Tales from the Goddess War Ch. 02: Traveler

The next morning, Bemere was in the royal household's stables looking over the horses on offer. The stable master had begun with the largest of the war horses, but after a single glance at the massive hot-bloods, she asked to see something a little less...interesting. She described the journey she needed to make to the stable master, stressing that she didn't want to attract more attention than necessary. He tapped his chin for a moment and then led her to another stable.

This line of stalls was full of much quieter animals and he explained that these were the horses normally reserved for the principality's messengers. After some discussion about saddles and the like, she ended up with a pair of mares, one roan, and the other grey, both familiar with the climb over the landward pass. He'd wanted her to look at the pack horses as well, but Bemere's luggage wasn't nearly extensive enough. Thanking the man with a three coin tip, Bemere took her leave and climbed the flights of stairs, up to the keep's highest tower.

There were always watchers stationed there; a recruit and an older veteran, judging by the scars and missing arm. The older man was evidently accustomed to, or unimpressed by, high ranking visitors and welcomed her with a simple nod. The youth leaped from his chair and stood at quivering attention. The older guard chuckled and told him to sit back down.

She chatted for a moment before climbing the ladder to the large reflector mounted at the very top. She was just as impressed with the view as she'd been back when she'd helped design the signaling system. That had been for the previous prince, Cal's great uncle.

The clouds rushing in from seaward looked to be slowing down as they were blown over the Thunder Haven mountains. Far inland, at the top of the pass, the Gateman's Notch was still hidden by haze. She stared at the clouds for a long time, seeing hints of the otherwise unseen torrents of wind in their constantly shifting patterns.

Bemere frowned and took an oddly twisted piece of glass with a rainbow sheened fluid from the bag on her shoulder. She placed it carefully on a flat spot on the reflector, before removing two small stoppers. The colorful liquid swirled chaotically for a few moments, then slowly separated into complex bands of color. She studied the patterns carefully before replacing the stoppers.

"Anything to worry about?" the older of the pair asked, as Bemere packed the apparatus away again.

"The skies will clear tonight," she said. "A day or two of warm sun before the next cycle of storms arrive."

He thanked her and Bemere headed back down, pretending not to notice the stare of the younger guard. She really tried not to, but she had probably just added another rumor about the uncanny fae. When he got to the barracks, he'd probably be saying she'd talked to the wind, or something equally silly.

Even a few few weather glasses would have helped the humans immensely, avoiding disastrous crop losses from various tragedies brought on by weather. But, since they employed magic, the weather glasses were forbidden to trade, or even gift, to a human. That was yet another raft of High Elf nonsense because, other than the unbreakable glass, all the magic the instrument contained was in the informational fluid that even most fae were baffled by. It didn't have any purpose beyond harmless weather prediction and every trip she made to the human lands increased the temptation to "lose" a weatherglass, leaving it behind with trusted friends.

