The Two Queens- By: Lilly Taylor

Chapter Seven: Hard Times

(Authors Note: I keep hitting or going over the word limit. While this means juicy story chapters for you to read, it means editing and publishing became a bit harder. Please be patient while waiting for more chapters!)

Without a word between us, Lyrica grabs my hand and leads me inside to the baths, where her kindness and patience is highlighted to me. I feel weary, worn out, the emotional turmoil and physical encounters with near death taking a toll on my body. She remains silent as she takes my blade from my hand, gently cleaning it before sheathing it. She turns her attentions to me, my mind feeling numb and cold now that the adrenaline has left my body. She begins by wetting a cloth, ringing it out, and gently wiping down anywhere the foul black blood has gotten. Everywhere she touches me directly is burning in a pleasurable way.

Lyrica is blushing a little as she continues, placing the dirtied cloth down and focusing on undoing my buttoned shirt, careful to avoid spreading any of the black blood any further. Her fingers are nimble and quick, and soon she is blushing furiously while removing my shirt. She averts her gaze, not wanting to stare at my chest openly. With how weary my mind is, it makes little difference to me. My body is tingling as her fingers gently trail down my chest and stomach to my pants- where she slowly begins to unbutton them, before removing them with shaking hands as I shift so she can pull them off of me. She lets out a small sigh of want as she stands once more, delicately taking my hand and leading me into the baths as she walks around the edge outside.

Lyrica starts off outside the bath, delicately taking a warm cloth and mixing soap into the water to clean off the sweat and grime. She still has not spoken, and at the moment I’m content to stay in the hot bath forever. With a deep sigh, I lean into her touch and allow the stress to dissolve into the water around me, closing my eyes.

Lyrica must have undressed, because she slides into the water next to me and settles herself close to my side. I crack one eye open to see her staring at me, her eyes full of trust and concern. “Princess,” she starts.

“Lily, or Lilypad, please. My mate should not be calling me ‘princess’” I say softly, my voice still raw after screaming loud enough to summon my Goddess.

Lyrica smiles and gives a short laugh, a blush spreading across her high cheeks. “Lily- I just wanted to say… Thank you. For saving me, I mean. I knew I was on death’s door when everything went silent and still- what exactly did you do?” her eyes are glittering as she gazes at me, her long hair flowing in the water around her, like flames surrounding us.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly me,” I begin. Her face lights up and she scoots closer, skin against mine as she waits for me to tell her what happened.

“Well, you probably won’t believe it- but Nyx isn’t just real. She saved you. And me. She saved us both- in the most spectacular fashion, might I add,” I start, my body filling with excitement at remembering the Goddess.

Lyrica is staring at me, her mouth slightly agape at my revelation.

“You can’t just start a story like that and NOT continue. Now I HAVE to know! Our lady came here? To Wolfbane? You can’t be serious!” Her eyes are sparkling, cheeks displaying disbelief and childlike wonder.

“Oh, but I can, silly.” I boop her on her nose gently, pulling back a bit with a chuckle. Lyrica’s eyebrows knit together in mock anger; but before she can truly get mad, I silence her with a soft finger on her lips.

“Nyx came down to us much like she did to stop wolves and man from fighting to begin with, when she first made werewolves. She looks… exactly how a Goddess of the moon should. Strong, proud, fierce- but earth-shatteringly beautiful. Like wars have been fought over her beauty. She’s kind, and patient. She told me how werewolves came to be. The full truth. How my ancestor had a hand in the curse that is spreading, affecting werewolves and, I’m hazarding this guess- other magical creatures as well. She is… a Goddess with too much love to give to this world, I think. From what I was told, everything she does-she does out of love for the people here- and nature.” My eyes are starting to water when I think of how she nearly burst into tears when I doubted myself, questioning my worth. Lyrica can see the unshed tears in my eyes and silently stands on her toes to gently kiss my forehead, wanting to comfort me.

