Casden Baracon woke his sister with an unceremonious shake of the shoulder, she had been laid sleeping fairly peacefully these early morning hours. But now, rudely awoken as she was, she was confronted with the sun higher than she had anticipated, she had slept in. Rubbing her bleary eyes she mumbled an apology yet her brother shook his head.
"You've been summoned to the Spiridon's."
"With Enza?" She yawned, thinking little of it for a moment, but again her brother shook his head. "On your own."
Aelis' heart sank and her stomach churned so painfully that her arms wrapped around it to stifle the noise. Casden could hardly miss the look of anxiety on his sister's face and yet he merely chuckled.
"The lady made you nervous did she?"
"I don't know how to take her… must I go?"
"We agreed…" Casden came and sat on the side of his sister's bed, pushing defiant waves aside and tucking them behind her ear. "She just wants you to wash her hair."
"I washed my own hair from being a child." Aelis remarked with almost scorn, regretting her acquiescence the day before.
"Well she is a lady, I doubt she's ever washed any of herself in her life, if so very little." Casden laughed again but Aelis could not respond in kind.
"I suppose I could go…"
"There's no suppose!"
"But Casden!"
"Enough!" He barked and he pulled her to her feet, his eyes larger and more commanding than she had seen in a long time. She struggled to remain steady on her feet. "You'll go and do as you're bid, Aelis!"
For a moment the pair just looked at each other, Casden's term 'do as your bid' clearly irking that hidden defiance in Aelis, in truth it was a shared trait. Looking as they did, glaring at one another, it was evident beyond anything that they were siblings. She dared his gaze which both impressed and annoyed him, yet in the end it was he who relented, taking her gently by the shoulders.
"You gave your word." He said more kindly this time. Aelis regarded her brother for a long moment, her own gaze softening to meet his tone and finally she nodded.
A little while later, Aelis arrived at House of Spiridon, its large grey turrets towering forebodingly above her. The servant commanded to bring her took her to the rooms occupied by Lady Merta Spiridon and Aelis' stomach knotted in agonizing worry as they ascended the spiral stone staircase. At last, the servant knocked on a large oak door and a cold voice from within called for them to enter.
The servant explained he was no longer required and that she should go in herself, this only added to Aelis' agony. The servant vanished and inhaling deeply, Aelis entered the room. Inside she found the room in semi darkness, the curtain still being drawn, yet across the room she could make out a lady seated upright in bed.
"What do you want?" Merta asked curtly, her tone making Aelis' blood run cold at first but then she became confused.
"Did you… not send for me?" Aelis stuttered.
"What?" Merta barked.
"I was told my lady that you wished me to come and wash your hair today."
Merta withdrew from the bed, her long night dress floating as she moved towards the curtain. Yanking it back, the room flooded with daylight and Aelis raised a hand to spare her eyes.
"Oh, it's you." Merta realised, "No… that is… perhaps I gave instruction last night… I don't recall."
"I'm sorry to disturb you… I can go…"
Merta came forward and scrutinised Aelis intensely from tip to toe, then reaching out a hand she toyed with a curled ringlet between her dainty fingers.
"Such lustour." Merta observed, twirling it around her finger before releasing its coiled spring. "What is it that you do?"
"Only…" Aelis began but lost her train of thought under the penetrating gaze of Merta, her head bowing. In a moment she felt those slight fingers tip her head upwards again and the women's eyes met once more.
"You were saying?" Merta asked, her voice like silk.
"I… just honey and egg my Lady." Aelis replied, trying to manage a sense of confidence.
"Such everyday items… you have an endless supply of these do you?"
"My brother thinks it is important I look… presentable for his premises."
"I see." Merta nodded, smirking a little. "He wishes the only virgin at the whorehouse to be the most ripe and appealing. How does he know no one might take a sly chance when you step out for a moment? Men are brutes you know."
"My brother takes care of him, my Lady." Aelis said.
