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To See A World [midnite_runXLunarCinnamon]

Gwendolyn was a lady. She'd been taught quite early on what ladies did, and one of the many rules was that they rarely, if ever, refused a dance. So when Tane asked her to take her hand, of course she did. Her desire to dance with Tane though certainly helped. Having seen everyone dancing around the fire, twirling and swaying together she'd been eager to join them, even before the drink had hit her bloodstream. Then she had been too anxious but now, here she was being asked to dance, and who was she to refuse such a handsome woman's hand?

Tane's hands are massive in comparison, her fingers calloused and her palms rough. Gwen finds herself wondering what they might feel like roaming elsewhere on her body, without the cloth of her dress between them. Biting her lip, she was thankful the drink had made her cheeks warm enough that they could not grow any redder, lest she give away her thoughts.

Gwen was a small girl, though only in stature. Her body beneath the dress was as womanly as they came. A pear-shaped figure, bottom heavy with hips that swelled out and a waist that dipped delicately in, she was certainly not the usual shapeless elf. Gwen had always been a little different in that regard though. Her small stature, her shapely figure, her wandering mind. These were things that were seen as unique among her people but, they were things she'd grown to enjoy about herself. She liked to be small, it made looking up at taller things so much more enrapturing. It helped when the taller things were massive half-orc's with handsome faces and deep voices, of course.

In her drunken state, she felt herself push up against Tane's hand on her waist, easily moulded in her hands as she began to lead her in a dance. This was not one that Gwen had ever done, not at all. She was used to the ballroom... this had hints of such dancing but, in the end, it was it's very own dance. Gwen was a quick learned though, looking down to their feet as they moved, watching Tane's face as she followed her lead, smiling up at her as they swayed together to the music.

As Gwen looked back up from their feet, Tane's words catching her ear, she was stopped in her tracks. Without warning, Tane had reached her hand to the side of her head and tucked away a loose strand of hair, right behind her pointed ear. Gwen stared up at her and then, with a rush she couldn't explain, she nodded her head practically jumping in place. Faster, more movement! She knew the steps now, now she wanted to show her.

Gwen distracted herself from the feelings in her chest by channeling them physically, finding herself completely lost in the dance the two were sharing, "I do! Come on, Tane!" she urged, pulling herself closer as her own hand fell to Tane's massive arm. It couldn't exactly reach her shoulder but, just above her elbow would be good enough.
 
The size difference between them was never more apparent than it was right now; Tane was several heads taller, able to engulf the elven princess with a simple hug. It was a sight to see, the massive woman guiding her much smaller partner in some rudimentary dance steps, the both of them smiling, flushed cheeks and all. Tane had never taught someone how to dance, let alone this one, and she can see the appeal in a slower pace. There were so many small moments to indulge in, so many little details you noticed in your partner you hadn't before. She could count the freckles on Gwen's cheeks, admire the alluring shine of her plush lips. Tane feels a heat build in her, one that had nothing to deal with the mead or the fire, and she was afraid she could not quench it.

When Gwen asks to speed up, it's almost a welcome reprieve. Her eagerness takes the orc by surprise and she laughs heartily, taking a tighter grip on her waist. "I thought I was the one leading, hm?" Tane jokes as she picks up the speed. As if in response, Briar plays faster, his off key humming growing louder. Others join in with their own impassioned dance, some exceptionally skilled, others drunken, all in the moment.

Tane tries to supress the rush of excited laughter as she swings Gwendolyn through the steps, making sure to keep her close throughout the whole thing. The fire builds in her, feeling as if it's putting her limbs to light, as it it's fueling her heart. They're a blur on the field and the others pull away to give them the space they need, some clapping in unison. However, it all melts away in Tane's mind. There's nothing but her, this woman and the roaring campfire.

Tane wants to say something; there are words stuck in her throat, letters dancing on the tip of her tongue. There's something in her begging to be said, an emotion she desperately wants to bring into existence, but she can't. Whatever it was that stopped her, it did and it frustrates her. So, she focuses on this dance and this moment. She wants to burn it into her memory, so it can keep her warm on lonely nights, the way she wishes this woman could.

"Don't be scared, okay," Tane says briefly before swinging Gwendolyn into the air; not too high and with a tight grip, but into the air nonetheless. The alcohol has burned away all her inhibitions and only left a woman having the absolute time of her life. Soon, they near the end of the dance sequence and Tane slows them down, not wanting to wear the delicate princess out too much. They shift into a slow dance and Tane pulls Gwendolyn close, making sure not to smother the poor girl in her chest. "Did....did you enjoy it?" Her hand plays idly with Gwendolyn's lithe fingers.
 
"We can lead together," Gwen slurred, all giggles and gasps as she was lead through the motions faster and faster, the tempo of the music playing up, Briar's awful humming not nearly bad enough to stop her from enjoying herself. Gwendolyn doesn't miss the laughter from Tane's lips, nor the big smile on them. It sends her head spinning and she wonders if this is how Tane feels when she sees Gwen smiling. Lightheaded? Like she could see nothing else...

Gwendolyn wants to say something too but, like Tane, the words catch long before they can be said. The more she dances, the more the alcohol works through her, and the more it does, the more sober she feels. She's still having fun, even as they begin to slow down but, her inhibitions are returning. Her nerves, her fears. This was too much, she thought. And then Tane's voice hit her ears, pulling her out of her thoughts with barely a warning before she was lifted off the ground. Gwen's hands quickly found her dancing partners shoulders as she gasped, giddy laughter bubbling from her chest as she was placed back down on the soft grass of the clearing, her head spinning as she fell against Tane's body, the adrenaline coursing through her alongside the alcohol making for a potent mixture of sleepiness.

"I did!" she exclaimed, the blush on her cheeks not from alcohol anymore but, from Tane's soft ministrations at her finger tips. "Thank you, Tane. For dancing with me... I mean".

Pressed up against her body like this, Gwen was left little to imagine. She could feel the hardness of her muscles working beneath her shirt, could feel the heavy rumbling of her voice as she spoke, as if it were in her very bones. Gwen found herself thirsting for more than just another drink. She wanted to know everything she could about this warrior woman, absolutely everything.

"Do you dance often?" she asked quietly, pulling away just a little. She still held on to Tane's hand, twirling under her grip as she fell backward, wanting to test the strength of her dance partner, but also just losing her balance. She was quite clumsy when she was drunk. "You're a very good dancer," she says with a giggle, reaching out for Tane's other hand.
 
"Am I now? I think you're the first dance partner to say that," Tane replies slyly, somewhat short of breath. They both twirl and move slowly among the others still dancing to their heart's content. Despite the relative mellow of the situation, she still feels that fire in her belly, but this is a slow burning. It keeps her warm and alive. Gwendolyn moves and sways drunkenly, the alcohol having clearly washed away her tension from before. She loves seeing this side of her; unburdened by the anxiety of not knowing her place or knowing how to speak. Tane wonders if she has to hide this side of herself among others and whether she's first to see it.

"Unforunately, no, I am not prone to dancing, milady," Tane says as she lets Gwendolyn rest against her. Their hands are intertwined, fingers against fingers, her grip warm and reassuring. Gwendolyn looks up at her and Tane is at risk of getting lost in those eyes again. "That was....a dance my mother taught me. She was a barmaid, helped run a tavern. Whenever we closed up and she had to clean, she would do that dance with me. Humming all the awhile."

One could see Tane almost drifting off staring into the distance. She would be hesitant to call her childhood pleasant; it was filled with its own medley of displacement and discrimination. Her mother was ridiculed relentlessly for laying with an orc who quickly left her and Tane mocked as an "abomination" of that broken union. Children rarely played with as she began to outgrow them at an alarming rate. Her tusks, abormally pale skin and red eyes marked as her downright demonic in the eyes of the other kids. However, there were moments of joy and content, the efforts of her mother who tried her damndest to cushion the blows the world seemed intent to deliver.

