Vows of Blood and Honor
The bladesinger looked up as Dragon and Lorelei entered the room. His dark green eyes to which his daughters were so similar were not warm as hers usually were, nor did he smile at seeing them. "Dragon, Your Highness." He greeted them. "How are you?"
Lorelei smiled as Dragon courteously helped her to sit and then took his place beside her on the sofa. Sitting together they appeared as little alike in looks as Sebastian and Briar. Vidan found himself wishing aloud that Prince Sebastian treated Rosaleen with as much respect.
Lorelei regarded him curiously. "Surely you jest sir?" She queried. "No one has more respect for Briar than my younger brother."
"His manner towards her does not speak of such." Vidan replied. "No, I do not jest."
"Then you insult both my heart sister and my friend." Dragon said coldly. "Would that I had the skill to explain it to you in a language you would understand."
"You do not speak Elven then?" Vidan asked, not even seeming to realize that he was insulting. "I must admit at times my grasp of Common and its varied idioms is tenuous at best."
"I speak the language of my mother very well." Dragon growled out. "I was raised speaking and reading Elven and Common. I meant that I do not have the skill of a bard to carry my meaning into words."
Lorelei smiled coolly. "My entire family, including my younger brother and sister speaks and reads the language of our Grandfather and our great grandparents." She smoothly reminded him that she also was of elven heritage. "Do you know anything about Sebastian at all? Or of the relationship he has with Briar?"
"What I have seen of him has been enough." Vidan ground out. "Though my daughter made a valid point in my lack of courtesy towards him."
Dragon let out a bark of laughter. "That you haven't yet killed him shows remarkable restraint." He remarked. "But you are missing the entire point." He patted Lorelei's hand. "My sister didn't trust men at all besides myself and her uncles. Her attitude towards the nobility was also one of antipathy. Sebastian showed her that not all men and not all nobility are so lacking."
"Sebastian?" Vidanalas regarded Dragon as if he were a lackwit. "Are we talking about the same fool prince?"
"You will keep a civil tongue in your mouth when you speak of my brother sirrah!" Lorelei said coldly. "Were it not for Sebastian you might never have known of your daughter. She searched for you through the embassy but Sebastian hounded the elves until they found you. He asked Lady Shen if she had heard of you. He searched through miles worth of registry trying to determine exactly when you were in Cormyr and where you had gone."
Vidanalas looked at her searchingly. "I have seen nothing of this in him." He said quietly. "All he has ever presented himself to be is the epitome of a dilettante, a fool and a courtier. I knew my daughter believed herself to be in love with him. I thought it calf love, over with her innocent youth and he only to be enjoying its fruits."
"Fruits?" Dragon rose angrily and even as Vidan rose to meet him the half elven man towered over him, a wiry mountain of muscle and height. "What kind of a father are you? Do you have any idea what you're talking about?"
"I am her father!" Vidan fired back. "I love her as I never thought to love anyone. I only want to protect her. Even from herself if I must. I know she loves him. I make no objection to him constantly being with her even though I dislike him. I do not want her to be unhappy. I only wish to prevent her from continuing to give herself to a man who cannot truly love her as she needs to be loved."
Dragon's fists clenched and he turned away lest he strike the elf. Lorelei looked up at him and smiled tightly sympathizing with the anger she saw in his normally inscrutable face. "It is obvious that you love her." She said quietly. "But you do not know her. You do not even acknowledge that she is anything other than your daughter."
"She is a talented bard." Vidan said quietly.
"You do not even call her by her nickname, ever. Did you know she is also a warrior?" Lorelei said icily. "Were you aware of the fact that she won the bardic competition in this city? Did you know that my brother, a renowned rake, never even thought of having her as a mistress once he knew her? He always treated her with the respect a lady is due. He introduced her to our uncle Anakin, formally. You might have heard of him, Anakin Moonflower Craulnober, the Crown Prince of the Cormanthor. He thought nothing of defying our parents, even our mother, to stay here with her. She wouldn't even acknowledge that there was more than friendship between them at the time."
