Behind the Curtain: Chapter VIII

Story by Tyvara_Panther on SoFurry

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#8 of Behind the Curtain


*copyrighted by Tyvara_Panther in February 2008.

I in no way condone the unpleasant actions that follow, the scenes involved take place for plot development.*

That evening and the next day, was spent with Willa, who assisted in the selection of a new set of guards. With each comforting and concerned face that was added, she felt a sense of calm and hope, and by the second day she went in search of a new room. Alirik showed her ten rooms he guaranteed were free of any secret passageways Vartouhi would know about or have access to. These were rooms typically reserved for royalty, not concubines, and the hidden corridors were accessible by a trick Alirik swore could only be performed by those who had been told by a member of royalty, and since he was the only member of royalty, present in the palace, Sayrea felt confident that regardless of her choice, she was safe from Vartouhi. Each room featured a different style and a different wood; she chose the room of ebony with rococo furniture;

That room had been fairly empty, with only a gigantic, but old and ignored, four-post bed and scant furniture; the one she stood in now was breathtaking. The green room of her past pains was forgotten as she stood before the stunning vision of azure, and asymmetrical fancifulness that greeted her. The old four-post bed had been rejuvenated with a polished shine of wood oil and lavishly decorated with billows of thick ultramarine, cornflower, and cerulean colored curtains and blankets, all accented with layers of seashell lace and piles of bister grey, leather pillows. The bureau had also received an oil treatment and shone a brilliant black-ochre. It was covered with more bottles of oils than she'd had in her previous room, and this had the added adornment of beautiful boxes which she discovered were filled with elaborate and jeweled earrings and ear cuffs, hair adornments, and hat pins. She now had a dresser that rivaled her old one by three times, and was filled with clothing in every shade of greens, yellows and greys. She had a new table and writing desk, the former set with china, the latter with paper, inks, and quills from swans, crows, eagles and owls as well as a variety of other useful stationary items. This room also had a balcony, this one to the right instead of the left, framed with immense curtains in similar colors as her bed, and outside was a vast stretch of forest that encased a large lake and the peaks of mountains could be seen in the far distance.

She returned back to her room with an intense smile across her face as she marveled at all that was now hers and she spun around the room in ecstatic bliss, and stopped only when she saw Alirik enter the room, to which she yelped in surprise and blushed furiously.

"I trust you are pleased by your new boudoir." Alirik inquired with outstretched arms.

Sayrea fell into them with a happy sigh and they held each other close for a moment before she replied, "Yes, very much. It's beautiful, more than I'd ever expect, considering it only took you a couple of days to get it this way."

The two pulled apart and looked warmly at each other as Alirik said, "I have a great deal of servants with black stains, and worn paws, but it is done." He gripped her paws tightly as he added, "Your safety was my utmost concern."

Sayrea smiled and kissed him. "I feel much safer now."

"Good, I am glad." Alirik said, with a smile.

"I feel safe enough to want to go over our mating ceremony and make all this official."

Alirik practically beamed and kissed Sayrea. "This is wonderful." He exclaimed as he gripped her shoulders, then hugged and held her close. "I shall make arrangements immediately and Willa will begin to instruct you on the traditions of the ceremony, but for now what would you like to do, since our options now are limitless."

She smiled up at Alirik and turned toward her balcony windows and then back to the Emperor with wide hopeful eyes. "How far is it to that lake?"

The ermine grinned as he followed her glance, "It depends on how fast we go."

Sayrea eyes sparkled as she replied. "I can go fast if the horse is sure."

He laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her toward the door. "Well I have some of the surest horses in all the empires, and you shall have the honor to select one for yourself."

With that they made their way to the stables, a few covert guards followed in their wake. Once there they selected their horses and securely fastened their supplies to them before they took off into the forest. As they galloped in tandem, the trees flew by like flashes of green and brown shafts, and the wind whisked through their fur and hair, and tousled their clothes. By midday they reached the lake and the horses were given a well-deserved rest.

The better part of the afternoon was spent lounging about the lakeshore, both vixen and ermine contented in the company of one another. They spoke seldom, as they held each other and watched as nature displayed itself before them. At one point they fell asleep in one another's arms and woke when the sun touched the treetops across the lake.

With a yawn and a stretch each, they rose to ready the horses and they galloped back home; when they reached it, the sun had sunk below the trees and the sky was accented with shades of orange. Once back in the stables, and with their horses in the capable hands of stable boys, they held one another for a few moments.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself today." He whispered into her hair.

