Sunset ^beta

Chapter Text

For a little while, very early on, there was a time during which Faris was just Faris, not Sarisa. While Lenna wasn't sure if there was any love between them then, there was certainly lust. When the men weren't looking, Lenna was more than happy to flutter her lashes at the handsome pirate captain, twirl a bit of hair in her fingers while they talked, linger a little too close, and do all the other little things to demonstrate that she was interested in her. And Faris, for her part, flirted with her, let her touch linger, softened her usually brusque speech for her, got close enough for her breath to tickle her skin and stir her blood.

When they finally figured out that they were related, they stopped. Mostly. Largely out of guilt and grief over their father. Sometimes, when the men are otherwise occupied, they really can't help themselves. Faris' voice might dip low enough for only her to hear as she commends her sword- or spell-work, and she gets extra close to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. Sometimes she breaks away too soon, sometimes she lingers and their shared desire is so apparent that Lenna wants to toss all propriety and kiss her sister in ways she certainly shouldn't. She even encourages it with lingering touches, long gazes, and extra efforts made to appeal to her handsome captain. Always she tells herself that it's not really incest unless they're actually having sex. The flirting is harmless.

When it gets to be too much, when the need for each other is too great, Faris buys herself time with a pretty girl the moment they settle into a town for the night. It doesn't escape Lenna that the prostitutes are roughly her size, or that they're fair-haired and doe-eyed. Faris evidently has a type, and it appears to be shorter girls with light hair and eyes. Though Lenna is sure she's reaching, she suspects that with enough alcohol they might even look like her.

For her part, her hand has always served her well.

Lenna excuses herself from the table they share at one of Istory's inns for supper once she notices Faris' eyes falling on one of the other women in the inn. It stings a bit, but she knows they can't really be together. Not in the way she wants. And really, Lenna can't possibly fault her sister for attending to her needs, or the women she hires for needing the money. If Lenna had any sexual experience at all, she might have considered following Faris' example.

So she turns in early. Sort of. Lenna might have lingered a little long in the steaming hot water of the bath. Her thoughts wander as she lies back in the tub to explore her body with hands she imagines to be someone else's. Strong hands, callused by years at sea. If she focuses, she can almost hear Faris' voice, low and reassuring. If only no one cared…

The water grows cold before she can really stoke the warmth of desire between her legs to that orgasm she loves so much. With a sigh, she lets it drain and dries herself off to curl up in bed. It's not a terribly comfortable bed, but it's better than a tent.

Lenna wakes with a start to the sound of glass breaking in the next room. Faris' voice swears; the girl with her attempts to reassure her that it was just an accident. Despite her better manners telling her to go back to sleep and ignore the noise, Lenna scoots closer to the wall their rooms share to hear more.

She's not close enough. Their voices return to low murmurs she can't quite make out. Lenna lays in bed, trapped by the struggle between her curiosity and her morality, until curiosity finally wins and pulls her out from under the covers. There's no harm in just listening, is there?

No, of course not. Lenna is just concerned about her big sister, that's all. The broken glass worries her; Faris usually isn't that clumsy. She'll simply sit nearby until the prostitute leaves.

These are the things that reassure her as she tries to lift the armchair closest to the wall to set it closer. It takes more strength than she has to actually lift it, but she manages to scoot it over little by little against the wall with the least amount of noise-making possible. She's sure no one noticed, nor should they notice the nearly imperceptible creak as she sits in the chair in wait for them to finish.

There's a creak of the bed as someone sits on it. Lenna still has to strain to listen, but at least she can make something out.

"Open up, darlin'." Faris' voice, husky with lust. It sends a frisson of desire down Lenna's back as she imagines her handsome captain speaking to her like that. "Let me see what I've bought for the night."

The prostitute giggles and there's a moment of silence in which Lenna assumes she complies. "Meets with your approval, my lord?"

"Never saw a puss I didn't like. But, listen. Only thing I'm lord of is the sea." There's that grumpy quality in Faris' voice she gets when confronted about her heritage, but Lenna is sure the prostitute has no idea what a sensitive subject it can be. "Lie back."

The bed creaks again, and there's a rustle of fabric that Lenna is pretty sure is the prostitute making herself comfortable. "Is there anything—?"

"'Captain' suffices if you must. Just enjoy yourself. I'll take care of everything."

Lenna's imagination certainly goes places, spurred on by her sister's words and the kinds of promises 'I'll take care of everything' holds. She closes her eyes to the moon-lit room and leans back into the chair. Her hands skim over her breasts and squeeze just so, her sister's voice fresh in her mind. Perhaps her sister and the prostitute have fallen silent, but it's enough to know that they're there, doing things she wishes her sister would do with her.

Maybe she'll feel bad about it in the morning. Right now, as her nipples harden to her own caresses, she couldn't care less. They're not even in the same room. A little fantasy is harmless.

"Ohhh, Captain," the prostitute croons, shattering her reverie. "You're so good with your mouth."

Admittedly, Lenna doesn't know much about sex between women; what education she did have was limited to dry old books and Jenica's awkward, stilted explanation of sex with men that made it sound absolutely horrifying. Those words, combined with their conversation earlier, gives her a pretty good idea what's going on. Lenna's slow-building arousal sparks to a jolt of need through her nerves as she pictures Faris kissing her between her legs.

Giving up on all pretense that she's unaffected by her sister's little venture right next door, Lenna lifts her hips to pull off her underwear and tosses them onto the bed. She really doesn't need to be getting a new pair out of her bag. And with them out of the way, she can spend as much time as she likes playing with herself.

Her nightgown bunches around her hips as she sets her feet on the edge of the seat cushions and spreads her knees just enough for her hand to slip between her thighs. Not enough to part the lips between them, not yet. She wants to enjoy this at an appropriate pace.

The initial touch might be a shy caress but for her familiarity with her own body. Her fingers slip through her curls as she slides them lightly over the lips, and she wonders what it would be like if her sister did it for her. Faris would be gentle with her, she decides. Lenna is technically a virgin, after all, and she would very much like not to be.

The prostitute starts moaning softly, causing that place between Lenna's legs to twitch in sympathy. She parts her legs further, letting her fingers delve between her lips to feel how hot and wet she really is. The sticky slickness spreads easily over her fingers as she slides them up and down the length of her slit. Her breath shallows, growing ragged as it quickens, and her clit grows harder with the steady motion of her fingers against its hood. Her pleasure builds and builds, she grows wetter and wetter, and she's so, so close, and, and, and—

The prostitute muffles her cry against a pillow; Lenna's free hand darts up to stifle hers in her palm as the steady build finally breaks and crashes through her. Her thighs tremble as her orgasm overtakes her, her pussy grasps for her fingers even as she refrains from sticking them in it, and it takes several long moments for the wash of pleasure to dissipate before she can even get her bearings.

The bed next door creaks again as it takes another's weight. "Good job, darlin'. You taste divine."

Lenna's eyes flutter open as she winds down, though it takes a few more moments for her to pull her hand out from between her legs. She likes the warmth too much. But, she'll need to wash up and go to sleep; sooner rather than later. The morning is sure to test her willpower and she'll need her rest for that.

Faris isn't all sure why her rented ladies leave her less satisfied than usual, and she tries to avoid figuring it out as much as possible. Going down that path is just asking for trouble. Oh, she still gets off, of course, but it's never quite as good as it used to be. And normally she'd pay the lady for the night and enjoy the pleasures of having a sweet young thing sleeping in her arms, but there were things she heard from the next room as she entertained herself with the girl and they still nag at her, hours after she'd sent the lady home.

It does not help that Butz pointed out as she was turning in that her lady of the evening looks like Lenna. She absolutely did not.

Not really.

Well, maybe if she was drunk enough she might see some superficial likenesses. She'd been hitting the bottle a lot more than usual lately. How can she not, when she's still not fully processing the deaths of Syldra and her father and can't even have what she wants most?

