Lords and Ladies (OPEN)

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Delara shouldn't have done...it was a stupid thing to do, she knew that...she just wished she would have thought of that before.
Delara sat in the Tarbraugh Slave Markets contemplating the events that had let up to this, an argument with her fiance had been the beginning she remembered, he had wanted to invite all of court to their nuptials but Delara had to be difficult, she wanted a quiet ceremony and he wanted to make an impression. She had fled their home at Tangara for a day at sea, she figured if she could just cool off and return it would all be easier and they could reach a compromise. What she didn't figure was the pirates raiding the outlying islands, they were returning when they spotted her small sail boat and surrounded her. Delara watched her ship sink and realized what they intended to do with, she fought and kicked and screamed but when the Captain stood there simply smiling she couldn't handle it any longer and he put the final nail in her coffin right after she spat in his face.
So she had been delivered to her cage, the pirates collected their pay and left the 'troublemaker' with the professionals. Delara was worried, she would make an excellent bedwarmer with her looks - long wavy black hair, green catty eyes, a lithe athletic build with a wonderfully tight ass. Delara realized her only drawback was her less than noticable breasts, they were pretty average only being a B cup but as she looked at those around her she noticed she was still a lot more to look at than those girls! She just needed to buy time for her escape but as the perspective buyers started to wander by she realized she was out of time....

Anyone welcome!

Closed Thread

Lord Simons normally avoided the Slave Markets. As a comander within the Imperial army, he was far above the station of the slavers and their wares who filled the markets. Though there were many high-born members of society that frequented the markets, Lord Simons had a greater sense of pride and dignity than those who used slaves for labor. Of course, not every slave was purcahsed for work. There were many nobles who purchased playthings in the markets. But he was not one of them. Rahter he had passed through the markets on his way back to his manor outside the city after meeting with the Emperor.

As he rode along through the cobbled street he looked idly at the cages that were filled with men and women whose fortunes had turned grim, many of them looking out with dispondent expressions. Simons almost glanced away from them when his silver eyes settled upon the form of a woman who looked as though she was more than a mere captured pesant. Reigning in his horse he looked through the crowded market, over the heads of the browsing land-owners, and over the small clot that had surrounded the woman's cage. On a whim Lord Simons dismounted his hourse and his entourage of escorts surrounded him, with a gesture he strode off through the crowd towards the cage, his guards shoving aside the other men in the market. There was little more than a few murmers of annoyance...no one dared to raise their voice against one of the Emperor's most favored commanding Generals.

As his men pushed their way through the crowd and Simons got a closer look at the woman. His handsome features twisted into a smile as he looked the woman over speculatively. He knew that he was handsome, more than one noble-woman had been interested in reciving his attentions, though perhaps they merely wished for the station that becoming his wife would entail...even if satisfying him in his bedchambers was a task that they felt was less than paramount. Standing over six feet tall and with ice-blonde hair he was a striking figure, even more so when clad in armor, though at the moment he was merely wearing the elegant attire that an upper class nobleman would be expected to wear. Stepping close to the cage he rested one hand on the bars as he watched the woman within.

"So girl, what did a creature like you do to wind up in here and for sale? Didn't the slave master consider you worthy enough a prize to keep? Or is he expecting to fetch a price enough to buy himself a mannor all his own?" Lord Simons said, a smile twitching on his face that eerily didn't seem to include a scrap of humor.

