Colony Bk. 02

~Promises ~

Ch. 1: Secrets

Previously: Edie looked at Cyrus after the second doorbell, "More neighbors?"

He didn't know. He got up and went down the stairs to answer the door. He opened it and almost choked.

Standing in the foyer, in a blue dress- with a thin leather belt wrapped around a very narrow waist stood a slightly taller, curlier haired version of Justine.

"Can I help you?" He said. It wasn't Justine, but they had the exact same face. It was unmistakable.

"Is Justine here? I am here to take her home." The young woman said pushing her way through the door.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Scarlett, her sister. And I am here to take her back home. She needs to face down her fiancé and her family for what she's done."

"What?"

Now:

Cyrus stammered for a moment. "Excuse me can you walk me through that, just one more time."

"I'm here to take Justine home." She said.

Cyrus blinked confusedly. "And you're her... sister?"

"That's what I said." She answered irritably.

"And she has a...fiancé?" He followed up.

Scarlett didn't answer, her face still showing annoyance. "Is she here?"

"Yeah," Cyrus said. "Let me go find here." He said starting to turn.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Came Justine's voice from the stairs.

Cyrus stopped mid-rotation. "Oh, there she is." He said and turned back around.

Justine reached the bottom of the stairs and was face to face with her sister. The resemblance was shocking. Scarlett was taller, had more defined curves and was clearly a little older, but the faces were nearly identical.

"Get the hell out!" Justine half-yelled.

"Alright, maybe, take a breath." Cyrus started to advise but Justine whirled around on her heel.

"You stay out of this." She snapped. Turning back to face Scarlett, her eyes narrowed.

"And you get out. I don't know why you're here, but you're not welcome. Leave."

"I'm here to take you home, to Francis, and to mom and dad." Scarlett said trying to soften her voice.

Justine laughed, and then kept laughing.

"What's so funny?" Scarlett asked. Cyrus looked at Scarlett, then back to the cackling Justine. Justine gained control of herself.

"They sent you to get me because you never told them." She said. "That's funny."

Beth had wandered in on the scene and watched from a distance.

"What didn't she tell your parents?" Cyrus asked.

"That figures, I wouldn't tell anyone either." Justine barked.

"What happened wasn't Francis' fault- you shouldn't have run away from him." Scarlett said trying to quell the situation.

"I ran away from you!" Justine shouted back. Justine turned to Cyrus, hand on her hip. "Francis is the one and only son of the estate neighboring ours." She explained.

"Estate?" Beth repeated inquisitively.

Justine ignored her. "My parents and Francis' parents concocted an idea. They would agree that Francis and I get married and merge the estates making us a very large, and very wealthy family."

"So I spent my whole childhood, with him. Every waking moment. School, play, dances. He was my friend. I was certain, that I would have a partner for life and get to help my family in the process." She continued.

"Do people still arrange marriages?" Beth asked looking confused.

"Depends where you go." Scarlett said.

"Yeah like on tiny settlements on new planets where they hand out women at the exit." Cyrus said rolling his eyes. Beth shot him a dirty look.

"So we are just a few weeks away. I've turned 18, the date was set for my 19th birthday and-" She stopped and looked at Scarlett. "And I walked in on her and him." She stopped again. "She'd been banging him on and off for years."

The whole room stopped to look at Scarlett. "So," Justine started again. "Go home, go back and bang Francis for the rest of your life. Go have your estate merger wedding with my friend you used to get off when you couldn't handle dad's high standards." She looked Scarlet right in the face, tears rolling off her face.

"And stop following me." She said firmly. "You're who I'm trying to get away from." She turned and left, walking back up the stairs. She stopped and turned around, "And if mom or dad show up here next trying to get me to leave- I'm going to tell them exactly why I left. I'm going to make sure they know it's you who ruined their fortune making plans, who ruined my life, and why I left." She turned back and climbed to the top of the stairs, slamming her door when she arrived.

Beth, Cyrus and Scarlett all stood in tense, awkward silence. Then Beth spoke up. "I think you should leave." She said to Scarlett.

"Like hell." Scarlett said, "I'm not leaving my little sister here with you perverts."

"Big talk coming from a home wrecking sister." Beth said. "In whatever weird perverse way, Justine is part of my family now. If she wants to leave she can, but I'm not going to let you take her."

