The wives of Amber

by Florimel

"Amber will always be the only wife its king will be faithful to" (Oberon/Clarissa)

1. The witch

Before reading:

1) First about Oberon: there is a lot of images of the King of Amber. Many of them are the one of an old man and I don't like that. I'd like to stick to Zelazny's one saying Oberon looked in his middle-ages when Corwin's saga begin. Second, I don't think he's the cruel bastard many think he is. I think he can be mean when it's needed but I think he will always but Amber first in every part of his life, and that's what made him give his life to save it at the end. Oberon is my favorite character in the books.

2) Some ideas were borrowed on Betancourt's novels. The Shadow of Mu is the idea of the website Amber VSC (Ambre version sans Chaos) a french site of an Amber RPG. The character and Amber Chronicles belong to Roger Zelazny.

3) Please I beg your indulgence for my english. It's only my second language. I hesitated first between writing the fic in english or in french but I thought it could be a good idea to give it a try in english.
4) Since it's about Oberon, no need to tell the story is rated M. ^_^

_

It was midsummer night, if I may use those words without sounding peculiar. It was already past midnight and I was bored. The outcome of things however had been interesting, leading towards Amber's favour in all ways. Not that I was really worried about that. When the rulers of the Shadow of Mu knew I was coming in person instead of the usual Amber's ambassador, I believe they decided it was better to go according to Amber's plan instead of starting to negotiate some compromise leading in their favour. With time, many kingdoms learned that the King of Amber wasn't a man who could easily bend to any whim they had in mind when it was time to negotiate with Amber.
I was sitting in a large comfortable chair near the ambassador of Mu and some other dignitary who talked most of the night about his untamed hate for his ex-wife and how a divorce could lead a man into bankruptcy. It makes me smile, though.
As I was sipping my wine - quite excellent by the way - she was there. And she has a way to enter a room, a way which would still keep making me shaky even after all those years. Other women entered the room with her, by the main large double doors of the hall. But I saw none of them, except her. It was the way she had to draw all eyes on her, knowing it without any care.
She was small and quite thin, missed certain curves I normally used to appreciate on a woman. However the royal blue dress she was wearing showed enough of pale, generous breast under the satin of the fabric. Her bare arms were slender, as the magnificent curve of her neck and the line traced by her collarbones painting a supernatural hollow, like a marble statue.
But it was the shimmering glow of her magnificent red hair, the same very color of autumn leaves on Arden's fall sunny days. It was falling in large generous curls down her back, freely. It was quite unusual in a place like this, with people like this, for a woman to keep her hair free.
From my seat, I could only guess the color of her eyes but I was certain they were the same exact blue than her dress. Her face was caught between the one of a teen and the one of a woman, I was unsure if it was because of her thin snub nose or those high cheeks.
I never saw a woman so astonishingly beautiful and appealing in my life - and believe me - I've seen a lot of woman.
The dignitary at my side snorted behind his glass "witches" he said in a low voice, as only to himself but just enough for me to hear it. "They just get out of their covent to play with those poor desperate men and to steal enough of them to buy fancy clothes to be able to come again in place like this and start over again. Nonsense."
I looked back at her, but she was gone, talking to a group who came quickly at her as soon as she entered the room, like flies with honey.
I thought of just standing up and going to her, my only presence would make them fly away. But I knew better. In some instant, she'll know by some other guest who is visiting tonight and there is a strong probability the name Oberon of Amber will ring some bell. So I'll wait, until she comes.

There was something about being the one who would wait for her to come to me.
There was something about not letting her win.
I think it was our first battle. It wasn't our last.
I won this first, because some time after, she walked in a graceful and careful way towards me, her eyes never leaving mine. I was right, they matched her dress. She was plenty aware of the effect she had on men, in perfect control.

She was holding her glass with two hands, her slender fingers gently curled around the shape of the crystal. When she stopped, one step ahead of the usual distance the etiquette dictated fitting in front of a king, there was something of a half curious, half predatory in her eyes.
"Your majesty" she said, bowing her head "I am pleased to have the chance to meet you"
I know all the eyes were on us without looking. First because most of the time all the eyes are always on me, whatever I am doing. But this time it was because, as a complete stranger, she approached me alone, without proper introduction.
This big breaking to the decorum managed to make sure every one in the room was looking at us while faking doing something else. I was used to this, and she doesn't seemed at all disturbed by it either.

