"Knowledge is Power" (closed)

The Kingdom of East Port
Autumn, YoQ 5:

Orianna entered her Queen's bedchamber with the softest of steps, not wanting to wake her ailing sister. She came to a stop at the end of the bed thinking she'd accomplished her quest, only to see Hanna's eyes open and her lips widen with a weak smile.

"Come, Anna," Hanna whispered, using her sister's nickname. She lifted a hand and gestured with curling fingers. "Come sit with your dying sister one last time."

"You aren't dying, my Grace," Anna said as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "And even if you were, it wouldn't be today, so … you'll see me tomorrow … and the day after that, and after that."

Hanna closed her eyes and laid back into her pillows. After a long moment, she asked in whisper, "How goes Kiley's mission?"

"My daughter arrived in the Barony of Shanton eight days ago," Anna answered. "A messenger arrived yesterday evening with her progress. It was late, and I didn't want to bother you with--"

Hanna gave a polite gesture for Anna to pass on the apologies and move on. She continued, "She hadn't located the Sculptor before the messenger's departure, but she's learned that -- as your informants reported -- that he enjoys the protection and pay of the Baron. Kiley will find him. And she'll convince him to come home with her, my Grace."

"What have I told you about calling that?" Hanna asked softly.

Anna smiled and squeezed her sister's hands. "You are the Queen, and therefore you are my Grace."

"I am your sister first," Hanna chastised with a smile. She grimaced as pain surged through her chest, then said softly, "Besides … you run the Kingdom. If anyone should be calling anyone My Grace..."

Anna contemplated Hanna's words as the latter drifted off into an unsettling slumber. It was very true what Hanna said: the Crown of East Port belonged to Hanna, and Hanna was beloved by her subjects for all she had accomplished during her years as Queen and as Queen Consort before that; but for the last four years -- since shortly after birthing her only child, Ananna -- Hanna's weak state had left it to Anna to rule over the Kingdom as Lady Chancellor. Anna had both continued and expanded Hanna's good work.

Hanna -- who was 10 years Anna's junior -- had been just 13 years of age when she'd caught the eye of the recently widowed King of East Port. Two years later, when she'd reached the Age of Consent, she and the King were married. But even before their marriage, Hanna had already begun participating in governing the Kingdom. She was intelligent, personable, and educated well beyond her years. And regardless of their station -- whether Peasant or Merchant, Noble or Royal -- each and every person who ever had dealings with the future Queen Consort left feeling impressed with her.

And as time passed, more and more of those requesting audience with the Crown were asking for Hanna, not for her husband. The King didn't mind, though. He'd been a good and dedicated monarch during his first couple of decades on the throne. But by the time of his second marriage to Hanna, the King was spending more time in brothel orgies, drinking and smoking Dream Weed (def.) than at the Castle performing his royal duties.

Without formally being told to do so, Hanna had simply taken lead over the Kingdom, from command of its Military to control of its treasury to decisions of diplomacy. By the time her husband died -- 8 years into their marriage and just 2 months short of the birth of their first child -- Hanna had shed the title Consort and was being greeted by all with the more appropriate title of Queen.

East Port was prospering under Hanna as it never had before. Tragically, within a year of birthing her daughter, Ananna, Hanna would become plagued with one ailment after another. Her public appearances ceased, her duties were increasingly passed on to Anna, and -- 2 years ago -- Hanna took to her bedchamber … and hadn't left since.

Now, as Supreme Chancellor, Anna held the reigns to the Kingdom and would until young Ananna -- now barely 5 years old -- was capable of taking her mother's place.

One of Hanna's most ambitious -- and most secretive -- projects had been something she jokingly called the Brain Trust. Since even before her marriage, Hanna had been sending Envoys -- sometimes openly but more often than not in secret -- to every corner of the Continent of Medianna. Their mission was to identify and bring to East Port -- willingly or not -- the foremost minds in architecture, art, ship building, agriculture, military strategy, arms and armor manufacturing, and more.

With her Queen now soundly asleep, Anna released hold of her frail hand and crossed to one of the bed chamber windows looking out to the west...


The Central Highlands Road -- once no more than a foot and cart path -- was now just days from completion. The 15 foot wide stone road would soon connect the Kingdom of East Port and the other east coast Baronies to the Central States of the Continent of Medianna. Never before had those east of the Central Highlands been able to conduct meaningful commerce with those west of the rugged range.

Now, with the Road and the Highlands Gatehouse located at the top of the pass to protect the Kingdom...


...East Port was in a position to extend its current dominance over the East Coast to the Central Continent and beyond. Hanna's dream of making East Port the greatest Kingdom of all time was on its way to fulfillment.



Port Greenick
Barony of Shanton:

Kiley hadn't initially been all too excited about the mission assigned to her. The idea of riding halfway across the Continent to find a guy who earned his coin by chipping rock with a hammer and chisel wasn't Kiley's idea of service to her Crown.

East Port, under her Aunt's and then Mother's control, had become a place in which females could now seek training in fields that had never been open to them … ever before! Over the last decade or so, many women had tried their hand at becoming Smithies or Boat Makers or other such skilled positions. And Anna had expected her bold and brave daughter to do the same as some of these ground breakers.

What neither Anna or Hanna had expected was for Kiley to walk into the Crown's Guard Training Facility and request to be trained in Soldiering. The Training Captain had laughed at the obscene suggestion of a woman doing what would always be a man's job, regardless of the current Monarch's gender and faith in womankind.

Kiley hadn't identified herself upon making her request, and when she refused to leave the Training Facility without being given a fair shot, the Captain ordered a pair of Guardsmen to throw her into the street. During the proceeding scuffle, Kiley broke one of the men's nose and dropped the other to the floor with a well placed knee to the groin. The Captain, angered out the outrage, stood and pulled his sword, thinking that would deter the upstart female. When Kiley threw a dagger ripped from the downed Guardsman's belt and stuck it in the wall, just inches from the Captain's head … well, she got her chance to train.

Six months later, after flying through her Horsemanship and Combat Qualifications, Kiley became the first woman to join the East Port Frontier Patrol. She was assigned to the Highlands Gatehouse, where she and her Squad would clash with Highwaymen, Forest Raiders, and even the Frontier Patrols of the Barony to the west of the pass. Kiley would be honored three times for heroism and rise to Sergeant...

...only to then be pulled away from the Squad that she now commanded to go find a man who broke stone for a living.

But Kiley would do anything for her Mother. Or for her Aunt, Queen Hanna. Or even for niece, Princess Ananna, who was East Port's 5 year old Heir Apparent. If finding this rock breaker was going to benefit the Kingdom of East Port and, therefore, its future Queen, Ananna of the Burkin, then Kiley was going to see this mission completed to its end … or die trying.

A couple of years back, when her Aunt the Queen began to show signs of chronic illness, Kiley hadn't hesitated to step up and pledge her life to protecting the future Queen, Ananna. It had been part of the reason she'd wanted to join the Crown's Guard in the first place.

Kiley had been but 15 years old at the time.

The other reason for Kiley's desire to become a soldier had been the heroic tales of one General Prisk of Cliffton … her father. Kiley had never met the man, but she'd grown up knowing him anyway. Her mother had put her to bed with stories of her father's heroic acts, sometimes repeating the same ones so often that Kiley had soon learned to tell them herself, word by word.

Kiley's father had died during the legendary Relief of the Castle Tyne. The mountain Keep which East Port forces had captured 3 years earlier had been under siege by its former occupants for nearly 2 years. The only East Port access to the mountain castle was taken by the enemy and destroyed to prevent reinforcements from arriving.

General Prisk, already one of the Kingdom's greatest heroes, selected a Cohort of 92, men who had the skills necessary to hike rugged terrain, scale nearly vertical cliffs, and reach the castle, all while avoiding gaining the enemies attention. It took 32 days just to reach the high plateau. The men were hungry and exhausted, having lived the last half of the mission off what the land could provide them. And yet, in the middle of the night after just a single day's rest, the Cohort rushed the enemy's access to the mountaintop, took it and the gate to the castle, and facilitated the rescue of nearly 500 men who had been so near to starvation that cannibalism had began to be discussed quietly amongst the most desperate of them.

It was such stories of heroism and her own pledge to serve Ananna that led to Kiley and three men chosen from her Squad setting out to find the Sculptor. It was slow going, taking them 22 days to reach the southern shore of the Barony of Shanton in the still-forming Kingdom of Pratt. They needed to reach the City of Greenick without attracting any attention for the Frontier Patrols, the Crown Guards, or the Constabularies of the 5 Baronies and 25 or so cities through or around which they would pass. They travelled with a pair of mules laden with goods from East Port in an effort to appear as no more than Merchants seeking new Markets.

Must a bit more than 2 weeks after they'd left the Central Highlands Gatehouse, one of Kiley's men had asked her to remind them of why the hell they were riding half way across the world to find one man. Kiley had ignored the question at the time, but three days later -- after they were deep inside the Barony of Shanton -- she answered the inquiry when the road upon which they traveling reached a stunning bit of architecture.


"For three decades, the Barons of Shanton had been trying to force the Counties on this, the north side of the bridge, into submission," Kiley had begun her explanation. She glanced to the deep gorge to her left, then out through the arch of the bridge. "Because of the canyon here and the swamps out there, the only way to move their armies north was through here."

Kiley pointed to the lower bridge, continuing, "Unfortunately for them, the smaller bridge wouldn't have survived the transit of a thousand man army and siege machines the Barons needed to knock down the walls of his enemies' Keeps."

One of her men asked, "They built a bigger bridge, so what?"

