The Price of Freedom (Houdini and Jeshire)

[Houdini]

Lord Gabriel stared through his squinty eyes at the short, fat, cloaked man before him. The man was desperately trying to strike a deal that would leave him in security, guaranteeing the safety of himself, his family, and most importantly, his land. "Fifty gold pieces," Gabriel said flatly. "Come up with it by the end of the week, or there are no guarantees," he said with a grin, as the cloaked man hurriedly nodded in agreement and bowed before leaving the large tent, and ascending onto his horse with the help of a servant boy.

Gabriel and his band of mercenaries owed their allegiance to no one. They rode throughout the land six months out of the year, plundering land, men, and riches. They made a practice of defeating the poorly trained battalions put together by the landowners in each city, and then mercilessly extorting large sums of money in exchange for the freedom of the defeated residents. He smirked at his lieutenant as the next man approached the tent. This local wealthy landowner had something better than money to offer Gabriel.

It had been a tiresome campaign over the last half-year, and he and his men were ready to head to their respective homes back in Turgon. Gabriel had a large estate, cared for by many servants while he was out on his tours. However, what he wanted for himself during the next six months of rest, was a woman to enjoy. The first five of the six principal defeated landholders of the small city of Eludor had been dealt with, and given their ultimatums, including the one who had just departed. But as the sixth approached, Gabriel watched him nervously cross the thick green meadow and duck into the tent from the sunny day outside. "Sit down, Sir Alston, he said with a smile, motioning at the seat across from him. Gabriel stayed standing until Alston sat, his tall frame looming over the bargaining table. He rubbed his chin, feeling the roughness of several days' stubble, and ran his fingers through his dark, wavy hair. "Very well," he began, taking a seat. "You may think, Sir Alston, that I want gold from you to secure your safety and that of your land. But you would be mistaken. I won't ask a single piece of gold or silver from you. Only your eldest girl."

Gabriel sat there without saying another word, waiting for the shocked man's response. Gabriel had caught a few glimpses of the girl, and she would be his price, he decided. He handled his women the way he handled his line of work. He took what he wanted, only the best at that, and imposed his own desires on them. "But... I... There must be some other arrangement we can reach," Sir Alston stammered. "No," came the reply. "That is my price. You can deliver her here to me by nightfall, or I can come with my men and my horses, and take her myself, along with everything else you have. Either way, she will be mine from here on. But I prefer to make my bargains as a gentleman, man to man," he added with a smile. The beleaguered man looked down for a moment, a tear collecting in the corner of his eye. He knew he had no choice. "I'll do it," he said, standing up and heading out of the tent.

 

[jeshire]

Camelia knew something was wrong immediately after her father returned to the estate. Meeting with the notorious Lord of the mercenaries who ravaged land, home, and people, was no laughing matter, but the young beauty could tell that something terrible had been asked of Alston. Gold and silver he had plenty of; even if the scoundrel Gabriel asked for a ridiculous amount of wealth, her father wouldn't have looked so... defeated. Needless to say, this worried her greatly. There was very little that her father had that would make him so desolate looking to have to give that away.

Even as the third of five children, Camelia was extremely close to her father, and likely would have been the same for her mother, had she survived the birth of the youngest child, her only sister. She knew Alston a bit better than her siblings, making it easier for her to get under his skin, or read his moods. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what had happened, though. After asking both of her older brothers what occurred and finding no answers, the young woman retired to her chamber in dissatisfaction, highly aware of the tense, strained and very busy atmosphere that consumed everyone at the estate.

Not even five minutes after retiring, the fair beauty was assaulted by maids and dressers. While normally not a disobedient woman, Camelia tried to fight off the group of women as they stripped down her slender, petite form and pulled, pushed, tugged, and tied her into one of her finest dresses, all the while crying for answers which no one seemed to want her to have. After succumbing defeatedly to the gaggle, the fair-skinned girl let the maids dress up her long mahogany curls, pinning and brushing them to an exacted perfection. She was given no rest; as soon as the prettying up was completed (not that Camelia needed much of that for her naturally quite charming looks), the group dragged her out of her room.

Without knowing what had happened exactly, Camelia found herself in a carriage, on the road to someplace she didn't know. Her father, looking even more disheartened than before - and increasingly so, as the ride went on, barely spoke to her at all. Instead, all he seemed to do was stare depressingly out the window and make sidelong glances at her. The poor girl was completely in the dark; despite sitting right there, Alston refused to tell her anything. Given enough time, the carriage slowed and came to a stop in front of a tent. Camelia let herself out before her father, confusion knitting her fine brow together. "Why was I brought here?" she questioned fretfully, to no one in particular. Alston solemnly led her into the tent. Inside was a small collection of rugged looking men, all fairly handsome in their own rights. The man supposedly in charge, was the most rugged and most handsome though. Completely unfazed by his looks, Camelia looked to him, clearly concerned, and asked politely, "Sir, please tell me that you know what is happening?"

