The Wine Mistress
---------------.
"The societal view of the Courtesan.."
Red velvet touched the dark, gray swirled marble below her feet. She stood elegantly still as her servant, a younger girl in a similar dress except shorter and in silk, ran up to her with a scroll held between both her hands. The young girl reached her, quickly kneeling on one knee as she presented the opened scroll.
"83 suitors to pick from for the Grande De Gar ball tonight, my Lady," she spoke softly, eyes down for it was a strict rule to never look up at her master's face or eyes, "Which one will it be?"
Deep crimson eyes flickered annoyance for a moment before it retreated back to its calm form and gazed at the opened scroll in front of her. None of the names seemed to amuse or interest her in any way. The name she caught just then made her let out a 'tsk' from her dark red lips.
She spoke in an incinerating tone,"It's the fifth time he's asked me to accompany him this week. Disturbingly pathetic, that one," she reached a long, delicate finger to the name and tapped it once, "Give him a 40 day suspension."
Suspension of her services didn't sound very harsh when said, but for the man who recieves was more like punishment. The servant girl nodded, knowing that informing the man that he recieved the suspension would be a full night of having to listen to the man's begging. She quickly turned the roll to her and scratched a mark beside the name, then smoothed it back in front of her mistress.
Dull eyes once again scrolled the list of names, until they stopped at a peculiar male, who's name she had not heard of.
"Who is this man?" she lifted a finger to the scroll again, this time pointing to the name with the end of her perfectly shaped finger nails.
"A new Count in Belai, from Pomer'e [pronounced: Pom-err-eh]; he moved just last week, my Lady."
A pair of eyebrows lifted in wonder, "And.. his background?" she faced her servant and pushed the scroll aside, an indignition that she was permitting the girl to look up at her.
The girl did, and looked shyly at her master as she stood up with a nod, "I will as soon as possible, my Lady."
The crimson eyes watched as the girl turned to leave, but she held up a hand in front of her and spoke highly, "That won't be necessary. Inform Count Strife that I will be his escort for tonight."
Held in confusion, the servant stared dumbly at her master, wondering why her master did not think that a background check over this man was not sufficient for her in order to choose. Nevertheless, she held back her questioning, knowing what damage comes when you question the intelligence of her master.
"Yes, my Lady, I will inform him," she nodded again before hurrying off; the fair-skinned woman a distance away, watching her, expressionless in the face.
After the figure of the servant girl disappeared within her sight, she turned around to the dark hall she was walking through. There was barely any light in the large halls of her mansion; she had always prefer the dark over the sunlight. The very truth of all her reasons was clearly seen in her style of clothes.
Everything was dark; no light colors was ever seen her closet or room. She dressed in a way to show people that she was some creature of the night; in which is true in one way. Not that she would care if the people of the outside world would talk about her under their breath, as if she was a vampire, or a sinful slut; those words she chose to ignore a long time ago.
Clothes were not the only thing that made mouths speak falsely, her odd yet alluring behavior attracted much attention in the kingdom itself.
True, she was intellectual and incredibly up-to-date, but she talked a lot of the faults the world has. She would talk facts that would discriminate her line of work as well as the line of work most of her suitors participate in. It was something her suitors would often beg of her to not start an arguement for it (for their bosses and colleagues were invited to the party), and sometimes she would keep a promise to not let her disgust for this life grace her tongue, though it was not always kept.
Her black, high-heels clicked loudly on the marble as she kept her walking towards her room where some of her other servants stood waiting outside. She was ready to leave to visit the church, a habit she had always carried with her. It was already the evening, half past five in the grand clocks, and dusk was setting in outside in the November skies. The reason she would leave at dusk to visit was because she was not permitted to visit it during daylight.
Discriminating to her, of course, but it was a rule her society placed over her. Prostitutes who promisciously have multiple partners, and with money nevertheless, was very much looked down in the neutral society (most where the women). Even if she was a Courtesan, not really a prostitute, society claimed them all the same. And so, along with her fame of escorting, came the ranting from the jealousy of others. But she found it just fine for her taste, as city people other than her suitors expressed her to shame, for she found all of the world as silent enemies. Even people in the churches who claim to be close as one to God and yet find non-equals in this city, were her enemies. Even her suitors were her enemies.
As she entered her room with five others, she watched idly as her servants hurried to dress her in another velvet dress, this time black and dark blue, with its end dragging a good three feet behind her. One of her servants brought out her black cloak and gently placed it around her and over her shoulders; its hood over her head of long, mahogany strings of hair.
