“May I present, my love, my gift to you...your new personal starship, the ABF Sasha Alutia!” He tried his best to flourish his hands. Sasha's eyes went wide and she rushed over to the floating starship, studying every detail, her excitement obvious.
“It's beautiful. But my duke...this is your starship, you shou-,” she started to explain, but froze when she noticed Sir Seb'Losh for the first time, who failed to hide a smirk behind his otherwise serious facade.
“Actually, I've designed it for you, Sasha, so you can have a safe home away from ho-.”
“I want to see all the security features Sir Seb'Losh has added,” Sasha interrupted, manipulating the projection. Trent moved to her side and placed an arm around her waist.
“If it will give you piece of mind, my love...see this area here.” A large section of the starships interior highlighted at his touch, which included their bedchamber, two bathchambers, a dining hall, two sitting rooms, a study, a small conference room, a game room, and a reception area, “this is our private apartment within the apartments. We will be the only ones allowed in, not even guards will follow without permission.” She stared up at him, fire still burning within her eyes.
“What about records?” She glared at Sir Seb'Losh. Trent followed her gaze, sudden concern filling him at her words.
“Ah...well, the capabilities will be there, Your Grace, as required, but only for intruder detection. There will be no records saved or ability for any guards to view them unless, of course...intruders are detected,” explained Sir Seb'Losh, wiping away the sweat that had appeared on his brow. Trent began to gather what may have been responsible for his previous banishment. Sasha looked to him, arms crossed, her expression serious.
“So? Is he lying?” Her question caught him off guard.
“No, he is telling the truth,” Trent responded while staring at the Alutia Guard Captain. “But I think Sir Seb'Losh and I will be having a talk about this record system. I don't like the idea of anyone being able to see you without my consent.” The protectiveness that filled him washed every thought out of his mind. He knew Sasha still had a fear of being seen unclothed, and even if there was only a slight chance of this fear manifesting, he would make it zero.
Sasha leaned over, kissing him gently. “Thank you, my duke, I knew I could count on you. Now,” she plopped down on the couch, “show me this starship of yours, I want to know everything,” she said with honest delight, Terra escaping her bosom with an approving hoot. Sasha smiled her greeting to Knight Admiral Bhool as Trent sat at her side, pushing a lock of her midnight black hair clear of her eyes, and grasped her hands.
“Let's start with our private quarters...”
Chapter 2
Uproarious laughter rumbled through the observation deck as the two bodies collided, combining into a spinning mass of limbs that flew wildly across the zero-g Valor Ball arena. Tiana held her sides, laughing harder than the rest, having caught a fleeting glimpse of Sasha's expression of utter bewilderment the moment before she collided with Trent; the hilarity being indescribable. One moment Sasha was about to strike “the valor”, the next, Trent tripped, bounced off a “goal wall”, and ricocheted into her. The situation bordered on ridiculous and Tiana couldn't stop herself from falling to the floor, the pain born of laughter weakening her knees.
A buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the match and the gravities return to the arena. Alutia Guard Trainee Donnlie and Lady Regalia landed skillfully, rushing to check on Trent and Sasha, who'd tumbled to the floor in a heap. They appeared to be alright, their bodies trembling in such a way that Tiana could only guess was caused by their own laughter.
“Valor Ball match completed: Guard Trainee Donnlie and Lady Regalia are the winners with a final score of...” A gentle voice filled the air, barely noticeable through the constant laughter, announcing the results of the Valor Ball match; Donnlie and Regalia, 21, Trent and Sasha, 5. Better than Trent's previous showing, Tiana thought through the amusement, but she doubted it had anything to do with improvement on his part.
Sasha had insisted that the latest Valor Ball rehabilitation session be a doubles match, complaining that it was unfair to make Trent, who had absolutely no zero-g experience, continue to play by himself. Medical Officer Quo'Moy had reluctantly agreed, provided Trent would still have an adequate workout. Tiana had jumped at the opportunity to play against Sasha, it having been years since their last match. But Regalia had also volunteered, wanting to play alongside Donnlie, who blushed in such a way that everyone knew he wanted to play with her as well. So Tiana had acquiesced, thinking it better for the younger, less experienced girl to play in her stead, given that Trent was still learning the ropes. Though she soon realized her assumption of Regalia's skills were wrong, very wrong. The two children played like professionals, predicting each other's moves, while performing combo attacks Tiana would have never dreamed of trying.
