part0005

“Seen what you wanted yet?” Miriam asked, tilting her head. Julie’s gaze was fixed on the noticeboard in front of her, reading every single piece of scrap, before she drew back with a furious gaze.

“Yes, this is a fake. That isn’t Amelie’s seal, though it’s a close forgery.”

Miriam sighed, understanding her lover would spend most of their free time trying to find the source of the forgery, whoever was behind it. From the look in Julie’s face, she wanted to do that immediately, but she reached out and pulled her lover against her front, surprising the other blonde, then making her blush when Miriam smirked. “I know well enough you won’t let this go, when you could easily pass this along and let the princess deal with it.” Julie made to open her mouth, but a finger against her lips made her still. “But we’ll get to it tomorrow. Tonight, you’re mine.”

There was no hiding the desire in Miriam’s words, and Julie gulped, feeling her own desire come forward. Miriam must have noticed it, and smirked, then grabbed Julie’s hand and pulled her along, back to their inn. She gave a nod to the innkeeper and he passed them their key, then the older woman led them to their room.

It was a fairly simple one, but Julie didn’t mind. She was no princess that needed to be pampered every hour of the day. She wasn’t Amelie.

Julie shook her head, it wasn’t time to think about the princess, and turned to her lover. She met Miriam’s eyes almost immediately, and the other woman smirked once more, before pulling her forward, pressing them against one another. Their mouths found each other and a moan escaped deep from Julie’s throat as Miriam’s hands wandered down her body. Before Miriam, she could never imagine how nice it would be to have someone touch her, make love to her. Sure, she heard plenty about it, read about it, but it wasn’t the same thing.

Every caress the other woman granted her made her feel joy, not just for the physical pleasure, but for Miriam’s presence as well. She loved the other woman, had no difficulty admitting it to herself, even if sometimes she didn’t say it out loud. It wouldn’t be fair.

In the end, her emotions didn’t matter much, not when the one that controlled her fate was her mother, and Miriam wasn’t who her mother would choose for her. Maybe they would find a way, but it wasn’t certain.

One of Miriam’s hands found its way to her bottom, squeezing that flesh, and Julie moaned, loudly, arching into the other woman. Her lover smirked down at her. “I kind of like my lover’s attention to be on me while we’re playing.”

Julie flushed, but didn’t deny her distraction, simply bit her lower lip, then leaned in and pressed her mouth against Miriam’s, kissing her with everything she got. This time Miriam was the one that moaned, and Julie couldn’t deny she liked the sound of it.

She kissed Miriam’s cheek after her lips, then her chin, her throat, her collarbone, slowly moving her clothes out of the way and tasting more and more of that skin. Her lover didn’t mind it one bit, grabbing unto her head, trying to direct her, but Julie wasn’t the inexperienced lover she was at first, and knew what she wanted. Knew how to make Miriam writhe.

Moving up for some moments, she closed her mouth around the woman’s earlobe, suckling it gently, loving how tight Miriam became in response. Her hands moved down the blonde’s body, baring more and more of her flesh, mapping it at the same time. They both moaned when Julie’s hands fell on those delectable breasts.

Miriam’s hands fell over hers, tightening her grip, forcing her to grip that flesh tighter, and Julie couldn’t say she didn’t like it. Miriam was far more curvaceous than she was, and though a little jealous she couldn’t deny she enjoyed playing with those curves a great deal. Those breasts filled her hands, and Julie kneaded the flesh, caressed it, softly at times, and harsher when she felt like it. Her lover never complained.

Soon, touching wasn’t enough to satisfy any of them, and Julie moved down, letting her lips and tongue taste every inch of skin until she reached those mounds, then tasting the breasts themselves. Miriam only arched when her mouth grasped one of her nipples, offering herself. Julie took that offering and more.

She flitted between those orbs, kissing and licking and sucking, driving herself and Miriam wilder with each second that passed. A fire grew between them, and the only thing that mattered was clenching it. For that, she started moving further down, ridding Miriam of her other clothes at the same time. When she saw herself facing the other woman’s sex, Julie swallowed.

Miriam was an earth mage and they had plenty of abilities related to fertility, sex and lovemaking. One of them, especially in mages as powerful as Miriam, was the ability to shapeshift their genitals, granting them the ability to have a sex they shouldn’t. In Miriam’s case, it allowed her to grow a … male member.

