Storyline- Her family stolen from her forever, Serena Heaton finds herself kidnapped and sold to a man who filled her heart with a longing she had never felt before. Both caught in a web of destiny, their union would be one of passion and love, neither could deny.
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me.
**********
A RELUCTANT PASSION
Chapter 1
Rosegalaxia
**********
Lady Serena Heaton reined her mount in, her riding habit bellowing behind her, as the men in front of her stopped to get their bearings. She took a moment to straighten her hat as she gazed out at the darkness which pressed suffocating against them all. The full moon hung bright and glaringly in the sky and even though she wasn't usually prone to superstitions and the like, she shivered as something scuttled down her spine. An ominous stillness was in the air tonight. Something dark, dangerous and unexplainable.
Shaking her silver head at the path her thoughts were taking, she edged her mount closer to the man, Brian Hadly, who was beside her. There was still quite a way to go until they reached an inn and it would do her no good to go into flights of fancy.
But she couldn't help herself. Such a lot had happened these past few months that it was no wonder she was prone to paranoia. First her brother had disappeared, leaving behind no trace, except for a lock of his bright golden hair, discoloured with dark, scarlet blood. Then her mother had vanished a week until a bloated, unrecognisable body had been found, trapped in some weeds along the river's edge. And her father- Serenity closed her eyes as despair washed over her. The wounds were still so fresh she could not bear to probe into them. She must not for the doctor had decreed that to dwell on such matters was not good for her. But how could she not when fate evidently had a vendetta against seeing her close-knit, loving family break into a thousand sharp shards of glass which would cut up and leave any-one dry who did not take care.
Just as her father had been left dry. She could not stop the dark thought from entering her head. Just as her father had been brutally cut open and left to bleed to death.
Shivering in horror as the image of her father's dead body and the blood-washed room imprinted itself onto her mind, she closed her eyes tightly and prayed for deliverance from the cruel memories her brain persisted in throwing at her. She could not bear it for much longer. She was at her rope's end and if a charming knight did not ride in to rescue her from distress soon, she would be no more.
" M'lady. My lady!" Serena jumped as Hadly's high, panicked voice intruded in on her dismal thoughts.
" Yes, what is-" She was not able to finish her sentence though for she felt a sudden wrench at her reins and as she struggled to steady her horse, her startled mind took note of the struggling shapes all around her. The shouts and yells of the men, the clang of drawn weapons echoed all around her in the still night and before she could complete the thought that these vagabonds were no honourable knights, a blow struck her from behind which rendered her unconscious.
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Serena shivered as she felt a cold draught run over her and she tried to burrow further into her soft, warm bed. A frown marred the smoothness of her brow as she realised that the clothe around her was made of rough-textured material and indeed, the surface she was lying on was so hard that it could have been a stone floor. She also had the most atrocious head-ache; it felt as though some-one had hollowed out her brain and was now currently occupied in beating a set of drums inside her head as hard as they could. And this awful rolling motion was certainly guaranteed to encourage the bile in her throat to exit her body and leave her even more faint-headed than she was feeling. What on earth was going on?
She tried to open her eyes but they stubbornly remained shut and her lashes felt as though they were glued together. Bringing a strangely aching arm up to her brow, she rubbed at her eyelids and succeeded in having them give way an inch. But then she groaned as the harsh light of a lantern placed directly in front of her, pierced her tender eyes and struck straight into the back of her brain.
Several rough male voices sounded close by her and in desperation to find out what was happening, she squinted and made out broad figures against the light. And then suddenly, her memory returned.
Wheeling upwards, she found that her feet were bound together and one of her hands was stretched to the limit because it was attached with a rope to her feet. So, she would not be able to stand properly. Wincing as the sudden motion made black dots dance in front of her eyes, she ignored the very increasing possibility that she would soon lose the contents of her stomach. This was more important.
" What-" She licked her chapped lips and swallowed to ease her dry throat." What is happening? Where am I? Who are you?"
Harsh male laughter greeted her agitated questioning and she grimaced in distaste as a grubby, calloused hand chucked her under her chin.
" So," a loud, brass voice droned," The duckie's got a tongue. But dain't any fella tell you not ta open that lovely mouth o' yours until ya're spoken ta?"
Another voice joined in." Nah. These E'glish girls. All the same they are. High an' bloody mighty they are. No 'espect for their be'ers. Me, I tell ya, they need ta be taught a lesson."
" Not by ya they dain't." Another man joined the conversation.
