A Dinner Date at the Countess’ Estate

Amusement fills Rina’s eyes as she looks the two lovers up and down. “Yes, though we can save getting to know each other for when the food arrives.” A pair of white-gloved hands begin to lovingly massage her shoulders, easing the Countess into leaning back in her seat. “Which should not be much longer now. The kitchen staff started cooking before I had even set out to find you two.”

Krvavy frowns ever so slightly as she realizes that this intimate seating arrangement isn’t going to change any time soon. But she isn’t exactly unhappy about having her Elf so close like this, so that faint frown doesn’t last very long at all.

“Tha’ is good wit’ me.” Beryl agrees with a nod. Her smug smirk grows bigger as she lifts her head up and meets Vera’s scowling gaze. “Really’d make this feel like a proper date, wouldn’t it~?”

The Drakling’s fingers dig into her tanned tomboy’s toned thigh, wordlessly cautioning Beryl against needlessly antagonizing the aggressive albino looming behind Rina. Though that doesn’t seem to work very well, as her Elf just seems to enjoy the greater level of contact...

“So, that other maid, Lynda...” Krvavy idly speaks up, trying to move the conversation away from anything Beryl could be smug about. “She was kind and nice, but also a little... clumsy. She almost fell over a few times.”

“And you are curious, or perhaps concerned, about her legs?” The Countess asks with a smile. “Understandable. I did mention that she was still getting used to them while you two were present. That comment must have raised a few questions.”

“Aye, but not important ones. We wouldn’t want ta intrude on ‘er privacy.”

“She would not mind at least some level of explanation: the girl can be a bit self-conscious about her occasional lack of grace. Though it is not my place to talk of the details, so I will spare you those.” Rina leans back into her seat, and into the massage that her possessive maid is happy to lavish her shoulders with. “From what I understand, Lynda had been a sickly child. She frequently suffered illnesses and bouts of infirmity. And when she was nearing her teens she sustained an injury which, due to her poor health, resulted in both of her legs being amputated. One above the knee, the other below. Recently, she has gotten prosthetic replacements, though those still cannot compare to the original.”

“So she ‘as ‘ad ta relearn ‘ow ta walk?” Beryl questions, getting a graceful nod in response. “Strong o’ ‘er ta keep goin’ on despite all o’ tha’.”

“Absolutely. Lynda’s strength is also why she is here working as one of my maids. In her own words, she did not want to continue being a ‘burden’. Thus she wouldn’t accept the prosthetic legs as charity.”

“How long has she had them?” Krvavy curiously wonders, idly kneading her sweet berry’s thigh through the blue-green sundress’ soft fabric.

“Just over two years now.” Rina closes her eyes and relaxes into her seat, causing a tinge of arrogance to enter her massaging maid’s scowling expression. “Her continued clumsiness is, in part, due to her near complete lack of magical aptitude. Those prosthetics require a minuscule but constant amount of mana to function, to be controlled, and she cannot always maintain that connection. It requires conscious effort for her, you see. Add onto that the fact that her lack of aptitude results in a lack of haptic feedback... It is only natural that Lynda is a bit clumsy.”

“Huh. Interesting...” Krvavy gently nibbles on the inside of her cheek. “Just what sort of things can these prosthetics do? In general, I mean. Or at least the fancier ones. I assume that Lynda has a pretty basic pair...”

“Ach,” the Wood Elf gently whacks the barbarian’s tit, nearly causing the skimpy fabric covering it to slip aside. “Ya’d better not be thinkin’ o’ cutting off an arm, or anythin’ like tha’!”

“Of course not.” The Drakling smiles and shakes her head. “I just figured that our Dwarf would be interested in all of this.”

“Aye, she probably would be.” Beryl calms down rather quickly, almost as if she wasn’t actually worried in the first place... “But she probably already knows ‘ow ta make the Dwarven equivalent.”

That exchange causes a warm smile to spread across Rina’s face. “You already know how even mere toys can transfer the sensation of touch, Krvavy.” A playful gleam fills the Countess’ amethyst eyes. “So I am sure that you could imagine what other features such prosthetics may be capable of. But, if you truly do want to know, then ask Vera.” That comment causes the albino maid to freeze, those pale pink eyes narrowing unhappily behind her glasses. “She helped Lynda acquire her prosthetics, and helped the girl get used to them in the early days.”

Vera’s lips press together into a thin line. Her expression remains firm and unfriendly, even as one of her hands is gently grabbed onto by the Countess. “They can be made as durable as armour,” she curtly states. “Within the false-flesh can be hidden compartments, ideal for vials of poison, or weapons primed to spring out for ready use.”

