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Hastow was indeed just ahead. They rounded the bend in the road, and there it was, a sea of fat little cruck houses and their thatched rooftops, chugging smoke from warm hearths as they spread away to the misty horizon and the sun that rose pale above the spidery treetops. Snow capped every roof and every naked tree, and sheets of ice spread over the road, so that men and women alike were out in the dawn, spreading sand to free the pavement.
On the hill, looming above the little town, was the temple of Eyslath, a beautiful stone building, ancient as it was large, with battlements from its days as a fortress and the red banners of the love goddess lifting in the wind from its towers. The center-most road in Hastow led right to it, though Ethne suggested that they get cleaned up and fed at a tavern first, so as not to be a burden on the sisters at the temple. Ava agreed, and so they found themselves renting a room at the Goddess Pearl, an inn so named because it was believed it had been blessed by the local goddess herself and was beloved of her.
“I will head downstairs and send a raven to my sister,” Liadan said when they were in their room. She was standing by the hearth and lit a fire on it with a gentle gesture of her hand. A gold fireball the size of a melon floomed from her spread fingers and onto the logs, where it blazed gently.
“It will give Saoirse and Rowan time to get the ceremony underway,” Liadan added, removing her gauntlets and warming her hands over the blaze. “And I imagine they’ll want to start preparing the feast as well.”
“Go then,” agreed Ethne. “I will stay and mind the maidens.” She and Liadan exchanged glances, making Ava go still.
Ava had been standing at the window, peering dreamily at the temple on the distant hill, but now she stared suspiciously at Liadan and Ethne, who were both avoiding her eye.
Lysa, however, didn’t notice the silent exchange between the knights. Her back was to them as she unbuckled her scabbard and let her sword slide off. She scowled at Ethne’s words. “I am not a maiden to be minded!” she declared. “I could protect Ava just as well!”
Ethne, for some bizarre reason, didn’t bother arguing, instead removing her gauntlets. She sat in a corner chair and set about unbuckling the rest of her armor, and Lysa – though still looking cross – moved across the room to help her.
Liadan came to Ava and kissed her on the cheek in farewell. When she pulled back, Ava thought the Knight of the Wild had an odd sort of satisfied smile. She was half-tempted to grab Liadan and demand to know what was happening, but the knight moved away and was gone too quickly, as if to avoid any questions.
Suddenly feeling very sleepy and tired, Ava gave up trying to figure it out and yawned as she untied her fur cloak. The room had a large bathing basin near the hearth, and she could have sent for water, but she was just too tired to conceive of a bath at the moment. Perhaps later, after her nap.
Ava carefully unslung the dragon egg from around her neck and shoulders and set it on the corner table near Ethne, allowing it to sit in the nest of fabric there. She had been sleeping with it in her arms for days, its warmth pulsing against her body as the tiny dragon squirmed inside, but now she felt safe enough to set it aside. It was just close enough to the hearth that she knew the fire’s warmth would help it along. Soon enough, it would hatch, and then she would have a baby dragon! The excitement tingled through her every day. A baby dragon, so cute and small, and one day, it would be mighty and fierce, and she would ride it into battle and drive out Endoreth and foul King Bjorn! They would paint the battle in murals on the walls of her tomb, and all would remember her as Ava the Liberator of Women, the Queen of Queens—
“What are you doing?” said Lysa, her amused voice shattering Ava’s thoughts. “You do nothing these days but stare and stare at that blasted egg.”
“Are you jealous, Lysa? Are you wishing the princess would pay you mind?” teased Ethne.
“No!” Lysa protested at once, and Ethne laughed, though Ava thought the knight’s laughter a little . . . sad. Had Ethne seen them kiss on the road?
Ava felt guilty for allowing the kiss to happen. She was slowly beginning to notice that Ethne knew about Lysa’s feelings for her. Perhaps Ethne had always known.
Ava glanced over her shoulder and was startled to realize Ethne had moved away from the table and was sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but her underarmor. Her dark brown hair was loose of its usually low bun and was down around her shoulders. Ava had never seen it down before and was surprised by how long and beautiful it was. Sometimes she forgot how attractive Ethne was, with her slanted gray eyes and smirking lips. And now that she was in nothing but her underarmor, the bulging of the knight’s strong arms and legs were apparent. She was sitting with her legs spread, leaning forward, elbows on her knees, and was watching Ava intently with great amusement.
Lysa, meanwhile, had taken Ava’s place at the window. She was standing with her arms folded as she gazed out, and instead of removing her leather armor, it was still buckled on her body. Her sword, however, had been set across the seat of a nearby chair and was still in its leather sheath.
