Dishonored: Whispers from Dunwall Tower (CanadianVet & StarSiren)

StarSiren

Super-Earth
Joined
Jul 19, 2017
Location
among the stars
[[I am importing a story between CV and I, and will need to post a few times in a row]]

The Royal Protector to any member of the Imperial Family has but one duty: to guard their charge at all costs. How they do it, that is largely left to their own devices. Most would be content being nothing more than a prestigious bodyguard who would never stray far from their assigned personage. Others would prefer managing a stable of hand-picked Imperial Guards. But Corvo Attano, he had a different way about it; he preferred having a more active hand in some things.

Much of it was an artefact of his early life on the streets of Karnaca, dealing with the seedy underbelly of the city, and the networks he had forged in these years served him well when he had found his way into the Grand Serkonan Guard, leaving his life as a street tough behind him, after winning the Verbena Blade despite his lack of formal training. And it was his effectiveness as an Officer of the Guard that had led to him being sent to Dunwall as a political gift to the Emperor.

And there he had set the same kind of networks he used to have, making use of his own past as a street rat to find the right people to speak to, and to seed the city with informers and watchers who would report to him as an officer in Imperial service.
And he saw no reason not to make use of his sources even after he had been selected over a number of Gristol natives who were much better born than he was for the role of Protector to Princess Jessamine.

It was his spies that led him to what he had to do on this night. He had heard whispers of someone planning to produce a false heir, a false male heir older than his charge to supplant her as the successor to Euhorn, and that he could not let stand. And it was a good thing he enjoyed a rather wide latitude in the carrying out of his duties, but when the evidence was far less than what a court would require to convict, it meant Corvo would need to handle things in a rather less orthodox way.

The townhome he had infiltrated had been well-guarded. Or at least it would have been if the man had bothered to hire guards who knew how to look up and were actually alert. Oh, two had gotten lucky and had spotted the threat, not that it did them much good. Well, mostly it was because they could not have been avoided. They were close protection for their employer, and they simply were in the way. If the scarf he’d worn to obscure his face had been displaced, it would have been different; but because it had stayed where it was supposed to, he was able to let them live, and the reason they were ‘asleep’ on duty was one they would never be able to live down, courtesy of two bottles of rotgut having been liberally poured into their mouths and all around them.

Which is more than could be said for the man who’d usurp his way into power and the puppet he would use to supplant Jessamine. Comes morning, both would be found dead, a case of murder-suicide, apparently. The catspaw would be found with a hole in his head, the gunshot having been muffled by the blood-soaked and powder-burned pillow that was pressed against his skull. As for the would-be mastermind, it would be discovered he cut his wrists with his razor in his favourite chair and bled out, soothed to death by the alcoholic haze he was enjoying. No one would know he had already been passed out drunk by the time the steel had parted the artery and he’d been held into place for the minute or so before he passed out from blood loss.

No evidence. No witnesses. Two less threats to Jessamine and her future, and Corvo Attano, Royal Protector and sometimes troubleshooter, returned to Dunwall Tower via a little-used door manned by a man whose silence he trusted, and he returned to Jessamine’s apartments where his own room was located.

The guards knew him; after all he had hand-picked her entire security detail and they did not question him when he returned a little after two in the morning, smelling of brandy and rotgut and the conglomeration of scents that was the smell of streets and alleys. In the privacy of his room, he removed his coat and hung it from a hook near the door and the belts that held his sword, pistol and crossbow were next. He hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights, knowing the layout of his quarters by heart, and his vest he absently tossed onto the back of a chair on the way to the attached bathroom. His shirt had followed, this one landing in a laundry hamper, and he took a moment to wash his hands and give himself a rather quick sponge bath in the sink, not being inclined to filling the tub or running to shower at this late an hour; for now all he wanted was a chance to catch a few hours' sleep before Jessamine would wake up, early rise that she was, and expect to find her protector at the breakfast table by the time she would be washed and dressed herself.

His ablutions complete, he finally kicked off his boots and finished stripping off the remainder of his clothes before he slipped into his bed.
And when he did, it was only then he realized he was not alone…




'She twirled for him and curtseyed while he watched. His blushing smile of approval egged her on and she slinked towards him.'


"Oh... do you like it.."

The words startled the Empress-to-be and she opened her eyes in a panic. The room was dark. "Shit.. what time is it?!" She blinked several times, trying to get her bearings, and slowly sat up. Once her irises had adjusted to the dim moonlight filtering in, she recognized the room as her own. But she had been sleeping? Her blue-grey eyes glanced down around her at the bed. Yes, she had been sleeping under the blankets and everything, but she didn't remember going to bed. She glanced at the armchair near the foot of her bed where her Royal Protector always sat and noted its distinct lack of Corvo. She frowned. "By the Outsider, if he's already fallen asleep then all my preparations will be wasted!"

She threw the covers off and quickly removed her nightgown, throwing it on the floor as she darted across the room. She opened her top-most dresser drawer and thrust her hand all the way to the back. Her hand rummaged about for a moment before landing on a paper parcel tied with satin ribbon. "Oh good, he didn't find it!" Smuggling anything into her room was hard enough with Corvo around her 23/7, let alone a wrapped package. Not that she minded having him near. On the contrary, she wanted nothing more to be with him always, but it made planning a surprise very difficult.

It had been just about a year since they had officially, albeit secretly, become a couple, and since they hadn't had a chance to celebrate anything over the last few months, she had planned for a special evening. And instead, she fell asleep and he had put her to bed. Her pale peach hands moved in stark contrast to the black satin ribbon, even in the darkness of her moonlit room. She untied the bow and carefully laid the package on the dresser top while peeling the paper open. Every crunch and crinkle seemed to echo infinitely around her room and she was certain she'd be caught by a guard from all the noise. But she managed to completely unfold the package without any interruptions.

Inside lay several lovely items of clothing that she had been told were all the rage and would be sure to lead to 'steamy fun,' whatever that meant. Jessamine lifted the top out and admired it in what little light she had. It was as beautiful as she had been told it would be. The bra cups were ornately decorated with embroidery and had ruffled lace around the top and bottom edges, and little bows along the top edge where the straps were. It laced closed in the center with a long, sturdy ribbon. The entire bottom edge of the bra also had a sheer material flowing from it. She undid the laces and slipped into the top and laced herself in. The push-up effect on her breasts was delightful and she liked how the sheer material was cut to show off her toned stomach.

Next in the package was a matching panty, with ruffled lace around the waistline and legs, and decorative embroidery on the pantry itself. It also featured lace up sides, which took Jess several ties to get tied properly and comfortably. The effect of the lingerie set was stunning and she admired herself in the mirror. The bottom of the sheer draping on her bra hit just below the waistline of her matching panty and cut a pair of beautiful diagonals to showcase her abdomen. She moved a little and twirled, watching how the material flowed. "Oh this is perfect!" She squealed and her hands immediately covered her mouth. She watched the hallway door in the mirror for several seconds before stifling a giggle. "Oh if they only knew what I was doing.. I'm sure they'd have a heart attack!"

The last piece in the package was the matching robe, made entirely of sheer material. It had long, flowing sleeves encircled with a 2 inch strip of decorative embroidery around her elbows, but the robe itself was short. She had been debating whether she would wear it or not, but she wanted Corvo to see the whole look, so she lifted it from the box. It was a simple matter to shrug her arms into the sleeves, crisscross the front and tie it off with the black satin ribbon. Now that the robe was on, she could see just how short it was: it barely covered her ass! She blushed at what Corvo might say when he saw her in this and looked at the door conjoining their two rooms.

"It's now or never. Please don't be asleep!" Jessamine took a deep breath and crept over to the door. It was never locked and she had learned from him how to open it quietly. With a firm grip and gentle force, she rotated the handle until it stopped and slowly pushed on the door. His room was also dark, which she hadn't expected, but she continued opening the door until the gap was large enough for her to slip through. Now on the other side, she repeated her painstaking process of closing the door. Once she'd gotten it shut, her eyes had adjusted enough that she could mostly see in the room. And Corvo was nowhere to be found.

"What?! NO! Not tonight!" She exclaimed her displeasure a little louder than intended and dragged her feet over to his bed. She tried being optimistic, but her gut was telling her that tonight would not be the night. "Maybe he's just.. not in his room in the middle of the night. And he's not in mine either. So he's.. roaming the Tower? No. Outside? No, that's ridiculous. In the bathroom??" Her head jerked towards his bathroom suite, but the door was open and the lights were off. She sighed. "Or maybe he had something 'to do' tonight.. Damn it, all my planning!" Her fingers made air quotes in the air as she said "to do", since she had a good idea why he might not be in the room. Sometimes he did scouting and such during the night, and while he never disclosed the nature of these missions, she assumed they were dangerous.

She flopped down onto the padded coverlet atop his mattress and readjusted so she was properly laying on his bed. Maybe it wouldn't take too long? Maybe he'd be back soon? That thought cheered her up some and she tried to prop herself in a seductive way. Or, in what she thought might look like a seductive way. She had only seen one poster for a headlining lady at the Golden Cat and she tried to mimic that woman's horizontal pose. She rolled to her stomach and kicked both legs back behind her, bending them up at the knee and letting her feet swing in the air above her rump. She propped her chin up on her hands and waited. And waited.

She woke up when her head face-planted into the pillow and glanced around the room. The moonlight shone in different patterns now, which meant some time had passed. But still no Corvo, and her robe was suddenly limiting her movement and highly annoying. "Ugh!" She sat up quickly and untied the satin sash. The robe was off of her and draped over his armchair in seconds. But with the robe off, she realized that his room was kept colder than his. And despite it's sheer material and short length, it had provided half of her body with enough warmth that she hadn't noticed the temperature difference. She eyed his bed again.

"Just don't fall asleep again, Jess." She reminded herself what not to do as she pulled back the coverlets and climbed in. She lay on her side with her head resting against one of the pillows. It was so warm under the blankets, though and his bed was so comfortable. Not that hers wasn't, but she'd never been in his before. She felt her eyelids droop at least a dozen times before she stopped noticing anything else.

When Corvo finally did come home and flop into bed, Jessamine was already fast asleep beside him, still dressed in her surprise.



Feeling that other presence in its bed, the warm mass next to him, Corvo's conscious mind did not even factor into his reactions. Someone in his bed was not something he had expected, and after the constant vigilance of the night's activities, he was quite literally on a hair trigger, even in the Tower where he ought to have been secure enough to let his guard drop at least to some degree. Was there to be an intruder at either door leading into his own quarters, he woud roll to a side and reach for the pistol he kept behind either of his nightstands, but this close to him, there was only one course of action. He exploded into motion, his scissoring legs ripping the covers off the bed as he used the movement to propel himself into position. One hand found a bare shoulder as he readied himself to strike, and he took a deep breath. And his right arm changed in its motion, and instead of his fist crashing onto his most unexpected bedfellow's head, he instead reached for the switch that actuated the wall-mounted electric light over his bed. For indeed, when he had inhaled the smell, clean, floral, unique and most familiar, had filled his nostrils. But he needed to see to confirm what he thought.

And the harsh white light indeed put truth to his suspicions. Jessamine, his princess, his charge, a woman with whom he'd been dallying with for a little while now, was in his bed. And wearing far less than he'd ever seen on her.

He could not recall exactly how it had started between them, this relationship that went past that of guardian and charge. But he did remember the first time they'd kissed. He knew what he was doing, she had been much more hesitant. And since, he'd been certain to let her set the pace of how things would proceed between them, and he'd even put the brakes on some of her more adventurous notions in that area in the past. After all, she knew nothing of this sort of intimacy, and he knew he cared about her. So all he could do was to ensure she would not get in too deep too fast. Once upon a time he would have called himself an idiot for not taking the opportunities given to him. After all, what red-blooded man would not jump at the opportunity to bed a virgin princess of eighteen years?

