A/N: The first half of the final Roundtable Respite. Got up to six girls at the end here, so it made sense to split things into two scenes. Foursomes are much more manageable than sevensomes lmao.
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The Erdtree was burning.
Had been burning, for days now. Still, even with the evidence right in front of her face, Nepheli Loux, Lady and Ruler of Limgrave, struggles to wrap her head around it. She's standing right there on the balcony, staring out at the blaze, and yet... it's unfathomable.
Luckily, news had come to them early. A letter, written by her Consort's own hand, delivered by a woman calling herself the Tarnished's Blade. Or was it Tarnished Blade? In the end, it mattered little. This one armed red head named Millicent had come with enough knowledge of the Tarnished and his doings that Nepheli had chosen to believe her when she'd handed over the letter and claimed he'd bid her to deliver it.
The letter itself was simply written. Nothing fancy... no indication, even, that it was meant for her or even from her beloved. No, rather... it was one simple sentence.
The time has come to leave Roundtable Hold.
Nepheli wouldn't lie. She would have preferred more. Details would have been nice, but failing that, some token of his affection or love for her would have been just as appreciated. As it was... she'd listened. How could she not? Her beloved had spoken, in his own way, had given her his instructions... and she had followed them blindly, for she knew to trust him with all her heart.
Getting everyone out of Roundtable Hold hadn't been what Nepheli would call easy. On the one hand, Irina and her father were more than ready to evacuate. So was Rya, the ex-scout from Volcano Manor. Where they ran into trouble was Roderika, Roundtable Hold's Spirit Tuner. She was distraught at the thought of having to leave Master Hewg behind.
For all that the blacksmith had something of a monstrous appearance, he and Roderika had developed a connection forged in hardship and mutual understanding. He was like a father to the young woman, and there was simply no way Roderika could see herself leaving Hewg behind. In the end, Nepheli had had to take drastic measures that she regretted the necessity of dearly.
But she was glad for it, all the same. Glad that she'd knocked Roderika out and absconded from the increasingly abandoned Roundtable Hold like a thief in the night. Because while the number of Tarnished warriors occupying the Hold had diminished greatly, there were still enough who had become reliant on Roderika's Spirit Tuning to have taken umbrage with Nepheli's decision to steal her away.
Certainly, if they'd had the chance to realize Roderika was gone and not coming back, Nepheli had no doubt that a search party would have been sent out, likely sanctioned by Lord Ofnir himself, intent on 'rescuing' the blonde and returning her to the Hold.
That never happened however, for one simple reason. Not even an hour after Nepheli kidnapped Roderika, the Erdtree had been set ablaze. The inferno was immense, and so was the ash. The Erdtree burned, and the Lands Between burned alongside it.
... But some parts of the Lands Between burned harsher than others. Her beloved Tarnished was right to have Nepheli take their loved ones to Stormveil Castle. The lands of Limgrave were far enough removed that the smoke and ash were merely a troubling trifle rather than enough to choke them all to death, and the flames... the flames had not reached this far as of yet. With any lucky, they would never reach this far.
Roderika was beside herself, of course. And Nepheli did not blame her for the blonde's inability to even look her in the eye. Ruler of Limgrave she might be, but Nepheli would prefer to never force respect or obedience on anyone, especially when she had done nothing to earn it. Roderika had every right to hate her.
Luckily, the girl was not alone. Fia, the Deathbed Companion who had fled Roundtable Hold after killing one of the Tarnished there, had shown up at Stormveil Castle a while back. She was enigmatic about her purposes but made it clear that she still lived only by the grace of Nepheli's Chosen Consort. More than that... she claimed to carry his child.
She wasn't showing yet, but Nepheli, well... Nepheli wouldn't put it past him. Honestly, it was all too typical of her beloved. And so, she had welcomed Fia to the Castle. And had been glad she did, if only because Roderika and the Deathbed Companion had almost immediately hit it off. Fia was a shoulder for the other woman to cry on, their shared affinity with death and spirits giving them something of a bridge, despite their drastically different experiences.
Still, Nepheli could only hope Roderika would recover sooner, rather than later. And that she might eventually come to forgive Nepheli for-
Blinking, Nepheli is torn from her musings by the sound of hooves clopping along the northern path. The road to Stormveil Castle by way of Liurnia. The road she can see from her bedchamber's balcony, if she but looks to her left.
A broad smile spreads across Nepheli's face, when she sees her beloved upon his trusty steed, Torrent, coming towards the castle. However, as he gets closer, her brow furrows and she has to peer closer. There's some sort of strange bundle on the back of his steed, dangling off either side. Is that... no... truly? Nepheli's eyes widen, as she realizes in that moment that her brave fool of a Consort has done the impossible. Not only has he returned to her, but he's also absolved her of her greatest regret.
