Monster Girl Encounter: Pharaoh Pt. 01

"I'll explain it in a second. For now, could you run over to that dune there for me?"

Mira looked to her left, out into the open desert. "The dune? But why? There's nothing but sand there."

"Don't worry about that. Just try doing it if you can."

"Pfft, trying... as if you'd be able to stop m...eeeeeehhhhh!" She squeaked, her voice strained and hoarse as her limbs locked up and even the rest of her body was held back by an invisible restraint.

"Wait, what's happening? Mira, what's going on?" Cassiopeia stepped in, marveling at the Sphinx who was unable to move even a single inch forward mid step.

I raised my twig and presented it to the two of them as I circled the paralyzed feline. "You see, Mira here can only go as far as I allow her to. Her body can not move on without its soul. And her soul... is in here, in this feeble stick. I am its holder and through that, I'm the master of her spectral leash."

With widened eyes, she stepped in front of Mira, doubting the legitimacy of my spell. "Intriguing. She truly is stuck, isn't she? Mira, I ORDER you to step closer!" She demanded, knowing that her subjects can't refuse her. And yet, it was to no avail.

Mira was on the verge of tears as she was twisting and turning. "I would if I could your highness! I swear!"

"Okay, okay, relax. Don't cry Mira. Like I said, this binding is like a leash and I can decide how loose it is. You're free to move again."

As if the paralysis had disappeared from one second to the next, Mira's body tumbled forward until she ate sand. "Puah! Could you just ONCE warn someone before its too late?!"

Justifiably angry, she got up, dusted the sand out of her fur and stomped toward me. "I'm not doing this for you ever again! You are mean!"

"Mean? It was just a demonstration. And you did a really good job by the way."

"Demonstration my butt! Give me my soul back! Now!" She pouted like a little kid.

"Fine, fine, don't worry. Releasing it is the easiest part. You just need to break open the vessel it is stashed in."

Barely had I finished my sentence did Mira snatch the twig out of my hand and snapped it on her thigh. A small wisp escaped from the cracked opening, swirled around and submerged itself in Mira's chest, who then took a deep breath and stormed off.

"Thanks again for your help, Mira. You did great!"

"NEVER AGAIN!" She yelled from a distance before she disappeared into the tomb.

Once she was away, a sudden chuckle escaped my lips and even Cassiopeia hid a little giggle as she covered her mouth with her hand. But as soon as she noticed that I saw it, she wiped the smile off her face as if it had never been there.

I smirked. "You know that as a leader you can still show emotion. I like seeing you show some joy every now and then."

"You forget that we're not here for pleasantries. Your spell was quite impressive, though I am afraid to say, that soul magic is not foreign to us either. I've linked my soul to those of my subjects. The method is different, but the basis is the same. Though I give you that, yours seems to be on par with ours. It'll make a nice addition."

I sighed, having accepted that she would not be happy with just 'on par', and packed my things onto my horse.

"Are you leaving already?" Cassiopeia asked curiously. If I hadn't known any better I could have even sworn there was some disappointment in her voice.

I wanted to leave yet... I held back. I left my horse bound and faced the Pharaoh again. "Will you allow me some questions, your highness?"

She motioned towards me. "Speak. The night is still young."

"I took some time thinking about how to phrase it but I was wondering... do you ever miss being human?"

Taken aback by my question, she stammered slightly but composed herself. "I... hrrnn... I admit it had its charms. I was a Queen first and foremost in my days, so nothing much has changed in that regard. But as for human pleasures... I haven't had the luxury of enjoying many of them. Neither in this nor my former life."

"How did it feel? To lose all of those sensations you used to have?"

"Sacrifices are necessary. In a lifetime, you can only accomplish so much. What about you? Can you claim to have lived your life to its full potential up until now? Don't think I haven't noticed that all the inventions you've shown us have little value in combat. Stun magic, soul transfer, they might be useful in a duel, but not in war. If you do not aim for conquest, what else is there for you in life?"