She feels herself drifting off into sentimentality and catchers herself; her pensive stare shifts into a nervous smile and an anxious laugh. "She's not dead, if you were thinking that," Tane clarifies, realizing the tense she used implied otherwise. "She's alive and well, albeit old. Still helping run that same old bar. I send her money, tell her to retire to a nice little cottage, but she stockpiles the coin. Says it's for a rainy day." Tane laughs as she twirls Gwendolyn again before letting her fall into her embrace. In their closeness, Tane can feel the plushness of Gwendolyn's ass against her and it takes a monumental amount of focus to calm herself down. There's a bone deep fear that her lower body will react in instinct and send Gwendolyn running for the hills.

"You're a great dancer yourself, my lady. If you ever need lessons again, I'm here," Tane murmurs, rocking back and forth with this woman in her grip. She feels as if they could melt away. "Do you feel...at place now? I...want you here, Gwen. I want you..." In the reverie of the moment, she doesn't consider the implications of her wording.
 
"Well I mean it," Gwen says with a nod of her head. She wasn't the best dance partner she'd ever had, technically speaking. But... they joy she felt dancing with her? This is how Gwen had always imagined dancing should feel like. She didn't like all the rules and regulations, having to be stiff as a board, following imagined squares on the floor, one two threes... Gwen loved to dance, and to her that meant moving to the music. Not confined by mindless rules. That was how Tane had danced with her -- freely. And for the first time in her life, besides when she danced in the lonesomeness of her room, she enjoyed herself.

As Tane began to speak of her mom, Gwen became a little confused. She had mentioned her mother previously, during their journey. About bringing a woman home to her. But now, she seemed to speak of her in the past tense... was she...?

The little elf breathed a sigh of relief when Tane, reading the air apparently, cleared up her worries. Her mother was alive and well, that was nice to hear!

"My dad is the same," Gwen sighs, twirling around with reckless abandon, closing her eyes as she swayed. Her father, the King, was growing older as the days went by. As elves, they lived a little longer than the average human, but not by much, averaging only about 50 extra years to a humans 100. The King was about 94, all salt and pepper. He was still as healthy as ever, plump and tall and joyful. Her mother was about 88, not too much younger than her father. While old age for humans, these were about middle-ages for elves. Gwen herself was about 28, still very much a youngling to anyone elven or to those other races who lived longer.

That said though, before she'd left, her father had been falling ill. Nothing too serious, just... certainly something he should be resting off. But, with her leaving, he was too busy to do that. Too excited to see her off. When she left that morning, he had seemed much better. "He's been a little under the weather lately but, that doesn't stop him from doing what he feels he has to. He works himself to sleep sometimes," she says with a laugh.

Gwen realized quite early on that the two of them had quite a bit in common, this didn't help the pleasant feelings worming their way into her heart every time she looked upon Tane. Not in the slightest. But, as the night dragged on, she grew less and less worried about it. Things began to slow around her. If it was because it was growing late, or because the alcohol was finally making her sleepy... Gwen didn't know. Perhaps the excitement of the day? In any case, she leaned closer against Tane, closing her eyes as she pressed her cheek against her stomach, breathing slow as the two of them swayed in place to the crackling of the fire.

"You want me?" she asked with a yawn, practically falling asleep where she stood, the words not really sinking in the way that they might have otherwise. "I'm..--" she yawned again, interrupting herself, "I'm right here".
 
Tane moves with Gwendolyn, content to simply listen to her talk. She hums the song of her mother while Gwendolyn talks of her parents; it seemed their relationship wasn't terribly strained, but likely distant. It's not surprising; there's a lot to do when you run an entire kingdom, all those choices weighing on one man's shoulders, it's bound to wear him out.

"I'm sure he'll recover beautifully, my lady. You'll return home with so much experience and richer as a person," Tane murmurs, feeling the fingers of exhaustion pulling at her. It's been a long day, a tumult of emotions throughout it all. Gwendolyn had her grappling with feelings she could not elaborate or act upon, feelings that would need a long night to sort out. She feels Gwendolyn growing heavy against her, yawning loudly. The princess barely registers her question and Tane chuckles. The party has mostly mellowed out; there are quite a few soldiers sprawled out on the ground in a drunken stupor.

Realizing the princess would be unsafe sleeping out here, she decides to escort her back to her tent. Yet, Gwendolyn is clearly in very little room to make her way back to her room, at least on her own. The half orc sighs as she suddenly places her hands on the woman's legs. With a quick flourish and a small grunt, she lifts Gwen into her arms, carrying the tiny elf bridal style, looking positively miniscule in her hold.

"Come, I think you've had enough to drink," Tane mumbles, feeling the stumble of drunkeness herself. She nods to Briar as she makes her way to Gwendolyn's tent. "Make sure the sentry's are rotated out for the night. Tell the servants to start breakfast at the crack of dawn, we need to be on the road early as possible," Tane tells Briar before walking away. The blonde simply waves his hand, shooing the half-orc away with a small nod of acknowledgement. Tane walks off with Gwendolyn; she does her best to ignore the pleasant feeling of Gwen's legs in her grip. Soft thighs that give way easily to her grip, warm to the touch.

Tane finds her way to Gwendolyn's tent and stumbles in clumsily, placing her on her bed and finding her way to a nearby trunk of clothing, planting herself down carefully. She feels a weird sense of intruding as she stands in Gwen's tent. She's sweaty and disheveled from the dancing; her hair sticks to the sides of her face and her tank top is loose, exposing more cleavage than she was aware of. "You should get some sleep, milady. We have to be up early and hit the road again. It wouldn't do for you to sleep in. " Tane's words begin to slur and her eyelids feel heavy.
 
Gwen protests but, not in any way that indicates she's serious. There's a little whining from her, as if a petulant child had taken her over for a moment before, as she's scooped up in Tane's arms, she rests against her chest, giving in. "I had one mug," she mumbles, rubbing her eyes as she fights off another yawn. She'd never been so tired before... perhaps it was all the traveling and talking... but Gwen thought it more so because she'd finally been able to relax. If only for one night. All her worries and anxieties about the trip, about her Royal Arm? They'd been completely depleted, left behind her in a single evening. She felt not a single bone in her body that was still scared to go on this journey. Now? She was plainly excited. And more so, excited to know Tane.

As Tane prattles on about sentry rotation and this and that, Gwen stops listening, only taking in the vibrations in her chest as they rattle against her, leaving her more tired than before. She was placed down on the bed, lids heavy as she looked up at Tane, frowning for a moment before sitting up and, without a second thought, undoing the tie at the back of her dress, "Could you pass me a night dress from there?" she asked, her evening dress falling down her freckled shoulder as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to decide whether or not she was going to take the time to braid it for the night or just leave it.

Another yawn washed over her, as did a slight wave of remaining drunkenness and she quickly scraped the idea of doing anything with her hair besides throwing it up in a ponytail. So, she sat and picked the flowers out before lifting her hair up behind her head and securing it with a tie.

"If I sleep in you can just chuck me in the carriage asleep," she shrugged her shoulders, a tiny laugh leaving her lips as she pictured such a thing. Of course, the laugh disappeared as quickly as it had come when she finally looked up, catching sight of Tane in the bright light of her lamp. Her skin glistened with the slight sheen of sweat, her hair was disheveled, pieces hanging down where they usually wouldn't. Above all, Gwen could see her figure beneath her clothes. And with the memory of what had happened mere hours prior flooding in again... well, she didn't have to imagine much beneath what she was wearing. Especially with the scoop neck of her tank, exposing the tops of her breasts as the rest of the shirt clung to her strong figure.

