Sionnach (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Well, we need to remedy that, don't we?" Andre smiled handsomely, his fingers drifting down through her fur. He slid back, rearranging til her legs were wrapped around his hips and her trousers were tossed aside as well. Andre's fingers began to stroke gently over her thighs, til he dipped two fingers in the open jar, and brought them back to trail over her tender flesh experimentally.

The sensation began within seconds, a tingling and warming that spread all along the trail left by Andre's fingers. And as he began to massage further inward with a healthy amount of the strange mixture, it seemed to sink into Riley's core, making her more sensitive and beginning.to make her ache for someone, anyone.

"How's that?" Andre asked softly, curious to see how she'd react.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley watched him closely as he got her positioned right where he wanted. When he dipped his fingers into the jar, she could feel herself already shaking. She wasn't one to lose control much, but she knew that he was interested to see what might happen. When he touched her, she actually jumped in anticipation. Then it seemed to seep into her skin, tingling and making her ache in the worst way possible.

"Koah..." She gasped, starting to wriggle as she grew wet and needy with just the little bit that he had tried on her. "Gods."

She couldn't help it as she reached for his hand, encouraging him to keep touching her. As her fingers curled over his own, she let out a whimper that died on a hot moan.

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre grinned as she squirmed, and he brought his free hand up to her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her. His hips pressed into the cradle of her own, grinding against her with his trousers still separating them. Just the sensation of having a mate pressed against her was stirring up primal feelings thanks to the concoction they'd decided to play with.

"Let go, love," he encouraged softly. "Let me take care of you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley's lips parted in a silent gasp as Andre pressed so tightly against her. She could feel his arousal through his trousers as he whispered to her in that husky voice. She whimpered and turned her head to press a heated kiss to his palm, daring to grind her hips against his own as she burned from the inside out.

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre slipped his fingers to the back of her neck, his fingers gently tangling in her fur while he practically attacked her throat with hungry kisses, making her wait a little longer before he unbuttoned his trousers and spread more of the lotion over his hardened length. "Fuck," he whispered as the sensation hit him as well. He pressed slowly into her burning core, biting his lower lip at the intense sensitivity. His hand pressed to her belly as he began to flex his hips against her. "Why didn't we do this sooner?" He gasped with a grin.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Because you're a sadist." Riley panted, trying her hardest not to cry out as he sank into her after liberally coating his cock in the lotion.

She moaned hotly as he thrust, her entire body rocking beneath him. She couldn't help it as her fingers found their way to her throbbing clit and she massaged it until she was seeing stars.

"Fuck..." She whimpered, half lidded eyes looking up into his own. "Please, Koah."

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre's hands took hold of her waist, pinning her down for him to pick up speed, watching her pleasure herself at the same time. "Goddammit you're gorgeous," he muttered, his own sensitivity growing. He knew they wouldn't last too long with these new sensations, but he was already planning on a second round.

Sinking to the hilt inside her welcoming body with quicker and deeper thrusts, Andre leaned down and bit into her shoulder on instinct. He didn't break skin, but that little jolt of pain mixed with the pleasure in an unexpectedly lovely way.

 

[heartofcourage]

The moment that his teeth clenched on her shoulder, Riley let out a yelp and came. She was surprised by the force of her orgasm and the way that it shook her body, but Andre was holding her in place tightly. She wasn't about to get away from him any time soon.

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre wasn't far behind her, pulling back as his own climax hit him only seconds later. He pressed his face to her neck, letting the warmth of the aftermath and their deep connection linger while a silly little lovestruck grin came to his face. "Sorry," he muttered. "Got a little too wild for a second."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley whimpered as Andre found his climax with her. Her body was still humming as he nuzzled against her neck, basking in the aftermath of their joining. She couldn't help continuing to stroke her wet core, her ears flicking back slightly in embarrassment that she felt that needy. Whatever was in that damned lotion had turned her on in ways that she had never experienced before.

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre chuckled, his own hand slipping down to join hers while the other massaged her soft breast. He could feel his arousal growing again, but he was too enraptured by her and her desperate search for another high to really notice.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley melted as Andre chuckled in that husky voice, massaging her breast and stroking her until she found another peak quickly. She captured his lips to stifle her little howl of pleasure, losing herself in the moment as he toyed with her in ways that she would have never imagined.

 

[KieranSoares]

The pair made love off and on for a long while before falling into an exhausted, sated sleep.

Come late morning, anyone still sleeping was woken up by bugles in the distance, unfamiliar and foreign, followed by the alert whistles of Riders, warning bells through Calais, and Northern warhorns.

Approaching from Dover was a fleet of large warships, likely former English vessels refitted with the colors of the rebel Imperials' coats of arms. All six ships were flying white flags, signalling a peaceful approach.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was among the first to leave the manor in spite of those that protested she needed to wait. She made her way towards Schaller, dropping her crutch on the ground to climb into his saddle.

