Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose & ChaosLord29]
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: chaoslord29 on 08-04-2013, 20:31:58</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>08-04-2013, 20:31:58</strong>
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				It had been a day ripe with opportunity in the imperial city, the jeweled center of the Empress’s holdings, the city itself a perfect expression of her own opulent majesty, all gilded gardens, masterful architecture and marble statues in her honor. Fairs and bazaars and processions and all the manner of events had divided the attention of the city’s populace for two weeks now as dignitaries, envoys, parties, and crowds from every corner of the empire had made their arrival in anticipation of this day, the start of the Grand Tournament of Champions! Every contest of martial and athletic ability was due in earnest and the best of every nation and race which made up the empire was on display for the tournament and already in the opening ceremonies at the great coliseum there had been some standouts. These were only the preliminaries of course, a contest of showmanship and pride for each potential candidate now seeking to win the favor their Empress.<br><br>Though the winners would not be crowned and honored till at least the end of the week, there were still prizes a plenty and go around. Merchants and vendors made tidy profits selling trinkets, baubles and paraphernalia for various champions, especially the crowd favorites. Spectators stood to win from bets and wagers, as well as the raw glory of reveling in the spirit of the games. Each nation and faction stood to win favor from the Empress should their contestant prove himself in their chosen field. None had greater opportunity though than the contestants themselves, for those who proved to be true champions would earn a place at the Empress’s side, as a member of her Honor Guard. Victory alone however was not enough to assure such a position, for the Empress had her own criteria to which each member of her personal retinue must aspire, and it was every bit a matter of loyalty and force of personality and will as it was a contest of the body.<br><br>Only the Empress could make the final selection, and she never chose without before a personal audience with each candidate, and it was not uncommon for her to make sufch invitations on even this, the first day of the competition, though the final test were yet to come. Even now, the first champion to catch her eye awaited outside her chambers in the palace adjoining the coliseum, the ornately crafted, jewel encrusted entrance barred but for the moment she invited him in.
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				Title: <strong>Re: In Favor to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>08-04-2013, 22:55:55</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x359/Briar_Rose_Thorne/empress_of_nightmares_by_elephantwendigo-d5rvwea.jpg) </div><br>Empress Valeria Ladislaus took special care with her dress upon the first day of the Imperial Tourney.&nbsp; As her advisors were fond of telling her, she belonged not to herself but to her subjects, particularly upon the days of celebration that paid homage to the empire's grand tradition and glory.&nbsp; Her attendants assisted her in bathing and dressing, and for this first day, her gown was white as snow.&nbsp; It, and the platinum and diamond tiara upon her fiery auburn locks had been crafted to show the empire's solidarity and respect for their northern subjects from which came metals and minerals, and whose winter snows melted and flowed downward to enrich the verdant valleys and forests below.<br><br>It was the Empress' first Imperial Tourney, and the first celebration that was her own, with no mention to be made of the death of the previous empress, her mother, and Valeria had managed to win the grudging approval from her advisors and counselors following her speech to the crowds below the palace.&nbsp; She had also met and greeted many diplomats, heroes, and Personages of Great Importance, and all had gone off without a hitch thanks to her years of training as well as intensive preparation and study.<br><br>Now the time was near for her to begin the process of meeting the champions who had been sent by the nations of the empire to compete in the ceremonial games of wit and skill, and Valeria was excited.&nbsp; From their ranks, she would choose the Imperial Honor Guard, the best of the best and the Empires most exemplerary specimens of masculinity from all races.&nbsp; It was an honored position, open to only unmarried males of proven provenance in certain areas of performance, and those chosen were afforded the best the empire could offer in both honor and comfort during their service.<br><br>What the general public did not know is that the Honor Guard was the source of a great deal of the Empress' legendary magic, their part in ritualistic ceremonies fueling her castings far beyond even the hereditary lineage of the empress could manage.&nbsp; What the general public DID know was the the Honor Guard served as the Empress' consorts ... the demonstration of solidarity with all the races of the empire, and the chance that when the Empress neared the time of Ascension, that one potentially bearing their bloodline would take the Imperial throne.<br><br>It was a time that Valeria had been anticipating ever since the Ascension was confirmed.&nbsp; Though she had inherited the previous Empress' consorts, and had completed the rituals with a great deal of enjoyment and to good effect, those consorts were not truly 'hers'.&nbsp; This was a time of decadent enjoyment with a deadly serious hidden purpose, and the Empress meant to enjoy each and every moment of it while she ensured the continued prosperity of her lands and her subjects.<br><br>The first invitations had been issued, and her chambers prepared to receive the first candidate.
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				Title: <strong>Re: In Favor to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>09-04-2013, 00:17:32</strong>
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				This first potential candidate approached the entrance to her chamber with a trepidation born of youthful awe, for he was barely past the age of manhood, having lived his entire life to this point on the southern peninsula of the Empress's realm, never having known the glory of civilization till he first set foot in the Imperial City, and now as he crossed the threshold into the Empress's chambers, it was as though a whole new world had been opened to his mind and senses. Her opulent chambers assailed him, licking his lips let him taste the air and revealed smallish ivory fangs, as he was otherwise covered from head to toe in the light airy garments of his people revealing only bright and emerald eyes apart from his mouth. He hailed from a nomadic tribe of the desert people, and had won his place here not only through fighting but in the athletic trials of his people against their rival clans. In one of the port cities he had proved himself in a massive barroom brawl, then again in battle against corsairs who attempted to raid the city.<br><br>Never had he expected an invitiation from the shah of the city to join his entourage to the imperial capital, let alone to take place in the opening ceremonies nor catch the empress's eye before the sun had sent. Turning to face the setting sun, he shaded his eyes and basked in it's warmth, enjoying the heat through the heavy silk curtains of the empress's chambers, reminding him of his homeland, leaving him in a slight daydream, till he remembered his place to make his presence known to her. "Your eminence?" he asked hesitantly, moving deeped into the chambers that encompassed this whole floor of the tower, "I am Hraz'zan, of the Eimshein tribe, champion of the Shah of Orsus, and your most humble servant." He spoke in a hesitant tenor, having not yet seen the empress but from the high distance of her perch overlooking the coliseum.
