by Robin Roseau
“That’s why I never did,” she said. “I’m sorry, Darfelsa. I was a grade-A brat growing up.”
“You aren’t anymore.”
She smiled. “I want to know who is going to accept my challenge. I need to lose, and I hate fake challenges.”
“It should be one of the three of us,” Allium said. “Me, I think. How does that sound, Va?”
“Wonderful,” she said. “It sounds wonderful. Pick something fun.”
“Shalendra said she wanted to see a practice challenge,” I pointed out. “Maybe this is the wrong one.”
They made plans. Twenty minutes later, with three pleasure slaves holding our arms, Allium and I made our way back to the embassy.
* * * *
I set my back against the door. Shalendra was sitting up in my bed and set a book down. “How did it go?”
“It may be hard to understand, but it was beautiful,” I said.
“I want to talk to you.”
“The most frightening words a woman can hear,” I said.
“Not this time,” Shalendra said. “Get ready for bed. Did you want help?”
“Are you staying?”
“Am I invited?”
“Yes. Not every night.”
“Got someone else for the other nights?” I set my hand on my hip. “That was me asking why.”
“Because we’re not married yet, and sharing each other should be a special treat.”
“That’s a stupid reason.”
“It’s not a stupid reason.”
“It’s not the real reason, is it?”
“Because Allium made a big deal of putting you in a different room, and I want to respect that.”
She cocked her head. “Should I go?”
“No. You stay there, but you can watch.”
“I like watching.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up watching.”
“Oh?”
I turned my back and began undressing. I was dressed in casual clothing so didn’t require assistance. That was when I realized someone had hung up my clothing. “Did you do this?”
“Did I do it wrong?”
“No. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I was bored.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“I wasn’t complaining, Darfelsa. Look at me.” I turned to her. “I wasn’t complaining. I was saying it wasn’t a big deal to me. I had fun fingering your clothes. I spent special attention on your most intimates.”
I laughed. “I bet you did.”
“I certainly did,” she said. “And I’m not teasing about that. I want to be clear. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. While I might have wished to have been there with you, I also understand that it’s a special time, and it wouldn’t have been made more special for anyone if I’d been there. You would have worried about me when you needed to worry about whatever you worried about.”
I inclined my head. “Thank you for understanding.”
“I saw to my clothes and spent some time with the others. I hung up your clothes. I don’t think I got any stains on the intimates.”
“You’re a brat.”
“I gave myself a second tour of the embassy. It’s really quite nice. Is this like the embassy in Gandeet?”
“No, not really. That one’s bigger. This one is, in my opinion, much nicer, and I took the only member of the staff I really like.”
“Tess?”
“Yes.”
“Finish over there and come here.”
I took care of myself, brushing my hair out once more, then moved around the bed and climbed in beside her. We shared a simple kiss, and then she took my hands. “I want to ask you how badly I’ve embarrassed you?”
“Our arrival was difficult.”
“I take full responsibility. I was… An idiot.”
“Allium, Gionna, and Olivia have all known me since I was 14,” I explained. “I lived here for three years beginning after my 15th birthday. Allium was, in a way, a second mother, or maybe just big sister. But they’re all very protective of me.”
“I’ve figured that out.”
“You’ve probably also figured out that they’re going to be testing you.”
“Yes, I figured that out, too. That’s what Olivia is doing with the Saturday thing, after I tried to back down. I didn’t think I’d be the only one who is curious.”
“Curiosity comes in different forms,” I said.
“Did I embarrass you at dinner?”
“Not one bit.”
She looked at me, biting her lip. “I’m trying to find the right balance.”
“What balance?”
“Being strong without being a problem. I don’t want anyone to think I need you to protect me in social situations.”
“No one thinks that.”
“Only because I’m being a bitch.” I sighed. “You have to admit, I’m in over my head. I’m trying to be your partner, Darfelsa, someone you can lean on, not someone who you have to babysit.”
I thought about that. “Let me ask this: did you originally insist on attending a Saturday because it was important to you, or because you thought it was necessary to put on a strong show?”
“I thought it was important to really understand, Darfelsa. But everyone else was just… trusting you. And the one who is supposed to trust you the most…”
“Indicated a desire for a full experience,” I replied. “I haven’t talked to that many people here about all of this, but Gretchena and I talked for hours and hours. She began attending events at the arena when she was fourteen.”
“She did?”
“They didn’t go every week or anything, but she went the first nice Saturday after her fourteenth birthday, and then now and then, especially if something especially fun was scheduled. That’s the norm, Shalendra. What is happening with our friends isn’t the norm. Gretchena’s First was two weeks, because she did it shortly after she turned sixteen. Mine was a month, by agreement with Gionna.”
“Mine is going to be two months.”
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“Privilege of the princess?”
“No. A compromise with my mother so Ahlianna and I could come at all. The agreement was if either of us met Queen Lisdee earlier, she could do her ‘enslave them with a touch’ thing, and it would be whatever duration was appropriate based on our age. But if that didn’t happen, we’d get a month instead of two, as soon after our 18th birthdays as could be arranged.”
