The Contest Ch. 01

More applause. Then the musicians left the room while many ladies-in-waiting entered and took their places beside their mistress. They had ankle length dresses with sturdy boots and simple brooches.

Antonai said to the princess, "Your Highness, your dance was dazzling and powerful. As I am with the previous dancer, I am pleased to have you join my court. Join the audience so that the final princess may be revealed."

"Ah," the princess said with a nod, getting up to her feet and putting her sword away, "I appreciate that. Thanks." She waved at her handmaidens. "Alright, let's go!"

After Princess Lagath Brudist Apsalani and her ladies were ready to watch, the Emperor didn't bother picking the last butterfly. The classic process of elimination told him what name to say next.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Rellenora Analisa Nograith of Henrill."

Two musicians ... only two?!

One sad looking man held up a recorder. The other had a small lute. They were nicely dressed, but they were frowning and sweating a little.

A short woman entered the room, her feet shifting her long dress about. Her head was covered by a white cloth. Her face was pointed down and subtly moving from one side to the other as she seemed to be examining her surroundings. A bit of curly blonde hair, so pale that it was nearly white, peeked out. In a way that was nearly rude, the woman spun her body about and looked up at the ceiling, her very plump lips parted as she seemed to be in awe. Her hair was longer than Antonai had thought. The length that hung from the princess' headwrap reached her upper thighs. The hair's color looked vibrant against the princess' light green gown. That outfit was strangely plain, though. The sleeves were fitted with no embellishment. The neckline was very high. There wasn't even a pattern in the fabric.

A worn rope was tied around her waist, and attached to the rope there was a student's writing slate, a knotted white cloth, and a pouch. The pouch might have contained sticks of chalk.

The man with the recorder hissed something at the princess, which made her hop in place, spin back to face the throne, and look back down. Her face was fairly round with dark blue eyes so wide that they were nearly childlike. Her nose was small, soft, and upturned.

And she wasn't looking at anyone.

The two musicians began playing a simple tune.

Mechanically, her limbs moving as a wooden puppet would, the princess performed a very formal looking dance. Sometimes her writing slate would flop around.

But ... as if her leg was buckling, she abruptly fell down. Her plump cheek landed right on the green rug. Her arms were spread out.

The musicians stopped playing. They gave the princess concerned yet also bitter looks. Many members of the court were leaning into each other and whispering.

The little princess forced herself to a crouching position. It wasn't flattering. Her skirt was stretching out with her legs. Her leather shoes were visible. She shook her head like a wet dog. Then she grimaced as she fell down again. There looked to be a problem with her ankle.

She got up again, raising one foot. Then she hopped a few times and her grimace evaporated. There was a wide grin instead. She clapped her hands three times and tilted her head towards one of the musicians.

The musician shook one hand from side to side, dismissing whatever was being communicated to him.

Obstinate and uncaring, the princess hopped and clapped three times. The musician made a negative humming noise in his throat and shook his hand again.

With a shrug, the princess gathered some of her skirt in one hand and started hopping around. Her free hand clapped against her full fist as she jumped around and around in a circle. Sometimes she paused and rocked her head back and forth. Then she would hop again. The only music she had was her clapping hands and her stomping foot. This dance seemed to be completely different than what she had planned on showing to the Emperor.

The musicians put their palms to their faces.

After a while, the princess sat down on her haunches and waved her hands in the air. Then she clapped her hands again and looked down at herself with an acidic frown. One of her hands moved to her ankle, and she started massaging herself right in front of the court, the other princesses, and the Emperor himself. There were layers of fabric between her hand and her ankle, but that didn't matter. It was still a very peculiar thing to do.

The whispering among the court rose in volume by at least two levels.

The musicians were cringing as they left the room. Only one person replaced them, and it didn't look to be a lady-in-waiting. It was a middle aged woman with a tired face and a braid of brown and gray hair. She ran to the blonde princess and knelt down beside her. "Greetings to the Emperor, may his life be long!!" She put a single hand on the princess' shoulder. "May I be so honored as to address the Emperor?!"

Antonai blankly stared at the older woman. "You may."

