Blood and Beauty

Let me take you back, hundreds of years, to the height of the Middle Ages...

***

It was a warm night in June, and all was calm and still as the city watchmen walked the streets of London.

The alleys, however, were anything but still...

Warm, golden light spilled out into the lane from the unshuttered windows of the Dancing Bear, one of the less reputable establishments of this less than reputable quarter of the city. The distinctive sound of drunken laughter and conversation spilled out with the lantern-light, but over it all soared the pure, high notes of a young girl's song.

The young girl in question was named Alysoun, and she stood in the common-room of the tavern, singing a song about a knight and his lady fair...

"...And he took up his lance, and strode into the fray

And many a dragon did his longsword slay

And the maidens do speak of him, still to this day-

Sir Val and his weapon of wonder!"

She had been prevailed upon to sing by her companion Christina, who sat nearby, chin in hand, her dark eyes not wavering from Alysoun's lips. The girl in turn, gazed at her friend. Christina's soft, black hair seemed to absorb all light that came its way, crowning her head in shadow that trickled down in glossy curls over her shoulders. High cheekbones and a prettily-tilted nose were accented lovingly by the light that spilled over her from the lanterns and nearby fireplace, lending a warm tint to her alabaster skin. Her small mouth was curled in a smile, and mischief made her eyes sparkle.

All eyes in the room were still on Alysoun, however,and voices around the room had started to join in on the chorus. The girl's raven hair fell in shining waves to her waist, and her green-blue eyes sparkled. Her face was rounder than her companion's, with fuller lips and a button nose, but other than that, they could have been sisters- their colouring was so alike.

Both women were dressed surprisingly richly for patrons of this particular establishment, Christina in a black velvet gown accented with red satin and ivory lace, and Alysoun in a simpler, deep red velvet gown, girdled with silver.

If any man there wondered why two such wealthy ladies visited the Bear, they said nothing of it, but sang along to Alysoun's song with gusto, stamping their feet and thumping tankards on tabletops. She finished, and they gave her a rousing cheer, before turning back to their ale. The usual chatter slowly resumed as Alysoun wove her way through the tables, tossing her jet-black hair over her shoulder as she took her seat facing Christina.

She smiled prettily at the quietly handsome young man sat at the same table, and he smiled back, nodding in lieu of a bow. It was fairly obvious that he could not believe his luck. Two beautiful ladies, enjoying his company? He had to be dreaming...

As Alysoun sat down, Christina smiled warmly at her, moving a slippered foot to stroke her ankle under the table.

"Well done, my dear. Definitely a suitable choice of song for your audience!"

She took a sip of her mead, and when a drop clung to her lips, she delicately licked it off. Alysoun saw the blonde youth swallow, his gaze on Christina's lips, but turned again to Christina as she felt that foot slide a little further up her calf.

"Master Taylor was just telling me that he is a writer. Mayhap you could write a song for Alysoun, sir?"

Master Taylor raised an ink-stained finger to brush his nose as he replied, modestly,

"I would not presume to call myself a writer truly... I work as a scribe, but I am working on a small play of my own that I hope will be performed eventually." he smiled again. "And please, call me Tristan."

Alysoun's eyes brightened. "A playwright!" she exclaimed. "Oh, we love the theatre, don't we, Christina?"

Her friend nodded. "We go whenever the players are in town."

Alysoun cut in again. "Could you truly write a song for me, master Tristan?" she asked, resting her elbows on the worn tabletop and leaning forward. Her gown was laced tightly, and she knew that the fabric would be straining against her breasts as she did so.

Sure enough, the young man had a definitely covetous look in his eye as he leaned forwards to answer.

"Oh, I would not profess to own the skill that could match words to the beauty of your voice, my dear. Truly, no nightingale ever sang so sweet."

It was an overblown compliment, but then, they did not want him for his ready wit...

***

A scant fifteen minutes later found Tristan the scribe sauntering smugly up the stairs to a private room, Christina on one arm and Alysoun on the other. Behind his back, Christina raised an inquiring eyebrow at Alysoun, who nodded with a wicked smile.

"Now then, my dears, shall we have that...private performance?" asked Tristan as the door closed behind them, and he was not disappointed as Christina grasped him by the collar and kissed him deeply.

