A Dream of Empire

It's been a while. Let's get back to it.

This chapter begins the morning after Chapter 25. It's an Alanna entry for the most part, despite the titling below. All the fun's in her part of the chapter: F/F, F/M, bondage, tentacles, degradation, M/s roleplay.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Queen Casiama of Cindervale

The Cinder Vale

5

th

of Dawn's Light, 1283

D.f.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

On the fifth day of the new year... it rained.

It was the first true shower that had graced Cindervale since its founding months ago, and near every denizen of the town pondered its meaning. Some thought the Goddess-Queen desired to nurture the magical forest that had sprouted there of late. Others believed she had merely forgotten of the weather. But, in truth, Casiama had demanded of the Sky that each and every one of her subjects should feel a touch of the sorrow that she now possessed. And so, they did.

The Queen held an inalienable right to share her troubles in this manner, and none of her peoples would ever question her directly. And so, as the divine rain streaked down the windows of her throne room, and as the droplets pitter-pattered against the stone walls of her palace, every soul in the Queen's company pretended that the storm did not exist at all.

The mood in the throne room was tense, to say the least. A couple dozen courtiers in the wings stood silent, and Casiama -- perched on her ivory throne atop the dais, and flanked by six of her handmaidens -- looked on the elf standing in the center of that hall with a poorly-masked contempt. No mortal deserved the satisfaction of witnessing the Queen's sorrow, after all. Especially not

her.

"I am perplexed, Faranya," Queen Casiama eventually said, crossing her legs as she leaned forward. "I thought you were satisfied with your life here in Cindervale. I've given you land and the freedom to do what you will with

my

forests. Furthermore, we have known of your tribe's return for months now. So, why is

today

the day you come before me with this request?"

If Faranya was intimidated by Casiama's display, she did not show it then. She only stood there,

mockingly

, in defiance of Casiama's perfect world. Faranya glanced towards one wing of the hall before addressing the Queen's inquiry.

"Why, your man told me to," she smirked, waving her hand that way. "In his persistence, Talos has inspired me to do more with my birthright. He believes quite truly that I would make a great Queen myself."

Casiama smiled to hide her disdain, as a goddess shant show envy. "We both do, Faranya. I only hope that your change of mind wasn't made for the wrong reasons. A crown of Elvendom, I know, cannot accommodate uncertainty."

Faranya snorted, squinting at the Queen's words. "But I

am

certain, Casiama. Look, can we just be done with this show?" she defiantly asked, stretching her arms out wide.

"But I still have more questions," Casiama teased.

"And I am exhausted of them," Faranya scoffed, letting out a manufactured sigh. "Especially when I

know

Talos has already addressed your concerns. Give me a straight ruling, Casiama; can I have my leave of absence or no?"

Sarandel, at Casiama's right hand, stepped forward before the Queen could reply. The handmaiden pointed her spear down at Faranya, scowling, "How

dare

you address our Queen in this casual manner! I will throw you out of court if you dare show another hint of contempt!"

"I would like to see you try, Sarandel," Faranya laughed, folding her arms under her breasts.

"I could, will, and should!" the handmaiden cried, the spear trembling in her grasp.

"Enough," Casiama demanded, rising gracefully from her throne. She placed a hand on Sarandel's shoulder, letting her favored maid rest her weapon. "Unlike Faranya, I don't need others to speak in my defense."

"Sorry, your eminence. My apologies," Sarandel seethed. She took one step back and raised her spear, and Casiama took another step forward.

"As for you, Faranya, per our people's laws I will grant you your leave. You may leave my Queendom to seek your family's crown, and you may also return as soon as you deem it the right course," Casiama calmly said, the tail of her lip curling into a sly smirk.

"Oh, but... you must also leave

today

."

Faranya took a deep breath. "I believe Talos wanted to depart tomorrow, so his sorceress Tatiana could join us."

"And I said that you will leave

today

," Casiama pointedly repeated. "There will be no more discussion on this matter. To allow a quest so important to rot would be horribly irresponsible of you."

Faranya clenched her fists and took another step closer to the throne. Casiama could taste her frustration... and it tasted sweet as candy.

"Casiama, it is only

one day.

You cannot be-"

"We will leave today!" came the sudden holler from the wing. Talos jogged towards the center of the hall, getting between Casiama and Faranya both figuratively and literally. "We will leave today," he repeated, bowing towards her. "Thank you, my Queen, for your generous ruling."

