Heaven itself seemed to conspire against Mnemon of the House Mnemon. She prided herself on being the Matriarch of the grandest of the Great Houses of the Realm, a claim that lesser Dynasts took great care to not dispute in her presence. She prided herself on being the eldest daughter of the Empress, and only her elder brother Ragara, senile and feeble in his dotage, could still claim a similar honor. She prided herself on being the most powerful sorceress on the Blessed Isle since her mother’s disappearance, her mastery of her Essence allowing her to remain young and beautiful while even the eldest of her own daughters were now withered crones.  

Yet for all her power, she was not able to have her way. The other Houses knew that she was the most powerful contender for the Scarlet Throne, and thus did everything in their power to keep her off it. The bickering dogs of the Deliberative Senate always managed to unite themselves every time she put up a candidate for the Regency, leaving that fool Fokuf, an inept mortal of a broken House, to rule in the Empress’s stead. Her attempts at brokering allies amongst the other Houses were always rebuffed: they knew that they would always be the lesser partners in any conspiracy she hatched. Even her granddaughter, the Mouth of Peace herself, defied Mnemon’s will. The impudent child always cited a greater duty to the Dragons and remained aloof from secular affairs. 

The last part was a particularly sore issue with Mnemon: it took her decades of maneuvering to get a descendant of hers into the highest seat of the Palace Sublime, only to realize that a daughter of her blood was so shockingly naïve. She rubbed her temples while seated at a table, poring over well-worn missives, firmly ignoring a now very cold cup of tea. Everything she did to make House Mnemon the first among the Great Houses now made it impossible for her to take the Throne, with most of the elder Dynasts willing to die before allowing her to become Empress. Mnemon would have been very tempted to test their resolve, but that would mean starting the inevitable war for the Imperial Title much too early for her liking.

She finally took the teacup, a brief sip of the now cold liquid enough to make her frustrations flare again, before hurling the cup and saucer against the wall. Dutifully, her handmaiden picked up the pieces, unsurprised by the Dynast’s rages. Mnemon, for her part, hurled mental abuse at her rivals that even she would not dare voice in public. Mnemon knew that if it came to war, she had a very good chance of winning. But she also understood that doing so would leave the nation in shambles, while the rest of Creation would look upon the now humbled nation with hungry eyes.

She winced in pain as the migraines came back in force, angrily dismissing another freshly proffered cup of tea. She was Mnemon, and she was far too used to getting her way.  With every plot of hers thwarted it almost seemed that her rivals enjoyed divine intervention, and she made a mental note to review the matter with her insolent granddaughter. 

Mnemon sighed, trying to center herself once again. She was frustrated, even furious, and had no outlet to direct those feelings upon. Glancing away from her papers, she looked down to a servant girl sweep up the last remnants of porcelain. From this angle, she couldn’t see her face, but her body was well proportioned for a mortal. Mnemon ordered her seneschal to make beauty a consideration for her servants, and for a humble commoner the girl was exceptional. Her shoulder length black hair was curly and well maintained, which Mnemon approved of. Her uniform’s skirt was too short to be proper. That was another of Mnemon’s specifications for her personal servants, and the Dynast found her attentions lingering on the sway of her round backside as she wiped the marble floor. It was almost hypnotic, in a way, and all her frustrations were soon forgotten. It seemed that Heaven was merciful; an outlet had finally presented itself.

Mnemon stared silently at the pretty handmaiden, a small grin playing on her face as she simply let herself enjoy the show. The mortal couldn’t have put on a better performance if she were trying, her tiny skirt riding up slightly to give the Dynast a good view of her sadly plain white cotton undergarments. Mnemon knew that she’d have to change that later. 

She wanted to see the handmaiden’s face, next. “Stop,” she commanded, using the same stern tone she’d give either when asking for more wine or ordering an execution. The handmaiden froze, almost like a doe paralyzed at the sight of a hunter’s arrow. For Mnemon, this was an acceptable level of deference for one of her station.

“My lady?” said the girl hesitantly, her voice trembling. It was a good voice, with soft dulcet tones. Mnemon idly wondered what that voice would sound like during an orgasm.