"I did. I'm sorry I was so boring and quiet." She replied at his chest.

"You never are boring; you are spectacular." He paused as his tail flicked against hers. "And I love you."

"I love you."

Alirik squeezed her and held her for a moment longer before he pulled away. "We shall have breakfast tomorrow, until then I leave you with your guards."

She turned and saw the friendly faces that waited for her and she left the embrace of the Emperor. "Till tomorrow then." She said with a smile and a flick of her tail, as she followed the guards to her rooms. Once there she found her barely day old pristine room was covered with fabrics, papers, jewels, piles of random objects that she couldn't account for, and an endless barrage of boxes, strewn every which way about the boudoir.

Willa looked up excitedly when she saw Sayrea enter the room. "Did you have a pleasant day out?"

"I did actually." She paused and took another glance about the room and added, "So . . . what's all this?"

Willa looked up, perplexity plastered across her face as she replied, "Well, it's for you wedding ceremony, or have you forgotten that you told the Emperor this morning that you wanted to proceed with the ritual?"

"Of course I didn't forget." She looked about the room again. "All this is for the wedding?"

"This is where we start. First I must instruct you on the basic principles and motions of the ceremony. Mustelid weddings are vastly different from anything you're familiar with."

Sayrea simply nodded in reply as she looked at all the piles of random objects. "Alirik gave me the impression that it was pretty simple. We exchange the necklace, we say some vows then we're done."

"No offence to the Emperor," Willa said, as she began to pick up random spools of fabric and placed them in boxes. "But you have no idea what you're supposed to do or what will be going on since the whole thing will be done in ancient Mustelid." Willa continued to pick up items and putting them in their respective boxes as she spoke. "In addition to that there are prayers and vows to recite and it's all done from memory. The dressmakers have your measurements so I no longer need all the fabric and trim they left here." She paused and looked up at Sayrea, her arms full of dressmaking mess. "Would you like a bath before we get to this?"

Sayrea nodded and began to pull at the ribbons and lacings of her dress as Willa put what she was holding neatly in their respective boxes and then went to fill the tub. Sayrea finished undressing herself and was done when the bath was ready. She took her time to wash the day off her, making sure that she cleaned her healing shoulder wounds, as Willa finished tidying up, and by the time Sayrea climbed out of the tub and had her fur dried and oiled, Willa had all the candles in the room lit and had various scrolls laid out on the table, along with a pot of tea and chocolate-covered shortbread cookies. The room was warm and cozy with every candle lit, and all the thick curtains and blankets gave the room a tentlike atmosphere.

After she slipped into a luxurious grass-green silken robe, Sayrea made her way to the table as Willa called for a page to remove all the packed boxes. They were removed as Sayrea poured herself a cup of tea and took a look at the first scroll as Willa approached. "It's a translation of the ceremony."

"There are a lot of scrolls."

Willa nodded and added, "There is a lot that goes into a Mustelid mating ceremony." Sayrea nodded and Willa continued, "If you need anything, I'll be in my room." She indicated the maids' entrance in the corner then bowed before she left the room.

Sayrea spent the remainder of the evening hunched over her table, intent on absorbing all that the scrolls had to offer and by the time her eyelids felt painfully sore and heavy, her head swam with thoughts of the wedding that lay before her. She had a rather intense list of prayers that needed to be memorized and the ceremony was rife with symbolic gestures and ritualistic movements that one needed to perform, often repetitively throughout the wedding. She continued to read until the words began to blur, and fade in and out of focus, and she felt her head slump with sleep.

In one swift movement, Sayrea hauled herself out of her chair and shook her head swiftly to wake herself. She then proceeded to blow out the remaining candles and saved the last for those by her bedside, and as she snuggled into her new bed, she sighed contentedly and pulled the pillows and blankets around her until she had erected a miniature fort within her bed. Sayrea murred and snuggled into a comfortable position, without a care to the candles which burned themselves out in the night.

The next morning Sayrea woke as the sun warmed the foot of her bed. She wriggled upright and blinked sleep from her eyes as she looked about her spectacular new room. As she reclined against the pillows she debated weather to roll out of bed or not as she rubbed her paw pads against the silk sheets. When the sun rays reached her knees, she heard Willa's doorknob wriggle, and soon her maid emerged.

Sayrea shut her eyes and continued to relax as Willa busied herself about the room, and her heart fluttered anytime she heard Willa move toward her bed, as she waited anxiously for the moment to be shaken awake. At length she felt Willa's gentle prod and she fluttered open her eyes. "Good morning."

