A night with the princess

[Author's Note: Sorry, this chapter went on for a bit longer than I planned. But there's sex finally, honest. Or at least, titillation. Hope you enjoy it.]

You and Princess Aurora continue westwards to the capitol, occasionally meeting other refugees and bartering with them for food and supplies. Most of the time though, you two are alone. At Aurora's insistence, her identity is kept a secret from everyone you meet and so you find yourself chatting with the Princess almost constantly during the day. You find your traveling partner to be witty and knowledgeable in a broad number of topics. The conversation is light at first, but with gentle prodding she begins to explain her mission and why she was so far away from human civilization to begin with.

Her father had given her the mission to act as ambassador and herald, rallying as many nations and groups as she could so that they could unite in the struggle against the Pretender, Vanarim. But her quest was plagued with troubles from the start, with almost daily raids on her and her escort, and only reaching failure at every step.

"I traveled to Elohin, but from I distance I could see the city was in the middle of some severe civil uprising, and my men wouldn't permit me to get any closer." You keep quiet as she mentions Elohin, ignoring the pang of guilt in your heart, and continue listening. "So we continued onwards, speaking and pleading with various groups for their aid. The Order of Sanguinarius, Sofia's Children, the Dragonlord Yuurgas, the Druids of the Dragon's Spine, and others. We found that many of these groups were destroyed by the Pretender's forces and all the others refused to commit, as if consumed by their own internal conflicts."

"We stand alone, as Donatas said, and now I must let my father know." She says solemnly. She looks upwards and when your eyes follow hers, you see that the sky bleeds orange and red. Aurora turns to look at you and says, "Shall we make camp?"

You silently nod and spy a copse of birch trees off roughly half a mile away from the road. The wood is thick and appears like it would give plenty of concealment from observers, so you direct her to the site, leading the horses off the path.

The night air grows chill as the moon reaches its apex, its soft glow blanketing the trees and foliage around you, and you reach down to stoke your campfire higher. The crackle of the flames and the soft ember glow it gives off comforts you, somewhat, contrasting the stark blackness that surrounds you and Aurora.

We stand alone. Those three words that Aurora spoke strike hard at your heart, and you can feel a gnawing sensation growing in your chest again. Although you swore to keep fighting, you can't help but feel a little hopeless. It seems like we are always standing alone. It wouldn't matter how many battles we've fought or how many wars we've survived, we're always on the cusp of defeat, never being able to truly win. Always alone. Then you look down at the fire again and the night sky all around. You almost want to laugh at the symbolism. You and everything else in this world are the burning logs, trying to chase away the night. Just for one more day, just for one more hour. Just one little flame in a neverending darkness that is always hungry.

"Feeling pensive?" You hear Aurora ask from behind you.

Shifting your position so that you're resting on your haunches, you turn around to look at Princess Aurora. You inhale sharply and almost **** from the sight before you, unable to turn away.

The Princess kneels only a few feet from you, peeling off the individual pieces of her scaled armor. As each piece of layered metal tumbles to the ground, more of her smooth skin is revealed. There is a shine from the sweat that beads off her skin and begins to burn your blood. With more armor being removed, you realize shockingly that Aurora is wearing practically nothing underneath. Her only undergarment is a silvery silk shirt with thread-thin shoulder straps, exposing everything from above her breasts and below her thighs. When the last piece falls to the ground, she runs her hands through the blond tresses of her hair, causing her breasts to rise and giving you a good look at her bountiful mounds.

"Ahh, much better now." She says, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Protectives are wonderful things, of course, but perspiration is always a constant annoyance, no?"

"W-well yes, I agree. I prefer to be nakedWAIT I MEAN, uh, I mean....um, I prefer not to wear armor." You stammer, trying to keep your eyes on her face and not on her curvaceous form, "Too heavy and, uh, too expensive."

Princess Aurora gives you a quizzical look and giggles, "So I can see." She watches you now with greater interest and curiosity, "But you were surprisingly skilled back then, when we were fighting the Pretender's riders. Your style was so aggressive, but yet you had a solid grasp of their movements. None of them even wounded you! Where in the world did you learn to fight like that?"

"Well...I've had a lot of experience." You say. The memories of the past come rushing in like a cold splash, sobering and sad. "I've seen a lot of **** and a lot of fighting. I know what Vanarim can do."

Her eyebrow raises and she turns to you in concern, "What do you mean, Hans?"

Maybe it's because Princess Aurora looks so much like Melena that your guard is down, maybe it was the loneliness of not meeting anyone else normal to speak to, or maybe it's just exhaustion - but before you know it, you're telling her your story - And you start saying much more than you expected. The words spill out of your mouth like they were waiting for the first sign to open the gates, and soon you're telling her about your entire journey. You tell her about the Shining Stone and your quest. You tell her about Gutandor, how it was burned to the ground, you tell her about Nautilex, about how the Druids were slaughtered mercilessly, about Tri'lanna and Ceinwyn, and then you tell her about your time at Elohin.

