Slave Girl 2: Chapter 110 (Patreon)

“Quin!”  Cassie’s scared voice echoes through the woods.  “Rosa!”

“We’re here.”  I call back.  “At the old cypress.”

Rosa sits up in my lap and turns toward the approaching footsteps of our lover.  At my hip Danae raises her head to look that direction as well.  When Cassie breaks into sight I hold an arm open for her, inviting her into our embrace.  For a moment I could see the concern rise in Cassie’s blue eyes by the tears she was seeing in ours but as she nears she picks up on the joy and feeling of liberation exuding from our happy huddle.  She hurries to my side and kneels.  As Rosa leans in to hug her I put my arm around her to hold both my beautiful women.

“What’s going on?”  She huffs through heavy panting breaths as she hugs us back.  “I thought something terrible had happened.”

“No my girl.”  Rosa kisses her head.  “Something wonderful has happened.”

“Oh?”

“The most wonderful thing that can happen.”  Closing her eyes Rosa reaches up to touch my cheek and feel my tears and my smile.  “Between man and woman that is.”

“Between man and…?”  She gasps as the light of understanding sparks in her eyes.  “You don’t mean…what I think you mean.”

“I’m gonna be a dad Cassie.”  I stroke Rosa’s soft shoulder.  “We’re going to be parents.”

“Oh!”  The big news hits Cassie nearly as hard as it had me.  Joyful tears well up followed by a smile that lights up the whole forest.  She thrusts herself into us and hugs us both with all her strength as we hug her back.  “Congratulations!”

“Thank you.”  Rosa beams and kisses her head.

Cassie looks up.  “The priestess?”

Rosa nods.  “I’ve had signs for a little while now but…I’ve been trying to deny them.  She had with her some momma drops.”

“Priestesses of Ceres always do.”  Cassie says.

“Momma drops?”

She looks at me.  “Little candied balls of honey blended with special herbs.”

“And a wee dash of magic.”  Rosa adds.  “I ate it when I went to the room.”

“And?”

“As bitter as mugwort.”

“That’s it then.”  Cassie’s face falls suddenly.  “Oh!  My Lady.  You…you did not want a child.”

“It’s true.  I did not.  Which is why I acted the way I did.”  Rosa says as she lays her horned head on my broad shoulder.  “But my Master has shown me the foolishness of fighting fate.”  She looks down to her tummy.  “This child, his child, is my greatest blessing.”

“Yes it is.”  Cassie’s smile returns as she pinches my belly.  “You’re a virile one, ain’tcha?”

I laugh.  “Born and raised Ceres boy.  What’dya expect?”

“Ha!”

Taking Cassie’s hand Rosa grips it tight and brings it to her chest.  “It is not all happy news I’m afraid.”

Cassie looks from her to me and back to her, trying to read it in our faces.  “What is it?  If there is anything I can do…anything!”

Rosa kisses Cassie’s hand.  “We’re leaving Cassie.  I’m sorry.”

“What!?”

I run my hand down her back.  “We will not allow our daughter to be born in chains.  Even if they cannot be seen.  We must be gone before the Empire ever knows of her.”

“The risks are many.”  Rosa says.  “We do not make this decision lightly.  But…these chains must be broken.  Not one more link.  Our daughter will be born free.”

“Free.”  I nod.

“You’re leaving?”  Cassie says, still grappling by the sudden news.  “Where?  When!?”

“Soon.”  I say.  “Before Rosa is too far along.”

“Demon pregnancies are much longer and slower than human’s.”  Rosa says.  “My mother’s was fifteen months with Danae.  It will be some time before I show and longer before I become a burden.”

“You are never a burden.”  I assure her with a kiss.

“The point is that we have some time.  But our path is uncertain.”  Rosa says softly.  “The sooner we go, the sooner we can find another life.”

“And every day that we stay is another for the curse of this place to sink its claws deeper.”  I say.  “We must not delay too long.  The gods are watching.”

“Harvest.”  Rosa says.  “After the harvest ball.”

I give a slow thoughtful nod.  “And it would see me through my contract with Horatius.  He’s done good by me.”  Looking the overwhelmed Cassie in the eyes I say.  “You’ll be coming with us I hope.”

Leaning back she looks at me in disbelief.  “You hope I’ll come with you!?”

“Baby.”  Rosa whispers to me.  “Do not pressure her.  This is very sudden.  Let her take time…”

“Of course I am coming with you!”  Cassie cuts in.  “You didn’t think I’m staying behind?”

“Cassie, my girl, don’t be hasty.  You are welcome, of course you are.”  Rosa says in that smooth soothing tone of hers that could have calmed an angry hornet.  “We would stay if we could.  This is a good, good place with good people.  And we do love you Cassie.”

“We do.”  I affirm.  “Very much.  But our child…she comes before anything else now.”

