Re: The King

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“A dancer?” Ravenna was fascinated. She looked at the bracelet with more wonder and touched it to try and imagine her mother in India, watching the dancers and trading a piece for the bracelet. Her face brightened considerably when Fiona said she would help her, and Ravenna gave a happy cry. “Thank you! You really will? Thank you, Lady Fiona, I’m so grateful for it.”

Her thoughts went to Fiona’s son, Asa. Any danger of association within the families made her nervous. But Asa was a beautiful being. As though Asa had heard her thinking, he looked back at her, and Ravenna looked away. He did not look friendly. Baldassare wouldn’t give her away, though, and she was certain that Fiona wouldn’t try to set her up with her son. “I would be glad for any guidance you can give, regardless.”

When the trumpet sounded, Ravenna looked up and saw Clovis for the first time. He was extremely handsome, and Asa was forgotten. She knew they were second in their order, and Ravenna’s heart began beating fast. She went to her father and took his arm tightly as she waited for their name to be called. Meanwhile, the Ayleharts approached King Clovis and Almara smiled graciously at the King. She had not seen him before, like many others, and she offered her hand to him.

She was dressed in a bright red dress with her hair tossed over her shoulder. Her breasts were revealed to her content, and she had enjoyed men’s eyes on her for the beginning of the night. As always, her curves were visible with her dress pressed against her. Her perfume smelled of spices, much like the ones that they stole from the Voltrens’ ships. A bright red ruby was at her throat with dark metal encasing her flesh that the jewel was held within.

Ulisse was dressed in a darker red. He shook the King’s hand and smiled proudly. Neither was nervous. They parted and Ravenna clung to her father as they walked up to the king. She looked at little starstruck when they announced her name, but she held out her hand to the king. She realized her hand trembled and only hoped the king didn’t notice. When they walked away, a wave of relief came over her--but she had no idea how she would survive dancing with him.

Asa watched the prince and breathed in the smoke he could catch. He flirted with the woman and Asa became more curious. A prince. Was he here to find a wife, too? The young man wanted to ask the prince if he could try the pipe as well, having a love for his own tobacco, but the king was announced. Asa caught up behind his mother and escorted her forward in time. His grin was absolutely ferocious when he saw Clovis, and he bowed his head slightly before shaking his hand. He said nothing, though, and wondered what the king’s thoughts were. He had a feeling he knew, but his heart pounded in the thought that the king had watched him bed his mistress. When he and Fiona walked away, Asa patted his mother’s arm.

Elisa Cabrera was alone. Her father had not showed with her. She approached the king demurely. She was dressed in a white dress with light blue trim, her white blonde hair pulled up. A white layered collar brushed against her cheeks.  She was stunning. Her high cheeks were dusted with blush, modestly done, and her glass green eyes were confident when she came to the king. She held out her hand and bowed her head to him submissively. She had curved hips that were hidden beneath her dress, and slim shoulders that she held back. She said nothing to the king, and remained expressionless. She parted from Clovis, and went her own way to a window to wait.

Hart held his cousin’s hand when they walked back in. He kissed her forehead. “You are stunning.” He let her take his arm instead, and watched as Elisa Cabrera walked away from the king. “We’re just in time.” He led her to the king and shook his hand. He felt the king’s nervousness, but he held it well. He couldn’t help but smile knowingly at the king when he felt his emotions. When they walked away, Hart ‘hmphed.’ “He’s quite nervous. It must be you.”

Ravenna was looking after Elisa, as was Asa, now a part of the group. “She’s beautiful,” Ravenna whispered to her father. She had an aura about her that Ravenna was pulled to. Asa thought the same, but would not admit it aloud. He appreciated an independent woman, much like most of his strange loves. Elisa carried herself well. His eyes, however, returned to Ahmose, and he watched him for a moment longer than he should have.

Emerson was at the bottom of the stairs watching the king. He was dressed in a modest dark blue doublet and a cream linen beneath, with pale breeches and black boots. He hated dressing up. He would have much rather worn just a linen shirt. It was the commoner in him. He was nervous for Clovis, perhaps much more than Clovis actually was. He tried to stand still as much as he wanted to fidget in place. The king was on his own, here, and was able to choose who he wanted to dance with first, for how long, and that was what made Emerson nervous. He was afraid of Clovis’s impulses.

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[Guest]

And was Clovis nervous! He certainly was, after he had landed at the bottom of the stairs. He wished he could be more like his mother, who said she had been more bored with the entire ceremony than anxious. Theresa told her son that her only problem with the ball was how she had to stand for so long a time--it gave her ennui.

The Ayleharts had been first. Clovis was wearing beautiful white gloves so that any sweat that came off his hand would not affect the guests, and any sweat on the guests’ hands would not affect him. Clovis, with his steady brown eyes, gazed at Ulisse’s sister. Bachelorette number one--Almara Aylehart. He drank in her outfit and did not let his mind wander too much. She was certainly lovely, and made no effort to hide the curves which she was proud of, but Clovis did not allow his eyes to linger. He kissed her hand and said nothing, unsmiling. He shook Ulisse’s hand. As they walked away, he did not give in to the impulse of looking at Almara’s behind, which he thought was probably marvellous.

And then the next family came, the Almavivas. He liked Baldassare very much, remembered him from when he was younger, and his daughter was gorgeous. She was very young, however, which Clovis was aware of, and her age prevented him from thinking of her sexually. A fourteen year old girl--he wondered if she had even kissed a man yet! He could see her hand was trembling but made no hesitation to take it and leave a kiss on the knuckle.
‘Thank you for coming, Lady Ravenna,’ he said, in a genial attempt to comfort her. She was still a child and he could imagine how anxious she was. He shook Baldassare’s hand and both of them gave each other a smile of recognition.

The Azerolas came next, and Clovis’ smile vanished. He became serious again, kissing Fiona Azerola’s hand as she curtsied, and staring steadfastly into Asa’s eyes when they shook hands. He did not return the shapeshifter’s awful grin. He knew that it was Asa who had come to him as a male courtesan, who Clovis had to distract by demanding he bed Costanza. He hoped dearly that the Prince Ahmose would be able to do what they had agreed upon--a place in Clovis’ council if Ahmose could overtake Asa.

Bachelorette number four: Elisa Cabrera. She was very lovely. Her modesty, which was a trait Clovis admired, was apparent. He looked at her with curiosity as he kissed her hand, the only woman other than Ravenna whose face he looked at when he made his greeting. Again, his eyes did not wander, though she was very beautiful. He had to speak with her about her reason for not wanting to be chosen. As she walked away, he realised there had been no one with her. He glanced at her back as she walked away, but his attention was quickly brought to the Voltrens.

Cosette and Hart brought with them a feeling of peace and understanding. Clovis knew that they were empaths, and it relieved him a little bit from his nervousness. He shook Hart’s hand and returned his small smile, a smile which helped him feel understood. He kissed Cosette’s hand, without looking up at her. She was another very beautiful girl. Her red hair was dazzling.

Now he knew how much of a choice he had, but he had to make a decision quickly. As the Voltrens walked away, he knew he had to pick someone for the first dance. He wished Emerson could choose for him. But now it was time for innocent fun, for lessening the tension between families. He looked around at the women, who seemed to stand calm. Clovis, taking a deep breath, went to Ravenna and offered his hand to the girl.

‘May I have your hand, my Lady?’ he asked, smiling down at her. He knew she was there to oblige her role as a single woman in a gifted family. There was no power struggle here, and that was what would soothe Clovis enough to enjoy the rest of the evening. An innocent dance with a girl who posed no threat to him.

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Ravenna hardly had the chance to speak to her father or anyone else when Clovis returned. He was picking her first? Why? She looked up at the king and felt her mouth open, but she shut it as soon as she realized. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

She let go of her father’s arm reluctantly and took the king’s hand. Ravenna, thankfully, was an excellent dancer. She wasn’t sure how well she would be with the king, as she was quivering with him, and her eyes stared at the clasp for his cape. It was only when she looked up did she realize she was practically leading him in the dance by force, taking the man’s position in step, and she blushed immediately. “I’m so sorry.” She relaxed more and allowed him to fall into place with his lead.

What was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to look into his face? She met his eyes. “His Majesty was very generous to invite myself and my father.” She tried not to look around the room at the eyes watching them, if any. “I have to admit I’m very nervous,” she breathed. And admitting it, she suddenly felt a little less nervous, to which she smiled. “That helped, I think.”

Her hand shifted in his, and she looked up at his gloved hand. He was so handsome. She liked that he wore gloves, as he wouldn’t feel her hand sweat. She was conscious of his hand on her waist. The gift, she remembered. Should she ask? Would he mention it?

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[Guest]

Baldassare was beaming when Clovis chose his daughter for the first dance. He gave her an affectionate nudge as she went to the King.

Clovis was elegant in taking her to the middle of the floor. He gingerly placed his hand on his waist, and when the music begun, he was surprised to find that she was leading him in step. He did not mind--it only made him smile. He did not put it past her--an Almaviva would definitely have done that.

He did not think it was necessary for her to apologise, but he smiled and took the lead, gently, guiding her about. At this point more people were beginning to join them on the floor.

'I am glad you feel relieved, Lady Ravenna,' Clovis replied, chuckling a bit. 'And I think you and your father were very generous to come. I want to thank you for the beautiful carriage you gave to me as a gift--it is one of a kind and incredibly beautiful. You must have put a lot of thought into it, my Lady.' Clovis was relieved.

Grinning at her, he leaned down to whisper in her ear: 'It might surprise you to know that I am just as nervous as you are.' He pulled away. 'But you should know, Lady Ravenna, and I am very sure you have heard no end of it--you are a delight to behold. And, not just that!--you dance as if you were born for it.'

--

The dance had begun, and Ahmose continued to smoke his tobacco pipe. All eyes were on Clovis and Ravenna. Ahmose seemed interested for a short while, flicked ashes in a silver tray especially for him, and then looked towards Asa when other couples began to dance. His eyes, half-lidded, watched Cosette go to him.

Cosette had left Hart, telling him he should dance with Elisa. She was one of the most mysterious people in the ballroom and she wanted a report. In an effort to encourage him, she gave him a mysterious smile and left his company to approach Asa. She curtsied to him.
'Lord Asa,' she said. 'Would it please you to take me as a dancing partner?'

