Bastileborn Ch. 03

"I see. They took many of my young soldiers as leverage over me. They're working their asses off in a Daylith coal mine while I shamefully have sex with royalty," he grumbled in humiliation.

"May the gods help us all," Irena sighed in embarrassment.

"Indeed. I have to finish my workout and get to the bathhouse before too late. A countess from Leeriod is expecting a fancy massage from me after supper," he said as he stood and picked up the heaviest free weights.

"I should get a bath too. At least I don't have to service Dienon tonight."

"Good for you. You know, I'll be done with my appointment by eight. If you would like a massage, I happily offer you my services," he said as he looked at her and smiled.

She looked at him in surprise after that suggestion.

"Is that even allowed?" she asked in astonishment.

"Sure. No one cares if I give other slaves massages. Especially if they're sore from a workout or recovering from an injury. Wait a minute... you thought I meant an erotic massage, didn't you?" he chuckled.

Irena's face blushed as she bit her lip in embarrassment.

"That's what I thought. Women and their one-track minds," Knox sighed.

"That's not fair. You set me up for that."

"Sure, Iry. I know you want me."

"You are still very annoying," she grumbled before she headed towards the bathhouse.

"Tell Dienon I'm looking forward to our next appointment," he called after her.

Irena blushed as she thought about what Knox told her. Dienon seemed incredibly happy having sex with her. She just didn't understand why he would also want to have sex with men.

"How bizarre," she sighed as she left the gym.

In spite of Irena's first impression of the bathhouse, she still enjoyed going to it. Hot water constantly flowed through the small canals in the floor to keep the place humid and warm.

She stripped and sat down on the warm stones in one of the private stalls to take her hair down. A small round tub was carved from solid stone with hot water flowing through it like a natural fountain. She climbed in slowly and sighed in relief as the warm water relaxed her tired muscles. She was smiling to herself for the first time in weeks, but she was suddenly distracted when she heard a noise in the stall behind her on the men's side of the bath. She heard the clanging of a soap jar and the splash of falling water as an overhead shower mechanism was opened. She glanced at the wall behind her and noticed a crack in the stones. It was low enough for her to look through if she stood on the bench. She knew the man in the stall was likely Knox.

She giggled to herself as she climbed out of the tub and crept over to the crack. She peeked through it, and she wasn't disappointed by what she saw. Knox was standing naked in all his glory under the warm shower. He had his eyes closed as the water fell on his face and hair and down his beautiful body. His tight muscles, smooth skin, and groomed body hair was something to admire. He had a flattering patch of black hair on his chest, and a thin line of black hair ran down his stomach all the way to his well-groomed mound.

"Well, well... I can understand why Dienon likes him," she whispered in amusement. She felt warm all over as she admired him.

Suddenly, a soft clang on the stones startled Knox, causing him to raise up and open his eyes. Irena quickly ducked down to avoid being seen as she listened for the source of the noise. It sounded like a sword had tapped the wall as someone walked in. Irena grew nervous because she assumed a guard had entered the bathhouse. She heard whispered voices coming from the men's side.

Irena very slowly straightened up and peeked through the crack again. She gasped at what she saw. There was a handsome young guard in the shower with Knox. He was almost completely naked at that point. Knox was helping him undress in between bouts of passionate kissing. Irena gulped as heat rushed all over her body at the sight of the two beautiful men tasting each others' mouths. She knew it was wrong to watch, but the sight was so intriguing she couldn't pull her eyes away.

The men were completely absorbed with each other as they kissed and caressed the soft skin of each others' chests and backs. The guard pushed a smiling Knox against the stone wall and began kissing down his body. He slowly lowered himself to his knees in front of him. Knox let out a please groan as the man took his cock in his mouth and sucked him lovingly.

Irena's heart was pounding as she watched the ecstasy on Knox's handsome face. He was chewing his lip as he ran his fingers through the young guard's dark hair. She could see his chest rising and falling faster as he moaned in pleasure. Knox's muscles were tense as he drew closer to orgasm. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling as waves of pleasure began to crash through his body. He glanced at the wall and met Irena's eyes through the crack. He smiled hugely. Then he gasped and let out a pleased groan as he came into the young guard's mouth. Irena's body was aching with need as she stood there with her eyes glued to the erotic scene.

