Caged Poetry Pt. 02

After supper, Doc strolled outside to visit Old Tom while the servants cleaned up the supper dishes. He came back into the kitchen as the sun began to set and collected Ruby and Lily. He walked with them towards their room in the back hall so they could speak in private. The ladies were surprised when he suggested they should have a picnic by the brook in the meadow, and he planned to bring Fredric.

"Master Hansel, what put this idea into your head?" Lily asked in astonishment.

"You seem shocked by my suggestion. I assure you, there is nothing shocking about a pleasant picnic among the wildflowers," he teased.

"Master, you know what I mean," she mumbled.

"Of course, Lily. I've discussed it with him, and he agreed to try. The hardest part for him will be staying awake in the sunlight. He's been making excellent progress since you arrived. Ruby, are you comfortable meeting him in the meadow?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Do I have a choice?" she asked.

Doc tilted his head and chewed on his lip instead of answering. Ruby rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Fine. Lily and I shall put on our new dresses and report to the brook with a basket full of goodies. Then we shall wait for our dashing suitors to arrive for lunch. Will you be riding white horses?" she asked with a smirk.

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea. If Fredric falls asleep, I can put him on a horse to haul him back to the castle," he muttered.

"How romantic. Have fun with that. Goodnight, Master Hansel," Ruby sighed as she escorted Lily into their room, leaving Doc standing in the hall.

The next day, Lily's stomach was full of butterflies as Ruby helped her put on her new dress. She was excited to be having a picnic in the meadow and extra excited about seeing Fredric again. A few days away from him had allowed her time to forgive his less than civil behavior. She had also been reading the poem he wrote to her every night before bed. Even if Fredric slept through the entire picnic, she would still enjoy having him there.

"My goodness, Lily. You look like a princess," Ruby said as she helped her pin a white silk flower in her hair.

"Thank you, Ruby. So do you," she said as she admired her lavender and purple frock. "Mother would say we both look very fancy. I wish she could see me now."

Lily's dress left her shoulders exposed along with a soft pillow of cleavage cradled by a line of white and blue silk flowers. Draping sleeves of white lace started below her shoulders and ran down her slender arms. The sleeves ended with pearl-studded silk flowers around her wrists. Her skirt was a flowing swirl of white and blue silk accented with lace above simple white slippers.

Once the ladies finished admiring themselves in the standing mirror, they hurried to the kitchen to collect the lunch basket they had prepared earlier in the day. They opened their lacy parasols and strolled out of the back door with smiles on their faces. The wind was calm, and the air was pleasantly warm, enhancing the heady perfume of the plants in the meadow.

"Oh good, it's partly cloudy today. You might actually get to speak to Fredric," Lily said cheerfully as they strolled through the wildflowers.

"I'm not looking forward to that. You said he hates strangers," she said worriedly.

"Oh, Ruby, don't be gloomy. Doc said Fredric will be on his best behavior. Sweet-Fredric can be extremely charming."

"Is that your pet name for him?" she asked with a smirk.

"No, that's one of his personalities."

"What?"

Lily sighed and shook her head.

"Sometimes there is sweet-Fredric. He's my favorite. And, sometimes, there is sleepy-Fredric. He's boring but still tender and sweet, and then there's angry-Fredric. He's the scary one, and he appears more often than I like."

"My God, how many Fredrics will we be eating lunch with?"

"Just one... I hope. Also, if he does something scary, don't act afraid. Never show him fear if you can help it. Seeing someone afraid excites angry-Fredric to no end."

"Wow, great..."

After a pleasant stroll through the meadow, they stopped next to the brook and laid out a blanket for their picnic. The soft babble of the water helped Ruby forget her anxiety. They decided to enjoy some strawberries while they waited for their company. A few puffy clouds drifted over the sun as a gentle breeze stirred the grass. Ruby glanced towards the castle and suddenly burst into giggles, prompting Lily to look up. She stared in wonder to see two handsome men on white horses trotting towards them. Her mouth slowly dropped open as they came close enough for her to see their clothes. Fredric was dressed in a handsome dark suit over a blue satin waistcoat. The white linen shirt underneath had a tall, formal collar and fancy sleeves that billowed out of his cuffs. He was awake, alert, and his hair was even combed and styled.

"Oh my, he is handsome, princely even, but Master Hansel is rather kingly," Ruby said in admiration.

