Mage Queen: Dark Sculptor Novel 03

by D. R. Rosier

  Her light honey brown hair was slightly wavy and fell down on her shoulders and down to her lower back, some few loose hairs fell down over her shoulders and onto her generous breasts. Her body was average in a perfect way. Perfect proportions in the ideal measurements for her height, she was a work of beauty. She was wearing a dark blue gown elaborate enough to make me guess she was at least a noble. It was conservative and covered everything from her neck to her ankles, but was conforming enough in the right places to be more than alluring on her.

  She looked us over boldly, and I felt a little like a bug pinned to a board as she looked at me with mostly concealed distaste, but enough leaked through for me to pick it up.

  She was undeniably beautiful, but her attitude marred it.

  She said in a firm dulcet voice, that was mostly absent of disgust, “I’m princess Sianna, fourth in line behind my mother. I’ll take you to your suite, so you can… get cleaned up after your day’s travel. I’ll be at your immediate disposal when you’re finished, to take you to the elves being held in stasis. My mother suspected you would feel some urgency in that regard once you’d arrived.”

  Saria bowed, “I am councilor Saria. Also, fourth in line, to the throne of Lelmalond. Thank you for the gracious greeting, we weren’t expecting such an honor.”

  While the words were technically true, we hadn’t been expecting a princess as an escort, but Sianna’s face flushed with repressed anger and embarrassment at the veiled rebuke in the words. I wasn’t sure why she was so bent out of shape, or maybe she was just a spoiled eighteen-year-old girl mad at her mother’s orders. It happened, but I was reserving judgment for now, even as I mocked myself and wondered if I would reserve judgment if she hadn’t been so beautiful, and if her voice hadn’t been as sweetly honey toned as her brown hair. It was similar to Regina’s dulcet pleasant voice in that way, but at a slightly higher pitch.

  She said, “This way,” in a cold voice that didn’t suite her at all. She was too young to pull off cold disdain, and it came across more like a child throwing a tantrum. She was a princess though, so like the queen I determined to step carefully around our… escort.

  We took the hall along the front of the castle to a stairwell, which we took up to the third floor. It was quite familiar, and it brought back memories of my escape. We were led out of the stairwell and back toward the center of the castle four doors down. I think I could remember that, and not get lost.

  She opened the door with a flourish.

  “There are two bedrooms for privacy, your bags should already be in there. When you’re ready to see the elves pull on the rope, and a servant will inform me of your need.”

  Her voice was still grudging, but the earlier embarrassment had taken the edge off of her resentment. If she was spoiled, I’d have expected the opposite, unless she’s afraid of her mother?

  “Thank you, Princess Sianna,” I said politely.

  She searched my face for a second, perhaps looking for mockery or a hidden message, and then nodded regally before she turned and walked off.

  I blew out a breath after we closed the door.

  Karana smirked, “So she knows you were mated, and that I wasn’t, at least when we left the city.”

  Her words were confirmed a moment later when we found all our bags in one room, and Karana’s in the other.

  Saria said, “Let’s get cleaned up fast. I’d have rather seen my people first, but we have to conform to expectations.”

  Karana winked and grabbed my hand, “I’ll share my bath, you two go have fun in there. There’s only room for two in these tubs.”

  Karana’s sultry laugh trailed behind us, as we entered her room, and started to strip down. The tub was already filled with steaming water, and I spanked her ass and scooped her up before stepping into the tub and setting her on my lap.

  Then I grabbed the soap.

  She kissed me softly, and nipped my lip, “If only we had the time to take advantage.”

  I smirked, “Later,” I promised, as I grabbed the soap and started to wash all of her soft, supple, and lovely curves. I had the inevitable reaction of course, as my cock grew between her luscious ass cheeks, but I ignored it. We really didn’t have time, and I’d have felt like a selfish ass if I took the time to pleasure my mate and sate our desires while sixteen abused elven females needed healing.

