The Sultanah Ch. 04

"It isn't different," I said. I began to explain further what I meant when I saw something in Arkadas eyes. I heard something in the way she protested that I had not noticed before. I stopped speaking for a moment, and looked at my friend closely. She was staring at me, concern emanating from her body like a warm glow. I felt my nerves for the evening's planned events soften slightly. I felt a warmth wash over me.

"I still need you Arkadas," I said slowly. Her body stiffened and she looked at me with a new look, embarrassed or ashamed. I could not tell. But I knew I was on the right track.

"I..." she began, but I cut her off.

"You are not concerned that I am still a silly girl, running headlong into danger. You see the changes that responsibility has wrought. I do not mean to imply that your concern for my safety is not genuine. But...you are concerned about something...more important. You are afraid I have lost myself in this role. In becoming the Sultanah. You are afraid I have outgrown you," I said. As I spoke each word I could see it burrow into Arkadas flesh. I had hit upon her anxiety.

"It has all happened so fast..." was all she could manage.

"I am Sultanah now, and I take risks and must consider what is right for all of my people. And they are my people. This role has been thrust upon me, but I have embraced it. I want to lift this siege and I want to secure my place on the throne. But I have not changed the person that I have always been. I must appear one way in front of the world. I must be bold and I must be certain. I must be the Sultanah. But I am still your friend Varis. I still desire to mock Lord Yanlış Telaffuz's lisp when he speaks at meetings and I still daydream about putting Nislani's head in the privy," I said. Arkadas smiled around her tears.

"I do not mean to be petty. It is not just that I am afraid you have outgrown me...It is that if you have outgrown me than I can no longer protect you," she said. And I knew from the way she spoke that she was telling the truth. This was the root of her concern.

"You protect me still," I responded, "You protect that part of me that is not Sultanah. I cannot be that person with the Lords, or the Commons, or Cin, or even Kardes. You are the only person who knows who I really am. Who can know that...while I have no choice and must act boldly...that I am scared for what I must do tonight," I said. I felt my voice crack as I spoke. I had not intended to be so honest. But Arkadas had always been the person to whom I confessed my hopes and fears. I could no more hold back my words than I could renounce my throne.

I felt Arkadas hands soften in her lap. She slipped them out from under my fingers. In a moment, I felt her soft palms slide against my cheeks. She lifted my head up slowly. I could feel tears in my eyes now. Both from fear, and for the love I bore my closest friend. She was looking at me now, her tears no longer streaming. Her eyes looked soft and she nodded slowly.

"Do not fear for tonight. I have always worried more than you, as it was my job. But you have always been extremely lucky. And wise," Arkadas said. I felt some of my anxiety melting away. As had always been the case, Arkadas' words always found a way to sooth me. And if she believed I would succeed, there was no doubt that she was right.

"I love you, Arkadas," I said, as I had told her many times.

"I love you too. I love you because you are my Sultanah and I am bound by honor to do so," Arkadas said, "But I love you more because you are my friend. It will be my honor to remain your friend, at your side." With that, she lifted my head slightly and bent at her back in the chair. I closed my eyes and leaned toward her. For a moment, I felt nothing. Then, I felt Arkadas soft lips press, slightly wet, against my own. I could smell the familiar scent of her skin as she pulled closely. Every so slightly, I could taste the sweetness of her lips. We had kissed many times as friends. A casual greeting or as a goodbye. This kiss needed not be anything more.

But as I pulled away from Arkadas I realized I was thinking about the one way in which our relationship had changed since the night my father died. That morning, down in the cellar with Arkadas and Cin. The act we had committed out of necessity. As my eyes opened after our chaste, friendly kiss, I noticed a sparkle in Arkadas eye as well. Something had felt different to her as well. I could see her lips curling slightly into a smile. I could feel the vibrations of her energy pulsing from her body.

As is the way with friends, we both knew what the other felt, what the other needed. Arkadas needed to feel my affection for her, to know my need for her. I needed comfort in the face of my coming danger (comfort only Arkadas, of all the people on earth could provide) and to express my love for my friend. And, I suppose, we both still needed to know what had happened between us that morning several weeks earlier with Cin. Now, alone, we needed to explore what it meant as two friends. That morning, I had been thrown into the deep waters of my sexuality, and once again I was embracing the opportunity to swim.

