Say a Prayer Ch. 06

With the help of a pair of silver chased pliers, a pair of tender, snow white hands were working to pull literal gold metal from an expensive stomacher. The stomacher had been adorned with gold weaved, sewn, and looped into the fabric. And now, as a self-soothing exercise, Danetta was removing the gold. She had worn it very proudly at the royal palace. Court Dress tended to be the most ridiculously elaborate fashion in all other examples the nation. That particular appointment at the Royal Court was just after the end of the Social Season, which was highly convenient for Danetta. She had been pregnant enough for some to notice, but not so much that she could be allowed to escape her required presence as a noble.

Princess Rosanda Lothair I, a princess by marriage, had mentioned to Danetta that she thought the whole process was wasteful. To have someone spend all that time working the gold into the stomacher, and then to have the beautiful results destroyed? The arrogance!

Danetta had smiled and pointed out that she had no intentions of wasting the gold. Gold was a precious material, and she'd rather have the metal recycled for another project instead of forever remaining on a stomacher.

"Why even have the gold placed on the stomacher in the first place?" the princess had asked rather impatiently.

Danetta's reply was, "If I don't, my husband won't feel masculine enough." That was true, in a way, but the most accurate reason was related to Danetta's feelings. She had become accustomed to the finest things in life, and she didn't see why she shouldn't be every bit as lavishly dressed as all the other women around her. If she wasn't able to afford such a thing, then she would certainly not bother with the gold, but since she could have the gold with no trouble, why not wear it?

Now that she was home on this early autumn morning, resting in a comfortable armchair in Roland's nursery and chatting with the handmaidens likewise seated near her, she was trying to keep herself relaxed. A new nanny had been hired, because the other one had to leave to care for an elderly family member. Rowen was her name, and she was fairly young, but she had apparently helped to look after her younger siblings, and she seemed capable.

Still, Danetta watched the woman wipe Roland's face with suspicious eyes. She believed that early on in a nanny's job, the mother shouldn't trust her openly.

There were other problems on her mind, though. For example, her back felt like it was always being stretched. Her feet were a little swollen. Her belly was so big that she couldn't wear normal stays. Only a special set designed for a heavily pregnant woman could fit her. Her breast were already tender and full. Sometimes they leaked. There were squares of folded fabric hidden under her clothing, against her nipples, just in case.

And sometimes, at the most unexpected moments, her womanly parts would become flushed and she'd be aroused for no obvious reason. Despite the ease of hiding this fact, Danetta was still secretly embarrassed about it at times.

Warmth and whispers emerged right at her ear, surprising her enough to make her bounce in her seat. Her eyes turned to find the source, and it was Erdgar. The realization calmed her, putting a languid smile on her face.

"Let the woman work in peace, Danetta," her husband murmured with a tone that was too husky for the subject matter. Then, very quickly and discreetly, he let the flat top of his tongue slide up her throat. A tingling feeling remained after the tongue left. "Come with me for a time."

Suddenly pouting, Danetta whispered to him, "Something could happen. I must be nearby and alert."

The man's fingers gently caressed her jawline. "The nanny knows better than to harm a child of yours. Come, Sweet One. Let me hold you."

Her lower lip stuck out even more. Her cyan eyes narrowed. "Roland isn't fond of her."

Just as she said that, as if the boy wanted to prove his mother's point for her, the child decided to throw a short tantrum. He stomped the floor, waved his arms around, and whined out his frustration. He was upset with something Rowen had told him to do. Rowen snapped her fingers before the child's face and gave him a few stern words.

Roland rolled his eyes. Then he looked up to his father with a hopeful expression.

Standing straight, Erdgar told his son with sensibly harsh words that he needed to behave well. It was for his own good, and for everyone else's good too. Roland made a sad expression that was remarkably funny. His eyes looked bigger. His lips pursed. He sniffed too. Then, Rowen patted his shoulder and gave him softer words. Roland turned calm then, nodding his head.

The weight of Erdgar's hand pressed down on Danetta's shoulder. Then he squeezed her there and gave her another impatient whisper. Danetta gave in and prepared herself to get out of the chair. Erdgar was kind enough to as she pushed herself up with nearly as much caution as a delicate old person. She was perfectly able to get up, but Erdgar wanted her to be monitored as much as possible.

