Chapter 12)

Asrai shook her head. Ned was very amusing when he was drunk. Remembering her mother's warning about ale and beer she hadn't really been drinking from her mug. The few sips she'd taken had convinced her that she didn't really want to drink the stuff anyway. So while the rest of the company, including Henslowe and Fenneyman were almost completely soused, she was almost completely sober with Tredorian being a close second. She shook her head in amusement…didn't they realize how awful they'd feel in the morning? Not to mention how ridiculously they were behaving now.

"Sweet Asrai." Ned was smiling at her charmingly. "If you come to bed with me I promise you'll like it." He coaxed.

"I'm sure I would, everyone in my family is very passionate." Asrai kept his hand firmly on the table certain it would begin wandering if allowed to touch any part of her but her hand. "But my mother would be very upset. She's much, much worse than my brothers or my father. I don't want to make her madder than she'll be already."

"Would you have to tell?" Ned began again and was interrupted by Tredorian as he hailed Fenneyman.

"Master Fenneyman, because you love the theatre so, you must have a part in my play." He said sitting the man in a chair. "I'm writing an apothecary…a small but vital role. Will you play it?"

"Me…a player…" Fenneyman was beside himself with excitement climbing on his chair and announcing this great turn of events with sufficient bombast to outdo Nicholas at his finest.

"An apothecary!" Henslowe heaved himself to his feat. "Tredorian, what is the story? Where is the pirate? How does the comedy end?" He demanded.

"By the gods I wish I knew." Tredorian laughed with a tired sigh.

"Well if you don't then who does? Let us have pirates and clowns and a happy ending or we'll send you back to Silverymoon to be Marlowe's scribe again." Henslowe nearly fell back down he was so drunk and nearly oblivious to Asrai's outraged squeak.

"Marlowe? That second rate hack?" She nearly hissed jumping to her feet to bend over the nearly unconscious man as he slumped back in his chair. "Tredorian is ten time's the writer Marlowe is!"

"Asrai he's drunk." Tredorian tugged at her hand. "Leave him be. His head will be sufficient reward in the morning."

"No, its not fair Tredorian." Asrai argued without even turning around. "I'm tired of you coming up short when compared to Marlowe."

A husky female voice drawled in her ear suddenly, sending a flush of blood pounding through the girls veins. "Yeah Asrai, didn't you hear? He's drunk." A slender hand not Tredorian's tugged at her until she turned. The dark haired girl was standing there, creamy skin and dark lips inches from Asrai's. "Leave him be babe." She was only a few inches taller than Asrai, but she seemed years older.

Asrai blinked and felt her cheeks heating. In comparison to this girl she was a baby. As if reading Asrai's thoughts the girl smiled slowly, a seductive curve of her dark lips and then her mouth was moving closer, closer…

She was being kissed, Asrai realized distantly, kissed more deeply than Tredorian had done onstage, more passionately. Her face was hot and cold, and there was darkness for her eyes had drifted shut but there was light and color too with the fire that spiraled through her. Softly, gently it ended and Asrai's eyes slowly opened again wonderingly.

Someone whistled in amazement and Asrai blushed deeply suddenly aware that everyone was looking at her. "Night's Kiss." She swore under her breath and heard a breathy chuckle from the girl who had kissed her. There was a sudden chorus of cheers and shrill whistles as the actors all around her began applauding riotously.

"C'mere babe." The girl led her back to her chair and pushed it out of the way, moving a short bench into its place. With complete disregard for the length of leg her skirts would show she straddled it and pulled Asrai down in front of her. "You're sweet, but a baby still, so let me cuddle you."

"I'm not a baby." Asrai declared and then groaned. "Oh that was convincingly petulant wasn't it." The girl chuckled in her ear and wrapped her arms around Asrai's waist. Her hands sought Asrai's gently but the glare she gave Ned was nothing like.

"Leave her alone Master Alleyn." She drawled. "I heard Tredorian talking about her family. I'm probably saving your life, several times over."

Ned looked at the golden violet eyed girl in the embrace of the dark one and groaned. "And later I might thank you for it." He said. "But not now."

Further elaboration on this theme was cut off as a boy came running into the tavern. Tredorian blinked and after a moment recognized him as John, one of the boys who had auditioned for Ethel.

"Master Henslowe! Master Tredorian!" John cried out. "Terrible news! Nicholas Tooley is dead!"