Delara was startled at first, she had been looking at the other men and women who were being purchased or looked over and trying to remain inconspicuous at the same time. She jumped a little from her crouched position and looked up at the man that had spoken to her, he was handsome and not at all shy and Delara realized she recognised him from somewhere. She gathered herself and tenderly rubbed a long scratch on her cheek, a parting gift from the pirate captain that had captured her.
Delara had decided it might be best to act as though she were a commoner, she was actually a noble from a neighbouring country but she knew that if she told anyone they might use her as a hostage or something worse.
Delara spied the soldiers that made their way through the crowd and wondered if they were there to buy although that was irregular. Delara judged the man to be a richer noble perhaps even an upper class lord for his breeches were taylor made and an expensive fabric.
Delara looked straight into the man's eyes as she answered him "I wouldn't know My Lord, I've only just arrived".
She raised a brow to show that she was being cheeky and her mouth curled into a half smile, she hoped that if she could make him see she was more trouble than she was worth; he would leave her be. Certainly she appeared to be more than troublesome with her scraped knees, bruised arms and that long scratch down her left cheek but she did wish she'd had more time to make herself less presentable.
Delara realized she had made a mistake much too late and mentally chastised herself, she hadn't sounded like a maid at all but her noble heritage had tumbled out of her mouth before she'd thought of it. She quickly reasoned that if anyone asked she would simply say she had been brought up surrounded by nobles because...she had been a maid in the palace!
Delara absent mindedly tugged at the neckline of the itchy sackcloth dress the pirates had given to her to wear, they had decided they could sell her cotton wool gown for at least a gold noble even though it was worth a decent bit more and much to her relief allowed her to keep her undergarments. Although now part of her wished they hadn't because she would have a difficult time explaining where she had gotten the money for them.

It was hard not to learn how to read people. Becoming one of the Emperor's favorite commanders entailed knowing how to survive within the Emperor's court...and learning just how to read people. It was a skill that he could use very well. That talent was telling him things that didn't add up. Instead of bothering to answer the girl he looked about. Despite his guards, men were watching the woman through the bars with covetous eyes. Even though her price was not marked, it was plain that she would fetch a high price. Finally he looked back at the girl and his mind started cataloging the oddities in the girl.

She didn't carry herself like a peasant...nor the usual rif-raf that Slavers came across. She was too poised, too controled. Despite the scratch and her shoody state, she was too dignified. Not to mention that her voice was too cultured. Plus she wasn't comfortable in the coarse clothing of a commoner. His eyes flicked over her again, the entire process taking a long drawn moment of silence.

"Only just arrived? Perhaps you're right. Slavers don't tell their...goods the specifics do they?" Lord Simons said, vaguely, his silver eyes bearing in on her and saying much more than his musings. For some incalcualble reason, he wanted her...not in the lust that he might desire to mount some wench from the street, no this was something more...something more, devoius was filling his thoughts.

"Well girl, I don't think that you shall be staying in their care much longer." He said to the woman before gesturing to the slaver. The man made his way towards Lord Simons, the Commander concealed his disgust in the slaver. The man was the kind who thought that gold bequeathed status in the land, but his gold was spent on the garish and flamboyant attire that many thought concealed their own lower station in society.

"How much for this woman?" Simons asked, glancing back at her. He was watching for her reactions...just what she might think at being bought like a horse. Before the Slaver had a chance to answer he posed his own offering price;

"Fifty gold perhaps?" Simons said, offering the price that would have been an insult for a barely capable farm laborer. Whoever this woman was she could probably fetch ten times that easily.

Delara had stood up quickly as he called the Slaver over, she had not expected him to want her and her eyes showed as much as they widened in horror at the prospect of being bought.
She softly gasped at the offer of fifty gold, she had spent more on linen than that! She glanced at the board that usually showed a name and price, her's only had her name and she'd lied through her teeth about that. Her real title was Lady Delara of Tangara however the plaque merely read Delara Cooper (maid), the Slaver was a blithering idiot so what would he know?
She quickly came to her senses and brought her expression back to one of blatent resentment after all even a maid would hate the idea of being bought and sold like a dog!
She formed a plan in her mind, a maid did not make that much money so the idea of fifty gold would be a large sum to one of her supposed station and she grinned at the scheme that she'd created.
Delara remembered her close proximity to the noble man and wiped the grin from her face hoping he had not caught a glimpse of it. She wandered over to the bars that he still had his hands on and rested her hand on his in a harmless, gentle way.
She hurriedly pasted an expression of awe on her face and looked at him "My Lord, I can not allow you to spend fifty gold on me, that's more money than I make in a year as a maid! I am but a household servant Sir and surely you don't want to spend so much on me?!"
Delara hoped he had bought it but she doubted it very much, she hadn't had much luck covering up her real self thus far, she simply wasn't used to pretending to be someone she was not. However the Slaver might see that she would not allow him to make a profit if he attempted to sell her to this man. He was an idiot yes but surely he could surmise as much.
At least this time around she had sounded more common, she had brought herself below his level with her words and tried to respect him as much as she could however that was difficult when all she really wanted to do was punch him for trying to buy her like a cheap blanket.

