Princess - no, she had to remind herself, Queen - Vivian of Salvaria breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Reg steered the carriage through the gates of her mother’s manor, bringing their small travelling party to safety. Peering out the window, she could see the guards snapping to attention as they made their way up the drive. Next to her, the small form of Alara, Reg’s young daughter, stirred sleepily, registering the change in the atmosphere.

“Are we there now, Miss Vivian?” she asked, blinking up at her with wide eyes.

“Yes. Yes, we are,” she replied. “Your daddy did such a good job getting us here, didn’t he?”

Alara nodded eagerly. “He did! I told you he was the bestest driver in the whole world!” She went to say more, but was cut off by a yawn, stretching her jaw wide open. Despite her best efforts to pretend otherwise, Alara was clearly exhausted, as were they all.

It had been a harrowing week for all of them. After her father’s unexpected death, his brother - Vivian’s uncle - had seized power, keeping Vivian effectively as a hostage in her own castle, along with any courtiers loyal to her. Most of the staff had fled, as the self-proclaimed King Roland was known to be incredibly harsh; most of the loyal guards had been captured or killed in the brief skirmish that accompanied Roland’s coup. But Reg - a former spy, until an injury left him unable to work in the field, now a carriage driver - had remained, tied down to an extent by his daughter’s presence in the castle, as well as his own loyalty to Vivian. Even more fortunately - although it had not seemed so at the time - her personal guard, Ser Millicent of the Golden Elephant - currently sitting up on the driver’s bench next to Reg - had been absent from the castle, rendezvousing with a messenger from Vivian’s mother Polonia, who had been in this manor visiting her brother. Between the pair of them, Millicent and Reg had concocted a plan to smuggle Vivian from her imprisonment, and ferry her to safety here. It had been audacious, but it had worked - thanks in part to Roland’s reluctance to place too many guards on her, to give a semblance of freedom - and now she was disembarking, accepting Millicent’s arm as she stepped out of the carriage, rushing to her mother’s embrace.

The journey had been far from without incident. The carriage was hardly inconspicuous, despite their best efforts to make it look less important than it was. When they had managed to find inns they trusted reasonably well, there was still never any certainty in that trust, resulting in most of their party getting little sleep. Not that sleeping outdoors was any better, as neither Reg nor Millicent had been able to procure much by the way of camping equipment. The conditions outside could have been worse, but they could also have been far better. And then there were the attacks. On three occasions, they had been set upon by bandits, emboldened by the lack of guards, as they had been drawn into what was - she had to face it - a civil war. Either that, or they recognised her, and were drawn by the bounty placed on her head; possibly, they were even some of Roland’s forces in disguise. On all three occasions, Millicent and Reg had acquitted themselves well, Millicent with her blade and Reg with his crossbow, but by the third attack, they had all grown tired, and one of their attackers had forced his way in. Vivian thanked the gods for the training in self-defense both parents had insisted on, as well as for the spare sword Reg had been able to provide, as she had been able to hold the bastard off for long enough for Millicent to come to her aid, without any serious injuries to herself or little Alara. Still, it had been a close-run thing, and the safety provided by the manor’s walls and its guard force was a welcome relief.

As they were led towards their chambers - Alara giving her a massive hug before she and Reg went their separate way - Vivian was able to properly look at her knight for the first time in several days. Ser Millicent, to put it bluntly, was a mess. Her wavy brown hair, usually tied back neatly in a tail, was spilling everywhere now she’d removed her helmet, and the bags under her eyes were plain to see. Her posture, similarly, was slumped, a far removal from her usual alert stature, and despite her best efforts to appear otherwise, it was clear she was nursing some minor injuries from the attacks the caravan had suffered. Vivian suspected Millicent had been getting less sleep than the rest of them, perhaps less all week than she’d managed even on her most restless night, as she’d been trying to keep a watch over them despite her and Reg’s protestations. Hopefully, Millicent would be able to get a good night’s - and, for that matter, a good morning’s - sleep, now they were safe.