Not that she wants Lenna like that. She absolutely does not spend her free time surreptitiously glancing at her own damned sister's lips and wondering what they taste like. And the thought of that makes her wonder how Lenna tastes elsewhere and she smothers the flight of fancy in its crib before it grows even further.

So she sticks her face between the legs of whores instead and decidedly does not imagine Lenna in their place.

Faris wakes to the sound of knocking. Must've dozed off at some point. Still, it's early morning and they're supposed to be on the road soon enough. She slips on her tunic and nothing else, because no one else in the party knocks quite like her little sister, and answers the door. Frankly, Faris probably looks like a terror already; her hair's a mess, she's got nothing but her tunic on, and she hasn't even washed up yet.

Her little sister stares up at her. Then down, and the slight blush Lenna turned up with deepens. Her hair's so perfect that not a strand is out of place. It had to have been done within the past minute or so.

It's the blush and the impeccable, just-done appearance that makes Faris wonder if it was Lenna making noises next door while she entertained with her lady of the evening.

Oh, she definitely shouldn't be doing this at all. But really, she's a pirate, she did a lot worse than a bit of teasing over her career. With an assured half-smile, she folds her arms under her breasts in a way that lifts them up a little and leans just so against the doorjamb. Lenna's eyes widen and she stares right at her girls and she almost, almost wants to laugh when her sister's small, pink tongue darts out across her lips in what's almost certainly desire.

Well. Maybe Faris should reconsider her moral quandaries, after all. Not that morality ever really matters to pirates. "Can I help you, sweetness?" she asks with a flash of teeth.

It takes less than a moment for her sister to blink away her desire. Lenna visibly tries to steel herself to act normal, but the attempt falters. "We'll be leaving in about thirty minutes. Don't be late."

Then her sister stalks away, leaving her to wonder how long they can last like this.

Chapter Text

Faris doesn't know the first thing about being a sister. Neither does Lenna, for that matter. If they're muddled over the mix of lust, sisterly love, and what might very well be romantic love, it's not their fault. They're trying, and this damned save-the-world quest makes it difficult to work on whatever they have in the evenings while focusing on the quest in the daytime.

The result is that more often than not, Lenna tucks into Faris' side during slow moments, or their fingers lace together as Butz and Galuf lead the way through some caverns or ruins. Butz never asks, he just listens when Faris bounces thoughts off him and doesn't judge her at all. He agrees that it's a complicated mess and leaves it at that. Galuf quirks an eyebrow at their closeness, but if he suspects anything at all, he says nothing.

When Galuf dies, Butz tells Krile that they're still grieving their father. Krile doesn't ask after that, bless her. Faris doesn't put a lot of faith in the myth of innocence—she stabbed a man in self-defense when she was ten and almost certainly killed a few men in battle, she'd been around grown men waving their cocks about for as long as she remembers, she lost her virginity to a lovely older girl at fourteen—but she tries to keep her less socially acceptable feelings for Lenna hidden from Krile. Most times, it's not so hard—their cuddling at the campfire can usually be excused as bonding, or taking comfort in each other.

Sometimes when they're cuddling during that overlap in their watch periods and the other two sleep, Faris wants more than anything to lean in and nuzzle the sweet princess' neck and breathe in her perfume as she kisses her pale flesh. It's like Lenna knows exactly what she's thinking then, because she'll lean back against Faris, clear away the stray hairs from her neck, and practically offers herself to a pirate's whims.

Fucking hell. Faris' willpower erodes more and more, and sooner or later she won't be able to stop herself from ravishing her own sister.

Given the way Lenna looks at her sometimes, the feeling is mutual.

It becomes a waiting game. If they're going to embark on indulging in as egregious a social taboo as a little light, consensual incest, Lenna has to be the one to initiate things. She's the younger, less experienced partner in this situation, and Faris won't pressure her into anything she's not comfortable with.

So, until Lenna cobbles together the gumption to push things in the right direction, Faris manages to take a little of the edge off by employing her ladies of negotiable virtue whenever they can make it into a town for the night.

Butz still teases her about them looking a bit like Lenna. She'll still punch him in the shoulder, but he's not necessarily wrong. Thank the stars Krile turns in early; she doesn't need to be seeing Faris head to bed with a different woman in each town. As for Lenna, well, that's become another game of theirs.

Lenna always takes the room next to hers when they book their rooms for the night. Once Faris figured out why, she was delighted. The thought of Lenna playing with herself while listening to her entertain with a young lady is more than a little enticing. If she thinks too much on the kind of picture her sister might make, she'll only get herself worked up.

She makes her offer to help move the armchairs in that time between dumping their equipment in their rooms and heading down for supper. At first Lenna's blush was dark, went to the tips of her ears, and she'd stammer through a paltry excuse. It was adorable and Faris had been tempted to kiss her. Now Lenna's at the point where she doesn't blush nearly so much; she knows that Faris knows about her playing with herself. Whatever Lenna feels about it, she's keeping it close to the chest.

For her part, well, she usually ends up shoving the bed frame to the shared wall. Or, if the bed's too heavy for her alone, the couch will do. After all, she must keep her sweet sister entertained.

They're in Moore to prepare for their final strike on ExDeath's castle, for good or ill. Butz takes Krile shopping with him to give Faris and Lenna space to engage in their game for what might be the last time.

"Need any help setting up, sweetness?" she asks as they wend their way to their rooms. It's early yet, but Faris needs to find herself an appropriate girl and Lenna likes her hot baths. She certainly spends a lot of time in them. Don't think about Lenna in the bath.

Her little sister pauses at her door, looking almost coquettish as she does that distracting thing where she twirls a tendril of fly-away hair in her fingers. "Oh, I could think of a lot of things you can help me with."

Faris can't help but grin; Lenna's flirting is a treat, not the least because she certainly hadn't started the quest this way. Lenna does it for her. Taking the opening, Faris leans close, her fingers skimming across her princess' stomach before reaching past her to open the door. Her lips are barely a finger's breadth away from Lenna's. "Say the word, my love, and I'm all yours."

"Why, I could almost be convinced that you mean it." Lenna smiles to take the sting out of her words, her fingers reaching up to caress Faris' cheek. "I wish…"

Well aware of how it looks to stand in a hallway like this, Faris drops her voice low and soft, so only Lenna can hear. Her hand covers Lenna's at her cheek, keeping it there. While she's not sure how she looks, emotional intimacy not being something she usually engages in, she's certain she wants this. "What makes you think I don't mean it?"

Lenna's smile turns brittle as her eyes search Faris'. After what feels like an eternity, she pulls her hand gently away. "You know why we can't be together."

Right, that little problem of blood relations. Faris grimaces, but she won't press the issue. Not yet. Seems damned absurd at this point, given this game they've been playing. Far as she's concerned, it's been foreplay the moment Lenna started listening in on her.

But Faris excels in foreplay. She can afford to be patient. Ignoring the urge to close the distance between them and finally kiss the pretty princess, she steps past her to move the armchair for her and decidedly does not picture Lenna in her all together in it, fingers in her puss, just waiting for a more experienced hand to take over and—

Ugh, time to find a substitute. If Faris is honest with herself, which she usually isn't, she's been seeking out substitutes ever since Lenna first stepped onto her ship.

When the set-up for this game is done, at least for Lenna's room, Faris pauses before the princess. Her sister. If that isn't fate smacking her soundly for her past misdeeds, Faris doesn't know what is. She takes her sister's hand in hers, gazes deep into her eyes, and kisses the knuckles. "Once this is all over with, we need to talk."

There's a slight hint of a blush to Lenna's cheeks, but she doesn't comment on it. The answering nod is enough for her. She flashes her little princess a grin and a saucy wink, neither of which she's really feeling, and heads out to find the night's substitute.