“Oh. So you would have been Queen Lisdee’s pleasure slave?”
“No. I would have been made a clerk slave, probably. No sex.”
“Ah. Now I understand.” She paused. “They’re basically rushing us.”
“Yes. Maybe we should have come even sooner, but we’re already going to be here for months and months, so we’re squishing things. Shalendra, there was nothing wrong with insisting you wanted to see the Saturday event.”
“Olivia disagrees with me.”
“And if you panic, you’ll prove she’s right.”
“Am I going to panic?”
“No, but I have to wonder if your incident on the first day hasn’t done some good. You’re considering your decisions in a way you may not have been before. I think now you’re determined to give no one an excuse. Frankly, I think as long as you can approach things calmly, you shouldn’t otherwise worry about any of this.”
“Now that I’ve accused you of cheating on me?”
“Something like that,” I said with a smile. “Feeling better?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Feeling good enough to give me what I want?”
“And just what might that be.”
“You,” I said. I dropped my voice. “In control. I want you to take whatever you want from me.”
“I can do that,” she said. “Why are you wearing any clothes?”
It was another half hour before, while pinning me to the bed, she lowered herself to me. “Taste.�
��
I did.
Saturday
Over the next several days, we saw to everyone else. Excepting Shalendra, Mariya was last, and I held her hands as she succumbed to Colonel Melstie. She gave a final gasp, and then a slow smile before growing slack.
It was a little frightening for me, to see her so vulnerable. But I knew Melstie would take care of her, and I thought Mariya would appreciate the honor.
The embassy grew increasingly quiet. Va remained dressed in red, belonging to Allium, and would for a few more days. But I did get to talk to her between being Gionna’s and letting Allium have her.
For that, she smiled and waited. I returned the smile. “I’m speaking as your princess, Valsine,” I said.
“Oh, sure,” she said. “Pulling rank.” She grinned. “Cousin.”
“That’s Princess Cousin right now. And as Princess Cousin, I wanted to tell you that I’m amazingly impressed with you.” Her smile broadened. “It was your idea to provide all the slaves to greet us, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“And you plotted it for a while, didn’t you?”
“I tried to provide more, but I didn’t realize that they wouldn’t want to manage all of us as pleasure slaves. I should have gotten us to bring a few of the guards, Bess and a few others.”
“Why didn’t you talk to Allium openly?”
“She gets weird about her staff as pleasure slaves. Maybe I should have talked to Olivia, but I don’t like doing things like that behind Allium’s back. If you’d been here, I would have talked to you. Maybe. Or maybe trash-talked you into challenging someone.”
I laughed. “I think that’s most likely.”
“Probably,” she admitted. “The girl you used to know isn’t entirely gone.”
“Well, I heartily approve of the woman that girl has become.”
“You know? So do I, but it’s nice to hear it from you, Darfelsa.” She paused. “Do you really want me to use your title all the time?”
“No,” I said. “You know when it’s appropriate.”
“You used to get so mad.”
“I was young and jealous of my position,” I said. “And I was wrong.”
“Well, I was a brat.”
“True.” I laughed. “We both have grown up.”
“Not that you need my approval,” she said. “But I approve of the woman you’ve become, too.”
“Which is nice to hear,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Is Ahlianna ever going to get over who I used to be?”
“Eventually. I think she needs to spend some time with you, and you probably need to be a little careful not to tease her.”
“Oh sure, ask the impossible.”
“I have high expectations for you now.”
“No!” she said. She dramatically covered her mouth with her hand. “Life is easier with low expectations.”
“Right.”
“Darfelsa, thank you for making sure to talk to me.”
“I’m just a kid. I didn’t think my opinion mattered that much to you.”
“You’re not just a kid anymore, and yes, it does. Darfelsa, I’ve always been deeply aware that you’re the princess. I used to be so jealous. I saw the good parts and wanted to be you. Well, I really wanted to be Ahlianna, but you were a good second choice. But yes, your opinion matters to me.”
I smiled, not sure at first what to say. But then I just told her, “You were really good last night and this morning.”
“That was so hot!” she said. She fanned herself. “I haven’t watched anyone else’s First. I was drugged for mine. I barely remember it at all.”
“Well, I’m so glad you’re going to help with the others.”
“So,” she said, changing the subject. “Shalendra.”
“Yes?”
“I like her.”
“You do?”
“Well, I didn’t, but then she apologized to Gionna. What an apology! And… You haven’t done this enough. You might not know. But being held by different people feels different. I feel a little of what they’re feeling. I don’t know if everyone does. But I think I do. And it feels really good when she holds me.”
“I’m glad.”
“Do you know how it’s like to hold Bee or Dee?”
“Yes.”
“Well, she’s not quite the same as holding them, but it’s sort of the same. How much attention do you want me to give her?”