"Irena, you're more than welcome to join us," Knox called suddenly, startling her out of her daze. She quickly ducked behind the wall with her heart pounding.

"Who?" the young guard asked as he stood up and looked where Knox was staring.

"Dienon's new slave. She's incredibly beautiful, and she was watching us. It's all right, Iry. Come join us," he called again as he watched the wall, hoping to see her lovely eyes reappear.

"I uh..." she stammered as she tried to recover from the humiliation of being discovered peeping. "Thanks for the offer, but I need to be getting back to Dienon's room now," she called as she quickly and noisily collected her things and scurried out of the stall. She heard the men laughing as she left the bathhouse.

Crazy Sunday

Sundays in the Daylith slave quarters were usually easy, but things were in a ruckus after war rumors swept through the castle. Everyone was on edge, especially the palace guards. Their behavior grew less civil when there was a threat of war. They knew their king would set his own army on fire and catapult them into enemy territory if it would win a battle.

Tabitha was learning all these things as she sneaked around the slave quarters at night. Her ears were sharp as a cat's. She even made herself a black sneaking cloak. She had memorized the guard patrols and knew all the best hiding spots. She also discovered Jamal's glass forge and was very curious to question him about it. That was her goal on that particular Sunday morning.

She knew Jamal would be in there working on projects since he didn't have any deliveries on Sundays. She crept into the door as silent as a mouse as Jamal stood at his forge. His back was to her, allowing her plenty of time to admire him.

Tabitha was growing more enamored of Jamal every time she saw him. She loved his dark honey-colored skin and lean body. A flattering gleam of sweat would appear on his skin when he worked. His shiny black hair was full of sweat and pushed back out of his face as he concentrated on his project. Tabitha watched him for many minutes, waiting for the best opportunity to interrupt him.

She reached over and knocked on the door frame as she steadied her eyes and stared aimlessly into the room. Jamal jumped and twirled around to see who was knocking. He smiled to see Tabitha standing in the doorway.

"Is anyone in here?" Tabitha asked as she ran her hand along the wall as she stepped into the room.

"Yes, it's my workshop, Tabby," Jamal announced as he hurried over to her and took her hand to keep her from bumping into his glass sculptures.

"You have a workshop?" she asked in surprise. "Is it normal for a messenger to have a workshop? Why is it so warm in here?"

Jamal chewed on his lip as he glanced around at the shelves of sex toys. Tabitha wanted to laugh at his mortified expression. She quickly reached up and put her hands on his face to see him with her mind's eye. He quickly changed his expression, trying to hide what he was feeling.

"Jamal, are you hiding something from me? Why did you change your expression so fast?" she asked with a huge grin.

"By the gods, Tabby. How do you do that? Nothing gets past you, does it?" he asked in defeat.

"Nope. Start explaining what you're so nervous about."

"Fine, you asked for it. This is my workshop because I'm not just a messenger. I make toys for royalty and their slaves. That heat you feel is my glass forge, and the toys I make are sex toys," he mumbled in embarrassment.

Tabitha's mouth dropped open at that confession. She finally understood why the glass sculptures look so weird.

"Oh my, that's why you didn't want to tell me about it," she mumbled in humiliation. "Um, can I touch one and get an idea what you're talking about?" she asked with her cheeks burning.

Jamal laughed as he retrieved a simple glass phallus and put it into Tabitha's hand. Her forehead creased as she explored it with her fingers. Jamal was smiling in amusement as he watched her.

"Yep, that's very interesting," she mumbled as she handed it back to him.

"Sorry for not telling you earlier. I honestly hoped I wouldn't have to tell you. You're too damn observant for a blind girl," he sighed.

"I can't help being observant in ways others aren't. The first time I met you, I could smell the smoke of the forge on your clothes. I knew it wasn't kitchen smoke or hearth smoke, so I decided to follow the smell. It led me right to you," she said with a huge grin.

"You're kind of amazing, Tabby... and annoying."

"I take all of that as a compliment."

"So... would you like one of my sculptures for yourself?" he asked with a huge grin.

She lost her smile after that, and her cheeks turned red.

