Luther's Pride Part 36

The others met Helena, Emily, and Luther as they entered the house. The large foyer opened to the parlor where they’d gathered after changing out of their training garb and into their daywear. Each sipped a cup of coffee from their seats in the parlor. The incredible landscapes and portraits hung above them, with the large windows with their open curtains facing the front lawn. 

Despite the windows, surprise covered Jo and Rhosyn’s faces when they spotted Emily walking between Helena and Luther. They rose to greet her in unison with Eira. Eira showed no surprise, but she smiled and offered Emily a polite nod instead of standing to greet her. With Eira and Rhosyn in plain blue dresses, it was difficult to tell them apart by sight, but Luther had a sense for which was which that he couldn’t explain. 

Jo, in the informal white robes of her office as a priestess, stepped forward first. “Well, hello! This is a pleasant surprise, I hope. Is everything okay?” She asked. 

“Miss Burville will be staying here for a while as our guest, unless there are any objections?” Luther asked, not expecting any. 

Rhosyn glanced at Eira. “No objections from me,” Eira said. 

“I have none,” Rhosyn answered. 

“I have questions, not objections,” Jo said. “As a guest? Not a wife?” She turned to look at Emily with curiosity on her face. “Are you not here to marry Luther?” 

Emily blushed, looking down at her hands, which wrung each other before her skirts. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.” She said. “It’s nothing personal against any of you, I assure you. I merely don’t wish to be rushed into the decision.” Emily explained. “I always told myself that when I married, it would be for love, not convenience, and I refuse to compromise that principle if I can at all help it.”

“Are you saying we married our husband for the convenience and not love?” Rhosyn asked. The annoyance in her tone smacked Luther, and he raised his hand to calm Rhosyn before she said something mean. He did not believe that Emily meant anything of the sort. 

“No, of course not.” Emily stammered, shaking her head. “I only meant that… well, I haven’t had a chance to feel what you feel for Luther yet. I barely know him, or any of you for that matter, beyond what I learned yesterday, which was only our first introduction.” 

“Admittedly, I doubt any of you would have married me so quickly had I not pressed the matter,” Luther said, cutting in to calm things. 

“I would have,” Helena said, patting him on the back. “But I always said I’d marry a man who could defeat me in a challenge, and you did so, so I was able to marry someone who fulfilled my standards without compromise. That’s all Miss Burville is asking for, as is her right.” 

Rhosyn seemed mollified at that, if thoughtful. “But you don’t object to the notion of one day marrying Luther?” 

“I can’t tell what the future holds,” Emily said. “But I look forward to the discovery.”  

Rhosyn turned to look at Eira, who didn’t seem to show any indication one way or the other. She merely smiled at Emily. “We look forward to getting to know you.” 

“And I look forward to getting to know you.” Emily returned. 

Jo glanced at Luther, then at Emily. “You realize that they’ll be trying to woo you now?” 

Emily chuckled. “They are welcome to try.” She said. “But at the moment, I’m asking for a place to stay as a guest, not as a member of your union. Is that okay?” 

Jo looked past Luther to Helena. “And you’re okay with this?” 

Helena nodded. “I trust Luther. If he hasn’t sullied our union with Criella, I don’t fear him betraying our trust with Emily.” 

“Sullied your union?” Emily asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“By pursuing Criella outside of marriage,” Helena said, correcting any misunderstanding. “I’d be only too glad to welcome Criella to our union, but from what I understand, she has been adamant in her refusal.” 

“Yes, she has.” Criella’s voice came from behind Helena as the Asmodean strode into the room. She’d appeared in the hall as if the doors and walls offered her no barrier, because they didn’t. The faint smell of jasmine wafted from her skin, of which she showed precious little. Her black hair and skin the color of dried blood contrasted sharply with the royal blue double-breasted tailcoat she wore, the pristine white trousers, and white gloves. 

“You look lovely today,” Helena said, smiling. 