Dragon turned and regarded the elf. "Did you know that your daughter was haunted by nightmares? For a while she couldn't bear a man touching her. That she trusts Sebastian to touch and handle her 'like a concubine' as you say, should tell you how deeply she loves him. This is not a child's infatuation that will vanish with the morning's mist."
"And his love for her?" The elven lord asked quietly. "I do not see any depth in his love for her. I see a selfish child's possessiveness. I see a spoilt young man's lust. And I see a music lover's pride. He has not shown me that he loves her."
"Why should he?" The king's voice said from behind him. He nodded pleasantly at Dragon and bent down to kiss his daughter's cheek.
Vidan looked at the golden man and shook his head. "I am her father." He said quietly. "How do you feel about the man who courts your daughter?"
"Proud." Amon said quietly. "That she loves such a good man. Glad, that such an honorable man loves her. Pleased, that they are so well suited. Yet, a bit sad that he will replace myself in many ways in Lorelei's heart." He regarded the elf with dark blue eyes and his smile was not gentle or kind. "But you do not feel any of those happy feelings when it comes to my son courting your child."
"His words gave me to believe that he was taking a page from your book. He said he was acting much as you did before you married the queen." Vidan said evenly. "If I had the hope he would grow to be a man such as you I would be honored to allow him to court my daughter." He shook his head. "I see no such thing happening."
To his surprise his words evoked a chuckle from the king who sat down in a chair and regarded the elf with a very amused gaze. His daughter and Dragon also appeared somewhat puzzled and he said to them. "Do you not remember stories of the young crown prince of Cormyr?" He asked. "He named a beautiful unknown woman of partial elven ancestry his personal bard and it was well known they were lovers. He went pub crawling and tumbled into more trouble trying to give the impression he was irresponsible."
His daughter laughed and nodded. "You managed to make the Queen Alusair angry with you, and everyone else think it impossible to take you seriously. Until you married and began showing everyone that you weren't precisely what you appeared to be." She smiled up at Dragon who at the gentle tug of her hand sat down beside her again.
Amon nodded. "Sebastian I am glad to tell you, is much more like his mother." The king said soberly. "And I have sometimes thought that she is a lady more suited to be a queen than I am suited to being a king. The decisions I hate, and agonize over, she simply chooses the necessary action and moves on. Her loving heart tempers her ruthless mind." He smiled affectionately at the thought of his wife. "Sebastian is very much the same."
"You speak of Sebastian as if he were someone else entirely." Vidanalas said in frustration.
"Yes." Amon nodded. "But my question to you still remains. Why should he show you that he loves Briar? He has no real reason to trust you. Blood ties are not enough, not for him, not for me either anymore."
"I recommend that you attend Court tonight." Lorelei said quietly, rising to her feet. "It is to be rather more formal than usual. In an effort to keep our spirits up, Mother allowed me to arrange for dancing, and it is to be fancy dress."
Dragon groaned. "It wanted only this." He shook his head.
"You do not wish to dance with me?" Lorelei asked with a tiny little pout that was belied by the teasing twinkle in her eyes.
"With you, more than anything. But Katherine is sure to stalk me as well, and we must be polite, which means dancing with her." Dragon groaned. "I had better go and gird my loins for the coming battle for my sanity."
"I didn't think of that." Lorelei made a face. She looked at Vidan. "Watch your daughter and my brother very carefully tonight. Her performance is to be a high point of the evening." She smiled up at her father and he nodded.
"Your twin is well enough now that he will be joining us at Court tonight." The king said with a smile. "He still has little heart for gaiety but he understands why you arranged this miniature ball. Andreas has hopes that perhaps watching you and his other sisters enjoy yourselves will lighten his own heart."
Dragon smiled. "Perhaps Lady Katherine will find an interest in him?" He suggested slyly.
Amon rolled his eyes. "Please, one step at a time."
Amon straightened his doublet and called out. "Sabine, do you need any help?"
