Her inner thighs were starting to become sore from hours of riding before the grasslands turned into golden sand, and there she caught sight of the walls of the corsair city of Rikotor. She had thought that the seat of power of this country wouldn't be so far from the trading post, considering that it only took the king's men about an hour after she defeated the skeleton to investigate the area.
She learned from conversing with the king's knights that they sent pigeons to the king after learning about what happened, and they received a prompt reply instructing them what to do.
She did think that it would be in her best interest to meet with the ruler of this country in order to ask him for aid in returning home. She reckoned that the people in charge would take her more seriously than mere pirates and bandits. But now that she's been in the company of the king's men, she's starting to have doubts.
They are indeed knights, but not the armored ones that she's accustomed to. They were wearing robes and turbans, and each knight displayed different patterns and symbols.
They looked more dignified than the common rabble of pirates she saw in the trading post. but the way they talked and laughed... She couldn't understand what they were talking about along the way, but they sounded just like the pirates who were attempting to force themselves upon her.
She didn't know it at the time, but they were talking about how delicious of a delicacy she looked. Not as a food, but as a woman. The knight behind her on horseback especially was lusting for her. At one point, he was sniffing her hair and neck while looking at the other knights and smiling, as if to make them envious. Only one of them didn't participate in the foolery.
They also talked about how good it would be to take her for themselves, putting her in one of the knight's manses, and there they could use her in whatever way they pleased until they got tired of her. The knight behind her even started thrusting his hips towards her direction repeatedly in a jesting manner to make the other knights laugh. That, she noticed.
She paid it no heed. Right now, she needs to be on their good side and be as diplomatic as possible. She also somewhat expected men to react this way in the company of a lone woman. All her life, her parents had warned her about the proclivities of men and how she should take special care in protecting her virtue.
After her fifteenth nameday, her parents started getting letters from other houses. Marriage proposals for her. Those proposals were ignored. But regularly, they would receive visits from houses Fell, Hugh, and Andomir. Sometimes, even from merchant lords from Xiyi and Paegea. All bringing their sons in an attempt for her and her parents to like them and that one day it may result in a marriage. She never attributed all of that to her appearance, however.
House Rayrune is one of the richest houses in Wolfenhil, and possibly in the whole world since they have dominion over Runeport, and even has easy access to the trading ports in Galodin and Loudmast. She thought that all those lords who wanted to marry their sons to her were just being pragmatic. Trade always flowed well in Runeblast, and their castle is in the heart of northern Wolfenhil.
She didn't have any grand plans for what lies ahead for her in life. She even thought that mayhaps marrying one of those noble boys or merchant lords' sons wouldn't be so bad, as long as she could live comfortably and still have some freedom to hunt, paint, read, and do the other avocations that she loves. She was seventeen when her parents had enough of her suitors, however, as one of them copped a feel for her breast and rump. Even before that, several male servants reportedly climbed a tree in order to peep through the window of her chambers while she's bathing.
Those servants were subjected to flogging, and her father even had a mind to gouge out their eyes. She had to spend an hour or two convincing him not to do so, and that surely, being flogged would have been enough. She reasoned that even if they did see her nakedness, nobody would believe them if they'd go on to tell others. They have no proof of it. Besides, they're the sons of washerwomen and cleaning ladies that's served the house of Rayrune for decades.
The lord and lady of Runeblast feared that her maidenhood would be taken from her before she's married, even inside the protection of their own castle. She draws boys' attention too much. That is when her parents convinced her to join the Holy Order of The Trinity. It took her almost a moon's turn to consider before finally agreeing.
It was only until they found a suitable marriage partner for her. And for her part, she thought that it would be an honor to experience serving in the Holy Order even as a provisional member. That was two years ago.
The walls of Rikotor almost had the same hue as the desert, but it was full of color inside. Much like her own city, trade blossomed in Rikotor. It is a buzzling place, full of taverns, shops, inns, and many other structures. But what caught her eyes was the large fountain at the heart of the city, and in the middle of it, a fifteen-foot statue of King Rikotor. It was said that pirates conquered this land about twenty years ago, and their captain was that very same man depicted on the fountain statue.
