<<Troy love, will you bespeak Random and ask him to have his rider 
meet me on the green outside my office?>> The Warrenlady asked her 
Queen when she was ready to leave.

She'd just finished showering and putting on clean clothes after 
her... 'lunch' with the handsome and oh so very sexy Alpha 
Wingleader, and now she was trying to get her mind off of the 
things they had done to pleasure each other and put it back on 
the business at hand. Though thinking about Tair'n was much 
preferred. Lord she couldn't wait until he was able to do to her 
body what he'd only hinted at this afternoon.
His getting well couldn't come soon enough.

She was still waiting for Gerald and Random to arrive when she 
looked up and saw Zenith land next to Troy on the green. As the 
older man dismounted from his dragon, it was all she could do to 
hold back the laughter bubbling up inside her. The man positively 
looked like a flop.

"R'ven! What are you doing here? And why on earth are you dressed 
like that!?" her face creeping into a broad grin.

"Hideous isn't it?" he said as he strutted in front of her like a
gaudy peacock. His black cloak had been replaced by a fur one, 
the lining bright crimson. He wore black leather pants that were 
a shade too tight, a white silk shirt with far too many ruffs and 
folds and a red leather jerkin covered in silver studs. On his 
head he wore a large black felt hat with the most enormous red 
feather.

"Where are you going dressed like that?" she giggled, unable to 
contain herself a second longer.

"Why, ma'am, " he bowed floridly, "I'm your escort to Lord 
Gossimor."

"Not dressed like that, you're not. Besides Gerald is my escort."

"Jayleigh, Gossimor will eat the pair of you for breakfast. I
decided..."

"You decided? Excuse me R'ven, it is my decision to take who I 
so choose  as my escort. Gerald had better get used to the idea 
that he can't get someone else to take his place because he's..." 
she stumbled over her words.

"Jealous? That is exactly why I decided that I should escort you. 
I know how to play Gossimor's game. You don't. I can try and teach 
you how, but you have to be willing to learn. We all, at sometime 
in our lives, have to do something's that we detest.  We need 
Gossimor's support. We have to make him believe that we are 
sucking up to him. He believes that I'm an overstuffed turkey 
who has more than a soft spot for his grooms. I play up to it, 
because it gets us what we want! Are you ready to learn how to 
play?"

"All right! I'll go along with it this time," she said annoyance 
colored her tone of voice. "Because it looks like Gerald isn't 
going to show up."

She made a note to herself to call him into her office when they 
got back. This was getting ridiculous. After all he already had 
someone to share his bed with...it wasn't like she had gone right 
from his bed to jump into bed with Tair'n. Though she could see 
where he might think of it that way. But still...she didn't like 
to think of him making love to another so soon after he'd worked 
his magic on her. 

But he said he thought it was you, she reminded herself. Somehow 
they had to work this thing between them out. She had to make it 
up to him somehow.

Maybe by telling him that she'd talked to the others and they'd 
all agreed to support him as the new Gamma Wingleader. Ja'ks had 
been most pleased by the suggestion and had agreed almost at once. 
The only person she hadn't had a chance to talk to able it was 
Tair'n. But she was pretty sure he to would be in favor of Gerald 
as the head of Gamma.

       **********

They were shown into Gossimor's private chambers. A large hound 
looked up sleepily from the hearth and growled, showing sharp, 
yellow teeth.

"Quiet!" bellowed Gossimor. Looking up from his paper's the portly
lord eyed up Jayleigh in a way that made her skin crawl. She had 
to work hard to keep the disgust she felt from his look from 
showing on her face. Reminding herself that the Warren needed the 
support that his tithes brought to the Warren.

"M'y Lord Gossimor, " R'ven  bowed low as he removed his hat with 
a flourish. Pitching  his voice slightly higher than normal, he
continued, "May I present Jayleigh, Warren Lady of Daere."

Without getting up and looking directly at Jayleigh, judging her, 
he said, "I had heard the old crone had died. Was it true that she 
had some young runt thrust between her legs at the time?"

Jayleigh flinched wanting to tell the old bag-o-wind that THAT 
was none of his business, but R'ven gripped her arm in warning,  
answering the man himself before she could voice her rebuttal.  

"That she did, m'lord. Just as she hoped she would!"

Gossimor roared with laughter, "Aye the old crow  wouldn't have 
wanted it any other way!"

Jayleigh was there for surprised a minute later when the Lord 
had asked them to have a seat, and offered them refreshments. 
Jayleigh was about to refuse his kind offer when R'ven smiled 
broadly and winked.