“Stand up, turn around, and face me,” Mnemon said coldly. Slowly, the servant girl stood up. She was shorter than Mnemon, another point in her favor, with smooth and graceful legs. Now illuminated by the sunlight, Mnemon could see that her skin was a healthy brown. She wondered if her servant was a tanned farm girl from some backwater, or else the descendant of Southerners taken as captives and sold as slaves. She concluded that it hardly mattered, and that it was a good color regardless.

The servant turned around, and Mnemon had to conceal an excited smile behind her hand. Perhaps the girl was of Patrician stock fallen on hard times, as her features were refined, if a tad exotic, guessing her age to be in the early twenties. She had an oval face, with good proportions and high cheekbones that would look very good on her if she were to smile. Her neck was long and graceful, and the pair of breasts hidden beneath her clothes were substantial without being too indelicate. Her eyes were certainly foreign to the Blessed Isle, round and colored a brilliant shade of blue that made Mnemon’s heart race. The fact that tears were budding in those impossibly blue eyes, and running down her innocent face, made her all the more intoxicating. 

“Don’t be afraid,” she said, the proclamation coming unbidden from her mouth as she saw the tears begin to form in the girl’s eyes. The servant nodded her head, looking relieved but still appearing nervous and fearful, while Mnemon was left surprised with herself. She often preferred to toy with her lovers as part of the foreplay, but it seemed that the girl looked so stricken that it awoke some embers of pity inside her. 

Mnemon reflexively doused those embers. She decided to be blunt, raising her eyebrow just so, her face a stoic mask as she asked “What’s your name, child?”

The mortal’s face flushed, as she hesitated to give an answer. “Answer the question. And I’ll know if you are lying, girl,” Mnemon warned, her voice dangerous. Of course she wouldn’t really waste her Essence on something so trivial, knowing she could read someone as simple as a servant even without the use of her Charms.  Her eyes fixed on her feet, the girl answered “My name is Mei, mistress.” It was a common name among the lower classes, and Mnemon didn’t doubt that there were at least a dozen Mei’s among the serving staff.

Mnemon briefly contemplated the best approach to take with Mei. The Dynast was no stranger to seducing her servants, and she knew that if she wanted to that she could simply order the mortal to submit to her whims. The mortals of the Blessed Isle were taught that blind obedience to the will of the Dragonblooded was the highest of virtues, and that defiance was a grave heresy. Yet Mei would be a disappointing partner under such duress, likely to break down into tears or panic out of fear for her own life.

Mnemon’s mastery of sorcery meant that if she wanted, she could bind Mei into a willing and ardent love slave. But that approach was dull, and for someone as jaded as Mnemon it might as well have amounted to masturbation. 

It had to be seduction, then, and Mnemon would certainly find that peeling away the layers of the mortal’s resistance to be just as stimulating as taking off her lover’s clothes. All this deliberation took only a moment for the sorceress, and she swiftly burnt away a few motes of her Essence, invoking one of her Charms to marry the flows of her Essence with the mortal. Soon, Mnemon was able to instinctively shift her posture, tone, and body language to be more compatible with Mei’s.

“Mei. That’s such a lovely name,” lied Mnemon easily, her tones reassuring and motherly. It would have been hard for her to adopt such a posture without the aid of the charm, and many of her less grateful children whispered to one another that Mnemon didn’t have a maternal bone in her body. Yet the charm allowed her to understand that what Mei wanted most was reassurance and safety. Mnemon had an ugly reputation, unfairly earned by rumors spread by her rivals, and Mei needed to understand that the sorceress could be very kind to those that served her well. 

She took Mei’s hand in her own, letting her touch her bare skin. It was a gesture that would have been shockingly scandalous if done in public, with mortals trained to understand that they should endeavor to avoid so much as glimpsing at their Exalted betters if they could help it. The mortal was stunned, never even imagining that she would touch the skin of one of the holy Dragonblooded. Mnemon, for her part, intended do far more scandalous things than just hold Mei’s hand.

“Such a clever girl,” Mnemon said smoothly, and understood that yes, Mei would want to hear that even if she did nothing to earn such praise. With Mei’s good looks, her fellow servants would assume she was a brainless tart, as though excellence in one area implied weakness in another. It was a form of idiocy found in Exalts and mortals alike.