Lord Simons ignored Delara completely. His peripheral vision caught a small movement in her. He couldn't decide what it was in response too, but he didn't acknowledge it. Instead he looked at the slaver who had a leer on his face...but wheither it was in response to the thought of gold or the thought of what Delara might be getting sold for. Lord Simons refused to give any response to the thoughts that he knew to be running through the other man's head. The slaver glanced over at Delara with a sick smirk.

"Fifty gold I said. Am I to take it that is an adequate price in your eyes?" Lord Simon murmered still watching the slaver. The man turned back to him, disbelieving.'

"Hardly my lord! Such a woman would fetch over five thousand." The slaver said sounding rather coarse, the common tounge left it's mark on one's speach...just like the tounge of a noble could never truly be shed. He glanced back over at Delara, wondering just who she was.

"Five thousand? I'm not paying for a princess. She's a maid, by your own statement. One hundred." Lord Simon snapped back at the slaver, finally looking back to him. The slaver grimaced, even if he was selling something, you didn't want to anger someone of the nobility. He sputtered for a moment before collecting himself.

"My lord...I...her value goes far beyond the stated possiblities....I'm certian that a man of your station would hardly have to purchase his own servants...I'm sure that you want her for other things..." The slaver said, with a lecherous grin on his face. Lord Simon's expression seemed to be set in stone, he blinked and stared at the slaver for a moment....playing as though he were oblivious to what the other man was alluding to.

"I do not know what you are refering to, slaver-" he spat the word with as much disgust as possible- "but I am purchasing this woman to be a member of my domestic staff. SO will you accept a price worthy for the one you have named, or will you continue to value her based on worth only you are interested in." Simons scowled at the slaver, leaning towards him with an expression of rage. The slaver took a step back, fear etched on his face.

"N-no my lord...I apologize for thinking that someone of your station wo-" The slaver blathered before Simons interrupted.

"Two hundred. Take that or you shall not find some debauched scum willing to pay the price you want. Most of them aren't " Lord Simons snarled, hopefully with the slaver off balance enough not to realize that there were nobles who would pay a queens ransom for Delara...and use her for what they wanted. The slaver looked at Delara, and then back to Simons.

"Fine. Two hundred, and I shall expect payment from your Mercantile house promptly. Take care with her, she will be less enjoyable " The slaver snarled finally before gesturing to his guards to open the cage. Lord Simons ignored the slaver and finally looked back to Delara. His eyes had a satisifed glint in them, glad that he had put the lower class scum into his place.

"I hope that you are worth the price, girl." Simons said, deliberately calling her 'girl' and not 'woman'. She was younger than him, though not by that much. It was a subtle dismissive, but the subtle ones were best. Calling her a posession directly, ordering her like a mere thing would strengthen her resolve, while the subtle would erode. He even smiled at her slightly...almost warmly...almost kindly...

...but only almost. There was something lurking there. Something that was dangerous, and caged, snarling out from behind it's own confinement. Waiting for it's moment.

"Come along girl, we're on our way back to my estates." Lord Simons said as Delara's cell was wrenched open by one of the Slaver's guards. The Lord commander turned and walked towards his horse. Delara could run, but his guards were battle hardened soldiers....she would not make it far if she tried to flee.

Delara tried to speak as the cage door was opened, she tried to form a thought, a plan, something but nothing would come out!
It had all happened so fast, she glared at the noble man's back as he walked away and soldiers closed in on her.
She could try to run but she knew her chances were slim at best, she wasn't even wearing shoes, they'd also been taken by the pirates. She followed the man biting into her lip until the pain snapped her back into reality and out of her shock.
'Girl?! Girl? He called me girl?' Delara thought to herself 'Worth the price?! Two hundred when he knows I'm-'
Delara's thoughts stopped there and slowly she lifted her head to look at his back again 'he knows I'm worth more...'
Her thought finished there, it went much deeper but she couldn't bring herself to think he might know who she was.

