An Ode to Uncertainty Ch. 13-14

"I believe my uncle is going to be assassinated. And I am doing nothing about it."

The words spilled out of the young duke's mouth in a quick stream. He still stared at the ceiling. Which was good because Mirja's controlled face dropped for just a moment showing surprise. And fear. She lay down next to him, her face buried in his neck so that he would not see what she looked like. Remembering Lorelee's words she forced herself to continue.

"Why do you say that?" she asked surprised at how calm she sounded.

He turned towards her and the words continued to flow. As if when he finally let them out, he wanted nothing more than to share what had been eating him up from the inside.

"I am not as good a politician as my uncle. If I were to gain the arch-ducal title of Schwabenland it would benefit the Burdogawi. They are our worst opponents in the contest for the throne after emperor Woldenmark."

He drew a breath.

"Lately ... lately there have been rumors. Rumors that something will happen to my uncle. That he is destined to die by violence. He is discounting them as just that, rumors. But I have seen things. There has been ... a figure. Stalking around our house here in Eldor. And every time it has been when my uncle was here. Never otherwise. He spends most of his time in our capital, Regensburg."

Mirja felt a chill run through her body. She opened her mouth to talk but Leopold continued.

"I think they are going to do it at the Emperor's ball. He will be unprotected then. It all makes sense. And I haven't told anyone about any of this."

The young duke went silent. Mirja drew a short breath and forced out the question.

"This figure. What did it look like?"

The young duke turned his haggard face towards her. He blinked but she insisted and nodded.

"Like ... like a ghost. Dark and shadowy. Almost translucent. And when I approached it ... it just disappeared."

Mirja froze. She felt like she was going to faint, and it was only then she realized that she was not breathing. She drew a sharp breath and it took all her effort and training to force a smile back onto her face.

"I'm sure it is nothing," she lied and caressed his face. "But now you've at least told me. Doesn't it feel better?"

He looked at her and then nodded. Then he smiled up at her.

"You are amazing. Do you know that?"

She smirked. Then she forced all thoughts of what he had just said into a corner of her mind, to open later. She drew a long breath and smiled even wider down at him.

"I do know that. Now. Do you want your reward?" she said letting her hand slid down to his member.

His cock went solid as an iron rod in her hand.

***

Mirja thought of the morning in class as Jarl rammed his hard cock into her throat. She focused on the convolution pattern she had woven as her breath slowly depleted. She looked up at Jarl. He was grinning down at her and she could feel the energy potential rise inside her just as her own desire grew. Sigrid held her arms tight behind her back and the pain streaming up from her wrists amplified her pleasure. Just as Mistress Lorelee had detailed out in class just two hours earlier she could almost see Jarl's peak arriving. A fraction of a moment before he came, she primed her pattern and funneled it into the linear stream she had set up as she had started sucking his cock.

"Yes. Yes!"Jarl roared as he emptied himself into her throat.

She released the pattern at the instant of his eruption and felt the power rush through her. Drinking down Jarl's seed was like standing in the middle of a roaring river trying to catch all the power of the water that went past. A surprising fraction of that power was channeled into the linear stream and then directly down to the closest ley line connected to the College crystalline power storage.

Sigrid was pushing her face into Jarl's stomach with one hand and had her wrists in a vice with the other. The pain added to the experience and Mirja relished in the feeling of being utterly used. The warrior woman held her there until her breath was completely spent. And then a little while longer.

"Hold her," Jarl ordered, and Sigrid obeyed.

Mirja felt her body tingling and then at once Sigrid pulled her away and she drew in a ragged breath. She gasped and tried to get air into her body again. Sigrid still held her arms in a tight grip.

"That was good," Jarl said. "But now I have to go breed some more witches," he continued pulling his pants up.

Sigrid let her go and Mirja stood up on weak legs. She had saliva running all the way down to her cunt and it made it even wetter, if possible.

"I hope that new one, Cyra, is there again. Damn. She was good," Jarl said with a grin and then left without another word.

The door slammed and Sigrid turned Mirja towards her.

"Are you all right?"

Mirja nodded and caressed Sigrid's cheek.

"You don't have to ask that every time. I very much enjoy when you two use me like that. Next time. Be a little rougher with me, felt like you were barely gripping my hair this time. Promise?"

