Snakes and Ladders-9

Chapter 9

We weren’t all that far away from our rooms to the practice courts but by the time that I walked back with Shaya helping me, I was limping and my arms burned, my wrists were killing me and my shoulders were screaming at me.

I hate to say it but even here in this place I was just too tired to enjoy all the new stuff. I was hurting, achingly tired and getting really yucky and sweaty. This wasn’t y’know girly perspiration this was me sweating really badly.

“I am so out of shape…” I puff out as we get to a set of double doors that are being opened by some of these Pages. I’m not with it enough to notice the stares I was getting.

Shaya smiles and helps me into the suite we’ve been given. “Beloved you are amazing. You are still recovering from a entire body altering healing and being near death, then spent hours on your first real dragon-flight in armor and gear no less…also your first time then fight a sparring match against a knight commander while drawing on our link…and you’re complaining that you’re out of shape?” She smiles and then gives me a kiss with a little laugh. “When you do get in shape let me know, I’ll tell the garrison they can go on vacation.” She guides me, sets me on the bed and kisses me.

Shaya loves me. I can tell. You are in a different kind of relationship when the person you’re with has just had as long a day or harder and she’s pulling off your sweaty boots for you. She actually helps me take off my things and she makes us a fire in the fireplace, and then gets undressed herself and helps me into the bathroom.

Here’s an interesting bit that makes a lot of sense to me. The elves have steam rooms for unwinding after battle or training. The officers have them in their suites and almost all elfin warriors are taught massage, with all the training to go through and to keep sharp it’s something logical. Shaya gets us lovely and steamed and she rubs me down soothingly, it’s kind of erotic but actually more loving and more personal and I feel stuff unwinding that I hadn’t known was wound up. I fell asleep there in her arms her naked body pressed to my back.

She woke me for our bath though, and that feels good in a different way with the salts in it and the oils. It burns my hand though, I’ve got blisters that tore and popped from that one spar at sword work. I love the fact that they seem to have tubs big enough for two. The heat and sting of the water, god I can feel the salts just stinging my inner thighs too. Well it’s keeping from falling asleep in the tub. Shaya kisses my shoulder sweetly then moves over kissing along until she gets to my neck.

“Wren…Wren baby, lean back a bit beloved.”

“Mmmn...Hhm, s’okay.”
I lean back and she kind of scoots her feet under my bum and I lean back against her shins. Shaya tilts my head back into the hot water right to my hairline and I feel the pull and weight of my hair, it’s that weight of having the right hair, this feeling of rightness settling on me as I’m more aware of the water between my legs, and the difference in the feelings…right as opposed to being cursed at being born totally wrong. The bobbing sort of buoyancy of my breasts.

It’s a good feeling to be myself, to have all this right with the world. I’ve gone through a life of hell by not being the real me. All this stuff going on now. I’m me, really me. I can deal.

Then there’s this feeling of this cooler thicker liquid being poured over my hair and Shaya’s fingers slide into my hair and start to wash my hair and massage my scalp. Her delicate fingers are just delightful as they wiggle through my hair. I love this; this is an intimacy that I’ve scarcely ever had. I mean I like to think Bear had his sweet and decent moments but this; this is Shaya being so sweet to me. It feels so good but I can’t help but have those happy tears fall.

“Wren? Is everything alright?”

“Better than love, it’s just that I’m really not used to this.”

“Getting your hair washed?”

“Well actually it’s not something I’m used to, but it’s more than that. I’m happy Shay, I’m happier than I’ve ever been before and it’s because of you.”

“So am I Erendae, I…I’d never thought to be with anyone. I never had someone like you in my life who’s stood by me as fast as heartfelt as you. I thought I’d be alone…forever.”

She leans ahead and actually sort of around her legs with that sylvan flexibility and kisses me on my neck, sucks on my earlobe until I turn my head back and we kiss, it’s awkward in that nice way that makes it more special. But it’s long and slow and it’s repeated over and over again.

