Chapter 1
Dance of Wild Reeds
"Видишь красавиц моих Из-за Каспия? О, скажи, друг—Скажи только слово мне! Хочешь, любую из них я тебе подарю!"
Do you see my beauties; From beyond the Caspian? Oh, say it, friend —Say only a word to me! If you want, I will give you anyone of them!
**For better experience, try listening to/watch Polovtsian Dances as you read this chapter - youtube,com / watch?v=gVURal-QYsA**
The dusk had fallen and twilight's light had died, but the fires of the Kipchak encampment burned rivaling the glow of dusk's sun.
Weiss came for a talk of negotiation filled with high tension and barbarians who itched to cut her throat. She wasn't ready to be welcomed with grand gesture of jubilee and dancing feast.
Her seneschal and she were slightly bewildered to find the Khan welcomed her with an army of alluring slave girls. Whilst she was busy wondering what kind of sick jest waiting for her, she found that her soldiers was already pampered with hearty feast. To add more astonishment to her, a festive stage of dance and music had been set around a great bonfire, with the Khan reserved a seat for her to sit beside him upon a richly decorated rug.
So now, instead of parleying, she sat beside the leader of the nomadic band and watched the extravagant dance specially prepared for her. Soldiers of Schnee banner grinned and hooted along the alluring sways of the dancing maidens, gladly chugging the served koumiss—liquor made from fermented mare milk. She let her soldiers be merry, although uneasiness and suspicion still made her eyebrows knitted together. On what occasion that the Khan deliberately arranged such opulent performance for her entourage—was it from unexpected genuine generosity or was there any ulterior motive?
Still, her refined taste for art appreciated greatly the exotic entertainment presented before her. The nomads of Kipchak were actually full of cultural beauty people would hardly expect from them.
"Cease your heavy thoughts and enjoy the jubilee, my dearest guest!" the large, bearded Kipchak man chuckled. He shouted for his servant to bring forth the best koumiss for his guest's enjoyment and offered it to her with a big grin.
Weiss, politely nonchalant, refused the drink. She cared less about the disapproving look the Khan gave to her, let alone the one she got from Jaune.
"Isn't it a bit rude, my lady? Our host is just being hospitable!" squeaked her blonde seneschal who was sitting beside her.
"I'd love to drink and be merry, if only it wasn't offered by our enemy," came her deadpanned reply, with her eyes still on the dances.
Jaune shrugged and accepted the bowl of fermented mare milk brought by a servant maiden. Smiling widely he had his first sip of the koumiss and decided to fall in love with the tangy dairy at that instant. Weiss wanted to smack the blonde man so hard; her second-in-command she hoped to be ready to back her up for the worst, now let himself lost to alcoholic feast. What a truly reliable seneschal she had.
Warriors of the wild steppe pranced along the frantic thumping of percussion and music, roaring the might and glory of their Khan. In between of the warrior's wild dance, maidens slithered in graceful glide with their brightly-colored shawls and scarves flew trailing after them. Vigorous male's bellowing and mellow female's melismatic singing blended into lovely cacophony. The great blaze of flame in the middle looked as if breathing mystic spirit to every sways, jumps and spins, hypnotizing every eye that behold.
"Isn't this a marvel to see? Lo and behold, my horde of hardy horsemen! A band of beautiful slaves and exotic beauties! If you desire one, two or more, I'll gladly give them to you!"
The Khan laughed boisterously while proudly showcasing his brethren's might. The snow-haired chevalier didn't hold herself from rolling her eyes at his prideful boasting. One thing she'd agree with him that his maidens and men were indeed capable of performing such entrancing dance.
A warrior clad in opulent furs and plumes marched to the formation with a youthful woman in tow. For one glance, the maiden in red revealing garb held no distinguishable quality compared to other slave girls. However, as the maiden in red skipped around the bonfire, Weiss had her breath stopped.
The flimsy material bared generous helping of unblemished, sultry womanly figure for Weiss' guilty pleasure. Her body breezed along the rhythm in grace and pounced in each drum's thumps in predatory elegance. Yet when that gaudily-dressed warrior trotted and grabbed her by hips, she put herself into submission, being a prey to be lifted and tossed around in the dance. Those pair of lovely but curious silver irises, gleaming by the flame, reflected such charm that put full moon to shame. Sadly, that charming eyes were also laced by akin of sorrow Weiss couldn't put her finger on it.