Once they entered the corsair king's apartments, the world grew even more colorful. She observed dozens of female servants all dressed in robes of silk and they're all in different hues. There are more fountains in the open hall in the middle of the apartments, though much smaller than the one at the heart of the city. There are also many colorful carpets and curtains around, which made her feel somewhat yearning for the comforts of bed.
Certainly, what King Rikotor lacked in creativity when it comes to naming his city, he more than made up for in flamboyance.
"Greetings honored guest. You are in the presence of King Rikotor, ruler of Galubar, the Sealord of the East", a female servant announced as she and the king's knights entered a large dining hall.
There was a long table at the center, and at the far end, the king himself is seated with two female servants on each side, swaying fans made of huge leaves, cooling off the most powerful man in the country.
The king's rowdy knights all of a sudden had straightened backs and silent mouths once they were in his presence. She was surprised at being called an honored guest as well. She did not expect punishment, though she thought that there would be a small repercussion over the panic she had caused at the trading post.
The king has red brown skin, short hair, thick brows and short beard. It was hard to tell his build as he was wearing a robe that covered his entire body, but he exuded a dangerous and powerful air about him, even while he's sitting. Like a lion ready to pounce at any given moment.
He couldn't have been more than thirty by her estimation, though that would mean that he was less than ten or was ten when he led the invasion of Galubar. The knights, except for one, that took her from the trade post all seemed visibly older than the king, but in his presence, they all seemed like boys.
"Please. Sit. Let's talk," He spoke to her directly and motioned for his knights to leave. His commanding presence was evident through his voice even though he didn't speak loudly. "What's your name?"
All the other seats on the long table were empty and she chose the one furthest to the king on the left side of the table. There was a seat at the end of the table opposite the king, but she thought it would be presumptuous to take it. She might be from one of the richest noble houses in the world, but the king doesn't know who she is, and her intuition told her to act as humbly as she can. At least for now.
"I am Yuna of House Rayrune, sire." She responded with a curtsy before taking a seat. She hoped that the king would recognize from the way she speaks and her manners that she's from a noble house.
"Hmm... you have a beautiful name, my lady," The king said while smiling. "And my people told me that you wield strange magik and used it to destroy a skeleton warrior." The king's Fernish is surprisingly good. Despite his thick southeast accent, it was easy for her to understand him.
"That is true, your majesty. I wield holy magic thought by my order, the Holy Order of The Trinity" She thought that by adding that last bit, she could gain more leverage. Though she also worried that she may be coming off too strongly.
He only smiled at that. She thought that his smile was a bit charming. "Please, eat, my lady. You must be tired and famished. But while you're at it, do let me know how you came into this place and just at the right time to save one of my trading posts from the undead."
So that's how they see what happened. She thought to herself. He's not far off. There have been reported instances where dark magic, even on a single skeleton could awaken nearby corpses or skeletal remains from the long deceased. It's not as powerful as a direct spell from a necromancer, but it's enough to cause a lot of trouble if a few more skeletons started rising from the ground. After all, it can be very hard to destroy even one without light magic. Which is why she thought it was foolish of those pirates to be capturing and trading a skeleton in the first place.
The king listened to her intently while she was describing the events of what happened at the trade post. Leaving out much of the detail about how she almost lost her maidenhead, or did she? She didn't truly know if that vile pirate who pretended to be a simple merchant broke her virtue.
While she was eating, she noticed at the corner of her eye that the king was looking at her leg, which was a bit exposed above the knee due to her pleated skirt. He had a charming smile, but an indecent look in his eyes. But if the king likes her, maybe she could use it to her advantage. She wants to go home badly.
