Chapter 3: The Elf and the Princess Set Out on a Journey
Alferez had been sleeping in the same bed as Rem ever since the day they had made love at the spring, and tonight was no exception. She lay next to the elf curled into a white, furry ball while purring softly in her sleep.
"She's such a baby~. It almost feels like I have a little sister I need to look after now."
Little sister. It was there that Rem understood the true nature of the strange emotions she had experienced at the spring. The two of them were the same; both had been driven away from the place they used to call home. The sympathy they felt for each other must have caused their feelings to begin resembling those between sisters. With that problem solved she felt a little more relaxed.
"Now then, more importantly..." Rem said as she began thinking once more, all while slowly stroking the back of the white cat glimmering in the moonlight.
She had promised to help in breaking the curse in any way she could, which, let's face it, wasn't much. Well, there was at least one way in which she could help; if the curse proved to be too strong for them, they could always hunt down the person who originally cast it. As she had heard from Alferez, the girl had first turned into a cat on her fifteenth birthday, just when her first betrothal had been signed. The one behind it—or so they had claimed—was an old witch who Alferez had never seen before.
"It's too much of a coincidence that the curse was cast on her birthday and when she was about to get married. At least one of them has to be related to it somehow."
Rem was able to come up with two possibilities. One: this was a sabotage attempt by a foreign country. Their goal was to stop Alferez from getting married, and the witch was simply hired to do so. Two: the witch actually did work alone. Perhaps the old hag held a grudge towards the young princess?
"Or maybe her parents..."
It seemed quite possible that someone who held a vendetta against the royal family, namely the king or the queen, would choose to target the princess, their daughter. Rem had heard that fifteen was the age where humans princesses were typically married off. Had the witch thought that disrupting the girl's marriage would be a good way to settle the score?
"That's what I call perfect deduction," Rem stated proudly. No matter how faint the threads, if you follow them carefully enough you can solve any mystery.
"Now then, let's go gather some clues, shall we."
Rem walked silently through the town in the darkness of the night. The hood of her robe hid her face. It was her third time coming here, but also the first time she was able to walk around freely.
Her goal? The giant castle towering before her.
As she approached the building, two moving lights suddenly appeared in the distance. They were the torches of a pair of night guards patrolling the area. Rem quickly slipped down an alleyway and waited the men to pass. They were thankfully far too busy to notice her, and, judging by their smell, probably drunk as well. It was probably pretty rare for them to actually come across any suspicious people, and as a result they weren't paying all that much attention.
It's the same everywhere, huh...?
Looking at the unmotivated guards, Rem couldn't help but to be reminded of the job she had had back at the village. She too would likely have been skimping it had she not already been hated for being a half-elf.
"Well, looks like I won't be having trouble getting inside the castle. Thanks guys."
Rem thanked the guards now moving away from her location. While the number of guards did increase once she actually reached the castle, the elf skilfully avoided them all. She was quickly faced by another problem, however; the drawbridge leading over the castle's moat had been pulled up, and the walls seemed a little too high for even Rem to jump over.
"Good thing I know a secret route in~."
The other day she had heard about a hole in the castle walls from Alferez. Apparently a portion of it had broken off years back but had been left untouched due to the repairs costing too much. Not only that, the fallen rubble still lay in the moat, making parts of it quite shallow.
"Yeah, she wasn't kidding, that's a hole alright. However... it's way too dark for me to see anything through this water!"
Though Rem would have preferred jumping over the moat using the pieces of rubble as steppingstones, it didn't seem like that was going to be possible. Having decided to follow her original plan instead, she removed her clothes, placed them on top of her head, and hopped in for a swim.
Rem crossed the moat with no trouble, and soon she was inside the castle. She then hopped on a rooftop, which was quickly becoming her MO. No guards were looking up there, obviously, and the elf quickly reached the room she had been aiming towards.
"I don't like how good I've gotten at this... It makes me feel like a robber..."
She felt truly pathetic, but quickly reminded herself that this was all for Alferez. With her hood pulled over her eyes, she turned towards the window and knocked on it. The lady inside, reading a book in a nightgown, jumped up in shock.
"Your Highness, I presume?"
The woman looked to be middle-aged. She had a double chin, and overall seemed a little chubby. Was this really Alferez's mother?
She doesn't look like Al at all...
Be that as it may, she fit the description the girl had given Rem to a tee. Moreover, the sharp look in her eyes made it clear that she wasn't to be underestimated. With movements far more agile than one would have expected based on her appearance, she grabbed a sabre hanging on the wall and pointed it towards the elf sitting behind the window.
"Who are you...?"
Rem could barely hear her through the window, but it was going to have to do. She needed to be quick and get to business before the woman called the guards.
"Please don't worry, I'm no one shady. Well, I guess I kinda am... Anyway, I'm really sorry for bothering Your Highness at such a late hour, but there are things I wanted to ask regarding the curse that has been cast on Princess Alferez."
She emphasized the word curse, earning a tense look from the Queen. The woman spent a moment trying to decide whether or not to trust this mysterious character before opening the window and inviting Rem in.
"Thanks a bunch. Talking through that window seemed like it was going to be a pain," the elf said as she hopped down on the floor, the woman's sabre still pointed at her. Rem wasn't really surprised, though; this was as warm of a welcome as she could've hoped for. She lifted both hands up, showing that she had come unarmed.
"Your Highness, you don't share a room with the king?"
"No, I do not. It's done this way to stop assassins like you from killing both of us."
"I see... Yeah, I guess that's something you have to consider when you're royalty... Ah, but please don't worry. I'm not an assassin. As I said, I'm only here to ask about why the Princess turns into a cat."
Rem had attempted her best to speak in a friendly manner in order to ease the Queen into relaxing her guard, but it seemed like her plan had backfired. The woman was clearly even more suspicious of her now.
Should I have been more honest?
The expression on the Queen's face grew stern. She still held her sword pointed at Rem, looking like she might slash the elf in half any second now. And yet, she still hadn't called the guards. Rem tilted her head slightly to the side, knowing that she was on the right track.
"State your name. Which country sent you here?" the Queen asked with a determined look in her eyes. Though the elf was a little confused by the question at first, the gears in her head soon began turning, and she realised exactly what the woman had meant.
Only a very few people within the country actually knew about the curse, Alferez had told her. However, since the Princess turning into a cat had been the reason behind her divorces, you could safely include her ex-husbands on that list. In other words, the Queen had assumed Rem to be an agent from one of those countries. This would explain her strange willingness to allow a mysterious visitor to enter her room in the middle of the night.
I didn't even consider that...
The Queen likely would have killed her on the spot had this misunderstanding not occurred. Though Rem could feel cold sweat rising up her back, she knew that spinning this into her advantage was her only way out.
"I unfortunately cannot disclose that information. However, what I can tell you, Your Highness, is that my king feels great pity for the Princess and wishes to offer his support."
None of this was true, of course. Rem was no secret messenger or anything of that sort, and as such, had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to speak in this situation. She was trying her hardest to come up with a way to make the Queen tell her what she wanted to know, all the while worrying that she'd see through her ruse any minute now.
"Why has the Princess been cursed? By whom? How can the curse be broken? If you know the answer to any of these questions, then please—"
"And what exactly would you do with that information? Nothing."
The Queen cut her short. There was something about her tone which made Rem physically uncomfortable, almost as if cold water had been poured over her.
"But... The Princess, and by extension the whole royal family are surely in need of help, are they no—"
"It certainly is quite troublesome. However, there is nothing that can be done. That curse is what one could call karma. Tell your country that they do not want to get involved in this matter, for their own sake."
Rem could now confirm it. There was no passion in the way the Queen spoke. She seemed completely disinterested. While it made sense that she wouldn't be able to trust an unknown visitor, the rest of her behaviour most certainly did not.
