by Chris Hechtl
Later that evening as the evening breeze turned chilly she went up wearing a thin green v cut night dress. She shivered a little, having left her shawl and petticoat in her room. The cold did do interesting things to her nipples, which charged her libido somewhat. She wasn't sure about this, unsure of where it would lead. She had yet to ride this particular stallion since her... rape.
She brushed at her dress, nodding to the wide eyed guard absently. The guard took her in and then immediately bowed but averted his eyes. She looked down and scowled. Her nipples could be seen through her dress. Great, she thought in disgust. Perhaps she could use it. She definitely didn't intend to leave his quarters though. Not and traverse the castle grounds once more being ogled by every guard in the palace. She knew she would be fodder for the morning gossip.
She knocked hesitantly, and entered at his mumble. She frowned at his back hunched over a table. She sighed at seeing a meal nearby, untouched from the look of it. She came over and leaned around him, feeling her breasts brush him. He looked up a little bleary to see her and smiled. “Hi.”
She nodded, examining his work. “Interesting. A gun you called it?” she asked. He nodded. She rubbed his shoulders a little with one hand, steadying herself. She felt a bandage on his right shoulder under the cloth. He sighed a little. She bit her lip in indecision.
He got up and shook a little, teetered slightly. She caught his unsteady balance and a flash of concern lit within her. He was pushing himself too hard she realized. Hard to protect her and her people. She realized then and there he had done it for her, each time putting his life on the line to save her, not caring for her rank or station, but for her Deidra. In a way that humbled her. Humbled and helped her make up her mind somewhat. He would be a challenge but one she'd face. If he could put himself between her and danger then she could do this, she thought firmly. “Have you gotten some air? Come on.” She got up and opened the balcony doors. The wind made some of the maps and papers flutter and he groaned looking back at them. She shivered a little as the cold air hit her chest once more. She could feel the goose bumps prick her skin “A little cold though but so invigorating,” she said ignoring the groan.
“Here,” he said. He got a jacket off the back of a chair and draped it over her shoulders. She caught his hand and held on a moment. She shivered a little then pushed up against him. He instinctively hugged her. She smelled him, taking in his scent. He'd showered and had on the same scents she'd first smelled on him. Something under his arms and on his chest. Slowly they walked out to the balcony. He looked up to the night sky. “Nice. No clouds,” he murmured.
She looked up to the stars. They talked a little about astronomy; he explained that somewhere in that inky void, one of those tiny lights was Earth's sun. She was amazed and a little awed by his knowledge. They sat on the window seat and he pointed out different features of the night sky. She had always been fascinated as a child but his keen knowledge interested her as well.
When they tired of this she got up and led him inside. “Time for bed,” she ordered.
He sighed and scrubbed at his tired face. He needed to shave he realized, another one thing to add to his list. “Princess, I can't. I really need...”
“No buts,” she said pushing him. She maneuvered him until his back was to the bed then pushed his shoulders firmly. He went down with a thump. She chuckled softly, glad her ploy had worked. Being in control was better she realized, it put the shadows and fear behind her. Being the wanton was fun. He sighed as he felt her taking his boots off.
“Look I really need...” She climbed on top of him and he froze, suddenly very aware of her presence and what she intended. “What you really need is a nights rest. No more talking,” she ordered. She put a finger to his lips. Her hair formed a silken halo around him. Her eyes glittered in the lamp light. “Sleep. That is all. Sleep.” She got up and blew out the lamp and candle lights and then came back and rested on his chest.
“You are going to make sure?” he asked chuckling.
She smiled in the dark. “It's the only way. Get used to it since you can't behave.”
He chuckled softly. “Yes ma'am,” he said. She felt his arm tighten around her. The other arm pulled the covers up over them both.
