A Lady or a Cock Whore? Ch. 06

Dawn was breaking and it was mere hours before Arya was set to leave for the country with Eric and his sister, Claire. She was nervous, but excited, and most of all praying she could get through one interaction with Eric without having things go terribly wrong. As the sun peeked through a crack in her curtains, Arya awoke, yawning sleepily and stretching like a cat.

She was in her room, hidden deep under her down comforter but exposed in her nakedness. She was almost never nude, except for when bathing, but for some reason had decided to try sleeping without her customary cotton shift. She felt delightfully naughty as she awoke to feel the soft sheets brush against her nipples, and she felt them harden. She ran her palms over them, loving the contrast between the hard points and the soft, round flesh beneath them.

As her hands slid back and forth, her eyes closed and she felt her pussy start to throb. It was as if her nipples were directly connected to her clit, and as she softly rolled one nipple between her thumb and pointer finger, she felt heat wash through her and she clenched her thighs together tightly.

She lay in silence, focusing intently on how each movement felt. Her breathing grew rough, and when she finally slid her fingers to her slit she found it was slick. With two wet fingers, she returned to her clit and began to circle it. For the first few passes she barely even touched it, just letting herself enjoy the anticipation. She shivered when her fingertips would graze the side of the hardening nub, and found herself growing impatient. But she held out, not allowing herself to go too quickly.

She experimented, trying smaller circles, sometimes going quickly- other times slowing down, and then tried just rubbing up and down with firm pressure. She found this too intense and tried something else. She found that she liked it best when she held her hand still with a finger inside, and slowly humped her own palm, finding a pace and pressure that felt right. She could feel herself growing wetter, and continually returned to her opening to re-wet her clit. There was never a shortage. As she felt the warmth grow, a tingling feeling grew with it, and she began to lose coherent thought. She was completely focused on her pleasure.

Arya found herself straddling the edge, knowing she was close but unable to cross over. She began to lose focus and her mind wandered, inevitably to the thought of Eric. She began thinking of the way it felt when his fingers were touching her, and she gasped as the thought made her twitch and almost come. She focused on the memory, imagining what it would be like doing it again, but this time guiding his fingers, or even humping his to bring herself to orgasm. With a barely audible gasp she came, her hips jerking and spasming uncontrollably, and her head rolled back. She let her fingers slow, and stop, listening to her ragged breathing even out.

She opened her eyes with a smile, satisfied.

Arya turned to her side, hugging a pillow and snuggling back into the warm downy bed. After only a few minutes she was bothered by a loud, insistent knocking.

"Arya!... Arya!" she heard her aunt call.

With a sigh, Arya replied, "Yes Aunt, I'm awake. Time to get ready?"

"Time to get ready?!" Agatha shrieked. "Child you should already be up! We have much still to do!"

Arya groaned and sat up as her door flew open and her Aunt bustled into the room, followed by two maids. The girls immediately began to prepare Arya's outfit, laying everything out precisely, motioning to Arya to get dressed as soon as they were finished. Arya realized with a blush that she was still naked, and hesitated. Her Aunt huffed and threw the blankets off, impatient. She hissed in disapproval upon seeing Arya but said nothing, and her niece quickly dressed, her face red.

The maids looked away with little smirks, setting out hair and makeup essentials. Agatha, meanwhile, was attending to Arya's bags, making sure her niece was well equipped for her travels. Arya quietly submitted to her caretakers, spending the next several hours becoming beautiful. It was an experience she had had but rarely at home, having few people to impress. Yet it was now the expected norm, and part of her loved the pampering; but a louder voice in her head was yelling impatiently at them to hurry up so that she could see Eric, caring little about whether she looked "perfect" or not.

At exactly ten o'clock the doorbell rang. Arya arose from the formal sitting room where she had been waiting, heart fluttering anxiously. She had never been on an extended vacation to another noble's house before, and wasn't sure exactly what to expect.

With quick, excited, adrenaline-filled steps, Arya walked down the hallway, morning light streaming through the windows and falling softly upon her perfectly coiffed hair. Her dress was in pristine condition, and her face was fresh and luminous, the picture of health and beauty.