***

Millicent was refusing to relax. The two of them had dined with Polonia, which had been a relatively quiet affair, concerned mostly with their mutual anger at Roland and grief over her father’s death. On the morrow, they would begin to discuss strategy properly, but had left such discussions alone for tonight, saving the subject for when Vivian had more energy. The one time the conversation had turned that way, they had all agreed that they were in a far stronger position than Roland was. Some of the nobles - generally the more conservative ones, those opposed to any Queen Regnant, let alone such an independent-minded one - had sided with him, and technically he held the castle in the capital. But they had a far greater force behind them, one which was far more loyal than anyone Roland could command; controlled most of the other important strategic locations of the kingdom; had a better claim to the throne; and, most importantly, were no longer compromised by Vivian’s capture. So by all rights, now they were alone in the heart of the manor, they should be able to rest. Yet Millicent was seemingly unable to. Sure, she had removed her plate and mail, had scrubbed some of the week’s grime off her face, and had eaten her fill. But now she was dressed in the leather armour of the Queen’s Guard, which, while undoubtedly more comfortable than a full suit, was still hardly relaxing attire. She was pacing nervously about the living chamber of Vivian’s quarters, eyes constantly darting from the balcony to the door to the other windows, hand constantly on the pommel of her sword.

“Millicent.” Her knight didn’t react. “Millicent.” Still nothing, and so Vivian stood up from her spot on the sofa, moving to stand directly in front of the knight. Even then, it took her snapping her fingers in Millicent’s face for her to acknowledge her.

“Ah! I- uh- What do you require of me, Your Majesty?” Ever proper, even as she was slurring her words slightly, eyes not quite being able to focus on Vivian, who sighed with pity.

“You’re clearly in no fit state to be trying to guard me right now. For your own health, I think you need to at least sit down with me.” She gestured towards the sofa, but Millicent was already stubbornly shaking her head.

“I can’t, Your Majesty. We’re not safe - you’re not safe. Need to keep watch.”

“First, how many times have I told you - if I’m allowed to just call you Millicent, you can just call me Vivian. Even now I’m queen,” she added, anticipating the knight’s objection as she went to speak. “Second, by what measure are we unsafe? We’re behind several sets of strong walls, there are guards everywhere, we have multiple escape routes, and Roland has next to no support within a hundred-mile radius. I believe you can be relieved of your duties for one night.”

“But… what if we’re wrong, and the guards attack us?”

“They’ve had the better part of a month to attack my mother and uncle, robbing me of my biggest source of support. If they wanted to declare for Roland, they would have done so.”

“Well, what if someone sneaks in and tries to kidnap or murder you?”
“And how would they do that? Again, you well know that there are guards on every entrance to the grounds, to the manor, and to my chambers, and several more on patrol. And they’re the best of the best - my uncle wouldn’t have settled for any less.”

“Well, what if…” Millicent floundered for another hypothetical before Vivian held up a hand, forestalling her.

“Millicent. You’re clearly stretching here. I’m safe as I can be, and I think you know that, deep down, but your mind’s still acting as though that’s not the case. But more importantly than any far-fetched scenario, is the fact that you’re exhausted. You can’t do a good job of guarding me without catching up on sleep, can you?”

“No ‘m not. ‘M fine.”

Vivian fixed her with a sceptical expression. “You’re swaying on your feet as you speak, and you didn’t hear me trying to get your attention until I was right in your face. It’s not weakness or betrayal to admit your body has reached its limits. Look,” she continued, seeing that her knight was still holding out. “How about you sit down just for five minutes. If your mind isn’t changed by then, I won’t insist on anything further unless you actively collapse on me. Does that sound agreeable?”

“I… well…”

“The alternative is that I, as your queen, command you to stand down for the night. Would you prefer that?”

Millicent groaned. “That’s not fair. Fine, twist my arm, why don’t you.”

The knight plodded over to the sofa, sinking into the cushions - or perhaps collapsing would be the better term, although Vivian suspected that Millicent would thoroughly object to her saying so. Even there, however, before the queen could so much as take her seat, she could see that Millicent was still not relaxed. Her posture recovered quickly, sitting bolt upright as she continued to scan the room. Realising Vivian wasn’t joining her, she turned around.

