There was a great joyousness throughout the land with the marriage of Prince Sigmund and Charlotte von Hessen. The celebration had begun weeks before the wedding and would continue for days afterward. And to show that she bore them no ill will, Charlotte had invited her stepmother and stepsisters to the wedding banquet, though they had had to scrabble for a seat at the back of the great hall with the rest of the common folk for they were not invited to sit with the royal family or the other n.o.bility. Charlotte had looked breathtakingly lovely in her wedding gown, and radiantly happy. There was great expectation within the castle that the wedding night would produce an heir to the throne.
Charlotte came hesitantly into the candle-lit room. She had dressed with great care, wearing a diaphanous nightdress embroidered with white roses. Her golden-red tresses tumbled across her shoulders and down her back. She felt shy and very young, though she was now fully seventeen. She stopped at the foot of the canopied bed.
The sheer curtains fluttered as Wilhelmina rose from the feather pillows and took Charlotte"s hands in hers. "You look more lovely tonight than I have ever seen."
Charlotte looked into Wilhelmina"s eyes and saw the love reflected there. "I am beautiful for you."
Mina pulled Charlotte down onto the bed and into her arms. The smoothness of her silk night clothes felt cool against Charlotte"s warm skin. They slowly undressed each other, knowing that now they were safely alone in royal bedchambers where none would dare intrude upon them.
The flickering candles gave a low, shadowy light to the room. It felt strange to Charlotte to be exposed to Mina without gentle breezes and the warming rays of the sun upon her body. But it was still nice. Better than nice, even. She sank into the big feather bed, loving how soft and plush it felt, so unlike the pine needle bed they had in her forest sanctuary.
Mina straddled Charlotte, then lowered herself carefully. Charlotte gasped out loud at the feeling of Mina lying atop her, their bare skin meeting wholly, entirely, utterly, for the first time ever. Wilhelmina was kissing her neck, running her hands over Charlotte"s form. Charlotte mirrored her every move, kissing Mina"s neck and letting her hands explore Mina"s soft yet muscular body. As their legs entwined, each could feel the wetness of the other. Charlotte trailed her fingers across Mina"s b.u.t.tocks, over her hip, under her thigh, and then into the tangle of curls between her legs. It felt wondrous indeed. She sighed deeply at the touch, even as Mina sighed.
"I want you to make me yours completely, here, now, tonight," Charlotte whispered into Mina"s ear, "as I will make you mine."
Mina pushed up onto her elbows so she could look into Charlotte"s eyes. Her expression told Charlotte she understood. "I"m afraid it might hurt just a bit." Charlotte felt a flash of fear, then nodded. Wilhelmina moved down Charlotte"s body slowly, leaving kisses like a trail of rose petals. Charlotte squirmed beneath her, breathing heavily as she arched her body toward Mina"s mouth, wanting the feel of her fingers deep inside her, deeper than they"d ever been before.
Suddenly Mina stopped. Charlotte whimpered. Mina looked at her. "I don"t want to hurt you," she said.
"I am yours. Now and forever. Make me thus."
Mina lowered her mouth to begin teasing Charlotte, knowing now just how Charlotte liked it-what would bring her to heights of pleasure.
Charlotte gasped as she felt the familiar pressure of one of Mina"s fingers, then another. She writhed in exquisite ecstasy, crying out as Mina"s fingers thrust into her. The red-hot haze of her desire made her arch and thrash about with increasing urgency. Grabbing Mina"s hair to draw her ever closer, she pushed herself into Mina"s mouth. She was getting closer and closer, feeling the pleasure overwhelming her and succ.u.mbing to its beautiful effects. "Please, more, now- Mina... I love you... I need you!"
Charlotte spread her legs wider to show her beloved she meant those pleas. She heard Mina groan with a feverish l.u.s.t. She felt pressure inside her as she was filled with another finger, and deeper than ever before. The momentary flash of pain dissolved as waves of pleasure washed over her, sending her spiraling up into the heavens. But Mina kept on, her fingers moving in and out, her tongue taking her yet again into the throes of pa.s.sion and pleasure, till she cried out... again... and again...
Finally, Charlotte pulled her trembling body toward the head of the bed, feebly pushing Wilhelmina away at the same time. With her body sated and her breathing returning to normal, she remembered Mina"s vow. "No," she said, pushing away Mina"s insistent hands, "you promised that tonight I might pleasure you."