But her nerves had her whole body trembling, and she thought desperately,Please don't let me ruin my makeup already! I can't believe I'm already sweating this much.

She fanned her face for a second, took a deep breath, then walked out and noted one, last satisfied glance from her Aunt as their eyes met in the entryway.

The door opened.

"Lady Claire!" Arya cried warmly as the door opened and the elegant young woman stepped through.

Claire curtsied, eyeing Arya thoughtfully. After exchanging pleasantries and overseeing the men loading Arya's bags, the three women stood awkwardly together.

Arya cleared her "Where is Eric? Will he be joining us?"

"Lord Eric," her aunt hissed.

Claire's mouth twitched slightly, and Arya wasn't sure whether she was amused by the younger woman's lack of manners, or by her aunt's shocked glare. Claire shook her head, answering, "He wanted to arrive early to prepare for guests and give the servants time to do whatever it is they do. I'm not sure why it takes them so long to prep the house! It seems stupid to me that they wouldn't keep it ready at all times, for we often come and go impulsively, but Eric says it's uneconomical to keep it guest-ready at all times or something."

"Ah," Arya said, unsure how to reply.

"Anyway, let's go, I'm starting to feel distastefully warm in this direct sunlight. I awoke only an hour ago, and I find that my constitution is still a bit frail at this early hour."

The women curtsied again, and Arya and Agatha exchanged a fond hug.

"Thank you Aunt," Arya said, "I promise I'll write soon. Thank you for everything."

Agatha waved her thanks off with a proud smile, feeling quite satisfied with her young protegee's success thus far. "My pleasure, my dear, my pleasure. Have a lovely time!"

With that, Arya and Claire climbed into the carriage. The girls adjusted their gowns and fidgeted in their seats, trying to get comfortable as the groom nudged the horses into a walk.

After sitting in silence for a moment, Arya cleared her throat and began, "Claire, thank you again fo-"

"Why are you coming to visit us?" Claire interrupted. Her eyes were narrowed and she crossed her arms.

"Um, I-" Arya stammered, startled.

"He's not going to marry you," Claire asserted. "He doesn't want to marry anyone. The only way he will is if our father forces him to take a bride, and I guarantee that it will not be you."

"I see," Arya replied quietly, her face flaming. A bit more assertively, she continued, "Well, do not worry about my intentions. I am not trying to marry him, I assure you. ... I simply hate Veras and wished to return to the country." She paused, then continued honestly, "I don't like cities, and I don't like most of the people in them. Eric recognized this, and offered me some respite."

She hoped this was an adequate response, and sat, tense, waiting to be harassed some more. But Claire paused, considering this.

Her voice less stern, now, Claire responded with a simple, "Oh. Ok then."

Arya relaxed slightly as she watched Claire's face lighten somewhat. Arya guessed that Claire wouldn't believe her at face value - you couldn't trust anyone at face value here in the capital, she'd learned - but at least Claire seemed to believer her for the moment.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Claire added in a more kindly tone, "I can understand that. I find it dreadfully boring, myself. The country is much more interesting, and I dare say Eric will have some fun ideas. He rarely has friends visit." With that Claire took out a book and promptly began to ignore Arya.

With a dubious shake of her head, Arya also pulled out a book, and spent the next several hours immersed in a fantasy world, trying to keep her mind off of her strange situation.

About an hour before their arrival, Claire grew chatty again and they gossiped about mutual acquaintances, discussed fashion, and made general small talk. They kept things light, and if Arya didn't know better she would have assumed that Claire was just like the other vacuous young women of the capital. But she sensed intuitively that it was a facade, and an excellent one at that.

She could feel in her gut that Eric's sister was smart, perhaps unusually bright, and Arya guessed that the woman could prove to be far more of a threat than she appeared to be at first glance. Which made Arya even more wary of Claire than she had been at first.

Blunt honesty I like, I can appreciate... but this mask? It makes me nervous... .

Still, Arya made an effort to appear as pleasant and harmless as she could, wanting very much to endear herself to Eric's sister - without being sycophantic, of course. She wasn't sure how successful she was or not, because Claire grew neither warmer nor more distant with her as they continued to chatter mindlessly.

