The Honeybird Bimbo

Author's Note: After years of lurking, I finally decided to submit something of my own. Feedback is welcome and would be very much appreciated. Thank you for reading & I hope you enjoy!

*****

Evelyn sighed, looking at the inn's weather-beaten sign, which now hung lopsided from above the doorframe. The Honeybird Inn had survived in her family for generations, and yet within three years of her father's death, it had fallen into disrepair.

In Evelyn's defense, it was not her management of the inn that resulted in its demise. The village that had once drawn travelers to the small valley had become a ghost town after several seasons of drought. While the town was not entirely abandoned, it was no longer the attraction it had once been. Where a few years ago, the inn would have been filled with travelers and adventurers every night, now Evelyn was lucky if a farmer's son arrived in the evening to order an ale.

To cut costs, she had first let the maid go, and a few months later the cook, taking on both responsibilities without complaint. Despite her lack of patrons, Evelyn seemed always to be exhausted, filling every role required to attract the few customers she could. She had rationed her clothes and food to afford repairs for the old building, but her efforts were in vain.

Left was a young woman, thin and tired, hungry and desperate, uncertain as to how to move forward. She was still pretty, but her tired countenance and thinner frame did little to highlight the light honey of her hair or the deep brown of her eyes that might have otherwise been irresistible.

Evelyn walked back inside after reviewing the repairs needed to the exterior, already aware she couldn't afford them. She wiped down the tables and stools for a second time that day, convincing herself that if she could just get a few people inside the Honeybird, they would spread the word that it was indeed the best-kept inn in the valley. Of course, despite her best efforts, this tactic never seemed to work. In fact, the business seemed to have slowed even further in the past month, with Evelyn sometimes failing to see a single visitor for a week at a time.

Thus, when a woman who looked to be only a few years older than Evelyn walked through the door on an otherwise unremarkable day, the innkeeper was overjoyed. She stood up so quickly from her spot (re)polishing ale glasses she knocked her stool over. She rushed to pick it up before hurrying quickly to welcome her visitor, whose face was marked prettily with amusement.

"Welcome to the Honeybird!" Evelyn said a bit more enthusiastically than she meant to, forgetting herself in the excitement of having a guest.

The visitor greeted her with a shallow nod and polite smile, her eyes glancing across the room in mild interest. The woman was at least seven inches taller than Evelyn and just a bit fuller, though considering how little Evelyn had been allowing herself to eat, that wasn't in and of itself impressive. Her dark hair was tied up into a bun, flyaways framing a remarkably delicate face.

Evelyn noticed her guest's unmistakable beauty, but much more important to her at the moment was the fact that this woman looked like she could afford much nicer than the rundown Honeybird. Before Evelyn could think too much about the ethical implications of inflating the cost of a room, the woman spoke, her voice just as rich as her regal posture and well-kept clothing might suggest.

"Thank you for the warm welcome," she said with a twinkle of a laugh in her eye, looking pointedly at the stool that had been knocked over by Evelyn's excitement a moment ago.

"I'm Evelyn, the innkeeper. I don't often get a solitary female traveler come through; your presence is certainly a nice change. Can I get you an ale?" Evelyn was already bustling about to make her way back to the kitchen, having missed her guest's jesting tone.

"No, thank you." the visitor said smoothly. "And it would seem that you don't get many travelers at all stopping by, but still, I'm glad my presence is welcome."

Evelyn bit her lip in what she would later recognize as a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. She recovered quickly, however, telling the visitor how the limited patronage allowed her to be an even better host to those who did stop by. This explanation seemed to satisfy the woman, who nodded briefly.

"No ale for now, thank you. I'd just like a room for the night, if possible." she said after a moment, answering Evelyn's earlier question and saving her from stewing in her embarrassment for too long. "And I'm Catherine, by the way."

Evelyn nodded eagerly. Not only did she finally have a guest, but one who was willing to rent a room for the night. While sometimes Evelyn got nervous being alone in the inn with a traveler, Catherine's gender and disposition quelled any of Evelyn's fears of being taken advantage of.

"Why don't you take a moment to sit and rest here and I'll ready our nicest room for you!" Evelyn said before scurrying up the narrow stairs to ready a room with fresh linens.

