"The Queen's Assassin" (closed)

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road from Windham House
to the Ulronni Keep

Rolph had been about to tell Betty that she could stop performing oral sex on him. It felt good, but he doubted that she could make him cum. But then she picked up on what made him feel so good. And before he knew it, he was unloading his balls into the air and down onto his body.

Rolph's mind again spun wildly from the euphoria. This climax was even better than the first. And that one had been inside the tightest pussy he'd likely ever been inside of. He was lost to the pleasure for the longest time. Finally, Rolph opened his eyes to look upon Betty. She grimaced, saying, "Eww, that's ... that's ... just ... eww!"

He realized that she'd tasted his ejaculate. He laughed, surprised, telling her, "No, m'love, don't do that. It's not, no, just, don't."

Betty found a handkerchief and began cleaning himself up. Rolph took it from her, saying, "Allow me. Go ahead, m'lady."

He gestured toward her mussed clothing and wiped the cloth over him. He was a mess. He needed a bath. But Rolph knew they still had at least two hours before they reached Betty's home. They would pass through a small village that had a small Inn. It wasn't much, but it had a bathtub in at least one room for rent.

"Was that any good, m'lord?" Betty asked, breaking his train of thought. "Did I do that right?"

Rolph smiled wide again. "You did that wonderfully, my love."

"Did I make you happy?" she inquired.

"Happier than I have ever been," he told her with a sincere tone.

Rolph was being honest with her. Betty was going to be his wife soon. They'd be doing this and more very often. As a Noble, he'd expected one day to marry another Noble who, quite possibly, he'd had very little true love, intimacy, and pleasure with. Their union would be a matter of convenience, either political, financial, or both.

The thought of being married to a woman so eager to please him as Betty had was something Rolph had never considered. Once they had both rearranged their clothing, Rolph gestured Betty to join him in the forward-facing seat again. They cuddled as they watched the countryside pass by.

"All of this will belong to our children one day," Rolph said, breaking the silence. "Should we speak more about your father?"

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road from Windham House
to the Ulronni Keep

"No, m'love, don't do that," Rolph said quickly when he realized that Betty was licking wads of his seed from her fingers. "It's not ... no, just ... don't."

"Yes, m'lord," she said, smirking; she didn't mind passing up on this at all. Rolph took the handkerchief and began cleaning up his own mess, saying, "Allow me. Go ahead, m'lady."

He was indicating that she should straighten up her clothes, which Betty took a couple of minutes doing; it was a bit more difficult in the rocking and rolling coach that it would have been in her bed chambers, particularly with Mantha's assistance. When they were both redressed, she moved to cuddle up into his arms. Her pussy hurt from her first intercourse, but her heart was still racing just a bit more than usual from the euphoric excitement of having been with Rolph, particularly after he'd said in response to whether or not he was happy, "Happier than I have ever been."

She was fine with simply holding Rolph all the way home, but after several minutes, he said, "All of this will belong to our children one day."

Betty glanced out the window, then up to Rolph. She couldn't help but notice that he didn't say All of this will belong to ME one day ... very soon. Yallan law was so confusing at times when it came to the inheritance of titles and property or the passing of them via marriage. Honestly, Betty wasn't even certain how it worked.

For instance, she knew that once they were married -- assuming that still happened, of course -- Rolph cemented his control over Windham as a Lord with inheritance rights. Betty in turn moved from being her father's Heir Presumptive -- possibly replaced in the line of succession if Ulronni ever birthed a legitimate son with a new wife -- to being his Heir Apparent, never to be replaced by even the birth of a hundred sons.

The question to which Betty didn't have an answer was what happened to the title of Viscount of Ulronni County. Betty was already the Lady of Ulronni County, but she wasn't the Countess of Ulronni. That title came to Betty only if two things happened: first, she had to marry a Nobleman, such as Rolph, and second, her father had to cease being the Viscount of Ulronni.

But what about the title of Count? If her father was stripped of his title and Rolph married Betty, did he become the new Viscount? Or was he simply Lord Ulronni? Did the title Viscount remain open until their first son reached the age at which the title could be bestowed on him, typically his 9th birthday?

Rolph was wondering about the same things apparently as he asked, "Should we speak more about your father?"

"No," Betty said softly but without hesitation. She sat up to look into Rolph's eyes for a moment, then explained what she wanted: "We are going to tell my father than we are getting married ... immediately. If he objects, I will tell him that I am with child ... with your child, uncle. That leaves him with two choices: he can send me to the Nunnery of Tella-Un ... or he can allow us to be married.

"Either way," she said, cuddling down against Rolph again, "I will be your wife ... because if my father refuses us permission to marry ... I'll kill him in the middle of the night while he sleeps."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

On the road from Windham House
to the Ulronni Keep

"No," Betty answered simply when Rolph asked if they should speak about her father. She sat up to look him in the eyes. "We are going to tell my father than we are getting married ... immediately."

That, of course, was their plan. Particularly after realizing that Ulronni was about to be arrested for corruption. He could be stripped of his titles and property. He could be jailed, for years or for life. Or he would be executed. Quietly or publicly didn't matter. He would still be dead.

And if Betty wasn't married before then, she lost everything. Ulronni's titles and possessions went one of two ways: directly to the Crown for distribution per the Queen's wishes or directly to his nearest male relative, a distant nephew, Rolph thought he remembered.

"If he objects, I will tell him that I am with child," Betty continued, "with your child, uncle."

That caused Rolph's eyes to widen in shock. Such a claim, whether true or not, could lead not to Betty's marriage but to Rolph's execution. Hell, Ulronni would be in his right to pull a blade then and there and sink it into Rolph's heart. Betty couldn't marry him if he was lying on the floor of her home bleeding out.

"That leaves him with two choices," Betty continued. "He can send me to the Nunnery of Tella-Un ... or he can allow us to be married."

"I like that last option, obviously," Rolph responded, trying to lighten the mood. "And if he sends you to Tell-Un, I could always go with you. Of course, if I wanted to be anywhere near you, I'd have to be castrated first."

Betty's mind must have been deeply entwined with her own thoughts. She didn't respond to Rolph, neither with laughter or dread. Instead, she snuggled down into him again saying, "Either way, I will be your wife, because if my father refuses us permission to marry, I'll kill him in the middle of the night while he sleeps."

Rolph craned his head to look down to Betty's face. Was she being serious? Would her face show her true thoughts? But she only stared out the window as the countryside passed by. He considered setting her up again to speak to her face to face. But he was conflicted.

On one hand, Rolph certainly didn't want to see Betty slay her own father. It could be tragic for her and for the both of them in the short and long terms. On the other hand, Ulronni's death certainly would solve a lot of problems. Betty would be free to marry Rolph. Her father's property and wealth would be hers and, indirectly, Rolph's. Their children, if not Rolph himself, would gain the title of Viscount. And the arrest, criminal trial, potential execution, and more would become moot.

Rolph chose not to speak more on it. They continued on in silence, simply holding each other. They entered the little village that marked the two-hour remaining point to her home. Rolph pounded a fist upon the roof of the coach, which immediately slowed. Out the window, he ordered, "Pull us up to the Inn in the middle of town. We're stopping."

Before entering, Rolph told Betty in a low volume, "We can use a bathing room to clean up and get back on the road in fresh clothes. Or we could stay the night."

He decided to leave the decision up to Betty. If they remained, they would get a single room and sleep together. Rolph had no concerns about what people might say. He and Betty were going to be wed soon, one way of the other. The people be damned, he told himself. He would tell Betty the same thing if she questioned what others might say.

If she thought it better to continue on, they'd arrive just before sundown. He would ask for Betty's hand immediately. If things went well, they'd stay the night. If they didn't, they'd get right back in their coach and come back here. Either way, Rolph was fucking Betty again tonight after her swelling had abated. If it did.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Betty was happy that Rolph chose not to continue speaking about her father; she wanted to forget about him, his upcoming arrest, and what he might say about her wanting to marry her uncle until it was necessary to do so once they'd reached her home. When Rolph said he'd risk castration to continue to be with her in Tella-Un, she couldn't help but laugh, reaching down to gently cup his manhood and whisper, "Let's think about keeping these right where they are for the time being, m'lord."

When he had the driver stop in front of a little Inn and asked her how she wanted to proceed, Betty seriously considered staying the night and sleeping with Rolph before ever reaching her home. But she wanted to get home and get this all settled and done. The Coachman unloaded all of her luggage, and had it carried inside; she'd packed rather quickly and didn't honestly know whether her trunk or one of the many bags contained the things she would need.

She had barely stepped inside the tavern doors and turned toward the little stand from which the owner passed out keys and collected coinage when she stopped short in shock, her eyes wide and her mouth falling open before she cried out in joyous and surprising delight, "Lady Clara!"

The young beauty who'd introduced Betty to the wonders of girl sex turned, showed the same shock, crying out in similar joy and surprise, "Lady Betty!" The two rushed to each other, wrapping their arms around each other as they laughed and danced in a circle. When they parted again, holding each other's hands, Betty asked, "What are you doing here?"

Clara opened her mouth to speak, then paused and looked off to her left ... to Morrow, one again nicely dressed rather than in his warrior's garb. Clara gestured her traveling companion to her, reminding him, "You recall Lady Betty, m'lord, yes...? Viscount Ulronni's daughter. We met in Treyla."

Clara suddenly caught sight of Rolph near the doorway and smiled with even more delight. She looked to Betty, asking in whisper, "Are the two of you ... did you ... are you going to...?" She wasn't entirely sure how to ask her question, but before she could complete a full sentence either way, Betty's face blushed a beet red and she giggled nervously. Clara leaned in close, asking, "Are you two lovers?"

Again, Betty giggled, looking over her shoulder to find Rolph stepping up close. She reintroduced Clara and Rolph as Clara had done Betty and Morrow, then scooted closer to Rolph, saying, "M'lord Windham has asked for my hand in marriage ... and I have said yes."

Clara was delighted and took Betty into her arms again; her head over the other woman's shoulder allowed her to look unnoticed at Rolph, to whom she smiled and winked. The girls separated again and discussed what had brought Betty and her intended to the Inn. When the future Lady of Windham and Ulronni said they were only staying for a couple of hours to wash off the road dust, Clara looked to Morrow with a concerned expression...

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Rolph had been helping the Coachman with the bags when he heard Betty cry out, "Lady Clara!" Shocked, he hurried inside. He found his most recent lover hurrying into the welcoming arms of his previous lover as the latter called back, "Lady Betty!"

"What are you doing here?" Betty asked. Clara gestured to a man.

Rolph hadn't yet met the man. It didn't take a genius to conclude that it was Lord Morrow. The two women conducted introductions. Then, close to one another, they whispered between themselves.

Rolph knew the conversation was about him and Betty. Their plans to marry. Maybe the status of their intimacy. Did Betty confess to surrendering her virginity? To sucking his cock? It didn't seem they had enough time for such a conversation. Still, Clara looked to Rolph, smiled, and winked.

"M'lord Windham has asked for my hand in marriage," Betty told the pair, "And I have said yes."

Clara took Betty into her arms again, hugging her with joy. Morrow offered his hand. "Congratulations, Lord Windham. Lady Betty is a beautiful young woman. Special. Clara hasn't stopped talking about her since she returned from your home yesterday."