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“I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Your Majesty. It’s from the 19th century. We had to bring it through a gigantic mirror to bring it back with us, but we were glad to do it.”

The grin on his face entranced her, and when he bent down to whisper in her ear, she felt butterflies in her stomach. He was so charming it made her breathless instead of the dancing. She had a smile on her face when he pulled back and complimented her.

“I’ve always enjoyed my time with my tutors, and I see it’s paid off.” She looked down for a moment, just seeing their steps together, and how their colors went together with her dress sweeping across the floor. A soft laugh came from her before she looked up again.

“Your Majesty, I had a request for you.” This was her moment. She was frightened to ask, wondering if he would reject her. “I would love to see the rest of the land here, and if you ever went hunting...I would enjoy it immensely to accompany you.”

-

He caught Ahmose’s eyes for a moment, but felt someone approach him. He turned. Asa raised a brow when he saw Cosette. One thing Asa had always enjoyed, though, was dancing, and the bravery of the woman even coming up to him encouraged him. He smiled. “I would be honored, my Lady.”

He took her hand and without a word, swept her onto the dance floor. His movements were grand and sweeping, and he held her close and looked into her eyes. “Lady Voltren,” he spoke with a charming smile. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced before, although I do know of you.” He gripped her hand gently and held her waist more to keep her with his movements. “Tell me something. Is there an appearance you would prefer on my face? A visage of a lover, or the king himself? I do like to impress my partner.”

He leaned forward a little and said lowly, “I hear it is also true that are an empath. Give me another answer, what do you feel of me?”

-

Hart watched Cosette leave with Asa. He frowned slightly, but turned to look for Elisa. She looked lonely in the corner, and Hart approached her carefully. He held out his hand. “Lady Cabrera, would you care for a dance?”

Elisa looked up, as though from a daydream, and she smiled. Hart felt hesitation, a negative answer, but then a change of her mind. She took his hand and danced with him. He danced slow and gentle so she could look him over. “We are very similar, Hart, I think.”

“What makes you think so?”

“We are both in need of guidance.” It was Elisa who was gripping his hand quite tight, and Hart was taken aback. He hesitated in the dance, and he said softly, “Do you know what has happened to me?”

Elisa laughed, and it was a beautiful laugh, musical and amused. “No. But everyone has had something happen to them. Everyone needs guidance. I don’t mean to trick you.” The woman brought him to a corner and held onto him an ounce tighter when they stilled for a moment. “Relax,” she said.

For Hart, it felt like minutes, although it was only a second to everyone else. Elisa had feared he might trip if they were dancing as she did it. But he saw, in his mind, a picture of Cosette rushing up the stairs and crying alone. He saw the Egyptian prince lower his eyes from them at the breakfast table, and himself spilling his drink before Cosette and himself. And he saw himself lying over Cosette, in bed, their eyes locked and his hand on her cheek.

They did not move, they only stared and laid against one another. He kissed her so gently, and the Hart in the ballroom could not feel what the Hart in bed felt, but he knew the electric, the intensity, that would have gone through them both. When he came to, Hart was staring at Elisa, and she was smiling knowingly.

“Did you see all that?” he asked worriedly.

“No. None of it.” Elisa pulled him back to the dance floor and seemed more relaxed. She sighed. “Oh, God, that was a relief. Thank you for allowing me in. You don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been able to do that.”


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[Guest]

A giant mirror! O, Clovis could see it in his mind’s eye--these two time travellers lugging such an incredible object through a large mirror, just to bring it to him as a gift. It was shocking and he felt deeply grateful for the effort. He would have to thank Baldassare as well, for he was sure the task must have been gruelling. Clovis wondered for a moment as to whose idea it could have been--the Almaviva father, or perhaps his daughter.

Her confidence was another comfort. She carried herself very well for a girl of her age--it definitely made him feel better about courtship. She was acting more as if she were nineteen than fourteen, and he could only hope to quell the awkward fourteen year old within her with his own understanding and sympathy.

‘A request?’ he responded, not particularly bothered by the idea. Of course he would have to oblige--the present he had received from the Almavivas was a priceless piece of time unto itself. When she mentioned leaving the castle and perhaps going on a hunting trip, he chuckled to himself. It was flattering.
‘To be honest, my Lady, I am not one for hunting--but I do love to explore the wood. I suppose we could take two horses and some guards. It is nice to go into the wood on horseback. We will do it on a day that’s fair and dry. Would that be to your liking?’ he asked, smiling down at her.

--

Cosette was certainly surprised by Asa’s enthusiasm. She had heard many things about this man, and had passed him several times feeling his deep and strange moods. He was a catalyst for trouble, that was for sure--and she was very curious as to what she would feel from him if she asked him to dance.

He swept her up with incredible energy--she was shocked: entertained, even. She made sure to focus on his movements, never missing a step. Cosette looked directly into his eyes when he looked into hers. He was certainly charming, and Cosette would be damned if she refused that aspect of his personality. Did she believe in it entirely, however? No, she did not.

‘I have heard of you as well,’ she said. It seemed she could keep up with him. His questions were extraordinarily controversial. ‘I have no preference, Lord Azerola. For every face that you choose instead, I will still know it is you.’
His next question piqued her. What a flirt, she thought, though she grinned at him anyway.
‘A fire may look very pretty, my Lord, but it burns the man who reaches in to capture the flame,’ she said playfully, her eyes melting with emotional knowledge.

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Ravenna gave a light cry of delight. “Oh, no! That’s even better, Your Majesty. To be entirely honest with you, I’m not very fond of hunting either. I wanted to explore the forest, and...someone advised me to suggest hunting to you, thinking you would enjoy it. I love that idea so much more.” His smile was invigorating. She felt more excited when she saw it, and hardly was even conscious of her dancing steps anymore.

She feared, slightly, that he would become wary when she said someone had recommended the question to her. She forced herself to push the thought away from her mind. “You’re very kind, Your Majesty.” She had expected less, to be honest, and was overwhelmed with how human he was.

-

Oh. Cosette was a challenge. Asa liked that.

His smile was turning into a grin the more she spoke. “My dear, you are one of the only people in this room who have the ability to see through my guises. However, I could be more apt to your preference as a dancing bear, if you so wish.” When the music allowed it, he grabbed her hips and lifted her up, looking at her as he did, and placing her down gently.

“You must be speaking of the Ayleharts,” he replied smoothly. “I have nothing to do with fire.” His emotions were melded entertainment, delight, and actual relaxation. He liked banter like this. He also liked a woman he could respect. “Lady Voltren, you are a great woman. I can see it in you.” He glanced to Elisa with Hart, and his expression turned curious. Then there was a tinge of jealousy in him. But he looked back to Cosette. The music ended, and he let her go to bow deeply.

“My dancing bear offer is still up in the air, my Lady.”

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[Guest]

The King was receptive to the girl’s ideas. Yes, a trip into nature would be fun. He had not done anything like that since he began planning and orchestrating this entire gathering with Emerson and the rest of the council. It had been so stressful he had forgotten that it was springtime, which was the best time to go outside and explore. There were plenty of beautiful things.

The music ended, and their dance was concluded. Clovis took his hand from Ravenna’s waist, stepped backward, and bowed to kiss her hand. ‘It was a pleasure to perform with you, Lady Ravenna,’ he said. ‘We shall go on our trip soon, I hope.’

He dropped her hand and nodded to her. People clapped. Music began again, and this time, Clovis wanted to dance with Almara. He approached her, took her hand, and led her away.

He had a feeling that Ravenna would be someone he could rely on for destressing. With everyone else it was a political struggle, a desire for power at his side. O, how we wished all families could be like the Almavivas!

--

Cosette had laughed at Asa’s retorts. He was being gloriously funny, and his exuberance was especially portrayed in the way he had lifted her in dance, and placed her down so gently. It was like a ballet--really, he danced as if he were in one--and it was quite romantic. His flattery was amusing. He continued his banter, and she could only laugh whimsically in return.

But she felt his pang of jealousy. A moment of looking in the direction which he had told her he had been looking at her cousin and Elisa Cabrera. Fascinating, she thought. She had gotten something valuable from him--a real emotion, raw, although she had felt his giddiness everywhere up until this point.

When he parted from her, as the music ended, she was panting slightly. Asa was a very physical challenge. ‘In a room full of dancing bears, I would rather have a chaotic monkey,’ were her words of departure, said as she curtsied. Cosette left his presence to return to Hart. It was as if she was in orbit--she could not imagine falling into the arms of another dance partner without returning to her cousin.

‘You seem troubled,’ she said to him, her cheeks left red from all of the laughter Asa had given her. ‘Did Lady Elisa say something to trouble you?’ Cosette asked, taking her cousin’s hands. It was almost a thoughtless procedure, but, in placing one of his hands on her waist, she began to lead Hart in a dance as the music begun again.

--

Prince Ahmose had watched Asa in his dance with Cosette the entire time he was at it. He had also looked briefly from them to Hart, when Elisa had allowed him a vision. It was a spectacle. All of these characters, all of the little worlds they were in, and Ahmose was there to simply observe it all. He felt like a gargoyle on the doorstep of a corrupt church. He saw it all happen before his eyes, could even preconceive of it, but he was made of stone and could do nothing.

He looked at Asa again. There was something about the shapeshifter he wanted to conquer. Ahmose felt the inclination to dig into those depths. He could see only parts of it, but the image was still not clear in his mind.

--

Baldassare was eager to receive Ravenna when she was finished. He wanted to know of everything she and the King spoke about. Also eager, it had seemed, was Dante.

Dante and Baldassare had been speaking for a while and catching up on their own travels and discoveries. Baldassare told Dante of a book he was writing. The book was about the nature of time. Dante had been asking many questions about it and giving his own anecdotes on the subject, which Baldassare greatly appreciated.

Fiona had gone off to speak with someone else.

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“If the weather permits. Thank you, Your Majesty.” She curtsied low with a confident smile and padded back to her father and Dante. She wanted to embrace her father, but restrained, and instead gave them both a brilliant smile. “He said he would go for a trip into the woods when it was dry enough outside. He was so kind.”