Rather than pulling away, I leaned forward once again. I felt a cautious breath split Arkadas lips, but her eyes were aflame. In a moment, I felt my lips press once again into hers. I moved quickly and I kissed her with a fierceness I had not expected in myself. I felt the soft flesh of her lips melt into mine and I felt my tongue slip from my mouth and quickly slide across her teeth. The passion was not mine alone. As my mouth opened wider, I could feel Arkadas body moving as well, like a taut spring finally released. Her hands reached up quickly and I felt her right hand caress my cheek while her left slinked around to the back of my head and pulled me in closer to her. Her body was trembling with excitement. I felt my tongue slip more deeply into Arkadas mouth. Her teeth gave way and I felt my tongue press into hers. Her tongue felt rough and tasted of the wine she had drunk at your meeting. I lapped at it, tasting her primal flavor.

It should have felt strange, to fall into this so quickly. Minutes earlier we had been fighting. We had not discussed our earlier experience in any way. But it felt natural now; it felt like it had to happen. Moreover, as my tongue probed Arkadas mouth, and as her tongue pushed hard into my teeth and lapped at the roof of my mouth, I felt the tension and nerves I had been feeling for the evening's adventure fading. I could feel Arkadas relaxing as well. And I could feel the distance that had grown between us shrinking.

In fact, the physical distance, as well as the emotional distance, soon disappeared entirely. I was on my knees on the balcony floor and Arkadas was sitting in the slightly reclined chair. I was leaning against her and I could feel her knees trembling. Finally, they simply gave way and Arkadas legs spread. I fell forward. For a moment, I managed to hold our kiss, but I was off balance. Soon I pitched forward between Arkadas' legs. Her dress rode up her hips as her legs grew wider apart. My head landed on Arkadas breasts, my breasts against her belly, and my stomach between her legs. I let out a little yip as I fell. I giggled as I came to rest against Arkadas body. I looked up at her and she was smiling down at me and laughing.

"I apologize for the slip," she said, her voice sounding husky, sexy. I felt my cheek pressing against Arkadas' breast. Through the thin, dark fabric of her form-fitting dress I could almost feel the smoothness of her pale skin. I could feel her hardened nipple as it pressed against my cheek. Her body felt warm and I could feel her chest riding and falling sensuously as she breathed.

"No need to apologize," I cooed back. I could feel her body tremble as the breath from my words skittered across her skin. She moaned slightly. I didn't want to keep her waiting any longer.

My face was pressed against the soft, inviting flesh of Arkadas' left breast. I was facing towards the middle of her body and I could see her other large breasts in front of me. Her right nipple was standing out hard through the sheer fabric of her dress. Her skin looked taut and youthful through the curves in the fabric. I quickly lifted my left hand up towards Arkadas chest. I glanced up again at her face and she was staring at my hand intently.

I brought my hand down slowly, pointing my fingers towards Arkadas chest. After a moment, I felt the tip of my index finger as it pressed gently against Arkadas nipple. I heard Arkadas take in a breath quickly. Her nipple felt hard but smooth through her dress against my finger. For a moment I rotating my finger around on Arkadas nipple gently, just feeling it press against me and feeling the denseness of it with my finger. Arkadas moaned quietly and writhed slightly in her chair.

I pushed down a little harder with my finger and felt my nail sinking into Arkadas flesh. She moaned slightly louder now. I turned and watched my hand as it worked. I slowly lowered my hand. Eventually, it fell flat against the flesh of Arkadas' breast. My hand squeezed around it. If felt dense and hot against my palm. I could still feel her hard nipple against my finger. I squeezed her breast now, savoring the gravity of her flesh.

"Oh Varis!" Arkadas said softly now. Her right hand rose up from her side and landed on the back of my left hand. The skin of her palm felt hot and smooth against my skin. I felt her squeezing my hand, encouraging me to knead more forcefully on her breast. I quickly obliged, pulling tighter on her. I felt my breath coming from me raggedly, my head felt lightly, and my limbs felt like they were tingling. Despite the fact that everyone knew of my true nature by that point, I still strapped my cock down (it was unbecoming of a Sultanah for her cock to be visible through her gowns), but I could feel it throbbing against my leg. I no longer worried or cared about what it meant to believe that Arkadas was a beautiful woman. I knew she was and that I wanted to see her body.

