Lena leaned her head against the frame of the carriage. She stared absently at the fabric of the carriage's interior in front of her eyes, but it was too close for her to focus any detail. It was a blur of meaningless color.
Anything to avoid looking at Renz.
She sighed heavily, not wanting to let her thoughts go in the direction they were destined to go. She had been avoiding it for days...or maybe it had been weeks? It could have very well been years, for Lena had lost track of time in their travel.
She had slipped into a trance-like state following her banishment from Sterling Manor. She was half-awake during the day, and nearly dead when asleep at night. Lena could not recall much about what she had been doing, what Renz had been doing, where they had gone. She had simply existed, without memory, awareness, or forethought.
"Goddamnit, Lena!"
Lena jumped in alarm, shocked to hear Renz's voice, but more shocked to hear that he was yelling at her. She looked up at him fearfully, and instantly lowered her eyes when she saw that his were filled with fury.
"Lena, please look at me," Renz said, slightly softening his voice. Lena surveyed his tense body before making eye contact with him. She noted the way his large hands were clenching and unclenching in tight fists. He was rapidly bouncing his knee in what appeared to be nervousness.
"Please, Lena," he said again. Lena looked up at him through sad blue eyes, and Renz sighed.
"You can't carry on like this. You haven't spoken a word since we left Sterling's," Renz said. Lena cleared her throat.
"What would you like me to say, sir?" Lena asked. Renz rolled his eyes in irritation.
"There is no need for the formalities, Lena. You're not a maid anymore," Renz replied. Lena frowned.
"What am I then?" she asked quietly, almost speaking to herself. Renz stared at her unwaveringly.
"You're mine."
Lena curled up towards her center and closed her eyes, in order to fight back the tears. The idea of being his terrified her, and she wasn't ready to think about it yet. She needed more time to just be...empty.
She focused on the steady rhythm of the carriage, the sound of her own breathing, until eventually the present disappeared and her mind re-entered the cloud-like state she'd been in for the duration of their travels. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, comfortably dissociated.
When Lena awakened, the carriage had stopped moving. She opened her eyes and looked around, surprised to find that it was vacant.
Lena crawled over to the door of the carriage and opened it, immediately wishing she hadn't. She was greeted with an incredible chill that instantly made her shiver.
She exited the carriage with shoulders hunched and arms crossed over her body, in a feeble attempt to keep herself warm. The air was crisp and frigid, and a light rain sprinkled from the rapidly darkening sky.
"Fräulein Lena?" Lena turned towards the speaker, a servant of some sort. He stood rigidly, and appeared to be only a few years older than she, but he had a kind face. Lena smiled slightly, trying to take comfort.
"I'm sorry...I've never been called that before," Lena replied. The man smiled back at her.
"My name is Erich, welcome to Schloss Wolfenbarger," Erich said, motioning to the estate.
Lena's eyes widened in an attempt to absorb the edifice that stood before her, and her mouth opened in an awe-struck gasp. She thought she heard Erich laugh behind her, but she found she didn't care.
Lena had always thought that Sterling Manor was the most beautiful, luxurious estate in the world, because it was the only manor she had ever seen. In comparison to Schloss Wolfenbarger, however, it was severely diminished.
It reminded Lena of pictures of castles and palaces she had seen in books. It was surrounded by an expanse of manicured grass, with a forest of tall trees surrounding that. The structure itself seemed to go on for as far as her eyes could see, and the way it juxtaposed aggressive power with gentle beauty puzzled her quizzically.
"Shall I show you inside?" Erich eventually asked. Lena nodded without looking at him, still staring at the estate in wonder.
She followed Erich up the long curved drive and sets of stairs to the main entrance of the estate. The closer she came, the larger the estate looked. Two servants opened the very tall, intricately carved Baroque-style twin doors, and Lena tentatively entered.
For a moment, she stood in the threshold between the doors and the grand entry room, too nervous and open-mouthed to proceed further. But eventually, she moved forward, and was taken aback by the beauty of the interior.
The grand entry room was circular and open, elaborately decorated with chandeliers, candelabras, tapestries, and highly polished marble flooring. A particularly large, glittering statement chandelier hung in the center, and Lena's eyes tried to follow it to where it started. She had to strain her neck to find the ceiling, and was surprised by the number of floors her vision soon revealed.
The ceiling was painted with a lovely sky scene, a trompe l'oeil that appeared to be between day and night, or perhaps a combination of both. The sky was painted with a variety of blues, oranges, and deep purples, featuring both the moon and the sun, along with stars. There were delicate clouds painted with rich hues that hid some strange winged creatures her vision couldn't reach.
