The Royal Garden Ep. 05

Author's note: This series is my attempt at the spy genre - be sure to start with part 1. As I go, I'm going to be discussing my process in the end notes. I'm eager for feedback, so please join me in the comments section.

(If you want to see my attempt at cosmic horror, check out my series titled "The Practice" - find it by clicking on my name and begin with Part 1.)

*****

Orchid woke up the next morning with a jab from Daisy's elbow. King Eradis was already gone, and sunlight poured into the room from the terrace door along with a sharp ocean breeze. Orchid was still wrapped around Daisy's bound up body, her hands cupping the other girl's breasts and her face buried in the girl's hair. Daisy elbowed Orchid again and turned her head to whisper over her shoulder.

"Orchid? Are you up? Untie me."

Orchids limbs were heavy as she carefully unwound herself from Daisy. The sensation of the girl's soft skin sliding across her body made Orchid tingle, and she was suddenly eager to get back to her room to pleasure herself. Last night had been intense but hadn't led to any release for Orchid - and spooning Daisy all night had only stoked her fire. The metal plug was heavy and warm in her ass, a continual stimulation and reminder of her status.

Orchid yawned and untied Daisy's leash from the bedpost. The gorgeous brunette stretched her neck while Orchid wrestled with the silk that bound the girl's wrists loosely behind her back. When the rope finally came undone Daisy spun in the bed and dove onto Orchid, knocking the breath out of her in surprise. Daisy's lips locked onto hers while Orchid gasped, overcome by both the suddenness of the kiss and the soft body pressed against hers.

"Thanks!" Daisy said with a grin, her weight pushing Orchid into the deep mattress. Through their skin Orchid skimmed Daisy's surface thoughts, but it was impossible to latch on to anything.

Before Orchid could respond, Iris and Azalea emerged from an adjoining washroom with Iris wagging her finger. "Nuh uh," she said, and pointed to the king's writing desk. "The king left you a present, Daisy. Have fun!" As they walked out, Orchid wondered when the guards would catch up to them and what punishment the flowers would receive for their nascent escape attempt - but Daisy was obviously focused on her gift, her mind glowing orange and green.

On the desk were actually two items and two notes: a strange metal harness, "For Daisy", and a small key, "For Orchid". Orchid's note was short and simple:

"No orgasms for Daisy. Bring her back tonight and we'll finish our game."

Daisy read her note and then burned bright red as she crumpled it into a ball and threw it across the room. "Damn it, he really hates losing."

"Thief's Castle?" Orchid asked, glancing at the board. "His position doesn't look that bad."

"He would need two traps to divert the guards, or one trap with move parity," Daisy started to explain, but Orchid suddenly grasped it.

"Oh! Wow," Orchid said, studying the board more intently. "Why did he take the courtyard instead of the gate?"

Daisy rolled her eyes, flashing through a rainbow of contradictory colors. "Who knows. He's moderately skilled, but everyone else lets him win. I don't, and so..." she trailed off with a sigh and knocked the harness to the floor with a contemptuous swing of her arm. "He makes me play, makes me teach him, and then gets off by tormenting me when he loses."

"Maybe he loses on purpose," Orchid said.

Daisy raised her eyebrows, flashing from red to purple to dark green. "That's just the kind of asshole thing he'd do. Ugh." She reached for the board and moved her wall back one space - a strong move, now that Orchid understood Daisy's strategy. "But I'd be no better off if he thought I threw the game."

Maybe Orchid would keep her own - lesser - skill with Thief's Castle to herself.

Nudging the harness with her toe Orchid asked, "What's this thing?"

Daisy put her fists on her hips and stared down at the contraption as if she could banish it from existence by sheer force of will - anger and frustration made her even more beautiful. "It's a chastity belt. Those rods go inside you, and the belt goes around your waist. Looks like you get to hold the key. Lucky me. Come on, I'll need your help to get it on."

Orchid looked at the device with new eyes and grimaced while she followed Daisy into the washroom. The room was dominated by a huge bathtub and another balcony that looked out over the city. The girls cleaned up with lukewarm water and an array of feminine items that the flowers kept stocked here in the king's quarters, and Orchid spent a minute examining the magic tattoo on her left cheek - the tattoo that marked her as the king's property. There must be some way to remove it.