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				Title: <strong>Re: In Favor to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>09-04-2013, 03:18:35</strong>
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				As the first candidate entered, Valeria dismissed the guards at the door with a wave of her fingers.&nbsp; Such protections were unnecessary there, and she felt herself well able to defend herself for the short time it would take them to respond in the unlikely event of treachery.&nbsp; She watched curiously as he crossed the marble floor on graceful but hesitant feet, covering a small smile with her fingertips as his head moved as if it were on a swivel.&nbsp; She could see little of him beneath the encompassing garments, which piqued her curiosity just as it did when she had first seen him and made inquiries. <br><br>The empress sat on a long divan, its soft upholstered fabric providing a brilliant contrast to her gown.&nbsp; A necklace of platinum and sparkling diamonds draped around her smooth neck and rested upon the rounded tops of a generous bosom, drawing the eye, and matching bracelets emphasized the fine bone structure of her bare arms, wrists, and fingers.&nbsp; Her hair was worn lose and flowing down her back, brushed until it shone in the sunlight that surrounded her like a nimbus from the skylights above.<br><br><em>"Welcome, Hraz'zan," </em>Valeria said softly, smiling as her ears told her that she had mimicked the liquid sounds of his name correctly. <em> "You bring honor to your tribe and to the Shah of Orsus.&nbsp; My advisers speak highly of your accomplishments, and I was highly impressed to watch your endeavors in the coliseum earlier today.&nbsp; It would please me if you would sit with me and tell me something of yourself and your impressions of the ceremonies and the cities."</em><br><br>She indicated the other side of the divan with a small pat of her hand.&nbsp; Outside her chambers, such an informality would not be allowed, but in her private chambers the only rules were her own.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: In Favor to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>09-04-2013, 05:50:25</strong>
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				Hraz'zan turned the corner around the column from where the Empress's voice emanated and beheld her in shimmering radiance upon the divan, resplendent like a figure carved from ivory, or some magnificent single pearl and set with a cascade of rubies. His bright amber eyes roved her shapely curves with equal parts bashful adoration, and transfixing appreciation for so majestic a combination of winsome wiles and ripe feminine beauty as he had never before beheld. He moved towards her in a daze as she gestured and beckoned, his bare feet accented by a stripe of largish dark scales which covered the tops of his feet, his toes marked with fine talons, shined and trimmed for this most regal occasion. His white robes swayed with an almost ethereal grace as he moved, but their was a coiled, predatory strength with every step he took, his body too tall and long to be quite robust, too sculpted and muscular to be lanky; he was <em>svelte</em> and it had been aptly demonstrated in his agile routine of whirling blades and burning torches. From her throne overlooking the fair of different displays it had been difficult to make out, but he had been naked to the waist and wearing only a pair of cuffed white trousers, which still he wore, though his torso was now wrapped in the airy linen, extending up around his neck and over his features save for his eyes and mouth, almost like those unseemly dead things with all the bandages.<br><br>"You do this one too much honor, your eminence, it is more than a young nomad could ever hope for to hear his name spoken by one of such grace and beauty, let alone the most Glorious Empress on High." It was the traditional title attributed to by the southern realms, ruled by the shas and corsair princes which made up the southlands of her Empire.&nbsp; Moving up to the elongated sofa, he set himself upon it and curled one leg upward so as to reclined a respectful distance of her. Truly the only similar experience he had had was in a night of pleasure with one of the girls of the Shah's harem following his actions during the pirate's raid, but his Empress was a woman of beauty transcendent over any pleasure slave, and of respect infinitely on the Shah even! He was nervous in such close proximity to her, keeping his hands folded upon his lap respectfully to keep them from moving furtively as he tried not to imagine how it would feel to run them along the sides of her dress, over her most succulent curves. Instead he fixated on the second part of her question, and tried to speak of himself whilst offering due praise to her city "Truly there is no other city worthy of your grace . . . and I have not even yet seen the ports!" The ports of the Shah had been magnificent, bordering the Azure Sea to the south but the capital city boasted the largest inland port of the continent, a sight he had originally hoped to view this evening before this most honored invitation.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>09-04-2013, 23:23:22</strong>
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				The empress inclined her head, lowering her eyes for a moment in the proscribed gesture of modesty and thanks for the expected compliments which she accepted on behalf of position she held rather than herself, though she could not deny that it pleased her to hear more than was ordinary for the note of ringing sincerity in his voice.<br><br><em>"Your modesty is becoming, Hraz'zan, but it is fitting that I bid you welcome, and wish you fortune in the Tourney.&nbsp; I also wished to thank you for the truly magnificent demonstration of your skill this morning.&nbsp; The Shah has chosen his champions well, and you are surely the best amongst them ... all the more remarkable as this is your first competition in the Imperial City, is it not?"</em><br><br>Valeria smiled at the athlete, her eyes roving over what she could see of him beneath the robes.&nbsp; His eyes were clear and bright, of a beautiful and bold hue and proximity did not lessen the lithe grace of his movements and posture. <br><br><em>"Please, make yourself comfortable - and if it would not be considered an offense, it would please me greatly to see you without the outer wrappings, as you were this morning.&nbsp; My seat allows me an overview of everything, but at such a distance that the details can become lost.&nbsp; I would've enjoyed a much closer view."</em><br><br>She let her eyes sweep over him in a leisurely fashion, hopefully enough that he would understand that she had liked what she saw but not so bold that he would retreat into more formality.&nbsp; He was even more inexperienced than she had been ... well ... ever, given her grooming for the imperial throne.<br><em><br>"I take it that the ports are of particular interest to you.&nbsp; Are you a sailor as well, Hraz'zan?&nbsp; And would you care for refreshment - wine, tea, water ... or something stronger?"<br></em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>09-04-2013, 23:42:29</strong>
