Hannah felt as if she might have stepped into another world. The sight of colorful tents and temporary stalls was everywhere. It gave off an air of both planning and chaos as alleyways seemed to spring off at random points, with more tents and stalls set up down each way.

She could hear the excited chattering of everyone in attendance, as well as the sound of some nearby horses, the clacking of the wooden wheels of a nearby passing cart, and the clanking of mugs—it appeared some were already breaking out the ale.

This trip had been Marcy's idea. Ever the nerd, she had seen months ago that the town up the road was holding a themed Medieval festival called the Evershade Faire. Jess was easily convinced to go, but it took a bit more convincing for Hannah, who doubted whether she would have a good time. However, her pair of friends eventually convinced her, and they had spent much of their free time over the last couple of months creating their outfits for this day.

It didn't take long for the eyes to find them, however: a trio of young women only a couple of years out of college wearing striking outfits. Hannah felt a bit of a blush hit her cheeks. She was initially going to go for a very modest outfit, but Jess, especially, kept encouraging her to be bolder.

"Go bolder!" she would say after every outfit idea revision. "You have your stuff! Show it off!"

Eventually, Hannah ended up with the boldest outfit of the entire group and one which she didn't feel too conscious about wearing, at least until there were a couple hundred pairs of eyes evaluating her.

Hannah was wearing a fern green ankle-length dress with subtle embroidery at the hem. On top, she wore a matching corset that hugged her snugly, and also pushed up her C-cup breasts to where it looked like they might fall out if she bent too far over. Her shoulders were bare and strapless, except for a crescent moon pendant she was wearing around her neck. She wore a thin leather belt around her waist with a small pouch and high, soft leather boots. Her brown hair was a mix of loosely braided strands and curls.

Jess had gone for daring as well, but in a different direction. She wore a wine-red dress with a low neckline and a laced bodice, with a matching skirt which extended to just above her knees. She wore leather boots that nearly reached the bottom of her skirt, and her blonde hair curled around itself, with stray curls hanging off here and there.

Marcy was the most conservative one, but also striking in her own way. She wore a blue, robe-like dress with a tight underbust corset in cream with long sleeves and subtle embroidery. She carried a satchel full of "scrolls" and "healing vials" to complete the herbalist look she was trying to go for. Her red hair was braided around her head. Unlike her two companions, she opted for simple flat footwear with straps.

"I feel like everyone is staring at us," Hannah whispered to her two companions as they slowly walked deeper into the assembled fair.

"It's not that bad. Besides, we wanted to stand out, remember? I think that was mission accomplished," Jess remarked with a slight grin.

The trio explored the festival together, greeting fellow attendees who often complimented their outfits. Some of them conversed out of character, but many conversed "in character" as well. That was part of the trio's discussion, especially in the week leading up to the festival: what would their personas be? They had already made some decisions that helped educate what their outfits were going to be, but they wanted to nail down the details.

Hannah had decided on being Lady Hana of Greenbarrow, a minor noblewoman from a woodland estate who is visiting with her fellow noblewoman, played by Jess, and their herbalist, played by Marcy. She mostly felt her in-character personality was just a more formal version of her real one.

The trio spent some time walking around to many of the stalls and tents that had been set up. Hannah ended up purchasing a simple green brooch styled as a pair of leaves and made of oxidized copper, which added even more woodland flavor to her outfit.

The trio eventually made it to several food stalls that were set up around an open square that had tables set up for people to eat, of varying degrees of historical accuracy.

"Meet up at that table over there?" Jess asked her friends, pointing to a smaller table with four chairs around it.

"Sounds good," Hannah happily replied as she explored looking at the food options.

She had this vision of Medieval people eating giant turkey legs and drinking ale, and there was, in fact, a stall selling roasted turkey legs, which Hannah felt would be quite too messy to even attempt eating. Another stall was selling a variety of small single-serving pies, while another had honey-glazed sausages roasting over a fire. However, she settled on a stall that was selling a beef stew served in a crusty sourdough bowl.

Hannah carried the bowl of soup carefully, not wanting to somehow slip on the packed earth below her and spill her lunch all over the ground and herself. She approached the table and saw Jess already there and having already placed three mugs of some beverage on the table as well. Marcy was approaching from another direction and making her way through the crowd.

Hannah placed her bowl down on the table and glanced at Jess. "Of course," she remarked with a shake of her head. In Jess's hands was one of the large turkey legs, which she was in the process of messily attacking. "Leave it up to you to just go all-in on the theme."

