Tattered Spirits Ch 05

Lady Daire walked into her personal room and threw back the curtains that covered the length of windows. She had hoped for a circular room, she settled for an octagonal room with a circular bed. The night-light spilled into her room, dusking it in the clear blue evening light. The room was the softest in the entire house. Velvet and carpet broke up the wooden floors. Even the posts on the bed were padded. Lady Daire had other rooms for leather, racks, and chains. This room was about sensuality.

"My lady, do you wish company tonight?" the quiet voice belonged to her head of household affairs. A capable companion and servant, the man enjoyed his place in her life, seeking only to make sure she was given what she wanted and knowing what she wanted even when she had yet to request it.

"No Boyd, not tonight." He stood by watching from the bedside as Lady Daire sunk into her lounge. Quietly he crept up, and removed her boots, massaging her feet.

"When did I get so old, that I became a mark of all that was good Boyd?"

"My lady, you are as young as you ever were. The men in Sir Glen's Order draw straws to be your companion. There is no higher compliment than that." He kissed her foot.

"Not tonight Boyd. Tonight I am as old as death herself."

"Allow me Lady Daire to let you forget how old you are and show you how young you truly are." He pleaded quietly seeing how distressed his Lady was.

Lady Daire reached over and looped a finger into a ring on Boyd's thick leather collar dragging him against the rug on his knees and against the velvet of the lounge and drew him up against her staring into his eyes. Her tightly corseted breasts pressed against his chest. He trembled expectantly feeling her breathe. "I am all that I can be here. I am true here in my own room, and yet you still think of me as a Companion, how is that Boyd?" Being in the limited light of the room, Boyd shaved head caught the moon's reflection, his naked form pressed against her willingly.

He swallowed hard and then drew a smile across his face. "You are still a woman my lady, first and foremost. Here, you just take the opportunity to loosen those beautiful locks of hair." He looked expectantly to her braided hair hoping that he might undo each wound braid, allowing each soft silken lock to tumble against his hand.

Lady Daire smiled seeing his desire in his face. "You may stay with me tonight Boyd." She released the ring she had ensnared in a finger, falling back to the lounge.

"Thank you my lady." Boyd almost reached for her hair when he noticed how damp her handkerchief was. "Do you wish for anything else? A glass of wine perhaps? A paddle? A female companion?" he asked softly taking the sodden cloth from her hands and folding it to be placed in the laundry the following morning.

"No, tonight Boyd, I just need you." A listless hand rose up, the fingers tracing the side of his head and then a solitary finger found its way to the base of his spine.

"As your lady wishes."

Not all was nearly as serene across the acres of land that separated Lady Daire and Sir Colin. In fact, Sir Colin was taking a tongue lashing at the same moment that Lady Daire and Boyd began to share unmatched pleasures. His parlor contained his closest confidants, the shadowed figure and Lady Marie. He hadn't lit any of the sconces along the walls, though the sun had long since set. The fewer people that were given information about this meeting, the better. The deep shadows surrounded the fireplace where Lady Marie stood facing Sir Colin, her arms folded.

"How could you be so stupid Colin?" she was foaming at him.

-Hard to believe she and Lady Daire were once peers.- he mused praying that he would keep his scalp this night. The years had been kinder to Lady Marie. But then again, Lady Marie had her own secrets. He allowed her words to bounce off of him. He was no longer the dependant companion she had tamed and brought forth.

"I bent over backwards to bring you to companion status, and then you get caught mistreating your own. Then I go and woo Lord Xavier to return you from exile and this is how you repay my kindness? I should have left you at the bottom of my dungeon." She gazed into the fire as a spark jumped through the protective grating, only to die on the cold stone floor between them.

Sir Colin gathered Lady Marie in his arms. "Ah, but my precious lady, had you not done any of that, I could not have you like this." He placed a small kiss on her neck, feeling her vein pulse beneath his lips.

Lady Marie pushed him away. "That's not going to get you very far tonight Sir Colin. You've lost yet another prime companion. Do you not see their value? Her beauty alone was enough to use foil for garnering more power from Lord Xavier. You could be the next Lord if you spent more time preparing yourself than worrying about the mighty Sir Glen and his small entourage. We will control all the companions in due time, but not if you continue to be so careless with them." She drew a manicured nail down his cheek. "Do not make this mistake again Sir Colin or you might find yourself at my mercy."

"I'll keep Sir Glen in check." Promised the shadow servant.

"He hardly looks in your direction, what makes you think that he'll give you a moment of his time?" Lady Marie swirled around, her leather cloak smacking Sir Colin across the shins. Sir Colin ground his teeth in mild pain remembering he had been the companion that sewed the small bars of iron into the bottom of this particular cloak.

"I control his order." Came the simple reply. "Sir Glen lost control of the order years ago, actually about the time he began to train Mr. Leif. I have enough eyes in the manor to know what to do."

"And if the order rebels against Sir Glen, it is quite likely he will loose his position." Sir Colin sat back down in his chair away from Lady Marie, taking the opportunity to pour himself another glass of wine. He was a tad smug. While his servant was very good at planning, he wondered where the man's mind was two nights ago when he all but handed Jean to Sir Glen.

"And," The shadowed servant began to pace. "His precious Laurie would be placed with a worthy companion. One that could keep the order." Lady Marie could hear the smile in the man's voice.

A chuckle rose from Lady Marie. "Mr. Connor, you're sure that you like your position? I can make sure you take your leathers very soon."

"I will seek them when you are truly satisfied." He bowed his head in the shadows with a rye smile.

Lady Marie turned and faced Sir Colin. "You should take a page from your servant."

"To change my loyalties as I see fit? I think not Lady Marie. But you will be satisfied in the very end."

"See that I am gentlemen." And with that, Lady Marie, left the room, taking her perfume and weighted leather cloak with her.