The petite redhead had caught Ophelia's eye almost instantly; she radiated an aura full of happy energy as she stood at the fortune teller's booth to receive her 'lucky numbers'. Ophelia had been so caught up in admiring her as she walked past, that her reflexes completely failed her when the girl turned briskly to continue on her errands, causing them to collide right there in the street. Gathering her wits as quickly as she could, Ophelia had rushed to help her gather up the pomegranates that had gone flying from the basket perched on the girl's hip, apologizing profusely, and asking if the other was hurt.
The redhead had shaken her crimson out of her face, the look of surprise that had sprung to her face at the accident melting into a charming grin. "I'm fine! I didn't hurt you, did I? I can be rather clumsy sometimes."
Ophelia's heart thudded in her chest at the way the girl's freckled nose had wrinkled up as she professed her clumsiness. "No, no! I'm fine too. Here let me help you, I feel so bad that I made you drop your beautiful fruit."
The other's eyes sparkled as Ophelia handed her the last of the fallen pomegranates "So sweet of you to help me, you didn't have to." she said it with a teasing lilt to her voice, and put her head to the side, gazing up and Ophelia with great interest. Reaching into the basket, she pulled one of the pomegranates out and grabbed Ophelia's hand, pressing the fruit into it and clasping her own hands around it and Ophelia's "I work at the palace. I hope I get to see you again soon…?"
"Ophelia. The name's Ophelia."
"Ophelia! Wonderful! Well, thank you for your help, Ophelia!"
With a wave of her hand, she was gone, leaving Ophelia standing on the cobblestones, staring at the steps she had just occupied.
em"Dammit, I didn't even ask for her name!"/em she inwardly scolded herself em"Oh, hell, she works at the palace!"/em Her mood was instantly restored until she realized that she was about to be late for her meeting with the Countess, at which point, she muttered another curse under her breath and dashed off in the same direction her new friend had taken not long before.
Ophelia's introduction at the palace went by in a whirlwind; she was constantly craning her neck in every direction, trying to take in every sight there was to see, while vaguely aware that the Countess was describing some kind of problem she wanted Ophelia's help with. It didn't help Ophelia's poor excuse for an attention span that as soon as they were seated at the banquet table, the same lovely little redhead from that morning came bustling in to attend the Countess.
"Ophelia...Ophelia!"
Her attention was yanked away from admiring the smooth curve of the woman's collarbones to the face of the Countess, which was expressing a slight amount of annoyance.
"Yes, Countess? I'm sorry, what were you saying?" choosing to ignore the Nadia's irritation, Ophelia gave her her warmest smile and delicately rested her chin on her hands, turning her full attention to the other woman, while keeping the redhead in her peripherals.
The Countess sighed "I was asking if you would be willing to help me find Dr. Devorak and bring him to justice for the murder of my late husband. That is why I summoned you here."
As she was speaking, Ophelia had noticed that the redhead had halted her busy work and was now pretending to fuss with one of the centerpieces while listening closely to the conversation. Taking note of her interest, Ophelia assumed a serious expression and nodded. "I'd be honored to help you in any way I can, Countess, please depend on me."
Nadia looked visibly relieved at the words, and her mood was greatly improved from that moment on. The conversation turned from such serious matters, and they spent the remainder of the evening in good spirits, chatting about almost every other topic besides the purpose for Ophelia's presence in the palace.
As the night wore on, Ophelia found it increasingly more difficult to keep her eyes off the petite woman coming in and out of the room and attending to the Countess' every need. Ophelia still hadn't learned her name, but she found that she liked everything she saw in her. She had to concentrate to keep from being too obvious in her observations, but she took note of everything: how the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the way her nose wrinkled when she laughed, how caring and attentive she was to the Countess, the dimples in her cheeks, the soft curves of her hips under her skirt. Ophelia was drifting again as her gaze followed the line of the woman's jaw, down her neck and over those delicious clavicle again, down to the slight cleavage that was visible in the slight split of her top...
