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 Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:43 am
 Her mind went blank at the unexpected kiss. The malodorous scents of bile, urine and blood carried in his breath, filled her nostrils and made her own stomach turn. What ever had been on his lips was now on hers. She was disgusted and felt humiliated, but also a bit excited by the unwanted kiss for whatever reason. That she enjoyed the contact, even the slightest bit, was shameful. She had never kissed anyone before, having saved her lips until now for the man she would marry. That was ruined, which made her a less than pure princess. His sudden confession left her feeling confused, as she didn't know if he meant it or was lying to her again. He was supposed to lie, to pretend to be interested in her. Or was she supposed to be interested in him? She didn't know. It was difficult to think clearly.
When he raised his hand for her to take she panicked and shoved him away with all of her strength. Even she was surprised to see how far he'd been sent back, all of the way into the buffet table. She scoffed at the sight of him eating whatever have fallen on him and lamented not punching him in the face instead. She glanced over at his whore as she ran to be by his side. "I have won our duel, Lady Claymoore. You have no right to pursue him further. Go home." She waited impatiently for the woman to leave on her own, then called for an armed escort. The presence of the guard seemed to frighten the woman enough to get her to leave. Astrid wished that she could leave, she didn't want to be near this fool any longer. She looked over to the King and Queen's seats.
Her father was passed out, the elder Margrave Catanach was grinning and laughing as he watched them. Some of the guests had left already and, as night was approaching quickly, more would soon retire. The ball would be left to the rest of the party goers until the last royal left. Victoria, Hector, Ester and even Arric had clearly witnessed what had happened. She didn't know what to do, how to act to maintain the personality she was supposed to have in front of everyone. Why? She'd known what to do before. She had everything planned out ahead of time in order to fulfil her goals. So, why did she feel like it was all a useless effort? Why couldn't she remember what she was doing before? She turned to look down at Kenneth, still red in the face and now beginning to tear up.
"You." She hissed angrily, though her voice was also trembling with emotion. When pressed in this way the only response she could give was anger. She strode up to him until the toes of her shoes were just a foot or so away from the heels of his. "Stand. Wait here for ten minutes after I've left. Then meet me in the library. We have much to discuss." She couldn't speak freely here. She waited for him stand up, then she promptly slapped him and walked hurriedly out of the ballroom. It was difficult, but she managed to make herself cry for the sake of appearances. She slowed down once out of sight and slipped into one of the many secret passageways in the castle, known to few. This one lead to the library, which was currently locked to keep guests from straying.
She made sure no one was nearby before she left the passage, hid it, and went over to unlock the doors. There was no guard. No party-goers. She could deal with his repulsive behavior on her own. It was dark inside, but she didn't want to make the room any warmer. So she pulled the curtains open to allow the moonlight to shine through. It was enough to illuminate most of the library, at least partially. As she waited she began to wipe at her lips to remove the lipstick. She could still smell his mouth on it and that disgusted her. When he finally arrived, she pulled him in and locked the door. She shoved him in the direction of the windows. "Stand over there." She followed him, crossing her arms over her chest as she walked. She stopped close enough to be able to see him, but far enough that he couldn't just suddenly grab her if he so chose to.
"You over stepped your boundaries. I should have you killed for what you stole from me. You were merely supposed to pretend! I highly doubt that any one told you to ki--" She stopped before she could finish speaking the word and shifted uncomfortably. "That isn't how the son of a Margrave should behave. You asked for your freedom but when you--your thievery leads me to believe that you weren't serious. It does not matter to me, at all, what you think of that woman. For stealing something precious from me, and for such a ludicrous and cowardly reason as to keep someone from pursuing you is unforgiveable! I should have known! I overestimated you." Her voice cracked as she became more upset and so she paused to draw a slow breath in. This would also give him a chance to defend himself if he should chose to, not that he deserved it.
________________
Mirabelle shrieked as she witnessed the kiss and immediately ran towards them. She had to stop them! She had to separate them! She couldn't be too late! She just couldn't be! The sight of him being pushed so violently broke her heart. "Darling!!" She cried, more tears and snot flowing down her messy face as she fell to her knees next to him. She grabbed on to him until the words of the princess sent a chill down her spine. "N-no! No! It's not over! It--It can't be!" The woman started to cry as she was told to leave the castle. The sight of the armed guard was enough to make her remember her situation. Not that she cared about it anymore but she was here to represent her family. She was poor and held much less power than the princess did. That had to be it. The princess had brainwashed him. She stood up obediently, staring at the princess with cold, dead eyes opened to the maximum of their limits.
"Yes... I'll go..." She left willingly, looking away from the she-devil princess only when she absolutely had to. She stared at the ground from then on, absolutely refusing to look up. She muttered to herself in a soft voice that was barely above the level of a whisper. All the way home she'd be scheming and planning how she'd free her lover from the influence of that terrible woman.
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Egbert squirmed as he was being whipped, shouting obscenities in his native language and clinging on to the pillows for dear life. The stitches on his older injuries dehisced and as a result he bled everywhere. The only covered part of him was from the waist down, by thick leggings. He trembled, both from the pain and loss of blood and was helpless to resist by the time the beatings stopped. He kept his eyes shut tightly, and just went limp. Just take me now. He thought to himself, asking what ever god was out there to have mercy on him and end this hell. He couldn't catch a break. He let the servant drag him out, ignoring the apologies the man was spewing. It didn't matter if he didn't know that slaves weren't allowed in the servants baths. That had pretty much ruined his night and his master would be pissed off worse if he couldn't move tomorrow. Which was looking pretty likely, as blood loss was making him light headed and he was feeling weaker by the moment. He fainted soon after he was brought to his room. He didn't wake even when the doctor was summoned to treat his injuries.