Serena sensed there was something different about him. Of course his speech was just as rough as the two men's before him and he had the same accent and way of speaking that they had but there was authority in the tenor of his voice. An intelligence.
She strained to make out the features of the men but the lantern was still in the way. Wiping her clammy hands on her dress she valiantly tried to still the trembling of her body. Her heart was beating the same rhythm as the drumming in her head and the nervousness and fear coursed through her, faster and faster until she felt that she would faint once again. But she was not the type to go into a swoon as soon as she was face-to-face with something disagreeable. She was strong and she would get through this, holding her head up high. She would show these... these men that she was not just any high and mighty miss, but a brave, courageous high and mighty miss filled with pride.
So she repeated her questions once again." Who are you and where am I?"
The third man spoke to the other men and Serena heard them get up and leave, slamming the door behind them so that the loud noise jarred painfully into her brain. Then, when they were alone and Serena was starting to feel another kind of panic creep up and envelope her in its anything but soothing embrace, he moved the lantern away from her and placed it beside himself. She blinked, adjusting her eyes to the room and as she looked about her, she noticed the bare walls and the few pieces of rotting furniture. Finally, her eyes landed on the figure of the man and she was disconcerted, though not surprised, to find that his dark, intent eyes had been steadfastly fixed on her the whole while. She was his prisoner and of course he would look at her. Just as she would at him.
His hair was scraggly and black. He had tanned skin and the weather-beaten features of a man who had spent too much time in the sun, wind, rain and at sea. For she had gathered by the sound of the swishing water and the rocking movement that she was on a ship on the treacherous waters of the ocean. Perhaps all alone with these villains or perhaps with the other men from her party imprisoned elsewhere. For if the latter was the case, then maybe this situation could still be salvaged. She could free herself and the others and then they would devise a plan of over-taking the ship and turning it around and heading back home... but the thought was too far fetched and she would be better to save her energies for thinking about staying alive.
" Ya'll be safe." The man spoke up with a thread of amusement in his voice." Ya'll be safe wi' us. Though after'ards..." He shook his head and smiled to reveal unexpectedly white teeth.
Serena frowned warily as she caught the hidden meaning." I will not be with you for long? Will I then be given to some-one else with whom I will be in danger?"
The man nodded," 'es. Ya'll 'ave a masta who'll treat ya as he wants ta." So saying, he stood up and with a smug grin towards her, sauntered out of the door, pleased with how the events were going. She would bring a great deal, this cold, pale English beauty. A great deal of money for who could resist her innocent, untouched, foreign air? Not many.
Serena sat, shocked, feeling faint with disbelief. She had heard of these slave trades. People, particularly females, were kidnapped and sold in an auction to the highest bidder where they would have to do what their owners wanted them to do. Their lives would be theirs no longer. Their free will would be taken away from them without any hesitation. And it seemed as if she was heading towards joining the ranks of these unfortunate women.
Oh papa. If only he was still alive.
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Serena stood, uncertainly, as she watched two twin girls, who could not have been more than thirteen, sold to a man with an evil, satanic face. She heard whispers all around her that the man was the owner of a large establishment of dubious reputation. Serena twisted her lips at the irony. She would not have called any-one else dubious if she had partaken in events like these auctions. No indeed. They really had no right.
Her heart ached as she watched the sisters being led off by their gleeful master but she was forced to bring her mind back to her own dilemma. She was next and two men came towards her, to lead her on stage. Her heart beat in fear and her feet took her backwards in a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable. But brutal hands pushed unfeelingly against her back until the two men flanked her on either side and gripping her arms in their own ungentle hands, led her forward, onto the stage to face the jeering, mocking crowd.
The man who was auctioning the people spoke in Greek but as Serena was fluent in several languages, including Greek, Latin and Italian, she had no problem understanding the man. And for the first time in her life she wished that she wasn't so well learned and that she couldn't comprehend what the man was saying. For surely, the unknown was better than the truth in this instance?
" Here we have a beautiful English rose, no more than eight and ten years of age. Such a young, innocent beauty will surely satisfy you and appease any... appetites you may have." Here the man paused and as the red, fiery colour burned Serena's cheeks, the crowd of mostly men gave a raucous laugh." Guaranteed to be pure and untouched, you may skill her in the ways of pleasing you in any way you want for surely this angel will be quick and eager to learn."
