Chapter 22: Justice for a Lady

"You know, that hurt."

"I know, Vivian." I began to untie her. "I'll make it up to you, though."

She rolled over and smiled. "By the goddess, you better!" Then she grabbed me by the ears and pulled me down for a hungry kiss. "Goddess, it's been too long, Alex!"

I kissed her in return. "Indeed. Now, would you explain why you needed me to rape you?"

She drew me down next to her, and snuggled against me. "I told you about Fenris, yes?"

"Yes, you said you hoped to be his wife soon."

"Well there is a new priest in the temple. He has been preaching that if a man takes a woman's maidenhead, it will weaken him. He will be weak in battle, he will fail in his hunts, and his crops will fail. Unfortunately, Fenris has become a true believer."

She looked at me. "I always said I wanted my husband to take my maidenhead. Now, my husband refuses to do so. I even asked the priest, 'What should I do, find a foolish unbeliever to take my virginity?' Do you know what he responded? If I did, I was a whore, and should be stoned."

"Apparently, the only way a man could be with a woman was if the woman was a widow, and her dead husband had taken her, or if she'd been raped."

"Goddess, I was so desperate, I tried to convince Fenris to rape me. He absolutely refused. He said the gods would know it was a lie."

"Then word came that you were coming here during the audit. And I knew you would do what I asked. I knew you'd be unhappy about it, but you'd do it if I pleaded with you. So I wrote you those letters, begging you to visit me."

I nodded. She was right; I would do almost anything for her.

Vivian was a barbarian from the far north. I'd mentioned she was very tall, and apparently strong. She was also beautiful; with white hair she kept very short and marvelous gray eyes. She was the village smith here, and the only lover I'd had in a century that didn't know what I was. Yes, we were lovers. Though she had retained her hymen, she had found pleasure taking me in her bottom, and with each other's mouths.

"So, what now?"

"Tomorrow, when Fenris comes in the afternoon, he'll find me bound to the bed, with dried blood on my thighs and on my sheets, clear evidence I was taken against my will."

"And if he believes this to be a set-up? That you arranged it?"

"I'll convince him. If he loves me, he'll believe me. But for tonight, I want you to make up for hurting me. And I'll make up to you for using you."

She pushed me back on the bed and took me in her hand. Her palm was rough as she stroked me gently, but her lips were soft when she closed them around my shaft. I lay back and savored the experience. Vivian was a master at giving pleasure with her mouth. Her lips held me gently as her tongue caressed my shaft, and it wasn't long before I was very hard.

I withdrew from her mouth, and was about to kiss her violated sex when she stopped me. "No, better not. If I know you, you'd clean up all the evidence and I'd love every moment of it. But you can kiss me here, instead." She rolled over and lifted her bottom for me.

I chuckled and kissed each of her cheeks, then slowly licked the firm globes till they were damp. I spread them apart, and began kissing the tiny puckered flesh. She sighed with pleasure at my kiss, then gave a whimper as I pressed the tip of my tongue into her.

"Oh goddess, that feels good! Do it again!"

Using my tongue, I fucked her bottom for several minutes until she begged for more.

She sat up and pulled the pillow I'd put under her belly earlier toward her. The she lay on her back with the pillow holding her hips up and spread her legs apart. I knelt by her face and let her soak my cock with her saliva, then moved down between her legs.

I sat on my heels and she straddled my thighs. I leaned back a little as she reached down and took hold of my erection, and guided it to its destination. When it was properly placed, the tip barely entering her, she slid down and buried my cock into her ass with a moan of delight.

I grasped her hips and began to gently move her up and down on my staff. Her whimpers of pleasure were muted momentarily while we kissed, then again filled my ears as she arched her back. I held her by the waist as she took control, riding the shaft buried within her.

It wasn't long before I knew my climax was near. "Vivian, I'm close. Please, come with me!"

Her response was to bounce faster upon my lap, then slam down on my cock with a wail and convulsive shudders as her ass clenched around me, dragging me over the edge to fill her with the fruit of my loins.

When we'd recovered, I lay her back on the bed and kissed her tenderly.

"Goddess, you make me feel marvelous, Alex. Thank you for everything!"

"Anytime you need me, Vivian, simply summon me."

She smiled and rolled over. "For now, I need you to tie me down again."

I tied her arms first, then patted her on the bottom until she was lying again with the bloodstained bedclothes under her groin. As I tied her legs, I noticed our lovemaking had washed the blood from the inside of her thighs and her vagina. Using my knife, I cut my fingertip and smeared my blood realistically against her, again leaving her looking abused.

Then I kissed her forehead before taking my leave.

As I made my way back to the Elder's home, I prayed that Vivian wouldn't be disappointed by Fenris, and decided it might be wise to keep watch on this priest.

The next two villages were much like the first ones, with former Blossoms and Warriors renewing the Covenant with a kiss. But I was also hearing confirmation of disturbing reports I'd received at Caradine.

As Duke, it was my duty to see that the laws of our King were enforced and justice was offered to the populous. To do this, in each district within the duchy I appointed a local Magistrate. What I was learning was that this local magistrate had passed away recently, and his replacement was not well accepted. But what concerned me was the fact that I hadn't been informed of the old magistrate's passing. And I had definitely not appointed a replacement.

With this in mind, I'd packed an un-adorned set of armor, suitable for a sell-sword, and timed our trek to coordinate our arrival in the area with the weekly Court session. With two companions in similarly unmarked armor, we made our way to the village common. The rest of my force I distributed through the surrounding woods, to prevent the escape of any I might wish to interview, and to be ready to quell any disturbance that might erupt.