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17 Şubat 2022, 02:40
It was not the water. I loved swimming and swam the half a mile or so to the island where our church was almost every day, sometimes both ways and in most weathers. But put me in a boat and then - well then my stomach seemed to want to migrate to my throat, and my head to explode. It was only half an hour across the Estuary from Garrianonum to the Halvergate landing where the Jutes had a harbour, but as far as I was concerned, it was a via dolorosa.
Sister Martha was sweet and kept trying to help, but there was little that she could do. Merlin, for all his boasted magical powers was equally useless. At least Sister Martha had a warm bosom into which I could snuggle and pretend that the journey was not happening. Merlin, by contrast, was merely impatient:
"What on earth would she be like if the sea was actually rough?"
The very idea made me head for the side of the boat and retch; not that there was anything to bring up - that had gone in the first ten minutes.
As the boat approached the harbour Merlin stood tall on the deck, unfurling something which looked like a banner, but which was actually a white flag. The boat bumped the side of the bank, and the torture finally stopped.
"Can you move, Carwen?" Sister Martha was solicitous, which helped. I gulped some water and said I was sure I could manage. It was not, however, the most auspicious start to an important mission.
The Jutes had occupied much of the land around the Halvergate Marshes, and the harbour was several miles from the upland areas where settlements could be built. We had heard that they had come in numbers, but as long as they stayed on their side of the Estuary, my father, like Fr Gregory, had preferred to ignore their existence. We had, after all, only just accommodated ourselves to the Saxons in our midst, so why, as my father put it "borrow trouble when there was plenty of it to be had for free?"
Which raised the question of what Merlin was up to in wanting a mission - and why did he want me tagging along? For a man so full of himself, it was hard to believe he needed a mere woman along to hold his hand - and if he wanted to distract the Jute warriors with woman-flesh, he could have had his pick of comely wenches; why pick me? Call me suspicious - and many have - but it has kept me alive and intact when others have died. Trust is a rare quality when the world is in flux; I have given it but rarely. What seemed so permanent, like the sea-wall of Garrianonum, can vanish in the twinkling of an eye, and a civilization which seemed eternal, can prove anything but. A wise woman keeps her eyes open and her legs closed.
As soon as my feet touched dry land, I began to feel better. Merlin was already in conversation with a burly warrior with a long beard and, by the sound of it, a short temper. It was unwise to bandy words with a wizard, especially one with as quick a wit as Merlin, and as the man tried to draw his sword, he found it would not come however hard he pulled.
"Ah, at last, Carwen, glad your little legs have found their bearings. Now, man, I have no time to bandy words with you, and I shall be sure to tell the King you can't even draw your sword. I am certain the Queen will be interested in the fact you delayed two emissaries from the Britons."
The baffled warrior let us pass. I looked back and saw him struggling with the sword.
"Served him right," Merlin muttered, sounding rather happy. "You are probably wondering why you are here, Carwen?"
"It had occurred to me, but with you I tend to accept that you know what you are up to and will tell me what you think I need to know."
"You are a wise young woman, Carwen. Keep that up and you will go far. The Jutes have a hostage I have an interest in liberating. It would not do for them to know this is why I am here, so we shall talk about land. Queen Ethelreda may have an interest in the sisterhood of which you are a member, and it would, I am sure, oil the wheels if you were able to apply your skills to the task of getting on good terms with the Jutes."
"Ah, I see," I responded, "pimp me out?"
"Call it what you want, Carwen, but you will do what is necessary should it be required?"
"I bilecik escort (http://www.escortkizrehberi.com/ilan-kategori/bilecik-escort/) daresay," I sighed, knowing that whatever it was needed me. It was not hard to imagine what he had in mind, dirty old wizard! But a girl can be wrong, but not on this occasion.
We arrived at the Jute settlement and were shown to the Hall where King Sweyn and his sister, Queen Ethelreda were, we were assured, waiting to receive us.
