The Queen and the Conqueror

Posted on Thu Nov 28th, 2024 @ 7:37am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov

Mission: S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Date 2372-01-13 at 1700
10397 words - 20.8 OF Standard Post Measure

True to what Andrei had said, the information for the costume Lyra was to replicate had come in exactly thirty minutes after her shift. When she had seen what it was, she was quite curious as to what her beloved had planned. Her shift had gone until lunch rather uneventfully and she had spent that time with her men and even a few moments with Maya. They had given her gifts of alcohol, chocolates, and other confections; the gesture was appreciated and noticed of course. She had returned to her shift in her office only to be paid a visit by the XO for a “surprise inspection” which had seen Andrei on his knees between her legs once more demonstrating his love and devotion to her while still taking nothing in return from her. She knew the kind of discipline he was exercising to accomplish the task, but she also knew he had a purpose behind it that would likely be revealed to her quite soon.

She was sitting in front of the vanity in her own bathroom looking in the mirror. Behind her was Lottie who was carefully sliding pins into her hair to secure the braids they had made so she could wear the wig that had come with the costume. Did she need the help? No. However this was a continuation of her little experiment she had taken up while Andrei had been away with Kit several weeks ago. She found she enjoyed being served in such a way; it was fitting for a person of Imperial blood and it was quite normal even in a military environment to have a slave or servant to attend to their needs. While Lyra would have preferred a paid servant, that wasn’t exactly an option in their circumstance, but Lottie was proving to be quite perfect for her plans.

“You look beautiful, Domina.” Lottie said softly, her gaze down as she put the last pin into Lyra’s hair. “Shall I put the wig on now?”

“Yes.” Lyra nodded, looking at herself in the mirror. Her dark eyes were lined with thick black liner painted like traditional kohl with a shining blue-green eyeshadow to mimic the malachite and lapis lazuli that were once employed for just such a function. Lottie lowered the wig down onto her head, the black braids framed her face and the golden caps and beads in them caught the flights of the vanity. Lottie went about securing the wig firmly, and then on went the ornate vulture crown on top of it.

Andrei had taken some liberties with the historical accuracy of the costume of course, but she didn’t mind. Once everything was settled, she stood up to her full height and looked at herself. Everything she wore was beautifully ornate and sparkling with gold and precious jewels. The linen kalasiris she wore was very revealing with fabric criss-crossing over her beautifully formed breasts and covering her navel. The back was completely open, though from under the pectoral collar necklace came a white cape of fabric that would cover her. There was a band underneath her beasts which accentuated their shape and size, and then another around her waist held in place the front and back of her skirt. The openings came up all the way to the belt, revealing her long toned legs and threatening to reveal more if she were to move wrong - undergarments didn’t really work with the set up. Even the fabric itself had a filmy, translucent quality to it.

She looked the picture of a queen and she felt it too.

“You did well, Lottie. You may go.”

“Yes, Domina. Thank you.” With that, the slave girl hastily departed.

Lyra had walked the short journey to the holodeck and the amount of stunned, awed looks she had received hadn’t gone unnoticed. She entered the doors without hesitation to see what would greet her.

As she stepped through the doors, Lyra was transported from the corridor of a starship to a place where her outfit was fitting and grand. The sun blazed above as she emerged into a courtyard full of plants, trees, and a beautiful man-made pool. The outside space seemed to form the center of a royal palace of an ancient design, and the more humbly-dressed attendants and courtiers mingled there, walked passed, and sat on benches. When they saw her however, all other distractions ceased and people began to fall on their knees on the sandy stone ground where they had stood.

“The Pharaoh!” exclaimed the one who was nearest her, and he lowered himself all the way to the ground as close to her feet as he could get without touching her.

The exception to all of the kneeling, bowing, and scrapping were the men in red garments and shining silver armor who looked at her directly and, though they had stopped speaking, swept her with their eyes hungrily.

“Rise.” Lyra commanded those who were bowing to her, though her dark eyes were on the red cloaked soldiers before her. She took several steps toward them, her head held high, and then her eyes slightly narrowed as she regarded them with an imperious gaze.

“The Queen of Egypt graces us with her presence.” one of the soldiers said, his small eyes squinting in a smile as the rest of the Egyptians rose at her command and began to mill about again, though they kept themselves aware of her presence.

“Your Gloriousness,” interrupted a dark-skinned man to her right. His ropes were of white and gold, clearly more fine than those of the people around them. “Your pleasure barge awaits, and Caesar awaits you by the banks of the Nile.”

Cleopatra and Caesar then, she had been curious which of the two mantles he would take up - Caesar or Antony. “Very well. Lead the way.”

She followed the man through the elegantly appointed courtyard. Once they stepped outside of the gates, she lowered herself elegantly into the waiting palanquin and settled there in an elegant, sensual pose as the slaves on either side lifted her to carry her down to the waiting barge. She used the opportunity to simply look around and take in the scenery; she enjoyed Andrei’s creativity just as much as he seemed to enjoy her own. His efforts on this day in particular were extra appreciated, and she continued to look forward to seeing what he had planned.

The streets of Alexandria were populated with a diverse array of people, a mixture of native Egyptians, Greek Egyptians, Roman soldiers, and the many other merchants and immigrants one would find in a major capital. The royal way outside the palace, however, had an extra grandeur. Not only was it lined with more decorations and colors, but the presence of guards and soldiers was conspicuous, and the feeling of safety was greater there than almost anywhere else in the city. As she passed, people knelt in the sand of the street, dirting their clothes to honor her in all her beauty, shielded from the sun by a canopy of golden cloth.

The Nile could be seen several minutes before they actually got close to its banks, and along with it, a large pleasure parge of green-painted wood and gold plating was moored by the dock. A large canopy of gold was draped beneath with crimson cloth drapes and a magnificent bed was lined with red satin sheets, colorful pillows, and flanked by six beautiful Egyptian soldiers.