But her Plenilune were the smallest kingdom of the fae and hadn't achieved the respect they had by defying the wishes of their more numerous kin. Instead, Bemere employed another trait of her people, patient and subtle countermining. She wasn't the sole rebel in Allworld and their cabal would eventually find the right levers to raise the race of humans away from their half-civilized turmoil.

~~~

Princess Madeline was in the study, reading letters aloud, when Bemere snuck past to return the weatherglass to her baggage. Several of her ladies-in-waiting were gathered around her, writing on tablets as she spoke. As she began to sneak back out, Madeline saw her and waved for Bemere to join them. The elf waited as the princess finished reading the letter, before adding her own commentary. When she was done, Bemere gave her an abbreviated bow.

"Good morning, your highness," Bemere said.

With a glint in her eye, the princess stood up from her chair, and after a moment, the other women got up as well.

"May the blessed light of the selenic kingdom shine on your path, Your Plenilunic Ladyship," the princess said, dipping in a curtsy.

Bemere saw the other ladies trying to hide grins as they followed Madeline's example.

"I beg your pardon and stand corrected. Good morning, Madeline."

"Ah, much better! Good morning, Bemere," the princess replied. "Sit down with us. I'd like to introduce Halcyon and Jera to my left. On my right, the redheaded trollop is Lanette, and the very pretty blonde next to her is Constance. She's the one plotting against my shiny metal hat."

"Hello, Bemere," Constance said, leaning forward to touch her fingertips to Bemere's. "She's as full of crap as she ever was about the circlet. Now, her husband on the other hand...."

The rest of the women, Madeline included, laughed and the other women touched fingers to Bemere's, welcoming her to the Brynjarl Sands.

"What did the sky tell you?" Madeline asked.

"There's a gap between the storms coming. If I ride out tomorrow morning, I'll be able to be through the notch before the winds return."

The princess frowned, looking adorable. "I do not love the fact that you are going over the north pass. If you were my subject, you'd be taking a safer route or staying put until the skies are clear again."

"Madeline, this isn't my first trip across," Bemere reminded her gently. "And the safer routes take six or seven tendays longer than going through the Slope Counties."

"And, if we're honest, Maddy, if she was your subject, you'd have her tied to a bed somewhere," the redhead added. "At least, that's what I would do."

"Hussy!" the princess exclaimed, laughing as hard as the other women. "Darling Bemere, before you get too scandalized, these ladies-in-waiting are very old friends and even less inhibited libertines than I am."

"That's true, Maddy has always been the most proper of us," Constance said. "That's why we decided that she should be the princess. Even if it meant I had to give up Cal."

"Give him up?" Madeline laughed. "As often as we catch you two sneaking around, I don't think you can claim that you've ever given him up. Enough about my poor, abused prince. Bemere, the Goddess sent a gift of inspiration in my dreams last night."

Bemere raised her eyebrows. "When were you asleep last night?"

"Ooh, I like her," Jera told the others.

Madeline put an arm around Bemere's shoulders. "Don't be overly analytical, my elvish love. I have two things worrying me. First, you know that I'm loath to offer any offense to our oldest and dearest friends in the Selenic Court. Your mother requested a traveling companion and I would very much appreciate the opportunity to return her letter with one of my own, reassuring her that I've taken every precaution with her lovely daughter."

"Would it help if I included a note to say 'I'm fine, mom'?"

"Shh, you. There's a princess talking."

Bemere smiled. "Apologies. Please continue."

"My second problem is another guest we've had under our roof for quite a while. She's not nearly as entertaining, a new maestra daos that's here searching through our archives. She's been here for the last two seasons, per their request. Oddly, the Pale College seems to have completely forgotten about her presence here."

"But there have been signs that Osh Caernon has recently suffered through another succession," Jera said. "I have cousins who do business there and they wrote of new faces abruptly replacing the mages they've always dealt with. All of them clueless about previous agreements, and supposedly their predecessors."

"The current Prior would be quite old, so it makes sense," Constance added. "Some newly made maestra, and her research, would quickly be forgotten in the chaos of a succession battle."

Madeline sighed. "And, of course, our guest has chosen now as the best time to return to her college. She arrived by ship, but nothing will be sailing until the end of season storms end. She mentioned the overland route, over the pass and down through the counties. From Grand Locks, I've arranged for a private room on whatever canal boat is bound for Osh Caernon, so you wouldn't have to babysit her for very long."

"I would be glad of the company, although maestiri do not always enjoy the company of the fae," Bemere said.

"Let's introduce you and see how she reacts," Madeline said. "You four, remember the rule; no bouncing on the bed."

