Finally another chapter! Special thanks to my editor trrgrhppy, you rock!
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T
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Two thick oak doors stood opposing behind their matching human counterparts. They were hand carved with swirls climbing up the full expanse of the ten by five foot rectangles. Rich colors of deep browns showed the grains spiking and chipping into each twist the artist had made. The pair of angry looking guards swung the doors open inward to reveal the vaulted dome ceiling to the small entourage, colored glass shown down on the white marble throwing splashes of color on them. They passed two symmetrical alcoves on the side, marble benches were carved into the walls piled high with pillows and soft throws. White gossamer curtains were tied to the sides, placed perfectly to give privacy when needed.
Past the deep alcoves stood the start of the second level of the house, a stair case was center stage taking up all the room save for a space on either side for two average sized doors. Up the stair case they marched, walking along a white banister that matched the floors and stairs.
"Is there anything in this house that isn't overly beautiful?" Katia had spoken in a soft tone but she could hear faint snickers from the guards behind her.
Walking down a brightly lit hall they came out on top of the white stair case. Katia stopped for a minute confused. The whole house was a mirror of its self, down to the same two alcoves off to the sides of the stairs. The only difference was that were the massive door stood in the front of the house there was a gaping hole leading out to the back gardens of the house and the beach beyond.
In the alcove to their right the curtains were drawn but the figures of people were discernable behind them, there was obviously a small gathering of people. Women stood around with serving baskets of food, four guards were strategically placed around a youngish looking man. He was sitting forward looking at something on the table in front of him, he chuckled when a fat man to his left whispered in his ear.
One of the guards stepped towards the curtains opening, once his head had peaked through the whole atmosphere in the alcove changed into one of formality. The young man sat straight up and set his mouth in a straight line. Sherone was the first to enter, walking up to the man she sat at his right, patting Sherone's her knee and motioning to Katia with two fingers in a "come here" fashion.
Katia made her way through the curtains on shaking legs. The filmy texture of the curtains had made the room seem less daunting now she felt like she was about to be fed to a group of piranha. The man was slightly darker in his appearance than Katia had expected. His body was strong and bulky, his hair almost black, and he had a spot of blond in his hair very small but there all the same. Katia gawked for a moment at him, while staring into his bright green eyes.
He stared right back at her drinking her in with every breath he took. They stared so long their breathing synced. Two beings moving at exactly the same time. His mouth curved at one corner doing nothing to lessen the tension in the confined space. When he finally spoke, Katia jumped slightly, "What a treat."
"Excuse me!?" Katia now glared at the man. Her mind raced with images of orgies, her thrown over the table while many feasted on her body.
"Your hair. It's very lovely, and such a treat to have its owner share a home with me."
Sherone cleared her throat widening her eyes at Katia and flicking them at the floor meaningfully. She was trying to tell Katia to kneel. Katia instead raised her chin in haughty defiance. "Sherone? You'll turn our duckling into a swan yes? I want a proper lady of the house once you're finished." The room fell silent, a lady of the house?!
"Bezac!" One of the large dark guards stepped forward. "You'll be responsible for her when she's not with Sherone, Twelve, or myself." Bezac bowed low then stepped behind Katia. Facing Katia again the man spoke, "Now my dear would you like to eat?" Katia reached towards a green pear in the bowl offered to her. The man grabbed her wrist pulling her until she sat down next to him. "You will be at my side when I'm not tending to my duties or whenever you aren't in lessons with Sherone do you understand?" His voice was firm but gentle. Like her father telling her to point the sharp end of a knife away from herself.
"Yes, sir."
"Nikolai. Not sir."
Nikolai offered her the pear. She didn't know whether to eat from his hand or take it from him, she did the later earning a disapproving look from Sherone and the slave girls carrying the bowls of fruit. Nikolai watched her eat small bites of the pear, dainty and ladylike. Leaning forward he grabbed a lock of her curly blond hair, twirled it around his finger, then brought it up to his nose and breathed in the scent of her.
"Would you like a tour?" Katia shook her head no.
"Would you like to see your rooms?" Again she answered no.
"Want to swim in the ocean?" No.
"Ugh!" Nikolai threw himself off the plush bench. Everyone could hear him grumble as he left the immediate area, a few moments later a door could be heard slamming shut.