Criella smiled, showing her fanged canines as she did so. Her tail swayed lazily behind her, and she courtseyed to Emily and the others. 

“I received a message to come as soon as I’d woken,” Criella explained. 

“My doing,” Eira said, raising her hand. She set her coffee aside on the table to greet Criella with both hands. “Rhosyn and I have some logistics to discuss with you while Luther and Helana go and make themselves presentable for guests.” She turned her eyes toward the stairs, then returned them to Luther. 

“Right.” Luther said, looking down to see that his armor and clothes were ‘clean’ in only the loosest sense of the word. “We’ll join you in the offices when we can,” Luther said, gesturing toward the stairs in the hall. 

“Where’s Wulfric?” Luther asked, looking around for the man. One of the servants nodded and left the room, going to fetch him.

“You can’t expect him to be in earshot every time you think to ask.” Criella said, then hastily added a “my lord” to keep up appearances of propriety for Emily’s sake. 

Emily didn’t acknowledge anything amiss. 

“Oh, and her brother married Branan,” Helena said, gesturing to Emily. “So, we’ll have at least one more to fight when Branan levels his challenge.” 

Emily’s smile faded, but she didn’t argue the point. Her brother sealed his fate as their enemy, and he’d made his enmity toward them clear over Luther’s dinner party and weddings. Emily, however, hadn’t shown Luther any disdain. On the contrary, she seemed curious and willing, but timid. It was unfair to expect her to throw her lot in with him when he and the others had given her no security and only promised risk with a shared reward. However, if she waited until after Branan leveled his challenge and they fought, it was unlikely the others would want to welcome her into the union for spite of her cowardice. 

Jo and Rhosyn seemed surprised, and again, Eira did not. Luther was unsure if it was because she had a habit of looking into the future when he wasn’t looking or because she made a general rule of keeping surprise from her face. Then no one would know when she used magic, or when she did not. If she had, his and Helena’s sparring match would have been a good time for her to use it without him noticing. He was very sensitive to the use of magic in their union, but the fight and using spells of his own were certainly enough to distract him. 

“It’s true,” Emily said. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s what brought me here today. I refused their union and found myself unwelcome.” 

Jo appeared slightly abashed, but made up for it by gesturing for Emily to join her on the sofa. The two sat and began talking as the others waited for Wulfric, who appeared shortly after. 

“Ah, Wulfric!” Luther roared. “Please, prepare one of the guest apartments for Miss Burville. She’ll be staying with us until further notice. Also, please return this to my father’s library, and perhaps arrange an audit. Let me know if any more of my father’s journals are missing.” 

“Of course, sir,” Wulfric said. “I’ve taken the liberty of sending some servants ahead to prepare separate baths for you and the Lady Helena.” 

“Separate?” Helena asked, barely hiding the disappointment in her voice. 

Wulfric gave a curt bow. “You needn’t use them; I was merely anticipating my lord’s desire for speediness. Lord Le Fey has some business to attend to, after all. There are messages from some of the local merchants and other business that he must oversee.” 

“Thank you, Wulfric,” Luther said. He turned to the others. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you for a little while. It’s time for me to wash off the dust from my morning training.” He chuckled. 

“How did that go, by the way?” Rhosyn asked. 

“Very well,” Luther said, nodding. “If you’d like to follow us, I can tell you all about it.”

Rhosyn smiled. “I’ve already taken my bath this morning, my lord.” She grinned. “And I have business to discuss with Eira and Criella. Perhaps you can tell me about it tonight.”  

“Let it be so,” Luther said, returning her grin. “I’ll see you all soon.” 

The others nodded, and Helena and Luther took their leave up the stairs. Criella watched them go until Eira took her hand and led her and Rhosyn through the hall to the wing of offices. 

Luther held Helena’s hand as they ascended the stairs, and she hesitated at the door to the master apartment in the manor. 

“Do we have to bathe separately?” Helena asked. 

