Rings of Gold

Love made unreal

Reya felt herself affected by the alcohol and swayed by the opulence and power she saw in the room around her. Those who had been invited dressed to the best of their ability and some of the clothes including the dress she wore, would cost her several months of wages. She had not expected to join the nobles as they sat down at the table, but had expected to be seated among the servants, waiting for her master to leave. Much like her, the wine was exquisite, and she had maybe had one or two cups to many when Arathar leaned in closer and told her that he wanted her to seduce the imperial once they began to mingle again. Despite being slightly drunk, she nodded and felt a bit of shame for a moment as she realized that she would obey Arathar without question and that she could do it in a heartbeat. The anubian male had been shooting her glances all evening, clearly desiring her for her appearance and the fact that she clung so closely to Arathar.

From the very start of the evening, Reya had made sure to press closely to Arathar whenever he allowed it to make it clear that she belonged to him for the moment. Despite his hunger, she had not responded to any of the glances the imperial had given her and neither had she acknowledged any of the stares from the other males in the room for that matter. She had even made sure to avoid reacting when Aroun looked at her, which stung her heart deeply, but that was the part she had to play until she was a free woman. She hoped that Aroun would not take offense and that he would remain patient until they could purchase her freedom.

She was tall, as most bunnies were, and her long blonde hair reached almost to her calves. Her fur, unusually pale for her kin had her nicknamed as the white rabbit as it was as white as the fallen snow. She had blue eyes and seemed to almost radiate in the sunlight, which made her an attractive prey for those who enjoyed that kind of play. She was slender and according to her owner, she was one of, if not the most, beautiful girl she had ever seen. Despite this, she was known for her speed, grace, and agility, which made chasing her a difficult prospect except for the most experienced hunters. Most bunnies who worked at the brothel were used to pretending to be prey for the predators and it paid well enough to not deny it on most occasions. There were risks involved with such games however and more than one bunny had suffered an injury or two when the hunt had become too physical.

She turned her attention to Arathar again, planning how to best seduce the imperial. The lion’s scent flowed into her nose and despite trying to focus on the imperial, she found herself thinking of the events of the past weeks that had led to her being seated close to the most powerful man in the city. She found herself back at the brothel when Aroun had approached her with his idea. It had sounded good from the moment he said it. They had been lovers for quite some time by that point and she jumped at the opportunity to earn a bit of easy coin to speed up her release. She did love the anubian warrior and she was hopeful they could earn enough coin to free her from her mistress and then start living together for real. He had started as an ordinary customer an evening a few years back, but she had seen some deep loss in his eyes and rather than seducing him, she had asked him what was ailing him as she began to massage his back. To both her and his own surprise, he had opened up regarding the loss of a dear friend and they found themselves talking through the night rather than serving his s****l needs. She was expecting to have to return the money for the night, but he had her keep it and she was surprised when he came back the day after, that time for s*x. He had kept visiting her and she found him a reliant and pleasant customer. Sometimes after the first month, he had asked her to follow along as he visited the family of his dead friend, and it wasn’t long until they were lovers.

As for her price, she knew she was one of the more expensive whores. Despite this, she was a popular woman due to her looks and her skill. Many of the girls at the brothel were slaves to the mistress, but few had been working there for as long as her. She had been sold there when she was very young, a decision her mother has made to feed the rest of her children. At first, she had performed menial tasks such as scrubbing floor and stocking the larder, but the moment she grew into her beauty, the mistress of the house offered her a job as a w***e. She had refused at first, but she was coerced by the fact that each girl earned a small amount of coin for themselves with every customer. Given time, she could free herself and with Aroun, that time would be shorter.

But she was observant enough to know that things had changed since she was hired by Karaz. It had seemed to be a simple job as prey for the packs hunt. They were young and had no interest in her as a woman and she just needed to make the hunt difficult but still get caught more times than not. It had been fun, and she was good at is as she was fast and agile even for a bunny. She enjoyed making the kids tumble over themselves while hunting her and she loved running under the open sky. Karaz had paid her handsomely for her part, earning her quite a bit of bonus coin from her mistress, but he had not understood that his father would be furious to hear that his son had hired a w***e to perform as prey. To Karaz credit, Aroun had never told Karaz just what Reya worked as, and the young lion probably assumed she was a servant girl in some merchant house.

When Arathar learned of her, he had taken her for himself without talking to Karaz first. He had simply entered the room one evening as they returned from their hunt and grabbed her by the hair, told his son he no longer would have access to her. After further verbally abusing his son for his weakness, he led her away and had Karaz sent to his room. To his credit, the man never hit his son as far as she knew, but it was clear the father did not approve of the son and that he had hoped for a far more ferocious and larger male to be his heir.

