The tent was actually comfortable this evening, which probably meant another cold front would hit soon. Sorina would be here shortly with a bucket of hot water, and we could clean off together. I'd pulled off my shirt and top armor in preparation when I heard her come through the tent's flap.
Except that it was Sinense with the bucket of hot water.
"Ummm...hi?"
"I'm sleeping here tonight and probably the next few nights. You'll get Sorina again, but not for a while." She set the bucket down and undid her weapons belt while I watched.
"I—"
"I never said it directly but gave the impression to Ishen that I might be your betrothed. When he told me that Sorina came out of your tent in the middle of the night, I told him she was your mistress, which is true enough. You wear her favor, though I borrowed her shawl for while we're out here. I don't think his spies or Tandy would understand, but it's still best if I'm seen wearing it right now, just in case."
"But why?" This wasn't processing.
"I'm supposed to be the most valuable thing you have out here aside from Ellie, but since she's Maid Protector, she shouldn't be given up as a hostage. Sorina was the logical choice, but I couldn't offer her up in your stead, and you needed to do something right then to be able to delay, so I offered myself, which I could do, and since you accepted, I must be valuable to you."
She slipped her top off as I stammered, "You are valuable to me."
"As an aide and member of the Realm," she said, slipping off her chemise. "He didn't quite understand that, so I made it more personal than you meant, which he took to mean betrothed, or at least planned to be that way.
I stared at her bare breasts as she sat and worked off her boots. This was so not like Sinense.
"Sorina's not thrilled about this, but she understands why."
"I don't."
"As I said, I'm supposed to be the most valuable person you had to offer, and since Sorina was here last night, she was here in my place since I couldn't be. I'm back, so I'm here."
"Wait a minute. I'm still not...."
She'd peeled off her top armor, and I watched her breasts bounce free. She was buxomer than Sorina. "I didn't mean for this to happen when I said I'd be your hostage, and maybe I don't need to do it, but I slept with Tansy last night and lay there for a while in the middle of the night thinking about it, and this is the best thing I could come up with."
"And it's quite the sacrifice for you."
"It was, until I made up my mind that I was doing this. Now it's not. You might as well get out of your clothes while the water's still hot, and we can both get clean."
YOU ARE READING
Wherever I Am
Ciencia FicciónCollege-age Kevin Covali and his family have lived on his uncle's estate for the last year instead of in the city. When he and his sister Allie are attacked on the road home from school, he finds out that there is more to his family than he ever sus...