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				The Shah, a most amiable and precocious man, had given Hraz'zan many amusing pieces of advice upon his selection during the preliminaries, and he had hardly taken them seriously given how novel and unassuming he was by nature, but now, in the presence of this most illustrious woman he felt himself falling back on them or at least, the general manner they conveyed that made any sense to him. "I will of course, be pleased to drink with your most sublime majesty." He responded, remembering that it was always acceptable to share the same draught as one's hostess in such circumstances. Simultaneously he brought his opposite leg up on the divan to sit cross legged and then lifted his hands with their short, well manicured claws to his waist, where he began to unwrap the linen folds that were tucked into the scaled leather belt at his waist.<br><br>The backs of his hands showed the same dark, largish scales as were evident on his feet, and they revealed a sensual strength and accuity as they moved in slow circles to unwrap the bindings. Inch by inch the toned, minutely defined washboard of his abdomen was revealed, his skin tanned to the shade of a yellow rose's petals, rich with the vigor of youth and supple strength that made possible his athletic and acrobatic grace. Rising upwards her eyes revealed the rippling pectorals of his chest, long and broad and sloped up into his magnificent shoulder line, like the face of a granite cliff in the morning sunlight. At his shoulders began more of those same broad, dark scales and it was clear now they ran up and over his back in a dappled pattern and over the sides of his biceps and tops of his forearms, rippling as those double brachiated arms moved circuitously as the long linen wrap was revealed to be a single piece which now fell to the side of the sofa in a long train.<br><br>"I am not, my Empress, but upon first visiting the city of my Shah, I felt it's call to me. It was a wonder to travel by river to the capital, the others of my desert tribe would scarcely believe the wonders of water deep and broad enough to float a fortress upon." As he spoke, the wrapping around his head was removed and his hawkish, sharp features were revealed to her, along with the red whisps of hair upon his head which floated in a non-existent breeze like tongues of flame above his scalp. It was clear now that the young lad had a most exotic parentage, perhaps some draconic bloodline, perhaps one of the serpentine people of the southern desert, clearly mixed with the fiery wind spirits who also dwelt there, the Efreet.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>10-04-2013, 13:03:27</strong>
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				The Empress picked up the tiny silver bell on the low table beside the divan and rang it briefly.&nbsp; No sooner had it's tiny jingle rung out through the expansive room than a side door opened and a servant wearing the traditional black uniform bearing the conjoined sun and moon emblem of the Imperial household above the heart, entered, carrying a carved tray that held a small variety of pastries and fresh fruit cut in the shapes of flowers.&nbsp; He sat the tray down on the table in front of the divan and inclined his head.<br><br>"May I be of further service, Empress?" he asked, his eyes modestly averted from the Empress' guest.<br><br><em>"Thank you, Randal."&nbsp; </em>The staff that served Valeria in her personal quarters were all addressed by name, by tradition and by the empress' own preference.&nbsp; They were privvy to the most private moments of her life, and few secrets, if any, could be long concealed from them -- and she would and did stake her life on their loyalty and their affections.&nbsp; <br><br>She looked consideringly at Hraz'zan as he unwound the linen coverings with elegant precision, admiring the chiseled lines that were revealed as well as the exotic coloring of his scales.&nbsp; She wondered how it might feel to run her fingertips over them and whether they might be as silken smooth as polished gemstones or more like the delicate softness of a snake's scales, or something entirely different.&nbsp; Even as her mind brushed over these intriguing matters, she also sought the right balance to strike with the first candidate.&nbsp; Too much familiarity too soon could spoil the experience for him, and yet too little and she would not truly have a good measure of his being.&nbsp; Physical allure was important, and this he possessed, along with the requisite skill in combat, but selection to her personal guard required more yet.<br><br><em>"Bring the pomegranate wine," </em>she instructed after a few heartbeats, and turned her full attention back to the desert tribesman, repressing an urge to run her fingers through the floating red locks upon his head to see if they could be tamed.&nbsp; The wine, she thought, would offer some comfort of the fruit's familiarity to the desert-born clansman, the sweet taste concealing the bite that lay within enough to relax the young warrior.<br><br>While they waited for the wine to be fetched, she made polite conversation, inquiring about his training and service to the Shah and how he found it, and whether he missed his homeland or if his travels called him to see even more of the vast empire.<br><br>When the wine arrived, Valeria raised her glass and suggested that they drink to Hraz'zan's continued success in the Tourney, clinking the lovely goblet against his so that the clear ring of it's craftsmanship sounded out like a bell.&nbsp; She drank delicately, and a little deeper than she would have normally, to encourage him to do likewise.<br><br><em>"Tell me, Hraz'zan, are you aware that at each Tourney, I select those who will serve as my personal guard for the coming lustrum?"</em> she asked finally, once he had emptied the glass.&nbsp; Of course, this was her first period of selection since she took the imperial throne, but the position was eternal.&nbsp; He was young and perhaps modest, and she wanted to make certain that he experienced the full honor associated with consideration, as well as what would be expected if she extended the invitation and he accepted.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>10-04-2013, 19:01:19</strong>
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				Hraz’zan shared in the Empress’s company and delighted in her conversation as an earnest pilgrim now able to share in the presence of the enlightened representative of the deity he had long worshipped from afar. To his astonishment and wonder the Empress’s manner conveyed only sincere interest in not only his achievements, but his personhood, and he could not be more proud as he began to speak and converse with her in subtle self-assurance. When the wine was brought, he lifted his goblet with her and drained it just as quickly, their talk and the exertions of the day having left him somewhat parched. It was finer even than the ambrosia of the shah’s palace and he barely noticed the strength of the draught's effects on him as she turned the conversation towards another end.<br><br>He paused, the Shah had given him some indication of this but no inkling of how to proceed. “I had scarcely believed it to be true till I received your invitation, myself. I know only what is rumored to those too humble to make their own inquiries.” He blushed, but more with the haze of the wine than with actual embarrassment. Hraz’zan was a proud warrior, but humble enough in all other pursuits as to not be ashamed in speaking on such subjects. “The Lustrum . . . “ He repeated the words with care, and suddenly he could not keep his eyes from focusing on the supple swells of her breasts, nor roving lower to the sensual way her body curved downward into the picture of feminine beauty. “. . . is the ceremony in which The Empress’s guards come to worship the divine body which they alone can protect.”