“What? ‘M on the sofa.”

Vivian sighed. “Yes, but when I asked you to sit here, I assumed that making a deliberate effort to relax would be part of it. I want you to get out of the danger mindset you’re in, not just remain on high alert from a stationary seat.”

Millicent grumbled to herself under her breath. “‘S not fair…”

“Yes, well, you’re hardly being fair to yourself either, are you? Look, how about I help you relax a bit? I’ll stop once your time is up, if you want…”

Millicent held her gaze for a second, before nodding reluctantly.

“There we are. Now, what I want you to do for me is face the fire, and just follow my instructions. I think, deep down, you want to unwind, don’t you?”

Vivian nervously stepped up behind her knight, resting her hands on Millicent’s broad shoulders. She had never attempted to hypnotise anyone before, but the castle’s library had had some instructional texts, which she had inexplicably found herself returning to time and again. If her guess was correct, and Millicent did actually want to let herself relax, this shouldn’t be too tough. Probably. Well, only one way to find out. She began to gently massage her knight, speaking in a low voice as she did so.

“My, there’s so much tension in these shoulders, isn’t there? You’ve been working yourself ragged these last weeks, my brave knight. It’s time for you to relax, time for me to take care of you for once, isn’t it? There we are. And what I want you to do for me is focus on your breathing. Allow it to become slow… and even… in… and out… in… and out… there we are. Just gaze into the flames, let yourself become absorbed in how they dance… and flicker… and sway. How the shadows move against the wall, how the logs gently crackle… you don’t need to think about anything else right now, just your breathing… and the fire… and my voice. Just let yourself relax. Let go of your stress, of your worries, of your fears, if only for tonight. Find that, as you keep gazing into the fire, it begins to draw your thoughts out of your head, slowly but surely, your thoughts being pulled out of your head and burning up in the flames. Letting your pretty head become still… and quiet… and peaceful for me. You’ve been so strong, so brave, taken such good care of me. You can let me return the favour for tonight, let me give you a reward, hm?”

Millicent let out a small, quiet noise of agreement, slumping further into her seat. As Vivian had predicted, it had not taken much work to get her into trance, and she was sinking fast as the queen continued to talk to her.

“That’s right. You deserve a reward… to feel relaxed… to feel mindless… to do what feels good for yourself tonight. To relax deeply for me, relax that strong body and that pretty head of yours… there we go. Gaze locked to the fire, thoughts being drawn into it and burned away, just like that, that’s right. Are there any thoughts in your head right now, Millicent?”

“No…”

“Very good. No thoughts, just peaceful relaxation. And if a wayward thought does drift into your head, it doesn’t matter. You can just allow it to drift back out again, without paying it any attention, and let it burn away like the rest.”

She continued talking for a while, lavishing praise upon her knight as she willed her to drop deeper, until she was convinced Millicent was as relaxed as she could be while still awake, at least in some sense.

“Now, I believe a bath would be in order. Does that sound good?”

“Mmyessss…”

“Very good. So I’ll step away for a bit to get that organised, okay? And while I’m gone, you can just keep looking into the fire, letting all your remaining attention centre on the dance of the flames. Allow it to pull away all your thoughts, letting your mind relax for me. You’re doing so well.”

Vivian withdrew, allowing Millicent to slump that little bit extra now her shoulders were no longer propped up by even the queen’s hands. As she made her way to the door and talked with the guards about arranging a bath - there was a bathing room in her quarters, fortunately - she looked back at the knight. Millicent’s entire body was slack, her muscular form spread loosely across the cushions, flames dancing across her light brown skin, highlighting her glazed eyes the line of drool that had begun to spread from her parted lips. She was breathing slowly and deeply, barely blinking, and Vivian had to remind herself to swallow as she caught herself staring. She had practically always had feelings for her knight, but now, seeing her so vulnerable and at the same time so safe - and, on some level, so sure that Vivian could protect her for once - only exacerbated that attraction. She had made her feelings clear to Millicent, who had resisted her out of a misplaced sense of propriety, a sense that a knight having relations with her charge would be inappropriate somehow. At least, that was her stated reason - Vivian had suspected that Millicent’s actual reasoning was closer to shyness around her. Certainly, the knight had made it clear that the general sentiments were returned.

