I climbed the stairs out of the crypt shaking all the way. Unconsciously, I checked the hidden dagger ever few steps to ensure that it was still in place. It never moved, but I still felt as if it were on display for all to see. The high tower was linked directly to the noble's wing of the keep so I was able to get quite near Sir Ruvano's quarters before I even saw another person. Though I had no reason to be fearful of discovery at that point, I ducked out of sight all the same. As I waited for him to pass, I again began to wonder if I could go through with this.
Perhaps Master Oringel would know what I should do. If nothing else, he could change me back and then there would be no way I could carry out this insane plan. Of course, if Nikelle could reverse the process whenever she wanted, it wouldn't do much good. It was debatable if that bastard wizard would even be willing to help me. I had to keep going forward.
How had I ever let events get this far out of control?
From that point onward, I almost could have sworn there was a tenseness in the air, as if lightning were about to strike. Looking around the next corner, I could see the door to Sir Ruvano's chambers just ahead. However, six of his personal soldiers were standing guard. He must have been taking extra precautions since the assassination attempt.
I looked the other way down the length of the hallway. If I ran now, maybe I could make it out of the castle before Nikelle knew what was happening. There had to be a mage somewhere who would know how to circumvent this blood pact she'd cursed me with -- maybe in one of the neighboring kingdoms. If not, the Cadre themselves would surely be able to help me. Unfortunately, if Nikelle could sense my presence as she claimed, she'd be able to track me down with unerring accuracy. All she'd really have to do is use that summoning trick and I'd have no choice but to come back on my own. Was she maybe even watching me right now?
I couldn't take that chance. As much as I didn't want to kill Sir Ruvano, I wanted to die even less. And of all the things Nikelle said to me, the one I believed the most was that she'd kill me if I didn't do as she wanted. And I wasn't about to die at the her hand any more than I was at the Chamberlain's. If I got lucky, there might even be an opportunity to take from Sir Ruvano's golden urn the money he still owed me -- and maybe a great deal more besides.
I knocked my forehead against the stone column I was hiding behind. What was I even thinking? I wasn't some footpad who'd cut someone's throat just for a bit of coin.
But I wasn't an assassin either. Did Nikelle really expect me to survive this? I didn't want to believe that she was merely setting me up to take a fall, but I had only to look back on this afternoon to know she was capable of all kinds of things I never would have imagined of her before.
No, I couldn't believe that. She'd prepared me as best she could. Everything she'd said to me made sense. All I had to do was follow her instructions and I'd be fine.
Taking a moment to ensure my garments were still straight, I took a deep breath that caused my breasts to rise dangerously in the front of my dress. As I stepped around the corner, I put my best face forward. It was either me or Sir Ruvano. I had no reason to care what became of him. He was a spymaster, a dangerous profession by any definition. He lived each day knowing it could be his last. Since I wasn't about to let today be mine, that just meant this was going to be his.
The guards took notice of me before I even got close. All of them seemed jittery, ready to pounce on anything that moved. The assassination attempt must have left them on edge. Hopefully they wouldn't start swinging before even giving me a chance to speak.
My pace slowed with each step I took in their direction. My heart, already pounding like mad ever since leaving the crypt, was now racing at a dangerous pace. I felt as if it might pound out right through the front of my chest.
"Well, if it isn't you again?" the lead guard said, stepping directly into my path. I recognized him instantly as the scarred man from the unsettling encounter we'd had the other night. All my earlier bravado dissolved in an instant. "Come sniffing around for another taste of the boss?"
"I..." My throat was so tight, I wasn't even sure if I could talk, but I had to try. It didn't matter that these men could break me in half like a twig if they wanted to. I didn't have any other choice. "I'd like to see Sir Ruvano." The way my voice quivered would have sounded feeble under normal circumstances, but in my high feminine register, it sounded downright pathetic.