What was that beauty doing amongst these heathen beasts?
"I want that one."
The Khan beamed and patted her back with too much joy. "Which one? Which one? Tell me, my friend!"
"The one garbed in red and has eyes of silver."
"Summer's Bloom?"
Jaune—as the unessential party at the sideline—smothered the noblewomen with bewildered glare. "Weiss! What the hell are you—! "
Weiss raised her hand, signaling him to stop talking. He complied with a low grunt.
"Ah, fine lass she is, I admit that," hummed the Khan, his face not as jolly as few minutes before. "Though, I'm afraid she's unable to be your pick. She's one of my favorite and most prized beauties."
"And I thought you're man of your word," Weiss retorted calmly. "Didn't you just tell me you can give any one of your beauties I desire?"
Under the light of giant bonfire and festivity hullabaloo, the Khan's face darkened visibly. The festivity went on as silent tension crept between the two leaders
"Let's discuss it further in my quarter."
The Khan rose from his sit and retreated to the largest yurt in the encampment. Weiss followed suit with Jaune behind her, but only the snow-haired chevalier allowed to enter.
"Weiss Schnee, Lady Sentinel of Atlesian Steppe," the large Kipchak chief beamed. The wrong voicing of her surname—due to his alien accent—made corners of her mouth twitched faintly. "I've heard stories of you, of your dauntlessness. Always at front of the line by the side of your men! You drain blood of your enemies but never back down even when you bath in your own blood."
"I appreciate your praise," Weiss curtly replied, still guessing to where this talk headed to.
"The likes of you!" His thunderous laughter filled the yurt as he asked his guest to join him and sit by a rug-covered table. "Are the only ones I let to have my respect! The only ones I consider worthy to sit down with and have a talk."
A boy came with a jug and poured some koumiss to two bowls. The Khan drank the fermented dairy zealously, whilst Weiss sipped it out of courtesy and respect to fellow lord-leader.
"What kind of proposition you have for this negotiation?"
"I offer you my friendship." He already poured the second helping of the drink for himself and took deep gulps. "We can fight together, Weiss Schnee. As equals in standing," he presented his guest a cordial grin and put a hand on her shoulder. "As comrades and friends. You and I will feast upon glory together and be the conqueror of this steppe and lands beyond. Warriors, riches or beauties, you can have them all to your heart's desire."
Ridiculous. She shouldn't have come at all. She'd expected the Khan wouldn't offer something better than unconditional surrender and bouts of boons as the bribery. To add insult to her pride, he looked so sure of her deserting her post and scamper to join his nomadic conquest to pursue materialistic pleasure.
"First of all, I want to give you my highest appreciation for your hospitality and outstanding art performance you presented," she set down her bowl of the drink, her ice blue eyes bore to the Khan's dark ones. "However, do know that I have no desire to side my men and myself with you. My duty and honor lies to my land I've vowed to protect, and by joining your stead, I'll break my own oath."
The bearded nomad leader hummed a low tone of disapproval. His hand retracted away from her shoulder. "You sure you want to cast aside this chance of a lifetime?"
"It's inevitable," Weiss added, finishing her koumiss before setting the bowl aside. She glanced at the general direction of the festivity's noise. "Still, your slave that goes by Summer's Bloom, I still desire her."
"And you think you can have the goods without paying the price?"
"State your price."
"Hand over five outermost hamlets or villages of your domain, and Summer's Bloom will be yours."
There was only a trace of hospitality left on his voice. However, his bearish grin still there and it gave Weiss further discomfort for this talk.
"It's ridiculously expensive for a single female slave," she replied.
"It's not just one of my wenches. It's my pretty Summer's Bloom."
The crease of her temple grew deeper. This was a lost cause. Rather than continuing this pointless parley, she'd better walk out and go back to her study to plan battle strategies against his force. She'd been doing well repelling the Kipchak raiders, after all, and she was confident she could keep it up.
That was her rational part instructed her. Another part of her, however, still rebelled to have Summer's Bloom and yowled at her, demanding to pull any means to win the silver-eyed beauty.
The latter part was the victor in the end.
"I suggest an alternative. I say a ceasefire between us."