"Sire, would there be a trading galley or any kind of ship that would be making a voyage to Wolfenhil? I need to return home to my family, and to my order. I do not have enough coin right now but--"
She was cut off by the king. "My lady, worry about such things once you're rested. Eat more, and once you're finished, my servants will take you to the baths, and then to the guest chamber where you can get as much rest as you need"
She stood up and bowed, "I appreciate the hospitality, your majesty."
He smiled and stood up as well "Anything for the most beautiful noble lady that I've ever met, who also happen to have saved my people." He said with a smile. He then took his leave saying that he had other matters to attend to.
She sat back down and finished her meal. The food in this country has a lot more spices than she's used to. She came to love how the chicken and lamb were flavored the more she chewed. The table had a lot of fruits as well. After that, just as the king said, two servant ladies accompanied her to the bath house where they washed and scrubbed her body.
The servants gave her a linen nightgown and led her to a room that felt even more foreign to her than the city and the apartments. She had expected the strange sights and customs, but she did not expect that her room would be very open to the outside. Aside from wide glass panels adorned with jewels, there were no doors nor windows leading to the balcony. Just two wide entryways with thin silk curtains gently moving with the wind.
The only door was the one that she used to enter the room. She thought that perhaps this is a common design in this palace to keep the rooms cool. That made a lot of sense to her because this country is warm at night and hot in the mornings and afternoon. Besides, the two wide open entryways may lead to the outside, but she's on the third floor of the king's apartments. It was not men that she was worried about.
But even dark thoughts stood no chance against her weariness. And her bed was big, round, and soft, adorned with silk canopy, and littered with several pillows of different colors. The blanket as well was very soft and comfortable. Soon, she started drowsing off, and she had the best sleep that she's had for quite some time. She didn't even have any dreams, or at least, she couldn't remember if she had any.
She woke up in the middle of the morning. The sun is bright, but her room is still quite cool. She then resolved herself and sat at the edge of the bed. She looked at the balcony to make sure that no one was there even though she already knew that. She then lifted the nightgown that was given to her and pulled down her undergarment. She placed her left palm over her loins and gathered her own mana as well as those around her into her left hand and then to the mound between her legs.
Healing
Dark blue energies gathered on her palm which suggested that the spell was working, but the lack of feedback on her loins also told her that nothing happened. That means her maidenhead is intact. She smiled softly. On one hand, she's glad that her virtue wasn't taken by a random pirate. On the other, she lamented how she just used a forbidden spell for nothing.
Self-healing is thought to be close to impossible, and those who even attempt it are frowned upon by the world at large. In the history of the world, there have been only two who were able to self-heal. One was a human, the other was a dragon. And history was not kind to both of them. That's because self-healing can be used for selfish deeds and erase or hide life's consequences, just as what she was about to do.
She heaved a great sigh and looked around the room. An ornate cupboard caught her eye. She opened it and she saw a profusion of garments of different colors and fabrics. She thought they looked very pretty, and the sight of them made her feel good.
She worried that it may be presumptuous of her to just take whatever she wanted and wear them. She's unfamiliar with the customs of this country after all. But she had nothing else to wear aside from the nightgown that was given to her. The clothes and equipment she teleported with were taken to be washed, and she did not want to go out of her chambers in a nightgown. She thought that it would likely be inappropriate and uncivil.
In the end, she chose to wear a beige bandeau that covered her whole chest down to her torso, barely covering her bellybutton. It was the longest one she could find. She then chose an orange shoulder cloth to go along with it and to cover more of her skin. For her bottoms, she chose beige breeches that were loose and accompanied by an orange organza veil on the sides and the back. She was very pleased with how pretty the clothing looked, but also by how incredibly comfortable they were since they were all made of high-quality materials. Lastly, for her undergarments, she chose a pair of white lace brassiere and panties.
Her heart skipped a beat, however, when she saw a collection of footwear in another corner of the room. She excitedly chose a pair of brown tassel sandals which she thought would go so well with the tops and bottoms that she chose.
She opened the door to her room and was surprised to see a guard standing on the side. She caught him with a bored expression, hinting that he had been standing there for quite some time. He seemed flustered when she saw her, however, and he stood at attention.
