A Great Day in Moran

1 month before the Lord's Assembly.

It was early morning, and the sun had yet to rise. On a footpath halfway up a hill on the outskirt of Naiva, Amber stood panting.

"Are we...there yet?" she wheezed.

"Almost there. Only a mile more," Miklas said. He waited for Amber to catch up. "I can see the top from here. See that lone big oak tree? That's our destination."

"Oh, stars above." Amber slumped, her hands rested on her knees. "My feet hurt like hell. You do this every day?"

"Yeah, it's only 5 miles." He patted Amber on the back. "Breathe in, breathe out. Again. That's it. Just control your breathing."

"I'm not a...seasoned athlete like you, Miklas. Life in the palace...doesn't require running much, except...when the mistress is crossed about...some stupid things."

Eventually, Amber managed to stand up straight. "I think I'll walk the rest of the way. Why don't you go on ahead?"

"Sure thing. If you collapse then don't worry. I'll pick you up when I come down."

Amber punched him lightly on the arm. He just grinned mischievously and ran ahead. His gait was exactly the same as when he started an hour ago, with no signs of fatigue. Amber stared in awe at the extra 100 pounds of weight that he carried on his back as part of his training. That's just a few pounds short of her own weight. Amber shook her head. She'd be dead before she could even walk 1 mile with half that much weight.

As Amber trudged uphill, she looked around. The sun had yet to rise, but the earliest rays of daylight had risen underneath the horizon. The grassy hill she was on was really peaceful to look at. Amber hadn't paid attention to the scenery until now, since she was distracted by Miklas. The athletic young man wore a sleeveless shirt today, which gave her an enticing view of his big, massive arms swinging back and forth. But most distracting of all was the way his sculpted ass flexed when he ran, thanks to his tight running short. And those thick, corded legs... Watching Miklas run drew Amber's breath as much as running itself.

5 minutes later, Amber finally climbed to the top of the hill. She walked to the big oak tree, flopped down on the ground, and leaned rested her body against it. Amber panted hard as massaged her own feet—they felt as if she just waded through lava. Meanwhile, Miklas was doing pushups with an impeccable rhythm. She could hear him counting under his breath. Amber watched as the young athlete before her exerted energy in a way that would make any field laborer shaking his head in awe.

Damn, is he sexy.

"300. Phew." Miklas stopped and sprang up on his feet like nothing. "Feeling better?" he asked as he wiped his brow.

"I'll live. Probably. And this sunrise better is as beautiful as you promised."

"Trust me, it's the best. I can't believe you live here for years and didn't know about this spot." He took the water flask from his belt and hand it to Amber.

"Thanks, big guy. I've only been here for two years, and work was too hectic from the beginning. I didn't have time to explore outside the city." Amber drank, then she looked around. From the top of the hill, the view of the city below was lovely. She saw sleepy homes leaning on each other, quiet cobblestone streets with an occasional cat sneaking around, and smoke from chimneys of shops that were preparing for the day. Amber looked further and saw the palace. The window from Evelyn's bedroom remained unlit. Mistress hadn't awoken yet.

Miklas sat down next to Amber. He pointed at the east. "Here it's come," he whispered, as if afraid to disturb the stillness of the morning.

She didn't have to wait long. Amber watched the sun's rise in silence, as was Miklas. The magnificent sphere of fire ascended, banishing the deep darkness of the sky and casting countless rays of life-giving light all over the land.

"Wow," Amber uttered.

"Beautiful huh?"

Amber nodded. "In my homeland, we don't see a lot of sunrises. We live high upon the mountains, and clouds obscure the sun until it's already high in the sky."

"You should come to my hometown. Terrava's old capital is flat, and the weather is always lovely. It's not too far from the sea, and seeing the sun rising up from the sea is the best."

"Will you take me there?" she asked.

"Absolutely, any time you want."

Amber smiled. "Thanks, big guy."

They continue to admire the view for a few more minutes.

"I think we should get back. The day has begun, and mistress will wake up soon," Miklas said.

"Yes, we should," Amber said. She didn't know when or how, but she was leaning her head on his shoulder. It just felt right.

Amber tried to stand up, but she stumbled. Thankfully, Miklas caught her in time. She fell butt first onto his lap.

"Sorry. My feet are still a bit wobbly," Amber said, feeling a bit embarrassed. She got up by holding on to him. His body felt as hard as a wall of bricks.

