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"..Carlotta Montelli." A sultry voice drawled behind her, sending shivers up her spine.
Suppressing the urge to simply ignore the woman and flee the scene as fast as humanly possible, Carlotta gracefully got to her feet and brushed some imaginary dust off her skirt.
"Fancy seeing you here.. lady bane." Defiantly, Carlotta's gaze bored into the stunning sapphire eyes of the thirty-sixth matriarch of the Fisalia family.
Her head held high, she stepped closer until they were nearly nose to nose... or in their case, nose to chin.
"Spying on me in broad daylight, little Montelli? My.. how bold you've become..." Cantarella chuckled lightly.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm here for Rover." Carlotta crossed her arms in front of her chest and stood her ground as the taller woman swayed on her feet, her eyes ever so slightly unfocused.
Something was off about her.. The way she carried herself, it was as if she was just barely managing to stay on her feet when she walked past her to fiddle with some sort of mechanism next to a cable car.
"In that case, I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. As you can see, Rover is not here." Cantarella reached out to steady herself against the side of the train echo.
Carlotta narrowed her eyes. "The last time I heard from her was moments before she entered Porto Veno Castle and you expect me to believe that you don't know exactly where she is and have nothing to do with her disappearance? How stupid do you think I-"
With barely any time to react, Carlotta lunged forward and caught the lavender haired woman in her arms as she stumbled and fell forward.
"My apologies.. it seems as though I've reached my limit." The older woman breathed out weakly, her eyes involuntary slipping shut and leaving Carlotta to struggle under her weight.
Maneuvering the taller woman over to a safe spot proved to be quite a troublesome task. Carlotta did not trust herself anywhere near the balustrade, for fear of accidentally dropping Cantarella off the bridge, and the nearest wall was unfortunately a good distance away from their current location.
She slowly inched her way over to a tall flower pot, and after having to adjust her grip numerous times in order to avoid dragging Cantarella's frilly dress across the floor, Carlotta sank down on the ground, taking the unconscious woman with her.
There must have been something in her perfume that robbed Carlotta of all sensible thought, or perhaps the ample swell of the older woman’s breasts against her own had addled her mind into forgetting just who it was that now rested on her lap.
Either way, it was too late to rethink her actions now. Carlotta gently adjusted Cantarella's head to rest against her shoulder, and with a heavy sigh, she resigned herself to her current predicament.
There was still time to regret her decisions later, when the other woman regained consciousness, but for now, Carlotta let her instincts take over and gently ran her fingers through silky soft lavender locks.
....
When Cantarella finally came to, the sun hung low in the sky and in addition to the soft warm puffs of breath against Carlotta's throat, an arm had snuck its way around her waist and a possessive hand found purchase in the fabric of her cape.
Carlotta soothingly rubbed the sleeping woman’s back, almost in disbelief over how calm and serene she looked in her sleep.
It was then that she realised Cantarella's breath trembled with every tender stroke of her hand, her fingers clenching and pulling at her cape as if it were her lifeline.
It seemed Carlotta was not the only one who was awake anymore.. And yet, the Fisalia matriarch had chosen to remain silent and feign sleep. And she was oh so receptive to her touch...
A small, barely audible whimper was all it took to convince Carlotta to let her keep up the pretence and act as though she hadn't noticed anything was amiss.
Carlotta was no stranger to reactions like these, she knew well what it was like to be touch starved enough to desperately crave another's touch, even if it came from her worst enemy.
Cautiously, she brought her free hand to her mouth, bit into her glove and pulled it off before cupping the back of the taller woman’s head and gently scratching her nails across her scalp, drawing even sweeter sounds from her.
A wave of protectiveness surged through her when Cantarella snuggled even closer and pressed her cold nose against her neck.
Suely she must have lost her mind, to be thinking such tender and affectionate thoughts over the matriarch of the Fisalia family of all people.
Carlotta looked up at the sky, hoping it would offer some guidance, but what she saw only filled her with dread.
