The Blood Pact Ch. 24

"Gods, I think she might have knocked a tooth loose with that swing," I heard a woman whisper some short distance away. I didn't want to believe it, but it almost certainly sounded like Traemene.

"Shhh, we have to get moving before we're discovered."

With a shudder, I realized her partner could only be Wilona. I then felt two pairs of hands grab hold of me and heave me off the floor.

Had I outlived my usefulness to the Marquise so quickly? And here I thought we had found an honest grounding for our alliance. I should have been more cautious around them. I never should have let my guard down for a moment. Now I was going to end up tortured, or dead, or both.

But even though the Marquise might have thought to dispose of me before I had learned anything from her, I'd already gained enough wisdom to deal with this. Confidence and calm were often more important than power and strength.

I tried to make note of our movements so I could retrace my captor's steps should the need arise, but the way my body swung awkwardly back and forth between the two women made any such calculation nothing more than wild guesswork. They could have been taking me anywhere. I was going to die in some dark and forgotten corner of the castle, betrayed and alone.

I bit down hard on the gag in my mouth to keep the tears from coming to my eyes. If I wanted any hope of making it out of this alive, I had to keep my head about me. There had to be an opportunity I might yet exploit to my own advantage.

"Argh," Wilona said at one point. Holding onto my shoulders, she adjusted her grip and nearly dropped me in the process. "She weighs a ton."

"That's just because you got the heavy end," Traemene said, fighting hard to control laughter. "I'm pretty sure it's all in her chest."

This was all just a joke to them? I clenched the gag with my teeth in place of the growl which I wanted to voice. Straining with renewed vigor against the bindings that held my limbs gave me some scant sense of resistance, though it seemed utterly futile against the strength of the cords.

"She's acting up again," Traemene said.

"Don't worry, we're here."

And just where was here? I heard a door open ahead of me, felt more movement, then heard it close behind me. I was set down on a cushioned surface and the sack over my head was pulled back just enough so that they could unfasten the gag. A bit of flickering red light came in under the bottom of the blindfold but apart from that I could see nothing. Still, my mind drew a detailed imagine of a subterranean torture chamber, buried so deep that no one would hear my cries when I was shackled to the chains on the walls and the implements of torture heated to red hot in a bed of coals were brought into play against my fair skin.

"What do you think you're doing!" I cried the moment the gag dropped away from my mouth.

"Shhh," I heard Wilona say as she placed a finger across my lips. "You're fine. It's only us."

Fine? I'd just been hogtied in the middle of the palace and dragged away for who knew what, and she was trying to tell me everything was fine! "Does the Marquise know about this?" I said. Maybe they were acting alone. Or perhaps someone had bought them off and the Marquise had nothing to do with what was going on here.

"The Marquise sent us," Traemene laughed. I felt my heart sink. That's why she sent them back from the hunting lodge ahead of us. I'd been right after all. I HAD outlived my usefulness. "Because you got started so late, we're having to take some of the customs out of order."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"To put it simply: your indoctrination is far overdue," Wilona said with an impish laugh.

With that, the hood was jerked off of my face and the rope binding my wrists and ankles came undone with a tug. I blinked at the sudden brightness of the candles and roaring fireplace with filled the room with a warm illumination. It was a small chamber, but the walls were draped with rich curtains and the floor covered with soft silk cushions. A few small tables had been set up around with trays of food and drink.

Wilona poured a goblet of wine from a large carafe and stepped forward, offering it to me. "Welcome to the Sorority of the Knife, Lady Stephanie!" she said with a broad smile.

What the hell? This was just some stupid initiation stunt? I thought I was going to die! Baring my teeth, I jumped to my feet and lunged at Wilona. Giggling, she bounded out of the way, spilling most of the wine as she did so.

"You...you...fucking bitches!" I said.

"Hell yes!" Traemene agreed, thrusting another glass of wine to my lips. "Now drink up! We've gotten a late start so we'll have to make up for lost time!"

Having the wine forcibly poured down my throat, I sputtered and gagged. As I bent over at the waist and coughed, Traemene slapped me hardily on the back. With her free hand, she lifted the cup to her lips and finished off what I had not.

Smiling questioningly, Wilona again offered me a goblet, carelessly sending much of the wine it held sloshing over the sides. If this was to be the extent of the torture I would face tonight, I believed I could handle myself even without any lessons in bearing from the Marquise. Shaking my head, I snatched the cup away and downed the whole thing to the accompaniment of high-pitched, feminine cheers.

"You're still a fucking pair of dirty cunts!" I said, gasping for breath as I finished. The Marquise's handmaidens merely laughed all the harder and refilled my cup. "Will the Marquise be joining us?"

"Oh, no," Wilona said. "She knows this isn't going to be her kind of celebration."

I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that.

Time seemed to melt away as the three of us made merry in that small room undisturbed by the troubles of the outside world. We laughed, joked, and drank to our heart's content. Several hours at least must have passed but I cared not how long we had been at it.

With head thrown back, I finished off a whole carafe of wine and threw it to the ground with a crash and a shrill howl of victory.

