The Harem's Lessons Ch. 02

How she wished she could bring back that moment. The harem... he had promised her. Or a husband, although as time went on her hopes lingered on the option that at first had frightened her near to death. She never knew how enticing the idea of having a man use her body was. But she had been desired so badly that a man of such power could turn into an animal in her hands. This power was more than any servant girl would have had the arrogance to assume, and yet it was hers. If only he would call for her. Perhaps he was testing her. Surely every time she caught his gaze she could see how she wanted to be his again. Perhaps he felt the same need, and was letting it build so the getting of it would be that much sweeter.

Wren started back to the kitchen to help with lunch, cheering herself mentally for discovering his game. "Very well, my lord, if that's the way you wish to have it." She smiled and raised her head high, pleased.

***

"It looks like a creature from another realm. It has tentacles, and a mouth." Ariya gazed in the reflective glass that Melee held before her as she shaved her.

"Do you think Eri's looks like one of your monsters?"

"No, Eri's looks like a rose in full bloom."

"Yours is also a flower, Ariya."

"No it isn't."

Melee sighed, "You must learn to see your own beauty as well as the beauty of those around you."

"Maybe..."

Melee thwapped her on the stomach with the flat of the knife, "Don't maybe me, child, I am the teacher, and you are being a very bad student."

"Are you going to spank me?"

"I might."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"My, but you're feisty today. You're done, you'd best be off before I tie you to something."

Ariya jumped off the ledge with a chuckle. She felt young again, and carefree. The morning after her first night with Eri, she had been too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye. But no one had said a word about it. After two days of avoiding everyone, Ariya had finally realized that to her sisters, noises of pleasure were as normal as breathing. Since then she had felt herself open her heart to them a little more day by day.

Now weeks had passed and she truly felt like one of them. Except the nights when she slept alone in her bed. Those nights she thought only of her people, and of the day she met Lord Bael in the library. These things she knew she could never share with anyone. As a queen, these weights were hers to bear alone.

***

Lord Bael realized that he was walking toward his harem. It had always been his sanctuary, and yet right now it was the last place he wanted to be. Bent over one of his women knowing that somewhere she was listening, or watching, with disapproval. Yet the need inside of him ached as bad as it ever had. That familiar tension that demanded release. He couldn't think clearly without it, she just didn't understand. His people needed him to think clearly.

It was the unfortunate luck of the washer woman that she was alone in the large room where the castle laundry was done. It was even worse luck that said room was on the back route to Lord Bael's chambers, and that on this day he was avoiding the main halls of the keep so that no one would try to speak with him.

He didn't even remember throwing her to the ground, or pulling her skirts up. Her flesh was thick beneath his fingers as he fumbled with her undergarments with one hand and kept her arms at bay with the other. She didn't fight him much, though. No one ever refused him. No one buther.

***

"Wren, will you go to the washroom to pick up the tablecloths for dinner tonight? They should be finished." Wren liked the head cook's apprentice far better than the head cook herself. He was always giving her tastes of his pastries and he had never whipped her. She obeyed him, glad to have permission to leave the stuffy hot kitchens.

She passed by the harem, and desperately wished to peek inside, to catch a glimpse of her future life. She often saw one concubine or another wandering the halls of the keep, always dressed in the most colorful silk, with the softest looking skin, and berry juice to dye their lips. They were even more well-groomed than the Highborn women. Wren wondered if servant girls would stare at her and marvel at her beauty the way she had always looked at the harem girls. The thought made her even more giddy.

What a rare woman, they will say. Did you hear she came from the lowly kitchens of this very keep? She was so beautiful she caught the eye of Lord Bael himself, and became his favorite mistress,Wren could hear the other servants now. The laundry room was just a few paces ahead, and as Wren approached it she thought that this could very well be her last visit here to fetch linen. Soon she would be one of the legendary harem girls of Border Keep. She slowed her steps as she reached the door, counting them down.No more ordinary life for me, no more carrying heavy pots or skin dried out from the harsh soap used to wash the dishes... No, soon I-

Wren's heart sank.

