A gentle exhale and….
With an almost indiscernible sound the arrow left the bow, swiftly cutting through the crisp air and hitting its aim with a soft thunk.
Hands lowered, she turned. Her hair a dark cloud of coils down her back, held away from her face by two, thick braids which dangled past her ears and rested in coils on her lush bosom. She stared at her friend who lay on a large rock a few steps away from her. Clad in the similar loose, linen blouse and tight, dark trousers she was clothed in. Her left ankle rested against her bent, right knee and a half-emptied wineskin lay on her stomach.
She looked lost in thought, chewing a blade of wild grass, eyes staring up into the pale sky.
“Soooooooooooooo,” the archer drew the word out slowly from her full, pouted lips. Her friend lowered her gaze to her.
“His Majesty has a massive cock huh.”
Keela cupped her forehead and made an exasperated noise.
“Ad’jeoma……”
“I mean you would not think so when you look at him.”
Keela groaned, pinching the space between her creased brows.
“He looks like he has a tiny, little pee pee, something cute and harmless.”
She paused, cackling hysterically as she hugged her stomach.
“He looks…..he looks like he needs to be made love to tenderly on the softest linens, layered with fresh rose petals. He looks like he cries when he cums and needs to be held to your chest closely while you kiss his tears away.”
“Gods!”
“Don’t curse, you know I’m right.”
“No, you’re not right, especially in the head.”
The little woman bent over laughing, voice tinkling and full of teasing. She sauntered over to her friend and sat next to her, eyes glittering with mischief.
“So, what happened next?”
Keela paused, her gaze lowered and darkened, growing hazy as her mind was transported to the previous night.
The King’s appetite was…..voracious.
He took her again and again and again; her bound hands did not prevent him from contorting her body to his satisfaction. They rested briefly between bouts; in the silence between them he traced her body with his fingertips or stroked her locks.
In the final silence she fell asleep, body coated with sweat and legs trembling, physically and mentally spent.
She slowly woke up to a hand gently nudging her shoulder.
There was a muted hum of activity around her, servants bustling in and out of the open doors, filling a large tub in the opposite corner. Three of her chambermaids were around her, helping her up, one attempting to slip the sleeve of a robe through one of her now free hands.
“Hurry up!”
It was then she noticed the King standing at the window, shutters open, facing the still dark sky. The deep rumble of his voice was distant and cold.
“Fill the tub as quickly as you can. I need to get her stench off me.”
Keela froze, her stomach tightened and eyes burned. One of her chambermaids gasped, then covered her little mouth quickly.
The queen chuckled darkly and they finished helping her up and into the robe, guiding her out of the room to her chamber. Her own bath was waiting, she undressed and slipped in without a word. They rushed to help but she shook her head, rejecting their outstretched hands.
“Please.” It was a hoarse, broken sound.
They turned to the head-maid, the older woman nodded and they all curtsied and left, glancing at their queen. She hated how fragile she must have looked in their eyes.
She hated how fragile she felt, how….
Dirty.
She shut her eyes, the older maid was yet to leave. Keela felt her presence move towards her and stand behind the tub, then a warm palm gently squeezed her upper arm. She covered the hand and squeezed back.
She heard the woman sniff softly, then with slow steps she left her alone. Alone with her thoughts.
Alone with her hurt.
Silence reigned in the wood again.
Ad’jeoma sighed deeply.
“Oh, Keelz……”
She heard the pain her friend felt for her in those two, whispered words.
Keela sat up, forearms resting on her knees. She rubbed her face and laughed bitterly.
“To think I was a night’s dream away from my happiness. Now…….”
The hurt returned in the form of a physical pain. A lancing, throbbing heat in her chest.
Now reviled, scorned, hated.
“What do I do Ad’je?” She smiled looking at her friend as tears escaped from her red eyes.
“What kind of queen can I hope to be? I’m bound by honour to live, but all this shame makes me want to die! A lifetime of blood, dedication and sacrifice smeared, tainted and discarded. I have nothing to look forward to – no heart, no hearth, no home. No hope. No future. Nothing!”
Her voice rose shrilly as she vented. A tumble of feelings, of anger and sadness, disappointment and fear flowing out of her.
She laid down the shield over her emotions and wept loudly. Ad’jeoma held her while she did so, rubbing her back, murmuring to her to let it all out. To cry, to curse, to scream if she had to. Days worth of pent up emotions raged through her and out of her and left her feeling empty and desolate.
When the tears ended, she sat up, disentangling herself from her friend’s embrace. Sniffling and hiccuping. Drying her face with a sleeve.
Ad’jeoma stared and smiled sadly.
“Do you know what I love about you Keela?”
The sniffling stopped, she quieted, listening.
“I mean besides your strength, your wits and your perfect ass.”
A snort and then, a short bark of genuine laughter.
Ad’jeoma reached out, stroking her locks.
“I love your tenacity. I love that you never give up. I love that you work that pretty little head of yours to find a way, even if it seems impossible. Every runt of every litter you’ve saved, every man and woman you’ve helped bring back home, every difficult mission you’ve accomplished is a testament to you. Regardless of how dark the path, you’ve always let this,” she moved her hand and covered the area over her heart, “light the way. And even where there’s no path, time and time again you’ve used your will to carve one out yourself. Do not give up Keela, you never have before. Do not start now!”
The last sentence was almost a command, she gazed into her friend’s eyes and her insides warmed at the faith she saw there.
Her lips quirked upwards and she parted them to thank her friend only to feel her hand shift to the left and tentatively squeeze her breast.
Not breaking eye contact and with the most deadpan expression on her face, Ad’jeoma cupped her other breast and squeezed. It was when she squeezed them twice in quick succession that Keela finally jumped to action and sharply swatted those mischievous paws away.
“Ow!”
“You little lech.”
“Hey not everyone can boast that they’ve squeezed a literal royal pair of tits.”
“No one is supposed to.”
She stuck out her tongue petulantly and Keela smiled. She shook her head, then laughed. Her friend’s antics and words made the gloom around her brighten.