A Matter of Blood Pt. 09

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My new footman, the lad who'd hit in the closet from me a week ago, woke an hour or two after dawn, which felt like the most decadent luxury after all the time I had spent in the field. To my surprise, I found an entire black and forest-green outfit already picked out for me. Fortunately, the clothes were relaxed with clean lines that made me feel a little more serious. I looked like hero from the old romances that all of my sisters loved, although some denied it, and I thought Raisa would like the way it fit me. There was even a comfortable eyepatch.

I appeared, as requested, outside of Raisa's rooms. All I had with me was a small parcel carrying honeyed sweet rolls and salt. Several maids slipped out of the door, giggling at the sight of me and for a moment I was worried that I didn't look as good as I thought. I realized suddenly that I was almost as nervous as the first time I had been alone with Adewyn, many years ago. I laughed at myself and knocked.

I expected a servant to open the door, given that this was a somewhat planned occasion. Instead, Raisa was there, looking...amazing. She, too was dressed in semi-formal shirt and pants, but unlike the sharper edges of my clothes, her green shirt and black jacket hugged her curves, drawing the eye to her small breasts and the subtle swelling of her belly. I'm sure that some men find their wives less appealing when they are pregnant. I am not one of those men, and this made her even more desirable to me. Her bright red hair was braided up in a complex fashion and she was wearing...cosmetics? Her green eyes were lovely and smokey in a simple way, her lips a slightly brighter red, and her cheeks just barely rosier. She'd never worn any with me before, and the effect combined with her outfit was stunning.

For a moment we just stared at each other, unaccustomed nervousness reflected in our faces. Then I smiled, and she giggled charmingly and blushed a little. I leaned into kiss her, but she held her hand out, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Oh no, Finn, we mustn't have any of that," she said, mimicking Adewyn's commanding tone with remarkable accuracy, "no kissing or embracing until past noon and no lovemaking of any kind until twilight has passed. Anything else would be simply unacceptable!"

I laughed despite my disappointment.

"Well," I said, holding up the parcel "at least you'll have some lovely breakfast."

"Hmm, tempting, but I'm not allowed to eat those until you've 'sowed your seed within me'. Those are her exact words. I think maybe you've given her too much power."

Raisa took the parcel and put it in her apartments, then came back out and took my arm.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"I would be delighted to go anywhere with you, but I will admit that I have no idea of our destination."

"Oh, it seems like no one has told you anything at all," Raisa said with false innocence that fooled me not one whit, "well, that's a shame. I guess you'll just have to do as I ask. All day. And night."

She smiled up at me and I could not resist smiling back, despite my slight frustration at being unable to take her right then and there as I suddenly wanted to. She led me down a series of stairs and hallways which might have been confusing to some, but were amongst the most commonly used by us as children. They led to the courtyards, where we often played, and the old grottos of worship with their idols of divinities long forgotten, and the marshaling yard, where we practiced with sword and magic. Below that was the women's sanctuary, where Raisa would disappear to towards the end of her pregnancy.

"I haven't been down this way since we took the castle back," I said, feeling the pull of nostalgia as I began to recall bits and pieces of old memories. Tyr and I had a fistfight in that badly-lit corner, although afterward we were fast friends again. Over there was the tutoring room where I overheard my teacher tell father that I was skilled at magic but lacked any sort of real power. That old storeroom was where Merwyd and I used to meet in secret to kiss. I felt her up there for the first time, my hand on her breast and her's holding it there.

"I know," she said, "and I think that's why Adewyn had us come down here. Do you remember the Garden of Andraste?"

"I do. I ended up cleaning it for six months as punishment for sneaking out of March Grodayn to flirt with women in town."

Raisa snorted.

"You did more than flirt, Finn. We're lucky we're not drowning in your bastards at this point."

I ignored Raisa's provocative remark.

"I also remember that while I cleaned, I would catch a small red-haired thing watching me from behind bushes and in the trees. Eventually she came out of hiding and started to help me with my work and tell me about all manner of things. I pretended to be annoyed but I began to look forward to that every day."

