All Roses Have Their Thorns

"Your duties begin the moment you leave here," she instructs him. "Your first task will be to eliminate that band of heretics Roses Red. With them disbanded we will show the people law in this land."

A frown came to Asrah face in which he quickly dispersed it before the queen took notice. "What if we converted these, as you call them, heretics to our cause?"

Anger quickly overtakes the queen. "They are my example to the people. Without them destroyed my Inquisition will take longer even with you at the forefront."

Straight faced, Asrah bowed. "Then I will see that it will be done."

From high in the ceiling of the massive hall Calista Ortega slowly and quietly releases the tension of her bow and slips back through the path that brought her here.

Why she ordered me not to kill either of them I don't understand.

But orders were orders and she was trained to follow them no matter what she thought the outcome should be.

Spain 1470

TADEO SOLORIO SITS ALONE IN a dark corner of the tavern. A large mug sits in his hand nearly empty from the last gulp he had already taken. It is his seventh or eighth, at least he believes. Really it doesn't matter because every day for him is the same. Nothing happens or changes and certainly not the past.

Until today.

A tall curvy woman with dark hair suddenly takes the seat from across the table. Tadeo notices her instantly, especially since no one ever bothers him when he is drinking. The woman simply smiles at him and holds her silence while Tadeo's mind slowly comes around to the fact someone is at his table.

"You must not know I don't like being bothered while I'm here drinking," he slurs slightly once his brain catches up.

"Even for someone like me?" the woman asks while flipping back her hair revealing all her face to him.

Tadeo grins hard and spats, "Yes even for a pretty little bitch such as you!"

"Testy aren't we?" she asks pulling a hard glare from Tadeo. "I actually need your help."

Tadeo picks up the mug and gulps down the remaining bit of ale before slamming it back onto the table. "I've never seen you in my city until now and you suddenly show up, in front of me asking for some kind of help? Do you have any idea who I am?"

"You are the Captain of Roses Red, an elite group of knights sworn to protect this land and Queen Mireia," the woman smiles.

"You know an awful lot for a stranger," Tadeo accuses.

"That is because I'm no ordinary stranger Tadeo. In fact I know quite more about you and your group which is why I am here. I want control of Roses Red and I know how much you despise your charge since the battle with Zephlanith."

Tadeo visibly calms down and settles back into his seat. He signals the bartender for another mug of ale and the two remain silent the entire time until he takes another large gulp from the mug.

"To speak ill of my queen is treason," he says plainly. "But if I were to help you in some way, what is in it for me?"

"I can help remove Queen Mireia and place someone better in her place."

"I suppose that would be you?" Tadeo laughs.

"No, that's not quite what we're looking for," the woman says sultrily.

"You and who else?" Tadeo asks suspiciously.

"Doesn't matter," she replies.

Tadeo mulls over the thought for a moment. "Just who are you then?"

"Natalya Rhinheart."

Spain 1480

CALISTA RIDES HER HORSE WITH as much speed as she can coax from it. Upon reaching the palace built into the mountainside she jumps off and races for the stairs leading into an entrance on the lower eastern side. The palace, which looks more like a miniature city, has housed Roses Red since shortly after the battle with Zephlanith. It stood as a beacon for any that dare attack this land and as the training grounds for the fabled organization.

When Natalya Rhinheart took over it became fortress looming like a shadow over the land, letting all know who it is they really need to fear.

Calista takes the stairs two at a time until she enters the palace. Once inside she forces her way past recruits and other fully trained assassins as herself. It takes several minutes to reach the highest point of the palace where two male guards stand over a closed set of doors.

"I must pass," Calista announces as she presses forward showing no intention to stop. "Mistress Natalya will want to hear the news I bring her."

The male guards placed throughout the palace only purpose is to guard and pleasure the women of Roses Red when needed. The only two with power to stop a woman here was these two guards. When neither of the guards says a word or attempt to stop her which meant only one thing: she was expected.

Calista bolts through the doors as fast as she can and comes to a halt even faster. Standing just mere feet away from Natalya is Asrah.

But how can that be?

"Ah, your best pupil is here," Asrah says turning around. "And with remarkable timing too."

Calista drops to her knee bowing before her mistress. "I sought to reach your ear with urgent news," she says knowing it'd be a mistake revealing her presence at the castle.

