Ghost Writer Ch. 04

The second person was Lieselotte's half-sister, Raugravine Caroline Elisabeth Palatine. From the moment Vivant saw her, a strange feeling they had met before washed over her. Crystal azure eyes burned through Vivant's soul like coals and pale pink lips stood stark against the fair skin of her face, framed by a wealth of golden locks. Her stunning beauty made Vivant feel very ordinary, and even more masculine than her short cropped straight black hair and broad shoulders normally made her feel.

Time seemed to slow as Vivant stepped forwards to acknowledge the young Princess's greeting, as Vivant reached out a hand to take the Princess's a spark of blue light shot between them.

For a moment, Vivant was floating above a wooded clearing, a wide bladed sword in her hands that gleamed like quicksilver, and dripped green gore. A host of inhuman bodies littered the ground below her feet and a comely blonde girl stood by, surrounded by a blazing aura.

There was a feeling like a thunderclap and with a jolt Vivant returned to the present, staring at a woman she felt she knew very well, but had never seen before.

"Vivant de Manco?" Caroline questioned. "I feel as though we have met."

"I think if we had, I would have remembered my lady." Vivant replied, taking hold of her hand. "For your beauty is rapturous to mine eye."

The Princess's cheeks flushed red at the offered compliment, and it wasn't until the Duke coughed that Vivant remembered they were in company.

That evening, Vivant was waiting to be announced in to the formal hall that the celebration banquet was being held. The Duke had just entered with his wife on his arm, and the Chevalier de Lorraine was stood with the Raugravine just ahead of Vivant. Things had been very confusing since she had met the Raugravine. It was as if there was someone else inside her head half controlling her actions, but not her thoughts. To add to that, her arm had begun to sting as if cut while the flesh remained unmarked. It felt like there was a fire under her skin burning its way out.

The Raugravine beckoned to her, and she took a step forwards, her body feeling unnaturally heavy.

"Vivant. I am feeling a little light headed, would you take my side as the Chevalier takes the other?" The young Princess requested.

Feeling a little unstable herself, Vivant nodded wondering if the Chevalier would be able to hold them both up.

"Chevalier de Manco." Lorraine addressed her. "I admit I wasn't sure about you when we first met, but now I realise you are not someone I need to be jealous of, so I think we will be good friends." The tall gentleman told her with a gracious smile which drifted in to one of honesty. "And I really do thank you for ensuring that Phillippe made it back safely."

The feeling that went in to the statement warmed Vivant, and she realised just how deep the affection was between the Duke and his male lover.

"Thank you Chevalier." Vivant replied graciously. "I can assure you, that the Duke is of no interest to me past being my commander."

"Please, you must call me Lorraine, my first name is Phillippe, but that just gets confusing. And I fully understand that you are of no interest to the Duke, Vivant." Lorraine smiled warmly. "Which is why Caroline will be looking after you tonight."

The way Lorraine spoke the Raugravine's name suggested that they knew something that Vivant didn't, but she was fairly sure that the Duke had told him of her secret. Which she had to admit was sensible.

The Raugravine placed a hand on top of Vivant's, giving a slight squeeze as she did so. "I do find you fascinating Vivant, it is almost like we have met before. Are you sure you haven't been to Heidelberg?"

The obscure image of the clearing in the woods came to mind once more, and Vivant tried desperately to remember how she knew that area so vividly, but even as she concentrated on the picture, it slipped from her memory like water, leaving her feeling unstable and slightly nauseous. One thing she was certain of though, was that, apart from her time with the army, she had never set foot outside of France, let alone been to Heidelberg.

"I am afraid I haven't Raugravine." Vivant replied as they stepped in to the reception hall. "But there is a part of me that wishes I had. I may have met you sooner."

Caroline glanced to her side catching Vivant's eye, a small smile gracing her lips. "Oh, I like you Vivant. I think we will be very close friends."

There was something about the way the Raugravine emphasised the word 'close' that sent a small shiver of excitement up Vivant's spine. She had never experienced a feeling like this before, yet somehow it all felt very accustomed, like they had spent far more than a few moments together.

As the pair moved through the assembled dignitaries, Caroline taking the time to introduce Vivant to a handful of the more important nobles, ones to consider trustworthy, and ones to watch out for. The small orchestra changed tempo and began to play an interesting tune of a type that Vivant hadn't heard before.

