Chapter 29

Roquan had had a bad night. This was rare for him. Even in the middle of the crisis precipitated by the Imperial agent Yanna, he had never had serious trouble sleeping. Yet last night had been different. Everything that he had done and said in the course of the Conclave was coming back to haunt him. He had started to wonder if perhaps he indeed had Oceanus' best interests in mind from the start.

Already irritated from lack of sleep, he was in no mood to hear what his Healer was telling him.

"We're not going through this again, Vanlo," Roquan said sharply. "I refuse to accept your resignation."

"With all due respect, your Lordship, you cannot refuse it this time," Vanlo said evenly. His own voice was tired as well. Sleep had always taken time to come to him these days, but now his nights were restless, and his head hurt when he first awoke in the morning. "I have already dispatched a letter to the Guild Hall to request a replacement."

Roquan cast a stony look at the Healer. "I have final say in who is the Healer of this Manor."

"Indeed you do, your Lordship. I would expect you to interview each of the candidates that I suggested quite carefully."

"That is not what I mean. I do not intend to lose you."

"I regret to say that the decision is not yours. I refuse to continue to be the Healer of this Manor."

Roquan ran a hand through his hair in exasperation, thoroughly at a loss for words for the moment. Vanlo looked on, concern in his eyes and etched into the lines on his face. He could tell that the Overlord was not up to par, and he hated himself for having to bring Roquan this news. However, this could not wait.

"You cannot simply refuse to work!" Roquan finally blurted.

"Most of your slaves have already completed their regular physicals. There are no treatments scheduled for the next half-moon. There are several slaves with some basic training that can handle the day-to-day first aid. In the event of an emergency, I..."

"I do not want to hear this!"

Startled by the Overlord's bellow, Vanlo fell into stunned silence.

"I have enough to deal with at this Manor and this Conclave!" Roquan shouted, his hands curled into fists. "I do not need another disruption!"

Vanlo continued to remain silent, unable to think of the words to say.

The Overlord took a deep breath and let it go. When he spoke again, it was in a voice of forced calm. "Why are you doing this, Vanlo? Have I not had enough disasters befall me in the last few days? Must you add to them?"

Vanlo found the pleading tone to Roquan's voice to be worrisome. It meant that the Overlord was reaching the end of his ability to cope with the stress. In a tentative voice, he asked, "Has something happened that I am unaware of, your Lordship?"

Roquan paused for a long moment, and when he looked at Vanlo, the Healer could see the pain in the Overlord's eyes. "Nothing that you can help with," he said in a low voice.

Vanlo simply nodded slowly and let it drop. "I am very sorry," he said softly. "Both for your ill luck and my failing health."

"Is that the reason for this? I thought we had gone over this before."

"The concern has never left me, your Lordship. I simply agreed to try to ignore it for the time being. It has grown to the point where I fear I can no longer do this."

"Are you continuing to sense Portal energies?"

Vanlo shook his head. "I have sensed nothing. But I am finding that my other mental faculties are suffering. I fear that soon I will do more harm than good if I continue in this role."

Roquan simply uttered a long sigh. "Very well," he said in a tired voice.

Vanlo felt a twinge of guilt. He knew he was leaving the Overlord in something of a lurch. But he had no choice. His conscience would not let him do anything else.

"You will, at least, make yourself available for emergencies."

"Emergencies are mercifully rare at the Manor, your Lordship."

"Yes, but so were Imperial agents trying to abduct a Trainer," Roquan said sourly.

"Point noted. Yes, I will be available. I will dearly hope I will not be called on for such a thing. I do not trust myself to make decisions that could affect another's life."

Roquan looked at Vanlo. He realized that this would be the right moment to thank the Healer for his years of service. Roquan had never had a better Healer than this man, and he would consider Vanlo's absence to be a terrible loss.

But as beset as he was with his problems, and his worry over the Conclave, and his regrets over the actions he had taken that got him to this point, he could bring none of these to mind. He could only feel anger towards the Healer for bringing him yet another problem to deal with. Yes, he knew this was petty, but he had little fortitude at that moment to think otherwise.

Pleasantries would have to wait for another time.

"Your resignation is noted," Roquan said crisply. "You may go."

Vanlo gave the Overlord a slightly nonplussed look and hesitated a moment before leaving.