Nightfall was drawing closer and the temperature was rapidly cooling down. Unless she wanted to freeze to death out there while stumbling around helplessly in the dark, discovering Rover's whereabouts would have to wait until tomorrow.
A tactical retreat would be the best course of action in this situation. But where to? She would not make it back to her gondola in time, and the only thing around here was a cave crawling with taced discords and a passage that lead to a cliff. The only real option was the cable car at the end of the bridge, and she needed Cantarella to operate it.
Carlotta indulged the woman on her lap for another minute before settling her arms comfortably around her waist. "It's getting dark."
With a heavy sigh, Cantarella raised her head and looked at her with an unreadable expression.
"You should take a picture if you like my face so much, it will last longer." Carlotta glared back, not liking the sudden spark in the other woman’s calculating gaze one bit.
Cantarella breathed out an amused laugh at her snark. "And miss out on scathing remarks like this one? Your feisty attitude is part of the charm, how could I ever hope to capture it on film?"
Carlotta scowled and said nothing, waiting for Cantarella to make her next move.
"It must have been quite difficult for you to make your way here without using the connected line, however did you even manage to find this place?"
"The Montellis have their ways." Carlotta replied curtly. It had been quite an arduous journey, one that she was not looking forward to backtracking, but Cantarella did not need to know that. "Instead of wondering about how I got here, perhaps you should start worrying about yourself first. Evening approaches, the wind is picking up and these clouds carry the promises of rain. You'll catch your death out here at this rate."
"Is that concern I hear in your voice?" Cantarella dug deeper, clearly trying to get a rise out of her. "Careful, one could almost think you like me, miss Carlotta."
"Hardly. Some of us just have better manners than to let a lady collapse onto the cold hard ground and leave her to freeze to death in a storm."
"Catching someone before they hit the ground is one thing, letting them rest on your lap until they wake up is another." Cantarella teased. "You do realise that this cable car is connected to Porto Veno Castle, yes? You could have simply laid me in the train echo and left me at the doors for someone else to deal with."
"And have the entire Fisalia family think that I am the one responsible for the state you were in? Absolutely not."
Cantarella tilted her head in thought and Carlotta held her breath in anticipation as those brilliant sapphire eyes assessed her and an infuriating grin slowly spread across her face.
"So you say. And yet, here you are, still holding me as if I were a precious treasure that you are unwilling to part with. It looks to me as though you were enjoying this quite a bit."
Embarrassed, Carlotta instantly let her hands drop from their comfortable place around the older woman’s waist and defiantly raised her head a little higher, trying to puff herself up and make herself appear taller than she actually was, in hopes it would make the humiliation sting a little less.
"Or could it be.. that you were simply too short too lift me up?"
Carlotta inhaled sharply. "Was such a low blow truly necessary?" She gritted out between clenched teeth.
"I'm afraid anything else would have missed the mark and flown above your head."
"I can still push you off."
"I don't think you would, but I can see this is a sensitive topic. I suppose your short stature is hardly your fault." Cantarella's provocative grin took on a soft and understanding edge that turned Carlotta's stomach into knots. "I heard about the less than stellar circumstances in which you were adopted. Malnutrition and emotional deprivation can cause a lot of damage.. The Montellis have been treating you better, I hope?"
"Save your pity for someone who wants it. I am a grown woman and I don't need you or anyone to be concerned about my wellbeing." Carlotta huffed in annoyance.
"Oh? Then why did you catch and watch over me, if you think a grown woman doesn't need anyone to look out for her?" Cantarella prodded insistantly, picking herself up from her comfortable place on the younger woman’s lap.
"Lady Cantarella, I-" Carlotta sputtered, trying to come up with an excuse.
"You may call me Ella, if you like. There's no need for formalities with no one else around to overhear us, and well.. " She demonstratively flicked the broken switch that was needed to operate the cable car a few more times. "It looks as though we'll be stuck here together for a while."
"Just perfect."
"We should not to linger around here any longer, this area is crawling with taced discords." Cantarella began walking toward a large gate at the end of the only path available to them. "Come along now, quickly."