Sigrid looked at her with that penetrating stare of hers.

"Promise?"

Sigrid set her jaw. But then sighed.

"Promise," she said nodding.

"Good. Now you can take care of me," she said walking towards the bed.

"I will have the book by tomorrow evening," Sigrid said running her fingers over Mirja's breast.

She had spent a long while between Mirja's legs and had now curled up next to her focusing her attention on Mirja's chest. Mirja just lay there enjoying the other woman's touch. Her words drew her out of her post-coital stupor.

"How?" she said in a squawk.

"I have some friends that will help me."

Mirja lifted her head slightly and looked down at the Sister who had her face close to her left breast and seemed to be studying her stiff nipple intently. Mirja laughed.

"If you get that book by tomorrow night, I promise to be your personal slave for a week. You can order me to do anything and I will do it."

Sigrid looked up at her. Mirja smiled. It wasn't much of a price since she would wish nothing more than for Sigrid to order her around. But the Sister looked at her intently, then nodded and went back to brushing over her nipple with her fingertips. As if her touch unlocked something in Mirja's mind the memories of last night came back.

"Oh," the sound came out like a whimper.

Sigrid froze and withdrew her hand and sat up looking down at her. Mirja looked up at her then sat up and faced her.

"I almost forgot."

Crazy. How could I possibly forget?

Sigrid looked at her with her stern look until she started talking.

"I've been meeting with a young duke at the parlor. He's the one I was with last night."

Sigrid nodded. Mirja tried watching her expression to see if there was any hint of jealousy. Nothing. She would have preferred if there was at least a smidge, but Sigrid was stone-faced as always.

"He's the oldest heir to the Schwabenland archduchy."

She had hoped that would at least generate some kind of response, but Sigrid just looked flatly at her, not even letting her gaze roam down over Mirja's body.

"He told me that he was worried about his uncle's health. His father is dead, so the uncle is his closest living relative. Wait, I'm not sure if his mother is alive or not, but anyway."

Sigrid grunted and her face soured. Mirja knew that face at least, she should get to the point.

"He thinks that someone is going to kill his uncle, and he has seen a mist-like figure around their mansion. A figure that disappeared when he looked straight at or approached it."

Now there was a definite reaction from Sigrid. She tensed up and her fingers went to the place where here finger-daggers were usually placed. The words hung in the air between them for a few moments more.

"Where is this mansion?" Sigrid asked, her jaws clenched.

"I don't know," Mirja said and saw the dissatisfaction in Sigrid's face. "But I can find out. Next time I meet him," she added.

Sigrid grunted, but nodded her head. Then she pulled Mirja towards her and lay down, putting Mirja's head close to hers. Mirja snuggled in, her nose in the crane of Sigrid's neck. She had not slept a lot the last day and soon drifted into sleep.

She awoke in the middle of the night from movement. Opening her eyes, she saw Sigrid standing next to the bed, fully clothed.

"Go back to sleep," the Sister said and leaned down to kiss her. "I have somewhere I have to go."

Mirja nodded and turned over and quickly went back to sleep.

The next time she awoke Sigrid was there next to her again. The Sister's warm skin pressed up against hers. Mirja put an arm around her and snuggled her face into the Sister's neck. With her free hand she roamed the warrior woman's trim body. First over her flat stomach and then lightly over her breasts. The Sister stirred in her sleep and a light moan escaped her lips. Mirja kissed her neck and nibbled her ear as she let her hand continue its exploration all the way down to Sigrid's quim. As she felt the other woman getting wet, she slowly started massaging her clit. With her nose still in Sigrid's neck she heard her breathing getting heavier.

"Don't stop," Sigrid's voice came in a whisper.

"I wasn't intending to," Mirja whispered back.

For a long while she lay there pressed up against Sigrid's back as she slowly brought the Sister to a shivering orgasm.

"Good morning," she whispered in Sigrid's ear as her body relaxed.

Sigrid turned over towards her and there it was again, that honest smile on her lips. Just for a fleeting moment she looked like bliss. Then a wicked little smile appeared.

"Your turn," Sigrid said and slid down along Mirja's body, and it turned out to be a very good morning indeed.