"The little bridge had to remain in service while the larger one was being constructed above it," Kiley continued. "When the Counts and Baron to the north realized a larger bridge was being considered, they began attacking this site. For the full year of the construction of the bigger bridge, the lower bridge had to remain open and accessible. The southern forces had to access the northern side to keep the enemy back."

Kiley gestured to the ends of the little bridge, which were now blocked by the larger bridge's foundation. "The design allowed for troops to cross single file on both edges of the bridge, to attack north and seize control of this County. Then, after the northern armies were pushed back, in a single night the rest of the foundation was put in place, allowing for the rest of the army and siege machines to flood across. After nearly 30 years of failure … after his father and grandfather before had failed to take these lands, the current Baron of Shanton took 6 counties in less than a moon … because of this bridge."

After a moment of contemplation, one of Kiley's men said, "So … whoopee, someone came up with a way to build one bridge over top of--"

"A dozen architects attempted this," Kiley had interrupted. "After 11 failures, one design finally worked. The Sculptor's."

When her men gave her unimpressed shrugs and expressions, she finished, "He was 12 years old at the time."

From then on, Kiley's men had a greater appreciation for their mission. If a boy whose balls probably hadn't even dropped yet had accomplished something so spectacular at that young of an age, then they could at least try to find him and see if his genius had continued and, hopefully, grown.

The quartet reached Greenick without incident and found boarding in a busy portion of the city where their movement wouldn't attract much attention. Every day, walking about different neighborhoods in different pairings, they'd sought information about the man called the Sculptor. They'd learned a bit more each day about his accomplishments, yet they couldn't find anyone who could help them locate the man, his home, or his studio.

Then, while Kiley and the trio escorting her were sitting in a tavern drinking ale, it occurred to her: they'd been looking for where the Sculptor worked, but they hadn't been looking for where he drank. And artists, they always drink, Kiley had told her men. They began making inquiries at taverns, brothels, and Inns, and the second night of their refined search they found him...

The third floor of the Rosewood was unusually sedate for this time of night. An Earl's son had just gotten married to some Lady or other and most of the city's nobility were dancing and drinking the night away at the palace. Hardly a wallflower, Novus still limited his public engagements to surroundings with which he was more intimately familiar, and such a crowded gathering was quite the opposite.

Instead, he lounged back on one Rosewood's couches, glass of Wellright red in hand, and listened to a moderately talented minstrel play and sing to an accompaniment of waves crashing along the shoreline just outside. The sea breeze wafted through the room, dissipating the lingering afternoon heat. He sank into his senses - luxuriating in the softness of his embroidered silks and the myriad scents from perfumed ladies to delicate sweetmeats prepared by the cook.

A soft shuffling of fabric accompanied by the scent of fyeflower tipped him off to company approaching. "What is it, Pearl?"

Novus's apprentice settled directly on his lap, taking care not to disturb his drink. She leaned in close and spoke in her soft, throaty voice.

"Someone's looking for the Sculptor."

Novus smiled. "Oh really? Is she beautiful?"

Pearl scoffed. "How did you know it was a woman?"

"It's in the tone of your voice, my dear." He knew his apprentice in every way imaginable save the one she really wanted. Her bottom was placed on his lap in just such a manner to try to inspire that response. Novus, however, would not rise to meet her hopes. Not while she was his student. One day, perhaps.

"I should stop being surprised," she said, resigned. "And, yes, she's pretty. Not from around here."

"Tell me."

"Long black hair. Riding leathers, but of exceptional cut. Looks serious. I don't think she's here for..." Pearl wiggled her ass into his crotch.

"Not all women are, sadly," he said, nudging her in the ribs. "Bring her over."

Novus's ears followed his apprentice's departure, not far, and her subsequent return with the newcomer. Boots suitable for riding, not the sort common among women at a place like this. There were others, as well - probably men, but they maintained a respectful distance. He caught a whiff of sweat and horse.

Novus rose and bowed politely. "Welcome to Greenick, m'lady."

While his every sense was trained on the woman, she would by now note the milky gray of his eyes and know he was blind. His smile was already cracking as he wondered how she would react. So few outsiders knew this about him.

A few minutes earlier:

Walking about the neighborhood fronting the docks in pairs -- Kimmin with Eric and Vurn with Kiley -- the four merchants from East Port surveilled the neighborhood before rendezvousing in an alley across from the Rosewood. They shared their observations on this, the more upscale portion of the waterfront: the event at the Earl's castle had drawn away most of the potential upper class patrons and their coin; those who earned the now absent coin through the sale of goods or service had vacated the area as well, moving to the less affluent areas or, simply, taking the night off; and, because of the lack of both potential victims and potential criminals, both the Crown's Guard and local Constabulary Members had gone elsewhere for the evening as well.

This portion of the waterfront was about as popular tonight as the public well during a Gray Flu epidemic. Which was perfect for Kiley and her partners as they had no interest in gaining any unnecessary attention.

Vurn nodded toward the Inn on the opposite side of a newly laid cobblestone road and asked, "Should one of us go in first and check it for--"

"No, let's get this done," Kiley cut in. She glanced back to Eric, telling him, "Keep an eye on the street."

Eric confirmed their whistle signals and headed for the small tables and chairs under an awning outside a Cookery. The other three headed across the road and into what Kiley expected would be a typical wharf front tavern, populated by sailors, whores, and those who earned their keep by taking advantage of both.

It was anything but, however. She found it was much more of a Salon. There were plush furnishings, expensive art work, and a musical duo playing soft music on stringed instruments unfamiliar to Kiley. The patronage was a mix of obviously well-to-do men and women, engaged not in debauchery or the flirtation that led up to it but in conversation that was intellectual, not sexual.

"Welcome to the Rosewood," an older, elegant looking woman said as she approached the trio slowly. She spoke with a tone and cadence that spoke of high breeding, reassuring them, " I am Leia, proprietor of this establishment. Have you come here tonight with an idea of how I can make your evening enjoyable..."

Leia casually pulled a lanyard that reached to the ceiling. A drapery that had otherwise been hiding a large room pulled open as she continued, "...or … shall I offer some ideas of my own?"

Inside the room, milling about or sitting on any of a number of couches, benches, or chairs, were more than two dozen women and a handful of men. They were of nearly every nationality, ethnicity, or tribal affiliation Kiley had ever seen or even heard of as indicated by their skin colors, hair styles, clothing, or body art and ornaments. One woman sitting at a small table had an array of Nerve Needles, a form of pain relieve and pleasure production Kiley had seen performed once to great physical effect on the recipient; while a man -- tall and muscular and black as night -- in little more than was necessary than to contain his manhood stood next to a small portable display of binding items and whips.

"I see Kullin has gained your attention," Leia whispered to a rather shocked Kiley, having sidled up to her. "Give or receive … he goes either--"

"We're not here for this … for such … pleasures,," Kiley interrupted, feigning a polite, friendly smile as she turned back to the hostess. Her heart was noticeably beating faster at the thoughts of what this eclectic assortment of servants could offer those seeking a night of … release. She said in a softer tone, not wanting anyone other than Leia to hear, "We have come to speak with the Sculptor, please."

The Hostess's expression shifted immediately to one of combined recognition and suspicion. She glanced casually over her shoulder toward a rather large man standing near the door, watching them carefully. Kiley recognized the look and knew that Leia was warning the man to be ready.

"We mean you no trouble, Mistress Leia," Kiley said, still keeping her voice down. She reached a hand up higher to pat the side of the leather bag thrown over her shoulder. The hostess's next expression told Kiley that the woman recognized the meaning behind the sound of the jingling coins. "We only seek an introduction."

Leia's expression remained steady for a moment; she didn't want to give away whether or not the Sculptor was present or not. She glanced to Kiley's bag, then smiled just enough to get her message across. The Guardsman from East Port reached into her bag, retrieved a handful of coins, and turned them over.

"That's enough for me to send a man to look for this Sculptor," Leia said, her meaning clear that more coin would be expected. She sent a man who'd been watching the interaction off, then told Kiley, "Why don't you and your friends come with me. I'll show you some of the other things the Rosewood have to offer … just in case this man you are seeking is not about."

Kiley was hesitant to follow the woman deeper into the establishment, not knowing what dangers might be present in the unknown building … of the safe exits should that trouble show itself. But after reassuring the other two with a known expression that they would be fine, they followed Leia.

And what the Rosewood had to offer on the three floors about which they wandered was amazing. There was high stakes gambling in one room; a steam bath was filled with naked men and women content with simply relaxing in silent contemplation; the next room was quite the opposite, an orgy of men and women engaged in just about every sexual act and position imaginable.

Heading up the stairs, they found a group of men only engaged in deep thinking discussion. The next room featured a naked woman posing for a pair of artists, one a painter and one a sculptor. For a moment, Kiley got excited, believing that perhaps they'd found there man. But Leia only shook her head at her and curled a finger, inviting her to continue onward.

The next room left Kiley wondering who was the patron and who was the servant. A naked woman was bound by wrists and ankles to the four posts of a large bed, while six men -- who wore black hoods shaped to fit their skulls tightly and whose hands were bound behind their backs -- used their mouths only to sexually please the bound woman.

After all this varied activity, Kiley was a bit surprised when Leia opened the next door and showed it. The large room was filled with more books and scrolls than she'd ever seen in one place in all her life, save for the East Port Library, of course, which was the Continent's largest. Half a dozen men and women peaked up for a moment, then returned to their reading.

"This is one of our most popular rooms," Leia said before moving them to the next door. She opened it to reveal a room filled with hundreds of scale models; there were bridges, buildings, siege weapons, and … well, a few designs that seemed to have wings and almost looked like birds, except that they included seats, as if someone was supposed to ride on the object, which -- of course -- was totally ridiculous. A man flying like a bird; that was just fantasy.