***

The washer woman's voice was low and as thick as her thighs. But the folds between her legs were as sticky and wet as any woman's, and Lord Bael found what he needed there. Her cries could barely be heard over the boiling water, drains, and faucets around the room. His manhood slammed into her and he watched her flesh ripple from the force. His movements were stiff, deliberate, angry. She no longer resisted, and yet he held her arms down forcefully, animal grunts rumbling from deep within his throat with the effort of each thrust. It was fast and messy, he hurried as if to escape his own guilt. And when he felt the pressure build, he withdrew from her, pumping his rod wildly with his hand until cum covered the washer woman's face and dripped into the crack between her ample breasts.

He noted with some pleasure the humiliation on her face. At least he was not the only one. This had not cleared his mind, as he had hoped, but instead the cries of his hungry people echoed in his head, accusing and full of disapproval. Worst of all, all of the voices sounded likehers.

Lord Bael tossed the washer woman the towel that had been around his waist and left.

What he did not note, was the young woman standing in the doorway, the sounds of her tears lost amidst the clamor of the room, and the voices in his head.

***

That night, Wren fled the castle. She did not know where she was fleeing to, with a pillowcase slung over her shoulder carrying two loaves of bread and some cheese she had stolen from the kitchens. Those were all of her worldly possessions, everything else had been left behind with her hopes, her dreams, and her innocence.

How foolish she had been to believe she was special. She had just been another quick rut on a bored summer day. His promise had been a lie and now she was soiled forever. No one would marry her now that she was no longer a virgin, and no one would believe her story, even if there was a reason to care if it was true. So she chose a direction, East into the green mountain lands. Somewhere this way was the village where she was born, not that she would know it if she saw it. She knew there was a war, she had seen the refugees running to the West, but she didn't care. Even Gadenites would be better than the shame and misery that had awaited her at Border Keep.

She felt no fear, because she knew that she would not die. Could not die. For even as she left now, she knew she would be back. And that somehow, on that day, Lord Bael would regret what he had done to her. He would regret it very much.

***

The Keep was in a state of chaos for days, even the harem could feel the bustle from behind it's usual curtain of serenity. Lord Bael's visits had been infrequent, which could only mean that some matter of state had kept him particularly busy. The women of his harem were like unsettled horses, restless and wary.

The servants pretended they were not in a haste, half-running about but always smiling and speaking with perfect calm. Ariya had tried to ask one of them what all the fuss was about, but the servant had seemed so distraught and hurt that one of her mistresses had noticed a "fuss" at all that Ariya hadn't the heart to press the matter. Even if the servants had been better actors, every woman in the harem was being fit with a new dress made of bright summer colors chosen to highlight each woman's natural beauty. If there was speculation as to an impending event, it went on where Ariya could neither see nor hear it, and so her curiosity went unsatisfied.

At least all of the activity had not interrupted Ariya's trips to the library. In fact, Merrin seemed more eager than ever to begin her reading lessons. She was pleased to find herself a quick study. She could already name all of her letters and even remember the sounds that most of them made, although combining them was still an overwhelming challenge. When they all ran together it was as if she forgot that each mark was a single symbol. She did not let this frustration deter her, and she was religious in her attendance to her lessons. The best part was that if she did well, Merrin would read to her afterward until his tired old eyes were too sore to continue. Sometimes he would read from book of history, other days it would be philosophy, and sometimes it would be something as lighthearted as a child's bedtime story. It didn't matter to Ariya. He never seemed to be able to read long enough to satisfy her, which made her redouble her efforts to learn to do it herself.

She was in the library when the summons came. A familiar form waddled into the enormous room, and the stench of perfume was heavy in the air. Master Thalian didn't show himself around the harem very much, all of the women loathed him. He was a short, squat man with an enormous gut and an equally enormous love of all things gaudy. He was a sweaty man, even more so because he insisted on wearing thick, expensive fabrics and heavy gold jewelry even in the sweltering heat. The perfume he drown himself in every day did not really cover up his powerful odor, but rather infused with it to become a unique stench that warned people of his arrival minutes before he entered a room.