"I got an idea, let me get my pack first." He helped her stood up and went for his backpack. Amber stretched her calves as she waited for him, then suddenly she found herself swept off the ground.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Amber blurted. Miklas lifted her up easily as if she was made of feather.

"Here's my idea: I carry you back. I asked you to join me today, and your feet got hurt. So it's my responsibility to get you back home." Without waiting for her to say yes or no, Miklas began jogging down the hill.

Amber's position as the second most powerful woman in Moran screamed with indignation as she's being carried like a baby, but it lasted a total of three seconds. She quickly succumbed to the delightful feeling of being carried by her friend, with Miklas's hands supporting her thighs and back. And because she's wearing a pair of shorts today, his big bear-sized hand touched her bare thighs, his fingers were mere inches away from her butt. Amber blushed.

"Thank you, big guy," she mumbled gratefully.

"No big deal." Miklas beamed at her. Amber was so glad that her thighs were already squeezed together.

"Do you need a break?" Amber asked after Miklas had jogged for ten minutes.

"No need. You're light as lint."

"Thanks for not calling me fat."

"What? I'd never!"

Amber giggled. "I'm joking, big guy. Thanks again for showing me this spot today."

"Do you want to come back tomorrow?"

"Only if you carry me like this."

"Sure thing!"

"Miklas, I'm joking," Amber said. She didn't think that he would agree to her facetious remark that readily.

"I really don't mind," he replied. The genuineness in his voice made Amber blushed deeply. She managed to squeak out a "Th-thank you."

*-*

Evelyn yawned as she got off the bed. She felt good that morning, having spent the night with an orc. She tied her hair into a bun and took a refreshing bath. When she got out, her rosy skin seemed to glow. She hummed to herself as she picked an outfit from her wardrobe.

"I like what you do with your hair."

"Mother goddess!" Evelyn cried. She turned around and saw the Hiss stood next to the nightstand. "Hiss? You...I didn't...How long have you been standing there?" She put her hand on her drumming heart. Thank the goddess she got a bathrobe on.

"I just got in."

"How did you get in? We have new security!"

Hiss's eyes were unmoving, yet they somehow conveyed something similar to a raised eyebrow. "It's my job."

"Right, yes, of course. I'm being silly. You scare the wits out of me. Have...ahem, have you got news?"

"Yes, I've spent the past month spying on the king. I came back yesterday."

"Yesterday? Why don't you come to see me right away?"

"I got here last night, but you were 'busy'. Twice."

Evelyn's jaw dropped, then closed, then dropped again. She blushed profusely.

"That orc was such pushover. You need tougher guards."

Evelyn cleared her throat loudly. "King Tirrus? You have information for me?"

"Yes." He produced a sheaf of paper, wrapped in parchment from his robe. Evelyn tried not to stare at his scaly, thin limb. His eyes always shone a bright, vicious gold when someone paid too much attention to his body. "These are love letters written by the king to his lover and her replies. Their relationship is explicitly mentioned in these letters."

"They write letters? Don't they meet?"

"They do. Secretly and not often. So they also exchanged letters."

Evelyn took the letters from the Hiss. She scanned some of them. The king's handwriting was undeniable.

"I took these from the girl's home. She hid them under the floorboard."

"Who is she?"

The Hiss then explained about the girl. She's a laundress, two years younger than him. She lived with her parents, they were once wealthy but had fallen on hard times during the war. The king and his girl saw each other once every 3 or 4 days. He snuck his letters inside his laundry when she came to collect it, and she slipped hers inside his wardrobe.

"Won't she realized these would go missing?"

"These are old. The girl gets new ones often."

"I see. Excellent job, Hiss. You exceeded my expectations."

"Obviously. About my reward."

"Um..." Evelyn had forgotten about that part. The Hiss's pupils dilated. He had seen the apprehensive in her eyes. "Yes, of course. What do you want?"

He leered at her for a few seconds. Evelyn thought she could see the redness of flesh and blood behind those impenetrable glowing slits. She shuddered involuntarily, cursing her state of undress.

"I want a vacation," he hissed.

Evelyn blinked wildly. "You want a break?"

"Yes. I've served your grandfather, then your father, then you. Continuously. For 40 years. I want a break now."

"Why would you need a break?" Evelyn asked, and regretted it immediately: those golden slits narrowed, the vicious gold turned venomous. "I mean...for how long?" she stuttered.

"A year."

"A year? I need you here. There are people out there who hate me."

