《The Wicked Widow of Opal Street: A Steamy Reverse Harem Romance》


 Chapter 1: The House (Prologue)

    On 17 Opal Street, in the Free City of Prievo, stood a large house with lacquered wooden pillars and panels, and a clay roof in a dark green glaze.


    For the past month, a steady stream of tradespersons and movers could be seen milling about the building, tidying it up, replacing almost every panel and board in the building. Neighbors claimed to have seen footmen and uniformed servants rushing in and out, inciting talks about what nobleman might move in there soon.


    ¡°It must be a young Lord, son of a baron or viscount at most,¡± a woman strolling by commented to her companion.


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s just hope it isn¡¯t some illegitimate child at least, they always have people running in and out at all times of day,¡± her friend lamented. ¡°That does remind me, have you heard the rumor about Duke Corrant¡¯s daughter, the short one? ¡­ ¡±


    Other Opal Street residents had been discussing the rumors of a boarding house supposedly being established there. This was was usually dismissed by others though, as no one in their right mind would do this in such a fine neighborhood, populated almost exclusively by the elite.


    ¡°Not to mention the property price! Imagine having enough money to buy the only free standing house on the street and then choosing to share it with strangers?¡±


    A merchant was standing further down the road and was clearly having an argument with his neighbor, a courthouse clerk.


    He responded, ¡°Yes, well, but how else would you explain what Margaret saw Tuesday? Interior doors with locks on them, carved, in walnut, like the ones at the Parlor Hotel! The poor woman nearly dropped her cane.¡±


    ¡°Margaret wouldn¡¯t know walnut if her life depended on it! I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s a ludicrous rumor, that only a fool would believe.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you ¡­ ¡±


    As the sun started getting high in the sky, two women approached the house and looked upon it in a contemplating manner. One was tall and statuesque, wearing a mourning gown of black silk, with long auburn hair cascading down her back. The other was a somewhat shorter and plumper, middle aged woman with gray streaking her dark, pinned-up hair.


    ¡°Shelly, I really do think you went a bit far,¡± the red haired woman said, with a bemused tone and tilted head. ¡°Is that a new roof?¡±


    ¡°You entrusted it to me, my lady, and the old roof was matte and close to cracking, the wood paneling was cheap and thin, barely fit for firewood, the floorboards creaky to boot, and the glass in the windows was so thick I could barely make out the sunlight through it. Simply not good enough for even my standards.¡± Shelly shook her head in disbelief as though she had never seen any house so decrepit before.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, I¡¯m not a lady anymore. Besides, I don¡¯t think I have ever met someone with standards as high as yours.¡±


    Putting her hand on her cheek, Shelly sighed, ¡°I must be getting old, indeed. To think I could keep forgetting, my lady.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re barely past fifty, Shelly! Sooner or later I will have you call me by name,¡± the redhead laughed. ¡°And what is this I hear of a state of the art kitchen? The old one had barely been there a few months!¡±


    ¡°Really now, my lady, you can¡¯t expect Frederick to work with some equipment that might leave half a bread burnt and the other raw! Now let me show you around, the tenants should start arriving in a few hours, and I need to get some food in you before then,¡± Shelly brushed off her comments and began herding the redhead up the porch and through the front door, where a middle aged man could be seen dusting off the fireplace in the sitting room.


    ¡°Madam Raiva!¡± the man exclaimed upon seeing the two enter.


    He rushed to embrace her, gently patting her back as he held her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long, Frederick,¡± she replied, slightly muffled by his shoulder.


    ¡°My dear, I am so-¡°


    ¡°Frederick!¡± shrieked Shelly, slapping her husband¡¯s back with an incredulous look on her face.


    He let go, paused for a moment and jokingly put his arms around her instead, chuckling.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweetheart, should I have greeted you first?¡±


    ¡°Let. Go. You. Oaf.¡± Shelly growled at him as she wiggled her way out. ¡°You can¡¯t just go up to Lady Raiva and-¡°


    ¡°Shelly,¡± interrupted Raiva, watching the scene in front of her with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Have you seen the crack in the window over there?¡±


    ¡°The what?¡±


    As soon as she spun around, Raiva hugged her and gave her a little squeeze.


    ¡°This house looks wonderful. It¡¯s perfect. Thank you.¡±


    Shelly seemed frozen for a few seconds, then turned around with a slightly reddened face and mumbled, flustered, ¡°I, well, no, yes. Of course. My lady, how about you tour the house, while we get lunch ready? Come on Frederick.¡±


    With her tugging at his arm, the two walked off towards the kitchen, past the dining room. Before stepping out of view, he looked back at Raiva, and the two sent each other a sympathetic smile, while Shelly could be heard quietly berating her husband for ¡°being too casual with our lady¡±.


    Raiva looked around the sitting room. Against the wall was a big fireplace, the rustic kind without ornaments, surrounded by beautifully clear glass windows on both sides. The windows were framed by thick, velvety curtains in a light, dusted blue shade that matched the pillows on the massive sofa and chair arrangement opposite the fire place. Those, in turn, were out of a warm brown leather. She ran her hands along the backs and felt pleased with how well oiled and soft it felt. The room smelled almost overwhelmingly of wood and leather. It was a nostalgic scent. Her gaze fell on the vitrine cabinets lining the right hand side of the room. Filled to the brim with crystal glassware and an assortment of liquor, it looked more fitting of a gentlemen¡¯s social club than a sitting room.


    Along the wooden paneled walls were two discreet doors, made to match the ornate paneling save for brass handles and matching keyholes.


    Keyholes on interior doors? How odd, she thought to herself.


    She went through the far door first, entering what turned out to be her own bedroom from the looks of it. The room was on the smaller side, consisting of a massive, wooden, four-post bed with thin fabric draped around it, a bed side table, and a small trunk, which upon further inspection, contained spare linens and pillows. The windows had two sets of curtains, as had been typical in Raiva¡¯s previous homes. One delicate, lacy set, and one heavier, velvet one, in a burnt orange color. Passing through the room¡¯s interior door she found another small room, clearly intended to be used as a dressing room. It contained another interior door, presumably leading to a washroom.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.That would explain the absurd amount of doors I have been billed for..


    She shook her head with a smile at the amiable extravagance of her friend, and decided to look around the dressing room briefly.


    It was currently mostly empty, but knowing Shelly, she had likely expected her to fill it with new, colorful finery until it reached its bursting point.


    A pair of small, drop shaped silver earrings were laid out on a side table by the floor length mirror with a note, scribbled in careful, but unsteady letters: ¡°A PRESENT¡±, with no signature underneath. Raiva stopped dead in her tracks and reached out a slightly shaky hand towards the pair. Dropping softly to the floor, she held them in her hands and simply stayed there, steadying her breath for a minute. When she got back up, the faced the mirror and carefully put them on, lifted her hair up with a hairpin from her pocket, and straightened out her clothes.


    Next, Raiva peeked into the second door leading from the sitting room, into what was apparently her office, with the usual office interior of a desk, bookshelves and two plush armchairs next to a round coffee table.


    Having circled back to the entrance, she climbed the stairs next to the front door, leading to the second floor hallway, lined by four doors. These doors also had brass handles and keyholes, though they weren¡¯t disguised to look like the wall at a glance. While she wasn¡¯t particularly keen on snooping around, she hadn¡¯t actually met her tenants yet, and her curiosity led her to decide a quick peek through the door wouldn¡¯t hurt nor intrude on anyone¡¯s privacy.


    The first door, to the immediate right of the staircase landing led to a slightly peculiar room. A small, but quality looking bed, a small, mostly empty bookshelf, a rug covering most of the floor, a sturdy looking, cushioned stool and a massive table in the middle of the room, surrounded by chests and drawers. The windows were covered in heavy, embroidered curtains, making the room dark despite the broad daylight outside. It was a strange sight.


    Why is there a dining table in a bedroom?


    Shaking her head in confusion, she moved to the next room, the one to the left of the stairs. This one was almost overwhelmingly filled with furniture, filled bookcases lining the walls and several trunks being strewn across the room. A curtained bed was tucked away in the far corner of the room, nearly obstructing the interior door. There was a desk by the window, and as opposed to the previous one, the curtains in this room were like the ones in Raiva¡¯s bedroom, two-layered, though the velvet set in this room was a deep purple.


    I wasn¡¯t expecting someone this wealthy.


    She noted to herself that no ordinary person, or even merchant, could afford such a staggering amount of books.


    As Raiva looked into the next door, she was pleasantly surprised by how ordinary it looked. A bed, not too dissimilar from her own, a few side tables, a trunk, a small desk with a pretty chair, a small daybed and a shelf containing a few books. There was a large carpet on the floor, giving the room a warm appearance, as well as dried flowers in ceramic vases across a few surfaces. This person also preferred double layering curtains, although they had chosen a sheer silk and and a lace to go on top of each other, both in a beautiful white. On a second glance, the room to the dressing room was open, and it could only just fit what looked to be an incredible amount of expensive looking clothes.


    Someone fashionable, I suppose? That does remind me a bit of Giovanni.


    She had a wistful look on her face as she closed the heavy door behind her, turning around to face the fourth, and last, door.


    Peering in, Raiva had to stop, close the door, and then open it again. There was nothing in here, save for a small, simple bed, and a smallish desk with a wooden stool. No curtains. Not even a pillow on the bed. The simply carved interior door leading to the dressing- and washroom felt almost intrusive in comparison.


    She was incredulous. Never had she seen so barren a room, not even as a child on the outskirts. There was no way that someone who could afford 5th district Opal Street prices couldn¡¯t afford a pillow and a curtain.


    How? What? Did the movers not finish? Did they get the date wrong?


    Not much wiser than before, Raiva decided to head back downstairs and followed the sound of Shelly¡¯s humming past the dining room to the kitchen.


    ¡°How is lunch coming along?¡± she inquired from the doorway with a smile.


    Frederick was in the middle of stirring something fragrant in a pot while his wife was gathering up utensils.


    ¡°Wonderfully, in fact I think it¡¯s just about done,¡± the cook replied in a jolly tone. ¡°This kitchen really is marvelous! I don¡¯t think I have ever had a stove get going this fast.¡±


    Raiva looked at Shelly pointedly and muttered, ¡°Yes, well. I can¡¯t wait to see the invoice.¡±


    She was kidding of course, especially since Shelly had so far managed to get abatements and rebates on every single purchase and material, evident on the plentiful paper trail left behind by a complete renovation and several luxurious additions.


    ¡°Oh pish posh, the old kitchen was barely functional! Poor materials and entirely decrepit. And the height! You know how much it wears on him when he has to crouch and bend all the time, my lady! He would have to retire next week, and then who will feed us all?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not you, dear,¡± the inconveniently tall Frederick mumbled, as he began portioning out the soup for the three.


    ¡°Yes, lords forbid. My own fault for not giving you a budget, really,¡± Raiva laughed as she loaded the tray. ¡°I know you¡¯ll scold me, Shelly, but we are having lunch together today.¡±


    Shelly finally looked up from her task and spotted Raiva wearing the earrings they had gifted her. Tears went to her eyes as she tried suppressing a smile, and she turned back around, suddenly polishing a fork furiously.


    She sighed dramatically and conceded.


    ¡°Alright, my lady. But please let me set the table!¡±


    The three sat down for a simple, but delicious lunch together, with Shelly trying very hard not to fuss about Frederick¡¯s table manners. She then insisted on cleaning up by herself, so Raiva retired to her office to have a look at the pile of invoices on her desk, and Frederick went out to get a few things for dinner.

 Chapter 2: Meeting Cassian

    ¡°Shelly?¡± Raiva called in a soft voice.


    A few moments later, she appeared in the open doorway.


