A Great Day in Moran

3 days before the Lord's assembly

Evelyn was among the first of the noble lords to arrive at the capital--the ancient city of Helis. She had barely settled into her designated villa when a Terravi servant came in and notified her that Duke Risingr was waiting outside and wanted to see her. Alone. Evelyn reluctantly assented since she didn't want to raise any suspicions. Barely a minute later, the tall, grim duke stepped into Evelyn's guest room.

"You're fast. I have just arrived here," Evelyn said to her co-conspirator.

He closed the door behind him carefully, then he glanced around the room.

"There's no one's here yet. My servants are still busy with the luggage."

"Good. Good. You probably know why I'm here. The assembly is in three days, Evelyn. It's been 2 months since I ask you to find me the evidence, and nothing has turned up so far. Your spymaster has failed, I assume?"

Evelyn cast her eyes downward and sighed prettily. "I thought he could do it. I really do. But we're both wrong. Nothing useful has been delivered to my hands. The king is very secretive about his affairs, it seemed. He leaves no evidence that my spymaster can sniff out."

Risingr's face grew even stiffer than usual. "Curses. The backup plan then."

"What is it?" Evelyn asked, even though she could have already guessed.

"Bribes. Loads of it. I have to be sure. You and I make 2 votes. I need 2 more."

"Surely you can't ask the king's uncles?"

He scoffed. "Of course not. He has 2 uncles, so that leaves us Esgard and Olainn. Petty rulers like them always want more money. In fact, I have approached them last month. They're open to our plot but wanted 'proof' to vote. The hefty bribes will entice them to overlook the lack of evidence."

Evelyn nodded calmly. Both Esgard and Olainn were richer than her, and Risingr still considered them petty. She briefly wondered what he truly thought of her status but thought better. "I see. You have prepared well."

Risingr twisted his hand impatiently. "Of course. I'm so close to the throne now. Just three more days, and I'll be the first in my house to don the crown. The most ancient house in Terrava, finally got what we were owed."

"True, true," she replied. Evelyn saw the thirst for power in Risingr's eyes. They're the most expressive she had ever since. It gave her the creeps.

"Would've been great had you fulfilled your end of the bargain. It cost me a fortune and a half to bribe those two. But I guess you can't have everything. Still, no amount of money is too great for the throne itself."

He suddenly observed Evelyn with narrowing eyes.

"I have your vote, right?"

"Why, what, of course, Risingr!" Evelyn exclaimed in surprise.

Risingr stared at her for a second more, then he shook his head lightly. "Right, right. Sorry I ask. It's just...I'm so close to my ultimate goal. I got paranoid sometimes."

Evelyn relaxed and nodded sympathetically.

He didn't know.

"How about the mines in Moran? They're still profitable?" he asked calmly.

"Oh, you remembered. Well, yes, small profit, but growing steadily. I expect to recoup the investment in--"

Risingr turned to the door before she even finished. "Very well. Considered my loans to you forgiven if I'm king. You can have the profit to yourself." He began walking out. "I have to go now. Esgard and Olainn should be here in an hour. I have to see them. Good day, Evelyn."

Not a minute had passed since he's gone when Amber opened the door and rushed in, and behind her was Miklas.

"Is everything all right, mistress? I ran here as soon as I heard he was seeing you."

"It's fine," Evelyn replied. "Return to your post, Miklas."

The big Terravi man nodded and closed the door. Amber saw that her mistress didn't seem upset. "What did he tell you?"

Evelyn told her.

"So he didn't suspect a thing," Amber said.

Evelyn nodded. "Yes, yes. You can relax now." She left Amber alone and approached the window. She looked outside. This was the first time she's been inside Helis. The grand city used to be the capital of the old human kingdom. After the war, it was adopted as the new Terrava capital. And for the first time in history, the Lord's Assembly was to be held here too.

Compared to the previous Terravi capital, Helis was bigger, grander, and more populous. The ancient, grandiose architecture of the city was well-preserved because the city was spared from looting and destruction during the civil war. Helis's inhabitants had opened the city's gate to the coming Terravi army to avoid a costly siege.

Evelyn looked down. Even the villa that Evelyn was staying in was older than any palace in Terrava. She admired the white, majestic marble columns and the richly decorated façade. The streets below were paved with neatly cut cobblestones, wide enough for two carriages to cross side-by-side. Evelyn had seen many imitation buildings in many Terravi cities, but seeing the originals was truly eye-opening. No wonder Terravi were so impressed with human culture that they adopted the lot of them.