 

[Houdini]

"Well, Hello... Camelia, isn't it?" Gabriel replied with a cordial smile and even a little bow in her direction. "I am called Lord Gabriel." He held out his hand to accept hers. "I see your father hasn't had the opportunity to update you on what's happening." He rubbed the short, thick stubble on his chin, thinking about how to word this delicately. "He's been... er, kind enough to send you back to my estate with me. My... friends and I," he continued, motioning around the room at his rugged, but tired companions. "We'll be retuning to the land we come from. It's called Turgon. I have a lovely estate there. There are menservants and maidservants, and every amenity that can be imagined."

He took a moment of pause to look over Camelia's beautiful frame. The first thing he noticed was her fair, alabaster skin. It was flawless and beautiful. Her form was equally lovely, slender and wonderful. Gabriel also noticed her soft facial features, and lovely dark hair. And that wasn't even mentioning the classy, wonderful way she was fitted into her fine gown. He couldn't help undressing her in his mind, imagining all the wonderful things that he could do with her once they got home. "I'll give you some tasks to do for me there, and that will take care of some things your father owes me. I think you should be quite happy about it. By servicing me, or serving me, I should say, you'll be responsible for the freedom of your entire family. And you'll make me happy, by taking care of all my needs."

He paused, studying her response, before continuing: "We'll travel through the night, and the morning tomorrow, and we'll have a lovely dinner there tomorrow evening. I'm sure you'll love it. Perhaps you'll even have a hot roll with cream. All the girls like to have that back in Turgon," he finished with a big smile.

 

[jeshire]

Camelia let out an instinctive "What?" when he said her name. She confusedly glanced over to her father, who could do nothing more than look down at his feet and shift sheepishly, unable to meet her eyes. The fair girl turned back to the man, consternation clearly writ upon her face -- which immediately paled when the mercenary gave her his name. Lord Gabriel... instantly, the duke's daughter knew that being here was a bad thing. The mercenaries only meant trouble, never any good. Delicately wrapping her arms about herself and openly denying his hand, she took a step back and looked him over cautiously.

She shied even further away, stepping closer to her father when Gabriel looked her over in a clearly lecherous way; but she didn't quite understand the meaning of that look. All she knew was that he was openly ogling her and she didn't like the feel of his eyes visually inspecting her every, fine detail. "Serving you?" she reiterated quietly, relaxing only a slight bit. Though she barely had time to think on it, serving someone couldn't possibly be the worst thing that could happen to her. Of course, Camelia was thinking of the kind of serving that her maids did: housework, fetching dinners and drinks, drawing baths and other things that people of circumstance were allowed to enjoy. She'd never done a minute of work in her life, but if donning a servant's garb and doing mundane things was all she had to do to ensure her family's well being, it couldn't be too bad.

Even so, something about the way he spoke and his words made her shiver slightly, as if she wasn't quite getting the full picture... After letting her arms slide back to her sides, she hesitantly met his gaze, saying nothing in response to the prospect. She'd hardly reacted at all to the prospect of "serving" him; even her father had cringed, covering his face with his hand, but she hadn't noticed and continued to stand there, pretty and blissfully oblivious. It wasn't a kind of dumb ignorance that masked her face; rather, it was an uncertain suspicion, and very little more. "... How long will I be staying at your estate, sir?" She hoped somewhat desperately that it wouldn't be for over long... she'd never been away from her family, even for a day.

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel grinned when Camelia refused his hand. He finally lowered his own after a few seconds, making a fist, causing all of the muscles in his forearm to ripple. It was as if to force himself to hold back from his usual reaction when his will was not obeyed. He would hold back for now, but not for long. "That is correct, my lady. You'll be a... servant of sorts in my household. I know that isn't what you're used to, but I'll teach you everything you need to know myself," he said with a grin, showing his full set of white teeth.

"As for how long, that will be my decision. Perhaps if your work pleases me enough, I'll send you home after our six-month furlough." He knew from looking at her that the scenario he'd just mentioned was unlikely. He had traveled the width and the breadth of the land, and this was the most beautiful maiden he'd beheld. He doubted he'd just send her away freely. However, for the time being, if she saw an end it sight, he knew things would go better for everyone. Gabriel was young to be a powerful leader, only twenty-nine, but he was not foolish. He knew that scaring Camelia off now, in unfamiliar territory, was not a wise course.

"Sir Alston, we thank you for your service, you may return to your estate at once. You can be assured of our protection," Gabriel said, looking him in the eye with a knowing smile. He had set up a little private corner of the tent for Camelia to spend the night. There was a soft bale of hay there, covered with blankets. "Let me show you to your accommodation for the night, young lady," Gabriel said cordially, slipping behind her, and placing his hand softly, but firmly, on the small of her back and nudging her towards the back of the large tent. A guard would be stationed at the entrance for the night in case she had any ideas of escape.

