Tempest and Tinder

*****

Nia heard Lord Doseth's commanding voice. He instructed Nia to obey his wife's commands without fail. The girl bowed her head and her eyes were averted when she replied that she understood. "The laws in our kingdom are...different from yours." Lord Doseth said. "As it is in your kingdom, we...sometimes take a lover or two, but by decree, we cannot marry a commoner. My wife, Tullia, prefers the company of the fairer sex. She saw you from afar when we passed through your little town. And she asked that I might place you in our service and bring you to her."

The girl remained silent, though she bristled a little when she felt the long tresses of her chestnut colored hair gathered aside. A servant stood somewhere behind her, holding something. She remembered seeing the shine of gold, like the bleached petals of a trumpet blossom. Never before had she seen such finery! The burnished circlet was fixed around her neck so it could not be removed. It was weighty but comfortable, and when her fingers made contact, she felt the etchings of several glyphs on the band, but she didn't know what they meant.

"From this day forward, you shall be Tullia's companion and faithful consort. Your expectations are simple: to serve and please the whims of your new mistress." His lordship said. "You have been given an enviable opportunity. I trust you will not disappoint us."

"No, your lordship." Nia replied. "I am thankful you've chosen me, and I'll do my best to serve you, m'lady and --"

"Ah, let us do away with such formalities! My given name is Tullia." Her ladyship's smile was radiant. Eyes, like chips of clear ice, put emphasis on the elegant, high-toned features of the older woman's face. Her rose gold tresses were pinned up, drawing attention to the graceful lines of her neck and shoulders. Her light colored kirtle was simple yet fashionable. Nia imagined that Lady Doseth turned heads wherever she went.

Nia had been at Bodifors for several more days, and the girl's cheeks bloomed with fresh heat as the memories flashed before her. They'd already eaten supper, and his lordship, with a knowing grin, said something about retiring early as he planned to set out on a hunting trip in the morning with his friend, Graffenlaird Thomelin Hopp. "Your little Miss Nia...she seems rather upset and disoriented." His lordship observed.

"Do you really think so, Svanlaug?" Her ladyship replied. "I thought she seemed unusually...quiet during supper. I'm sure that, in time, she will settle in."

"Perhaps a little comfort is in order, my dear." His lordship said. He looked in Nia's direction and their eyes briefly met. "My dearest Nia, it is such a pleasure to have you amongst us. But now, with some reluctance, I must leave you two charming ladies and retire to my rooms. I wish you and Tullia goodnight and pleasant dreams!"

The two of them were alone now. At her ladyship's suggestion, they sat side by side gazing through the arch of a window at the night sky. The smoldering light of a nearby lamp merged with the serene glow of twin moons and the twinkling points of stars too numerous to count. Lady Doseth patted the cushion beside her, inviting Nia to sit a little closer. She did.

"There is something on your mind, dearest, I feel it." Her ladyship said. "You hardly spoke a word during supper."

"I--I'm sorry..." Nia sighed and did her best to look apologetic. She was so new to this. She didn't want to offend her new mistress, but she wasn't sure exactly what she was expected to do.

"Svanlaug warned me before you arrived, that you became of age in the walls of that orphanage. You're still a maiden, and you've served neither noble nor commoner. You must be wondering if..." Lady Doseth continued gazing through the window. "Look up at the sky, Nia. Sariel and Arakiel are so beautiful!"

"Yes, m'lady, they are." Sariel and Arakiel, the sister moons, shone brilliantly in the starry expanse. One satellite was larger than the other. The more distant moon seemed to emanate a hazy reddish glow. "I--I'll do my best, next time, to speak a little more, m'lady, if that's what you want."

"Of course you will, when you've had a bit more time to settle in. And you remember to call me Tullia and stop making me feel so old!"

Nia laughed and she turned to face her mistress. Their eyes met, and suddenly the girl felt giddy, like she'd come under some kind of spell. Lady Doseth was, indeed, much older than Nia. She heard her ladyship's servant, Lil, remark once that she didn't look a day over 40, although she was really 43. She was older, but she certainly didn't look it. She was remarkably sylphlike and her stylishly coiffed rose gold hair went well with her piercing gaze and pouting lips. The bottom lip quivered a little, and Nia saw the tip of her ladyship's tongue emerge for a brief second. She looked like she wanted to say something, but words failed her.