My heart grew heavy as I leaned against the wall of the tomb. It was not an easy answer to give, but I could only hope that underneath all that indifference to humanity, she would still understand me. "It's my people I live for. I've traded in my life for theirs the moment I took over the throne. When I was a youth, my parents were great conquerors, prolific war masters even. Conflicts with our neighbors would persist for years, with many lives lost on both sides. One day, we thought we had quelled a rebellious uprising in the North, that every last one of them was dead. We had won, hadn't we? These new lands were ours and everyone had to recognize us as their new leaders. Except they didn't..."

Cassiopeia slowly approached me, confused but intently listening.

"During one night, assassins managed to enter my parent's chambers during the night as they stayed in their newly won territory. They were proud nationalists. People who've never been in combat before. Yet they stabbed my parents in their sleep and set fire to their new estate. These people wanted their home back. My advisers were the once who saved me that day and we escaped the burning city, retreating to our homeland. The territory was lost and the previous borders were reinstated. And there I was, coming out of a war that changed nothing except costing thousands of lives, and me sitting on the empty seat of power my parents left behind."

She sunk her head in response, seemingly in thought and then fiercely looked back up. "So you strife for revenge, is that it?"

"That is exactly the thing I am not going for. My parents died because they took away land that belonged to another people by force. They claimed their properties, pillaged their homes and killed their men and women. The lesson I did learn from them is that spilling blood leads to more spilled blood. At some point, one needs to stop the cycle. I am ready to defend my people to the death if necessary, but I will not go into war if I can help it."

"And that's why you approached me... I see."

"Indeed, that was the reason."

"But why should I leave things as they are? I owned these lands once! Do I not deserve them? It is my right to rule over them!"

"And my people are here now, do they not have a right to live on the lands they've lived on for generations now?"

"Why do you think the matters of humans concern me anymore?" She sulked, being shaky at best at being able to put up a tough, uncaring front.

I confidently stepped toward her, cornering her against the wall of the tomb. She scoffed, yet visibly trembled. "Because you were one of us once. You haven't forgotten it, I know that much. It's why I came to you in the first place. You certainly like to pretend you are above humanity at this point. Like you are above fear, uncertainty, empathy... I can see right through you. I don't doubt you've missed out on a lot when you were human. A Queen in live, a Queen in death. You've buried yourself behind walls and sand, pretending the outside world doesn't concern you anymore."

"You're wrong! I am... fully content with my role in this world. I assure you." Her voice was quaky, her lips quivering.

"You don't have to lie. There was a reason why I even held hope that you would listen to me."

"That being?"

Her eyes went wide as I laid my hand on top of her chest. Her skin was cold, yet not unpleasantly so. I looked deep into her eyes with sincerity. "Because I believed that somewhere behind that cold front and the undead shell of your body, there was still a heart behind it all. A human heart that can still feel, guide your decisions and make you understand others. It is still there, isn't it?"

Cassiopeia gasped, tensely moving her hand to remove mine, but unable to bring herself to aggressively refuse me. So instead, she just turned her head away in denial. "I rejected all humanity long ago. There's nothing left of what I once was."

My hand still firmly rested where it was. I could feel her cold sweat building up and the shivers running down her body. "That's a shame. I would have loved to get to know that girl."

She started shrieking internally as her face grew more distressed and then... I felt something I never even expected.

Badump

My jaw dropped as I reeled my hand back in surprise. I looked up at her and there was another entirely unexpected change. Her cheeks had grown red. I asked her in disbelief. "Did... did your heart just..."

"That'll be all for today, Dramin!" She yelled as she pushed past me.

"Wait, I need to..."

"I SAID that'll be ALL!" She rushed inside, hiding her face and muttering to herself. The gates, as if representing her mood, literally slammed shut so hard, I was surprised they didn't break.

I looked down at my hand and against the cold night air, it almost felt like there was a lingering heat on my palm. My mind was ablaze at the implications. There was little choice left for me but to ride home, but that night confirmed something I had been hoping for so desperately.

As soon as I mounted my horse, it was as if I had run a thousand miles. My breath finally caught up to me and I panted from the released tension. Cassiopeia had already occupied most of my mind since I'd met her, but now that I knew she could indeed be more than just apathetic, my heart soared with excitement.

I raced my horse home, zooming past the dunes and looking forward to the next time I'd see her. There was hope yet.

