Chapter Summary: Raveres and co. enjoy the comforts of the palace, while Lady Naguii awakes and Lord Titos sets familial plots into motion.
The Ambition of the Dreadlord Raveres
Part Eleven
The Druchii and her companions walked after their host-slaves down a corridor from the entrance hall and towards the palace's guest rooms.
The slaves were dressed in the exact same clothes; they were both barefoot and wore strange billowy pants which were tied at the base of their ankles, their tops were sleeveless and high collared with a shallow neckline which only showed the lines of their collar bones and a hint of cleavage.
Everything they wore was heron-blue in colour; but the dye was such a light shade that it could easily be seen as either whitish-blue or bluish-white.
Overall it was strange to Raveres and it appeared both indescribable for her and at once irritating. She felt almost repulsed by the sight of the unflattering uniform, but was keeping her discontent to herself.
The Bretons were speaking to one another quickly, though to Raveres it sounded more like a one-sided lecture. She smiled and shot a look to her side at Jacque; the youth furrowed his brow and cocked his mouth to one side before returning his attention to his matter and nodding, saying 'yes' several times.
Raveres almost escaped a scolding but Sir Jean turned to her and her smug expression changed. Jacque hid a small smile and looked ahead.
"And you too!" the knight began, "We are guests of the Emir… and I expect you to hold your tongue and to speak as softly as you can possibly fathom! I do not want to lose my head because of your brashness or disrespect."
Raveres rolled her tongue around in her mouth as the knight cleared his throat to continue, "Do you understand Druchii? And before you speak, remember your oath to me."
The she-elf opened her mouth and immediately felt a shot to her ego: memories of her 'over-acting' and her pleading with the knight came back with embarrassing vividness.
The combination of lies and truth and the blurring of the two gave her pause before she nodded and quietly acquiesced; "I, understand. And I remember…"
The knight grunted, "Good. Now I don't know how much waiting on from slaves I can take here. But we will accept this hospitality and be on our way as swiftly as possible. Gods know I can barely tolerate such injustice…"
The knight muttered to himself more as they walked along, and before long the hall split and the two men were led one way while Raveres another. The she-elf felt uneasy to part from Sir Jean, but at the same time she felt some relief to be out from under his paternal gaze.
A few yards walk down the stone and carpeted hall and the short female slave led Raveres to an ornately decorated door between two large columns set into the wall. The slave unlatched the handle and easily pushed it open, bowing her head as she waved the guest to enter.
Raveres raised an eyebrow but followed the slave's insistence.
The Druchii was thankful for having gone first, otherwise the slave would have seen her dumbstruck expression. The first thing which stopped her was the colours:
The chamber was lavishly decorated, and opposite the door was a wide balcony and window which looked over the palace walls to the city.
The curtains were practically useless; they were a thin see-through material which easily blew and moved in the wind. But as with everything else they were vibrantly dyed. Looking downwards Raveres gawked, even the floor tiles were brightly coloured!
Arranged in dazzling patterns, the builders had used azure, white and black marble; jade, as well as red-stone to make an intricate weaving of geometric shapes and mathematical angles.
The lounging furniture had to have been made by artisans; the fabric thread of the cushions had been spun with gold and glittered as the afternoon sun shone on them.
After taking a few steps into the room the slave followed her, closing the door before stepping around and in front of Raveres. The slave began pointing towards a steaming stone bathtub which was built into the side of the room on her left.
The Druchii smiled and continued to look around the room as she slowly stepped after the slave.
To her right was the room's massive bed, it had pillows strewn about the velvet-looking sheets and each feather-filled comfort seemed carefully placed to appear the most inviting to her wearied body. The bed was dyed blue and had accenting colours which reflected the palatial status of room.
The slave lowered beside the tub and dipped her tan fingers in to feel the water. Looking up she nodded, it had cooled enough and was now ready for use.
"Gods…" the she-elf sighed.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she smelt the fragrance of incense which must have been burning somewhere close; it was sweet to her nose, and soothing.
So far everything about the chamber told her, for the first time since falling from her ship; 'it's going to be okay'.
When she opened her eyes she waved the slave forwards and spoke, though she knew the slave didn't understand her, Raveres didn't care. She just had to speak; she needed to get her thoughts out of her head and off of her tongue.
"Come hither, help me undress."
Finally articulating the desire to remove the stifling filth and the clothes which she felt trapped in was almost half the relief. Her chest felt a weight removed from around her heart and lungs and she drew an easy breath.
For as long as she was in this chamber she would have reprieve.
Her thoughts began to reinforce this sentiment and issued a small prayer almost, 'We are, for once, at home here…'
She smiled, 'Warm water… can you imagine it? Look! Look!' She looked downwards at the rippling and steaming bath and felt a pleasant shiver of anticipation through her legs.
'… And an attendant too?' she privately smirked, 'I wonder if Sadalsuud was being literal when he said they'd 'satisfy every need'? Or if he was merely being polite…'
"Hmm…"
Now somewhat at ease Raveres looked back up and finally got a good look at the servant which had been assigned to her.
The slave girl was swarthy and her skin was just a few shades lighter than Sadalsuud's, but unlike the merchant-prince the slave was far more groomed and 'far better looking' Raveres thought with a laugh.
Her hair was long and had been pulled back into a tight braid which went down her back to her waist. It was black as pitch and but there were a few beads which glittered in between the dark locks of the braid; some strands of her hair had been needled through small clasps or rings.
Raveres couldn't help but wonder at the amount of time it must have taken the slave to have done such braiding herself, but knowing the opulence displayed so far by Sadalsuud and his family they probably had servants specifically to groom their servants!
