685

When the sun rose I went inside and took a quick bath before dressing and stepping out for a quick breakfast.
“I hope the Congress goes well!” Diamiutar bid as I rose.
“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.
“No, this is a Congress specifically for battle matrons, I have no place at such an event.” She dismissed.
“Don’t worry, Master.” Tavorwen declared, rising with Creadean. “We’ll accompany you.”
Comforted I at least wouldn’t be going alone, I grabbed my gear and we headed out. As always, Amura tagged along.
I wasn’t comfortable going anywhere without my rifles, and my sword was slowly becoming just as natural, but it felt weird going off to pick out new matrons fully armed. I hadn’t really known what to expect for my first Congress of Maidens, but now I wondered if this is what it felt like to be a contestant on “The Bachelor”. I knew the hall I was going to was full of a bunch of gorgeous elves who wanted to fight beside me… and have me in them. At least, in this situation, I wasn’t as nervous about the relationship ending in a divorce. I guess being such a minority in high demand did have its perks.
I arrived to find both Gledril and General Melvitrere waiting at Hanging Gardens in the Large cedar tree. The morning light trickled through the windows, making the hanging flowers, vines, and other flora absolutely glow. The scent was just as blissful and uplifting as the last time I’d been here.
“We are pleased to welcome you to your second Congress of Maidens.” Gledril greeted me with a curtsy.
General Melvitrere saluted. “Word of the satisfaction of Guardian Tavorwen Treestrider and Creadean Windarrow has spread. You’ll find you have many who would wish to join them in your household.”
“As before,” Gledril interjected. “To ensure clear communications…” And she extended nine silver bracelets to me.
I’d noticed several of my Matrons wearing their bracelets still, but it seemed to be a personal choice, what they did with them. Not like a wedding ring or anything, though I suppose the sigil on their finger was a better wedding ring than anything.
I took the bracelets and walked into the hanging gardens.
“Damn…” I breathed.
Previously, the group of potential battle matrons had been small. Thirty at most. There was easily double that number here now.
“Don’t worry.” Tavorwen encouraged. “You’ve yet to make a poor choice.”
I nodded and slipped all but one of the bracelets onto my arm for safekeeping.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I needed to calm my nerves. Last time, it had felt natural, like I was drawn to certain maidens. I hoped and prayed it would be the same this time.
Holy fuck, all of these elves were absolutely gorgeous! Slim, fit, and graceful, and definitely taking the chance to flaunt what they had. I recognized several from my first Congress, ten days prior, but to my surprise, either my memory was poor, or most of them had gotten entirely new outfits, and someone seemed to have let the cat out of the bag that I loved breasts because while there weren’t any topless elves, which I gathered wouldn’t be entirely scandalous, given the fact that elven society didn’t seem to recognize breasts as sexual, but they did seem to believe something should be worn. However, dresses to show underboob, sideboob, and if they were any lower cut the nipples would be hanging out were plentiful. Notes had clearly also been made of how my eyes lingered on the trim hips of the elves I couldn’t resist ogling because dresses with slits so high up the side that the wearer’s sashes or belts sat on bare skin and hips were fully exposed were also plentiful.
As maidens, none of the she-elves had massive tits or extra wide hips and big butts, but even small breasts well displayed, or small hips paired with a lithe waist, was enough to make it impossible not to be hard as I looked over the crowd in front of me.
“Maidens, be sure to allow Master Thomas space, that he may walk among you.” Gledril reminded the maidens, and the crowd expanded as they made sure to form aisles and lanes.
I almost chuckled. Their military minds were showing as they formed a grid, much like a platoon at parade rest for inspection, though they had more space between them.
I tried not to stare too much as I stepped among the breathtaking elves, all dressed to draw the eye to all of the places that made my dick ache. I closed my eyes for a second, and I felt the flutter of fate.
I latched onto it, opening my eyes just often enough to keep myself from walking face-first into one of the hopeful maidens. I followed it until I found myself in front of one of the maidens.
I looked up and smiled.
“Hello, Risavis.” I greeted her.
The Maiden bit her lips, her eyes tearing up. She was stunning. Her brown hair was woven with red flowering vines. Her fair elven skin was embraced by a matching red silky fabric that clung to her body like it was painted on. She was indeed doing her best to appeal, with a plunging neckline that put every inch of her cleavage and a fair amount of her inner breasts on display. If even a quarter inch more of her breasts were uncovered, her areolas, if not her nipples, would be staring at me. Her skirts flowed along the curving creases of her hips, allowing almost her entire legs to be on display, while keeping only the smallest portion of her groin covered. I realized with some amusement that she must be going without undergarments, as many of these maidens must be to show off as much skin as they were. Every tantalizing bit of skin she put on display made a jolt of excitement race over my skin. I was glad I’d been led to her.
