King Thomas sighed in frustration as he sat upon this throne. All day, he had been dealing with his new responsibilities as a monarch - mediating disputes, approving commissions, appointing officers. It wasn't the kind of task he was used to. Before the death of his father, Prince Thomas was renowned as a chivalrous warrior. He was always in action, either physical action on the battlefield or social action at court, while his kingly father handled the responsible, boring parts. Now that Thomas had inherited the throne, those responsibilities fell on him, leaving little time for the more interesting parts that he was better suited for. He performed the tasks without complaint - as was the king's duty - but he dearly hoped for a more interesting task to take his mind off the monotony.
Thankfully, the next attendance proved to be, at the very least, visually interesting. As the guards opened the door of the throne room to let in the next attendant, it was a young woman with olive skin and wavy black hair who stepped inside. Thomas noticed right away that she was gorgeous, with piercing green eyes, full red lips, and a slender but curvy body. She wore a shoulderless red dress that wrapped tightly around her ample chest, narrow waist, and shapely hips, then flared out around her legs. On her arms she wore long red gloves and on her legs black stockings and high-heeled shoes.
"Your Grace," she said while bowing deeply, an act that caused the soft flesh of her breasts to bulge slightly from the hem of her dress. "I am Kanjala of Montorria. I serve as a court sorceress to Lord Arran Elhyrst."
Thomas recognised her name by hearsay, and he was not disappointed by the person it belonged to. Sorceresses were said to be exceptionally beautiful, and this woman was no exception. There were various rumours about the kinds of magic they used to achieve such beauty, but Thomas didn't care whether it was natural or enhanced. He was too distracted by the deep valley between her plump, tanned breasts to worry about philosophical matters. "Welcome, Miss Kanjala. I have heard good things about your work. What purpose have you come for?" he said in his practiced kingly voice.
"While I have loyally served Lord Elhyrst for several years, my needs as a sorceress have now outgrown what he can provide." She idly ran her fingers through her luscious black hair as she spoke. "I would like to offer my employment to you personally, Your Grace."
Lord Elhyrst was an older noble who had held great power during the reign of Thomas' father. That much was evident from the fact that he had employed a court sorceress for some time - wielders of magic were rare and in high demand, making their services only available to the most powerful of nobles. However, Lord Elhyrst's power and wealth had been waning over time. It had to do with the diminishing economic importance of his lands, though Thomas didn't know the details as well as his father would have wanted him to. It was perhaps no surprise that this sorceress wanted to move on to greener pastures. "You wish to become the royal sorceress. Are you aware that tradition permits only one royal sorceress at a time, and that the position is currently occupied?"
"I am well-aware of Miss Faera. I am also aware that she was appointed by your late father. Perhaps the new king desires a new sorceress, one with whom he shares a more personal bond." She showed a seductive smile.
Her assessment certainly wasn't wrong. Faera of Wrastow was an older sorceress who had long served under his father, but with whom Thomas was only passingly familiar. Even now she remained away from the capital, dealing with tensions in the north, as she had been since the king died. He didn't distrust Faera in particular, but her loyalty didn't lie with him, not primarily. "You make a good point. However, it is unconventional to appoint a new royal sorceress in the absence of the current one. Would you have me risk the potential backlash?" Thomas was not opposed to breaking tradition for the right reason, but he wanted to see how prepared the sorceress was to convince him.
"I trust that you will make the wise decision, Your Grace." She folded her hands on her lap, an act that gently pressed her breasts together between her upper arms. The way it caused the soft flesh to bulge from her neckline seemed all but accidental. "I only wish that you give me a chance to
convince
you."
The way she stressed the word
convince
made Thomas' loins stir. Did she mean what he was thinking - and hoping - she meant? Perhaps she did, perhaps she didn't. But he was the king, was he not? It was his prerogative to see how far this woman would go to achieve this position. He had long suspected that a certain off-the-books arrangement had existed between Faera and his father. Why shouldn't Thomas have his own fun? "That is only fair. How about we discuss this in private, where you can give me a demonstration? I can't possibly decide without seeing what you have to offer."
"Gladly, Your Grace," she said with the same seductive smile. "Please point the way."
As Thomas rose from his throne, his head guardsman approached and whispered to him. "Your Grace, are you sure it is wise to be alone with this woman? She may be dangerous."
Thomas waved his worries away. "It will be fine. This is a woman of high standing, with much to lose. It would be foolish for her to assassinate me, when everyone would know that she was the one who did it." It wasn't a foolproof assumption, but it was good enough for Thomas. He didn't want to be the kind of king who lets fear drive his decisions. He stepped down and made for the side-exit of the throne room. "Please follow me, Miss Kanjala."