"You mean that... you don't plan to break the curse?"
Was this person really Alferez's mother? Rem's disguise was slowly starting to shatter, as irritation took over her. The tone of her voice had also returned to more or less its original state. And yet, the Queen didn't seem to care.
"Come now. I would love to break it, but alas, I do not possess the means to do so."
What kind of a reason was that to just give up? She had sent the captain of the royal guards to visit Alferez after the festival, and as such must have known what horrible experience the girl had went through. And this was her reaction? This cold indifference? Was she not worried about the Princess in the slightest? Rem's frustration had morphed into boiling rage.
"And you call yourself her mother? What can possibly be more important than helping your own daughter!?"
The woman did not answer her. Something had stolen her attention, and that something was Rem's ears, far longer than a human's should be.
"An elf...!"
"You know it. Well, a half-elf to be precise. Anyway, that doesn't matter here!"
There were matters far more serious to be discussed right now. Nevertheless, the Queen's mouth twisted into a smile unlike any expression she had shown up to this point.
"A half-elf... And an awfully young one at that... Wait, you are...? Ahaha! I see now! How amusing! Ohohoho!"
The woman then laughed out loud as if she had won, having clearly realised something. A shiver ran up Rem's spine.
"Wh-What do you mean!? What does that have to do with anything!?"
As Rem tried her best to collect her thoughts, the sabre, having been lowered during the talk, was once again pointed towards her nose. Its sharp edge glimmered with light, causing the elf to reflexively take a step backwards.
"Oh my sweet child, it has everything to do with this."
The Queen approached Rem, as the smile on her face grew even more wicked.
"A half-elf... Yes, you certainly have a right to know about the Princess's curse... Or should I say, a responsibility. I will tell you everything I know", she said as she took a further step forward, sword still pointed at the elf. Rem's back had been forced against the window frame; she had no way out.
"But first, allow me to clear your misconception. I am not Alferez's mother. No, I am her aunt. My younger sister is her mother. Well, was. She has since passed away."
"She has... She has never told me that!"
Alferez had been hiding something from her? This shocked Rem far more than she would have thought. The two had practically just met. And they weren't even of the same race. It made no sense to think that the girl would've told her everything. Even so, it was a painful thing to accept.
The Queen laughed, almost as if she could see right into Rem's mind.
"The girl does not know. In all likelihood she thinks of me as her real mother."
"For... real?"
Rem sighed in relief. The woman could've been lying for all she knew, but she chose to believe her. Though she was fully aware that the Queen was simply toying with her, fixing a shaken heart was still no easy task.
Focus! Why did I come here?
Simple. To find a way to help Alferez. Rem pictured the girl's face in her mind and instantly remembered her goal after almost losing track of it. She forced her breathing to calm down and regained her composure.
"Even so... You still feel love for her as your niece, don't you? Please tell me... Tell me about the curse affecting her. Anything, even just one little thing."
"As you wish. This is all you will get, so listen closely, half-elf."
The smile on the Queen's face grew malicious, and she lifted up the sabre in place of her finger to mark the one answer she would give. Rem instantly regretted the words she had chosen. Furthermore, yet another person had begun calling her a half-elf. She frowned at the woman's tone, filled with obvious disdain, but also acknowledged that returning to the Princess empty-handed would be far more painful.
Rem pricked her long ears, not wanting to miss a word. The woman smirked and said:
"That girl's curse... is your fault, half-elf."
"Huh?"
Was this really how dumb the Queen thought Rem was? She had only met Alferez a few days ago. How could she be related to a curse which had been cast on the girl over a year ago?
"Stop with these false accusations."
"False? No. You are, without a doubt, the cause for Alferez's suffering."
"Why are you looking down on me? Because I'm a child? Or because I'm a half-elf?"
"I am deadly serious. But, to answer your question, both."
Rem felt like she was right back in the village. The frustration inside her had hit critical mass. Not because of the Queen's insults, mind you. No, those she was used to. What really set the elf off was her failure to convey her thoughts, how much she wanted to help Alferez.
"Just shut up!" she shouted, no longer able to keep her emotions down. Not an instant later, the bedroom door was slammed open from the outside.
"Your Highness! What's happening!?"
It was the Queen's guard. Rem had yelled too loud and accidentally summoned him.
"A thief! Catch her!"
What's worse, the Queen had instantly ordered the man to capture her. Rem panicked and broke through the window as the man lunged towards her.
"Sorry!" she apologized for the window she had broken as she ran off across the rooftop, although she wasn't sure if the woman had actually heard her. Nevertheless, there was no time to look back and make sure.
"How many times is this going to happen to me!? Argh!"
All Rem had wanted was a nice, peaceful conversation. Why did it have to end like this? She had risked her life coming here, and for what? Nothing.
Escaping the castle through the town turned out to be no easy task, however. There were guards everywhere chasing after her. While high places might have been elves' forte, her opponents most definitely had the geographical advantage. Rem was already starting to regret her decision to escape to the same direction from which she had entered. At the same time, it was the only route she knew, and getting lost would most certainly result in her being surrounded.
"What am I going to do...?"
"Meow~!"
Rem's desperate search for an escape route was suddenly interrupted by the meow of a cat. She ignored it, thinking she had just misheard things, only to be met by another, louder one, sounding almost as if the creature was irritated by Rem's lack of reaction.
"Al...!?"
On the ridge of the roof stood the shadow of a cat. It moved its head slightly to the side and allowed moonlight to shine off the red jewel on its neck, seeming pretty annoyed over how long it had taken the elf to realise. Rem was shocked, but quickly shook her head. Questions could wait for later. The cat turned its body and disappeared on the other side of the roof, and the elf chased after it.
"You're telling me to follow you?"
She received no answer, only a quick, sidelong glance. Right, there was no time for that. The cat led her from rooftop to rooftop, and they eventually passed over the castle walls. Rem took a look behind her, and realised they had pulled quite a bit ahead of the guards. It made sense: these walkways were quite narrow and could really only be traversed by a cat or a slender elf. It would be far too dangerous for a human, especially one wearing full armour.
Al came to save me...
There was something about the small cat running ahead of her that made Rem feel safe. But, she also wanted to apologize, for after this the two would most certainly have to part ways.
"Why!?" Alferez yelled furiously, having returned to her human form. It was early in the morning, and Rem had just told her that she was leaving. Her anger was well justified; Rem had told her they'd be together forever, but was already walking back on her promise.
"Sorry. I was a fool. Your mother knows that we're friends now. Soldiers are probably on their way as we speak, and this time you won't be able to deceive them."
Rem had thought for sure that the Queen would spare no effort in helping her daughter. This was the price she would have to pay for her naivety.
It's probably for the best if I don't tell her that she's not her real mother.
She also chose to stay silent about how she was apparently responsible for the curse. The woman might have been lying for all she knew, and there was no need to confuse Alferez any further.
"Where are you even heading? And the promise to find a way to lift my curse, you're just going to break it?"
"I don't have a goal. But, I am going to keep my promise. I'll definitely find a cure, and once I do, I'll return."
There was no real reason to believe that she would. She just wanted to show her resolve.
"Hey, wait!"
Rem turned her back to Alferez and began walking. She didn't want to see the anger on the girl's face. It was simply too painful. However, the Princess wasn't going to let her get away acting like she had no compassion.
"I told you to wait!"
She grabbed Rem by her collar and pulled hard, causing the elf to choke.
"Cough, cough... Wh-What are you doing, Al!?"
"I should be asking you that. Rem, you're going to search for a way to break my curse, right? And once you find it, you'll come back?"
"Yeah, that's what I said."
Rem's statement hadn't been complicated enough to need repeating. She had no idea what Alferez was on about and gave her a confused look, only to be met by a fearless grin.