The girl's eyes were a light brown, but they were framed by very dark lashes, and her eyebrows had been carefully painted on.
Raveres furrowed her brow, 'Painted? Why on earth…' she thought about it but couldn't come up with a reason the slave would have needed to remove her facial hair in such a way.
The woman saw how Raveres was looking at her and she averted her eyes awkwardly.
The slave's lips and mouth was small but nicely shaped, and as the she thought she would make a small movement of her nose and lips to one side, almost like a smirk, subconsciously. It was endearing, and Raveres smiled to herself as she admired the slave's subdued beauty.
Finally having worked up the courage the slave slowly rose and looked up at Raveres, indicating the bath as she came towards her. Raveres nodded once and then the slave pointed at the Druchii's chest before pantomiming taking off her shirt.
Reaching to her side Raveres began unlatching the buckles and leather straps which held the two pieces of her cuirass together.
The slave immediately understood how to help and set her small and nimble fingers towards the leather.
Raveres removed her hands to give the slave clear access, and raised her arms into a t-pose, while standing motionless. The Druchii sighed, 'I honestly cannot believe just how nice it a feeling it is to be treated and waited on by a servant once more…'
"Next time I leave home… I'm bringing Riccard." She thought aloud.
She huffed and dryly laughed under her breath as she remembered the Norscan. "Oh Riccard…" she thought wistfully, "Maybe Elianna too…"
She smiled and paused as pleasant thoughts of home came back to her like warm caresses.
"Blacklight Tower seems so utterly small when compared to this place…"
As her breastplate peeled away from her body she let out another heavy breath as the weight of the dented steel came off her shoulders.
Standing still she looked around the guest chamber again. Its walls had been painted with geometric patterns and the room was well lit by sconces and the wide window.
"Even my bedchamber back home is smaller…" she shook her head, 'this room is nearly double the size, at least!'
Her chest filled with a strange feeling as she continued to picture home.
She shut her eyes and groaned as she began pulling her blouse over her head.
Her amulet of Khaine jingled along its chain musically and she looked down to see that it had pressed an awkward divot into her skin from the hours since the battle against the Red-Riders.
Her arms were sore, and to lift them above her shoulders was far more uncomfortable than it should have been.
The slave laid the cuirass, the thick leather belt which had wrapped around it, as well as the sword which Sadalsuud had gifted, onto the ground before darting back up to help her undress.
The girl reached towards Raveres' neck and was going to help remove the chain and amulet from but the Druchii shot the human a serious look and the slave stopped quickly, instead stooping to assist in removing her trousers.
When she was finally naked Raveres stepped forwards and stretched her arms while groaning.
The slave folded the she-elf's filthy clothes into neat squares and set them onto the floor before reaching forwards and taking the elf's hand in hers.
The slave's hand was so light and soft that as soon as it entered Raveres' palm she noticed how calloused and rough her skin had become.
"Ugh I'm going to need lots of salves to heal my poor flesh…" she loudly complained.
If her hand was rough or unappealing to the touch the slave gave no indication of it and quietly led Raveres towards the bath's step.
Standing mute the slave helped to steady her guest and assist the Druchii into the water.
The bath must have been infused with salts and some kind of enchanting oil; for as soon as the bare skin of her foot broke the surface of the calm water she could feel the sweat and grime come off.
With a loud moan Raveres shuddered and her eyes shut as she savoured the feeling,
"Dark Mother… I shall sing your praises!"
Quickly planting her other foot into the tub she stepped down the first level inside the bath so that the water was now at the top of her thighs just before her pelvis.
She stood on her tip-toes, apprehensive of submerging herself completely, and thus feeling the shock of the water against her.
The slave let go of her hand and lowered down to her knees beside the edge of the tub. Several small towels, glass bottles, and what appeared to be a sea-sponge sat laid out for the servant's use.
'Okay… I think we're used to it now, it's not as hot as the air out there in the wastes that's for sure!'
Drawing a shallow breath Raveres stepped down to the bottom of the tub, while also bending her knees; submerging herself up to her shoulders.
She let out a combination of a shriek and a weary groan as the water danced along her body and teased her skin.
"Ah, ha, ohh gods…" she sat on the edge of the bath's interior bottom step and was motionless for several seconds, staring headlong into the wall while issuing a low groan.
The slave raised a brow out of sight of her guest and took in a breath. She regarded the elf strangely, but her job didn't allow her the luxury of questioning or thinking about whom, or in this case what she was dealing with.
Snapping back to life Raveres looked to her side at the slave and then snapped her fingers, while waving her forwards.
"Come now, what have you got there?"
Moving through the water with a loud slosh Raveres leaned over the edge of the stone tub and motioned to the bottles of ointment and soap.
The servant bowed her head quickly and picked up the first bottle for her. It was the largest out of all of them and was the most interesting colour; the contents appeared yellow and oily, but as the servant moved the vessel the liquid moved as slowly as molasses.
Uncorking the eighteen ounce, glass, bottle the slave held it out as Raveres brought her nose over the lip.
Closing her eyes the Druchii drew a deep breath and bit her tongue to keep from embarrassing herself with an 'eek' of joy.
'It's like wine and flowers?!' she took another sniff and exhaled happily, "I don't even need to smell the others now…" she said with a smile, leaning back into the water. "Which is that for?"
The servant's face began to wane, she could tell that she'd been asked a question but she had no means of responding, and she felt woefully remiss. Thinking quickly the tanned woman pantomimed pouring the bottle and a scrubbing motion.
The Druchii sighed, "Soap… lovely…"
Waving her hand and nodding Raveres closed her eyes as the slave wet the sponge and poured a coin's worth of the liquid onto it.
