"The Queen's Assassin" (closed)

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House
After sunrise:

Clara hadn't been prepared to face the morning yet when Betty stirred beside her, instead leaving her eyes closed and rolling away in the hopes that she would left to sleep. It worked, and sometime later, Clara finally rose refreshed and prepared for the day. She descended toward the smell of greasy meat cooking over a flame and was served a plate of bacon, fried potatoes, and roasted apple slices.

She went looking for Morrow, finding him exiting a room just off the Great Hall as he said presumably to Betty, "M'lady. I shall take my leave and let the two of you get back to that which I interrupted. My apologies, again."

When Morrow turned fully to look into her face, Clara asked knowingly, "Just what was it that you interrupted, m'lord?"

He might not answer, but Clara was pretty certain of what was happening in the adjacent room. She walked to Morrow, kissing him on the lips, and -- looking back to a crew of five workers cleaning what looked like blood off the stone floor -- asked, "Did I miss something during the night, lover?"

Again, Morrow might not answer, and again she was pretty certain what had happened: more deaths. She asked, "Are we going to be able to conduct a wedding here? I mean, Viscount Ulronni, Betty's father, died here in this very room last night." If Morrow mentioned the other killings, she would remind him of that too; if he didn't, then she had nothing more to say on that topic. "I'm thinking that perhaps it would be better to return to Windham and hold the ceremony there. I get the feeling that Betty doesn't feel as lovingly about this place as she does Rolph's home."

Clara would go with whatever the others decided. At this moment, she was just along for the ride; her part in Operation Clean Sweep had been completed when she'd befriended Betty and enabled Morrow to get close to the girl's father. Everything since then, including all the wonderful and exciting sex, had simply been frosting atop the cake.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House
Morning:

"Just what was it that you interrupted, m'lord?" Clara asked when she came across Morrow.

He smiled knowingly. His answer was less than descriptive: "A private moment."

She kissed him, asking, "Did I miss something during the night, lover?"

Morrow looked to the cleaning crew. "Yeah, well, the surrender of Ulronni's security force didn't go as peacefully as we'd hoped."

He turned her away toward the stairs. He needed sleep. Morrow had been awake since sunrise the day before. He also needed a blowjob. That was one of the reasons he kept Clara around, of course.

"Are we going to be able to conduct a wedding here?" she asked. "I mean, Viscount Ulronni, Betty's father, died here in this very room last night."

Morrow had thought about that, of course. It wasn't really the best of settings for a young woman's wedding. He asked, "You have a better idea, I assume?"

Clara suggested holding the ceremony at Windham. Morrow pointed out, "It's a six-hour coach ride there. Rolph hasn't slept. I haven't slept. Betty's clothing is here, I would assume. I mean, I don't know anything about wedding wardrobes. Can you just toss it into a coach and go? And the priest is on his way here."

They discussed it more. Morrow didn't have a chance. He sent Clara to prepare Betty. Shockingly, in less than an hour, two coaches were heading north for Windham. The boys slept almost the entire ride. The rocking of the vehicle helped.

The girls? Morrow didn't know. Morrow didn't care. He just wanted this over with. He had to get back to the Capital, to Luna, and to the vast array of criminals awaiting trial.

 

[HumanBean]

(OOC: If there is anyone following our story, which I doubt based on the lack of down below, I made a mistake with the time of day in my post above. It originally said "Late Evening" because I had planned on movie us that far. My writing partner, however, reminded me that we are moving the location of the wedding, so my post should have been in the morning. Sorry.)

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Ulronni House
Morning:

Clara rushed into Betty's bed chamber, where she saw the young woman and her Chamber Maid, Oria, standing in Betty's large walk-in closet. She called excitedly, "Pick a dress! Hurry! Pick a couple of them, a backup, in case. Do you have something lacy that you can wear as a veil--"

Clara was hurriedly grabbing up her own things scattered around the room and tossing them in the direction of her bag sitting on a nearby couch. When she heard no response from the women behind her, she turned -- and froze! Betty stood in the entrance to the closet, holding a beautiful, white, lacy dress before her form; beside her, Oria held a veil that, when stretched out, was more than three times the bride's height.

With tears building in her eyes, she explained, "It was my mother's. She wore it for her marriage ... to my--" She stopped there, not wanting to invoke her father's name. She smiled wide, the tears suddenly falling as she said with great emotion, "It's perfect."

The three of them, along with two more women called in to help, packed up the dress, the veil, and more. Laughter, tears, hugs, and more entertained the five. They finished packing in less than an hour, with a multitude of men hauling the trunks and bags down to the coaches.

Morrow and Rolph were there with the latter packed as well. Clara and Betty looked at the difference in the number of bags and laughed. They all loaded up and got on the road for the long drive to Windham. The guys might have been sleeping all the way, but the girls talked and laughed and giggled and told raunchy stories -- well, Clara did, while Betty showed genuine shock at some of the tales and asked inappropriate questions about the others.

At one point a rider intercepted the train of coaches, wagons, and riders to report that the Priest had been intercepted and turned toward the new destination. Then, an amazing surprise was revealed: a second party had also been intercepted and diverted to Windham -- Queen Luna.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
Just before sundown:

The rider leapt from the saddle of his horse even as it was still sliding to a stop just a few yards short of the Keep's wall. The man hit the ground running, unbalanced for only a moment. He sprinted for and up the steps, taking them two at a time. At the top, a member of the Warrior Elite had been expecting the rider. He threw open the door and stood back.

Inside the Great Hall, Rolph spun away from the wedding preparations. The messenger, like his horse before him, slid to a stop, this time on polished hardwood, not packed muddy ground. He tried to speak, gasped for air, then succeeded: "They're coming. She's coming. The Queen."

"How far man?" Rolph inquired. The messenger, gasping for air after his ride and run, raised two extended fingers. Rolph snapped, "Minutes? Or miles?"

"Let the man catch his breath," Morrow said, laughing as he headed the man's direction.

"Minutes," the messenger finally got out. "Two minutes. Less!"

Morrow took the man by the elbow and turned him toward a hallway. He told him politely, "Catch your breath. Go down those stairs and find yourself some water and something to eat."

He looked to the man's boots, then to the trail of mud left behind him. Less friendly but in a soft tone, Morrow told him, "Come up here with dirty boots before the ceremony is over, and you'll be riding back to the Capital naked. Understand?"

The man nodded his understanding. He took the indicated stairs down toward the kitchen. He looked eager to get away.

Morrow turned back to find a pair of servants already cleaning up the mess, supervised by Rolph. He went to the Lord, took him by the elbow, and turned him toward the exit from the Keep. Gruffly, Morrow reminded him, "You have more important things to think about than whether the floor is dirty, m'lord."

They went outside and down to the ground. The Warrior Elites, Windham Estate Guardsmen, Keep servants (not preparing inside), the entire population of the hamlet, and the Nomadi were already gathering. The news that the Queen had decided to attend Lord Rolph and Lady Betty's wedding had led to a sudden explosion of work about the Keep.

The gaps between the drive's cobblestones had been quickly filled in with sand to make it feel less worn out and in need of repairs. Bows of evergreens were spread all about in an attempt to mask the natural scent of the too-nearby hog pens and cattle corrals. (The smell had been made worse and distributed by the recent rains.)