Lecherous grins stretched across the faces of all six men, but none more prominently than the one with the scar. "Sorry, love, he's not to be disturbed. After the other night, he's not seeing any visitors. Even ones as pretty as you." He looked down the front of my dress and licked his lips.
Well, I'd tried. If there was no getting in to see Sir Ruvano, then that was it. Nikelle couldn't hold that against me, could she?
Unfortunately, I knew she could.
"Please, um, sir," I said, my voice crackling like it was on the verge of tears -- which it might well have been. "I just need to speak to him for a moment."
"Not gonna happen. Ya see, it's our job to protect him and while he's really good at reading men's intentions, he's a bit sloppy when it comes to women. Take you for instance... I heard you showed up in the keep from out of nowhere the day of the festival. That's not a bad time for a foreign agent to infiltrate an enemy stronghold -- the household staff is always shorthanded around festival time. Since you've been here, no one seems to have seen you around all that frequently, like you're always hiding. And then you took an interest in Sir Ruvano. You were even with him when that Blood Dagger woman made her move. With all that, it'd be easy to think that you were sent to keep him distracted so your partner would have any easier time of it."
I nearly pissed myself right there. He was completely wrong about everything, but my current situation would only make his speculation seem entirely correct. I had to resist the urge to reach for my bustle and confirm the presence of the dagger there. I felt as if it were about ready to fall out and give away my true intentions. "I...but I was the one who the...the assassin almost killed..."
"You're looking pretty good for a dead girl," he laughed as he swatted me on the ass. "Why don't you just come back to my room and we can have a little fun of our own without having to disturb the big man."
With that I put on a determined expression and glared right into his eyes. "If it wasn't for the Wizard I WOULD be dead. As it is, I took that dart that was intended for YOUR employer! I think he just might want to see me. If he doesn't, I'll go, but I'm not going to put up with this from one of his goons without even knowing what HE actually wants."
Somehow I held his venomous gaze.
Although, trying furiously to keep my limbs from shaking, I felt as if I might throw up. If he wanted to, this man could strike me down with a casual blow, or drag me off to some dark corner and have his way with me. I wasn't strong enough to stop him if he tried and none of his men would lift a finger to help me. Why the hell was I going to all this trouble for Nikelle?
"Fine," he said at last, drawing himself up to his full height, a scowl on his face. "I'll go ask."
One thing I knew from having spent all my life working in the keep was that even the most empowered servant would always back down when running the risk of having their decisions scrutinized by their employer. The guard disappeared into Sir Ruvano's chambers, leaving me with his five companions. They, however, seemed to have taken on his mood as well. Several of them were even resting their hands on the hilts of their swords.
I didn't have long to spend with them, however. After a few moments, the scarred man stepped into the hall and held the door open, standing to one side. His eyes narrowed, but he stopped short of actually snarling at me.
"Sir Ruvano...will see you."
"Thank you." I said, striding past with my head held high.
Sir Ruvano's quarters were darkened, the only light coming from a few candles near the fireplace. As the door closed behind me with a crash, I jumped slightly. I couldn't believe I'd actually started for a moment to enjoy what I was doing there. But I was here on a mission. I couldn't forget that.
Dark shadows filled the room that could have concealed any number of dangers. Beyond the arched opening on the far side, I could just barely see the large canopy bed where Sir Ruvano had laid me down and...and... I visibly shuttered at the thought. That evening with him had been so pleasant up until then. Afterward it had become...not entirely unpleasant, but definitely something else.
I also remembered with crystal clarity the way that assassin had charged into the room. I could still see the way she was holding the blood dart as it left her fingers. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't merge the image of that woman with Nikelle. In my mind, it seemed as if they would forever be two separate people.
Stumbling along the edge of the room, it took me a moment before I found Sir Ruvano. He was sitting in repose in a lushly upholstered wingchair that was turned toward the middle of the room. In his right hand was a thin-bladed smallsword that rested with its point on the floor as he spun it idly. In his left hand, he held a goblet of wine. His jacket was draped across the back of the chair, his shirt was open, and his cravat was hanging only half-tied around his neck. He didn't rise or even speak any words of greeting, simply sat there, staring at me from under a heavy brow.