He led her through the palace via her hair and growled as he did so. His grip was hard, and she felt herself tugged along, without any hope of escaping his grip. Seeing as it was his coin that was really paying for her, she had no choice but to accept the rough treatment. Men had paid far less to cause her such discomfort, and she obediently followed him as he dragged her. He took her into his bedchamber and pressed her down on his bed. She had been hesitant at first, fearing the punishment she would receive her for her part in the game, but after having been punished, she found herself begging for more.

Reya was used to complimenting males for their stamina and skill, but that was all part of the services that she offered. Aside from stroking c***s, she also stroked egos and most males could barely satisfy a woman if given more than one attempt. Arathar however, was as powerful in bed as he was in the political game. She vividly remembered both the first and second punishment he gave her. When he first had taken her to his bedchamber, he had pressed her down on the bed and bound her arms tightly to the bedpost. At first, she thought that he would be like other man and simply take her there and then, but as he pried her legs open, she felt something different from him. He held her against the bedpost in such a way to be both imposing and tantalizing at the same time, as if he knew there was more to gain from her than simple pleasure. He had begun by asking some questions regarding the activities of the pack, to which she answered truthfully that she had only been hunted and how much she had been paid for it. After that, he had asked her some questions regarding her and what she was expecting him to do to her. She had quivered as she told him what she thought he would do, or rather what she expected him to do as most customers… but rather than just f**k her, he leaned in close and hissed into her ear that a woman like her was for far greater pleasures than just hunting and mindlessly f*****g. He had bit down softly on her neck moments later, his hands guiding her legs around his waist before his fingers began to explore her body. His claws didn’t puncture or cut as he explored, instead he let them tease her flesh with just enough pressure to cause a slight amount of pain, without leaving a single mark.

She had expected him to take her the moment they came into the bedchamber, but instead he softly interrogated her as he teased her with tooth and nail. After a while, the questions turned to her and her body, focusing on what felt good and what teased. When he finally entered her, she was more than ready, and his focus was seemingly on having her scream his name for real rather than as expected from a simple w***e. He kept teasing her with his claws and bit down softly on her neck, ears, and shoulders as he thrust into her. He had driven her to the brink of orgasm before he suddenly stopped, letting her wine and beg for more before letting her go over the edge and into the pleasure that only he could give her.

When morning came, she expected to be sent away and asked not to return, as was common with hired women, but he told her to stay and paid her for another day. She was still to stunned by the previous night to say no and she agreed before he had finished his sentence. Which led to the second night where he punished her, which by far had been the best s*x she had ever had. Again, he had bound her, this time to the edge of the bed and teased her with not just his hands but with his tongue as well. Before she knew it, she was quivering in anticipation and found herself relaxing in a way she had never had the opportunity to do before. He built her up and when he finally took her, she was nearly begging for it. He hit spots she had never experienced before and the great lion focused more on her than on himself, deriving pleasure from the way she squirmed and gasped as he thrust into her. When he finally relented and finished, she had been reduced to a state of quivering moans and she could no longer feel her legs. When she woke up the next day, she found food and drink nearby the bed and a note that simply told her to stay another day.

After that, the extra days soon stretched to a week and before she knew it, she had become a part of his household and she found herself enjoying both the luxury of the house and the attention she got from him. Arathar had a voracious appetite and she found herself in his bedchamber at least twice per day at the end of the week, paying her by the day. Most nobles who had hired her had ordered her to stay out of sight, but Arathar brought her with him during the day and had her serve him food and wine as he worked or met with his son or other nobles. She was sure he did it partially to scorn his son, but those thoughts vanished whenever he took her to his bedchamber or somewhere else in the palace. She understood she was a w***e and that he could discard her at any moment, but until he did discard her, she could enjoy herself fully.

Aroun however, did not approve of what he saw… She had tried to tell him that he was still her one desire and that she would decline to return to Arathar once the first month was up, but the coin he paid her and the fact that she enjoyed the work made that choice impossible. For the second time since she became a w***e, she found herself not dreading the next day. She tried to convince Aroun that he was still the best male she had ever been with, but she knew he did not believe that, and she could not muster more than hollow words of appreciation for his skill after having been with Arathar. Aroun had heard females comment on Arathar’s skill, especially in their youth, so he understood she did not speak the full truth when she told him she only wanted him.