The Khan still had his mouth curved upwards, but Weiss didn't miss obvious strain of his shoulders and facial muscles.
Dolt. How will he see that as a good reason to release his favorite slave? Weiss gritted her teeth slightly while racking her brain to form a legit excuse to make the Khan take her offer.
"Both of us will hold our forces for battling each other until the end of summer. I care less if you attack other land or other lords' soldiers."
"Convince me why I should consider your option, Weiss Schnee."
"I'm a woman of my words—you'll see neither banner nor soldiers of mine on your sight until first leaf falls. Yet, I demand you to restrain your horsemen or any force of yours from marauding my land. By that, you have one less enemy to worry about as you pillage other land."
He rubbed his thick beard in deep pondering. The snow-haired woman couldn't help but fidget in her sit—as much as how uncharacteristic of her it may. The Khan took a heavy sip of the fermented dairy and stared at her to announce his decision. "Very well. I take your offer. My men will deliver Summer's Bloom to your tent shortly."
The tension on her whole body relaxed almost instantly. She flashed a polite smile and nodded, obviously satisfied with her victory at the parley. She excused herself to retreat to her tent for a rest and the Khan dismissed her with a faint sour smile. Outside the Khan's yurt, Weiss was welcomed by Jaune's frown, but she paid him no mind as she made her way back to her tent.
"I heard it all. Here I thought you're the one who told me not to sway to enemy's offer!" Jaune grumbled while walking after her with ambling steps. "Now, look who's just taken a big beautiful boon home…"
Weiss replied with silence—that kind of silence Jaune feared for his life. He recomposed himself and cleared his throat. "Putting that aside, my lady, do you ever think of the consequences?"
She paused on her track, making Jaune almost bumped to her back.
"Yes, I have, Jaune Arc. The consequence is quiet two months of ceasefire between us." She looked at the blonde seneschal over her shoulder. "Peaceful two months for our southernmost villages. Quiet two months for our southern patrol parties. Two months with minimized casualty."
Jaune was silent for few second before mumbling, "As if them, those savages, won't break the treaty."
Weiss pretended not to hear his last remarks. The blonde boy seemed a bit tipsy from all bowls of koumiss he chugged; a gesture of his debauchery with excuses of 'respecting the host's generosity'. Weiss hoped the drowsiness was only a typical effect of the alcohol and not from whatever malicious additives the nomads served the drinks with. Alcohol, too, must've made him bold enough to talk back to his liege.
As much as she feared the truth of Jaune's remark, she hoped the Khan respected their ceasefire as much as he boasted his might.
Two soldiers stood with their spears ready and vigilant, guarding as she entered the yurt specifically allotted for her stay. She sat on the Kipchak-style bed –bundled hays and rags covered in soft fur—and massaged her temple.
Few moments earlier she felt so victorious, now she felt like a heavily messed up wreck. Was she suddenly consumed by hunger for women, like a lowly hormonal pubescent boy, that she was so keen on winning the silver-eyed slave? So keen that she offered a ceasefire to buy the beauty? A ceasefire wasn't a really bad maneuver; in fact it helped her people on the southern border to have temporary peace for the rest of this summer. Yet she knew life wouldn't be that utopic and she feared what consequence of this sudden ceasefire might bring.
Her trains of thought were cut off when two Kipchak warriors came with the silver-eyed slave girl. Weiss barely noticed the two warriors came and went; she was busy having her icy azure eyes on the slave girl.
"This one pledges her servitude to you, mistress," the slave girl bowed. Her voice was like honey, but Weiss couldn't miss the nervousness in it.
Now with the illumination of lantern's light in less than arm's reach, Weiss was allowed to appreciate Summer's Bloom beauty with finer details, and found herself intrigued by it. The dark of the night outside hid it, but there was curious but natural crimson shade coloring the tip of her shiny midnight locks. And her face, that lovely youthful face was full of unabashed zest with drops of innocence, perfectly in harmony with her silver irises.
No wonder the Khan was extremely reluctant to let her go.
"Well met, Summer's Bloom. My name is Weiss Schnee."
The wild dance out there was over and night was only filled with hushed chatter of soldiers outside. Between the snow-haired chevalier and the slave in red was a thicket of awkward silence. Both were unsure of what to do, what to say and what would transpire afterwards.
The Schnee noble knew nothing to do with her newly acquired hoard without breaching her personal set of honor codes.
