Slave Girl Pt. 02 Ch. 01-08

"It isn't fair." I whisper. "You never should have..."

She presses her fingers to my lips. "He only took what I offered freely."

Her fingers return to my face where she tenderly caresses my nose, my eyebrows, my eyelids, and all around the ear. The look of concentration told me that she was summoning images of me in her mind to sear into her memory. A lifetime was a long time to go without seeing, especially for a demon. Even in the shock of this moment my Lady had the forethought to etch the most important things into her mind. She looked so full of grace yet so very vulnerable.

She pinches my earlobe. "You're worrying about me."

"Of course I am." I kiss her thigh. "You are everything to me."

"Mmm." She runs her hand down my neck. "Until I learn to manage on my own you will have to be my eyes my boy."

"Yes my Lady."

"Do you remember what your father said to you?"

"My father?"

"About learning from the past but not being able to change it?"

"Yeah."

"How did you put it?" She says. "Regret and anger won't help a damn thing. All we can do is get on with living."

"Yeah, he used to say that."

"Once more we should heed his wisdom."

"His wisdom got him killed."

"His wisdom produced a noble man like you." She kisses me. "This will only make us stronger. You'll see."

"Yes my Lady."

She was being brave. She was being philosophical. But I could sense how afraid she really was. She was coping with the loss of her sight as best she could, being strong for my sake and hers, but there was a twinge of desperate denial in every taut word she spoke. From nowhere and all at once Rosa had just lost one of her senses. How could it not feel like a violation? It would for anybody, but for a woman who liked to be in control this must be terrifying. She had already overcome her fear of being outside of a city but now she had to contend with a rural life without the aid of her sight. I do not know how she was handling this so well. And worst of all...there was no hope. If this truly was a sacrifice to a great god like Silvanus there was no power that any mortal healer or magician possessed that could bring her vision back. It might have been her magic she used but it was only with his help that she had been able to tap it so deeply. Only she and the god himself could strike down the bargain. But for that she would have to give up what she had gained. My life. It truly was hopeless.

Taking a deep breath she gathers her wits. "Alright. This is how it is." She ruffles my hair. "And how are you doing my boy?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you silly." She says way too casually. "We had quite a night last night. Are you well?"

"I am well my Lady." I answer glumly. "Sore, but well."

"Good. Now cheer up. We have a lot of work to do." She says. "The first thing I should do is learn the house. After a good bath of course."

"You should take it easy. Just let me look after you for a little."

"You will not." She bristles. "I am still your slave. I am still your Lady. I will not be coddled."

"Of course." I say. "Are you sure you don't want a doctor?"

She shakes her head defiantly. "No Master."

"Rosa..."

"Master. You're worried. I know." She says firmly. "But I need us to..." She clenches her fists. "...endure. This will change things, but not the important things. We are here. We are alive." She offers her hands and I take them in mine. "We are together." She squeezes my hands. "Now." She straightens up. "Tell me about this Silas."

"Huh?"

"You mentioned a Silas a moment ago."

"Oh. Yeah, he was a soothsayer. He stopped by this morning." I say. "He was in a hurry though and I wanted to let you rest. He's gone already."

"Did you get a reading?"

I hesitate before saying. "Yes Ma'am."

"And?"

"Just nonsense." I reply. "He's gone mad."

"Diviners often do." She says. "But what did he say?"

I didn't want to lie to her. Every fiber of my being told me not to lie to her. Yet how could I hit her with news of a curse after what she'd already been through this morning? I would tell her the whole truth later.

"He said that I will get my greatest desire. And that he hopes we thrive here."

"Your greatest desire? That's incredible!"

"Yeah."

Her hands glide up my arms. "You are so tense."

"It should have been me." I sigh, my heart full of guilt. "Not you. It was my life. He should have..."

"My boy." She hugs me then sits up again. "Kneel."

I sit back and rest my hands on my knees in the position she had trained me to take when given that command. I had to confess the familiarity of the order and that natural feeling of submission goes a long way to quelling my fears. Her exercising her authority works similarly on her. Her dominance and my obedience was a touchstone of control and order that we could reach to whenever we needed it. Leaning forward she reaches out and finds me again. She feels along my shoulder and down my arms to my knees. She feel the angle of my head then stands so that she could come around to run her hand down the slight arch of my back. Then she steals a little grope of my butt before a gentle pat to the backside.

