>*<
Her cheek pressed against the smooth marble of the tub, Sybari exhaled, letting go of the stress inside her. The warm water eased away her muscle aches and lifted the dirt form her skin. May's suite was triangular, the bathroom being a square room like the study, wedged between the hexagonal rooms either side. Its pink and black marble glittered across the walls and floor, reflecting light into the water around her.
Regretfully, she pulled the plug free and climbed out of the pool. Wrapping a fluffy towel around her body, she dried herself off and investigated the clothes May put out for her. The voracis could have given her anything to wear, even raunchy lingerie. Instead she'd chosen something quite modest. There was a pair of lacy red underwear, presumably selected because they had a thick gusset. Under them was an empire waisted nightgown in maroon satin, which fell to her mid-thigh, a little chiffon ruffle along the bottom and on the shoulder straps. The lace overlay across her breasts was embellished with beads.
"Oh, May. It's beautiful."
She gave her hair one last squeeze with the towel and ventured out past the fountain, tentatively creeping back to the lounge. Auchery sat on a couch with her legs tucked under her, straightening the feathers on her arm. Seeing Sybari enter, she dropped her clawed hands to her lap, her eyes softening.
"Hello."
"Hi. We weren't really introduced. I'm Sybari." She sat down opposite her, not sure what to say.
"Auchery." She smiled, slowly looking her over.
"Are you May's lover?"
"Uhh..." Sybari pulled a face. "We actually only met a few days ago. I was coming here in hopes of working for the Queen. But then I met the Queen and..." She curled her lip, sucking air through clenched teeth in mock horror.
The harpy snorted in amusement. "Yes, you're lucky she rebuffed you. I was a fool to think she was being sincere with her proposition."
The ringing of a bell made Sybari freeze, but Auchery gracefully rose and left the room, going to the blue doors and letting them swing open.
"Come in," she told the servant on the other side.
The servant carried in a silver tray filled with steaming plates. Sybari moved from the doorway so he could bring it into the lounge to the table. Auchery gestured for Sybari to kneel and crouched on a pillow, legs bent up. The harpy began taking lids off bowls, pausing and smiling at one that looked like fish in broth. Sybari uncovered one that was clearly pickled fish in oil.
"That's a lot of fish."
"The fish is for me, but you can have some if you like. It's all to share."
Sybari picked up a pastry of sorts and took a bite, moaning at the taste. Bone crunched in her mouth, ground by her sharp teeth. "Oh, I think this cababti."
Auchery gave her a questioning look.
"It's stuffed rat rolled in pastry. It's a pretty famous dish among my kind, but I've never tried it before. Where I'm from we have our own signature dishes."
Her eyes softened. "I doubt that's a coincidence. May's very attentive."
If she was such a considerate lover, how had Auchery been persuaded to leave her?
"I took that for granted. I got greedy," Auchery continued. "I was always a bit too nefarious for my own good. It always got me into trouble instead of getting me ahead."
They talked intermittently as they ate, in polite but casual conversation. Sybari was careful not to bring up anything from the recent past and kept it mostly about where they were from.
After they finished, Auchery left the tray outside the suite for a servant to collect. Without much to talk about the topic soon got stuck on Sybari's acro skills, which required a demonstration. She'd just got herself balanced on her hands, body curled back with her butt over her head, one leg pointing at the doorway, the other bent beside it when the doors to the suite opened. May stepped through the curtains and stood blinking at the sight.
"Hi." Sybari grinned at her and bent both legs to touch her head with her feet.
"I don't think your spine is meant to bend that way."
Sybari giggled, dropping into a bridge and standing up. She noticed May held a small box in one hand and was disappointed when she presented it to Auchery and not her.
"That should be all of it."
"Thank you." Auchery checked inside, though there was no way she could even estimate the amount of money there.
Sybari felt better knowing it was just money and not a gift of some kind.
"Will you be returning to your homeland now?" May asked.
"I think so."
May gave a firm nod and brought something out from behind her back. She pointed the pair of cutters at Sybari and smirked. "Spread your legs."
Auchery looked between the cutters and May's face, her mouth gaping in horror. "What are you going to do?"
Grinning manically, May cut the air a few times to tease her.
Sybari laughed at Auchery's revulsion and wriggled her panties down her legs. "Do you have new ones?"
May produced a pouch from behind her waist and tossed it to her. "The jeweller sent a heap for you to pick from. Choose whichever ones you want."
She emptied the bag onto the table. With a jingle, the mass of metal rings slid from the fabric, all different colours, some with beads and stones. Sybari sorted through them, picking out six identical gold rings with ruby captive beads.
"They're so much nicer. I'll miss the chains though."
"We can get you some chains tomorrow. I just wanted you to be comfortable and not get your crotch all tangled up while you sleep." May crouched in front of her, gazing up at her while she slid her hand up her thigh, nudging up the hem of her nightgown.
Sybari bunched it around her waist and raised her legs to give May access to her pussy. Taking hold of the top left piercing, she stretched it out and held the ring steady. Auchery watched on, frozen to the spot as May cut a section from the ring so she could slide it free. They repeated the process for each piercing until Sybari's labia were free.