"What? It looked tasty!" Jess laughed after swallowing the mouthful of meat in her mouth. "And it is tasty too. I'm going to have to ask the guy what seasoning he put on this."

"Just don't end up wearing your lunch," Hannah chuckled as she prepared to start on her soup with the wooden spoon she had gotten with it.

"It'll be fine!" Jess declared before taking another bite. "Anyway, your cleavage is pushed up so high your chest is almost its own table anyway," Jess said with another mouth-stuffed laugh.

Hannah looked down and blushed. Jess was right. They had worked on her corset for a long time to make sure it worked, but it still amazed Hannah to some degree that she wasn't just falling out of it. The neckline went so low that if one looked close enough, one could see the curve of the bottom of her breasts start to curve back in. It was an impressive amount of cleavage.

Marcy soon also showed up, having selected a couple of the roasting honey sausages on a stick.

"These smell amazing," she remarked as she took her seat.

"What? Did you find a smell and follow it until you found it?" Hannah inquired with a chuckle.

"Yeah, basically," Marcy matter-of-factly confirmed before taking a bite out of the first sausage. "As good as they smell!" she declared.

"Don't forget the ale!" Jess interjected, motioning toward the mugs. "The guy said it is supposed to be authentic, made with honey and herbs."

"Authentically hangover-inducing, probably," Marcy smirked.

Hannah picked up the mug and took a tentative sip. She wasn't sure what to expect, but found the drink to be a little sweet and a little bitter, with a pleasant taste but still enough edge to remind her that it was, in fact, ale.

"What do you think?" Jess asked expectantly.

"It's not bad," Hannah acknowledged, bobbing her head up and down as she set the mug back down on the table.

Hannah took the time to chat with her friends about what they had seen that day, and continued to observe around them. Nearby, a couple of young men in armor were sparring with swords. In another place, someone started a cheerful song on a lute. Hannah felt that one could easily get overwhelmed if one tried to pay attention to everything going on.

She continued to sip on her ale as she finished her soup, which she found to be delicious and hearty. By the time she had finished, it had softened most of the bread enough that she could tear off chunks and snack on it as well.

“You know,” Jess said between bites, “we’ve definitely turned heads today.”

Hannah glanced around—she had noticed it. A lingering look here, a second glance there. She knew the corset was doing heavy lifting, literally and figuratively, but it was more than that. Something about the air of the place—the fantasy, the roles, the layers of costuming—gave everything a charged, playful edge. She felt seen, but not in the usual way. In a way that was... exciting.

“Well, if I vanish for an hour and come back looking a little more disheveled, you’ll know why,” Marcy said with a grin, half-joking.

Jess raised her mug. “To scandal!”

They clinked wooden mugs together with a satisfying thud.

As they finished off the last bites of their food, the sound of a horn echoed through the fairgrounds that clearly signified fanfare. Somewhere in the distance, a crier’s voice rang out: “Make way! The Royal Joust is about to begin!”

“Oh hell yes,” Jess said, wiping her fingers on a napkin before downing the last of her drink. “I want to see someone get knocked flat off a horse.”

"You would," Hannah laughed as she also got up, downing the last of her ale. The trio returned their mugs and utensils to the provided areas and started to make their way to where the horn sounded.

“I heard the knights are all real riders,” Marcy added, her eyes lighting up. “Like, guys who go around to different festivals to do this. With real lances.”

Hannah dabbed her lips with a cloth napkin and stood, adjusting her corset slightly. “Sounds dangerous.”

“Sounds hot,” Jess corrected with a grin. “Come on. Let's get good seats.”

Hannah had seen the open arena they were approaching when they had first arrived, but it was largely empty at the time, with only a few people making preparations for the later events. Now it was bustling with half of the fair's attendees climbing into the wooden bleachers and temporary towers draped in colorful banners.

The trio finally found a place to sit. To one side, next to Marcy, was a pair of older women in more modest outfits, who nevertheless complemented the trio's daring dresses. Soon, a pair of boys, perhaps five years older than they were, sat on the other side, next to Jess. Hannah couldn't help but tell that Jess was now spending as much time "chatting" with her new neighbors as she was paying attention to the arena.

"Look," Marcy remarked, nudging her and pointing toward a platform on the other side of the arena. "That is where the lead Lords and Ladies are watching."

Hannah tried to assess what they saw. Several people were sitting under a brightly colored canopy. There were both men and women, most of them middle-aged, conversing and laughing as they prepared to watch the spectacle below them. For some reason, one of them caught Hannah's particular eye: a man dressed in burgundy and black and what appeared to be a silver emblem pinned at his chest. He was in the middle-right of the collected lords—not the highest ranked one there, but also not the lowest either.

