Dragon's Breath

She found herself easily finding deep thought. This thought was not about what had been discussed in the summon however. She had troubled herself with that all day and her mind grew tired. Rather, she was thinking what to say to this boy, Elias.

Her temptation to write a blank check in regard to his wandering eyes was a tempting thought. Way too extreme, She spent every day telling people what they can and can't do, doing so would spoil the subtlety she had indulged in last night. Besides, not a single soul dared tell her no, if she wanted anything of Elias she could just ask it of him. But she knew that approach was fruitless, anyone would follow her every command even if it were shallow, in the name of fear or obedience. She had learned that much very intimately.

The more she thought, the question itself blurred. Could an advance on this escalate to be problematic? she explored her mind Should I have not let it slide in the first place? What do I really even want out of it? Despite being able to decipher the complexities of politics and foreign affairs every day, these thoughts of all things broke her mind. Her innermost feelings spoke persuasively to her innermost thoughts as they intertwined themselves, becoming indistinguishable from each other. Emotion is a fickle thing after all.

Elias made his way into the garden, "Do you wish to have water with your meal?"

Eleanor nodded, "Help yourself to some as well." With the plated food set down on wooden stools, Elias fetched two tins of water.

"Anything else?" he asked.

Eleanor reached her arm out to gesture to an identical bench across from her, "That is all, take a seat." Eleanor grabbed her food, immediately beginning to eat. The meal was a delicious smelling variety of exotic roasted plants littered with small shrimp from the coast nearby. It only took one bite to tell that this meal was just as immaculately created as the last.

Elias stood stiff, having not so much as touched his food. His attention appeared to be inwards as his eyes were glazed over and shot off to a random patch of garden greens. With a tilt forward, Eleanor shifted her face to get a better look at his.

"Let's not waste time, we need to return to summons soon after lunch." It quickly became apparent that he was well beyond attentive, yet his stiff posture remained. "I needn't an explanation from you but your nerves in my presence are impairing our routine." She paused, waiting to observe the subtleties in his reaction, "You have no need to be imposed, your work thus far is well above my standards. You would have to make quite the mistake to screw up like my previous servant." His attention became more precisely directed to the conversation the more Eleanor spoke, his posture relaxing a bit.

Elias spoke up, taking intermittent looks to Eleanor's eyes, "My apologies Miss I am not used to the niche complexities to the job. Training taught me less than I believed I had prepared for."

Eleanor sat further back nonchalantly. "You will learn. First things first, it is important that the door be locked at all times. Furthermore if a knock arises at the door, you attend to it for now on, no one enters without my permission. Understand so far?"

"I understand."

"Secondly, I prioritize your service at my side, some days however I work from here. Days like these are when most chores can be done so don't stress if you fall behind while aiding me elsewhere." Eleanor paused, Elias nodding to the notion. "Lastly, you have no need to fear the sight of me. I've noticed your nerves creating an aversion that is getting in the way. I will bathe when I please and wear what I want in your presence. It is simply part of your role here to become comfortable with working under such conditions. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes you have, Miss" Elias responded, this time his eyes set to hers in a way that came off slightly forced. "I hope you may understand why my nerves have been turbulent."

"I think I have an idea why, We will have to work on that. I don't put a second thought to it, nor should you. Besides, you and I both know, sometimes eyes just wander." She saw Elias's eyes open with a hint of shock at her words. Feeling she might have been too specific, she quickly filled the silence, "So long as you don't stare, your gaze is un-bothersome."

Just as the words left Eleanor's mouth she felt another string of emotion that further hinted at her desires. They were emotions that spoke devilish words of apprehensiveness. "So long as you don't stare," her words echoed in her head. Had she lied? Elias's was becoming slightly red, but Eleanor felt equally as warm, the breeze under the shade no longer making a large difference. Nonetheless, Elias had begun to eat, his attention buried in his dish. "You will get used to it in time."

