Casus Belli Ch. 06: Darkness Falls

"I felt his hands take hold of my head on both sides, and lift it a little, and then his thumbs caressed my temples while his eyes locked with mine. He asked me if I was ready, and I just nodded, and then I felt my labia stretch as he started to push fully inside me. It felt wonderful, and then there was this stab of pain as he hit my hymen. He eased off, the pain disappeared, and his head moved down again. His lips met mine, we kissed, and then his hips delivered this short powerful stab. I yelped inside his mouth, and then I felt the pain ebb away, until it was nothing more than a slight discomfort. My muscles relaxed, and he reacted by slowly pushing deeper inside, but only an inch or so."

"He then backed up a little again, before pushing in again, a little bit deeper this time. It didn't hurt, and I moaned softly, and then he pulled all the way back and slowly pushed in again. He kept doing this, going a bit deeper with every stroke, stretching me gently until, at last, I felt his balls against my butt. I felt so proud that I had taken all of him, and then he started to fuck me, slowly, with long deep strokes." Leavy let out this long shuddering moan, "It felt so good, my whole world shrank to this cock inside my pussy. I had pleasured myself before, but this was something else entirely. Deep feelings spread slowly through my abdomen, and my hips started to rock upwards every time he pushed inside."

Cassandra's own hips were gently rocking too by now, in response to Vala's busy fingers, but she wasn't aware of it, as she was entranced by Leavy's husky voice. "The pleasure then spread further," the platinum blonde continued, "into my chest, into my breasts, and to my hardened nipples, which were being rubbed by his chest. My belly was on fire by then, I felt the heat crawl up my spine, and then I came. I started this lustful scream, but he muffled it with his mouth, and we kissed as I felt my pussy squeeze his thick cock. He stopped moving, until the orgasm passed, and then he slowly pulled out."

***

"I thought it was over, that he had come inside me without me noticing, it being my first time. Having just experienced a terrific orgasm I didn't complain though, and then he pecked my nose and told me to turn around, and I realized he wasn't finished with me yet after all." Leavy whimpered softly, and then she continued, "He let go of my head and sat back while I turned onto my belly, and then he told me to get on all fours for him, on my knees and elbows. I did as asked, and then he pushed his hands between my thighs and made me spread wide. I was like putty in his hands as he positioned me, with my back arched and my ass sticking up."

"This felt very different," Leavy said, and Cassandra noticed her maiden was getting even more aroused. "I realized 'training' was over, and that I would really be getting it, that I would now be making amends for my earlier teasing. He didn't make me wait long, and while he wasn't rough or anything, he did go balls deep in one go this time. I was so wet I only felt this delicious stretching as he impaled me, and then he started to fuck me again, much harder this time. It didn't take me long to get all worked up again, for my whole body to feel on fire once more. My hips started to move all by themselves, rocking back against him on his rhythm, and soon I felt his cock starting to swell inside me."

Leavy mewled softly, and Cassandra could hear how wet she was, or was it her own wetness? "He stayed deeper inside me now," Leavy breathed, "short powerful strokes driving me mad. I sank through my arms, burying my face in the mattress, and opening myself even wider for him while I felt the mother of all orgasms approaching like a runaway wagon. He himself was like a runaway wagon too, slamming himself inside me, his fingers clawing at my hips. His cock pulsed, and then I felt his hot semen spill inside me. A man was filling my pussy with his seed for the first time, and I just exploded beneath him."

Leavy closed her eyes, and she moaned loudly as the orgasm washed over her, and so did Cassandra, her pussy contracting desperately around the imaginary cock filling her eager belly with imaginary seed. It was a gentle but intense orgasm, slowly burning its way through her, and when it was finally over she realized only two out of three girls had come. Vala's hand was only gently cupping her now, and slipped away as she turned halfway around. "I'm sorry," Cassandra said, as her eyes met the redhead's, "for ignoring your needs."

Vala smiled softly, "Don't worry," she answered, "I enjoyed Leavy's story, and I also enjoyed giving you pleasure." The redhead moved closer, and then she pecked her on the nose, before reaching towards the light switching cord. There was this familiar soft click, followed by the dimming of the light as the crystals above lost power. "Sleep well milady," Vala whispered, while Cassandra felt Leavy snuggle up against her back.