That was not what Julie found in that moment. Her lover was bare, open, and her female sex was completely in display, and Julie hesitated slightly. She wasn’t exactly used to it, not as comfortable with it as with the rod her lover usually used.

Her hesitation was noted, and Miriam’s hand caressed her head, tugging at her hair and making her look up. “Please.” The older woman asked, fire burning in her eyes. “I can change if you want, if you need, but I want you to taste all of me.”

Julie shuddered, she couldn’t deny her lover. The taste was different, but no less Miriam and her lover deserved all that she could give her. She gave all of herself to the motions, licking and tasting, doing everything she could to make Miriam enjoy. And enjoy she did.

Miriam writhed, her legs moving and imprisoning Julie against her core as she rode out her pleasure, making Julie realize just how much she made the other woman enjoy.

The older woman turned them around afterwards, smiling down at her. “My turn.” It wasn’t long until Julie’s clothes had joined Miriam’s on the floor, and the other woman had her, completely, first with her mouth, and then with her newly grown rod. Julie could only moan and clutch at her, spreading her legs and offering all of herself to the other woman.

The pleasure Miriam granted her was enough for her not to regret it one bit.

They had each other a few more times over the following hours, pausing to rest and spoon against one another before recovering their strength and going at it once more, then calming down in each other’s arms and resting a little bit longer.

Julie was falling asleep in that warm embrace when Miriam decided to talk. “What do you intend to do tomorrow?”

The question made the younger woman a little more alert, and she thought about it before answering. “Visit the local baron, probably. Either he’s being fooled as everyone in town is, and that means he’s an incompetent buffoon, or he’s in on it.”

“And that means he’s a crook.” Miriam finished for her, letting one of her hands glide down Julie’s body. It made the young woman shiver, and breathe deeply, but they were too exhausted to go at it once more. “Are you sure we should face him alone? We have no backup here if things turn south.”

“I don’t intend to let this become a fight.” Julie knew she was a powerful mage, and Miriam was even stronger, but numbers had a quality of their own, and the baron would have much greater numbers at his side. “I’ll just be a woman worried about the new taxes the princess has ordered.”

“Right, as if your name isn’t known all over the realm by now.”

Julie shrugged. She would think of something. With a smile, she buried her head in her lover’s side, and let sleep take hold of her. Just before oblivion reached her, she felt Miriam’s grip increase in strength, and her smile became just a little wider.

The next day found them in front of the lord’s mansion, waiting for the guards to let them step in. The men in front of Julie were nervous, waiting for authorization, knowing she was a noble and that defying one never ended well. Julie thought about smiling at them, but that wouldn’t help.

Eventually, a servant came, well dressed, with a certain poise, and obviously higher in the hierarchy than the guards stopping her from entering. He bowed at her, she showed him her sigil, the sigil of her family, and his eyes widened momentarily before gesturing for the guards to let them in. “My apologies, my lady, but lately there have been many seeking the master’s counsel, and unfortunately he doesn’t have time for all.”

A lord should always be ready to receive his subjects, no matter what. Many times, she had seen her mother spend days receiving visitors from the earliest hours of the morning to the latest of the night, and though obviously tired she always listened to them and their worries, and she never once barred anyone’s path, though sometimes they had to wait. That she was only granted passage after proving her heritage didn’t speak well of Baron Deschamps.

They were forced to wait at the entrance hall once more, while the servant went to get his master, but soon enough the baron himself received them. “My lady of Daubigny, what a pleasure to see you.” Julie extended her hand and allowed him to kiss it, even if she would have preferred to forget the pleasantries and get right into what mattered.

“Baron Deschamps.” She smiled, trying to hide her thoughts, trying to guile him. “A pleasure to be here as well.”

They faked their pleasantries for a little longer, and she could see it was fake. As she was sure he did. He didn’t want her there, didn’t want to waste his time with her, but that didn’t mean he was at fault over anything. Eventually, the time came for her to breach the matter that brought her to him.

“My lord,” She started, speaking softly. She tried not to show her mind, her intellect. Let him believe she was more foolish than in truth, let him think her a simple noblewoman and not one trained to lead her house since she was born. “I couldn’t help but notice how some people in your town resent our fair princess.”

