Lyriena paced back and forth anxiously. She was embroiled in the midst of a storm of uncertain emotions. On the one hand, she wanted Henry's contact to find her so she could continue with her plan to be away from this place. On the other, she was tempted by Trogar's offer; both to satisfy her own sexual curiosity but also to wreak revenge on that sow, Soleil.
She didn't know which she wanted more. Siding with Henry would likely lead to war, while staying in the city meant she might still negotiate a peace. But the latter choice was questionable. If Henry was right, then there wouldn't be any settlement short of marrying the orc, and that she couldn't stand. She might countenance 'exploring' with him, but she had no interested in being wedded to him for the rest of her life.
"You shouldn't pace so much, Your Highness. You'll put yourself into a fit and we can't have that. You need to put on a strong front for the humans." And the orcs, but that was left unsaid.
"How am I supposed to do that, Elenorei? We have been here a week and accomplished nothing!"
"That's not true. After all, you've secured two months of shipments to the isles. That will put food on the tables of countless elfin families. You should be proud! Another week or two like this and you'll have set everything right for sure."
The thought of spending another two weeks in this place made her want to vomit. But there was still a little part of her that was curious. She had come so far, or rather, fallen so far in just one week. She went from being a naΓ―ve maiden to sucking off strange penises in a sex club and climaxing from being whipped and trained like a pony. What would she look like in another week? Or two? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
Before she could respond, the door to her suite opened and Elemere poked his head in. "Your Highness, one of the Queen's footmen is here with a message."
"Send him in then." She forced a smile to her guard to cover up the lingering embarrassment of having sucked his dick, even though he didn't know it.
A moment later the older looking footmen who had accompanied Jeanette to the jousting tournament entered the room carrying a small box. "Your Highness, I come with a gift from the Queen, to show recompense for allowing you to be captured by the brigand."
"That is" she paused a moment to think of the right word; she shouldn't be showing gratitude, that would look weak, "appropriate." She crossed the room to take the small box from the man. To her surprise, he didn't immediately withdraw, but lingered as if waiting for a message to take back. She left him waiting, and placed the box on the table and opened it. "Elenorei, should you not be checking in on Marietta? If things continue to go well we could be leaving the city soon, and it would be best if she came with us."
"I've been spending too much time there, Your Highness, and not enough time serving you. I've been lax in my duties with nothing to show for it. Marietta doesn't seem any more inclined to leave with us now than she did when we first arrived. Less so, actually." Elenorei hesitated for a moment. "She believes she's pregnant, Your Highness, and she doesn't know who the father is." The handmaiden lowered her head in shame.
Lyriena should have expected that; after all, she was there at the conception. "Even still, I would like you to try again. I shall be alright here for the time being. I will be meeting with Prince Trogar again soon, and you know he prefers the negotiations to be done in secret." As do I, at least, I do under the Prince's conditions. The last thing I want is for Elenorei to realize I am almost as bad as her cousin, she thought.
"Well, if you insist, Your Highness." Elenorei didn't look convinced, or enthusiastic, but she still left to follow the princess' command.
When the door closed behind Elenorei, Lyriena turned back to the footman and lifted a gold statue of a lion from the box. The beast was expertly wrought in an aggressive stance, with its mouth wide open in a fierce roar. Blood red rubies were set into each eye, which seemed to glisten menacingly.
"A 'lion of Heste', Your Highness. If you'll forgive me, it's not just a gift, but a message from the Queen. This was taken as a trophy from their capital at the end of the last war. It is a reminder of the fate of those who oppose Zentara." The footman stepped closer to the princess and leaned in to whisper to her ear. "My name is Daniels, Your Highness. Henry sent me, but we shouldn't speak here, the walls have ears. Follow me onto the balcony."
The princess was not thrilled about needing to worry about the sanctity of her room, but nonetheless she followed Daniels out onto the balcony. "You have news from Henry? Or of Sylvia?"
"Quietly, Your Highness, quietly. The wind should cover our voices from those listening from within, but I don't know how far the wind will carry them. But yes to both. Henry sent me word that he wanted me to rescue you and Sylvia from Ruar. He made it away from the Queen's Shadow" Daniels smirked at that, "Dorian is furious, and Prince Trogar almost seems happier to see him humiliated than he is angry that the King got away."
"That is relieving. What about Sylvia?"
"She is being held in the darkest cells in the depths of the castle. It won't be easy to rescue you her from there, but between the two of us I think we can do it."
"I hope you are right. Henry said that she was important. If it does come to war, we will need all the help we can get." Lyriena looked at Daniels closely. While he knew to greet her with a lion, her time in the city had taught her not to trust anyone; not even Elenorei, which is why she sent her away. "Why are you helping Henry? Why are you leaving the land of your birth to aid a foreign King?"
A hard expression crossed the footman's face. "The Queen has ruined me. My wife and children left me, because of her. She's used me and turned me into-" he flushed in shame, unable to go on and describe what the Queen had made him do.
Lyriena studied him for a time, trying to gauge how sincere he was. Finally, she decided that she might as well hear him out. "What do you need from me?" Lyriena asked, curiously. She was still undecided how far she should go, but it was best to keep all her options open.
"I don't think you're going to like it, Your Highness, but I'm not sure we have much choice."
****
I still have my options open; I have not done anything yet she thought. She didn't think that Daniels' plan was from Henry, at least she hoped it wasn't. What was it about these people? Did everything revolve around sex with them? She found herself getting boxed in; if Prince Trogar didn't turn her into a whore, then Daniels would. Was there any way to make it through this with her dignity intact?
Not that 'distracting' the jail guards would be too big of a burden. She had done worse than that already. But how much further was this going to go? While they might not know who she really is, Daniels would. Another person would know how far she had fallen. It would be another secret she'd have to keep from Henry, from her father, from her people. It would drag her even deeper into the Abyss.
Now she was on her way to see the Prince again. The carrot hanging from the stick, the Prince was offering her a chance to turn the tables on Soleil. She had been looking forward to it, even though she knew that it was only going to pull her into this web of decadence that Zentara was spinning around her. But she had already come this far, a little further couldn't hurt. Plus, getting her revenge on Soleil would be a repudiation of all that had been done to her so far. At least, that's what she told herself.
She entered into the Prince's suite, her heart beating quickly in anticipation. Though the Prince had promised her revenge, she didn't know what form it was going to take. Would it be Soleil's turn to be a pony? Would she find the elf servant chained up and waiting to be beaten?
It turned out to be neither of those things. On the contrary, Trogar and the twin sisters were waiting for her fully clothed. Apprehension began to take over. Was he betraying her? She would hardly put it past him.
"Lyriena, welcome." The Prince grinned widely as he greeted the princess. His tongue flicked over his tusks as he leered at the royal elf. "We've been waiting for you. Soleil, isn't there something you wish to say to your Princess?"
Soleil's jaw looked like it might shatter. Her eyes shot daggers at Lyriena, but she nonetheless approached and dropped into a curtsey. But instead of rising again, she lowered herself to the floor and began kissing the princess' feet. "Forgive me Your Highness. You're a Princess and I'm just a lowly whore; I should never have treated you so disrespectfully." Soleil ran her lips over the toe of Lyriena's silk shoe, and then began dragging her tongue up and down the sides. "Please forgive this lowly slut. I was jealous of your beauty, your wealth, your stature, and the attention showed upon you by the Prince. I'm willing to accept any punishment you deem proper."