 

[jeshire]

Unable to keep from shivering, Camelia gave a little quiver and delicately rubbed her upper arm. Something about Gabriel worried her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it; well, it was more than the fact that he was the leader of a band of seasonal vagabonds. What kind of evils had this man committed, and how many more would he commit in his lifetime? Biting the inside of her cheek, the young lady hoped she wasn't around him long enough to find out.

"I'll be there just six months?" Unmistakable hope filled her face before she simpered down again as she put her guards back up. Yes, things could certainly be a lot worse. He could have told her that she was going to be his slave, although she didn't know was that his kind of 'servant' was probably the same thing. And six months, while quite a long time, was considerably less worse than a few years, and endless amounts better than a lifetime.

Camelia shook herself from her thought just as her father was given the word to depart. She started quickly and spun around in front of Gabriel just after he laid his hand against her. "Wait! Please, at least let me say my farewells to my father before he leaves," she cried softly, slender brow creased oh-so elegantly, despite the clear desperation. Resting a hand on Gabriel's arm, she stepped to the side and looked over his shoulder and outside of the tent. Her father was already more than halfway to getting in the carriage. When she called out for him, he faltered but continued, hurriedly getting in. Camelia's shoulders sagged, her hand dropping further down his arm. To say she looked completely crushed might have been putting it lightly.

 

[Houdini]

Remaining silent as she desired assurance of the term of her 'sentence', he stepped to the side, blocking her view of her father as he rode off into the dusk. It was a symbolic move as much as a practical one, his lean, looming frame replacing the view of her father. She was even more beautiful when she was desperate, he decided. "Don't fret, my dear," he implored her. "I'm sure you'll see Daddy again before long," he said with a bit of a gravelly tone, looking up at his lieutenant and sharing a devious grin.

He grabbed her wrist lightly, and led her drooping form back to her place in the mercenary tent. He led her to the bed, gently guiding her to sit down on it. He stood above her, looking down upon the nervous girl. "Tell me Camilla, I like to get to know my servants a little bit." He cleared his throat, and fingered the handle of his sword on his thick leather belt. He dragged over a heavy basket, flipping it upside down and sitting across from her. He patted her knee through her lovely dress. "What skills do you possess that might be of service to me? What are your days like in Alston's manor?"

 

[jeshire]

Her tearful eyes turning upwards, she frowned softly and pulled away from him, thinking him unkind for such an offhand statement. Luckily, she was too busy with sucking up her dignity and blinking the wetness from her eyes to notice the cocky grin. If she had, her already questionable opinion of Gabriel might have taken a turn for the worse. Well, that would happen soon enough...

Camelia sadly watched the carriage pull away, completely complacent to the hand at her wrist, which she followed with some amount of disheartened grace. The girl obediently sat when he guided her to, letting her hands fall into her lap as she stared up reservedly at her new 'caretaker'. As the question was one she might have expected (given she had been aware of the situation a few hours ago), she looked away to consider her answer, her fingers lacing themselves together on her lap. She said nothing of his pat but removed her knee from under his hand. "I don't do very much, really," she admitted softly, voice wavering a little. "I look after my youngest siblings... I can speak several languages, and I've been taught music and art since I was little. I can dance, too... I don't think anything I've done would be suitable for a servant's job, I'm afraid."

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel kept his cocky smile about him as she subtly refused his touch on her knee. This girl was as dignified, proper, and elegant and she was beautiful and smart, he thought to himself. That would make it all the more satisfying to break her, to wrap her around his finger, to defile her, he thought to himself. "You sound a talented girl," he replied with a nod. "If you've been able to learn all those things, I'm sure you can learn to perform other tasks as well," he said with a nod at her, keeping his eyes affixed to her pretty face all the while.

Knowing that she despised his touch, he stood up, smiled at her, and lifted his callous hand up, dragging the tips of his fingers along her cheek. "You'll do just fine," he told her, taking his hand back and moving a step back from her. "You'll need your rest," he explained," so I'll let you have it. "We'll be up at the first hint of dawn. We have.a long trip tomorrow.". With that he left her little corner, closing the curtain behind him, and went outside, sitting with his men by the bonfire. He spent another hour there, talking, laughing, and drinking wine, before heading back inside to his part of the tent to retire to sleep for the night.

 

[jeshire]

Well, Camelia supposed that was true enough. While retaining it depended solely on how interested she was in it, learning something new took relatively little time for her to do. She gave him a tiny nod in agreement, looking at him from underneath her eyelashes in a way that was unintentionally coy. For as long as he stared at her, she decided to stare right back. She wasn't completely comfortable with this man; actually, she wasn't comfortable at all here, deserted by her father and in company of notoriously bad men. There was no telling what he might do.