"Perfection." She whispers proudly. Sniffing the air she crinkles her nose. "You smell like sex. I am sure I do too."

"It was an amazing night."

"Yes it was." She says. "Stay. We will go bathe by the river and then we can get to work."

"Yes my Lady."

She straightens up to stand with a dignified air about her. It would have been humorous in another time considering her she was standing with her tits and dick out. She feels her way around the sofa and points herself back in the direction of the bedroom door. She takes another deep breath and begins to walk forward, hands out in front of her. Her angle was a bit off but good enough to find the door frame and get inside. Keeping a hand against the wall to follow it she slips out of sight and a moment later I hear clink of a foot hitting broken clay.

"My Lady!"

"Stay!" She calls back. "I'm okay. I'm just putting something on. I can manage...OUCH!" Another clatter of pottery and the bang of something wooden hitting the floor. "Ohhhh."

"Gods damn it." I spring to my feet and rush into the room. Wanting to let her sleep the main bedroom hadn't yet been cleared of the refuse. I hurry to her side and bend down to check on her delicate feet. She was okay, just a stubbed toe.

A look of hurt crosses her face that had nothing to do with her toe. "You disobeyed me."

I bow my head though I knew she could not see it. "You needed help."

"You disobeyed me!" I could hear in her wavering voice that whatever composure she'd managed to muster now threatened to crack because of my insolence. I had broken our trust, even if it was for a noble reason. "I told you to stay."

"I'm sorry my Lady."

"If I required help I would have summoned you" She snaps. "I've lost my sight, not my wits!"

"I am sorry my Lady."

She lets out a low and wicked cat like growl, her pointed ears lowering back. "Do you still wear my collar Quin?"

"Yes my Lady." I say. "Proudly! But, Rosa, please. Right now isn't the time to..."

"Not the time? Now YOU decide when to obey and when not to? You do not trust your Mistress anymore? You cannot serve a blind woman? Is that it?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean...Rosa, please."

"You wish me to wear the collar perhaps? Now that you think me helpless. It doesn't fit well on you? You are ashamed to wear my collar?"

"Rosa!" Her words are a stake in my heart. I treasured the lace collar around my neck more than our magical bracelet or my father's dagger or any other item I owned. It symbolized her love and her domination of me. To me it was priceless. She knew that too. I knew it was the misdirected fear from her sudden blindness coming out in another way, but it still stung. "No, of course not my Lady." I say meekly. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt. Forgive me."

All at once her shoulders slump and her head drops. "Come here." I step into her and she pulls me down to embrace me again. Into my ear she whispers. "My precious Quin. Tell me you love me."

"I love you!"

"I'm sorry baby. I'm not being a very good...g-good..." The brave facade cracks. And with that single crack the deluge of emotions comes bursting out. My Lady collapses into my arms as her body is wracked by grief for the life that could have been. In my embrace...she weeps.

"No more sunrise. Nor more clouds drifting through the azure heavens. No more full moon nights. No more smiles. No more lover's sly winks." She clings to me. "No more art or reading or colors or seeing the nymphs dancing among the grass. No more..." She lets out a great heaving sob. "...no more beauty!"

"Oh Rosa." I hold her tight.

"I don't regret it baby. I would do it again a thousand times over." She trembles. "But...I'm scared Quin! I'm so scared!"

"I know Rosa. I know." Like she has done for me so many times I hold her and stroke her and let her know that she is not alone.

As I hold my weeping Lady in my arms I look to sky painted upon the domed ceiling above. The gods meddle in the lives of men, the old priest had said, it is their nature. But how could they be so cruel? After all we'd gone through, this was supposed to be our happily ever after. Silas' words echo in my ears. 'The gods enjoy watching a good tragedy.'

***

Chapter 3

I hold my slave girl and comfort her with all of my heart. Truth be told I was scared too. We were alone in this new land. We had no friends, family, or even acquaintances to lean on for aid. The mountain we had to climb to make our new home a success had just gotten twice as high and many times steeper. But there would be time for such concerns later. Right now my only job was to love her.

Despite her initial attempts to hold it in the release of emotion was necessary. For both of us. A raw human moment to let the trauma of her loss be expressed and to remind each of us that our connection was so much deeper than our power dynamic. I was still her man. She was still my woman. If we could not be weak with each other, if we could not be strong for each other, then what truly did we have?