From behind the dressing room door he heard her laugh. "Knowing you my love, I would be helped out of my dress, not into it."
Amon's somewhat guilty sounding chuckle gave proof to his wife's statement. He grinned to himself. Could he help it if he was still as madly in love with his Sabine now as he was all those years ago when they had been wed?
His wife had quite firmly pushed him out of the dressing room and refused to allow him back in explaining that she had a surprise for him. He knew it had something to do with her gown. It was white, of that he was certain, since his daughter had taken it into her head to limit the ladies gowns to that color. But other than that? He had no idea why his wife would be so secretive about how she would dress. She always looked beautiful.
Then he heard the door open and turned to see her, and understood why she had been so insistent. "Oh Sabine." He breathed with a smile.
The gown she wore was strikingly similar to her wedding dress. A pure white strapless underdress clung to her breasts and waist and flowed over her hips and legs in a full skirt. The overdress was sleeveless, wide straps with braided trim rested on her shoulders and tied with three bows over her abdomen. The skirt flared over her hips from a defining line of braid and a wide design of scrolling applique bordered the skirt from her hips down to the hem and around the entire skirt. The pure white satin seemed almost as creamy as her skin.
"Do you like it?" His wife smiled almost shyly and tilted her head inquiringly. Her coronet of braids was interwoven with white violets, the flowers she'd loved as long as he'd known her.
"How can you doubt it?" Amon moved closer to her and his fingers stroked her cheek and wrapped a tendril of gold around his finger. "You are just as beautiful as you were the day we were married." A wicked smile tilted his lips. "Which reminds me of the long standing desire I've had to have you outdoors in your wedding gown."
Sabine chuckled wickedly. "You mean on the ramparts of our home in Suzail?" She smiled teasingly. "You know I will grant your every desire my king." She murmured submissively, in the voice she knew aroused her husband instantly.
"Wicked wench." The king accused. "Tempting me when you know we haven't the time."
"Do we not?" Sabine stroked her hand over his groin, delicately caressing his aching cock. "Are you positive?" Violet eyes regarded him from beneath dark gold lashes.
Amon's hands gripped her shoulders and he brought his mouth down on hers. Soft lips opened for him immediately, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Then she gently pulled away and backed towards the bed. Spreading the skirt of her gown behind her she pulled the front of it up slowly. Her husband watched with a gleam in his eyes as her stockings and garters were revealed and the fact that her lower body was bare but for those flimsy garments.
"Surely we have time to satisfy you my husband." She purred at him as she let her slippers fall from her feet and watched him come closer.
Amon bent and while his hands busily undid his clothing and freed his now throbbing cock, let his lips trail over her upper thigh and nether lips. "I think that we can even be a bit late." He whispered against her skin. His tongue curled around her clit wickedly and he smiled as she moaned and spread her legs for him.
He rid himself of the last piece of confining clothing and leant over her, his hands drawing her legs up and around his waist. The head of his cock probed her slit as he teased her for a moment. "Amon." She murmured. "Yes." A gasp of delight escaped her as he pushed firmly inside her.
"I'm inside you Sabine." He told her harshly. "And you're going to come for me aren't you? Nice and hard and hot around my cock, for me? Aren't you?" He repeated nearly withdrawing from her completely and then ramming his cock home again.
"Yesss…Amon!" The passionate pleasure in her voice as she screamed his name couldn't be denied, nor the pulsing of her sheath around his member as he kept thrusting into his wife.
"Sabine…" Amon gripped her hips and slammed into her wildly, feeling hot cum boiling up from his balls and his thrusts grew rougher and rougher wanting only to possess her as he had so long ago. The need to fill her womb with his seed and mark her once again as belonging to him. "Arrghhh…Sabine…" He rooted himself into her as deeply as he could and heard her crying out again, groaning her name as he felt himself unloading his cum in shot after shot of creamy hot seed.
"I hope that I have satisfied my husband and king?" His wife asked in her sultry submissive honey voice. "Your wife has pleased you?"
