I return home to my castle as a light rain begins to fall overhead. The beautiful hilly countryside shows off my estates bountiful fruit - vineyards. The rain in this dry season will do them some good. This is my sanctuary from the outside world and the bickering pettiness of parliament. Here is where she is. But as I walk into the main foyer and grand hall I notice something... she has not greeted me yet - another inconvenience in a day full of them. The sun has long since set and the evening is just beginning. These halls bring me no comfort as I walk down them to my study. I am the last lord of this estate. Around me is a museum to this lineage, kept perfect and preserved to entertain those of importance. But this is not for me.
I lay down on my couch; the cushioned hardwood supports my weary frame from a day of dealing with pretenses. The falsities of the outside world grate on my stature. From the peasant to the Lord, each is a disgusting bundle of secrets. Lies and masks consume those outside these walls to protect their frailties. Strength is in honesty, pain, and the ability to weather its brutal face. The other lords and fat merchants do not heed my arguments that the civil unrest will soon boil over.
My rantings on The Outside are interrupted by her soft footsteps as she enters my parlor - my muse, my angel, and my devil. She speaks not a word by takes her place by my side, kneeling beside me. With a graceful sweep she pulls her long dark hair up and drapes it over my torso as she lays her head on my thigh. I can almost feel the soft curves of her skin through the leather of my breeches. The somehow cool touch sends ripples through my being and washes away my concerns. My fingers caress her tresses, and follow a long lock to its tip. I bring it to my face and breathe in the scent. She perfumes it every day, and every day I try to determine the exact mixture she uses. Lilacs....orange peel... cinnamon oil... and that silent smell. I can never determine what it is, but it invigorates the senses like cold air and bright sunshine in the morning. It makes me lift my head up and gaze upon her, drinking in every fine detail of her being that she has worked so hard to perfect for me just for this evening.
Her wine colored gown is modest and unfrilly, yet lavish still in its simplicity of the textile. With her hair tossed over me her neck is left exposed to the air, and my eyes follow the curve of her ear and down it. Soft smooth unblemished skin accented by a simple pear shaped silver pearl earring. The contours of her neck direct my attention down her shoulder, distracting me from her most deliciously bewitching feature. Her bosom moves ever so slightly as she breathes, soft ample mounds exposed above the confines of her garment hypnotically capture my gaze. My thoughts have completely left me and are hers now.
I reach down and stroke her cheek, and she sighs slightly in response. A hooked finger curves the sensual backside of her ear and causes her to angle her head ever so slightly towards me. My palm glides over her skin and down her neck. My finger trails that divider between skin and fabric over her shoulder and around each of those divine globes ever so slowly. I watch as the heaving of her excited breath causing her bosom to rise and fall dramatically, making it difficult to skirt that fine line between fabric and flesh. She is my savior; I owe her as much as she owes me. She is my pet, and my keeper.
I lift her head with my hand and look into her brown eyes. They gaze blankly back at something far behind me. Even still, I read her thoughts and her desires in that one look. Without another word she lifts herself up slowly and gracefully to adjourn to the next room. I too, rise and wander slowly over to the plain harpsichord sitting against the side wall. Unlike other musical instruments that could be found decorating this mansion with their ornate moldings and rich trim, this one's elegance can not be seen, it can only be heard. Atop it sits a glass of wine poured in expectation of my arrival. I take my seat and lift the glass to my lips. The aroma hints that it has aired enough to quench my thirst without overpowering my palate. And just so it is exquisite, as my pet is an excellent selector of vintage. My fingers find their place at the keys, but my mind is not yet ready to unleash them. The tensions of the day have not yet been released, so I too adjourn to the next room to seek my pet.
This room was once a solarium with wide windows through which the garden could be seen. The balcony outside the window shields occupants from prying eyes from below while those inside can see the treetops and the hedges below them. The stars tonight are hidden behind the clouds. The furnishings of this room were removed and I converted it to entertain my nightly pleasures. My pet already has a fire going in the hearth to banish the chill night air. I watch her glide slower across the floor. She can tell I am watching her even though her back is too me. Her small hands lift her hair and pull it over her left shoulder, exposing the back of her neck and dress to me. I can see the lacings of the gown clearly, and I admire their craftsmanship. The adjustments she made to them clearly were not meant to last long. At least, not with what I intended to do.