10

As we returned to Sir Ruvano's quarters, there were only a few liveried servants to be seen in the halls. They, however, knew enough not to make an issue of my appearance, no matter how much they might have wanted to. They stood aside deferentially and didn't so much as raise an eyebrow at our passing. No doubt their would be plenty of talk floating around the servants quarters tonight, but as long as I didn't have to hear it, I didn't care.

Those few nobles we passed offered courteous greetings but little more. Most appeared happy to get out of the spymaster's presence as quickly as they could. His quarters were much as I remembered them, though considerably darkened. The rose window above his bed was a dark inky black and all the corners of the room were filled with soft shadows that the numerous candles couldn't quite dispatch. A small fire burned in the hearth, just enough to chase away the dampness which pervaded all of the castle's heavy stone chambers.

The large table in the antechamber had been decorated and set as if for a banquet, but with only two place settings, the ends would have seemed a quite barren if not for several cascading flower arrangements. Situated prominently in the nearest was a bouquet of Ruby Plaxias, still glowing as we'd just seen them in the garden.

I knew from that secretive smile of Sir Ruvano's that he'd noticed how much I'd liked them. He must have worked some of his furtive tricks to have them waiting here upon out arrival. I couldn't help but return his smile.

"Shall we get started?" he said, motioning to the table. 

I'd never had anyone dote over me the way he did by pulling out my chair and helping me get situated. It was all rather nice. He took his seat directly across the short length of the table from me, both of us with a place setting of the finest porcelain and more silverware than I could fathom any one meal could ever possibly need. And then the food itself was an exquisite seven courses the likes of which I had never tasted before, even as leftovers returned to the kitchen on the grandest of holidays. It was a shame I wasn't going to be able to eat as much as I would have liked, but my stomach just wasn't as big as it used to be. Would he think me too crass if I asked to take some of it with me when we were finished?

"My personal chef is something of a mad genius in a kitchen," Sir Ruvano said. "I found him on one of my campaigns when I was still just a soldier. He's been in my employ ever since." 

"My compliments," I said, touching my napkin delicately to my lips. Much to my surprise, I barely even had to remind myself to swallow before speaking. It worried me a little that these feminine mannerisms were becoming second nature to me so quickly.

After a dessert of an impossibly light concoction containing cream and cake and berries, there was more of that excellent wine to enjoy. Regardless of how little I had been able to eat, my capacity for drink didn't seem to have diminished all that much.

Of course, with dinner complete, that would mean this fine evening would soon be coming to an end. When I'd first considered this plan, it almost made me sick just thinking about it. Now I was actually wishing that it could go on a little longer.

But I couldn't allow myself to get bogged down with trivial matters. I was here for one purpose and that was the only important thing that mattered. All that remained to do was to find a way of asking for my money without sounding like a greedy bitch.

As we sat sipping wine and carrying on in idle chitchat while I tried to think of some cleaver way to broach the subject, Sir Ruvano sent away the few servants on hand. Once they were gone, leaving the two of us alone in those sprawling chambers, he rose from his seat and came around to my side of the table. As he sat on the edge of the table, he gazed at me over the rim of his goblet.

"You truly do possess a beauty unrivaled by any other woman in all of Rineve," he said. Haltingly I looked away and took another sip of my own cup. "And your innocence only makes it more appealing."

He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair out of my face. Up until that point, I'd been quite proud of the fact I hadn't let any of his compliments make me blush. However, that came to a crashing halt at that moment.

"Um, yes, um..." I brought the goblet back to my lips and took another gulp only to find there was hardly any left. Dismayed and unsure of what else to do, I looked around for the carafe, but it too was empty.

"Here," Sir Ruvano said. Still staring at me, he offered me his cup. But this was not the same fond look he'd been giving me all evening. This was predatory, threatening.

"Um, perhaps I should be going," I stammered, trying to push out my chair but finding that it wouldn't quite move. It must have been caught on the edge of a rug or something. "Um, it was a wonderful evening, and your company was...wonderful...but it HAS gotten rather late..."

With a dark glint in his eyes reminiscent of the look he'd given Mathis in the halls earlier, he set his cup aside with a calculated movement and went to one of the gold urns flanking the fireplace. From inside he pulled a small sack of coins. Returning to the table, he held it before me for a moment and then let it drop with a jingle.

I sat stiffly in that high-backed chair, looking first at the bag of coins laying there before me and then at Sir Ruvano. He simply remained sitting on the edge of the table, his hands folded casually on his knee, his dark eyes locked onto mine. Haltingly, I reached for the gold.

"Wait," he said before I barely even lifted my hands. "If you want that, you'll have to stay a bit longer."

With the back of his fingers, he reached out and traced down the curve of my dress's neckline, his skin just barely brushing against mine. I was too bewildered to even draw away. It sent a tingle through my entire body. My heart was suddenly beating so quickly I could hear it in my ears. I suspected it was even visible as a rhythmic quivering of my breast.

