Chapter 22: Friends and diplomats
(8k words, futa, dialogue, plot chapter, size comparison, size praise, wholesomeness, reunion scenes, mini-gts, hyper curves, bbw, female muscle, pregnancy)
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"Wash that silly smile off your face, boy. This is not a field trip," the doc said.
Such a remark came barely as a surprise, not when he was this moody all day. Now that Ricky thought of it, he had been like that for the last few days, ever since he knew he would be joining them. One could only wonder why he had to accompany them in the first place, but Ricky would not allow him to sour his rising spirits which rivalled the growing walls before them.
"Brighten up a bit, doc. It's already rare to sit on a king's table, let alone one that would call us friends," Ricky grinned with swelling awe as the mighty walls reached the heights of legends -- and even those didn't do them justice.
"Your friend. And don't think we are here for chitchatting, boy. This is a diplomatic mission," the doc said in his roughened-up voice.
"Guess we had different briefings then," Ricky sighed and smirked over to Agatha between the two men. "We are just here to see some friends."
Her breath was already heavy by the time they traversed the hill on which the royal palace resided on, but she managed to offer a warm smile, as she struggled for air.
"You think... this will be ... this bad, Martin?" she asked breathlessly.
Ricky listened up. He never heard the doctor's actual name before and always knew him as a person who lived in the shadows and working for those who cherished secrecy as part of their profession.
"Aye. I think this trip could go south, really fast," Martin replied and ignored Ricky's grimace.
"What the hell are you two talking about? This is Maggie and Lexi what we are talking about. Come on, we know them. There is nothing to fear," Ricky said.
"Some of us don't see through the tainted lens of an acquaintance, boy. This meeting might be more important than you can even imagine," Martin said and gestured to pause when he noticed how hard the heavy-boned Chef was breathing. "Why do you think did my people send us on this mission, huh?"
The blonde boy frowned and looked for clues on Martin's seasoned face, but he never strayed away from his expression of calculated, but terrified sternness.
"Because it would be nice to be on good terms with a king," Ricky concluded.
"Almost there. And why do you think they sent us, a physician and two cooks, on this journey and not someone actually suited for this endeavour?" Martin asked in an annoyingly self-assured tone.
"Because we know them," Ricky hissed.
"No... because we are expandable," Martin countered and took a step closer to Ricky who now had to look up slightly.
"Because our identities have been compromised already. And if things turn out like they usually do, we won't be able to give your so-called friends any intel they could use against our people," the doctor said in an assertive tone.
Agatha rested a hand on Martin's shoulder who talked down on a growingly annoyed Ricky who just angrily shook his head.
"But it doesn't have to be this way. You also put faith into Margaret and it proved to be a wise decision," Agatha said.
"Was it? Look what it brought me," he said and noticed the confusion in both Agatha's and Ricky's faces. "What did you expect? Not many were on your friend's side. And we all know who made them listen. This is my punishment for choosing the wrong side."
"The right side," Ricky said with a sincere grin that only earned a disgruntled growl.
"Time will tell. Enough talk. A king awaits us, and we better leave a good impression," Martin said before they were within reach of the guards already observing them from between their battlements.
They walked over the outer gate's lowered bridge and their combined jaws dropped by a sight unlike any other. The palace had always the reputation of an impregnable fortress, one that was capable of bringing death and destruction to anyone in the kingdom. Only few saw this historic place as more than a symbol of oppression -- and certainly not as an accomplishment of ingenuity and beauty.
The heavily fortified outer walls were quickly left behind and replaced by marble and ornamented pillars wherever the human delegation could see. Each gate their escort led them through brought them closer to the centre of the palace and like peeling an onion revealed even more wonders with each new layer.
It was beyond comprehension what luxury they encountered once they made it past the inner gate house. Each wall shone in bright white as the marble danced with the sun. Every window was coloured, each pillar decorated and every statue ornamented to an extent that made Ricky believe he entered a whole new world. Neither of them had ever seen anything like that, and those were only the feats of artisans and masterful builders -- but nature proved to be an even greater architect.
The group soon found themselves in what looked like a secluded enclave within the palace where nature reigned. A tree, too big to encircle with a dozen grown men towered above the paved pathways surrounding it. The trio could not stop themselves from loudly gasping when their necks craned further and further to meet the tree's royal crown -- towering even above the inner walls.
"I heard stories of this place," Agatha eventually said and smiled. "This was where the first king was coronated. I always thought those were just fairytales."
"Looks like we have got a history enthusiast here," a young voice replied.
Ricky winced and turned around almost as anxiously as Martin did. Both didn't hear the arrival of the newcomer as well as the blonde guard accompanying her.
"I will take care of our visitors from here. We will talk later, Lucilla," the dark-haired amazon said with a girlish smile that prompted the also imposing guardswoman to blush.
The blonde hermaphrodite bowed and despite wearing the armour of those soldiers that attacked Manuel's inn, the black-haired woman looked so much more intimidating. Her arms and legs bulged with solid muscle and were put on full display in her tight uniform. She must have been younger than Ricky even, but she looked nothing short of terrifying -- and oddly beautiful.
She stood almost at Lexi's height but was even stronger built than her. Her green eyes had so much fire to them, that the young boy almost felt blinded by them, but could simply not find the courage to look away.
All the guards around them bowed when this muscle-bound giantess silently nodded at them and dispersed. They seemed to have received an unspoken order, because they stopped at the entrances and kept their eyes on the human visitors.
