Chapter 7:
Her pretty problem was still at the window, when Black Cass Antoine slipped into the hotel room after an afternoon spent getting her ship onto the list for emergency repairs. The Red Wind had come closer than she liked to ending up on the bottom after plowing through a blow they should've run from. She was in a trick bag of epic proportions. Having gone into this to avoid conflict with this man, Cass feared she'd have to go in even deeper to escape the trap.
"Whatcha' doin', big mon," she said, as she shut the door on Cara's worried face. The Master at Arms had been posted outside that door all through the day, with orders to make sure nobody came up to this room to eat Mr. Big. The truth was a lot more terrifying. Cass had no fear of anything coming through that door. She feared the results of such a confrontation.
The prince turned towards her for a moment, and there was a light of something in his eyes that terrified her. Calmly, as if she hadn't seen that expression, she asked, "d'jou call d'em girls?" Shaking himself, the pretty boy responded, "no... I..." "...spent time lookin' out da window," Cass burbled.
That was becoming a problem. He'd spent the morning there before Cass went out. Apparently, after she'd gone, he'd just gone back to the window. The half-eaten meal on the table suggested he hadn't been all that interested in food. More to the point, she needed his people here to take charge of him. With Red Kate missing, she had no way to know who, if anybody, was coming.
Things were getting very dangerous. She'd been thinking of this and thinking of this on the way to Captain Wilson's and back. He was holding on—behaving—but Cass could see the struggle there in his eyes. The madness inside him was taking over.
Cass hung her jacket on the peg by the door. Sauntering across the room, the curvy pirate girl popped a couple of extra buttons on her blouse, baring a little more skin. Then, as she settled herself on the edge of the table, she even opened her thighs a little. In a sweet voice, Cass murmured, "come away from d'window, big mon."
Billy turned away from the window to find the pirate girl perched on the table with all her charms on display. He'd been about to say something cruel. Why had he wanted to say something cruel?
Instead, he found his face growing hot and his mouth dry. Was Cass coming on to him? He would've expected that from Chessie. The thicc girl wasn't shy about her interests. Cass had struck him as calculating, to the point of being cold.
"She ain't here t'see you," Cass murmured, her dark eyes burning into his. "Can't conjure her up standin' at that window..." As she spoke, the curvy girl eased those thighs a little wider, flashing a view of the silky panties she was wearing. As Billy drooled, the pretty woman advised, "sometimes all we can do is keep d'boat on course. Keep those we can off d'shoals, while we track down d'ones we care for... later."
A corner of Billy's mind raged at him for the hunger he felt, urging him to murder Cass—to add her to the list of grievances here in this town. This woman was manipulating him, just as he'd said it on her ship.
"C'mere, Prince William," Cass rumbled, in that smoky voice of hers. Almost like an automaton, Billy stepped towards her. When he might have stopped in mid-stride, the pirate girl latched those legs onto him, and pulled him towards her. Much like Kate, she had thighs that could crush walnuts.
Grabbing his face, Cass glued her lips to his. Indeed, she began to grind that hot body against his. Just like the moment where he'd woken up with Chessie's giant fun-bag resting on his face, he popped a massive boner. The message was clear. Put the worries aside. There was snatch to be had here.
Breaking that lip-lock, Cass murmured, "I know ye worried about makin' a baby, big mon. I got some jimmies in d'at bag..." When he made no move, Cassie popped the rest of the buttons on her blouse, baring those heavy knobs resting on a literal titty-sling, the fat tips already jutting out in arousal.
The terrifying voice in his mind faded into the background as Billy reached for the waistband of Cass's silky drawers. The curvy girl raised that awesome ass as he pulled those panties off. Leaning down, he glued his lips to her cooch, sucking hard enough on her joy-button to make her scream.
As Billy became acquainted with Black Cass's snatch, the would-be Lady of the Lake slipped out of the Lady's Bower, wearing a heavy mantle to disguise herself. The little woman brushed past a drunken bum on the street, as she went swiftly down the was dangerous to be out this time of day. That was more or less how they'd nabbed Kate after all. More to the point, it was really dangerous to be out with no bodyguards. People disappeared in Stilt-Town all the time.
