Heaven's Kingdom Ch. 03

Tali awoke with a start. The candles of her room the only source of light. She sighed. Every muscle ached and protested as she moved to rise from her sleeping mat. She'd sweat like a whore in a temple. Washing her mat became just another pain her ass for the coming day.

She needed a bath.

Moving to her bathroom, she passed by her mirror hanging on the wall. She paused, looking herself over. Nothing. No evidence of torture, nor any of the previous evenings... activities lingered on her body. Not even any marks from where she strained against her magically enhanced bindings. Absolutely nothing.

Except for one thing.

She placed a hand on her stomach, tracing over the new tattoo over her womb. It pulsed pink in time with her heartbeat, the glow coming as a soft and gentle light beneath the surface of her skin. The seal served as the only piece of evidence the previous night really happened and had not been some sort of fantastical fever dream.

Also, her sudden lack of hair below the belt. She ran a finger of her mons, feeling the unfamiliar smoothness of it. Not even the hint of a stubble.

She scowled. How humiliating! Tied down and made to beg and cum like a common slut! The only dignity she'd managed to save for herself was the simple fact she kept all sensitive information to herself. Still, she'd failed to kill her target. And worse, she'd been made to enjoy his company when she was supposed to be sticking a blade in his throat!

Her face reddened as she remembered his hands on her chest, gently fondling her breasts like a generous lover. Her body still remembered the sensations of his and River's hands running over every muscle, every inch of her form; of River's fingers and tongue caressing her like she was the hottest piece of ass on the market. She could easily be convicted of heresy for saying what happened to her last night was torture in any sense of the word. And that was what almost broke her, the fact that it wasn't torture. Quite the opposite.

She wanted to hate them for what they did. Wanted to run back up there and stick a blade in each of their guts or die trying. At least it would have been more dignified than getting played with like some girl toy.

Dignified.

Did her own dignity even matter anymore? She was just a weapon, a tool to be used by the Bene Dai, an extension of the arm of the Night Mother. She held no more dignity and honor than a sword or knife, just an object to be used. She was an assassin, a spy, honor and dignity weren't exactly in the cards for her or any of them. Honor would have been simply challenging her targets to a duel. Dignity would have been opting out of participating in blackmail and stealing. Instead she'd bound herself to the life of a rogue, of a thief, of an assassin.

Of a killer.

Only, she hadn't exactly killed anyone. Not yet, anyway.

Sure, she'd participated in numerous, less than savory deeds against both good and bad people, but murdering an innocent remained one line yet to be crossed. Though could she call Prince Jax an innocent man after last night? She wasn't exactly innocent herself. She'd participated in more than enough crimes and takedowns of good people to take herself off that list. She'd already been stained by the dishonors and indignities of the life she'd chosen as part of an order of blades for hire.

What was one more to add to the list?

At the very least, she got to enjoy herself a bit last night.

Something wet ran down the inside of her thigh. She glanced down at herself. A line of grool ran down from her now dripping snatch. She blushed red with embarrassment, despite the emptiness of the room.

She needed a bath.

At the very least to help soothe her aching muscles.

Thankfully the water filled quickly, hot and steamy as she dunked herself in, reveling in the sensation of skin clearing. The mark remained unaffected. She'd need to cover it. The others couldn't know.

Her eyes widened as she remembered waking from her exhaustion induced coma the previous night.

She was still strapped to the table, though River slowly undid her bindings. For all that happened, River gently helped sit up. Across the room, Jax slept peacefully.

"You've had a long night so take a moment to collect yourself," River said, "Your clothes are in the bathroom, though if you want to dress out here, I won't complain."

Tali glanced at her. She'd lost her gown and pants at some point in the night, standing nude herself. Her body was a marvel. Tall and muscled, while still maintaining an extremely feminine quality. Her breasts, while smaller than her own, still provided enough to grab onto. Her skin was clear and completely shaved smooth. Not a single hair grew anywhere except her head. Even naked, she looked powerful.

She understood what the Prince saw in her. If a woman like that had been assigned to guard her 24/7, she'd be hard pressed not to be tempted herself.

Hell, she had been. The entire night served as nothing but temptation.