    ¡°Yes, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where the tenancy contracts went? I can¡¯t seem to find them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, they should be over here,¡± she replied promptly and began shuffling through a cabinet drawer behind the desk. ¡°Here they are, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Tell me, did any of them seem¡­¡± Raiva tried finding a polite word to use, in an attempt to describe the rooms she¡¯d seen. ¡°¡­odd?¡±


    ¡°My, odd,¡± Shelly contemplated for a moment. ¡°I would perhaps rather say ¡®eccentric¡¯? The lawyer and I rejected the applications from strange people, of course, the ones that just didn¡¯t seem right, after all my lady is going to be living in the same building and all. But these ones, they seemed very polite, though I do agree some of the room furnishings are, well, particular. Unique?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Raiva muttered while scratching her eyebrow lightly. ¡°Oh, and Shelly? I know why you want to call me that, and want to insist on it, and I appreciate the sentiment, I do. But it¡¯s just going to cause a lot of confusion and questions from the tenants, and I¡¯d really rather avoid it. Please?¡±


    Shelly looked surprised for a moment, then cast her eyes to the floor.


    ¡°Yes, madam. I- I just¡­¡± she trailed off and looked like she might tear up.


    Raiva stood from her chair and held her. For once, she didn¡¯t try to protest, and instead just sighed softly.


    ¡°I know. Me too.¡±


    Shelly put her arms around her briefly, then drew herself back up to her full height.


    ¡°Alright, madam. I will show the tenants in when they arrive to sign the last bit of paperwork. Oh, and Frederick has been baking, heaps of biscuits again, but they turned out very well this time!¡±


    ¡°I would love some, thank you.¡±


    She happily shuffled away, and returned promptly with said biscuits and a glass of iced tea for her, before walking off.


    A little tired, Raiva sat down and took a biscuit into her hand. She was in the process of biting it when the bell at the font door was rung.


    Raiva put the baked good back on the plate, when she heard Shelly moving towards the door. She tried to hear what was being said, but could only make out her part of the conversation.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course! Please come inside, sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°My goodness, I¡¯m so sorry, My Lord. Of course. If I may show you to the madam¡¯s office?¡±


    My Lord?


    She glanced at the contracts in front of her.


    Lord Cassian Lorentz, son of Countess Lorentz. No titles on the others.


    Before she had time to think, Shelly appeared in the doorway again.


    ¡°Madam, one of your tenants has arrived.¡±


    She bowed and stepped to the side.


    No name?


    Shelly was very experienced in working for high ranking households, noble ones included. If she did not announce the visitor, it meant he did not give one.


    Rude.


    Into view stepped a beautiful man with dark curls, and dark brown, almond shaped eyes with a mole under his left eye, that seemed to make him look almost like a beautiful doll. This was only exacerbated by his olive toned skin, which, though not exotic by any means, was pretty uncommon in these parts. His overall features were on the delicate side. He seemed her own age, though his face was entirely smooth and therefore a little hard to estimate. Though she initially got the impression that he was quite petite, his frame was actually on the slender side, as he looked about her own height when he was standing next to Shelly. He was wearing casual clothes, but they were fitted perfectly and clearly made from expensive silk and cotton, the marks of typical incognito nobility.


    ¡°Thank you, Shelly. Lord Lorentz, it is a pleasure.¡± Raiva greeted the man formally as she stood from her seat and curtsied. ¡°Welcome.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Cassian bowed lightly in return.


    ¡°Thank you, madam.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry to take up your time when you¡¯ve only just arrived, but might you spare a moment to sign some papers regarding your tenancy, My Lord?¡± Raiva knew better than to take chances with nobles, especially ones that don¡¯t give their names to staff to be announced properly. Best to be as polite as possible.


    ¡°Of course, madam.¡±


    Despite his almost feminine beauty, the man in front of her was quite cold and bland. It had been a while since Raiva had encountered such a disconnect from appearance to behavior, particularly among the nobility. She quickly dismissed the thought as she gestured to the chair in front of her desk, and discreetly moved the biscuits and her tea off the surface. Cassian eyed her slightly, and took a seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I simply noted that the signature was made by a proxy for Your Lordship, and was hoping to get Your personal signature on here, to ensure that everything is in order in regards to the legal side of things.¡±


    His face was expressionless as he looked at her for a few beats.


    ¡°My personal signature?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord, for the tenancy contract.¡±


    He stared at her for a bit, then let out a sigh.


    ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t rather have me just sign the pamphlet, madam?¡±


    ¡°Pamphlet, My Lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your pamphlet for ¡®The Deer¡¯s Sonata¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡®Sonata¡¯? Is¡­ is that a play, sir? Why would I have a pamphlet?¡±


    Is he¡­ off it?


    He was now sighing increasingly dramatically and putting his fingers against his temple.


    ¡°Yes, madam, the pamphlet you have of the play ¡®The Deer¡¯s Sonata¡¯. I¡¯d rather not be so frivolous as to sign my autograph on a contract, so I might as well sign the damn pamphlet so you can show it off to your lady friends freely.¡±


    What?


    ¡°My lord. I do not know what ¡®The Deer¡¯s Sonata¡¯ is.¡±


    He opened his mouth in protest, but she continued.


    ¡°I need Your personal signature on the aforementioned contract to ensure that You, personally, agree to the terms of your tenancy, by advice of my lawyer.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am?¡±


    He looked surprised.


    Did he not hear anything else I said?


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How do you not know who I am?¡±


    ¡°How would I?¡±


    ¡°You knew me on sight as I entered.¡±


    Raiva took a deep breath and scratched her brow.


    ¡°I knew who you were, or rather your name, because Shelly, who as you may recall welcomed you at the door, and she changed her ¡®sir¡¯ to ¡®My Lord¡¯. Her voice happened to travel all the way in her. There is exactly one tenant with a title, and that, My Lord, is a Lord Cassian Lorentz, the-¡° she looked at the paper in front of her, reading out, ¡°Son of Countess Amelia Lorentz. Now Her Ladyship I have heard of, and that, My Lord, is all I know. After all, I didn¡¯t conduct a rigorous background check beyond requesting recommendations for any of my tenants. None of yours mention anything about who you are other than ¡®not the tidiest of tenants, but perfectly pleasant regardless and always pays on time¡¯.¡±


    Raiva leaned back in her chair, observing him.


    She asked, ¡°Now. Is there anything else I should know, Lord Lorentz?¡±


    Cassian had fallen quiet. Finally, he smirked, so slightly that Raiva almost didn¡¯t catch it. Then he stood and bowed to her.


    ¡°I am very sorry, madam.¡± He looked up at her apologetically with his annoyingly pretty brown eyes. ¡°I genuinely cannot remember when I last so severely misjudged a situation.¡±


    Raiva held eye contact, lifting an eyebrow inquisitively, but remained silent.


    ¡°I am a playwright, you see. I am flattered that you thought me an actor, though I am afraid those days are behind me. Unfortunately it seems as though the playwright is almost as hounded by admirers as the actor, especially when the playwright is of noble origins.


    ¡°I had, mistakenly and foolishly of course, thought you to be one of my admirers, who tend to try and trick me into giving them autographs, rather than simply ask. Quite a few try to have me sign receipts and fraudulent petitions.¡±


    He shook his head a little, incredulous at the absurdity.


    ¡°Right, well then. Shall we move on to the topics at hand then, Lord Lorentz?¡± she interjected. ¡°This is the contract your proxy signed, and if you would be so kind as to-¡°


    ¡°Madam,¡± he said with that same smirk on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that you haven¡¯t accepted my apology yet.¡±


    ¡°I tend not to accept apologies given out of necessity, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°But it is considered impolite to reject an apology.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t rejected it, I just haven¡¯t accepted it either.¡±


    The two stared at each other for several seconds, before Cassian began laughing and sat back down.


    He muttered under his breath, ¡°That¡¯s a new one.¡±


    Putting on a more cordial smile, he leaned forward in his chair.


    ¡°It occurs to me, madam, I don¡¯t believe I have asked for your name?¡±


    He knows that because of his title I had to wait for him to ask.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t, no,¡± she silently made a note to scold Shelly for selecting him. ¡°Raiva.¡±


    ¡°Well, Madam Raiva, I will happily re-sign the contract, if you promise not to auction it off.¡±


    ¡°No promises, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she slid the contract towards him and recomposed herself. ¡°Did you have any inquiries about your tenancy, My Lord?¡±


    ¡°Only a request that my room be left alone by the maid.¡± He slid the contract back to her and stood up to leave.


    ¡°I will let Shelly, the housekeeper, know, My Lord.¡±


    The ¡®not the tidiest tenant¡¯ strikes again.


    He nodded in affirmation, but continued.


    ¡°Oh, and one last thing, madam?¡± he tilted his head to the side and smiled sweetly. ¡°Please feel free to drop the formalities. I wouldn¡¯t want to put the other tenants on edge. We¡¯re all house mates now after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I-¡°


    ¡°And I¡¯m afraid I insist.¡±


    Oaf.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She rubbed her brow, exhausted. ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°Cassian.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Cassian.¡±


    He let out a laugh at her expression and turned around, leaving the office. Shelly had been waiting by the entrance to show him the way to his room, and guided him up.


    As soon as she heard him reach the top of the stairs, she slumped in her chair and let out a prolonged groan. She felt 5 years older.


    Lords have mercy.


    She sat back up, and finally took a bite out of Frederick¡¯s biscuits. They were alright.


    Her up-do suddenly felt tight and restraining, so she pulled out her hairpin and ruffled her locks lightly.


    Is he always so demanding? Just what is ¡®perfectly pleasant¡¯ about him?


    She sipped her, now room temperature, iced tea. It was still delicious.


    Aristocrats.


    She briefly recalled Cassian¡¯s deep brown eyes gazing at her playfully, with that annoying, charming beauty mark making him look deceptively sweet.


    Actors.

 Chapter 3: Meeting Griffin

    Before Raiva had time to call in Shelly and interrogate her about the rude oaf, Cassian Lorentz, the bell sounded again. She had caught a glimpse of a big silhouette through the window, and by the sounds of his footsteps, that was a correct assessment.


    Once again, Shelly appeared in front of her, though more flushed than usual.


    ¡°Captain Griffin for you, madam.¡±


    When the man entered the office, Raiva saw that just ¡°big¡± was perhaps not the entirely correct word to use. He was impressively tall, likely more than a head taller than her, and had the build of a man who had spent his life fighting, swinging swords, and exercising. His chestnut hair was quite short, but somehow framed his attractive, angular face perfectly. He had a light, fine scar running through his right eyebrow down to his cheek, highlighted by his tan skin.


    He took a few long strides into the office and bowed stiffly, waiting for her greeting. She stood up from her seat.


    ¡°Captain Griffin. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you,¡± Raiva nodded to Shelly as a signal of dismissal. ¡°I am Raiva.¡±


    She looked at Shelly, who was still lingering in the doorway, eyes fixed on the captain, face still flushed.


    Oh, Shelly.


    The captain had straightened his back, and was looking at Raiva, clearly thinking about something.


    ¡°Would you care for some coffee, captain? I myself could use a cup or two.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied curtly.


    ¡°Would you mind, Shelly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Shelly broke into a smile and bowed before scampering off to the kitchen. ¡°Of course, My L-, madam! I shall bring some right away.¡±


    Raiva moved out from behind her desk and gestured to the armchairs.


    ¡°Please have seat, captain.¡±


    Griffin sat without a word, still gazing at her a little funny as she took her seat opposite.


    ¡°Madam, are you-¡°


    A small knock sounded on the office door, and Shelly announced herself, bringing in a waft of coffee with her.