“I shall take first watch,” Lysa said, gazing out the window. “You two take your rest. We only have two hours, then we head for the temple. We should not linger here long.”
Ethne frowned, though her lips were twisted in a very amused smile. “So commanding, my lady,” she teased Lysa. “What is your fear? The Dragon of Almara is slain – by your trap, no less – and the king of Illa has no interest in pursuing us. There is no need to be so grimly on-guard.”
Lysa laughed flatly and did not relax her purposeful stance at the window. “Says you. Liadan still has a bounty on her head, lest you forget! And so do you, remember? We are not safe until we are in that temple and can claim sanctuary!”
“As you wish, my lady,” said Ethne. She caught Ava’s eye and winked. “Come,” she said, patting the bed beside her. “I will help you out of that gown.”
Ava looked into Ethne’s eyes and saw the flame of lust there. Her heart skipped a beat, and caught somewhere between flattery and surprise, she moved toward the bed and sat on it beside Ethne. To her further surprise, Ethne slid her hard, strong legs around Ava, enclosing her from behind. Ava’s heart beat faster in her chest. But surely, Ethne was not seducing her! She had never had any reason to believe Ethne wanted her.
Ethne started unlacing the back of Ava’s gown and then – making Ava’s heart pound in her chest – the Knight of the Sparrow carefully smoothed aside Ava’s long golden hair and kissed the bare flesh of her neck and shoulder. They were slow, careful kisses that left Ava shivering in their wake. She was ashamed of herself when her sex responded, pulsing immediately with hunger. She could already feel the fat lips swelling between her thighs and squeezed them together, admonishing herself.
“Ethne!” Ava whispered, astonished yet breathless as Ethne’s careful kisses continued. “W-What are you—?”
“Liadan told me to distract you and keep you in this room,” Ethne answered between kisses. She paused, fumbling almost irritably with the laces on the back of Ava’s blue traveling gown again. “Even if that meant fucking you – Blast these laces!”
Ava blushed to her hairline. “What?! Why?”
“It’s a surprise,” Ethne answered absently, for she had managed at last to get the laces loose, and Ava’s gown tumbled down around her lap, revealing her large, naked breasts and how they stood plump and supple above her narrow waist. Her pink nipples were already hard with desire, and she hated herself for it. She took a shaking breath, causing her great breasts to lift with it, and she heard Ethne moan with longing behind her.
“Holy shite, your tits are perfect,” Ethne whispered, her breath tickling Ava’s ear. She smoothed her hands under, testing the heft of Ava’s great breasts, then she slowly began to massage, rolling Ava’s soft breasts in her strong hands and thumbing the nipples until they hardened further. Ava bit her lip to keep from moaning as the pleasure made her clit pulse.
“I’m almost jealous of Liadan,” Ethne said quietly. “She gets to suck on these the rest of her life.” She kissed Ava’s shoulder again and squeezed both breasts with longing.
“Ethne!” Ava cried, astonished and trembling. “Such filthy talk!”
Ethne only chuckled. “Do you want me to stop?” she whispered.
“N-No,” Ava admitted, blushing.
“As my lady commands,” said Ethne playfully. She continued gently massaging Ava’s breasts. One hand slid down to Ava’s lap, where she pushed the mound of fallen fabric aside to reveal Ava’s linen panties. Ava’s thighs were tight together, and Ethne slid her hand between, relishing in how soft and warm they were, before prying them apart. Her hand slid down the front of Ava’s panties and caressed gently at her pulsing clitoris, nudging it to hotter, harder pulsing, so that Ava sighed and frowned, letting her head fall back against Ethne in a daze of pleasure. She thought she would melt into the knight and disappear.
When Ava glanced up, Ethne was looking down at her with soft gray eyes. She kissed Ava without warning on the lips – and with such sweet passion that Ava felt herself melting again. They kissed for a long moment, as Ethne gently groped and fingered, and when their lips pulled apart, Ethne buried another kiss in Ava’s shoulder and squeezed both of her breasts again, hard, so that her cleavage rose in swelling mounds. Ava gasped with delight.
“I have a strap,” Ethne whispered in Ava’s ear, tugging her panties down around her hips, until they tumbled around her ankles. “I’ve never used it on Lysa.”
Ava didn’t know what a strap was, and her green eyes grew round. But at the mention of Lysa, she looked over to the window, blushing with embarrassment and suddenly wondering why the handmaiden had not protested, intervened, something. It was so unlike Lysa to have remained quiet!