Lady Doseth gently grasped Nia's chin, turning the girl's sweet face to meet her admiring gaze head-on. She was determined to speak, choosing action instead of words. Before Nia knew what was happening, she felt the older woman's lips making contact with her own. The bright, berry remnants of supper wine lingered in their first kiss. Her ladyship pulled back, delivering whispered reassurance as she embraced Nia. They kissed again, and this time the girl's mouth parted when she drew a hitching breath. She felt the older woman's tongue, searching for hers.

What--what's happening? Then Nia remembered that his lordship said that nobles were allowed to take lovers and that his wife preferred the company of the fairer sex. You are to serve the whims of your mistress. You have been given an enviable opportunity. Nia heard Lord Doseth's voice, diffuse, in her ear. The girl's breath caught in her throat when she tried to inhale.

We--we've only just met! Nia thought. She felt the older woman's lips again, making contact with hers. Nia, crippled by her lack of experience, felt distress. She wanted to pull away, but she didn't. She couldn't. She felt Lady Doseth's lips again. "Tullia..." The older woman paused for a moment, but did not say anything. She embraced the girl, tilting her head back against her arm. They kissed again, softly at first, and then one kiss became two. Her ladyship's insistent lips parted the captive girl's, sending a wave of tremors down her spine. Nia, awakened to what was happening, struggled to move as she felt the first real stirrings of arousal emanating from the space between her legs.

And she felt something else. An intense, throbbing heat and dampness, growing and spreading. Nia opened her eyes and was captured at once by her companion's piercing gaze. Her thoughts, by now, were under water. Reason quickly became a distant stranger when the girl realized she started returning those kisses with the intensity of a bride on her wedding night.

"Come with me, Nia." Lady Doseth said. Her voice was low, husky, and trembling. "I want to take you to my chambers, to my bed--" She kissed the girl again. The insistence of her lips, like sharp and fruity embers, stole Nia's breath away.

"But I--I don't think I can..." The girl sounded a little anxious and almost fearful. She cast a furtive glance over her shoulder. It was as if she was afraid his lordship might have been hiding somewhere in the dark, away from the window and lamplight. "This doesn't seem right..."

"Very well, then. I shall accompany you to your bed tonight instead."

"Please, no! His lordship--I--I've barely had time to get to know you!"

Nia didn't know it at the time, but her lovely fair skin suddenly turned white as a sheet. Her body was suddenly invaded by action, though later she deeply regretted this knowing that his lordship could easily do any number of things to her. But lack of experience fed her reluctance, and she was compelled to bolt across the room and into the darkened hall beyond the door. She never looked back, but she could hear Lady Doseth draw a distinctly sharp and injured sounding breath. "Huh...perhaps some other time, then?" The sound of her mistress's disappointment haunted her. She promised that the next time would be different.

*****

Another loud roar of thunder broke through the steady pattering of rain outside the cottage, and Nia flinched, pulling away from Lady Doseth just as they were about to share another kiss. "A kiss, like thunder and rain, is very powerful. Its presence and noise will catch you off guard before washing the world away."

"I don't like storms." Nia grumbled through chattering teeth. "It was so beautiful outside today, and I didn't bring my cloak. I--I wasn't ready for--" She stopped suddenly, taken, by the gleam of her ladyship's hair and piercing eyes. The firelight merged with the long loose waves, turning to amber. She felt the woman's fingertips against her cheek, caressing her, and leaving a trail of heat in their wake. "I'm afraid, I guess. Like I was when you kissed me the first time."

"Then let me allay your fear." Her ladyship said. "I was very young when Svanlaug took me as his wife. My parents explained that this was necessary as they wanted an alliance to fortify our estate. But Svanlaug is a loving and patient husband. He...respects my preferences and does not interfere with what I do outside his company."

"Do you and your husband--" Nia broke off, feeling the heat in her cheeks intensify.

"Yes, on occasion. It is a wife's duty to obey and satisfy her husband just as it is the duty of a consort to obey and satisfy her mistress or master..." The older woman's voice trailed off again. "...or both."

A few rumbles of thunder nearly drowned out the white noise of the squalling rain outside. Nia turned to look at the window and she saw a flash that made her flinch. She turned away, trying to hide her eyes from the sight. Lady Doseth's arms encircled the girl's nude body, drawing her in, and embracing her. And this time Nia could hardly deny that she enjoyed the body contact. The firelight and close quarters felt cozy and familiar. And although the storm continued to rage, it barely registered that she'd already snuggled closer, resting her head against the older woman's shoulder.

