When Ophelia awoke again, the first sensation she was aware of, was the feeling of all-encompassing warmth. As she lazily opened her eyes, she found that she was seated in a half reclined position in a huge marble spa, in a bathing room that she was unfamiliar with. Turning her head, she was confronted by the sight of Lucio lounging in the water next to her, he was reclining on the edge of the pool with his head leaned back and his single arm stretched out and resting on the ledge, his eyes closed, and his expression looking almost serene as he rested.
Careful not to make any noise, Ophelia looked herself over and found that the red marks that he had left on her chest, stomach, arms and upper thighs in their frenzied passion, were settling in to become significant bruises. Though that was to be expected, the thing that really surprised her was that she appeared to have been thoroughly bathed; her skin was scrubbed and glowing, and her damp hair was piled atop her head, clean and smelling of freesias.
"I see you're awake."
Ophelia almost let herself fall back asleep, her eyes still felt incredibly heavy, when the image flashed into her head of Portia being unable to find her in her room in the morning, and her eyes popped open. Struggling to her feet, Ophelia looked around frantically for any garment she could throw on before fleeing back to her room.
Lucio frowned as he watched her panicked actions "What are you doing?" he asked, getting up out of the water himself.
"If Portia doesn't find me in my room, Nadia will make her search every inch of the palace for me, and I don't think I need to tell you why it would be horrible if I was found here with you." she stood there in the spa, water dripping off her skin, wringing her hands in anxiousness.
Lucio took a step closer to her and laid his hand firmly on her shoulder "Stop."
Ophelia looked up at him, her eyes still wide with worry, and though her fears were overwhelming her brain, his voice made her pause and wait for him to continue.
"It would indeed be unpleasant if my former wife were to find you here in my chambers in such a state, but it is still dark out, her attendant won't be coming to look for you for several hours yet."
Staring at him incredulously, Ophelia drew her brows together in an expression that said she didn't quite believe him. "Really? It feels like I've been asleep for hours."
"You were only asleep while I bathed you. I just finished bathing myself when you woke up." he ran his fingers through his wet hair and stepped out of the bath, picking up his golden prosthetic, affixing it to his shoulder and pulling on a robe before turning back to Ophelia. Motioning for her to turn around, he slipped one arm under both of hers, and the other he placed behind her knees, picking her up and drawing her out of the water, placing her several feet away and picking up a large towel. His eyes scanned her dripping wet figure closely, the edges up his mouth curling up slightly as he traced the the marks he had left on her skin, making it clear he was admiring his handiwork.
Despite having been so intimately entangled not long before, Ophelia still felt a blush creep over her cheeks as he did so, and dropped her gaze. She then felt the towel being draped over her shoulders, and Lucio's hands roving over her body, patting her dry.
When he had finished drying her off, her pulled the towel from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, picking up a small bottle and pouring some of its contents into one hand, and proceeded to rub it over her skin, starting at her shoulders and working his way all the way down to her feet. The light floral scent of the substance, as well as the way it glided over her skin, told her it was a mixture of almond oil, rose, and argan, a concoction perfect for hydrating and softening the skin.
"Why are you doing that?" Ophelia asked hesitantly as he massaged the oil into the skin around her hips, greatly confused by the care he was showing her after the nature of their union not long before; the difference in behavior baffling her.
Glancing up at her for a moment, Lucio continued with his task "You're mine, don't you remember? What kind of man would I be if I didn't take excellent care of my playthings?"
She hadn't thought he was serious; she'd merely taken his words for an impassioned declaration in the heat of the moment. As much as she hated the idea of being owned, she couldn't help the shiver of excitement that ran down her spine at his words. The idea of being his possession so aroused her that she felt the heat building deep inside her once again.
When he was done, Lucio dressed Ophelia in her own robe and picked her up again, carrying her through the dark halls of the palace until they reached her quarters. Once they were alone in her room, he spoke as he untied the belt of his robe and let it fall to the floor "I'll be gone when you wake up, so don't worry about Nadia's attendant finding something amiss. But the masquerade is almost upon us, and I will expect to spend the majority of it fucking you in every room amidst the festivities. You should get all the rest you can before then." He then turned to Ophelia again and repeated his actions, tossing her robe aside and sweeping her up, pulling back the covers of the bed and placing her beneath them before crawling in next to her. He then surprised her once again by throwing an arm around her waist, nestling his face between her breasts and falling asleep almost immediately.
Ophelia lay there in the dark for a while contemplating her situation; as much as she knew that she should run as fast and far away from the palace as she could, she had to admit to herself that she was intrigued by the Count, and had no real desire to leave his side. "I've come this far already." she thought to herself "I think I'm past the point of backing out now. Besides," she reasoned "I can't say I haven't enjoyed it so far."
When Ophelia awoke again, she wasn't surprised to find herself alone; Lucio had after all warned her that he wouldn't still be there in the morning. She felt a strange disappointment nonetheless, thought it was countered by her still present afterglow from the night before. As she replayed in her mind what it had felt like to have Lucio's claws closing around her throat, she remembered with an unpleasant jolt, the events that had led up to such actions. She gazed down at her hands, hardly believing that they were capable of the very acts they had performed just hours earlier. She wondered what Lucio had ordered his men to do with Valerius' body; whether they had buried him somewhere or merely dumped him in a remote location. Quickly casting off such unpleasant thoughts, she rolled to the edge of the bed, wanting to get dressed before Portia arrived so she wouldn't catch sight of the evidence of Lucio's manhandling.