Again, Rolph wondered just what that included. Had Clara told Morrow that she and Betty had become lovers? That he and Clara had become lovers? That Clara had promoted the marriage between the two and warned Rolph that the Viscount's arrest was imminent?

"We have a table in a private room reserved for dinner," Morrow told Rolph. "Please, join us. They should be delivering the meal shortly."

"We need to clean up from the road first," Rolph responded. "And we are only two hours from Lady Betty and Viscount Ulronni's home."

Rolph looked to Betty for her input. Again, a genius was not needed She wanted to remain here with her friend. Rolph couldn't deny her. "Please give us time to clean up and dress, and we will join you for dinner."

Morrow whistled at a boy helping with the tavern. Speaking of Rolph, he told the boy, "Take my friend here and his bags up to my room. Have a hot bath drawn for him."

As the boy inquired of Rolph which bag or bags were his, Morrow suggested to Clara, "There is a separate bathing room upstairs. Why don't you see to your friend."

More instructions were spat out regarding trunks, bags, and dinner. Then, things settled, they all headed off in their appropriate directions.

Several minutes later:

"Excuse me, m'lord," Morrow said as he opened the door to his room. He poked his head inside to find Rolph sitting in the room's tub. Morrow smiled, entered, and closed the door. Rolph didn't look particularly happy with the intrusion. But his interest piqued when Morrow told him, "I believe that we should talk, away from the women, about Viscount Ulronni, who I am in town to arrest."

The conversation began as Rolph was cleaning himself of the fluids and scent of sex with Betty. It only ended when it was time for them to head downstairs again.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Morrow suggested that Rolph and Betty use both his and Clara's room and the bathing room to clean up for dinner, to which Clara responded by grabbing the other young woman by the hand and dragging her toward the stairs, declaring, "We have so much to talk about!" Halfway up the stairs she called back to Morrow, "M'lord! Will you see to Lady Betty's bags, please?

Clara continued to practically drag Betty behind her, up the stairs, down the hallway, and through an open doorway to where a female servant had already been preparing a hot bath. She threw the door closed, snatched Betty, pulled her close to her, and drew a deep breath about her face, neck, and bosom, then declared with excitement, "You ... had ... sex!"

Betty's expression revealed her instant mortification, and the servant giggled loudly before going quiet as she realized that she wasn't supposed to have heard the declaration, let alone responded to it. Clara hurried the third woman outside, then -- as she helped the other woman out of her clothing -- grilled Betty about what had happened between her and Rolph over the past 24 hours. Once Betty was undressed, they repeated the work on stripping Clara, and the two of them stepped into the tub to continue their muted, giggle filled conversation.

Clara expressed her pride in the girl allowing herself to explore her sexuality as she had; she'd expressed astonishment at what Betty had done in the Nomadi camp, saying, "By the Gods, I don't know if even I could have done such a thing!"

They laughed and teased and splashed and even cleaned themselves since they were, after all, in a bathtub together. Ironically, despite having been lovers during their first two nights of friendship, they didn't get intimate with one another at this time. They finally concluded their baths, and -- with Betty's luggage arriving and Clara's already in the room -- they prepared themselves in modest dresses and accessories and headed down to present themselves to their men.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Morrow and Rolph rose from their seats at the entrance of Betty and Clara. They were both beautifully dressed and appointed. Each of the men complimented each of the woman, as should be done at such times. They took their seats again. The cook, a tavern wench, and the firewood boy each pitched in a hand to make the dinner special for the foursome.

It was quite a more involved affair that was usual for the Inn. The Innkeeper even arranged for a musical duo that sometimes entertained in the tavern. Morrow had been sure to tell the Innkeeper that there would be an extraordinary sum of coin left at the end of the day.

As the main course was brought out, Morrow began, "Lord Windham and I were discussing--"

"Rolph," the Lord interrupted. When Morrow looked to him, he said, "Please, call me Rolph. I feel as though the four of us know one another well enough to be on a first name basis."

There was, of course, a great, unspoken irony to that comment. Rolph, of course, had fucked both of the women at the table. The two women had had relations with one another, too. And, of course, Morrow and Clara had been lovers since the day they'd met half a fortnight ago. If the words know one another well enough were being used as the Priests of the Tella-Un used them to describe intimate understanding of the bodies of others, then yes, these four knew each other well.

"Rolph," Morrow corrected, lofting his drink in offer of a clinking of glass. "As I was saying, Rolph and I have been discussing the situation surrounding the Viscount Ulronni."

Morrow wasn't entirely certain what all Clara had told Betty during their bath and dressing afterward. He recapped the situation as was necessary. Essentially, he revealed to Betty two things about her father. The first was that he'd been selling copper ore in great quantities without paying taxes to the Crown. The second was that much of that ore had been going to enemies of the Federation.

"No one cares that that ore was being used to manufacture drinking cups or dinner plates or pistils for alchemists, m'lady," Morrow told Betty. "But much of it, perhaps most of it, was being used for the manufacture of weapons and armor. And much of those were then being used by or sold to many of those Nobles who have been in rebellion against the Crown for years, even decades."

"I do not wish to cause you any harm, m'lady," Morrow said with a genuinely sincere tone. "Lady Clara tells me of how great a friendship the two of you have struck up. It would hurt Clara to see you hurt, and I would never intentionally hurt Clara, directly or indirectly."

Morrow looked to his lover, smiling as he took her hand and squeezed it. There was a great irony in their relationship, of course. They'd met just a half a fortnight ago. And yet he felt dearly for her and wanted only the best for her in life. He'd raised her from the scullery to her current life of nice clothes, travels about the Federation, and a purse of silver and even gold.

He wanted to believe that she appreciated him for what he'd done for her. She certainly seemed to show it when they got naked together.

"I have been tasked by Queen Luna herself to deal with your father, m'lady," Morrow continued. "I am to arrest him and bring him to court to face charges. And I am to attempt to do so without causing him any harm. I stress this, Lady Betty. I am to attempt this without harm to your father. I need you to believe that that is my goal."

He listened to anything she might want to say. Then, Rolph brought up another topic that he and Morrow had discussed upstairs: Ulronni's titles, properties, possessions, and even the future of his daughter. "I need it to be understood that whatever might happen between the time that you take the Viscount into custody and his punishment, whatever it might be, is concluded, my only concern, my only concern, is the welfare of Lady Betty."

"This is my concern as well, Rolph," Morrow responded, remembering to use the man's name. "And in this regard, I have been assured by the Queen herself of these facts."

He looked between Betty and Rolph and continued. "First, the two of you are to be married immediately."

Morrow looked to Betty, telling her, "Based upon what Lady Clara had told me, I arranged for a Priest from the Church of Yalla to arrive at your home day after tomorrow. He will officiate your wedding to Lord Windham at sunset of that day in your home."

He paused for responses. Then Morrow pulled a small scroll from inside his tunic. Waggling it before them, he explained, "Her Majesty, Queen Luna, sent this with me. It establishes you, Lady Betty, as the Countess Ulronni, to rule in the stead of your absent father, regardless of what ultimately happens to him."

Again, Morrow looked between the two for comments or questions. He continued, "This document assigns full inheritance rights to Lady Betty for everything that currently belongs to your father."

He looked to Rolph. Some of what he was about to say, Morrow had already told the man. He was recounting it mostly for Betty. "By law, you, sir, cannot assume the title of Viscount of Ulronni County at this time. You will continue to be known as Lord Windham for now. However--"

This information was going to be totally new to both Rolph and Betty. "However, if you were to take command of a unit of the Queen's Guard and lead it into combat. If your Guard Unit was to seize control of one or more of the jurisdictions currently titled to an enemy of the crown. You, sir, would be given title to that jurisdiction, and earn the title Viscount of Ulronni County."

Morrow checked the man's reaction and saw conflict. Rolph had never been a member of the military on any level. But he was a smart, dedicated, hard-working, and faithful man who could easily come to lead a Guard Unit with distinction.

Rolph looked to Betty. "I do not believe that I could make this decision without first speaking about it with my wife-to-be, Lord Morrow."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Betty listened closely to all that Morrow said about her father. She didn't want to believe that it was true, of course, but there were little details Morrow gave that pointed towards odd or unexplained incidents in her life that now made sense.

Morrow spoke of how her father had indirectly supported some of the Nobles who had rebeled against the Crown during the reign of Luna's father. Betty had always like then-Princess Luna during her time as the Lady of Tiala; her policies toward the Common and Peasant classes -- distinguished apart from one another by their level of freedom, of which the latter had virtually none -- had made her wildly popular among the masses and a folk hero to many, including Betty.

"I met her once," she said with a happy smile on her face. "Father took me with him to Tiala ... on a business trip. I was ... fourteen, I think. I was feeling awkward ... conspicuous, even. My body ... it had been changing ... as a woman's does about that age.

"My Handmaiden at the time had begun dressing me in new designs, to highlight my womanly features," Betty continued, now starring into the dancing flame of one of the candles in the middle of the table. "I think my father had already been showing me off ... to prospective suitors."

She smile, reminiscing. "I'd been somewhat of a Tomboy until then. Trousers ... playing with the dogs ... covered in mud. I'd been very happy."

Betty paused a long moment without realizing that she had, then snapped back to reality and found the others staring at her expectantly. She giggled and blushed, then groped her own breasts as she joked, "Then I grew these ... and suddenly I was wearing corsets and bustiers and painting my face with color.

"Princess Luna," Betty went on, her tone beginning to show her awe with the woman as she continued. "I saw her at a falconry event. She was so beautiful ... so bold ... so regal ... and yet also ... so much a woman."

Betty laughed again, then blushed again. "My father got the opportunity to introduce me to her, and Princess ... Queen Luna ... she caught me staring at her bosom at one point ... and leaning over to me, she whispered 'One day, you will have these, too ... and others ... men ... will want to be close to you because of them. Use them'..."

Betty groped her breasts again, boosting them up and inward a moment, clarifying, "She meant these, saying, 'Use them wisely, to get men to do what you want them to do for you ... and then, while they are not paying attention to what is really important, you will take control ... of them, the men ... of your world ... of their world ... of everything important to you, my young beauty'."

She went silent again, finishing, "I didn't know what she was saying at the time. Maybe I still don't. But I knew even then that one day Luna would be our Queen ... my Queen ... and that she would take control of the world ... not because she had tits--"

Clara laughed so unexpectedly that she spat her wine out, apologizing before saying, "Continue, please, Betty."

"Because she knew what she wanted," the younger of the women went on, "And she knew how to get it ... and I don't mean just with her body ... though, honestly, I don't think that hurt."

As the conversation continued, Morrow spoke directly to Betty of not wanting to hurt her through his arrest of her father. Betty interrupted, "Perhaps you should, Lord Morrow."

Things went instantly quiet, leading Betty to clarify, "Please understand that I love my father. After my mother's death, he did all he could to protect me ... to prepare me for what lie ahead. But I now realize..."

She went silent again, then looked Morrow directly in his eyes, saying, "My father is a traitor ... to the Crown ... to Queen Luna ... and, because of this, to me, as well. Perhaps it would be better--"
Betty drew a sudden, anxious breath as she truly realized what she'd been about to say, then spoke the words, "Perhaps it would be better ... if during his arrest ... my father was ... inadvertently killed."