Something about him stood out to Hannah. He had silver-streaked hair that was tied back and a neatly-trimmed beard.

"Do you see that guy in the burgundy and black outfit?" Hannah leaned over and quietly asked Marcy.

"Yeah. I'm not sure who he is, though," Marcy replied.

"That is Lord Thorne," one of the older women next to them then interjected, having overheard their conversation. "He is a frequent attendee and sponsor of this event, which is why he is given the honor of being one of the highlighted lords," she added with what Hannah thought was perhaps a slight smirk.

"I guess that explains why he looks so... authentic," Hannah remarked, pausing briefly to search for the word she wanted to use.

“Mm,” the older woman murmured, lips twitching with amusement. “That’s one word for it.”

Hannah glanced at her, as if she was expecting an elaboration, but the woman said nothing more and merely returned her attention to the arena with the air of someone who knew more than she planned to share.

However, Hannah's attention was soon pulled away by the crier calling out again. "The seventeenth annual Evershade jousting tournament shall now commence!"

The crowd erupted into applause as the first two knights thundered into view from opposite ends of the arena. Their armor gleamed in the midday sun, heraldic capes flaring behind them, lances held high in salute before they trotted to their respective positions. One bore a crest of a golden hawk on blue; the other, a snarling bear in black and red. It all looked properly dramatic and intense—everything Hannah had hoped to see.

The crier’s voice rang out again, booming over the stands. “Sir Cedric of Haleford! Sir Brennet of the Ironwood! May honor guide their strikes!”

The trumpets blared. The crowd hushed. Then came the thunder of hooves.

The two knights charged at full gallop, their lances leveled and their armor clattering. Hannah felt that she was holding her breath as the pair quickly approached each other in the middle of the arena. The impact was sudden and sharp, with a shattering crash of wood on steel. One of the lances splintered, the rider it impacted reeling but able to just stay on his horse as it rounded the other end of the arena.

Hannah finally let out her breath and cheered along with the rest of the spectators. Her gaze then, almost involuntarily, glanced at Lord Thorne. He was chatting with another Lord sitting next to him, laughing and smiling, perhaps telling a joke as he vigorously applauded the action.

Soon, another match began, with the crier announcing a new pair of contestants, pulling Hannah back to the action. This time, one of the riders got knocked flat off his horse, landing on his back on the ground, to the sounds of groans and "oohs" from the crowd. However, everyone once again applauded and cheered when he stood up and waved to signal that he was alright.

Jess was hooting beside her. “That’s what I’m talking about!” she laughed, nudging Hannah. “Damn, these guys don’t hold back.”

“They really don’t,” Hannah replied with a smile. "I'm finding I'm holding my breath whenever they start riding toward each other."

For the next couple of hours, pairs of jousters continued to ride, with the losers getting eliminated and the winners advancing to participate once again.

Finally, the tournament was down to its last two riders: Sir Gareth of Elderpine, wearing forest green with gold trim, and Sir Roderic of the Shattered Coast, whose deep indigo surcoat fluttered behind him as he entered the field. Each jouster had defeated and even unseated many of the other competitors, leaving only them as undefeated.

Hannah had gotten increasingly invested in the tournament, cheering when her chosen rider won a joust. She had noticed Sir Gareth early on, with the shade of green of this outfit and shield mirroring hers, making him a favorite of Hannah's, and she was gleeful that he had made it to the final round.

The crier stepped forward again, voice ringing out with practiced grandeur. “Final match! Sir Gareth versus Sir Roderic! One pass for glory, or three to claim the prize!” Trumpets blared as the two riders acknowledged each other and rode to opposite ends of the arena.

Hannah quickly glanced at Lord Thorne, whom she had almost forgotten about during the excitement of the tournament. He was watching as intently as everyone else at the action. Her attention quickly snapped back to the riders as they began their final charges.

They thundered toward each other; the entire crowd seemed to simultaneously hold its breath for the result. The two riders clashed together, both of their lances shattering against the other's shield, but both knights remained mounted, resulting in a loud cheer rising from the crowd.

“Holy shit,” Jess said, breathless. “That’s the best pass yet.”

Marcy was already leaning forward, eyes locked on the field. “They’re going again!”

Indeed, both knights were handed fresh lances from their squires and rode to their starting positions on either end of the arena. Neither had fallen, which was an automatic victory, so instead they each were awarded points. Whoever had the most points after three rounds would be the winner, unless one of them fell off.