"Wonderful." Caroline expressed. "Will you dance with me Vivant?"

A small flush of heat touched Vivant's cheeks. "I am unable Raugravine." She replied. "I have never been schooled in the form of dancing."

The ocean blue eyes locked on to Vivant's slight embarrassment, then the full lips creased in to a smile once more. "Follow my lead Chevalière." She instructed. "I have an inkling you will adapt quickly."

Taking Vivant by the hand, Caroline lead her out on to the dance floor and slotted them in to the oval of couples stepping daintily around the floor. Vivant felt uncomfortable, clumsy and completely out of place amongst the titled and wealthy, but Caroline's fingers held her hand tightly and warmly, giving slight tugs to indicate which direction she had to step in. True to her words, Vivant realise that Caroline had indeed been correct, and the movement and tempo felt natural and easy. The stepping wasn't a great deal different to how a blades master would step whilst fencing, and before long the pair were gliding effortlessly and gracefully, in perfect harmony with each other.

"See Vivant. You're a natural." Caroline winked. "I wonder what else you're a natural at."

Vivant's steps faltered for a second, distracted by the almost indecent insinuation and they collided with another couple. The man, slightly older than Vivant had a long fashionable dark wig with rouged cheeks, and he glared angrily at the interlopers.

"Forgive us Duke." Caroline bade. "I was showing the Chevalière how to minuet and we forgot to pause."

"Damn peasants should be more careful." The noble insulted. "Honestly don't understand why they let you in here."

The Raugravine flushed, shocked at the rude man's tone.

To Vivant, the unknown Duke reminded her of too many arrogant fops that thought they could insult anyone just because they had a higher title.

"I find your attitude intrusive Duke." Vivant spoke without thinking. "If you were a true noble and gentleman, you would apologize to the Raugravine."

The Duke ran his gaze over Vivant, his expression the same as if he had stepped in something foul. "I don't know you, nor do I wish to. You stink of horses."

The orchestra had ceased their playing and the room had fallen silent. The gather crowd watching the face off with interest.

"This is the Chevalière Vivant Manco." Caroline announced to the Duke, her voice edged with seething irritation. "Vivant this is the Duke of Piney-Luxembourg. François-Henri de Montmorency."

"Ah. Phillippe's attack dog." The Duke sneered once more. "So, I was right about the horses."

"And you are the butcherer of innocents." Vivant replied quickly. "Achieved a great victory for France by murdering hundreds of women and children from my memory."

The Duke leered at Vivant. "I will have you know the King and I are good friends and I've a good mind to ask him to allow a duel, so I can demand satisfaction."

Opening her mouth to reply, Vivant was interrupted by a commanding voice.

"Duke de Montmorency. You should be careful of your words. I am tempted to allow a small duel to liven the party a little."

Every head in the room but one turned to face Louis XIV. Resplendent in his normal gold trimmed attire, a look of amusement on his face.

Realising his error the Duke bowed low. "Forgive me Highness. Words spoken in anger and haste."

The King's eyes drifted lazily from the fawning Duke to Vivant, a shrewd look on his face, then her turned to his brother who was glaring at the pompous Duke angrily. "Phillippe. Do you think it would be entertaining if the Duke were allowed to demand satisfaction?"

Phillippe's eyes met Vivant's, and she made the smallest nod. Confident of her ability.

"I think it would be very entertaining brother." Phillippe replied, his anger replaced by mirth.

"Then let us step outside and clear this trivial matter up, although I think first blood would be an ample a decider, but the winner should be awarded five hundred gold livre."

There was a muted whisper amongst the gather crowd. Not only was there to be a duel, but the sum of money was sizable. Even to the richer nobles.

Louis waved a hand and immediately two liveried footmen sprang forth and opened the glazed doors that led out on to the graveled pathway outside the ballroom.

"Don't be fooled by his foppishness." Caroline whispered to Vivant. "He is a good swordsman. He will attack rapidly and ferociously, wanting to belittle you. Plus." She added with a wink. "He can't afford to lose, he hasn't got the funds."

The Duke indeed appeared flustered by the turn of events and was clearly growing more and more agitated. Vivant, for the first time had a glimpse of how battles were fought within the nobility. Not with blood steel and cannon, but with words, gold and clever manipulation of a situation. Given the choice, she would prefer the former to the latter.

