In Service of the Queen Ch. 06

"Have you seen Camina's drum kit?" asked Tiara. "You know how many trips it's going to take me just for that?"

"I'm only teasing, friend." Adelaide stepped up until she stood toe to toe with Tiara. "I'm flattered you'd rather take me home."

Tiara rolled her eyes.

Adelaide pushed closer and Tiara took a stumbling, half-step backward. "Friend Adelaide," she complained.

Adelaide lifted her hands and gripped Tiara by the shoulders. She took another step forward while Tiara was forced to stumble backward. "But are you sure you don't want to hang out with Daphne and Chloe? They look like fun."

"I think Camina can handle them."

"You want to go to my place?" Adelaide stepped forward again.

"I really need a shower first," said Tiara, stumbling back once again.

"I have a shower." Adelaide pushed forward.

"I need to change. My clothes are all sweaty." Tiara shuffled backward until she was forced to stop short, wedged up between the brick of a darkened storefront and Adelaide.

"You won't need clothes," said Adelaide. "Not for what I want you for." Adelaide picked up Tiara's right hand and placed it on her left breast. "If you have to lose a bet, you might as well get something for it."

"My place is closer," suggested Tiara.

"I have my own room," said Adelaide, leaning in to mash her lips against Tiara's.

Vivienne and Adelaide's apartment, one painfully slow trolley ride later

Adelaide turned the doorknob while leaning into Tiara. The two of them tumbled into the darkened apartment together and landed with Tiara pinned up against the wall and Adelaide with one arm slung around Tiara's neck and her tongue pushing down Tiara's throat.

"Hey, babe," said Vivienne, her voice thick with sleep. "I snagged you a pretzel. It's in the bread box."

"Oh. Shh!" said Adelaide. Tiara sucked a breath.

"You want the sofa, friend?" asked Vivienne.

Adelaide peered into the living room. Vivienne was curled around a sleeping Cosette and craning her neck to look toward where Tiara and Adelaide stood.

"No, you're fine," said Adelaide. "We're just going to hit the shower."

"M'kay. Night, Addie."

"Viv? You want a blanket or something?"

"Thanks, Addie. Can you snag the comforter off my bed?"

"Sure, babe." Adelaide turned to Tiara. "Go get your shower started. I'll be right in."

Outside the shower, two minutes later

Adelaide stood amid the gathering steam, staring at the lump of black clothing piled in the corner. She slipped out of her bathrobe and hung it on the back of the door.

"I helped myself to your shampoo," said Tiara, over the patter of water. "I hope that's okay."

Adelaide stood on the other side of the curtain, hugging herself as her knees knocked. "Yeah, uh-huh," she said.

"You coming in?"

"Um... you want me too?" Adelaide stared at her feet.

"I thought that was the plan."

"Sorry," said Adelaide. "Sometimes I talk a good game. But in reality, I'm just a big chicken."

From inside the shower, Tiara pulled the curtain back. "Hurry up, before it gets cold."

Adelaide stepped over the side of the tub. She stood staring at Tiara and chewed her lip. "Wow," she said. "You're hot."

Tiara chuckled as she leaned her head back under the stream of water to rinse the suds from her hair. "Not for long if you leave that curtain hanging open."

"Sorry." Adelaide reached over her shoulder to pull the shower curtain closed. She went back to staring at her feet.

"Hey," said Tiara, reaching out to take Adelaide's chin in her hand, lifting her gaze. "Where's the horny gal who had me shoved against the wall and put my hand on her boob?"

Adelaide shrugged. "She was drunk."

Tiara laughed. Adelaide returned to looking at her feet.

"It's alright with me," said Tiara. "For our band, Camina's kind of an anomaly. Just so you know. In fact, Taylor and Danielle usually practice yoga and rhythmic breathing between sets. That's about as wild as they get."

"And you?"

"Nobody loves the bass player, friend. I thought we covered that."

Adelaide snickered. "I think I could... Maybe..."

"With enough beer?"

"With enough time." Adelaide peered up. "I like spending time with you Tiara. I still feel bad for clobbering you during the football match. But if I didn't..."

Tiara reached out for Adelaide's hand. "Then I wouldn't have known what a great nurse you're going to be some day."

Adelaide snorted. "I'm not studying nursing. I'm in the accounting program."

"I know." Tiara tugged at Adelaide's hand and moved it to her left hip. "But that night when you stayed to watch over me, and you laid those sweet little kisses on the back of my neck..."

"Like this?" Adelaide leaned forward with her lips puckered. She touched down on the side of Tiara's neck, just below her left ear.

Tiara nodded. "Very therapeutic."