"Betty," Clara whispered from the chair next to her, reaching out a hand to comfort her.

But Betty -- whose eyes had begun to glaze over until she blinked them clear -- only smiled, took her friend's hand for a meaningful squeeze, and said, "It's fine. I'm fine."

Rolph talked a moment about his thoughts, ending, "...my only concern, is the welfare of Lady Betty."

"This is my concern as well, Rolph," Morrow agreed. He spoke of what Queen Luna had promised: that Betty and Rolph would be married, in just two days; that Betty would be declared Countess of Ulronni County; that her future children would inherit all that currently belonged to her father; that Rolph would gain full inheritance rights over Windham; and that if Rolph took command of a unit from one of the Queen's Guard and lead it into combat, he would earn the title, Viscount of Ulronni County."

Betty was stunned. Everything about which she, Rolph, and -- to a degree -- Clara had been discussing was to be settled with that little scroll in Morrow's hand. That was except for the going into combat part. Rolph had never been a soldier; to the best of Betty's knowledge, he'd never even pulled his sword or dagger from his belt with the intention of using either one.

"I do not believe that I could make this decision," Rolph said, "without first speaking about it with my wife-to-be, Lord Morrow."

Betty smiled; she liked hearing him say that. Then her smile faded as she remembered the topic of conversation. It frightened her to think of Rolph heading off into danger, particularly untrained and unprepared. She said only, "We will discuss this later, m'lord, if it pleases you."

A moment of silence was broken by Clara suddenly exclaiming, "You're getting married!" The two women leaned in close to one another, talking as if the men were no longer even at the table.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Morrow listened to Betty speak of Luna with great reverence. She mentioned the Queen's physical beauty. He smiled, recalling Luna the first time they'd met. If asked, he'd have to admit that seeing her that way likely had had a great deal with him so easily accepting a position with her. Morrow had obviously been thinking of other positions at the time. They'd had nothing to do with working as her assassin.

"My Handmaiden at the time," Betty continued, "had begun dressing me in new designs, to highlight my womanly features."

Rolph remembered those early days of Betty presentation as a woman. He remembered them very fondly. She'd been too young for such display in his opinion. Still, it hadn't prevented him from imagining her on her hands and knees on his bed while he stroked his cock.

Betty talked of how her father had already been shopping her around, and how Luna instructed her on how to use her womanly features to get what she wanted, using the word tits.

Clara laughed, leading Morrow to snicker as well. Rolph looked between the two of them with a scowl. But then even he had to smile. Clara said, "Continue, please, Betty."

Morrow reassured Betty that he didn't want to harm her father. She surprised them all by saying, "Perhaps you should, Lord Morrow."

Rolph was shocked as well. Betty had never once said anything overly negative about her father to him. She certainly hadn't ever hinted that she thought she or the Known World would be better off without him. Rolph couldn't say the same thing. There had been many times when he'd thought about putting a blade through the man's heart. He'd resisted, though.

"Perhaps it would be better," Betty continued, "if during his arrest, my father was inadvertently killed."

Rolph listened silently to the others. He'd arrived at the Inn with so much on his mind. The earlier conversation had added so much to his thinking. And now this.

"We will discuss this later, m'lord," Betty said when he spoke of becoming a military unit's leader. She finished, "If it pleases you."

Rolph only nodded confirmation of her suggestion. The two women delved into a one-to-one conversation. The two men looked to each other. Rolph shook his head. Morrow chuckled. The latter stood, saying, "Let's walk off dinner."

They promised to be back soon and headed out of the back dining room into the tavern. By now, a dozen patrons had arrived. They appeared to be mostly locals. Morrow called for two ales. As they waited, he asked Rolph bluntly, "How was she?"

Rolph only stared at the other man in silence. Morrow chuckled. "Listen, m'lord. You fucked my girl. The least you could do is tell me how yours was."

Rolph had to divert his eyes a moment. He hadn't expected Clara to confess to her traveling companion that she'd let another man between her thighs. He looked back as the ales arrived. He sipped, studying Morrow. Then, finally, he admitted, "She was incredible."

"Tight," Morrow said, smirking devilishly. He sipped at his own drink. "Was she wet? I know sometimes--"

"Yes," Rolph cut in, mostly to stop the man. But he couldn't help but smirk as well. "Tight. Wet. Warm. She was like no woman I've ever been inside of."

They could have said more. But what else needed to be said. Rolph sipped from his drink, then changed the subject. "About Ulronni. Perhaps..."

"Yes?" Morrow urged more.

Rolph contemplated, sipping more ale. Finally, he said, "Perhaps it would be better if the Viscount was accidentally killed during his arrest."

They discussed it in more detail for several minutes. Rolph's primary concern, of course, was Betty. He verified with Morrow again that Betty would keep what should be hers. "I don't care about me. About what I get out of either my marriage to Lady Betty or out of the Viscount's demise. I only care that she is protected."

"I promised you, m'lord," Morrow reassured him. "Lady Betty is more than protected." He smiled knowingly. "Something she doesn't know is that the Queen remembers her meeting with Lady Betty all those years ago. Your girl's story tonight about meeting Luna. This wasn't the first time I heard it. When I reported the progress in our investigation of the Viscount, the Queen recounted that very story to me. Lady Betty seems to have held a place in Luna's heart and mind. I have to tell you, Rolph. I think Betty is about to play a much larger part in the future of the Republic of Yalla than either of you can imagine."

They talked some more on the issues at hand. Finally, as the night fell all about them, the four of them headed upstairs to their rooms. Morrow set to undressing Clara, recapping what he and Rolph had discussed. He smiled knowingly. "I think things are going to work out far better than I had earlier anticipated. For both of us."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Morrow suggested to Rolph, "Let's walk off dinner."

Clara looked up from her conversation with Betty, saying, "A moment, m'lord." She rose with Morrow's help, then whispered to him, "Take your time. Lady Betty and I have something that needs to be taken care of upstairs ... in private."

The men departed, and during the continuing conversation between the women, an older woman arrived at the dining room door asking tentatively, "Lady Clara?"

The named party rose, went to the old woman, looked at the handkerchief inside of which was a specific product, and handed over a Sovereign Half-Gold Piece, saying, "Thank you, my good woman ... and ... privacy?"

The old woman nodded confirmation and departed. Clara gestured to Betty, saying, "Come with me. I have something for you." They headed upstairs to the room she and Morrow had rented for themselves, where she got the younger woman out of her dress. Betty sat as instructed, with her shift pulled up to her waist. Then, as she ever so carefully inserted a heavily lubricated applicator into Betty's tight pussy, Clara told her, "This will ease your swelling. It will hurt a bit at first ... but once it begins working..."

They worked for several minutes at very carefully inserting the applicator's full length into Betty, coating as much of her canal with the herbal lotion. At one point, Betty winced, saying, "That hurts!"

Clara teased, "Then maybe next time you should think first before you put strange things in your pussy."

They laughed together, with Betty blushing and whispering, "It hurt ... so much."

"I know, m'lady," Clara responded, mimicking what Rolph himself had told Betty, "But it will feel better next time. Much better."

They continued talking, often giggling or making crude and lewd comments; most of those came from Clara, often causing Betty to blush or laugh in shock. Betty began to sense that the swelling of her canal was going down, though, it might simply have been the relaxing of her muscles and the pain killing herbs taking effect.

"There is another thing we must discuss, m'lady," Clara said as she retrieved two vials from the package the old woman had delivered. She held them up between her fingers, saying about them, "This one you swallow ... and this one, well, we put it inside you once you are no longer swollen."

"They will keep me from becoming with child," Betty said knowingly, barely over a whisper.

"Yes, m'lady," Clara verified. She studied the girl a moment before asking about where she was in her Moon Cycle and learning that this was Betty's most fertile time. When Betty didn't immediately tell her to proceed, Clara asked, "Do you want to be with child, m'lady ... with Lord Rolph's child?"

Betty's eyes were on her fingers, fumbling over her shift as it hid her womanhood during the procedure. She thought a long moment on the question, then reached out a hand, asking, "Which one do I drink?" Clara handed her the appropriate bottle with instructions, then explained how they would administer the other one tomorrow. Betty smiled to her mentor, saying, "Thank you, Lady Clara. I once said that you were my best friend in the whole Known World. I was ... playing then. I am not now ... when I tell you that you are my best friend, ever."

They concluded Betty's treatment and cleaned her up, then redressed her and headed back downstairs to meet their men. Clara and Morrow had brought a rare liqueur with them that Queen Luna had presented them, and they opened it now to celebrate all that had been said, learned, and agreed to tonight before heading to their own rooms.

Clara and Morrow:

"I think things are going to work out far better than I had earlier anticipated," Morrow told Clara as he began undressing her, adding, "For both of us."

"I need to tell you something, m'lord," she told him as -- now standing before Morrow naked -- Clara began undressing him in turn. "I do not want to marry you, nor do I think that you want to marry me." She paused a moment for his reaction if there was one, then continued, "But I want to continue fucking you for a long, long time, m'lord. You have begun me in a direction that I could not have found on my own ... and I want you to know how thankful I am for that. Anything you want from me ... I will give you. If it's not something I can give you ... something only another woman can ... I will arrange that."

She pushed Morrow's trousers and braies downward to rest around the tops of his boots, laughing as his already-stiffened cock popped out at her. Kissing him as she groped and stroked him, Clara promised, "Anything you ever ask of me ... is yours, m'lord."

With that, she dropped to her knees and began a very skilled and pleasurable blowjob, meaning to empty his balls into her mouth before telling Morrow to do with her as he pleased.

Betty and Rolph:

Betty had learned from Clara that Morrow had rented each of the remaining available rooms as soon as he'd heard that Betty and Rolph were staying the night; the result was that only their two rooms -- at opposite ends of the floor -- were occupied, giving the two pairs of them more privacy. Things here were moving more slowly than in the far one, though, as Betty and Rolph took a moment to simply walk around, checking out the small, modest space.

Feeling awkward about what she felt she should explain, Betty fumbled through her recounting of what she and Clara had just done down yonder. She told Rolph, "I think that ... if you wished, m'lord ... that we could make love again. I ... I'm not swollen as I was. I think I could enjoy it this time."

An embarrassed smirk spread Betty's lips as she remembered that she had enjoyed their last love making session together. Of course, her orgasm had come at the workings of her own fingers upon her button, aided by the workings of Rolph's tongue upon it, too; the actual intercourse had done very little for Betty due to the pain of it being her deflowering. But she would leave the decision up to Rolph; she loved him so deeply, and she wanted him to have anything and everything he wanted.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Clara and Morrow:

"I need to tell you something, m'lord," Clara began as, naked, she began undressing Morrow. "I do not want to marry you, nor do I think that you want to marry me."

She was correct about that second part. Not because Morrow had no interest in marrying Clara, though. Morrow had no interest in marrying any woman. Well, except for perhaps Luna. But that was only because she was the Queen of the Republic of Yalla. Morrow could easily see himself giving up his bachelorhood to become King of Yalla. Even Queen's Consort worked for him.

"But I want to continue fucking you for a long, long time, m'lord," Clara continued. She talked about all he'd done for her. "Anything you want from me ... I will give you. If it's not something I can give you ... something only another woman can ... I will arrange that."