    ¡°The coffee, madam. I took the liberty to arrange for some biscuits as well.¡±


    She felt a pang of betrayal when she saw that these biscuits were not Frederick¡¯s, well, perfectly alright, biscuits, but different, expensive looking ones, clearly purchased from a bakery. She shot her a look, but Shelly was preoccupied with arranging the table and not getting lost in the taciturn captain¡¯s gray eyes, and somewhat failing.


    Raiva accidentally chuckled at the thought, especially considering she had only seen this side of her a handful of times before. Usually competent, if not outright composed, Shelly had a habit of getting flustered and shy in front of men who had exactly one trait in common: excessive tallness.


    I guess it¡¯s no surprise that she fell for Frederick then. Though I can see that the shyness wore off over the years.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Thank you, Shelly.¡±


    This time she took the hint and surrendered with an almost inaudible sigh.


    ¡°Of course, madam, please call on me should you need anything else.¡±


    She withdrew and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, captain, you were saying?¡± Raiva prodded as she took a sip of her cup.


    ¡°Are you the Crimson Widow?¡±


    Raiva was not really surprised by his directness, but the question was a little unexpected. She watched him for a moment.


    There was no sign of nervousness, nor curiosity. While it was a bit rude, and blunt, it had occurred to her that her tenants would ask about it eventually.


    That was fast.


    ¡°Is that what they landed on? I personally preferred ¡®the Ruby Widow¡¯, but I suppose I should be thankful that ¡®the Fire Widow¡¯ didn¡¯t stick. A little on the nose for my tastes,¡± she tried her best to sound lighthearted and nonchalant, but her hands wouldn¡¯t stop trembling as the lowered her cup. After a pause she continued, ¡°Yes.¡±


    His face seemed to soften a bit, and he shifted his eyes downward.


    ¡°My condolences,¡± Griffin said in a soft, quiet voice. He looked back at her sympathetically.


    She waited a while for him to continue, taking a few more sips, and finally realized that he wasn¡¯t going to.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    For a moment, when she looked at him, all she felt was warmth. A sort of silent empathy emanating from him, free of pity, for once. And then, a sense of camaraderie.


    Oh.


    Raiva fought back the tingle in her nose, and the tears threatening to emerge.


    She gestured at the still untouched cup in front of him and said carefully, ¡°May I ask something in return?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he finally took hold of the cup, taking a tentative sip.


    ¡°You too?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    Griffin continued sipping his coffee for a while, trying to find the words, but falling a bit short.


    ¡°My wife,¡± he finally mumbled.


    Raiva took a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s been almost a decade now.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, does it get easier?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. The pain lessens. Over time, fewer things remind me of her. Memory fades a bit. But the void in my chest seems to remain,¡± he said quietly, looking out of the window with a solemn expression on his face. He turned back at her and went on, ¡°I try not to dwell. She asked me not to. She was sick for a long time. She gave me a new objective to pursue. Keep me moving. Busy. Going forward is hard, but staying still was unbearable.¡±


    Despite his terse speech, his gaze was gentle.


    Raiva contemplated a bit while nibbling on a biscuit.


    ¡°The rumors, how bad are they?¡±


    He grimaced, remembering the lower knights and recruits throwing around crude jokes and allegations between drills.


    ¡°Rude. Likely untrue. Definitely exaggerated. I would be careful with advertising that this is your residence. If possible.¡±


    ¡°You know, captain,¡± she sighed, leaning to one side, resting her head on her hand. ¡°For all you know, I could be exactly as they say. Cold heart, manipulative, greedy. I could be all those things, and then some.


    ¡°Did you know that I was accosted by a woman on Satin Square last week? She flung water at me and cursed me out, claiming I was sending young men to the underworld just by being near them with my ¡®rotten soul¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Are you? All those things,¡± he asked, unconvinced, an eyebrow slightly raised.


    ¡°No,¡± she responded with a wry smile. ¡°Not that it matters.¡±


    She thought for a while and muttered contemplative, ¡°Perhaps greedy, in my own way.¡±


    He wondered what she meant by that, but decided against inquiring about it.


    Silence had fallen in the office, with the two sipping their coffees and looking out the window, at the darkening clouds.


    Many minutes later, Raiva took a deep breath and rose from her seat.


    ¡°Thank you, captain. For your warning and for keeping me company, even though this was just supposed to be a quick introductory meeting,¡± she said apologetically. ¡°I suppose I should ask if you have any questions before you get settled?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t ask Mrs. Shelly,¡± he replied matter-of-factly. ¡°And no need to thank me.¡±


    He stood up and bowed stiffly in her direction. Once again she was reminded of how tall he was, when she had to look up to see his face, despite the two being several feet apart.


    Fine, I¡¯ll give you this one, Shelly.


    Griffin was back to his usual facial expression, though he seemed much friendlier in Raiva¡¯s eyes than before.


    He had opened the door and begun leaving her office when he turned around again.


    ¡°Feel free to let me know if you want to talk again.¡±


    To her surprise he smiled little as he walked off.


    Shelly who was conspicuously dusting off the fireplace, offered to show him to his room and began chatting about the house and meals and knights and so on.


    Raiva on the other hand, was still standing in the same spot wide-eyed.


    Eventually she moved, lightly feeling her cheeks with her hands. Removing her hairpin from her pocket she put her hair up quickly.


    It¡¯s so warm in here.

 Chapter 4: Meeting Victor

    A good while later, Shelly reentered Raiva¡¯s office, clearly in a good mood and humming to herself.


    ¡°How did the captain find his lodgings?¡± Raiva asked teasingly, as Shelly gathered the tableware from the coffee table.


    ¡°Oh, Sir Griffin was very pleased I¡¯d say, even though there was barely anything in it! I told him I would give the movers a good scolding, but he just said that this is all there was to move! Could you imagine?¡± she started in exasperation. ¡°And then I told him I would find him some furniture and fabrics, at a good price, too, you know I always know someone or other, I definitely have a few favors lined up. But to that too, he said no! I can¡¯t figure out if he was being shy or polite, but he must see reason sooner or later, don¡¯t you think? One really can¡¯t relax like that.¡±


    Raiva was trying to imagine Captain Griffin being shy or polite, and had a hard time sticking any of those descriptors to the man.


    I mean, good natured, I think, but polite? Shy? Curt and taciturn more like.


    ¡°But really, my lady, what a handsome young man, so proper and polite,¡± she finished her recounting of guiding the man to his room.


    ¡°Young? I¡¯m not sure, of course, but isn¡¯t he 40 or thereabouts?¡±


    ¡°38, my lady,¡± Shelly replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You did not just up and ask the man his age!¡± Raiva was shocked at her boldness, and took a step back, mouth agape.


    Before she could get a response out from her, however, she scuttled out of the room in an almost childlike manner, so as not to be confronted further.


    ¡°Shelly!¡±


    Raiva merrily took up the chase but made it no further than the dining room, when the door bell announced the third resident¡¯s arrival. She stopped, looked back towards the entrance and back at Shelly, disappearing around a corner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer,¡± she called out, shaking her head with a chuckle.


    When Raiva opened the door, she stood face to face with one the the most beautiful men she had ever seen.


    He was younger than her, by a good few years at least, a little taller, and had a boyish air about him despite a decidedly elegant appearance. His waist length golden blond hair was assembled in a simple braid, tied with a sea foam colored ribbon that matched the details on his light cotton suit. The bright blue eyes looking back at her, were almost cat like, both in their slight upturnedness, and in how they were in observing her closely. Strangely, he seemed familiar.


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir. May I help you?¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon miss. I am Victor, a tenant moving in today,¡± he bowed his head lightly and gestured to the two men behind him, which she had somehow failed to notice, arms crammed full of bags and boxes.


    Miss?


    ¡°Of course. I am Raiva, madam of this boarding house. It¡¯s nice to meet you, please come in,¡± she responded with an equally light lowering of the head. She said in a clear voice over her shoulder, ¡°Shelly, would you show these gentlemen to sir Victor¡¯s lodging?¡±


    The four moved in through the doors, the two accompanying men waiting in the entrance, while Victor followed Raiva to the sitting room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, was there something else you needed?¡±


    ¡°Yes madam, I wanted to apologize for not showing appropriate courtesy,¡± he fell to his knee and carefully clasped her hand in a practiced manner, before giving it a polite peck. In that exact moment, Shelly flitted by the two, glanced over with her eyes wide open, but decided the poor overburdened men in the entrance took priority at the moment.


    ¡°I am Victor, and most glad to meet you. I have heard of your beauty in the rumors, and I must assure you that they can barely encapsulate your charm.¡±


    So he really is that Victor, I see.


    ¡°And your reputation precedes you, sir Victor. I am flattered, but please get up. I am of no standing to receive your courtesy, as you probably know.¡±


    She was, indeed, aware of his reputation and popularity with the upper echelons of society as a ¡°professional companion¡±. Not that this bothered her in any capacity, but right now she did not have the energy to skirt around polite advances by a charming youth, who was used to eating widows and widowers for breakfast.


    I can see how his attentions could be a comfort for most. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be charmed by a beautiful young man after all, to help ease the hurt a little?


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much of a bother, would you spare me a moment of your time?¡± he asked, carefully running his hand along his braid, as though he were nervous, though he of course wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, inwardly rolling her eyes at his little maneuver. ¡°This way, please.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    For the third time today, Raiva was having a sit-down with a new tenant in her office.


    This is beginning to feel silly.


    Sitting with his leg politely crossed in the opposite armchair, with the afternoon sun reflecting gently off of his golden hair, he really did look like a supernatural being.


    I wonder how he gets his skin to look so even despite being this fair skinned?


    Victor clearly took her attention as a positive sign to continue his polite advances.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be too direct, madam, but haven¡¯t we met before?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she tilted her head, trying to remember the exact time. ¡°A number of years ago, at a small garden party, I believe. I think I recall overly lavendered macaroons.¡±


    He lit up into a smile, relieved that she recalled it.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it was! At Sir Walter¡¯s vernal equinox party! It was a terribly cold spring that year too, but he had just completed his greenhouse extension, I seem to recall. I¡¯m embarrassed to say, but I simply couldn¡¯t place it. I don¡¯t know how I could ever forget such clear, peridot eyes.¡±


    She chuckled in response, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t one usually say ¡®emerald¡¯ or jade¡¯ when trying to flatter someone?¡±


    ¡°If it were flattery, and they were susceptible to comparisons to expensive things? Naturally,¡± he raised his hands nonchalantly. ¡°But either way emerald and jade are not uncommon hues for green eyes, and I am quite serious, madam.¡±


    He leaned closer to her until she could see that his eyes were the color of cornflowers.


    The flower of young lovers. Very comme il faut for a man like Victor.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said in a low voice, almost a whisper. ¡°Definitely peridot.¡±


    Her heart fluttered for a second, and she noticed she had begun to hold in her breath. Composing herself, she adjusted her sitting position, and put her hand against her temple.


    ¡°Tell me, sir Victor,¡± her fatigue creeping into her voice. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t sound to rude, when I ask this, but¡­ Do you make it a habit of trying to beguile all your landladies or should I count myself as special among them?¡±


    He burst into laughter, the surprised, explosive kind. Holding onto the armrest he used his other hand to wipe a single tear from his eye as he wound down.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± he regained his breath for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam, I did not remember you being this direct.¡±


    ¡°It has been a long few years, after all.¡±


    And you would have been all of, what, 19?


    His smile faltered.


    ¡°Yes. And I¡¯m sorry for my late condolences,¡± he bowed his head in apology and commiseration.


    ¡°Thank you, sir Victor. Now, if that was all,¡± she began rising from her seat, weary of this interaction.