We were alone. But I couldn't strike now. He already had a sword in hand. And that look on his face didn't make him seem as if he were terribly happy to see me. Maybe the scarred man had convinced him I was in league with the assassins and I was now to be tortured until I revealed everything I knew. The point of his sword scraping on the stone floor was the only sound that filled the long span of silence that stretched between us.
"Hello," I eventually managed. I crept closer, just as feebly as I'd spoken.
"What do you want?" he said.
"I...I" That was actually a good question. What WAS my excuse for coming here? I hadn't given that any thought. At last, I blurted out, "I...I was scared!"
"Scared of what?" Sir Ruvano said, his sword continuing to spin, his expression remaining flat. His words almost sounded critical, insulting. "The assassin has fled, you're still alive; what do you have to be scared of?"
It had seemed like a good enough excuse when it had first crossed my mind -- the sort of thing a woman might say in such a situation. In fact, it STILL seemed like the irrational sort of thing a woman might say. I inched my way closer until I was standing a few feet in front of his chair.
"I know it makes no sense, but I can't get over what happened. I see that...that woman in every shadow I pass. I can't think straight. I fear she will come back and finish me off. I just want to feel safe...like I feel when I'm with you."
This might be as close as I was ever going to get. With my right hand, I slowly reached behind my dress to where the blood dagger rode in its hidden pocket. My fingers brushed against the fold, finding their way inside just as easily as I'd rehearsed in the crypt. Sir Ruvano continued staring impassively with those deep blue eyes of his. The flickering light of the candles made them sparkle in the darkness.
How could I be lying to him like this? How could I honestly be planning to kill him? He was a good man. He didn't deserve any of what I was doing to him. Maybe it wasn't too late to confess everything. If Nikelle was captured before she could send word to the other Blood Daggers, they'd never find out about my tenuous connection to their organization.
"Enough with the lies!" Sir Ruvano said. His blade flashed in the candlelight and its point hovered mere inches from my throat. "I know why you're really here!"
My right hand dropped quickly to my side. I'd been too late. He already knew everything. He'd given me a chance to come clean, but I'd squandered it with indecision. I should have spoken when I'd had the chance. Now anything I said would only be the fear-induced ramblings of a woman desperate to save her own life -- a life which Sir Ruvano probably saw no reason in sparing.
I was going to die. I couldn't believe I'd let Nikelle do this to me. Staring down the length of his sword, the tears that came to my eyes were not at all faked. This stupid female body! Didn't it have any control of its emotions? I couldn't even face my end like a man.
"You just want your money from the other night, don't you?" Sir Ruvano said, his expressing never changing.
He wasn't accusing me of being in league with the assassins? I nearly gagged on the sobs which caught in my throat. Slowly, he drew the sword's point across my skin, down past my shoulders. At the mark on my breast, he paused, pressing the tip of the blade against my skin and tracing the outline of the crescent. My body quaked as I tried unsuccessfully to reign in my emotions. If I moved so much as an inch in the wrong direction, I might accidentally impale myself on his blade. He continued lower, to the valley between my breasts. A casual flip of the blade sliced the top inch of the dress, causing the shoulders to droop and revealing the very tops of my pink areolas. My first reaction was to cover myself, but the sword prevented me from doing even that. As I stood there on display for him, he took a sip of his wine.
"I'll tell you what," he said, drawing a lazy circle in the air a few inches in front of my face with the tip of his sword. "These last few days have been rather stressful. If you help me finish what we started the other night, you can have your money."
Not again. Fate had barely gotten me out from under him the last time. Of course, once his attention was elsewhere, I would have the perfect opportunity to strike. I still didn't want to kill him, but it was either that or let him fuck me...
With these stupid tears still flowing, I couldn't speak. Instead, I simply nodded.