Her efforts to win the dark haired woman over were interrupted as they drew closer to the house. It was a large country manor, surrounded by fields and a small woodland, and a clear, blue river snaked through the property, almost to the house, and then away again across the fields. It was a beautiful estate, with tall, waving fields of wheat and barley, and little houses and roads crossing and dotting the landscape.

Arya leaned out the window as the carriage slowed, enjoying the breeze on her face. As she surveyed the landscape, Claire began describing the history of the property. "It was given to Eric by our grandfather. Grandfather was wealthy and had many similar estates scattered about, but he split them between his grandchildren. Eric unfortunately only received this one. He deserved more, given his status, but at least Grandfather let him pick which he wanted before bequeathing the rest to our cousins."

Her eyes softened and her voice grew less vapid, more real, as she added, "We came here often as kids because it was close to the capital and an easy distance for our mother to travel - she's often sick, you see. Eric always loved it here, as did I. Most of our fondest memories are here."

"Yet, we always thought that the real reason he chose to take it was because of Sophie," she added innocently. Arya glanced at Claire, whose eyes had grown sharp, "He was so in love with her you know."

"Oh?" Arya asked, trying to appear disinterested.

"Oh yes, she was a lovely girl who lived a few miles away. We played together as children and they had always gotten along splendidly. As they grew older he began riding to her house for... other reasons. He was there every night in the summer, absent from the capital during its most social season, waiting hand and foot on Sophie in hopes of winning her as a wife."

"I take it he wasn't successful?" Arya asked, her heart feeling strangely tight.

"Oh no," Claire chuckled bitterly. "Our grandfather was having none of that. Eric was told that if he wanted the estate when Grandfather passed, Eric would have to start going to town to find a 'suitable' wife."

"What was wrong with the girl?"

"She was ill. She was going to die, either in a few days or a few years, no one knew when, and it didn't seem to be an investment our family wanted to make. I know my mother fought for Eric, trying to convince her father that there might be time for Sophie to produce a son before she died, but Grandfather wouldn't budge. The whole business ruined the relationships in my family, Arya."

Claire looked at Arya full on, her girlish charade entirely dissipated. "Eric chose to accept the property, the inheritance, everything that had been promised to him since birth. But in doing so he gave up the only thing he truly wanted, and I think he has regretted it ever since. He stopped seeing the girl, thinking it would be easier if they didn't see each other again. She died shortly after, in a matter of weeks I believe. I don't think he's ever forgiven himself for allowing her to die in loneliness and misery, and blames the world and the rest of us. To assuage some small amount of his guilt, I imagine."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this," Arya remarked with a frown. She was feeling distraught to hear of his pain, and yet relieved to have learned something so personal, to feel like she could understand his sometimes distant and cynical attitude towards the world.

"Since then he has never shown interest in another woman. He devoted himself to his own affairs, trying to avoid others and any semblance of intimacy. I don't know who you are, or why you interest him, but I need to know that you aren't some bimbo who's going to cause more trouble than she's worth. Eric doesn't need that."

Arya blinked, trying to process this.

"I understand," she finally conceded. Claire opened her mouth to speak but Arya held up a hand and continued, "I'm not looking for a husband. Like I told you before, I simply wanted an excuse to leave the capital." She paused, noting the girl's skepticism.

"He's very attractive," Arya admitted, guessing that perfect honesty was the best tact with this woman. "He's smart, funny, and I enjoy his company. He kissed me." She paused as Claire's face tightened.

"Yes, I think he likes me, and yes, I like him. But neither of us are looking for marriage, Claire. We both have stated so, and we aren't trying to fall in love... or into bed. I can assure you there are no ulterior motives here. I'm happy to spend some time with you both and perhaps make some real friends." She returned Claire's startled gaze with a soft, genuine smile. Claire smiled back after a brief pause, her head cocked slightly as she reassessed the younger woman.

They sat in a pleasant, if slightly awkward silence for a few minutes, until the carriage rolled to a stop and the door opened. Eric stood outside, grinning from ear to ear. "Claire!" he cried, drawing his sister out of the carriage and giving her a bear hug.

"Uh, hey Eric," she replied slowly as he released her, straightening her hair and looking at him, confused. "That wasn't strangely enthusiastic or anything."