My first thought on seeing them was that the Jutes produced fine specimens. Sweyn must have been six foot and he was broad-shouldered with a muscular torso, long hair and a fair beard; he looked the image of the warrior-king. His sister was, put simply, stunning. From the moment my eyes fixed on her I felt a sense of longing. Almost as tall as her brother, she was certainly a foot and more taller than me. Her long fair hair was worn in two thick plaits, and her blue eyes seemed to bore into me. Her dress accentuated her ample bosom, and slipped down to cover what seemed even from where I stood, to be full hips. "Want!" I thought.
"Storm Crow, greetings. What brings you here?"
"Greetings great king and queen. Let me introduce Carwen, who is the daughter of the chief of the Britons, and Sister Martha who is with her to represent the interests of the Sisterhood of which Carwen is also a member. I thought that while we men talk land, the women might talk of matters closer to their hearts."
Ethelreda, who would have had to have been both blind and stupid not to have noticed my interest in her, assented to a talk, but only with me. Merlin agreed, winking at me when he thought no one was looking, Sister Martha withdrew to talk with some of the Queen's women, and the Queen and I withdrew to her private chambers.
She looked at me when we were alone, and after having one of her servants give me something to drink, invited me to sit.
"So, you are here for Storm Crow's schemes? Are you one of his lovers?"
I could not help laughing as I sipped the mead and bit into an apple.
"I am small," I said, "but not stupid. We are women in a world run by men, and you must know, "I added, "that the less we let men know we know it, the more likely it is we can bend them to our will. I can see, oh Queen, that a woman of your beauty will have her ways of doing that, but not being built like you, I have to find other ways. Do I look like a woman Merlin would want?"
It was her turn to laugh.
"Some men like boys, and in truth, you could pass for one, so it did cross my mind. Men like cunt, and they are none too fussy at times about where they get it when the itch comes. But tell me, if you are not, in truth a boy, then why did you look at me that way?"
I smiled, not bothering to deny it.
"Because I desire you."
Ethelreda actually coloured.
"How can that be? I have heard rumours of your sisterhood, but can it really be that women can mate as men do?"
"Your majesty, why aim so low?"
"You puzzled me, Carwen. I thought you were here on Merlin's business and would want to talk about the hostage, and yet here you are talking unnatural desire to me."
"What," I asked he quizzically, "could be 'unnatural' about desiring you? There can't be a man who sees you who does not, so why should a woman who loves her own sex not want you too?"
"Do you, have you," she stammered, "have you actually lain with women?"
"I have, Highness," and would with you were it ever your desire. But as you have mentioned it, yes, there is the hostage, and if it is more fitting to discuss her, we can."
I could see she was intrigued at the idea, but from the way she picked up the comment about the hostage, I was glad to have given her a way out of her embarrassment.
"We can return to it, Carwen, but yes, the hostage. Would you interpret for us? We have sent messages to Venta Icenorum to her people, but it might help for us to be able to communicate with her properly. Will you undertake it as you understand our tongue?"
"It would be best if I saw her alone - if, that is, you will trust me?"
"Not much you can do to help her escape," Ethelreda jested, "so escort bilecik (http://www.escortkizrehberi.com/ilan-kategori/bilecik-escort/) I will give you time with her."
She got her maid to show me to a chamber off her own, and, unlocking it, she bade me enter.
"You have half an hour."
I smiled and went in.
There, in the corner on a pallet was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Clearly a pure-bred Roman patrician, her beauty was as that of the classical statues I later saw in Rome. Her skin was flawless, as was her complexion. She smiled nervously.
"Don't worry," I said, in our tongue, "I am from Garrianonum and am here to help. I am Carwen, you are?"
"Helen," she stammered, "oh God, thank God, can you help?"
"That's what I am here to see," I added, "but you will need to tell me what is going on. They say that your ship was intercepted travelling in the Northern Sea as you were heading for Londinium, but who would leave from the north for Londinium? Where were you going?"
"I can't tell you. How come they let you in here anyway, they hate us and want our lands."
"I am a deaconess and they respect my place."
That seemed to worry her. She remained silent.
"Look, I can't help you if you won't let me."