"This is a dead end."
"To you, perhaps." Cantarella lead her up a few flights of stairs, through a large cave and up a rather steep tunnel, stopping only in front of the cliff she had deemed a dead end when investigating the place earlier.
For a moment Carlotta had expected her to perform some sort of magic trick, some grand gesture that would raise a bridge and open up a previously unseen path. Only to be let down when the woman turned toward a small wooden shelter to their left.
Chucking at her unreasonable expectations, Carlotta followed her to a hidden space behind a few stacks of boxes.
It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was safe enough to keep any taced discords away and the rain from pelting down on their heads, should a storm indeed be on the way.
This place had clearly been used as shelter before, if the piles of books, the candles, the pillow and the blanket in the corner were anything to go by.
She watched Cantarella grab two bottles of varying sizes from where they stood next to a handful of barrels, immediately suspicious of what they might contain.
"Water or wine?"
Carlotta's eyes narrowed at the offered beverages. "How do I know you aren't trying to poison me with these?"
"I assure you, they are perfectly safe. However, you should refrain from opening any of the other bottles on your own." The taller woman cautioned. "Those two, for example, do indeed contain highly potent poison that you do no want to ingest under any circumstances."
"..Then why, pray tell, would you keep them in the same place as the rest of them?"
Cantarella looked at her with an amused glint in her eyes. "Why ever would I not?"
"..Pass the wine, please." Carlotta sighed dramatically, reaching out her hand to accept the bottle that Cantarella was already in the process of opening.
"Where do you keep the glasses?"
"Apologies, you will have to drink from the bottle. This isn't exactly a five star hotel, as I'm sure you've noticed."
"Excuse me for assuming that all these wine bottles and the corkscrew in your hand came with a glass, my mistake." The shorter woman took a hesitant sip of her drink, watching Cantarella light a few candles before the sun disappeared entirely beyond the horizon.
Those dark grey storm clouds drawing closer by the minute were her biggest concern. Rain was not something she was very fond of, too many unpleasant memories came to mind for her to have any positive feelings for days such as this one.
She just hoped that this shelter of theirs would withstand the storm.
Cantarella, for her part, did not seem too concerned about the thunder rumbling in the distance, and has yet to even acknowledge the gentle pattering of the rain beginning to fall on the wooden planks that made up the roof of their temporary haven.
"You should take the blanket and get some rest, I will watch over you." A voice interrupted her thoughts and Carlotta looked up to see her companion leaning against a large box, a book in hand and a half burned candle at her side.
"Don't be absurd. You are clearly exhausted, and there is enough room for both of us. Now lie down before you catch a cold." She ordered, leaving no room for objection in her tone as she pointed at the small, cozy spot.
"..As you wish." Cantarella reluctantly put down her book, unfolded the blanket and laid down on the side closest to the entrance of their little shelter, her arm raised to hold up the edge of the blanket for Carlotta to slip in and join her.
"No, this won't do." If Cantarella thought she was going to let her be the big spoon, she had another thing coming. "Scoot forward."
Sapphire eyes narrowed in contemplation, regarding her curiously for a few moments. Nevertheless, she relented and obeyed the order.
Not wanting to alert any potential threats to their presence while they were both asleep, Carlotta first extinguished the candles before making her way over to their makeshift bed.
Wrapping an arm around Cantarella's waist, and sliding another under the pillow, Carlotta lay down behind her and possessively pulled her in by the waist until the taller woman’s back was flush against her front and her nose was buried in soft lavender locks that smelled faintly of the sea breeze and a concoction of plants she could not quite name.
Now in a comfortable position, Carlotta pulled the blanket higher over both of them and closed her eyes.
"Are you going to hold your breath the whole night?" She husked into the other woman's ear, squeezing her hip and drawing out a gasp.
"Sleep well, Carlotta."
Upon closer inspection, Carlotta realised that the head of the Fisalia family was not that scary after all.
