Fantasy As Day Follows Night by TMaskedWriter

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Julie sighed. Troy felt the cheek in his hand getting warmer as it began to redden. He continued.

"On our way back, when we stop walking and you don't think anyone but the security officer following us are watching, you will try to sneak little strokes of your pussy through your skirt; just one or two per stop, and you will do this as sneakily and casually as you are able. The security officer are going to be taking pictures and sending them back to Helen, after all. Let's give her a little thrill."

"Little thrill," Julie repeated, her tone still dreamy, but now getting huskier.

"By the time we get back to the room, you will no longer be able to control yourself. You will push me onto the bed and use the Special Trigger on me. While I am under, you will command me to be as consumed by the need to fuck as you are. We will fuck like mindless animals until we both cum screaming or the alarm goes off and we need to start getting ready for the ball." He took out his phone and set an alarm for a few hours from then. "When I wake you, you will forget that I have commanded you to do all of this, but your subconscious mind will obey my instructions, convincing your conscious mind that they are your own ideas. Once we have both orgasmed or the alarm goes off, you will remember everything. Go deeper and understand."

"Mmm...thank you, Master. My mind, body, and soul belong to my husband. I obey him in all things."

He leaned forward and gave her a little kiss. In her current state, she didn't register it and continued staring forward. "And all that I am belongs to my true love. I am done with what I needed to do in my best friend's mind."

Julie's eyes closed. When they reopened, the glazed, vacant look was gone and she was Julie again. Troy handed her purse back and she put her sunglasses back on as he rose to his feet. He extended his hand to her.

"Shall we continue, Sunflower?" Troy asked.

"Sure, hon," Julie responded with a smile, the blush in her cheeks deepening as she took his hand and they continued their walk. Julie leaned her head on his shoulder again and began breathing deeply, inhaling his scent. She took his arm again and unconsciously ran her fingers up and down his forearm as they walked.

They were about fifty feet from the bench when she stopped again. "Excuse me a moment, Troy," Julie said as she stopped and leaned against a lamp post. Looking around, she saw one of the undercover security officer officers that she'd seen a few times already following them. Julie gave the man a wink and a smile and she bent her legs and casually pulled off her panties. She walked back to Troy and held them up to his nose. He took a deep breath as if he were sniffing a flower.

"Wanna go back to the hotel, Mr. Equals?" She asked with a sweet smile.

"I dunno, I was thinking maybe lunch," he said with an air of faux-innocence.

Julie turned Troy to face her and pressed up against him, her stiff nipples brushing against his chest through their clothes as she put her arms around his waist. "We can get room service; nothing happens between 12 and 2 in San Finzione, after all." She reached back around and stuffed her soaked panties down the front of his pants. "Or we could have something else for lunch."

Her hands returned to wrapping around him as she whispered breathlessly in his ear. "My cunt is so wet. She needs to have a word with your hard cock, Master." Troy gave her a kiss and felt her tongue snaking inside his mouth. Julie rubbed herself against the growing bulge in his pants as their tongues danced. He broke the kiss before she started dry-humping him in earnest.

"Well, far be it from me to keep those crazy kids apart," he said as he took her arm and they started walking for the park entrance. Occasionally, Troy would stop and check his bearings as they walked back to the hotel. Whenever he stopped, he heard a little moan escape his wife's lips.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

As Day Follows Night Pt. 06

"Flash of mauve, splash of puce,
fool and king, ghoul and goose.
Green and black, queen and priest,
trace of rouge, face of beast.
(Faces!)
Take your turn, take your ride
on the merry-go-round of an inhuman race."

-Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Masquerade"

The limo arrived to collect Troy and Julie Equals at 7 PM precisely. Julie had half-expected Helen to send a horse-drawn carriage with page boys in powdered wigs attending.

They sat holding hands as the car made its way out of the city center towards Finzione Castle, modern asphalt giving way to older roads still made from cobblestones, other limousines passing them or trailing behind. In the now darkened sky above them, several searchlight-illuminated helicopters waited in holding patterns to use the castle's helipad and deposit those of La Contessa's guests who thought taking a car to be beneath them. Troy turned to his wife.

"Allow me to be the first to say this evening, Mrs. Equals, how absolutely glorious you look tonight." He looked up and down at the sequined blue gown she wore. A long slit up the left side revealed her stockinged leg to him, terminating in white, strappy heels. Her sunflower hair was pulled to the left side of her head and dbangd down over her shoulder. The V-shaped neckline showed just enough cleavage to be enticing without being enough to be obvious about it.

Julie had chosen sapphire jewelry to go with the dress. Sapphire and diamond teardrop-shaped earrings dangled from her ears. A matching bracelet in white gold adorned her right wrist, her wedding ring the only decoration on her left side. It was identical to Troy's, except that whereas his ring was engraved with the words "I love you," Julie's was engraved with "I know."

Troy had opted for a tuxedo with a white jacket. When Julie put the carnation in his lapel, she made a joke about where he was going to hide his Walther PPK, which invited some more of his bad Sean Connery impression.

"And I say yes, you look wonderful tonight," Julie responded, singing the words. Troy followed up by making the guitar sounds for the next part with his mouth.

The limo turned away from the line of expensive vehicles winding up the hill to the castle and into a neighborhood where the buildings had probably been old when Napoleon's armies were a genuine concern for the people. Troy knocked on the partition. The driver pressed the button and it lowered with a whirring noise.

"Si?" The driver asked.

"Wasn't that the way to the castle," Troy asked him.

"I have special instructions from La Contessa," the driver explained without looking back. "She tell me Signor and Signora Equals no would want pictures taken by paparazzi. I am to take you to other entrance."

"Well, yeah, we're both sort of allergic to the spotlight," Julie said. "But does that mean you're bringing us round to the kitchen entrance?"

"No, Signora. Is special way, few know; only me, La Contessa, and La Contessa's maid."

"What, through the Bat Cave," Troy asked. "Did Helen buy Stately Wayne Manor?"

The driver didn't have an answer for that. They came to a stop in front of a one-room house older than all the others, made from old stone and wood, but well-maintained despite its age. No power or phone lines led from the street or overhead poles to the house.

Maria stood waving to them in the wooden doorway, wearing a modest black evening dress, being illuminated by the light of an old camping lantern she was holding. A simple gold cross on a chain hung around her neck and an emerald ring around the middle finger of her right hand were the only adornments she wore. The young woman was made more beautiful by her smile of genuine pleasure to see them.