Helis's grandeur definitely made an impression on King Tirrus. As a boy, he was sent here to be educated--Evelyn's father had insisted he enjoyed the best education there was. Scarcely fifteen years later, Helis felt under his rule. After the dust had settled, Tirrus immediately decreed that the Terravi capital be moved here. It was rumored that he was more comfortable living among the humans in Helis than in old Terrava.

The mood inside the city befitted the upcoming festivity. The people, both majority humans and minority Terravi, were preparing for the assembly. The streets were bustling, and once every half hour, a cart loaded full of goods passed by the street below. Shops had awnings set up, stalls lined the street, and inns filled with guests from afar. People from all corners of the kingdom were gathering in the capital, awaiting the once-a-decade occasion.

As for the lords, each was sequestered from the people in different villas scattered around the citadel. Evelyn's was on a small hill, about a quarter-hour away from the heart of Helis. The Assembly itself would take place inside the citadel.

"Look at them. So happy and exciting," Evelyn said.

Amber had left her mistress alone while she watched the street below. When Evelyn turned back to the elf girl, she saw that Amber had picked a few fruits from a fruit bowl on the table and was cutting them into a plate.

"Well, it's only the biggest event in a decade. And the human citizens in Helis will experience it for the first time," Amber replied.

"You're eating apples and pears? We're about to have a glorified grand carnival. You're surrounded by the best delicacies from all corners of Terrava, and you choose to eat those common things?"

Amber shrugged. "No thanks, I saw your Terravi delicacies. Too much meat for me."

"No wonder you're as thin as a stick."

"Someone likes me that way, mistress."

Evelyn scoffed. "Anyway, can you arrange a box of sweet plums for me?"

Amber smirked. "I've already informed the kitchen staff. You should have them by this afternoon."

"Ah, good. You know me well."

Amber grinned. After she was done, Amber brought the plate outside.

"Hope you're thirsty," Amber said.

"Aw thanks, you're the best." Evelyn heard her boyfriend said. They stood at the door, eating and chatting. They're making a plan to tour the city.

There were sounds of footsteps approaching and Evelyn saw Marten walked in. Evelyn smiled when she saw him, and he returned her smile warmly. They held hands and kissed softly on the lips.

"Rega said the king will meet you soon. Everything's confidential, as you wish. I've arranged an unmarked carriage to carry you to the citadel. No one will know you're meeting the king."

"Thank you, Marten. Anything else?" She caressed his neck, feeling the stubble on his chin.

"You look absolutely ravishing today."

Evelyn smiled. She kissed him again. "Are you trying to make me blush? I'm not a maid, Marten. Thank you, anyway."

Marten chuckled. "Worth a shot. Oh, and mayor Quill has informed me that he might secure a trade deal with the local guild, making Moran the official cheese supplier for the Carpenter's Guild in Helis. Exciting, huh?"

Evelyn laughed. "I sure am. Moran's about to be marginally richer than before. We should give him a title. Honorary of course."

"He's already carried two dozen titles. That man is willing to take on any job he can get. Let's see. You could make him Chief of Horses."

Evelyn shook her head. "No, that's actually important. Amber's in charge of horse supplies, and she would claw my eyes out if I take a single thing away from her duties."

"I'm not a cat!"

Evelyn and Marten looked at the door. Two heads were peeking in through the door crack, Miklas's dark head of hair above Amber's sunny blond.

"Anything else you want to add to our private conversation, Amber?" Evelyn asked.

Amber sulked. "No, mistress."

The elf girl closed the door. Miklas was chewing a slice of apple, trying not to laugh.

"Not you too!"

"You do have pointy ears."

"I'm gonna scratch you if... Damn it!"

Miklas burst out laughing and hugged the moping elf. "I'm sorry. It's all a joke, no one's being mean to you."

Amber huffed.

"And you're as adorable as a kitten," Miklas added.

"...Well I can take that."

"It's weird, huh. I still can't believe they're in love."

"Yeah, when they first met, they were at each other throat, and now..."

Amber remembered when she first learned about mistress's dalliance. It was a couple of weeks ago. She was on a routine morning visit before the start of the day. Evelyn was sitting at her makeup table like usual, wearing just a bathrobe. The bed was unkempt, no doubt the result of mistress's nighttime tryst with one of the orcs.

Nothing out of the ordinary,

Amber had thought.