I can see the question burning behind her eyes before I continue softly, “She looked at me and just knew I was doubting myself. Doubting my worth. Doubting I could ever be worthy of her love in literally any capacity- but especially doubting… If I deserved a second-chance mate- let alone two.”

I have to look away from Lyrica, my eyes burning as the tears begin to fall down, meeting the calm surface of the bath waters with a soft ripple. The familiar feelings of self-doubt and lack of trust in myself spring forth, and try as I might to push them down, underneath Lyrica’s gaze, nothing is hidden. Her eyes soften as she looks at me, as if seeing me clearly for the first time. Her eyes narrow for just a second before she throws her arms around me, pulling me in close to her as she guides my head to her shoulder, whispering, “You could never be unworthy of my love. Ever. Whoever made you doubt your worth- made you doubt even being worthy of love- they will rue the day they were born, I assure you. In all my life I have never met someone MORE deserving of love, of happiness. You risked yourself for me before ever knowing me- ever seeing my face. You took me hiding my identity with no questions- you accepted me, as I am- right off the bat. How could someone so full of love to give ever be unworthy of receiving love in kind?”

She gives me a tight squeeze- and surprisingly, I do feel some of my disarrayed pieces slowly sliding back into place. I’m starting to feel whole once more, a feeling I am not used to. She pulls back just enough to stare into my eyes, her own filling with tears as she feels the depths of my despair I have kept under wraps for so long. She moves one hand from my back and brings it to my face, gently wiping the tears I did not know I was shedding away. With a soft smile, she kisses each of my eyelids and whispers, “Mine.” Before moving down, her lips sculpting perfectly to fit my own. Her kiss is delicate, tender as if I am fragile and may break apart in her hands.

I’m grateful she is delicate with me, as I feel fragile, physically and emotionally at the moment. I have never had anyone console me the way she just has- so full of concern and care, her eyes filled with love instead of irritation. I may be a burden to the maids- but to my mate- it seems loving me, even with as broken as I feel, comes as easily to her as breathing. I can feel the walls I have built over the years tumbling away, the emotions I have had stashed away finding their way to the surface, drowning out the calm Lyrica exudes as her arms hold me tight. Here, in her arms, I feel safe. I feel accepted. I feel… at home. Being with Lyrica is like being home.

I can feel myself crumble into Lyrica as the realization of lacking that sense of safety, that sense of being home is something that has been regrettably missing from my life thus far. As safe as the castle walls are, they didn’t feel like home to me so long as my own father wanted nothing to do with me. I finally feel at home.

Lyrica continues holding me, whispering comforting words into my hair as she rubs my back in small circles. “These feelings of inadequacy and not being good enough- they end with me. They end today. Every time you start thinking you’re undeserving, I need you to say something so I can do my best to reassure you. There won’t be any more suffering in silence because you’re afraid of being a burden to me. You aren’t a burden to anyone, Lily. Please believe me when I say this.” It is all I can do to stop myself from completely shattering in her embrace, her words hitting unknown festering wounds I was blissfully unaware of. All I can do is nod feebly and cling to her, her body bringing me comforting warmth as the waters around us begin to chill.

We stay like this for a while, me clinging to Lyrica as if she is a life raft in a vast ocean and I am lost to its waves. The water is losing its heat, the surface that was sending off spirals of steam now tiny tendrils reaching for the sun as it rises to its place high in the skies above. I sigh, not wanting to leave the baths. Lyrica has been nothing but kind to me, taking the time to gently undress me and cleanse the filth and gore off of me, not showing any concern for her own well-being when she was inches from death before Nyx’s intervention.

I pull back, and find myself staring at Lyrica’s chest, searching for any signs of the blade that had torn through her chest. Much to my surprise, her skin is without any remnant of the injuries she sustained. I breathe out a long puff of air in relief. This seems to break the small spell holding us together, Lyrica shifts and catches where my gaze is and her face flushes deeply enough to match her hair. I’m about to apologize for staring so rudely when she surprises me by taking my right hand and placing it over her chest where I can feel her heart racing under the surface.