"No, thank you. I should be getting back now. Will you visit later for tea and stories?" she asked as she turned and started for the door.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything. See you later, Tabby," he said, still grinning.

Once Tabitha got over her humiliation, she decided to stop by Rana's forge for a short visit. As she made her way down the corridor, she heard new footsteps on the stones behind her. The boots sounded different than anything she had heard in the slave quarters before. She slowed down and scooted closer to the wall so the person could pass, but the person stopped and observed her for a moment, making her heart pound nervously.

"Uh, is someone there?" she asked as she slowly turned and reached out her hand.

She could see him out of the corner of her eye. It was a palace guard. He was wearing the distinctive Daylith helmet that hid a good portion of his face, but she had never observed this particular guard before. She touched his armor and felt the Daylith signet on his breastplate. It was a molded depiction of the sun rising over the Daylith palace. She quickly pulled her hand away.

"Sorry, sir. Your boots don't sound like guard boots," she said nervously.

"Really? You're the blind girl, aren't you?" he asked in a deep handsome voice.

"I... I am," she stammered.

"Interesting... you're very beautiful," he noted as he reached over and touched her dark curls.

Tabitha stood very still, wondering what this strange guard wanted with her. She was relieved when he simply sighed and continued down the hall towards Rana's forge. Tabitha took a good look at his boots as he walked away. They were formal in style and not something a common guard would wear. The soles of the boots were softer for comfort instead of durability.

"He must be someone special... I'll follow him for a bit," she whispered as she hurried after him.

He entered Rana's forge as Tabitha crept into a storage nook close by. She heard Tony meowing at the guard in greeting. She listened as the man spoke formally to Rana about the metals she used in armor and weapons. Then he asked where she learned her trade skills.

Tabitha was surprised to discover Rana was once a well-respected armor merchant from Camsheer. She had aided in the rebellion against Brimsly's rule. Brimsly had taken the throne from their sickly king during a friendly visit. He had hired a jungle clan from Ingeto to creep over the mountains and attack the desert city.

It was one of the most crooked things Brimsly had ever done. It taught the rest of Bastileborn to be wary of him. Rana helped rally her kinsmen in the battle for the city, but she was shot in the leg by a poisoned arrow. Her life was saved by a Daylith medic, but he couldn't save her leg. She was given a rough wooden leg and shipped north to Daylith to make use of her metallurgic knowledge.

"I deeply apologize for your troubles," the guard began as he pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and opened it. "You were offered the opportunity to rise from enslavement and establish yourself as an honored Daylith citizen by producing armor that could repel a Carus-forged arrow. As you may have heard, Daylith is preparing for war. Your services are still required. Would you be willing to manage the war forge? You will be greatly rewarded for your continued service, but you must remain in Daylith. Here is the contract. It explains the details of the opportunity. I shall return tomorrow for your answer. Good day, Miss Ranaida," he said with a polite bow before he turned and left the forge.

As soon as he was out of sight, Tabitha hurried into the forge to speak with Rana about the offer. Tony looked up at her from his normal perch on the bench and meowed softly in greeting.

"Hello, Tony. Hello, Rana. I heard most of what that guard said. You're important to them. I'm happy for you. Are you going to take the offer?" she asked excitedly.

"It's more complicated than it seems, Tabby. Come with me, and I'll explain more," she whispered as she took Tabitha's hand and led her out to the slave courtyard.

They sat down together on the carved rock wall. The sound of the waterfall would help hinder potential listeners.

"Why are you sad, Rana?" Tabitha whispered.

"I'm valued for my skills, and I gave them my best designs. If I stay, I will die. If I leave, I will have to abandon my post as head of the Shadow Guard of Daylith. I don't have any good options at the moment."

"What's a Shadow Guard?" Tabitha whispered.

"We are a secret resistance. We work to improve the lives of slaves and eventually bring about King Brimsly's destruction."

"That's incredible," she whispered excitedly. "I want to be a Shadow Guard."

Rana looked at Tabitha in genuine amusement for a moment.

"My sweet girl, I know you are very useful, but some things are simply too dangerous for the likes of a blind maiden," she whispered.

"I have a confession to make," Tabitha whispered as she gently pulled Rana's contract behind her knee and looked at it for a moment. Then she began reading it out loud.