Nia raised her head. Her expression was pleading. She gazed downward, unsure of what to do next. Lady Doseth gently grasped her consort's chin, feeling the tension in her clenched jaw. She tilted Nia's face up as she leaned forward. No words were needed, only the gentle contact of her lips. They kissed again, as lovers, and the girl's eyes opened suddenly when she felt her ladyship's mouth and tongue, wandering. Her soft lips broke away and brushed against Nia's neck. "Unghh!" Nia gasped, audibly. She realized that the space between her legs throbbed and she felt a flush of intense heat and inexplicable wetness.

"Tullia..." She gasped again when she felt the softness of those lips against her neck. Her ladyship's tongue emerged, dragging against her lover's fair skin. Nia sucked in a deep breath, holding it in anticipation when she felt the older woman's hands moving upward, tugging the edge of the bedding from her nervous grasp.

"Something tells me you're still troubled...and confused." Lady Doseth whispered. "There is no shame in catching the eye of another woman. There is no shame in admiring her beauty and wondering what it's like."

"I've just...never done anything like this before." Nia said plaintively. "Some of the other girls I knew kissed boys--a couple of them say they kissed lots of boys. Most of them in town, in the marketplace. I never knew of any who kissed any girls. I've never kissed anybody before; only you."

"Then perhaps those troubled feelings of doubt will fade away with the storm if I play my cards right." Lady Doseth teased.

They kissed again, and this time, a soft whimper erupted from Nia's throat when she felt her ladyship's gently probing tongue. The girl closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of the older woman's lips against hers. They felt so soft and hot. She imagined no boy's lips--or even his lordship's--could ever feel so good. Their tongues entwined in a slippery wet caress. Nia drew another sharp breath, smelling rainwater and a mixture of wildflowers and spice in the shining rose gold locks of her lover's hair. For a moment, she stared at the crackling fire, burning strongly as ever. There was a hint of soot and fragrant wood in the air. She leaned in, pressing her mouth against her ladyship's neck, kissing the creamy fair skin...worshipping her mature beauty. "Stay with me, Tullia, and I will stay with you always." Nia whispered. "Wherever you go, I want to follow..."

"Shhh...tonight you're my whole world, Nia. Kiss me..."

Their mouths met, sharing another intense kiss. Nia's eyes rolled back, lids slowly closing, as she surrendered entirely to her lover's whims. Her breath faltered when her ladyship's hands closed over her breasts. Lady Doseth felt warm and familiar. Her hands gently cupped the youthful little swells, caressing and softly squeezing. Her ladyship leaned inward and pressed her lips against Nia's right breast, showering the fair skin with a flurry of reverent kisses. The older woman's lips brushed against the pebbled areola. The tip of her tongue grazed against the distended nipple.

Nia drew a hitching breath and she chewed her bottom lip when she felt the kisses becoming more insistent and more invasive. Lady Doseth's lips closed around the girl's nipple, trapping the stiff little nub while she sucked, first this one, then the other. She lingered as she sucked, as if wanting to be sure she gave each breast enough attention. The response was immediate and electrifying. Nia had forgotten all about the storm and squalling rain outside. She forgot about the firelight and smell of soot and burning wood. And it didn't seem to matter anymore that they were here inside this strange little cottage in the deep, dark forest instead of the splendor of Bodifors Manor. The world around Nia seemed to slip away. She was actually moaning now, barely able to stay still. She squirmed and softly whimpered when her mistress distributed a barrage of titillating love bites, leaving a few faint weals on her alabaster skin.

How gratifying! Lady Doseth thought. She'd made her mark, and the girl loved it. Nia was baring down against her now, practically shoving her breasts in her lover's mouth. The beautiful young consort pulled away, laughing softly, but her ladyship was not to be denied. She held Nia firmly, kissing across her bare chest. She slowly kissed her way upwards and lingered there at her swanlike neck. Nia's lips parted long enough to let another soft whimper escape them before their mouths fused. Her fingers, trembling, touched the collar around her neck. She could feel the etched lines in the precious metal and wondered more than ever what they meant.