"Really? I always thought that I was a nuisance, but it was so nice, having you to myself for a few hours. And you really listened and asked questions." Her voice hitched a tiny bit. "I think that was when I really fell in love with you."

She held my arm a little tighter and I was very aware of her soft, firm body pressed against mine. I wanted more than that.

We arrived at the Garden we had just been discussing. It had some rather exotic fruit trees, limes and oranges, surrounding a small lawn of moss, with a stream passing through it. There was a fine white linen laid on the ground for us to sit upon, and food and wine laid out. It was cool outside but it never truly became cold here due to the ancient enchantments of our forefathers.

We sat and ate and reminded each other of the events from our childhood. Of times both better and worse.

"I knew early that I shouldn't be alone with Tyr or Bayrd," she said, suddenly.

"Really?" I said, dreading in my heart the reason why.

"Yes. I was small and quiet and paid attention. I saw Tyr with Adewyn and how when he wanted something he'd just grab her. I saw how Bayrd watched your mother and mine, and Merwyd, so hungrily and without any love. That's why I ended up around you so much. At first it was just because you weren't dangerous."

I sighed without thinking.

"I'm glad that nothing...like what happened to them, happened to you."

"I didn't mean to bring the mood down. I just...you know, wanted you to know that I knew then. That you were good and decent and safe. Even if you were a bit of a whore."

I was drinking wine as she said the last bit and I spit it out, laughing.

"You did that on purpose, you brat," I said, leaning towards her to hold her and perhaps tickle her a bit.

She wagged her finger at me like a teacher with a naughty child.

"Ah! No touching! Adewyn said."

"You've been touching me," I pointed out.

"I'm allowed to hold your arm and such. You're not allowed to do so much as embrace me. I'm sorry, but I don't make the rules."

Raisa's eyes glinted with merriment at my frustration, and I must say that she did not look sorry in the least. Seeing my disappointment, she took my hand and stood up.

"Come on, we have to go do the next part. It's over by the grove."

We'd been in the Garden for over an hour but it had seemed like minutes. I was, unexpectedly, very much enjoying myself. Well, not so much the restrictions on my behavior. I thought it would have been quite nice to have made love to Raisa in the place where we'd first begun to truly bond.

Raisa led me to the Grove. Trees, pines and aspen, were left standing here from when the castle was built. They were never touched out of respect for the ancient and unknown gods of this place. They were huge, easily a hundred paces high, and surrounded a pool of water that was always clear.

When we arrived I saw that there was, incongruously, a couch for reclining. On it were towels and small scrolls.

"This is where we do the Compact," Raisa said, picking up one of the scrolls and handing the other to me. Both had been sealed, one with the sign of the King's Wyvern, for me, and the other with the sign of the Queen's Leopard, for her.

We broke the seals and read the words to ourselves, quietly. It was the first time either of us had seen the words.

"Is this it?" I said. There were only a few lines, and I memorized them immediately.

"It is," Raisa said, suddenly removing her jacket and shirt, "but we must do it sky-clad, in the pool."

Raisa smiled at me as she stripped down the rest of the way. Not for the first or the last time that day, I was struck by her beauty. She was still quiet young, and girlish in her fashion, but in transition to the maternal. I am not a poet, and I cannot describe how this affected me properly, only that it seemed that I loved her more each time that I saw her. As I took in her glory, she dove into the water, sleek and fast, swimming out to a rock out in the center which allowed one to stand up.

I tightly controlled my expectations. It was not yet noon so I wouldn't be allowed to so much as kiss her, much less do what I wanted to do to her in that perfect blue pool. What I increasingly felt as need rather than want.

I took off my clothes, and made no attempt to hide my manhood standing proudly. Raisa didn't even pretend not to look, and despite the cool water her cheeks flushed and her lips parted slightly. Her desire was building as well. I dove in and swam out to her, less graceful but plenty strong. I had always been a good swimmer. The water here was warm due to the magic of the mountain. As I reached the rock something occurred to me.

"Do you remember when we all used to swim out here together?"

"Of course!" Raisa said, excitedly, "We'd come out here and have water fights and our parents would leave us alone, for a little while."

She blushed a little, and I knew why.

"Do you remember when we were out here alone?"