I am so deeply in love with this woman.

“I love you Shaya Highwood.”

Then we’re kissing again and I’m rolling over in the water to face her and sort of kneel and our lower bodies intertwine as we’re kissing and the oils in the water making this sexy slipperiness between our bodies as we slide together in this erotic sapphic mating dance. My hand descends into her, her hand dips into the water then into me. It’s great sex, or sexually just…I’m still trying to really wrap my mind around of this being real and the intense sensations that are just coupled with the rightness. But y’know it’s not that, that’s the best part of this. It’s the kissing, the face to face looking into her beautiful eyes and seeing the smile, the actual happiness on her face. Oh Shaya looks so sexy, almost so alienly exotically hot that she makes me ache when she is overcome by her orgasms but it’s the look of love and that sunrise of love smile she gives me in between that makes everything for me.

You ever have one of those times where you can actually feel yourself falling deeper in love with the person you’re with.

And I’m crying again and Shaya gets it because she’s feeling it too. I feel it through our connection and there’s this stereo like effect. Picture that falling in love deeper feeling but being able to feel your partner feel you doing that and to her it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. You get so deeper down into each other than you ever thought was possible…home, Oh god I’m finally home in a way that I never thought I’d know. It’s literally the connection of two souls becoming one.

I know I’ve told this part of us before but it’s just still so…holy…to me its proof of miracles and something bigger than us that’s saying to me that see, this…this is what I really meant.

There’s even this really fun, sexy, sweet moment where we’re finishing washing each others hair but face to face, and kissing, and even getting some soap in our eyes is a good thing.

There’s something so good too in a sensual way about drying each other off and then rubbing lotion into each other learning, we’re both green as being women, the nature of sensuality as part of who we are is something new and something we’re both still learning.

I love the bathrobes, literally the softest terrycloth like material I’ve ever felt. I lay down for a nap, with Shaya going to the doors and asking for the lady of threads to attend us in what passes for two hours here. I’m falling asleep musing on the whole time difference here compared to home. Sylvan’s live in a thirty six hour day…whatever this equivalent of jet lag is with changing worlds is dropping me.

Two hours fly by quickly, I’d have loved Shaya to have lain down with me but she stayed close and went over our gear, it’s more to that list of things for me to learn. But its two hours of really good sleep with Shaya tinkering away at what she’s doing and singing to herself as she does. I drifted off with this vocal Celtic melody in this very Dahmnait Doyle sounding voice…I love that kind of music…sigh.

I’m woken up by a kiss and the wonderful smell of coffee. I’ve drank a lot of coffee as a trucker and while some people get hooked I wasn’t. See when you put in those trucking hours you get coffee logged pretty much in a few months. It stops being something you need to stay awake and becomes something you drink because you like it. But right now trying to adjust and it being really, really good coffee my brain is really grateful.

This is really good. Big café bowl cup with dolce de leche instead of sugar and cream in it. Have you ever had that? That caramel made of milk put into black coffee, it doesn’t lighten it at all but makes it go from liquid to a light broth and the coffee gets the caramel flavors and is sweetened only enough to take off the most bitter of the bite of the coffee. Piping hot it’s really good. Kinda like a malted coffee. “Hey, Mmmn this is great thanks baby.” I give her a grateful kiss.

“You’re welcome beautiful, You should wake now the lady of threads is here.”

“The Lady of threads?”

“The castles head seamstress.”

“Oh…oh, we have a dinner tonight don’t we and the commander said that he’d send someone right?”

She nods and we kiss again then she takes my coffee still in my hand and steals, guides my hand to feed her a drink of my coffee. It’s something just nice. I’ve had a life time that was short of just nice before now.