Sherone glared at Katia, she had the decency to wait until everyone but Bezac had left before ripping into Katia.
"You are a brat! Do you know how lucky you are to have choices? Or any kind of human contact?!" Fuming Sherone's natural deep voice came forward. "There are masters out there who beat their slaves for breathing too loud! They take away their slave's identities, tearing them down until they are an empty husk of who they once were!"
The bite of pear Katia had in her mouth lost all flavor, her guilt making it taste like a bitter brick burning the side of her cheek. She had nothing to say for herself, she had wanted to put distance between the gorgeous man and herself. Now she was afraid she had gone too far and made him angry.
"You will go apologize." Sherone grabbed Katia by the upper arm pulling her into motion. She led her back up the stairs, down the second floor hall there was a large engraved door she hasn't noticed on their way in. Sherone knocked on it three times.
"Come in." Came a wary reply.
Sherone nudged Katia toward the door then took up post next to the door with Bezac. Katia opened the door, it silently swung open a quarter of the way, Katia slipped through the opening. The spacious bedroom didn't fit the man Katia thought Nikolai was. She had pictured dark brown, black, and hard plains of glass. His bedroom was like stepping back in time to a Moroccan themed bedroom. He had every color in his room except black, the browns he had were light and playful. So caught up in her perusal of Nikolai's room she didn't hear Niki come buzzing in behind her.
Nikolai angled his head slightly to the side, not looking at her but giving her his full attention nonetheless. Katia studied the beautiful features gracing his face, a sharp strong jaw, regal eyes, thick dark hair she wanted to play with, the only soft part of him was his button nose. Giving him a young appearance while his posture was that of a seasoned general. Sherone's words hung heavy in her subconscious as well as her heart. "Umm... I behaved badly... And I... I didn't mean to anger you... Ummm." Her imagination kicked in she pictured Nikolai with a whip tearing open her back laughing at her pain. Gulping noisily deep in her throat Katia tried to continue. "I'm so sorry and I'd like to make it up to you...?"
That caught Nikolai's attention he swiveled in his seat watching her with emotionless eyes, "How would you like to do that?"
Katia gulped against a dry throat, licking her lips she missed the soft moan of approval from Nikolai. She stepped forward kneeling in front of Nikolai her hands shaking. She didn't know what to do... Did she take off his clothes? Just his pants?
Seeing her staring at his groin Nikolai chuckled softly. "I don't require that kind of attention." A sigh of relief could be heard from Katia.
Nikolai stroked the tops of her hands with his, letting his large fingers dance across the soft flesh he became slightly aroused. A small tent sprouted in his soft black pants. Katia gasped raising her wide eyes to his, "I... I don't want to...to..." Nikolai grabbed her hands to reassure her. He felt her calluses and frowned.
"What's this?" He raised her hand to her face.
"A hand?"
"No."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Calluses. Hard, scratchy, and awful."
Katia felt embarrassed she had tried to scrub them all away in the bath, they were too old to remove all at once. Life on her parent's farm had given her working hands. She had never truly felt humiliated by her status until this moment. She stared at her hands hating ever scar and bump.
The scar on her knuckle was from getting her finger smashed by her older brother, he felt so bad afterwards he actually cried. A long white scar between her thumb and pointer finger was from Ize who had been pretending to be a space pirate slashing a gnarled piece of metal while chasing Katia. That had earned her seven stitches. Each different imperfection carried with it a story, those stories made up who Katia was.
"No. They are beautiful."
"Your hands resemble those of a common worker."
"That's what I am... Or was. I was raised on the knowledge that nothing is free, those who work hard earn more."
His hand stroked her cheek in a reassuring gesture. "I didn't mean to offend you. I thought they were from forced labor."
"Oh! No." Katia giggled softly trying to ease the awkward tension in the air. "I can soften my hands more with time but I don't want to change who I am. I'd like to keep my scars if that's alright."
"That is perfectly fine." Leaning forward he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. His plump lips caressing the skin like an old friend.
Katia sighed with pleasure. The tension in the room had changed to that of sex. Two people pulled toward each other without making a conscience decision.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Nikolai had his nose buried in her hair, he was breathing deeply, moaning. "Nikolai?"
