Queendom of Deala, one of the realms in the land of Fera, was preparing for celebration. After a regency of 12 years, young queen Laila had finally reached 20 years of age, which meant that she would be eligible to rule herself. The regency had not been easy on citizens of the realm, who had been under the rule of powerful countess of Puihka, Johanna. After sudden death of the late queen Rauni, Johanna was appointed as young queen's regent by the council of Daela due to her reputation as capable and loyal stateswoman, but as years went by and she got taste of the power, she revealed her true colors. She was a greedy and ambitious woman, who had used her powers as the regent to consolidate power and wealth, and used bribery, threats, extortion and even worse as her means to control the council and other nobles. Now, week before queen Laila's coronation, it seemed like her arbitrary reign was coming to an end. Or so the citizens and nobles wished.
*
Sun was rising and the morning routines of Deala's royal castle were well underway. Servant girls, guards, councilors and dignitaries were walking in the corridors, in even more hassle than usual. The royal coronation of queen Laila was a week away, and it meant lot of work for everyone. However, absence of one familiar figure had not been unnoticed. Regent Johanna rarely left her quarters anymore and hardly participated in administrating the realm, and everyone knew why. Queen Laila could not exercise her full power before being crowned, but her moral authority already far exceeded that of unpopular regent, who was frantically trying to figure out a way to save her face, wealth and power.
Johanna was walking in circles inside her quarters. Hands behind her back, her shoulder length auburn hair waving as she shook her head. She was still de jure regent until the day of the coronation, and she dreaded that day. Queen Laila was too much like her mother. She could not be raised to become a puppet. And she knew painfully well about many of the underhanded schemes Johanna and undertook during her rule. Once she would be stripped of the title of regent the queen could have her tried for her crimes, and the council would not be there to support her. Not anymore. Having legitimate royal authority with them, they would not be scared to move against Johanna. They would side with headstrong and charismatic queen Laila just to get rid of her. The would confiscate her wealth, cut her off the politics, maybe even banish her.
"No, no, no! It will not happen!" She rambled to her stewardess Helen. The blonde woman with long, straight hair and blue eyes in white robe listened "I will not let that brat ruin what I have been building for over ten years! But she will. I swear to the Goddess, I know she will." She stopped and looked at her stewardess in the eyes. "The coronation will be in one week, and then my powers as regents are abolished. I become just countess of Puihka again and the queen assumes her role and authority as our monarch. There must be something we can do!"
The mousy stewardess was lost in her thoughts. They could be in trouble indeed. She knew the queen, and understood the worry of her mistress. She was a stubborn young lady that they could never manipulate, and her assuming full authority could be a problem for both of them. Helen had gotten wealthy due to her mistress's rule too, and understood consequences even better. They had done things queen wasn't even aware of, and if they came to the light of day... Unthinkable. They would never be forgiven and would be lucky if they were just banished.
"There, um, is... some ways we could, um, extend your regency. Like, ah, if the coronation was postponed. We can't really make the queen, ahm, disappear, council would elect a new monarch and, pardon me my lady, your lineage would not see you elected. Our only hope would be to extend your regency, or, ahm..." Helen started rubbing her chin. She always did it when she had an idea. Johanna got eager.
"Or what, Helen?"
"...there is this, eh, legal possibility... Queen Laila could, uh, voluntarily abdicate, renounce her claim to the throne and go to exile. It's not unheard of. In year 850 of the Moon, queen Milli the Huntress actually abdicated to become a wandering ranger and sh-"
"Cut the history lesson Helen. And yes, I know, the queen can abdicate. But why would Laila do it? We could coerce her, but what good does it do to us?"
"Ahm, mistress, you see, if the queen has no heir - as queen Laila doesn't have - she can appoint her successor in abdication. Any successor. You would never get, eh, elected as the queen, but you could be appointed as one. And most important thing: this can be done before her coronation. She has full power to abdicate and appoint successor as any time. Like queen Zelma in year 4 of the Stars when in the age of 19 she-"
"Cut it off Helen. Why in the Hells have you not brought this up sooner?"
"Um, there, um, was no reason to until now my lad-"
"Whatever. But how are we going to make her abdicate? There is no way she will surrender the crown to me."
"Well, eh, as my lady knows, we have the ways. We, um, could introduce her to Taimi downstairs..."
Upon hearing this Johanna flinched back a bit. "You suppose we... It's risky. But it sure would work. Taimi has never let us down in... dealing with troublesome individuals. We still have the deal with queen's maid Zandra, right? All we need is unguarded access to her bedroom at night, and some relaxing herbs hidden in her tea to keep her asleep long enough."
"Uh, right. She's been a great informant on queen, but, uhm, this is something more. How will she, eh, co-operate on this? This is way more than spying on her. She, ah, would not go this far in betrayal."
"As you said, we have the ways. Her beloved twin sister Gerta works in the kitchen. I still command the royal garrison, and there are soldiers loyal to me. Go inform them that Gerta is to be discreetly arrested and taken downstairs immediately. We'll introduce her to Taimi first and... give a little motivating show to Zandra."
"As you wish, my lady!"
Helen disappeared from the room, and Johanna walked to the window, looking out to the queen's tower.
"Enjoy the day, little girl." She muttered, smiling maliciously. "It will be your last as the queen."
*
The morning had been uneventful so far. Laila had slept a bit late, a luxury she tried to get rid of. She would be a crowned monarch in just a week, and would have immense responsibilities for her people. They were looking up to her already, as in actuality the regency was only a formality anymore. She would have to wait until she'd have the crown on her head before she could do anything about that vile Johanna though. She would be firm and just in dealing with her, showing her people that she would be a noble and righteous ruler her regent never was. Redheaded queen got out of her bed and was about to start brushing her very long hair once she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in, Zandra."
Queen's maid Zandra entered. She was a short, skinny and pale girl with long, curly raven black hair, wearing the modest blue maid's tunic and a red apron with white linings. She along with her twin sister Gerta were orphans, and were taken in to the castle at very young age by the late Queen Rauni. They were currently only 18, not even considered full adults yet in Dealan society. Zandra had become queen's personal maid two years ago, and her somewhat less diligent sister Gerta was doing odd jobs and was currently working as head chef's helper.
"Your highness, you just got out of bed?" Zandra uttered. "My lady, with all due respect, your future duties as the queen-"
"Yes yes Zandra. Heavens, a queen lectured by a maid younger than her..."
"A-apologies your highness, I-"
"Never mind." Laila giggled as she sat down in front of a mirror. "Pick my clothes for today. Feel free about it."
Zandra went through the wardrobe and picked a beautiful purple dress, tight enough to show shapes of queen's petite body. As the queen retired behind veil to slip into it from her white nightgown, Zandra looked around the room, trying to figure out what the queen was up to. She had had a deal with regent Johanna for a bit over a year now. She would feed her information about the antics of your queen, and she would add additional gold in her salary. Life in the castle wasn't too hard and the salary was more than livable, but Zandra just could not resist getting some extra, despite feeling a bit morally torn about her role. The queen trusted her after all. She had felt there isn't much harm done, but lately, she had started feeling more anxious about all this. Regent Johanna was getting more grim and moody every time they met, and even though she didn't bother herself with politics too much, Zandra was worried about growing tensions at the court. She wished the coronation would calm things down.
When the queen was ready to leave her personal quarters, her bodyguards were waiting right outside the door. Hanne, a mature veteran warrior and her young shieldbearer, Sini. Hanne was a youngest daughter from a noble family, who had chosen military career instead of life of a socialite. It had suited her well, during decades of service she had excelled in warfare and proven her undying loyalty to the crown more than once, which had ultimately lead to appointment as young Laila's personal bodyguard when she was just a little princess. She had long light brown hair and early signs of her age were starting to show on her, which only served to give her imposing appearance more dignity. As a tall, muscular woman she was wearing a light suit of armor and carrying her trusted two-handed sword with her everywhere, ready to defend her queen from any dangers. Her shieldbearer and squire Sini was exotic girl with a bit darker complexion and light brown skin, piercing eyes of darkest brown and short black hair, around the same age as her queen Laila. Nobody knew exactly. She was abandoned as an infant near the castle gates 19 years ago, and taken in by Rauni. A rowdy and stubborn girl unsuited for most labor at court, Hanne took her under her wings to be raised as a soldier as she saw promise in the girl. She turned out to be correct, as Sini - as she was named - turned out to be a natural warrior, who would keep even her mentor on her toes during their sparring matches. Even though she would never say it out loud, Sini's respect and admiration for Hanne was high, and as far as she was concerned, Hanne was her mother. Her another secret were her feelings for queen she served. She had often played her rough games (often a bit too rough for Laila) with little princess when they were kids, and this childhood friendship had developed into teenage infatuation and later on into a serious crush and deepening love. She thought nobody knew about her secret desires, but in reality, almost everyone except the queen herself have noticed and they consider it quite funny. Especially Hanne found much merriment both in romantic awkwardness of Sini and in how unbelievably dense Laila was about it.
"My lady!" Hanne and Sini shouted in unity as they bowed their heads in salute.
"At ease." Smiling Laila answered. She had been with these two for such a long time she considered them her good friends instead of servants, but they just could not help with formalities pounded into them by military life. "Sorry we are a bit late from schedule! I hope you have eaten, since I have to skip my breakfast. We got magistrates to meet and coronation to plan." Laila shook her head. "What a chore, I'll be quite glad when it's over."
"Yes my lady. Nothing will make me happier than to see you as a queen! I mean, you are queen, but crowned queen, I..." Sini was mumbling and stumbling as usual when she's trying to clumsily compliment her dear queen. Poor disaster of a girl in love was further flustered by the skin tight outfit of the queen. "Thank you Zandra! Thank you!" She thought in her mind.
"Thank you Sini! I'm honored to have you as my protection." Her smile made Sini melt, but as always, she contained herself and kept her soldierly composure - as well as she could!
Chuckling Hanne snapped Sini out of it with a slap on her back as they started walking. "My lady, Sini, we can exchange pleasantries later. We are expected, and believe me my queen, even with royal authority, you DO NOT anger petty bureaucrats. They are experts in inflicting slight administrative discomforts." As they walked the corridors, Hanne whispered in Sini's ear. "Just to let you know, the queen has been speaking of giving my position to you once I officially take over command of castle's garrison after coronation. Be sure to keep impressing her!" Sini felt like a herd of butterflies had been released in her stomach as she fought her urges to jump of joy.
*
Zandra was walking after them, and soon bid her goodbyes to her queen and two soldiers. Her duties would be in castle today, but she would not mind them yet. Noon was approaching, and she would give her daily report to Johanna's stewardess, Helen, as regent was almost always too busy with her duties to be bothered with a little spy like her. It made her quite surprised that once she reached Helen's quarters, Johanna was there waiting for her.
"Zandra! Good to see you." The mature noblewoman gave Zandra a hug, that she found quite unnerving. What is this sudden friendliness?
"M-my countess, I'm here to deliver my report about-"
"Yes, I know. But that's not what I want of you right now. I'm going to ask another favor from you. But it can wait. First, there is something we must show you."
Stewardess Helen pulled a concealed lever in a bookshelf, and to Zandra's persisting surprise, the shelf moved, revealing a hidden passage downwards.
"Please, umm, follow me." Helen said while smiling.
Zandra followed the blonde woman down the stairs in the torch-lit path. The torches were obviously enchanted, and burned with unnatural purple color, illuminating castle corridor perfectly.
"What is this? I don't know of this..."
"It's something I had built. A personal project of mine. It was finished five years ago." Johanna who was following two women replied. "Something I kept a well guarded secret. Consider yourself lucky to see this."
While they walked downwards, Zandra started hearing faint noises. Screams. Audible begging. Loud crying. Laughter? Cold sweat began to push through her temples as her heartbeat fastened. Once they reached the bottom, Zandra felt weak at knees. The regent had brought her to a torture chamber.