"It appears the news is far worse than we thought," Natalya says without looking toward the young woman. "You can go back to Isabella and tell her what you have to, but I am not handing over Roses Red to you or anybody."

Calista's eyes go wide with surprise but she quickly drops her head further down hiding them and cursing herself for such a foolish mistake.

"You will regret this," Asrah threatens. "Isabella will send a force here and you will be dealt with in the manner she has set forth."

Natalya smiles. "As an Incubus you hold no more power over me Asrah. Besides I have an army to match the queen's."

"Then I suppose we'll find out who wins and who loses when the time comes," Asrah says as he mists away.

As soon as there is no sign of Asrah, Calista bounds from the floor toward Natalya. "Forgive me Mistress. My lateness is no excuse, but I had no idea of his majiks."

"Not majik," Natalya says calmly. "He is a demon born in the depths of Hades at the time of another Succubus' birthing. Who brought him out is only a guess, but my alliance with him should have never taken place."

"Mistress?" the young woman says totally confused.

Natalya looks at her as if for the first time since her arrival. "I am a Succubus."

"A demon like Zephlanith?"

"Not quite," Natalya explains. "He was more powerful than I and I have other goals than mindless killing."

Calista, though shocked by what her ears heard, stood straight and placed a fist to her chest. "I am with you until the end."

A smile forms on the Succubus' lips. "I wouldn't expect any less from the sister of Roselyn Ortega."

Spain 1470

WITH BOTH HANDS WRAPPED AROUND Natalya's ass, Tadeo slides his tongue up and down over her pussy lips working slowly and closer each time toward her clit. Once his tongue hits it, her legs go rubbery and she begins to moan. She tilts her hips up to make her pussy more accessible.

"Mmm," she groans. "Don't you dare stop."

Minutes pass then she suddenly steps away and spin around, pushing Tadeo to the floor. Wordlessly she straddles his head with her legs and quickly lowered her head to his throbbing cock, sucking it into her mouth while stroking his shaft.

"Mmm," she continues to groan as her head bobs up and down the shaft of his cock. Her free hand slides down to softly caress his balls.

Tadeo looks up to see the glory of her squirming as and wet pussy as he reaches up and parts her pussy lips and begins to lick inside. Eventually he focuses his attention on licking and flicking his tongue on her pulsating clit making Natalya's moans increase in intensity. Continuing to manipulate her clit with his tongue, Tadeo begins to alternate squeezing her ass and breasts.

Pretty soon Tadeo feels the cum building up in his balls and knows he won't hold out for much longer. So he begins to buck his hips to meet her mouth until finally the cum surges up his pulsating cock and explodes in Natalya's mouth. She swallows as much as she can but some manages to ooze down the shaft of his cock.

Once Tadeo's cock ceases to spasm, he flips Natalya onto her back. He starts by slowly circling her clit with his tongue, gradually increasing the speed and alternately flicking it with the tip of his tongue. All the while Natalya holds his head, shoving his face into her pussy.

"That's it," she moans loudly as her ass squirms and her hips begin to buck. Tadeo licks and flicks, faster and faster to bring on her orgasm.

"Yes!" she screams, eyes closed as she grabs his head tight while he feels her body stiffen and her pussy spasm.

While she is distracts with her intense orgasm, Tadeo takes the opportunity to quickly move up her body and place his rock hard cock on her clit and rubs it back and forth on it. Natalya's eyes roll back as she enjoys her second intense orgasm brought on by his cock.

As her juices pour out, he places his cock at the entrance to her pussy and parts her lips with his cockhead and slowly pushes it in inch by inch until his cock is buried balls deep in her pussy. Natalya groans and moans, eyes closed incoherently.

Tadeo pulls his cock back slowly until it is almost out and then slowly inches it back in. Natalya's groans grow louder. He keeps this up for a few strokes before increasing his speed faster and faster. Their hips buck together, their moans match each other and her breasts bounce with the rhythm. The feeling of her pussy's warm velvet liquid vise is exquisite on his cock.

Tadeo keeps up the in and out, slamming hard against her pussy while he put his head down and sucks her breasts and nipples, adding even more excitement to her experience as indicated by her squealing. Then he begins to kiss her, their tongues each other's mouths as they bounce with their fucking.