  Still, the heat and silken skin of her ass hugging my length was damned tempting.

  She moved and spun, so I could work on her front, and she started to work on mine. The looks we exchanged were intense, and our respiration picked up, but it was a fun kind of teasing, the kind that would lead to a whole lot more fun… later. Delayed gratification had its place.

  Then she slipped behind me, and got my back, last but not least she cleaned my cock with a few teasing soapy strokes, and we reluctantly left the tub behind. After drying off, she grabbed her robe and boots, and followed me into the other room where my bag was. I slipped on the nicest pair of breeches and shirt I had, while I took note that both Saria and Regina looked as flushed as Karana and I did.

  What can I say. We were all still newlyweds a that time in our lives. Not that our sexual appetites waned all that much over the years, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

  Karana chose red for her robes, and gave me a wink. Regina was wearing a very nice red dress with white accents, she always did wear dresses when we weren’t on the road, and she looked magnificent in it. The style and cut of it showed a woman of means, but not a noble, it wouldn’t do for her to upstage the tempestuous princess waiting on us. Saria as always, chose to wear her skin-tight armor, she was a warrior, and that was that. I didn’t mind because… well, skin tight armor. She was my wild petite sexpot.

  “You all look stunning, ready?”

  No one objected, so I pulled the rope.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I think this is going to get confusing.”

  I’d pulled the rope, about fifteen minutes ago.

  Saria asked, “How so?”

  “Because Sianna is playing power games with us as well, is this delay to put us in our place, is it against her mother’s orders for a red-carpet treatment, or is she acting in concert with her mother, in an opposite fashion, just to throw us further off balance.”

  Like good cop, bad cop.

  Karana shrugged, “Doesn’t matter which, or why, they only win if you are off balance, so ignore it.”

  Regina said, “I think she’s annoyed about something, Sianna I mean, her correction after Saria’s comment tells me she isn’t spoiled.”

  “I was thinking that earlier,” I nodded in agreement.

  Saria said, “So she’s either under orders to act this way or…”

  Regina finished the thought, “Or she got an order from her mother she really doesn’t like, right before she was sent for us. I imagine at eighteen growing up in her mother’s palace she usually has more political aplomb, otherwise she wouldn’t have survived.”

  I nodded, “Karana’s right, we could speculate all day long, let’s just wait for the punchline, and ignore the honey and vinegar.”

  Karana grinned, “Well said.”

  Saria nodded as well, and we were interrupted by a firm knock at the door.

  Sianna’s face looked slightly strained as we opened the door.

  “My apologies, something unavoidable took my attention. Follow me.”

  We went out into the hallway, and moved back toward the center and past it, to the rooms on the other side of the third-floor front corridor. The walls were well appointed with tapestries and alcoves with statues. To my shock, we only went three doors down, and she opened the door.

  “This is a four-bedroom guest suite, with four of them in each bedroom. My mother thought it best to keep them out of the sick ward, and away from curious eyes.”

  Saria said evenly, with obvious effort to maintain control of her emotions, “Thank you.”

  Sianna’s eyes widened slightly,
perhaps at seeing a crack in the light elf’s emotional armor, but she nodded in acknowledgement only a beat too late.

  I was happy about it too, but I wondered why if they were so close, we needed Sianna as an escort, I also wondered what the bill would be for the second time.

  I walked into the large spacious entry room, there were two doors on the right side, and two on the left. The room we were in was much like our own entry room, just with a larger and very well and intricately carved dark brown wood table, with similar designs on the chairs. There were also two more couches.

  The first bedroom I went into had four elven females comfortably lying side by side on a king-sized bed. All their faces had that same elven exotic beauty to it, and they all had the same white blonde hair with a silver sheen. The rest of their forms as well as their eyes were hidden from my sight by the thick blankets and their stasis sleep. I sent my magic into the first without hesitation. It was familiar, and almost exactly what I’d expected. The only difference from the changes I’d had to make in Desirae were their sexual libido and mating instinct was turned up even higher than hers had been.

