Ein and Rinis started to get out of the Citadel more as Kaarthen grew larger. Princess Ruegin was only too happy to spend the day with them as they went into the city and bathed in the heated waters in the Red Temple.

As Kaarthen’s bored mind rode along with them, and reveled in their surroundings, they sat talking about the issues the Princess had to address. Around them, nude women and others in bead skirts, or diaphanous shawls lounged in the bathing area decorated in red velvet and gold rope.

Women of high class gathered socially in the temple. Few were present to celebrate their menses. Most were avoiding the world getting massages, sleeping, or talking quietly. Novices went around offering oil, and refreshments as everyone relaxed with a heavy sheen of oil glistening over their bodies.

As Princess Ruegin spoke, she had a novice on her shoulder’s rubbing away her stress. Princess Nossin sat in the waters across from them quietly enjoying herself. Her Hjordis sat deeper in the waters next to her and seemed to relax with her head back and eyes closed. At her shoulder were her sword and dagger. Princess Ruegin’s Hjordis stood separately fully clothed, and walked around the sunken tub. Both were ready at a moment’s notice.

“I just picked out where I’ll go to lead when my sister has the crown.” Princess Ruegin remarked absently.

“Where will you go?”

“As a Duchess, and heir apparent until my sister has her daughter, I will get a large but fairly distant area to govern. I’m thinking of a colony out in the Western sea.”

“How are Menthino’s colonies?”

“A waste. We got them signed over in a treaty, but Lord Panthi has problems with the idea of extending ourselves in that direction. As it is we allow the natives too much free reign. I went once with Princess Saliss.” Princess Ruegin laid her head back and closed her eyes. “The locals are just some silly pygmies. They revolted, and I had to wipe out a village along the coast. I almost lost a whole patrol of Battlemaidens to the little monkeys.” She sighed.

“I didn’t get any sleep last time I was there as I moved against their little insurgency. When I get ashore, I’m sure they’ll lay down their arms rather than resume the nightmare. I will bring each and everyone of them to the bosom of the dark mother myself if I have too. If they don’t come to my merciful hand, it’ll be an interesting few years at first. Lord Panthi has ways of bringing terror to large populations. I read of a few methods I want to try…”

“If you go out west to the Colony Islands won’t you be right next to Sellis?” Ein asked slowly.

“Yes, but don’t worry about that. I have started to keep an eye on that budding empire. One day it’ll have a King, and I might be in a position to capitalize…” Princess Ruegin remarked. “In fact I am in talks about heading over to Munklin…Their Crown prince is dead, and the Royals are quite old already. If I started there then Sellis would fall the day Monto takes the crown.”

“No less than what he deserves,” Ein giggled. “You will be an excellent Queen, and I would love to see it happen.”

Two women entered the Temple then. One was shorter than average, and dressed matronly. She appeared to be the dame of a house, and wore her slightly grayed hair in a bun. Behind her was a tall slender dark haired woman wearing a hooded robe opened to show her naked body.

The one in front led her by a wispy chain wrapped around the other woman’s neck. Only an occasional glint of light told people watching that it was there. Just as the attention on them in the room reached its peak, the two stopped.

Various hisses went up around the room as the noblewomen recognized their peer.

“Lady Sepremset…” Princess Ruegin noted raising herself up in the water till her pink nipples came up to get a good view as the room gathered tighter around the exhibition. “Oh isn’t this delicious.”

Left exposed in the room, the pale brunette Lady Sepremset, shivered lightly under the gazes of the women. After a moment of humiliation, Lady Sepremset was pushed down low till she sat back on her knees. Though her eyes protested, she was pulled forward into the bush of the older woman who grinned down at her with mischievous eyes. Keeping the chain taut the older woman rode her face till her body started to sweat, and her neck, chest, and back flushed red. Backing off slightly, she knocked the slender woman over to lay back, and quickly rubbed her bud over her as she spread open her flower, and stood over her supine body.

