Ceno breaks in

Editor's note: Credit for this chapter goes to starwarrior, I broke up a longer chapter into two more manageable pieces.

This time as you step towards her Laoda recoils, aware from the look on your face that she has finally crossed a line. As you prepare to break every delicate bone in the beauty's slender body, Ceno suddenly speaks up and you wonder which one of you he is protecting.

“It was an Amazon who hired the assassins,” he blurts out before you could act on your rage.

This finally gets a reaction out of Laoda but not one you expected. For the first time since you’ve known her, you see absolute shock in her face, and perhaps even a little fear. Arching a brow, she turns hear attention to Ceno to see if he wasn’t just saying this to either defuse the situation or try to manipulate her into fulfilling her part of the bargain. When she determines that he isn’t lying she closes her eyes and let out a long sigh. “So, we have do have a traitor,” she murmurs, “I think you two better start from the beginning.”

You let Ceno explain as he seemed to have a better grasp on the situation than what you do, and you concentrate on not rubbing your thighs together like a girl fighting the curse for her very first time. As Laoda learns about the copper-skinned merchant and about her activities in Deni, you find yourself studying every inch of the young prince, from his passionate eyes and strong jaw to the unmistakable bulge that he is unable to conceal despite his best attempts. When he is finished, she comes to roughly the same conclusion you had, they have to find the mysterious merchant.

“What did she look like?” she asks, “Any scars or marking?”

“Not that I noticed,” he concedes somberly, “she always wore long sleeves and thick clothing. Probably to hide her muscles.”

“She could have also been hiding scars and tattoos,” Laoda added, “Just in case she was discovered. Tattoos could imply that she was part of a clan or something. We can cut out the Valkyries, they were almost whipped out in the disastrous battle when their two galleys broke the chain of barges. That just leaves the Daughters of Lycaon, the Night Sisters, and the Daughters of Aries, unless it is a newly formed cabal that has remained hidden from my sisters.”

“I don’t think that the Daughters of Lycaon leadership could have been directly involved in the plot.” You offer in an attempt to think of anything other than the bulge under Ceno's leathers. “It led to too many of our Sisters losing to an army lead by men.” Laoda nods slowly in what might be agreement. “It wouldn’t surprise me though if one of their sub-factions were involved. Some of the more radical ones have a disturbing disregard for the power of the Queen that might have at least encouraged them to look the other way.” Ceno falls silent as Laoda picks up the analysis.

“The Night Sisters are…unpredictable at best,” Laoda puts it kindly, “some of them might have betrayed the Queen for the right price but at the same time they have a strict code against doing anything against the Daughter’s of Aries, also they would have done a much better job blending in than the merchant you described. If there is a Night sister in Deni, and knowing them there probably is, you wouldn’t know it. Which leaves the Daughters of Aries,” as Laoda says this she turns to you. She can tell by the look in your eyes that you are more than a little offended that she is even considering that someone in your immediate family is to blame.

“Xira,” she smiles sadly, “You know just as well as I do that people in power are incredibly cut throat. For all we know, one of your mother’s cousins saw this as a chance to eliminate her, or maybe,” she suggests a totally different reason, “they found out about your connections to the Masson family and wanted to extend our borders into Masson by making you their Queen.” Laoda lets out a smirk as something came to mind, “Now that I think about it if this was a case of border expansion, they would have a field day once they found out about your love affair with the prince of Deni.”

“What about the Daughter’s of Aphrodite,” you say crossing your arms, “Your sisterhood isn’t the most trustworthy either and you are in almost every nation in the Hellena, it could be someone in your order looking to increases your hold on the world.”

Laoda lets out a long sigh and gives you a disappointed look, much like a mother would to her daughter, “So that’s why you didn’t tell me.” Laoda makes her way over to you, lightly placing soft hands on your bare shoulders, and looks you in the eye. “Xira, we benefit far too much from the Amazons to just start killing their royalty or even risk harming their army. Besides,” she brushes her soft fingers under your chin lifting it so your eyes meets her fierce gaze. “If the traitor is among the Daughters of Aphrodite I would do everything in my power to flush her and everyone else she worked with out of our order and into the deepest, darkest hole I could find. Your mother never told you this because she didn’t know how it would be handled if word ever got out but, she wanted to pass a new law that allowed Amazons to marry other Amazons, and the first wedding that would have been performed would have been between her…and me.”

You are shocked when you heard this. Surely, she has to be lying, but as you look into her clear eyes and see her fighting back tears you know that she is telling the truth.

“Our relationship went far beyond lovers, Xira,” she continues, “I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and she was willing to do the same. I didn’t care about gaining a higher title or even becoming queen, I just wanted to be with her, just as you want to be with Ceno.”

You look away from Laoda, ashamed of your earlier doubts, and that she had to manipulate you just to get you to open up to her. In fairness, she shares the blame as she didn’t bother to tell you any of this after your mother died. In fact, she spent most of her time in seclusion until she left for Athenapolis, which now that you think about it collaborates her story as she was probably mourning as much as you.

Laoda moves her hand to your cheek, pulling your gaze back to hers, and gives you a sensuous smile. “Atheas and I agreed to watch over you and help you grow in your mother’s absence. She would teach you how to be an Amazon while I would teach you how to be a Queen. Granted, I was concerned that you'd adopt her grim view of men, and she worried that I would make you soft.” Her eyes sparkle, “But I firmly believe that someone your age needs to learn how to relax and enjoy yourself. Speaking of which,” she straightens and looks over her shoulder slyly at the young prince of Deni.

At first, Ceno is confused, but Laoda hooks her fingers around the silk straps of her dress and slowly slides them off of her shoulders. The dress then flows down her naked body like a gentle jungle stream, revealing her soft pale skin. While Ceno only sees her from behind, you get to see her body in its full glory. Her perfect thighs, the neatly trimmed patch of golden wisps, soft curve of her belly and the full round breasts the quiver as she breaths. You fixate on the hard round nipples peaking those mounds that seem to beg you to take them into your mouth.

“Ceno,” she directs softly and seductively in her sweet and charming voice, “Disrobe for us please.”