It was better to play safe in this one, since I wanted our talk to become boring to the eye of the watcher and then to be sure the attention of the crowd will be drawn elsewhere.

"My lady" I said, extending my hand to take hers "I don't think I have the honour to know you"

She seemed amused for a moment then she slid her hand into mine. As I kissed it, I smelled flowers over her skin. I couldn't name it though.

"I'm Clarissa Handrel" I rise back and saw she looked briefly at the dignitary near us who was looking elsewhere without missing a bit of what was happening between us. "I'm sorry to disappoint but the introduction stops here. I have no extra titles to go with my name"

I smiled "Titles are often overrated"

She smiled back but mockingly. "This coming from the King of Amber, I suppose make the comment irrelevant"

This was arrogance, but coming from her lips it was a bitter-sweet one. There was a drive in her, something daring. She was comfortable to go beyond predefined lines. This was something fresh and I was ready to give a try.

I decided to ignore the comment. "You seem quite known here" I said instead.

"We have been invited by the ambassador who is a friend of mine." She answered, looking towards the small group of women who came with her sooner. "I assume" she said, "that is it the royal wedding who pulled you this far from the Eternal City".
"It is a part of the reason of my presence here, yes." I answered, taking a sip of my wine.
"It must be boring for you" She looked around her, nowhere in particular "going into places that are only pale shadows of the mighty Amber"
I smiled, there was something in her voice, each time she was mentioning Amber, bitterness perhaps. She looked at me again, this time she was waiting for my answer, as if testing me. I could play that game. "You have some animosity against Amber, my lady?" I said with a very subtle but certain warning tone. But then she smiled at me again, a honest and charming smile who moved me more than I actually wanted.
"I wouldn't dare, Sire." A lie, and she wanted me to know it was.
Less subtle than many enemies who wouldn't dare saying such a thing, and backstab you after that. For some moments, I thought about leaving the villa with her, I also thought of taking her now, in front of everyone, just to teach her a lesson about what is the cost to hold some animosity against Amber. Even if those thoughts often cross my mind, I hopefully never do it - it tends to end political relationships quite drastically.
I looked around quickly, many returned to their initial talks and some were just leaving the villa since it was already late. I offered Clarissa my arm without any more words. If she was clever enough she'll know what I meant by that.
Clever girl, she took it, her smile still playing on her lips. We walked in silence outside to the courtyard. There was some light coming by the windows but the gardens were lost in the darkness. After some steps on the dark alley she suddenly laughed. "Well I must admit I'm impressed. Without any word you made me follow you in this dark garden." She stopped, her eyes into mine and she seemed deceived "A true king."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What were you expecting?"
She shook her head slightly, red curls moving on her shoulders. "A arrogant, pretentious man with no regal."
"I'm sorry to disappoint. But be sure I can be arrogant and pretentious if I want." I replied with an amused smile. "Having bad experience with a liege or you've heard some bad rumours about me?" I asked her.
"Perhaps both, Sire."
I moved my head towards the villa behind us. "Back there, some called you and your friends witches."
"Figuratively."
"It sounded quite the literal witch thing, as I recall." I replied, now more serious. I dislike witches.
"You don't like witches?" she had defiant eyes now.
"You don't like kings."
She laughed. She didn't answered the question. How Amber-like. But I was a few thousands steps ahead of her in that game, for I ruled Amber.

