Chapter 1: The first bout

I rolled my shoulder, testing the flexibility of the sparring gear while limbering up my sword arm. Dea stood across from me, one hand settled confidently on the hilt of a wooden sword.

"What ought to be the stakes this time?" I asked as the anxious excitement of a worthy challenge built in my chest.

The young knight considered for a moment before a wry look settled onto her face.

"Who ever loses has to get absolutely Stuffed at the feast tonight" she said with a mischievous grin

I paled slightly, tonight was the queen's birthday, and as she was a famous gourmand, the spread promised to be more than lavish.

"Dea that's mad" I said with an edge of laughter in my voice "Half the nobles in the realm will be there, the loser would look very publicly ridiculous."

"That's the point Rian!" she exclaimed, bursting with mischievous mirth "We will be playing with real consequences on the line for once."

My heart fluttered at this, its rhythm falling into step with the slow building anticipation of our monthly contest

"And can you imagine how pleased the queen will be to have someone try to keep up with her for once" Dea said conspiratorially

I barked a laugh "Try being the operative word in that sentence."

I settled into high guard across from my childhood friend "allright I accept your terms, just don't come crying to me when you're feeling sick from eating your third helping of pie."

"Excellent" Dea hissed, a small fae gleam in her bright, angular eyes. She drew her own sparring blade and took up a fencing stance.

At once our focus settled heavy on each other. Each tiny movement of hand and hip and feet pressed heavy against the kinesthetic boundary we had drawn up around ourselves. After long hours of repeated contests, we understood each other's range subconsciously.

A quick gathering step took Dea into reach of my thrust and I threw a testing strike towards her center. She batted the thrust aside and struck upwards with an angled slash, closing the distance even further.

She wasn't a small woman, standing taller than some men with powerfully built legs and back, but I towered over her regardless. I was long and lean, with whip-like arms and lunging legs that allowed me to harry my opponents, and so when we fought, she was forced to close. Unfortunately for me, that was the distance at which she was most dangerous.

I side stepped her strike, turning my body to the rising blade, bringing my own weapon up to stab at her exposed ribs

she effortlessly converted the momentum of her strike into a turn that brought her away for the driving tip of my sword, while also whipping hers within an inch of my outstretched wrist.

She spun out of range, laughing as I dropped back into middle guard.

"your instincts are sharp today Tulip, maybe you wont be forced to make a fool of yourself in front of the whole court afterall"

She mimed holding a heavy, distended stomach and I blushed, a sudden heated embarrassment overtaking my previous focus.

I opened my mouth and tried to form a coherent comeback just as Dea fell into a crouch and blasted forward. Her speed was shocking, almost super human, and my guard came up too slow to push aside her thrust. We froze, the tip of her practice sword just barely touching the soft flesh of my throat.

I let out a long raged breath and muttered "Shit."

...

Dea sat next to me at the high, and it was plain to all in attendance that we made a handsome pair. I dressed in all the glittering finery expected of a young martial lord, while she was strapped tightly into a midnight blue pair of breeches, her loose tunic highlighting both the breadth of her shoulders and her impressive chest.

As the queen rose to give a speech of welcome, she leaned over to whisper in my ear "I hope you skipped lunch Ri, I expect you to match her grace plate for plate." She tossed her head towards the monarch in subtle reference.

The queen barely came up to her young knight's shoulder but nearly tripled her for width. Her sumptuous form was bound tight in fine velvet, which only served to highlight the generous rounded curves of her belly and rear. She bounced slightly as she heaped generous praise on those that had travelled to be in attendance, which resulted in her bosom nearly escaping the containment of her bodice.

I gulped in response to Dea's jab, considering succumbing to cowardice and backing out of our foolish bet, but when I glanced back the look of smugness plastered onto her face sent a wave of annoyance tearing through me.

Just then, the queen raised a toast and downed her glass of wine. I reached for my own, still full and untouched, and drank it down, throwing my head back to finish more swiftly. I brought my goblet forcefully down on the table and looked at Dea with renewed resolve.

"I won't be bested twice." I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

The meal proceeded swiftly at first as the pleasant conversation and excellent food absorbed my attention, but gradually I began to slow. My stomach felt overstuffed, and despite my athletes appetite I was feeling the effects of 3 courses of unbridled excess.

