Chapter 12 XII: Meryline

It was a good thing we stopped when we did since the moment I got my clothes back on, there was a knock on Emilia's door, followed by it opening and First Knight Lady Carmella, in her full heavy armor, walking through. She glanced at me and then at Emilia, who was wiping the results of our encounter off her chest. A brief smirk stretched her lips when she met the maid's eyes. "Ah, this is what was happening. I wondered what could have gotten you in this mood with our Queen so busy. Blacksmith, you're late for our lesson. I don't like wasting time tracking you down."

"Yes, First Knight. I'm sorry," I said, nodding deferentially. She motioned with her head, and we headed out. She walked in quick, vast strides, and I didn't have to quite jog to keep up with her, but it was closer than I would've liked.

"Did you enjoy your time with your Cher'da?" She asked nonchalantly. I stumbled and almost fell over. She eyed me out of her periphery, and I gulped, feeling my face heat up.

"It was nice, if unfinished."

"You seemed to have finished just fine. I saw the results myself. You must've been very excited." I didn't respond and just kept walking forward. She pressed into my side slightly, matching my pace. "Ah, you wanted more. You wanted to experience her more fully. I see. You've tasted a queen and the First Knight, yet you still want the maid. Truly, you are insatiable, Johann. Will you even be able to concentrate today? Or will you spend the time pining for what you couldn't have?"

I looked up at her. She was taller than me by more than a bit, especially in those greaves. I stopped, and she did as well, meeting my gaze; I took a step closer to her, took her bare hand, and leaned up slightly, whispering against her neck. "It seems to me that I'm not the only one pining for more."

She didn't quite shiver, but she did linger for a moment longer than she should have, undercutting her words some. "You think I'm pining for you, blacksmith? I can have the Queen in my bed whenever I want."

Today's training was miserable. She put me in full plate mail, forcing me to work through every form she had taught me. I was heavy, clunkier, and slower than I had been since I had first started training. And she kept insisting I go faster, that I try, and I failed again and again. After hours of this, I was exhausted, sweating, and irritable. I tore the helmet off my head and tossed it to the ground, breathing heavily. "Problem, blacksmith?"

"I'm exhausted. I can't wear all of this heavy metal. And I'm not like you. I'm not a knight. I'm a blacksmith! I don't even know why I'm learning all of this swordplay!"

"Gods," the First Knight muttered, staring into the darkening sky. "Men are weak. Expect them to do a little more than usual, and they collapse under the expectation."

"Yep," I replied, annoyance almost drowning the word out. She stepped forward, taking out the sword I'd made for her. She normally wielded it easily in one hand, so I knew she was serious when she held it in both. She charged forward and slashed. More out of instinct than actual thought, I brought my dagger up to block the blow. She followed up the slash a second time, and I barely managed to deflect the blow with my sword. She repeated this a few more times, speeding up each time. Until I couldn't keep up. And I felt her sword scrape against the chestplate. I was thrown to the ground. She stepped forward, putting her boot on my chest and forcing me to the ground.

"You're learning the sword because someone with a mouth as smart as yours should be able to defend yourself. I have neither the time nor the inclination to do so. You've almost died once because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. You're getting used to armor because your form is sloppy, and learning to move in heavy armor will make it easier to move to protect yourself both in it and out of it."

Anger coursed through my veins. She didn't lift her boot from my chest for a moment. And when she started to, I grabbed her ankle and pushed up, throwing my other foot behind her opposite. She began to fall but caught herself on her hands and did a handstand in her armor before launching herself in the air and landing easily. She smirked at me. "I am glad you're learning to fight a little dirty, though, blacksmith. I'll make a warrior out of you, yet."

We ended our lesson shortly after that, and I spent a long time trying to doff the cursed armor. Once I finally got it off, I decided to take a long, hot bath. Meryl was going to have dinner with some dignitaries, and Carmella was going to be there with her as protection, not that it should be necessary. Emilia was also going to be tending to the dinner. I saw how she had dressed for it. Her hair had been styled in a way that hid her ears. My heart sank. I know why she's doing it, but I hate that she has to hide herself at all. I didn't really have any reason to join in on the dinner, and no one had requested my presence explicitly. So, I dressed in some of my less fine clothes and decided to visit the town proper.