Oh, they had been kissing, and touching, mostly through clothing but sometimes reaching beneath. He'd never seen her undressed, nor had she ever seen him out of his clothes. And one thing for certian, he'd never seen her in lingerie that appeared to have little in common with what he'd seen leave and come back with the laundresses!

But now there she was, in frilly, lacy and racy underwear, her pale skin all but shining under the electric light and he in nothing but his own loose underpants, and had he not taken a deep breath, it would have been his fist that would have been his greeting to her, and not the incredulous words that escaped his throat. "Jessa? What are you doing here?"




A rough hand slammed into Jessamine's shoulder and pinned her to the bed. Her eyes shot open, and then winced shut as a blinding light came into existence directly above her head. She raised one arm to shield her sleep-weary eyes and blinked.

"Corvo?"

A tumble of thoughts hit her all at once and her eyes went wide as she drew in a sharp breath. She had fallen asleep again!! She cursed her own body for being so weak. The plan had been to have him close his eyes and then feel what she was wearing before seeing it. From there, well she hadn't really thought that far yet, but expected that lots of kissing and touching and maybe something that she'd been hoping for: seeing each other. She had heard many different descriptions for what a man looked like under his clothes, but she'd never seen it before. She had been so curious that last week she had walked in on him while he was bathing, but he covered up so quickly and she got more embarrassed than she had expected. The end result was a minor reminder about privacy and surprises, but he had forgiven her moments later and they shared a delightful evening.

Now, with her shoulder pinned to the bed by his firm, calloused grip and the light turned on, she could clearly see his muscular, topless form above her. She felt the blush creep into her cheeks, but couldn't keep her eyes from roaming his body. His skin was dark compared to hers, tanned due to his birthplace. It was beautiful. She noted the scars marring his body and wanted to touch them, but kept her hands to herself. Her eyes wandered further down his form, only stopping when the landed on the loose-fitting cloth covering his groin. The shape was not hard to make out, like an arch against the fabric, but it was still hidden under clothing. Her fingers twitched at her side and she brought her eyes up to meet his.

"I.. uh.. I was trying to surprise you, but you weren't here." Shrugged with her free shoulder. Might as well tell him now. "So, surprise?"

She smiled unconvincingly up at him. It was true, but she figured he wouldn't like it. It occurred to her just then that he hated surprises. But he would have liked this one, if he'd only been home. If she had gotten the chance to play this out in the way she'd planned, he wouldn't look quite so cross right now. She bit her bottom lip and realized that she could still salvage some of her plans. With the blankets on the floor, all of Jessamine's body was exposed and in full view. She shifted under him until she lay flat on her back. She brought her knees up and used her free hand to play with the sheer skirt on her bra. She glanced down, then back up at Corvo as a sly smile crept onto her face.

"Do you like it? I got it for you. I had a whole thing planned, but I accidentally fell asleep. And you weren't here anyway." Her stare became quizzical. "Where were you anyway? You're supposed to be near me always, but I checked both rooms. You weren't even in the Tower, were you?" Her fingers sifted the sheer fabric between them as her other hand slid up her arm and rested on his, on her shoulder.



In general, Corvo was always in tight control of his reaction. Even his reflexes to imminent threats were finely honed tools, surgical in their precision and he could stop them before he would commit to actions that would have irremediable consequences. But in this case, his response to the intruder in his bed had been completely off; normally he would identify the threat before acting, even subconsciously. But the combinaton of the high-risk environment he had been in recently, tiredness (after all, he had been up nearly twenty hours already and going about the business of eliminating threats to the crown was what one could call energy-intensive) and the slight erosion of his customary watchfulness in the relative safety of Jessamine's apartments meant he had not reacted quite as efficiently as he normally did.

Hence the hasty change from a blow that could have shattered her cheekbone to the turning on of a light. You got careless, my man; you should've known there was someone in here right off the bat. In the future, none of this getting ready for bed in the dark... The thoughts were in the back of his mind even as he considered the princess in his bed.

When she spoke about the surprise she intended for him, he could not help but laugh. Fatigue and stress had a hand in this, but so did her own response. Something he'd learned, first informally from experience on the rough streets of Karnaca and then from veterans of the Grand Guard, was that surprise was what happened when you misunderstood something that was under your nose all along. As a rule, that was a bad thing for a bodyguard to be surprised by anything. But every rule had its exceptions, and finding out that Jessamine Kaldwin had managed to sneak this racy little number past him and his security measure and had been plannin to model it for him was the kind he could live with, even though he was less than thrilled he'd failed to notice she'd crept into his bed when he came back to his room.

As she shifted onto her back, Corvo took the time to look her over much more closely. Oh, he had seen her less than fully dressed before, but never in less than a full nightgown that was most often covered by a dressing gown. To have her so fully exposed before him was more than a little exciting, and he could feel a slight engorging down within his underwear. And he had to say, she was gorgeous, not that he didn't already know that. Fighting an instinct to take advantage of the situation, the hand upon her shoulder ran down her arm instead of sliding inwards towards of of those most shapely breasts of hers, choosing to take his time instead of rushing things. "Of course I like it. How could I not?"

Having spoken, he leaned forward, planting a sweet but short peck onto her lips. But there was something else to address: her question about his whereabouts. Of course he trusted her implicitly, that she would not throw him under the tram if she suspected some of his activities were of an extra-legal matter. However he could not trust she would not be grilled about it by other nobles, or the House of Lords, or the odd journalist who got to her. And while she was destined to be Empress and some day she'd have to know about many a shady dealing. But for now, she did not need to know the specifics just yet. "Ah, Jessa, love, as your protector my job is to protect you, right? That doesn't mean I have to be right at your shoulder all the time." A bit of a smile appeared on his face. "If I don't tell you about what I was doing, then you won't have to lie if someone asks you about some people's... misadventures. But I'll tell you something: wherever I was tonight, I was doing exactly what my job entails: I was protecting you."

He did not particularly enjoy concealing the truth, but he hadn't lied to her despite being less than clear. And truth be told, he knew he'd kept things clean and the body count as low as he could. The two people who needed to be disposed of had been, and he'd been lucky he hadn't been made, the scarf he used as a mask hadn't been dislodged so there had been no need to kill the two guards who'd seen him. If they had seen him, there wouldn't have been much of a choice but to cause much more damage... like setting fire to the whole townhouse to conceal his presence. But instead some spilled rotgut and the conspirator's cleverly planted discharged pistol, and his blood-stained razor, would be enough to make it look like a murder-suicide, and that would be the end of it. And unless they were part of a larger operation, there would be no loose ends. And if they were, then a very clear message would have been sent.




The kiss, while short, was a reward in itself. If her blood hadn't been racing before, it certainly was now. And when Corvo pulled away, Jessamine's eyes were still closed and her lips were left wanting. The hand caressing her lingerie had moved touch his bare shoulder, but he pulled back too soon and her fingertips only grazed the skin of his arm. But the feeling was electrifying. Jessa slid her fingertips around to caress the muscles in his upper arm and shoulder. She had caught glimpses of Corvo topless before, mostly when he was alone and thought she wasn't looking, or when she peeked at him through the keyhole connecting their rooms. Never like this, or this close. She had touched him before too, both over his clothes and under, but there was something about touching him like this that made her a little light-headed. Or maybe it was the way his hand had slid down her arm and brought goosebumps to her skin.

His words, however, implied something very dark. Her hand continued to stroke his shoulder as she considered what he'd said. "Misadventures? What 'misadventures'? And whom do you think is going to question me? Even if someone did, won't it be oddly suspicious if I say you were gone when I awoke in the middle of the night and didn't come home for hours? Or, wait, is this like the time last month when that nobleman spoke ill of me and ended up in a coma? You know violence doesn't solve problems, right?" She winked at him. "Honestly Corvo, sometimes I think you believe the whole empire is out to get me." She grinned a little. It was meant as a joke, but she did truly value what he did. She might not always know the specifics, but she knew he always had her best interests at heart. Her hand slid along his shoulder towards his neck. She wanted to pull him closer. "I'm sorry, my love. I really do appreciate what you do, even if you don't always tell me. So thank you. I knew you would be the perfect man for the job all those years ago. It's why I chose you to be my protector and I've never regretted it. I've never regretted anything we've done. I love you, Corvo. You are the protector of my body and my heart.. but I do like it more when you're at my shoulder, and your arms are around me, and we're alone together than when you're off someplace else.."

She let her sentence linger as her fingers trailed up his neck and through his long brown hair. She pressed her elbow into the bed and used it to support her weight as she lifted up to kiss him. Her eyes closed as their lips met and she tasted him once more. Of all the things they had done so far, this was her favorite and it never failed to leave her breathless. But from the gossip she heard from the workers, she and Corvo had hardly done anything at all. She fully intended on changing that, but she didn't know where to start and he was less than helpful in this area. She knew that Corvo had been with other women before her, but he seemed so reluctant when they were together. It made her wonder if maybe her inexperience was unappealing to him.

That thought had led her to where she was now, modeling in sexy lingerie and feeling exposed beneath him. But she wanted him to see her and touch her without her clothes on, and she wanted to do the same to him. He was stunning in his uniform, and she saw he was even more handsome out of it. Something in her ached for him in ways that she couldn't describe, and on the nights when he wasn't in her room she would use her alone time to her advantage. But not tonight. Tonight she would make something happen, or at least something more than what they had done already. And if he wouldn't initiate it, then she would help him.

Jessamine trailed her hand down from his neck to his shoulder and then along the length of his arm. She reached for his hand stroking her skin and gently slid it towards her chest until his palm cupped her covered breast. She gulped. It was the first time he'd touched her chest while she wore anything less than a corset or a nightgown with underclothes. Her eyes were heady and laden with open lust. Her mouth parted as her chest rose to meet him and fell again, and she exhaled. She was convinced he could hear her heartbeat, with how loud it was banging in her ears. She had to do it now, before she lost her nerve.

"Corvo I-" Jessa's voice came out thin and wispy. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Corvo. I'm ready. Make me yours tonight?" It wasn't the first time she'd asked, and if he refused again, it wouldn't be the last.



Jessamine's touch was not something Corvo had gotten used to, let alone come to take for granted yet. In fact, he certainly hoped he never would on either count. But after several hours spent on an errand that meant dead for two men (and could have spelled the end of far, far more if it had come down to it), that soft hand upon his shoulder was something most welcome. It reminded him there was much more to his life than being an animate weapon in service to the Imperial Family.

When she questioned him, he shook his head ever so slightly. "Love, I don't think the guard would question you, but there are others in the court, or some of the people who work around you, who could broach the topic and if you know what I've been up to there is a chance you could let something slip and there is no telling who they would tell." That much, he saw as part of his protection mandate. The least Jessamine and the Emperor knew about his extralegal activities, the better it would be. Oh, of course there were plenty who knew he had a network of informants and watchers in the Tower and out, but no one knew who they were, or what they reported. Of course some resented this organization of is, running parallel to the Royal Spymaster's own, but such was their problem and not his. However, at the mention of Baron Sheffield, he offered her a hint of a smile. Of course he had something to do with his coma, having hammered his head against a brick wall several times for what he'd said about his charge, and what he'd do to her given the chance.