The man Leia had sent off returned, whispering into her ear before being sent away. The proprietor glanced toward Kiley's bag again, and after the woman from East Port handed her several more coins, Leia looked to the stairs and said, "Top of the stairs … end of the hall."

Kiley thanked the woman, and -- followed by Kimmin and Vurn -- headed upstairs. But no sooner had they reached the landing, another big man with a short sword obvious in his belt said to Kiley, "You only. Your men can wait here."

The man smiled, leaned, and pushed a door open. Inside were half a dozen naked women, laying about an explosion of soft pillows. The big man added, "...or … in here."

"You're working," Kiley reminded them softly. Then remembering that they were supposed to be merchants looking for new markets, not soldiers on the job who needed to remain professional, simply told them, "You have your own coin. Do with it as you will."

Kiley turned to see an unfamiliar woman standing outside a door at the end of the hall. She moved to join the shapely blonde, only to be told, "Please leave your weapon here."

Kiley pulled her dagger from its scabbard, lifted it a bit, then jabbed it sharply down into the top of a small table sitting in a corner. The other woman -- who introduced herself as Pearl -- opened the door, entered, then stepped aside toward a pedestal that had an as-of-yet-unfinished half-scale sculpture of a naked woman … who looked very much like Pearl herself.

Kiley noticed something more interesting on the pedestal than the sculpture, though. Barely noticeable behind the stone was just the edge of a blade. Kiley smiled, amused that the young woman felt the need to have a weapon handy upon the stranger's visit.

Novus rose and bowed politely. "Welcome to Greenick, m'lady."

Kiley was about to return the greeting when she noticed something about the way the man looked her way. Although he faced her directly, he didn't … well … he didn't seem to be looking exactly directly at her. She took a couple of casual steps closer before seeing the milky color in his eyes. Oh, it wasn't horribly obvious, as it was with some blind people she'd seen. But it was enough so that anyone who met the man up close would see it.

"Thank you, m'lord," Kiley said, still moving slowly closer to him. When they were but ten feet apart -- and the other woman, with her hands behind her back, was even less than that to her left -- Kiley stopped where she was. She asked with surprise obvious in her voice, "Are you the one they call the Sculptor?"

"I am," Novus said, again bowing his head. "But only to those who don't know me well. You may call me Novus."

He took a step toward her and did his best to turn his unseeing eyes in her direction.

"And you are from East Port, if I'm not mistaken from your accent. To whom do I have the pleasure of meeting this fine evening?"

He gave a small signal to Pearl, counting on her to be paying attention, to fetch them more wine.

Kiley:


"You may call me Novus."

Novus, Kiley repeated in her mind. It's about time.

It had been nearly 2 months since she'd been assigned the mission and just a bit more than a Moon since they'd left East Port … and finally they had a name for the Sculptor. Oh, there had been names offered by those who claimed to know the man or know someone who knew the man; Novus had even been one of the two dozen or so Kiley had been given, but as she'd only heard it once without confirmation, she'd dismissed it without another thought.

"And you are from East Port, if I'm not mistaken from your accent. To whom do I have the pleasure of meeting this fine evening?"

Kiley perked up a bit at Novus's identification of her Nationality. Yes, she had the speech patterns of a born-and-bred East Port resident, but she'd only spoken, what, a dozen words to him? Then Kiley reminded herself that the Sculptor's name wasn't the most unexpected thing Kiley had learned in this moment. She looked closer at his eyes, at the way they seemed to both see and not see her at the same time.

"I am Kiley," she answered simply.

She could have added more to her introduction, but what? I am Kiley of the House of Burkin? She was under cover, obviously, and her family's quest to gather the brightest minds from across the Continent -- willingly or not -- was no secret. Of course, Kiley's mission status also meant that she didn't expand with Kiley, of the Crown's Guard of the Kingdom of East Port. That, here in Shanton, could get her thrown into a dungeon while her captors contemplated a suitable form of execution.

But then at this moment, Kiley's mind was entirely on preserving her identity. She stared into Novus's staring eyes, becoming certain of his blindness while questioning how it could be possible for a sightless man to do all the great things that were of his legend.

"I … I don't understand … are you--" she began with a hesitant tone. "Have you always been blind?"



Pearl:

Casually, Pearl crept closer to the pair as the distance between them also decreased. She kept the knife at her back hidden but clutched tightly, ready for deployment at the first sign of aggression from the stranger. Pearl was very protective of the man who had saved and then changed her life; and this wasn't the first time she'd armed herself when strangers came to call.

Pearl would kill this woman in a heart beat if she thought there was a threat to Novus. She would kill everyone in the Rosewood, on the Waterfront, in the city of Greenick is she thought it necessary to preserve the life of the most intelligent, most visionary, most … mmmm … tantalizing man for whom she'd never parted her thighs.

The young country girl from the Sprine Valley had wanted to be the Novus's lover almost from the moment she'd met him. She'd run away from her family home and a marriage -- to which she was legally still a party -- to be with him. And yet, after this mad commitment, she and he were yet to find sexual gratification in one another's arms.

Pearl had had her opportunity, of course, but had taken another path. She had been madly infatuated with the Sculptor and with what he could do with his hands from the start; she'd heard stories of him and his mastery in so many areas -- from the fine arts to the engineering arts -- and, coming to Greenick, had finally seen first hand the wonders he could do with those hands.

But Novus had seen -- figuratively -- something in Pearl, too … something beyond just a warm, shapely body with wet, warm holes in which he could fulfill his manly wants and desires. And he'd given her a choice: become his lover or become his student. It had been a hard choice, but Pearl had come to Greenick not for another lover but for the love of art. She'd chosen the latter.

Of course, Novus hadn't made sticking to that decision easy. Blindness hadn't stopped the man from seeing Pearl in ways no other man ever had … or in touching her in those same, new, and strange ways. She'd very nearly changed her mind on that first day she'd modeled for him; standing in the middle of his otherwise empty studio -- nude, still, and silent as commanded -- she endured more than two hours of Novus caressing his hands over every … last … square … inch … of her body.

A dozen times … a hundred, a thousand … she very nearly ripped his clothes off of him, desperate to feel him inside her. That desire was more than obvious in the swelling of her nipples, the wetness between her thighs, the heaving of her breasts, and the soft purrs when he touched Pearl in erogenous zones she hadn't even known existed.

But she'd held out attacking the man, hoping that at any moment he would instead ravage her. And then, suddenly, he just walked away, telling her simply, "I know all I need to know. Dress."

And then, with an expression of awe, Pearl watched as the Sculptor sketched out dozens of charcoal drawings of her that were more real than life itself. And not just sketches of her standing alone in the middle of a poorly lit studio, though, there were those as well; images of her under a mountain fall with the water splashing off her bathing body … images of her dressed to varying degrees ... from a simple slip that left her bountiful breasts displayed … to a neckerchief that hid that bosom but left other womanly parts exposed … to several images of her fully dressed and yet still no less sexy and desirable than when every inch of the body he'd studied had been on display.

From that day, the genius Pearl had imagined and thought she'd seen well enough in Novus had been proven beyond any possible doubt. And the young woman who had only just recently escaped her teens had sworn her life to the Sculptor.

After Novus had verified himself as the Sculptor, then asked the stranger for her own name, Pearl caught her Master giving her a well known look and gesture. He may have found his ease with this stranger easily and quickly, but Pearl hadn't. And yet, keeping the knife hidden from view, she reluctantly turned to head for the table upon which a flask of wine and both used and unused glasses sat.

Then behind her, Pearl heard the other woman speak her name and ask far too bluntly, "Have you always been blind?"

Pearl spun, the fury instantaneously building. She no longer saw Novus as a blind man, and it affected her to hear other speak of it. Few knew of the Sculptor's differentness in that way, and Pearl was rather protective of his sort of secret.

But she saw Novus's reaction to her reaction … and although she didn't understand how he'd known of her instant fury, Pearl told herself to stay calm and let him deal with what she saw as a transgression.

"I … I don't understand … are you--" she began with a hesitant tone. "Have you always been blind?"

Novus's smiled broadened at the question. When so many people danced around his condition, it was refreshing to meet one who wasn't embarrassed for him. He could sense the tension in his apprentice, however, so protective and ready to defend his honor. It took only a slight tilt of his head Pearl's direction to back her down.

"No, Miss Kiley, I have not. I could see as well as anyone until age fourteen. A fever tried to take my life, but only managed to rob me of my sight. Difficult as it was for a time, I'm grateful, for now I see far better than I ever could before...just in different ways."

He heard Pearl pour their guest a glass of wine and refill his own. "Please, sit, join us," he said, gesturing to the chair beside the couch. The way he'd phrased it, too, he let Pearl know she was welcome to stay.

Novus waited until he heard Kiley sit, then took his own seat back on the couch and savored a sip of the fine wine.

"Now, what brings you such a great distance to meet with me? Or am I stroking my own ego to think your journey was specifically to meet me?"

Kiley:

"No, Miss Kiley, I have not." Novus answered concerning the question about whether his blindness had been life long.

He explained about the fever, which didn't surprise Kiley. But when he spoke of seeing far better than I ever could before...just in different ways, she didn't immediately understand. Of course, she'd never been deprived of one of her senses as Novus had been for so long.

Since age fourteen, she thought, recalling what she knew about his bridge accomplishment at just 12. She'd been thoroughly impressed by his youthful success then. Imagining him continuing that work without sight only strengthened her appreciation for him.


Pearl:

"Please, sit, join us," he said, gesturing to the chair beside the couch.

