Jenny hurriedly helped Valentina to change for the theater performance. The maid had already prepared a lavender-colored silk dress – one of the new gowns the duke had gotten her.

"You should hurry," warned Vyxara. "After that little interlude in the garden, we don't want to keep the duke waiting too."

Valentina tried to block out the memory of Lorenzo's near-kiss while Jenny helped her put on the dress. Her lips were still tingling from the anticipation of his touch.

The duke's private theater hall was an intimate room, considerably smaller than the large court theater. Around twenty upholstered armchairs and sofas were arranged in a semicircle in front of a raised stage.

The duke was already waiting for her, surrounded by his closest circle. He pulled her gently to his side and his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. "Ah, my beauty. How was your day at the hospital?"

"Tiring but successful," she replied evasively. She could feel Master Bloomfield's amused gaze on her.

"The theater troupe 'The Laughing Cravens' is here today," explained Lady Celestine, who joined them. "They are famous for their... risqué plays."

The duke led Valentina to one of the comfortable sofas in the front row and sat down next to her. His hand rested warmly on her thigh. "You'll love the show," he promised with a mischievous smile. "The Cravens are masters of crude comedy."

The stage was artistically designed, with hand-painted backdrops depicting a forest scene. As the curtain rose, a young actress entered the stage in an exaggeratedly gorgeous dress. She introduced herself as Lady Rosebud, a naive noblewoman from Vandercourt visiting the wild Western Marches for the first time.

"Oh, I really hope I don't meet any evil creatures!" she exclaimed in an affected voice, which made the audience laugh.

What followed was a fast-paced and surprisingly artful comedy of Lady Rosebud getting abducted by goblins and trolls while her loving prince tried to save her. The actors were excellent, and the puppeteers in particular, who brought the goblins and the troll to life, showed impressive skill.

"The goblins look deceptively real," whispered Master Bloomfield approvingly. "Almost like the real little beasts. Even the typical smell is right."

The goblin dolls were disturbingly lifelike masterpieces of craftsmanship – twisted figures about four and a half feet tall with warty, greenish skin and large, bulbous noses. Their movements were erratic and spider-like, their long arms and legs bent at unnatural angles. Especially their large, yellow eyes with vertical pupils looked disturbingly alive. The acrid, putrid stench created by the puppeteers' cleverly placed bronze herb burners completed the illusion. When they grabbed Lady Rosebud and abducted her, the audience burst into lewd laughter.

The duke's hand gently stroked Valentina's thigh as they watched Lady Rosebud being dragged off to the goblin lair with feigned horror – but barely concealed curiosity. The scene that followed was more implied than shown, but the ambiguous dialog and rhythmic movements behind a translucent curtain left little doubt as to what was happening.

"Oh, how delicious!" chortled Vyxara. "Look at Lady Celestine – she acts shocked, but her eyes are shining with pleasure."

The valiant prince who rushed to Lady Rosebud's aid and searched for her was a caricature of courtly chivalry – overly noble, hopelessly unworldly and completely blind to the obvious lust of his beloved. His pathetic speeches about virtue and honor were repeatedly interrupted with perfect timing by Lady Rosebud's enthusiastic moans from the lair, which soon had the audience holding their bellies with laughter and Valentina laughing heartily with the duke and his friends.

Then the troll entered the stage – an imposing puppet, almost three meters high, masterfully guided by three puppeteers. The puppeteers had taken special care to portray him as a mindless beast, just as the stories described. His heavy, stomping movements made the stage tremble.

"By all the flames of Martyr!" gasped Lady Rosebud theatrically as the troll snatched her from the goblins and she caught a glimpse of the arm-length penis dangling between his legs. "What a huge... creature!"

The duke's laughter rumbled through the hall as his fingers gently stroked Valentina's neck. She involuntarily leaned into his touch. His gentle caresses felt good, almost comforting, after the confusing encounter with Lorenzo in the garden.