"Good." His smile didn't touch his eyes at all. "Now come here and get down on your knees."
The sword lifted, giving me room to move again, but it remained at the ready, poised to strike at a moment's notice. Watching it from out of the corner of my eye, I came toward him, dropping down between his spread knees.
"I think you know what to do next." He took another sip of his wine.
Unfortunately, I did. But to do so would mean crossing over from merely being a passive participant in these things to being the single active member. I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I was almost certain I wasn't ready to handle another man's cock.
I looked at him with big tearful doe eyes. He was still glaring down at me, his sword flicking about offhandedly above my head. He wasn't giving me any more choice than Nikelle had.
Swallowing hard, I reached out with quivering hands and pulled loose the laces that held the front of his breeches closed. Parting the two halves, I could see the large bulge beneath his silken underpants twitch in anticipation. If I went any farther, there would be no going back. However, I could feel his eyes on me. There was nothing else to be done.
I reached into the front of his breeches and through the gusset of his underpants. Inside, I could feel his warmth. His curly pubic hair, oddly soft, brushed against my hand. His half-flaccid cock twitched again, bringing it right to my fingers. The skin was smooth and warm. Involuntarily, I paused. I had to prod myself on to grab hold and pull it free.
The smell of his musk filled my nostrils. Even not fully erect his cock was already huge. Shoving my revulsion to the side, I took it in my soft white hands and began slowly to rub it. I heard a soft moan escape his lips. Thinking that I might be able to strike now before I had to go any further, I looked up only to see his eyes staring directly into mine.
I looked away instantly and returned my attention to his cock. It was fully stiff and hard and standing proudly on its own nearly a full one foot above Sir Ruvano's groin. As disgusting as it was, I also had to admit that there was a certain thrill knowing that it was my actions that had excited him so, like scratching a cat behind the ears.
"Use your mouth," he said. Maybe the slightest hint of breathiness had entered into his voice, but I could heard that he was still looking straight at me.
Again I swallowed. Licking my painted lips, I leaned forward until the head of his cock was close enough that I could have touched it with my tongue. On the very tip, a large drop of clear precum had welled up and was starting to run down the side. The whole rigid shaft twitched with each beat of his heart -- the same heart I had been instructed to stop. But the only way to that -- or to get my money -- was to make him happy enough that he'd let his guard down.
I just had to get it over with as quickly as possible. With one quick motion, I licked the underside, trying to avoid the tip. However, I must have miscalculated because my tongue caught that drop of precum. As I drew back, it left a long sticky strand hanging between my mouth and the head of his cock. I could feel it on my tongue, slippery and tasting a little salty, but not nearly as bad as I would have imagined.
If that was all there was to it, there was no point in prolonging this any longer than I needed. After all, the sooner he relaxed, the sooner I could be done with this.
Opening my mouth wide, I slipped my red lips around his shaft and sucked the head inside. I tickled the tip with my tongue and cleaned off the last of the precum but drew out more with my sucking. Working the lower portion of his shaft with my hands, I sucked a little more into my mouth.
He let out another moan, louder this time.
Oddly, I found having his cock in my mouth wasn't that bad at all. It wasn't as if he was violating me. I was the one in control this time and he was the one who was being driven wild by the passions he was feeling.
I let his shaft pop out with a smack of the lips in order to smile up at him. Again, I sucked it in, all the way into the back of my mouth and then let it slide out until only the head was enwrapped by my lips. Then I slowly sucked it back in. Again and again I did this, gradually increasing the speed until my head was bobbing up and down in his lap and my hair was flailing about wildly.
He let out a long, low moan. "Oh, Stephanie, you're quite good at this. You must have had a lot of practice..."
In a manner of speaking, I had, but never from this side before. I did, however, know exactly what would make him feel the best.
"Not so fast," he said, his fingers threading through my hair. As his fingertips raked across my scalp, it sent tingles racing through my body. "I want to make this last."
