The Contest

The remaining two princesses had to return to their homes. They were invited to the wedding, but that was all for them.

As for the royal family of Henrill, the family that had reluctantly sent Rellenora to Zenthia ...

The queen sat in her office, starting at a letter on her desk, her mouth agape. She stayed in there for some time, in the same position. Eventually, one of her sons checked in on her. Concerned, he read the letter that had put his mother in such a broken state. And then, he was doing the same, jaw dropped, blankly looking at the letter. It had come from Zenthia, from the Emperor himself.

One by one, the rest of the sons entered the office and read the letter. They all reacted with dazed muteness.

Finally, the youngest son went into the room, noting that the members of his family were being very bizarre. He read the letter. Then he rudely blurted out, "What did she do, cheat at the contest?"

One of the older brothers shook his head. "She's too stupid to do that. Maybe Naeva did something?"

Another brother said, "Well, he's made the promise. He's going to marry her. We have to go to the wedding."

The youngest brother started rubbing one of his temples. "That idiot had better not ruin this."

***

"I'd like to have breakfast with my Betrothed. Would you care to join me?"

Yban thought that was a fantastic idea.

Both men left the Imperial Palace with excited grins on their faces. The morning was young and brimming with possibilities. When they were at the Eggplant Palace, though, they learned that Princess Rellenora was gone. Apparently, she had woken up earlier than everyone else, including her companion. The first conclusion reached was that she had wandered off.

Agreeing that she might want to play with the Royal Piglet, the men ran back to the Imperial Palace. Nobody had seen here there, and she wasn't in the piglet's room. That was when an official search party of guards was made and the two men split up to search by themselves.

Yban first went to the kennels that sheltered the hunting dogs. She wasn't there. Then he went to the swimming pond. Not there either. Horses? Maybe she liked horses? Yban went to the stables.

One of the stable boys approached him with a bow and said, "Excuse me, Your Highness, are you looking for someone?"

"Yes, the Emperor's Betrothed."

Nodding, the stable boy said, "She was here not long ago. She took Thyal and went off to the Hunting Grounds."

Yban balked at the lad. Thyal? He was the fiercest, most stubborn, most difficult creature to deal with in the stables! Even His Majesty had problems keeping him in check! How could that little woman not be bucked off and trampled?!

He took a horse and rode on to the gate in the protective wall that led to the Hunting Grounds. The guards at that gate confirmed that Princess Rellenora had gone through on a horse. This was fine and legal. She wasn't a prisoner. She could come and go as she pleased. Despite this fact, Yban's throat chilled and his feet burned. She was riding a bitter, hot-headed animal while going off to the woods without an escort. The danger was thicker than a thousand stacked mattresses.

He carefully rode down a dirt path with his hand cupping around his mouth. "Your Highness! Princess! Princess Rellenora!"

Ten minutes or so later, he found her wearing her native clothing instead of Zenthian luxury.

Thyal, a great black stallion that exhausted the strongest of men, was calmly lying down under a tree. Princess Rellenora was sitting on the ground, leaning her torso against Thyal's barrel. She was holding something up to her face and examining it.

Yban dismounted and walked over to her. Then he halted because he was rather surprised.

Thyal ... actually turned his neck so he could nuzzle Rellenora's head. He was so calm and docile. It was amazing!

In Rellenora's hand ...

A small brown bird!

It couldn't have been a pet. It wasn't a breed known for being caged. It was a wild breed.

And the bird was casually, peacefully, happily sitting on Rellenora's palm. It was a placid ball of fluffy feathers. Rellenora's blue nails were very pretty against that brown bird.

"Your Highness?"

Rellenora's fingers spread out and the bird stretched its wings. Then it flew into the air, leaving the humans so it could do all the important things it needed to do.

She turned her head, seeming to look roughly at his knee.

"Your Highness, you need to return to your palace. Breakfast is coming, and then your tutor will have lessons for you."

