“I will, thank you, Legs.” He grinned. “What did you think of Lord Ant and Lord Jack?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Ant is… big, and Jack is…” I shook my head I had no words. I laughed then. “Though, if they’re indicative of the others, I think we’ll be in for some more surprises.”
“Yeah,” Silence said, laughing with me.
We chatted idly about the house and a few other items before Silence kissed me lightly and rose. “I’m… heading to bed,” he said.
I rose and saw him out. I was glad he hadn’t wanted to stay with me that night. Our encounter before the Noble’s Test had been amazing, but… that had been when we thought we might not see each other again. Now, we knew we had time to get to know each other more, let our relationship grow and flourish. I honestly didn’t know if I could say I loved him. I cared for him deeply and we shared a unique bond, but love…?
You’d know if I was in love, right Auwei?I asked.
Indeed I would, and you are right to think this is still… new. There is infatuation and connection, but true love, that usually takes time to blossom. I am happy you have found someone. Though I feel from you as if… you may want… more?
That was what I couldn’t put my finger on. I did like Silence a lot, but some part of me didn’t seem satisfied. And it wasn’t that I wasn’t satisfied with him and wanted someone else, but more that… one person alone just didn’t seem like enough.
I’ve had hosts who entertained many lovers before. I think perhaps you may be like them. Something to think about,Auwei advised.
And think on it I did, as I fell asleep that night, though I reached no resolution.
Silence and I were in the great hall at seven sharp the next morning. Once again, it was only Lady Crane who we met there. But this time, after we’d eaten and she’d left, we stuck around and waited.
At perhaps half-past the eighth hour, a woman in a long, light robe entered the hall. Her head cocked to one side as she noticed us. She smiled and came over, and Silence had to avert his gaze. There were two things which I guessed caused his shamed blushing. The first was simply how the woman walked, a gliding, full-body movement which exuded grace and languid sexuality. The second was the robe itself, which, though opaque, was light enough that the morning light seemed to shine through it, silhouetting the woman’s figure beneath. And from that shadow, I could tell she was wearing little to nothing beneath the sheer robe. She was also stunningly beautiful with perfect waves of shimmering brown hair, bronze skin, and large amber eyes.
“You must be the newbies?” The woman said sitting down beside Silence and sliding an arm around him. He went rigid with fluster-shock. “I’m Lady Amber, captain of the second squad. She began teasing a slender-fingered hand up into Silence’s brown hair. “I’m going to get one of you on my team. Ant will get the other on his.” She had been addressing me, teasing Silence without so much as a glance, but she looked at him then. “I think I’ll ask for this one.” She took her hand from his hair, sliding it around his neck to under his chin, forcing his face to look up at hers. “What’s your name, boy?”
He couldn’t speak, eyes wide and staring directly into her amber eyes… nowhere else… very focused. Her robe had fallen open just a little as she’d leaned toward him, and I was sure he’d get an eye-full if he did look down.
“Silence,” I said for him. “His name is Silence.” I didn’t know how I felt about all of this. Mostly I felt sorry for my friend who didn’t have a lot of experience with women and was being horribly teased.
A grin spread upon Amber’s full, dark-red lips, then she laughed. “How very apt.” She leaned closer, bringing her face alongside his, to nibble on his ear, then whispered. “A…pleasure… to meet you, Silence.” Then she turned to me. “And you?”
“I’m… Legs.”
She blinked at that. “And here I thought I’d always have the best legs in this strange family of ours. Well then, come on, stand up, let’s get a look at them.”
Now I was the one on the spot.
Lady Amber had said she was a squad captain, which meant she was definitely my superior — everyone here was my senior but she seemed to hold some additional authority — so I stood and moved to the side of the table, standing there awkwardly.
“Now, hike up that skirt and let me see these legs,” Amber said. With this, she removed her hands from Silence who — once her attentions were on me — slumped in relief and slid away from her on the bench.
I’m fairly certain I turned beet red, feeling heat rise to my face… and every other part of me. “I… I…” I stammered incoherently for a long moment. My turn to be horribly teased, apparently. Amber was an equal opportunity teaser, it seemed.
“Here, I’ll show you mine, if you like.” She shifted off the bench and stood across from me. She pulled up her robe slowly, to mid-thigh, revealing a perfect leg. “Now your turn.”
I figured I could do the same. It wouldn’t be showing any more than the green dress I’d worn for my Nobles’ Test. So, I pulled up my dress a little.
“Well damn, girl! Those are some bloody fine legs; long and lean. I think you’ve got me beat. It’s that extra few inches of height you’ve got on me, all leg I bet.” She didn’t actually seem upset, more… playful.
“Stop bothering the new recruits!” The voice made me jump. It hadn’t been loud, but it still seemed to boom through the hall with resonant authority. I dropped the hem of my dress and spun, and there was Ant — appearing from nowhere once again — not far behind me. “Amber, you’re insufferable some days!” He seemed more scolding than truly angry.
“You didn’t think I was insufferable last night,” Amber purred seductively. “I believe you whispered something about me being a ‘sex goddess’?”
Ant blushed.
Oh… so she could get under anybody’s skin; very interesting indeed.
I turned back to Amber, who was laughing lightly as she twirled around and headed for a screened passage at the end of the hall. “I’ll grab something from the kitchens and leave the newbies be.” Then she was gone, and the sexual tension in the room dropped from stifling to nothing.