As soon as the wet and suds-filled sponge began scrubbing her sword-arm she opened her eyes and threw her head back with a laugh. The slave hid a smile of her own and her features lightened.
Looking over the woman's face again Raveres smirked. Angling her legs out of the water she rested her feet on the edge of the tub and pressed her back against the other 'wall' of the bath.
Laying her head back she relaxed and let the weight of her head sit on the warm stone.
"Keep at that… Gods be good, may this moment last forever…"
…
By the time the slave had finished scrubbing the dead skin, grime, and dirt off of Raveres' body the water was a murky grey.
Thankfully the various soaps and ointments which the servant had rubbed upon her had bubbled and generated white foam, obscuring the water and thus it's filthy colour from potentially embarrassing the guest.
And when it came to her hair Raveres sat on the edge of the tub's lip as the slave combed through the tangles and massaged her scalp.
She nearly fell asleep as the slave continued to rub and carefully clean her silver locks.
The slave risked a laugh and Raveres debated striking the human, but a second thought about the angle of the movement, the effort required, and the likelihood of pulling her arm, caused her to relent and continue to relax instead.
When the servant signaled she had finished she assisted the Druchii from the water and began wiping her down with a soft towel.
Raveres felt like she'd been rudely ripped from a pleasant dream but her fingers and toes itched with prune-like fissures and wrinkles and she begrudgingly acknowledged that the slave was right to have called it when she did. But she still didn't like the pseudo-command she'd been given, by a servant…
'Bloody human.' she complained.
The servant set to rub her down and skillfully searched after every stray drop and bead of water which she could spot. The proximity of the human's face to her skin made Raveres think; 'She's so close to me…'
Her eyes widened and she felt tenseness in her chest.
The servant stood up and ran the towel over Raveres' breasts, lightly lifting each one up with one hand while rubbing the soft material along the underside her flesh.
The Druchii took a breath and swallowed, though she made no effort to hide her gaze at the servant.
'I wonder…' she thought.
The slave immediately took notice and lowered her head as she attempted to continue her work, but her smile had faded and her face began to darken with redness across her cheeks. Even her movements became less skillful and focused as she obviously became embarrassed.
Having finished drying her body the servant stooped to pick up and offer Raveres a small cloth. She pointed to her face indicating what it was for and she nervously began to stiffen as Raveres failed to take the cloth.
Knowing exactly what she was doing the Druchii began making a small sadistic smile, until the slave met her gaze again and futilely repeated the pointing motion from before. She extended the cloth again and her arm visibly shook.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Raveres asked rhetorically.
The slave opened her mouth and spoke for the first time as she averted her gaze and took a half step backwards. Her words were quiet and completely alien to the Druchii but she could hazard a guess as to what she had said.
Undaunted by the protest Raveres' grin widened and she took a full step forwards. The slave was forced to move her extend arm backwards lest she touch the she-elf.
Tilting her head down the Druchii blinked and drew a breath before speaking.
"Look, at, me." Raveres commanded. Her tone was soft but completely authoritarian.
The slave seemed to have understood and hesitantly brought her eyes to meet with the she-elf's.
Extending her hand the Druchii slowly took hold of the cloth and began a low laugh at the expression across the slave's face.
Stepping back from the servant Raveres began rubbing her face down, continuing to laugh as the human relaxed and tried to make sense of the situation.
With a satisfied sigh and the water wiped from her brow the Druchii threw the damp cloth to the side and looked back at the slave.
Calming down from her laughter and feeling her heartbeat begin to thump loudly she rolled her shoulders and flicked her damp hair off her chest and back behind her.
The slave's expression of surprise-turned relief soured and her eyes widened at the Druchii's new expression; she wasn't jesting now… and she wasn't leering… The slave swallowed dryly and stepped backwards in apprehension at Raveres' eyes.
Her voice wasn't soft this time and she stepped forwards while raising a hand.
"Now… come here."
…
When Lady Naguii finally came to she spoke with an eerie calm.
"Where is my Titos?"
Elianna had dozed off with her head resting on the bed beside her mistress' side and at the sound and quiet movement of Lady Naguii the high-elf slave stirred and blinked the sleep from her eyes.
As soon as the blonde realised that her mistress had awoken she immediately went into action, "My Lady! Oh gods be good!" Moving her hands to touch the arm of her mistress Elianna paused mid-breath as her eyes met with Lady Naguii's.
"I…" she exhaled. Her breath escaped like she'd been shot with an arrow.
Lady Naguii blinked and began moving her arms and straightening her back as she sat up in her bed.
"You're not usually this prone to hesitation, what is it Elianna?"
The high-elf averted her eyes as she sat up and stood. She cleared her throat awkwardly, "Your eyes milady… c-can you see?"
Lady Naguii furrowed her brow, "Why… should I not be?"
Elianna gulped and looked back up, "It's just they're…"
"Out with it girl, please I have little patience at the moment."
"They're red… I-I mean, you're eyes look like they're filled with blood!" Elianna stepped back and picked up a small hand mirror from the chamber's vanity.
Hesitantly she stepped back and her mistress waved her along.
The pale Druchii's hand stopped waving as soon as she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
Lady Naguii began grumbling lowly. The grumble rose into a growl as she pushed the mirror away.
Her skin had become as pale and blue as a corpse's and her cheeks were decorated with small dark veins spidering through her flesh. Her lips were discoloured and darkened too, but her eyes were the most striking.
As Elianna had said the sclera were discoloured and looked like she'd been battered and struck across both eyes, bruised like a boxer… But unlike the worst of a boxer's injuries, her pupils had changed in colour too; now they had become a dark red almost crimson. Though it unnerved her more that this colour shifted as her pupils adjusted to light and focused. Rather than crimson they became a light rose.