The elf girl bid good morning to Evelyn and sat down on a chair when she heard the adjacent bathroom door opened. Nothing could prepare her for the sight of captain Marten, with a towel around his waist, walking out. He stood dumbfounded and stared wide-eyed at Amber, and she returned his unblinking gaze with a dropped jaw.

Evelyn heard him, stood up, and come to kiss Marten on the cheek. "It's all right. You can trust Amber. You should come back to the barrack now. Your men are expecting you."

"Um, uh, right," he stuttered. Marten's eyes darted between Evelyn's calm and Amber's stunned faces. He hesitated, but Evelyn's assurance placated him enough for him to say good morning to Amber, albeit very awkwardly. It took the elf a few seconds to stammer a response. He quickly got dressed and got out, not forgetting to say goodbye to Evelyn. He tried to kiss her chastely on the cheek, but Evelyn grabbed his face and kissed him squarely on the lips. Sensually. In front of Amber. He seemed to love it, even gave her robed butt a little rub. Then he left, leaving the room in a deafening silence.

Evelyn broke the silence. "Well? Come on. Say it."

"HOW COULD YOU, mistresssss?"

Amber remembered herself moaning something about "you can't seduce him for your own gain" and "what if he tells others", and Evelyn listened without a change to her face. Finally, she said simply to Amber. "You think this is a one time tryst?"

That took Amber by surprise. "Wait? What are you saying? It's not?"

Evelyn sat down on her makeup table. "I think I love him."

And Amber thought seeing Marten walking out of the bathroom was the most shocking thing she'd learned that day.

"You...love? You...LOVE? HIM? YOU?"

"Get a hold of yourself, Amber. You're talking like an ape." Evelyn waved her hands dismissively. "I'm not made of wood. He's handsome, he's unmarried, and he feels the same way to me. Why not?" Evelyn began combing her hair.

He loved mistress too?

Amber felt like her jawbone would strain from the shocks she's going through today.

"If you love him, and he loves you, does that mean you want to be with him for a long time?"

Evelyn paused for a second. "I don't know about that yet. I have never felt this way about a man before. This is all new to me."

"Well, can you trust him to be quiet? You can't be public about this, at least not yet. Not until your business with Risingr is done."

"He's trustworthy. I just know it. And you know Marten is a gentleman, he wouldn't brag about fucking the duchess like a drunkard."

"I guess you're right," Amber muttered.

Amber was silent for a minute while Evelyn worked on her hair, then she asked gingerly, "Do you still despise humans?"

Evelyn raised her eyebrows. Did she? She hadn't thought about this. Things had moved so fast last night.

Evelyn accepted breaking Terravi tradition by allowing Miklas and Amber to be a couple. But what about dating a human herself? She hated the humans because her father had preferred their advanced civilization over his own. Evelyn guessed that she didn't truly have a valid reason for the hatred other than as an extension of her disagreement with her father. That might be why when she got close to a human man, her usual attitude didn't surface. Intimacy with Marten had come so naturally.

"I changed my mind. Marten made me realize humans are just like Terravi. Some are bad, and some are good. And some are like him. Wonderful."

From that day forward, Evelyn conducted her love affair in secret but permitted Amber and Miklas to know, since Amber knew everything Evelyn knew, and Miklas followed Evelyn everywhere as her bodyguard.

The captain met with Evelyn often. Secretly of course. The trysts usually occurred in her bedroom, but occasionally it happened when they crossed paths during the day too. Amber, while cuddling with Miklas in her bed one night, heard him related an amusing tale. That morning, Miklas had stood outside of an empty storage room for half an hour while Captain Marten and Evelyn "doing stuff inside".

"Thank the goddess no one walked by. They made a lot of noises," he said, then laughed.

Amber laughed too. Even though mistress and captain Marten were both at a stately age, they behaved like horny youths.

"You heard them have sex?" Amber asked softly. Miklas's naughty tale had made her feel a bit hot inside. She nuzzled him and kissed his neck, while her hand ran over his buff, barreled chest.

"Hmmm. Yes, I heard muffled whispers, then a steady sound of a table bumping the wall. There's definitely moaning. When the captain walked out, he looked really satisfied."

"How satisfied?" Amber asked, then she got off of Miklas.

"V-very," Miklas said with bated breath. He watched his girlfriend slithered down his body and knelt between his legs. His loincloth was already gone. The two of them had gone to bed without a shred of clothing. Both preferred skin-to-skin cuddling as they slept.

