Alda's Womanhood

Alda looked to the moon, partially veiled by a stray, summer cloud. It was a bright night, almost as luminescent as mid-day. Her skin felt the chill of night, and she pulled her gown up to cover the nape of her neck. The olive skin above her breast was smooth and seemed to glow in the silver light. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders, tangled from the restraint of a leather tie worn earlier in the day.

Born to a poor family, the luxuries of nature were the only respite that she could afford. After such a long day in the unforgiving desert air, the cool night breeze felt lovely on her skin. Troubles would come and go, but the night was always there. No matter what burdens she took on in life, she could always release them here, in her home.

The kingdom of Haranciel had not always been her friend. Like many women of the dunes, she feared that she would know nothing in life but the leash known as marriage with a man that she did not love. However, six months past, fortune had shown her favor. She was taken in by the King's estate, to wash dishes and mop the floors. The work was tiring, and she still felt as though the more gruesome tasks would make her vomit, but she was free to make her own life, and that was all that mattered.

A soft knock came to her bedroom door, the sound echoing throughout the sparsely furnished space. Alda quickly rushed to make herself decent, covering her face and hair in a scarf with practiced ease and covering her slender body with the loose folds of her dress, concealing her womanly curves. She opened the door, peering out warily at first and was greeted by a small girl with short cut hair. Suela was another scullery maid in the palace. The young girl of only eighteen winters looked like a babe in her eyes, even though Alda was only three years older than her. Suela pulled her scarf down and smiled brightly, her pale brown cheeks dimpling as she did so. Alda did the same, and ushered her into the small hovel before anyone could see them.

Suela went to the open window and breathed in deeply. "Three hours of cleaning the muck from the scullery drain," she stated, not looking any less happy. The task was a grueling one, but her even tone told that Suela was well-accustomed to it. "But still, who could ask for a better life?"

"I know," Alda agreed, drifting to her side and giving her a friendly hug. The two of them had met only two months before, yet they had already found a firm bond of friendship. Through the first week of her training, Alda had cared for the girl; combing her hair after all day in the steam rooms, feeding her when she had contracted the coughing sickness that seemed to plague the palace, and even bathing her, tending to the many cuts and bruises that came from the kiss of the whip.

"Mistress Mahdi was liberal with the lash this evening," Suela pulled the collar of her dress down, revealing at least four dark red welts on her skin. Alda stood quickly and rushed to her side. She traced the marks with the lightest touch she could manage, but still prompted a stifled gasp from her friend. "Dropped a bucket of soap on the Count's foot. Thought she was going to break the switch on my back."

Alda covered the skin once more and shuddered. The lash had found her many times in the past, and the sickly sweet pain had always had such a debilitating effect on her. "I'll run you a bath," she said, rushing to the spigot in the small garden outside.

Suela smiled and shook her head. "It's quite alright. I'll dull the pain another way." She found a cup on the counter, and began to scour the pantry for some alcohol. "What say you, do you want any?"

Alda shook her head and sat down on one of the cushions on the floor. "You know I detest being drunk." Suela smirked and continued her methodical search.

The cool breeze fluttered the curtain and Alda felt a strange calm wash over her. She laid her hands on her stomach, feeling the smooth soft skin. Suela was there behind her, the faint smell of wine on her breath. Her hands moved to rest on Alda's, and she squeezed. "I hear the Legion has returned from their war across the salted sea." Suela's voice spoke softly, as if fearing her own words. "Do you think...?"

Alda hushed her with a hand to the cheek, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek. "They will not take us," she assured her. The Legion had a reputation of stealing away young women, and forcing them to their beds. Working in the palace meant a high chance of meeting a legionnaire. Many of their fellow scullery maids told hushed stories in the night of the brutish men and their insatiable appetites for pleasures of the flesh. The lack of conviction in their faces had led her to believe that these stories were mostly the fantasies of aging widows and starry-eyed virgins.

Suela drank for most of the night, expressing her fears, and gossiping about the other maids they had to work with. She fell unconscious after an hour, breathing with the heavy rhythm of one that is very inebriated. Alda retrieved a blanket and draped it over her friend. The girl held it closer to her, and nuzzled the fabric.

She went to her own bed, and fell into the soft furs. The blankets felt cool from sitting next to the open window, and relaxed her inflamed muscles. Laying there, she worked the dress she wore over her head, tossing it to the floor. The corset around her bosom was the next to go, and as the cruel garment fell from her body, her breasts sprang free of their confinement. The corset had left its mark, leaving welts crossing over the light brown flesh of her cleavage.

The furs brushed over her semi-naked form, causing her large, dark brown nipples to stiffen and begin to point away from her body. Alda shuddered as she felt her breasts tighten. The stirrings had been more frequent as of late, making her stay up late at night, breathing shallowly and praying to the gods to let sleep take away the foreign feelings inside her. Her remaining undergarments, a pair of white panties that clung to her body from a day's worth of sweat, felt tight on her crotch. She pressed the palm of her hand to her groin, feeling the secret flesh swell, and become hot to the touch.