It takes Rosa some time but soon she collects her emotions. She takes a long breath and wipes her tears from her cheeks. She sniffles and whispers. "Do we have a rag?"

Using the hem of my tunic I clean the snot that had dribbled from her nostrils.

"Thank you." She says softly. "Thank you Master."

"We will get through this Rosa." I say. "I promise you."

"I know." She finds my neck and holds it. "As if I wasn't burden enough out here in the country."

"You are not a burden my Lady. Never."

Putting her forehead to mine she says. "You are a good boy. Forgive my cruel words."

"Of course my Lady."

She takes another deep breath and steps back, though keeps a hand on me. "This must be so much worse for you."

"Me? Are you joking?"

"It would be for me if our roles were reversed."

As I think about it I realize that, as usual, there is wisdom in Rosa's words. If it was me struck sightless sure I would be scared, but the challenge would be immediate and mine to grapple with. I could start thinking and planning and finding ways to cope. I'd have some sense of control. But as Rosa's partner all I could do is worry about her and hope that I could find some way to ease her transition into unsighted life. I felt so helpless. Also, to be blunt, her suffering hurt far more than my own ever could. The bond of love is funny that way.

Still shook but far less brittle Rosa sweeps a foot behind her to make sure there was nothing she might step on then parts with me. She raises her chin and recaptures her poise. That resolute spirit that had seen her through so many hard times shines through.

In that familiar firm tone she uses when reestablishing her control she says. "Enough. I have a house to get in order, an arcane inheritance to explore, and an exceedingly unruly boy to train. I have no time for pity." She holds out her arms. "My boy. Dress me."

Despite it all, she makes me smile. "Yes my Lady."

As she stands waiting I find her an undertunic and slip it over her naked body. I attend to every detail, pulling her hair out to hang down her back and smoothing out the folds, before stepping back again. Seeing her like this reminded me of the silly little outfit she'd made for herself during our trip from Rome. How a woman could be so elegant and adorable simultaneously I would never know. I bring her stola and help her on with it as well.

"How do I look?"

"Radiant!"

Using my voice to zero in on me she gives me a look. "Thank you my sweet. Now...how do I look?"

"Uh...I just said..."

"If you were not you. If you were a neighbor or a visitor. How do I look?"

My eyes pan over her horns, her ears, her flowing hair, and her shapely body. "Sexy. I would want to steal you away. I would throw myself at your feet and promise you the world."

She laughs and shakes her head. "It's hopeless asking you. Cupid has you as blinded as Silvanus has me." She holds out a hand for me to take it, and I do. "You must be not just my eyes, precious boy, but also my mirror. I'll need you to be honest with me."

"Yes my Lady."

"Find our bathing things then take me to our river."

"Yes my Lady."

My mind is set at ease now that she was allowing me to help her. I lead her from the junk strewn room and out to the clear hall beyond. Taking care that her every step was a safe one I gather the towel, oil flask, comb, and the simple bronze strigil we'd picked up during our hasty shopping in Grumentum.

"They used to dry herbs in here." She sniffs the air. "We are in the kitchen."

"Yes my Lady."

Reaching out she feels through the air until she finds the counter she had pinned me against the night before. "You've been cleaning up."

Glancing at her in surprise I say. "Yeah. How can you tell?"

"It doesn't smell of rank wine anymore."

"Huh."

I bring her sandals close. She feels them with her toes and slips into them. Her hand still in mine I lead her out the back of the villa to the columned terrace. We walk to the end.

"There is a set of stairs to the right and the left." She says, her eyes closed. "There is a bench...just there." She extends her hand toward the nearest bench.

"Yes, that's right."

She nods. "Near the river is a gazebo. There is a fountain in the center of the garden."

"Yes, yes."

"I can see it in my memory." Letting go of my hand she takes a few tentative steps forward, me staying right at her side, until she feels the balustrade. "The land drops off beyond. I shall have to be careful out here." She smiles. "Mmm. There's lavender nearby!"

Peering over the edge I see a large purple tipped shrub of the herb just below us. "Yes my Lady. You noticed it before I did."

"I can hear the bees."

"The bush is busy with them."

"Lead on." She finds my shoulder and holds to my arm. "And tell me everything."