Sasha and Trent, on the other hand, spent more time crashing into each other, and the walls, than they did the ball. It was quite the spectacle, the crowd being forced to hold its laughter for the first 30 minutes or so of the match. But when Trent tripped, saving a goal with his buttocks, right before crashing into Sasha's face with the same buttocks, Tiana couldn't hold it back any longer. The moment she gave in, the rest of the spectating nobles and officers took it as a sign, and the flood gates opened. Both Sasha and Trent had flushed a deep scarlet when the laughter reached their ears, showing obvious embarrassment. But as the match progressed, and the hilarity of the situation started to settle in, their embarrassment was replaced by their own joyous mirth.
“Please stand, my dear, it is unseemly to roll on the floor at your age,” scolded Tiana's mother, Countess Liana, her words cutting through the fading laughter.
Liana had held out the longest, having strong traditionalist tendencies, believing no matter how comical nobles acted, they should always be treated with the utmost respect, which Tiana felt was ridiculous. But the last tumble caused even her mother's rock solid facade to crack, a snicker escaping her lips, and Tiana could sense she was still suppressing her remaining joviality. Tiana did, however, start to feel embarrassed, eyes turning to her now that the Valor Ball match had ended. She quickly recovered her feet and curtsied to her mother, still feeling playful.
“Of course, dearest Countess, I would never knowingly do anything to shame or dishonor you,” she said mockingly, as usual, causing her mother to shake her head in astonishment, another muffled laugh trying to break free.
“Lady Tiana, you should always respect your elders. Especially those whose husbands have left to travel the universe, leaving one behind that is ever so lonely!” Vickie appeared behind her, sensing a new game afoot, the remaining laughter finally dying down. Tiana turned to the 29 year old woman with long, luxurious brunette hair set in a single braid, voluptuous curves, smoothly exotic skin, and purple eyes that seemed to always twinkle with desire.
Tiana suppressed a smiled, feigning shock. “Lady Vickie! How dare you assume my words weren't filled with the utmost respect for my elderly mother!” Again, she mocked, glancing at her mother, noticing that her concealed humor had been replaced by seething fury.
“Elderly! How dare you! I am only 69! If anything, I have just become an adult! It is you, my dear Tiana, who is still an infant!” Liana's voice boomed across the observation deck, causing the assembled nobles and officers to turn in their direction with confused whispers, as well as the four competitors, who looked up through the transparent ceiling of the Valor Ball arena.
“Why, Mother! What an unsightly thing to say...and in such company!” Tiana gasped, knowing she was dangerously close to the edge. But she had missed teasing her mother so very much. Liana clenched her jaw, her skin turning a rather peculiar color of reddish-blue, a vein appearing on her neck, pulsing rapidly, as was common when she was about to burst. But before that happened, Liana must have noticed all eyes upon her. She cleared her throat, turning with a trained curtsy.
“You will excuse my words, ladies and gentlemen, I forget myself,” she curtsied again. “If you will excuse me, I need to prepare for this evening's festivities.” The anger faded from her voice, but not her gaze as it landed on Tiana, telling her this wasn't over. Smiling, while curtsying with the same trained grace, Tiana watched quietly as her mother exited, her private guards in tow. She fell into her seat with a sigh.
“You were right...she is so very much fun to tease,” whispered Vickie with a grand smile. Tiana turned to her, smiling in kind.
“I know, but now she will be on guard......I'll have to lay low for awhile.” The thought made her sad. As much as she loved teasing her mother, she always enjoyed her company.
Clapping erupted throughout the observation deck as Lady Regalia and Alutia Guard Trainee Donnlie entered, hand in hand. Regalia curtsied while Donnlie flushed in embarrassment, trying to force a stiff bow.