    He jumped up, and interjected, ¡°Actually, if I may.¡±


    She was surprised by his sudden movement and remained, where she was, looking at him curiously.


    ¡°This was my intention from the beginning, but I became all sidetracked, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    He was carefully rummaging in his coat pocket, only adding to her growing confusion.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself, seeing your beautiful hair in such disarray,¡± he went on, pulling an entertainingly small brush out, along with a yellow ribbon.


    Initially she felt a bit offended by the insinuation, but when she moved to touch her hastily pinned hair, she realized he was right. Her hairpin had half fallen out and her locks very slowly falling from the loosening bun.


    She was about to excuse herself to fix it by herself, when he continued with a polite smile, ¡°If I may?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what? Why?¡± she blurted out in surprise.


    ¡°It seems it has been a long day, madam, and I would like to give you a moment of respite in your clearly busy day.¡±


    While he was evidently still being coy, she was inclined to let it be this once.


    I really shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m only inviting trouble if I let him, I can feel it.


    She briefly tried to remember the last time someone had brushed her hair, and she couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint it.


    Was it Maria? Or maybe Kassandra? Did I even let them after the accident?


    She was torn, knowing she shouldn¡¯t, but longing for the feeling.


    Oh, but I love getting my hair brushed


    Today had worn her down, and she was getting impulsive, prone to seeking out comfort.


    How sly, finding my weak spot so soon.


    ¡°Well then, if your offer is genuine I will gladly accept,¡± she capitulated. ¡°I am in your hands.¡±


    His smile had gotten bigger at seeing her tormented by the offer, but opted not to say anything, lest she take back the acceptance. He was confident in making others relax, and making normal interactions feel strangely intimate. This time was no exception, of course.


    She leaned back in her chair and looked at their vague reflection in the glass cabinet behind the chair Victor had occupied.


    He was standing behind her, carefully pulling out the hairpin and tucking it away in his pocket, letting her hair fall down over the back of the chair. Gently brushing against her neck to gather up all the strands, sending a shiver down her spine. Slowly running his fingers through her hair to separate any loose knots, starting at bottom and making their way up, having her locks tug slightly and occasionally making her instinctively lift her head a little.


    Her breathing was oddly becoming unsteady, and her cheeks felt as if they were reddening. A sound was trying to escape her, but she refused to give in to it. She tried to think of something to say.


    ¡°Was this really your intention from the beginning?¡± she asked, observing his reflection.


    Without stopping, he replied, ¡°I make it a habit not to lie, madam.¡±


    His reflection was smiling, head tilted.


    ¡°Is it such an odd thing to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± she replied with an accidental chortle.


    No man has ever asked to brush my hair, no matter how pretty or messy they found it.


    He laughed airily and responded, ¡°A stain upon my reputation then.¡±


    ¡°No more than a tinge perhaps,¡± she muttered reflexively, getting somewhat lost in the sensation of Victor brushing her hair. The funny little pocket brush was clearly of high quality, never once getting stuck in the little knots her hair was prone to creating.


    Her eyes had closed without her knowing, when he suddenly leaned in by her ear and murmured, ¡°Would you mind if I rearrange it a little?¡±


    She was startled enough to let out a small, ¡°Ah,¡± immediately covering her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°No, feel free,¡± she managed to answer, before her face flushed from embarrassment.


    Very composed, Raiva, good job.


    She already regretted accepting the initial offer, but couldn¡¯t get herself to make Victor stop.


    Despite not making a sound in return, she saw him grinning in the reflection.


    Already on edge, she almost shrieked when he ¡°accidentally¡± tickled her ears to gather those parts of her hair, and to brush the remaining parts downward. Her breathing was getting heavier, and she had unintentionally been clenching her hands tightly in an attempt to control it. She started counting her breaths and focusing on the tapping of her fingers in her lap. The heat in her face lessened, and her began to steady.


    Finally he completed a series of adept twists, and secured the half up-do with the yellow ribbon from his pocket.


    ¡°All done, madam,¡± Victor stepped away and returned to her field of vision. ¡°Then, I will excuse myself for the time being.¡±


    He bowed politely with a mischievous smile, then turned around and left the office, closing the door behind him.


    Raiva blinked a few times, processing the situation.


    Dammit.


    She covered her face with her hands, and groaned, for the second time today.

 Chapter 5: Meeting Octavia

    Once Raiva was done lamenting her fate of having three outrageously attractive men residing in her newly established boarding house, she arose and went to her dressing room to have a look at Victor¡¯s handiwork.


    He had managed to elegantly twist her hair around itself, with the two strands of hair meeting each other in the middle in an ornate knot, secured with the ribbon, which was trailing down her loose curls. This particular shade of marigold looked very complimentary against her hair, if a little bright next to her black mourning dress.


    In the end, she decided to keep the ensemble, as she honestly couldn¡¯t be bothered to undo or change any of it. After all, she wasn¡¯t trying to impress any one, and she especially did not have any energy left to figure out what to do with it instead.


    Upon her return to the bedroom she noticed that her luggage had arrived while she was entertaining Victor.


    How did I not hear that?


    She decided she could use the diversion and began moving her bags to the dressing room and started the process of unpacking, sorting and hanging what dresses, shoes and accessories she had kept from her old wardrobe.


    Her favorite white dress, with the lace sleeves, the now-outdated green tea dress that Tristan had given her, the gold embroidered dark plum gown from Giovanni, and the simplest dresses and separates she could find among the hundreds that had been amassed over the past years.


    Among them, curiously enough, was a marigold walking skirt and a matching vest.


    Oh right, from that time at Sir Walter¡¯s.


    Her thoughts momentarily went back to Victor.


    How does he remember me? I only remember him because of the Julianne incident.


    Then again, that would have been only a few months before the fire, wouldn¡¯t it? That would make an impression on a newly debuted teenager, I suppose.


    After finishing up in her dressing room, Raiva went to the kitchen, where Frederick was in the midst of dinner preparations. He looked up, and gave her a sympathetic nod, deciding not to inquire further as to why she looked so tired, or why she had her hair up all fancy like, because he too knew that she had no such skill herself.


    They sat in silence as she had some tea and Frederick continued his work, as he occasionally sipped from his own cup, which Raiva had prepared for him.


    Unfortunately, Shelly had no such restraint.


    ¡°Oh, my lady, your hair! Who did, wait, was it sir Victor? I saw him being very gallant in the drawing room, but how did he end up-¡°


    ¡°Shelly, dear?¡± Frederick gingerly interrupted her. ¡°I think I saw Madam Raiva¡¯s office being in a bit of a state. I¡¯m afraid a gust from a window may have kicked some dust about in there.¡±


    If there was one thing Shelly could not abide by, it was two things: drafts, and dust.


    She turned around on the spot to inspect all the windows and dust the office, in her usual fervent battle against untidiness.


    The two watched her go, then silently returned back to what they were doing.


    A while later Raiva let out a long, leisurely sigh. ¡°Thank you, Frederick.¡±


    ¡°Of course, madam.¡± He smiled a comforting smile at her.


    ¡°You know just Raiva is fine, right?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Shelly would never let me hear the end of it.¡±


    She laughed faintly.


    ¡°One day I¡¯ll convince her too,¡± she said confidently, without actually having any confidence in that statement at all.


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be a day for celebration?¡± he wondered as he sniffled softly from the onion fumes.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll make lamb curry when I do?¡± she asked jokingly, having only ever heard of curry from Frederick¡¯s wine-induced ramblings.


    ¡°Or when the sun rises in the west. Whichever comes first, Raiva,¡± he murmured through a gentle trickle of tears.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Shelly could be hear exclaiming a few rooms over, likely from the office.


    Raiva stood up from her seat by the kitchen window.


    ¡°Sounds like the fourth tenant is here,¡± she declared to Frederick over the sizzle of meat on pans.


    Frederick grunted in acknowledgment has he skillfully evaded and contained the splatter of fat and oil.


    She made her way to the entrance, where Shelly was in the middle of opening the door.


    On the other side of it stood a graceful young woman, whose toffee colored hair and voluptuous figure seemed to be enveloped in the warm glow of the dusk outside.


    Entranced, Raiva vaguely heard Shelly greeting her, before she stepped inside and greeted her with a proficient bow, rather than a curtsy, making her almost miss the timing of her own response.


    ¡°Miss Octavia, welcome,¡± she returned the greeting, thankfully remembering her name from the tenancy contract, but finding enunciation momentarily strenuous.


    Now that she saw her in proper light, her first impression seemed only confirmed.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Octavia¡¯s toffee hair was barely shoulder length and straight as a pin, with a straight cut fringe framing her dainty face, and dainty, but plentiful freckles covering her nose and parts of her cheeks. Down-turned hazel eyes were looking back at Raiva with a confident gaze, almost making her avert hers. She was petite, more than she had initially thought, just over half a head shorter than herself.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said warmly, pulling her out of her train of thought. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I should go unpack.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I hope you¡¯ll find it to your liking.¡±


    As her last tenant began her ascent up the stairs, Raiva turned around, still in a minor daze, to go help in the kitchen.


    Suddenly Octavia cried out, ¡°One moment, madam Raiva!¡±


    She turned back in bewilderment, becoming more and more disoriented as this encounter went on, and looked at her inquisitively.


    ¡°Could I have a moment of your time?¡±


    Four times today. What is happening, honestly?


    Octavia followed her into her office and set her bag down by the door with a thud. Raiva couldn¡¯t help but glance at it upon hearing such a loud sound, when it had just been carried around by Octavia as though it weighed nothing more than a purse.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry to ask this, but are you in mourning, are you not?¡± she asked hastily.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°My condolences. I wouldn¡¯t ask unless it was important. Are you aware of what yellow ribbons with mourning dresses symbolize, especially in high society?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? No?¡±


    Octavia closed the door carefully, as though she were wary of someone overhearing.


    She continued in a lowered voice, ¡°In short: it means that you have been propositioned by a potential lover and accepted their advances, by accepting the yellow ribbon itself. It means you have said yes to meeting later, to¡­ socialize.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you did not choose the ribbon yourself? The hair is a little unusual, but did they tie it in there for you? And are they acquainted with high society?¡±


    Oh, no.


    Raiva held a hand to her face and blushed from embarrassment.


    No wonder he was so aggressive towards the end.


    ¡°No. No, I did not. And yes, he did. And yes, he is,¡± she finally answered incredulously.


    ¡°Fucking men,¡± muttered Octavia, though so low and without moving her mouth, that Raiva was convinced she had made it up


    ¡°Alright. Is the person who gave you the ribbon in the house tonight?¡±


    Oh, no no no no no.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she croaked, her head spinning.


    ¡°Very well. We have three options.


    ¡°One, you now know the meaning behind it, and you could accept if you so desired, though it will likely be obvious to anyone else who would know the meaning.¡±


    Lord Cassian. Probably Shelly-


    She stiffened.


    Oh, fuck. That¡¯s why Shelly was so interested in my hair earlier.


    ¡°Two, we remove the ribbon. That will make it fairly obvious that you know the meaning behind it, and it will serve as a firm rejection, though men of course aren¡¯t always known for handling firm rejections well. I would perhaps particularly be concerned if he lives in the house, although I spotted a lock on what I presume is your bedroom door, so it could be fine.¡±


    I highly doubt Victor has such a disposition, though I can think of a number of men that would react so strongly.


    ¡°Miss, he won¡¯t-¡°


    ¡°Three, and my personal suggestion, we change your dress.¡±


    Raiva was genuinely surprised at someone suggesting she discard something so symbolic and important for an issue like this. Especially someone who didn¡¯t know how long she had mourned for.