"Leave me alone, you bloody lot." She muttered as Schaller helped her to mount him. "They're like leaches, I swear."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Genuinely concerned leeches," Schaller reminded, but he helped her up regardless and let her get settled before taking off over Calais harbor to meet the fleet along with Jani, Ezra, and other veteran Riders circling and watching. Sam was in the harbor itself in minutes atop Kennah with Invah close by, backed up by Norwegian and Norman soldiers with cannons and ballistae loaded.

Among the ships, all hands were called on deck but none of them aimed ballistae or weapons upward. Bugles sounded across the ships to signal the dragons' approach.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley emerged from the ger, buttoning the last of the buttons on her jacket and calling for Marth. The ships were definitely not expected and even if they were flying their white sails, she didn't trust them one bit. Catching sight of her mother and Jani flying with Ezra to meet them, she hurried a little bit quicker towards Marth.

"No time for tack. Let's go." She murmured as she climbed his side to set herself high on his shoulders.

 

[KieranSoares]

Marth sighed as Riley insisted they didn't have time for a saddle, knowing they'd catch hell later for being a bad example to greenhorns and too reckless, but he set off right away when she was ready.

The ships continued to approach, showing no signs of aggression as quickly-prepared Norman ships guided them in and locked them into the harbor. Gangplanks were thrown down from the flagship and a retinue of heavily-armed guardsmen and three men in fine clothes and partially-decorative, partially-functional Imperial armor disembarked. The Imperial armor had long since been rehammered and recolored to greens and greys to match their tabards and shields depicting a powerful grey stag with a crown. But the armor was still mildly recognizable nonetheless.

Sam watched cautiously with his own retinue of Axemen and Norwegian spearmen, signaling Fiona down to join him. He wanted her input and quite honestly, he knew even wounded, she was fast enough to destroy several soldiers before they got a chance to hurt the Northern leaders.

 

[heartofcourage]

Schaller gracefully dropped into an empty position next to Sam as ships in the harbor began to unload. Fiona didn't move from her saddle, watching everything with a hard glare. Perhaps it was the nature of her life, but none of this felt right. Why would they be sending a peace envoy?

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam sat high in the saddle, he and his officers remaining on the high ground as the group approached. The bodyguards paused several paces back and only one man approached in what was a combination of highlander garb and formerly Imperial armor, a heavy wolf skin over his shoulders and tartan about his waist. He certainly looked Northern with lighter auburn hair and a rugged, broad form. He looked to be less than thirty, perhaps maybe in his mid-twenties, with pale blue Arian eyes that were a dead giveaway of a mixed heritage.

"Hail, Northerners. Commander Samuel Ghis, Rider Queen Fiona Blackstone, I presume," the man greeted in a thick Scottish brogue, standing alone in an open posture, hands on his hips with confidence and his chest puffed, but not disrespectful as he bowed his head. "Greetings from Edinburgh an' London. My name is Finnegan Royer, son of the new High King Brennan Royer o' Edinburgh, slayer of the tyrant Mateo Emile. I come bringin' my father's blessings, an' to take council with th'Northern leaders about your decision to invade and take back your ancestral lands."

Sam was thoroughly thrown off-guard at that, having expected they'd be dealing with this Mateo Emile, a former Roman soldier who'd defaced the Scottish colors and ruled over Kate's former lands with greed. But seeing what appeared to be a proper son of Scotland made him unsure.

"Welcome to Calais... Prince Finnegan, I assume?" Sam greeted cautiously, unsure of what type of man they might be dealing with.

"I hope to be worthy o' tha' title someday, sir, but I've no' proven myself yet. Finn will do fer now. May I speak with you an' your fellows? I come not to brandish threats or beg mercy, but to set th'rules of our engagement."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona listened to what the young man was saying, completely confused as he announced that Mateo Emile was dead and his parents were in charge. It made no sense with all of the intel that they had gained from Scotland and England before they made their plans.

"You still wish to engage with us on this?" Fiona asked from Schaller's back, the great dragon settling close to the ground so that she could speak. "Forgive me if I sound suspicious, but what you say makes no sense."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's been twenty years since you lot called the isles home. Since then, the people who took it over an' those left behind have made it a home again. It's our land, an' fer people like me with parents o' both cultures, it's part of our heritage. Mateo Emile spent all 'is time erasin' our history as Scots an' English an' Welsh, til we decided 'e'd gone too far. His head adorns th'battlements o' Edinburgh Castle now, as a reminder t'other Imperials tha' Scotland's people are still proud an' strong. An' my Da loves our land an' was chosen as High King among th'Barons an' Clan Kings. He knew you were comin'. We've seen an' heard o' yer preparations ever since th'Empire heeled t'the North. My Da an' his allies won' give up their thrones, an' we know you want 'em back. So we're gonna fight, we know it. An' we know we'll probably lose, but we aren't interested in surrender. So I'm here t'make sure it's a fair fight."

"I don' understand, lad," Sam tried to start, but Finnegan interrupted.