"Well, in that case, the journey back will be a huge waste of time, don't you think? I'll come too."
"Huh...? With... With me!?"
"Yes, with you. Who else?"
Alferez then stripped off her dress without any hesitation, tossed it to the side, and walked over to the wardrobe in her underwear, leaving Rem dumbfounded.
"If you do find a way to break the curse, it's better for me to be there so you can save yourself the trouble of coming back to hand it to me, right?"
"Well... I suppose that's true... But, even so, it's far too dangerous for a princess to go on a journey! Besides, there's not any proof that I'll find anythi—"
"Didn't you just say that you'd definitely find it?"
Rem hadn't meant it literally, but also knew that the Princess wasn't going to buy such excuses. As she looked for words that could make the girl give up her plans, Alferez pulled on a pair of long boots, tossed on a hooded cloak, and just like that, was done dressing up.
"So, how does it look? Pretty fancy, huh?"
She topped off her costume with a feathered hat, and spread her hands wide to show it to Rem. While the dress she usually wore was certainly designed to be comfortable, this combination of a puff-sleeved white blouse and a red miniskirt seemed so much easier to move in.
"What's that thing?"
There was also a thin rapier hanging by her hip, and she even had a leather bag packed full of luggage. It really seemed like she had been already been prepared for this. Alferez noticed the confusion on Rem's face, blushed, and confessed.
"Well, the truth is... At one point I got really frustrated that I wasn't able to create the potion, and decided that I'd go searching for the witch myself. I prepared the clothes and sword and everything, but wasn't brave enough to go through with it in the end... But, I have nothing to fear now that I have you with me."
Rem flinched a little at the lack of hesitation in Alferez's eyes. It seemed that her off-handed comment had revived the girl's once-dead plan.
"I really don't think it's a good idea. I have no idea where I'm supposed to go, or what kind of dangers await me there. There's no way I could bring a princess with me on such a journey."
"And you think you'll be fine by yourself? You were this close to getting caught by the soldiers last night, remember? I actually felt useful for once having turned into a cat."
"Well..."
The elf was fully aware of how weak and inexperienced she truly was. Even so, Alferez's safety would be guaranteed as long as she stayed in this manor, and as such, there was no reason for her to set out on this journey with no end in sight. And yet, the girl grabbed Rem's hand and plead:
"If it really is as dangerous as you say, then let me ask you this: what reason do you have to risk your life? After all, this is my problem. What need is there for an unrelated person like you to be dragged into it?"
Unrelated. The word shook Rem's heart. If what the Queen had said was true, then Rem had a duty to search for a way to break the curse. Even if it wasn't, she was still fully prepared to go alone.
"Al, you don't need to worry. I want to do this", Rem said, trying her best to persuade Alferez to stay. The Princess wouldn't listen, however, and instead threw out an argument of her own.
"Of course I'm worried about you. Look at yourself, you're a total wimp. But, so am I. I know nothing of the outside world. But... But...! When we two wimps help out each other, we'll be able to do anything. I'm sure of it."
She raised one arm up in the air enthusiastically to emphasize her point. And then, before the elf could say anything, the Princess took a step towards her and grasped her hands tight.
"A-Al..."
Alferez stared straight into Rem's eyes with a deadly serious look on her face. The elf's heart had been swayed.
"Let's go together."
Or at least that's what Rem had wanted to say. However, just before the words left her mouth, her ears picked up a strange noise.
"Al, watch out!"
"Eeek!?"
She quickly lunged forwards, grabbed the Princess, and rolled down on the floor. Not a second later, a number of arrows flew through the air where her head had been just a moment earlier.
Are the troops from the castle already here...?
Had they spent too much time arguing back and forth? Well, that wasn't necessarily it. There were three arrows sticking from the wall in a perfect line. Rem recognized their feathers. There was only a single person she knew who could shoot like that. The elf shuddered in fear as she lay on top of Alferez, trying to protect the girl with her body. If only it had been the troops from the castle. No, this opponent was far more fearsome.
"N-No way... Ah!?"
The shadowy figure kicked the window open and leapt through it. Rem thrust Alferez away, and the girls dodged into different directions. As the elf was still struggling to get on her feet, she had already pulled out her own bow. However, before she could get an arrow nocked, the tip of the intruder's was placed against her forehead.
"Found you, Rem."
"Aunt..."
Rem had fully expected someone to come after her from the village once they realised that she had left. The fact that it was her aunt, Amita, wasn't really that surprising either. What she hadn't expected, however, was for them to find out that this was where she was hiding. The manor might have seen better days, but it was still the royal home of a princess. Certainly not the first place you'd expect to be giving shelter to a runaway.
"It must not have been easy to find this place..."
"Forest is the elves' domain. Unlike a half-elf such as yourself, I am able to read even the faintest signs trees have to offer. It was still quite difficult, though, for the spirit of the human forest is much weaker."
Amita drew her bow as she spoke. As much as Rem wanted to believe that her aunt wasn't going murder her right then and there, she also knew that if the elders had ordered her to do so, she might actually comply. Either that, or she felt ashamed that yet another one of her blood relatives had left the village, in which case it'd also make sense that she'd want to kill her.
"Rem, what are you doing, befriending the humans?"
For years Amita had preached about the mutual hatred between humans and elves. There was nothing but scorn on her face for her niece who had dared to go against her teachings. There were so many things Rem wanted to say, but as the woman could end her life with a simple flick of a finger, she knew better than to act recklessly. Cold sweat ran down the elf's body as she stared at the sharp tip of the arrow resting only a few inches away from her face.
"So, have you seen enough of the human world? Let me guess, your time here has been filled with nothing but misery and hardship?"
Rem bit her lip at her aunt's cold words. The woman was right. The humans she had once thought to be so kind had turned out to hate elves just as much as elves did them. Out of all the people she had met, only a single one had acted differently.
"Aunt Amita, I...!"
"Hold it right there, you elf! I won't allow you to lay your hands on Rem!"
Just as Rem had been about to start speaking of Alferez, the girl herself interrupted their conversation. She stood with her hands on her hips, legs wide, and her chin held up, making it seem as if she was looking down on the elf. The sudden turn of events had definitely scared her, but seeing Rem's life be threatened had brought her right back into it.
"And you are?"
The Princess placed her hand on her chest, and proudly stated her name.
"I am Alferez Viltela, the first-born princess of this land! I don't care who you are, that half-elf is my servant. You might be fellow elves, but if you hurt Rem, I'll make you pay!"
The girl's name meant nothing to Amita. No, it was the words after it that really got on her nerves. Her face was visibly changing colour. She turned her eyes, filled with a mix of rage and confusion, towards Rem.
"A servant...? Befriending a human is one thing... but a servant...?"
"Well... There's actually a good reason for that..."
It would take Rem a good while to explain the whole situation, and there was no way Amita would just sit there quietly and listen. After a few seconds of confusion, her face twisted into a forced smile.
"I don't want to hear your excuses!"
Driven by rage, the elf drew her bow. She was going to fire. Just then...
"Rem!" Alferez shouted and slammed her hand against the wall. Rem instantly understood what the girl was doing and dodged to the side. This wasn't something Amita had been expecting, and for a brief second she hesitated. That hesitation turned out to be her demise.
"What the—!?"
A trap hole opened up in the floor below her. Alferez had activated a trap. The girls caught a brief glimpse of the falling elf before grabbing each other's hand and running away. However, just before they managed to leave the room, Rem felt a sharp pain in her left arm.
"Uuh..."
"Rem!?"
It seemed that in a moment of panic Amita had shot an arrow by reflex. That arrow had pierced Rem's left arm. Alferez was about to pull it out, but Rem stopped her.
