Freshwater Awakening (Rania Lark and darkest_fate)

Ivy had managed to stay in her seated position, her arms holding her up on the rocks, albeit weakly as Minthe returned her attentions. It was true that Ivy was not in her right mind. Her thoughts were still circling the moments leading up to this. Her releasing the naiad, the 'love making' to which she had succumbed, the subsequent exhaustion. When Minthe spoke, Ivy turned her head, her eyes glazed over in the afterglow of euphoria as the naiad began to push strands of her tangled, wet hair away from her face. Her braid was nearly completely pulled out of its gold thread, falling down in spidery tendrils down her back.

Minthe used her fingers to brush Ivy's hair back away from her face, detangling the thicker strands before revealing that she would help the Princess get herself back together, make her presentable once again. Ivy nodded her agreement and whispered "Th-thank you," hoarsely before she watched as Minthe dove back into the water, disappearing once again in the swirling liquid.

It took Ivy a moment for her thoughts to clear, her mind to process what had happened and when she did, her demeanor changed. She couldn't be here! She couldn't let anyone see her like this! It took one look down over her translucent tunic, still soaked in water from the river and her exposed nether region, sticky and soaked with the mixture of the two women's juices to jolt Ivy into action.

She scrambled to her feet, her legs still functioning as wet noodles as she walked unsteadily towards her velvet dress and her soaked boots. Just as Ivy reached her clothes to dress and mount her horse to leave, she heard the familiar splash of water behind her. Standing up on unsteady legs, Ivy turned around, her eyes wide to see that Minthe had returned very quickly. She couldn't run and most definitely couldn't ride out without being covered and dressed. She could explain away the soaking as she fell into the river but she would still have to be clothed.

Toes pointed inward, her legs wobbled as her hands grasped the burgundy velvet frock. Ivy pressed it against her body, shielding her near nudity as she watched the naiad emerge and approach her.

The princess was already getting dressed? That amused Minthe, who actually paused short to let out a short giggle. What was the point? the only one around was Minthe, who certainly wouldn't mind getting a better view. The naiad was almost tempted to stand there and watch the princess attempt to get dressed too: she was likely moving much too soon for someone who had just had quite a passionate embrace.

Minthe's amusement almost distracted her from her frustration. it came back suddenly, darkening violet eyes and causing blood to rise. She took a few steps toward Ivy, raising an accusatory finger. "Are you a witch?" she demanded. "Or a sorceress or wizardess or anything?" She waited another beat, before adding, "Or, like, did anyone enchant you? Like, whoever lays with you before you are wed is cursed or something?"

Because that would be the easy, simple answer. it would suck, as it either meant that Minthe was stuck with Ivy for quite a while or she'd have to outright kill the pretty princess (something she was very disinclined to do, even with her rage bubbling up like it did now [the water behind roiled even as Minthe considered]). However, if Ivy wasn't magical, or enchanted, then that likely meant... it likely meant that...

That the naiad had somehow shifted her binding from the river to the princess, which was a whole mess of problems that Minthe really didn't want to consider at the moment. She was almost crossing her fingers and praying to whatever deity cared about the wellbeing of sexual naiads that Ivy was just plain enchanted or jealous or something.

The sudden change in the naiad's attitude took Ivy aback. As she took steps towards the Princess, she in turn took a few unsteady steps back, her eyes wide with the accusations that Minthe was throwing at her. The pointed finger only added to the surprise at the sudden swing in mood. Mere moments ago the two women were locked in what seemed like a romantic embrace, sharing their pleasures together and now the being before her was tossing 'witch' and 'cursed' at Ivy like she was some sort of disgusting being not worth the ground she stood on.

"N-n-no, I'm not a witch," Ivy replied, her voice trembling as she tried to sound strong in front of the powerful creature, pulling the dress fabric tighter against her chest, "I've never even met one. I'm also not enchanted. My parents would never have allowed such a curse on their child. Why do you ask? What is going on?

Ivy glanced back at the water as it began to bubble and swirl being the Naiad, its movements seemingly dictated by the blue tinged woman's moods and it moved like an anger was boiling deep within and that most definitely reflected Minthe's words and body language. But Ivy wanted answers too, even as her weakened legs trembled beneath her own weight, threatening to give out at any moment as she responded, her eyes wide as she became nervous about upsetting the powerful creature before her.

As Minthe had half expected, half-worried, it sounded as if Ivy wasn't enchanted, and definitely not a wish. Minthe bit back a curse, turning to look at the swirling waters that were her home for as long as she could remember. She'd really been hoping for the whole, parents enchanting their daughter. Or maybe an evil fairy; those were real, weren't they? Minthe sighed, crouching near the water.

