Betty tightly to him, ensuring that she understood what he meant.

Then, another thought came to him. He separated them, turning to look Betty in the eyes with a serious expression. "There is something I need to tell you, m'love. It's about your father."

Rolph considered his words. He knew that this was going to crush Betty. Or maybe she would welcome it. With all that was happening. With the way Ulronni had treated Betty all these years. There was a possibility that this news would please her.

He told her what he'd been told about her father' upcoming arrest for corruption. "If this happens, which I believe it will, his titles will be forfeit, as will everything that belongs to him. His home. Your home. The estate, his valuables. Any coin. Even the peasants affixed to the estate, those who are not Freeman."

"This is why we must marry," he continued, "if you want to keep what is yours. What should be yours."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road to the Ulronni Keep

"Why wait?" Rolph responded when Betty told him that she was going to have him inside her that night.

She smiled wide, pulling his head to hers again with one hand for a passionate kiss while her other hands immediately fumbled for the buttons of his shirt. She agreed with him, "Why wait?"

But then he pulled back, saying, "There is something I need to tell you, m'love."

"I don't want to hear it," she said, both hands now working on his clothes as she added, "If it means that we're not going to be with each other, right here, right now."

"It's about your father," he said."

"I don't want to hear it!" Betty repeated. "Not now."

But he persisted, telling her that her father was going to be arrested for corruption. She stopped, pulling back to look him the face for a moment before asking meekly, "Why...? What ... what happens to him?"

"If this happens, which I believe it will," Rolph explained, "his titles will be forfeit, as will everything that belongs to him."

Betty sat back farther, not to get away from Rolph but simply to pull her mind from what was about to happen to consider her father's situation and -- of course -- how it would affect her.

Whether Rolph was reading her mind or simply continuing his explanation, he told Betty, "His home. Your home. The estate, his valuables. Any coin. Even the peasants affixed to the estate, those who are not Freeman."

She was stunned by this information, not necessarily because it would destroy what her father had spent a lifetime building but because it might destroy what she herself had planned on inheriting. Betty had always known that to inherit her father's estate, she had to marry a Nobleman, which her father had been telling her since she was a girl. But now, there might not be anything to inherit as she hadn't married such a man and likely wouldn't; even if her father approved of Betty and Rolph marrying, there simply might not be time, and if he didn't approve and they eloped like Rolph had suggested, they wouldn't have anything but their love. Maybe that's enough, she told herself.

"This is why we must marry," Rolph said, continuing, "if you want to keep what is yours. What should be yours."

He was right, of course; they had to marry and marry quick. But then, something occurred to Betty, and she asked with a suspicious tone, "How long have you known this ... about my father's arrest?" She pulled back further, then even left the seat and sat opposite Rolph to challenge him, "Is this why you have chosen now ... to marry me ... because you want to ensure that County Ulronni goes to you ... as my husband?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road to the Ulronni Keep

"How long have you known this?" Betty asked with a suspicious tone. "About my father's arrest?"

Rolph hesitated to answer. He'd known since yesterday. Clara had told him before she left for the Capital to rejoin Morrow.

Suddenly, Betty was moving to the rear facing seat of the coach. "Is this why you have chosen now, to marry me, because you want to ensure that County Ulronni goes to you, as my husband?"

"No, no!" Rolph said, this time without hesitation. He scooted forward in his seat reaching for his niece's hands. "No, Betty. I want to marry you because I love you. I always have, since long before I should have. You must believe me."

He thought back to the conversation that had involved the three of them, he and Betty and Clara, too. About the last of them, Rolph reminded, her, "You heard what she said. About securing your future. Even if this wasn't about to happen to your father, I would still be taking you home to ask for your father's blessing. Please believe me."

His tone was becoming emotional. Rolph feared that his timing had ruined everything for them. Perhaps he should have kept Ulronni's arrest to himself. But it was too late now.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road to the Ulronni Keep

"No, no!" Rolph said when Betty asked if he wanted to marry her now because his window to assume control over her father's titles and estate was closing. "No, Betty. I want to marry you because I love you. I always have, since long before I should have. You must believe me."

She wanted to believe him so badly; deep down, Betty had loved Rolph -- as more than just her uncle -- for years as well. But his suddenly telling her this now was ... suspicious. He reminded her of how it had been Clara who had been the biggest proponent of them becoming husband and wife. He finished, "Even if this wasn't about to happen to your father, I would still be taking you home to ask for your father's blessing. Please believe me."