Problem with small towns is that pickings are slim, and Moore is about as small and out of the way as Regole. Galuf's world is depressingly underpopulated, and she suspects ExDeath was the cause of that.

Still, where there are people, there are businesses of ill repute. Faris doesn't have faith in a lot, but she does find the criminal underworld reliable. Crime and criminals will always exist.

The young lady rustled up for her is plain, with mousey brown hair and perhaps a bit of an overbite. Doesn't matter; save for the fact that Faris' type is apparently her own sister, she's not overly picky. The older woman offering the lady's services assures her that the lady is willing to do the kind of things she needs her for and is inexperienced enough still to appreciate a bit of romancing.

A little talking with the shy young lady and Faris finds that 'inexperienced' evidently means 'virgin'. She always feels a little guilty about being the one to deflower a virgin, but she'd rather be a girl's first before someone worse comes along. The circumstances that usually lead virgins to prostitution don't go away overnight. At least she's gentle with them.

"Any ground rules, darlin'?" she asks the girl as they pause in the shadow of a tree on the way to the inn. "No kissing, or…?"

The girl doesn't quite look at her as she tugs at her shoulder-length hair. "Um, I dunno. Just…don't hit me, I guess."

Faris does try not to look thunderous at the implications in the girl's words, and the way the girl flinches just confirms her suspicions. She has heard similar implications before, and usually it takes a lot of wine and time to get the girls to open up about who hurt them. She can't afford the distraction of knocking heads, not with a strike planned for Castle ExDeath the next day.

She tries for reassurance, instead. Not something she was any good at until this damned quest gave her plenty of opportunities for practice. "Don't worry. You'll be treated like a princess. Ever been with a woman?"

The girl shakes her head, but she seems to relax a little at the question. "Are you…?"

"Trust me," Faris says, pitching her voice low and with that timbre some women respond particularly well to. "When I'm done with you, it won't matter. Just let me take care of you."

The girl's eyes widen and she shivers with delight. It's the opening Faris needs to slip her arm around the girl's shoulders and lead her to the back entrance of the inn, away from prying eyes. Best not embarrass her.

Before entering, she stops to pull the girl out of sight to set her own ground rules. This is a business transaction, after all, and she finds things run more smoothly when that's kept firmly in mind. "Just a few things, given you're new an' all. I don't go out of my way to hurt women, but seeing as you're virgin, some things I do mightn't be comfortable. Tell me and I'll go slower. Or stop. Not everyone likes my repertoire, and I won't take it personally. All I'm payin' for is your time and pleasure, not the right to hurt you. Got it?"

The girl nods. She's a little nervous, but not as much as she had been. Faris will take it. "Second, I do ask for confidentiality. All your clients will. Name's Captain Senris, though if you're feelin' particularly naughty, you're welcome to call me your sister."

The quizzical look on the girl's face is just shy of judgmental, and Faris regrets not leading with an explanation of fantasy and how it has no bearing on reality. "Is…is that what you want?" she asks at last, a note of guarded disbelief in her voice.

"If it doesn't make you too uncomfortable." Faris leans close to tuck a few stray hairs behind the girl's ear, skimming across her skin enough to make her shiver. Her eyes fix on the girl's nosebridge so that she thinks she's being honest with her. The lies roll right off her tongue with the ease of fifteen years of practice, helped along by the soft, reassuring quality in her voice. "Fantasy's harmless, darlin'. I've got no sister of my own and wouldn't think of touching her if I did. But a little playing with the taboo isn't so bad, innit?"

Her cajoling works. The girl nods, relieved. "I suppose you're right."

"You know I am." Faris grins winningly, and the girl smiles back. "Now, think you can manage an upper-class accent? I'll be treating you like a princess, after all."

The girl tries, using some dialogue to a play. It sounds a bit more Balish than Faris hoped for, but it's enough to aid the fantasy a little.

Were Faris a better person, she might feel terrible for using a girl a year younger than her to get off on fantasies about her own sister. She's a bloody damned pirate, always has been, and her mental tally of her crimes is a mile long and it started before she had any notion that what she was taught was wrong. She will either die by the sword, or by ExDeath and his minions, or someone will finally gather enough wits to catch and execute her and call it justice. Either way, she intends to enjoy herself before facing the hellfire at the end of her journey.

Way she figures it, the only thing she ever did right was love. Love for her crew, for Syldra, for her friends, and especially for her sister. And she knows Lenna loves her back, in all the same ways. Try as she might, she can't fathom what's wrong with that love when it hurts no one.

Not that it matters, not tonight. They might very well be facing their dooms the next day, so Faris figures she ought to make the night enjoyable for both her and Lenna.

When they finally make it to her room for the night, Faris bangs her fist on the wall it shares with Lenna's under the guise of scaring off any rats. There's a scratch in answer, barely audible to her and imperceptible to her girl of the night, and she grins.

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, princess," she says, more as a command than a request, as she steers the girl towards the couch she'd moved to the wall. "I'll attend to the light."

The girl murmurs her acquiescence as she sits on the couch and arranges her skirts. Faris barely needs to say the words to the Fire spell anymore; her own element seems to come easier to her every time she uses it. The wick of the room's oil lamp ignites, the flame burns blue as she coaxes it to burn off the excess wick, and finally it recedes to a soft red glow that's just enough for her to fall for her own fantasy.

The couch is comfortable enough, she supposes. The girl's warmth draws Faris to her, and she settles easily into her embrace. Her body is, perhaps, a little plumper than Lenna's is, her lips more full, and it's just jarring enough that Faris can't quite lose herself in the transaction like she wanted.

This is a performance, Faris reminds herself. It's not about her. She throws herself into pleasuring the girl, instead. For her part, the girl is delightfully responsive and makes Faris' job easier. A nibble just so at one point just below the ear makes the girl squirm; the lick and the following breath makes her gasp. Repeating the sequence on the other side of her neck makes the girl nearly melt into the couch.

As her attentions drift lower down the girl's body, the girl helps her unlace her bodice and the blouse beneath it and toss both to the other end of the couch. The breasts are larger than Lenna's, and the areolas and nipples dark in the meager lamplight. Faris gently presses the girl down to lie in the couch cushions.

"You've a lovely set," Faris says, low and sincere, her voice just loud enough for Lenna to hear. It's not the girl she's speaking to, not anymore. "Been wantin' to get my hands on 'em first time I saw you."

The girl turns out to have been a surprisingly quick study and figures out exactly what she intends. It's a skill that'll serve her well. "Why, Captain, you're welcome to play with them now, if you like."

The breasts are heavy, soft, and delightful to fondle and squeeze. The nipples tighten under her palms as she rolls the breasts in her hands. When the nipples harden just enough, Faris licks at one and teases the other with skilled fingers. The girl's breath comes quicker as she switches to the other breast.

And, suddenly, Faris doesn't feel so hungry for the taste of her snatch anymore. The girl doesn't smell quite right, or feel right. It's all off no matter what she does. At least she has an extensive menu of alternate ways to get a lady off, and she's not cruel enough to send her away without satisfaction.

Faris says all the right things to keep the girl comfortable as she pulls up her skirts. Tells her how lovely she is, tells her exactly what she's doing or planning on doing, and all the while her mind is on another virgin entirely. But Lenna wouldn't just lie back like this. She would want to be an active partner.

Still, for all that Faris would rather have her own sister instead of the girl, she's never completely unaffected by the allure of a warm, wet snatch yearning for her touch. A deep, dark part of her thrives on power and gets its kicks out of the way she can so easily manipulate someone's body like this. At least in that respect, she's mostly harmless—she could probably do a lot worse than want to bring someone pleasure, she just has no desire to.

Besides, the moans and whimpers are nicer and more rewarding. The girl tries to contain herself as Faris covers her mound with her fingers, but her self-control frays as she caresses along her lips in a steady rhythm. The caresses become a light rubbing that deepens slowly the more ragged the girl's breathing becomes, until the girl's hips start undulating as if begging for more.