Pearl heard Novus's offer -- including the word us -- in the same way he'd meant it. She crossed to the pair, her gaze set on the other woman as she wondered, You're taking the chair, right? The visitor did, and after Pearl had handed her a glass of wine and returned Novus's to his lifted hand, the jealous blonde moved not to sit beside her Master but to stand directly behind him … caressing both of her hands intimately onto his shoulders in a way meant to tell the other woman, He's mine … don't even think it.

Pearl didn't know why, in particular, she was feeling so intensely about this woman. There was something … dangerous about this woman.

"Now, what brings you such a great distance to meet with me?" Novus asked. "Or am I stroking my own ego to think your journey was specifically to meet me?"

The woman from East Port smiled, a wasted gesture on a blind man. But then, Pearl had learned that Novus has a way of sensing such expressions. She didn't understand how he did it; often, without a sound from her own self, he'd been able to tell when she was giving him a dirty look … or a hungry look even.

"My master," Kiley began, already lying with just two words as her master was a Queen, "has an offer of employment for you. A bridge. Several, actually. Bridges … roads … gatehouses. This position would likely be a life long commitment. And the compensation would be … almost limitless."

Pearl saw the woman glance up to her as she added, "Of course … if you wished, you could bring your servants with you, to ensure--"

"I'm no servant!" Pearl snapped. She wanted to say more but didn't get the chance.

Novus was not unaccustomed to getting business propositions. Most were artistic in nature, but he still got architectural and other commissions. However, he was currently in the patronage of the Duke, an arrangement that had passed from father to son some six years ago. It kept him financially sound, if perhaps a bit less than content.

Then Pearl went and snapped at their guest. Novus sighed and grasped one of her hands on his shoulder to silence her.

"Please forgive my apprentice," he said. "It was my mistake in failing to properly introduce Pearl. She has been studying under me for nearly two years now and has no small amount of talent, though her interests lie more in art than architecture or engineering."

He softly patted Pearl's hand. One day she would learn to restrain herself. Perhaps. Still, he felt partly responsible, knowing full well how she felt about him.

"So, Lady Kiley, you say your master's interest is in bridges and they have a generous nature. Since projects of that scope and funds of that type are beyond the reach of most, I can only assume you're here as a representative of the Queen? Or one of the Dukes or Duchesses?

"While I find bridges to generally be a very beneficial thing, my patron may be less inclined to agree..."

Pearl:

"Please forgive my apprentice," he said.

Pearl had been expecting some sort of chastising -- typically polite -- the moment she'd opened her mouth. She smiled with pride, though, as Novus explained about her studies and complimented about her talent. She was no Sculptor and never would be, but she hoped that one day Novus would give her the ultimate compliment by calling her an Artist … and then slip in between her thighs and give her what she'd been fantasizing about since that first time he'd laid hands upon her.

As Novus softly patted her hand, Pearl wrapped quickly intertwined her fingers amongst his. She wanted the stranger to think her relationship with the Master was more than it was. Servant, her brain grumbled silently. How dare you. In a since, though, Pearl was just that at times. She tended to Novus's every needs as they came up. Well, every need except that one. Pearl understood why he had denied her that privilege, though. Theirs was a Teacher-Student relationship, and it worked wonderfully for both.

Besides, Pearl could always finger herself to satisfaction if she had the need. She did it often … and, after this conversation, she already knew she'd have to before the day was out.


Kiley:

Novus continued, "So, Lady Kiley, you say your master's interest is in bridges and they have a generous nature..."

SHE does, Kiley thought quickly, thinking of her Aunt Hannah. But this quest to expand the Brain Trust went much farther than just the Queen. Kiley's mother, Supreme Chancellor Anna, as well as a whole entourage of men and women from Generals to Ambassadors to Merchants yearned for the roads of the Kingdom of East Port to reach out like the tentacles of a hungry octopus into the Central Highlands. There was so much wealth to be had, be it ore in as-of-yet inaccessible mountains or thick forests of tall, sturdy trees for building the Kingdom's new fleet. So much to exploit; so few ways to get to it … so far.

"Since projects of that scope and funds of that type are beyond the reach of most," Novus continued, "I can only assume you're here as a representative of the Queen? Or one of the Dukes or Duchesses?

"Yes, you may assume," Kiley responded cryptically, not giving specifics. She gave Novus a devilish smirk, then reminded herself that he was blind and couldn't see the expression. She peeked up to the other woman for help but got only a cold stare. Continuing with the fallacy that she was a representative of a male, Kiley continued, "My Master will pay you more than any Southern Duke could … and … will pay you simply for making the trek to East Port with me."

Kiley reached into the satchel she'd removed and set on the floor beside her, hesitating when saw Pearl's reaction to the move. Without even pulling her hand out, Kiley jiggled the purse to make obvious her intent. How much coin was in the bag was made obvious as well when it landed heavily on the table before Novus.

"For speaking to my Master," Kiley explained. "And, should you decide that East Port is not a good fit … another bag of equal size before you leave."


Pearl:

The sound of the bag hitting the table caused Pearl's eyes to visibly widen … and her fingers to clamp down a bit upon Novus's shoulders. Without knowing exactly how much coin was in the purse, Pearl already knew it was more money than she'd ever seen at one time. She had grown up in perpetual poverty and been married off to an equally poor dirt farmer who had held a silver coin in his hands but just twice in two years.

She leaned down to put her mouth close to Novus's cheek, so close that when she whispered to him, her breath filled his ears. "I always did want to see the east coast."

Pearl didn't like the idea of this woman Kiley being near Novus any longer than necessary. And her Teacher had no reason to be concerned about coin while under the Duke's protection. But … well … that purse.

Novus listened to Kiley's evasive answer as to exactly who her master was. It might have been for political reasons, keeping it vague. She probably didn't know where he stood on politics and loyalty. Safer to not raise early alarms. Still, she'd at least confirmed his suspicion about it being in East Port. He'd heard some interesting things about the changes going on there. If it was to be believed, they had a very forward thinking queen in place, which made for interesting prospects.

He was less impressed with the money she jangled in front of him. He'd made good money between his patron and other local, private commissions. Legacy and realization of his visions were far more appealing to him. She didn't realize where her potential leverage with him lay, and he was okay with that for now.

Pearl leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I always did want to see the east coast."

Novus cracked a smile at that. It might have been the truth, but he suspected she was merely positioning herself to not be left behind, should he accept the offer.

"Let's just say for the moment that I won't dismiss your offer out of hand," Novus said to Kiley. "An artist and inventor always wants their work to be appreciated."

He extracted his hand from Pearl's grasp and stood, leaning forward until he was over Kiley but not imposingly so.

"If you might indulge me, m'lady," he said, holding out a hand as if he meant to take hers. "Might I see your face? The picture of you in my mind's eye is one of your voice only, so far."

Pearl:

When Novus rose without responding to the other woman's offer of money, Pearl's stomach turned over with panic. He's gonna say no. He's gonna say NO! Pearl had the utmost respect for her Master's integrity; she'd seen him turn down jobs in the past -- be they engineering or artistic in nature -- for what had been significant offers of money. But looking to the purse on the table and recalling the very unique sound of what could only be gold coinage, Pearl was praying to the Gods that just this once he at least agreed to speak with the person offering the small fortune. Kiley had said they could ride to East Port and then change their minds … and get yet another purse. That wouldn't be a betrayal of Novus's integrity, would it?

But then he told the woman from the east coast, "Let's just say for the moment that I won't dismiss your offer out of hand … An artist and inventor always wants their work to be appreciated."

"And it would be," the other woman said. "I assure you, Master Novus … your name will be known throughout the Kingdom of East Port. My Master will ensure it. Plaques will bear your name … parties will be thrown in your honor..."


Kiley:

Looking from Novus to the blonde who had stepped left to maintain eye contact with her, Kiley smirked a bit wider as she finished her pledge, "...women of status will fight one another for the pleasure of accompanying you to those parties."

The younger woman's reaction was very much as Kiley had expected. There was little doubt in her mind that this Pearl was either parting her thighs for the Sculptor or praying to soon be doing so … while at the same time doing all she could to ensure that other women didn't do the same.

"If you might indulge me, m'lady," Novus said, holding out a hand as if he meant to take hers. "Might I see your face? The picture of you in my mind's eye is one of your voice only, so far."

Kiley didn't immediately understand what Novus meant. Behind him, Pearl rolled her eyes before turning away and murmuring, "I'll refresh the wine."

"Of course," Kiley finally said when she realized where Novus was going with this. "It would be my pleasure, Master Novus."

She reached out to take his hand in her own, intending to lead it over the little table between them to her cheek. But he surprised her by circling around the table to sit on it, directly before her so close that he had to widen his knees so that they would flank her own, closed before her.

Kiley sat up a bit taller, her eyes a bit wider as well. Men didn't often invade her space like this. The men in the Frontier Guard knew better; if she wanted to get that close to them, she would initiate it herself … and, to date, she never had. And the men in Inns, Taverns, Marketplaces, and other such public locations that had done the same -- often after too much ale or wine -- had time to contemplate their wrong … as they laid on the ground nursing crushed nuts or broken noses.

Maybe Novus sensed Kiley's hesitation, because his movements were so slow that he almost didn't even seem to be moving. Soon, though, the fingers of one hand, then of the other were ever so very gently caressing the features of her face. Kiley found herself staring into the Sculptor's foggy eyes, which followed the movement of his fingers as if they could actually see them.

