There's no direct incest in this chapter, but there are incest themes.
*
A few peasants looked up from the field as Katarinka rode past. She wondered what they thought of her. She was far out of her own lands, at least sixty miles, where women, both Amazon and thrall, worshipped the Goddess and nary a man set foot, and was now in one of the dozens of small baronies and Kingdoms which dotted the centre of the continent, each one ruled by a man who claimed the allegiance of his fellows by dint of his sex as much as his bloodline. She was deep enough in that they had probably never seen a woman in her armour, the metal bra and short leather skirt, a winged helmet on her head and a half-cloak, half-jacket of furs for warmth. They couldn't imagine that the sword on her back, larger and sharper than a normal man could hold, was not there as an ornament, nor was the dagger in her boot or the bow strapped to the horse's side.
She continued on, wondering, what their thoughts were. Did they think she was still in her prime -- she was past sixty but could easily be mistaken for a woman twenty years younger? Or did they think she was a heathen, even if they were the ones who had no proof of their Gods and little knowing that every time a thrall gave birth to her Amazon's child it was a direct message from the Goddess of her existence? Or perhaps they thought, in a land where only men bore arms, she was a freak, a monster, a living insult to the natural order?
She shrugged to herself, none ever said what their opinions were. In the inns and shops they were as happy to take her coin as anyone else and the whore she had fucked had made no comment as she was pounded with the Amazon's wooden weapon (apart from cries of pleasure, possibly fake, but probably real) in the same way as if it had been a flesh and blood dick. Anyway, even if these lands were strange she had to remember her old daughter-in-law, Yulianna, lived here now with her new husband, together with her eighteen-year-old granddaughter Aina, -- both the women may have been born in the Amazonian lands, but as thralls (as four-fifths of the population were) there was little difference between their treatment in either place; wealthy thralls might still live in luxury unimaginable, but they had fewer rights than even the poorest Amazon.
As castles went it was not a big one, more a two-storey manor house with a couple of towers and a surrounding wall than the large keeps and palaces of the kings and major magnates. But then the owner, Aina's stepfather, Hugh, was just a jumped-up merchant who made his money from trade and farmers and had probably never been on a reave in his life. Katarinka had thought it was a mistake that, when her own daughter had died, Yulianna's Mom had arranged for her to be married to a man -- but then she too was as much a trader as a raider and had money links with him, so it was a good deal for her
"Hmpf," Katarinka snorted as she got nearer. Hugh had hired some guards, who were standing at the gate, leaning on their spears, but they looked little better trained or equipped than a farm boy conscripted from his field. It was lucky she wasn't planning an attack otherwise both men would have been dead. They began to show more interest as she approached, making a lackadaisical attempt to smarten up and put their spears together as she approached. She reigned up her horse, "I'm expected. Katarinka, sometimes called the Brewer of Witches or the Dragon Slayer." They were names from years ago, from when she'd burnt down a tower with a coven of evil sorceresses and another from when she killed a dragon terrorising a small fishing village (it was a wyvern in reality, but few knew the difference); she had other names but it had been a long ride and she knew that men such as these would not have heard of them.
"Lady Yulianna's Mama?" the man asked. She almost replied coarsely, only a man wouldn't know that only a thrall was a Mama, an Amazon was always a Mom. However, losing her temper would gain her nothing so she held in the obvious reply and said, "She was my daughter-in-law before my own died in a battle." A Goddessforsaken skirmish with some Orcs.
The first man went into the guardhouse and shouted something. A few moments later the double doors creaked open and she rode into the courtyard.
Hugh of Four Fords was waiting for her there. He was a thin-looking man, who, if he wasn't older than her, looked it "Mother," he said in a way that was supposed to be outwardly avuncular and friendly, but inwardly rude as he knew the correct forms of address, Mom, would have been acceptable, Katarinka permissible as they had no relation, Mother made her sound like she was in the religious orders. "How was your journey?"
"It was easy, there were inns along the way and where there was not a tent and a bow means I neither lacked shelter nor food," she replied as she dismounted.
"It is always good to have you here," he lied, "Though we are not formally related, I look on you as a second Mama," there it was again the veiled insult.
Katarinka let it wash over her, if he was trying to rile her or insult her, she would not let him have the pleasure of it. "I should come more often," she lied. The only time she had been down was for his and Yulianna's wedding, though she had seen Hugh, Yulianna and Aina a couple of years ago when they had travelled up for business and stayed with Yulianna's Mom and Mama for a month. "I miss seeing Aina grow up," that was the truth, it was a knotty issue who had guardianship of the girl when her Mom died, her new step-mom (or Dad in this case) or her Grandmom. Different legal scholars in different lands took different views, though in reality, possession was nine-tenths of the law and Aina lived under Hugh's roof.
"A charming girl," said Hugh, perhaps through gritted teeth, "and betrothed you know? I'm sure she has mentioned her suitor in her letters to you?"
Katarinka was not a strong reader, but she thought not, "I don't believe so," she said.
"He will be here for dinner tonight, I'm sure he'll be delighted to meet you," another lie.
"And me him," untruth piling upon untruth, "and how is Yulianna?"
A sorrowful expression came to Hugh's face, which would have fooled many, "I'm am afraid for her, her digestion is not good, I only hope that she lives long enough to see Katarinka married to the man of her dreams." Yulianna was the only living child of her Mom, the monies she would be due, once the estates had been sold, would surely temper Hugh's sadness at his wife's passing. "She is asleep, but hopefully she will be well enough to see you later." After passing on the sad news he immediately bucked up, "Come you must be ready for food and drink after your journey and I know Aina has been looking forward to seeing you ever since you announced your visit." He gave orders for a stable boy to deal with her horse and another boy to take the saddlebags to her room; when he made moves to take her sword from her Katarinka hesitated, before glancing at her boot knife, and reluctantly accepting that she could not go fully armed around the building.
She followed Hugh in the building, the opulence of it confirming her view it was more manor than defensible position -- the stairs were wooden and straight, the rugs expensive and burnable, the servants unarmed and unimposing. However, even as she was taking it in there was a cry of excitement "Grandmom."
Turning towards the sound, Katarinka beheld a vision of loveliness coming towards her
The teenager grasped her in a hug, staying there for at least half a minute before disengaging and stepping back to allow the Amazon a proper look at her. The last time she'd seen her granddaughter she'd been barely fifteen, chubby and clumsy, with a bright smile and long light brown hair; the smile was still there, toothy and bright and the hair was a little shorter barely below her shoulders. But the spare fat had vanished and where previously she had been gawky and prone to stumble over herself, she was now graceful and angelic, as she came towards her Grandmom. She was dressed as a woman too, no longer in a shapeless dress, but glad in silks around her waist and breasts, the material almost see-through, likely it would have been if there had been fewer layers, the top and bottom both shaped to accentuate her cute bottom and shapely, pert, breasts. It had been over a week since Katarinka had last banged a woman, a barmaid/prostitute in a roadside inn, her granddaughter easily reminded her what she was missing.
