I hadn’t bothered so much as to look at the tablets again in the three days in between my discovery and the departure of my crew from Castle Telbud north, towards the Hinterwastes. Such a thing would have been useless, and in keeping up appearances I could easily explain it away by claiming I wanted the scores of High Archivists flocking to the dungeons to have their chance at laying eyes upon them.

 

The horse I rode on currently had carried me northward from Castle Telbud for the better part of two weeks. We rode slowly, or as fast as the caravan could move. No less than fifty women were present, many of them Stephanie’s couriers and perhaps aspiring members of her future harem. The rest performed odd jobs around camp- such as tended to the horses and mules carrying our food supplies, scouts and navigators to ensure we stayed on course for our various destinations, and as well as a half dozen members of the Royal Guard. I would have only required a pair of them, but Mona insisted on sending me away with six- the remaining four for Stephanie’s protection. 

 

Currently, the Princess was in her covered wagon. Whether she was actually resting or tasting her courtesans was up in the air. Let her have her fun. The more she slacked off the more likely it was she’d buckle under the pressure of the Crown one day, allowing us to switch places. The thought alone made me smile.

 

“Grand Archivist?” A voice from behind me called out loudly, having to yell over the sound of the approaching gallop. I turned, seeing the trail of the caravan stretch out behind me in the frozen desert along with the woman on horseback. The Hinterwastes were often frozen over, though the worst of it was yet to come as we travelled further north away from Castle Telbud.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Princess Stephanie grows weary and requests we camp for the night.”

 

“Tell her it is not yet time. We ride for another hour, then set up camp. I’ve word that the Slajo Tribe has encamped a full day’s ride from our current position. If we stop now, we won’t arrive at our destination tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.” The woman briefly bowed on her horse before slowing it from the gentle trot we’d been going down to a walk. When she disappeared from sight, I looked forward again.

 

The Abinajl Ridge lay ahead of us, spanning my view from the left to the right, extending further on into the mist. Truthfully, it was a thin mountain range that spanned west to east, going further past Telbud’s borders on either end, though it was what separated Telbud from the nation of Urina in the north. The ground we trod was iced over shortgrass, frost hung on my breath as it had for the past two days. Campfires put up and doused the morning after were the only source of heat we had, save for one another’s bodies. The cloudless nights were a beautiful display of stars even a heathen such as myself could appreciate, but a worshipper of Soall as devout as Stephanie wanted to spend a few extra minutes out in the cold marveling at them.

 

The fool, though she always joined me in my own wagon shortly after. She spent most nights there. Some, she had desire to break out the oils, on others she was too exhausted from the journey to think of anything save for rest. I never initiated anything physical with her. I found her attractive and even beautiful, but my mind had a thousand other concerns rather than my physical desires.

 

I worried of the contents of the tablets mostly. Still wrestling with the validity of the ‘prophecy’ I’d been shown, I spent upwards of an hour at a time staring down at my notebook, reading and rereading what I’d seen in the Archive. I pondered Etrigol’s words and the unlikeliness of such a thing being a forgery. I thought of my own future. I had such an easy and stable path to the Throne now, was I to throw it away in favor of tearing my civilisation down? I thought not, though the possibility I would inadvertently do so had prompted me to embark on this journey with as much haste as I had.

 

I shook my head, ridding myself of the thoughts. Surely by now we had ridden a full day’s journey. The sun was beginning to sink low over the horizon, and the air proved a bit siffer and colder than it had upon receiving Penelope’s message. I raised my arm, holding my hand in a fist, and listened to the horns blow just behind me. The signal to stop, the only one that mattered now, after so long of moving slowly forward. I pulled the reigns of my horse to slow, then stop. Dismounting, I landed on the frozen grass with a crunch before handing the reins to a nearby groom.

 

My wagon was the first of only two that served the explicit purpose of residence. The remainder of the crew- save for me and Stephanie- were forced to camp out in tents carried by one of the many others, though it was an open secret that the wagons carrying said tents were slept in each night. I opened the flaps once arriving at it, immediately flopping onto the mattress. By necessity, we went without hot baths, which didn’t suit any who had been accustomed to palace life very well, but get along with it we must. I felt dirty, gross, and we were still a day’s travel away from the first of four Alihjn winter campsites. 