"My name is Naeva Donner. I am a widow and Her Highness' companion. I don't know what our splendid queen wrote in her reply to the glorious Emperor. Therefore, I must speak. This princess will say no more than a few words when she needs to, and she often doesn't speak at all. She uses a writing slate to communicate more difficult information."

Antonai's thick eyebrow quirked up. He leaned a bit forward in his seat. The ends of his sleeves fell down to his ankles. "Is she unwell?"

Mrs. Donner shook her head. "No, Your Majesty. This is simply her nature. She's always been this way."

Princess Rellenora looked as if she was ignoring the conversation, still rubbing the soreness out of her ankle.

Antonai drummed his index finger on the armrest of his throne. His expression was serious, but his tone was peaceful. "I suppose that can't be helped. What was that hopping she did moments ago?"

A shrug, and then Mrs. Donner told him, "It's a favorite dance from her childhood. I assume she chose that dance because it's meant to be performed on one foot."

There was a pause as the Emperor considered the statement. He heard a bit of giggling among the court. Then, another moment later, Princess Rellenora nodded, but she didn't show any other sign of listening to what was being discussed.

The Emperor's dark eyes narrowed, but he said, "Your Highness, your dance served its purpose. Please return to your palace to rest." He looked about the court. "The other two princesses should leave as well. Each will soon receive a list of rules concerning the contest I have arranged, and I expect all three princesses to strictly obey them."

There was bustling as all three princesses and their companies left the Throne Room and went to their guest palaces to rest.

***

Rule One: Unless there is an extenuating circumstance, no princess is allowed to visit any of the remaining princesses' palaces. Members of their retinues are bound by the same rule. If one princess needs to contact another while they are in their palaces, then a member of the Royal Staff may be used.

Rule Two: No princess is allowed to give the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager gifts unless directly requested by one of them to do so. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager are free to give any of the princesses gifts, however.

Rule Three: Attempts at sabotaging the competition will not be tolerated.

Rule Four: If one princess falls ill and can not compete, then the rest of the princesses are required to remain in their palaces until there is a recovery (or, if the worst possibility comes true, until the illness causes death), so that there will be no unfair advantages.

***

Princess Chohni was given the Rose Palace. It had been decorated with lush flowers, and many shelves and displays were installed. The reason? Princess Chohni was fond of collecting treasures. Not only did she want to bring many of her own favorite curios, but she wanted to find new additions during her stay in Zenthia.

Princess Lagath was given the Pomelo Palace. It was been decorated with taxidermy, armor, and weapons. There were also several fertile plots of earth for her to enjoy. It turned out that she truly loved gardening.

Princess Rellenora was given the Eggplant Palace. Sadly, her mother hadn't given the Emperor any information concerning how to best decorate the place. So, the Emperor settled for a generic sort of luxury. Mrs. Donner asked one of the servants if they had any extra scrolls and writing utensils. Princess Rellenora was very fond of writing, and Mrs. Donner didn't think that there was enough materials in the palace to last long. Within an hour, a large cart bursting with materials arrived at the Eggplant Palace. There was even a fresh writing slate, a new rope, and a package of unused chalk sticks.

***

On the following morning, Princess Lagath was summoned to a gazebo. Her gold and gray checkered tunic shirt fluttered in the gentle wind. Her ankle length white skirt brushed against a wooden column as her boots thudded onto the gazebo's stairs. She sat down near a round table and looked at a potted plant. Her tanned fingertips seized a leaf and she plucked it away so she could hold it up to her eyes. It was a tender little thing.

A woman holding a small boy's hand went to the gazebo. A bow, and then the woman introduced herself. "Greetings, Your Highness. I've been sent by the Emperor to spend some time with you. My name is Brintha Hollig." She patted the boy's head. "This is my son, Jaster."

Princess Lagath and Mrs. Hollig played a board game while they sipped hot tea and nibbled on egg tarts. Little Jaster had a box of toys to play with, but eventually he decided the best thing to do was to take a sling and shoot pebbles at the princess' legs. Princess Lagath closed her eyes a moment after each pebble made contact.

After the boy's fourth shot, Princess Lagath abruptly rose from her seat, kicking her chair back. She crouched down, put her face at eye level with the boy, and she asked him, "Do you want to learn how to play the game?"