Again, Morrow's mind went to Luna. That didn't sound like something a former lowly scullery maid was going to arrange, though. Not even with her recent rise out of the kitchen. By the legal definition, Clara was still a Commoner. Morrow called her Lady Clara out of a combination of respect and a need for others to think she was of a higher class than she was.

Then, his mind went to Lady Betty. Morrow wouldn't have minded getting something from her. But that something, her flower had already been claimed. So, that wasn't happening. Still, if ever the opportunity arose, Morrow wouldn't turn down a go at the young thing's womanhood.

"Anything you ever ask of me," Clara continued as she began pleasuring his cock, "...is yours, m'lord."

Morrow took Clara's head in his hands as she expertly began treating his cock with her mouth and fingers. He'd concluded that, some whores aside, she was the absolute best at this. It wasn't long before his cock was leaping in her mouth, flooding her tongue with his seed.

He took her to bed, making love to her until she finally begged for sleep.


Betty and Rolph:

Rolph listened with interest to Betty's hesitant explanation of what she and Clara had done to ease her vaginal pain.

"I think that, if you wished, m'lord," she told him hesitantly, "that we could make love again. I, I'm not swollen as I was. I think I could enjoy it this time."

Rolph took Betty into his arms for hugs and kisses. In the end, though, he told her, "Not tonight, my love. We have a lifetime to enjoy each other in the best and least painful ways."

Still, they each stripped down to their skin and cuddled into the other's arms. The feel of Betty's perfect body against him caused Rolph's cock to swell for service. He would hint at the things Betty could do to, for, and with him that didn't involve him putting his erection inside her pussy.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

The next morning:
After he'd emptied his balls for the first time in her mouth, Clara took Morrow to bed and fucked him to two more orgasms before finally allowing him to drift off to sleep. She'd cum as well, of course; she didn't fuck the man for his pleasure alone, as so many other women had before her and, likely, would following her.

She awoke before sunrise, the sound of a rooster seemingly just outside the Inn pulling her from a very nice dream about elegant clothing made or soft fabrics and piles of hard coins made of silver and gold.

She found a woman stoking a fire in the tavern and requested hot water, tossing a Copper 5-piece to her as a sign of urgency. A few minutes later, she was pouring the last of three small, steaming buckets into the tub in which she and Betty had bathed the night before. After soaking in the oil-infused water, she dried, dressed, touched up her hair and face just enough to say she'd done it, and ventured downstairs ... where she was surprised to find Betty sitting inconspicuously on a small couch in a corner, wrapped in a thick fur blanket as she watched the flames dancing in the fireplace.

"Lady Betty, what are you doing here?" Clara asked as she pulled open the blanket, dropping in beside the girl and wrapping her arm around her waist. "You should be upstairs in bed with your husband-to-be."

"I couldn't stay there any longer," Betty said softly. When Clara asked why not, the younger woman blushed. She recounted in whispers how Rolph had forgone intercourse so as not to hurt her again while she was still suffering from their first time together, but -- knowing he was eager for satisfaction -- had once again taking his cock in her mouth and driven him to climax. She confessed, "I ... I don't like doing that ... with my mouth ... but ... Rolph, he likes it very much. When that damn rooster awoke me this morning, he -- Rolph, not the rooster -- he was erect again, and I feared he was going to ask me to do that again if he awoke. So, I slipped out and came down here.

"Oh, Clara," she whispered with desperation. "What am I going to do? When I first did that to m'lord, I wasn't very good. I--" She giggled and blushed yet again. "He complained because I bit him."

"Yeah, they don't like that, do they?" Clara asked, laughing as well as she pulled Betty to her. "I'm assuming, though, that you got better at it ... if you're pleasing him as you've said."

"I didn't mean to!" Betty countered. "I didn't mean to be so good ... at something I don't want to do."

Betty couldn't help but laugh again. She thought a moment, both about a solution and about whether she wanted to present it as an option. "The way I see it, you have three choices from which to choose, m'lady. First, you can just deal with it. You'll learn to tolerate it. I did. I don't like the taste either, but I like what happens to the men I please afterward, namely that they give me things that I want: silver, gold ... beautiful clothes or a nice home or many, many climaxes of my own.

"Second, you can simply tell Lord Rolph that you don't enjoy doing that," Clara continued. "He's a good man. He'll understand. Of course, he may decide not to use his own mouth on your special places. You said you enjoyed that...?" Betty nodded enthusiastically, giggling. "Well, can you give that up?"

"I'd rather not," the younger woman answered. After a long moment of silence and waiting for Clara to continue, Betty asked, "What about the third choice?"

"You can find someone else to do it for you, m'lady," Clara suggested.

"Someone else?" Betty exclaimed, horrified. Then, back in whisper, she asked, "Another woman?" Clara shrugged, and after a moment, Betty said, "I don't want Rolph receiving pleasure from another woman. I mean ... I'm not naive; I know that he has been with other women before me. I'm no fool. I ... I even suspect ... suspect that Rolph ... well, he's been with..."

A chill ran up Clara's spine as she waited for Betty to finish her suspicious with 'You, m'lady'.

But then instead, Betty said, "...a girl in the Nomadi camp." She didn't name Payley in particular, because she didn't honestly have any proof of it. But there had just been something in the way Payley spoke about Rolph that night when Betty visited the camp that told her that the Nomadi beauty knew Rolph as something more than just their field work employer.

Clara decided to take a chance, asking, "Would that be so bad, m'lady?" When Betty pulled her head back to look her in the eyes, Clara continued, "Rolph loves you ... and you love Rolph ... and if he occasionally put his cock in the Nomadi girl's mouth, just simply for the pleasure of the moment, that wouldn't change that love you share ... would it?"

Betty thought for a long moment; even though she hadn't spent a great deal of her life thinking about her future marriage, future husband, and future sex life, Betty had never imagined that she'd be periodically sharing that future husband with another woman simply to prevent her from having to put his cock in her mouth. Finally, she murmured, "No ... I ... I don't think it would hurt. But ... the Nomadi will be moving on ... tomorrow, I think. A day or two after that, I'm not sure. What do I do then?"

Clara had been trying to find the correct wording for this question, which she'd seen coming from over the horizon. She sat up and looked into the other woman's face with an expression that she hoped could be taken either seriously or humorously, depending on how Betty took it. "Perhaps you find someone to service Rolph ... someone you can trust not to harm your marriage. Not some brothel whore, of course. And not some daughter of a Lesser Lord who thinks she is beautiful and up-and-coming ... who would try to steal Rolph away. I could help you find just the right--"

"You'll do it!" Betty suddenly said, her lips spreading in a happy smile. Then, more hopefully, she asked, "Would you, Clara...? Could you be the one to do this for me ... please? I need someone I can trust not to steal Rolph from me, like you said. And I think Rolph likes you." She smiled wide again, saying, "I've seen how he looks at you sometimes. I think he thinks that you are beautiful and sexy, which you are! You know you are!"

Clara feigned not having an interest in the task a moment, but Betty was insistent, saying, "It's perfect! My best friend in all the world pleasing my husband when I can't ... or won't. It makes total--" Suddenly, Betty went quiet with her eyes wide as she asked, "Oh my ... what about Lord Morrow...? If he learned that you were having sex with another man, he'd--"

Clara laughed, cutting the other woman off. She promised her, "Lord Morrow and I aren't like that, m'lady. We very much enjoy each other's company. But ... we aren't in love with each other ... we aren't going to marry. And he wouldn't be upset to find out that I had been pleasuring the future Viscount of Ulronni County, so long as I had the Countess's blessing."

The two of them giggled together, followed by Clara casually quipping, "To be honest, the only thing that might upset Lord Morrow was if he wasn't given the opportunity to lay with you, too. I saw the way he looked at you, too, after all--"

"I will," Betty suddenly interrupted. By her reaction, Clara obviously didn't understand the other woman's meaning, to which Betty said bluntly, "I will lay with Lord Morrow." She laughed at the expression in Clara's face and -- for the umpteenth time since they'd met -- blushed a fiery red again. She explained, "If you will do this for me ... pleasure my Rolph with your mouth ... I will pleasure your Morrow with my ... well..."

Clara laughed, shaking her head. She hadn't expected this from Betty. But here it was, and -- to be honest -- Clara sort of liked the idea; she didn't give a rat's ass who Morrow fucked, even if it was Lady Betty, and Clara even saw a way in which she might be able to gain a little more from Morrow if she was to make this happen.

"I will speak to Lord Morrow about this," Clara said in a calm voice. "Not right now, though. We need to conclude the situation with your father. And we need to get you and Lord Witham ... Rolph, married and the legalities of the Ulronnie estate settled. Then ... I will approach him about it. Good?"

Betty threw her arms around Clara's neck with excitement, given her a chicken peck on the cheek, then -- pausing to look into Clara's eyes a moment -- pressed their lips together in a long, soft, but erotic kiss. When they parted mouths, Betty asked in whisper, "Will you and I ... ever again?"

Clara kissed her again, answering, "Often, m'lady. Often."

Perfect timing led to the sound of the two men coming down the stairs together. Clara and Betty pulled to more appropriate distances, smiled to the men, and the former asked, "So, are we finally eating breakfast, sleepy heads?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Morrow awoke to an otherwise empty bed, immediately recalling the incredible night before. He wondered once again how he'd gotten so lucky to discover Clara. He often worried that she might suddenly decide that she'd gotten all she needed from him.

Morrow had promised to take care of her financially, of course. He gave her coin when she needed. He gave her coin when she didn't need it, too. He'd found them a small cottage on the outskirts of the Capital City. He didn't honestly expect to be spending much time there himself, of course. But it seemed to give Clara a sense of permanency.

He worried sometimes what she was going to say when Queen Luna gave him his estate and title and he didn't take Clara in as his Lady. Morrow had already chosen a Lady, of course: Stella, the Queen's Handmaiden. Stella came from noble blood, albeit minor noble blood. And she was pure of body, as he'd been assured by the Queen herself.

Of course, Stella hadn't agreed to become Morrow's Lady, but he was working on her. Their little walk at the falconry challenge had been a great first step toward parting those legs while she was on her back in his bed.

Morrow found that Clara had left freshwater heating in a pot in the flames of the stoked fire. He poured it into the tub for a quick bath before dressing. He stepped out the door just in time to look down the hall and see Rolph coming his way.

"I seem to have misplaced my woman," Morrow quipped. He didn't use My Lady or Lady Clara. By now, he was pretty sure that Rolph understood just what Clara was. "I don't suppose--"

"I seem to have, too, m'lord," Rolph responded. He seemed to be a bit irritated. He'd planned on awaking to be fucked or sucked, Betty's choice. Unfortunately, as he'd told Morrow, he didn't know where his lover and future wife was.

They headed down the stairs, finding Betty and Clara by the fire. Clara asked, "So, are we finally eating breakfast, sleepy heads?"


An hour later:

Surprisingly, the breakfast had passed without any discussion about the upcoming arrest of Lady Betty's father. The conversation had revolved mostly around the recent weather and its tragic consequences, Princess Luna's rise to Queen, and the rumor that Baron Elwith had had a falcon handler and three Guardsmen lashed over losing one of his best birds at the recent Falconry Challenge.

