Devotia Ch. 02: Observance

Devotia Chapter Two

Observance

As she crosses into the threshold of the villa that was suddenly hers, Callie briefly feels that her luck might be turning. She had never imagined this amount of luxury, with wide open hallways to allow the temperate air to flow through the building, and milky-white curtains drifting in the open spaces where walls might be if the weather in Solva was anything other than warm and pleasant.

Her breath sticks in her chest as the Knight-Commander escortes her inside, heart pounding with nervousness and excitement. For a moment, she could fantasize about the lure of normalcy, of being a woman who hadn't needed magic to be one. But the tightness in her trousers brings her back to reality, crushing her hopes that this could be something that might happen.

"I will go draw the bath for you," Calvin states quietly, seeming like a boy trying to be on his best behavior. Callie sighs softly, watching him walk down a hallway and turn a corner. Back home she could be publicly whipped just for voicing the thoughts in her head at the moment, born a girl or not.

If only, she grumbles internally, watching for a moment longer before pushing herself to abandon the longing as foolishness. Solva was still new to her, but she doubted that anywhere could be safe for someone like her to want the things she was not wanting. Safety needed to supersede desire.

Turning to explore the rest of the house, Callie focuses her thoughts on escape. What would they do if their Devotia suddenly disappeared? Would she be hunted down and brought back, the Imperium demanding to know why she would dare run? Surely they'd find her secret then and there, embarrassed that they couldn't detect the magic before. She wasn't sure what the punishment for impersonating a holy figure might be, but she doubted it'd be lenient.

She finds a balcony, walking on onto it and discovering that it overlooks a good portion of Solva. She sees the narrow streets of bustling activity, with thatched and tiled roofs interspersed all around. Farther away, she sees the famous stone walls of the city, dotted with battlements and barracks and the promise of safety that had brought her here in the first place. The city was massive; she figured it'd be easy to just disappear into the masses.

But now, she feels trapped by its size and her position overlooking it all. How quickly would word spread? It would take some time to work her way towards the gates, and they'd probably be shut in her face, locking her into this cage of a city.

She isn't aware of how much time has passed, and is surprised to hear the clicking of footsteps on marble and the jangling of plate armor.

"Hal Devotia, your bath is ready," Calvin calls to her. "I warmed it myself."

Callie is confused for a moment before realizing that Calvin must mean magic. She wasn't used to the ways that magic was so commonplace in Solva, piecing together that the strength Calvin was trying to recover through his devotion must refer to his magical abilities.

"I'll be there in a moment," she tells him dismissively, facing out towards the city. She grips the railing of the balcony tightly, trying to push away the part of her that wanted to stay. Once he leaves, she can return to the question of escape. For now, she just needs to withstand the temptation to remain.

What would he even say when he sees down there? She ponders inside. There's so much magic here, maybe it wouldn't even be a surprise.

To her annoyance, Calvin remains at the threshold to the balcony, awaiting her. One hand rests securely on the pommel of his sword while the other hangs slightly awkwardly at his side. She's sure it's just a typical way for Paladins to carry themselves, but eyeing the hand on his sword Callie can't help but be reminded of the threat it carried.

"It's alright, Kight-Commander," she says softly, "I can find my way to the baths myself. You can go, if you want."

She hears the rustle of his armor as he shifts nervously in place. "I was wondering if I might still serve you some more," he utters quietly, taking a careful step forward, now only a few feet behind her. "As Knight-Commander, I'd like to be the first to be acquainted with our new Devotia." He pauses for a moment, taking another step forward. "I hope to have a close working relationship with you."

Callie turns away, closing her eyes and pursing her lips together tightly. She can feel her knuckles turning white as she grips the railing even tighter, her mouth drying up quickly. She lets out a terse breath, opening her eyes and gazing out over the city once more, staring beyond the walls towards the mountainous countryside beyond.

"Is that something you desire as well," another step forward, "Hal Devotia?" He's close enough now that Callie could just lean back from the railing and be up against his chest. He shifts forward gently, armored gloves hovering above her arms and gliding down to rest above her hands. She can feel the warmth of his breath on the back of her neck, causing the hairs there to stand at attention and a shiver to course down her spine.