“You have focused on the grim aspects again, dear...” Rina slowly sighs out.

The albino maid rolls her pale pink eyes. “They are artificially made limbs.” Her icy tone drips with venom as her hardened glare locks onto the Drakling. “If something is possible within their size, then having that as a potential ‘feature’ should be expected. This should not need explanation.”

“Oh~?” The tanned tomboy’s teasingly smug smile returns with a vengeance. “You ‘ave a brat too~?” She asks, pointedly ignoring the ‘brat’ in question. “The sass can be quite adorable, aye~?”

“You dare –!”

“Vera,” the Countess calms her maid in an instant. Or she is at least able to restrain her maid’s anger in an instant. “Apologies, she is usually more civil.”

A faint twitching tremor passes through the hostile maid as she focuses her attention on Beryl.

“Tha’ is no problem.” The Wood Elf graciously replies, lifting her head up to bravely meet Vera’s increasingly murderous gaze. “A bit o’ feistiness can be quite fun~. Few things’re better than chippin’ away at tha’ kind o’ attitude, findin’ the sweet embarrassment buried beneath~.”

“Beryl, please...” Krvavy sighs, resisting the urge to bury her face in her hands. “Don’t antagonize her.”

“Ach, is tha’ wha’ ya think Ah’m doin’?” The caramel coloured Elf glances back at her Draconic lover. “Ah’m just gettin’ ‘er riled up. Challengin’ ‘er. Wouldn’t it be fun if she joined us in bed later, just ta try provin’ ‘ow much better she is than we are~?”

“Wh-what?!” Vera’s pale white cheeks flush a deep scarlet as she flinches back in horror, nearly stepping out of the shade and into direct sunlight. “Y-you...! How d-dare...!”

“As you can see, Vera is not open to that level of intimacy.” The Countess calmly speaks up, a smile playing at her lips. “Perhaps one day, but not any time soon.”

“Not goin’ ta give ‘er a little push inta openin’ up~?”

“No.” Rina flatly states, her tone devoid of positive emotion. “If she is not comfortable with it, then I will respect her wishes.”

“Fair enough.” Beryl nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders, leaning back into the barbarian’s body. “Still can’t ‘elp but feel a little disappointed though. She seems ta ‘ave quite a nice figure, from wha’ Ah can see~. Plus, Ah’ll freely admit ta bein’ attracted ta pale skin~.”

Vera looks absolutely scandalized. A flurry of emotions, almost all negative, flash across her face as she struggles to find her words. “K-keep those uncouth thoughts to yourself, y-you miscreant...!”

The tanned tomboy’s pointed ears quiver in joy, her blue-green eyes lighting up. “Aww~!” That warm cooing sound causes the albino maid’s cheeks to grow even hotter with rage. “If ya weren’t already taken, Ah’d be makin’ Krvavy claim ya right now~! Ya are just so so so adorable~!”

“I am not!” Those vehement words are dripping with malice and hate, but all of that anger is unfortunately completely undermined by the fact that this maid chose to stomp a foot down as she spat that out. So she just ends up looking a little like Thea when that bratty girl has a bit of a tantrum. “I am not adorable! I am not cute! I am not any of those demeaning descriptors! I am a professional! I exist to serve Countess Alexandrina Yuliya Marzannavich, not suffer through your degenerate attempts at seduction!”

“Oh, ya snowy little maid~,” Beryl exaggeratedly sighs, her grin growing wider. “So innocent~! Ah am not tryin’ ta seduce ya~. Not yet at least~!”

One of the albino maid’s gloved hands suddenly snaps out to the side, grasping at her black lace parasol, and –

“Vera.” The Countess calmly states her murderous maid’s name, causing the furious girl to freeze in place. “Vera. Vera. I, for one, do think that you are cute and adorable.”

The parasol falls down to the ground, its metal tip clattering on the stone. Only the faintest tinge of anger and hate remains on the albino’s face, replaced by flustered embarrassment. Her snow-white skin flushes an almost unnaturally deep scarlet, spreading from her cheeks to her ears and even to the bits of her forehead visible past her dense white bangs. “M-m-my L-lady...!?”

Rina gently smiles as she turns in her seat. “That said, do mind your manners. You should not let a few flirty comments rile you up to such a degree.” She raises her pink-skinned hands up, adjusting the black bow resting around her maid’s covered neck. “Remain calm and composed. Do your best to ignore distractions. And,” the Countess’ fingers gently brush Vera’s cheek as she goes to straighten the girl’s glasses, “if you truly find the flirtation to be disagreeable, then politely but firmly tell them off.”