Lily pulled her eyes away from Fredric long enough to see Master Hansel. He was dressed in a dark burgundy suit with a black waistcoat and a red leather top hat. His tall black boots were studded with copper. His ruby topped cane sparkled at his hip even under a cloudy sky. The women stood and picked up their parasols as the horses halted close to their picnic.

Lily's heart skipped a beat as she met Fredric's hazel gaze. It was like she was seeing him for the first time. At that moment, he was a breathtaking glimpse of the man he could be. He looked normal and beautiful, except for the dark circles under his eyes. She finally knew how exhilarated Cinderella felt when she met Prince Charming.

Fredric felt the same exhilaration as he gazed at the beautiful woman standing in the wildflowers. It was still Lily, but she had transformed from a simple servant into something divine. A glowing cherub of Eden garbed in a cloudy sky. Fredric was having trouble organizing his thoughts as the sun threatened to brighten the meadow. He needed to stay focused and not let angry-Fredric take control. That was his goal for the picnic, but Lily's visage was turning his determination into poetry. Her beauty was tugging at his heart and muddling his thoughts while her bright gray eyes and doughy cleavage derailed his calm.

"Good afternoon, ladies! What a wonderful day for a picnic. Wouldn't you agree, Fredric?" Doc announced as he dismounted and approached the women.

"I would," he said as sunlight suddenly brightened the meadow again, causing him to groan and lose his strength.

"And... he's out," Doc chuckled as he stepped over to grab Fredric as he fell out of his saddle.

"Oh! Fredric!" Lily gasped as she hurried over to help.

"Oh my goodness, you weren't joking about sleepy-Fredric," Ruby said in surprise as she began clearing a spot on the blanket for him.

"He's exceptionally tired today. I don't think he has slept much since I revoked his visits with Lily," Doc explained as he dragged Fredric over to the blanket and gently laid him down.

"He didn't benefit from the break at all," Lily sighed in disappointment as she sat next to him and pet his soft brown hair.

"On the contrary. He seems in rough shape, but he's been less erratic these past two days. He's fighting to keep himself under control. I've been hoping to see that," Doc said with a smile as he sat next to Ruby on the blanket and kissed her cheek.

She blushed from the simple display of affection that never happened outside of his bedroom. She smiled and looked at her handsome master. She had a sudden desire to push Doc onto the blanket and kiss him among the wildflowers, but she knew that was inappropriate behavior in front of their company.

"I guess we should let him nap for a bit. We should also eat our cucumber sandwiches before the ants discover them," Lily suggested.

They spoke, laughed, and enjoyed their lunch as Fredric slept. The ladies recounted their day in Clairemont and briefly mentioned Henry's growing infatuation with the freak show. Doc confessed he visited it once and met a well-endowed mermaid. Then he confessed to calculating the buoyancy of her breasts. That comment earned him a slap on the knee from Ruby and a burst of laughter from Lily. Master Hansel could be incredibly charming outside of the lab. He joked with Ruby about their favorite poems and the amount of quill ink he went through in a week. He confessed to writing his own poetry about his day-to-day observations, but he refused to recite any of them in Lily's presence.

"Well, Master Hansel, since you refuse to recite poetry in Lily's presence, I insist you stroll with me beside the brook," Ruby said as she stood and picked up her lacy parasol.

"Would that be alright, Lily?" Doc asked as he glanced between her and Fredric.

"Of course. Go have a pleasant stroll. Sleepyhead will keep me company."

"Very well, call if you need us," Doc said as he picked up his sparkling cane and offered his elbow to Ruby.

Lily smiled as she watched them make their way through the wildflowers beside the brook. They were an attractive couple. She wondered if Master Hansel ever intended to make Ruby more than a mistress. The depth of their admiration for each other was apparent, but they seemed to enjoy the nature of their relationship too much to change it. A sleepy mumble from Fredric distracted Lily from her wondering. She looked at his handsome face and smiled. Her sleepy angel had returned to nap in the sunlight again. She sighed and laid down on the blanket beside him. She scooted closer, adjusted her parasol to keep the sun off of their faces, and then draped her right arm over his chest. She kissed his cheek before she relaxed next to him.

"Mmm, this is wonderful, Fredric. Thanks for joining me for a picnic," she whispered.

She enjoyed the warmth of the day, the babbling brook, and her dozing company, and before she realized it, she drifted off to sleep.