 

I first pulled off my gloves. Unlike the gloves I wore on a normal day, these went up to my elbows, and were a good deal thicker than the leather ones that most often hid my Marks. One came off, then the other, and I could see where the leather was pressed into my skin for hours upon hours atop that horse. The boots were slid off next, my feet instantly thanking me for the release from their tight confines. The soles of my feet tingled and my socks begged to be next. It was an honor I denied them. As much as I wanted to be comfortable, I needed the warmth the woolen things provided. The rest of my outfit was a thick red overcoat atop a yellow shirt and pants, my reluctance to remove the rest of it the sole fault of the season.

 

I barely laid down for but a few seconds before I heard the tent flap open up, the one person who could have possibly captured any amount of my attention walked onto the wooden entryway the wagon afforded us.

 

“You’re in such a rush! Aren’t you supposed to respect the interests of your suitor?” I heard Stephanie’s voice break through the rabble of noise outside as the rest of the expedition began to unpack various items needed for the night.

 

“I’m respecting your time, aren’t I?” I asked, keeping one arm resting atop my eyes, not bothering to look up at her. I could feel the weariness already setting in. My legs were sore and my hands heavy. Somehow, the Princess only managed to add on to that.

 

“By denying a request of mine? I only wished to spend more time with you.” She said. I felt movement on the mattress beside me and a hand placed gently on my stomach.

 

“Spend time with me how?” I asked. 

 

“I came with you on this expedition to do stuff with you. To spend the evenings in your company, to ride at the front of the caravan with you, to discuss courtly affairs. If we are considering wedding ourselves to one another, should we not do such things?” Stephanie asked. I shrugged my shoulders as I lay there. Her concerns were quite valid.

 

“I understand your frustration, Stephanie. Managing your addition to this trip has given me an extra layer of responsibility that felt thrust upon me by your Sire.” I said. I hated how the words came out of my mouth, but there was no other way to say them.

 

“My addition to this trip?”

 

“Your wardrobe, your servants, and the supplies they need account for four of the nine wagons in our camp.” I said. “If not for that, then I would be moving them much faster.”

 

“You’d spend half as long, but spend it away from me?”

 

“I…” I stopped to take a deep breath, and rolled over to face her. Laying on my side, my bare Birth Hand caressed her cheek. “I am sorry, I don’t mean to sound harsh. The fact of the matter is that- no matter how much I enjoy your company and appreciate your presence with me- there are many, many things I think about and grapple with daily that I do not burden you with. You are my Princess, and while I wish you would seek to understand such burdens, I do not force them upon you.”

 

“You think me so naive as to not understand how much this expedition costs? Four thousand Gold Cubes, Carla, that’s a tenth of my dowry.” She said.

 

“Then you understand how important it is I don’t fail my purpose. I would cost the King a lot of gold should I not accomplish what I need to.”

 

“Which is something you aren’t even telling me.”

 

“Have I not?” I asked. Stephanie shook her head. “My sincerest regrets. I’ve spoken to you of the stone tablets recovered from the Hinterwaste expedition. They hold an ancient language, one I need Mages from the Alihjn to help translate.”

 

“Is that all?” She asked softly. “That’s why we’re out here?”

 

“That is all.”

 

“Do you promise?”

 

I shook my head up and down, smiling at her. Foolish girl.

 

“Please don’t be upset with me. I’ve told you everything. Trust me, Stephanie. You are to be my King, I must tell you everything.” 

 

“Okay.”

 

Neither of us spoke, the matter seemed to be over with. In an attempt to prove how she wasn’t naive, Stephanie only cemented that fact in my head. I must not lie to her, however I can and I will if need be. Perhaps she deserves better, but so did I, and so do I.

 

Stephanie placed a hand on my bare stomach, slipping through my robes to touch my skin. Her hand was cold, but I let it stay. The contact felt relaxing after a long day’s ride.

 

The hand moved up and down slowly, a pinky slipping into the waistband of my pants. This prompted me to move my arm from my eyes and look to the side at her, raising an eyebrow. When I did, my vision had to fight with the stars that got in the way for a moment. It cleared, and I saw Stephanie laying there hooded-eyed, face close to mine. That hand dipped lower.

 

“We have yet to make love, have we not?” That voice rang low and sultry. Even I had to admit, the offer was tempting, even if I disagreed with the premise.