Betty stared at Rolph from the other side of the coach, her mind desperately processing all that had happened to her in the past three days ... or four? It had all been such a whirlwind that she couldn't remember precisely. She looked out the window to the countryside, hoping that not having Rolph's face in front of hers might free her mind to better analyze it all.

After a long moment, Betty looked to Rolph again, contemplated the mayhem she was likely about to add to an already crazy situation, then confessed, "When I went out to the Nomadi camp last night ... I met a sister and a brother. Their names were Payley and Style." She hesitated a moment, drawing a quick deep breath, steadying her will, then releasing it as she continued, "I watched Payley put her brother's ... penis in her mouth. I watched her pleasure him until he spewed his seed off over her and himself. Then ... I watched Style fuck his sister ... and ... I took off my clothes. Payley pleasured me ... and then I pleasured her ... until she cried out in ecstasy..."

Betty's heart was pounding from the anxiety coursing through her; she'd never done something so bold and potentially reckless as she'd just done. Rolph was surely going to order the coach stopped so that he could step out, mount the horse trailing behind them on a lead rope, and return to Windham without her.

If Rolph asked whether or not she'd interacted physically with the Nomadi male, she'd be honest with him. She was tempted to tell him that Style had fucked her as well, just to see what happened. Would he tell her he still wanted to marry her, thinking only about her father's estate and not about being her first lover? Maybe he'd throw her out of the coach; it was, after all, his vehicle.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road from Windham House
to the Ulronni Keep

Rolph stared emotionless at Betty as she confessed to her time in Payley and Style's bed. The mention of the names caused his stomach to roll anxiously. But he hid his reaction to the very familiar names.

He himself had partaken of the siblings' sexual services, just as his niece apparently had. Not just once, though. Rolph had been with the siblings several times each harvest season over the past four years.

In fact, he'd been with them at the beginning of this very harvest season. And an afternoon just four days ago. Before Betty and Clara's arrival at Windham.

He'd typically enjoyed them together. But he'd enjoyed them separately at times, too. Rolph had spent more time alone with Payley than alone with Style. But Rolph had spent time with the Nomadi male one-to-one, too.

Style was the only male, Nomadi or otherwise, who Rolph had ever been with intimately. He'd enjoyed it very much. There were pleasures a man could have with another man that he couldn't have with a woman.

Does she know about us? Rolph wondered. Did they tell her? Rolph didn't think so. The Nomadi weren't the type to kiss and tell. Unless, of course, they saw a large, long term profit in it.

Rolph's mind had been solely thinking about him with the Nomadi siblings. Now, suddenly, his brain screamed to him the important question. Almost without even having to contemplate it, Rolph asked, "We're you with Style? I mean--"

Rolph just as suddenly didn't want an answer to the question his brain and cock were demanding he ask. But he'd already begun the inquiry.

Softly, reluctantly, Rolph finished, "Did you fuck Style. Was he--" He couldn't finish. He drew a deep breath, released it, then finished, "Was that Nomadi inside you, Betty?"

The way Rolph asked the question sounded as if he was concerned about the ethnicity of the man who'd fucked his prospective wife. He wasn't.

Rolph respected the Nomadi far more than he did most people outside their nation. In fact, he respected them more than most of the non-Nomadi he knew.

He'd eagerly waited for, then welcomed their arrival each harvest season. And not just for the sex. He had a great admiration for them, as well as a great lust for them.

Betty told Rolph that she hadn't interacted physically with the Nomadi male. He studied his niece's face a moment. He concluded she was being honest. Most people would have thought Seriously? She didn't fuck him, too? Are you mad?

But Rolph knew his niece. And he knew the Nomadi and the strangeness to their sexual activities. He could picture all sorts of situations involving his niece being naked with a Nomadi male and yet still not being physically in contact with him.

"I love you, Betty," Rolph said with all the sincerity he could muster. He moved forward, off the bench seat to his knees. Again, he would reach for Betty's hands. He continued, "I don't care about any of this, this, shit!."

He paused, regained his composure, and continued, "I don't care about Style. Or Payley. Or Clara. Our whether you are Frenkishly groomed or as hairy as a bear ready for hibernation.

"I don't care whether or not you have been with any one of them or all of them, one at a time or in a wild orgy."

That wasn't true, of course. Rolph still hoped that his niece was pure of body. Or, at least, pure within her body. But either way, he continued.

"I don't care about your father. Or his estate or titles or coin or blessing. I care about you, Betty. I want you!."