His touch was very gentle … and very thorough. His finger tips found ever little bit of her face from cheek to cheek, forehead to neck. Kiley was about to warn him off politely when she feared his fingers would venture too low. But again, he must have sensed her reservation; the fingers swept outward, following her jaw line … and she couldn't help but giggle a bit when he took hold of her ear lobes, then traced all along the ridge of her ear.

His fingers were somewhat calloused, from years of sculpting and other endeavors Kiley presumed. And yet, his touch was very tender … almost loving if their relationship had been anything more than that of two total strangers. His fingers found Kiley's hair near the end of his study of her, gently feeling it apparently for curl or lack thereof, length … hell, maybe the dirt and grime of the road for all she knew. (She'd just washed it that morning during her first bath in four days, so while she was feeling uncomfortable with the way Novus was touching her, at least she was feeling self conscious because of feeling like a street rat.)

When Novus released the long section of hair down which his fingers had traced, they fell right into the cleavage of her generous bosom, amplified by the clean dress she'd donned after her bath for today's meeting. Kiley's lips widened in a bit of smirk as she wondered whether or not Novus had down that intentionally. The dirty look she got from Pearl as the younger woman returned with the refilled wine goblets made Kiley believe he had, which only made the Guardsman's smile widen a bit more.

It only then dawned on Kiley as she found the other woman's gaze firmly upon her bosom that her nipples had hardened fiercely during the inspection by the Sculptor. She could tell without glancing down that their shapes were likely visible through the cloth … and she blushed.

Novus took his time exploring Kiley's face. His fingers mapped every curve and fold, every lash and blemish (there were very few of these). In his mind, as he had so often before, he constructed a model of her face simply from touch. By the time he was done, he likely could picture her better than her own family or lover. Did she have a lover? A question for another day, perhaps.

One thing he was certain of, however, was this woman was a true beauty. He'd had no shortage of beautiful women model for him over the years. Pearl, doubling as a student, was quite stunning in a very different way. Kiley was regal. He very much wanted to "see" if the rest of her was as exquisite.

She was also game to indulge him, which he appreciated. None of her offers had come from a place of personal interest. It was unlikely she'd been the one whose idea it had been to recruit him. She was trying to appeal to him on monetary and notoriety grounds. Not a bad approach, but he wanted more than just that. To leave his home, a city where even blind he could navigate confidently and without assistance, for a strange land where he knew no one? That was a large ask.

Novus concluded with her hair, taking in its length and texture and subtle waves. It was long and he left the end of it dangling before her chest. He didn't know whether her dress exposed and cleavage or how much she might have to show, but it would send a subtle message. And, in the subtle shift of her posture, he sensed it had been received.

"You are a true beauty, Lady Kiley," he said, giving her a brief bow as he backed up to the couch and resumed sitting. "Thank you for indulging me."

He took a sip of wine while contemplating how to handle the woman and her offer. Pearl's opinion was clear, but it wasn't her decision to make.

"I will say that your offer is tempting," he said. "But it's not an insignificant one to make, especially at a late hour with much wine addling my mind. Perhaps you could return tomorrow, say at the noon hour, and we will continue discussing the details of your offer?"

Pearl:

"You are a true beauty, Lady Kiley," Novus said, giving the woman from East Port a brief bow as he backed up to the couch and resumed sitting.

Pearl could feel the heat rising in her face at Novus's compliment. She didn't understand the source of this extreme jealousy. Her Master had had other lovers during Pearl's tutelage; hell, Pearl had twice presented him with women whose slits she could trust would be used once before being sent away. If he wasn't going to get his pleasures from her, Pearl was at least going to control which slits within which he did found his joy before getting back to his genius. There had never been a danger that Novus might suddenly find himself no longer needing Pearl in his life.

But this woman … well, she was dangerous and beautiful. And Pearl didn't like that in the least.

Novus continued, "Thank you for indulging me."

"It was my pleasure, Master Novus," Kiley said, her face still a bit darker than normal from the blush that Pearl had definitely detected. The dark haired woman chuckled nervously, adding, "It was a unique experience. I'm happy to have partaken of it. Now … about what we were discussing..."


Kiley:

"I will say that your offer is tempting," Novus began.

Kiley had feared what the Sculptor was about to say even before he'd opened his mouth. She had orders to take him by force if necessary; and she'd been ready to do just that; but after learning that he was blind, Kiley had found herself conflicted. Why? His inability to see had nothing to do with his ability to do great things. Why should his blindness have any bearing on how she got him back to East Port?

"But it's not an insignificant one to make, especially at a late hour with much wine addling my mind," Novus continued. "Perhaps you could return tomorrow, say at the noon hour, and we will continue discussing the details of your offer?"

Kiley stared in silence at the man for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. She could argue her case, up her offer, or simply try to charm him with more conversation, looking for an opening. But before she could make a decision, the young beauty behind the couch began circling around, telling her, "I'll walk you out, Miss."

Hesitating a moment, Kiley finally stood. She studied the man sitting before her a moment, then said with a respectful tone, "Of course, Master Novus. Tomorrow. Noon."

She gave him a slight bow, not really knowing why as he couldn't see it. She glanced to the purse still laying on the table, wondering whether to retrieve it or nt. She fell in behind Pearl with empty hands, though, again paying her respects to the Sculptor before stepping out into the hall. She turned back to Pearl with the intention of taking a moment to whisper encouragement to the woman, only to find the door closing in her face.

Pearl:

She hesitated at the door a moment, then turned to look at Novus. She knew the expression on the man's face: his mind was turning over like a wheel in a flooded stream. Pearl, too, had taken a follow up interest in the coin on the table, wondering whether or not to make mention of it. She smiled, bounded across the room to Novus, snatched up the coin, and dropped into his lap.

"Since you don't want this, Master," she said with humor in her voice as she jingled the purse in one hand, "Maybe I should hold onto it for you."

She giggled as she leaned in and kissed him on his neck with wet lips and a playful tongue. With the exception of the sometimes very intimate wanderings of his hands over her body to see it for his drawings, paintings, and sculptures of her, this was as much intimacy as there was between them; her tight, young ass grinding in his lap and her lips playing upon him between ear and collar bone. Pearl often hoped Novus would rip her clothes off for other more erotic reasons. But, they had an agreement, and -- while wishing there was more -- understood and accepted it reluctantly.

Novus rose politely as Kiley took her leave, escorted out by Pearl. Sitting back on the couch, he considered her offer. He'd heard some good things about East Port from some of his contemporaries - a shift toward open-mindedness and embracing of arts and sciences and studies. On the surface, that sounded like an environment conducive to his own interests. He'd also heard that they were allowing women into all manner of fields and positions of power and influence that was quite...unusual. Many of the learned men at the Rosewood talked about it with derision. Novus's opinion on the matter was counter to the prevailing opinion. He had, after all, taken on a female apprentice when such things were almost unknown.

Pearl. She was talented, but would have few opportunities here once he was done teaching her unless she was to attach herself to an interested patron. Her sights were unabashedly set on him, which he hadn't entirely ruled out as a possibility. She was fun and beautiful and affectionate to a fault. She was also jealous and possessive and stubborn. More than anything, though, she lived vibrantly. Maybe the change of scenery in East Port would be good for her - expose her to opportunities she wouldn't have here.

Pearl returned, snagging the bag of coin and plopping in his lap. He was acutely aware of how she positioned herself to maximize contact with his cock between the layers of clothing.


"Since you don't want this, Master," she said with humor in her voice as she jingled the purse in one hand, "Maybe I should hold onto it for you."

Novus smiled. Money was still important to her, having grown up so poor. He hoped one day she would move beyond such things.

"It's Lady Kiley's money until I say otherwise," he said.

She giggled and leaned in, planting a series of wet kisses along his neck and ear. Despite his best efforts to resist her advances - and this was more assertive than usual for her, probably driven by a jealous possessiveness inspired by their guest - he felt a stirring in his groin. It had been a few days since he'd taken a lover and it would be entirely too easy to embrace her advances. But that would sour their master/apprentice relationship.

"Let's go home," he said, nudging her just enough to make it clear he was ready. She pouted, but obeyed.

While his feet knew the curve of every cobblestone in the three blocks between the Rosewood and his home and studio, Novus still indulged Pearl by letting her lead him arm in arm. She chatted about the possibility of taking the offer and he mentioned a few things he'd heard about their changing political landscape.

Novus's home was a three-story house on a small rise overlooking the ocean. The lower floor was set aside for the kitchen, entertaining guests, and the like. The second floor was his studio that also had a small area set aside for Pearl's quarters. The third floor was Novus's bedroom, a patio overlooking the water, and a smaller auxiliary studio.

"I have a project for you to begin," Novus said as they reached the second floor. Pearl was used to his unusual working hours, so his suggestion of a project at this late hour didn't raise any questions short of an enthusiastic inquiry as to what it was.

Novus smiled and undid the belt sash that held his robes. He stepped up to Pearl and wrapped it around her eyes, cinching it firmly behind her head. He could feel her nervous energy and smile at his touch and unusual act.

"Since your insatiable obsession with me is at risk of turning into a distraction, I'm hoping this task might help."

Novus slipped out of his robes, letting the mild breeze embrace his naked body. Even Pearl, unaccustomed to picturing scenes by sound alone, probably could imagine what he was doing. He reached out for her until he found her arm and hand. Guiding it downward, he placed her soft hand upon his flaccid manhood. He heard her gasp of surprise and delight, smiling at her reaction.

"Listen carefully," he said, even as she began feeling him up. "I want you to carve a scale model. Your choice of clay or wood. You may sculpt me as I am now, or more erect if you so desire. Whichever you choose, it must meet my expectations or you'll have to start over. It's time you learn to see with something other than your eyes and preconceptions.