<==={}------------>
The next morning they were quiet for a while. Awake and very much aware of each other and their bodies desire to get up and go about their morning business but not wanting to be the first to break the tableau. Finally they opened their mouth's to speak as one. That made him chuckle and her laugh softly. They began to talk but were interrupted by the chamber maid coming in. Mortified, the princess made a hasty retreat, hugging his jacket to him as she left the room. Answorth noted her in passing as he came in and gave Ryans a speculative look. He shrugged. “Okay, well, that didn't go over well,” he sighed. “On to business I guess.” He turned to the maid. “But next time, knock.”
<==={}------------>
Later Deidra talked to the Queen and Charlie. Charlie had heard the rumors and congratulated her on her first victory. Deidra was surprised he hadn't take advantage of her. Charlie chuckled. “Some men won't. They're too much of a gentleman by training. They've been brought up to be sensitive and caring. He can be gruff and rough but it's not really his nature now, he's too civilized I guess you could say. Have you gotten frisky with him yet?” she asked leering with a wicked gleam.
“Frisky?” the Queen asked dubiously. She wasn't sure what the gaijin word meant.
“You know, play. Tickle him. Wrestle, horseplay. Whatever you want to call it,” Charlie said, still smiling. The Queen blushed in memory. Indeed she remembered such encounters with Andreas in their youth.
Deidra caught the blush. “Do you mean tease? Word play?” she asked wrinkling her nose. Mental games and flirting were amusing to some. She was only mildly interested in it. Some of the poetry suitors had sent her in the past had seemed particularly dire.
“That too of course,” the Queen murmured. She remembered the passion such play had begun in both her and her husband.
“Wrestle with him, like you would a playful child. It'll be fun and tiring... and will get things moving. It'll get both of you worked up,” Charlie suggested.
Deidra ducked away, now upset about the idea. “What if he hurts me?” she asked softly.
Charlie shook her head. “He won’t. He'll hold back his strength to your level, hell he may even let you win,” Charlie chuckled. “Some men like it that way, with the lady on top.”
“What if I hurt him?” Deidra asked. The Queen pursed her lips.
Charlie grinned. “Actually, that's not all for the bad either, it lets you play nurse and be all soft and apologetic,” Charlie murmured, smiling again.
The Queen chuckled and nodded. “Yes, yes,” she murmured. “I've done that. When your father was injured in battle or in the tournaments...” She smiled to herself in soft remembrance. Deidra looked at her and then away. She had to admit Ryans, Eugene had been kind and gentle even though they hadn't even kissed yet.
“Talking about Ryans I take it ladies?” Doc asked behind them. Charlie looked over and nodded. “Did anyone check his wounds today? Princess?” Doc asked coming up behind them.
Deidra turned. “I touched them but he moved away.”
“Wounds?” the Queen asked, suddenly concerned.
“A basilisk clawed his arm, hip, leg, and shoulder. And he was nicked with a dagger and a sword when he rescued the princesses from that knight,” Doc replied. “The damn fool won’t take antibiotics, he said he doesn't need them and we'll need them later,” she sighed shaking her head at such stubborn stupidity. “Are they at least clean and healing?” she asked Deidra.
Deidra blushed looking away. “I didn't get a good look.”
Her mother pursed her lips. “Well, best to check since those wounds were earned saving you my child,” she ordered firmly. She got up and motioned for them to go. Doc nodded.
“I've got a meeting i
n a few minutes with Senji and Tau but I can spare a moment if you can finish for me princess.” She nodded.
“It's the honorable thing to do, to bind wounds given in your service,” Her mother replied softly.
Deidra nodded again firmly, shoulders back, chin up. Her mother was right; she'd neglected that simple courtesy. “Let's go,” she ordered. She gathered her gown and marched off. Doc gave her retreating back a look and then shrugged to the Queen, bowed slightly and followed the departing princess.
<==={}------------>
In his suite the princess chased off Answorth, a pair of apprentice engineers, and an artist assigned to draft the blueprints they were working on. “Now princess, I did eat, honest,” he said holding his hands up. He wasn't sure what all her sudden concern for his welfare meant. At least she wasn't a shrew, that's all he could think about. He did have to admit he did feel better with five hours of uninterrupted sleep. Doc came in behind the princess and quietly shut the door. “Oh no, not you too? Did you put a bug in her ear?” He jerked his thumb to the princess who was trying to lift his shirt. “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded looking at her.