The large chamber was full of different bondage contraptions, where dozens of women had been restrained. Stocks, X-frames, racks, tables, chains hanging from the ceiling, most of them occupied by a despairing naked woman who was worked on by several torturers, women wearing tight black robes and equally black hoods that hid their faces. They were using feathers, brushes, fingers and devices not known to Zandra to make every victim scream in ticklish hysteria as they tried to writhe away. As they saw Johanna had entered, they turned to her, and ones who had not been tickled unaware of their surroundings - or weren't blindfolded - increased their begging.
"P-please countess, let me go!"
"Make them stop! TELL THEM TO STOOP"
"AAHHAHAHA ANYTHING COUNTESS, I'LL DO ANYTHIIIING!"
The choir of pleading, tortured women was almost deafening, and Zandra covered her ears. Both because their cries were hurting her ears, but also to escape the nightmare she was witnessing. She was dragged by Johanna, who ignored tormented victims and their pleas for mercy, and taken further into the torture chamber, through a strong wooden door. As it closed behind them, it muffled out most of the sounds of torture feast going on next door, and Zandra slowly began to speak.
"T-this is terrible, it's a sin, it's illegal! Y-you know that torture has been outlawed in the queendom for almost hundred years!"
"Umm, we know." Helen answered, looking creepily cheerful in this surrounding. "And, ahm, it's quite a mistake if you ask me. As we all know, queen Oona the Hammer could have never stopped the invasion of Northwomen if it wasn't for information gathered through tickle torture of their captured Valkyrie officer-"
"Shut up Helen." Johanna interrupted her. "It seems like we have shocked our little guest here. But once I explain the purpose of this place, she will understand. You see, I'm not a monster of any sort. Everyone you saw in that room deserves to be here. They are troublemakers, conspirators and other revolting characters. They crossed me, and they are receiving their just punishment. The women you saw there though, they have it easy. Follow me."
The started walking along the corridor, that had similar doors at both sides of it. Shivering Zandra was sure she could hear quiet shrieks of ticklish torment beyond all of them. The regent opened one, revealing two women side by side in shared stocks. Both of them were stunning brunettes, and their ages were around 20 and 40. Their laughing faces were locked in tortured expression and Zandra could see why. A rotating long bristly brush was spinning against their soles, as a torturer next to them was turning a crank that spun it.
"The baroness of Mushra and her lovely daughter. They have been with us for quite a long time, and were among our first guests. We still always keep one torturer keeping them company." She waved at the tormentor who smiled and waved back. "The baroness and her little brat were the first ones to notice my... Questionable use of gold in land purchases and questioned it's source, suspecting deals with smugglers and foreign criminals. And they were right! They came to confront me, poor fools, and didn't bring any security with them. As far as the world knows, they died in a carriage accident on their way back, lost in a rapid river. But here they are, very alive and very sorry of ever crossing me."
Johanna went by the hysterical captives, and stroked messy and sweaty hair of the baroness who seemed completely unresponsive to her presence. "Both of them were defiant at first, but started begging for forgiveness eventually. But I never forgive. I never forget. I've told it to them many times over the years, haven't I?" The poor women just kept laughing frantically, and Johanna walked out of the room, followed by Helen and Zandra. She had secretly built this torture dungeon around five years ago and those two had been imprisoned there since beginning... Zandra could not believe what was happening, here in the heart of the kingdom! This was horrifying. Queen Laila would never authorize something like this, and neither would have her late mother!
Zandra was led to another room, and Johanna started talking about the hapless victim already when she opened the door. "Meet unknown assassin who made an attempt on my life. She's been here only few months, and in time, will tell me who hired her." She was a very skinny and tall woman with very short platinum blonde hair, tied on a torture rack. Two torturers were tormenting her, viciously tickling her ribs as she screamed in agony and tried to pull at her restraints completely uselessly. "She's a tough one to crack. Nobody that ticklish should be able to take intense rib tickling like this for months!" Zandra watched in horror as the poor woman's ribcage was utterly annihilated by the expert ticklers working on her. Johanna walked closer, and the torturers stopped. The cruel regent leaned closer, and when the hapless assassin caught her breath, she tried to speak.
"P-please, please, I-I told you, I told you, I tell you everything, please a-ask me questions already, j-just no more, no more please, I was h-hired by..."
"Continue with the torture."
"Nonono NOOOHHOOHOHOHO!"
The torturers resumed their work on her, her pleads replaced with hysterical laughter as she looked at Johanna with pleading eyes. "She's tough and stubborn indeed. Let's be on our way. I'll come see you again next week." After they closed the door behind them and screams of assassin were muffled, Zandra confronted Johanna about her treatment.
"W-why would you do that? She wanted to confess! Even if she's a killer, don't you at least want to know who hired her?"
"I know who hired her." Johanna replies, leading Zandra to next torture room. They didn't bother going in, just looked inside where a chubby woman with ample bosom was mummiefied in wraps leaving only her breasts and face down from nose visible. Her mummified body was chained on the floor, and a tiny torturer was sitting on her waist, using gloves with feathers attached to fingertips to wreck her apparently hypersensitive breasts. Being blindfolded by her wrappings she was oblivious to the new audience, and just kept cackling like a tortured witch. Johanna closed the door, and talked to Zandra again.
"She's a rich merchant I extorted. I had her imprisoned a week after failed murder for attempting to hide money from me, and during the initial torture she confessed to hiring that assassin, just like that! I didn't even suspect her, I thought she would never have that in her. Poor lady probably thought that confession would save her. Now she knows that nothing saves anyone down here."
"I - w-why are you showing me all this?" Zandra's dread was raising all the time. She could not even imagine tortures these women were going through, and was most shocked about how calm Johanna and Helen seemed in middle of all this horror. Those women were vile sadists.
"Patience... Over here, we got a special treat." The next room housed three unhappy captives. Three stunning redheads, that looked like each other a lot. They were obviously sisters. Two of them were in their 20s, and the third one looked like she was in her late teens. All the young maidens were tied on torture tables and four torturers were attending to each of them, tickling their upper bodies all over with their nimble, ruthless fingers. As for their feet, they were all coated with honey and six goats were occupied with licking them, which alone would have probably been enough to drive them insane, but to couple it with tickle torture of their armpits, ribs, sides and bellies... Zandra wondered if they think they've died and went to one the Hells. To make their ordeals worse, the torturers didn't need to pause to coat their soles again, as honey was constantly dripping on them from pipes above their feet. The faces of girls rivaled their hairs in redness as they roared in forced laughter, too hysterical to beg. After watching this show for a while, Johanna took shaking Zandra out.
"Those girls, dearest Zandra, never did anything to me. Actually, they don't even know why they were imprisoned and why they are being tortured. They are here simply because I hate their mother, who sits in the council. She has always resisted me. I can't abduct such important noblewoman though. Her disappearance would destabilize the realm. Her daughters on the other hand... I took the liberty of taking them to be punished for deeds of their bitch of a mother couple of weeks ago. I heard she's sick of worry, and has offered huge rewards on information about her poor little girls who vanished on a hunting trip. Serves her right, but oh, if she only knew..."
Zandra could not believe what she was hearing. This woman... She was pure evil!
"Y-you won't get away with this! This is wrong!" Zandra shouted at her in sudden burst of courage enabled by her rage.
"That's unfortunate attitude Zandra. I was just about to tell you why I showed you all this. You are going to help us capture queen Laila and bring her here. She will be tortured until she abdicates and signs a declaration naming me as her successor."
Zandra could not believe what she was hearing. Sure she had abused trust queen places on her, but this? This was too much. She would not be part of this.
"No! Never! I would never help you bring her here! I refuse to be involved in these crimes!"
"I was afraid you would say so. But after seeing those three sisters suffering, I think you understand something. You see, Zandra, torturing family members can be as satisfying and effective as torturing the person herself. As you're about to experience..."
Final room Zandra would see was a torture chamber like all others, but seeing the torturer made her gasp. It wasn't a hooded human. It was an elf! Tall forest elf with pointy ears, long, skinny limbs, extremely thin torso that still had more strength than most humans and quite small breasts. Her hair was pitch black, and her skin had peculiar color of pale grey, and her eyes were blue of so bright color that they almost looked like they were glowing. The elf was topless as it was customary for her people, wearing only a black loincloth. Seeing the elf shocked her, as she never expected to see one in flesh, and definitely not in the royal castle! They were cruel people with reputation as demented ticklers, and stories of careless human wanderers ending up as their tickle slaves were commonly told to scare children. It didn't shock her nearly as much as the victim the elf was torturing. Stretched on a torture rack was laying a naked young girl who the elf was torturing with a strange feather duster that seemed to glow, and it seemed to have devastating effect on the victim. The feathers were merely grazing her belly, and it still made her scream like no woman before. Her whole, restrained body was shaking as much as it could, and her laughter sounded more like a long endless scream. And this poor maiden... She was Gerta! Zandra's twin sister.
"GERTA!" Zandra shouted as she tried to run to the rack in irrational attempt to save her, but Johanna and Helen grabbed her arms. "NO! LET GO OF ME! GERTA! GERTA!" Tears were forming in Zandra's eyes as she watched her sister suffering unspeakable torture in hands of that sadistic creature. Protesting Zandra was eventually dragged out of the room, and as the door was slammed shut, she threw herself to the ground at Johanna's feet.
"P-please, please my lady, why are you doing this? P-please let her go, you need to stop, she can't stand it!" Zandra was crying as she begged for mercy to her poor sister.
"You and Gerta have both met Taimi now. My elvish friend who has been here with us for few years now. I don't think how we ever lived without her. Nobody knows how to tickle torture like a forest elf. They just love it. And as long as you keep being difficult, your sister will suffer for it. We will tie you on a chair and make you watch her torture for as long as it takes for you to be co-operative."
Helen nodded as Zandra kept sobbing.
"A-anything, please, just stop it and let her go, I will do anything you want, just don't tickle her anymore. I'm begging you, please!"
Johanna kneeled down and grasped Zandra by her chin.
"I knew there would be sense in you. This is what is going to happen. Taimi will keep torturing Gerta until she's replaced on that rack by queen Laila. You better do everything we say if you don't want her to be tickled out of her mind. And don't even think of telling about this to anyone, or I guarantee, Taimi has time to disappear with your sister as her new tickle slave before guards even breach the dungeon's main doors."
"Yes yes yes, anything you want!"
After Johanna had given Zandra her instructions for treason, Helen escorted her up from the torture chamber. Johanna heard that muffled shrieks from the torture chamber Gerta was held in faded, and she went inside. She found Taimi stroking the hair of unconscious girl, and humming.
"She fainted again?"
"Yes, my lady. Poor thing, can't stand my Kutibird feathers on her skin at all... She would literally break apart if my sisters and I had a human girl like her to play with back home. I love her!"
"Well, wake her up and keep her laughing. I told Zandra that Gerta would be tortured until the queen is brought here, and I'm a woman of my word."
"With pleasure my lady... I can't wait to get started with the queen. I'm going to miss this one though."
"Don't worry Taimi. Laila will be mine, but once you've broken her you will be rewarded. You can keep this one and her twin sister too as extra to your usual reward. I have given orders to apprehend her right away after she has betrayed the queen. You can break both of them as many times as you want."
"That is most generous my lady! Now, if you excuse me, I got work to do..."
Taimi dug a small bottle of foul smelling salts from a pocket in her skirt, and put it under Gerta's nose who woke up with a loud gasp. She frantically looked at her surroundings, and the sudden terror in her eyes told that she thought she had woken up from a terrible nightmare just to realize it was - and is - all reality.
"N-no NOOO! NOT AGAIN, NOT ANYMORE, PLEEEEAAAAHAHHAHAHAHA!"