Gwen's eyes ducked below her belt, just for a moment... a mere second, the image of what she'd seen earlier reducing her to a blushing mess on her bed. The little elf's ear were as red as her cheeks at the thoughts swimming in her mind. Tane was in her room. She was in here, in her room, alone.

Should she ask? No, should she tell her she'd spied on her? It wasn't a very kind thing to do and if Tane had spied on her, even by accident, Gwen would have wanted to know. But, she couldn't find the words... couldn't even begin the conversation. Instead, she sat on her bed, crossing her legs in the middle of the cot as she lifted her tiara off her head. She needed to sleep. And speaking of baths, she hadn't managed to have one tonight. She would have to bathe in the morning, before everyone left. Perhaps she'd get up early and go off on her own.
 
There's a pleasant smell that fills the room, even among the slight scent of sweat from the both of them. It's a bouquet of spring flowers that reminds her of a stream she used to play by. It's soothing and it tempts Tane to lay down on a nearby surface and fall asleep. She watches Gwendolyn through half-lidded eyes; there's the exposure of some of her shoulders, the tan illuminated by a nearby lamp, giving it a golden hue. Gwendolyn's request snaps Tane to attention and she moves hastily, digging through the trunk until she finds a night dress, hand it to the princess before, sitting back down on the bed. It's only when she starts moving that she realizes she's thoroughly drunk and in for a night of stumbling drunkenly through the dark to find her tent.

She should feel tired and miserable, wanting desperately to curl up into a ball and snore through the night. Yet, being around Gwendolyn was all she wanted in this moment. Even if she was drunk off her ass, stumbling like a newborn, if it was by Gwendolyn's side, it mattered little. Did every Royal Arm before her feel this way? Did they all have have this same inexplicable desire to remain by their charge's side?

"I will do no such thing, my lady," Tane replies, finding the idea amusing. "Imagine how cross you would be with me if you slept through the entire trip." She raises one hand and waves her finger to admonish her, albeit in a mocking manner. The joke makes her realize that the princess is in no condition to be left alone; while this likely wasn't her first time drunk, it felt like poor form for an Arm to leave her to nurse herself through the night. What if she was taken by sickness? In her drunkenness, it doesn't occur to her this is the exact reason she had handmaidens in the first place. Tane kicks off her boots and tucks them into a nearby corner and turns towards Gwendolyn, hands on her hips.

"It will not do to leave you alone in this time. As your Royal Arm, I'll safeguard you in your sleep lest, you, uhh....you know," Tane's voice trails off as she loses track, her words devolving into a drunken mumble. It sounds like a perfectly logical idea in her head and she nods solemnly, confident smirk on her features.

This smirk crumbles slightly when she realizes this would require they sleep in the same room. Even moreso, Tane would have to be present when Gwendolyn changed into comfier clothing. The very idea of it sends a wave of heat up her face, reddening an already substantial blush on her cheeks. She turns around and faces a nearby wall, staring at it as intently as one would an enemy, practially boring a hole through it with her piercing gaze. "Y-You can change if you'd like. I understand if you'd like to preserve your modesty."
 
Gwen distracted herself from her thoughts, standing on wobbly knees from her bed, nightwear in hand as she kicked off her shoes. A laugh, as clear as a bell, left her lips at Tane's words.

"I would never be mad at anyone for letting me sleep in. If i miss the trip for some extra sleep? So be it". Of course, she was mostly joking. She didn't want to kiss anything at all, not even a moment but, if it came to it? She would rather be on her way to their first stop than hold everyone up simply because she was sleeping. And, she was a deep sleeper. If it took her meaningfully tonight, as it often did when she had drink in her, she was surely going to be sleeping late. So much for her bath.

She loses focus of what she's doing when Tane offers to stay or, more accurately, tells the little elf she's decided to stay. In case she grew ill in the night. Gwen blushed, embarrassed that she seemed that bad at holding her drink. She swore, it was just this particular one... usually it took more than 5 glasses of wine to have her feeling even a buzz! Tonight, with a stomach mostly empty and her lack of care to sip slowly... she'd gotten drunk fast. But she was no where near wasted. She didn't think she was ready for Tane to see her wasted either... now that was embarrassing.

Meanwhile though, Gwen was in the midst of removing her dress, turning to look at Tane from over her shoulder as her dress pooped around her feet. "I bet more people have seen me naked than they've seen you,"Gwen giggled. She was joking of course but, there was some truth. As a Princess, she had been bathed by others until she finally had enough but, still she required help to dress... especially when it came to the fancy dress she wore out. Plenty of people had seen her naked, Tane would not be the first.

She quickly slipped into her night dress though, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she removed the remainder of her jewelry, sitting back down in her bed and fluffing her pillow.

"I'm decent, you can turn around now," she smiled, hugging her pillow to her chest as she looked up at her new Royal Arm, sleepy eyes taking in her expression. "Please don't feel the need to stay up all night watching me. If I were going to be sick I already would have been, honest".
 
Tane tries to corral her thoughts the minute Gwen mentions how many have likely seen her naked; it was already hard enough for her to will herself to not turn around, to steal a small peek at the woman behind her. She, however, didn't want to violate her privacy. They had built trust between each other and there was little Tane was willing to take in return for violating it.

She taps her foot nervously on the grassy floor of the tent. Tane can see the silhouette of Gwendolyn's body in the shadows and she cheekily figures this is technically not peaking. There it is again, that pear-shaped figure, womanly hips that flared out dramatically. What would it be like to wrap her hands around those hips and hold her tight? There's a stirring in Tane's pants and she's just short of yelling at her own budding erection to return from whence it came.

"Aye, maybe so, but I have not earned that right. What good would it be for a Royal Arm to have so little discipline in something as small as this, my lady?" Tane says as she turns around, relieved yet disappointed to see Gwendolyn was dressed. She's curled up onto her body, clutching a pillow. Tane strides over, crouching down so her head is level with Gwens. The princess has a point; this was a grown woman, not a mere child. She was just as capable of taking care of herself as anyone. Perhaps what Tane really wanted to say was that she wanted to stay by her side. Less out of duty but because she cherished the moments. She wished to talk to her until the early hours of the day about anything at all. "I-I....I just want to make sure, is all. Afford your simple knight this grace, my liege."

Tane reaches to tug off her pants before stopping, realizing what she was about to expose. There was a worry in her heart that Gwendolyn would think her a monster; if her appearance wasn't enough now, then surely, once she saw what hung between her legs, there would be no debate. Normally, she took little shame in her cock, but Gwendolyn is different. The orc wants the princess to think the world of her and a freak of nature was nothing to be praised. She opts to simply sleep in her clothes, propping herself up against her trunk, having moved it next to Gwen's bed. Tane has slept in much worse conditions; in the rain, in the blistering heat, even on the battlefield among bloodied and sweaty men. A simple hard floor in a tent might as well have been another bed to her.

"I enjoyed today. I hope I was able to be a source for you to confide in and that you do so in the future."
 
Gwendolyn, exhausted to the point of yawning every few seconds, still kept her eyes open at least enough to watch Tane walk her way over. The Princess look up at her, having to crane her neck at this angle, trying to avoid the fact that she was perfectly level with Tane's hips before she knelt down in front of her. Gwen hid behind her pillow, only her doe eyes peeking out. Tane's eyes were crimson in this light, illuminated almost from deep within. They sparkled in the flickering light of the oil lamp by her bedside, leaving Gwen's cheeks a similar shade as she settled herself and laid her head against the pillow, looking at her tiredly, eyes heavy with sleep. She outright admired her, letting the remaining drunkenness ebbing through her and her tired mind take over, do as it pleased for a little while more. Before morning came and with it again, her worries and her busy life. For now, she allowed her eyes the simple pleasure of drinking in as much of Tane as they could.