She berated herself for being so stupid, she could easily tell a commoner from a noble at a glance and it was probable that he could too, he might not know exactly who she was but he would know she wasn't a maid!
'Gah! What am I going to do?' she kept thinking but all she could think was that this man had completely lied to the Slaver 'A member of his domestic household indeed! A member of his boudoir is more like it' Delara snarled in her mind nastily.

Her hair started to bother her, they had't allowed her to keep her pins and it flowed down the length of her back and finished just beneath the hem of the sackcloth dress she wore so it tickled the back of her legs. She brought it over her shoulder and allowed it to rest there which made it short enough to stop tickling her.

Her feet started sending her rapid messages of pain, she had soft soles because she was not accustomed to walking barefoot, she tried to ignore it and managed to keep herself from stumbling - barely.
Delara had no idea how she was going to survive this, she could only think of her fiance and how the last thing he would remember about her was that she had fought with him over a silly wedding matter.

Delara watched the man walk to his horse, 'oh great, now I have to fake inability to ride a horse too!' Then she thought it over 'no...I can't walk much further like this, he wouldn't make me walk...would he?'
She dismissed the idea, she would be much too slow if he were riding and she wasn't, even he must know that.

Delara frowned, she noticed the emblem on the soldier's shields, 'Imperial guard? What on earth?'

Lord Simons looked at Delara as she walked out of her cage. He made several mental notes as she walked, but the most telling was the stagger to her walk. She was barefoot, not used to walking along rough cobbles. Nearly all commoners had tough feet, shoes were a luxury. Along with that was her hair...long, smooth and well cared for, she had to be the daughter of a merchant or another mid level born citizen. She was not a pesant. As he mounted his horse he looked down at her and his eyes narrowed.

"I hope you won't be too bothered by the walk girl, it's not to far to my manor." Lord Simons said down to her, once more deliberately calling her girl, and not using her name. He gently urged his horse into a clattering walk down the avenue towards his mannor. His manor towered over the eastern side of the Capital. Set in the massive granite island that controled the bridge across the raging river that made up the eastern edge of the capital, dividing it from the farmland and forests beyond. It was an imposing fortress, origionally the Emperor's citadel before his current residence had been built. Now it was the residence of one of his most favored commanders.

"You'll have quite a lot of duties girl, I think that you may find it quite arduous, though you'll get used to the work. It will make a nice change from your softer lifestyle." Lord Simons said, and gestured towards the large fortress across the bridge before them. He glanced down at Delara.

"Perhaps not as grand as your former home, however." He said cryptically to her.

Delara walked alongside his horse as best as she could, occasionally she tripped but she managed not to fall. She stared up at the great manor, it was a little larger than her's back home and she tried her best to seem awed by it although she had seen it before on a visit to Tarbraugh.

She listened to him speak and growled to herself, 'the sheer nerve of the man!'
Delara managed an expression of confusion, it was easy because he did confuse her now and then, this being one of those occasions.
"My Lord? But this is so much larger than anywhere I've ever lived!"
Well she was practically telling the truth anyway!

She continuously ran her fingers through her hair getting a little more edgy with every step that brought her closer to 'her new arduous lifestyle' as he so eloquently put it.

Delara decided to press her luck, she couldn't help her curiousity about this man, he lived so amazingly well and was surrounded by soldiers as though he were the king himself, she knew he wasn't or he'd be addressed as 'Your Majesty'.

"Are you a soldier My Lord?" She looked up at him with a face filled with innocent curiousity and hoped she would finally get some answers that would help her to learn where she recognised this man from.

Working for Lord Simmons was a better deal than most of his family got, thought Kai. He shoveled another pile of horse droppings out of the stall. It crossed his mind briefly how sad it was that shoveling shit was better than what his family did, but he gave it no more. They gave him up, he didn't need to waste time pitying them.