When he stood and lifted his hand up, she flinched gingerly, though she had never been struck in her lIfe. Perhaps it was more of an instinctive thing in response to knowing his less than noble history. Even so, he surprised her by almost tenderly brushing her cheek; she didn't recoil this time, an added rose color to her cheeks hinting to him that while the touch was unexpected, it wasn't entirely unpleasant. A bit confused, she watched him leave "her" section of the tent and sat there for a while trying to imagine what her life would be like now. It took her some time to even lay down and feel somewhat comfortable among strange people; it took even longer to fall asleep.

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel slept soundly through the night, waking just before the first rays of sun peered over the horizon. From the many years he'd spent abroad, his body had been trained to rise at this time of day, and it had proven valuable more than once, as he and his men had been alert enough to head off pre-dawn raid attempts. But today, his mind wasn't on battle, but on love; or at least a less honorable alternative. He stepped outside, feeling the dew of the morning grass on his feet, and took a glance around, leaning over a bucket and splashing some water over his face. Returning inside, he dressed in his long, brown riding cloak, and laced up his black boots.

The stir of Gabriel waking caused a few of his men to follow suit, each performing their morning routine, some pulling bread out of food pouches, and getting sustenance inside them. A few of the men shared Gabriel' large tent, while others had slept in two other fairly large tents that had been erected. Gabriel went around the back of his tent to examine the horses, sheathing his sword at his side as he walked. Upon finding everything to his satisfaction, he stood at the tent entrance, and called a boy over. "Go fetch the girl some bread and cool water, and wake her if she's still sleeping. Tell her to present herself outside in ten minutes, at which time we'll collect our tents and depart." He was actually quite eager to see Camelia, but he wanted to make sure she understood that he had men to do his bidding when it came to such small matters. He was quite sure that she would look just as beautiful in the morning as she had last night. She just had that air about her, where it would be simply inconceivable for her ever not to be absolutely stunning and radiant. And that, after all, was why he had selected her.

 

[jeshire]

Unlike her new 'captor', Camelia did not favor mornings, much like mornings didn't favor her. (Having no specified job as the daughter of duke could do that to someone.) She had apparently slept fitfully, never quite waking up but drifting in an out of restlessness so that when the time came for the boy to wake her, she was thoroughly groggy. She dully batted the boy away as she rose, taking a few moments to remember where she was and who she was with. Reminding herself with a little sigh, Camelia rose, brushed the wrinkles from her dress and took down her hair. It was very possible that she looked even more stunning in such a state, her long tresses cloaking her neck and shoulders. The somewhat artificial look of prim and proper didn't suit her as well as a more natural one did.

Shortly after taking a few sips from the water and few nibbles from the bread, she left the tent to go and stand outside in the chilly morning air. Her dress had several layers to it, but she was still slightly chilled, and stood there with her arms hugging her for a little more warmth while the men came to life. She had to admit, it was mildly fascinating to watch the troupe rise and make preparations for departure, but she was still too sleepy to appreciate the distraction. Gabriel's men moved around her, some openly eyeing the pretty girl, rather lecherously.

 

[Houdini]

"Let's get moving," Gabriel roared at a soldier who had paused to leer unabashedly at Camelia, giving him a shove in the back as encouragement. He understood the needs of his men, however would not stand have such disrespect shown, when the girl was obviously his. He untied a large sack, and drew out a blanket, approaching his 'captive', and draping it over her. "I do assume you know how to ride," he began, nodding at a small white horse. "You didn't list it among your talents, but if you do, you'll be riding this one. She's gentle, and will keep in line with the other horses." He took in a deep breath as he looked the girl over, his assumptions confirmed about her morning appearance. "We'll ride for ten hours, and arrive at Turgon just before dusk. I'm sure you'll find it delightful," he said a bit gruffly, not out of bad manner, but because his throat was still a bit dry from the night. "Perhaps we'll dance there," he said with a smile, placing his hands on her hips and mimicking a dancing stance. "That was one of your talents, wasn't it?"

He couldn't help but think that she looked quite well suited to a rugged life, with her wrinkled dress, and slightly frizzy, but still wonderful hair draping her shoulders. Then again, she could probably look suited to just about anything. Once the small tent city had been taken up, things were packed onto the horses. Nothing was taken by carriage, they were too slow, and left them far too open to attack, in Gabriel's opinion. They packed light, and every man carried as much as he could on his mount. As the sun rose a couple inches over the horizon, they were all ready to go. Gabriel whistled, the girl's white horse being brought over, and he held out a hand to help her mount it. "Our journey begins, mi'lady," he said, giving her a smile that could actually be interpreted as charming, showing his straight lines of white teeth.