"Just keep one thing in mind. If I climax, we're finished and you're gone for good."

Pearl:

"I have a project for you to begin," Novus said.

Pearl was intrigued by her Master blind folding her. In the past, he'd told her she needed to see the world with more than her eyes, and while she'd often closed them to listen to and feel the wind or hear the animals or other such things, he'd never actually covered her eyes in such a way.

"Since your insatiable obsession with me is at risk of turning into a distraction, I'm hoping this task might help."

Pearl pouted her bottom lip out. It was a combination of true, emotional reaction and overemphasis. Sure, yeah, her desire to have Novus's cock inside her was just what he called it sometimes, a distraction. But obsession? Well ... to be honest ... maybe.

Then, suddenly, she was holding his manhood in her hands!

She gasped of surprise, then tightened her fingers around him and smiled, even giggling a bit.

Then, Novus laid down the ground rules, ending with, "Just keep one thing in mind. If I climax, we're finished and you're gone for good."

Pearl pulled her hand away as if she'd touched a hot wood burner, then ripped the blindfold off her head. She didn't feel it immediately, but the color in her already fair face washed out with the shock. She opened her mouth to speak ... but no words came out as she saw in Novus's face that was dead serious. Her eyes glazed over as she back away another step and turned away to hide the first descending tear.

How can he so easily dismiss me? Pearl's brain was asking. I thought I meant more to him than that! She glanced Novus's way for a quick peak, then looked away again, as if afraid he could see her reaction. It's ... HER! she thought about the woman from East Port. SHE caused this!

But wiping her eyes and turning to look at Novus again, Pearl told herself He's your Master! You're his Apprentice ... and student. Do as he commands. She couldn't honestly know whether this had anything to do with Kiley; nor could she honestly know whether or not Novus could dismiss her so easily.

What Pearl did know was this: she believed with all of her heart that Novus was the greatest artist who had existed; she believed that if she was ever to become an artist of any caliber, it would only happen under his tutelage; and -- more important of all -- if she ever was to become his lover, she had to prove that she could do as he'd commanded ... even if it was, without a doubt, going to be the hardest thing she'd ever attempted in her life.

She crossed to Novus once again, taking his hand and leading him The Chair. The upholstered seat had a rounded sitting area and a slanted back and was filled with pillows. It had been the location of many an orgasm enjoyed by Novus and/or the women with whom he'd had his little trysts over time.

It had also been the location where Pearl had enjoyed her one and only orgasm with Novus. Well, with Novus wasn't entirely accurate. Pearl had been naked and laying back in The Chair, knees parted, while her Master -- fully dressed -- did an in depth survey of her womanhood with his finger tips for some extremely detailed charcoal sketches he'd drawn.

They had been more biological work than erotic art. Of course, that hadn't prevented Pearl from becoming hot and desperate for release, so much so that once he'd finished, Pearl had begged him to fuck her, despite their agreement weeks earlier to maintain a purely Teacher-Student relationship. However, he'd given Pearl permission -- even encouraged her -- to take care of her needs personally if she'd wished. And she'd wished! She fingered herself to a rapid, explosive orgasm, falling to sleep with her hands still in her crotch after Novus had covered her with a blanket and planted a loving kiss on her forehead.

Now, though, Pearl handed Novus the tie again, turned her back to him, and waited for him to blind fold her once again. Sitting him down with his knees parted, she dropped to her own knees ... hesitated ... then reached both hands up to his groin to take his masterpiece into her gentle hands.

Novus began stiffening almost immediately, and as she explored every single little detail of his cock and balls -- and even his patch of curly hair, belly, and thighs surrounding his privates -- he only got harder. Despite this not being about personal pleasure, Pearl couldn't help but get excited; her bosom swelled and waned, her heart pounded ... and down lower, her pussy wept preparing itself for a fuck she knew wouldn't happen.

It could, of course. She could strip here and now and mount Novus. He wouldn't stop her, Pearl believed. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. But, it would be the one and only time she'd have him. One and only...

After a few minutes of tracing his shaft, of feeling the blood vessels and the bulbous head and the curls of soft hair and the sack that sometimes twitched ... Pearl thought she was done. She sat back and lowered her hands to her lap. Then she sat back up and said, "Wait, Master."

It had begun to occur to Pearl that she hadn't been seeing Novus's privates as an object of art. She'd been seeing them as what she'd always seen them, objects with which she would find sexual delight. She reached out again, took hold of Novus's cock with both hands ... and began again.

Novus was a little taken aback by her reaction to his suggestion. He could sense the stiffening in her body, the deepening of her breath - stress, emotion. She recovered quickly enough, though, and led him over to the broad, cushioned chair he'd frequently used with models in multiple ways.

After Pearl got him seated, she knelt between his legs and took his cock in both hands. As he'd expected, she immediately set about trying to arouse him. It took little effort on her part, given his already heightened state of arousal and building urges. Once he was fully erect, she explored his entirety with her fingertips - from tip of the glans, down his shaft, around his scrotum and all around.

She took her time, clearly enjoying the opportunity. Novus could tell she wasn't "seeing" him the same way he saw things by touch. He wasn't surprised, since he'd lived with his blindness for years. Pearl was too caught up in "touching him" to focus on building up the inner picture from that contact.

Finally, she let go and he heard her sit back. She would try to carve and reconstruction and it would be a superficial likeness of a hard cock that could belong to any man. He'd be disappointed, but perhaps she would do better next time.

"Wait, Master," she said, surprising him.

Pearl took him in her hands again, gave him a few strokes to make sure he was fully engorged, and then started the whole process over again. This time, he could tell she was absorbing the details in a way that she might be able to differentiate him from another man. She picked up not just the bulging veins, but where they kinked and turned. She measured the relative size of the head compared to the shaft. Diameter, proportions, texture. Yes, she was beginning to see him with her hands. He couldn't help but smile.

When she finished this second time, she sat back and simply said, "clay."

"Good choice," he said. "Will you need me here for reference, or can you do it from memory?"

Pearl:

"No," she said softly as she sat back, her haunches resting on her ankles. "I am ready."

She stood before Novus, waiting for him to ... well, to whatever. Pearl wasn't going to remove the soft belt wrapped over her eyes until her Teacher was away, for fear of seeing his cock with anything more than her hands.

"I will let you know when I am ready for your review," she said politely, her way of telling him he could leave. "I thank you for this lesson, Novus."


Kiley:

Back at the Inn, the leader of the quest to retrieve the Sculptor for East Port told the other three about the conversation. She very notably left out the part where Novus studied her face with his hands. It just didn't seem like something that would endear her with the three males who were being commanded by a female.

"So, what do we do next?"

"We wait," Kiley told them. "I'm supposed to return to the Rosewood tomorrow to have lunch with Novus. I will continue to urge him to go back to the Kingdom with us."

"And if he says no?"

Kiley contemplated that situation again, then only shrugged. She stood to leave for her room, telling the trio with authority, "The Sculptor will be returning to the Kingdom with us."

She went upstairs to the room she'd gotten for herself, leaving the three men to drink, eat, and be merry ... with a very available assortment of tavern wenches, a couple of whom had even approached Kiley with an offer of services. She stripped down to her undergarments for bed ... then stripped further until she was naked. Slipping into the relatively soft sheets -- which with the bath tub and periodic visits by a servant to serve her needs were the reason she'd paid nearly double the regular room rate -- she stared up at the ceiling for the longest time, recalling Novus and the way he'd touched her face with his gentle fingers.

She'd been embarrassed at the realization that her body had reacted sexually to the Sculptor's viewing of her face, as well as to his compliment on her beauty. Kiley never really thought of her beautiful, though, she knew that others did. She was a soldier! She was a member of the Crown's Guard, a hero of the Frontier Patrol, and -- now -- a direct representative of her Grace, Queen Hanna of East Port, tasked with a very important mission that require far more of her than a pretty face and shapely body.

That last thought caused her to imagine the Sculptor caressing his fingers over more of her than her face: her neck, her shoulders, her bosom, her mid section, her ... well ...

And those thoughts caused Kiley to slip both hands down between her thighs as her knees rose. Self gratification was now and for a long time had been Kiley's only form of sexual release. She hadn't had a man since first losing her virginity several years earlier, and the last time she'd paid a woman to put her fingers and mouth to her sensitive folds had been well over a year ago. It felt good, and with the added fantasy of the blind man being the one pleasing her, Kiley found it unusually more satisfying that normal. But, it wasn't the same.

She rolled to her side after her breathing and heart beat had returned nearly to normal, then drifted off to sleep with nice thoughts...

Novus nodded at Pearl's declaration of readiness and took his leave, pausing only to retrieve his robe. He was still fully erect when he reached his personal quarters on the floor above and he took himself in hand and began stroking the moment he closed the door behind him. Pearl's infatuation with him was obvious, but he'd perhaps underestimated his own interest in her. Her hands had been magical, even if professional, on his cock. It shouldn't have been surprising, though - he knew full well the effect his hands on his models.

In his mind's eye, it was Pearl's hands on him, now free to stroke until he climaxed. He pictured her naked body kneeling before him, tugging and urging his seed to come forth and shower her youthful breasts. He looked down and saw...Kiley's face looking up at him? That image came unbidden. He knew the beauty of the woman's face, but had no direct knowledge of her figure. She was an interesting woman and one in whom he sensed a very interesting personality.

Within moments, he came, picturing two women simultaneously.

Morning:

Donning only a simple house robe, Novus made his way down to the second floor. Aside from the crash of the ocean outside and the soft din of business beginning out on the street, he heard nothing. Pearl had, undoubtedly, stayed up late working on her project. He was tempted to feel his way around the work tables to see how it was coming, but he knew how much he hated to have his work judged before he deemed it complete. He could wait until she was ready.