Week 3

"Come along your highness. The golden hour will have past if we don't hurry." I asked of Cassiopeia, guiding her out of her tomb and onto the balcony. I was almost dragging her through the inner halls, much to the delight of the servants and guards who looked on giggling among themselves.

"What's the hurry? Any time is good for a presentation if you have another one lined up."

"It's less of a presentation really..."

"Then why are you..."

"Shush, it should be right about now." I opened the doors to the balcony. I was just in time. I let out a long sigh of relief as the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon. On the balcony, I had prepared an assortment of foods and desserts along with some other small trinkets I brought from home.

I took a bow before her and signaled towards the pedestal on which everything was laid out. "Would you care to join me?"

She squinted her eyes, hesitant to take my hand as I extended it. "What are you playing at here?"

"Dinner, mostly. What says the two of us can't just have an enjoyable evening together. If there are going to be relations between our people, we don't have to be tense around each other at all times."

She finally accepted, however reluctant it may have been and let me guide her to the makeshift dinner table. We stood on each side of it, resting our arms on the railing of the balcony as Cassiopeia started examining the food. "You are aware, neither me nor my servants have need of nourishment."

"Yes, I am. Nonetheless you should try it."

She looked over the table, overwhelmed by the amount of choice. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Oh, you can start with the sweet bread. It's so freshly baked I think it's still warm."

She picked it up with both hands and gingerly guided it to her mouth before taking a bit out of its edge. As soon as the flavor hit her, her eyes lit up while she kept chewing and taking more bites as if her life depended on it.

"And?" I asked curiously.

"This is... delectable. It's so creamy in the center and fluffy all around. What magic is this?"

"No magic, just the skill of our bakers."

"It'sh shoooo gooood..." She fawned over the bread before remembering who she was. "Uhh... what I meant to say..." she tapped her lips with a handkerchief she picked up from the table. "...the flavor is very pleasing. Not too sweet and very savory."

I held back a chuckle but my lips couldn't stop curling into a smile.

"You rather enjoy teasing reactions out of me, don't you?"

"I certainly do."

"What, are you looking for weaknesses? Are you trying to make a fool out of me, is that it?"

"Not at all, I'm enjoying them for sure though." I teased her.

After putting down the bread, she rested her elbows on the table and her head on her hands. "You are an enigma to me, Dramin. Do you know that?"

"How so?" I asked, as I laid my arms down as well across from her.

"We are on the brink of war, I made it clear to you that I intend to take over your lands, I have showed you nothing but distrust and defiance, yet you come here and present me with all of this delicious food. Why? Why do you bother with a futile diversion?"

I scoffed, more in jest than offense. "It's not a diversion from anything. Cassiopeia... I'm not here to sate an enemy. I'm here to make a friend. If you were entirely indifferent, if you were actually certain that you're ready to destroy us, you could've done so at any point now. You had the king of a nation in your grasp this entire time, yet you haven't made an attempt to kill me. And at our last meeting, when I touched you, not only did your body react, but you yourself reacted in a way any human girl I've ever met would have."

Her lower lip trembled as she put a hand to the spot I had touched and clenched it into a tender fist. "You just have to keep prodding don't you?" She gulped as she grew more and more uneasy.

I closed the distance between us and circled around the table. "All of this..." I pointed to the table "...was made by my people. They don't know I ordered it for you, but I'd love for them to get to know you some day. The real you. Of course it was something I wanted to show you to get you to see the value in our artisans but deep down, it was as good a chance as any for me to see your sweet side again."

Just like that night, her face grew redder. "Can I allow myself to be that person? Will anyone even take me seriously anymore if I grow soft like this? How can YOU even respect me in this state?"

"Because this is who you are. Who you were and who you can be again. And I respect that Cassiopeia a hell of a lot more than the one who denies herself."

"You talk awfully sweet for someone so uncertain of the outcome of this affair." Those were the words that came out of her lips, but her body moved toward me, accepting me as I laid my hands on her hips.

"Negotiations can rest for now. There's always tomorrow." I pulled her closer, pressing my lips to hers as the sunlight glittered over the sand of the dunes.