Disaster strikes

Cassandra stretched as Denora's soft voice woke her, sleep had come easily, and she had slept way better than expected. Leavy and Vala were waking up, and stretching themselves, too, and then they snuggled up against her and gave her a nice two-way hug. They got up, and as they entered the living room breakfast was already waiting. The other three maiden's welcomed them as they sat themselves down at the table. It was breakfast as usual, and while they were eating she asked Denora if there had been any news. Couriers seldom arrived during the night, but sometimes they did.

Denora shook her head, "No, and please don't worry about it milady, it'll get you nowhere." Her senior maiden was right of course, but it was easier said than done.

After breakfast Denora, Vala, and Leavy, accompanied her to the bathroom, and they had a nice long bath. To her relief neither of her sleeping buddies spoke about what had happened during the night, even when Denora started fishing a little. Back at her bedchamber she chose a simple emerald green dress, and by the time Vala and Leavy were finished with her hair and makeup it was time for the daily council meeting. When she entered the conference rooms not much later she found the council gathered as usual, but the atmosphere wasn't good, with everyone present clearly fearing no news was bad news.

They discussed the lack of news from Brando and the army briefly, and decided to send a cavalry scouting unit south, to Roha, by way of Nadrac. Once this was handled the more mundane issues of government came on the table, but with no one in the mood for it they only discussed the really urgent stuff, and put the rest of it on hold for the time being. The result was that Cassandra was back in her private rooms fairly quickly, and then started to wonder if putting the non-urgent stuff on hold had been a smart move after all, as she sure could have used the distraction. They had tea instead, with all the maidens clearly trying to keep her mind away from matters of state, and military matters especially.

While they were having tea Syldan proposed a Krujac training session that afternoon, and they all agreed enthusiastically. They stretched tea till lunch, and once lunch was finished they got up in order to gear up for Krujac training, which was when the trumpets announced an arrival at last. Cassandra froze while Leavy and Moiga hurried over to the south-east facing windows that looked out on the main gate. She watched the two maidens intently, and it was Leavy that, after an endless moment, turned her face towards her. Cassandra felt her blood turn cold.

"It doesn't look good," Leavy simply stated, confirming her fears.

"You wait here," she heard Denora say, and she realized, while Polly and Syldan appeared at her sides, that her senior maiden had just given her an order. She couldn't care less.

A pair of arms closed around her from behind, and their light complexion told her they were Vala's. Leavy and Moiga appeared at her sides next, and then the waiting started. "Just remember we're all here for you," Syldan whispered, as she reached out and put a hand on her upper arm. Time seemed to slow down to a near standstill, and then she heard footsteps closing in the private hallway. The doors opened, and Denora came in, looking worried. Behind her entered a lieutenant, in a dirty uniform, covered in grime, and with a bloodied bandage around his head. He stepped towards her, and then he got down on a knee.

"Please, get up," Cassandra heard herself say, "You're in no condition for formalities."

The lieutenant rose, he was young, mid-twenties by the looks of it. "Lieutenant Osarga," he introduced himself, "With an urgent message from General Kiran." Cassandra shuddered, and a soft wail escaped her. "No, your highness," the lieutenant added hastily, "He's just missing." She grabbed the offered life line, and regained her balance. "Sir Boruga went missing in combat," the lieutenant explained, "which in most cases means he got wounded, or got himself captured, or both."

Cassandra nodded slowly, "I understand, thank you. Could you now please explain to me what happened? We were supposed to win this battle, and by the looks of it we didn't."

The Lieutenant swallowed, "It turned out to be a trap. We found the orc eastern army in the process of engaging Roha's defenses, as expected. So the army deployed stealthily, to encircle them, in order to be able to squash them between it and Roha's defenses. They had scouts out though, their army started to move in response to ours, and a maneuvering battle resulted. But they didn't really commit, and used their war-beast cavalry to get out of tight spots every time we managed to corner them. By nightfall the armies were facing off along a west to east line, with the orc army positioned to the south of us."