"You will only do to the books what they would have done, so what's the point? I don't want to be ransomed, I want to preserve a treasure greater than gold."
"Why do you say that?" I asked, intrigued.
"I know that the Church hates such things and would destroy them - and you are one of those who would do it."
Affronted by the idea I would harm any book, I told her so.
"But these are ancient books dealing with things you would not approve of."
"Tell me and let me be the judge of that. What is the harm? I can do nothing anyway."
"My father is Aurelius Crassus, one-time Procurator of Ionia, and I was rescuing some books which he brought with him from Athens - they deal with things you would not understand, few women do."
Now she had me intrigued, and from somewhere at the back of my memory, a spark lit itself as I knitted my brows.
"Athens, you say. Ionia, was that not where burning Sappho sang and loved?"
Her eyes widened with surprise, as well they might, as I had no idea what dark recess of my mind had stored away that reference.
"You, you know of her, of Sappho?"
"A little. As it happens, I would consider myself a Sapphist."
"Do you know what that means, deaconess?"
"It means," I said, fixing my eyes on hers, "that where most women lie with men, I prefer to lie with women. I saw your captor and desired her. Do you desire her?"
And with that, the barriers came down.
"Who would not, did you ever see such perfection?"
"As it happens, Helen, I did - I am looking at it now."
She looked back at me.
We talked. It transpired that her father had discovered a library on one of the islands, collected, she said by a nameless "Last of the Amazons". It had included ten books of Sappho's poetry plus several manuals of love-making.
"And where are these books now?"
"They are in one of the trunks the Jutes have, under my gowns."
A thought came to me.
"Those manuals, are you practiced in their arts?"
"Why", Helen smiled, "would you like me to show you?"
"No," I added, not quite truthfully, "but if you are I have an idea."
She confirmed she was, and I told her my idea.
"Would it work?"
"No idea", I replied, "but what have we to lose by trying it?"
Helen leaned over and we kissed.
Oh that kiss!
I melted into her arms, and the feel of her firm breasts against me, the scent of her body and the sensations shooting through me almost overwhelmed me. We just about prised each other apart as I heard the guards unlocking the door.
Once back with Ethelreda I unfolded some of our conversation to her, asking whether we could discuss it further after the feast they had prepared in honour of our meeting. She confirmed we could.
Back with Merlin, he was eager to know how I had fared, but I also wanted to know his news.
"They see no reason to negotiate, they have bilecik escort bayan (http://www.escortkizrehberi.com/ilan-kategori/bilecik-escort/) taken what they want and think they can take more."
"Well," I said, "perhaps Artos and his men can correct their thinking in time, but for now we have Princess Helen to think of."
I outlined my plan.
"If you can pull that off, my girl, it'll be quite a magic trick!"
"Watch me!" I smiled. "Or, to be literal, don't, female magic is destroyed by men." And so it was, and perhaps always will be.
The banquet was the usual feast of too much meat and far too much mead, but placed, as I was, with the Queen, I was not bothered by the drunken oafs who were molesting the maids serving us. We retired to Ethelreda's chamber for drink and a final conversation. This was my chance.
"Do you really need a ransom for Helen?" I asked.
"Why, what else is on offer?" She looked at me with curiosity.
"It depends on how much power you really have," I teased her, "could you let her go, or do the men make the decisions?"
She looked, as I had hoped, affronted.
"On such matters I can decide - it would depend on what was on offer."
"Two things for your people and something for yourself."
"You intrigue me."
I explained that as part of a deal for Helen's release we would sign away the land they had taken and promise not to try to regain it, and we would also sign a trade deal allowing them access to our grain. That, I said, should be enough for "the men."
"And for me?"
I asked her to send for Helen.
Even in her distressed state, Helen looked beautiful. The two women together looked like two of those goddesses the Romans worshipped. Helen was offered some mead and while the two women eyed each other, I outlined my idea.
"In short", I added at the end, "Helen and I can give you, oh Queen, something no man can. Will you let us?"
It helped that Ethelreda had drunk her fair share, and more, of mead as her inhibitions were lowered - as low as her gown as I helped it from her shoulders while Helen kissed her lips.