In answer her husband kissed her mouth sweetly. "I hope I left you no doubt." He smiled. "My Sabine."
Vidanalas regarded the assembled court. Apparently the trifling annoyance of a Blood Feud did not prevent the Obarskyrs from inviting every courtier. His eyes swept over the doors and windows taking in the Purple Dragon guards and the lack of weapons on anyone but the royal family and their close associates. The Obarskyrs wore their dress blades as if they were beautifully jeweled edged accessories but the Bladesinger noticed every single one was functional and easily reached.
The elf suppressed a smile. By a strange twist of whim, Princess Lorelei had specified to the court that this was a formal fancy dress occasion and that the men were to wear black and the women white or cream only. According to human custom, for men, fancy dress along with the stipulation of formal meant doublet and hose and shoes, not boots. For women the same conditions seemed to mean full skirts and elbow length gloves along with high heels and jewels. The slim, figure skimming silhouettes so fashionably popular were not in evidence this evening. He had obliged her by appearing in his simplest but most elegant garb of black elven silk.. Even the king and queen had laughingly obeyed her dictates but not everyone appeared to advantage in the colors she has specified.
A genuine smile of loving pride curved the elf's mouth as he looked at his daughter. In a gown of purest white she looked stunning. The tiniest straps, simple cords that ran over her shoulders, held up her lace bodice and her skirts seemed to be made of many layers of gauze and tulle. The effect was fairylike. His smile faded as he watched Sebastian bow to her.
Sebastian bowed to his beloved in appropriate homage to her beauty and smiled as she laughed. "Then you do like the dress?" He asked.
"Sebastian it's beautiful." She told him twirling around for him to see. "Lorelei helped to pick it out didn't she?" Green eyes twinkled up at him.
"She and Asrai thought it would be nice for all three of you to have little flowers on your gowns." Sebastian admitted. "I only picked out the jewelry." He looked at her for another moment and smiled in delight. "You look so lovely."
And she did. Her lustrous black hair was piled artfully atop her head, with one long curl resting on her shoulder. On her neck and in her ears and woven into her hair were milky white pearls. Gloves of silk and satin covered her arms to her elbows. Deciding she was tall enough, her slippers had a minimal heel. Her dark green eyes glowed exotically in her beautiful face and she smiled up at him in delight.
"Your sisters look beautiful as well." Briar said softly. "We had great fun dressing together. Faith kept making faces until Asrai told her that she'd better get her own dress. And then Faith just pulled out this beautiful suit of black silk and said she was aping a man this evening."
Sebastian grinned. "There's no way anyone could mistake Faith for a man." He murmured.
"No." Briar agreed. "You look splendid." She complimented him. In black velvet hose, snow white dress shirt and a black velvet doublet with satin piping Sebastian was the picture of sartorial elegance. His golden curls and sapphire eyes seemed even brighter against the stark sobriety of his clothing. For in spite of his devil may care smile and bored slouch her prince of shadows did not look as if he were dressed for a night of dancing. "Sebastian." She murmured suddenly. "You do not have…an errand tonight do you?" Her white gloved hand tightened on his own and she lost her smile.
"No my Black Rose." Sebastian whispered in her ear. "I am not working tonight at anything other than being a courtier." He looked over at Dragon and Lorelei. "Your brother seems to be a bit…"
Briar smiled. "A bit unimpressed by all of this?" She asked. When Sebastian nodded her smile widened to a grin. "He dislikes occasions such as these but lately he told me he almost enjoys them, since Lorelei loves to go round making sure everyone is enjoying themselves." Sebastian wrinkled his forehead quizzically and Briar explained. "Dragon and I follow the Lady Silverhair, you knew this. One of her credos is to promote harmony between the races. Another is to encourage happiness by music, dance, and merriment. Dragon is regarding parties as a good chance to follow the aims of our goddess."
Sebastian grinned. "Let me guess. He still dislikes getting all dressed up for all that he looks supremely at ease."
Briar grinned. "But he tolerates it because he adores seeing Lorelei like this."
TBC