During the night they tried to sneak into our rear around our western flank, which we negated by anchoring it to Roha's defenses. At dawn it proved to have only been a distraction though, as they had taken up positions on our eastern flank without us noticing. They hadn't been fast enough to get into our rear though, or so we thought. Once the sun was well up their western army appeared out of nowhere, closing on us from the north. Gods know how they managed that. So now we found ourselves surrounded, and then the orc eastern army stopped evading, and their combined forces attacked. We still had a numerical advantage, but we were also in the open, enabling them to employ those war beasts of theirs to maximum effect.

They cut us to ribbons, it was a massacre. On the western side of the battlefield some units managed to retreat into Roha, and General Kiran managed to break through the orcish lines towards the north with maybe a third of the army, but the rest is gone. After the breakthrough the retreat turned into a rout. When the General send me to Iriskan, to inform you about what had happened, he was busy trying to rally what was left of the army. He will try to put up a defense at Nadrac, but chances are what's left of the army will fall back all the way to Iriskan." The young man looked devastated by now, "I'm so sorry your highness," he managed, "we all failed you."

Cassandra's mind was in turmoil, and it took her a while to answer, "Please don't blame yourself Lieutenant, it has become clear to me that we never stood a chance to start with, because we never grasped the true capabilities these orcs ranged against us, we might not even now." She looked at Denora next, "Could you please arrange for the Lieutenant to be escorted to General Marecomb's office?" Denora nodded. "And make sure he's taken to Bromodin's infirmary afterwards, and taken good care off," she added.

"Thank you, your highness," the young man reacted, "it's more than I deserve for failing you."

Cassandra shook her head, "No, you haven't failed me, I have failed you, and all those soldiers that died for nothing, please forgive me."

The young man clearly didn't know how to react, but Denora did, and she addressed her maiden's, "Leavy, Moiga, could you please escort the Lieutenant to Marecomb's offices, and to the infirmary afterwards, as milady wishes?"

Both girls nodded, and they escorted the Lieutenant out while Cassandra dropped her head and stared at the floor. The doors closed with a soft thud, "Is he gone," Cassandra whispered to no one in particular.

"Yes," Vala whispered. Her arms had left her just before the Lieutenant entered, and were now holding her again.

Cassandra felt tears well up in her eyes, and she whimpered softly while they started running down her cheeks. "I'm so afraid," she managed, her voice trembling, "I'm so afraid he's dead." Her other maidens piled in. "And what now?" she wailed. "What am I supposed to do now? I can't... I won't... It has been enough, enough dead. Gods know how many died at Roha. I'm going to end this, and I'm going to end it now, save what's still there to save."

Denora had closed from her front, and now pulled her close against her, hugging her. "Relax," she whispered in her ear, "get a grip. You can't think straight in the state you're currently in."

Cassandra knew her senior maiden was right. Luckily four pairs of hands were holding her, supporting her way beyond the physical realm. She pulled strength from them, and used it to reorganize her mind. This wasn't a war anymore, this was now a salvage operation. She had to save those soldiers still alive, hopefully including the one she loved most. She also had to save her people, from the slaughter and pillaging the orcs had promised resistance would bring them. And lastly she had to save the nobility from being put to the sword, especially the children, nothing else mattered anymore.

***

They still clung together when Leavy and Moiga returned, and after the two had joined their little group hug for a moment Cassandra asked Denora to arrange for the council to gather as soon as possible. Leavy and Moiga then informed her that when they returned from the infirmary the councilors had already started arriving at the conference rooms. She wanted to go and see them immediately, but Denora stopped her, and then pointed out to her that her crying had ruined her make up. So she paid her bedchamber a visit first, where Vala and Leavy went to work to repair the damage.

When Cassandra neared her conference rooms not much later panicky voices were the first signs of the mayhem she was going to find inside. Denora and Moiga were accompanying her, "You'll have to be their rock," the former said.

Cassandra nodded, "I would like the two of you to accompany me inside, but can you be rocks too? Nothing will calm them as much as three unperturbed girls." The two maidens smiled softly, and she realized their attitude boosted her own confidence too. When they entered the conference rooms they found a small group of councilors busy trying to calm the others. She noted who the former were, for future reference, as these were the men that would keep a cool head on the no doubt bumpy road now awaiting them too. It took the gathered councilors a moment to register her arrival, and then silence descended.