“Grand Duchess Sasha and Sir Trent provide their regards, but have retired to their quarters to freshen up,” Lady Regalia's voice boomed, causing more than one of the assembled nobles to raise an eyebrow. She may not look it, but the 10 year old Lady Regalia, with long blond hair and a doll like face, had more experience in court matters then both Tiana and Sasha combined.
When they'd first met her, six periods prior, the young girl was still apprehensive, having just been separated from her mother, who had taken a position as one of Queen Vahna's ladies-in-waiting. But now that she was fully acclimated to her new environment, and having witnessed events that no 10 year old should ever see, she was anything but timid.
The ABF officers who were in attendance congratulated the two youngsters before taking their leave. The few minor Tidelia nobles, who had accompanied Countess Liana, followed suit, whispering and laughing gaily. Tiana was about to provide her own congratulations when she noticed something pass between Vickie and Regalia, both ladies looking away when they noticed her attention upon them. Nothing good ever comes from a look like that, Tiana knew quite well, having used a similar look with Sasha on more than one mischievous occasion.
“I must freshen up myself, if you'll excuse me,” Regalia curtsied to Tiana and Vickie, then hurried towards the door, Donnlie, after providing a clumsy bow, following in haste. Vickie placed a hand across Tiana's chest to stop her from rising, playfully squeezing her bosom. Tiana, alarm bells ringing, pushed Vickie's lecherous hand away, causing what Tiana could only call a delightfully evil laugh to escape her lips.
“You...my dear, must keep me company for a time,” purred Vickie, who stood with a twirl. Her skimpy red and white dress fluttered in the wind, providing Tiana a face full of her rather provocative undergarments.
“Vickie! You know I'm not-,” she was yanked to her feet before she could finish and dragged towards the doorway that led away from the main concourse, further into the recreation area of the starship.
“Tiana,” Vickie glanced over her shoulder, “do you actually believe I would force you to do anything against your will?” she asked playfully, with little honesty in her tone. Tiana took a deep breath and gathered herself, deciding it best to prepare for the worst.
The door slid open and a narrow corridor appeared before them. Doors and additional corridors lined both walls, about every 10 meters, with signs on the face of each door listing the specialized workout areas within. Vickie stopped before the second door on the left, which had the words, Battle Room - Changing Area, on its face, then pulled Tiana through.
The room they entered had a wall sized mirror on the left, a clothing dispenser on the right, and four doors lining the wall opposite the entry. Two of the doors were outlined in red, currently occupied, Tiana presumed, while the other two were outlined in blue. Vickie confidently strode over to the PDU adjacent the clothing dispenser, entered something that looked like sizes, and started removing her skimpy dress.
Tiana eyed Vickie warily from the entry, holding the door ajar, ready to flee at the first sign she would try anything funny. After a few seconds, the clothing dispenser opened and the now naked Vickie pulled free two skin tight, dark red and black bodysuits, with matching sets of peculiar gloves.
“Strip,” Vickie tossed a set to Tiana, who couldn't hide her confusion. But as she watch Vickie pull on the bodysuit, she started thinking that the woman might actually have something appropriate planned. Tiana crept to the opposite side of the changing room, eyeing Vickie cautiously, then quickly undressed, sliding into the bodysuit in one motion. She ran her hands down her sides, studying herself in the mirror, finding the suit clung to her every curve, making her appear all but naked. She then looked to the gloves, having never seen their like before.
They had a small spiral design on the palm made of a silver metal and a clear gem on the back. As she slid them on, following Vickie's example, the gems began to glow. Vickie touched each gem, the light fading, before walking over to Tiana, doing the same to hers. She then grabbed Tiana's hand, pulling her towards one of the doors surrounded by blue without explanation.
The room they entered was about 10 meters by 10 meters and completely empty. The walls and floor were padded, similar to the Valor Ball arena, with small circles about two meters on each side of a black line that cut through the room’s center. Vickie took a position within one of the circles, then pointed to the one on the opposite side of the line.