"You slept well, I trust."

"I did indeed." Sayrea acknowledged, as she stretched underneath the covers.

"The Emperor would like you to join him for breakfast, so you may want to stir yourself from bed soon."

She nodded a reply as she shuffled her blankets down to her foot paws before she slid out of bed. She made her way to her bureau and wriggled out of her robe, and then began to brush the tousled, bed-fresh look from her fur, and with each tangle that she yanked free with her brush, Sayrea felt herself waken and the tingle of sleep faded from her slightly numb limbs.

Willa then dressed her in a long flowing grass-green dress with sleeves that trailed behind her and gave the appearance that she was walking through water when she moved. Around her waist, went a silver cincher that was studded with jade and dollops of mother-of-pearl, and laced with a thick silver cord with long frayed ends that lay on either side of her tail, which swished freely once through the opening made for it. Her hair was left long and the natural waves caused her hair to spiral slightly as it dried. The last to go on was the necklace, which was framed nicely by the neckline of her dress and accentuated by her ample bosom. Sayrea batted her eyelashes coyly at her reflection and grinned with satisfaction.

Now that she was dressed and ready for the Emperor, she was now left with nothing to do, but wait until she was sent for. So she went to her table and began to peruse through the mating ceremony scrolls. At length there came a knock at her door, before two of her guards entered, and she rose and followed them from her room and down the hallways. They passed the happy sconces that now slept without the light to pour through them, and past the tapestries and paintings, until she was before the large oak door of the Emperor's bedchamber. The gong was sounded and the doors opened as her guards' quickly bowed and turned to wait.

She stepped inside and looked about the room; it was the same vibrant hue of red and orange. The balcony doors were opened wide to let in the morning light and the brisk fresh air. She then saw that the Emperor stood waiting for her.

Alirik was poised at the foot of the stairs with his arms outstretched. He smiled warmly at her and Sayrea rose immediately and rushed to him; they wrapped their arms around one another, and after a time their lips gravitated toward each other and met in a tender kiss.

"Well I see that you fared well in your new room."

She nodded and smiled. "Very well. One of the most restful sleeps I've had in a long time."

"I am glad to hear it." I would like to hope that I could provide you with some sense of security."

Sayrea responded with another hug.

"I hope that you are hungry, for I have had some rather delicious fare prepared for us."

Sayrea pulled away slightly, with only her paws around Alirik's waist as she looked up at him. "That sounds delightful."

"Well then let us sit and enjoy." He suggested as he took Sayrea by the paw and led her to the table. Once she was seated comfortably, Alirik uncovered the tray, which revealed a small basket of popovers, a plate of pastirma, seasoned curd cheese, and a bowl of coconut kefir mixed with various berries, chunky granola, and candied almonds, with coffee and pomegranate juice to wash it all down with. They sat and served themselves, and enjoyed a cup of coffee and glass of juice apiece. They ate in relative silence, and only looked at one another whenever their eyes glanced upwards, which caused both of them to smile wide like overexcited school children.

When they had both finished, they lounged contentedly in their chairs, each with another cup of coffee wrapped in their paws, which they sipped slowly.

"You do seem more refreshed and vibrant than usual."

"I feel that way." She said as she stood, cup in paw, and walked toward the balcony windows. She faced the outside as she rested against one of the opened doors; she closed her eyes and let the sunshine wash over her.

Alirik slowly rose from his seat and went to Sayrea; he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her hips, which pressed her to him. He nuzzled her cheek and she grinned, her eyes still closed, before she opened them and took another sip from her cup, as she let a free paw move to clasp Alirik's.

"I have never seen you look more beautiful."

Her ears shifted downwards as a smile came to her lips, and a flush to the pinks of her ears. She squeezed his paw before she left his embrace and stepped out onto the balcony; she walked toward the ledge and rested against it as she set her cup beside her. Sayrea swished her tail back and forth as she looked outwards at the landscape that would soon be hers. She felt some freedom in that, and a sense of satisfaction--she had finally chosen a path that had resulted in the elimination of all the pain and uncertainty in her life.

Alirik followed her and wrapped himself around her as she leaned forward against the ledge. One paw pressed against her lower abdomen, just below the cincher, as the other slowly traced its way up her arm and over her paws. "I love you." He whispered into her ear.

Sayrea's fur bristled and prickled as shivers ran the length of her. She snuggled against his shoulder as she whispered a happy sigh. "I love you too."