Troy and Julie returned the smile as the driver got out and opened the door for them. Julie walked up to her and greeted her with a kiss.

"Hi, Maria. What's this place?"

Maria ushered the two of them in. Troy took in the room. It was furnished, but the furniture didn't seem to have ever been used. It looked old and hand-made, but nothing that could be called an antique.

"Is old family secret," Maria said. "But La Contessa say is ok to share with you. Come."

She led them down the stairs into an old cellar with a dirt floor. Set into one of the walls was an alcove for cooking fires. Maria touched a stone on the wall and the alcove opened up.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Troy and Julie looked at each other and said "A secret passage!" together, trying to sound like Scooby-Doo characters.

"Si," Maria responded. "Only la familia know. And the driver because he has to come here too. And now you."

Once they were inside, Maria pulled a lever and the wall slid back into place. She gestured to several more lanterns hanging on hooks for them to each take one.

"You look lovely tonight, Maria," Julie said as they turned on the lanterns and started walking down the tunnel. "You're coming to the ball too, right? If Helena hasn't invited you, I'll..."

"I shall be there," Maria replied, holding up her hand so that they could see the emerald ring more clearly. "I too am a San Finzone, I am expected to attend."

The pair nodded and continued up through the passage. A few flights of stairs and some long tunnels later, they reached another set of hanging lanterns. They turned off their lanterns and hung them as Maria pulled another lever and the wall opened up into the study.

"Is not usual way visitors come in, but welcome to Finzione Castle," Maria said, closing the passage once everyone was inside. "This used to be war room in old days. La Contessa make it her study."

"So, nothing's changed, then," Julie said as Maria was about to open the door and let them into the rest of the castle. Maria stopped and turned around, a look of "Ok, I let it go cause it was funny at first, but that's enough talking shit about my friend" on her face.

"Julie, Troy. I think you only see bad in Contessa because of her past. You cannot have..." she paused as she searched for the English words "Special love like ours in big familia without being found out. Even if you do what she and you two do, they find out eventually. La Familia get angry, they come to castle and demand answers. They demand to see La Contessa. Some of them bring weapons."

"I can guess how that went," Troy said. Maria continued.

"Everyone leave castle thinking 'Hey, she San Finzione, but no by blood. And she make our little Maria happy, so we happy.' How many people find out they not who world tell them they supposed to be and all familia be happy?"

Julie walked up to Maria and took her hand. "Maria, you didn't find out who you are, Helen told you who she wanted to you be and you agreed. Because she made you agree. Then she did it to them. That's not the same thing." Maria turned to Troy.

"Troy, you familia from this part of world; you know there two kinds of hate. There the estupido kind: 'Eh, you skin no like mine; eh, you God no like mine,'" she crossed herself before continuing. "'Eh, you got something different between you legs.'" She stole a glance at Troy's pants, fondly remembering what was in there, before continuing.

"Then there the other hate, the kind they make opera about: 'Eh, you hurt me, so I gonna hurt you worse. Then you hurt me worse, so I hurt you again.' Two hundred years later, we both dead and people still hurting each other because they got same name as us; because of what we do before they born. Great-Grandmamma make this hate go away. No vendetta, no blood feud, everyone win."

"No," Troy said. "Helen takes what she wants, replaces dissent with false love, HELEN win!"

"Signor Equals, I choose false love over real hate forever."

Neither of them had a response to that, so they nodded. Maria did too, and then opened the door.

"Welcome to Castle Finzione," she said, revealing a stone hallway on the other side of the door. Troy & Julie stood there, blankly, expecting the door to open into a lavish ballroom. "Ballroom is down the hall. Come."

"That could have been really impressive," Julie said as they followed her.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

The hall of paintings and antiques emptied into the grand ballroom. Streamers hung from crystal chandeliers and a live orchestra was playing something by Vivaldi. Emerald-Green banners of the House of San Finzione hung from the ceilings. La Contessa had not made her entrance, so no one was on the dance floor yet, mostly congregating close to the bar. A reporter from a local paper who'd been allowed past the press line and into the castle for the presentation photos was interviewing someone from the historical society that tonight's ball was ostensibly being held to benefit. Two long dining tables held a buffet and a quantity of gift bags.

Julie surveyed the scene, all the tailored suits and designer gowns, and said "Ok, see, if the door had opened to reveal this, that would have been cooler."

Julie and Maria found a table close to the dance floor while Troy went up to the bar to get drinks for them. Maria turned everyone's chairs to face the grand staircase leading down to the ballroom with a balcony halfway down. "That where La Contessa make her entrance," she told Julie.

Julie looked closer at the crowd and saw some faces she recognized: the odd movie or sports star, a politician or two from back home, nobles from some of the countries she'd visited with Helen, a musician she'd met during her "I can do what we do to get backstage" phase. A lot of the faces, she'd seen on the news, not all in a good context either.

When Troy returned to the table, a server ran over to the conductor of the orchestra and whispered something in his ear. The music stopped. Another server ushered the reporter and the man from the historical society up to the grand balcony. Maria stood, nudged Troy and Julie to do the same, and looked toward the grand staircase.

The musicians all stood and began playing the national anthem of San Finzione. All conversation ceased as the crowd also stood to attention and faced the staircase to see Contessa Helena de San Finzione descend the stairs; the sound of the photographer's camera the only audible sound except for the music.

Her ankle-length gown was the same emerald-green as the banners and the family crest. The plunging neckline stopped just a few inches above her navel. A jeweled overlay of swirling patterns of silver danced around the gown from her waist up, completing the strapless number. A necklace of emeralds hung from her neck and emerald studs decorated her ears. The outfit culminated in an emerald tiara. The Count's wedding ring was still on her left hand and her right bore an emerald signet identical to Maria's.

She came to a stop at the grand balcony, where the reporter and the historical society rep were waiting. An open microphone and a giant check on a stand were waiting for her. Polite applause spread around the room as she stepped up and took the microphone, looking out over the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, welcome to Castle Finzione. I am Contessa Helena de San Finzione. I've met many of you, and those I haven't have undoubtedly heard the tale of a simple American girl who won the heart of my dear, departed husband, Count Vincenzo."

