QueensQuest (7 page)

He pulled it out of my reach. “Let me show you. Rumor tells
me that women of the Shadowlands enjoy this kind of gift, and I will enjoy
knowing that you wear it.” He tugged apart the drawstring at the pouch’s top
and upended it above his cupped palm. A stream of molten gold spilled forth,
resolving into a fine chain, nearly three feet long.

Puzzled, I took it out of his hand and held it up to examine
it by the light of the torches lining the marble terrace. The chain had little
scissorlike appendages at each end, each maybe the size of my thumbnail. The
scissors had curved blades that weren’t sharp but were lined with tiny seed
pearls, leaving a circular gap in the center perhaps the size of a baby pea.
The ends were curlicued to wrap around each other.

I raised my brows at Storne.

“Allow me.” But he didn’t take the chain, instead reaching
for my bodice.

I gasped and jerked away. “Sir, you presume too much.”

“Do I?” He paced the length of the terrace, then returned.
“Audryn, there is only one sure test of our ability to rule together, and this
mating is a radical step neither of us can take without some…experimentation. I
know you approach your seventeenth starturn, and you have sworn to crown your
king on that day.”

My jaw tightened. “Your spies are most effective.”

“Thus time grows short. Please.” He reached for me again and
this time I did not resist. He was right. Besides, I wanted him to touch me
intimately. Though his hands were rough, he handled my breasts with tenderness,
lifting them above the gown and away from the corset’s confinement, resting
them atop my lace-trimmed neckline. Cool air washed my breasts, a delightful
sensation. My nipples wrinkled. He passed a hand over the mounded flesh, traced
one curved pink areola’s edge. Need flared through me and my pussy dampened
anew.

He smiled. “I suppose that I will have to learn to enjoy the
public sex that your customs demand. And I may as well begin…now.” He slid an
arm around me and bent his head to kiss first one nipple and then the other,
licking around the areola, sucking to lengthen the tips until they were hard
and distended.

He gripped my left one between his teeth and gave it a sharp
little nip. I gasped, “Storne!”

“Did that hurt?”

“A little.”

He rubbed his lips over the tiny pain he’d caused, and the
sting dissolved into a haze of pleasure. He took one of the scissorlike
appendages and opened the clasp, then closed it around my swollen nipple.

The tiny pearls gripped the very tip of my breast, lighting
a spark of need that zipped to my pussy. I rested my face against his chest,
breathing deeply in a vain attempt to control my reaction. I felt heat in my
cheeks and the softness of his velvet doublet, my pulsing clit…an array of
dizzying sensations.

He dropped the chain and the slight weight tugging on my
nipple built my pussy’s spark into a fire. He lifted my right breast higher and
pinched my nipple, kissed and licked the tip. When it also swelled, he fastened
the other clip to it. The fire roared into a blaze and I grabbed his shoulders,
flinging back my head. He laid a trail of kisses across my bare chest, up to my
throat, along my jawline before he reached my lips.

This time he took my mouth with a commanding kiss, holding
me so tightly that I could feel the embroidery on his doublet abrading my naked
breasts. My captured nipples rubbed across velvet, scraped across silver
thread. I tore my lips away from his and I cried out, heedless of the warriors
and servants below. I cared for nothing but the man who held me in his arms,
who had claimed me when he chained my breasts, took my mouth.

He released me and looked down. My chest rose and fell with
my heavy breaths, my breasts swaying with each pant. My imprisoned nipples, wet
and puckered, gleamed in the torchlight. The gold and pearl clamps glowed. He
tugged on the chain. Passion and need tore through my body. A shaky moan
slipped from my throat.

Behind us, the doors opened. “Your Majesty?” Rall’s voice.

“Yes, Rall. We’re coming.” I managed another, deeper breath.
My breasts thrust forward and a new wave of intense pleasure radiated from my
nipples.

Storne smiled at me and, reaching for my bodice, pulled my
clothes away from my chest. My breasts dropped into their accustomed places.
Still smiling, still contained and composed, he slid a hand inside and
rearranged chemise, corset, gown and breasts, then lifted the chain over my
head and crossed it. When he set the far loop around my neck, it looked like a
necklace with the pendant hidden beneath the folds of my gown.

