Chapter 2

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun

(Mary Poppins)

The woman in front of me is intimidating. She's taller than me. Her lips are painted a dark burgundy color. What intrigues me most is the strange way she is dressed. Her legs are covered in boots and some sort of tight leather pants. You can see the exact shape of her toned legs.

I swallow a mouthful of salvia. On her upper body she's wearing a corsette but it's of a thicker material than the ones I have to wear under my dresses. Her waist is wonderfully small. Her chest is voluptuous and milk white against the black color of her clothing. My heart suddenly beats faster.

She smiles but it's not a friendly smile. It doesn't reach her brown eyes.

"How you dare stare at your Queen like this? To your knees!"

My legs instantly submit to her command. I drop down, lowering my head to the dust beneath me. I try to rise up again but somehow it's impossible. She's keeping me in this humiliating position by her will. Is this some sort of dark magic?

"Your majesty?" I whisper, remembering how the guards have addressed her earlier. "Please let me go."

She makes a gesture with her left hand and my body, will-less, moves upright again. I still keep my gaze to the ground. Staring at people above your status is impolite. She has no clue who I really am. How could she with all the filth I'm covered in.

"What are you doing at my lake?"

"Just passing through," I mumble. It is awkward to speak to her. My hands are clammy. She intimidates me in a strange way.

"It's forbidden to pass through my kingdom. You are either very brave or very stupid."

Her gloved fingertip lifts my chin up. She looks me over as if I'm some kind of strange creature like she hasn't seen one before.

"What's your name, girl?"

I hesitate. I am a bad liar, but I don't want to risk my true identity as Princess Emma to be revealed. I look to the side where the guards have stapled the dead swans on a pile. It looks like they are going to set them on fire. That's strange. Didn't they hunt them for their meat?

"What's your name, girl. I won't ask again."

"S-s-swan," I stutter. "My name is Swan."

Xxxx

Her majesty smiles again. Her lips curl up and she laughs hearty and presses her hands against her rounded hips.

"Your parents named you Swan? How ridiculous. Peasants are really simpletons."

She walks around me and I barely dare to breathe while she does it.

"You're not very tall."

"My mother isn't tall either. None of the women in our family were."

"Your feet look like you travelled a great distance. From what kingdom are you?"

"S-s-snow W-w-white's and King James,"

Something in her expression changes suddenly. The hint of curiosity in her eyes vanishes. Now, it seems like she's glowing with anger.

"Have you ever met them?"

"No," I respond. "I used to work in the kitchen of the castle but I never saw the queen and king."

"Did you see their bratty daughter, the princess? Is it true that she has ears like a bat?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I have not seen the Princess Emma either. Not close enough to judge the shape of her royal ears."

She laughs then steps closer and pushes my hair behind my left ear.

"Your ears are small and well-shaped. They are filthy though. You are terribly dirty."

I blush. It makes me feel even dirtier that she is pointing out that I'm unwashed.

"What are you doing so far from home, Swan?"

I tell her as much of the true story as I can risk. I run away from home because my parents wanted to marry me off against my will.

"I know how you feel." She tells me. There is a wave of compassion in her strict voice now. It gives me hope.

"When I was your age, I was wed to a man many years my senior."

I wonder if she's still married to the old man. Is she dressed all in back because she's a widow?

"Where are you planning on going now, Swan?"

"I'm trying to make it to the sea and get on a ship."

She points to my injured feet and laughs.

"Get on a ship? Do you plan on becoming one random pirate's whore?"

I shake my head. "No, it's not like that. I can work."

"On your back, girl, or on your knees. That's the only kind of work you will find at the harbor."

My face turns hot. I didn't run away from my future husband to be forced to sleep with countless other men. The thought makes me taste bitter bile in my mouth.

"I didn't consider this in my plan."

"Thinking is not your strong point. Tell me, girl. Do you know how to read?"

"A little,"

"Do you know how to tend to a lady's needs?"

"A little,"

Her red lips morph into the tiniest smile possible.

"Then, I have a little suggestion for you, Swan."

She wants me to work for her as a personal maid. My pride feels hurt by the thought of serving someone but I guess this is still the better option than the pirates. How hard can it be to do her hair and keep her dresses in order? I've watched the servants at my parents' court do it for me all my life.

One of the guards lifts me up to sit behind him on the horse. I'm happy that they aren't making me walk on foot. We follow behind a black carriage. She really seems to have a thing for dark colors. I wonder why that is.

"You are lucky the Queen is in a good mood today." He tells me. "I've seen her strick down entire villages if someone there displeased her."

I risk a look back, seeing a fire burning near the lake. They really set the swans on fire. I don't understand it.