"The ritual worked," she explained gloomily. "I'm no longer bound to the river, forced to stay in its ebbs and flows. Instead," she flicked her wrist toward the princess, "I'm bound to you. Which means that I have to stay close to you at all times," Minthe sighed, looking at the water again for several long, contemplative seconds, before she shrugged. "I suppose it could be worse."

She smiled then, the broad expression showing a lot of clean teeth. "I could be tied to someone who isn't quite beautiful and kind and not traveling around," she paused then, looking Ivy up and down. The girl didn't seem to quite be getting dressed yet. Minthe did wonder about the whole clothing business: it struck her as slightly unnecessary, all those layers. However, she did like adorning herself with pretties, and that dress was definitely pretty. "You are traveling, right?" Minthe finally met Ivy's gaze, just noticing that the princess kept looking at the water, or at least had been. The naiad didn't care, and she was likely to be the center of attention soon enough.

Ivy watched as Minthe turned back to the swirling waters, her voice silencing for a moment before crouching down at their shores. It was in this silence that Ivy realized that she had not dressed herself. Moving quickly, the Princess crouched down, slipping her legs into the heavy, wet burgundy velvet of the dress. Pulling the soft fabric up and over her shoulders, she ensured the straps of the cloth were resting perfectly atop her shoulders, returning at least some form of modesty to the ravaged woman.

As soon as she had the dress pulled up, Minthe began to speak again, explaining that instead of the river, the naiad was now attached 'at the hip' to the Princess, forcing her to remain close at all times. Ivy's jaw dropped in shock. That wasn't possible! Shaking her head slowly, all Ivy wanted to do was to leave her experience in the clearing in the past and if Minthe's words were correct, she could return home, marry and all of this could fade to a bad dream. But it seemed that fate had a much more 'complicated' plan for the Princess, forcing her to wear the shame in the form of the blue hued mystical woman who would be attached to her for the foreseeable future.

Ivy crossed her arms over her chest as Minthe turned to look at her once again, taking the time to look the Princess up and down with a mischievous smile. Then she mentioned the travelling. Ivy's parents did not expect her home for weeks and certainly not without a naiad attached to her! Ivy contemplated her options and decided on the easiest course of action.

"Yes, I am travelling," she replied, "I will be travelling all over these lands." Ivy motioned in all directions out of the clearing, hoping that she could find a way to divest herself of her 'companion' within the time she had before she would have to return to the castle.

"Excellent!" Minthe said, clapping her hands. "I wanted to travel, and you're already traveling! So that will work out quite well!" she had noticed Ivy's shock, of course, but that was only to be expected. The girl did seem to at least be processing a little faster, though since Minthe wasn't actively trying to seduce her, that probably helped to some degree.

"I had wanted to go all over the lands anyway," Minthe said, airily waving a hand. She rose up, stretching slightly. The motion drew attention to her lithe, semi-aquatic form. She released her hands at the top, letting out a breath. She did feel quite splendid: she'd just deflowered a virgin, had broken free, and now would be traveling. She took a few more steps, almost dancing away from the river.

"Oh," she turned to look at the princess, "oh, you're dressed now," She looked up and down. "I like your dress, though I don't think that color suits you. You would look much better in green," she smiled mischievously," or blue." The naiad giggled again, before turning. Minthe gestured down the river, the same direction she'd darted off to only a few moments earlier. "I've got a stash of trinkets: jewelry, that comb, some coins, off that way. I want to go collect them," she looked back at the princess, her expression expectant. After all, she'd already explained that she couldn't move too far from the girl. Plus, the comb they needed to help get Ivy all situated was off that way. Minthe couldn't wait to comb the pretty girl's hair.

Oh! And traveling likely meant she could sleep with the princess a few more times, maybe even outright fuck her... later, of course, later. Travel now. Get the princess primped. Get her things. Get moving. Sex later, but definitely in the future.

Ivy let out a silent exhale of breath that the naiad seemed to be placated with her response. Her flash of anger had startled Ivy and she certainly didn't want to anger her anymore during their journeys, especially with their lives intertwined as they were. Minthe then rose to her feet, her nudity becoming more obvious as she stretched her arms out from her lithe, blue tinted body. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Ivy waited for Minthe to be ready to go.

Then she turned her attentions back to the Princess, remarking on her clothed form. The burgundy dress pooled and pulled at the straps from the weight of the wet fabric around her lower half. It was going to be awful to try and walk but hopefully riding the horse would help with any discomfort. But Minthe seemed to be assessing the colour of her dress, musing about how much better the Princess would look in other colours. Ivy gritted her teeth as she remained silent, choking back biting words in response to the naiad's off-handed comments about it. It was better to placate the being than to pick fights which she would surely lose.

And that's what Ivy did when Minthe mentioned her stash once again. Nodding her head towards where the water nymph motioned, the Princess motioned with her hands.