Rolph had passed word that the hamlet residents were to wear their best clothes for the Queen's arrival. He was relieved now as he looked upon them to see how nice they all looked. Unlike many peasant populations, Rolph's people didn't live in the deep squalor suffered in many other locations or in the slums of the Capital.

It also helped that Windham had its own Chapel of the Tella-Un. Its Vicar held the normal services, celebrating the solstices, periodic annual events, and holy days common throughout the Known World. When he felt it was needed, he also announced random services. And then there were funerals, marriages, births, and such.

It was important for the Peasants and Commoners to keep a set of clothes strictly for attending Chapel. Not just for religious or community reasons. But because the Vicar distributed what were general considered to be very generous amounts of Alms at the end of the events and services. Those alms could sometimes double the poorest of Peasant's earnings.

Rolph had also approached Style and Payley about collecting more wildflowers and beautiful plants from the forest. The Nomadi had more than earned the gold coins he'd promised them.

And he'd asked the hamlet residents to clean up the exteriors around their huts, as well as collect and hide away as many of the free running animals they could. The result was that the ride up the cobblestone drive through the hamlet looked more beautiful than it ever had.

Suddenly, the sound of the approaching train broke from the distant forest. The procession began with six banner-bearing riders, pairs side by side, of course. Next came a dozen conspicuously dressed Warrior Elites. After that was a beautiful coach that Rolph would learn was carrying the Priest. (He'd been told to wait in Treyla for the Queen's train to catch up, apparently.)

And then there was the Queen's coach. It was the most magnificent coach Rolph had ever seen. It was also the most technologically advanced, he would learn later when he asked about it. It had a new style of spring that countered the roughness of the roads. Additionally, it had a device called a movement absorber. Together, these two technologies virtually eliminated the tragic rocking and rolling of a coach on rough, rural roads.

And there had been recent advances in sturdy glass for coaches, too. No longer were sheets of cloth or wooden shutters used to keep out the dust during the summer or the rain and cold wind during the winter. Now, passengers could sit behind glass windows and enjoy the view as they crossed the countryside.

Behind the Queen's coach was yet a third coach with Luna's invited guests. Behind that, another dozen Warrior Elites. And finally, bringing up the rear, were three covered supply wagons. Rolph would learn that the Queen had brought enough food and drink to throw an after-ceremony reception for not just the wedding participants but for the entire hamlet as well.

The riders arrived and spread out in a prearranged fashion that revealed they'd practiced for this. The Queen's coach stopped just before the lineup of wedding party members: Clara (OOC: in a beautiful dress, of course), Rolph, Betty (OOC: In white, as MarieDavisRPs said earlier), and Morrow, with others important to the event flanking them at each end.

As Luna emerged, the line bowed or curtseyed as one. stepped forward, bowing a second time before offering his hand. "My Queen, welcome. Please, let me introduce you to our hosts, the lucky couple."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
Just before sundown:

(OOC: Betty won't be in her wedding dress yet. Just a beautiful dress.)

Queen Luna took the offered hand of the Lieutenant of the Warrior Elite unit assigned to as her Bodyguard as she stepped out of the coach; she smiled to the assembled men and women lined up before the Keep to greet her. Before dawn, she and her train of riders, coaches, and supply wagons had left the Castle in Yalla City destined for Windham; Luna had left wearing comfortable traveling clothes that would keep her warm and allow her comfort for the nap she had correctly presumed she was slip into on the way.

The train had stopped three times for simple, small meals, leg-stretching, and watering of the horses, with a fourth stop just three miles before they left the woods that formed the perimeter of the Windham Estate. Here, Luna changed into a linen tunic and her Rock-Bear cloak for her arrival at the Keep; she would change again into a silk gown and fox wrap -- along with her crown, of course -- before the wedding ceremony to remind the event's participants and attendees of just who she was, as if that was needed.

"My Queen, welcome," Morrow greeted, bowing before turning and leading her to the others. "Please, let me introduce you to our hosts, the lucky couple."

"Countess Ulronni," Luna said, using the title that Betty was officially yet to receive. As the bride curtseyed, Luna said, "We've met, Countess. The City of Tiala ... maybe six, seven years ago. I think you were introduced to me by your father."

"Yes, Your Highness," Betty said, delighted with being remembered by the Queen; the recognition was stunning enough to keep Betty from thinking too heavily on the mention of her now-deceased father, the corrupt conspirator who'd been so disloyal to the Crown prior to Luna's rise to the Throne. Betty repeated her curtsey, responding, "I remember, My Queen, very well." Softer, as if telling a secret, she added, "I remember what you told me, too, My Queen."

Betty could have recounted how Luna had told the then-12-year-old -- who was only just beginning to develop her womanly curves -- that one day she would develop into a beautify woman and, as such, would learn to use her beauty and feminine wiles to conquer the world ... to conquer men, specifically. Standing next to her soon-to-be-husband, though, Betty was hesitant to talk about such things, particularly after she'd spent the previous night in sweaty, energetic, ecstatic sex with not only Clara but with a pair of sibling Nomadi, one of whom -- a male -- had fucked her, twice.

Luna confirmed remembering the conversation with a quick glance at Betty's bosom -- their appearance enhanced by the bustier beneath her dress -- and a conspicuous wink before whispering, "I remember." Glancing toward Rolph, then back, Luna asked, "Have you learned to do what I spoke of ... and deployed that knowledge?"

Betty blushed as she did her best to stifle a giggle, answering, "I am working on it, My Queen."

"Good," Luna said before stepping to her left to stand before Rolph. She continued her spontaneous elevation of Noble titles with, "Lord Rolph, Viscount of Windham. It is good to meet you as well." She waited for his reaction if there was to be one, then continued, "You might not know this, but I am an admirer of yours. I have been hearing good things about you for years ... of how your kind treatment of those who work your estate has not only produced a happy people but also led to your small estate becoming very successful ... very profitable. I congratulate you."

She turned to give the residents a look and a smile; the crowd only seemed to have grown, with stragglers coming in from the fields, the woods, and their own homes; to one side, Luna took note of the Nomadi, all very colorfully dressed as was their nature for important events. She looked back to Rolph, continuing, "It seems that those stories are true indeed."

They chatted a moment more about his estate, hamlet, and people before Luna stepped to the side again, saying to the beauty before her, "Lady Clara. It has been a while."

The last time they'd seen one another, Luna -- with Morrow providing the suggestion -- had offered Clara an opportunity to aid the Republic by seducing a corrupt Noble and leading him, ultimately, to his death. Luna understood that Clara had come from the scullery of her own castle, and that -- legally and socially -- she was barely a Commoner, let alone a Lady. And yet, Luna leaned in closer and said softly, "When next you visit the Castle, please call on me ... so that we can talk about your future ... in my Court."

Clara's eyes widened with surprise; Morrow had already lifted her from the scullery, and now the Queen was offering her a position working directly for her? This was simply unimaginable for her, leading her to do a deep curtsey, saying, "You can count on it, My Queen."

Next, Luna stepped to stand before Morrow, who had rejoined the line of Nobles. She simply stared at him for a moment, smiling in delight with all that he'd done for her in such a short time. Softly, more for them than for any of the others, Luna said, "I cannot even begin to fully explain the impact your work has had on the future of the Republic ... and on my Rule ... but this is Lord Rolph and Lady's day, so ... we will discuss it more at a later time, agreed ... Count Morrow Tyne?"