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:26 pm
Kenneth was enjoying the shrimp and slice of cheese, eyeballing Mirabelle as she flew over to see if he was alright. "I'm alright." He felt a lot of pain in his back, his hand cut from a wine glass, but at least the food was good. He looked at Astrid's feet before looking up at how red in the face she was. "Princess, I-" He watched Mirabelle get escorted out before getting up on Astrid's command. He looked back to her only to get his face turned the other direction from her hand. He frowned, holding a hand to his cheek and watching her run off crying, knowing it was for appearances but he did feel bad for her. His adoptive father was smiling and laughing, looking a bit drunk as well since he seemed to be such a quiet and calm man earlier, at least the king was passed out. He helped get the table back up and the dishes set into a servant's hands before he went to meet Astrid in the library. He knocked on the door and flinched as her hand came out and pulled him in, shoving him forward and ordering him to stand in a certain place. He stood quietly, looking down, thinking he was still her slave, and that he had over stepped his boundaries. "Princess, I can't pretend I don't love you, forgive me for stealing your first kiss...and no, I didn't act like a Margrave...I guess I knew that if I didn't get you kiss you tonight, tomorow when I'm a slave again, I would regret it." He frowned, not having much to say, he was upset that he would humiliate her in such a way. "I am serious about my freedom, just like I'm serious about you, Egbert says you hit me in the head too many times, but I've always admired you since I was a child." He looked to his bleeding hand, it had been wrapped in a cloth, but soaked through.
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The doctor felt sorry for the young kid, flipping him over to stop the bleeding and sew the wounds back together, getting him cleaned up once done and inspecting for anymore wounds. "Good thing he is drunk, slows the heartbeat, numbs the pain." He said, being drunk had saved Egbert's life and he just needed to rest and heal. "I will tell the princess, make sure she knows who did this to her property, stay with him for the night." He wrapped up Egbert's chest and torso, going back to attending to Erwin's wife who had given birth, but wasn't doing so well afterwards.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 6:37 am
As she listened to him, she questioned what he was telling her. He'd lied to her on several different occasions, mainly to keep someone else from being punished for what ever they had done. He'd kept his word when faced with her brother, and recently with her Uncle. His mentioning of Egbert, however, made her wonder how much he'd confided in the other slave. She followed his gaze to his hand, currently wrapped up and bleeding through. She pulled off the gloves she was wearing. Then took hold of his arm by the wrist to raise it over his head in order to slow the bleeding. She placed her other hand over the make-shift bandage and held it down. It would take too long for him to get it treated. What they were talking about was too important, as they wouldn't have another opportunity later on. "The ball hasn't ended yet. If you mean it, look me in the eye when you say it." She didn't like how close she had to stand to him in order to keep holding his arm up.
He smelled fishy, undoubtedly due to the platter of shrimp he'd fallen in to. His clothes were probably a mess. The food was cleaned, but even so with his low standards of hygiene there was know way of knowing what was in that wound now. She tried to take advantage of their closeness, to discreetly sniff his breath. He hadn't brushed his teeth, or even used mouthwash. She squinted at him grouchily, disappointed that he hadn't taken the chance to at least clean his mouth. She didn't like the thought of her first kiss being stolen by a man who had recently been drinking the bodily fluids of a crazy woman, vomiting them up afterwards. " The only freedom I should give you, is a swift death. You know more about me than I'm comfortable with. More even than my family, or the servants who attend to me. I don't know if you mean what you've told me. I do not know of any way of testing it, either. You've lied to me before. I will tell you honestly, that I don't believe you. Even so, you have always kept my secrets."
She stared down at his face, illuminated softly in the moonlight. Her eyes traced every line, every curve. She did her best to memorize what he looked like now. She expected she would never be this close to him again. As she looked at him, the numb, warm feeling gradually returned. She was becoming nervous, though she tried to stay focused on what she was doing. She could hear her heart beat thrumming away in her ears. "I realize now that I barely know you... There isn't time to change that, either." Her gaze drifted down to his lips. He'd stolen hers before, hadn't he? She didn't know how much experience he had with kissing, or if he carried any diseases. The Lady Claymoore had apparently forced a kiss on him. If only for the sake of revenge, this was the only chance she'd allow herself. She shifted her hold on his bandage, so that she was only holding up his arm with one of her hands. She brought the other underneath his chin to keep his face still.
She leaned in, a bit awkwardly as she wasn't experienced with kissing on the lips, and placed her lips softly upon his. She held the kiss for two seconds, as long as he didn't pull away. When she broke contact, she returned her hands to the original positions on his arm. "You're a free man now. Officially, you have been the adopted son of Margrave Catanach for nearly three weeks time. As I thought you would, you were able to meet my expectations today. For this, I'm grateful." She paused once more, this time willing to allow him the chance to speak his mind.
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Hector was pouting as he continued to dance with Victoria. He kept looking to her and opening his mouth widely to say something, then redirecting his gaze to the floor with a frown. He'd been told not to follow Astrid, so he didn't. But he really wanted to. The good-for-nothing slave of hers had left the room shortly after, which he really didn't like. What if he attacked her again? He should challenge him to a duel to defend his honor. He wanted to, but couldn't stand up against Tory's will. She was awfully frightening whenever the topic or matter at hand was something of a romantic nature. He looked up at her again as the music ended and sighed dejectedly. "Tory, can't I go looking for her now? Or at least for that guy? Everybody else is gone now. Aren't you a little bit curious?" Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Ester or their nanny in a long time either.