"N...no..." she stammered ineffectively. She was always the cutest when flustered.

"Let me remind you. I came out after a long day learning the sword, which mostly meant getting beat up by Adewyn. I wanted to soak so I wouldn't be too sore the next day. And I caught you out here, swimming like some kind of water nymph, wearing almost nothing at all. Do you know why I remember that?"

"Because you saw how scrawny and bony I was?"

Raisa was embarrassed, but she had no reason to be.

"No, because it was the first time I saw how beautiful you were. I mean, you were always pretty, that was obvious, but I never thought of you as a beautiful young woman, with curves and hips and...amazing breasts, small or not. It shook me a little, since up till then were always my cute little sister who I loved and felt protective of. After that day...well. It felt different after that whenever you cuddled up to me and wanted my arm around you. I felt a little guilty of pulling you so close after that. I never told you because I never wanted you to think that you couldn't just be with me as a brother and a friend. If I'm honest, I think I started to love you then, although I buried such feelings deep within."

I realized that I had never shared that with anyone, except Adewyn.

"Oh," Raisa said, turning bright red. She reached out to touch my face and caught herself inches away. I could tell that she wanted to kiss me a great deal. She was truly gorgeous in her want.

I decided to say the words of the compact, right then. I'm not sure why. It just felt right.

"Sister, you who are most beautiful and cherished to me, who lights the night as the evening star and the morning as the new sun of spring, I declare this to you my Compact. I will love you until death, and will never allow harm to come to you. You will stand above all others, first in my heart, first in my bed. I will take you and make you mine."

My breathing was ragged by the time I was done saying the words. I felt my heart racing and the familiar feel of magic drawn into myself. The words had power. She spoke, smoothly and with love, in her soft way.

"Brother, you who are most handsome and precious to me, who guards me as the wolf protects his mate and pleases me as the moon favors the sun, I declare this to you my Compact. I will love you unto death, ever faithful and true. You will stand above all others, first in my heart, first in my bed. I will make of myself a gift to you."

We moved close to each other, instinctively, our bodies nearly touching, our lips inches away, before we pulled back, barely. We were frustrated, filled with passion and denial, aching for each other, our bodies demanding each other and it wasn't even noon yet.

Since we couldn't do more, we swam and played, splashing each other, laughing, remembering past adventures and mistakes. I had a lot of the latter and she remembered all of them, but miraculously it only seemed to increase her affection for me, as if my flaws somehow improved me. For my part, I remembered every time she had been adorable or unexpectedly kind, all the injured animals she brought home and cared for or the times she stood up to one of us over how we treated a servant or commoner, and how many times I had been proud of her for such acts.

Eventually we grew more serious, our shared looks more intense, and I think both of us knew that if we continued we'd end up making love right there and then, regardless of the rules. We got out in silence, watching each other with heat, then we toweled each other off. It may have been cheating, but we weren't quite touching each other. Then, we dressed, regretfully.

Despite being unable to touch, I felt closer to Raisa then I ever had. I felt the magic of the compact settle on us, and we were bound together more deeply than ever before.

"Where to next, love?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Lunch, finally." She said, smiling at me.

Noon at last. I knew she was looking forward more to the kissing than the food, because I was as well.

We arrived in the marshaling yards, which I thought was a rather odd place for food. They were simple, fenced areas used for training and military purposes. They also held the stables, which is where we were actually headed.

Two horses were already saddled for us. One, I recognized was an old favorite of Raisa's, and it seemed to have some loaded saddle bags as well. The other was, shockingly, the horse I rode away on the night of my escape. She seemed none the worse for wear and whinnied a little as I gave her nose a rub. Then we both hopped on and I followed Raisa down the narrow and curving siege corridor and out the gates.

We rode for about a half hour. I was hungry but not overly so, and it was pleasant. We started on one of the main roads that went past the castle town, and then turned off twice until we were on barely more than a game trail. Oddly, we passed several people on it, common folk, most of them older and with packs and walking sticks. They got out of the way and bowed or curtseyed with respect, so they evidently recognized us.