We kissed again, a tender meeting of lips, a gentle
exploration. I sank into his arms, allowing myself to relax into his embrace.
He was much taller than any of my previous lovers, and the difference was
stark. When Storne held me, I felt truly enclosed and enveloped. Not imprisoned
or trapped, but surrounded by his masculine power in a very pleasurable way.

I held his elbow as we walked to the Great Banqueting Hall,
meeting Kaldir and his retainers outside. Smiling at Kaldir, I took his hand,
and the three of us paraded onto the dais at the head of the room.

Dinner passed in a delirium of desire so intense it bordered
on pain. I was surrounded by two seductive, attentive swains, for Storne sat
next to me with Kaldir on my other side, and occasionally one or the other
would brush against me. Each time, my body reacted. When I moved, my clothes
shifted and the clamps stirred also. The multitude of tiny tugs on my
increasingly sensitive nipples slowly drove me insane with lust.

Our conversation was dominated by a discussion of the Royal
Progress. Both Storne and Kaldir professed eagerness, but I was sure that
Kaldir was disappointed that Storne had arrived soon enough to join the
expedition. And I guessed that Storne would have preferred that Kaldir simply
leave so he, Storne, could continue seducing me without interference. I was
delighted that they saw each other as rivals, for an alliance between them
would doom the Shadowlands.

Though I had not been trained to occupy the throne, I
blessed my education as a royal, for maintaining my part in the conversation
took every shred of discipline I had acquired. I agreed that we should leave in
about two weeks, which would allow enough time to arrange all our delegations.
I also stated that Storne’s warriors might appreciate a rest between journeys,
an idea he found quite humorous.

Finally the last sweetmeat had been nibbled and the last
goblet of wine drained. We accompanied Kaldir and his entourage to their suite.
Then I headed toward the wing in which I’d ordered the DarkDwellers housed,
with Storne, his retainers and warriors following him, and my guards, ladies
and Maia following me.

Storne opened the double doors to his wing and gestured his
warriors in. Two assumed positions outside his quarters. He said to me, “I’ll
walk you to your rooms.”

One of his guards stepped forward as if to follow, and with
an impatient wave of his hand, Storne ordered the guard back to his place. “I
trow that the castle is safe,” he said, smiling.

“From some kinds of attack, but not others,” I murmured as
we walked toward my chambers, my hand on his elbow.

“Will you wear my gift through the night?” His voice was
conversational but low enough that the servants couldn’t hear our flirtation.

“No, for I wish to sleep. I find it most…distracting.”

His eyes gleamed in the light of the flambeaux lining the
corridor. “Good. May I take it off you tonight?”

I glanced behind me to see Maia, Rall, Parron, Frayn,
Geoman, Mercourie and a host of others trailing in our wake. “Perhaps that can
be arranged.”

“Is your life always so crowded?”

“Yes, since I became queen. It is apparently a consequence
of my position, though I do not think our retainers were so protective of my
parents. They mean me no harm, of course. I did assume the throne quite young.”

His angular face softened. “I understand their anxiety. If
you become mine, I will concern myself with your safety every moment of every
day.”

“There is no need. As you told your guard, this castle is
safe, despite my warriors’ concern about our many foreign guests.”

He tilted his head. “That is a thought. Since we are inside
the castle already, we could seize it with ease.”

I glared at him.

“But that would be poor repayment of your hospitality. Worry
not, Queen Audryn.” He took my hand. “I plan to conquer you by gentler means.”

At my chambers, guards opened the double doors. We entered
and I kept everyone else out with a gesture. When the doors closed behind us, I
leaned against them with a sigh and closed my eyes.

His finger traced the curve of my cheek. “Long day?”

I nodded wordlessly and he said, “I won’t keep you late.” He
caressed my lips with his and I hummed with pleasure. His hands settled at my
waist and squeezed, then stroked up toward my bodice. He again reached into my
gown and lifted my breasts free.

I eased my mouth away from his to inhale a quivery breath,
gripping his doublet at the sides. He gently unclipped my left nipple and,
bending his head, covered it with his tongue, laving the beaded, aching point
with tender strokes.

Kissing my mouth, he eased me back against the door so his
codpiece thrust at my pussy through the thin satin gown. I drew his hips into
mine, spreading my legs so he lodged into my notch. He ground into me back and
forth. His cod caressed my clit through my gown and chemise as we kissed, our
lips and tongues tangling delightfully.

