Chapter Two- Duties and Tour

Malie led Keiko into the throne room and down the plush red carpet to the ornate throne where Lionel sat. Malie bowed to Lionel. "Your slave as ordered, Master."

"Thank you, Malie. You are dismissed. Keiko, take your place." Lionel pointed to a large overstuffed cushion on his left as Malie left. Keiko went to it and almost sank into the cushion. It was certainly comfortable and knew she wouldn't be sore sitting beside Lionel.

Lionel nodded as Keiko took her seat. "Now, I will tell you what I expect from you in terms of etiquette and protocol. Ground rules, if you will.

"First, you will call me Master. When I give you an order or you greet me, you will bow or kneel and give the appropriate response. Understand so far?"

Keiko kneeled and said, "Yes, Master."

"Very good." Lionel nodded in approval. "You will stay by my side unless you are obeying my orders. I have a servant's quarters adjourned to my chambers. That will be where you will sleep."

Keiko pressed her face into the cushion. "Yes, Master." She found herself complying quite easily with the Master rule. In truth, it's not too different from addressing a teacher except I'm his slave, not his student. The thought of school and all she had just lost brought tears to her eyes. A stifled sob came out and reached Lionel's ears.

He turned his head to see the girl's shoulders shake, her head still bowed. "Keiko?" he asked and was a bit concerned when she lifted her head and he saw tears streaking her cheeks. "Keiko, why are you crying?"

Keiko hastily wiped them away and took deep breaths to compose herself. "I'm sorry…Master," she said between hitched gasps. "It's just that I'll…miss school and my friends…if I say here with…you."

"So you are smart as well as brave and strong. I like strong, smart people. I am sorry I took you from everything and everyone you know. Passage between our worlds is very rare and don't last long. Your life is here now."

"I…understand, Master." Keiko's gasps slowed and she was breathing normally again.

"Tell me more about yourself. I like learning about my staff's background. I may be able to provide something to make the transition easier."

"Well, I'm an only child and at school I…was class president and very active in clubs and after school activities. My parents run a restaurant."

Lionel listened to Keiko tell him about herself and thought of a couple of things that might ease her feelings of being trapped here. When she lapsed into silence, Lionel nodded. "That's quite the life you had."

"It was, Master."

"Allow me to share my history with you. After all, you are expected to be at my side at all times. I, too, was an only child. I had to make my own way when I was your age as my parents were dead by then and I learned the art of being charming and persuasive to get what I wanted. However, I ended up being caught and enslaved by a sadistic and cruel master. He was feared and hated by all he owned and everyone desired to see him dead but none dared oppose him. I was sixteen when I first started to serve him and I spent five years being abused and belittled until I was finally able to kill him. I became the lord of this fortress and I set all of my fellow slaves free, but some elected to stay and serve me. I vowed to never be cruel and abusive to those I own as I knew what it was like to be abused. It is a system that has worked for many years since then."

"So, everyone here serves you willingly, Master?" Keiko asked after several moments of silence.

"They do and I provide them with all the comforts: Plenty of food, a roof over their heads, and some manner of leisure activity." He rose and pulled Keiko to her feet. "Let me show you around and I will give you a surprise at the end of it."

Keiko was intrigued by the mystery surprise and followed Lionel as he began to give her a tour of her new home. Their first stop was his impressive bed chamber and her connecting room. She had to admit that her new room was larger than her room back home and felt that her enslavement was looking up a little. She thought back on Lionel's history as he showed her around.

He was abused while being a slave himself. Most ex-slaves upon becoming a lord or mater tend to emulate the ones who abused them. But, Lionel's different. His staff do not suffer abuse and are happy to serve him. He treats them nicely and would seem to threaten only occasionally as he did with me earlier. I refused to call him Master and he revealed to be a flesh-eating demon and said I could either be his slave or his food. Obviously, I prefer to live than die. Now that I know his background, I will serve him and be treated well.

"Here is one of my favorite places," Lionel said as they stepped through a doorway leading outside. Keiko gasped at the sight of a large and beautiful garden. Countless plants and flowers in dazzling colors were laid out as far as the eye could see and various trees formed small orchards in the corners of the area.

"Master, this is beautiful."

"Thank you. Some of these plants are used in potions to aid in healing, but others are used in other ways. I won't tell you any of those uses today, but eventually I will."

He led her back inside, Keiko suspecting that he was still unsure of her loyalty and if she wished to know those other uses he had mentioned, she had to prove she was willing to serve him faithfully and be glad to do so.

Lionel smiled to himself. He had just given Keiko a potential incentive to serve him faithfully. Most of his staff knew the effects of all the plants and flowers in the garden when mixed into a potion or formula. If she wishes to know, she knows what she had to do. Keiko has admitted to being a class president and I surmise that hints at a smart and fair-minded girl. Intelligent people have a thirst for knowledge to some degree and the look on her face at seeing the garden tells me she would love to learn about those plants she doesn't know.

Lionel went on to show her where the rest of the staff slept as well as the dining hall, the kitchen, the bathroom she and the staff would use, and the leisure room that had comfortable chairs, couches, tables, and where the staff ate.

"Now, my dear, is the time for that surprise I mentioned. You told me your parents run a restaurant. I wouldn't mind sampling some of those dishes at some point." Lionel paused at a set of double doors. "Behind these doors is your surprise." He threw open the doors and let Keiko enter first.

She stepped inside and gasped. An enormous library was laid out before her. There were bookcases several feet tall with ladders to reach the top shelves. Each case had dozens of shelves which, in turn, housed hundreds of books. The center of the room contained tables with chairs arranged around them.

"Master, this is incredible," she finally said. "I've never seen a library this big."

"Well, as the saying goes, knowledge is power. It's good to be physically strong but I believe being smart is also important."

"I agree, Master. Absolutely." She gazed at the room, turning in a circle with a smile.

Lionel also smiled. "I thought you would like the library so I save it for last. I would like to see you continue to learn and I will tell you when to read."

"And I will gladly do so. I would also be happy to serve you."

A deep gong sounded and Lionel smiled again. "That is the meal gong. It is dinnertime and for you to fulfill one of your duties. You will bring my dinner to me, then get your own, and sit beside me. As my personal slave, you will dine with me."

"Yes, Master," Keiko answered as she followed Lionel out of the library and to the dining room.