I did as he wanted, slowing down, but never stopping completely. With long deliberate strokes, I kept his shaft covered with my hands as it left my mouth and then sucked it back in with a wet, feminine slurping sound. I could hear his deep breaths passing through clenched teeth. His hands still rested lightly on the sides of my head, tenderly stroking the hair back from my face.
It was with equal parts pleasure and fear that I came to realize my own body was growing excited without doing anything more than having this hard piece of meat in my mouth. My nipples were like two little pebbles and my pussy was even tingling with a fiery warmth. I couldn't believe it, but this was actually becoming rather fun
Too bad now would be the perfect opportunity to strike. I glanced up the length of his body. His head was back and his eyes were closed. He'd even set his sword aside. Continuing to suck madly, I let go of his shaft with my right hand and reached for the bustle of my dress. Even concentrating intently on Sir Ruvano's cock in my mouth, I was still able to lay my hands on the dagger with ease. I felt the barb pierce my palm and I let the instructions that Nikelle had pounded into my brain guide the formation of a blade.
"Oh, Stephanie..." he moaned. "I'm going to cum!"
I could feel his cock grow even more rigid and the head swelled.
Maybe we could keep going just a little longer.
After all, I wouldn't want him to meet his end unfulfilled.
Suddenly his thighs tensed and his hips rocked forward. His hands gripped the sides of my head, and he held me over his cock as it began to spray thick cum into my mouth. I didn't want to swallow, but I'd suffocate if I didn't. Spurt after spurt went sliding down my throat.
It tasted warm and salty, and some part of my brain was streaming at me that it was wrong and disgusting -- I was a man! -- but oddly I found myself more turned-on than ever. In all the time I'd spent as Stephanie, I'd never felt as truly feminine as I did in that moment.
As Sir Ruvano pulled my head off his still spasming cock and held it a few inches in front of the tip, I released the blood dagger and went back to stroking him with both hands. He'd already filled my stomach with what had felt like gallons of cum, but more came jetting out as I continued rubbing. I held out my tongue for another taste, eager to keep this ecstatic feeling going as long as I could. Unfortunately, most of it splashed across my face and chest instead.
As the last ropes of warm cum ran over my lips and down between my breasts, I opened my eyes and looked up at Sir Ruvano, still lost in the lingering throes of passion.
I now knew what I had to do.
I was going to tell him everything about Nikelle and her damned Blood Daggers. To hell with them all! I didn't owe them any allegiance and I certainly wasn't going to kill this man for them.
At the same moment, a loud commotion suddenly broke out right outside the chambers. In a frantic rush, Sir Ruvano released me and reached for his sword. Had Nikelle grown tired of waiting for me to finish? Was she now coming to take care of matters herself?
No, I could hear the guards arguing loudly with someone. Though I couldn't make out the voice, it was defiantly a man. Then, without warning, the doors burst inward. Memories of the last time I'd been in this situation flooded into my brain and I let out an earsplitting shriek. I might have tried to run, but with my legs shaking just as baddly as if it was I who'd just climaxed, I merely fell onto my ass. Sir Ruvano jumped out of his chair, his sword held at the ready.
First through the double doors was the leader of his soldiers, stumbling as if he'd been pushed. Right behind him strode Master Oringel, his eyes blazing with fire and looking every bit the part of a vengeful wizard. Still sitting on the floor, I cringed, backing away on my hands.
"You!" He pointed directly at me and Sir Ruvano. "You pathetic bastard! You stole it didn't you!"
"Now, listen here -- " Sir Ruvano stammered but was cut off abruptly.
"Shut up! I'm here for him!"
This time Master Oringel pointed directly at me. I felt my heart sink. What was he doing? Wasn't he ever going to give me any rest? Sir Ruvano, performed a picture-perfect double take, looking first at me and then the wizard. The expression of confusion on his face looked completely out of place. Once it had become clear Master Oringel wasn't after Sir Ruvano, the guards hung back a respectful distance, still on-guard and attentive to the situation, but no longer willing to fight a wizard if they didn't have to.
