Claiming The Remnant

Chapter 24

[ Garrett ]

Izla may have been ill in bed when I arrived but she was just as fussy and demanding as usual. After plumping pillows, fetching more pillows… making tea, making it again because I apparently did it wrong the first time, getting more blankets, a stack of clean handkerchiefs and half a dozen more tasks after that I regretted not staying to watch Jo try on dozens of dresses.

Once she fell asleep I headed back. Isha was already gone, I assumed straight off to the Turquoise Suite to meet with ‘Lady Esther’, just as she had said she needed to. Willis was also not there. They were also not in my office. There were a few new documents on my desk and I took the opportunity to clear them whilst I was there. It took me less than half the time compared to if Willis were here. They could be such a distraction. A cute one but a distraction none-the-less.

Paperwork filed, I headed to my quarters. Opening my door it took a second to register that the brunette woman sitting at my table was Jo.

“What do you think?” Jo raised one brown eyebrow. I looked at all the cues. The slightly higher voice, the softer ‘lips only’ smile, the crossed ankles and head held with a little angle and an air of superiority. Josephine.

“The dress is lovely,” I came and sat on the edge of the table, “but the dyed hair and eyebrows? I miss the powder blue already, my beautiful Josphine.” I ran my thumb over one brow and kissed her forehead. She giggled sweetly.

“How do you always seem to know?” She looked at me intently. Her eyes were still that beautiful shade of blue.

“Know what?” I stole a chaste kiss, hopped off the table and began making tea in the little kitchenette. My quarters were modest. One bedroom, private bathroom and a small kitchen diner with a table big enough for four. I could have had more. Grander living quarters, fancy furniture, my own servants - it was all offered with the position I held but I hadn’t wanted it. I’d wanted material things even less after my brother died.

Jo had me thinking though. They liked finer things and I wanted to give them the world. Early days though it was, if things kept working out for us then I would consider moving to rooms more fitting of my station. Just for Jo.

“How do you know when I’m Josephine or Joseph or Willis? I don’t even have to tell you.” There was a tremble in the question, insecurity, fear. I put out mugs while the water boiled, choosing the one without a chip for Jo.

“Observation, intuition and occasionally a little luck.” I filled an infuser with lavender tea for Josephine, it was her favourite. It was only in my cupboard for her, Ye Gods only knew how she could drink it. It was like swallowing perfume. “I can’t promise to always get it right, but I am trying. I get really nervous that I might be wrong because I don’t want to hurt you.” My honesty was making my throat tight. It had been making it hard to sleep the last few nights, the worry that each day that passed was one day closer to me slipping up. If I used the wrong name or pronoun by mistake how was Jo going to react?

Tea ready, I set the cup in front of her and sat opposite. She was unusually quiet but in a pensive manner.

“You worry about that?” She asked, cradling her mug. She held it over her heart as though it would act as a little shield.

“Everyday.” I sipped my own tea, a basic, no frills, black tea.

“I could just be one… who is your favourite? Then…” She was choking on her words and my heart was burning. I reached across the table for her hand.

“Josephine, no that's not what I meant, it will never be what I mean.” I tried consoling.

“Then what did you mean?” Her voice shrill and full of hurt.

“This, this is what I meant.” I squeezed her hand. “A little misunderstanding and you’re practically in tears. We, us, it’s still new, I’m going to make mistakes sometimes. It’s not to hurt you, it’s because people make mistakes but I need you to give me a chance, let me make mistakes and for it to be ok. I’m frightened that one misplaced word will bring everything crashing down.” Josphine pulled her hand from mine, set down her tea and stood up. I thought she was going to leave. My heart was turning to lead, the weight feeling like it might rip the organ from my chest.

And then she was there, next to me. Just when I thought the world had stopped Josephine was carefully prying the steaming mug of tea from my hands and then squeezing herself into the small gap between the table and myself.

“I’m sorry.” She pressed herself against my chest and I enveloped her in a firm embrace.

“Why ever would you be sorry my sweet butterfly? You’ve done nothing wrong.” I was just relieved that she was in my arms and not out of the door.

“I’m trying to be open with you, be honest, let you see me but I just keep assuming the worst. You're right, I'm not allowing you to make mistakes, I’m just seeing it as a slight.” She mumbled against my chest. “Are you mad at me for being so unfair?”

“I’m not mad.” I held her closer. “I thought you were going to leave.” My voice cracked. Josephine turned her face up and awkwardly kissed me on the jaw.