She sat up and pushed Mina onto her back, then lay on top of her, urging Wilhelmina"s legs apart so that she lay between them, much as Mina had done to her. She was nervous, not sure she knew what to do, but she started by slowly kissing and licking her way over Mina"s lean, muscular frame. She smiled as Mina sighed deeply and leaned back into the pillows. She took a puckered nipple into her mouth, sucking gently at first, then harder. She moved her way slowly down Mina"s body, letting her long hair sweep over Mina"s skin and liking the way Mina trembled in response. She kissed and nibbled her way down, tasting and smelling the sweetness of Mina.
Charlotte moved lower still, until her shoulders pushed Mina"s legs wider apart. She breathed in the scent of her, tasting a woman for the first time. Mina moaned long and deep as she guided Charlotte"s head. Charlotte licked and sucked, searching for that special spot, the one that would make Mina cry out as Charlotte had cried out. Mina"s in-drawn breath made Charlotte lick more feverishly.
"Yes, Charlotte! Yes!"
Still using her tongue, Charlotte brought her fingers to Mina"s wet centre. She teased and explored, then tentatively thrust two fingers inside.
"Charlotte!"
Charlotte could feel Mina"s trembling increase. The muscles of her legs tightened until they were like rocks. Around Charlotte"s fingers, Mina squeezed and clutched. And then Wilhelmina stiffened and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Charlotte withdrew her fingers. She felt and tasted the gush of liquid heat. She moaned and wanted more, understanding for the first time why Mina sometimes did not want to stop tasting her either.
Now it was Wilhelmina"s turn to push Charlotte gently away, as she pulled the covers over herself. She took Charlotte into her arms, letting Charlotte rest her head against her breast. Charlotte could hear the beating of Mina"s heart, strong and steady. The candle nearest the bed sputtered out, leaving them in almost total darkness. The warmth of their bodies curled around them. Charlotte snuggled deeper into Wilhelmina"s arms, knowing true contentment at last.
"Ich liebe Dich," Wilhelmina said. "Now and forever."
Charlotte looked up at her. "And I love you too."
And so it was that the good Konig Sigmund and Konigin Charlotte, though childless, lived happily ever after, their reign a long and prosperous one. And throughout it all, the Prinzessin Wilhelmina and her Prinz Josef stayed loyally by their sides.
A Fish Out of Water Karin Kallmaker "Please."
Her voice plays on my body like the tide. I rise and fall to the cadence of her words while past and present eddy in my mind, muddied by shifting sands of need and desire. She asks me if I want her. The gooseflesh along my arms says yes. The wet I can feel surging between my legs says yes. I try to say yes with the intensity of my eyes, the eagerness of my hands, the curve of my lips.
"Please say yes."
She doesn"t understand that I can"? Give her the one thing she needs to release us both from the cage our pa.s.sion has created.
I cannot say yes. Or no. I cannot speak.
Part 1 "Fly, baby, fly!" Ariel gave the cork one last shove with her thumb and whooped at the resounding pop that heralded the gush of bubbling Champagne.
"Happy New Year!" Shouts bounced off curving grotto walls that pulsated an answer in splashes of crimson and gold.
"Only thing humans know how to make that"s worth stealing," Caliba enthused as she held her diamond gla.s.s under the pouring stream.
Ariel, Seventy-Seventh Daughter to Queen Vellia, drew herself up to her full height, which brought the top of her head level with Caliba"s shoulder. "Liberate, please. Mer do not steal, you know that."
"As you wish." Caliba sipped from the gla.s.s, then sighed happily. "I"ve always liked the human custom of New Year"s Eve. Excellent reason for a party."
A caterwaul of ill humor turned the crimson lights to burnt red.
Ariel clutched the precious Champagne bottle and turned in time to see Laveena"s long sapphire-tipped nails leave four perfect scratches down the side of Zee"s cheek. Blood welled in their wake.
"Oh, to the abyss with this," Ariel thought. She strolled across the room while shaking the bottle, and looked down in distaste at Laveena and Zee writhing as they fought in a tangle of legs and slapping hands. Clumps of costume and hair began to litter the floor.
Thumb over the top of the bottle, she upended the bubbling froth on both of them.
Laveena screeched with outrage. Ariel glanced worriedly at the chandelier, but Caliba appeared next to Ariel. "I"ll make sure it doesn"t shatter."
Zee rolled out of Laveena"s reach. "I did not start that!" She angrily shook her wet clothes. Ariel was genuinely sorry that the delicate garment of rose petals was ruined, but more damage had been wrought by Laveena"s nails than the Champagne.