He wasn't going to let me leave until he'd bedded me!

"But you said a walk in the gardens and dinner..."

"I said I'd gladly pay for that, but if you'll recall, that's not the offer I actually made." His voice had become cold and callous.

"It's just that I didn't...I mean, I never..."

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you." he said, running his fingers along my side of my face.

Oh gods, now he thought I was a virgin -- which I suppose, was actually the truth as far as Stephanie was concerned. Unfortunately, it would only made me more appealing to him.

If it hadn't been for the money, I would have left that instant. The thought of letting him touch me...of letting him fuck me; it turned my stomach. We were both men. I couldn't bring myself to let him do that to me.

But I needed that money. It was sitting right there within my grasp, so close. Could I really just turn my back and walk away from it now? To do so would mean the loss of finger or two at best, the loss of my life at worst.

It wasn't as if what he'd done to me last night had been entirely bad. It had actually felt rather nice. To my horror, I felt a warm tingling building between my legs at the memory of it. Even just this morning I'd been regretting the loss of my womanhood without having first done all there was to experience with it. Wasn't this a perfect opportunity?

But was I ready to have a man take me? It still seemed so wrong.

On the other hand, it wouldn't be as if he'd actually be fucking ME. It would be Stephanie. And after tonight, she would run away, never to be heard from again. With a hundred gold in his pocket, Mathis might very well disappear as well -- it would certainly be better than remaining in the keep, constantly surrounded by reminders of the shameful things I was considering letting Sir Ruvano do to me.

"Well?" he said.

Squeezing my eyes shut, and with an almost imperceptible tip of the chin, I nodded. If Stephanie had to sleep with just one man, there were far worse prospects than Sir Ruvano.

"Good, I'm pleased you've seen it my way."

As if he'd given me any other choice. Taking my hand, he lead me to the bed chamber. My heart was racing, my whole body shaking. I was even finding it difficult to breath. 

He pulled the shawl from my shoulders, the silk fabric gliding across my skin. As he ran his hands along my bare arms, he said, "You're scared. That's alright. It adds to the flavor."

With that, he gave me a shove and I fell backwards with a yelp. I didn't fall too far, however, landing on his bed, going onto my back. I looked down the length of my sprawled form to see him standing at the foot of the bed, pulling off his shirt and casting aside his belt. His chest was not overly muscled but well-defined none-the-less. He smiled with glee as he looked down at me, my legs inadvertently having spread in the fall.

"Oh Stephanie, I think you are more willing than you let on."

And then he was on me, kissing my mouth, nibbling at my neck. He ravished my breasts, pulling them free of the dress and squeezing them roughly. Trapped in that frail body, his hands felt so huge. I was frozen, unable to move. I couldn't believe I was letting him do this to me.

I only grew more confused because the things he was doing, the way he was touching me; actually felt rather good. He kissed my nipple and it was like a shock rang through me. He moved to the other, sucked it into his mouth, and I let out a cry. I told myself it had been a wail of panic, but even to my ear it sounded more like a cry of pleasure. That only drove him on with even greater zeal.

With my knees still hanging over the edge of the bed, he reared up and straddled my waist.

"No, this won't do," he said, rubbing my breasts together and invoking another whimper from me.

I heard a ripping sound as he tore my beautiful dress in two, right down the front. I squirmed beneath him, desperate to prevent him from seeing me naked, but there was little I could do. With a few quick motions, he'd laid me bare from shoulders to waist. The remains of the skirt still covered my groin and legs, but a single tug would quickly remove it as well.

"I've been wanting to do this since I first say you," he said.

Again he returned to my breasts, rolling them between his hands, sucking on the nipples, cradling my chest. My nipples grew hard and wet. As I squirmed my legs together in unconscious rapture, I could feel a moistness there amidst the growing warmth. I couldn't believe, even in this strange situation I'd found myself, it felt so good. The building pleasure was even starting of override my fear.

Sir Ruvano must have sensed it as well because he began working his way down my body, planting ticklish kisses as he went. Between my legs, he laughed excitedly and lifted my dress out of the way. It was only with some small reluctance that I let him spread my legs. Now there was nothing more than skimpy thong between him and my virgin pussy.

When he touched me, I tensed and grabbed the sheets, my eyes pinched closed. I could feel his breath on my pussy. His tongue reached out and licked me through my panties. I cringed as I felt my juices began to soak the fabric. This was so wrong, having a man between my legs. But at the same time, it felt too good to resist. As he sucked the panties into his mouth, he reached up the length of my body with one hand and began to fondle my breast once again. I took the other in my own hand and rolled the nipple between my fingers.

I could hardly believe I actually helping him now bring myself to ecstasy, but I simply couldn't bare this any longer. I'd been teased once too often. I needed to see this through to the end. It was the only chance I'd even have to feel like this.