A lot of them fell off the edge after drinking a little too heavily. Did you survive the fall, you'd be too drunk to outswim the hungry gators waiting in the waters around the town. A number of others had help entering the water. All of that came before you got to the slavers.
The slavers had been all too happy to help Cameron remove Red Kate from power. She'd promised them a return to normalcy that Kate had disrupted. Now, much as Cameron feared, the changes she'd made had been shown to be premature.
The nymph took the turns as one who knew them. Her digs had been in the Saint Louis. The hotel was at once the swankiest in Stilt-Town and the most inexpensive, with rooms going from the docks in the under-city all the way up one of the spires. Her quarry called that penultimate room her own even now.
The signs of security were evident as the little woman slipped into the lobby of the St Lou. The purple-skinned nymph in the corner glowering at the glass of wine before her was a lookout. She had a dead-man's switch at hand that would let her call a horde of buffalo men up from a block of rooms in the hotel's lower levels.
The big-tittied nymph in the far corner had a shocking number of weapons concealed within her skimpy attire. She could come to the other girl's rescue fairly quickly, attacking foes from behind. And then there was Arsenia, who often hung around behind the bar in the little office there. And the owner? Well, she knew better than to complain because her family was currently held for hostage on Port Rochelle.
Cameron went straight up to the woman at the end of the bar. Doffing the hood she wore, the redhead announced, "I need to go upstairs." The purple-skinned nymph looked down her elegant nose at Cameron. Josune was way too full of herself. Cameron found herself reaching for the dagger strapped on her thigh. "I'll send word," Josune finally responded.
The business took a bit, and Cameron found herself cooling her heels as a runner went all the way upstairs with the request. Cameron had been close to murder once before, when the wench returned with news that her master was in the tub and didn't want to be disturbed.
Thankfully, there were no such games today. After a long, fifteen minutes of waiting, Cameron found herself making the journey up the long, spiraling master staircase to the top. In a time long ago, the stairs had become a death-trap when the hotel caught fire. Many had died trying to reach the ground floor on a stairway that had turned into a flue. Cameron had always intended to jump and take her chances with the gators.
Arriving upstairs, the nymph was admitted into the grand suite to find her quarry sitting like an empress on her throne in the middle of the space. "Lady Cenobia," Cameron greeted the older woman. "What do you want," Cenobia demanded?
That set the tone for the meeting. If she was going to stab her best friend in the back, it would have been nice to be acknowledged as Lady of the Lake instead of being treated like a dog.
"Prince William's here," Cameron responded. "He's..." "I told you not to let him into the city," Cenobia interrupted. Cameron checked herself from cussing the wench. She wasn't in much of a position to push back at the moment.
Doing her best not to lose her shit, the young nymph responded, "you're asking me to fight a wizard in the streets of Stilt Town. He's already threatened to flatten the town." She'd warned this woman of the consequences of betraying Red Kate. "He's... he said that his father would be the one to decide who the Lady of the Lake is," Cameron muttered.
Cenobia hissed curses. Cameron knew she'd grown comfortable here. She was hiding out from the very man who'd landed that morning. A part of her would've gone to him and thrown herself on his mercy—and handed this bitch over—if there weren't consequences for that.
"You're a nymph," Cenobia rumbled. "You know what to do." Cameron felt herself flush. She'd just been told to whore herself. Even if it wasn't really her first time, that felt pretty damned awful. "You once killed a man after the act," Cenobia reminded her. "He may be a wizard, but he's just as likely to get the post-nut sleepies like any other man. Now, get out."
Cameron's eyes flicked to the buffalo man in the corner. No, there was no way she was going to win this. She wasn't even sure it would be a pyrrhic victory. Spinning on her heel, the young nymph stalked out, no better off than when she'd left the Lady's Bower.
On the far side of the world, Roselinen awoke to the feel of her husband slipping out of bed. It was nothing that she hadn't felt before. In point of fact, it was a fact of life that a farmer rose early. At the same time, she understood her fellows' worries about her husband. He never slept through the night. It seemed there was no 'off-season' for kings.