She paused. Troy and Julie stifled the urge to laugh. She continued.

"Since the day the Count took my hand, it has been my privilege to walk this castle's halls and serve the people who look up to it from the city below every day. I spend my days walking amongst history, happy to be a part of it, and hoping my chapter will be a good one. I may come from a place with less than 500 years of history; however, I like to think this makes me appreciate it all the more."

She went to grab the check, then realized she'd need both hands and returned the mic to the stand. She gave a little sheepish "what're ya gonna do" gesture to the crowd and got a small laugh as she took the check and brought it back to the microphone.

"And that's why I have gathered you all here tonight. Well, one of the reasons. Because the work of the National Historic Preservation Society of San Finzione is important to me on that personal of a level, I present this check for 50,000 Euros to Signor Miguel Riviera, president of the society. Signor Riviera, I hope this money helps continue your good works and look forward to visiting the historic sites you plan to restore."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

The crowd applauded. The camera clicked faster as the man stood and she presented him with the check. He looked like he wanted to take the microphone and make a speech of his own, but La Contessa shot him a look when the camera wasn't on her to indicate that would not be acceptable and he backed down. She walked back to the microphone. A servant came to inform the reporter that it was time for him to leave and ushered him out while she spoke.

"I'm sure many of the guests would like to hear of your great work individually. Please feel free to approach him with any questions you may have." She turned away from the microphone and cleared her throat before continuing, looking directly at Troy, Julie, and Maria's table.

"And that brings us to one of the other reasons I've decided to hold this ball. A couple of dear old friends who remember that simple American girl have recently married and graced San Finzione with their presence for their honeymoon. They're unaccustomed to the level of scrutiny that many of us receive, and would be made uncomfortable by it, so that's why you didn't see them on the red carpet coming in. However, they are my dearest, oldest friends, and I expect everyone to treat them as such."

The crowd nodded, as did Maria. Only Troy and Julie recognized that she was doing what they do to the entire room.

"And right now, I can see their faces are red enough to match the carpet from being in the spotlight even this much, so allow me to finish introducing them. Troy, Julie, stand up and take a bow. The Equals, ladies and gentlemen."

The crowd applauded as Troy and Julie stood up and took small bows before sitting down again quickly.

"Well, nobody has come tonight to hear me make speeches, so let's get things started. Let the ball commence!"

Applause came again, followed by some milling toward the dance floor as Helen descended the rest of the stairs to join the party.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

As Day Follows Night Pt. 07

"And my balls are always bouncing,
and my ballroom always full.
And everybody comes and comes again.
If your name is on the guest list,
no one can take you higher.
Everybody says I've got great balls of fire."
-AC/DC, *"Big Balls"*

Helena reached the dance floor and looked toward the table where Troy, Julie, and Maria sat. Before she could walk over to them, she was surrounded by young men in expensive tuxedos, all wanting to share the first dance with La Contessa. Soon, Troy lost sight of her through the men descending upon her. A look over at the two ladies who sat with him revealed smaller predator packs who'd realized they had no shot at La Contessa flocking around his wife and La Contessa's maid, asking to have the first dance with them.

Maria enjoyed the attention and chose one of the boys to escort her to the dance floor. Julie stole her seat closer to Troy and replied with a complicated hand gesture that involved pointing to Troy, flashing her wedding ring, and then picking up her drink to show she already had one. The pack quickly moved on to try other prey.

The crowd of men around the landing parted and Helena appeared at their table, taking the seat Julie had just vacated.

"Hello, you two. Glad you could make it. Sorry about your entrance, figured you wouldn't want your pictures in every scandal rag in Europe."

Troy took a sip of his drink. "Helen, we got to enter a CASTLE through a SECRET PASSAGE! You have nothing to apologize about."

Helen smiled; a real one. It got bigger as she turned to Julie. "Love this ensemble, Julie."

Julie smiled back, sensing the sincerity. "Thanks. Yours is amazing too. I expected no less, Helena."

"Well, on the subject of things you expected, I gave the..." She jerked her thumb toward the men that were dispersing from where she'd been, turning it into a wanking gesture at the end. "Billionaire Boys' Club over there the brushoff in order to exercise my privilege as hostess and Contessa to choose my partner for the first dance." Julie gave a nod, Helen turned back to Troy as she stood. "Been keeping up on your waltz, Mr. Equals?"

"No," Troy said, standing. "But give me a minuet and I'm sure it'll all come Bach to me."

"Feel free to keep him after that one," Julie said, taking a drink.

"Careful, hon, you know I just might. Oh, your gift bags each have an extra iPad for your two friends and there's another bag for you to take back to your friend from the party who didn't come along. Tell those girls if we ever meet again, I expect them to be EARNED," and with a wink, Helena led Troy to the dance floor.

Once they were gone, another well-dressed man approached Julie. She smiled, gulped down the last of her drink, said "Fuck it, yeah," and took his hand.

* * *

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"People are looking at us to start dancing, Helen," Troy whispered into her ear.

She inhaled deeply and replied as a sigh. "Emay e Komissa, Troy. Thah perimenateh."

"You ARE the Countess, and they WILL wait, it's just getting a little weird."

"Dammit, Troilus, just fuckin' hold me a second here."

"Ok."

She took two more deep breaths before leaning back, taking one hand from around him, and holding his with it. A nod, and the dance began.

"So, what you did with the crowd at the end of your speech? We both caught that."

"That was for you. Julie can take care of herself in a room like this. You're a decent person, Troy; and these people are sharks."

"I know you'll save me."

"Hey, I'm not locked in here with them, they're locked in here with me."

"Just like Maria?"

Helen lost half a step, then recovered.

"It's not like that at all. Maria is happy and I'm happy to have her."

"So she says. In fact, she's the first to defend you. You've taken everything from her and she still defended you when Julie... well, it was the kind of joke she'd tell to your face anyway; it wouldn't really work now."

"Hostility has never become you, Troy. What else is wrong?"

It was Troy's turn to lose a step. He swallowed before continuing.

"Susan, the other woman at the bachelor party; the one who didn't come here with us."

Helena leaned back and looked in Troy's eyes.

"She's important to you."

"And to Julie."

"Yeah, but she's more important to you. Ok, I'm sorry; she's off limits."

"Thanks. That was easier than I expected."