“No,” Luther replied. “I’m in no particular hurry to dive into my duties.” He chuckled. “Come on.” He tugged her hand, and she followed behind him with a smile. Disrobing was the easy part, though it took longer given their armor and soreness from the match. Luther decided that their next training should take place on softer turf.  

They left a trail of their clothes as they made their way to the expansive bathroom. A pair of maids blushed and turned away as they picked up the dirty clothes and chattered to each other as soon as the bathroom door shut behind Luther and Helena. 

Patches of dirt and dust covered their exposed skin and hair. A sheen of sweat glistened in places where their armor had covered them. The tile was cool, but the air was steamy. Rinsing had to happen first, and Helena took too much delight in dumping a bucket of water on Luther’s head. 

He laughed as he wiped the water from his face and returned the favor, splashing her front and then her back as she tried to twist away. The water fell from them and ran across the floor to the drain. The pipes ferried hot water and steam into separate tubs, but they both climbed into the large bath, which was more like a pool. He marveled at his father’s decadence in building this place, and not for the first time. 

Luther’s muscles barked at him the moment they touched the water, reminding him that they didn’t appreciate being hit, punched, kicked, or slammed into stone. He let out an involuntary groan as he settled in and closed his eyes.

To live as a lord had always been a dream, but never a reality. Luther had spent years bathing in ponds and rivers, shivering from the cold water but thankful for the cleansing. He grew thoughtful as he sank into the water and spread his arms against the back tile. His side ached at the touch of the warm water, and it washed its heat into him, bringing a pleasant type of pain.  

“Penny for your thoughts, my lord?” Helena asked. 

Luther turned his gaze toward her to realize she’d been watching him while he rested. 

“You needn’t pay for them, my lady,” Luther answered, chuckling. “I was just thinking how strange it is that my father built this place with so much luxury in mind. A private bath large enough for all of us? Growing up, this was a house I’d read about in stories. I never thought I’d live in it.” 

“Maybe that’s why he built it. He wanted to give you the life you dreamed of when you were a boy.” Helena said. She smiled softly as she reclined on the other side of the pool, mirroring Luther’s pose with her arms spread. Her breasts peeked out of the water, and her smile grew when she saw they’d caught Luther’s attention.

Luther considered that. It matched his father’s generous spirit, and he appreciated that kindness from someone who only knew his father in passing. “Did you ever meet my father?” 

“Several times, yes,” Helena said. “My parents were trying to convince him to marry me for a while.” 

“And what did he say to that?” Luther asked. 

“That he had a handsome son who would be a better match.” Helena chuckled. “And he was right.” 

Luther smiled at that, then winced as one of his bruises yelped at him near his ribs. “If only his son were better at fighting.”

Helena swam over to him. “You did amazingly well for your first time with your arcana.” She said. “You gave me hope we might survive this.” 

Luther hesitated as she swam toward him, but he reached for her, and she took his hand in hers and kissed his knuckles. “Does that help?” She asked. 

Luther returned the gesture, kissing her knuckles. “It did, I think.” 

“Who needs magic when you have kisses, right?” Helena chuckled. 

“Well, your arcana is probably better at healing you than my kisses,” Luther said, not thinking about the implications, only that if she had magic that could transform her body, it made sense that she could use it to heal herself. 

Helena raised an eyebrow. “So would you rather I explore your naked body with my lips, or teach you a self-healing spell?”

Luther considered the question. His eyes lingered on her lips, then roamed lower. His excitement grew as her chest heaved with her breath. Then he realized he was being an idiot. “Oh!” He said, smacking his forehead with his hand. “Forgive me, yes, please, by all means teach me the spell.” 

Helena pressed her lips together in a thin, angry line, which broke the moment Luther started to laugh. Helena laughed with him, then surged forward and silenced their laughter with a kiss. She pressed her lips to his in a tense moment of passion that faded into relaxed pleasure. The warmth of the water surrounded them, their firm, stiff bodies softened at each other’s touch, with one notable exception. 

