Chapter 4: Drawing Room

Quill sect members namesake came from decretive accessories made from the quills of various rodents near their sect. Iris was no exception sporting an arm band made of diamond tip spines. Tang Mao received a demonstration that the adornment in question wasn't only decretive. Flicking the first few, her aim wasn't enough. One became a spectator souvenir embedded in a poor gent in the audience.

Handily dodging and deflecting the other quills two that would have struck him, Mao was left unbalanced. As a result, the small opening became a quill driven by Iris into the meaty part of Tang's Leg.

"You treacherous rum-" He lost the ability to say words as another quill was flung at his face. Stance broken; Iris ransacked him like a Mongolian horde. Punches, kicks, using her sword like a club, left tang Mao on the ground defeated.

Returning to the cordon, the victor collapsed. Despite thrashing the guy, it was a lot harder than she had hoped. At their level, match up, endurance, style, played a much larger role. After all it wasn't like they could blast qi or had fancy dozens of techniques and arts mastered. Her quill arts were exposed so it was unlikely to catch another opponent off guard. The high ranked foundation members were to bout later and it was expected to see more martial arts than just trading blows.

She would just have to train more.

"She didn't do bad. Holding off for the right moment can be tough." One of the flat chested girls behind her said.

"Yes, I thought she would lose after she didn't manage to take him down at close range." Her sect brother nodded in agreement."

"It's unlikely we will fight but I hope to match with her. I feel like it will be a tough fight."

As fate would have it, she didn't get a chance. Matched against muscle man she got pushed out of the ring by the large range of his trident.

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After debating which tale to tell her family, Valentine decide to regale them with what would have been her first step on her journey of cultivation. It had been shortly before her stepmother and daughter had arrived. She had a few other incidents with Iris being to touchy or immodest, but she had chosen this one.

"Hey, we should pair cultivate." It was much latter that Valentine had learned that this was a very intimate act but she left that detail out.

Valentine looked over her book at the maid who was sitting cross legged on the floor. Her black flats were set to the side and her white nylons peeked from under her dark maid skirt. As it was late autumn, they were in the sitting room rather than outside in the gardens. Duchess to be had never heard of pair cultivation, except when raising two lilies verse one. Returning to her book, she simply didn't answer.

"I really could use your help, since the qi is so pure it doesn't like my spiritual roots."

"Duchess do not sit on the floor." Without looking up.

"It doesn't have to be on the floor, I can just lay on top of you."

It was a full chapter of pages before Valentine finally responded.

"Shameless."

Iris scratched her head. There wasn't much for it than.

"If you don't want to, then I can just use a moonlit technique instead." Seeing a simple nod from the duchess. She stood up taking her mob cap off and setting it on her shoes. Reaching aft she undid the lose bow on her frilled apron before lightly tossing it on the couch next to Valentine. Buttons weren't common on most outfits in the martial realm, so rather than fumble with those she first rolled her stockings down. Duchess Valentine watched with a morbid fascination from her seated position. Idly throwing them the foot of the stocking landed on the duchess book.

Turning the color of her hair as she undid the collar buttons, "What on earth are you doing!?" Valentine wanted to scream instead she had her eyes fixed on the soft white neck. When her maid reached the bottom hem and started to pull the dark top from her body, even she couldn't say nothing.

"Sha-sha-Shameless!" Iris paused, looking at the flushed girl on the couch. Her under shirt had stuck to the outer garment, showing of incredibly defined abs. Squeezing her eyes shut she held the book over her face. Rustling fabric still penetrated, and the heir could only imagine more pale skin coming into view.

"Stop!" She cried out and everything went silent. "Shameless, shameless, shameless."

"Its just a moonlit cultivation method, there are several other procedures like this that one needs to be nude for." Valentine couldn't even bring herself to speak. Trembling for a moment, she caved

"If-if I cultivate, would you keep your clothes on?"

"Of course!" Brightly and sweetly, she smiled as duchess heir lowered her book and opened her eyes. Internally smirking, Iris slowly helped the noble to her feet and sat her down facing her on the soft plush carpet.

"Hands." Iris was little close for her own comfort but held her hands forward. After receiving a blank look, she waved her hands in a give them to me gesture.

"I need your hands." Slowly the duchess reached up softly resting her hands on the maids' palms.

For a moment nothing happened, and Valentine was able to enjoy the soft callus touch of the sage's palm. Her hands were always cold, exposed to the air since she never wore gloves, so the slim fingers were like fire to the noble.

"Breath, my lady. This elder isn't going to hurt you." Smiling as the girl tomatoed, she began to walk her through the basics of cultivation.

"Breath. Breath in, Breath out. The breath is the conduit in which we bring the life of this world. To start, any mantra you wish to say will do."

"Any mantra?" Valentine asked.

"Whatever comes to mind." Reassuring the taller girl, she couldn't help but think of the 7th Elder of the Formless Blade sect. The duchess was stacked, tall with long legs, busty, soft red hair, that framed startling storm blue eyes. Cute features and relaxed disposition Iris decided. 7th elder could learn something, but all her intellect went to her obscenely large chest.

"Try ah if you don't know the important thing is for you not the words. On the out, in, ahhh, In, ahhh. It helps if you close your eyes." With her eyes closed it felt much less embarrassing than trying to figure out where to stare. It didn't help the young maiden, that Iris had sharp exotic features that one couldn't help but get caught up in. It did feel strange the young noble thought, as she had never done anything monk-like or religious in her life.

