The Harem's Lessons Ch. 02

"Ariya, it's your own fault, if you weren't so shy everyone wouldn't want you so badly." Melee teased, "It's just too adorable."

"You know Chandi and Nelana are taking bets from the guards on how long before his lordship takes her? The winner gets back rubs every day for a fortnight."

"Shiv, please!" Ariya groaned.

"It's true!"

"Chandi and Nelana just want an excuse to seduce one of them. If Lord Bael was smart he would stop putting the young, attractive men on duty here and send them off to war. The women here are too much for their poor hearts to bear." Melee grinned wickedly.

"I've never heard any complaints."

"Well, I hate to disappoint Chandi and Nelana, but it isn't going to happen. I can't stand that arrogant man, he'll never touch me again."

Eri frowned, "Ariya... he's not so bad. He is really quite enjoyable. And he's so powerful. There is nothing like being held by the most powerful man West of the capital."

"His status does not impress me."

"Uh oh, Ariya's getting grumpy again."

Shiv helped Ariya to her feet. "Eri, why don't you and Melee go get the servants to set up some breakfast? Ariya and I will go take a bath."

"Ooh! Breakfast!" Eri was up and gone in a flash, Melee chuckling as she followed.

"Come on, you." Shiv said, holding Ariya's hand and leading her through the grove.

The two climbed the ladder to their special spot, the third pool of the fountain. It was almost completely covered in vines, allowing for a rare moment of quiet and privacy. When Ariya had first arrived, she spent many days crying in that very spot, until Shiv would find her and get her laughing with a clever joke. Ariya sighed with a quiet relief as she sank into the warmth of the pool. Shiv shed her robe, tossing it over the top wrung of the ladder and settled into the pool behind Ariya. She pulled flowers from a nearby vine and began to braid them into Ariya's long dark hair.

"Shiv?"

"Yes, Ariya?"

"Are you happy here?"

There was no hesitation in her answer, "Of course I am. I have so many wonderful friends here."

"I just don't understand how you can be content to be some man's pet? He just uses you whenever he wants, comes and goes as he pleases... Doesn't it bother you?"

"Lord Bael takes care of us. Before I came here, I had a terrible life. I watched my family die before my eyes, and I wandered the borderlands alone. I was half starved and very sick when he found me. He was on a diplomatic mission to my country. I was like you, though, spirited. I thought it was better to be dead than to do what he asked of me. They kept me chained up for weeks, but Lord Bael himself came every day with food and medicine to nurse me back to health. He never asked anything of me until I was ready. Since then I have known a life of luxury that I could never have imagined. I have sisters who care about me, and I want for nothing. He cares deeply for us, Ariya, someday you will understand that."

When they dried off they found a happy little picnic breakfast set out under one of the willow trees. Melee and Eri were chatting and Santha had joined them as well. Santha was a picture of perfect calm. She was kind and wise, gentle and soft spoken. Lord Bael would sometimes come into the grotto in a rage that scared most of the women, but Santha was always able to quiet him. Her short pixie cut showed the slight points of her dark tan ears, peaking up between spikes of nearly white hair. She was from a distant island, and had a very otherworldly appearance.

Ariya ate her breakfast quickly. She was eager to get over to the library, for the librarian, a kind old man named Merrin, was going to begin teaching her to read. She said goodbye to her sisters, and approached the guard at the door.

"I wish to go to the library."

"Yes, my lady, I will arrange for an escort immediately." The guard turned and exited the grotto. Ariya took one of the robes from the hook by the door and wrapped it around her naked body. Moments later the guard returned with an escort. The young man was attractive, but would be more so when he grew out of the awkward years of late puberty. Hair stuck out in patches all over his face. Like most young guards, his eyes widened and his face turned red when he entered the grotto. No doubt he had never had a woman before, Ariya surmised with a chuckle. The young guard looked at her in confusion, but she flashed him a disarming smile.

"Follow me please, my lady." The guard said.

***

Ariya loved the feel of sandstone on her bare feet. Walking through the labyrinth hallways of Border keep Ariya could not help but marvel at the unearthly sights all around her. In the desert she had known nothing of great stone buildings, of fountains, flowers, wagons, or kitchens, there were so many things her nomadic people had never dreamed of. Life had been simple then, and the shock of this new world both excited and frightened her.