Ravenna was panting a bit, but she still laughed. “In the beginning...did you see? When he first took me, I led the dance, I was so nervous. He didn’t even mind. He laughed with me.” She clutched the cloth of her dress and felt the sudden urge to ask someone else to dance, and her eyes turned around the room, watching the others. She saw Clovis take up Almara, but felt no ill will. She was excited, now, and wished her heart would beat this fast all the time for the world.

-

“Your Majesty,” Almara said in a low voice when he took her to the dance floor. Her movements went well with his, and she seemed to blend into him as they danced. Her eyes never left his, and she kept a subtle smile across her lips. “I have only just recently become used to dancing without looking at my feet. You’re a very lucky man to hold me just in time. Before, I would have been stepping on your toes.”

The woman tilted her head in thought. “My brother used to tell me stories of his travels here. Your love of literature, your gentleness, your sensitivity…I have no doubts for his recollections, but I what I see in you is something much more fiery. You seem like a very strong man. It suits a king to have such a balance in him.”

-

When Cosette came to Hart, he clasped her hands and seemed to cling to her. “She gave me visions. It was not...frightening, but it was interesting enough.” He began to dance with her, and his dancing was demure with her, gentle and swaying. He kept her close in his arms. Touching her gave him a feeling of peace, and he sighed with the feeling. He was helpless with her so close to him.

He felt like a changed man. Elisa’s clarity was different from what Cosette gave him--Elisa’s was gentle, pulling him into the pool of water to let him view the fish underneath with carefully opened eyes, while Cosette’s in the morning was like being pushed into a shark-filled ocean. Now, he looked at Cosette, and his dance became a bit stronger. What did he care? Why did he care about what damage was done, as long as they were happy? The pleasure that had felt earlier was electric, was fantastic. How could they deny themselves the heavens of the earth?

The visions Elisa gave him made him realize he was helpless to Cosette. He looked at her very plainly, suddenly, and his emotions became a blank slate. He was certain it must have startled Cosette. “I must tell you something.” He leaned down to her ear. “I have changed my mind about everything. I cannot wait until you dance with the king, and we are able to escape. This moment,...” he paused, hesitant for only a second. “This moment, I want to press you against me and bite your mouth until I can taste the wine that colors your lips. It would be rude, though, to do so in front of the king.” He squeezed her hand and waist when he spoke Clovis’s title.

-

When Asa parted from Cosette, he was laughing. What an entertaining girl! He smiled and found himself near the Egyptian prince. He came before him to bow slightly. “Your Highness, do you not dance? You have been standing like a statue since you’ve been here.” Asa lifted his shoulder, giving a coy expression. “People will begin to think you are an awful guest.”

His smile turned into a grin, which was turning into a habit. He took a glass of wine from a servant’s tray and drank from it, nearly laughing into his drink from his courage.

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‘I saw it!’ Baldassare laughed. ‘O, my blackbird, Dante and I both saw it. We were talking about how fearless you were!’ He laughed so hard that he could hardly hold himself up. The idea seemed like a riot to him. Even Dante was amused with it. His lips were pressed together, though looking closely it would seem that he was almost smiling.

‘I am glad he agreed to take you outside,’ Dante said. ‘The King is a gentleman.’
‘So he is!’ agreed Baldassare.
‘It seems Miss Ravenna is looking for another partner to dance with,’ Dante suddenly observed. ‘Baldassare, would you mind if I took your daughter to dance? That is, if she doesn’t mind it herself,’ he said, looking at Ravenna.

--

Clovis felt very differently with Almara in his arms. It was strange. She was saying everything he would expect from someone of her family. The flattery, the fire, and even more flattery. He smiled at her, more charmed by the way the sway of her hips and the movement of her breasts than of the words that came out of her mouth. He almost did not know what to say.

‘You seem naturally attuned to my rhythm,’ he said, at a loss for anything else. ‘So attuned that I would find it hard to believe that you could make any blunder. How do you figure me as having any fire within, Lady Almara?’

--

To go from one extreme to another! Cosette felt her cousin fluctuating. The first answer he had given her was not enough. Their dancing was as comfortable and cool as the ocean, and though he was not speaking, she could feel him floating in a pool whose temperament could not make up its mind. She waited patiently, however, and when she got more from him, she was bewildered.

His emotions became blank, firstly. This meant that he had either an epiphany or something had blocked her out. And then he began saying such sensual things to her, about having changed his mind, about wanting to bite the wine out of her lips, and he said this all into her ear.

This put Cosette into a frenzy. Something was opening up inside of her, something that she had retained. He was getting pleasure from telling her these things and it was putting her in a position of lust, again, and furthermore, she would have fainted if she had no control over herself. Instead, she held her head high and straight on her neck, though she felt his hot breath on her jaw, though her fingers trembled in his hand, and she slightly faulted on a step.

She swallowed. Cosette could not forget the electricity of their touch.
‘Hart, I--do you remember when we were sixteen, and our family gathered together for the Festival of the Nativity? There were so many of us and we hardly could speak to each other. I would look at you, I thought you were very handsome, and you had become so sensitive. Very different than when we were children . . .’ she paused. ‘One day . . . I think you remember, you caught me bathing in the river. I was offended,’ she laughed. ‘Or I wanted you to believe I was. But later that evening, I saw our stable boy, and I begged him to take me from behind. As I felt his pleasure, as he gripped my flesh and grunted, I imagined you taking me in the river--that is, if you had stayed and decided to bathe with me . . .’

She did not know why she was telling him this at that moment. Perhaps it was because of her frenzy, what he had set off in her mind was something carnal. The fantasy of Hart taking her by the river was one which she could never forget.

--

Ahmose received Asa with openness. When the Azerola teased him about having stood there without dancing, the Wachuku prince laughed at his suggestion. It was only fair. He handed the tobacco pipe to Asa without asking him if he wanted any.
‘It is much more entertaining for me to observe. I saw you dancing with a beautiful woman, Lord Azerola. I am glad for it. A smile suits you much better than a frown,’ he said, not taking his eyes off of Asa for a moment as he said it.

After he said it, however, he had to pick up a glass of wine for himself to sip at. He had not been seen drinking alcohol all night, and he felt that he had to change that.

[Guest]

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Ravenna noticed in this moment more than any other that her father and Dante were complete opposites in personality. Her eyes drifted between both as they spoke, and a knowing smile appeared on her face. She became shy when Dante noticed she had been looking for a partner, only because she didn’t want him to be offended she hadn’t asked him first. The girl nodded. “Of course.”

When he took her to the dance floor, it was so different from Clovis. Dante had a bigger frame and she felt so small in his arms. The girl looked at his doctor’s pin and it felt familiar to her. But she made sure not to look for too long. “If you can call my father Baldassare, that must mean I can call you Dante.” Her steps were less confident with Dante than they had been with Clovis, as he seemed to tower over her while Clovis seemed more like her. Dante was more different than anyone else in the room, and it was overwhelming to Ravenna.

Her eyes drifted to Clovis with Almara as they went past them. “Do you...do you think the king picked me first because he liked me best?”

-

“The way you smile, the way you carry yourself.” Her hand grew warm in his as she spoke of him in regards to his inner flame. “I can see it in your eyes as well. You have an outer confidence you display, but it can...easily be put out with the right gesture. And, Your Majesty, I do not blunder often. You will never see it if it happens.”

The woman moved in his arms a little differently in the middle of the dance, shaking her hips and a little bit of her hair, as though a shiver ran through her. She sighed as though she was a little bored. “My Liege,” she spoke a little softer. “We both know I am nothing of Queen material. I am happy enough with what you’ve done for my brother. But, if you ever need me for any other matters of the bedroom, I am at your service.” She smiled. “I have no catches. I live to serve my king.”

-

Hart made certain his steps did not falter so he could support her. He felt her pleasure, her tremble, and the way she opened up to something, and he smiled almost against her neck. He didn’t care what others saw. He loved her story, and he kept his mouth near her ear to speak. “If I had stayed with you then, we would still be there fucking.”

His hand on her waist rubbed a little against the fabric. He couldn’t stand this. “God, Cosette. Damn the king. I’ll take you on the floor here if you don’t help me control myself. I can’t keep dancing and letting ourselves torture ourselves into insanity.” He breathed sharply and thought more on her story of the stableboy taking her, on how she had thought of only him. He thought of the dining room table in the morning, and Hart groaned softly. He was blocking his feelings for Cosette, so she did not feel him, and it was taking every ounce of energy. But she didn’t need to feel him to know what he was thinking.

“If you marry the king, I will always bring you back to me.” His voice was low and strong. “I will take you in his bed if I had to.”

-

Asa took the pipe, surprised, and drew in the smoke. He breathed it out through his nostrils and raised his eyes to the prince, who was looking at him and complimenting his smile. Asa, who was quite tipsy by now, wasn’t sure if he was taking the gestures in the right way.

He looked at Ahmose with scrutiny, but spoke. “I love to dance. A beautiful woman or man in my arms on the ballroom floor and I will be content for a week.” He took another draught of smoke and held out the pipe to Ahmose as he released the smoke again in a heavy sigh.

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[Guest]

Dante was very pleased to have called Ravenna his first dancing partner for the night, even though he was her second. He had previously thought of asking to be her first, before the King had even come down, but had thought it a foolhardy wish. He found he had still gotten his chance with the girl, however. He found her to be delightful, like a sprig of her mother Renata.

He did not make the dancing too energetic. Dante was methodical in his steps. It was as if he knew every step perfectly, but he held no passion for the art of it.

‘You may certainly call me Dante, Miss Ravenna . . .’ he replied. ‘And I think so. The King makes an impulsive decision when he chooses the first woman to dance with. You and Elisa Cabrera were the only two women he really looked at. That he danced with you first is a tremendous compliment. He seemed utterly enthusiastic about you.’

--

Clovis smirked at Almara when she began to pull tricks to describe what she saw in him. O, God! All of the time he had imagined the time he would spend focusing on staring into a bachelorette’s eyes. He chuckled when she mentioned that he would not catch her in a blunder. What a feisty girl she was!