Ariya did not bother hiding her look of disdain as he approached. The first time she had met him, he had attempted to violate her, and every time she had seem him since then she wished she had had the means to kill him that day. He was shifty and untrustworthy, everyone knew it, some even said that his position in the Keep was just so that Lord Bael could keep a close eye on him. Ariya thought a dungeon would be a much more logical place for that.

"My lady, Lord Bael summons you to his throne room for an audience." Master Thalian said in a tone of pompous importance.

"Well, tell him I would be most willing to accommodate his request after my reading lesson today."

"I am afraid... that this is not a request. It is an order. He will see you immediately." Ariya regarded the man with a look that informed him of exactly how keen she was on taking any orders from him. But then her thoughts were of Merrin. Should he continue to instruct her even after she had been summoned by Lord Bael, he could suffer consequences. Going without an argument seemed the best choice.

"Very well then, I will go to him." She excused herself to Merrin and allowed Master Thalian to escort her out of the room. On the way out, she spotted one of the the young guards from the harem. He shot Master Thalian a suspicious glance, and offered to accompany them to wherever they were going. Master Thalian's refusal came only a moment too late, Ariya had accepted immediately, loathe to walk alone with the shady adviser.

Present discomfort relieved, Ariya turned her attention to the possible reasons for this unexpected audience. Lord Bael had not spoken a word to her since that day in the library, in fact she had barely seen him at all since then. Ariya didn't like feeling cornered, especially not by him.

The throne room seemed less imposing then the day she had first arrived, shackled and windblown, to Border Keep. The chairs on the dais were all empty, save the largest one. Lord Bael sat tall and proud, and strangely Ariya's first thought was not of hatred, but of how regal he looked. His eyes were more tired than when she had seen him last, if that were possible, but his posture revealed nothing of his exhaustion. There was something more in his eyes, Ariya thought it might be relief. As she locked eyes with him she also sensed uncertainty, and apprehension. She knelt before the dais, bowing her head in respect and for once found herself almost sincere.

Lord Bael did not rise from his throne, "My lady Ariya. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Of course, my lord, that is my duty. You summon, and I come. I only wish you had given me time to make myself more beautiful for you."

Lord Bael waved Master Thalian and the guard out of the room. When they had gone, he stood and approached Ariya, helping her to her feet. "Please don't feign submission. It doesn't suit you."

"You ordered me to come here, was it not submission that was expected?"

"Please. I sent for you because I need you."

"Begging doesn't suit you."

"And yet I find myself begging you for a second time. There is someone I want you to meet." Lord Bael motioned behind him, and a figure stepped out from behind a pillar.

Immediately Ariya was startled that she hadn't noticed him before. The man standing before her was a mountain, towering over Lord Bael by at least a foot. His heavily muscled body was sheathed in dark, smooth skin that matched her own. Unlike hers it was riddled with scars, the most notable of which was a crescent moon that marred a weathered, but stunningly chiseled face. The weapon that had gifted him with the scar had narrowly missed ruining one the fierce, ice blue eyes that shot a confident gaze right into Ariya's own. His dark hair also matched hers in color, but where hers was straight his was a tangle of thick curls that fell to his shoulders. He was covered in a layer of dirt and grime, and his chin was a mess of stubble.

"Even without preparation, you can see that you are in a far better state than my friend. Please forgive his rough appearance, he has traveled very quickly for many days to come here. Ariya, this is Captain Cayn Greynon, leader of my army. Well the part of it that is fighting in the East, anyway."

Captain Greynon nodded his head, "My lady." His voice was hoarse, the low sound of sandstone slabs grinding together. Ariya was spellbound by his stare, and could only nod her head in reply.

"I have summoned Captain Greynon from across our great nation for a mission of monumental importance. As difficult as it was to pull him away from the war, what comes next is even more so. Ariya, my people need you."

They had already had this conversation. Ariya pulled herself away from the Captain's intense eyes and looked at Lord Bael. Her retort was locked in her throat, however, by the thin half smile that played on his lips. The one that said that this time, he had her.

"And so do yours."

To be continued...