Rana gasped softly as she stared at her in astonishment.

"By the gods..." she whispered in disbelief.

"By the gods indeed. Cypress, in particular," Tabitha chuckled.

"This is a miracle... and a remarkable opportunity," Rana whispered excitedly.

"It is. I can get away with a lot. Let me help you. Stay here as long as you can and train me to be a Shadow Guard," she pleaded.

"If I move to the war forge, that will buy me more time. Once they discover my design flaw, I'm surely dead. This greatly complicates my escape plans," she whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"My spiral armor design will work for a while, but I purposely incorporated a corrosive element into the metal. The prototypes didn't have the weakness and passed the trials with flying colors, but the mass-produced armor will begin to fail after two weeks in battlefield conditions. That's the design I sent to the war forge. If I don't escape, I will be executed before the end of the year."

"By the gods, you're a hero, Rana."

"We'll see. Come, I want to show you something," she said as she led Tabitha back into her forge.

They went to Rana's work station, and she gently pushed Tony to the side so she could remove the metal plates from the tabletop. She opened a secret compartment under the plates and motioned for Tabitha to look in. Tabitha gasped at the beautiful metal framework hidden below. It was a metal leg with intricate moving hinges.

"That's incredible," she whispered before Rana began hiding it again.

"It's almost finished. I will walk like a warrior again soon. Also, I have something for you," she said as she pulled a package off a shelf and gave it to Tabitha. "This is a black cloak with chain mail sewn into it. It will deflect knives and arrows. I made it for myself, but I want you to have it. Especially if you insist on sneaking around so much at night," she whispered with a knowing smile.

Tabitha's mouth dropped open at that revelation.

"How did you know?"

"I heard that a large mouse was terrorizing the cats of the slave quarters. I've seen Tony's eyes following you at night when you pass. I just realized the large mouse was you," she whispered as she pet the fluffy white cat. He was purring rather arrogantly at that point.

"Thanks for ratting me out, Tony," Tabitha whispered in disappointment.

As the castle settled in for the night, Tabitha dressed in her new sneaking cloak and crept out of her room to explore. She decided to visit the slave quarters' nicer areas where she was more likely to see Irena.

She sneaked past the matron's room and entered the gym to look around. She stayed in the shadows against the support pillars as she crept towards the slave showers. She could hear footsteps in the upper hall that led down to the bathhouse, so she quickly found a place to hide. She was surprised when she recognized the sound of the footfalls on the stones. It was the guard that spoke to Rana earlier that day. She watched him from the shadows as he stopped in the hall and touched the wall in an odd pattern. Something opened almost noiselessly, then he vanished into the wall. She gasped in surprise as she listened to the secret door snap shut behind him.

"What is he up to? That wall is right next to the bath stalls," she mumbled in disbelief.

Then she heard a different set of frantic footsteps and quickly hid in the shadows again. Irena was hurrying down the upper hall to get a quick bath after a long day of helping in the kitchen. Dienon hadn't returned to the palace in a few days, and the slave matron was directing her around to keep her busy. She was afraid Dienon would return unannounced and demand attention. He would be furious if she was sweaty and covered in baking flour. She turned the corner to the bath and crashed right into Knox. They both dropped their soap and towels in the collision.

"Oh, Knox, I'm so sorry," Irena said in embarrassment as she quickly knelt down and gathered his stuff and gave it back to him.

He smiled in amusement at her beautiful slender figure. Her long blond hair was a mess after hours of working in the humid slave kitchen.

"It's all right, Irena. You don't have to treat me like royalty."

"Sorry, I'm in a rush. Dienon could return at any time. I don't want to be caught unprepared," she said as she hurried into the bath stall without another word.

Knox sighed and rolled his eyes as he proceeded into the women's stall behind her. She was already undressed and about to step into the large stone tub when she looked up and gasped to see him watching her.

"Knox! Get OUT, or I'll call the guards!" she snapped angrily.

"And tell them what? I'm making you angry by looking at you? They would probably join me in watching you," he chuckled.

She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed angrily as he continued to smile at her. His dark hair, bright gray eyes, and half-naked, athletic body made her blush. He was annoyingly handsome.