Mirja left just as Jarl came stumbling back through the door of the Lost Princes.

"Hey there," Mirja said smiling up at the prince.

He looked haggardly at her.

"I need some sleep," was the only thing he said as he went past her.

Mirja looked back at him. The Mistresses were running him completely dry. She reminded herself not to draw too much on their bond, he clearly needed all the power for himself. Passing the Library on the way to the her Matrimancy class Mirja looked up at the old building. It was seven stories, all packed full of all the knowledge that the College had been collecting over eons.

There was a saying amongst the students that anything that you wanted to know was already written down and stacked away inside the Library. The only problem was that the books were ordered in the same way as the brain of the head Animancer. Mirja believed that. She had met Master Olgric. Too many times in fact. She shivered as she remembered his fingers on her brow, those tendrils sneaking into her mind.

"Morning Mirja," a voice said next to her.

Mirja looked down from the gargoyles of the Library to the smiling face of Cyra.

"I just wanted to thank you," the other girl said before she had any chance to reply.

Mirja must have looked confused because the redheaded girl continued.

"For the pointers. For the experiments," she said tilting her head conspiratorially.

"Ah. That," Mirja said. "It was nothing."

"It sure was," Cyra said putting her arm in Mirja's. "We low-tiers need to stick together. The Mistresses were most pleased with me last night. And so was I, I have to add," she said, and her mind seemed to wander back to a memory still fresh in her mind. She shivered a little and sighed.

"And did you hear?"

Hear what? Mirja thought but didn't have to wonder long.

"We've been moved to the special tutelage group. Permanently. So, no more general Matrimancy for us," she said in a chirp. "Good thing. If I had to hear one more question about how to untangle a twisted stream, I think I would have screamed."

Mirja nodded. She was not surprised. Both Cyra and her were too talented to be in the general class. That was for the run of the mill students. Those who would go on working parlors in the far reaches of the Empire or tending to women in smaller cities and villages. Those who would never see the inside of an Eldor parlor.

"And you know what," Cyra whispered in her ear.

Mirja looked at the other girl. She was sure that she would soon find out what.

"Between you and me. We are much better than any of the girls in that group."

Mirja did agree. So, she nodded. This seemed to please Cyra to no end and she squeezed Mirja's arm tight.

"Now. You have to tell me exactly how you manipulated that stream that you filled when that man came in your ass. I want to know exactly everything."

Mirja smiled. She had never understood the ones who kept knowledge to themselves. Sharing of information was the only way for the world to progress. So, she told her everything.

"You've been requested again," Lorelee said as the class ended.

Mirja nodded. She was a little surprise as Leopold had said he would be away for a few days. Maybe he was back early.

"Five bells. Sycamore chamber."

Mirja opened her mouth to ask if it was Leopold but remembered that it was not done. Instead she nodded and left. It was already past fourth bell, she would have to go straight there. There would be no time to see Sigrid anyway. Jarl was in class until five. It was a bit strange that he had not requested the hummingbird chamber again. He had kept repeating how much he loved that room. And it was a bit early.

Cyra bid her goodbye outside the Lost Princes, after having interviewed Mirja in detail about if she was really living with Jarl and that woman, as she called Sigrid. Mirja realized that she hadn't thought about it. She still did have her little room in the dorm, but she hadn't been there for weeks. And lately, she spent most nights with Sigrid as Jarl was occupied by the Mistresses experiments. He had looked awful. She had to talk to him about it. They didn't have the right to use him anyway they wanted to. Did they? Not even she had read through all of the fine print in the contracts that they had had to sign on registration day.

The bells struck two as she entered Jarl's chambers. It was empty, just as she had suspected. She knew that Master Cerdic was training Jarl personally every afternoon and the rumor on campus was that there were strange things happening around the training chamber when he was inside. By the seventh, if she knew what he did inside could affect things outside the chamber. It was supposed to be shielded from magical field penetration. That was the whole reason why it was there. So that at least the student in training only killed him or herself and possibly the tutor and not the whole College. She had thought it was only a tale to scare students but after seeing the multitude of scorch marks inside the room the first time she was allowed in she was not so certain anymore.