Looking from one handmaiden to the next, Danetta asked them to politely observe Rowen. Then her poor feet started throbbing again as Erdgar's arm went around her waist and she walked with him. When they were safely hidden in Erdgar's bedchamber, she was led towards the grand bed. A fresh set of curtains of a dark blue had recently been purchased, and the way they framed the bed had Danetta thinking of a comforting embrace.

The fingers of one of her hands lacing with Erdgar's, Danetta lowered herself onto the mattress. Her flat slippers pressed into a woven mat on the floor. As she leaned back a little, her free hand pushing into the mattress, Erdgar pulled the hand he held up to his irregular lips and kissed it very gently. Then he kissed her lips, sending a well known message down all the roads in her body.

And it began in much the same way it often did.

Garments untied and pulled away, nearly angry about it.

Kisses applied as more flesh was exposed.

Her curls were released so they could rest in the smoky aroma that was so persistent in her husband's bedchamber.

The rest of the world temporarily ignored.

They were soon beside each other on the bed, rumpling the blankets and sheets. Her soft fingertips traced the many outlines of all the unique ridges on his body. Her nails only barely grazed him. He probably didn't feel that. She would always touch him regardless. There was always something she hadn't noticed before, some silly little groove or a bump, and she'd want to learn the new texture.

Eventually, one of his patchy hands sank into her hair as his tongue danced against hers. They moaned to each other. Danetta felt her sorest spots throb, and she made a puppy-like whine. Erdgar's other hand pressed over a breast, and that had her crying out. She was so tender.

And it felt so wonderful.

Her nerves were sensitive and Erdgar's pressure had her toes cramping and her fingernails nearly piercing a pillow. It didn't take long for her natural mucus to seep out from between her thighs. Her labia and clitoris were becoming just as desperate for affection as her breasts, or perhaps even more so.

Erdgar's brow jerked up in a false version of surprise. "Hm? Are you needy here?" A bit more, only a bit more pressure, and Danetta's poor, empty cunt spasmed in the air as she whimpered. His eyelids fluttered. "Ohhhh, poor little nestling." His voice was thick. "Are there any other needy parts?"

She mumbled out a yes.

Erdgar caressed her delicate areola, and then he made careful little pinches. A bit of liquid oozed out and trickled down the breast, but it didn't bother anyone, especially not Danetta. She was burning and squirming, kicking nothing.

And, funny enough, her back and feet didn't hurt anymore. Maybe all her moving about had soothed her. Maybe she was still sore but she didn't notice. It might not matter. Danetta was in too much bliss to consider the truth of it.

With a quick glide of the side of his hand, Erdgar took away most of the little mess he had made. Then he left her a moment, bending down to the floor and picking up one of the squares of fabric that Danetta had stuffed under her neckline earlier in the day. He reclaimed his place beside her as he politely soaked up anything that remained.

Danetta gave a short giggle. Then she snatched the cloth away, dropped it and purposely forgot where it landed, and embraced him as much as her great belly would allow. Her kisses were light and playful on his face. His eyelids felt soft and gentle.

As lovely as kissing a rose petal.

His breath was all over her, and his voice was fevered. "Open yourself, Sweet One."

Her compliance was quick and easy. Her legs came apart naturally. Her eyes closed as her brain turned misty. She felt the mattress jostle. Then there was the mostly smooth bottoms of her husband's hand cautiously stroking her belly, up and down. The mattress jostled again. Danetta heard Erdgar's feet pat onto the floor.

"Hmmmmmm, I'll need you closer."

Danetta held her breath for a few seconds as she felt him grip her legs and tug her a bit. She helped him by pushing herself down. She was at the bed's edge when he stopped her.

His fingernails raked through her pubic hair. Danetta's eyelids opened. The canopy was rather handsome.

Some shuffling noises, and then ...

Around her labia, then up on each side of her clitoris, those were his fingers fondling her, not pinching but applying just enough pressure to make her chest rise and fall with aching breaths.

"On your fourth pregnancy, and you're still stubborn." A true pinch came then, a careful compression holding her clitoris.

Danetta whined at the tight, excruciating feelings welling up between her thighs. She could have predicted exactly what Erdgar would tell her next, but she was enjoying his ministrations and she didn't want to do anything else.