  These women would have been as the queen had described, constantly desperate for sex and depraved in a sickening way. How could any man enjoy that kind of thing? Just the thought of it made me shrivel down below. My mates were more than insatiable enough, and far more meaningful to me. The physical changes were similar as well, mostly just larger breasts, with a tweak or two in other places to exaggerate their curves.

  Once I had the fix verified, including rebuilding their sore and brutally used sexes, I sent the magic into her, and moved on to the next one.

  My cock was totally deflated now too, I felt sickened by what they must have gone through. The teasing excitement of only a few minutes earlier was just gone. It took me just a few minutes to get all four rooms.

  Saria kissed my cheek softly, “Thank you, love.”

  I held her for a moment, and did my best to comfort her with my silent support. There was nothing I could do or say that would make it better, outside of what I’d just done that is.

  We went back out into the main room when Saria had a hold over herself.

  Sianna turned to Karana when we came in.

  “Will you need assistance removing the stasis? Or shall I request my mother release the spells?”

  Karana said, “I can handle it, thank you.”

  I fidgeted a bit, and Sianna seemed to notice. The young lady had been studying me more than the others, as if I was a bug to be dissected. My thoughts there were repetitious, but I couldn’t help it.

  Sianna said, “Perhaps it would be best if a man wasn’t present when they wake up? My mother would like to meet you James, now might be a good time, since court has ended for the day.”

  Right, the bill was coming due. She was also right, better if it was just Regina, Karana, and Saria here when they woke up.

  I replied, “I’d be honored, lead the way.”

  She studied me a moment, and her eyes narrowed just a tiny bit in confusion. Was she trying to figure me out? She couldn’t stare any harder at me if she tried, and it wasn’t in a good way either.

  She moved toward the entrance, and I gave my mates a glance goodbye, while their gazes counseled caution.

  To my surprise, when we got outside the room she claimed my arm. Her scent was pleasant, freesia and lilacs.

  She led us back to the center hall, then towards the back of the castle.

  Sianna asked curiously, “So you came all the way from Eastguard, to heal and return those elves to their people?”

  I nodded, “Does that surprise you?”

  She smiled, it was an amused smile that reached her eyes, with a hint of self-mocking doubt in it. Who was this person, and what happened to the cold princess? There was still a current of tension in her, but the annoyance of earlier was gone. Was it because we were alone, why would my mates being there matter? I decided to not worry about it, I hardly understood women, I imagined royal women were even more complicated.

  “Yes, though I applaud it. I also abhor what happened to them, as does my mother. They were the last of the twisted you know, the rest fought to the death and couldn’t be saved. The dark sculptor’s legacy is finally erased. I expect the elves would have acted similarly as slaves to the king, if they’d have been able to stop themselves from trying to…” she trailed off, and my imagination filled in the rest. They’d been propositioning the invaders, probably forcefully, making it easy to apprehend them without violence.

  I said, “That is good news, or a sort. Do you have injured troops like they did in Dulcier? I’d offer my talents there was well, for similar remuneration.”

  She smiled lightly and squeezed my arm, and she gave me a look with that same self-mocking tinge to it as she said, “That’s our next stop on the agenda, don’t get too far ahead.”

  I chuckled lightly.

  I gave into my curiosity and took a peek with my magic. I already knew she wasn’t a mage like her mother, but perhaps she had the aura of one. She had the magical fire ability, and was a little older than I’d guessed, but still just nineteen. She looked just a bit younger than Saria, it was easy to forget how young my elven mate looked, when I knew her as a mature elven woman of two hundred years.

  Sianna was also very healthy, and I pulled my magic away.

  “I’m afraid I’m missing the subtext of your amusement.”

  She smirked, and her sea foam eyes sparkled for the first time in true untainted amusement as she looked up at me.

