The morning light attempted to force itself into Nelina’s eyes. Her old bed in Pinza could not compare to the smooth sheets and the softness of the bed she was lying in at the moment. ‘The Magus,’ she sat up with a start and stared at the other side of the bed thinking to herself. ‘He was here with me last night.’ Her attention was pulled away by the squawk of a visiting sea bird on the ledge of one of rows of windows from the open short balcony.
“About time you’ve woken up, you better not keep the Master waiting,” Gwendolyn’s voice was sharp, “I do have other things to do in my day, so if you don’t mind.”
Nelina stepped out of the bed.
“You may call me Gwendolyn,” She deposited a pale blue gown in Nelina’s arms. “You will dress in this for the Magus.”
Ugly did not describe Nelina’s feeling towards the dress. “What about the green one? I’m fonder of it than the blue.”
“It would serve you good to remember that I know the Magus’s tastes better than you.” Gwendolyn hoped the Magus would tire of this woman sooner rather than later.
“Perhaps so,” Nelina let the awful garment she was holding fall to the floor. “But, I’m wearing the other dress, and should the Magus not like it on me he can remove it at his leisure.”
Gwendolyn gritted her teeth and swept the dress up off the floor. It was true, she had picked an unflattering gown on purpose. Why the Magus felt he needed this woman when she did whatever he wanted made no sense to her. Losing her place in his household to this woman was an intolerable humiliation. “You can get ready yourself,” she stormed out of the chamber leaving Nelina alone.
Nelina sat on the bed starting to cry, but stopped herself. She could not let him see her all teary-eyed when he was expecting her to be presentable. If she still wanted to cry she would have to save it until she was alone. Due to waking up late and her spat with Gwendolyn, she had to get moving. Using a comb, she removed the tangles from her hair after last night’s sleep, but there was no time to do anything special with it. Luckily, the dress she put on was as she thought, form fitting in the right places with the right shade of green to bring out her eyes. Trying to find her way around to meet the Magus would be challenging. To her surprise when she opened her door, she found the young guard Lucas outside. “Good Morrow,”
Lucas drummed his fingers on the hilt of his sword. “About time, I thought I might have to drag you to the Magus.” He had watched Gwendolyn who was always so nice to him, leave in tears.
“If you would be so kind-” she stepped to the side to allow Lucas to lead.
“If I would be so kind, like you were to Gwen you mean?” He stepped forward, “Follow me slave.”
‘People already hate you,’ she thought. On their way to the solar, she noticed how the different hallways led to gardens and were interconnected to the main palace garden. Flowers and trees bearing fruit she had never seen filled the air with a sweet citrus flowery scent.
When they reached the door of the solar she tried to mend things. “I apologize if I offended-”
“Shut up you stupid bawd, and don’t you dare speak a word to the Magus about any of it, hear me?” Lucas opened the door with his arm outstretched in presentation. “Lord Magus, Nelina is here as you have requested.”
Nelina walked in to find a large spread of food and Ru’ark waiting for her. He wore the same midnight blue robes, but they were more open at his neck for Nelina to see the cut of his muscles beneath. “Good Morrow, Lord Magus,” with a light bow she inclined her head to him.
“Come, join me,” he motioned to the chair for her to sit in.
“Thank you,” she sat down across from him. “I appreciate being invited to share the morning meal with you.”
Lucas closed the door, praying he had been sufficient in scaring her to not talk about anything to the Magus.
The different platters on the table consisted of fruits and bread followed by meat, boiled eggs, and cheeses arranged in a decorative manner on the platter. While Nelina did not recognize a couple of the fruits, the apples and blackberries were a welcomed sight.
She helped herself to an egg, a few pieces of meat and some cheese. With a hungry appetite, she scarfed it all down. While lifting her plate to take a second helping, she found Ru’ark’s intense blue eyes staring at her. “Forgive me, Lord Magus, have I displeased you?”
“Quite the contrary, everything about you pleases me.” His gaze raked over her in full appreciation. The dress the slaves had found accentuated her body in ways that complimented her with elegance. “By all means take more food.”
“Thank you Lord Magus,” she helped herself to another plateful of fruits and meat.
“Why did your Uncle sell you and not marry you off?” His smoldering stare lingered on each one of her curves.
She swallowed down her bite of food not looking up. “My Uncle spent my dowry, Milord Magus.”
“Ru’ark, when we are in private you may call me by my given name.” He was intrigued by her. “How much was your dowry?”
“A royal trade bar,” she folded her hands in her lap. “My parents died several years ago, and as you know, women in the ten Kingdoms cannot inherit on their own.”
“Indeed, what else did this Uncle of yours inherit?” He leaned over helping himself to a slice of buttered bread.
“In Pinza, where I am from, my family owned a timber business and my Uncle wasted no time in destroying it and blaming me for its failure.” She stared down at her hands in her lap. “I should not be a slave,” Raising her eyes upward, she continued telling him of her demise. “My Uncle is a terrible drunk who gambles. He’s wronged me and blackened my honor by selling me and stripping me of being a Lady.”