"For one of us, anyway. You used to get that look in your eye when you talked about me. It's not the Julie look, but it's still nice. I wasn't able to accept settling for it; maybe she can."

"Helen, she's had the kind of life you might have if not for an old Greek man with strange fashion sense who loved you just as much as he loved his great grandson; and two friends who taught her how to do this thing they learned." Helen stopped dancing and stepped away from him at that.

"You're going to teach her, aren't you?" Troy nodded. "You love her."

"Not as much as Julie, but yes. They're both ok with that."

Helen put her arms around him again with a small laugh.

"Troilus, any woman who loves you understands what I figured out years ago: If there was a fire and you could only save me or Julie, I'm dead."

"I'd go back for you."

"No you wouldn't. Because Julie wouldn't let you go back in without her and then you'd both die. Whatever you two think of me, I couldn't have that."

"We love you, Helen. We wish you'd come back to us."

"I can't now. I'm in too deep here. They made me a statue, there are oil paintings of me in galleries; tourists buy pictures and postcards of them. I don't have the luxury of just handing it all to Maria and walking away and becoming a 'Hey, Whatever Became Of' joke on VH-1 in 10 years."

"So, you do plan to give Maria her due?"

"If anything ever happens to me, yes. Hopefully, I've taught her something about how to be a decent ruler and take care of the people."

The song ended and the dancing stopped. Troy hugged Helen again.

"Helen, I know that by your own twisted definition of the word, you love Maria. You're HER Proyiayia now. Propappou would be proud of what you've made of yourself, but not how you've gone about it."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"You could help; with Maria AND San Finzione. We could definitely use a top-notch economist to be our Minister of Finance. And Julie would be a great Minister of Art and Culture."

"We like our quiet life below radar, you know that."

"And I'm allergic to white picket fences, so I don't see either of us coming away with what we want here."

Troy hugged her again. "I got to have a dance with someone I dearly love and have missed. I'll be satisfied with that."

Helen pressed herself against him harder. "I doubt you were satisfied. But if you want to take care of that, you always have that option, Troy."

Troy responded with a kiss. "I'll have to have a word with someone about that."

"I probably won't be able to talk to Julie for a bit; I still have things to do here. But only a fool would extend that offer to one of you without also including the other."

He looked around the ballroom for Julie and saw her dancing with an older man in a tuxedo. The man was looking at her and nodding in agreement. "Speaking of whom, I'd better cut in. You going to be ok?"

Helena looked at the pack from before, spread out a bit more and wondering if she and Troy were going to dance again or if they had a shot at La Contessa. "I think I'll be all right. Go rescue your Sunflower."

Troy kissed her hand and crossed the dance floor to Julie. From behind him, he heard Helena begin a mocking game of Eeny-Meenie-Miney-Mo with her potential partners.

* * *

"Hey, Math Boy. What'd ya get," Julie asked as Troy put his arm around her waist and led her away from her former dance partner. The man had left without a word and went straight to the bar.

"Job offer and proposition. Told her no on the job and we'll see on the proposition. You?"

"Trophy mistress. But he had a sudden change of heart and he's decided to confess his affairs to his wife in the morning and agree to whatever she wants in the divorce. Probably off to get good and liquored up first."

"Nice one, Mistress. Er, MY Mistress, not the trophy kind."

"Hey, I could be a trophy. I'm a fuckin' catch, Mister," Julie said with a playful little push.

"I'll be sure to mount you on the display case when we get home."

"That sounds dangerous. How about mount me on the bed and work our way there," Julie asked, sliding her hand down his back to grab his ass.

The waltz ended and the orchestra changed to a tango. Troy returned the ass-grab and led Julie to the center of the floor.

"After the party, sure. Still feeling pretty well-fucked from this afternoon."

"Me too," she smiled, meeting his gaze as they danced. "Thank you for that, Master. I know you don't like using the Special Trigger."

* * *

Contessa Helena de San Finzione whispered into the ear of her dance partner.

"Carlos, we appreciate the gift you have brought to the party. I'm certain that my guests who partake will put it to good use. As for the cartel setting up operations in San Finzione; feel the heat of my body pressing against you and relax deeper as I explain why you will tell your bosses why it would not be a good idea..."

* * *

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"It just creeps me out, Mistress; the way the light goes out of your eyes and you're suddenly Not Julie anymore."

Julie looked sad for a moment, and then smiled.

"Well, I've spoken to Not Julie, and she loves you too, and she's just as happy as I am to put herself completely in your hands."

They reached the edge of the dance floor, then turned around. It was Troy's turn to smile.

"Well, I do enjoy having you in my hands."

"And I enjoy being handled by you."

Troy spotted Maria and motioned to Julie to look her direction. Her head was thrown back laughing at something her dance partner had said.

"Maria seems to be enjoying herself," Troy said. Julie nodded in agreement.

"She was born for this life, until Helen took it away. Where the hell is that bitch?"

Julie looked around as the song ended. Troy pointed to the largest concentration of men in tuxedos and military uniforms covered with unearned medals.

"Choosing her partner for the next dance," Troy told her. "Just be patient, I'm sure she'll get a break and you'll be able to have a word with her. In the meantime, shall we dance, Mrs. Equals?"

* * *

Contessa Helena de San Finzione whispered into the ear of her dance partner.

"Your Excellency, I know you see now that San Finzione's aid packages must be delivered by our own troops with no interference from your people. Just explain to your warlord partners that if they stop every shipment, soon the world won't send the refugees anything. And if any of them have a problem with this, they're welcome to come speak to me in person..."

* * *

Troy tapped the young man's shoulder. He gave Troy a nasty look, then remembered that this was one of La Contessa's dearest and oldest friends and should be treated as such; and let him cut in with Maria.

"Kalinikto, Troy," Maria said with a big smile. "Do I say this right?"

"Yes, and good evening to you too, Maria. You look like you're having fun."

"Oh, si. Was not so long ago that I had to go with the children on the night of a ball. Now many of those boys are wanting to dance with me."

The orchestra started another waltz. Troy put his arm around Maria and the two began to dance.

"And not a one of them deserves you, I'm sure."

"I start to believe you. All night long, boys trying to impress me with their new autos. Everything is Buggati or Lamborghini or Ferrari with them. This make girls want them? La Contessa have all three and more in autorimessa."

"Well, yes, but to be fair, girls want her too."

