CHAPTER 26

The beat of Celia’s heart was loud in her ears. It was steady and strong, a perfect thing to focus on. Her breath was controlled, deep and powerful despite the rigorous set of movements her body ran through. All of her senses worked in harmony, feeding information to a part of her mind that was far away from the singular focus drawing Celia’s attention like iron shavings to a magnet. There were no thoughts to distract her, just Lauren’s command.

The pinkette’s magic had ensnared her, carefully keeping her mind on the simple given task. A set of exercises. Each set completed and a tiny gate opened, letting a drop of pure exhilarated bliss anoint her. Pleasure, obedience, the simple joy of movement were all distilled down and fed to her drop by drop as long as she continued to follow the instructions.

“And stop,” Lauren’s voice immediately stiled Celia’s body. Her arms dropped to her side while her eyes slid shut. Without a point to focus on, the warrior’s attention evaporated like dew, leaving her to simply exist as a heartbeat and breath. Tanquility settled over her, and a timeless moment later Lauren’s magic lifted and Celia was again her full self.

Her body ached. Her muscles protested against the long, grueling workouts, and sweat poured from her, collecting to drip in rivulets down her body. Above it all though, was a warm, hazy, and happy contentment. A breeze rustled the tresses around her, immediately chilling her flushed skin, and the contentment was joined by desire.

She was naked, without even a hair tie to keep her sweat-damp ash-blonde hair from flying everywhere. Only Gella’s adornments remained, and that sent a shiver of delight up her spine. The silver bracelet and necklace, decorations and enhancements provided by her future Lady.

“You did wonderfully, Celia,” Lauren said warmly while her hands on Celia’s shoulder guided the warrior to take a seat on the blanket Lauren had spread on the forest floor. A waterskin was passed into her hand. “Drink,” Celia hurried to obey, feeling the heat radiating from her concentrate between her legs for a moment. She smiled between pulls of cool clean water, savoring every sensation.

Handing the now empty waterskin back Celia took a deep breath. “Ready when you are.”

“Rajeunez,” Lauren’s voice purred. The spell flooded Celia’s body, refreshing it just like the water had soothed and cooled her throat. The ache from her long intensive workout faded, her muscles now feeling as limber and fresh as if she had a long, restful sleep.

It was the fourth break since they began. Lauren would magically compel her to finish the workouts, each a series of body weight exercises designed to stress and work every muscle group she had. Then she would keep a careful watch on Celia for flagging performance, or the need for a rest period. “Thank you so much for this Lauren. I wouldn’t have been able to keep this up without you.”

“You are very welcome, Celia,” Lauren said happily, taking a small towel from her pack and carefully drying Celia’s forehead. “Thank you too, you make a fantastic art subject.” Lauren’s sketchpad was passed over and Celia saw several rough sketches of herself in various poses. Mindful of how delicate charcoal the marks were, Celia flipped the pages while her imagination filled in the space.

Turning in place, she handed back the sketchbook before kissing Lauren softly. To be so valued and cared for like this felt amazing, and desire arose anew to share it with the sweet girl kissing her. Lauren broke the kiss with a giggle. “What’s funny?” Celia asked warmly, smiling back while she waited for her body to cool down.

“Just thinking about how Shala has been so generous to lead you to us like this.” Before Celia could ask, Lauren continued. “I know it sounds silly, but hear me out.” Incredibly gentle fingers traced the path of Celia’s scar, and the warrior sucked in a sharp intake of breath. “You got hurt a lot as a mercenary, right?”

Celia nodded, still focused on Lauren’s fingers.

“And I bet you went through a fair amount of healing potions and healing magic, right?” Lauren continued with a knowing smile.

“Sure,” Celia replied warmly. “Potions mostly, but occasionally we were lucky enough to have a priest with us.” Her brow furrowed. “But how does that involve Shala? Every priest I’ve met that had magic could use it to heal.”

Lauren held up her finger. “Yes, but magical healing is almost always associated with Shala. A mercy to relieve pain and restore the body.”

Celia nodded, thinking it over. “Alright, I can see me surviving this long as maybe being Shala’s doing. But my being here?”

Lauren smiled sweetly, lowering her finger and leaning in for another kiss, which Celia happily supplied. “You met me,” she simply said once they parted.

It was Celia’s turn to giggle, her stomach filled with happy butterflies remembering their first real night together in New Gyr. “I love that I met you, Tabby, our Lady,” she paused, thinking over everyone she had met in this magical place. “Hells, everyone here. Including Violet,” she added, forcing herself to remember the nicer things the elven maid had done. “But is that Shala, or is that just you all being wonderful?”

“It’s Shala,” Lauren said firmly. “She’s been with me my whole life. She’s here with us right now. You said it yourself, you wouldn’t be able to train this hard for this long without me.” Lauren smiled serenely. “Well, my power is Shala’s power.” A hopeful look crossed Lauren’s eyes. “Will you join me in a prayer to her?”

“I’m naked and soaked in sweat, won’t Shala mind?” Celia asked with a small forced smile. She had nothing against the gods, of course, but she had always attributed whatever good their priests did to the men and women themselves. Not some distant authority. “Besides, I don’t even know the words.”