The two riders charged again, Hannah feeling they were even faster this time. They crashed again, with both lances shattering once again. However, this time, the indigo-clad rider, Sir Roderic, went flying off his horse, hitting the ground hard. As was usually the case after a dismount, the crowd gasped and held its breath until the rider stood up and gave a signal that he was alright.

After Sir Roderic did so, everyone erupted in cheers as Sir Gareth now pranced his horse around the arena, pumping his fist in the air and yelling in an adrenaline-filled victory celebration. The crier announced him as the tournament champion, and after a victory lap around the arena, he stopped in front of the platform holding the top Lords and Ladies. A gold-trimmed lady descended from the noble box to present him with a sash and a goblet.

Hannah sat back down slowly, exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding again. “God, that was—”

“Awesome,” Jess finished, grinning and bouncing slightly with the leftover adrenaline.

“Absolutely,” Marcy added, fanning herself. “That final hit was brutal. I think I saw one of his gauntlets fly off.”

Hannah nodded, smoothing her skirt. “I feel like I need a moment to recover.”

Hannah took one last glance over at Lord Thorne. He had walked down to the field with the other Ladies and Lords to congratulate the winner, a big smile on his face.

Just a curiosity, Hannah told herself. Just another player in the grand little drama of the day. Still… he did cut a striking figure.

“Wanna go walk around again?” Jess asked, already stretching her arms overhead. “I think there’s going to be a falconry show next—or a storyteller or something.”

“Yeah,” Hannah agreed, standing and brushing the dust from her dress. “Let’s see what else this place has to offer.”

The trio once again made their way around the grounds, attending some smaller events and grabbing another sweet snack before browsing more booths selling trinkets.

Soon, it was starting to get into late afternoon. It was not quite time for dinner, but it was close enough for them to start considering it.

"Do we wanna split off? Go do our own thing for a while? Maybe meet back up at the food stalls in an hour or ninety minutes?" Jess suggested after the trio finished browsing the latest stall.

"Why? Do you have someone you want to see?" Hannah asked with a grin.

"That's for me to know and for you to maybe find out at a future date," Jess replied with her own grin. "It gives you the chance to go hunt that nobleman you were ogling earlier, too."

"Please," Hannah waved her off. "I'm not that obvious."

“Oh, honey,” Marcy said with a laugh, “you really are.”

"Ninety minutes then?" Hannah repeated, looking at her watch, the only reminder that she was just performing at a fair.

"Sounds good. Don't get up to too much trouble," Marcy confirmed.

"Don't worry, I will," Jess chuckled.

Hannah then wandered off in a random direction. She didn't have any particular place she wanted to go or see, but she chose a direction that she hadn't been in yet, interested to see what was going on in that area of the fair.

The crowds thinned slightly as Hannah moved farther from the central lanes of the fair, leaving behind the high chatter and bustle of the food stalls and popular vendor rows. Here, the path was narrower, flanked by arching fabric awnings and lanterns that swayed gently overhead. The colors were still bright—no corner of the festival lacked for decoration—but there was a quieter energy here. Less spectacle, more curiosity.

She passed a booth selling hand-bound books with leather covers etched in swirling runes, and another where a man offered readings from tarot cards painted on wooden tiles. The smell of incense hung in the air, mingling with distant roasting meat. Somewhere nearby, a dulcimer was being played, filling the air with soft, slow chords.

She then heard a hearty laugh come from an alleyway nearby. Curious, she started walking down the path, and soon came across a more extravagant tent than most—one set in burgundy and black. Soon, she spotted him: he was bent over something in his tent, his back to her, but it was undoubtedly the figure and outfit of Lord Thorne. She had ended up running into him after all, despite not even trying to find him. Her heart fluttered as if this was some kind of signal of fate.

The man soon turned around and noticed Hannah standing there, gazing at him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. He was taller than she'd realized from across the arena. His silver-streaked hair was a bit more loosely tied back, and she got a real feel for just how exquisite his outfit actually was. She felt like it put most of the outfits at the fair to shame, but from what she heard about him from the pair of ladies at the jousting tournament, he also seemed to be someone who took the role seriously.

He was holding a wine flask and gave her a brief, assessing look. He then smiled, perhaps amused that Hannah seemed to continue to dumbfoundingly stare at him.

“My lady,” he said, voice smooth with the faintest edge of amusement. “I must confess, I did not expect company.”

His being in character made Hannah want to follow suit. She actually hadn't had much opportunity to play the role she had prepared, so she was anxious about perhaps actually being able to do so.

“Forgive the intrusion, my lord. I had not meant to trespass—only to follow the scent of incense and curiosity.”

