home intro one two three four five six seven eight nine 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 appendix
"That was strange." commented the Baron.
"It was!" she said as she prepared, "He was so cold!"
"... Really?"
Cecilia stopped thinking for a moment, and preparing. She blushed, "Now you've made me self-conscious that you're inside me. You really don't understand us, do you?" she continued preparing.
"He tied you up. He fondled you for five minutes. What should he have done?"
"The bondage is a symbol of intimate trust in our family. It comes from the true family. If they really trust someone, they will go outside with them on a starry night, and let themselves be bound while they make love. If the lover doesn't untie them before sunrise.... It's the most horrible form of death for true family."
"I haven't seen Jackov for weeks! He should have bound me and bedded me for hours!"
"He's your brother!"
There was another pause in Cecilia's thinking, "The Kalchinovs' have in-bred for generations. We are now pure-bloods in the most positive sense -- all the bad blood is gone. We don't get two-headed monsters from our family blood. The two headed monsters come when a family member gets indiscreet, and brings outside blood into the family. The Stienhortzes have been the purest of the Kalchinovs. If I have children with Jackov, they will automatically become true family.
"And what of Gregory?"
Cecilia sighs, "I love him. He is such a man! But there is known bad blood in his line -- his great grandfather was indiscreet. If I have children with him, they will have to be tested, and it's likely that most won't pass the test."
"It's a hard choice." The Baron sympathized.
"Yes... but there will only be a choice if Rudy... Johanne Porter is defeated. This is the only reason I help you... whoever you are."
"You knew Rudy?"
Cecilia laughed, "Of course I knew Rudy! He was my brother, too! You forget how small the Stienhortz community is Mr... Mr...."
"Baron Julio von Rostov, Miss Cecila."
"Thank you, Baron. I suspected as much. Your name is known to me."
"And Rudy seems intent on opening the gates of Nazadlan. He is a lich now."
"He always was ambitious."
"Perhaps you know of something that will distract Rudy?"
Cecilia had finished her preparations, and was walking back to the tower. "Of course I do: me."
As she reached the first landing, Jackov was there. She nodded to Jackov and he slapped a collar on her, similar to the one he had used before, but with a more powerful charm on it. Once again her arms were bound behind her. When the last knot was tied, she said, "Jackov, I have Baron Julio von Rostov inside me. Johanne should be pleased."
Jackov lead her into the room behind the door. In the room there was a huge machine composed mostly of copper wires. It was a bed-sized radio transmitter. The Baron had found his plotters.
Cecilia, with the Baron inside, was sitting primly in a simple chair when Jackov finished the transmission. He looked at her in a cautious way.
"Rudy is sending transportation." he said, "We will meet it on the roof of the tower in ten minutes."
"While we are waiting, why don't you kiss me?" she said.
"Will I be kissing you, or him?"
"Me. The Baron is sulking somewhere."
"How do I know that?"
She stood up and nuzzled his neck, "Try me."
The Baron was not exactly sulking, but the difference might be hard to detect. He was thinking hard. He had Cecilia's body at his command, but what good was a woman's body, with it wrists tied tightly between it's shoulderblades, in the arms of a powerful, suspicious man?
Cecilia's soul was not just warm, while she was in Jackov's arms, it was hot! It was now clear that opening Nazadlan was something she had been working hard for, as well. And now she felt they were close... very close.
"What about Gregory?" the Baron whispered to her. She stiffened a bit in Jackov's grasp.
"Uwww, you are an icemeister, Baron." replied Cecilia, "I tried my best, through Jackov, to bring him to our side. Soon, it won't matter. When the gates are open, it will be a whole new world!" she melted into Jackov's grip again.
As he waited, the Baron heard a voice within him. "We have found the plotters. Call me forth, and I can deal with them, even if you cannot." It was Djinn Swansorgger speaking to the Baron from his gem refuge.
"We have found plotters, but we need to stop Johanne Porter, not plotters. No, your time has not yet come, my windy friend."
The minutes passed quickly, and they moved to the roof.
Johanne Porter had pulled out all the stops: a huge war balloon floated towards the castle on the dawn breeze. It was filled to capacity with small goblin archers and around it circled huge bats. It got quite close before the castle watch spotted it. The alarms sounded. As the castle got in range, the goblins rained arrows on the exposed guards, and the bats swarmed the towers. Two of those swarming the North Tower picked up Jackov and Cecila, and flew back to the main camp.
For a few minutes the balloon and the bats did much damage, but the balloon drifted by, and the bats could not sustain the attack by themselves -- they were vulnerable to archers shooting at them from indoors. Soon the castle was peaceful again, but Jackov and Cecilia were gone.
home intro one two three four five six seven eight nine 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 appendix