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
Sundown:

The sun had just touched the tree tops in the west as Luna concluded the exchange of greetings with the Nobles. The Warrior Elite Lieutenant caught Luna's eye and gestured toward the wagons. She nodded his go-ahead

The Lieutenant gestured to men at the wagons. Immediately, the men began unloading the vehicles. Soon, several fire pits would be blazing under hog and goat carcasses. Hundreds of pounds of vegetables would be cut up to be roasted or boiled. Bread, butter, milk, ale, fruits, and so much more would be unloaded to feed the hamlet.

Rolph and Betty led the others into the Keep. It had been decorated from floor to ceiling.

Benches and chairs from all about the structure had been arranged in three half-moon shaped curves facing the small elevated dais. Typically, the raised portion was only used to seat Rolph and his most honored guests during important dinners.

Tonight it would be where the Tella-Un Vicar would join Rolph and Betty in Marriage.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
Sometime after dark:

The wedding ceremony had been pretty basic, just as with most weddings; only those ceremonies between Royals, the most powerful or richest Nobles, or a cross between the two was every very elaborate. Still, it was a moment of deep emotion as the Vicar read from the Holy Book of Tella-Un -- in the original Un language, of course -- followed by Rolph and Betty speaking the vows they'd created themselves. There was, of course, the little detail of having the Queen of the Republic of Yalla on hand, something that hadn't happened in this land in more than half a millennium, when last a woman sat upon the Throne.

The Vicar looked to his right, to where Luna had been standing quietly and out of the view of many of the guests, wanting to keep the attention where it should have been, on Rolph and Betty. He asked, "Does Your Majesty have anything she would like to add?"

Luna smiled as she crossed to stand between the two, taking a hand of each of theirs and placing them together before her. She said with a sincere tone as she looked between them, "Viscount Rolph of Windham ... Countess Betty of Ulronni--"

"Delora Glen," Betty corrected quickly, suddenly feeling self-conscious that she'd interrupted the Queen and adding softly, "My Queen."

Betty had had time to speak to Luna between dinner and preparing for the ceremony, and they'd talked about the stain that Betty and her descendants would carry because of her father's treachery. Luna had suggested that the name Ulronni be stricken from the titles, property, and even her own name, to which Betty had excitedly asked, "Can I do that? How do I do that?"

Luna had laughed aloud, saying, "I'm the Queen. I can do anything I want. Consider it done." Despite the violation of protocol involved, Betty had surged forward to wrap her arms around Luna for a big, strong hug, after which Luna had asked, "What new name would you like to use, Betty. It's totally your choice ... well ... unless it's something I don't like, and then I'm likely to--"

"Delora!" Betty had interrupted, again apologizing for interrupting before saying, "Delora Glen." She explained that Delora had been her mother's name, and that -- before her mother's death -- the two of them had spent a great deal of time together in the glen that occupied a good portion of the estate's many acres. She asked with great hope in her voice, "May I rename it Delora Glen?"

"You may," Luna said without hesitation. And now, before the members of the wedding party, Luna continued, "Countess Betty of Delora Glen ... the two of you have just done something that so many Nobles ... and Royals, too, never do: you have married for love. Not for money and not for politics. For the most wonderful thing that two people can share with one another. I wish you all the happiness in the Known World."

With that, Luna released her hold on their clutching hands, stepped aside for the Vicar to complete the ceremony in Un, and watched the pair come together and kiss each other, long and soft and lovingly. The guests, of course, cheered, applauded, and stomped, both their feet and -- if they were sitting in them -- their wooden chairs. The pair passed through the continuing mayhem to the Great Hall's exit and out onto the steps that looked out over the hamlet, where the crowd there joined the noisy celebrating; the mass of people had doubled from earlier with people from four counties flooding here, either for the wedding or for a peek at Queen Luna.

Because of the genuine respect that both Betty and Rolph had for their Peasants and Commoners, they'd chosen to revive a tradition that had been abandoned across much of the Republic in recent years. With the Warriors Elite cutting a path down the cobblestone drive and separating the crowd into left and right bunches, Rolph and Betty, Morrow and Clara, and even Luna and her Lieutenant paraded down the road, tossing coins into the air over the cheering masses. Most of the coins were Copper Five Pieces, but there was also a significant amount of Silver Sovereigns as well. And to ensure that fighting didn't break out over them, the six distributors placed Gold Sovereign Half-pieces directly into the hands of many of the well-wishers, particularly women or even men who were surrounded by children who, presumably, they cared for.

The parade circled the hamlet before returning to and into the Keep, the mayhem continuing until finally the Nobles and Queen had finally disappeared. Inside, warm alcoholic drinks traditional for weddings -- particularly in the Autumn cold -- were ready for distribution and consumption while the members of the wedding party spoke out their own personal messages of hope for the couple.

Finally, Rolph and Betty headed off for their bed for what was supposed to be the consummation of their marriage. Well, actually, they were consummating the marriage, even if they weren't fucking each other for the first time. Morrow and Clara made their way to a room they were going to share; and although the best guest room had been cleaned and prepped for her once it was realized that she was coming to Windham, Queen Luna chose to sleep in the Royal Hunting Tent, which a crew of workers had been erecting and making comfortable all afternoon for her.

Out in the hamlet, things began to settle down once the remaining food had been distributed to the people and the search of coins on the ground had ended. For security, Luna's tent was surrounded by a circle of dozens of fiery torches; outside of that were the Warrior Elite Bodyguard and worker tents; and beyond them, another circle of torches, farther apart but more than adequate to light up anyone who might try to slip inside without permission.

Permission, of course, was what one pair of locals had when they were quietly escorted into Luna's tent by her Warrior Elite Lieutenant. At one point during the post-ceremony reveling, Luna had made an offhanded remark about how it was going to be frustrating being alone in her own bed while Rolph and Betty were together in theirs and, presumably, Morrow and Clara were going to also be in bed together.

"I can fix that for you if you wish, My Queen," Clara offered, adding, "I can highly recommend these two for their ability to keep you warm ... and satisfied."

"These two?" Luna had inquired. When Clara said that she herself had enjoyed them as a matched pair, but that Luna could choose just one -- the male or the female -- Luna quickly said, "No, no. That's fine. I would hate to split up a matched pair."

When Rolph and Betty retired to their own quarters, and Luna concluded her reveling inside the Keep, she made her way to her tent to find the Nomadis waiting for her, already bathed, naked, and warming her bed. As she approached, the female introduced themselves, saying, "I am Payley, My Queen ... and this is my brother, Style."

Luna's reaction revealed her surprise at the indication that the pair were siblings, but when the girl asked if that was a problem, she gestured Payley to help her out of her clothing, reassuring them, "This is no problem at all."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
About midnight:

Style and Payley skipped the coin tossing portion of the evening. Many of the residents of the hamlet didn't like the idea of the Nomadi taking a portion of the coins tossed. These residents considered Rolph and Betty to be their Nobles. Thus, the coins should be going to their Peasants and Commoners.

Style and Payley were fine with that. They stayed around the hamlet for a while afterward. There was still business to be done amongst the residents. Services that the Nomadi provided for the villagers that other villagers didn't. Products they sold to the villagers that other villagers didn't.

When they finally headed away for the Nomadi camp, the siblings heard a familiar voice call out to them. They looked to find Lady Clara coming their way. She asked if they had some time to keep someone's bed warm. Their answer was as it almost always was, a simple yes, of course.

