- Chapter 9 -

Once the dancing was done, Raven and her friends were once again pampered, enjoying a hearty meal in the luxurious surroundings of the High Sheriff's palace. The performances had been very well received, and the audience's initial discomfort concerning Yasil had been quickly dispelled by the show she and Raven had put on, and the dancers' reception at the palace was a rapturous one.

Once the High Sheriff had had his fill of wine, food and the company of beautiful women, the girls could finally seek their beds, and much-needed rest. Ashyra suggested that another day at the beach would be a good idea, but Roskaat quickly crushed the idea, insisting that the Prince's itinerary came first.

"Arrangements can be made for a stop-over on your journey home", said the Aide. "I am sure His Highness will agree to foot the bill."

The girls were getting used to hearing that, and felt less and less guilty about taking advantage of the Prince's loose purse strings. He clearly felt the dancers were worth rewarding in this way, indulging their little pleasures and seeing that indulgence repaid on stage, and they went to bed ready to dream of sand, sea and shopping.

Again, Raven did not sleep easily. She was afraid that she would be visited in the night by Yasil, and every shadow in her room seemed to sprout a horn - the giantess had already show evidence of unusual powers, and Raven could not discount the possibility, however remote, that the half-Shr'Ganti could walk through walls.

Raven managed to sleep, all the same, and got through the night without being molested. At breakfast, Yasil appeared indifferent to the company she was in - the Prince excepted - and did not once look at the girl whom she had all but promised would be her next sexual conquest. Forced to keep her powers to herself, the Phantasia's newest employee could not get the slightest idea what the half-Shr'Ganti was thinking - or planning...

A few hours later, the Royal Yacht raised its magnetic anchors, and turned its sails into the inter-dimensional energy currents that enabled it, and almost every other ship in the realm, to traverse the vast reaches of space in days, instead of centuries at the speeds less than that of light. Those currents would, with careful steering, carry the vessel to Lomigaan, an outpost close to the edge of the Sapphire Cluster, and the last port of call for the royal entourage, two full days sailing from Korlassan.

Two days..., thought Raven, leaning against the frame of one of the view-ports, watching the stars rush by. Can I possibly keep away from Yasil for that long?

Raven heard high heels on the deck and looked away from the window to see Skylla come striding along the passage. "One does not become First Dancer without acquiring a variety of skills and knowledge", the athletic woman revealed, "but I do not need to call upon any such skills to recognise a very worried girl."

"Your instincts serve you well", admitted Raven, rather wearily.

"Yasil?", enquired Skylla, in a knowing way. Raven simply nodded.

"I don't see what the problem could be", said the lead dancer. "The two of you were most impressive last night. You dance well together..."

"And dance is all we're going to do", Raven insisted.

Skylla breathed deeply, then exhaled a little sigh. "I should have guessed. I take it that you are not...interested?"

"No."

"And the less you see of her before our tenure here ends, the better?" Again, there was a nod from Raven.

"Then I have good news for you", declared the First Dancer. "His Highness has requested a solo dance for tonight, for himself and himself alone - and he has chosen you."

Raven found little comfort in that. Does she know what the Prince gets up to, out of sight behind his mirrors? Does she know he watches her and Yasil together?

"I suppose you're going to give me the usual speech, about not bringing The Phantasia into disrepute?", asked the girl.

Skylla shook her head, golden tresses falling about her face and shoulders. "Not any more. Not after last night. You clearly no longer need it."

You may think differently, after tonight, thought Raven, but she did not let her continuing apprehension show. She could not tell at first glance if Skylla was taken in or not, and did not dare try to read her emotions, fearing what she would find.

The time to dance for the Prince came sooner than Raven would have liked. When it did, she took her anxiety, locked it away deep within herself and got on with the job of dressing for the performance.

Dressed in her favourite boots and gloves, and a new short white leather dress, Raven presented a rather striking image as she walked through the ship to the Prince's quarters. She earned herself a lot of admiring looks from the guards and staff, and it made her feel rather special, and important. Is this how it is for Skylla?, she wondered. Is this how it feels to be the centre of attention? If it is, I like it...

Reaching the towering double doors to the royal chambers, the girl knocked twice, paused, knocked twice again, then waited for five breaths before letting herself in, just as she had been told to do. The rooms beyond the doors were decorated in the same breathtaking fashion as the banquet hall, but much of the finery was concealed in shadow, with only the amber glow of light globes up ahead revealing anything.

"Your Highness?", the dancer called out, somewhat meekly.

"Please, join me in her, mistress Raven", the Prince replied, his voice coming from the illuminated chamber.

Raven did as she was asked, and entered the room. It was a large room with a high ceiling, the floor carpeted in a deep red and dotted with piles of cushions and a variety of exquisite, leather-upholstered furniture. The light came from four light globes on slender metal stands, arranged in a broad circle, most likely to mark out the area in which Raven was to dance.

The Prince was reclined on a couch in one corner, near one of the lights. He wore long, gleaming black boots, and a gown of blue trimmed around the neck, cuffs and bottom edge with silver and white, in a stylised knot-like pattern.