That earned a soft chuckle. “Then you are doubly welcome. Curiosity is in short supply these days, and incense… well, I burn it mostly to confuse the vendors downwind.”

Hannah gave a slight chuckle at the joke. She started to feel herself relax. The man was smooth and charming, and easy to let her guard down around.

She glanced at the tent behind him. “Is this your domain?”

"It is," he then straightened up. "Forgive me, my lady, I have not properly introduced myself. I am Lord Thorne, Baron of Chesterfire. Who have I been given the honor of greeting this afternoon?"

"Oh, uh, I am Lady Hana of Greenbarrow, my Lord."

"Greenbarrow, eh? A fitting setting for such a lovely lady." He took her hand and kissed it in greeting.

Hannah was a bit surprised by how much her heart fluttered, and she could feel herself blush. Surely, he could tell as well.

"So, my lady, are you just passing by or might you be interested in further honoring me with your presence?" He slightly motioned toward the entrance of his tent.

Hannah was intrigued now. There was something about this man, and she felt like she couldn't pass up the chance to learn more about him.

"I would be glad to offer you my company for a little while, Lord Thorne."

The man smiled in earnest, and he stepped aside, lifting the flap of the tent with a courtly bow. "Then come, my lady. Let us speak not of suffering, but of fine wine and foolish tournaments."

Hannah stepped inside the tent. It was cool and shaded, and shut out much of the ambient noise of the fair. The smell of incense was even stronger inside than it was outside. The inside was relatively sparsely decorated—not a surprise given it was a temporary tent for the fair. But there were still some decorative items such as an ornate walking stick and a ceremonial blade on display.

Lord Thorne followed, letting the flap fall shut behind him. “I admit,” he said, walking over to a sideboard and uncorking a decanter, “it is rare for someone to stumble upon this place. Rarer still that I let them linger.”

"I apologize for any intrusion, my lord," Hannah remarked with a slight bow.

"It is no matter," he remarked while pouring a small measure of wine into a pair of goblets. "We seem to have piqued each other's curiosity." He then offered her one of the goblets, which she accepted with both hands.

Hannah took a sip, savoring the sweet flavor of the wine.

"I must confess, your garb is most striking, Lady Hana of Greenbarrow."

Hannah started to blush harder, her excitement causing her to briefly fall out of character. “It’s actually—”

But Lord Thorne lifted a hand, a quiet, calming gesture that somehow carried weight without threat. “Ah,” he said gently, his eyes glinting with restrained amusement. “Let us not fracture the spell so soon. If you are not truly Lady Hana of Greenbarrow, then allow me this brief indulgence—to speak as though you were.”

She hesitated, caught in the moment, the goblet cool in her hands. There was something disarming in the way he held her gaze. She considered her next words. "I appreciate the lord's admiration. I am but a low noblewoman, and I am honored by your compliment."

Lord Thorne smiled, a slow, deliberate curve of his lips that suggested both amusement and approval. “Low or high, noblewoman or not, it is the grace with which one carries herself that commands respect—and admiration.” He took a careful sip from his goblet before setting it down on the sideboard with a soft clink.

He stepped closer, the rich burgundy of his attire catching the dim light of the tent, and lowered his voice just enough to draw her in without breaking the delicate formality they maintained. “Tell me, Lady Hana, does your heart thrill to the roar of the crowd, or does it long for the quiet moments between the battles? The grand spectacle, or the whispered secrets?”

Hannah met his gaze steadily, the blush on her cheeks softening to a warm glow. “A bit of both, I suppose,” she answered, voice steady but laced with genuine curiosity. “The thrill of the joust stirs something fierce—but it is in the quiet that I find myself.”

Lord Thorne nodded knowingly. “A woman who understands the balance, then. That is a rare kind of strength.”

He paused, eyes flickering with intent. “And what of the stories whispered in the shadows, Lady Hana? Are you one to listen, or one to tell them?”

Her pulse quickened as the air between them thickened, the playful dance of roles now edging toward something more intimate, yet still wrapped in the delicate cloak of their shared game. She allowed a faint smile. “Perhaps I am learning to tell them.”

He stepped closer still, the space between them charged but respectful. “Then perhaps, Lady Hana, there is a tale here yet to be written.”

The warmth in his gaze promised possibilities far beyond the festival’s pageantry—an invitation to explore a story that neither had yet dared to speak aloud.

Before she knew what was happening, Hannah had leaned forward and started kissing the man in front of her, who returned the gesture gently. Hannah's heart was pounding now. She wasn't sure what she was getting into, but the possibilities racing through her head excited her.