“Th-thank you my lady!” she said, with genuine gratitude. Of course she’d think that a Chosen of the Dragons would have the wisdom to see her worth, and Mnemon knew that she would have a great deal more confidence after hearing this. She slowly let go of Mei’s hands, not wanting to overwhelm her maid just yet. Before she broke contact, however, she let the heat of her Essence flow through her fingers into Mei’s body. Mnemon easily suppressed a satisfied grin as she saw perspiration form on her servant’s flushed brow. Even though Mnemon’s Aspect was Earth, she had more mastery of the other four elements than lesser scions did with the elements they were born to. Suddenly needing to cool off, Mei undid the top buttons of her shirt, exposing more and more of her cleavage to Mnemon’s hungry eye.

“Sit down, Mei,” said Mnemon, with a radiant smile, inviting her to be seated across the table. She treated the girl as though she were her confidant, and surely the naïve little thing heard stories about servants befriending their masters. As though such a thing as friendship were even possible between beings that were so far apart. Still, it was an entertaining fiction for Mnemon to indulge in briefly. “Tell me about yourself.”

The mortal spoke of her dreadfully dull little life: a village girl in one of House Mnemon’s prefectures, she dreamed of going to the Imperial City. Her aunt was one of the cooks in the kitchens, and she indulged her niece by pulling strings to make her a servant in Mnemon’s own household. Assuming she was coming to her Manse to be a cook, she caught the eye of Mnemon’s seneschal who deemed her suitable to serve as one of Mnemon’s handmaids. Most likely, the seneschal was more interested in her body than her brain. It was all fairly trite, with little to differentiate it from the thousands of stories Mnemon heard among the serving staff, but the sorceress still memorized every detail. If she was going to be close to Mei the servant girl, she had to endeavor to understand her.

“It must be very lonely,” said Mnemon, with a great deal of feigned interest. She had only an aunt for company, and was thrust into the company of other women whose families served House Mnemon for generations. There was no question that it was a difficult transition.

Mei nodded, more at ease with the Dynast than most wise mortals ever ought to be. “It is hard, my lady. But, I know my duty! Heaven decided that my path was to be your servant, and I accept this gratefully.” Mnemon approved of the response. Too many of her servants tended to put on airs or have ideas beyond their station after Mnemon fucked them. Mei would cause no such issues.
 
“I-it must be lonely for you as well,” Mei said absently, her piercing blue eyes meeting hers. While Mnemon showed no outward reaction but a brainless smile, she suddenly found herself seething internally. How dare the strumpet attempt to compare the two of them! What could a twenty-year-old trifle like her compare to a centuries old sorceress? Where did the peasant girl get off, thinking that she understood the mind of the Empress’s daughter?

What business did she have being correct?

It seemed not so long ago that Mnemon remembered being a fearful child desperate to be loved. 

She feared the mother she loved, so wasn’t love also fear?

Somehow, something had gone terribly wrong, and Mnemon was silent as Mei clasped her hand. “I won’t let you be lonely any more,” the blue-eyed servant girl said. Mnemon’s heart was swimming with confusion. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one doing the seducing?

She refused to let the girl dominate her in such a way, and never let that brief moment of turmoil reach her face. When put on the defensive, Mnemon’s instinct was always to move back on the attack. She stood up and reached for Mei, pulling her close as she kissed her passionately. Mei melted into the kiss, not resisting as Mnemon unbuttoned her shirt. Her dusky breasts now bared, Mnemon let her fingers run along the other woman’s nipples. Mnemon’s Essence had done its work, leaving the other woman’s body hot and wild.

With one hand groping Mei’s bosom, Mnemon’s other hand slowly began to remove the pins in her own auburn hair, letting them fall carelessly to the floor. She kneaded Mei’s flesh in with a firm hand, and kept her pinned against the table as the girl gasped and panted lewdly. “Are you a virgin, Mei?” she asked playfully.

“N-no my lady.” That didn’t surprise Mnemon, and given Mei’s looks she’d have been propositioned many times in the past. Mnemon’s smile became more wolf-like as she rolled Mei’s stiff peak between her fingers. It certainly saved her from having to explain how things worked. 

“Take off the rest off your clothes.” Mei did as Mnemon bade, struggling out of her skirt and undergarments, the back of her body still pressed from behind by the table while Mnemon assaulted her front with kisses and caresses. Soon Mei was bare, exposing a tight slit partially obscured by a patch of dark pubic hair. The Dynast decided that that too would have to be changed later, but for now she ignored the slight blemish, determined to enjoy her newest conquest. Her servant let in a sharp intake of breath as Mnemon’s fingers entered her waiting sex.