Slowly, she stumbled on shaky legs to the bathroom. Inside, the white crystal of the tower's exterior came inside to play. Quartz like crystals covered every wall and surface from the tiled floors to the large, swimming pool sized bathtub that occupied half the room. A pang of jealousy ran through her as she collected her effects. No doubt the prince used it as one of many boons to spoil his favorite toy.

Despite the soreness of her muscles, she dressed herself and stepped back out into the bedroom. River stood nearby, still naked, sword in hand, leveling the massive blade in her direction. Tali paused. She was in no condition for a fight and River knew it.

"Sorry, but I can't be too safe, assassin," she said.

Tali said nothing, lowering her hands. Her weapons remained on her back.

"My prince was right; I did have plenty of fun with you last night. But don't think for a moment that I won't hesitate to kill you should you threaten his life."

Tali nodded. No doubt that even naked with just her bare hands, River could easily kill her. With her sword, she stood no chance.

Slowly River approached her, her feet pattering along the smooth stonework of the floor. Tali raised her hands, attempting to appear as nonthreatening as possible. When she was close, River yanked her by her collar, pulling her up to kiss her. Her hands squeezed against River's breasts, unable to reach for any weapon, only able to fondle the aggressive woman's tits. River's tongue completely forced its way into her mouth, whipping her own into submission like an angry viper.

Her heart began to pound her chest as the lack of oxygen began to get to her.

With an aggressive growl, River separated from her. Tali's face burned hot, basking in the aura of this human weapon. For the first time in her life, Tali felt truly scared of another woman. River was a predator unlike any other, a weapon that surpassed her.

"The sun's coming up soon, assassin. Your coven should be expecting you back today."

Tali nodded, "... yeah..."

She moved to the balcony, climbing atop the railing.

"And assassin," River called.

Tali turned.

"Do come back and play with us again."

She said nothing, flipping over the railing and disappearing into the morning dark.

Some hours passed since then. Tali slipped back into the cell unnoticed, flopping onto her mat for a quick nap that turned into a long sleep. She'd lost track of time, no longer quite caring. Thankfully her bath worked wonders on her sore muscles.

The two of them were dangerous. They had her dead to rights the moment she walked through the door. Yet they didn't take the obvious opportunity right in front of them. Despite the uselessness of torture, and despite the easy choice of just offing her, they didn't. Her thoughts turned in her head like ocean waves. She glanced down at the mark.

Two months. She had two months to figure out just what she was going to do.

And the others.

What about the others?

She almost broke up there but didn't, despite the temptation to do so. Another Bene Dai might not be so lucky. None of their training could help them withstand what wasn't painful. She had to warn the others.

But... could she?

What would they say? What would they think? How exactly would that conversation go? She'd have to admit to succumbing to her baser instincts, to her hedonistic desires, to her emotions. To letting her target get away from her in the worse possible way.

Dangerous information or not, just giving it away didn't help her. Nor would it help the Nest. Despite her status, Tali failed to maintain high popularity among the ranks. No one would believe her anyway.

What a conundrum.

She dunked her head under the water, letting it wash away the sweat and sex from her hair as she, quickly shampooing and rinsing herself off. She drained the tub, quickly drying herself off and stepping back into her room. She glanced in the mirror.

The mark. That accursed sex mark. She'd need to hide it.

Quickly she retrieved a shirt from her closet, pulling it over herself. Even through the fabric, it gave a dull pink glow through the white of the shirt. She frowned and grabbed a robe and obi belt, quickly pulling them on and wrapping her abdomen. Nothing to be seen.

Though glancing in the mirror revealed just how stupid she looked without pants.

She quickly pulled on a set of loose-fitting sweats and sandals. Food would help her clear her mind.

Quietly, she opened her door, stepping out into the common area. A flurry of eyes turned to her before quickly returning to their business. Less attention this time. Good.

She moved to the kitchen, filling a bowl of soup from the pot. She grabbed a spoon, taking a seat alone in the corner.

A dark shape loomed over her as she began to eat. She sighed. The same girl from when she left, back again to accost her.

"Can I help you?" Tali asked.

"You do it?"

Tali glared at her and returned to her soup, "No."

Her bully appeared to perk up, "So you failed. Knew you didn't have the guts to pull it off and-"

"You would have too so shut the fuck up," Tali snarled.