Catherine sat down slowly and removed her cloak, watching the young innkeeper disappear onto the upper floor. The dark-haired witch thought Evelyn quite pretty, especially when flustered enough to let blush tinge her otherwise pale face. If not for her business in the north, Catherine thought she very well might have been tempted to find an excuse to stick around and play with the pretty blonde nymph.

When she had finished her preparations, Evelyn ushered Catherine upstairs to the largest room in the inn, one with a fresh coat of paint and a window facing into the fields behind the inn. It was perfectly satisfactory, but Catherine had already decided to enjoy her short stay as much as possible and unfortunately for Evelyn, this meant playing a few games.

"This is the Honeybird's nicest room?" Catherine asked slowly, watching Evelyn's face fall immediately.

"Um... yes?" Evelyn's face flushed. "But I can have it changed to your specifications, even just for the night!" she promised quickly, desperate to keep her customer.

Catherine waved her hand dismissively even as she grew excited by the girl's willingness to please and demanded to be shown the rest of the rooms. Evelyn reluctantly obliged, becoming more and more distraught as Catherine found something wrong with every single one.

"Well where do you sleep, little innkeeper? I'm sure being a permanent resident means you have outfitted your room properly, no?" The woman looked down at Eveyln with an unsettling smile.

Evelyn silently led Catherine to her room at the end of the hall. The room was the smallest in the inn, and while Evelyn had made it her own over the years with trinkets and pressed flowers, it was in no way remarkable.

But Catherine only grinned and clapped her hands as if she had won a grand prize. "This is perfect--an absolutely lovely room to rest for the night. You really are a dear."

Evelyn cleared her throat, finally working up the nerve to stand up for the small comforts she allowed herself. "I'm afraid this room isn't available to rent. But I swear I can do whatever you like to the others to make them acceptable for--"

"No, I'll take this one." Catherine said firmly, interrupting Evelyn's weak protest. "And I'll pay double the nightly rate for your trouble."

Evelyn, while still a bit cross at the woman's invasion of her personal space, could not in good conscience turn down the offer and nodded politely, swallowing down any further protests. She might as well take the opportunity to sleep in the much nicer room she had just prepared--perhaps the woman's odd demands could be to her benefit after all.

"Of course. Preparing it for you will just take a moment." Evelyn said agreeably.

Catherine shook her head. "No, no, don't trouble yourself. It's fine the way it is." She stepped into the small space and looked it over as if it held precious jewels. "Don't change a single thing."

Evelyn nodded and allowed Catherine to settle into her room before hurrying down to the kitchen to prepare her a hot meal, letting any lingering annoyance fade as she thought of fixing the Honeybird's sign with the extra money. That thought alone was enough to return her to good spirits, and she brought Catherine's meal up to her with a genuine smile.

Catherine had changed from her traveling dress into a simple but well-made blue dressing gown, the lack of petticoats allowing the garment to sweep gently on the floor and show a faint outline of her legs.

"I've brought your supper to your room-- I thought it might be nice to eat it up here since I'm guessing you've traveled all day." Evelyn said as she set the large bowl of stew on a small table in the corner. She only allowed her eyes to skim Catherine's form for a few seconds, catching herself thinking of how soft the woman's skin would feel on her own.

Catherine's eyes flicked up to catch Evelyn's as she offered a genuine thank you. But when Evelyn turned to leave Catherine to her meal, the visitor insisted that the innkeeper keep her company and fetch them both mead to drink.

Evelyn obliged, sitting on a short stool after fetching glasses for them both. It had been a long while since she had drunk the inn's mead, having never been able to rationalize consuming for free what she ought to get patrons to pay for. But now she brushed those worries aside, telling herself that it was her job to ensure her guest was happy. And her guest wanted a companion with which to drink.

The two women quickly began chatting as if they had known one another for years, and Evelyn obliged when Catherine requested two more glasses of mead, and then again later when she insisted Evelyn drink both.

Who is to say if it was the mead or Catherine's company that made the little innkeeper so relaxed, but by the time she had hiccupped softly through the third glass, it took only a few well-worded questions from the attentive witch to find Evelyn opening up about her private struggles.

"I would sell it if I could, you know? But it's a fairly heirloom, I can't turn my back on it now!" Evelyn said with a sniffle, her words slurring just enough for Catherine to notice.