Out of every possibilities, she took a step closer. I could smell flowers again. It was lys now I was sure. She extend her hand, touching my arm with the tip of her fingers. She raised her eyes at me again, I saw power in them, and lust.
Wait. One step ahead of me? How is that even possible.
"What if I was a witch?" she asked softly.
"I think I can handle it." I replied. My tone had changed, something I didn't exactly planned.
"You think?" She drew her body closer to mine, shifting on tiptoes, her lips almost brushed mine. "I could hurt you, you know. Put some spell on you and ensure your loyalty forever. Take your away from your realm, your crown."
Enough. There was a limit of how much arrogance I could handle, even from a woman so gorgeous. She may have some appeal but I was a king. I lift her chin with a finger, firm enough to be sure she'll understand I was serious. I locked my eyes on hers. "Mind your words, my lady."
She didn't move. From the way she looked, she seemed to consider her own options. Something between us was tense, heavy. We both felt it, but none of us wanted to abandon to it first. It would have meant surrender, it would have meant defeat. I could feel her chest going up and down more heavily against me and I thought of the curve of her breasts raising with each breath. But looking down at those beauties would also mean loosing battle so I didn't.
"You want me, Sire" she said simply, no trace of any emotion in her voice. Just an observation. "As you do." I said, another observation.

This could have gone for hours, but I was tired to wait. I lifted her chin higher and lean down to kiss her deeply. But she wasn't the kind of woman to put her weapons down so easily. Clarissa wasn't like any kind of women I've know - and believe me, I've known a lot of women.

I felt at first she was startled and I could tell, aroused. I wasn't really surprised for I knew myself to have a certain talent with those things. Never understood why exactly, if it was something I was doing or just what I was being. When you wear a crown, it is very difficult to know if women are attracted to you for what you are or for the crown itself. Or both. Perhaps a lot of ladies don't know themselves, not being able to make sense of things. Well I am able to, with all those years. I know I'm quite the charming guy and I know I'm damn good with lovemaking and all that stuff. The crown, well, is an extra who is helping a lot to strengthen the rest. That, and the fact sex is the thing I enjoy the most in existence help keeping me very high in my mistresses's esteems.
So we were kissing and she was aroused, pressing her perfect body against mine with insistence. But, as I was thinking about the where and the how our inevitable intercourse would take place, she pushed me away, gently but her move was firm, confident.
"Oberon of Amber, if you think you can have me this easily you really are the lecherous idiot they painted me before." she said, frowning.
I said nothing, watching her defiantly.
"You think you can just walk in a shadow, take the woman you want, bed her and throw her away after you get bored of her?"
Absolutely was my first idea for an answer.
But I wanted to take her and bed her. Too soon to talk about the "throw away" part. So I choose my words carefully. She wanted fight before sex, I can give her that. I smirked.
"May I remind you that you chased me first, my lady." I took a step forward whispering at her ear "I was in that room first and you stepped over all etiquette to talk to me. I think …" the scent of her hair was overwhelming. I lifted her chin again towards me, gently forcing her to look at me in the eyes "I think you schemed to come here in this garden. To be alone with that lecherous idiot."

She didn't even look upset. "I wanted to know if you would fall for it easily."
I grinned. "I willingly felt for it, why wouldn't I?" I walked around her, considering her openly. They way you consider a your plate before a meal. "I don't see why I would miss such an opportunity."
"I may not be the woman you need, Sire" she said. In her voice, there was a warning."I may not be the woman you expect."
I stopped, amused. "Humor me, my lady. What I am expecting?"
She looked at me from head to toe, considering me, as I did. Whatever I was doing to make her bend, she was able to strike back. She titled her head, smirking. "Let's see." She began, coming closer "Beautiful. Soft. Discreet." She traced my bottom lip with her fingertips. "Willing. Submissive"

I closed my eyes. Her voice was captivating. I could have just stayed there, motionless, listening at her voice, feeling her breath so close. "I am nothing of those, Sire."
For no particular reason, I kept my eyes closed. I heard the sound of rumpled fabric, and I felt she stepped away from me after what seemed to be seconds. As I opened my eyes, already missing her near me, I saw her, sitting on a stone bench in the darkness, naked. The dim light of a very shy moon was painting her skin with a pale blue shade but even in that darkness I could see the bright ginger colour of her hair. She wasn't even trying to hide her perfect-in-all-ways breasts behind her curls.
"This is what I am. I am bare, I am ruthless and wicked." Even those words seemed delicious coming from her lips.
I didn't move, as if I was afraid she would be gone if I will, like a ghost or a dream. I suppose this is at this very moment I lost self-control. Which is not a good thing for a ruler. Never I've lost self-control.
Except with Clarissa Handrel.

