Hair to the Throne

by Meredith Katz

  Merle whimpered into her mouth, hands kneading Abeille's sides, and they rocked together hesitantly, then with growing confidence and enthusiasm. Abeille was making soft, delightful sounds, and Merle swallowed them, catching at her mouth in kiss after kiss until she could hardly stand it.

  "I need—" Merle whispered.

  Abeille moaned softly, pressing her forehead to Merle's. She found one of Merle's breasts with her hand and Merle arched into that eagerly, throwing her head back and grinding on Abeille's thigh harder, with more determination.

  "Me too," Abeille said, hoarse. "We shouldn't—I don't know when we'll be interrupted, but—"

  "He's a goddamn cubant," Merle said. "He can damn well know enough to wait."

  Abeille choked out another laugh, then slid her hand down Merle's stomach, into her underwear.

  Merle let out a loud groan and scrambled to do the same, passing a hand over Abeille through her leggings, then sliding her fingertips under the waistband of both those and Abeille's underwear. "I need," Merle repeated, almost awed. "I don't think I can wait—"

  "Yeah," Abeille said.

  Abeille curled fingers into Merle, a perfect sense of pressure and fullness, and Merle whimpered, curling fingers around Abeille in return. The noise Abeille made was gratifying, wonderful, and Merle kissed her again, muffling it, keeping it all to herself.

  They didn't last long, couldn't last long. They were bloodied and tired and clumsy and incredibly worked up over getting to do this with each other, being able to, being free to. They fumbled toward orgasm in a haze.

  It was still pretty much better than anything Merle had dreamed of.

  Merle came first, sucking air against Abeille's mouth, the sensation rushing through her so hard that she seized up, wrapping her legs around Abeille's thigh and pinning Abeille's hand there. She was still coming when Abeille let out a soft cry, spilling out against Merle's palm. Senseless, almost out of her mind, Merle only just remembered to keep her hand moving.

  For a moment, they just lay together in a tangled, bloody, sweaty mess, hands still inside each other's clothes. Merle pulled back just a little, looking at Abeille, knowing from how good, how satisfied she felt that contentment was radiating from her.

  "We really," Abeille said slowly, "should probably bandage ourselves."

  Merle put her free hand over Abeille's mouth. "In a minute," she said sleepily. "Basking."

  Abeille's mouth moved in a kiss against Merle's fingers, smiling as she said, "I just don't think we want to fall asleep like—"

  "Shh," Merle said.

  *~*~*

  They were still tangled together later when Sestin unsealed the door and knocked. Both of them frantically pulled their dresses into order, concerned he might barge in, but, as Merle had guessed he might, he waited for them to call out to him before he entered.

  Sestin was rapidly changing between forms, currently an intercubus and shifting around the spectrum. The constant ripple hurt to watch, but even if it looked like something might be wrong, Sestin was probably just enjoying the chance to be whatever they wanted however they wanted.

  I mean, I guess, more power to them.

  They said, cheery, "Well, you two seem to have made up nicely. I'm glad to see that."

  Merle and Abeille both flushed at that, but neither rose to the bait. Abeille turned to face Sestin as Merle pulled Abeille's hair out of the back of her shift, where it had gotten caught in her hurry to put it on. "What do you want, your highness?" Abeille asked, cautious and voice a little raw.

  "Oh. Goodness," Sestin said, clearly flattered. "Just Sestin, please. I hope we know each other better than that. I just wanted to talk to you."

  "About what?" Abeille asked. She didn't sound any less cautious.

  Sestin smiled brightly as his shape finally settled back into the form they were familiar with. Is he doing it, Merle wondered, because it'll make us more comfortable since we're used to it? Or is it just some kind of habit by now?

  Walking over to the dresser, Sestin pulled out the chair and sat backwards on it, crossing his arms over the back and leaning his chin on it. He said, "Well, I want to talk about what you want, honestly."

  "To live, please," Merle said promptly.

  "Not a question," Sestin reassured her with a bright grin. "I meant more, how. If you stay here, you might be in danger for a little while from any remaining people loyal to Vehr—or those who don't want to be around humans who essentially took down a prince."

  It was more or less what Abeille had said earlier. Abeille looked at Merle, and she realized, to her surprise, that Abeille was staying silent to let her answer this. She fumbled briefly, clearing her throat, then said, "Um. Honestly, I don't want to offend you, but if we did stay, under the circumstances, I'm not really sure we can trust you to keep us safe here?"

  Sestin laughed. "Oh. No. No offense taken, it's fine. I can see why you'd feel that. I certainly owe you both for helping take her down, though, and I'd like to pay my debts. I'll do my best by you. I definitely don't want to kick you out. And… I want to make this a good fiefdom. Better than Vehr's." His smile gentled. It seemed, to Merle, to become genuine for perhaps the first time she'd seen. "I really want to make it lovely. I've got so many plans, you two, and I'd love for you to be a part of them."

  "Like what…?" Abeille asked slowly.

  Sestin lit up, like he'd hoped he'd be asked. "All kinds of things. I want to make things better for humans, for sure. I've seen enough of this kind of control over others to last a lifetime. I'm going to expand the castle, open it up more and really get people coming and going. The garden, I'm going to make it so much bigger and better—I'll make above-ground gardens too, you'll love them."

  "Isn't that just like Vehr?" Merle blurted out.

  For a moment, the expression fell off Sestin's face entirely, smile vanishing like it had never been there. "…What?"

  "You said," Merle said, feeling awkward at the way both of them were staring at her now. "Before. That when she'd been younger, you thought she'd been the one to try to expand. And that she started the gardens. Please don't become another Vehr."

  For a moment, Sestin just looked at her in that totally blank way. Even his eyes had stopped flickering.