With a jerk, he pulled my thong to the side, causing it to dig into my ass and fully exposing my pussy. A moment later I felt his tongue part my swollen lips and lap at the dripping juices inside. My whole body quivered and squirmed. I didn't want to let him know how much I was starting to enjoy this. I bit my lip to keep a ragged sigh from escaping, but only managed to muffle it.

When he placed his tongue to my stiff little clit, I felt a wave of heat radiating out from my hips. There was no way I could have prevented that effeminate sigh from filling the room. With even greater vigor, he alternated between licking my warm folds and sucking my clitoris. Soon I was lost to these incredibly things he was making me feel, writhing about in the sheets and panting unashamedly at the top of my lungs.

A growing ripple of bliss from between my legs suddenly made me feel like I might be losing all control of my body. My head back, my back arched, I rose up onto my elbows with a cry as a quivering shutter broke upon me in full force. At first I was afraid I had pissed myself -- how embarrassing would that have been? -- but as wave after wave of ecstasy tore through me, wracking my body with each pulse of my rapidly fluttering pussy, I ceased to care what was happening to me. It was so much different from anything I'd experienced as a man. My whole body felt like it wanted to contract into itself and explode outward at the same time. And it just kept going, on and on for what seemed like minutes. I thought I might pass out from the sheer splendor of it.

But slowly, it grew less intense and the waves got further apart. I flopped back down to the bed, my skin tingling and covered with sweat. My chest rose and fell with each gulp of air I took, sending my nipples toward the ceiling and then crashing back down again. I stared into space focusing on nothing at all. My brain couldn't have tried even if I'd wanted to. I felt like a pile of jelly, utterly drained of all my vital energy, yet strangely invigorated at the same time.

Between my legs I was vaguely aware that Sir Ruvano was still busy lapping at my pussy, but I took no further notice until he climbed on top of me. Now face-to-face, he kissed me. Without resistance, I opened my lips to him. Our tongues intertwined and I tasted my own juices in his mouth.

As I realized I was tasting myself on his lips, our kiss quickly turned frenzied. I'd never before had a desire to taste my own cum, but this was different. Now I was a woman -- a beautiful woman, and I tasted incredible! It didn't matter that I was kissing a man. Sir Ruvano was just a tool to get what I needed. He was merely a thing. MY toy.

He broke away from our embrace and looked deeply into my eyes. "Are you still scared, Stephanie?"

I shook my head, sending several moist locks of hair swinging.

"Good, because the night has only just begun."

With a simple scoot that reminded just how small I was in his arms, he pulled me completely out of my dress. Stephanie was now naked for the first time in her life and Sir Ruvano was laying on top of her. Not too long ago, that notion would have filled me with fright. Now I was calm -- even a little excited.

He fumbled with his pants for a moment and then looked me in the eyes once again. I felt something warm and blunt press against the slit between the slippery folds of my pussy. 

"Are you ready?"

This was it, my last chance to back out, to save my pride, my dignity. Did I really need the money badly enough that I was willing to prostrate myself to a man I barely even knew?

I never found out how I would have answered. At that very moment, the doors to the chamber swung open with a crash and both of us looked up in shock.

My heart and mind raced. Had we been discovered? There would be no way to explain away being in bed with the spymaster. Now everyone would know about what I'd done. As I felt myself being lifted off the bed, I saw a woman come storming into the chamber.

She was dressed in black, a short silk tunic that was held tightly around her waist by a leather corset. Her pointed boots were heavy and serviceable, her cloak of dark brown, frayed and tattered at the edges. A hood was pulled over her head, casting her fierce eyes into shadow, while her lower face was covered with a red scarf. Around her waist was a tasseled wrap. In one hand she carried a curved dagger, in the other, a tiny barbed dart.

I couldn't quite figure out what was happening. I had been laying flat on my back but now I found myself directly in the path of that deadly-looking projectile which the woman had let fly. It only dawned on me as the dart penetrated my bared breast that Sir Ruvano, was using me as a human shield!

However, it was too late to resist. I'd already been struck. Oddly, the wound didn't hurt, it merely stung. All the same, I felt the life drain from me in an instant. I collapsed -- or maybe Sir Ruvano threw my limp form at the assassin, I wasn't entirely sure -- but my naked body flopped heavily onto the floor. The blood pouring from my chest made the impact into a sickly splattering of twisted limps and slick flesh.

As I slid to a stop at the feet of the assassin, I could see the spymaster out of the corner of my eye disappearing through a hidden door. The woman glared down at me with a look of absolute disgust in her eyes.

"Impossible," she muttered. "A blood dart can't miss."

I might have heard cries raising the alarm throughout the castle but I was finding it hard to keep focused on much of anything. What I remembered most distinctly was thinking that this assassin was quite risqué to wear a skirt that short in public. Not only did it leave her knees completely exposed but I also got a fine look at her panties as she stepped over me and dashed after the spymaster.

They were red silk and trimmed with lace.

Before passing out, I remember wishing that I could have had a pair like that...