The rosy slave had no idea how to please her new Atlesian mistress—not when those icy azure eyes gazed at her like a hawk.
"Tell me your real name."
Inwardly, Weiss cringed. Her voice came out more commanding than she meant to.
The female with silver eyes couldn't help but shiver internally, her mistress' command rattled fragile bones of her confidence like snowstorm.
"This one's name—" she paused to curb down the wavers in her voice. "—is Ruby Rose."
"Please stop addressing yourself as 'this one'," Weiss frowned slightly, but her voice came unnaturally soft.
"But—"
"If I make it as an order as your new mistress, will you dare to defy it?"
Ruby tensed as she shook her head frantically. Her snow-haired mistress had that subtle but scary menace under her neutral tone, only the divines knew how it'd be when she was truly angered. "I-I won't…"
The subtle highlight of discomfort from addressing herself with first pronoun roused a part of Weiss in anger. How cruel those horsemen heathens, making this poor young woman even lost the sense of ownership of her own self.
But now, Ruby was shaken by her less than warm—almost cold—approach. She had to admit she felt quite guilty for that.
"Come here."
The slave girl blinked and Weiss patted the space beside her to make her point. Ruby scuttled to the bed and sat beside her with eyes casted down. To see the girl who danced so energetically earlier being reduced to a nervous and shaking fellow really unsettled her, in all honesty.
Was this what happened whenever Ruby had to entertain the Khan in personal proximity? Or was it because Weiss was a complete stranger of her new Atlesian mistress?
She unstrapped her sword belt and took off her royal blue outer coat, resting them on a low table. The night had grown nigh and her soldiers mostly were too drunk to ride through the dark. She'd manage a rolling shift for watch duty tonight and depart once the first light rose. She ordered one of her soldier to pass the command to Jaune, as well as reprimanding him to stop drinking for the night.
The young woman in red still sat there with silence that almost rivaled a dead man. She only registered her mistress sat beside her again, but she was caught aback when a pair of calloused, slender hand gently pushed her down to the bed. Her breath raced as she had Weiss' face in dangerous proximity with her own. She wanted to push the pale-haired woman away and escaped. Her grip wasn't that strong and with enough force, Ruby could easily break free.
Yet, she valued her life more, and Weiss' rapier was only an arm's length away from her mistress' reach.
It was preposterous. The Schnee chevalier wasn't fond of giving skinship, let alone those for sexual advance. But, sweet Lord, Ruby's modest but alluring chest, irresistible thin lips, her whole body teasingly stoked the hunger she locked deep down. That hunger too was the culprit whispering to her to just wind back and feast on her beautiful slave. Pampering herself with the spoil of war she salvaged with her own hands; wasn't that a privilege she was allowed to enjoy fully?
"Sleep and have a good rest. It's an order."
She pulled the quilt over Ruby's half naked form, trying not to have her eyes linger too long on the exposed skin or those bewildered silver eyes.
In the end, she chose not to take pleasure from her privilege.
She wore back her coat but let her sword belt and rapier there, leaving her yurt to find Jaune and coordinate the night watch duty shifts.
xxxxx
Ruby woke up to the plush feeling of the bed, soft furs on her skin and bewilderment in her head. She hugged herself and checked her body to see signs of Weiss assaulted her in her sleep. She found none.
She didn't remember being ravaged or undressed. The only touch she got was when Weiss' fingers grazed her skin while covering her with the blanket—and when she was pinned to the bed.
But she couldn't forget how those blue eyes full of want smothered her before the snow-haired chevalier pulled back.
The snow-haired chevalier—her new mistress—wasn't found on the bed. Was her mistress woke up earlier then left—or even slept at all?
While she was still knee deep on her thought, a soldier emerged from behind of the tent flaps with some articles of clothing on his arms. "Lady Weiss asked you to join her outside once you've finished changing," he informed briefly and put it on the low table.
Ruby nodded as the soldier exited the tent. Briefly she studied the garments given for her; a simple trouser and a dress shirt with slight feminine touch on the design. She suspected they were from the chevalier's personal wardrobe—the material was obviously high-end and the needlework was perfect.
She wore the outfit and headed outside. The sky was still dark with barely some speck of light on the eastern twilight. Through the dim light she could see soldiers and horses flocked under banner of white snowflake and blue lion's head. She went to them but to her surprise, no horse available for her.