As the servants entered the chambers to prepare the bath, Vivian sat beside Millicent, gently caressing her hand and leaning into her side. The knight, dazed and sleepy as she was, had no overt reaction, but Vivian was fairly certain she leaned into her in turn. She savoured the feelings of contact and companionship for a while, before leaning up to whisper into Millicent’s ear.

“Now, as much as I think a bath would be a good idea for you, I don’t think you’re in much of a state to bathe yourself. I could ask a servant to aid you… or, if you’re comfortable with it, I could aid you myself. Which would you prefer?”

She held her breath as Millicent mulled the question over, her sleepy mind taking considerably longer to process it. Vivian knew which option she’d prefer, but she wasn’t going to impose it on her - this was, ultimately, about her knight’s comfort.

Eventually, Millicent opened her mouth. “Isn’ it… below yr station… t’ help me?”

Vivian sighed and patted her hand. “I suppose so, technically. But I don’t care. I want to help you myself, if you’ll allow it.”

“…’F you’re sure… then ‘m fine with… you seeing me. Helping me.”

“Thank you for your trust, my darling knight. So, following that answer… are you comfortable if I’m in the bath alongside you? I need to wash off myself, and it would be easier and faster if we bathed together… and there’s certainly room for both of us… but I don’t wish to impose upon you.”

Again, Millicent took a while to respond. It might have been Vivian’s imagination, but she thought she saw a blush spreading across the knight’s features. “I… would like that… but…” She trailed off.

“Speak your mind, my darling. Such as it is.”

“I… my body might… act improperly. Don’ wanna be rude…”

“Millicent, my steadfast knight. You know how I feel about intimacy, don’t you? I shan’t mind if your body happens to enjoy it. If you are comfortable with me perhaps reacting similarly, then I see no reason we shouldn’t bathe together.”

“… ‘Kay.”

“Thank you for your trust. And if you become uncomfortable, you can speak up, and I’ll listen, alright? But unless you do, you can allow your mind to relax again, let all your worries drift away… even the ones about propriety. Let your mind return to the fire… there we are, so good for me.”

She allowed Millicent to drop again until the servants re-entered, informing her that the bath was ready. After assuring them that they would not need assistance, Vivian pulled Millicent to her feet, guiding her to the bathing room.

With some assistance, Millicent pulled her armour and clothes off, stumbling in a daze towards the tub in the centre of the room and allowing herself to almost collapse into it. Vivian found her mouth suddenly dry - she had caught glimpses of Millicent’s nude form in the prior week when the knight had allowed herself out of her armour, but nothing as direct as this. The way her muscles rippled across her solid form was stunning, even as she was stumbling from exhaustion and trance as though drunk, and Vivian lost herself briefly before snapping to as she realised she needed to bathe as well. Slipping out of the casual dress she’d been in, she divested herself of her undergarments before climbing into the tub next to her knight, her dark skin contrasting against Millicent’s paler brown. She sighed with relief - there was nothing like a hot bath after a long day, let alone a long week, sometimes in rain and often in cold. She could feel herself unwinding more each second, and she was sure Millicent was feeling the same. She allowed her eyes to drift across her knight’s body - to check on her health, she told herself, and to her relief, the only visible injuries were bruises, no cuts or worse. Up close, her knight’s body was even more beautiful: strong abs and thighs and biceps and practically every other muscle; nicely-sized breasts, and - although even as shameless as she was, she didn’t look too closely - a beautiful-looking womanhood, topped with a patch of curly hair. Millicent’s eyes were barely open - if she hadn’t been at the right angle, Vivian would have thought her asleep - but she was still just about present, and, Vivian thought, maybe checking her out in turn. She was of a slighter, curvier build than her knight, with straight dark hair that she brushed behind her, allowing her own, smaller chest to be seen by Millicent.