Whipping around, the Lady of Limgrave lets out a rather un-ladylike whoop of joy as she races from her bedchambers and down into the castle itself, eager to see up close and personal if her eyes have deceived her or not.
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A couple of hours later, Nepheli sits in her bedchamber once more. She's not alone this time, however. Fia the Deathbed Companion and Roderika the Spirit Tuner sit with her... as does her Chosen Consort, the nameless Tarnished who has made this all possible. Red-nosed and red-eyed, Roderika has clearly been crying recently... but from the broad, cheery smile on her face, they're equally clearly tears of utter joy and relief.
"Master Hewg is as grumpy as ever, but settled in all the same down by the forge once he woke up. He said he had no intention of leaving the Hold, even after the flames of the Erdtree burned hot enough to melt his shackles. But now that he's here... he promised me he wouldn't try to leave. Specifically, he said, 'If that demigod-killing whelp wants me here, then here I shall stay, for the last of my days'."
Ducking her head, Roderika throws a shy glance towards their lover.
"I know he's old... I know he doesn't have long left regardless... but I'm happy, all the same. Thank you, Brave Tarnished, for all you've done for me and Master Hewg."
Their lover just smiles and nods to Roderika, pleased to see her happy. Nepheli, meanwhile, goes stiff as a board when Roderika suddenly turns her gaze her way.
"And... Lady Loux... I understand why you did what you did. It would be awfully hypocritical of me to stay angry at you for doing the same thing to me, that I am now happy happened to Master Hewg. I understand that you did the best you could in a bad situation. I'm sorry for being such a hassle..."
Blinking rapidly, Nepheli just laughs and shakes her head. Trust Roderika of all people to turn a forgiveness speech into an apology by the end. The Spirit Tuner was seriously damaged in a lot of ways... but Nepheli loved her anyways. She'd come to love most of the women at Roundtable Hold who had fallen for her Consort, each in their own way.
"Wonderful!"
Clapping her hands together, Fia smiles.
"With that out of the way, I am sure our brave champion will not be with us long. His work, after all, is not yet done even now."
Nepheli had known the same, but Roderika had not. The Spirit Tuner looks to the Tarnished with wide eyes and blanches when he solemnly nod. But of course, Fia isn't done.
"As such... it falls to us to give of ourselves so he may go into the final battle with as much strength as possible. I, of course, volunteer my flesh, my Tarnished."
Ah, so that was her game. Nepheli snorts, and then cuts a hand sharply through the air.
"I think not. Are you not already with child? You may assist. But I must demand satisfaction from my Consort before he leaves for battle... for both myself and my Royal Spirit Tuner."
Roderika's head whips around to Nepheli, eyes even wider now, but Nepheli just grins... and so does Fia, seeming amused more than anything as she inclines her head in easy acceptance.
"As the Lady of Stormveil Castle and Ruler of Limgrave wishes. Who am I to disagree?"
And so, they quickly strip a sputtering, red-faced Roderika down to nothing, tugging her over to the bed. Nepheli does most of the work on Roderika, while Fia happily 'assists' by removing the Tarnished's armor. The Lady of Limgrave does give the Deathbed Companion a bit of a warning look when Fia takes his cock in hand and begins shifting her soft palm up and down it, but Fia just continues to smile softly, even as she tugs on his mast and brings him over to the bed.
Soon enough, Roderika and the Tarnished are joined as one. Soon enough, he is buried inside of the blonde Spirit Tuner, as she mewls and moans. It is not her first time with him, nor will it even be the first time he spills his essence inside of her. Certainly, it won't be the first time he's spilled his essence inside of Nepheli either.
She could not say for certain that he hadn't already gotten her pregnant, but none of the signs were there, and it had been some time. She certainly wasn't as certain that she was carrying his child as the Deathbed Companion seemed to be. And so, they would make sure. They would secure the future of Limgrave before her Chosen Consort went on to fulfill his destiny and become Elden Lord. One way or another.
Roderika cries out, and clutches harder at the hand Nepheli has offered her. Hah, one would think the woman was giving birth already, rather than simply being filled again and again with their lover's big fat cock. Of course, when Nepheli says as much to Roderika, the Spirit Tuner whines and shakes her head vehemently.
"L-Lady Loux... y-you should not t-talk so c-crassly! Our beloved's m-mast is... large enough without your words to stir up my t-thoughts!"
Nepheli just snickers at that, grinning but falling silent as she lets Roderika have her moment. She knew not the entirety of the young blonde's past. However, she knew enough to know that if they ever had cause to visit to Roderika's homeland, her axes would be covered in blood by the end of the first day. The pain this girl had suffered, the loss she had faced... no one should have to go through.