"Why did you kill all the beautiful swans?"

He leans closer. His breath reeks of herbs and wine but he's friendly to me.

"You need to learn not to ask questions when you are in the Queen's service. I will answer you though to sate your curiosity."

His voice becomes a whisper. It's like he's trying to make sure nobody can hear him apart from me.

"The Queen has ordered for all the swans in the kingdom to be killed."

"Why would she do such a cruel thing?" Killing swans is simply barbaric to me.

"There's an old prophecy that a swan would be her heart's undoing. That's why she is trying to get rid of these animals."

We reach a drawbridge. The walls of the castle are dark and covered in poison ivy. The guard helps me down from the horse.

"Welcome to the castle of Queen Regina. She's also called the Evil Queen, so be careful what you say and do, if you wish to keep your life and your tongue. This warning is free, girl."

I look up. The sky is red and orange and very low. What kind of nonsense that the sun never touches the ground in this kingdom.

In my head I do some math. The Evil Queen was around before my birth. That means she had to be a great deal older now than she looks like. Is she keeping herself young with the help of dark magic?

I wonder how it must be like to have this sort of power. All I can do with the little magic I possess is light fires and shut doors. Nobody has ever taught me if I'm capable of doing more. The blue fairy insisted I need to hide my abilities from my parents. Having magic is not a very common skill around princesses.

You're not a princess anymore, I remind myself as I walk through the gate. All you can ever be here is Swan, the queen's new maid.

Xxxx

The water they bring me to wash myself is cold. I still love it. There is a piece of lavender soap that I use to wash my filthy hair and the rest of me. I scrub my body while my teeth chatter from the cold. Shortly later I feel clean again. The feeling is amazing. I dress in the plain white dress that has been placed on my narrow bed.

The chamber is tiny but it's a million times better than having to sleep on the forest floor. My room is next to the chambers of the Queen. It is probably to ensure I am quick to get to her in case she demands anything from her new maid.

I brush my hair with my fingers for the lack of a comb. At least it's smooth now and freed of forest dirt.

A pale-nosed servant boy knocks on my door. He stutters. His face is a red between the countless freckles.

"Y-y-you the new maid?"

I nod my head. "My name is Swan."

"Y-y-you need to p-p-prepare t-t-he bath for the q-q-queen. H-h-hurry u-u-up."

Preparing the bath for my new mistress means carrying countless buckets of boiling hot water down from the kitchen up to her chambers. It seems to take forever until the marble tub is filled with steaming water. I see the bottles with perfumes and oils standing on a shelf nearby. An exotic aroma fills my nose when I open one of them. I try some more. Some scents are floral, like lily and roses. Some smell like cinnamon and other herbs. Eventually I decide on an oil with a divine, sweetly smell and pour some of it into the bath water.

I place some towels near the fire place to make sure they get warmed up.

"Aren't you finished yet? You are taking forever."

The Queen seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I didn't even hear a door moving. This is strange but I better get used to strange while I'm being here.

"Have you swallowed your tongue, Swan?"

"I'm sorry, your majesty. Your bath is ready now. Enjoy."

I curtsy and am about to turn around when she grabs my sleeve.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Uhm, you said you wanted to take a bath, your majesty."

She rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue. "Yes, I want to. You are my maid. It's your job to help me with it. Now, come on. Help me to undress before the water runs cold again."

I've never undressed another person before. I have no idea where to start. She's intimidating me when she looks at me with this icy glare.

My hands begin to move automatically. I loosen the strings of her corset enough to be able to pull it over her head. Her breasts are supple and round. I try not to stare at their pinkish tips while I make a clumsy attempt to remove her strange leg clothing. They fit so tightly that I have to place my one hand on her hip while pulling with the other one.

Her undergarments are easier to remove. All over her body her skin is very pale and looks very smooth. I risk a glimpse between her thighs. For some strange reason she's completely hairless there. I can see her bare womanhood and it makes my head spin with dizziness. My heart is racing. I want to not stare at her naked body, but it seems like my eyes won't follow my brain's command. She is…magnificent.

"Swan, I'm getting cold here. You need to work a little faster. Help me into the tub."

My hand is quivering when I take hers and guide her into the tub. She sinks into the warm water and leans back with a sigh.

"Heavenly. You picked my favorite scent."

I force my knees to perform another curtsy. They feel boneless. Is this some kind of spell she's forcing upon my confused body?

"I'm most happy you're enjoying your bath, your majesty. May I go now?"

"I tell you when you can leave. Grab the sponge from the shelf and start cleaning me."

She holds up her left arm in a bored gesture.