Her fingers played with the folds underneath the fabric, causing a wave of guilty pleasure to wash over her. The fabric under her touch felt damp to her fingers, and she reluctantly withdrew her hand from the spot. Her mother's words played over and over in her head, warning her against the deceitful pleasures of the body. From a young age, she was taught to stay pure for the man she would one day marry. Even though she no longer wished marry, the warning still haunted her. Alda felt her genitalia pulse slowly, urging her to give into her desires and touch the forbidden flesh between her thighs. However, like so many nights before, she closed her legs and rolled onto her side.

That was when she heard the moan. It was a soft, high pitched noise, filled with urgency and muffled animal pleasure. Alda slowly stood up from her bed, her breasts tugging down from the gravity of her movement, reminding her of their earlier arousal. She crept to the door and peered out. Suela lay on the floor, head back on a cushion, blankets stripped from her body. She was sweating profusely, and her expression was a mix of frustration and pleasure. Alda was about to step forward, but froze as her eyes found the rest of the woman's body. She was completely naked, exposing her small, frail body to the night air.

Her hands, small and delicate, were spread over her body obscenely. One hand grasped a small breast, pinching the nipple between two fingers. While Alda's breasts were large, and hung from her chest like generously sized melons, Suela had only small mounds protruding from her chest. Her nipples, which were also a direct contrast, were petite and protruded at almost all times.

The other hand reached between her legs, which were splayed open. Alda caught her breath as she saw what the younger girl was doing. Her fingers danced over her glistening pink flesh. Even from the door way, she could smell the girl's sweet yet musty aroma.

Suela's fingers rubbed vigorously at the folds of her genitalia, focusing mainly on the stiffening bud just above the entrance to her womanhood. The action made very wet noises, and Alda blushed at the naughtiness of it. Her friends let out a soft moan, and then, more slowly, began to circle the entrance of her vulva. Alda bit her lip and sank to her knees. For some reason, the scene was causing her to heat up. She tentatively brought a hand to her own breast, and found the large nipple. She held it between her fingers and felt a wave of pleasure echo through her body. She squeezed tighter, like Suela was doing finding that it added a tinge of pain, which was, in its own way, pleasurable as well.

Alda's other hand stretched the undergarment covering her to the side, feeling the cold air brush her private area. The sensation was nice, almost freeing. The fingers tested the folds and they came back covered in a clear, thick liquid. She was almost worried, until she saw the same fluid running down Suela's rear end. She started to play with herself in the same way that the younger girl did. She bit her lip and stifled a gasp. The pleasure was so extreme, it burst through her mother's warnings. All that mattered was continuing the feeling.

She circled the little bud with her fingers, the clitoris, her friends had called it when she was a younger girl. She looked back to see Suela rubbing furiously at her own clit, and slowly began to do the same. The sensation was almost too much, causing her to involuntarily spasm from just a single press. A soft moan escaped Alda's lips. She had to keep going. Something was building inside of her. It felt like it was a bubble, filling with all of the pleasure she felt, and with every second, it got closer and closer to bursting.

She forgot Suela, focusing only on the different sensations she would get while rubbing different parts of her body. The wet noises Alda had heard from her friend were now coming from her own neither regions, and the embarrassment of it was adding its own flavor of sensual pleasures. Whatever was happening to her body, she could tell that it was coming to a climax.

Her body shook, but she knew not if it was from the cold night air, or from her own actions. The little bud was swollen now, and as she rubbed it, a continuous moan came from her lips. She pressed down hard on her clitoris, and felt it twitch as she did. It was coming, and her mind began to race, not knowing if it was good or bad. It was too late. She bit her lip to stop a full scream as it happened. Alda fell back. Involuntarily, her hips began to buck wildly. Her mind seemed to shatter, and she didn't know how she could recover. The liquid that had coated her flesh seemed to run down her legs, leaving a pool of it on the floor.

She lay on the floor, shaking and gasping every time the breeze touched her wet body. Suela was also silent, making her fear that she had been discovered. She wanted to rise and check, but her body would not respond. It was as if she had ran a quarter mile without stopping.

As the sensation past, she stood, checking on her friend. She was asleep, panting like Alda was. She smiled at the younger girl and turned back to the bed. She fell on it, feeling her muscles constrict and relax, as well as another muscle that she had never worked before. Sleep claimed her almost instantly.

The morning air brought a warm breeze through the open window. Alda sat up, feeling the familiar ache from her previous day's exertion, as well as a new feeling of release. The blankets slid off of her body. She stood and stretched her arms to her side, letting the rays of the sun play over her skin. She took a step, and noticed the sticky liquid that had dried on her thighs. Her underwear were soaked completely, and her cheeks flushed red. She changed quickly, pulling on a new pair of panties and throwing the old, musty pair into her closet to deal with later.

Walking to the kitchen, she spied Suela still laying on the floor. She lay bare on the cushion, a smile of content on her sleeping face. Suela's eyes fluttered open as Alda stepped in front of the window. The women looked at each other, smiling. "I see you slept well," Alda said, motioning to the blankets strewn across the floor.

Suela glanced down for a moment, and a faint chuckle escaped from her lips. "I see that you did too." Alda glanced down and saw the plainly visible spot of dampness still running down her leg. She must have missed it while cleaning up. She covered herself with her hands, blushing as Suela laughed openly at her embarrassment.

"Cruel," Alda whispered under her breath as the other woman began to dress.

"I'm sorry," she said, still unable to stop laughing.