Moisture dampened my body as passion grew. Storne reached
for my right breast and released it. The sudden rush of blood to the nipple
flooded me with renewed craving for completion. He covered my breast with his
hand, squeezing the globe, rotating it until I pressed it more fully into his
palm and groaned with need.

“Until tomorrow, my queen.”

His whisper sounded in my ear throughout all my dreams.

The next morning, I was awakened by the crash of boots on my
chamber’s stone floor. Tense, I jerked upright in bed.

Storne was dusting himself off beneath the dark gap of a
ventilation shaft.

“How did you get through there?” I demanded.

“Good morning to you, too. Sleep well?”

I ignored his courtesy. “Explain yourself.”

He grinned at me. “The tunnel was a tight fit, but these
clothes helped.” He was clad entirely in gray leather, so smooth it appeared
shiny and slippery.

“How did you know about the tunnels? They are a secret.”

He lifted his brows. “It’s a poor secret that’s revealed for
all to see.”

“Most people do not notice them.”

“I’m not most people.” He sat on my bed. “I’m a warrior, and
always watchful. When I saw that the ventilation shaft in my room was large
enough for a slender person to wiggle through, I went exploring. I discovered a
false back on my wardrobe and an entire warren of secret halls throughout this
castle. As I said, Castle Remarck is an admirable stronghold, the most secure
and complex on Janus.”

“Our legends say it is quite old, predating the Progenitors.
Generations of rulers have added to its secrets.”

“May I presume you are familiar with those secrets?”

“You presume correctly.” I leaned back into my pillows and
regarded him. “I shall either have to marry you or kill you. You already know
too much.”

He hooted with laughter before giving me a quick but
friendly buss on the lips. “Did you sleep well?”

I stretched my arms above my head, enjoying the way his eyes
tracked my nipples as they poked the cream-colored silk sheet. “Yes, I did.” After
I had brought myself off.

He looked disappointed. “I had hoped you thought about me
all night.”

I smiled. “I dreamed of you instead.”

“Let me see your lovely breasts.” He twitched at the sheet,
and I allowed it to fall.

“Rosy crests with bright red tips. Are you sore this
morning?”

“A bit.”

“I can help.” He covered one breast then the other with
gentle kisses.

I slid my fingers into his dark, soft hair, which this
morning was tied at the nape with a gray leather strip. I pulled it out and
tossed it aside. He stretched full length atop me, with the sheet saving my
dubious chastity.

If I didn’t distract myself and Storne, the decision would
be made based on lust, not policy. “Have you offspring?” I asked.

Another shout of laughter. “Offspring? I do love the way you
talk. I have sons, yes.” He sat up.

“How many? Where are they?”

“Two, aged five and seven. They live with their mothers in
our clan fortress, FireMountain Keep.”

“Your women, they will not mind if we marry?”

“No. They live together already, you see? Without jealousy.
Continuing the clan is more important. And they expect me to marry for
political advantage.”

I stroked the sigil worked in silver over the left breast of
his gray leather tunic. “The oak and the mountain—they are clan symbols?”

“Symbols rather of Darksider nobility. FireMountain is one
of the oldest Darksider clans. Tradition says that after the Progenitors left,
maybe a century passed before disputes rose between the descendants of the
Terrans who survived the rigors of Janus, so different from their homeworld. My
ancestors chose a freer life on the near reaches of Janus’ darkside, and were
later joined by other renegades and malcontents.” He poked me in the side. “You
softer folk remained to enjoy the comforts of the Shadowlands.”

“Why the firemountain as your symbol?”

“Life on Darkside is hard.” His tone was somber. “The
volcanoes give us life and warmth. Using their heat, we melt ice for water. We
also mine jewels and minerals so we can trade for food. We could not survive
without the firemountains, and our ancestors first settled near one. Thus our
symbol.”

“What of your clan’s keep?”

“Its walls enclose a spring of water heated by a volcano,
which is the reason the location was picked. It is simple, a turret where we
live and stables for animals. The retaining wall encloses livestock and some
meager crops.”

“Where does the King, your father, live?”

“Currently he abides at the Darksider capital.”