We gave her no time to reconsider, and with Helen's tongue exploring her mouth, and her hands on those gorgeous breasts, Ethelreda soon forgot about reconsidering.
Helen pushed her onto the couch as I removed her dress. We looked at each other across that magnificent body. Her breasts were firm, her nipples red with arousal. Helen sucked on one, I sucked the other. Then we kissed each other, before moving back to pleasure Ethelreda. As we sucked, nibbled and licked, the Queen writhed. By the time we were ready to take her to the next stage, she was groaning.
I looked at Helen, who looking back at me, said:
"You take her cunt first, I will deal with her breasts."
Not one to refuse the offer, I watched as Helen kneaded, sucked and fondled those magnificent breasts. Then, kissing my way down her smooth stomach until I reached her matt of fair hair, I let my fingers take their pleasure. At my first touch she groaned and whimpered. As I parted her lips, exposing her inner pinkness, glistening in the candlelight, she moaned louder. As my tongue made contract with her swollen lips she whimpered.
Helen, abandoning Ethelreda's breasts, joined me in attending to her gooey, sticky cunt. As I licked her stiff, unhooded clit, Helen's fingers curled into her, making her moan. Her hands gripped our heads. I lifted mine, as did Helen, and we kissed each other, her juices on our lips. I felt myself tingle, aching for what we were giving her.
Helen parted the Queen's thighs wide and set about finger-fucking her while I positioned myself across her stomach, my arse facing her, and lapped at her clit. Ethelreda could not hold back, and as she orgasmed, she squirted into Helen's face. I leaned over and licked Helen's face. Ethelreda squirmed as she came. It was too much for me.
Dismounting her, I positioned myself under Helen and serviced her wetness. She abandoned Ethelreda and threw me onto the matting. We licked each other, sucking and fingering until we, too, came. As we calmed down we saw the Queen looking at us.
"What was that?" She asked.
"Helen's freedom," I replied. Even in post-orgasmic bliss, I had not forgotten what I had come for.
"Can we share a bed?" The Queen ventured.
"I thought you'd never ask," Helen replied.
There was not much sleeping done that night. But Sappho's works were saved, so was Helen, and me - well I had fallen in love.
Sister Martha was sweet and kept trying to help, but there was little that she could do. Merlin, for all his boasted magical powers was equally useless. At least Sister Martha had a warm bosom into which I could snuggle and pretend that the journey was not happening. Merlin, by contrast, was merely impatient:
"What on earth would she be like if the sea was actually rough?"
The very idea made me head for the side of the boat and retch; not that there was anything to bring up - that had gone in the first ten minutes.
As the boat approached the harbour Merlin stood tall on the deck, unfurling something which looked like a banner, but which was actually a white flag. The boat bumped the side of the bank, and the torture finally stopped.
"Can you move, Carwen?" Sister Martha was solicitous, which helped. I gulped some water and said I was sure I could manage. It was not, however, the most auspicious start to an important mission.
The Jutes had occupied much of the land around the Halvergate Marshes, and the harbour was several miles from the upland areas where settlements could be built. We had heard that they had come in numbers, but as long as they stayed on their side of the Estuary, my father, like Fr Gregory, had preferred to ignore their existence. We had, after all, only just accommodated ourselves to the Saxons in our midst, so why, as my father put it "borrow trouble when there was plenty of it to be had for free?"
Which raised the question of what Merlin was up to in wanting a mission - and why did he want me tagging along? For a man so full of himself, it was hard to believe he needed a mere woman along to hold his hand - and if he wanted to distract the Jute warriors with woman-flesh, he could have had his pick of comely wenches; why pick me? Call me suspicious - and many have - but it has kept me alive and intact when others have died. Trust is a rare quality when the world is in flux; I have given it but rarely. What seemed so permanent, like the sea-wall of Garrianonum, can vanish in the twinkling of an eye, and a civilization which seemed eternal, can prove anything but. A wise woman keeps her eyes open and her legs closed.
