The Princess and the Protector

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A forbidden lust.
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The air in the Bronze Sword Tavern was hot and humid and smelt heavily of ale and sweat. There was a constant loud buzz as the occupants of the overfilled room engaged in their alcohol-fueled conversations. The patrons were a mix of sailors, soldiers and independent adventurers. The tavern was in the middle of the city, which made it not only one of the busiest places to eat, but also the one with the most diverse patronage. There was a reason the sailors, soldiers and adventurers tended to stay in the bars of their own districts; they rarely ever got along. If a patron came to the Bronze Sword Tavern it was for the refreshment of food and ale, and the excitement of an inevitable fight.

The rowdiness of the tavern was exactly why Perin L'reias was sitting at a table in the far corner of the large, crowded room. Perin looked up at the male in front of him and was pleased to see that the man was sweating. The man hadn't given his name, and Perin hadn't expected him to. They were there on business, and the man's line of work it was best if identities were kept hidden.

"So how long do you think this will take?" Perin asked in a deep voice that was at odds with his slender yet athletic build.

The man looked at Perin in what he assumed was supposed to be a cool and confident manner, but with sweat beading down his pale face and slicking his black hair to his forehead it was incredibly unconvincing.

"It will be done within three weeks if the price is right." The man said. It was obvious by his accent that he was from the West. The man lingered a little too long over his i's and his r's sounded strange to Perin.

Perin was from deep in the Southern reaches of the kingdom. Down South it was sweltering hot and unbearably humid. Therefore the temperature in the room wasn't foreign to Perin, the only thing bothering him was the stale stench of ale and too many people with poor hygiene practices. These people in the Middle Kingdom were a lot bulkier than his people; men with more muscles than brains, and skin as pale as fresh milk. Perin's own people had a deep olive complexion and were built lithe and athletic in order to survive their climate.

"Three weeks is too long." Perin stated firmly. Surrounded by so many people from the Middle Kingdom, he could hear that his voice was much deeper and more fluid than those around him.

"Any quicker is impossible."

"For you perhaps, but I have no doubts that there are others that could get the job done quicker." Perin said, gently fingering the food on his plate with distaste.

"Others?" The man snorted indignantly. "There are no others better than me."

"Yet you state that three weeks is the best you can do?" Perin pushed his plate away and gave the sweating Westerner a piercing glare.

"You want to talk time yet you have not talked price." The man said with a grimace.

"I have not yet heard anything impressive enough to warrant talk of a payment." Perin said with a bored shrug. The man's eyes flickered with anger and Perin was exceptionally pleased. The hot tavern combined with the typical Western inability to hide emotions meant that this man was as easy to read a child's book. He was good, Perin would give him that, but he fell far too easily into the habits of his culture.

"What you ask for is very complicated." The man told him through gritted teeth.

"If you think so then perhaps this is not the job for you." Perin told him, allowing a hint of derision slither into his tone.

"Two weeks." The man conceded angrily.

"One."

"One and a half, and the pay had better be bloody good." The man said through gritted teeth.

One and a half weeks was good. Much better than Perin had dared to hope for. To be honest the man's original quote of three weeks was on par with his expectations. However, Perin had heard that this man was the best, and he was hoping he could better it.

"Name your price."

The glint in the man's watery blue eyes told Perin that this was very close to being a done deal. As long as he could effectively negotiate price he and his Charge might just be able to achieve their goal before the end of the month.

~*~

Liliene sighed and slumped back in her seat as she watched the exchange from the other side of the crowded tavern. She had told Perin that it would be best if she negotiated this particular contract, but he had adamantly refused. What if she had been recognized? It was dangerous enough that she had to be here in the first place, but putting his Princess at extra risk was something that her Guardian was loathe to do.

Liliene pulled her cloak a little tighter around her despite the heat of the tavern and smiled as she watched Perin negotiating with the Western male. If she were the one striking the deal she would have had a firm contract with nothing but a light batting of her eyelashes and a flash of gold. Perin, however, seemed to have a bit of a harder time. The man was intimidated by him, but he hid it reasonably well.