"He's a man -- the stable hand, Mathis!" Master Oringel elaborated, sending my pride seeping though the cracks in the floor. "I turned him into Stephanie as a joke but he obviously came to enjoy it -- enough that he broke into my chambers and stole the transformation wand just so he could suck a little cock!"
Sir Ruvano turned his eyes on me and I felt my face burning bright red. His warm cum still covered my face and breasts. How could this have happened? Did Master Oringel really think that I'd sneak into his chambers and steal the wand? How had he even discovered I'd become Stephanie again?
"I-I-I didn't steal anything..."
"Now let's just calm down," Sir Ruvano said, almost smiling. He must have thought it was all some kind of terrific joke.
No one got a chance to say anything because the bells in the high tower suddenly started chiming with a deep resonating urgency. Simultaneously, all eyes looked skyward as if we could somehow see the cause of the alarm through solid walls. Moments later, hurried bodies began rushing through the hall outside. Voices of panic and alarm could be heard rising all through the keep.
One of Sir Ruvano's men came charging in through the still open doors. A handsome young man maybe two years younger than myself, he skidded to a halt, short of breath. He was about to speak, but catching sight of Master Oringel, hastily amended what he was originally going to say.
"Um, enemies have taken the gate, sir."
Calmly, Sir Ruvano turned to the scarred man. "Bakoro, take the men on ahead. You know what to do."
"I'll join you," Master Oringel said, falling in behind the guards as they filed from the room. "If the castle is under attack, this matter can wait until later."
"It would be an honor to have you along," Sir Ruvano said.
Then he drove his sword into Master Oringel's back.
The blade passed directly through the wizard's heart and thrust out the other side amidst a small spray of blood. Master Oringel stopped dead in his tracks, an expression of surprise on his face as he looked down at the sword protruding from his chest. He collapsed to the ground, sliding off the blade, and rolled to his side, a dead stare in his blank eyes.
It took me several moments to realize the high-pitched scream filling the chamber was coming from my own mouth.
Sir Ruvano turned toward me. The sword in his hand still dripped with Master Oringel's blood. Was I to be next? After all, Sir Ruvano had just had his cock sucked by a man. I couldn't move; couldn't think. My eyes were open wide, flittering about from one thing to the next but only able to see the blood pooling on the floor under Master Oringel's body.
"You killed him! You killed him!"
Sir Ruvano set his hand on the side of my face.
"Calm down, Stephanie, I know it's a hard thing to see right now but this is for the best. After all, I can't very well let the court wizard help defend the castle from my compatriots."
"What are you talking about?"
"Duke Rosenthall, the one who staged this little coup; I'm his inside man," Sir Ruvano said. "Besides, Master Oringel was a total bastard for accusing you of stealing that wand."
"You mean you didn't believe him?"
"Of course I didn't," he said. "Because I'm the one who took it."
"What?"
"Like I said: we can't have a wizard interfering in the Duke's plans, now can we? I took a few interesting little baubles form his chambers this afternoon just in case they might have proven useful to him." He paused and looked at Master Oringel's body laying on the floor. "But I guess we don't have to worry about that anymore. Now stay here if you want to live through the night."
With that, he draped his jacket across his shoulder and strode out of the room, joining the last few lingering members of his guard. They closed the door and bolted it securely, leaving me laying on the floor, cum dripping off my face and a dead wizard as my only companion. Any chance I might have had of ever finding a way out of this insanity my life had become died with Master Oringel.
To be continued...
A note from the author:
I'm kind of tired of writing this story at the moment so I'm going to take a little break before going on.
Actually, I could end it right here if I wanted to. It wouldn't be a very happy ending, but it would be AN ending.
However, for those few of you who actually want more, don't worry, Stephanie's story has only just begun. Just give me a little while to get around to it. These things take time.
Cheers!