Miniarc-Sleepover-5

“Tell me a story about you.”

“Hm? That’s abrupt.” Lou stretched out on the couch and propped up her head with a hand. “What kind of story do you want to hear? I have to say, my life hasn’t been very exciting.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Someone like Lou wasn’t made from ordinary circumstances. “It doesn’t matter. I…want to know more about you.”

The annoyingly smug smirk almost made Alana regret her request. “Alright. You know the Tomes are counts. For middling nobles, money makes the difference. As we’re broke—"

“Not that,” Alana huffed. “I don’t want to hear about your family. I want to hear about you.” She held Lou’s gaze as the violet eyes narrowed.

“You…are you flirting?”

“What? No! Be serious.”

“Fine, fine. Uh, let’s see. I was a surly brat. Growing up with one neglectful parent will do that to you. No kindly maid to raise me as her own like you see in the plays. Just little Lou, alone in her room with dolls she had no one else to play with and the summoning records her father gave her.”

“Lou…”

Alana’s concern was waved off. “It wasn’t that bad. Let me tell you, I was not at all welcome amongst the brats of noble society, thanks to that bastard Gordon. I preferred being by myself. It was just…so boring. Every day, endless tedium. I think I latched onto summoning out of desperation.

“Anyway, when I was old and big enough, I gathered my courage and escaped to the village. I expected wonderous sights and exciting adventure. Instead, the local tavern had tired men who spent the whole day discussing their chickens, farms, and nagging wives. It was better than sitting at home, I guess. And I had a few eye-opening experiences there. Saw the blacksmith’s daughter kiss the barmaid and thought it looked like fun.”

“Wait…you didn’t always know you, um, fancied women?”

Lou snickered. “How was I supposed to? Every story I read or heard featured dashing men saving princesses. Women don’t exactly kiss each other on the side of the road to enlighten young ladies with uncomfortable fascinations with breasts.”

Alana looked down at her chest.

“Every size has its own charm.”

“Shut up!” she snapped reflexively.

Lou raised her palms in surrender. “All I knew was that I admired princesses more than princes, okay? It took seeing that kiss for me to even realize two women being together was even an option.”

“Were they your first?”

“First? First what?”

Alana coughed into a fist. “Your first experience.”

“Saints, no! I was far too much of a coward!” Lou laughed at the look Alana gave her. “Don’t give me that look. The brazen pervert you see before you is a wok in progress. You remember how nervous royals used to make me? If I wasn’t anxious, I was apathetic.” She sighed. “I had dreams, small ones, but I’m a noblewoman. My father wouldn’t have let me do whatever I wanted. I was powerless. And then I wasn’t.

“I’ve told you I’ve got secrets, yeah? I’ll tell you them one by one. Starting with something happened to me when I was on the King’s Road and was attacked by that madman. Something that made me stronger. Strong enough to live my life the way I want.” She chuckled. “Not that I knew it at the time. That’s where that crazy, lovable elf comes in. She was determined to make me realize my power. She still is, heh.”

“Is that what you call it?”

Lou sighed. “Don’t misunderstand. Kierra is…elves are different from us. Here and here.” She pointed to her chest and head. “She sees things different. Wants different things and has a different way of getting them. The stories she’s told me. Let me tell you, she’s become much calmer. She doesn’t do anything I can’t handle. There are lines we don’t cross.

“Besides that, well. At first, I went along with her because it made her happy and I didn’t mind. Now, I can appreciate what she was trying to do. I know what she wants. And that’s that.” Lou shrugged. “No more throwing knives at me, no more torturous training. No more games. Just my sweet wife with a love of carnage. For now. I’m sure she’s got something cooking in that depraved mind.”

“And you’re fine with that?” It sounded horrible to Alana.

“Fine with it? Alana, the second day we knew each other, that damn woman tackled me to the ground and chewed on my neck like a hound with a bone from the dinner table. During it, I was disturbed of course. But afterwards, I wanted her so bad. Feeling that powerful woman holding me down, grinding against me, having her way with me, knowing I was the kind of pervert that can find pleasure in it, mm!”

Lou shivered. “I let her get away with it because I enjoy it. I like the struggle between us, whether I win or lose. Especially when I win. She showed me how much I enjoy winning. And we can only play these games because we love each other. Well, for me. Elves do it just because. They’re insane, all of them.”

Alana bowed her head in thought. She always thought the relationship between Lou and Kierra was strange. She had endured the same harsh training, though never to the same level of Lou. She’d thought they separated their lives, teacher and student while on the fields, wives at home. It was hard to imagine someone would be willing to torture someone they love. She thought they both were enduring unpleasant circumstances. Never would she have imagined that they enjoyed it.

“What’s going on in that stubborn head of yours?”

Alana jumped, finding Lou had moved back to her couch. She had tucked herself into a corner, giving Alana plenty of space. “I just…”

“Come on. You bade me to bare myself. Your turn. Let it all out.”

“I…don’t think I could do that.”