"Excuse me, runt?"

"You would have failed to, and likely far earlier than I did."

"You should stick to spying, comedy doesn't fit you."

"And you should stick to the circus since a clown like you wouldn't have even made it passed the front gate."

A fist landed on the table in front of her. Tali looked up and glared at the woman. Tall, but not like River. Strong but not focused, like a rabid animal. Strength alone carried her far but rarely did any technique back it up. Even with the advantage of weapons, she posed little true threat.

"Tell me then," Tali taunted, "Do you think a beast like you could have snuck around the castle gate unnoticed? Do you think you have what it takes to sneak passed the layers of armored guards in the main building? Or do you think you have what it takes to stealthily climb up the mountain to the Prince's citadel, itself crawling with guardswomen encased in magitek enhanced suits, each armed with enchanted weapons?"

The woman stood back up.

Tali continued, "Could you have avoided all of those patrols? Or hell, if that all went sour, could you have fought through every last one of those super humans surrounding that man? Do you think you could have made it around or through his personal body guard, who, by the way, happens to have more than a few inches on you in terms of height and a lot more training and technique behind her strength. Or if even if you managed to do that, do you think you could have made it through the prince himself?"

"He's just another fuckin' target."

"He's not some fuckin' target!" Tali snarled. This time the room looked up, the chatter falling silent.

"You've been here for so long, which means one of two things is true. Either you missed the fact that the guy is probably one of the strongest sorcerers in this entire kingdom or... you deliberately left that out of your initial report. You want to try killing a man who could throw a fortress with his mind, be my guest. But don't go questioning me when I was unable to kill him with my bare hands on my first try."

Her harasser backed down, moving away from the table.

"Were you discovered?"

"Of course not," Tali lied, "I'm not some wild beast that can't control herself. I stayed up there as long as I could before it became leaving."

"So, what are you going to do now, runt?"

"My job. I'm going to need time to figure out how to approach this. This mission's a lot harder than I was led to believe. I'm... I'm going to have to spend some nights up there scouting it out and planning my approach. Which means... long working hours."

"I see."

"Which also means, I'd rather not get accosted every time I come back here."

The woman turned, "Whatever, runt. Do your job."

The desire to see her sickle sticking out of the back of her skull came to Tali as quickly as she shoved it away. Killing her wouldn't help matters, at least right now. The mission came first. The mission always came first.

Her mind wondered as she finished her meal. Suddenly she found herself back on that table, trembling in the afterglow of her orgasm. Her womb tingled at the memory. She wished she'd worn underwear as she felt her nipples harden under her robe.

The seal above your lady bits will wear off in approximately two months. What you have to decide is if you want it to become permanent...

***

The first hints of the sun beamed through the curtains into the room, stirring the young scion from his rest. Jax yawned. If the previous night was to become something regular, he'd need to readjust his schedule and get some thicker curtains. Sunlight this early should be criminal. Still, once up, he was up.

He rolled over, his face landing in River's chest.

Definitely awake now.

River giggled, "Good morning, love."

"Morning beautiful," Jax yawned again, pulling her close, burying his face in her breasts.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah... Just wish I could have slept a little longer."

"Well, we had an eventful night. Though I have to admit that if this stuff is to become a regular thing, we'll have to adjust your schedule to something more nocturnal."

"Wouldn't mind that. Not like I do anything up here anyway."

"Of course."

He sat up, planting two good morning kisses on River's nipples. She sighed in delight. He glanced at the table. Empty, just as he expected.

"I see our guest left already."

"Yeah, I guess she did."

"She say anything to you when she did?"

"What makes you think I was awake for that?"

Jax rolled his eyes, "There are some jokes even I won't buy. I know you and you were up to handle her when she awoke. It's what lets me sleep at night, knowing you're around."

"I was. I uncuffed her and let her know that if she tried anything funny with you, I wouldn't hesitate to kill her."

"And?"

"That she should also come back up and play with us. Whether she does is up to her."

He sighed, "Well I guess that's the best we can hope for."

"To be fair to me, I'd like to think I made it clear that she's welcome to come up and get her itches scratched and attended to so long as she behaves."