Lyra took in every detail with great enjoyment and studied the boat they were approaching with great interest. Its primary purpose was quite clear to her, and Andrei’s attentions from the morning and the afternoon certainly had her craving that exact thing. She would be patient though.

“The Pharaoh approaches!” One of the Egyptians announced as the slaves carried her down to the dock and the soldiers waiting there. As the slaves lowered her down, two stepped forward to pull the canopy of gold cloth aside so she could be let out. A hand extended itself to her and she took it, allowing it to guide her out and up and right in front of him. The polished silver armor glittered in the light and was contrasted by the red cape and accents on the fabric of his uniform. Her eyes lifted and she found his face.

“Hail to you, Caesar.”

“The Queen of the Nile.” Andrei responded with a grin, his mismatched eyes having feasted upon her from the moment she had crested the downward slope. As she stood, he kept his eyes on hers with much difficulty. Her toned legs called for his attention the most, and they were mostly visible considering the openness of the fabric he had recommended. He looked every bit the Roman general, and his long black hair was pulled behind the golden laurel crown he wore. “You’re every bit the goddess they say you are.”

“I am Isis.” She said simply, her own eyes resting on his face without any difficulty at all. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I’ve been speaking with your master ship builder about Egyptian techniques and was fascinated by what I was told. In Rome, ostentatious displays of royalty are obviously taboo, though they are…less controversial these days. The idea of sailing down the river in front of a great city in a pleasure barge was attractive to me. And, as Rome and Egypt are to be allies once again…I request for you to join me, and we can share our differing cultural ideas on pleasure itself.”

“Well then, I look forward to showing you what Egypt has to offer,” she moved closer to him, her body almost touching his but not quite; the threat of contact was very much there, but tantalizingly withheld, “and to sharing many pleasures with you, great Caesar.”

Andrei extended his hand to her, the silver and gold gauntlets making a decorative display of his powerful forearms. Palm branches were splayed in the air in a pathway to the barge by waiting slaves. He accepted her hand and the two of them walked together down the dock slowly. He stepped onto the barge first and then helped her up after. They stood by a brass brazier with a fire burning inside which matched one of the same kind on the other side of the barge. They walked under the crimson curtains of the golden canopy into the pleasantly scented space where the cushioned red bed lay.

“Comfort is crucial to pleasure some say.” he said, gesturing for her to go first. “Then again, I always find pain can be just as exquisite.”

“I prefer them in equal measure.” She said as she sat down on the edge of the bed to slide out of her sandals. With ease and grace, she pulled her legs up and then shifted her body around to stretch out in the bed. She moved in such a way that threatened to allow him a glimpse of her concealed skin, but it never happened; it was clear the temptation had been deliberate. She looked up at him from the bed, her beautiful body on display for him covered in the finery he had picked out.

“Just enough pain applied by a loving hand is true bliss.”

“ Then perhaps I should have ordered your men to fashion a bed of marble.” He said with a grin, sitting down and removing his sandals one at a time as well. “It would certainly keep us awake.”

He crawled back onto the bed beside her and came to rest on his side, mere inches away from her. The desire to touch was obvious, and after showing her his devotion multiple times during the day without taking anything for himself, the bottom of his toga was nearly betraying him. He laid on his side, making the protrusion seem almost like the natural folding of fabric. Shirtless Egyptian guards turned in to face them with stony expressions and stood still and silent as the barge began to move. A male and female slave approached with two wooden bowls filled with fruit.

“Would Master and Mistress like to be fed?”

“Yes.” Lyra confirmed, though her gaze remained on her lover. Her beautiful lips lifted in just a slight smirk and she extended a single finger to touch the breastplate he still wore.

“Do you fear being in my bed, Great Caesar, that you would keep your armor on?”

“Beautiful women are masters of deception. And you are more beautiful than all the rest.” He said, opening his mouth and letting the female slave slide a date into his mouth. He chewed slowly. “What does that say about your work with a dagger then?”

She leaned back from him then and onto one of the large, overstuffed pillows as the male slave leaned in to feed her a fig. She enjoyed it in silence, looking out of the barge and to the Nile and its surrounding banks. “You do not need to fear me, I owe you much after all. Without you, my usurper brother would still have my crown.”

She reached out to him then, tracing her fingertips down his cheek. “You are safe here with me.”

“This is also what the men who belonged to your brother said right before they murdered Pompey Magnus.” he said, allowing the woman to feed him another bite. He chewed and looked at her, then lifted his eyebrows and stood. He removed the metal clasp that held the crimson cape on him and handed the garment to the female slave. He then unfastened the metal armor and set it down on the surface of the barge. He removed his laurel crown also, and put it down. He stood in an ornate white garment with gilded fringes. He climbed back into the bed and looked at her. “Now, what will you take off for me?”

She had watched with interest as he had removed his armor, her hungry dark gaze roaming over his body even shrouded by the white garment concealing him from her. She accepted another fig and a cup of wine which she held in one hand. At his question, she lifted her brows and took another drink from the cup she held, then set it aside so that she could use that hand to remove the ornate bangles from her other wrist. She set them to the side and resumed her position on the pillow.

“I was not responsible for Pompey’s death.”

“I’m aware. I remember when you were brought to me in racks, stuffed in a sack and thrown over a huge man’s back.” He recalled, accepting his own glass of wine. “But Rome will remember that Egypt killed a Consul. And you are Egypt now, are you not?”

His eyes followed her toned, perfectly smooth leg to the place where her clothing rudely interrupted it, and he stared for a time.

“I am.” She replied and put her wine down. “Let us not pretend that you did not wish to see the man dead for his transgressions. Your tears may fool your people, but they would not fool me.”