She sat down at the head of the table, after which her two maidens positioned themselves at her sides. The councilors took their places too, and she noticed the fearful expressions on many of their faces. When everyone, except Denora and Moiga, was sitting, she looked to Marecomb at her right, and to his credit he didn't look away. "The army failed you, your highness," he said, "I'm so sorry."

It was almost a repeat of what the Lieutenant had said to her less than an hour ago, and she reacted the same way as before. "It isn't the army's fault, General, I have no doubt they fought bravely. No, it's our fault, because we didn't foresee the orcish moves."

Marecomb shrugged, looking defeated, "We haven't a clue about how they managed to get their western army across the river, and into position to the north of ours at exactly the right moment. It's impossible..."

Cassandra reached out, and put her hand on his, "They had a way to communicate, and coordinate their actions, we weren't aware of. So they must have had yet another trick up their sleeves we weren't aware of, something that enabled them to overcome an impossible river crossing. The details don't matter, it just happened."

The General shook his head, "We must find out how they did it, your highness, to prevent them from surprising us with this trick again in the future."

Cassandra swallowed, "The future? The army has been decisively defeated General, there is no future..."

Marecomb rose, leaning a bit forward on his knuckles, "The army is retreating towards Nadrac, and we're in the process of forming the volunteers that have been arriving at Iriskan from all over the country in droves into a powerful militia. If the orcs suffered serious losses too at Roha there's still..."

"We surrender," Cassandra interrupted him. Marecomb's mouth stayed open for a moment, and then it shut with an audible snap. "Untrained young men and family fathers armed with pitchforks, and a third of what remained of our regular army before Roha at best, against a now reunited orc army," she continued, "they wouldn't stand a chance. I'm not going to squander their lives away for no gain. This bloodletting has lasted long enough, it has to stop, and it has to stop now. Enough brave men have died in this hopeless war already."

No one as much as blinked, they all just stared back at her, their eyes wide. After a long moment Burgon Goban cleared his throat, "Your highness, have you forgotten this means the death penalty for all the nobles?"

Cassandra was personally more worried about the fate of the common people. She looked around the table, checking faces, and naked fear stared back at her in many cases. "We renegotiate," she said. "We try to look as fearsome as we can still muster, and we renegotiate." She locked eyes with Marecomb, who was sitting down again, "I'm appointing you head of the delegation," she said, "I want you and Burgon Magwick on your way to Roha, by Nadrac, as fast as possible."

She watched the much more capable diplomat in Marecomb take over from the only mediocre general in an instant. "Yes your highness, as you wish," he reacted. He then cocked his head, "What do we want from these negotiations? What surrender conditions are we willing to agree too?"

Cassandra frowned for a moment, "The only really non-negotiable demands are that the Nigawan commoners are not to be harmed any further." She glanced at her maidens, "Servants of the nobility included. No killing, no enslaving, no destroying or confiscating of their property, nothing. In addition to that they must agree to spare the children of the nobles too. If they don't agree to that, we'll fight to the bitter end, and draw as much blood from them as we can." She swallowed, "That aside it would be nice to have them agree to spare the adult nobles lives too. And should they agree to that it would be nice if they would be willing to spare them from slavery also."

She looked down, "My father was, officially, responsible for the genocide our army performed. I inherited that responsibility, and I'm willing to pay the price for it. If the orcs want my head, they can have it." Her voice broke, "I'll die for my people if I have too." The fear on many of the councilors' faces turned into shock, and pity, and she felt her eyes moistening as she started to lose it. Then a maiden's hand came down on each of her trembling shoulders, in a display of care and support, and it steadied her. Cassandra blinked back her tears as she straightened, and watched shock and pity turn into respect on the faces observing her.

***

Walking back to her private rooms, with Denora and Moiga accompanying her, Cassandra felt strangely relieved, as if a great weight had lifted from her. "Are you okay?" Denora's voice sounded concerned.