"How about like this?" Adelaide straightened up, pulled Tiara in with her hands on the back of Tiara's head, and planted a peck on her lips.

"Just like that. Yeah," Tiara whispered as she leaned in.

Adelaide pressed her lips up hard against Tiara's.

Down the hall and to the left

Adelaide tugged Tiara by the hand and closed the door behind them.

"So this is where the hot druidess babe sleeps?" asked Tiara.

"Yep." Adelaide chuckled. "I still can't believe Eniola asked me to be in her entourage. Me, a druidess." She stepped over to the edge of the bed with Tiara in tow. "You want a T-shirt or something so you don't get chilly?"

Silhouetted by the sodium vapor lamplight leaking through the curtains from the sidewalk below, Tiara shook her head.

Adelaide pushed the covers aside with a sweep of her hand. She sat on the edge of her bed and reached out for Tiara's hand. Tiara sat down with her body turned, positioned so she was looking into Adelaide's eyes. Tiara wove her fingers in with Adelaide's.

"And I can't believe you wrote a song for me," said Adelaide.

Tiara shrugged.

"You do that for all your girlfriends?"

Tiara shook her head. "You've got me confused with Camina again, friend. I don't... I haven't..."

"Me neither," said Adelaide. "I mean, Cosette snuggles in sometimes when Vivienne's hogging the bed. But otherwise..."

Tiara picked up her hand that held Adelaide's and kissed each one of Adelaide's fingertips in turn.

"I wasn't kidding," said Adelaide looking into Tiara's eyes and then lowering her gaze to Tiara's chest. "In the shower. When I said you were hot. You are. I hope you don't think I'm objectifying you."

Tiara smirked as she shook her head.

Adelaide looked up again, focusing on Tiara's lips. She shortened the distance between the two of them by a few centimeters. Tiara moved to cut it again by half. Adelaide puckered her lips and finished closing the gap.

Tiara disentangled her fingers from Adelaide's and moved her hand behind Adelaide's neck, locking them together while Adelaide moaned. After a moment, Tiara pulled back, resting her hands on Adelaide's shoulders and gazing into Adelaide's eyes.

Adelaide blushed. "What?" she said.

"I just want to look at you in the moonlight."

"That's not moonlight, friend. It's from the streetlamps below. Doesn't matter what I do with the curtains, it just comes in."

Tiara shrugged.

"Kiss me," demanded Adelaide, and then quickly averted her gaze.

Tiara swooped in and laid a quick peck on Adelaide's cheek.

Adelaide laughed. "On the lips."

Tiara smiled and poked her tongue out. She slid her tongue over Adelaide's lips.

Adelaide shivered. "A kiss," she said.

Tiara brushed her lips against Adelaide's and pulled away again.

"Harder."

Tiara swooped in to land another quick peck, on the lips this time.

"Longer."

Tiara leaned in, brushing her lips against Adelaide's again. This time, Adelaide encircled Tiara with her arms, gripping tight and throwing her weight backward.

The two of them tumbled backward onto the bed with Tiara landing on top and Adelaide underneath. Tiara dipped her head for another kiss.

"Better," said Adelaide, smirking.

"Friend Adelaide?" said Tiara, scooting her body downward to hover her lips over Adelaide's neck, just below her left earlobe.

"Friend Tiara?" Adelaide answered with a breathy sigh.

"How far do you want to take this?"

"I want you to be here in the morning when I wake up."

"Of course, friend," said Tiara, landing a peck just below Adelaide's ear.

Adelaide turned her head and lowered her eyes to meet Tiara's. "And I want you to feel compelled to write more songs about me," said Adelaide. "But not the sad kind, okay?"

Tiara grinned. "Of course." She planted three more kisses along the line of Adelaide's collarbone, ending at the base of Adelaide's throat.

Adelaide shivered. "And I want you to kiss the back of my neck after you decide to snuggle in behind me for the night. Just before we fall asleep."

"I'd like that."

"How about you, Friend Tiara? How far do you want to take this?"

"Oh, definitely until I've gathered enough material for another song or two. Maybe more, if I'm lucky?"

Adelaide wrapped her arms around Tiara's shoulders and pulled her close until Tiara laid her head on Adelaide's chest.

"I'm happy you're here, friend," said Adelaide, trailing her finger over Tiara's cheek.

"Me too," said Tiara, nuzzling against Adelaide's hand.

Afterword

Adelaide finally gets some more time between the sheets with her girl. Could Deus Contra Machina be diluting their angsty repertoire with more ballads in the near future?

Meanwhile, Cosette casts some doubt upon the legitimacy of the queen. Or is she just full of la merde as she suggested?

And what's Friend Beatrice's role in all of this?

Find out more in the next exciting chapter, friends.