A goddess, Casiama knew, deserved the unequivocal love of her subjects. If Faranya ever decided to return after her showing here today, she would feel the wrath of the wind.

"Good. I expect a haste departure," Casiama continued. She then addressed the court in full. "I am canceling the remainder of today's court. Any other items can be brought to me on the eighth, if you deem them so worthy of an audience. Otherwise, have a blessed day."

Casiama had to force those last few words through her teeth, incensed as she was by the moment. She then strode off without a moment's delay, leaving her handmaidens to deal with the fallout of her absence.

She prayed that no one else would dare find the gall to speak to her;

especially

her man Talos. Sure, forcing Faranya to leave so hastily wasn't a part of the agreement they made last night, but the Queen had to win the argument somewhere. Talos should recognize that right.

She almost made it to the stairs before he caught up with her.

"Cass-"

Casiama didn't even cast him a glance. "You have much to pack and not much time to do so, my love," she grumbled, continuing her haste retreat towards solitude.

"

Yeeah

, because I'm being compelled to. Why ask that of us, Cass? It's arbitrary. People are gonna notice."

"Do not tell

me

how to rule!" Casiama thinly exclaimed, spinning about to face him. "I did everything for you, Talos! Everything I did, was for

you

! I did not attack the violet

king

, I made a fairytale in the real to

impress you

, hells, I even let you marry your

mistress

!" she screamed, loud enough for her condemnation to be heard all throughout the palace. "And this is your accord? Defending and running off with some... with some

slut

?!"

Talos winced. "Not really interested in her proclivities, Cass. I'm trying to save the world from war," he gruffly replied. But Casiama, nay, the goddess Kian'ra was not buying it.

"I've heard this all before," she sighed, twisting away from his gaze. "Come back when you decide to love me as I do you, and not a moment sooner. I deserve that much from you."

All was now silent but for Casiama's pounding heart, and the eventual groan of her man behind her. He stepped closer and squeezed her waist, but Casiama wrestled away from him.

"My love for you knows no bounds, Cass," Talos softly said, his words dripping with defeat. "Just... just don't be too hard on yourself when you look back on all this. I still, and always will, worship you. Always."

Casiama shook her head, blinking away her tears. If Talos truly loved her that much, he would never leave her side again. "Just

go

, Talos."

"I'm trying to. My things are upstairs," he smirked.

Casiama let out a groan. She was then

forced

to share the most awkward ascent of the stairs beside her soulmate, a man who barely appeared apologetic in leaving her! Marriage was about

empowering

your partner -

assisting

them in realizing their dreams, so that both hearts came out stronger! How could Talos not see that? Was he really

so

impossible?!

Talos took her wrist when they made it to the top of the stairs. He stupidly said, "Y'know, I can pack in minutes. Wanna make up in the bedroom?"

Casiama stole her wrist back from him. As if she would show herself to such a scoundrel!

"On your return, my love," Casiama coldly answered. She stomped away from his insolence without another word, soon finding her much-needed solitude on the palace balcony overlooking the realm.

The balcony left her undefended from the Sky's wrath, and the cold rains of winter drenched her white dress in turn. She thought on going back indoors, but rejected the idea. She thought on covering herself from the worst of the storm, but denied those instincts as well. She was reminded that things could always be worse when she gazed out over her town, watching her subjects run from shelter-to-shelter through the muddy streets and puddles.

Her day was only mildly inconvenienced by the storm, whilst theirs were immeasurably ruined. This pleased Casiama. She knew that this is how things must be when comparing gods to mortals. She watched them scurry about like ants for the better part of an hour, and her heart was lightened immensely.

"My Queen?" a calm voice greeted her from behind. Casiama spared this one a glance.

"Sarandel. Come," she smiled. Her favored maid tip-toed up to her wearing a most concerned look.

"You must not be out here, your grace. You could catch a cold," she said.

"The storm is my doing, Sarandel. It will not harm me. I promise."

"As you say, your eminence," her handmaiden bowed. "I have come to tell you that we are prepared for tonight's feast in Tor Asuria. The maids have their dresses, our teleporters have been notified, and we even found some swans to serve as our offering to the gods. Well - to you, your grace," Sarandel rightly corrected.