Mei bit her lip, stifling her gasps with her fingers as she looked away, too ashamed to meet the Dynast’s eyes. Mnemon loved it. Even though the enemy was submitting to her charge, with Mei lying on top of the table as though she were a feast for the Dynast, victory was not yet hers. Conquest would only come with complete submission.

Mei quivered as Mnemon lazily caressed her servant’s hair as well as her sex, almost as though the mortal were a pet. Mnemon’s pace was slow and controlled, and even though Mei was slick with desire under her ministrations it would be some time before the girl reached her peak. “Mei,” she said, in the same tone of voice that she’d give when asking her servants to pour her another cup of tea, “I am feeling stifled. Could you help undo these buttons?”

The mortal was too lost to her own pleasures to give an immediate response, though Mnemon was willing to be forgiving. The un-Exalted were flawed creatures, after all, needing the guidance of more enlightened beings. Thus, Mnemon decided to guide. “Mei, I won’t let you cum until you follow my orders. Do you understand?” Mnemon showed her servant some mercy, slowing down the pace of her fingers to give Mei time to comply. The girl mewled and nodded her head, pulling herself up to reach Mnemon’s collar even as Mnemon’s graceful hand still ran circles inside her servant’s slit.

Mei’s legs dangled off the table’s edge, her thighs clamped tightly around Mnemon’s arm. With trembling fingers she began to clumsily undo the buttons, taking great care not to rip the expensive silk or tear off any buttons in her lust. “Such a good girl,” Mnemon praised, letting her other hand trace circles around Mei’s nipples. 

Mnemon’s praise became more effusive while her fingers’ pace became more furious, “You are disciplined and obedient.” Mei seemed to derive as much pleasure from Mnemon’s praise as she did from Mnemon’s fingers, her juices running down like a river from her thighs. Soon, all the buttons down to Mnemon’s skirt were undone, and the first of Mnemon’s secrets were exposed.

When in the confines of her own home, the matriarch of House Mnemon was accustomed to wearing nothing underneath her robes, and Mei couldn’t help but admire the care the Dynast took in maintaining such pale skin. It was unfair to say the Dynast’s breasts were completely bare, however. Small rings of jade pierced her pink nipples, and Mei had likely never seen such a thing in her life.

“A gift from one of my husbands,” Mnemon explained. Though she could hardly remember which one it was, and it hardly mattered much given that all of them were now long dead. “They’re devices that aid the flow of Essence, and are easily concealed. I’m sure his intentions were entirely chaste,” Mnemon said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, “but I’m not one to throw away an asset.”

Mei reached out to touch the sparkling jade, causing Mnemon to gasp. “F-forgive me my lady,” as Mei pulled her hand back, as though she touched a fire. In frustration, Mnemon pulled the mortal’s hands back to the rings, and then told her to pull. Hesitantly, Mei complied, and Mnemon felt an electric tingle of pleasurable agony course through her. Perhaps four centuries of life made Mnemon jaded, or perhaps she might have had such inclinations even when she was younger, but the pain thrilled her. Her sex tightened with desire, and she had to resist her urge to inflict similar pain on her lover. While Mnemon felt that inflicting pain was even better than experiencing it, but she didn’t want the poor thing to hate her. There would be time enough to teach her how to enjoy that sort of thing.

As it was though, Mei didn’t seem to find yet seem to find pain very arousing, even when she was the one causing it. She hesitated as Mnemon let out something between a yelp and a moan, the young mortal treading very unfamiliar territory compared to the debauched dynast. Clearly, the girl needed assistance, and Mnemon let Essence flow through herself again. She invoked another Charm, a trick that would allow Mnemon to take all of Mei’s conflicting emotions, whether it was fear, confusion, insecurity, or nervousness, and hone them all into together to stoke her feelings of lust. Gradually, all of Mei’s hesitations would give way to truly debauched deviancy.

“Do you think I’m beautiful, Mei?” It was a silly question for Mnemon to ask. The Dragonblooded possessed had the potential to express inhuman beauty and perfection in their forms, and the Dragons had seen fit to grudgingly give Mnemon at least some of their favor. The girl drunkenly nodded her head, now grinding herself against the Dynast’s fingers, her ardor staining the table beneath her.