Sitting up, Rosie latched onto his shoulders, arresting him as he would have risen to go sit down with Sarah's toy. "Stay," she murmured. She could feel him tense. What was that word that Emeraude used? Complicated. Things were complicated.
Though she'd lain in bed with him—even unto sharing the space with one or the other of her rivals, there had been little in the way of activity. In the distant mists of the past, when a fifteen-year-old Finn had taken her that first time, she could honestly say she'd gotten hooked.
Later, two kids and a farm had chilled their ardor for each other. It could be said that clawing a living out of the soil had made her husband a broken man.
Stepping out of bed, Rosie turned and shoved him over on his back. Before he could say a word, she was straddling his hips, her heavy chest-pillows resting on his face. "You were fascinated by those," she hissed.
Finn felt his face go warm. He'd accidentally gotten an eyeful of Marcie's knobs, when he'd peaked in the bathroom, while she was showering. He knew what tits looked like uncovered, then, and he'd fantasized about what Bonnie's knockers looked like, or what Susan—Kara's—tits looked like. He'd even been tempted to put on some tinfoil gloves to try and touch Phoebe's heavy cans.
Later on, he'd gotten to see—and touch—a lot of tits. Hamest and Breakfast and Connie and Abieuwa. He'd touched them and stroked them and sucked on them. They were all just a hair different.
As his hands stroked Rosie's big ass, he remembered how soft and squishy she was compared to Abieuwa's hard, muscular ass. Popping the buttons on the front of his wife's nightgown, the big man got his lips around her fat left nip. "Oooaaah," moaned the plush pillow.
Her tits were surprisingly sensitive. She and Simone had that in common, where Kara was the opposite. Sliding the hem of her nightgown up, the big man got skin-on-skin with her curvy bottom.
Soft sighs and hitches in her breathing told Finn he was hitting the right notes as he nibbled at his wife's throat and stroked her heavy tit-flesh, tweaking the thick nips with his thumbs. Much like Kara and Simone's knobs, they were big and round, compared to Viola's pear-shaped knockers.
The big man flushed as he realized he now knew what Vi's cans looked like uncovered. Water under the bridge, he thought, as he glued his lips to Rosie's.
Breaking that lip-lock, the plush pillow stared down at him, her eyes burning into his. Reaching down, she popped the button on the fly of his PJs. Grasping his fat pecker, Rosie stood up over him before slowly easing down his dong. "Mmmmmm," moaned the curvy woman. Grabbing his head, she pressed his face in between those heavy titties, as she began to ride him like a favorite toy.
The King and his Queen were in a very good mood when they emerged from their quarters. The pair were holding hands and wearing identical smiles as they approached the table. "Rest well," asked Lord Seo Joon? Finn's flush made Bonnie giggle. She had some idea of why he was embarrassed. With a glance at her daughter, Roselinen responded, "yes, Lord. The quarters were more than satisfactory. We thank-you for your hospitality."
At the table alongside Bonnie sat the Lord's two wives, as well as his oldest son and daughter. Gesturing, Lord Seo Joon announced, "you have met my son, Baek Hyeon. This is my daughter, Ae-Cha." "Pleased to meet you," Finn responded. To Baek, he said, "your father and I have matters to attend that will take him away from home. While we're gone, please prepare a suitable ceremony for his elevation."
Those words left much of the gathering in puzzlement—at least until the King withdrew a silver placard. Offering Lord Seo Joon a slight bow, the King declared, "it pleases me to offer you a position worthy of your contributions to the peace, Lord Seo Joon. If you accept this burden, you will become my Hand, authorized to act in my name..."
Lady Hae-Won clapped and cheered, though Hei Ryung grimaced in profound unease. It was clear to Bonnie that the older of the Lord's wives understood exactly what this meant. The Lord was quick to offer the King a deep, sweeping bow, though his expression showed that he also understood just how much his world had just changed. Still, though he clearly could have refused, he took the signet, offering the King one more sweeping bow. As he straightened, the Lord said, "I'll endeavor to justify the King's trust in my person."