In fact, I wanted to see more of it. Arkadas' hand had slipped off of my own and I could see she was holding on tightly to the arm rests of the chair. I moved my fingers up slightly (and felt Arkadas nipple graze the palm of my hand). I felt my fingertips rub against the taut skin on the top of Arkadas breast. The dress was very low cut and her skin was exposed just a few inches from her nipple. My fingers felt the warmth of her body. For a moment I savored the sensation, but then I hooked my fingers and pulled the pink fabric of Arkadas dress down.

The dress was, like mine, tight as a second skin (the only difference in our dresses was that her dress was pink as my lady in waiting and mine was red, as the earthly partner of Gunes). The instant I pulled down on the fabric Arkadas' right breast essentially jumped out of the fabric. I felt my air catch in my throat as I gazed at her body. Arkadas skin was so incredibly, ethereally white that it appeared to belong to an angel. The white skin was completely unblemished. Her nipple, the size of a small coin, was pink as a ripe strawberry. I looked up at her briefly and saw her icy blue eyes framed by her wild blonde hair and felt overwhelmed. Never had Arkadas' exotic foreignness seemed so present. Or beautiful. But she looked frantic, like she needed me to do something more.

I turned my face back to Arkadas breast. I pulled the fabric down under the bottom curve of Arkadas' breast and it stayed there, pushing her breast up slightly. Her legs shook around my body as I rolled over slightly. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth as I rolled. I don't know how, but I could sense that I would fall directly where I planned. And I was correct, after a moment, I felt my lips press against the milky white skin of Arkadas' breast. I held my tongue back, but I could feel the air of my breath swirling around Arkadas' nipple. I let my kiss it on her breast for a long moment.

"Oh suck on it Varis, please!" Arkadas begged. I let my tongue fall down onto Arkadas' nipple. She groaned loudly and I felt her entire body go tense. Her nipple felt hard and velvety against my rough tongue. She was somehow smoother than the silky fabric of her gown. Her skin tasted slightly salty with an undercurrent of sweetness. I swirled my tongue around her breast, breathing in the delicate scents of her body while I bathed her nipple in my mouth. Arkadas rocked in the chair and I felt her hands rise up to my sides. She was searching frantically for my breasts and occasionally I would feel her fingers as they touched my hip or my back.

I sucked harder on Arkadas' nipple, pulling it hard into my mouth and feeling the smooth skin stretch. Arkadas' moaned and her body shook. I wanted to feel more of her pale skin against my body. With my right hand I reached up towards Arkadas' left breast. While I sucked on her right nipple, I pulled her other breast free. The V-neck of her dress pressed her bare breasts together. I slipped my hand back up over Arkadas' left breast, finding her nipple with my fingers. I rolled it between my fingertips, giving it the same pressure I gave the other with my tongue. I heard Arkadas moaning and could feel her writhing.

I stayed like this for several minutes. I licked and suck and pulled and rubbed at my friend's breasts, feeling the tension rising inside of her. Rising inside of me as well. I knew that I needed something else. The look and feel of her breasts were incredible, but I needed more.

My eyes, which had been closed while I sucked on my friend's nipple, opened. The evening sun was setting in the west and it cast a bright, red light across the city. It seemed to splash especially against the balcony where Arkadas and I embraced. Arkadas' pale skin looked positively red in the light, like she had transformed with the Stone of Gunes into a symbol for the Goddess. Arkadas femininity seemed heightened by the red color, she seemed to embody the virtues of Gunes with her wide hips and heaving breasts and the lights seemed to make them more pronounced as it faded all of the other colors around her. I felt the sudden urge, the need to worship at the altar of the Goddess' feminine aspects. I knew what I needed to do.

I detached my lips from Arkadas nipple and let my fingers from her breast. I looked up at her briefly. Her eyes were closed and there was a ravenous smile on her face. I felt her body writhing under me, asking for more, for something. I kissed the soft reddened flesh of her breast. I dropped my head slightly and kissed directly below her sweet nipple. Then still lower, kissing the underside of her breast. While I did this, I moved my hands around on Arkadas body, brushing my fingers against her thighs, hips, and ribs.

I continued to kiss down Arkadas body and listened to her gentle moans. I had soon kiss down below her breasts and my lips were now feeling her taut stomach through the sheer fabric of her dress. She seemed to anticipate my kisses and her body pulled away slightly, coyly before my lips pressed against her. I could feel the heat of her body and smell her perfume in the fabric of her dress. Her hands moved up from her side now and I felt them reach up onto my head. I felt Arkadas hands find my braided hair and her fingers pick at the loose knots until my hair hung loose across her breast and stomach.

