Season Content notes: con noncon*, pain play, sexual contact, trauma reactions, people handling emotions badly, rape (not explicit), torture (not explicit), pony play, mind fuck (minor), privileged ally is privileged
Before Jahlene could say anything, Collanne crossed the room and seated herself with all the dignity of an empress. “Jahlene, this hasn’t been your style since your little pet took over your household. Are you over that unseemly infatuation?”
Jahlene couldn’t help laughing and carefully did not look at Mattin. He had been terrified by the bundle of energy that was Jahlene’s closest thing to a friend at court. “Why hello Collanne, how goes it with you? Your gown is delectable, by the way. And my, isn’t the gossip running fast this year. I am doing well, so good of you to ask.” Mattin closed the door and went to help Parlen with the half-unpacked drink service. With luck, he’d have a drink for Collanne before she asked.
“I am not fooled, girl. You never gave a fiddle for the niceties before—nearly cost you your county too. So you won’t be distracting me from the biggest piece of gossip yet to arrive at court with pretty words for my seamstress.” She preened. “Though she did outdo herself this year.”
“Mm.” Jahlene smiled and sat down, “Having the finest seamstress in the Empire in your duchy gives you an unfair advantage. I understand she has a liking for the new and different. The traders promised me something unique this spring. Do you think if I bribed her with a new kind of fabric she’d be willing to move to Erida?”
“Bite your tongue!” Collanne pulled a fan from nowhere and rapped Jahlene’s knee with it. “Now girl, you’ve distracted me long enough…”
Mattin’s rummaging had been successful. He knelt next to Collanne and offered her a drink with a fluttery gesture of one hand. An old fae, Collanne’s eyes were wide as she turned back to Jahlene. “Silent service? How do you even know such a thing girl? Why, it’s been out of fashion since before your mother was born.”
Jahlene allowed herself a little grin. “Did your gossip mention I took in Altani as my cook a few decades back? I’m sure you remember him—he’s the half-blooded son of Emperor Balren’s chancellor?” Collanne’s jaw dropped. “He grew up in court, rather before my mother was born. When I told him I wanted Mattin trained in something… different, he was happy to help.”
Collanne took a sip of her drink and choked. She stared at the drink, then at Mattin, who had returned to the wall to await orders. “Jahlene you are a most exasperating woman. You have done everything possible to draw my attention, including having my favorite brandy on hand and your slave prepped to serve it.” Her voice rose in a near-wail, but Jahlene could taste her amusement, matching the sparkle in her eyes. “And yet you persist in maneuvering to avoid telling me anything!”
Jahlene gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’ve never been able to fool you, Collanne. How you see through me so clearly and yet never understand will remain one of the mysteries of Dannu.”
She shook her head and glanced at Mattin. She couldn’t resist flashing him a quick grin.
“I’ll tell you what happened. Or at least, I’ll tell you the bits I don’t mind the whole court knowing. But first, answer me one question. Why this unseemly interest in a slave?”
The timing was perfect and brandy exploded from Collanne’s nose as she choked on her outraged response. Mattin hurried to offer a cloth for Collanne to dry herself with. The tension in his shoulders told Jahlene he was suppressing laughter as well… she couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard him laugh. Maybe… she pushed the thought away for a later time.
“Oh dear, are you alright, Collanne?” she asked as the older woman regained control of her breathing. “I hope your gown isn’t damaged.”
“Not nearly as much as my nose is. You are a wicked, wicked girl.” Collanne’s eyes twinkled, even as her nose continued to run. “Times like this I wonder why I even bother with you.”
Jahlene allowed herself another grin. “Because everyone else is too scared of you to put you in your place.”
“Scared of little me?” Collanne sniffed. “Why my glamour is barely strong enough to retain my title.”
“Which is why you’ve found other forms of power. Like gossip.”
“My dear Jahlene, I don’t know what you are talking about. The whole court knows of my shimmering reputation. Now.” Collanne leaned forward on her seat. “Tell Auntie everything.”
Jahlene laughed and told her… nearly everything.
Fifteen minutes later Collanne sat back in amazement. “If I couldn’t taste your sincerity, Jahlene… now what wickedness is this that you haven’t told me?”
“Mattin is from South Tarn. Oeloff’s face should be a pleasure to behold, don’t you think?” Jahlene grinned and took a sip of her own drink.
“You didn’t!”
“Go poaching on Oeloff’s territory? Of course not. Mattin was brought to me by one of my people. He’d managed to piss off Oeloff enough that his father kicked him out and he was in desperate straits when he washed up at my door.”
“Ha!” the old fae laughed. “Couldn’t resist putting one over on the dirt sucker!”
“I’ll admit it. The boy Oeloff compelled with glamour so thick I could smell it two weeks later, tamed to my hand? How could I resist? I’m rather hoping he’ll recognize Mattin.”
“And after pissing Oeloff off that much, he was willing to be collared? Or have you finally broken free of those ‘principles’ of yours?”
Jahlene grinned. “Bent but not broken. He was desperate, as I said, and didn’t have anywhere else to go. And my reputation among humans is certainly better than Oeloff’s!”
“Really, Jahlene!” Collanne’s sniff was reflexive. Her focus was on Mattin. “Three months to create… this. However, did you manage it?”
“I didn’t.” Jahlene sighed. “Collanne, you are a smart female, but your blindness never fails to astound me. No force on earth, short of Dannu Herself, could force this change in three months’ time.”
“What in the world happened then?”
“Mattin. I couldn’t force him, Collanne—but he could remake himself. He is just as eager to get some of his own back at Oeloff as I am. Shaming the bastard before the court is a small thing after Oeloff destroyed his life. But I expect he will find it a taste much worth savoring.”
Collanne blinked and reached out to taste Mattin’s emotions separate from the background wash of the population of the palace. When she did, the sharp anticipation behind the slave’s bland exterior shook her. She tossed back the rest of her drink, eyes roaming the room looking for something to latch onto. “You know, Jahlene, this once, you may actually be right.”
With perfect timing, the slave stepped forward and refilled her glass. Nothing—not a flick of an eyelash—betrayed his awareness of her shock or the delight behind it. Delight at the thought of how Oeloff would react when the time came. But she tasted them nonetheless.
“Alright Jahlene. You led me right into that one, and you did it for a reason. What do you want?”
Leave a Reply