To my surprise, they were setting up a fair. Putting up poles that people would wrap lines around and sing, setting up stands where people could hock their wares, and the smell of food was already filling the air. I went over and bought myself a turkey leg. It was tough and a little overcooked, but there wasn't much to be done about it. I heard what the townsfolk were calling the festival. Meryline. It seemed a bit narcissistic to have an entire fair named after you, but I also wasn't a queen and had done nothing to deserve such an honor.

Out of my periphery, I spotted a large, white cat with a huge, fluffy tail. It was well-groomed and had bright, blue eyes. It was watching me. I tore off a piece of the turkey leg and tossed it before the feline. It watched me for a moment, then made its way to the piece of turkey and ate it. I wasn't starving after today and offered the rest of the leg to it. The cat walked up and sniffed at it for a moment, then pounced on it, tearing chunks out of it easily. I wiped my hands on my pants, then hesitantly reached out and stroked the cat's back, scratching just before its tail. It stopped eating and pressed into my hand. "My, aren't you a friendly little cat. Do you have an owner?"

I scratched its neck, and it jumped into my lap and nuzzled into my hands. Despite being very well groomed, it didn't have a collar or any marks of ownership. Our eyes met. I got a decidedly feminine sense from the cat. It might have been my imagination. Her eyes were surrounded by tiny black hairs, giving the impression of makeup. I sat there with the cat in my lap, petting her as I watched them prep the rest of the fair tomorrow, with her purring loudly. No one gave me a second look. After some time, the cat got bored and returned to the turkey. It was well past night, and I decided to wander back to the castle. The castle guards smiled at me. I frowned. Something about their smile seemed... familiar. Knowing somehow. I shrugged and continued on my way.

I went to Meryl's room and knocked. From behind the heavy door, I heard, "Come in." When I did, she smiled at me. "Ah, Johann. It's good to see you. We missed you at dinner."

"Oh, sorry. I thought it was a political dinner and didn't want to intrude."

"You are my consort. Your very existence is political," she replied. "Especially these days."

"I'm sorry. I'll be at the next one if you need me there."

"Need is not quite the word," she said, standing to face me. She was in her flimsy shift, preparing for bed. She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around my neck loosely. "I am the Queen. I can handle any situations that arise myself. I have been doing this most of my life. You are not here to serve me in that way. You're here because I want you here. We want you here."

"We?" I asked thickly.

"Both Emmie and Carm were distraught when you weren't at the dinner to torment. They thought it was a missed opportunity."

"You'd think they would have had their fill of tormenting me today."

"From what I hear, neither of them had their fill of you. Though Emilia did get a feel," she whispered against my lips. I kissed her softly, and she kissed back a little desperately. "You need to go, though. I'm spending the night with Carmella."

"Oh. Okay. But what are you doing tomorrow?"

"What am I doing on Meryline?" she asked incredulously. "I'm overseeing the Queen's Festival."

"Oh. Right. That makes sense."

"Why?"

"I was hoping to take you to the fair and enjoy it a little."

"You wanted to take me out like a commoner and just enjoy the festival?"

"Y-yeah. Sounds kind of stu-" she interrupted me with another kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. After a moment, we heard someone clear their throat and turned. Carmella was watching us, eyebrow raised. She was wearing a tight dress that left little to the imagination. Her tight, corded muscle strained the fabric. I gulped as I looked at her.

"I thought it was our date night tonight, Ryllie."

"It is. I'm sorry. I told him to leave, but he decided to ask me out on a date. Like a normal woman. Isn't that adorable?"

"That it is," the First Knight said, walking up to me. She put her hand on my shoulder and turned me to face her fully. "You can have her tomorrow when she has time. She's mine tonight, though."

"O-of course, First Knight," I said stiffly. I started to walk towards the door when Lady Carmella called out.

"Blacksmith."

"Uh, yeah?" I asked, turning back. She had her arms around Meryl protectively.

"Remember that you have obligations to all of us." I opened my mouth to question what she was talking about, but Meryl stole her attention with a kiss and a hand gripping her muscular ass. I left them to it, smiling. When I returned to my room, I half-expected Emilia to be waiting for me, but no one was there. It seemed... Empty... somehow. Probably just because it's so big. That's it. I stripped and laid down in the huge bed. Alone.