"And she who the boys really want. La Contessa only a few years older than I, they only want to use me to get to her. Or get hands on fortune. Only two men ever like me for me, and I am dancing with one of them now."

Troy smiled at this. "And the other is your butcher boy?"

Maria nodded. "I do not think he know I am of la familia. Would probably be scared off if he knew."

"And have you told Helen about him?"

"Oh, no. If La Contessa find out and decide she want him for herself...I could not live with this."

Troy danced with her in silence for a few moments.

"Maria, I think I have a way to solve your problem. Would you be interested in that?"

"Si, Troy. I must to tell you, though, if La Contessa order me to say what we talk about, I must tell her; I no have choice. And if you make me forget...would be a bad scene here at the ball."

"That's why I won't make you forget, Maria. I'll simply give you the option of remembering later. We should find somewhere quiet to talk.

* * *

Contessa Helena de San Finzione whispered into the ear of her dance partner.

"Si, El Presidente, I'm certain your people have assured you a landslide victory, but do you know just how incredibly fucking wet a man who can win an unrigged election makes me? Just continue to relax and stare at my cleavage as I tell you..."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

As Day Follows Night Pt. 08

"She's been lookin' like a queen in a sailor's dream,
and she don't always say what she really means.
Sometimes, I think it's a shame
when I keep feeling better when I'm feeling no pain.
Sometimes, I think it's a shame
when I keep feeling better when I'm feeling no pain."
-Gordon Lightfoot, *"Sundown"*

The ball continued.

Several hours later, Julie Equals was seated with a group of wealthy old women, chatting away with a champagne flute in hand.

"So, it took some persuasion, but we finally get backstage and one of the groupies; obviously strung out on something, pulls a knife and says 'Nobody gets to fuck the band before me!' Well, we've been coked up for days and Helen; sorry, LA CONTESSA; isn't going to stand for that, so she grabs this beer bottle..."

Julie stopped as she saw Helen slip out of the crowd and step onto an outdoor balcony.

"Why, there's the nasty ol' cunt now; excuse me, ladies." She finished her glass, stood up, and grabbed another from a passing waiter before making her way to the balcony.

* * *

Contessa Helena de San Finzione stood by the railing, watching the full moon over one of the castle's gardens and smoking a cigarette. Two metal chairs stood next to a patio table near her; one of which had been pulled away as if Helena had been sitting there before Julie came out and set her drink on the table.

"Come out to howl?" Julie asked, stepping up to her and taking a cigarette from Helena's pack and lighting it without asking. "That's the one supernatural creature that nobody in town seemed to think you are."

"Troy know you're doing that?" La Contessa replied. Julie took a long drag before answering.

"We're in Europe; somebody told me it's not bad for you here." Helena smiled at that.

"I'm sorry we haven't been able to talk sooner. I mean, yes, I threw this whole thing together for you two, but this is also where I get most of my work done. I've stopped wars in this ballroom, you know."

Julie nodded. "And more in your bedroom, I'm guessing."

Helen took a drag of her cigarette. "As a matter of fact, yes."

"You're a real humanitarian, Helen."

Helen pursed her lips in irritation. "Pfft. You sound just like those geeks at the Nobel Institute."

They laughed at that, Julie coughing a little bit at the end from her first cigarette in three years.

"Well, where is Troy?" Helena asked once the laughing and coughing died away.

"Last I saw, he was slipping off somewhere with Maria."

"Hm. Probably slipping her The Dick to End All Dicks too." Helena wiped away an invisible tear and gave a little sniffle as she tossed her still-lit cigarette off the balcony. "My little girl is all grown up."

Julie took another drag. "Probably. I totally would."

"Why do you think I sent her to your room? Figured you two would teach her a thing or two."

"See, that's the thing: If our friend Helena had just knocked on our door or picked up a phone, we'd have welcomed her with open arms; and yes, at least one pair of open legs. We could have had the kind of fun we all used to have together. Instead, we spent the week playing our little spy game and now we have to leave tomorrow afternoon."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"And I still haven't figured out what you two are up to. I see what you mean. And I'd have loved it if you'd come straight to the castle and let me go all out for you instead of all this hotel nonsense. Remember partying on rich guys' yachts? Mine's more decked out than any of their 'Daddy-Bought-Me-This-To-Compensate' machines."

Julie tamped out her cigarette and leaned against the railing opposite Helen.

"Dammit, Helen, we care about YOU, not all this shit!" Julie pulled off her earrings and hurled them off the balcony to land somewhere in the moonlit garden below. "This is what I've been talking about: You couldn't just accept our wedding invitation, you had to buy the hotel and snipe my bid and take control of Troy and our friends, just to fucking talk? So we'd come watch you live in your Barbie Dream Castle and drive your Barbie Dream Car around?"

"Ok, let's take these things in order," Helen said, starting to pace angrily and setting her cigarettes and lighter on an old metal patio table. "First off, the earring thing? Would've been more impressive if I didn't know you had two more pairs just like them at home. Second, it wasn't exactly difficult to figure out who I was bidding against, MerryPoppynz666. Third, you wouldn't have just come for a visit after the way we left things unless I lured you somehow. Fourth, no, you were supposed to decide you liked this place and wanted to stay because I fucking love and miss both of you! And fifth, it's a Ferrari, SHOW SOME FUCKING RESPECT, YOU SKANKY COW!"

Julie walked across the balcony and started shouting in Helen's face. "WHEN DID I SAY DIDN'T LOVE YOU, DURING THE TWO YEARS WE WERE FUCKING? I SAID IT ALL THE TIME AND I MEANT IT! WHY WASN'T THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, YOU FUCKING CUNT?"

Helen bowed her head. She took a short, deep breath and looked up and back into Julie's eyes, tears forming in the corners of her own.

"Because I knew who you really wanted it to be; even when you didn't. Because when he fucked me and said it, I knew who he really wanted ME to be too."

The anger on Julie's face and in her voice subsided immediately. "Helen, that's not..."

Helen cut her off. "Haven't you ever wondered why neither of you could ever hang onto a relationship when you didn't do our thing to the other person? They sensed what I already knew. They'd see the two of you together; see the energy between you and Troy and how close you are and think 'There's no way these two aren't screwing behind my back, they BELONG together!' Haven't you wondered why every Last Argument you had with someone, including me; ended with 'Well, why don't you just go fuck Troy, then?' I can promise you all his relationships ended with someone telling him he should go fuck you." She paused for a moment. "Because ours did."