"Besides," the young woman continued, wiping a solitary tear on her apron hem. "At this point no one would buy it for enough for me to find a new home. I just wish...I wish it could be all a little easier."

Catherine nodded sympathetically from her seat on Evelyn's bed. "You're a terribly fretful little thing, aren't you?"

Evelyn nodded, blinking back more tears.

"Oh, darling I didn't mean to upset you, I'm so sorry, please don't cry." Catherine murmured, beckoning the innkeeper to sit next to her.

Evelyn obliged quickly, the mead melting away any hesitation she might have had to find comfort in the kind woman's company.

"No young woman should be forced to deal with such a heavy burden as yours, Evelyn. You're not unreasonable for wanting more from life... or at least for wanting life to be more than worry and work."

Evelyn nodded as Catherine scooted closer, gently pressing Evelyn's head down until it rested against her breast.

"Sometimes I wish it would all just go away for a while," whispered Evelyn, her breathing steadying from the comfort of Catherine's skin against her cheek.

Catherine nodded, kissing the crown of Evelyn's head tenderly. "I know, sweet girl. But then you wouldn't be able to tend the inn--could you truly be happy away from the Honeybird?"

Evelyn shook her head miserably. "No...no I suppose not. I just wish I could have both, you know? A life without anxiety or worry where I still get to help the place I love thrive."

Catherine smiled, petting the little innkeeper's hair thoughtfully as Evelyn found her eyelids growing heavy from the mead. Catherine had intended on making Evelyn into her amusement for the evening, but now think of doing anything but comfort the crying girl. She pressed Evelyn down gently to lay on the bed beside her, pulling the sniffling girl into her arms.

"Would that make you happy? If you could have both?" Catherine asked after Evelyn had settled into a peaceful silence.

"Mhmm. That would be paradise." Evelyn murmured, her mind wandering to thoughts of her childhood, racing down the stairs to find Mama and Papa bustling about the packed tavern with smiles on their faces. The Honeybird was her home, and yet as its owner she felt as though the place was slowly killing her from the inside out.

Catherine took the opportunity to pet the drowsy Evelyn gently, figuring that if she couldn't feast she might as well have a taste, her dexterous fingers reaching for the innkeeper's perfect breasts hidden beneath the heavy work dress. When Evelyn groaned in surprise, her eyelids fluttering in confusion, Catherine just shushed her.

"You can't fall asleep in your work clothes, Evelyn." she said softly. Evelyn just nodded, pushing aside a nagging feeling that she ought to find her way to another room.

Catherine slowly undressed the innkeeper, taking the opportunity to brush her hands against the woman's soft skin, kneading her naked breasts gently as Evelyn's chest began to rise and fall evenly in sleep, mewling softly at Catherine's gentle touch.

I need not tell you that Catherine was already quite infatuated with the little blonde innkeeper falling asleep in her arms. Evelyn's youth became more apparent as her brow, usually furrowed with worry, relaxed with sleep. As her host's eyes finally shut, Catherine brushed her thumb across the woman's cheeks, flushed pink from the mead.

"My beautiful little Evelyn," whispered the witch softly as her hands explored the woman's frame. "I have every intention of finding you paradise."

Catherine suddenly found that she cared rather little for her journey to the North, deciding that she could afford to delay it for a bit as she looked down at the serene image of the nude innkeeper in her arms.

---

When Evelyn awoke the next morning, she looked around in confusion. She wasn't in her bedroom, but in one of the guest rooms next to it. She searched for memories of the night before, fighting against her aching head to do so. She was certain she had fallen asleep in her own room, but she couldn't remember anything clearly after she began her third drink. Despite the alcohol-induced memory loss, she was grateful she had not embarrassed the Honeybird by falling asleep in the room of a guest--even if it was technically hers.

The innkeeper dressed quickly, frowning as her usually comfortable underclothes seemed to irritate her skin. Evelyn looked down at herself, finding nothing of alarm save for her breasts, which she found were unusually tender and, if her eyes were not playing tricks on her, slightly swollen. Evelyn dismissed her discomfort as a result of her drinking, and dressed in her standard dress and apron before pulling on her boots.