"My lady, I was instructed by the king to accompany you until his return. You're free to go where you want, save for his private quarters and plunder lodge." The guard told her in Fernish with a hint of Galubarian accent. It seems like his Fernish is even better than the king's.
She bowed slightly to show appreciation for the guard's hospitality and the effort to speak her language, until it dawned on her. "Oh, you're one of the knights that escorted me from the trading post yesterday."
"I am, my lady. I'm Ishmael, cousin of the king. I'm pleased to know that you remembered me." He replied with a smile.
She realized that he's the youngest knight in the company that wasn't joining in with the others when they were fooling around. That made her feel comfortable. "Alright then, I'm happy to be in your company, Ishmael."
The young knight blushed as she smiled at him.
While walking around the halls of the king's apartments, she did not notice any court ladies. The only females were her and the servants. Does that mean the king is not married? He doesn't even have a paramour? She thought that would be close to impossible, considering how the king exuded such a strong virile air about him.
She broke her fast with a turkey meal cooked with an abundance of onion and garlic and a lot of other spices that she did not recognize. People of this culture seem to have a great love of onion and garlic. After her meal, she thought of going out into the city, but she was concerned that it might be too presumptuous of her to just leave the apartments, so she went to the king's library instead.
Reading tomes have always been a great love of hers, especially that of history, so her heart was filled with happiness seeing the surplus of books as they entered. There were also soft cushions on top of carpets to sit on, and she felt like she was back at home in the library of Runeblast. Except there, they sat on wooden chairs instead of pillows on the floor.
She didn't know much about the history of Galubar, nor the nearby countries. She only knew that they're called the Five Warring States because they're in constant turmoil with one another. So she looked for tomes on the histories, but to her surprise, didn't find any.
She resigned to reading tomes about the countries in the Paegean continent. Their mythos fascinated her. There were stories about warriors who flew in the sky while riding their swords. Tales of exorcists who fought using a strange power called cultivation. There were even those who vanquished dark forces with magic from their musical instruments.
It was already in the middle of the hour of the bat when she was told of the king's return. Spent the whole day in the library... It's really like I'm back in Runeblast.
She learned from Ishmael that the king had gone to visit the trade post she's been in along with others. He also met with his admirals to discuss the war efforts against Yobiru. Maybe he also inquired about a trading galley going to Wolfenhil? She hoped.
She and the young knight met the king near the entrance of his apartments, and she curtsied to him upon his arrival. He's wearing a very different article of clothing today. Instead of the robe that covered most of his body, he's now wearing a red-brown leather vest adorned with gold and other jewelries. For his breeches and boots, he's wearing black. She was intrigued by the engravings on his belt and boots, though she did not understand what they meant.
The king wasn't wearing a jacket on top of his vest, so his shoulder and arms were exposed. He has muscular arms and forearms, she noticed, and his shoulders were large enough that it looked to her that she could comfortably sit on them.
"Ah, good! How are you feeling, my lady?" the king asked her enthusiastically while looking at her up and down.
"I'm very well, your majesty, I hope you are as well." She replied shyly after noticing how the king was looking at her.
"Much better now that I've seen your lovely face." He responded
She blushed at the compliment but was surprised when the king suddenly took her wrist and told her "Come with me to the city, I'll show you a fun time." with a wide grin and motioning for his cousin to stay at the apartments.
Walking side by side, King Rikotor dwarfed her five foot and a half stature. He might be two meters tall... She thought while glancing at him on the side of her eyes. Upon entering the city, they were greeted by a lively scene of busy people walking here and there. Those who saw them immediately bowed and smiled, and those who saw the people bowing, caught a glimpse of them and did the same.
Almost immediately all eyes were on them, and they received a lot of bows and cheers. Some jugglers at the bazaar started performing dances for them. Some walked on giant balls, and she was surprised when one swallowed a torch and breathed fire. They saw her surprised face and laughed.