She looks vulnerable- her eyes tender as her face continues to deepen its shade of red, her heart picking up the pace more when I reach just behind her and grab the rag she had used to cleanse me. I hold my breath, nervous to be so close to someone I find myself incredibly attracted to, and lather the rag with more soap before gently placing her hand on my shoulder so I can slowly clean her. I start with her arms, occasionally taking fresh water to create more suds to clean her with. She lets out a long sigh, her body sinking deeper into the waters, face just above the surface. Her hair swirls around her as she continues sinking into the water. She disappears for a moment and comes up behind me, her warm breath tickling my neck as she wraps her arms around me. A smirk is playing on my lips at how shy she is- she can scrub me clean after undressing me and gets gun-shy when it’s her turn to be cleaned? I whirl around, the water splashing around me as she tries- and fails- to stay behind me.

“Stay still, Lyrica. I promise I won’t do anything you truly don’t want. But you did just undress me and clean me- then you jumped in. I can only take this as you need a bath as well, and since I’m clean,” I emphasize my cleanliness by sticking my toes out of the water on one foot, “I thought I would return the favor and clean you…” I trap her in my embrace, her squirming her only protest for a brief moment before she realizes the sincerity in my words. Her weak protests are silenced as soon as my lips touch her neck, turning into groans of contentment and pleasure.

“Just- be quick.” Her eyes give a playful hint as the words leave her mouth, twisted partially into a conspiratorial smile. Some small part of my mind knows what she wants- and while I am determined to give it to her- I intend to do it in my own time, nobody else’s. As she wiggles out of my grip, she perches herself at one of the in-tub side seats, preparing herself for a scrub-down. I approach her slowly, watching her eyes take in every bit of my exposed flesh before her.

They flash with desire and the way she is looking at me makes me hope I am the only woman she has ever looked at like this- she is devouring me with her gaze and instead of finding it embarrassing and wanting to cover up, I feel emboldened. I suppress the smile fighting to reveal itself, and refocus my efforts on drawing this out. I slowly circle to where Lyrica rests, getting closer to her until only water is separating us. She is starting to look hungrily at me, biting her bottom lip while fidgeting, her hands traveling to cover herself up. I gently stop her, shaking my head firmly when she meets my eyes. If I am not allowed to hide myself, physically or emotionally, I expect the same from her. Her hands fall to her sides as she guiltily stares at her own reflection in the water’s surface. I gently take one of her hands and place it on my waist, giving me more clearance to begin washing her. I start with her face, gently wiping away the streaks of dirt from when she was crying in pain, the barracks feeling so far away in this oasis where we are hidden. I work slowly, carefully removing all the dirt and leaving her cheeks clean and rosy pink. I set the cloth down to the side and reach for the herbal mixture I use to clean my hair, my lips centimeters from hers as my hands wrap around the glass vial.

Lyrica looks a little disappointed, but her expression changes to one of pure bliss as I press myself against her fully, lifting her off the side seat as she hooks her legs around my waist. I slowly dip her head into the water before pulling her back up, opening the vial and pouring a generous amount into my hands. I work the oils and soap into a lather before washing her hair for her. I start at the top of her head, her leaning back a bit so I don’t get any suds in her eyes. She lets out a soft moan as I massage her scalp, working the soap and oils through her hair until all of it has been scrubbed clean and is covered in fragrant suds. Notes of lavender and oranges surround us, I slide my hands to her lower back and lower her head back into the water. I sit there for a moment, allowing Lyrica to swish her head back and forth in the water, finally relying on her hands to remove the rest of the soap. I pull her back up when she wiggles her hips slightly, indicating she wants back up.

Her hair is brighter now that it has been scrubbed clean, the deep wine red now a few shades lighter resembling a deep burning flame. I give a satisfied grin and reach for the other vial I use to keep my hair soft- and repeat the process with the conditioner until her hair is soft and clean and smelling of lavender and oranges. She keeps her legs wrapped around me the entire time. When I raise her from the water after rinsing the conditioner, she entraps me in her arms, her lips eager and hungry as she kisses me deeply. My head is swimming, her natural scent combined with the lavender and oranges mixing with my own scent. There is a soft growl as she unlatches from my lips and finds purchase on my neck, her tongue dancing across my skin before she bites down.

