The Long Road To Ruin Ch 49

Disclaimer:

This fanfic is based off the Neverwinter Nights community module by the name of "A Dance with Rogues" created by Valine. I fell in love with this story and felt compelled to write something that compliments it. This story contains explicit content and graphic violence. All characters except Shiloh, Bastian, Rhys, Nicca, Ni'as, Narev and Essex are property of Valine.

... Mad girl/Can you believe/What they've done to you? Wouldn't they stop/When you asked them to leave you alone In all your faerie tales/How did the prince say he loved you? How did your father die? /Was he a good man? /Maybe someday you'll know ~~~ "Mad Girl"- Emilie Autumn~~~ ...

The Heist

A soft caress ghosted over Shiloh's cheek, waking her from her brief slumber. "Beavers and ducks," she muttered as she lurched awake, scrambling from the bed. When the sudden euphoria passed and her vision cleared, she noticed an amused looking Simon standing nearby.

"Beavers and ducks," he repeated. "Sounds like an interesting dream. You'll have to regale me with it sometime, my lady."

A puzzled look crossed her features, "Huh? What you are blathering on about?"

Simon chuckled, "Never you mind. It's time to go."

Shiloh followed him out into the sitting room. "So how you are going to smuggle me out of here and back into the city?"

Simon handed her a red dress and cloak, "Alen came up with a plan. He returned to the city and brought back a coach. You are going to change into the garb of a Dhorn noblewoman. I also have a veil for your face. We will be heading for my estate. Once we are at my estate, you can change back into your armor and Alen will return your weapons to you. Once the job is complete, I will make sure you are reunited with your companions. Is that suitable for you, my lady?"

"It is, but you surely don't expect me to change in front of everyone. I mean, I have no qualms showing you my charms, but I draw the line on anything beyond that," Shiloh grinned at him. "I am a princess, after all."

Simon chuckled at her cheekiness as he watched Jero's face redden at Shiloh's innuendo, "You have my leave to change in the bedroom, but don't take too long, though. I may have to send Jero in after you."

Shiloh formed her lips into a petulant moue, "I'd rather you come in after me. You know I really enjoy it when you come... after me." She winked, spun on her heels and headed back into the small room they had previously napped in. Simon rolled his eyes as he watched her go, "What? Do you have something to say, Jero?" he asked as he turned his gaze toward his lifelong friend and co-conspirator.

"I know for a fact you couldn't have slept with her. She's never quiet during sex. So what exactly did happen in there?" Jero narrowed his eyes almost jealously.

Simon responded with a laugh, "Oh you poor green bastard, you. You know she's only doing it to get a rise out of you because she can. She isn't interested in you and I'm not interested in her. She may be a princess," his tone changed immediately to a low hiss, "But as far as I'm concerned, she's nothing but a means to an end. So if her filthy mouth gets your knickers in a twist, I'd say it's just desserts."

Jero shook his head, "Nothing but a means to an end, huh? No, I think there's more to it. She's more than that. So why not tell me the truth, Simon."

"Why don't you face the facts that are right before you, Jero? We need her skills, not her womanly charms. Her being flat on her back isn't going to help us with the locked doors and trapped floors that we'll encounter. I'm employing her because it's convenient. I'm employing her because she knows that castle better than any of us ever will. Plus she's the only one who

EVER

pulled off an assassination attempt, despite the fact she didn't know it wasn't me that she was assassinating. Now do I really have to remind you who's in charge? Remind you to whom you owe fealty and why?"

Jero immediately looked away, "No, Simon," he curtly replied.

"Good," Simon nodded before he gathered a few items, stowing them in his own haversack. He then turned to his bodyguards. "Fetch a servant. I want this place cleaned thoroughly. Leave no evidence that we've been here."

The armored man inclined his head before leaving the room to due Simon's bidding.

"My, my, my, you men, I swear," Shiloh chuckled as she appeared beside the table. "It's all about machismo and who has the bigger dick, right?" She rolled her eyes, "Hmmm, how pathetic."

Simon ignored her musings, "Are you ready to leave, my lady?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Just let me don this hideous veil. I'm glad it'll cover my face because normally I wouldn't be caught dead in clothing this awful." She glanced down at the red brocade dress she'd been given as part of her disguise.

"You look so fetching, though, dear Princess, just like a proper Dhorn woman," Simon smirked almost insolently.