Her plump lips, framed by those two small tusks. Her brilliant red eyes similarly adorned by a set of thick eyebrows and lashes. She admired the scars decorating her arms, a hand reaching out to ghost her fingers over her forearm, from Tane's elbow to the tips of her calloused fingers and back again, slowly running over the battle marks on her skin.

"Okay," she said quietly, giving her the permission she sought, in one simple word. She wouldn't argue. If that was what Tane wanted to do, then so be it. "On one condition..." she said, reaching over to grab the dress she'd just taken off. She only had one pillow and while she could just as easily give it to Tane and sleep on her dress, something inside her was telling her to do the opposite. "Please take this, for your head. I don't want you waking up with sore muscles".

Gwen didn't want to stop there. No, she wanted to offer her bed. She wanted to request to sleep on her chest, in her lap, anywhere they could touch throughout the night. But, the reason and logic locked deep inside her drunk brain managed to break free just for a moment and stop her from doing the obviously stupid thing. So instead, she did the next best thing.

"I'm sorry if it's kind of smelly I was just dancing in it..." she said sheepishly, hiding her face again in the pillow before falling onto her cot and laying down, watching Tane's face from below again.

"And, you were. Thank you Tane," she said quietly, her voice muffled by the pillow as she smiled. She couldn't remember ever smiling so much in one day, before now. Maybe it was just her excitement, her nerves but... honestly? She thought it might just be because of Tane. She had someone to talk to now... someone who clearly was interested by her, beyond her job requirements. Where we her handmaids, after all? Enjoying what they perceived to be an extended vacation, that's where. But Tane? Here she was offering to protect her in the night, even going so far as to sleep inside her tent to make sure she didn't have to be sick alone.

"I would like that..." she said through a yawn, "I hope we can talk more tomorrow..."

And with that, like a switch had been flicked, the Princess fell asleep, still holding onto her pillow, exposed to the night air as she slumbered, not even having a chance to pull up her blanket before sleep took her.

Gwendolyn's dreams were filled with her adventures today. With dancing, with laughter, with music... with Tane. Particularly, closer to the time she woke up, with the scene she'd seen of Tane bathing. It seemed otherworldly then, and that wasn't helped by her dreams. In her dreams, Gwen was closer to the waters edge. In her dreams... Tane spotted her and, instead of yelling like Gwen was sure she would have had she seen her last night, she beckoned her in. And Gwen, being a lady, wasn't one to refuse an invitation.
 
Tane takes the dress from Gwendolyn, holding it for the briefest of moments before balling it up and tucking it behind her neck. It's not much, but it's a decent enough cushion to keep her from a stiff neck. There is a scent on the garment, but it's not unpleasant in the slighest, at least to Tane. It smells of Gwendolyn, that same nostalgic scent that reminded her of spring showers. It almost lulls Tane into slumber, like someone pulling gently on her hand and into bed. "It smells fine, my lady," Tane murmurs, just low enough in hopes that it goes completely over Gwendolyn's head. She watches Gwendolyn play with the scars on her arm and she hopes it is admiration and not morbid curiosity.

When Gwen thanks her, she feels a swell in heart that almost sets it to bursting. She hadn't felt this attached and invested in another person since her mother and Briar. There's not just the urge to protect Gwendolyn, but instead one to watch her grow. To show her everything this world had to offer her and hope she'll grow as a person for it. She wanted to be there at every step, a guide and a protector, shielding her from this world's threats and gracing her with its wonders. She opens her mouth to speak again, but Gwendolyn has already drifted off to sleep, gripping her pillow tight. Tane idly wishes that were her instead.

Sighing and leaning into the trunk, she lets sleep take her as well. It was a deep slumber and her dreams were rushed. Fast. All of it joyful, though. There's flashes of her holding Gwendolyn's hand, some of her sitting on Tane's shoulders to reach a curiously shaped fruit from a tree. Curled up on a forest floor, counting the stars in a night sky. One of them, a dream that will follow her into the light of day, is them dancing, but Tane is bolder. Her calloused hand rests on Gwen's face and she leans in to kiss her, if only for the briefest moments.

Tane wakes suddenly, her eyes snapping open. The early morning light floods into the tent, casting the two of them in it's bronze hues. She yawns and picks herself up off the ground, streching her long limbs. Tane's eyes fall upon Gwen's still sleeping form; she's managed to kick some of her blankets away again and the orc chuckles as she leans in to pull it over her again. She tucks a fallen strand of fiery red hair behind Gwendolyn's ear and smiles fondly; the urge to plant but the smallest of kisses on her forehead is powerful, but she resists. Looking around the room, she manages to find a parchment and quill. Dipping it in some ink, she scribbles down a quick message, cursing her sloppy handwriting all the while. It's terse and to the point, letting Gwen know Tane went to help prep breakfast and ready the convoy.

Sighing, she ducks out of the tent and finds Briar already gathering up the fishing group. He smiles widely at Tane, motioning towards Gwendolyn's tent with a quick nod. It takes a few seconds of confusion before Tane realizes what he's implying.

"Oh, fuck off, you fool! Nothing happened."

"You sure? I mean, hey, it wouldn't be the first time you-"

"Nothing. Happened."

"You did have a lot to drink," Briar retorts as Tane growls at the man menacingly, prompting him to throw up his hands in apology. "Okay, okay! Gods, like a bear woken from the winter, you are. Come, mama bear, we're going fishing. Maybe you can swipe a few from the stream."

Tane rolls her eyes and punches him in the shoulder again, prompting a wince and complaint from the blonde haired knight, both of them trekking off to the nearby river. It makes her feel like a rickety old man, but she has always enjoyed the quiet focus of fishing, nothing but her and nature. She goes off on her own to a more secluded section of the river. It gives her time and space to contemplate. though this time, it's more difficult than usual. Her heart is a roller-coaster of emotions, all of them confounding but just as powerful. Tane has to come to terms with the possibility she has garnered feelings for Gwendolyn, both romantic and sexual, but what does she do? She's of the lower class, not even remotely fitting for her in the eyes of the kingdom. Even if it wouldn't result in a political scandal, what could Gwendolyn possibly see in her? A brute, marked by war, with a strange biology at that.

Where could she find something to love in there?
 
To the sound of birds outside, closer than they'd ever been before, Gwen woke. She blinked in the bright light, wincing as she covered her eyes briefly, fluttering her eyes open to the sounds around her. She laid there for a moment, staring at the ceiling of her tent, trying to gather her thoughts. She'd woken from such a lovely dream... she wanted to go back to sleep.

With a sigh, Gwen sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before looking around.

She was alone.

Of course, a part of her was not surprised. Tane had things to do and it wasn't as if they'd... well. Gwen swallowed, realizing that, even with the drink out of her system, these feelings were remaining and they hadn't grown weaker over night. In fact, since waking from her dream, in the middle of pulling Tane down toward her to press their lips together, she felt even more smitten. Gwen groaned, running a hand down her face. It had been barely 24 hours and already she was pining over this woman she barely knew.

Gwen rolled out of her cot, her feet touching cool earth as she stretched her arms above her head, rising to her tip toes before sighing in relief as her back stretched to a nice pop, loosening her out enough to wobble over to the make shift desk, catching the sight of a piece of paper she had most definitely not left there. Written on it was a short message from Tane, letting her know where she was, what she was up to. Gwen smiled to herself, a little tug on the corner of her mouth, the dimples on her cheeks visible as she did. It was nice to wake up to a message, at least. Though she would have preferred Tane, it was probably for the best.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, scrunching her nose at the tangles. She needed a wash.

