Myds6

Veronica came back to the stage, having pulled in a cart laden with what seemed to be baked goods. Creamy pies made up the majority of it.

 “I have what you asked for.” “What’s going on here?” Rowena interrupted, “this food is for the army.” Veronica saluted before responding. “It seems that our invasion has interrupted the rate of trade here. These were meant to be consumed by, um yesterday.” She handed one to Rowena, who smelled it, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “Well, you seem to be correct. Proceed.” “There’s so much more where that came from,” Veronica offered. “I’m just glad that these...

.” Looking at Lorraine, she said, “Thank you, here it is, as promised.” She handed over a heavy purse. Lorraine opened it and looked down, examining the coins inside, before hanging it from her belt. “Thank you, Duchess Vittoria. It was a pleasure working with you. “Likewise. Now, on with whatever show you were putting on!”

Not part of the story, just an update.

Ignored my main job to do a lot of renders yesterday, and that should keep us going until the end of the month.  Shortly after the beginning of August, the plot should get really interesting, and by interesting, I mean lead to fun an unexpected situations.  I still have tons of IRL work bearing down on me, but I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.  I hate if a day goes by without an update (although the sites I have subscribed to seemed to update 2-4 times in a month)....

Vittoria smiled, “Yes, Lady Knight, but I think you forgot that completion of that task involves HOLDING the town.”

 “Here’s the entire population, on their knees, watching their magistrate get stripped and spanked in the stocks. What could go wrong?” Rowena scoffed, as the two ascended the scaffold. Pushing by the knight, Vittoria walked over to Lorraine. “Yours is not the only reward I am here to grant, Rowena. I’ll fulfill our bargain, when the day is through.”  

But then, with a fanfare, a carriage rode into the square. The townspeople, on their knees as they were, had to be moved by the guards to make way. Veronica cursed as the elegant coach nearly sideswiped the small wagon she was pushing.

Rowena, who had been watching quietly, walked over to the carriage and helped a veiled woman out of it. Gesturing to the square full of pacified, kneeling citizens, she said, “Duchess! Welcome! You’ll see I have completed the mission as we discussed. Subduing this cow pasture was easy for seasoned troops like mine.”

The three women writhed in the stocks, to no avail. They weren’t getting out.

“And to think YOU were going to lock ME in these stocks!” Lorraine taunted. “You won’t get away with-owww!” Chorinna responded.

“You traitor! You’ll pay! You’ll--OUCH!” Chorinna’s recriminations were interrupted by the flat of a sword smacking her backside.

“The army of Plouffe will rescue us!” Chorinna said, as she felt Mercedes tug her panties down her thighs.

“The Army of Plouffe?!  You think they’d risk an encounter in open terrain?” Lorraine mocked.  “They are probably concentrating their forces in the capital city and moving the crops and population inside.”

Sorry about the missed couple days

May day job is owning me in a way that shouldn't even be legal.  My scheduled hours have been criminal lately.  I'll post enough to make up for it soon.

Perhaps caution is in order,” Selena remarked, showing the note to Vittoria.

The Venetian glanced at the words. “Fortune has smiled on us, and Rowena has come through long before the day is out.  I will make my way to the town.” “We can send a detachment to guard you,” Fiona offered. “I’ll take my own bodyguard. Besides, I owe a reward to someone in Dacquoise other than Rowena, and I’ll seek her out and settle affairs. It’s important for everyone to know the Romoli ALWAYS pay their debts.” With that, Vittoria left the tavern.<...

“Message for you, your grace…um, your highness,” the foot soldier said as she lingered at the tavern door. Taking the note from her, Selena nodded, and she left, clearly worried that staying too long in the tavern-turned command base could go poorly for a lowly messenger.

 “Well?” Fiona asked. “I’ve taken this cow pasture with little resistance. There’s no one left to put up a fight, everyone is in custody, come at your leisure. I look forward to collecting the reward on our wager, as well.” 

Maeve’s face darkened. “Well, isn’t Rowena confident?” Fiona remarked, “I hope she’s assessing the situation correctly.  Perhaps it’s time to find a new base of operations, further into enemy territory? " 

“Well, that looks red enough,” Lorraine said, admitting Mercedes’ work, “now what about the others?”

Iris grimaced and moaned.

“That will teach the little witch. Veronica?” Veronica came to Lorraine, who whispered something to her. She nodded, and climbed off of the scaffold, pushing through the crowded square, then into a building off the square. 

“Quiet, lying witch!” Lorraine shouted, gesturing to Mercedes, who started slapping Iris’ backside with the flat of her cutlass.

“Well, don’t forget about this witch! This ugly little illusionist can’t be too god at magic, or she’d do something about all this” (Lorraine gestured to Iris’ face and body). “But she made my milk go sour. She’s trying to put me out of business.”

