People actually shrieking in agony because of that
cliffhanger? Didn't mean to cause sorrow and despair...
here's the next part, anyway.
Don't worry, January, I understand! I hope everything is fine for you, now. Perhaps AnGi Kitty will share the job?
Chapter 12
Ozzie's Fort - 600 A.D.
When she came out of the bathroom twenty minutes after, holding the bundle of her clothes and trying to look inconspicuous, Auree found her master sitting on the bed with a thick book in his hands. He had changed the brown bathrobe with a black dressing-gown, removed the hairpins holding his long braid and was slowly sipping some tea. He raised his head and smiled.
«Wasn't it nice?»
«Yes, really...thank you, sir»
«Are you leaving?»
«Well...yes...»
Flea closed the tome.
«You could stay, you know. It's so cold in your chamber» he said pleasantly.
Auree couldn't articulate any intelligible word; she shrugged helpless, waving the bunch of clothes in a vague gesture.
How foolish I must look, she thought, enraged, I'm not even sure he has meant that...perhaps I misunderstood a perfectly innocent sentence.
Then Flea shot at her his wonderful smile and Auree nearly meltedThe next thing she saw was her master picking the clothes from the floor and returning them to her. But, when she took the clothes, he didn't let them go. He stared into her eyes.
«You have no real need for this stuff, now. Forget about it...»
He tossed the clothes on a chair in the corner.
«Stay with me, Auree...please»
I'm not imagining this, she had to repeat to herself.
«I...don't know, sir. We...shouldn't...»
«Why not?»
«It doesn't seem right...»
« To whom?»
Auree looked at him and remembered her unsolveddoubt. She couldn't take a decision before knowing every aspect of the situation. She chose to risk a direct questioning.
«Sir...forgive me...I must know» she murmured, deeply embarrassed «I don't understand...what exactly are you?»
Flea looked surprised for a moment, as if he really hadn't expected that, then he burst into laughter. He needed some time to calm down. Auree had blushed, but she was relieved seeing that her master hadn't taken offense at her words.
«What am I?! WellI'm a beautiful creature, can't you see?» he answered, chuckling.
She kept her gaze on the floor.
Flea regained his composure and, hands on his hips, gave her a mischievous gaze.
«Look at me. Look at me really close. What do you think?»
«I don't know...»
«You've seen that my...underwear...is different from yours...because unfortunately I'm lacking some female features»
«But many girls are...er...defective in that area, sir, or they think they are...and they wear padded things. It doesn't demonstrate anything»
«You always call me »
«You say you're a man»
«And you don't believe me...fascinating. Tell me...what do you want me to be?»
The Mystic reached Auree and embraced her tenderly, whispering directly into her ear. His warm breath made the skin of her neck tingle.
«You could check this easily now...I'm wearing nothing under this silk»
«Oh! Flea...I mean, sir...»
He kissed her neck and shoulder and she almost shrieked for the violence of emotions that exploded inside her. But her body was trembling so pathetically that he let her go.
«No? I thought...you were waiting for it»
«Y-yes...sir» she admitted, with a broken voice.
Flea raised a hand.
«Oh, please...You can't still call me ! All this stuff about master and slave...it's just a game, don't take it seriously»
«But...sir...what are you saying? I am your slave!»
«A horrible thing...never agreed about this. Well, I hate humans -except you- and I would like to sweep them away from this world...I don't mean dead, mind you. Just...out of the way. Out of the land that once was ours. Had it been my choice, I'd never had taken any of you»
He thought about this and sighed.
«...and I'd never have met you. Uhm...it seems I owe Ozzie something, after all...»
«But...sir?»
«Please, STOP IT! Call me simply Flea, it's my name. Er...no, actually it isn't, but this is the way I like to be called. It's the nickname my mother gave me»
«None of your servants does this»
«The Imps? The Diablos? The Henches? No, they don't...and they will not do it as long as I live. They must show respect»
He suddenly took her hand.
«But we were talking about something totally different from a debate about slavery, right? Ah...if you are sugar...no, I won't tell you!» he really uncertain about my gender, giggled, a hand gently caressing her back «ItYou've got to risk sometimes...»'s like a bet.
Auree had slipped in his arms again. She didn't oppose to his kisses
«...and is it actually important for you?»
I'd never have believed this of myself, was her thought while trying not to let him open her bathrobe too easily. She didn't try very hard, not as if she really didn't want it...just a bit for the sake of decorum.
Flea had cornered her against a wardrobe.
«Do you plan to hide inside it?» he chuckled «Well, it could be fun...»
He kissed her again with enthusiasm. Then quickly tried to wipe away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.
«Hey, I'm sorry...I was just...»
«Don't worry. These are tears of joy...»
«Didn't mean to scare you»
Then she leaned closer and pressed her lips on his, attempting to use her tongue like he usually did. The attempt was probably successful, because she heard him moaning softly into her mouth, his body tensing against hers. Auree became suddenly aware of his hand slipping beneath her robe and cupping one of her naked breasts, causing her to shiver.
She pulled away full of embarrassment and slightly scared.
She was frantically looking for the two extremities of her belt, but she couldn't find them. Flea grabbed her searching hand, putting the extremities of his belt in it.
«Pull these, he whispered «And open your present»
Without daring to raise her gaze to meet his, she obeyed.
«HAPPY BIIIIRTHDAY!!!» he cried brightly.
***
«See? Becoming thirty isn't so bad, after all»
She laughed softly.
«Still angry at me, honey?»
«No, I'm not...I wasn't angry...otherwise I wouldn't be here»
«Well, I'm really sorry for that stupid words of Gorgl's, Auree. I didn't mean to disrespect you. I got annoyed for what Gorgl was saying and...but I never laughed at you, never in my life!»