Ophelia shook herself. Nadia was looking at her expectantly again, and she had no idea how to respond. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the redhead smirk to herself as she listened to Ophelia struggling to catch up to the conversation. Babbling out a vague response, Ophelia sighed with relief when Nadia appeared satisfied and moved on to another topic of conversation.
em"Smooth. Real smooth."/em the redhead was leaning in to take Ophelia's wineglass, her breast coming a hair's breadth from grazing Ophelia's arm, making her shift in her chair and take a deep breath.
The girl giggled "Don't worry, she'll go to her chambers soon. I know you've barely heard a word she said."
She was right. Not long after, the Countess rose to her feet "It's getting late, Ophelia, I'm sorry to have kept you up so long. But will you join me for a drink in my chambers?"
Both Ophelia and the Countess' attendant were surprised by the offer, the girl staring down at the floor as Ophelia searched for the right words "Thank you so much, Countess, but I should go to bed, I'm quite exhausted."
The Countess nodded graciously and turned to her attendant "I'm afraid I haven't introduced you to Portia, how rude of me, she is my right hand and will take you to the room that will be yours for as long as you are here. Portia, please help Ophelia with whatever she needs. Goodnight, Ophelia. Sleep well." with those words, the Countess turned and swept grandly out of the dining room.
As soon as she was gone, Ophelia turned to the other woman "Portia is it? Nice to meet you." she said it with a wide grin as she held out her hand.
Portia took the offered hand and shook it, matching the smile Ophelia gave her "That's me! I'm glad you're here, things are bound to get interesting now!"
They chatted away about a wide range of topics as Portia led Ophelia through the palace halls, giving little snippets of information about various rooms and decorations as they passed by. When they finally reached Ophelia's intended rooms, Portia hesitated at the door for a moment, as if trying to make up her mind about something. Then, seeming to make a decision, she turned to Ophelia "Do you want a special tour? I've showed you some interesting features of the palace, but there's a lot more that's a lot more fun to see. If you want to…"
Ophelia grinned widely "I thought you'd never ask, Portia, show me everything!"
The other girl laughed and clapped her hands together "Yes! I knew you were fun. Let's go!" she took hold of Ophelia's hand and they dashed off down another hallway. As they went, Portia would point out different architectural curiosities here and there, with little stories to illustrate the lore surrounding them. Ophelia's admiration was growing for the girl by the minute, as was her attraction, and she was having a harder and harder time not blatantly staring at her as they went.
When they reached the kitchens, Portia cheerily greeted everyone they met, before gathering up a bottle and few sweets before and Ophelia's hand once again, hustling her off in a different direction. This time, they stopped at a wall of ivy that looked to be nothing more than a normal wall, but Ophelia could feel a magical essence emanating off of it.
Turning to Portia with a questioning look on her face, she was greeted with a knowing wink from the other, who-still holding Ophelia's hand-walked straight at and then through the wall, pulling Ophelia with her. When they emerged, Ophelia found herself standing at the edge of a beautiful fountain in the middle of the palace gardens, surrounded by flowers, trees and other vibrant undergrowth.
The look on her face must have delighted Portia, because she giggled and tugged Ophelia toward a low bench nearby, pulling her to sit down at her side as she uncorked the bottle she had taken from the kitchens. "I knew you'd like this place. There are these strange portals tucked around all over the palace, but this one is my favorite." offering Ophelia a cookie from her pocket, she sighed happily and settled herself, looking around with happy contentment as she took a sip.
Ophelia returned her happy smile and took a bite of her cookie, speaking around her mouthful and asking Portia how she came to discover the various curiosities of the palace.
Portia began chattering away about how she came to be in Vesuvia in the first place and how she had found her way to the palace and into the Countess' employ, while taking turns taking sips from the bottle and passing it to Ophelia, who interjected a question or comment here and there, until the garden echoed with their happy voices.
As the conversation flowed, Ophelia had more time to study Portia, and found herself becoming more and more enthralled with her, from the sprinkling of freckles over her face and shoulders, to the joyful ringing of her laughter, everything about her drew Ophelia in, and she made a conscious effort to keep her feelings from spilling over and becoming too obvious, as she was still unsure they would be welcome, much less returned.