Ester was still keeping an eye on the twins. After hearing about their mother, she wanted to go and see how she was doing. But she didn't want them to see her looking unwell and her nanny was also against it. She was currently trying to get them to go to sleep as it was very late. She was too nervous to speak though, so she'd helped them pick out a book for the nanny to read to them. The sooner they went to bed, the sooner she could see how their mother was fairing.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:20 pm
He winced as she held his arm up by the wrist, what was she planning? Her other hand held itself to the bandage and pressed gently, his shaking fingers wanted to hold it and the color to his cheeks was visible at the contact. "I can't. I look in your eyes and my mind goes blank, I'm scared you will hear my heart beat just for you." He smiled, looking up to her and becoming shocked she would kill him, even as she held on to his chin and leaned in, he became nervous. Was she trying to still a kiss from him now? "Princess, I-" The color on his cheeks brightened, he didn't want to pull away from the kiss, kissing back at the last second as she pulled away from him, she had the taste of tea mainly. Her words broke him out of whatever trance he was in, staring at her like she was some gentle princess. "Huh? I-I'm...truly free? If Margrave adopted me, is it true then? My real family disowned me when I became a slave? They abandoned me...?" He frowned, wishing he could of seen his little sister one more time, and if he had known his family would simply abandon him, he would of never tried to avenge his brother's death. "I'm glad you didn't just throw me out on the streets after freeing me...and for taking a kiss from me as well." He put his other arm around her waist and pulled her close to him to hug, with one arm in the air, it was an awkward hug as he laid his chin on her shoulder. "Thank you, princess. If anything, I'll always be your friend if you need me. I will visit of course, we have to get to know each other more than slave and master, and I will accept to stay your friend, even if you marry someone else." He hugged her tightly with one arm, letting go once she protested to it further.
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Victoria smiled as they finished dancing, noble men were becoming jealous because Hector was handsome for his age. "Let her have some privacy, and that guy is Kenneth Catanach now." She smiled, holding his arm as they walked off the dance floor. "Lets go find Ester and their nanny." She walked with him, even as he scanned the area like a hawk for Kenneth, she found the nanny in a bedroom with Ester and two sleepy twins. "Stay here Hector, I need to go check on auntie- oh Ester, do you want to come?" She smiled as the little child clung to her dress and took her hand to hold. "Hector, stay. Here!" She warned, the two twins were sprawled on the giant bed, half asleep from the nanny reading to them. Victoria closed the door gently and walked down a couple hallways before she reached where Erwin and his wife were with the doctor. She knocked and walked in, smiling softly to see Erwin holding his wife's hand. "Is she alright?" She whispered, sitting beside Erwin and letting Ester watch.
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:34 am
Astrid let him pull her into a hug. It was the second time she'd ever been so close to him, the first being earlier today. They'd known each other for over a year now. The warmth of his chest against hers had her wondering what could have been, if only she had allowed herself to look at him as she did now. "I can feel your heartbeat like this.. It's almost soothing." She let her eyes close and she lightly leaned the side of her head against his. She wanted to savor these moments, for it was all that she would allow to happen between them. She still had her goal and that did not include having a secret lover as well as a husband. She couldn't deny her feelings for Kenneth, nor overcome them as she had tried to throughout the month. She didn't want to admit to having missed him when she'd forbidden him from seeing her. Perhaps if he hadn't come to her door so often to beg forgiveness, she may have.
"It's good that you know your place. I have no intention of marrying for the sake of love. After tonight, abandon those feelings. We are and will only ever be, friends." She answered calmly, and for a few moments she let their contact continue. The cut on his hand would be clotted by now. She didn't need to hold on to it any longer. Even though no one could see them, it was necessary to break the hug. His feelings may be genuine, I suppose. Since he's held on for so long. She recalled having thrown him into the table and wondered if that was the reason why he had chosen to lean against her. There were also several chairs and a few couches in the room, far more comfortable. Did he fear falling asleep if he were to lay down? Or not being able to get up again? He didn't seem to be in that much pain so she disregarded that thought. She wanted to believe that instead of holding her out of necessity, he was doing so because he wanted to be close to her for a while. If she should find out otherwise, she'd see to it that he paid the price for manipulating her this way.
She opened her eyes as she stepped backwards and released his hand. "My Uncle tried to find your family, but it seems that shortly after you were forced to become my slave they left the country. We weren't able to locate them... I'm unable to kill you, for whatever reason the thought of ending your life pains me. However if there comes a time when I must punish you again I will do so without hesitation. It's a strange emotion, isn't it? Do remember while you're living your new life that if you betray me, you'll pay dearly for it. She looked over his appearance once more and made a mental comparison to the way he'd looked before. He was healthier now and would be from now on. Though hopefully, he would bathe regularly. With his status, she would have to see him again eventually. The drunken condition of his new father meant that they may be staying the night.
She didn't doubt that he'd go all around the castle, saying goodbye to all of the friends he'd made here. After he calmed down, anyway. His face was as red as a cherry. She knew he wouldn't dodge it, so she reached out to feel his cheek. "I'll leave first. You should wait until you're able to compose yourself... Go get fat and be happy. Make sure you have the doctor clean the wound on your hand before you leave for your new home." She walked over to the library doors and unlocked them before leaving the room.