"Gah!" she exclaimed in revulsion, "Where's Titos?"
Elianna returned the mirror to the table and bowed, "Your lord husband is outside, he's b-been drinking since the Death-Hag left…"
Lady Naguii nodded and wearily extended her hand once more.
Elianna regarded the limb with confusion and horrified surprise.
"W-what? You can't possibly wish to rise from bed now my lady!"
Lady Naguii ignored the slave's words and forced herself to move, dragging her legs from out under the covers and throwing them off the side of the bed. She held her breath and winced with every movement.
The noble lady was trying to show that she was intent on rising regardless of Elianna's help or not. And she knew that eventually the younger high-elf would have to help her.
"Please my lady!" Elianna begged, "You need rest, you need food, warmth… that ritual nearly killed you! The Hag told us so herself…"
Nearly falling from the bed Lady Naguii swore as her weakness humbled her rising, "To the pits with the Hags! I… I must… ugh-"
Retching and losing her composure Lady Naguii weakly fell onto her back as Elianna leapt forwards, "Please! I will send for his lordship but you must remain here."
"You nearly died my lady…" she repeated.
Feeling dizzy and the onset of an excruciating headache behind her eyes Lady Naguii begrudgingly relented.
"Fine," she whispered, "s-send for him…"
Elianna helped straighten her mistress back into bed and pulled the thick sheets over her frail and discoloured nude frame.
With a nod the high-elf stepped towards the door and opened it, outside she knew was one of the slave children. He'd been posted as an emergency messenger specifically for such an instance as this.
During Lady Naguii's sleep Elianna hadn't left her side, and neglected her own dinner and sustenance for fear of abandoning her 'mother'. She hadn't realised how long had passed since Julé and Tiana left the room.
Begrudgingly they had other chores to tend to, and neither of them had the skill or know how to assist more than bringing fresh towels, water, and stoking the chamber's fireplace.
Her sudden arrival and disheveled appearance made the boy's eyes widen in surprise.
He sat motionless with his mouth tightly pursed as he stared at Elianna.
She furrowed her brow in confusion, as her voice roared "Send for his lordship!"
The slave boy blinked but didn't yet rise from his seat on the floor. Elianna glared at him and growled, "Now boy!"
He nodded and saluted militarily before jumping to his feet and sprinting down the hall; his bare feet loudly slapping against the floor.
Elianna rolled her eyes and exhaled wearily, "He'll be here shortly my lady,"
Turning back to the room the high-elf saw her mistress and screamed in surprise.
Lady Naguii had risen silently and walked the whole breadth of the room until she was just a few feet from the high-elf.
Her head hung to one side lazily and her eyes rolled around without purpose as her mouth began to open and a hoarse voice exited.
Elianna fell to the floor in fear and began kicking herself backwards and away from her naked and seemingly-possessed mistress as the words coiled out of her mouth like the metallic scraping of nails across stone.
"Slaaneshi cultists desire her… the foul pauper-prince shall not have her… But we are remiss…"
Elianna was panting and brought her hand to her mouth in horror, "M-my l-lady?" she weakly whispered. Lady Naguii's eyes snapped towards Elianna and her head straightened. The voice answered her, "Not quite."
Elianna frightfully drew a staggered breath and tried standing. "T-then… wha-"
"Fear not faithful elf, but silence and listen. Foul darkness I see descending upon my blood. But powerless I am to stop it. A pet of Khaine she may be… but I still fear Elianna, I fear…"
The high-elf shuddered at the sound of her name, but when she realised she wasn't in immediate danger she furrowed her brow and tried to make sense of the words.
"Is this prophecy or… or, something else? I thought the ritual was finished?"
Lady Naguii's eyes closed and the voice weakened as it responded "Neither… but premonition…"
Lord Titos loudly began approaching down the hall as the slave boy eagerly led him, the patter of feet was off set; Titos' boots made a steady clunking rhythm but the boy's bare soles slapped in a hopping, uneven, off-beat.
Elianna felt spurred on by the noise and threw her fear aside. Stepping towards her mistress, no longer petrified by the voice, she felt strangely encouraged by the scent of magic.
"W-what must we do here?"
Lady Naguii tensed and her expression began to change, she weakened, and her eyes fluttered.
Her voice was now a combination of her own and that of the dark spirit.
"An… enemy… at home, someone is weaving something foul at us. But my heir, she is its' main target… We must find out whom… She shan't return if this spell is finished… all my children shall… shall…"
As Titos rounded the corner Lady Naguii faltered and nearly fell, but Elianna leapt forwards again and quickly helped steady and catch her mistress.
"My lady!" she exclaimed.
As soon as he saw his wife standing in such distress Lord Titos too jumped forwards.
"Why in Khaine's name is she out of bed?!"
Titos immediately looked at Elianna with an expression that he was going to scourge her as soon as his wife was safely laid down.
Lady Naguii blinked and began speaking as if nothing had happened, "I, I just… n-needed to stand dear one… Elianna protested and tried to stop me as best she could but, you know me…"
The highborn winced and smiled weakly, her voice and her breathlessness assured the story's validity.
Titos' eyes furrowed in confusion, "W-wha? My dark love, why in all the gods names did you do that?"
Lady Naguii lightly chuckled and then winced again. "I… I was possessed by desire my love…"
Elianna's eyes shot wide open as she looked up at her mistress, Lord Titos looked away as he helped direct back towards the bed and then Lady Naguii smirked through her pain at the terrified high-elf.