You can't do this, the voice inside her head told her. You need to get away.

"Yes," her voice breathes out, barely audible above a whisper.

"Was that a 'yes,' hal Devotia?" The paladin asks, his face now just a few inches away from her cheek.

Don't do it! Her insides scream out, goosebumps dancing across her skin as she feels the heat of his voice on the side of her face. She could smell the plain soap of a soldier, crisp and subtle. His gauntlets gently press her hands down into the railing, holding her in place.

Despite her best interests, the desperation inside of her cascades forward. How long has it been since she's been touched like this? How long since she's been held? How long since another has dared to even be this close to her? Consequences slowly drift away from her mind as she feels her head slowly nod in the affirmative.

"Yes," she squeaks quietly.

Calvin's soft lips gently press into her neck as one of his hands drops to her waist, pulling her back into his torso. She presses back into him, a little uncomfortable from the metal of his armor and wishing she could feel the warmth of his skin underneath. She feels the twitch in her pants and wonders what his must feel like right now.

His hand dances across the front of her waist and Callie feels like she could collapse into his arms. His free hand slides up to her neck, fingers lightly grazing across the soft skin before gripping her chin and turning her to kiss him. She's surprised by the rough stubble on his skin, but the softness of his tongue pushing into her mouth sent those thoughts away. He kisses her with an eagerness she couldn't fathom and a tenderness she couldn't resist.

Calvin's lower hand shifts upwards, gently cupping her right breast and massaging it slowly. An involuntary moan escapes her lips and floats into his mouth as he keeps her in a firm embrace, gently pressed up against him, feeling the cool metal slowly warm up against her body.

He pulls out of the kiss smiling brightly, hand dropping from her chin and dropping to the bottom of her shirt, carefully lifting it over her head and setting it aside. Callie gasps quietly as he turns her around to face his strong body, mouth landing onto her other breast, tongue quickly circling around her areola and flicking her nipple.

"Oohhh," she exhales, feeling his hand begin to drift down farther as she leans back into the railing of the balcony. She isn't even worried that she might fall over, convinced he could easily hold her steady.

"I can't believe my luck that you're our Devotia," he utters in a low voice. "You're gorgeous."

A crash of adoration flows across her skin as his breath tickles her chest. "You're ver-," her voice fails as his kisses travel down her chest and onto her stomach. She takes a deep breath, trying to find a coherent thought as her desperation builds. "I'm glad you're my first visitor..." she eventually eeks out.

Calvin looks up at her, beaming. His eyes sparkle with appreciation and she loses herself in his surprisingly long eyelashes. His hand drifts lower still, finding the buckle of her belt and slowly beginning to unclasp it.

A flash of panic spreads across her body as the belt clinks open. She pulls away quickly, telling him, "...wait!" in a shaking voice.

Calvin stops suddenly, looking at her with an expression of confusion, watching the alarm flash across her face. He waits for her to elaborate, but she just stares at him, breathless and afraid. After a few tense moments, his face softens and he smiles kindly. "I understand, it's your first time, isn't it? It's okay, we can go slowly."

"No! I-I mean yes... well..." Callie scrambles for the right words to say, the proper excuse, but comes up short. Somehow he hasn't noticed the tiny bulge in her pants, and she carefully tries to shift back from him slightly.

"It's normal to be nervous you know," his hands tenderly drift across her hips.

"It's not that, it's - I - umm..." she looks away from him, feeling her heart race for a different reason than before. She had been foolish, letting it go this far. Callie mentally kicked herself for giving in, for not listening to the voice of reason in her head. "I'm still so new to the role and I wouldn't want to... umm..."

"It's perfectly natural for a Devotia to-,"

"I just can't! I'm sorry!" Her voice cries out weakly. She tries to shift away from him but he's unintentionally blocking her path out.

"I thought you wanted to-,"

"I do!" Callie bites her tongue to shut herself up. "I-I mean I don't... I don't."

"What changed? I thought you were enjoying yourself," his eyes scan her body anxiously, searching for any evidence of wrongdoing. "Is there anything you'd rather me do to prove my devotion?"

