April of 1431
I
Bethany stared at the window, the sun catching it in such a way that she could see her reflection. She saw her straight, black hair draping down the sides of her fair skinned face. She studied her lusty, scarlet lips and her intense, violet eyes. Her body was voluptuous, with a curvy figure and large, sensuous breasts. She was a beautiful creature with a raw, sexual power. Bethany was eighteen today, and the whole world was at her feet.
Stepping out of the cottage, Bethany felt the warm sun on her skin. She was wearing a white dress, low cut and tight to show off her figure. Now that she was of age, her father intended to sell her into marriage. Being a poor farm girl however, Bethany wasn't likely to attract a higher class of husband, despite her beauty. She would most likely be auctioned off to a low merchant or a petty town official. Either way, she was all but destined to spend the rest of her life stuck in a small town, living in boredom and mediocrity. Such a dull fate did not suit her at all, not one of her intelligence and ambition.
Her two sisters had been both sold into marriage with other farmers, but Bethany was always the jewel of the family. She was spoiled and pampered by her mother, who worked tirelessly to prepare her for marriage. While her sisters only brought a few coins for their hands, Bethany was worth considerably more and she knew it. Her body and mind were worth far more than any local official or low merchant deserved. The only place that she could be sold for her full worth was the greatest city in Charlesland, the illustrious Court of the Roses.
The Court of the Roses was something out of a dream for Bethany. A city filled with wealth and power, cutthroats and nobility. It was the seat of the House of Masters, who ruled over Charlesland from their castles and manors. She dreamed of being the mistress of a castle, clothed in silk and jewels with servants attending to her every need. Deep in her wildly ambitious heart, Bethany knew that was what she deserved above all else.
The problem was, her father saw things differently. With the little money he could get from a town official, he could put it to paying off his land debt. That was what his mind was set on today. It frustrated Bethany to no end. The simple fool just did not understand that by spending a little extra and taking her the Court of Roses for auction, he could make far more and buy his own farm land. But that required ambition, something that had been hammered out of him from years of toil and misery as a lowly peasant.
When she stepped out of the cottage, Bethany looked over at her father. He was as sad looking as ever, broken down by his own miserable life, hitching his rickety cart to the back of an old bull. Her mother was once pretty, but no more. She had suffered too much work and too many hard winters. Her face was weathered and aged, though she was still loyal to the sad, old farmer that she was sold to all those years ago.
Bethany didn't want to be like her, nor like any other woman in the county. Charlesland was experiencing a renaissance of prosperity and culture. The Court of the Roses at the center of it, and Bethany's county was still behind the progress, hopelessly depressed in old fashions and poverty. This was a place for the old and broken to die, not for the young and youthful to live.
"Father," Bethany called out, "I'm going for a short walk before we leave."
"Fine," her father hollered back, "just make sure you're back soon. We have to get into town before the spring auction begins."
"Very well father," Bethany said.
She looked at her mother and father for the last time. Bethany had no intention of going into town with them, so she said a silent goodbye and walked off into the pine forest with nothing but the white dress on her back. If there was money to steal from the farm, she would have done so. But there wasn't, so she would have to make her way to fortune and glamor without a single coin to her name.
II
Claude looked down the road in both directions. There was no one coming. A smile stretched across his face as he went back to rummaging through the merchant cart. The owner of the cart's body was about thirty feet away. Claude had dragged it through the pines to make sure it was out of sight from the road. He needed to get rid of anything that might identify the cart as stolen. So far, so good. Everything in the cart he could sell without raising any suspicions.
Climbing into the driver's bench, Claude picked up the reigns and snapped them to get the horse moving. The horse whined at the snap, but slowly started to trot forward. Claude couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he steered the cart down the road, leaving the murdered corpse of the merchant behind.
After driving about an hour, Claude spotted a young woman standing on the side the road. She had long, black hair, fair skin and best of all, big breasts that were barely contained by the tight, low cut white dress that she wore. Smirking, Claude pulled the cart up beside and her and greeted her politely. He leaned forward and scanned her body with his eyes.
"Are you lost little girl?" he asked.
"I'm on my way to the Court of the Roses," Bethany said, "are you heading in that direction?"
The Court of the Roses? Claude knew better than go anywhere near that city. After all, he had a substantial price on his head and in Charlesland, all bandits are hanged. Still, there was no reason for him not to lie to her. After all, it wasn't often that he was served such a fresh delight.
"I am in fact on my way to the Court of Roses," he said.
"Really? Can I join you?"
"The extra weight will tire my horse faster," Claude said, "I'll have to make more frequent stops and feed him more. If you had some coin to ease the burden I would gladly be of service."
"I don't have any money. How about service in exchange for service?"
"That sounds reasonable. What's your name?"
"Bethany, sir."
"Climb aboard Bethany, we have to make good time if we want to get to the Court anytime soon."
Bethany laughed and hopped up and down, her breasts bouncing as she did so. She climbed up onto the bench next to Claude filled with excitement. Claude inspected her curves a bit more closely before snapping the reins so that the horse would start pulling the cart once again.
"What's your name?"
"Claude."
Bethany smiled and blushed a little. "I like that name," she said, "it's very sexy. Very mysterious."
"I suppose it is."
"Are you a merchant? The only reason I ask is because you aren't dressed like one. You look a bit rougher than I would expect."
"No, I was hired to move the goods to the Court. There are three infamous bandits that attack this road."
"I'm not scared of bandits," Bethany said, "I bet they'll flee in terror at the sight of you."
Claude laughed. "Well, I am an intimidating figure. But no, I don't worry about bandits much."
"How soon until we get to the Court of the Roses? I'm so excited, I just can't wait to see it. All of that wealth and culture, just thinking about it makes my heart want to burst."
"The Court is exciting," Claude said, "the sights and sounds and the bustle of the city. There is nothing like it in all the world. It can be a paradise for the lucky few, but a living nightmare for others."
"I don't see how."