"Don't... That trap... won't hold her for long... We need to... hurry up and get away from here..."
"B-But..."
A pure-blooded elf with perfect control over the wind spirits would have no trouble getting out from a hole that shallow. Rem urged Alferez, pale at the sight of the elf's injury, and the two left the manor running.
"Try to endure it, Rem. I know a place that's right nearby."
Alferez led the elf to a nearby cave, half-carrying her on her shoulder. Its entrance was a small hole, barely elevated from the ground and mostly covered in grass. It would be impossible to see it if you didn't know about it already. This of course meant that it was pitch black inside, but thankfully there was plenty of room, enough for a wounded person to lie down.
"I'm going to pull out the arrow now. Here, bite this."
Alferez grabbed the end of her cloak and placed it in Rem's mouth. She then tore off the elf's sleeve, and pushed her arm down with both of her knees while simultaneously pulling out the arrow.
"Mmmmghh!"
Rem had been given no time to prepare herself, but maybe that was a good thing. She probably would have just started panicking. Even so, what remained was the pain. The horrible, agonizing pain. Rem felt like she was going to pass out any second, and her whole body spasmed around. Using her entire body weight to hold the elf down, Alferez pulled out a bandage from her bag.
"I sure didn't think I'd be using this quite so soon."
The Princess was surprisingly skilled for someone who had likely never given any sort of first-aid in her life. It made sense to think that she had acquired some knowledge regarding medicine during her research of potions. Her lack of real experience still showed, however, and the way she tied the bandage around Rem's arm left something to be desired. Still, it was a lot better than nothing.
"Forgive me, Princess... For dragging you into this..." Rem apologized in a faint voice. Alferez placed her hands gently on Rem's cheeks and spoke in a voice full of anger and resentment:
"Dammit... I know this is something between you elves... it doesn't have anything to do with me... but still, why... why did you need to get hurt!?"
Rem tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't understand what the Princess was saying. As her vision began to dim, see saw the girl's soft lips quiver and her body shake. In her head she likely thought that she was responsible for what had happened.
"Al... It's not your fault..."
"I know that! You're injured, you should just rest... Huh? Rem? Hey, Rem!?"
Rem could hear Alferez's voice, but was unable to respond. Her body felt hot, and her breathing was getting heavy. All of a sudden her whole body was covered in sweat. The world was going black in front of her eyes. The wound on her arm hurt so bad. And yet, she couldn't scream. Her consciousness was fading. While Rem did have a hunch of what was happening, she couldn't move her mouth to tell Alferez.
"Rem, answer me!"
The last thing she heard was the Princess's tearful voice. Rem wanted to comfort her, but couldn't. After that, it was all darkness.
How long had she been asleep for? Rem felt surprisingly refreshed as she opened her eyes. Though the wound on her arm did still hurt, the sweat that had covered her was now gone. She was still in the cave, which probably meant that Amita hadn't found her.
"Al...?"
Rem pulled herself up and began looking for Alferez. As she did, her hands came across multiple bandages scattered across the cave's floor. It seemed that the one wrapped around her arm had been changed a few times while she was asleep. She began searching for the Princess again, and found her asleep next to her in her human form. However, there was something wrong.
"Wh-Why is she naked...?"
The Princess's round butt was peeking out from underneath the feather cloak she was using as a blanket. She was, without a doubt, fully naked. Rem was confused. Why would she be sleeping like that? However, as Rem looked around, she noticed something else strange. Bandages weren't the only things that had been dropped on the floor. There were also brand-new pouches and bottles full of medicine, as well as a sack of small gemstones with half of its contents spilled out.
"Hmm...? Ah, Rem! You're awake!"
Alferez sprang up, causing her large, bare breasts to bounce. Not knowing where to look, Rem's first words ended up being a complaint instead of a thank you.
"H-Hold on...! Princess, put some clothes on!"
"Who cares about that! More importantly, does it hurt? Do you have a fever?"
The girl placed her hand on Rem's forehead with a look of genuine worry on her face, and then, once she had confirmed that there was nothing wrong, let out a sigh of relief.
"Rem... You were sleeping in total silence despite that horrible injury... I thought... I thought you might..."
You thought I might be what, Rem wanted to ask playfully, but decided to keep her mouth shut. The girl's eyes were bright red, almost as if she had just finished crying. It would be extremely rude to start cracking jokes at her expense after all she had done for Rem. She did smirk a little, however, which Alferez did not take kindly to. The girl placed her hand on her chest and muttered bitterly.
"You've been asleep for more than three days, you know?"
"Three days!?"
They had managed to avoid their pursuers for three whole days? Rem couldn't help but to admire Alferez for her choice of a hiding place. But really, the fact that she had been asleep for that long wasn't really surprising to her.
"Don't worry. It was probably the sleeping drug the arrow was coated in that made me sleep for that long."
"Sl-Sleeping drug!?" the Princess squeaked in response. She coughed a few times and regained her composure.
"Yeah. It's one of the secret elven medicines. It's mainly used to knock out members of other races who get lost in the woods so that they can be dragged away without resistance. My aunt was probably planning to carry me back to the village while I was asleep."
"Really...? I... I thought you were going to die..."
Tears were starting to appear in the corners of Alferez's eyes. Some people might have said that she was exaggerating, but Rem wasn't one of them. The scene in front of her felt awfully familiar.
She's just like me... when my mom died...
Back then she had bawled her eyes out, not caring what anyone thought. However, unlike Alferez's, her tears hadn't fully been her own. You see, as the rest of the villagers seemed also happy over the woman's death, deep inside her Rem had felt that the responsibility of mourning had all fallen on her.
What a strange thing to remember...
At any rate, Alfrez had saved her from being captured by her aunt. Rem wanted to say something to thank her, but the only thing her mind would focus on was the girl's breasts. This issue had to be solved first.
"Hey, Al... Why are you naked?"
It seemed that the Princess had finally calmed down enough to feel shame again. Her face went bright red, and she adjusted her cloak to cover her chest.
"Well, umm... I didn't have any medicine on hand, so I kinda... went to visit the town, and..."
"The town!? If a princess went to buy medicine, wouldn't that cause a huge fuss...?"
Rem now understood why there were gemstones scattered across the floor. The girl had likely brought them with her to be used as currency when she went to visit the town. Furthermore, she had done it not as a princess, but as a cat to conceal her identity. Her sleeping naked was proof of that.
"Obviously a princess couldn't just steal from her people without giving something in return, right?" Alferez asked while smiling coyly. Though Rem still had her doubts about whether or not breaking into the store was justified, she wasn't really in any position to be judging the girl.
"B-But... You could have been caught by my aunt, or the castle people..."
"I was in my cat form, it's fine. Well, mostly."
She said that, but judging from the number of bandages and medicine bottles, she must have visited the town more than a few times.
"Sorry that you had to do this for me... And thank you..."
"I-I didn't do it for you!"
For who then? Seeing the Princess try so desperately to act tough while simultaneously blushing made Rem burst into laughter.
"Well, I guess we're even then."
Not that the elf actually believed that. She embraced Alferez to show her gratitude, causing the blush on the girl's face to grow even stronger.
Thanks to Alferez's skilful nursing, it didn't take all that long for them to really begin their journey. There weren't many clues to go by, but thankfully the girls couldn't have rushed even if they wanted to, which helped alleviate the frustration. The biggest worry on their mind right now were pursuers.
"Anyway, Rem, do you think your aunt is still after us?"
Alferez continued asking the same question over and over again, still worried about Rem's wound as it hadn't yet healed fully.
"I don't know. There are few things elves hate more than leaving the forest, but Aunt Amita is really strong-willed, so maybe..."
The fact that the woman hadn't shown up yet meant that they must have managed to throw her off at least a little bit.