 

[jeshire]

The girl jumped when he placed the blanket about her, spinning in surprise to see who it was. She relaxed quickly enough before pulling the blanket tighter around her, thanking him politely. A blanket wasn't as portable as a cloak, but it'd be twice as warm - so she was rather thankful for it. Her eyes followed his nod at the horse, to which she slightly smiled at; Camelia had a soft spot for animals, he'd eventually discover. And she was a pretty one. "I do ride," she assured, adjusting the blanket. While he looked her over, she looked the horse over. "Ten hours straight?" Her attention switched over to Gabriel as she got an odd (though not unpleasant) little chill from the sound of his voice. When he put his hands on her hips, she briefly swayed and cracked a tired smile, thinking to herself that at least he wasn't a rude, terrible man... yet. In her early morning tiredness, she cared less about him being a marauder and a bully. "Oh, I think I'll be too exhausted to dance by then. Riding can be a joy, but it is so very tiring."

Again, her attention wandered away, watching as the men gathered up the last of the stuff and mounted their horses. When the white horse was brought over, she glanced between it and Gabriel and his hand. She removed the blanket and set it on the horse's hind, wordlessly taking the offered hand and getting up on the saddle. After she settled herself (side-saddle style, of course) and became acquainted with the horse, she threw the blanket around her shoulders again and held it tight. "We'll stop for supper and dinner, won't we? Or will we have dinner at your estate?" Ten hours away from everything she loved and knew. It was still too early for her, but Camelia had the lingering feeling that at some point, she'd just break down in pure misery.

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel was impressed with her knowledge of riding, and her ability to efficiently mount her horse, yet maintain her usual polished style and elegance. "Well, certainly not ten hours straight," he grinned at her. "Even we ruffians need a break now and again. We'll stop and have a hearty meal in the late morning. Or at least as hearty as one can expect en route. And probably a shorter stop in the afternoon as well. If all goes well, we'll dine at my estate tonight." She seemed pleasant enough today, he thought, either blissfully unaware of what fate awaited her, or too tired this early in the morning to put up much of a fight, even verbally. "If you'll excuse me, I have some matters to check on. Just sit tight."

He threw himself upon his own mount, a large brown horse with several scars along its body. With a slap on its thigh, he got it moving, riding around the quickly vanishing army camp, inspected the progress of his charges. As everything seemed in order, he galloped to the head of the file, telling his lieutenant to proceed. The men followed suit, two by two they rode at a respectable trot, Gabriel choosing a spot where he could hover around the middle of the pack. He had decided not to lead this time, so he could keep an eye on his men, and particularly, Camelia. "Come, Camelia," he shouted, pointing her to the empty spot at his side in the long procession of mercenaries. "Our journey begins."

 

[jeshire]

The girl was relieved that it wouldn't be ten hours straight; a day's worth of riding was exhausting enough by itself, but straight through would have been completely unreasonable - perhaps even inhumane of Gabriel. She bobbed her head slowly in acknowledgement as he excused himself, watching with some tired interest as the remaining preparations were made. She took the opportunity to get to know the mare she was one, who turned out to be rather good natured and quite tame; for that, Camelia was grateful, because a more headstrong steed would have made the journey all the more exhausting. When Gabriel called her over, she gently nudged the horse to move and joined him.

For the first several hours, it took a lot for the young maiden to keep from nodding off on horseback. She occasionally spoke with Gabriel - just little talks, about nothing that mattered all that much, but when she had nothing else to distract herself with, the lack of sleep snuck up on her. After their break for breakfast, Camelia was considerably more lively and awake, breaking the relative silence of the procession with little stories of how the landscape reminded her of her childhood. She weaved in and out of silence, watching the forests and hills pass by as the Earth rolled up and flattened back down again. As pleasant as it was, when the sun began to fall, she grew increasingly more reserved and aware of her situation. Granted, she was still civil, but it was clear that something had began to bother her..

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel had lived most of his life on horseback. Ten hours of gentle, peaceful riding was nothing to him, so he took the opportunity to look over his men and speak with a few of them as they rode, if only to pass his boredom. And, even better, he shared some mundane conversation with Camelia during the long hours of travel. He actually enjoyed her cute and naïve stories. She wasn't stupid at all, he could tell from her conversation. She was quite intelligent, just a bit sheltered. The stops to rest and eat were only needless holdups on the way home, in Gabriel's opinion, but many of the men liked breaking up the journey, and obviously, Camelia did as well.

As dusk approached, the knowledge crept through his body that home was close. There was nothing like home, and the longing he took towards it after so many months away was only intensified by the knowledge that he had a new addition to his household, the beautiful Camelia. Finally approaching his estate, the procession halted. It was Gabriel's usual tradition to have all his ranking men eat at his table the first night back. A courier had been sent days ahead of time to announce the day of their return so that the servants might prepare the veritable feast. "Behold, young lady," he called out. "The finest estate in Turgon, and your new residence." Leaping off his horse, he extended his hand to Camelia, sensing the apprehension in her eyes. He men quickly dismounted as well, leaving the horses to be attended to by the stablemen, and headed inside.