Elias, seemingly on a roller-coaster of stress, was beginning to relax once again, "I don't doubt that to be true." Elias, agreed. They continued to eat across from each other. Silence ensued, but this silence was different from others in their limited time together. This silence was accompanied with both Eleanor and the boy looking through the garden while a gentle breeze caused the plants to sway.

Elias seemed to have his attention shift more naturally as if he finally understood his welcome. It was easy being empathetic towards people who welcomed it, all the politics and war made Eleanor forget that sometimes. She was never a cruel leader, but in a world where trust is hard to come by, genuine conversations were something she coveted. Although he kept up the formality with vigor, every so often he seemed to relax his words. Eleanor felt a level of authenticity in Elias, something not many people could provide her.

# Chapter 3 : Emerging Currents

Evening had come and Elias's feet were getting sore beneath him. His mind had numbed by the full day of delegation he had witnessed. Walking behind the Empress, they made their way through the halls back to her quarters. He had been thinking all day about many things. Mostly, however, he was thinking about the conversation the Empress had with him.

The topic itself was not so much the central topic, of course that played a part, but he was thinking about the manner in which she spoke to him. She was intimidating no doubt in his mind, but the way she conducted herself was noticeably different within her home. She was abrasive and to the point regardless of where she was, but with the conversation they had made Elias feel as if she was showing her true colors. She was kind and seemed to understand his inner struggle, above all else she was practicing patience with him.

No one in his life had seen his mistakes and had chosen not to deeply scold him. Regardless, Elias knew one thing was true, he felt a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. When he was told he would be serving the Empress herself it was hard to know what to think. The thought of living beside her abrasiveness with no way out was terrifying. But Elias saw that perhaps there was more to understand, perhaps this could work out.

Having finally reached the door, she spoke out, "Here are the keys, I'm going to have you hold on to them." She extended her arm outwards holding a ring containing two keys. "Don't lose them." One was a dark steel that matched the door they stood at. The other one however was a more shiny metal with a silvery hue. The silver key was much more exotic in its shape having feathers folding around as the keyring. Elias reached out to grab them, subsequently inserting the steel one to the door, twisting it till it opened.

The Empress briskly walked towards the terrace, "I've been longing for that bath, please prepare that." She opened the glass doors, looking back to Elias for confirmation, "Also, every night are you to help me doff my armor. I won't ask again." Elias, stacking the keys on his belt, locked the door before following her out to the alcove. It was easy enough to fill the bath. Everything about it was beautifully made.

How it seemed to work did not seem very intuitive however. The faucet was able to be turned on with a mere turn of a handle. Water began to pour out a wide stone spout from the wall. A much wider spout extruded from the wall above it that began to pour like a waterfall down the entirety of the backside. The craftsmanship was impressive to say the least, Elias had never seen anything like it.

Even the bath itself was impressive in how large it was. It receded into the floor, the rims of it being near flesh with the terrace. It was fairly deep, but had steps towards the edges that provided more shallow water. The alcove itself where the bath stood, was out in the open, just outside of the terrace doors. On each corner stood a geometric stone pillar, each interconnected by arches. The empress sat at the bath edge seemingly lost in thought. Most people put on a different mask outside of their home, this difference however shocked Elias as its contrast to what he had witnessed outside the chamber was night and day. She looked peaceful here.

"Are you ready to doff your armor?" Elias, asked as he finished adjusting the water's heat.

"Oh..." she cleared her throat, "Yes" she replied, walking to Elias where he stood. The nuance of removing armor was always a tedious one. Doing this for the empress however, flipped this nuance upside down. He knew her intentions in taking off this armor, of course though a normal lens it was quite mundane. His hands quickly became clammy but their conversation refreshed in his mind. It made him feel more prepared to do his job, at least he thought so.

His thoughts were still muddied but he continued unbuckling pieces with a spring in his motions. First with the helmet, then the arm pieces. It is no sin to find her beautiful, Elias reassured himself in a flash of honesty. He began to feel warm with another pit giving way in his stomach. The words that she had spoken to him surged louder in his mind as he moved his attention to her lower armor. 'Sometimes eyes just wander,' his mind reiterating her words once again. He knew what she meant, yet somehow in the context of her voice it became cryptic.