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				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>10-04-2013, 21:55:05</strong>
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				The last of Valeria's misgivings faded as Hraz'zan's initial shyness quickly faded.&nbsp; He was justifiably proud of his accomplishments while retaining enough modesty to remain endearing.&nbsp; Just as important, as he relaxed, he let down his guard enough so that the empress had no further concern about whether he could and would see her as a woman as well as a divine representation of the empire's majesty.&nbsp; Though his eyes remained respectful and even a bit awed, the heat of the desert was in his gaze as it roamed down her body, enough so that the empress' lips parted for a soft, anticipatory breath.<br><br><em>"You have essentially the right of it, Hraz'zan." </em> Valeria took care and pleasure in using her potential consort's name.&nbsp; The role of her honor guard was an essential one, not only for her own pleasure, but in her ability to meet the challenges of rule and to ensure that the empire's holdings did not decline or grow restless. <em> "The Lustrum is the the five-year period of service to the empire, and thereby to myself, that is pledged by each man accepted into the ranks of my personal guard.&nbsp; &nbsp;Each Tourney, I meet with those who have impressed me with their skills, their spirit ... and their person ... to decide whether they should be honored with an invitation.&nbsp; Part of the duties of the Honored Guard is this ceremony of which you have spoken."</em><br><br>The Empress let her eyes rest upon the intriguing young man's face, gauging his reaction.&nbsp; The ability to give over to lust and passion without allowing it control was, to her way of thinking, a necessity for those who would fulfill the role to its fullest potential.<br><br><em>"And it is not only one ceremony, but many.&nbsp; If you will permit a personal question, Hraz'zan ... have you yet lain with a woman?"</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>10-04-2013, 23:33:26</strong>
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				Hraz’zan’s sense seemed to be kicking into overdrive, perhaps it was the effect of the wine, or the simple building groundswell of “patriotic” zeal he felt at enjoying the presence of the Empress in all her grace and majesty. He wanted to serve her, to be of service to her, If she would only ask something of him, anything, then he could find some outlet for the rapidly growing fire in his veins, that he was sure any more would begin to scorch the scales from his skin. Indeed, a slight radiance of heat could be seen to emanate from the dark strips of broad scales that ran along his arms and back and legs. He was acutely aware of the way her mouth moved as she spoke and inhaled sharply for just a moment, and heard her words through a brief haze in his mind. Her description of the Lustrum was entrancing, images of himself beside the empress&nbsp; basking in her radiance before the masses of her subjects was positively as intoxicating as . . .&nbsp; well, the question she now asked of him.<br><br>It brought him back to the present and smiling for an instant, he cleared his throat before continuing in a more calm tone, with only the barest tremor of desire in his chest. “I have, once in ritual to the seer of my tribe, then again when the Shah rewarded me with one of the women of his harem. Both times were enjoyable, honorable, but I have not yet known the divine satisfaction of choosing a woman and having her choose me in return.” He was leaning forward now, unconsciously, one hand reaching out near to the curl of the Empress’s leg to settle next to her supple thigh, concealed by the silky whiteness of her dress.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>11-04-2013, 20:10:50</strong>
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				The empress' eyes were drawn to the faint ripple in the air around her first potential consort, her brow wrinkling ever so slightly as she worked out the cause.&nbsp; She was well familiar with the action of heat upon the air itself, and the resulting movement of the air.&nbsp; Her eyes darkened slightly with anticipatory desire as she considered more seriously the benefits of taking such a one as Hraz'zan to her bed.&nbsp; Her eyes dipped lower, as if they could see through the fabric to answer the entrancing question of whether the lovely pattern of scales contined beneath the fabric as well.<br><br>He was marginally experienced, then, but still very young and innocent.&nbsp; Valeria reached down with both her hands and took his between them from where it had settled near her skirts.&nbsp; She would have wagered that if asked beforehand whether he would come so close to touching her unasked, he would have been aghast.&nbsp; It spoke well of his boldness and spirit, as well as the strength of his barely awakened passions.<br><br>Lifting his hand so that she could examine it more closely, the empress explored his fingers with a light caress, tracing the outline and hesitating over the smooth hardness of each curled nail.&nbsp; Only when she had finished did she look back into his eyes to gauge his reaction.&nbsp; <em>"You understand, Hraz'zan, that if I offer you the honor of entering my personal guard that you would be one of many, and the rituals we would share in this ... worshiping of the body ... would not always be private?&nbsp; And that those of my choosing might be selected to prepare you for the rituals required of my guard?&nbsp; To be chosen is an honor, but it is not without some sacrifices.&nbsp; You would not be granted such freedom of choosing until the Lustrum concludes, should you accept."</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>12-04-2013, 21:09:04</strong>
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				As the Empress took up his hands, Hraz’zan looked down at where he felt the sublime softness of her fingers and palms and inhaled slowly, almost belabored in his breathing, certainly more than he had been at any point during his performance. It was not exertion though that now caused the air to catch in his lungs, but the passions she now flamed into a burning pyre that he felt clutched in a knot at his chest. The scales along his arms and back rippled as he shivered and before he knew what he was doing he was pulling her hands towards his chest, as though her touch could somehow relieve the roiling furor suffusing his flesh.<br><br>Returning her gaze, he tilted his head to one side and replied breathlessly, “To be one amongst one hundred in the intimate service to your majesty would still be an honor a thousandfold greater than to worship her from afar as one amongst the masses. To share in my devotion with those most worthy would be honor greater still. I would choose the Lustrum ahead of all the wealth in all the treasure fleets of majesty’s navy, over all the most verdant lands which feed her empire, and I would sacrifice all to spend but a day in your service . . .” Holding both her hands in one of his own, he boldly reached forward with his opposite hand to caress the graceful curve of her shoulder where the strap of her dress had fallen slightly.<br><br>Hraz’zan shifted subconsciously from his cross legged seat upon n the divan, not realizing that the reason his breeches felt more snug around his waist and hips.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>13-04-2013, 23:35:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The empress had spent quite some time planning for the choosing of her Honor Guard.&nbsp; Each empress before her had their own ideas of what was important, and, too, they had almost always come to refine their list of requirements to achieve the best individual result.&nbsp; &nbsp;Valeria had decided that, along with a strong and healthy form, two of the things she would see out was boldness and a willingness to act upon their passion.&nbsp; Hraz'zan exhibited both traits, as evidenced by his ready acceptance to forgo formal protocol and touch her with the evidence of hunger in his eyes and in his posture.&nbsp; <br><br>In her personal quarters, of course, and during the interviews leading to the choosing, familiarity with her person was allowed unless she dictated otherwise, and an encouraging sign.