Kai stretched and looked off down the road past the stables. Lord Simmons was supposed to be back by now. He was off at the Slave Market where Kai himself was sold by his own parents, and Kai had been there many times himself when he had extra coin, filched or honest. Most of the slaves were to much to buy with his meager money, but most of the slavers would let him play with a girl for a time in the tent with it.

He paused and smiled, wondering if the new slave would be pretty enough for a few laughs in the unused stalls. Or if the new slave would even be female...hm. He turned again and shoveled more shit onto the outside pile.

"A soldier? In a way. I'm a comander of men. I serve the Emperor as one of his Generals." Lord Simons said freely and with a smile, working to put her off guard by his glib and willing. He'd ignored her few muttered annoyances, and overlooked her difficult time walking. He had a feeling that she wasn't entirely honest withim as she had spoken. As he rode across the drawbridge and into the courtyard of the castle, he nodded to the salutes from his own guards at the doors, and the hastily assembled ranks of the household staff waiting to recive him. He nodded in response and the eyes of the staff shifted to watch Delara instead. They lingered for a few moments before leaving the courtyard at his gesture of dismissal...like the soldiers he commanded, they knew to obey him without question. He dismounted from his horse and looked at Delara as the squire marched the stallion off.

The interior courtyard was small, barely enough room within it for a hundred people, or fifty guards in armor. It was more like the inside of a mansion's courtyard than that of a fortress. Tall trees grew within, reaching skyward amid the stone walls that crowded in. It was clear that the Castle had been changed into a mansion some time ago, but was still a formidable defensive position. Towering high above the courtyard were the bedchambers and living quarters of Lord Simons. He relished the thought of making his way up to them and changing into somehting more comfortable than half armor. But first he needed to see to Delara.

"You'll be given better clothes than those rags, things will be rather better for you here than in the clutches of that slaver scum. Though I warn you of one thing Delara. Obedience and hard work are the only currency that I honor here. Stay loyal, know your place and do what is asked of you and you will have an easy time here." Lord Simons said, using her name for the first time to drive home the point of his words. He stared into her green eyes for a long moment before finally continuing.

"Try to flee and you will be recaptured. Despite the status of slaves in the Empire, the punishment for trying to escape is let up to the owner. Sometimes it is delivered with a lash...others by time in the dungeons. Though I belive that most of my guards can tell you just what happens to the women slaves who are re-captured trying to flee." Simons said darkly, giving the first hint that there was something dark and dangerous within him. Without another word he turned and marched towards the entry to the mannor, leaving the head of the household staff to deal with Delara and to leave her with her own thoughts as to just what Lord Simons might have had done to the women who tried to escape him.

Captain of the Gaurd

With a cloud of dust flying behind them, five Soldiers galloped toward the manor. The pack was led by Ian McCloud, Captain of the Gaurd. He was a soldier's soldier. He joined the imperial Army as a soldier and in 5 short years, gained more honours on the battlefield than any man, save his Lord Simon. Climbing the ranks, he was now stationed in the Emperor Castle, as Lord Simons' representative.

As they speed past the slave market, Ian's temper was barely in check. He had just witnessed a very impertinent exchange in the Court and the only reason his blade was not red with the blood of the Ambassador, was because his Emperor had spotted him fingering his sword and gestured him not to move.

Fuming, he now raced to the Lord Simon's Manor, to tell him about what had happen and to convey the Emperor's instructions. He waved his arm as he approached the gates, and the sentry shouted an order to the men below, who were raising the drawbridge. They quickly released the drawbridge, which came crashing down again. Ian's horse thundered through, without missing a step, and came to halt in front of the entrance, where Lord Simon was entering..

Jumping down from his horse, Ian rushed towards the entrance. He was stopped by one of the footman, who informed him that his Lordship had retired to his chambers and is not to be disturbed. Having worked for Lord Simons in the battlefield as a squire, he knew that His lordship abhorred being disturbed while he is resting, unless it is a matter of life and death. He weighed the importance of his assigned task and figured that it would not hurt to see his lordship after his rest.

Still grinding his teeth, he took the rein of his horse and lead him to the stables himself, like a trained soldier should.

