The Great and the Good

Stirred from her slumber by the break of day, Callisto sat up and regarded her bed partner. Morgan was fast asleep, her large and lovely breasts uncovered by her bedroom's dark red quilt. Though she dearly wanted to suck on them or squeeze them, she permitted herself only a light kiss against the woman's temple.

She armoured herself before heading down to the courtyard, where a carriage was waiting to take her away. The Archduke had invited her to Marmorstadt the previous day. She was unsure whether it was out of politeness that he had allowed her a ride in such a luxurious wagon or if it was, instead, a matter of politeness on her part not to simply fly there. Thinking little else of it, she allowed herself to enjoy the sights that this form of travel afforded her. In a sense, she had seen half the world, but in another sense she had barely seen any of it. The route heading north from Silverton was well-worn and traffic was heavy but this part of the world was still surrounded by wilderness.

Fairies buzzed back and forth, a few even lingering a moment or two amongst the train of wagons, and the sights and smells of the flora, that lined the road on either side, were wondrous. As it had on her very first day in this world, her mind automatically offered her names and descriptions for many of the plants. During a stop, she was even able to put this miraculous knowledge to use, plucking a ripe apple with bright blue skin and an exceptionally sharp taste, called a vigil apple, from a massive tree just a few yards away from the road, and eating it. Its magical effects were immediate, like a turbo-charged shot of coffee, but more importantly, it confirmed a suspicion of hers. Likely because of its magical properties, the fruit was not uncomfortable to eat. What the implications of that were, she did not know.

The journey continued for a few hours before the landscape changed, and signs of permanent human habitation became more frequent. The walled city itself was a real marvel, with ancient and sturdy stone defences and a moat surrounding it that bubbled with tremendous magical power. One whiff of it as her carriage thundered over the drawbridge told her that was deadly to monstrous creations. Unfortunately, it was another reminder that that was exactly what she was. A real angel would be able to swim in the mote, bathe themselves, even gargle the water in her mouth and feel no ill effects whatsoever. If she were to enter those waters, however, she would be boiled alive. The thought made her shudder and, as her carriage trundled through the city to the Archduke's palace, she brooded.

Eventually, the wagon train came to a halt and she got her first proper glimpse of the palace. It was very large and, though clearly built from much more advanced materials, matched the light grey colour of the city's walls. The courtyard was exceptionally busy but, thankfully, as soon as any of the bustling servants or guests crossed her path, her Warmth made them deferential and they kept out of her way as best they could. The Archduke had not said so much as a single word to her since the journey began but his staff made her aware of where she was expected to sit, as his guest of honour, and what she was expected to eat. Once again, it was food of exceptional quality, and the kind she would have loved in her past life, and, once again, eating it was a chore. She was seated at her own table, towards the dais but not on it, and noticed, as the afternoon progressed, the focus of the guests was as often on her as it was on the Archduke himself. Though their eyes were on her, her own eyes generally glided lazily over them.

A lot was said, all of it quite dull, and she searched for some beauty to pass the time. Many of the guests had brought wives and daughters with them, all well-dressed and a few quite attractive, but the girl she lingered on was one of the ones sat on the dais. It was a position of some esteem, though she was towards the outer edge. Her white and gold robe suggested that she was a priestess or cleric of some kind, and her youthful face reminded her of Tandy. Her eyes were dark blue and her hair was jet black, held in a long ponytail. Her lips were full and pursed and Callisto could not help but imagine the girl's head between her legs. As the Archduke's speech ran on, she paid full attention to the girl, who didn't seem to notice her staring, and watched her face change minute by minute. When she noticed her become increasingly uncomfortable, she began to pay more attention to his words.

'That is why,' he said, as many of the guests seemed to prime themselves for a rehearsed applause, 'I am announcing the resettlement of Westerasen's lost lands and the thorough extermination of the orc filth who still dwell therein.' A roar of approval came up from the crowd but the girl's face had gone from uncomfortable to horrified, as she looked out at the audience with wide terrified eyes. Callisto could see tears beginning to well as the Archduke continued, 'every common man who joins this campaign will receive an acre of land.' That caused another round of cheers and he took a while to let it subside. 'Now, there is one last thing to address,' he said, turning to Callisto, 'my guest of honour, the Saviour of Silverton, as they call her, has not yet received a reward for her service.' That, of course, was not strictly true but she did not like to dwell on it.

He bid her to rise and she did so, letting her wings spread out, which earned some oohs and ahs from the guests.

'What would you ask of me, my lady?'

She furrowed her brow, trying to think of something. 'I would ask only for mercy. In your campaign against the orcs, could you spare the women and children?' Her request received an immediate reaction of astonishment, though not exactly the outrage she'd expected.

The Archduke took a while to answer, and she watched the girl's face, still red from crying, as it turned to confusion. 'It seems,' he said to the crowd, 'that the mercy of the angels is boundless. I could never refuse such a good-hearted request. You have my word, where unarmed women and children, amongst that lowly race, are found, they shall be spared.'

Soon after, the speech and the dinner turned to some kind of social mixing and she was introduced to many of the great and good of Marmorstadt. She sought out the priestess but could not find her anywhere. She did, however, learn that the girl was a representative of a religious order dedicated to the city's patroness, the goddess Lapis, which afforded her her seat on the dais. Her Warmth ensured that all of her interactions were pleasant but she still went to her guestroom in a sour mood, having hoped to meet the girl and receive her fawning praise. She soon became lost in her ill feelings, her mind once again at war with itself. This world was perverted and disgusting, yet she had indulged. It was full of misery and brutality, yet the endless bloodshed had made her feel alive.