But her apology, he took with a gracious incline of his head even as he flexed his spine, letting his shoulder and neck press into her hand. "Jessa, I really wish I could just be one grim ornament at your shoulder whenever you're in the public eye and have you in my arms when you're not. But sometimes, there's things that need dealing with before they become a real problem; things the law can't or won't touch."

But when her lips pressed against him, that was the death knell of this line of conversation. She was inexperienced but she was learning fast. But there was something... genuine about those kisses of hers, something he hadn't really found in anyone else before. They were sweet, shy yet bold in their own way, and he certainly enjoyed them. As they kissed, he felt her hand sliding down to his, and he let her guided him until she rested it upon her breast. It was not the first time that had happened, but it was the first time there was so little between their skins. Oh, he had felt that flesh before; what was left exposed by her clothing, even slipped beneath those clothes for a rather constricted feel. But nothing so open before. Through the sheer fabric, he could feel her warmth, the thrumming of her heartbeat through that firm yet pliable flesh, the nub of a nipple pressing against his palm.

And then, she asked a question she had a number of times before. A question that so far he'd always answered in the gentlest negative. Of course he desired her, and much like before the question itself, along with her half-naked form against him and her breast in his hand caused him more than just to stir and he could feel his member engorging within his underwear. And as much as he wanted to take full advantage of the situation and a purely primal level, he did not want to see her rush into things. "You have no idea how much I want to," he whispered back. "But I don't want you to rush." Once again, he pressed his lips to her for a kiss. It was still brief but longer than the last peck he had delivered, and an unspoken promise: not rushing did not mean they would not move further this night.

Slowly, the hand upon her breast slipped inwards towards the ivory clasp in the front of her bra, the one that held the garmed closed over her chest, and fingers that were powerful enough to choke the life out of a man deftly unhooked it with a gentleness that could give lie to that strength and ruthlessness he was capable of, and brushed the silk aside. And he inhaled sharply at the sight. Under his touch, he'd judged they were a perfect fit, filling his hands just so. But he'd never seen them before, not beyond what showed at her neckline, that is. And the sight was wondrous. Neither exceedingly small nor ridiculously large for her slender frame, pale but somewhat flushed. And for the first time, his hand cupped one of the unconstrained mounds and he gave it a tender squeeze, finally coming to experience their true form without the artificial bounds of her clothing to alter the sensation.




Corvo's reasoning made sense, of course. It always did. Jessamine hated that. She pouted as he explained, but did nod in agreement when he was finished. He was right. She talked to everyone around her, and if she accidentally said the wrong thing, her Royal Protector would be in trouble. She couldn't risk him being taken away, he meant too much to her.

But the princess had other plans for the evening, and she thought they would be more exciting than arguing over his outside antics. She was learning how to stop him in his tracks, learning how to change the subject and make her body his sole focus. It was much harder than those racy novels had led her to believe, but some of the tricks worked on him. And one thing she had picked up on was that he often would follow her lead. She felt a little lost sometimes, since she never really knew where to start, or how, but if she fumbled here or there, he had never complained.

Jessa held her breath as she placed Corvo's hand upon her breast. It was the boldest move she'd done lately, especially considering what she was currently wearing. Her eyes watched him. She whimpered as he once again told her no, but some part of her was relieved. "But Corvo! I-" The kiss swallowed the rest of her words. Her eyes fell shut and her arms held him closer. She felt his thumb slip over the fabric of her nipple and a sigh escaped her lips as Corvo pulled back. Her blue-grey eyes watched his gaze take in her body and settle on her chest. She wanted him to see her with nothing restricting her body. She needed his expression to validate her emotions and embolden her spirit. And the way he reacted as his rough hands brushed her bra aside, tickling her breasts and revealing them to the dimly lit room, brought a blushing smile to her face.

The scratch of his palm against her delicate skin was so different from when she had held them herself, pretending her hands were Corvo's. Her breasts filled his hands just right and she could not keep her voice from letting out gasps of delight as he touched her, unrestrained and free, for the first time. She brought her palm to his stubbly cheek. "Ohhh Corvo.. You could.. taste them.. or.. just touch me. Everywhere." It wasn't a command, but it wasn't really a request either. The hand on his cheek ran through his hair and pulled him close again, close enough to kiss and not let go.

Her lips pressed to his as his hands were on her body. She kissed him hard, and her mouth parted. Her tongue flicked at his lips, seemingly begging for the chance to deepen the kiss. She wanted to loose herself in his scent, his touch, his taste. She wanted to give herself over to the frustratingly sweet sensations that her body guard elicited from her. Even though she knew it was likely her body would ache with some unfulfilled desire afterwards. Unless..

As Corvo's hands moved deftly over her nipples, using his years of experience to really feel her for the first time, and Jessa kissed him full on the mouth, one hand slid down along her belly and nervously stroked herself above the matching panties.



Corvo did not have a chance to respond before Jessamine pressed her lips to his again. And when she parted her lips, he responded in kind and his own tongue darted out, gently starting to fence with hers. They did not often have a chance to kiss this deeply, but in the time their relationship had taken a turn to the physical she had become quite the adept kisser. After all, that was where she'd had the most practice thus far. And even when she was brand new at it, he had enjoyed her kisses a great deal. They were genuine and honests, all the more lovely for their tentative nature.

But her words, he did heed them and while one hand remained tenderly cupped about one breast, he set the other onto her shoulder as he further leaned into their kiss and he let his hand slided down as far as he could reach. Along her arm, with the tip of his thumb barely grazing at her other breast; along her ribs and the smooth skin of her abdomen below. Over the silk of her underwear and down a silken thigh before coming back up to give her firm, perfectly shaped backside a squeeze.

As he readjusted himself along her body, he could feel his own fully hardened member pressing against her hip, so close to her... her hand? Well, that much was to be expected. He could only imagine just how much pent-up sexual energy was bottled up within the princess. After all, he'd denied her what, six times now when she asked if he'd make her his? And it was not exactly easy for him either and often he'd have to excuse himself after one of their sessions, or at night when he was alone, to deal with his own body's request for release.

Shifting his position, he broke the kiss. Not suddenly but instead slowly pulling away, only to return his lips to her. This time, it was at the corner of her mouth. Then a second kiss, that one at the soft spot just below the pivot of her jaw. And then, he started trailing kisses down her neck and along her collarbone. He was moving slowly, deliberately even as the hand upon her breast moved to caress the periphery of the glorious mound, going all around including the underside, with but the occasional brush of her nipple. And his lips kept migrating down, towards her otherwise unattended breast and he started laying a pattern of kisses, starting at the twelve o'clock position just where it started to rise from her chest, and into an ever tightening spiral, letting his stubbled cheek gently scrape at the soft skin as he moved about.

And then he reached his goal, his lips gently fastening about the hardened nubbin. Just as his own callused hand joined hers over her underwear and also took up the gentle stroking right alongside her dainty fingers.




Corvo's tongue electrified her and she let herself drown in the depth of his kisses. This was the one thing they had done the most of since they had begun this relationship, and it remained her favorite. He always tasted of something good, though she could never quite discern the flavor. Her full voice couldn't escape from his liplock, so only sweet muffled noises filled the space between the lovers, despite the shivers that his roaming hand sent up her spine or the stroking that her own fingers were doing. She had been so wrapped up in the moment that she didn't even notice the warm, stale, recycled air she'd been breathing until Corvo pulled away, slowly, and the crisp air of the room hit her face once more.

She would have moved in for another kiss, but instead her weight on the bed was shifted slightly and Corvo's lips were back against hers, and moving. Her eyelids fluttered closed as he planted featherlight kisses in some places, and firmer ones in others. He was learning the places that took her breath away, like the natural curve of her neck where her jawline met her ear, the sides of her neck and her collarbone. Each place he kissed left a mark on her in the form of a sigh, a gasp, a shiver or goosebumps. She cried out the first time his thumb flicked past her nipple. The barrage of sensitive kisses combined with these new sensations on her breasts and her own fingers rubbing the outside of her panties were making her louder than usual.

When his mouth reached her unattended breast, and she felt the warmth of his wet kiss on her skin followed by the coolness of his mouth moving to a new place, goosebumps spread over her breast and her nipple hardened into a firm pink nub. But Corvo didn't stop his attention to her newly revealed flesh, even when the scruff of his face rubbed her nipple and made her twitch and jump beneath him. He seemed to be taking her request to heart and she opened one eye to watch as his lips enclosed around the flushed, pink skin surrounding her nipple. Her body tingled as her breasts were tended to, with one being rubbed, flicked and squeezed while the other was kissed, nibbled and sucked.

The stirrings of pleasure within her body had inspired her fingers to stroke more deliberately against her panties, but his hips were pressing against her as well and she couldn't help but notice how firm he had become. The thought lingered in Jessamine's mind for less than a second before she acted on it. Her pointer finger lifted and as she stroked herself with her middle and ring finger, her raised finger grazed the stiffness in his underpants. Then his hand touched hers and his fingers moved to rub her in the same way. She hadn't meant to moan so loudly, but the shudder and the sound were an involuntary emotional response to the sudden heightened pleasure she was under when his fingers caressed her panties. She hadn't noticed the other indication that she was enjoying herself, but a saturation of moisture was slowly spreading on her thin underwear from where they were rubbing.

Jessa lifted her hand and placed it over his, guiding his fingers to stroke and press in the places she liked best. When her hand finally left his, it was to graze her fingertips along his length. Touching him through something as thin as his underwear was still very new to her and her nerves were getting the better of her, but she wanted to make him feel good too. So despite her embarrassment, Jessamine pressed her palm against his member and curled her fingers around the fabric. With light motions, she began sliding her hand up and down his length. After several motions, her hand became more accustomed to the feeling and she grew bolder. Her hand squeezed slightly as she stroked him and her thumb started rubbing over and across the tip each time she reached it.





But to hear her gasps, sighs and moans from this close, to feel her body tense and relax by turns against him, that was something he realized he'd longed for more than he'd imagined. When he'd first laid eyes on Jessamine, all these years back, he had known she would grow to be beautiful. And he'd seen her grow from girlhood through her teenage years; years during which he had refused her advances a number of times. After all, it would not have done for a Royal Protector to be seen canoodling with a princess who'd yet come of age. But when the number of years she'd seen since birth reached that magical number, he had finally allowed himself to kiss more than her hand.

And now, there she was, half-naked and writhing beneath his touch, and both of them enjoying every second of it. Part of Corvo was wondering how he'd managed to stave off her advances for so long, and why he was still holding back. He was as red-blooded a man as any, and with the passions of a Serkonan to boot and there he was with a most beautiful woman who had just asked him to take her, no less. But no. He was her Protector, and even if what she felt for him, what she felt for her was already hardly appropriate given his official role, let alone the difference in their stations, he would not take advantage of her; not when he was not utterly convinced that was what she really wanted. So far, their fooling about had no irreversible implications, but if he did make love to her as she yearned and he desired, that could change.

So instead, he focused on one thing: making sure she would enjoy every second of this moment they were sharing. Lifting his head from her breast, he looked upon her face as he let the hand that was on her panties caress her. He wanted to see her expression as he touched her more boldly than he'd dared before, and when she started guiding his hand, he followed her lead, simply caressing her as she was asking. And then, he felt her hand.

It was light at first then grew more confident as it went up and down the length of his hardened shaft through his underwear, and the first time her thumb went over his uncut tip, he sharply inhaled. That he hadn't expected at all, although he probably ought to. But for now, he started to concentrate and but two things. First he would hold off his own release for as long as humanly possible; and second, on the movements and pressure of his own hand on her now wet underwear as he kept on caressing her exactly in the way she'd guided him so far.