Rather than answer; Delara merely nodded, she refused to give him the satisfaction of her fright. She listened carefully though, so he is commander of the guard? She thought to herself, 'it makes sense, I'd have seen him long before now and I would have seen him several times over as well.'

She noted his words about his female slaves in particular, he knew she would try something to escape obviously but if he thought she would be foolish enough to be caught then he was being smug and stupid. She thought to herself with satisfaction and eyed the other slaves, servants and guards as they stared at her. She supposed it was perfectly normal, she was new and undoubtedly a different breed of slave than what his Lordship usually brought home with him.

She watched the boy in the stables as she waited for someone to tell her where to go or what she was supposed to do, she looked around her afraid she might get into trouble if she walked over but it seemed that when the drawbridge came up there was no fear that she was going anywhere.

She slowly wandered over to the boy, she just wanted to say hello, no harm in that was there? All the while she silently cursed Lord Simons for his arrogance and thought of the emphasise he had put into her name when he said it for the first time.

Delara leaned against the doorframe and spoke shyly to the boy "Hello?"

Kai leaned his shovel against the wall and turned.

"You'll not want to get too close to this, it smells..." his voice faded off as he took in the woman standing in front of him.

Kai coughed and grinned, then stopped grinning, thinking his smile looked ghoulish, then smiled lightly, hoping he wasn't looking too mean, or angry.

"I'm...my name is Kai. I'm a slave, and I work here, in the stables, cleaning them and the horses, well, not cleaning the horses, actually i do clean the horses sometimes, when the other slaves are busy or I don't have anything to do...do you ever clean horses, it's very relaxing and-" He stopped his babbling and just looked, the vague smile on his face telling all.

Delara listened to the boy go on and couldn't help smiling, even in a sackcloth dress she felt beautiful and a little flattered by all the attention she was getting.

"Calm down please, no I've never cleaned horses" she smiled politely "I'm Delara, it's very nice to meet you Kai"

Delara looked over her shoulder at the commotion made by some soldiers entering the castle, she wondered what was wrong, she could clearly make out the Captain, his armour made it obvious with a different coloured border on his sheild, she assumed Lord Simon's sheild was also a different colour.

She turned back to Kai "What's he like? Lord Simons?"

If she was to escape from the man and his overly guarded home she would need to learn as much information about him as possible. She kept combing her fingers through her hair, bits of twig had found their way into it and she picked them out with care, she loved her hair, it was her most brilliant feature.

Kai swallowed, watching her hand run through her hair. and what hair it was! Long, raven coloured, slightly tangled, as if she had just come from a light tousle.

"The lord?" he said, trying to be casual. "He's alright, for a lord. He's just...he likes things done a certain way. I saw one boy whipped 13 times because he didn't brush Lord Simons' horse right." He shrugged. "Once you get yourself into a pattern of doing things right though, he doesn't spare you a second glance.

He cleared his throat. "But...he'll be sure to spare you a few glances if you do YOUR job right." He coughed again. "That IS what he bought you for, isn't it...as a...concubine?"

Delara tried not to look as offended as she actually was but it was difficult, she breathed in hard and tugged on her hair a little to remind herself that she wasn't a noble here.

"I-I'm...I don't know...he hasn't told me why he bought me, he simp-" Delara stopped short, she had almost gone on to say something far above the station she was feigning...again!

"He said that he wanted me to be a part of his domestic household, I'm only a maid..." Delara finished mumbling and staring at her feet.

Other people were far more blunt about these things than his Lordship was, he had almost wanted her to say something she shouldn't and it made her wonder if other people could as easily guess her true heritage as well.

She looked back up at the boy thinking about something else he had said.
"He really whipped someone 13 times? Over a horse?!"

She still needed to know more, information was crucial if she was ever going to get home and she knew next to nothing about this place, Lord Simons or the country in general except for what she had learned on her visits and in books. That was something else she would have to fake she realized, maids couldn't read well, they would know only the basics that they needed.

"Mmmhm, he did." He nodded, frowning a bit as he noticed her slip up in speech. Why is she stumbling over her words like that? he wondered before shrugging again.

