Read Online Under A Velvet Cloak by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online

dialogue, properly impressed by his every remark. By the time they reached the brothel district, he had lost interest in them. They went on to her house, which was at the edge of the Fey’s premises, and turned out to be rather nicer inside than it appeared from the outside.
    There was no need for him to make known the nature of his interest. They fell on the bed together, their clothing wedged out of the way in the key regions. He was on her and in her before (it seemed) either of them realized.
    Then she let him lie there, while she got up and poured him a cup of strong mead. He glugged it appreciatively, not thinking to inquire how it was that a peasant girl possessed such potent brew. Soon he was pleasantly tipsy.
    “You must be a really important person,” she said enthusiastically. “You have such an authoritative way about you, as well as being handsome and awesomely virile.” The approach was transparently obvious, but probably all that was required in this case.
    Perhaps in a more sober state he would have realized the shallowness of the flattery. As it was, he became expansive. He confided that he did have key duties in the king’s court.
    “Oh, you must know all the wonderful secrets,” she said, removing her shift as she paced before him. He watched, his interest stirring again. She made sure that her moderate breasts bounced with each step.
    By the time she joined him, nude, for the second round of sex, he had told her about the cache of silver, and where it was hidden. She plied him with more mead, and gave him such an experience that it was unlikely that he would remember anything of his evening except that wild business on the bed. That was important: that he not realize what he had blabbed. The Fey did not like to leave her handprints on her mischief.
    The Fey was pleased. “You have the touch,” she said. “However, some men are resistive to straight seduction, and must be captured subtly.”
    “Subtly? In my experience, they are all eager for young bodies.”
    “Not all. Some prefer other men; they are difficult to seduce by flaunting female attributes. Some are interested, but wish to be the initiators; for them, maidenly diffidence is best. Some are old and slow, but
do
not wish to be reminded. Some are dangerously smart. It is important to ascertain their types before committing. And, on occasion, it is necessary to seduce a woman.”
    “A woman!” Kerena was amazed. The Fey had been making excellent sense up to that point.
    “Women have secrets too. Some are amenable to the gentle suasion of a lovely woman, rather than the crude directness of a rough man. You must be ready to relate to anyone.”
    “I don’t think I could-relate-to a woman.”
    “Then learn. Try to seduce me.”
    “I couldn’t!” She was appalled.
    “Then learn,” the Fey repeated evenly. “I will seduce you. Thereafter you will know.”
    And as Kerena stood bemused, the Fey became fascinating. She engaged her in pleasant dialogue, flattering her, then slowly embraced her and kissed her. Her manner was so exquisitely smooth and enticing that it seemed in order. Before she knew it, they were naked on the bed, stroking each other’s breasts and buttocks. The kisses became passionate, first on the mouth, then the breasts, and finally the cleft.
    Only when Kerena found herself gloriously climaxing did she appreciate what had happened. She had been completely seduced-and the Fey had used no magic, not even illusion. Everything was technique. There were indeed ways in which sex was better with another woman than with a man.
    “Now what did I do?” the Fey asked.
    The question reminded Kerena of Morely’s efforts to acquaint her with reality rather than impression. That caused her to focus. “You seduced me. We did not make love; you made me be fulfilled. You were not.”
    The Fey nodded. “I practice sex for business reasons, rather than for pleasure. But if I wanted pleasure, I would take a virile man. The rest