Clara needed to be somewhat inconspicuous about where the siblings were going. She took them for a walk into the darkness of the backside of the Keep. Style eventually realized their destination. He softly touched Payley, nodding his head toward the Queen's tent. She looked about as surprised as he felt.

Clara stopped them, told them to wait a moment, then ventured ahead herself. One by one, she doused three torches in a bucket of water. The treatment put out the flames for now. The thick oil on them, though, would easily catch fire again when held to another flame later. This wasn't Style's first time slipping into an area lit by torch light.

Clara gestured them forward. At the back of the Queen's tent, a normally sealed flap opened. The Queen's Chamber Maid was there, gesturing them inside with haste. Clara bid them all farewell, wishing them a good time.

Inside, the Chamber Maid instructed the pair to strip, bathe, and slip into the Queen's bed. They did as directed. And almost before they'd begun warming the bedding, the Queen entered. As she approached, the female half of them made the introductions. "I am Payley, My Queen ... and this is my brother, Style."

He caught the surprise in the Queen's face at the mentioning of Payley and he being blood. His sister asked if that didn't work for Luna.

The Queen said, "This is no problem at all."

.................................

Style stood from the bed to retrieve a pitcher of water. He turned to look upon the women as he swallowed several badly needed gulps. He was practically dripping sweat, from his head to his toes. His body shone in the light of two dozen candles spread all about the tent. He had more than earned whatever amount of coin Queen Luna was going to hand over tonight.

It wasn't just the number of orgasms he'd caused, by cock, tongue, fingers, or a combination therein. It was the amount of time he'd spent doing it. He stepped to his left and pulled on the door flap a bit. He could see the eastern sky already turning from red to orange.

Clara had been very concerned about no one seeing two Nomadi sneaking into Queen Luna's tent last night. Style wondered how it was going to look for him and his sister to be seen slipping out in the daylight if this persisted any longer.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
Earlier, just after midnight:

Betty stood in silence a couple of steps beyond the end of her husband's bed -- now her and her husband's bed -- as her Chambermaid tended to the many bowed strings, buttons, snaps, and hooks that held her wedding dress, bustier, under blouse, shift, and other layers of clothing in place. Rolph sat at the head of the bed where his new wife had instructed him to wait, to watch the unveiling; he was still fully dressed as he ogled her as one layer of clothing after another fell away.

"You may go now," Betty told the servant once she was nude, telling the woman with a knowing smirk as she turned to leave, "We are obviously not to be disturbed."

The Chambermaid giggled a bit, curtseyed to Betty, then to Rolph, then skedaddled for and through the door. Once she was alone with Rolph, Betty crawled onto the bed, closing on him slowly on hands and knees like a wild cat stalking its prey. Near his feet, she stopped, sat back with her haunches on her calves, parted her knees to expose her bared womanhood, and pointed out what he could already plainly see, "Clara helped me groom again today."

Betty's pussy -- along with her legs, not that Rolph would care as much about those -- was freshly shaven and as smooth as a baby's bottom. Using one hand behind her for support as she leaned back, she placed the other upon a firm breast, squeezing it before caressing it down her belly to where her thighs met; the fleshy slit there glistened in the light of the candles flanking the bed's headboard, and as she slipped a finger between them and drew a deep breath at the pleasure, all Betty said was, "Husband..."

...................

As she exited Luna's tent through the rear door and headed back toward the Keep -- no longer feeling the need to take the long, inconspicuous route -- Clara caught sight of Lady Stella standing near an open fire with a pair of female servants, keeping warm while chatting quietly. Clara approached the Handmaiden and -- when the latter caught her movement in the illumination of the nearby flickering torch -- smiled and said, "The Queen was stunning tonight. You should be very proud of what you can do when out in the boondocks like this."

Stella laughed, responding, "I wish I could take the credit, Lady Clara ... but when you begin your art on what is already a beautiful and perfect masterpiece..." She didn't need to say more, of course, and the two women simply smiled to each other knowingly.

The other servants, seeing that Clara had something personal to say to Stella, politely excused themselves and headed for the tent erected for them. Clara asked, "Where are you sleeping tonight...? Your Queen's tent?" Clara already knew that Stella was homeless tonight due to the Queen's activity with the Nomadi siblings.

Stella could have told Clara that it was none of her business but instead answered softly, "My queen wanted privacy this evening, so I will be sleeping with the women who just departed."

"Don't be silly, m'lady," Clara said. "We prepared a bed chamber for Your Queen earlier. She's not using it, so why don't you?" Stella looked up from the dancing flames to the other woman, studying her a moment, then asked bluntly, "What are you thinking might happen if I accompany you into the Keep, m'lady?" She paused, then added, "I am well aware of what Lord Morrow wants of me. If you are thinking that--"

"I am just offering you a warm, dry place to sleep, m'lady," Clara cut in. "If you are wishing for more than that, I must inform you that Lord Morrow will be giving that to me tonight." Seeing the change of expression in Stella's face, Clara smiled and, before turning to depart, said, "You'll have to wait your turn to have Morrow's cock inside you."
...................

Nearly sunrise, in the Queen's tent:

Luna pulled the Nomadi girl to her body, meeting her mouth with her own for a long, erotic kiss; her heart was still pounding from the latest of many orgasms pulled from her by the siblings over the last many hours. The Queen felt a hand slip between her thighs, a finger finding her wet slit; she quickly whispered, "No ... no, I've ... I've had enough. It's time for sleep."

The Nomadi had worked feverishly off and on for more than five hours to please the Queen. And they'd earned ever coin with which she was going to send them away. They'd worked on her individually at times and other times in tandem, and while she would have loved to continue onward, she needed sleep before her activities for the day needed to begin.

"Open that box there," Luna said, pointing Style toward a wooden chest sitting atop a small three-legged table. As he did, she said, "Open the brown purse there ... yes, that one. Take however much you believe you deserve."

Luna knew that there was a small fortune in the bag, enough to purchase a harem of twelve girls from Frenk or Meretheni and still buy a dozen broken horses. She didn't monitor Style as he opened the purse to survey its contents, though; instead, she closed her eyes and kissed Payley passionately while whispering, "Okay ... you can please me one more time."

The Nomadi girl would slip down under the bedding to find Luna's pussy with her mouth, driving her to one last orgasm before she and her brother exited the tent. Luna didn't bother with trying to hide the pair from others in the camp; the cries of ecstasy that had sporadically punctuated the night hadn't left anyone doubtful of what was happening inside their Queen's tent that night.

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

The Windham Keep
Sunrise:

Rolph:

It was the morning following his wedding. And yet Rolph was up before sunrise, dressed, and out for his morning walk as usual. The Queen's camp on the knoll a hundred yards away from an odd sight. Rolph had never seen such a thing in Windham during his years here. Rolph had been a lesser Lord of virtually no consequence to anyone until recently. Now, though, he was married t to his beautiful, vivacious niece? Now he was a Viscount with hereditary rights to his estate? Now he was preparing to chase down the kidnappers of dozens of girls and young women? How had this happened.

He surveyed Queen Luna's camp. It was smaller than what she usually traveled with. Rolph had seen her camp once in the Salfar Mountains during a hunt. It had been far larger and far more spectacular. Still, this was impressive.