Callie clenches her jaw tightly, now wishing she hadn't let him remove her shirt. She looks away, spotting it a few feet behind him. "No, you've... you've done excellently! Devotion proven! I, uh... bless you or whatever."

Calvin sits back onto his ankles, rocking the weight off of his knees. A serious and concerned expression decorates his face as he thinks to himself.

"Did you recover your strength? Did it work?" Callie tries to hide the anxiety in her voice, but she doubts she's very successful.

Calvin takes a deep breath, holding the air in his lungs for a long moment before letting out a soft exhale. "You're a newcomer, correct?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Calvin turns, reaching out his hand to grab her shirt from behind him and gently folding it into her hands. She takes it and puts it on gratefully. "Suul is a goddess of light, of purity, of energy," he tells her slowly, trying to be careful with his words. "As her Devotia... you, well..." He sighs, deciding to speak his mind clearly. "You have to be honest about it. A blessing can't come from a lie."

Callie's breath catches in her throat, "I'm not lying I jus-,"

A mildly sour and disappointed look takes over his face. He stands, taking a few steps back and leaning against the column at the threshold of the balcony, turning back to face her again. He looks tired, maybe even distraught.

"What do you want?" He says gently after a long moment. "I'm not asking the Devotia, I'm asking you." She can tell he feels caught between difficult realities, hating that he must speak to her so plainly. It seems to unsettle him, stepping briefly out of the world of honorifics and comfortable hierarchy.

Callie thinks for a moment, weighing her options. What would he do if she lied again? He seems nice, but maybe he'd turn on her and she'd be found out. But, what would he do when faced with the truth?

A tense few breaths passed between the two of them as she decided.

"I came to Solva to hide," she says at last, taking the risk of telling the truth. She can feel his expression soften as she speaks, content with her honesty. "I didn't want any of this," she gestures to the villa around them.

"What were you hiding from?" He asks, voice gentle and curious. She appreciates the lack of judgement in his tone.

She rolls the words around in her mouth for a moment. "I wasn't born looking like this," she gestured cautiously down towards her body. "But I wanted to be. A friend of mine used his magic to help me... but it's dangerous where I'm from. I had to run."

"You're threaded?" He sounds surprised, though not disgusted. It was something, at least.

She recalls the magic that had helped her transform. Mykah had pulled strands of light from the rays of the sun, weaving and threading them across her body and slowly changing her form over time, binding the magic to her. Only Mykah himself, or an extraordinarily powerful mage, would be able to undo them.

"Yes," she whispers in reply.

"Great Suul above," Calvin mutters briefly, looking up at the sky. "And that's what you were scared of?"

"Not everything's changed!" She hisses back, a little annoyed and glancing down. "You were about to find out, and where I come from you would've had the right to kill me on the spot! You'd be celebrated for it!"

"I'm sorry," he holds his hands up peaceably. "I didn't realize." He walks forward, leaning against the railing next to Callie. "It's rare here, but not so rare that people have never encountered it. There's no laws against it."

For a brief moment, it felt as though someone had lifted Callie's shoulders up for her and she suddenly feels lighter. "There aren't?"

He shakes his head calmly. "There's some people who wish there were, but you've got those every place you go."

"I won't be attacked just for..." she lets the silence fill out her sentence, unable to finish it herself.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he states proudly, lightly tapping the pommel of his sword. "You're probably the first threaded Devotia, but if Suul chose you, who are we to question Her wisdom?"

Callie was silent for a while, letting the reality of this place wash over her. She wouldn't be hunted down and hurt. She wouldn't have to suffer through suspicious glances and mocking words. She didn't have to run away. Not yet at least.

"I don't want anyone to know," she tells him quietly. "Not yet."

"We can keep it that way for a while, but not forever. I'm not the only person who'll come to you for Suul's blessings."

She hangs her head. "So what am I then, actually? A holy courtesan? Some girl people fuck for magic tokens? I'm safe until the next person comes around and only gets blessed if they can see me naked?"

"Of course not," Calvin smiles softly, placing his hand on top of her hand again. "Sure, sex can be a part of it if you want it to be. Some Devotia are celibate their whole lives."

"But you said it yourself, I can only give out blessings if I'm not lying."