  “James, never admit that. You won’t have long to find out what has me out of sorts, and I apologize for that. It isn’t your fault.”

  I nodded, even more confused than I was earlier, but didn’t show it.

  She led me through a door into what looked like a cross between a board room, and a drinking lounge. The queen was sitting regally on a comfortable couch, and had the same beauty as her daughter, except age had erased that delicateness, and her eyes were filled with hard won wisdom. Sera’s sense of presence in the room was undeniable. She wasn’t arrogant, she was just powerful and knew it, and others could feel that conviction.

  I followed Sianna’s lead as she dropped to one knee and bowed her head, I was just a second behind.

  Sera’s voice was pleasant, but it also had a lot of steel in it. It was the same kind of voice Sianna had used before, but instead of coming off as bratty and cold, it came off as authoritative and damned intimidating.

  “Rise, and take a seat.”

  Before I could even think of where to sit, Sianna gave me a subtle tug and led me over to a couch. She sat surprisingly close, but not in an overly familiar way either. More like a friend distance, than a stranger, if that makes sense. I was confused, so I kept my mouth shut. Better to answer questions only than to open my mouth and stick my foot in it.

  Sera’s lips smiled slightly, as if in approval of my internal decision.

  “Welcome to Malburn, the new seat of power for the Gritor kingdom. I trust you found the elves in good order?”

  I nodded, “Yes, your majesty. Thank you for that kindness.”

  She tilted her head, “Our spies have told us much about you, until meeting you I’d dismissed most of it, and thought you simply clever and better than my agents. I’ve met men like you before, but they’re rare. Let me be frank, no games. I do want something from you, but it isn’t what you fear. You will go home with your mates after this, and make your life as you choose, with one exception.”

  I said, “Candor would be appreciated your majesty, thank you.”

  I felt Sianna tense next to me, but ignored it as best I could.

  Sera stood and walked over to the window, looked out of it for a while, and then turned back to us.

  “The kingdoms are a damned mess. That idiot Hanson is gone, but what he’s done in removing all the flesh sculptors has made things much harder. Did you know he assassinated all the ones in my kingdom as well?” she wav
ed a hand in negation, so I kept my silence.

  She said, “Sculptors are necessary. They heal the diseases, fix broken abilities, and heal wounds. Yes, they can do horrible things as well, but more often than not the kind of immoral twisting of humans was not done by any other in our past history, at least not to the extent Hanson did. It’s a bad thing now, but in the far future it could be catastrophic as bad genes start to spread through the gene pool if they go uncorrected.”

  She studied me a moment, and then raised an eyebrow to invite comment.

  “I agree that’s a problem, especially if I’m truly the last one.”

  She nodded firmly, “That’s the problem I wish to address. We need more flesh sculptors. I want two things from you. One, I want you to take Sianna as your mate, and give her children quickly, as well as your other mates. She is an obedient daughter and will make you a good mate.”

  I was thunderstruck at that. No wonder Sianna was so out of sorts, and had gotten close to bitchy a few times, her mother had just thrown her at a stranger, to marry, and she would obey that order. I was highly conflicted by it, and I wasn’t foolish enough to believe us making babies was the only reason she was giving up her daughter. No doubt she’d be a household spy as well, and keep an eye on me in the crown’s interests.

  No wonder Sianna was so tensed up right now.

  I also didn’t think I’d be able to get out of it. She was beautiful, strikingly so, so my body was pretty much on board already, but I knew my dick was a dumb ass. She could be a bomb in the middle of my domestic bliss if things turned out badly, so I didn’t like the idea at all of an arranged marriage. Wary didn’t even cover it, and my earlier immediate relief at hearing she was allowing us to go home waned slightly.

  Sera let that sink in for a moment, “Secondly, and this should tell you how badly we need those of your abilities, you can’t do it all after all. I have found several volunteers, who for the promise of lifetime support have agreed to have your child. I wish for you to… impregnate, several of my castle staff before you leave.”