When Daisy was done washing she reached between her legs, spread, and pulled the yellow jeweled plug from her bottom. She washed it off with soap and set it on a shelf. Then she took a jar of thick, clear oil and lifted her leg up onto the tub's rim. She scooped out a hefty dollop and spread it between her pussy lips and down over her asshole.

"I hate this fucking thing," Daisy said, despite glowing a joyful yellow that confused Orchid. "Help me get the rods in while I hold up my leg."

Orchid lifted the heavy metal contraption up under Daisy's pussy and watched the girl guide the two rounded metal rods into her body one at a time. The metal slipped in easily thanks to the thick oil; each rod was only an inch thick, but Orchid grimaced at the thought of wearing the belt all day. Once the heads of the rods were inside her, Daisy dropped her leg and pulled up on the metal belts of the device, drawing the crotch of it up completely between her legs. Finally she turned her back to Orchid and fastened a few clasps behind her back.

"The lock goes through those rings," Daisy said, pointing, and Orchid snapped the heart-shaped lock into place near the top of the thin metal strip that emerged from between Daisy's cheeks. Daisy lifted each knee and stretched her waist and pelvis, testing the fit.

"Does it hurt?" Orchid asked, fascinated and repulsed at the same time. She grasped Daisy's elbow as if to steady her, and used the physical contact to stretch her mind into the other girl's body again, reaching for the sensations inside her... but all she got was a whirling kaleidoscope of color that made her briefly nauseous. Why was this girl so hard to read?

If Daisy noticed Orchid's strange reactions she didn't let on. "Hurt? Not really, not if you use enough oil, anyway. It's just... uncomfortable... and agonizing, especially after last night. There's a nub that rubs your clit whenever you move... but you can't quite orgasm."

The girls dressed themselves in the translucent clothes they had worn to the king's chambers the night before, and the steel and leather chastity belt was visible and bulky under Daisy's diaphanous gown. Orchid couldn't take her eyes off the device, but Daisy seemed to take it in stride now that she was wearing it - this must not be her first time.

The two girls heard voices in the king's outer sitting room, and Orchid hesitated at the thought of anyone seeing her dressed in these translucent clothes, but she took a deep breath and shoved her modesty aside. Flowers were denied even that basic human dignity; she had to focus on the task at hand, and eventually she'd get back to her normal life.

The girls slipped out of the bedroom quietly, trying to avoid attention. The four flowers on duty - Lily, Marigold, Peony, and Tulip - stood naked with their backs against the wall while the king argued with a fat man in an ill-fitting set of expensive clothes. The flowers stood quietly at attention, rubbing their pussies slowly to stay wet, waiting on the king's pleasure. Lily flashed a brief smile at Orchid but the others kept their eyes forward.

The fat man held the king's hand and examined the bulky anti-magic ring, turning the whole hand back and forth as he did so. "I can't find anything wrong with it, your majesty," he said. "But I have been investigating some... unusual emanations in the vicinity of the palace recently."

"Unusual how, Carpathi?" the king demanded.

The fat man's fat face scrunched up in thought, wavering between orange and red — annoyance at having to explain himself, or annoyed that he didn't know the answer? "Nothing that appears to be dangerous, but that's partly what's unusual. Overtly hostile magic is easier to trace. This... feels more like a subtle manipulation of natural processes than any kind of attack. It may actually be nothing at all — a mere vibration in the aether. But I will get to the bottom of it, your majesty."

The king laughed. "I have full faith in you, my friend. Now, speaking of 'getting to the bottom' of things, please do that trick with my flowers before you go."

Carpathi bowed slightly with a yellow glow, and then erupted with an aura of arcane energy that was invisible to anyone insensitive to magic but that staggered Orchid with its power. Orchid struggled to contain her shock, but the vizier's attention was on the four flowers lined up against the wall who were now glowing bright green and orange with fear and anticipation. Orchid had never seen such a raw display of magic power in her life, and with a flick of his finger Carpathi poured the energy over the flowers in deluge. Orchid watched in amazement as the flood of power washed over the girls, instantly plunging their bodies into an ocean of sexual ecstasy. The girls collapsed to the floor in a writhing mass of moaning flesh, their bodies wracked by powerful orgasms one after another. Smiling with satisfaction, Carpathi wrapped the flowers in layers of force that Orchid realized would take hours to dissipate.