"What about you, Al? Won't it create a huge ruckus at the castle once they learn that their princess has disappeared?"
"Well, I was actually planning to leave a note. But, you know, your aunt showing up kinda put an end to that plan."
"I... see. Sorry."
"Ah, it's not your fault, Rem. I'm just saying," Alferez quickly corrected. Thinking about, the elf wasn't really sure why she had even apologized in the first place. When a princess has gone missing, it's not like a single note is going to change anything.
Simply put, both of the girls were being chased by someone. And the problems didn't end there. You see, as Rem was completely unfamiliar with the human world, she'd have to rely on Alferez's knowledge. However, since the princess normally travelled by carriage, she wasn't really an expert in this stuff either.
"Now, let's see... Which way is which...?"
What's worse, she had no idea how to read a map. The two had decided to start off by heading to a region where witches supposedly lived, but no matter how many times the girl flipped and rotated the map, she was unable to find their current location on it.
"Give it here. I'll read the map."
"Please do..."
Alferez gave up surprisingly quickly considering how opposed she had been to letting the elf guide her through her own world. Perhaps the princess was starting to realise how useless she truly was. The two spent the day wandering around like lost children, and as they reached their first inn, it was already past midnight.
"Umm... Can she stay too?" Rem asked the old innkeeper while pointing to Alferez, having now turned into a cat. The lady cackled, saying that animals were always welcome, and guided the two to their room. The girls were far too tired to stay up for any longer, and as such, planning out their next move had to wait until after breakfast.
It's so inconvenient that I can't talk to her during the night...
Rem would never say that out loud, of course. It wasn't Alferez's fault. They'd just have to live with it.
"Now then, Princess. We are going to have to make some money to pay for inns and food and stuff."
"That's what I brought the gemstones for. We'll just exchange them for money, and..."
"People are going to realise that you're a princess if we start going around selling gems. No, we can't use those unless we absolutely have to."
"I see..."
Alferez's shoulders sank as her idea was swiftly rejected. She might be able to excuse using them as compensation for the medicine by saying that she was in a rush, but from now on she'd have to be more careful. The journey had barely even begun, after all. It was far too early to stumble.
"So, anyway, I'll see what I can do. You just stay here, Al."
"Huh? Why? I can also—"
The girl tried to stand up, but Rem gently placed her hands on her shoulders before she could.
"The townspeople are going to be quite shocked if they see their princess working, don't you think?"
"You... You might be right... But, the same goes for an elf!"
"Well... I'll figure it out somehow. Actually though, there's an even bigger issue."
"Wh-What...?"
Rem lowered her voice, and placed her finger in front of her mouth as if to signal to Alferez to stay quiet. The girl gulped anxiously.
"The truth is... we're only paying for a single person. Remember how it was night when we first came here? You were in your cat form."
That's why there was only one bed. The room was tiny, and the only other piece of furniture was a small table. Thankfully the walls were quite thick, meaning that normal level conversations should be safe. Even so, they couldn't let their guard down at any point.
"That's just the same as being locked in the manor! If money's the issue, then I—"
"I already told you that I'll go earn it, dummy. It might be dangerous to stay too long in the same place, but I want to get some clues about that witch's whereabouts first. And we do also need some money."
It pained Rem's heart to once more rob the Princess of her freedom. At the same time, things would certainly get messy if she just let her roam around. She explained this to her, and the girl reluctantly agreed.
"No such thing as freedom for a princess, huh?"
"Do you want to go back home?"
"No. I'll stay with you."
Alferez pouted her lips and turned her back to Rem. The elf's chest felt heavy. It hadn't been her intention to anger the girl.
"Rem, wait."
She hung her head and began heading out, only to be stopped by Alferez's voice.
"Your sleeve is still ripped, right? Leave it here and I'll patch it up for you. It's not like I have anything better to do. You can use my spare clothes in the meanwhile."
Rem stood on the town street, feeling great. The Princess—who she thought she had angered—had lent her her clothes. They were a little loose around the chest region, but who cared?
"I need to do my best. Al's counting on me!"
What would be a quick way to make some money? She also had to gather information about the witch. There was a lot to do, honestly. Rem pulled her hood down and decided to start off by looking around the town.
While nothing compared to the previous one, this town seemed relatively large as well. The stone buildings also looked similar. However, there were definitely way more stores. And not just the main street; even the back alleys were filled with tiny boutiques of all sorts. Carts and wagons loaded to the brink with goods were also a common sight.
"This is, what do you call them...? A trade city?"
If that was the case, it would make sense to assume that people from all kinds of different regions came here. In other words, the ideal place to gather information. There was also another important observation Rem had done. After walking around the town for a while, she hadn't seen any soldiers who could be after the Princess. While not planning to let her guard down completely, it seemed that she would be able to rest easy for now.
After a while, the elf arrived at what seemed to be the town's central plaza. At the centre of the round space stood a water fountain, quite a bit larger than the one in front of Alferez's manor. It was surrounded by a huge crowd who would every now and then break into cheers.
"What is that...?" Rem asked a tall woman standing near the site.
"A street performance. Travelling performers show off their skills in exchange for money."
Rem jumped a little at how deep his voice was. Yes, the "woman" was in fact a man. While his dress and makeup had confused her, all it took was a look at his body build to confirm this. Rem was taken aback for a moment, but since the man didn't seem at all like a bad person, she decided to continue asking questions.
"Is that something that just anyone can do?"
"Sure, as long as you have some skills you can show off. In other places you might need to get a permit or pay some fee first, but down here you're free to do as you please."
How convenient. Rem thanked the cross dresser and found herself a free spot.
"Wind spirits, I'm going to need your help," she whispered quietly to the wind. The spirits here were weaker compared to the capital. It made sense to assume that there was some sort of a protective spell around the castle which boosted their strength. Why else would a half-elf such as herself have been able to jump so high? Running away wouldn't be quite as easy here, and Rem could only hope that it would never come to that.
"Well, it's still plenty for now..."
She pulled out a napkin from her pocked and placed it on her raised index finger. Her small audience of seven people was clearly doubtful of the robed, petite girl just standing there. That changed quickly as Rem began floating the napkin in the air with a gentle breeze.
"Oooh...!" went the crowd. The girl had caught their interest. Rem noticed that the cross dresser from earlier was watching from a distance, but as soon as their eyes met, the man tilted his head slight, almost as if asking "is that all"? Of course it wasn't. The elf slowly began moving her fingertip, causing the napkin to dance in air.
"Ooohh!"
The crowd was fully into it. Rem moved the rest of her fingers as well, operating the napkin like a string puppet. Her mysterious appearance also definitely played a part in the size of her growing audience. She finished off by making the napkin float high up in the air and land in hands of a spectating woman, resulting in explosive applause. Coins came flying at her feet, and Rem bowed deeply.
"That was quite the show."
As Rem was picking up the money, she was approached by the cross dresser from earlier.
"Thank you so much for telling me about this. Here, I want you to have this in return."
She offered a couple of silver coins to him, but the man smiled and shook his head.
"No, you don't have to. More importantly..."
The man quickly took a look around him. After confirming that there was no one there, he placed his arms around Rem's shoulders, pulled the girl near him, and whispered.
"You're an elf, aren't you?"
"...!"
Rem's face instantly went pale. She panicked and tried to run away, but the man's tight grasp stopped her in her tracks. He was surprisingly strong for someone so slender. The elf had been completely overpowered. As she continued her hopeless struggle, the man puffed into her ear.
"Eek!?"
Seeing the girl's body freeze with fear, he let out a friendly laugh.
"Ahaha! Please don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you. But, I wanted to ask. You're pretty cute. Why don't you come work at my place?"
"W-Work...?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that I tricked you. Anyway, come with me."