________________
Hector scowled upon hearing Kenneth's new name. He repeated it haughtily, continuing to pout as he looked about for a sign of that weakling. He wasn't a particularly tough kid either, but in his mind he was even strong enough to hold his own against Joseph. "But what if he attacks Astrid? You should have seen the stupid look on his face earlier when she rescued him." Though he grumbled and complained, he did diligently keep his arm raised for his older sister to hold on to. He took his duty as a gentleman pretty seriously for tonight at least. He smiled at the sight of his twin and waved as they entered the younger pair of twins' bedroom. His smile was quickly replaced with a look of utter disgust though. "But--!" He sighed and walked over to take a seat next to the nanny. He'd been loud, but the twins didn't seem bothered at all. He sat waiting impatiently, listening with some interest to the story the nanny was reading. It was at a lower level, sure. But with his imagination he was dreaming up alternate scenarios and various changes that could be made to make it truly a great story.
Ester shyly held on to her sister's hand, eager to go and see their Aunt. She was so happy to finally have a chance to get away, though she was worried about the condition they'd find her in. In the time it took for them to get there, she was starting to worry more and more about various things. Would they be in the way if they went to visit them now? Was she in serious condition, breathing her last breaths? In such a state that their visiting now would disrupt the last chance for husband and wife to be together? What if they were all having fun and their showing up ruined that fun? She wanted to say something to Tory, but was still too nervous to so much as open her mouth or make a noise. She peeked around Victoria once they'd arrived and went to sit down next to her after. Auntie Valencia looked pale and maybe a bit cold. There were little beads of sweat glistening upon her brow. Overall she just looked so tired and weak. Ester placed her hands upon the bed. She feared that touching her Aunt's arm may hurt her. So she tried to express her support as unobtrusively and respectfully as possible.
________________ Half-empty bottle in one hand, full glass in the other, Lady Colette Blackadder was waiting down the hall from the library. She hiccupped, soon giggling and happily taking a big ol' gulp of wine from her glass to pass the time as she waited for the young Margrave to emerge. He was a fascinating specimen. He'd showed up out of nowhere and managed to captivate every lady he'd come across! One had even proposed to him, and he'd even been bold enough to steal the lips of the princess! She giggled giddily to herself as just thinking about him was exciting to her. Her house had some pretty rotten luck lately. They'd lost a ton of money and suffered scandal after scandal. Her fiancé had ditched her because of it all. It was so backwards! She'd even slept with him to prove how devoted she was. He was such a pig to then go and change his mind like that! Romance was dead! So, she'd set her sights on the young Margrave. Ken, that was what he'd told her and practically every other lady he'd danced with to call him. She'd seduce him, bear his child and force him to marry her or be disgraced! She giggled again and began to shuffle her feet excitedly and hum to herself. She took another drink from her glass, nearly finishing it, when she heard a door click open. "Hhhhhhmmmmmmmm?!" She said as she turned the corner, grinning like an idiot at first until she realized that Ken hadn't been wearing a dress. Least not the last she'd seen him. Oh, if he was that would just be sooo funny! She was just too drunk to care. Any weird hobby of his didn't matter as long as she could use him to save herself. She drunkenly tip toed up to the door and peeked in. In a sing-song voice she called over to him. "Ooooooooh?! Is that... YOU I see, Murrr-gruuuhvuh Cuuuurtuuur-hic-naaaaaaaaaak?!" She giggled and sashayed on over to him. Her wine was sloshing all over, but she didn't notice. "Whuuutchuuu doin' straaaaanger~? Waaaaant suuuum coooompany? Hmmmm?" She pounced on him, immediately losing her balance which sent them both falling backwards on to the floor. She coughed at the impact, then giggled and began to drunkenly feel his face. She propped herself up and started kissing his face all over. She dropped her bottle and glass, which made an even bigger mess, and pulled at his clothing in an attempt to remove it. "Oooooooh~! Whuuuut's thiiis? You and mi mi mi miiiii? You naughty, naughty boooooooooy~!" She grinned and with strength betraying her petite figure, she ripped open his shirts. Then started trying to pull his pants down far enough to suit her purpose. "Ah-whooooo hoooot 'm IIIIIII tuuu tu tu resiiiist~?!" She began to giggle incessantly as she continued to try forcing herself upon him, regardless of any protests from him.
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:23 am
Kenneth smiled softly, she could hear how his heart thumped loudly, but did she know it was for her? He let his arm down once she let go and they pulled apart, sad he would have to abandon his feelings for her. He wouldn't abandon his feelings, instead he would make sure she accepted hers, as long as he was a Magrave, he was the status and power to be one of her suitors. He would see to it that he became a stronger man for her, to gain her attention whenever he would visit. "Be gentle on Egbert, he is still learning our language, I'll be sure to visit and give him lessons." He smiled, holding it until she told him his family had left the country. "I will, princess. I hope they still have more shrimp." Kenneth watched her leave and tried to compose himself, why wouldn't the heat to his cheeks leave him be? He was distracted until a slurred voice broke and beckoned him. "Lady-" He was pounced on, knocked over and his clothes being grabbed at. "Madam! What are you doing?!" His shirt and jacket was ripped open, buttons flying into the air as he struggled to get her off himself.He was kissed,her hands snuck their way on his back and seemed to pause at the scars until she suspected he did more with the princess then just kiss; now she was even more excited. He grabbed at his pants, keeping them up and struggling to get her off at the same time.