She was learning to read his cues, and despite his generally stoic nature and composed manner, Jessa knew ways to get a rise out of Corvo. Apparently one of these ways was exposing her breasts, and another was the certain way her thumb glided across his tip. She tried to be deliberate in her stroking. She pressed and squeezed as her hand moved up and down, and she made sure to occasionally to that thing he liked with her thumb. But her movements were becoming sloppy as she felt herself ebbing closer to that glorious release.

The feeling of Corvo's hand on her womanhood was very different from her own, but his fingers excelled in ways she hadn't thought to try yet. What little, sheer fabric was between her skin and his fingertips had become completely wet and allowed him to feel more of her as he pressed and rubbed. She wanted them off. She wanted to feel his fingers pressed against the soft, vulnerable skin on the outside, buried in the folds. She wanted one to slip inside her and pop back out, over and over until she couldn't hold it back anymore. She wanted him to see her face when she came and know that it was his doing that brought her over the edge. Her eyes closed and her head tipped back. It was coming, she could feel it building in her nethers.

The fire was like a slow burn within her that washed everything aglow with a warm, tingly light. It was nothing like when she did this herself, and she loved every second of it. A gasp led into a sigh which broke into a moan as she felt her body losing itself to Corvo's talented fingers. Jessamine slowly arched her back as the pleasure built up and she let out an actual long, low moan. Her breasts were pushed up into his face from the way her body had contorted and her hands had ceased all movement on his shorts. Then her whole body shuddered and she went silent, with her mouth open in a scream. Her legs shook and she cried out as the dam broke and her body was flooded with waves of sweet sensations. Her body seemed to lock in place and she went rigid for several seconds as her voice returned and she let it cry out. Her breath came and went so fast that she had to remind herself to actually breathe.


She savored the convulsions for several minutes after her climax finished and closed her legs to trap his hand against her. Her back slowly returned to the bed and once she was able to catch her breath, she turned her head to look at him. Her blue-grey eyes opened to stare at his handsome, dark features. Her face was now flushed with the reslease of her desire and her eyes revealed a yearning for so much more. But her body was now overly sensitive and every little movement he made caused her to giggle or yelp or moan with renewed passion. She tried to resume stroking him, but her hand was trembling and interfering with her movements.

"Ohhh Corvo.. I love you! Promise me you'll do that to me again! Please? It was so good, and I've never felt like this after, and oh please say we can do it again!" When she was able to speak, the words came out in a breathy torrent of emotion.



Jessamine was inexperienced in such matters. And that much Corvo knew for certain because he'd made sure that none of the males hanging around the princess would get anywhere near close enough to lead to this sort of things. He was, after all, her protector and that meant he was responsible for her safety from any threat, for ensuring she would not be co-opted to anyone's agenda, and to protect her from herself (and her hormones) from time to time. But that did not mean she was not a natural.

She'd been quick to realize just how to touch him, and it was taking much of the Serkonan's concentration and discipline to prevent himself from letting himself get carried away. Instead, he was forcing himself to hold back while doing everything he could to bring Jessa to her own orgasm. And then, he could feel it building up. He could feel the tension in the muscles of her thighs and stomach and he heard her breathing quicken and turn from rapid gasps to pleasured sighs and then grew into a moan. Yes, there she was, reaching her climax. As her back arched, he felt the soft skin of a firm breast pressing against his cheek and then she went over the edge.

And he smiled as the waves of pleasure washed over her and she cried out her ecstasy. His hand was trapped between her pale thighs and against her sodden underwear and he could feel every shudder of her body as she dealt with the sensations. He knew she was no stranger to pleasuring herself, and he'd heard her do so often enough. But this was in an entirely different league all right...

As she recovered, Corvo slowly extricated his hand from between her legs and surreptitiously wiped it dry upon the sheets before running it up her side as her breathing was struggling to come back to something resembling a normal rate, and she spoke, her voice catching between the emotions and lungs that were still struggling to bring in sufficient air. For a moment, he considered what she had to say and before he even started his reply with words, he did so with action as he leaned towards her and placed a brief kiss upon her lips. "I love you too, Jessa. And I certainly can't see why not," he said softly as he gently caressed the outermost curves of one breast before lightly cupping it. And after gently drawing his thumb across the entirety of the firm orb, he offered her another smile. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back."

And with that said, he slowly rose out of bed. His member had reduced a little since her hand had left it but it was still stiffer than if it had truly been at rest and pressing against the thin fabric of his underwear, and he definitely wished for release himself but the last thing he wanted was for Jessamine to think he was using her for his pleasure in any way at all... So it was to the bathroom that he made his way, and after he closed the door behind him he threw the bolt that would ensure his privacy, and he took himself in hand to finish what his charge - his love - had started.




Jessa nodded at Corvo in her contented stupor. What an inopportune time to have to relieve oneself! But he would be back shortly, she was sure of it. Plus, he had given her a parting gift when his thumb caressed her entire breast and her body had, in turn, shaken with delight. She hoped for more fun when Corvo returned, but the sides of her lingerie top were suddenly uncomfortable against her skin. It took two tugs and several deft arm movements to wiggle out of the bra, which she let drop to the floor beside his bed. Her feet were now cold and she lifted the blankets and placed them underneath to warm them up.

With her head resting on one of his pillows, Jessa shifted to lay on her side facing the bathroom door. Her arms moved to suppot her head and her body while she lay partially under the covers and topless, awaiting her lover's return. She drew in a deep breath and her eyelids took their time in blinking. She swore the air around her smelled like her now and she closed her eyes to get a better whiff. The pillow cradled her head perfectly, and supported by her arm, she cuddled into it further. The hand supporting her body stretched out towards the empty side of the bed and her topmost leg slipped to the mattress.

~~~*************~~~**************~~~

Sleep came quickly for the Gristolian Princess as she lay in her Protector's bed. She hadn't meant to drift off so quickly, but her exhaustion from the pleasure she had just received combined with her own lack of sleep meant that she was out within moments of laying back. The faintest of smiles could be seen on her face as she lost herself to a world of dreams.



With the door securely locked behind him, Corvo had a chance to catch his breath. Of course he had wished Jessa would finish him off, but she was so innocent in such matters that he could not allow himself to reach his climax at her hands. Not yet. He cared for her and he he would not have her think he was abusing her trust, abusing her, for his own pleasure. So instead, it was in his bathroom that he took care of the matter at hand and finished himself off.

Oh, he did not need much time to take care of that matter, and he did also take a moment to relieve himself, and with a few more moments he washed hands and face and made his way back out. The first thing he saw was the silken lingerie upon the floor. And the second, was Jessamine under his blankets, sleeping. And what he heard was a soft snore, and that brought a smile to his thin lips.

Well, that could certainly cause a stir, but it was a good thing that her servants never came in, in the morning, until called. But it would call for some maneuvering when she would wake up but she would find it interesting; after all he could introduce her to part of his world with a few elementary bits of tradecraft. But for now, the weight of the day was coming down on him and he too slipped beneath the covers, and by the time his head hit the pillow, his own snoring joined the princess'.

~~~*************~~~**************~~~

And morning, that came entirely too swiftly for the protector's taste. But there certainly was a trade-off for waking up after so little sleep. And that was that there was a warm, soft mass pressed against his chest, and his hand was filled with a most lovely breast. But he had to wake Jessamine up, he had to get her back into her own bed..





 
Morning came entirely too quickly, but it was not unwelcome. Something brushed against Jessa's neck and caused her to stir. It was hot and wet and sent a shiver down her spine. She moaned softly and went to stretch, but found herself cradled in a warm embrace. It was then that she registered a body pressed against her back and something firm holding a breast. His touch triggered recent memories and she grinned. 'That's right, last night we, he.. well, I don't know what to call it but, it was amazing! But I must have fallen asleep! Mmm, I should do this more often.'

Jessamine pushed her back against Corvo's body and tipped her neck to expose more of it for him to kiss. Her body was quickly growing addicted to the pleasure he gave her, or perhaps it was because she was still groggy from waking up. Either way, there was a small firmness now pressing against his palm as he awoke her arousal. Her eyes slowly blinked open and one of her hands came to rest on his, further pressing his palm against her chest. She had only gotten a few hours sleep, but if he wanted her again, she was more than willing to oblige him.

"Mmmm, morning Corvo. Did you sleep well?" Her hand moved behind her until she found his hip. She let her palm rest on him and pulled his hip close against her rump. "There would be such a scandal if I just didn't return to my room. Ever." Jessa rubbed her backside against Corvo while pulling him against her. She arched her back just enough to press her breast better into his hand. "What if I slept in here, with you, all the time?"



From behind Jessamine, Corvo smiled against her neck as she squirmed against him, further pressing her breast into his callused palm. In many a way, he'd longed for such a thing for quite some time but until the night that had just ended, he had never dared to act on those feelings. And even yet, he was holding back still, for if he had his druthers he would have gone further than simply pleasuring her through her underwear with his hand, and finishing himself off in the bathroom.

As she spoke, he had to find himself shaking his head behind her. "I'm afraid that would be very, very unwise my love," said he. Of course he would want to spend every night with her. But such things were not to be. At least not just yet. And for now, he did have to protect her and her reputation. If it came out that she was canoodling with her bodyguard, he would be hanged and she would be seen as tainted. Oh, the Protector certainly had no compunctions about laying down his life for Jessamine Kaldwyn. But he would not risk her in any way and not just because it was his duty, but because he loved her as well.

"For now, my love, you need to get out of my bed, put yourself in the nightgown you were put into when you went to bed, and get under your covers. At that point, you can ring your servant... However your devoted guardian would be eternally grateful if you would be willing to go back to sleep for a few hours first."




Jessa's displeasure was visible in her body language, but after a reluctant sigh she pulled away from her beloved bodyguard. "I don't see what the big deal is. So what if people see us together. Maybe I want them to know. Have you considered that?" But as much as she wanted their relationship to be public knowledge, she knew that it would cause problems for both of them and likely result in Corvo being dismissed from her service. That was the one thing she refused to let happen.

Jessamine rolled out of Corvo’s bed and turned to face him. She had fallen asleep while still topless and she now stood before him and allowed his eyes to roam her mostly naked self as he pleased. The sliver of morning light filtering in from between the curtains highlighted her beautifully pale skin in a way that the midnight moon hadn't. Jessa blushed as he watched her and knelt on the bed a moment, stealing one more kiss before she had to leave. "I'll go, but only because I love you. Goodnight Corvo. I'll see you on a few hours, I hope."

Her smile could have lit the whole room as she crept back to her own bed. She donned her usual nightgown, which now seemed like entirely too much clothing, and crawled into her own bed. She missed the warmth and safety of Corvo's embrace, but her body we exhausted from the evenings escapades and she quickly fell asleep.

~~~***********~~~**********~~~

Jessamine awoke in the middle of the morning. The bright light shining in through her window panes indicated an hour well past breakfast, as did the rumbling in her stomach. Jessa rubbed the grogginess out of her eyes and stretched her legs out. Her back arched delightfully as her legs straightened and her toes pointed. "Mmm, how late did I sleep?"

No one had come to wake her, which was normal since her and Corvo had begun dallying, but she also never slept this late. She was certain she'd already missed her morning lesson, but knowing her tutor, she would have to cram an extra lesson in this afternoon instead. Despite her hunger, Jessamine dressed slowly. She wasn't looking forward to the busy day in front of her. When she was decent, she rang for her chambermaid.

Breakfast was a whirlwind of activity as the cook scrambled to serve the princess something hearty enough to last until her midday meal, but light enough so that she'd still be hungry for lunch. Meanwhile her court tutor was busy lecturing her on the consequences of her morning actions. She now also had to rework her schedule to fit in the things she'd missed from sleeping in, and if that wasn't bad enough, she had a meeting with the Emperor immediately after her breakfast. She could only imagine what her father might want to discuss with her. Hopefully he wasn't angry with her and the meeting wasn't about her shirking her duties and studies by oversleeping.



The princess was not happy about his request. But that was something he had pretty much expected. Of course he would much rather they'd gone back to sleep in each other's arms, but this was not something he could just let happen just yet. As much as he loved her, as much as he wanted to be with her, he was still her guardian. Of course, he would be made to pay and he would be lucky if he'd leave the Tower with his life. But the damage it would do to the Empire, to her? That was a risk he would not tolerate.

When she rose, he looked at her in the grey, bleak light of the odd twilight hour. She was beautiful, there was no other way to put it and, in a way, it pained him to know she would be so close and yet so far for so long before the opportunity to do so again. When she pressed her lips to his, he held her there for a while, and when their lips parted, and just before she left, he offered her a smile. "I love you too, Jessa." It was not long after her departure that he drifted back off to sleep.