Being the obliging sort, Faris parts the girl's plush lips and slips her fingers into a hot, enticing wetness that normally urges her to indulge in eating a lady out. Too bad the dessert she really wants is in the other room.

"Like my fingers in your puss, princess?" she asks, voice low and dark.

The girl's breath hitches as her first and ring fingers slip easily on either side of her inner lips, thumb and little finger on her outer lips, and middle finger between the inner lips and arced to avoid direct contact with her pink pearl. She rubs once, twice along the slit, and lowers her middle finger to graze the hard, sensitive exposed clit on the downwards motion. Then the girl gasps, bringing a grin to Faris' lips as she repeats her motions.

The low-burning embers of her own arousal she ignores, which she usually does when she has a virgin at her mercy. Getting a virgin off is its own reward.

"More please, sis," the girl begs, in just the right accent to throw her. It has the peculiar effect of throwing grease on her embers and turning them into a flare of want.

Well, that confirms it, she really is getting her jollies from a fetish she didn't even know she had. She'd consider blaming Lenna for it, but this is really all on her. Faris always did like the challenge of snatching the forbidden, and there's no more forbidden a treasure than her own sister.

Faris waits until the girl drips into her skirts before slipping the middle finger deep into her. As heady with arousal as the girl is, there's no resistance. The ring finger joins it and the girl's wet heat tightens around her as if in welcome. With two fingers in the girl and the heel of her palm on the hood of her clit, Faris settles into a nice, steady rhythm that soon has the girl's hips meeting her at each inward thrust. The girl gives up on self-control and her breath comes in short, shallow, desperate moans.

With more than a bit of the pirate's avarice, Faris drives the girl towards her orgasm. Soon as she feels it coming, she presses her fingers deep inside the girl, slips her other hand in to take the clit's hood between thumb and first finger, and rubs it along the hidden length of the clit just gently enough to avoid hurting her and just firmly enough for her to come.

And the shy, lovely girl comes hard, her inner walls pulsing against her fingers. Faris waits it out, letting the girl ride her hands until the tremors ease and she can pull her fingers away. For a moment there, Faris always falls a little bit in love with her ladies. It's gone soon enough that she's able to avoid dwelling on it.

Once she wipes her fingers on a handkerchief, Faris eases the girl up enough to sit where she'd laid her head and cuddle her as she settles into her afterglow. "You did great," she says, honestly. There's nothing she loves to do more than getting a lady off.

"But I didn't do anything for you." The girl finally manages to speak moments afterwards. She sounds worried. "Do you—"

"No need, darlin'. You did everything I wanted you to do."

The girl regards for her one long moment, then seems to shrug off whatever questions she has to snuggle up against her and recover.

Faris doesn't send her home until half an hour later. She sends her off with a bit extra in her payment for being so obliging to her peculiar requests and sits back on the couch to consider how completely tangled and messy her life has become.

As delightful as the night's diversion was, Lenna got the feeling that Faris' heart wasn't really in it. She's been getting that feeling a lot lately, but it's not like they can—

Oh, for goodness sake, this is ridiculous. They love each other. Maybe not just in the way they should, but it's not like they'd be hurting anyone else. They just need to keep it quiet. Faris is good at secrets, she would know how to keep a secret as big as this.

When she turns up at her sister's door, it's with her pack and the intent to stay for a while. Faris lets her in, but she always does. Her hair's a mess and she's in nothing but her tunic again, and Lenna wants nothing more than to—

This is ridiculous. In Faris' words, fuck it all.

Lenna closes the door behind her, grabs her sister's tunic, and shoves her up against the wall. She has to pull Faris' head down to do this (how is she that tall? they have the same parents!), but she manages to press a kiss to her lips.

It takes a moment for the initial shock to pass. Faris' arms circle around her shoulders the moment it does, holding her close. Her lips part for her and Lenna doesn't know what to do now but echo the motion, but Faris makes up for her lack of experience. Her sister's tongue dips inside her to touch hers and, gods, it shouldn't feel as good as it does. Lenna presses back, learning quickly from her sister's example, and the deepening kiss makes her weak in the knees the further it goes along.

A knock breaks them apart. Krile's voice follows with encouragement to hurry up already because there's breakfast and she'll just eat their share if they're not quick enough. The utter normalcy of her tone might almost make Lenna feel guilty.

She focuses her attention on her sister, instead, who watches her with nothing but adoration. Lenna reaches up to caress her sister's cheek and gaze back. Oh, she's so much in love that nothing about this feels wrong. How can it?

"When it's safe again, we'll do more than talk," she promises Faris. What guilt Lenna does have regarding their relationship has everything to do with stringing her along for so long, and she fully intends to make up for it.

Castle ExDeath awaits. But for now, she could do with another kiss.

Chapter Text

Everything happened too damned fast.

Part the first: turns out that Castle ExDeath was built of twisting human and animal bodies still writhing in mindless agony. It was horrific. It also explained exactly why Galuf's world felt so desolate and barren of life. Faris figures she could drink the entirety of Crescent Island's rum stock and spend a few nights in an opium den and it wouldn't be enough to drown out the memory of slogging through that particular glimpse of hell. And normally Faris has an iron stomach in regards to gore, being a pirate and used to battles gone awry, but the gruesome mockery of a castle was enough to make her green around the gills.

She'll need to fill up her personal flask the moment she can. Strongest spirits she can find. It went far too quickly in the castle when she ended up sharing it with everyone.

Part the second: they've still nary a clue of what the bloody hell ExDeath was going on about. Returning the world to its original state, whatever that means. All she knows is that there are no Crystals anymore. Lenna has her theories on what will happen with the Crystals gone, but they've no idea how long it will take for the world to wither away.

Part the third: turning up back home and dealing with this family business far before she's ready. She had been entirely prepared to spend the rest of her existence in Galuf's world, and suddenly Castle Tycoon just shows up because why the hell not, it's not like anything else has made any damned sense in this idiot quest.

Faris needs a fuckin' drink and she's not gonna fuckin' get it because Castle Tycoon's staff works at a whirlwind pace and she has to stand still while one of Lenna's old ballgowns gets altered to fit her. She'd protested, shoved, and cursed, and none of it deters the staff. The only reason she hasn't resorted to real violence is because Lenna has the grace to look apologetic when she checks up on her and squeezes her fingers reassuringly.

By the time she's steered onto her father's throne, she quietly seethes and wishes damnation on everyone responsible for her ending up in a bloody dress that doesn't suit her at all. Except maybe Lenna.

They haven't even had time to talk alone since coming here. Either the ministers cluck nearby, or Jenica hovers over her with flying hands trying to fix this or that, or there's a servant or guard in hearing range. All Faris knows for sure is that Lenna left a letter explaining Faris' storied past and she blames it for everything that's happened since they came back.

Not that she blames Lenna. Her little sister was just trying to be considerate and operated under the assumption that they'd never be able to return. She knows that. Doesn't stop her from being grumpy.

Fuel to the fire is, of course, that she's in the very position she'd been trying to avoid since she was a child. People stare at her and it's not like the way they stare when she struts about her ship—at least then, she's the one in control of their perceptions. Some stare like she's an exotic animal from some far-flung territory. Others have that debasing look she's seen men direct towards women they want to fuck, except now it's aimed at her and it takes every bit of willpower she has to stay on her father's throne and avoid beating them to pulps.

Somewhere in the middle of yet another boring minuet or waltz or whatever, her gaze catches on Krile and Butz sneaking out. Her anger, reduced to embers from the sheer dullness of the celebration, flares back to life and she wants nothing more than to shove her way past the dancers to join them. She doesn't even know where her real clothes and travel pack went off to and that's the only thing that stops her.

