The Young Mage Ch. 05 - Interlude

Once the carriage had passed through the gate of the innermost ring, the castle showed itself in all its beauty. Smaller than the castles in Highfort and Charobny, it was built from relatively small slabs of pale grey stone that made the castle look like a giant puzzle. It also gave a certain sense of warmth to the building.

"One day I want to live in a castle just like this one..." Fiona thought with a smile. She turned to see that Vivien was equally impressed with the building.

"It has that feeling of a home..." she mouthed after a moment.

"Exactly," Fiona replied, smiling at her apprentice.

They were soon escorted inside and led to the guest chambers. At Fiona's specific request, they were given a set of rooms connected by the inside doors. She wanted to be close to her apprentice, for teaching purposes, obviously...

After having a bath and some refreshments, Fiona and Vivien found themselves in a large, richly decorated room.

"Lady Fiona!" Tanya Santior, Lady Regent of Ashad exclaimed, entering her audience room.

"Lady Regent," Fiona said, bowing lightly. Sliding into her role, Vivien bowed somewhat more, the way it was proper for a daughter of a lesser noble and an apprentice on top of that.

"No formalities in here, please... not for someone to whom I owe so much," Tanya said, gliding to Fiona and pulling her into a warm embrace. Fiona responded with a warm smile.

"The last time I saw you, you were a nobleman's daughter. Look at you now..."

"I suppose plenty of things happened since the last time we saw each other..."

"I bet... But let me introduce you to my apprentice, Lady Alice."

"Your apprentice? Oh... I thought Magnus was still with you..."

"Eh, no, he went his own way some time ago," Fiona said with a forced smile. "But as you can see, there are plenty of new mages out there who need teaching."

"Pleased to meet you, Alice."

"Your Ladyship..."

"Anyway, please come, sit," Tanya said, motioning to them. The servants hurried to bring some refreshments. "I suppose you are curious to hear why I asked for your help. I couldn't risk saying more in my letter..."

"I admit I was puzzled by it..."

"My husband was murdered," Tanya said suddenly. She took a sip of her wine, trying to gather her composure. Fiona watched her with compassion and curiosity.

"I'll start from the dramatic events you took part in..." Tanya said, taking a big breath. "Following the defeat of Lord Sarane's army, the army of the Regent had stayed in Sunwallow for some time, and the Regent himself visited us, wishing to assess the whole situation. Now, I won't deceive you here, I seduced him in an attempt to gain some political leverage and in order to strengthen the position of my lands... But I grew to love him and respect him, and I would have never done any harm to him!" Tanya said fiercely. A small tear appeared in her eye, but other than that, her face was radiating fury, not sorrow...

"I am truly sorry..."

"Thank you... Anyway, we were soon married, and even if he was much older than me, I was truly satisfied with my marriage. For a couple of years, everything was going well. His position as a regent was strengthened, helped by the fact that Lord Sarane had met his end soon after the failure of his military campaign. Being unable to pay off a large mercenary army isn't a healthy thing, apparently..." Tanya said with obvious satisfaction. The man had killed her father, after all.

"How did your husband die?"

"I am getting there... Several months ago, the first blow landed. The heir to the throne of Ashad, the seventeen-year-old prince Phillip was killed in a hunting accident..."

"An accident?"

"Yes... While he and his party were hunting at the foothills of a mountain, there was a landslide... and they were all killed," Tanya said solemnly.

"Seriously?" Fiona said, surprised.

"That was my reaction too... It looked suspicious as hell, considering that the prince would have come of age in just a couple of months... I don't even need to tell you that my husband became the obvious suspect. No one had the balls to say it publicly, but they were clearly thinking it..."

"Huh... Ah, I see... now that your husband died too..."

"Yes..." Tanya said, sighing heavily. "He died two months ago... in his sleep. The healer said that he died of a heart attack, but you see, he never had any heart problems. One more suspicious death, except that this time, I am the suspect. They are not even afraid to voice it anymore. Some of them are convinced that I took out the prince and my husband both, all in an attempt to grab the power for myself..."

"How unstable is your position right now?"

"Well, if it weren't for the support of my mother from Sunwallow, and the support of the few lords who are running the country's finances and trade and whose trust I have earned over time, the other Lords would probably be at my throat already..."

"Do you suspect anyone in particular?"