She broke off, stepped away and said with a glint in her eye,

"I hope you'll be a...responsive... audience! Come here, darling," she finished, beckoning to Alysoun, who all but flew to her side, to be swept into a passionate kiss. The girl melted into Christina's embrace, rapturous as always to simply be this close to the woman she adored...

...it was heaven. The feel of those soft, soft lips on hers, strands of ebony silk falling through her fingers as she ran a tentative hand through Christina's hair. And that scent...that delicious, sweet scent of Christina herself that was so ...entrancing... Alysoun always had a hard time keeping her head when Christina kissed her like this.

It was even harder when Christina deepened the kiss, her hand bearing down possessively on the back of Alysoun's head, crushing their bodies together and flicking her tongue between Alysoun's lips with an urgency that was contagious. Alysoun could feel the passion building up inside her- that ever-smouldering fire that Christina was so very good at igniting...

When Alysoun, whose hands were locked firmly around Christina's slender waist, could stand it no longer, she broke off the kiss and looked enquiringly at her lover. One hand trailed teasingly up that black bodice to brush, featherlight, over her cleavage and hook one finger behind the neckline of her velvet gown.

Christina, who knew full well what that silent query meant, nodded as she bent her head slightly to lip at the curve of Alysoun's neck

"Go ahead, my dear..." she murmured, her voice muffled as Alysoun moaned, her neck arching with pleasure. The finger hooked behind Christina's bodice moved ever so slightly- and deftly slipped one button free, then another...and another...

Neither girl wore a shift under her gown, and Christina sighed with pleasure as first one breast, then the other, was freed from the constraints of her tightly-fitted bodice. Her peaked nipples stood out, palest rose, against the translucent white of her skin, and she cried out softly in delight when Alysoun lowered her lips to one, sucking gently.

A glance towards the bed showed that their audience was engrossed. Tristan's hose gaped open and his right hand was wrapped around his shaft, pumping with urgent strokes, his other hand clenched on the wrinkled bedclothes.

As Christina saw this, she laughed softly, and lowered a hand to place her fingers firmly under Alysoun's chin. Gently disengaging the girl's lips from her breast, she laughed again at Alysoun's disappointed pout, and nodded towards their guest.

"I feel we are neglecting him, darling..."

Both gowns dropped instantly to the floor, and the girls stepped swiftly out of them, moving in unison with almost inhuman grace.

Naked, they stood one on either side of Tristan as he gazed up at them. The thought came to him that the two girls were all but eerily alike- both the same height, with a nigh ethereal pallor to their creamy white skin. Their hair was the same shade of night, shining almost blue-black where the candlelight hit it. Tristan reached up a hand to touch each of them, caressing a breast with each gentle palm.

"So, you aren't some inebriated illusion," he wondered aloud. "I was beginning to think that I had dreamed you up from my own wistful imaginings..."

Turning to Alysoun once more, Christina kissed her soundly, murmuring, "Go and do what you do so well..." before settling herself on the bed beside Tristan. "No illusion, dear, I promise you," she assured him, kissing him softly.

Alysoun nodded in answer to Christina's murmured command, a shy smile gracing lips swollen from her kisses, and knelt between the young man's knees. Tristan's hose were drawn swiftly off before he knew what was happening. But then again, he could be forgiven for that- Christina was quite happily keeping his mouth busy while she unlaced his tunic.

Suddenly, he gasped in surprise, then let out a low moan of pleasure. Christina looked on with pride as Alysoun's dark head bobbed up and down, her lips sliding the length of Tristan's swollen shaft. His ink-stained fingers clenched in her tangled locks as he held her head down, his hips moving instinctively up to meet her. His golden head fell back onto the bed, neck arching slightly as his eyelids fluttered closed.

The movement caught Christina's eye, and she noted just how long his eyelashes were as they brushed his cheek...

She congratulated herself silently- she had nothing if not good taste. The sculpted planes of the youth's face caught the lantern light, and as his neck arched once more, Alysoun's ministrations growing more intense, she could see the vein stand out in his throat.

Christina stiffened, her eyes darkening. Mouth half-open, the candlelight glittered off her teeth as she lunged...and kissed him wildly, her lips smashing against his. Tristan, in turn, grabbed her hair with his free hand and dragged her in, kissing her back with surprising ferocity.