"Please, lead the way, Minthe," she said quietly, knowing full well that she couldn't move very far without the Princess and hopefully this would put her in a good enough mood that any missteps would not be dealt with in extreme measures. However, Ivy was still naively unaware of Minthe's true intentions as she followed the aquatic creature downstream, walking along the riverbeds and away from Eloise, her horse, leaving the white mare in the clearing, hopefully to return soon.

Good, the princess was following. That would let Minthe gather up her things and be prepared for the journey. Yes, she had a little difficulty, with the tie being shifted. But it had shifted to something moving, something appealing, and something that Minthe could deal with. Being on a leash was better than being pinned up. Plus, Minthe suspected that they'd be able to find someone to eventually break the bond, hopefully after Minthe had milked it as much as possible.

The princess agreed to come, and she seemed rather docile. That did seem to fit the whole kind, generous personality, and it suited Minthe just fine. The naiad all but bobbed as she walked along the bank. It felt good to simply be able to walk alongside the river instead of in the river proper: the grass between her toes, the rocks under her feet. Minthe had actually mapped out this part of the river before, so it wasn't quite that special.

The naiad looked back at the princess, slightly surprised that the girl hadn't brought her horse. They could've left from Minthe's stash as easily as from that clearing. Oh well, Minthe just supposed they'd head back or something: she didn't want to walk when they had a pretty horse to ride instead.

"Ugh, it's so far by foot," Minthe said, rolling her eyes. "It's so much easier to swim! I do still love the water. I just want to try other water, and see other things," Minthe shrugged, continuing the stroll for a bit. The naiad chatted merrily about things: essentially bits of nothing. It would be a short trip before they arrived at her stashing hole: essentially a small, almost perfectly rounded pool in the river proper. A rocky, semi-underwater cave of sorts could be seen from the shore as it was.

Minthe paused there, midconversation about the clouds or something, nodding and pointing. "It's there, so," she moved to stand near the edge, "you should probably stand hereish," she tapped the spot with her foot. "Though you could probably stand about anywhere, as long as you were within this area," Minthe nodded, then gracefully dove into the water, seeming to meld with it the moment she touched. No other warning, no other instruction: she had gear to gather, and the princess could just sit and wait.

Ivys walk was a struggle as the two made their way through the woods along the riverbank. The soaked bottom of her dress made each step an uncomfortable struggle as she has to avoid tree roots and sharp rocks in her bare feet. It didn't take long before the Princess was forced to reach down and pull up the bottom of the dress with her hands, holding it above the ground to relieve the weight in her shoulders and to facilitate her walking.

Ivy remained silent throughout their trek through the forest, content just to let Minthe prattle on about her surroundings, creating a one sided small talk between them. The naiad still wore Ivys circlet, the gold a sharp contrast to the deep blue hair that flowed down her over her shoulders. Ivys red hair was decidedly more disheveled. Almost all of her red hair had been pulled out of the manicured braid and lay messily and tangled over her shoulders. The gold thread was hanging down behind her. The half soaked dress only served to heighten Ivys disheveled appearance.

Despite Minthes complaints, the walk was not that long but Ivy found it quite a bit more difficult weighed down with the heavy fabric and lacking the use of her hands for balance until they stopped at a pool. A half submerged inlet that led into a cave brought the pair to a halt. Ivy walked over to where Minthe indicated with a pointed finger and sat down in the soft green grass to wait as the creature dove into the water and disappeared into the cave.

Ivy pulled her knees up to her chest and arranged her skirt about her feet, maintaining her modesty as the entire situation began to fully sink in. She had a naiad "make love" to her, and she had enjoyed it! But she shouldn't have! Did Minthe cast a spell over her? Well she did obey the incantation that has bound the two of them together. Did that also warp Ivys mind to enjoy what has happened to her? The questions swirled in the Princess' mind as she was left to her thoughts. But she couldn't turn back now. They were stuck together until Ivy could figure out a way to split them apart.

Minthe spent her time gathering her things, sorting through the pile. Over the years, various lovers had granted her gifts and boons. Some, like Ivy's circlet, had simply been taken by the nymph for her own personal pleasures. Others had been graciously given. One or two had been outright thrown at the naiad, to ever sink in the river. There were also quite a few things that had been dropped in the waters, either as purposeful offering or accidental drop.

after some time, Minthe finally emerged. Upon her head she still wore the princess's tiara. About her neck a golden choker-chain necklace inlaid with a few gems. Her upper right arm now boasted a snaking golden adornment. Loose bracelets hung at her sides. Upon her naval a dangling golden trinket hung, with a deep blue gem inlaid. A loose chain hung off the naiad's hips. A handful of anklets wrapped loosely about her feet, which now boasted what appeared to be sandals of some kind. Finally, several rings adorned her toes.