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Erwin was keeping a wet napkin on his wife's forehead, she had given birth, but seemed exhausted,he was waiting for his child to be brought in after being cleaned and wrapped by the queen. "Hello little Ester...she just needs some rest..." He twiddled his fingers, usually a composed man, he seemed nervous and sweaty from having to see his wife suffer through labor then pass out with a fever. The queen entered quietly and held the new born in her arms, wrapped in a royal blanket as she handed it to Erwin who smiled brightly. "It's a girl." The queen smiled, leaving the room with Victoria to rejoin the dinner. "Want to see her Ester?" He knelt down from the chair to show Ester the chubby face of a newborn.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:47 am
"Ooooooh~? Pwaaaayin' hard to get are you?!" She exclaimed giddily and attacked him enthusiastically. She grabbed at his pants and pulled to try to bring them down. That he was struggling to keep them on only served to make her laugh harder. Which in turn made it easier to keep her from ripping his pants off. She let go without warning and then pounced on him again. She began to tickle him relentlessly, to make him let go of his pants. She swatted away his hands when he tried to push her, not even phased by the resistance. "Oooh~hooo! Don't be like thaaat, baaayby~! I waaaancha! Want ya bad! I'm noot soo baaad, am I~? Juust let mee already~! I want my first born to have your eyes!" She ran her hands all over his chest and added her own scratches to his back, grinning mischievously all the while.
She even went so far as to try to kiss and bite his exposed skin, giggling as he tried to shove her away. She was sitting on top of him and it was easy for her to keep him down this way. He wasn't very strong, but that didn't make him any less wealthy or powerful. "Uh-uh!" She responded to whatever he'd said. She didn't know, since she was so busy enjoying herself. Whatever it was she didn't care either. She wanted what she wanted and she was going to get it whether he liked it or not! She tried to stick her hands down his pants to further molest him, but was blocked. They were being held too tightly for her to get inside. She suddenly shoved her fingers up his nose to distract him, then grabbed on to his pants and tugged with all of her might. She let out an excited squeal as she succeeded in pulling his pants down, exposing his underwear beneath.
Then suddenly, her world went dark. She called out, amused by the muffled sound of her own voice. "Ooooo?! Whuuuut's diiiis?" She stopped laughing as soon as she felt the fabric over her face become thicker. It was getting harder to breath. Was she just really super turned on by the young Margrave? What was going on? She tried to lean downwards, grabbing around blindly for whatever she could grasp. When she realized it wasn't going to leave her face she started to panic. "Ssthupf! Mmrph! She tried to scream and began to claw at her face to try to remove whatever was over it. She flailed her hands, smacking his chest a few times as she tried to get him to stop whatever it was he was doing. In her panicked state, she became sick and threw up a little. She continued her futile struggle for about a minute longer until she passed out.
________________
Ester's eyes sparkled as she looked down at the precious little princess. Her newest cousin looked so sweet, with her rosy cheeks and little arms all curled up. "Pretty... Uncle, she's so pretty.." She spoke softly, her voice cracking as a result of how rarely she used it. Life was truly amazing to her in this moment. That the little baby had been inside of its mother only yesterday was just remarkable. She was so glad that she didn't believe Joseph, when he'd told her that babies came from piles of festering dung. Her eyes teared up and she smiled as she continued to look at the precious little baby. "Con.. Congratulations... She also thought it was amazing how much the little girl already looked like her mother. She could see similarities to both parents. She looked up at her Uncle with a radiant smile and nodded. Then looked back at the baby, mesmerized and looking forward to spending more time with her littlest cousin, as long as her Aunt and Uncle were all right with that.
It was then that Hector poked his head inside of the room to take a look around. Seeing his sister was there, he thought it'd be fine if he showed up to. The twins had fallen asleep and his nanny told him that as long as the two of them were also in bed in an hour's time, that she'd let him go around unaccompanied. He walked over to get a look at the baby, but was distracted by how awful Aunt Valencia looked. "Hey, Uncle, is there anything I can do to help out? Ester, you too. What can we do to help you? Want some food? More blankets? A fresh bedpan?" He would keep offering up suggestions unless told to stop. He wanted to help make his Aunt feel better, not quite understanding that it would take a little time for her to recover.
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As she walked down the hallway, her heart was still pounding. The feeling of his arm around her waist, his lips upon hers, and his chest against hers lingered on her skin. She'd surrendered to the inescapable and even went so far as to let him know how she felt about him. She felt like such a fool for making herself so vulnerable. He'd lied before, was he lying now? She'd thought otherwise but couldn't stop herself from thinking she'd been wrong to trust him. He'd kissed her without her consent. All of those little pranks and flirtations in the past, she was certain that he'd done the same to every other woman he'd come into contact with. Perhaps not the elderly maid she'd assigned to watch him after discovering indecent drawings in his room, but still he had quite a reputation. The Lady Claymoore was probably his lover, instead of his stalker. What was I thinking? How could I be so foolish? He was stubborn despite being such a coward. Would he truly respect her wishes and settle for merely being her friend?
She decided to return to the library, to see if he was still there. If so, she'd make sure he knew just what would happen if he were to try anything in the future. Not that he could do much, due to his being castrated and apparently circumcised. But that mattered little now. If he weren't inside, she'd have to settle the matter the next time she had a chance to be alone with him. She paused as she stood outside the door, listening for any noise. She was met with the high pitched giggling and hiccups of a woman. Was he already moving on to his next target?! Her next thought was of the poisons she'd decided to leave behind in her room for the day, to avoid any accidents should someone touch her arms. There wasn't much room in her sleeves now, anyway. If only she had some sort of tool with her. She opened the door as quietly as she could and stepped inside, shutting it behind her. She could hear a familiar voice begging for whoever was with him to stop doing whatever it was they were doing, through the giggles of his companion. Now that she knew it was Kenneth, she turned to lock the door behind her.
