House of the Red Mother

[Kris Bonnie]

The Hapan people, nobles and gentry alike, had one thing in common no matter their planet of origin within the Mists, or their social standing. Beauty was a sign of divinely bestowed perfection. Therefor it stood to reason to any Hapan that the appreciation, acquisition, and the enjoyment of beautiful things should be encouraged!

Nestled comfortably in the Rifle Worlds, convenient to both the Lorelli Reach and the Corsair Outback, Divora sat just beyond the Interior of Hapes. Just beyond the continued struggles of the young Queen Mother and her foreign-born mother, the Regent. Just beyond the opulent Villa's of Ta'Chume Dan, and the notoriety, and the noise. Here on Divora the only noise to be heard was the call of swooping sea birds, or the occasional squeal of delight coming from within the walls of the Kurh'n'dan (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-07-15-Gottour5.jpg) operated by Kurh'n'ta'a Kris Bonnie.

Among other houses of the Fifth Profession, hers was singular in that she did not merely train young Hapan males to the art of pleasure. She did, and turned a fine profit from the noble profession, but she went step further than most Mother's were comfortable. There were many Hapan ladies who were wed to males who now bored them, or who simply wished to engage in illicit affairs for their own pleasure, husbands be damned. There were also a number of noble born male heirs, yes - they were male, but their coin spent well enough. She had a fantasy to bring to life for anyone...for the right price. The flesh brought the nobles, and the nobles brought her more than she could spend, in another form of currency.

The coin of the realm in the Hapes Cluster was secrets..

[Valois Al'Gray]

The air was warm but not close, fragrant but not sickly. The Ducha Al'Gray wore a light shawl around her shoulders, but there was no need to shield her face from the sun. Divora was a world of pleasant moderation and close enough to her own home-worlds to make frequent visits not merely possible but preferable.

Ostensibly, she had come for the benefit of her eldest daughter, Renata, who came to appreciate more than the fine sea breeze and the view of the harbor. She had come three times already to Divora without her mother's company (but with her mothers willfulness, which she had fortunately inherited). On this occasion, Valois had elected to chaperone.

Clovis and Clotaire, the twins and Renata's younger brothers, lingered at the entrance to the Kurh'n'dan, watching the Kurh'n'nor with sun-blushed cheeks. Sitting on a couch in an open air courtyard, just beyond the entry way, Valois watched her sons with pursed lips and a disappointing lack of wine near at hand.

Footsteps approached to her left, coming from the house's interior.

[Kris Bonnie]

"My exquisite Ducha, forgive me..." A throaty apology, warm as the day, purred forth from the pale throat of Kris Bonnie as she came forward, a golden flagon in hand.

"My suppliers recently acquired a shipment of wines from beyond the Mists. Something fanciful sounding, Blossom wine from Naboo, I believe it was. Good Hapan currency spent on inferior palates. It was rubbish, unfit to pass your discerning lips. I brought you a fine Hapan gold to quench your thist."

Happily she poured for the ducha, making sure it would prove acceptable to her.

[Valois Al'Gray]

The Ducha accepted offering and took a tentative sip.

"I hope you didn't spend a great deal on this. The quality leaves something to be desired."

She handed the glass to her daughter, Renata, so that the girl would have the chance to understand the source of her mothers criticism, then turned her attention up towards the Kurh'n'ta'a herself.

"I trust the quality of your house is still as I remember it."

[Kris Bonnie]

There was no flinch of emotion on the face of Kris Bonnie at the Al'Gray ducha's naked censure. If anything might have shocked the Red Mother into an awkward silence it would have been a positive remark from the lady on the superiority of the vintage. Kris drank her own wine, she knew how good it was, but she played the game far too well to let such a little thing hinder mutually beneficial business, which was exactly what this was. Business.

Ignoring the preening noble pigeon, her shrewd smile remained in place. "Of course, my ducha. It has been my privilege to provide my unique services to House Al'Gray for years."

A fact the ducha would do well to remember. Kris Bonnie never forgot a thing.

"You have only to name your delight!", she encouraged Valois Al'Gray. "All desires must be satisfied in my House."

[Valois Al'Gray]

"I assume that by now you know my daughter's desires."