His mind began to run wild, hidden regions of his mind influenced a more primal train of thought. A train of thought that made his chest feel an inner surge containing an exotic sensation. She was a beautiful woman no doubt. Just do your job like your back at the academy. Easy as that. The Empress's words further played out in his head. "So long as you don't stare, your gaze is un-bothersome." Perhaps he was already settling into the job, it had only taken a week but all cards had been laid out on the table. That was at least a little comforting.

"What does the other key belong to?" Elias asked, looking to break the quiet atmosphere.

"I will show you in the coming days. It opens a door to another one of my personal spaces." She replied. Elias, now moving to the last leg of armor.

"Another home?" Elias asked.

"I suppose you could say that." She responded, sparking Elias's curious tendencies. She seemed to be leaving it intentionally vague. The wonder of mystery was far greater than what his rational mind made of her words. Letting his more imaginative mind run further he pondered the extent of what this key could lead to. Perhaps an arcane lab or personal theater, each were exciting prospects. With the last piece of armor unbuckled the empress stood at the edge of the bath, her silks fluttering in the breeze. Reaching her hand in the water, she briefly recoiled at the heat before submerging her hand further, wading it in the water.

With his arms stacked full he paused, "Is it too hot?" He waited in anticipation of a response but was simply met with a shake of her head no. The armor was heavy and took a delicate hand to put away properly but just as all of his tasks, Elias knew it well.

"I need towels as well" the Empress's voice echoed into the room where he stood wracking armor. A large cabinet stood within his quarters where he had stacks of various textiles from robes, sheets, and towels at the ready. With a deep breath, he made his way outside. Bracing himself to see her bare, he repeatedly reminded himself Act normal, she doesn't care. Act normal, she doesn't care. Although the dark shroud of the night hid much, the torchlight revealed that her full torso was exposed, her back facing him with her chest eluding his vision.

She had yet to remove any further garnets as she stood at the foot of the bath. The scar was impressively larger from this distance and her hair was strung over her right shoulder. As Elias neared her, she slipped her thumbs under the string of her pants, pulling them down before releasing them to gravity. Her ass curved outwards from her defined waist with a graceful plump beauty. She continued, sliding her underwear off revealing her body's true raw form.

Her curves were immaculate, the muscles not only defining but bolstering the elegant shape of her figure. Elias stood stunned for a moment but pushed on, remembering what they had discussed. Despite the knowledge of it, he still felt as if she would turn to see his willful eyes surrendering to their wandering.

He imagined her turning to scold him or perhaps sending him plunging off the side of the terrace. He knew he could look away for his mind, although erratic, was more aware than he had been all day. But in spite of this fact his eyes moved from one feature to the next, darting away when his work's demeanor clashed with his humanity. He felt flustered by the mere presence of her, let alone his clear view of her unraveled modesty. Perhaps "Flustered" was just another disguise his fear used.

"Where would you like your towels?" Elias's voice let out waving in peculiar ways. The Empress stepped down into the bath, her legs sinking two feet deep into the water. She began to crouch down. There was no haste in her motion as she let out a deep breath acclimating to the heated water. Her breasts peeked out at Elias as she turned, letting her back fall deeper into the water behind. They were large and bulbous coming to a gentle peak where the areola brandished dark purple. Perky nipples protruded from their apexes.

The water surrounded the soft purple breasts before completely submerging them. Her collarbones stood out, further extenuating her slenderness and might. Their angle created a gradient above her chest, further enhancing her impressive bust. The expression on her face was one of intrigue. Elias felt her stare read his every move and expression, it quickly becoming too overbearing causing an instinctual jolt of his eyes to the floor.

"I don't put a second thought to it, nor should you." She reiterated the words, this time in a far more careless voice, stressing the sentence further as it went on. "Just set the towels right here" she waded closer within the water gesturing to the bath side. He could hear the blood rush away from his skull, almost drowning out his thoughts as he felt that his manhood had caught up to what stood in front of him.