Perin was attractive by almost anyone's standards; he had just enough muscle to add an erotic edge to his body, but not so much that he was weighed down by bulk. His jet black hair was smooth and tied back with a thick brown strap, his cerulean eyes were the colour of the exotic Southern oceans and thoroughly at odds with his dark complexion. His eyes were startling, and even Liliene with her confidence and commanding nature often found herself falling uncontrollably into their depths.

The man and Perin seemed to be close to striking a deal. The man, it seemed, was eager to be out of the crowded room and the stench inside of it. He was sweating profusely, and Liliene could only imagine that he was wondering what kind of creature Perin was to be able to remain perspiration free. Liliene watched as Perin's long slender fingers traced the outline of some shapes on the table, the man watching with as much interest as he would if he were studying a masterpiece.

Their plan, of course, was a masterpiece. A few weeks ago they had left their home city of Heliose in the southern tropics to travel to Linkentrop in the East to negotiate a marriage contract for Liliene. Their party had been attacked and Liliene and Perin had been the only ones kept alive. It hadn't taken long for the pair to realize that the ambush was set by Liliene's twin brother, Caris the High Prince of the South. After their parents had died, the twins were both in line to inherit the throne. At their birth the midwives had claimed that Liliene was pulled from her mother first, but Caris was always the louder one- it was his raspy cries that had first filled the spacious room of the palace. It was Caris's lungs who filled with air and life while the midwives worked hard to bring Liliene back from death's doorstep.

Liliene, under counsel from her parents most trusted advisors, had agreed to negotiate a marriage contract with the Westerners in order to create a powerful alliance that her brother couldn't hope to match, thereby solidifying her claim to the throne. There were four other rulers in the land, but there was only one Princess. Her brother would have guessed at her plans as soon as she announced her trip, if some pretty little spy hadn't gotten around to telling him even before that. Despite the sibling rivalry, Liliene would never consider harming her brother. Clearly, Caris didn't feel the same.

Liliene and Perin's assailants had been little more than hired thugs. They had seriously underestimated Perin's strength due to his lack of extreme muscles, and one night her Guardian had broken free of his bonds and slain all but one of their kidnappers. That night he had questioned the final one until he had gotten everything he needed and done away with him too. The goal of the attack had been to capture Liliene and return her to Heliose, so that she could be married to some minor noble and sent away from court. It was for this reason that Perin planned to do the complete opposite. They had to get to Linkentrop, and they had to do it as quickly as possible. Liliene needed to arrange a marriage and then return home, showing Caris who was really more fit to be ruler.

Liliene had suggested to Perin that they drag the last kidnapper back to Heliose with them to expose Caris's deeds. After seeing his treachery he would surely be exiled. If they continued with the marriage contract they would still have him in a position of power. However, Perin was utterly convinced that it would be better to keep the High Prince around; it was easier to keep track of an enemy that you could see than one that was far from view.

As Liliene watched Perin negotiate the contract with the Westerner she couldn't help but think, again, that it would be great to forgo the marriage contract all together. She had no desire to marry some Eastern prince, as powerful as he was. She much preferred her own people to the pale and beefy sorts that the green pastures of the East bred.

Watching Perin winding this Western smuggler around his fingers was something that made her appreciate him that little bit more. Perin had been assigned as Liliene's Guardian from the moment he learned to wield a sword. Of course he had been in training at the time under the watchful eye of a seasoned warrior, but she had grown up knowing that he would be around her for as long as either one of them would live. She had watched Perin go from a ham-fisted child to one of her country's most adept warriors.

Perin had always taken his duty seriously, most of the time Liliene thought he took it far too seriously. He had always been distantly polite to her, ever the professional. Liliene, however, had spent most of her teenage years trying to steal his attention and catch him off guard. She was attracted to him, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, it was the truth. There had been one or two very rare occasions where Perin had let his determination waver, and those moments were emblazoned into her mind- the feeling of his lips on hers, the way he looked at her when he thought she wouldn't notice, a touch that lingered just a little too long.