Scarlett looked at Cyrus, whose face was about as emotional as cement.

"Fine." She said, turning to exit. "But I will be back." Her long red hair whipped as she turned and pulled the door closed behind her.

"Well," Cyrus said. "I think I need some coffee."

"Make enough for me." She called.

"Fine, but this time I get the first mug." He complained as she caught up.

"What happened to ladies first?"

"I don't do etiquette with my morning coffee Beth, I waited yesterday for it to brew and you stole it. I ask for so little..."

They wandered into the kitchen and continued to bicker.

"I'm just saying Beth, when someone gets up early to make the coffee, they should be entitled to the first cup. It comes with the sacrifice."

Beth scoffed, "What sacrifice? Adding grounds and water?"

He put up one finger, "I got up early," He put up a second finger, "I got out of bed. That's two major sacrifices."

"Oh please," She said rolling her eyes. "I have to share one man with two other girls, I think you can handle sharing coffee."

"Do you have to get up every morning to make said man you're sharing?" He asked, "No, that man gets up every morning and makes coffee that you steal."

"Sometimes I steal the man too." She said with a smirk and grabbed the coffee pot.

"Dammit." He said and threw his hands up. Beth laughed at him and poured the first cup. Returning the pot. She smelled her cup and then her face grew serious.

"What should we do for Justine?" She asked.

"I don't know." He said. "But I can think about it while I work on my costume for the party tomorrow." He poured his own mug. "Guess I should get started." He carried the mug upstairs and into his room to begin working on the costume.

Ch. 2: Edie Plays Dress Up

Midway through the afternoon, Cyrus left, informing the girls he was walking to the shop a few blocks away to try and find craft materials.

Edie came downstairs in the early afternoon, she was covered in glitter and found Justine sitting at the table with a glass of wine.

"Where did you get that?" She asked.

"Beth put some in the cooler." She said and took a sip.

"Is it yours?" Edie asked.

"Why, are you going to tattle?" Justine shot back, before taking a sip.

"No." Edie said quietly. "I heard about your sister." Justine stared at the glass, playing in the condensation.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." She said softly.

Justine was silent and Edie turned to leave. "Thanks."

"For what it's worth, I think you won. Cyrus is a decent guy." She said. "He's trying really hard."

"Yeah," She said. "Too bad I have to share."

"I didn't think you minded." Edie said.

"It's fun to think about," She said. "The guy you want with another beautiful woman. It's wrong and twisted. Makes the fantasy exciting. But in actuality it's not so fun."

"Is that why you came here?" She asked, sitting down.

"At least here the sharing is up front." She said and knocked back the glass.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked.

"Make everything ok." She said, "Make this whole arrangement romantic, exciting." She looked at Edie, "Don't make me share." She mused looking like she wanted another glass.

"Well, I don't think I can do that." She said.

"But I might be able to help another way." She said. Justine looked at her. "Did you still want to borrow a costume?"

Justine's face lit up. "Are you serious?" Edie nodded.

"You're always telling me that I should play up my innocence, that Cyrus will be so turned on to... defile it? I'm not sure about the appeal, and I am just not into all of it." Justine looked away again.

"But you are." Edie finished.

"You'd do that for me?" Justine said.

"Yeah." She said. "For you and him."

She offered Justine a hand, who took it and Edie led her upstairs. Beth passed them on her way back down and gave an inquisitive look. "Well, that's new." The girls ignored her and went to Edie's room.

The evening passed with no excitement, no surprises. Scarlett didn't return, and as yet, no one had jobs. The girls entertained themselves and each other and Cyrus cooked. Beth offered to cook, but he insisted he enjoyed being busy.

Dinner was finally ready and served and everyone filed in. Dinner went about like it had before, with the conversation tamer than before. Everyone still getting to know everyone else.

When dinner was over Cyrus stood up and exclaimed. "I have a surprise for Edie. Wait here." He jogged out of the room, the girls murmuring quietly. Popped up through the side entrance to the dining room holding an outfit on a hanger.

"Ta-da!" He said. The outfit was a dark green with glitter and glue formed streaks. It had colored plastic for the wings and the pants looked like ripped pajama pants.

The girls all 'Awwwed.'

"What do you think?" He asked.

"It's perfect!" Edie exclaimed clapping. Cyrus took a bow.