"Then I'm glad I'll never be a proper," she retorted, allowing him to escort her out of the lodge and into the coach. She watched as Jero and Alen as well as Simon's bodyguards mounted on horses while he joined her. "Well isn't this cozy? We have this enclosed private space all to ourselves. Whatever will we do to pass the time?"

"I thought I'd go over some strategy with you, Shiloh. We will be traversing many tunneled passages. I assume your training will be of use to us within them."

"That sounds very dirty, not that I mind. Dark passages can be rather nice, especially when they're tight and moist."

"So what do I have to do to get you to focus on the task at hand?" Simon cocked an eyebrow as he moved from one side of the enclosed coach to sit beside her.

Shiloh licked her lips as his blazing blue eyes bored holes through her, "You could just fuck me, but I suppose I'd settle for another kiss."

Simon pressed in closer, his hands sliding up her thigh grasping the fabric of her gown as he went, exposing the stockings she wore beneath. Then he sandwiched her between the hard wall of the coach and the hard wall of his chest. "Another kiss," he purred while his hand snaked higher along her thigh. His fingers reached the top of her garter before sliding closer to her center. He nibbled at her ear, slipping his mouth down the curve of her neck to her shoulder. He planted a soft kiss above the top of her high neck dress then zeroed in on her enticing mouth.

Just as he captured her full plump lips, his fingers caressed her equally plump nether lips, parting them just as easily as he parted her mouth. Shiloh moaned deeply as he flicked her clit. Her hips undulated, wanting more. The touch of his thumb and forefinger was like torture, flaying her passions wide open. Desire for more slicked her as he teased her, strumming a beat that circulated through her veins, heating her thoroughly. Fire engulfed her senses until every part of her body surrendered to him - to worship, to pleasure.

Her delicate scent enthralled him, so much he could practically taste it. Simon slid his mouth away from hers, stifling a groan; his lips skimming along the soft flesh beneath the soft angle of her jaw, enjoying the subtle fragrance on her skin which could make the most wondrous roses wilt in comparison while his free hand palmed the soft weight of her breast. He could feel his cock throbbing in his pants while Shiloh's nails scored grooves on his back where she clutched at him.

With a growl he parted the bodice of her dress, his mouth lowering to one exposed breast. He zeroed in, running his tongue around the tautened medallion of her nipple. Shiloh arched against him, panting breathlessly for more. She softly moaned his name, enjoying the heated tangle they had created. The push of something hard filling her, scissoring back and forth was enough to send her reeling. The intrusion was too small to be his dick; that she could still feel pulsing against her thigh. But the sweet agony he was building within her threatened to overwhelm her. His fingers pumped. His thumb rubbed the maddening cluster of nerves on her clit while his mouth devoured a nipple.

Jolts of lightning traveled through her, coursing from one synapses to the next until need was all she knew. Need for more. Need for release. Need. Need. Need. Its exquisiteness hadn't been lost on her. She keened breathlessly. So close. His fingers within her twisted and aimed, finding that sensitive patch within her. Pressure coiled in her center, tightening into an unbearable knot. With his next thrust, it exploded. Shiloh thrashed as wetness gushed. Simon pulled his mouth from her breast, slamming it on hers to silence her cries of bliss.

All too soon, he pulled his fingers away. She groaned, arching against him, "More, Simon, please."

He chuckled at her, bringing his fingers to his mouth to sample her taste. He 'mmm'-ed his approval, "Sweet as luscious melons, my lady."

She panted, trying to make sense of what just happened. "Don't stop there."

A grin crossed his handsome face, "And if I do?"

She let out an exasperated protest, "You can't just tease me like this and leave me wanting more."

"Patience, my lady," he winked, "Is a virtue."

"Fuck patience!"

"You asked for a kiss and I believe I fulfilled that request, rather nicely might I add." Simon had her on that one and they both knew it.

She pursed her lips at his logic. Fuck logic, too. Sliding a hand down his back, she rested it upon his thigh before seeking his swollen member. "Whatever shall we do about this?"

"Don't worry about me, my lady," he chuckled, pushing her hand away.

"Simon," she pouted, "surely you won't protest if I return the favor."

He pulled away from her entirely, moving back to the opposite seat. He pushed aside one of the window coverings for a split instant, "We'll be in Betancuria soon. Perhaps you should use this time to pull yourself back together. You are supposed to be a proper Dhorn woman and no proper woman would allow herself to be seen like this."