"What?" Tredorian went white as a ghost. "What!"

"Dead, earlier this night, by the docks." John got the words out. "The Admiral's Men are one less tonight."

"My gods…I've killed him." Tredorian shuddered and Asrai disentangled her hands from her new friends.

"No, Tredorian…it's not your fault." She tried to introduce reason into his deduction but he wouldn't have it.

"I told him to go, I told him…" Tredorian rubbed his knuckles into his eyes. "I told him he didn't matter to us."

"If it is anyone's fault it is mine." Asrai told him clearly. "If I hadn't been there, it would never have happened."

"You can't be other than you are." He told her with a shake of his head. "My dear friend, you cannot take this on your shoulders as well." He rose. "Ned, can I count on you to see Asrai safely to her rooms?" Ned was suddenly extremely sober and took a deep breath, nodding his assent silently. "Then I am for a quarrel with my conscience." Tredorian sighed and clapped Ned on the shoulder and absently kissed Asrai on the forehead before he left the tavern.

"In love with him babe?" The dark girl holding Asrai inquired casually.

"As near like as it makes no never mind, not much good that it does me." Asrai shook her head with a smile. "But I think we will ever be friends."

"Come Asrai, I'll see you home." Ned offered his arm.

Asrai sighed and looked at the girl behind her. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." She said with a wistful smile. "Maybe you'll come see the play?"

"Oh don't worry babe, I can promise you that we'll be meeting again." The dark lips curved in that seductive smile and she fisted a hand in Asrai's locks, kissing her again, passionately. When she broke the kiss they were both breathing hard. "That's so you won't forget that you want to see me again." The smile turned into an extremely mischievous grin and she sprang up, pulled Asrai with her and set the princess' hand on Ned's arm.

"Asrai, do I have to tell you what that does to my equilibrium?" Ned remarked as he began to escort her out the door.

"What?" Asrai was still reeling.

"Never mind." He sighed as they began their walk.

"What?" Asrai blinked and tried to clear her mind as Ned groaned again and then almost in spite of himself began to chuckle over how befuddled she'd become.

Raden looked up as the door to his office opened. "Faith." He greeted the dark haired girl cordially. "Any news?"

She took a seat without being invited and put her feet up on the edge of his desk leaving her skirt to fall down around her waist and thighs. "Some." She drawled taking out a dagger and beginning to admire it. "We're missing a princess right?"

"You know Asrai Aelaitha is missing." Raden retorted ignoring her posture. "If we ever find her, the girl has an uncanny knack for hiding, she's going to get a Watcher like all the other children.

"Uh huh." Faith pursed her dark red lips thoughtfully. "She's a baby still though."

"She's a baby who's growing up and she needs a Watcher." Raden said reasonably. "It's not open for discussion."

Faith shrugged. "Well who are you going to send?" She asked. "Assuming she doesn't elude us forever."

Raden steepled his fingertips and regarded her over them leaning back in his chair. "Where are you going with this?" He tilted his head. "I wanted to introduce you to Sabine and Amon immediately but I had myself convinced you would refuse the job you enjoy the field so much."

Faith grinned at him. "Introduce me," she tilted her head. "Because I like her."

"You like her." Raden repeated. "You've found her." He smiled slightly. "Those should have been the first words out of your mouth." His glacier blue eyes seemed even colder.

The girl shrugged in unconcern. "I know where she is living. And I know that she'll be found no matter what in a few more days." Quickly she filled the spymaster in on what Asrai had been doing and about the play that was to be performed in a few days. "I talked with the actors. She's really great apparently. That's why she ran away. So she could be an actress. Her family will find her when the play is performed. She'll be discovered and with a little luck when they see how good she is she'll be allowed to continue."

"How long have you known?" Raden's eyes narrowed. "This is a lot of information to pick up in one night."

"Just tonight I swear." She held up one hand solemnly. "Actors are a talkative lot. Especially when they're drunk. According to them, she knows that everything depends on the play. Let her perform, let them see her. And then, make me her Watcher."

"Drunk." Raden repeated the word as if it were personally distasteful. "Did she?"

"No, that girl might be away from home but she respects her mom's rules." Faith shook her head. "She took a few sips, enough to make everyone think she was drinking, and then kept changing mugs with Ned." She rolled her eyes expressively. "Ned Alleyn is infatuated with her, and she has a serious crush on Tredorian."

