- 80th of Spring, 519
The sultry glow of the red lanterns hanging outside are what gave the brothel its name, and the light did strange things to the woman who stood beneath them. It cut high across her pale cheeks like a flush of pleasure, and made a macabre sight as it glinted bloodily off the diamonds around her throat like an open wound. The light cast shadows that collected beneath the swell of her breasts and curve of her hip and made the demure white lace she wore from throat to floor into something suggestive and erotic.
Madeira scowled at the innocuous door, angry with herself for hesitating. She was a mother now, with experience in partners of both genders and a few exotic races, and even once had to deal with a ghost's sexual pursuit. She even knew physical satisfaction from the other end, having once spent two weeks as a male with all the necessary equipment. She was a woman with a lot of experience. So, why, for the love of gods, was she embarrassed to walk into a brothel?
No, this was ridiculous. She should just go home, drag Allister to bed, and petch him until the sun came up. Yes. There was no need for this bullshyke.
But just as she was about to turn away and do exactly that she forced herself to stop. Because she was wrong, there was a need for this, or she wouldn’t be here. This wasn’t about sex, this was about seduction. Something all her romantic experience still somehow left her unequipped to deal with.
She had to realize that Hurik’s attraction to her was half delusion and half desperation, with no influence on her part. Dex was just nursing a little crush until she accidentally stabbed him with a fencing sword. Daniel had fallen in puppy love with her only because she was the only female within a thousand kilometres at the time, and Allister still killed him for it. Ssanya had been her friend for years before either of them had the balls to admit it was something more. And even with Allister it was a year into their bond before anything physical happened, and even then it could be argued that she raped him for it. Madeira was a liar, but never with herself. She had to admit she had no idea what she was doing. She could persuade a man into selling his first born son, and even get a good price for him. Yet somehow if she were to try and seduce that same man into bed instead she’d be laughed out of the room.
A season ago she could have lived with that. Would have been happy to use her verbal charms over her physical any day. But that was before she sat down with Chiona Dusk. Chiona Dusk: heir to the Dusk Tower, bachelorette of Lhavit, and secret lesbian. She was a decade older than her, beautiful and intelligent, with half a hundred suitors all clamouring for her attention. And Madeira wanted her. Not the woman herself, not really. She wanted to marry her, claim her name, and tie their families together. That woman represented wealth, power and security. She was the key to the life she wanted in Lhavit. She wanted her.
But to have her, she had to win her. That was why she was here; to learn how.
Hands curling to fists at her sides, Madeira snorted like an angry bull and opened the door.
Madeira scowled at the innocuous door, angry with herself for hesitating. She was a mother now, with experience in partners of both genders and a few exotic races, and even once had to deal with a ghost's sexual pursuit. She even knew physical satisfaction from the other end, having once spent two weeks as a male with all the necessary equipment. She was a woman with a lot of experience. So, why, for the love of gods, was she embarrassed to walk into a brothel?
No, this was ridiculous. She should just go home, drag Allister to bed, and petch him until the sun came up. Yes. There was no need for this bullshyke.
But just as she was about to turn away and do exactly that she forced herself to stop. Because she was wrong, there was a need for this, or she wouldn’t be here. This wasn’t about sex, this was about seduction. Something all her romantic experience still somehow left her unequipped to deal with.
She had to realize that Hurik’s attraction to her was half delusion and half desperation, with no influence on her part. Dex was just nursing a little crush until she accidentally stabbed him with a fencing sword. Daniel had fallen in puppy love with her only because she was the only female within a thousand kilometres at the time, and Allister still killed him for it. Ssanya had been her friend for years before either of them had the balls to admit it was something more. And even with Allister it was a year into their bond before anything physical happened, and even then it could be argued that she raped him for it. Madeira was a liar, but never with herself. She had to admit she had no idea what she was doing. She could persuade a man into selling his first born son, and even get a good price for him. Yet somehow if she were to try and seduce that same man into bed instead she’d be laughed out of the room.
A season ago she could have lived with that. Would have been happy to use her verbal charms over her physical any day. But that was before she sat down with Chiona Dusk. Chiona Dusk: heir to the Dusk Tower, bachelorette of Lhavit, and secret lesbian. She was a decade older than her, beautiful and intelligent, with half a hundred suitors all clamouring for her attention. And Madeira wanted her. Not the woman herself, not really. She wanted to marry her, claim her name, and tie their families together. That woman represented wealth, power and security. She was the key to the life she wanted in Lhavit. She wanted her.
But to have her, she had to win her. That was why she was here; to learn how.
Hands curling to fists at her sides, Madeira snorted like an angry bull and opened the door.
x
