by Logan Jacobs
“You. Inside. Me.” Her voice was an urgent growl, so I slid my finger free of her, pressed her back against the stone wall of the room, and guided my erect cock toward her entrance.
“Damn, you are so wet and tight,” I muttered as my tip pressed apart her lips and began to invade her body. She really did feel like a warm vice around me, and I had to pull out a bit, thrust in another half an inch, and then repeat the process until my shaft was fully lubricated with her juices enough to enter her tight tunnel.
But then I was finally inside her with my full length, and we both groaned with satisfaction as we kissed.
I hooked one hand under her knee and lifted her leg up so that she was doing the front splits between me and the wall, and then I began to roll my hips and rub my cock in and out and back and forth against her velvety walls.
“Damn. So goooooodddd.” Lavinia closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall as I fucked her. The ladona woman's little gasps and moans spurred me on, and I thrust faster and harder until Lavinia's hand tightened over my shoulder while she climaxed and tightened around me. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her eyes were like rubies beneath the fringe of her dark lashes.
“Don't stop now,” she admonished.
“Wasn't planning to,” I whispered back, and I lifted her up, carried her to the bed, and set her down on her back. As I slotted my hips between her thighs, I leaned forward to nip at the sensitive skin of her neck. She hummed with pleasure and ran her fingers down my back as I entered her again, and then she began to cry out as I thrust as deep into her as I could.
I moved my mouth back to hers and kissed her again, and she clutched at my shoulder as I caught her bottom lip between my teeth and picked up the pace of my hips.
After a few more minutes of me taking her in the missionary position, Lavinia gasped, and her back arched as she came. I could have stopped for a few moments to enjoy the feeling of her clenching around me, but I wanted her to keep climaxing, so I lifted her legs up in the air, sat back on my knees so that she was straddling my lap, and began to slam into her pussy while I yanked her sideways into me.
Lavinia didn’t have much leverage since I controlled her hips, but she tried to scoot her hips down to match each of my thrusts. Pleasure built inside me like fireworks, and I could tell from Lavinia's gasps and the spasming of her tunnel around me that she was just riding a long wave of her earlier orgasm.
We were perfectly in sync here, just as we were in battle, and this time, we both came at once, and my seed poured into her womb as we both screamed each other’s name.
It took a few minutes for each of us to calm down, but finally we lay back on the rumpled comforter, and Lavinia traced her fingers lightly over my collarbone.
“Was that better than prancing around with stuck up nobles?” she asked.
“Definitely,” I replied with a little laugh, and I tilted her chin up for another kiss. “So much better. Helps when we have a big bed.”
“Meh,” she muttered as she snuggled into my neck. “As long as I have your big cock; that’s all I need.”
“Any time,” I whispered as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.
“You came so much in me,” she continued with a satisfied sigh. “I should go… take care of it, but I really like the way it feels in me, so I’m just gonna leave it. Okay?”
“Uhhhh,” I started as I tried to puzzle through her question. “Leave it? Does that mean that--”
“Yessss,” she purred into my ear. “I want your baby.”
“Does that even work?” I asked as I pulled away from her a bit. “We are two different--”
“You should see your face right now,” Lavinia said as her lips twisted up into a rare smirk. “Got ya.”
“You are worse than Merlin,” I groaned as I started to tickle her washboard abs.
“Yahh!” she cried out as she tried to squirm away from me. “No tickling!”
“Serves you right!” I hissed as I continued for a few more moments, but finally I was laying on top of her, and our mouths were devouring each other’s again.
“My, my, my,” she panted as her fingers wrapped around my stiff shaft. “Can you go again?”
“Looks like it,” I said between kisses. “If you want more.”
“I always want more of you,” she muttered.
And then I gave her more.