Shiloh scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Fuck proper!"

"And that's another thing, Shiloh. No Dhorn woman would speak as you do."

"Then I am glad I've never been a Dhorn woman," she retorted as she straightened her clothing and put her veil in place again. "You must realize I'll never be proper and I will never submit to any man. It's my way or no way."

Simon flashed a stunning smile at her, "I think that's what makes you so appealing."

Throwing her arms up in exasperation, she pinned him down with a glance. "This is what frustrates me about you. One moment you're an uptight dick, then next you come on strong and charming, then you return to being an ass and after that, the charm comes back. I don't get you. Just about everything that comes out of your mouth makes me want to strangle you."

Simon chuckled softly, "My lady, that may be, but it makes you want what you can't have even more. I'm not one of your boy toys who will scramble for your attentions. I would even go as far as to say your ego can't handle that little tidbit. You're aching for more. I can smell it, sweetling."

Shiloh licked her lips as her pussy throbbed. He had hit the nail on the head with that statement. She was aching for more. That one orgasm had not been enough considering she wanted so much more, "Bastard!"

Simon grinned, "No, my lady, my parents were married."

She glowered at him. Her lower lip pushed out in a beguiling pout. Simon couldn't help but bait her. It was so enticing. "I should have told you to shove this job. Execute me if you want, but then again, if you do that, you'll never get what you want," she groused at him.

"If I have you killed, your companions would have been next. Then how would you or they find out where the old tavern keeper is being held?" Simon replied, ignoring her derisive tone. "Could you really stand to have their blood on your hands if you could prevent it?"

Shiloh rolled her eyes. She hated his logic. More than that, she hated that he'd taken her to such heights of pleasure then refused to give her more. His words carried great weight, though. She could easily see that he wasn't like anyone else she'd known. Not since her kingdom fell and she lost it all. He had to be more than just nobility. There was something almost regal in his mannerisms, but that didn't explain why he wanted into the castle sight unseen. If he was such an important man, why didn't he just stroll up to the castle's front gates and demand access? None of it made sense. What was he after that he was forced to sneak around?

Perhaps something was hidden in the castle, but she was sure all the vaults had been emptied. "Why do you need into Castle Betancuria?"

"I'll explain everything once we're safely inside my estate in the city, my lady," he replied.

"Why not just tell me now? I mean, this is a very private conversation after all," Shiloh opined.

He flashed a look in her direction that silenced her, but not before she shot him a kissy face. Then she rearranged her outfit, turning herself back into

a proper Dhorn woman

, as Simon called it. The irony of it all irked her.

Damn, how do I get myself into these situations?

She glanced around before looking outside. They were close to the city, after all. She could see the Northern Gates up ahead as the desolate castle loomed to the west. A curious thought niggled at her all the sudden.

Where had Ni'as gone? Hadn't he intended to stay close to her

?

He'd been with her while she was in Simon's company at the Hunting Lodge. So just where had he gotten off to now? Hmphf, some bodyguard he was. Perhaps he was following them. That would make the most sense. Maybe he was hitching a ride on the outside of the carriage with the driver.

Bitter silence loomed over the interior of the carriage like a weight. Crushing and heavy, the very air seemed stilled, yet it had an almost volatile, charged feel to it, as if it could spontaneously combust at any moment. Shiloh watched Simon wordlessly. Her gaze took in his every breath, as if absorbing by osmosis. She wondered what wheels were turning in his head, what made his inner clock tick. He was a tough one to get a read on. Again she pondered how he nimbly evaded her questions. His answers intrigued her. He was more than nobility. She was so sure of it she could taste it. He was the kind of man she needed to achieve her goals. And while she recalled that he'd claimed his interest lie beyond Betancuria, could he be persuaded to find interest if it meant ruling the city-state?

That in itself intrigued her, just as he intrigued her. When he wasn't being an insufferable ass, she found him quite amenable. No, that word wasn't sufficient to describe just how much he affected her entire being. Something about him called to her, pulled at strings she never knew could be attached. He touched a part of her soul and left her aching for more. It went far beyond a physical ache. It was all consuming, eclipsing and devouring on levels she couldn't even begin to understand. Sub-conscience and ethereal, mayhap, she knew she'd found her equal in every way.