"For now, just focus on envisioning the flow of energy through your body. From my right fingertips through your arm, down to the heart, through the core. From the core to your left, down to your hands, and into my left fingertips."

Trying to stay focus and not be over aware of her own body was hard. When she focused, she could feel heat, but when she went to move it, nothing happened. What did energy flow even look like? Trying not to get frustrated or distracted was even more difficult. After a time, the shame grew in her heart. It was better to avoid doing than to fail.

"Relax, its ok not to get it the first time." Soft and melodious, Iris didn't let any frustration or difficulty show. At more than four hundred years, Valentine was hardly the first student to struggle. Students were fragile creatures, even more so someone like her lady who had trouble speaking with others.

"Take a moment, keep your eyes close I'm going to do something that should make it easier." Letting her hands go she crawled around the duchess. One quick motion she place her arms around her shoulders and held her from behind, legs splayed out against the duchess hips. It was endearing to watch her visibly turn redder at their intimate position.

"Don't be shy, Dual cultivation is easier the closer you are physically. Relax, focus on the heat from your back." It took several seconds for the duchess to thaw. The last person to be this attached had been her late mother. Nobles, especially those of the ducal rank, were better described as images rather than people. Rarely did any physical contact occur. They were to be immaculate, never bothered, never showing emotion. Show pieces.

"Focus on the energy, each beat." There were boobs in her back, and she was supposed to focus on the energy. Her skirt had slid up so she could feel the taunt legs resting against her hips. So, embarrassing.

"Shameless…" It was all Valentine could think to say. She tried to squirm when the women be hind leaned in. Her moist breath tickling her exposed neck and collar bone.

"Each Beat." Iris whispered, gently taping her sternum just below the throat. Each pulse trickling a small bit of qi into the noble. Valentine gasped, screwing her eye shut to keep down the anxiety it suddenly become much easier to focus. Warm, but delicate, simple yet complex, a soft heat slowly built in her chest. It could be the energy, the qi that her maid was speaking of it. There was a feeling, something profound, something was squeezing.

"This old lady is jealous, so large." Iris quickly graduated from taping to squeezing the soft firm bosom of the noble lady.

"Iris…" Something between anger and a whine came from Valentine's mouth. She attempted to stand and withdraw herself but underestimated the grappling skills of the cultivator. Wrapping tight she drew herself into Iris back, her legs springing up to entangle the noble lady. It was new, new territory for the redhead. The bare callused heel dug into her soft fleshy thigh, far too north for the duchess to even began to think about. Her other heel gently hooked her midriff. The squirming generated lighting down every nerving ending Valentine had. A soft groan was all she managed. Before she could say more, the door busted open, and one of the servant maids burst in.

"Lady Lockheed! Its urgent the Prince has showed up unannounced to see you. We need to-" From the door frame she could see the lady on the floor, the new maid grouping her chest. It took the maid a moment to realize that this was the time to show discretion for her lady.

"I see your occupied. I will let the prince know you will be late, excuse me my lady."

Nothing was said. Valentine had completely shut down, and Iris didn't see the point. Poking the comatose girl on the check.

"What's a Prince?" One could almost hear the noble slowly rebooting.

"It the heir to the empires throne…"

"Oh, so they are important?"

"Very."

"So, like me than." Iris did carry a lofty title but saintess wasn't really a court position, it was more a church thing.

"I can't keep him waiting."

"I'll help." Unconstricting herself from the duchess she planted both feet, and in a show of leg strength stood tossed the duchess on her shoulders.

"Onward!"

"Ir-ri-ri-is! That's the wrong way!"

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"You got an earful from the prince. Then dragged me to your office to yell at me. Hit me twice if I recall correctly." Valentine finished her tale for her stepmother. There was surprise in her eyes.

"You hit your daughter?" She asked looking at her husband in a shocked manor. It never crossed her mind that he would be physical with his daughter. The duke was so kind and sweet to Mary.

"It was necessary, such flagrant disgrace for nobility should have been much worse. It was enough to satisfy the prince, who wanted me to have her whipped."

"The prince would have asked wouldn't he." Valentine stated softly.

"Oh dear, we can't let the prince marry the lady than that would be to mean." Charlotte cut in.

"I know that nobility is important but it's your daughters."

"It was necessary, my love." The duke continued as he came around his desk. "We nobles must set examples, its harsh but it's the way of the world. I would be remiss as a father if I failed my daughter by not educating her properly."

"Oh, so it's for her sake? It doesn't seem right…" There was clear confusion on the stepmother. As a commoner from a rural area, a lot of noble things were distant dreams. The duke grasped his wife's hand, letting his good looks do the work.

"If my daughter doesn't marry the prince than it would force Mary to be tied to a political marriage, rather than her being with some one she loves." Clearly, Mrs. Elis had no idea what how to deal with something so difficult.

"If you think its best dear…"

"It is!" The duke nodded empathetically and threw the prince under the carriage. "Had I not, the prince would have used the excuse to arrest her, I really had no choice. My daughter could have ended up in jail like the servant girl- "

"Iris is where?" Lightning cackled behind the girl. Charlotte could feel the temperature drop and shivered. Valentine's father shivered for a different reason.

"She was arrested for assaulting a noble." Those eyes shown with hatred, never in his entire life had his daughter been more than a shell, carrying out the duties he prescribed for her. Without anything further, Valentine strode to the door, not even bothering to open it. It shattered under her hand, wood fragments flying everywhere.

"Well, if she that strong, I suppose I was worried about her for nothing." The airhead said to her husband.

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