"That's the whole problem... No one among the Lords is strong enough to even dream of taking the throne... not to mention the fact that most of them lack the balls to try something like that. I honestly can't see who gains something from all of this mess..." Tanya said bitterly, "...unless it is a play from one of the neighboring countries. But Ashad has friendly relations with all of them..."

"It is certainly not Vistania's play," Vivien suddenly said.

Fiona glared at her. "Tanya, I understand your situation... but what exactly are you hoping that I can do?" she said after a moment.

"I need someone from outside to take a look at these deaths... someone in whose judgment I trust. I want to find out what happened. I need to find the culprit, or I will be left with no leg to stand on..." Tanya said angrily, "... and of course, I want to hang the bastard who killed my husband!"

***

"This isn't going to be easy," Vivien said, breaking the long silence.

"Mmm, no, it won't..." Fiona said with a sigh of satisfaction. Vivien had been skillfully massaging her feet for some time, while Fiona was trying to figure out how to approach the problem. The massage was usually a prelude to long sessions of body worship, but Fiona's mind was too encumbered with thoughts about the assignment she had accepted.

"Do you think he was poisoned?"

"It is quite possible. There are some herbs that can make the heart stop beating... but the thing is, all of them have a very strong unpleasant taste that is almost impossible to mask. The Regent should have noticed the unusual taste. The smells of such poisons are even more noticeable. More than that, even if ingested, such poisons do not act immediately, so he would have had plenty of time to take an antidote. There is a reason why such poisons are rarely used for assassinations. They are too damn obvious... No, it feels like there was something more at work here..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it would have taken a potion specialist with a skill rivaling my own to make a poison with such properties and to make it undetectable by smell or taste. It would involve a touch of magic..."

"So if this was an actual assassination and not a case of natural death, it would mean that a first-rate potion expert was involved?"

"Exactly," Fiona said, pensive. There weren't many mages who could match her skill with potions.

"Will you be able to find a trace of such a poison?" Vivien said after a while. She was eager to move up from Fiona's feet and feast on her mistress's delicious juices but Fiona seemed too engrossed in her thoughts.

"After two months?" Fiona snorted. "Not a chance. There is only one way to approach this problem..."

"Which is?" Vivien asked when Fiona didn't finish her sentence.

"Deception..."

"Deception?"

"Yes... I need to talk with Tanya again," Fiona said, rising from the bed. "Don't tire your tongue, I am going to need it later."

"I can't wait," Vivien said eagerly.

Several minutes later, Fiona was ushered to Tanya's study, only to find that Lady Regent wasn't alone. To Fiona's surprise, it turned out to be someone with whom she had been acquainted... intimately.

"Lady Fiona! I believe you remember Sanela, the herbalist from Sunwallow. When my husband was killed, I sent for her, hoping that she would be able to find something. I asked her to remain with me for a while. I need people I can trust here..."

"Of course, I remember her..." Fiona said with a wide smile. That lovely face, those incredible curves, that chocolate skin, and those exquisite breasts... She could barely stop herself from licking her lips in a lewd manner.

"She has matured a bit and she looks even more ripe... Gods love me, after all," Fiona said, gliding to the dark-skinned beauty.

"Lady Fiona, good to see you again," Sanela said with a shy smile.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine..." Fiona said, taking Sanela's hands. She leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Sanela blushed, her eyes darting towards Tanya.

"I see you do remember each other," Tanya said with a mischievous smile.

"How could I forget such a woman," Fiona said with a wink. She figured that Tanya probably knew all about their sexual encounters from years ago, so she wasn't going to pretend.

"I admit I wanted to surprise you both at dinner but I guess it wasn't meant to be," Tanya said. "Was there something you needed to discuss?"

"Yes. I have been thinking about how to approach the problem and I believe there is only one way..."

"I am listening. Sanela is a part of our circle of trust, so you can speak freely."

Fiona nodded and began revealing her plan...

***

Luminescent green smoke floated through the spacious, richly decorated chamber, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. The doors to the rooms of the recently deceased Regent of Ashad were wide open, supposedly to allow for more airflow, but the real reason was something else entirely. Fiona was working with her potions and reagents, applying a touch of magic here and there, and exuding absolute focus and confidence. She kept working for a few hours, using some flashy magic and often following her small discoveries with excited exclaims that puzzled the servants who were busy with their everyday work. After some time, Fiona opened the windows, letting the luminous clouds dissipate. With a pensive and serious look, she gathered her potions and reagents and walked out of the room.