She strode up to them, walking proudly, and stopped a foot or so away from them. The woman was on top of Kenneth, who to her alarm was very nearly naked. His torso was bare and it looked as if several of the buttons on his shirt were missing, though she couldn't be sure at this distance. There was wine all over the floor and on their clothing. The woman was determined to remove his pants--and wanted to bear his child?! Anger lit a fire in her stomach and she reached out to grab on to the woman. She pulled, aiming to drag the drunken molester off of him, but instead ended up pulling free the sash that had been around the woman's waist. She nearly tossed it aside, with the thought of throttling the woman to get rid of her. But the sash gave her another idea. It was thick enough material, and embroidered to boot. She held it out in both of her hands and then wrapped it around Colette's face. It was difficult, due to how much the woman was wiggling around. She pulled it tight, then wrapped it around a second and third time and held on until the woman's struggles ended.
When the woman's body went limp, she unwrapped the sash. She knew she hadn't killed her and she expected that the impressions from the sash would disappear by tomorrow. She dragged the unconscious woman off of him, only now noticing that his underwear was exposed. It wasn't the first time she'd seen it. In the past, she had made him strip down in order to torture him. This time seeing him like this was different, and moving somehow. She wanted to hit him for what he'd done, but she was also afraid for him. What if she hadn't returned? Would this coward have let that other woman explore him? How could a man be weaker than an inebriated woman, and such a petite one?! Was this intentional? Some ludicrous fetish of his?! She dropped the woman as soon as she was off of him. Then tied the sash back around her waist with some difficulty.
Astrid reached out to grab hold of him by the wrist to help pull him to his feet. They needed to leave before anyone else showed up. He had lipstick marks all over his chest and face. That and the passed out woman would all be terrible things for anyone to see.
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Ailean chuckled as he watched the remaining party goers, still seated next to the King. The jester was even bolder now, making jokes that would really get William going if he were capable of functioning. Most of those left were pretty drunk, or just set on enjoying themselves. The way they danced and laughed reminded him of the way the peasantry celebrated. Only these nobles were messier, as they had others nearby who had no choice but the clean up after them. He noticed the Queen's return, and ever the sharp one she noticed him. He bowed respectfully, then decided to do something about her smashed husband. He got up, a young nobleman came over to help him, and pulled one of the King's arms over his shoulders to support him. The other arm went around the other man's shoulder and the two began to walk the totally sloshed King up to his room to sleep it off.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 2:27 pm
Kenneth continued his struggle, feeling her scratch down his back made a pain shoot through him, he grasped her wrists when she went for his pants again and held up tight until she shoved her fingers up his nose and he let go to cover it. "H-Hey!" He cried out, his pants being forced down and he saw Astrid behind her, failing to grab the woman by the waist and instead making her suffocate by her sash. He moved away once she was pulled off and kept a hand to his hurt nose, not knowing if it bled or not. "I-I guess most woman are whores..." He mumbled, breathing heavy as Astrid grabbed his wrist and heaved him up to get him out of the room. He lifted his pants up to walk, looking like a mess as they ran through the empty hallways. He stumbled forward as they entered her room and fell into her bed exhausted and shaking. He turned over just in time to get slapped again and blinked confused. "What did I do...? P-Princess?" He scrambled to the other side of the bed, she looked more emotional then calm, and he still held a fear for when she became mad or disappointed.
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Erwin smiled, rubbing his thumb on his new daughter's cheek as Hector entered and he showed him the newborn as well. "She is fine, just needs to recover from giving birth, I do need some alone time with my daughter and wife." He put a hand to Hector's back and lightly pushed him outside the door, he did the same with Ester as he saw down the hall; Astrid and Kenneth were running to the princess's room. He closed the door after getting them out and sat by his wife again, waiting for her to awake to show her the new daughter.
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William was still trying to down another wine bottle, not knowing it was empty already and laughing at the Jester, even though he didn't understand a thing going on. He was forced up and the empty bottle taken as he wobbled even with two men holding him. "W...Whe' we going....?" He nodded off as they went to his room, flopping on his giant bed and starting to snore like crazy. The queen entered after them, a slave holding a bucket was told to stand by the bed just in case. "Go get some rest Ailean, you can stay the night." She smiled, the nobleman flipping her husband over until he was fully on the bed.
Victoria was watching more guests leave, deciding to eat the left over cake and letting the nobles get some more alcohol and food before the ball would be over.
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 3:15 am
"You ignorance is astounding!" She exclaimed and reached out to smack him again, only for him to wriggle away from her. She went around to the other side of the bed, even angrier as she saw that he was leaving stains behind where ever he went. He dodged again, so she climbed up onto the bed and lunged for him before he could escape. She walked up to him on her knees and shifted her hold to grab on to the edges of his shirts. She wobbled momentarily before finding her balance. Then promptly shoved him down to further prevent him from running away. "You're horrible! You're such a liar, I can't believe I was foolish enough to believe you! If I hadn't shown up, you would be knees deep in Lady Colette, wouldn't you?! You're a man, don't expect me to believe that you couldn't resist her if you wanted to!" She hated to even look at him right now but she had been the one to bring him to her bedroom. She wasn't sure why she did, there were no clothes in here for him to wear. She'd also no intention of making him her lover. So why separate the two in the first place? It would be to her benefit if he did as she'd told him and forgotten whatever feelings he'd claimed to have for her.