"If Cal shows up, can we bounce on him?" Jera asked, a wicked smile on her face.

"If Constance allows it," Madeline said as she led Bemere out.

Behind them, there was renewed laughter. But as Bemere glanced back, the women were already returning to their notes.

"I am ever more impressed with your rule here," Bemere said. "You have excellent friends in addition to a formidable prince."

Madeline smiled at her, opening the hidden door they had arrived by last night. "Thank you, Bemere, that's quite a compliment. The four of us grew up together and began to learn that, eventually, one of us would be the next princess. The idea of being cooped up in the keep, not to mention being forced to deal with a boy, caused all four of us to swear off the idea. Of course, a few years later, boys became rather fascinating and we decided that having our own prince was an okay thing in theory, but no one wanted to be the old woman we hardly ever saw. She seemed very lonely and we were careful to maintain our friendships so that whoever of us took the circlet wouldn't suffer the same fate."

"It was a sound plan," Bemere agreed.

"Truth be told, we try hard to rule as little as possible, it's like riding a fast horse with threads for the reins. But I am blessed by the Goddess with my friendships, and my marriage. That makes a difficult task more enjoyable anyway."

"Tell me more about this maestra," Bemere said, as they set off down the narrow passage.

"You've heard the title 'daos' before? They are the actual scholars in that pestilential madhouse of a college. As opposed to the Tiras Maestri, who are the ones they let loose to blow up the landscape and themselves."

"That's new. I suppose the Priory became weary of everyone's terror at encountering their mages?"

"Just so," Madeline agreed.

When the pair reached the bottom of a long flight of narrow stairs, Madeline opened an unmarked doorway and they turned down a passage that Bemere wasn't familiar with.

"We tried to make her comfortable here," Madeline continued. " Visits, invitations to dinner, that kind of thing. Finally, I told Cal that we were just terrorizing the poor little mouse and we let her be. I check in every few days, but she seems quite happy to be left wandering around the archives alone. I know that she is nothing at all like your mother had in mind, but as you so excitingly proved last night, you can deal with your urges on your own."

Bemere simply smiled. A heat began to spread from her belly as the elf considered the fun they'd had last night.

Madeline stopped outside of an unmarked door. "We're there. You know how the college mages are with protocol and precedence. Do you carry titles of your own?"

"Madeline, I've been a member of the court for the last seven or eight human generations and you know how we get with that same kind of nonsense. How many would you like?"

"As many as will impress a maestra, of course. But our little mouse is the backside type, two or three would be fine."

Bemere chuckled. "I thought you said she was shy?"

Madeline grinned back at her. "I meant backside as the backside of the curtain or a public house. Not her bottom, perverted lovely."

"Oh, I stand corrected. I thought the trip might get interesting after all."

Madeline laughed. "Now I'm beginning to wonder if my grand scheme is really as good as I thought it was."

"I promise to be the soul of discretion then."

After Bemere had explained a few titles, they went through the heavy door and emerged in the royal library, a massive space that had been the throne hall when the Sands keep had first been built. Shelves full of books and scrolls took most of the space, and since Bemere had been here last, a wooden floor had been added, adding a second floor of storage.

The center of the archive was a slightly wider aisle with tables set in a line. Most were covered with more books and scroll cases, but the one furthest into the stacks was occupied. There was a woman, much younger than Bemere had expected, in the middle of an island of blue-white light cast by her earthlamp on the table. Her hair was ash-blonde and when she looked up with a startled gasp, Bemere saw that her eyes were a deep green.

"I'm sorry to startle you, maestra," Madeline said. "If you have a moment, I would like to introduce a close friend of mine."

The woman hurriedly stood up and tugged her scholar's robes into place. "Yes, of course, your highness."

"Maestra Twylillian ap Tur, may I present Her Plenilunic Grace, Knight-Commander of the Silver Leaf, and Dame Emissary of the Selenic Court, Adda Bemere Gwynnestra Abchenel"

Twyla nodded deeply, just short of a bow. "Your Grace, I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

"And I am honored to be in the presence of a maestra daos of the Pale College. If you would prefer, my friends call me Bemere."

The woman smiled nervously. "Thank you. I'm not really...I mean Maestra isn't...I just go by Twyla."

"Then I will insist that you both call me Madeline. Twyla, you may be able help me with a frustrating problem. If so, I would be eternally grateful."

"What? Yes, of course. I mean, I'm at your service, your majesty."

Bemere noted the inadvertent promotion the maestra had given Madeline and wondered how she could possibly make the woman any more anxious than the princess already was.