Lauren lit up at that. “Oh Celia! Teaching the faith is one of the best parts of being one of Shala’s chosen.” She took Celia’s hand in hers. “I would be thrilled to teach you a basic prayer.” Her eyes swept up and down Celia’s naked body. “And Shala isn’t overly concerned with modesty.”

Celia couldn’t help but melt at the onslaught of cheerful enthusiasm and support coming from the pinkette. “Alright. Go ahead.”

Lauren nodded, letting go of Celia’s hand. “Have you ever offered a heartfelt prayer to the gods before?”

“To Daray, a few times, usually before a battle I knew would be tough.” Celia took a welcome look at the memories she and Gella had recovered. Growing up she had certainly said all the right words to Hayer for a good harvest, but she doubted her younger self had ever really felt a connection with the Lord of the Fields.

“Daray makes sense,” Lauren said cheerfully. “Just try to imagine opening yourself like that now.”

Celia couldn’t help but grin. Opening herself up to people she trusted was something she had certainly received a great deal of practice with in a short amount of time. Would it be so different for a goddess like Shala? “I think I can do that,” she said, still grinning.

Lauren gave her a knowing nod before bowing her head. “Just focus on that feeling and repeat after me.” She took a long slow breath while Celia copied her, bowing her head and shutting her eyes. “Shala, Lady of Mercy, we thank you for your guidance and your grace. We ask you to walk with us, bless us, shield us from woe, and be a balm on our souls.”

Celia said the words aloud, copying Lauren’s cadence. She tried to focus on the same sensations she felt when offering prayers to Daray, but without the adrenaline of battle it felt hollow. Then she remembered how she felt opening herself to Gella and Lauren. The warm trust, the willing surrender, and then tried again.

Upon repeating the prayer, Celia felt something trace along her spine. It was barely there, no more than the faintest breeze, but it still brushed her naked skin more deliberately than any random breeze could. Her eyes shot open to see Lauren beaming at her. “You felt something,” she declared and Celia could only nod in mute acceptance. “Told you Shala was here with us,” Lauren said softly. Celia’s stomach chose that moment to let out an almighty growl. After handing over a few honey coated oat cakes, Lauren nodded at the warrior. “Speaking of mercy, your body needs a break before we continue. We need to give your body more fuel if we are going to continue to magically refresh your strength.”

The sweet scent of honey made Celia’s mouth water. Accepting the fortifying snack, she took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. Feeling the touch of the divine wasn’t exactly new. Healing magic was a far more tangible symbol of the god’s power, but that has always been through a mortal’s touch. “Do you feel her touch you like that often?” She asked between bites.

Lauren looked thoughtful. “No. I feel her with me in my ragira. Her light that I carry,” she said with a touch of satisfaction. The other gods, however? I can feel their influence on me at times, much like you just felt Shala’s.”

“Other gods?” Celia asked. “I thought you only worshiped Shala.”

Lauren considered that. “I do,” she admitted. “But the other gods are all there, too, Celia. Ishara stokes passion in all, not just her own priests. And Kukaro is quick to help all of us find a witty retort, every now and then.”

“All of them? Even Daray?” Celia tried to imagine the pinkette filled with bloodlust and fury, and the notion was nothing short of laughable. Fighting while under the influence of the Pink spell had been unthinkable even for her, and she didn’t have vows to Shala to honor.

Lauren shrugged. “Maybe somewhere, deep within. But Mistress’ magic is very effective at suppressing feelings like that. I… certainly felt him in the back of my mind during that antimagic charm mishap.”

“I’m sorry about that, Lauren,” Celia whispered, shamefully.

“Nothing to be sorry about, Celia,” Lauren promised. “Now. Finish your food. We’ve still got three sequences to go through, I believe.”

________________

Celia broke the surface of the water with a deep gasp. The late afternoon sun sparkled on the surface of the lake, churned into wavelets by Celia treading water. A moment later pink hair erupted next to her, revealing an exhausted and naked Lauren who quickly kicked back and let herself float.

Following her lead, Celia let the lake support her. With her arms and legs spread, she drifted languidly next to her friend and love. They smiled companionably to each other, Lauren even blowing a small kiss. Smiling contentedly, Celia shut her eyes. The sun was warm on her bare skin, the air was still, and she had pushed her body to its limit several times over in service to Gella. Satisfaction and pleasure spilled over her, the powerful desire to be as useful to the mage as she could be fulfilled for the day. “I know I’m repeating myself, but thank you so much Lauren,” she said quietly.

“Again, you’re welcome,” Lauren replied tiredly. While the priestess had been happy to restore Celia’s strength time and again during her marathon training, she had been reluctant to restore herself. Admiring Lauren’s dedication, Celia ignored her own body’s protests and towed the giggling priestess to shore. A few warm stones provided a perfect place to rest and dry off, and the last of Lauren’s packed snacks were a perfect treat to end their exhausting day.

Celia was halfway through her oat bar when the thought struck. “Lauren,” she began thoughtfully. “Why don’t you do this with the Heralds? I mean Damian knows what your magic can do, right?”