Renata, who had the glass of golden wine to her lips, stifled a cough. "Mother," she said, the back of a hand pressed to her lips. At her daughter's apparent embarrassment, the Ducha merely arched an eyebrow. It had been some time since Valois herself had taken advantage of the services Kris Bonnie offered, but she knew them well enough to know that there was no place for modesty in commissioning the Kurh'n'nor.

"Go on, then," Valois said, with a dismissive wave to Renata. "You know where to go."

[Kris Bonnie]

In fact she did know the girl's desires. Kris wondered if the ducha was aware of them? If she had any idea at all what sordid secrets she kept for their family. A wise ducha would, and Valois was that.

Watching Renata go, the Mother kept a wise silence of her own on the subject, and a pleasant smile.

"The sea air is warm today. Would you care to recline within, my ducha? I will have another vintage brought for you to sample. There is something new from Phelope.."

Not quite an afterthought, Kris shrewd gaze went to the twins. "Your sons are most welcome to linger as they like."

[Valois Al'Gray]

Clovis and Clotaire looked expectantly to their mother.

“If they must,” Valois said, the words almost a sigh.

That was enough approval for the boys, who vanished out of sight with barely suppressed grins. The sound of young men’s laughter soon reached the courtyard, reminding Valois precisely why her son’s had been so adamant that they join the trip to Divora. The Ducha’s expression soured and, as if to rid a taste from her mouth, she took a long sip of her wine.

“Phelope? Yes, I’d find that agreeable.”

[Jessalyn Saccard]

Inside the House of the Red Mother, private parlors hosted other clients, and their guests. Kurh'n'da, the Mother's daughter's drifted in and out of the rooms. Easily identified by the red of their garb, honoring their House, they saw to whatever was desired. Most anything could be provided easily, and in the cases where the desire was difficult, Kris Bonnie seemed to be able to arrange that as well, for the right family. Or the right price. She was one of the most successful of her kind.

Presently..

White gloved fingers pulled away from the vine covered balustrade, just above the veranda where the Ducha Al'Gray and her mother exchanged quips. Rolling her deceptively angelic blue eyes, Jessalyn turn on a booted heel and went to intercept the brother's Al'Gray, to make friends.. It was not difficult to find them, or rather to let them find her. She stood out from her new sisters, as she was unlike any of them. Instead of red, she wore white. Jessalyn was now the Unblemished Daughter of Kris Bonnie, and would someday inherit everything she had, including the building beneath her boots, also white. From her heels to the collar around her neck, every inch of her was covered in form fitting white leather.

One at a time, she descended the steps until the twins spotted her in their eager romping about with the other kurh'n'da. She smiled, very sweetly and continued walking, to the bottom of the steps and past them without a word. Which of course gained her the desired reaction of having them follow her further into the house.

[Kris Bonnie]

Pleasing the ducha in mind, Kris had already prepared a place for her only a few steps from the bottom of the same steps that her young protege had only just descended like she thought perchance she were in line to be Chume..? That was what Kris liked about her actually, that.. and the girl's story seemed to be a echo of her own origins. The space was occupied with couches, round with space to be shared should the ducha wish company, or with room only for herself. Either way, each spot had chilled refreshment within reach, the new vintage from Phelope. The sea air was ushered inside by beautiful girls, not yet daughters, still sweet as little escaped angels, with long fragrant fronds.

Closing a slatted door behind them, Kris deferred to the lady. "Tell me, my ducha? How can I serve House Al'Gray?"

Yes, do get to the point Valois.

[Valois Al'Gray]

The privacy of the house’s inner chambers was a welcome change for the Ducha Al'Gray, though that she was pleased would have been a mystery to anyone observing her, as she strode somewhat irritably from the sunlit courtyard to the shaded interior. Valois sank into one of the circular couches and naturally found a glass of Phelope wine in her hand. She took a long drink then regarded Bonnie with a humourless smile.

“You can serve on your hands and knees.”

[Jessalyn Saccard]

Seated like a white queen, legs folded, hands on her knees, Jessalyn watched the fumbling attempts of the Al'Gray boys. They should have started sooner, others their age were well beyond this sort of tedious play. Before her Clovis and Clotaire Al'Gray had each chosen for themselves a rosy-faced kurh'n'da. To them, the daughter's of the house seemed a good way to entertain themselves, it seemed.

As Jessalyn had suspected.

"Clovis.. you are doing a good job." she lied. The fact that his twin now though his brother was doing better would create an interesting bit of rivalry that she would very much like to see indulged..