The door flap of Luna's tent opened, catching Rolph's eye. What he saw next made his eyes widen with surprise: Payley and Style. He smiled. There was only one reason for the siblings to be emerging from the Queen's tent at this hour.

Irony or coincidence? Rolph thought to himself. He, of course, had had his encounters with the siblings. Many of them over the past four years. But he'd been a nobody. Luna was Queen of the Republic of Yalla.

He watched them head off through the field toward the Nomadi camp. Style caught him watching them. After a moment, the Nomadi smiled. Rolph nodded his head just enough for Style to notice it. The language between them was unspoken.

Back inside the Keep, Rolph found his new wife still in bed asleep. She'd been very energetic the night before. An animal almost. It had surprised Rolph. He'd found himself thinking What's changed? What's different? Betty hadn't been like the first time they'd fucked. Of course, maybe it had simply been that it had hurt her. Maybe?

Rolph left her sleeping and went to find Lord Morrow.


Morrow:

Morrow, too, had had a nice evening of sex. They hadn't gone at it as long as Rolph and Betty had. But it had been no less satisfying. And they went at it again this morning when they awoke, too. Morrow loved morning sex.

He cleaned up from a pan of hot water poured from the kettle over the fire. Dressed, he headed out, nearly running into Rolph in the passageway. They went downstairs for breakfast and a discussion about the future. Morrow explained that they needed more information on the kidnapped girls.

"I will find it, m'lord," Rolph said confidently. "Philip has assured me that he is dedicated to helping us find the girls. I have promised him amnesty if he dedicates himself to this quest."

"I see no problem with that," Morrow agreed. "I discussed this with the Queen as well. She has authorized me all the funds and manpower necessary to make this happen. You only need to ask, Viscount Windham."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Luna's Castle
City of Yalla

The next morning:

Luna was happy to be back in the Capital, back in the castle, and back in her own bed. The two days spent traveling to, within, and then returning from Windham had been taxing on her, not so much physically as mentally. With the exception of the deliciously wonderful time in bed with the Nomadi siblings, Luna's mind hadn't had a single moment of peace, not even during the wedding ceremony itself.

Arriving at what was now home -- for more than a decade, the City of Tiala had been her home -- Luna had gone straight to her bed chamber seeing a much-needed night of sleep. As her Handmaiden had helped her out of her many layers of clothing, Luna had asked, "How was your conversation with Lady Clara last evening, Stella ... following the the wedding ... out at the warming fire? The grapevine said that she invited you to spend the night in bed with her and Lord Morrow."

Stella wasn't known for blushing to things that Luna herself said or asked anymore; despite their obviously different social stations, they'd been friends for far too long for Luna to surprise or shock Stella by now. And yet the fair-skinned beauty's face had turned a bright red as she did her best to inconspicuously turn away, not to be noticed. Stella had responded, "I wouldn't do that, My Queen. I understand my position and the responsibilities associated to it."

What Stella had meant by that, of course, was that her fate -- the path she'd chosen while still a little girl -- was to have her hand and her as-of-yet-unviolated pussy presented as part of an act of marriage to some Noble Lord from whom Luna wanted or needed sometime important. Betraying that by spending a night in bed with Morrow or any other male would be an act of betrayal and -- despite their lifelong friendship -- would lead Stella to being tossed out of Luna's court.

Ironically, this restriction didn't apply to the things that Stella did in bed with Luna. Those things were considered both acts of service and of friendship, and as such would never cause the rift that permitting a cock insertion into her would. Knowing this, as she'd finished undressing her Queen last evening, Stella had asked softly, "Would My Queen like company tonight...? To stay warm?"

"To stay warm, yes," Luna had answered.

Although the two of them slipping between the same layers of bedding typically led to the two of them making love, in this case -- following the long coach ride from Windham -- they had in fact curled up in each other's arms to keep one another warm and quickly fallen asleep.

Now, as the sun rose and shone brightly through the delicate glass windows of her bed chamber, Luna stood surrounded by not only Stella but three other women as they prepared her for the very important event about to unfold. When she was ready for the crowd, Queen Luna made her way from her quarters through the Castle to the Wall Walk of the Castle's outer wall. There, from 20 feet above them, Luna looked down upon a thick, expectant crowd ... and the gallows between them and her.

Standing near those gallows but in such a location as to not be easily seen by the crowd was the mastermind of the operation to catch the conspirators, Viscount Morrow Tyne, Lord of Orland. Part of Luna's presentation of appreciation while in Windham for Rolph and Betty's wedding had been presenting Morrow with the promised title and associated estate for becoming her assassin and all-around dirty deeds sort of fellow.

Another part of that understanding had been that Luna would give consideration to presenting Stella to Morrow for marriage, of course. But that was still very much only under consideration. So much had changed in such a short period of time; it had been barely a fortnight since Luna and Morrow had initially met, begun their work together, and both uncovered a major financial conspiracy against the Crown and arrested the vast majority of its members for trial and punishment. It simply wasn't the time for Luna to consider giving up not just her closest female servant but her closest friend as well to a man who she really still didn't know well.

The first man Morrow had killed for Luna had, of course, been her brother, Nellan. The Prince's death just days before his coronation as King of the Republic of Yalla -- at the same time that Nellan had been conspiring to kill her, too -- had, of course, resulted in Luna rising to the Throne. The second man Morrow had killed for her had been part of that conspiracy to end her life, Paul of Orland, the heir apparent to the Barony of Orland.

The Barony of Orland had been suffering from hard and increasingly harder times for almost two decades, and it had begun to appear as if the Barony would be dissolved, its titles and lands divided amongst other Nobles and the Crown. Then, to Paul's great relief, a valuable vein of copper ore had been discovered on his father's land. Paul, who had destroyed several potential marriages to young women of power and money through his womanizing and abuse of said females, had managed to secure yet another betrothal, this one to Reema, daughter of the Duke of Dorchen.

While the Barony of Orland was now sitting atop a fortune in ore, it didn't have the available coin to exploit the find. However, the Duchy of Dorchen -- which had already exploited it once vast resources and was itself looking at ruin within a decade -- was currently flush with coin. A union between Paul and Reema was just what both Nobles needed. As Morrow had explained to Luna, "If Paul of Orland was to marry Reema of Dochen, her money and his ore could make them one of the wealthiest couples in the Republic of Yalla."

Fortunately for Luna and Morrow both, Paul had played a part in the attempted assassination of the former, giving the latter a good reason to put him down, which he had down. Of course, Paul's father -- ailing and senile as he was -- remained an issue with regard to Luna taking control of the Barony. So, she'd ordered Morrow to dispatch the father as well, which he had done with great efficiency as well.

(OOC: For more on "Orland", you can return to Post #28. I plan to put all of this into the OOC history pages eventually.)

After that, it was just a matter of Queen Luna of the Republic of Yalla making some declarations: the Baron and Baron's heir apparent, Paul, had been declared enemies of the crown for their participation in the assassination attempt; the Barony itself had been confiscated in its entirety by the Crown; to sooth the lesser Nobles of Orland and prevent a lengthy, expensive, and agonizing legal case against her -- or possible even an armed uprising, which at this point she wasn't sure her forces could put down -- Luna had offered each of these lesser Lords tax forbearance of two years, providing that each came to the Capital and publicly swore their continuing fealty to her in an open ceremony; to sooth the Peasants and Commoners, Luna had ordered dozens of supply wagons of food stuffs and hundreds of sheep, goats, and hogs distributed amongst them; and -- because the Duchy of Dochen still faced ruin over the upcoming years -- Luna promised a business arrangement regarding the copper mine that had been the original reason for Paul and Reema's betrothal.