Remembering that she did actually have to get the two of them cleaned up, Vivian fumbled for the washcloth, soaking it in the warm water and lathering it generously. “You’ll have to sit up for me,” she murmured, and Millicent complied, giving the queen access to her back, which she ran the cloth over in a sort-of continuation of the massage from earlier. Shielded beneath her armour, Millicent had remained remarkably clean, at least visually, but Vivian’s efforts were rewarded by a contented mumble from her knight, and she could tell that her scrubbing was having an effect. She proceeded to the knight’s arms, running the cloth gently across her muscles - and if she perhaps gave them a gentle squeeze or two, Millicent certainly wasn’t complaining - and then onto her similarly strong legs. Moving round to the knight’s front, Vivian asked, once again, “Are you comfortable with this?”

“Yes. Please.” Millicent wasn’t any less tired, but the bath seemed to have made her marginally more alert - whether it was the pampering or their closeness, Vivian couldn’t tell, although as she re-lathered the washcloth and began to gently run it over the knight’s chest and down her abdomen, she felt she gained a fairly good idea, Millicent squirming slightly, blushing when Vivian met her gaze.

“Are you enjoying this, my brave knight?”

“Ah… yes. I… like being close to you. Y’re beautiful.”

“Aww, thank you. So are you. And I’m glad you’re enjoying this. You deserve it - every second of peace, and relaxation, and… happiness. You deserve to be pampered and taken care of, for once. Isn’t that right?”

“I… mm…”

“So modest as well!” Vivian gently patted her cheek, earning another blush, before grabbing the hair soap and a provided jug, beginning to massage Millicent’s scalp. The knight practically went boneless against her, leaning into her hands and - intentionally or not - pressing against her chest. At Vivian’s instruction, she closed her eyes, allowing the queen to pour water over her hair, washing the suds out.

“All done now. I’ll have to move you so I can clean myself,” and she placed her hands on Millicent’s hips, eliciting another gasp and squirm as she shifted her from her position on her lap, “And while I’m doing that, you can just let yourself relax and sink once again, my brave, strong knight.” Another happy noise, and Vivian smiled. “Do you like the praise? Because it’s true, every last word of it.”

Cleaning herself off - with some difficulty, seeing as she had no-one to reach her back other than Millicent, who was once again glazing over into trance - Vivian felt truly comfortable for the first time in weeks. Glancing around, she saw that towels had been provided for them, but no clothes - presumably those would be in their bedrooms.

After allowing herself to drift in the tub for some time, until it started to become too cool for comfort, Vivian reluctantly hauled herself out of it, instructing Millicent to do the same. Together they toweled off, Millicent looking at her with that same dazed expression that Vivian was coming to savour. As they began to leave, Millicent now decidedly steadier on her feet, Vivian spoke.

“Now, we have separate rooms within these chambers, and if you wish to retire to yours, I shan’t mind. However… my bed will likely be more comfortable than yours, and I am more than willing to share.”

“But… it’d be improper… I couldn’t…”

“Hey, shhh. No worries, remember? Not for tonight.” She could see the effect her trigger? Mantra? Order? had on Millicent, who blinked slowly, before smiling slightly.

“Yes… no worries… I would like that very much, Vivian.”

Smiling to herself, Vivian led Millicent to her bedchamber. Taking the towel away from her knight, she gave her a gentle poke, and Millicent fell back onto the bed. With her knight’s legs now slightly spread, Vivian could tell that she was wet, and not from the bath.

“I’ll go fetch your nightclothes, and then we can get you into a more comfortable position, hm?”

Returning with the clothes, Vivian saw that Millicent had already moved, laying her head against the pillows. Her knight was eying her as she re-entered the room, mind clearly still not quite all there.

“So, if we get you dressed, do you think you’ll be able to rest your tired body now?”

Millicent hesitated, clearly weighing up her options, and Vivian stepped in again. “If there’s something you want… some other way I can reward you… you only need ask, my darling.” She wasn’t sure how good of a job, objectively speaking, she was doing at seduction, but clearly it was enough, as Millicent licked her lips and spoke up.

“I… think I have some more stress built up. That… perhaps… you could help me with?” She was still so shy, blushing once more, despite how obvious her arousal was on her nipples and between her legs.

“It would be my pleasure, my brave knight.”