With that, she gathered up her things, hid away the note in a spot she knew no one would find it, and then made her way out of her tent.

There were a few stragglers still sleeping on the ground, but the campfire had long since gone out. Besides that, her handmaidens sat in their own tents, open up to the morning air as they chatted amongst themselves. Gwen really didn't want to deal with a bunch of hungover women, some old enough to be her mother. That was not something she needed. So, as she had done the night prior, she snuck around the back and up the hiking trail toward the stream. It wasn't until she got closer to the sound of the water rushing that she could also hear the sound of voices. Well, she didn't need everyone to see her bathing, certainly. So, thankful for her decent sense of direction, she made her way down river, ears piqued for quiet. When she finally found it, she emerged from the woods.

But, as if by fate itself, she found herself not entirely alone. As she stepped out onto the rocky shore, looking around, she noted the familiar pale complexion of her new friend. Having come out quietly, she hadn't made herself known yet, and quickly ducked down behind a rock. She wasn't quite sure why she was hiding again, it seemed to be a habit at this river she supposed. But, as she watched Tane, she realized that that was exactly why she'd done it. She wanted to watch her. Quietly, undisturbed, without disturbing her subject. She's fishing, though doesn't seem to be completely focused on the task.

She absolutely glows under the morning light, her raven hair catching the rays of golden yellow, her skin alight as the sun began to peak through the trees from over the hills. Gwen watches the muscles in her arms as she holds the rod, clearly distracted by something. Gwendolyn wondered what she could possibly be thinking about. She seemed... sad, almost. Or well, obviously not overjoyed. Could it be because of last night? Did she regret staying? She had left before Gwen woke...

Gwendolyn looked down to the shore, sitting down next to the boulder, hidden from sight as she brought her knees to her chest, listening, waiting. Really, she should be bathing but, she was a little worried about all the men down river. She trusted them of course but, she didn't really... want them looking upon her. Especially naked. It came with the whole dislike of them thing. But, she couldn't very well ask Tane to keep guard for her. She was busy. And... well. It would be quite hypocritical of her to ask her not to look when Gwen had very obviously looked. For longer than she should have. She sighed, probably louder than she meant to, and covered her mouth, cursing her self as she brought her knees closer to her chest.
 
Tane makes a poor fisher now, her focus entirely on her own thoughts. Fish surround her bait, catiously weighing the risk of lunging at the line. The orc barely pays attention, lips pursed in thought. She should've been happy! Elated! She had a magical night with a woman she cherished and would be traveling with her, seeing the world in all its wonder. What is there to be anything but overjoyed about? These emotions plagued her, harassed her and demanded answers that she did not have.

"What do you fucking want, Tane?" The orc mutters to herself, fists clenched around the fishing rod in frustration. A voice, deep in the back of her head, told her what she wanted. She wanted to hold Gwendolyn, wanted her to look upon her fondly. You don't just want her as a friend, the voice insisted, you want her. The orc wishes to feel her breath on her neck, her soft lips whispering sweet nothings into her ear. To bare all her bodily gifts to you and ask you to partake in them. She feels the stirring in her crotch again and curses loudly.

A gasp from out in the field snaps her from her thoughts; orcs were known for having preternaturally sharp senses, being that they were essentially humanoid predators. At that same time, a fish lunges at her bait tugging at the land. "Goddammit," Tane curses as her attention is pulled towards the fish. With an angry, yet skillful tug, she hooks the fish and yanks it hard. There's a huge splash and the fish comes flying into the air. It lands into Tane's open hand with a wet thud, her powerful grip closing around it instantly. The fish attempts to flop out of her hand, but Tane's grip is like a vice, monstrous strength in her hands. Placing it down on the ground, far away from the bank. she looks around to spot where the gasp came from, scanning the woods. Her crimson eyes lock onto a familiar shock of red hair.

"G-Gwen? Milady, what are you doing out here? Are you okay?" Tane rushes over to her in confusion, her long legs covering the distance immediately. At close, she can see the woman is still a tad haggard from the previous night. It takes only a few seconds before she's able to piece together why she was out here at the river. "Were you planning on washing, milady?" A blush creeps at her face as she realizes that this woman could've possibly started bathing only a few dozen steps away from her.

"I can keep guard, if you'd like, from the soldiers. While I don't suspect any of them would take advantage, they are....men. Briar is one of the few good ones. I've caught my fish for the day, so it would be no problem at all." It being no problem was a lie, but not one she was willing to let Gwendolyn know.
 
Her voice is like a balm to her worries, already beginning for the day. Her wondering. Hearing it, the vibration of it deep in her chest, Gwen hums quietly, closing her eyes to the sound of Tane talking to herself, to the tiny waves on the river shoreline. As she cursed, Gwen saw the fish she was pulling in come sailing up over head and, with a peak around the boulder, she caught sight of Tane catching it in her bare hand, squeezing it in her fist. Gwen felt her mouth go dry, staring wide eyed at the sight, cheeks bright red. Something about it was just... attractive. Gwendolyn swallowed, shaking some rather unladylike thoughts from her head as she looked back to Tane, quickly ducking behind the boulder with a gasp.

But, the damage was already done. Tane had heard her.

Gwen sat next to the boulder like a child caught doing something they weren't supposed to, looking up at Tane as she rounded the corner. A moment passed before recognition set in and instead of yelling at her, or reprimanding her for going out on her own... Tane asked her if she was okay. Gwen blinked, tilting her head at the question a moment before nodding, "I... yes! Yes, I'm fine".

She stands, brushing herself off, still in her night dress, a towel in hand giving away her purpose here. She nods again, looking off to the side as Tane asks, the Princess sporting a rosy blush of her own. Had she not seen her, she likely would have just gone right into the water in front of her. Gwendolyn felt her heart race, the thought leaving her less embarrassed and more... disappointed in herself. That was an odd feeling. She pursed her lips, trying her hardest to rid herself of the thoughts but... Tane was not making it an easy task.

"Y-you don't need to... I--" she sighed, knowing there was no way to put this that didn't leave her looking silly. Of course she needed someone to keep watch while she bathed, and of course that someone had to be Tane. She was her Royal Arm, it was her job. It wasn't like Gwen was disappointed, quite the contrary but... she knew Tane took her job seriously. There would be no peaking. Not that Gwen had much to keep secret about her body, unlike Tane... a secret she already knew about. And one she felt worse and worse about knowing the longer she sat on it... that wasn't the right way to put it at all. Now Gwen was just a blushing puddle where she stood, trying to shake away the thoughts in her head and miserably failing.

"Th-thank you, Tane.." she murmured. She did need to bathe. She felt absolutely disgusting in her skin right now, and the longer she sat in the sun, the warmer it grew the grosser she felt. With that, Gwen reached into her hair to tug free her ponytail, letting her long hair fall in waves down her back as she busied herself brushing through it. "I... I wont be long," she said, her gaze flicking up to her Royal Arm for only a moment before falling again to the ground as she began to tug her arms out of her dress, stepping around Tane as she made her way to the shoreline, hugging herself under the fabric of her pajamas before pulling the dress off over her head and setting down on a near by rock, close to the water.

She stood there now, completely nude in the morning light as she made her way into the water, gasping in surprise at the temperature, nervous laughter decorating her words, "It's c-cold!" she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as she braved the cool waters, taking a deep breath before dunking herself beneath the surface to thoroughly wet her hair, and to acclimate to the lack of warmth, surfacing again with a small gasp, pushing her hair out of her face.