 

“Haven’t we before?”

 

“We’ve traded oil, but we’ve never done so with emotion before.”

 

“You mean to fuck me out of love? Do you love me?”

 

“I may not know a lot, but I know that you’ll make an excellent Queen.”

 

“Doesn’t sound like love.”

 

“Come on, Carla, loosen up. You’re always so stiff and formal, I just want to feel like you actually care about me for once.” Stephanie whined. My eyes shot open. Fuck.

 

“I do care about you, Princess.” I said, rolling onto my side, letting her hand trail lower, past the tiny bush of pubic hair that had grown in the last two weeks. One leg lifted up just enough to grant her access. I was dry down there, but Princess Stephanie knew nothing if she didn’t know how to change that.

 

“Show me.”

 

If I needed to prove my loyalty to her after brushing off her request earlier, then so be it. I could go an evening without food for that. As her fingers tempted moisture out of my core, I shrugged off first the heavy jacket, then the layers keeping my top half warm. My chest sprang out of the three shirts I’d had on, my skin crawled as it met the full force of the winter air, but despite the small shiver, I kept going, pulling her hand away to throw my pants downwards, kicking them with enough force to launch them against the deerskin keeping what little warmth in that we could.

 

“That’s more like it.” Stephanie said, sitting up to remove her clothing. I reached forward to unlace the ribbon from her top to loosen it, her blue tunic already cast aside. Her clothes flew just as mine had, leaving nothing on either of our bodies save for one another’s skin and greedy hands. Stephanie’s hand ventured in between my legs, but I spotted her glowing Gift Mark fast enough to grab her wrist before I felt any pleasure from those fingertips.

 

It was with a grumble that she consented to applying my olive oil to her hands. I did the same, then pushed her back onto the bed, my own legs wide apart as I positioned my womanhood against hers. Laying on the bed, one leg hiked up over my shoulder, I began to sway my hips side to side, back and forth, my body moving against hers to create more than enough friction needed for both of us to become soaked with desire.

 

“We’ve only just begun courting, Stephanie. The love will come. We’ve known each other for long enough, I suspect it’ll arrive sooner rather than later.” I said amidst the pleasure. She nodded and reached up to feel at my chest, giving one of my breasts a tight squeeze, pinching my nipple in between her two fingers, earning herself a gasp from me.

 

“It will in time, you’re right.” She said. I nodded. Even though we hadn’t discussed it yet, we had a mutual understanding of the situation. Stephanie desired me for my body and my reliability. I desired her for her position and power. At least, I hoped she was smart enough to understand. Any love that would come from this relationship would come later. How much later was hard to say. I would make no attempt to fall for her, but merely to have the appearance of falling for her over time.

 

Therefore, it was my own lust brought about by Stephanie’s advances that had me grinding against her, feeling my pleasure rise. I broke apart from her to position my thighs on either side of her head, lowering myself down upon her lips while I descended upon her pussy with mine. The first lick tasted of a long day’s journey, but my arousal was more than enough to push past it to taste the womanhood beneath it. 

 

My orgasm came quickly, as did Stephanie’s. We rested for a moment, then began again without changing positions. This process repeated until I felt myself begin to grow raw from the intensity of the repeated stimulation. I rolled off of her and sat up, only now realizing the cold that had been around us this entire time, growing more intense by the minute. It was dark out, though I could still hear the crackling of a fire outside, as well as murmurings from women still about.

 

“We should stop. You need some food.” I said.

 

“Yeah… I was about to say so too.” Stephanie said. Though I sat up and was in the process of pulling my boots over my bare feet, Stephanie was still laying in the center of the bed, a cum-soaked smile on her face, her eyes closed.

 

“I’ll bring us some food, then we can sleep. Is anybody in your wagon?”

 

“A stablegirl and a cook.”

 

“At the same time?”

 

“Please, if you think two at once is a lot, you clearly don’t know me.”

 

“Duly noted.” I said. With that, my boots were on. I grabbed my heavy overcoat, quickly slid my arms through, and walked out. My legs were revealed from the knee down, and since I hadn’t buttoned the coat, much more of my cleavage was visible than I typically allowed, as well as my womanhood for any brave enough to peek.

 

I walked out to see the caravan had created a circle with the wagons around a central area. About a dozen fires still burned with varying degrees of intensity, and in the light of the Moon and Stars I could see at least twenty women still milling about, tending to the fires or caring for the horses.