“The murder of a consul of Rome is a tragedy and a shame. The people who did it will have to be punished.” He said, deadpan. “Egypt has stabbed Rome, now Rome must stab Egypt. That’s why I remain with you, Your Majesty. You must be impaled for your sins.”

“Must I?” She asked, the slightest hints of a smile on her lips and picked up her wine again. “Tell me of your victory over my brother?”

“It was a long process, as you know, but when Mithridates of Pergamum joined his forces with my Legions, all we had to do was force your brother and his rag-tag army into the river. Around where we sit actually, he fell off his horse and drowned.” He answered with a grin. He sipped his wine and then handed it to the female slave, then leaned over to her. “Leaving you Queen, of course.”

“He always was a clumsy, useless boy.” She smirked and didn’t move as he leaned over to him. “Perhaps instead of this stabbing you wish to do, I can offer something that I know the great Caesar still lacks but desires desperately?”

“I have all of Rome, Your Majesty. What else could I desire?” He asked, his grin devilish as he looked into her eyes.

Lyra knew that even in play, what she was about to do was a risk; in this instance though, there was very much historical precedent to hide behind, and they did like to keep things authentic. She leaned in closer, her red stained lips nearly touching his. “You have all of Rome, but I have something only a woman can give.”

Her lips moved to his ear and he could smell her scent laced into the wig she wore. “Let me give you a son.”

Was it an offer from Cleopatra to Caesar, or was it something more? It was hard to discern from the way she spoke the words.

His face barely changed. The only obvious alteration to his form was the obvious stirring beneath the white garment between his legs.

“I see.” He said, his voice low and intrigued. His hand made contact with her thigh and paused there. “A son and heir for me, a son and heir for you. An excellent business proposition.”

She noted his reaction - or really lack thereof - immediately and kept her face neutral. She pulled back to look into his eyes. “Yes, I thought so. If the gods bless us, perhaps you might even be presented with the babe before we are done with this tour. Would that suit you to make up for the loss of Pompey?”

“Think that sounds like excellent compensation. I’m especially intrigued by the process, if I’m to be honest.” He said, raising his hand on her thigh and squeezing sharply, enough to cause a hit of change.

Lyra inhaled at the squeeze on her thigh, and a small smirk curled onto her perfect lips. “Well, we do have a certain way of doing things in Egypt, you know. Perhaps you need lessons on how to properly perform the task at hand?”

“Believe me, Your Majesty. I’m perfectly aware.” He answered, and his hand slid up to the white fabric that hid her womanhood.

She grabbed his wrist, flexing her strength into her grip to where it would have caused discomfort if not a moment of outright pain. Her intense dark eyes met his, challenging. “You know the Roman way. Are we not here to share new experiences?”

He paused, but didn’t pull his hand back immediately, masking the flash of annoyance at being stopped. The pain itself barely registered. He wasn’t sure how new it could be considering, but he would play along. It was her birthday, and he knew she had something in mind. He pulled his hand back and smiled.

“Cultural exchange is our purpose here.” He said. “How do the Egyptians make babies?”

Lyra knew her beloved well enough to know that even if he didn’t show it, he didn’t like it when he was stopped, but she also knew he would stop. She leaned in to kiss him, soft and teasing at first, but each subsequent kiss became more passionate and wanting. Her hands came to his shoulders and she guided him onto his back on the plush bed. A few more kisses and she finally pulled back. Her fingers moved under the collar necklace she was wearing and she untied the tie underneath that was holding the top of her dress. It tumbled down, revealing her gorgeous large breasts to him. A few more kisses delivered, and then she moved her body up and up more, until he was suddenly veiled in a flash of white fabric and felt the softness of her thighs against his head. He could see the object of his desire quite plainly, though it was certainly not presented to him in the way he would have liked right then.

She lowered herself down and he could feel her knees against his shoulders and then the feeling of her hands on his powerful, sculpted thighs and then the lifting of the fabric concealing him from her. With his own offering revealed, she set to work eagerly with her hands and mouth on him. He wasn’t to be left out any longer.

Though the slaves sat and turned their gazes toward the beauty of the Nile, the guards never stopped their vigil of their queen, watching as she united with the master of the Roman Empire in a distinctly strange and foreign way for them. Their garments flared out in front of them as a display of their own interest.

Beneath her, Andrei’s strong hands gripped her legs and held her in place as he used tongue and lips, and even the surfaces of his face to tease the wetness he had earned through a day’s worth of work. He found her as immediately ready as she found him, and soon she was making moans and grunts of pleasure against his manhood. He twitched with excitement, but maintained his composure.

Lyra worked him with skill and ease; they were entwined so often it would have been impossible for her to not have learned what delighted him, but she had been an eager student to begin with. Her tongue and lips tantalized him and she could hear and feel the sounds he made in response to her efforts - they were quiet but present. Once she had him to the point she felt he truly wanted her, perhaps needed her, she lifted her hips from him and moved her body down. Sitting up on his hips, she straddled him and took hold of his manhood, guiding him into her core with ease.

Her hands planted on his strong thighs and she began to work herself down on him by slowly rolling her hips like a dancer. She was facing away which was quite unusual for them, but gave him a view of her back and the distinct line of her spine. That magnificent rear of hers was still covered by the offending fabric of her skirt.

After hours of waiting through that day, Andrei’s responses were enthusiastic and eager. The fact that she was veiled only heightened the sense of mystery surrounding her, and the beautiful queen was as skilled in her motions as he was gifted in body. He lost himself in her quite dramatically, but despite the initial over sensitivity that followed, he prompted her to keep going and the two of them made love that way as the barge sailed lazily down the Nile, the envy of every woman and man.

