Countess of Desire (The Young Ancients Erotic Moments Book 1) (2 page)

Count Ward
smiled.

Maria looked at
him and put her right hand out, seeing the change of color that preceded a
combat rage. Her husband took a few deep breaths, collecting himself in time,
as she held her hand up toward Riven, getting him to go silent.

"Riven, I
don't think you know nearly as much on that topic as you might think. First,
Timon Baker is a Prince. Of Harmony, upon the Moon, but
not
a man to be
trifled with, even if he were a mere shop keeper or a miller. If you think that
any of us could survive a battle with him... I
suggest
you look at the
subject more closely. When he was twelve the most fearful assassin that has
ever lived was set upon him. A thing not even human,
nor
made of magic.
No one thought that he'd survive, but not only did he do that, he defeated that
same being in combat. Do not think he cannot reach you here either. The plague
that keeps the immortals from Earth is of
his
making, and will fade in
just a few years time."

Maria could see
that she wasn't having any impact on the man. He wasn't a fool, but the idea of
anyone being his equal on the battlefield, or in the bedroom, was simply beyond
him. That he was no more than decent in both areas was clear to
her
, but
that was part of her job, learning those kinds of thing.

It was her husband
that saw what the Baron was thinking, and laughed at him over it though.

It was an
affront, but a minor enough one that Riven would eat it.

He was about
seven feet tall, and lean, to the Count's nine feet and muscular frame. Plus,
the larger man was just a few moments from losing his composure, and going into
a combat rage. No one sane would have pushed for a fight given that.

"Plus, did
you note that even as a child, Nora Alan died at his hands? That Larval, a
being many times your strength and speed, was also taken with his help, as he
died from blood loss. Besides that, the true danger is not that he might take
offense and beat you for your insolence, which you fully deserve, but that he
might simply take away the magics he has lent us. You know, the ones that put
food on your own table each night? As for loving a cock up his ass... I have
not heard such at all. Not about
him
. Maria has mentioned that you enjoy
that kind of thing however?" The look he gave was direct, and still a bit
mean.

To his credit,
the Baron shrugged.

"At times.
I didn't mean to imply that Timon Baker was less for enjoying such, merely that
I might sway him with my charms."

That got a
small smile from the Count, and he managed to relax a bit then.

"Ah. Good
then. I'd feared you meant to insult him, using his trauma as a goad. I will
warn you of this though, do not seek him for challenge. Nor
any
of his
family, I would hazard. Not simply because it might be the last thing you would
do, either. It would
annoy
them, and I'd rather avoid that. We all owe
far too great a debt there to even hint at playing that way."

Wisely, Riven
bowed, first to his Count, and then to her. She didn't buy for a second that he
understood that these people could
all
kill him at need, including the
little girl, but he
did
comprehend debt, once it was pointed out to him.

"I
understand. Well, should I get back to begging, or just go and empty my coffers
in an attempt to make things right? I can't afford a war right now. I've been
putting nearly everything I have into the effort against the King."

Maria didn't
roll her eyes. Hiding that kind of thing from the spies would be wasted effort.
Still, a tiny bit of circumspection was useful, if only to keep habits solid.

Her husband
shook his head, slowly.

"Fix the
mess you made. I won't
order
it done, but it wasn't the best plan for
our people. I would rather we leave here friends." That was dangerous to
say, Maria knew.

Not about them
being friends, but suggesting so boldly that the Baron had made a dire mistake,
and needed to repair the damage done. That kind of thing could cause wars, and
had
.

Riven sucked in
a deep breath and let it out slowly. He'd
just
mentioned not wanting to
start a massive conflict and that left only asking for a duel. That, or being
sensible and realizing that Marvin hadn't ordered him to use all his coin to
fix things either. All he had to do was make it right as he saw fit.

"It will
be done." Then he bowed again, clearly expecting to be sent away.

Maria needed to
see what kind of message he might have, however. If that was a real thing. Honestly,
he probably wouldn't have anything all that important. Every piece of the
puzzle was useful however.

"Marvin,
would it be all right if I entertained Riven here for a while? I hate to be
indiscreet, but we should try to keep our friendships strong, do you not
believe?"

Her husband was
clearly torn then. On the one hand he would be wanting to put the Baron through
a wall, for insulting a friend of theirs. On the other, he
did
love his
wife, and tended to defer to her in matters of sex.

"Fine.
Perhaps I should come and join you? Test out how fond you actually are of
having things in your... behind?" He practically glared at the Baron, who
bowed back then. It wasn't said in a way to engender the idea that anyone would
be enjoying themselves when the act took place either. There was no sense of
flirtation. No soft eyes or tilted head to make it seem playful or sexy.

It was a bit
threatening, which was a thing that Maria understood. Marvin was almost
jealously protective of the Baker family, after all.

The Baron
Kleptor wasn't all that happy with the invitation at the moment, but you didn't
really tell a Count that he
couldn't
use your behind if he wanted.
Especially if you were on his list of people he wished to do without that day. It
might not be politic for a friendly and kind man such as Count Ward to simply
kill the man, or proclaim a war over the insults given, but that didn't mean he
couldn't do those things. Or
worse
. In fact it was well within his
traditional rights.

The fellow was
clearly feeling less than good about the idea, but opened his mouth to accept
anyway. No matter how large Count Ward was, once his trousers were off, the man
was both attractive, and the Count. It made a difference in how people were
allowed to respond.

"I'd love
that-"

Marvin shook
his head, but made his face look happy enough. That he wasn't feeling it was
clear to his wife, if not the slightly upset Riven.