As he walked out, the Healer tried to understand Roquan's position, and his feelings. It was another burden that the man did not need. Yet at the same time, he could not help but feel a bit hurt that his work had not been acknowledged.

He tried not to let this affect his friendship towards the Overlord. It was proving to be very difficult.

Amanda could also be counted among those whose slumber had been anything but restful the night before.

It had not been through lack of basic comfort. Freya was not that cruel. Even though Amanda had slept on the floor, this had been simply because there was no other place. Copious furs and soft pillows had been provided to her, and she had been able to form a makeshift bed from this.

Yet it could do nothing to soothe her emotionally, and it was largely this that had kept sleep at bay. It mattered little to her mistress. She put the girl to work right at the crack of dawn.

Now as the sun cleared the trees past the bluff, Amanda lay writhing and quivering on the bed as her pussy was gently and maddeningly stroked to just short of release by the merciless actions of the prison within which Freya had placed it the night before. It made it harder to concentrate on her task, a task at which she knew she dared not fail.

Freya was positioned over her, naked, straddling Amanda's body. The Overlord's knees lay on either side of Amanda's head, her hips lowered until her very aroused pussy was pressed snugly against her slave's face. Amanda panted as she licked at Freya's pussy, having to tilt her head back to be able to breathe. Even then, the musk of her mistress' arousal was almost overpowering, the woman's steaming pussy making her feel as if she were suffocating anyway.

Freya was positioned over Amanda as if intending to perform the same in return, but instead she simply gazed down at the black triangle of enchanted cloth as it rippled and undulated against Amanda's sex. "Mmm, I do love watching your little pussy squirm, Amanda," Freya cooed. "I'm sure you want to cum so badly, don't you?"

Amanda uttered a soft whimper. Freya pressed her sex more tightly to Amanda's face in response.

"Satisfy me," Freya said in a sultry, lustful voice. "Satisfy me if you want to be satisfied yourself."

Amanda uttered a muffled moan, her breathing growing ragged as she licked faster. She slid her tongue quickly and firmly over the shaft of Freya's womanhood, feeling it swell further at her ministrations, until the Overlord was softly panting.

"Mmm... not bad..." Freya said. She leaned into her again, causing a muffled yelp as Amanda had to reposition her nose again to breathe. Freya grinned. "Better get used to this, Amanda... this is my favorite position..."

Amanda closed her eyes and tried desperately to block out all distractions, both the infernal thing on her pussy and her mistress' taunting words. She clamped her lips to Freya's folds and sucked, licking frantically at the same time.

"Ooo, yes... oh, yes, very nice... " Freya's eyes slid closed as well, and she began rocking her hips back and forth.

Amanda let her lips slide up and down Freya's slot. She lashed out with her tongue, and soon Freya was uttering soft, deep moans. They rose in pitch, the Overlord panting with her rising lust and pleasure. Her pussy pressed down again, but this time Amanda was ready, spearing Freya's tunnel with her tongue and then lapping madly at the tip of Freya's nub.

Freya's breath grew short and she quivered as she rose. She dipped her head, her hair spilling down and tickling Amanda's thighs, making her squirm even more. Finally, the Overlord issued a single long moan, and her body shuddered as her pussy throbbed. She panted hard as she came, much of the intense excitement of the moment generated by her complete domination of the girl.

Her lips curled into a smile. No, there simply was nothing more exciting than this.

Freya lifted her hips from her slave's face when her orgasm had faded. She paused a moment, listening to Amanda's desperate little whimpers and moans as she continued to hang short of release. She gazed down at Amanda's pussy and touched it lightly.

The stimulation slowed and stopped. Amanda uttered a despondent sigh as her head lolled to one side, her face still wet from Freya's juices.

Freya rose to her feet and looked back down at Amanda. "That was actually not bad," she said, her voice still a little breathless. "But we will wait a little longer on your reward."

She detached the end of the chain from a bedpost and gave it a hard snap. Amanda immediately rose from the bed, her pussy uncomfortably aching and swollen.

"Let's get you bathed, get you some breakfast, and then we'll show you off to the other Overlords so they can see my new acquisition," Freya said with a sly smile. She raised a finger and held it warningly before Amanda's face. "Now, you will be a good girl for me. You will behave yourself in front of the others." She lowered her finger and gave one of Amanda's nipples a hard flick, making her jump. "Understand me?"