Easing her back into bed Titos straightened his shirt and then huffed, "Now, are you alright?"
Lady Naguii slowly nodded as the stiff and fearful Elianna drew the thick furs over her once more.
"I am my love… come touch me I shall be made better so."
She held her thin hand out of the bedding and Titos reached forwards to carefully take it in his.
"I, I must share with you husband..." she stuttered.
He nodded and Lady Naguii looked to her side at their slave, "Elianna, bar the door."
The high-elf nodded and turned to see two of the slave boys now staring at their masters in the open doorway.
Finally able to excusably let out some of her frustration she raised her hand and threatened to strike the little slaves, punctuating her action she roared, "Out! Out you little wretches!"
Nodding approvingly Titos cleared his throat and spoke, "Elianna leave us-"
Though Lady Naguii quickly interjected, "No my love… she's part of this, she is my closest confidant and without her here you will not believe my words."
Titos looked at his wife and acquiesced, extending his free left hand to beckon the high-elf back into the room.
Elianna bowed her head after she shut the door and she stepped forwards hesitantly as Lady Naguii cleared her throat.
"My love…" she began, "There is good news a plenty from the ritual I had wrought. Yet there is something which is more pressing than all I have foreseen."
Titos cocked his mouth in confusion, but he quietly listened.
"Our daughter is in peril, more so than her journey necessitates. And; there is foulness at work here… which we must address."
Titos looked at Elianna and she nodded. He scoffed in disbelief, "What? No. Please, what cack you speak!" he exclaimed.
Lady Naguii tightened her hand in his and her face narrowed, "Listen to me love, we are beset by an unknown enemy wielding magicks. I have seen it."
He recoiled at the sudden turn in his wife's voice and expression and his surprise allowed her to continue.
"We must make use of our connections and our resources here… I want to know of our children, and we must find out who would have greater cause then envy to wish us such an elaborate harm…"
Titos' face continued to regard his wife strangely and she finally made mention of it; "Why are you staring at me thus?" she asked.
His voice was level and low, as he carefully formed his words; "The Death-Hag whispered to me a warning before she departed… It made no sense at the time, just the ravings of a madwoman as the hags so often are…"
Lady Naguii leaned backwards, "But?"
Titos nodded, "But… it makes sense now… Far too much sense."
Lady Naguii coughed and relaxed, "Do you have an idea as to what we should do?"
Titos smirked, "Aye…"
Lady Naguii began a low, weak, chuckle.
"Then let us do it my love…"
Elianna exhaled heavily as her masters exchanged a strange kiss and began plotting.
'By the gods,' she thought, 'I need a break from these people…'
…
"All I'm saying Sir Jean is that we might have been able to make use of the palace's services for laundering… you didn't have to dismiss-"
"Silence boy!"
The two Bretonnians were in their guest room, removing their armour and lightly cleaning themselves with the towels by the bath which had been provided for them.
"We clean ourselves quickly, and then we clean our clothes, then our armour."
The squire silently groaned as he pulled his undershirt from over his head and threw it to the pile of his clothes and discarded tabard.
"We've enjoyed too much decadence on this journey so far!" the knight began hastily rubbing his soap suds across his chest with a small cloth before dipping it back into the tub again.
"At least one of us could enjoy the tub though, is all I-"
"Non! I say non!"
The squire grumbled as he took up his cleaning cloth and began scrubbing himself as well.
"We are to be cleaned and ready for what comes… We are not envoys, we are not courtiers, we are to be knights yes? We have no need for perfumes and for… for attendants."
'But it may be nice…' Jacque mentally complained.
Begrudgingly he numbly repeated what he'd been saying since arriving to the palace, "Yes sir…"
Sir Jean began scrubbing his scar covered arms and groaned as he reached one of his many new bruises.
"I need to make myself ready to meet with the Emir… There are things I must say, expressions required and then we shall speak with Sadalsuud."
He laughed as he came under his arm, "We…" he repeated, "I meant myself, you shall remain here and clean our armour!"
Jacque dipped his head into the tub and growled under the water before coming back up, dripping "I avowed that wasn't my fault! Please Sir Jean you cannot keep me punished for what I didn't do!"
The Knight slowed and then looked over at his young charge.
He exhaled heavily and briefly considered agreeing with his squire, but he pursed his lips.
The journey so far and his age were catching up to him and his voice revealed his overall weariness, "Just do as I have bid Jacque."
The youth huffed and set to scrubbing his short hair, but the tone of his master sunk in and he paused for a brief moment as he thought about how Jean sounded.
The knight cupped some water and began washing his scruffy and whisker covered face. Regret and pain was etched across his features and he opened his mouth,
"I am sorry my son…" the knight began.
The squire stopped moving and turned to look at his master.
"When we finish this," the gruff man paused and cleared his throat, "we shall return home."
Jacque wiped some suds from his eyes and held his breath.
"I should not have taken on this elf as I have…" he trailed off and chuckled hollowly. Sir Jean sounded tired and he washed the soap from his face as he leaned towards the bath and stood pensively.
"We shall see this done and bid Araby adieu. It has been too long since we were in Bretonnia."
Jacque was stiff with surprise, and spoke quietly, "But what of Duke Meroux? Of the tomes, o-our mission?"
Sir Jean shut his eyes.
"The Duke is dead my boy… Lord Lucian told me so."
Jacque's eyes widened and memories of his jovial and pleasant liege-lord came back to him in a flurry.
"D-dead?" he repeated.
The knight nodded, "aye."
"I told Lord Lucian; after we see our duty done here that we shall return to Bretonnia directly."
Seemingly ignoring Sir Jean's words the squire asked, "H-how did he… pass?"