He grabbed her shoulder and asked, "you've never seen a fire eater before?"
"No, your majesty," she responded with a confused smile, "almost everything is foreign to me" she added, wondering when the king will remove his hand from her shoulder.
He didn't. He kept holding her shoulder as they walked through the city. She saw stranger sights than when she first walked through it. Perhaps she had already seen the things she's seeing now but she was too weary then?
She saw strange animals and plants that she'd never seen before. One of them looked like a lizard but larger than a full-grown man, and with skin like that of a bullfrog and an enormous mouth full of sharp teeth. She was relieved that it was in a cage.
In another part of the city, the king showed her the largest non-magical creature that she'd ever seen. Its body is like that of cattle, but it has colossal ears that flaps when its head moves, and its nose is like a gigantic snake. It had gentle eyes, however, so she didn't feel afraid. Besides, she's with the king whose arm is still wrapped around her shoulder. Which made her a little uncomfortable, but safe at the same time.
She worried what the people might be thinking, however. If he had a wife, wouldn't this cause trouble?
"That there is a female mahodiga. Wait until you see a male one. It's even larger and has tusks." The king proudly told her as he led her to another part of the city.
They entered an alleyway and started climbing a staircase. The king brought down his hand from her shoulder to her hip. Half of his palm now touching the cheek of her rump. She was startled but thought that perhaps the king only wanted to assist her while climbing the stairs. But he didn't let go of her hip even when they reached level ground.
She looked down and thought that the city looked even more beautiful from a higher place. There's a lot of torches and lanterns that light up the streets. The constant stream of people was exhilarating. There's always music and all kinds of noises wherever they went. The smell of food and spices were also always in the air. Runeblast is also a buzzling city, but it was not as busy as Rikotor. Especially at night.
"Do you like it?" The king asked, perhaps noticing how she was looking at the city.
"It's a splendid city, your majesty," she responded with a polite smile, "it might be the liveliest city I've ever been to." she added.
"This city never sleeps, and it stirs even more when nighttime falls," he said with a sense of pride, "The only place that rivals it at night are the pleasure districts in Yesmin".
That sparked her curiosity. She wondered how those districts looked at night if they could even rival Rikotor. Though she thought that the activities being done there might be too vulgar for her.
The king led her to a villa where she could hear plenty of people talking and laughing while music was being played. There were also female dancers performing on a stage. Their style of clothing was similar to what she's wearing, though their breaches and bandeau are a lot shorter. On top of that, they're wearing a silky face veil that covers most of their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed.
A servant in the villa announced the king, and everybody looked at them, stood up and bowed. Much like the people in the bazaar, they cheered after bowing. Most of them raised their cups to the king as he raised his other hand to wave and acknowledge them. The music and dancing returned, as well as the sound of laughter and conversation.
Two servants then lead them to a table right in front of the stage. King Rikotor sat first and adjusted his position so that one more person could sit beside him, perhaps expecting her to do so, but she sat on the opposite side of the table facing him. For the first time in a while, his hands were not on her.
The king looked at the dancers with a smile as they danced with spectacular coordination. Is that a look of lust? Or pride? Mayhaps both... She thought.
It wasn't long after they were seated when the servants started filling their table with food. Mutton, chicken, beef, and a kind of meat that she's unfamiliar with. All seasoned with a generous amount of spices. Partnered with potatoes, and onion. Of course, there's always onion. They also bought them the finest wine in their establishment, at least according to the king, "Hah! Straight from the wineyards of Yesmin!" The king said proudly.
King Rikotor pointed at the meat that she's unfamiliar with, "That there is kragadil meat! It's the large lizard-like creature with a lot of teeth that you saw earlier." he said while speaking louder against all the music and noise around them.
She politely smiled at him and nodded to acknowledge that she heard him. They both took cuts and portions of the food that was served and ate while watching the dancers. She wanted to ask the king about her return home, but the noises and music around them were so loud, and she didn't want to speak to the king, or anyone for that matter, while shouting.