Those serenely stated instructions just seem to cause the flustered albino to grow even more embarrassed. “I know...!” She all but hisses out. “I have been by your side for seven wonderful years! I am not an unseasoned novice still learning how to properly serve!”

“Then act like it.” Rina’s cold tone makes the maid flinch. “Do not grab your parasol with intent to hit our guests.”

“It’s alright.” Krvavy awkwardly speaks up, her courteous smile wavering a little as Vera’s pale pink eyes snap towards her. “Beryl could have used a bit of a whack.”

“Oy!” The Elf protests, glaring at her Draconic lover. “Don’t act like ya wouldn’t ‘ave teased ‘er just the same!”

“No need for me to act, because I wouldn’t have.” Krvavy gently shakes her head, ignoring the tomboyish Elf’s disbelieving stare. “I may be a pervert, and a degenerate, and whatever else you want to call me... But I wouldn’t neglect the woman, or women, that I have in front of me just to go after another. You know that.”

“Ach, ya’re right...” Beryl scowls as she lowers her gaze. “Tsk, fine.” She glances back up, staring across the patio table to meet Vera’s very unfriendly eyes. “Ah’m sorry fer teasin’ ya so much. Ya just remind me o’ our own brat, and Ah couldn’t ‘elp myself from pokin’ at yer nerves. It’s just too fun, ya see.”

Vera’s lips press together into a thin line as she remains utterly silent, seemingly refusing to accept that apology.

A faint squeaking sound pierces the quiet air, growing louder as a metal trolley enters onto the terrace. “Apologies for the delay, my Lady.” The older woman pushing the cart politely nods her head as she brings it up beside the table. “The wheels needed greasing. And what they received was evidently not enough.”

“That is no matter, Izolda.” The Countess smiles warmly, dismissively waving her hand. “We were just conversing. The delay was hardly noticed.”

“Would you like me to stay?” The older maid asks, glancing at the covered cart.

“No thank you, Vera can handle the serving.”

“Then I will take my leave.” Izolda bows deeply and heads off without another word.

The albino maid bristles slightly as she gets to work before being ordered to do so.

“I think that you might need to get your own seat now.” Krvavy idly comments as two plates and accompanying crystal chalices are placed very close together right in front of her and Beryl.

“Ach, not ‘appenin’.” The Wood Elf woman immediately shuts that idea down. “Ah’m not leavin’ yer lap until we ‘ave ta get up and leave this garden. If tha’ means Ah’ll ‘ave ta ‘and feed ya again, then so be it.”

A bit of colour enters Krvavy’s cheeks. She sighs, trying to mask that involuntary display.

“I do hope that the both of you find this meal to be agreeable.” Rina voices her concern just as a metal cover is lifted up, filling the air with a delicious scent.

Vera gracefully serves her Lady, moving the various bits of food onto the Countess’ plate in a rather pleasant looking arrangement. Steaming heads of broccoli and cauliflower are relegated to one corner, glistening as melted cheese is slowly poured over them in a gentle zigzag. Next comes a scoop of sautéed potatoes and diced carrots, those yellow and orange cubes tumbling over each other. The last empty spot is soon filled by a piece of battered meat, a dusting of breadcrumbs falling free as it is nestled in place. Poking out of the top of that breaded meat is a single bone, which is quickly covered with a little frilly white hat.

“Goin’ by the smell alone, Ah think we will.” Beryl honestly replies, smiling as she and the scowling maid briefly make eye contact. “Tha’ is chicken o’ some sort, aye?”

“Yes.” Rina nods her head. “If you want to avoid using the fancy name for this dish, they are simply chicken cutlets.”

“Oh?” The Elf’s eyebrow raises as she curiously glances down at her own plate, seemingly unbothered by the fact that each part of the meal is getting unceremoniously dropped in place rather than neatly arranged. “Our girl ‘ad us make some o’ these a few days back, but they looked quite different.”

“From what I understand, the term ‘cutlet’ is rather vague and can be used for a variety of dishes. Including ones that contain no meat at all, oddly enough.” Rina shrugs ever so slightly, elegantly picking up her knife and fork. “Even when all the ingredients are the same, there can still be differences brought out by the preparation. Such as this,” she taps the blunt edge of her knife against the bone.

“Aye, ours didn’t ‘ave tha’. And Ah’m sure the stuff inside is a bit different too.”

“The bone being added back in is a signature part of this particular recipe, which is considered traditional here in Raseyne. So its absence is not a surprise.”