Caustic laughter slipped from her lips, invading the stillness. Simon leveled disapproving eyes upon her; the look gracing his face clearly questioning her sanity. "And what do we have to thank for this uncouth burst of levity, my lady?"

Shiloh flashed an insolent sneer, "Nothing I'd care to lament, other than the irony of our situation hasn't escaped me. I was smuggled out of the castle the night it fell. Now I'm being smuggled back in. Hopefully this time I'll

escape

what fate befell me last time."

"And what fate might that be?"

Her sneer turned into a glare, "That is none of your business. I will say, however, as I ran through the castle corridors, I was chased by dozens of invaders. Hopefully we'll avoid that this time."

"We shouldn't encounter too many soldiers, but the ones we do come across will have to be silenced. Lord Commander Mortensen's and Commander Benthur's men all patrol the castle, as you are well aware of, my lady. I will not

lament

their loss. Most of Benthur's men are no better than the so-called brigands they seek to subdue. We'd be doing Betancuria a great benefit by eliminating them," Simon replied. "Ah, we are at the city gates."

"Aren't those men your countryman?" Shiloh's brows furrowed.

"Perhaps, but ill-bred scum have no place amongst our army's elite." Simon frowned, "The Emperor's Army is the fiercest in the known world, my lady. All dedicated a honed tried and true unit of military excellence. I can't expect you to understand that concept. The Dhorn Kingdom has conquered most of the world because of that superiority. Even now, we have added your Father's lands and acquisitions. We are a force to be reckoned with. King Rolan obviously didn't recognize his folly when he started casting stones."

"So what is in the castle that you desire? Desire so greatly that you have to use subterfuge to get it. You are obviously an important man. That much I can tell. You have a regality about you which far exceeds your average cut from the cloth noble."

Simon's eyes glittered at her assessment, "You see much, my lady. There are things that you don't need to know. If I feel you do need to know, I will tell you."

"And I thought I had secrets. You take the cake," she smirked, gathering her skirts as the clip-clop of the horse's hooves on the cobblestones came to a halt. "We must have arrived."

Simon nodded, waiting for the footman to open the door to the carriage. Once he departed, he extended his hand to help her from the conveyance then escorted her into the large mansion. Promptly he escorted her to one of the downstairs bedchambers, "You may change in here, my lady. Alen will return your weapons once we're in the tunnel. Be quick."

Shiloh nodded as she scrambled out of the hideous veil and dress, tossing them carelessly onto the pristinely made bed. She mulled over his words as he exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Tunnel, hmmm, that must be how he planned on getting into the castle.

Gods only knew she had used tunnels to sneak into the place often enough herself. Shiloh pulled out her portable hole, rummaging through it into she found the skin-tight leather bodysuit she'd bought some time ago. She hadn't had much cause to use it since she could make her Bastian armor look like anything she wanted it to, but now it suited her purpose perfectly. It was a tight squeeze, requiring a dash of powder here and there on her supple skin. Simon was in for it now. This suit accentuated her every curve beautifully, like a second skin. She'd teach him not to play with fire. It, like she, was very dangerous.

...

Shiloh exited the room, the low heels of her leather boots clicking on the marble tiled floor. "Simon," she called out, wondering where he'd gone. She was surprised he wasn't waiting for her outside the door.

A man with light brown hair and a full bushy beard approached her, "My lady, I am Lord Lyonson's manservant, Roman. My lord wishes me to see to any of your needs before I escort you to him. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Shiloh smiled at him, "There is nothing I require at the moment, my good man. Although, where is His Grace?"

"I believe he is in his office, my lady. Shall I escort you?"

Shiloh nodded, allowing Roman to lead her upstairs to Simon's office. She remembered this room well. It was where Simon's belligerent fiancée intruded on what might have been a pleasurable experience for them both. Oh well, she sighed, best not to think about that. She knew it would only make her want him more and that would take away her concentration for the matters at hand.

As she entered the room, she noticed Simon, Jero and Alen perusing what looked to be a map. She sidled over to the desk, venturing a peek. It was a map of the castle layout, though there were a few tunnels she didn't recognize. They seemed to have been added. She pondered that. New construction, perhaps? A secret way in? Worked for her. She wasn't in the mood of encountering many Dhorn soldiers, which surprised her. She was always up for killing Dhorn.