When Ava looked over, she was surprised to see Lysa simply standing there. The handmaiden’s arms were no longer folded and were hanging lifeless at her sides. She was facing away from the window and was staring at them, completely frozen. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were glazed with lust. She was staring directly at Ava, staring with such a hunger that Ava felt her sex thump. She had never seen Lysa look at her that way before!
“Lysa,” Ethne called with a laugh, “has your soul flown from your body?”
Lysa didn’t answer, instead turning beet red and glaring at Ethne.
Ethne smiled. “Well? You want Ava, do you not? You think of her night and day. It’s why you won’t marry me, isn’t it? Because you love her! You love Ava!”
Lysa swallowed hard and didn’t answer.
“Well, here she is,” said Ethne scathingly, and Ava gasped when Ethne grabbed her thighs and roughly spread her legs, snapping them apart to reveal her pink sex and the curly golden hair there.
To Ava’s surprise, Lysa stared at her sex with soft-eyed longing. She licked her lips, but she didn’t move. “Stop this, Ethne!” she cried at last.
“Yes, Ethne, don’t do this to her!” Ava scolded.
“Do what?” said Ethne darkly. “Reveal the truth of things? Lysa watched as I played you like a lute, and she enjoyed it because she wants to fuck you herself.” So saying, Ethne slid two fingers in Ava’s moist sex and caressed her deeply, while her other hand cupped and massaged one of Ava’s heavy breasts.
Ava couldn’t help herself: as Lysa watched, she wiggled and moaned in Ethne’s grasp, and the moisture of her sex began sliding down her thighs, which were trembling from the strain of holding back.
“Oh goddess,” Ava whispered, pink-cheeked and staring at the ceiling as her belly tightened against the threat of a climax. Ethne’s fingers were so deliciously careful and skilled. She really was playing Ava like a lute, and she liked it. Gods help her, she liked it!
“Come, Lysa,” Ethne said darkly. “You can’t resist her. You want her!”
Lysa was trembling all over and her brown eyes were suffering. As if something had broken in her chest, she dashed across the room and fell to her knees between Ava’s thighs, and to Ava’s astonishment, she buried her face in Ava’s sex and ate her out as ravenous as a hog at a trough.
Ava’s helpless screams filled the room as she climaxed.
***
LATER WHEN AVA WAS sleeping in the large bed, Lysa rose naked from the bed and went to the washbasin on the bedside table and splashed her face clean. She knew now that the kiss on the road had been a mistake—for it was clear now that Ethne had seen – and she felt ashamed of herself for giving in to her lust. She had always wanted to maintain a strict friendship between herself and Ava. She had never wanted Ava to figure out just how badly she wanted her, for she did not want Ava’s pity and discomfort to sully their friendship. Even when they had made love with Liadan, Lysa had shown restraint, allowing Ava to dominate her in their kissing and not the other way around. Now Lysa’s feelings had been made plain, and she felt naked, exposed, vulnerable. Ava knew about her. Ava knew.
Looking very smug, Ethne came near Lysa and sat on the edge of the bed. She was still wearing her underarmor, which looked like long underwear, and her long brown hair was tousled from having lain on her back while Ava sat on her face . . . as Lysa rode Ethne’s strap . . . as she and Lysa kissed on top of Ethne.
Lysa had never been penetrated before. Ethne’s strap was a phallic sex toy made of soft sheepskin. Lysa had buckled it on her, heart beating with anticipation, and then had slowly sat on it. She would never forget how it felt when the phallus slowly filled her sex that first time, plunging deep inside and stroking her so deliciously. And Ethne, so big and strong, had taken Lysa by the hips and moved her gently up and down on it, until she was riding the strap in slow rhythm, her head falling back in a gasp of baffled ecstasy.
Ava had watched for a while as Lysa rode Ethne’s strap, blushing all the while, her green eyes bright with lust, before Ethne had easily lifted the princess up and then down on her face. And so it was that Lysa and Ava had kissed hungrily as they rode Ethne, who lay beneath them, enjoying herself immensely.
But as much as Lysa had enjoyed herself, she could not even look at Ethne now. She was furious. Ethne was still wearing the strap, and it stood erect from her hips, still glossy with the moisture of Lysa’s sex. Lysa blushed with shame to see just how wet the strap was. And because of Ava. Because of Lysa’s lust for Ava! Ethne knew it too, and there was something bitter about her smile when she looked at Lysa.