The two remained engaged in such a fashion for quite a while, taking short breaks when needed for Andrei’s body to recover but otherwise thoroughly exploring the pretense of “cultural exchange” in this fantasy Andrei had conjured up for them. Eventually though, it had all fallen away, and they were left the two of them in bed where the only remnant of their costumes was Lyra’s makeup. Andrei had no more to give, and Lyra was deeply satisfied. He was on his back and Lyra was cuddled up tightly to his side; her head was on his shoulder, her hand was on his chest, and his fingers were idly running through her long brown hair which they had loosed from its binding braids at some point during their union.

“Is that how it’s done in Egypt then?” He asked, his voice sounding tired. Every moment had been wonderful, of course, and it seemed they were both quite happy as the warm breeze wafted in. “It’s not too different from the Roman way.”

“No, we are not so different.” She replied with a low voice that reflected her fulfillment and then kissed his chest. “Though I believe I demand more of your body than a Roman would.”

“That’s certainly true.” He remarked with a grin as he looked down at her. The slaves returned to their sides with their bowls, but Andrei looked down at Lyra with a curious expression. “Does the fruit suit you, or would you like something more substantial?”

“Mm… perhaps something a bit more now. I worked up quite an appetite after riding such a fine Roman stallion.” She leaned up to kiss him and then shifted off of his chest, though still lay right next to him. “What does the great Caesar have planned for us?”

“A local delicacy, Your Majesty. I think you’ll enjoy it.” He said with a particularly mischievous grin as he gave a signal to the slave to turn the barge back to the banks. “Unfortunately, we will need to dress again though.”

“Mmm… I suppose if we must.” Lyra chuckled and moved off of the bed, obviously not really put off by needing to dress despite her words. She motioned the slaves over and they immediately set to work getting her dressed once more which she seemed to enjoy being done for her.

Andrei watched with silent interest as Lyra enjoyed being dressed by the slaves. The royal treatment was clearly something she liked as far as he could tell, and he had to admit it suited her. He watched with care as her beautiful breasts were shrouded by white fabric once again and the wig, the gold, and the jewelry were put back into place.

“Now I just want to rip it all back off again.” He said, standing up naked and giving a signal to the slaves that he was next. The woman brought over a bucket of water and a rag and started to wash him gently. Andrei chuckled and looked at Lyra. “A rare honor to wash the dictator’s dick, isn’t it?”

He watched as the slave did exactly that, raising her eyebrows as she lifted the heavy appendage between his legs and washed it thoroughly. He eyed Lyra as the woman finished that task and the male slave approached with the white garment that went under his armor.

“I think I like it here in Egypt.”

“Well, Egypt welcomes the great Caesar with open legs… I mean arms.” She grinned deviously at Andrei and slid the last of the bangle bracelet onto her wrist when they were presented to her by one of the subservient slaves. Once he was dressed, she slowly sashayed back over to him and drew near; she said nothing, but looked into his eyes with an expectant curiosity.

Andrei chuckled and leaned down to kiss her, his hands slipping under her white garment and resting on her plump bottom. He felt the barge bump gently against the dock they had been heading for and saw the movement of the soldiers that made it clear that all was ready for them to exit.

“After you.” Andrei said, pointing to a roomy covered carriage draped in white and gold cloth being pulled by strong oxen held together with yokes and chains of brass and gold. “I believe the inside is quite comfortable, which is good because the ride back to the palace is lengthy. We may have to find some way to entertain ourselves.”

“Well, we rarely have trouble doing that.” She noted and moved to the carriage. Settling herself in it easily, she pushed the draped fabric to the side just slightly with the back of her hand and peered out at Andrei. Her dark eyes were intense and alluring, calling for him to join her without words.

Andrei climbed inside and settled onto the fine cloth and plump cushions. He reclined on his side, wishing he had kept his armor off. He reached around for the clasps again, licking his lips. Finally, the armor popped free and he pulled it off over his head.

“No longer afraid of a dagger in your belly?” She teased, waiting until he was settled to draw close to him again. “I’m not sure if I should be offended or charmed.”

“I’m sure I’ve proven my ongoing value in more than one way thus far based on your responses on the barge.” He said with a grin. “I’m very talented at making myself invaluable all over the world.”

“Well, you certainly learned of the value and stamina of Egypt on the barge.” She noted and reclined back on the pillows of the carriage. The thin, translucent fabric gave hints of her body underneath it and despite knowing it so well at this point, there was an aspect of mystery that lent itself to making it alluring.

“Tell me about some of your adventures.”

He eyed her with a grin, reaching out and touching her garment. If he moved it in a certain way, it would expose her hidden parts. He refrained from doing so, however.

“I assume you’ve heard of my conquest of Gaul?”

“I have heard of it, but not the details.” She replied, not denying his touch this time. She had kept just a small part of the fabric covering her lower half between her legs to keep it from fluttering open and exposing herself, but it wasn’t enough to offer any resistance to his hand.

“Well, many great battles were fought and won, but the one that comes to my mind first took place five years ago. During the winter the Gallic leaders had plotted in secret to remove my legions from their lands and the ragtag band united behind one man; Vercingetorix.” He said, and started an engaging tale about a long-term siege of a Gallic city full of hardship, and violence, and trickery. He told it well, displaying his encyclopedic knowledge of the events, even from a first person perspective.

Lyra attentively listened to Andrei as he spoke. While she had passing familiarity with what he was speaking about, she didn’t know all of the details that her beloved did and truthfully even if she had, she would have enjoyed his telling regardless. She knew Andrei enjoyed demonstrating his intelligence in this way and obviously, he always enjoyed the rapt attention of an audience even if it was just her. She was quiet outside of the occasional question prompting him for more details, but remained engaged and present with him simply by resting her hand on his side as they lay face to face.