Five minutes later, she came down from the grand staircase in the middle of the Grand Hall area of her home, when the servant who brought her the scroll earlier, ran to meet her on the bottom of the stairs with a tall man with blond hair behind her. Her eyes stood unpleasingly over the man; she forbid men to enter her home without her honor of permission and yet there stood a man.
"What's the meaning of this?" she spoke slowly, but her tone sounded furious
The man eyed her in pleasure, evidently absorbed by the dark beauty of the woman on the bottom landing, "Count Strife, Ms. Lockheart," he bowed shortly and presented a boquet of rare violet lilies and dark-green ferns, "I would like to thank you for picking me as your suitor tonight. I'm very glad you have chosen me."
Her eyebrows moved towards the ceiling as she took the handfull of flowers, and her eyes calmed into a soft red, "Oh, why thank you Count Strife, but I have to ask you to leave now. I must go to my schedule to attend church, and party isn't until 9 o'clock tonight."
The man supressed his smile and nodded, "Sorry to have bothered you, Ms. Lockheart. Please pardon my 'may-be' extreme actions, because I am not very accustomed with escorts. You are my very first," he ended sheepishly.
She let her red lips contort into a friendly smile, "I will be sure to remember that, Count Strife."
Giving a short bow, the man exited with another smile, as the nerved, servant girl pulled him out of the mansion.
Exposed to the cool night air once more, the man ran towards his carriage down the u-shaped street and entered the compartment. He kept his driver from driving off and watched as the woman in black-velvet leave her home and enter her own carriage.
"So, what do you think of the 'Wine Mistress'?" came a voice from the hidden man across from him.
"She's like the all the world's beauty, wrapped in shadow of velvet and silk," he admired breathlessly, and turned to the man across from him with the question, "She lacks a bit in hospitality though."
The other man smiled back at him, "Not at all. You broke a rule in her home by entering in without her welcome," he watched as the blond man nodded and crossed his arms, "Just you wait until tonight. Tifa just can't give her respects and hospitality to others until she puts her 'game face' on."
--End of Chapter 2--
A/N: Thanks to the reviewers ^_^. Much love to you all.
---------------.
"The societal view of the Courtesan.."
Red velvet touched the dark, gray swirled marble below her feet. She stood elegantly still as her servant, a younger girl in a similar dress except shorter and in silk, ran up to her with a scroll held between both her hands. The young girl reached her, quickly kneeling on one knee as she presented the opened scroll.
"83 suitors to pick from for the Grande De Gar ball tonight, my Lady," she spoke softly, eyes down for it was a strict rule to never look up at her master's face or eyes, "Which one will it be?"
Deep crimson eyes flickered annoyance for a moment before it retreated back to its calm form and gazed at the opened scroll in front of her. None of the names seemed to amuse or interest her in any way. The name she caught just then made her let out a 'tsk' from her dark red lips.
She spoke in an incinerating tone,"It's the fifth time he's asked me to accompany him this week. Disturbingly pathetic, that one," she reached a long, delicate finger to the name and tapped it once, "Give him a 40 day suspension."
Suspension of her services didn't sound very harsh when said, but for the man who recieves was more like punishment. The servant girl nodded, knowing that informing the man that he recieved the suspension would be a full night of having to listen to the man's begging. She quickly turned the roll to her and scratched a mark beside the name, then smoothed it back in front of her mistress.
Dull eyes once again scrolled the list of names, until they stopped at a peculiar male, who's name she had not heard of.
"Who is this man?" she lifted a finger to the scroll again, this time pointing to the name with the end of her perfectly shaped finger nails.
"A new Count in Belai, from Pomer'e [pronounced: Pom-err-eh]; he moved just last week, my Lady."
A pair of eyebrows lifted in wonder, "And.. his background?" she faced her servant and pushed the scroll aside, an indignition that she was permitting the girl to look up at her.
The girl did, and looked shyly at her master as she stood up with a nod, "I will as soon as possible, my Lady."
The crimson eyes watched as the girl turned to leave, but she held up a hand in front of her and spoke highly, "That won't be necessary. Inform Count Strife that I will be his escort for tonight."
Held in confusion, the servant stared dumbly at her master, wondering why her master did not think that a background check over this man was not sufficient for her in order to choose. Nevertheless, she held back her questioning, knowing what damage comes when you question the intelligence of her master.