Minthe turned one last time, reached down, and pulled up a modest sack that jingled. She held it out to the princess for inspection. "I've been collecting coins for quite some time now: I'm not certain which of these can be readily spent. I know there's something like exchange rate or the like," Minthe shrugged. "I figure that you can hold the money and divide it up into what we can spend and what we can't. Then I'll just take whatever I want when I want it."

She flashed a smile at that, obviously pleased with her oh-so-clever solution. Plus, it would show trust, right!? Minthe knew Ivy wouldn't run off: she was already probably half-addicted to lovely naiad sex, and the princess's kind heart wouldn't let her kill the blue-skinned being. Yay Minthe!

While Minthe took her time to gather all of her things, Ivy sat still, her gaze upon the calm turquoise waters of the pool. Her mind was a mess and she decided to spend the time suppressing the questions. Naiads were not supposed to have existed yet here she was, attached to one for who knew how long. Their lifebloods were connected and there was really nothing either of them could do. So the Princess decided that questions were probably best left unanswered logically for there was certainly no logic within the situation she currently found herself in.

Finally, Minthe emerged from the water once again, completely and overtly adorned in what seemed like as many treasures as she could find while still nude despite the ornate and excessive jewelry. Ivy moved to stand up again, her dress still pulling down uncomfortably from her shoulders as Minthe explained their money situation. It was a plan that could potentially protect Ivy's anonymity within the lands as now, with such a being attached to her, was probably the best course of action. Remaining unknown to her subjects would prevent any gossip and rumours from spreading which would tarnish her reputation and that of her parents.

"Fine," Ivy replied about the divying of the money. Though she still wasn't happy about Minthe maintaining some sort of control over it as she asserted her wants overcoming their needs throughout this journey. However, Ivy also maintained a sense of modesty over their travels and the way Minthe looked would not do.

"Could you please put on some form of dress, Minthe?" Ivy asked, her voice trembling slightly with nerves at the naiad's reaction to her request, "If we are to avoid trouble, we must blend in as much as possible?" And rumours, Ivy thought to herself hoping that Minthe would agree.

Good the princess could handle and worry about the money. Minthe had little concern about finding more: it seemed like people were always willing to give pretty girls money. Plus, Ivy was a princess, and they generally had lots and lots of income. If it really came down to it, the naiad could also sell something adorning her body, though woe betide anyone who attempted to steal from her.

"I would like better shoes," the naiad admitted, glancing down at her feet and wiggling her toes. "People don't throw in very fashionable boots," she tossed her hair again before meeting Ivy's gaze. Her hands went to her hips ,cocking out slightly. "What are you so worried about? I can handle myself. Oh, wait," she pursed her lips, clearly trying to remember, "that might reflect on your reputation. Wouldn't want people thinking that you liked pretty girls,' she giggled, then shrugged. "It's kinda moot anyway: I don't own anything like dresses, except for the sandals. People give me pretty trinkets," she held out her arm, showing off some of them, "not pretty dresses."

The naiad lowered her arm, then waved a hand. "I guess I could wear something of yours if you have it. But your clothes, while so very pretty, look really heavy and confining. I'll have to make sure we both stop and get some much better clothes. Are they back at the horse?" Minthe already started walking that direction. "Are all your dresses burgundy? I think it could actually work with my coloring, but I just want to know. I've seen these really pretty things in silk that sort of contour to the body, hinting instead of showing. Oh! And we definitely have to get some elfish underthings. Those are just splendid! I had an elf once, and her underthings were so pretty, and so petite! Not like your really confining shift thing."

The naiad let out a giggle as she kept prancing right on back, counting on Ivy to head back to her horse regardless. Plus, it let the princess get a good view of Minthe's bubble butt: soft blue and oh so lovely.

Ivy had never seen someone so brazenly take control of a situation with her. She had always been the one to decide what was happening, where she was going, what she was doing. However, the naiad seemed to have her own plans and was pulling Ivy along for the ride. The Princess had not packed for such a long journey and had only brought along one other dress. Though nearly identical to the burgundy one she wore, the other dress was a deep brown colour with the same gold and red trim along the neck and bottom of the skirt.

"I do have one other dress," Ivy replied, "It is not burgundy, it is more earthy." But Minthe was already skipping around, prattling off all the things they would 'have' to buy. Ivy wasn't sure they 'had' to buy any more clothes but was too nervous of the naiad's power to protest her dreamy ramblings about what she wanted to get. Ivy was perfectly happy with her own clothes but it seemed Minthe even had plans for the Princess.

Ivy followed the skipping and dancing creature back along the riverbank from whence they came, moving as quickly as she could back to her horse which remained where it was at their meeting point. Ivy caught a glance of the creature's behind as she bounced along over the grass and rocks immediately averting her gaze. She wasn't supposed to look at such a thing!

Once back at her horse, Ivy walked to pack laid over the haunches of the animal, pulling out her extra dress. Turning, the Princess held it out to Minthe. "You can wear this until we arrive at a town to purchase more clothes."