The smell of roasting pork, beef, freshly baked bread, and stewing vegetables wafted out into the cool dusk air. Leading the way inside, Gabriel opened the door to a large great room, with a formal dining room on the side. Inside was an enormously long table, with seating for about forty, and an ornate gold and crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, hundreds of candles burning inside. The food was already upon the table. Gabriel walked to the head of the table, the entire party waiting for him to sit first. Taking his seat, he motioned to a seat next to him, and gestured to Camelia. Little did she know, he thought, that this would be her last setting being treated in a humane manner for quite some sit. A servant immediately brought a cask of wine and poured some into all the glasses on the table, starting with Gabriel's. "Sit down," he cordially invited Camelia, his smile hiding his twisted inner thoughts, and somehow a bit more devious than any he'd shown her to this point.

 

[jeshire]

For all that it meant for her days to come (or the next six months, as she'd allowed him to convince her of), Camelia found the same kind of comfort she did at home when she looked upon Gabriel's estate - though less so, obviously. It was, in a way, already familiar to her that made the idea of spending the next months in it almost bearable. Perhaps she could forget where she was when she laid down to rest, something that after the long travel, did sound so very nice.

She sat by expectantly in quiet musing as he came over and offered to help her down. After sliding gracefully off the horse, the maiden instinctively tried to smooth out the rumples in her dress before brushing back her hair. While the riding hadn't been fast or hard, the air had made her look even more wild, her previously immaculate curls looser and a bit frazzled. As the group moved inside, she followed along silently, letting her wide-eyed gaze inspect the estate.

Camelia's legs almost wobbled beneath her when the smell of a delicious dinner filled the room. The woman inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a short moment, her mouth watering with the prospect of such a lavish meal. She'd had meals like this before, but this was a feast, and feasts were held only so often, and thus a rare occasion. Even with the thought of food distracting her, she didn't forget to look around some more, rather aware that Gabriel's estate (so far) was just a little bit more lavish than her father's. When the lord bade her to sit, Camelia did so with little hesitation, too focused on the food before her to really notice the change in his devious smile.

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel let his food and wine sit for a moment as he looked upon Camelia. He had been used to deprivations of all sorts throughout his life, and to wait a few moments to eat was nothing. But he had rarely, if ever, beheld a creature as lovely as the one seated to his right. After taking in her fair skin, balanced features, and silky brown locks for a few moments, he bit into the delicious pork loin that had been placed before him by a faithful servant. Looking around, he saw that his men were all having a wonderful time, eating, yelling, joking, and swearing like mad.

"How is your meal, my lady?" Gabriel asked, with a slight turn of his body towards her. "After dinner, I'm going to have some of my servants help you prepare for your duties, and perhaps I'll give you a personal tour of some of my favorite parts here," he grinned at her. He didn't really say much more to her about what was in store, the rest of his comments during the meal mainly consisting of some offhand remarks to her about the food. Once he had finished eating, he stood up, his tall, lean frame looming over the large table. Once the voices hushed down, he spoke. "You will have to excuse me, my loyal companions. I am off to bathe properly and rest. I thank you for your service on our last campaign, and I wish you all a safe journey to your respective homes. Please, stay, and enjoy my libations as long as you like. My servants will attend to any needs you all may have the rest of the evening."

With that, he grabbed Camelia by the elbow, and pulled her up, not-so-subtly encouraging her out of her seat. "Come with me," he said with a firm smile. Leading her past the kitchen, where servants scurried about, he led her through two more ornately decorated rooms, into a parlor of sorts, where a burly, matronly looking woman awaited. She had black hair up in a bun, and a big scowl on her face. At her side was a younger, blond haired girl, a bit on the plump side herself. "Malota," he said, nodding to the former, "and Isolda will be taking you to prepare you for your service here," he said to Camelia, giving a nod to the two female servants. 'Malota', the older of the two, took a hold of Camelia by the elbow. "Come with us," she huffed. Gabriel, meanwhile, had been telling the truth when he'd said he was looking forward to a nice warm bath.

 

[jeshire]

Camelia was acutely aware of his staring at her until the food was allocated to their plates. Back home, men looked at her yes, but never in such a way. She couldn't decide how it made her feel, though. Nervous, perhaps. Anxious. All almost unpleasant things. But, he looked away and left her to her food, which she diligently tended to with an empty stomach. The feast was like any she'd been to before, save that she knew no one and had nothing to talk about... not a particularly bad problem to have when someone was hungry. The food was delicious, of course, and when he turned to ask her how it was, she answered with a resoundingly firm, "It's very good, thank you." She set down her cutlery to listen to him politely, nodding once before picking her meal back up.