"Huh? I... Umm... I think I'll pass... L-Let go of me!"
Rem had an extremely bad feeling about this. She tried to free herself once more, but there was no point. The man was far too strong. With the girl still tight in his grasp, he basically dragged her down a back alley and through a dirty, wooden door.
Looks like my story's ending here... It's just you now, Al...
Preparing for the worst, Rem silently bid farewell to Alferez.
"H-Huh...?"
Those fears quickly turned out to be unfounded, however. What waited her inside was a completely normal tavern. While she certainly didn't have many points of reference, from what she could tell there didn't seem to be anything weird about the place. The five or six men and women sitting at the tables paid no attention to Rem's and the cross dresser's entrance, and simply continued enjoying their drinks and foods as if nothing had happened.
There was one thing that instantly jumped out, however, and those were the customers.
"This is my saloon. As you can see, our customers are mostly humans and dwarfs. Sometimes we get elves, but they are quite rare. In short, anyone's welcome here."
In addition to the two races the man had mentioned, there were also some sort of beastmen, as well as a person whose whole body was covered in what seemed like snake scales. There wasn't any hostility between them, or even any particular friendship. No, they were just... getting along.
"It's still early in the day, so it's pretty quiet in here. But, don't let that fool you. It's going to get really busy once the night hits. Now, the problem is that my usual waitress left back to her hometown. I need someone to replace her. You were interested in street performing because you needed money quickly, right?"
Rem was a little overwhelmed by how quickly the man spoke, but what he had said was true. However, she wasn't quite ready to trust him yet. The man could tell that from her expression, causing him to smile.
"Right. Well, come back tonight. I could really use your help, if you don't mind. Ah, and I should mention, I run this place," he said while pointing at himself. This cross dresser really did seem like a nice person.
After thinking about it for the rest of the day, Rem had decided to start working at the saloon. This really did seem like a perfect opportunity all around, except maybe for the quirkiness of the manager. For once she could be open about the fact that she was an elf, and with so many different kinds of customers coming in, she'd likely never get a better opportunity to gather information.
"Hey, girlie! Get me a beer!"
"Coming right up!"
Well, maybe "perfect" wasn't the word to describe it. When the manager had said that nights were busy, this wasn't quite what she had in mind. There were more customers than there were seats, and most of them ate and drank while standing wherever they could find room. Furthermore, it seemed like customers only came in and never left, especially the dwarfs who just kept drinking and drinking. Taking orders and delivering them to the kitchen was relatively easy, but what Rem really struggled with was remembering which customer she was supposed to deliver food and drinks to.
"Hey, that's me!"
"Ah, right! Sorry!"
Often the frustrated customers would just grab their orders off the tray. As for the payment, people would just leave them wherever as they left, and collecting them was also part of Rem's job. She had been working without even the slightest break for the entire night, and her eyes were slowly starting to spin.
"Manageeer! Is it reeeally okay to handle the bills like thiiis?!"
Rem threw this question at the manager—shaking a large, iron pan in the kitchen—while holding on to the counter to stop her shaky knees from giving out.
"Yeah, it's fine. Anyone who tries something sneaky not only gets beaten up, but also a life-time ban."
Rem wanted to ask who exactly was keeping track of that in midst of this chaos, but since the manager himself had said that, she decided not to object. She continued working in much the same way until early morning, at which point the only things left were piles of dirty dishes, random trash people had thrown on the floor, and of course Rem, drunk out of her mind from the alcohol fumes.
"That does it for today. Good job. You're starting to get the hang of it. I'll take care of the cleanup, so you just head home for the day. Ah, right, here's your pay."
"Thank you shooo much!"
The elf's speech was quite slurred, partly due to the alcohol, and partly due to her exhaustion. Not only that, the world was also spinning in front of her eyes. She grabbed the money, not even sure where she was looking at, and left the saloon.
Through some miracle, Rem managed to get back to the inn safely. Alferez, who had been waiting for her, greeted the girl in a very loud voice.
"R-Rem, what happened!?"
"I tooold you to, shud up! Haaw many times... do I havvve 'o tell ya...?"
"It's your own fault! Hey, sleep on the bed!"
Alferez's nagging quickly faded from her ears, and the elf entered the deepest sleep of her life as her body melted around her.
The next few days were just as exhausting. However, she was slowly starting to get the hang of it, and eventually became quite efficient. Alferez, who had initially been very much against the idea, was also complaining less each passing day.
Working more efficiently also meant that Rem had more time to look around the saloon. The customers really were mostly humans and dwarfs. Not even once had she seen any elves. She decided to ask the manager about this.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, there really haven't been that many. A lot of elves are, and please don't take this the wrong way, pretty snobby. What's more, majority of the ones who end up leaving their country were social outcasts to begin with. Not the kind of people who'd interact too much with the other customers even if they did end up coming here for a drink."
Rem felt a painful throb in her chest. The manager had just described her to the tee. Still, if that really was the case, she could probably forget about getting any help from her fellow elves. When it came to human problems, focusing on humans themselves was the fastest way, huh?
"I'm getting used to talking with the customers... Maybe I could start asking them about rumours they've heard?"
To put her spare time to use, Rem went ahead and casually began asking the customers if they had heard anything about witches recently. This turned out to be an useless endeavour, however. The fact that she was working still meant that she could, at most, exchange only a couple of words at a time. This might have been the ideal place to gather information, but that simply wasn't something she could do as a waitress. Rem briefly regretted not coming as a customer, but quickly realised the obvious problem with that approach: she'd need to pay for food each time. The elf hated to admit it, but the best thing she could do for the time being was focus on earning money.
Seven days had passed. The exhaustion Rem had felt after her first day of work was long gone, and she no longer fell asleep the instant she came back to the inn. Time had passed quickly, and tomorrow marked her first day off.
Rem was as happy as an elf could be as she made her way back to the inn. There hadn't been many customers that night, most likely due to the heavy rainstorm which had lasted until dawn, and as a result, the manager had allowed her to leave early. More than anything, she was happy to to get to spend some quality time with Alferez. The girl had spent all these days just twiddling her thumbs in that tiny, cramped room. She must've been bored out off her mind at this point. Rem was going to do whatever the Princess wanted tonight, because she had most certainly deserved it.
"I'm back..."
The elf whispered as she entered the room, not wanting to wake up any of the other residents. While the sun had risen, which meant that Alferez was back in her human form, it seemed that the girl was still sleeping. Only the tip of her head was visible from under the blanket.
"Yawn~. I think I'll take a quick nap too."
Rem stripped down to her underwear and pulled the blanket off the Princess, making sure not to wake her up in the process.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met. Alferez had, in fact, not been asleep at all. Well, nothing weird about that, right? Sure, she was fully naked, but maybe she had come back from being a cat just a minute ago? That made sense. What didn't, however, were her flushed cheeks, her right hand groping her breasts, and her left one stuck between her legs. I'm not even going to ask, Rem thought, and silently turned her back to the girl.
"H-Hey, say something! What, you think you're the one who's embarrassed here!?"
The elf thought what she had done was the considerate thing to do, but the repeated punches hitting her back showed that Alferez seemed to disagree.
"Okay, okay! I'll let you explain! Just stop hitting me!"
"E-Explain!? What part of this do you want me to explain, you pervert!?"
The girl jumped up in one fell swoop, covering her breasts with her hands. Rem, a little offended by her attitude, sat down on the floor in front of her.
"You're the one who said you wanted to talk. Well, let's talk then. I'm working my butt off out there, and meanwhile you're... doing what exactly?"
"H-How dare you...? I would've come work with you, but you said I couldn't!"
With her arms still wrapped tight around her chest, the girl's eyes began to water.
"Also, just look at this room! It's tiny! There's not even a single book here! What else do you expect me to do than think about you!?"