“What? My lady, I know of no such thing.”

His eyes had widened, but his words rang hollow. She smiled once more, then shrugged. “Unfortunately, it is the truth, I saw it with my own eyes, but I’m sure these are just some malcontents, and that most of your people will be all too willing to show their love for the princess if they should have a chance.”

“You can be sure of that, lady Daubigny. My people are loyal.”

Oh, it wasn’t his people’s loyalty that bothered her. It was his.

“I’m sure. I did hear talk of some new taxes however, and increases in some of the taxes that were already laid on the people of the realm.” He didn’t fidget, he didn’t shake. He was too still, and that more than anything gave him away. If he wasn’t behind whatever scheme was being weaved over the town, he was aware of it. “I can indeed say that last time I was with her, the princess talked about some changes she wanted to make, and taxes were one of the matters she was more concerned with, but she hadn’t decided on anything yet. Obviously, that changed.”

It was a lie. Oh, Amelie talked about many things, she had many plans for the kingdom, as much as her mother would allow her to change, but taxes hadn’t been one of these matters.

“Obviously.” He echoed her words, though his voice was more uncertain than before.

“I was hoping you would be able to satisfy my curiosity and tell me as much as you can about these changes.”

“My apologies, my lady, but I’m no expert in these matters.” He bowed his head, and smiled, trying to appear contrite. “I leave them to better learned men, I simply rule these lands with a just hand, and try my best for the crown. I might be able to put you in contact with the crown’s tax collectors, when they return at the beginning of next week. I hope that will be enough to satisfy your curiosity.”

Julie tilted her head, and her sigh was loud. “Oh, that’s a shame. I shall not be here next week. We will leave your town before the week is over.” She shook her head. “No matter, I will have time to get familiar with these new laws later. I apologize for the time I’ve wasted you, my lord.”

He hesitated, but eventually bowed his head. “It was no bother, lady Daubigny, it was a pleasure to meet you.” He was mostly bald, and she could see the sweat that had gathered on the top of his head when he bowed.

She nodded back and turned on her feet, pulling Miriam along with her. They didn’t speak as they left his house and took to the streets, and they didn’t speak for a while longer still. Only when they were getting close to their inn, did she pull Miriam into one of the alleys and used her magic to put a shield around them, making sure no sound of their conversation could escape it.

“He’s in on it, or at least knows something isn’t right.” Though her words her shielded, she still took care to look around and see if anyone was paying attention to them. She had come to Greenville for a vacation, and found more plots against the crown.

Maybe she should have done as Miriam wanted her to, ignore the matter and keep going, but that wasn’t who she was. This was a plot against the princess, and it was obvious someone hoped to tarnish her reputation with it. Even if the truth was reestablished later, there would be some that would always blame Amelie.

Julie couldn’t let it happen. Not when the fate of her family was entwined with Amelie’s. Not when her honor and sense of justice would demand that she made sure the truth was revealed.

“That wasn’t hard to see,” Miriam shrugged, and used the opportunity to put her arms around her lover’s body, pulling her closer. Julie almost complained, but then saw the fire in the other woman’s eyes and let her do as she wished. “He was far too nervous, even if he tried not to show it. What do you intend to do now? Or are you happy with what you found, and will allow yourself to simply tell the princess what you discovered?”

Miriam’s tone gave her the answer she needed. Her lover was displeased, and she wanted to please her, and maybe, just maybe, the idea she had would pay out. “We enjoy the rest of our vacation, obviously.”

Miriam narrowed her eyes at her, and Julie could lose herself in those green orbs. “You mean to trap them.”

Julie caressed her face, laying a peck on her lips afterwards. “I mean to have fun with my lover, love her and let her love me in turn. Should anyone try to do something about us, I will surely be ready to defend myself. And if the baron believes we leave at the end of the week, but we let ourselves be here for a little while longer, then so be it.”

“They might not make a move against you if you leave before these tax collectors return, thinking you were fooled.”

“Oh, they know I will surely talk about this with the princess, but I’ll bet they will try to scam these people one last time, take as much coin from them as they can and flee. Whoever came with this scheme must have known they couldn’t keep it going for long, I just need them to think this will be the last chance they have.” Julie continued, caressing her lover’s face once more.