Shaya goes to the door and lets her and her entourage of twenty girls in along with various young men portering the equipment in. Shaya makes more coffee, I feel that tingle-zip of magic as she roasts and grinds the beans in some kind of sylvan tech-magik device and serves French press styled coffee to our guests. I can see it, there’s got to be this etiquette thing with the knights and everything. I get myself quietly and quickly off the bed and pull the comforter into shape and slip into the bathroom and straighten…I feel this…pull on something inside as I look in the mirror and my hair literally shifts it’s shape into this tumbly salon look. I reach up staring and touching the mirror, my hair…I look wow…

Shaya’s in the doorway with another cup that she’s sipping. “Wren? I felt…Gods and Goddesses…I felt it but…”

“But what? did you do this Shay?”

“No…You did. You just did magic Erendae.”

“I what?”

“Magic, you did sorcery actually.”

“Sorcery?”

“Passion magic, charms, love spells cosmetic magic…” She’s staring at me, not badly but fascinated like. “I can feel it there, in you, your magic.”

“My magic? Are you sure it’s not yours?”

“Yes, totally. You’re power is of a different source than mine.”

“So what does that mean?”

“Honestly love, I have no idea. We have to hope nothing tricky emerges until we can sit you down with a real mage like Kailynn.”

“Tricky?”

“Yes, uncontrolled power comes out in unpredictable patterns based off your minds ability to shape the energies and your subconscious.” That sounded and felt like she was quoting right out of a text.

“Could I hurt someone?”

“Maybe, but we’re linked I think I can feel it and pull back on your reins as it were in case something happens.”

I sigh… “Well that’s a relief.”

She nods thoughtfully for a few moments then. “Come love, let’s get you dressed.”

Shaya leads me out for another coffee and there’s a ten minute or so pleasant round of introductions before we all finish our coffee. It’s strange to me, in fantasy books you don’t read of elves liking coffee, but all sorts of teas. But then I’ve never heard of elves having ethnics like the sylvan elves do.

Before long the lady of threads has us naked and she’s taking scans of us with a wand. I can feel this heat on my skin like it’s a warm flashlight. She get’s us to move, and walk and bend and do all sorts of things as she scans in all into this I-pad like thing.

Then we go through fabrics…cottons and silks and wools and denims and others of such a quality. I’m no seamstress but my god to just touch the raw goods was just…it gave me shivers. They make me under things first, I get this lace elastic trimmed underpants and a brazier that molds to my breasts like a perfect fit, it is a perfect fit it’s custom made. I get them in pretty colors, light blue, pearl, pink, a very elfin pale moss green and basic black and white and my favorite that I’m wearing tonight these soft but bright citrine yellow silk panties trimmed with white lace that had this pattern in the lace of lilies and blossoming roses.

The feeling of putting those on was just…so…fulfilling, and seeing myself in the mirror brought happy tears to my eyes. This was like they tore the image right form my soul and gave it to me in real life.

Then there’s the dress they made for me. It literally matches my under things and is of this the same shade of yellow with mother of pearl added into it. The dress is low cut to deeply hint at my bra and to show off my cleavage but the bust is sculpted just for me, it tapers to under my breasts and slithers tantalizingly against my skin and my sides with just enough room to move with freedom.

The design is just plainly perfect no frills and just this tight embroidery of gold threads at the hems and in a lovely brocaded design on my right shoulder of an eagle like designed phoenix my personal device. Phoenix is actually my real last name like the actors; River and Joachim. I look at it and there’s this light this shimmer to the hem and the embroidery it’s the gold threads are something called shimmersilk and they pull in light to kind of glow in the dark. They tell me sleeves are often worn here in the fortresses because the sleeves are where the devices of your house and such are displayed. The rest is simple with leg slits about six inches above my knees. And there’s these soft buckskin ankle boots for my feet.

I feel like a princess…and Shaya ties it all together for me with this shimmersilk thread lace headband that matches the dress and when she’s done arranging my hair to fall over it just right I shimmer in the mirror like a dream, there’s this faint halo of light shimmering through my hair.