“Do you want to touch me?” Another nod. Mnemon smiled down at Mei, offering her bosom to her servant. “Then touch me, however you like. We’re lovers now, Mei.” And with that, it seemed that Mei was feeling saucy enough to squeeze her mistress’s breasts. The jade rings seemed to clink quietly as Mei grabbed Mnemon’s flesh, her thumbs hooking through the rings only to pull back with enough force to give Mnemon a sweet and pleasant sort of suffering. 

The Dragonblood almost found it strange. If it were any of her usual lovers or concubines doing this, they’d be guaranteed to lose a hand for daring to touch her without her leave. Yet when it was an inexperienced little trifle of a mortal doing such a thing, Mnemon could only enjoy it. Mei was schooled her entire life to revere and obey the Dragonblooded, and the fact that Mnemon was able to make her so wanton that she’d ignore propriety in this way only fueled the Dragonblood’s lust. She pressed her breasts out further, accepting Mei’s inexpert and clumsy touch even as she probed her handmaiden’s depths.

Mnemon couldn’t help but notice that her lover was a sensitive little thing. Mei’s nectar continued to trickle down her thighs like teardrops while the Dynast continued to touch her. She had a lewd and shameless body, one that would reach its peak easily, even for a mortal.  “Such a pretty little flower,” Mnemon cooed before nibbling Mei’s earlobe. “I wonder how much I can make you squirt,” Mnemon whispered quietly to her, as Essence flowed towards her fingers. 

Mei’s body became as tense and rigid as wire when Mnemon’s fingers began to vibrate inside her. Desperate not to fall off the edge of the table, she wrapped her arms around the Dynast’s back and hugged herself tightly against her mistress, pressing their breasts together. Mei’s hard nipples rubbed against the jade rings, causing a delightful sort of friction for Mnemon. The vibration was a common enough Charm amongst the idle Dynasts, frequently taught and traded between lovers even though the Immaculate Order frowned deeply upon such wasteful and impious uses of Essence.

They could rot in the sands of Hell, Mnemon decided. Given her granddaughter’s lack of filial piety, she could hardly feel guilty about indulging in a bit of fun. Mnemon’s fingers began to vibrate with more strength, edging Mei closer and closer to release. Mnemon carefully observed every moment of her lover’s expressions, as Mei became less and less of the shy farm-girl and more of a quivering slattern. Her flushed face and downcast eyes were gone, a mask that slipped off to expose an intemperate whore that stained both Mnemon’s flesh and loosely hanging dress with her sweat and juices. Mnemon’s Charms made the mortal daring, and Mei’s fingers easily slipped beneath the back of Mnemon’s split gown, groping the Dynast’s bare backside. Mnemon watched her face with satisfaction as the girl’s mouth opened wide during orgasm. Mei’s juices stained both Mnemon’s skin and the skirt of her dress during her climax.

“Dirty girl,” Mnemon said, in a cruel, teasing voice. She pulled Mei up roughly by the arm, lifting her off the table and on to unsteady feet. Mnemon supported the nude handmaiden, and held out fingers stained with Mei’s lust before her servant’s eyes. The Dynast then gestured to her own half-naked body, which was decorated with her handmaiden’s juices. “You’ve just made everything so filthy.” Mnemon’s body burned, and she was tired of being patient. The sorceress stripped off what remained of her clothes, leaving the expensive silks in a careless pile. She was wealthy enough that she could toss away the valuable garments like so much garbage, now heedless of anything besides the fire between her legs. 

Mei watched in fascination as Mnemon took off her clothes, the mortal clearly liking what she saw. Mnemon bared an athletic and graceful body, which to the eyes of mere mortals must have been the peak of femininity. The Sorceress’s breasts were abundant, something that her rivals slavered over even as they traded barbs with her. Her stomach was taut and flat, the result of keeping her body properly conditioned in spite of her political and mental pursuits. Her sex was devoid of pubic hair, according to the fashions and customs of the Realm’s upper classes. Her wide hips gave way to a curvaceous body that left the lusty handmaiden slavering.