"You don't think…" Raden's gaze was almost alarmed.

"Relax. She's still a virgin." Faith told him casually. "She's been stage kissed, and some fool who got killed tonight tried to get fresh and got her sword almost in his entrails for his trouble, but that's it. Nothing serious."

"I see." Raden eyed Faith speculatively and leaned forward. "And you?"

She grinned. "Lets just say…that she likes me well enough to have me as her Watcher. And she likes being kissed."

Raden smiled slightly at the girls expression. "I see. I take it you like her well enough to take on the duties of her bodyguard?"

Faith's grin grew wicked. "She's not boring that's for sure. If you let me have an exciting job now and then when she's safe with her family, that would be excellent."

Raden nodded. "By the time Sebastian is ready to become active you'll be needing a bit of a break…we'll see how it goes, but I think we can work something out."

Faith grinned and got to her feet. "I'm going to have a bath. I smell like a brothel and a brewery combined." She tilted her head. "I'll keep an eye on her in the next few days. I know where she'll be found. Are you going to take my advice on this?"

Raden regarded her consideringly. "You're convinced that she has every intention of returning to her family after the play is done?"

"Are you making me repeat myself?" She asked.

"No." He pushed a hand through his cropped black hair. "I'll tell Sabine and Amon that I have a Watcher for her, introduce you, and let them know we've an idea where she is. They need some ease of mind."

"If they wanted 'ease of mind' they should have gotten a Watcher years ago." Faith said tartly. "Don't worry about an introduction." She continued after a moment of thought. "You're busy and I can get close enough to catch one of the Obarskyrs attention." A wicked grin played across her face.

Raden regarded her for a moment and nodded his assent to the notion. "Don't forget to send me updates." He smiled slightly. "Goodnight Faith."

"'Night Dad."

Tredorian quietly entered Julia's rooms by the balcony and for once did not smile when he saw her. "My lady." He greeted her soberly.

"The hour is late, and my bed has been empty for what seems like a long while." She said in what should have been a gentle reproach for his absence but sounded less sweet with the pride in her tone. "My master poet, where have you been?"

"I received news tonight that had me walking for I was in no fit state for polite company." Tredorian replied still standing beside the bed and making no move to undress and climb in beside her. The fleeting thought occurred to him that she had ever treated him as though he was serving her by coming to her bed.

"Something angered thee?" She let the sheets fall away revealing the sheer negligee she wore. Beneath the silk gauze her body gleamed whitely, enticing and ripe.

"No." He shook his head and sat down at the foot of the bed, staring at her like a ghost in the darkness. "One of my company died tonight, and I fear his death is on my conscience."

Even Julia knew that petulance would serve her nothing at this moment. Gentle enticement was what was needed to lure him to her bed. She crept towards him as if hesitant and raised a soft hand to his cheek. "Gentle man, let me comfort you."

"Can comfort be received if I am responsible for his death?" Tredorian asked brokenly. Her lips brushed over his, blurring his mind for a moment. Her hands slipped into his jerkin and spread over his shirt, pressing against his chest. In spite of his worry fire ignited in him at her touch.

"'Tis not a question if it will be received but if it will be taken." She told him huskily and her hand crept down to his breeches, stroking the hardening length of his cock seductively.

Roaring filled his ears and Tredorian suddenly felt the urge to lose himself inside of her. His hands circled her, touching her body through the silk and his mouth fastened roughly onto her breast suckling the tight bud of it through her gown. "Yes." He hissed the word onto her skin and pushed her onto her back splaying her thighs apart.

Quickly, carelessly he disrobed and almost fell onto the bed with her, pushing her gown up and fastening his mouth to her nether lips until he felt her shuddering and climaxing under his tongue. Without a word of his usual poetry he rose and mounted her, his hands on her hips, his mouth hard over hers.

Julia cried out as he entered her, and felt him pushing her legs back until he was deeply embedded in her. Tredorian groaned into her mouth as she arched up to him and began thrusting into her roughly, his hips pounding against hers as he took her. She cried out again and he groaned as his climax erupted from him.

Tenderly he smoothed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her while she was still languid and awed at his audacity. With exquisite care he began to make love to her again until she was moaning at how his sword was hardening inside of her. "This time, let me forget in lavishing love upon you, instead of possessing you." He whispered as he trailed kisses over her face.

"Yes." She raised her face for his kiss and moaned as he gave it to her.