Finally, the older woman gave a choked gasp over her silent partner as her pussy gushed onto her. Around the room, several other nearly naked women were masturbating from the display. Not all had just lust in their hearts.

As the first woman stepped back, another moved in and came to a wet climax just as she stepped over the unresisting form of Lady Sepremset. Again and again, the oiled semi-naked beautiful noblewomen roused themselves to orgasm and doused the prone brunette’s slim pale body from head to toe. Some women coming back for more pulled her face up and used her head to grind against until they could cum again.

Satiated the room full of women ignored her and returned to lounging around, and enjoying the food, drink, and massages the temple offered. Mara pulled up her charge, and pulled her to the cold cleaning waters that ran through the center of the purity room like a shallow indoor river.

###########

In an elegant room on the fifth floor, two Amazons were wound tight into each other. One was heavy limbed, large breasted, with light hair. The other was dark haired and more toned. They squirmed into each other with abandon.

Neither noticed the door open, nor, when a tall elegant woman in yellow robes entered. Her face belied her age. She was mature, people would look at her and see a woman in the grey area of maturity. Where a woman with just a few wrinkles can dance across several decades of age.

She sat herself in a chair on an expensive rug near the fireplace. She even turned the chair to face the foot of the bed. The room’s windows covered the entire wall to her right. Undoubtedly, a balcony was out there too but it was to cold for that nonsense. The women writhing on the bed looked pale in the grey light of the cloudy day. She looked closer noting their lack of sweat and generally calm attitude as they played with each other.

The pair seemed illuminated by the light on the poster bed. The dark wooded furniture and heavy dark winter blankets contrasted with their pale bodies. She decided she’d be here all day if the two were even going to stop after or if they climaxed.

The woman cleared her throat loudly.

First one, then the other noticed her. “What do you want Janis?” The silver haired woman demanded. Her lover looked more quizzical than angry.

“You didn’t miss anything.” The woman remarked snidely. “You two need to be ready to move. You’re going to be traveling soon.”

“Aren’t we leaving with you?” The black haired woman asked.

“Not anymore. You’re going east soon.” The woman stood. “I would encourage you two to find a traveling temple or gather some adventurers for your trip.” She placed a money pouch and a hand sized gold plate on her seat. “Do not be afraid, you are spear mistresses now.” She turned and left quietly.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Days turned to weeks in the long winter. Babies were delivered, it became the season of children in the tower. In a room in the upper tower, Marcos lounged with Kaarthen and several other pregnant women. In his arms, he held Eist, the baby Aliss had given birth to recently. Aliss sat in the back of the room with her pregnant mother Salenne. The two tittered and cooed quietly over the bulging stomach of Salenne. Most women in the tower revered pregnancy as the highest form of existence. The goddess nestled in Kaarthen whole heartedly approved.

As the room quietly enjoyed the day, Augussi entered the room and crossed over to him. “Master?”

Marcos was brought out of a daze. “Hmm?” he looked up and regarded her violet hair, and hazel gold eyes. Her bronze tan had lightened a bit over the winter, and her purple hair wasn’t sun bleached to a lavender color. Overall she looked different, and slightly darker.

“A petition from Pessilberg.” She said showing her note. It was elaborately sealed and stamped with black and gold ribbon under a yellow wax crest.

“Read it.” Marcos grumbled and adjusted himself in his chair.

She removed the seal then flipped it open. “Marcos : Information recently obtained, indicate, issues with the court in Lafaust. Our ring of informants has reported a rumor that the Crown prince is under undo influence from his mother. I request this is resolved before his coronation.”

“Bitch.” Marcos spat. The baby stirred but stayed quiet while watching him intently.

Kaarthen hissed from behind him snacking on huge Virgilian grapes. They were juicy, seeded, and deep purple in color. She hadn’t yet harvested yet from her vineyard so she had been making transmutations from regular grapes for the women to sample. It turned out to be wonderful practice for using magic. “When is the coronation?” She asked.