He remained silent and watched her. He felt that dancing to the music they were swaying to was almost inappropriate for her body, for the way she moved, the slight jerk in her hips. She began to speak honestly. Clovis liked that. When she talked of bedroom matters, however, he expressed something akin to intellectual interest.

To challenge her, he squeezed her waist. ‘My Lady, you must be pretty serious about your offer to say it as we are dancing,’ he said. He gave her a flirtatious half-grin.

--

O, his snarls, his low and violent voice, the stink of alcohol in his breath, the way he held her, the way he felt! It was evident that he cared no longer about what others thought. Whoever could see them dancing together would know that Hart was deeply passionate about something, and all of it was being poured into Cosette. One may assume that the two were close enough to be like twin siblings, but this was certainly not the case.

Her breath caught when he rubbed his hand on her waist. Everything he did and said was suggestive. She needed to distract him. Cosette rest her head against his cheek. She turned her face so that it was against his neck. The Lady Voltren gave her cousin a kiss on the throat.
‘If you want me so badly, Hart,’ she said softly. ‘I want you to seduce Almara Aylehart. I want you to conquer her. I need you to take her, and I want to watch.’

--

Ahmose took the pipe, a contemplative look on his face.
‘To dance is to summon one spirit or many,’ he said. ‘In my country, those who dance are usually witch-doctors, who summon the gods for guidance.’ He seemed serious as he took a deep hit of tobacco. He blew it out slowly, towards Asa’s face, and gazed with sultry eyes upon the Lord Azerola.
‘Would you join me in my bed tonight?’ he asked, completely serious.

[Guest]

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Ravenna couldn’t stop smiling. She followed Dante’s steps that all seemed very planned out, but he was hardly paying attention to them. “He was very charming.” Her eyes wandered slightly, looking back at her father. It was interesting to think that this could have been the first time she met her husband if the king chose her. She couldn’t tell if the way he looked at Almara was different.

Her eyes looked back to Dante. “Thank you for introducing me to Lady Fiona. She was very kind.” She paused and tried to think of what to ask him, what to talk to him about. The girl wondered why he took such interest to her when he seemed so bored. He did not even seem to enjoy dancing with her. The contrast was all the more apparent between Clovis and Dante with the quick exchange between them. “Dante,” she said his name for the first time, and it was strange to address someone here so informally. “Why did you ask me to dance?”

-

“There is no moment in my speech when I am not serious in what I say.” She reflected his smile and tilted her head forward so her eyes looked up at him. “No one here tells lies, and neither will I. They will only deceive you until you are caught.” The challenge he gave her when he squeezed her waist made her smile grow a bit wider. “It’s unfortunate that we did not meet in another circumstance, Your Majesty. It would have been interesting to see you dressed as yourself.”

-

She kissed is throat and the man shuddered slightly, his emotions breaking, and he was certain Cosette would have been able to feel his satisfaction and pleasure. But her next words threw him off, and he blinked, opening and closing his mouth. Almara?

His eyes looked towards the woman and the king. Almara was gazing at the king and he felt a little lust from them both, but also intellectual curiosity. He hated her and her family name. Hart swallowed thickly. He wanted Cosette, so much, more than anything in the world, and it was hard to deny her a view of Almara and himself in bed. He turned his head back so his cheek was against hers, and whispered, “I would do anything for you. I am your servant. If you wish for me to take Almara, I will.”

-

Asa frowned a little when he blew the smoke towards him, raising a brow and his eyes behind his wine glass. The prince’s next question, however, made him slightly choke on his wine. He swallowed and when he came up for air, he was laughing. He saw Ahmose’s eyes, the way he was looking at him, and he couldn’t believe it. Asa caught his breath and in between a smile he replied, “Do you take me for an easy slut?” His words bit and his face was a flash of seriousness. But the smile returned just as fast.

“No. I have plans, anyway. It would take much more flattery to become a concubine for some Eastern prince.”

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[Guest]

Though he was very stoic on the outside, on the inside he was ecstatic to have danced with Ravenna. He was very pleased that she had been chosen first to dance with the King, and he was happy to see her considerably less nervous than what she had been earlier. It was true, her step was not as confident, but that she was comfortable enough with Dante to dance with him casually was a compliment.

Dante only nodded in response when Ravenna thanked him for the introduction. He was looking down at Ravenna, but in the gap of silence between them, looked away. This went on for a while. The instrumental was close to finishing. She said his name, and Dante immediately looked down at her. Her question was easy to answer.

‘Because you are a beautiful and intelligent girl,’ he said. The music had ended, and he had stopped, though he still held her. ‘Simply put, I wanted to dance with you. How could I refuse myself the opportunity?’
At least he was honest. Though it was perhaps the most flirtatious thing she would ever hear him say, his expression had not changed much besides his raised brows. He took his hands from her and began to escort her back to Baldassare, who had not been paying attention.

--

Almara had a very nice mouth, Clovis noticed. It was perfectly made for all the things she was saying. He was by no means grovelling over her. He was lusty, but his blood did not rush in haste to his groins. He was smirking at her and they were dancing, their gazes locked. She was a very good flirt.

‘You will see me dressed as myself soon enough, my Lady,’ he said, and then the music stopped. ‘Thank you for your wisdom,’ Clovis lifted her hand to kiss it. ‘I will be sure to seek you out if ever I am in need of it again.’

--

Cosette was very pleased to hear it. He was her servant, he had said to her. He would do anything. Part of the reason why she requested he do so would be to take his mind off of her. She was, in all practicality, there to court the King, and if she was not chosen, beg for a place in his court. She was certain she would not be denied the latter, but as for the former . . . well, it would be better for her and Hart if there weren’t rumours about them exclusively courting each other. It would be better for them to branch out, for them to engage in small parties and affairs where the idea of love was intermingled, but tasteful.

She felt him. And as badly as she wanted to put his face between her legs, he was very right--if he had fucked her when they were younger, when she was bathing in the river, they would have never stopped. They would turn everything inside of them and out into Caligula’s universe of perversion. No, she did not want that . . . at least not yet.

Cosette parted from her cousin when the music ended. She was feeling as if she was on a cloud. There was nothing she could say to him, except she knew he felt her feelings. All Cosette could do was smile.

And before she knew it, she was the next person Clovis wanted to dance with for the next piece. He approached her like a gentleman would, and offered his hand in exchange for hers. She took it.

--

Ahmose’s expression did not change when Asa laughed at him and mocked his approach. He took another heavy drag of tobacco and blew it into the air above them. He did not respond, nor did he seem to take any offense to Asa’s reaction. When Asa mentioned flattery and plans, however, Ahmose’s brow pinched in a little bit, and he seemed to contemplate.

‘I see nothing wrong with easy love, Lord Azerola. My apologies if I have offended you. It is a little different where I am from,’ he said, taking another deep drag. ‘I had forgotten our customs are usually seen as barbaric to Europeans.’

He smiled slowly, offering the tobacco to Asa again. His gaze was sultry, calm, and confident. ‘If you do not mind me asking, what are your plans for tonight?’

[Guest]

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Ravenna was taken aback when he complimented her so openly. It was really the most personality she had seen in him. When the dance ended, she glanced at her father and those around her. It was when people were clapping and watching the king that Ravenna stood on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for the dance, Dante.”

When she returned to her father, she took a glass of wine from a servant. It only took that for her to be tipsy, and she was giggling as she watched the dancers and placed her empty glass back on a tray. She was taken away with another dancer and Ravenna laughed with him and chatted more and more, seeming more confident with alcohol.

She always came back to her father, though, and after a second glass of wine and a few more dancers, the girl’s cheeks were a brighter red. “Oh..I need to rest,” she sighed and looked up for a back room or a seat.

-

Hart felt her determination, and he let her go, relaxing himself, distracting himself with others. He reached up to touch his neck where she had kissed him while he stood near a wall to watch casually. He turned away to take a drink of his flask, and walked along the wall with the windows to feel all the emotions of the others. He watched Almara leave the king, and he smiled to himself.

He asked her for a dance, and she obliged him. When they joined together, he had no hesitation. “My cousin and I would love for you to join us for tea while we’re here. She was enchanted by you this morning.” He smiled at her and Almara quirked a brow, seeming surprised, but she smiled slowly as well. “I would be happy to join you.”

Again, that feeling of pride filled Almara, and Hart’s grip on her tightened. They did not speak for the rest of the dance, but when they parted, he kissed her hand. “We’ll make sure to find you, my Lady.”

-

Asa was taken aback from his assumption, and the young man cleared his throat. “Not barbaric. I see myself as a prize to be won, not an easy task, Your Highness.” Asa took the pipe, and took another drag, but his eyes stayed on Ahmose. When he took the pipe from his mouth, he wet his lips and didn’t stray from looking at Ahmose.

“My plans are to see someone else for the night.” He did not hand back the pipe just yet, and took another drag. “Do you have no one else to take into bed here?”

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[Guest]

‘A prize to be won?’ thought Ahmose to himself. He could not read minds, but he could guess the amount of work it would take to seduce Asa. So far, he felt like he was doing a mediocre job, but it would not matter as he felt strongly that he would get to Lord Azerola.

Prince Ahmose smiled at the Lord when he asked if there was no one for him to bed.
‘I am having a private party in my own quarters,’ he said. ‘Only a select have been invited. We will be smoking the finest hashish and drinking the richest Spanish wines. I have brought some of my own Greek slaves, male and female, to accompany me and serve. If I cannot have you, I will have one of my male slaves.’

Ahmose’s voice was smooth and slow, much like honey. He did not try to take the pipe back from Asa. ‘If you would like to come by at all, even if it is not for love making, please do. It is an open invitation,’ the prince said, ‘so you may bring your own guests, if you so desire.’

---

Dante was very touched when she kissed him on the cheek. He paused, as if his brain did not allow him to comprehend the gesture, somehow, but he smiled for a very brief moment. After their dance, Dante found another partner. It was apparent that, in his own way, he was very giddy.

Baldassare had not danced with anyone, nor did he plan on doing so. He was perfectly satisfied standing where he was, drinking wine, and sometimes eating hors d’oeuvres when they were accessible. He was having fun looking around at all of the people, but his main concern was not losing Ravenna. When she drank, when she danced, he always watched to make sure she was all right.