Throughout, the men whistled and roared their enthusiasm and Serena hunched in on herself. It didn't help that she was wearing a night gown which seemed suspiciously see-through in the most delicate of places. Her long, thick, silver hair was unbound and lay around her bare shoulders like a comforting, if useless, blanket. She felt her large eyes, as blue as the sky just before a tumultuous storm, shimmer with tears of despair. Her clear, peaches and cream complexion shone with an inner beauty which drew attention away from the noticeable pallor of her cheeks and the white skin around her full, pink lips.
" Let's start at..." The man named a price which was met by an enthusiastic clamour." Okay. We have..... come now, surely you can all do better..... this beauty is worth far more..... you can't hope to gain a prize such as this if you don't dig into your pockets..... come on gentlemen....."
Serena supposed she should be a little bit flattered that so many men wanted her but any-one connected to these sort of people had nothing to be admired about. So she stood there, her head stubbornly bowed, not heeding the hissing comments of the men behind her to lift her chin and show everybody her face.
After a while, the fire behind the bidding faded as the price on her got more and more outrageous. She knew that it wasn't out of any particular desire to have her but because the fierce competitive natures of the men had been aroused. They would probably had been bidding with the same eagerness if it had been an old hag here instead of her though god forbid any such circumstances should befall on any other poor creature.
Finally, it was between two men, both of them yelling out their prices hotly, determined to be the one to claim such a prize as her. She lifted her head as their voices got more and more violent. One of them was nothing but a young man who looked not a day older than twenty while the other one was well over five and forty at least. She did not know whom she preferred. None of them really but since she didn't have a choice, she willed the younger man to keep going. He looked quite innocent and not as harsh as the other one. Maybe he would treat her well... but then, he was still young and probably let his passions rule his life while the other one was experienced enough not to let simple lust carry him away.
At last, the younger man hesitated long enough for the judge to count to three and proclaim her sold.
As she stepped off the stage to be led off to her new owner, Serena hardened her heart and cleared her mind of all distracting emotions. She was a slave who's new life had just begun but she would not leave it to that. She would escape someday, somehow. She would go back home and find and wreak vengeance on those who had stolen all who mattered to her. It wasn't over yet.
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" Stay here and freshen yourself, woman, until you're sent for." With that gruff command, her new master led her to a room and pushing her inside, closed and barred the door behind her. She remained still, standing inside the doorway, staring inside.
The room was quite spacious but there was only a wardrobe and a table in it. In one corner, separated from the room by a curtain, was a hole in the ground she guessed was meant as a toilet. There were various pots around it filled with water and a small tub as well. She stood there for a while longer and thought about what had happened. She had been brought to a large house on the edge of a bazaar. She had seen servants working in the large courtyard and all of them had looked happy. Well, not happy exactly, but content with their lot. She had derived courage from that, thinking that perhaps her new master wasn't cruel and malevolent. Her new master. Ironic that. She had never had an old master so how she have a new one? She just hoped that she would stay with him until she could escape. She would get used to him and better to face the enemy you know that to face one you don't. A little wisdom her father had imparted to her.
Serena came out of her reverie as she felt the door open behind her. She didn't turn around and waited for the person to walk in front of her. It was a woman servant and she was holding a length of clothe, a brush and some soap.
" The master has asked me to bathe and clothe you."
Serena took her cue from the woman and used a coolly polite tone of voice. " Why?"
The woman barely afforded her a glance as she headed towards the wardrobe and flung the door open. " It is not our place to question what the master says."
Serena didn't reply. So the servants seemed loyal to the man. Or maybe they were scared if him, of what he would do if he found out what they had been saying behind his back. " So the master is cruel is he?"
" The master is only cruel to those who deserve it." The servant took out a long white dress and nodded to herself satisfactorily. She went over the table and hung it on a keel beside it. " Now, will you please take your gown off and get into the tub. Time is running out."
Serena wanted to ask why time was running out but she resisted the temptation. She'd probably get an answer like, that the boss had said that time was running out so it must be so. Who were they to question what he said?
She walked over to the tub and along the way, eased the nightgown over the head. She was glad to take it off for she didn't like wearing something that bared so much skin.
As she sat down in the tub, she couldn't help thinking about the future. Why did the man want her to bathe and dress in clean clothes? The obvious came into her mind but she balked at the thought. As far as she knew- and she had limited knowledge on the subject, personal whores weren't dressed in beautiful gowns. Many had to walk around practically naked, with only a tiny skirt and a chain of golden jingles to protect her modesty. Well at least that wasn't what was going to happen to her. Which brought up the question: What did the master want with her?
**********
Sooo...??? Please review this first chapter. I'm only going to continue if I get a lot of enthusiastic responses.