“The life of Cleopatra VII is obviously a vibrant and interesting one. I haven’t met a man who didn’t want you nor a woman who didn’t envy you.” Andrei said, lifting the fabric for the first time for a sneak peak and looking at her inviting womanhood with desire and obvious interest. After a few seconds, he lowered it again and focused on her face once more. “Tell me some story of your life in return for mine?”

The other benefit of having had Lottie tend to her was she had time to do a little more in depth research about the character Andrei had presented her to play with. She considered the question for a moment, and then smiled. “Well, I have no great military triumph to share as you do, but when I was newly ascended to the throne there was a near immediate crisis to be dealt with. My dearly departed brother of course could not be bothered seeing to it, so the burden fell to me. As you know the Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt and we rely on the annual inundation to sustain our society; the year we rose to power, the floods failed to come. I was only eighteen and inexperienced, but something had to be done.”

She continued on, explaining to Andrei how Cleopatra had gone about dealing with the crisis by feeding the populace out of the royal granaries which endeared her to her people and then followed that with tax relief and resource redistribution locally at first and then negotiated with nearby rulers for trade agreements to make sure her people wouldn’t starve. She spoke of how she went out among her people and demonstrated a new, more hands-on leadership style that showed them her care and concern. Despite her youth and inexperience, she had guided her people through a potentially catastrophic event with grace and poise, showing her ability to be a strong and reliable leader.

Andrei listened as intently to her as she had to him, and even managed to keep her clothes on the entire time. He didn’t know the account she was giving as he wasn’t well versed in the royal record of Cleopatra. He listened with all the interest of a dedicated student of history, nodding at certain places to indicate a particular desire to hear more. As she finished, the carriage came to a stop and the cloth was drawn back, letting in the bright Egyptian sun.

“These men will take us to your festival chamber. We will enjoy our meal there.” Andrei said, gesturing at the exit. “After you, of course.”

This time, Lyra didn’t move and instead rested her cheek in her hand as she regarded him. “You know, in Egypt, it is customary for a man to escort a woman he has an interest in and help her out of carriages himself. He wouldn’t want a slave to do it.”

“I would assume it would be improper for any man to go before a queen. But, then again, Roman pride cannot be forgotten.” He said, and slid out of the carriage before her as requested. Once outside, he extended his hand for her. He would need to fix his outfit, but that could wait.

“You do not go before me.” Lyra pointed out before taking his hand and when she took it, she slid out of the carriage and into his arms, drawing him into a passionate kiss. “We go together as one. As the gods intend a man and woman.”

“That would make me a king, would it not?” He asked with a lifted brow, his lips still hovering close to hers, his hands on her waist as if it didn’t matter who saw. “Don’t let my people hear it.”

“Emperor suits you more.”

She kissed him again, her arms lingering around him a moment more, then finally she pulled back to wait for him to offer to escort her to where they were going.

After taking a moment to dress again, with the help of a slave, he took her arm and his, and they started through the gates, and into the courtyard of Cleopatra’s palace. Soon, the past a bunch of conversing officials and visiting citizens and turned into an ornate hallway. After following it, for a few moments, they came to a room with a high ceiling, and a short table surrounded by braziers. The table was small, but made for reclining, and seemed to be part of a floor pallet or bed of sorts.

“I've worked up quite the appetite, my Queen.”

“Well, I wouldn’t see you leave unsatisfied in any respect, great Caesar.” Lyra replied and squeezed his arm while looking with interest at the table. When they approached, she accepted his assistance to lower herself down and waited for him to do the same. She was quite interested to see what he had up his sleeve; from his expressions and words earlier, she imagined it might be something quite unique.

“Crocodiles are a delicacy here, I’ve heard.” He said, crawling down to the cushions around the table and reclining. “The crocodiles I’ve found are…quite rare. In fact, after a recent act of ours, they’re an endangered species. Just a few thousand of them left.”

Lyra caught on immediately, her brows lifting slightly and showing an even keener interest now. “I see. Is that what you have planned for us to enjoy?”

“It is. The hunt was…invigorating, if you remember. I had some of the meat preserved, just in case.” Andrei answered. “Nothing says inferior species like being on the dinner menu.”

“Did you now? How thoughtful.” She smiled and reached out to touch his hand. Eating the lesser species was not something Lyra had much experience with nor had she really had a keen interest. It had simply not been something present in either chapter of her life, so the thought rarely entered her mind. It would be something new for the both of them, and she very much enjoyed finding new things to experience by her beloved’s side.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Andrei clapped and the golden door opened. Slaves entered with covered gifts. They placed them carefully on the table, moving in unison, poured them glasses of wine, and then left promptly. He uncovered the first one and revealed tender pieces of meat on a bed of rice and vegetables.

“Numiri live to serve. I’m eager to watch you eat it.”

She took a moment to inspect the dish and then moved one of the smaller plates forward so she could take a few spoonfuls of the rice and vegetables as well as a couple pieces of meat. Considering he had said he wanted to watch her, she didn’t wait for him to serve herself this time and instead used her fork and knife to cut one of the pieces of meat into thirds, then picked up one of them to eat by itself. She chewed thoroughly, considering the flavor and texture, then swallowed.

“It is interesting. Gamey, in a way like wild meat which I suppose is rather fitting considering, but I like the flavor.”

Andrei watched her with a smile, and received her evaluation of the meat with interest. He reached to spoon food onto his plate and gave it a try himself. “It’s less salty than I thought it would be. But I agree; a good taste.”

“I wonder how it might be cured.” Lyra mused. “It has that bit of acidic bite just at the end that’s very interesting, though I can’t decide if it tastes more like chicken or pork in general. What do you think?”

“Oh pork, definitely.” Andrei answered before enjoying the combination with the flavors of the rice and veggies. “It’s got me wondering what Banean tastes like.”