The king smiled broadly and picked up one flower under each arm, even as they continued to contort with orgasms. "Thank you, you're dismissed," he said to the vizier, carrying the two girls into his bedroom and tossing them onto the bed. Carpathi bowed again and turned to leave, followed quickly by Orchid and Daisy just as the king returned to pick up the two remaining flowers from the floor. Their cries of pleasure followed Orchid into the hallway until the door was shut solidly by the guardsman outside.

Carpathi disappeared down the hallway and Daisy let out a deep sigh. "We made it," she said, tugging unconsciously on the chastity belt, green fear blending to teal surprise. "Carpathi's 'trick' can be fun, but it's fucking exhausting to orgasm for hours. Although I could definitely use one or two..."

"I've never seen anything like it," Orchid said. She could *maybe* push a girl to orgasm if she had several minutes to work at it and they were touching skin-to-skin, but... well... that wouldn't require magic. What Carpathi had just done stretched the bounds of credulity, and Orchid wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it.

Daisy shrugged. "A magic trick, right? You've gotta have some useful skills to become the king's vizier. Anyway, I guess we're buddies today, huh Orchid? Cuddling all night wasn't enough."

Orchid's mind raced, still boggled by the display of power. "What?"

Daisy's eyebrows rose and she pointed down at her crotch with both hands. "You've got the key - I can't even go to the bathroom without your help. We best friends!"

Orchid grimaced at the other flower. She finally had couple of leads, and she had no intention of babysitting Daisy all day. She had to talk to Genthi first, and then find Zinnia who could supposedly use magic to remove the flowers' tattoos. "Actually, I've got a few things to do today -"

"To do? Like what?" Daisy's smirked. "I'm sure you want to rub one out yourself - don't blush - I don't care. Do what you want, but I'm coming with you."

Orchid *was* blushing, and fought to control her reactions. "If you promise not to... do that... yourself, I'll give you the key."

Daisy froze in consideration, flashing red and purple. "Well sure, I promise. No orgasms. You'd do that for me? Most flowers would enjoy holding my key. No tricks?"

Orchid smiled and stretched out her hand with the key. It wouldn't hurt to have a friend in here and she really had no desire to hold any power over Daisy. "No tricks!"

Daisy smiled and giggled as she snatched the key from Orchid's hand. "You're the best, sister-mine. I will *definitely* pay you back later."

Orchid blushed again. "I... thanks... I'll keep that in mind. I've got to go," she said, hurrying away before Daisy could get more specific. Spending some time with Daisy might be fun... she seemed a little wild, and probably knew what she was doing...

Orchid made her way to Genthi's tiny room beneath the palace and her mind wandered in the same direction, turning from Daisy to Genthi and remembering how the apprentice had licked her pussy when they first met. Maybe she should have returned to her own room to "rub one out" before diving into her investigation, but then again, maybe Genthi...

The slim brown-haired girl cracked the door to admit Orchid and looked like she was just about to leave. She smiled and straightened her hair in its bun. "I wasn't expecting you this morning."

Orchid glanced around the room - it was dark and spare, so unlike the Garden. Even Genthi's clothes were drab compared to the bright colors the flowers wore. "I'm sorry, Genthi, but I've got a clue - two maybe. I need to talk to you. Have you ever heard of anyone called 'The Reader'?"

Genthi sat back down on the edge of her cot. "No."

"Well, ok," Orchid continued. "Do you know that the flower Zinnia can use magic? Some of the flowers think she can remove their tattoos."

"I didn't know that; I guess it's worth following up on. I don't know many of the flowers - they come and go, and don't have much use for an apprentice cup-bearer. It seems unlikely that the assassin will use magic though, considering the king's ring."

"There are ways to kill with magic indirectly that his ring wouldn't block," Orchid said. "For example, you could use magic to drop a rock on his head. The power itself would never touch him."

"I see where you're going, but that wouldn't work," Genthi said. "The ring is smarter than that. I don't know how it works, but the king can't be harmed by magic, period."

Orchid frowned. "Well, what other ways are there for a flower to strike at the king? He's far stronger than any of us, and we don't have any weapons... or any way to conceal them, for that matter." Genthi's eyes darted over Orchid's barely-covered body, and Orchid's instinct was to cover up, but she forced her hands to stay in her lap while the girl looked. Her nipples and every curve of her body were clearly visible through the thin cloth, but she couldn't allow herself to be constantly flustered by her circumstances, and anyway, she didn't really mind Genthi looking. "What about poison?"