"Clotaire, you seem to be eating her face. Let her breathe, focus on something else.", she suggested.

Rising from the seat, she came around behind the girl being pawed at by Clotaire Al'Gray. "Are you grabbing her breasts because you want to, or because you think she'd like you to? Is this about your pleasure, or hers?"

Jessalyn asked, kissing the young girl on the cheek. Gently, she brought her hands around the front of the girl to demonstrate her point, lifting not squeezing, nuzzling her neck. Her gloved thumb moved, brushing across the girl's nipple, and she was rewarded with an intake of air, and an amazed young Al'Gray.

"Like so? Try again."

[Auberon Al'Gray]

“Ereneda forgive the poor women who end up with the two of you as husbands”

If Clovis had been delighted by Jessalyn’s hands-on instruction, the sight of his uncle prowling into the room looked to be enough to throw a bucket of cold water on the boys clumsy desire. Clotaire, by contrast, took Auberon’s arrival as a sign that he should demonstrate how much he had learned, which only resulted in one of the kurh'n'da suppressing a yelp as Clotaire caught her nipple between his teeth. Auberon barely even noticed the girl's squeal or the reactions of his nephews, as all of his attention was on the Red Mother’s favoured daughter.

“Your expertise is wasted on these two, se'n’da... and you are late for our appointment.”

[Kris Bonnie]

A knowing look swept over Kris Bonnie's face. Though what exactly that implied she kept to herself. There was no hesitation in the Kurh'n'ta'a. She had not come to run a successful pleasure house by being timid and hesitant, though...she did offer training in the art of appearing so to fulfill a fantasy.

Sensing this was less about cowing a timid partner, Kris sank to her knees in one seamless descent. Tucking the red silk of her gown beneath her knees, she waited on the cool ceramic tiles for the point to be revealed.

".. would you like me to be silent as well, Ducha Al'Gray?", she wondered aloud.

[Valois Al'Gray]

Valois reclined further, wine glass still in hand, and regarded the Red Mother's obedience with barely concealed disdain.

“I don't want to hear anything more from you, for now. You can put your tongue to better use,” she said, drawing the hem of her skirts upwards.

[Jessalyn Saccard]

The Unblemished Daughter's shrewd gaze did not acknowledge Auberon as he entered, or when he spoke to his nephews. Her gloved hands ran softly down both arms of the poor yelping girl. Jessalyn lifted one of the girl's hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss there. A gesture of good luck, perhaps. She had brought the Al'Gray twins here purposefully, forcing their uncle to come and find her. There was not a smile on her lips exactly, but rather an expression of sheer amusement. It seemed she could now leave the shallows, and the guppies swimming there, behind. She had just found herself a shark to hunt.

"I will expect to hear that they have both been delighted, many times.", she told the boys, leaving them to their distractions for now.

Slowly, she sauntered toward the doorway blocked with one, Auberon Al'Gray.

"I think you will find, Tarix chur that you are early."

[Auberon Al'Gray]

The nickname tugged at one corner of Auberon's mouth, as sure as a hook would the maw of a Mairesian shark.

“How fortunate for you,” he said, stepping aside just enough to permit Saccard through the doorway, “to have more of my time than you originally expected.”

[Kris Bonnie]

The fact that Kris herself had stopped actually working in that capacity some time ago seemed not to have occurred to Valois, or she just thought that her station entitled her to such special treatment? She would be correct. It did not really matter, the bill would reflect the differential, in a very substantial way. But Kris was also a fair businesswoman, the ducha would receive what she was paying for.

With a cat-like prowl, Kris crept forward sliding her hands slowly up the ducha's legs to her knees, and then abruptly shoved them.. and her fancy skirts..back to her shoulders..

[Jessalyn Saccard]

"Yes, I was just thinking how my day could be vastly improved...", she said, sliding her leather clad body past him, deliberately lingering longer than necessary. "..by taming myself a shark."

Not waiting, Jessalyn walked from the room, positive that Auberon would follow.

There were as many rooms in Bonnie's House as there were pleasures to be satisfied, and she knew all of them, even if she had not experienced them all herself. There was an unhurried roll to her hips as she walked, pushing open a particular door with the flat of her gloved hand. Inside there was no silk covered bed, no chaise lounges, not even a sex swing. Hanging simply from the middle of the ceiling were two empty loops, just the right size for wrists..

Patient, knowing smile in place, she waited..