The queen on the other hand continued gamely, she entertained and ate with equal abandon, appearing not at all impaired by her near constant consumption.

As dinner gave way to dessert my own eating slowed to a crawl, I could feel my jacket straining, and some of the nearby guests looked over at me in concern as I asked for yet Another goblet of wine.

Dea was beside herself with barely contained glee, she seemed to revel in my advancing state of impairment, going so far as to place new morsels in front of me if I was slow in reaching for another.

When the queen finally waved off a servant rather than accepting an offered dish I gasped in relief, which I immediately knew to be a mistake, as a small ripping sound emanated from the front of my coat.

I turned bright red, looking around to see if anyone had noticed, and found Dea's eyes glued to my rounded stomach, the white cloth of my undershirt just barely visible through the gap created by the newly absent button.

She leaned over to hiss into my ear "I think that's enough for now Tulip, I'll consider the wager paid in full."

she reached down and patted my belly under the table, I stiffened as heat filled my chest, bright embarrassment mixing with a strange and heavy satisfaction of being praised for my efforts. "Ill cover for you while you make your exit."

She stood then to raise a toast to the queen, who looked with a fond possessiveness at her foremost knight. I took advantage of the shift in attention and stumbled, a little drunkenly, out into the hallway.

...

When I got back to my room, doing my best to avoid meeting any of the eyes of those I passed in the halls, I stripped off my too tight jacket and breeches and fell heavily into my bed. I felt huge, my stomach larger than I had ever seen it. I marveled at the way it disturbed the loose fabric of my tunic.

I reached down to brush its tender expanse and let out a small breath of relief. I continued to rub low circles until I heard the door creak open and I looked up in hazy consternation. There was Dea, immaculate in her fitted attire, a stark contrast to my disheveled state of undress.

Her breath hissed out through her teeth as she closed the door and leaned heavily on the frame.

"Rian" she said with a strange edge to her voice "I've never seen you so disarmed."

She stalked closer, I tried to rise onto my elbows but found the maneuver quite impossible, my rounded belly pinning me to the bed.

She placed a calloused hand on my chest and pushed me gently, but firmly, onto the soft mattress.

"Goodness sweet, I expected a show but nothing like the spectacle you made of yourself tonight."

She swung her legs around my waist and her hips hovering mere inches above my own.

"You appeared a bit possessed."

She tilted her head in mock innocence, knowing just how much of my indulgence was fueled by her endless teasing glances and relentless insistence.

"You know I don't like to lose" I muttered, but the retort sounded weak even to my ears.

Somewhere in the endless feasting I had begun to feel something stir in my chest, what started as frustrated competitive resolve had given way to a softer, more sensuous kind of need.

"It didn't help that you kept squeezing my thigh like that every time I finished a plate" I admitted in a huff.

Dea let fly her wild, bell-like laugh and squeezed her legs tight around my own.

"I knew I could keep you going with the right kind of-" she lightly traced a hand over the outside of my distended waist and I gasped "Encouragement."

She began unbuttoning my shirt and I let her, leaning heavily back into the pillows. Normally there would be a slight struggle for primacy, one of us giving way to the other after a spirited, but pleasant contest of desire, but tonight there was no such sparring.

I lay heavy and replete, my appetite for conquest completely satisfied by the small mountain of food I had piled into myself. She took full advantage of my submissive assent as I let her touch carry me into the void of heedless pleasure.

...

I woke alone the next day, sunlight streaming thick and heavy through the lightly curtained windows. Light painted my still somewhat bloated form as I blinked my eyes tiredly at the midday sun.

I turned my head to see a tray arranged with a hearty spread of food, and a note in Dea's close, spartan script.

It read; "I thought you might need some sustenance after the workout I gave you last night, I'll see you in the yard once you recover your wits -D"

I smirked and stared at the platter she had left for me. A little uncertain ember, the remnants of last night's heedless blaze, began to flicker in my chest. My stomach grumbled and with a shake I pushed aside thought in favor of present need.

"No sense in letting good food go to waste" I muttered to myself, reaching for the first thing that caught my eye.