She was diligent until he stood, and she again put her things down before taking a quick sip and turning her attention to Gabriel. Seeing him stand, tall and rugged before (and almost over) her made a weird chill run down her back, which she stifled with a delicate cough into the back of her hand. What a peculiar reaction to get from seeing a notably handsome man stand up. Perhaps it was the lighting. Whatever it was, Camelia shrugged it off easily just as he took her by the elbow and lifted her from the seat. Though surprised for such an abrupt command, she followed up quickly to avoid stumbling.

By the time they arrived at the other room, she was completely flustered, wondering why Gabriel would want her to start preparing for duties directly after dinner and, more importantly, a long day of riding. Of course, he'd want her to start as soon as possible, but really, couldn't she rest some beforehand? When they stopped, she caught her bearings just long enough to register the pair of women and be caught at the elbow again. She gave a confused look to the lord, but before she could make a protest Malota began to drag her from the room. With no other option but to follow her elbow, Camelia hurried along beside the two servants. In a whirlwind of rooms and doors, she found herself in another room elsewhere in the manor, and completely discombobulated now. "Please, slow down. I'm willing to cooperate if you tell me what to do," she offered, calming her spinning head.

 

[Houdini]

Malota stopped the procession, letting go of Camelia, once they had entered a dark, large room in the back of the manor. The room had a large bathtub on the side which had already been filled with water. However, the room did not have the appearance of one simply used for bathing. Candles were lit all around the perimeter of the room, and the walls were decorated with tapestries and sculptures. There was a large, empty space in the center of the room, and several tables to the side with hairbrushes and other familiar beauty tools, as well as many flasks and jars filled with various creams and ointments. "We're going to do what needs to be done whether you cooperate or not," Malota said sternly, staring at her in the center of the room. In the bright candlelight, an unpleasant looking mole was visible on her chin. "But we'll give you a chance to cooperate, I suppose."

While she was uttering the latter sentence, Isolda had already slipped in behind Camelia, and began untying her dress quickly, as if she'd done it plenty of times before, while Malota looked on, as the 'enforcer'. Once it was untied, Isolda moved to unpin her soft brown hair, while Malota began pulling Camelia out of the dress. Isolda held Camelia by the shoulders as Malota pulled everything off her petite frame. "Go, and stand in the tub," Malota ordered, pointing in that direction, once Camelia was completely stripped down.

Gabriel, meanwhile, had retired to his private bathroom, and quickly washed several days grime off his body, stepping out when he was completely clean, and drying himself off with a large, clean cloth. He rubbed some scented lotion on his arms and chest, and stepped into a pair of his finest black leather pants, and pulled on a clean white shirt, buttoning it up most of the way. Having finished this, he scurried off to the room next to the one Camelia had been getting 'prepared' in. Gabriel liked having somewhat of a 'hands-on' control approach, and had had a small hole cut in the wall between the two rooms, so he could watch preparations exactly like this one. After all, he didn't want to wait until Camelia was finished to see his new girl's naked body, he thought to himself, as he perched there and took a peek inside, unbeknown to Camelia.

 

[jeshire]

Finally able to get a good look around the room, Camelia glanced at the bath and the various things around the room. A bath wouldn't be so bad, if that was all she had to do tonight. Actually, it would be very nice... After taking in the room and letting herself calm down from all the bustle, she looked back to Malota and nodded quietly, relaxing her arms to her sides. The two must have done this several times before; Malota mostly had a very 'professional', no-nonsense air about her, like she wouldn't take a funny look without slapping a wrist or pinching an ear. She reminded her of her own maids at home, how they treated the younger, less experienced servants. If the woman was going to supervise her training as a servant, Camelia vowed right then to make sure she didn't step a toe out of line to avoid being reprimanded severely.

While a little surpsied when Isolda began unlacing her dress, the maiden held still enough for the job to be done quickly. Of course, being the daughter of a wealthy man, she'd been bathed by others for her entire life - so it wasn't too much of an embarrassment or awkward. It was a little uncomfortable to be undressed and bathed by two women she didn't know at all, but Camelia tried not to think of it too much.

When her dress was off, she modestly covered herself and stepped into the tub, where the water was just at the right temperature, thankfully. Cold baths were something that she hated. In the pale candlelight of the room, the woman had a serene, almost surreal look about her. Her skin beneath the dress was as pale as the skin of her hands and face. It was obvious she was petite and slender with her dress on, but without the layers of fabric, one could see that there were subtle, feminine curves that formed her outline: the beautiful curve of her hips, a somewhat narrow but sensual dip; the contours of her breasts that, while not entirely large, were in good proportion to her and peaked with perky nipples; the graceful arch of the small of her back as it led to the smooth swell of her rear - and so on. She stood there, half exposed to Gabriel, a hand covering the small triangle of curls while the other held her arm. After a minute, the two women came to her bearing soaps, scented oils and sponges, spending little time in pulling her arms away and starting to wash her from head to toe.