With his tea, he washed down his bite of bread. “Your family’s misfortune is a regrettable one by the sound of it.”
In mistaking his tone for compassion, she fell to her knees in front of him with her head bowed. “Milord Magus, please, grant me my freedom.”
He had waited for far too many years working to achieve his goals, which were here and at last, ripe for the taking. “I’ve spent over four times your original dowry, and I will have all the rights you would give to a husband.”
With a look of shock on her face, she nodded in obedience to him. She could not believe she had just done that. On that thought alone, her eyes shot back down to the floor with her pulse racing.
He lifted her face upward. “You are quite fetching, I’m your first Master, yes?” He smiled when he felt her chin push his hand downward trying to look at the floor again, but he did not let her.
“You are, Magus.” Nelina swallowed back the hard lump in her throat.
“Good,” Ru’ark closed his eyes while his offhand projected downward below his waist, where he let a thin, black, thread like wisps slip out from his fingertips. The tendrils slithered out along the floor over to the heavy wooden doors and caused them to slam shut. He stood up from the table and took her hand drawing her upward to him, leaving barely an inch between them. His eyes danced before he closed them again. The other thin wisps spiraled up the table legs and similar to the doors slamming shut, the table was swept clean for her. He picked her up by her waist and sat her on the edge of the table with her legs spread slightly apart. “There we go,” He ran his hands along her thighs, pushing away the thin silks of her gown while kissing her neck. “Let’s discuss things the way you and I should Sweetling.” He had been looking forward to this with her after kissing her in the atrium.
Nelina was lost in a euphoric fog of carnal excitement, the kisses on her neck with his hands on her thighs gave her a warm rush from head to toe. “I- you know that I,” her words trailed off with a gentle moan.
“What do I know? Other than you’ve begged me for your precious freedom from me,” His thumb glided over the soft, swollen nub between her legs, where he had found her aroused waiting for him. “Convince me of it, or perhaps it is simple pride speaking for you?” His fingers pressed against her slowly and steadily while stroking her. “Tell me how much you want to leave, whisper in my ear how you’re not my bed slave.”
Another sound of pleasure escaped her. She was his instrument, while he was the virtuoso. He kept pulling back, not letting her reach her desired threshold, she tried to chide herself against her own ignited passions. ‘Tell him, it’s all you have to do.’ she thought. Instead, she responded wantonly by moving her legs further apart and wrapping her arms around him.
Ru’ark’s lips brushed against her lush, inviting mouth, which lead into a deeper, longer kiss as his tongue mingled with hers. Her long flaxen hair fell around her shoulders carrying the smell of lavender and roses. In the throes of their kiss, he pulled away. “Master,” His smile was seductive and intoxicating. “Say it once for me Sweetling, and I will reward you with an exquisite rapture.”
She could not resist the lure, the temptation, of him. “Master,” inviting and willing, she gave in to him.
“Easy, in the end wasn’t it?” He did not disappoint her in allowing her to step off his torturous edge and fall into the tantalizing bliss of pleasure he promised. “You will learn to serve me in all things Sweetling.”
“I will,” She clung to him, arching against his hand, as her thighs and belly quivered with her release she was shaky from the intensity of her own gratification.
“I’m glad that things are settled between us then.” He kissed her forehead. “You have things to do until I see you at the evening meal tonight.”
“I do?” She smoothed the silks of her gown down while sliding off the end of the table.
“Indeed, both the Queen’s seamstress and armorer will be paying you a visit today in your chamber.” His victory over her made it hard for him to tear himself away and not sample more of her.
“The armorer?” Confusion crossed her face, “Whatever for?”
“Because, I don’t keep people around me who can’t defend themselves.” His seductive smile dared her to challenge the staying part. “We’ll have the evening meal together tonight.”
“I- Of course, I will see you then Ru’ark.” She inclined her head.
He stepped closer to kiss her cheek. “That was both delightful and pleasing.”
“I am glad,” it was barely more than a whisper as she departed the solar.
Ru’ark made sure she was gone before he ordered Gwendolyn to him, he was in sore need of a woman after Nelina. Gwendolyn had similar features in that they shared in the same light colored hair and both had an attractive figure. He did not bother with any pleasantries when Gwen came to him and nor did she expect any from him. He hiked up her skirt, and wasted no time bending her over the table. After a few thrusts, he could not help but to want the woman who had just left. He closed his eyes, thinking of Nelina. He should have slaked his lust for her when she was here. Instead, he finished off with Gwendolyn to be done with it. It was unsatisfying and disappointing. It did naught to satiate his appetite for his newest slave and left him irritated instead. “Leave me.”
Gwendolyn curtsied. “As you wish, Milord Magus,” she made haste out of his chamber since mood had changed to a darker one.