"Ruby," said the snow-haired chevalier, "get on to my horse."
It was so obvious which was the Schnee lady's horse was; the pristine white destrier with strong musculature that grafted to sleek figure, a perfection for both battle and riding. Why, it was a majestic horse Kipchak warriors—even Khans—surely would die for.
Then she realized something; if she was to mount Weiss' horse, how would her mistress supposed to ride?
"Do you need any assistance with that?"
Ruby half-consciously shook her head and climbed to the saddle. She let out a soft and surprised squeak when Weiss mounted her horse, her face flushed as Weiss snugly seated behind her.
"Mistress, do I really have to share a horse ride with you?"
"I have no enough trust on my men to have a slave girl riding with one of them," she deadpanned as her horse moved in brisk gait. "Brace yourself. We're going to go in full speed."
The whole entourage sped to full speed run with having miles of steppe ahead. The destrier's speedy and smooth gallop gave Ruby comfort along the ride, but it didn't stop her from having to lean closer to Weiss' chest to keep her balance from getting unsaddled. Summer's sun prickled her skin, making her skin much more sensitive to cool sensation brought by passing winds and Weiss' breath near her neck.
This extremely close proximity made her feel fluttery inside. She secretly enjoyed it, though.
With brief but frequent stops along the way, and relatively short time camping at night, they arrived by the town's gate at next day's early evening. As the horses walked past the gate in relaxed gait and trot, the heavy bells tolled announcing Lady Sentinel's entrance and townspeople flocked the street and plaza.
Cheers and praises were addressed to the lady and her soldiers, but amongst them was some people murmured and whispered about the stranger woman riding on the same horse with Lady Weiss. Ruby couldn't dismiss the curious, strange and even dirty look given at her and hung her head low. Wouldn't the folks give Weiss same strange look too? She couldn't see, but from how Weiss' breasts and front pressed on her back, she could tell the snow-haired chevalier kept her head high as they rode.
Town's noise slowly left them as the entourage went down a cobbled trail, to a walled fort on top of a low hill. They stopped just outside the main gate and dismounted. Ruby felt her heartbeat rose as she faced her Schnee mistress.
"Ruby Rose, now I declare you a free woman," Weiss announced out of the blue. " You are free to walk your own path with your freedom."
Ruby blinked. She couldn't have heard it right. Her new mistress had just dismissed her service and gave her a freedom of a free woman.
She was too astonished that she didn't realize the lady and her men already passed the gate. Ruby scampered on her feet and ran after them before the guards close the gate.
"W-Wait!" Ruby shouted as she tried to catch up with them. "Wait, Weiss!"
The soldiers and guards froze. How bold for a common folk to address the Lady Sentinel that colloquially. Weiss stopped as the black-red haired woman caught up with her, while Jaune and the soldiers held their tongue in fear.
"I…I want to come with you and serve you!"
Ruby panted and tried to even her uneven breathe. She chastised herself for her uncouth slip of tongue. Looking right to the chevalier's face—let alone her sword-sharp eyes—was too daunting. Her vision fell to the blue lion's head and silver snowflake of her badge instead.
"—As your servant. I want to be your servant. It's my decision as a free woman."
The absence of Weiss' immediate answer sowed worrying anxiety inside those who around her—especially Ruby. Perhaps the snow-haired noble took the slip of her tongue as an insult deeper than she thought. The image of her head placed on the chopping block suddenly seemed not so distant. No, getting her head lobbed off sounded better than being a toy of pleasure to be passed around among the soldiers—
"Very well, you may come as my servant. Jaune, show her the way, if you may."
Before Ruby could express her gratitude for her mercy, the Schnee noble already retreated past the courtyard to the main keep. She was left with the blonde-haired young man, who looked at her with pique of interest.
"Why do you want to be Lady Weiss' servant?"
"It's a sudden decision actually…" she admitted sheepishly. "Besides, will a former Kipchak slave be accepted by people in the town?"
"You'll be surprised that we're not that mean to outsiders, as long as they're not them who attack towns and villages," he assured with a smile and gave his horse to a stable boy. "And oh! I'm Jaune Arc, seneschal of Lady Weiss."
"Seneschal?"