Iris spoke up, “You were in league with the enemy this whole time! You were angry that I tried to report you!”

“And Clarabelle, the pig’s loyal cow,” Lorraine continued. “You were always a big girl, weren’t you. And you played at being important. Constable. Captain of this little cow-pasture’s joke of a gendarmerie. Now people can see you for what you really are.” Landing a slap on her backside, she then grabbed her hanging belly.

The soldiers cheered; they didn’t know Chorinna, but seeing the chief magistrate of the town they had conquered in the stocks drove home their success. The townspeople were largely silent. Even those who thought Chorinna’s leadership hadn’t benefited them knew she didn’t deserve this.

(If I rendered the crowd, these images wouldn't have work.  I may still find a way to get some of them in there, but the main characters strain the system resources already.)

Lorraine smiled, standing behind the women in the stocks. “Thank you, Mi’Lady. People of Dacquoise! You know me as your neighbor.”

“Traitor!” came a voice from the crowd. The soldiers walked around, looking for the source of the voice. Lorraine squinted angrily, then continued, Before you, see your échevin, the high-and-mighty magistrate who has judged everything in this town since this conflict began. Yesterday, this pig threatened me with the stocks. But after giving her some new style,” she gestured to Chorinna’s close-bobbed hair, “I’ve seen her blubbery backside in front of you, on this scaffold, in the...

Behind her, Lorraine ushered her prisoners onto the platform. With the help of Veronica and Mercedes, she ushered the three of them into the stocks, while the other soldiers drove the villagers from their houses, into the town square.

Rowena spoke to the troops one more time. “Lorraine helped me take the city with no effort, thanks to the plans we made with her. In return, I’m going to let her put on a little show for all of you.”

Back in the town, Rowena stood atop the platform in the town square, and smiled quietly to herself as she watched her troops work. Homes were being raided, inhabitants ushered out, things of value looted. “Take the finished food, but bring the ingredients to the town square!” she ordered. All was going according to plan.

Coming closer, and trying her best to remain unseen, she saw the evidence of occupying forces along the walls, then ran back to her horse, riding to the capital with as much haste as she could muster. She would go to the queen herself if that’s what it took, and return with the royal army.

Unknown to the town or its occupiers, Auriane, a villager who worked as a courier between Dacquoise and the capital, was on the road when the town was occupied. From a distance, she saw that something was wrong.

Story catch-up post

(The story since my last story installment, in one long text without the pictures)

It was not difficult to bind Angelique, who put up little resistance at this point, and soon, she was lying next to Emile. 

“Now, take her clothing and armor,” Rowena commanded, removing her foot from Patrice. In no time, Lorraine had pulled Patrice to her feet and removed her armor. “Nothing personal, dear Patrice, she taunted, as she put on the armor. “You were just...

Still threatened by the spear, she opened the corset, and let it fall to her feet.

Threatened by Veronica, Iris stood up and began stripping. Soon, she was down to a corset, her panties, and the white leggings she had been wearing under her skirt.

“Mi’Lady?” Lorraine asked tentatively.

“May I have these three, per our agreement?” “Indeed. And your payment will arrive with the Venetian.” “If it is not too much to ask, Milady, may I have a soldier assigned, to help control these three?” Rowena glanced over the town around her. “I have more than enough troops to occupy this defenseless little hamlet. Veronica! Mercedes! You’re with Lorraine here. Help her keep control of these prisoners, and generally do what she asks, within reason. And here...

But the knight wasn’t finished.

As the gate opened behind them and soldiers under Rowena’s command flooded through the gates, she looked down at Chorinna. “That dress—you look like someone important. Well, that won’t do. You’re nobody now, and should look like nobody. With a few careful flicks of her razor-sharp blade, she sliced through the bodice ribbon, allowing the magistrate’s chest and stomach to pour out of it. Another quick slice allowed her skirt to pool at her knees.

“That’...

“….something happened to it.”

Chorinna gulped as the razor-sharp blade was drawn back. Instead of her throat being cut, she saw locks of her hair catch wind and blow away. Chorinna’s eyes went wide, glad to still have her head but concerned. The shine of the night’s armor confirmed her fears. Rowena had bobbed her long, lovely hair above her chin. Falling out of her fancy updo, her hair frizzed out to the sides.

Rowena, in the meantime, smiled as she looked on the first three of her prisoners in the newly-conquered town.

“What have we here?” Passing Clarabelle, she muttered, “I’ve already seen the large but ineffective guard…who are you?” Chorinna didn’t answer immediately, and Rowena didn’t wait. “What a nice head of hair. It would be a shame if…” she put the blade of her sword near the magistrate’s neck.