Her tan skin glistened with the moisture of the stream, her long copper hair reaching far past the small of her back, clinging to her body, the ends long enough to dance along the surface of the water about an inch or two. The tops of her wide hips were visible above the surface of the water, the tiny elf up to mid-thigh in the river. On her chest were two breasts, proportionate to her body but obviously less wide than her hips. Gwen ran her hands up her body, washing herself as best she could, her own delicate hands too small to fully encompass the flesh in her palms, but to anyone with larger hands, they were perfectly sized for just that. Between her legs was perfectly ordinary female anatomy, concealed by a light dusting of copper red hair to match the hair on her head.

Gwendolyn found herself day dreaming as she washed herself, almost forgetting Tane on the shore, or the men teeming just down the bank, only a fifteen minute hike away. This was calming, this was nice...

Of course, she didn't forget about Tane for long, peeking over her shoulder, pulling her hair to the front, her back and bottom on display as she glanced, chancing a look.
 
"You don't need to thank me, Gwen. You're my friend and it'd be my pleasure," Tane replies kindly before taking post at the bank, her eyes scanning the forest vigilantly. She hears the soldiers out in the distance, barking at each other and generally making fools of themselves. From the sound of it, they were only a few minutes away, but definitely clear out of sight. The orc taps her boot against the ground as Gwendolyn slips into the water.

She whistles a small tune to herself to distract her from the very urgent problem in her mind. Gwendolyn was naked and right behind her. It would be an outright lie for Tane to say she had no desire to see Gwen laid bare; as much as it somewhat shamed her, there was a deep desire to see what lay behind that dress, to see the delicate curves of her body in the morning light. She knows it would be beneath her to steal a glance, but the desire is there. Strong, beating in her chest. Yet, she holds out.

When she hears the splash and her cry ring out, Tane reflexively turns around and it would take a titanic effort to pull herself away from the small glance she took. What she had imagined under that dress absolutely paled in comparison to the genuine article. Gwendolyn's tan skin, dappled with sun filtered through the trees, beaded with drops of water. The swell of her hips that gave way to a shapely ass that seemed heavenly to touch, one that put any bottom she had seen before to shame. Her breasts were not as large as Tane's but enticing nonetheless, perfect little handfuls that seemed delightful to cup in her hands. Fiery hair cascades down her back, slick from the water of the river. It's plastered to a delicate tanned back, one she could not help imagining herself trailing her lips down.

Tane finds her jaw slack and the heat of arousal lights itself across her form like a forest fire. A few seconds pass before Tane realizes what she's done. She curses inwardly and whips her head back towards the forest, grinding her teeth in frustration. She's deeply thankful her body is faced away because she is pitching a very obvious tent in her pants, one that she idly and discreetly attempts to adjust. Her mouth is dry and if she tried to speak, Tane would be surprised if anything but a squeak left her lips.

This felt like a joke of the gods; it was enough that Gwendolyn had a charm and energy that bring Tane joy. On top of this, Gwendolyn was desirable in every sense of the word. It's as if the very sight had seeded an entirely new feeling in Tane. One of pure desire, to hold Gwendolyn's breasts in her hands and to run her rough palms across the curve of her ass. It was absolutely unbefitting of a knight to have these thoughts, but Tane was also a woman with very human desires. It had been awhile since she had lain with another woman, the business of preparing her to be a Royal Arm taking up any free time she would have to find a cheap fling at a local tavern. She had even less time to pleasure herself in the safety of her own quarters and her unwilling abstinence is coming back to bite her.

"T-The men will be preparing fish stew for breakfast and the handmaidens have crushed some fresh juice from the apples," Tane says, making small talk, any attempt to distract her mind from focusing anymore on the uncouth thoughts that rattled through her skull. "Once we eat, we'll be on our way to Evergreen. I suspect we'll finally arrive by evening. There will be a small welcoming ceremony and we'll have a few days to ourselves before the big festival." Tane had been to Evergreen once or twice, enough to be aware of their customs and the sighs the small town had to afford. While it wasn't as bustling as any city-state, it was lively and had plenty to do for passing travelers.

"I-If you would like, I could show you around? A small tour of the city couldn't hurt, yes?" Tane looks down to see her erection has mostly calmed down, at least to a point where her desire was not terribly obvious.
 
By the time Gwen turns around, she's missed Tane's peak at her body, catching only her back. Something stirs in her skin to disappointment but, at the same time she's a little relieved. She's obviously unaware that Tane has in fact seen her, thinking the opposite and, in that, appreciating that she hadn't snuck any glances at her. Tane was respectful, Gwen liked that.

Unlike herself who still felt terribly for spying. She should come clean eventually... she was sure there would be plenty of time to do so on the journey to Evergreen.

Gwen turned back to facing away, humming to herself as she washed away the dirt from yesterday, leaving her feeling refreshed and clean. When her legs began to grow numb from the cool water, she finally made her way back to dry land, running her fingers through her silky hair absentmindedly.

It wasn't until she got to the shoreline that she realized... she had forgotten her towel over by Tane. That and she had totally forgotten a change of clean clothes. That wasn't so bad... she could just put her night dress back on.

Gwen reached for it, pulling it down from the boulder before losing her grip on the fabric and watching, helplessly, as it fell into the water. "Oh... dear".

Blushing brightly, Gwen picked the dress up out of the water, shuffling behind the boulder as best she could to hide herself before her attention was turned to Tane as she made conversation. "That all sounds wonderful and I hate to change the subject, truly but ah... Tane? Could you... could you pass me my towel?"
 
Tane is engrossed with mentally chastising herself for her weak will; all she had to do was resist temptation for a few minutes, but was too weak to do so. Her emotions were a bubbling mix of guilt and arousal. There was a large part of her that longed to come clean and admit to her wrong doing, but when would be a good time? Surely not now when Gwendolyn was focused on bathing. In the carriage? What if Gwendolyn felt cornered?

The royal guard is engrossed in her thoughts when Gwen's soft voice cuts through. She turns around to see the very top of Gwendolyn's head peaking out over a large boulders The very sight of her huddled up is hilarious in of itself; it would've prompted Tane to burst into laughter if it wasn't for the woman in front of her. She can still see tan shoulders, slick red hair plastered over them.

"Where areyour clothes, Gwen? Surely you can't expect to walk back-," Tane's words are cut off when she spots the elf's dress floating in the water, moving with the shifting waves of the river. This presented a host of problems, the primary one being how to get her back to the tents without her being caught. "Yes, milady," Tane replies, reaching and handing her the towel, shaking her head. As nervous as the situation made her, she felt a laugh bubbling it's way up her mouht. She places a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, but it's to no avail. Soon, Tane bursts into a fit of giggles, her huge shoulders shaking as she laughs her ass off.

"I-I'm sorry, my lady, truly, j-just...pfff," Tane says in between chuckles, wiping a stray year from her eye. She feels some of the anxiety melt off her body along with the guilt. Overwhelmed with tension earlier, she desperately needed a laugh to bring her back down to earth. She lets out a long sigh, looking at Gwendolyn's with bright and mirthful eyes. "You are many things, Gwen, but above all, you are simply a joy."

Rising up from her knees, she decides she'll come clean about peaking. She valued her relationship with her too much to not say anything. Maybe it's, in the grand scheme of things, not worth making a thing about. It seems like such a small thing on the surface, but it means a lot to Tane. She had very few things in her life, but her honor was one and she treasured it, small as it seems. It would have to wait, however. For now, she needed to figure out how to get Gwendolyn to her tent without anyone spotting her. Listening, she can hear the men still at the fishing hole. She figures they have a few minutes before they finish and make their way back to the camp. Tane would have to act fast.

"This will sound....unbecoming, but allow me to carry you. I think myself quite quick and I can have you at your tent before anyone notices." Tane knows its a lot to ask, considering that Gwendolyn was all but naked, only separated by the towel, but she sees little other solutions. "I'll come back for your dress before we leave camp."
 
