by Robin Roseau
“Kiss me,” she ordered.
And so I did.
But she took me to breakfast. Claary stopped by and sat with us for a minute, but she was busy, so I didn’t really get to talk to her.
But then, shortly before we were done, Claary leaned over me and whispered, “Touch your nose.”
And I did it without thinking.
“I’m taking care of her,” Renalla said. “She’s fine.”
“She’s a prime target, Renalla,” Claary said.
“I’m fine,” I said. “You caught me unaware.”
“Darfelsa, go upstairs.”
“Nice try,” I said.
She put on a tone. “Get up right now and go upstairs.”
I started to rise but froze, my eyes on Renalla. “Please take me home now.”
“She’s fine,” Renalla said.
“I’m walking with you,” Claary said. Renalla paid our bill, and then the three of us walked to the embassy. At the door, Claary said, “We had two attempted kidnappings last year, women doing about as well as she’s doing.”
“If she has a choice of obeying you, or obeying me, she’s going to obey me, Claary,” Renalla said.
“And if someone manages to distract you? It only takes a minute. The only reason the two attempts last year were unsuccessful was because I was watching, and I interrupted each of them. If you do this again, bring at least two more people with you, and all three of you watch her like a hawk.”
“It’s been plenty of time,” Renalla said.
“First, everyone is different. And second, this wasn’t some quiet little challenge. Tell me, Princess,” Claary said. She sounded upset. “How excited were you at the start?”
“My heart was pounding out of my chest.”
“That’s what I would expect,” Claary replied. “Renalla, she had six women teasing the crap out of her for a half hour. She was coated long before you touched her, and then you took forever, drawing it out as long as you could.”
“She asked me to do it slowly.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Claary said. “But it was her first experience with the resin, which normally would take about a minute and a half. How long after you released her before she was aware?”
“Two days.”
“That should tell you something,” Claary said. She turned to me. “Princess Darfelsa, imagine. You’re at The Baby Blanket. You feel really good. You’re out with Renalla. She’s beautiful and has always been very kind to you. You trust her, so your guard is down. She’s looking out for you, so you know you’re safe.”
“I was safe.”
“And then imagine you get up after paying the bill, but a couple of friends step in, and they start talking to Renalla. And then I step up behind you.” And she did that. “Hello, Darfelsa,” she said in a warm, friendly voice. She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me from behind. “It’s good to see you. I wanted to talk to you.” And then she began drawing me backwards, down the steps, talking the entire time, her voice low, friendly, as she said she had something I needed to see.
And I did nothing to stop her. She got me all the way back out to the street before we stopped. “Look where we are, Darfelsa.”
I did and then I turned, still in her arms. “But I know you, Claary.”
“You know a lot of people, Darfelsa. In spite of what we were just talking about, did you even think of resisting me?”
“But we’re right here.”
“And you were right at The Baby Blanket, where you’ve been a hundred times. Once I get you in the next room, and if my friends keep Renalla occupied, then I can begin whispering more things to you. Someone better at this than I am would need another minute to get you into a waiting carriage. Someone can tell Renalla you said you were walking home.”
“Bring me back to Renalla.”
“Of course. She’s this way.” And then, still hugging, we began walking. And it wasn’t until Renalla began yelling and ran after us that I realized she was taking me further away.
Renalla caught up with us and pulled me from Claary. I clung to her. Claary said, “I’m your friend, Darfelsa.” And so I didn’t pull away when she set her hand on my back. “You don’t need to be afraid of me. But until you know not even Allium could do what I just did, you need three people in public, not just one. Do you hear me, Renalla? She’s not some random member of the embassy. She’s a princess. That makes her one of the two most valuable targets in the city.”
“Ridiculous,” I said. “Anyone who wants… what someone might want can get it at the arena any Saturday.”
“That’s the risk that someone else from the embassy takes,” Claary said. “They wouldn’t be after an easy pleasure slave, Darfelsa, and there’s a reason you don’t leave the palace in Barrish without a significant honor guard. You don’t normally need one here, either, but you do when you can’t protect yourself. And right now, you can’t.”
“She’s right, Darfelsa,” Renalla said. “Claary, thank you for looking out for her.”
“You’re welcome.” Claary set her hand on my cheek, turning me to face her. “Friends?” I thought about it and then nodded. “Will you join Gigi and me for dinner next week?”
“I’d like that.”
“I’ll schedule it with Renalla,” she said. “And Allium.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good. I wish I’d known your event was to be on Saturday. I would have given myself an invitation.”
“As I didn’t know myself, that’s not my fault.”
“I know. How was it, Renalla?”
“There aren’t words,” Renalla replied. “Especially because it was with someone so special.”
“Everyone is going to want to do that now,” Claary said. “It’s been a popular topic at The Baby Blanket.” She caressed my cheek and dropped her hand. “Be safe, Darfelsa.”
I nodded. She kissed Renalla’s cheek then mine before turning back to her inn. “Let’s get you inside.”
“I don’t want to talk any more about this,” I said. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”
“I will,” she said. “I’ll have to talk to Allium, but I’ll leave you with someone else.”