When that moment was over, Hei Ryung clapped once, sharply, causing the servers to come in. As Bonnie watched, her father pulled the chair for her mother, the way he did when she was a child. Smoothing her skirts, Roselinen sat herself, as her husband moved to his own chair, gesturing for Lord Seo Joon to sit at his right hand.
They'd been working on that. The King's folksy mannerisms did a lot to smooth ruffled feathers and disarm people who might be inclined to be reactionary. At the same time, they had to reckon with the very real pride and prejudice that a lot of men and women of high birth held.
Talk around the table was of the very real business that had brought the King of Ooo back to the far east. The King talked candidly with Lord Seo Joon about all that had gone on, while he was away. Baek had plenty to add, as he'd done a lot of the leg work of preserving the sites where Nagumo's death-machines fell.
"Nadia promised me that the landship we used before will be here late this morning. We should be able to get aboard and get moving," Finn announced. Lady Hei Ryung grimaced. "We have our own parts to play, Hei Ryung," Roselinen remarked. When Finn's face turned towards hers, the plump blonde remarked, "state visit, husband. Since Simone couldn't come, I'll be visiting Haryati in her place." With a glance and smile for Hei Ryung, the plump woman added, "Hei Ryung and Hae-Won can accompany me, if they're of a mind to go."
Now, it was Ae-Cha who clapped in glee. "Mother, may I attend as well," she asked? "I promise to observe the forms and not eclipse Princess Bonnibel..." "You'll be fine, Ae-Cha," Roselinen said with a smile. Nodding at her daughter, she said, "Princess Bonnibel will go with her father. He has need of her unique powers." With a smile, Bonnie remarked, "we'll chat when we see each other again, Ae-Cha."
The matter got settled, and talk moved on to the provision of the reactor that was to be in Lord Seo Joon's custody. "I've agreed a place with Lord Hyun Ki," Seo Joon explained. "As you meant it for a boon to all our peoples, we decided that it should be housed in a place where all may make use of its wonder."
It was an excellent plan, to Bonnie's eyes and ears. More to the point, it confirmed her father's high opinion of Lord Seo Joon. She thought these lands would be in good hands when they left.
Late that morning, Roselinen watched as the strange machine carrying her husband, daughter, and Lord Seo Joon rolled down the road, gathering speed. Bonnie had assured her that it was a very pleasant means of travel, suggesting she was missing out. Rosie had demurred. She had her part to play. She'd meet up with her husband and child later.
Turning to her companions, Roselinen suggested, "time for the ladies to have a chat." Hae-Won was excited, though Rosie knew Hei Ryung was anything but. Haryati's people were not the most welcoming folk to deal with. "Let's go," muttered the older of the Lord's wives.
Minutes later, the little delegation was clattering down the road, bound for the seashore to the east, with Ae-Cha bubbling over with enthusiasm, while her mother looked morose and disturbed. It was a look that Rosie was very familiar with. She'd seen it staring back from the mirror in her quarters these last few months in this strange world.
It had started when she encountered her husband after decades of his absence. She'd been upset about all the dreadful complications that his life now held. She'd been enraged by the things he sometimes did that were contrary to the morals she grew up with. Ironically, that unhappy face faded away, when she finally gave up on her quest to return her family to its origins.
Knowing the space Hei Ryung was in, Rosie let her alone in favor of entertaining Hae-Won and Ae-Cha. The two younger women were ebullient. The idea of visiting the mysterious Ocean Kingdom and meeting the Mermaid Princess, Haryati, was a thrill for women who never left home.
Hae had married into Sonbong's small royal clan at the ripe age of fourteen. She'd never even met Lord Seo Joon until she was seventeen. Her world had consisted of endless school, lessons in social graces and courtly etiquette, and hours of learning to walk and move like a proper noble. Her dispensation to attend dances had disappeared the day she walked into the palace. Even now, her husband rarely had time for such things. Nagumo's war had changed him.
"We must manage Lord Seo Joon's health," Roselinen remarked. Hei Ryung's face snapped around from where she'd been staring out the window. Sitting back in her seat, Rosie primly announced, "men will bury themselves long before the tailor comes to stitch their final suit, Hae-Won. It's up to you to not let Seo Joon ignore you. Go to him. Make him put aside the papers... Make him go dancing..."
