“If the Domina will turn herself over now,” he said politely.

Lara rolled over with a sigh, and the masseur began anew with her neck and shoulders. Next he moved on to her breasts, massaging each one in turn, drawing the nipples out and pinching them gently to stimulate them. Her torso and belly were then attended to before he reached her silky, smooth female mound. Pulling her legs apart, he massaged the mound, drawing her nether lips apart to rub a goodly amount of oil into them. He ceased but a moment to reach into a small open jar, taking a bit of white powder upon the tip of his finger. Then he carefully inserted the finger into her main female passage, spreading the soft powder into the walls of her sheath.

“What is it?” Lara asked him.

“Alum to tighten you,” the masseur told her, rubbing gently.

“What else?” Lara said.

“I would not know, Domina,” the masseur answered.

“Did your master give it to you?” she queried him.

“Aye, he did,” the masseur replied, withdrawing his finger, washing his hands again and then continuing on to complete the massage.

Lara closed her eyes again and smiled. If she knew Kaliq he had mixed something with the alum to make certain her arousal was complete this night, for Lara knew before the banquet was over she would share pleasures with several of the Shadow Princes, for that was the custom at these feasts. She had not attended such an event in many years, but she remembered the last one as an incredibly pleasurable experience. The Shadow Princes were sensual and skilled lovers of women.

“I am finished now, Domina,” the masseur announced.

“Thank you for your attention,” she said to him. “Your fingers are most skilled.”

The masseur bowed in response, and departed the room even as the bath mistress reentered it to escort Lara back to her chamber where the serving woman awaited to help her dress. The gown she held out for Lara’s inspection was of the finest silk and as sheer as a cobweb. It was midnight-blue in hue, but she would not don it until her hair was done. But first Lara sat while the servant painted her nipples a carmine-red.

The color was made from a sweet fruit that came from Umbra trees, which were native to the Desert Kingdom’s gardens. It was, along with the horses raised by the Shadow Princes, highly prized by the people of Hetar, but so rare that it was available to only those magnates and a few Pleasure Mistresses who could afford to purchase it. Lara sat quietly while the serving woman blew the dye dry.

Next the servant dressed Lara’s beautiful long hair, brushing it and then braiding two narrow plaits intertwined with slender chains of jewels on either side of her head while leaving a long swath of golden hair to stream down her back. Then she slipped the gossamer gown onto the faerie woman’s form. A loose-fitting thin gold chain was fitted about her waist as a final adornment. “You are ready, Domina,” the serving woman said. “Shall I escort you to the banqueting hall?”

“Nay,” Lara responded. “I know the way. Thank you for your service.” Then she left the smiling servant, walking across Kaliq’s private garden to the main corridor of his palace. She looked over the marble balcony that opened out to the Valley of the Horses below. The herds of the Shadow Princes, sleek and beautiful as ever, grazed in the early-evening sunlight. Lara sighed. What memories she had of that valley, of traveling across it with Noss, and through its magical cliffs into the Outlands once populated by the clan families. Now, of course, it was all changed because of Hetar’s insatiable greed.

“You will be late for the banquet,” a familiar voice murmured in her ear.

“Lothair!” Lara turned to greet her old sword master.

“How is Andraste?” he asked as he escorted her down the wide corridor to the banquet hall.

“Cranky, for there has been nothing for her to do in these last years,” Lara said.

“That will all change soon,” Lothair said dryly.

“What do you know?” Lara was immediately curious.

“What you will eventually know,” he teased her. “You are Kaliq’s protégée, not mine, beautiful faerie woman, and he is jealous where you are concerned, as you know.” He led her to where Kaliq was seated and greeting his guests. “Brother, I bring you Lara,” Lothair said, seating her next to his fellow prince. “Now I must leave you, for there are two delightful little beauties eagerly awaiting me.” He bowed and walked away.

“Where did you find him?” Kaliq asked her.

“He came upon me in the main corridor as I looked down into the valley, and was assailed by memories,” Lara told him. “Sometimes my memories seem like just yesterday, and at other times they seem so long ago. Why are you doing this feast, Kaliq?” Reaching out, she put a hand upon his silk-clad arm.

“We will need my brothers’ aid to find Kolbein,” he said. He was wearing a loose-fitting white silk robe trimmed in gold thread and tiny sapphires that matched his eyes. He took the hand she had laid upon his arm, kissing both its back and palm.

His eyes met hers, and Lara smiled. “Why is it I am always happy here in Shunnar?” she said.

“Because you belong here,” he told her quietly.

Do not break his heart with a hard word, child, Lara heard her guardian spirt say.

“Will your brothers involve themselves in this matter?” she instead asked him.

A quick, brief smile touched his lips as she avoided his passion. “Some will. Others will not,” he told her. Then, looking about his banquet hall, he saw that all his guests had arrived, and signaled with his hand to his majordomo for the feasting to begin.

Kaliq’s efficient serving staff came forth with bowls of oysters, prawns and other crustaceans, offering crocks of mustard and dill sauces along with the seafood. The guests all reclined upon couches as they ate. Each Shadow Prince was accompanied by one or more beautiful women gowned in sensual garments all meant to entice. They were of every skin hue with beautiful long hair in all colors. Some fed their male companions, some were fed by them.

Platters of poultry, ham, beef and game followed as a second course along with green salad, hot fresh breads, butter and cheeses. Lara ate sparingly, for she knew she would take pleasures soon with Kaliq and some of his brothers. She feasted upon two fat prawns, some capon, ham and salad. She nibbled a few bites of bread and cheese. And when a servant offered her a platter of fresh fruits she picked an apricot and some cherries. Her silver cup of wine was never empty it seemed. When a servant brought a small bowl of scented water and a towel, she washed the remnants of her meal from her hands and face.