The following abduction into the troll's cave would have probably been enough to make some Kindles faint. Lady Rosebud's increasingly enthusiastic exclamations, coupled with the rhythmic shaking of the artfully designed cave backdrop, had the audience snorting with laughter.

"I wish I was in her place," whispered Lady Celestine loud enough for everyone to hear. The other ladies in the inner circle giggled scandalized.

The valiant prince's desperate search for his innocent lady became a farce as he repeatedly narrowly missed the clear signs of her 'mistreatment'. When he finally found the blissfully sleeping Lady Rosebud – and the snoring troll – whom he summarily cut down with his sword in his sleep, his triumph was tempered by her obvious disappointment at her 'rescue'.

The happy ending, with a pregnant Lady Rosebud giving birth and an unsuspecting prince proudly presenting his unusually large and hairy first-born, had the audience cheering.

"Brilliant! What a wonderful satire of courtly chivalry and the oppressive mores at the courts," exclaimed the duke as he applauded. His hand was on Valentina's thigh again, this time more possessively. "Isn't that right, my beauty?"

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"Indeed," she replied with a wry smile. "I think Lady Rosebud was actually quite happy in the troll cave."

The duke laughed boomingly. "Oh, you naughty little girl!" His eyes sparkled with desire. "Come. Let's go to my chambers. I know a very cozy cave there too..."

Valentina felt the blush rise to her face, but she willingly let him pull her up. The evening was still young, and after all the pent-up tension of the day, she longed for the clarity of his touch.

"There you go," Vyxara purred contentedly. "Much better than torturing yourself with complicated feelings for his son, isn't it?"

Valentina ignored the comment as she walked out of the theater at the duke's side. Lady Celestine gave her a knowing look, but there was genuine warmth in her smile.

The day had been long and full of confusing emotions, but now, at the duke's side, in the twilight of his chambers, everything became easier. She knew what she wanted, what he wanted, what they both needed. No complications, no confusing feelings – just the clear, honest desire of two people who knew what they were doing.

~

Exhausted and satisfied, the duke rolled off her and pulled Valentina close to him, who began to shiver a little despite the fireplace, now that the duke was no longer lying on top of her. His hand gently stroked through her hair as she rested her head on his broad chest.

"We should talk about Hazel," she suddenly said into the cozy silence.

The duke stiffened briefly. "That's really not necessary, my beauty. I will take care of it. She will be punished for her impossible behavior."

"No." Valentina straightened up and looked him in the eye. "That's exactly the wrong way."

"Oh, how brash!" giggled Vyxara. "You actually dare to contradict the mighty duke?"

"She has to learn to behave appropriately. She is no longer a child."

"No, she's not," Valentina said gently. "She's a young woman who feels trapped and worthless."

"Worthless? What do you mean? She's my daughter," protested the duke. "She lives in luxury, has the best education, the best clothes, she has everything-"

"Except a chance to find meaning," Valentina interrupted him. "To be something besides a daughter to be married off. A satisfying purpose."

"Oh, brave," Vyxara commented with amusement. "Interrupting the Duke and telling him the truth about his daughter..."

The duke was silent for a moment, his hand resting quietly on her back. "You seem to have an opinion on the matter," he finally said carefully.

"Forgive my directness, Your Grace, but... yes, I have."

He sat up a little and looked at her with interest. His eyes glittered in the fireplace light. "Very well. What would you do if you were me?"

The question surprised her. "Go on," urged Vyxara. "Tell him what you think. He actually seems to be listening."

Valentina collected her thoughts. "Of course you have to marry her off. Strategically sensible. It's your duty as a duke, I understand that. But..." She propped herself up on one elbow and looked him straight in the eye. "That doesn't mean there can't be a satisfying solution for everyone."

"Keep talking."

"The duchess is a clever and competent woman. And she knows her daughter, they are very close. Give her the task of finding a suitable husband – someone who both meets your strategic needs and is someone Hazel might accept or even love. I'd wager the duchess already has a list of possible candidates."