"You are free to leave at any time, should you feel threatened or offended in any way", he told her. "The doors will remain unlocked."

Give me reason, and I'll make good use of them, Raven said to herself as she moved to the centre of the floor. "Is there anything special you want from me?", she asked, remembering all that Ashyra had taught her about dancing solo for a single customer.

"Later, maybe", the Prince replied, leaning on one elbow. "Just warm up as you normally do - I'll supply the music..."

The Prince placed particular emphasis on the word "music" for a good reason, for it called forth a floating spherical device, much of its surface covered with blinking lights and brightly-coloured buttons. The Prince reached out and touched the machine just once, and slow, soft music started to fill the air, coming from every corner of the room and every wall. Raven felt as though she was immersed in music, of the type favoured by the Court of the Sapphire Cluster, but made more modern by the addition of electronically amplified instruments.

Walking to the Prince's chambers had been a warm-up in itself, and Raven felt ready to dance immediately, but she did as he asked, stretching and flexing her limbs as Ashyra had taught her. Her every move, however mundane, was watched avidly by the Prince, who appeared entranced, but as before radiated no emotion that the dancer could sense.

Picking a suitable moment in the music, Raven started to dance, writhing slowly, her hair swaying behind her. The Prince shifted slightly on his couch, and his eyes narrowed so slightly it would normally have gone unnoticed, but as the dance progressed, the world was reduced to the dancer, the customer and the music. Everything else was, for the duration of the performance, meaningless, and may as well not have existed at all.

The girl allowed the mood and the tempo of the music to determine her moves - the atmosphere was generally relaxed, so Raven simply moved faster, or added emphasis to her movements, when the pace of the music picked up. To Raven's empathic abilities, the Prince remained a void, so she trusted to her normal senses, and let them tell her what he was feeling.

He seemed a little more unsettled now, leaning forward, away from the padded back-rest of the couch. The contours of his gown, particularly in the crotch region had changed noticeably, suggesting that Raven was doing something he found quite stimulating...

"Take off your dress, please", he said, quite out of the blue. Normally, such a request was nothing out of the ordinary, and a dancer complied without thinking, but this was one of those things Raven had not been looking forward to. She was uncertain what it would lead to, and what reaction it would inspire in the Prince.

Raven's hands moved behind her neck, and her fingers tugged at the knotted cords. Even though they were leather, the gloves did not impede her, the material so soft and supple they were little more than a second layer of skin. The dancer let the top part of the dress fall forward, exposing her breasts, and began to slowly ease the garment down to her hips, then past them and the tops of her long, glistening boots.

The Prince took a sharp breath as the dress feel to the floor around Raven's feet. "Am I permitted to touch you...?", he asked expectantly, almost whispering.

Normally, the answer would have been "no", and customers knew it. A private dance was different, if the customer was prepared to pay. There were limits, however, and the dancer was completely within her rights to use whatever force she felt necessary to defend the sanctity of her body. Some of the Phantasia girls, those who did a lot of private dances, frequently carried tiny knives, concealed in the tops of their boots or behind their hair - Raven, however, had nothing.

"You may, Your Highness", she replied, "but there are things you may not do..."

"I understand", murmured the Prince. "Do not be afraid - I will not harm you..."

The Prince slid off the couch, and down onto the floor. Kneeling, he beckoned to Raven to come closer. This she did, and as she approached, he extended his hands and brought them to rest, ever so gently, on the girl's gleaming white thigh-length boots.

"Magnificent", he purred, running his hands down the brilliant white synthetic leather, until he came to the backs of her heels. "Few girls fill a pair of boots as wonderfully as you, mistress Raven..."

The Prince moved even closer, letting his gown fall open as he drew nearer. Raven never saw bare flesh, for that was immediately pressed directly against her boots. She felt something firmer than flesh, but not as hard as bone, pushing up against the front of her legs, but she did not move away, even though the whole thing did make her feel a little uncomfortable.

The youth writhed against her legs for a few minutes, caressing the soft false leather from the very tops down to the ankles, then got Raven to turn around. He continued the process from behind, his hands often venturing up under the cuffs of her boots, kissing her hair as he did so, until he was apparently satisfied.

"Thank you, my dear", he said, almost gasping for breath, as he stood up, pulling the gown shut around him. "For the remainder of the journey, anything you desire shall be yours. All you need do is ask."

The Prince then left her, walking briskly across the room to the doors of the royal bed-room. Raven waited for a few minutes, wondering what was coming next, then stepped back into her dress and headed for the doors that led back into the rest of the ship. As he had promised, the doors were unlocked, and quietly, she slipped away.

Yasil watched, and pursued, as Raven went to dance for the Prince, then did the same again when the dancer was finished, and headed back to the Phantasia girls' quarters. The half-Shr'Ganti had been disappointed that the prince had not wanted to share the girl, and had decided on the moment she learned of the arrangement that Raven would be hers once the show was over.

A huntress by birth, Yasil gave chase without once being seen or sensed by Raven. The girl's empathic abilities made her a tricky quarry, but her psychic encounter with the giantess had left her with what could only be described as a blind spot - Raven could only feel Yasil's feelings if she actively "looked" for them, and the girl would not do that, afraid of the half-breed's reaction, should the intrusion be detected.