Correction: not knowing where her things are isn't the only thing that stops her. Yet, as much as she loves Lenna, she knows she can't stay here for long without suffocating.

So she waits for this damned thing to end. And waits. And avoids the concern in her sister's eyes all the while.

Lenna supposes she should be grateful that her sister waited until the celebration wound down to storm off. She aches with worry, instead. Faris is wily enough to redirect the heat of her emotions one way or the other, and experienced enough with governing hundreds of criminals to avoid letting anything show on her face that she doesn't want showing. For all of that, she wasn't able to keep Lenna from seeing how much she hated being on display.

Her fingers squeeze together in her lap as she mentally runs through how much she'll have to change to make the castle more comfortable for her sister. She'll have strong words with the ministers to stop presuming upon Faris' goodwill, inform Jenica that her sister is too independent and self-sufficient to appreciate her hovering, talk with the chamberlain about perhaps altering some of her father's clothes for Faris until they can set up a time for proper tailoring, and discuss alternatives to waiting underfoot with the head steward.

More ideas will come to her in time, once she can sit with a quill and some paper and get her thoughts in order. She wants so much for Faris to stay here, with her, that she's willing to do everything she can to make the prospect of staying appealing.

When the time is right for Lenna to excuse herself for the night, she does. She's not as parsimonious with her compliments to the stewards and ministers who arranged this travesty as she wants to be, but it's not their fault that she hadn't adequately prepared them to consider Faris as the person she is, rather than the pampered princess they expected.

Though, honestly, she's still not sure how they managed to get that idea out of "Sarisa spent the past 15 years as a sailor". Had she known they would come back, she might have spent more time on the letter.

It's late by the time she comes to the guards stationed in front of the antechamber leading to the royal chambers. She has known the guards all her life and knows that they are loyal to her family, but she wonders how loyal they would remain if they knew how inappropriate her love for her sister is. Would they cover for her, or betray her should another claimant to the throne come forth? She doesn't want to think about it.

But Lenna is, above all things, gracious as she stops before them. "Did my sister come this way?"

"The princess retired to your chambers," the senior of the two says in that dispassionate tone the guards affect while on duty. His posture is stiff, but it always is when she addresses them.

"She's not used to such festivities," Lenna begins as explanation. "Given that my father's chambers have yet to be adequately prepared for me, I'll be spending the night with her and taking the couch."

Lenna waits expectantly for something to betray their feelings on the matter. Their faces remain blank, so she continues. "We've gotten to be very close and will likely be talking long into the night again. Please do not disturb us. If you hear us having a pillow fight, do not disturb us. Do not allow the servants to enter until morning. We will come out for breakfast when we're ready and will take no visitors or intruders before then. Is that understood?"

"As you wish, Your Majesty. Good night."

It's the honorific that betrays the senior guard. She's not yet Queen, but he addressed her as such. It gives her a little bit of hope, but she'll still have to be careful. Fortunately, she's able to lock her door from the inside and does so, just in case.

Her chambers might be smaller than her father's, but they're no less luxurious. Decorated glass oil lamps light her way. Faris stands at one of the windows in clothes that are neither of theirs, scowling at the moons with arms crossed. The clothes are old-fashioned, the cut of the shirt meant for a man with broader shoulders and the cut of the breeches meant for broader thighs, but they suit Faris better than Lenna's old ballgown did. The pale, faded blues make her wonder if Faris ended up pillaging their father's closet, but it's not an outfit Lenna remembers their father wearing. Her hair hangs limp and heavy with water that hasn't dried out yet. Everything about the closed-off posture is forbidding.

Faris needs time. Which is just as well, because Lenna needs her bath. She says as much, but if her sister heard her at all, she doesn't respond.

As she rummages through her chest of drawers for an appropriate nightgown and matching robe, her eyes catch on the tail of her ballgown stuck between the doors of her wardrobe. Well, at least Faris hadn't thrown it out a window.

Lenna doesn't spend nearly as much time in her bath as she likes. Partly because she'd already had a nice soak earlier to get the stench of ExDeath's awful castle off of her, partly because she doesn't want to leave her sister alone for long. She had so hoped to be able to prod their relationship forward once they were safe, but it doesn't seem appropriate to do so when Faris is this upset.

When at last Lenna leaves her bathroom, it's with her hair dried out and robe hiding her nightgown from view. Faris has all but one of the oil lamps extinguished, and the soft glow of the fireplace doesn't quite make up for the lack.

"I'd forgotten how cold it gets in this room at night," Faris grouses from the couch in front of the fireplace.

Hopeful that maybe some of Faris' rage burned off, Lenna walks up to join her. The way Faris leans back and leaves her an opening is promising, and Lenna takes her up on the offer. She sits at her side, rests her head on her sister's collarbone, slips her arm around Faris' midriff, and snuggles in. The store of tension in her sister seems to dissipate with each breath as Faris' arm settles around her shoulders and her free hand laces fingers with hers.

It takes some time still before Lenna is comfortable with breaking the silence, but she presses on regardless. "You saw Butz and Krile leaving, didn't you?"

"Aye." Faris lets the word rest for the moment. She's still upset, but not as much as she had been. "Fuckin' hell, Butz knows I hate being left behind."

"I hate being left behind, too." Lenna sighs as she basks in her sister's warmth. Normally she'd be more upset, but she doesn't mind it half so much when she has her sister with her. But she also knows Faris and knows that her sister will want to join them. As if it could possibly keep Faris here with her, she breaks the hand-hold to squeeze around her sister's midriff. "Don't just go like that without a warning."

Faris' posture shifts a little to better cuddle her. "You'll have ample warning from me, love, never you doubt. I'm goin' after 'em in the morning. They'll not go far with Krile limpin' the way she is."

"She's not seriously injured, is she?" Lenna does worry about the girl and how similar they are in their desires to avoid being burdens to those around them, but surely an injury would have been more noticeable on the hike to the castle.

"Mm. Might be muscle strain or somethin'." Faris doesn't sound too worried, so Lenna lets her tone put her at ease. "Butz will make her rest if needs be."

Several long moments pass in silence as they sit together in front of the fireplace. Faris' breath finally matches hers as the last of the anger fades away. Lenna always thinks it's a marvel how easily their rhythms can match up so well.

"This isn't how I wanted our first night alone to go," Lenna says at last, when she's sure her sister is relaxed enough for her to bring up a long unaddressed topic. Faris' breath stills, disrupting their harmony.

Before her worries that she overstepped get to be too much, Faris responds with a note of amusement in her voice. "How did you want it to end?"

Rather than answer immediately, Lenna focuses on the long, lean body in her arms. Her fingers trace along the top of her breeches, pausing at the belt buckle just below Faris' navel. The tightening of Faris' stomach under her fingers is encouraging, but she won't press the issue. "I know I shouldn't presume, not after that celebration, but I was hoping we could pick up where we left off."

"And where's that?" The note of amusement fades, and taking its place is what Lenna can only guess to be cautious anticipation.

There's no going back from this. They both know it. Yet Lenna has never been so close to someone like this before. She has never wanted someone so much. She has never loved someone this way. Miraculously enough, Faris seems to feel the same.

With no small amount of impulsiveness and her heart thrumming in her chest in anxiety over whether or not Faris will be receptive to her advances after such a disastrous evening, she gets off the sofa to stand before her handsome captain and take off the silk robe.

The white lace-and-satin nightgown underneath was supposed to be for her wedding night. Everything about it, from the materials used to the mid-thigh length and the thin straps holding it up, is meant to seduce. Lenna remembers being horrified when Jenica gave it to her on her eighteenth birthday and plastering on a wan smile in response, because she knew that she could never love a man enough to willingly marry him. Nothing about them has ever attracted her.

So, naturally, she falls in love with Faris, who is male, female, both, and neither. Someone for whom the dictates of gender is an unpleasantness at best and torture at worse. Goodness, no wonder Faris was so upset. She'll have to do her best to make it up to her, if she's allowed.