"If that's your way of telling me sex is the only form of devotion you recognize," he smirks, leaning in closer again, "then so be it."

She giggles softly, feeling appreciative of his kindness. "I just don't know what I'm doing here."

"Spend some time reflecting on it, when you can. Try and understand Suul's will, see if you hear Her speaking to you. Figure out what feels true for you and your spirit. The answers will come." He places a gentle hand on her cheek, softly caressing her skin. "You've got time, and I won't tell anyone for as long as you want me to keep it secret."

She sighs, partly in relief and partly feeling the weariness the next few days were sure to entail. "What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Talk to Lord Magister Velena," he tells her. "You'll be safe telling her you're threaded, and she can help guide you going forward."

"Okay," she nods faintly, grateful for his advice. "Thank you, Calvin."

"Of course, Hal Devotia."

"My name's Callana," she tells him quickly. "I usually just go by 'Callie.'"

"It would be improper for me to-,"

"I think we're past that at this point, don't you think?" She smiles at him, a knowing grin of two people who have become surprisingly close in a surprisingly short amount of time.

"If you say so," he smirks, "Hal Devotia."

"My bath is probably cold by now," she says to him, hoping he'll pick up her intent, "isn't it?"

"I would be most happy to assist with that, Hal Devotia," his eyes gleam as he looks at her. She's briefly caught off guard as his palm rapidly heats up, covering her hand in a gentle warmth. "If you'll follow me this way," he extends his arm nobly, and she takes it with gratitude.

Walking back down the hallways of her new home, Callie struggles to accept that life could've been this easy the whole time. A goddess had chosen her, how could anyone back home have denied that? Sure, it was a goddess Callie had never heard of before a few days ago, but a goddess nonetheless.

Pushing a curtain aside, Calvin leads her towards a bath unlike any she's ever seen before. It's easily wide enough to be a pool to swim in, close enough to another balcony to enjoy the lovely air without giving anyone below a view of the inside. Curtains all across the hall dance lightly in the warm breeze of the late spring.

She suddenly feels Calvin's gauntlets at her waist again, confidently and carefully lifting her shirt off of her once more. His hands reach down to unclasp her belt again, and she feels her trousers tighten at his touch, his soft lips parting just enough to kiss her neck.

"If you'll excuse me, Hal Devotia," he says, stepping away from her to kneel at the edge of the bath. Removing his gauntlet and glove and dropping it to the floor carefully, Calvin sinks his hand into the water, which soon begins to steam lightly.

Callie looks down at her pants again, realizing she couldn't just bathe in them. Well, maybe she could, she was Devotia after all, but she wonders if it'd feel more awkward than just removing them.

"Would you like any assistance, Hal Devotia? " Calvin asks politely.

"I can do it," she tells him, trying to hide the timidness in her voice. She quickly realizes that no one has ever seen underneath her pants, not since the threading. "Ahem, but if my Knight-Commander is to service me," she begins, trying to sound more confident than she was, "I wonder how he will bathe in a half-set of plate armor?"

"A problem indeed, Hal Devotia," his face splits open in a wide smile. His hands begin to undo the tight clasps of his breastplate. "Allow me to remedy the issue." A few moments later, the heavy metal clangs against the marble below, revealing a plain tunic underneath.

Turning away from him, Callie takes a deep breath and pulls her trousers down, slipping one leg, and then the other, carefully out of it and trying to push away the tremor in her hands. Her panties follow next, cautiously placed onto the ground with the hope that Calvin was still focused on his armor. The sound of the pauldrons clanking together tells her he is, so she quietly walks forward to the bath and lowers herself into the warm water.

She looks down to see the water shiver slightly with each heavy beat of her heart, and holds herself as close to the edge of the water as she can, hoping the the sides of the bath might shield her from his eyes for a few moments longer. Part of her knows he'll see her naked shortly enough, but the rest of her just wants to delay it for the sake of her nerves.

"How is the water, hal Devotia?" Calvin's voice gently calls out behind her. She doesn't hear his armor jangling anymore, just the soft sound of fabric as he pulls off his own shirt, then pants.

"Excellent, Knight-Commander," she says in a low voice, trying to keep her composure.