Tadeo suddenly pulls out of Natalya's pussy eliciting a disappointed whine from her. He ignores the complaint and rolls onto his back, lying on the floor and guides her onto of himself with her back to him. After slowly lowering herself onto his cock she eagerly begins to bounce up and down, her pussy squeezing his cock tightly and her juices leaking onto his body.

Natalya lays her back flat onto Tadeo's chest with her feet flat on the ground and his cock still remaining in her pussy. He begins to buck his hips up and in, whipping his cock back and forth in her pussy. His hands now free, wrap around her gorgeous breasts to squeeze and pinch her nipples.

Tadeo reaches down with one hand and starts rubbing her clit with his forefinger at the same time that he grinds his cock up into her pussy while still twisting her nipple.

"Aahh!" Natalya screams with pleasure.

Tadeo feel himself approaching orgasm so he flips her back over and mounts her missionary style. He puts her legs up over each of his shoulders and positioning himself so his cock rubs her clit as he pistons it in and out.

After a few minutes of this he drops her legs and starts fucking her hard and fast. Natalya screams louder and louder with each thrust while bucking her hips up to meet each lunge of his cock in her tight and wet pussy.

Once again the cum races up his shaft and he plasters the inside of her pussy with hot cum. He feels his balls completely empty as he continues to ram his cock in and out of her pussy. Then finally he collapses on top of her with both of them shuddering in intense ecstasy.

Within moments he rolls off of her and says, "I'll have the path to the queen open and her guards distracted. Just make sure you do it right."

Natalya simply smiles. "Don't worry, the job will be done correctly."

Spain 1480

QUEEN ISABELLA QUICKLY AMASSED AN army just as Asrah said. With only the western slope available to attack from, Asrah and his army were already at a disadvantage but Natalya knows the real fight won't be out on the field and the winner won't be determined by which army is left standing.

No it would be here.

"Have Esperanza lead against the main force," Natalya says staring out the window at the amassed force below. "You I want holding the defenses of the palace."

"Mistress," Calista pleads. "I rather stay at your side."

Natalya spins around to face the young assassin. "You will as I say. Asrah has more planned than a simple battle. He wants Roses Red and he plans to take it as whole as he can while using the queen's resources."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know Asrah," Natalya says keeping her anger at bay. "That's the show," she points out the window. "He'll have invaders inside the palace in no time and then he'll come for me. I need you to keep those invaders from taking this palace while I take care of Asrah."

"Then I will do as you command Mistress," Calista says with a deep bow.

As she turns to leave the room Natalya stops her. "Take this," she says handing her a sword. "It is called Kotetsu and will prove very beneficial in dealing with any denizens of Hades."

"But Mistress this is your sword," Calista pleads. "What will you use to defend yourself?"

Natalya reaches into a cabinet and pulls out another sword similar to the one she just gave away. "Yasunaga will do just fine."

Calista nods and rushes out of the room leaving Natalya alone. After a moment when she is sure Calista has left, Natalya says, "You can present yourself at anytime Asrah."

No sooner does she say that does Asrah appear.

"How did Father Mortigan pull off hiding her?" Asrah asks as he paces past Natalya.

"That was the tricky part," Natalya says drawing Yasunaga from its sheath. "You see Calista was Roselyn's twin sister, born just days earlier. But Zephlanith only knew of Roselyn because of her greater lifeforce, never sensing or suspecting Calista."

"Fancy that," Asrah says. "You don't think she is going to be able to save you like Roselyn did this country once before do you?"

"I don't need her to save me," Natalya snaps. "Even with the gift of the Ortega family. I will destroy you, and then remove Isabella."

"You forget how you got here in the first place Natalya and just who Isabella is."

Spain 1470

"HAVE WE A WAY INTO the queen's castle," Asrah asks.

"Of course," Natalya answers bring her horse up next to him. "The human will get us in."

"Can we trust him?"

"After last night and the promises I made him," she says smiling devilishly. "He is more than trustworthy."

Natalya kicks her horse forward when Asrah's hand shoots out to grab her reins. "Cathae will not be happy if we are stopped by a barrier."

"Cathae will just have to trust in her servants now won't she?" she fires back snatching the reins from him and moving forward.