She stared at his knee for what felt like a very long time, but Yban was patient. She needed patience.

"Fine," Rellenora finally said with that demulcent voice of hers. She got up and urged Thyal to do the same. He obeyed as if all he wanted to do was please her. She got onto her side-saddle and took the reins with a confidence Yban didn't expect.

Although his mind was soggy from all the questions silently storming, Yban didn't speak to her on the ride back to the Royal Palace.

Antonai was alerted, and then he, Yban, and Rellenora were soon all in the Eggplant Palace and eating breakfast. Yban smirked as Antonai scolded his Betrothed in the sweetest, gentlest way.

"Silly, frivolous little thing! You shouldn't ramble in the wilderness without at least one man to keep you safe. And why are you wearing these plain rags? You have the finest clothing in the world now. You'll soon have people assuming I don't provide enough for you."

The yearning, lively sparkle in Antonai's eyes, the way his fingers moved as he touched his Betrothed's hands, the lighter tone in his voice, all indicated that he was besotted.

Yban tried not to his happiness control him. He almost felt as though his chest would explode. In his opinion, this Emperor was a man that deserved all the good things.

When breakfast was done, they left Rellenora so she could prepare for her lessons. She had a great deal to learn in a short time. She'd be easily forgiven if she didn't do well, but Antonai had said he wanted her to at least have a chance at fitting in with the Royal Court.

And as Yban sat down with the Emperor to help him sort through written requests and other important paperwork, he noted the grin spreading out on his white face.

Damn ... oh daaaaaaaamn ...

When he finally does get that cock in her, Yban thought, he'll fuck her senseless.

***

Very orderly, a few days passed on. The Emperor left his Betrothed alone, claiming that it was best to wait and see if she would take the initiative for a change. Perhaps she'd use her affection for Noffnoff as an excuse to visit the Imperial Palace? Maybe she'd be more direct and request the Emperor for a bit of time?

Like giddy children waiting to be found in a game of hide and seek, Yban and Antonai waited around in the Imperial Palace, barely able to do anything important.

But Princess Rellenora didn't come at all. She didn't even visit the Royal Court. According to what they heard, every morning, she'd go for a ride in the Hunting Grounds and refuse to take a male escort. She would do this early in the morning so that her companion would never notice her departure. Whenever she tired of whatever she did in the forest, she'd return to her palace and remain there, unwilling to visit anyone.

At first, Antonai was so angry that he picked up a small dining table and threw it against a wall, tableware crashing all around. Then, after Yban calmed him down with his "well-practiced" methods, Antonai decided to write out an official royal decree. It was a discreetly given decree, but it was legal and just.

None of the guards were to allow Princess Rellenora to go to the Hunting Grounds without five, not one, but five strong men as escorts, at least not until the Emperor reversed his decision ... or until he died.

A few days after the decree was given, the men heard that Princess tried to go for a ride once, was refused, and hadn't tried again since then.

"I wouldn't visit her for at least a week from now," Yban advised. "She might need time to cool her temper."

Antonai's voice turned somewhat whiny then. "I want to see her wearing more pretty robes and gemstones." But he calmed himself and said, "Separation might thaw her heart. It's certainly heating mine."

On the morning after the end of the week, Yban found himself trying not to giggle like an impish school boy. Antonai's tail was flicking and flopping. He was in a semi-crouching position as he chose an outfit to wear. The Emperor wanted to pounce.

By the time Antonai was walking with Yban to the Eggplant Palace, he was less tense. He was even smiling.

Princess Rellenora was a perfect vision of glamour.

She wore a trendy, drooping robe of a pale orange color with a printed pattern of red cherries and green leaves. Three extra layers were there too, an olive colored one, a light brown colored one, and then a white one. The charming sash on her waist was pale pink. Her fingernails were pink too. As for jewelry, the ornaments in her hair and the long guards on her pinky and ring fingers were made of silver, smooth cyan stones, and white pearls.