"Your body is only behaving as it should, or rather, as I think it should. I've studied it well over the years. You need to seek me out whenever your darling little body needs attention." He was pretending to scold her. She was vaguely aware of it, and as ridiculous as it might be, she rather enjoyed it.

Then ... he wasn't pinching her. His fingers rose, leaving her feeling cold for a moment. Her inner muscles clenched in protest.

And then his fingers sunk in, by the gods, they sunk right in. They pressed down. They opened her a bit. Her heels dug into the blanket.

"Ah! Ah! Oh ... Erdgar!" Her eyes closed again. A section of her lip was bitten. Her head turned to one side.

"Hmmm. I believe this is similar to a medicine. It will relieve you well. So, take your medicine obediently, Wife."

He stopped speaking. There was humming ... and tight, hot pulsing as his mouth went to her clitoris, all while he was holding down her muscles inside.

It was ... it was almost as if she had a cock in her, but there was his lips slowly ... oh so slowly drawing on her, so slowly ...

So much ...

"Ohhhhhhh ... ohhhhhhhh!" Danetta was crooning out her favorite form of madness. Her clitoris seemed to silently pound. Her channel quivered and rejoiced. Her hands clung to her bosom, kneading them, and then plucking at her own nipples. Pure delight surged from her womanhood, to her nipples, then back again, a trade route, a circle, a lustful communication.

Faster ... and faster ... and then so fast that her brain couldn't keep up. She screamed and grabbed her breasts so roughly that, once again, she started leaking.

Her fingers were wet when she was finally able to calm down.

***

After looking over letters from friends and acquaintances, Danetta questioned the validity of love, marriage, and common sense.

Duchess Laileen Bransted, the Lady of the Wyden province, had recently given birth to a little girl. Her husband, Duke Kristof Bransted, had named her Akilina. Little Oskar, the eldest child, was apparently very sore about the situation. He had been so accustomed to being the center of everyone's universe. And now, he had a sister to share the attention with.

The only problem within the home was the disappearance of Laileen's favorite maid, Bruna. There were no evident answers for the mystery. It was as if Bruna had vanished in the night. Laileen had distinctly, clearly written about her concern over the young woman.

Her Royal Highness, Princess Rosanda Lothair I, had also recently given birth to a child. It turned out to be a boy. He was officially known as His Royal Highness, Prince Kutberth Nikolaos Lothair III, also known as Nikkie. He was possibly the most coddled child in the royal family at this point, as it should have been. Newborns needed to be coddled. He had inherited his mother's albinism, it seemed. There were already three paintings of the baby in the palace. The only problem in her life was how catty the Royal Court was. A harsh rumor about the child not belonging to his legal father was buzzing around, but that particular prince didn't believe it at all.

As for the priestess ... well ... she wasn't a priestess anymore.

Delma Abnelon, or rather, Delma Roiters, hadn't been aggressive with her writing. The only reason, it seemed, that she ever wrote to Danetta at all was out of politeness. Danetta was the one who wrote first, and Mrs. Roiters likely didn't want to be rude and refuse to reply. Her letters were all the same. Everything was perfect. There were no problems to report. Thank you for writing.

Danetta was nervous about it, even though it was none of her business.

Delma had married Maino Roiters so quickly ... were they truly so happy together? Then again, Danetta had married her husband quickly too, and without much thought either. As far as she knew, so did Laileen and Rosanda, and they seemed normally happy.

But ... Danetta knew she didn't have enough information to make a complete and fair judgment about anyone but herself, and perhaps her family. Different people have different circumstances.

So, she carefully wrote pleasant replies to all these women. Then she wrote a letter for Marquess Bram Masen. He was still in mourning, poor thing, and he had a boy to raise. He couldn't have been fairing well. She thought she should remind Erdgar to send his own friendly letter too.

Wrapping a cloak around her shoulders, Danetta left her room to find Erdgar, her handmaidens silently following her.

The three women searched for the master of the castle, and they found him a few feet away from the stables. He was with his favored group of guards and his eldest son, Andreo. Andreo was being instructed by one of the older guards on proper diet, all while the boy was punching the palms of a different, crouching guard. This went on while Erdgar observed the situation with favorable eyes.

Danetta approached her husband and tapped his shoulder, alerting him to her presence. As she told Erdgar that she wanted him to write a letter to Marquess Bram Masen, one of the guards, a recently hired one, had a sudden coughing fit. He looked very small for an adult man, and his nose was very pink.