The tanned tomboy furrows her brow just a little. “Shame we didn’t bring our ‘alflin’ along.” She idly states, glancing back at Krvavy. “Tha’ sweetie would’a loved ta learn some new recipes. And, if she could work up the nerve, she’d probably enjoy just talkin’ about cookin’ too.”

“You have a Halfling?” The Countess curiously questions, stopping partway through skewering a chunk of potato with her fork.

“Did Krvavy not mention ‘er the last time she was ‘ere?” Despite responding to Rina, Beryl instead meets her Draconic lover’s eyes and waits for a response.

“Uh... No, I don’t think I did.” The barbarian’s head gently shakes side to side. “We had her around, but she wasn’t a part of our relationship yet, so...”

“My, you really are just collecting women~.” The pink-skinned half-Elf holds back a laugh as she makes that comment. “Should I be worried~?”

Vera bristles and scowls at that joke as she pours a rich, red liquid into each empty crystal cup.

“O’ course~! Ya’re courtin’ fate by courtin’ my dearest love~!” Beryl eagerly takes the opportunity to playfully flirt, ignoring the increasingly murderous gaze levelled onto her by the albino maid. “This ‘ere is a rather possessive Dragon, one who can’t ‘elp but keep growin’ ‘er collection o’ women~!”

Krvavy very slowly sighs out, idly cutting off a slice of her chicken cutlet. “You are making me sound a lot worse than I am, Beryl...”

“Oh, but am Ah wrong~?” The teasing Elf pokes a finger into Krvavy’s pale cheek. “Am Ah~?”

“Behave yourself,” the barbarian breathes back, “and get eating before you earn yourself a whack on the head from a certain someone’s umbrella...”

Vera glares at the two cuddling women sharing the same throne-like chair, her gloved hands clenching into fists. The albino maid continues to make her disdainful dislike known as she steps away from the table and returns to her place directly behind her Countess.

“Krvavy, I must admit that I had not expected you to return here with a companion.” Rina pops a buttered carrot slice between her painted lips as she casually moves the conversation on.

“Oh~? And just why is tha’~?” Beryl speaks up before the barbarian can, doing the absolute bare minimum to keep her playful tone from being flirty. “Did ya ‘ave doubts about our relationship~? Did ya think tha’ she was actually just keepin’ us all locked away in some cave, forcin’ us ta stay and be ‘ers like a real greedy Dragon~?”

“I would be lying if I said that a thought along those lines had never occurred to me.” The Countess calmly admits. “But I never seriously considered it, and in fact quickly discarded such thoughts.”

Surprise fills Krvavy’s face. “Why?” She asks, honestly feeling a little flabbergasted. “I mean, I told you how I met them all. For the most part, at least... And those stories didn’t exactly paint me in the best light. I quite literally admitted to **** two of them.”

“The Human and Dwarf, yes? **** is not the term I would use for rescuing someone from captivity at the hands of bandits or from the middle of a bandit raid. Even if you kept them afterwards.” The pink-skinned half-Elf smiles faintly and meets the Drakling’s emerald eyes with her amethyst pair.

Krvavy dismissively waves her fork through the air. “No matter what words you want to use, that is still what I did.”

“I am not here to argue semantics.” Rina idly shrugs, the movement of her shoulders drawing Vera’s attention. “It may be arrogant of me to make this claim,” she pauses briefly as her maid’s gloved hands return to giving her a slow, kneading massage, “but I am quite a good judge of character. And you, Krvavy, did not strike me as the type to hold women captive for your own enjoyment. The way that you spoke of ‘your girls’ made the affection and love that you have towards them feel completely genuine. Of course, that could simply be explained by layers of delusion, but that did not seem to be the case either.”

“Oho~! She definitely ‘as some delusions~!”

“Yeah, like thinking that you can behave yourself without needing constant reminders.”

“Oy!”

A gentle smile plays at Rina’s lips as she watches the Wood Elf’s finger accusatorily squish into the barbarian’s pale breast.

“Well,” Krvavy chooses to ignore her sweet berry’s prodding, “I couldn’t really blame you for thinking that I was some sort of psychopathic monster. So... thanks for not assuming that, I guess?”

“Do not forget that we spent the night together before sitting down and having a proper conversation.” The Countess takes another bite of her meal, relaxing into her maid’s massage. “You had me at my most **** and did not try to push the limits of what you could do. So it would be quite hard for me to consider you to be a ‘psychopathic monster’. Though I will admit that your unique relationship is on the more questionable side. Had we started with that conversation at the very beginning, then perhaps I would think differently of you.”