Her rosy lips were set in a frown.

During breakfast, Yban leisurely slipped food into his mouth as he watched his friend dump pails and pails of compliments onto the quiet little woman. Princess Rellenora was drowning, bending over her meal and tapping her first two fingers on her table. Eventually, she exhaled and picked up her writing slate as if she had some spicy thing to write down. But then, she cried out and dropped the slate.

Both men jumped from their seats and knelt on both sides of the woman, Antonai on the right and Yban on the left. "What's the matter, Your Highness?" Yban asked.

Antonai's fingers curled over her shoulder. "Your face has paled."

Her frown withdrawing into a quivering, frightened expression, Princess Rellenora rose her right hand. Then she rolled her sleeve up.

On her pale wrist, dangerously close to the blue veins that were visible under the thin skin, there was a tiny bleeding wound. Not bothering to ask for permission, Yban fingered the layers on her robe to find the offensive item that had dared to harm the Emperor's Betrothed.

It turned out to be one of the many pins keeping the layers together. They were tiny, fibula based things with hinges and springs. One of the pins broke at one point, leaving the sharp point out to scrape or pierce anything.

Antonai's nostrils flared. He held her wrist to his face as if he was reading a declaration of civil war from an impudent country in his empire. Yban sympathized. He was fairly pissed off too.

"Call the Royal Physician!!" The Emperor yelled out in the room, frightening the servants. Princess Rellenora flinched and tried to lean away from him, which had her pressing into Yban's shoulder.

She smelled like silk, face powder, and chalk, yet she felt angelic against him.

Soft and warm, a delicate little woman ...

She yipped. Her blue eyes broadened. Her blonde eyelashes fluttered.

Yban looked back up to her wrist.

Antonai's eyes were closed. His hands were firm on the woman's limb. His mouth was on her wrist, hiding the bloody mark, his cheeks pulling in.

Princess Rellenora started chirping and whining. She shut her eyes. Her bosom was heaving.

A spike of heat was being pounded in Yban's spine. Another spine was piercing under his groin. Afraid of scaring the poor girl, he stopped himself from growling and only caressed her shoulder with the gentlest of touches. "You'll be fine soon," he said with a low tone, "completely fine. The physician will come and he'll heal you. Don't fret."

She probably wasn't fretting over the wound, though.

Antonai had his lips practically clamped onto the princess' wrist until the physician was in the room. She was an energetic woman with salty hair and a saltier attitude when she was offended. Oana Nidi was her name, and she gave the two men fussing over the princess very disapproving words. "It's not a serious injury at all! She'll be fine! Just keep those pins in good condition so it doesn't happen again."

After an luxurious amount of water and ointment, and a bit too many bandages on the princess' wrist (all thanks to the commands of the Emperor), the offensive pin was thrown away and a new pin was put in its place.

Yban thought this was enough excitement for the visibly overwhelmed princess. She was slouching in her seat, rubbing her hand against her bandages as if she was trying to erase the memory of her Betrothed's mouth on her. Quietly, Yban whispered to Antonai that they should let her be. Unsettled, but nodding, Antonai agreed. He was gripping a thick part of his tail as he said goodbye.

***

The bed was low and open on all sides, aside from the hanging, mildly diaphanous curtains that served as the only barriers. With her black hair tumbling down her back, caressing the barely even existing robe that clung to her curvy body, the Empress Dowager nudged one of the curtains away so she could step onto the bed and get on her knees.

The small candles outside the great square of a bed made glowing little lights all around. She rotated her head and let her neck crack a little.

Within a blink of an eye, a tall, dark form appeared before her, the features moderately obscured by the curtain.

A long tail rose from one side of the figure. Its fingers went to the curtain's edge.

But it stopped when Herena, the proud Empress Dowager, said with her dignified voice, "Don't assume you can persuade me."

***