On the ground floor, the scent of hot tea reached his nose.

"Good morning, Alise," he said, stepping into the kitchen. The older woman had been serving him alongside her husband for nearly a decade, living in a tiny guesthouse attached to the side of the main structure. They were loyal, efficient, and very accommodating to his unconventional lifestyle.

"Good morning, sir," she said with her usual motherly good humor. "Breakfast?"

"Yes, please," he said, sitting at the small table. "Eggs, bacon, whatever fruit..." He paused, sniffing the air. "...melon? Yes, that too. And I'll need a bath."

"Of course, sir." She set about fixing him food while politely inquiring as to how his evening went. Novus gave her a brief rundown of things, including Kiley's offer and their follow-up meeting over lunch. He could hear the shift in her body language and realized he hadn't considered how his potential departure could impact them.

"I doubt anything will come of it," he said. "But, should the terms be acceptable, I'll no doubt need you and Reb to stay on and manage my place in my absence."

"Of course, sir." There was a distinct note of relief in her voice this time as she handed him his breakfast and went off to prepare his bath.

"Miss Pearl...?"

The Apprentice flinched at the sound of a voice … Alise's voice … very near. She rolled over to face the woman … and fell right out of The Chair to land hard on the heavy wooden plank floor. She'd fallen asleep in the too-small-for-sleeping piece of furniture after her tenth or twelfth attempt at recreating her Master's erection in clay.

"Master Novus is awake," the servant informed Pearl and she helped her back up into the Chair. "You wanted to know when--"

"Yes, yes," the Apprentice cut in softly, blinking her tired eyes in an attempt to focus first on the older women, then on the space about her. She asked for Novus's location, finishing, "Thank you, Alise."

The servant looked about herself, then gave a low, surprised, "Oh!"

All about the studio, phallic shaped clay objects could be found. They varied in size, from lifelike to more-than-generous to larger than life, with one of nearly three feet in length with a girth larger than Pearl's thigh. They varied in realism, too, with some little more than phallic objects and others in great, realistic, human detail and accuracy. Several of the latter were barely more than hand shaped, tubular objects barely human in appearance. But one -- Pearl's final project -- had been hand and tool shaped to include every last little detail, from the vessels that snaked up its length to the distinct shape of its hood stretched out through its foreskin to the slit and hole from which its contents would be expelled … if it were real, of course.

"You should clean up," a surprised sounding Alise suggested. She looked to Pearl's hands, clothing, even her cheeks and forehead where she had wiped her skin with clay-colored hands. "Would you like me to draw you a bath, Miss?"

"No," Pearl said politely. She explained that she could use a pitcher of clean water and towels, then said, "I must finish my work."

"You need sleep, Miss Pearl," Alise tried.

"No, I must finish," Pearl demanded, her tone showing her obsession with completing her latest work. "Please tell Novus I am indisposed … female stuff."

"Yes, Miss," Alise said, already knowing she wouldn't be using the words female stuff. Her Master had always been intrigued by the workings of the female reproduction system, almost to the level of some Alchemists. So, she wouldn't hesitate to use the phrase She's in her Moon. "I will return with some water and towels, Miss."

After the older woman was gone, Pearl returned to the last work upon which she'd labored. It was a bit larger than Novus's actual cock, by perhaps 2 inches in length and half that in girth. And while it seemed pretty close, there was still something wrong with it. She put her hands on it, feeling the cool, still wet clay that hadn't begun to set. What was missing?

Alise returned with the water and towels, as well as with a platter of simple foods and a pitcher of Morning Wine. After she'd cleaned her hands and face -- she remained in her dirty dress -- Pearl found the tie from Novus's robe. She once again tied it around her eyes, sat on her stool, and reached out to hold her work. She traced her fingers up and down its length, examining Novus as she had the night before.

Between her thighs, Pearl got hot and wet again...



The Rosewood
Noon:

Kiley was once again invited up to the 3rd floor … alone. Her subordinates once again expressed their dislike with her going in alone. But they relented; as they had the day before, Eric found a place outside from which he could watch the streets and the Rosewood's entrance; and Kimmin and Vurn found a table in the corner of the establishment's first floor from which they could watch the door's opposite side. The waterfront was far more active this morning than it had the night before, during the Count's party. The Rosewood's clientele had visibly doubled as well.

Dressed as she had been the previous day, Kiley reached the room in which she'd met Novus. She was surprised to find that the blonde woman, Pearl, was not present. In her place was a beautiful, young woman with a fiery head of red. She wore a simple but form-emphasizing dress that boosted her generous bosom almost into the open.

"Lunch will be served in a moment, Miss," the woman said, introducing herself as Vera. "Master Novus is on his way as well."

"Thank you," Kiley said simply.

The redheaded beauty moved up close to Kiley and -- without hesitation or shame -- loosed a tie in the middle of her bosom. As her dress fell open enough to reveal both of her nipples, Vera asked, "While you wait, Miss, would you like me to service you in any way?"

Kiley's eyes were wide with surprise at the unexpected offer. "No. No, I'm … I'll be fine until Master Novus arrives."

Vera looked positively disappointed as she just stood there … boobs out … showing no intention of concealing them or departing. Kiley was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable; she quickly reached into a tiny, inconspicuous pocket on her hip, removed a silver coin, and offered it out.

"Wine, please," she told the servant, hoping Vera would understand that she was being dismissed. "Keep the balance, if there is any."

Vera gave a quick curtsey, took the coin, stuffed it into her bosom, and hurried away as she retied the front of her gown. She promised to return soon with the pitcher and departed. After a moment, Kiley chuckled to herself before moving over to a window to look out upon the harbor.

After a moment of scanning the ships anchored in the port, she found the familiar flag of the Kingdom of East Port on three of them. Her mother and aunt -- the Supreme Chancellor and the Queen respectively -- had for years been sending both merchant and military ships all about the coast line of the Continent of Medianna. East Port now had docking rights or even their own pier and mercantile storage facilities in half a dozen foreign ports, and the Kingdom was adding another one every year or two. The public reason for having their own docks was to facilitate improved trade. The secret reason, of course, was to make easier the arrival of Marines and siege weapons, should East Port ever decide to invade the Barony or Kingdom in question.

Novus, as minority owner and esteemed patron of the Rosewood, had considerable clout at using its facilities as he desired. He'd sent word ahead about his lunch plans and arranged to have the third floor - often considered his private salon, even though it was usually open to all - reserved for him and his guest alone. Lunch, likewise, was to be something special. When he arrived, he was informed his guest had preceded him by a few minutes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Kiley," Novus said as he entered the room. Over the background sounds, he hadn't been able to pinpoint her location in the room yet, so his announcement was meant to elicit a response. "I hope you had a restful evening?"

On finding Kiley in the room, Novus joined her and held out his hand. Taking hers, he planted a polite kiss on the back of her fingers.

"Lunch is ready, Master Novus," Vera said, politely interrupting from across the room. Novus knew that voice (and body!) well.

"Thank you, Vera," he said. Novus offered his arm to Kiley and escorted her across the room to the a table out on the patio overlooking the ocean. It was already set up with linen, china, and utensils suitable for any noble. Novus saw her seated before taking his own chair opposite.

Vera brought their first course, a selection of fruits and cheeses to go with their wine, before retreating into the background.

"I'm still considering your offer, Lady Kiley," he said after they began eating. "First, though, if you'd indulge me, I'd like to know more about you. What's your story, and what brings you to be the one to come offer me this opportunity? I understand women are taking a greater role in East Port's affairs, which I approve of, but such a journey is still not a small undertaking."

Kiley was engrossed in the view of the port when Novus arrived and didn't initially hear either the door opening or the Sculptor stepping through it. To be totally honest, she was contemplating how the East Port marines would make their way through the waterfront to take the city should her Aunt and Mother initiate an invasion.

Oh, East Port wasn't there yet … but, it was only a matter of time. The City of Greenick was central to taking and maintaining possession of the County and the Barony beyond. And -- as the Supreme Chancellor's daughter -- Kiley was privy to some of the contingency plans the Crown Army had in store for expanding the breadth of the Burkin Family's holdings.

So entranced in thoughts of war and conquest, Kiley flinched and snatched at the hilt of the blade on her waist belt at the unexpected voice behind her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Kiley."

Despite her accelerated heart beat, Kiley convinced herself to relax and let the blade -- not fully removed -- slip back downward into its sheath.

"I hope you had a restful evening?"

"I did, Master Novus," she said. She noticed the way his head turned a bit at the sound of her voice. "The sounds of the sea filled the room of my Inn. They are relaxing."

Of course, the sexual release of driving herself to orgasm with skilled fingertips had helped Kiley sleep as well. But, that wasn't something you told the man who had been the object of said fantasies.

She moved her position a bit, walking casually to her right and a bit closer to Novus. And she watched his eyes and body language. He was looking almost directly at Kiley with those vacant eyes, despite the silence of her movement. His sense of hearing, on which she assumed he relied so heavily, was obviously very acute. He moved right up to her and offered a hand. She took it and watched in silence as he leaned forward and planted a polite kiss on the back of her fingers.

The redhead from earlier appeared again, her bosom once again tied up tightly yet nearly as well displayed short the dark pink nipples. "Lunch is ready, Master Novus,"

"Thank you, Vera," he said.

After the other woman had opened a set of doors displaying exquisite glass panels set in delicately carved wooden panels, Kiley found herself being escorted out onto patio. Here, the view was less mercantile in view; they looked not on the port and the economic facets but on homes and churches and the mountains through which she and her men had ridden on their quest to find the Sculptor.