She sighed in exasperation, hands stopping for the moment. “The doctor told me to check your wounds. Take your tunic off.”
“They're fine!” he said returning her ire with his own. He turned on the Doc. “You did this you meddling female…” He yipped when Deidra pinched him.
“Be nice!” she growled, eyes flashing only a foot away from his own. He turned on her with a glower but she ducked the look grabbing his right forearm and holding it still. “There is blood on the bandage,” she said, suddenly concerned. He had been injured nearly a month ago. The wounds should be healed better than this.
“Probably torn the stitches again, He's done it a few times already. It keeps setting the healing process back. Not surprising given the activity we're all doing,” Doc said with an exasperated sigh. “Over here,” She waved to the bed as she set her kit down on it.
He grumbled but got up and let them check his wounds. Deidra brushed up against him a few times, making him feel a little warm. Doc checked for a fever and frowned. “You're running a point and a half high; that's a sign of an infection.” She gave him a dirty look. He shrugged it off. “I'm fine Doc, just ah....” Deidra brushed up against him again. “A little distracted and it's a little stuffy. I've also been ah...” He waited until Deidra turned. “I've been on my feet a lot,” he admitted Doc chuckled slightly.
A chambermaid and lady in waiting came in with water and fresh bandages. They got his shirt off. “Eyes right!” He growled at the younger girls.
The chambermaid caught the princess's flush and lingering look over his body and giggled something to the lady near her. The princess turned a quelling glower on the two of them. “You're dismissed,” she growled, eyes flashing.
After he was bandaged Doc firmly informed him they needed to be checked daily and he needed to put less strain on the skin so it would knit properly. He sighed. There was a knock at the door and he looked up as it opened. The hall was filled with people all jostling to get in. He rolled his eyes at Doc.
Sue sighed. She knew the look, knew just how far she could push him. He was about fed up with her machinations, she could tell just from his subsonic rumble and body language. “Fine, then book some free time. And I want you down for six hours a night. Six, not four, not five and a half... six!” she sternly waggled a finger at him. “I'll send a nurse up with some antibiotics. We are finally getting that worked out by the way; we’ve got plenty of sulfur so that's not a problem even though Wanda and Charlie are using it for the gunpowder. Charlie said she managed to identify penicillin this morning. She's culturing it now.”
“That's good to know,” he said and smiled. She gave him a look. “All right Doc. I'll try to get some down time,” he sighed.
“See that you do,” she said turning to Deidra. “And you make sure of it,” she said.
“I will,” the princess said. Ryans eyed her and then turned a suspicious eye on Sue. Sue shrugged.
<==={}------------>
Later he caught Doc having an argument with a group of healers. He caught part of it, a heated argument over anatomy. He went to his suite and printed out a couple of pages on anatomy. He brought them down with a poster and handed them over. One of the healers started to snarl and crumple the paper but another grabbed his arm.
“Look,” Senji urged. The old man looked down and was astonished at the images. He looked up but Ryans was already gone.
Doc nodded, wanting to kick herself for not thinking of that sooner. “As you can see, we have an extensive medical library at our disposal. If we can get more ink and paper, then we can have easier access to it, or at least copy the material out for books for easier access. Unfortunately that is in English so I will translate...”
<==={}------------>
Max and Scooter checked out an armorer. “He's busy,” his assistant said waving them off.
“What gives?” Max asked.
“A local lord wants his armor repaired,” the assistant said pumping the bellows. He'd heard the gaijin had made many things available to other smiths but was unsure of them. He wanted to keep his job. It was tedious pumping the bellows but it was work.
The smith was sans shirt, bare chested with a broad burly chest. He had no facial or chest hair, and no hair on top of his bullet head. He was sun burnt, most likely from being around the forge and he had a long black braid. His hands were thick and heavily callused from his work. There was a fresh cut on the back of his right hand.