She managed to squeeze in an hour of studying before she had to leave for the parlor. She decided on walking this time, she had pushed her luck enough with using the pathways lately. Sooner or later Lorelee, or even worse, some other Master or Mistress, would catch her in the act.

It was getting a little colder and she pulled her shawl tighter around herself as a northern breeze ruffled her hair as she passed the bridge from College to Palace [check where the parlor is, who's allowed in?]. She saw a small girl playing with a couple of dolls in the gutter. She leaned down and put two fingers on the girl's dolls and they shook themselves to life and stood up. The girl stared up at her with eyes wide as saucers and started giggling uncontrollably as the dolls invited each other to dance. The girl clapped her hands and Mirja stayed there for a full five drops before she said goodbye and hurried on.

She arrived at the Westerling parlor at four bells and for once had plenty of time to prepare herself. She even had time to take a warm bath and felt cleaner than she had in a long time as she entered the Sycamore chamber as the bells struck the fifth strike with a wide smile on her thin lips. Then she froze. Seated in one of the wide chairs was the princess Else of the Stormpikes and the Wild Ranges.

"We've met before, haven't we?" the princess said as Mirja curtsied in front of her.

Mirja did her best not to let her expression show anything.

"We have, your highness."

The princess nodded.

"I remember you. I do," she said more as if to convince herself then she went silent and seemed to contemplate something that lay far outside the room they were in.

Her eyes seemed to fix on one of the large, painted sycamore trees that was rustling its leaves to a non-existing breeze. Then they snapped back to Mirja.

"The madam says you can help me," she shot out as if throwing down a glove in challenge.

Mirja swallowed and tried to keep her face unperturbed.

"I will of course do my very best," she said nodding.

The princess looked up at her, some of her regal presence gone.

"Not good enough. You have to help me," the last words cracked, and she turned her face away.

Is she crying? Mirja thought. She had no idea how to treat a princess. She took a breath and got down on her knees in front of the woman, putting her hands on hers.

"I will help you. Tell me what's wrong."

The princess' hands were surprisingly cold to the touch and she could almost feel how her own hands drained of heat, as the heat rushed into the princess. She blinked and looked down at Mirja's hands on her own. For a moment Mirja thought she would recoil but instead her head slumped, and she looked at Mirja through tear-stained eyes.

"I ... I ..." she began.

Mirja smiled at her and squeezed her hands lightly.

"It's all right. You can tell me."

"I can't bear children," she blurted out.

Mirja nodded.

"I've lain with more men than I can count, and I have never born a child. I am completely and utterly barren," the princess seemed surprised at the words that had left her mouth.

Mirja smiled at her to go on.

"I know for a fact that Jarl is able to. He's made no less than two of our maids pregnant," she ground her teeth as she confessed this. "He's got bastards running around everywhere. And I haven't been able to bear a single child. And not for lack of trying. I've had all our servants put their seed in me. The guards. The cook. A few of our neighbors. A rug merchant that came for a visit. A striking young man I buy apples from in the street. My physician, but he is an old man so probably not a good example. His son on the other hand, marvelous cock on that one. Still nothing," she said shaking her head.

Mirja nodded. She was slightly impressed with the princess' promiscuity. The first thing she had to do was to check for any diseases that may affect her fertility.

"Do you still bleed?"

The princess stared at her in confusion.

"Every month, I mean."

"Ah. Yes, I do."

Mirja nodded.

"When did you lose your virginity?"

The princess' eyebrows shot up.

"Is that information really needed?"

Mirja nodded. The princess hesitated for a moment but then resigned herself and started talking.

"At twenty-two. I was a late bloomer. But I've made up for it since."

"And how many partners would you estimate that you've had?"

A cheerful little laugh escaped the princess' lips.

"Hundreds. Several hundred, at least. I like men. I like cock," the princess said with a wink.

Mirja didn't know why but it felt liberating hearing that from a noblewoman's mouth.

"So do I," Mirja said. "A little too much sometimes."

The princess laughed a long chiming laugh that made Mirja warm on the inside.

"I like you," the princess said and squeezed Mirja's hand.

***

"You said that she had requested me. But she barely knew who I was," Mirja said as Lorelee turned around towards her adjusting her dress to show off even more cleavage, if that was possible.