Aiko's eyes narrowed and she let out a low growl as Rowan called her a princess.
"Fuck you." She muttered under her breath, clenching her fists. Her knuckles turned white and her nails dug into her palm, leaving a mark. Yvonne tried but failed at holding back a chuckle at Rowan's words and Aiko's response that followed.
"Language."She managed to choke out through the chuckle and elbowed her charge again, before turning back to address Rowan.
"The Kitsune family does not approve of treating others in that way, no matter their race. They are trying to set an example of kindness to the rest of the world, and frown upon the abuse of any kind." Yvonne stated with a smile and straightened her skirts.
"But try not to tease Miss Aiko too much, she has always been..." Yvonne paused, trying to think of kinder words to describe her young charge while stroking her chin.
"...a passionate and spirited young woman. Sometimes it can get the better of her senses."
Aiko gave his fingers a firm squeeze as he took her hand. His hands were larger than hers, rough and strong from the hard labor performed all his life, which was a stark contrast to Yvonne's soft and smooth (yet still strong) hands that had cared for Aiko up until this point. Aiko bent her head in response to his bow, she would play the lady until her nanny was gone, not wanting to be chastised in front of Rowan anymore. She had been embarrassed in front of him enough for one day and wanted him to see her as an adult, not the child that he assumed she was at the moment, which was clear in his tone and lack of respect toward her.
Yvonne nodded and stepped back.
"Then I'll let Miss Aiko show you since it's just across the hall from her own room. It will give you both more time alone together." She smiled at his comment, it was true that Aiko was more well behaved in front of her, but only because Yvonne was a stern woman and held high expectations for her charge.
Aiko's flat expression turned to smile as Rowan asked to be taken to her favorite place, his tone had changed.
"Then, it's off the library first Rowan." Her voice now cheery, glad not to have to give him a tour of the whole manor, which would take a while. His name fell out of her mouth effortlessly. It was then she noticed how uncomfortable Rowan seemed in the large entryway, and how softly he spoke compared to the booming and confident voice of Yvonne's. It made Aiko wonder if he was unsure about the whole arrangement, or if it was the massiveness of the house that made him uneasy. Aiko didn't really enjoy the bigness of the manor either, she preferred small spaces, sitting in cozy and softly lit corners like her special spot in the library. Though the library was large, it felt much smaller with all the books on the ceiling high shelves along almost every wall, and that was one reason why it was her favorite place.
She gave a small curtsy and turned to Aiko, planting a kiss on top of the young woman's head.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll need to go pack my things and clear out of your room Mr. Rowan. I'll leave you and Miss Aiko to yourselves." Yvonne leaned down once more to Aiko's ear and whispered one word,
"Behave" into the girl's ear before ascending up the staircase and turning left at the top of the stairs, disappearing down the hall and leaving the anthro girl and her new male servant by themselves in the entry hall.
As soon as Yvonne was out of view Aiko stepped closer to Rowan and took his hand. She squeezed it harder this time and shot him a look of warning, her sapphire eyes staring deep into his deep hazel ones as she spoke in a hushed tone, not wanting Yvonne to overhear.
"If you want me to show you respect, I expect you to show it to me. I am not a child and don't wish to be treated like one." Aiko's ears twitched and her tail swayed behind her, the tip brushing the floor and whipping back up into the air to accentuate her words. Then Aiko turned away from him, still holding his hand, and began to drag him up the stairs.
"My room and yours are on the way to the library, I will point them out to you as we walk." Though Aiko's legs were shorter than his, her stride was quick as they made their way up the stairs, taking two at a time, and pulling Rowan along behind her. Her heels clicked on the cold white marble as they ascended.
After reaching the top of the stairs, she turned left. The floor in the hallway was made of Brazillian cherry wood, the deep brownish red contrasted against the icy-blue flocking and gold foil brocade patterned wallpaper on the walls. After walking 200 yards from the stairs, she stopped between a black door with an ornate silver handle and her initials etched in silver on the left, and a blank black door on her right with a matching handle.
"My room is on the left, yours on the right. Its a mirror image of my room, except only half as big. You'll have your own bed, full bathroom, and the walk-in closet that will hold all of your uniforms and any other items you may have or accumulate during your stay here. All the glass on the windows and mirror are smart glass and function like any tablet would. You can use it to video chat, make voice calls, search the web, or keep tabs on the security system of the house. Yvonne will get you acquainted with them later." Aiko spoke quickly and barely stopped to breath during her speech, let alone look at Rowan. Her tone was flat and sounded bored.
Once she finished, she continued to walk him to the end of the hall, her pace a little faster than it was on the stairs, until they reached two large
doors, a cherry tree motif with birds carved into the deep reddish-brown wood. The
handles of the door were large and intricate as well and inlaid with rose gold. Though the doors looked heavy, Aiko reached for the handle, pushed it down, and pushed the door open with ease. They glided open and the first thing that came into
view was a large, floor to ceiling window, that looked out into the treed garden behind the house. In the middle of the large room was an equally impressive table with chairs around it. The walls were covered with shelves and books were packed tightly into every space. Aiko pulled him inside and up the spiraling staircase in the back of the room on the right of the window. They walked past 5 more shelves and then there was a door sized gap between the last of the 5 shelves and the next one. She pulled him through the doorway into a small
nook, with its own window and a comfy window seat which looked more like a makeshift bed with all the pillows and blankets piled on the mattress. It was just big enough for one person to lay comfortably, or two sitting very close to one another. Along one wall beside the window seat was a shelf filled with more books, the other wall had a tablet, glowing softly with an image of a silhouetted tree in front of a sunset of pinks, oranges, and reds. There were speakers in the ceiling above the nook, which was also decorated with tiny lights that made the dark corner glow a soft yellow-ish orange.
"This is my favorite spot, my only escape in this massive place my parents call home." She made her statment, pride in her voice, as if she had worked hard to make this small space her own, which she had.
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