"I suppose that'll have to due then. I don't think I'll stretch it out or anything: you're bigger than me where it counts,' the naiad turned and gave Ivy a quick wink to that, before giggling yet again. She was willing to bet that Ivy would always be fairly easy to tease, particularly in matters such as this. They weren't actually that far off in size, enough that Minthe could likely fit anything Ivy wore, though it may hang a bit loose on the naiad. The reverse may be more enjoyable, but again: something for later.

They made it back to the horse, and Minthe approached the animal with her usual bubbly cheer. She held up a hand, letting the horse adjust, softly clicking to it. The naiad did have some experience with horses, though obviously not as much as she did with more aquatic species. A lot of the principles applied, and seeing as they were going to be traveling, apparently, Minthe did want to get to know the beast.

When Ivy spoke, Minthe turned. "Alright then!" she said, reaching out to take the dress. "Oh, you don't have to worry about turning around or anything silly. You've seen everything, and touched just about everything," the naiad giggled again, before moving the dress over. The fabric felt fairly durable, which Minthe figured was probably a good thing. The color didn't appeal, but it may make Minthe's pretty blue skin pop all the more. The naiad frowned slightly, shifting the dress about in her hands. "I'm far more used to removing these than putting them on," she admitted, laughing lightly again.

Still, the naiad did understand how clothing worked, stepping into it. She paused, midstride. 'Oh, right!" she reached up, untangling an object from her hair. It was a relatively simple comb made out of what appeared to be shell. "Here's that comb, in case you wanted to start working on your hair. Trust me, you'll definitely want to get it all picked out before it finishes drying. My waters may be enchanted, but that doesn't extend well to hair. Beyond mine, that is," and Minthe began trying to wiggle in the dress, simultaneously trying to get a good look at it to see the fabric and cut as she did.

Ivy extended her dress out to Minthe as the creature took it commenting on its colour and fit right away. It almost seemed like the naiad was attempting to keep Ivy off balance with each and every turn on this journey. And it was working as she playfully flirted with Ivy while the princess' face blushed deeply with the words exposing their tryst with every phrase.

Eloise stepped back slightly at the approach of the bubbly blue skinned creature, stamping her feet on the ground. But her nervousness was quickly quelled with the soft approach of her hand to the horse's nose. It took Eloise but a moment to press her snout into the outstretched fingers, accepting the creature's intentions almost as quickly as Ivy had.

Then another innuendo extended into the air from Minthe about Ivy not needing to turn around as she dressed. She lowered her gaze as her cheeks reddened even deeper. But then she extended her hand out to give Ivy the comb she had promised.

The Princess took the comb and began to pull out the rest of her hair, running the comb over her thick tresses and untangling her fiery strands while also smoothing them down. It took her a few moments of running the comb through her hair as Minthe dressed herself. Pulling all of her hair over one shoulder, Ivy pulled the comb through it, gently pulling out the tangles and letting it fall delicately over the front of her dress.

When she was finished, Minthe was finishing pulling the modest dress up over her naked body. Ivy reached out to hand the comb back to the Naiad, not wanting to take anything from Minthe that didn't belong to Ivy.

"We should go," Ivy recommended, "It will be dark soon and if we should get to the next town before night falls."

No, Minthe didn't care much for the dress. It hung far too loose on her body for her liking, and it didn't mesh well with her coloration. Plus, you couldn't see some of her baubles. Well, that may actually work out alright if they go to certain towns or sections of towns, she supposed. The naiad did adjust the dress slightly, frowning. Yes, she definitely needed to make sure to get something from the next town.

"Please tell me you're planning on heading for one of the larger towns?" Minthe asked, looking up at the princess. "There's a whole bunch in different directions. I've seen the port town down that way," she pointed seaward, "but you were heading..." she squinted, trying to remember the glistening shape and the general direction, alternating, "not to the small village off that way. I think I've had just about every maiden there. But... the trading town?" she shrugged. "It's mostly just a giant marketplace with stuff built around it, kinda a spoke-wheel for the bigger towns and the port and all. Not bad."

She looked to the princess again. "You sure you don't want me to work your hair? Oh," she tilted her head, "are you going all incognito or are you letting people know you're a princess?" The circlet did seem to indicate the latter, which may mean that Minthe might have to trade it back to ivy for something. She'd leave it to the princess to try and figure that out. She headed closer to the horse, again rubbing at its neck. Her seductive touch did seem to work on most: all that time being alive and whatnot. "And are we both riding or taking turns or...?"

Ivy had to think about the question about where she was going. This morning she had been going to one of the smaller villages as the Princess because she wanted to get to know the farmers who worked the fields there. Now, however, everything had changed and she had to completely turn her plans around. She needed to go somewhere where there was less chance of being recognized as who she was. And Minthe didn't seem to want to go to the village either as she gleefully exclaimed her sexual exploits over the girls there. No, Ivy most definitely could not be seen there as the Princess. No, they would have to go in another direction.