And I’m crying again, happy tears still but I’m crying again…damned crazy wonderful hormones. I look at Shaya to ask if this was OTT but she tip toes and wraps her arms around my neck and gives me this smile like I gave her the world. “My Gods and Goddesses you’re beautiful Wren.” Then she kisses me really passionately, and long until we get a polite cough from the Lady of threads. We’re getting stared at though, there’s a mixture of responses all carefully hidden from dislike of us together, to amusement, to a couple sets of perked nipples at the show we put on.

The rest of it passes quite fast and before long I’ve got some new clothes and the requirement of a couple of new bags to carry it all in. I look at Shaya as we’re hanging things up and putting things away. “This must cost, a lot of money Shaya, How am I going to pay this off.?”

“You don’t have to pay for this Wren; it’s an honor gift to you from the commander under the rules of hospitality.”

“So then he’s paying for this? What do I have to do?”

“This is going to be you’re coming out?”

“Here? Why?”

“One, it’s more secure politically. These are military fortresses; there’ll be less likely to be as bad a bunch of nobles to try to play intrigue games here. Secondly this will give you exposure to the troops and their commanders. Thirdly he gets to have the honor of hosting you who are the first human we’ve ever seen thus bringing honor to his clan, house and family. He fed us, got to know us first and that’s worth a lot.”

“It sounds like a very complicated bunch of stuff.”

“It is, my father is trading on the honor of hosting you to the commander here.”

“So he’s trading on me being here? I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“Wren, look it’s a good thing it shows them he see’s them as valid nobles and not just thugs and attack dogs. You get to see and learn about us and get some training that won’t be easily spied on by the courtly types and it shows that you chose The Holy Planet a generally non-political zone for your coming out. The commanders also know the dangers at court for the untrained and see the hidden mission to get you more prepared for everything when you return to Highwood with me.”

I just sort of stand there staring at her and close my eyes, I’m not that complicated a girl. This really isn’t my deal. It’s why I liked trucking, for most of the time I was my own boss, no office politics, no smoozshing people or butt kissing. But this, this is a bigger game. And I get most of it, so I’m going to have to get all of it and soon.

Because if this is a taste of what things are like now, just what kind of things is Lyam doing in the background…against Shaya and her family.

I nod and smile at her as I go over and take her arm. “Well then I’m thinking I’d best learn to be a good guest and everything.” She smiles at me again kinda sheepishly and back to being that shy girl I feel in love with on the palace canal terraces. “Sorry Wren, I hope it’s not too much at once.”

“No, it’s not Shay it’s alright, besides I think it was meant to be that we met and I’m here. You need me.” I smile at her and kiss her. Shaya gives me one of those… I Love You… light up the world smiles.

“Yes, yes I do.”

We leave our suite and head out through a small maze of hall ways. I’m a bit more with it now so I can appreciate the décor. I’m in an honest to god or gods fortress castle, it’s like one of those from Europe that’s been redone with hardwood floors and nice decorations but it has heat and windows as well as electric lights and all the modern amenities but it’s also made of flag stones, there’s armor in places and tapestries, ancient paintings and pennants and banners and all those wonderful things that you dream of when you dream those dreams of being a princess for all those long years.

Shaya’s leading the way having been here before and I’m just drinking in the surroundings and the mood. We meet others in the hall on their way to the commanders feast hall. I’m stared at a lot as we go, I’m a little self-conscious but then again I’m showing a lot of breast and a lot of leg, plus I’m also sort of doing that golden shimmering thing. That alone has me nervous and excited and scared all at the same time. Shaya holds my hand as we wait in line to be announced and seated. This feels very much like a debutante style coming out party like I used to see on TV or read about.

I notice the shoulder thing like on my dress, other women have it either on long or short sleeves and it’s on the jackets of the men. The right shoulder is decorated in a personal crest, on the left is the symbols of Clan or House or Family and sometimes all three unless they’re a military person then it’s the heraldic patch of the place they are stationed, then another of the unit or company that they are a part of. A knight’s shield like a police badge determines rank by the designs and is quite common.