With a shock I recognized the trail. I had last seen it in the dim light of the moon as I was slowly bleeding to death. It was the same trail that I'd used to confuse any pursuers. Eventually we came to a small clearing. It had been here before but it appeared that the area had been cleared of larger plants and a small open shed was there. Upon getting closer, I realized that it was not a shed but rather a shrine. We dismounted, so this must have been our goal.

"Oh gods," I said under my breath as I finally understood what this place was.

Raisa laughed, warmly.

"You surely cannot be surprised, not after all that has happened to you," she said.

I walked up to the shrine and read the sign that had been crudely carved and stained to preserve it.

Finn's Way - Here is the Path That The Rightful King Took in the Night of His Escape, Long May He Live. May He Return Soon.

"How long has this been here?" I asked in wonder.

"It went up almost immediately after you were revealed to be alive. I don't know who made it, and as far as I know I was the only one who tracked you. I came out here to investigate it at Merwyd's insistence. The only thing that we could figure is that someone saw you that night and kept their mouths shut for a long time."

"Whoever they were, they probably died," I said with regret, "I would have liked to have at least bought them some ale or whiskey."

"Possibly," Raisa said as she started to unload food and wineskins from her saddle bags, "but a surprising number of people from the valleys escaped to the mountains when Bayrd started ordering villagers killed. They remained there for months, until word got to them of your return and victory. They've been trickling back."

She handed me bread and we ate it in silence. It was simple but fresh, very good stuff. The wine, too, was excellent. It was from the red grapes that grew on the mountainsides that faced the sea. Rich and full of flavor and slightly sweet. I had just finished and turned to ask her a question when she kissed me.

It was sudden but gentle. She didn't reach out to hold me, and just as it deepened she pulled away. I instinctively chased the kiss, leaning forward, but she ducked away, giggling.

"You're enjoying teasing me far too much," I muttered.

She ignored my remarks.

"So those were pilgrims that we passed on the trail," she said, in her best tutor's voice, "it is believed that if you pray at the shrine you can restore your virility or gain good fortune for your family. Because everyone knows that Good King Finn is both lucky and lusty."

"Oh dear gods," I said, truly embarrassed.

We ate as the pilgrims we had passed arrived to pray at the shrine. It was a bit surreal for me, and only got more so as an older woman approached me, her eyes full of uncertain emotion.

"Sire, may I touch you?" she said with undisguised reverence.

I looked over at Raisa and she shrugged. Neither of us expected this.

"Um. Of course you may," I said, sounding much more certain than I was.

I needn't have worried. She merely brushed her fingers against my shirt sleeve. Raisa looked as she might burst out laughing until the old woman turned and asked permission to touch her jacket.

As she began to leave, Raisa stopped her by holding her arm, then went back to the horse and got more bread and wine out, which she gave to the old woman. For a brief time we passed out food and wine to pilgrims, and they touched our clothing and one young lady even asked Raisa to bless her. We spoke to them and they told us of their families and losses during the war. They never asked us for any material aid but we passed out some coin that was in the saddlebags.

We watched as they left, and Raisa reached out and held my hand. I looked over at her and she was, to my surprise, crying.

"Are you all right, love?"

"Yes, Finn. Being here...brings back some memories. And these people have so much faith in us. It's overwhelming."

"I guess I'm lucky. I remember pain and fear, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't the worst. In fact it was the first time that things let up a bit for me. Of course I had no idea that I was being tracked by an assassin."

"Lucky that you were, else you would have died. Bayrd told me to find you and kill you, if you were still alive. He said that you'd tried to kill Tyr and fled. I didn't believe it, but even if it was true I didn't want to do it. I still can't believe that I..."

She let go of my hand and looked into the woods anxiously, as if expecting a monster to come out at any moment.

"You can't believe what?" I prodded, gently.

She sighed.

"I can't believe that I had my knife to your throat before I stopped and thought about what I was doing. I didn't want to do it, I hated the idea. But I hadn't really decided not to until right then, when my dagger touched your skin. You didn't notice, but you had the tiniest cut, and I realized that I had drawn blood from a man that I told myself that I loved. I couldn't even think, I was so disgusted with myself. Then you woke up and took my blade away. I decided not to resist."