Finishing a gulp of water, Lauren shook her head. “Oh it would be very dangerous to keep this up for long. The body needs time to properly rest,” she said it easily, as if reciting a reason from rote memory.

Celia felt the thought squirm under her concentration. “So… why did you agree to do it for me?”

Lauren turned, smiled, and then froze with her mouth open. Shutting it, a look of concern crossed her features. “I… I don’t know. It seemed like the merciful thing to do when you explained it. Proving your devotion to Gella and everything.”

That only deepened Celia’s concern. That morning flowed over her memory. Making love with Lauren, then breakfast with her lady. Her lady… Something about that struck Celia, a needle in the soft fluff of her recollection. “Lauren, why was I calling Gella my Lady all day?”

Lauren bit her bottom lip, eyes drawn to the water as if seeing through it. “Well, you do want her to be hers, right?”

Celia nodded slowly. “I do,” she said firmly “But she has been perfectly fine with me calling her by name. But all of the sudden I see her this morning and I’m tripping over myself to give her a title?”

“I suppose you might have been more eager than usual,” Lauren offered. “But!” She interjected quickly with a raised finger. “We were having a lovely morning, you were feeling fantastic and then you saw the woman you want to pledge yourself to?” She shrugged cutely. “A woman you happen to be in love with,” she said happily. “I can see you getting as flustered as you did.”

Swallowing the last bite of her oat cake, Celia went to their packs and fished out Lauren’s dress and sandals, along with her own clothes. The explanation left her feeling doubtful. She had been many things with Gella, but stammering over the mage like a lovestruck teenager?

The brief conversation she had with Violet about the glowing rune on her forehead rose in her mind, feeling suddenly strange and alien. Had she actually thought about asking Gella to alter her the way she had altered Violet? Worry snaked through her, feeling cold and uncomfortable. She would never come to that desire on her own, right? She groaned, working the thought over in her mind, “Lauren,” she said, handing the priestess her clothes “Would Gella put a spell or something on us without telling us?”

Fixing her long pink hair to cascade down her back, Lauren eventually nodded. “She might, if she had a very good reason to.” She peered at Celia curiously. “Do you think she did?”

Celia busied herself with getting dressed while her mind hopped from reason to reason. Nothing sounded very plausible. “Maybe,” she sighed. “Just, nothing else really makes sense.” She met Lauren’s eyes hopefully. “You do see that we were both acting strange today, right?”

Lauren’s soft hands took hold of Celia’s a moment before the priestess pressed herself in for a light kiss. “It could be, and there is no harm in asking her,” she chirped. Her bright cheerful smile washed over Celia, banishing at least some of the cold cloying worry. ________________

By the time they had strolled through Wand’s Reach the setting sun cast the valley in a lovely golden light. Both women walked up in companionable silence, hand in hand. The closer they got to home, the more the day of intense physical training began to wear on the warrior. Lauren’s magic helped, turning what should have been an agony into a dull ache. Still, the prospect of a filling meal and her soft bed called beguilingly. She needed to be rested for tomorrow, afterall. Training to be Gella’s champion was important.

Celia stopped and blinked, her mind also feeling sluggish from the day. She… She had something else to do before that, didn’t she? Lauren stopped alongside her and tilted her head adorably. “Celia? What’s wrong?”

“We were going to do something, something with Gella.” The silver haired woman filled Celia’s mind. A sense of peace and belonging washed over her, carrying away the suspicion and stress of the day, leaving only a deep desire to be near the woman she had pledged herself to. “Something about a spell on us?”

Lauren giggled, musical and sweet. “Well she does have spells on us, we’re hers.”

For a moment Celia imagined the delicate filigree of magic as she had seen it under Gella’s influence. The silver energy criss-crossing her mind, like a scaffold to make something greater. Focusing on that made echoes of all the lovely feelings that teased her body when she simply submitted to Gella temptingly dance, just out of reach. “We are,” she agreed dreamily.

Walking hand in hand with Lauren, then passed through the gate into the Manor’s courtyard, only to be met with Damian making a sprinted attempt to restrain Tabby. The cat-girl squirmed and folded in nearly impossible ways, only for Damian to adjust and keep a grip on her. Spotting the pair, he frogmarched Tabby over. “Great, you’re here,” he said in exasperation. “Violet and Gella aren’t answering, and this one keeps trying to sneak back into the gods damned barracks.”

“Awwww, don’t be grumpy, Damian,” Tabby cooed. Pressing her naked body up against his shirt, she peered up at him after twisting in his grip. “You know they all love having me around, keeps their spirits up,” she purred seductively.

“Their spirits are about the only things left up after you’re done with them, Tabby.” Looking over the short beastkin at Celia and Lauren, he nodded down at her. “Please, take her?”

Tabby swayed her tail, looking Celia up and down and grinning. “Oh yes, please take me,” she giggled before leaping at the warrior.

Catching her was easy enough, the monk was slender and hardly dead weight. The moment she got close though, the heady scent of sex and lust and sweat hit Celia far more powerfully than Tabby’s impact. Just for a moment before rational thought was obliterated in a heady kiss, Celia spared a moment of awe for Damian, to have this manifestation of desire clinging close and not give in.

