Now that I was returned to the Portage home and having sacrificed yet another night of sleep I was feeling the drag on my resources. Replacing someone’s memories was a delicate and difficult thing to do. I had mostly used this magic in order to change the political ways of a county. Last time I had used it fully was when I was the Khalifa of the southern sands. I had learned and used so much mental magic when I was in her form.
My body was heavy and difficult to maneuver. The natural inclination of the human body to need rest every day dragging my altered mind into a sludge. I sat on the cot that I was provided and looked around the room with little thoughts going through me head. I closed my eyes, I had used more magic the last few days than I had in quite a long time. I wanted to Slumber even more now. But I would no doubt be seen as dead when I was found and would suffocate under the ground when they buried me.
I stripped off all my outer clothes and once in my underthings pulled the blanket over my body and rested. Maybe a few hours later someone was knocking on my door. I was bleary eyed and grumpy when I trudged over to the door and opened it.
Someone I wasn’t looking forward to seeing was standing there. Even though she was beautiful I now saw her for the spider she was. However I was too sleepy to think and she pushed past me and into the room. I stumbled over to the bed and looked at her, “What can I do for you?”
Heather smiled at me and strode close to me. Her hands interlaced into my hair and she pulled my head back sharply sending a shock of pain through my sleep addled mind and forcing me into wakefulness. She smashed her lips against mine and I found it in my to push her away. “You’re going to listen to me and do what I want!” She harshly whispered.
“I don’t think that is a good idea, your brother seemed to think that I would be tortured if I lay with you again.” I watched the wicked madness in her eyes mix with a hunger that could only be sated with the flesh of another person.
“I don’t want to be married away like some bargaining chip. I want my destiny to be in my own hands. If I have to lay with a handsome and heroic bard for that to happen I will. Now slide off your clothes and enjoy yourself.”
I stood and pushed her away once more, “What if I don’t want that? What would you do if I rebuffed you.”
“My brother isn’t the only one that could arrange for you to be tortured. All father would ask me to do is spare your hands and throat.” Heather grabbed me by the clothes and forced me back to the bed.
I needed to plant the idea of bringing the drugs to the dinner with the king’s family so that the planted assassin would be able to strike and I would save them. I didn’t like that this was my chance to do just that. I felt filthy deep down as she pushed herself into my lap.
She leaned into my ear and grinded herself into me. “I can feel you getting excited. Don’t pretend like you don’t want me after what you were willing to do to me in the bath. You will give me what I want won’t you? Either that, or I’ll make sure you’ll pay for it.”
I turned to her and kissed her deeply and held her there in place as she moaned into my lips. “Would it feel better if we had something else to enjoy? Something exotic?” I laced my words and suggestions with magic to sow the seeds of an idea into her head.
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“You don’t need anything but me. That is already more than you deserve.” She pressed her lips into me as she laid me down. As she pulled away she kept my bottom lip trapped between her teeth. A primal growl escaped her lips. “Maybe next time I’ll spoil you more.”
…
I stirred back awake and felt Heather against my chest. Her fingers had left scores and welts across my chest and back. She had been forceful and controlling a complete change from our first gentle encounter. I had known others that had something wrong with their minds and could change so easily before and wondered if she was sick in the mind because of her wealth or something more heinous in her lineage.
I looked at the dingy ceiling and cursed myself. I should have rebuffed her but I needed someone to think that drugging the royal family would be a good idea. I turned and whispered more words into her ear with magic in them. “If you don’t want the royal family, don’t want to be a pawn, make sure that they are distracted and have weak minds when they are here. Fill them with fear afterwards so that they see you as undesirable.”
I could see her lips curl as she lay there sleeping. Her eyes flickering with the images I was weaving into her sleeping thoughts. I laid back though feeling that I had hit the wall with my manipulation and would only hope that it had taken deep enough roots to blossom into my devious flower.
As I relaxed I waited for her to stir. Her eyes were heavy and satisfied as she looked at me. “Some men might have had the thoughts of killing me in my sleep.” Her nails raked my chest again, “Too bad for them.”
I was once more struck by how gorgeous she was when she stood up and basked in the glory of her nudity. She snatched up her clothes and dressed. Her hair messy and untamed she stopped at my small desk and flat round steel plate to be used as a mirror. She brushed her hair quickly and smiled at herself.
“Maybe living like this with a common man could be nice enough if he could spoil me. Would you spoil me, Dolan?” Heather didn’t truly know what it would mean to live with such low means.
“I don’t think that if you were with the common folk you would have someone as lowly as a bard to be with.” It was best that I didn’t bring up that I wouldn’t stick around. I was practically a hostage at this moment and was relatively powerless.
She looked over her shoulder as she walked to the door. “Not a real answer,” I could see madness creeping back into her eyes as she stared at me like a prize animal. “Maybe next time I won’t let you have any pleasure until you give me the right answers.”
The door closed behind her as she left me in the relative silence of the servant’s quarters. I had been used and used someone in return. Didn’t make me feel good about myself but I needed to stay focused on what I needed to accomplish with my time here. Standing up I washed myself clean. Dressed and more rested in some ways I made my way with the book of the east in tow.
I needed to make sure to talk to other members of the family to see what I could accomplish. It would be foolish to only rely on someone that was in a low standing in the family. Heather probably wasn’t the most influential member amongst her family. I would see the master of the house. See if I could reinforce the idea with him.
I made sure my movements were bold like I belonged in the house and that my purpose should not be stopped. I passed several servants that all seemed to look at me with continued disdain for my elevated position amongst them. I didn’t smell the same hash that he was smoking yesterday so I doubted he would be indulging in his vices so early in the day. The sounds of a hushed conversation reached my ears and I fought off the urge to eavesdrop and instead knocked loudly.
It took a few moments and then a refined voice called out to me, “Come in.”
I stepped in the room and could see the former duke and his son conversing between themselves. Them being both here would make it a little simpler to get the idea to spread throughout the entire Portage family.
The Duke scoffed at seeing me and leaned back crossing his arms heavily. “What do you want, minstrel? You are interrupting an important conversation.”
“I was hoping to speak to the master of the house. I was hoping to talk about the upcoming dinner and how I might best serve my purpose.” I bowed at the waist and waited for me to be invited to sit. If that ever came.
The older man spoke up easily, “Just play some music during dinner and prepare to tell a story in the lounge.” He waved a hand dismissively.
“Do you think there might be a way to open their minds to my stories. To truly imagine the horrors of the eastern king and his concubines?” I put emphasis and a hint of magic in my words to hopefully so an inkling of the idea into his mind to later blossom.
I felt the current duke stand and approach me. “Begone minstrel, he already told you what he wanted you to do so I suggest you best shut your mouth and leave us alone.”
I hoped it was enough.