"That's so kind of you, maestra," the princess said. "Bemere is bound for the northern kingdoms by way of the slopes and you had asked about the overland route. I thought a maestra would be a fitting travel companion for her."

The maestra looked at the elf with something like terror. Bemere took pity on her and studied the book that she'd been reading. But she immediately looked back up in surprise.

"You're studying the valour cycles?"

The woman was startled out of her paralysis. "Oh! Yes, that's why I am here. All of the references in the Caernon library are poor copies of copies that were made here. You've seen this book before?"

"I'm very familiar with it. I don't mean to pry, but how are you finding it?"

Twyla flushed. "It's been heavy going. For the last several days I've been racking my brain for a reason I can't follow the author's main thesis."

"That's probably because he is a lunatic drunkard," Bemere said. "One of my father's uncles, in fact. If I were to offer advice, it would be to enjoy a pot of nightclover tea, or even chewing a bit of waxleaf before you attempt to read this nonsense. It won't aid in your comprehension, but at least you'll be more entertained by old Cejum Orpharides and his mad fantasies."

"More than a cup or two of nightclover and I'm entertained by my own toes," Madeline said. "Twyla, I must warn you that Lady Bemere can have an odd sense of humor at times."

"Who's making jokes? That's how we got through this nonsense every time someone made us read it. Which was a lot, since he was family and all."

Twyla relaxed enough for an actual laugh. "I had the same idea yesterday but dismissed it as irreverent. If we were to travel together, could you perhaps explain where Cejum Orpharides has gone astray?"

Bemere grinned at her. "It would be simpler to point out where he spoke accurately. But it would be my pleasure to answer whatever questions you have," Bemere said.

"That would be amazing! When do you plan on leaving?"

"There's a break in the high-up weather coming soon, to get through the pass I will have to ride at dawn tomorrow."

"That soon...of course. I'd best start packing." Twyla said.

"I'll send someone to wake you before dawn," Madeline assured the woman.

The maestra got up and closed the book, knocking her inkwell over in the process. The black pool spread out across the table, headed for the mage's notes, as well as the ancient book. The mage made a sound of dismay but before she could do more, Bemere's hands moved as though she was shaping something unseen. A small current of air swept past them and whirled the ink off the table. Both women were staring as Bemere reached over and righted the inkwell. The black blob then poured itself back into the clay jar and the eddy of air vanished.

"You're a mage?" Twyla breathed.

"No, nothing like that," Bemere said firmly. "I've just picked up a few stage tricks over the years. Tomorrow morning then?"

They left her frantically rolling up scrolls as they stepped back into the private corridors.

"What do you think?" Bemere asked, once they were back in the passage that led to the stairs.

"She was coherent when I asked about her research. I think she'll calm down. In any event, getting a single baby maestra to Grand Locks still isn't too much of a challenge."

"Are you certain?" Madeline asked, doubt obvious in her voice.

Bemere touched her arm. "Seriously, she won't be a problem."

"Then thank you, I will send my reply to the Selenic Court with a clear conscience." Madeline said, stepping close. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Obviously I am at your service, Madeline."

"And I am at yours. So, I propose we return to the apartments and find some novel ways to service each other. If the rest of them are still there, they can watch. Or perhaps even help us."

Bemere grinned. "You're quite insatiable, my lady. Are you perhaps half elf?"

Madeline chuckled. "Didn't anyone tell you, lovely one? Lust and perversion are human inventions."

As an answer, Bemere pulled on the sash that held up Madeline's pants, untying the knot. The light silk fluttered to the floor and underneath, the princess was bare. Bemere put a hand on the princess's warm hip, making her shudder as the elf gently, but firmly, turned her to face the wall.

"If you'll bend forward and put your hands against the wall there, your highness, I'll begin my rebuttal to your obviously flawed theory."

Madeline sighed as she leaned forward against the wall. "I'm eagerly waiting to be taught the truth then."

Bemere knelt behind her and Madeline moaned softly as the elf's hands tightened on her hips. A moment later, her tongue ran along Madeline's sex, pushing the princess into an immediate orgasm. After another minute of the elf's lips and tongue on her cunt, Madeline shuddered and pulled away.

"If you make me scream in here, there will be rumors of a specter in the castle," the princess gasped.

Bemere smiled, lifting Madeline's trousers back up her legs. "And it would probably be bad manners to leave your keep full of ghosts. Your apartments then?"

"Goddess, yes. I'm eager for the rest of your lesson."

~~~~

Early the next morning, the prince and princess walked Bemere down to a door into the stables. Cal unlocked it and then took her hand.

"I do hope you'll pass this way again soon," he said, kissing the soft flesh of the inside of her wrist.