Sitting on the edge of the bath's steps Sir Jean nodded and spoke, "Age it seems. His son has taken his place. Naturally we must pledge ourselves to his service in person."
Jacque stood for several seconds motionless and quiet.
"So our mission… the tomes, the price paid. It was all for naught?"
Sir Jean shook his head, "No my boy, they shall still go to their intended master, there is nothing which ought to irritate us…"
Jacque dipped his white capped head into the tub and washed the soap from his hair, "Okay then… Returned to Britonnia…"
Sir Jean nodded, and clarified, "Home."
Jacque cringed internally, 'Home? What home… a hovel, choleric siblings, dead father and dying mother?'
His memories soured as he began to remember the wet spring that his family died. He was just a few years old at most… He could walk on his own and speak a few words, but he had no wits to see understand what had transpired.
He shook his head as he recollected, 'I met Sir Jean and that is all… Bretonnia is home yes. That place is not…'
Finding his voice he spoke up, "So Lord Farris, is now the new Duke Meroux?"
Sir Jean nodded, "It looks that way my boy."
The squire began drying his head, "Well… I doubt he's the most bookish of men. Hopefully he'll appreciate the tomes none the less."
Sir Jean smirked at his squire's wit and chuckled loudly in surprise, Jacque enjoyed a smile himself and the two laughed together as if they were father and son.
When Sir Jean had finished he dried his face and nodded, "I hope so as well."
…
Miles from Blacklight Tower, in the rolling moors south of the walled town sat the Kalinside estate.
The black stone building was a fortified manor house, and had several towers at each end of its three main wings. Its grounds were surrounded with thick garden walls and defensible ditches, which all together would allow the company of Kalinside guardsmen quartered there to put up a prepared fight in the event of a rival attack on the family's seat.
But despite all this, the manor wasn't exactly a castle.
Though wealthy and of the Druchii nobility, like the Naguii, the Kalinsides were not about to receive a licence to crenellate, either from the noble council of Blacklight Tower, or the nearest Drachau who resided in Karond Kar, and so far there hadn't been any real reason to risk being flayed alive for building such a 'loud' display as a castle to draw the Witch King's law.
Blacklight Tower was relatively stable; it was a small town, and so not a tempting target for any great intrigue, or high games. Its few powerful families lived in equilibrium…
But if there were those plotting against the Naguii and entertaining dark magicks to bewitch and set upon their youngest daughter…
Then Titos was more than willing to 'upset' this equilibrium.
Blood from familial feuding hadn't stained the cobble streets in decades; perhaps it was time for this to change?
So Lord Titos began courting, sending out his feelers and tendrils to probe and gather support and information.
His first mark would be that of the Kalinsides.
Similar in size and beginnings to the Naguii, Titos considered their house a potential ally and a valuable source of informants.
They controlled the majority share of the town's dockyards and shipping rights, and so would doubtless have had some whiff of the treachery which Lady Naguii's vision had warned her of. But if not, they certainly would know where to ask, and who to squeeze.
Coincidentally one of the family's number, Jaylish Kalinside, was a relation of Raveres' and before she'd left on her Hakseer voyage she'd made mention of the young noble to her father.
In her absence he'd made overtures to the young man and met with him on several occasions.
Mostly these meetings were casual, to flirt at a closer partnership between the two families, but also to prospect as to the potential returns that Titos could expect from Araby.
Jaylish, when plied with drink and Lord Titos' eloquence, fell under the elder's charisma and revealed the high sums and healthy interest he could hope to expect on his daughter's return.
Of course Titos never revealed that Araby was where Raveres had gone.
He skillfully kept any important details close to his chest, while the more unexperienced Jaylish unwittingly let slip much of his family's business. Nothing major, but of course it didn't take Titos long to fill in the blanks and make his own theories.
After finishing their scheming with the occasional input of Elianna, Titos and Lady Naguii draughted a letter and set one of the household guards to deliver it into the hands of the head of the Kalinsides…
Just how the elder Druchii would react to the carefully worded proposal would keep the two Naguii in suspense for the rest of the day.
Bidding his rider well and slapping the hindquarters of the mount Titos looked on as his armoured guardsman tore down the cobblestone street and out the town gates.
…
Lord Raykar 'Dread-spear' Kalinside was a positively ancient Druchii and he looked it.
His head was bald in the center and at the fore of his scalp while the back and sides still grew, and it grew long.
This hair he still had descended to the floor and dragged when he walked around his grand estate. His nails had maintained themselves almost a full inch from the ends of his fingers and they were thick and curled like wild, sharp, talons, yellowed by smoke and infrequent washing.
His face was wrinkled and his beard was scraggily, with wiry hairs that turned and bent in every direction.
His nose was long and hooked downwards from a bad break in his youth, and what was once a handsome feature had bloated and swollen from years of wine and a poor diet.
He wasn't fat, but he certainly wasn't the imposing general he once was.
Lord Kalinside wasn't a high ranking or particularly important general, nor was he one that had been done away with for ineptitude.
In fact Lord Kalinside achieved a victory far beyond the likes of the most exemplary of the Witch King's Drachaus:
He did enough to remain relatively unknown, yet he maintained enough clout to keep his head. His men followed him and he brought sufficient victories, though he never made himself appear as if he desired to challenge the existing echelons of the Black Court. So by the graces of the strange and ever-mysterious gods he had retired.
He was once a towering figure, standing almost two heads taller than the average Druchii, Raykar Kalinside bed many women and was prolific in his lusty accomplishments. He could lift great weights, and he had a diet consisting mainly of boar and other game which he'd hunt himself.