If Nepheli had her way, no one ever would in the lands of Limgrave, ever again. She was the Lady of Stormveil Castle, and she would do her damn best to protect the inhabitants of Limgrave, no matter the cost.
For now, though, she was just a woman, holding her friend's hand as Roderika got railed by their shared lover. Yes, railed, though Nepheli spared Roderika's precious virgin ears such terminology, and instead simple watched as finally, he spilled his seed inside of the blonde, filling his dutiful, doting, ever-affectionate Spirit Tuner to the brim.
Of course, as soon as he's done and Roderika has collapsed back into the pillows, panting and mewling, Nepheli strikes. Launching herself at the Tarnished, she takes him to his back right there on the other part of the bed, next to Roderika who squeaks but doesn't move. Pinning him in place, her hands on his chest, she runs her fingers across the burn scars present there even now, while humping his crotch.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Fulfill your duties, my Consort. Fuck me. Knock me up. Breed me."
Roderika mewls out a quiet 'Lady Loux' while covering her face with her hands off to the side. Fia, meanwhile, just giggles, the Deathbed Companion laying back and casually touching herself with her legs splayed wide open. She would certainly receive her own fair share of the Tarnished's affections before this was over, that was not in doubt. However, for her braggadocious attitude and all around taunting about her 'surety' that she was already pregnant, she would go last.
Nepheli had next round. And so, she impales herself upon her Consort's cock, gasping as she fills herself to the brim with his member. Bouncing up and down, the warrior woman doesn't hesitate to set a very harsh, very fast, very... un-ladylike pace. To his credit, her beloved meets her. His hands go to her dark-skinned ass and grip down on her toned derriere as he thrusts up into her from below. He meets her blow for blow, every bounce she does receiving an equal reaction from under her.
It's amazing, and Nepheli damn near loses herself in the moment... but only nearly. She manages to keep her wits about her, as she and her Tarnished fuck, a rueful smile on her lips as she looks down into his eyes.
"I'm sure you've gotten into all sorts of awful trouble, s-since we've seen each other last. Burning down the Erdtree... doesn't even come close to covering it, does it?"
He smiles sadly and shakes his head in agreement. Nodding, Nepheli gasps, and moans.
"I'm not... s-surprised. But it will all be worth it, in the end, y-yes? You're almost finished?"
This time, he nods more happily in agreement. Nepheli smiles right back and then leans forward, kissing him deeply and letting him control the pace at which she's bouncing up and down on his cock. Her toned body certainly gets a work out, and it's not long before she's crying out in abject ecstasy, her entire form shaking and shuddering, her muscles quivering as she cums for him and he in turn fills her and fills her.
By the time he's done with her, Nepheli Loux doesn't believe she might NOT be pregnant. Never has she felt fuller, even as she lays there naked right alongside Roderika, the two of them resting and covered in sweat. As expected, the Tarnished moves over to Fia at long last and is soon inside of her as well. There's less frenzy to the fucking between the Deathbed Companion and Nepheli's Consort then there was between her and him, but then, if Fia is pregnant, they do have to be careful.
Nepheli watches the tender lovemaking for a time, before clearing her throat and drawing her Tarnished's attention.
"Consort. Before you leave, you WILL attend to ALL the ladies of my court, do you understand me? I expect you to meet with the others as well. After all, they deserve as much, don't you agree?"
If he's surprised by her demand, or had forgotten about the others, he doesn't show it. Nepheli almost wishes he would, but alas, as ever, her Tarnished is too damn knowledgeable for his own good. He just smiles knowingly, and nods to her in silent agreement, even as Fia's wanton moans fill the air.
Hmph, well at least he should be a LITTLE surprised, right? After all, Irina and Rya had only grown closer in their time together... and Millicent had most recently joined them. The trio were the misfits of Nepheli's Court, but they all meant a great deal to her, all the same... even if Millicent was still relatively new.
Indeed, if nothing else, it SHOULD surprise the Tarnished to find that they'd come to accept Rya for who she really was. Certainly, there was no way that he could be expected to anticipate what she, Irina, and Millicent were planning, right?
Smirking slightly at the surety of her thoughts, Nepheli relaxes back and lets her eyes go lidded, very nearly drifting shut as she watches Fia and her Consort go at it. Beside her, Roderika's fingers reach out unbidden and find her own, and their hands end up intertwined with one another as they watch together. And Nepheli Loux, Lady of Limgrave knows in that moment... everything will be just fine.
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A/N: Next time will be the misfit trio, and the snussy some of you have been waiting for since Chapter 23!
As always, feedback is greatly appreciated/encouraged! Let me know what you think!
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