In an act that might be desperately foolish, Lenna allows all the love she has for her sister to play on her face as she straddles Faris' lap and settles with knees on either side of her hips. The nightgown, already cut short, barely hides the tops of her thighs when she sits like this, and only the high-cut slits at either side keep it from riding up to expose her entirely.

"Why, I clearly remember some very nice kisses in Moore," she begins as she settles her arms loosely around her sister's shoulders. "We could start there."

Faris snorts in amusement, but there's little mistaking the smoldering desire in her eyes and the way her hands glide along the smooth white satin of her bridal nightgown. Her hands settle on Lenna's hips, and Lenna can't help but wonder whether it's to keep her at bay or keep her from escaping. "If it's gonna start and end there, you need to tell me. 'Fraid I might go a lot further than you're comfortable with."

Oh, for—of course Lenna would be comfortable with anything her sister can come up with. She has a good idea now what Faris does with her prostitutes and would be happy to take their place in her arms for once. With a soft smile, she leans in close enough to press her forehead against her sister's and stroke her cheek in that way that's become habit when they're alone. "Anything you do with them, you can do with me."

A sudden solemnity washes over her sister and she's not sure what she did wrong. Before she can gather the wherewithal to question it, Faris hugs her tightly. Lenna's not quite sure what to do, because the mood seems to have changed entirely, but she hugs her sister back and waits it out.

"You're not them, love," Faris says at last, still holding Lenna so close that it almost aches. "I fuck 'em with no remorse 'cause they take my money and I show 'em a good time. You're the one I want to make love to."

Oh. Lenna isn't sure what the difference is, but she's sure the distinction matters a great deal to Faris. She runs her fingers through her sister's beautiful long hair until the arms around her ease up enough for her to pull away if she wishes. Not that Lenna ever wants to.

"Then make love to me." Because she's sure that this is what they both want, Lenna leans in to brush her lips against her sister's.

For a brief, terrifying moment, Lenna worries that her sister's lack of immediate response is evidence that she's not really interested. Then, after what felt like an eternity of uncertainty, Faris' lips take hers up in a searing kiss as she holds Lenna close. Lenna is aware, faintly, of the hand at the small of her back and the other curling around the nape of her neck, but the bulk of her attention fixates on the press of Faris' lips against hers and her sister exploring her mouth in that gentle, deliberate way that turns her on faster than any of her eavesdropping sessions. The feeling of their breasts pressed against each other, warm and soft and separated only by a couple of layers of thin fabric, makes Lenna's head swim.

Lenna kisses back, eager to reciprocate, and her fingers twist in her sister's hair. The fragments of desire she's usually so good about hiding in public expand to inescapable currents of need that pool between her legs and sweep through her until she can feel the stark jolts of lust down to her fingers. Before she kissed her own sister for the first time, she had no idea kisses could have such an effect on her. Now she can't get enough.

As if spurred on by Lenna's desire for her, Faris' hands finally start moving. They hesitate at first, but Lenna's brief break of the kiss before rubbing her chest over her sister's and resuming her enjoyment of Faris' mouth seems to encourage her. The hand at her back moves first, callused fingers tracing up and down her spine in a way that makes her shiver with delight and squirm in her sister's lap. The other hand leaves the back of her neck to settle on her hip, gliding along the satin as if in search for some trace of her underwear.

Laughing lightly, Lenna breaks the kiss and moves away just enough for there to be a bit of empty space between them. She watches Faris with a smile she can't hope to suppress as she takes the hand at her hip, turns it palm-up, and guides it between her legs.

"See what you do to me?" she asks as she holds Faris' hand against the curls of her mound. With nothing to block her sister's access to her folds, there's also nothing to stop Faris from feeling the wet heat building within her.

Her sister's fingers are almost reverent as they tease her curls and caress her lips. They feel so marvelous that her own efforts to pleasure herself seem crude and dull in comparison. The long middle finger slips between her lips and she can practically feel Faris' self-restraint falter with a low, nearly voiceless groan of need.

Raw, unbridled love-lust-want flares to life in Faris' eyes as her finger sinks further between her wet, welcoming folds. Lenna's breath frays into soft, ragged bits. In the wash of pleasure from finally, finally feeling Faris' touch where she wants it most, Lenna lets go of her hand in favor of clinging to her shoulders.

Faris runs the finger down the length of her slit, pauses at her entrance, and pulls away. Before Lenna can protest the loss, Faris brings her finger up to stare at the play of firelight on the juices clinging to it. Lenna's breath hitches as her sister brings her finger to her lips, breathes in her scent, and sucks off her juices.

The sight makes her pussy twitch with need, and maybe she might have let out a very undignified whimper. Faris' gaze burns as she watches her reactions. "Knew you'd taste good," her sister says at last. There's that husky quality in Faris' voice she only ever seems to have in the bedroom. "Didn't imagine you'd taste that good."

Oh, gods. The potential implications sets her imagination alight.

The consuming kiss Faris sweeps her up in seems to go straight to the growing need between her legs. She welcomes it eagerly, tasting herself on her sister's tongue. In her desire for more contact with her sister, Lenna tries to rub herself against her sister's breeches.

Before she can make any sort of contact, Faris' hands descend on her hips to stop her. The most peculiar conflict of emotions play across her face as she takes a bracing breath. "No. Nope. Gotta draw a line somewhere."

Lenna's jaw might have dropped. Stunned that Faris could even think of stopping now, when they both want this, she can't even cobble together a protest. Let alone anything coherent.

"Not gonna make love to you in Dad's old clothes," Faris says quickly. It's followed up by a brief, apologetic kiss. "Even I've got my limits."

Thank goodness. With a quick, mischievous grin, Faris' hands slide down her hips and around to squeeze her cheeks. Lenna's thoughts, whatever remains of them, trip over themselves as her sister holds her close and attempts standing. It takes a couple of tries, awkward as it is to do so without much leverage, but eventually Faris manages to get to her feet with Lenna still in her arms. Lenna, for her part, wraps herself around her sister, lets herself be carried, and plants little kisses all around her sister's face.

"Not quite a bridal carry," Faris says along the way to her bed. There's a lightness to her voice that's been missing for a while now. Lenna is just glad to have it back. "Shame, and you're appropriately dressed."

It's such a non sequitur that Lenna can't help but giggle. She feels so light now that they're together like this that she's happy to forget, if just for the moment, that there's a world outside her chambers.

The wick of the oil lamp nearest to her bed lights without the uttering of a single word of a Fire spell. Lenna doesn't have much time to wonder when the Water Crystal will favor her like that; Faris attempts to set her down on her bed and she has to move quickly if she wants to get across the notion that she's more than willing. Heavens, the last thing she wants is for her sister to start overthinking things. She unwraps her legs from around her sister's hips to stand and pull away just enough to unbuckle Faris' belt.

Or at least try to. Faris' hands fall on hers. There's not enough resistance to stop her, but it seems like her sister has second thoughts she'll have to dislodge. Standing on her toes gives her just enough height to nuzzle and kiss Faris' neck, an impulse she follows with vigor. Maybe Lenna isn't experienced in this, and in her enthusiasm she simply does everything that comes to mind, but it's enough to increase her sister's breathing.

"Do you know how much I wanted to do this?" Lenna asks, punctuating her words with little kisses and licks all along her sister's neck. Faris' hands fall away from hers, allowing her to finally unbuckle and draw away the belt from its loops. She tosses it…somewhere. She'll find it in the morning. "For how long?"

Faris' chuckle comes shallow and a little ragged, but she speaks a lot better than Lenna would in her position. Her hands move to Lenna's shoulders, but she makes no attempt to push her away. "I've wanted you since you tried to steal my ship, love. Can't beat me there."

