Eliza stared down her reflection.
After a long carriage ride, they'd kept her in the dressing room for some time. But she knew what was coming. The mirror reflected back a terrified beauty. She'd never looked so pretty in all her life. She'd also never felt so...exposed.
It was her decision to come here, she had to remind herself. Her decision to offer up her blood, her body, to the Lady Selina Vesperia. Every year, somebody had to. Depending on which rumors were to be believed, that person was either never heard from again, or left the estate with enough money to last a lifetime.
But Eliza was desperate. At 22 years of age, she was unmarried and without work. Her family was on the brink. She needed to do something drastic. And if it was all true, it was a good deal. It had to be worth it. Because if it wasn't...
She shook her head. It was too late now. Eliza Harlow was this year's offering. Whatever that meant.
Her long hair had been tied back in an elaborate bun, with trails of raven-black hair cascading down around her neck enticingly. The "dress" that had been laid out for her, if one could call it that, was made of layers of translucent gold fabric. Beneath that, she wore nothing but a set of silver lacy lingerie. The panties were so thin, they barely covered her sex, and revealed her bare thighs and behind in full. The dress left almost nothing to the imagination. They'd also left her a matching gold and silver mask that covered her eyes in the shape of a butterfly, which she was happy to put on if only to hide some of her shame. The dress wear reinforced what Eliza already knew: she was to be the lady's plaything for the night, and she was only just starting to realize what that meant.
She closed her eyes. Maybe she would die tonight. She never thought she'd be so dolled up when it happened, though.
"It is time," a voice called from beyond the baroque door, etched with fanciful designs.. A shudder coursed up her spine. What horrors awaited her on the other side? None who left the lady's domain spoke of what they saw. She could only imagine.
"I am ready," she said, forcing a calm and peaceful demeanor. The door opened to reveal the man in long robes who had escorted her into the dressing room. He bowed to Eliza as she entered the hall, then motioned for her to join him. The halls of the castle were something else, more elaborately decorated than even the King's palace, not that she had ever seen it in person. Silver candelabras flanked the walls, and windows gave Eliza a wonderful and terrible view of the city. From high atop this mountain, the glimmering lights of the city looked like pinpricks. She was so far away, so high up. It reminded her that there was no going back now. No escape. The only way she would make it out of this place was by fulfilling her end of the bargain. Acquiescing to all of the lady's demands.
The man led Eliza down numerous labyrinthine halls before they finally entered an opulent dining room adorned with a well-lit golden chandelier and the longest table she'd ever seen. Only two chairs were set, and the table was filled with all manner of food--human food. Turkey legs, roasted apples, berries, bread, pudding, assorted steamed vegetables. On the other side was nothing but a small, simple piece of cake. Eliza went to take her seat but was stopped by the robed man, who shook his head. "Not yet," he commanded.
Then, the other door leading into the dining hall opened, and a tall vision of beauty entered, dressed in a frilly black dress adorned with red lace and various red flowers. Selina's long hair was wavy and black, with red streaks throughout. Her pale, unblemished body was like something out of myth, and she walked with the kind of poise and grace only her kind could possess. She looked to be in her late 30s, perhaps 40s, but Eliza knew better than to guess the age of one of her kind. Her hips swayed with each step. She was sex incarnate.
The lady of the house smiled a fanged smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Harlow," she said. Her voice sounded like honey.
Eliza brought herself to look up at the woman instead of her feet. "H-hello," she said softly. It was almost difficult to speak in the lady's presence. She shivered and tried to cover her body with her hands, but it was pointless. She'd never felt so vulnerable in all her life.
"Are you hungry?" Selina said. "I had my finest chefs prepare this meal for you, as my guest. Don't be afraid. Go ahead." Meanwhile, the lady's eyes did not stray from Eliza. She felt like the true meal here. Her eyes raked over Eliza's body, and a smile spread across her lovely face. "Yes...I can see that my procurers did a very good job with you," she purred.
"Th-thank you, my lady," Eliza said awkwardly, not sure what to call her host, or what to say at all. "You are very kind," she settled on.
Selina seemed to guess correctly at the reason for her awkwardness. "My lady is correct," she said in response. "You should refer to me as such, and only as such, during your stay here. And what shall I call you, my little flower?"
Somehow, despite everything, Eliza struggled not to melt at that. "Eliza. Eliza Harlow," she said. Then, with a sudden boldness, she added, "but you may call me whatever you like, my lady."
Then she sat, and Selina did the same. She hadn't planned on eating, but her stomach grumbled in protest. It had been far too long since she ate. Slowly, she took a bite out of one of the apples, savoring its taste. She wondered idly how many of the lady's servants were human. Did her chefs often make meals this incredible? After a few bites, she looked back up at her beautiful host with a faint but genuine smile. "It's very good. Thank you so much."
Lady Vesperia simply watched the girl eat for a time before finally taking a single forkful of her own cake and nibbling it, before putting the rest back wastefully. Eliza continued to partake in the feast, and before long, her hunger was dictating her actions more than anything. She didn't stuff herself completely though, worried she might have to run at a moment's notice. In her mind, endless possibilities churned. If the good food and the promise of wealth wasn't reason enough to stay, the guards posted behind her certainly were. She hadn't noticed them before due to their ornate armor that matched the rest of the decor. She decided to follow along for now--so far it had all been pretty harmless, though she dreaded that may come to an end soon enough.
Being polite and submissive would be her best way to survive this. She smiled softly, putting her worries out of mind for the time being. Now that she was done eating, she felt emboldened. "Is there...anything I should do for you, my lady?" she asked.