"Oh Sir," Danetta said with a pitying tone, "are you unwell? I could send a block of medicine to you if it's needed."

Swiping some of his sandy blond hair out of his face, his intense blue eyes blinking a few times, the man said, "I'm fine, Your Grace. It's only a bit of allergies."

Danetta took a step towards him. "Then accept a package of tea, I must insist. My husband's men should be in the finest condition."

Erdgar moved forward and patted her covered shoulder. "There's no need to fret over him, Wife. He has my confidence."

"Is that so?" Danetta tightened her cloak around herself. "I don't mean to insult this young man, and I certainly would never doubt my husband's judgment, but I am curious. Why did you hire this man?" He didn't seem intimidating.

With a grin, Erdgar told her, "When my men tested his abilities, they all ended up unconscious on the ground, and that one," his head jerked towards the now sneezing blond man, "didn't show any exertion other than a sneeze."

"Oh. That's quite impressive." She turned back to the small man. "Give me your name, Sir, so that I'll have a proper way to address you."

Bowing, the man said, "Arkhip Kovak, Your Grace. I'm honored to be working for this esteemed family."

Danetta used his name happily. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Kovak, and I hope you'll forgive me for doubting you."

A short shrug, and then Mr. Kovak said, "I never felt any slight, Mistress." Then he pressed his fingers against his face as if he was trying to massage his sinuses.

***

Andreo had been practicing with false guns, essentially heavy toy guns that didn't need true bullets, for years. This day, though, Andreo was allowed to carry a real gun, and Erdgar saw the pride glowing in his smile. The sight of it put pride in Erdgar's own smile too.

A good number of his men, including Arkhip Kovak, were accompanying Erdgar and Andreo on a hunting trip. Everyone was on horseback, and they all seemed pleased to be enjoying the gentle weather and the scents of the orange, yellow, and brown forest. Erdgar was pleased to realize that Andreo's naturally quiet nature would be beneficial when it was time to choose a target.

Actually ... the loudest person among them was Kovak, what with his occasional sneezing, but he was civilized enough to muffle himself with a handkerchief.

But suddenly, Kovak's hand froze over his nose, and his eyes broadened as they swirled and danced from one part of the forest to the next. Then he looked at Erdgar and said with a sickeningly calm tone, "There's a trespasser, only one."

Quelling a sharp jolt in his stomach, Erdgar told his men to keep near Andreo, but to keep their eyes open and look around. After a few minutes, Erdgar asked Kovak, "Do you still see him?"

A short cough, and then Kovak answered, "No, but I know he's there. I'll track him down. Keep close to the boy. I'll find him."

"You want to go alone?" Erdgar's fingers tightened around his reins. "Too dangerous. Take someone with you."

The countenance the blond man showed Edgar was many things, impatient, stern, immobile, and terrifying. He looked like a man who had learned that a long hated rival was nearby, a man on an ancient quest for vengeance. Those blue eyes were anxious. His brow was wrinkling. His pink nose was wiggling, nostrils expanding. His teeth seemed to be grinding into each other.

"If you want him found, you'd better send me alone."

Sensing something off kilter in the air, Erdgar quickly glanced at Andreo, who was still beaming like a cheerful baby that just discovered the concept of ripping paper. The lad hadn't been paying much attention to the men's words. He had been locked away in his brain, innocently looking forward to a hunt with his father.

"Kovak," Erdgar said with a very careful sort of gruffness, looking back to the blond man, "the safety of my children is the highest priority. The trespasser must be captured now, so take at least one more man with you."

First, Kovak bent a bit so he could make a thick sniff and spit a large wad of something onto the earth. Then, he straightened his back and said, "If that intruder puts a single black glove on any of your children, I'll put my muzzle between my teeth and pull the trigger." He coughed into his handkerchief again. "It would be expected of you to rush your boy out of the woods. It's best to do the unexpected so that the enemy will be forced to adjust their plans, so you can put that extra stab of uncertainty in them. It would be easier for the enemy to catch the boy if he's on the run, anyway. Keep a slow pace with the boy so the men can easily focus on guarding him. Now, I'm going to go find that stupid fucker, and if you hear more than three gunshots, then I'll have caught him, and I'll need you to come find me, since I'll likely have him tied up. Then you should rush the boy out."