“Forde Castle, near the EastMarch.”

“Yes, and that is situated on the river that forms the main
trade route between your land and mine.”

“So the King of Darkness always controls the route and the
ford crossing it.”

“Exactly.” He leaned back on his elbows. “If we are not
going to make love, how about breakfast?”

I tugged at the bellpull, and Maia entered. She stiffened
when she saw Storne. Then her gaze went to the ventilation shaft.

“Yes,” he said to her. “It is a weakness in this castle’s
defenses.”

“A hot infusion and pastries, please, Maia.” I slid out of
bed and reached for my robe. I could not help noticing that Storne’s stare was
planted on my bush. I wrapped the robe around my body and tied its sash
securely. ’Twas of warm, soft wool combined with WestMarch silk in a pale but
cheerful yellow. My parents had given it to me, and I loved it.

I shoved my feet into matching slippers and led Storne to a
round glass table near a window overlooking the palace gardens. Only one of our
moons had risen, and its soft, silvery glow edged the lawns and leaves.

While we ate, we continued to talk. I told Storne that
Kaldir wanted to negotiate new trade agreements, figuring that I was not
breaching a confidence. The DesertDwellers’ intentions could not be kept
secret, or they would never be fulfilled. For his part, Storne asked me,
“What’s the real reason you’re going to Lightside?”

I stared at him but said, “As I indicated last night, I
still consider Kaldir an aspirant for my hand. I wish to see his lands before
making a commitment.”

He propped an elbow on the table and searched my face. “You
Shadowlanders are always in the midst of an intrigue.”

I pressed my lips together.

“I could help you. Did you think of that?”

I remembered something that Geoman had said.
Storne is a
master of warfare. If the Children of Light conceal any military secrets, he
will worry them forth.
And ensuring Storne as a secret ally might keep him
from covertly aligning with Kaldir. “We suspect that the Lightsiders have
technology that they aren’t sharing. We are concerned that the technology could
endanger us if used improperly.”

“Weapons.”

“Perhaps. We don’t know. But the situation is perfect for
exploring their citadels.” I shrugged. “Kaldir was not in a position to deny me
this request.”

“How did you persuade him to allow me to accompany you?”

“Persuade him? Ha. He wanted you to come.”

“Why? If he truly wants to marry you, he wouldn’t want me
around.”

“He feared your anger if we left without you. He did not
wish to provoke you.”

A slow smile, one that was not entirely pleasant, spread
across Storne’s face. “He’s a very intelligent man.”

“Should I be afraid of you?”

“No.”

“What if I refuse your suit?”

He looked untroubled by the possibility. “Two reasonable
people can always work something out.”

I wondered what he really wanted. “What something might that
be?”

He shrugged. “Politically and economically, the usual. A
mutually advantageous division of the EastMarch. Reasonable tolls on the trade
routes between Dark and Light through Shadow. Fair prices for Shadowland goods
that we need for our survival.”

“Were our lands married, these would cease to be issues,” I
said with some wariness. The non-allocation of the Marches to either side was
not negotiable.

“True. But our spies tell us that the Children of Light will
go to tremendous lengths to prevent the union of Darkness and Shadow. I am sure
you have already concluded that we would control two-thirds of Janus and all of
its most useful lands. There is little in the desert of interest.”

“That remains to be discovered.” I frowned. “Kaldir has said
nothing of this.”

“Did you think he would be obvious?”

“Of course not, but I pride myself on my reading of
character.” Rising, I paced. “Perhaps that is why he wanted you to accompany us
on our Royal Progress to his lands. You would be in his power.”

Storne rose to join me at the window. “As would you.”

I glanced at his face, still serene and untroubled.
“Everyone has a plot,” I said.

He nodded. “Everyone has their separate plots and plans,
separate intentions.” He took my shoulders. “Let’s ensure that our plots and
plans don’t conflict. Agreed?”

I thought of Storne’s reputation, Kaldir’s fear and Geoman’s
opinion, which I prized. “Agreed.”

* * * * *

Morning meeting with the Ten Ministers was dominated by
discussion of the impending Royal Progress. I appointed Lady Mercourie to
oversee the arrangements and travel with us. I also told her to work closely
with Lord Parlous regarding security. I selected Geoman, Caducia and Kloutt as
a triumvirate to manage matters in my absence, but told Mercourie to send word
throughout my kingdom that I would be holding Open Court in my southern keep
for several days while the Progress visited. I made sure that the Ten
understood that I was queen and I ruled wherever I happened to be.

