The Thorned Rose Ch. 03

Scarlett blacked out as cum flooded her body, her form going limp beneath the Queen as she drained herself inside the perfect little fuck toy.

"A-ah.. If you think.. Fainting is going to.. Let you escape.. A round two.. You're wrong.." She panted, grinning to herself as she withdrew her slick spear from the Elf's sheath and flipped her over onto her back, rubbing her thick, still hard tool between her doughy cheeks.

Scarlett whimpered as her eyes rolled forward, opening as she felt herself once more filled, felt a hand once more at her throat, her tongue lolling from her lips as she stared forward into the eyes of her Dark Queen for the night, a toy to this sorceress.

--

Mayla let out a low sigh as she stared at her ceiling. She hadn't slept a wink all night and knew it was time to open The Thorned Rose to another day of business whether she felt up to it or not. Sitting up and using the back of her hand to try fruitlessly to rub the sleepiness from her eyes she swung her legs from the bed.

Standing she grunted as she arched her back, hearing a crick from what were feeling like old bones. She ran a hand through her hair in an unsuccessful attempt to try and put it into some semblance of order before she began to dress.

He would've left in the night, packed up and vanished into the mists of the night. There was no reason he would've stayed here with her after what she had done to him. And how could she blame him? She had used him, pretending it was for his benefit when really it was simply just for hers. Her own greed and jealousy, it had cost her everything.

She pulled on her dress, not really bothered about showering today, she just went through the bare minimum effort of running a hairbrush through her hair and gave herself a disapproving look in her mirror. She looked tired, she was starting to look old. Older than she should given her age. But that was probably the stress of the job catching up to her. She practically worked every hour the sun gave her and more than her fair share of the hours the moon gave her too.

She shuffled through her tavern and unlocked the door to the pre-dawn chill, guests would need to leave soon for business, others would be coming in off of their night shifts for drinks and a simple meal. She would have to get started on her chores, alone.

The patrons came and so did the sun, the work came and so did some coin, but Scarlett didn't come. The hours passed well into late morning and she was trying to build herself up to go to his room, prepare it for another guest, not that the inn would be quite so packed now that her prize had left.

As she was preparing a bowl of honeyed milk oats for an elderly client a flash of red caught her attention. Glancing to her side she saw, to her absolute surprise, the unmistakable shock of red fire hair that was Scarlett, beautiful and perfect, dressed in his working dress and with a storm about him.

She couldn't help herself, she called out to him, "Does this mean you're staying?.." her voice was marked with unabashed desperation.

He froze in his tracks and turned his head, glancing over one slender shoulder to eye her up and down, a spark of displeasure in his gaze. "Of course I'm staying. And the Dark Queen of the North takes her coffee white with sugar." he said, his tone dismissive.

And he strode from the door.

She watched, mouth agape and felt tears welling in her eyes, "No.. Scarlett.. I.. I'm sorry..."

She watched the now empty door, he hadn't even looked back. He'd just.. Gone. In a flash, like that.

She swallowed, lower lip quavering as she gritted her teeth. She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and fought back the tears. She couldn't cry. She had a business to run. The same old tavern with the same old clientele. It just looked so much.. Grimmer without him.

"Where the fuck is my coffee.." a voice rumbled, tired.

She sniffed and quelled her upset, she would have time to grieve later. "Your coffee?.." she asked, turning to eye the unique figure, her mind blanking as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.

"White with sugar. Didn't Scarlett tell you?.." Ariela narrowed her eyes, a darkness brooding in them.

"I.. He.. Wait.. You're?" she stumbled over her words, mouth agape.

"Impatient.." the dark Queen growled, eying her with intense eyes.

Mayla swallowed. Her eyes following Scarlett as he reentered the bar, holding a bucket of water he had presumably drawn from the well and moved to collect a sponge before marching, annoyed, towards his room.

"Coffee. White. Sugar. Right." Mayla said, flatly, mechanically preparing the drink as her mind ran in circles.

So. He's staying. And this is the Dark Queen of the North. In my tavern. Here. Now. The sorceress-tyrant. Who rumor has it melts people for funsies.

He would doubtless still have an entire myriad of questions for her regarding her betrayal. But that could wait until after service. She had a guest that needed tending to. And an Elf working in her bar. Cleaning his room, she assumed from whatever mess these two had propagated.

This was just the sort of attention Scarlett would bring, she knew.

She had a lot of explaining to do. A lot of persuading to do. A lot of questions to answer and more herself to ask. But Scarlett would be here for them all.

Mayla smiled.