As soon as my feet touched dry land, I began to feel better. Merlin was already in conversation with a burly warrior with a long beard and, by the sound of it, a short temper. It was unwise to bandy words with a wizard, especially one with as quick a wit as Merlin, and as the man tried to draw his sword, he found it would not come however hard he pulled.
"Ah, at last, Carwen, glad your little legs have found their bearings. Now, man, I have no time to bandy words with you, and I shall be sure to tell the King you can't even draw your sword. I am certain the Queen will be interested in the fact you delayed two emissaries from the Britons."
The baffled warrior let us pass. I looked back and saw him struggling with the sword.
"Served him right," Merlin muttered, sounding rather happy. "You are probably wondering why you are here, Carwen?"
"It had occurred to me, but with you I tend to accept that you know what you are up to and will tell me what you think I need to know."
"You are a wise young woman, Carwen. Keep that up and you will go far. The Jutes have a hostage I have an interest in liberating. It would not do for them to know this is why I am here, so we shall talk about land. Queen Ethelreda may have an interest in the sisterhood of which you are a member, and it would, I am sure, oil the wheels if you were able to apply your skills to the task of getting on good terms with the Jutes."
"Ah, I see," I responded, "pimp me out?"
"Call it what you want, Carwen, but you will do what is necessary should it be required?"
"I bilecik escort (http://www.escortkizrehberi.com/ilan-kategori/bilecik-escort/) daresay," I sighed, knowing that whatever it was needed me. It was not hard to imagine what he had in mind, dirty old wizard! But a girl can be wrong, but not on this occasion.
We arrived at the Jute settlement and were shown to the Hall where King Sweyn and his sister, Queen Ethelreda were, we were assured, waiting to receive us.
My first thought on seeing them was that the Jutes produced fine specimens. Sweyn must have been six foot and he was broad-shouldered with a muscular torso, long hair and a fair beard; he looked the image of the warrior-king. His sister was, put simply, stunning. From the moment my eyes fixed on her I felt a sense of longing. Almost as tall as her brother, she was certainly a foot and more taller than me. Her long fair hair was worn in two thick plaits, and her blue eyes seemed to bore into me. Her dress accentuated her ample bosom, and slipped down to cover what seemed even from where I stood, to be full hips. "Want!" I thought.
"Storm Crow, greetings. What brings you here?"
"Greetings great king and queen. Let me introduce Carwen, who is the daughter of the chief of the Britons, and Sister Martha who is with her to represent the interests of the Sisterhood of which Carwen is also a member. I thought that while we men talk land, the women might talk of matters closer to their hearts."
Ethelreda, who would have had to have been both blind and stupid not to have noticed my interest in her, assented to a talk, but only with me. Merlin agreed, winking at me when he thought no one was looking, Sister Martha withdrew to talk with some of the Queen's women, and the Queen and I withdrew to her private chambers.
She looked at me when we were alone, and after having one of her servants give me something to drink, invited me to sit.
"So, you are here for Storm Crow's schemes? Are you one of his lovers?"
I could not help laughing as I sipped the mead and bit into an apple.
"I am small," I said, "but not stupid. We are women in a world run by men, and you must know, "I added, "that the less we let men know we know it, the more likely it is we can bend them to our will. I can see, oh Queen, that a woman of your beauty will have her ways of doing that, but not being built like you, I have to find other ways. Do I look like a woman Merlin would want?"
It was her turn to laugh.
"Some men like boys, and in truth, you could pass for one, so it did cross my mind. Men like cunt, and they are none too fussy at times about where they get it when the itch comes. But tell me, if you are not, in truth a boy, then why did you look at me that way?"
I smiled, not bothering to deny it.
"Because I desire you."
Ethelreda actually coloured.
"How can that be? I have heard rumours of your sisterhood, but can it really be that women can mate as men do?"
"Your majesty, why aim so low?"
"You puzzled me, Carwen. I thought you were here on Merlin's business and would want to talk about the hostage, and yet here you are talking unnatural desire to me."
"What," I asked he quizzically, "could be 'unnatural' about desiring you? There can't be a man who sees you who does not, so why should a woman who loves her own sex not want you too?"