Helena gripped Luther firmly in her hand and stroked him. 

Luther’s eyelids fluttered, and he sucked in a deep breath. Helena’s grip tightened, and she twisted her hand as she stroked, sliding against the water. He reached for her, but she stopped his hand and shook her head. “Use your arcana.” She whispered. “Don’t cast a spell, just settle into my spirit, like you did before. It felt good, then, and like this? I’m sure it’ll be amazing.” 

Luther closed his eyes. Imagining the pool came effortlessly when he was already floating in one. Finding Helena’s stream, he swam to her and shifted to match her spirit. Helena’s grip on him slackened, but only because she let out a breathy, heated moan and kissed Luther. 

The physical contact redoubled the spiritual, and suddenly Luther could no longer tell which was his pleasure, or hers. The magic between them shuddered, and Luther found himself emptying into the water as Helena convulsed beside him. She released him, pulling herself into a tight, dense ball and shaking until Luther broke the contact with her spirit and floated into himself. 

The drip of water echoed through the room with their panting, and Luther and Helena faced one another without opening their eyes. 

“That was so sudden.” She panted. “It came out of nowhere.” 

Shame at how quickly he’d met his release bloomed on Luther’s face. “I guess I was more aroused than I thought.” He said. “I’m sorry.” 

“Huh?” Helena asked, looking confused. “No, I meant my release. It felt good before, when we were on the sparring ring, but when you used your arcana and we were already getting intimate? It finished me. That’s the most intense it’s ever been.” Helena said, her voice lazy and far away despite her cuddling against Luther in the pool. 

Luther agreed. “Oh.” No other words came to mind. “Is that going to be a problem in battle?” 

Helena chuckled. “I think in battle we have enough going on to distract us, but in intimate moments like this, when we’re both focusing on it, it’s something you should save for the final climax.” 

“Yeah,” Luther said. “Otherwise we’ll have to get out of the bath early.” 

Helena chuckled, cuddling into Luther’s side and holding him close. “Yeah.” 

Minutes passed, and they cuddled until the water turned tepid. Luther stirred first, and Helena followed. She washed his hair, running her fingers over his scalp and then dumping a bucket over his head with a laugh. Luther returned the favor, letting her sink low into the water as he washed her. 

When they were out, they scrubbed each other and ‘helped’ each other rinse. It only took twice for the rinsing to turn into a battle of splashing each other with water from the tubs. They’d scoop out what little they could in the buckets, then fling it across the room at one another, letting it land and run along the tile to the drain. They laughed and splashed until a knock at the bathroom door made them freeze in mid-battle like two school children caught by their teacher. 

“Lord Le Fey?” Wulfric’s grumpy old voice sounded annoyed from the other side of the door. 

Luther snorted. “Yes?” He asked in as innocent a tone as he could muster. 

“Is Lady Helena in there with you, Sir?” Wulfric asked. 

“Yes, Wulfric!” Helena called. 

“Very well,” Wulfric replied, his words stiff and professional. “Please hurry to your office, sir, at your earliest possible convenience. There is someone here to see you.” 

Luther looked to Helena, who was holding her laughter in with one hand over her mouth. 

“I’m on my way!” Luther called through the door. 

“Very good, sir,” Wulfric replied, and they heard him step away. As soon as he had, both Luther and Helena burst into laughter. 

They set their buckets down. “I’d best get to work, I suppose,” Luther said, chuckling. “Thank you, Helena. For this, and this morning.” 

“You’re welcome,” Helena said, smiling slightly. “I guess I’ll see you out there.” 

Luther nodded. He headed toward the door, then stopped. He returned to Helena and hooked his hand behind her head, pulling her into a kiss. She pressed herself against him, holding his naked body to hers as they kissed, until Luther pulled away. 

“I’ll finish work as soon as I can,” Luther assured her. 

“I’ll come fetch you if you take too long.” She assured him. 

Luther smiled and left the bath behind as he turned into his bed chamber to dress.