    ¡°I know, and I am sorry. Your dress is a good quality fabric, but fairly worn by the hem, and so I hoped an appropriate time may have passed already. Please her me out.


    ¡°This way, he won¡¯t realize that you have caught the underlying meaning. It will simply look like you have decided to end your mourning period, and you decided to wear something that perhaps suited the ribbon you have been gifted, as a coincidence. He might still interpret it as an acknowledgment or a subtle reciprocation of his advances, but it is much easier to deny and explain away.¡±


    Octavia finally paused, and drew in breath. She was looking at Raiva, clearly waiting for her decision, glancing at the door. They were both keenly aware that dinnertime was steadily approaching.


    Dammit Victor.


    ¡°The third one. It would spare everyone involved the most embarrassment, I hope. Could you help me?¡± Raiva asked hopefully, very aware, that she did not have much of an eye when it came to her own clothes, nor time to carefully consider. More than once had she been persuaded out of certain color combinations and clothes too casual or formal for the occasion.


    And I do not need to make more of a fool out of myself today.


    Octavia initially hesitated, but quickly decided it might be for the best, and hastily nodded before grabbing her bag and following Raiva into her dressing room.


    ¡°This is all of it, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she muttered, suddenly almost regretting disposing of most of her wardrobe.


    Octavia dismissed her worry genially, saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I sound rude, madam, but I¡¯m sure we shall make do. How about this set?¡±


    This was exactly what Raiva had worried about would happen. She had pointed to the marigold skirt and vest.


    ¡°While is is technically an outdoors leisure outfit, no one really makes the distinction anymore,¡± Octavia continued, not noticing her hesitancy. ¡°Oh, the stitching on this is wonderful. What is it, habotai silk lined linen? It needs some steaming, but-¡°


    She fell silent when she saw Raiva¡¯s facial expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a long story, but the first time we met I think I wore that set, and I¡¯m worried it will-¡°


    ¡°Affirm his advances further? I see. A wonderful set once you remove the ribbon, just as a future reference. Beautiful with your eyes and hair.¡±


    Raiva found herself inexplicably blushing again.


    Octavia glanced around and her eyes fell on a gray plaid item tucked into the corner.


    ¡°Now this is a corset skirt! What is it made of? A silk and merino wool blend? With silk lining?¡± she looked to Raiva to confirm.


    She in, turn was a little flustered from the onslaught of questions, only being able to stammer out, ¡°Y-yes. To all of it. The silk lining on this one is a heavier kind though, since it is intended for colder weather.¡±


    Inwardly she was relieved that she went through every one of her clothes with a seamstress to confirm that she had a good selection of versatile, durable clothes from the mountain she started out with. And that she remembered any of it.


    Octavia gave her a hearty laugh and a delighted smile, relieved that this wasn¡¯t another case of a beautiful woman with too much money, having no idea what she owned. Not that she would have blamed her, of course. It would simply be a pity.


    ¡°Well then, madam, is it fortunate that tonight will be cold, so no one could blame you for wearing wool in early spring. I¡¯m told the water might freeze again tonight,¡± she patiently explained, her eyes darting around again.


    Before another minute had gone by, Octavia had found a plain ivory linen blouse and dug two close-to-marigold yellow cuff links out of her bag, as well as a needle, thread and a pair of scissors.


    It only took her another minute or two, with Raiva looking on in astonishment, to carefully remove the already attached cuff buttons and make adjustments for the cuff links to fit.


    ¡°There,¡± Octavia mumbled with the needle still between her teeth, placing the equipment back into her bag. ¡°All ready. Then, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡±


    She bowed politely again and made to leave for her room.


    Raiva hurriedly call out, ¡°Miss Octavia!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, so much. You¡¯ve gone above and beyond for me despite having no reason,¡± she said hesitantly, not sure how to convey her thanks properly. She finally decided to bow her head so far she went into a small curtsy, continuing ¡°I¡¯m indebted to you.¡±


    Octavia looked at her for a second and seemed to consider her gratitude quite seriously.


    ¡°I shall remember that, madam,¡± she finally said with a radiant smile on her face, before leaving the rooms for good this time.


    Raiva flushed at her bright smile, and felt suddenly nervous about putting on the skirt she had just been carefully caressing and investigating with her hands.


    Stop overthinking it.


    Hearing the faint clattering of cutlery and ceramics, she hastened her pace and managed to put the laid-out clothes on in record time, only struggling with the cuff links.


    This is much harder one-handed, isn¡¯t it?


    A gentle knock sounded from the door to her bedroom.


    She froze and looked up nervously.

 Chapter 6: Dinner

    ¡°My lady?¡± Shelly called out in a soft voice, barely audible through the sturdy wooden door.


    ¡°Oh, thank the heavens it¡¯s you, Shelly,¡± she responded relieved, tension flooding from her body all at once. ¡°Please come in!¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to say that- Oh!¡± she exclaimed in surprise at the sight of Raiva out of her mourning clothes.


    Before she could say anything further, Raiva hushed her and quietly said, ¡°Close the door, please.¡±


    Shelly immediately shut it soundlessly and approached her cautiously.


    ¡°Is everything all right, my lady?¡±


    Her face was one of genuine concern, as she was not sure what to make of the current situation. She knew that her employer was not one for impulsive decisions like this, and silently concluded that listening would be more beneficial than needless inquiries.


    ¡°Could you help me with the cuff links?¡± Raiva murmured, clearly still in a state of minor agitation.


    She rushed to her side, doing her best to soothe her, ¡°Of course, no problem. These are beautiful, by the way. A gift?¡±


    ¡°On loan, I¡¯m afraid. By Miss Octavia,¡± her voice was almost a whisper by now. ¡°Did you know, Shelly? About the ribbon?¡±


    Her face flushed a little when she replied, ¡°Yes, my lady. But it is good manners to pretend not to notice.¡±


    It took her a moment until she realized why Raiva asked her this, and the outfit change, the matching yellow cuff links.


    ¡°You did not know?¡± she half shrieked in a hushed whisper. ¡°Oh my word. My lady! I thought you knew, after all that time around nobles!¡±


    ¡°There weren¡¯t exactly a lot of widows that Tristan socialized with and he never told me!¡± she whisper yelled back. ¡°Anyway! Miss Octavia told me how to solve the misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°How did she know that you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Who gave you the ribbon?¡±


    ¡°Sir Victor.¡±


    ¡°That libertine. Do you think he thought that you knew?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, after all he knows about me and that I sometimes attended events.¡±


    ¡°The audacity of youngsters these days. Scandalous, really. Not even making a verbal confirmation, despite occurring in a private setting,¡± Shelly shook her head in disbelief and began speaking in a normal, but still low tone of voice. ¡°Well, my lady, miss Octavia is absolutely correct, if you would like my opinion.


    ¡°I am afraid ¡®casually¡¯ discarding your mourning attire and pretending one thinks of it as just a pretty ribbon would be the most practical thing to do. It enables you to feign ignorance and sir Victor need not think of his advances being harshly rejected after the fact, and when the opportunity arises, can simply communicate with his words like a proper gentleman.¡±


    It was left implied that Shelly would not presume to suggest her lady either accept or decline, though she was personally certain that Raiva would not fancy such a person. She also knew, however, that it would not be the first nor the last time a widow fancied a younger man¡¯s advances to distract herself. She quietly made a note to herself, to make Frederick promise to die after her.


    The two emerged from Raiva¡¯s rooms and made their way to finish setting and arranging the table. Shelly had seemed to soften her resolve a little in the course of the day, as she did not raise any complaints regarding her lady performing menial tasks.


    Glancing at the clock, and seeing there were only a few minutes left until seven, the two hurried in bringing in pitchers of water and wine to be had with the meal, which would have all dishes served on shared platters in the middle of the table. This was both to lessen the strain on Raiva and Shelly, and enable everyone in the house to eat while the food was still warm.


    One by one, Frederick began bringing out platters of salads, stew, cuts of meat and baked vegetables, as well as two neatly arranged bread baskets.


    ¡°If anyone is still hungry after this, you might have to increase rent,¡± he chuckled in Raiva¡¯s direction.


    She laughed warmly in response.


    The first meal of the boarding house wasn¡¯t too extravagant for families of middling wealth, but not quite up the standards of nobility. This was intentional however, as she found the food habits of noble houses overindulgent and this variety would more than enough for most regular people.


    Finishing up their preparations, they gave the table a final appraisal.


    Raiva once again had to commend Shelly on finding marvelous furniture, since the dining table didn¡¯t so much as creak under the copious portions of foodstuffs, Frederick had somehow produced in this short amount of time.


    The vast amount of food was also explained by it being a trial meal. He had explained to her that the first week of meals or so is often used to gauge how much the residents actually ate on a regular basis, to ensure one doesn¡¯t make too much or too little for meals. This included an estimate on which foods were overall more well liked, as some people eat heaps of bread, but not much salad, or mostly meat, while holding off on soups, and so on.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I suppose we¡¯ll find out their appetites soon enough.


    At seven on the mark, they were in position and could hear the doors upstairs being opened, polite greetings being exchanged and footsteps on the stairs. One by one, the residents entered by dining room, nodding politely towards the three.


    Though they weren¡¯t making it obvious, the men were clearly surprised by seeing Raiva out of her mourning clothes, with a somewhat bewildered Victor in particular having to manage his expression. Octavia on the other hand simply nodded a bit to herself, clearly thinking she made good choices, though her intensely studious gaze made Raiva feel a little embarrassed again, remembering her delicate looking hands glide all over the fabric on her skirt. She fought blushing, as the four were getting seated.


    If a table is worth 20.000, and a chair is worth 3.000, then the table is worth just under 7 chairs, which means 6 chairs and 2.000 left over, which can be used on half the cutlery needed to¡­


    Once the four had fallen silent, Frederick introduced himself and began presenting the dishes in front of them. Then, Shelly likewise introduced herself and her role in the boarding house, adding ¡°And should you need anything at all during your meal, please feel free call for me.¡±


    Raiva only just missed the timing with finishing the math in her head, but pretended to be unbothered and went into a shallow curtsy.


    ¡°I wish to remind you of the fact that while Frederick won¡¯t be cooking lunch meals, he will be in the kitchen between noon and half past one, meaning you can feel free to ask for something light, if the need arises. We hope you enjoy you enjoy you first meal here.¡±


    The three made their way into the kitchen, closing the door behind them. While it, by design, didn¡¯t do much to mask sound, it did give the appearance of not being listened in on while eating. That way one wouldn¡¯t have to raise their voice any more than necessary to call for assistance during the meal.


    It also made the kitchen feel a lot more cozy and comfortable to have dinner in, since the ambiance from the dining room didn¡¯t awkwardly carry over.


    Frederick ladled up stew and arranged a small medley of the various dishes on small plates for them to enjoy. Naturally, they were eating the same food as the boarders, with less fuss surrounding it.


    They ate and chatted about the house, the food and their days, as they ate, with Shelly only getting up twice, once to replace a spoon that had been dropped by Victor, and once to bring in more pitchers of water.


    While conversation was audibly happening in the dining room, it was clearly the polite kind, resulting in dinner being done quite soon as the tenants left quite soon and it became quiet.


    Or so they thought. When the three wrapped up their meal and Shelly went into room to see the damage, she gave a startled jump.


    ¡°Sir Victor!¡± she gasped loudly. Raiva perked her head up from wrapping up bread. ¡°My apologies, I thought everyone had finished-¡°


    ¡°Oh, I am quite finished, thank you, Mrs. Shelly. I was looking for Madam Raiva, if she has a moment to spare?¡± he smiled sweetly and moved his head as if to look for her in the kitchen.