"I think you might have a future here in the palace after all!" Wilona said as she dropped onto the cushions next to Traemene. The taller woman had already been lounging there half-senseless for some time now. With a giggle, I flopped down on the other side of Traemene.

"If drinking is the only skill needed to excel in life, I'll be queen in under year!"

"I'd believe it," Wilona said. "I've never seen another woman drink like you do."

"I just hope this isn't how you normally indoctrinate your young girls into the Sorority of the Knife."

"We didn't think you'd appreciate the kind of party that's usually staged for an eight-year old," Traemene said. "We had to improvise."

Well, they'd done a fine job. It had been ages since I'd been able to relax like this, either as Stephanie or as Mathis.

"So tell me," Wilona said, rolling onto her stomach and laying right across Traemene's body as she rested her chin in her hands. "Has Lord Ruvano yet made any hints of marriage?"

"Oh, please," I said, rolling my eyes. I'd seldom considered marriage myself, and those few times I had, I'd only entertained the idea of doing so to a pretty young woman. I couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life with a man. Lord Ruvano least of all. "He cares nothing for marriage or relationships. The only interest he has in me is as one of his agents. He'd no sooner marry me than he would his horse."

"That's too bad." Wilona said.

"No it's not!" I said, perhaps a bit too loudly. Despite the fact Lord Ruvano was practically her mistress's enemy, dreamy notions of romance must have clouded her thoughts on the matter. "I feel the same way about him!"

We both laughed, but Traemene merely stared at the ceiling. "I don't think I will ever marry again. I don't ever want to go through what I did when I lost my Foremir."

"Oh don't say that," Wilona said. "I know it was painful, but does that really outweigh all the good times? I'm sure you'll find a fine man again some day."

"Why should I bother?" she said. Smiling suddenly, she pushed Wilona off of her and began tickling her fiendishly. "Who needs a man when I've got you?"

"Stop it!" Wilona laughed. "Traemene! I'm serious! You're gotta make me pee!"

"And we wouldn't want to make you all wet, now would we?"

"Stephanie help!"

With a playful shout, I tackled Traemene off of Wilona and the two of us rolled into another pile of cushions. With me landing on top, Traemene suddenly reached up and cupped my breasts, one in each hand, and gave them a robust squeeze.

"Hmmm, they really ARE real. You don't pad them out at all, do you?"

Letting out a high-pitched yelp, I jerked away, but off-balance from the wine, I ended up falling over onto my back. Traemene was upon me in a flash. As she jumped between my raised knees, my skirt was carried forward as well, baring nearly the whole length of my legs. She landed atop me and began mauling my breasts mercilessly.

"Oh, I think I may have found your weak spot!" she laughed.

Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the fact she was a pretty young woman, or maybe something else entirely, but my nipples were getting so hard and sensitive by what she was doing. I blushed a deep shade of red as I tried fitfully to beat her off while at the same time wishing she wouldn't stop.

"Don't worry, my lady!" Wilona cried as she rose up and thumped Traemene over the back with one of the pillows. "I'll save you!"

"You'll have to do better than that!" Traemene warded off her attack with a shrug and tugged at Wilona's ankle, causing my would-be savior to fall down right beside me.

However, it gave me the opening I needed to unseat Traemene. With a wild laugh, the two of us went rolling over Wilona and ended up with our positions again reversed. As I straddled Traemene's legs, Wilona threw herself across our aggressor's chest.

"Now we've got you!" Wilona cried, pressing down with all her strength to keep Traemene pinned.

"Then I guess you win the prize for victory," Traemene said. Rearing up, she kissed Wilona right on the lips. The other woman's grip instantly loosened but Traemene made no further attempt to break free. Instead, the kiss lingered, Wilona happily returning it at first, but then drew back with a start.

Sheepishly, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of red, Wilona stole a sideways glance in my direction. "Traemene, I don't think..."

"What?" Traemene said. "I'm sure Stephanie doesn't mind.

Truth to tell, having these two young women writhing about under me were starting to make my pussy moisten.

However, this was a thing which I had no right to watch. To stay would make me feel as if I had spied on them in their most private of moments. After all, I was still just a man disguised as a woman. My very presence up to this point had already been a betrayal of their trust. I didn't belong here any more than I did anywhere else.

"Um." My mouth was almost too dry to speak. "Maybe I should leave." Besides, it had to be getting quite late. Or maybe it was early by now. Shakily, I climbed to my knees.

Traemene, however, snatched hold of my hand. "Or you could stay."

Her fingers were warm and buttery smooth next to my equally tender skin. For several heartbeats and a short eternity, we stared into each other's eyes, only our fingertips touching but connected by so much more.

"Is this part of the indoctrination right as well?" I said.

"No," she said, shaking her head. Her hand took hold of mine more firmly, giving it an impassioned tug. "Just something between friends."

"Friends..." I whispered.

Wilona nodded. "Yes, you SHOULD stay."

I smiled, blinking away tears I hadn't even realized were there until now. Damn it, why was I crying NOW? With a swipe of the back of my hand, I tried to clear them away before they were noticed, but it was already too late.