“I was trying so hard not to get hurt, I forgot to make sure I didn’t hurt you.” She sobbed a little, clinging to my uniform.

“I’m not lying to you, I’m not using you, I’m not hurt, I embrace all that is you but I’m scared. Utterly terrified that I might scare you away.” We were both craning our necks so that we could look into each other's eyes. What she saw in mine though I wasn’t really sure. Plain brown, they held no magic, hardly a drop of Fae blood resided in my body and then here was Willis; full of magic and mystery. Even with her blue magic and wavering self confidence I was sure they could do better than me.

She captured my lips and kissed me reassuringly, a slow lingering kiss that held love and promise.

“Sometimes… sometimes I think I’m wrong.” Josephine whispered. “All of me, everybit, I grew up with the Old Gods. They…”

“Josephine, the Old Gods are long gone, for over 500 years now we have lived the way of the Gods of Earth and Sky. They are gracious and true. You are all that you should be under the Sun and upon the Earth.” It might have been a while since I visited a temple but I knew their words and their truth.

“My Father didn’t think so. He followed the Old Gods.” She sounded so lost. Jo had endured so much growing up. First with their parents and then with, Ye Gods, I didn’t even want to think that bastard's name. At least Jo and Taiya had each other when they were growing up. Even if they were at each other's throats the last couple of years.

“My beautiful, amazing, outstanding, exquisite butterfly,” I cupped her face with one hand, “let me show you just how wrong both your Father and the Old Gods are.” I growled with passion. Picking her up as though she were my bride I carried her to my humble bedroom.

I was burning through and through, on fire with the need to demonstrate my love, to soothe her, heal her; to show her that all that she is, is worthy. My kisses were everywhere, her lips and face, down her neck and over the top of her breasts. The corset of the dress pushed up her chest giving a small but delicious swell and it pulled at her waist adding a curve to her frame. Josephine didn’t attempt to disrobe and I didn’t try to remove the dress either.

She needed it. Not for me but for herself, to free the woman that was inside her at this very moment. I lifted the skirt up to her waist.

“Josephine, trust me?” I begged. That was what I needed, here, in this moment. I needed her to have faith that I wanted her, that I needed her; that I understood her.

“Yes.” She breathed, eyes shining not with magic but with love and fragile trust.

I kissed her knee, first one then the other before moving down the inside of her thigh. She trembled a little. There was some fear there but I didn’t stop. I wanted her to feel completely at home with me as Josephine. Right at the top of her inner thigh I planted a soft kiss. She gasped a little and whimpered a little desperate ‘no’.

“Josephine,” I called, looking over the roll of material from where I was bowed between her legs, “trust me, you are a beautiful woman and as such I am going to make love to you just as I would with any woman.” Tears were fighting to be free but Josephine was also fighting to put her trust in me. She nodded. I reached over and caught a stray tear with my thumb, swiftly wiping it away.

Moving back between her long gorgeous legs I removed her knickers and kissed down her leg once again. She didn’t like me to see here; usually covering herself with magic or clothing. Josephine was very sensitive about being unable to hide the maleness between her legs. When we were only causal, knickers were normally kept on and only pulled to the side.

Using the back of my hand I lifted her balls and member out of the way to kiss and nibble at the flesh beneath. I buried my head between her legs like I would with any woman I desired. She was a little stiff at first but as I licked her, kissed her and then began to finger her, she could no longer resist. My name became a sigh of desire and her body writhed. I felt bold. Letting her p***s fall in front of my face I licked the tip.

“What are you doing!” She shrieked with sudden alarm.

“I’m licking your clit.” I looked over the top of the pushed up dress once again. “I thought ladies liked that. Do you want me to stop or do you want to try it some more?” The terror on her face smoothed out at my even and deliberate words.

“Just a bit more,” She gulped, breathing heavily with nerves, “to see if I like it.”

Cautiously I licked the very tip again, ignoring the rest of the organ. Even as it stiffened i continued to pretend there was only a little bud of nerves before me and not the delicious rod of velvety flesh that I could see. Something between a whimper and a moan came for Josephine. I kissed it, gave it a little suck and flicked it with my tongue. She gasped.

“Is it good, my butterfly?” I repeated the motion and added an extra finger.

“More.” She demanded. That one word sent arousal bursting through me. I felt like we were overcoming something here, breaking down walls, trusting each other more than we ever had before. I might not have magic in my blood but this was magic to me. Every moan I pulled from her lips, every time she called my name while I tasted her made me feel alive.