His muscles flexed as he gripped her tighter, and he nuzzled her hair which made Sayrea feel her heart thump within her chest. She felt his length press against her and she became aware that he was without a codpiece this morning.

Every inch of Sayrea's body felt alive as Alirik began to kiss and nibble at her neck. Her legs wobbled and she was glad that she rested against the balcony or she might have fallen. Then in a swift movement he twisted Sayrea around, and pressed himself to her as he kissed her deeply. His tongue probed and explored the entirety of her mouth, and his force took Sayrea's breath away. She felt consumed by him, and as the ermine gathered her into his arms, his mouth remained attentive to hers. He gripped her firmly and carried her back into his rooms and off toward the bedroom where he gently launched her onto his enormous feather bed and the soft silk sheets. Before Sayrea could blink, Alirik was beside her, his lips on hers again with kisses more forceful then before. She embraced him and he rolled on top of her, which let his swollen cock pulse against her sex, and she moaned deeply into his kiss. When Alirik finally pulled away, he gripped the collar of her dress and ripped it down until her breasts were exposed. He purred deeply, then thrust his head between her soft round tits and nuzzled them.

"You're so beautiful." Came his muffled reply, as he began to lick and suck her nipples, which caused Sayrea to moan in bliss. She then realized that Alirik's paw had meandered through her dress to find her sex, and it brushed against her mound until she felt her wetness on him. In one lightning fast thrust she felt Alirik slam into her, and she let out a screaming moan. His cock swelled deep within her and he thrust into her again which elicited another similar sound. His force took her breath away and reminded her of Enerin--but only for a moment. His thrusts continued each strong and sure as he grunted with lust. Sayrea's screams mimicked Alirik's motions as she felt her body shake and pulse as her climax rose until she could hold it at bay no longer and her world exploded in the passionate bliss of orgasm and her high pitched yips echoed around her,

But then, as Sayrea felt her body wriggle in pleasure, Alirik gripped her tighter, and as quickly as he had slammed himself into her, he flipped her over and pressed her head against the pillows; she gave a cry but it was muffled. She felt Alirik's member swell as he thrust it against her ass and she squealed in panic. "Wait."

He thrust against her hole.

"Wait!"

He pushed and she felt him struggle inside.

"Stop!"

With one sure thrust he slammed himself within her ass and she screamed in pain; the skin felt torn and burned as if on fire.

"Please."

He pulled from her only to slam deeply into her once again, which elicited another pitiful scream as tears streamed down her face. She felt herself lurch as she tried to accommodate the Emperor anally, which forced her to gasp desperately for air. He thrust into her again and she felt nauseous as the urge to defecate became unbearable. He slammed again and she choked back the beginnings of vomit, and her tailhole pulsed in pain. His thrusts came hard and fast with each launching the searing pain to new dizzying heights, and her entire body trembled as her head swam.

Did he not hear her? Could he not tell she was in pain? She cried pitifully to herself as her body jerked with each of Alirik's thrusts--and after a while her body grew numb and further still her jaw trembled, and a fresh set of tears coated the pillows and sheets.

Then finally, after what felt like an eternity of torment the Emperor began to grunt and growl, and his thrusts came sharp and fast, until an orgasmic scream slipped past his lips and Sayrea felt his cock twitch within her sore and sensitive ass. He gripped her tightly as he filled her with his seed and he quivered until the last of his orgasm had passed.

Almost as quickly as he had begun, he released Sayrea and pulled from her tailhole, which only caused her cries to become more audible. She quavered, and as Alirik touched her side she jerked from him, in her own meager attempt of rejection.

"Sayrea?"

Her trembles intensified as she curled into a ball, with her tail pulled tight between her legs and her muzzle buried in her paws. Her cries were coarse as she felt fluid leak from practically every orifice.

"What have I done?" She heard the Emperor mumble as she struggled to crawl within herself.

Sayrea felt the ermine slip off the bed and walk to the door, and the next she knew she had been scooped up by a guard. She didn't struggle or move, she simply cried; her tail clutched in one paw and held tight against her chest as the other covered her eyes. She heaved as the cries continued and only became louder as they exited the Emperor's chambers--and sooner than Sayrea would have guessed they arrived at her room and she was laid in bed--and as the curtains were closed around her, she felt a part of her soul die.

*Comments are welcomed. Please comment. I love comments, comments make me want to post more often and work harder toward completing stories. Anything is welcome, questions, comments, critiques, all these things help me become a better writer so please, let me know what you think -- Thanks ^ ^ *