"Some of that wonderful red, your villagers make,"

"But of course," Gossimor replied graciously, sending a leering 
smile, her way. "What better to serve the beautiful new 
Warrenlady with." 

"Why that's too kind of you Lord Gossimor," she smiled sweetly 
back, suddenly catching onto the game. "You do, do me honor."

Then next hour and a half were some of the longest Jayleigh 
could remember spending with anyone. The man, though brilliant 
in his business dealings with the people in his domain, was 
something of a wind bag as far as she was concerned.  How had 
the older Warrenlady been able to stand spending much time with 
him? 

It was a blessing when the meeting had finally come to an end. 
When she got back to the Warren the first thing on her mind had 
been a shower. That man made her feel positively filthy with 
just the way he had been looking at her. 

R'ven had been a big help, and she knew that most of the credit 
for their success dealing with the popish Lord should be given to 
him. He was truly a mater at working the Lord. By the time they 
had left, the Warren had been granted everything they had asked 
for and given a few more. Yes, Jayleigh certainly saw today why 
Velara had counted on the mans council. He knew what he was doing.

She thanked the older man, and asked if he would care to stop by 
her office for a cup of coffee before going on where ever it was 
he was going, (suspecting it would be to see Tair'n) but the man 
refused and gave her a hug. 

"Well I was proud of you today Jayleigh," he told her when he 
released her. "I can see now why Lara had few worries about you 
taking over when she was..."

"You miss her still, don't you?" Jayleigh said kindly reaching 
out to touch his arm in comfort. "I know I did today, but I swear 
I could hear her giggling when Lord Bag-o-wind spoke of her."

R'ven gave a small laugh. "Yes I miss her dearly, and I too swore 
I could hear her with us there today. Who knows."

***********

<<Tory love will you please find Random and have him tell his 
rider that I want him here NOW!!>> Jayleigh sent the message to 
the Queen as soon as she had entered her office. <<And tell him 
that this time, I will NOT take no for an answer.>>

She didn't have long to wait before the tall angry young bard 
showed up as requested. She told him to have a seat and then sat 
down in her chair behind the desk. This was going to be hard 
enough for her to talk to him bad try to get things between them 
settled enough for them to work together...without the sudden 
memories of the things his hands and lips could make her feel. 

She had Tair'n now... and he had made her feel very well loved 
during their time together earlier, so why did the picture of 
Gerald's naked body poised above her, cradled between her thighs, 
as he was thrusting inside her,  keep popping into her mind. 

"I'm disappointed. I really am. I expected you to escort me, and 
you passed it along to R'ven." She snapped a little harder than 
she had intended too, but the thoughts in her mind just wouldn't 
go away, and that angered her. It made her think things she 
didn't want to admit about herself.

"Yes, warrenlady, that's true." He answered her, and she couldn't 
help but hear the formal usage of her name. "R'ven asked to go. He 
said he had more experience with Lord Gossimor, and-"

"And you just jumped at the chance, didn't you?" Hurt suddenly 
that he didn't want to be near her. Had she hurt him that much? 
"It's up to me to decide who I want as an escort. Didn't it occur 
to you that I might have reasons to bring you along? Besides, you 
didn't pass because of R'ven's experience, you did it because 
you're jealous."


"I. Am. Not. Jealous." His voice was clipped, she saw him suddenly 
come to his feet and grip the corners of her desk, his deep blue 
eyes turned almost black as he glared at her. "I have said it 
before. I will do my best to serve you, but... not...today!"

"I required you today!" Jayleigh stood to glare right back at 
him. "I needed you, and you weren't there. I understand how you 
feel, but-"

"But nothing! I am a human being, not a tool! I needed time to 
recover!"

"Recover? Really? *I* was not the one who slept with someone 
else." This time she couldn't hide the hurt in her own voice, 
but thanked the Gods that he was far to angry with her to notice.

"I told you what happened. I thought it was you! And besides, 
you would have slept with Tair'n if you could."

Jayleigh's face reddened. "That's not...that doesn't matter!"

"Of course it matters! I was just a toy, to be thrown away. I 
had to deal with that, then you expect me to escort you? And 
just how effective would I be, wondering what my worth is here?" 
he asked, bitterly.

"You are not a toy! No matter what you think, I have not treated 
you like one!" She denied, mad at him now for thinking she could 
have done that to him, but then she remembered his words from 
earlier and threw them back at him. "Besides-how did you say 
it?-'I have someone else to keep me warm'. You're jealous!" 