Down the meadow, at the edge of the woods, Doc and Ruby were enjoying each others' company.

"I love your dress, Ruby. Fancy suits you," Doc said as he admired her in the filtered sunlight peeking through the leaves overhead.

"Lily said the same thing at the dress shop. I love the look, but it's not as comfortable as my uniform."

"Indeed, it also looks more difficult to remove," he observed.

Ruby chuckled and peeked over her shoulder towards the castle. Lily and Fredric were far out of sight and hidden by the tall grass. All she could see were the horses as they grazed in the distance.

"We have plenty of privacy. You're welcome to inspect my gown more closely if you like. I also spy many grassy places in the shade to our left," she observed.

"What an excellent idea," Doc agreed as they turned and walked into the woods.

Many puffy clouds were creeping up from the south as a warm breeze stirred the meadow. Fredric felt a tickle on his nose and opened his eyes to discover a large yellow butterfly had perched on it. He smiled and shooed it away. It fluttered off against a cloudy sky. Fredric was confused by his peaceful surroundings. He looked to his right to discover a dark-haired angel sleeping next to him. Her slender, lace-covered arm was draped over his chest. He had never seen anything more beautiful outside of his dreams. He carefully rolled onto his side and brought his face close to hers. He pulled her hand against his chest and held it as he admired her. He could smell the sweetness of her breath and the heady scent of her skin. It made him feel alive and wide awake. He smiled as he reached over and ran his fingertips down the petal-soft skin of her cheek. She moaned softly and took a deep breath, then her bright gray eyes opened and met his. They stared at each other in amazement for a moment.

"Wow... I must be dreaming. You're too perfect to be real," Fredric whispered as he caressed her luscious pink mouth with his thumb.

"This isn't a dream, but it is perfect," she whispered with a smile as she touched his blushing cheek.

Fredric searched her sparkling eyes for a moment, then he leaned forward and tasted her inviting mouth. She was more satisfying than a French dessert or a glass of chilled champagne. A shudder of delight ran through his body as he indulged in her warm, wet lips. He couldn't remember a time he felt more calm or comforted.

Lily was also delighted to be kissing sweet-Fredric again. She felt safe with him in the cloudy meadow. Lying in the grass beside the brook felt healthy compared to sitting in the cold, rigid cage in the lab. She wondered if the cage encouraged him to act out. If he were going to be treated like a criminal, why not act like one? As much as she loved kissing him, she wanted to speak to him before she lost him again. She gently pulled away and smiled at his blushing cheeks. His hazel eyes were a flurry of green and gold under his thick lashes.

"Fredric, I have so many questions. How clear is your mind right now?"

"Crystal clear. Are we in heaven?"

"Maybe... I love the poem you wrote for me. I read it every day. I'm sorry I provoked your anger in the lab. I don't know how to deal with you sometimes. What can I do differently?"

"Nothing, Lily. I don't want you to change. You're not the broken one," he whispered with tears growing in his eyes. "I'm sorry for threatening you. When I get angry, I can't feel remorse. I can't feel sad. I can't feel sorry. I can't even feel pain. All I feel is euphoric rage. The gentle side of me just shuts down, and I become a different person."

"No. That's not true. That night I spoke to your angry side, I threatened to leave, and you grew worried and concerned. Do you remember that?"

His handsome brow furrowed as he thought about what she said.

"I guess I did. That rarely happens. You may have been speaking to my sinister side. That asshole can control his anger and be awfully manipulative. He scares me more than my angry side."

Lily stared at him with wide eyes for a moment.

"How many different sides do you have?"

"I'm aware of five. There may be more. I can be angry, sleepy, sinister, sweet, or scared. I haven't been scared in over a year. Doc saw that side of me when he first brought me here. It cripples me. I just shut down and hide. I'd rather be anything but scared," he whispered.

"But, Master Hansel said you're not afraid of anything."

"That's what I want him to think. I never told him about my scared side. If he knew about it, he would use it to control me. If he started doing that, my angry side would retaliate."

"What would he do?"

Fredric sighed and looked down in shame. Lily knew where his thoughts had gone, and she was too afraid to ask him about it. She didn't want to upset him and risk losing sweet-Fredric while she had him.

"I understand. We don't have to talk about it. So, uh, I'm the 'embodiment of your desire' and an 'unstoppable compulsion?' I'm not sure how I feel about that," she said with a grin. She was quoting her favorite compliments from the poem.