They watched as the smith pulled a broken rivet out of the armor and then used a dolly and hammer to hammer the dent around the hole back into shape. Scooter nodded. The guy was using the same techniques body and fender guys had used over the years.
“What are you working on there?” Max asked, pointing to the forge.
“Armor for a titan,” the assistant replied. The smith grunted, not looking up.
“We are gaijin tasked to defend the Imperium by King Andreas. It is said you know hard metals. That you make the best hard metals and know how to make things light,” Max said. He noted several stamping forms in a dark corner. Good.
“Indeed,” the armorer said, puffing his chest in quiet pride.
“All right, we've got some work for you,” Scooter said looking to the smith. “I've been told you can handle making small parts?” He was hopeful this guy could handle it. The artisans were all tasked.
The smith nodded. He pulled a rivet out of his pocket and put it into the holes. He tapped the hammer and dolly to bend the rivet, and then put it on the anvil to hammer the rivet head shut. Cold forging, Max thought.
“Aye, I can,” he said gruffly. He pointed to the chain mail on a bench nearby. “But I've got a lot to do right now,” he said. “The lord wants this fixed. He should have known better than to ride in the last tourney,” he said. He shook his head.
“Yeah, we can see that. I've got a couple of small projects for you. It's a royal priority,” Max replied. The smith looked up with a glare.
Max held up a writ signed by the lord chamberlain. “See?”
The smith looked it over, eyes darting back and forth. He couldn't read it but he did recognize the seal and the signature. “All right, just what do you need?”
“Well, we need a couple of things. Tools really, they will be used to make new weapons. Let's start with more parts for a lathe. Then another rifling bench. Fortunately we've done both already so we know all the steps involved and the parts,” he said, pulling out a scroll with blueprints.
<==={}------------>
“Sue, what are you two up to now?” Ryans asked, eying the Doc.
“Is this your way of asking what's up? I wondered why the sudden interest in all things medical,” she said with a lurking smirk. He snorted.
“No, that was actually an accident. Yes I was looking for you but I kind of figured you'd be busy.”
&
nbsp; “Riiight,” she drawled.
“Look, what are you playing at? You know you're playing with fire. You, Charlie, and Wanda. Don't think I don't know about your little girls' night the other night,” he warned. She flushed. “Let me guess, I was the topic of conversation?” he suddenly demanded, eyes intent. “Right, and let me guess, how to get through my defenses and cozy up to me was a subtopic? With pointed hints from you three?”
“What did you expect?” Sue demanded, spreading her hands.
“Sue,” he said impatiently, running a hand through his hair. He'd finally taken the time to shave and shower, he'd felt better for it. “So that's her sudden concern for my welfare?”
“Saw through that huh?” Sue asked, leaning back against the table behind her. He snorted.
“Gee, she comes over in a sheer low cut silk gown, late at night to get me to talk about the stars and make me go to bed? I know damn well it's brooded about all over the court,” he said waving and angry hand.
“And that's not a good thing?”
“I'm... damn it Sue, I am not going to get dragged into this shit. I know damn well you females are manipulating me!” he growled, eyes flashing. “Playing me for a fool, setting me up.”
“Did it ever occur to you that she's genuinely interested now?” Sue asked. He snorted. “No seriously,” she said, pushing him back when he tried to leave. He growled. “Don't growl at me bub or I'll find an enema with your name on it, boss or not,” she growled, this time her eyes flashed. He glared. “Okay, okay, joke in poor taste. But you've got to admit, she's thawing. Is that such a bad thing?”
“No,” he admitted grudgingly.
“Do you want her back as an ice princess?” Sue asked. “Cause I garun-fucking-tee if you act all pissy with her as you are with me right now that's what you'll get. She'll shell up and be seriously pissed.”
“No,” he said in exasperation. “But I don't want to be tied down either,” he said, jaw set.