“Vickie, what are we doing?” Tiana questioned, unable to keep her puzzlement from seeping into her words.
“Stand in the circle and I'll tell you,” Vickie's tone turned serious as she stood, legs wide, hands on her hips.
For some reason, at that moment, Tiana noticed the beauty of Vickie's form for the first time. Her long, brunette hair, set in a single braid, fell to her thighs, showing off her sculpted features that you couldn't quite call soft. Her irises burned purple, a trait added by her noble ancestors, while her thin eyebrows outlined her perfectly uniform eyes. Her nose was small, but sharp, fitting her face perfectly, while her lips were full and luscious. Her 168cm tall, hourglass figure could be perfectly seen in the bodysuit, extenuating her bosom of modest size, slightly smaller than Sasha's, but larger then Tiana's. Normally, Vickie's body looked softly featured, the way one expected of most noble ladies. But Tiana could see that wasn't actually the case. A hidden strength showed through her smoothly cut frame, and Tiana had the feeling that Vickie was a predator, more than capable of subduing any prey. Tiana crept into the room and placed herself carefully into the circle opposite Vickie.
“Begin,” a friendly voice boomed as the lighting shifted from a dull white glow to a bright one. Vickie launched out of her circle, straight at Tiana, a small smile curling on her lips. Tiana tried to move out of the way, but she wasn't prepared. Vickie grabbed her wrists, forcing her up against the padded wall, pinning her as she moved a knee up into her crouch.
Vickie's strength was beyond what Tiana thought possible, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't escape her grasp. She continued to struggle, panicking as Vickie's knee moved slowly higher, then started caressing her womanhood. An unexpected moan broke free, an unfamiliar tingle flowing threw her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Vickie leaned close to her ear, her hot breaths caress causing the tingle to grow ever stronger.
“I could do anything to you right now and there is no way you could stop me,” Vickie whispered sensually, panic erupting within Tiana's mind as the knee caressed, faster and faster. Vickie's breathing became heavy, tickling her ear and neck. Her lips brushed Tiana’s earlobe, causing the tingle to turn into a shiver of unexpected pleasure.
“Point, Black. Please return to set positions,” the soft voice sounded again.
“Tss,” Vickie hissed, obviously disappointed, before letting Tiana fall gasping to the floor. She didn't know what just happened, the strange voice, or how her body responded unconsciously to Vickie's touch. She stared up at the mysterious woman, who gracefully returned to her circle before staring back to Tiana, a single hand on her hip
.
“What would you have done if I didn't stop?” Vickie asked, her words not containing the usually sensual humor Tiana had come to expect. “What if I were a man?” The question held veiled contempt. Tiana started rolling in confusion, unable to answer. “When a noble man sees a woman's body react, even if she says no, will, the majority of the time, listen to the body.” The stern explanation was from experience. “A beautiful teenage girl like yourself, Tiana, will be catching the eye of every pampered noble that visits Sasha, be them realist, traditionalist, or paramour,” Vickie paused and started walking back to Tiana, who still sat on the floor. “And since even I will have trouble always turning their interest towards me, you need to be able to defend yourself.” Vickie kneeled in front of her, the serious tone shifting back to the seductive that Tiana had grown to expect.
“So what do I do?” Tiana responded timidly, realizing she sounded like a young girl in the face of Vickie's sultry and mature tenor.
Vickie laughed, pulling Tiana to her feet. “You learn to defend yourself, with Dai Tempest !” she exclaimed. Tiana furrowed her brow, the words familiar, but the memory distant. She thought for a moment, then recalled hearing about Dai Tempest weapons in the past, having something to do with compressing air and releasing it in a strong, concentrated blast to knock back opponents.
“Simwa...that bastard...made all his women learn the style so they could valiantly throw themselves in the face of any attacker,” Vickie spat, hate eradiating her every word as she spoke of her banished ex-fiancé, Sir Simwa. But she quickly regained her composure. “So...I discussed the issue with Sasha and Trent and they both agreed. You need to be able to defend yourself, so here we are.” Tiana, like a light bulb lit within her mind, completely understood.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 7