The last week had been torture for Liliene. After freeing themselves from the clutches of her brother's paid minions they had spent a week traveling to the Central Kingdom so that they could find a fare to the East. Along the way they had kept off the roads, travelling up and down the Palisade Mountains through the dense forest that surrounded them. The days were crisp in the Central Kingdom but the nights were bitterly cold. That had meant that Perin had broken the boundaries of their official relationship and slept close to her out of necessity. It had been a long while since Liliene had taken a lover to her bed, and the feeling of his hot and warm body against hers, his strong arms wrapped around her protectively, was more than she could handle. She had tried to get his attention on multiple occasions, murmuring that there were much more efficient ways to warm up a sleeping roll than to just cuddle, but he had ignored her.

The look of pure concentration and determination on Perin's face as he negotiated the deal with the smuggler was intoxicating. Liliene could get lost in his eyes easily on a normal occasion, but when they were so full of passion it was impossible not to drown in the cerulean oceans. They would be spending the night in this city, at an inn on the outskirts of town. To appear less suspicious Perin had claimed that the two were husband and wife, so naturally they had been given a room with only one bed. Liliene knew that he would sleep on the floor, but she would much prefer that they continue the charade and play the role of a married couple inside of their room as well as outside.

With a mischevious half smile Liliene closed her eyes for a moment and whispered the words of a spell that she had learned as a child. It was called the Ghost Hand. In her younger years she had used it to tickle her brother when he had been at his weapon practice, or to tug on her tutor's beard when his lecture digressed from its topic. This time though, she focused her energy on Perin's upper thigh. The mischevious smile turned to a grin of triumph when she noticed his legs tense under the table when the Ghost Hand made contact.

For all intents and purposes Perin would feel as though he had a real hand on his thigh, and Liliene would also be able to feel him as though it were her own corporeal hand doing the touching. The spell didn't create a fake hand as such; instead it broke the limitations of her physical form and allow her to touch things over a long distance.

Liliene had a theory that if she could arouse Perin enough, he would be able to get over his infernally irritating sense of duty and actually enjoy her affection. His unguarded moments had proven that to her. However, it had been difficult for Liliene to find a situation where this was possible. Whilst they were prisoners he was never within her line of sight, and whilst they were traveling to this stinking city all of his concentration had been on keeping her safe. Even waking in the morning, with his erection pressed into her arse, hadn't convinced him to allow himself a respite from his duties. Every time she had said or done something to encourage him to stray, he had pulled himself away or ignored her comments. Now, though, Perin was in the perfect position to be subject to her will.

Liliene's ghost fingers traced soft circles on Perin's firm thighs as he spoke to the smuggler. She watched with satisfaction as his hand clenched on the rough wooden table top. She knew that if she had tried this at any other time he would have reprimanded her harshly for two reasons; her magic was not to be used for such pointless endeavors, nor was it appropriate for her to be soliciting him in such a manner. But as Perin sat in the middle of a crowded tavern, negotiating a very dangerous journey for them, she knew he would never risk turning to glare at her. His duty to keep her safe would come first- he would never risk looking at her and showing any sign that they were connected.

The knowledge that she had a small amount of time left to get his blood hot enough made Liliene edge her ghost fingers further up his thighs. Her index and middle fingers slowly walked towards his inner thigh and she watched as his eyes widened , figuring out her intent.

~*~

Perin's entire body tensed as he felt the phantom fingers stroking the thick fabric of his pants along the crotch seam line. It was a mix of shock and anger that made his blood turn cold. It was Liliene, it had to be. He wanted to yell at her, to tell her that this wasn't the time for her games, but he wouldn't risk looking at her just in case the smuggler noticed. He couldn't afford to give away her position.

She was good, he had to give her that. The Princess had chosen the perfect time to further her pursuit of him. He couldn't respond, and they both knew that. And his only way of getting away from her assault would be to get out of her line of sight. As Liliene's ghost fingers gently stroked the bulge of his testicles through his pants he gritted his teeth in determination.