"You can say that as her seneschal, I'm the second-in-command, her right hand man," he explained. "…or left hand man, because she's more of a left-handed kind, you know."
This blonde man was funny. He was certainly a noble, though not as high-ranked as Weiss, but his friendliness even to an ex-slave like herself was really appealing. She liked him already.
Ruby laughed softly and smiled. "My name's Ruby Rose."
"Well then," Jaune hummed as they crossed the courtyard. "This way, Miss Rose."
Jaune led her through the main great double door and the stone hallways. With years of being confined in yurts and bland, wild and wide steppe, the greyish and spartan structure easily impressed the silver-eyed woman. Servants started to lit torches mounted on the wall sconches while sun's ray outside grew redder. One or two guards walked past them, saluting to the seneschal before they left for their duty.
They arrived at the fort's main kitchen, where they met a short woman with ginger hair and freckled face. Ruby beamed as overload of savory smell greeted her. It was a quick guess, but they seemed preparing braised chicken in herbs for dinner—the dinner for Weiss obviously.
"Penny will help you showing things around. If you need help, just come to Penny or me." He grabbed a random slice of bread and munched on it. "Now I have to go. Good evening, Penny, Ruby," he grinned and left the kitchen.
"Salutations, new friend!" chirped the ginger-haired maid. "Oh, you're beautiful!"
"Uhh…err, thanks?" Ruby chuckled bashfully. "I'm Ruby."
"Penny at your service!" the ginger-haired maid literally saluted to her. "Let's go have a quick tour before the day grow dark!"
Ruby couldn't hold her laughter at Penny's bubbliness and followed her around the castle. The ginger-haired maid took her around the courtyard and first floors of the keep. Ruby wasn't satisfied to only see the small fraction of the fort, but the sun was already hanging low and Penny promised to show her the rest tomorrow.
The route Penny took to the servant quarters had them passing the grand main hallway. The torches lined on the wall casted faint shadows that blended in mellow with reddish-gold sunlight from windows, giving beautifully anguish highlight to the stretch of gray wall and the only decorum on it; a full-body painting of Weiss Schnee in a suit of armor sans the helm.
She'd like to examine the painting more, had she wasn't dragged around by excited Penny.
"Penny, can you tell me about Lady Weiss?"
"What do you want to know about Her Ladyship, friend?"
"Umm…well, I don't know?"
"Starting from the basic, then?" Penny giggled. "She's the second child of Duke of Mantle, His Grace Jacques Schnee. She's at the age of 24 at the moment, if I'm not mistaken. "
"Does she always lead an army to battle the Kipchaks?"
"Yes!" exclaimed Penny as she guided Ruby through the servant quarters. "In fact Her Ladyship is bestowed the title of Lady Sentinel for her feats on defending southern Atlas border from Kipchak invasions!"
Ah, Weiss Schnee isn't just beautiful, Ruby mused. The image of the snow-haired chevalier in armor, leading her force atop of the white destrier came easy in her mind. But also dashing and capable.
They stopped just by an empty room for Ruby to live in. It was small and quaint, but she got unexpected luxury of a window that faced the west directly. Penny left to serve the dinner for the Lady Sentinel and the seneschal, promising Ruby to have their meal together once she was done.
The black-red haired woman flopped herself to the bed. She almost couldn't believe this all. Seven years of her life was wasted to be a slave for lust and leers of the Khan and his horsemen. Now, she was a free woman entitled to herself, pledging her servitude out of her own will-to Weiss Schnee.
Why Weiss won her from the Khan just to liberate her, it was still an enigma. But as she watches the sun slowly climbed down to hide behind the fort's wall and retreated to the twilight, Ruby only want to cherish her first sunset of freedom while silently thanking her.
Now, come to think of it, this story is almost your typical story of a noble falls in love with a peasant. Let's see how good I handle a somewhat cliché clause into a good story (but I doubt my skills, really) :/
What? You've watched Prince Igor opera or know the plot? Awww don't be too confident that you know how the story will go on!
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy the first chapter! Always remember your feedback, comments and constructive criticism are really loooooved! They help me to pinpoint my weakness, measuring the story's quality and definitely an inspiration for me to write better!
EDIT: [23 Dec 2016 14:00 GMT +7] BlakJakXXI is so kind to pint a minor but fatal spelling errors. Now fixed.