&nbsp; Valeria's duties to the empire coincided wonderfully with her pleasures and she looked forward to experiencing the rewards of duty.&nbsp; The fingers of one hand gently disengaged from her candidate's grip, to first lie upon and then stroke gently the rippling band of toned muscle upon his chest as his followed the curve of her arm.&nbsp; Her body reacted pleasurably both to the contact and to the evidence of Hraz'zan's stirring, and she smiled at him encouragingly.<br><br><em>"As Empress, my worthy and bold Hraz'zan, it is my duty to further test your worthiness for the honor.&nbsp; I have but two tasks for you.&nbsp; The second is that you will take the combat field tomorrow&nbsp; morning with an opponent of your Shah's choosing, and defeat them in honorable combat with the weapon of your choosing.&nbsp; Once you have done so, you will come to me in my garden here to receive my decision."</em><br><br>She held the first task to speak of last, though she had already decided what it would be.&nbsp; He was relatively unschooled in lovemaking, despite his obvious and rather strong desires.&nbsp; She could, she supposed, set him to the task of gaining experience with a lover of her choosing, but he was her first candidate and one she was almost certain she would accept into her guard.&nbsp; It was, then, her privilege to coax him to the height of that passion she could see burning in his lovely, curious eyes -- but in such a way that his devotion and discipline could be tested to then be brought to the fore in what she hoped would be a fiery culmination on the morrow. <br><em><br>"I have every confidence that you will succeed, and it is my hope as well."</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>15-04-2013, 20:43:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her hand felt like the most delightful combination of cool silk and ivory down against Hraz’zan’s chest and arm and he could not help but flex responsively beneath her touch, his scales and muscles rippling with the motion as the exhaled a staccato pant and leaned in against her hand, closer to his Empress. He did not want to wait, he wanted to prove the fire and furor of his strength and devotion to his Empress now, to let her feel his strength and burning passion in the heat of this moment, to clutch her tight against him and take her most . . . <br><br>Hraz’zan forced that train of thought to a grinding halt as he took a deep breath and exhaled twin columns of heat from his nostrils to bathe the Empress’s hand and forearm in warmth, somewhat unintentionally. Curtailing his fiery temper with years of discipline he looked into his Empress’s eyes and nodded, smiling broadly in affirmation of her wishes. “I shall not fail my empress’s expectations, but, what is the first task you would assign to your most aspirant of subjects?”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>16-04-2013, 22:36:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her eyes widened at the sudden explosion of warmth, not in surprise but rather calculation.&nbsp; It was tempting, very tempting, to simply decide upon a more personal demonstration of Hraz'zan's suitability for a consort, but he was her very first, after all.&nbsp; While the empress had almost total discretion in matters of the choosing of her guard, she was not proof against opinion.&nbsp; More than anything, she wanted to be worthy of the grand office to which she had risen rather than just destined.&nbsp; It was, she felt, her responsibility to choose wisely for the empire so that her choices would enrich and protect the lands under her care as well as enhancing her own power and pleasure.<br><br>The young aspirant had much to recommend him, aside from the physical prowess he had demonstrated at Tourney.&nbsp; His form was beautiful and exotic, representing the desert lands to the south and their rich and varied culture.&nbsp; He had passion and fire, certainly, and a goodly amount of discipline and respect.&nbsp; What he did not have was experience with women, though it seemed that his experiences had schooled him in the concept of taking a woman who was not his exclusively.<br><br><em>"The first task, Hraz'zan, is to accompany me to the hall below where the ladies who serve my Imperial Honor Guard at my pleasure.&nbsp; There, you will select two of their number and accompany them to private chambers, where you will both please them and instruct them to your own pleasure.&nbsp; I doubt neither your passion nor your strength, but you have experienced the sharing of bodies for duty and reward.&nbsp; I ask you now to experience it for purpose and pleasure, for if you join with me in company of my guard, it will be for all those things combined.&nbsp; When we meet again on the morrow, I will ask you to speak with me of what you experienced.&nbsp; In this way, you will know what it is like to choose, and to be chosen for yourself should you, as I expect, succeed at both these challenges I put before you."</em><br><br>The empress gently disengaged her hand from his, and lifted it to his face where she very gently stroked his cheek and down to his chin with the backs of her fingers. <em> "Will you accept both these tasks, Hraz'zan?"</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>19-04-2013, 23:08:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hraz’zan could only nod, mouth slightly agape as the Empress’s hand brushed his cheek down to his strong chin, as the Empress lead him up from the Divan and down her private stairwell to the next hall below where awaited for him harem of women the likes of which he had never known. Looking around him, they were all beautiful, all of them smiling, winking, beckoning enticingly towards him, and all he could think was what the Empress had asked of him to do, to choose for his own purpose and pleasure, to do with them as he pleased, for her own pleasure. There were women of other races here, many he did not recognize, but all of them every bit as alluring, clad in various states of undress, some simply lounging in full glorious nakedness. Hraz’zan’s body seethed, it burned in lust till he thought he could not contain himself any longer, but the Empress’s cool, soft hand was still in his own, and as he turned to looked at her, he had a revelation.<br><br><br>All of these women were beautiful, yes, but they were all mere reflections of the perfect beauty of his empress. She had asked him to choose but two of them, but not ten of these women combined would equal her divine radiance, and at first he quailed at the notion of choosing any but the woman who stood before him. In his moment of clarity though, he could not be deterred and as he gazed out amongst the consorts of whom he might take his pleasure ever after as a member of the lustrum, he knew that not to choose would be to fail his empress. She needed him to be bold, to act decisively, and so with a deep, breath, exhaling a trail of steam, he blinked once and knew he could make his choice.<br><br>“I would have her,” He indicated a buxom woman, with hair a flaming red, not quite the shade of his empress’s; “And her,” he said, pointing to an alabaster skinned youth, who’s skin was not quite the pearlescent shade of his empress’s. “In them do I see your majesty most reflected my Empress, it is with them I would know a pleasure all my own, and still be able to worship you in knowing it.” He bowed low at the waist, relinquishing her hand with a most humble, “Thank you.”<br><br>"I look forward only to when I may take the tourney field tomorrow and fulfill the final task for you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>22-04-2013, 00:28:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Valeria accompanied Hraz'zan down the private entrance to the chambers where she had instructed her ladies in waiting, those not enjoying the Tourney, to while away the hours in case they were needed.&nbsp; Some of the previous empresses had been jealous of their aspirants, but Valeria did not understand their reasoning.&nbsp; She would not presume to criticize her predecessors, of course, but nor would she follow their lead.<br><br>Like the candidates for her personal guard, the ladies were chosen for a variety of factors, a pleasing countenance and body among them.&nbsp; Many were newly chosen, but she was glad to see their eagerness to duty and to welcome Hraz'zan.