"Mm. No." Now that the belt's gone, Lenna toys a little with the laces that hold the collar together. Somewhere in her eagerness, her teeth scrape against Faris' skin in the effort to draw the mythril chain of her necklace away to kiss underneath it. The way Faris hisses and her hands twitch at the scrape isn't something she expected, but she's happy to pursue it. "No, I thought you were a man then. I'm afraid I don't care for men. But when you tried to save me from those poachers, I wanted to reward you in ways that are very undignified." And with that, she emphasizes her words with a nip at the throat.

The sharp intake of breath and the way Faris' body stiffens against her are so rewarding that she tries it again on the other side. A shiver runs through her sister's body and she's so, so tempted to just turn the tables on her and be the one doing the ravishing. Lenna doubts Faris ever had her prostitutes do that kind of thing with her; it requires a level of vulnerability her sister doesn't allow strangers to see.

Before she can follow through on the thought, Faris' hands grip her shoulders a little harder to pull her away. She barely manages to string together enough thoughts to protest, but then Faris' lips crush hers in a kiss so unrestrained that she marvels at how much self-control her sister must have had before now. Lenna welcomes it eagerly and with just as much desperation, glad beyond words that she can stir such passions in her handsome pirate captain.

Not to be deterred, Lenna's hands return to their task of undressing her sister. She's perhaps not as deliberate as she wants to be, but the way Faris kisses her scrambles her thoughts and makes her yearn for more. Still, despite feeling like she might drown in her desires, Lenna yanks the tails of the old, faded blue shirt from under the breeches and thinks ill of all the buttons on the breeches. A couple of the buttons even pop off in her haste, and her frustration towards them makes her break the kiss.

Though she's too kind to actually laugh at her, Faris' eyes still dance with amusement. Her hands finally join Lenna's to help with the unbuttoning. Before Faris can do it herself, Lenna shoos her hands away to slip them under the breeches and around to squeeze at her sister's buttocks in a way that mirrors Faris' groping of hers earlier. And. Ooooh. She's firm. Lenna used to prefer women with soft curves, but her inappropriate love for her sister seems to have changed that. She doesn't mind at all.

Faris' restraint on her amusement finally cracks and she laughs. There's nothing but fondness in her eyes, which keeps Lenna from being offended or discouraged. "And here I thought I was the incorrigible tribade," she says in that way that makes Lenna feel so warm and fuzzy. "You're like this with all your conquests, princess?"

"Oh, no. Just with you." Really, Lenna should be embarrassed by her urge to press her face into her sister's chest as she slides the breeches off her hips, but she can't be bothered. It's a miracle Lenna isn't dripping down her legs with how wet she is. "You're my one and only."

That stillness settles in Faris again, the one that means she's thinking seriously about something. Not wanting to spook her, Lenna wraps her arms around her sister and ignores her desires for the moment. "You're all I want. I don't mind sharing, if that's what you want."

"You're sure about that?" The warmth seems to leave Faris' voice, making Lenna fear that she must have done something wrong.

Naturally, Lenna clings tighter to her. They both want this, they both know it, and she just has to assure Faris somehow that she's going into this with full awareness of what it means. "More sure than I am about anything else lately."

"Love, if you want this to be forever, it will be," Faris says, finally, after perhaps too long a moment of silence. She nudges Lenna's chin up to look at her, and Lenna might have melted a bit from the look in her sister's eyes. She's so serious, but it's the type of seriousness that leads to promises. Faris so rarely makes promises. "'Fraid I don't like sharing much, and I expect you're the same. If we're gonna do this, I'll be faithful for as long as you want me."

Lenna can't quite stop herself from smiling. No, she doesn't like the notion of sharing, either. Nor does she see herself ever growing bored of this hopelessly tangled connection they have. With light tugs on the laces of the old shirt, she brings Faris back down for another kiss. "Then forever it will be."

The kiss feels like they're securing their promises, sincere and deliberate. When Faris pulls away again, there's a glimmer of a desire in her eyes that has nothing to do with sex. She wants something permanent. So does Lenna.

With all the certainty in the world, Lenna pulls away to sit on the edge of her bed. She leans back invitingly, though she's afraid she hasn't had experience enough to look very enticing. Her voice might be a low purr, for all that she can barely hear herself over the thumping of her heart in her chest. She wants so much to be with her sister, her captain, in every way she can be. "Make me yours."

The heated look Faris shoots her before she pulls off the shirt to toss aside might very well make Lenna melt with desire. The eagerness with which Lenna watches her sister strip can't possibly be masked, but Faris doesn't seem to mind. Her skin is pale under her clothes, marked by scars from old battles, and hints of wiry muscles ripple under the skin as she moves. Lenna would love more than anything to spend an entire night laving her captain's body with all the attentions she'd denied herself in the past.

"Fuck," Faris says at last, her eyes skittering along Lenna's body like she can't make up her mind at the dessert table. "I don't even know where to begin."

"You can start by joining me."

Thankful beyond measure that the bed is too heavy and well-built to creak from the added weight and movement, Lenna scoots back as her sister climbs in to join her. It takes a bit of moving around, and a boldness she never would have possessed if they weren't so familiar with each other, but eventually Lenna manages to crawl over her sister's body, straddles her hips, and tries for another kiss. For all that she complains of the chill, Faris' body is warmer in her arms than she expected.

Hands that never seem to grow cold roam Lenna's body as she drowns in the kiss. The wet velvet slide of Faris' tongue against hers, the taste of her mouth, everything about her, stokes the mounting pleasure within her and drives her desire for more. More kisses, more of her touch, more of Faris.

Her hand trembles with the strength of her desires as she reaches between them to fondle her sister's breast. Faris' are smaller than hers, but they're perfectly shaped. Her nipples are already so hard that Lenna can feel them against her own breasts, and it's base curiosity alone that drives Lenna to explore one with her fingers. Faris shivers as she grazes the small, hard end of one with her thumb; she tries again and delights in the fact that she can give her more experienced sister this kind of pleasure.

Suddenly inspired, Lenna shifts her knees for better leverage, nudges her breasts until her nipples press against Faris', and starts on an up-and-down motion along her sister's body. It's such a lovely feeling, being so close to her sister.

To her surprise, Faris' hands fall on her hips to hold her still. "I've an idea, sweetness," she whispers. Faris' hips angles upwards against hers as she raises her knees. Then her knees part as the position changes again. "Haven't done this in years, but…"

Lenna's world comes to a stop as the tops of their mounds press together. It's not complete contact between their clitorises, but it's close enough that she can feel the heat radiating from between her sister's legs and the hardness under the hood of her sister's clit. It's enough to scatter her thoughts.

"Try moving like you were." That husky quality returns to Faris' voice, the one that suggests she's a lot more aroused than she's letting on. Lenna hopes to hear it much more often.

She resumes her motions with only a little bit of guidance from her more experienced partner, until they settle into a rhythm that's just as much Faris' as hers. The push and pull of their mounds against each other, of the hoods of their clits against each other and stimulating each other, drives every coherent thought out of Lenna's head. There's only the motion, the warm body beneath her, and the raw pleasure building up between them with each pass.

Guided by her sister's increasingly uncontrolled motions, Lenna moves faster. All that matters is their closeness, the pleasure they're chasing together, and she's so, so close, and—

And suddenly Lenna finds herself mentally thrown as her sister grips her tightly in her arms, curls into her, and shudders in a silent but unmistakable orgasm. She pushes through her own surprise to hold Faris through the deluge, kissing the top of her head and running her fingers through her hair as she waits it out.

Eventually, once the tremors subside, her sister eases back against the bed and gives a breathy chuckle. There might be a tone of bashfulness in it, but far be it for Lenna to point it out. There's something so enticing about seeing Faris like this—open, unguarded, completely relaxed and disheveled—that she wants nothing more than to repeat the experience as often as she can.