* * * *
It took more time, but not the months it had after my First. I felt susceptible to Allium for the better part of two more weeks, and it was over dinner at the embassy, a month to the day from my challenge with, well, half the town, it seemed, when Allium and Olivia together declared me entirely fit.
I smiled and said, “Then I want a new challenge.” There was laughter, and a few people offering a little light trash talk. I looked around the room. “Corale.”
That resulted in more trash talk, but Corale smiled broadly. “Yes, Darfelsa?”
“Three days.”
“Sure. Want to be tied to another fence?”
“Yes, but not this time. You and me, something simple.”
“You know you’re going to lose.”
“Yes, but you’re going to go easy on me and give me enough chance to learn something.”
“I’m not letting you tie me.”
I smiled. “I wasn’t suggesting an event like that, but I’m fairly sure if we did engage in something like that, I’d win that part.”
“Ooh,” said several people. “When did Valsine take over Darfelsa’s body?”
Corale brushed some of her hair from her face. “Did you want a chance to prove that?”
“Another time,” I said. “I want to keep it simple, and I want to do it tonight.”
“You can’t toss out a comment like that and expect no one to respond to it,” Ressie said.
I shifted my gaze. “I’m not sure I can beat you that way, but I think I can. I might not win the challenge, but I think I could get you tied. I’m convinced I could catch most of the people at the table, at least that far.”
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Allium said.
“It doesn’t look at all easy. You
and I would have an interesting time.”
“Oh, ho!” Valsine said. “Princess Cousin is feeling awfully cocky.”
“I didn’t say I’d beat her. And even if I got someone tied, I’m not sure I wouldn’t grow lost to the resin.”
“You almost certainly would get lost to it,” Olivia said. “And we don’t do that type of event unless you either use a two-ended device, or you both wear one.” I shrugged.
“What does a princess know?” Valsine asked. I flashed my attention to her. “She’s awfully cocky.”
“I think you should be quiet,” I told her.
“Was that an order, Princess Cousin?”
“A suggestion.”
“You’re the one digging a hole for herself,” she said. “And you have half the people here willing to show it to you.”
Valsine was making trouble, but it was in fun. What I couldn’t decide was whether she was making trouble for me or for the others. I smiled. “Who thinks Valsine is right?”
“I’m not speaking for myself,” Allium said. “She said half the people, and it’s more than half.”
I couldn’t decide if Valsine was truly using her brain, or if she was remembering me from when I was much smaller than she was. “I was proposing a simple event we can do tonight,” I said. “I have limited time, and if I zone out like I did the first time, I’m not going to get many chances.” I grinned. “I want to have a step up when Shalendra is ready for a challenge or two.”
They laughed. “Well, that’s a goal we can support,” Renalla said for all of them.
“We can do a simple event tonight,” Olivia offered. “But we can also do a complicated event tonight. If I send a runner, the arena could be ready by the time we finish dinner and make our way there.”
“I had a complicated event. And all I learned was that it was really, really fun.”
They laughed. It was Valsine who said, “I don’t think you’re as confident as you were pretending.”
“You really aren’t interested in my advice,” I told her. “Do you really think that’s going to work on me?”
“Yes.”
Even I laughed. “You want me to prove it.”
“I sure do, and so does everyone at the table.”
“Fine. Raise your hand if you think I was trash talking out of line.” Most of the hands went up. Valsine’s didn’t, nor did Allium’s or Olivia’s. I raised an eyebrow at Valsine. “Raise your hand. And that is an order from your princess.”
I wasn’t sure she was going to do it, but she raised her hand halfway, hovering near her ear. But she met my gaze.
I still wasn’t sure what her game was, but I decided to play. But I also decided she was playing, too.
“All right. We’re not talking about whether I can win the challenge; we’re talking about whether I can get you tied. Of those with their hands up, keep it up if you think I’m overstating my ability and you think you’re the one to prove it. Valsine, your hand stays where it is.”
“I protest,” she complained. “You’re making me lie.”
“Fine. Put your hand down, but you stirred the pot against my advice, and you’re stuck with this game.”
She nodded but dropped her hand. “Keep your hand up if you think you can put me in my place.”
About half the hands went down. Dee’s stayed up, as did Corale’s. “All right. Then this is the event. Olivia, are you letting Dee play my game?”
“I haven’t heard the rules.”
“Then I’ll make a proposal. One at a time, my opponents will come to me. Valsine is first. Corale is last. We will have the first portion of a grappling event.” I looked around at the raised hands. “I can wrestle each of you down into a submissive position, one after another, but Allium is right. Getting you to a trench and actually tied makes this a lot harder, and I’d be too tired if I tried to do that with all of you. I can do three if I can catch my breath in between. I might be able to do four, but I think that’s starting to edge on cocky.”
“Interesting,” Olivia said. “Keep going.”
“Anyone I manage to tie will be having her own event, and clearly she’s starting at a significant disadvantage. However, that isn’t much punishment to my cousin, so I believe the ones I tie shouldn’t be pleasure slaves.”