&nbsp; For a moment, she felt something close to regret that it would be two of their number who would first experience the young aspirant, but it passed quickly.&nbsp; If he met her expectations, their joining would be all the better for it.<br><br>His choices were flattering, and Valeria could not help but smile fondly at him as she nodded for the two ladies to approach.&nbsp; In these most private of chambers, no formality was required of them, and they approached and each took him by an arm.<br><br><em>"Thank <strong>you</strong>, Hraz'zan."</em>&nbsp; She reached out and ran the back of her fingers down his cheek once more, and then met the laughing gazes of her ladies with a faint smile and inclined her head, signalling her permission for them to guide him away into one of the private chambers reserved for just such activities.<br><br>Valeria watched for a moment, still faintly smiling, and then turned and made her way back to her chambers.&nbsp; From there, she would return to the Tourney, both to show respect and honor to the competitors, and to possibly discover her next aspirant.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>24-04-2013, 17:40:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Even as the two gorgeous women approached him, Hraz’zan only had eyes for his Empress. He saw her there, reflected in both her handmaiden’s beauty, but it could not compare to the sight his eyes revealed to him when he gazed upon her and she reached out to touch his cheek. His amber eyes burned for her, the image of her flickering like a flame within his bright irises, even as the two handmaidens gently began to touch and massage his body, stripping from him the last remnants of his clothes, praising his musculature. He bid them silent, even as he began his own ministrations to their tender bodies, and as they set the curtains closed for the large postered bed onto which the three now lay and writhed in mutual pleasure, he finally released the fire in his body, in his heart, and the two handmaidens squealed and moaned with the intensity, Hraz’zan whispered his Empress’s name for the first time, <em>‘Valeria . . .’</em><br><br>---<br>The next day, Hraz’zan faced off against his opponent in the battle ring, twin scimitars dancing and twirling as he fought with the bright beaming grin of a madman written across his features. The Shah was stunned, having never seen Hraz’zan so eager for battle, or frankly, so eager for anything as when he had relayed the Empress’s request that he face an opponent of the Shah’s choice, a mighty foe, one to truly test his skills. The goliath he now faced was every bit that foe, human, perhaps, but with gray, mottled skin and titanic strength to indicate some manner of giant’s blood in his veins, and wielding a pair of great dire flails with boulders for heads. Hraz’zan dodged and parried and bobbed and weaved, and onlookers wondered if he meant to tire his foe by making him to swing those massive flails for long minutes at a time, but Hraz’zan knew upon first looking at him that no mere mortal implements could tire exhaust his might.<br><br>No, Hraz’zan yearned simply for the joy, the fulfillment of the dance of battle and he wove such a dance of acrobatic leaps and flips and twists in midair as to make the crowds gasp and awe with such feats of agility, infuriating and humiliating his hulking foe, as Hraz’zan continued to grin like a madman. When the giantkin began to grow all the more furious, bringing all six heads of it’s flails together in a pincer move, the crowd stared in awe as Hraz’zan used tossed his scimitars into the air, pulling another pair from behind his back and entwining them with the chains of the flails, twisted the mass together, spinning like a top in a corkscrew flip forward, binding up the giant’s weapons, and pinning them to the ground, before landing dexterously on the hilts of his own sabers and catching the pair he had thrown into the air with all the grace in the world. Swinging those two blades forward, he held them crossed at the giant’s neck, razor edges poised&nbsp; to decapitate his foe, and the giantkin knew he was defeated. Crowds cheered for Hraz’zan but he looked only for the approval of his empress, high in her pulpit.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>25-04-2013, 02:42:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Though none would be so bold as to broach the subject with the empress, the court fairly hummed with excitement the next day before the first candidate for the imperial guard was to take the field.&nbsp; Though only she and Hraz'zan were privy to the condition of his candidacy, it was difficult to keep a secret in the Imperial Palace without a great deal more effort than had been put forth.&nbsp; Truthfully, Valeria did not mind the gossip - it gave everyone something to do, and increased their enjoyment of the Tourney.&nbsp; It hardly seemed fair to keep such things for herself, given how much pleasure she was certain to derive from aspects of it that they could not share.<br><br>As normal, Valeria was dressed with care.&nbsp; She chose undergarments of the finest silk of vibrant red trimmed with gold that flattered her form and felt cool upon her skin.&nbsp; Her hair was brushed until it shone, and plaited with ribbons of gold, and for her gown she chose a style her tailor had assured her had been inspired by the traditional wear of the desert clans - a flowing white skirt and painstakingly embroidered in red and gold top that wrapped across her breasts and secured at the side with a clever gold pin shaped like a curved blade.&nbsp; Upon her feet were red slippers.&nbsp; She was certain that she would not be disappointed in her aspirant's performance at the Tourney, no more than she had been with his efforts toward the accomplishment of her first task.<br><br>Though it would not have been proper to express it, she was more than a little excited, both in the giddy anticipation of a spectacular showing in the arena, as well as a more sensual excitement that had been building since their meeting the previous day.&nbsp; She had invited the Shah to sit with her, and together they had watched Hraz'zan woo the crowd with his energy, dexterity and showmanship.&nbsp; &nbsp;Valeria envied the crowd somewhat their unbridled enthusiasm.&nbsp; As empress, she could not cheer for him as she wished, but she contented herself with the knowledge that she would not be so restricted when next they met.&nbsp; When he dispatched his giant-blooded opponent, Valeria stood along with the rest of the crowd and beamed her approval, raising her head proudly though he could not see her expression.&nbsp; The Shah could, however, and she was certain that Hraz'zan would know of her joy in his victory even before she could express it personally.<br><br>With the wave of a hand, she beckoned one of the pages over, and handed him a red rose which she plucked from the bouquet that decorated the table beside her seat. <em> "Give this to Hraz'zan, the victor, with my congratulations.&nbsp; Bid him attend me in my chambers two hours hence."</em><br><br>The Shah beamed, basking in the honor of sponsoring such a spectacular combatant in the Tourney as well as having that champion singled out by the Empress.&nbsp; He bowed as Valeria took her leave, and raised his hand to Hraz'zan below, acknowledging his spectacular victory to the shouts of the crowd.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>29-04-2013, 17:09:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hraz’zan was panting just slightly with the exertions of the battle, but when the Shah waived to him and he was subsequently presented with a rose from the Empress, all thoughts of exhaustion or weariness left him, and he had to suppress the urge to sprint to the Empress’s chambers without heed or care for escort or etiquette. Instead he made his way with the calm assurance of a true champion, and the Shah quickly arrived by his side, congratulating him the entire way, though Hraz’zan barely heard a word of what he said. He held the rose from the Empress’s bouquet in one hand, the opposite hand resting on the hilt of one of his swords and in a heady daze they arrived at the Empress’s chambers, and the Shah took his leave, with more than a few hearty and somewhat improper encouragements to his new prodigy.