Her former hesitation melted away as her body surrendered to me. My hands glid behind her back, fully embracing her as she leaned onto me. She pursued my lips whenever I gave even the slightest sign of backing away.

I chuckled and touched her forehead with mine. "Did you forget that I still have to breathe, your highness?"

She pouted, biting her lip already as she gazed at me. "This isn't another trick of yours, is it? Still no magic?"

"None that I am aware of, Cassie."

"Then why do I desire you so... did... did you just call me Cassie?"

"It's called a nickname. I thought it sounded cute. It fits you."

"Hrrmmmm..." She murmured.

"You don't like it?"

"I can't let you call me that... I mean I am a..."

I hushed her, pressing my index finger on her lips before I raised her chin and shook my head. "Not today you aren't. Cassiopeia will still be there once this day ends, right now, there's only Cassie in front of me."

She blushed, burying her face in my chest to hide it. She gripped my shirt as if trying to pull me away. "Maybe... we should move this somewhere private. I don't want to be any more exposed than I already am."

With a lowered gaze, she gently dragged me along, back into the tomb. Her face looked like she wanted to disappear but could no longer go back.

I really wanted to prod, tease her a little further and see more of her cute, submissive side, but it felt wrong to do. At that moment, she was fragile. She was exposed and vulnerable and it was like treading on thin ice. If I didn't prove that I was not going to hurt her, that would have been trust that could never be regained, so I stopped myself and simply followed her lead.

We arrived in a lavish bedchamber, decorated with drapes, golden engravings and carvings of former Pharaohs. The center piece of the room though, was a massive, luxurious canopy bed with translucent purple curtains. The bedding as well as the pillows and blankets seemed to be as soft as I imagined clouds to be. Gladly, I would get a chance to find out.

Cassie pulled me down by the collar as if claiming posession of me and started sucking on my lips. She didn't even resist in the slightest when my hands moved around her back and unwrapped her black silk bra's knot. Like water flowing down a river, the fabric smoothly slid off her body, revealing two full, voluptuous breasts. They were just as beautifully tanned as the rest of her body.

When she noticed me staring, she blushed and meekly covered them with her hands. "I never thought that I'd ever come back in here again, let alone bring a man here and get myself into such a compromising situation."

"Well, this isn't a one sided thing. You're free at any point to put me into just as compromising a position."

Her lower lip trembled nervously a little as she gingerly reached for me, shoved her palms underneath the fabric and opened my front. My shirt shed off my shoulders, baring my chest and midriff, which Cassie took no time to admire. Her slender fingers glid over my firm body accompanied by a slightly open-mouthed expression. My skin was just a few shades lighter than hers.

"For a human, your body has been conserved impeccably. Impressive."

"Says the woman who survived centuries and still has a body like this one." I grabbed her thighs and lifted her up, much to her surprise. "Though I would like to see for myself how well conserved it actually is."

With widened eyes, she dropped onto the bed, tossed by me. Nearly spread-eagle, she had no defense to keep up any more. I pinned her, looming over her body. Her hair splayed out over the pillows, she was too self-conscious to look up at me. "There you go again, taking charge. This was not supposed to be your role here."

"And yet, you're not going to stop me, are you?" I moved down, latching onto one of her nipples, sucking, licking and lightly teasing it with my teeth.

Her body arched slightly on the bed, her muscles visibly tensing up. "Your beard! It tickles!"

Her legs clamped together, trying to stop my hand from encroaching on her crotch, yet she couldn't muster enough strength to be efficient at it. Her thighs spread apart as I traced the creases of her underwear.

"For an undead, you are pretty warm down there, Cassie. Mind telling me why?"

"You can't make me say that!"

I ignored her words. At some point she would have to crack and loosen up. And to achieve just that, I fondled her slit, around the rim, moving up top and finally pushing the small, protruding button at its peak. A darker black stain started to form on her panties.

Her lips quivered as I continued to molest her breasts with my kisses. Goose bumps perked up on her shoulders just as her nipples did.

I raised my eyebrows smugly and smirked as I stroked the crevasse of her underwear and pulled a thin string of semi liquid.

"And now it's getting wet as well. Strange, wouldn't you say? I wonder what would cause something like this."