  But then they lit up again, and he smiled. "Thank you for the reminder," he said, and it sounded like he meant it. He sighed, tucking some of his long hair back behind an ear. "Hopefully, I won't forget it as the years go by."

  "I mean, gardens and expansion and not hurting humans is great," Merle said. "Especially that last part. I don't mean to say otherwise."

  "I really do appreciate it," Sestin said gently. "I imagine one could get carried away with one's own importance."

  She swallowed. "But," she said, "I want to know what our other options are too."

  Sestin blinked, as if recalling himself, then nodded, resting his chin on his arms again. "Okay, well. You could stay here. Or I could send you to a smaller city in my fiefdom. Or, if you want, you could be free of me entirely. I'd give you a carriage to any other city you want, in a fiefdom or out of it. Prince-ruled or protected by humans. Your call."

  Merle and Abeille looked at each other, Merle trying to prompt Abeille for help with her eyes alone. Abeille slowly asked, "What's the catch?"

  "No catch," Sestin said easily. He spread his hands, shrugging. "I wouldn't recommend going to a human-only city—to keep themselves safe from demonic influence, they tend to be really suspicious of anyone who comes from a demonic town, and I think you'd both have difficulties in that environment."

  Merle said, "And… other demonic fiefdoms? I don't want to even hear about one that was like this one."

  Sestin nodded, not protesting at all. "The next fiefdom over might work for you. It's demon-run, but without ownership of humans. Potfeld is the biggest city in it, and it's a pretty nice, small place. A hatchmate of mine, Hrahez, rules it, and he's always been big on making sure humans are protected. At least when they're within t
heir own communities. I can get in contact with him to guarantee he'll help you settle."

  "Why are you suggesting that one in particular?" Abeille asked, suspicious.

  "Well," Sestin said, sighing, "Just, he likes you humans a lot. I don't have any other reasons. I mean, if you want to pick any place, I'll send you there too. I'm not invested, I'm just in debt to you. Do you want my word on that? I'll give you my word on that." He traced a symbol in the air with one too-long fingertip. His sigil; his name. "It's the truth, this time. I owe you that much."

  Merle looked at Abeille. Abeille looked at Merle, her answer clear from the resignation and determination in her eyes.

  "Fine," Merle said. "Potfeld it is."

  Epilogue

  True to his word, Sestin set them up nicely. He gave them some money, along with a carriage and a driver, a supply of food, and medicine for Abeille. Although Merle wasn't exactly looking forward to a long carriage ride, not with how uncomfortable the ride through even the city had been, it was certainly going to be easier than their old plans from when they were younger, sneaking off on foot and foraging on the way.

  They were nevertheless tense as the carriage drove out of the Glass Courtyard and back through the city again. Merle knew why Abeille was watching out the door with her shoulders tight—if he wanted to go back on his promise, now was the last chance.

  "I think it's going to be okay," Merle volunteered finally. "If he wanted to get rid of us, he could have done it with no witnesses back in our room. But he gave us his word."

  "Maybe he'd want to do it with witnesses," Abeille countered, but she relaxed a little.

  "Yikes." Merle settled into her seat, holding onto the edge and trying to ignore the feeling that the carriage wanted to shake her to pieces. "Actually, I think we came out of this pretty well? We have enough food and money to make the journey no problem, and we're both skilled workers. We should be able to set up shop in Potfeld whether or not this Hrahez wants to lend us a hand."

  "There's that," Abeille said, mood lightening visibly. "I was able to pack a bunch of the jewelry I was working on, too. So if we need to, we could sell that and, I think, still get our start."

  "Great!" Merle beamed at her, sliding a foot out of her shoe and over to rub against Abeille's shin. "Look at you, getting us all taken care of. All I've got is my tool belt."

  "All you need is your tool belt to get started," Abeille countered. "I can't bring my forge with me, so I need the pieces I've already done. Actually, for safety's sake, we should divide them between us in case we get split up."

  Merle frowned with a sudden spike of anxiety. "Do you think that's likely to happen?" I'm never going to be separated from you again. Never.

  "Hand out," Abeille said.

  Still frowning, nearly pouting, Merle did so. But it wasn't a handful of jewelry that Abeille deposited—instead, she dropped just a single piece in Merle's open palm.

  Merle took it and rolled it between her fingers, holding it up to see properly. It was a beautiful silver ring, mostly smooth, but with an additional line of silver winding around the band more narrowly, defining, on the outside, a shape like a bird. "Oh, it's lovely," she said. "Was this the one you were working on while I was watching?"

  "Yes," Abeille said. There was a strange tone of strained patience in her voice.

  "I like it," Merle said. "It makes me want to pretend the bird on it is a blackbird, like my namesake."

  "Yes," Abeille said. That tone was getting even more pronounced. "Yes. That was the intention."

  "That's really sweet," Merle said. "You didn't need to try to trick me into taking a look at it, though. Here, take it back."

  Abeille pinched the spot between her brows. "No, it's—it's for you."

  "What? I've never received a gift of jewelry before. Actually, I—"

  Realization dawned.

  "Oh," Merle said. "Oh." Flustered, she slid it on.

  It fit perfectly.

  "Yikes," Abeille said, and started to laugh.

  FIN

  About the Author

  Meredith Katz started writing around the same time she started to walk, a 6 page ‘book’ called “The Baby Dragon” (spoilers, there was an egg, it hatched, and then there was a baby dragon). She hasn’t stopped since, and after many years of writing slash and femslash fanfiction, she is only too excited to share her original fiction. She lives in beautiful BC, Canada with her gorgeous fiancée and adorably nerdy cat.

  Tumblr: http://www.king-of-katz.tumblr.com

  Website: https://meredithakatz.wordpress.com