Despite her muscles protesting at holding even a fraction of Tabby’s weight, Celia hungerly kissed her back. Half thoughts of Gella wanting her Treasures to all get along swirled around the sudden heat Tabby had kindled. Gella wanted her to love these amazing girls, to share their bodies.

Her own tired body and gravity proved uncooperative to a moment of passion, however, and her legs gave out under her, sending both women to the hard packed courtyard with a yelp. Even that didn’t do much to break the kiss, only giving them a moment of breathing room before needy lips found each other again.

“She’s been like this all day,” Damian said from above. “Gella kicked her out around noon, and every time I turned my back I would find her distracting someone.” Celia certainly felt pleasantly distracted. Tabby was warm and soft, her kisses insistent and passionate. Being Gella’s dovetailed nicely with enjoying Tabby’s body, and the warrior was only too happy to surrender to it.

Questing fingers slipped under Celia’s shirt, finding her stiff nipple and expertly teasing a moan from Celia’s lips. That moan turned into a disappointed whine when Tabby’s warm weight vanished. Getting to her feet Celia’s disappointment melted into entranced fascination. Lauren has distracted the amorous cat-girl, embracing her and kissing her deeply. Beside her Damian shook his head and muttered something about a cold shower before heading back toward the barracks.

Tabby’s fingers brushed away Lauren’s curtain of pink hair, kissing her neck. After sighing with a dreamy smile, the priestess caught Celia’s eye. “Mmmm, I’ll make sure Tabby gets at least some rest and something to eat. You wanted to go see Gella, right?”

Celia nodded eagerly, making for the manor with a spring in her step. Coming from the bright outside into the cool entry hall, something nagged at her. A tiny, sharp thought among the hazywarmth fogging her mind. She had wanted to talk to Gella about something important, something about magic. It was so hard to grasp, especially sense every time her thoughts brushed up against the lattice of spells Celia did know about; she felt contentment and delight flood her body.

Still trying to find what was pricking her consciousness like a needle, Celia stopped in the middle of the hall and looked around. “Are you looking for something, Celia?” Violet’s calm voice asked from behind her.

Turning around revealed Violet walking sedately out of the corridor that led to Gella’s work room. The elf was dressed immaculately as usual, white apron over an ankle-length dark dress. Seeing her so elegant and poised, completely sure of her place as Gella’s maid, Celia felt a tiny pang of jealousy. “I was looking for our Lady,”

“A moment, I’ll check for you.” The elf shut her eyes and Celia recognized it as mind to mind communication. The jealous pang grew more pronounced as it rasped through Celia. Lauren, Tabby and Violet could share their very thoughts with Gella, while she was left out. Before she could give voice to her frustrations, Violet opened her eyes. “She’s in her workroom down the hall.” Celia nodded, turning to leave before Violet laid a soft hand on her shoulder. “This morning, you asked me about my mark. Do you remember?”

Celia’s eyes flicked to the softly pulsing rune on Violet’s forehead. The ultimate symbol of her submission to Gella. “I do,” Celia said dreamily. “If our Lady would ever consider marking me that way too.” Thoughts of the mind to mind spell naturally leapt to that pulsing rune. That would leave her perfectly, utterly under Gella’s spell, forever. “I hope she chooses to mark me like that.”

Violet’s eyes widened a bit, and Celia swore she heard a sharp intake of breath before Violet’s effortless calm reasserted itself. “Perhaps,” she conceded. “If you’ll excuse me.” Not waiting for an answer she quickly strode off

Violet’s behavior quickly fell from Celia’s mind as she walked down the corridor toward Gella’s workroom. The door opened before she could knock, and Celia smiled serenely. Gella stood on the other side, looking as powerful and confident as ever. “Come in,” the mage said firmly, gesturing with her fingers. Celia complied quickly, slipping inside while the heat Tabby had kindled in her body rose with each heartbeat. “Sit,” Gella continued, gesturing toward a simple wooden chair.

Gella’s focused expression rolled over Celia. The mage walked around her slowly, silently observing her. “My–” Celia tried to start only to get a shake of the head in response. Feeling her cheeks glow with heat the warrior nodded and stayed silent.

“You really are a fascinating specimen, Celia,” Gella said eventually. The compliment brought a warm smile to Celia’s lips. She wanted to be fascinating to the mage, to be someone Gella would treasure. “I am very glad I tried this approach with you. It’s paid off remarkably.”

“This approach?” She was mildly interested in Gella’s reason to be sure, but Celia knew Gella loved to expound on her research. She sat up and did her best to appear interested and receptive.

Gella’s smile was all the confirmation Celia needed that the mage noticed, and it mixed happiness and desire together into the soothing heat currently melting her from the inside. She let it wash over her, savoring the tingles along her nerves and the slowly growing need making her slick with desire. “Yes, this approach to making you mine.” The simple way Gella declared it turned the soothing heat furnace hot for a moment, sending a jolt of pleasure across Celia’s mind.