She was as lost as ever when they reached the doors of the library, but she was too excited to have arrived to notice or care. The guard pushed one of the great wooden doors open to let her in.

The library was a bright place, a two story tower with a giant skylight that let plenty of light in. A staircase wound up the wall to the second floor, which was a loft covered in tables and cushioned seats so that one could read closer to the light. Then there were the books. Shelves and shelves of books that lined the walls and stood proudly in rows on the first floor. Books of every shape, size, and color. Books with hand drawn pictures, books with words in every language, and on every subject imaginable, and some that weren't.

A middle-aged woman was busy doing repair on a tattered old book when Ariya entered, but acknowledged her immediately. "Merrin has been summoned to teach poetry at the schoolhouse today, and will be late for your lesson. He asks if you will please wait up for him. He will be along shortly."

"Of course. Thank you." The woman nodded, and returned to her work.

Ariya felt perfectly content to wander the shelves, running her fingers over the spines of the books with anticipation. One day she would be able to read these words, and all of this knowledge would be hers. Perhaps one day she could even write one herself! Ariya chuckled at her own arrogance.

"What a silly notion. What could I possibly have to add to all of this information that isn't here already?" She meandered over to a shelf where books of art were kept. She could look at these ones all by herself because they were mostly pictures. Pictures from cultures thousands of years old, of far away places, even imaginary worlds. She selected a book at random from the shelf and headed up the stairs to the loft.

Her excitement turned to anger when she reached the top of the stairs. The loft was completely empty except for a dark figure huddled over a large book . Even from the back she knew it was Lord Bael, but he turned when he heard her.Damn,she thought,to late to leave.

"Well, if it isn't the desert flower herself. Ariya." He said in a voice that was pleasant, but strangely tired. Even exhausted as he looked, he oozed charisma, and Ariya hated him for it all the more. She acknowledged him with what she hoped was a polite nod. "Merrin tells me you are here frequently. I find it fascinating that a tribeswoman such as yourself has taken such an interest in our humble library."

"I am not a barbarian." She said, more than a little insulted.

Lord Bael's response was as tired as his face, "Forgive me, I meant no offense. It's just that this library is here for everyone in my castle, Highborn and servant alike, but so few people take advantage. I would not have expected it from you."

"Perhaps they believe they have no use for such knowledge when all they do is cook your meals and clean your floors."

"Do you have a use for it, lady of my harem?" Ariya did not answer him. Lord Bael stood and walked toward her, "I get tired of you. Your name is whispered all over the keep, I can barely escape it, it is as if the walls themselves can speak of nothing else. Your sisters tell me you are sweet, the guards tell me you are the picture of perfect courtesy, and everyone tells me you are the most beautiful flower in my garden. But when I look at you, I see none of this." He waited as if for an explanation, but when he did not receive one, her continued, "You refuse me, you hate me. It's plain to see. And yet now I am forced to come to you for help when my people need it most."

Ariya could not hide the curiosity in her face, "Help your people?"

Lord Bael nodded, "This kingdom is in shambles, Ariya. Surely it doesn't matter if I tell you that, for what could you possibly do about it that the Gadenites are not already? Every day hundreds of my country's people come to me seeking refuge from war. Every day I push further into the desert trying to find a place for them. The desert is vast, and space is not so much the issue as sustenance. I cannot possibly feed all of the mouths my king is sending me."

"I fail to see how I can be of any help in this matter."

"You were Queen of a desert tribe. You know the land. Your people survived in the harsh climate for thousands of years. They say you r kind can go months without water, and years without coming to green land for food. Yet you are nomadic, so you do not farm. How is this possible? How did you feed your people?"

"You ask me to help you save your people from death, yet you killed mine without thought. Now you want me to help you live on the lands of my ancestors and give you our secrets, all that is left of my kingdom? You are a murderer. And now the Gods are punishing your people. I should be dropping to my knees in thanks, not angering them by giving you aid."

"Ariya, please. Do not make them suffer for my mistakes."

