Ridley. He was good looking and tall, well, short for a noble, but ten inches taller than Tor, maybe a full foot, both things Trice liked.
Remembering the scene from the other day Tor winced. Yeah, apparently Rolph liked that too. Eek. Different rules, he tried to remember, smiling at them all warmly.
“Shut the door please, we need to talk. Now.” He said, his voice a little stern.
They all looked down guiltily, Ridley even blushed and Rolph didn't look at him at all, his eyes on the far wall at a forty degree angle. Trice bit her lip, as if suddenly remembering that he was a freak. That wasn't important now, they could hate him later if they wanted, or think him even stranger than they did. He sat them all down on the bed, where they kept a good distance between each other, and acted like he was going to scold them or something. Before he could even start to explain Rolph started talking.
“Tor… I know that what you saw the other day must have shocked you, I don't want you to think that…” He didn't finish the thought.
It was maddening when people did that, he realized, stopped halfway through an idea. The Prince didn't want Tor to think what? That he was having sex on his bed? That they were going to do it again if he hadn't been there? That they often left the bed unmade and kinky restraints out where the Afrak Ambassador could see them?
Finally Trice finished it.
“He doesn't want you to think he's going to try and have sex with you too. That's what he's getting at.”
Tor blinked and looked at Trice, then Rolph. He included Ridley in the look too, remembering the scene. Uhg.
“Darn straight he's not!” Tor said vehemently enough that they all winced. Rolph suddenly looked miserable, sad, as if Tor had insulted him.
“He's… huge. His manhood too. If anyone’s doing that to anyone here I'm doing him. God, he'd rupture something in me.” It was a joke, meant to take them as funny, he hoped.
Everyone stared at him for a few seconds, shocked and not sure if they should laugh or not, until Alissa spoke quietly.
“Not really. With a little practice you'll stretch and then it doesn't even hurt that much, as long as you use enough lubricant. It just takes some getting used to is all. I can show you how, if you want?” She looked him dead in the eye as if it were a normal topic. For some reason the whole thing made him laugh. It was a manic laugh, not all together there, but real enough. Everyone else did it too after a while.
“So, you're not, mad at me, or scared or anything?” Rolph said, his voice happier but still subdued.
Tor shrugged.
“Scared of what? That you'll hold me down and force me? No. I know you well enough to know that you'd never do that. The worst I'd get is you getting drunk and trying to climb into bed with me. Really, that would be upsetting to me, but I'm not afraid of you over it. If you didn't try in three years, I doubt you’re going to insist on it tomorrow.”
Then Tor stopped them from talking with a wave and told them about what was going on with Ali. He was going to stop at the basics, that bad things had happened and that the King and Queen couldn't do anything, so they'd hatched a plan to protect her. The girl picked up where he left off and told them everything, crying through it again. Without being asked or it even being suggested she took the truth amulet from Tor’s hair and turned it on, glowing steadily the whole time. By the time she was half through all of them had suggested assassinating Count Derring.
Tor agreed, but waited for her to finish, carefully not speaking on the topic at all. Because telling a room full of people that you were really willing to kill someone was stupid. They were all probably just venting, shocked and worried for their friends. If he could figure it out, how to take out a Count without starting a war, he decided to actually do it.
It didn’t leave him feeling good but it was the right thing to do.
“We need to protect her first. So, I need a letter delivered and it has to be as soon as possible and from someone that can suggest to Smythe of Westend that coming to dinner tonight would be a good plan. Would you do it?” He looked at Rolph, who nodded, took the letter and left without another word. Tor nodded. Rolph was good like that, getting to work as soon as anything serious was needed to be done.
Trice moved towards him and touched his arm.
“Um, Tor, I think we need to talk, if we could find someplace private?” Her eye's looked at his, but had that sad look he associated with bad news.
Well, they weren't going out or even dating really, so she couldn't really break up with him again. Well, she could, but it wouldn't mean much, would it? He took her to the bathing chamber and ran a bath. No one could hear them through the walls, but a warm soak sounded nice anyway. Everything was hugely stressful right now, so much so he kind of wanted to yell “run away” and set out in a random direction.
He steeled himself, and took off his clothing, which got a chuckle from his friend and when he moved under the shower to scrub before his bath he felt something pressing up against his back, turning he slid his arms around the now naked girl and hugged her wetly. They kissed without talking and then scrubbed each other sensually. The hair on her head was still mainly blond, but her pubic hair was dark and curly still. Sighing he pushed her against the wall a little roughly and knelt. If she wanted to “talk” to him, they might as well actually get to do something fun first. She didn't fight him and after a bit started to moan a little, then a lot.
Ursala had claimed she got loud, but Trice didn't seem to have any concern about being overheard at all. Without asking he turned her to face the wall and entered her from behind. The move was mock rough, he slid in gently, but gripped her hips hard enough to leave slight white marks. He didn't finish quickly, but did before she could. He placed her against the wall again and used his mouth and hands on her. He could taste himself on her too, but didn't care, he felt frantic and urgent as she finally released, getting softer instead of louder, gasping and finally pushing him away hard.
“Wow… oh wow.” She closed her eyes and slipped to the floor, her legs not holding her any more.
“I, give me a minute…” She waited, eyes closed for a long time, then she put her hand out so he could help her up and showered again.
“Fuck Tor… I mean it. Anytime you want, just let me know and I will gladly do it with you. Again. Now if you want. Here… or in front of the house with everyone watching. Whatever. I don't care right now.” She grinned and kissed him, he tried to do a good job of that too.
She shook her head and whispered in his ear.
“When Bonita left you that gold in Ward, we all thought she was just being silly. I can see it now. If she got half that, how could she not think you were a pro? A high end one too.”
Tor climbed into the tub, which was overflowing and had been for a while. The drain in the floor took the water away, back to the river, filtering it first, so that they weren't adding things to the water that a lot of people needed for drinking and bathing. Really with the Falcons up too, the water quality had improved a lot even below the city.
Tor laid his head on the edge and tried to relax, after a moment the water overflowed again as Trice got in, and then the water, already hot to Tor, who'd taken all his amulets off, suddenly burned as Trice increased the heat. She always liked to push things, didn't she? He fought a pained gasp and let himself get used to it, waiting for her to talk. To say whatever it was she had to. She didn't, and finally he cracked an eye and poked her, noticing that all her amulets were gone too and she had only one arm.
“Talk?”
She nodded and opened her eyes.
“Yeah. I… I won't hedge here Tor, but try not to hate me for it, all right?”
What could he do? He shrugged and smiled a bit.
“Going to get married to someone else? Or… I don't know, going to go back to Ward with Maria full time? That almost makes sense, I'm sure the King wants a person there still. I would if I was him. Probably for decades. Declare war once, and suddenly no one trusts you anymore, right?” Tor really did see it and that was saying something. He wasn't normally big on the idea of spying like that.
She splashed hot water at him and laughed, “No silly, well, it really isn't a bad idea, and I have been asked, Maria actually wants me to ask you to go back with them too. She likes you, you know.”
“What the who now? I mean… huh? She hates me Trice! You heard her when Smythe was questioning them down in Warden. She didn't really mean the apology she'd made and was just doing it because they wanted to use