 

“Get me two bowls of food.” I said, standing behind a woman knelt in front of the closest fire. She was stirring something in a pot suspended atop the blaze. There was a moment’s pause as she looked to see my body- no doubt more of it than any here save for Stephanie or a few of my servants had ever seen before- but she nodded and quickly did as I commanded.

 

They were handed to me with a bow- simple wooden bowls with cheap metal spoons. Not ideal, but in a hurry to get back to warmth and to fill my stomach, it would do.

 

“Here.” I sat Stephanie up and handed her one of the bowls. She pouted a bit at the low quality of both the meal and of the utensils, but ate anyway. I was quick to sit and kick my boots off- feeling the effects of sex on my ability to stand near the breaking point. A moment or two longer and I would have collapsed onto the cook for support. That embarrassment had been avoided, luckily.

 

We ate, and after she curled up against me to sleep. Tonight, I wouldn’t complain. Not with the cold pressing against us from all sides. She guided a hand to one of her breasts. I let it stay, I doubt the feeling would stir further arousal in me tonight.

 

The morning had been a whirlwind of activity as I sought to get the caravan moving as soon as possible. Horses were loaded down with supplies, mules attached to the wagons, my own mount brought for me and sat upon watching the preparations, calling out commands, and looking to the north and west, where the Slajo were supposedly dwelling this winter.

 

My scouts proved to be correct, as by midday, the faint outlines of tall, triangular tents came into view on the empty plain. It was still several hours of slow walking, but we arrived all the same. I commanded the caravan to halt two hundred meters or so from the outskirts of the city of tents we saw to ride out alone, hoping to meet with the Elders of the tribe.

 

The Alihjn Nation were a group that were hard to define. They revered the earth while the religions of Telbud thought it an accursed thing to be used and abused. They only interacted with Telbians during the winter, when their wandering would not be interrupted by a more civilised approach to life.

 

The tents were mostly constructed out of a white fur, with large green stalks of wood appearing out of the tops of them. The appearance was deceiving- most Alihjn tribeswomen wouldn’t be caught dead harvesting trees to build their dwellings out of. Most used magic to make three or four blades of grass grow to an unnatural degree, their fur skins wrapped around them as makeshift homes. Tents such as these continued in a wide arc before me, growing progressively taller the further into the city they got. I could see one much larger than the rest, with three points rather than just one. 

 

In all the research I had done into the various tribes of the Alihjn nation, they all had the same reason for camping out for the winter. They worshipped the Earth Goddess Pronam, and believed the winter season was her mourning the curse put upon her by Soall, the Goddess of Time. When Soall withheld her love from someone or something purposefully, time ceased to operate as normal around it. Therefore, they believed Pronam was unloved by Soall and her eternal punishment was the result of… I couldn’t remember what. During the winter months, Pronam apparently entered a depressed state, only to be pulled out of it by her own eternal optimism. One day- they always claimed- Pronam would break the curse, and live life like the rest of us walking atop her.

 

Apparently.

 

My idle musing was stopped by a pair of spears pointed at my face, about half a meter ahead of me. I looked down to see that they were wielded by fierce looking women wearing grey fur coats and skin as pale as the ice they stood upon.

 

“I am Carla Clarke of Telbud. I wish to speak with your Elders and your Mages. I have come to bargain.” I told them. They looked at one another, their wary gazes dropping with their spears.

 

“You are the first to arrive at this location. We must invoke the Rites of Winter, Carla Clarke of Telbud.” One said.

 

“You wear the gold of your Royal line. You may pass, lest you deceive us.” The other said.

 

“I am of royal blood, King Mona of Telbud calls me niece. You’ll find no lies within this soul.” I spoke no lies, though not the whole truth. The whole truth would only be revealed to those here who I could truly trust. How many that will be remains to be seen.

 

The two women turned and began guiding me into the rows of tents, through their little city, and up to the large tent that stood at the center. It was the one I had seen shortly before diverting my attention. Surely, this was where their Elders lived.

 

“Carla Clark of Telbud, I will watch your horse.” One of the women said, handing her spear to the other to take the reins from me as I dismounted. I handed them to her and nodded wordlessly before taking my first step past the front flaps of the tent.