"You are their leader, they suffer for all of your mistakes! They suffer for every moment you spend with your cock in a woman instead of thinking about how to provide for them. They suffer when you take up all of the fresh water for your flowers and your fountains instead of sending it to them. My sisters tell me you are kind, that you are generous, that you care about others. But when I look at you, I see none of this. No, my lord, your people will die, as my people died, and if the Gods are loving they will give you the peace of death at the end, instead of slavery as they have given me." And with that, Ariya left him. She flew down the stairs and out the door before Lord Bael could utter another word.

***

That night, Ariya could not sleep. She stared up at the blue glow of the moonlight through the windows. She was at war with her life here. Learning to read, what was she thinking? How could she allow herself to enjoy the life of a slave? She was a queen, her focus should have been on restoring her people to their rightful place. Her focus should have been escape.

She heard a sound on her platform, but it did not startle her. She lifted the covers on her bed and felt the nimble form crawl in next to her.

"Ariya, do you want me?" Ariya did not answer. Instead, she reached up and grasped at a head full of silken curls, pulling her face forward until her lips locked with the woman's. Her mouth was filled with the sweet tastes of wine and berries as Eri's tongue entered it, probing playfully along her lips and stroking along her own tongue. Ariya moved a hand down to the soft breast pressed against her. She kneaded it firmly, feeling the flesh mold to her fingers, shuddering as Eri's lips parted from hers long enough for to draw in the sharp inhalation of a thrilled gasp. Then Eri was dropping soft kisses along the line of her neck, stopping to suck gently when she found a sensitive spot. Ariya seized her in a desperate embrace. The kisses turned to nibbles and Ariya let loose a quiet moan. Eri worked with expert precision down her body, tonguing along her collarbone and down to her breasts. She lingered there for sometime, spinning Ariya into a heady blur of desire. Only then did she reach a finger to the soaking folds of Ariya's slit.

Fire shot through every nerve in her body at Eri's slightest touch, finger stroking her throbbing clit. Then, she slid a finger deep inside Ariya's warm wet flesh, causing her back to arch powerfully as a loud breath escaped. Eri's head was between her legs now, and Ariya could feel her hair caressing the insides of her thighs as she lowered her tongue next to her finger and lapped at Ariya's juices. Eri's teeth pulled at her clit gently while her tongue danced over it in intoxicating rhythm with her finger, sliding in and out of her. Ariya weaved her fingers in Eri's hair, tugging at it as she pulled Eri's face further into her mound. Ariya bit her lip to quiet the scream welling up in her throat. A small sound did escape her lip, it was dismay as Eri pulled away for a moment. Eri slid up Ariya's body, the sweat of their bodies helping her glide upward to meet Ariya's lips with her own. Ariya could taste herself on Eri's lips.

"Ariya, you must let go. No one is embarrassed by your cries but you." Eri ground her hips into Ariya's who felt a shudder all along her spin, "It's all right... Just let go. You'll feel so much better. I know how long you've wanted me. Since you saw Lord Bael bend me over that rock on your first night here, you have wanted me to pleasure you as I pleasure him. Now I fulfill you desire, and you hold back. Why?" Eri kissed her neck and ran her fingers through her long dark hair.

"I'm... afraid..."

"You never need to fear your sisters here. We love you. We can give you pleasure and satisfaction, comfort you when you need us, but you will not open yourself to us. You don't have to be alone here, Ariya. You don't have to be strong, you don't have to bear the weight of life by yourself." Ariya wanted to push her away. She wanted to shut herself in the dark cave of her mind, in that invulnerable keep where her spirit had lived for so long. And yet, the warmth of the woman who she had longed for for since she arrived was intoxicating, and she could not pull herself from it. The heat from Eri's body was a fire that unfroze her heart and awakened a passion she had never imagined. "Please try, Ariya... for me. For as you have longed for me, I have longed to hear you cry out at my caress. I have wanted to kiss the tears from your face and feel your unbridled lust devour me. Please..." Eri's fingers found Ariya's sex again, pushing inside her and renewing the irresistible rhythm that made Ariya's hips bounce in time.