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:33 pm
Kenneth struggled until Astrid shoved him down against the bed and loomed over him. He hadn't done such a thing since he first became her slave and was scared of the results. "I do not kiss drunk noble women! Besides she pounced on him and tore me up!" He had his hands on trying to keep his shirt and jacket closed. "E-Erm...why are you concerned that another woman pounced on me? Didn't you just tell me to hide my feelings for you? Are you jealous?" He asked, moving his hands to hers and smirking even as she seemed to be mad.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:28 am
She bristled, color rising to her face at his accusation. The arrogant way he was regarding her right now made this all the worse. She felt horribly embarrassed, and wanted nothing more than to beat him with the nearest tool until he was begging for her forgiveness. The Lady's other target mattered little to her. She didn't know who he was referring to, but couldn't ask him now. It would make her look weak. "You... If this is how you use your freedom, then I've overestimated your character. What if that woman had discovered your handicap? If she'd tried to manipulate you that way, what would you do? Would you prefer it if I took you back to her? She's staying the night, it would be a simple matter for me to find out in which room! Why don't I just drag you back to her? Let her have her way with you, since you're so incapable of defending yourself?!" She glared down at him, having to struggle to keep her temper. She'd forgotten about his injuries, more or less distracted by the red marks and traces of lipstick which littered his body. She clenched her jaw, trying to stifle the desire to beat him. How exactly had this pitiful man managed to worm his way into her heart?
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 2:54 pm
Kenneth stayed down, that fear of her that had been built into him kept him from doing much until she discussed his handicap. "Handicap? No no, I'm not going back to that woman!" He set his hands on her waist and rolled them over so he was on top. "The only handicap I have is the scars on my body from you, what other handicap is there?" They rolled again when she slapped him with her fist, being under her yet again as her eyes moved downward. "What are you looking for?" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, to prevent her from looking at his manhood any longer to figure it out. He couldn't let her figure it out until morning, and she was struggling hard to sit back up when he heard the door open. He let go and earned another hard slap.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:43 pm
Ailean hobbled down the hallway to his room, having decided to retire for the evening. He didn't much care for the company of stuffy nobles. Even though he'd been born into this sort of life but at his ripe old age he didn't care anymore. The booze helped to ease the pain in his joints and his old wounds. As he was nearing his room, he remembered his new son. He let out a rough sounding laugh as the first thing that came to mind was the boy stealing a kiss from the princess. He wasn't as cowardly as he'd been told. As soon as he'd introduced himself to the boy, he could tell that there was more to him. He was spirited and had fine instincts which would serve him well in his new life. Still, he should check on the poor princess. What gentle woman could return to the ball, to face a drunken bunch of uppity idiots? Maybe his son was even with the girl now. Hopefully, apologizing, if he wanted to win her hand. So, Ailean waved a servant over to him and had them tell him what was going on. His son wasn't at the ball and as expected, neither was the princess.
He had the servant show him the way to her room. The servant was fixing to knock on the door but Ailean had no patience for that. He didn't even know if the girl was in there. He opened the door and as light spilled inside from the hallway, he was surprised to discover his son in bed with the princess. Or at least it looked like they were in the process. He let out a dry chuckle. "Not much for waiting, eh?" He held on to his abdomen as he continued to laugh at the ridiculous scene. "I'm glad to see you're fine, princess. I came to apologize for my son, but I see there was no need to. Carry on." He hobbled off, deciding to just go to sleep after all. He was fairly drunk and getting to be quite tired, which made it all the easier to make him laugh. He'd better sleep it off before he did or said something he'd regret later.
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Astrid struggled within his hold. How had he gotten strong enough to trap her like this? When he finally let go, she slapped him and moved away from him on the bed. She heard the Margrave's laughter, and looked over in horror to see that her door was open. Not only did the Margrave see them, but one of her servants as well. She scowled at the Margrave's words, blushing deeply from both embarrassment and her fury at the man giving them permission to continue. She tried to leave the bed, only to realize that Ken was on her skirt. So, she tried to think up some excuse for their current situation. But her mind was drawing a blank. They were in her bedroom alone together, on her bed, with very little lighting, both red in the face and Kenneth half-naked and covered in hickies. There was nothing she could think of to excuse this. Except that due to him being castrated and circumcised, what the elderly Margrave was implying was simply impossible. After he hobbled away, she turned her gaze to the servant.
The man was staring at them, dumbfounded, with a small number of letters in hand. She pushed Ken until he got off of her skirt, then left the bed to go over to the servant. She snatched the letters from the man's hands. The servant hastily bowed and left, Astrid slamming the door behind him. She turned to face Kenneth, glaring daggers at him. She put the letters on her dresser, then strode over to him in order to slap him repeatedly. She didn't stop even as her own hands were starting to feel a bit sore. "Do you see what you've done?! Just how far will you go to ruin my reputation, now that you're free?!" She scoffed as he curled into himself. At least he wasn't trying to tease her anymore. She went over to her dresser and picked up her letter opener to begin opening her messages for the day. "Leave. I've nothing more to say to you." The first letter was from the castle's doctor. It informed her of Egbert's critical condition and the one responsible for it.