"Your grandfather and your father had never denied me my reward. Never." He somehow hissed without ever pronouncing a single 's'.

"Yes, yes, you're right," she said hurriedly, just so the hissing would stop. "One year. Then you'll return to me."

"I have to return. I can never leave you," he hissed bitterly.

Evelyn swallowed. She didn't know what else to say, since his vacation was completely unexpected.

"You should answer the door," he said. His eyes left her face for the first time to the door.

"What? There's no one at the door."

"There's one now," he said.

At that exact moment, someone knocked. "Mistress? Are you dressed?" came Amber's voice.

Evelyn's head turned to the door. "How did...?"

Hiss had disappeared.

"Again?" she muttered to herself. She adjusted her bathrobe and called out, "Come in".

Amber walked in and closed the door. She saw Evelyn stood by herself in front of the wardrobe.

"What's keeping you, mistress? You usually dressed by now," Amber commented as she walked in.

"I, uh...the Hiss. He was here, just a moment ago," she said, still a bit flustered. Evelyn started getting dress while she recounted what she'd learned to Amber. Amber listened intently.

"So that's what happened. We got proof. Now I need to arrange a meeting with Risingr."

"Right away, mistress."

Evelyn looked at herself in the mirror. "And don't tell him anything yet, I want to tell him myself when I met him. Just say I have urgent news." Evelyn made a final adjustment to her dress, then she turned to Amber. "How do I look?"

"Uhh," Amber hesitated. Her mistress was wearing a fancy, strapless green dress, completed with a diaphanous shawl that covered her shoulders and upper arms.

"You look...stylish." And by 'stylish', she meant the bustier completely exposed the top half of Evelyn's generous chest. When Evelyn stood at rest and crossed her arms, the shawl formed a frame surrounding her chest in a way that drew the viewer's attention to her feminine parts even more. Despite being a girl, Amber couldn't help but stare at the overtaxed bustier, strained to the limit as it struggled to contain the voluptuous Terravi woman's buxom.

She turned to the side, giving Amber a profile view of her body. "Does this dress make my ass look big?" Evelyn asked, adjusting the bustier to show off just a smidge more cleavage. They're practically spilling out of her top. It's a miracle that Evelyn's areolas weren't showing yet. She had that much frontal estate!

"A bit. Maybe too much?" Amber mumbled. Turns out the dress was strained down there too. Evelyn's round butt jutted out just the right amount right so that her provocative curves were on full display.

"Oh good," Evelyn said happily. To complete her fancy look, Evelyn tied her hair into her signature bun.

"Why are you dressing up?" Amber asked. "Does this have something to do with you meeting Captain Marten this morning?" Today would be the first time Evelyn had seen the captain since the incident in the town square.

"What, no. I just want to indulge myself for once. Looking good and draw some eyeballs, you know."

Amber wasn't convinced. She heard the defensiveness in Evelyn's voice. "It's just that you only dress fancy to draw some particular eyeballs."

"Nonsense. You think too much, my dear elf." Evelyn waved dismissively.

Amber decided not to pursue the matter further. She'd know soon enough since she'd be attending the meeting too. "Speaking of Captain Marten, ever since he got back to his old job, his mood had improved. Did you hear? I heard the man is more amiable now, easier to talk to than the solemn man you first met," Amber said, observing Evelyn carefully. She indeed saw a hint of interest on her mistress's face.

"Really? That's good to know." Evelyn feigned indifference. She put the finishing touches on her hair. "I'm ready. Let's go."

They walked to the court. Amber lagged a few steps behind Evelyn. From behind, Amber saw how the dress hugged her mistress's rear very form-fittingly. Evelyn walked in a well-rehearsed, dignified gait of an aristocratic woman, with her back straight and her fingers laced in front of her. Her manners accentuated her hourglass figure even more. Evelyn was a sexy lady, Amber had to admit. Had her personality was as desirable as her appearance, there's no doubt the Terravi woman would have a long line of suitors begging for her hand.

"Can you walk a bit slower, mistress?"

"What's wrong with your legs?" Evelyn asked when she saw Amber limping.

"I had a jog this morning, and my feet are killing me."

"A jog? Why? You're not the athletic type?" Evelyn stopped and waited for Amber. The elf girl kneaded her feet. "A little exercise now and then won't hurt. Ow. I mean in the long run."