She had no shame and no inhibitions during sex. She was sincere and never faking anything. When she wanted to say something, cry or moan or scream, she did. I stopped considering myself as the lustful one when I slept with Clarissa for the first time. Well, I was second best and it suited me well.
There are some few woman who like to be on top of things. Some do it out of curiosity, some do it because their lover is too boring, few do it for the real thing. None do it properly. Reason is simple, woman are no man. It may sound misogynist but it's true. Woman are not meant to be on top, especially not when they lie with a king.

Still.
I was lying on the stone bench, half undressed, looking at this gorgeous woman on the top of me. (I told you I lost self-control) I also changed my opinion. This woman could be on top of things with a great deal of talent for it. Even perhaps on the top of a king, but I'm still thinking about it. Three times I tried to pin her on the stone, three time I failed. Well the word failed is to be used cautiously, obviously being who I am I could have really tried and succeed. But I never use physical strength to control a woman since it's disloyal - part of my code of honor.
For some moments she seemed just enjoying the whole thing without even taking note of me. It doesn't mattered, I was just enjoying the performance. There wasn't any word to describe how gorgeous was the sight of her, her eyes closed and her features showing nothing but apparent and honest pleasure. Her moves were mesmerizing, it was beyond lust, beyond pleasure. I was trapped in this tight sanctuary of moistness and warmth that was her and I did something I haven't done for many years I cannot even remember. I let go, let go of everything, without even realizing it. I forgot who I was, what I was standing for. There was me and there was her and this blissful moment.
Did she noticed this change in me, in some way, I don't know. It was quite brutal, I never forget who I am, for it is inscribed in my blood.
She leaned down over me, her hips never stopping her unmerciful moves. I could feel her breasts brushing against my chest, and her lips against mine. "Kiss me, Oberon"

I vaguely realized she used my first name only, no titles, nothing but me. I kissed her with passion with no afterthoughts.

****

The day after, I was back in Amber as scheduled. I left the shadow Mu with a successful treaty and Clarissa Handrel with a promise to see her again, because we both agreed sex with each other was too good to no give it another try.
Usually, coming back to Amber was enough to put me back on the ruler mood and stop whatever fantasy I was living in shadow. What I lived in the shadows felt real as long as I was still there. But only Amber was true, only Amber was real. And as soon as I lay my eyes on Amber when I was coming back, everything else seemed irrelevant. Time never faded this feeling. It was an never-ending effect, the sensation to be at the right place, to belong here, body and soul. It was something imperishable. I could get tired of my job, of my wives or even of my own children but never, never I could get tired of coming back to Amber, raising my eyes to the first high golden towers coming at sight in the morning sun and the shades of light shyly touching the Kolvir, hearing the city waking up, sounds and scents.
For the eye of the common visitor, Amber is the Eternal City, everlasting. For the eyes of the inhabitants she is still and never changing.
There are a few, I included, who still remember Amber hadn't always been what she was now. Who have laid their eyes on a savage Amber, small, vulnerable, still shaking on its own grounds, freshly created. For everyone, the image of Amber must be the one she is now, so I always kept those memories for myself but I never forget how she was first.
And for those who noticed, yes, I refer to Amber as a she. I realize it's not helping the misogynist portrait I'm often labeled to. But try to rule over a kingdom, sharing its success as its defeats, living for it, risking dying for it, giving each day of your life to it. Dame Margot, who lived in the court long enough, someday said "Amber will always be the only wife its king will be faithful to". I couldn't say better.

But, it wasn't the same thing now. I couldn't rest, couldn't work. My thought stayed in that shadow, with her. I was pacing in my office, sipping a drink. From time to time I looked at the papers on my desk. But I couldn't decide to sit and try to take care of them.

Don't think I was missing her, it was only half true. You cannot really miss someone you've talked and bedded once. I was restless because the way I felt when I was with her, the way she made me abandon myself without any effort. I was part angry at myself for it and half wanted to start again.