Johanna left the room as Taimi resumed her devious work with ticklish Gerta. She would see plenty of torment later on with the Queen.
*
Night had fallen, and queen Laila had retired to her quarters.
"Please, pour me some tea Zandra."
"Y-yes my queen." Zandra answered quietly.
"Are you alright Zandra? You've been seeming pale and absent since the afternoon? Are you becoming sick?"
"I-I don't know my queen." Zandra answered. "Maybe... Maybe it's something I've eaten."
Zandra was mixing up the tea and secretly added some drugging herbs that would put the queen in deep sleep.
"You might retire for the night already, Zandra. Try to sleep it off, whatever is bothering you."
"T-thank you my queen. I will my queen."
She served her the tea and left the queen's quarters, running into Sini on her way out. Now would be the time for second part of the scheme. Diversion for a guard.
"S-sini, sorry, I didn't tell the queen as I didn't want to unnerve her, but... There is someone out there, scaling castle walls. Maybe climbing them."
"What? Nobody threatens MY queen! I will see to it that those hoodlums are stopped before they even think of really bothering her sleep!"
Sini went off, and Zandra sighed. If the guard in question had been Hanne, she would not have fallen for such a cheap trick. Sini was a formidable force in combat, but outside that, her short-tempered personality other led to trouble. The way was clear. She rang a bell she was given, and soon three guardswomen loyal to Johanna arrived. They carried sleeping queen off, and Zandra tried to plead with them.
"Please, I did what you wanted, where is my sister? Please, where is she?"
"You will see her in the morning. Now piss off to your room. Don't compromise the damn conspiracy, you brat!"
Their leader grunted, as they hastily whisked the queen away in empty corridors. Zandra started her walk towards her quarters, and once there, collapsed on the floor. Crying bitter tears of shame, she prayed that Heavens would forgive her and that this would at least save her sister. In her pitifully sorrowful state Zandra didn't notice a dark figure that was in the room with her...
*
Laila opened her eyes and felt awfully anxious, but that feeling passed soon. It was least of her problems anyways. She was in a dungeon, feeling cold air against her vulnerable body. She had been stripped naked and tied on a torture rack, and she wasn't alone. She saw her regent, Johanna, and unknown woman she recognized as an elf standing by her.
"Welcome to hell, my queen." Johanna said with a wicked smile. "It will be up to you how long it will last for you."
"You... You...!" Laila protested as she tried to writhe in vain. "What is this Johanna? Have you lost your mind?"
"Not at all. You see, I know that you plan to hold me accountable for my supposed crimes. We can't have that. So, Helen and I came up with a plan. You sign document of abdication that we have prepared for this night, claiming that you choose life of wanderer instead, and you will name me your sole successor."
"I... This is insane!" Laila kept protesting. "I will never do it! Now let me go! I will have you banished for this!"
"As expected from a daughter of your mother... But this was expected indeed. My friend Taimi here is an elf, and she has something to show you."
Taimi revealed a glowing feather duster she had previously used on Gerta. "I'm sure your civilized majesty is familiar with the Kutibird feathers. Local specialty of my home forest. They got special properties when it comes to tickling. The itching, tickling, violently striking and strong sensation just one of these inflicts even on non-ticklish skin..."
Color was escaping from Laila's face as the elf was speaking, and she looked at Johanna, in visibly increasing panic.
"Y-you don't have to do this, you'll never get away with hey wait wait WAIT AAAHAHHAAHA!"
The feathers made their first slow contact with your queen's belly, and results were destructive. She let out a series of ticklish shrieks from just some small caressing. Johanna was sure she could not hold out for long.
The queen's mind was racing as ticklish torture rocked her immobile body. This was terrible. Unbearable. Pure torture. But she could not submit! She could not surrender her queendom to this vile woman!
"I need to hold out!" She thought. "Sini and Hanne will notice I'm gone! They will come for me"
But as agonizing seconds and minutes went by, queen Laila grew more and more worried if she could stand until then... Or even until next minute.
*
"Curses! Curses! CURSES!" Sini shouted, kicking a chair in queen's quarters so hard it broke. Once she came back to give a report about not finding any intruders scaling the wall, the queen was nowhere to be found. She had alarmed Hanne and could not find anything. No signs of intruding. No signs of struggle. It was like the queen vanished to thin air.
"This is my fault, this all my fault! I should not have left for a second, THIS IS MY DAMN FAULT!" Sini lamented as she let out her frustrations on another chair she kicked to pieces.
"Calm down, Sini. Patience." Hanne said calmly. "We must remain calm. There must be something we are not seeing. Some clue about what happened. We can't help her highness in blind rage, can't we?"
Sini somewhat calmed down, and nodded. But in her mind, storm kept going on. How in the Hells could she be calm. Laila was missing! Her queen and one true love.
"Yes... Yes, I know, but..."
"Sini, I know. You care for her majesty. You care for her a lot. I do as well, and that's why I want to find her, and if she's in trouble, cleave those troubles in half with my sword. Did you notice anything unusual in your guard duty?"
"Well... Queen's maid, Zandra, left for her own quarters earlier than usual. Around the time of queen's night tea. She seemed a bit off, I guess she's getting sick... Wait a moment."
Sini walked to the table where queen always drank her tea. Oh, how many times Sini had fantasized of sharing those moments with her...
"Her teacup.. It's almost full. Either she never even touched it, or..."
She was about to touch it, but Hanne took it instead and smelled it.
"Spiked. It's been spiked with sleep inducing herbs. I used to use lots of these in my missions to spy on Sandrealms, one sip of anything with that stuff and the victim sleeps like a log for a while."
"Who - who could have done that? Who could have abducted my queen? When I get my hands on those bastards I will - "
"I know, Sini. I will too. But for now, we'll be going to have a little discussion with Zandra."
*
"Oh, how headstrong you are." Taimi said as she kept on torturing queen Laila. She had started with similar "playful" sweeping as she did with Gerta, and the effect of Kutibird feathers was intense as expected. But while Gerta would have done literally anything to end her torture, queen remained strong. She refused to abdicate. Refused to sign any documents. Kept telling both Johanna and Taimi to go to Hells. So Taimi decided to give her taste of one. The feathers were now properly pressed against her vulnerable midriff, as Taimi kept twirling it all over it from her waist to her breasts and back down again. This treatment was driving the poor queen nuts, as she was screaming and laughing, too deep in her hysterics to even consider verbally defying her torturer anymore. She could only laugh, howl and laugh again, as hope of rescue in time was turning more and more dim.
"Stop." Johanna ordered, and feather duster was raised from her body. Johanna leaned closer. "Be reasonable, my queen. You don't have to subject yourself to any more torture. Abdicate, and I swear you can just leave. Otherwise, Taimi will be delighted to keep you here as long as it takes."
"...Yy... Gh..." Queen Laila tried to find words as she laid on the rack, still breathing heavily.
Johanna leaned closer, just to feel Laila's spit hitting her face. "Ehe... Ehehe... N-never..." Laina smiled at her act of arrogance and giggled lightly. They would never break her. Never. This fleeting moment of triumph was replaced with regret and dread right afterwards, when Johanna told Taimi to move on next level of torture.
"I'm afraid she needs to get taste of more... Extreme measures, Taimi." She said as she wiped the spit off her face, and Taimi reached out under the rack and took another feather duster in her hand. "Two Kutibird feather dusters could kill many women, but don't worry... Taimi knows what she's doing."
"N-no, wait, not like AAAAAAIIIIIIIIHIHIHIIIIHIH"
Two feather dusters dancing on her sensitive body was pushing Laila to her absolute limits. One on her belly and another on her breasts... Both twirling ruthlessly on her belly, ribs or bosom... She was truly starting to understand how this might actually break her.
*
"Zandra?" Hanne asked as she knocked on her door. "It's Hanne and Sini, open up!"
No response.
"She is in there. I'm sure of it." Sini muttered. "I'm done waiting. Lets break the door."
Hanne pondered their options for few seconds, and agreed. The women blasted the door in with their strong shoulders, and entered Zandra's room. The were greeted with a confusing sight. Sturdy brunette soldier in black cloak had the maid hogtied on her bed, and judging by the flow of poor girl's tears and soldier's hands on her bare soles, they had interrupted a tickle torture session.
"Soldier! Explain yourself!" Hanne shouted at the confused guardswoman, who reached in her pocket for a dagger. She rushed towards Hanne, but was stopped by furious Sini who used her longsword to disarm the hostile warrior, knocked her down with a punch and moved in for a kill.
"NO!" Hanne shouted as she grabbed Sini's arm. "We need her alive, she will give us answers. Right after you." Hanne pointed her finger at distressed Zandra.
*
"Please, please, mercy, MERCHYHIHAHAHAAHAA"
Laila had started begging for mercy, and she hated herself for it. She would not abdicate. She could not. She would never submit. But the terrible tickle torture, those infernal feathers... Her mind was screaming for respite. Demanding freedom from this unbearable torture. And her mouth obeyed, as Laila was trying anything except breaking to awaken even slightest feelings of pity in her captors at the small moments where she was given a break and chance to submit. Taimi was totally absorbed in her work, the feather dusters being like extensions of her own body, that obeyed her methodical sadism. The flurry of feathers had tormented the young queen to the point where almost any other woman would have agreed to do anything for it to end, and Taimi was getting very intrigued about this subject. Breaking Laila would require even harsher measures. She stopped torture to pluck a single feather out of one of the dusters, and displayed it before sobbing and pleading queen's eyes.
"It seems like you need to stare pure madness in the eyes in order to be reasonable. Don't think that absence of this feather is going to ease your agony." Handed it over to countess Johanna, who watched Taimi curiously as she gave instructions. "Go ahead, my lady. There's place for that between queen's legs."
Just hearing this almost made Laila hyperventilate. They would not! They could not! They can't!
"Johanna, no, don't, look at me, for Heaven's sake look at AAAAAAH"
Laila threw her head back as the combined moan and shriek erupted from her lips. With long strokes, Johanna kept tickling her womanhood for what felt like eternity for Laila. The horrible feather sending ticklish shockwaves through her body from down there... It was sensory overload of atrocious tickling, torturous pleasure and unbearable frustration. She could never have imagined feeling something like it, and all she knew was that it had to stop, now. Once the amused countess concluded this torture, Laila was once again allowed to collect her thoughts.
"No more, no more, no more, please have mercy! Mercy! Mercy..." Exhausted queen was pleading for her sanity. She hoped what was coming next would just kill her, but her torturers would not be so kind.
"You know what you need to do." Johanna answered.
Laila shook her head as she started sobbing again. "I can't... Please, I can't... Please don't tickle me anymore..."
Her sobbing was replaced with loud but short shriek when Johanna and Taimi both resumed their tortures. Feather between her legs. Feather dusters all over her upper body. The onslaught of sensations and emotions was making her mind blank, she could not think, she didn't even know anything but tickling anymore. That feeling was her entire universe. After the first shriek Laila descended into silent laughter, her abdomen convulsing, her head shaking from side to side, her fingers clenched tightly and her feet wiggling wildly, she was in this silent tickle hell where the only sounds she made were frantic gasps for air... Until she threw her head back again, opened her mouth wide, and let out a long, loud bloodcurdling scream that could be heard echoing in the entire torture dungeon despite the sturdy wooden doors.
*
Back in Zandra's room, Sini and Hanne had untied the maid and bound and gagged the soldier that was abusing her in the same way on Zandra's bed, and Sini was tickling her bare feet. Hanne thought she might have useful information, and would be more willing to share if she was softened first. Meanwhile, accompanied by traitorous soldier's muffled laughter, Zandra was telling her saviors everything in tears. How she had no choice. How they took her sister. About the torture dungeon with secret entrance. About the fate that Johanna had in store for queen Laila.