"Stop it!"

"Why? It's true! Your worth is not in question here, you're 
jealous because I didn't pick you! Admit it, you wanted me, 
and when you thought about me in Tair'n's arms-"

"Stop it!!"

"-you just wanted to hurt me back!"

The look in the tall bards face warned her that she had gone to 
far, Jayleigh was certain that he was holding himself back from 
hitting her, when suddenly his hand reached out to snag her arm 
and she found herself frozen in shock as his lips crushed down 
over hers efficiently cutting off anymore words she might have 
spoken.

Then her eyes closed and she responded. She couldn't help 
herself. She wanted him, wanted to feel the pleasure he could 
make her body feel. Their kiss became hot, passionate, the anger 
of the moment before a bubbling cauldron of energy to draw from. 
Their mouths opened, tongues meeting, playing as they climbed 
together onto the desk. Papers and items scattered, fluttering 
or falling to the floor as his hands wandered over her body, 
undoing her clothes even as her hands were undoing his. There 
was no gentleness in them, only raw lust as he positioned his 
nakedness above her. He entered her quickly, forcefully, the 
passion overwhelming as he thrust. Jayleigh responded as well,
her legs around him, holding him in, her fingernails scratching 
bloody furrows in his back. The lovemaking went on and on,  
taking forever to climax, as if the energy they had built up 
had to be used first. Finally, Gerald groaned as he reached his 
orgasm. His  pace slowed, his body grinding with delicious 
friction against Jayleigh's, reaching, until she clasped him 
to her, shivering with her own climax. 

The ecstasy mixed with the exhaustion, becoming an overpowering 
combination. Gerald sagged in Jayleigh's tight embrace, their 
bodies locked, a sheen of sweat making the scratches on his 
back sting...

Just then they were both startled by the sound of the office 
door being opened and they turned to see R'ven entering the 
room. Jayleigh didn't feel any better when she saw the man 
smiling.  She let out a grown as she knew what he was thinking.

"I'll come later.. I mean I'll come back later," he chuckled 
as he started to close the door behind him. "I also suggest that 
you lock the door next time!"

He shut the door with a quiet thud.

She looked up to see angry blue eyes staring back down at her 
from where she still laid beneath him on top of her desk. Then 
watched as all expression left his face and he started to pull 
away. Tightening her hold on him she refused to let him leave 
her in anger this time.

"No matter what you think about me right now," she started to 
say, her hands clasping the sides of his face to force him to 
meet her eyes. "I wanted you! I wasn't thinking of anyone else 
but you when you were inside me. I couldn't help myself Gerald," 
she cried, praying he would believe her. "I love it when you 
touch me, when I touch you. You do things to me... "

"What about Tair'n," the man above her asked, "Where does this 
leave him?"

"I love Tair'n," she told him honestly. She had to try to be 
honest with him. "But at the sametime I have feelings for you 
too."

"Because I can please you in bed?" he snapped back at her.

"No!"

"Will you tell Tair'n about this happening between us tonight?"
 his question was almost a dare.

"Yes, I will," she told him. "But somehow I don't think Tair'n 
will be to surprised. He asked me today if I enjoined making 
love to you."

"And what did you tell him?"

"Yes." she said in a quiet voice. "I told him yes. And I do. 
Very much, but it's more than that, I just like being around 
you. That's why I wanted you as my escort. I feel safe when 
I'm with you."

"So what are you suggesting?" he asked. "That maybe we share 
you...I get you the first three nights and him the next three? 
Or maybe we'll go week to week, how's that sound to you? Maybe 
he can have you during the day light hours one week and I'll 
take the nights...then after a few days we'll switch."

"Stop it Gerald!" she cried unable to take his sarcastic tone of 
voice any longer. "What would you have me do? I can't help the 
way I feel. I can't give up Tair'n and I don't want to give you 
up either. Gods!!! Velara must be up there somewhere laughing her 
old head off  to see me in this fix. I care deeply about the both 
of you in different ways. But_what_ would_you_have_me_do?"

---------------------------------

nrpg: Back in your...ah... lap (hee hee) Allen :)

Lyn: Jayleigh will be by in the morning to see Tair'n...and she 
*will*
tell him what happened. 

*****Submitted by: *****

Barbara (A.k.a.
Warrenlady Jayleigh & The Queen, Viktroy
Daere Warren