"I was married before I bled you know." Merta replied, moving to her dressing table and seeking to untie the long plait. "Do help me will you?"
Aelis moved towards her and with gentle fingers, began to unweave the taut plait and run her fingers through the waves from root to tip. Merta seemed to like this attention so she remained this way for some time. Her stomach lacked the tension of before, but Aelis felt far from at ease.
"Is that all my Lady?" Aelis asked, seeing Merta become distant as the minutes past. The grand Lady before her regarded herself from left to right, studying her profile in the glass as the waves fell about her shoulders. Her jet black shock of hair was beautiful, the glisten like that of a raven's feather. Aelis knew all of this was a ruse to lure her to what end she knew not.
"Fetch Clegane." Merta said with a sudden firmness, as though the devious idea she had previously threatened sprung into her mind. Aelis' blood ran cold yet she withdrew as commanded and shut the door. Once this was done she ran down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her and proceeded to escape the confines of the Spiridon's residence as quick as she could. For twenty minutes or so she put a decent amount of distance between herself and that vile place but the sound of horse hooves soon made her stop. Turning to the direction of the noise, she recognised the rider instantly, it was Sandor Clegane.
Pulling violently at the reigns, Sandor brought the horse to a halt though it reared a little in defiance. Aelis waited as he dismounted, her cheeks burning at the sight of him after their conversation yesterday. She had not expected to see him so soon. Sandor came over to her, his face slightly disgruntled but that was his natural expression she often observed.
"Did a flit did you?" He asked, his voice lacking amusement but she suspected he found it almost funny.
"She did not send for me this morning, she did not remember doing so."
"So you thought you'd just go and she'd leave it there?"
"Why not?" Aelis explained. "She does not employ me."
"You know not to make an enemy of her, you're not stupid." Sandor replied, placing a hand firmly on her shoulder, it was an almost consoling act.
"I… I was afraid."
"I was to come for you tonight."
"Yes." She said. "I was not ready…I was not wanting…"
"To be sport for her."
"No."
"Then you should not have run." He continued, a small smile now on his face. "That is what she wanted. You did not hear her laugh as she saw you flee."
"Then what was I to do?" Aelis barked at last. "Allow myself to be…"
Aelis could feel the blood in her cheeks, the fury in her voice and she saw the look on Sandor's face change. Her mind recalled when he had grabbed her in the kitchen and this stopped her. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"I will not… we have… we have an arrangement."
"You still want to follow that?"
"Do you see me running from you?" Her response surprised him a little, but he remained serious in his expression now. He found her an odd little thing, her ripeness and passionate outbursts gave her a delicious allure but, again his unworthiness at such an idea appalled him. In a moment he mounted his horse and held out a hand to her. Aelis stepped nearer to the horse but instead of taking his hand, proceeded to stroke the smooth coat of the great beast he rode. The horse regarded her with caution as she caressed its neck but did not stir; it clearly knew its master well enough.
"He is a beautiful thing."
"His name is Stranger."
"How apt a name." Aelis remarked, a long, gentle caress falling on the horse's neck again, then she turned and took the hand of Sandor and was helped onto the great creature. Seated in front of him, she felt his two large arms surround her and take hold of the reigns again. Aelis felt completely dwarfed yet strangely, no longer scared. With one click to the reigns, they moved off, still putting distance between where they were and the Spiridon household. Yet Aelis noticed they were not heading in the direction of her brother's home either. At the next turn they went east, heading for dense woodland and where there were no eyes upon them. Aelis could not see Sandor at all and at no point turned her head to observe him. Instead she gazed at the impending horizon and nervousness fanned out from her stomach into her hands and feet. The woodland grew nearer and nearer, as did the increase of her heart's rhythm. What the next hours held for her she knew not, she could be facing her final ones, she may never leave the thick confines of the trees. But when she considered the scrutiny and smirk of Merta Spiridon, she considered nothing before her imminently could be less cruel in its calculation. This was to be her deflowering, anything that followed she knew not.