Though it wasn't because of his handsomeness that he was allowed to retire; many decades ago, in a pitched battle nearer the end of his career, he had broken his leg, and that spelled the end of his looks.
Hobbled by a lance in battle the wound had never healed correctly and the bone had also never been re-set properly. Spurning attendant doctors, and field healers he nearly allowed the wound to fester, but cleaved the gangrenous flesh away himself.
Suffice it to say from that point on the general was subsequently never without pain. That pain made him turn to drink, and the resulting combination of the injury, his age, and his love of wine and ale made his Drachau finally release him from command.
Back home, with no wars to fight and no enemies to meet Raykar fell victim to the bottle.
And the bottle won every bout; his hair became sickly and brittle before falling out. His muscles deteriorated and became useless, his face aged by centuries, and his skin, once clear and blemish-less, became red and pimple-ridden.
But before he became a repulsive wretch he had succeeded in siring a clutch of progeny by two wives. His first wife died in childbirth, and with her departure he became far colder.
His second wife, a more economical match than anything, was from a small and nearly destitute family. Her marriage to him secured their survival and in return gave him some clout, and more children.
Though since his return home his second wife barely interacted with her wine-sodden, and pain ridden husband, but he couldn't care less.
Any spark in his second marriage had long since expired, and he had further exacerbated this rift by siring numerous bastards and half-breeds with harlots and slaves.
In the last few years, as his eldest children began reaching maturity and returned from their 'Hakseer' trials with great success, he'd become rabidly paranoid.
He wouldn't allow any slave to shave him, or groom him in any way. He was only ever alone when he went to the lavatory, and even then his bodyguards stood right beside the door and Raykar himself was constantly armed.
No one could approach him without getting close to any of his bodyguards.
Each of his household guardsmen was a loyal veteran from his previous command, expert swordsman, and he made sure to assure their continued loyalty and devotion with ample coin.
He wasn't going to give up his role as the Kalinside 'Paterfamilias' easily.
…
Sitting in his solar Raykar looked out his thin window off the balcony of his country estate and towards the rolling hills of the wild and harsh land which constituted his demesne.
"My lord?" a servant asked.
He turned and nodded to the short, black dressed, Druchii chamberlain.
"I bear a letter, just delivered from the Naguii family."
The elder elf furrowed his wrinkled brow, "Whereby?"
"A rider, a-horse. It seems a personal dispatch my lord." The servant responded as he held out the sealed parchment.
Reaching for the thin letter Raykar cleared his throat and asked, "Is he still on the grounds?"
The servant nodded, "Aye, he expressed that it was his lord's request to receive a reply today…"
Raykar narrowed his eyes at the servant as he continued
"I told him that 'my lord is busy, and a reply may not be so forthcoming'."
The Druchii noble nodded approvingly, "Yes, yes. And?"
The servant paused, "He said that he'd wait as long as was necessary…"
Lord Kalinside bubbled with discomfort and rubbed his disabled leg, "Gah! What impudence… Sounds like a Naguii!"
He looked down at the sealed parchment and glared at the wax insignia. With a quick rip he opened and unfolded the letter.
"Dear… blah blah, platitudes, platitudes… Blah…" he narrated.
Leaning back in his seat he rubbed his leg harder and then reached for his ever-nearby cup of wine.
After a long sip he finished reading the letter and threw it back to the servant.
"All that for a possible business venture? Dark Mother's cunt…"
He shut his eyes and rubbed the greasy eyelids.
"Tell the messenger he may report back to his lord…"
He stopped mid-sentence and groaned loudly as he tried to straighten his bowed leg.
At the door of the solar one of his younger sons entered, "Father there's a messenger downstairs…"
Grumbling and rising from his chair to stretch his legs the lord loudly responded, "I know that boy! I'm giving my reply now."
The elder then pointed to the servant who held the open letter and the son nodded and made a disappointed; 'oh'.
"Anyway, you can tell him that I would be interested to hear it from his mouth. If he wants what he seems to be suggesting… then the coward can bloody well ask me in person."
The servant nodded, but hesitated as he spoke, "V-verbatim, my lord?"
With a roll of his dark eyes the lord lunged forwards and smacked the servant on the ear, "What do you think?"
Dodging a second hit while walking backwards the servant nodded, "Aye! I'll tell him immediately!"
When the servant was away the young Kalinside looked back at his father with a quizzical expression. His father begrudgingly narrated and filled in his son.
"The Naguii… Lord Titos, he seeks to 'entertain the possibility of joint business, and aligned relations between our houses'."
Raykar laughed and sat back down as he rubbed his leg.
Sipping from his cup he sighed.
"I fought with him a few times…" he reminisced.
His son nodded while taking a deep breath, 'here comes 'war stories' the young man thought.
"Brutal commander… Never maintained the respect of his men, he'd volunteer for the vanguard, always…" Raykar emptied his cup. "He'd get a lot of men killed that way, but no one could dispute his prowess…"
He furrowed his wiry eyebrows and looking into his empty wine glass. Under his breath he asked himself, "Or was that his brother?"
Crows loudly cawed outside the open window and he looked up as he continued, "In any case, they're jumped up provincials; the Naguii… Ha… Want's to act like he's going to sire a Drachau and receive a personal summons to the Black Court."
Putting the empty glass onto his desk he looked up at his son and began scrutinising the boy's face.
"So what do you think he wants from us?" The boy had a little more courage than sense and hoped his father was taken with the wine enough to answer truthfully for once.
The boy was wrong.
"Us?" Raykar repeated.
His voice turned and he grew louder.
"Me! What he wants from me!"
The young man averted his eyes and tried interjecting before his father became too irate.