“Well, if it retains the gamey sort like the Numiri do, I’d guess maybe quail.” She noted thoughtfully and then took another bite, not bothered by the eating of the other species in the slightest. She wondered what she had been missing out on with some of the alpha quadrant species; perhaps she could find out when they returned.

“I don’t have much experience with eating sentient species myself.” He admitted. “As you know, it’s illegal currently. The Orsini think it’s..barbaric and turns Terrans into animals. I think it’s…totally appropriate.”

“I’ve never done this, so it’s quite new to me.” She revealed with a smile. “A lovely surprise for my birthday to share something new with you.”

“Anything for you, Love.” He said, and leaned over to kiss her thigh slowly and lovingly.

Lyra smiled and licked her lips, his kiss electrifying still despite their rather exhausting exertions not long before. She reached out to touch his jaw, tracing the defined line there, and then she looked at the other present. “You have another surprise still though, I see.”

“I do.” He said, kissing her thigh again and looking at her. “But it’s for dessert.”

“More dessert? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my cream filled delight on the barge.” It was delivered simply and almost innocently, but the devious, licentious glint in her dark eyes communicated the joke quite clearly.

“And I enjoyed my honey pot.” He said with a smile just as hungry as it had been earlier. He kissed her thigh again, a bit higher this time.

“What, do you need a different kind of drink with your dinner, Darling?” Lyra asked with joking concern in her tone and eyes. She placed her hand on the fabric and slowly started to shift it to the side; she understood now why Andrei had given her something to wear that kept her totally accessible to him - she wondered if that had been the plan all along, or if it had changed during the day when he had got himself all riled from pleasing her while taking nothing.

“Wine somehow doesn’t compare.” He said, his voice low and the breath from his mouth warm on her skin. He pulled her fit legs open aggressively, no longer acquiescing to the passive role he had played earlier. “Enjoy your food.” He said, and then he put his face between her thighs finding a rhythm straight away.

His insistence had momentarily surprised her, but then enamored her; she enjoyed he was willing to let her take the lead once in a while, but still preferred to let him do that most of the time. She found a position where she could continue to eat, though realistically only managed another couple of bites before he became much too distracting where he was. Her fingers found his hair and her lips parted to praise him for his efforts. When he had finally had his fill of her that way, she coaxed him up insistently so that she could kiss him deeply.

He kissed her back with equal passion as he gathered the cloth of his costume up to reveal himself. With their meal totally forgotten, he moved inside her, his large manhood meeting the tightness of her body. They made love on the cushions by the table and sang their songs together. There was nothing but love between them, expressed aggressively and with tenderness. When he finally finished, his hand cupped her breast and played with her there and both of their clothes were wet and less than royal in their condition.

“Sometimes I wonder why we even bother with these.” Lyra half chuckled, half purred with a voice thick as honey from her pleasure. She reached underneath the necklace she wore and pulled the tie which held the front of her dress so she could offer her bare breasts to him. She knew how much he enjoyed them not only in these moments, but as objects of simple comfort to him.

He grabbed her breast readily, possessive and loving, and collapsed onto her, though he shielded her from the full force of his weight with the position of his body. His head found a place on her chest, turning her bare breast into a pillow. For a moment, the strong conqueror was docile, comfortable, and calm as a babe in her arms.

Lyra wrapped her arms around him, her fingers finding and playing with his hair while he lay on top of her just to bask in the afterglow. She allowed her dark eyes to close halfway and seemed very content to remain just like that. With him lying so close to her, he could hear the slightly quickened beat of her heart below her breast, steady and comforting in its own way.

He rested inside her and softened, and they were like two halves of a puzzle fit perfectly together. Their beautiful bodies seemed made for each other, sculpted out of marble. Andrei stirred after several minutes then looked up at her.

“You stopped eating.”

“Mm… silly me.” She purred almost lazily and shifted one arm from his body to scoop up another bite of food to eat and then scooped up another to offer to him while he lay against her.

He opened his mouth and accepted the bite, chewing slowly and looking into her eyes. When he finished the bite, he scooped another for the two of them himself.

Lyra was content to remain as she was and feed herself while he did so as well, but when he dropped a few grains of rice down on her other breast while pulling one of his bites over, she smirked and looked at him. “Well, clean up your mess.”

“Yes, my queen.” He said with a grin, and licked the grains off of her breast slowly before allowing his tongue to find her nipple. He played with it for several seconds, gentle and skilled before he smiled at her. “If I stay any longer at all, we’ll be in for round three.”

“Mmm do you count all of our time on the barge as one round?” She asked teasingly, tracing his jaw with a finger. “One very long… hard round that had you completely spent?”

“Yes, I do. But around you, I seem to find new energy.” He answered with a smile, before removing himself from her, his half-hard member a sign he wasn’t joking about being ready for more. “Shall we skip to the dessert? I mean something beyond the cream filled confection.”

Lyra eyed him a moment as if she were carefully weighing the proposition of skipping out on such a treat, then smiled and kissed his lips in a brief peck. “Well, you know I do have a sweet tooth. What do you have for us, Darling?”

“I don’t know what Banean’s taste like, but their eggs make for fitting ingredients.” He said, and opened the dish. On it was a round cake drizzled in thick white icing. “It’s a pound cake, Love. In honor of today’s festivities.”

She laughed immediately at the joke, shaking her head and giving his thigh a firm squeeze as she sat up a bit more from her reclining position. “I actually didn’t know they laid eggs… like chickens?”

“Yes, but their fucking gigantic. And, believe me, they don’t like giving them up. The father of this particular bouncing baby bird got his head split open for standing in my way.” He said, a look of pride in his eyes as he took the small, ornate dagger sitting next to the cake in the pan and cut into it slowly.