There’s a armed factor that has people tend to wear sashes with their sword belts to conceal them it looks nice in this old school Euro way and the women that carry swords even in their dresses have decorated scabbards to match their dress and the sword belts are plated metal to almost be jewelry, some actually match the jewelry of some of the females here.

Everyone here looks stunning. There’s a lot of people here too. I lean over to Shaya. “The commander’s sold tickets hasn’t he?” Shaya looks at me trying to figure out what I meant. It’s like dating an exchange student only I’m the exchange student. I love that look on her face when she “gets it” She nods.

“In a way, there is always dangers here by The Darklands, there is a very frontier aspect to things here even though this is the master fortress. Real like high court functions here rarely occur here and are a treat for those that have missed it or the ones that wouldn’t normally be here. There’s a lot of those that do the other works here at Steadfast invited to come. Another reason that this is important.”

I nod. “Then he get’s the extra special occasion of having me here and you as princess and can trade off of that. Right?”

Shaya nods. “It’s very complicated.”

I watch the moving lines, smile openly even as I’m talking. “I don’t envy your father Shay, he must have headaches just from trying to keep track of all of this.”

She get’s this deep, brooding touched thoughtful look. “He does, there’s so much that goes on that it get’s to him despite us working to help…He say’s only an idiot would really want to be king.”

I give her hand a squeeze. “Sometimes it really sucks to be in charge. Listen Shay, I’m gonna help as best I can.”

I smile at her and drink in the sight that is her.

Shaya is absolutely lovely in deep navy blue silk underpants with silvery lace and a sleeved gown like mine with Bhlaze’s image embroidered on it’s right sleeve with him rearing up rampant I think they call it, he’s displayed on a knights shield styled panel of embroidery. And on her other sleeve is another with a Christmas star shining over a tree and in front or embroidered in from of the tree’s image is that of a sword, the symbol is the royal crest.

She has this black velvet sash around her waist that has cut outs of roses that are filled in with black lace that doubles as a sword belt with a series of hidden wires and a clasp make it functional. She’s wearing her sword and it’s in a simple black velvet covered sheath, the rest of the sword is the jewelry of her outfit. Her dress is a little more low cut than mine and stops just at the middle of her bra and her hair’s in this tumbly looking pony tail that looks amazing with the rest of her hairstyle and that black hair just look so good because her dress is backless…I want to press my face, my lips into the small of her back.

And Shaya’s wearing heels…yummy four inch heels.

We finally get Heralded into the main room. The music stops and the herald announces in clear voice.

“Miss Erendae Phoenix, of The World of Earth, and Dragon-Knight Shayaira Highwood of the House of Highwood, and Mistress of Darkwood holding and Iron-Skye Fortress.”

I’m not used to this and I start my walk with her down the stairs and he continues with “Couple-Consorts.” I look at Shaya and she blushes with that shy girl look again, but tightens her fingers in mine. “I love you Wren…I want everyone to know it.” I keep looking at her and once down into the halls main floor area and where we won’t be in the way of other incoming guest I step to her and give her this long, slow, really romantic kiss. Heck I channel the kissing scene from the movie the notebook. I can tell Shaya is nearly crying at this really public display or how much I love her. We both pull out of it before we end up in that love loop from our link. We’d have been bawling together otherwise.

The Hall is huge with an almost rink like shape. Instead of stands there’s three tiers all with tables but a separate balcony for the commander’s table, under that balcony is an area where musicians are playing. The food is on tables that line the dance floor edge and have staff there to serve. The place is entirely done in woods with tree styled pillars and stained glass huge windows depicting knights, dragons, winged horses, faeries, gryphons and all sorts of fantastical things. The glass shows scenes of things I don’t know enough to have reference too but are beautiful. The place is only lit by the small candles on the tables and these tiny bioluminescent lilies in bowls of water. My shimmersilk lights up and I’m not the only one wearing something like what I’m wearing. It sounds strange but here amongst the elves it’s something magical.