    Raiva had the look of a deer in a carriages torchlight on her face, only comforted by the fact that she was currently out of sight.


    ¡°My, Sir Victor, I apologize, but she is in the middle of doing inventory of the pantry for Frederick, he isn¡¯t very good with numbers, you see, and it really has to be done by tonight, or the whole plan for the meals will go awry! Just last month-¡°


    ¡°I see,¡± he replied hurriedly, clearly not sure how to deal with Shelly and her chatter engine. ¡°That is unfortunate indeed. Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Shelly.¡±


    He did a little bow and found another boyish smile, and retreated to his rooms, as Shelly closed the dining room doors and huffed at him when she was certain he had gotten upstairs.


    Raiva came out of the kitchen sheepishly, and smiled at her apologetically, mouthing, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she replied, gathering up empty cups and plates full of determination. ¡°To think that he would linger around like that when you¡¯ve made it perfectly clear-¡°


    She stopped herself, and shook her head in disbelief.


    Frederick popped his head out, and raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking at Raiva.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving this one to Shelly to explain for once,¡± she shook her head, tired and out of the energy to go through the absurd situation again.


    He glanced at Shelly, still fuming with a small tower of dishes balancing in her hands, and decided it could wait.


    Looks like he doesn¡¯t know about the ribbon symbolism either.


    Tidying and cleaning was fast, thanks to the many years of experience of all three, though they were also all a little taken aback by the fact that only a few breads, most of a goat cheese salad, and scatterings of meat cuts were left over.


    ¡°Four people ate six people¡¯s worth of food?¡± Raiva asked incredulously.


    Even taking Sir Griffin¡¯s knightly appetite into consideration, there should be far more left!


    ¡°A very hungry six people¡¯s worth of food,¡± Frederick replied exasperated.


    Shelly left the thinking to these two and started packing up what was left of dinner to take home to their daughter and son-in-law, as there weren¡¯t good storage options for it outside of the winter season anyhow.


    ¡°Do you think we need to increase the food budget? How much, would you estimate?¡±


    He rubbed his temple, as he thought for a moment.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t forget to take some coffee home for Vera and Cornelius,¡± Raiva hastily added, having noticed that Shelly was finishing packing up for the day.


    ¡°Oh yes, that¡¯s right! Thank you again, my lady.¡±


    Finally Frederick continued, ¡°An additional 1.400 a month I¡¯d say, if this isn¡¯t just a one time event and we keep the meals similar, but in these quantities.¡±


    ¡°An additional 1.400?¡± she repeated softly. ¡°1.400, 1.400.¡±


    What was the surplus in the budget again? 800?


    ¡°All right, Frederick, let¡¯s do that for now. I¡¯ll look over the accounts and the budgeting paperwork tomorrow, and we can discuss further then.¡±


    Raiva glanced over at Shelly, who was standing patiently at the back door, baskets in hand, waiting for the business talk to finish. She smiled.


    ¡°Very well, not much to be done about it tonight anyway. Get going, and send my love to Vera,¡± she curtsied deeply, almost sitting on the floor by the end. ¡°And thank you both for this. You don¡¯t know how much it means to me.¡±


    Shelly reddened at the sight of her lady showing such a grand gesture to her, when really, she thought, they should be bowing to her all day long in thanks. But it was not appropriate to bring up in such a heartfelt moment, and so she stayed silent and signaled Frederick instead.


    He in turn, hastened to hold her hand and help her back up.


    ¡°Please, Raiva. If anything, we¡¯re thankful to be of help. You know how much Tristan meant to us, Shelly especially,¡± he glanced over at his wife, barely holding it together. He chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re like our daughter in law, in a way. And even if we¡¯re not always good at expressing it, you mean a lot to us too.


    ¡°We may have found new jobs after the Tristan and the fire, but it was never the same. This, however, this feels right. We¡¯re happy again, and now it¡¯s time for you to move on as well, and be happy.¡±


    He hugged her tightly, until her shaky hands steadied.


    Through held back tears, and with an unsteady voice she replied, ¡°Yes. Maybe it is. Goodnight, you two.¡±


    Raiva waved to them as they walked out of the back door, into the dimly lit night, aided by Frederick¡¯s lantern. She locked the door, and collapsed down to the floor with her face clasped in her hands.

 Chapter 7: Nightcap

    After ensuring that all the tenants had retired for the night, Raiva changed into her nightgown and threw a sheer shawl over it, preparing for a cold night. Having almost forgotten about the blasted ribbon holding her hair up, she stopped at the mirror.


    It really was well done, and she would have been very grateful for Victor¡¯s kindness, had his actions not implied something further. It would not have been her first time since Tristan¡¯s or even Giovanni¡¯s passing, of course, but she despised the idea of someone being interested in her as a widow, rather than just Raiva. It felt disingenuous, and by extension the ribbon did too.


    She untied it and threw it on the side table by the mirror, ruffling her hair into its usual position. There was no need to brush it until she went to bed, given that she would not run into anyone at this time of night.


    Leaving her rooms, she felt a small chill from the cold springtime night. It was only just the third month after all, even if the day had felt pleasantly temperate.


    Her eyes fell on the fireplace, somehow still imposing and clearly visible in the dim, barely lit sitting room.


    Well then.


    She went to the kitchen to retrieve some stove-kindling and a spare lighter. Remembering the biscuits Shelly had dug out from somewhere, she quickly went hunting for something similar in the pantry for a small snack. After looking at all the shelves in the dark, she decided Shelly had hidden them extraordinarily well, and instead went to a corner of preserved goods, where Frederick usually stashed a thing or two for her. There, she found a small tin of spiced jerky, a personal favorite of hers.


    She tucked it under her arm, and carried it along with the kindling to the sitting room, and began lighting a small fire. After throwing a few pieces of firewood on it, she went to investigate the cabinets of crystal glassware and liquor bottles. Finding a half-size of excellent ruby port wine she felt would go fine with her jerky, and a beautiful tumbler with three little rounded feet on it


    Finally sitting down on the sofa with her port and her snack, she removed her slippers and pulled her feet onto the sofa with her, staring at the flames as she sipped from her glass.


    Strangely, the fire itself didn¡¯t scare Raiva, despite everything. There were no panic attacks, like the doctors had warned, no hysteria. Not even anger or sadness after a while. It was still as hypnotizing as ever, even feeling comforting. It stirred memories of course, but if anything it helped her reminisce and recall the good ones too.


    Like the time her and Tristan spent an entire week holed up in an inn, because they got caught in a snow storm just outside of the city. The roads couldn¡¯t be cleared for three days, and even after that, the ice made it too dangerous to move about on anything but foot. Something Tristan would much rather wait out with blankets, a warm fireplace and plenty of diversions.


    Or the time Giovanni and J¨¹rgen took her to the autumn carnival and they spent all night watching fire artists and drinking a bit too much schnapps and palinka, resulting in Giovanni setting his coat on fire trying to learn a fire staff trick.


    She giggled at the memory and let her mind wander as she sipped her port and nibbled on her jerky, staring into the fire with droopy eyes.


    Then she heard someone descending the stairs.


    Turning her head to see who would appear in the doorway, she caught the glimpse of an imposing stature turning the corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re up late, captain.¡±


    Griffin halted for a moment, gazing at her silhouette being lit up by the gentle fire in front of her. He thought her illuminated red hair made her look as though she herself was the source of light, enveloped by red and orange flames.


    ¡°As are you, madam,¡± he responded as though unfazed. ¡°I was just making sure everything was alright when I noticed light coming in through my window.¡±


    The no-curtains room. Of course.


    She suppressed a chuckle.


    ¡°Very thoughtful, sir.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, I will leave you to it.¡±


    He nodded stiffly and made to turn back around.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Do you want to join me?¡± she asked, two glasses of wine having made her set polite inhibitions aside.


    Lords, he really is handsome, isn¡¯t he?


    She had to blink a few times before realizing that her invitation may have come off as overly familiar, and shake the thought that he looked like a warrior king bathed in the warm glow of the fire.


    He looked at her in silence for a moment before responding, ¡°Gladly.¡±


    Though she was mildly surprised at his enthusiastic, for his usual way of speaking anyway, acceptance, she did not show it on her face. Instead she got up, leaving her shawl on the sofa and walked to the liquor cabinets.


    ¡°Any preferences?¡±


    ¡°Ale, normally,¡± he smiled at her, doing his best not to stare at her figure which was quite visible through her sheer, white nightgown, wondering of she was aware. He scratched his neck lightly. ¡°Though I¡¯ll be satisfied with some cognac or gin as well, if there is any.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are in for a treat, captain,¡± she mused as she looked for a particular light green, ornate glass bottle.


    It took her a moment but she eventually found what she was looking for, half hidden in the bottom left corner.


    She really needs to stop trying to hide the expensive ones.


    ¡°There we are. A botanical gin, if you are alright with that?¡±


    Not waiting for an answer, she grabbed the bottle along with two adjacent stemless glasses.


    ¡°That sounds a little unusual, but yes.¡±


    He had sat on the chair closest to her seat, looking at the fire, which was about to turn into embers.


    She sat the glassware down and went to add another piece of firewood, stoking the fire to get it going a bit again.


    ¡°Well, I am not an expert, to be honest. I do know that it is herbal, peppery, and delicious,¡± she smiled as she sat down and poured them both a glass.


    He picked up his and began sipping contentedly.


    Griffin had finished his glass by the time he spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be sitting in front of a fire in your nightgown.¡±


    She had to think about what his words implied for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you mean because of the fire part?¡± she waited for him to nod before continuing. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t very well blame fire for their deaths, can I?"


    She thought for a bit, head tilted to the side, spurned on by the several glasses of liquor in her blood.


    ¡°You know, maybe it is strange. After Tristan¡¯s death, you know, my first husband, the doctors told me in no uncertain terms that I would be traumatized by it, prone to fits of hysteria if exposed to it. So everyone stopped lighting fires around me. Fireplaces, lanterns, candles, all of it. I only had as much day as the sun was out for, because I thought they were right. I didn¡¯t light any either. For many, many weeks.


    ¡°Then one day I was walking past a window with a candle in it, and all I could think was that I missed light and warmth and yes, fire, I suppose. Because the doctors were wrong, the fire hadn¡¯t traumatized me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if anything really did, except Tristan dying, and him yelling at me to get out. ¡®You have to live¡¯. But I couldn¡¯t, I kept trying to get him out from under that stupid pillar. So Frederick had to drag me out. I didn¡¯t blame the fire.¡±


    She emptied her glass and made a pained face.


    ¡°I blamed the man who set the fire two houses down, just to collect insurance money,¡± her voice shook a little, and she looked him in the eye with a hollow laugh as she went on.


    ¡°Did you know that? That it was all because of an insurance scam?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t make sense. His parents avoid fire at all costs now. They¡¯re terrified. ¡®Traumatized¡¯. After their anger settled of course.¡±


    Not sure how to continue, she poured herself the remainder of the wine and took a few sips, observing Griffin.


    His face had barely moved, though his eyebrows had furrowed a little and his line of sight had moved from her, to the fire to the bottle.


    He too poured himself another glass, though he stuck to the gin.


    ¡°And the nightgown?¡± he asked, not looking up from his glass.


    She chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would run into anyone.¡±


    She paused, and tilted her head, still looking at him. Her heart had been beating hard before, when she recounted past events, but now it was changing into a nervous, excited one instead.


    ¡°And I forgot that someone might see the light through their windows, even if they don¡¯t have curtains.¡±


    ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t have curtains?¡± he asked, finally looking at her, willing his eyes once again, not to stare at her body in her sheer dress. One of the sleeves had slipped off a shoulder and from her sitting position, one of her knees lifted it just enough to see a bit of her pale thigh, unshielded by the thin veil. He touched his neck with his hand, embarrassed by his own discomposure, feeling his skin heating up underneath it.