“Hey!” Valsine complained. “I never said I could beat you.”
“You stirred the pot,” I said. “Someone make a recommendation.”
“Household staff,” Allium said.
“I’m not sure I want to reward anyone here,” I said. “Nearly everyone here thinks I’m going to lose this, at least by the end. You are, in effect, wagering against me, and I’m not rewarding you for it.”
“Let Jessla, Claary, or me claim them,” Olivia said.
“That works,” I said. “No pleasure slaves.”
“Hey!” Corale complained.
“Once I get you tied, we’ll have our event,” I said.
“That’s all right, then,” she said. “What happens if someone gets you tied.”
“I still want my event with you, so if anyone ties me, you get me.”
“Then what are the rest of us playing for?”
“Whoever gets Darfelsa tied,” Allium said, “may pick an opponent from the others here who had her hand raised. Furthermore, I’m not satisfied with these rules.”
“Then what do you suggest?” I asked.
“Anyone who gets tied will be taken,” she said. “If you tie all your opponents, then they’ll go to Jessla, Claary, and Olivia as suggested. But if you don’t get your final opponent tied, then everyone you tied gets to pick from the others here. After all, you’ll have been proven as overstating your ability, and so they deserve their rewards.”
“Fine,” I said. “That’s fair. But if I win, then the resulting events should remain lopsided. If I lose, then it should be fair, although starting with them tied.”
Allium nodded. “Your event with Corale will be fair, regardless. As you said, you want a chance to learn something. Even if you tie her, she’ll probably still win.”
“There should be a time limit,” Valsine said. “She said she can tie us. Spending a half hour wearing us out doesn’t seem like it fits the bragging she was doing.”
“Fifteen minutes a match,” Allium said. “That’s a long time.”
“Ten,” Valsine counter-proposed.
“Fifteen,” Allium said firmly. “After that, we send in the next opponent to help. Furthermore, if it’s been fourteen and a half minutes, you only get a half minute to catch your breath.” I nodded agreement.
“Ten,” Valsine tried again.
“Ten to get you to a trench,” I said. “But even once I get a rope around your first wrist, it’s going to take me time.” I paused. “In fact, I’m not sure I can get someone fully secured in that time, unless she’s a lot easier than I expect.”
“Ten minutes to get her partially secured,” Allium said. “And then as long as you’re making steady progress, you can take your time to do it right. That’s fair.”
“Agreed.”
“Agreed,” Valsine said.
Everyone had long lowered their hands. “Valsine is first, and Corale is last. Raise your hand if you think you can beat me in the middle. Not you, Allium.”
Hands went back up, including Dee’s. “You won’t beat me, Darfelsa,” Dee said. “I’ve done this, and I don’t believe you have.”
“All of you. Look around. Of the hands raised, do you want Dee to be my second, or someone else.”
“Dee,” a bunch of people said.
So I turned to Olivia. “Sure,” she said. “For a price.”
“Oh?”
“If she beats you, she gets your next challenge.”
“What if I beat her?” Valsine asked.
“Then Dee still gets a challenge with the princess, but on whatever schedule Darfelsa chooses.”
“If I beat Dee, then she helps teach me.”
“Agreed,” Oli
via said. “Dee?”
“I love to help.”
“All right then.”
“I need to send runners,” Olivia said.
“Troublemaker can be one of them,” I offered.
“Hey!” Valsine complained.
“After she and I have a little chat in private.”
“I need to write notes, and I need at least one more runner.”
“We can go,” Dee said, indicating her sister.
“I’ll get paper,” said Viella.
“With me, Valsine.” I stood up and walked from the dining room, Valsine following me. I took her into the corridor and out to the foyer. In the corner, I turned to her. “You know I’m going to win.”
She smiled. “Maybe. I’m not sure you can beat Dee. Yeah, you’d beat the rest. You shouldn’t have picked Dee. I wasn’t counting on her.”
“What are you doing?”
“If they haven’t been paying attention to you and Sergeant Felist, is that my fault?”
“No, but stirring everyone up is.”
“They were already stirred up.”
“I thought you put these games behind you, Valsine.”
“Tell me I successfully manipulated you.”
“I wanted a simple event.”
“And you could have actually ordered me to shut up. You didn’t. In effect, you told me you were playing.”
“No one else in there can order you to be quiet.”
“Darfelsa, when I stir things, I’m not remotely subtle. Everyone knows I’m doing it. It’s always in fun. Are you really upset?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“I think bringing Dee in was a mistake,” she said. “I wish you hadn’t.”
“You want me to win?”
“Yes.”
“If I win you’re going to be some sort of clerk.”
“Or waiting tables at The Baby Blanket. It wouldn’t be the first time. Dee is really good, Darfelsa. I don’t think you can beat Allium. She’d wear you down, or at least run out the timer, and you won’t beat two people, not if one is good enough to keep it a standstill.”
“I agree,” I said. “And I think she’d win.” I shrugged. “If Dee beats me, then it will be that much easier to get a bigger event from them next time.”