It came to a point, however, when she came back to him not looking so well. He saw that she was looking for a seat and, without hesitating, he began to lead her to a wall, where the seats were. He made sure she sat down and then he knelt before her.
‘Blackbird, are you all right? Do you need anything?’ he asked her.

--

Cosette and the King were strange dancing partners. She was fluid, but he had a very down-to-earth tempo. Neither stepped on each other’s foot, but it was as if she could not give herself fully to his way of step. She could sense that he was reserving his emotions very well, although he was still quite anxious. Cosette did not sense any frustration. He had only two more bachelorettes to dance with after her. She wondered if he would be retiring afterward.

‘Your Majesty, have you read anything of Thomas Nashe?’ she asked. This question stimulated him.
‘I have,’ he replied. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘Well, I wondered what you thought of him. He is considered rather controversial.’
Clovis laughed. ‘Lady Cosette, any artist, philosopher, or politician that is worth noting are always controversial . . .’

They continued their conversation in this manner, intellectually, until the music finished. As they parted, Cosette saw Hart bowing to Almara. Clovis kissed Cosette’s hand, apparently impressed with her. She felt no romantic stirring, however, only a respect.

The next musical piece began, and Clovis took on Fiona as a dancing partner.

Cosette, again in her own orbit, went to her cousin smiling. He danced with Almara. This impressed her, and she wondered if it made Hart feel any more powerful.
‘I have danced with the King!’ she announced to him, beaming, even though it was not such a big deal to her. It mattered more that Hart was beginning to conquer the Ayleharts by his soul.

[Guest]

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Ravenna followed her father and sat down with her legs to the side. “No, no, thank you. I’m fine.” She looked down at her father, a lord, knelt before her. Her expression grew lovely, and she smiled at him. One of the most powerful lords in the room, and he was not embarrassed to kneel before his daughter. The girl leaned forward and kissed her father’s head. “Thank you, Papa. You are the kindest man in the world. Go and enjoy yourself, I’ll meet with you in a moment. I promise. I just need a moment to myself.”

When she encouraged him away, the girl leaned her head against the wall around the seat and looked through the window. It was still raining. She was very thoughtful in the quiet moment, and was able to concentrate on the outside rather than the inside and all the men and women of the court. She thought of her mother, and she missed her. She knew Baldassare would have danced with her mother, and if they had been here together, the girl wouldn’t have been able to take her eyes off of them. When she had known them, she had loved them together. But maybe she had romanticized it so much as a child…

-

So he likes Grecians, thought Asa. The young lord pursed his lips and held out the pipe to Ahmose. “Thank you.”

The younger looked off at the dance floor and tried to spot someone of interest. He saw the young lady Ravenna, and the lord saw she was becoming quite sociable. He smiled to himself. He turned to the prince. “And thank you for the invitation, but, Your Highness, I don’t like to share.” He went passed him, seemingly unimpressed, but he was giddy from the tobacco.

He held out his hand to young Ravenna, and there was a grin upon his face again. She was turned away, and her pale throat was exposed with her hair over her left shoulder. She turned her face to him, and her eyes widened. She looked like prey. “My Lady,” he said.

Ravenna took his hand and he nearly lifted her up. She was so light to him. Her swept her onto the dance floor and Ravenna was not nervous by trembling, but her eyes were wide, seemingly impressed by Asa. Asa felt charmed. She also looked so young and naive. He reached up a brushed a piece of her hair away from her face. “I heard that my mother was taking you as an apprentice.”

Ravenna blushed more than she already had been from the wine, and nodded. She looked frightened, and Asa felt powerful. He liked that. “You look so nervous, My Lady. You should relax. I appreciate you taking in my mother like that. She enjoys company.” His grip tightened on her, and the girl admitted a squeak. “My Lord,” she said quickly. “You frighten me.”

“Why is that?” He leaned down closer to her. “I have not done anything.”

“The look in your eyes is disconcerting.” She grew a little more confident and puffed out her chest. “You’re like a bull, aren’t you? Pushing people around.”

“I thought you said you were frightened of me?” He asked curiously with another grin forming. He looked past her and saw Baldassare Almaviva watching with hawk eyes. “Your father is watching us quite closely. He must be protective. Where Lady Almaviva?”

“She died,” Ravenna replied flatly. “I bet you know that already.”

“I remember meeting her, long ago. I was very young. It was at an occasion like this. I believe, actually, she took up a dance with me to entertain me.” His eyes were growing softer, and they were changing to a darker blue. His lips changed, as did the rest of his face. Ravenna’s eyes grew wide and she stiffened in his arms. She wanted to run. “Stop,” she said. Asa’s face was her mother’s, and she smiled at Ravenna gently. “You think I left you on purpose, don’t you?”

Ravenna couldn’t stand it. She faltered in her steps, nearly tripping, but instead looked at the floor. She forced herself not to run. When Asa’s normal face returned, he was laughing as though he was in on a great joke. Ravenna said nothing to him and did not look at his face. Once the dance ended, he took her hand to kiss it, but Ravenna snatched it from him and walked steadily across the room to the door. Asa watched her with a smile on his face and turned, walking back to the wall, grabbing a glass of wine on the way. Entertainment, he thought.

Ravenna went out into the great hall and held in her tears, although it hurt her throat. She hadn’t seen her mother’s face in years. She went to a corner and leaned against a wall, breathing heavily to hold herself together. A tear escaped, but she rubbed it into her cheek right away. She knew her father would be coming for her and she didn’t want him to know. She couldn’t talk to him about Renata.

-

“You did,” Hart replied. “And I danced with Almara.” The man took his cousin’s hand, quite hard, and was leading her to a side of the room. “And as I said before, fuck the king.” He brought her to a secluded corner, and found a back room with a veiling curtain before it. He pushed it aside to look in, seeing it was a private alcove. He pulled Cosette inside and sat down on the bench in there and pulled her on top of him.

He looked up at her with his jaw tight, breathing a little heavily. “Well…?” He said to her with a smile. “Did you like your king better than me?”

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[Guest]

Baldassare respected his daughter’s wishes in being left alone. He had not left without giving her a large grin and a special kiss on the forehead, however. He loved his daughter very much--there was no doubt about that.

But when he saw Asa take her for a dance, his nerves began to itch at him. He loved the boy’s mother: Fiona was very kind, very polite, and reasonable. But he did not think the same of her son. He watched very closely, his eyes narrowed, his hand gripping tightly on his wine goblet. He was expecting something rotten to happen, but he hoped nothing would.

Ahmose, after having sustained Asa’s pompous abuse, had disappeared from the spot in which Asa would notoriously return to. He instead had gone to speak to even more aristocrats.

Dante was among those aristocrats. He was also keeping a careful eye on Asa Azerola and Ravenna Almaviva, but with nowhere near such determination as Baldassare.

And Baldassare witnessed it--the devil of a man Asa Azerola had changed his features to look like Renata’s. Baldassare saw it. His free hand clenched in a fist which left his knuckles white. But he waited. The two dancers parted, and he saw his daughter go off upset. Something in Baldassare broke, especially when he saw Asa lean against a wall with that smug smile. Disgusting.

The tall and broad Lord Almaviva wasted no time. He walked toward Asa Azerola, his expression steeped in Hellish fury, and when he got to him, he pinned Asa’s right shoulder to the wall and threw a punch directly at the wanton bachelor’s perfect face.

Dante had made no attempt to stop him, even though he could see it coming. Several women cried out as Baldassare had thrown his punch, and the music confusedly halted.

--

But Cosette was not at all present to witness this horror and whatever else was to come--she had been whisked away by her cousin, who took them both into some secret alcove. She was giggling as he brought her, having been amused with his statement of disregarding the king. Her heart melted into joy and anxious excitement all the same. She was intrigued with this adventurous Hart, she liked very much his newfound freedom.

When Cosette found herself on her cousin’s lap, she suddenly became self conscious, but his question elicited another giggle from her. ‘I could never,’ she said breathlessly, entranced by his romance. She embraced him around the neck. ‘Hart,’ Cosette whispered, her hands running into his hair. She began to kiss his neck again, hotly, her mouth landing on him with open lips.

[Guest]

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Emerson saw it happen. He looked at Clovis and then the musicians, and barked at them to continue playing. “The hell do you think you’re doing?!” They did so under his glower, and he then headed towards the two lords.

Asa’s expression didn’t change much when Baldassare came to him, although he did drop his glass, which shattered on the floor. The young lord took the punch and slunk down the wall. He reached up and touched his face. There was blood. He drew his hand back and looked at it in wonder, then raised his face to Baldassare. He smiled. “I deserved it.”

The worst for everyone seemed the fact that Asa was not bothered, although he did look in pain. He slowly rose and held his nose, which he was certain was broken. There were tears in his eyes from the pain. He looked at Baldassare above his hand, and said quietly, “Your daughter is a wonderful dancer.” He moved past him, avoiding touching him, and walked across the floor.

She will grow older, he thought. And she will look down on me. She will try to take advantage of me like many others, and have me crushed. Perhaps she’ll have me imprisoned. She’ll find something for it if Baldassare doesn’t. He did not look at anyone as he walked, and blood dripped onto the floor through his hand. He heard Almaviva yelling, and Asa waved his hand at him as he walked.

His eyes stopped briefly on Elisa. He would miss her dance with Clovis. His eyes left her in a flash, and he exited the ballroom. He went up the steps of the great hall. He was alone. Everyone would be back there. It was in the long hallway that tears fell down his cheeks, through his hand and blood. He reached his chamber, leaving the door open behind him, and washed his face in the basin. It was difficult to look in the mirror. On nights like this, which were becoming more and more common, he usually liked to escape from himself.

Asa closed his eyes. The blood would still be on him, he knew. The pain would still be there. His face changed, and then his body, and he shrunk down to a fox. The animal ran through the doorway and down through the hall. Any servants he passed he paid no attention to. He saw the droplets of blood already being cleaned from the carpet. Asa ran across the tiled floor before the ballroom, and ran out the door, into the land of the king.