"I am certainly open to writing a new story, if you are, my lady," he gently whispered after the kiss ended.

Hannah let out a gasp. "But I have but a mere hour before I must return."

Lord Thorne gave her a slight grin. "More than enough time to come to a satisfactory ending."

Lord Thorne’s words lingered in the warm, incense-laced air between them, their meaning cloaked just enough in double-entendre to let the moment maintain its veneer of noble performance. And yet the hunger beneath that veneer—the unspoken tension—was undeniable.

Hannah felt breathless. He raised a firm hand and brushed a stray curl from her cheek. “Let us not waste the hour, Lady Hana,” he said, voice like velvet. He reached for her hand, not to seize it, but to offer it—a gentleman's request, formal in posture yet charged with unspoken promise.

Hannah reached behind herself and pulled at the ties on her corset. She felt it loosen, and soon she pulled it off, revealing her bare top to the Barron. She felt like she was living some sort of fantasy.

"You are quite stunning, my lady," he remarked, leaning in to give her another soft kiss, but also raising his hand to cup and squeeze one of her breasts, then the other. Hannah gasped from the feel of his rough hand against her, but then took in the sensual sensations.

Once the kiss ended, she loosened her skirt and let it fall, revealing only a pair of white panties. She pulled off her boots and then quickly slipped down her panties, revealing a significant, but neatly trimmed brown bush and leaving her utterly nude.

“If at any moment, Lady Hana, you wish the tale to end, you need only say so,” he murmured. “Even stories written in passion must honor their own laws.”

Hannah nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. Her mind was a mix of fantasy and reality, and she wasn't sure where one ended and the other began.

The Lord stepped to her once again and gave her yet another kiss, but this one was deeper and more passionate. One of his hands reached behind and grabbed her ass and pulled her into him.

She reciprocated, wrapping her tongue around his. She could feel the heat starting to build inside, the firm grasp of his hand just accelerating her excitement.

Finally, the pair broke off the latest round of kisses.

"Begging my lord's pardon, but it would appear you are still slightly overdressed," she wryly noted.

"So I am," he responded with a grin of his own. "But first, I invite my lady over here."

He slid off the top layer of his outfit, leaving on an undershirt and pants underneath on his way to sitting on a nearby chair. "Will my lady grace me with her presence on my lap?"

Hannah giggled and nodded. She walked over and hopped on the man's lap, her back pressed against his chest.

"Excellent. If it pleases my lady, I would like to demonstrate some of the skills I have honed over the years," he whispered into her ear.

"It would please this lady," she whispered back in anticipation.

His hands started to explore her skin, around her chest, her waist, her thighs. Hannah sat there, taking deep breaths and taking in the sensations. His rough skin against her smooth skin created a sensation she was not anticipating, but which heightened her arousal even more. She was never one to consider an older man, and yet here she was, letting a man who could easily be her father have his way with her.

His hands finally reached their destinations. One hand slipped under her, its fingers rubbing through her labia, while the other started squeezing and teasing one of her breasts.

"My lady appears as if she is all ready for the story to continue," he once again whispered. He then gently inserted a pair of fingers inside of Hannah, causing her to gasp and slightly arch her back.

The man quickly found a rhythm, his rough fingers once again creating sensations inside of her that she had never felt before. His other hand continued to stroke and squeeze her breasts and nipples, while he slowly ran kisses up and down the side of her neck.

Hannah tried to hold in her sounds, but soon couldn't help but start to audibly moan.

"It's okay, my lady. The tent holds in sound as well as it keeps them out," he whispered, permitting her to be louder if she wanted to.

The man quickened the pace with his fingers. The sound of squelching mixed with Hannah's increasing moaning. Hannah wasn't a complete sexual novice, but this encounter felt different than any she had been in before, and it wasn't just the rough hands. He had a certain way of doing things that demonstrated he had an experienced hand, both literally and figuratively. There were subtleties to his technique that seemed to drive her wild in ways that she couldn't even do to herself, much less with a partner.

"I must say, my lady, you quite surprised me with your appearance a while ago, but I felt the hand of fate perhaps at play. I am glad we have chosen to indulge," he whispered into her ear as he continued to work.

She was barely able to nod her head in acknowledgement before letting out another gasp and moan. She could feel herself getting significantly wetter as time went on. The heat inside of her was rising, and she could feel the tension starting to build in her muscles.

Suddenly, she felt everything tense up. The man obviously felt it too because he suddenly grasped her against him much tighter, as if to hold her steady in her place. Hannah let out a few squeaks, as if trying to yell or scream, but there being not enough air available, her mouth agape as she felt the blood pumping through her head. The man's fingers still worked inside her pussy to try to push her to the biggest orgasm possible.