The pea shale gravel crunched under Vivant's boots as the dueling pair stepped outside. She paused to breath in the evening air, glad to be outside and away from the confines of the crowds. Her father's words filtered in to her head... A duel can be won before the steel is drawn.

Casually, Vivant slipped her long jacket off her shoulders and folded it meticulously before handing it to Caroline, whose hand she took and kissed lightly, winking as she did so.

A pair of guards stepped forwards and placed two simple plain swords, one for each combatant on the gravel. The Duke stooping to taking his with distaste at the simplicity of it. Vivant, thanking the guard, stepped forwards, her eyes fixed on the Duke. She placed the toe of her boot under the blade and flicked it in to the air, catching the hilt in her hand. Still watching the Duke, she felt the weapon, judging its balance. Admittedly she was more at home with a sabre, but the rapier was very similar to the type her father had trained her with and she felt very comfortable with it in her hand. She glanced at the Duke once more and swapped the sword to her left hand, drawing a whisper of excitement from the crowd.

She had the Duke fully under her control now. She had made a big enough show of swapping hands to express her contempt at his supposed skill, although as far as she knew, it was only Phillippe that was aware she was in fact, naturally left handed.

Vivant took up an engarde position, her grip relaxed, and right hand held halfway across her chest in a classical Italian prima stance. Her vision narrowed, blocking out everything apart from her opponent.

Louis dropped a silken handkerchief. The golden silk fluttering to the gravel like a leaf from an autumnal tree.

As predicted by Caroline, the Duke came at Vivant fast and hard, a blur of sharp steel.

Each furious attack was met by a clash of steel as Vivant parried effortlessly, shuffling backwards with every cut.

There was a brief pause as the Duke regained his footing and his breath. Vivant, her breathing still shallow and even, remained in a confident tierce defensive position. Blade tip high, wrist angled to give more control of the blade, weight resting lightly on the balls of her feet.

With the preliminary crossing of blades out of the way, the serious fencing began, the Duke pressing, his attacks, vicious and brutal. Vivant defending effortlessly, her every movement fluid and graceful.

For a time, it seemed that the pair would be fencing for an eternity, but then Vivant left a gap in her defense. Typically, it wasn't the Duke's skill, or Vivant's lack of skill that gave the opening. More the fault of a stone mixed in with the gravel. Vivant's heel stepped on to the stone, and instead of finding a sure footing, her heel turned a fraction beneath her. The tip of her sword angled to the left by several inches. Nothing to most people, but to a swords man of the Duke's proficiency, it was an opening.

Vivant's blade was parried wide in a lightening fast attack, followed by a lunge angled to pierce her heart.

The world spun around Vivant. A creature of nightmares was thrusting a dull edged, blacked sword at her chest. Only it wasn't her chest, it was someone else's. The sword she held shone brightly as somehow, she angled it downwards to parry the tip of the attacking blade away, circling underneath it and burying the tip of her own sword in the flesh of the creature's shoulder.

Things shifted once more, and Vivant was back in her own body. The point of her rapier tipped with red and the Duke's shirt already staining with crimson from the wound she had inflicted.

Vivant blinked. She hadn't even been aware of physically moving, let alone wounding the Duke. She blinked once more and slowly lowered her blade. The Duke was still gaping in disbelief as a surgeon hurried forwards to bind his wound.

The gathered crowd was awash with hushed whispers, speaking of how effortlessly Vivant had moved, allowing the Duke to over extend and allow the opening for what looked to be an impossible maneuver. Many of the nobles now regarded her with a different eye, the men out of respect, the women out of desire.

"I see your skill with a blade is better than Phillippe had let me believe." Louis spoke, silencing the crowd as he smiled warmly. "I don't think I have ever witnessed such speed and grace. When you have the time, you must allow me the favor of a lesson or two."

For Vivant, the remainder of the evening was a little hazy. Clearly in the Kings favor as well as proving her skill with a sword drew noble after noble to her, like moths to a bright flame. All forming up to show their approval of her newly acquired favor.

All the way through the evening the Raugravine kept a close hold on Vivant's arm, steering her away from certain nobles and towards others. Ensuring she only met the ones that would enhance her position.