"Why no'?" Finnegan questioned. "We're jus' like you, Samuel Ghis. We rooted out our evils an' made peace fer ourselves, an' now a huge, unbeatable force is comin' to take it all away. We can't win. But what th'hell else can we do but try, an' die with dignity? Except unlike you, we don' have a Norway t'flee to when our keeps fall."

"You won't accept terms of peace? Even if your allies kept nobility under the rightful crowns?" Soma spoke up, emerging from the crowd of soldiers.

"You mus' be Soma Ghis, th'famed young tactician," Finn said with a smile. "Yer exactly why we'll lose, lad. But no. We've discussed fer near a year what we'd do when Mateo was slain an' the North came callin'. My Da won't give his throne to someone who lost it. Queen Katherine Aleister will have t'earn it back. Same goes fer you, Sam Ghis, up against the King o' Inverness and the Queen o' Inverlochly. Th'barons of England an' some minor clan lords migh' be willing t'negotiate, but th'King o' Wales has made it clear he won't surrender his throne t'House Beauclerc."

"Surely there's a better way than this," Sam insisted. "We aren' like th'old Empire. We know yer folk left th'Empire an' yer mixed in with th'isles' blood now. We don' have to fight."

"Respectfully, sir... If you want yer thrones back, there'll be a fight. Yer welcome t'ask the allied kings t'return home as minor nobles, but you won't be kings an' queens unless you earn those thrones back. Tha's our final word."

"Bloody stubborn Scots," Sam sighed, and Finnegan smiled back proudly.

"Damned right. I look forward t'meetin' you on th'battlefield, or a feast in yer honor if y'get a duel an' win. We'll give ya time t'consider all I've said, but once you've made yer decisions, I want t'set ground rules fer th'fights. Most of us have agreed we'd prefer honor an' glory over tricks an' Imperial cheating. We hope yer th'same."

Soma was staring at this wide-eyed as his father seemed to accept the idea that there was going to be a fight. "Are you two absolutely insane?" Soma blurted. "You're talking about fighting a war and killing each other when the winner is already clear, and you want people to die anyway?"

"You don' understand, Soma," Sam said calmly, holding Finnegan's gaze. "Scots are stubborn, an' they'd rather fight an' die an' leave behind a story, than relent an' live quietly under th'rule o' some soft-handed, honorless cad. As far as they know, th'Ghis aren't worthy t'take back our ancestral lands. We need t'prove it. An' you can bet tha' as we prove ourselves, more will join our side, an' our opponents will either bow proudly, 'r die fiercely."

"Spoken like a proper son o' Brogan Ghis," Finnegan agreed, looking to Soma once more. "You've never known our homeland, lad. We're warriors, proud an' traditional. This is how Inverness especially has always done things, all th'way back to Aodh and Dianh. Despite Emile's attempts t'erase our history, we remember. I was born in Germany to a Scottish mother an' Hungarian father, an' we moved t'Inverness when I was a boy. I grew up with Invernessian children whose families didn't evacuate twenty years back, I learned the culture an' embraced it alongside my Da. Now with him hailed as High King and an honorary Scot, I'm a proud Scot myself. An' it'll be good to meet our displaced kin in a proper test o' mettle."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was quiet as she took in what had been told to them. She was the same way an hour later as she sat in front of the fire while Kate raged to the rest of the family about the new terms of engagement. They had invited Finnegan to stay if he wished, to eat as was hospitable, but the Ghis family had closed ranks and were meeting in private.

"The little son of a bitch thinks that he can come in here and make demands of us like this? That is my throne. Gale chose me. Not his fucking father." Kate raged, pacing the entire length of the room in her fury. "So what? Now all of our planning is for nothing. They're trying to make us the villain in their story."

 

[KieranSoares]

Those present for the family meeting were in various states of similar rage or quiet contemplation. Brogan and his brothers seemed to understand Finnegan's challenge from his father and were willing to meet it, but younger members seemed confused if not angry like Kate.

"You can't blame th'boy fer bringin' his father's message," Sam reminded Kate. "An' no, Gale didn't choose him. But in th'eyes o' the people we had to leave behind, especially th'more traditional folk, we lost our thrones an' we need t'earn them back. Mateo Emile usurped your throne an' was a tyrant, til Brennan Royer stepped in an' cut him down. Jus' like a proper highlander does to a tyrant. We couldn't do tha' for our people, so Royer's earned his place. An' we earn ours back by takin' it back, or reaching agreements with nobles, but we need t'be careful of collateral."

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, what? They make us sound like cowards in front of our former friends and allies. I promise you that there are more people in Scotland that remember the Ghis name than he gives us credit for." Kate muttered, pausing to look at the rest of them. "They want us to be the phantoms just as the Empire was. That's what we will be. The usurpers."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then what do you want, Kate?" Sam asked calmly. "I'm open to suggestions. An' just because they said they want a fight doesn' mean I'm not gonna try t'make peace with each noble tha' comes our way. But some won' give up what they have without bein' beaten fair an' square. An' sure, lots o' folks will hear of us comin' an' join our side. But not all."