"And you'd do well to respect our current Demon Lord," he warns. "Your ambitions out way your position and do not go unnoticed."

Natalya stops her horse and looks back at him. "Without us Cathae would not fulfill her ambitions. What I seek is my own."

Asrah smiles. "I will keep this conversation between us Natalya, but just remember nothing escapes the eye of a Demon Lord."

"We will see Asrah."

"Yes we will," he says kicking his horse to catch up with hers.

Spain 1480

"YOU WERE RIGHT IN THAT we trust the human," Asrah admits. "A pity you killed him right after. We could have used his loyalties long after."

"Then I saved him the trouble."

"You know," he continues as if ignoring the comment. "I couldn't figure out why you insisted you take command of Roses Red instead of disbanding them. You convinced the queen it was necessary to keeping order and even I believed it."

"So what has changed?" Natalya asks pretending to be bored with the conversation. Something is amiss, but she just can't place what it is. "Jealousy?"

"Of you?" he laughs. "No I have been offered a position higher than you and when this is over, this all," he says spreading his arms out wide as he spins in a circle, "will be mine and I will have achieved in less time what you could not."

"Only one of us will leave here alive today Asrah and it won't be you," she threatens.

He laughs again. "And then what? You and your little army cannot defeat a Demon Lord."

"Maybe not, but I have my aces in my pocket."

Suddenly the door to the room explodes with the body of Calista Ortega crashing to the floor. Natalya hides her surprise well, never taking her eyes off Asrah. Behind the Incubus steps two Greater Demons.

"You think Zephlanith's legacy coursing through her veins will be your answer?" he elucidates. "You cannot be foolish. I've felt her power which is why you wanted all of this, but you haven't learned how to unlock it have you?" Natalya remains silent, gripping Yasunaga even tighter. "If you had, you'd have struck against Isabella."

"So this is her preemptive strike is it?"

"Partly," Asrah admits. "You are a thorn in her side that gets bigger and bigger and the best way of dealing with thorns is to cut them before they knick you."

"Then I guess we'll start with you!" she yells. "Now Calista, strike now!"

Without word Calista is to her feet with Kotetsu in hand.

"You fools!" Asrah yells turning foolishly around. "You should have ensured she was incapacitated!"

"Who's more the fool?" Natalya says leaping and striking out, slashing across Asrah's back and regaining his attention. He spins to block the next strike just in time to avoid being cut in two.

Calista ducks past the swing of the axe of the first demon and spins to cut through his leg at the knee, dropping him to the ground. She continues with the momentum turning it into a roll just in time to avoid a crashing strike by the second as his axe splinters the floor.

As she comes to her feet she lashes out for the demon's head, but misses by mere inches as he ducks down and instead catches the first, sending his head rolling. The demon is up in a flash striking with an upward attack that Calista has to jump backward to avoid. Her back slams against the wall so hard that she rebounds off and back toward the demon. Instead of being caught off guard he is ready and back fists her, sending her spinning to the floor.

"You can't win this," Asrah says pinning Natalya to the desk. Their blades locked tightly together have put them in a standstill. "I am stronger than you."

"You only wish," she replies driving her knee up into his groin. The impact almost doubles him over leaving him vulnerable and Natalya doesn't waste any time in striking, but her attack is stopped short by an axe blade.

Asrah rolls away as Natalya slips to her knees beneath the giant axe and drives her blade up through the skull of the demon. By this time Asrah is back on his feet. He throws out his sword to stab the Natalya, driving the blade into her left shoulder, pinning her to the desk.

"Your last chance," he spits angrily.

"I rather see you in Hades," she bites back.

"So be it." He pulls the blade free lashes out to finish off the Succubus when Kotetsu meets it driving it to the side.

"You don't want this girl," the Incubus warns.

"Maybe not, but I'm here now." A smile creeps onto Asrah's face as his blade meets hers. Calista tries with all the skill she can muster, but the Incubus proves faster and stronger than her. Eventually, Asrah finds an opening and takes it. His blade slips past her defenses and into her chest.

Calista grunts and slides back off the blade to fall into Natalya's waiting arms. "Forgive me Mistress," she sighs. "I have failed you."

Asrah laughs. "You both have failed and the price for failure is death!"