“Well, he should have known better.” Lyra smirked, watching him cut the cake and her eyes lingering on the dagger. “I wonder though perhaps if that might make them good breeding slaves. If their eggs can be shoved into incubators like a chicken, they can keep working and we can have a new generation of compliant slaves to serve our sons.”

She spoke without any hesitation nor with the careful consideration she usually would have. She realized what she had said immediately after she had said it, but did not react to it in any way.

Andrei looked at her with interest, his own reaction unclear beneath his cryptic expression.

“Well, Love. If you want strong sons to rule after us, you’re going to need to fill up on pound cake.” He said, and offered her a bite from his fork.

“Gladly, Darling.” Lyra chuckled, noting his lack of reaction once more. She wasn’t bothered by it, but she was aware of it. She took the bite off of his fork slowly, letting her lips part in a slow and suggestive way and then slowly pulled the morsel off the tines of the fork. She chewed thoughtfully and then gave a nod. “Well, they aren’t the most physically apt species, but at least their eggs can be made into an exquisite cake. I wonder what else we could do with them. I know you enjoy a good omelet.”

“I’m sure it could be. If they prove to be delicious enough, we can use them as a replenishing source of food, as you said.” Andrei reiterated. The idea of using women for breeding purposes and then eating their children didn’t seem to phase him at all. “It sounds like we have breakfast plans soon.”

“Yes, it does.” Lyra agreed. They continued to eat the dessert while still mostly entwined with each other and spoke more of food ideas and other playful banter. Eventually, they were done and Lyra stretched on the pillow behind her. “Mmm… this was all delicious. Thank you, Darling.”

“I wanted you to know how special you are.” He said with a smile. He picked up the dagger he had used to cut the cake and handed it to her ornate hilt first. “I thought you could use a hunting knife as well.”

Her eyes lit up when he presented her with the gift and she took hold of the hilt, waiting the half beat for him to withdraw his hand completely before she brought it closer for inspection. As she did so, she scooted closer to him. Andrei found she often communicated being pleased by something through physical touch more than words.

“Oh, and there’s something else.” He said, clapping his hands and then placing his arm around her. The door opened again and a guard brought in a long piece of metal, black and shiny with a blade on the end the color of blood and a crown of emeralds on the pole beneath it.

Lyra had been quite distracted inspecting the small blade, but when the guard entered she looked up and was immediately taken with curiosity. She didn’t move, but instead lifted her hands toward the guard so that he could bring over the new gift and place it in her hands.

“Oh how lovely.” She all but cooed in approval, her fingertips moving over the emeralds and eventually to the point of the spear. Perhaps they weren’t the most practical things to use, but they were certainly beautiful and just as deadly, two qualities she very much loved.

“Give it a try.” He said, gesturing to the guard who frowned, slightly worried that the suggestion was she try it out on him. “She can change the balance if you’d like.”

For just a second, Lyra seemed a bit torn about getting up from her comfortable spot nestled into him, but eventually she stood so she could get an actual feel for the spear. She moved it in her hands with ease and skill, flourishing it with impressive spins and quick movements that utilized it both as a staff and spear. She swung the back of the spear around, threatening to strike the guard in the side of the face but stopping just before she did.

“It is perfectly balanced for me, Darling.”

“I used one of your others as a model and made changes to account for the different material and the gems. “ Andrei said proudly as he watched her. “Soldier, how does your queen handle her spear?”

“She is a master, great Caesar..” the man said, his breathing speeding up as he looked from Andrei to Lyra. “Like she was born to it.”

Truthfully though they had been together for nearly half a year, Lyra had never put on a true display of her skills for Andrei; he had never asked and it was not something she offered up. Of course he’d had glimpses of it when they worked on honing his own skills with the unfamiliar weapon, but little past that.

“Well, it isn’t the only spear I have skill in handling.” She smirked and looked over her shoulder at Andrei. “I think you quite enjoy that one too.”

“True. True.” He said, watching her every move and observing her form in the obviously soiled garment she was wearing. “I would like to see that again too.”

Lyra handed the spear off to the guard and then immediately turned and leapt on top of Andrei. She sat above him, straddling his hips and wielding the dagger. “Mm… I need to test this too.”

She grabbed hold of his costume that was concealing his body from her and hooked the tip into the top, slowly starting to slice down. “How clean…”

“It’s made out of a strong Vidian metal I found on that moon.” He said, watching as she wielded the dagger so close to his skin. “Virtually indestructible and light as a feather. I regret I couldn’t get more at the time.”

His hands found her hips and played at her soft skin. He started to harden beneath her again. It seemed the only thing that kept them off of each other was a busy work schedule.

“It is wonderful, Darling.” Lyra purred. The blade was so sharp that there really wasn’t even a sound of tearing fabric to go along with it as she cleanly opened the offending garment and left his pale, muscular body completely exposed to her. Her opposite hand planted on his chest and she brought the pointed tip of the blade to rest on his pec. She held his gaze, a smirk appearing on that beautiful face of hers.

“How will your clothes survive?”

“I can get more.” He said quietly, his eyes locked on hers. As they gazed at each other, the soldier bowed quickly and then turned to leave.

“Don’t bother.” She put the dagger aside then and leaned down to kiss him deeply and passionately. “You’re mine for today and I want you just like this.”

After a few more minutes in the holodeck, the two of them use the transporter to go back to Andrei‘s quarters, considering there are multiple sessions of lovemaking had destroyed both of their costumes. After arriving, naked and showering together, they emerged from the bedroom in comfortable clothing.

“It’s time to open your final gift.” Andrei said, pointing to the gift wrapped present by the outside wall. He simply wore a pair of gray sweatpants with nothing underneath.