"He's not here any more," Kai said. "He got sold somewhere after the whole thing. Didn't sell too wel though, not with the fresh scars on his back, he didn't."

He looked at her, realizing in a second what the issue was. She was a new slave. She must have been sold by her family, or men who stole young people away from their families to sell into slavery...Once you're a slave, no one is gonna believe you was free once. Kai immediately sympathized with her and decided to go out on a limb.

"You're not...used to being...owned, are you?" He asked gently. almost as an afterthought he added her name, "Delara?"

Delara shook her head "No...I am...I mean I was a-a maid. I was at sea when I was..." Delara slowed her speech to ensure she didn't sound too upper class "I was taken...by some pirates, they sunk my ship."

She was worried that perhaps the boy had picked up on her heritage at first but when he asked her if she had ever been owned she was reassured and even thought that maybe she was getting better at lying about herself. She still wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing but she couldn't allow these people to find out who she really was.

"Kai? I'm supposed to get...changed...his Lordship said so anyway..." She hated to ask but she was certain she would not be allowed to socialize for much longer, surely Lord Simons would want to see her doing something and she didn't want it to be the 'something' everyone else seemed to think she was there for.

Although she was also certain she was there for that reason as well, she could hardly see a man like his Lordship wanting her to cook his breakfast when he was so obviously well staffed.

She glanced over her shoulder at the soldiers milling about, each of them staring at her as they passed, she tugged at bottom of the sackcloth dress; she wasn't accustomed to the short length of it as it only came down to halfway between her knees and her upper thighs.

Kai started, and his mind went blank for a moment before he said, "Follow me, then." He hoped it was more natural sounding in real life than it was in his head.

He led her into the castle, and through the servants corridors, explaining each one as they went. "There," he would say, pointing, "are the hallways to the kitchens. Usually you can find a spare roll or something if you're hungry." Or he would point up some stairs, "Up there is the Lord's bedroom and the rooms for his guests. You'll see those a lot." He blushed when he realized what he was saying, and amended. "For cleaning."

He finally found the maid he wanted, and told her the situation. "Delara here is the new maid, and she needs new clothes." The maid looked her up and down before nodding. "You're about my daughter's size," she observed, "Follow me."

Kai, in a moment of panic, blurted out "No!" They both looked at him. "I mean, no, she's my responsibility. I'll show her where to go. You should finish here." The old maid looked at him oddly, then gave him directions to the room. Kai nodded, smiling, relieved and led Delara again.

When they finally made it to the old woman's room, he walked in, found the box she had told them about and pointed it out to Delara. "She said you could use anything in there," he said and stood for a second awkwardly.

"So...I'll uh...give you your privacy." He stuttered and stepped toward the door, slowly and deliberately, hoping for just one more moment with her.

"KAI!!!" Ian bellowed as he entered the Stable. Not finding him there, he lead the horse to a stall and saw to his needs. Muttering that worthless kai was probably nosing around in the kitchen again, he stormed off in search of him.

"Kai!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!!" Ian thundered. The old maid scurried out of the Kitchen, stammering that Kai was showing the new maid Slave to her quarters. "What?!!!" Ian asked "Has he been made the Keeper of the Manor in my absence?! Fetch him At once!!"

The old maid scampers of to her room to fetch Kai...

Delara hadn't spoken during this time, merely nodding as he pointed things out though she did frown when he had yelled 'No!'

When he led her into the room she nodded to him "If you would-" Delara stopped short, too noble she said to herself grinding her teeth in frustration.
"Could you stand by the door outside Kai?"

Better, she thought to herself and waited until he had shut the door before she opened the box, she crinkled her nose at the grey dress she found inside, there were also some undergarments but she preferred her own. Besides if she left them lying about someone was sure to question what 'Lady' had left them there and it would inevitably point back to her.

She slipped the sackcloth dress off, groaning as her corset hugged her tighter than usual and pulled the grey dress over her head. She turned to see herself in the mirror, there were ties that needed to be done up along the back.

Damn, she thought to herself; nothing is ever easy! Her pink silk corset could be seen without the ties done up and she knew she would have to ask Kai for his assistance.