The boy nodded.

So, the princess returned to her seat, put the boy in her lap, and explained the rules of the board game. Then she helped the boy play.

In the afternoon, Princess Chohni was summoned to the gazebo. The sleeves of her more casual dress were loose and drooping, but they weren't like the sleeves she had during her dance. Her delicate slippers were silent against the stairs. She admired a potted plant without touching it. When Mrs. Hollig approached with Jaster's hand in hers, Princess Chohni nodded and showed the mother a polite red smile.

As they played the board game, Jaster shot a pebble at the princess' leg.

Princess Chohni turned her head and snapped to the child, "How dare you embarrass your mother?!" She looked back to Mrs. Hollig. "Aren't you going to do something? Your child has assaulted a princess."

Mrs. Hollig looked at her son's curiously serene face and said, "Don't shoot at people, Son, especially not royalty. Apologize at once."

As if the sling was on fire, Jaster dropped the thing. Then he bowed and said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I won't do it again."

The rest of the game went smoothly.

In the early evening, Princess Rellenora was summoned to the gazebo. Her dark gray gown was caught on a corner of a step, but she was able to free herself easily. Her ankle wasn't hurting anymore, and her gait was relaxed. She decided to watch an insect crawl around a potted plant. Then she watched a lizard eat the insect.

And the mother and son arrived.

Silent, her face morose yet her attitude docile, the princess played the board game with Mrs. Hollig, her face pointed down all the while. Soon, she took a bite of an egg tart, spat the food into a handkerchief, and rolled her eyes.

When Jaster shot a pebble at the princess' legs, her hand froze in the air, holding a wooden marker above a symbol on the board.

Another pebble went to her legs.

Princess Rellenora left her seat with so much force that the chair fell over and banged onto the floor. A surprised noise rolled out of Mrs. Hollig's throat. Wary, the mother watched the princess pick up her skirts and hurry over to the boy.

The princess put her palm before Jaster's face, bending her fingers three times.

Jaster sighed and put his sling into the princess' hand.

Her fingers curling around the sling, Princess Rellenora went to the chair she had knocked down. She put the chair back into its normal position and sat down so she could continue the game.

***

Paneling of black wood and squares of white marble lined the walls of the large bathing chamber. Carved into the black stone floor, there was a grand pool filled with warm water and dusted with yellow rose petals. A stick of incense was burning nearby. Light smoke flourished from it like a ribbon, giving off an aroma of exotic coconuts and limes. Little candles were lit and held in pretty glass bowls, putting weak but pleasing lights into the night.

The surface of the water was soon further disturbed by the weight of a rather muscular emperor as his bare legs and backside met the bottom of the pool. His tail settled over his lap almost as a pet would. To his left, another man descended. The water was deep enough barely touch their nipples as they sat there.

The other man's bronzed right hand went to the Emperor's shoulder. His flesh was always alarming to view against the unnaturally white color of the Emperor's, but under candlelight the paler man almost glowed. "I'm waiting, Antonai. Don't keep your mind in a crate." The darker man's voice was smooth and refined but also deep, carrying a hint of something powerful that could be revealed at any moment.

Antonai's long black hair shifted and fell around himself, partially floating in the water. There were waves in the locks because of the recent braiding. His eyes were lost. Mindlessly, one of his hands rose from the water, forming ripples and dripping, and he tugged on one of his silver horns, even though there was no way he could have removed them. His head tilted. "Chohni wasn't pleased by the sight of me." His voice was fuzzier than normal.

"That's her problem, isn't it?"

Antonai's great chest rose and fell. "Don't be so blunt, Yban."

The youngest prince of Halarsi, a kingdom under the rule of Zenthia, reached up to comb his fingers through the Emperor's clean locks. "A judge should be fair, and you are the judge. Don't be lenient. If the woman dislikes your appearance, then it's her problem. You have other choices. She doesn't."

"She won't let her opinion be known. She'll continue as if nothing is wrong," the Emperor said with a disappointed tone.

Yban curled his fingers as he removed his hand, putting it back under the water. He leaned back against a stack of pillows that had been laid out for the two men. His curly brown hair would normally brush his shoulders with its ends, but it was tied up at this time. "Lagath seemed to have no opinion. As for Rellenora, did she even notice you?"