Rem had no means of defending herself from the girl's counter-attack. Everything she had said was true. You couldn't just take away someone's freedom and then complain. Guilt weighed heavy on the elf's heart. Alferez had felt abandoned, like she was no longer needed, but has chosen not to express those feelings.
"You... thought about me... and then started masturbating..."
"Huh...!? Well... I-I mean..."
Her voice shook. Blush returned to her cheeks, and the girl quickly averted her gaze.
"What else is there for me to do!?" she yelled and turned her back. Feeling horrible about the mean comments she made earlier, Rem softly embraced the sulking girl's back.
"Sorry, Al... Sorry for leaving you alone..."
"You better be. You have more fun working there than you have with me, right?"
"Of course I don't! I'm constantly thinking about you!"
While earlier she might have thought of the girl as her little sister, this current situation felt more like some failure of a man trying to apologize to his girlfriend. Still, what she had said was the truth. Almost as if she could sense her honesty, Alferez turned around and stared straight into the elf's eyes.
"Well, in that case, I'll forgive you."
"Thank you, Princess."
Rem couldn't help but to nod respectfully at the serious look on the girl's face.
"I... I do know that you're doing this all for me, Rem. Sorry for earlier. I just felt so lonely."
Rem sighed in relief. Seemed that their little fight was over now. Or maybe she had spoken too soon.
"So, I want to reward you, for all your hard work."
"Reward me? Well, thanks. What kind of a— Mhhhn!?"
Using Rem's false sense of relief against her, the girl grabbed her face between her hands. Just as the elf figured what was going on, a pair of soft lips were pressed against hers. As she was forced on her knees with her head tilted upwards, Alferez's tongue forced its way past her lightly-sealed lips.
"Mh... Al... What are you...? Aaah!"
"Didn't I... tell you...? I want to... mhh... mhhn... reward you...!"
"Mhhhh!"
The girl twisted her tongue around hers and sucked it. Shivers ran through Rem's spine. Her fingers dug deeper into Alferez's shoulders as the pleasure began melting her mind.
"Al... Noo... I... Ah... Mhh...!"
She had kinda figured this would be what the girl meant by "reward". Still, considering that her body had been ready for sleep just a few minutes ago, sensations such as these were far too much for it. The feelings of sleepiness and lust within her were in conflict. Who knows, if Alferez pushed her down on the bed, maybe she'd just fall asleep. It didn't end up coming to that, though, as the girl pulled her with her tongue and made Rem be the one to push her down.
"Ahhhn!"
The two collapsed on the bed while kissing, with Alferez on the bottom. She let out a small moan, before embracing the elf tighter.
"Al...?"
"You clueless servant... My body is your reward. I'll... I'll let you touch it as you please."
As if this wasn't all just a ploy to continue her solo session after it was cut short. Rem couldn't help but to smile at the thought of the sexually frustrated Princess.
Still, it wasn't like she minded. After all, the elf shared her feelings. Ever since their first kiss, she had wanted more. Her body, which should have been dead-tired by now, was rekindled by the flames of passion. But, kisses alone weren't able to sate her lust, and so she moved her body, rubbing her breasts against Alferez's.
"Ah... Haa..."
The girl moaned and bent her thin, pale neck backwards, and as Rem kissed it, she squeezed tight on the elf's arms.
"No... Not there... It feels too good..."
"What? Didn't you promise I could do what I want? Mhhn..."
"Aaahh!"
Rem kissed it again and again, paying no mind to the helpless struggle of the girl below her. Even when she tried to push her away, the elf simple grabbed her arms and forced them on the bed with their fingers intertwined. After a while, she once more placed her lips on the girl's and rolled her tongue around in her mouth.
"Ah... Rem... Stop... Mhh... If you... Aah..."
Despite asking her to stop, Alferez was very much returning her kisses, moving her tongue as if painting spirals with saliva.
"Me too... This feels... incredible... Aah... Al... Al...!"
Just like the girl's, Rem's body also shook with pleasure. Their sensitive skin rubbed together, sending waves of pleasure from the tip of their heads all the way down to their toes. As Alferez continued to struggle, her thigh ended up slipping between the elf's legs, rubbing up and down her slit through her panties and filling her head with joy.
"Aah... Haa... Aahh..."
It was now Rem's to twitch in pleasure and bend her head backwards. Strings of drool dripped from her mouth, which Alferez sipped up before moving to lick the elf's ears. She rolled her tongue across their whole length, as if tickling them with its tip.
"Ahh! Al...! That feels way too...! Ahh! Aaaahh!" Rem moaned as her body arched. And yet, the girl showed her no mercy. She freed her hands from the elf's now-weak grasp, embraced her tightly, and moved on to licking her other ear. Horribly lewd sounds of squelching filled Rem's head.
"Al! Stop! It's... it's too much...! Aahhh!"
"No, you stop, Rem. The other residents are going to hear if you don't stop making so much noise."
"I-I guess... Still...! Mhh!"
Rem could only bit her lip and endure it. After all, just moments earlier she had been the one telling Alferez to shut up. Well, that was easier said than done; this wasn't the kind of pleasure one could simply endure. Nevertheless, the girl had now began tickling her sides as well. The all-out assault was simply too much for Rem to handle. She felt like her brain was about to melt.
"Mhh... Aah... Al... Help me...!"
Unable to take it for any longer, she begged for mercy. The Princess, however, showed her none. Quite the opposite, actually. She rolled her body over and switched places with the elf, placing herself on top of her.
"Aah... I can't take it..."
Alferez licked her fingers and stared down on her prey, lust filling her eyes. She softly rocked her slender hips, and as she did, her massive breasts jiggled above Rem's face. The elf's crotch throbbed and her heart beat faster and faster, almost as if there was something about the girl's smell that was making her go crazy. She couldn't help but to be reminded of the first time they had done it.
"Al... Don't tell me... You used that potion again...?"
"I have no need for such boorish things. Your cuteness alone is enough to get me going... Take this!"
"Hyaaahh!?" Rem screeched as Alferez flicked both of her nipples at once. Her body flinched by reflex, giving a small bounce to the Princess sitting on her belly. She was a little surprised, but quickly recovered and shifted her focus to the elf's nether regions.
"You still have these things on, Rem? Time to take them off."
"Ah! W-Wait...! Ahhn!"
The girl's fingers slid under her panties and smoothly pulled them off. Rem was about ready to die from embarrassment. She covered her face with her hands as the useless piece of cloth made its way past her ankles.
"Now we're both naked!" Alferez stated in a tone of voice you'd expect to hear from a little girl just fooling around. And yet, she didn't even try to hide the lust in her eyes. She licked her lips slowly, showing exactly what she wanted. Rem couldn't help but to wonder if she had in fact taken the potion, but just wasn't telling her.
Ah... Maybe she's just... really embarrassed...
While the Princess's lust was undoubtedly genuine, her pride would have never allowed her to express it so openly. What would, however, was pretending that it was the potion that was making her act in such way.
Not that this realization helped Rem in any way. Sweet joy swallowed her lower half as the girl's fingers came in contact with her slit. She ran them up it, causing the elf's inner thighs to stiffen with ecstasy. Her legs spread open, completely by their own.
"Haaa... Aaaahhhn..."
"Good girl. Now, spread them more," the Princess whispered into her ear. Rem did as told. Almost as if to reward her, Alferez began moving her fingers in a circle, stirring up what lay behind the elf's lower lips.
"Ahhn! Aaah... Mhh!"
Rem bit her lip, desperately trying to hold back her moans. Alferez gave her a grin in response. It was clear that the girl's goal was to see her fail. Go ahead and try, the elf thought. And yet, her body instantly jumped as the Princess's wiggling fingers once more launched an assault against her sides.