~~~**********~~~**********~~~

Corvo had not slept long. But those few hours had been a blessing in their own right. And, apparently, his instincts had not failed him for he could hear some movement next door. Oh yes, he had perfected the fine art of waking up at precisely the right time to match his charge's own schedule. It was later than usual, but it was not as though the day had been wasted...

A quick shower was followed by getting dressed as quickly and efficiently as he ever did, and while he might be able to cadge some breakfast, he instead ate some of the apples, cheese and crackers that were always kept fresh in his quarters. And when he emerged, it was just in time for her head tutor's lecture, which was replete with references to her responsibilities as an imperial princess, reference to sloth as a sin and the neglect of her studies. But such was interrupted when he cleared his throat as he entered the study and took his customary position in the corner, where he could keep an eye on the whole room, the wide windows and the door easily enough.

Considering the day's schedule had been thrown into disarray, Corvo himself did not know what would be on the agenda. All he knew was that the Emperor wished to see his daughter at her earliest convenience. And once her meal had been concluded, he followed her into the Emperor's working office.

Much like there were a number of audience and presence rooms within the palace, there were different working rooms for the ruler's use depending on the purpose of a meeting. He had a grandiose formal office available, but such was not where the bulk of his day to day workload was being dealt with. Instead, it was in a much less adorned, functional space with elegantly simple furniture that had seen much use over the years and well-piled with paperwork. On one side, perpendicular to the ruler's desk, was another where his chief administrative assistant was labouring on some of the more trivial details, and directly opposite him was the Emperor's own Protector, a grizzled veteran with a lined face and a missing left eye, who was nominally there to protect his liege lord, but really was managing the stable of hand-picked guards who were the most visible element of the royal family's security.

Corvo, as was proper, took position near the door after exchanging nods with the senior bodyguard, and once those picayune details were seen to, the ruler rose to his feet and made his way to his daughter and leaned forward, placing a kiss upon her cheek. "Ah, daughter, I'm told you overslept this morning. It happens to everyone now and again. Now, you have some work today. A few audiences I need you to see to. Do you think you are ready?"




Jessamine hesitated outside the door to her father's office. Her morning lecture had been saved only through Corvo's interruption, but this time she would not be so lucky. Jessa cherished the moments she spent with her father, truly. Especially since they didn't come around often. But on a day like today, where she had already been scolded once, she found herself less than thrilled at this sudden invitation. Although given how busy Emperor Euhorn was at any given moment, perhaps he had not yet heard (or had time to properly deal with) her late start. Either way, standing around outside his office wouldn't change anything. With a sigh she reached for the handle and gave it a turn.

The working office that her father had chosen today was, in a word, practical and that was good. It meant the Emperor had a lot on his plate today. Jessamine smiled and bowed appropriately as she entered the room and graciously accepted her father's affections. With the greetings aside, she settled into one of the leather-backed armchairs opposite Euhorn's desk. And he wasted no time getting to the heart of the matter and brushing it aside. Jessa beamed a smile at her father's dismissal of her 'heinous crime' and nodded.

"Of course, father. What other audiences am I to see?"

As it turned out, the little Empress-in-Training had several audiences to see and none of them were interesting. There was a minor dispute over the wording of a document that needed her attention (because both gentlemen insisted relevant to the Empire). As it turned out, it was neither important nor relevant and proved a colossal waste of an hour of Jessamine's time. Next, she had to listen to her Foreign Affairs Liaison as he reviewed with her the scheduled events and itineraries of the delegates from Morley, Tyvia and Serkonos for the upcoming festival. The review included each continent's delegates as well, and they all had something to add to the discussion. Her head was spinning by the time the meeting finished. Then there was a naming ceremony for one of the castle guards. His wife had given birth to a baby boy and asked for a name and a blessing from the Emperor (or in this case, Princess). The easy part was the blessing, which Jessa simply read from the Strictures. Naming a child, however, was much more difficult and after some debate, she finally decided on Gavolt.

Thankfully, her afternoon of meetings and audiences was forced to a close as the hour came near for an important social event. The Horticulture Society was having a gala and Jessa had been asked to attend in her father's place. Never in a million years would the Princess had ever thought that an event like that would be seen as a blessing, but she had had it with the boring meetings and droning audiences. Besides, her lessons on Horticulture hadn't been all that bad.

Jessa was changed into a garment befitting her station as Princess, groomed and deemed ready to go in a matter of a couple hours. With Corvo at her side, she mounted into the carriage in the courtyard and prepared for an evening with pleasant old ladies who gossip too much and amicable old men who drink too much. Oh, if only that had been the kind of evening it was.



From Corvo's perspective, the meeting with the Emperor had been quite short and painless. If anything, all that had been covered had been things he'd grown accustomed to seeing. Euhorn had been ever presenting Jessamine with more and more tasks as time went on he he made a point to ensure she was being prepared better, towards the role of Empress with each day that passed. Granted, the parts of the agenda he had sent her way were, in the bodyguard's estimation, mere bagatelles. After all, he had been around the seat of power long enough to tell that there was nothing truly crucial involved. But therein would also lay a lesson: a ruler sometimes had to deal with matters that might seem trivial, yet were of crucial importance in their own way. After all, if the small things were ignored, they could mean much in the way of trouble later on for a variety of reasons.

But there was one thing that bothered the Serkonan. This 'gala' with the Horticultural Society. Normally, Corvo would have the time to study such engagements, plan for them, and make all sorts of arrangements. But the short notice meant he had not the time to do such things. Granted, he could, if needed, provide security to his charge cold, without having a chance to ensure of what would be in front of him. And that meant but one thing: that the evening would be interesting, and not in the way he liked.

Jessamine, thanks to her station, would need much time to make herself ready. While she would need to wash, see her hair done and get festooned into attire fit for her station and the upcoming event, all Corvo needed to do was to put on a pair of well-shone boots, throw on a finer vest, and his best coat. And, of course, see to his weapons while he made arrangements for transportation and an escort. But there was something nagging him, an itch at the back of his neck that just would not quit.

Baroness Gloriaminda Sewell was the very image of the dowager noblewoman. Over sixty, slight to the point of frailness, gray-haired, dressing modestly but all too heavily painted for it to be truly proper, as though she held some notion of attracting a fourth husband. And she was the head of the Imperial Horticultural Society. But then again, she was a properly-born Gristolian noblewoman, and this role had been hers for the last twenty-seven years and she refused to relinquish it to someone else, as it had been passed onto her nearly three decades past. And one thing for certain, she had some deeply held ideas as to what was proper, and what was not.

For one thing, her definition of 'gala' was hardly the one that was used within Dunwall Tower. For there was no brightly-lit hall with throngs of guests, low music and a small army of servants to see to their every need. Hell, there wasn't even a majordomo to loudly announce the princess' arrival, only a butler who was far past his prime to lead her into a rather cramped salon. But when they arrived, and Corvo entered first as was the protocol when he could not have put the right security arrangements into place. But, as soon as he crossed the threshold, he found himself faced by three young men, one standing in front of two others. All three had the bearing of self-important pricks all right, but the one who stood at their forefront, he fairly reeked of being a thoroughly obnoxious noble-born jackass all right. And all three, and the other half-dozen young men in this room full of much, much older gentles, were armed. From slender court swords and elegant knives to a few military-style sabers, and every single one of them bore at least one, if not more, ornate full-size pistol, some of them bearing several barrels. Granted, not a one of them carried anything that resembled Corvo's own pistol, a unique design with a revolving cylinder holding six rounds. And while all had the look of bravos who might have been in a scrap or three, not a one looked like they knew the first thing about real fighting.

Unlike Corvo himself.

And that was when the crone who was hosting this so-called 'gala' made herself heard.
"Your Highness, forgive me if I do not rise. There's no place for some street rat in this room. It can wait outside. As you can see, we are adequately guarded by men of proper breeding and quality. Far superior in every way to that."


Jessamine had found the lack of fashionable decorations and lights outside the Baroness's home unusual, considering they were supposed to be attending a gala. At least, that's what the request had said. But as she alighted from the carriage and was escorted into the Sewell Mansion, she wondered if perhaps the Baroness had meant something different entirely. When Jessa was greeted by an old butler and led unceremoniously to a drawing room without any pomp and circumstance, she knew that her evening would not be going as she had envisioned. She glanced at Corvo after the butler left the pair of them standing before the closed doors and shrugged. At least she would have her Protector by her side to idle away the time.

But apparently Baroness Sewell had other plans. No sooner had Corvo opened the door and entered the room did three armed noblemen approach and block his path. Jessamine watched them sneering at her Royal Protector from a few paces behind him. She did not bother taking in the rest of the room; she already had an idea about the type of people who filled it. She had half a mind to storm in front of Corvo and push the men away, demanding entry to the event to which she had been invited. But her father's wisdom echoed in her head. 'A ruler exercises patience and caution. Do not let your emotions guide your actions. Think of what consequences you might bring to your people.'

So Jessa did nothing, and would have continued that way if the Baroness hadn't spoken up herself.

"Your Highness, forgive me if I do not rise. There's no place for some street rat in this room. It can wait outside. As you can see, we are adequately guarded by men of proper breeding and quality. Far superior in every way to that."

Jessa's composure and poise vanished as the bitter old crone spat those words from her lounger. She sidestepped out of Corvo's protective shadow and unleashed a fury of words upon the Baroness. "Is that why you invited me here this evening? To mock and ridicule me? Don't say that's not what you meant. Every uncultured slight that you spew at my Protector is also spewed into my face. Do you know why I picked him? It was because he bested every man who applied. He bested the entire tower garrison. He even bested my father's personal guard. All those men, Gristolian-born. And all beaten by one Serkonian. This man that you see before you is not an it, or a thing, or a street-rat as you called him. He is my chosen Royal Protector and if you do not allow him entry, then I will have to tell my father that I, the Princess, was unwelcome in your home. How do you think the nobility will feel about you after that news gets around?"

