## Writer's Note
This is my attempt at a deep third person perspective. I swap the deep perspective between both main characters every chapter to give insight to each of their contemplations and desires. Additionally, it starts fairly slow. I enjoy a focus of setting and character development before any fun aspects come to fruition. These three chapters are mainly sensual, perhaps a little romantic with explicit content not overtly sexual... yet. I'm hoping to explore the story further in a more heated way soon. Let me know what you think.
## Story Description
An Empress named Eleanor, strained by a war waged on her empire by a kingdom of mages, gets assigned a new servant named Elias. She finds this new boy to have peculiar qualities and a curious demeanor that gets him in unforeseen scenarios. In holding a place of power above all else, the Empress grows weary not being able to have meaningful connections in her highly formal position. With the war escalating, the stress she undergoes makes her become easily distracted by this new servant who is uncertain of his new position under her. Through the gradual understanding they gain, they begin to navigate the complexities of where they stand within the power dynamic between them. With an Empress that desires more from their servant, and Elias who does not know how to traverse it, they make their best efforts to engage with each other in secrecy, trying to keep everything from falling apart, and most importantly, to maintain the charade for empire's inner circle witch would surely put an end to it.
# Chapter 1 : The Boy
It was late at night. The air was quiet but there was a noticeable tension. The war had reached a new level of escalation that insisted in filling the subconscious minds of anyone who ran from the thought. This escalation meant countless things. For many it meant a curfew, for some it meant saying goodbye to loved ones who had been called to serve. But here, none of these things had any bearing. Here it meant that the Empress's night was sure to run far later. It was not uncharacteristic for this to happen but it was a factor nonetheless. Her room was absent of her for this reason alone.
The room however, was not empty. A boy stood at the base of the tiled stone bathtub. He stared at his reflection within the pouring water, steam occluding much of his sight. The boy had already filled it one hour prior, but alas he carried out the task a second time so that it may still be warm when she gets here. The stone carved tiles glimmered, lit by candle and torch. The dark of the night faded within the flickering light.
The boy was young by many standards. He appeared in his mid twenties but his composure hinted of a more mature man within. He never knew his age for sure. After all, servants were not so important as to have that information kept for them. He was only in training, although that fact was in need of a revaluation after these past couple of days. 'New' was not nearly enough to express his qualifications for this was his first noble assignment. Of all people, he had been positioned to serve the Empress herself.
It was a stark contrast to his study under a school of butlery and arcane defense. His mind spoke of endless worry and anxiety followed his every move as if a demon was stalking him. Elias was his name. Although he had begun working under the Empress over a week ago, she was far too busy for any formal greeting until last night. He had continued to cook for her, clean, and complete other household tasks. She however was never conscious while within her chambers. Whatever work she was distracted with made sure to exhaust her.
In finally truly meeting her however, a lifetime of hearing her name and watching her rule from afar made no preparation for what had been put before him. She was bold yet carried out an elegance that only further imposed her presence. In merely greeting her, Elias's mind ran races of fear with an unknowing for the future. Regardless, she had given him a personally requested task. It was a simple task. She simply asked for a bath to be prepared with steaming heat for her arrival this night.
Why me? He pondered. He was always considered the top of his class but his inexperience threw much into question. He had never so much as greeted a proper royal let alone the ruler herself, until this week of course. Regardless of his position here however, he stood under the moonlight on this extravagant terrace. Perhaps I am thinking too much, he thought further. It may have been his first official day on the job but he was far from incompetent. He was efficient in his chores, attentive with detail, and his arcane talent rivaled even his former teachers. His wears were exquisite. They had been provided to him but that fact shouldn't distract from the textiles he had picked. Furthermore he wore the silks and leathers with an utmost charismatic vigor.
His shirt was light and soft, a dark leather vest worn over it. His pants were quite loose and baggy, being made of a deep gray fabric foreign to him. His smoky black hair was normally long and wavy but was put up into a bun. His face was fairly sharp, especially his nose. His body was fairly slim but his lack of fat defined his muscles under his lively and saturated youthful skin. His eyes were a light purple that although weren't very saturated with color, were bold. Perhaps the most immediate eye-catching feature was what rested on his face. He wore slender, large circular wireframe glasses. Not many servants had such a luxury after all. This nice pair was a gift. A gift from the empress herself the night before.
Water in the tub reached the uppermost edge, nearly spilling over onto the floor it sat flesh with. The sound of trickling water pulled Elias's consciousness from his inner mind to become attentive of the water approaching the limits of its bounds. The water clashed with the not so cold summer air sending plumes of steam billowing from it. Perfect, Elias reassured himself. It was surely the steaming heat she had requested, no matter the fact Elias had to refresh it. In completing his only given task, Elias made his way inside to her grand room itself.