As for Morrow, Luna had promised him an estate and title, of course, but she couldn't very well turn over an entire Barony to him: first, it wouldn't go over well the more important and more powerful Barons and other Nobles; and second, the Barony of Orland was worth far more than Luna felt she owed Morrow, even if he had played a significant part in getting her the Crown in the first place.

So instead, Luna dissolved the Barony of Orland entirely. The Dukes, Counts, Viscounts, and Lesser Lords who had previously shown fealty to the Crown via their fealty to the Baron of Orland were now to present that loyal fealty directly to Queen Luna herself, until a time at which marriages, deaths, and/or births changed things, which was happening all the time, of course. Regarding Morrow, Luna had deeded him the title of Viscount, Lord of Orland, and had given him the House of Orland, the former Barons' home. It was a rather old castle and in need of much repair after years of neglect and mismanagement. But Luna had faith in Morrow's ability to get done the things he needed done.

(part 2 next; yeah, I did it again)

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

(part 2)

Which brought Luna to this moment, as she looked down upon him with a serious expression. Meeting his gaze with a knowing expression, she stepped out closer to the outer wall's crenelations to allow the people to see her. Despite the obvious horror about to occur, the people below rose up in cheer and applause at the sight of their Queen. Part of the publicity campaign to ensure that the people supported the Crown and her in this event, Morrow had had a dozen Average Guys spread out across the City to spread the story of the conspiracy against the Crown, including the attempted assassination of the Queen. By the time the sun rose this morning, nearly every citizen of the City of Yalla had heard the story and had heard of the punishments to be handed down toady, the result of which was a crowd of thousands outside the Castle wall, ready to see the conspirators put to death.

Luna held her hands up in the air, and over the next few seconds the din of the crowd decreased to near total silence. She paused a moment, then began speaking of her love for the Republic and its people; the Citizens of the Capital in particular; and the hard times they'd endured during the failing reign of her father, with her adding at the end, "The Gods bless his mortal soul."

The crowd had interrupted Luna several times with applause and cheers celebrating her or boos and hisses chastising her enemies. Each time, Luna gave the crowd a moment to express their emotions, then raised her hands again, seeking and claiming the silence again. Then, drawing all her power to ensure that the people heard her, Luna began naming specific conspirators by name and explaining what they'd done. And as she was finishing with each man -- or in two cases, women -- that individual was brought out onto the gallows to face the people.

As expected, the crowd became its most raucous as the saw the faces of those who had betrayed their Queen. Each of the male conspirators was forced to step onto a small stool, a noose from the gallows put around his neck; the two females, though, were tied to the uprights of the gallows for other punishment that wouldn't be explained until later. After each conspirator suffered his or her dose of ridicule -- including having rotten foods, stones, and animal bones tossed at them -- Luna would again gesture for silence and continue onward.

Nearly half an hour had passed between the presentation of the first conspirator and the last; because of the vast number of them, Luna and Morrow had actually had to choose which of them would be executed publicly here today and which of them would be dealt with out of public, to ensure that the event didn't take days to conclude. Eventually, though, each of the nooses had a neck in it, and it was time to finish things up.

Luna again looked down to Morrow, nodding her head to indicate that she was ready. When it was over, she would listen to the crowd for several minutes, letting them see her as a determined leader who was not afraid to do what was needed to protect the Republic and the people living within it. Finally, she turned away, returned to her bed chamber, disrobed with Stella's help ... and then fell into her bed to sob.

What Luna hadn't told anyone -- not Stella, not Morrow -- was that three of the conspirators had been very special to her: one had been a lover during her teenage years; one had been an uncle to whom she had willingly surrendered her virginity in an effort to become the woman he had told her she needed to become; and the third -- one of the two women to be punished -- had been her tutor while she'd been a little girl.

 

[HumanBean]

FYI: I don't mind your long posts at all. I do it myself sometimes, too.

SORRY TO ANYONE FOLLOWING ALONG! I only just now realized that the link to the Map of the Known World might not have been working all this time. If you are following along, I have corrected (I hope) the link. The one below should finally work. The issue seems to be that the Imgur account that Marie and I have shared during our lengthy time of roleplaying together doesn't work in the "old design" for uploading images. I don't know about Marie, but I view, upload, and download from the "old design". Anyway, the point is, I think I fixed it below.


Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Luna's Castle
City of Yalla

The executions, coming close to noon:

Morrow had been a busy boy since leaving Windham the morning after Rolph and Betty's wedding. He'd spent most of that time in the dungeon of Luna's castle. He'd been listening to Nobles and their lackeys beg for forgiveness for their crimes. Or in some cases had simply stared at them as they refused to do so. Some of them were to proud to beg. Other actually thought they were going to be forgiven before they faced the executioner.

The third group was of the most interest to Morrow. Those were the ones who thought they had something to offer, either for forgiveness or for amnesty. Some of them had actually had something Morrow was willing to take in exchange for not having them executed. He sometimes took the offer for the Queen. Other times he took it for himself. In the end, he himself would walk away with two things of great value: gold and information.

The gold he would put to use financing his continued work for the Queen. Well, mostly anyway. Some of it would go to funding his lifestyle. And the renovation of his new home. The House of Orland had some issues, to say the least. Morrow couldn't understand how the people living in it has let it go to crap like that. The roof leaked. The cisterns leaked, too, or were infested with moss, mildew, mosquitoes, or other potential hazards to health and life.

One stairwell had collapsed. One inner wall had, too. It had killed a servant, Morrow had been told. Of the servants, many of them had fled. Those who'd been of the Peasant Class had had Warrants sworn out for their return and punishment. They didn't have the Freedom of Movement afforded to those of the Commoner Class.

Morrow had replaced the Castellan with a trusted friend, Ormand. Ormand had immediately put out the word that all such Warrants were null and void. Peasants who returned to work would be forgiven and would have their social status raised to Commoner. Morrow had received word that that process had already seen positive results. The runaway Peasants were back to work, happier and now safer than they'd been in years.

Morrow had guaranteed some level of forgiveness and/or amnesty for those who coughed up something of value to him or the Queen. Of course, that had been a ruse. Over the next days or moons, each of the forgiven would suffer some sort of accident. Morrow wasn't going to let these traitors continue their comfortable lives. It simply wasn't his nature.

Looking up to Luna as she looked down to him, Morrow knew that it wasn't hers either. She had a secret when it came to some of the condemned. She had had or still had personal connections to some of them. Luna didn't know that Morrow had learned of them. The process of interrogation, sometimes including torture, had uncovered these relationships.

Morrow had, of course, taken each and every condemned person's name to the Queen. She, after all, was responsible for dishing out the punishment. Morrow hadn't indicated that in three specific cases, he had learned of the connections to Luna. It wasn't his job to convince her to go through with a punishment or set it aside. It wasn't his right.

He did, however, suggest that the two female conspirators not be executed. And Luna had agreed. The stools were kicked out from under the feet of the men in the nooses. One by one, the men fell, tightening the rope around their necks. In some cases, the cracking of bones would be heard. In others, only gurgling. There was kicking and flailing in most of the latter cases. But the dead always eventually went still.