The pause was not intentional, but the Baroness took Jessamine's breath as her cue to interject and interrupt, her pale face red with anger at the Princess's thinly veiled threats. "How Dare you! You are an impudent child to come in here and speak to me that way! I said it before and I'll say it again: that thing has NO place in my house! If the Emperor had bothered to raise you properly, you'd know the difference between men of worth and the shit under your shoes. And if you'd been taught any measure of respect, you'd know not to cross your elders. I'm older and wiser than you and as such, I know what is best. Hmph! Now, I expect you to behave like a proper young lady and apologize for your uncouth outburst." The Baroness motioned towards a chair for Jessamine, then let her gaze fall on the center man of the trio. "Merritt there is my grandnephew, and finer stock than any you'll find in Gristol. He is to be your new Protector. But first, Merritt, be a good lad and take out the trash."



ncountering armed men in the room was something Corvo had thought would be possible, but not so blatantly. That was the sort of thing that simply was not done. Between Imperial Law, custom and etiquette, there were plenty of places where one could find out just how one did not simply have armed retainer of their own in the presence of a member of the Imperial Family without clearing it through the appropriate authorities. And in this case, there were exactly three people in the world who could actually make Corvo Attano allow the presence of armed men he did not personally vet in Jessamine's presence.

One of them was the princess herself, and the other two were back at the palace. And none had said a damn thing about this. Could the emperor have known? No, that was most unlikely. From the brief he had seen, they were supposed to discuss the floats and order of march for the Rhododendron Festival in four months' time. But it would seem that their hostess had chosen to impose her views on things on this evening, and apparently she failed to realize that regardless of how much she disapproved of the Royal Protector's presence, it was not her decision.

Jessamine, well, she did let her opinion be known, while her bodyguard had remained stone-faced against the, really, rather mild abuse he was being subjected to. But it would seem the princess, on the other hand, did not think so little of those words. But what came next made the Serkonan's blood boil, and it was only his iron self-discipline that prevented him from snarling right then and there. The Baroness interrupted a member of the Royal Family, and scolded her like a child. That alone could land a commoner in jail at the very least, and see nobility fined. But then, she made a very, very bad mistake.

She ordered Corvo removed by this Merritt fellow. One of her kinsmen, no less...

"Of course, Great-Aunt," replied the fellow named Merritt.

What a fucking wanker, was Corvo's immediate thought. Oh, that bravo did cut a fine figure. Narrow of waist, broad of shoulder, with a strong square jaw, hair cut into a brush and pale blue eyes, wearing a perfectly tailored military-looking coat in bright, expensive dyes, with solid gold buttons, a court sword and a four-barreled pepperbox pistol. But the expression on his face, that look of utter contempt and superiority... the Serkonan wanted to wipe it off his face all right. And when his right hand came to the center of Corvo's chest and pushed against him, that was the start of it. "Come on, go back where you belong you filthy..."

He did not finish his sentence, for when he started his second push, Corvo moved. His right hand shot up to capture his wrist, and he gave a hard twist, a twist accompanied by the crackling sound of the small bones in his wrist breaking. But even as he did so, he pulled on the injured joint, eliciting a choked gasp of agony that turned into a scream when his left forearm connected just behind the elbow, separating that articulation, and that turned into a frantic wail as the already tortured arm was further hyperextended and the bodyguard's left fist connected just behind his shoulder, dislocating it with a sickening pop. But that was not all, for Corvo's left hand shot to Merrit's waist and stripped the pistol from his holster, before his right foot came up and down in two sharp strikes.

The first hit the side of Merrit's right knee and the joint bent most unnaturally sideways with a wet crunch, and the second was a heel strike to his left ankle in which the unmistakable sound of small bones being broken sounded once more. As Merritt came down, Corvo swung his captured pistol about and caught him on the side of the head. More bone gave way as his jaw was broken, but the wailing ended as he was knocked unconscious. But that was only the start.

Surging ahead, the bodyguard pistol-whipped the fellow on his left-hand side even as he just realized something was happening, and while he went down bonelessly, his right hand came back to his waist and drew his own revolver in a quick flick, and grabbing it by the barrel he hammered the brass-shod butt first into the right-hand dandy's ribs and then in the middle of his forehead, felling him very much like a cow, before spinning it in his grasp into a proper grip and thumbing the hammer in the process. And by the time he settled into stance, he was threatening half the room with the pepperbox he had captured, while his revolver was pointing directly between the Baroness' eyes. And for the first time, Corvo spoke.

"I could see you charged with lese-majeste, hampering the Emperor's orders, threatening Her Highness and treason right here, right now, and I'd be within my rights to blow your head clean off your shoulders right this fucking instant, My Lady." The last two words were dripping with contempt, and it was clear that pulling the trigger and spoiling the rich paneling with a spray of hair, skull, blood and brains was certainly tempting at that moment. "But it will not get the Emperor's will done. You have exactly one chance to get your illegally armed retainers gone from this room, without their weapons that is, and cry Princess Jessamine's pardon, or I start shooting."

But what could be even most impressive was that the Serkonian never raised his voice past the level of a civilized conversation. But there could be no mistaking his supreme confidence in his own skills, not unless one was a thoroughly inept judge of men. And there was something to his tone, cold enough to turn a roaring blast furnace into a solid chunk of ice, something hard, something dangerous and barely constrained.




The Baroness' scolding was shocking and unexpected. No one scolded Jessamine aside from her father, Corvo, her tutor and her ladies' maid. And even then, it wasn't really a scolding she received from them. More like stern directions on how to better her life. But this scathing retort was nothing like that and Jessa was so taken aback by it that she failed to reply. The only thing she could think of to say was a word of warning to Merritt after he pushed Corvo.

"Dont-"

But it was all she managed to get out before Corvo sprung to action. She had seen him in the practice field, and there was the occasional boy who got fresh with her in her younger days that he had to scare off, but this masterful display of physical prowess and superiority was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Not even during the testing matches had Corvo performed this aggressively, or this swiftly.

It all happened in a matter of seconds, but standing behind him in that moment, it seemed to drag on for minutes. She knew it was a bad sign when she heard the sickening crunch of bones and saw the spatter of fresh blood fly from Merritt's mouth as several teeth were knocked loose. The beating went on for ages until Jessamine couldn't stand to watch anymore. She turned her head away and clenched her eyes shut. 'This is what he is here for. It's what he's supposed to do. I know that. I know and yet I can't watch. It's just too.. gruesome.'

When the dust settled and she heard the lifeless bodies thud unceremoniously onto the floor, she wondered if it was ok to open her eyes. Corvo's low, melodic voice convinced her of it and as he spoke she surveyed the damage. Three bodyguards dead- wait, they were breathing. So three bodyguards incapacitated and no one else so much as harmed. Corvo commanded the room with his pistol and pepperbox, but he didn't need them. His presence in that moment was intimidating enough. Never had Jessamine been so glad that he was on her side.

"MERRITT!!!" The long silence in the room was broken by the Baroness as she cried out for her kin. Whatever hatred she had held for the Serkonian Royal Protector had been based purely on his race. Now she hated him as a person and wanted him gone from her sight. But he was threatening her with treason and his pistol hadn't moved away from targeting her head. So she did the only thing she could do: she salvaged what was left of her reputation.

"Hankford! Hankford come quickly!" Gloriaminda called out for her withered old butler, but as the seconds grew longer, she gave up on him and moved to the next plan. "You three, gather my dear Merritt and his friends and place them in the guest rooms. And fetch the doctor! He must come IMMEDIATELY, do you hear? See to it that Merritt gets treated first."

The singled-out nobles of the Gristolian Horticulture Society did not shirk in their duties. With some effort, all three men were lifted and hauled out of the room just as the butler appeared in the doorway. Corvo had fully entered the room and Jessa stood near his rear, watching the Baroness from his right side. She didn't realize how on edge she was until the butler spoke and Jessa had to surpress her yelp.

"Yes ma'am?" Hankford inquired as to the nature of his summons, despite being taken aback by what he was seeing.

"Ah-" Jessa quieted herself despite nearly jumping out of her skin at the old butler's arrival.

"Hankford, I'm not feeling well and shall retire early. When the doctor comes, tell him to come by my room after he's finished with the boys. Would you be a dear and escort our guests out? The meeting is over early tonight." Gloriaminda replied to her butler with every ounce of entitlement in her being. It was important to her that the others not see her showing an ounce of sympathy for that piece of scum who had just ruined her evening. It was also important that they understood who called the shots here. Just because it had a gun pointed on her, that didn't mean she had to give in to it's demands. On the contrary, it was her house and she was entitled to have who she wanted in it when she wanted them. She was just exercising that right.

"Yes ma'am. I do apologize for the lady. Her health isn't what it used to be." Hankford mumbled the same apology to each guest as he began excusing them from the room. He had started with Corvo and Jessamine, but since they refused to move from the key position that Corvo had obtained, the butler moved on to the guests. And they were all too happy to leave this controversial scene behind. One by one, the guests filtered out of the room until only Gloriaminda and her butler remained with the Princess and her Protector.

With everyone else gone, the Baroness rose and slowly approached Corvo but kept her distance out of lunging range. "Treason. Pfft. How can you know anything about the matter. You're Serkonian and your word will never best mine, even if you are her loyal lapdog. And you, young lady! I trusted you to make the smart choice and instead you side with that filth? How could you even- Oh.. oh I see now. I should have noticed it earlier. You reek of betrayal, choosing an inbred gutter-rat like that instead of a proper young man!" Her attention returned to Corvo as she continued her rant. "She's your personal bitch, isn't she? Yes, that must be the real reason you protect her. You must love the way she screams when you fuck her traitorous whore cunt. Serkonian dog." The Baroness smirked as her words cut Jessamine down. She knew from the Princess' expression that she'd struck a chord there, and so she continued. " Oh, but don't worry. I'll be telling everyone about how much her highness enjoys being skewered and sullied by common trash. Why, she'll put every harlot in the city out of business once all the men come running to her for their jollies! Now, I have done as you so rudely demanded and emptied the room of all armed persons. And unless you plan on murdering me, there's no more need for those weapons of yours. So, you and your whore should leave my house and never come back. " The Baroness spat in their direction, but didn't dare make a move past Corvo. She had seen what he could do and despite all her talk, he terrified her.

Jessamine had retorts in her repertoire for almost any situation she came across, but she'd never received a tongue-lashing so fierce before. It left her speechless, mostly because much of what the Baroness said, or at least implied, was true. She did love Corvo and he loved her. She had already offered her body to him and had relished in his touch. But it wasn't why she picked him. She picked Corvo based on his skill and nothing else. Words flooded into the Princess' mind now and she picked the ones that made the most sense.

"You hold no power or authority anymore, Baroness Sewell. I shall see to it that your title is stripped and your holdings seized for the Empire unless you apologize this instant, both to me and to my Protector. He is a good man, which has nothing to do with his place of birth. And he is more skilled than any you sought to pair me with, that much is evident by the evening's turn of events. Furthermore, He and I-" Jessamine paused. She couldn't lie and say they were not romantically entangled, but she couldn't admit to it either. She cleared her throat and began again. "Either apologize or I will see you brought in for treason."



Corvo's pistol never stopped tracking the Baroness. Already she had proven herself to cross the threshold into being a threat to the Empire with her behaviour. After all, what else would one call trying to supplant the Royal Protector with one of her own kin, someone who had never been vetted by the Emperor's own Protector, someone who was nowhere near as skilled as Corvo himself and whose only recommendation for the role, was, apparently, being of high birth.

And now, the bodyguard was in a position where he did control the situation. He would be well within his own authority to shoot her where she stood. After all, his mandate was to protect the princess and protect the empire by whatever means he deemed necessary. And now, he knew one thing for certain: he had made an enemy of Gloriaminda Sewell; not just because he was a Serkonan and from the poorest of extractions, but now because he had put her golden boy back in his place with extreme prejudice. And he could tell the baroness was scrambling for anything resembling control on the current situation. She was not used to being at the receiving end of someone else's will and she knew full well that at this exact moment, all it would take would be a tightening of one particular finger and she would be ended.