My body explodes in pleasure- every cell feels like it is on overload as she continues her ruthless assault, trailing kisses to the other side of my neck before finding the perfect spot for her to sink her teeth into. I can vaguely feel my skin breaking beneath her teeth- the waves of pleasure overtaking everything else. My own breath feels like an out of body experience, my hands coming to life on their own and exploring her body like eager explorers tasked with learning everything about a new land. Our breaths are coming in ragged, short gasps, her hands moving from ‘safe spaces’ to venturing out on their own into unknown lands. She is still latched onto my neck, her tongue swirling around my neck before she releases, a satisfied sigh coming from her before she wraps one hand around my neck, gently squeezing. My mind is already in overdrive, but her wrapping her hand around my neck unleashes something primal within me. Rain is begging to come out, desperate to meet one of our mates. I push her down silently, knowing this isn’t the time or the place. We will go for a run later with her, Rain. I tell her as I close the mental door to the link we share.

Lyrica tightens her grip on my neck a little, her face full of lust as she gently pulls my hair by the base of my head, tilting it back so she can do as she pleases. I am entirely at her mercy- a thought both thrilling and alluring to me. Her smile is wicked as she licks the length of my neck, nibbling my ear as she reaches it. I am melting beneath her touch, her kisses and bits of pleasure mixed with pain causing a pressure within me to build at an increasing rate. The only sounds in the bath house are of our panting and sucking as we take turns bringing each other to the edge of bliss before a slap slices through the air- my bottom searing with pain as she finds my core at last, rubbing my sensitive nub before inserting a finger. My body shudders as wave after wave of intense pleasure overtake me, the pain combining with the pleasure to form a delicious cocktail. I am moaning lewdly, Lyrica looking intense as she doubles her efforts, bringing a hand back to my throat to squeeze it as the waves of pleasure keep claiming me as their own. If there were doors that could be broken from pleasure alone- all of mine would be torn from their hinges.

“Yes, Lily- feel this and remember that you are mine. Always mine. Every bit of pleasure- every bit of pain- every single eye rolling, all-consuming pleasure you experience- I want all of it. I want to be the one giving you this pleasure mixed with pain- to see you shudder at my touch as you remember what these hands,” She removes them from my body, slipping a thumb into my partially open mouth,” are capable of.” I suck on her thumb mindlessly, her words enchanting while I am still floating from the pleasure. She looks satisfied, even though I had not touched her anywhere near the ways she touched me. Before I can ask, she is lifting me from the water bridal style, carrying us to the steps that lead out of the massive bath. “Don’t worry, I have far more in store for you…. In our bed.” She says with a smirk.

“But before that,” She sets me down gently, taking a few steps away from me as I shiver from the cool air nipping at my skin. She returns with a large fluffy towel for each of us, and takes the care to wrap me in mine before lifting me once more. “We gotta make sure you’re all nice and dry. Can’t have you catching a cold!” Her voice is like music to me, her short laugh after her joke making my heart beat quicken. Everything she does is magical to me, her simply existing reason enough for me to beam and brag to anyone who might listen. In my whole life, I never imagined love being like this.

Love so tangible, so fierce, it defies death itself and powerful enough to summon a Goddess. Love being a safe haven, a place to heal. Loving Lyrica has given me more reasons than I can count to change the laws of Wolfbane- how can loving someone be wrong when it feels so right? When the Goddess herself chose this union? How could it be unholy, like the local church preaches? How can the Church of Light turn its back on its constituents because of who they happen to love? Is this really the kind of Kingdom I wish to be in charge of?

My head is spinning with questions I do not have answers to. All I know is that love- love is not limited to gender. Love is not bound by things like class systems and the roles forced upon us at birth. Love is wild and free- and Lyrica coming into my life like a blazing inferno of acceptance and tolerance has shown me love is so much more than duty.