At one point, while Portia was in the middle of a rousing story about some mischief she and her older brother had gotten into when they were children, she laid her hand on Ophelia's knee as she laughed, describing her parent's reaction when they were caught, and making Ophelia's collar feel suddenly tight, and bringing a flush to her cheeks.
Noticing her blush, Portia laughed again and pointed out that perhaps Ophelia had had enough to drink, as it was starting to show, prompting Ophelia to indignantly declare that she could handle herself, and take an especially large swig from the bottle, amusing Portia further. Not to be outdone, she took the bottle from Ophelia and downed an equally large drink, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand as she set it back down.
Despite the gesture, there was still a small purple drop that spilled off her lower lip, and it was all Ophelia could do to keep from leaning in and kissing it away; instead she reached out and wiped it clean with her thumb, drawing a light blush from Portia.
"Maybe it's me who's had enough," she quipped, and then shrugged with a wink before lifting the bottle to her lips once again.
"It looks like we can both handle ourselves pretty well, the bottle's almost empty." Ophelia pointed out and picked it up, raising it in Portia's direction "Cheers!"
The redhead grinned "I'm glad you're here. The palace was getting awfully dull. I mean, Nadia is wonderful, but it gets a bit tedious doing the same thing day after day. I'm glad you're around to shake things up!"
"I'm not looking to cause too much trouble," Ophelia answered with a chuckle "Don't think poorly of me, but the main reason I accepted so readily was because I knew she could pay me well. The income of a magician isn't always reliable."
Portia nodded understandingly "I get that, we've been there. But I do hope you'll stay for a little while at least; and enjoy your time while you're here."
The way she gazed at Ophelia with a small smile on her lips made Ophelia's stomach twist itself into knots.
"Portia? Um…" she trailed off, unsure of how to continue
Portia just smiled and bit her lip, waiting for Ophelia to find the words she was looking for.
"Oh dammit!" Ophelia whispered before reaching out impulsively, taking Portia's face in both hands and pulling her into a hasty but passionate kiss.
To her surprise and delight, Portia responded enthusiastically, laying a hand over one of Ophelia's, while the other slid around to her hip.
They were all smiles and giggles when they parted breathlessly a moment later, Ophelia leaving her hands cupping Portia's face as she leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. "Well, that went far better than I hoped it would/" she said with a laugh.
Portia bumped her nose against Ophelia's "If you had waited any longer it might not have!" she scolded teasingly.
"emME?/em" Ophelia protested "You could have just as easily made the first move yourself!"
Portia rolled her eyes "Pffft I did all the work to get you here, wine you up and feed you cookies, it was the least you could do."
It was Ophelia's turn to huff in feigned annoyance "Trying to by my affection, huh? You couldn't just say you were interested?"
"And come across as desperate and lonely to the shiny new magician? I think not!" Portia cried, rolling her eyes again, "Besides, I know Nadia had you in her sights the minute you walked into the dining hall. emShe'd/em be happy to take the lead, if that's what you want." she made as if to get up, but Ophelia held her fast.
The dramatic toss of her head had given Ophelia a sudden sense of deja vu, as if she had seen the same mannerisms in someone else, though she couldn't recall exactly who. Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she focused on the slightly indignant redhead in front of her. "Gods, shut up." she growled and pulled her into another kiss, this time with a touch of fierceness in her passion.
Portia melted immediately, letting out a sigh and leaning into the kiss as one of Ophelia's hands moved to her hip and tugged her closer. Her hands soon found the open back of Ophelia's dress and slipped inside, fingers running along her bare skin while Ophelia's slipped to her thigh, her grip tightening as she broke contact with Portia's lips and began peppering featherlight kisses along the line of her jaw. Reaching the point where her jaw met her neck, Ophelia slowed her pace, taking her time to suck gently along Portia's pulse point, drawing little whimpers from the girl and smiling to herself as she felt Portia's fingers dig lightly into her back with every kiss.
Making her way down Portia's neck and along her collarbone, Ophelia glanced up at her as she reached the edge of Portia's tunic where it had slipped halfway off her shoulder; the redhead's cheeks were flushed, and her breath was coming quickly, her lips hanging slightly open and her eyes closed.
Bringing her head up, Ophelia pressed a kiss to the corner of Portia's mouth, making her eyes flutter open at the change of position.