I woke up the next day less alone. No person was in the room with me. But as I stirred in the early morning light, my leg brushed against something soft and furry. I jolted up and looked down. The large, white cat was staring at me, her bright blue eyes watching me, narrowed in annoyance. I stared at the cat with wide eyes. "H-how did you get in here? The door was closed."

The cat didn't answer, of course. She just stretched and meandered over to the warm spot I had just been inhabiting, curling up again. I pet her softly, and she eyed me before deigning to allow it. The door opened, and Meryl walked through. She was dressed in a simple but still refined dress. Something that could work either for a lady or a commoner who splurged quite a bit. She smiled at me. "You're awake. Good."

When she crossed the room, she froze, eyes on the cat. She looked between the two of us, a frown spreading across her face. "Johann, what's this?"

"A cat?" I asked, dumbfounded. "I went out into town last night and gave it a little bit of turkey, and I guess she followed me here. No clue how she got into my room, though."

The cat was eyeing Meryl curiously. Languidly, it got up and padded over to her sniffing the woman. Meryl had gone almost as pale as the cat's white fur. "What's wrong? Are you allergic?"

"Allerg- no, I'm not," she said, forcing her tone to be stable. "Are you looking to adopt her?"

"Uh, it hadn't crossed my mind. I just woke up, and she was here."

"I see," she said, reaching out. The cat pressed itself into her hand and nuzzled into her. After a moment, it nibbled on her fingers a little. "Ow! She's got sharp teeth."

Somehow, the cat looked pleased at these words. Must be my imagination, I thought, shaking my head dismissively. I got up and started to get dressed. "You look nice today, Meryl. But are you sure that's fancy enough for your festival today?"

"It's not my festival, Johann," she said absently, scratching the cat's belly. Her fur puffed up around her chest, giving her a weirdly hourglass figure. I shook my head. I really need to get my head on straight today. Meryl continued, "It's the queen's festival."

"But... You're the Queen. It's called Meryline."

"Yeah, after my great-grandmother, Queen Meryl I. I'm Queen Meryl II. Didn't they teach you this in your village?"

"Uh... No, not really. We're far enough out so that... the everyday lives of royalty never really got to us. I guess we still celebrate it, though," I said, thinking about the small festival we used to have in the village square. It was nothing compared to what everyone was doing here.

"Everyday lives? Queen Meryl the First ended a war with the main continent. She brought our troops back from a bloody and pointless war." I held up a placating hand.

"Meryl," she glared at me. "My liege. My Queen Meryl. I do not doubt your ancestor's accomplishments. But it doesn't change what I said. What happens here in the capital, especially decades, maybe even centuries ago, rarely affects us in the backwaters of nowhere. We were always more concerned with ensuring our crops came in on time and that our kids had enough to last through the winter. I understand that you do a lot. And I appreciate your efforts and your ancestors' efforts more than ever when I lived there. You do a lot, and you do it with a good heart. But it doesn't change the fact that this is all meaningless two months' travel out."

Both she and the cat stared at me for a moment. Then, in a quiet voice, she asked, "You really didn't think anything of royalty in your old life, did you?"

"I never thought I'd meet anyone and didn't really think about them. I didn't have a negative opinion of them. Well, maybe when tax season rolled around, but that was more just because it seemed steep at the time. Now I know why."

"So, your opinion has changed."

"Of course it has. I'd never met a queen before. I didn't understand what they did or why they would do it. And that's not uncommon. It's just hard when everything is so far out of the way for us. We couldn't come and petition you easily. And even if we did, the issue may have worsened or faded entirely by the time we got back."

"So, what would you suggest to make it easier on your people? The people need to be able to trust their royal family. But I see your point. They need to know us to do that."

"Meryl, I don't think there is a solution to this problem. What are you going to do? You provide enough roads, but travel is still slow. Unless you create a way to cover tens of leagues in a day and provide it to the people, there's nothing to be done."

"Johann, that is the solution!" She exclaimed. "And a doable one. I think I have an idea. But it'll have to wait."

She crossed the room and kissed me softly. I started to kiss back but stopped. "Uh... Meryl."

"What?" She asked, annoyance crawling in her tone.

"Th-the cat is watching us."