"I certainly hope so."

"Can I ask you something, my love?"

Jax sat up, "Anything."

"What gave you the idea for this grand plan of yours?"

He paused, "I suppose I could say boredom but that would only be partially true. I started reading the security reports a year ago mainly to relieve the boredom as well as just to see who on Earth was ruining my life by forcing my confinement up here. But one of the reports mentioned that one of the best assassins in the Bene Dai was on her way here. So, I asked around and fished up what I could about her."

"Which was?"

"She's not like the others. She wasn't born into it. She was taken off the streets and trained alongside the others. But she was never really seen as one of them, despite how hard she worked. Bottom line is I don't think she's happy there. And when I learned she'd been given the assignment to kill me, I figured I could see if she'd be willing to change teams."

"And you think tempting her with sex will work?"

"It worked on you, didn't it?"

She flicked his nose, "If I recall correctly, it was I who tempted you."

"Teased is the better word. Looking all sexy in that armor of yours, of course stupid teenage me is going to find you tempting. But, that and more. I think if she sees she can have a better life here, she'll be tempted to come up here to kill me one day and then not go back down. But time will tell."

"Of course."

"But you said you wanted to do something today?"

"Uh yeah. I figured we could go out and survey the garden a bit and check out the cave where you want to work on your little project. Plus, it'll be a good opportunity to see some of the girls."

"Sounds good. What time were you thinking about-"

A knock at the door interrupted him. Jax frowned, glancing at River.

River rubbed her head, "Oh of course."

"What?" Jax asked.

"I'm not in my quarters right now, obviously. So, if anyone needs to get in touch with me, where do you think they'll assume I am?"

"Well, better go answer the door," Jax grinned.

She stared at him, "You know I am naked under here."

"Yeah."

"Would you like me to do a twirl for you too, my lord?" She said, rolling out of bed.

"No. The view is enough."

She sighed, answering the door. On the other side stood Scarlett, her eyes immediately going wide at the sight of River's nude form. She wore a suit of armor similar to River's. A highly detailed spear occupied one hand.

"Oh! Uh, hey Revy, uh... long night?"

"What can I do for you, Scar?" River asked, "I seem to recall telling you to leave the armor next time you come up here."

"Yeah, uh, well, uh I wanted to, believe me but unfortunately I'm not here on... recreational matters."

River straightened, "Business then?"

"Affirmative. The Queen requests the presence of her son for a meeting. Normally I'd come up to your quarters to tell you, but you haven't been using them very much recently so..."

"My fault!" Jax called from the bed, "Did my mother say exactly what she wanted?"

"No. Only that you were being summoned and we were to bring you to her."

"I see. Well I guess we should get this over with so we can move on to the more fun parts of the day. But first I'm going to need a shower."

"We'll be out in a moment," River said, shutting the door.

"I'll be waiting he-" Scarlett called.

Jax shook his head, rising from under the covers, "You really have to slam it in her face like that?"

"I didn't want to spoil anything for her. She's seen me naked before. She hasn't seen you yet."

Jax yawned, moving to his closet and retrieving a set of trousers and robe that made up his kimono, "Not missing much. There's not much to look at."

"Shut up, my lord," River said, climbing into her suit, beginning the process of assembling the plates around herself.

"You should join me in the bathroom," Jax said.

River frowned, "Oh no, I'm not falling for that one again. We'll never leave if I do that."

"I was going to say you should wash Tali's cum out of your hair before meeting with my mom. She's not a sorcerer so gods only know what you'd smell like to her."

River blushed, "Fuck. Good idea."

***

The walk to the main part of the castle was a journey in it of itself. The bridge separating his wing from the rest of the facility alone was nearly 200 meters long, never minding the long hallways staircases that would take them to the throne room.

Still, the view from the bridge was lovely, only surpassed by the one from his bedroom.

River walked in front of him, her military professionalism back on full display. Her smiles and laughter from the evening swept away for the mask of the prince's personal bodyguard. Two other guards flanked him. Scarlett stood to his right; her long braid conveniently tucked away beneath her armor's flowing cape; her expression locked into an emotionless visage. Jax smiled noting she held less self-control than River, Scarlett's eyes repeatedly dodging to spare a glance at him.