"Is that what you do," Hei Ryung retorted? It was sharp, and Ae-Cha's face flicked to her mother in alarm. Softly, Rosie responded, "it's what you have to do in our world, Hei Ryung. Seo Joon can't do it for himself."
As Ae-Cha watched in puzzlement, her eyes flicking back and forth between her mom and the stranger, Hei Ryung's face turned all sorts of interesting colors. "Take back your husband Hei Ryung," Rosie rumbled.
Moving on, Rosie recaptured Ae-Cha's attention, regaling her with stories about the mysteries and magic of the far lands over the sea. Ae-Cha listened raptly, all but leaning forward in her seat. Nor was she alone, as Hae-Won began peppering her with questions about the things she and her husband had seen.
As Rosie was finishing up the story of Finn's encounter with Lord Nit of the Corduroy Wastes, the driver announced that they'd arrived at the sea-shore. Ae-Cha was almost disappointed as the plush pillow put her off for the moment. "Work is waiting, Ae-Cha," said her mother. "Your father and brother are managing the affairs of the kingdom. We will manage the affairs of women."
In spite of her mother's admonishment, Ae-Cha was no less gawky and curious as they clambered out of the carriage. Strolling down to the sea, Roselinen drew the strange amulet her husband had given her from beneath her bodice. Dangling it over the waves, she breathed on it, as Finn had taught her. And then it was time to wait.
The guards and attendants laid out chairs for the four royals to sit on, though, after months of being confined to the palace during Nagumo's awful little war, Ae-Cha was far more interested in the water. Tea got laid out, and the older women settled in to chat, while Ae-Cha went down to the water's edge.
Sipping delicately from her cup, Roselinen remarked, "delicious..." "Is it true," asked Hae-Won? Her co-spouse gave her a warning look. Rosie responded, "is what true?" Pushing past prudence, Hae-Won asked, "that you're from another world? Is it true?"
Smiling, Rosie began the tale of how a burly, blonde-haired stranger with a very sharp blade fell almost literally into her village one afternoon. Hae-Won leaned forward in awestruck eagerness, as Rosie talked of her life in her old village. She talked of Finn's various adventures and how the lord of Woolsock had come to rely on Finn as his champion. Meanwhile, Ae-Cha frolicked near the water, occasionally dipping her toes in just to see how cold it was.
As Roselinen talked of her husband and son's first war, a strange shape rose from the waters, eliciting a shriek from Ae-Cha. The three older ladies spun in their chairs to face the water, as a mermaid crawled up on the beach.
Unlike the woman Bonnie described to Rosie, this one was slender, and she came dressed in long flowing robes. Her eyes were the color of sea-foam, and her hair was a deep violet, running to black under the pale winter sun. A golden circlet tied into her dark locks marked her not as the mere messenger that Roselinen had expected, but the woman she'd come to visit with.
Rising, Roselinen bowed to the stranger, who appeared to be considering her options here. "Be welcome, Your Highness," Roselinen announced. "Where is Finn," the Lady of the Sea demanded? "Dealing with the encumbrances of his rank," Rosie responded. Gesturing, she added, "we hadn't expected you to come in person, but we have a fourth chair..."
Muttering curses, the mermaid stared back out to sea. "You've come so far," Rosie suggested. "Come and visit." "And you are," Haryati demanded? "Roselinen," Rosie responded, "Second Wife of the King of Ooo." Those words—and the pitch of her voice—gave the mermaid pause. Rosie's blue eyes burned into hers. She'd begun lately to understand why some of the others called her rival 'Saint Simone' behind her back. It would take someone with a touch of holiness about her to put up with some of the antics of these wenches.
There was a shimmer of light, and then suddenly Haryati had legs—just as Rosie's daughter described it. Walking somewhat unsteadily, the stranger came up the beach. In spite of the way this woman behaved, Rosie was the soul of politeness, offering Haryati her arm, as she imagined Simone might have done.