“Would you do me the honor of being my matron?” I asked, offering her the bracelet.
She could only nod, extending her hand for me to place the bracelet on her wrist. She kissed my cheek, then happily strutted to where Tavorwen and Creadean waited with open arms. I watched her go for a moment then smiled and closed my eyes once again.
For the moment, I couldn’t feel the threads I tried to follow to my future matrons, so I began to wander the crowd. It was hard not to feel like a perv or a creep, as my eyes slid over the breasts, hips, and butts that were on display.
THERE.
The faintest feel of the threads. Two of them.
I followed them and found my next two matrons side by side. I wasn’t surprised, the two seemed to be friends and got along well.
Flendreir and Anbethir, in fabulous green and pink gowns, held their breath as I stopped in front of them. Interestingly, Flendreir had her chest far more covered than most of the other she-elves, and I saw the very edge of a scar peek out from under her collar. Her stomach was bare and her translucent skirts, sweeping low across her hips, were barely enough to conceal her tantalizing pussy. Anbethir’s dress swept across her chest, with thin bands of fabrics that formed an ‘x’ from her right shoulder, across her right breast, and down to her right hip, barely giving her what would pass for modesty on earth, and a matching band from left shoulder to left hip. Her legs, however, were far more concealed. I guessed that’s where her scars were.
“Hello.” I greeted them. “Would you do me the honor?”
“Which of us?” Flendreir asked.
“Both of you,” I informed them, and they both heaved a sigh of relief, extending their hands to have the bracelets placed on their wrists.
They took each other’s hands and scampered to the front of the Congress to join Risavis, Tavorwen, and Creadean.
So far so good. It had been an incredible relief that so far all three of my new matrons had been chosen from my maidens. I understood that the cultural expectation wasn’t there to require me to select my maidens as my new Matrons, but now half of my maidens had been selected.
I began to walk among the maidens again. Confidently, I looked for the remaining maidens. I quickly found Nauveir and it was easy once I found her to feel the thread of fate.
Nauveir wore a yellow dress, mottled with reds and oranges, like a forest in the fall. The solid fabric covered both of her breasts and her hips, ass, and groin, with strips and ribbons, but instead of bare skin in between, there was a thin mesh of matching colors. Somehow, the tease of a false cover for her skin made her even more appealing.
“There you are.” I greeted her. “Would you do me the honor?”
Once she joined the others, I began walking again. I circled twice, before I realized with some confusion, Zanantha and Ulamir weren’t there. I circled again, and it was true. They weren’t there.
I swallowed, I was concerned for them, but… There was nothing I could do. If they didn’t come to the Congress, I couldn’t just cut the Congress short or ask where they were. If they didn’t want to come, that was it.
The Maidens began to shuffle, noticing that I was sensing something wrong.
I took a deep breath. This wasn’t fair to them. I couldn’t throw everything out for whatever reason those two weren’t here. I started walking into the middle of the group, faking like I was following my instincts again. It took a second, but then I felt a bit of a tug. I was careful not to immediately peel off and head straight to where it was taking me, but I meandered over.
The she-elf I was led to was tiny for a warrior. She was barely a few inches over four feet tall, and physically she was not nearly so wired and toned as most of the others. I almost had to wonder if she had somehow had her growth stunted because where all the wood elves were small, she was petite in the extreme. Her hair was a rich auburn, and her eyes were intriguing, green with flecks of red. Her ice blue dress was strapless and must have been using magic to keep from falling off, though I wasn’t a fashion designer. Its low back was finally picked up just above where the tantalizing curves of her ass began, and two thin panels rose from her skirts to cover her breasts, leaving her torso mostly bare. Her skirts clung to her legs, looking so tight it would be nearly impossible to walk in until you realized there were slits on both sides, though they were nearly invisible as the skirts hugged her legs.
“Maiden, what is your name?” I asked.
“Sevrina, Master. Sevrina Flaresmith.” She told me, dropping her eyes to my feet.
Flaresmith. That sounded like the type of name that would be given to a caster, as I had learned that a Wood Elf’s first name was given at birth, but their second name was not a family name, but an assigned name that could be changed and evolve as the elf grew. That made sense, as the number of families in Wood Elf society had so few actual families, especially if you defined a family by the father, since many wood elves would declare their father as the source of their lineage.