"Yes, mistress," Amanda said at once.

"And what is it you said you would do for me, Amanda?"

"Obey you, mistress."

"Very good. See that you remember that. And if you do, just maybe I'll let you cum later. Would you like that, Amanda?"

Amanda nodded quickly. "Yes, mistress, I... oh!"

Freya had given the chain a sharp yank.

"Wrong answer. Try again."

Amanda swallowed, looking up fearfully at the Overlord and struggling to remember what she was supposed to say. Just when it looked like Freya would flick at her nipple again, she blurted out, "It's whatever you would like, mistress!"

Freya slowly smiled. "Better. Yes, exactly. It is whatever I like. What you would like is irrelevant."

Amanda said nothing in response, as she had not been asked a direct question that time. Freya looked at her for a few moments, looking vaguely disappointed, as if wanting to catch her again violating some minor point of protocol.

Freya snapped the chain again and let her charge lead her into the sanitary and the bathing room beyond it. Amanda uttered a small sigh of resignation to herself. She blinked her eyes to wash away the tears that threatened to well up again.

For the first time in a long while, Doran was a very happy man.

Unlike many of the others, he slept like a baby, and awoke feeling as bright as the morning. Things were finally taking a turn for the better, and they became even more so as he mingled with the other Overlords that morning in the merchants' bazaar. Rarely could anyone not hear him laughing or see him smiling as he spoke with the others.

He even got into a conversation with Freya that did not force him to quell thoughts of how she would care to be bound and helpless like a common slave. Or like Amanda, who trotted along beside her mistress, her wrists bound behind her with cuffs that held her wrists more tightly than the ones Sirinna had used.

Just as Doran was leaving the bazaar, he ran into Roquan at the gate to the Manor. Doran beamed at him. "Ah, Roquan, I have the most wonderful news! It would appear..."

Roquan was not listening to him, but instead was looking over his shoulder towards the bazaar. "Look at that infernal woman."

Doran was startled by the venom in Roquan's voice and the icy fury in his eyes. Doran felt forced to turn and look with him. "What, you mean Freya?"

Roquan sneered. "Look at how she parades Amanda around. Look how she shows the girl off like a piece of jewelry."

Freya had stopped before two merchants. The two men were obviously ogling Amanda, looking her over lasciviously. Freya gestured towards Amanda's body as she spoke. One of the men grasped Amanda's breasts and kneaded them, Freya looking on with a wry grin.

Roquan's eyes narrowed and his hands curled into fists.

"While I admit, Freya is... flaunting her acquisition a bit..."

"That is not flaunting. That is abuse, plain and simple. She should not be an Overlord."

"Roquan!" Doran hissed and pushed Roquan back a few steps from the gate. It was like trying to move a stone wall. "Do not let anyone hear you say such things! Not this close to victory!"

Roquan blinked and shifted his gaze to Doran. "Victory?"

"Yes, Roquan, victory. Assuming you have those last deals sewn up..."

"I do," Roquan said tonelessly.

"... then all it took was a little persuasive talk from me, a reminder of your generosity towards those that support you, and I have your remaining votes! You are now virtually guaranteed the ten votes you need." He clapped a hand on Roquan's shoulder. "We did it, Roquan!"

"Did what?"

Both Overlords turned at the sound of the voice. "The vote, it would appear, Rennis," Roquan said quietly.

Rennis stopped near them, but kept a respectable distance. His arms were folded and his face was set hard. "Oh, the vote," he said listlessly.

Doran looked at him oddly. "Are you quite all right, Rennis? One would think you would be more enthusiastic about this. Roquan is your friend, after all."

Rennis and Roquan looked at each other. Their shared gaze was cool. Roquan's was more pleading.

"Didn't cost much, did it?" Rennis commented, a slight acid sting to his voice.

Doran sighed. "Please do not tell me you are going to go on again about Amanda as well! Never have I seen such a simple slave transaction been agonized over to such a degree! Hmph. One would think it was Sirinna that was being offered."

"I do not believe he is speaking about Amanda," said Roquan. "Are you?"

Rennis paused, and then shook his head. "No, I suppose I'm not. Not directly."

"I did as I needed to do. As I felt I had to."

"I'm sure that's what you thought at the time."