“I really really want to be yours,” Celia said in a voice that was soft and demure. Immediately, she felt the compulsion Gella had slipped so delicately into her mind sing its soothing, commanding song. “And I am content to wait until you claim me,” she confirmed aloud. She didn’t need to of course, the compulsion didn’t include speaking it. From the pleased look Gella gave her though, she knew that she’d made the right choice.

“Just so,” Gella agreed. Her fingers trailed along Celia’s hair and the warrior gasped at the brief contact. “You love me, Celia.”

It was a declaration, firm and strong. It was also entirely correct. The mage had won Celia’s heart. Just being near her made her smile, made her ache to indulge in her now-named submissive desires. Lauren had shown her the path, led her so carefully along it, and Gella had expertly slipped in beside her. Both women could make her smile, make her laugh, but Lauren could only ask for Celia to melt. Gella demanded it. Her imagination, heated and swirling, painted a scene of herself kneeling by the pinkette at Gella’s feet. It pulled at her, an intense and sudden wellspring of desire that fogged her mind. “I do,” the words formed without Celia focusing. “You and Lauren both. I love you so much.”

Gella nodded in satisfaction. “Love is such a powerful thing, and the trust it builds is just as powerful,” she remarked happily. Trailing her finger along Celia’s neck made the warrior mewl softly. “No spell could capture your mind as effectively; no enchantment could have eased you into being mine as smoothly and painlessly,” she mused thoughtfully.

Celia nodded along, feeling the words fuel the bonfire her body had become. She loved and trusted Gella, deeply and truly. Love slowly seeped into the powerful desire building within Celia, incinerating more and more worries about spells being cast, the faint uneasy prickle from the lake, they all went up in smoke. There was her Lady, her love, one of the women that owned her heart; and there was the deep powerful urge to sink to her knees, to revel in her surrender to the beautiful mage.

“I remember when Violet first looked at me that way,” Gella casually remarked. “And that was after I had so many spells on her, broke so much of her." She remarked in a suddenly cool tone that chilled Celia as much as it made her thighs clench. “But you, my wonderful specimen, don’t need any of that, do you?”

Celia shook her head fervently, trying to focus past the red hot demands her body was making. Gella had earned her loyalty, her love, her obedience. Swallowing hard, she looked up with wordless pleading. She could feel the hot slick need trickle down her folds. She desperately ached to touch herself, but Gella had commanded her to sit.

“Hmmm, and I know that look as well.” Gella smiled knowingly, and the sharp tingle of embarrassment only made the desire burn more intently. “Pleasure, lust, a woman so lost in both that she would agree to anything just for release.” Celia tried to agree, only to moan when Gella’s soft hand cradled her cheek. The warrior nuzzled it gratefully, savoring the scent and the feel of her Lady’s comforting touch. “Oh and the things I’ll make you agree to,” Gella said with a smirk that triggered a shiver from the deepest part of Celia’s mind. It brought a sliver of clarity, a tiny frisson of doubt, that Gella banished with a soft smile. “But today I think I will settle for a kiss, my lovely knight,”

Their lips collided in a fiery passion that consumed Celia's very being. Every inch of her body throbbed with desire, her core aching for Gella's touch. The mage knew exactly what she wanted, and Celia was powerless to resist. As their tongues danced hungrily, Celia could only think of how she would do anything, give anything to please Gella. "Please," she whimpered as their kiss broke, her voice trembling with longing. "Please," she repeated, more urgently this time, gazing into Gella's intense gray eyes with unbridled lust.

“It helps if you actually ask for what you want.” Gella's calm voice cut through the air like a blade, her words dripping with casual indifference. As she spoke, her fingers lovingly traced along Celia's face, their touch soft and gentle. Caught between the two sensations, Celia couldn't help but feel torn. On one hand, she was the beloved soon-to-be Treasure of her Lady, receiving affection and attention. On the other hand, she was Gella’s helpless subject, bound by the spell of her own lust and powerless to resist.

The conflicting emotions pulsed within Celia's mind, each one resolving and breaking only to resolve again in an endless cycle. With every crossover, Celia felt herself slipping further into a state of smoldering pleasure, losing more and more of herself to the all-consuming desire that gripped her. "Can you ask for what you want?" Gella's voice cut through Celia's haze firmly, pulling her attention back to the mage.

Gella’s suggestion uncoiled in Celia’s mind, unhindered by the raging firestorm of her need. I am content to wait until Gella deems me ready before she claims me. It was perfectly controlled, slithering around the bright desire to beg Gella to claim her fully then and there. There was an increase in the hum of magic, and a sharp sudden burst of pleasure that tensed her whole body. Gella’s power only had to whisper and suddenly she couldn’t beg. An orgasm, a tiny one but still present, and Celia beamed deliriously. “I can’t!” She cried, helplessly,

Gella's curious gaze trailed over her flushed face, lingering on her eager grin. The scent of arousal hung in the air and Gella's sharp eyebrow lifted. "Ah. I believe I understand," the mage purred, her voice as controlled as her magic. Celia shuddered at the power this woman held over her, her own body responding with renewed desire. "You like it when you feel my power correct your thoughts, don't you?" Gella whispered, sending shivers down Celia's spine.