The people are much more friendly now that I’m officially here and I’m hugely busy talking to people and shaking hands and telling people how wonderful everything is and how great they look. I’m enthusiastic because like I was raised, you look the right way you can find something nice or interesting about nearly anyone.

Shaya makes introductions but she’s actually charmingly shy. Me, I tell the tale of how I had got here and the battle between Shaya and Bhlaze against Lyam and Shai-tan. Even how I was hurt and I’m even open with who and what I used to be. That takes people back a bit but actually being transgendered is so rare here that most of the ones that haven’t been offended actually listen. Some of the Wildera those native american looking elves bring up the whole two spirited thing. The Shaelani refer to their trans-people as mirages and are considered special as well and the Kyu-nari that are there have the Buddhist like belief of being reborn and see it as a sign of being more enlightened that a trans-person is connected so strongly to one of their past lives.

I see some people, truly angry and offender but they all seem to be white elves, and mostly from the other societies. But the ethnics have other customs, and the one’s that don’t seem to have an opinion are more impressed at Shaya battling Lyam, and my involvement.

But there are those who I can tell are giving Shaya a second chance knowing this about her. She’s shyly talking to some of them, and there’s these I’m not sure if this is really happening handshakes from some of them.

There’s a social disconnect here I think, like the fact Kailynn being with the dark elfin girl was shunned by the nobility, I see the touch of racism here in the social classes. Shaya’s finding a wider degree of acceptance here with these people.

The upset ones are in the minority here, like a lot of military places there’s a lot of ethnics here, as well as mixed couples and I’m sure there’s quite a few blended families here, I’m met several people that look like racial mutts, especially amongst the commoners.

It’s funny because I actually get into shipping conversations with several members of the merchant community. They’re amused that a trucker, or essentially a teamster has gotten so involved in something so strange and adventurous. They take it as a matter of pride that I shot the dragon. Kinda like they can point to me doing that and say that it’s not all about the guys in the armor.

I also think that I started something when I asked a merchant for his card. He hadn’t a clue as to what I had meant and by the time I had explained the idea to them I had a small group of people around me listening to me describe the practice and custom of the business card. Then I explained as several scribes and artists drifted into the idea of potential new work the concept of greeting cards and occasion cards. I think that I score major points with some of the merchant and trade folks here.

It’s actually a good party and then a really fine meal of numerous courses with the food being served with a huge variety. There’s three salad courses one was a mushroom salad that was served with shredded rabbit, There was a cheese course with matching fruits and wines. I’m not a wine drinker but I drink only a few sips of each one to go with the plates of food. There was pasta which was served with just butter and this hazelnut/almond silky butter. It was very good nutty and not to rich but went really well with the slices of grilled pheasant paired with it. I think I liked it the best, except for the bread, there are these bread-rolls to die for here.

There is dancing and I publicly dance with my Shaya, and you know this is where I have a lot of fun. Missing my leg had really emptied out my dance card and to move like this. It’s a lot of ballroom dancing and pattern dancing, that’s were it’s groups of people doing dances that remind me of square dancing.

I try and dance with my Shaya as much as I can, but we are both asked to dance a few dozen times by knights and other gentlemen here. I’ve never danced so much in my life. My legs are hurting and shaky and sore by the time the fete and dinner is at an end. I ask a Page for a note pad and something to write with and ask a lot of those people I met here tonight to jot down their information until I can get their cards from them.

I’m beat and so is Shaya by the time we get back to our suite. She’s quiet too, still mulling everything over and we end up kissing and just gently undressing each other and touching and kissing until our eyelids get heavy and we fall asleep in each others arms.

“I love you Wren…my Erendae.” She says nuzzling into me, as I wrap my arms around her she wraps her around me. Her head rests on my shoulder with this sigh…that…I’m…I’m her home, here in my arms is home to her now.

There’s tears in my eyes as I kiss her on top of her head. “I love you to, Shaya…this had to be meant to be…I found the other half of my soul in you.”

She’s already asleep, but I had to say it anyway.