«It's all right. I overreacted»
«I won't do it again, however. I won't say a word about you and our relationship, to anyone...not to mention this night»
«Thank you»
Auree was clutching Flea's left arm, resting her head over his shoulder. Those words -our relationship- had sounded so beautifulSo he wasn't playing around with her feelings
«Not that I'm ashamed»
«I hope so»
«But...Flea, when you asked for a chambermaid...I mean...were you looking for a girl to seduce?»
Her voice had sounded harder than necessary. She still couldn't let herself hope.
Flea sighed, slightly hurt.
«Well...yes and no. I actually needed a chambermaid, as you have seen. This place was a disaster. But yes, I was feeling lonely and I hoped to find someone interesting for me...someone worthy»
«Worthy?»
«You're not thinking that I usually try to seduce whoever I met, are you? I need no toy. Not many people have shared my bed. I'm very selective»
He laughed.
«Not as selective as you, that's for sure!»
There was a long silence in the dimly lit room.
«Auree? I wasn't laughing at you...Auree? I only meant»
«I was just thinking about this. No... isn't the right word for me. I simply didn't feel...didn't...»
«You never felt desire for anyone before?»
«Just once. And he didn't want me»
«Silly man»
«He couldn't tell me, but I believe he considered meugly»
«What? And you believed that garbage?!»
«Flea...I don't know if you can understand how one can feel when...look, you're so beautiful»
He giggled.
«Thank you. But you're too»
«No...I'm insignificant, my face is nothing special and...»
«You're not a girl who can fascinate a man at first sight, true. But if he looks at you for long enough he can see your beauty! Your face is nothing special without make-up, but nobody is flawless...except me, of course! I'm joking. You're not accustomed to showing your beauty, to cultivate it...I'm trying to teach you. Not to change you, but to help...because you look so unhappy»
«You are filling me with sweet nonsense to lure me into your bed!»
«You are already in my bed»
«You want to lure me into staying in your bed forever!»
They laughed together.
«Seriously, Auree...You're a nice person, we are getting along so well...I like you, and I like to think we're friends. I never thought I could have a human friend! Yes, I like you for who you are...but...can I speak freely? I wouldn't have ever dreamed to make love to you if I wouldn't have liked your body as well. You know how important beauty is for me...»
Auree reflected about this for a long minute.
«But you couldn't see my body when you chose me, you couldn't know...»
«I followed my instinct, it seldom fails. I read something in your eyes, and decided to offer you an opportunity»
Outside it was raining. Auree could hear drops rattling gently at the windows. She sighed. It was a delightful sensation, staying there rolled up in warm, smooth sheets, laying besides her lover, while the dim light of a nearly consumed candle gave the room a cosy atmosphere...
«Never slept with a human before» he observed.
«We haven't slept yet»
«True. It was an euphemism»
«Could I sleep here?»
«No, I will dump you on the floor now that I'm satisfied!»
«A wonderful bed. Huge...perhaps five or six people could stay in it»
«I'm not sure I'd like that»
«I wouldn't. Just a phrase»
«It's not true that I like strange things. Auree?»
«What?»
«And you...when you answered my call...I mean, if you believed that I was choosing a girl for my bed, why did you offer yourself as a volunteer?»
A perfectly logical question. Auree should have expected it. But she hadn't and, although he had spoken in amused tones and was smiling without malice, she passed a horrible moment.
«But it was different...I mean...I did it...I mean...I wouldn't...»
«Yes?» he insisted, with a girlish giggle.
«I did it because...no, I'm not like those ones, like Yulanna!»
«Never thought this»
«Shouldn't judge her. It was because...You know, when I came here at this castle...I saw you and...From then I have always wondered if...well, I was...»
«What?»
«You know perfectly well what I mean!» she burst out «I fell in love with youthe third time I saw you...»
He gave a soft, satisfied sigh.
«That's what I read in your eyes. And...you fell in love with me when you didn't know for sure if I was a male? Ah...Maybe you've been disappointed finding out that I'm actually a...»
«No, not at all!»
Auree sighed sadly.
«You chose me for this. You knew how I was feeling about you! You knew it all...that I was spying on you, and following you around...»
«Why should I have chosen a girl who hated me, dear? Of course...That night in the banquet hall, by dropping a tray on Slash's feet, you made me notice you. Of course, when Gorgl arrested you, he told me...once in a thousand, he does something right. At that point, there were only two choices: you could have been a madwoman who wanted me dead, or...»
«...or an idiot who had a crush on you and was acting like a teenager»
«I had to find out the truth...why , honey? Being in love always compels you to do illogical things, and this is part of the fun. So I chose you and the other girls...because I couldn't simply ask you, can you see?...and offered the aforementioned opportunity»
«That meeting was a pretence»
«Not at all. I was going to actually hire the girl who would have volunteered» he sighed «I was truly happy to see it was you...ah, the way you melted like butter when I looked at you!»
Nobody spoke for several minutes. Then Flea asked, in a slightly worried voice:
«Do you feel offended by this, Auree?»
«No. Just...I really didn't imagine you remembered that tray accident...»
«I was depressed that night, and you lightened me up. That pompous loser of a Slash just deserved something like that...he was getting on my nerves. As usual! But why the third time, love? What happened the first and the second time you saw me, instead?»
Auree took her time for studying her emotions with care, and choosing the words.
«The second time I was scared...something struck me...I felt so uneasy and strange, I didn't realize at first that I was simply attracted by you...»
«And the first time?»
She cleared her throat.
«I...though you were a woman»
«Ah»
There was a very, very long silence. Then Flea's voice sounded like a quiet, dejected whining.
«Really?»
---
Chapter 13 will take some time...