“Yes!” Celia blurted out. All the gods above, it felt so perfect and right to have Gella’s words coiled in her mind. Ready to subtly make her more Gella’s at a moment's notice. The little tingle she usually felt when they triggered, the subtle sense of delight was now magnified a hundred fold.

“Something so bold and blatant isn’t quite how I pictured I’d be taming you, my lovely knight, but l can see the appeal it holds for you,” Gella mused. “Something direct, something solid you can obey.” She paused to drink in Celia’s body. “Kiss me,” she again ordered.

Her lips claimed Celia’s, and the warrior’s body thrust forward before she could rein herself in. Shame battled with the near-overwhelming demands her body was making. She had been told to simply kiss the mage, but Gella was everything she wanted! That much was obvious whenever Gella kissed her or looked at her with those amazing eyes. She couldn’t beg to be hers, even just thinking it brought the soft but inevitable cool trickle of Gella’s power forcing her thoughts into the correct path. But she could beg for the next best thing. “Please,” she began breathless from the kiss. “Let me make you feel good.”

The moment was thick and heavy, suffocating in its intensity. Then Gella shook her head. With each slow shake, Celia felt like she was being struck by a devastating warhammer, the impact reverberating through every bone in her body. Rejection and hurt flooded over her like a venomous tide, threatening to drown her completely. She was on the verge of collapsing to her knees, ready to beg for forgiveness even though she didn't understand what she had done wrong. The magic inside her roared with an almost deafening volume, vibrating through her entire being until it felt like something within her was about to burst and shatter into pieces. And then–

Calm

All the pain, all the pleasure, all the desperate need to beg forgiveness vanished in an instant. Gella’s hand held her own, and a ring adorned in runes and sparkling with magic circled her finger. The sensation of forces under great strain slowed and vanished, leaving only the steady hum of the rest of Gella’s spells. Calling her notebook to her hand with a spell, the mage peered at Celia. “Tell me what just happened.”

“When you shook your head I felt very bad. Like I failed, like I wasn’t good enough for you.” Celia knew intellectually that her voice was completely flat, devoid of any hint of emotion. It matched how she felt. Numb and distant in her own skin. Like how she had felt that first night when Gella had used the rapier on her. Stranger still she could feel her body respond. Flushed sweaty skin, rapid heart beat, the musky perfume of her own slick folds were all readily apparent, but she didn’t actually feel the pleasure anymore. “Then you put the ring on my finger and everything just… stopped.”

“Fascinating,” Gella murmured, making several entries in her notebook. “And unexpected.” Shutting the notebook, Gella met Celia’s gaze. “You didn’t fail, to begin with,” she began firmly. “I simply prefer to only share my body with my own Treasures.” The look of the studious researcher fell away, replaced with a warmth that Celia could recognize even in her pacified state. “When I know that you can give every bit of yourself to me, I will take it gladly.” The tender warmth in her expression became colored with naked desire. “As tempting as you are right now, my lovely Knight, it wouldn’t do at all to spoil myself. When I take a Treasure, when they are completely and utterly mine, it’s like nothing else on Eitheris. You will be that gift to myself.”

That knowledge floated in Celia’s mind, unconnected from anything else. She hadn’t failed, and Gella would share her body once Celia was a full Treasure. Simple and logical. She nodded. “I understand.”

“Perfect,” Gella took another deep breath, letting it out with a self satisfied sigh. The hungry desire on Gella’s face faded back to the calm and collected researcher. “You’ve been an excellent test subject for this ring, as well.” Her gaze turned piercing. “It’s fascinating how much of your mind is currently paralyzed.” Paralyzed felt like an apt descriptor. Her emotions, sensations, down to control of her body felt so numb. “Now, when I remove this, everything is going to come crashing back in at once,” she warned before slipping the ring back off.

The calm shattered in an instant, like a dam crumbling. The ocean of sensation and pleasure hammered down on Celia. Her body ached, beyond desperate for any kind of sensation. That last barrier to being swept away in lust was the deep, powerful need to do as she was told, and Gella hadn’t yet –

“Go ahead, Celia, make yourself feel good.”

Only a moment after Gella said the words, the last barrier crumbled away, and Celia lost herself to desire. Clumsy and desperate hands roamed her own body, pulling off and discarding her suddenly restrictive clothes. She moaned in unrestrained delight, savoring not just the feeling of her fingers toying with her breast or her palm grinding against her flushed sex, but the fact that she was doing it for Gella. Obeying, feeling good, and doing as she was told all mixed together into a powerful haze of passion.

Slick warmth radiated from her, enveloping her fingers and sending buzzing shocks directly to her mind. Hard, unyielding wood dug into her skin, the discomfort adding to the torrent of sensations surging through the warrior. Her fevered imagination locked on it, conjuring phantoms of pain and pleasure mixed together, then that too was washed away by the memory of just how powerful Gella’s grip on her was.

The brief bit of ice-like clarity from her numbed state, of knowing with certainty that she hadn’t disappointed Gella, that she was going to be a gift the mage gave herself, suddenly melted into tantalizingly decadent syrup. Profound awe flowed along with it. Gella was in complete control of Celia’s taming, and all the warrior could do was follow along.