"Yes, my Lady, I will inform him," she nodded again before hurrying off; the fair-skinned woman a distance away, watching her, expressionless in the face.
After the figure of the servant girl disappeared within her sight, she turned around to the dark hall she was walking through. There was barely any light in the large halls of her mansion; she had always prefer the dark over the sunlight. The very truth of all her reasons was clearly seen in her style of clothes.
Everything was dark; no light colors was ever seen her closet or room. She dressed in a way to show people that she was some creature of the night; in which is true in one way. Not that she would care if the people of the outside world would talk about her under their breath, as if she was a vampire, or a sinful slut; those words she chose to ignore a long time ago.
Clothes were not the only thing that made mouths speak falsely, her odd yet alluring behavior attracted much attention in the kingdom itself.
True, she was intellectual and incredibly up-to-date, but she talked a lot of the faults the world has. She would talk facts that would discriminate her line of work as well as the line of work most of her suitors participate in. It was something her suitors would often beg of her to not start an arguement for it (for their bosses and colleagues were invited to the party), and sometimes she would keep a promise to not let her disgust for this life grace her tongue, though it was not always kept.
Her black, high-heels clicked loudly on the marble as she kept her walking towards her room where some of her other servants stood waiting outside. She was ready to leave to visit the church, a habit she had always carried with her. It was already the evening, half past five in the grand clocks, and dusk was setting in outside in the November skies. The reason she would leave at dusk to visit was because she was not permitted to visit it during daylight.
Discriminating to her, of course, but it was a rule her society placed over her. Prostitutes who promisciously have multiple partners, and with money nevertheless, was very much looked down in the neutral society (most where the women). Even if she was a Courtesan, not really a prostitute, society claimed them all the same. And so, along with her fame of escorting, came the ranting from the jealousy of others. But she found it just fine for her taste, as city people other than her suitors expressed her to shame, for she found all of the world as silent enemies. Even people in the churches who claim to be close as one to God and yet find non-equals in this city, were her enemies. Even her suitors were her enemies.
As she entered her room with five others, she watched idly as her servants hurried to dress her in another velvet dress, this time black and dark blue, with its end dragging a good three feet behind her. One of her servants brought out her black cloak and gently placed it around her and over her shoulders; its hood over her head of long, mahogany strings of hair.
Five minutes later, she came down from the grand staircase in the middle of the Grand Hall area of her home, when the servant who brought her the scroll earlier, ran to meet her on the bottom of the stairs with a tall man with blond hair behind her. Her eyes stood unpleasingly over the man; she forbid men to enter her home without her honor of permission and yet there stood a man.
"What's the meaning of this?" she spoke slowly, but her tone sounded furious
The man eyed her in pleasure, evidently absorbed by the dark beauty of the woman on the bottom landing, "Count Strife, Ms. Lockheart," he bowed shortly and presented a boquet of rare violet lilies and dark-green ferns, "I would like to thank you for picking me as your suitor tonight. I'm very glad you have chosen me."
Her eyebrows moved towards the ceiling as she took the handfull of flowers, and her eyes calmed into a soft red, "Oh, why thank you Count Strife, but I have to ask you to leave now. I must go to my schedule to attend church, and party isn't until 9 o'clock tonight."
The man supressed his smile and nodded, "Sorry to have bothered you, Ms. Lockheart. Please pardon my 'may-be' extreme actions, because I am not very accustomed with escorts. You are my very first," he ended sheepishly.
She let her red lips contort into a friendly smile, "I will be sure to remember that, Count Strife."
Giving a short bow, the man exited with another smile, as the nerved, servant girl pulled him out of the mansion.
Exposed to the cool night air once more, the man ran towards his carriage down the u-shaped street and entered the compartment. He kept his driver from driving off and watched as the woman in black-velvet leave her home and enter her own carriage.
"So, what do you think of the 'Wine Mistress'?" came a voice from the hidden man across from him.
"She's like the all the world's beauty, wrapped in shadow of velvet and silk," he admired breathlessly, and turned to the man across from him with the question, "She lacks a bit in hospitality though."
The other man smiled back at him, "Not at all. You broke a rule in her home by entering in without her welcome," he watched as the blond man nodded and crossed his arms, "Just you wait until tonight. Tifa just can't give her respects and hospitality to others until she puts her 'game face' on."
--End of Chapter 2--
A/N: Thanks to the reviewers ^_^. Much love to you all.