Rosegalaxia
[email protected]
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me.
**********
A RELUCTANT PASSION
Chapter 1
Rosegalaxia
**********
Lady Serena Heaton reined her mount in, her riding habit bellowing behind her, as the men in front of her stopped to get their bearings. She took a moment to straighten her hat as she gazed out at the darkness which pressed suffocating against them all. The full moon hung bright and glaringly in the sky and even though she wasn't usually prone to superstitions and the like, she shivered as something scuttled down her spine. An ominous stillness was in the air tonight. Something dark, dangerous and unexplainable.
Shaking her silver head at the path her thoughts were taking, she edged her mount closer to the man, Brian Hadly, who was beside her. There was still quite a way to go until they reached an inn and it would do her no good to go into flights of fancy.
But she couldn't help herself. Such a lot had happened these past few months that it was no wonder she was prone to paranoia. First her brother had disappeared, leaving behind no trace, except for a lock of his bright golden hair, discoloured with dark, scarlet blood. Then her mother had vanished a week until a bloated, unrecognisable body had been found, trapped in some weeds along the river's edge. And her father- Serenity closed her eyes as despair washed over her. The wounds were still so fresh she could not bear to probe into them. She must not for the doctor had decreed that to dwell on such matters was not good for her. But how could she not when fate evidently had a vendetta against seeing her close-knit, loving family break into a thousand sharp shards of glass which would cut up and leave any-one dry who did not take care.
Just as her father had been left dry. She could not stop the dark thought from entering her head. Just as her father had been brutally cut open and left to bleed to death.
Shivering in horror as the image of her father's dead body and the blood-washed room imprinted itself onto her mind, she closed her eyes tightly and prayed for deliverance from the cruel memories her brain persisted in throwing at her. She could not bear it for much longer. She was at her rope's end and if a charming knight did not ride in to rescue her from distress soon, she would be no more.
" M'lady. My lady!" Serena jumped as Hadly's high, panicked voice intruded in on her dismal thoughts.
" Yes, what is-" She was not able to finish her sentence though for she felt a sudden wrench at her reins and as she struggled to steady her horse, her startled mind took note of the struggling shapes all around her. The shouts and yells of the men, the clang of drawn weapons echoed all around her in the still night and before she could complete the thought that these vagabonds were no honourable knights, a blow struck her from behind which rendered her unconscious.
--------------------------------------------------
Serena shivered as she felt a cold draught run over her and she tried to burrow further into her soft, warm bed. A frown marred the smoothness of her brow as she realised that the clothe around her was made of rough-textured material and indeed, the surface she was lying on was so hard that it could have been a stone floor. She also had the most atrocious head-ache; it felt as though some-one had hollowed out her brain and was now currently occupied in beating a set of drums inside her head as hard as they could. And this awful rolling motion was certainly guaranteed to encourage the bile in her throat to exit her body and leave her even more faint-headed than she was feeling. What on earth was going on?
She tried to open her eyes but they stubbornly remained shut and her lashes felt as though they were glued together. Bringing a strangely aching arm up to her brow, she rubbed at her eyelids and succeeded in having them give way an inch. But then she groaned as the harsh light of a lantern placed directly in front of her, pierced her tender eyes and struck straight into the back of her brain.
Several rough male voices sounded close by her and in desperation to find out what was happening, she squinted and made out broad figures against the light. And then suddenly, her memory returned.
Wheeling upwards, she found that her feet were bound together and one of her hands was stretched to the limit because it was attached with a rope to her feet. So, she would not be able to stand properly. Wincing as the sudden motion made black dots dance in front of her eyes, she ignored the very increasing possibility that she would soon lose the contents of her stomach. This was more important.
" What-" She licked her chapped lips and swallowed to ease her dry throat." What is happening? Where am I? Who are you?"
Harsh male laughter greeted her agitated questioning and she grimaced in distaste as a grubby, calloused hand chucked her under her chin.
" So," a loud, brass voice droned," The duckie's got a tongue. But dain't any fella tell you not ta open that lovely mouth o' yours until ya're spoken ta?"
Another voice joined in." Nah. These E'glish girls. All the same they are. High an' bloody mighty they are. No 'espect for their be'ers. Me, I tell ya, they need ta be taught a lesson."
" Not by ya they dain't." Another man joined the conversation.
Serena sensed there was something different about him. Of course his speech was just as rough as the two men's before him and he had the same accent and way of speaking that they had but there was authority in the tenor of his voice. An intelligence.