On the far side of the world, Cass Antoine eased herself out of Prince Billy's arms. The big man was snoring softly. It had taken a little bit—a lot—of effort to get him to go down, but she'd done it. With a groan, Cass slipped out of bed and over to her goal. She'd used the strange object on a daily basis on the trip over from Port Rochelle, but she'd had to return it when the young prince woke up.
Slipping into the hall, Cass toggled the 'phone' on, finding that there were a number of messages waiting there. It was a disturbing sign that her fears were correct. Strange as it seemed, it was out of character for the pretty boy to go long periods without speaking with his honies.
A shiver of fear went through her as she realized that her actions brought risk—a lot of risk. They all know about each other, Cass, she reminded herself.
Blowing out a breath, the curvy pirate tapped the image she was most concerned with. The strange little machine began to purr. Moment by moment, the curvy pirate sweated it out, worrying at the response she'd get. Finally, the soft, high-pitched voice she recognized as Princess Ragnhild announced, "Bill?"
Blowing out a breath, Cass responded, "Captain Antoine. We get t'Stilt-Town, but there's a hitch." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "What kind of hitch, Captain," Ragnhild responded? In for a coin, Cass thought.
"Yo friend, Kate," Cass murmured. "She ain't here. She missin'. Seem like one o'd'sluts maybe do somethin' to her..." "Cameron," Ragnhild muttered. Cass shivered. This woman wasn't at all surprised by her words. This whole thing was getting far deeper than she'd signed on for. "What's been going on, Cassiopeia," Ragnhild murmured?
"We get here," Cass explained. "I take him right t'the Lady's house, like you said. Boys at the door won't let us in, until d'big mon push. We get upstairs and find d'slut runnin' d'place. Big mon say he kick her out on her ass. Look like it'd get to a fight, until I get him to go."
There was a sigh of utter relief on the other end of that tenuous connection. "Cameron's been angling to steal Kate's position," Ragnhild admitted. "I've been trying to call her for days, but got nothing." "She got one o'dese t'ings," Cass burbled? Ragnhild couldn't miss the note of wonder and worry in her voice.
"Is everything alright," Ragnhild asked? "I know you're in a spot, and we promised you..." "He gettin' worse," Cass admitted. "I... He... I tried t'get him t'call the minute we get t'dis hotel." "You're right to fear," Ragnhild admitted. "It's not like William to not call. If he's avoiding it, the entity may be helping that choice. How did you get the phone away from him?"
A shudder of fear went through the pirate-lord, and she twirled her finger in a lock of her dark hair in unconscious habit. "I... knock him out wit d'cookie," she admitted. Face gone warm, she said, "he go kinda' a lot, and d'jimmy broke in the middle."
Far from an angry reaction, the other woman murmured, "you'll be rewarded. We'll... if you don't want the child, we'll take care of it. Keep him occupied, Cassie. Now that I know where you are, I'll have soldiers on their way to come to you. The Grid-Face people will likely fly them down, so I need you to find a spot for them to land that's safe and dry. Can you do that?" "I'll see it done," Cass sighed.
"If you can, see if you can get into the Lady's Bower and retrieve Katherine's phone," Ragnhild advised. "Then you won't have to steal William's phone to contact us." Cass swallowed hard. That was very dangerous. At the same time, she was playing a game far more dangerous than pocketing a necklace. "Ok," she agreed. "I try t'call tomorrow. Can't say when..." "...do your best, Cassie," Ragnhild responded. "We'll be in touch."
The machine chirped, letting Cass know the connection was gone. Shaking her head and muttering curses, she went down the hall to the toilet. Coming back, she slipped inside and stood at the door in the darkness, listening. Still asleep, she thought. Putting the gadget back on the chest of drawers and plugging the electric lead in, she went and slipped back into bed.
"Cass," Bill burbled? "Went t'pee," she whispered. "Sleep now." Enfolding her in those ape-arms, the big man drew her close, put his head on her tits, and drifted off once more.
I had intended to post this last week, but ended up tearing it up and starting over. Thought I'd make it a little more spicy with some fan service. We'll see if Black Cass can keep the Ice Fiend at bay with the box until Thor can come collect Billy.