Even Lavinia wasn't up before noon the next day, and the mood around the breakfast table when we all finally made it downstairs was sleepy and subdued, but comfortable. The sky was overcast, so it wasn't too bright in the solarium where we were gathered before heaping plates of toast, fruit, yogurt, and eggs, which were back in fashion, apparently. Yvaine had yet to arrive, but Rezo was there and assured us that it was perfectly acceptable for us to start eating without her, and the rumbling in our stomachs won out over any lingering sense of propriety.
I hadn't realized how hungry I was, but I was on my second helping of eggs and toast when the marchioness arrived. She looked as stunning as ever, and certainly not like she'd been up all night dancing and entertaining guests. The only indication that she'd recently gotten out of bed was that she wore a delicate silk robe with wide sleeves embroidered with silver thread in floral patterns around the cuffs, and her hair was loose and unstyled. Not that she needed to style it, of course. Bedhead, it would seem, was only for the lower classes, and not a single strand of Yvaine's dark locks was out of place.
She sat down with a sigh, and immediately a servant rushed forward and put a crystal glass full of dark green liquid into the noblewoman's hand.
“What is that?” Maruk asked with interest as Yvaine took a sip.
“Seaweed,” she replied as she set the glass down with a smile. “Mostly seaweed, that is, harvested from the northern coasts of Lura. There's also spinach, cucumber, and lemon. It's expensive to have all the ingredients imported, of course, but it does wonders for the skin, you simply wouldn't believe. Would you like to try some?”
“Could I?” Maruk looked utterly awestruck.
With a wave from the marchioness, a servant brought out another crystal glass of seaweed juice and handed it to Maruk. The slender glass looked comically tiny in Maruk's large hand, and the orc pinched the stem carefully between his thumb and forefinger as he lifted the glass to his lips and took a drink.
At once, his eyes bulged and there was a sharp crack as the stem of the glass snapped in his hand. Aerin quickly took the broken glass from him as he forced himself to swallow, and Lavinia pounded him on the back while he coughed.
Maruk reached for his water and downed the entire glass, and when he had recovered enough to speak his olive skin looked distinctly greener.
“Oh, that's, ahem, that is quite salty,” he rasped.
“It is something of an acquired taste,” Yvaine replied sympathetically as she took another drink from her own glass. If the taste bothered her at all, she had the best poker face that I'd ever seen.
“Sorry about your glass,” Aerin said as she passed the broken pieces to the servant who had come to collect them.
Yvaine waved her hand dismissively. “Don't be, they were a gift from an old friend with truly abhorrent taste in stemware, if I'm being totally honest. I've been trying to find some excuse to get rid of them for a while now.” She smiled as she set down her glass and then her gray eyes focused on me. “So, will you be staying long?”
“No,” I answered.
“Awww,” she pouted.
“Sorry,” I sighed. “I wish we could, but this mission we're on is pretty urgent, so we'll need to leave today.”
The others looked a little deflated, and I couldn't blame them, but we didn't have any time to lose. We could come back and enjoy Yvaine's hospitality another time. I know I wanted to.
“Right, of course.” Yvaine nodded. “I'd love to help, you know. I had my guards look over those symbols you showed me earlier, and they marked out a few places where the scoundrels might be hiding.” She gestured to one of the
servants who brought over a map that the marchioness unrolled on the table before us. A few locations had been marked with red circles.
“This is an incredible help.” I felt some of the anxiety I'd been carrying around melt away.
Yvaine looked pleased. “I'm afraid I cannot offer you a carriage at the moment, I'm having them all refitted with new upholstery, but I can provide horses for everyone. You'll be able to travel a little faster, at least.”
“I've always wanted to go horseback riding!” Emeline leaned forward, her large green eyes wide with excitement, and her pointed cat ears flicked forward.
“There is one other way I may be of assistance,” the noblewoman said as she leaned back in her chair and gave us a small smile.
“Oh?” I asked.
“I could go with you,” she purred as her gray eyes bored into mine.
“Uh, thanks, but how will that help us, exactly?” Lavinia asked, one brow arched.
Maruk elbowed the ladona woman in the ribs and hissed something about manners at her, but Yvaine didn't seem offended.