"You b.i.t.c.h!" Laveena didn"t bother to quash her mer voice. The chandelier rattled dangerously.
"My, my." Caliba examined her manicure. "You obviously missed vocabulary cla.s.ses-"
Ariel quieted Caliba with a gesture. "It"s New Year"s Eve. No fighting. The party hasn"t even really started yet."
"She stole Kareel again, took her home from a flesh party I had escorted her to!" Laveena gave Zee a poisonous look.
"Yeah," Zee snapped back. "And we had a fabulous time."
Laveena scrambled to her feet. "I"m going to tear your face off!"
"Quiet!" Ariel let her lights sparkle faintly. "I"ll let you go party with fourth circle brats."
"Don"t threaten me, Ariel." Laveena"s eyes glowed orange. "I don"t care whose daughter you are."
Kareel, easily setting the evening"s standard for slinky, moved out of the gathered crowd. Her gown, shimmering with prized Angelfish scales, cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and hips like a lover"s greedy hands. "I"ve had it with you, Laveena." Her stiletto heels-a toe-pinching human affectation that suited her long legs-kissed the floor lightly as she advanced on her sometime lover. "Ariel, I know exactly whose daughter you are, and I ask you to take witness."
Ariel would for a long time regret that she didn"t hide her smile. "I"m listening."
Kareel looked over the sodden Laveena, shaking her head. "We are done. Your voice has no song for me."
"You don"t mean that!"
"We are done," Kareel repeated. She turned to Ariel. "I mean it this time, Ariel."
"Do you really? That"s what you said last year, and the year before."
"And last century, and the one before that," Caliba chimed in.
Kareel slowly pushed her elegant bronze hair over her equally elegant bronze shoulder. "Yes. She has watched too many of those human movies. Witness it."
Laveena gasped in horror as Ariel raised her hand. "You can"t do this, Ariel!"
"You"re sure?" Ariel looked directly into Karee"s eyes. "Absolutely sure? I"m not going to be able to undo this one. I don"t want to undo it either. This scene got boring two hundred years ago."
"Do it." Kareel closed her eyes.
Laveena leaped to intervene, but Caliba stepped in her way. It was always useful to have the tall, muscular Caliba at her back, Ariel thought. She summoned her power and cast the spell in a matter of moments. It wasn"t hard for a daughter of a queen, and resolving lovers" spats was one of the few perquisites of rank a seventy-seventh daughter got to enjoy. It was a good spell, and would hold for a while. If Laveena wanted it undone she"d have to find someone stronger than Ariel. Not that there weren"t plenty of mer who were stronger. The difficulty lay in getting any of them to care enough to help out the unpopular Laveena.
"This changes nothing." Laveena eyed Caliba with a near snarl. "Kareel sings for me before anyone else. Get out of my way."
"Next thing you"ll be saying Kareel should be exclusive to you." Caliba shrugged. "That would be so human."
"Shut up, Caliba!"
Caliba struck a pose. "Kareel... you... complete me!" She spun in place, spreading her arms dramatically to appreciative laughter. "I honestly..." she made a loud choking noise. "I honestly... love you."
"I do not like that human drivel!" Laveena looked about to jump Caliba, but that would have been a mistake.
Kareel gasped and opened her eyes. "Is she speaking?"
Laveena and Caliba were continuing to trade insults. Caliba was winning. Ariel had often wished for Caliba"s quick and easy wit. Ariel nodded at Kareel. "She"s jabbering away."
Kareel"s smile was savage. "I don"t hear a thing. How wonderful. Ariel, I thank you." She bowed deeply, with her head tipped back. Ariel made sure she carefully studied the ripe pleasure of Kareel"s ruby-studded b.r.e.a.s.t.s. To have ignored them would have been rude, especially since several times in their past she and Kareel had dallied. It hadn"t been particularly well-mannered of Kareel to leave with Zee when she"d arrived with Laveena-especially to a flesh party- but Laveena had overreacted, as usual.
Laveena slipped past Caliba and seized Kareel"s arm. "I know you can hear me. You need me! You can"t walk away."
Kareel pulled her arm free, shaking her head. When Laveena made another grab, Ariel said silkily, "Do not make me do worse, Laveena. She chose and so did you."
"You had no right to do this!" Laveena"s snarl was so enraged that Ariel nearly stepped backward. "Who do you think you are, working magic on me? Just wait until my aunt hears about this!"
Caliba, casually cleaning her nails with the long garnet-tipped pin that she"d slipped from her collar, said, "Yes, we know. Aunt Travesta will be here any minute to avenge you. We"ve heard it all before."