Ariya felt a distant sensation deep within her, a sensation that pulled her toward it with each pulse of Eri's fingers. The feeling climbed and descended on distant peaks and she rushed ever closer. Eri's mouth explored her lips, neck, breasts, fanning the flames of desire and the pleasure rose in an overwhelming crescendo, and yet Ariya did not allow herself a whisper.

Suddenly, as the height of sensation approached, Eri stopped. Ariya clenched her shoulders tightly.

"Cry out." Eri said softly. She gave another quick pumps with her finger, but Ariya was silent. Inside, Ariya's mind was a battlefield, she wanted to let go, but something held her back. Eri stopped again. Ariya could have sobbed.

"Cry out!" This time Eri's words were demanding. She rolled Ariya's clit around with her finger, and the torture was excruciating. Ariya's lips parted and a quiet cry escaped. She was rewarded with a single thrust.

"Louder!" Eri ordered, and another shy cry emerged, "Louder! Tell me you want it, sister, or I will stop!"

"No!" The protest was louder than Ariya would have consciously allowed, "No, please, don't stop. Please!" To Ariya's surprise, Eri's finger inside her felt even better as she thrust in short rapid bursts.

It was as if Ariya was outside her own head. She could hear her own screams of pleasure far in the distance, but she was soaring, free as the wind, over mountain peaks and into the clouds. It was as though air tasted sweeter and filled her lungs fuller than every before, though her breath came in desperate gasps between unguarded cries.

She felt herself spasming hard on Eri's finger, every muscle tightened to it's limit, focused on the explosion between her thighs. Each wave of intense pleasure washed over her, electric, there was not a part of her body that did not feel the pulse from the tips of her toes to the ends of her raven hair. Yet still, she floated above it all, reveled in it, mind clearer and cleaner than the day she entered the world. The moment went on into eternity and yet was over in the blink of an eye.

She came back to herself as the clenching subsided, and she felt the weight of her body, so heavy that she thought she might sink into the earth. But the thought didn't frighten her, and she welcomed the cool enveloping ground around her to cradle her after her flight. As her eyes fluttered open she realized that she was not sinking into the ground, but rather, being folded into Eri's kind embrace. She felt a hand move the hair plastered to her face by sweat, but just barely... for her eyelids were as heavy as the rest of her and as she uttered a great sigh of relief she faded into sleep.

***

Lord Bael in the bath, trying to relax. Ever since that day in the library... it had to have been weeks ago... he had felt so distracted. He could not focus on food, or women, only on the words of his harem girl... Perhaps he did have a lot to learn about being a leader. He had never asked for this position, and certainly not during a time of such national turmoil.

He turned his attention to the letter on the table beside the bath. It was from Captain Greynon. The letter's arrival had been the best thing to happen in ages. His friend was returning home as per the orders in his last letter, and would arrive within the week. Lord Bael new that the Captain was the only one capable of succeeding in the delicate mission Lord Bael intended to lay before him... if anyone could. However, his chances of success would be greatly increased if they could only persuade one very stubborn woman to aid them...

He was thinking of her again! Always his thoughts wandered back to her. Why did she affect him so? No woman had ever troubled his mind like this, nor enticed him so much. Then again, no woman had been so fierce in her refusal, or so unyielding to his will. Yet, beyond that, he sensed that it was something beyond physical attraction and lust. He wanted so badly to come to her for advice, to read with her in the library, for her to smile at him. To tame the un-tamable desert wind... no, not tame... to soar beside.

Lord Bael felt himself hardening, and slammed his fist angrily on the desk, startling the servant behind him. Then he stormed out of the room, wrapping a towel around his waist.

***

Wren watched Lord Bael as he walked from the bath chamber clad only in a towel. She ducked around the corner and into a servant's passage to avoid notice, frustrated at the glimpse she had received that did not linger except in her mind.

She was a woman changed since the day her Lord had met her in the kitchens. All she could think of was the way he had taken her. Unlike anything she could ever have conceived in her wildest dreams. The fierceness of his grip, the force of his body pounding into hers. It had awoken a lust that Wren could not quench.

When she could no longer bear the need, she had asked a stable boy who was always eying her. In an empty stall they had rutted briefly until the boy had spent himself, leaving her just as unsatisfied. After that day she tried taking matters into her own hands, but she was caught by one of the cooks and whipped.