Gwen sink behind the rock a little more now, a blush in her cheeks as her brows furrowed at Tane's laughter. She wasn't mad, far from it but, she certainly didn't appreciate being laughed at. She rolled her eyes playfully, smirk on her lips as she slapped her wet night dress down on the rock, splashing Tane.

"You know..." she began, reaching to grab her towel. She climbed out of the water and onto the shore as Tane looked away, ringing her hair out before drying herself off, the towel wrapped tightly around her body, almost too small to properly fit around her hips, her side just visible from the bottom. "I almost felt bad for sp--!"

Gwendolyn quickly shut her mouth, cheeks bright red as she tried her hardest to correct herself, lest she give herself away... "for... falling asleep so early last night". She cringed, turning around to look out at the water again as she feigned wringing her damp hair.

Gods... she was such an idiot sometimes.

She turned around to meet Tane's eyes as she spoke, quirking a brow at her suggestion and looking back over at her dress. "I... okay," she said with a nod, trying to fit the towel around herself better, cursing beneath her breath at her body. It was hard to find towels at proper length to fit around her hips, it surprised her at all that she could ever have a dress properly tailored to hide them. If there was anything about Gwendolyn she was self-conscious about, it was her hips. They were far too wide for her liking, especially right now.

Blushing in both embarrassment and frustration, she gave up on trying, succumbing to the fact that her upper leg would just be visible. She felt exposed out here and surely, she would feel that more so once Tane picked her up.
 
Tane flinches from the splash of water, chuckling at Gwen's embarassment. Smirking playfully, she watches her attempt to secure the towel around her body; the fabric is stretch to it's absolute limits, so much that Tane is surprised the girl can even move in it. Nodding, she puts her arms under Gwnendolyn's legs, lifting her up as easily one would a child. She waits a few moments for Gwendolyn to adjust and grow comfortable in her arms. The confidence she had in this plan wanes a tad as she holds Gwen in her arms; the plush of her lower body presses into her forearms, giving her goosebumps. The fabric rides up a bit, but enough that Tane can see a decent splash of her upper thigh, tanned and unmarred. It's a contrast to Tane's own body, marked with more scars than she could ever bother to count.

Looking around, she starts off at a light trot before picking up speed. Her long legs thud through the soft grass before starting a full out run. Despite her prodigious size, Tane is capable of moving at incredible speeds, albeit in a very straight line. Anyone who saw them would simply see a pale blur bounding through the forest, clutching a small woman tight to her chest. She's thankful that the only ones who could spot them were allies, otherwise it'd seem as if the princess was being kidnapped by some rogue orc.

It's barely minutes before Tane arrives at Gwendolyn's tent, ducking in quickly. The run only leaves her slightly winded, feeling more like a morning job than anything. Placing, Gwendolyn down on the bed, she places her hands on her hips, looking much too proud of herself. "See? Quick as a rabbit. I may look like a weigh a ton, which I do, but I'm fast," Tane says as she sits against Gwendolyn's trunk. A dumb smile graces her features; the entire situation was comical, a good laugh in contrast to the anxiety that still bubbles in the background of her heart.

Sighing, she looks directly in Gwendolyn's eyes. "I have to apologize, milady, but.....I....I had a look," Tane finally says, acting as if she had confessed to the murder of a priest. She wants to look away, but forces herself to maintain her gaze. "I didn't mean to, I looked when I heard your yell, but my gaze lingered much longer than it should. I couldn't......."

Tane pauses and bites her lip, unsure if the words to come out of her mouth will ruin the friendship they've established.


"You're captivating, Gwen. I apologize for breaking your trust."
 
Gwendolyn holds back a squeak as she's picked up, much like the night before. Only, now, she's entirely sober and aware. Oh, and naked save for a towel that was doing a very bad job. She kept her legs pressed tight together, adjusting herself in Tane's arms before looking up at her with a nod. And then, they were off.

She didn't expect her to start running and, when she did, Gwen three her arms up around her thick neck, holding herself close as she closed her eyes and turned her head away from the wind. When she opened them again, Tane had slowed to a fast walk, sneaking her into her tent.

Gwen was placed upon her bed, a little dizzy from the speed of her Arm's running. She looked up at her as she spoke, a smile on her lips, enough to dimple her cheeks as she shook her head, "certainly faster than I would have been".

It comes as a genuine surprise when Tane speaks again, catching Gwen off guard. It's in her instincts to tell Tane she has nothing to apologize for but, she quickly clams up as Tane continues on, figuring by her serious tone that this was something important.

As she listened, the heat rose up her body, to her cheeks and tips of her ears, leaving her as red as a tomato. The little Princess say there, hair still damp, dripping against her thigh, the towel slipping loose as she struggled to think of something to say. She quickly folded it back where it was meant to be as she cleared her throat, very much aware that she was still naked. And now, that Tane had apologized before she had.

She had to say something...

"I... I have to confess something too I..." wait did she just call her captivating? Gwen squeezes her hands into fists in her lap before shaking the thought from her head. She needed to finish her apology!

"I saw you. Last night," she mumbles, "in the river. I... I didn't mean to! I was following after you to talk to you and I just.. you're very, very fast and I got left behind and by the time I caught up you were.. well..." Gwen sighed, hanging her head, trying to ignore the urge to apologize for rambling. "I'm... I'm sorry. I should have told you..."
 
Tane was visibly tense, expecting to be chastised or admonished by Gwendolyn for her actions; regardless of how small they were, Tane still feels like she has crossed a line of some sort. She notices the blush on Gwendolyn's face and mistakes it for anger, prepped for whatever was coming next. Imagine her surprise when Gwendolyn instead counters with her own confession. Tane's eyes widen as Gwen apologizes, calling back to last night. It puts the entire night into an entirely different perspective. The orc knew there was something off about Gwen, more than just feeling out of place, but she didn't want to press; the princess was a woman capable of deciding her own emotional limits.

"Is that what you were so tense about?" Tane pauses, furrowing her brow before she sighs in relief, leaning back against the trunk. "Gods, that's a relief. That entire night, I thought I had....made you angry. Or scared you, put you off." The orc chuckles, reaching forward to hug Gwendolyn. Tane figures this has been eating Gwendolyn, the same way it had Tane, but for so much more longer. In a way, Tane is flattered; the fact that it meant so much to Gwen means their friendship was valuable, that she was just as afraid of compromising as she was. "Gwen, it's fine. Honest and true. Surprising, yes, but I am not bothered. It was an accident!"

Leaning away from her, Tane's eyes widen as she realizes she missed one thing; it was very likely that Gwendolyn got a full view of Tane's very unique biology. She genuinely did not expect she would have to ever explain it to Gwen, so the words fail her at first. Tane had little shame in her equipment, at least in comparison to her orc heritage. While it was definitely strange, it was a trait she had come to terms with. Moreso, she was thankful that if she were to have such body parts, at least she was well-endowed. The numerous women who had slept with her were more than fond of it and made their approval very vocal, to put it as bluntly as possible.

"So, I uhh, assume you saw it. You know, my...." Tane chuckles nervously and points at her crotch. Part of her feels terrible that Gwendolyn had to see it, but the other wonders what she even thought of it. "I am a woman. I was born one, but....my father was an orc from a very old clan of orc. It's why I'm pale as opposed to the usual green. It's said this condition is unique to his clan, manifested in only a few women each generation. Apparently, they were revered matriarchs. Not that I would know, I have never met my father, he left early in my infancy. I only know what my mother learned from him." Tane finds herself rambling and decides to shut up, giving Gwendolyn some time to process what she's saying. Orcish biology has always been rather strange, studied by scholars and mages with the few orcs who willing to be subjected to study.