Julie turned and leaned on the railing next to Helen, putting her arm around La Contessa and seeing tears forming in her eyes.

"And we'd both say 'Ew, gross, he's like my brother.' Or she's like my sister. You know."

"Keeping that to myself, knowing you two are meant to be, but that it'd take some outside force like being split apart for college for you to see it... I always had to settle for second with both of you. Not doing anything to help it along was the closest I came to leaving either of you with something to keep for myself."

Julie put her other arm around Helen as well and turned her so that they could hug.

"We didn't know. I mean, I always knew we'd be together forever and that he meant the world to me, we just didn't know how deep it went." Julie paused for a moment. "Wow, we REALLY don't pass the Bechdel Test, do we?"

"Is that a Facebook thing? The castle and the government are on there, but I've been advised against getting my own account."

"Sorta, and you need to keep listening to those advisors."

Helen broke the hug and sat down, lighting another cigarette. Julie took the other chair but declined a second smoke and picked up her drink instead.

"You know what it's been like? Like watching two people play that Snake game that they used to put on phones: They keep moving around each other, and more reasons why they should crash into each other keep getting added and you keep waiting for them to either do it or hit a wall but it kept not happening."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"You should have told us how great it would've been if we'd connected."

"I tried. You always said 'ew,' so I stopped."

Julie took a drink. "Well, I'm not ashamed to say you were right. You know, that first night, I gave him my panties. He earned them. They're on display in the bedroom."

"He got yours too? I always thought if I ever ran out of underwear, I could just raid Troy's collection or borrow mine back. And I think it's safe to say that the woman whose friends went down on her on stage at the bachelor party doesn't feel shame often."

"Yeah, I can't argue with that. I really wish I HAD listened to you and we'd found each other sooner."

"Oh God, no! You two were sickening enough just as friends. Watching you do that whole teenage 'nobody else understands REAL love like ours' thing? I'd have had to kill you both."

They both laughed. Helena's hand was on the table. Julie took it, leaned forward, and kissed her. A second kiss followed. Tongues emerged on the third kiss.

"Ya know that Troy guy?"

"Oh yeah," Helen replied. "He's so dreamy."

"Betcha I could talk him into a threeway. Four if Maria's still in the mood."

"No way! I'll totally give you my Ferrari if that happens!"

They laughed again as Julie scooted her chair closer for a fourth kiss. It was broken by Troy shouting from the garden below.

"Hey, anyone lose some earrings," he asked.

"Hey, Troy," Helena shouted back down. "Is Maria with you?"

"Si, " Maria called up from down below. "Troy and I, we have been..." She giggled a little before continuing. "Talking."

"So've we," Julie shouted down to them. "Troy, we're spending the night. Get up here and make that cock useful."

"You may need to give him a minute on that," Maria shouted back, giggling some more.

Julie stood up and offered Helen her hand. Helen took it, stood, and kissed her again. Their kisses escalated to groping before Julie stepped back.

"You know, the thing that's happening tomorrow," she said to Helena. "It's too late for us to call it off."

"I guessed that. Will anyone be hurt?"

"I shouldn't think so."

"Will I think it's funny?"

"We hope."

"Then I'll try to appreciate it. And if I don't... well, I live in one of the grand old castles of Europe. You know I've got a dungeon."

"Let's save that for our anniversary visit," Julie said with another kiss as they embraced again.

"Ok, but dammit, you two have to let me spoil you just once while you're here. My jet's prepped to take you back to the States tomorrow. Take the limo straight to the airport from here; I can have people take care of your hotel room and rental car and your stuff loaded onto the plane before you get there. It's a 28-hour flight back home. I want to know my best friends are spending it on my vibrating waterbed watching the giant screen and enjoying the wet bar, not crammed into coach with a bag of peanuts."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"All right, but if we're doing this, let's go all out. Can you do the whole security officer escort, run red lights thing?"

"With a text."

"Then send those texts, excuse yourself from the party and let's get your tongue in my pussy and my husband's cock in yours, woman. I'll go brief them."

"After you, skanky cow."

"Oh, no, I insist. YOU'RE the Contessa, fucking cunt."

Helen kissed her again as they walked back into the party.

* * *

"My friends," Contessa Helena de San Finzione said into the microphone. "The hour is late and my dearest guests have to return to America in the morning, and so I must end this party and retire for the night to tell old stories and sing old songs with the remaining time we have to together. I entrust my dearest great-granddaughter, Maria Louisa Francesca de San Finzione to present your gift bags and see you out and hope that she chooses to join us afterwards; for Troy and Julie are as much her familia as mine. I bid you all good evening and hope that the rest of your night is as pleasant as I know ours shall be."

* * *

It was the expressions on Julie's face than Helen had missed most.

That look of joy in her eyes that, no matter how intensely she hissed for Helen to keep licking her clit, always conveyed how genuinely happy Julie was to have the other person making her feel this way. It made Troy's thrusting into her from behind as her tongue worked even more incredible.

That grin and sparkle in Julie's eye as she slipped a second finger inside Helen that said how much watching Helen use her mouth to clean Julie's best friend's cock was turning her on.

The welcoming smile on her face when Maria came to join them and Julie got up from watching Troy take Helen the way he would when they were teenagers and only knew the one sexual position to greet her with a kiss and slowly, sensuously help undress Maria.

That sweet mix of surprise, gratitude, and happiness on her face after Maria brought her to orgasm, like she'd just walked in on Maria hand-making her a birthday card; that brought Helen over the edge as Troy exploded inside her.

The hunger in her eyes as Julie's tongue met Helen's pussy, Julie's hand stroking Troy's cock as he lay on his back and pleasured Maria; who in turn, licked and sucked Helen's tits while Troy ate her.

She couldn't see the look on Julie's face as they 69ed, but the ecstasy on Maria's face as Troy pounded into her again and again made up for it.

And then a new look, one Helen had never seen before. One of absolute love and passion as Julie rode Troy. Helen and Maria idly kissed and stroked each other's bodies as they admired it, as well as the joyous look on Troy's face as he thrust up into her. A look like he'd been on a wonderful journey with Helen and Maria; but now he was home, where he knew he belonged, and everything the two of them had done that night had been leading up to their final mutual homecoming.