"I never should have... I'm sorry... If you hadn't come, they would have taken me too... They lied to me..." Zandra mumbled as Hanne held her in an embrace and patted her head.
"It's okay, Zandra. It's okay. You are safe now and we'll get your sister and queen back safely. I promise."
"What is wrong with you Hanne?" Sini shouted. "My Lail - I mean queen Laila is being tortured as we speak! What in the Hells are we doing here anymore? We need to rescue her!"
"I know Sini." Hanne answered. "And that's why I'm thinking. I'm thinking very fast. They need her alive, so she's not in mortal danger. But if what Zandra told about the elf is true, we need to get her highness out of there." Hanne's eyes told that these words are based on real experience. Sini chose not to pursue it.
"And that traitor!" Sini hissed, looking at Zandra. "When this is over I'm going to -"
"Sini, calm down. We will need her to play a part. I need you to do it as well. I'm about the same size as this woman here." She walked over to bound soldier, and evoked additional muffled shriek out of her by slapping her bottom. "I will wear her cloak, and bring Zandra to the torture chamber as intended. I will have you in my clutches as well, we make it appear like we crossed paths by accident and I had to capture you. We got no time to alarm garrison, and we don't even know which soldiers are loyal. We can't risk it, we need to work by three of us."
"No!" Zandra screamed. "I - I can't go back down there! I -"
"I am giving you a second chance here, Zandra. Help us rescue her majesty, and redeem yourself. We will get your sister out of there too. We will get them all out of there. Now..." She leaned to the tickled soldier. "...Are you willing to answer my questions truthfully or shall my protege here keep tickling your feet for a while longer?" The gagged soldier nodded quickly, as she kept laughing at her gag, which Hanne removed after telling Sini to stop. "Now, tell me about this dungeon, it's layout and it's security..."
*
Laila laid limp on the torture rack, unresponsive to all tickling. Taimi took it as a sign to stop this phase of torture, and she dug out the elven smelling salts.
"Admirable" She said. "She has very good stamina for her constitution. I expected her to faint minutes ago."
"As much as I'm enjoying this spectacle, I'm getting impatient." Johanna said, holding now wet feather and waving it in the air. "I did not bring her here just to be your plaything. I brought her here to coerce her!"
"Calm down my lady, once we get her back to us, she will be a new woman..."
Taimi held the salts under Laila's nose, and the queen awakened with a hoarse shriek, her eyes wide open. It took a moment until she stopped her struggling and realized she isn't being tortured anymore. She started pleading with soft voice.
"Johanna, please... I will... I will pardon you, f-forget this ever happened if just please stop."
"Oh, look at that. You say it so I actually believe it. But it isn't enough." Johanna whispered next words in Laila's ear. "Abdicate now. Or we will repeat that torture again. And again. And again."
Laila's answer was a series of hysterical sobs and the torment of feathers began again. She summoned all her strength to pull against restraints, as screaming laughter came out of her lips without here even realizing it anymore. This time she wasn't tickled to the point of fainting, despite Laila really hoping it. At least a small moment of black oblivion. Any respite to this torture. She could not submit. But she could not do this anymore either. When the torture session concluded, she could not even control her own words anymore. It was like someone else was speaking with her mouth. Someone who just wanted to give up. And Laila was too weak to resist it.
"I... I will... I will..." Laila's words were interrupted by door to the torture chamber opening. It was Helen.
"Helen? What are you doing?" Johanna asked.
"Um, my lady, it's the, erm, about Zandra. And, uh, complication, soldier we sent had a run-in with queen's guard Sini and subdued her. She's there now with Sini and Zandra."
"What? I told her to be discreet and unseen. That useless piece of... Keep her laughing Taimi. I'll be right back."
Johanna left the torture chamber and Taimi resumed the torture, ignoring Laila's begging. "No no please, I will AAHAHAH" She could not take it anymore but was forced to. Violent, agonizing laughter kept escaping her lips, and she didn't even know how she could laugh anymore. The voice inside her that just wanted to give in was growing stronger and stronger as Laila's despair grew. This isn't right. This isn't fair. She wants to surrender. Why aren't they letting her?
*
Johanna walked to the entrance section of torture chamber, where the cloaked Hanne was with her "captives", Zandra and Sini. Zandra had her hands tied behind her back, her ankles bound together and a gag in her mouth, and Hanne carried her on her shoulder. The "subdued" guard was on her other shoulder. Sini's leather armor was torn off her and her clothes under it were in tatters, to give an impression she would have been captured after a fight,. Torturers gathered in the room had left their victims in peace for a moment, and gathered around Hanne to look at newcomers with lustful eyes that gave even Hanne chills.
"What is this?" Johanna shouted.
"You were supposed to get the maid - and to not let anyone see you! That wench better be the only one who saw you or you'll find yourself in stocks."
"No worries, it's just three of us." Hanne said and threw off the cloak, revealing herself... And the loaded crossbow she was holding, pointing at Johanna. They had went to get it from Hanne's quarters before arriving.
"Finally!" Sini shouted and jumped down, pulling a concealed blade from her boot. She walked straight to Johanna after cutting the binds of Zandra, who started tying up the torturers and traitorous guards, and releasing victims.
"Where is Laila, you damned witch? WHERE IS SHE?"
Johanna reluctantly pointed at the corridor where smaller torture chambers were. She didn't even bother to ask Johanna which one. She could tell, just by hearing her faint tortured laughter. She rushed inside the room and saw her love laying on a torture rack, tears in her eyes, as sadistic elf was covering her belly with feathers. Upon the stranger entering the room, she stopped and looked straight at her. Sini made the first move. In burning rage, she rushed towards Taimi, with her blade ready to kill this vile woman, but the nimble and agile elf evaded this attack with ease. She used her feather dusters to counterattack, and poor Sini's torn outfit allowed tickling to get through. She screamed and jumped back, her heart beating. That tickling... It was excruciating. That sadistic creature has been torturing her Laila. Her sweet beloved Laila with those feathers. Sini felt new wave of hatred rushing over her as she tried to run her blade through the elf again, but was outsmarted in close quarters once again. The elf plucked a feather from one of the dusters and managed to drop it inside Sini's tunic from her neck, between her clothes and bare back. Sini started rolling on the floor laughing as she tried to get the terrible feather out of her clothes. Taimi used this chance. She ran to the corridors, not intending to get caught. She disappeared in the passageways and eventually got to safety through secret escape tunnels, that Johanna, Helen, other torturers and guards could not reach in time. Sini tried to give a chase after getting rid of the feather by tearing rest of her tunic off completely, baring her torso. She had other things to worry about than a runaway elf though. Her queen.
She ran to the torture rack where sobbing Laila was still tied down, and cut her free, taking her to tight embrace.
"I'm sorry my queen, I'm so sorry. I failed you, this was my fault." Sini could not prevent flow of tears from her eyes.
"Sini..." The queen answered, wrapping her arms around her guard. "It is you... I'm safe..." Sini tightened her embrace, wanting to feel the warmth of her body against her own as if letting go of Laila would mean losing her again.
The women laid in this embrace until Hanne arrived. Together with Zandra and free prisoners they had raided the small torture chambers too, and rescued captives within, including Gerta who Zandra was caring for. Hanne walked up to them, and covered Laila with her cloak. "Come, your highness. We need to get you out of here." She refused to let go of Sini, who carried her up like she was a princess. It reminded Sini of games they used to play as kids, where she often was the brave knight rescuing damsel in distress. But now that it had actually happened, she didn't feel like she had won. She could not protect her in the first place.
*
Week passed, and the day of the coronation arrived. Despite intensity of her torture, Laila had recovered from her ordeal well, better than most other prisoners who had been there much longer than her. In the very next day after being freed, Laila had summoned a council meeting and told them everything that had happened. Women of the council - especially ones whose relatives and friends were found among the victims of the torture dungeon - agreed that certain legalities could be ignored in Johanna's and her lackey's punishments, and instead of usual fines, imprisonments and banishments, they were now imprisoned in their own tickle torture dungeon. Former victims and their loved ones had flocked to volunteer in grim duty of punishing them in great numbers, and it was apparent that willing tormentors would not be running out anytime soon. Most of the torture devices housed thugs and torturers that had aided Johanna, but the small torture chambers were occupied too. The guard who had tried to abduct Zandra was sentenced to indefinite foot tickle torture by goat licks, and spent most of her time laughing with soles coated in honey. Helen, Johanna's lackey, was kept in a cell where she was restrained on a wooden X-frame for hours every day for intense armpit and rib tickle torture that reportedly was so effective that even the mousy stewardess made the frame creak like it would break. The worst punishment was of course reserved for countess Johanna herself. She was kept on the very same torture rack that had been altar of Gerta's and Laila's torture, and two kutibird feathers that vanished elf torturess had left behind were put into good use with her. Johanna's breasts and especially her nipples were proven to be so ticklish that even regular feather made her almost jump out of her skin. The kutibird feathers there drove her to brink of insanity every session she was subjected to, and she had to stand five of them every day. Council was currently debating about adding a sixth session for her, and Laila didn't plan to oppose it. Laila was now officially queen for life, her popularity had never been higher and villains like Johanna would think twice before standing up to her again. Still, something weighted heavily on her heart.
Her guard and childhood friend Sini had come to her quarters two days after Laila's ordeal. She had turned in her guardian's sword and left her service without saying another word, and as she hurried away, Laila could have sworn that Sini she uselessly tried to call back had tears on her cheeks. According to Hanne, Sini had fallen to great depression after saving her. She blamed herself, and was certain that she could not trust herself to protect her queen. Nobody really knew where she went, she had walked straight out of the castle without even informing Hanne about her decision to leave service. Laila was very saddened about this and even the coronation barely lifted her spirits. It was like without Sini around, something she always took for granted was gone. Like something was missing and causing her heartache, and she just could not figure out what it was. Three days after the coronation Laila received a letter, which she instantly recognized to be from Sini from the awful handwriting. She opened the envelope eagerly, and read it. It was short and straightforward. Just the type of Sini.
"I wanted to dedicate my life to protect you and to always be by your side. I'm sorry I could not do that, like I'm sorry I betrayed your trust in me that night.
In order to be a woman worthy of protecting you, I had to go. I have to grow stronger, in many ways. There are things I need to conquer and vanquish. In the world and within myself.
Only then, when I know that nothing can distract me from my absolute devotion to you, I can return and take my place, as when I am best myself, I will allow no one else to guard you.
-Always loyal to you, Sini"
"Blunt dummy..." Laila chuckled and held the letter on her heart. She would see Sini again, and hoped it would be soon.
*
Meanwhile, far from the Deala's capital, in Norther lands bordering Tuntur, realm of Northwomen, Sini was interviewing an innkeeper.
"Elf. Half head taller than me. Light grayish skin, blackest hair and bluest eyes in the world. Green cloak. Might have been in hurry. Have you seen anyone like her?"
The innkeeper rubbed her head for a while, and then lifted up her finger.
"Ah, yes! We interact with their kind every now and there here in the borderlands - out of necessity, nasty folk. We keep trading with them, we don't mess with their holy woods, they keep supplying us with furs and they don't raid our lands for tickle slaves. It's still rare to see them just traveling the lands on their own, but there was one yesterday. She just bought some supplies and was on her way further North. Why do you want to know? It's never good business to get involved with elves, I knew a girl who thought she could set up a feather ornament workshop with them and she-"
"None of your business. I just need to find her."
"Well, whatever. Just don't get in a mess you will regret for rest of your ticklish life."
Sini walked out and saddled her horse. She didn't have time to linger. She had to find that elf called Taimi. She had to find her and serve justice to her. She could not live in peace until she knew that her beloved Laila's torture has been avenged in full. Only then, when it was complete, she could even consider returning to her love's side. As Sini was riding the forest paths towards the snowy mountains in the horizon, she didn't know she was watched. In nearby cliff, Taimi watched and smiled.