Mnemon enjoyed the reaction, though she did not consider herself vain. Compared to the courtesans of House Cynis, or the youthful flowers of House V’neef, Mnemon was merely pretty as Dynastic society reckoned it. It was another reason the Dynast preferred sex with those of inferior social standing. And for an ordinary human, Mei was acceptably attractive.

She advanced on Mei, and the handmaiden embraced her mistress’s body tightly. The girl’s leg rubbed up against the Dynast’s sex, and the servant girl could tell her mistress was soaking wet. “Clean up the mess,” Mnemon said, plunging her wet fingers into Mei’s waiting mouth. The girl’s eyes briefly widened in surprise, but she dutifully sucked on Mnemon’s digits, delighting the Dynast by showing not even a hint of reluctance or embarrassment. Mei showed a surprising amount of initiative for a mortal, soon advancing past Mnemon’s fingers to trail licks and kisses and nibbles up her arm, past her shoulder, lingering on her breasts for a moment before descending down between her mistress’s legs.

Mei hesitated before taking the final plunge, looking up at her mistress with wide and innocent blue eyes. “I am not experienced,” she said with some nervousness. Mnemon only smiled down at her, and spread her lower lips open even further as a clear invitation. “That just makes you more exciting,” Mnemon said in a sultry voice.

The girl advanced, her tongue entering inside her mistress’s depths. If Mei were one of her concubines, the sorceress would have grabbed the girl’s hair and ground her sex against her mouth. But the farm-girl needed time to learn and explore.

“You taste different from other girls, mistress,” the mortal said between licks, and it soon became clear that the girl knew her way around another woman’s body. “You’re sweeter, for one thing,” she said, praising her mistress absently. Mnemon wondered if she too preferred women to men.

“Have you serviced many girls?” Mnemon said, spreading her legs wider to let Mei go to work more easily, gently stroking the mortal’s head.

“A few,” she said, abandoning the usual honorifics to spend more time licking Mnemon’s pussy. The Dynast could hardly complain as she bit her own lip. “I serviced some of your other handmaidens.”

This then, was a cause of some concern. “Did you want to service them?” Mnemon asked carefully. The Dynast did not tolerate discord amongst her personal servants, and carefully invoked her Charms for a third time, listening carefully to Mei’s voice for any hint of falsehood.

Mei had to stop her licks to give a detailed explanation, something that Mnemon was willing to tolerate, if only just. “Not particularly, no,” the handmaiden said, eyes downcast. “But they said I must, or they’d make trouble for me.”

Mnemon could not detect any signs of deceit, and bade Mei to stop using her tongue for talking as she pushed her servant’s head back to her waiting sex. This revelation did not particularly surprise her. Mnemon servants included minor patricians, and they’d disdain a village peasant for reaching the same position. It was foolish. Social standing counted for very little, whether one was a mortal or a Dragonblood, and Mnemon had no patience for those that wielded power in such a petty fashion. “They will be punished, and then dismissed. I swear upon my name.” 

Mei didn’t respond with words, instead expressing her thanks by increasing her pace, lavishing her gratitude upon Mnemon’s erect clitoris. Mnemon arched her back, feeling her long awaited orgasm surge forth. Almost by reflex, the sorceress pulled hard on the jade rings in her breasts, enhancing the pleasure brought on by the orgasm. As her world went white, she knew she’d be making use of Mei much more often in the future.

She lavished the servant girl with praise, now that all of her previous stresses were forgotten. “Wonderful, dear, just wonderful.” Mei seemed receptive to Mnemon’s words, flushing slightly out of embarrassment.

Her servant seemed drained, overcome by a mix of feelings. Mnemon was unsurprised, if a little disappointed. The Dynast was not one to be satisfied by a single orgasm. Yet Mei needed time, not only to recover physically and mentally, but also time to understand her new position in Mnemon’s household. Even a peerless courtesan would be hard pressed to match the sexual needs of a Dragonblood of Mnemon’s caliber, and there was no way that Mei was up to the task. At least, not without a bit more experience, and Mnemon was more than willing to teach.

She bent down to pull her handmaiden in a passionate kiss, tasting her own juices on the other woman’s tongue. “Rest now. The other servants will clean up after us, and draw you a bath. Consider the rest of the day entirely your own.”

“Mistress?” Mei looked a bit concerned. “What will you be doing?” she asked hesitantly.