"Shall I show you to your room?" Erich asked. Lena tried to shake away her awe and regain her composure. She lowered her head and nodded, following Erich up the grand staircase that stood at the far end of the entry room.
Lena couldn't help but look over the railing of the third floor hallway down at the grand entry room again, just to stare at that beautiful chandelier from the new angle. Even from her new height, it still seemed massive.
"This way," Erich said, slightly impatient. Lena bolted away from the balcony and ran to reach Erich, who was waiting for her at the end of the hall.
"Your quarters," he said softly, opening the double doors. Lena stepped inside, taken aback by the beauty of the suite.
"This is for me?" Lena asked, surprised. Erich nodded.
"Those were the Master's specific instructions. To the left through those doors there, you'll find your bedroom and dressing rooms. To the right, your bathing room. This here is your lounge," Erich explained.
Lena slowly took in the beauty of the lounge room, which was larger than the entire Crown Suite of Sterling Manor, and easily ten times the size of her sleeping quarters there.
The furniture and decorations were lovely, in soft hues of pale blue, gold, and rose, but what truly captivated Lena was the view from the windows. The furthest wall of the lounge room was entirely made of floor to ceiling windows, and Lena walked over to it to stare at the beautiful sight outside.
A strange joy formed in her heart when Lena took in the sight of a lake. It reminded her of home.
"Where is the Master?" Lena asked eventually.
"He will be with you shortly. He stated that you might want some time to become accustomed to your new home," Erich replied. Lena smiled bitterly, for as magnificent as Schloss Wolfenbarger was, it would never become a home to her. It was simply a beautiful prison.
"Thank you," Lena said sweetly, trying to remain pleasant.
Erich regarded her, and Lena felt his eyes lower to her clothes and the shoes on her feet.
"Shall I send a maid to draw your bath?" Erich asked. Lena blushed in embarrassment, realizing she must have looked very dirty, and furiously shook her head in dismay.
"No, that would be improper. I can do it myself," Lena replied. Erich seemed confused by her reaction, but he pressed the matter no further.
"Very well, then. You may call on me if I can be of any assistance, fräulein. And again, welcome to Schloss Wolfenbarger," Erich replied.
Lena exhaled when Erich closed the doors. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath until she was finally alone.
Lena felt out of place in the luxurious apartment. She looked down at her calloused hands and stained clothes, feeling even more dirty and lowly.
She entered the bathing room and drew a bath of hot water. The countertops featured various oils and soaps and salts for the bath, and Lena decided on a delicate lavender oil.
She undressed and entered the tub, exhaling in relief at the feeling of the hot water relaxing her muscles. She submerged up to her ears, and closed her eyes in relaxation.
Lena took in the gentle scent of the bath oils, allowing it to fill her lungs and calm her from the inside out. She focused on the gentle embrace the heat of the water had on her body, and she began to softly run her fingertips on her skin in the water.
She gingerly applied soap lather to her body and indulged her skin with the newfound luxury. She cleansed her body, becoming more and more aware with each touch. Lena was becoming fully awake, her senses reactivated from their dormant, trance-like state. She allowed herself to think about where she was, what her life would be, and about Renz. Renz...
She realized then that Renz hadn't touched her since Sterling Manor. She sifted through what she could remember of their travels, but had no recollections of any coupling.
Lena brought her hand between her legs and absently began to rub the soft slit of her pussy. She separated her lips with her fingers, exploring her intimate parts. She found her entrance, and gently pushed, expecting to feel a gaping hole where Renz had previously speared her. To her surprise, her body was not as flexible with her finger as she had expected. There was no pain, exactly, but there was a distinct level of resistance and tightness.
Lena brought her finger to her clit, and began to gently rub around it. She began to feel that familiar warmth deep in her belly, and the muscles of her pussy began throbbing rhythmically. Lena put her finger directly on her clit, and released a soft gasp at the satisfying feeling.
Her pussy began throbbing more insistently, clenching at something unknown, and Lena brought her finger back to her entrance, curious. Now, her body welcomed her finger and squeezed it snugly, and Lena slid it in and out of herself in pleasure. But soon she realized that her finger was becoming dissatisfying. A part of her craved to be filled with something else.
Lena exited the tub and wrapped her body with linen towels. She left the bathing room then, bringing the clothes she'd just taken off.