"A separate passage would be safer." The Smuggler said for the third time. Perin shook his head.

"No, we have to go together." Perin insisted.

"Your ships would only be a few hours apart."

"A few hours that I cannot afford."

"In the span of a week and a half, two hours is but a breath." The smuggler said with a shrug.

"You want me to trust my wife in the hands of your bribed smugglers?" Perin laughed. His mirth was cut short when Liliene's Ghost Hand gave his soft manhood a squeeze. It took all of Perin's concentration not to jump in surprise.

"It would be riskier for you to both travel to together. If we are audited by the Border troops then it will be easier to explain the presence of a whore on one ship and a Southern sailor on another than a Southern couple travelling together." The Smuggler said through gritted teeth. Though he had taken care to keep his voice to a low whisper it still held a lot of anger.

"My wife is not a whore." Perin said irritable, despite the fact that Liliene's Ghost Hand was now gently stroking his manhood and proving her wantonness.

"Nor are you a sailor. But while you are on one of my ships you had best learn to pretend to be what I tell you to be." The Smuggler said.

Perin would have been angry at the man for his insolence, but the feeling of Liliene's spelled hand stroking his length distracted him. Right now he was ready to tell the man that he was welcome to have Liliene on a separate ship if he thought he could handle her, but he reigned in his disapproval of her methods and decided that the best plan of action would be to wrap up this conversation and get Liliene to a place where he could give her a severe tongue lashing.

"One ship." Perin managed to demand, even though the blood was leaving his brain and rushing to his cock. It was getting harder and harder to ignore Liliene's spell. It had been a long time since he had felt a woman's hand stroking him so artfully.

"An extra ten gold for the added risk to my crew." The Smuggler said, disgruntled.

"Five." Perin negotiated. At this rate he and Liliene would be hard pressed to get to Linkentrop at all. Getting past the border undetected was one thing, but they still needed to get to the capital city of the East.

"Nine."

"Six-" Perin's sentence ended in a sharp intake of breath as Liliene gave his swelling cock a hard squeeze.

"Eight." Her entire palm wrapped around his girth.

"Seven." He managed to splutter as she begun to stroke him.

"Eight."

"Seven." He bartered, barely able to concentrate as her hand sped up. It was bad enough that he had to sleep with her for the past week, but this was just plain torture.

"Eight, nothing less."

"Fine, eight, but you will find another role for my wife besides a whore. I will not have her spoken of that way." Perin said.

Perin understood the need for pretense, especially considering how dire their circumstances had become, but he would never have it said that Princess Liliene was a whore- even if it were just for a disguise. Even if she were a stubborn, rebellious wench at times it was his job to ensure that she be treated with respect. As the pace of her phantom stroked sped up and Perin's breath came faster he realized that he had to protect her not only from her brother but from herself.

"If you have luggage that will be extra." The Smuggler said, wiping his sweating face on his sleeve. At first the man had been extremely nervous, but the business talk seemed to mollify him somewhat- this man was clearly more comfortable when talking about his trade.

"We have nothing but the clothes on our back and one small pack each." Perin said.

"Very well. I will talk to my men and meet you back her tomorrow evening." The Smuggler told him with a grim now.

"Sounds good." Perin managed to hiss through carefully controlled breaths. The Smuggler finally seemed to notice Perin's loss of composure and looked at him curiously.

"Are you well?" The man asked suspiciously "We won't take on sick people- I'll not risk the health of my crews."

Perin wanted to strangle Liliene.

"I'm fine." Perin snapped. Despite his reassurance the man seemed to notice the small beads of sweat that now dotted his hairline. The feeling of Liliene's ghost hand on his erection was scratching an itch that he had been suffering from for a long time. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to drag her into the nearest dark alley and do the job properly. He wouldn't though. He couldn't- he was her Guardian and she was his Princess. Even thinking of her in that manner was an affront to his vows.

"Very well, I will see you tomorrow. Same place, same time... Except I want a corner table tomorrow." The Smuggler said before getting to his feet and pushing his way through the wall of bodies to get to the door.