Being in control is the key to rule effectively. Especially when it is Amber, constantly threatened or coveted. Being in control requires a lot of yourself. And tends to turn relationships - love, family, friends - into something awkward. You need to keep your distance, to trace a line between you and the rest of the world and make sure this line is to be seen and respected.

That night that line ceased to exist. Clarissa crossed it and I realized too late she did.

The second time we saw each other I decided to make sure this time she'll understand she cannot cross that line. Didn't worked at all. It finished exactly the same way as the first time except we spend the night together and wake up in the morning in the same bed - hers. We didn't talk a lot, if not at all.
That time I learned she was living in a covent, with five other woman. I know enough to not believe her at all when she told me they were into herbs and botanics. There was a huge garden behind the covent - a cover. I could feel as soon as I entered the place many powers were pulsing there. The spikard around my finger pulsed slightly as soon as I stepped in the building. A warning, a small one. But I kept my conclusions for myself for now.

I won't bore you with redundancy. What's the point saying many times the same things, I'm sure you get the point. She was beautiful and beyond every definition of lust I could ever have written. Each time, I lost control of myself even if I swear to myself not to. So let's review what happened new each time with saw each other.

The third time, I traveled to Mu and found a way to enter the covent without being discovered. I wanted to surprise her. I didn't. "Oberon." (she never used my titles since the first night). "I dreamed of you. I know you would come tonight." It was full moon and she was gorgeous under the moonlight. Night suited her more than day. She was wearing a tight red satin dress fully opened to the side of one leg, showing the pale skin of her right thigh. Her hair was up in a complex style. I hated it. I wanted it down her waist. "I was going to a little celebration at a friend home. Nothing official, you won't be noticed. Would you come with me?" I stepped closer to her and looked down at the generous cleavage I had in sight, tracing softly the curve of her breast with my fingers. "I will at one condition." she looked up, her gaze caught between amusement and defiance. "You will untie your hair." She laughed. "I spend a lot of time doing this" she touched her hair. "You don't like it?" It was clear she didn't care if I liked it or not. I shook my head. She brushed softly her lips against mine, smiling. "I do not obey to such orders, Oberon." I moved away, annoyed. It is annoying, I tell you, to not be obeyed when you always are.

She took my hand. "Do you dance?" she asked.

Oh yes I do, witch. Better than any man you know.
"Possible." I answered.

"Then share a dance with me there, and if you're good enough, I'll untie my hair." she said.

Another battle. For hairdressing. Peculiar but interesting. Because under that, there was again this quest for power over the other.

"Fine." I said
Our host as an old man who greeted Clarissa with warmth. Like she said, he didn't recognized me at all. He thanked her for the potion she gave him, saying it was efficient and quick. Later in the night I heard he was freshly married to a young sweet lady after the so tragic accidental death of her wife who died of an unknown disease.

The small mansion was filled with people, no one took notice of our arrival. I offered Clarissa a drink and we stayed a moment silent, looking at the dancers in the middle of the large room. "I suppose the potion was to treat rheumatisms." I said with a smirk behind my glass.
Clarissa turned to me faking an annoyed look. "What else could it be for?" I grinned, she was clever enough to know I didn't believe her at all. "So what kind of sorceress are you?" I asked, more to know if she will dare answer me than to have a true answer. "The kind who do the job if you paid her enough."
Interesting. "So basically, you are whoring your talents to the best offer."
She didn't even seemed angry at the comment. "I have no titles, no fortune and no family. I must earn a living some way or another."

"Well the question is, would you do it anyway if you had all those things?"

"My talents wouldn't be for sale. But if your question is if I would keep being what I am, I would answer you that the sorceress and the woman cannot be dissociated." she looked up at me and brushed my cheek. "As I suppose, the king and the man cannot either."
I smiled. It was sadly true, for both of us.

The music stopped and some of the dancers left the floor. Some other stepped in when the first laments of a violin started languorously. I offered Clarissa my hand and she took it. We stepped forward and took position. I recognized the first notes as soon as the violin started. Tango. It was already won. Clarissa looked at me with the eyes of a wounded beast as soon as she understood. This dance wasn't built for a woman to take control. But we both agreed on the terms of our bet. She know she had already lost.
Well if I couldn't for now take control of her in bed, I could take control of her on a dance floor.