"Done for the day..." she thought, taking a long look down the wide hallway. "Tomorrow, I will continue the show somewhere down this hallway... It might take a while, but there is hardly anything else I can do."

She walked down the hallway, giving unnerving looks to the servants and maids who passed her by. They would often hurry their step, trying to avoid her piercing gaze. When she reached her chambers, her demeanor changed, her face stretching into a satisfied smile as soon as she set foot inside her room. The warm bath was ready and waiting.

"Alice, my dear, this is exactly what I need..."

"I already had mine... but I am more excited about yours," Vivien said with a smirk.

"Then help me undress, apprentice..." Fiona purred. Even when they were alone, Fiona kept calling her Alice to lessen the chance of a slip-up.

"With pleasure..."

Within a minute, Fiona was lying in a bathtub, completely relaxed, while Vivien was massaging her neck and shoulders.

"Mmm, I love your hands so much... I could spend hours like this."

"I have other, even more skilled muscles..." Vivien whispered in Fiona's ear, following it up with a gentle bite at her neck.

"Ahh... and you will definitely have the chance to put them to work tonight..." Fiona said with a moan of pleasure. "...more than you think." She smiled inwardly at the surprise she had prepared for Vivien.

"She has such incredible oral fixation... I wonder if that is somehow connected to her mage libido..." Fiona thought, gasping when Vivien's hands strayed lower, massaging her apple-like breasts. She felt heat in her body as the girl's skillful hands roamed all over her body, caressing it with obvious passion.

"Her sexual aggression has definitely increased since I introduced her to Magnus-treatment," Fiona thought, her lips stretching into a smile. Unconsciously, her hand strayed to her left breast, touching the place where her heart was.

"She must be getting desperate for release..."

A few weeks ago, Fiona had cast a spell to prevent the girl from achieving orgasm by rendering all the proper spots on her pussy insensitive to touch. Magnus's meditation training had been an overwhelming success, so she thought she could try to strengthen Vivien's focus and meditation by applying the same principle.

"It's a win-win... She should be able to attain a strong casting focus eventually, but I am also curious to research if the vaginal discharge of a mage contains some interesting properties once it becomes concentrated..." Fiona thought, moaning when Vivien's hands started caressing her thighs. As aroused as she was, she could see that the girl was even worse off.

"Ohh!" Fiona cried out as Vivien's hands strayed underwater, touching her pussy, while her lips were busy kissing and biting Fiona's feet and calves.

"And on top of all that, her chastity is making me so aroused... Ahh!" Fiona thought deliriously, her orgasm building up even if the girl had barely touched her pussy. She moaned, arching her hips and seeking more contact with Vivien's deft hands. Recognizing the signs, Vivien reached inside the bathtub, pulling Fiona's hips up above the water. There was no way she would let her mistress orgasm without being able to taste her wonderful juices. Fiona's legs enveloped her neck and Vivien watched the lovely honeypot, ready to plunge her tongue deep inside...

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"By the gods!" Fiona exclaimed, shuddering from the built-up arousal. Vivien hesitated, startled by the knocking.

"Who is it?!" Fiona asked in annoyance.

"Lady Fiona, it's me..."

"Oh, Sanela, five minutes later would have been just as good... but maybe it is better like this. I want to stay aroused for a while."

"Alice, go open the door."

Vivien looked at her in disbelief. Her front was all wet from the 'massage' she had been giving...

"Trust me..." Fiona said with a smirk. With hesitation, Alice stood up and went to open the door.

"Greetings! You must be Lady Fiona's apprentice? I am Sanela..." Sanela said, stepping inside the room. Her eyes darted towards Fiona who was still lying in the bathtub.

"Ohh... I am V-... Alice. Nice to meet you too..." Vivien mumbled, eyeing the chocolate-skinned beauty up and down. Fiona laughed at the unhidden lust that appeared on the girl's face.

"I thought it was a good idea to introduce you two," Fiona said, rising from the bathtub in all her naked glory. Taking her time, she walked slowly to the wardrobe, swaying her hips and turning around to catch their eyes on her naked form. She pursed her lips as in a kiss before she wrapped herself in a towel.