They were standing to leave the table when Morrow caught Clara peeking his way with a devilish smirk yet again. It had happened at least a dozen times over the meal. He was about to lean in and ask what was going on when the door to the tavern opened. A pair of men in dirty riding gear stepped inside. They stopped as soon as they caught sight of Morrow.

"Um, could you all remain here for just a moment more," he asked the other three. He caught sight of the tavern wench, waving her over. "Four of those delicious berry drinks we had last night, please. Over at the fire."

He gestured the girls toward the fireplace. But as Rolph headed with them, Morrow caught him by the elbow. Softly, he said, "You should come with me."

The riders led the pair of male patrons outside. In addition to the two who'd come inside, another eight men still sat in their saddles. Rolph looked them over a moment. They were each wearing somewhat different outer wear. It was meant to give the impression that they were simply highway travelers who were, possibly, just friends.

"The Warrior Elite," Rolph said to Morrow with a knowing tone.

Morrow smiled, impressed. "How did you figure that out, m'lord?"

Rolph pointed as he explained, "They are all wearing the same boots. I recognize the style. Also, their cloaks vary. Long and longer. Hooded or not. But the insides of them are all the same Royal Purple."

He'd been walking casually toward the nearest of the men. Moving casually as to not raise any alarm, he pulled the man's cloak back from the saddle as he said, "Scabbards for their swords. Warrior Elite."

Rolph lifted a second cape, revealing the identical scabbard of polished steel. "If they were Highwaymen or even rogues looking for hire, I doubt that they'd all have the same scabbard. In fact, I doubt that they'd have scabbards at all. Most men use a pommel. They are lighter, easier to use. Easier to conceal. They don't make noise when sneaking through a castle. Say, to arrest a Viscount."

Morrow explained that the Warrior Elite had ridden all night to be here for him now. "I told the Queen that my merc's could handle it. But as the ringleader of this conspiracy, the Viscount deserves the Queen's direct attention."

He pulled Rolph aside, saying, "I don't think the ladies should be there when Ulronni is arrested today--"

"Arrested?" Rolph cut in quietly. "I was under the impression that--"

"And especially for that, m'lord," Morrow cut in, knowing what Rolph had been about to say. "I would ask that you escort Ladies Betty and Clara back to Windham, if you wouldn't mind."

"No, I won't," Rolph said without hesitation. "I will, however, stress to them that they need to return to my home, while I attend the arrest of my brother-in-law."

He was referring to Ulronni as the brother of his deceased sister, obviously. He didn't say father-in-law because the man likely wouldn't live long enough to hear anyone call him that. Rolph asked, "Does that work for you, m'lord?"

Morrow considered the request. "Yes, m'lord. That works for me."

He spoke to a pair of the Warrior Elites a moment. They dismounted from their horses, and Morrow and Rolph took their places in their saddles. The two of them headed for Ulronni's Keep, accompanied by all of Luna's men except the two who would politely force Betty and Clara to retrace the route to Windham.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

In an Inn in a small village between
the Windham House and the Ulronni Keep

Clara had been informed by Morrow that he was waiting for the Warrior Elite to arrive to carry out the arrest -- or execution? -- of Viscount Ulronni, so she wasn't surprised when she caught sight of the two men in the doorway who had the look of serious men in their faces.

Morrow suggested that she and Betty take a seat by the fire, to which Clara responded by taking the other young beauty by the elbow and whispering, "Come with me, and I'll explain."

Rolph exited with Morrow, which also didn't surprise Clara much; the two men had spoken the night before about Lord Windham taking a commission in Queen Luna's service, so taking part of the arrest of Betty's crooked father seemed like a good way to get his feet wet. Also, Clara knew that Rolph didn't much like his brother-in-law/future father-in-law, so this would be a good opportunity for him to snub his nose at the man.

What Clara hadn't expected was for the majority of the men on horseback -- now apparently including Morrow and Rolph -- to suddenly right away without her and Betty. She hopped up and headed out the door with Betty close behind, only to have one of the Warrior Elites block her way, suggesting, "Why don't you show us to your bags, m'ladies, and we'll get you pack up for the road back to Windham?"

"Windham?" Betty snapped at the man. "We're going to my home, the House of Ulronni ... south, not north!"

Argue as they may, the girls weren't gaining any ground, and soon they were inside the packed coach, heading for Rolph's Keep. They were barely down the road when Clara began examining the interior, slid off the seat to press her nose to the fabric, and looked up to say knowingly, "You fucked your uncle right here! You dirty minx!"

Betty giggled and blushed, covering her face with her hankie. Clara continued to tease her, saying, "You didn't say anything about doing it right here ... on the road. I thought ... oh, it doesn't matter, you naughty little girl."

They would spend nearly the entire ride back to Windham talking about sex, including Betty finally admitting to Clara that she'd had an involvement with a Nomadi brother-sister pairing two nights back. Clara was shocked, particularly since she knew exactly of which Nomadi Betty was speaking and had herself considered tangling with the male half one of her nights at Windham.

When the coach reached the estate, Betty pointed out the window excitedly as a group of the Nomadi helping rebuild a wind-destroyed fence for the hamlet's goats. "There, there! That's him, and over there, that's her!" Betty names them as Style and Payley, telling Clara with awe, "They are such beautiful people."

Clara called for the Coachman to pull up short near the Nomadi, then let out a loud whistle, attracting the pair with it, then an inviting wave. Betty asked in quickly building shock, "What are you doing, Betty. Betty! What are you doing?"

When the siblings reached the coach, Clara said in a low volume and a suggestive tone, "We are in need of your special services in the Lady's bed chamber ... if you have the time...?" She phrased the last part as an inquiry about the pair's availability, to which Payley nodded and smiled. Clara continued, "You'll need a reason for coming into the Keep, of course."

"Does the lady prefer pine bows for their fresh forest scent...?" Payley asked, "Or perhaps flower blossoms?"

Clara looked to Betty, who -- panicked about what the fuck was going on! -- only shrugged. Looking back outside again, Clara suggested, "Pine bows would do wonderfully. Enough of them would require both of you to pack them."

With that taken care of, Clara ordered the Coachman to continue, with Betty immediately asking what had just happened. Clara asked, "You already had sex with the girl, yes?" Betty nodded. "And you already told me that you were willing to fuck Morrow if I was willing to swallow his seed in your place, yes?" Betty's face filled with shock at the crude description. Clara only laughed, finishing, "Don't you think it would be easier for you to lay with a man who was not Lord Windham ... if you had already laid with one who wasn't Lord Windham?"

"I'm going to fuck Style?" Betty asked in horror.

"You're going to fuck Style, yes," Clara confirmed. "That is unless you want to continue putting Rolph's cock in your mouth and drinking down that thick, salty--"

"Oh, dear Gods!" Betty nearly shrieked. They argued in whisper all the way to Betty's bed chamber without any relief for Betty. Despite having bathed once already, Clara forced Betty out of her clothes and into a bathrobe in preparation for taking a warm, soothing, oil-infused bath ... with Style. Betty again exclaimed, "Now ... I'm bathing with him?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni Keep
Morrow's plan for taking Ulronni into custody had been simple. He'd agreed to bring a bag of Gold Sovereigns to Ulronni's home as an up-front payment. He'd planned on taking just one of the Warrior Elite with him. Between them, they'd take the Viscount before the rest of the unit came in to secure the Keep. "Easy peasy," he told Rolph.

Then the Lord of Windham reminded Morrow of how easily he'd identified the Warrior Elites. "You should take me instead. Ulronni won't suspect anything. He doesn't like me, true. But he won't see this coming."

Morrow agreed to consider it during the canter-paced ride to the Keep. They stopped a mile short of their destination to go over the plan again. It was still simple, just with Rolph included and the Warriors Elite excluded. The latter would remain in the woods within view of the Keep. If they thought things were going south, they would ride in to save the day, hopefully.

When they reached the wooden palisade, they were stopped by Ulronni's guards. Morrow identified himself and spoke his reason for being there. The Guard had been expecting them it turned out. The pair were escorted into the Great Hall of the Keep and told to wait.

"It's smaller," Rolph casually said as he looked about himself. Morrow looked to him with an expression of curiosity. He explained, "Ulronni didn't like me from the moment he met me. He'd negotiated a marriage to my sister, not knowing that I came with her like some puppy. I was only six at the time.

"Three days after the wedding, I became the Lord of Windham Manor," Rolph continued. "Ulronni shipped me out, and I never came back here. My sister would come and visit me at Windham. But I was never here again, even for the celebration of Betty's birth. So, yeah, this place looks smaller now."

The Viscount eventually descended to meet his guests. Seeing Rolph, Ulronni immediately became incensed. "What is he doing here? What are you doing with this man, Lord Morrow? Do you understand who this man is and what he's done?"

"What I've done?" Rolph immediately responded. "What the fuck have I done?"

Ulronni dove into a mostly rambling description of the effects of his own exiling of Rolph to Windham. He blamed Rolph for what turned out to be years of disagreements and fights with his wife, Rolph's half-sister. Rolph countered that it was he who had done the exiling and he who was to blame for his own unhappiness.

Morrow simply stood there listening to the men. And surveying his surroundings. At one point, one of Ulronni's two Guards stepped a bit closer to the arguing men. Morrow just flashed the open palms of his hands to the man, indicating his lack of involvement or concern about whatever was happening.

Finally, Morrow saw his opening. In a flash, Morrow ripped his dagger off his hip and threw it through the air toward the more distant Guard. It sunk nearly to the hilt in one of the two Guard's neck, just left of the spine. The man immediately dropped to the floor.

The second Guard reached for his sword. He had it most of the way out of its pommel when the blade Morrow pulled from up his sleeve cut through the front third of his throat. Blood spewed in a fan before him. He fell first to his knees, then to his face.

Ulronni initially just stared in shock. Then, he turned and ran for the nearest door. But Rolph swung out a foot, tripping the man. The Viscount hit the polished floor, sliding across it to slam head-first into the wall. In an instance, Rolph threw his brother-in-law over to his back and began strangling him.

Morrow had rushed over to help. The aid wasn't needed, though. He could see that Ulronni's neck had been broken during the collision. And yet, he allowed the angered Rolph to grasp the Viscount's neck and strangle what remained of the life out of him.

Rolph had never killed a man before. He'd never seriously injured a man as far as that went. He'd pulled his sword or daggers on men who'd seemed a threat to him or people he'd cared for. But he'd never bloodied any of those blades. And now, he throttled Ulronni until his face had turned bright red. His eyes looked almost as if ready to pop out of the man's skull.

Finally certain that the man was dead, Rolph released his hold. He sat back on his haunches, staring down at Ulronni. Morrow let Rolph just sit there, staring. Eventually Rolph stood, looked to Morrow, and meekly asked, "What do we tell Lady Betty?"

Morrow considered the options. But a question needed to be answered. He asked Rolph, "Do you want to be known as the man who killed Viscount Ulronni? Your niece's father? Your wife's father? Lady Betty could come to resent you for it. Or she could come to respect you even more for it."

Rolph thought a moment. "I have wanted to kill him for so long."

"You did kill him," Morrow said. He knew inside that Rolph hadn't killed Ulronni, of course. The broken neck might not have stopped the Viscount's heart immediately. But he would have been dead within a minute. "But Betty doesn't need to know that if you prefer."

Morrow turned away, saying, "I have to signal the Warriors."