With a short chuckle, Antonai told him, "It would be more accurate to say, 'Did she even look at me?'"

Yban's asparagus colored right eye closed for a moment. The left eye was long gone. The eyelids there were covered by a black eye patch that had a not very fashionable cluster of gemstones attached to the fabric. He inhaled the soothing scents, the rose petals, the moist air, the incense, the pillows, and even the man beside him. "I hope that one's not an idiot. By the by, how did the women react to the child?"

"I was told that none of them reacted badly. Lagath was the most cordial. Rellenora was apparently upset and took the sling away, but she didn't do anything harmful. Chohni scolded the child, but not too harshly."

"Well, that was dull." Yban opened his eye and straightened his back, using his left hand to rub at his nape. On that hand, the tips of the index and middle fingers were noticeably missing. There weren't even fingernails anymore, since there was nowhere left for them to grow. "The next test had better produce something interesting, otherwise I won't give my opinion on any of the women."

"At least tell me what you think of their appearances."

Casually, as if this was the most normal action, Yban reached beneath the water and snatched up the Emperor's white tail. He put the soft and wet tip against his lips. Antonai turned his head and constricted his already bitter looking mouth.

"Hmmmmmm ... They're all very pretty." Yban slid his thumb up and down a portion of the tail. It truly was a smooth thing. "Chohni has a doll's face. I imagine she's hiding a soft body underneath her gowns, but not overly soft."

Something in the Emperor's voice melted. "I wonder if she has spotless feet."

"White jade feet?" Yban put the tip of the tail between his lips and pensively hummed.

The tail twitched.

"I know you have a fondness for such things," the Emperor said.

Yban pulled the tail out of his mouth and closed his fingers over it. Then he put his elbow on the edge of the pool and his cheek on the tail-filled hand. "As do you ... on occasion."

A pale arm of the Emperor stretched over to rest on Yban's shoulders, touching old scars that ran down the prince's back in a seemingly haphazard pattern of raised lines. His body's warmth seeped into Yban's body more than the bath's heat could. "Have you seen Lagath in her casual skirt?"

With a light grin, Yban said, "You haven't?"

Antonai's opaque fingernails grazed the prince's shoulder in a hushed and tender manner. "No, but I heard she was surprisingly lovely."

Playfully squeezing the tail in his grasp, Yban said, "I don't think I could hold her breast in my hand."

The water was sloshed.

The free pale arm moved towards the prince. He felt the Emperor's body twist closer. His breath rushed in the prince's ear. "Such an active woman would be able to turn a man over three times."

Pressure, a grip of iron and flesh, not only did it envelop the prince's cock, but it lured blood through the skin, engorging it, putting more sensitivity there.

Yban gritted his teeth and silently yelled at himself to NOT sink his fingernails into Antonai's tail.

"Do you think she has a pleasing shape overall?" Antonai was teasing him. He stroked the prince up and down, tightly, sweetly, maddeningly.

"She seems," and here, Yban licked his lips and released the Emperor's tail, "to have suitable hips."

That tail wrapped around Yban's waist, forcing him against Antonai's chest, splashing water and flinging yellow petals about. A kiss, a wet and firm kiss was given, and then their mouths popped away from each other. Antonai's eyes were full of mischief, which was always thrilling to Yban. The Emperor was normally a rather serious fellow.

His hand moved down to cup the prince's testicles.

The Emperor's mouth seemed much less cruel. Yban could see the pink inside. "I like Rellenora's lips."

Yban shivered as his sack was being expertly kneaded. "They're quite full, hmm?"

A second kiss.

They left the pool right after that kiss was done, abandoning the luxurious bath. A few stray petals stuck to their bodies. A few others trailed on the floor as the men gathered up some pillows and walked to the nearest wall.

A few pillows on the floor, and they were ready to tangle with each other.

As frightening as the Emperor could be, as violent as he had been in the past, none of that was of any importance here. Yban was safe.

The next time Yban would put his mouth on Antonai's cock, or bent over to receive it between a different set of cheeks, it wouldn't be under threat of violence. It wouldn't be done in a harmful way. No bloodshed at all.