Then the suggestions began pouring in of where they should go. Minthe seemed to know the area well and with Ivy ignorant to everything around them, the Princess was wont to submit to wherever the naiad wanted to go and judging by her words, she wanted to go to the market. So that would be where they would go and it seemed like a good place to hide out and remain anonymous with so many people from so many places mingling together in a crowded area. Yes, that was perfect.

"The market it is," Ivy replied with a nod as Minthe then noticed that the Princess was without her crown, the creature having stolen it, "You can keep it...for now." Ivy replied, not wanting to identify herself at all and remaining plain was her current goal to hopefully get through this and to the end.

Eloise nuzzled into Minthe's touch as the horse seemed enamoured with the naiad, just like the princess had been when she had been taken. "We both shall ride," Ivy replied, "We can move faster that way. I will ride in front and you can direct."

With that, Ivy moved to pull herself up onto the mare, her legs moving down on either side of the saddle as her feet stuck out from the bottom of her wet dress, the clothing too heavy for her to ride side saddle. She sat up and waiting on Minthe to climb up behind her so they could begin their journey.

Well, Minthe had pretty well hoped they'd be heading to the market town. If her memory served, that's actually what the place was called: "Market Town." Sometimes humans desperately lacked imagination. But they'd be able to circulate Minthe's money for modern stuff and get some halfway decent clothing. The naiad was tempted to buy just about everything she could, but even she understood that they'd need to pack somewhat light. Well, that just meant going for clothing that took up less fabric, didn't it?

Both riding! Minthe giggled and clapped. "I haven't gotten to ride in ages!" she admitted. She scampered up to the horse, giving her a quick peck on the cheek and another rub. 'I hope you don't mind carrying me too, pretty mare," she cooed. "I promise I'm nice and light." She watched the princess pulling herself up, mildly impressed at the royal's horsemanship: many people couldn't manage (Minthe knew she'd probably need help). When she saw how the princess mounted, however, she had to giggle.

Minthe pointed at the princess's splayed legs. "If you ride like that, you probably don't need to worry about popping anything," the naiad pointed out. "I'm gonna need some help getting up. Sorry mare," she moved to the side of the horse, trying to grab. It would take a few tries (and Ivy's help), but Minthe would get up soon enough. She scooted forward, giggling as she wrapped hands around Ivy's waist, leaning into the princess. "All set, lovely," she said, before giving the royal another peck on the cheek. The naiad was quite aware that she could do quite a lot in this position, but she'd settle for simply having her arms around Ivy. Sometimes cuddling could be fun, after all.

Ivy wasn't sure being in front was the best idea, but she needed to maintain control of Eloise and she couldn't do that while riding behind Minthe. So she bit her lip and steeled her will to handle the situation as they rode. Ivy's brow furrowed at Minthe's assertion about 'popping' things while riding as the knights did atop the horse. What did she have that could be popped riding this way? Ivy had learned to ride both ways and nothing had ever popped. But she quickly shook her head, pushing the questions once again from her mind to focus on the task at hand.

Ivy leaned down slightly, grabbing hold of Minthe's forearm as she struggled to mount Eloise. Pulling up with her upper body, Ivy moved forward slightly as the Naiad settled in behind her, wrapping her arms around the Princess' waist and nuzzling up into her neck. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions for Ivy but she knew there was no other way. So, with a wave of shivers sent down her body from the sensual kiss over her cheek, they were off.

It didn't take them long to get to Market Town as Ivy coaxed Eloise into a trot the moment they managed to get back onto the wide road through the forest. Once they emerged into another clearing, the large town grew before them. There were no walls of protection for the town as every neighbouring city and village relied on the wares that no one dared attack it. There were buildings and shanties, tents and shacks built everywhere surrounding a large central marketplace. Within the marketplace, there were houses set up as shops, stalls with meager wooden slat rooves and open air vendors hawking their wares.

Once they came to a hitching post with a trough of water for the horse, Ivy pulled back on the reins, stopping them at the edge of the market. Ivy flipped her leg frontwards over the neck of Eloise and slid off the horse, giving Minthe a quick view of the Princess' own round behind as she landed lightly on the ground, smoothing out her ruined clothing to at least maintain some sort of decorum. She then turned around, waiting for Minthe to join her as they searched out a place to stay that night, some food and anything else the Naiad wanted.