"Cancel it. I do not wish to socialize today," the Queen demanded.

Sarandel's ears twitched as she cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure, my Queen? Tor Asuria will take it as a slight."

"Then tell them I'm sick," she moaned. "I'm not going, Sarandel. Not even the Lady could change my mind."

"It is your decision to make, not hers," Sarandel frowned. "I would only advise you reconsider your excuse. Mentioning illness would convey weakness, a trait entirely unbefitting of you. People might talk of it."

She was right, Casiama knew. Goddesses should only show strength. "So what would you say instead?"

"Humm..." the handmaiden thought. She snapped her fingers two moments later. "There was a raid on the western fringe. We fought off twenty, no,

forty

humans, and you took it upon yourself to quietly hunt down the survivors so as not to spread panic. You also strongly suggest that the Asurians keep silent on the matter," Sarandel smartly advised.

Casiama grinned at her maid's wondrous intelligence, then wrapped her arms around her. What a perfect second she made.

"You are so good to me, Sarandel. If only all souls shared your loyalty," Casiama whispered to her, leaning in to peck her on the cheek before releasing her. "Deliver the message personally."

Sarandel blushed, saluting, "Yes, your eminence!" before twirling and skipping away.

Casiama admired her favored maid's limitless enthusiasm as she jaunted off, but then turned back around to look on the town of Cindervale - and back towards the three-and-a-thousand problems which were all hers to solve.

-=-=-

A flash of light lit up the clouds near an hour later, followed by the dull

whomp

of a thousand miles of song condensed into a single note. Tanya stepped up beside Casiama ten minutes after that, looking out over the drenched town.

"He's gone, Cass," she softly informed her. Casiama spun about to lean against the railing; she praised the Sky for hiding her tears.

"Good. One less threat to the Matriarchy," she tried to reply in jest. "Do not fear for him, Tanya. Fear for those who stand in his way."

"I fear for neither, my Queen," Tanya smiled. "I'll be with him after our night in Tor Asuria. Speaking of which..." she trailed off, lost in thought, "I still need to find a dress for that. We're wearing white, yes?"

This poor girl

. Ever since Talos' arrival in the Vale, Casiama had consciously spent a great deal of effort getting closer to Tanya. She was her ideal companion, after all; intelligent, altruistic, magically-attuned, gorgeous, and, of course, loyal. It was unfortunate, then, that Casiama had to test her loyalty so soon.

"Actually, I canceled the feast," Casiama casually told her. "There was no purpose in attempting to socialize when I am in such a poor mood, you know?"

Tanya scrunched her nose, giving her Queen a dreadful pout. "What?" she exhaled. "But... but if I knew

that

... I could've gone with him. I could be at his side, right now."

"But I need you here, silly!" Casiama playfully laughed. "At least for a day or three. Or, did you already forget that Talos said you were

my

sorceress as well?"

"No, no, I didn't," Tanya denied with a sad whisper. "I only... nevermind. May I ask what you need of me?" she pouted.

"Just a few simple things," Casiama answered with a wave of her hand. She had decided last night that Tanya would be put to better use here, in Cindervale, rather than with Faranya and Talos on the road. After all, with Tanya's assistance Faranya might actually succeed in her farcical dream.

"I've a sorceress who needs assistance enhancing the range of our teleportation square. She goes by Jessalia, and lives two doors from the dock. Next, the crew of the Northridge mine requested that we produce more gray-powder, and I just

know

you are efficient with alchemy. Lastly, my lead architect is wracking his

mind

trying to design an indoor shower for the palace. I'd like you to assist him with that. You are proficient with maths too, yes?"

Tanya nodded. "An indoor shower? Huhu. Couldn't you just put a hatch in the roof?"

Casiama raised a brow. "It's for bathing," she clarified.

"Yes. Right. 'Twas only a... only a bad joke, I suppose," Tanya cringed. She anxiously shoved a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll, um. I'll go get started. I guess."

"Thank you, Tanya. See you for supper," Casiama graciously replied, twirling back around to look on her Queendom below.

There, she was finally left alone with her thoughts... and the rain.

-=-=-

Alanna -- 8

th

of Dawn's Light

-=-=-

That damned storm persisted for three full days, eroding the town of Cindervale and the morale of its inhabitants in turn. It was only today, on the eighth, that the sun came out again.