Mnemon’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she decided to tolerate Mei’s questions. “I find myself in need of a holiday. A reprieve from my work and my position.” She kissed her again, this time chastely on the lips. “Don’t worry. If you wish to continue to act as my lover, then I’ll certainly make use of you again.” The girl smiled, nodding her head eagerly as she was helped up on unsteady legs. After four centuries, Mnemon was adept at training inexperienced partners. It would be quite some time before she would be bored with Mei.

The servants of House Mnemon were well trained, and used to the excesses of their betters. All it took was for Mnemon to ring the little bell she left on her desk for her retainers to quietly file in, their expressions carefully neutral and their mouths sealed tightly shut. Mnemon despised gossip, and those who served her learned very quickly to not let their tongues wag carelessly. Wordlessly, they gathered up both Mnemon’s elegant silks and Mei’s simple cotton, and dutifully scrubbed away any signs of the Dynast’s previous escapade with her servant. 

Mei, for her part, was surprised at the sudden appearance of her mistress’s servants. Flushing in embarrassment, the dusky skinned maid covered as much of her nudity as she could with her hands, and gave a brief cry of protest as the other servants took her soiled clothes. The sight of it almost made Mnemon want to take her again, right in front of her other servants, but the Dynast knew the other woman wasn’t quite ready for that. Wordlessly, the Dragonblooded placed a hand on the shoulder of her newest lover and simply snapped her fingers. With that, Mnemon’s handmaids formed a tight circle around the two naked women, preserving their mistress’s modesty.

“Shall we draw you a bath, my lady?” asked the most senior of her maids in a soft voice, eyes downcast as though the radiance of a nude Dragonblood would blind her. Though the girl observed all the proper forms, it was still a silly gesture. Mnemon made it a point to sleep with all her handmaids.  It was an excellent method to gain the measure of the mortals in her employ, the sorceress’s prodigious libido notwithstanding.

Mei was blushing furiously at the furtive glances the other women would give them, glimpsing at them both with a mixture of lust and envy. She pressed herself tightly against Mnemon, as though she found the attention frightening. The feel of Mei’s breasts against Mnemon’s flank, and the way she could feel Mei’s heart race gave the sorceress a wicked thought. 

Smiling, Mnemon merely said in response, “At a sedate pace then, Lily.” The handmaiden simply bowed and turned, a small smile playing upon her face. Gracious Lily was more than used to the games the Dynast liked to play with her lovers.

They moved out of the room like a procession, the ring of servants giving those outside only tantalizing glimpses as the two women’s bodies. They passed by the servants of the house, who couldn’t help but try to glimpse at the hints of bare flesh in the center when they thought they could get away with it. Mei trembled against her mistress, no doubt wishing for her clothes back. Mnemon found the whole situation delightfully erotic, and as Mei gripped the Dragonblood’s arm tightly the sorceress couldn’t help but subtly reach past the girl’s behind and sneak a pair of fingers into her tight slit.

Mei let in a sharp, shocked breath at the unexpected intrusion, but soon her body could not help but welcome it. There were many rituals to courtship in the Blessed Isle, and sex was a vital part of any Dynast’s education. A bit of heavy petting was a common method to display fondness between close friends. Mnemon remembered keenly when one of her mother’s concubines secretly taught her all the forms, in rather intimate fashion.

Mei arched her backside up, struggling between keeping pace with the other women and giving Mnemon’s better access. Mei whispered in a quiet voice, “Mistress, please, perhaps we could do this later?” Her face was flushed and her body was taut with need, but her mind was another matter. While Mnemon’s dexterous fingers expertly pleasured her lover, her other hand slowly began to stroke Mei’s hair, soothing her though she were a beloved pet.

“Why so fearful, dear? There’s nobody else here but you and me.” She held up Mei’s chin, lightly pushing her gaze from the floor to the other women. Her handmaids were judiciously avoiding the sight of her mistress playing with her newest toy. “You see? You’re the only one allowed to look at me right now. And I am the only one in the world allowed to touch you.” And with that, Mnemon kissed Mei’s neck while her fingers worked at a faster pace. The girl let out a low and throaty moan, heedless of anyone who might overhear. Mei was having trouble walking, but the procession only slowed its pace, giving her time to submit to her release. It was a powerful one that left the girl’s juices staining the tiled marble. While Mei closed her eyes tight in pleasure, Mnemon couldn’t help but give a sidelong glance to one of the servants, making sure they noted the stain for cleaning later.