Finally, everything let go, and Hannah let out a gasp and leaned back against the man's chest in recovery. The man withdrew his hand and held it up in front of her. Her juices had completely covered it down to his wrist.

"I'm afraid you made quite a mess, my lady. Fortunately, I have a change of trousers that I may switch into for tonight's festivities."

Hannah lay there letting everything that had happened so far run through her head. She had just had perhaps the best orgasm of her life, given to her by someone she had met perhaps a half hour earlier, who was more than twice her age, and whose name she didn't even know. But the mystery was part of what made the encounter exciting.

Finally, she slid off, getting her feet under her, before facing him again. Indeed, there was a giant wet spot on his pants.

"I apologize for any inconvenience, my lord."

"It is of no matter. Any inconvenience has been repaid multiple times over by your charm."

He finally started to take off the rest of his clothes and chuckled. "I'm afraid I don't have many places to continue here, so if the chair is not objectionable to you, my lady."

"It will do fine," she remarked with a slight smile. Indeed, the only other real option was the ground, and she was not exceptionally keen on continuing there.

“Shall I take precautions, my lady—or do you wish none between us?” he then asked.

Hannah stood there for a second, trying to figure out what he meant before realizing he was asking if he should wear a condom or not.

Hannah's heart skipped. She wasn't on any sort of birth control at the moment, so protection would be the wisest choice. But she was also getting into the fantasy, and felt that using a modern convenience might ruin it. Also, the entire encounter was one of risk and mystery, and choosing to forgo a condom would continue that.

"I believe keeping this as natural as possible is preferable, my lord," she finally replied.

"As you wish, my lady," he turned to her with a smirk. He was now also fully naked, his cock standing tall, perhaps a good seven or eight inches by Hannah's estimation. He then sat down in the chair again.

"Upon your indulgence, my lady," he then invited her.

Hannah took a breath and stepped forward. She gently positioned herself over him and held his cock upright and steady as she slowly lowered herself. She felt his head press against her entrance, then slowly enter it, causing both of them to moan. She then slowly lowered herself, feeling him fill her, until finally she had taken in his entire length.

She looked at him, blushing hard. This certainly was not how she expected this day to go, but now she felt like she couldn't imagine it going any other way.

She leaned forward and slowly raised herself, and then back down, putting her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, while he put his hands on her waist. She lifted herself again and back down, each time trying to increase the pace. The man also started to swivel his hips up and down to match, hitting the high point of his movements with Hannah's lowering back down.

The pace increased. Hannah started moaning again, her hair starting to get in her face. Once again, he seemed to subtly move his pelvis so that his penis entered her at ever slightly different angles, giving her a variety of different sensations. Once they got into a constant rhythm, his hands once again moved to explore her breasts, caressing and squeezing them.

"My lady has perhaps the most perfect figure I have laid eyes upon in all of my years," he softly remarked as he gently gave both of her breasts a squeeze.

Hannah blushed perhaps harder than she had up to that point. "Surely my lord is exaggerating. For I am but a minor noblewoman. Surely there are those much more impressive than I," she was able to get out between breaths.

He gently smiled at her. "More impressive in station, perhaps, but not so fair in body and heart. For those care not for rank or station."

Hannah felt humbled by his compliments and silently considered them as she continued to groove. The man slowly slid his hands down her sides and then to her behind, where he grasped both of her cheeks with his hands, helping to regulate her rhythm. A glance also suggested that he may be nearing his climax.

She leaned into him a bit further, now that his arms were out of the way, pressing her breasts against his chest, and allowing her clit to start grinding against him as well. She could feel the swell within herself start to rise again.

"Oh, Lady Hana..." he breathed, kissing her neck as he did, his hands grasping her cheeks even harder.

He then let out a loud groan. Hanna felt him start to spasm inside of her, shooting his seed deep into her. The excitement and thrill of him doing so pushed her over the line, as she clenched into another, albeit less intense, orgasm herself.

The pair clasped each other until their climaxes finally ran their courses. Then they lay on top of each other, catching their breaths.

"I thank the generous lady for writing this story with me," he remarked with a wry smile after a few moments.

"And I, too, thank you, Lord Thorne, for the honor as well."

The pair silently lay there for a few minutes before the man finally spoke up again. "I believe it is nearly time for my lady to return to her companions, is it not?"

Hannah reluctantly slid off of his lap, a small stream of fluid still dripping out of her, and walked to her pile of clothes and looked at her watch. "Indeed, I unfortunately need to make my way to them quite soon."