Once the reception was deemed over, that was when the King left the hall, Caroline virtually dragged Vivant out of the room, heading at speed through a maze of corridors and staircases until they reached the apartments.

The second the door closed behind them Raugravine Caroline Elisabeth Palatine embraced Vivant tightly kissing her passionately for what seemed a long time. When they finally broke apart Vivant was speechless. She had never truly considered anyone as sexually attractive, there had never really been time, or opportunity, yet here and now with the very beautiful Caroline pressed against her body, Vivant was experiencing a lot of new emotions and feelings. Most of them causing her stomach and head to feel very warm and light.

"Vivant." Caroline began. "I do not know what it is about you, but I feel an attraction to you I have never felt before with anyone."

Their lips met again, and this time Vivant returned the kiss, wanting to lose herself in the passion that was igniting between them.

Both women were panting when they parted, and it took a moment for Caroline to catch her breath.

"When you were dueling, I saw the oddest thing." She told Vivant. "We were in a forest and we were being attacked by strange creatures."

Vivant froze. "I know. I saw you and you were glowing. It was like nothing I have ever seen before." The words brought back the memories of her visions, and a dull throb began in her head.

Caroline's hands ran across Vivant's torso, the behind her, briefly touching her shoulder blades. "You had wings." Caroline finished off, her voice fading away in perplexity at the strangeness of the odd visions they had shared.

Once more they leaned closer, their breath hot on each other's faces as their lips drank in the flavor of each other.

Hands scrabbled at each other's clothing in a frantic need to touch what lay beneath. Vivant was a little surprised at how little effort it took to undo the lacing on Caroline's gown, just as Caroline gasped as her expensive finery dropped away, leaving her near naked form clasped tightly in Vivant's embrace.

The Raugravine, Caroline Elisabeth Palatine blushed a little as she stood amidst the pile of her gown, wearing nothing but silken knee-high socks and small delicate shoes. Vivant scooped her up and carried her to the oversized bed, and gently laid her on the covers. Caroline blushed even more as she half crossed her legs, hiding the patch of golden hair that nestled between them.

"You have me at a disadvantage Chevalière." She teased before reaching out her hands to tug at Vivant's tunic.

Vivant had never been undressed before, but the was something very erotic about having the Raugravine's hands slipping and sliding over her body whilst she undid laces, slowly peeling Vivant's clothing away. She struggled momentarily with the layered bindings that reduced Vivant's breasts but smiled happily when the small mounds were finally free, so she could spend a while showering the little pink nipples with kisses.

The sensation to Vivant was like nothing else she had experienced. Having spent so long with her breast bound as flat as they would go, to have them free of their binding then caressed and kissed by such tender lips, was indeed very pleasurable. Vivant cried out a little as Caroline nibbled playfully on a very sensitive nipple, then moaned softly as the blonde noble's thigh slipped between hers, rubbing against the warm, damp patch of hair that covered her mound.

"Oh, someone is very ready." Caroline whispered in her ear then playfully nipped at an earlobe.

If Vivant thought that having her nipples teased was thrilling, she wasn't prepared for how it felt to have the slim thigh pressing against her opening. The pressure against the hard nub at the top of her slit was sending waves of intense pleasure through her body, driving all sensible thought from her mind. Absently she pressed herself harder on to Caroline's thigh, sliding back and forth a little and letting her head drop and back arch to gain better access to the area that felt so pleasurable.

"Steady my love." Caroline told Vivant as she used her hands to slow Vivant's movements down. "This is all new to you, isn't it?"

A tiny shudder ran up Vivant's spine as Caroline's hands steadied her hips. She managed a small gulp of air before nodding.

Ah, I thought as much." The Raugravine nodded. "Then let us make this very special for you."

Soft hands guided Vivant on to her back, raising her knees up and parting her thighs slightly.

"You have very strong legs." Caroline commented as she ran her hands up Vivant's thighs, stopping before they reached the very top, only to return once more whence they had journeyed down and back again.

"It's from riding Sleet." Vivant replied, slightly breathlessly. "She is very strong and needs a lot of guidance with my legs."

Pausing in her stroking, Caroline winked at Vivant. "Lucky Sleet. I am sure I could be persuaded to be held in place between your thighs."