He went to the Keep's door, where another guard was stationed. He sunk his sword through the man's side before the man even saw the blade coming. Morrow wiped the blade off on the dead Guard's tunic. Looking toward the distant woods, he saw the Warrior Elites coming at a full gallop. He would leave them to clean up the remainder of Ulronni's Guards.

Back inside, he found Rolph standing before a painting on the wall. It was of Ulronni and Delora, Rolph's decade-older and long-deceased sister. He mused sadly, "I didn't see her for the last two years of her life. The Viscount wouldn't allow it."

"That's over now," Morrow said. He patted the man to draw his attention. Gesturing about him, Morrow said, "This is yours now."

"It's Betty's," Rolph corrected. He smiled. "I'm perfectly happy with being Countess Betty of Ulronni's Consort. I don't need to be Viscount. I only need to be with Betty."

They would learn that the Warriors Elite had disarmed the remaining Guardsmen without more bloodshed. It turned out that Ulronni's men didn't care enough about him to risk their own lives for him. Morrow sent one a pair of the Warriors with the news. One rode to Windham, to retrieve Betty and Clara. The other rode for the Capital, to inform Queen Luna.

As the day progressed, the word of the Viscount's death circulated. The Peasants, Commoners, Merchants, and others who had dealt with Ulronni were confused on how to go forward. Very few showed any regret for the man's death. Some even openly showed delight for it. Morrow and Rolph would discover throughout the day that it hadn't been just the latter of the pair who'd dislike Ulronni.

Messengers began arriving, one every couple of hours until long after the sun had dropped. Each of them without fail reported that the conspiracy's members had been successfully arrested or killed. Morrow smiled to Rolph, saying with pride, "Clean sweep."

It was almost midnight before the coach from Windham arrived with Betty and Clara.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham House
Midday:

Style was surprised to see Lord Rolph and Lady Betty's coach returning to the estate. The pair were supposed to be on their way to her father's home. To be married.

Then Lady Clara added to the surprise. She waved Style and Payley to the coach, saying, "We are in need of your special services in the Lady's bed chamber."

Style knew what that meant, of course. He smiled. For two reasons. First, he might get to deflower Lady Betty after all. He'd had her in his bed the night before, of course. But she'd passed on having him introduce her to fucking.

Style didn't know he was too late for this, of course. It wouldn't have occurred to him that Rolph had already been there. Style was incorrectly certain that the Nobleman wouldn't have violated the Noblewoman's purity like that.

The second reason Style smiled was very basic: coinage. He suspected that he and his sister would be paid handsomely for their special services. In the past, Rolph had been very generous when he'd slept with Payley, Style, or the two of them together. It could be safely presumed that Lady Betty would be generous, too.

Clara finished her invitation with, "...if you have the time?"

"It would be our pleasure," Style said, speaking for both himself and Payley.

The coach pulled away, and the siblings headed for the forest. They collected both pine bows and various flowers. They would offer natural aroma to the Keep. The air inside often became stuffy this time of the year. It was too cold to open the windows every day to refreshen the air.

The siblings arrived with their delivery, immediately gaining Mantha's mistrustful glare. Luckily, she'd been told to expect the Nomadi. She escorted them to Betty's door herself. Clara answered, thanked the Housekeeper, ushered Payley and Style inside, and shooed Mantha away.

Style noted that both Clara and Betty were wearing bathing robes. In the corner, steam rose from the filled bathtub. The smell of soothing oils joined that of the bows and blossoms.

Style stepped closer to the nearest of the Ladies, in this case Clara. He bowed his head, then asked, "What sort of special services do you find yourself in need of tonight, M'lady Betty.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: I found a better image to represent Betty. The previous one had been great for the original context in which she was concealing her identity, but the new one is more appropriate for many other situations.)

The Windham House
Midday:

"They're here!" Betty said with nervous excitement when Mantha knocked at the door and announced the arrival of the Nomadi siblings with their offering of bows and blossoms to add fresh scent to the Lady's bed chamber. Betty looked to Clara with panic in her eyes, asking in whisper, "What do we do?"

Clara laughed, grasped the girl by her shoulders, laid a wet kiss upon her lips, and said, "We open the door, silly." She did just that, smiling to Style and Payley. "Oh, thank you for this, you two." She stepped aside, gesturing them inside. After they passed, Clara stepped into the doorway to face off with the suspicious-looking Housekeeper. "Mantha, could you be a dear and prepare some fruit or berry pies that our friends here could take back to the Nomadi camp with them after they've helped us decorate Lady Betty's bed chambers?"

Mantha was too busy trying to peek past Clara to hear, let alone answer the question. When Clara politely snapped her fingers at her, the Housekeeper/Cook/Laundress/busybody flinched, then said, "I ... I have four pies ... no, five pies cooling down as we speak, Lady Clara. I could send one or two of--"

"That's wonderful, Mantha," Clara cut her off, "but I don't think one or two or even five will be enough. Do you know how many Nomadi have been so generously working for your Lord Rolph ... harvesting the grain and rebuilding the hamlet...? No, I don't think five will be enough. How long will it take you to bake ... oh, let's say, eight more."

Mantha's eyes swelled as she repeated back, "Eight? Eight fresh pies?"

"Yes, I think eight will be enough," Clara confirmed. "How long?" Mantha began running through the steps she would need to accomplish -- she had to roll out crusts, for example -- but Clara interrupted her again, saying, "That's fine, very fine. Better get started." Then, leaning to look past Mantha, Clara continued in a higher volume, "Oh, and you can have that sneak thief Timmons help you, too."

The boy stuck his head out from around the corner at the stairs, smiling guiltily. Clara sent the two off, knowing that they'd be gone for upwards of two, possibly three hours. Turning back to the others, she found Style and Payley distributing the bows and blooms around the room with obvious understanding of the goal; Betty meanwhile was standing almost all the way across the room near the far wall, her expression one of fear and horror.

Clara went to her, pulling her close as she whispered, "You need to relax. Nothing's going to happen here that you haven't already done ... only ... maybe with the same people, maybe not."

"Are you sure about this?" Betty whispered. Her body was trembling as she asked, "Would m'lord dislike this?"

"No, of course not," Clara said, knowing it wasn't true at all; Rolph would be pissed beyond belief to learn that Betty was about to get intimate with a Nomadi male. But Clara needed Betty to be freer with herself if she was going to utilize her in the future for some of the things she was contemplating.

Style stepped closer to Clara, asking, "What sort of special services do you find yourself in need of tonight, M'lady?"

(Part 2 next.)

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

(part 2)

Clara looked Style up and down, then did the same with Payley before saying with great admiration, "Lady Betty was correct. You are beautiful people." She took one of each of their hands and led them toward the bathtub. "Lady Betty and I bathed while we were waiting for you. Why don't you do the same?"

Payley smiled to Clara, then turned and began undressing her brother. In no time, he was naked and undressing her, too. Clara circled them as their clothes fell away, taking the opportunity to caress, grope, and grasp body parts as they became available to her. She looked to Betty -- who was watching with wide eyes -- and gestured her to them. When Betty didn't move, Clara retrieved her by force and literally pushed in between the now-naked siblings as if they were the top and bottom crusts of one of Mantha's pies and Betty was the filling.
The Nomadi knew what Clara wanted for the Noblewoman; without hesitation, they combined efforts to strip Betty out of her bathrobe and put hands upon her, doing as Clara had done to them; simultaneously, they kissed her lips, cheeks, neck, back, breasts ... anywhere that their mouths would reach. Betty gasped loudly when a finger found her pussy and pressed upon her lust button, a reaction that caused all three of them to react with some level of humor.

"Come with me," Clara finally said, grasping Betty's hand and pulling her toward the bed. She gestured the siblings toward the bathtub, commanding, "Wash up. We'll wait."

Stripping off her own robe, Clara pulled Betty onto the bed and immediately went to work pleasuring her, first at her bosom, then between her legs. It was initially obvious that the company was hard on Betty, with her unable to relax and simply enjoy Clara's mouth and fingers. But soon, the pleasure began overwhelming the awkwardness, and just as the Nomadi were about to join those already on the bed, Betty cried out in orgasm.

The next three hours were an endless parade of orgasms; each of them experienced at least two euphoric explosions, with Betty -- Clara's assigned object of primary attention -- enjoying a handful or more of them. Each of the other three took their turn doing that at which they were best to the bride-to-be; for much of the encounter, Betty had two or three pairs of hands on her, as well as two or three pairs of lips.

After a great deal of delight from mouths and fingers, Betty questioned Clara again about whether or not she should have Style's cock inside her. Clara only shrugged and told her to do what felt right, and in an instant, Betty pushed Style back to the bed and climbed into his lap, putting him inside her and going to it. Clara was delighted with what she was seeing; knowing that she could persuade Betty into fucking Style meant that she would be able to persuade the girl into other questionable acts in the near future.

The last interaction between them this day was Betty crying out in orgasm to what the Nomadi's cock was doing inside her while Payley worked her clit with skilled, rapidly moving fingers and Clara groped her tits, pinched her nipples, and kissed her neck. After the Lady came down from her heavenly peak, Clara whispered to Payley and Style that it was probably time to leave. As they dressed, she retrieved one of her three purses -- "Never put all of your money in one place," Morrow had taught her -- and retrieved four Gold Sovereigns that she distributed between them.

"That's too much, m'lady," Payley said with surprise. She offered it back, saying, "We enjoyed this as much as you and Lady Betty did."

Clara waved off the offer, though, saying, "You earned every bit of it." She kissed Payley on the lips, then repeated with Style, saying, "I hope we see you again next year. You'll send word by messenger when your Troupe is nearing Windham next harvest, yes?"

The Nomadi reassured Clara that they'd do just that before heading out the door. The smell of berry pies was wafting up the stairwell, leading Clara to remind the pair to collect the desserts on the way out. Betty, still lying on the bed, spent after the encounter, called after them, "There is a two wheeled cart outside. Use it!"

Clara returned to the bed, spent a couple of minutes of intimacy with Betty, then said, we should bath again. They were nearly done with a bath that continued the pleasuring even after three hours of it when a loud rap at the door was followed by an unknown male voice calling out, "M'lady! Your presence has been requested at the Ulronni House, immediately!"

Clara was the first out of the tub, wrapping a robe around her body rather than actually donning it and pulling the door open, asking with concern, "What's happened? What's wrong?"

The Warrior Elite immediately turned his eyes away, reporting, "I've been ordered to deliver both of--"

"Yes! Yes! I got that part!" Clara cut in. "What the hell has happened?"

The Warrior peeked back Clara's way, then looked past her for Betty but couldn't see her from this spot. Softly, he said, "Viscount Ulronni ... he's died. There was an accident. He fell, breaking his neck during the arrest."

Clara snorted, saying quietly, "I bet he did." She looked back, finding Betty out of the tub and drying herself off. Looking back to the Warrior, she said, "We will be down immediately."

He acknowledged Clara, turned, and hurried away. Clara crossed to Betty, who asked, "What's happened...? Is Rolph okay...? Is my father ... is he ... is he dead?"

Clara lied, saying, "I do not know, Betty."