The duke nodded slowly. "That... sounds reasonable. Rosalind does indeed have a flair for such things."

"And..." Valentina took a deep breath. "Let her work in the hospital."

"The hospital?" He sounded surprised. "But she doesn't have the gift..."

"There are many important tasks in the hospital that do not require Essence Weaving. The healers and nurses do valuable work. Some are even scholars of medicine. Hazel is intelligent – give her the chance to learn to do something useful."

The duke remained thoughtfully silent. His fingers played with a strand of her hair, lost in thought.

"Just think of the effect it would have on the people," she added. "The duke's daughter herself caring for the sick. That would win you many hearts."

A slow smile spread across his face. "I shouldn't be surprised by now. You're not only beautiful and talented, you're smart too, my dear." He kissed her gently. "A wise ruler listens to wise counsel, no matter where it comes from."

"Then... will you think about it?"

"More than that." He pulled her close again. "I'll talk to Rosalind tomorrow. She'll be... surprised by this proposal. But I think she'll like it."

"Thank you, Your Grace!" she said with a big smile as the duke began to fondle her breasts again and with a quick touch, she realized that he was already stirring there again too.

Slowly, she moved down, bringing her head into his lap. She wanted to show him exactly how grateful she was.

"That's good," Vyxara purred in agreement. "Classical conditioning..."

Valentina felt the heat of the fireplace on her skin as she lowered her head into the duke's lap. Her fingers stroked his thighs, feeling the rough hair and the soft skin underneath. She could feel his gaze on her, heavy and insistent.

"Tease him with your tongue," Vyxara whispered in her head. "Slowly and lightly, like a butterfly dancing over a flower."

Valentina did as the demon told her. It wasn't the first time, but the demon had far more... experience. She licked gently along the duke's manhood, which was now standing proud again, tasting the salty moisture on her tongue. He flinched under her touch and moaned deeply.

"He likes that," murmured Vyxara with satisfaction. "Now take him in your mouth, but not too deep yet. Let him slowly feel your lips close around him."

Valentina followed the advice and took the thick mushroom-shaped tip between her lips. She sucked on it gently, running her tongue over the sensitive flesh.

"Yes, that's it," the duke gasped, burying his fingers in her hair, caressing her softly.

She could feel him getting even harder, pulsing with desire. Vyxara's words echoed in her head, guiding her on how to give him the greatest possible pleasure.

"Try to take it in deeper," the demon's voice commanded in her head. "Relax your throat and breathe through your nose."

Valentina did her best, sliding down his manhood inch by inch. She had to gag slightly, just for a moment, when his tip hit her throat, but she just kept breathing deeply through her nose, letting him feel how tight and warm she was.

"That's good," purred Vyxara. "You're doing fantastic, little Weaver. He loves it."

He groaned loudly, his hips moving uncontrollably. She sucked and licked until the duke gripped her hair tightly and drew in a sharp breath.

"Ahh... I'm coming," he gasped warningly.

"Swallow it all," Vyxara said urgently. "Don't leave a drop of it."

Valentina was ready. She took him deep in her mouth and swallowed as the first hot gush of his semen hit her throat. It didn't exactly taste like honey, but that was okay. She had given him pleasure and that had been the plan, she enjoyed his approval.

"Well done," praised Vyxara as Valentina lifted her head out of his lap and sat down next to him on the bed. "You've given him a lot of pleasure."

The duke pulled her into his arms, kissed her hair and her face. "That was... wonderful," he murmured. "You are a goddess, my beauty."

She snuggled up to him, enjoying the closeness and warmth of his body. She felt strangely proud of what she had just done. It was different from physical satisfaction – it was a kind of power she had over this man and it was exciting.

Valentina smiled quietly to herself as the duke fell asleep and his breathing became even, and not much later she too fell asleep in his arms.

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