-

Emerson came to Baldassare as he was shouting and clasped his shoulder. “Leave him. We’ll deal with him, My Lord. I apologize thoroughly.” He knew Asa had done something, although he wasn’t sure what. Baldassare would have never done wrong first. If he delivered a punch, the receiver deserved it. “Get this cleaned up, and serve more wine,” Emerson said to a servant sharply. The servant hurried away.

He offered help to Baldassare, but it didn’t do much for him. He turned towards the staring crowd and gestured to them to continue on. Clovis would either be extremely upset or having a field day.

-

Hart lifted a hand to bury his fingers into his hair, pressing her against his neck. He felt her excitement, and his heart pounded against hers. He was hard already under her, and he shifted himself to pull at her dress so her legs were on his own. He pressed his back against the wall and pulled her down between his legs so she was sitting on the bench, too. They would be stuck in this room, he thought. For centuries.

He sighed heavily when she said his name. He was extremely lustful. He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, for just a moment, and realized he had never thought heaven’s ceiling would look like that. He tugged her hair to pull her head back and crushed his mouth to hers. His tongue pushed into her open mouth, tasting and exploring, and his other hand went down her back, pulling at her ribbons, her silks, as he began to undress her.

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[Guest]

Clovis stopped dancing immediately when the music had stopped. He and Fiona were speaking rather casually about the night and the people who were there, but it all stopped. Fiona’s eyes, upon witnessing what was happening to her son, became wide with the terror of a distraught mother. This was not at all something to be expected at the king’s own ball.

And the king, though extremely disappointed by this outcome, could hold naught against the parties involved. He did not make any gesture to Fiona, but let her be, and her gaze of horror became one of questioning, one of disappointment. Her eyes had become even sadder than they were before, seeing her son on the floor with blood all over his face.

And Clovis was serious as ever. He could not be amused in seeing it. Perhaps later, he would laugh, but at that moment a shadow passed over his features. Asa must have done something to deserve it. The king was distracted by Emerson, who seemed to pull everything together on his own, but though the music began again, he would not turn Fiona around to dance with him.

Baldassare was disgusted--he did not care if what Asa mumbled under his breath was an insult or a compliment, he dreaded even seeing the Lord’s mouth move. As Asa got up and left, Baldassare yelled out: ‘You vile excuse for a man! You had better leave--no one wants your filthy sense of humour! Go stick your prick in a goat’s ass, you putrid wretch!’

He only stopped calling out when Emerson pulled his mind away from it. When the Regeant tried to console him, however, in an effort to help, he remembered Ravenna. It did not take him but a few seconds for his expression to change from absolute fury to paternal worry. He left immediately to go and find her. ‘Ravenna!’ he called out, following the path she had taken to go away. ‘Blackbird!’

Clovis sighed. How exciting it was for everything to be awfully inappropriate!
‘My apologies, Your Majesty,’ Fiona told him when she faced him again. ‘I will not be able to continue our dance, though it has been a pleasure.’ She offered him her hand.
He kissed it grimly. ‘I understand, Lady Azerola.’
She left his company. Clovis took it upon himself to look at Elisa, but he did not want to dance. Everyone would be talking about the Almaviva and Azerola nonsense, now.

The king went and fetched himself a glass of wine. He drank almost all of it in one draught. He went to Emerson and stood beside him, nudging him very lightly with his elbow.
‘Certainly a night to remember,’ he said to his old friend, hoping he would find it humourous. Clovis was not laughing, but he desperately wanted to.

--

Cosette easily slid into these positions for him, all the while her hands rubbed his collar, his jaw, his scalp, she could not get enough of kissing him. His fingers in her hair drove her wild. Hart’s lust to her was like a deep jungle full of poisonous, yet beautiful, flowers, ones that smelled sweeter than any plant one could find in a conventional European garden. She was swelling inside of her bustier, and when he kissed her on the mouth, it was like having a premature orgasm in another part of her body. She could feel everything in every millimetre of skin and soul, and it melted like wax and hardened, only to melt again.

When he began to undress her, however, she had to stop him. She drew away from their kiss panting, her face red from desire and confusion. ‘No,’ she said. ‘It will be too difficult to dress again . . .’
But she kissed him on the mouth, continuing their physical bond unrelentlessly. Her hand went down to his trousers, where she was finally able to, without anything to stop her, grab the girth of his prick with her hand. As she did so, she moaned violently into his mouth. Cosette rubbed her hand against him with no indication that she wanted to put him inside of her.

It seemed she was getting enough pleasure simply touching him, kissing him, and absorbing all of the feelings he exposed to her. Cosette certainly held nothing back from him. The electricity caused her to tremble, nearing a fit of adrenaline, but the more his pleasure surmounted, the more she would share in his ecstasy.

[Guest]

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Emerson looked up at Clovis with a very strained expression. His cheeks were flushed, and his mouth was in a near snarl. “I will kick him out. I will make sure that he has no part of this castle, this honor, nothing! The Azerolas will be the new Ayleharts for the next thousand years if that’s how he would like it.”

He steadied himself and sighed in place, closing his eyes. “Excuse me.” He “Fucking...bloody…” He stopped himself, and shook his head. “It’s over now. It’s alright,” he was comforting himself. “And I am no king.” He looked up at Clovis. “At least he didn’t punch you.”

Elisa was very silent in her approach to the king. First she was not there, and then she was. She looked at Clovis and Emerson, and curtsied slightly to them both. Then she looked at Clovis solemnly. “Your Majesty, I believe I’m the last. But instead,...” She looked to her left, frowning slightly. “If it would be acceptable to Your Majesty, I would rather take the dance outside of this room.” She looked back to him, and her eyes said something else. They showed trust and confidence. Elisa held out her hand to Clovis, and a flicker of a smile appeared on her mouth.

Emerson was wary, but as he watched her further, he relaxed to her. She had a certain emotion about her that was just soothing. His eyes went to Clovis in curiosity of his answer.

-

Hart gave a groan of disappointment when she said no, but his hand dropped. “What will it matter. We will be here for a long time.” He felt her emotions wave, then retreat with every touch she gave him, and his hand moved to her breast, squeezing it through her layers. He stared at her face when he was able, and could not resist kissing her warm mouth again in love of her expression, her red cheeks, and the way she panted already from desire.

He spoke between their kisses. “Almara,..will dine with us….together,” She touched his cock and he stiffened, both in his erection and his body. “A-Ahh,...” He gasped and his face went red when she rubbed him. He felt her tremble, and he held her close, moving his kisses down her neck, to her collar, nipping at her skin lightly--but he stopped, breathing in sharply and finding it difficult to concentrate.

For a moment, he stilled, feeling their emotions just melt together, passing between them--his pleasure turning into hers as his hips thrusted forward slightly as she rubbed his cock, then her pleasure coming back to him. He pressed his cheek to her skin just to feel her and breathed heavily. “Cosette..ah…” He was trembling with her, and there was already precum escaping his cock. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to look up at her, just to watch her. “I want to take you. Let me.” There was a plea in his voice, his emotions begging her, desire overwhelming him. His hands landed on her hips and he gripped her tight.

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[Guest]

Clovis was grimacing when Emerson vented. He understood how this would affect Emerson. Emerson had a very large part in making everything happen--he was the last one to confirm what kind of wine to get, what music would be playing, who was coming, who was going, and what rooms they would get. Clovis put his hand on the back of his friend to comfort him, and grinned.

‘At least,’ he replied, laughing. He took a sip of wine, and then Elisa came to them. Clovis looked at her, beheld her. She was very beautiful--he would be insulted if he did not receive a viable reason that he should not choose her.

She offered her dance to Clovis, but she wanted to do it in another room. Clovis looked at Emerson, who seemed not to trust her, but Lady Cabrera seemed as if she could not hurt a flea. He also knew that she was too distinguished to do anything that could warrant suspicion. He looked back at the Miss Cabrera and bowed. Then he offered his arm to her, allowing the Lady to lead him wherever she might want to go.
‘I am at your disposal, Lady Cabrerra.’

--

What would it matter! It would matter very much if they spent eternity in an alcove near by the ballroom. There were probably others who knew about the spot more than Hart and Cosette did. Her imagination went back to that fantasy she had of him in the river with her, grinding into her hips with the water surrounding them.

She felt the precum wetting his trousers. He was as hard as a wooden staff! Cosette wanted him everywhere, her face flushed when he pulled away to look at her. She stopped rubbing him to know what he would say--he begged to be inside of her, and he grabbed her hips and gripped them as if to claim her. Her eyes were half-lidded, her chin pointed down.

She was not wearing a farthingale, as King Clovis had specifically requested there to be none, and she wore no trousers for underwear, only a chemise. This meant that they could very well have done it, if they wanted to. She was already very wet.

‘Lower your trousers,’ she said to her cousin, her darling cousin.

[Guest]

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“Quit smiling! Why are you smiling!?” Emerson stared at Clovis but he couldn’t help a smile crack through. His delight, though, was most likely from the fact that Clovis was not miserable. He was at least enjoying himself. Emerson relaxed from that knowledge.

Elisa led Clovis to the back of the ballroom through a servant’s hallway. She smiled a little. “I wish there was a way to prove I am trustworthy to you, Your Majesty. It’s a bit strange to be leading a king away from his subjects.” Although Elisa spoke this, she showed no nervousness. They came to an open parlor with four glass doors leading to a patio. Elisa let go of the king’s arm to go to a door and open it. The air came through, heavy with the smell of rain.

“Much better, I think.” She paused. “A bit more stressful of a night than we all hoped for. Lord Almaviva has quite a strong arm.” She turned to Clovis. Her face and expression was quite regal. She held herself up, and excluded a quiet confidence, but she did not look proud. “I wanted to gift you your gift, here, if you would let me. My family gives clarity to others through visions. I thought you would prefer it here in private, than while dancing.”

-

He turned his head and breathed on her skin before he opened his mouth and dragged his tongue across to taste her. A shiver went through him, and he gave a soft whimper before kissing her there. He moved down to the tops of her breasts and kissed there. He reached up and tried to pull her clothes down to kiss her, but when he felt the tight garment, he tilted his head up to look at her with pleading eyes. “No matter what happens with you, it seems I’m tortured in some way.”