They quickly dressed, did the bare minimum of primping, and hurried downstairs and outside. The Coachman had their vehicle ready, with the Warrior Elite Bodyguard mounted to provide escort. The sun had already reached the treetops in the west, and by the time they reached Betty's home, it was past midnight; both girls had fallen asleep along the way, Betty far earlier than Clara, whose mind had been racing.

Betty was still asleep when the coach pulled up in front of the Keep. She awoke, but Rolph took her into his arms and carried her inside simply out of chivalry. He carried her directly to her bed chamber, where her Chamber Maid had prepared a bed and was standing by to help her into sleeping clothes.

"What's happened?" she asked at the coach, again inside the door, and a third time as Rolph delivered her to her bed. "What's happened to my father?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: I like this new pic. Yowsa.)

The Windham House
Early evening:

Style had never suffered so many erections in such a short time before. His cock wasn't always in action. When it was, though, it was wonderful. Initially, he was mostly using his mouth and hands. At times, he'd soften, only to harden again. It was both wonderful and aggravating.

While he was mostly pleasuring Betty and Clara, he also spent some time causing Payley some delight as well. This was at Clara's demand. She seemed to have a great interest in watching the sibling pleasure one another. She particularly enjoyed watching Payley suck her bother's cock, causing it to spew its contents all over for them to lick up. (He noted that Betty didn't participate in that.)

Several times, he inconspicuously maneuvered his cock close to Betty's pussy while their bodies were against one another. He didn't enter her, though. He waited to see if that was part of the special services Clara had requested. Then, after she whispered close to Clara's ear near the halfway mark of their fun, Betty simply pushed Style down to the bed, crawled into his lap, grasped his shaft, and put it inside her.

He paid close attention to her sounds, expressions, body language, and even instructions to ensure that he both pleased her and didn't hurt her. It wouldn't be until the second time they fucked that Style would learn that Lord Rolph had already had the privilege of claiming Betty's virginity. It disappointed him, but not for long. The fact that she'd already been fucked once led to her being more active, less hesitant, and far more fun.

By the time Clara decided that they'd had enough, Style had cum a record four times: once onto his own torso after his sister's blowjob; once inside Payley; once inside Clara; and twice inside Betty. It was the most incredible session of sex in his life, except for perhaps when he lost his own virginity. It had been a Nomadi initiation during which he'd emptied his balls into three older Troupe members.

As they dressed again, Clara handed each of the Nomadi two Gold Sovereigns. His sister quickly responded, "That's too much, m'lady. We enjoyed this as much as you and Lady Betty did."

Style just about slapped his sister on the butt as an expression of his disagreement. He'd worked hard to give the Ladies what they'd wanted. He deserved this money. But Clara told them, "You earned every bit of it."

Clara kissed each of them, saying, "I hope we see you again next year."

Style flashed a smile, promising, "Guaranteed, m'lady."

Clara asked, "You'll send word by messenger when your Troupe is nearing Windham next harvest, yes?"

"We'll likely be here to help with the planting in early spring, m'lady," Style told her.

He and Payley headed out, collecting their pies on the way. The Keep's cook wasn't at all happy with the Nomadi. Style wondered what it was that was bothering her the most: having to make the extra pies or having to listen to the cries of pleasure that surely filtered out into the Keep at times.

They were still loading up the borrowed cart when a rider approached at a gallop. He skillfully dismounted with his horse still skidding to a stop. He ran up the steps and into the house. Style looked to Payley, shrugging. Neither of them had any idea that Viscount Ulronni was being arrested. They surely couldn't know that he'd just been killed.

They returned to the Nomadi camp, distributed the pies, sang and danced a while, then retired for the night.


The Ulronni House:

Rolph was standing outside the Keep when the coach rolled up. Inside, Clara was awake. The still-sleeping Betty's head was in her lap. Betty stirred, but Rolph told her with a soft, soothing voice, "It's okay, m'lady. I have you."

He easily scooped her into his arms and turned for the Keep. He noticed immediately her scent. She smelled of sweat. Maybe of sex. He didn't doubt the latter, of course. Rolph knew that Clara and Betty partook of each other. He would never have imagined she'd been with a male, though, particularly not a Nomadi.

Rolph was a bit winded by the time he got Betty all the way to her bed. He moved to the fire raging in the hearth to warm the bed chamber. While he was turned away, the Chamber Maid changed Betty into her sleeping clothes and helped her into bed.

"What's happened to my father?" she asked when Rolph sat down next to her.

Rolph pulled a lock of hair from over her eye with a fingertip. With a sympathetic, soft tone, he said, "He's dead, m'lady."

He and Morrow had discussed what to say to Betty when she arrived. Rolph had made the final decision and now explained it to her. "When your father saw that I had accompanied Lord Morrow, he became incensed. He attacked me. I fought back, and in the scuffle, he fell into a wall. He broke his neck."

The irony of that explanation was that Rolph believed he was lying but wasn't. Ulronni had in fact broken his neck when his head slammed into the wall. But Rolph hadn't known that. He'd throttled the man's neck until he ceased breathing. After some discussion, Morrow had suggested that Rolph not include the strangling part. Rolph had agreed.

"I'm sorry, m'lady," he told her. "It wasn't intentional."

Down in the Great Hall:

Morrow stepped up close to Clara. He kissed her softly but erotically. Then, smiling, he whispered, "You taste like cum."

She reacted as he expected, causing Morrow to laugh. He asked about what they'd been doing. He didn't know if she'd tell him or not. Honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"The Viscount is dead," he said. He wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. He described the accident, as well as Rolph misunderstanding about the true cause of death.

He invited Clara to the roaring fire, pouring her a heated, alcoholic drink from the deceased man's expensive stash of liqueurs. He informed her, "I've been receiving messengers much of the day. We've taken almost 50 people into custody. Eight of them are from the Noble Class. Another eight from the Merchant Class. There are only four not in custody at the moment who I really wanted. But we could still get good news shortly."

They sat and talked while finishing off the Viscount's bottle. Clara fell asleep in Morrow's lap. He swept her up into his arms as Rolph had Betty earlier and carried her up a flight of stone steps to a guest room. He stripped her and considered fucking her. But she was exhausted. Instead, he curled up with her and drifted off to sleep.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House:

Betty and Rolph:

"He's dead, m'lady," Rolph said when Betty asked what had happened to her father. He explained that the Viscount had attacked him, finishing, "I fought back, and in the scuffle, he fell into a wall. He broke his neck."

Betty began sobbing, tears flooding down both cheeks; she tightened her arms around Rolph's body, desperate to be held by someone who loved her. The irony, of course, was that when Rolph and Morrow had asked her what she thought should happen to her father, it was she who had suggested that it might be better that he was killed rather than arrested. And now she was crying over his demise.

"I'm sorry, m'lady," Rold said. "It wasn't intentional."

Betty didn't know whether she believed that or not. She thought about asking to see her father's body but didn't. She just didn't think she could handle seeing him that way. She'd been allowed to see her mother's body when she'd died, and it had left Betty with nightmares for years.

"I need sleep," Betty said weakly. She lifted her head, met Rolph's lips in a soft kiss, then clarified, "Alone. I need to sleep alone." She untangled from him, rolled away while pulling blankets over her, then added, "I need Clara, please, m'lord. Can you send her to me, please?"

Clara and Morrow:

"You taste like cum," Morrow said when his kiss to Clara's lips included his tongue slipping just a bit in between them.

Without hesitation, she responded, "I was tongue kissing a Nomadi girl today ... after she'd sucked her brother's cock." Clara took a moment to examine Morrow's reaction; would he believe that she tasted of cock indirectly, or would he think that she felt that she needed to lie to him? Even more, would he want to know where to find this sister-brother duo for his own pleasure?

"The Viscount is dead," Morrow said bluntly.

"I know," Clara responded. "The messenger told me at Windham." He explained what happened, and Clara asked, "Is that really how he died?" She didn't know if Morrow would tell her the truth if that truth was different than she'd already been told.

He spoke about the messengers and the arrest. Clara smiled wide, saying, "Congratulations, m'lord. The Queen is going to be very impressed with you when you get back to the Capital for the trials."

Clara curled up in Morrow's arms in front of a roaring fire, only to fall asleep within seconds. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs. She was exhausted from the combination of a long day and hours of energetic sex, resulting in her very politely asking, "May we simply sleep this night, m'lord."

Morrow consented, but even before she was able to again fall asleep, Clara heard a soft knock on the door, followed by Rolph asking, "Is Lady Clara available to tend to Lady Betty?"

Clara donned her robe again and followed Rolph to Betty. Slipping into bed with the other woman, they held each other tightly until each of them was soundly asleep.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House

Sunrise:

Rolph hadn't slept during the night. Neither had Morrow. Their reasons had been different, though the result had been the same. By sunrise, they were both exhausted and in need of sleep.

Rolph had spent the hours speaking with the working members of the Ulronni household. They rightfully wished to know what the future held for them.

For the staff of the house, grounds, farm, and ranch, things would barely change. Most of them adored Lady Betty. They were relieved to know that she was safe. Some openly confessed their relief that Betty was now legally the Lady of Ulronni, not simply the daughter of the County's ruling Noble.

Betty wasn't, though. Not legally. Not yet.

The Viscount was dead. His daughter wasn't yet married to a Nobleman, though. Legally, the County, the House, and everything and everyone in it now belonged to the Viscount's nephew, cousin, or whomever that nearest relative was. Rolph wasn't entirely sure who the benefactor of the Viscount's death was. That was how little interaction Rolph had had with Ulronni's family. But he'd find out soon enough.

Luckily, there was the piece of parchment that Morrow had presented them the day before. Signed by Queen Luna, it promised that the County would go to Betty in any event. It made her father's fate irrelevant to her future. Dead or alive before or after her marriage to Rolph, Betty was to get everything.

The biggest issue for Rolph was the Viscount's protectors. Ulronni's security staff, it turned out, was much larger than Rolph had known. They hadn't simply been protecting their employer. They hadn't simply been protecting Ulronni's illegal activities either. They'd also been attacking the County's neighbors.

The Viscount had been engaged in a land dispute with a neighboring Count. Ulronni had wanted to build a dike to control flooding and provide late summer irrigation to his croplands. Even though the dike would be on his own lands, the flooding would take place mostly on the neighboring lands.

Ulronni had attempted negotiating for a transfer of the land. He'd been denied because his terms had been laughable. So, he'd turned to violence instead. Ulronni's thugs had been attacking the hamlets and villages on the neighboring Lord's land for almost a year. Three dozen innocents had been killed. Hundreds had been driven away when their fields and homes were burned.

Worse yet was what happened to the females living on or near the disputed land. Girls and young women by the dozens had been taken away by Ulronni's men. Most had never been seen or heard from again. Those who were recovered had been raped, beaten, and in some cases killed.

Rolph discovered all of this in the most incredible way. Rolph had assembled Ulronni's men in the Keep's Great Hall, surrounded by the Warriors Elite. Rolph was speaking to them about their futures. At this point, he hadn't yet uncovered the truth about the dispute or the missing girls.

One of the Viscount's protectors had identified himself as the most senior man. Rolph told him, "Speak to me honestly, and you and your men will not be harmed or detained. Lie to me, and you will be punished."

The man entirely omitted the kidnappings from his honest report to Rolph. Suddenly, one of Ulronni's men pulled a hidden dagger and sunk it into the man's chest. As the leader dropped with the blade still in him, the killer quickly indicated his surrender.