    ¡°I had a quick glance at the rooms before you all arrived, making sure everything was in order, and noticed one room looked a little less furnished than the others. After meeting you I couldn¡¯t help but think it might be yours.¡±


    She giggled at how in-character a room like that was for a curt, stoic man like Griffin, or his first impression anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly used to having rooms to decorate,¡± he replied jokingly. ¡°I don¡¯t think my superiors think too fondly of using budget to pick out new curtains for our rooms at the academy and barracks.¡±


    ¡°I suppose not, though I worry Shelly might buy you some of her own money if you don¡¯t procure some soon. She was quite shocked.¡±


    He simply chuckled in response, clearly not taking her warning seriously.


    She looked at his handsome, rugged face in the light of the embers. Too handsome. She could blame it on the alcohol.


    ¡°You should consider two layers of curtains,¡± she advised him, putting her cheek to her hand on the armrest facing him.


    ¡°Two? What for?¡±


    ¡°One for the light, one for privacy.¡±


    ¡°Privacy?¡±


    ¡°Hmn-hm,¡± she hummed back at him, moving her pinky finger against her lower lip. ¡°It¡¯s easy to see through the sheer kind when it¡¯s dark outside, but the dark one blocks out the morning sun too much.¡±


    He fixed his stare to her lips.


    ¡°And you have two layers?¡±


    She smiled, biting her finger lightly, then lowered her arm to lean in further.


    ¡°For privacy.¡±


    ¡°We could probably use that,¡± he replied.


    He set his glass down, went to throw ashes on the embers and turned around to look at her as the light went out. She looked back at him smiling.

 Chapter 8: Heating Up

    Before Raiva had time to say another word, he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was hot and intense. He tasted like gin and herbs. It kept going, like he was looking for something, his tongue soft and unyielding against hers. His hand grabbed the back of her head, pulling her in against him.


    As she put her arms around his neck, he picked her up without stopping and made his way towards her bedroom. Briefly pausing as he held her with one arm and searched for the doorknob, he whispered in her ear.


    ¡°You know your dress is see-through, right?¡±


    Shit.


    His low voice sent shivers down her body and she felt the heat rising in her stomach.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied in a whisper, gently biting his ear.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he muttered, ripping the door open and closing his behind him, twisting the key in a practiced manner.


    He sat down on the bed, with her on his lap, and pulled her somehow closer towards him by her waist. His hand made his way up through her hair to the back of her head as he almost desperately kissed her again.


    She felt him hardening against her and began pulling at his shirt. He paused and set her, standing up to undress.


    The moonlight was shining in through the window, illuminating the contours of his body. He was muscular, even more than she had thought. His figure was rippled by the sheen on his abdominal muscles, his arms and chest, a result of years of physical exertion. Under his shirt he had looked a little bulky, though she now saw that he was actually quite fairly slim.


    Clearly it¡¯s a crime against creation for him to wear one at all.


    She leaned forwards, caressing his body with her hands, feeling the shape of him. He wasn¡¯t out of breath despite carrying her, though his breath was short and hard from arousal.


    Sliding her fingertips over his chest, then to his stomach, she ended her exploration by pulling him gently towards her by the edge of his pants. He came closer, his breathing accelerating as she slipped her fingers between his skin and the fabric, to begin undoing the buttons.


    One by one, they gave way, and when she finished she tugged lightly to to reach the now fully erect shaft. He was big. Her thumb and middle finger only just overlapped as she grabbed him, gently sliding up and down the soft skin, feeling him quiver and harden further.


    She looked up at him, seeing that he was supporting himself on a bed post with one hand, and using the other to cover half his face. Though the world was currently in gray scale, she knew that he was flushed, and trying to hold back. Excitement washed over her, and she knew that she wanted to make him have all kinds of expressions, splintering that stern facade of his.


    As she leaned in, close enough for him to feel her breath on the tip, he gasped lightly, tightening his grip on the pillar he was using for support. She pulled gently to fully expose the head and gave it a tentative lick.


    He moaned and put his hand on her cheek as gently as possible, signaling her to continue.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She parted her lips and started sucking the tip, slowly taking in more and more of him, before he filled her mouth entirely. He was getting wet, tasting a little salty on her tongue. Her hand was still holding his shaft, as she could not fit all of him at once. His moans were getting more frequent and his breathing rushed, intermingled with gasps and jitters.


    She moved her hands to his hips and began letting him enter her throat, causing her to make wet and grunting sounds, which only seemed to agitate him more. Continuing until she started choking and couldn¡¯t fit any more, meaning that there was still about two or three fingers¡¯ worth less, she began withdrawing, still sucking and running her tongue along him, and wound up back to sitting in front of him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, gazing up at him.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he murmured and picked her up again to throw her on the bed.


    He removed his pants and shoes in one motion, then climbed into the bed, pulling her by her waist to adjust their positions. Kissing her again, he could taste the saltiness, inciting him further. He pulled her dress over her head, holding her up with one hand, and began gently kissing her body, starting with her neck, moving down. She gasped, feeling heat spread from wherever his lips touched.


    Pausing at her breasts, he pulled her towards him with one arm while delicately caressing her nipple with his free hand. She moaned at the feeling of his thumb rubbing gently over her, making her feel more sensitive by the moment. He put his lips against her other nipple and began circling it with his tongue, then licking it softly, causing her to squirm every time, almost being overwhelmed by the feeling of the warm wetness against her.


    A short while later he continued his descent down her body, gliding his hands along her waist and hips as he kissed his way there. He got to her thighs and carefully parted her legs, causing her to moan in anticipation, running his lips along her inner thighs, all the way down to the side of her bent knees.


    ¡°Captain,¡± she let out helplessly, pleadingly.


    He halted for a moment, caressing her only with his hands


    ¡°Griffin. No titles,¡± he responded breathlessly, he reiterated, ¡°Please.¡±


    She let out a small cry at his teasing touch.


    ¡°Griffin,¡± she breathed, steadily losing composure. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, please.¡±


    He smiled a crooked smile, hooking his arms underneath her to prop her up and placed his hands on her lower back.


    Letting out a small yelp, she looked at him as he lowered his head towards her, then covered her face with her hands.


    Without a trace of hesitation he ran his tongue up the topmost of her labia, causing her to squeeze her legs around his head. He continued undeterred, varying the speed and hardness of his tongue, working his way to her clitoris.


    The moans escaping her mouth intensified and her breath hastened. A heat started building in the pit of her stomach, spreading. Right as he closed his mouth around her, kissing it, it culminated and she climaxed, a short but intense one, causing the tension from her body to dissipate.


    Her legs let go of his head, and he lifted himself up, getting his face level to hers. They kissed, both of them breathless, the taste of them both intermingling in their mouths and on their tongues.


    His hand found its way back to her, carefully feeling her wetness with his fingers.


    She gasped softly against his lips as he slowly inserted a finger, making sure that she wasn¡¯t in pain, and trying his best to be gentle.


    ¡°One more,¡± she moaned, putting her forehead against his, and digging her hands into his short hair.


    He paused and retracted his hand momentarily, taken aback by her request. Trying to form a coherent thought through his haze, and only managing to suppose he was bigger than that. Before he could think further, she kissed him again, clouding his thoughts again.


    Having forgotten all hesitation, he delicately began pressing his middle and index finger against her, causing her to let out a low moan. As he work his way in, she was gasping loudly, arching her back slightly, feeling every movement, every twitch of them inside of her. After a few moments she felt herself getting close to climaxing again, letting go of his face and covering her mouth to suppress her cry.


    Fuck.


    After her climax had subsided he gingerly removed his hand, wiping it haphazardly on the sheet before grasping the back of her head, holding her steady to look her in the eye.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, almost desperately.


    She smiled at him and put her hands on his chest, kissing him in affirmation.

 Chapter 9: Keeping Warm

    Raiva looked at Griffin atop her, his skin glistening in the moonlight with a small layer of sweat. His face was contorted into a pleading expression as he lifted her further onto the bed, with her torso raised from laying on the pillow, and sat towering over her on his knees, between her legs.


    Her gaze shifted from his face, over his shoulders, down his chest and stomach, to his erection. His was hidden in his shadow, but somehow still imposing when she remembered how big it was to the touch.


    He shifted his weight forwards onto one arm as he began sliding it into her, slowly, gently, while rocking back and forth. She could tell that even though he was careful, it was a practiced and almost precise endeavor on his behalf.


    As he entered her, she arched her back from the sensation, gasping deeply, even though she was prepared. It was intense because of his size, and she had to prevent herself from stopping him out of reflex. He grasped her hand with his and together, they found a steady, intense rhythm.


    The back and forth was almost sending her over the edge again by the time he was three-quarters of the way in, and his breathing became unstable with gasps from her jittery tightening of her muscles.


    She was becoming more used to him now, being able to fully enjoy the sensation, seeming to fill her up entirely, though it was not painful like she had feared, it having been a while.


    Her moans and his gasps, and a confusing mixture of heavy breathing and squelching sounds and rustling of fabric filled the room, making time both disappear and stand still.


    He had stopped inching further in, and instead began thrusting as his desire began outweighing his attentiveness. His thrusts very long and rhythmical, accelerating very slowly but steadily.


    Her mind was blurring from the pleasure and the steady, intensifying climaxes, but she felt almost insatiable from how good everything felt. She moved her hands to his back, trying to pull him further in, but he resisted, letting out a grunt in response.


    Dissatisfied with his response, she twisted her hips, causing him to tilt his in response, enabling her to both pull away from him and mount him in one labored movement.


    ¡°Come,¡± she called breathlessly, crawling backwards off the bed on all fours.


    As if in a trance he followed her moon-illuminated silhouette to the edge of the bed, lowering his legs to the floor, easily reaching it despite the bed¡¯s height. There, she was waiting, standing in the nude, her muted red hair framing her pale skin, glistening, and a little shaky on her legs.


    She put her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately once again, while slowly straddling him, ending up on his lap, with his cock still hard and throbbing against her. Without breaking away from him with her lips, she began raising and lowering herself against him, rubbing him against her, letting out small moans in pleasure.


    His hands on her waist were tightening as he was seemingly holding himself back from something or other, though she was more than happy to oblige.


    She broke away from the kiss, their breathing shallow and heavy, grabbing a hold of his member with one hand, and lowering herself onto him.


    ¡°Raiva,¡± he pleaded, moaning loudly when he entered her. His shaky voice and outbursts only fanned the flames in her, as she moaned along with him, losing herself to the heat and lust and yearning.


    Imitating his technique from before, she rocked back and forth, though not nearly as patient, causing him to panic.


    ¡°No, Raiva, please- Oh, fuck- Wait-¡°


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    Knowing that he was getting close, the lowered his hands to her backside, gasping in exhilaration as he squeezed her, helping lift her up and down.


    ¡°I want to cum with you Griffin,¡± she moaned into his ear, carefully but decisively thrusting herself down from the highest position, taking all of him in at once, grinding on him a little. It was even more intense than anticipation, as she cried out in delight from the sensation.


    ¡°Shit,¡± was all he could muster in response, as he helped her repeat this motion


    Over and over, getting more aggressive, harder, and increasing the pace of the thrusts. He nearly lost it, looking at her moaning and bouncing up and down on his lap, her modestly sized breasts jumping from the motion and impact. Finally she leaned into him, holding him in her arms, as they wrapped around him tightly, signaling for him to finish with a whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Griffin.¡±


    She felt him throb at her words.


