Merle shivered a moment, feeling the tension build up inside her. She looked down at the pretty but uncomfortable dress she was wearing, wondering if she really looked as beautiful as that strange servant said she looked. Tera opened the door in front of her and stood beside it. "After you, Mistress."
Merle nodded and gave her a weak smile. She stepped through the door and looked around the dining room. The walls were panelled with wood and a few paintings hung between the thickly curtained windows. Four candelabra's were standing proudly on the table, casting a soft light on it and the room, aided by more candles along the walls and a large fireplace across the room. The table, which was large enough to seat ten people, seemed to be set for two with ample food and wine. The warmth of the fireplace and smell of roasted meat eased her somewhat as she entered the room.
Tera followed Merle into the room and walked to the side of the table, kneeling down before the man seated at the other end. "Good evening, Master."
"Manners, Tera. Help her to her seat." His voice was warm and strong, sounding clearly across the room even though not directed at Merle.
Merle managed a haphazard curtsey as she fixed her eyes on him. "Good evening, my Lord Fronsac. It is an honour to finally meet you." She sat down in the chair held for her by Tera, who rushed to hold it. Looking eagerly to see the man across the table her heart skipped a beat. Broad shoulders, covered by a soft looking short, a lean but handsome face, and those eyes, so intent and watchful, almost as if he was... She blushed a little and looked down at the plate in front of her.
"Good evening, Merelyn, and welcome to my table and my house. I trust you've been treated well?"
"Yes, sir. Tera has been very helpful. She picked out this dress for me to wear... I hope it meets with your approval." Merle carefully looked up again, unsure of what she was permitted to say to such a man.
A glimmer of a smile flashed across Fronsac's face. "A pretty dress, for a pretty girl. I'm glad Tera behaved herself. She was very upset to learn you would be replacing her."
Merle blinked and looked at Tera, who had gone back to kneeling beside the table, and was now staring rigidly at the floor. "I do not quite understand, sir. Replacing her? I thought I would be one of your servants, my Lord." She looked around the room nervously again. "This is all very strange to me, sir."
The man definitely smiled now, though Merle did not find it a very comforting one. "You should know that I am not married. Instead I take pleasure from my servants. A very special servant, in fact. Until today, Tera performed those duties. Now you have arrived to replace her, just as Tera replaced her predecessor." He slowly sipped his wine, studying her reaction.
Merle felt a cold sensation run up her spine and the blood drain from her face. "Pleasure, my Lord? Do you mean..." She swallowed, but her throat was dry and she reached out with a trembling hand to her own glass of wine, taking a small sip from it.
"Sex, yes. Did your mother instruct you?"
Merle shivered and put her glass back down on the table, staring at it so as not to stare at Fronsac. "Only that... That I am now your property and that I should behave myself and... do as I am told."
"Off course. But I meant, did your mother instruct you about men and women and sex?"
Merle blushed and kept staring at her glass, answering softly after a short silence. "Yes, my Lord."
"Good. You still have a lot to learn, off course, but we will teach you. Tera's there to help you and answer any questions you may have."
Merle worked this through in her mind for a bit, taking sips of her wine, feeling his eyes on her. His voice is warm and gentle, but what he said... "How..." Merle hesitated and looked at Tera for a moment, thinking how Tera would have been sitting in this chair before she arrived. That would certainly explain some of the weird behaviour. Then she quickly looked down again at her still empty plate.
"What happened to... To the woman who was... in Tera's place before I arrived?" She glanced up again at Tera who still seemed to be staring at the floor in front of her, or... Are those tears?
"Sarah is now a regular member of my household staff and she will soon take over the running of the kitchen. She always was fond of food. You need not fear your fate here. I treat all my servants well, as long as they are loyal and obedient. I do have some special requirements for you, obviously, and I won't say you will enjoy all of them. But as long as you do your best to please me you will be comfortable and cared for, for the rest of your life. Now, if you're still hungry, the food is getting cold."
Merle swallowed hard again, pondering his words and looking at him now across the table. "I am afraid I do not have much of an appetite right now, sir."
He grinned a bit. "I understand. Tera felt much the same way when she was first brought to me. When you feel hungry later, don't hesitate to tell her to bring you some food." Fronsac began to eat slowly, still watching Merle more then his food.
"Yes, my Lord, thank you." Merle looked down at Tera again. "Is she not hungry?"
"Tera is no longer my consort. You are now. Therefore, Tera is no longer allowed to join my table or my bed without an explicit invitation. As a servant, she should find the time to eat and sleep when she is not needed by you. But if you wish, you can feed her now." He smiled and bit down on a piece of fruit.