To her own surprise, Reya had found herself fantasizing about Arathar rather than Aroun when she had time for herself. To her shock, he had even been receptive to one such fantasy of hers when she told him about it after a particularly long session in the bedchamber. The discussion had come up when they discussed what they would try next and when she told him she had fantasized about being a high shamaness who’s bodyguard decided she needed to release some steam, he had grinned and given her just what she asked for, leaving her stunned and yearning for more. He had even let her wear jewelry and dress up like a shamaness, after having been treated with a luxurious bath by some of his other servants. That night alone made it all worth it…

Reya roused herself from her thoughts when Arathar stood up from his seat. The speech was over, and the banquet was now turning into a more relaxed event where people would mingle and discuss. Rooms had been prepared where the guests could have seats or rest on great couches which allowed for a relaxed and enjoyable evening. There were also rooms for trysts with lovers of some of the servants that clearly had been paid to accept advances from whoever gave them attention, as well as musicians and performers who did all manner of tricks for their audience. Reya noticed that Karaz was keeping his attention to the conversation that his father had with the imperial and for a moment she wondered if the young boy could ever prove himself to his father. It was true that the boy was a runt and much smaller than his father had ever hoped for, but it was also true that you could not say who a person was before they grew up.

As Arathar moved with the Imperial and the governor to one of the more lavish rooms, Reya followed just a step behind Karaz, who had made sure to place himself just after his father. She was not sure if it was due to him wanting to be near and hear the conversation or because he did not approve of her being closer to his father than she was. Either way, she did not challenge him on his attempt at being closer to his father than her. Instead, she slipped slightly to the right, so she ended up just behind the imperial. She did admit that he made for a cutting figure among the crowd. He was younger than Arathar, yet clearly of age and he was built like a long-distance runner. Anubians, less commonly called black jackals, were slender compared to lions and taller than most other kin. Lions were seldom as tall as anubians were, but they were usually much more muscled. Arathar, with his Sphinx blood, were both taller and wider than Arathar, which was a rarity among lions. The only kin that were widespread and numerous enough to form a major group, were the wolves of the north. The largest wolves could appear much like mountains to the smaller kin, and few could match them in size and weight. Of course, there were rumors of some savage or lost kin in the mountains, or in the ancient forests that were still uncivilized, but there were always tales about something fiercer or more dangerous than what the people knew about. Reya had at least seen a wolf or two and had even been bedded by one once… it had made for rather strange experience for her as the wolf had been intent on pinning her and then letting her go before pinning her again.  He had been better than most anubians, but fell awfully short of Arathar…

Reya gasped as she realized she had been thinking of Arathar instead of Aroun when her thoughts had wandered back to the wolf. As luck would have it, the imperial had just sat down beside her as Arathar, and the governor were deep in discussion regarding some trade deal that had fallen through a month or so earlier. The imperial had obviously interpreted her gasp as surprise that he paid her such attention. He grinned and his eyes flared for a moment. Playing the part of the stunned prey, Reya quivered softly and gave him a shy smile. She knew men like him enjoyed being seen as superior and dangerous… They knew they were the star children’s gifts to women all over the world and enjoyed hearing women confirm it. He leaned in closer and said “So, I take it you are a local girl?” She nodded and moved back a little, but not enough to offend him. Rather it was just enough to make him come even closer.

She had been playing this game with men for so long that she had become a bit of a master at it. Each movement a feint or an attack, each word an arrow that could pierce even the toughest skin. She drew in a soft breath and spoke “Y…es… master Arathar is my host and… friend”. She made sure to sound a bit uncertain, as if she was at Arathar’s mercy and a part of his household. The imperial growled softly and chuckled “I can see why he keeps you around… you are…” he reached out and touched her hair “…a rare beauty in a world full of savage creatures like me and Arathar”. He let her hair go and his fingers trailed down her arm as he finished speaking. She followed his hand with her gaze and her response made his ears perk and eyes flare. His lips drew back, revealing the hunter within his heart. Reya went on with a soft “T…h..ank you… He keeps me safe and… treats me well. I only hope to serve him back for his kindness one day, perhaps… for several days”. She knew he would hear that as she had not yet been bedded with Arathar. The thrill of getting to bed her first made her irresistible. She flicked her hair back from her face and looked at him “…I hope I’m not… making a fuss” she looked around the room, pretending to be unused to the amount of people and finery. The imperial was almost salivating over her now. He did have the decency to look at Arathar and see if the lion displayed any dislike over him being so near the woman he had brought to the festivities. Arathar was still locked deep in conversation with the governor and did not look at either Reya or the imperial, making Reya wonder if it was feigned or real.

Once the imperial was certain that Arathar was busy, he leaned in closer and gave soft growl “I could show you around the palace if you want to. Leave the stuffy politics to men better suited for it, while we explore the hidden nooks of this place…” he let it hang in the air just what he meant with that and waited for Reya’s response. She had managed a soft shiver when he growled, showing some fear yet excitement towards his presence and she nodded “y…es… please”. He stood and offered his hand to her, which she gladly took.