She took sips of her wine and looked around them. The air is filled with smoke from a glass object that she's never seen before. Half of the villa's patrons had it on their tables, and instead of a pipe, they were smoking from a hose that's connected to it. She observed that three people can smoke at the same time from the same glass apparatus.
The king seemingly noticed her looking at the smoking men asked, "You want to try it?" With a small grin.
She smiled shyly. She was curious, but she also did not want to bother the king. She shook her head and motioned with her hand that he didn't need to bother, but he ignored that and still ordered a servant to bring one to their table.
When the apparatus arrived, king Rikotor stood up and sat beside her. She was a little surprised, but the king acted as if it was to show her how to use the hurkkah, as they called it. She found it fascinating that coals are placed on top of it, and the water inside started boiling. "Come, give it a try." The king said.
She was worried that it would be too hot as the water inside was boiling, but the king himself sucked on his hose and started puffing out smoke, so she thought that it must be safe. She put the mouthpiece at the end of the hose to her mouth and started sucking for... Smoke? Or whatever it was she's supposed to suck, but she didn't feel anything enter her mouth... It was harder than she thought, and she felt a little embarrassed. "Haha! Suck harder!" the king told her.
She did try harder and was finally able to feel something enter her mouth and her throat. But that surprised her. She gagged and started coughing as smoke kept puffing out of her mouth and through her nose like she was a dragon.
The king laughed heartily "Hahaha! You're alright, my lady. It happens the first time" he told her as his right hand rubbed her back to comfort her. She kept coughing, and the king handed her a cup of wine. She quickly took it and drank half of the cup and started feeling better. But it didn't soothe her self-esteem.
"You look pretty even as a dragon." The king jested as his left hand moved to tuck her hair behind her left ear.
That did it, even for a bit. She smiled shyly.
King Rikotor kept rubbing her back with his large hand, and it felt to her like it helped stop her coughing. After she composed herself, she tried the hurkkah again, more gently this time, and she was able to smoke it successfully. "You're a fast learner!" The king told her with a proud smile. She smiled at him proudly as well.
She felt the king's hand slide from her back to her upper waist. That made her shift her sitting position and straighten up her posture. She thought that the king's hand would climb a little lower, but it didn't. His hand is now closer to her right breast than to her belly button.
The king, seemingly noticing her awkwardness, leaned close to her ear and said, "I may have a ship that will trade goods at Runeport, but it will only depart a moon's turn from now".
"Would there be no other ship that will call to port in Wolfenhil anytime sooner? Even in other ports? it doesn't need to be Runeport " She asked, considering that Runeport is very far from Galubar.
He smiled gently and told her "Worry not, my lady. On the morrow I'll try to make more arrangements and see if you can board a ship home sooner".
"My house and I will be on your debt, sire." She smiled back respectfully.
"Well, drink, my lady! And smoke more!" The king said while handing her another cup of wine, "You're in a city of leisure and entertainment, and in the company of its ruler. You have nothing to worry about, hah!" he added.
She took the cup, smiled, and bowed her head to him slightly, and both of them drank at the same time.
The dancers were switched to another group. This time a mix of men and women, curiously armed with short swords appeared on the stage.
Some of them jumped and flipped through the air with ease, while others performed splits, and adeptly juggled the swords with their hands. It caught her by surprise, however, when a man started swallowing a sword and putting every inch of the blade down to his throat. The crowd cheered, and the king raised his cup in acknowledgement of the performance. She clapped quietly so as to not be seen as peculiar, but she felt uneasy seeing a man put a sword inside his mouth as if it were her own throat that's being stabbed.
A moment later, the man pulled out the sword. No blood, and the man seemed unhurt. He even performed a flip and bowed to the crowd. Everybody cheered and clapped harder, and the king was slamming his cup on the table repeatedly to join in with the cheering. She took another sip of her wine and joined the clapping as well. It was only then that she noticed that the king's hand was already grabbing the lower side of her right breast as if his hand was a pushup brassiere. Did I not feel it because I'm getting drunk?