Up close and away from prying eyes, she was surprisingly.. docile. Not at all what she expected after hearing the cautionary tales about the Fisalias from the Montellis, and far from what the people of Ragunna made her out to be.
It made her wonder how truthful the rumours surrounding her could really be. Certainly, the woman had poisoned her once, but when Carlotta thought about it, she had been backed into a corner, and frightened animals tended to lash out when trapped with no way out.
"Good night.. Ella."
At the sound of her name, Cantarella stilled again, just for a fraction of a moment. Before shuffling back even further and pressing herself snugly into her arms.
Overall, it was surprisingly not the worst place she ever had to sleep in. The ground was anything but soft, the open side of the shelter let in an uncomfortable draft and the loud sound of the rain kept her awake long enough notice Cantarella's breath evening out and witness her turning around in her embrace.
However.. it was quite nice, having a warm body next to her own, someone to hold, sharing warmth and cuddling close together. It almost made her forget just who it was that lay beside her.
......
When she next awoke, it was due to a gentle but incessant pressure on her face, a tickling sensation that travelled from her jawline to her cheek.
She swatted at it with her hand, but that only seemed to encourage whatever it was.
Blinking one eye open, Carlotta immediately spotted Cantarella, gazing at her with fascination and tracing along her cheekbone with her finger.
In one quick motion, Carlotta spun them around, the older woman’s wrists pinned to the ground on either side of her head, her expression stunned for a fleeting moment before morphing into something else entirely.
It had not escaped her notice that Cantarella wasn't even so much as attempting to struggle against her.
"I don't recall giving you permission to touch my face."
"I was merely admiring your pretty features."
"With you hands?" Carlotta growled, still trying to shake off her sleepiness completely.
"What better way to see if your skin is truly as soft as it appears?"
"..Is it everything you hoped it would be, then?" Carlotta huffed in annoyance.
"Very much so."
"Now that this is settled, kindly refrain from doing so again. I will not be so lenient a second time."
"Oh?" Cantarella's hands twitched in her grasp, as if she were just itching to test her resolve and see how much Carlotta would allow her to get away with.
The older woman’s pulse fluttered wildly against the palm of her hands, her eyes even more striking as they darkened with what could only be described as desire.
Carlotta gulped at the sight.
What a menace. She was enjoying this! And what was even worse, this attentive, captivating gaze only served to pull her further into the depths of those bottomless pools of blue. She was drowning, with no hope of rescue in sight.
Unfortunatly, looking away from the Fisalia's eyes only made matters worse. Her grip tightened around delicate wrists at the sight of the older woman’s flushed skin and heaving chest.
It took every bit of self restraint she had, not to lean in and bite down on the exposed skin of her shoulder, her slender throat, her ample bosom...
"..what are you thinking, little Montelli?"
"None of your concern." Unspeakable things, and every last one of them concerned her, but Carlotta would never voice anything so lewd out loud if she could help it.
"Why don't you give into your impulses and see what comes of it, hm?" As if she read her mind, Cantarella encouraged her to act.
Carlotta faltered. "Is that truly what you want?"
"..What do you think?" Cantarella attempted once again to bring one of her hands up to her face, but gave up quickly when she realised she couldn't free her wrists so easily. Instead, she lifted her leg and gently nudged Carlotta forward with her knee.
Without further ado, Carlotta lowered her head to nose at the older woman’s collarbone, breathing in her intoxicating scent and nibbling lightly on her neck before sinking her teeth into the soft flesh of Cantarella's breast and soothing the marks she left with her tongue.
The moment she loosened her grip, Cantarella pulled her wrist free and brought her hand up to the back of her head. Grabbing a fistful of snow white hair, she guided her to her lips. Not for the curt, awkward first kiss she had expected, but for a desperate open mouthed kiss with tongue.
For a moment, it caught her off guard, and that was all Cantarella needed to turn the tables on her and flip them over.
Letting out an undignified squeal, Carlotta bit down hard on her lip, prompting Cantarella to pull away and bring her hand to her now bleeding lip in surprise.