Alysoun redoubled her attentions, knowing that he was close to climax, his body beginning to shudder as he pounded his cock deeper down her throat. Then his hand tightened almost painfully on her hair, and he came, groaning into Christina's sweet mouth as Alysoun swallowed the hot seed spilling into hers.

She could tell when Christina bit him. The moment those tiny fangs sank into his neck, Tristan stiffened for a split second before going blissfully limp in Christina's embrace. Alysoun knew only too well what he was feeling at that moment- the sheer, unbelievable ecstasy flooding through every fibre of his being, touching every nerve, and more than blocking out the insignificant pain at his throat.

As Alysoun stood, she could see that Christina's eyes were closed as she drank deeply from the small wound in the young man's neck... and she knew what that felt like too...

She licked her lips as she settled herself comfortably on the bed, watching Christina over Tristan's limp body. That smouldering fire stirred within her once more at the sight of that small, slim white figure bent over the helpless mortal, strands of jet-black silk brushing her breasts.

After a moment, she raised her head. Alysoun leaned forward and kissed the blood from her lips before breaking off with a questioning glance. Christina nodded.

Smiling once more, the girl bent her head, touching her lips to the wound made by Christina's white teeth, still bleeding sluggishly, and drank deeply.

Oh, that taste- strong and sweet and salt and rich... As it slipped down her throat, Alysoun felt the life flooding through her veins. Nothing, no wine, no drug came close to that first drop of blood.

Then, softly, through that red mist of ecstasy, she felt soft lips touch her shoulder, and gentle hands slipped over the sensitive skin of her sides to cradle her breasts, fingers flicking over stiffening nipples.

Alysoun raised her head, licking the last drops of blood from her lips as she turned in Christina's arms. She tried to stand, but Christina dragged her into a passionate kiss, bending her back across the shallowly-breathing chest of their...guest...

Alysoun melted into her embrace and gazed up at her, surrounded by a veil of that ebony hair as Christina bent over her, their breasts brushing together. Christina leaned down to kiss her once more, but Alysoun interrupted-

"Love," she said quickly, "What about him," and she nodded to the recumbent Tristan.

Christina bit her lip, looking slightly chastened... or attempting to- to Alysoun, it made her lover look even more tempting.

Then she nodded, as if coming to a decision. "Come," she said, standing and indicating with a wave of her hand that Alysoun should do the same.

Alysoun did so, and Christina immediately scooped the recumbent Tristan into her arms with ease, and laid him gently on the thick sheepskin rug before the bed. Alysoun swept an extra blanket off the bed and drew it over him. They both looked at him for a moment- an Apollo, vulnerable in repose- then looked at each other and laughed softly.

A moment later, Alysoun was pinned to the bed, gasping in shock and arousal as Christina straddled her, crushing their breasts together and running a teasing tongue along the curve of the girl's ear.

"...now that he's taken care of, darling..." she whispered, her lips brushing Alysoun's ear, "...fancy having a little...fun...ourselves?"

Alysoun gasped as Christina bit gently at the curve of her neck, taking care not to break the skin.

"...dying to," she managed, then flashed a wicked smile. "Figuratively speaking, of course."

And then they were kissing, wildly, passionately. Hands tangled in each others' hair, and Alysoun cried out, a muffled sound, as she tasted blood- her own- Christina had bitten her tongue.

She felt the pain, yet somehow it was not pain, but pleasure. Catching Christina by surprise, she twisted her body suddenly and flipped over to land atop her on the bed. Her swift fingers found Christina's nipples and tugged sharply, making the girl moan into her mouth.

Her own lips broke away from Christina's and traveled down, kissing her way down the curve of Christina's neck to the hollow of her throat, where she licked teasingly along her collarbone before diving down to suckle on the soft, sweet flesh of her right breast.

Christina cried out, her eyes closing, and when Alysoun's left hand found her other nipple, rolling it between thumb and forefinger, she moaned, arching her back to press herself against Alysoun like a cat.

Alysoun carried on, sucking and nipping, flicking out her tongue in fast little strokes until Christina was writhing against her, hardly able to catch her breath between moans and gasps of pure wanton pleasure. Then she bit slowly, deeper, and Christina let out a long, low moan as Alysoun slowly unclenched her teeth and, with the very tip of her tongue, licked up a few drops of blood, bright rubies against the creamy velvet of Christina's soft, white skin.