"Do you, have you," she stammered, "have you actually lain with women?"
"I have, Highness," and would with you were it ever your desire. But as you have mentioned it, yes, there is the hostage, and if it is more fitting to discuss her, we can."
I could see she was intrigued at the idea, but from the way she picked up the comment about the hostage, I was glad to have given her a way out of her embarrassment.
"We can return to it, Carwen, but yes, the hostage. Would you interpret for us? We have sent messages to Venta Icenorum to her people, but it might help for us to be able to communicate with her properly. Will you undertake it as you understand our tongue?"
"It would be best if I saw her alone - if, that is, you will trust me?"
"Not much you can do to help her escape," Ethelreda jested, "so escort bilecik (http://www.escortkizrehberi.com/ilan-kategori/bilecik-escort/) I will give you time with her."
She got her maid to show me to a chamber off her own, and, unlocking it, she bade me enter.
"You have half an hour."
I smiled and went in.
There, in the corner on a pallet was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Clearly a pure-bred Roman patrician, her beauty was as that of the classical statues I later saw in Rome. Her skin was flawless, as was her complexion. She smiled nervously.
"Don't worry," I said, in our tongue, "I am from Garrianonum and am here to help. I am Carwen, you are?"
"Helen," she stammered, "oh God, thank God, can you help?"
"That's what I am here to see," I added, "but you will need to tell me what is going on. They say that your ship was intercepted travelling in the Northern Sea as you were heading for Londinium, but who would leave from the north for Londinium? Where were you going?"
"I can't tell you. How come they let you in here anyway, they hate us and want our lands."
"I am a deaconess and they respect my place."
That seemed to worry her. She remained silent.
"Look, I can't help you if you won't let me."
"You will only do to the books what they would have done, so what's the point? I don't want to be ransomed, I want to preserve a treasure greater than gold."
"Why do you say that?" I asked, intrigued.
"I know that the Church hates such things and would destroy them - and you are one of those who would do it."
Affronted by the idea I would harm any book, I told her so.
"But these are ancient books dealing with things you would not approve of."
"Tell me and let me be the judge of that. What is the harm? I can do nothing anyway."
"My father is Aurelius Crassus, one-time Procurator of Ionia, and I was rescuing some books which he brought with him from Athens - they deal with things you would not understand, few women do."
Now she had me intrigued, and from somewhere at the back of my memory, a spark lit itself as I knitted my brows.
"Athens, you say. Ionia, was that not where burning Sappho sang and loved?"
Her eyes widened with surprise, as well they might, as I had no idea what dark recess of my mind had stored away that reference.
"You, you know of her, of Sappho?"
"A little. As it happens, I would consider myself a Sapphist."
"Do you know what that means, deaconess?"
"It means," I said, fixing my eyes on hers, "that where most women lie with men, I prefer to lie with women. I saw your captor and desired her. Do you desire her?"
And with that, the barriers came down.
"Who would not, did you ever see such perfection?"
"As it happens, Helen, I did - I am looking at it now."
She looked back at me.
We talked. It transpired that her father had discovered a library on one of the islands, collected, she said by a nameless "Last of the Amazons". It had included ten books of Sappho's poetry plus several manuals of love-making.
"And where are these books now?"
"They are in one of the trunks the Jutes have, under my gowns."
A thought came to me.
"Those manuals, are you practiced in their arts?"
"Why", Helen smiled, "would you like me to show you?"
"No," I added, not quite truthfully, "but if you are I have an idea."
She confirmed she was, and I told her my idea.
"Would it work?"
"No idea", I replied, "but what have we to lose by trying it?"
Helen leaned over and we kissed.
Oh that kiss!
I melted into her arms, and the feel of her firm breasts against me, the scent of her body and the sensations shooting through me almost overwhelmed me. We just about prised each other apart as I heard the guards unlocking the door.
Once back with Ethelreda I unfolded some of our conversation to her, asking whether we could discuss it further after the feast they had prepared in honour of our meeting. She confirmed we could.