“I forget, you all run in different circles so this will be news to you,” Yvaine replied, “but I happen to be a championship fencer. I've been training ever since I was a girl, and I had the pleasure of studying under Master Vincze Antal.” She raised her chin proudly. “He was so dear, he told me I was his star pupil.”
I had no idea who that was, but I figured he must be important judging by how hard Maruk was trying to look impressed. Lavinia, on the other hand, was yet to be won over.
“If you're such a great fencer, why didn't you help us when we were rescuing you from those insane dwarves?”
“Well, it wasn’t as though there was a sabre, or rapier, or small sword lying around in that swamp,” Yvaine replied. “And you did take your time untying me, didn't you? Also, I was a bit tired.”
Lavinia crossed her arms. “Whatever, why do you want to come with us now.”
“It sounds exciting,” the noble woman said as her eyes drifted back toward me. “I do like exciting… things.”
“You're sure you want to come with us now?” Lavinia pressed. “We're going to be sleeping on the ground, you know.”
“The thing about extravagant wealth,” Yvaine said with a weary sigh, “is that it all becomes quite dull after a time. I've been considering for a while now that I might like to mix things up a bit and see how the working class does it. I think it will be rather exciting.”
“What we're doing is work, not a vacation,” Aerin said with a frown. “We have to think about the expenses, liabilities, splitting the reward money...”
“Oh, of course,” Yvaine replied. “I'm really not interested in the reward money, though, and I'd be more than happy to cover any expenses that come up for you Shadow Foxes as well as for myself, you needn't worry about any of that.”
“Welcome aboard!” The healer clapped her hands and looked around at the rest of us. “I think the marchioness would make a great addition to our party.”
“We could certainly benefit from having someone else with a sense of culture around,” Maruk sniffed.
“Whatever, if the princess wants to come along, let her come,” Lavinia sighed.
“I want to see her fight with a sword.” Dehn had shown little interest in the noblewoman until she'd brought up her skill with weapons, but there was a new look of respect in the halfling's eyes now.
“You really want to do this?” I asked Yvaine. “We'd be happy to have you along, but it is dangerous, and it might not be what you're hoping for.”
The noblewoman smiled and took my hand in both of hers. “Oh, aren't you considerate? I am serious about joining you, if you'll have me. It isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, though it may seem so to you now. I've given it a great deal of thought.”
Well, if she was sure, I wasn't going to tell her no. It wouldn't feel right, considering everything she'd done for us, and the truth was, I was looking forward to the chance to spend more time with her. I nodded, and Yvaine jumped up.
“Oh, wonderful!” she exclaimed. “I already have all of my things packed, so I'm ready to leave whenever you are. This is going to be such fun!”
Since Yvaine's guards had given us some probable locations for bandit hideouts, and the marchioness herself was already prepared to set out, we decided to waste no more time and set out as soon as we'd finished our late breakfast. As promised, Yvaine provided each of us with a horse to ride from her stables, and she even had a gentle draft horse large enough to carry Maruk and a sprightly pony for Dehn. My own mount was a patient mare that, thankfully, had no problem with Merlin and responded readily to the slightest twitch of the reins. Lavinia, Aerin, Lena, and Emeline had the team of snow-white horses that I recognized as the same ones that had pulled the carriage Yvaine had loaned us before, and the horses appeared to recognize us in return and were perfectly friendly. I supposed they were as eager to get out as their mistress was.
Yvaine's horse was as beautiful and regal as the marchioness herself, and a sleek, silvery coat with a white star-shaped patch on its forehead. Pride wasn't an emotion I would have normally associated with horses before, but there was something distinctly haughty about the way Yvaine's horse carried itself. I got the sense that if any of us besides Yvaine dared to try to ride it, we'd be thrown off before we could say 'giddyup.'
The nearest location that Yvaine's guards had marked for us was several miles to the north, not far from the estate of a certain count by the name of Orso, according to Yvaine.