I took a firm grip of her waist as the violin sound became louder and I felt her body stiffens at first. I smiled wickedly. "Relax yourself, I'll take care of you." I saw a sparkle of hate in the blue of her eyes. But the music was loud now and the dance started, she couldn't retreat.
She was good but at first she didn't wanted to. She had to agree to allow me to lead to be good and it wasn't what she did at first. With every step, she tried to stay my equal, this wasn't a dance for equals. But I finally made her bend, it took a firm grip and constantly eye contact but I made it. After some minutes, she was willing to follow my lead and our dance was a damn good one, filled with longing and a quiet battle for control. When we reached the last step, everyone was looking at us. We must have done a good job. The final move made her fall back, half lying into my arms. I shifted my hand from her shoulder to her hair, found the right hairpin quickly (been quite an expert into that move, that an unlacing corsets), and I pulled it out. Her hair felt freely above the floor, she opened her eyes in surprise and annoyance. I put her back on her feet firmly.

"I didn't say you were good" she reminded me.

"You know I was." I answered, smirking. I give her back the hairpin.

"Keep it. I know when it's time to admit defeat. You were good. It will be a memory of your victory."

I smiled again. "Well I can expect having one at least each time we dance a tango."

Forth time, sex only. I was in a hurry.

Fifth time, there was the first classic request. "Take me to shadow." she asked. I did, somewhere near Mu but different enough to impress her as she expected. That's when I learned Clarissa wasn't interested in the usual things woman ask from me, beside sex (which are in order of priority, sex, wealth, fame and love). Even the travel in shadow was different. It wasn't the destination who was important for her. It was the how. The usual "It's a complicated work of the will of the mind." almost insulted her.
She was riding with me on my horse, and we where almost arrived to the place I just imagined to be a good and quiet shadow to have intercourse without being disturbed.
"Do not mistake me for the dumb princesses you usually bed, Oberon" I raised my eyes to the sky - she couldn't see me anyway. "I won't swallow this dull generic answer. Tell me how."
"Why is it so important for you to know how?" I asked. "Even if I explain it to you, it's a power you cannot possess."

"Because I do not have the royal blood of Amber."
"Exactly."
"There is no one else who can do it? Travel into shadow?" she asked and I wondered if she already had the answer to that.
"There is others, far away, at the other side of the universe."
"Chaos." She said simply. I cursed to myself, the more she knows, the more she'll ask.
"Yes." Short answers would perhaps save me from long explanations.

"You are using the power of the Pattern to switch from shadow to shadow?" I frowned. It wasn't frequent someone out of Amber as mentioning the Pattern. Well at least not with the exact word. With distortion in the shadows and with the remoteness of the reality, the Pattern, symbol of Order, become more and more a distorted legend the farer you go from its origin. Mu being far enough from Amber, I didn't expect Clarissa would have heard of it by its real name.

"Switch isn't exactly the right word for it. The shadows aren't like islands floating in void, this is more like a fabric, they are interlaced.

"So you use the Pattern to move into that fabric until you are in the place you wished to be?" I was going to correct her again but why doing it. It was close enough. "Yes."
"How do you know you aren't creating those worlds and not going to them?"

I raised an eyebrow. Quite a quick learner she was. Quicker than I wanted.
"I cannot answer that question."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know the answer. Nobody knows."
"Are you doing it right now?" she turned her head towards me.

"Shifting shadows?"
"Yes."
I nodded. She turned a little on the horse, as much as she could and put her hand on my chest, closing her eyes. I smiled, I know what she was trying to do. "I can't feel it." she said, she looked upset.
"I don't think you could have. You can feel the Pattern only if you have the imprint of it in you."

She turned back.
"Are you pouting?" I said, amused by her reaction.

"What else you can do using the Pattern?"
"A lot of things."
"Tell me."

"Well," I grinned to myself "I can change a witch into a submissive dumb princess."
She bursted in laugh.
"Oh, Oberon, I don't think the Pattern is powerful enough to make you do such a thing."
"Ready to give a try?"

"Go on, I'm ready."

I leaned down and whispered to her ear. "Marry me."