Genthi looked back up at Orchid's face and shook her head. "Vingoth or I taste everything the king eats before it touches his lips. Speaking of which, I'm glad you dropped by, but I can't chat all morning. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. The king wants me to advise him about Delanci nobles. Do you have a book about them or anything?"

Genthi laughed. "Only the long-dead ones, in history books." But then Genthi grew more somber, glowing blue and teal, sadness and surprise. "Actually, I do have an idea that might help you. Let me ask Vingoth. I should go; people could get suspicious of us meeting here."

Orchid took a deep breath and grabbed Genthi's hand. "Do you have to go already? I'd like to keep talking."

Genthi squeezed Orchid's hand and stood up. "This evening, in the Garden? No one would question us spending time together there. It's not uncommon for flowers to have... friends. Vingoth will be expecting me soon." She glowed orange and didn't pull her hand away until Orchid released it.

"Yes, ok, I won't be... on duty," Orchid said, and couldn't help but flush and stare at the floor.

"Later then," Genthi kissed her cheek and left Orchid alone in the small chamber.

Orchid threw herself down on the cot and put her arm over her face. Was she being foolish? Genthi had been kind to her, but she had also helped kidnap Orchid in the first place. But she seemed like a friend, and Orchid was desperate for some kind of connection with her past life. Her *real* life. Her brother was fighting on the front lines... did he feel so horribly trapped? Tears came unbidden to her eyes, and the thin cloth of her sleeve barely absorbed them. Would she ever get out of here?

As emotion welled up in her, Orchid slid her hand under her gown and between her legs. Her pussy was wet beneath her fingers, and she thought about Genthi's mouth playing around her clit. Or was it Daisy's mouth? It didn't take long to reach orgasm, and she moaned as her body released the energy that had been building up since the night before. Before she knew what was happening, her moan turned into a sob and more tears poured down her face. Orchid curled into a ball and cried on Genthi's bed for several minutes with two fingers buried in her pussy, just trying to comfort herself and purge her mind and body of the terror that threatened to overcome her.

*****

After Orchid recovered her senses and washed her face in Genthi's freezing sink, it didn't take her long to locate Zinnia back in the Garden. She hadn't spoken to the flower other than when Lily had briefly introduced them, but most of the flowers were friendly enough. She knocked on Zinnia's door and let herself in when the girl's voice beckoned.

Zinnia was in bed, lying on her stomach without even a sheet covering her naked, reddened body. Orchid paused at the door, but then forced herself to accommodate the flowers' complete lack of privacy or modesty and stepped inside. The black-haired girl turned her head on the pillow to look at Orchid without moving the rest of her body.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Orchid asked.

"No," Zinnia said, glowing teal with surprise, her face somewhat muffled by the pillow. Her butt and the back of her thighs were laced with dull red stripes. None of the skin was broken, but the welts looked painful. "I'm glad someone came up here to find me. Would you do me a favor?"

Orchid nodded. "What happened to you?"

Zinnia laughed. "This? It's nothing. It felt amazing yesterday, but this morning it hurts like a bitch. There's some ointment on the dresser there. Can you rub it on me? Pretty please?" Orchid grabbed the white ointment and sat next to Zinnia on the bed. "You're Orchid, right? Oh yes, that feels great, thank you."

"That's me." The medicated ointment quickly warmed Orchid's hands as she massaged it into Zinnia's backside, her fingers gently tracing over the welts on the girl's skin. Zinnia groaned with relief as Orchid rubbed her, and Orchid took advantage of the physical contact to send a thread of her consciousness exploring the girl's body. The red marks burned with a mix of pain and pleasure that surprised Orchid, and she felt the girl's body and mind relax under her touch. Zinnia's insides swam with semen, which Orchid knew could linger for several days - it seemed that Zinnia had been with King Eradis yesterday morning, and then laid up in bed ever since.

"You must hate him," Orchid whispered, honestly, but also probing the flower for her reaction. It wasn't what Orchid expected.

Zinnia laughed and glowed yellow. "You only see the stripes... you didn't feel the orgasms. What's the point in hating him? You may as well hate a hurricane. It is what it is. You just make the best of it. You'll learn."

"If you say so," Orchid offered. She found the spark of magic in Zinnia, a tiny iridescent mote nestled inside her. Her mind touched the other girl as lightly as possible, exploring her surface thoughts. Orchid said, "I'd rather leave than learn to accept it."