"Your tacet mark..." Carlotta marvelled as the older woman ran her tongue over the wound.
"I certainly hope you have considered the chance that coming into contact with my blood will end poorly for you.."
"Are you serious?"
Cantarella merely chuckled at her horrified expression. "..Wouldn't you like to know?"
Carlotta was speechless. She knew the Fisalias dealt in poisons, but never had she expected their blood to actually be poisonous.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spied someone watching them with wide golden eyes, jaw dropped slightly in surprise.
"Cat's eye." Carlotta sat up in a flash, only narrowly avoiding crashing into Cantarella, who leisurely turned her head to grace Rover with a kind smile.
Rover coughed awkwardly, looking anywhere but at them. "If you need some privacy, I can leave again." She gestured vaguely behind her, clearly uncomfortable. "I just thought I heard you two bicker and wanted to make sure you weren't trying to kill each other. You... aren't, are you?"
"Rest assured, miss Carlotta has nothing to fear from me."
Rover regarded the wooden ceiling with interest. "I was actually more worried about it being the other way around, but that's good to know."
Carlotta turned to look at Cantarella with a self satisfied smirk, pleased that Rover thought she would be the victor if it were to come to a fight between the two of them.
"There's no need to look so smug. I made a promise that I intend to honour." Cantarella whispered in a low tone, nipping at her earlobe and making her shudder involuntarily.
Carlotta frowned, glaring at the other woman’s teasing smirk. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"
"Why don't you ask your little friend over there." Cantarella inclined her head toward Rover before she could flee the scene.
"What did she promise you?" The Montelli demanded, irritation lacing her voice. She did not appreciate these two keeping secrets from her right under her nose.
"..I asked her if the Fisalias could make peace with the Montellis." Rover admitted quietly, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck.
Carlotta barked out a laugh at the thought. "The Fisalias and the Montellis making peace with each other? With our history? We don't even get along among ourselves, what makes your think we can make peace with each other?"
"She said the same thing.." Rover mumbled, shrugging helplessly, looking between the both of them. "I think it was worth a try. Besides, you two are looking quite cozy with each other, so my request couldn't have been all that unreasonable, could it?"
Turning to look at Cantarella on her lap, one hand securely clasped around her shoulder, another resting gently on her arm, Carlotta found she could not argue with that. They were looking quite cozy together.
"Even so, two people getting along won't fix a centuries long feud." Carlotta lifted her chin and rested it on Cantarella's shoulder, her thumb drawing soothing circles on the taller woman’s thigh, hidden from Rover's sight. "Now, if you would kindly give us some room."
"Of course!" Rover swiftly turned around on her heel as if she had just been waiting for this opportunity, only stopping briefly to throw one last piece of information over her shoulder before pulling out her glider and disappearing from sight. "Oh, before I forget, the mechanism for the train echo wasn't working when I looked at it earlier, so I went ahead and fixed it."
"A shame, I was quite looking forward to spending more time with you and seeing just how you managed get to this place."
"If you must know, I took a gondola and then used a glider to get down the cliff. I for one, am not keen on climbing my way back up there only to discover that it has left on its own."
"How anticlimactic."
"Not every story needs a dramatic twist." Carlotta's fingers slipped into the pure white stocking covering Cantarella's thigh, observing with pleasure how the older woman’s breath hitched at her touch.
Entranced, Carlotta brought her free hand up to the Fisalia's slender neck, feeling her pulse speed up underneath her thumb.
Her lips grazed the soft skin of the juncture between Cantarella's neck and shoulder, leaving a trail of tender kisses in her wake as she gradually tightened her hold on her neck, applying just enough pressure to let her know who was charge, but remaining gentle enough not to hurt or cut off her air.
"We should not be doing this here." Cantarella tried halfheartedly, a low moan escaping her lips as Carlotta eagerly sucked a mark on the side of her neck.
"I don't care." Carlotta silenced her with kiss, uncaring of the possibility that Cantarella's blood could potentially be poisonous. If this was to be the end of her, then so be it. She would gladly risk it all.