This is chapter one of something new for me. It's a spiritual cousin to my "Enmity of States" story that kind of fizzled. This is set on a modern secondary world where women are clearly secondary citizens. Our protagonist, Eva, has decided to become a Proxy to a powerful lord. I hope you enjoy. There's not a lot of sex in this first one, but that'll get better. Constructive criticism is always welcome!
Chapter One
NOW
Eva sat in the back seat of the dark sedan, shifting in her seat, adjusting the short skirt under her for what had to have been the hundredth time. She ran a hand over the leather seats as she turned to look out the window at the woods that lined the road. Snow covered the ground and the barren trees looked like claws reaching into the gray sky. Without thinking, she frowned.
"No frowning," Madam Chanel said. "And no pouting."
"Of course, madam," Eva said automatically.
"You should be enthralled," Madam Chanel said. "Lord Steineld asked for you personally."
"I am," Eva said, her brown eyes looking back at her handler. The woman wasn't that much older than her, but the way she carried herself made her seem that much older. Her black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Behind a pair of black glasses, she looked at Eva with dark eyes that were almost black. She pursed her full lips as Eva looked at her. "I just don't like the cold."
"I forget where you are from," Madam Chanel said.
"The Northern Provinces," Eva said. She missed her warm home. She missed her family. But she had to push those thoughts from her mind. She had signed up for this and working as a proxy for House Steineld was a prestigious position to say the least.
"Ah, yes, that's right," Madam Chanel said, inspecting the hem of her short skirt. "The Midlands are quite temperate in the summer."
"So I have heard," Eva said. She'd spent hours in the archives reading all she could about The Midlands when she found out about Lord Steineld's request for her to join his household.
"You'll have plenty of pool time at Lord Steineld's estate," Madam Chanel said. "His pool is one of the finest I've ever seen. And if I remember correctly, he has a chateau along the Gold Coast."
Eva said nothing in response, she just turned to look back out the window at the forest that felt like it was closing in around her.
"The green was an excellent choice," Madam Chanel said. Eva looked down at the short skirt suit she had chosen to wear.
"Green and blue are the house's colors," Eva said.
"Yes they are."
She had chosen the skirt and jacket set deliberately along with the green and blue lacy bra and panty set she wore underneath. She shifted and rubbed her legs together as the car curved up a hill, stopping at a checkpoint on the road. She couldn't quite make out the conversation between the guard and the driver but it sounded collegial enough. The car kicked into gear again and slowly made its way up the hillside towards the manor.
A great stone wall rose from the woods and the road stopped at a massive gate. A half a dozen guards in long dark green coats stood around, motioning for the car to approach. Passing through the gate, one of the guards stopped them while several of his mates inspected the car, looking underneath and in the trunk. One looked at her, his eyes lingering for a long moment before he said something she couldn't hear to one of the other guards. She turned away. The head guard seemed satisfied and motioned for the car to enter the complex.
They crossed through a frozen courtyard and passed by a huge fountain with a marble statue in the middle of it. Eva strained forward to see the statue of Gregor Steineld looming over the car. She wondered if the Steinelds resembled the stern faced warrior of old. She'd seen pictures of Lord Steineld and didn't think he resembled the statue at all, though she supposed his son Derek did. She felt her stomach flutter as she thought about the lordling that she would be serving.
Derek Steineld was recently wed to one of Lord Greenweld's daughters, a cute little thing named Leana. Eva was still trying to figure out why she had been summoned. It made no sense.
"You're furrowing your brow again," Madam Chanel said.
"I was just thinking," Eva said.
"About what?" Madam Chanel said.
"About Lord Derek's lady wife," Eva answered honestly. Now Madam Chanel frowned.
"Why would you think about that?" she said. "We serve many roles as proxy. There could be any number of reasons why you've been selected by Lord Steineld but you should be grateful for the opportunity. I believe your stipend is generous enough, don't you?"
Eva felt the heat in her cheeks. She hadn't really thought about the stipend but knew that it would help her family. Madam Chanel stared at her, waiting for a response. Eva nodded but said nothing. Madam Chanel smiled as she sat back in her seat.
The car drove through another wall and another checkpoint before crossing into the grounds proper. Lawns covered in snow stretched as far as she could see and the manor sat back a half mile down the road. She couldn't help but gape at the manor. It was an enormous structure of dark stone. Three stories stretched out into two arms that curved around a huge courtyard that had been cleared of all the snow. The car drove around the circle and took a small ramp down beneath the house. Eva looked over to Madam Chanel.
"A lower garage," she smiled, "for your comfort."
A smile tugged at the corner of Eva's mouth.
The car pulled into a well lit underground chamber. A dozen guards in ceremonial uniforms and long pole arms of some design stood in two perfect lines of six. They came to a stiff-backed attention as the car came to a stop. There were several men in dark suits who stepped forward toward the car. One moved to open the door and Madam Chanel took a hand that was offered to her, stepping from the car in one graceful movement. Eva followed her lead when a huge hand reached in for her. She stood up, smoothing out her dress, and looked up to see a huge man standing before her. He was ugly with a huge bulbous nose and a scar running across his face and left eye. He tried to smile at her but instead leered at her. She took a deep breath in but maintained a calm face.
"Good afternoon," he said in a refined, sonorous voice.
"Hello, Bryson," Madam Chanel said.