“Right...” The Drakling idly nods her head, bringing a skewered carrot slice to Beryl’s lips in an attempt to make the Elf stop messing around and actually start eating. “Why are you surprised I brought Beryl along then?”

“Ach,” the tanned tomboy makes a disappointed noise, before swallowing her food. “My dearest love, do ya really need ta ask tha’?”

“Yes?”

“Ya are possessive, protective, and a bit paranoid.” Those beautiful blue-green eyes roll around once as the Wood Elf woman dryly points out those obvious facts. “Ah’m sure tha’ the Countess ‘ere picked up on tha’. Right?”

“I would have put it more politely, but yes.” Rina gracefully shrugs, taking a sip of her wine. “Is there a particular reason that you did not come alone?”

“Aye, quite a few really.” Beryl once again speaks up before Krvavy can, an advantage of focusing on the conversation rather than eating. “The main one bein’ tha’ it wasn’t ‘er choice: it was mine~!” She giggles triumphantly as that draws a sigh from her Draconic lover. “We ‘ave a whole list o’ things ta buy, and she can’t be expected ta carry everythin’ back ‘ome. Plus, someone needed ta come along and see wha’ kind o’ woman ya are~.”

An understanding smile graces the Countess’ visage. “I cannot blame you for wanting to meet me. I would do the same if another woman intruded on what I have with my Vera.” The albino maid jumps slightly at the mention of her name, a pink hue filling those pale white cheeks. “Is there anything I can do to help you with your shopping?”

“Nothin’ like wha’ ya did wit’ the seeds last time.” Beryl gently shakes her head. “And speakin’ o’, Ah really do need ta thank ya fer tha’~.” She playfully winks, making her implication obvious enough to revitalize Vera’s glare.

“Well,” Krvavy nonchalantly presses some food against her Elf’s lips, more or less making her shut up and eat. “We do have a few letters to deliver for our Halfling, but we also aren’t sure how to actually get them sent out...”

“That is something I could easily have taken care of for you.” Rina places her utensils down and goes to take a sip of her wine.

“Mnhh, my dearesht lovhe.” Beryl grabs at the Drakling wrist, keeping another forkful of food from being **** into her full mouth. Her nimble fingers tighten their grip as she redirects that fork towards Krvavy’s lips, giving her time to swallow. “Just what sort o’ date is this?! Ya can’t be talkin’ business! Ah still ‘ardly know this beautiful woman sittin’ across from us~!”

“Hahaha~!” The Countess gracefully raises a hand to obscure the sight of her parted lips as she joyfully laughs out. “What a lively couple you two are~!”

“Oh, this is nothin’~!” The tanned tomboy grins at the pink-skinned half-Elf. “Don’t forget, she ‘as four other girls~! There is only so much tha’ this fierce Dragon can do ta keep us all in line~!”

“It’s not that hard...” Krvavy quietly grumbles back, retaking control of her fork.

“Aye, but only because Ah’m usually better behaved~!”

“That really isn’t something to sound so smug about...”

Beryl’s long and pointed ears happily wiggle up and down. Her blue-green eyes stare into the emerald pair of her Draconic lover, playful love meeting a slightly exasperated squint.

“Ahem.” Vera unhappily clears her throat, which does nothing to prevent the two lovers’ lips from pressing together.

“Hush, dear~. Let these two enjoy themselves.”

“But, my Lad-yieh~!?” The antagonistic maid’s protest is interrupted by an uncharacteristically adorable squeal.

Unable to keep her curiosity in check, Beryl quickly pulls back and spins her head around, the tip of her ear nearly poking Krvavy in the eye. Any disappointment to be had over their kiss ending so soon is quickly driven aside by the scene in front of them.

The albino maid is bent partway over the back of Rina’s chair, her body tense with token resistance. Rina’s delicate fingers slide through her neat white hair, dislodging loose strands and making her frilly headband sit crooked on her head. What little can be seen of Vera’s face has grown a deep scarlet.

“Mmmh~...!” Rina moans out in content as her lips leave those of her pale maid. “See, sweetie~? A little kiss over dinner is hardly something to get upset by~.”

It takes Vera a few seconds to shakily straighten back up, her gloved hands remaining on Rina’s shoulders. Smudges of black lipstick cover the pale pinkish-white of her lips. Her glasses sit askew on her nose, their crookedness almost certainly due to the rather detailed kiss mark high on her left cheek.

“I would just love to hear some anecdotes of your life together~.” Rina warmly addresses the Drakling and Wood Elf, playfully acting as if nothing had happened. “I would, of course, return the favour with some of my own~.”

“Tha’ sounds like a lovely idea~!” Beryl cheerily responds, bristling with excitement.