“Garrett, Garrett,” She called out with breathy desperation, “I need you, I need you inside me.”

“Of course my beautiful Josephine.” I lifted her hips and pushed inside, she groaned feeling all of my length. “I’m going to make you c*m hard round my big fat c**k, then I’m going to pump your tight cunt full of my seed.” She quivered at the hungry look on my face and licked her lips at my words.

At first my thrusts were slow and steady but I soon quickened the pace, urged on by Josephine’s demanding moans. I wanted to make her c*m. With a silent prayer I grabbed the second pillow and laid it across the top of her legs using it to push her manhood towards me without touching it. As I thrust in I could feel it, hot with a slick tip, against my lower stomach.

“Garrett, harder, please, pl-eassse.” She begged. Obviously I obliged. She was squeaking and moaning and whimpering beneath me but not quite there yet. I was close though, really close, but I didn’t want to blow my load until I’d satisfied my woman. Josephine deserved my worship and that included bringing her to the height of pleasure.

“c*m on me, milk my d**k, squeeze every drop out of me.” I demanded.

“I can’t, I can’t.” She whimpered, holding herself back. I’d never had Jo c*m as a woman. Something in her mind set wouldn’t allow her to let go. I yanked her hand from where it was gripping the bed sheet and put it to her open mouth.

“Suck it!” I commanded. The edge almost took me when Josephine did as she had been told and sucked on her fingers. The pace was punishing and I wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer. Roughly I took her by the wrist, pulled her fingers from her mouth and took them into my own. Josephine’s eyes went wide before rolling back in her head. She pitched forward orgasming hard. My own peak ripped through me, hips jarring forward as I came into her.

“Oh, my butterfly, you’re milking me so good.” I ground out trying to convey just how good she made me feel while my body was still jerking and pumping my hot c*m inside her. When I stopped cumming I looked down at Josephine. “Are you ok, my butterfly?” She looked exhausted, which I felt a little bad about because there was still a lot of day left, but there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there before; something calm.

“I never… I didn’t…” She fretted, looking for the right thing to say. All I wanted was to have made her happy, I needed nothing else. “You made me feel… like me.” She finished, powder blue eyes wide and vulnerable. This was a perfect moment.

“Ummm, hello.” Zach’s voice rang out.

“In the name of Ye Gods, what are you doing! Get out!” I yelled at the lad. He was hopping up and down at the other end of the room, not even trying to look away. s**t, he was what 13? 14? What did he think he was doing?

“King said, 30 minutes more.” Zach told me brightly as if I weren’t in a compromising position.

“His Majesty wants us to arrive at his study 30 minutes later than planned?” My hand was in a fist as I spoke, I’d never thought it possible to be so infuriated with Zach.

“Yup!” He twirled.

“Zach, this is a private moment, you should have waited.” I scolded. He shrugged and looked confused.

“Why? I can see always, and you’re done.” His faintly glowing green eyes looked right into mine. I found no embarrassment or shame there.

“Zach! Just because you can go through walls doesn’t mean you can go around…” I fumed.

“Garrett.” Josephine interrupted. “He sees.” She reached out and touched the wall behind the bed. I turned red. Head to toe, a vivid shade of embarrassment. Not once had it occurred to me that Zach’s connection to the world around him, feeling the entirety of the castle beneath his feet, allowed him not only to see and hear what we were all up to while waking about but also when we were engaged in other activities. I’d never really put much thought into how his magic worked.

“I see.” He said with an amused smile. “Ok, bye bye.”

Zach was gone and my mind was reeling. No wonder the King had tried to get him to switch off his magic or at least dampen it in the castle. The lad was an unintentional peeping Tom!

I turned my focus back to Josephine who, astoundingly, looked rather entertained.

“It really never occurred to you?” She asked, chortling. I removed myself from between her legs, reached up for the waistband of the innermost skirt and pulled it down. She gave me a quizzical look. “How else did you think he can find everyone so easily?”

“Sorry, I got it dirty.” I said in regard to the c*m covered skirt I was removing. “I really hadn’t thought about it in detail.” I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief. That lad must know some crazy secrets about the goings on in this castle.

“Well at least I have time to clean up properly now.” Josephine said heading towards my bathroom.

At least I didn’t ever f**k Taiya in the castle, I thought to myself.