Again laughs.
"And where the Pattern is involved in that?"
"The Pattern made me King, if I choose you for a wife, you will switch from a witch to a Queen and, with a great deal of chance, a submissive one. See? All the Pattern's doing."
"Very funny."

She didn't ask about the Pattern for the rest of the travel. I managed to draw the attention elsewhere. By the way, I wasn't serious about the marriage thing at this moment.

Sixth time nothing new happened. Well I'm sure you guessed what we did.

I have a number. Eight. I picked it for no reason. But I picked it.

Seventh time, she asked me the second classic request. "I want to see Amber."
I never deny that request.
But tomorrow. We stayed in Mu for the night.

Later we were both lying, exhausted, in her bed. Her head was resting on my chest, I was almost asleep. She was stroking my hand with her fingertips. She touched the spikard around my right middle finger.
"This is a powerful artifact." She said softly "That I can feel."
I frowned, keeping my eyes closed. Why she had to know all those things. Everything so simple when women don't ask questions.

"Where did you find it?" she asked

"It was given to me, long ago." I replied.

"Who?"
"I don't know his name."

"You are lying to me."
"Not at all. It is true."
"Why are you so reticent giving me answers?" she asked, lifting on an elbow to look at me.

"May I remind you I answered each question you asked?"

"You answers are vague." she said, frowning.
"You are quite a curious woman." I said, opening my eyes to look back at her.
"The others never asked those questions?"
I chuckled. "The others?"
She raised one ginger eyebrow. "Yes."
"Oh you mean the dumb princesses I picked in shadow, bedded and throw away after?" Irony isn't my favourite tool but with her it worked.
"Yes. Those ones."
"No. They didn't. Well there were always usual curiosity. About Amber and about shadow. But the how of things is never questioned."
"This is stupid." she shook her head, her curls swirling around her. "To take things for granted. To not question them."

She passed one leg over me and sat. She made sure the warmth between her thighs touched me at the right place. She stroked my stomach with her hands, thoughtfully.
"What is the cost for all this power?" she asked without looking up.

"What do you mean?"
"Well. When you take power from a source, it always cost something. You have to pay for the power you take."

There was so many ways to answer that. In fact, I couldn't be certain myself of the truth about that. If I wanted to sound like the ungrateful liege I could say that I controlled the power of the Pattern and not the inverse, so I don't have to give back anything. But it wasn't the real truth. The truth is more complicated than that. The Pattern would let me take this power without making me pay for it as long as I ruled Amber and did my job correctly. The day I stop being useful enough, I'm sure I could be discarded easily. I never had any proof of this theory but I was certain it was true. It was going with Dworkin's view about the whole thing: we were pawns. All of us. No matter what position we belong to into the game, we are still pawns and can be discarded according to the Powers's will. My only existence was enough proof of it. For I came to this world for the only purpose to rule over Amber.
"Oberon?" I must have been silent for a time now. I shook my head.

"There isn't easy answer to that, Clarissa. It's … complicated." There was some tiredness in my voice for the first time since I know her she looked at me with soft and tender blue eyes.

She leaned down and kissed me. The first light of morning was already in the room and her hair turned into the same colours as fire. "We should go to sleep." She whispered while kissing me but the slow, circling moves of her hips on me proved she has no intention to. I smiled. "Again, Clarissa?"
She shifted her weight with catlike ease and again, this blissful warm and moist tightness was around me. Damn me, should I will ever be able to get used to her, to her moves, to the sight of her contemplating her own pleasure with no shame.
Without being really aware of it, I raised my hands to take hold of her waist, wanting to pin her down the bed and take her properly. Old habits die hard what can I say? But she gripped my wrists, swinging them above my head, actually pinning me to the bed. She kissed my again. "Stay still." she said with a smile.
I wanted to say something but I remain silent, remembering my picked number. Eight.
The eight time, Clarissa, you won't be allowed to be on top again. You witch.
Still, it was quite pleasurable anyway.

_

I enjoyed writing this, really. Remember, first time in english so be kind ^_^

I hope you liked it, there isn't enough Amber Chronicles fanfic/fandom

The second chapter is already on the way