I tremble. I can't manage to get it under control. My hands dunk the sponge into the warm bath water. Then I let it glide over the Queen's left arm. I hold her hand while I wash the arm carefully and repeat the same with her other arm.

She leans a bit forward so I can wash her back in slow circles down her spine. Now and then soft moans leave her lips. The sound makes my insides clench tight.

"You need to wash my hair now. Make sure no soap gets into my eyes. I can't stand that."

With a golden cup I pour water over her hair. It's dark and sleek, very different from my own blonde curls. I gather soap between my hands and massage it gently into her scalp.

She moans again. I wish that she would stop making these noises. They are having a bizarre effect on my body. I'm sweating and strangely throbbing between my legs. I feel moist there. What in heaven's name is happening to me?

After I manage to rinse the soap out of the queen's hair again, she grabs my wrist.

"Are you unwell, Swan?"

"Just a bit warm, your majesty, I'm just a bit warm."

"You'll get used to the heat. I like having my chambers a warm temperature. The cold is nothing I enjoy."

"Yes, your majesty."

I dunk the sponge into the water again and start washing her neck and shoulders. Slowly, I let the sponge glide lower. Will she expect me to wash her here too?"

"You can wash my breasts. They aren't going to bite you."

I'm glad to have the warmth in the room as an excuse for my flushed face. I touch her breasts as lightly as possible with the sponge. Still, the nipples get hard when I brush over them. My thumb develops a will of its own and touches the right one feather lightly.

The Queen jumps. Water splatters over the edge of the tub. I want to run away but my legs won't move. I am like paralyzed.

"I'm sorry, your majesty."

"What for? There's no harm done."

She takes the sponge from me and cleans herself between her legs. I'm still puzzled how she can be completely bare down there. I wonder how smooth the skin would feel like under my fingertips.

"Get one of the towels."

I wrap it around her and help her step out of the tub. I rub her shoulders and arms dry.

"What do you want to wear?" I ask while I'm walking over to her closet.

"Don't bother with it, Swan. Help me to dry off. I never wear anything to bed. I like sleeping naked."

Xxxxx

I'm dead tired but can't manage to fall asleep. Instead I lie on my bed, feeling the sweat pour down the sides of my face. Maybe, I'm about to start a fever. My mind won't stop circling around the embarrassing bath tub scene.

I memorize the Queen's wet, naked body. I can picture the way her breasts heaved every time she took a breath. My skin prickles when I remember washing her pale skin. I rub the pad of my thumb over my lips, the same thumb that touched the hardened pebble of her nipple earlier. The memory makes me all fuzzy in the head.

My thighs automatically press together. It helps a bit with the strange friction I'm feeling down there. I pulse. It's like my heartbeat is magically very much lower on my body. This is magical.

I blow out the candle by my bed. If I dared to use my magic, would the Queen notice it? Can people who have magic sense each other? Would she mind having me here, if she knew I'm capable of doing things?

Underneath the woolen blanket my hand glides up to cup my breasts through the cotton fabric of my night gown.

I like sleeping naked.

The Queen's words echo in my ears. I imagine her lying in the big canopy bed in the room next to mine. Her naked body wrapped in silken soft sheets.

I wonder how it would feel to touch her, touch her everywhere. Even the most intimate spot between her well-shaped thighs. She's the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes on. I desire her. The way I feel about her is of a wicked desire. I can never let anyone know of it.

My mouth forms a low groan that I suppress by biting into the blanket.

I cup my breasts, rubbing my thumbs over my nipples that turn hard under my touch. I pinch them and feel them pulsing from the touch.

I remember the moaning noises the Queen was making when I was washing her hair. Could it be that she enjoyed my touch that much? Was it possible I was making her feel these strange tingle in the very depth of her belly like she was making me?

The urge to touch myself more intimately becomes overwhelming. I push my night gown up over my belly. My fingertips slide down my upper body. I'm slick and hot between my legs.

I circle my fingertips up and down my slit and shiver. My body is on fire. I circle and rub a bit stronger on the top where the touch makes me quiver. The muscles in my abdomen tense. I want to stop touching myself but the sensations are too pleasurable so I continue.

The candle next to my bed lights up again in a strange flickering flame that looks a deep purple color. A divine smell enters my nose. Is the candle infused with perfume?

I close my eyes shut while my fingers continue with the forbidden caresses between my legs. I rub through slick folds in faster and faster circles until I feel like I'm melting. The very core of myself is melting into the warm, moist liquid pouring from inside me. I've never been so incredibly wet before. My thighs and buttocks tense. I shudder as the pulsing from between my legs spreads though my entire body in waves of pleasure. The sensation is followed by a sweet, tiring feeling of relaxation.