She then started reassembling her outfit, with Lord Thorne even helping her re-lace her corset. She took some lipstick out of the bag she was carrying and reapplied it, and then found a small mirror hanging on a post in the tent.

"I do hope I am still passable," she remarked as she gazed at herself.

Lord Thorne, who was now starting to get dressed again himself after helping Hannah, gazed at her. "My lady looks presentable."

Hannah then turned and let out a big breath. "Ah, if it pleases my lord, I believe I must take my leave. Do you know if we shall meet again?"

The man simply gave her a grin. "If fate wills it so, my lady."

With that, Hannah gave a curt nod and exited the tent. She took a few steps down the path and took a deep breath. What did she just do? She had never done anything so reckless in her life. What was she thinking? On the other hand, she had never felt more excited or exhilarated in her life either.

Hannah took another steadying breath and smoothed her skirt with trembling hands. The fabric still faintly clung to her skin, a reminder of the sweat that still lay on her skin. She glanced back once toward the tent before turning around and making her way toward the food stalls.

The crowds thickened again as she approached the center of the fair, the sky now turning amber and red with the setting sun. Music drifted from a distant lute, and the smell of roasted meats and cinnamon pastries filled the air. It felt strange to step back into the world of the fair, like waking from a particularly vivid dream.

When she reached the meeting spot, Jess was already there, leaning against a wooden post with a meat skewer in hand and a grin that said far more than her words did.

"Hey stranger," Jess said through a mouthful of food, then tilted her head. “You look flushed.”

Hannah gave a sharp exhale and dropped onto the bench beside her. “So do you.”

They locked eyes. Then, after a heartbeat, both of them burst out laughing—quiet and breathless, the kind of laugh that carried more meaning than it let on.

“Oh, I definitely want to hear about it,” Jess said, nudging her.

“You first,” Hannah countered, hiding a smirk as she grabbed a napkin and tried to compose herself.

“No way, mine can wait. Yours has that... dangerous glow to it.” Jess took a sip from her tankard, then leaned in. “Tell me—was it the nobleman?”

Hannah didn’t answer immediately. She just looked off toward the food line, biting her lip. “Let’s just say... I met someone interesting.”

Jess raised her eyebrows but didn’t push. “Alright then, Lady Mysterious.”

"What about you?" Hannah then inquired.

"Well, you know those two guys who sat next to me at the jousting tournament—" she began when Marcy suddenly arrived with her drink and a turkey leg.

Marcy glanced between the two of them with narrowed eyes. “Okay, what did you two do?”

“Absolutely nothing,” they both replied in unison—way too quickly.

Marcy just rolled her eyes. “Right. And I’m Queen of the Realm.”

As they sat together, eating and chatting as the sky darkened into dusk, the unspoken details lingered in the air. Hannah found herself replaying the encounter in flashes—his voice, his touch, the way his breath had caught just before he—

Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. She wondered if this was going to be the start of a new adventure, one with an unexpected beginning.

Jess suddenly stood up, breaking Hannah out of her stupor.

“Alright, ladies. One last sweep through the market? I want to see if that vendor with the glass rings is still open.”

Marcy groaned playfully. “Not more rings. You already bought three.”

“And yet,” Jess said with mock solemnity, “my fingers remain woefully under-adorned.”

"Okay, Sauron," Marcy laughed as she stood up as well.

Hannah chuckled and rose to join them. Her legs still felt loose, almost dreamlike, but the laughter made it easier to walk. She glanced once over her shoulder—toward the direction she’d come from—but there was no sign of the burgundy-and-black tent now. Just more booths, more bustle, and the descending night.

The trio browsed a few more stalls before it started to get dark. The crowd began to thin as the light got lower and the temperature started to drop.

"I guess we should think about going home," Marcy suggested.

"Yeah..." Hannah mused. She had more fun than she ever expected and had experiences she never anticipated. She was rather sad to see the day finally end.

The trio eventually reached the gravel path they arrived on that led to the parking lot.

"Same time next year?" Marcy asked as they exited under the sign marking the entrance to the fairgrounds.

"That would be nice," Hannah softly acknowledged.

"See, I knew you would have fun!" Jess remarked, poking her with her elbow.

Hannah took one final look around before getting in the car. Her eyes stopped for a moment. She thought she might have seen a flash of burgundy and black, but only for a moment. She seemed to have lost it now. Was she only seeing things? In any case, the mysterious stranger was gone as quickly as she had met him. She only wondered what next year's fair might hold in store for her.