And Alanna had watched it all from the window of her son's nursery room. Alone for the most part, save for her offspring's ever-present joy; something that typically brought her joy in turn.

Yet, it hadn't this time. Alanna had been too busy worrying. The big Talos was off on his next great adventure, diving back into the fray without his sorceress at his side. Tanya, his hope, was now kept eternally busy as she sated Casiama's endless whims, and Alanna's relationship with Casiama had soured; rotted away through jealousy.

So, Alanna was kept isolated from her adult loves. Left to stew. Left to worry, wither, and wish. She hadn't left her babe's nursery in those three days except to eat, sleep, or bathe, and was already beginning to feel like an aged spinster. The inside life, she knew, was not for her.

Most of all, though, she just thought of Talos. She thought of him traveling the Empire without his sorceress, doing gods-know-what as he awaited Tanya's arrival.

Then, she thought of herself. Of the nature of sloth. Of merely

hoping

that a certain outcome would manifest on its own, rather than working towards its realization.

"Cowshit," Alanna murmured under her breath. She had to

do

something. To think was to wither.

"Ow-

ziz

!" her babe gleefully repeated, clapping and giggling to himself for a job well-done. Alanna patted him on his cute little head.

"Hm," she half-smiled. "That word isn't for you, sweetie."

The days of waiting had come to an end. Alanna scooped her babe from the floor, then made her way over to the elf Cythonia at the far end of the nursery. Cythonia - one of the Queen's handmaidens - had been specifically pressed by Casiama to protect the little Talos at all times. Alanna passed him to her.

"Cythonia, can you watch my son for the day? I really need to leave these walls," Alanna winced, rolling her head towards the room's only window.

"Of course, my lady," the elf eagerly agreed, beaming as she took the babe.

"Thanks." Alanna only made it to the door before she turned around, and slyly asked, "Say, Cythonia. If I were to

hypothetically

go somewhere for a while... you would watch little Talos, right?"

"Like he was my own. Are you... going somewhere, my lady?" Cythonia inquired with a curious twitch of her ears.

The babe Talos was already snuggled onto Cythonia's shoulder, content enough to be in the elf's arms over his mother's. It was no surprise, really -- he'd spent just as much time with Cythonia of late as he had with Alanna.

"I don't know yet," the enchantress frowned. She decided to go find Tanya.

Ultimately, it was a simple search. Even if she wasn't intrinsically connected to Tanya, Alanna already knew that she spent nearly all of her time in an isolated nook downstairs, now dubbed as the sorceress's 'personal laboratory' until a better spot could be found. Sure enough, she found her there, hunched over the desk with a dozen papers strewn out before her.

Rather than bother Tanya, Alanna scanned the vials, beakers, mortars and other instruments of the lab, before settling on a wooden bowl covered in what looked like iron shavings.

Why would she need this

, Alanna wondered?

"Don't touch that bowl! Don't even think of it!" an overworked Tanya yelled without even looking away from her papers. Alanna's hand snapped back to her side.

So much for not bothering her

. She decided to ask Tanya for an update, and see if she were any closer to joining their man in the field.

Tanya anxiously explained that she'd been hard-at-work designing the Queen's 'indoor shower' nonsense, and was, surprisingly, making steady progress. She had decided to use the pull of the world as some sort of a balance point between a water tank situated on a mountainside and the showers within the palace. The idea actually worked - in Tanya's laboratory, at least. All she had to do now was scale it up. Problem was, that would take weeks.

"This is ridiculous. Our man needs his sorceress

now

. He said so himself," Alanna squinted.

"But what am I supposed to

do

, Alanna?" Tanya moaned in exasperation. "Cass has got me saddled with enough work to last 'til summer, and if I actually manage to

finish

something she just saddles me with more! I've

tried

insinuating that her projects don't hold a candle to Talos' quest, but she doesn't lend an ear to listen. I don't believe she ever wants me to leave. I think-" Tanya nervously glanced left-and-right around the empty hall, finding no one, but still leaned in for a whisper,

"I think she

wants

Talos to fail."

"Mm. I've come to the same end," Alanna softly agreed. "And I've also come to a solution."

Tanya raised her brows in surprise. She couldn't help but peruse Alanna's thoughts, as excited as she was by the notion.