“Why didn’t you just tell me you loved Ava?” Ethne said quietly, so as not to wake the princess, who slept peacefully on the bed behind her. “Then I wouldn’t have made a fool of myself these past few weeks, professing my love and carrying on. You care nothing for me. This was all about sex, wasn’t it?”
Lysa had been dabbing her face with a kerchief, but she paused and said at once, “That is not true!”
Ethne didn’t seem convinced. She pulled her own kerchief from inside the collar of her underarmor – Lysa noticed with a miserable blush that it was the green favor she had given Ethne weeks before – then dipped it in the washbasin and started polishing the strap clean. Her gray eyes laughed when Lysa blushed a little.
“I was going to fuck you with it on our wedding night,” Ethne said, looking down at the strap as she cleaned it. “I was going to surprise you. I guess it doesn’t matter now. You’ll go off and be a bandit queen or whatever the hell, and I’ll . . .” She sighed. “I guess I’ll stay with Liadan and help her in this mad quest to become queen of the world.” She laughed tonelessly. “At least Liadan still needs me.”
“Oh, Ethne,” Lysa said soothingly, overcome with misery and compassion. She reached over and touched Ethne’s cheek, so that the Knight of the Sparrow stopped polishing the strap and looked up at her.
“You’re my first knight!” Lysa said in exasperation and smiled. “Of course, I care about you! And nothing shall ever change that!”
Lysa was glad when Ethne seemed pleased, but the Knight of the Sparrow gave a sad half-smile as she said, “Of course, you care about me. You just don’t love me. And I need that. I need you to love me.”
“Oh, Ethne,” Lysa said miserably again. Ethne was speaking as if Lysa could just force herself to love her instead of Ava. Hearts didn’t work that way.
With heavy, sad movements, Ethne reached over and drew Lysa near, hugging the smaller woman between her thighs. Lysa slid her arms around Ethne’s neck and gazed down at her, thinking that she was so strong and so beautiful. It was rare that Ethne, being so tall, was ever in a position beneath Lysa, but the knight was sitting on the low bed. Lysa’s perky little breasts were near Ethne’s face, and she looked down at them, eyes glazed with lust.
Without warning, Ethne kissed Lysa tenderly on the mouth. As ever, her kisses were soft and slow, yet hungry, her tongue occasionally thrusting against Lysa’s. Lysa’s heart was fluttering with delight, and as they kissed, Ethne smoothed her hands over Lysa’s soft backside and lifted her up . . . and then down on the strap.
Lysa gasped as the sheepskin phallus slowly plunged between the tight lips of her sex, filling her to the base as Ethne gently pulled her hips down. Her eyes widened as she was filled, then hooded as the pleasure throbbed in her sex. Lysa moaned and tightened her arms around Ethne’s neck, and when she looked down, the knight was gazing up at her with such soft longing, she felt an ache in her chest. What had she done to deserve Ethne’s love? Why her? Ethne had never loved before. All the women in her past had been playthings, yet she was fixated on Lysa.
Gazing with intent hunger into Lysa’s eyes, Ethne guided the handmaiden’s hips, until Lysa was riding the strap on her own, her shapely little body moving fluidly against Ethne, who enjoyed the crush of her soft flesh. Ethne, eyes soft, kissed Lysa’s lips gently, again and again, pausing to gaze at her with the same doting look that made Lysa suddenly weep.
Ethne paused. “Why are you crying?” she whispered. “Is it the strap, does it hurt—?”
“No, no,” said Lysa, shaking her head. She tightened her thighs to stop Ethne from lifting her off. When Ethne hugged her waist again, she started slowly riding and moaned as the phallus filled her. But the tears kept coming. Her head fell back with another sigh of pleasure, and her skin tingled when Ethne kissed her neck and cleavage.
“Then why do you weep, sweet Lysa?” Ethne whispered. “Are they happy tears?”
Their lips found each other again and they kissed. They peered into each other’s eyes, their noses brushing as Lysa continued to ride, and Lysa confessed in a miserable whisper, “I have never been so loved! Yet I cannot love you in return. I fear I shall break thee!”
Ethne smiled and seemed very pleased by the confession. “You wound me, tis true. But it will heal, sweet Lysa.” She kissed Lysa’s lips and whispered against them, “Hush now, and make love to me.”
Lysa smiled at the playful command, and gyrated her hips slowly, letting her soft body crush against Ethne. She smoothed her small hand through the back of Ethne’s hair, thinking the Knight of the Sparrow so beautiful, and as they kissed again, her sex tightened on strap, and she climaxed.