"So you really are following me. Foolhardy. But interesting." She started walking herself. As forests opened their secrets to her kind, she could stay ahead of her for a long time - until she felt like encountering her. "Very well, human. Let's play this game."
The End (until next adventure in the land of Fera)
*
Sun was rising and the morning routines of Deala's royal castle were well underway. Servant girls, guards, councilors and dignitaries were walking in the corridors, in even more hassle than usual. The royal coronation of queen Laila was a week away, and it meant lot of work for everyone. However, absence of one familiar figure had not been unnoticed. Regent Johanna rarely left her quarters anymore and hardly participated in administrating the realm, and everyone knew why. Queen Laila could not exercise her full power before being crowned, but her moral authority already far exceeded that of unpopular regent, who was frantically trying to figure out a way to save her face, wealth and power.
Johanna was walking in circles inside her quarters. Hands behind her back, her shoulder length auburn hair waving as she shook her head. She was still de jure regent until the day of the coronation, and she dreaded that day. Queen Laila was too much like her mother. She could not be raised to become a puppet. And she knew painfully well about many of the underhanded schemes Johanna and undertook during her rule. Once she would be stripped of the title of regent the queen could have her tried for her crimes, and the council would not be there to support her. Not anymore. Having legitimate royal authority with them, they would not be scared to move against Johanna. They would side with headstrong and charismatic queen Laila just to get rid of her. The would confiscate her wealth, cut her off the politics, maybe even banish her.
"No, no, no! It will not happen!" She rambled to her stewardess Helen. The blonde woman with long, straight hair and blue eyes in white robe listened "I will not let that brat ruin what I have been building for over ten years! But she will. I swear to the Goddess, I know she will." She stopped and looked at her stewardess in the eyes. "The coronation will be in one week, and then my powers as regents are abolished. I become just countess of Puihka again and the queen assumes her role and authority as our monarch. There must be something we can do!"
The mousy stewardess was lost in her thoughts. They could be in trouble indeed. She knew the queen, and understood the worry of her mistress. She was a stubborn young lady that they could never manipulate, and her assuming full authority could be a problem for both of them. Helen had gotten wealthy due to her mistress's rule too, and understood consequences even better. They had done things queen wasn't even aware of, and if they came to the light of day... Unthinkable. They would never be forgiven and would be lucky if they were just banished.
"There, um, is... some ways we could, um, extend your regency. Like, ah, if the coronation was postponed. We can't really make the queen, ahm, disappear, council would elect a new monarch and, pardon me my lady, your lineage would not see you elected. Our only hope would be to extend your regency, or, ahm..." Helen started rubbing her chin. She always did it when she had an idea. Johanna got eager.
"Or what, Helen?"
"...there is this, eh, legal possibility... Queen Laila could, uh, voluntarily abdicate, renounce her claim to the throne and go to exile. It's not unheard of. In year 850 of the Moon, queen Milli the Huntress actually abdicated to become a wandering ranger and sh-"
"Cut the history lesson Helen. And yes, I know, the queen can abdicate. But why would Laila do it? We could coerce her, but what good does it do to us?"
"Ahm, mistress, you see, if the queen has no heir - as queen Laila doesn't have - she can appoint her successor in abdication. Any successor. You would never get, eh, elected as the queen, but you could be appointed as one. And most important thing: this can be done before her coronation. She has full power to abdicate and appoint successor as any time. Like queen Zelma in year 4 of the Stars when in the age of 19 she-"
"Cut it off Helen. Why in the Hells have you not brought this up sooner?"
"Um, there, um, was no reason to until now my lad-"
"Whatever. But how are we going to make her abdicate? There is no way she will surrender the crown to me."
"Well, eh, as my lady knows, we have the ways. We, um, could introduce her to Taimi downstairs..."
Upon hearing this Johanna flinched back a bit. "You suppose we... It's risky. But it sure would work. Taimi has never let us down in... dealing with troublesome individuals. We still have the deal with queen's maid Zandra, right? All we need is unguarded access to her bedroom at night, and some relaxing herbs hidden in her tea to keep her asleep long enough."
"Uh, right. She's been a great informant on queen, but, uhm, this is something more. How will she, eh, co-operate on this? This is way more than spying on her. She, ah, would not go this far in betrayal."
"As you said, we have the ways. Her beloved twin sister Gerta works in the kitchen. I still command the royal garrison, and there are soldiers loyal to me. Go inform them that Gerta is to be discreetly arrested and taken downstairs immediately. We'll introduce her to Taimi first and... give a little motivating show to Zandra."
"As you wish, my lady!"
Helen disappeared from the room, and Johanna walked to the window, looking out to the queen's tower.
"Enjoy the day, little girl." She muttered, smiling maliciously. "It will be your last as the queen."
*
The morning had been uneventful so far. Laila had slept a bit late, a luxury she tried to get rid of. She would be a crowned monarch in just a week, and would have immense responsibilities for her people. They were looking up to her already, as in actuality the regency was only a formality anymore. She would have to wait until she'd have the crown on her head before she could do anything about that vile Johanna though. She would be firm and just in dealing with her, showing her people that she would be a noble and righteous ruler her regent never was. Redheaded queen got out of her bed and was about to start brushing her very long hair once she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in, Zandra."
Queen's maid Zandra entered. She was a short, skinny and pale girl with long, curly raven black hair, wearing the modest blue maid's tunic and a red apron with white linings. She along with her twin sister Gerta were orphans, and were taken in to the castle at very young age by the late Queen Rauni. They were currently only 18, not even considered full adults yet in Dealan society. Zandra had become queen's personal maid two years ago, and her somewhat less diligent sister Gerta was doing odd jobs and was currently working as head chef's helper.
"Your highness, you just got out of bed?" Zandra uttered. "My lady, with all due respect, your future duties as the queen-"
"Yes yes Zandra. Heavens, a queen lectured by a maid younger than her..."
"A-apologies your highness, I-"
"Never mind." Laila giggled as she sat down in front of a mirror. "Pick my clothes for today. Feel free about it."
Zandra went through the wardrobe and picked a beautiful purple dress, tight enough to show shapes of queen's petite body. As the queen retired behind veil to slip into it from her white nightgown, Zandra looked around the room, trying to figure out what the queen was up to. She had had a deal with regent Johanna for a bit over a year now. She would feed her information about the antics of your queen, and she would add additional gold in her salary. Life in the castle wasn't too hard and the salary was more than livable, but Zandra just could not resist getting some extra, despite feeling a bit morally torn about her role. The queen trusted her after all. She had felt there isn't much harm done, but lately, she had started feeling more anxious about all this. Regent Johanna was getting more grim and moody every time they met, and even though she didn't bother herself with politics too much, Zandra was worried about growing tensions at the court. She wished the coronation would calm things down.
When the queen was ready to leave her personal quarters, her bodyguards were waiting right outside the door. Hanne, a mature veteran warrior and her young shieldbearer, Sini. Hanne was a youngest daughter from a noble family, who had chosen military career instead of life of a socialite. It had suited her well, during decades of service she had excelled in warfare and proven her undying loyalty to the crown more than once, which had ultimately lead to appointment as young Laila's personal bodyguard when she was just a little princess. She had long light brown hair and early signs of her age were starting to show on her, which only served to give her imposing appearance more dignity. As a tall, muscular woman she was wearing a light suit of armor and carrying her trusted two-handed sword with her everywhere, ready to defend her queen from any dangers. Her shieldbearer and squire Sini was exotic girl with a bit darker complexion and light brown skin, piercing eyes of darkest brown and short black hair, around the same age as her queen Laila. Nobody knew exactly. She was abandoned as an infant near the castle gates 19 years ago, and taken in by Rauni. A rowdy and stubborn girl unsuited for most labor at court, Hanne took her under her wings to be raised as a soldier as she saw promise in the girl. She turned out to be correct, as Sini - as she was named - turned out to be a natural warrior, who would keep even her mentor on her toes during their sparring matches. Even though she would never say it out loud, Sini's respect and admiration for Hanne was high, and as far as she was concerned, Hanne was her mother. Her another secret were her feelings for queen she served. She had often played her rough games (often a bit too rough for Laila) with little princess when they were kids, and this childhood friendship had developed into teenage infatuation and later on into a serious crush and deepening love. She thought nobody knew about her secret desires, but in reality, almost everyone except the queen herself have noticed and they consider it quite funny. Especially Hanne found much merriment both in romantic awkwardness of Sini and in how unbelievably dense Laila was about it.
"My lady!" Hanne and Sini shouted in unity as they bowed their heads in salute.
"At ease." Smiling Laila answered. She had been with these two for such a long time she considered them her good friends instead of servants, but they just could not help with formalities pounded into them by military life. "Sorry we are a bit late from schedule! I hope you have eaten, since I have to skip my breakfast. We got magistrates to meet and coronation to plan." Laila shook her head. "What a chore, I'll be quite glad when it's over."
"Yes my lady. Nothing will make me happier than to see you as a queen! I mean, you are queen, but crowned queen, I..." Sini was mumbling and stumbling as usual when she's trying to clumsily compliment her dear queen. Poor disaster of a girl in love was further flustered by the skin tight outfit of the queen. "Thank you Zandra! Thank you!" She thought in her mind.
"Thank you Sini! I'm honored to have you as my protection." Her smile made Sini melt, but as always, she contained herself and kept her soldierly composure - as well as she could!
Chuckling Hanne snapped Sini out of it with a slap on her back as they started walking. "My lady, Sini, we can exchange pleasantries later. We are expected, and believe me my queen, even with royal authority, you DO NOT anger petty bureaucrats. They are experts in inflicting slight administrative discomforts." As they walked the corridors, Hanne whispered in Sini's ear. "Just to let you know, the queen has been speaking of giving my position to you once I officially take over command of castle's garrison after coronation. Be sure to keep impressing her!" Sini felt like a herd of butterflies had been released in her stomach as she fought her urges to jump of joy.
*
Zandra was walking after them, and soon bid her goodbyes to her queen and two soldiers. Her duties would be in castle today, but she would not mind them yet. Noon was approaching, and she would give her daily report to Johanna's stewardess, Helen, as regent was almost always too busy with her duties to be bothered with a little spy like her. It made her quite surprised that once she reached Helen's quarters, Johanna was there waiting for her.
"Zandra! Good to see you." The mature noblewoman gave Zandra a hug, that she found quite unnerving. What is this sudden friendliness?
"M-my countess, I'm here to deliver my report about-"
"Yes, I know. But that's not what I want of you right now. I'm going to ask another favor from you. But it can wait. First, there is something we must show you."
Stewardess Helen pulled a concealed lever in a bookshelf, and to Zandra's persisting surprise, the shelf moved, revealing a hidden passage downwards.
"Please, umm, follow me." Helen said while smiling.
Zandra followed the blonde woman down the stairs in the torch-lit path. The torches were obviously enchanted, and burned with unnatural purple color, illuminating castle corridor perfectly.
"What is this? I don't know of this..."
"It's something I had built. A personal project of mine. It was finished five years ago." Johanna who was following two women replied. "Something I kept a well guarded secret. Consider yourself lucky to see this."
While they walked downwards, Zandra started hearing faint noises. Screams. Audible begging. Loud crying. Laughter? Cold sweat began to push through her temples as her heartbeat fastened. Once they reached the bottom, Zandra felt weak at knees. The regent had brought her to a torture chamber.
The large chamber was full of different bondage contraptions, where dozens of women had been restrained. Stocks, X-frames, racks, tables, chains hanging from the ceiling, most of them occupied by a despairing naked woman who was worked on by several torturers, women wearing tight black robes and equally black hoods that hid their faces. They were using feathers, brushes, fingers and devices not known to Zandra to make every victim scream in ticklish hysteria as they tried to writhe away. As they saw Johanna had entered, they turned to her, and ones who had not been tickled unaware of their surroundings - or weren't blindfolded - increased their begging.