He rolled his eyes and Arya watched the two banter for a moment, smiling widely as she watched. His good mood was catchy, and she found her heart swelling happily at the sight of his bright face. He reached a hand out to her, and she took it, trying to ascend from the carriage as gracefully as Claire had.

"Lady Arya," he greeted her, his voice deep. His eyes burned into hers, intense and confusing. Arya looked away, unable to meet that gaze.

"Lord Eric," she replied warmly, glancing around to distract herself from the depth of his eyes. "This is lovely! Thank you so much for inviting me. I'm more relieved than I can express to finally be away from the stench of the city, smelling country air and surrounded by such beautiful land."

"My pleasure," he replied, still smiling widely.

She stepped onto the cobblestones of the round drive which had brought them to the entrance to the house.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Eric said proudly. "It used to be much more wild, more wooded, and I admit that I preferred it that way. But I had them replace much of the woods with farmland once I inherited the land... my Grandfather had other means of income, you see, and I unfortunately have only this."

"And now it's one of the more profitable estates in the region due to your harvests," Claire interjected.

Eric grinned, clearly pleased with his success. Glancing back at Arya, he continued, "However, I rarely invite guests and there are no other individuals of rank in the area, only farmers and the local priest. I'm afraid this means your visit will be a bit dull... though I don't doubt that you shall enjoy the solitude."

"It sounds wonderful," Arya said, smiling joyfully. "Our own retreat." She looked over at Claire, wanting the girl to feel included.

Claire smiled back, and Arya allowed Eric to lead them into the house, servants following behind and lugging the ladies' luggage to a back entrance. The three of them crossed through an opulent entrance, several large rooms, and an exquisite dining area. Eric explained the layout and gave her a brief tour, pointing out his favorite things, renovations he had made, and work still to be tackled. When they reached the upper level, Claire excused herself and went to her room.

Alone, for the first time since their horrible experience in the woods, Arya and Eric stood in a tense silence for a moment. His earlier excitement seemed to diminish, and Arya felt him withdrawing. Confused, and wanting to keep him engaged, she asked, "So what have you got planned for us? Claire hinted that you might have some fun activities set up?"

Eric laughed, reaching over to flick a large velvet bow perched on her shoulder. "All kinds of things. You'll just have to wait and see, honey bee."

Arya blushed at the nickname, and she recognized the hunger in his eyes as he saw the blood rush to her face. This caused her to blush harder, and she looked down at her feet in embarrassment.

Amused by her shyness, Eric ushered her forward and showed her to her room. "I'll let you unpack or change or whatever it is you ladies do when you're alone. Ring the bell when you're done and a maid will bring you out to the veranda. I thought we'd have a nice picnic lunch."

"No maids waiting in my room to help me dress?" Arya asked with a raised eyebrow. "We really are in the country, aren't we?"

"I could always help..." Eric wiggled his eyebrows rakishly. "It might help prevent another wardrobe malfunction."

"What a gentleman," Arya joked. "But I believe I can handle it myself, thank you."

He grinned, and with a small bow he excused himself.

Arya entered her room. It was large, but not extravagantly so. Tastefully furnished and cozy, Arya was well satisfied with her living quarters. There was even a large wash basin in the corner and several large, fluffy towels. She didn't have much to do except show the servants where she wanted her things, and was happy to sit in solace for a few minutes afterwards, enjoying the view over the fields.

Eventually she rang a small bell near her bed, and a maid promptly entered her room. The woman was about her age, perhaps five years older. She was pretty with a round face and chocolate brown eyes, her expression demure as she introduced herself.

Arya motioned the woman forward, looking away for a moment as she heard noise outside. When she glanced back at the maid she was surprised to see the woman quickly hide a decidedly sour look, which she had thrown at Arya's back.

Offput, Arya stammered, "I-I'd like to go to the veranda please. Would you show me the way?"

The maid's tone was polite, but cold as she answered, "Of course, miss. This way, please."

Arya followed her with a brief nod, bemused by the woman's attitude.

They met Eric outside, and Arya noticed the woman's scowl grow even darker when Eric stood up and kissed Arya's hand fondly.