The look of drowsy fulfillment in her eyes as she and Troy rested their heads on Helen's breasts, holding hands while cupping Helen's pussy and periodically craning their heads forward to share little kisses with Helen or each other.

The contented look of peace on her face as they drifted off to sleep this way, Maria spooning up to Troy and kissing Helen as well before closing her own eyes, and the sight of the three people she loved most in the world in satisfied sleep before her own eyes closed.

* * *

The Sun tried to shine through the closed balcony doors into the bedroom of the castle. It attempted to cast its beam across the marbled floor, onto the Persian rug, across the king-sized bed, and onto the face of Contessa Helena de San Finzione, as was its daily routine. However, on this day, there was a problem. Some crazed Visigoth had closed the door and curtains. This wasn't like The Sun's valiant foe Contessa Helena de San Finzione at all! She usually lost, but she'd never backed down from their daily joust in ages.

The Sun was on a schedule, it didn't have time to stop and ask if everything was ok. It'd call today a draw, but if she wasn't there tomorrow, it'd be upgraded to a forfeit. And it swore it'd make such a heat wave if she didn't show a second time.

* * *

[Ramesh_Rocky]

It was often said that nothing happened between 12 and 2 in San Finzione. But this day, something did.

As the bells of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral sounded the hour, many people began their customary two-hour lunch break. Others made excuses to leave work during those hours for a personal matter.

All of them began to congregate toward the city park in front of the Cathedral. As they carefully obeyed all traffic laws while walking, driving, or riding to their shared destination; they produced Zorro masks from pockets, purses, and bags and donned them. Those whose journey took them via the marketplace were observed by an old woman dressed entirely in black who sat at an outdoor cafe drinking her vino and watching the world go by; as she had for as long as anyone could remember and would probably still be doing each day simply to baffle future generations.

Recently, the waiter had become better about making sure her glass was never empty and no longer bothered her about payment. She'd had a dim memory of a nice, respectful American girl who'd drank and talked with her one day having something to do with that. The crazy young thing had even claimed that SHE was a great-grandmother as well. Ridiculous! She'd later heard something about the girl going on to become Contessa. That was nice, good for her.

Memories had been getting trickier for her lately, but she recalled more of what they'd talked about: Another couple of nice young Americans who'd stopped and bought her a bottle and talked to her some time before that. She didn't understand why people seemed to hate Americans so much; the ones she'd met during The War seemed nice, and the only three she'd met since had all bought her drinks.

The memory of what she'd talked about with the young couple seemed hazier than most, but suddenly it had become clear. Not like something she'd forgotten, more like something that the church bells signaling the noon hour on this day had reminded her that she'd set aside to remember at this time.

The other girl had been a former lover of both the pretty new bride and her young husband (Scandalous! But then, there'd been a couple of girls back in her own day...) and they'd come to play a joke on her. They'd told her what the joke was, but strangely, asked her not to remember it until this time. What a crazy thing to say! Maybe Americans were all crazy too. Still, they'd bought her drinks long after the men had stopped doing so, and here she was remembering it...

And their joke was crazy too now that saw the people going to do it and knew what was coming. All they'd wanted from her were her observations on the people she saw from her spot every day, but if she'd been much younger, she'd have asked what else she could do to help. She'd been contemplating walking over to the park to see it for herself until the waiter came and topped off her vino.

Yeah, why change a good thing now?

* * *

[Ramesh_Rocky]

The tolling of the noon bells woke Contessa Helena de San Finzione with a start, and a small fright brought on by the uncertaintainty whether it was noon or midnight in her darkened bedroom. Either way, it was much later than she preferred to wake.

She looked toward the balcony. Troy or Julie must've closed the doors and curtains because Maria knew better than to do that. She looked around for them and saw she was alone.

She put her hand on the bed and felt something crinkle. Turning on a lamp and looking down, she saw a sticky note affixed to a folded piece of stationary. The sticky note was in Maria's handwriting and said that she apologized for not waking La Contessa, but she was sleeping more peacefully than Maria had ever seen before and that the girl had been waiting to deliver Julie's letter, but had somewhere she needed to be and would explain to La Contessa when she returned. The longer note was from Julie.

*Helen, (Yeah, yeah, "That's La Contessa to you." I made you my finger puppet last night, woman. You're HELEN! LEARN TO COPE!)

We want to wake you to say goodbye, but you're sleeping more peacefully than any of us have ever seen you, and considering how unpeacefully we've all seen you sleep, have decided to let you. (Also closed the curtains for you. The Sun's gotta come in and hit you in the face every morning. Not a good way to wake up.)

Since we've still got a plane to catch, we're going to have to leave as soon as I finish this letter telling you some of the things we didn't get to say last night.

1. We love you. If the offer to come back next year is still good by then, we'll call THAT your anniversary present and NO PRANKS this time!

2. I was 75% joking when I asked for the security officer escort. I can see them assembling from the balcony as I write this, and not only is it impressive, but it will actually take care of one last little snag in our plan that we were uncertain about.

3. When you see Maria next, she's going to have something important to talk to you about. We love her too, so listen to what she has to say and don't meddle, bitch, or I'll put you in your own dungeon, and not in a fun way.

4. Math Boy wants me to tell you that if La Contessa accepts "The People's Jest" in good humor and plays her cards right, she could come away with a major boost to San Finzione's tourism revenue. (Fuck, did you two used to talk about money IN BED when you were dating?)

[Ramesh_Rocky]

5. Don't hesitate to Skype if you need anything. I mean, I know YOU don't NEED anything, but Troy's right yet a-fucking-gain: Doing what we do, the three of us (and soon Susan too) have problems that, as far as we know, nobody else in the world can relate to. So we owe it to ourselves and each other to always keep lines of communication open if one of us needs to talk. We'll both respect that.

Troy says we've got to be going, if we're going to make our 12:30 takeoff. In addition to his having class on Monday, he thinks it might be a good idea to be out of San Finzione airspace before 1. If you get this in time, maybe you can take the helicopter to the airport and say goodbye.

Go Deeper and Understand, Mistress,

Julie*

Helen folded the letter back up with closed eyes and a smile and whispered a quiet "Mmm...thank you, Mistress" to the empty room before calling the roof to tell them to have the helicopter ready in fifteen minutes, only to find that Maria had suggested it before leaving and it'd been prepped for takeoff for the past half hour. She turned on the room lights and scrambled to find something to wear.