"I only meant that… Allies are good to have and if the Naguii wanted to align with us we might make use of such a-"
Raykar glared at his son and the young man silenced.
The wine sodden brain of the retired general began racing, he could only see the negative interpretations of what his son had said and in the back of his mind a foul voice whispered a reminder that he could trust no one, not even his blood.
"So… you've been corresponding with them haven't you?" he began.
Immediately the boy's eyes widened and he raise his hands in defense.
"No! No father! I have not!"
"If not you then it must have been one of my other vile spawn! Eh? Why now? Why would these fools write to me now? If not because of some one's prompting!"
The young man stepped away from his father and looked at the guards in terror.
Sensing his desire to flee Raykar pointed at his son and spat, "Get from my sight before I feed you to my Nauglir!"
The boy nearly tripped over his boots as he scrambled to run out of the room, watching his own son flee in fear from him made Raykar chuckle lowly and madly.
Sitting back down he went to grab his wine glass before realising and remembering that it was empty. Groaning in frustration he snapped his fingers and yelled "Wine!"
One of his slaves who stood at mute attention outside his solar appeared in the doorway and bowed.
It was a human female. She was scantily clad in tattered, rough spun, rags; her blouse seemed to have been purposefully sewn asymmetrically; so that no matter how she wore the garment the off centred neckline exposed one breast or the other. Her bottoms were thankfully better made, but still had rips and tears in the thin fabric, mostly from Lord Raykar himself.
"Wine; anything Bretonnian if it's there."
The slave bowed her head and stepped back out of the solar.
"These children of mine… they're planning something, and I'm sure, somehow Titos is involved."
He mumbled to himself and rubbed his leg until the slave returned.
She carried the bottle under her arm and a corkscrew in her right hand.
Raykar watched as she unsealed the bottle and then poured a small amount into his glass.
He nodded and watched carefully as she sipped and swallowed a small amount of the wine.
She stood still, nervously staring at the ground.
When Raykar was satisfied she'd not been poisoned he waved her ahead to fill his cup. "Leave the bottle there."
She nodded and bowed, before meekly speaking "The cooks say that your lordship's dinner is nearly ready."
He nodded and licked his lips while the slave uncomfortably avoided his gaze.
She shook and nervously cleared her throat, "If that is all, my lord?"
She half turned and was about to leave when he shook his head. His voice was guttural and curt,
"Guards out… Come here girl. My leg aches."
…
Though she was just cleaned Raveres chest had several beads of sweat slowly dibbling down her breasts and abdomen.
She groaned and threw her head backwards with a subdued grunt and moan.
The servant was resistant, and tried to fight her at first, but eventually Raveres succeeded in bringing the human around to fulfil her bidding.
The human's darkly tanned, and warm, supple flesh was at the moment pleasurably pressed against her pale ivory. The contact made her open her eyes and look down. Raveres drew a satisfied breath through her teeth as she looked over the sensual contrast of tones.
Her body rippled with a tight and relief-filled sensation and her thoughts became dominated by swearing and the pursuit of yet more pleasure,
'Oh Dark mother… yes… gods below yes!'
Her voice began to climb and the Druchii loudly exclaimed an orgasmic moan, shamelessly abandoning her decency she grabbed the human's thin wrist and forced her to press deeper.
The human furrowed her brow in concern as she went along with her guest's demands and Raveres nodded encouragement for her to continue, adding "Keep at it! Oh Gods yes!"
The slave was pressing her fingers into Raveres' thigh and kneading her tight and swollen muscles with expert attention.
There was a tight knot a few inches above her knee and at the moment the servant's thumbs were pressed deeply into the tight and unyielding bump.
Narrowing her eyes and biting her lip Raveres clutched at the cushioning of the bed as the slave pressed as hard as she dared.
It was a beautiful marriage of pleasure and pain… And for the Druchii she delighted in both aspects of the experience almost as much as the bath she just had.
"Ah! Oh fuck!" Raveres exclaimed.
Throwing her head back she spread her arms out and fell onto the bed with a heavy flop, "Finally! Oh the relief… Sweet fucking Khaine…"
She lay for several seconds with her eyes closed, her chest heaving as the slave began massaging out the rest of Raveres' left leg.
Moving her way down the limb the servant started to work her fingers into the she-elf's calf and smirked at the moan which it elicited from its owner.
"Ughhh oh, yes… t-there you little s-sluttt…"
Raveres slowly rose back to a sitting position and her sore abs crunched and rippled as the small drops of sweat ran towards her pelvis.
The slave smiled and Raveres exhaled tiredly while nodding.
Looking on with barely restrained pleasure the Druchii nodded profusely as the slave cupped her foot and began squeezing her heel.
"Oh gods… fuck me… th-that's it! Fuck a bride of Khaine, that's sooo sore… I didn't even know…"
Her eyes rolled back as she pursed her lips and grunted.
The servant re-wet her hands with ointment and began skillfully and tightly giving attention to each of Raveres' toes.
"I think I'm going to die… that's it! This is how I'm going to die!"
Raveres cooed and threw herself back again as she let out a long and loud groan.
The servant tried her best not to laugh but continued on with her work, quietly giggling as she moved over to the other leg.
When the human was finally finished Raveres loudly moaned and stretched out her arms.
Her body was exhausted now and all she desired was sleep, but she had to dress and she was expected to appear at the Emir's court…
"Gods…" she complained.
The servant rose from the end of the bed and tried to draw Raveres' attention to a small chest.
The Druchii looked up and raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
Opening the small, rather plain, wooden box, the slave took hold of what was within and began pulling it upwards. As it unfurled and descended Raveres scoffed in surprise.
…