"I hope it fits." He said and then walked the costume back to the closet.

The girls then picked up dinner, and cleaned as a group quickly dispersing to wash up before bed. The period before bed had begun to feel like a very surreal adult hide and seek- with the girls going to their rooms and waiting to see whose door he would walk through.

Cyrus had begun to wish they would rotate rooms so it was a surprise for him too. Then he wouldn't feel so guilty about choosing. Edie was the only one who hadn't gotten any attention- he didn't know how receptive she'd be, but it was effectively her turn.

After finishing his own hygiene, and wrapping up chores in the kitchen that the girls had left, he heard quiet upstairs and headed up. He went to his room, changed into a t-shirt, pajama pants and boxers and shuffled barefoot to Edie's door. He knocked but there was no answer. He opened it finding it was unlocked and leaned in. No Edie. He heard a door open behind him, closed Edie's door and turned around.

"Have you seen Edie, she's not in her-" He turned and saw Edie coming out of Justine's room.

"Oh hi." He said. She was wearing a long shirt and pink pj pants- but even still her narrow frame had an allure he couldn't help but love. "Kinda ruins the surprise if you see me go in."

She looked around, "You could have waited and surprised me." She suggested.

His face scowled. "And that's why your costume is going to be that much better than mine tomorrow. I'm not that creative."

"It takes practice." She said back.

"Should we go to your room?" He asked.

"I am, but not with you." She said trying to sound nice.

"Oh." He said sounding worried.

"It's not you." She said reassuringly. "But between what happened in the kitchen, then you and Beth- all that- it's not me. It's not how I want to behave in a relationship. Maybe one day I'll come around and be the innocent girl who is freaky by night but it hasn't happened yet." She looked up at him with her ice-blue eyes. "I need to get to know you more before I play along with anything else. I don't want to lose myself just because of a marriage union and a fertility contract."

"I understand." He said sounding more apologetic than she expected. "Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Duh." She giggled. "You're not getting out of that, that easily. But for tonight, I do have a surprise for you."

"You do?" He asked. She nodded, leaned up on her toes and gave him a soft kiss. "Come on." She took his hand and led her towards Justine's room.

"I spent all day working on this for you." She said excitedly. Beth's door opened and she came out.

"Are you showing him?" Beth asked. "Can I watch?"

Cyrus looked from one girl to the next. "Showing me what? Y'all are making me nervous."

"Yes, you can." Edie said.

"Show me what?" Cyrus asked again. Edie led him to right in front of the door.

"This." She said and opened it. Cyrus' eyes bugged out, and Beth and Edie giggled.

Standing in the middle of her room was Justine. But she had undergone an incredible transformation. Her hair had been curled at the ends into large rings that twisted down her shoulders and back and had been streaked with gold dye.

Her hair was left loose, but with a portion pulled back into a braid. She was wearing a white dress, with lace cap sleeves that was low but just low enough to tease the top of her cleavage. It hugged her figure down to her flat stomach, trim waist and hung loosely around her butt down to her knees. Her feet were bare.

Her eyes had heavy make-up in dark greys and bronze and coppers, and thick red and yellow streamers hung out the back of the dress and fell in opposite directions like wings. It took Cyrus several minutes to take in what he was seeing, and it wasn't until he had taken in the outfit that he noticed her face was a combination of excitement, nervousness, and confusion. And she had a slight tremble every so often.

"This must have taken forever." He said. "She's beautiful."

Beth pulled him and Edie into the hall. "Edie and Justine worked on the outfit all afternoon. The makeup was mostly me and Justine after the dishes were done. We had to rush it."

"Tell him the best part." Edie said.

"It was her idea." Beth said motioning to Edie. "But the idea was to get Justine to be innocent and nervous like Edie so she could pull off the costume. Well, she's too confident and aggressive. Well one thing led to another and it turns out- she brought a marital aid." Beth said softly.

"A what?" He asked.

"A sex toy." Beth continued. "It's a little egg shaped thing that you stick in your privates and it vibrates." Edie giggled. "So what we did was had her put it... in, and when it came time for the reveal Edie turned it on. We got her to look all confused and innocent by telling her that she had to resist the sensations it caused, and keep resisting until it came out for... you know. The night's activities."