"Didn't expect to be the one to come first," Faris admits. The half-smile she gives is wry, teasing, and perhaps a bit adoring. "You need to stop wreckin' my plans, love. I've a reputation to maintain."

"My poor captain." Lenna moves a bit to plant a kiss on the old, puckered scar on Faris' left shoulder. "I won't tell anyone if you won't."

Faris doesn't comment. Lenna settles against her side and rests her head on her shoulder, fully prepared to leave things as they are. Before she can relax enough to go to sleep, however, Faris pulls her to sit up with her and tugs playfully at one of the straps of her nightgown.

"Not fair that I'm the only one naked," Faris says, that gleam of mischief in her eyes promising that the night was not yet over. "'Sides, you deserve a little reward."

The smile comes entirely too easily to her, but Faris always seems to have that effect. She toys a little with the lacy bottom hem of her nightgown. "Reward, huh?"

"Aye. Something you've had comin' for a while now." Faris' smirk is more pirate than she expected, and it does funny things to the low ebb of her arousal. As if sensing her piqued interest, Faris' hand slips under the hem she'd been toying with as she leans in for another kiss.

The kiss only seems to enhance the tingling trails Faris' caresses leave on her skin. She relishes the way Faris' attentions so easily stokes the heat of her desire. Perhaps the kiss might have been a distraction as her sister pulls off her nightgown, but her one article of clothing would have come off either way.

And, suddenly, she's on her back and panting as Faris breaks the kiss to nuzzle, kiss, and lick every swath of skin she can. For all her speed and lack of apparent planning, she's still so gentle about it that Lenna can't help loving her sister's mouth. And—oh—the swipes of a soft, wet roughness against her nipples makes her gasp and squirm as the stark jolts of need seems to dart straight between her legs.

So tempted is she to attend to her growing need for a touch where she wants it most, she reaches for herself and—and her thoughts go off a cliff as Faris grabs her wrist and speaks in that low, dark tone that always makes her yearn for her touch. "Let me, love. I'll take care of you."

Lenna can't focus on a thing after that. There's only the pleasure and the need for more of her sister's attentions. There's only her sister's searing kisses that seem to leave a glowing heat wherever they go. There's only—

There's—a hot breath tickling the curls between her legs. A gentle kiss on each inner thigh so close to the lips between them that she shivers in her need. Faris hasn't even touched her there since they were on the couch and she's already so close to becoming undone.

Thankfully, Faris isn't cruel. Not for her first time. It takes every bit of willpower Lenna has to keep from making a sound as her sister trails feather-light kisses down her slit that do nothing but tease. Then Faris parts her legs further and her tongue delves between her lips and into the molten heat of Lenna's center and Lenna has to cover her mouth firmly with her hand lest a single cry escapes.

Faris' wicked tongue explores every fold between her legs, divides and traces along her lips, laps up the wetness that has been building since they sequestered themselves for the night. It feels delicious, exquisite, wonderful beyond her paltry imaginings. The pleasure builds with every hot breath and swipe of tongue. She can't control herself; her hips undulate in her need for more.

Suddenly there's a stretching within her as something penetrates her for the first time. Fingers. Two. Right, she did say she didn't want to be a virgin at some point. Lenna barely has thought enough to be aware of more than that. It's a pressure that fades once she's used to it. She's too wet and Faris too gentle with her for it to hurt the way Jenica told her it would.

The fingers within her move once she's smothering her panting in her palm again. The motions only match those of her hips, going no faster or slower. Before she can gather her senses, the pleasure returns to build, and build, and—

Faris leans back in, her lips taking in as much of her clit and its hood into her mouth as she can. The warm wet of her mouth and the teasing of Lenna's clit with her tongue is all it takes to break the tension of her pent-up pleasure. She muffles her cry and shudders through the sheer force of her orgasm. It washes over her, sparkling along every bit of her being in a way that makes her own efforts at self-pleasure pale in comparison. She's aware, vaguely, of gripping roughly at her sister's hair while her muscles spasm against the fingers inside her.

And then it fades, slowly, leaving her feeling like she's drifting on the warm waters of a calm sea. Lenna feels rather boneless as she slumps back in her bed. She may never leave again.

Eventually she opens her eyes to watch her sister ease her fingers out of her, only to lick them clean with obvious relish. Lenna is too far gone to feel more than a muted twinge of desire. Upon noticing Lenna watching her, Faris' eyes twinkle with all the smugness of a self-satisfied dragon. "You're delicious, love. We'll need to do this again."

Honestly, Lenna can't even string words together right now. All she can manage is some vague sound of assent.

Not that Faris seems to mind. Her face softens as she crawls up to Lenna's side, pulls the blankets over them, and takes her in her arms. The light from the oil lamps go out, leaving only the fire dancing in the fireplace. Lenna snuggles against her sister, her beloved captain, and breathes in the scent of her as she drifts off to sleep.

There's a low, soft "Love you more than you know," but maybe Lenna dreamed it.

Faris wakes just before dawn. As usual. Old habit borne of working on ships for most of her life. The crew rises with the dawn, so she has to wake earlier just to dress and get her clothes arranged to hide the shape of her body. The habit helps with this quest, too; Krile is too young to be staying up for her watch shifts and, despite all protests that they can manage without her help, gives them a try anyway. Faris usually wakes to see Krile dozing off and lets the girl think she didn't notice.

Unusual is the comfort of the bed, the warmth of plush blankets and sheets as soft to the touch as rose petals, and the fact that the girl sleeping in her arms is her own sister.

Her sister. A princess. And, despite Lenna's inexperience, the best lay she'd ever had.

Probably the most fucked up thing about this whole affair is that she doesn't regret any of it. Growing close was natural; that much couldn't be helped. Drawing a line anywhere wasn't an option; they love each other too much to want anything to stand between them. Their compatibility is an exquisite rarity that Faris would be a fool to squander. But for that one matter of close blood relations that neither of them has any power over, that they didn't even know about when they started to develop feelings for each other, everything about what they have is a miracle.

Fire and Water. Sky and Sea. There's no more perfect symmetry she can think of. They're a matched set. Now that they're back together, Faris will fight anything and everything to protect Lenna and what they have.

Fuck it all. If she can pass as a man for fifteen years, she can hide their relationship. It'll be something she and Lenna can work on, and there will be time enough after this quest is over with.

Damned if she can figure out where to go from here, however. At least regarding the quest. She's still not sure about whatever fey impetus drives Krile, but she suspects the girl and Butz of following it to the next stage of this quest. So, she'll just have to track them down.

After washing up, dressing, and collecting the popped-off buttons to the breeches, Faris nicks a spare pillow and sheet to dump and arrange on the couch. A couple of logs and a wordless Fire spell brings to life the embers that faded overnight. By the time she's done, it at least looks like she hadn't spent the night with a cuddly armful of princess.

"I suppose you'll be tracking the others this morning?" Lenna asks as she gets dressed in something gauzy, impractical, and thoroughly head-turning. She's as beautiful outside as she is in, and so tempting a vision that Faris might be inclined to disregard caution and devour her again.

Drawn like an addict, she joins Lenna in front of the mirror set in her wardrobe door. Faris stands just behind her sister, her hands settling on the flare of her hips. Lenna leans back against her chest and clasps her hands together in front of her. The soft, reflected smile Lenna gives her is just as unfettered and adoring as it always is when they're alone. Faris can't help but hold her a little closer.

In a perfect world, they'd make a very handsome couple. It's not a perfect world. They'll have to be careful.

"Soon as I find my real clothes, aye. I'll tie 'em up the moment they make it to a town and send a messenger." Faris takes a moment to give the side of Lenna's head a quick peck of a kiss. "Take the dragon and join us when you're finished here."

Lenna turns to embrace her. A long, silent moment passes between them, in which they simply gaze into each other's eyes and fall in love all over again. Lenna pulls her down for a kiss Faris gives gladly. For that moment, nothing else matters.