"P-please countess, let me go!"
"Make them stop! TELL THEM TO STOOP"
"AAHHAHAHA ANYTHING COUNTESS, I'LL DO ANYTHIIIING!"
The choir of pleading, tortured women was almost deafening, and Zandra covered her ears. Both because their cries were hurting her ears, but also to escape the nightmare she was witnessing. She was dragged by Johanna, who ignored tormented victims and their pleas for mercy, and taken further into the torture chamber, through a strong wooden door. As it closed behind them, it muffled out most of the sounds of torture feast going on next door, and Zandra slowly began to speak.
"T-this is terrible, it's a sin, it's illegal! Y-you know that torture has been outlawed in the queendom for almost hundred years!"
"Umm, we know." Helen answered, looking creepily cheerful in this surrounding. "And, ahm, it's quite a mistake if you ask me. As we all know, queen Oona the Hammer could have never stopped the invasion of Northwomen if it wasn't for information gathered through tickle torture of their captured Valkyrie officer-"
"Shut up Helen." Johanna interrupted her. "It seems like we have shocked our little guest here. But once I explain the purpose of this place, she will understand. You see, I'm not a monster of any sort. Everyone you saw in that room deserves to be here. They are troublemakers, conspirators and other revolting characters. They crossed me, and they are receiving their just punishment. The women you saw there though, they have it easy. Follow me."
The started walking along the corridor, that had similar doors at both sides of it. Shivering Zandra was sure she could hear quiet shrieks of ticklish torment beyond all of them. The regent opened one, revealing two women side by side in shared stocks. Both of them were stunning brunettes, and their ages were around 20 and 40. Their laughing faces were locked in tortured expression and Zandra could see why. A rotating long bristly brush was spinning against their soles, as a torturer next to them was turning a crank that spun it.
"The baroness of Mushra and her lovely daughter. They have been with us for quite a long time, and were among our first guests. We still always keep one torturer keeping them company." She waved at the tormentor who smiled and waved back. "The baroness and her little brat were the first ones to notice my... Questionable use of gold in land purchases and questioned it's source, suspecting deals with smugglers and foreign criminals. And they were right! They came to confront me, poor fools, and didn't bring any security with them. As far as the world knows, they died in a carriage accident on their way back, lost in a rapid river. But here they are, very alive and very sorry of ever crossing me."
Johanna went by the hysterical captives, and stroked messy and sweaty hair of the baroness who seemed completely unresponsive to her presence. "Both of them were defiant at first, but started begging for forgiveness eventually. But I never forgive. I never forget. I've told it to them many times over the years, haven't I?" The poor women just kept laughing frantically, and Johanna walked out of the room, followed by Helen and Zandra. She had secretly built this torture dungeon around five years ago and those two had been imprisoned there since beginning... Zandra could not believe what was happening, here in the heart of the kingdom! This was horrifying. Queen Laila would never authorize something like this, and neither would have her late mother!
Zandra was led to another room, and Johanna started talking about the hapless victim already when she opened the door. "Meet unknown assassin who made an attempt on my life. She's been here only few months, and in time, will tell me who hired her." She was a very skinny and tall woman with very short platinum blonde hair, tied on a torture rack. Two torturers were tormenting her, viciously tickling her ribs as she screamed in agony and tried to pull at her restraints completely uselessly. "She's a tough one to crack. Nobody that ticklish should be able to take intense rib tickling like this for months!" Zandra watched in horror as the poor woman's ribcage was utterly annihilated by the expert ticklers working on her. Johanna walked closer, and the torturers stopped. The cruel regent leaned closer, and when the hapless assassin caught her breath, she tried to speak.
"P-please, please, I-I told you, I told you, I tell you everything, please a-ask me questions already, j-just no more, no more please, I was h-hired by..."
"Continue with the torture."
"Nonono NOOOHHOOHOHOHO!"
The torturers resumed their work on her, her pleads replaced with hysterical laughter as she looked at Johanna with pleading eyes. "She's tough and stubborn indeed. Let's be on our way. I'll come see you again next week." After they closed the door behind them and screams of assassin were muffled, Zandra confronted Johanna about her treatment.
"W-why would you do that? She wanted to confess! Even if she's a killer, don't you at least want to know who hired her?"
"I know who hired her." Johanna replies, leading Zandra to next torture room. They didn't bother going in, just looked inside where a chubby woman with ample bosom was mummiefied in wraps leaving only her breasts and face down from nose visible. Her mummified body was chained on the floor, and a tiny torturer was sitting on her waist, using gloves with feathers attached to fingertips to wreck her apparently hypersensitive breasts. Being blindfolded by her wrappings she was oblivious to the new audience, and just kept cackling like a tortured witch. Johanna closed the door, and talked to Zandra again.
"She's a rich merchant I extorted. I had her imprisoned a week after failed murder for attempting to hide money from me, and during the initial torture she confessed to hiring that assassin, just like that! I didn't even suspect her, I thought she would never have that in her. Poor lady probably thought that confession would save her. Now she knows that nothing saves anyone down here."
"I - w-why are you showing me all this?" Zandra's dread was raising all the time. She could not even imagine tortures these women were going through, and was most shocked about how calm Johanna and Helen seemed in middle of all this horror. Those women were vile sadists.
"Patience... Over here, we got a special treat." The next room housed three unhappy captives. Three stunning redheads, that looked like each other a lot. They were obviously sisters. Two of them were in their 20s, and the third one looked like she was in her late teens. All the young maidens were tied on torture tables and four torturers were attending to each of them, tickling their upper bodies all over with their nimble, ruthless fingers. As for their feet, they were all coated with honey and six goats were occupied with licking them, which alone would have probably been enough to drive them insane, but to couple it with tickle torture of their armpits, ribs, sides and bellies... Zandra wondered if they think they've died and went to one the Hells. To make their ordeals worse, the torturers didn't need to pause to coat their soles again, as honey was constantly dripping on them from pipes above their feet. The faces of girls rivaled their hairs in redness as they roared in forced laughter, too hysterical to beg. After watching this show for a while, Johanna took shaking Zandra out.
"Those girls, dearest Zandra, never did anything to me. Actually, they don't even know why they were imprisoned and why they are being tortured. They are here simply because I hate their mother, who sits in the council. She has always resisted me. I can't abduct such important noblewoman though. Her disappearance would destabilize the realm. Her daughters on the other hand... I took the liberty of taking them to be punished for deeds of their bitch of a mother couple of weeks ago. I heard she's sick of worry, and has offered huge rewards on information about her poor little girls who vanished on a hunting trip. Serves her right, but oh, if she only knew..."
Zandra could not believe what she was hearing. This woman... She was pure evil!
"Y-you won't get away with this! This is wrong!" Zandra shouted at her in sudden burst of courage enabled by her rage.
"That's unfortunate attitude Zandra. I was just about to tell you why I showed you all this. You are going to help us capture queen Laila and bring her here. She will be tortured until she abdicates and signs a declaration naming me as her successor."
Zandra could not believe what she was hearing. Sure she had abused trust queen places on her, but this? This was too much. She would not be part of this.
"No! Never! I would never help you bring her here! I refuse to be involved in these crimes!"
"I was afraid you would say so. But after seeing those three sisters suffering, I think you understand something. You see, Zandra, torturing family members can be as satisfying and effective as torturing the person herself. As you're about to experience..."
Final room Zandra would see was a torture chamber like all others, but seeing the torturer made her gasp. It wasn't a hooded human. It was an elf! Tall forest elf with pointy ears, long, skinny limbs, extremely thin torso that still had more strength than most humans and quite small breasts. Her hair was pitch black, and her skin had peculiar color of pale grey, and her eyes were blue of so bright color that they almost looked like they were glowing. The elf was topless as it was customary for her people, wearing only a black loincloth. Seeing the elf shocked her, as she never expected to see one in flesh, and definitely not in the royal castle! They were cruel people with reputation as demented ticklers, and stories of careless human wanderers ending up as their tickle slaves were commonly told to scare children. It didn't shock her nearly as much as the victim the elf was torturing. Stretched on a torture rack was laying a naked young girl who the elf was torturing with a strange feather duster that seemed to glow, and it seemed to have devastating effect on the victim. The feathers were merely grazing her belly, and it still made her scream like no woman before. Her whole, restrained body was shaking as much as it could, and her laughter sounded more like a long endless scream. And this poor maiden... She was Gerta! Zandra's twin sister.
"GERTA!" Zandra shouted as she tried to run to the rack in irrational attempt to save her, but Johanna and Helen grabbed her arms. "NO! LET GO OF ME! GERTA! GERTA!" Tears were forming in Zandra's eyes as she watched her sister suffering unspeakable torture in hands of that sadistic creature. Protesting Zandra was eventually dragged out of the room, and as the door was slammed shut, she threw herself to the ground at Johanna's feet.
"P-please, please my lady, why are you doing this? P-please let her go, you need to stop, she can't stand it!" Zandra was crying as she begged for mercy to her poor sister.
"You and Gerta have both met Taimi now. My elvish friend who has been here with us for few years now. I don't think how we ever lived without her. Nobody knows how to tickle torture like a forest elf. They just love it. And as long as you keep being difficult, your sister will suffer for it. We will tie you on a chair and make you watch her torture for as long as it takes for you to be co-operative."
Helen nodded as Zandra kept sobbing.
"A-anything, please, just stop it and let her go, I will do anything you want, just don't tickle her anymore. I'm begging you, please!"
Johanna kneeled down and grasped Zandra by her chin.
"I knew there would be sense in you. This is what is going to happen. Taimi will keep torturing Gerta until she's replaced on that rack by queen Laila. You better do everything we say if you don't want her to be tickled out of her mind. And don't even think of telling about this to anyone, or I guarantee, Taimi has time to disappear with your sister as her new tickle slave before guards even breach the dungeon's main doors."
"Yes yes yes, anything you want!"
After Johanna had given Zandra her instructions for treason, Helen escorted her up from the torture chamber. Johanna heard that muffled shrieks from the torture chamber Gerta was held in faded, and she went inside. She found Taimi stroking the hair of unconscious girl, and humming.
"She fainted again?"
"Yes, my lady. Poor thing, can't stand my Kutibird feathers on her skin at all... She would literally break apart if my sisters and I had a human girl like her to play with back home. I love her!"
"Well, wake her up and keep her laughing. I told Zandra that Gerta would be tortured until the queen is brought here, and I'm a woman of my word."
"With pleasure my lady... I can't wait to get started with the queen. I'm going to miss this one though."
"Don't worry Taimi. Laila will be mine, but once you've broken her you will be rewarded. You can keep this one and her twin sister too as extra to your usual reward. I have given orders to apprehend her right away after she has betrayed the queen. You can break both of them as many times as you want."
"That is most generous my lady! Now, if you excuse me, I got work to do..."
Taimi dug a small bottle of foul smelling salts from a pocket in her skirt, and put it under Gerta's nose who woke up with a loud gasp. She frantically looked at her surroundings, and the sudden terror in her eyes told that she thought she had woken up from a terrible nightmare just to realize it was - and is - all reality.
"N-no NOOO! NOT AGAIN, NOT ANYMORE, PLEEEEAAAAHAHHAHAHAHA!"
Johanna left the room as Taimi resumed her devious work with ticklish Gerta. She would see plenty of torment later on with the Queen.
*
Night had fallen, and queen Laila had retired to her quarters.
"Please, pour me some tea Zandra."
"Y-yes my queen." Zandra answered quietly.
"Are you alright Zandra? You've been seeming pale and absent since the afternoon? Are you becoming sick?"