It took all the naiad had not to goggle at the town as they came upon it. She certainly sat up straighter in the saddle, momentarily forgetting even the beautiful girl in front of her. The naiad had seen pictures, had heard about the town, but this was her first time actually seeing it in person. It stank, it thrived, and there were people everywhere. The naiad shifted, making sure that her various adornments didn't stick out quite too much. She did, however, fluff her hair. People were already staring: not one, but two beautiful women astride a fine horse? Not to mention one of them had blue skin and hair. Minthe blew kisses at a few, particularly one or two pretty girls, and admittedly one wife. It had been a while since she'd sampled one of those. Her gaze strayed for a few moments, before she realized they stopped.

Minthe slid off the horse easily enough. She crinkled her nose at the nearby water, leaning down and tapping it. The waters instantly turned a much cleaner color, almost shimmering in the dim light. The naiad straightened, looking around. "We should find someone who knows the town," she said. "Look for, like, a local. There's probably some kids around," surely there had to be one or two staring at the pretty blue lady. The naiad thought she caught some, and she nudged Ivy, nodding in their direction.

'Ask them about clothes!" she said, leaning over. "And other important stuff!" she smiled and wiggled fingers, and one or two children smiled and waved back. However, Minthe could also see some mothers and other uptight folks narrowing eyes. Every bit of the blue lady did look like witchcraft, after all, and there was something slightly suspicious about two ladies that traveled together. Minthe frankly didn't care what they thought, though she did keep catching the gazes of several maidens. For that matter, she thought she saw one or two boys that weren't too bad, as far as that sort went. She wiggled fingers at one, wanting to see him flush and squirm, mostly.

Ivy took notice of Minthe's movements and her blatant sexually explicit waves and body language. Ivy nodded at the idea of finding a child to direct them where they needed to go. But it seemed that with Minthe's obvious 'unique' appearance, the two were becoming quite the spectacle. They needed to get inside and quickly as the gazes grew exponentially with each passing second.

Turning back towards Minthe, Ivy pulled her hand down from waving at everyone who seemed to look even remotely in their direction. "Please, try to be inconspicuous. We do not need to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves." Ivy knew that was probably an impossible task with Minthe's looks but they had to at least try. Turning back around, the Princess saw the children the naiad referred to about asking for directions to what she wanted.

Ivy walked slowly up to the children and bent at her waist to lean down at eye level with the boy. "Good day. We've just arrived in town and we were wondering if you could direct us to an inn and a clothing stall so we can 'freshen up'. I can give you one gold coin for your help." Ivy smiled gently and calmly, a stark contrast to the bubbly creature behind her, trying her best to remain as ordinary as she could in an extraordinary situation.

The boys eyes brightened at the mentioned of the gold coin, surely it was more money than he had seen in his entire life. He eagerly took Ivy by the hand and began pulling her through the crowds. Ivy went with the boy, knowing that Minthe would be forced to follow when she got too far away. First stop, the clothing stall!

"Why shouldn't people know we're here?" Minthe argued, pouting slightly. She didn't see any reason for them to be in hiding. They were two pretty girls, and they were going to attract attention one way or another. As far as the naiad was concerned, they might as well embrace it. But apparently Ivy wanted to be all stealthy or something; probably why she let the naiad wear the crown: people were far less likely to notice the bauble on the naiad, given everything else that would distract.

At least Minthe's suggestion of working with children seemed to do alright. The naiad had to wince at the offered coin: they probably could've gotten away with less. Well, they did have some money and all. Plus, they could get some fancy clothes and shop! The idea made the naiad bound forth happily, catching up with the princess and her little friend (who was apparently a boy, and obviously smitten with the two pretty ladies).

"Hello there!" Minthe said as she bounded up. "I'm Minthe, and that's Ivy," she said, nodding to the princess. "i just wanted to say thank you for helping us out! You're so gentlemanly," while still moving, the naiad bent down and lightly kissed the boy, who immediately flushed and darted closer to Ivy. Minthe just giggled, half tempted to do something quite teasing to the boy. Except that would probably draw attention.

The crowds did notice the two, but this was a market town. They were used to strange sights and pretty girls. Minthe saw one or two that kept distracting her, and she frequently found her head craning. Thus she actually missed it when they first came upon the stall.

Stalls was technically more accurate: there were a handful of competing merchants. The naiad let out a squeal of delight, hopping a few times. She tugged on Ivy's arm. "oh, oh, we can get such pretty dresses!" she cooed. "Oh, wait," she paused, looking the princess over, "are you one of those who likes wearing pants sometimes?" Because now Minthe was picturing the princess in form-fitting leather pants, complete with elfish underthings, an image that was doing a lot for the naiad, including momentarily silencing her and stilling her.

Ivy shook her head slightly at Minthe's words about them being unnoticed in the bustling town. She didn't want Minthe to know her worry about rumours getting back to the castle and to her parents. She didn't want the true assumptions about their relations together, the spell that bound them together.