"You two are going to love each other," she said, walking back to Sanela and kissing her on the lips. Sanela returned the kiss with passion. Vivien released a moan of desire just by looking at them...

"Come, let's relax on the bed..." Fiona said, taking Sanela's hand and letting the towel slide to the ground. Taking the hint, Sanela started getting out of her clothes, her ripe, curvaceous body slowly appearing in all its beauty. They both lay on the bed and their lips soon found each other.

"Mmm, I can't get enough of your lips..." Fiona purred, turning to look at Vivien's pleading face. "I think my apprentice is eager to get acquainted with your body. What do you say?"

"I don't mind at all, she is really pretty..." Sanela said, throwing a seductive smile at Vivien. With blinding speed, Vivien stripped out of her clothes and got on the bed. Her lips assaulted Sanela's with great hunger and she released a moan of satisfaction as she savored those tasty lips and tongue. After a long moment, she moved lower, going for Sanela's beautiful, large breasts.

"Mmm, gods themselves must have created you..." Vivien moaned when her lips closed around Sanela's nipple.

As Vivien gorged on Sanela's breasts, Fiona kept kissing her, enjoying the taste of her meaty lips. Between kissing and moaning, Sanela barely had time to breathe. Her dark, hair-free labia were already wet with arousal...

"I claim these babies, apprentice," Fiona said, cupping Sanela's large breast. "It's time for you to go south..."

"Mmm, her fragrance is so exquisite..." Vivien said, her lips making a trail across Sanela's belly. As Fiona started sucking and biting Sanela's tits, Vivien dived inside her pussy, her tongue scooping the leaking juices with fervor.

"By the gods, the taste..." Vivien moaned.

"I knew you were going to love her," Fiona said, smiling affectionately at her apprentice.

"Mmmfh..." Vivien mouthed as she glued her lips and tongue to the lovely dark pussy in front of her. Sanela moaned loudly, arching her hips and closing her meaty thighs around Vivien's head.

"Gods help me, this is so good... Ahh!" Sanela moaned, her body writhing in ecstasy. Assaulted by the two hungry mouths, it didn't take long before she started shuddering and then shaking in an intense orgasm. Her pussy gushed fluids in abundance, to Vivien's absolute delight. The girl's lips never moved from Sanela's pussy during or after the explosive orgasm, clearly intending to drink her dry...

"That was amazing... thank you!" Sanela said, pulling Vivien up. With great reluctance, Vivien moved up and lay next to Sanela.

"Now, I want a taste of you..." Sanela said, sliding down the bed.

"Just so you know, you can't make her come..." Fiona said with a smirk.

"What?! Why?"

"Let's just say that my apprentice is on a special mage training regime... I encourage you to lick her, to tease her, to make her moan with pleasure... you just can't make her cum," Fiona said, waving her hand and lifting the spell from Vivien's pussy.

"Alice, I am not going to use magic, I trust you not to come," Fiona said with a wicked smile.

"Ahh!" Vivien moaned in reply as Sanela's tongue made contact with her frustrated pussy. Sanela started licking her with enthusiasm, so Vivien had to immediately focus on not coming...

"Let's see how good your concentration is," Fiona said, caressing her apprentice's neck and shoulders.

From between Vivien's legs, Sanela's dark eyes watched her with great interest, teasing the girl and taking her to the brink of orgasm, and then slowing her assault when the stimulation became unbearable. Back and forth they went for a while as Vivien's face perspired profusely, her features showing both pleasure and frustration.

"By the gods, I need it! I need it so bad..." she moaned, squeezing her fists when Sanela took her to the brink once again and kept her there for a while, only to deny her on Fiona's signal.

"Look at that beautiful face..." Fiona whispered, nuzzling Vivien's neck and ear. "Look at those amazing, meaty lips devouring your pussy. I can tell you from my own experience that coming on those lips feels like touching heaven itself..."

"Ahhh! ...you are the most wicked person I know..." Vivien panted, her face flushed and glistening with sweat.

"My sweet apprentice, you will be thanking me in a year or two," Fiona said with a chuckle.

"That is quite enough for now," Fiona told Sanela. Sanela smiled, licking her lips and moving to kiss Fiona, giving her a taste of Vivien's juices. They kissed passionately as Vivien lay on the bed, breathing hard and trying to calm her madly aroused body. After several moments, Fiona broke the kiss and lay down on the bed, setting cushions to make herself comfortable.