Laveena gave Caliba a poisonous look, but addressed Ariel, her face twisted with malice. "You have no idea what you"ve done, Ariel."
Ariel knew that Laveena was highly connected, but she was hardly concerned. Laveena had managed to alienate her more powerful relatives over the last several hundred years. Travesta of the First Circle, favorite of Queen Vellia, had yet to waste her influence on such a pain-in-the-kelp niece. A daughter of the queen-even a seventy-seventh one-had precedence.
"I"m giving you a chance to change," Ariel said. "Caliba is right, you"re behaving worse than a human."
"Beautiful Ariel, smart Ariel, so kind, so good, so unbelievably perfect!" Laveena added, her voice dripping with spite, "Not so perfect. Maybe I would like Kareel in my bed, but at least she"s mer. You only run hot with humans!"
There was a collective gasp and Ariel fought down her rising color. "I haven"t bedded above sea in decades, and you know that." She paused to laugh in her most sultry manner. "And most of those here will witness I am hardly shy at flesh parties. But since I decreed no fighting, I will forget you said that."
"I won"t," Caliba muttered.
"You think you have friends? Just wait," was Laveena"s parting shot. She stalked from the chamber in the direction Kareel had headed.
"She can"t leave, I want a duel." Zee had not bothered to staunch the flow of blood from her cheek. "For her disgusting touch to my face and her insult to you."
"Stop," Ariel said. The party was better off without Laveena. "This is foolish."
"Are you suggesting I"m not worth it?"
Zee was too hotheaded for her own good, Ariel thought. She wished briefly for the power to fix everybody. Squabbling was boring. So far, this entire party was boring. Maybe she and Caliba could sneak off to a flesh party later. s.e.x would be more fun than this. It was a party night, after all, and maybe someone would have a grand entertainment to watch. "It"s a holiday. No fighting tonight. I don"t want to spend tomorrow explaining to some toady of my mother"s why my parties turn into brawls. This matter is closed and there will be no duels. Is that understood?"
Zee finally nodded, but not until after her eyes suggested that she, too, felt Ariel had overstepped her authority. What authority, Ariel thought with a touch of bitterness. It wasn"t as if a seventy-seventh daughter was truly powerful. She knew how to have a good time, and those who hunted with her had no trouble securing delicacies and entertainment. The only real power Ariel had was over whom she invited to share in the spoils of some daring and lucrative hunts. Zee wasn"t willing to risk being ostracized.
Turning to Caliba, Ariel murmured, "Next year I"m revising the guest list!"
It was long after the chime of midnight when Ariel found Caliba ensconced with several hunting friends. They"d all had far too much Champagne, Ariel thought, as she woozily claimed a cushion of her own.
"She was a virgin to woman touch, I"m telling you," Morova was saying. "She sang like none I"ve ever had." She smiled softly. "She cries for me still."
Caliba burped. "I lost a voice this week. It"s always sad."
"How?"
"Age." Caliba shrugged. "She had a sweet song, too. Her longing murmurs were constant for sixty years. A good feeding."
Primia drained her gla.s.s so sloppily most of the amber liquid ended up on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "All the ones I pick don"t last. Either they don"t sing for me or die of one thing or another."
"You need to stop choosing the broken ones," Caliba said with a hiccup. "You"d have more success getting song out of human men."
"I tried that." Primia"s pout grew more p.r.o.nounced as she dabbed at her chest. "Even Circe only gets song from every tenth one or so. And they soon forget. She keeps hoping she"ll find another Ulysses."
Morova laughed. "If they still made them like Ulysses, I might try men once in a while. Oh, let me help. Can"t waste Champagne."
Ariel rolled her eyes as Morova moved in on Primia, lowering her head to Primia"s Champagne-drizzled b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Within moments, though, honesty made her admit-at least to herself-that watching Morova"s agile tongue circle Primia"s nipples was nearly as good as a flesh party entertainment.
"You won"t catch me wasting my time with non-singers," Caliba replied.
"All of yours sing." Primia gave Caliba a resentful look. "I don"t know how you get so lucky."
"She knows how to pick them," Ariel p.r.o.nounced, which was a simple statement of fact. She might have added that Caliba had been given the song-sense that Primia ought to have had, but thought better of it at the last moment. "It"s been too long since we"ve hunted."
"It"s no fun." Morova lifted her mouth from the hard pucker of Primia"s nipples. "Not since the edict."