As she caught a glimpse of herself in the room's full body mirror, she was reminded of the one thing that redeemed the world for her. It had given her this beautiful body. More than that, it had give her wings and the ability to experience something that had only been a dream in her past life. Of course, she had not entirely ruled out the possibility that this was all still just an elaborate fever dream. She was ripped from her thoughts by a knock at her door and she let herself hope that a pretty girl had come to warm her bed.

'My lady,' the raven-haired priestess said, once the door was opened, 'I am sorry to disturb you.'

Callisto smiled and let her inside, 'not at all. Please, come in.'

The girl awkwardly took up a position at the foot of her gold quilted bed, 'I just wanted to thank you, sincerely, for your intervention this evening,' her voice was warm and deliciously unsure of itself.

'It seems that most everyone was bewildered by it, rather than thankful.' She would not judge them too harshly, as she imagined they had experienced countless cruelties from the loathsome orc hordes.

The girl seemed pained, 'yes, it is uncommon for people to see through their hate, these days.'

Callisto did not want to offend the priestess but she could not resist the urge to probe, 'what makes you different from them?'

'My brother,' she started, 'well, my half-brother, he's an orc.'

Callisto did not want to imagine what that implied.

The priestess must've seen consternation on her face, 'but he's a good man! He loves our mother and hates his father, and he only lives amongst orcs because he is barred from our village on account of his race.'

'I assume that's an uncommon story.' Her God's Eye confirmed as much, along with telling her that the girl's name was Sarah.

Seeming forlorn, Sarah exhaled shakily before responding, 'yes, of course, but it's a vicious cycle. We have made orcs into monsters by our hostility, and their monstrous nature only makes us more hostile.'

Callisto's heart began to beat hard in her chest as she tried to think of what to say, whether to mollify the girl or needle her. Her God's Eye did not help her tell which would be more successful so she had to guess. 'A cycle that can only end when one side destroys the other,' she said, in a neutral tone.

It worked and Sarah crumbled into sobs, holding onto her for dear life. Callisto used the opportunity to close her arms around her, saying 'there, there,' and, 'sweet girl,' and such. She brushed her hair with her hand and undid her ponytail. That caused Sarah to pull away briefly and stare up at her with confused teary eyes. Hungry with lust and unwilling to wait, she kissed the girl forcefully. There was a brief moment of resistance but it shattered once Callisto had managed to get her tongue inside the girl's mouth.

It took only a few seconds to remove the girl's robe and, soon enough, she was down between her legs, working her into a frenzy. Hours passed and neither of them slept at all. 'What was that?' Sarah asked, in the morning, as she robed herself.

Callisto wondered that herself but eventually arrived at something of an answer, 'my right, my rights.'

Sarah made a face and began to protest but was silenced by a kiss.

'I'm entitled to take whatever I want. You were the loveliest girl at the banquet, so I took you.'

'I'm not a ****,' the girl retorted, though her tone seemed unsure.

'No,' Callisto assured her, 'but you belong to me, all the same. You are mine.'

A look passed over Sarah's face, a mix of love and lust, fear, confusion, doubt and much else. She shook her head, as if to dispel the roiling emotion and gave the angel a kiss of her own. 'Are you mine, as well?'

'I can love you, if that's what you mean. In time, I hope you will all love one another.'

Sarah looked confused again, 'all?'

'All of my women.' Callisto knew that it would be the hardest part for the girl to accept, as she watched a war be waged within her mind. She stood, silent, and let her Warmth nudge her towards the right conclusion.

Sarah did not speak for a long while, as her brow furrowed and she searched her lover's eyes. Eventually, she managed a shaky response, 'I suppose I am alright with being one of your women.'

Callisto smiled. 'Right, so, how about showing me around this beautiful city of yours?'

Sarah smiled as well, and answered with much more confidence, 'well it's not actually my city, but I know it well enough. There's a gorgeous spot, a fountain, that is so peaceful and serene.'

'Take me there.'

They walked together through the city for about an hour. Many people stopped and starred, whether at her or the priestess clinging to her arm, she could not say. It was clear that the Duke's words had been disseminated far and wide, as many men of fighting age had headed towards a camp setup for military recruitment. Callisto was grateful for that since it made Sarah anxious and, therefore, caused her to cling ever closer.

The girl had been right about the fountain. When they arrived, she immediately felt the effects of its enchantments, which her God's Eye confirmed were there to promote feelings of tranquillity. Even scampering, rambunctious, children would be slow and silent as they passed around it, and it was hard for Callisto to be annoyed even by the worst sights the city had to offer, namely the unfortunate number of mind-broken nude women being dragged around by their masters. Thankfully, that practice was much less common here than it had been in Silverton.

The couple sat on a nearby marble bench and enjoyed companionable silence. A baker brought Callisto a free lunch, which she passed to Sarah, as she regarded the fountain and all of its intricacies. It was porcelain white and featured a scene of nymphs clamouring for the water spout. It was common for those passing through to leave a coin in the pool. The coins were never tossed in, but placed delicately as the fountain worked its magic. In the back of her mind, Callisto knew that war would soon be upon her once again but she allowed herself to enjoy the peace and quiet, if only for one more day.

The pair were given quarters in a temple, which left Callisto with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, she was thankful for the hospitality but, on the other, it dredged up bad memories of Tandy once again.