I told Frayn he would accompany us, believing in the old
Terran proverb,
keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
I knew
he would not resist a direct command. Plus, I wagered that Frayn still
cherished hopes that he would ascend the Throne by my side. I fueled his
mistaken belief with subtle flirtatious glances, for I feared his reaction when
I did, finally, choose. I did not trust him to calmly acquiesce to my marriage
to another, for he had schemed to win my approval and the Throne for too long.
Leaving his father behind split my rivals, and I trusted Geoman and Caducia to
foil any plots Kloutt might hatch in my absence.

The discussion distracted the Ten from inquiring about my
reaction to Storne, which was what I had planned. I did not know what to tell
them. I was too deeply attracted to Storne to trust my judgment. My intuition
told me that he was trustworthy, but I could be wrong. My instincts told me
that he would rule wisely, but again I could be wrong.

Though proof of his seed’s potency was essential, what of
his sons? Would he favor them over any progeny we might produce? If we were not
fortunate enough to have children, would he attempt to insert one of his sons
onto Shadow’s Golden Throne when that position rightfully should go to Kloutt
or Frayn?

That evening, the object of my worries entered my chambers
while Maia was still shaving me before dinner. Naked, I lay on the golden
velvet settee, hips lifted by the bolster and my legs spread. She had set her
shaving implements nearby—the soap and brush, a basin of water, cloths.

Damn him. Not only was I unable to learn all of Maia’s
observations of that day, but Storne had caught me in an unclad, unprepared
state while he was perfectly groomed and attired, tonight in forest-green. His
smirk told me that he enjoyed my discomfiture.

“Leave us,” he told Maia, who dropped the razor and obeyed
without question.

My mouth fell open. Not only was I staggered by his
arrogance, but Maia’s conduct shocked me even though I knew she approved of
him. This intrusion called for a stronger reaction from my guardian of many
years. She was fierce in my defense, and I would not have been surprised if she
had slashed him with the razor.

I raised myself on one elbow, trying not to show my
discomfort. “She wasn’t done,” I said.

“I’ll finish for her.” He kneeled beside me and our faces
were close enough for a kiss. But we didn’t. Instead we regarded each other.
His gray eyes were unfathomable, his features calm. He picked up the shaving
brush and stroked foam over my mound, covering it.

My heartbeat quickened. “I prefer only my labia shaved.” My
voice was high and raw from tension.

“Why stop there?” He set down the brush.

I wetted my lips, wondering how far I could go with him.
“Are naked pussies the norm in your land?”

He didn’t twitch so much as an eyelash but took the razor.
“No,” he said. “Our women are far less conscious of their appearance.”

“Is that a criticism?”

“Oh, no. You are the Queen of Shadow. Your appearance is
crucial.”

As he reached toward me, razor in hand, I asked, “Why should
I allow you to do this?”

He looked me in the eyes. “Because it’s sexy.”

I sucked in a breath. Air hissed through my teeth.

“Because I want to touch your pussy.”

My heart pounded so fiercely that my left breast trembled
with each beat.

“And you want me to.”

“Yes,” I said.

By that one word, I implied surrender, and Storne took it as
such. He pressed his free palm to my belly above my mound, tightening the
flesh, then carefully set the razor to my muff. He drew it down through the
foam and hair, then rinsed it in the basin. Two more long strokes, and most of
the blond curls were gone. Then he used short, quick scrapes to completely
divest me of all hairs.

“I’m going to look like a little girl.”

He set down the razor. “No. You have a woman’s proud,
beautiful flesh.” He wiped away the loose hairs, took my clitoris between two
fingers and rubbed. Slick with soap, it swelled, and I cried out. He did not
stop and I didn’t want him to. He played with me, exploring every fold, running
his strong fingers along my labia on each side of my clit.

Pleasure charged through me. Close to climax, I cupped my
breasts and pinched my nipples, moaning. He backed off to massage my thighs,
then returned to toy with my slit, parting the tender opening and probing my
tight channel until I panted and writhed, my hips jerking.