"Since your arrival, I've been patient." Lady Doseth seethed. She kissed Nia again. "But I am tired of waiting--of wanting you to want me back." She seized her young consort's hand and brought it to her breast, urging her to caress the pale little mound. Nia gazed at the sight of her mistress's nude body bathed in the pulsing red-orange firelight. "No--don't stop. Don't move your hand away." Her ladyship commanded. Nia's fingertips grazed against her older lover's breasts, caressing the bare skin and savoring the radiating warmth. The light, rose tinted nipples were engorged and standing straight up. The girl took one between her lovely full lips and began to suckle while the throbbing hum between her legs grew more intense.

Nia touched the burnished circlet around her neck. Her tongue flicked across the tip of her lover's nipple and she slowly pulled away. The tips of her fingers brushed against the etched lines, and their eyes met. "Please, Tullia, tell me what it says." Nia softly whispered.

"The love of my mistress surrounds me like this circle. It shall stay forever unbroken."

A sudden wave of gratitude compelled Nia to look away. Her eyes glazed over with tears, and it was during that moment when she concluded that her ladyship's advances were sincere. Perhaps it was destiny that brought them here to seek shelter from the storm in each other's arms.

Nia's lips parted to receive her lover's tongue while they embraced. "Your place, from now on, is with me...in my arms...always by my side..." Lady Doseth's voice sounded husky and breathless. She pushed the girl onto her back and hovered closely over her. Dampened ginger tendrils of hair brushed lightly against Nia's bare skin. "The first time I tasted your lovely lips was when I knew that even though I am Svanlaug's wife, I shall belong to you and no one else."

"I think I am falling in love with you, Tullia. But I think you should kiss me again...just to be sure."

Their bodies fused together, kissing deeply. The falling rain and wind became a shroud of white noise. Two shadows, cast against the wall, in the dancing orange firelight, hunched and bowed. The sublimely feminine curves of the twin silhouettes undulated, wavelike, to the sounds of several whimpers and sultry little moans. "Ahhh...Tullia..."

Lady Doseth hovered over her beautiful young consort for a moment before sliding back. She nudged the girl's slender thighs apart with her knees and her body descended. The throbbing, warm tingling sensation between Nia's legs intensified. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt her ladyship's tongue licking and tracing along the hairy dampened cleft. "Ooh..." Nia could no longer hide the obvious pleasure she took from her mistress's attention. She let go with another soft moan when she felt the tips of her lover's fingers. They brushed across the soft curls of her pubic hair before spreading her open. "Can't wait to taste you..." The older woman seethed.

The soft cherry blush of Nia's labia parted, and the strong, earthy musk pulled her ladyship in. Her tongue slipped between the fleshy petals, opening a floodgate, and the girl let out another breathless moan. "Tullia, please...don't stop..." Now the girl's pelvis visibly trembled, responding instantly to her lover's ministrations. Nia gyrated against her older lover's mouth, struggling to get closer. Lady Doseth continued licking and feasting on the collared young beauty. With fluttering licks, the tip of her tongue teased and stroked Nia's clitoris. Occasionally, she'd back away long enough to blow a little cool air across the girl's little snatch, eliciting a few audible gasps.

Minutes passed by and Nia began to feel light headed as though she'd had too much wine and nothing to eat. Her body tensed up and her back arched while the first waves of her orgasm crashed down on her. There was another long, low rumbling of thunder, but the girl seemed to barely notice. A shriek escaped her lips. She humped against her ladyship's face, head thrown back and eyes closed. She'd never felt anything like it, this euphoria. The sensations were both invigorating and exhausting.

"Tullia..." Nia sighed. The feeling gradually dissipated but she was still a little breathless. Her ladyship softly pressed her lips against the curls of damp pubic hair modestly covering the girl's mound. Nia's scent was much stronger now. The musk coated the older woman's face around her mouth. Her lips, dewy and inviting, drew the two lovers together to share another kiss. "Is this what women do?"

"Some do to express their love for one another." Her ladyship said. "And there are other things..." Her voice trailed off.

"Will you show me?"

Lady Doseth, resting beside her beautiful young consort, said nothing. She preferred to speak loudly with action instead of mere words. The palms of her hands made contact with Nia's slender torso as she changed positions. The older woman sat up, caressing the girl's taut abdomen, and commanded her to lie still. "Spread your legs apart for me, dearest." She said. Nia's legs fell open, knees facing outward. Her cheeks were visibly flushed and her skin felt so hot. She wondered what her mistress wanted to do, but she was too nervous to ask.