"Would you have me say I would do things differently had I to do it over again?" There was a small sarcastic edge to Roquan's voice, yet at the same time there was a forlorn and almost wistful look in his eyes.

"You could say that. I doubt I would believe you." Rennis paused. In a softer and more yielding tone, he said as he unfolded his arms, "But then if you did do things differently, you wouldn't be Roquan, now, would you?"

Roquan just gave a small nod of his head. Rennis cast a somewhat warmer look at Roquan before turning and walking off.

Doran made a face. "Now what was that all about?"

Roquan watched Rennis leave before turning back to Doran. "A friendship."

Doran gave Roquan a nonplussed look.

"A friendship that may be salvaged."

Doran continued to stare for a few more moments before finally rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Every time I talk to you, Roquan, I understand you even less. No matter. This Conclave will not last much longer."

"Are you saying we should call the Full Conclave soon?"

"Not yet. Let things settle for another day. But we won't wait too long. I believe we've given Gronnus a bit of a blow. I have not seen him very active this morning."

"Perhaps he is admitting defeat."

"Or he is planning something," Doran said darkly.

Roquan frowned. "What could he possibly offer? I have managed to counter all the deals he could possibly make with the Overlords. It is now his word against mine. I have the upper hand there."

"I certainly hope the other Overlords continue to see it that way! Which is why we shall not wait long. I have them primed. Unless Gronnus insists on carrying on a debate, we will see an end to this."

Roquan nodded. "And an end to the Emperor's meddling."

Doran's expression became more serious. "Yes, well, the details of that will have to wait. There will be much to work out with regards to that." Doran clapped Roquan on the shoulder once more before heading off.

Roquan looked back towards the bazaar. He could no longer see Freya or Amanda through the crowd.

There had to be a way to get Amanda back. He could not let Freya leave the Manor with her. He would never get her back after that.

Yet he had to do it in a way that would not jeopardize the vote. Whatever he did, it would have to be after the Conclave had concluded and before Freya left. It was a slim window.

He took a deep breath. He knew he should be focusing on making sure all his deals would be concluded smoothly. Instead, he chose to trust that once things had been set in motion, Gronnus could do little to stop it. He needed time to think. And the only way he could do this is someplace without distractions, such as his quarters.

He took one last look towards the bazaar and started away from the gate.

Gronnus was a nervous wreck.

Much of the night, he had been plagued by bad dreams. First they were of the conversation with Herdon. Then they pictured Herdon doing the deed, Roquan lying dead, bright red blood staining the floor. Then he imagined himself dead along with him, killed by the Emperor himself.

By the time he managed to get up that morning and steady his nerves with some brandy, he came to a realization. He could not let this happen.

It had nothing to do with whether Roquan was in the right or not. This was beyond that. It no longer mattered. The simple fact was that you do not murder an Overlord! In light of this, the whole debate was almost a petty, meaningless squabble.

But as Gronnus sat in his quarters, still trembling despite the brandy, he wondered now if maybe Roquan had been right all along. The Emperor had taken things too far. He remembered the revelation that the Emperor had indeed been training his own slaves. He still balked at that! There was no disputing Roquan's arguments here. Only Overlords train and own slaves!

But what could he do?

Gronnus finished off the last of his brandy in one gulp, groaning as it blazed a bright trail down his gullet and burned like a coal in his stomach. He took a few deep breaths, trying to clear his mind. He had nobody to turn to. Except perhaps...

He leaned back in his seat, his eyes slightly glazed, partially from the alcohol and partially from the thought he just had.

He would think Gronnus mad. Or he would think it some kind of lie or a trick. No matter. If nothing else, it would ease his conscience in the end. He could at least live with himself after that. Maybe.

Gronnus stood up and straightened his clothing. He tried to arrange his hair a little neater, but he grew too flustered and just let it be. It really didn't matter any more. He had no plans to try to get any votes. There was no point.

He walked out into the morning sun. The already oppressively humid air hit him full force, making him stagger with his brandy-dulled senses. There was no breeze to stir the sodden air around him, and he broke into a profuse sweat by the time he had walked up and over the bluff. Admittedly, not all of it was from the heat.

Gronnus' breathing became labored as he started down the path along the north end of the Manor. It took a few moments for him to realize that he had quickened his pace, as if the urgency of his task had suddenly become greater.