Once she had the injured men taken out of the room and dismissed the remainder of the members of the meeting, one might think she would come to see reason. But instead of remaining in her seat, instead she approached Jessamine, and when she did, Corvo shifted his position to remain squarely between the old bat and his charge. There was no way he would let her anywhere near the princess, not for any reason. But instead of crying Jessa's pardon as he instructed her to, she did the most unwise thing she could: she launched herself into another vitriolic tirade. And then she spat, the gob of spit landing squarely in the center of Corvo's chest.

His heartbeat quickened his his blood boiled in rage. No one spoke to him, or to Jessamine like this. Not ever. Not if their intent was to keep breathing. But despite the burning in his eyes his face remained completely impassive. But his index finger did tighten on the trigger, taking up the slack. He knew that all it would take would be a fraction of an ounce more pressure before the gun would bark and the large caliber slug would demolish Gloriaminda Sewell's head. And once more, the princess spoke, offering the dowager one last chance to save her own life.

But this is when Corvo spoke over her. "No more chances. No more apologies." His voice was low and even, but it was cold and hard, the voice of a man who had absolutely no compunctions about killing. And then, he moved. Lowering his pistol, he pressed the barrel between her sagging breasts and he started pushing, driving the woman back towards her divan and when he reached it, he gave one hard shove, one that robbed her of her breath as she lost her balance and fell upon it. And then, he started to back away, maintaining his aim. But once he reached the coffee table, he set down the pepperbox pistol in his left hand upon it, and then he kept on moving, his aim with his own revolver never wavering one bit. "As Royal Protector, I find you guilty of treason and high crimes against the Empire. The penalty is death."

Then, Corvo took a deep breath. "Now here's what's going to happen, you rancid old bitch. When we leave, you'll take that pistol and blow your brains out. If you do this, we won't say a damn word about this to anyone. Your precious Merritt will inherit whatever you want to give him." This was as much a courtesy as the bodyguard was willing to extend. He was, to say the very least, hardly in an accommodating mood at this point. "But if you're still breathing comes morning, that won't be the case. First, you will be attainted. You will be left penniless. Homeless. Maybe some of your friends and acquaintances will help you out, maybe with money, maybe with shelter and support but I wouldn't care to bet on it. And so will your precious Merritt. You old and tired and sagging, and him crippled for life. And then, when I will start hunting. First, I will kill those who helped you, if any. Then I'll kill Merritt. And the last thing you see before I kill you will be my face. And then, I'll make sure you're found exactly where you belong. And you know what will be the worst thing? There won't be a shred of evidence pointing to me in the end. You're not the first I'll have gone after. And odds are you won't be the last. You'll just be one more dead body in my service to the empire. To Jessamine. Your family will end, your house disappear and you'll just be an embarrassing footnote in some dusty records."

"Now make your choice. Which is going to be?"

And then, he reached back with his left arm, herding Jessamine towards the door. One thing for certain, he was not about to turn his back on that bitch, not when there was a pistol between them. And once he exited, he closed the door behind him, and only then did he turn around and put his left arm around his charge and started to guider her, faster and more forcefully towards the door, where their carriage waited. The old butler watched them leave. It was hard to tell what the old man was thinking. He had heard everything, that much was clear, and part of him was horrified, but there was a certain gladness in his eyes; apparently, it was the first time someone had properly stood up to his mistress.

And just as princess and protector went out the front door, a gunshot echoed within the halls of the manor.




Jessamine flinched in Corvo's arms as the gunshot echoed through the house. Her eyes darted up to Corvo's face, trying to read what he was thinking, but he seemed focused on getting as far away as possible from this place. As he helped her into their carriage, the Princess took one last glance back at the Estate. She could swear she saw the butler mouthing a 'thank you'.

The ride home was not long, but it seemed to Jessamine that they were in the carriage for hours. The silence around her was deafening, but she didn't know what to say. Too many thoughts swirled in her head but she dared not to speak lest she burst into tears. She felt the fit coming and didn't want Corvo to see it. This.. thing that had just transpired.. it was a part of her life. Every day, her Royal Protector was out there stopping threats to the Empire and to herself. It was nothing to cry over. And Gloriaminda had been a hateful, disgusting person anyway.

Jessamine raised her eyes to look at her bodyguard. Is this what he really did for her? Every day? He threatened, murdered and maimed those who spoke out or acted out against the Crown? Did he even feel any remorse? How could he be so cold like that, but so gentle with her? Jessa's eyes fell back down to her hands. When had she balled them into fists? She didn't remember.

Arriving at the Tower was a whirlwind of activity in itself, with Jessa playing the part of the puppet. She was helped from the carriage, led inside and through the hallways to her room and seated at her vanity. A servant arrived and Jessamine heard her own voice instruct the servant to leave and not to be bothered until breakfast. She didn't remember saying anything. A brush found its way into her hands as her hair fell from it's coiffured state and her arms began the motions of brushing.

It was an odd thing to watch, as she stared into the vanity mirror observing herself brushing her hair out. She hadn't thought she was moving at all. But unless her reflection was a lie, there she was sitting stock still and expressionless, gently brushing her hair. Where was Corvo?

A bubble of anxiety burst in her throat as she turned from her vanity and her eyes searched the room for his familiar shape. He was the reason for her animatronic state, but he was suddenly the only thing that mattered to her and she needed him desperately.

"Corvo? Corvo!" Her voice took on an almost shrill quality as she began to return to her senses.



Corvo knew Sewell would take the easy way out.

This wasn't the first time he had offered the option of suicide or his brand of reprisals, and usually people took the way out they had some form of control over. A minority would gamble they could escape Corvo Attano, but they never did. One had come close, but he met his end on the docks even as he was boarding his ship. That one had been close all right, the Royal Protector had kept his word...

The only words during the ride back were Corvo's orders to the rest of the detail, and their acknowledgements. He could tell Jessamine had been shocked by the experience. She would have to learn at one time that this was the sort of things he did to protect her, to safeguard the Crown and the Empire. It was a duty he did gladly and without a hint of doubt in his mind. But it was a lesson he had hoped to break to his charge much more gently. But his hand had been forced and now she knew on more than just an intellectual level that the silent shadow at her shoulder in public, that presence she always took comfort in, was a man capable of delivering the most brutal forms of violence and could appear to be utterly devoid of all human kindness.

Upon their return, he ushered the princess back to her chambers. He would have to provide a report of the evening's events at some point, but for the time being he needed to see to Jessamine, and get her some place she knew was safe, where nothing could get to her. And so, once she dismissed her servants for the night, before getting out of her gown, no less, she seated herself to brush her hair, and he stepped into his own room, divesting himself of his coat, vest, weapons and boots.

And then he heard her call of him frantically.

He ran out of his room, barefoot and unarmed as he was called. There was no way someone could have gotten in, but still he came as fast as he could, and he quickly closed to distance towards his charge. "Jessa, I'm here. What's wrong?"




Jessamine shook from head to toe as she reached for her lover. The brush lay on the floor where she had dropped it. Her gown was barely halfway undone. Her boots were still on and laced. Whatever strength the had in her body went to her fingers, gripping Corvo tight as she pulled his body against her cheek.

"Corvo, she.. why would she.. how could-" Jessa wasn't making sense, and worse, the tears had begun. She cursed herself for being so weak as to cry over something as simple as duty. But a life was lost. She couldn't just overlook that, could she? Should she? Jessa didn't know anymore.

"I'm sorry, Corvo, I shouldn't be.. I know you have to.. Why can't it be simple!" She just wanted the secrets to stop, just for one day or even one hour. She wanted to hold her lover and announce him to the world; she wanted everyone to trust and support her as their leader; she wanted no war or crimes or hatred. But that perfect world was a bubble waiting to burst on the pinpoint of reality.

This was her perfect, imperfect world. The one in which her ruthless assassin was also her faithful protector and steadfast lover. The one in which vipers and wolves masqueraded as friends in the light and plotted evil in the dark. These were the cards she had been dealt by the Outsider and she had to learn to master them before they got the better of her. This was a lesson and a test. And what had she learned? Corvo is devastatingly good at his job. There are more untrustworthy people that she realized. She still mourns for those who die cursing her name. Had she passed or failed this test? She didn't know. But it felt wrong not to mourn a person's passing. For all the humanity that Corvo gave up to become her bodyguard, she could spare some and shed tears for the both of them.

Jessamine cried into Corvo for several long minutes. Her fingers gripped him tightly as she pulled him close and let her confusing sorrow spill onto his remaining clothes. When she finally felt the torrent of tears subsiding, she sniffled and pulled back. Her hands wiped her messy face as she stammered an apology. She had known, in her head, about the kinds of things Corvo did for her. But she had never been there or seen them done before. Now she had an image to match her knowledge. It wasn't pretty. But she knew it was necessary.

What could she say that would excuse her behavior tonight? Other than stammering several more apologies, Jessamine was poor for conversation. She just wanted to hold him, bury her face in him, fall asleep in his arms knowing that no harm would ever come to her. She just wanted.. him.

Jessa looked up into his beautiful dark eyes, her own steely ones pleading as she spoke. "Please don't go. Stay with me tonight..?"



The expensive ivory-handled and gold-chased hairbrush in Jessamine's hand hit the floor. But that was just the very last thing that told Corvo not everything was all right with his charge. But then again, her uncharacteristic silence and wooden demeanour on the way back from this so-called gala had already been a good indication of that. When she reached for him, he let her do so and he stepped in close, wrapping his powerful arms around her. Part of him wondered, now, what she would think of them? She had after all just witnessed his bone-breaking strength.

He did not speak, though. At least not at first. There was nothing he could say to make it all better for the princess just then. Of course there were things he could say, but nothing that would be helpful. Why and how she could have said these things? Because she was a rancid, ambitious bitch trying to improve her lot by positioning her kinsman in a position to influence the princess; how or why she would take her own life? Because turns out there was one thing in this world she cared about more than just herself. Truth be told, Corvo would much have rather taken care of that business privately, but that option had been denied him. He could not risk letting her go public with her accusations; especially when there was a degree of truth to them.

And he couldn't tell her she didn't need to apologize, and that indeed it was his job to do bad things to people who were a threat to her and the Crown. As for why it couldn't be simple, well, he could hardly tell her that for him things were extremely simple all right. After all, things tended to get quite simple for him when he would make sure those threats would never materialize.

So he let her weep, getting it out of her system and he simply held her against him, letting her exhaust her sobbing and her tears. And when they did, she asked him a question. His every instinct was to say no, to refuse. But tonight? He could not. "Of course," he answered as he took a callused hand, a hand that she now knew was capable of bone-breaking strength, and he brushed at the track of tears on her delicate cheek. Looking down, he could see she had only undone those hooks she could have reached along the back of her dress, and he could see her boots still on her feet. And she had dismissed her servants... "Would you like me to help you get ready?"




Any other night, those words from her lover's mouth would have been a sign of progress towards Jessa's ultimate goal of bedding Corvo. Tonight, his gentle acquiescence, soft touch and simple request moved the Princess in a different way. She knew he loved her, but this was different. He wasn't offering to help get her naked or bending to her wishes. He was showing his care and concern. It was such a simple gesture but Jessa felt the unspoken emotions behind it. She sniffled a reply, heard it lost among her other sounds of mourning, and nodded her head.

Her fingers tensed and relaxed in turn, pulling and then releasing his clothing. She let her head rest against him and exhaled loudly. Why did she feel so conflicted? The woman was poisonous to her and needed to have an end. Corvo hadn't flinched in his performance or faltered in his duty, so why did Jessa feel so conflicted? There was no other solution to this, was there? Could she have done or said anything differently to change the outcome? Or had the vile old woman been set down her path already? Was it some morbid scheme of the Outsider? And now that the deeds were done and the dead were gone and soon to be forgotten, what of her murderous lover?