"Okay." I pull my arm in close and cover her hand in mine the start to walk. "We are taking the left set of stairs as it is more clear. Watch your step now." I slow to let her feel ahead for the first stone stair. "The air is clear. There are birds everywhere. Finches mostly."

"I hear them."

"The stairs are built into the natural slope. This place is steep. Makes you wonder why they built here in the first place." We hit the first landing and follow the dog-leg around to the next flight. "Everything is overgrown. The closer we get to the garden the less I can see. The path is relatively open though. The trees and bushes are so lush. I cannot see far into forest. There are shrines hidden among the foliage. I can see Venus but the rest are obscured."

"Venus?" Rosa says. "Naked no doubt."

I laugh. "She is actually."

"Attractive?"

"Very." I say. "If you're into that type."

"That type?"

"Non-Amazons. Kinda bland, ya know?"

Rosa giggles. A branch catches her arm and she stops to feel the texture of its leaves and take in its aroma. "Myrtle?"

"Yeah."

"There are medicines we can make with this." With crawling fingers she feels its wispy white blooms. She brings ones close to brush it across her cheek. Watching her with her eyes closed, smiling as she feels the tender flower against her skin, I am struck with my Lady's beauty all over again. Gods...what a woman. "It's flowering." She peeps. "What a sweet smell it has."

"So sweet." I grin as I watch my lover have this moment.

Our mood was lifting despite the tragedy of this morning. The remnants of our excitement from arrival still permeated the air. We had so much to discover about this place. And for Rosa's part I suspect that she had known something was coming since the harpy's lair. She hadn't known what her sacrifice would be but I think she knew it would come sooner rather than later. As bad as it ended up being, in a weird way, it must have been a relief to at least know her debt was paid.

When she is done we carry on. "Almost to the bottom. One more landing and then five more steps to the garden." I say. "The stairs are well built at least. Not one of them crumbling so far."

"Mmm. The air is fresh and...alive down here."

"The river borders this area on three sides." I say. "The winds from the open fields beyond would flow right through our forest."

"Our forest." She says softly. "I like that."

Stepping off of the last stair our feet hit smooth pebbled gravel. "What a mess. The garden's been flooded, who knows how long ago. Further on there is silt and branches and debris from the river. There are deer tracks everywhere, and others as well. There are benches, bird baths, statues, and the fountain of course, everything is dirty. So dirty. By the gods, this will be a job!"

Rosa opens her eyes and goes very still for a moment before whispering. "The trees are old here."

"Uh, yeah. There's some big ones for sure. Hey!" I cheer. "A fig! We have a fig!"

"We have a fig tree?"

"I love figs! I'm surprised it gets enough sun on an Eastern slope like this. Ha ha!"

She laughs with me and pats my belly. "I can tell somebody didn't get his breakfast. Let's get that bath and then we can eat."

"Yes my Lady."

I go to lead her onward but she stops me and with a voice as sweet as the fruit I was now craving asks. "Carry me Master?"

"That brings back memories!" I hunch down for her.

She climbs onto my back and clutches around my neck. Nuzzling into the side of my head she smells my hair. "Good memories."

As her willing and happy steed I start weaving along the garden path. I was happy to be carrying her again firstly because I liked it and secondly because the amount of detritus strewn around down here would have made guiding Rosa difficult. I suspected she knew that. Twigs and thorns catch at our clothing from the overgrown verge but nothing enough to slow us down. I kick a jug from our path. "And more empty wine vessels. Gods Uncle Paullus, what a fine mess you left me."

"We'll clean it in time." Rosa says. "There is no rush."

"No rush? I have so much to do Rosa. I still haven't even figured out how I'll make a living here! That treasure won't last forever you know."

"But it won't be gone tomorrow either." She kisses me. "You are so strong and so full of vigor. So eager to get your work done. You want everything done right now."

"It was how I was raised."

"I know baby. But sometimes you just have to slow down for bit. We'll find a way." Rosa hugs me tighter. "Have faith in us Master."

My worries are eased at least for the moment. While I couldn't afford a life of leisure I could at least take some time to settle into my new surroundings. We had JUST arrived the night before from our grueling journey from Rome after all. We hadn't just earned a rest, we desperately needed one. My happy bum wasn't the only thing that ached. Every muscle in my body felt taut and stressed. And besides, the task in front of me was so enormous that I really had no choice but to pace myself.