"Oh?" She responded, reaching down and gripping my crotch, causing me to yelp. "We could give her something to watch."

I was saved when Emilia walked through the door. "Oh, no. You don't have the time for that."

"How long were you waiting out there?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the maid.

"Only long enough for you to start molesting each other. So, just a moment or two. Longer than I expected, given how grabby both of you can be," Emilia responded with an evil grin. Meryl didn't help matters by squeezing my shifting length and rubbing it softly, matching her maid's smile. I groaned and reticently pulled myself from her clutches.

"You're both bad people." Their grins widened at that, and I started out. Meryl had to see to the festivities before anything else. Still, she promised that she would make time to be a regular woman with me later. Emilia accompanied me for most of the day as we watched the different performers juggle or swallow swords. Emilia, who had stolen my arm and stuffed it between her breasts at every opportunity, pointed out that the cat was following us. Still, whenever I looked, I didn't see her. "I don't know what you're talking about. She's a cat. She's going to do her own thing. Doesn't care about what people are doing at all."

"She's a weird cat. And I'm telling you, she's following us. Well, you. I don't think she cares about me at all."

"She's just a stray. I gave her a little food. I'm sure if you did, too, she'd be just as nice to you as she is to me."

"If you say so," Emilia said in a tone that implied that she believed the exact opposite.

Eventually, Emilia had to go back to her regular duties, and I met up with the First Knight. She greeted me in a less than amicable way, pushing my sword and dagger into my chest. They were wearing their sheaths, fortunately. You can't always trust her to guarantee that, I thought. "You're not wearing your sword."

"It's a festival. I didn't think I'd need to."

"And what if a Babryckian decided to take out the foolish blacksmith that killed their beloved Sharcaol?"

"Then I'd die, and you would have to find someone else to torture."

"I haven't started torturing you yet, blacksmith." She said with a soft grin. My heart skipped a beat. Her face was normally so stoic, her eyes dancing back and forth, looking for threats. But just then, she was watching me, a lopsided smile gracing her face. "Patrol with me for a while?"

I nodded, and we circuited the grounds after I strapped my weapons to my hips. We stopped a few people who were playing with sparklers near some dried hay and some drunks that were fighting in the street. They foolishly challenged the First Knight, and she handed me her gauntlets and proceeded to beat the tar out of the four combatants. After she was done, I handed back her gloves and muttered,"Show off."

"You have to show off sometimes, Johann. Remind them to take you seriously."

"I don't think anyone couldn't take you seriously. Even when you're goofy, you're terrifying."

"When have I ever been goofy around you?"

"You did a full front-flip in plate mail."

"I was proving a point."

"In the most ridiculous way I've ever seen."

"In the most ridiculous way you've ever seen," she agreed, smiling down at me. We continued to circuit the grounds until Lady Carmella stopped me and stalked between the stalls. Hearing some soft grunts and moans, I followed her as quietly as possible. Somehow I was still louder than her in her full metal greaves. We found two kids necking against one of the stalls. They were really going at it. The guy even lifted her skirt to reveal a lot of leg. Carmella started forward to interrupt them, but I grabbed her shoulder. She looked back at me, incensed. I shook my head and tugged her back to the street. "Why'd you stop me? Public indecency is a crime, blacksmith."

"They're just kids. Let them have a little fun. Besides, I've seen what you, Meryl, and Emilia get up to. Any definition that calls what those two are doing indecent has to include that."

"That's different," the First Knight said, blushing a little. "We're not hurting anyone."

"Neither are they," I responded. "It's a festival, and I know you know what it's like to let passion get the better of you. Even if it's rare."

"And how do you know that?"

"Well, there was the night you showed up in my bed, naked, and took me because of a little gift."

"I wasn't naked... At first. And it wasn't a little gift, blacksmith," she said, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Hey, Carmella," she looked at me, letting her title slide this once. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I... I don't always understand why you do things, but I know you're just trying to help me. Or torment me. I... I lo-"

She cut me off with a brief kiss. After she broke it, she said, "Not yet, blacksmith. Soon, but not yet."

She left me behind just as my Queen walked up to me, a shawl draped over her head. I almost mistook her for someone else, but her brilliant eyes and perfectly pouty lips couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. She greeted me with a soft smirk. "Johann, you and Carmie seem to be getting on well."