She strained to make out the features of the men but the lantern was still in the way. Wiping her clammy hands on her dress she valiantly tried to still the trembling of her body. Her heart was beating the same rhythm as the drumming in her head and the nervousness and fear coursed through her, faster and faster until she felt that she would faint once again. But she was not the type to go into a swoon as soon as she was face-to-face with something disagreeable. She was strong and she would get through this, holding her head up high. She would show these... these men that she was not just any high and mighty miss, but a brave, courageous high and mighty miss filled with pride.
So she repeated her questions once again." Who are you and where am I?"
The third man spoke to the other men and Serena heard them get up and leave, slamming the door behind them so that the loud noise jarred painfully into her brain. Then, when they were alone and Serena was starting to feel another kind of panic creep up and envelope her in its anything but soothing embrace, he moved the lantern away from her and placed it beside himself. She blinked, adjusting her eyes to the room and as she looked about her, she noticed the bare walls and the few pieces of rotting furniture. Finally, her eyes landed on the figure of the man and she was disconcerted, though not surprised, to find that his dark, intent eyes had been steadfastly fixed on her the whole while. She was his prisoner and of course he would look at her. Just as she would at him.
His hair was scraggly and black. He had tanned skin and the weather-beaten features of a man who had spent too much time in the sun, wind, rain and at sea. For she had gathered by the sound of the swishing water and the rocking movement that she was on a ship on the treacherous waters of the ocean. Perhaps all alone with these villains or perhaps with the other men from her party imprisoned elsewhere. For if the latter was the case, then maybe this situation could still be salvaged. She could free herself and the others and then they would devise a plan of over-taking the ship and turning it around and heading back home... but the thought was too far fetched and she would be better to save her energies for thinking about staying alive.
" Ya'll be safe." The man spoke up with a thread of amusement in his voice." Ya'll be safe wi' us. Though after'ards..." He shook his head and smiled to reveal unexpectedly white teeth.
Serena frowned warily as she caught the hidden meaning." I will not be with you for long? Will I then be given to some-one else with whom I will be in danger?"
The man nodded," 'es. Ya'll 'ave a masta who'll treat ya as he wants ta." So saying, he stood up and with a smug grin towards her, sauntered out of the door, pleased with how the events were going. She would bring a great deal, this cold, pale English beauty. A great deal of money for who could resist her innocent, untouched, foreign air? Not many.
Serena sat, shocked, feeling faint with disbelief. She had heard of these slave trades. People, particularly females, were kidnapped and sold in an auction to the highest bidder where they would have to do what their owners wanted them to do. Their lives would be theirs no longer. Their free will would be taken away from them without any hesitation. And it seemed as if she was heading towards joining the ranks of these unfortunate women.
Oh papa. If only he was still alive.
--------------------------------------------------
Serena stood, uncertainly, as she watched two twin girls, who could not have been more than thirteen, sold to a man with an evil, satanic face. She heard whispers all around her that the man was the owner of a large establishment of dubious reputation. Serena twisted her lips at the irony. She would not have called any-one else dubious if she had partaken in events like these auctions. No indeed. They really had no right.
Her heart ached as she watched the sisters being led off by their gleeful master but she was forced to bring her mind back to her own dilemma. She was next and two men came towards her, to lead her on stage. Her heart beat in fear and her feet took her backwards in a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable. But brutal hands pushed unfeelingly against her back until the two men flanked her on either side and gripping her arms in their own ungentle hands, led her forward, onto the stage to face the jeering, mocking crowd.
The man who was auctioning the people spoke in Greek but as Serena was fluent in several languages, including Greek, Latin and Italian, she had no problem understanding the man. And for the first time in her life she wished that she wasn't so well learned and that she couldn't comprehend what the man was saying. For surely, the unknown was better than the truth in this instance?
" Here we have a beautiful English rose, no more than eight and ten years of age. Such a young, innocent beauty will surely satisfy you and appease any... appetites you may have." Here the man paused and as the red, fiery colour burned Serena's cheeks, the crowd of mostly men gave a raucous laugh." Guaranteed to be pure and untouched, you may skill her in the ways of pleasing you in any way you want for surely this angel will be quick and eager to learn."
Throughout, the men whistled and roared their enthusiasm and Serena hunched in on herself. It didn't help that she was wearing a night gown which seemed suspiciously see-through in the most delicate of places. Her long, thick, silver hair was unbound and lay around her bare shoulders like a comforting, if useless, blanket. She felt her large eyes, as blue as the sky just before a tumultuous storm, shimmer with tears of despair. Her clear, peaches and cream complexion shone with an inner beauty which drew attention away from the noticeable pallor of her cheeks and the white skin around her full, pink lips.