She walked down the stairs to the tavern with the intent to prepare Catherine breakfast, trying to ignore the sudden sensitivity she felt between her legs. Her skin felt as though it was on fire, and her core was hot and wet. Every step seemed to make it worse, the friction of her thighs rubbing together every few steps made her jolt. But she quickly pushed her thoughts aside when she found Catherine awake and alert at a table in the tavern. The woman looked just as lovely as she had the day before, her dark hair now free and rippling down her back, complimenting the rich green gown she had chosen for the day.

Evelyn realized she had overslept, horrified that one night of drinking had made her forget the importance of her work.

"I'm so sorry for waking late--I don't know what happened!" Evelyn said repentantly as she approached her guest.

Catherine just shrugged. "No need to worry; I'm glad you got some sleep. Your poor body needed the rest."

Evelyn would have further apologized, but Catherine's forgiving explanation made such sense that she just nodded and smiled--she had run herself ragged in the last week. Of course she needed sleep. She found herself feeling grateful to have such a kind and forgiving guest at the Honeybird.

"Are you better today? Well rested?" Catherine asked after a long pause, looking up at the innkeeper expectantly.

"Hmmm." Evelyn thought hard about the question, its answer suddenly elusive. "I think so. I have a bit of a headache but otherwise I'm in rather good spirits!" she surprised herself by letting out a giggle so uncharacteristic she gasped softly when she heard herself.

Catherine just chuckled. "That's very good. I'm sure your headache will be gone soon."

And sure enough, but moments later, the pain in Evelyn's head lifted. But the relief was brief--the disappearance of pain meant she was only more attuned to the tenderness of her breasts and the sensitivity of her skin.

"How about now?" Catherine asked, her eyes shining in anticipation.

Evelyn nodded. "My head feels much better...but the rest of me doesn't feel so good."

Evelyn sat across from Catherine, who feigned concern as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind the innkeeper's ear.

"What do you mean, darling?"

Evelyn felt herself warm at the pet name, unable to help a smile creep onto her face for a moment. "I just mean... I dunno. My skin is all tingly."

"I'm sure that will get better as the day goes on, Evie." Catherine promised.

"My name is Evelyn, not Evie." Evelyn said firmly, a small pout replacing her smile. She crossed her arms indignantly, her swollen breasts straining further against the neckline of her dress. She'd always hated the nickname, though she'd admit it wasn't quite as loathsome coming from Catherine as it had been from the teasing boys of her childhood.

Catherine smiled fondly. "No darling, it's Evie. Isn't that what you told me to call you last night?"

"Oh." Evelyn frowned in confusion. She couldn't remember last night, but there was no reason to accuse her pretty guest of lying, so she just nodded.

"Good girl, Evie." Catherine cooed, leaning over the narrow table to kiss her host softly.

Evelyn felt a jolt of warmth as the beautiful woman's mouth found hers, making a small noise of distress when Catherine pulled away too quickly.

"Do you remember what we talked about last night, Evie?" Catherine asked casually, ignoring the girl's surprised look.

Evelyn shook her head reluctantly. "No." she admitted.

"Would you like me to remind you, sweet girl?"

Evelyn nodded eagerly. Her lapse in memory concerned her; she was very much grateful for Catherine's help.

"You told me how hard it is for you to run the Honeybird, do you remember that?"

Evelyn nodded again, vaguely recalling a snippet of her conversation.

"And I promised you that I would take all the stress away, right?"

"Uh... mkay." Evelyn said, trying to follow the conversation in spite of her memory loss.

"Well, darling, I've done a bit of work while you slept, and starting today, I think you'll find your work much more pleasant, alright?"

"What...what do you mean?" Evelyn mumbled, confusion written across her small features.

Catherine laughed. "Well, I suppose there's little harm in telling you the specifics considering you won't care terribly much after a while. I have found in my travels that many young women are burdened with responsibilities too young. They seem to age overnight, the stress of the world weighing them down when they ought to be allowed to float through their youth without a single care."

Catherine sighed deeply as if the thought alone of an overworked maiden caused her great pain, and Evelyn realized she genuinely believed every word she was saying.

"These women are often the ones who marry to young just to have someone to shoulder the burden with them. And before they pass their thirtieth year they have seven little ones to feed and a husband to care for. They are forced into a life they never wanted just to survive. I think it a terrible waste. And I simply could not see it happen to you, darling. Especially after you all but begged me for help."