He listened to Cosette, his eyes focused on her and giving her his full attention. He was practically salivating while just looking at her, his whole being pulsing. He reached to lower his trousers, pushing them down to a little below his knees, and his prick sprung up. He did not let go of her hips but lifted her slightly, his jaw tight as he waited for her next direction.

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[Guest]

Clovis was moderately impressed by Elisa’s show of humility. She had expressed her desire to prove to Clovis that she was trust-worthy, but he had not even thought twice about it. Clovis knew intimately about the Cabrera family--their gift was one which was definitely envied, moreso than the Roshaun’s, and he had known of the assassinations directed at her family for failure of selling their sons and daughters to powerful men. Their visions were miraculous.

He had read a story about a pair of Cabrera twins who had been kidnapped by a Persian slave trader. They were sold to a wealthy merchant, who sold their visions to powerful men and women from all over Europe. It had not taken long for a King to send someone to kill the merchant, and the twins had once again been kidnapped. They were brought to a principality, where one of them died of pneumonia. The other twin starved herself to death.

In that regard, remembering that story, he had great respect for the Cabrera family. Which was why, when Elisa spoke so modestly, his heart twisted in his chest. ‘Please, my Lady,’ he had said to her, ‘I am much honoured by your presence. You have nothing to prove to me.’

They continued on their way, and she led him out to the open parlour. He smiled when she mentioned the night’s excitement, and he sipped his wine. Clovis looked at her when she turned toward him and listened when she said she wanted to offer her gift there. He knew what that gift would be.

‘I know what your family can do for others,’ Clovis softly said. ‘And I am deeply flattered that this is the gift you would like to present to me.’ He grinned at her. ‘A spiritual experience is always better to be had in the presence of rain.’

He handed her the glass of wine. ‘Please, my Lady, do what you will.’

--

Nothing had reached boiling point--not yet, at least. It was an eternal shiver, more like, to kiss and be kissed, to be touched and caressed, to feel what the other was feeling and have their sense of you be returned; it was a world connected by a shuddering Jormungandr, who held fast to his own tail and would not let go until the apocalypse was due.

Cosette wanted to be free of her clothes as much as Hart wanted her to be, but she could only grin at him when he mentioned this torturous circumstance. She lifted her dress toward her so that she could see him pull down his trousers. She saw the red fuzz of adulthood and the throbbing stamen of his maleness to prove it. Cosette looked up at Hart, desiring many things.

She pulled herself closer to him, and fixed herself so that she knelt, her knees on the outside of his legs. Her breasts were against his face. She pulled her skirt up, and reached down to his prick, where she caressed it. Cosette shuddered and bit her lower lip. She lowered herself down, until the tip of his sex pressed against hers; but she did not let him in right away--she pressed him against her clitoris, rubbing him in her wetness and moaning loudly. And, after doing that, torturing the both of them more, she began to slide him inside.
‘O--’ again, the frenzy. She was melting. Cosette removed her hand, no longer needing to guide him inside of her. She threw her head back to gasp and took his shoulders in her hand. Every inch of him tantalised her flower. Cosette returned to him, hugging him around the neck. ‘O, Hart,’ she whimpered, barely being able to sustain her own madness.

[Guest]

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She took the glass of wine, and looked aside to put it down on a small table beside a vase. Elisa looked towards a chair in the room and gently led the king to it. She sat him down and slowly lowered herself to kneel before him with her eyes at the floor. Elisa was younger than she looked: at 18 years old she seemed to have the experience of a lord thrice her age. Her dress spread around her on the floor and her neck curved a bit as she concentrated for a moment. When she raised her eyes to the king, she reached across to take his hand, placing their hands on his knee.

“Alright.” She smiled at him. “I just want to tell you, Your Majesty. Anything you see I cannot. You have no obligation to tell me.” She looked to his eyes and clasped his hand a bit tighter just before things would change for Clovis.

Elisa rose and looked away, her back to Clovis. The room changed, and they were suddenly in the throne room with the long windows. The light fell on Elisa, and she was wearing the Roshaun colors with a fur lined cloak and a beautiful royal dress. She looked back at Clovis and fell on her knees again. Clovis, his view as the priest, put the crown on Elisa’s head. He turned to place it on Clovis’s, who looked proud, who looked calm, and most importantly, looked like a king.

Clovis’s vision changed to a view of the people and the court, and they were all happy. It wasn’t because of smiles on their face but the feelings that they all gave off. Clovis could see production, the economy improving, and people working, eating, and loving. It in its Golden Age. His view returned to him and Elisa on the throne together.

Elisa’s face changed. She changed to Ravenna, and she stared ahead with a frightened, horrified gaze. A pale, young girl on the throne. She gripped the throne and Clovis beside her changed, growing old, but her face and age stayed the same. The country was in a deadlock and the people became restless, impatient, and cursed Clovis’s name. Ravenna changed into Cosette, and her eyes looked off, straying from the throne and from Clovis, who was young again. Her hand reached between her legs. The country was much the same as Ravenna, although now they cursed Cosette’s name.

Almara appeared, but she was faceless. There was no view of the country. Clovis’s head turned, and he looked off the other way. Almara’s face changed into Fiona. Fiona smiled, and it was menacing, and her nose dripped with blood. Clovis’s view of the country, though, was not bad--it stayed about the same as Clovis’s current rule. People were content, but not excited, not did much improve.

Fiona rose, and her hair grew shorter. She turned and walked away from the throne. Her step changed, and she grew shorter. She grew sadder. She turned into Asa, and he collapsed before a mirror in one of Clovis’s rooms, and he began to cry, his tears mingling with the fresh blood on his face. He was wearing what he had worn at the ball. When he looked at his face in the mirror, he looked ashamed, and he shook his head.

There was a view of Clovis in his chambers, waiting for Costanza. He waited, and waited, and waited, but she didn’t show. It showed her walked down the hall with a purse of gold in her hand, and leaving the castle through the door. Asa went past her and stopped at Clovis’s chamber door. He still had tears on his face. He hesitated to enter, but ended not, and turned to walk away, leaving Clovis to wait.

Elisa came back into Clovis’s view, in the little parlor, with the rainy wind coming in. She looked at him with expecting eyes. She let go of his hand. “Are you alright?”

-

It would have been difficult to tell to an outside eye when he slid into her, because he was moaning loudly when she rubbed against him. He shuddered and gasped as he felt her pleasure run through her to him. He still held her hips, raising his own slightly as he pressed himself to the wall. He leaned forward to press his face into her breasts, kissing and sucking her flesh.

When she slid onto him, the man moaned and pushed up until he could no more. He watched her throw her head back, and his eyes rolled back, shutting them and shivering with her gasp. Her arms went around his neck and it was then he lifted her hips slowly, and brought them back down on himself, slowly finding a rhythm. His skin gleamed with sweat, his mouth open for his heavy breaths. “Cosette…” he answered her, a loving, ungratified groan. The endless madness was beginning for both of them. “My beautiful cousin.”

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[Guest]

The vision struck Clovis very, very hard.

When he came out of it, he did not hear Elisa immediately. He had woken up from a very deep dream, a spell, that had given him much to mull over. Overwhelmed by it, he almost forgot the first part. He looked on at the abyss in a daze, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly parted.

When he came to, he looked up at Elisa and grinned weakly.
‘I am all right,’ he said in response. ‘Thank you.’
But he continued to sit where he was, and his eyes slowly drifted from her to one of the glass panes, where a flash of lightning lit the glass and the room inside. The boil of thunder followed, and Clovis took in a very deep breath, saturating himself with the scent of rain.

He would not--could not--bring himself to mention the details of the vision to Elisa. Nor could he at the moment discuss with her any matters which were personal to her. He understood that the vision he had gifted her with hung in the balance of reality and possibility--it was a symbol, a symbol for something that not only had to do with him, but went beyond him. He would later, however, discuss these details with Emerson. He believed the vision to be of utmost importance.

Clovis looked up at Elisa again and gave her a fuller smile.
‘My apologies--the abyss drew me in,’ he said, getting up. He kissed her on her cheeks affectionately, close to her ears so that it was notably platonic. ‘Thank you for your gift, it is priceless and I shan’t forget a single detail of it. Did you want to go back to the ballroom, Lady Cabrera? Or did you have other plans?’

--

Cosette was moaning quietly, tightening her knees against his hips when he lifted her up to bring her back down again. The feeling was so sensational, so voluptuous, that she could imagine nothing better. No substance or compliment could afford to challenge this experience.

She helped him, grinding up and down with his hands to lead her. Cosette had drooled a little bit on his shoulder because of the pleasure. She pulled away from the embrace to wipe her mouth and look at him, to lean her forehead against his, to look into his eyes. In her ecstasy she smiled at him.
‘You feel as though you’re about to burst, cousin,’ she giggled. ‘I wonder, will you come deep inside of me? I don’t think I would be satisfied unless you did.’
She was very close; in fact, she felt as if she would go over the edge at any moment. Her pace became faster and her breath quickened--she pressed her mouth against his and took one of his hands, pressing it against the bench, fingers interlocked.

Cosette moaned loudly, grinding on top of him, and she squeezed tightly around him. This lasted for a moment until she finally had her orgasm. She squeezed his hand and continued to moan into his mouth, kissing his lips while her body convulsed in its petit mort.

[Guest]

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Elisa looked relaxed and content when he came over of it, and she gave him his moment. She was always curious what they all saw. It was always different, she knew. Some people didn’t see colors, and some didn’t hear sounds. She waited patiently as he stayed silent and said nothing herself. She only rose when he rose, and she bowed her head politely to the king with a smile. “No need to apologize. There have been many worse reactions.”

One man hit her when he came from his vision, calling her a devil and thinking she had wished the visions upon him. A few vomited after. Elisa, though, would hold them until they were able to stand again. She didn’t like to leave them alone and would try to explain things if she was able to interpret them. The young woman smiled when he kissed her cheeks. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I think I will appear in the ballroom so no one thinks you’ve done away with me, and then retire for the night.”

When she half led him back into the ballroom, she heard a noise and stopped. She looked at King Clovis and held a finger to her lips before leaning against the hallway wall to listen.