A large deep wooden dresser sat adjacent to a bed far larger than Elias knew had even existed. Despite looking like it could rest a dozen heads, it did not crowd the room for the room itself was grand. Of course it was, Elias imagined nothing less of a royal room. The bed acted as a bit of a centerpiece. Four deeply carved wooden pillars erected from each corner that were sculpted with depictions of silky smooth dragons breathing out constellations. From these pillars, dark purple ribbons draped over the bed. The room floor was lined with rich mahogany wood planks adorned with lush and intricate carpets. A center carpet peeked out from under the bed, colored with vibrant dyes sewn with patterns of a night sky.
The walls were a uniform deep gray stone that towered up 20 feet before they met the ceiling. They were smooth with no cracks or meeting edges, as if it was cut from a singular stone. Large wooden beam rafters strung midnight black banners over the layout of the space, displaying the empire's insignia in white.
There were three doors, each on separate sides of the room from the bed. The terrace's double doors Elias had just entered from were made of a crystal glass. With their pure and clear qualities they let in outside torch light, flickering adjacent from the bed giving way to a view of the darkened eastern mountains in the horizon. Silky, white curtains hung from its frame obstructing parts of the large terrace. Another one of these doors was wooden with a barred window. This was the servants quarters where Elias could carry out tasks. Furthermore it was where he would live.
The third door was in stark contrast to the others. It stood much taller and appeared to be crafted from thick wooden beans heavily bolted by iron bars. This was the entrance door. Four separate locks were fastened beside a grand handle that spanned its entire height.
Elias stared at the stars and the constellations outside as he worked, briefly being interrupted by a bold sound of a knock. Creeeeek, The sound of the heavy door opening echoed through the room. Elias briskly stood up, taking a deep breath. He had no need to look, he knew who it was for her presence alone was enough to cause his spine to shiver and his hairs to stand. 'You got this' he chanted in his mind. With a single motion Elias turned to greet her, keeping his head high and his shoulders composed.
"Hello my majesty," Elias exclaimed, his voice almost being overpowered by a loud slam, the door shutting under its full weight. "You were out quite late so I reheated the washtub for you."
The Empress looked over to Elias who stood upright with a perfect posture and an attentive pose. Her face was a deep purple that in the candlelight revealed minor blemishes. She appeared as if her every detail was sculpted intentionally, masterfully even. Her jaw pronounced itself and her brow framed her midnight purple eyes that were far more vibrant than the color Elias's brandished. Her nose was soft and her lips bold, contrasting with a deep midnight color.
She peered to the stone tiled tub on the terrace. Her expression was one of being pleased, perhaps even a little surprised. Elias could read at least that much from her grin. "I like you more than my last... What is your name again?" she asked. Four clicks broke the brief silence as she locked the door. Her every step was a powerful one, an echo reverberating from every click of her metal grieves on the stone tile. Her voice roared with the power of a river but was smooth and silky. The sizable space of the room further magnified her every word off the solid stone walls.
The room suddenly felt far larger than the moment before. Perhaps in part due to the echo, but also because Elias stood looking at the Empress, now with the walls towering over. Her approach was brisk but her attention made every second feel thrice as long. As her stride made its way closer and closer to Elias, it became evermore clear that she stood eye level to him at 6". Perhaps she would even be slightly shorter if it were not for the large metal boots.
Her step came to a halt, but not before her face neared an inch from Elias's, staring deep into his eyes. It was a task in and of itself to contain his composure but regardless, Elias began breaking a sweat. He felt her grasp from under his vision as she grabbed his chin firmly within her fingers which curled up around his cheeks. He dared not move, if her hold would even allow him.
His stare met her eyes, tracking their every movement as they wandered across his face. Her vision was like a pact of chains, all he could do was wait frozen. Her glance met his glasses, his nose, then his lips. With the gentle suggestion of her guiding force, Elias pivoted his head to the left, then the right, as if she was observing every minute detail like a hawk.
Slow your breathing Elias, he thought to himself despite knowing it was a lost cause. With her this close she could probably hear his heart pounding out of his chest let alone his erratic breathing. Her midnight purple eyes dilated under the dim light of the environment opening up to a massive black expanse that Elias quickly became lost in.
"Come help me doff my armor boy," she spoke with no restraint on her volume, her warm breath grazing Elias's face just before she began to turn away, his jaw still in her grip, albeit gentle. Her arm reached out further extending as she slowly created distance between them, coming to a hang just before releasing her grasp on him.