She quickly held his hand and gently pushed it down. She thanked the gods that the king did not protest, but he took that as an opportunity to put his hand to her inner right thigh instead.
"Did you like the performance?" the king asked while massaging her thigh. Seemingly attempting to distract her from what he's doing.
This could be trouble... She thought. As she felt the king's hand slowly inching upwards.
She held his hand with her own again to stop it from crawling up, and smiled politely, "I think it was too nerve wrecking for me, your majesty", she responded.
He smiled back, leaned closer to her, and whispered to her exposed ear, "I conquered Galubar because I found it to be a beautiful and fertile land to plant my seeds on," he moved his right hand upwards. She's too weak to stop it, "Your exquisite beauty makes me want to conquer you as well"
She felt heat rush to her face, and her breathing started becoming heavier. His hand kept massaging her inner thigh, but his finger is now grazing the cheek of her mound. She felt more heat coming into her face. If she could look in the mirror, she'd likely see her face so flushed. "My king, I think I'm getting too drunk... May I retire for the night?" she asked respectfully. Her hand was still trying to push the king's hand down, but it would not budge.
He kept looking at her intently, she stole a glimpse of his face, but the way he looked at her was so intense that she had to avert her gaze again. At the corner of her eyes, she saw that there's a large bulge in the middle of the king's legs. He kept massaging her inner thigh and with each squeeze she felt his finger rub against the cheek of her mound.
Until suddenly, the king stopped and stood up. "Alright, let's take you home, my lady." He told her while taking her hand to assist her in standing up.
She felt hazy. Most likely from the effect of the wine and the smoke in the villa, but perhaps also because of the king's advances. They went down to the bazaar again, and the king was gently holding her hand, careful not to let her slip on the stairs. She thought that was gallant of him, despite his clearly suggestive advances. She gave him a slight smile and bowed lightly to show that she's thankful.
She was more drunk than she thought. When they were back on level ground, she felt more lightheaded and couldn't walk straight, so King Rikotor truly had an excuse now to wrap his arm around her shoulder. Though he would later slide it down to her waist, and then to her hip, and at times fully grab the right cheek of her rump, giving it a squeeze, before going back up again.
She had no more strength to stop him, and it's not like he could stop his strong hands even if she's not intoxicated. All she could do to walk straight is to lean on him while walking. She also worried that her protesting would embarrass him in public, and him being wroth could be detrimental to her return to Wolfenhil. Besides, men like him are in power because they're ambitious, and they say that ambitious men have great lusts... So she just let his hand feast on her hip and rump all throughout their return to the apartments.
Once they reached the entrance, she told him, "I know the way to my room from here, your majesty," as she performed a curtsy "please get some rest, and it was an honor to be accompanied by you in the city this evening".
"No. I'll see you safely to your room" the king responded with a firm tone.
She had no choice but to oblige. It worried her though that the king might insist on something else once they reached her room. But to her surprise, once they reached its door, the king was satisfied to let her be with a final hard squeeze on her rump, and a kiss to on her face, "Good night, my lady. I had a wonderful night."
She did another curtsy and replied "I also had an amazing night, your majesty. I thank you for showing me around the city."
It wasn't a lie... she thought as she entered her room. She did have a lot of fun despite all of the king's carnal advances. Which, a part of her liked as well. Every woman wants to be desired, after all. And the king is virile, sure of himself, and easy on the eye. Qualities that she likes on a man.
She removed all her clothes including her brassiere and put on a nightgown from the cupboard. She also removed her wet panties before lying down on the bed. I hope he didn't notice...
She almost forgot that the man used to be common pirate. Does that really matter though? He's the king of a country now... She also thought about what it would be like if she just stayed here in Rikotor. She thought it might not be too bad, especially since she has the favor of the king. This city excites her. She felt sorry for thinking that. Even though it was just a passing thought.
Chapter End