“Oh, you should hear him go on about them,” the marchioness complained as we started down the road, “as though he thinks having criminals holed up practically in his backyard is something to boast about.”
“It's surprising that he wouldn't be more concerned,” I replied.
“It's the only mildly interesting thing about him, I'm afraid.” Yvaine clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “I suppose he knows it, so he'd rather let them run around and stir up trouble now and then so he'll have something at least to share at dinner parties.”
“Well, he'll have to come up with something else soon,” Lavinia said.
“Indeed!” Yvaine grinned. “This is the most excited I've been since my dear friend, Queen Valeria of Morelia, asked me to be a guest of honor at her coronation.”
The ladona ranger looked over at her with an amused smirk. “I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, we've got a few hours before we're anywhere near the area.”
“Oh, I know, it's just so thrilling! It's all well and good, of course, to donate vast sums of gold to charity and public works or host extravagant parties for your less popular friends, but I think it will be nice to contribute to society differently, to be really hands-on, you know?”
“Right...” Lavinia said. “Well, you're in luck, it's going to get really hands on when we find those bandits.” The ranger drew her finger across her throat and made a gagging sound.
She made a good point. Even if she had the technical training, actually killing someone provided challenges of its own.
“Are you going to be okay with that?” I asked the noblewoman. “There's a good chance they won't just surrender.”
“Don't worry about me, dear,” Yvaine assured me. “Believe it or not, I do actually have some experience... in the field, as you might say.”
“Really?” I was intrigued, and Lavinia looked just as interested.
“Oh, yes.” Yvaine tossed her hair. “I don't like to brag, so I don't usually tell people this, but I did save Prince Romero of Verdemonte from assassins at his thirty-first birthday party. He and his wife were so grateful, bless them both, that they had a summer palace constructed for me in the Verdemonte countryside. It's absolutely lovely, I must take you there some time, Gabriel.”
“You killed an assassin?” Lavinia asked. “That's... pretty badass.”
“Three assassins, dear,” Yvaine corrected with a little smile. “It was nothing, really, their form was simply trag
ic. I'd never seen such sloppy footwork.”
Yvaine told us more about her experiences with foreign assassins and royal birthday parties as we rode toward the area where we hoped we'd find more bandits. I was as impressed as I was surprised to learn of the noblewoman's exploits, but I was relieved, too. I was a lot less worried now about Yvaine being able to defend herself should the need arise than I'd been this morning.
The sky remained overcast, and a chill wind blew in from the north and made the remaining leaves on the trees around us shiver on their branches. As we neared the place marked on our map, I kept my eye out for any signs of human activity. The location Yvaine's guards had given us was, of course, approximate, and they'd given us a radius of several miles to comb through. Not that that bothered me, it was the most specific lead we had, and with the horses, we could cover the ground more quickly.
Merlin was getting restless, though. He'd been content to nap tucked in my pack for most of the journey, but he clambered out into my lap and sneezed on my hand to let me know that he was displeased with our current situation.
“Ugh, thanks,” I muttered as I wiped my hand on the leg of my pants. “If you're tired of riding, you could try to help us find those bandits, you know.”
The puca blinked at me with his enormous green eyes and wrinkled his nose. I sensed another sneeze and lifted him up before he could get more snot on my hands, and that was when I noticed the thin column of smoke that rose into the sky in the distance. It blended almost completely with the overcast sky, which explained why none of us had noticed it before, but there was no mistaking it now.
“Hey, there's smoke ahead,” I called out, and the others' conversations stopped.
“Think it's from our bandits?” Aerin asked.
“It must be, we're too far from Count Orso's estate for it to be his doing,” Yvaine said.
I tugged on the reins, and my horse slowed obediently.
“Riding in will be faster, but they might hear us coming,” I said. “We could dismount and try to sneak up on them.”
Lavinia shook her head and pointed to the smoke in the distance. “That smoke cloud is getting bigger and darker. I don't think it's a campfire, and I'm betting whoever's over there will have enough of a distraction on their hands already. Better that we get there fast.”