That part, the loss and the defeat, you find yourself dwelling upon for much longer. It wasn't specifically that Nautilex defeated you, but rather you allowed yourself to be defeated. After being pulled from the river, you tell her that you had given up. You surrendered your responsibilities to the Stone and cast off your chains, feeling only hopelessness. You hadn't realized until now just how poignantly that event affected you.

Aurora, for her part, listens quietly. She sometimes gently interrupts you, but only to ask a question or to clarify something. Her face remains somber the whole time, and treats your story with utmost respect. As you reach the end of your story, she says, "You've been through quite a lot, Hans. I wish I could help and take some of that weight off your shoulders."

"To be honest, I'm surprised you believe me."

"Your strength is testament to your journey and your actions back in the village give evidence to that. Many lesser men would not put themselves at such risk and at such odds for people they do not even know." The princess explains to you. She looks at you now and taps a slim finger on her chin, saying, "There is one thing though, that I don't quite understand, Hans. From what you've told me your 'chains', as you described them, only weighed you down and hindered you, why then, would you lament the loss of those bindings?"

You shake your head, grasping for the words to describe your feelings, "Having those burdens slowed me down and made life more difficult....but they also protected me and gave me strength. When I wore those chains, I felt confident, I knew that my actions were right. Without them, I was just like every other man. I was nothing."

The campfire crackles in the midst of the lull that followed your conversation. Telling your story has made you feel embarrassed and a little ashamed, showing someone else your insecurities. When you look up though, Aurora's eyes are still on you, with a mixture of sympathy and regard.

"You are a very courageous man, Hans, despite what you may think. I can plainly see that you have suffered terrible ills for your fellow Men and for all free-thinking creatures in this land. I admire you greatly for your sacrifice." She says, slowly making a lopsided smile. "It may be a small comfort, but I would like to share my company with you, if only to alleviate your burdens for one night."

"Company?" You echo. You look at the woman in front of you, dressed in little more than a silk shift. The smooth fabric clings tightly to her sultry form and reflects the flames of the campfire, giving off a soft orange glow. The sheer material accentuates the curves of her breasts and ass, and your body begins to react immediately. Trying to ignore to stiffening in your trousers, you say, "But...you're the Princess of Morgent."

"Yes? And?" Aurora replied, "I am a woman, first and foremost, and if it would make it more palatable, you would not be my first."

"S-So it's true then?" You ask.

"What is true?"

"The, t-the rumors! The stories of you having orgies in your chambers in the castle and spontaneous sex with whoever would pass your fancy!"

"Oh God, not this again." Aurora said, pressing her forehead into her palm. "Listen to me very carefully, for I will only say this once, Hans." Leaning in closer, until her nose is practically touching yours, she speaks very slowly and concisely, "There were no wild orgies, no lovemaking with random passerby. I have slept with my share of men, but the one and only time I had sex with more than one other person is a story blown widely out of proportion."

"Then what's the truth? You accidentally walked into a person's bedchamber, somehow tripped out of your clothes, and then mistakenly fell into bed with two other also-naked people?" You ask incredulously.

"It was for a friend." She said defensively, "Let us just say that a woman of a certain peerage wanted to surprise her husband for his fortieth birthday and called on an old favor I owed her."

"...Oh."

"Honestly," Aurora continues in a huff, "You have one threesome and the whole kingdom thinks you're a slut."

You clear your throat in the prolonged silence that followed, embarrassed to have made such a scene. "Well, I, uh, appreciate the gesture, Princess, and I think you are just...beautiful. But this all seems so confusing. Are you sure you want to do this? We just met and you barely know me."

"There's nothing difficult or complicated about it." Aurora said sympathetically, "We are just a man and a woman, looking for companionship for one night. That's it."

Staring at Aurora, you can feel the lump growing in your throat. And in your pants. Her breasts are immense and you doubt you would even be able to cup them completely in your hands. You wonder how she even managed to squeeze that bosom inside her modest armor. Her nipples are clearly poking through the silk, whether hardened from either the cold or arousal, you can't tell. The shift drops only as far down as her thighs and when Aurora subtly moves her legs, you get a clear view of the full length of her legs, almost up to her ass. The sweat makes her skin glisten and emphasizes the lines on her body and how well-toned her legs are; firm with muscle, but with a thin layer of fat to maintain femininity. And you can smell her. Gods, you never thought a woman could smell so sweet, like rosemary or honey, and her sweat only seemed to heighten her scent.

In truth, you never thought that you would make love to another beautiful woman, and with a princess, unbelievably enough. But you hesitate when you think about Tri'lanna and Ceinwyn. The last time you had sex, it was with Kiraea, the gorgeous yet haughty sister of Tri'lanna, but you were heartbroken and confused and she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, so it could possibly be justified. But not now, not when you are in full control.

Aurora notices your doubt and distress, saying, "The choice is ultimately yours. I don't think your friends would blame you for seeking pleasure in such a terrible, war-torn country after all the suffering you've been through, but I would hardly be offended if you declined my offer." Kneeling close to you, she holds your hands in hers. "I only seek to give you comfort, Hans."