Kaliq stood up then to speak. “The darkness threatens to rise again, my brothers,” he began, looking about the banqueting hall.

“There must always be a balance of good and evil, Kaliq,” one of his brothers said. “You know that better than any.”

“The Dark Lands grow restless, and need a ruler once again,” Kaliq said.

“Has Chancellor Alfrigg grown too weak, then, to control it?” came the query.

“He grows old, and is tired of the responsibility. He had maintained a charade no one believes, but no one has dared question until now. Kol’s daughter, the Darkling Ciarda, is about to challenge the natural order of things. One of Kol’s sons must take his place as the Twilight Lord before she does so, my brothers.”

“Would not a female strong enough to gain the Twilight Throne be an advantage to us all?” a Shadow Prince asked. “A civil war to unseat her would be more to our advantage than one of Kol’s sons would be.”

“The Darkling means to complete her father’s plan of conquest, my brothers,” Kaliq said quietly.

“She has not the power to disturb us,” someone said.

“Nay, she does not,” Kaliq agreed, “but should Hetar and then Terah fall into her hands, my brothers, the darkness would rule our world.”

“What do you want us to do?” Lothair asked.

“We have already located one of Kol’s sons. And we know the region in which the other dwells. Alfrigg has been clever. Neither of the twins knows his heritage. It will be up to Lara to choose which one shall rule in his father’s place. As for the other, he will never learn of his heritage and war will be avoided. If Kol’s son comes forward the Darkling will be defeated.”

“Will he not be a danger to us, too?”

“Each of these boys has been raised as the children of their foster parents. They have no idea how to rule. Alfrigg will have to teach them to be royal. It will take time. We will see that they are corrupted by the sudden power, the wealth and the women who will be available to them. The Dark Lands will always accept a male heir over a female one. If the Darkling Ciarda tries to take over it will cause civil strife, which would also be to our advantage, my brothers, but she is more dangerous.”

“Then what do you want of us, Kaliq?” Lothair asked.

“There are only a few families where the twin, Kolbein, may be hidden. I need to know which family has fostered him. It is a simple enough task, but time is of the essence, and so I come to you, my brothers, for help.”

There was a murmur of discussion among the Shadow Princes in the hall. Finally one of them, Eskil by name, said, “You seem to involve yourself much in the affairs of these mortals. Can they not evolve on their own?”

“Did we?” Kaliq asked in return.

“Blasphemy!” came the brief cry, but he who spoke the word was shouted down by the others.

“It is written that the fates of those of us in the magical worlds are inexorably intertwined with the mortal races,” Prince Nasim reminded the others. “It has always been our duty to guide, but some of you have forgotten that. You prefer to live comfortably in your palaces with the women who attract you, raising horses and existing in utter idleness. Many of you will not even take your turn on the Hetarian High Council, leaving that duty to just a few of us.”

“The darkness cannot be allowed to prevail over the light,” Kaliq reminded his guests. “We need to keep these forces of evil off balance. I will seek among the Wolfyn for Kol’s son Kolbein. Who will join me?”

Nasim, Eskil and Lothair called out that they would come. Kaliq’s stern gaze swept the banqueting hall until two other of his brothers, Gaszi and Terriss, volunteered to help seek for Kolbein, as well.

“We will go on the morrow,” Kaliq announced. “Now, however, my brothers, it is time for us to partake of the pleasures we all enjoy so very much.” He clapped his hands thrice and at once all the guests were rendered naked. Good-natured laugher followed and the servants began bringing in sweets and making certain the wine cups were well filled. Within a very few minutes the princes and their women began partaking of passion.

Lara lay back, her golden head in Kaliq’s lap. She smiled up at him lovingly. Two of the princes availed themselves of her breasts. They began to suck upon them eagerly. The sweet juice of the Umbra tree that had been painted upon her nipples had upon contact with her flesh become a powerful aphrodesiac. Lara could feel their male rods lengthing and growing hard against her thighs, which were spread wide, allowing another of the princes to suckle upon her love bud. She closed her eyes, and sank into the depth of the passion that was beginning to overwhelm her.

“Is it good, my love?” Kaliq asked her, licking at her ear, and then kissing it.

“Aye, my lord, it is good,” Lara murmured.

“They will want you all at once,” he told her.

Lara smiled softly. “I know,” she said.

Then one of the princes lay flat upon his back, and, lifting Lara up, impaled her upon his love rod while pulling her forward so his brother might avail himself of her rear passage. That prince oiled his rod, and Lara’s opening. Then, holding her hips in a firm grip, he pushed into that tight passage. Now the prince who had suckled upon that tender bit of her flesh stood before her, lifting her head up to put himself into her mouth. Then the three Shadow Princes began to move in perfect rhythm together. The quartet swam in deepest pleasures, releasing their juices at the exact same moment, sending Lara into a deep swoon of delight. When she came to her senses once again she was lying in Kaliq’s arms while around her the sounds of the taking of pleasures arose. There were moans of contentment, and soft cries of fulfillment as the princes and the women enjoyed each other’s bodies. A handsome prince that Lara did not remember seeing before came and stood before her.

May I? he asked in the silent language.

Kaliq? Lara said.

I am content to wait, as you will be mine for the remainder of the night, my love, Kaliq told her. His name is Coilin.