"I am Philip of Tothan," he identified himself. He looked to the man bleeding out on the floor. "This man was not going to be truthful with you. I will."

He stepped out from the line of men and turned to scrutinize them. He continued, "I will also tell you which of these men can be trusted. And which of them are concealing weapons with which they will stab you in the back the very moment--"

Even before Philip finished, one man, then another, then a third pulled weapons. Suddenly, the room was engaged in a furious fight between the Warrior Elite and those Guardsmen who'd pulled weapons. Some of the Guardsmen had immediately dropped to their knees, indicating their surrender.

Philip himself was attacked by one of the men. He quickly disarmed the man and slit his throat with his own dagger. He then dropped the blade and knelt with the others. Once the fighting was over, Rolph told Philip to stand and come with him to another room.

The man spent the next several minutes explaining in detail what the Viscount had tasked them with doing. "I did not wish to participate, m'lord. You must believe me. But the man I killed threatened my family. My parents. My brother and sisters. They were all in jeopardy if I did not do as I was told."

"You should be executed," Rolph told the man flatly. "Here and now."

"I should be," Philip agreed. "And I will be. Here. But not now."

"Why not now?" Rolph inquired.

"Because I know to where and to whom most of these girls and women were taken, m'lord," Philip said. "I can track these females down. I can uncover their fates. I can rescue those who can be rescued. At the least, I can uncover their fates. For their families.

"Then, when I have uncovered the fate of the last of them," Philip said, "You will kill me. Right here. I will not resist. I will face my punishment."

Rolph considered the man's proposal. Such things were not his area of expertise. He knew whose area of expertise this was, however: Morrow.

"Put this man in chains in the dungeon for now," Rolph ordered the Warrior who'd been watching over them. "I'll figure this out tomorrow."

"Thank you, m'lord," Philip said, bowing. He departed without resistance to be shackled.

(This part was for Rolph. Part 2 is for Morrow, coming soon. I haven't written it yet.)

 

[HumanBean]

(Part 2)

Despite the darkness and chill, Morrow had been outside since sending Clara off to Betty's bed. Standing at a roaring bonfire, he was speaking to a seemingly never ending parade of messengers arriving periodically. Some of them were his own people. They'd been part of the units taking the conspirators into custody all across the Republic.

Others, though, had come directly from Queen herself. Morrow had been keeping Luna aware of the arrests or, in some cases, killings. And she in turn had been keeping Morrow aware of subsequent issues related to both the arrests and killings.

The news of what Morrow had named Clean Sweep had gotten out. It had been expected. Morrow wasn't surprised or overly disappointed. The effect of the news was like that of the rats fleeing a burning ship. Corrupt officials were suddenly coming out of the woodwork. Some were coming to the Castle to confess and beg for mercy. Most, though, were packing up their coin and favorite family members and fleeing the Republic.

A great deal of additional unexpected knowledge would come to light in the days and weeks to come. Morrow and Luna had initially discovered the corruption and conspiracies due to a fluke. Morrow had taken over a particular office in Luna's Castle. By total and fortunate coincidence, it had belonged to a key member of much of the corruption.

He had recorded the details and hidden those records. Unfortunately for him, he hidden them where Morrow would have hidden bottles of liquor if the office had originally been his own. Finding the papers had been easy.

Those papers, though, would turn out to be only the start. The messages to Morrow from Luna spoke of just how much they hadn't expected. Morrow sent a Messenger back to Luna with a simple statement: I fear I will spill more blood than we had expected.

Luna's response, which would not arrive until the next day, would be blunt: Spill it. Spill it all.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House
Sunrise:

Betty and Rolph:

Betty awoke to find herself still in the arms of Clara, who stirred but otherwise remained asleep as Betty herself slid out of bed. Wearing her sleeping gown and donning a long, thick robe, she checked the door to her bed chamber; a Warrior Elite in the hallway politely asked if she needed anything, to which Betty only said before closing the door again, "No, thank you, sir."

She crossed to the other side of the room and pulled a tapestry from the stone wall, pushing open the narrow wooden door hidden behind it. Her father's Keep was much larger than her future-husband's was, with enough space for secret passageways. She hadn't been in this one for quite a while and found herself battling cobwebs as she moved slowly along in near total darkness.

Betty arrived at another secret door, peeked out a peep hole to find the passageway lightly illuminated by a pair of candles seemingly empty. She stepped out, brushed the cobwebs from her as best as she could, and descended the nearby staircase. At the bottom, she used a back hallway to circle around to her father's library. Betty had expected it to be empty but instead discovered the door cracked open and Rolph inside speaking to a man who Betty knew only by his given name.

Philip describe the kidnapping plot to Rolph, causing Betty's heart to sink ever deeper with each new revelation. The Guardsman swore that he hadn't wished to participate and had only done so to protect his own family.

"You should be executed," Rolph responded, "Here and now."

"I should be," Philip agreed. "And I will be. Here. But not now."

They discussed the concept of Philip attempting to locate and rescue as many of the girls as possible before Rolph ordered the man taken away to the dungeon; it wasn't so much a dungeon as it was a storage room that just happened to have some shackled secured to one wall for securing people her father had been angry at for one reason or the other.

Betty hurried away into the shadows, waited for the Warrior Elite to take Philp away, then slipped quietly into the library, catching Rolph's eye only when she was nearly within arm's reach. She smiled and giggled, apologizing for frightening him. Moving up against him, she wrapped her arms around his torso, stood on her bared tippy toes, and kissed him, soft but long.

"I wasn't spying, m'lord," Betty began, "But I did hear what you and that man, Philip...?" She got confirmation, then continued, "I heard you talking. You have to save those girls ... as many as possible. Right away! You can't let them be taken farther away or be brutalized another moment. Promise me, Rolph. Promise me ... that you will send this man ... maybe with some of Lord Morrow's men ... to find these girls."

Betty took one of Rolph's hands and cupped it around one of her breasts, squeezing his fingers around her firm flesh. She smiled devilishly, telling him, "Do this ... and I will show you my gratitude in ways you can't even imagine." The irony of her statement was that Betty's thinking of unimaginable was probably what Rolph considered barely more than normal, but -- even after what had happened between her, Clara, and the Nomadi siblings -- she was still fairly ignorant about just was unimaginable meant.

(OOC: I don't have time to write for Clara. Feel free to post for Rolph if you want, or wait for me. )

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House
Sunrise:

Rolph and Betty:

Rolph's mind was deep in thought when movement startled him. After what had just happened in the other room, he instinctively reached for the hilt of his dagger. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Betty standing there. He chuckled softly, saying, "You shouldn't do that, m'lady."

She came to him, kissing him. "I wasn't spying, m'lord, but I did hear what you and that man, Philip...?"

"Yes, Philip," Rolph confirmed. He marveled that with all that was happening, his cock still came to life when he was with Betty. "He was one of your father's men."

Rolph considered saying more. He didn't, though. He didn't want to trouble Betty with even more madness. But she'd heard the two of them. She told him, "You have to save those girls ... as many as possible. Right away!"

He began, "We do not know where they've been--"

"You can't let them be taken farther away," she interrupted, "or be brutalized another moment. Promise me, Rolph."

He didn't want to make promises that might have no value. For all Rolph knew, those girls were all dead. Or on ships or in caravans heading to distant lands. Philip had given some details of the number of females taken and how long they'd been gone. It left Rolph fearful that little could be done for them."

"Promise me," Betty continued, "that you will send this man, maybe with some of Lord Morrow's men, to find these girls."

Betty placed one of his hands firmly upon her young, firm breast. She promised, "Do this, and I will show you my gratitude in ways you can't even imagine."

He kissed her again as his free hand reached to clutch an ass cheek. Whispering, he warned, "I have quite an imagination, m'lady."

Rolph pulled loose the tie of her robe and reached down to pull her sleeping gown upward. He told her as he prepared her for a fucking over her father's desk, "In fact, I can just imagine--"
But that was all the farther he got. A heavy knock upon the library door was followed by Morrow announcing himself. The assassin stepped inside, smirked, and apologized, "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Should I come back after you've--"

"What do you need, m'lord?" Rolph asked annoyed. He helped Betty return her clothing to where it belonged before coming out from around Ulronni's desk.

"I have to get back to the Capital and the Queen," Morrow said. His tone contained a bit of self-promotion in its tone. "She wishes to begin trials tomorrow, and she wants me there."

"What about the message you brought from Queen Luna?" Rolph asked. He was, of course, referring to the piece of parchment that laid out his and Betty's futures.

Morrow reached into his coat, pulling the scroll out. He tossed it casually through the air to the other man. "A Priest from the Church of Yalla has already been dispatched from the Capital. He should be here before sundown. The Viscount's death will not be made public until after the marriage, to avoid any complications with the man's theoretical heir."

"Theoretical?" Rolph inquired.

"You have nothing to worry about regarding him," Morrow said, looking specifically to Betty. He jabbed a finger toward the scroll, its seal still unbroken. "The Queen's declaration is as I told you. The County of Ulronni goes to Lady Betty, who gains the title of Countess. The timing of the Viscount's death relative to your upcoming marriage is moot. Rolph, you gain title of Windham House with rights of inheritance."

Morrow glanced to Betty again before saying this next part. He knew it worried her. To Rolph he said, "And you know what you need to do to gain the title of Viscount of Ulronni County, m'lord."

"I have a proposal that I would like you to take to Queen Luna, Lord Morrow," Rolph began. He recapped what he'd just learned from Philip regarding the missing girls and women of the neighboring County. He finished with, "I would like to lead a team of men, alongside Philip of Tothan, to find these missing women. I believe that the impact of us accomplishing this, even if we only return a handful of them, would be far more important, for me, for Lady Betty, for the two Counties, than anything I could do leading a--"

"Consider it done," Morrow interrupted. He smiled, proud of the man. "I will make this happen. You tell me what you need, and I will ensure that you get it."

Morrow bowed respectfully to the bathrobe-gowned Betty. "M'lady. I shall take my leave and let the two of you get back to that which I interrupted. My apologies, again."

He backed a step, looked to Rolph, winked conspicuously, turned, and departed.

Rolph waited for the man to leave, walked to the door, locked it, and turned with a smile. He asked, "Where were we?"

He hoped that he was about to fuck Betty. But if she dashed that plan with other more important things, he would comply.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House
Shortly after Sunrise:

Betty and Rolph:

"Consider it done," Morrow told Rolph regarding his proposal to join Philip in searching for the kidnapped females. They finished that conversation, then Morrow looked to Betty, saying, "M'lady. I shall take my leave and let the two of you get back to that which I interrupted. My apologies, again."

She felt a blush flood her face, just as one had earlier when the man had initially caught her with her gowns above her waist and Rolph about to unbuckle his trousers behind her. Morrow made his exit, leaving Rolph to turn, smile, and ask, "Where were we?"

"You have a mission to prepare for, m'lord," Betty said as she walked away from her father's desk toward a wall to her right. "I have to get bathed and dressed. I'm getting married today."

She pushed on the wooden paneling between two book cases, causing it -- a secret door -- to open away from her. Betty caught Rolph's reaction and giggled. "My home has many secrets that I'll be happy to share with you, m'lord ... after you begin saving these women."