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel almost let out a gasp when Camelia's milky white skin was revealed in its entirety. It wasn't as if he'd never seen a woman in the bare before. But this was something straight out of heaven, it seemed. All of her skin was a pure alabaster, without a mark or blemish anywhere. As pleasing as she was to the eyes clothed, nothing could have prepared him for this showing. Her curves were wonderful, her breasts full enough, and perfectly round and symmetrical. Her modesty, too was endearing, as she covered her little mound bashfully, even only being in the presence of women, or so she thought.

He looked on as one servant rubbed her head to toe with the sponge, the other rinsed her with water, and they both applied scented oils to her clean body. Her hair was clean enough that it didn't need washing, but after escorting her out of the tub, Isolda brushed her hair out for what seemed like quite a long time. Gabriel had requested that it be brushed out straight, hence that was how she was prepared. Once she was finished, the woman draped only a thin, white linen dress over her naked body. It covered the necessary spots, but that was all. It displayed a little bit of Camelia's cleavage, and hugged her hips, before draping down halfway to her knees. Her preparations complete, the two maidservants escorted her to the room where Gabriel was waiting. Or was supposed to have been waiting.

Once they began dressing Camelia, if it could be called that, Gabriel scurried to the place where he was to receive her. It was a wonderfully appointed room, with a large four-poster bed against the back wall, over which hung a small chandelier. Dressers, desks, and ornate chairs adorned the side of the room. Beating the processional of women back there, he sat quietly on the bed, crossing one leg over the other. Taking a glance at a door on the side of the room, he stood up and closed it. Behind that door was the room that his women were taken to if a certain type of reinforcement was needed. He suspected that it might be needed sooner or later for Camelia, but for now, felt it best to leave the door shut.

 

[jeshire]

Camelia was familiar to the process of washing, and let the women scour her until her skin glowed a pale pink and didn't have a single speck of dirt on it. It was always a bit refreshing to bathe - like exchanging a soiled dress for a fresh one, or what she imagined shedding her skin for a new one might be. When the two were finished with washing her, she sat down obediently, her head bobbing as Isolda straightened her hair. While she was taken care of, the young woman wondered what exactly she'd be doing. 'Serving'... was that strictly as a kitchen maid, or would she do cleaning as well? Maybe Gabriel intended her to be his personal 'handmaiden'... though the idea was a strange and slightly awkward one to think. Oh well, she thought. She'd find out in due time.

Her curiosity began to rise when she was fit in the linen dress, her brow creasing at the cut and fabric. Her shifts at home were of the same material, but she'd never been in a dress or a shift that was so... short. She tugged uselessly at the hem and fidgeted, now a little bit nervous. Camelia hoped that no man would see her like this... she didn't know much about what went on in a bedroom (if anything at all), but she was aware that it was considered indecent for a woman to be seen in so little dressings.

Soon enough, though, the two brought her to the adjacent room. The first thing she noticed was the eloquent furnishings; the second thing she noticed was Gabriel, perched predatorily on the bed. The girl instantly blushed, covered herself up and tried to maneuver herself behind Malota, who firmly replaced her before Gabriel. They left immediately afterwards, leaving Camelia, now a small animal to play with in front of a wolf, to his whims. She tugged again at the 'dress', if one could call it that. "I thank you for the treatment so far, sir, but I truly hope this isn't my required wear. It is a bit... um, shorter than I am comfortable with."

 

[Houdini]

Gabriel stood up out of bed immediately, once the servants left, looking down at the frightened Camelia with a playful grin. "My dear..." he began, looking down unabashedly at her lovely cleavage. "I must make a confession to you. I haven't brought you here to cook or clean for me. You're here mainly to please me, and when I say that, it means however and whenever I see fit." As he was saying this, he placed one hand firmly on her shoulder, and ran the other hand down the strap of her little dress, across the smooth, bare part of her chest.

"In fact, Camelia, often you'll be required to wear much less than what you have on how," he revealed to her with a devious smile, tugging at the top of her dress for emphasis." Seeing her fear, as well as the fact that she apparently still had no idea what he wanted from her, he realized that he was going to have to show her. Marching across the room, he pulled a high-backed wood chair with a cushion across, so that it faced the side of the bed where he'd been sitting. While he was over there, he also stealthily took out a small key and locked the door. Of course, he could easily chase her down if she ran, but it was much neater and easier to prevent that in the first place. "Sit down in this chair," he ordered, pushing down on her shoulders as encouragement, aware that sitting down, her dress would provide even less modesty. "What do you know of the ways that only a woman can please a man? In the bedroom."