She moaned, her body writhing in an intense state of arousal. Her Lady's perfect plan for her sent waves of pleasure coursing through her hypersensitive form. Celia's eyes squeezed shut, consumed by a pure blissful submission as she was pushed over the edge. The teasing orgasm from before had only heightened her desires, and now they burned white-hot. With every second that passed, she surrendered to the intoxicating mix of lust and need, until finally collapsing into a satisfied heap of pleasure.

Far too soon for Celia’s liking, the wood digging into her body pushed away the post orgasm fog. Her body still felt incredibly, wonderfully sensitive, and her hand drifted back to carefully brush along her body, sending little sparkles of delight along her nerves. Blinking open her eyes, Celia was met with Gella leaning back in her own chair and admiring Celia. “You really are a magnificent specimen,” the mage repeated happily.

Smiling, the warrior nodded and slumped further against the chair as a sudden wave of lethargy passed over her. The day had finally caught up with her, her strength gloriously spent in service to Gella. Her grin turned dreamy while she continued stroking her skin lightly, squirming weakly at little tingles of delight. “I like being your specimen, my Lady,” she said, a tired yawn distorting the last word.

Gella nodded, looking pleased. “You need rest, and I would be a poor researcher indeed if I let my specimen possibly injure herself getting to bed in your state,” she teased lightly. “One moment.” She shut her eyes and Celia recognized the signs of mind to mind communication. Her attention drifted, little flashes of her day playing across her tired mind. She felt proud, pleasantly sated, happy and

A lingering worry manifested, slippery and nearly vanishing back into the tiredness gathering at the edges of Celia’s mind. The lake, she and Lauren worried about… something. A spell? “Violet will be here in a moment to take you to bed,” Gella informed her, the mage’s calm powerful presence flaring bright enough to nearly dislodge the worry completely.

“There was… something,” Celia tried uncertainty, “Lauren and I were worried about it. At the lake.”

Gella’s eyebrow rose curiously. “That’s not much to go on, what kind of worry?”

Thinking beyond the pleasant pall of satisfaction and pleasure was so, so hard. Her body was still very persistent in its desire, and her mind felt so warm and… And so soft that Celia was surprised it wasn’t leaking from her ears. She giggled mindlessly at the mental image, only finding the thread of her concern after Violet opened the door. “Tabby, I think. And magic?” Thoughts came together. “She’s acting weird, even for Tabby. Is she alright, my Lady?”

“Violet, take care of Celia, if you would.” Gella casually ordered the maid before turning her attention fully to Celia. “My Pretty Kitty can be quite eccentric, it’s part of her charm,” she dismissed. “But I can check her over, if you are truly worried?”

“Yes. Thank you, my Lady.” Celia said with a grateful nod.

Violet bent low and gathered Celia into a bridal carry, her uniform feeling incredible on Celia’s bare skin. Standing up effortlessly despite Celia’s added weight, Violet bowed her head at Gella. “Let’s leave our Lady to her work,” Violet said quietly. “I know she would enjoy that.”

Celia nodded, easily letting the prickly worry sink far away from her conscious mind. She had gotten the troublesome thoughts out in the open, after all. Gella was so clever and powerful, if there was anything to worry about, she would be the one to take care of it. As Violet stepped out into the corridor Celia’s eyes began to weigh heavily on her. Each blink took a little longer than it should. “Rest, Celia. I’ll take care of you.”

Scarred over faint resentment prickled slightly, but Celia pushed that aside. Gella trusted Violet implicitly, and Celia was going to be Gella’s. She had to trust the elf as well, she was sure that’s what Gella would want. So Celia just nodded once and let herself drift off in Violet’s embrace, lulled by the warmth and strength of the elven maid.

________________

“You don’t need to comb my hair for me, Violet,” Celia weakly protested while making no move to stop the soothing, careful strokes running through her hair. The elven woman had taken Gella’s command to heart, doing far more than simply escorting Celia to bed. Violet ensured that Celia bathed, relieved herself, and was otherwise expertly cared for. Which apparently included combing Celia’s hair.

“Perhaps I don’t need to, Celia,” Violet said calmly. “But I want to. For your sake and for our Lady’s.” That made perfect sense, Celia decided. They all wanted to please Gella, and if Violet thought this was the way to do it, Celia certainly wasn’t going to stop it. The fact that It felt wonderful didn’t hurt either. The comb’s teeth tugged her hair just slightly, providing a pattern of sensation that Violet kept up expertly.

They were seated on Celia’s bed. The warrior in a soft blue nightdress and smelling of soap and shampoo and Violet in a deep purple one. Breathing in brought the faint subtle scent of Violet’s perfume. Each slow calm breath brought more and more relaxation and lethargy to the warrior. “Celia,” Violet prompted, getting a soft noise of acknowledgement in return. “You know our Lady enjoys toying with our minds, right?”