Dulia stepped into the room as she spoke. In her hand, she held another larger sheet and handed it to Augussi. She replied as Augussi read the papers. “By law, it is within three weeks of the King’s death. The ceremony for the Immortal crown is done here in Mavvus.”

“I don’t want to go into Lafaust. I hate cold weather.” Marcos grumbled. “How long does the king have?”

Dulia responded while moving to the window looking out into the overcast day of mid winter. “Months, maybe weeks. He is assisted getting around but now he mostly stayed in quarters. He is declining rapidly.” She looked out at the city. It hadn’t yet snowed enough to stick. Mavvus was a somber grey under the winter clouds, and the palace grounds were subdued. With most activities taking place underground, or in the huge buildings bulwarks, only a few servants, and stable boys had reason to be out.

“He’s only sixty something.” Marcos pouted. “That’s pretty early for them.”

“Eighty two, Master. He will be eighty-three in a week after the new years.” Dulia corrected. She turned to him from the window. “We have known of the situation for some time now Master. We can kill the woman before she continues to subjugate him any further.”

Marcos snorted quietly and rocked the baby. “Incest isn’t a big issue for nobles. There isn’t much of a scandal if it blows up.”

Dulia pushed. “His mother? She is from the principalities in the east. The Scorrs, I believe. People are sensitive to knowing undue influence is on our Crown from a foreigner. The Principalities have a long history of manipulation for power. It is best not to allow Mavvus to get a taste of their style of intrigue. Besides, at twenty six and unmarried, he will only cause more scandal if this continues.”

“I am sensitive to sexual issues. If he is happy, we can’t ruin it because she ‘shouldn’t’ be fucking him.” Marcos leaned back rocking the baby and looking at its already manifest beauty. “Love is a fickle thing. He will want what we try to deny him.”

Augussi cleared her throat and spoke up. “Then when?”

Marcos inhaled and spoke quietly as if afraid the walls would hear. “After the King dies, poison her, and let them be burned together. It will give our diplomats a clean break in dealing with the Principalities. Bards will sing of legendary love of the two. I assume you have a wife in mind for him?”

“Indeed. Our last one was sent back after some weird ritual between the two.” Dulia announced. “The prince lay with her crying nearly the whole time, and rushed off to his mother when they were done. She was ejected from court in Lafaust the next day.

“Interesting.” Marcos said hugging the quiet babe tighter.

“Perhaps Mara can go.” Kaarthen offered. “She has professed a desire to kill again these last few days, and it would be good for her to get out and feed her hungers.”

Marcos thought for a minute of the bloodbath his homicidal fuckpet would reap if given the chance, or a reason. “No… Perhaps something more delicate is needed.”

Kaarthen continued undeterred. “She knows how to restrain herself. Lafaust would only loose some undesirable characters.”

Marcos waved at her dismissively. “I only let her do that in Pyressel because we wanted information and it was a city-state far from our borders. She could kill somebody necessary slinking around the alleys of Lafaust. Have her go to the black temple she can challenge people there.”

Augussi winced. “Ahh…”

Kaarthen spoke up for her. “She’s already emptied it.”

“Damn, those people were useful.” Marcos stopped to think. “These are the problems I meant when you picked up the little dirty things. Six hundred years of sexual slavery in a dungeon, and now she’s not quite right. Send her to Lafaust. Metacari should escort her, and have her work closely with one of our trained sisters so she may learn how to work in the shadows…” Marcos paused. “And help our little ‘information bureau’ replenish itself. Nobles will turn to someone for their dirty work, and we need to know who, what, and when.”

“Yes, Master.” Augussi and Dulia said in unison and turned to exit.

Marcos stopped them before they left. “Kill whoever you need too over there. Prince Carsol has always been very soft, and a little too soft hearted. I have worried what would happen if someone influenced his soft mind as a King. I don’t want to have those worries anymore.” He finished gravely.

“Yes, Master.” The women responded and left.

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