Mnemon smiled and praised her as though she was a pet performing a trick. “Good girl,” she said. While Mei recovered the Dynast absently brought her fingers, still stained with Mei’s ardor, to the mouth of one her other handmaidens. The maid dutifully sucked her mistress’s fingers clean without a hint of reluctance, while Mei looked at the display in fascination. 

Mnemon raised a hand and the procession abruptly came to halt. Mei would have stumbled if Mnemon didn’t catch her, causing them to rub up against one another. “You see?” Mnemon asked, with a smirk. “My girls are well trained. There’s no reason to be afraid of them when you have my favor. They’ll do anything I want.” She lightly scored Mei’s ear with her teeth. “In fact, they’ll do anything *you* want as well.” Mnemon’s voice had a cruel edge to it, one that made it very clear to the other women that she’d brook no defiance on the matter. And of course, the mortals could only incline their heads in submission. It was proper, but from time to time it also felt perverse.

Her new favorite looked at the others in shock. All the disdain they held for Mei’s low birth was gone, crushed by the awe they felt for Mnemon. Biting her lip, the servant girl decided to experiment.

“T-then I don’t see why my mistress and I should be the only ones without any clothes on.” The other handmaidens suddenly looked scandalized as they realized what Mei was getting at. Mnemon shut down any reluctance with a dangerous glare, and said coldly, “Do you think yourselves superior to a Prince of the Earth? Then don’t put on airs. If your mistress has to wander about her own halls in the buff, then you ought to follow suit,” she said, quickly snapping her fingers.

They acquiesced. Service to a Dragonblooded was worth much more then a brief moment of humiliation, and this was hardly the most debauched demand their mistress made of them. They slowly shrugged off their clothes right there in the hall. Some of them tried to obscure their bodies as best they could with their arms, while others put themselves on display brazenly… more for their mistress’s benefit than the gawking passer-by. Only Mnemon and Mei remained hidden as the procession proceeded to the baths.

All of Mnemon’s handmaidens were young and pretty. Some of the younger Dynasts of her house couldn’t help but pause at the sight of the matriarch’s women on display. There was no question that a few of her handmaids would be warming the beds of the House’s lesser scions, given the smoldering looks that were being exchanged. It was always wise to gain the favor of the Princes of the Earth, and Mnemon was not jealous of her lovers’ affections. Still, she made sure that Mei was carefully hidden behind the nude flesh of the other women. She was feeling uncharacteristically possessive of her new favorite.

The women let out cries of relief when they finally reached the baths. Only Mei lingered at the threshold, giving an expectant look at Mnemon. The Dragonblood only smiled. Absence always made the heart grow fonder. “That’ll be all for the day, dearest,” she uttered simply. Mnemon turned to Lily, and said in an authoritative tone, “Make sure she wants for nothing.” Her servants only bowed and departed to the baths, still exhibiting the unquestioning obedience of a mortal. Though Mei did pause a moment to look back at the Dynast’s body before heading inside.

 Of course the Dynast was unsatisfied, but she needed to make an occasion out of this. Since the Empress abandoned the throne, she rarely took the time to indulge herself. With a snap of her fingers, she could get any of the mortals of her house to sate her lusts. But that would hardly have been exciting.

Her time in the baths was a rushed affair. Her servants washed away the scent of sex with soap and oil, and carefully straightened her red hair. It was when she picked out a particular set of robes that her servants understood what the Dynast had in mind for the evening. It was scandalous, low cut, and bright blue. Blue was a color favored by the Maiden of Serenity, courting lovers, and the courtesans of the Imperial City. Yet even though the whore’s silk gave tantalizing hints of her most intimate parts, it also proudly (or perhaps shamelessly?) bore the symbol of her house upon its back and embroidered dragons on its sleeves. 

It barely met the standards of decency, and was clear signal conveying her desire to use and be used. From there, all it took was a curt nod to one of her daughters to have a curtained palanquin waiting for her as she exited her estate. It had been months since she had indulged in the delights of the Garden of Crimson Pleasures, and after all her frustrations and setbacks this visit was clearly long overdue. Still burning with desire, Mnemon kept herself tightly controlled as she stepped inside. 

It wouldn’t do to waste her energy.