"If it disgusts you, I understand. Not everyone is a huge fan." Though she doesn't mind it, she suddenly feels like Gwendolyn's opinion means the world. She plays it cool, smiling cooly, but, she is a maelstrom of self-consciousness on the inside.
 
Gwen almost immediately relaxes as Tane speaks, though confusion was written plain as day on her face, "wh-- yes I... I thought you'd be... m-mad". She bit her tongue as Tane called it an accident, not having the heart to say that, while it had been initially, Gwen had been very much enjoying the view, far longer than Tane had. The hug is a surprise and, as she is still in her towel, the little red head tenses up, a small gasp leaving her lips. But, she trusts Tane. She knows the hug isn't anything more than a hug... so, she hugs her back. As Tane pulls away, Gwen calms her racing heart and settles back into the bed. She tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear, looking away from Tane's eyes.

There was a moment of silence between them where Gwen wasn't sure if she should say something, or if Tane was about to. And then, after a second of debate with herself, Tane broke the quiet. All Gwen could do was nod her head, not meeting her eye as she began to explain. She was taking everything in, the information about Tane's clan and her family history... it was all fascinating for Gwendolyn but, at the same time, she couldn't get past the embarrassment of admitting to spying on her. Even if she did say it was okay.

She finally looked up as Tane spoke of her father, as she took a pause. And almost as quickly as Gwen had shut up, she stood from her seat on the bed, holding her towel tight to her chest so it wouldn't slip away, and began to ramble herself.

"Of course you're a woman," she said, her tone of voice very much one to denote that arguing with her was pointless. She was right, that was that. "You carry yourself like a woman, you say you are a woman, you are a woman. What else would you be?"

Gwendolyn stormed up to her Royal Arm, looking straight up at her, half a mind to pull her down to her height, "you do not disgust me. Nor do you frighten me, or anger me, or annoy me, or anything else! In fact, the only thing you have done so far in the day I've known you is make me feel happy". And make her heart race faster than it ever had, she'd filled her dreams to the brim already, left her a love letter... well, Gwen was sure Tane thought of it only as an offhanded note, nothing of any substance but, Gwendolyn cherished it. It was a reminder of their budding friendship, she wanted to hold on to it.

"In any case, I am most definitely a fan," she said haughtily, her hands on her hips. A moment passed before she quickly realized what she had just said, "of... of you! Of you, not of.. oh Gods. G-get out! Out, out! I need to be decent before my handmaidens wake up and chastise me! Out!"

As if she gave her much of a choice, Gwen was already pushing her toward the 'door', her cheeks on fire in both embarrassment and effort, "Gods, you are like trying to push a mountain!"
 
Gwendolyn doesn't know it, but there is a swelling of joy in Tane's chest. There's too many times in which Tane had to assert her gender and identity. She'd been mocked relentlessly when the other children in the village found out about her condition. It was already enough to be half-orc, but to also be carrying around such an appendage was just more ammo for people to assert that she was an abomination, that she didn't belong in society. For Gwendolyn to accept her identity so readily and easily, not even so much as raising an eyebrow felt like a godsend. "Thank you," Tane murmurs, low enough that Gwendolyn probably missed it; there's a tightness in chest and she's afraid she might tear up.

Thankfully, Tane is provided a distraction with Gwen's verbal mix up. It's obvious what she meant, but Tane cannot help but bark with laughter nonetheless. The princess attempts to push the warrior out the door, but she puts just a bit of weight on her heels, making Gwen's efforts for naught. "Well, I'm a fan of it, too! I'm glad we have that in common, yeah? Whatever will your handmaidens think, though? Scandalous!" Tane jokes, fighting through her own blush and embarassment to tease her; it feels as if they've made some crucial second step in their friendship, as if they managed to climb over some initial barrier. There is a closeness in their actions now that fills Tane with joy.

"Okay, okay," Tane relents, leaning away from Gwendolyn, making her way to the entrance of her tent. She stands in the doorway for a few seconds, her lips pursed as she tries to find the right words, some way to properly convey the feelings in her heart. Nothing comes to mind, except for a simple sentence.

"Thank you, Gwendolyn."

Tane ducks out of the tent, waving happily as she goes to survey the camp and check on their progress. The soldiers have returned with the fish and the cooks are already getting to work; they're preparing a simple paella, a stew of spices, fish and rice. It's hearty and warm, enough to fill the belly and give one the energy to start a day with vigor. Tane stands over one pot, taking in the smells. There is an obvious spring in her step, like her heavy body was buoyed by a playful wind. It's a curious sigh in comparison to Tane's usual stern demeanor. Some soldiers are loading cargo into the convoy and Tane joins in to help.

Two servants are attempt to move some heavy crates as Tane steps in. "Allow me," Tane says with an extravagant flourish. With barely a grunt of effrot, Tane lifts both of the crates into one arm, carrying it as easily one would a bag of rice, whistling as she helps with the loading. Tane alone was worth the lifting capacity of several dozen men, able to carry what takes three of them to move with one burly arm. The time it would take loading in the cargo is nearly cut in half and they manage to finish early. As Tane loads the last bit of cargo, she hears the call for breakfast, soldiers lining up to have their bowls filled.

Tane gets them to fill up two bowls, one for Tane and one for Gwendolyn. She sits them down with a mug of freshly pressed juice, reserving a space on a tree stump for Gwen. A gentle breeze moves through the camp, bringing the mild scent of the river and a whiff of sunflowers. The sun beats down gently, filtered through the trees above Tane's head. It's a beautiful day and Tane can't wait to spend it with Gwen, even if most of it would be in a cart.
 
Gwen watches as Tane finally relents and heads toward the exit, seeing her go leaving her with a curious ache. As if, before she had even left, she already missed her company. She waved back as Tane did, her heart skipping a beat as she called her by her full name. The way it rolled off her tongue in the deep, gravely voice... it did something to her she wasn't quite yet ready to admit. At least out loud.

As the curtain of the tent fell shut, Gwendolyn removed her towel, wringing it as dry as she could before hanging it over the end of her cot. This was the first morning in a long while that she didn't have her handmaidens bustling around to help her dress. Perhaps it was because they were all hungover but, Gwen was more certain that they were just enjoying their extended vacation. In any case, she appreciated the small amount of time she got to herself.

Humming, the Princess made her way to her clothing trunk, wanting to pick out something nice for the day but, certainly loose enough to let her breathe. It was going to be hot in the carriage and her fan only did so much. At the same time, she found herself wanting to look nice... for Tane.

Gwen's heart raced beneath her chest as she pulled out something she'd been hunting for. A long, flowing light pink dress, transparent at the bottom and perfectly breathable. The sleeves were off shoulder, the neckline perfectly framing her chest, her cleavage on display. She tugged the dress on over her head, securing the waist-tie in a bow at her back. She looked herself over as best she could in a little handheld mirror, smiling at her reflection. Her hair was still damp so, she just left it hanging down her back, brushing through it once over before turning to leave her tent.

She waited on bated breath for a moment, sure her handmaidens would be right around the corner but, it seemed they were all already at breakfast, if her view of their camp had anything to say about it. Gwen snorted to herself, looking at everyone and their hungover forms with silent pleasure. Gwen might get drunk fast but, one thing she rarely ever was, was hungover. In fact, after all the events that had transpired already this morning, she was as chipper as ever.

She caught sight of Tane immediately, making her way over with a small hello, "I hope I'm not intruding," she said quietly, looking around for any sign of Brair or any of Tane's other men, hoping she hadn't interrupted any conversation. When it was clear she hadn't, she sat down on the tree stump reserved for her, bowl and mug of juice in hand.

"Good morning," she said quietly, looking up at Tane through her lashes before turning to her breakfast.
 
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