It didn't take long after Ivy left her for the Naiad to bounce up giddily behind her. The being seemed very excited to shop for clothing and began introducing them to their 'guide' throughout the city. Ivy and Minthe could not have been more opposite; the Princess was demure and kind, speaking quietly and thinking about each response, while the blue skinned creature spoke her mind without thought and bounced happily everywhere she went. They made quite the odd pair and that alone was enough to attract quite a bit of unwanted attention.

The boy blushed furiously at the sudden attentions Minthe was paying towards him and scuttled closer to Ivy as he continued to pull her along through the maze of stalls, stores and tents, all of the vendors holding up their foodstuffs, their potions and their jewelry before they stopped before a series of stalls all filled to the brim with brightly coloured fabrics in every style of dress imaginable. Here the boy left the two women to their own devices. Ivy leaned down again and slipped the gold coin into the palm of his hand, thanking him quietly before sending him on his way.

Standing back up, Ivy heard the tail end of Minthe's words as she spoke of the Princess wearing trousers. Ivy had not worn trousers since she was a child playing in the courtyard of the castle. When she was old enough to understand the etiquette of court she stopped.

"I have not worn anything like that since I was a child," Ivy revealed her thoughts to Minthe as the nymph stilled, her eyes dreamily scanning over Ivy's body once again as a smile perked up the edges of her lips. Ivy felt like Minthe was undressing her within her mind and the Princess' shame about what had happened earlier flushed over her cheeks in a deep red blush.

They lost their cute little guide. His motion as he moved away did distract Minthe from her thoughts, if momentarily. She leapt right back on them as the princess mentioned not having worn them since she was a child: there wasn't a "no" present in there. Trousers were somewhat scandalous, but if they were going to be doing a lot of riding and traveling, they would be better. Plus, they certainly showed quite a bit more.

"Well, I think it would be a good idea for us each to have a pair," Minthe offered, stepping up to look at some of the stalls. She spoke with as much casual offhandedness as she could, to belay her sudden eager desire to see Ivy's cute bottom wrapped in pants. "They'll be a good deal better for traveling, don't you think?" She looked, seeing that flush. Smiling, Minthe ran her tongue over her lips, leaning in slightly.

"If you blush like that, you're going to encourage me to do all sorts of improper things," the naiad whispered, before letting her arm slide down to give Ivy a quick pinch. She giggled, turning back to look. "I'm thinking I'll need, what?" she glanced back at the princess. "Two dresses? Or one dress since we're each getting trousers. I'll need a shirt to go with those trousers. And you are certainly getting a new dress. This one you put me in simply won't do. Oh!" she clapped her hands, before turning to face Ivy. "Did you want me in underthings? I suppose it makes some sense, since they protect things, but they have a tendency of..." she gestured with a hand, "getting in the way..."

Doubtless the naiad would go right on continuing. Already the nearest stall owner had begun listening, no doubt smelling gold from the two foreign beauties. And no doubt the man had already heard Minthe's prattling. Though the naiad was more interested in seeing if there was any elfish wear. Elves made the best stuff, and their merchants had a tendency to be female. If they were lucky...

Ivy didn't get a chance to respond as Minthe began to speak, making all the decisions for the two of them as she stepped up to the first stall, non chalantly explaining their circumstances as she giggled and moved over the large variety of wares for sale. Ivy opened her mouth to respond but was quickly silenced once again when Minthe turned and pressed her body against the Princess' moving her hand down over Ivy's back to pinch her rear playfully. Ivy jumped slightly at the improper touch and it certainly gained a lot of curious looks from those that surrounded the two foreign ladies. Ivy's blush deepened even more as she looked around cautiously before her gaze returned to the ground in front of her, thoroughly humiliated by the actions of her companion.

Minthe didn't seem to notice the looks, the stares, the attention as she went right back to ordering whatever clothes she wanted, only turning to Ivy to ask a rhetorical question here and there regarding what they both would wear. Then she turned around again and began speaking of unmentionables, so loudly that it drew the attention of more than a couple of the vendors around them. Ivy couldn't help but blush even more, her cheeks burning as her skin tingled at how much attention was being drawn to them. The Princess closed her eyes, hoping this was all just a dream as she nodded her head in agreement with Minthe, her voice disappearing within her embarassment as she wished she could dissolve into thin air.

But she wasn't and more and more vendors were turning towards the odd couple, pulling up all their wares to sell to the strange woman and her companion. Ivy opened her eyes again and took a deep breath in as she raised her head once again, trying without success to quell her burning cheeks as she took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with her lungs filling with air as the eyes staring at them began to examine their bodies, smelling the wealth they carried.

One such vendor was a female woman with pointed ears. She was very obviously an elf and had been listening to the offhanded remarks from the nymph about underthings. The elf lifted up her most revealing pairs, stitched seamlessly and delicately to wear as if one had nothing on while still maintaining the protection one needed while riding. The elf looked at Minthe and smiled lightly, beckoning the women over to her stall.