In his approach to set down the towels he crouched to lower them beside her, her form filled the entirety of his vision. This was not only because she was no more than a foot away, but because his surroundings seemed to fade away. He kept from hanging on to a stare but tried to avoid appearing afraid at the sight of her. Although he was afraid of screwing up, he was not afraid of what he saw, in fact he found the sight quite lovely. What he felt in his pants was quite enough proof of that. That "proof" in fact made itself known to more than himself, his tight pant's attempt was laughable in concealing the erect shape's thick lengthy outline.

With every second his vision avoided her, a nagging desire to observe her grew as the empress stood at the water's edge beside him. She stood waiting the few seconds that Elias's perception of time exaggerated up to the very moment the towels left his grasp.

"Anything else I can do-" Elias spoke, his vision very briefly waning attention from her eyes to her chest.

"Perhaps you can prepare dinner while I finish bathing." She submerged further back in to the water, "I won't be long, I am tired from today just as I presume you are."

"Anything in particular?" Her eyes shut closed as the water poured over her head and down her hair, her shimmering purple skin being distorted by the currents of the water. With the downpour of water over her face, any response she had ready was contained to her interpersonal thoughts. She did not make Elias wait long however, for her gaze reopened as she exited the onslaught of water. Despite this, their eyes did not meet but her attention was set directly towards him.

In an instantaneous realization, Elias followed her focus to his crotch where the situation had not subsided in the slightest. The empress let out a subtle giggle that made itself clear with a depth that not only persisted through the hum of her tone but in the deep notion of acknowledgement they both understood.

"Surprise me" she replied before submerging her body further back into the water's pour.

Elias stood still momentarily before exiting to prepare a meal. He felt as if he was failing in his job, embarrassment perhaps was the best word to describe it. That however, was far too simple for the currents of feelings within his soul. The feeling of exotic flustered churning in his chest had turned to a more uncertain variety that pulsed with his very heartbeat, pounding to the rhythm of his thoughts.

In his introspective disassociation he began preparing a meal he had made hundreds of times before. Was this the job he had been trained for? Was every servant under this way of living? Both questions that Elias longed to know the answer of. Perhaps I should bring it up? He further questioned, It could only help, right? Against the current of his mind, he cooked with the utmost precision and talent he had always displayed for that was nearly instinctive for him.

It was far from a cure but his mind was put at ease with every sizzle of the lamb, with every boiling pop of the sauce, and chop of the earthy fresh vegetables. Cooking was always his favorite task, the sensations of smell, the heat of the open fire made for an experience that was nostalgic to his first days off the city streets as he trained for his new life.

It brought him memories of the people he learned alongside. Each and every one of them were dealt a difficult hand but found refuge in the opportunity handed to them. Elias was pulled from his training for what he now knows to be the position he has found himself in. His friends were still back in the academy, far from completion. In some sense it felt unfair to Elias, but perhaps they felt a similar way in the way that he had left them behind.

There was a tinge of guilt he felt, but most of all he felt an underlying fear he would never see them again. And for what? He was an under qualified mess, he would be doing a disservice by failing here. His determination flared at the thought, picking up his pace. The smell of a complete dish began to form from an array of scents as he plated the dish in its near completed form. It was a plate to be proud of, and proud he was for he expected nothing less of himself than what he had accomplished.

"Shit!" In a moment of pride Elias felt a shard of pain erupt from his finger. It did not take long to realize what he had done in his perpetually distracted state. His finger began to bleed profusely from the slash he had carved within himself. He had just been cutting up a finishing touch, a garnish for the dish. His chef's knife was incredibly sharp like any good knife should be. Only this one was being handled with a careless haze.

He had cut himself before but this one was a royal screw up. His sensation quickly rushed back to his head, shaking himself out of whatever state he had found himself in. Blood began to pool far quicker than he was able to contain. With a quick turn to the cabinet behind him, he grabbed a rag, wrapping the inattentively manifested wound tightly.