Smiling drunkenly, Celia nodded slowly. Having her mind toyed felt fantastic, doubly so when the beautiful mage was the one doing it. “I really, really do,” she gushed

“I’ve developed some wonderful potions for our Lady for that very purpose,” Violet said smoothly, the careful rhythm of comb strokes unbroken. “You know how good they can feel.” She left the statement hanging in the air while Celia’s recollections played across her mind. Regardless of how she felt being used for the elf’s game, Celia had to admit that Violet had made her feel fantastic. A warm anticipatory bloom of excitement ignited in her tummy. “Would you like to feel that way with me again?” Violet asked, temptingly. “I know our Lady would love for us to get along better.”

Celia scooted around to face Violet. As expected, she had a tiny sliver of metal in her fingers. A needle thin enough to not even draw a drop of blood if it were to prick her neck. She smiled giddily at Violet. They might not be a lover like Lauren, but Celia had to admit there was attraction to the strong, skilled elf. “I… What do you want to do? With my mind, I mean?” Celia stammered

“I’ll let you drift in a happy cloud for a while, perhaps kiss you as well;” she promised, twirling the needle temptingly. “Then I’ll slip a few words into your mind, things you won’t even know you are obeying. Things I promise you won’t object to.” Her voice slipped into a seductive purr that pulled Celia’s fantasies with what Violet would do. Just as she was about to agree, a yawn pulled itself free from her lips. While she was certainly willing, her body seemed ready to end the day. Before she could argue the point, Violet only shook her head. “You don’t need to do a thing, Celia. You can just rest and drift. I’ll take care of you, as our Lady commanded.”

It was Gella’s command, that was true. Violet had proven that above all else she would obey Gella. “Alright Violet, go ahead,” she agreed softly, tilting her head and baring the side of her neck.

The prick of the needle was barely felt and with her a flick of her fingers Violet sent it… somewhere. “What kind of… ohhhhh…” Celia began, only to feel her mind begin to softly dissolve in a fuzzy mass of half thoughts and giggles. Before she could pitch backwards, Violet had her hands on her shoulders. Feeling like she was moving through syrup, Celia sighed happily while Violet maneuvered them both to spoon close in her bed. One arm wrapped around Celia’s stomach, comfortable and so warm. The last vestiges of strength fled the warrior’s body, leaving her feeling wonderfully languid and soft. True to her word, Violet only pressed a few light kisses to the back of Celia’s neck. They were soft and sweet, brief warm dots of affection that nevertheless made Celia grin.

“Just let it take you, Celia,” Violet’s voice trickled in, warm and tempting. Not that Celia had either the ability of intention to resist whatever pleasant potion Violet had dosed her with. She squirmed lightly, eagerly savoring the sensations tracing her exhausted body. It wasn’t all consuming lust, or demanding submission. This was a much softer, more diffused kind of pleasure. Violet remained silent while what remained of Celia’s mind bubbled and swirled into a mass of dreamy fantasies. She shut her eyes. The world outside of her bed, the warm strong woman holding her, and the peaceful euphoria flooding her ceased to matter.

“Celia,” Violet’s voice was a whisper in her ear, intimate and loving. “You love to obey, to do as you are told, right?”

That drove her to give a slow firm nod. She loved getting to obey. The ephemeral warmth pulsed though her body, reminding her that obedience so often led to pleasure. Clumsy leaden fingers worked up her thigh, drawing the soft fabric of her nightgown over her skin with aching slowness.

“It’s easy to obey, even if you don’t remember the exact commands,” Violet continued, adding a delicate kiss to Celia’s cheek.

That brought half-remembered moments of her and Gella, in the house of pleasure in town. Gella’s words crept beneath her own notice even now. Wrapped around her mind in strands so fine as to be nearly invisible. She sighed dreamily, and fingers brushed the soft downy hair framing her folds.

“So you don’t need to remember my commands. You’ll obey them all the same.” Violet purred with just a touch of firmness in her voice.

Celia’s fingers slipped inside her sex slowly, each moment of pleasure stretched and distorted by whatever elixir was flowing over her mind. She groaned quietly, nodding along with Violet. The quiet, subtle sound of slick fingers over flushed skin sounded oddly noticeable in the comfortable silence.

“Tomorrow, after breakfast, you will change into comfortable clothes and go to the woods on the far side of Wand’s Reach.” Violet commanded, the force in her voice no less powerful for the still-whispered volume. “Do you understand?”

Celia’s head slowly nodded, her mind swamped in alchemical and submissive bliss. She would obey, she had to obey. She wouldn’t even need to remember. The heat enveloping her fingers surged, coating them with her slick essence and a heavy feeling of pleasure.

“Very good Celia,” Violet cooed with another kiss. “Now, bring yourself over the edge. Then you will fall into a deep and restful sleep. You won’t remember the specifics of this conversation until you hear me say the fog has lifted. Do you understand?” She asked patiently, one hand slipping underneath Celia’s pillow for a moment.

Words were beyond the warrior, but she managed to sigh and nod before her focus shifted entirely to slip past that edge. Warm soothing pleasure swirled, beckoning her further and further, her fingers toying slowly but firmly. Release found her, surrounded her like a pool of warmth and satisfaction. With a sated grin the warrior let her lurid fantasies blend into full dreams, until a heavy sleep fell over her.