“I’d almost forgotten.” Lyra chuckled and walked over to the wrapped gift. She herself was wrapped in one of her red silk robes and was wearing a pair of matching lacy panties underneath. Obviously, she wasn’t expecting to remain clothed and had decided to spare her wardrobe a violent ending by Andrei’s hands. She placed a hand on the wrapping and slid it up to the blue bow which she pulled open and let the ribbon flutter down to the sides and then after a moment of eyeing the paper, she popped it open with near tactical precision to reveal the gift underneath.

Under the wrapping was a strangely shaped item made of pale wood and a white plastic material which was unidentifiable, but an egg-shaped pod on top which moved seamlessly down into a kind of stand. At the base of the open stand were three pedals and an obvious stool sat in front of it.

“ I can move it to your quarters if you prefer, but you spend most of your time here, so I thought this might be best.” He said, his hand resting on her waist.

Lyra blinked several times as she watched everything with a curious glint in her eyes. It was a strangely innocent look for her. She noticed the pedals and the stool and extracted herself from Andrei’s side to sit down on it. With a light touch on the flat top of the object, she watched as it opened to reveal a full sized piano. She smiled then, bright and sweet and looked up to her beloved. He’d obviously remembered the off handed comment she had made some months ago about wishing she could play more but regretting she had to go to the holodeck to do it.

Her eyes moved back down and she touched the keys, finding it perfectly in tune already. “Thank you, Andrei. It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you love it.” He said with a rather proud smile. “If I may; I wrote you a song.”

“You did?” She asked, genuinely surprised and it showed as she looked up at him.

He nodded. “Just a little something to celebrate your special day. Stand up and I’ll show you.”

She moved out of his way so he could sit down and once he was settled, she stood behind him and placed one hand on his shoulder. Naturally, she stood quite close to him, but not close enough to interfere with his ability to play.

Andrei wasn’t as skilled a pianist as she was, having focused most of his energy on strings and the voice when he was growing up, but he still had sufficient mastery of the piano to play well even in a concert setting with some practice. He started a piece with a series of orientation chords that were consonant and established the piece as a light one which would likely be soft and soothing. Within a few moments, he transitioned into the main theme of the piece. It was a soaring Melody with a perfectly complementary countermelody atop complexly arpégiated chords. It clearly came from the mind of a string player and seemed to almost sing itself if lyrics were attached.

Lyra was quiet and still as she listened to Andrei play his composition for her; she wondered how long he had been working on it and when - he’d never practiced when she was around of course. It was a truly moving piece and showed his feeling in a way that he simply did not express otherwise. When he finally drew the song to its close and the last notes reverberated through the room, she leaned down to tenderly kiss his neck and whisper into his ear.

“I love you.” The three words didn’t pass their lips often to each other; they preferred to show their love in other ways, but it was that very fact that kept the words when they were actually spoken truly meaningful.

“I love you too.” He said, leaning his head down on her arm as she hugged him. She smelled of her soap and lotion after their shower, and he enjoyed that for a few seconds before he stood. “Did you like It?”

“It was beautiful, Darling. I loved it.” She leaned up to kiss his lips once more, one hand finding his hip. “Would you like to play something with me?”

She gestured to his violin sitting in its case behind his desk.

“Yes, sure. If you’d like that.” He said with a smile, going over to retrieve it. He took it out of the case and immediately set to work tuning the beautiful instrument one string at a time. Since it was well made and he was skilled as well as blessed with perfect pitch, it was easy and quick. “What did you have in mind?”

“Do you know this one?” Lyra took the seat again and placed her fingers on the keys. With practiced ease, she coaxed out the first few chords of Borowski’s Adoration and then looked over to Andrei.

“I’m sure I’ve heard it before. The question is, do I remember?” He asked, but the second he set his bow to the string, the genuine melody came forth in a way that it was clear the song lived somewhere in his memory.

With a smile, she joined him in the song. It was a beautiful piece meant for the violin and the piano together and one that demanded a high level of skill from each of the performers. They played beautifully together - a feat that seemed to come naturally to them in so many aspects of their lives. They worked together, neither overpowering the other; Andrei’s violin soared while the piano offered a stable ground until the brief moment where it was her turn to play alone, the notes from the piano rising until they were once again joined by his violin. Andrei played out the end of the song with the single held note from his violin, and then there was quiet in their quarters once again.

She looked up at him and smiled. “I love to hear you play, Darling.”

“I feel the same about your playing.” he said, holding his violin and bow in one hand and placing the other on her shoulder. “One day, we should get an audience and share some of this classical Terran culture with them.”

“Perhaps we should. I’m sure there are enough others with such talents to make an event of such a thing.” She stood and turned to face him, looking into his eyes. “Or perhaps we will simply let them marvel at our brilliance alone, hm?”

“We should be the grand finale.” he said with a laugh before releasing her and moving to put the violin back. “Just think, now Kit has new noises to complain about.”

Lyra closed the piano and moved toward the bedroom door while Andrei put his violin away. She paused there, her figure standing out against the relative darkness within. “Let them complain.”

She undid the tie of her robe and shrugged it off of her shoulders but stopped it before it revealed anything else by holding it together between her breasts. Her head turned, and she looked over her shoulder with those dark, smoldering eyes. “Idi spat’, lyubimyy. YA khochu tebya.”

“My snova sdelayem eto po-vashemu.” he said, stepping toward her slowly, “No posle moyego dnya rozhdeniya tebe ponadobitsya invalidnaya kolyaska.”

“Net.” She turned to face him fully and let the robe slide off her beautiful figure, revealing her fit and curvy figure underneath. She looked every bit the powerful queen and opened her arms slightly to him. “Teper’ ya tvoy. Pridi i potrebuy menya.”

With a smile, Andrei surged forward and lifted his tall, fit woman as if she were light as a child. He tossed her mostly nude body over his bare shoulder like she was a prize woman born in war. He gripped her firm legs in his strong arms and walked confidently toward the bedroom.

“Hail the conquering general.” he said under his breath.

END