It did not take long for them to leave the hall and explore one of the many empty areas that surrounded the festivities. Not long after they had become alone, he moved closer to her and after showing her a statue of one of the ancient emperors, he pressed her against the wall and licked along her neck. She had given out a soft yelp as he did so, masterfully playing the part of the caught prey and she feigned a soft struggle until he bit down on her neck just hard enough to silence her and keep her in place. Despite knowing he would do so, she moaned softly and let her hands begin exploring his chiseled chest. His was muscled despite his lavish style and he his body was firm and fit. being used to a lavish lifestyle he had kept his body firm and fit, which she found to her liking. His hands found its way over her and squeezed and teased as they ventured over her to undo her dress with skilled hands. She gasped softly as he managed to remove her top, exposing her breasts. He stopped for a moment as he admired her luscious form before continuing to remove her clothing.

She held her hands tightly against his back and gasped as she could barely hold on to him as he kept up his high pace. She was fairly impressed with his stamina and control, but like most men he found little use for foreplay. He growled softly from time to time, biting down on her neck whenever he excited himself a bit too much and he hissed hot dirty words into her ears, some of which she had never been called before. She on the other hand gave out small sounds of approval and pleasure, as she kept up the façade of being inexperienced and helpless in his arms. He lifted her closer with his hands on her rump, pressing it against the stone wall to give her additional support so she could widen her legs slightly. She could hear the sounds of the party in the distance, and he began to match the heavy rhythm of some performance on the floor above. The heavy drums vibrated the walls of the building, much as he made her shake with each thrust. She bit her lip and threw her head backwards, just before she pressed her head into his chest, gently biting down on him as she dug her soft nails into his back and gave out a muffled yelp as a soft orgasm rolled through her. She had been expecting to fake it, but the imperial was clearly good enough to make her enjoy the tryst. She heard him moan and saw his tongue loll out of his mouth as she squeezed her legs against his hips and he increased his pace, clearly loosing whatever self-control he still had. He was looking at her with an expression that she had seen several dozen times, physical pleasure mixed with mental pleasure. It was obvious that he struggled with either to let go and finish, or to hold it in and keep going. He obvious wanted to keep going, but as she squeezed her legs around him it got harder and harder for him to not finish. He drew his claws along the wall and snarled, is body flexing as he was just at the edge of what his stamina could take. A sudden howl escaped his lips and his speed increased for a brief moment before it began to slow down. His dazed expression revealed that he was done and he drew closer to her, panting and grinning “you.. are a natural…” he said, supporting her as he backed away from the wall, slowly sitting down on a couch, where he held her tightly, basking in the aftermath of the act.

After some time, Reya stood up from the sofa and looked for her dress. She had no idea how much time had passed, but as the sound of laughter and music still filled the building, she knew that the festivities were still ongoing. The imperial seemed very pleased and followed her with his eyes as she gracefully bowed down and picked up her clothes. “I would love to show you more of this… palace…” he said, his voice clearly indicating that it would not be the statues that were hard as rock when he showed her around. He knew that she would have to return with Arathar, but she had at least partially convinced that she was his ward, which made her an intriguing dalliance. She smiled but managed to look slightly afraid at the same time “I… would… like that very much” she said and let her ears fall back softly, to give the illusion that she was a bit ashamed of having given away something precious. It served to entice the anubian even more and he stood. “Good, I will make sure you are invited back here… Arathar too of course” he grinned as he spoke the lion’s name and for a brief moment Reya could see he was about to say something more, but he interrupted himself. “Perhaps we should get back” he said instead and stood, looking for his own clothing.

When Reya came back into the main room, she passed by a few of the guests who gave her appraising looks as she passed. She could tell that at least two of them fancied her, but the female in their midst prevented them from going after her. She saw the imperial head another way as he too entered into the main room, as if he wanted to appear to have been somewhere else for the last half hour or so. She shook her head softly and came into the chamber were Arathar was speaking with the governor. She heard something about the current food supply of the city, and she noticed that Karaz was sitting nearby, so focused on his father than he was startled when she sat down beside him. He looked around to see if anyone had seen him, but when he concluded that no one had, he turned his attention back to his father.

Aroun had just entered the room when he saw Reya sit down besides Karaz. He growled softly and cursed his own emotions. Of course she would be tasked with f*****g someone here… had it been the imperial? He had not seen her disappear as he had been out and checking the troops, but both she and the imperial had been gone when he came back, but so where other important figures. He bit his tongue and focused. He would purchase her soon and then he would never have to see her be with another male again…