* * *

Something was happening between 12 and 2 in San Finzione.

Uniformed security officermen arrived and set up posts at the park entrance. Many of them were plain-clothes officers who'd decided to bring their uniforms with them that day and start changing when the noon bells rang.

It'd been a strange week for many of them. Most had spent the past few days assigned to an odd surveillance detail. Anyone who'd asked the Prefect about it was told that it was some readiness exercise that had been ordered by the government. It'd seemed odd to all of them, shadowing a pair of American tourists. Especially since the tourists had been so nice to them: Coming up to their cars with coffee and sandwiches, asking about their personal lives; just being really good sports about having seemingly been singled out for this, especially for having to work a detail that the woman had described accurately as "Complete bullshit, when there's real security officer work you could be doing."

Conversing with and accepting food and drink from subjects of a surveillance was, of course, a major violation of the rules, but so was wasting their time on this idiotic readiness drill, and all of them who hadn't forgotten that they'd even had the conversations chose to leave them out of their reports. They'd agreed that they may as well guard the city park entrances during their lunch break that day and prevent anyone with children or who wasn't wearing a Zorro mask to enter. So that's what they were doing today.

Well, it felt like a better use of their time, anyway. Most of the rest of the force today had been assigned as security for some special guests who'd been at La Contessa's ball the night before and were giving them a full security officer escort to the airport. Apparently these people were so important that those assigned had been woken in the middle of the night with the call to show up in parade dress outfits that morning, and right now, every other cop, vehicle, K-9 Unit and horse patrol was on that assignment.

As they turned away families with children and refused to answer their questions about why all these people in masks were being allowed to enter freely, some wondered about that themselves, but then quickly decided not to think about it.

Many of the people in the masks were confused about why they'd come, themselves. Some had been in bars, some had been in church, and some had either responded to a personal ad on Craigslist or met someone who'd responded to their own ad earlier in the week.

Their encounters had all been the same. Some had met a handsome man or a couple, but most had vague memories of a beautiful woman with unusual hair who'd spent their meetings talking to them about their own relationships and love lives. Mostly if there'd been someone in their own lives whom they'd been attracted to and was available but either never considered them or they were too nervous to speak to them. The person had also inquired about how to find the subject of their heart's desire. All had been contacted again the next evening by one of the people and had either been told to move on and that the beautiful couple knew someone else that was perfect for them, or that the couple had a way to make things work between them.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

All but one of them were hazy on the details, they simply knew that they should come to the park this day and go to a specific spot. The unusual part had been the Zorro masks, but they explained that the other person would be wearing one too and they should use their best judgment whether or not to reveal themselves to their partner.

But that this day, for this period of time, if they followed the instructions that they wouldn't remember until the church bells sounded at noon, that person would be waiting for them, also in a Zorro mask.

The only one of them who understood entirely what was going on had arrived at her spot. She saw others close by, waiting in their own spots, until a partner showed. Some were talking, some were confused. Others had brought blankets and air mattresses and were laying them down on the ground. She'd brought a blanket as well and was doing the same when the man approached.

A man dressed in the t-shirt and jeans of a laborer was standing there waiting for her. The woman approached. She'd seen this man before, knew she'd talked casually to him, and recognized his muscular body brought on by physical labor despite the Zorro mask, but he seemed confused.

The young woman stood facing him and decided to lift up her mask to reveal who she was. He smiled; a smile she'd seen before, before lifting up his own mask.

"I am Maria," she said to him as she moved closer, standing inches from him.

"Stavro," he responded, though she'd known the Butcher Boy's name for a while.

The Cathedral bells sounded the one o'clock hour. They stepped forward into each other's arms and kissed, as many others were now doing in the park. Others were following their lead as well as they began to undress each other and slide down onto the blanket.

* * *

La Contessa's Eurocopter EC 155 was powered up and waiting on the helipad when she emerged from the castle. Unbowed by the winds pushing down and back from the circling blades, she climbed the little steps into the vehicle and strapped in. The pilot confirmed that she was secure and took off toward the noonday Sun and the city skyline of San Finzione.

The helicopter easily made its way through the few tall office buildings that comprised the city center. The pilot listened to something on his radio before switching on the microphone to address La Contessa.

"Contessa, is something going on in the park. We've been advised to check it out."

Helena had hoped there was still time to hug her friends goodbye, but decided that if it'd been important enough for them to radio her helicopter, it should be checked out.

As the pilot flew toward the park, she checked her phone. The vibrations of the helicopter had caused her to miss the vibrations from her phone, and now she saw that a half-dozen texts and calls had tried to reach her.

They approached the park and noticed that several news helicopters were hovering at the edge of the No-Fly Zone surrounding the park and the old Cathedral.

When Helen saw what was going on in the park, she laughed. Then felt a little hurt, but then laughed again. She picked up the binoculars and surveyed the crowd, still laughing.

It was when she saw Maria riding some young stud for all she was worth that the laughter turned into a cheer and she understood what Julie's note had been talking about.

* * *

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Troy and Julie had buckled in for takeoff. They'd gotten a brief tour of La Contessa's private jet before being seated, and there was time to admire the features she'd promised and more once they were in the air.

Troy took his phone out and saw a text from Susan. He messaged her that they were about to take off and should be home tomorrow, then set the phone on his lap as they taxied down the runway.

He'd made an odd request of the pilot before takeoff: If they could see the city park from their windows. He'd said they might catch it for a couple of seconds as the plane turned onto its flight path, but the park itself was a No-Fly Zone and they couldn't go over it. Troy accepted this and asked him to do his best.

Julie's pre-flight martini was in her hand as they left the ground. Troy pointed to where the pilot had told him to look and turned on his phone's camera, hoping to take a couple of shots before they flew out of range.

They looked over the city as the plane ascended. Turning, Troy snapped his pictures quickly before the opportunity was lost.

Most were too blurry to see, but one had come out clearly. They admired the beauty of the park, the old cathedral at the end, and the fornicating people in the park spelling out FUCK YOU HELEN with their bodies. Julie pointed to the spot where they'd told Maria and her Butcher Boy to meet. Both of them nodded and smiled.

They held hands as the plane climbed higher.

END