As soon as she started moving, Ophelia groaned; not only was she bruised, but she felt the dull ache of sore muscles that seemed to reach into every fiber of her being. She'd exerted herself far more than she had initially thought, and now she was paying the price for the previous nights activities.
She was soon ready for the day, and to return to her duties of following Nadia around as the Countess supervised the last preparations for the masquerade. As she put the finishing touches on her outfit, Ophelia made a mental note to try and get away for a bit that afternoon and go to the shop for a remedy for her aching muscles. But for now, she would just have to bear it and do her best to hide it from the Countess, who would undoubtedly ask questions if she perceived anything amiss with the magician.
The day was spent exactly how she'd imagined: running around after the Countess and seeing to it that she wasn't bothered by anyone as she made the final preparations for the masquerade. Ophelia was supposed that no one seemed to be concerned over the absences of either Vulgora or Valerius; Nadia had made a remark about the amount of wine not diminishing as quickly as she anticipated, but that was all that was said.
As the day wore on, Ophelia grew increasingly aware of how tired she was of the palace; she was once again feeling the need to immerse herself in the calming influence of the forest. Despite not wavering in her decision to remain with Lucio, she wanted a break from it all "I want to go home." As soon as the thought popped into her head, her mind was made. Once the day's tasks were over, and Nadia had retired to her chambers, Ophelia stole out of the palace and made her way to the small cottage in the forest where she had lived before she'd become embroiled in the palace drama.
It was her pride and joy; it had taken every penny of her savings to buy, and was the one thing she could call her own. She had painstakingly cultivated an exquisite garden for all her herbal needs, and had built it up to the point where the majority of the salves, balms and potions she and Asra sold in the shop were made from the herbs grown there.
Arriving at the cottage around dusk, Ophelia shed her layers of clothing, tossing them aside as she walked to the bedroom until she was down to her underwear, leaving a trail of garments as she went. Picking a short chemise from her closet, she discarded her undergarments and pulled it over her head, relishing the feeling of the thin, silky fabric sliding over her skin. She then proceeded to tie her hair in a loose bun at the top of her head before heading to the kitchen to brew a pot of her favorite tea.
Ophelia had several varieties of tea that she favored for different occasions; when she needed to feel energized, she liked a blend of ginger and pomegranate, for calm moments, she preferred jasmine with a hint of rose. But today, she wanted more than a little relaxation, and set about blending a concoction that would ease her mind and make her forget all her worries. After setting the kettle over the fire to heat, she gathered several bundles of dried herbs from her stores, selecting equal parts of poppy pods and valerian root, and adding candied orange peel to the infuser to diminish the bitterness.
Ophelia felt her anticipation grow as she swirled the herb-filled infuser in the steaming pot of water; it had been a while since she had been able to have an evening all to herself, and she was looking forward to setting herself adrift in the softness of her sheets while the concoction she was brewing melted her worries away.
When the potion was ready, she poured it into the biggest mug she had, and went back to the bedroom, nestling deep into the pillows and lifted the mug to her lips, breathing in the aroma before taking a long, slow sip and sighing happily at the taste. She took her time savoring the brew, wanting to let it ease over her, until with a last sip, she drained it to the dregs. Setting the mug next to the bed, she settled into the comfort of her bed and drifted off into a sweet limbo between sleeping and wakefulness, feeling nothing beyond a warm drowsiness.
Sometime during the night, Ophelia was roused out of her stupor by a disturbance of the charms she and Asra had placed in a perimeter around the cottage. She couldn't tell what time it was or how long had passed since she had laid down, but the darkness told her that it was still far from morning. She laid there on her side, motionless and listening for further movement. The sound of footsteps, heavy and accompanied by the clink of armor, was soon clear outside the front door; they paused for a moment, before the door was pushed open and proceeded into the cottage. Ophelia tensed, her haze completely gone for the moment, preparing to either attack the intruder or defend herself if she had to. The next moment, she caught a whiff of leather with a hint of rose, and began to relax, a slight smirk forming on her lips. "So," she thought "he just couldn't be without me for one night. I wonder how he found me?"
The footsteps continued, moving from the dining area to the kitchen, and then finding their way into the bedroom.
Ophelia remained still, curious to see what he would do when he found her. She heard the sound of clasps opening, and garments being tossed on the floor; boots fell heavily to the ground one after another, and then the sound of bare feet making their way to the bed. The covers were drawn back and there was a shout of surprise and a loud responding hiss
"FUCK! What the hell is that?!
Ophelia's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter as she rolled over and gathered up the indignantly hissing ball of fur that had been curled up behind her.
"This is Hortense, and neither of us like to be so rudely awoken without warning."
Lucio stood back, eyeing the creature in her arms warily "Very well, but what is it?"