"I-I don't know my queen." Zandra answered. "Maybe... Maybe it's something I've eaten."
Zandra was mixing up the tea and secretly added some drugging herbs that would put the queen in deep sleep.
"You might retire for the night already, Zandra. Try to sleep it off, whatever is bothering you."
"T-thank you my queen. I will my queen."
She served her the tea and left the queen's quarters, running into Sini on her way out. Now would be the time for second part of the scheme. Diversion for a guard.
"S-sini, sorry, I didn't tell the queen as I didn't want to unnerve her, but... There is someone out there, scaling castle walls. Maybe climbing them."
"What? Nobody threatens MY queen! I will see to it that those hoodlums are stopped before they even think of really bothering her sleep!"
Sini went off, and Zandra sighed. If the guard in question had been Hanne, she would not have fallen for such a cheap trick. Sini was a formidable force in combat, but outside that, her short-tempered personality other led to trouble. The way was clear. She rang a bell she was given, and soon three guardswomen loyal to Johanna arrived. They carried sleeping queen off, and Zandra tried to plead with them.
"Please, I did what you wanted, where is my sister? Please, where is she?"
"You will see her in the morning. Now piss off to your room. Don't compromise the damn conspiracy, you brat!"
Their leader grunted, as they hastily whisked the queen away in empty corridors. Zandra started her walk towards her quarters, and once there, collapsed on the floor. Crying bitter tears of shame, she prayed that Heavens would forgive her and that this would at least save her sister. In her pitifully sorrowful state Zandra didn't notice a dark figure that was in the room with her...
*
Laila opened her eyes and felt awfully anxious, but that feeling passed soon. It was least of her problems anyways. She was in a dungeon, feeling cold air against her vulnerable body. She had been stripped naked and tied on a torture rack, and she wasn't alone. She saw her regent, Johanna, and unknown woman she recognized as an elf standing by her.
"Welcome to hell, my queen." Johanna said with a wicked smile. "It will be up to you how long it will last for you."
"You... You...!" Laila protested as she tried to writhe in vain. "What is this Johanna? Have you lost your mind?"
"Not at all. You see, I know that you plan to hold me accountable for my supposed crimes. We can't have that. So, Helen and I came up with a plan. You sign document of abdication that we have prepared for this night, claiming that you choose life of wanderer instead, and you will name me your sole successor."
"I... This is insane!" Laila kept protesting. "I will never do it! Now let me go! I will have you banished for this!"
"As expected from a daughter of your mother... But this was expected indeed. My friend Taimi here is an elf, and she has something to show you."
Taimi revealed a glowing feather duster she had previously used on Gerta. "I'm sure your civilized majesty is familiar with the Kutibird feathers. Local specialty of my home forest. They got special properties when it comes to tickling. The itching, tickling, violently striking and strong sensation just one of these inflicts even on non-ticklish skin..."
Color was escaping from Laila's face as the elf was speaking, and she looked at Johanna, in visibly increasing panic.
"Y-you don't have to do this, you'll never get away with hey wait wait WAIT AAAHAHHAAHA!"
The feathers made their first slow contact with your queen's belly, and results were destructive. She let out a series of ticklish shrieks from just some small caressing. Johanna was sure she could not hold out for long.
The queen's mind was racing as ticklish torture rocked her immobile body. This was terrible. Unbearable. Pure torture. But she could not submit! She could not surrender her queendom to this vile woman!
"I need to hold out!" She thought. "Sini and Hanne will notice I'm gone! They will come for me"
But as agonizing seconds and minutes went by, queen Laila grew more and more worried if she could stand until then... Or even until next minute.
*
"Curses! Curses! CURSES!" Sini shouted, kicking a chair in queen's quarters so hard it broke. Once she came back to give a report about not finding any intruders scaling the wall, the queen was nowhere to be found. She had alarmed Hanne and could not find anything. No signs of intruding. No signs of struggle. It was like the queen vanished to thin air.
"This is my fault, this all my fault! I should not have left for a second, THIS IS MY DAMN FAULT!" Sini lamented as she let out her frustrations on another chair she kicked to pieces.
"Calm down, Sini. Patience." Hanne said calmly. "We must remain calm. There must be something we are not seeing. Some clue about what happened. We can't help her highness in blind rage, can't we?"
Sini somewhat calmed down, and nodded. But in her mind, storm kept going on. How in the Hells could she be calm. Laila was missing! Her queen and one true love.
"Yes... Yes, I know, but..."
"Sini, I know. You care for her majesty. You care for her a lot. I do as well, and that's why I want to find her, and if she's in trouble, cleave those troubles in half with my sword. Did you notice anything unusual in your guard duty?"
"Well... Queen's maid, Zandra, left for her own quarters earlier than usual. Around the time of queen's night tea. She seemed a bit off, I guess she's getting sick... Wait a moment."
Sini walked to the table where queen always drank her tea. Oh, how many times Sini had fantasized of sharing those moments with her...
"Her teacup.. It's almost full. Either she never even touched it, or..."
She was about to touch it, but Hanne took it instead and smelled it.
"Spiked. It's been spiked with sleep inducing herbs. I used to use lots of these in my missions to spy on Sandrealms, one sip of anything with that stuff and the victim sleeps like a log for a while."
"Who - who could have done that? Who could have abducted my queen? When I get my hands on those bastards I will - "
"I know, Sini. I will too. But for now, we'll be going to have a little discussion with Zandra."
*
"Oh, how headstrong you are." Taimi said as she kept on torturing queen Laila. She had started with similar "playful" sweeping as she did with Gerta, and the effect of Kutibird feathers was intense as expected. But while Gerta would have done literally anything to end her torture, queen remained strong. She refused to abdicate. Refused to sign any documents. Kept telling both Johanna and Taimi to go to Hells. So Taimi decided to give her taste of one. The feathers were now properly pressed against her vulnerable midriff, as Taimi kept twirling it all over it from her waist to her breasts and back down again. This treatment was driving the poor queen nuts, as she was screaming and laughing, too deep in her hysterics to even consider verbally defying her torturer anymore. She could only laugh, howl and laugh again, as hope of rescue in time was turning more and more dim.
"Stop." Johanna ordered, and feather duster was raised from her body. Johanna leaned closer. "Be reasonable, my queen. You don't have to subject yourself to any more torture. Abdicate, and I swear you can just leave. Otherwise, Taimi will be delighted to keep you here as long as it takes."
"...Yy... Gh..." Queen Laila tried to find words as she laid on the rack, still breathing heavily.
Johanna leaned closer, just to feel Laila's spit hitting her face. "Ehe... Ehehe... N-never..." Laina smiled at her act of arrogance and giggled lightly. They would never break her. Never. This fleeting moment of triumph was replaced with regret and dread right afterwards, when Johanna told Taimi to move on next level of torture.
"I'm afraid she needs to get taste of more... Extreme measures, Taimi." She said as she wiped the spit off her face, and Taimi reached out under the rack and took another feather duster in her hand. "Two Kutibird feather dusters could kill many women, but don't worry... Taimi knows what she's doing."
"N-no, wait, not like AAAAAAIIIIIIIIHIHIHIIIIHIH"
Two feather dusters dancing on her sensitive body was pushing Laila to her absolute limits. One on her belly and another on her breasts... Both twirling ruthlessly on her belly, ribs or bosom... She was truly starting to understand how this might actually break her.
*
"Zandra?" Hanne asked as she knocked on her door. "It's Hanne and Sini, open up!"
No response.
"She is in there. I'm sure of it." Sini muttered. "I'm done waiting. Lets break the door."
Hanne pondered their options for few seconds, and agreed. The women blasted the door in with their strong shoulders, and entered Zandra's room. The were greeted with a confusing sight. Sturdy brunette soldier in black cloak had the maid hogtied on her bed, and judging by the flow of poor girl's tears and soldier's hands on her bare soles, they had interrupted a tickle torture session.
"Soldier! Explain yourself!" Hanne shouted at the confused guardswoman, who reached in her pocket for a dagger. She rushed towards Hanne, but was stopped by furious Sini who used her longsword to disarm the hostile warrior, knocked her down with a punch and moved in for a kill.
"NO!" Hanne shouted as she grabbed Sini's arm. "We need her alive, she will give us answers. Right after you." Hanne pointed her finger at distressed Zandra.
*
"Please, please, mercy, MERCHYHIHAHAHAAHAA"
Laila had started begging for mercy, and she hated herself for it. She would not abdicate. She could not. She would never submit. But the terrible tickle torture, those infernal feathers... Her mind was screaming for respite. Demanding freedom from this unbearable torture. And her mouth obeyed, as Laila was trying anything except breaking to awaken even slightest feelings of pity in her captors at the small moments where she was given a break and chance to submit. Taimi was totally absorbed in her work, the feather dusters being like extensions of her own body, that obeyed her methodical sadism. The flurry of feathers had tormented the young queen to the point where almost any other woman would have agreed to do anything for it to end, and Taimi was getting very intrigued about this subject. Breaking Laila would require even harsher measures. She stopped torture to pluck a single feather out of one of the dusters, and displayed it before sobbing and pleading queen's eyes.
"It seems like you need to stare pure madness in the eyes in order to be reasonable. Don't think that absence of this feather is going to ease your agony." Handed it over to countess Johanna, who watched Taimi curiously as she gave instructions. "Go ahead, my lady. There's place for that between queen's legs."
Just hearing this almost made Laila hyperventilate. They would not! They could not! They can't!
"Johanna, no, don't, look at me, for Heaven's sake look at AAAAAAH"
Laila threw her head back as the combined moan and shriek erupted from her lips. With long strokes, Johanna kept tickling her womanhood for what felt like eternity for Laila. The horrible feather sending ticklish shockwaves through her body from down there... It was sensory overload of atrocious tickling, torturous pleasure and unbearable frustration. She could never have imagined feeling something like it, and all she knew was that it had to stop, now. Once the amused countess concluded this torture, Laila was once again allowed to collect her thoughts.
"No more, no more, no more, please have mercy! Mercy! Mercy..." Exhausted queen was pleading for her sanity. She hoped what was coming next would just kill her, but her torturers would not be so kind.
"You know what you need to do." Johanna answered.
Laila shook her head as she started sobbing again. "I can't... Please, I can't... Please don't tickle me anymore..."
Her sobbing was replaced with loud but short shriek when Johanna and Taimi both resumed their tortures. Feather between her legs. Feather dusters all over her upper body. The onslaught of sensations and emotions was making her mind blank, she could not think, she didn't even know anything but tickling anymore. That feeling was her entire universe. After the first shriek Laila descended into silent laughter, her abdomen convulsing, her head shaking from side to side, her fingers clenched tightly and her feet wiggling wildly, she was in this silent tickle hell where the only sounds she made were frantic gasps for air... Until she threw her head back again, opened her mouth wide, and let out a long, loud bloodcurdling scream that could be heard echoing in the entire torture dungeon despite the sturdy wooden doors.
*
Back in Zandra's room, Sini and Hanne had untied the maid and bound and gagged the soldier that was abusing her in the same way on Zandra's bed, and Sini was tickling her bare feet. Hanne thought she might have useful information, and would be more willing to share if she was softened first. Meanwhile, accompanied by traitorous soldier's muffled laughter, Zandra was telling her saviors everything in tears. How she had no choice. How they took her sister. About the torture dungeon with secret entrance. About the fate that Johanna had in store for queen Laila.
"I never should have... I'm sorry... If you hadn't come, they would have taken me too... They lied to me..." Zandra mumbled as Hanne held her in an embrace and patted her head.
"It's okay, Zandra. It's okay. You are safe now and we'll get your sister and queen back safely. I promise."
"What is wrong with you Hanne?" Sini shouted. "My Lail - I mean queen Laila is being tortured as we speak! What in the Hells are we doing here anymore? We need to rescue her!"