-

Every sense of his was on fire. She looked like an angel, nothing that could be related to him, and he felt every tingle in her skin, every sensation. Together, they were not human. He almost laughed in their lovemaking to even believe he had almost denied himself this. He returned her smile, looking into her eyes, but his, in a flash, grew heavy lidded as he groaned from deep in his throat.

“There’s another choice?” He murmured. She rode on him faster, and Hart’s grip on her hips loosened, then tightened as he felt her grow close--which meant he was too. She grabbed his hand and he squeezed it. It was nearly the best part, having her hand in his: to him, it was a sign of her loving devotion. They kissed, and he could not stop tasting her, and he felt her orgasm first. Her muscles tightening, her feelings of pleasure, everything rushing through him made him come, and he gasped against her mouth, his voice falling into a deep moan as he trembled under her.

He held her with his other hand and managed to pull back just to watch her expression as she came. He filled her, and a flash of thought wondered if she would become pregnant with his child. An emotion in him desired it, and his lust overtook him all over again. He stared at her as he came down from the great height and held her down on him, not letting her move. He looked at her and just watched her. His hand lifted and he brushed her hair over her shoulder, and even that gave him a little shiver. He felt as though they were one.

-

Elisa heard the soft moans and Hart’s name, and she ended up covering her mouth and falling into a fit of giggles. It was mostly because of the fact that she had no idea that Hart’s vision would lead him to this. She touched the king’s arm. “It’s the Voltrens.”

-

Ravenna and her father had gone back to their chambers, but she could not sit still. She was not satisfied, for some reason. She missed her mother. She was also still drunk and trying to hide that fact from her father. “I’m going to walk a little,” she said softly to Baldassare. When she passed by him in the room, she touched his hand gently to assure him.

It was an hour after the ball had supposedly ended. She was embarrassed for herself and her father, and a part of her felt bad for Asa, although she assured herself it was less worse than she imagined. She walked down the hall and looked at the various doors. She had no idea which would be his. A servant approached and the girl stopped him. “I’m looking for Doctor Bartolo’s chambers.” The servant led her, and outside the door, she stared up at it in a quiet, drunken fear. “Thank you,” she said to the servant. “Oh. Wait. Can I have a parchment and a piece of charcoal?”

In case he wasn’t at the door, she took the utensils when the servant returned and wrote on it using the wall for support. Dante, I wanted to see you but must have missed you. It’s about an hour from the end of the ball. Could we talk privately when you have a chance? -Ravenna. The girl dismissed the servant then and folded up the parchment. Ravenna then knocked, and waited.

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[Guest]

Clovis wore his characteristic contemplative expression as he and Elisa began to walk toward the ballroom. He would not be able to expel the images from his mind. He did not want to. He would have to write down every detail of the vision as if it were a dream, and he would have to mull over it. There was a very obvious message there, and he knew it--he kept glancing at Elisa when he felt she was not aware--but he did not want to become too alarmed. The vision could very well have been a projection of his own desire, but he would have to do research on the nature of the Cabrera’s visions.

At some point he knew he would ask Elisa about them. She seemed so pure and selfless, without any expectations or desire for power. Her letter had renounced her power...her letter--Clovis had forgotten to burn it. His eyes became wide, but then she stopped the both of them, having heard something.

He grew quiet along with her.

He heard the moans, both male and female. When he heard the name Hart, the voice that had said it sounded eerily familiar. Clovis’ eyebrows drew in and then Elisa giggled wildly, saying it was the Voltrens. At this point Clovis could not help but grin at Elisa, and he even began to giggle too. She looked adorable when she smiled.

The Voltrens . . . how predictable. They were a very strange family. Very kind, very helpful, but prone to these messes of inappropriate behaviour. It was not so bad that Cosette and Hart were cousins. It was not the first time something like this had happened along those lines.
‘In all my years, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of two Voltrens not being able to wait until after the king’s ball . . .’ he whispered, chuckling. He began to lead them away from the room that the Voltrens were in, hoping that their presence had not been detected.

If they were to look inside where the Voltrens are, they would see that the two, after having reached climax, were simply in each other’s arms. Cosette wanted to fall asleep like this, sitting on top of him. A part of her wanted to goad him into doing it again. She had felt every one of their emotions in ecstasy and now there was a deep and placid lull. She placed her head on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.
‘Hart,’ she said, ‘I wish you could stay in my room for the night.’

--

Doctor Bartolo was not in his suite. He had joined Ahmose at the private party he was having in his own quarters. It was a party exclusively for those personally invited, and many people were going. Ahmose had already invited Clovis to come, when they had had their meeting earlier in the day, but he had not seen him around.

Ahmose had a very large and beautiful suite. The rooms were large and tall. He had his own parlour, balcony, washing room, kitchenette, and three bedrooms. His slaves stayed in their own bedrooms, which were connected to the washing room. He had six slaves with him in total: three men, and three women. They were the most beautiful slaves he could find in the Grecian market, and in Egypt he would have to keep them veiled so that they would not be stolen away from him. They existed to serve him and his guests, bring hashish and food and wine, fill their tobacco pipes, and dance if they were asked to. They were not allowed to be alone with any other guests, however, and this was Ahmose’s strictest rule.

There were great oriental rugs and tapestries hanging about, and cushions for those who wanted to sit on the floor.

A celebrity pianist was sitting at a piano in the parlour, playing music casually. Ahmose was on a satin chair, leaning back and smoking a long pipe filled with hashish. He seemed to be in a dream. There were other nobles smoking it with him, and they seemed to fall asleep. Others smoked tobacco. Dante was sitting beside him, not smoking anything, and they were talking about holistic practises.

[Guest]

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Elisa couldn’t stop giggling and had to cover her mouth when she snorted. When Clovis was the same way, smiling at her and laughing too, she felt suddenly like a child, and her heart was lighter. Elisa was a very lonely being, with no brothers or sisters of her own to spend time with, so even when she made a bit of human contact between laughter or smiles, it brightened her whole being.

She managed to force herself quiet when Clovis spoke to her, and Elisa walked away with him, catching up with him a little to whisper softly, “I think it’s my fault. I gave Lord Voltren a vision during the ball. I didn’t mean for it to lead it to that.” She smiled a little knowingly. “Of course, I usually don’t mean for anything that happens after I give people those visions.”

When they reached the ballroom, her expression changed back to one of silent modesty, but confidence. She looked at Clovis and turned herself to curtsey to him, lowering herself deeply, then rising back up to meet his eyes. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” She felt much more relaxed when she gave him the vision. It was as though her gift was built up in her, and when she did not use it often, it drove her mad. She did not like to push it on others, but after months and months of no use, she began to ask others to take it from her.

Elisa parted from the king, not looking back, and disappeared into the crowd.

-

Hart held her and pressed his face to her hair, breathing heavily. He kissed her hair, her ear and the nape of her neck. The man smiled when she said her wish. He felt her desire still there, but it was not as much as his own--he wanted to take her again, and again, and again. He opened his mouth and tugged her ear with his teeth. He whispered to her, “What in the world is stopping me from doing that?”

He lifted her up and moved forward to bring her to the floor of the room, laying her down. He slipped from her and a flash of regret went through him. He looked down at her below him, his eyes all over her, and he moved up to look down at her face. He just stared into her eyes and leaned down slowly to kiss her on the mouth. “We’re changed forever,” he murmured into her lips.

-

Ravenna waited, but heard nothing. She bent down to slip the note under the door in the hopes Dante would see it. When she left his door and went down the hall, she saw an animal at the end of the hallway. It looked like a small dog sniffing at the carpet. She watched and ended up turning to go the other way to her chambers.

Asa had returned to the castle and sniffed the floors. He smelled Ahmose and his tobacco. As a fox, his nose was still crusted with blood, and underneath his fur, under his eyes, he was beginning to bruise. His nose was painful, and he knew it was broken. That didn’t stop him from smelling. He had sneezed most of the blood in the rain. His fur was soaking wet from the rain. He looked like a miserable fox.

He reached Ahmose’s door and stared up at it. He raised his paw and began scratching at it. He whined loudly at the door, and when nothing happened, he yapped at the door, continuing to scratch at the wood.

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[Guest]

Clovis escorted Elisa Cabrera back to the ballroom. Her face when she had thanked him made an impression on him. When she left him, he realised that he did not think of her at all sexually--but an early fondness for her was developing within him. He stood there for a while, watching the swarms of aristocrats and guests who had come for the ball. It was not time for him to retire just yet--he had an obligation to speak to most of the guests in order to know how they were, what they were doing, and how they were enjoying the ball and their own rooms.

It was a while until he retired for the night . . .

--

Cosette let Hart take her on the floor. Yes, they had changed for ever, this much was apparent. She was delighted. Cosette had never known her cousin to be so . . . daring. He was daring when they were much younger, when they would go off into the woods and dirty their clothes looking for creatures or bandits; when they would put poison oak into the stable boy’s underwear. But the more they had grown, the more Cosette was expected to be lady-like, in preparation for her courtship to the King.

Hart, when he would visit then, when she was fifteen, was very sensitive. There were times when Cosette had told him what her mother would put her through, to be perfect, and Hart would be there for her. Often, however, Cosette’s father took Hart out and a few other cousins along with Cosette’s brothers, leaving Cosette to her lessons in embroidery and etiquette.

She had wanted Hart then. He had grown into a very handsome adult. Cosette had not showed him the side that would usually go to the stable boy for a release.

‘Please, Hart,’ she said after their third time, in between kisses and moans. ‘Let’s go into my room, my dress is leaving me uncomfortable.’

--

When the fox yapped at the door, it opened up. It was a veiled slave of Ahmose’s, a woman, her dark and alluring eyes looking down at the fox. She let him in without saying anything, without any hesitation.

The room stunk of tobacco, hashish, and incense. It was noisy, but in a different way that the ball had been. The piano was producing deep music and melodies, sometimes Oriental if the player was feeling up to it; he would take requests where he could.

The slave closed the door behind the fox, and Ahmose looked over, seeing their new guest, smiled. But he did not make a very large announcement. Instead, he went back to chatting and politics, letting the fox go wherever he wanted. The slave was already preparing a gilded bowl of warm milk to place on the floor for the fox, who had officially become a guest at the party.

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