He'd been beaten within an inch of his life. She'd see to the damage before dealing out the appropriate punishments. The other letters were of little importance. She didn't want to be without a slave and would judge for herself if Egbert was really going to be stuck in bed for a long stretch of time. She sighed and set the letter down, deciding to settle this matter before reading the other messages. She left before he did, slipping her gloves back over her hands, and shot him a glare as he took his time in leaving her room. She locked it behind him and started for the slave quarters. Much to her annoyance, her freed slave seemed to have caught on to where she was going. Being free for not even an hour had made him so arrogant, there had to be something wrong with his brain. She ignored his questions on the way there.
Just as the letter had described, Egbert was in terrible shape. He was pale, wrapped in bandages. Even the color to his fingernails showed how much blood he'd lost. The room was a bit cold and the straw mat he was laying on couldn't be very comfortable. It would be something if he survived the next few days. The doctor was busy with her Aunt. If he did die, she'd have to replace him. She regretted briefly honoring her word and letting Ken go free. If she hadn't, and he was still her slave, then life would be simpler. She recalled how much he had done to her just in this day, and immediately thought herself a fool for wishing he could continue to serve her. He'd find some way to tease her. She hated that arrogant smirk of his. It gave the impression that he'd won some small battle against her and she hated that. She stepped aside to let Ken tend to the boy.
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:37 am
Kenneth blushed deeply as his new father laughed at them and walked off to leave them be. Oh god, he was embarrassed, but not as much as the princess was since she was someone of dignity and grace. He sat up as she slammed the door closed and went to stand when she slapped his face even after he knew her hands would hurt. "You could say I was drunk." He mumbled, standing up to fix his pants and use what buttons were left on his jacket to hide the hickies and lipstick marks that he couldn't wipe away. He left the room, but had eyed the letter when she was reading it, was Egbert hurt? He had to follow and know his little foreign friend was alright.
He wasn't, the poor boy was suffering on his hay mattress and no blanket. He rushed over and helped fix the poorly wrapped kid, staunching the wounds to stop any bleeding and using stuff from the medical box left in the room. He didn't mind sewing the whip wounds closed and poor some cold water down Egbert's throat to keep him hydrated. "Can he sleep in the room I'm staying in? If he can live through the night in a real bed, he won't have a chance of dying. You don't wanna buy a new slave already, do you?" He was using her paranoa against her, to get Egbert the things he needed. "You said I can't free him, but if you don't ever want him, I'll save up money to buy him." He noted to her, smirking and not understanding that a Magrave 'didn't save up money'. Then again, he would be shocked at how rich his new family was.
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:37 am
She chose to stay in the room as Ken fussed over the boy. His injuries were numerous and although they appeared to be clean, were quite extensive. He had marks and long open gashes on his arms and torso. Even the boy's bare feet had been beaten. Most of his cuts could be closed. On his upper back, there was an area where there wasn't enough skin to close the wound. There was also some bruising, but that wasn't of much concern as he didn't appear to have broken any major bones. Some of his toes were dark enough that it was possible, but that shouldn't prevent him from walking should he survive. It would require more time and resources than she cared to lose, to treat his injuries fully. She glanced over to Kenneth as he asked her a question. Her cold, violet eyes narrowed as she witnessed the infuriating little smirk he was wearing. It would be better to acquire a new slave.
There was the little eight year old slave girl that Victoria had purchased for Ester. The two of them were just too quiet when together, and Ester had started to treat her like a friend. She was too young to handle the chores, but would be useful for testing her food and drink for poison. Still, she didn't like the idea of losing the slave she'd invested so much time and effort into training. The little girl was just as spineless as Ester, which made her untrustworthy. She fixed him with a glare. He didn't deserve to get what he wanted from her. He'd already taken too much. "I've no interest in selling my garbage to you. I will see to it that you pay for the items you've used so far, as well as everything else you've ruined tonight. That includes the outfit my Uncle had tailored for you." She went to the door and had one of the servants fetch a stretcher. Then had them get Egbert on to it and carry to the room Kenneth would be staying in. It was one which connected to another bedroom, where his new father would sleep. The bed was just as large as the one in Astrid's room, and overall the room was nearly as luxurious as it. Though there wasn't as much pink, jeweled ornaments, gold or lace.
The orange and blue blanket, his art materials and sketches were all neatly arranged inside of an open chest. It also contained everything else that had belonged to him when he was a slave. She had them pull the covers and set down a bed pan, then cover him. They took the stretcher and left the medical case, as instructed. She felt Egbert's forehead with her bare hand. He was cold and clammy. She checked his pulse and listened to his breathing. Quick and irregular. She decided to use the little girl for the time being. Perhaps training one so young would prove advantageous later on. "You'll also be held responsible if he dies." It was time for her to leave, as she didn't want to be around him any longer. The more distance between them, the better. She wanted to prevent any further incidents. The gossip would also stop if the two weren't seen together. As she walked towards the door, she remembered the injury on his hand. She couldn't recall it being there when they'd danced together, either. If she left him alone with Egbert, the fool would probably ignore his own injury in order to watch over his ally.
She went over to the medical case and selected a pair of tweezers, a small bottle of antiseptic potion and a small roll of linen for wound wrapping. Then walked over to Kenneth. "Show me your hand. The doctor is otherwise engaged." She did intend to treat the wound, but also wanted to use the opportunity to get a little revenge. She was prepared to be unnecessarily rough with the tweezers when she was searching for any debris with the intention of causing him pain. It was the least she could do to him, now that he was free, and the least amount of pain he deserved for stealing a few of the firsts she'd been saving for marriage. The antiseptic potion was one that would burn. Typically, the doctor would give his patient something for the pain. She knew that, so did he. But she wanted him to feel it.
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