"I know Sini." Hanne answered. "And that's why I'm thinking. I'm thinking very fast. They need her alive, so she's not in mortal danger. But if what Zandra told about the elf is true, we need to get her highness out of there." Hanne's eyes told that these words are based on real experience. Sini chose not to pursue it.
"And that traitor!" Sini hissed, looking at Zandra. "When this is over I'm going to -"
"Sini, calm down. We will need her to play a part. I need you to do it as well. I'm about the same size as this woman here." She walked over to bound soldier, and evoked additional muffled shriek out of her by slapping her bottom. "I will wear her cloak, and bring Zandra to the torture chamber as intended. I will have you in my clutches as well, we make it appear like we crossed paths by accident and I had to capture you. We got no time to alarm garrison, and we don't even know which soldiers are loyal. We can't risk it, we need to work by three of us."
"No!" Zandra screamed. "I - I can't go back down there! I -"
"I am giving you a second chance here, Zandra. Help us rescue her majesty, and redeem yourself. We will get your sister out of there too. We will get them all out of there. Now..." She leaned to the tickled soldier. "...Are you willing to answer my questions truthfully or shall my protege here keep tickling your feet for a while longer?" The gagged soldier nodded quickly, as she kept laughing at her gag, which Hanne removed after telling Sini to stop. "Now, tell me about this dungeon, it's layout and it's security..."
*
Laila laid limp on the torture rack, unresponsive to all tickling. Taimi took it as a sign to stop this phase of torture, and she dug out the elven smelling salts.
"Admirable" She said. "She has very good stamina for her constitution. I expected her to faint minutes ago."
"As much as I'm enjoying this spectacle, I'm getting impatient." Johanna said, holding now wet feather and waving it in the air. "I did not bring her here just to be your plaything. I brought her here to coerce her!"
"Calm down my lady, once we get her back to us, she will be a new woman..."
Taimi held the salts under Laila's nose, and the queen awakened with a hoarse shriek, her eyes wide open. It took a moment until she stopped her struggling and realized she isn't being tortured anymore. She started pleading with soft voice.
"Johanna, please... I will... I will pardon you, f-forget this ever happened if just please stop."
"Oh, look at that. You say it so I actually believe it. But it isn't enough." Johanna whispered next words in Laila's ear. "Abdicate now. Or we will repeat that torture again. And again. And again."
Laila's answer was a series of hysterical sobs and the torment of feathers began again. She summoned all her strength to pull against restraints, as screaming laughter came out of her lips without here even realizing it anymore. This time she wasn't tickled to the point of fainting, despite Laila really hoping it. At least a small moment of black oblivion. Any respite to this torture. She could not submit. But she could not do this anymore either. When the torture session concluded, she could not even control her own words anymore. It was like someone else was speaking with her mouth. Someone who just wanted to give up. And Laila was too weak to resist it.
"I... I will... I will..." Laila's words were interrupted by door to the torture chamber opening. It was Helen.
"Helen? What are you doing?" Johanna asked.
"Um, my lady, it's the, erm, about Zandra. And, uh, complication, soldier we sent had a run-in with queen's guard Sini and subdued her. She's there now with Sini and Zandra."
"What? I told her to be discreet and unseen. That useless piece of... Keep her laughing Taimi. I'll be right back."
Johanna left the torture chamber and Taimi resumed the torture, ignoring Laila's begging. "No no please, I will AAHAHAH" She could not take it anymore but was forced to. Violent, agonizing laughter kept escaping her lips, and she didn't even know how she could laugh anymore. The voice inside her that just wanted to give in was growing stronger and stronger as Laila's despair grew. This isn't right. This isn't fair. She wants to surrender. Why aren't they letting her?
*
Johanna walked to the entrance section of torture chamber, where the cloaked Hanne was with her "captives", Zandra and Sini. Zandra had her hands tied behind her back, her ankles bound together and a gag in her mouth, and Hanne carried her on her shoulder. The "subdued" guard was on her other shoulder. Sini's leather armor was torn off her and her clothes under it were in tatters, to give an impression she would have been captured after a fight,. Torturers gathered in the room had left their victims in peace for a moment, and gathered around Hanne to look at newcomers with lustful eyes that gave even Hanne chills.
"What is this?" Johanna shouted.
"You were supposed to get the maid - and to not let anyone see you! That wench better be the only one who saw you or you'll find yourself in stocks."
"No worries, it's just three of us." Hanne said and threw off the cloak, revealing herself... And the loaded crossbow she was holding, pointing at Johanna. They had went to get it from Hanne's quarters before arriving.
"Finally!" Sini shouted and jumped down, pulling a concealed blade from her boot. She walked straight to Johanna after cutting the binds of Zandra, who started tying up the torturers and traitorous guards, and releasing victims.
"Where is Laila, you damned witch? WHERE IS SHE?"
Johanna reluctantly pointed at the corridor where smaller torture chambers were. She didn't even bother to ask Johanna which one. She could tell, just by hearing her faint tortured laughter. She rushed inside the room and saw her love laying on a torture rack, tears in her eyes, as sadistic elf was covering her belly with feathers. Upon the stranger entering the room, she stopped and looked straight at her. Sini made the first move. In burning rage, she rushed towards Taimi, with her blade ready to kill this vile woman, but the nimble and agile elf evaded this attack with ease. She used her feather dusters to counterattack, and poor Sini's torn outfit allowed tickling to get through. She screamed and jumped back, her heart beating. That tickling... It was excruciating. That sadistic creature has been torturing her Laila. Her sweet beloved Laila with those feathers. Sini felt new wave of hatred rushing over her as she tried to run her blade through the elf again, but was outsmarted in close quarters once again. The elf plucked a feather from one of the dusters and managed to drop it inside Sini's tunic from her neck, between her clothes and bare back. Sini started rolling on the floor laughing as she tried to get the terrible feather out of her clothes. Taimi used this chance. She ran to the corridors, not intending to get caught. She disappeared in the passageways and eventually got to safety through secret escape tunnels, that Johanna, Helen, other torturers and guards could not reach in time. Sini tried to give a chase after getting rid of the feather by tearing rest of her tunic off completely, baring her torso. She had other things to worry about than a runaway elf though. Her queen.
She ran to the torture rack where sobbing Laila was still tied down, and cut her free, taking her to tight embrace.
"I'm sorry my queen, I'm so sorry. I failed you, this was my fault." Sini could not prevent flow of tears from her eyes.
"Sini..." The queen answered, wrapping her arms around her guard. "It is you... I'm safe..." Sini tightened her embrace, wanting to feel the warmth of her body against her own as if letting go of Laila would mean losing her again.
The women laid in this embrace until Hanne arrived. Together with Zandra and free prisoners they had raided the small torture chambers too, and rescued captives within, including Gerta who Zandra was caring for. Hanne walked up to them, and covered Laila with her cloak. "Come, your highness. We need to get you out of here." She refused to let go of Sini, who carried her up like she was a princess. It reminded Sini of games they used to play as kids, where she often was the brave knight rescuing damsel in distress. But now that it had actually happened, she didn't feel like she had won. She could not protect her in the first place.
*
Week passed, and the day of the coronation arrived. Despite intensity of her torture, Laila had recovered from her ordeal well, better than most other prisoners who had been there much longer than her. In the very next day after being freed, Laila had summoned a council meeting and told them everything that had happened. Women of the council - especially ones whose relatives and friends were found among the victims of the torture dungeon - agreed that certain legalities could be ignored in Johanna's and her lackey's punishments, and instead of usual fines, imprisonments and banishments, they were now imprisoned in their own tickle torture dungeon. Former victims and their loved ones had flocked to volunteer in grim duty of punishing them in great numbers, and it was apparent that willing tormentors would not be running out anytime soon. Most of the torture devices housed thugs and torturers that had aided Johanna, but the small torture chambers were occupied too. The guard who had tried to abduct Zandra was sentenced to indefinite foot tickle torture by goat licks, and spent most of her time laughing with soles coated in honey. Helen, Johanna's lackey, was kept in a cell where she was restrained on a wooden X-frame for hours every day for intense armpit and rib tickle torture that reportedly was so effective that even the mousy stewardess made the frame creak like it would break. The worst punishment was of course reserved for countess Johanna herself. She was kept on the very same torture rack that had been altar of Gerta's and Laila's torture, and two kutibird feathers that vanished elf torturess had left behind were put into good use with her. Johanna's breasts and especially her nipples were proven to be so ticklish that even regular feather made her almost jump out of her skin. The kutibird feathers there drove her to brink of insanity every session she was subjected to, and she had to stand five of them every day. Council was currently debating about adding a sixth session for her, and Laila didn't plan to oppose it. Laila was now officially queen for life, her popularity had never been higher and villains like Johanna would think twice before standing up to her again. Still, something weighted heavily on her heart.
Her guard and childhood friend Sini had come to her quarters two days after Laila's ordeal. She had turned in her guardian's sword and left her service without saying another word, and as she hurried away, Laila could have sworn that Sini she uselessly tried to call back had tears on her cheeks. According to Hanne, Sini had fallen to great depression after saving her. She blamed herself, and was certain that she could not trust herself to protect her queen. Nobody really knew where she went, she had walked straight out of the castle without even informing Hanne about her decision to leave service. Laila was very saddened about this and even the coronation barely lifted her spirits. It was like without Sini around, something she always took for granted was gone. Like something was missing and causing her heartache, and she just could not figure out what it was. Three days after the coronation Laila received a letter, which she instantly recognized to be from Sini from the awful handwriting. She opened the envelope eagerly, and read it. It was short and straightforward. Just the type of Sini.
"I wanted to dedicate my life to protect you and to always be by your side. I'm sorry I could not do that, like I'm sorry I betrayed your trust in me that night.
In order to be a woman worthy of protecting you, I had to go. I have to grow stronger, in many ways. There are things I need to conquer and vanquish. In the world and within myself.
Only then, when I know that nothing can distract me from my absolute devotion to you, I can return and take my place, as when I am best myself, I will allow no one else to guard you.
-Always loyal to you, Sini"
"Blunt dummy..." Laila chuckled and held the letter on her heart. She would see Sini again, and hoped it would be soon.
*
Meanwhile, far from the Deala's capital, in Norther lands bordering Tuntur, realm of Northwomen, Sini was interviewing an innkeeper.
"Elf. Half head taller than me. Light grayish skin, blackest hair and bluest eyes in the world. Green cloak. Might have been in hurry. Have you seen anyone like her?"
The innkeeper rubbed her head for a while, and then lifted up her finger.
"Ah, yes! We interact with their kind every now and there here in the borderlands - out of necessity, nasty folk. We keep trading with them, we don't mess with their holy woods, they keep supplying us with furs and they don't raid our lands for tickle slaves. It's still rare to see them just traveling the lands on their own, but there was one yesterday. She just bought some supplies and was on her way further North. Why do you want to know? It's never good business to get involved with elves, I knew a girl who thought she could set up a feather ornament workshop with them and she-"
"None of your business. I just need to find her."
"Well, whatever. Just don't get in a mess you will regret for rest of your ticklish life."
Sini walked out and saddled her horse. She didn't have time to linger. She had to find that elf called Taimi. She had to find her and serve justice to her. She could not live in peace until she knew that her beloved Laila's torture has been avenged in full. Only then, when it was complete, she could even consider returning to her love's side. As Sini was riding the forest paths towards the snowy mountains in the horizon, she didn't know she was watched. In nearby cliff, Taimi watched and smiled.
"So you really are following me. Foolhardy. But interesting." She started walking herself. As forests opened their secrets to her kind, she could stay ahead of her for a long time - until she felt like encountering her. "Very well, human. Let's play this game."
The End (until next adventure in the land of Fera)
Really nicely written and a good way to end it with the potential for future stories coming along.