Only after all three men had gone silent and still were the two females punished. Bound to the upright supports near the gallows' front corner, they had their clothing cut and stripped from their bodies until they were naked or close to it. As with the men before them, they were pelted by all manner of thrown objects.

Most of the crowd resisted such heavy, potentially dangerous things as stones. In the case of females, the people were typically less brutal with their punishment. Yet Morrow did catch sight of one apple sized rock bouncing off the side of one of the women's head. It was the woman who had once been Luna's tutor. Morrow would later learn that while blood had been drawn, no serious damage had been incurred. Without his name being involved, Morrow made sure that Luna learned of this.

After the crowd dispersed, the women were cut down and taken away. They were supposed to be auctioned to Slave Traders who would take them far away from Yalla for a future sale. But Morrow had learned something about them that he hadn't reported to Luna.

Like some of the other amnesty-seekers, each of the women had had something to offer Morrow. And in each case, he'd taken them up on their offer to provide it to him. In one case, it had been information. In another, it had been a treasure.

Both women would be secretly transported to the House of Orland. They'd be kept there in secret and isolation until Morrow figured out what to do with them in the long term.

In the short term, Morrow concluded the aftermath of the executions and reported to Luna

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

(OOC: I didn't know what he'd be wearing -- warrior clothes or something nicer, so I simply didn't include the link.)


Luna's Castle
City of Yalla

Following the executions:

Morrow search for Luna would turn out to be a more time-consuming project than he'd likely expected, with him being led through the castle to the stables and directed to mount up and ride to the Falconry Grounds south of the Tertiary City Walls. After the executions and her sobbing moment of sorrow over her punished friends, Luna had needed to get away; she'd called on her Falcon Handler to get her birds together, on Stella to help her dress for the event, and her Bodyguard to clear a path for her out of the city.

With three Gray Geese in the back of the wagon and both birds in the air seeking more prey, Luna turned to find Morrow riding up with his Warrior Elite escort. Once he'd dismounted and she'd passed her bird off to the Handler, she led the Republic's newest Viscount on a slow walk toward the wetlands as they spoke about the expected aftermath of the executions.

"There will be supporters of those we eliminated who will not be happy with me," Luna said, feeling as though she was preaching to the choir; Morrow had likely killed many a people in his life who had friends and relatives who'd sought him afterward. "I would like your advice on how to identify these people and prevent them from doing something I might not appreciate ... such as putting a dagger through my chest."

They discussed it until they'd come to a solution, after which Luna asked, "What are your plans with Clara, Lord Morrow?" She looked him in the eyes as she continued, "I know that you are quite fond of her ... and I know that she played a crucial part in your work to bring down Viscount Ulronni and the men and women who'd conspired with him ... as well as bring together Lord Rolph and Lady Betty in holy bliss, which I have to tell you was something I would never have thought of but now realize may be a Godsend for the future of the Republic."

A great deal of discussion had already been held between Luna, Morrow, and Rolph about how Rolph would lead an expedition to rescue the dozens of girls and young women who'd been kidnapped by the former and now deceased Lord Ulronni and sent to Gods know where by now. "This Philip to whom you introduced me--" Luna smiled, then chuckled as she specified, "--while he was still shackled in the dungeon of House Ulron--"

She stopped, smiling again as she corrected, "--House Delora Glen ... you trust this man to lead the expedition to recover these girls and bring them home...?" She listened to Morrow assessment, then reaffirmed to him her total commitment of men, horses, coin, intelligence, and anything he required to get the girls back. She stopped, reached out to turn Morrow to face her, and stressed, "All of these girls. Yes, yes, I know; you might be able to locate and recover all of them, but you will attempt to do so with each of them. It only takes one distraught mother who believes we haven't made an effort to find and return her little girl to sow distrust in me ... in my Reign. You will do what you can."

Luna turned them back toward the bird handlers, returning to that of which she'd been earlier, "Regarding Clara ... I see two routes that can be taken with regard to her. You pulled her from the scullery kitchen ... you took a chance on her ... and while I am not fully aware of everything she did for you during this period--" Luna looked to Morrow out of the corner of her eye with a smirk on her lips. "--I am aware of enough of what she did for me and the Crown ... to fabricate a Pedigree for her ... a record with which she could live the remainder of her life as a true Lady ... a woman who appears to be of Noble birth and, as such, could marry Nobility ... Royalty even if she was to turn the right head ... and from what I've seen of Clara, she's entirely capable of doing just that.

"Here is the situation, though," Luna continued. "Very little ... what shall we call it ... dishonesty...? Very little of it in the world of the Nobility goes for long without being uncovered ... and punished. I think you and I can attest to that from how easily it was to uncover Viscount Ulronni's scheme, as well as that of Paul of Orland and any number of conspirators, corruptionists, and others who are not ... playing fair in the Republic.

"What I'm trying to say, Lord Morrow," Luna said, now coming closer to him and slipping a hand into the crook of his arm, "Is that I can fabricate Patents of Nobility for your friend Clara. I can make her the Lady we have thus been pretending her to be for our own purposes. But for Clara's purposes ... that of finding a Noble husband and birthing a horde of children into a comfortable life..."

Luna stopped Morrow, turning him to look into her eyes as she continued, "She must leave the Republic of Yalla." She paused for Morrow's reaction, then explained, "This fabrication of which I speak has no true foundation, and eventually it will crumble, much like your new castle will if you don't start putting some of that gold you've been skimming for yourself into repairs."

She raised an eyebrow as she scrutinized Morrow, wondering whether he was surprised to learn that she'd learned of his unreported income during the interrogations and torture of the now executed. Luna didn't care about Morrow's secret pilfering -- it hadn't been her coin, after all -- and continued, "You have two directions with which you can proceed with regard to Clara. First, I can make her a Lady ... on paper ... and I can arrange for her to travel to a distant land and marry a Noble or even a minor Princeling who will give her a good life with many handsome, strong sons and many beautiful, smart daughters ... or ... you can marry her yourself ... make her the Lady of Orland ... and give up on your desires for my Handmaiden..."

Luna stepped a bit closer, and with a firm tone and hard stare, made it clear, "Lady Stella is the most important person in my life. She is my only true remaining family." They were actually second cousins, not that anyone outside of Court knew that. "If Clara remains in Yalla, I know that you will continue to partake of her ... talents."

She smiled knowingly; Luna knew, of course, that Clara had been spending time with her head between the thighs of at least one female partner recently. She continued, "Any man would want to be with Clara, simply by putting their eyes upon her. So ... I'm not telling you what to do with regard to Clara. Keep her. Send her away. Your choice. I will make either happen for you. Just know that as long as Clara remains within a thousand miles of you, Lord Morrow ... you will never have Stella."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Royal Falconry Grounds
South of the City of Yalla's Tertiary (third) walls

Following the executions:

Morrow found Luna standing in the middle of a harvested grass field with a falcon on her leather-clad arm. He remained in the saddle for a long moment, simply admiring her. In a short while, she would put to him a question regarding Clara and Stella. If Morrow had known that question was coming now, earlier, he would have contemplated some way to include Luna in the choice of which woman he wanted for his wife.

She led him out into the field, leaving her Warrior Elites out of earshot. Luna trusted them as much as she trusted Morrow. Maybe more. But there were some things they simply didn't need to hear. She spoke about the aftereffects of the executions and the people who might be responsible for them. "I would like your advice on how to identify these people and prevent them from doing something I might not appreciate ... such as putting a dagger through my chest."