"Seriously?" He asked. They both nodded. He stepped back to the door way and watched Justine in the pure white outfit. He saw a tremble in her knees and her face was heavy with focus. She was looking at the ground.

He went back to the girls. "It's in right now?"

They nodded. "Edie has the remote in her pocket." Beth said. Edie pulled it out and showed him. Beth took it from Edie and said, "Watch, I can turn it up."

Cyrus turned back towards Justine in the room and did. For several seconds, nothing happened but then her face hardened and she shook a little more. She was breathing heavier, and one hand balled into a fist.

Beth giggled and Cyrus turned back. "That's diabolical- what's so funny?"

"I think he likes it." Beth said. He realized she and Edie were looking down.

"Good grief." He scoffed.

"Want the remote before you go in?" Beth asked offering it to him.

"Yeah." He said taking it.

"Enjoy." Edie said, and they both turned to leave.

"Where are y'all going?" He asked.

"What, like we're going to try and sleep with all the noise that outfit and coupling is going to make. We're sleeping down stairs. But you two have fun."

He looked at Edie and mouthed 'thank you'. She smiled and nodded, mouthing 'good night'. And left with Beth.

Cyrus stood outside Justine's room and studied the remote, stuck it in his pocket and went in.

Ch. 3: Masquerade

He closed the door as he walked in, and went to the center of the room. Justine looked up at him, then away, her hand still balled into a fist.

"You look incredible." He said looking her over, walking behind her touching her hair, her braid and the streamers. "Did they go with fairy of some kind?"

Her voice trembled unsteadily, "I-I'm a fire nymph Edie says."

"A fire nymph," He repeated, "That sounds intense." He said making his way back around to face her. "Is there a story to this fire nymph? Did Edie offer up any background or exposition? I'm brand new to nymphs." He said lifting her chin so she had to look him in the eyes.

"She-She said that my father, the nymph king sold me. I was so beautiful he knew I would fetch a high price, so he traded my body to you for more power." While she was talking, he slid the slide-switch on the remote up a little. She panted quietly, her eye lids drooping as she tried to fight the sensations.

"He sold you or your body?" Cyrus said, moving curls of hair from her face gently.

Her shaking became more pronounced and she struggled to hold her breath while speaking. "He sold all of me, b-but, but my body was what you really wanted."

"I see," He said, and pushed on the side of her foot so it touched the other. She squeezed her eyes and her mouth fell open for a second. "So, in this story Edie came up with for you," He moved around behind her, pointedly looking her up and down, feeling her shoulders, back and ribs. "Where, your father sells you- the quiet, meek, young nymph princess to me. What is happening now. I assume you've just arrived."

Justine was breathing harder, no longer able to keep sounds out of her throat. "Y-y-yes, you had me taken to your room so you could inspect me right away." She looked down and winced. "I was made to w-w-wear white to show my purity-ah!" She gave a pained pant, "even though everyone knows I'm not here to be pure."

"Edie is quite the story teller." He said, "Maybe I should play along then and inspect you." He said. She nodded, eyes still closed.

He ran his hands down her back and around her waist, feeling her flat, taught stomach. She panted and gasped. His palms slid from her stomach to her sides and down her legs then back up. "You're so firm. Are you tense?"

She nodded again. "I was promised soft, gentle," He ran his hands up to her neck and turned her head toward him. "Innocent." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. Her lips parted but struggled to kiss him back. His tongue felt hers, her lips moved only slightly and her breathing was rapid and irregular.

He noticed her hips were starting to wiggle and fidget. She was leaning into him with the kiss and her bottom lip was shaking. His hands wrapped around her pulling her in for the kiss and slid down her legs the ends of his fingers on her thighs.

"You're not wearing underwear." He said. Breaking his kiss from her lips and kissing her neck. "Your father knows what I like," He moved his hand inside her thigh and felt it. It was taught and smooth. His finger pulled away and he felt them- they were wet and slick. "And what I want."

Her streamers made crinkling sounds as her hips swayed back and forth against him, without her control. The vibrator in her was sending wave after wave of pleasure across her. She felt herself dripping down the inside of her leg.

Her knees started to bend to try and get relief from the sensations but couldn't with Cyrus behind her. He ran his hand up her leg and pulled the hem of the dress up. He held it exposing her lower thighs and ran his hand along them, his mouth still kissing her shoulders and neck. "You have the best legs."