"It's beautiful," Kiley said about the panoramic view. Immediately, she realized the error she'd made, complimenting something Novus could no longer fully appreciate. She considered apologizing, but instead asked with a sympathetic tone, "Were you able to enjoy it before your blindness set in?"

As he responded, Vera began serving their meal. Before she left, the redhead leaned in close to Novus's ear and whispered. Kiley saw his reaction and wondered whether the woman was reporting how she herself had reacted to having earlier being offered sex to pass the waiting period. Vera was indeed telling Novus just that, but the Master said nothing of it.

"I'm still considering your offer, Lady Kiley," he said after they began eating. "First, though, if you'd indulge me..."

Novus went on to ask questions that Kiley had expected to face before the Sculptor got around to making any decisions. As she nibbled at the familiar foods offered on the great number of plates and bowls, she began answering him … sometimes with straight forward, honest responses … sometimes not.

"I am the daughter of Supreme Chancellor Orianna of the Kingdom of East Port," she began, using her mother Anna's full given name. She added, "The niece of Hanna, Queen of East Port."

If nothing else did, Kiley thought, that position within the Burkin Family and the Royal East Port household would lay out the importance of not just her but of her mission to find and retrieve Novus. Proud of her position in the Guard, she continued with the promotion she'd secretly received just before heading south, "I am also a Lieutenant in the Crown's Army … more specifically, in the Frontier Patrol."

Vera interrupted with the delivery of more food, and prompted to continue, Kiley returned to the questions Novus had put forth.

"Venturing from East Port to the Barony of Shanton was not a difficult undertaking in the least," she told him. Feeling as though he'd been questioning whether or not it had been harder for her being a mere woman, she said with a bit of a defensive tone, "I am good at what I do … at all that I do … regardless … or perhaps even due to my gender."

"It's beautiful," Kiley said about the panoramic view. Immediately, she realized the error she'd made, complimenting something Novus could no longer fully appreciate. She considered apologizing, but instead asked with a sympathetic tone, "Were you able to enjoy it before your blindness set in?"

"I was, yes," he said, with just a tinge of regret. "Sadly, I was perhaps too young to truly appreciate it. Landscapes are one of those things I have more difficulty recreating in my mind's eye. I've known a couple talented poets who've endeavored to bridge that loss."

They began dinner and Novus posed his query as to Kiley's background.

"I'm honored, then, to have such a highly placed representative of the Queen and Supreme Chancellor making a personal visit to me," Novus said when Kiley revealed her true background.

When she went on to explain her rank in the army and role, Novus could hear the note of pride and grit in her voice. It wasn't a rank that had been bestowed by nature of her birth, but one that was earned. Perhaps the opportunities might have been improved because of who she was. Still, he was mightily impressed.

Her response to his comment about it being a difficult journey had clearly struck a nerve, though. This was a strong woman, indeed. The powerful influence of her mother and aunt clear in her upbringing, and making Novus even more intrigued by the changes happening in East Port.

"My Lady," he said, holding up his hands. "Please forgive my insensitivity. I meant no disrespect. You just have to appreciate how unusual your role and duties are outside of East Port. Regardless your ability, and I have no doubts about that, how an outsider might perceive you is something you cannot change without time and example.

"I wonder, perhaps, if you aren't here in part for just that reason - to pique my curiosity. I've long been known as something of a renegade, cutting across the established grain with how things have been done. My apprentice, for example, is one of the few women artists in the land. Had it been anyone else taking her on, they would have been ridiculed."

He paused, smiling in reflection at some of that very ridicule he and Pearl had taken - most quietly behind their backs.

"No, I'm glad it's you here. It says as much about your offer as the money. Now, perhaps you could tell me a bit about the bridges you are considering."

Listening to Novus's regretful comment about no longer visually enjoying the beautiful country made Kiley wonder how differently a blind person saw such scenery. Did he hear the crash of the waves or the songs of the birds in a way she couldn't imagine? Did he feel the mist of the sea or smell the sweetness of that first Spring day as something she herself never had or would?

After his comment about her unheard of rank as a female, he added, "I wonder, perhaps, if you aren't here in part for just that reason - to pique my curiosity."

As Novus continued, Kiley contemplated on that thought. She'd believed she was sent for the Sculptor because she'd proven herself as a soldier. But now she suddenly found herself wondering whether her mother and aunt had assigned her this mission because Novus might otherwise not have taken the offer seriously. Would he have agreed if it had been Promm or Ruldon? she asked herself, picking two of her mother's advisors out as example.

Novus went on, speaking of his status as a renegade. "No, I'm glad it's you here. It says as much about your offer as the money."

They DID, her brain was telling Kiley now. They sent you because you're the Queen's niece, not one of her heroic soldiers!

Kiley couldn't know whether Novus was right. Further, she couldn't really even know whether or not that had been what he'd actually meant. But it was what she'd heard. Kiley, despite her extreme confidence and achievements, still sometimes feared that those who didn't know her well only saw her as the Queen's privileged niece.

"Now, perhaps you could tell me a bit about the bridges you are considering."

Kiley forced herself to push away her previous thoughts to answer Novus's questions. She described how the Kingdom had been expanding its road system, building new roads and improving existing ones. She spoke of how it was now possible for Merchants to drive their carts upon cobblestone roads from East Port to the capitals of at least one and more often than not two of the Baronies to the north, south, and southwest of the Kingdom of East Port.

She could have mentioned the fact that some of these roads were not within the Kingdom of East Port but didn't. For years, Queen Hanna had been urging, pressuring, and sometimes forcing the Counts, Barons, and even Kings of neighboring Sovereignties to allow her to extend East Port's roads into their lands.

Hanna's reasons for spending her Kingdom's money on roads in other States was that it improved the economies at each end of the path. Those in the know, of course, knew that the Queen's reasons were more military than economical: one day, when East Port was ready, those new roads would be used by East Port's armies to conquer the West. But, even now, there wasn't anyone powerful, wealthy, or courageous enough to tell Hanna no; those who thought they were one or more of these didn't last long, the victim of poisoning, a hunting accident, or some other form of assassination.

"There is one region the Kingdom is finding difficulty reaching," Kiley said, getting down to specifics. "The Counties of Rurn and Trolla in the Barony of Sohm. They are ruggedly mountainous, with deep chasms and steep cliffs which must be conquered if the natural resources there … ores, timber, stone, are to be exploited."

Kiley hesitated a moment before continuing with what was essentially a lie. "These Counties are independent, with no professed allegiance to the Barony of Sohn or the Kingdom of Central Medianna. Their Noble Leaders have agreed to inclusion within the Kingdom of East Port should we be able to connect their markets to our own. The bounty of such an alliance would benefit one and all."

In reality, Kiley's mother had been sending envoys -- as well as using carrier pigeons -- to negotiate with the Barons of Rurn and Trolla for years, using a very time consuming and sometimes dangerous roundabout way through a pass far north of the region which they hoped to conquer using Novus's new bridges and roads.

Thus far, neither of those Noble Families had shown any interest in being part of East Port. The current Counts and Baron were confident that The Sisters would never conquer the Central Highlands, let alone their lands. Kiley knew better, though, because she knew her mother and aunt. When those two siblings set their mind on having something, they got it, no matter the roadblocks.

"Our engineers have surveyed two highways through the mountains," Kiley continued, fibbing a bit with, "and they are confident that they can finish the bridge designs themselves."

Vera appeared in Kiley's peripheral, approaching to bring another pitcher of wine and check on the pair's needs. When she'd turned and was again leaving, Kiley finished, "Our own engineers will get across those chasms. However … my Grace would like to offer you the opportunity. And, as I have said, you will be well compensated for your efforts."

Novus listened intently and politely as Kiley described the projects East Port was involved in. He could see the value of the roads and bridges they wanted, both economically and militarily. While East Port hadn't been aggressively expanding into its neighbors yet, he couldn't rule it out. Whether he cared or not was the real question. He didn't know. Following Kiley back to her homeland might be the only way to get answers.

One a professional level, Novus was passingly familiar with the terrain Kiley spoke of. He'd seen some parts of it in his youth before losing his sight. The prospect and challenge of bridging such chasms had a certain appeal. And while he didn't know their engineers, he was certain he could do better.

They were offering money, but just how badly did they want him? That might be the best judge of their own construction capabilities. Kiley wouldn't answer that directly, so he would have to test her indirectly.

"Lady Kiley," he said, "I'm very intrigued by the prospects you offer, yet for obvious reasons it's not easy for me to just pack up and leave. I'd like to offer a proposal.

"I would very much like to capture you in sculpture. If you're willing to model for me and find the finished work a moving likeness - and, trust me, I can tell how my clients react upon seeing my works - then I will accompany you to East Port to see if I'm capable of designing what you need.

"Is this an acceptable proposal?"

"I would very much like to capture you in sculpture."

Kiley smiled wider at the suggestion. It caught her entirely off guard. As he continued talking, though, the realization of what he was asking -- of what she assumed he was asking -- came slowly to her: how does a blind man sculpt the figure -- the body -- of a woman he has never seen. The memory of him coming to see her face came back to her, and Kiley's face exploded in a fiery red.

"Is this an acceptable proposal?"

She just stared at Novus for a long moment, unsure of what to say. She finally stumbled through her inquiry, "Just … how exactly would you … I mean, you've never seen me, so … how would you-- If you are saying that you would have to … have to … I mean, you learned my face by … by-- Are you asking...?"

Kiley found herself entirely unable to speak the words: Are you asking to run your hands all over my body … like you did my face?