Vivian dropped her own towel and crawled onto the bed so she was above her knight, breasts swaying beneath her. She leaned in to place a kiss on Millicent’s forehead, followed by another, cautious, gentle kiss on her lips. Millicent squirmed beneath her, body still mostly drained of energy, but willing to reciprocate. Vivian smiled into the kiss, before trailing her mouth down the knight’s neck and onto her chest. Millicent cooed slightly beneath her affections as the queen’s tongue and teeth teased at one nipple, her hand coming up to give attention to the other. Vivian repositioned herself slightly, kneeling so she could slip her other hand between her knight’s thighs, gently running her fingers the length of her slit. As she’d anticipated, Millicent tried to lean into her touch, arms moving up towards Vivian’s own chest, but the queen pushed her back down.

“None of that for tonight, my darling. This is all for you - your reward from me, for being so brave and strong and loyal these last days. You can just relax as I take care of you, finding that as that tension builds up between your legs, it’s draining away from the rest of your body. Letting your limbs and your core and your mind go all still and quiet and peaceful as I tend to you. And then when you climax, you’ll just let allll that tension out, slipping into a peaceful, dreamless sleep for me, and then you can return the favour in the morning, if you wish. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Haaahhh,” Millicent sighed happily, slumping back to the mattress. She was already soaked as Vivian slipped a finger, followed quickly by a second, into her, beginning to slowly thrust in and out of her core.

“That’s right, that’s my good, loyal knight. You’re doing so well for me.” Vivian returned her mouth to Millicent’s chest, continuing to gently, lovingly thrust into her, pouring all of her affection and care and love for her knight into pleasuring and relaxing her. Millicent’s head bobbled around, flopping from one side to another, eyes glazing and crossing as she tried to follow her queen’s movements, body growing limper and sleepier by the second, even as she was slowly, inevitably, delightfully wound closer to her climax. A dazed smile spread across the knight’s face, mirrored by the queen as she continued to murmur praise for her steadfast defender alternately into her ears and against her chest.

When Millicent’s climax washed over her, it was subtle, but obvious to her lover. A shudder ran through her body, accompanied by several small gasps and grunts, as Vivian felt the knight clench around her fingers, and then she fell still and quiet, fast asleep. Vivian smiled down at her, kissing her one more time for good measure as she slowly withdrew her fingers, now coated in slick. “Sleep well, my darling,” she whispered, and made her way back to the bathing room to clean herself off. Returning with a spare cloth, she gently wiped Millicent down, eliciting several more pleasing noises, before fetching her knight’s bedclothes and dressing her. While Vivian was certainly aroused herself, it wasn’t so bad that she needed to take care of it now, her emotional state having mostly been one of affection rather than lust, and so she slipped into her own bedclothes as well. Climbing into bed, she blew out the candle and tucked the covers around herself and her protector. As she snuggled up next to her, she found Millicent’s arms subconsciously wrapping around her, keeping her safe even in her sleep. Returning the hug, Vivian soon found sleep claiming her as well, and she drifted off peacefully, safe in her knight’s arms.

***

Millicent returned to awareness several hours later than usual, but feeling herself for the first time in weeks. For a brief moment, she panicked, before remembering where she was - generally, and then, realising who she was embracing, more specifically. As the foggy details of the previous night returned to her, she found herself blushing, but happy. “Oh,” she murmured.

That was apparently enough to awaken her queen - or perhaps she had been awake already and unwilling to leave the bed. Turning in her arms, Vivian smiled up at her. “Good morning, Millicent. Sleep well?”

She returned the smile. “Better than I have in years, Your- Vivian.” Nervously, she leaned in to try and kiss her, a motion which the queen happily reciprocated. Wriggling out of her arms, Vivian moved to leave the bed. “I believe I should arrange breakfast for us, shouldn’t I?”

Millicent reached out a hand, stopping her. “Actually, I believe I have an invitation to return from last night… if you’re willing, that is.”

Vivian blushed, but smiled, allowing herself to be drawn back into Millicent’s embrace, for another, more passionate kiss. As the knight set to work, the both of them knew that, whatever the future may hold, they would face it together.