Back with Merlin, he was eager to know how I had fared, but I also wanted to know his news.
"They see no reason to negotiate, they have bilecik escort bayan (http://www.escortkizrehberi.com/ilan-kategori/bilecik-escort/) taken what they want and think they can take more."
"Well," I said, "perhaps Artos and his men can correct their thinking in time, but for now we have Princess Helen to think of."
I outlined my plan.
"If you can pull that off, my girl, it'll be quite a magic trick!"
"Watch me!" I smiled. "Or, to be literal, don't, female magic is destroyed by men." And so it was, and perhaps always will be.
The banquet was the usual feast of too much meat and far too much mead, but placed, as I was, with the Queen, I was not bothered by the drunken oafs who were molesting the maids serving us. We retired to Ethelreda's chamber for drink and a final conversation. This was my chance.
"Do you really need a ransom for Helen?" I asked.
"Why, what else is on offer?" She looked at me with curiosity.
"It depends on how much power you really have," I teased her, "could you let her go, or do the men make the decisions?"
She looked, as I had hoped, affronted.
"On such matters I can decide - it would depend on what was on offer."
"Two things for your people and something for yourself."
"You intrigue me."
I explained that as part of a deal for Helen's release we would sign away the land they had taken and promise not to try to regain it, and we would also sign a trade deal allowing them access to our grain. That, I said, should be enough for "the men."
"And for me?"
I asked her to send for Helen.
Even in her distressed state, Helen looked beautiful. The two women together looked like two of those goddesses the Romans worshipped. Helen was offered some mead and while the two women eyed each other, I outlined my idea.
"In short", I added at the end, "Helen and I can give you, oh Queen, something no man can. Will you let us?"
It helped that Ethelreda had drunk her fair share, and more, of mead as her inhibitions were lowered - as low as her gown as I helped it from her shoulders while Helen kissed her lips.
We gave her no time to reconsider, and with Helen's tongue exploring her mouth, and her hands on those gorgeous breasts, Ethelreda soon forgot about reconsidering.
Helen pushed her onto the couch as I removed her dress. We looked at each other across that magnificent body. Her breasts were firm, her nipples red with arousal. Helen sucked on one, I sucked the other. Then we kissed each other, before moving back to pleasure Ethelreda. As we sucked, nibbled and licked, the Queen writhed. By the time we were ready to take her to the next stage, she was groaning.
I looked at Helen, who looking back at me, said:
"You take her cunt first, I will deal with her breasts."
Not one to refuse the offer, I watched as Helen kneaded, sucked and fondled those magnificent breasts. Then, kissing my way down her smooth stomach until I reached her matt of fair hair, I let my fingers take their pleasure. At my first touch she groaned and whimpered. As I parted her lips, exposing her inner pinkness, glistening in the candlelight, she moaned louder. As my tongue made contract with her swollen lips she whimpered.
Helen, abandoning Ethelreda's breasts, joined me in attending to her gooey, sticky cunt. As I licked her stiff, unhooded clit, Helen's fingers curled into her, making her moan. Her hands gripped our heads. I lifted mine, as did Helen, and we kissed each other, her juices on our lips. I felt myself tingle, aching for what we were giving her.
Helen parted the Queen's thighs wide and set about finger-fucking her while I positioned myself across her stomach, my arse facing her, and lapped at her clit. Ethelreda could not hold back, and as she orgasmed, she squirted into Helen's face. I leaned over and licked Helen's face. Ethelreda squirmed as she came. It was too much for me.
Dismounting her, I positioned myself under Helen and serviced her wetness. She abandoned Ethelreda and threw me onto the matting. We licked each other, sucking and fingering until we, too, came. As we calmed down we saw the Queen looking at us.
"What was that?" She asked.
"Helen's freedom," I replied. Even in post-orgasmic bliss, I had not forgotten what I had come for.
"Can we share a bed?" The Queen ventured.
"I thought you'd never ask," Helen replied.
There was not much sleeping done that night. But Sappho's works were saved, so was Helen, and me - well I had fallen in love.