Aramil Liadon, elven ranger, creeped through the halls of the castle trying not to be seen. Earlier that day he'd been given a secret tour of the castle by Mira, but after they'd finished with a bout of passionate and energetic sex she'd suddenly had to go back on duty. He'd waited in her room for a few hours but it quickly grew too claustrophobic for him and he realised he needed to find another way out.
Mira had told him that he'd be arrested if he was spotted so he was doing his best to stay hidden. That was extremely difficult however because the impending wedding meant it was very busy. Finally he managed to get in sight of the main entrance but realised he couldn't reach it because there were too many people who would see him including the guards on the door.
Swearing to himself in annoyance, he backpedalled down the corridor into a place where it was quiet to gather his thoughts. Suddenly he had to shrink back as a servant carrying what looked like towels emerged into view. The man stopped opposite him and opened a door and Aramil saw stone steps behind it as the servant went down. He waited a few minutes and the man returned, this time without the towels.
When the servant was out of sight Aramil made a dash for the steps and slipped down them. He hoped it was some sort of washing area and there might be another exit. However what he found was very different.
He was in a large room beneath the castle. There were windows letting in plenty of natural light but they were very high up on the walls which suggested that the room was mostly underground. What really caught his eye though were the bathing pools, particularly the smallest one which steamed with hot water. It reminded him of the hot springs in the forests of his people.
Beside it two blankets had been laid out next to the towels the servant had been carrying. Clearly people were coming to bathe in it. Aramil did not want to get caught so he turned to leave but just as he did so the door opened again.
However, it was not the servant this time. Instead he heard two loud female voices, and he realised they were arguing with each other. As they fought he frantically looked around for somewhere to hide but realised with horror there wasn't anywhere.
"Fine, I'll bathe by myself!" one of the voices suddenly shouted. The door slammed shut and then there was silence except for the sound of footsteps on the stone staircase.
Aramil's breath caught as the woman descended into view. She was in her mid-twenties and about 5'7", with curly black hair that fell to her shoulders and warm brown eyes. A large black shawl was wrapped around her but he could still tell she had a lovely slender body with glorious big tits.
What really grabbed Aramil's attention however was her gorgeous dark skin which was the colour of rich chocolate. Aramil had never before seen such a beautiful skin tone. For you see, Aramil had grown up in a very small village of elves where everyone was fair-skinned. So this woman seemed extremely exotic to him and that made her even sexier in his eyes.
It was also clear that she was important. He did not think anyone but a noble of some sort would have permission to come down here.
The dark-skinned beauty's eyes narrowed as she noticed him. Her hands went to her hips.
"Who are you?" she said angrily. "I was supposed to have these baths to myself!"
Aramil's mind raced. He did not want to get into trouble.
Suddenly he had an idea. "I'm a dignitary from the local elven clan and a guest of the wedding," he said with a bow, pleased with himself. "I came down here to bathe."
The woman glared at him. "Well I was told no one else had requested the use of the baths. Certainly not a man."
"Then perhaps there has been a mix up," he said.
The woman narrowed her eyes. A moment later she nodded, and Aramil breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Alright, fine. But I'm not leaving," she said, looking tired. "I need this."
Then she pulled the shawl over her head and Aramil had to stifle a groan. Beneath it she had on a very short white bathrobe that revealed a hint of cleavage from her large breasts and left her long ebony legs bare. Other than the robe, he didn't think she was wearing anything else.
Suddenly she spoke, breaking his reverie. "Are you just going to stand there?"
He realised she was right. He needed to undress if he wanted to keep up the appearances of being a noble who had also come to bathe. He hurriedly stripped out of his clothes, trying not to be too embarrassed about being naked in front of a total stranger.
However, that meant he was truly stuck now. He could no longer make an escape and would therefore actually have to follow through on his story.
With that in mind he padded to the edge of the pool as the woman folded her shawl. He dripped in a toe, then lowered himself into it. There was a ledge that ran around the pool about halfway down that could be sat on, so he did. The water was a gorgeous temperature and he could not help letting out a sigh of satisfaction.
Then the dark-skinned beauty straightened up and moved to stand at the edge of the pool. She met his eyes.
"So, now that you're comfortable, why don't you tell me the truth?" she said, her face hard. "I am Yulana Aboun, youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Aboun, and I have seen the guest list. There are no elven dignitaries on it. So who are you really?"
Aramil's eyes went wide when he realised what she'd said. The Abouns were the family Mira was guarding, and it was their eldest daughter who was marrying the duke! And so as her sister, it was no surprise that this woman had seen the guest list. She knew he was lying. He started to climb out of the pool quickly.
"I wouldn't try that," Yulana said, stopping him. "There are two guards on the door. They can be here within moments if I scream."
Aramil paused, then sank slowly back down into the water. He realised he might as well tell the truth. "My name is Aramil Liadon. I am an elf from the forests a few days' travel from here."
"And why are you in the castle?"
"I just wanted to see inside. I had never seen anything like it before. I thought I could sneak in and look around without being noticed." He smiled bashfully.
Yulana didn't say anything for a moment. She seemed to be considering his words. Then she sighed and shook her head. "I don't know why, but I believe you. Your story is too crazy to be made up; a real thief would invent something more realistic."
He started to stand. "So I can go?"
"Not a chance," she said. "How do you think it will look if people find out I was alone in here with you?"
He hadn't considered that. Once again he settled back in the water.
A moment's silence passed between them as she cocked her head and looked him up and down. It was clear she was thinking about something and then she smiled as if she had come to a decision.
"You know, this might turn out to be a stroke of good fortune after all," she said. "I need someone to talk to; someone who isn't invested in this wretched wedding. So who better than an elf that isn't even meant to be here?" She grinned. "How about this, Aramil: if you listen to me rant, I won't call the guards on you."
"I can't argue with that," Aramil said, relieved he wasn't about to be arrested.
She smiled warmly, before reaching for the knot to her robe. "Good. I'm glad I can finally bathe." Then she paused, meeting his gaze and smirking naughtily. "Try not to enjoy this too much, Aramil."
Then she let it fall away. Aramil had to bite back a groan. She was stunning. Her body was slender but curvy in all the right places, with a round ass and gorgeous big tits. He could not take his eyes off her.
"Hey, I told you not to enjoy yourself too much," she teased as she slipped into the water. Clearly she had cheered up at the prospect of someone she could talk to.
Soon she had lowered herself fully into the water. Aramil sat there in silence as Yulana let out a moan of relaxation and closed her eyes. He did not want to disturb her so he quietly enjoyed the feel of the water himself. Eventually she spoke again.
"So, about my problem. It's this wedding..."