"Kai?" She called out to him "Could you come in here a-" Noble! She grimaced "for a second?"

"Better, though this is alot more difficult than I thought it would be" Delara mumbled to herself as she swiftly tied the apron around her waist and smoothed it out.

Lady Aveline

“Hya! Hya!” She spurred on her mare, crouched low over her neck, laughing with the exhilaration as she galloped away from those that scrambled to keep up. Blue eyes glittered like sapphires in her adrenaline, her full lips curved in delight. She heard the pleading calls of her guards falling behind and pulled suddenly on the reign, pressing deep with her right heel at the same time. The cause had her horse spin around suddenly, rearing up with her mistress perfectly poised on her back. The move alone hinting at the expertise of the horsewoman atop the beast. The blonde tresses were blown back by the wind, her cloak fluttering behind her as her features dissolved into laughter as her guards finally caught up.

“Lady Aveline, Lady Aveline! You have to be more careful – your mother-”
The attendant tried to scold her; the Lady in question just let out a chortle of laughter though, and turned her prancing mare towards the formidable manor in the distance. “Oh screw my mother, the old cow needs to get out more anyway.” She managed to shock her attendant into silence, though the older woman tried to beseech some of the noble women’s guards to her cause. The squad had been assigned to their young mistress for years though, and knew her daredevil ways. Aveline sighed as they neared the manor once more, where Lord Simmons (the bane of her existence) hosted her stay. Her parents had had their fill of her, to them she should have ideally been married off a year or so ago, but Aveline had made hell of her suitors. She refused to marry, and ever since they had refused her wish to renounce her nobility and become a warrior – she’d wreaked havoc.

Lord Simmons was a friend of her father, something to do with the old wars, saving each others lives, all that nonsense that revolved around the clash of swords and dying screams. Her father thought his friend might be able to straighten her out. Aveline said, bring it on. She couldn’t help but admire the lord. He was after all, everything she wanted to be as a fighter. Aveline was addicted to danger, mystery and adventure. She wanted to go places, fight armies, not host cocktail parties and dote over a husband. Lady Aveline frowned at the thought, sliding from the back of her beautiful black mare named Lacey in the court yard. A dismissive flick of her hand and a guard took the reigns to lead Lacey to the stables. The young woman removed her riding gloves then, glancing around once. She’d managed to avoid Simmons for the most part, and didn’t want to ruin that now. “Darren! I think it’s practice time!” She grinned mischievously at one of her guards, who sighed and fetched the practice swords without argument.

Her riding garment clung almost scandalously to her curves, Aveline defended herself (when she felt the need to) that they were easier to move in that way. The blunted practice sword settled firmly into her hand and she grinned at her partner, who just looked back with resigned servitude. As the spar began the courtyard was filled with the sounds of sword strikes and blocks, and the laughter of Lady Aveline as she attempted the break through her guards defense. The other three to make up her personal squad lounged against the wall, though they were well trained enough to keep a sharp eye on those that came or went. Darren had long since given up letting her win, when he realized she was getting good enough for him to struggle to not let it happen anyway. She was a scandal back in her home town, the noble woman who followed such unladylike pursuits. She cared little for gossips though, and nothing seemed to faze the 19 year old. With a double step, a slip of her blade, and a flick, Darren found himself disarmed with the sword point at his throat. Lady Aveline glowed with exhilaration at the fight, her mischievous smirk back on her sultry lips. “Why Darren, I do believe that’s 5 times this week already! You’re slipping!” She gloated, saluting him with her blade.

Kai felt his heart soar when he heard her call his name.

"Kai? Can you come in here a-for a second?" He'd resigned himself to her word tumblings, figuring it to be just a tic or a stutter gone wrong. She was too beautiful for him to care. He spun around quickly, throwing open the door and stepping in to see her holding her dress up to her chin, untied in the back.

This is my chance!, he thought to himself, and he slowly started forward, his hand quivering a bit.

Not realizing she wanted him to tie UP her dress, he walked behind her and began to work the strings to her apron and corset, untying each one slowly and deliberately.

Off in the distance, Kai thought he heard his name, but, what matter? It was probably a bird crying out in the forest.