"I bet his face then looks a lot like yours now," Amber said cheekily, as she lowered her head and kissed the tip of his shaft. She slowly swallowed him whole. Miklas's manhood was already half-hard when his tip went past her lips, and by the time it touched the back of her throat, his cock was fully hard. The captain wasn't the only man getting lucky that day.

*-*

Heavy footsteps jolted Amber out of her flashback. A soldier approached her and Miklas. He informed them that "the Spring Gallery is vacant in an hour", then he left without waiting for a response. Amber went inside to inform Evelyn.

"I'll go prepare the carriage," Marten said. He kissed Evelyn on the lips and departed.

*-*

Evelyn stepped into the Spring Gallery, which was located on the east wing of the royal palace. It was lavishly decorated with colorful drapes, ornated furniture, and of course, artwork of all kinds. All human-made, to be exact. Human craftsmanship and artistry were miles ahead of the Terravi.

Evelyn removed the hood which she had worn since she got out of the carriage. There was no one else inside the gallery yet. The attendant outside had told her to wait, so she sat on one of the stuffed viewing chairs and looked around. Some of the fancy artwork would have piqued Evelyn's interest in normal circumstances, but right now, she had no mood to indulge herself in art.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and in walked King Tirrus of Terrava, wearing a royal tyrian robe like that of a human king, but the crown was distinctively Terravi. It's a circlet made of pure gold, with golden wreaths bending around the circlet as decoration. Evelyn stood up he approached her. King Tirrus looked slightly older than the last time she saw him. He was a young man then, barely 25 years old when he was crowned. Now he had grown a beard.

"Lady Evelyn, it's been a long time since we last met," he said. His voice was clear and pleasant.

Evelyn curtsied. "I'm honored that you remember me, my liege."

"Please, please, no need for formalities. We're in private here. And of course I remember you. You're the daughter of the greatest chancellor Terrava had ever produced. And my greatest teacher too. I owe your father a lot."

He gestured for her to sit down, then he sat opposite Evelyn. "I trust that you're well. So, how does it feel to be a duchess? Your subjects treat you well?"

Evelyn shrugged. "I'm still alive. Joking asides, I'm getting to know my people better. Thank you for asking, your majesty. Pardon me, but I must be frank now. There's something very important that I want to tell you about."

She leaned forward and lowered her voice. King Tirrus did the same.

"My king, there's a plot against you."

The gravity of her words made an immediate impression on Tirrus's countenance. He grew serious.

"Who is it?"

"Duke Risingr. He intends to instigate a challenge against you at the Lord's Assembly."

Tirrus inhaled sharply.

"The legal way. That makes it worse. And what's the reason?"

"He knows you want to marry a human girl."

The king's eyes grew wide. He was shocked but quickly collected himself.

"How does he know?" he asked stiffly.

"Whispers. I know not how he got it. Risingr invited me to the plot. He asked me, my spymaster to be exact, to find evidence, and he plans to present them at the assembly and publicly denounces you. He counts on the lords of Terrava being displeased with your marriage enough to vote against you."

The king rubbed his forehead. He leaned back in his chair. "I'm afraid this would happen. And you're one of those lords?"

"I was. Until recently."

The king raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I...changed my mind. I didn't give Risingr what he wanted, so he had to resort to bribes. Esgard, Olainn."

He nodded. "Bribes for both of them? He's even richer than I thought. I knew he's ambitious, but wanting the throne for himself? He's truly the most dangerous man in the kingdom."

"Rich men always are. He believes I will vote for him. And he is certain that Esgard and Olainn will follow him."

"He told you that?"

Evelyn nodded.

Tirrus stroked his chin. "I haven't heard anything. My uncles would have let me know if Risingr approached them. Too dangerous for him. It made sense that he tried the others two."

He turned his attention to Evelyn. His face relaxed somewhat. "You won't vote for him?"

Evelyn shook her head.

"Why? Why did you change your mind?"

"I used to think like a traditional Terravi. But it's hard to keep thinking that way when most of your subjects are humans." She paused for a second. "How is she?"

"Who?"

"The girl you intend to marry."

Tirrus paused. "She's...lovely."

Evelyn noticed his hesitancy. She stood up and walked over to his side. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You can tell me. I know how it feels to love a human."

"You...know?" he asked incredulously.

Evelyn nodded. She saw a glimmer of apprehension in his eyes.