"Wh-what?" she breathed, her gaze coming to focus on Ophelia.
"Portia, do you want to come up to my room?" Ophelia whispered in her ear, as she slid her hand up her thigh.
"Mm-hm" Portia nodded eagerly, rising to her feet with a slight wobble.
Ophelia grinned and laid a quick kiss on her forehead and, grabbing her hand, dragged her to the wall of ivy and through, hurrying along the dimly lit palace halls.
As the night breeze drifted over Ophelia's face, she began to feel the wine stirring in her blood, and a wave of giddiness flowed over her; glancing at the girl hurrying along beside her, Ophelia could tell by her wide grin and half closed eyes, that Portia was feeling it too.
They soon came to a junction of hallways, where the tall windows flooded the place with moonlight and, taking a minute to catch their breath, Ophelia was struck by the vision that was Portia, bathed in the silvery light; her crimson curls had tumbled into her face, and her cheeks were an irresistible shade of pink. As she continued to gaze at her, her eyes were drawn to where the laces of Portia's tunic had started coming undone, and her cleavage was peeking out, a sight that was accentuated by the rise and fall of her chest as she caught her breath.
Unable to stand it any longer, Ophelia seized Portia by the waist and dragged her into the shadow of a nearby pillar, shoving her against the stone wall, pinning her hands on either side of her head as she kissed her deeply.
"Ophelia-mph!" her words were smothered by Ophelia's lips as their mouths collided.
Flicking her tongue against Portia's lower lip, Ophelia took it into her mouth and sucked gently, releasing it and slipping her tongue between them, flicking it against Portia's and tasting a hint of the wine they had finished.
"D-ah!-don't you think we should get to your room first?" Portia gasped as Ophelia once again turned her attentions to the sensitive skin of her neck.
"Shhh," Ophelia murmured "you don't really expect me to wait that long, with you looking as delicious as you are, do you?" she released Portia's hands and reached down to yank her top out of the waistband of her skirt, slipping a hand underneath it and lightly squeezing one of her breasts, relishing the responding gasps escaping Portia's plump lips.
Portia's hands were now free, and she wound one in Ophelia's emerald tresses, while the other found its way to her hip, attaching itself there and hanging on for dear life as Ophelia continued exploring her skin.
Pulling her hand from under Portia's top, Ophelia yanked at the laces holding the upper portion closed, until she could tug them out entirely and toss them away, allowing her to pull the top open, exposing Portia's breasts to the cool night air. Leaning down, Ophelia took one of the quickly stiffening pink nubs into her mouth, sucking on it and flicking her tongue over its tip, encouraged by the hissing sound Portia made as she drew breath in through her clenched teeth.
Ophelia was thoroughly enjoying the reactions she was getting out of Portia, every sigh, whimper and gasp was multiplying her ego and making her want more. Just as Portia seemed to be catching her breath, Ophelia slipped her hand under the waistband of her skirt and stroked a finger through her folds, grinning and biting her lip at the wetness she found there.
"Opheliaaa" Portia whined, pressing her thighs together and tugging on Ophelia's hair.
"Yes, Portia?" Ophelia asked sweetly, a mischievous smirk on her face "What is it?"
"Keep going," she pleaded breathily "please?"
"Well, since you asked so nicely." Ophelia teased before closing her lips over Portia's and beginning move her middle finger in small, circular motions over the hood of skin that covered Portia's clit.
Portia responded by winding her arms tightly around Ophelia's neck and pressing their foreheads together, her breath quickening once again under Ophelia's touch.
Using her free hand to brace herself against the wall behind Portia, Ophelia paid close attention to Portia's reactions, gauging whether she needed a lighter or more firm touch; Portia soon began to Ophelia's hand, indicating her need for more stimulation, and Ophelia was happy to oblige. After a few more circles, Ophelia slid her ring and middle fingers slowly into Portia's heat, halting when they were fully sheathed inside of her. After a breathless moment, she nuzzled her face in the curve of Portia's neck and pressed soft kisses there as she curled her fingers and started to stroke them along her inner walls, looking for that sensitive area of flesh deep inside her. Portia's sudden death grip on Ophelia's shoulder that was accompanied by a high-pitched moan told Ophelia that she had found what she was looking for, and she focused her efforts on stroking the pads of her fingers over that spot while pressing the ball of her hand against Portia's clit.