" Let's start at..." The man named a price which was met by an enthusiastic clamour." Okay. We have..... come now, surely you can all do better..... this beauty is worth far more..... you can't hope to gain a prize such as this if you don't dig into your pockets..... come on gentlemen....."
Serena supposed she should be a little bit flattered that so many men wanted her but any-one connected to these sort of people had nothing to be admired about. So she stood there, her head stubbornly bowed, not heeding the hissing comments of the men behind her to lift her chin and show everybody her face.
After a while, the fire behind the bidding faded as the price on her got more and more outrageous. She knew that it wasn't out of any particular desire to have her but because the fierce competitive natures of the men had been aroused. They would probably had been bidding with the same eagerness if it had been an old hag here instead of her though god forbid any such circumstances should befall on any other poor creature.
Finally, it was between two men, both of them yelling out their prices hotly, determined to be the one to claim such a prize as her. She lifted her head as their voices got more and more violent. One of them was nothing but a young man who looked not a day older than twenty while the other one was well over five and forty at least. She did not know whom she preferred. None of them really but since she didn't have a choice, she willed the younger man to keep going. He looked quite innocent and not as harsh as the other one. Maybe he would treat her well... but then, he was still young and probably let his passions rule his life while the other one was experienced enough not to let simple lust carry him away.
At last, the younger man hesitated long enough for the judge to count to three and proclaim her sold.
As she stepped off the stage to be led off to her new owner, Serena hardened her heart and cleared her mind of all distracting emotions. She was a slave who's new life had just begun but she would not leave it to that. She would escape someday, somehow. She would go back home and find and wreak vengeance on those who had stolen all who mattered to her. It wasn't over yet.
--------------------------------------------------
" Stay here and freshen yourself, woman, until you're sent for." With that gruff command, her new master led her to a room and pushing her inside, closed and barred the door behind her. She remained still, standing inside the doorway, staring inside.
The room was quite spacious but there was only a wardrobe and a table in it. In one corner, separated from the room by a curtain, was a hole in the ground she guessed was meant as a toilet. There were various pots around it filled with water and a small tub as well. She stood there for a while longer and thought about what had happened. She had been brought to a large house on the edge of a bazaar. She had seen servants working in the large courtyard and all of them had looked happy. Well, not happy exactly, but content with their lot. She had derived courage from that, thinking that perhaps her new master wasn't cruel and malevolent. Her new master. Ironic that. She had never had an old master so how she have a new one? She just hoped that she would stay with him until she could escape. She would get used to him and better to face the enemy you know that to face one you don't. A little wisdom her father had imparted to her.
Serena came out of her reverie as she felt the door open behind her. She didn't turn around and waited for the person to walk in front of her. It was a woman servant and she was holding a length of clothe, a brush and some soap.
" The master has asked me to bathe and clothe you."
Serena took her cue from the woman and used a coolly polite tone of voice. " Why?"
The woman barely afforded her a glance as she headed towards the wardrobe and flung the door open. " It is not our place to question what the master says."
Serena didn't reply. So the servants seemed loyal to the man. Or maybe they were scared if him, of what he would do if he found out what they had been saying behind his back. " So the master is cruel is he?"
" The master is only cruel to those who deserve it." The servant took out a long white dress and nodded to herself satisfactorily. She went over the table and hung it on a keel beside it. " Now, will you please take your gown off and get into the tub. Time is running out."
Serena wanted to ask why time was running out but she resisted the temptation. She'd probably get an answer like, that the boss had said that time was running out so it must be so. Who were they to question what he said?
She walked over to the tub and along the way, eased the nightgown over the head. She was glad to take it off for she didn't like wearing something that bared so much skin.
As she sat down in the tub, she couldn't help thinking about the future. Why did the man want her to bathe and dress in clean clothes? The obvious came into her mind but she balked at the thought. As far as she knew- and she had limited knowledge on the subject, personal whores weren't dressed in beautiful gowns. Many had to walk around practically naked, with only a tiny skirt and a chain of golden jingles to protect her modesty. Well at least that wasn't what was going to happen to her. Which brought up the question: What did the master want with her?
**********
Sooo...??? Please review this first chapter. I'm only going to continue if I get a lot of enthusiastic responses.
Rosegalaxia
[email protected]