Lyrica squeezes me closer to her chest, and without looking at me, “Love is indeed more than duty. It is so much more than duty and necessity. The church here is corrupt- robbing the people of their hard earned gold and preaching hate and intolerance. In other kingdoms, our love is nothing unusual.” Her tone is casual- but the look on my face is anything but. I am bewildered- I do not think for one second that I was thinking aloud.

“You weren’t. Our bond was strengthened when we were bathing… In all honesty, I marked you.” She blushes furiously, her expression hardened and unreadable. The gears in my head are turning, clicking together- “When you bit me, you mean?” I question, my curiosity getting the better of me. “Yes,” was all she said, her face turning several shades darker.

· Author’s note: ALL TRULY NSFW CONTENT WILL BE WRITTEN AND RELEASED TO p*****n. LINK WILL BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS. THANKS FOR READING!***

At long last, we have arrived to my private chambers. She fiddles with the door for a moment before the click of the latch is heard, the door swinging open widely. Lyrica steps deftly into the room, already familiar with the placement of everything. She sets me down on the bed, takes a few steps backwards, her eyes never leaving mine. As she drops the towel, I can tell our explorations we began earlier are going to resume. As the sun rises high in the sky, we explore each other’s bodies, giving each other wave after wave of pleasure before she pulls my mouth to her neck, demanding I mark her as mine. I happily oblige, my canines growing as Rain howls happily in my head, and sink my teeth deep into her neck. The tang of copper overwhelms my senses, and I can physically feel the connection we have growing deeper, my mind now able to link with hers fully. I can feel what she desires, and spend the next several hours obeying her every whim, lavishing her with my love and lust combined.

We lay in bed, tangled in each other as the sheets barely cover us. We are both panting and out of breath, feeling spent from our combined efforts. I feel a sense of unrivaled calm wash over me, sleep following soon after.

I am disturbed from my slumber a few hours later, by a strange niggling feeling in the back of my headspace. Rain is still sleeping, and in my half-awake state, I am unable to place where it is coming from. I groan as I stretch, Lyrica shifting beside me as I jostle the bed a bit with my movements. She is sound asleep, her mouth slightly parted as she snores peacefully. I can’t help but stare at her, wishing to remember this moment as it is- perfect. Even with her hair disheveled and sprawled out around her, she is a masterpiece of art to me. Every curve, every inch of skin flawless and giving off a faint glow in the afternoon’s dying rays of light. I smile and place a soft kiss on her forehead, peeling myself out of our entanglement and sliding to the open wardrobe to find clothes. As I get dressed, I think back on the day so far.

Waking up alone, feeling drawn towards the throne room, finding it empty. Searching for my father, his chambers also being barren aside from the one letter he left for me. Wait a minute…. His letter! I only read the first few words- he told me to run. I did. Without thought. I start looking around my room for the letter from my father, knowing there is more on it I hadn’t yet read. My search takes me around my chambers, to the throne room, back to the king’s chambers, and finally outside to where I watched Lyrica nearly die. In my haste, I do not notice what- or rather- who- is missing from the barracks. Panic is beginning to set in again, and I race inside to the baths. I find what I seek after searching my discarded clothes pockets- the parchment is stained and crinkled. I sigh in relief and head back to my chambers, Lyrica getting dressed as I enter.

She beams at me as I enter, closing the gap between us and resting her forehead against my chin, snaking her arms around my waist as she hugs me tight. “I could feel your anxiety spiking- mind telling me what has you so troubled, dear one? I am your mate, after all. There should be no secrets between us.” She asks, gently prodding for information. I briefly explain my search- only to be stopped when I mention the barracks being barren. “You mean to tell me the creature you beheaded is just-gone? That doesn’t alarm you? At all?” My eyes go wide- as I was in panic’s icy grip, my brain didn’t process the vile creature being completely missing from what should have been a gruesome scene.

The creature is missing and I have no leads as to where it went or who could have moved it. Lyrica is still in danger. My father is missing. All I have to go off of is this stained letter in my hands I should have read sooner.