<br><br>The chamber door was opened to him, and Hraz’zan entered triumphantly, holding the rose just in front of his chin like a talisman, with none of the apprehension of the previous day, and all the more anticipation, his body already awash with the fire of his exertions in the ring. “My Empress?” he inquired not quite tentatively, with just the slightest air of eagerness in his voice, “Those tasks you have asked of me are completed, and I trust all is to your satisfaction?”<br><br>From the pulpit he had seen her gown from afar, and it seemed to him to be the colors of his homeland, the same deep shade of red as the desert rose he now held in his hand, his finely clawed digit shivering just slightly as they never had with sword in hand.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>30-04-2013, 23:55:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The time she had allotted before Hraz'zan was to present himself in her chamber was, truly, as much so that she could finish the rest of her allotted tasks before taking time for herself, though technically the time given to selecting her guard was also service for the empire.&nbsp; It seemed, however, a trifle selfish not to regard the time spent as a personal pleasure, for it was certain to be so.&nbsp; There were diplomats and courtiers who must be greeted with the proper formalities to tend the garden of their loyalties, and other appointments to set.&nbsp; She had not a moment to herself on the way to her chambers until she had reached them and dismissed her attendants, shortly before her first aspirant -- and, that, she hoped was a title soon to be discarded in favor of another.<br><br>She stood as he entered, her back to the afternoon sun streaming in the open, sheer curtains setting her hair ablaze, but warming her not half so much as the heat of anticipation that crept slowly up her body in a slow-kindling smolder.&nbsp; The change in him was delightful, and gratifying.&nbsp; Though he had succeeded in his tasks solely due to his own effort, she was happy to have provided a portion of the impetus.&nbsp; He would, she thought, serve both her and the empire well.<br><br><em>"You have done all that I have asked, Hraz'zan, and in such a manner to bring honor to your name, your patron, your homeland and to the empire."</em><br><br>Valeria made her way across the room without hurry, savoring the moment, and lingering upon the hand that trembled ever so delicately as it clutched the rose she had presented.&nbsp; &nbsp;<em>"There is but one final test remaining."&nbsp; </em>Her eyes glinted with softly teasing amusement as she held out her hand toward him, palm upward and with her fingers lightly curled in a timeless gesture of invitation that bridged the varied cultures of the empire's lands.<br><br><em>"If you would accompany me once more ..." </em> She faced him calmly, turning only her gaze toward the opened doors that led to the private chambers where none but her most trusted attendants and guards were permitted.&nbsp; <em>"Should you still wish a place in my guard for the coming Lustrum?"</em><br><br>For herself, she would be most pleased, she thought, to have him, and he had had ample time to consider both the benefits and the sacrifices of the position.&nbsp; She had little doubt that when he emerged from her private chambers, it would be as her first chosen guard.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>01-05-2013, 18:20:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Valeria’s words of approval, renewed Hraz’zan triumphant manner, and he practically swelled with pride for his nation, his people, and of course for the glory he had brought and might further bring to the Empire itself. He was decked out still in the battle attire from his victory in the ring, an ornate blend of form and function, leather plates and silver studding of his cuirass wrought with intricate patterns of whipping winds and tongues of flame, reaching upward towards his shining steel pauldrons, perfectly molded flanges that framed his broad shoulders quite flatteringly and still allowed for the full range of movement his style of combat required. His body was still wrapped in linens as before, the better to allow him to breath, but rather than the trousers of the previous day, he wore a flexible scale armored kilt or tunic, again to ensure his flexibility and freedom of movement. Altogether, he shimmered where the Empress burned, and right up to his ivory smile, beaming with civic duty.<br><br>“I am deeply honored, my empress. I cannot think of any more fulfilling measure of my devotion than to live up to your expectations.” He intoned, inclining his head and stepping towards her side face. “Except to serve in your Lustrum. Never had I dreamed I might be worthy of that honor, but now, it is all that I desire in this or any world.”<br><br>Her hand beckoned him invitingly and he felt himself moving towards her, his body suffused with the fire, the passion that he had felt when previously he had been greeted by her, now intensified all the more by the burning he still felt from his exertions in the ring earlier in the day. Extending his hand, he offered the rose back to her, even as his opposite hand moved from its place upon the hilt of his swords towards her outstretched beckoning hand, still every bit the most civil of servants to his Empress’s delight.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>03-05-2013, 21:12:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In much the same manner as the houris of the previous evening, Valeria took Hraz'zan's hand. <em> "Thank you, sweet Hraz'zan ... but please keep the rose for now.&nbsp; &nbsp;If you like, we will place it in the vase near the bed to symbolize your victory.&nbsp; Perhaps, too, you might find a use for it there ... perhaps."</em><br><br>Valeria smiled faintly, and drew him across the marbled floor to the doorway, into her private bedchamber.&nbsp; There, she paused just long enough to pull the tie releasing the curtains.&nbsp; Her servants knew not to interrupt unless they were called, but it symbolized that this time was intended only for those who had been invited, in this case for Valeria and Hraz'zan alone.<br><br>Normally, the process of undressing required the service of several servants - not precisely because the empress could not manage herself, but simply to keep one or another from feeling slighted.&nbsp; However, during the interview process, this formality was suspended, in that prior to the final decision, any fastenings were done up in such a way to make the shedding of her gown simple.&nbsp; So it was that when Valeria turned from the door and reached up for the shoulders of her magnificent dress, it peeled away into her hands to be set aside neatly, leaving the empress clad only in a short white shift whose thin fabric accentuated the ripe body beneath, the empress' very feminine curves in shadow lit by the light streaming in from the high windows.<br><br>There was no sense of modesty in the empress' demeanor as she closed the distance between them, reaching out to touch the cheek and then lips of her first candidate gently.&nbsp; There was only the expectation, tinged by hope, that he would be pleased by what he saw and emboldened to compete as fiercely to secure his place in the Lustrum as he had been in the Tourney.&nbsp; <em>"Your weapons may be placed on the stand by the bed, Hraz'zan.&nbsp; &nbsp; I will get a vase for the rose while you see to them, and then you may join me upon the bed after you have removed as much of your garments as please you.&nbsp; The only task that remains is ... the sharing of pleasure between us two."</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>14-05-2013, 03:22:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hraz’zan’s breath caught as he the Empress disrobed before him, with only her shift to conceal some semblance of modesty, obviated by the sultry manner in which she advanced on him, and the building slow burn of the desert warrior’s body was fueled and fanned into a great conflagration once again, the rippling waves of heat roiling off of his body though now he still wore the battle garb. His amber eyes wanted to gaze at each inch of his Empress in isolation yet could not give up the exultant glory that it was to see her all at once, and when she brushed his cheek, he knew she would feel the heat of his desire for her, and hoped she would not be scorched by it. “Of course my Empress . . . Valeria.” He used her name, he had not yet done so, but her gesture had been so intimate, he felt it come unbidden to his lips.