Lou stared at her. “Saints, Alana, of course not. You’re not her or me. You’re you. I’m looking forward to finding out exactly what gets you going.”

Alana fought through her embarrassment to keep a steady voice. “You said that’s what you want.”

“Wow, no. I mean, yes. Ugh.” Lou sighed. “You love my thrall’s cooking, right?”

That was an understatement.

“Okay, great. Do you like her regular cooking or her desserts better?”

Alana bit her bottom lip. That was a tough decision to make. The thrall’s dinners were explosions of taste, expertly blended spices that danced on her tongue, but her desserts made her melt.

“You can’t choose, can you? They’re both great and liking one doesn’t preclude you from liking the other just as much. That’s how I am, Alana. Call it a big heart, call it a big libido, the fact is that I can like more than one woman in more than one way. Question is…” Lou stretched out. Alana looked down at the feet pressing against her thigh, briefly considering knocking them down. “Does that bother you?”

Alana was about to deny it but then she changed her mind. She didn’t know if this was how things normally worked but Lou was trying to be open. She could do the same. “A little, yeah.”

“What part?”

Multiple lovers weren’t rare. It had fallen out of favor but it wasn’t strange for a lord to take several mistresses alongside his main wife. That much was easy to wrap her head around. However, Lou claiming she could hold equally strong feelings for her lovers, no matter how many of them, was far-fetched. It went against everything she knew. Her father certainly didn’t have enough love to go around. The only person she’d seen him give any care to was her eldest brother, his heir.

“Hey.”

Alana yelped as a finger poked her cheek. She turned to see Lou falling back against the couch. “Come on. Share and share alike.”

How pathetic would it sound if she said she was afraid Lou would get tired of her and throw her away?

“Fine. Have it your way.”

“Where are you going?” Alana asked with a hint of panic as Lou swung her legs off the couch and stood up.

“Getting the liquid courage.”

-

“Lou. Hey, Loooou.”

They had already emptied a bottle of Herbanacle and were a third way down the second. Alana was draped over Lou, positioned between her legs, resting her head on her chest. A lazy hand played with the ends of her hair and her ears, making her comfortable cushion a touch stimulating.

“Hm?”

“You can’t get rid of me.”

“Is that what you had to drown yourself in liquor to say? I won’t.”

Alana buried her face further in the soft pillows she was resting on, taking note of the sound it drew from Lou. “Wives aren’t equal. Favorites. Can’t give everyone attention.” Otherwise, she wouldn’t have grown up in a closet while her siblings lived like little lords and ladies.

“Haugh. Can you…” Alana brushed away the annoying hand trying to move her head. She was quite comfortable where she was. And it smelled nice. “Saints. Okay, um. I agree that there’s a limit to how much someone can divide their attention. Thing is though, I only have two wives. Kierra is already used to relationships with multiple partners and likes you. There won’t be any jealously from her end. Saints know I’m willing to pamper you to Paradise and back. Rather than me ignoring you, you’ll get sick of me being too close.”

Alana frowned. “Geo.”

“My elementals are not my lovers. I asked about your conversation on the way over, just to make sure she behaved herself. You have an idea what she’s like.”

“Cloud,” she said with a bit of bite.

“Cloud is a good friend who I have a bit of fun with it. Honestly, I think that’s backward. I’m a friend she has a bit of fun with. She has her own plans and I don’t think they involve a relationship. Least, not with me.”

Alana was surprised. Cloud had made her nervous from the moment she met the woman from the Temple. With her uninhibited nature and blunt words, she reminded her too much of Lou. She thought the two of them would be two birds sharing a nest. Hearing that Cloud wasn’t interested in Lou went against all expectations. “No one else?”

“Well, there’s Miss Talia. You know, the one who helped Miss Alyssa question us?”

Alana grunted in acknowledgment. Of course there’s someone else.

“But things between us are special. She doesn’t want a relationship with me either, at least not like us. More like…well, she’s the opposite of you. She’s perfectly happy being a pampered mistress. So, there aren’t a lot of demands on my affection. My body, sure, but I’m more than confident of meeting those.”

Alana punched her in the side but their position and her strong buzz hampered her from putting much force behind it. Not that she could hurt Lou anyway. She had noticed that all her friend’s reactions to her blows were faked.

“Honestly, I don’t know what I can tell you to reassure you. How about you just watch? I can make promises till the Abyss swallows the world but are you going to believe me until you see it?”

“Mm.” She wouldn’t. She wanted to but the voice of the past kept niggling at her burgeoning trust for her…lover. Alana hoped Lou’s uncanny ability to get past her defenses would continue to work. Sooner or later, the annoying woman would worm her way into Alana’s heart, deep into the places she was scared to let anyone in. Hopefully, sooner.

The pleasant thoughts and the haze of alcohol put a smile on her face as she closed her eyes, mind drifting off.

“Oi. You’re not falling asleep, are you? Hey, hey, come on. Can you at least move?”

A semi-conscious Alana felt her cushion moving and squeezed it tightly, grumbling her annoyance.

“Saints damn it all.”