With her not looking directly at him, Morrow couldn't help but glance at Luna's chest simply at the mention of it. He still fondly remembered the first time he'd seen her. Sitting atop that big, powerful, black horse. A minimalist amount of leather so wonderfully showing off the generous, curves of her bosom. Morrow had been expecting a big blade to slice through the air and remove his head. And yet, his cock had still been hard as a rock.

"I am already working on that, My Queen," he responded to her concern. Morrow had had men watching the conspirators, of course. But they'd also been watching the family, friends, and associates of those conspirators. "My people are well informed, well positioned, and well prepared to act accordingly, My Queen."

"What are your plans with Clara, Lord Morrow?" Luna asked, suddenly shifting topics. She spoke of Clara's importance to all that had happened in the preceding half-fortnight. She told Morrow that she could make Clara a Lady, on paper. She told him she could get her married to a Noble or even a Royal in a distant land. Then she finished with, "...or ... you can marry her yourself ... make her the Lady of Orland ... and give up on your desires for my Handmaiden..."

That option didn't strike Morrow as beneficial to him at all. He didn't fully understand his infatuation with the Queen's Handmaiden. From the moment he's set eyes upon her, Morrow had wanted her. As a wife? Not necessarily. As a lover? Most definitely.

At the same time, Morrow didn't want to give up Clara. She was probably the greatest lover he'd ever had. But it went beyond that, too. She was intelligent. Street smart. Conniving when she needed to be. She was a perfect partner for Morrow regarding what he did for a living. He didn't want to give her up.

Luna continued, her thoughts mirroring Morrow's own thinking. "Any man would want to be with Clara, simply by putting their eyes upon her. So ... I'm not telling you what to do with regard to Clara. Keep her. Send her away. Your choice. I will make either happen for you."

Morrow knew Luna meant what she was saying. And he knew that she could make it happen. In a year's time, Clara could be a Queen Consort for some small distant Kingdom. A year after that, with the right application of poison, she could be Queen of that Realm. Was it Morrow's right to deny her that? Just because he wanted to deflower Stella?

"Just know that as long as Clara remains within a thousand miles of you, Lord Morrow," Luna said, "You will never have Stella."

"I understand, My Queen," Morrow responded respectfully. "I would never risk your wrath by offending either you or Lady Stella."

He looked off toward the wetlands. A scream in the sky had indicated a kill by one of the falcons. Morrow caught sight of the falling goose. Halfway to the ground, the attacking falcon caught up with it, snatching it in long, sharp talons.

Morrow wasn't afraid of many things. But being punished for betraying Luna the way that that falcon had killed that goose made his skin crawl. He still remembered how Luna had sunk a blade as long as his forearm hilt-deep into the chest of Lord Jarwik days earlier simply for transporting Viscount Ulronni's undeclared copper ore to her enemies. (OOC: Post #103 and #105 if you want to take a look.)

"May I have the day to consider your offer, My Queen?" Morrow asked, clarifying, "To present it to Clara, actually. I do not feel that this is my decision to make. For Clara, I mean. I--"

He paused, unsure of whether he wanted to say what he'd been about to. No. It's true, he told himself. Morrow told Luna what was in his mind, "I believe that despite what there is between us, Clara might very well prefer to take you up on your very generous offer, My Queen."

They returned to the bird handler, talking about next steps. Morrow mounted his horse and rode for the little cottage he'd purchased for Clara. It occurred to him that where he presented this offer to Clara might be as important as the offer itself. He could present it to her in their little cottage. She'd take it without hesitation. Or he could present it to her in his castle. She might be more hesitant to pass on it then. Or maybe not. The House of Orland wasn't the Royal Castle of Yalla.

He arrived there only to find Clara not there. She'd left a note saying she'd return before sundown, though. All he could do was wait. Wait, and wonder which answer he wanted to here. For himself? Or for Clara?

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Morrow and Clara's cottage
Second Town
The Capital City of Yalla

Just before sundown:

Clara returned to the cottage just before sundown, carrying several cloth bags filled with the ingredients of the dinner she was planning on cooking for Morrow. Before she'd been reassigned to the scullery, Clara had worked in the kitchen itself; the Cook had favored her and had been teaching her with the intention of having the girl replace her one day. She still had things to learn, but Clara was certain she could impress her man with her current talents.

Before she could even begin preparing the ingredients, though, Morrow sat her down and explained what Luna had offered her: a pedigree, offering her a Noble Title; patents and letters of support and reference, linking her to Luna's House; presumably coin which would keep her comfortable; and connections to Nobles or even Royals who would surely want to marry her, giving her a home, children, security, and more.

"It's an amazing offer," Clara said, not overly excitedly, though. "It's far more than a scullery maid could hope for."

Morrow had skillfully avoided mentioning Stella or what he got from the offer being made to Clara. She knew all about her lover's desire to bed -- and, therefore, first wed -- the Queen's Handmaiden; Clara presumed that that was the part of the offer around which Morrow had thus far so skillfully been dancing. And despite how deeply she'd come to adore Morrow -- perhaps even love him? -- Clara knew that she couldn't deprive him of the greatest desire he had right now.

"Please let the Queen know that I happily accept her offer," Clara said, using all of her might to prevent herself from becoming emotional about what she was giving up: Morrow. She stood, turning away from him before her eyes glazed over to begin chopping vegetables as she suggested, "How about stoking the stove and putting the meat on. The lard is in that crock over there."

 

[HumanBean]

Map of the Known World -- OOC thread

Morrow and Clara's cottage
Second Town
The Capital City of Yalla

"It's an amazing offer," Clara told Morrow. "It's far more than a scullery maid could hope for."

"You're far more than a scullery maid, Clara," Morrow said without hesitation. His tone was sincere. "You're more than that. And you're more than that to me."

Morrow studied Clara a long moment. He knew what she was thinking: He doesn't want me anymore. He's had enough of me. He got what he wanted. There was one more possible thought that might be going through her mind: He wants someone else. He wants Stella.

He was about to tell her that if she wanted to stay, he wanted that, too. Morrow wanted Stella. Badly. But Clara had done so much for him. She'd been so much to him. How could he just abandon her?

But she spoke before he could. "Please let the Queen know that I happily accept her offer."

Morrow didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected Clara to take the offer so quickly. Did she not want him anymore? Was she looking for someone better? Maybe one of these Nobles or Royals Luna had spoken of?

Who am I to question her? Morrow wondered. I basically told her I don't want her anymore. Fuck!

"How about stoking the stove and putting the meat on," Clara said after standing and turning away. "The lard is in that crock over there."

"Sure," Morrow said, not knowing what else to say. He did as she asked. He would continue to help as Clara asked.

In between, Morrow studied her. She was so hard to read. He'd known her barely more than half a fortnight. It took some people years to learn their mate's tells.

Finally, Morrow broke the silence. "You will be much happier with some Nobleman. Maybe some Prince. Even a King."

He crossed to her, reaching for her hands. "Clara, you are meant to be more than you will ever be with me. I may have found you in the scullery. But you were never meant to be a maid."

Morrow moved closer, pressing his lips to hers for what he hoped would be a meaningful kiss. When it finished, he told her, "Clara, you're meant to be a Queen."