The thoughts gave Jessamine pause and she raised her head to look up into his eyes. Those dark orbs were seemingly filled with some emotion, and not at all void or unfeeling. They watched her with.. concern? Yes, and volumes of affection. That rough and calloused hand which so tenderly wiped away her tears had, not hours earlier, all but snuffed the life out of the Baroness and decimated the livelihood of her nephew. This voice which spoke comforting words in gentle tones was the same one that uttered the ultimatum which sealed Gloriaminda's fate. And yet, she could not let him go. She should be repelled by his presence because of what he had done, not clinging to him like a child. Her mind argued that this was precisely why her relationship with the Royal Protector was forbidden. Corvo walked a fine line as the keeper of the peace, but his duty required blood and sacrifice. He was clothed in death, while she represented the life of the Empire.

In those moments, Jessamine came to an understanding about herself. She could live with the stench of extermination on her lover because she would not choose to live without him. This was the cost of their love, and tragic as it was, now that she knew, everything made sense. A weak smile broke the stoic grimace that had been her expression as she gazed at Corvo. No matter the cost, to the Empire, himself or his soul, he would always be there for her. And she would always take comfort in his wonderful, rough embrace.

"I.." She swallowed. Her voice had yet to be tested since the sobbing. "Yes, please.." The faintest echoes of a smile lingered on her face as she spoke.



Much time passed between Corvo's question and Jessamine's answer. But that did not bother him. He understood she needed to process what he had said, and how to parse it against what she had just experienced, and into the fabric of what she knew and felt about him. She knew he had won the Verbena Blade. She knew he had excelled in the selection process that had culled the applicants to the role of Royal Protector for her to a very short list, and what those had entailed. And she had to have suspected about some of his more discreet activities when he would leave at night.

He knew just how closely he was being examined. Not physically, but in other ways. And he waited, patiently, as she made her decision. He felt her fingers open and close against him, delicate appendages against his muscular, bone-breaking frame. But then he felt the change in her breathing, and when he looked at her again he could see the ghost of a faint smile. It was not much, but he could tell she had come to a decision about him, one that she could live with. She accepted who and what he was.

When she spoke, her voice was low, quiet. Her throat had been made raw from sobbing, and he understood that. And then, she acknowledged him, that she wanted his help. "Of course," he replied just as quietly and as he pulled out of her arms and released her, he allowed himself to lay a single brief, soft and tender kiss upon her lips. Nothing like the feverish lip-locking of the previous night, but something that conveyed just as much meaning, but in a much milder form.

So first he knelt, and with fingers that could deftly reload a gun, pick a lock, empty a pocket or crush the life out of a man's throat, he started undoing the laces of one boot and he pulled it off her delicate foot, an action that he followed by peeling the stocking off her leg, his fingertips grazing at the pale, soft skin of her leg. And, once he was done with one foot, he gently set it back onto the heavy, thick carpet and started on the other boot to repeat the process.

When he rose, he let his fingers trail along the heavy, luxurious fabric of her skirts. And that was as much as he was allowing himself at this time. He wanted to feel her beneath his hands, to hold her, to all but rip those clothes off her. But not now. She needed to feel safe, to feel cared for. Upon reaching his full height, he walked around Jessamine and stood behind her. With a gesture that was both precise and delicate, he moved the entire mass of her lovely dark hair over one shoulder, the tops of his fingernails but brushing at the slender column of her neck. And then, he started working on the small hooks of her dress.

One after the other, he undid them, each exposing first more of the perfect skin of her upper back and then the white silk of her chemise. 23 of them he undid before he reached the last one at the small of her back. And then, his hands came up to her shoulders and he pushed the heavy gown off of her and guided it down her arms and let it fall into a puddle of fabric at her feet. He could see the makeup on her cheeks, her neck, the tops of her breasts. It was a shame, he thought, she had to whiten the already creamy skin even further. Or that it was required of her to wear those paints in the first place. Her true beauty was natural, unforced, absolutely perfect as it was. And for a moment, he was tempted to bring his hands to those perfect breasts of hers, to feel them again. But instead he brought his hands back behind her and clenched his fists. Not now, this was not the time...

So, to work he went on her corset, unlacing the whole length of it before he let it fall to the floor on top of her dress. As it fell, he saw how her chest fell back to its natural position, a figure even more enticing than the artificially elevated state that was the current fashion among young ladies. And then, almost by reflex, he pushed her chemise off her shoulders, letting that too come to rest upon the floor and leaving the princess naked from the waist up, and with nothing but her underwear from the waist down. His own heart was beating like a thousand drums in his chest, and the rushing of blood in his ears was like a roaring river. But still,, he kept his hands to himself and he slowly went back around the princess.

On her vanity was a bar of delicate soap, squares of impossibly soft flannel cloth, and two bowls of water. He knew what these were for, to remove the paints from her so she would go to sleep her skin clear. But before he reached for them, he could not help himself and he allowed himself to look her over, from her eyes to her toes and back up. She was beautiful, and he was found himself blessed to no end that she had chosen him to be the one man she would share such sights with. Then, he took one of the squares, wet it and lathered some of the soap onto it, and once more his voice sounded.

"May I?"


Jessamine shut her eyes as Corvo began the laborious work of undressing her. The maid would have done it, had she not dismissed the poor woman. Surely news of Jess' mood had already made rounds through all the servants. There would be questioning looks and knowing glances tomorrow, but none of that mattered.

As the heavy dress fell to the floor, Jess exhaled her fears and opened her eyes. For the first time in hours, she felt like she could breathe. Her lover's deft hands were making short work of her corset, but already a weight hat been lifted. Every now and again, he would brush her skin or graze her with his nails. More than once, she arched her back slightly into his hands. But through all of this, there was no sense of sexual urgency. This was something entirely new, entirely different.

When she was finally disrobed down to her underwear, Corvo stepped fully out from behind her and she watched as his eyes beheld her form. It was not the passion of a red hot poker that she saw reflected in his face, but the peaceful admiring of something cherished. How strange this new face of love was! In that gaze, Jessamine felt more beautiful and more loved than ever. Suddenly she understood that perhaps love had nothing at all to do with passion. Perhaps that was a mere side effect. Maybe he was showing just how deeply she filled the chasm of his heart by these simple, respectful ministrations. He was calm and being careful and moving slowly. His breath fell steadily upon her bare shoulders, and despite her mental state, her skin rose in expectant goosebumps. For all the worlds, yes, she wanted Corvo. And he wanted her too, she could tell. But she was both certain and grateful that tonight there would be no lovemaking, no foreplay. Only this. Only the steady hands of the one man she trusted over any other gently stripping, cleaning and holding her until she was ok.

Jessamine felt her lip tremble a moment later and coughed out a chuckle as new tears christened her eyes. Why on earth was she crying now! This was certainly no time to cry, especially over Corvo. He was only doing what she had asked, or rather, what she had agreed to. As she blinked, the tears broke through the surface and drizzled down her cheeks. They were short-lived, however, and disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. Somewhere amidst all those thoughts, a smile had crept onto the Princess' face. It was this expression she wore while nodding at her lover to continue. "..yes. Thank you."

She sniffled away a dark thought as Corvo dipped the cloths into the basin and rubbed the perfumed soap onto the newly moistened spot. Her eyes closed as he neared so he could better wipe the kohl from her eyelids like her chambermaid always did, but the cloth slid across her bare skin elsewhere. She gasped as the pressure of his touch excited yet another new feeling within her. Her eyes opened and she watched him closely through those glassy orbs, mouth upturned, as he delicately removed her makeup.
 
Jessamine shut her eyes as Corvo began the laborious work of undressing her. The maid would have done it, had she not dismissed the poor woman. Surely news of Jess' mood had already made rounds through all the servants. There would be questioning looks and knowing glances tomorrow, but none of that mattered.

As the heavy dress fell to the floor, Jess exhaled her fears and opened her eyes. For the first time in hours, she felt like she could breathe. Her lover's deft hands were making short work of her corset, but already a weight hat been lifted. Every now and again, he would brush her skin or graze her with his nails. More than once, she arched her back slightly into his hands. But through all of this, there was no sense of sexual urgency. This was something entirely new, entirely different.

When she was finally disrobed down to her underwear, Corvo stepped fully out from behind her and she watched as his eyes beheld her form. It was not the passion of a red hot poker that she saw reflected in his face, but the peaceful admiring of something cherished. How strange this new face of love was! In that gaze, Jessamine felt more beautiful and more loved than ever. Suddenly she understood that perhaps love had nothing at all to do with passion. Perhaps that was a mere side effect. Maybe he was showing just how deeply she filled the chasm of his heart by these simple, respectful ministrations. He was calm and being careful and moving slowly. His breath fell steadily upon her bare shoulders, and despite her mental state, her skin rose in expectant goosebumps. For all the worlds, yes, she wanted Corvo. And he wanted her too, she could tell. But she was both certain and grateful that tonight there would be no lovemaking, no foreplay. Only this. Only the steady hands of the one man she trusted over any other gently stripping, cleaning and holding her until she was ok.

Jessamine felt her lip tremble a moment later and coughed out a chuckle as new tears christened her eyes. Why on earth was she crying now! This was certainly no time to cry, especially over Corvo. He was only doing what she had asked, or rather, what she had agreed to. As she blinked, the tears broke through the surface and drizzled down her cheeks. They were short-lived, however, and disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. Somewhere amidst all those thoughts, a smile had crept onto the Princess' face. It was this expression she wore while nodding at her lover to continue. "..yes. Thank you."

She sniffled away a dark thought as Corvo dipped the cloths into the basin and rubbed the perfumed soap onto the newly moistened spot. Her eyes closed as he neared so he could better wipe the kohl from her eyelids like her chambermaid always did, but the cloth slid across her bare skin elsewhere. She gasped as the pressure of his touch excited yet another new feeling within her. Her eyes opened and she watched him closely through those glassy orbs, mouth upturned, as he delicately removed her makeup.

There was a time for everything.

And as enticing as Jessamine's half-naked body was, this was no time to engage in any sort of sexual play; she was scared, stressed and vulnerable. Her state of mind was not entirely sound at this time, and should she consent to more than his cleaning her up, and perhaps holding her through the night, it would be unreliable at best.

And if he could not entirely trust her judgement at this time, he definitely trusted his own in that if he did act upon that consent, he would be taking advantage of her, and that he could never allow himself to do, or be perceived to do.

Just as he knew that if he started at her forehead and worked his way down, by the time he would be removing the white makeup from her breasts he would be hard-pressed to remain in control, to refrain from doing something he would deem to be beyond despicable. So, he went against logic, and started low, and worked his way up.

First, he took the square of cloth to the tops of her breasts, and making sure it was only fabric touching her skin, never his own fingertip despite how much he wanted to make contact with her, he started wiping at the makeup, first washing with soap, then rinsing off. And so he started, removing the artificial pallor from her skin to reveal its natural creaminess. The tops of her breasts, then her shoulders, her neck, and finally he got to her face. He was working gently and deliberately, making sure to remove every last trace of the makeup. And when he was done, first he dabbed at her face with a towel, a towel which he then wrapped about her shoulders to cover her breasts, for he did not trust himself to be the one to remove every trace of moisture from her skin.

And, as she'd asked him, he would be spending the night with her, providing her with the comfort she so desired. So, he gently took her hand and he started guiding her towards her large bed. "Come on, let's get you in there, shall we?"
 
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