"You should feel good about it because that's how I feel about it," he chuckled.

Further down the meadow at the edge of the woods, Doc had Ruby bent over a fallen tree with her beautiful lavender dress bunched up around her hips. She was panting and digging her fingernails into the bark of the tree as he pumped his thick cock inside her. He had one hand on the tree for support and the other hand working her clit.

"Oh God, master, fuck me deep and slow," she begged.

Doc smiled as he slowed his thrusts and focused on gentle stimulation. Ruby rarely asked for gentle pleasure, but when she did, a powerful orgasm often followed. Her arousal was already dripping down her leg. Nature apparently aroused her more than bondage.

"You are incredibly wet, Ruby. We should fuck in the woods more often," Doc groaned as he indulged in her tight cunt.

"I'll bring an extra blanket next time," she panted before an orgasm stole her breath.

Doc felt her body tense as her inner muscles squeezed his cock. He smiled and gently worked her through the hot waves. She shuddered again and again as she pulled bits of bark off of the fallen tree.

"Oh fuck, cum in me, master. I want to feel it," she begged as the tingles refused to subside.

Doc grunted and pushed deep into her cunt as orgasm worked through his groin. He was trembling as his cum burst hot inside her until it was dripping out of her. He groaned in ecstasy as he leaned down and kissed her blushing neck.

"Mmm, that feels messy," she chuckled as she rocked her hips, encouraging him to thrust into her more.

He smiled at her enthusiasm and fucked her a little harder, sending more hot streams dripping out of her.

"That feels really good. Will you fuck me again?" Ruby groaned as she leaned on the tree and enjoyed his thick meat pushing inside her.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the distance, distracting them from their fun.

"Damn, we should probably get cleaned up now. Thor insists," Doc sighed as he pulled out of her beautiful cunt.

"Fine. You should know, I'm not against fucking outside in a storm. That sounds really exciting," she said as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to clean the messy drips off her inner thighs.

"You amaze me more every day, Ruby," Doc laughed.

Back at the picnic spot, Lily and Fredric were sitting up so they could watch the approaching storm. Fredric ate his lunch as they discussed poetry and their daily routines when they weren't together.

"This has been wonderful, Fredric. I have often imagined speaking to you like this. It's been a wish come true," she said as she ran her fingers through his soft hair.

"It feels like a pleasant dream for me. Real sleep helped clear up my head today."

"What do you mean?"

"My nap. It was good medicine. I don't sleep much. I can sit half-awake in the sun for hours but not sleep. It's exhausting to do anything when I get like that, except focus on your voice," he said with a smile.

Lily returned his smile as she admired his handsome face. Suddenly, his eyes jumped to the right, and his expression became guarded. Lily quickly glanced behind her to see Doc and Ruby returning from their walk in the meadow.

"Oh, it's just Master Hansel and Ruby. Would you like to meet Ruby?" she asked.

She looked at his expression to find it had darkened more since she looked away. Sweet-Fredric was gone. She stared at him worriedly as another rumble of thunder echoed across the meadow.

"Greetings again, Lily and Fredric. I hope you enjoyed yourselves while we strolled to the woods and back," Doc announced as he locked eyes with Fredric.

Lily could tell he was trying to read something in his expression.

"We did, Murdoch," Fredric said in a cold tone as his eyes drifted to Ruby. "I like you, Ruby. You're good at distracting the master," he said with a grin.

Her blue eyes widened at that comment. Lily scowled at him, making his smile bigger.

"She is an exceptional distraction," Doc agreed, "and you need to treat her with more respect than you treat me. I sense an unsavory shift in your mood, Fredric. So, I have a bargain for you. Help me get the horses back to the barn, and your lessons with Lily can resume in the morning. Deal?"

"Deal. I'll try to be good," he said as he hopped up and offered Lily his elbow.

She reluctantly stood and wrapped her arm around his as he held her in his gaze. He gave her a pleased smile before he escorted her over to one of the horses and picked up its reins. Doc and Ruby grabbed the picnic supplies before retrieving the other horse. Then they began their walk back to the castle. The wind was whipping around them as the rain crept closer. Lily couldn't help glancing at Fredric's face as they walked a few yards ahead of Ruby and Doc.

"Am I making you nervous?" Fredric asked.

"A little. I sense sweet-Fredric is gone. Who am I speaking to now?"