<br><br>Turning from her quickly, he moved to hide his shame, but realized he felt none. It felt so natural to use her name, even though he had only known this, the most powerful woman in all the known world but a few days. Yet he had learned and experienced so much in that short time, and now, now he knew her better, more intimately than he had known any woman, anyone. Moving to the weapons rack, he set his swords upon it then turned back to her still fully robed, but gazing at her with heated longing. “My Empress, I would not consider it a task, but the fulfillment of all I have been tasked with thus far in my life. It is the ultimate reward, the goal, to join your Lustrum, though I might never have known it.” As he spoke, the robes and garments he wore began to scorch and blacken and suddenly they were burning away with barely a hint of flame, such was the heat his body now generated. He stepped forward, and it was as though he were stepping out of his clothes all at once as they blackened to ash around him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>15-05-2013, 22:14:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There were few permitted the use of her name, and even then proscribed by tradition to certain times and places.&nbsp; The sound of it upon the aspirant's lips was therefore as intimate as the touch of his body upon hers, and almost as pleasing.&nbsp; Though custom dubbed this a solemn moment, Valeria would have been less than human if she had not also been able to appreciate it as a woman.&nbsp; That was, perhaps, the ultimate secret between the empress and her guards ... not for the fact that it was not known, but that the knowledge of it would not pass from their lips to the ears of any outside their ranks.<br><br>She moved to the bed as Hraz'zan removed his weapons and climbed upon it gracefully to sit with her legs folded under her, the opaque shift falling over the tops of her thighs.&nbsp; The heat of his body was as telling of his own eagerness as more subtle clues from the other races of her empire, and she was glad that the marble floors and high ceilings kept her chambers cool even in the heat of summer.&nbsp; <em>"Oh, my," </em>she whispered as her eyes widened when the heat from Hraz'zan's body turned his robes to ash as if they were vellum cast upon the fire.&nbsp; &nbsp;Rather than evoking fear, Valeria's body reacted with its own surge of heated lust at the sight.&nbsp; A soft rosy flush suffused her neck and breasts beneath the shift, and the soft fabric did little to conceal the stiff jut of her nipples, while her thighs shifted restlessly at the stimulus.<br><br>Just in case, Valeria murmured a few words of an incantation, drawing upon her powers to protect both her skin and the bed from heat and flames, just in case.&nbsp; She raised her hand out to him as he approached, and drew him onto both the bed and her body as she lay back onto the soft silken surface.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>16-05-2013, 22:02:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hraz’zan’s eyes perceived in a spectrum of heat and light beyond that of human sight, and thus the welling up of heated lust echoed in the Empress’s body by his own preternatural display of fevered desire was practically visible to him. He heard not her words, nor noticed her brief enchantment however, only knew that he wanted her, wanted to stoke the fires of her lust into a righteous pyre that would match his own, and as he stepped towards her now he was completely naked, the fullness of his sculpted musculature made apparent to Valeria, the mottled scales of his flesh glistening in the rippling aura of heat so that he shone before her eyes like some living construct of rich dark amber and canary diamond, but the fluidity of his movements was still there. He stepped up onto the bed, and it did not scorch or burn, thanks t the Empress’s spell and the instinctual control Hraz’zan had over the aura of heat, graceful, even as he advanced towards her with only one intention. The way her lips formed a perfect ‘O’ in exclamation of his display that made her appear suddenly vulnerable, and Hraz’zan could not help but be reminded of a similar look of surprise mirrored by the consorts with whom he had shared his passion last night.<br><br><br>This was different though, the consorts had been eager to please him and he then, but this was more earnest, the fulfillment of something more than lustful wishes, but the supreme sense of devotion that welled up inside Hraz’zan, causing him to burn more heatedly for the Empress than he ever could for some other woman. She was not just a woman, she was ‘the’ woman, a goddess made flesh, and now she was beckoning him to worship her. His muscles rippled, his thighs flexed, and the rising hardness of his manhood could not be denied any further as he lay himself down atop her, the instant he closed to within inches of her, the Empress’s shift was burned away, just as Hraz’zan’s clothes had been, revealing her in all her naked glory, yet no tongue of flame or heat so much as brushed her enchanted shield. Desperately, Hraz’zan wished to now lean back, to stare in exultation at Valeria’s exposed flesh, majestic womanly curves the vision of perfection, but instead he swallowed hard and leaned in all the closer to her, his chest brushing against the points of her nipples, setting them ablaze with a jolt of blissful heat, and his lips were but a hair's breadth from doing the same when he spoke, “My apologies for your garment, My Empress.” he whispered to her.<br><br>Hraz’zan’s knee had moved towards the parting of her legs, and his forearms brushed her shoulders, and his manhood hovered poised above her only barely brushing against her thigh, and yet everywhere she felt his touch, however brief, preternatural waves of lustful heat rippled through her body, suffusing her supple limbs and flawless flesh with blissful warmth, yet causing her skin to yearn for more.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Supplications to the Empress [Briar Rose &amp; ChaosLord29]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>20-05-2013, 03:14:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This, Valeria thought with satisfaction, was the warrior who had caught her attention in the arena.&nbsp; With his diffidence and shyness swept away, every movement was as the artist's stroke of a brush in the painting of a masterpiece.&nbsp; If there had been any doubts remaining as to Hraz'zan's worthiness to join the ranks of her Imperial Honor Guard, it was swept away.&nbsp; Both she and the Empire would be strengthened by his presence and there was no real need to evaluate further.<br><br>Still, the Empress had no intention of cutting things short.&nbsp; Hraz'zan deserved the full experience of proving himself, and for Valeria to deny herself the same pleasure would be without purpose and would also detract from her performance of her duty to the empire.&nbsp; Her desire for him was reflected in her eyes and in the instinctive movement of her body to adjust for his presence on the bed.&nbsp; &nbsp;Her breath caught, her eyes meeting his in near fascination, as her garmet caught and burned away like paper.&nbsp; A wave of heat followed the ash that disintegrated and disappeared as if her shift were as insubstantial as tissue, the sensation as heady as a caress.<br><br><em>"No apology is necessary, Hraz'zan."&nbsp; </em>Her voice was little more than a whisper, and she reached up to run the tips of her fingers over his lips and then across his cheek and lower, tracing lightly the pattern of scales that she had not felt free to touch before.&nbsp; Her hand came to rest upon his side just below the curve of his ribs.&nbsp; Her heart pounded in her chest as fiercely as if she'd never known the intimacy of the Lustrum and she trembled with eagerness for his touch despite the knowledge that while the woman she was could be driven past control, the empress could not.&nbsp; &nbsp;She must be equal to the task.&nbsp; <br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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