The results were almost immediate, as Portia's moans became louder and more frequent, prompting Ophelia to keep kissing her in order to keep her quiet. They were soon both gasping for breath against the other's mouth, Ophelia picking up her pace and Portia holding onto her as if her life depended on it until a final heated kiss combined with a strong stroke of Ophelia's fingers send her over the edge.
Ophelia swallowed Portia's moan as she hit her peak, and held her tightly as she came down, kissing her forehead and cheeks as they both caught their breath.
As soon as she had composed herself, Portia lifted her head from Ophelia's shoulder and looked at her, her eyes wide. Ophelia smirked and lifted her fingers to her mouth, licking them clean and returning the look, asking smugly "Enjoy yourself, Portia?"
The little redhead's eyes were full of renewed fire as she stared at the magician.
"Bedroom. Now."
They had barely made it through the door when Portia pushed shoved Ophelia down on the bed and hooked her fingers in the waistband of Ophelia's loose pants, pulling them down her hips and off her legs and tossing them to the side. She then began kissing her way up Ophelia's inner thigh, making her breathe in sharply and bite her lip in anticipation.
When Portia reached the apex of Ophelia's thighs, she wasted no time in closing her mouth over her sex, sweeping her tongue through Ophelia's arousal and swirling it over her clit, making Ophelia groan and arch her back up off the bed, as she fisted her hands in the blankets beneath her.
With Ophelia's legs hooked over her shoulders, Portia could wrap her arms around Ophelia's thighs and hold her still as she wrung the moans from her mouth, dragging her tongue through the length of Ophelia's outer lips and then into her depths before turning her attention back to her swollen clit.
Ophelia snatched one of the pillows from the head of the bed and wrapped her arms around it, holding it tightly to her face so she could scream as loudly as she wanted to without the risk of being heard.
Portia poured all her efforts into devouring Ophelia, not coming up for air until she had felt Ophelia start to convulse beneath her, and then she only stopped when Ophelia's spasms had slowed.
Leaning back on her heels, Portia looked at Ophelia with the biggest shit eating grin on her face before getting up and crawling onto the bed next to her, tugging away the pillow and leaning in for a tender kiss.
"Still feeling cocky? You're not the only one who's good at this." she laughed, rolling into her side and resting her head on her arm.
Ophelia brushed the hair out of her eyes and propped herself up on one arm looking over at Portia, her competitive spirit rising "Oh that's how it is, huh? You just wait Portia, I'm going to wreck your shit!" She yelled the last sentence as she threw herself on the redhead, the room soon echoing with their shrieks and laughter.
Hours later, they lay spent on the bed, Portia curled up on her side with her head resting on Ophelia's stomach, while Ophelia lay sprawled on her back, her emerald locks fanning out above her head.
"Did I mention I'm glad you're here? Cause I am." Portia said with a tired giggle.
"You know, so am I." Ophelia mumbled, her eyes closed as she absently ran her fingers through Portia's hair. "You might as well just make this your room while I'm here, or I'll be in yours every night."
"Nadia's going to figure us out in no time." Portia laughed before suddenly going quiet, her eyes popping wide open "Oh shit, Nadia."
Ophelia Opened one eye "What about her?"
She's very much into you, we both know that. She might not be thrilled about this."
Ophelia let her eyes slipped closed again, waving her hand airily "Oh, we'll just ask her to join us, it'll be fine."
Portia's head popped up "Ophelia!" she exclaimed "Are you serious, what's wrong with you?"
Tugging Portia down, Ophelia wrapped her arms around Portia's shoulders "Something tells me she'll totally be into it, don't worry," she laughed, nuzzling her face in Portia's hair.
Sighing, Portia laid her hands on Ophelia's arm and settled in "You're going to be the death of me, I just know it."
"Shhhh, later." Ophelia whispered, making them both dissolve into sleepy giggles.
They were soon fast asleep; a sleep more peaceful and satisfying than Ophelia had experienced in a very long time.