I felt the hollow of Arkadas bellybutton as I continued to kiss my way down my friend's body. As I reached this point, I let my hands slide down the side of Arkadas body. Her dress was still hiked up slightly toward her thighs from where she had spread her legs. I moved my hands down toward the hemline of her dress. I slipped my fingers up against the smooth skin of Arkadas creamy white thighs and caught the fabric of her dress. I stopped kissing momentarily and pushed up carefully against her stomach. Arkadas knew what I was doing and lifted her hips slightly. I felt my fingers slip around the curve of Arkadas' ass as the dress pushed up over her hips.

It had been a particularly hot day in the palace and, like her Sultanah, Arkadas had apparently decided against wearing undergarments. I found my face just a few short inches from Arkadas cunny. I gasped at the beauty of her body. When I had been exposed to the Peers after my father's death, rumors had begun to circulate that I was clean shaven (despite the fact that I simply did not grow hair below my eyebrows). I had heard that many women at court had decided that this must be a fashionable look if the Sultanah had chosen it. I saw now that Arkadas had decided to follow this trend. Below her bellybutton was a triangle of smooth, clean shaven skin that reached its apex between her legs. Her skin here was somehow even whiter than that which was exposed, occasionally, to the sun. It was also completely without blemish. Her cunny lips were a light pinkish color and were very small and tight. I could see her clitoris sticking out hard from the top of her cunny. Her inner thighs were slick with her juices and so close, I was overwhelmed by her feminine smell.

I could feel heat emanating from her cunny, like the surface of the sun. I felt my nipples grow hard against the sheer fabric of my dress and goosebumps break out against my skin. In all the years I had known Arkadas, I had known her to be beautiful. But I had never actually dared to imagine what her body looked like, stripped of clothing. Just as she had never seen me naked, I had never seen her. Now I was overwhelmed by her beauty. My mouth watered, I needed to taste her beauty. I started to lean forward, into Arkadas' heat.

As I closed in I felt a sudden hard tug on the back of my head. A pain from my scalp. I could now tell that Arkadas' fingers were wrapped deeply in my hair. She was pulling me back. I looked up from between her legs. I could see hear breasts heaving, her arms shaking, and her eyes looked pained. I could sense some sort of conflict.

"Sultanah, please," she said, "Do not!"

"You do not desire..." I began. I looked down and saw that her cunny had grown even slicker and her body was shaking, her hips thrusting up. She clearly desired my touch. Why had she stopped me?

"You cannot," she pleaded. I suddenly realized the cause of her concern. While in the ancient days of Bütün Dünya any sort of sexual relationship was a tribute to Gunes, in recent centuries the more conservative mores of Tanri had taken hold. Sexual relations between those of the same sex were, of course, permitted, though they were never to be spoken of. However, it was absolutely essential that, in the event a master had sex with a slave, the master maintain the dominant position. That meant the master should receive pleasure and give penetration. For a slave to be pleasured by a master would be a scandal. In fact, for a Sultanah to purposefully pleasure anyone in such a manner would be impossible. If anyone were to know what was occurring on the balcony, I would be disgraced. Or I would, had I been a follower of Tanri. But even I had felt the power of those beliefs slipping in recent weeks. I no longer cared about the disgrace of sex. Sex was a sacrament of Gunes, something to be savored whenever it was desired.

I began to speak to Arkadas about these new beliefs. But I looked down once again between Arkadas legs, I felt my mouth grown moister. I desired nothing more than to taste her body and to give pleasure to my friend, and I decided on a different, no less honest, response to her concerns, "Arkadas, I told you that you know the actual Varis, beyond the Sultanah. On this balcony I am not the Sultanah and you are not a slave. We are friends and equals. I love you Arkadas, and nothing we do in that love can be disgraceful."

I did not wait for her to respond. Instead, I quickly dropped my head down between my friend's legs. Any resistance that Arkadas may have tried to give evaporated as my long, free hair cascaded over her legs. I felt my cheeks slide against the soft skin of Arkadas thighs as I moved into position. The wet heat from her cunny very intense and her smell, so musky and feminine, made my head swim.