Traemene and Wilona both rose up and embraced me, wrapping their arms tightly around my shoulders in a heartfelt show of support and comfort. With the three of us on our knees, not quite crying, not quite laughing, we held each other close. I felt so warm, so safe, so content. I didn't care if this was just a ploy on their part to further gain my trust, or if I was simply using them for my own comfort. In that moment, the rest of my life didn't matter -- the king, his altar, Lord Ruvano, Nikelle. There was a loneliness that was banished in that embrace and a desperate need for warm companionship that had been fulfilled.

As the embrace wore on, I felt one of Traemene's hands glide down my back, tracing my spine through the fabric of my dress. A moment later, Wilona did the same. It sent a shiver through my body and I, only half aware of my own actions, copied their movements, as I knew they were also doing for each other. My hands reached their firm hips at the same moment two hands belonging to two separate women grabbed my ass.

They parted their legs and I did likewise. We lifted each other's skirts out of the way, leaning together as we stuck out our asses in mutual invitation. We snaked our hands between our legs and gasped simultaneously as we all touched each other in chorus.

I felt their delicate folds while they softly fingered mine. A moan here and a whimper there sounded through the room as we cradled our pussies and rubbed our clits with tender affection. They were just as warm and wet as I. I let out a sigh as fingers found their way inside and we rested out heads on each other's shoulders

I could hear the sloppy stroking of Traemene's fingers inside me while Wilone alternated between sticking a finger into my pussy and rubbing my clit. Traemene felt so moist and silky smooth as I teased her clit and Wilona drove her fingers deep into her. Between Wilona's legs, her pussy was practically dripping. Me and Traemene probed into her hole in perfect unison and she eagerly pressed her hips down against each assault.

We pressed our bodies against each other as our breasts smashed between us. Our hips rocked and shook against the fingers exciting our pussies, causing our thighs to quiver. With eyes pinched closed, I lifted my head skyward and felt my lips brush against Wilona's own. Several times they came close, just barely touching, like the ephemeral fluttering of butterfly wings. When we finally kissed, it was deep and impassioned. Her lips were so soft and totally unlike a man's. As our tongues intertwined in our mouths, we could hear Traemene moan mere inches away. We both kissed her as well, two sets of plump red lips pressed to hers at the exact same time.

As their ministrations carried me close to the edge of delight, my own actions on their pussies became harder to maintain. I felt the same in their fingers -- muscles tensing in time with their cries and their rhythms becoming less regular. Our lips brushed each others as they trembled with our heated whimpers.

Traemene bit my lower lip with playful glee as her whole body shuddered. I pressed my hips down hard against the suddenly tense hand within my pussy and felt a wave of pure bliss wash through me. It radiated out from my hips, first contracting my muscles forcefully and then reducing them to jelly. My spasming pussy sprayed forth juices that flooded across the other women's hands and ran down my legs in torrents. Wilona came a moment later, thrashing her body savagely against ours; once, twice, three times, gasping and moaning as if short of breath with each convulsion.

We rested our foreheads against each other and continued idly playing with our slippery folds as we breathed in each other's breaths in deep satisfied huffs.

"I think I need some more wine," Wilona said after a time. She separated herself from us and climbed to her feet, leaving a feeling of cold emptiness beside me.

"Oh gods, me too." Traemene flopped down on the cushions, staring blankly into space.

Still on my knees, I didn't know what to do. I'd never been a part of anything like that before. As we'd been doing it, I felt as if I belonged. Now, as my addled brain fought in vain to figure out what to do next, I remembered just how plainly obvious it was that I didn't belong here. If I were a real woman like them, instead of just playing the part, I would not have had any indecision about my place. I would have been just as comfortable as they were.

Mechanically, I passed the first cup Wilona poured on to Traemene and took the second for myself.

"Come on now," Wilona said, taking me by the hand and pulling me gently down alongside Traemene. She then lay down between us with her legs dangling across mine and her head resting against Traemene's chest.

After a long drink of wine, she let out a contented sigh and snuggled back against Traemene as she stared smiling at the ceiling. Laying half on her side with a half-veiled expression, Traemene brushed a few strands of hair out of my face and idly twirled a single golden lock around her finger. Haltingly, I brought my wine cup to my lips but could only manage a tiny sip.

No matter how long I lived as Stephanie, I would never be like them. I hadn't been born as a girl, I'd never grown up wearing dresses and playing with dolls, never fumbled my way into womanhood. I'd been created as a fully formed woman but in my heart I was still a man. I could never feel or behave as they did without having to second-guess every urge and emotion coursing through this strange body. Even here in the most intimate of moments, I would forever be apart, an outsider.

But did any of that really even matter? No two people had ever lived the exact same life. Even twins were never completely identical. I didn't know what I was anymore, but I did know that what we'd just shared had been real enough. Maybe I wasn't a real woman. Maybe I never would be. But I could not have felt what I had with them if I had been a man. For the time being, this is what I was and I had to make the most of it, for better or for ill.

To Be Continued...