Christina drew in one shuddering breath, and looked down to see Alysoun's grey-blue eyes gazing up at her, lips still fastened to her breast. She raised a hand to stroke those dark, tangled curls and, gently but firmly, pulled the girl's mouth from her breast.

"Would you like to use that... gifted tongue of yours somewhere else, darling?"

Alysoun's eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. Placing her lips once more to Christina's breast, she started kissing her way down that soft curve, and across her belly. As she moved down, licking lightly over Christina's hip, she moved her hands to the girl's thighs, spreading them gently open and grazing a fingertip down her already dripping slit. Christina bit her lip, giving out a barely-audible whimper of longing, but Alysoun continued to softly lip and kiss her way over first one inner thigh, then the other until Christina lost control.

Winding her hand in Alysoun's hair, she brought the girl's lips to bear directly over her swollen bud. Alysoun made no complaint, smiling to herself as she licked and teased that sensitive spot, relishing Christina's every moan and gasp. She felt Christina's legs wind around her neck, and moved one hand up to flick gently at that bud, slick and wet from the girl's own lust and Alysoun's tongue, as she moved back to gaze for a moment at that mysterious place, the core of Christina's very womanhood, gaping open, quivering and wet to her touch..

She returned her mouth to its former duty, and it wasn't long before Christina's moans turned into soft cries, gradually getting louder and louder. Alysoun stroked two fingers up and down Christina's opening as she sucked and licked, then, without warning, thrust them inside her, making Christina cry out even louder as she pumped them back and forth.

"...yes..." she heard Christina moan. "...oh, God, yes..."

Alysoun was thrusting faster and faster, Christina moving her hips up to meet those pounding fingers that filled her so gloriously, now crying out wantonly, with no regard for who might hear them.

And then those cries changed, subtly, in a way that Alysoun knew only too well- more breathless, more hopeful- and Christina convulsed, all but screaming, fingers buried in Alysoun's hair and her legs locked around that slender neck.

Alysoun licked gently as Christina came down from that glorious high, feeling her twitch beneath her at every stroke of her tongue, and slowly drew her fingers out, sucking them clean. She loved that taste, and went back for more, gently licking Christina's sweet juices from her quivering opening.

A moment later, she felt hands on her shoulders, and let Christina pull her up to kiss her, long and soft.

"Darling, thank you..." murmured Christina, in between raining kisses on her mouth, her face, her neck...

Alysoun felt her hands everywhere, stroking down her back, over her legs, gently cupping her breasts- featherlight touches that set her skin aflame... All but comatose from this caressing assault, she felt lips touch one nipple, then the other, kissing, tugging.

Suddenly she was on her back, and Christina's head was between her legs, her hands reaching up to flick her fingers over Alysoun's nipples.

Alysoun felt Christina's breath on that part of her that ached so for fulfillment, and then the tip of her tongue. Just the tip, just one flick, but it sent a wave of tingling pleasure right to her very core, making her moan out loud.

Not wasting any time, Christina fastened her lips around that little nub of flesh, and began flickering the tip of her tongue over it, fast, unceasing, and..and so, so good...

Without warning, Christina suddenly shoved two fingers inside her, curling up and under to find that spot that made Alysoun gasp and cry out. She thrust once, twice, three times, then just as Alysoun was finding her own rhythm, she drew them out and sat back.

Alysoun let out a whimper of longing, and opened her eyes to find Christina's face inches from her own. She gasped in surprise, but quietened when Christina laid a finger on her lips.

"Hush." She smiled kindly. "Do you want more?"

Alysoun nodded, eyes widening as another involuntary whimper slipped from her throat.

"No, pretty- speak to me," Christina wheedled, but there was an edge to her voice.

"...yes..." Alysoun managed, blinking in surprise.

"...yes... what?" asked Christina, gaze hardening, and Alysoun realised that her arms were somehow pinned above her head.

She did not struggle, but meekly replied, "Yes...please?" confusion evident in her eyes.

"Then... beg."

This startled her into silence, and she gazed up at Christina in bewilderment.

"You heard me, darling." Christina smiled wickedly. "I want to hear my pretty little songbird beg for me to touch her again."

Using her free hand, she began to trail teasing fingers over Alysoun's breasts, her touch featherlight, making Alysoun writhe beneath her, moaning with longing. When she made no other sound, Christina pinched her nipple painfully, saying sharply, "I said, beg."