"Except
that I have another appointment in a few moments, and will have to beg your
leave, I fear. Perhaps some other time? I'm certain that Maria will be able to
service you well enough that way for now? She has a marvelous collection of
toys. Some of them will be well suited for you, no doubt?"

That was true,
and she smiled herself, thinking about it. After all, she really
did
have a wonderful collection of such things, and while she used them regularly,
it was actually a bit rare that someone as known to her as Riven would allow
her to use them all on him.

Because she had
too many for one person to really stand that kind of treatment. She winked at
him, which got a soft smile in return, even if he was a bit scared that Marvin
was about to order him functionally ruined. Too big a tool used on their hind
end would do that to a person, after all.

Luckily for the
Baron, her husband
was
a kind man. One of the best in the entire land.
Possibly any land.

She stood, her
blue gown a bit confining around the legs. It had ten under layers, making the
bottom of it push out alluringly. If it had been real the whole thing would
have been too much of a difficulty for her on a warm summer day. It was
however, made of magic. It felt real, and could be reshaped with a thought, but
the whole thing didn't really exist, for all that. It always left her feeling a
bit naughty, when she considered it. No one else saw it, but it was like she
was going to very serious and formal meetings naked. Under her clothing. With a
single thought that could be made to happen too.

Or
she
could shift the seeming, solid and real as it looked and felt, into any costume
she could imagine. Maria smiled a bit, pretending that it was all for her old
friend, Riven. Not that she was
that
interested in the idea of fucking
him at the moment.

The man had
gotten several of his own people killed, by starving them to death slowly. Just
to make a profit off of them that he shouldn't have even considered trying for.
There were men and women all over the Kingdom that were well known for their
cruelty toward their own people that had given the food and aid from Harmony
out freely. That this man hadn't...

Well, she just
hoped that the rebellion was about over, so she could cut him off from her bed
chamber. He wasn't foul or unpleasant that way, but this had created a rift
between them that she really wasn't able to clearly express to him in the
moment. Worse, in a few minutes she'd probably have to service the man, to make
him feel better about the whole thing. Otherwise he might think that withholding
the information he had would be a good idea. To try and punish her for scolding
him like she had.

She did her
best to give him a look that promised a lot more than just a few kisses, even
as her Count scowled at the man, still being very close to simply killing him.
Too
close. It was a part of being a noble, dealing with the combat rage of others
at times, but the state of murderous rage and the physical and mental powers
that came with it could certainly make a mess of things, if not handled
correctly.

In the moment
that meant leaving her husband alone, to seek some quiet place, undisturbed.
That he was willing to do that when the need arose was another sign of how good
a man he was. Many just did whatever they felt like, if they had enough power.

"Very well,
Baron Klepter, would you perhaps come with me then?" She moved fluidly,
using all the grace she could muster, and took him very gently by the arm as
she removed him from the marble chamber. The rest of the villa was done in warm
colors, and had lovely polished surfaces everywhere one looked. This meeting
place was stark by comparison. A cold room meant to remind one of a mausoleum.
That wasn't an accident either.

When all you
really had as a weapon was death, or the threat of it, a gentle reminder could
go a long way.

For the time
being however, Maria just brushed gently at her lovely blonde hair, and got the
idiot with her out of the room. He was much taller than she was, but, she
thought, Riven actually had enough going on in his head to understand that not
being in her husband's presence at the moment was a
fine
idea.

The trip to her
entertainment room, a separate place than where she slept most nights, took
about five minutes. The Villa was as large as King Richard's own palace, after
all. It was actually
larger
, but even if you were in rebellion, it
wasn't considered to be in good taste to mention that sort of thing. The
monarch wasn't half as vain or foolish that way as some nobles were, but there
was no particular use in pushing him in foolish or petty matters either.

The room she
guided Riven to was familiar enough to him. He'd come to visit with her at
least twenty times over the last years, and they'd done almost everything that
a man and woman could do without getting into things that even she thought of
as distasteful. Her mouth had touched every portion of his body, except for the
back of his elbows, she was almost certain. His had done very similar things on
her body, so it wasn't just her being used for her skills and looks at least.
That
wouldn't
have worked for her. She was a Countess, and while she was
willing to make certain her friends had a good time, that had to be a two way
street, or else what was the point?

Riven relaxed
greatly when she turned and shut the heavy door. The room had very thick walls,
made to hold sound well enough. As he started to speak, she held a delicate
finger to her red lips.

"Let’s
move to the bed?" Her words came out in a husky tone that would signal
most men as to what was coming. Without pause she tapped at the front of her
gown, focusing hard to turn off the amulet underneath the appearance of cloth.

Not everyone
could do that kind of thing, but she'd practiced, having seen it done by
several Wizards that she'd met. It wasn't as interesting as if she could have
managed it without making the physical motion, but Riven was impressed enough,
she thought. Most would have had to take the amulet out and physically hit it,
to make anything happen like that.

Then, he wasn't
really paying attention to how she'd gotten naked, was he?

No, his eyes
lingered on her. A form he may have seen before, but one that was, she knew,
worth taking in. Her nipples, a soft brown color, hardened under his gaze. It
showed arousal, which at the moment she hadn't been certain she could manage
for him. There it was however. A man looking at her like that got her body to
start responding, without hesitation. Even if she was halfway to livid about
what he’d done.

She'd always
been like that. Even as a young woman, she'd loved to be looked at. To be
touched gently. Caressed, and then taken. It didn't even matter to her how that
last bit happened. As long as it didn't hurt too much, Maria always felt
herself ready.

Reaching to her
own soft breast, which was of better than middling size, if not huge, she felt
herself, and stroked around the hardened point so gently the flesh barely
moved. The sensation was intense however, making her whole body respond.