"Ahh... You're totally drenched... Can you hear that, Rem? The sound of your wetness?"
She didn't need to be told that. Rem was well aware of the flood happening between her legs. The sounds Alferez's fingers made as they splashed around her fluids just further added to her shame.
"Ah! Ahhn! Al... You... You said I could do anything I wanted to you... Ahhh!"
"Exactly. It's clear that this is what you want me to do. No complaining now, this is all part of your reward."
"N-No, I... Aaaahhn!"
Rem's mind was barely functioning at this point, but even so she could see that what Alferez had just said made no sense at all. Still, what could she do to turn down someone who only wanted to make her feel good? The heat inside the elf grew stronger, and her hips moved in a circle, matching the Princess's motions. As waves of pleasure passed through every nook and cranny of her body, her shaking fingers grasped tighter on the bed sheets.
"Ha... Ah... So... So good... Al... That's... incredible..."
Alferez watched as the elf squirmed in pleasure under her. She slowly moved her hands from her sides to her stomach, and then to her breasts. The Princess then moved her face right above Rem's and pushed out her tongue slightly. Wanting it, the elf extended her neck. However, just before their tongues touched, Alferez pulled away.
"You want it?"
"I do..."
The girl showed Rem a quick glimpse of her tongue, as if to tease her. The elf eagerly pushed out hers.
"You want to kiss me?"
"Yes... I want to kiss you..."
"Sure. Let's kiss then."
Happiness filled Rem's face. The slight teasing had only caused her desire to kiss to grow even stronger. And yet, just as she prepared herself for it, the girl pulled her lips away. Rem was furious. Had she been lied to? She lifted herself up, but was quickly knocked back down on the bed.
"Eeek!"
A high-pitched shriek left the elf's mouth. Alferez had kissed her, just as she had promised. Not on the lips Rem had expected, however, but on her other ones, the ones between her legs. The girl kissed just like she would have when kissing her on the mouth. She ran her tongue up the elf's slit, causing her to let out moans so sweet that Rem could barely believe her ears.
"Haa... Ahhn!"
"Be quiet, Rem... People will hear those cute moans of yours... Mhh... Mhhn..."
"Hnnnnhh!"
The way her tongue moved certainly didn't seem to want the elf to stay quiet. The tip of it tickled her groin, licked around her inner thighs leaving behind trails of saliva, and then returned back to her lips.
"Al! No! It... It's too good...! My voice is going to come out...! Haa! Ahh! Ahhhn!"
She tried to cover her mouth with her hands, she even bit the blanket, but it was no use. At the same time, Alferez adjusted her position. Her beautiful, round butt was now directly above Rem's face. She stared at the sight in front of her eyes in trance. The girl's wet lips spread open and close, almost as if they were breathing. The elf gulped deeply. What should have been the most hidden part of the Princess's body was now right in front of her.
Alferez gave her a quick glance, almost as if to say "use this to cover your mouth". Either way, there was no shortage of lust in her eyes. This was further evidenced by the strands of juice dripping down her thighs, leaving shiny trails behind them. Even if they weren't there, Rem wouldn't have cared.
"Haaa..."
The elf's tongue remembered the touch of the girl from the last time she had licked her. She realised just how much she had been yearning for that taste. Alferez—apparently unable to wait any longer—lowered her hips, and Rem moved her mouth to meet her halfway. She grabbed the girl's butt, pulled it closer to her, and pushed her tongue against her slit.
"Aaahn!"
The Princess let out a moan as Rem kissed her. Thick honey oozed out from her trembling slit. The elf swallowed it without hesitation and began kissing her even more intensely.
"Ah... Rem... Rem...! That feels incredible!" Alferez moaned in ecstasy. She then quickly resumed her own assault, as if to get even. The girl playfully bit the elf's knees, licked her thighs, and pushed her tongue deep inside her. Just like before, she was showing her no mercy, especially with the way she used her tongue.
"Ha! Ah! Al...! Ahn! Aahh!"
The pleasure was causing Rem's hips to jump around. This was exactly what the Princess was after, and her assault grew even more relentless. Rem returned the attack and licked up and down her slit with short, quick movements. She continued deeper and deeper, until finally coming across the opening of the hole which led to her depths.
"Eeeek!"
Alferez's back arched as Rem pushed her tongue inside the hole. Surprised by the girl's reaction, she shoved her tongue even deeper.
"Ah... Rem... So good... It... It feels incredible... Aaaaahhh!"
Encouraged by her words, she wanted to go even deeper. However, her tongue simply wasn't long enough. All she could do was lick the parts relatively close to the entrance. Even so, this alone was able to make the Princess's butt twitch and shake to the point that Rem had to hold on her hips to stop them from getting away from her. Again and again the elf traced the girl's hole with her tongue.
"Hnnnhhhh!"
Alferez's hips jolted just as if she had hit her climax. And yet, she wasn't quite ready to surrender. Using Rem's confusion over her intense reaction to her advantage, she began her counter assault. Using both hands she spread the elf's slit open and attacked her now-exposed clitoris.
"Hnh...!?"
This pleasure was beyond anything Rem had ever experienced. Her body wanted to scream, but no voice came out from her mouth. Her toes stretched to their limit, to the point that she was pretty sure she had been the one to reach climax this time. Alferez—not at all flinched by those reactions—placed her hands on the elf's inner thighs and spread them even wider.
"Al... Noo... It's so embarrassing... Aaahh!"
There was no time to be ashamed. Alferez's tongue wrapped over her clitoris, licked it, and gave it a few, soft flicks. Rem's body twitched and wouldn't listen to her. Even so, she somehow managed to grab the girl's butt and attack her entrance.
"Haa... Ah... Aah... Ahhn!"
The Princess did her best to endure and continued her own assault. It wasn't really about making the other feel good anymore, but rather seeing which one would surrender first.
"Aah... Al... Al... Mhh... Mhhhn..."
Honey kept flowing out from the girl's slit. Every time Rem swallowed it, her body grew even hotter. She was totally unable to suppress her desire, just like when she had been under the effect of the potion.
"Aah... You taste so good, Al... I want more..."
"Me too... I want to taste you more, Rem... Mhh... Mmmh..."
Just like Rem, Alferez too slurped up the elf's honey greedily. If you didn't know better, you would never have guessed that she was a princess.
What are we two even doing...? It's still early in the morning...
This all felt kinda immoral. And yet, that only caused her body to grew hotter. The two girls were connected in a circle of pleasure, and in a way it felt like she was licking herself. Lick by lick, her mind faded away.
"Aah! Rem! Rem! I'm... I'm...! Aaahhh!"
As Alferez screamed, Rem too could sense her orgasm coming. For some strange reason her competitive attitude was suddenly rekindled, and she launched one last assault to make the girl cum before her. However, it seemed that Alferez had the exact same idea.
"Ah! Aah! Al! Noo...! If you do that, then... Aah! Aahhh!"
The two girls went for the finishing blow at the exact same time. Their bodies quickly went stiff.
"Aaah! Cumming! Rem... I... Noo! Cumming! I'm cumming!"
"M-Me too, Al...! Me too...! Ahh... Aaaahhh!"
Both were screaming on top of their lungs. Alferez's slit shrank, and then gushed out honey like a water fountain. As for Rem, well, she was more than happy to accept this "reward" on her face.
"Ha... Ah... Ahh... Al..."
Still shaking from what had just happened, the Princess shifted her position, seeking for the elf's lips. Rem, of course, answered this plead and kissed her.
Aah... Right, I have today off, don't I...?
Her head was just mush as this point, but for some reason this fact came into her mind. While she had originally planned to spend the day looking through the town, that could wait for later. For now, this was all she wanted. As Alferez's finger reached for her slit once more, the elf let out a small moan.
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