“As much as you want and Allium allows,” I said.
“So, if I let her hold me at night?”
“If you want, sure.”
“You don’t mind?”
“I would rather it not make it back to Mother.”
“Ah. Important safety tip. Don’t anger the she-bear queen.”
I laughed. “She’s not like that.”
“She certainly is, around you and Ahlianna.”
“She is?”
“Totally. It’s a good thing I was a total sweetie, or I might not have lived through her wrath.”
“I can’t always tell when you’re teasing.”
“Then listen carefully. I would trick someone else into letting her hold them before I’d let Queen Ralifta find out I shared your suitor’s bed.”
“Make sure Allium knows how you feel, and do what she suggests.”
“You’re sure.”
“For my part, yes.”
She smiled. “Good.” She grinned. “I managed to get Allium to accept a challenge.”
“I’ve heard it’s not the first time.”
“You wouldn’t believe what I went through last time,” she said. “I suppose we should poke our noses out. They’re probably ready to go.”
“Probably, but hug first.”
And so we did.
* * * *
We held the challenge at the arena. It was clouding up, and crisp. I still wasn’t sure Allium was right about the snow. But the Ressalines had a variety of ways of warming the arena. They had hot braziers, and they could even warm the resin, so it was only severe weather that kept the arena unusable.
We actually had pretty much everyone with us, excepting those who had already begun their First. Olivia encouraged us to roam the grounds ahead of the events, and I showed the resin to several people, explaining it. Then we moved into the stands, taking seats in her box.
Olivia announced Allium and Valsine. Wearing white shifts, they appeared from opposite doors, waved to us, and then stepped over to Olivia, who was hosting our little mini event. “This is a simple event,” Olivia called. “All is fair. If Allium should succumb to Valsine, then Valsine immediately accepts a challenge from the first person to reach her, wearing nothing but her own white shift, but no one may leave their current seats or remove one article of clothing unless I declare a winner. That rule is only applicable to someone who has had her First, so our newest guests are not eligible. Any pleasure slaves captured during this event will be used to facilitate the introduction for our guests.”
She looked around then asked, “Allium, are you ready?”
“Always.”
“Valsine?”
“You look good in red, Allium, and it’s my turn to win.”
“In your dreams,” Allium replied. The two grinned at each other.
“Then begin,” Olivia said.
The results were, I thought, a foregone conclusion. But it was a fun event, regardless. The two stalked and circled each other. But then Valsine committed herself.
And somehow – I didn’t quite see how – Allium caught her, threw her over her hip, and to the ground. Before Valsine could react, she applied an arm hold and began dragging her to the nearest trench.
Valsine squealed and tried to reverse it, but Allium just used it to drag Valsine closer. Twenty seconds later, there was a splash as Valsine went into a resin-filled trench.
She came up, coated in clear resin. Allium didn’t give her a moment’s pause, but grabbed ropes and entered the trench with her. Valsine struggled, and she
actually put up a decent struggle, but Allium got one wrist tied and then the other. Then, sitting on Valsine’s hips, she panted, catching her breath.
“You haven’t won yet!”
Which was true.
But it proceeded in a particularly predictable fashion. Allium tightened the ropes, then caught Valsine’s legs and had little trouble with them, in spite of a lot of squirming, a certain amount of kicking, and a whole lot of trash talking.
Ah, that was Valsine. She trash-talked the most when she most wanted to lose.
And from my side, Shalendra took my hand and held it tightly. “Is this what a First is like?”
“No,” I said. “There are some similarities, but a First is far more one-sided.”
Allium spent a good ten minutes after that, teasing Valsine. Allium was coated in red resin to her waist, and up her arms as well, but Valsine was entirely coated, even her hair and most of her face, before Allium entered her with the device.
It was all over fairly quickly from there.
Olivia stepped over and announced a winner, then knelt down and untied the ropes. Allium lifted Valsine into her arms, both of them still in the resin, and held her.
It was very sweet.
Shalendra hadn’t released my hand, but she hadn’t taken her eyes from the action. “You said it was a sporting event. I had no idea.”
“We have all sorts of events,” Gionna said from my other side. “This type is fairly popular. Valsine knew she’d lose. It’s Allium. She can win in other events, but Allium doesn’t lose this one, not this way. Subtle differences, though, and she can lose.”
“Can we go back down there?” Shalendra asked.
“Sure. Why not.”
And so we all stood up, and Gionna led us back downstairs and out onto the grass. Allium was still holding Va, steam coming up from the resin, and by the time we reached them, they were kissing deeply.
“Are they all right?” Shalendra asked.
Allium released Va and looked up. “We’re fine,” she said. “Someone help us up.”
I stepped forward, Shalendra beside me. We helped Va to her feet, then Allium after her. Shalendra looked at Allium carefully. “You were covered.”
“It slides off, if I win.”
She turned to Va. “She’s completely coated, nearly.”
Va smiled. “It feels really, really good.”