For Yasil, the main problem was Sshraada. The Naagian had exceptional senses, and a duty to perform that she would not neglect, making her a substantial obstacle as she stood on guard outside the dancers' rooms. The giantess had to think carefully about how to get past her...

Once Raven was safely in her bed-chamber, Yasil walked past Sshraada's position quite openly, leaving a scent trail that would mask her presence on her planned secretive return. "Has Raven returned safely?", she asked.

"Just a few minutes ago", the snake-woman replied.

"Oh, good. His Highness didn't have a proper chance to say good night, and he wanted me to make sure all was well."

In those few seconds of one-to-one contact, the half-Shr'Ganti planted the slightest of doubts in Sshraada's mind, ensuring that the Naagian would convince herself that she had heard out-of-place noises a short distance away, once Yasil had left. Responding to the sounds, she left her station for just a few seconds - long enough for the giantess, her physical form merged with the night-time shadows, to slip by and into Raven's room...

Now back in her own quarters, Raven could properly evaluate the evening's events as she got ready to treat herself to a late-night swim. All in all, things could have been a lot worse, even without Yasil being there; the Prince had been nothing but a gentleman, even at the end when he seemed to want to do nothing but savour the sensation of the dancer's long white boots against his skin.

I've endured greater ordeals, she told herself, thinking of her time on the Tree, on display for all to see, and sample. She had passed through this trial quite unharmed, the only traces being a few smears of sweat and natural skin oils from the Prince on her boots. A quick wipe with a damp cloth, a few seconds polishing, and all would be well again.

I could always swim the dirt off, she thought, and laughed. It felt good to laugh - it was something Raven did all too infrequently.

It also felt good to consider the wilder side of life as just another shade in the spectrum of life, rather than discard it as a step on the road to damnation, as some narrow-minded souls saw it. The Prince, for example, simply appreciated, and most likely adored, a fine pair of boots, with a beautiful woman dancing in them - after all, he had to take a break from Yasil every once in a while...

Life looked better almost straight away, once Raven cast off her reservations about what made life special for others. Perhaps this is what Fayreen was trying to tell me, she thought as she squirmed out of her dress again, peeled off her gloves, and went to the bath-chamber attached to her quarters to find a towel and a robe. Life is tough enough as it is, without loading yourself down with the excess baggage other people drag around all their lives. You're so hunched over by your burden, you can only see the ground you walk on, and not the wonders all around you...

The room seemed unusually dark when Raven returned, a short pale purple dressing gown wrapped about her, but she discounted it as something she had just failed to notice before. Her mind had been on other things then, and it would most likely wander off the leash again more than once before the night was through.

Resting one booted knee on the edge of the bed, Raven stretched across to gather up her dress and gloves. She wanted to put them away now, rather than fuss with them when she returned, fit to crawl into bed almost straight out of the pool...

Something pounced out of the darkness, silent and unperceived until it took hold of Raven by the arms, and forced her down onto the bed. "I told you I wasn't done with you yet, little one", Yasil hissed, her breath hot and spicy, as she crouched down over the girl.

Raven kicked and wriggled, and felt Yasil's grip give slightly, her satin-clad arms slipping out of the giantess's grasp. Leaving the dressing gown behind, she pulled free and dived for the other side of the bed. The half-Shr'Ganti had a hunter's reflexes, however, and clamped a hand about Raven's ankle, jerking the girl to a stop inches from escape.

"My, you're a playful one", hissed Yasil, revealing sharp pointed teeth as she grinned. "I may just have to tie you down..."

Raven lashed out with all the strength at her command, twisting round to swing her foot into the side of the half-Shr'Ganti's head. There was a hard cracking sound, and an anguished grunt came from a rather startled Yasil as the force of the blow hurled her off the bed and onto the floor.

"Y-you little bitch", snarled the Prince's companion, gingerly fingering a dripping gash on her temple as she picked herself up. "I don't bleed for anyone..."

Raven heard none of this. Her own blood was pounding in her veins, almost deafening her. Her eyes suffered as well, her vision blurring briefly, then returning to its former clarity...no, it was actually clearer now, with an added appreciation of depth...

Leaning on the bed's carved wooden end board, Yasil fixed furious eyes on her prospective prey - and found her gaze returned two-fold, by two sets of blazing yellow eyes. Between the upper set of eyes, the tiny scarlet jewel that adorned Raven's forehead - apparently part of her - glittered with an inner fire it had never had before.

"Gajlaar's Claws...", gasped the half-breed, suddenly very afraid.

"Yes...pray, while you still can", purred Raven - or whatever now knelt on the bed in her place. "You said you weren't finished with me. Well, I haven't even started with you..."

Sshraada heard something of a commotion coming from the dancers' quarters, but before she could do anything about it, the ship lurched suddenly backward, and the usually constant purr of the ship's internal systems faltered, then died. A few moments later, the ship shuddered and groaned under the influence of another vessel's mooring beams.

The snake-woman drew her sword, knowing that, finally, it would taste blood, and plenty of it, before it was resheathed.

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