“Of course she does.”  Cassie says.  “Before everything else!”

“We never planned this.  This wasn’t supposed to happen.”  Rosa says.  “We understand it is not as simple for you to pick up your roots to drift on the winds with us.  At least not right away.  Perhaps once we get established…I don’t know.  Our presence here…”

“Has been the best thing to ever happen to me.”  Cassie finishes her sentence with a fire in her eyes.  “You are not leaving me here!”

I am smiling again.  It touched me to see Cassie fight for what we’d built.  She felt what I felt.  Rosa was trying to allow her a graceful exit but it was far too late for that.  “Tell her Cassie.”

“Quin, please.”  Rosa says.  “Cassie.  There is no shame in staying.  We would understand.  Your family, your life, your people, your land, it’s all here.”

“And it will still be here if WE ever return.”  Cassie’s chin rises.  “My place its at my husband’s side.”  Her shoulders straighten.  “At my Lady’s heel.”  She gives Rosa’s hand a firm squeeze.  “And sat beside my daughter’s cradle.”

“Your daughter?”

“You told me once that you would love Quin and I’s children as your own.”  Cassie says.  “I feel the same way.”

“Cassie…”

“Rosa!  Are we family?”  Cassie says.  “Was I only just a mate for your boy?  Or is what we have real?”

“Oh Cassie.  Of course it’s real.”  Rosa sighs and slumps in between us.  “I never meant to cause so much trouble to so many.”

“Trouble?”  Cassie exclaims.  “My Lady!  This is a gift!  This sounds like the adventure of a lifetime!”  My spirits rise just by hearing the fearless timbre in my fiances voice.  “I hear your tales of your far off home and the stories about you and Quin’s journey here and I envy you.  I love this place.  I love my family.  More than I can say.  But I want to see the world too Rosa.  I want to grow, I want to experience things, I want to live!  Nobody ever asked me if I wanted to stay in this valley my whole life.  It was always assumed that I’d be the good farm wife like Mom and Granny and countless women before them.  It was a given that I would live and die without even stepping beyond these mountains around us.  For you and Quin I was willing to do so.  But this?  This is better.  I will always carry my home in my heart, and I do hope we might visit again, but this feels right.”  She nods.  “This feels right.”

“Feels right to me too.”  I say.  “If you change your mind…”

“Not gonna happen, boy.”

“Ha!  Fair enough.”

“Besides.”  She says with a sassy smile.  “With a baby on the way you’re going to leave it to this big ox to look after you?  Ha!  Face it.  You two are going to need all the help you can get.”

“She’s not wrong there.”  I chuckle.

“You two.”  Rosa marvels.  “You’re too much for my heart.”

Cassie takes a deep breath as she looks about the forest through new eyes and a bold new spirit.  It was funny.  We were leaving for Rosa’s freedom and our unborn baby’s, yet it was Cassie who most of all seemed alight with the desire for liberation.  “Your villa?  Your land?”

“It was never truly mine.”  I say with a pat to the rough bark behind me.  “I am thinking we let it return to its true master.  Old Silvanus.  Mercury’s had his fun for long enough.”  I look to my beloved Rosa whom I purchased with Paullus’ silver.  I look to dear Cassie whom I met thanks to the location of his house.  “My uncle’s inheritance has given me wealth beyond measure.  I have lost nothing and gained…everything.”  I place my hand over Rosa’s belly. Cassie’s hand joins it followed by Rosa’s.  “We will find our own palace.  I promise you that.  A bit more humble perhaps.  But earned the honest way.”  My women smile and huddle close to me.  “If we stay true to each other we will find our home.”

“Yeah.”  Cassie sighs.  “I am going to miss that kitchen though.”

“And the bedroom!  A Lady couldn’t have asked for better.”  Rosa croons wistfully.  “I never even got to host a party in our hall.  Peisandros would have been so envious.”

“And that garden!”  Cassie says.  “The things I could have done with it.”

“And the bath.”  Rosa says.  “Ohhh that bath.”

“Oh yes!  Definitely that!  Amazing.”

“Geez!”  I quip.  “Are we goin or are we stayin!?”

“We’re going, we’re going.”  Rosa giggles.

“He did promise us a new palace though.”  Cassie chuckles.  “You heard that part, right?”

“Oh yes.”  Rosa agrees.  “He did promise.  I heard him.”

“With a nicer kitchen.”

“And a bigger bath.”

“And a better bedroom.”

“Marble.”

“Art.”

“A library.”

“Definitely.  And all the most modern magical conveniences.”

“On the coast?”

“Or next to a quiet mountain lake?”

“With a stable for our daughter’s horses.”

“Ooo yes!  I can see it now.”

“A humble one I said!”  I protest as the gals carry on building their dream mansion in their minds.  “HUMBLE!”

Chapter 111