"Hortense is my familiar, and a very protective one at that." Ophelia retorted with a lifted eyebrow "If you are asking about species, Hortense is a Opossum. A very beautiful Opossum" The last sentence was muffled in the Opossum's fur as she buried her face there, while it eyed Lucio with a narrowed gaze.
"I don't think Hortense likes me." he commented haughtily, though he didn't try to move closer.
"Are you surprised? You aren't the most savory of characters." Ophelia replied, still nuzzling her chin in the Opossum's coat and looking up at Lucio solemnly, though there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Well, tell Hortense I'm not here to hurt you." Lucio huffed in annoyance "Quite the contrary, actually."
The rogueish smirk that accompanied his last remark made Ophelia roll her eyes, but she set her familiar down on the bed "Oh don't worry Hortense, I definitely don't trust him, but he's not a danger. Run along and get some rest, I know you're sleepy."
The possum climbed up one of the bedposts and disappeared through a round hole at the top of the wall, muttering disapprovingly the whole way.
Turning back to Lucio, Ophelia was about to make a remark about the offended look on his face when she suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her; the excitement had worn off and she realized that she was still very much under the effects of her tea. Without a word she laid down and rolled back to her initial position, leaving Lucio standing next to the bed in just his breeches. She felt the bed sag under his weight as he climbed in next to her and pull the covers over himself, and was surprised when she felt no movement beyond that.
"Not going to take what you came for, Count?" she mumbled sleepily, pushing her back against him.
She felt the huff of an annoyed breath on her neck "I can't if you're asleep." he grumbled, though she felt him return her gesture, pressing his hips against her ass.
"I'm not asleep, just slightly...inebriated." she said with a giggle, reaching back to take his hand in hers and brought it to her lips, kissing each of his knuckles until she got to his index finger, where she laid kisses along its length, sucking gently on his fingertip.
Lucio groaned behind her and nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck, his breath hot and quickening. He pulled his hand from her grasp and palmed it over her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingertips through the sheer material of her chemise, before roving over her stomach, her hip and then delving between her legs. "Don't expect me to be so gentle in the future," he whispered in her ear through gritted teeth as he pressed his hips against her ass more forcefully "this little cunt hasn't had near enough discipline."
Ophelia smiled as she pulled a little distance away from him, reaching down and pulling her nightgown up over her ass, exposing herself to him. "I certainly hope not," she whispered with a laugh "your 'gentleness' isn't what made my legs shake the first time you took me in your chambers."
He groaned again as he grabbed her thigh and she felt him shove his breeches off his hips before he lifted her leg and plunged himself into her waiting heat.
She let out a gasping moan at the intrusion, and laid her head back against his chest as he began to move within her, his metal arm moving to encircle her waist and hold her tight against him.
Ophelia had no concept of how much time had passed when they finally lay still in her bed, Lucio again wrapped around her like he'd been the night before. This time it was Ophelia who fell asleep almost instantly, the compounded effects of her tea, exhaustion, and afterglow proving to be a potent sedative.
When she awoke again, it was to Lucio sitting on the edge of her bed as he fastened the last of the clasps that held his shoulder cape to the rest of his jacket.
"Lingering this time, Count?" she asked with a laugh as she rolled over to watch him, her hair flowing over the pillows around her.
"Hmph," he turned to look at her "I do seem to sleep better next to you."
"Is that why you couldn't go one night without me?" she asked teasingly as she sat up "How did you find this place anyway?"
He ignored her first question and assumed an arrogant expression "I know every inch of my realm, you think I'd have any trouble finding you in my forest? Hardly. You could never hide from me, little magician."
Ophelia rolled her eyes "I have no reason to hide from you. Why would I hide when you fuck me so well?" she bit her lip and grinned at him, enjoying this new banter they had; as arousing as their sexual tension was, it could also be exhausting.
Lucio looked at her, his gaze narrowed, for a few moments, and then tackled her. Throwing her onto her back, he clamped metal claws around her throat while he slipped two fingers into her. Bringing his mouth a hair's breadth from her own, he stared into her eyes and growled "I should fuck my cum out of your messy pussy right now. Is that the kind of fucking you want?"
Pressing her thighs around his hand, Ophelia met his gaze as she moaned softly, leaning up until their lips touched "Yes. Please."
Yanking her up into an almost savage kiss, Lucio curled his fingers inside her until she squirmed, begging him for more, and then withdrew completely, letting her fall back onto the bed as he stepped back, straightening his jacket, his own arousal obvious beneath his pants.
"Remember what I told you about the masquerade tonight. You'd best be ready, Ophelia." and with that, he turned and left the cottage.
Ophelia lay there for a moment, before jumping out of bed with a curse and rummaging around in her nightstand drawer until she retrieved an cylindrical object from it and slammed it shut.
"If that motherfucker thinks I'm waiting until tonight to get any kind of satisfaction, he's a fool." she muttered to herself and stalked into her bathing room, climbing into the tub and turning on the faucet full blast. "It's too bad he's human again, I miss that spectral goat cock of his." With a small laugh, she smoothed her thumb over the base of the object as she focused her magic, watching it grow and change in shape "I'll just have to make do, I supposed."