"Are you trying to lose weight? Cause my dear elf, you don't need to. You're as thin as tavern's beer." Evelyn supported Amber while she massaged her ankle. Evelyn was right. Amber had always been a thin, petite girl. Back in her hometown, she was given the nickname 'Torchy', because she was as lanky as a stick and a bright blond head of hair. There's not much fat anywhere in her body, unlike her mistress, who has more than enough in all the right places.

"Thank you, mistress. I'm fine, really."

"If you insist. But if the pain lingers, then find a physician to treat them. You understand? You're very important to me."

Amber looked up at Evelyn after hearing her caring words. The Terravi noblewoman cleared her throat. "I mean, I don't want you to miss work. I need you around here. Mother Goddess knows how much of a mess this place is."

Amber smiled surreptitiously. "Thank you, mistress. I won't let you down."

They walked on. But after a few minutes, Amber complained about her feet again. "I need to change my shoes. This pair of court shoes is killing me."

"Why don't you put on a more comfortable pair this morning?"

"It didn't hurt much after I soak my feet in cold water this morning. I guess I was overconfident."

"Go put on a pair of slippers then. I walk by myself to court."

"Thanks, mistress. Ouch." Amber limped back to her room. Evelyn walked by a courtyard garden. She saw no one around and decided to wander just for a minute. Evelyn observed the paltry varieties of greeneries in the courtyard: a lack of funds meant she couldn't afford lavish flora like that of her wealthy neighbor. There're some shrubberies, roses bushes of yellow, red, and white colors, and a few tall hedges. It was as basic as it gets. At least the path was paved with white pebbles, giving it a somewhat clean look.

Suddenly, Evelyn heard a door opening a few yards to her right. They were two servant women who had just left a building. She hurried and hid behind a tall hedge. Evelyn didn't want anyone to see her before she appeared in court.

"...so the cook folded immediately. I told you, she feared me. Didn't even need to make a scene," said a shrill voice.

"Yeah, yeah, you're the queen of this palace. Everyone respects you," said a calmer, sarcastic voice.

"Certainly, more than our

dear

duchess. She's so weak. Not decisive at all. Did you know that she let the drunkard who tried to shank her walk free?"

"She did? That's merciful of her," said Sarcastic cooly.

"Not her idea. The captain told her to let him go. And she did! If someone tried to stab me, I'd have him hang and quartered."

"Too bad no one ever tries," sighed Sarcastic. "Otherwise, you'd get them good," she quickly added.

"You know it!" exclaimed Shrill. "I tell you, this Terravi woman doesn't know what's she doing. She just does whatever people tell her to. That's why I'm glad captain Marten is back in charge. What a damn fine man he is. He'll lead the duchess around like a goat."

"Yeah, yeah."

The two then exited the garden through another door, and Evelyn could hear nothing more.

*-*

In the main hall, the captain was already present. He was chatting idly with a soldier as he waited for the duchess. When he heard footsteps, he turned to the throne and observed Evelyn approached. She sat on her seat, and Amber joined her shortly after.

"Good morning, duchess Evelyn," the captain said. He bowed and doffed his hat. Amber was glad to see that the man was smiling today.

"I must say, my lady, you look stunning today." He maintained eye contact with Evelyn, despite the enormous temptation, or temptations, half-exposed just a few inches below her eyes. Amber was impressed.

What a gentleman.

"Thank you, you're too kind," Evelyn said formally. "I understand that you have something to tell me about the recruitment progress, is that right?"

"Ah, right. A few days ago, you sent instructions that I'm to speed up the training process?"

"True. I want to have a standing garrison in the city as well as patrols in the countryside. Quickly."

"I understand, my lady. But I have a problem with shortening the training time. You see, foot soldiers require at least two months of training to be able to fight. Cutting that short to one month is not a good idea."

"I know, but we're not fighting a war here, captain. I need more men to replace the departing orcs, and I need them quick."

"They will be replaced, but I need time. My lady, you must understand." Captain Marten stepped forward. He raised his hand to emphasize his point. "Your soldiers are peasants and free citizens, they have no prior combat training. If you just recruit them en masse without proper training, all you have is a bunch of mouths to feed who will break ranks and flee when it's time to fight. I need time to drill discipline into these men."

"So you're saying we will short on manpower in the field for a while?" Evelyn raised her voice. This drew a puzzled glance from Amber.

Captain Marten pressed on with his idea. "Yes, but as you say, we're not fighting a war here, and it's not like beyond our wall is lawlessness. Give me some time, and I will build an army for you. A high-standard army. My standard," he said passionately.