    Their moans became more intense as they kept going, hers muffled by her hands, his by his gritted teeth, as they both felt the other twitching and tightening, building and nearing the climax until they finally, intensely, almost convulsively came together, clasping onto each other.


    They waited for their breaths to stabilize, and their bodies to stop shuddering from the wind-down, before Griffin leaned back to lie down on the bed, still inside Raiva, with her on top of him, laying across his chest, exhausted. He held onto her with one arm, pulling the two of them further onto the bed, where they both stayed, collapsed, breathing, holding onto each other, for several minutes.


    Finally Raiva lifted herself up with some difficulty, sliding him out, and falling onto her back next to him, arms above her head, trying to lift her hair out from underneath her and away from her sweaty body. She gasped a little, feeling his hot semen, run out of her between her legs.


    She looked at him, collecting her thoughts, when she saw him suddenly turn and look at her.


    His eyes moved around her body with their intense stare, though it did not feel particularly uncomfortable to her.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he muttered in a hoarse voice, finally back into her eyes again.


    She smiled, and twisted herself onto her side with some difficulty, propping her head up with her hand.


    Running her fingers along his chest, she responded, ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡±


    He chuckled, too tired to find something clever in response.


    ¡°Do you need to wash up?¡± she asked, laying back on her back and noticing her sweat turning a little sticky.


    ¡°I suppose I do,¡± he replied, seemingly not having noticed.


    ¡°Do you want to sleep here for tonight?¡± she asked casually, stretching her arms out.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°But I¡¯ll share the water.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. Mind if I wash up first?¡±


    She did not like bathing together, generally considering it her very private time.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he groaned as she stretched his legs, sitting up to stay awake.


    Not long after, she came back out from her washroom, her hair pinned up and wearing a fresh, green silk nightgown. It felt cool against her skin, after the warm bath.


    Thank the lords for pipes.


    She shivered, thinking about how warm baths were a luxury in her childhood, usually resulting in anyone from a common household taking their baths cold. It was not something one ever wanted to go back to.


    To her mild surprise, he was still awake, standing naked by the window, looking out.


    ¡°I see the two-curtain system isn¡¯t foolproof,¡± he commented to her, back to his expressionless manner, though his voice was much gentler.


    She chuckled airily in return. ¡°It helps if one remembers to draw them before taking their clothes off.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he countered simply, rubbing his neck lightly, before making his way to the washroom.


    Raiva had barely finished brushing her hair when he was done.


    He looked at her, sitting near a candle for light, when he averted his eyes again.


    ¡°I should return to my room,¡± he muttered.


    She looked at him thoughtfully. Then she glanced down, causing her to smile again.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Would you stay for just a little while? Just a few minutes.¡±


    She got up and walked towards him, throwing her arms around his neck, looking up at him until he returned the gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by it, but would you hold me for a bit? Just to help me wind down.¡±


    His face softened and he nodded, his lips curling into an almost imperceivable smile.


    She removed her arms and grabbed his hand, guiding him back to her bed, blowing out the candle on her way there. They climbed into bed, Griffin holding her from behind.


    She sighed contentedly.


    ¡°That was nice.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Neither said anything else, they simply laid there, feeling each others warmth, caressing each other lightly.


    With just those words, and lack thereof, the two had defined their relationship. They enjoyed each others company, but neither needed nor desired more of the other.


    After a while of winding down, Griffin withdrew his arm from around her and kissed her softly on her hair.


    ¡°Good night, Raiva.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Griffin.¡±


    With that, the two parted, and she drifted easily into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

 Chapter 10: The Headache

    Raiva woke up after only a few hours of sleep, given that she forgot to close her curtains and Shelly could be heard tidying the sitting room. She was clearly not trying to be quiet, putting glassware and bottles on the table harder than necessary. Repeatedly.


    In Shelly-speak, this was just short of barging into Raiva¡¯s room to interrogate her on why there were so many glasses and bottles.


    She must have seen the gin.


    Raiva groaned and buried her face in the pillow. Shelly knew that she would never drink one of the ¡°special ones¡± alone. This left her with exactly two choices: pretend, ignore, divert, or telling her the bare minimum.


    With her head all fuzzy and a dull pain slowly on the way, she decided to get it over with.


    I don¡¯t have the energy for this.


    Scratching her eyebrow, she got out of bed, washed her face with cold water for a wake-up-shock, and got dressed.


    Remembering the recommendations of Octavia from the previous day, she put on the marigold skirt and vest set. Looking in the mirror she nodded in agreement with the statements from the previous day.


    She was right, of course. It does look good with my eyes and hair.


    Raiva halted a moment, trying to remember something.


    What was it she said, exactly? ¡®Beautiful with your eyes and hair¡¯, or ¡®with your beautiful eyes and hair¡¯?


    Her memory was hazy from the stress of the situation, but she decided it had been the latter, blushing at the thought.


    Why does the thought of Octavia make me blush? Has it been that long since I had a friend of the same sex?


    She decided that was indeed the reason and shook her head to rid it of silly thoughts.


    On her way out, she noticed the discarded ribbon by the mirror. After thinking on it for a good minute or so, she rolled it up neatly and stuffed it in her pocket, to return it to Victor later.


    Out in the sitting room, Shelly was still conspicuously shuffling items around, having somehow made very little progress in the time it took Raiva to get ready. She acted surprised when she exited, and greeted her with an overly startled ¡°My lady!¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Shelly,¡± Raiva mumbled and held her head a little at the high note coming from her overly excited employee.


    ¡°My lady, all these bottles..! And glasses! Did you have company last night? I thought you said you would stop drinking so much!¡± Shelly had begun winding herself up, though she had the composure and discreetness of not raising her voice more than absolutely necessary, something Raiva¡¯s head appreciated.


    ¡°Please,¡± she pleaded, also lifting her other hand to hold her head, though she was now being a bit theatrical. She continued in a whisper, ¡°Yes, the captain, and yes, I only drank half of his after all.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t actually certain of the last part, given that the situation had begun blurring from bottle of port and however many glasses of gin she had.


    In my defense, the wine bottle was about half the size of the gin, so I can¡¯t be too far off.


    Shelly squinted her eyes at her, making mental notes of all the hangover symptoms. After scanning her intently, she decided that it was only a mild one, so her statement could be trusted. Instead she focused on her real curiosity.


    ¡°The captain? Oh my, yes. Well, he is a very handsome young man,¡± her thoughts seemed to wander off for a moment before snapping back. She smiled, softly. ¡°Well then, I shall make sure the cabinets are stocked, in case you-¡°


    She stopped when she heard a door upstairs, and gathered everything up in mere seconds, before the person had even begun descending the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some remedies, madam.¡±


    Gathering what was happening, but not having heard the door due to not having Shelly¡¯s supernatural sense of hearing, Raiva took that as a self-dismissal and decided to wait for the remedies in her office. Before entering the door, she caught the glimpse of Octavia, who by the looks of it was late for something, by the way she strode out the door in hurried steps.


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    Late, this early?


    Despite being curious, she put it out of her mind and turned away. She had paperwork and budgets to sort through, if they were to accommodate the tenants¡¯ voracious appetites after all. And she, for one, had no intention of starving them, or worry Frederick with the financial aspects.


    By the time Shelly arrived with the remedies, consisting of water, a whole pot of herbal tea mixed with honey, and a plate of fruit, Raiva had pulled out all the relevant paperwork and was about to start adding up the numbers and double-checking the budget estimations.


    ¡°Thank you. Do we have any-¡° before she could finish, Shelly had set her tray down on the desk and pulled out a little white packet.


    ¡°Of course, madam,¡± she handed it to her. ¡°Though you should really stop drinking so much.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, trying to remember how often they had had this exact conversation already.


    She poured the satchel into her water and drank it unladylike in a few big gulps, scrunching up her face afterwards.


    ¡°Steeplebushes are becoming rare, or so the doctor says,¡± Shelly muttered as she unloaded the contents of the tray. ¡°How hard can it be to grow a few flowers? My cousin says they spring up in her neighborhood¡¯s gardens all year long! Trying to drive the prices up like that, the fibber.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the doctor is a fibber then. Or we ask your cousin for their spares?¡± she replied, lightly, though a little worried for her future fevers and pains. Hangovers included, of course.


    Shelly laughed heartily in return.


    ¡°She does make a boiled concentrate version of it, my cousin. Vile flavor compared to the powder of course, but as effective, they say.¡±


    She excused herself to go set up breakfast.


    Shuddering at an even more distasteful version of her painkillers than the powder, she silently thanked the city¡¯s pharmacists, vowing never to complain about the bitterness again.


    The paperwork, as predicted, showed that she remembered correctly. There was an buffer in the budget, leaving an expected deficit of 600, based on Frederick¡¯s estimations. They were usually correct.


    Looks like I¡¯ll have to up the monthly portion from my accounts.


    What Raiva hadn¡¯t told Frederick, or Shelly for that matter, was that the boarding house was, in the technical sense of the word, running at a deficit already. The expenses were quite high, with the area being priced for very wealthy residents. Had they not lived in inner Prievo, the neighbors would all likely own mansions rather than houses. This meant that the property taxes were high, and since Raiva wasn¡¯t a noble, she was also taxed for having domestic employees.


    The already quite high rent that the tenants paid, only covered those two things, their food expenditures and a set buffer of around 1,000, meant as savings for repairs and maintenance. Frederick and Shelly¡¯s salaries were entirely out of her own accounts. For one, the rent would be equivalent to purchasing a horse every month, and two, Raiva was determined to pay them the absolute most they would accept from her. She also secretly paid into an account meant for their retirement through their daughter, Vera.


    It¡¯s not exactly charity, but I think Giovanni would approve of this regardless. Which reminds me, I should write J¨¹rgen.


    Making a mental note to write him later, she took out her letter stationary and composed a quick letter to her lawyer to arrange for the additional amount to be taken out of her spending account transfers.


    I never use it anyway, and this will essentially be me chipping in for the taxes. Though I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll respond to me scolding anyhow.


    She chuckled at the thought. Although she sometimes took it for granted, she was surrounded and supported by good, caring people. Not everyone was so lucky, especially when an ignorant widow suddenly inherited so much wealth.


    Before long, she had finished her tea and was finishing up the corrections to the numbers when a knock sounded at the door.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The door opened and she was both surprised and not that the visitor to her office turned out to be Victor, even more dashing today in a simple white linen shirt and informal pants, his hair loosely flowing down over his shoulder.


    ¡°Good morning, madam,¡± he beamed at her as he bowed lightly in her direction. ¡°I was wondering if you could spare me some time again today?¡±


    Ughhhhhhhhh.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, gesturing to the chair on the other side of her desk. ¡°I am just finishing up some letters, if you would wait a moment?¡±


    She took her time rewriting the letter for her lawyer, and then wrote a long, three page letter for J¨¹rgen, purposefully unrushed by her visitor.


    Please get bored and leave.


    He didn¡¯t, of course.


    Instead, he decided to feel at home during his wait, and caught Shelly¡¯s attention to ask for refreshments, resulting in coffee and and snacks piling up on the coffee table by the arm chairs. He sat and waited patiently, eventually requesting for a new pot of coffee, since the first had gotten cold and bitter.


    Eventually, after just under two hours later, she buckled.


    She sighed inwardly and relocated to the free chair, looking at him inquisitively.


    He was still unbothered, smiling widely at her approach, and gestured to the refreshments in front of them.


    ¡°Coffee?¡± he poured her a cup when she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see I was right, madam.¡±


    She looked up from her coffee in surprise.


    ¡°Right? What about?¡±


    ¡°Marigold. It compliments you well,¡± he cocked his head to the side and looked at her with his mesmerizingly deep blue eyes. ¡°You wore this back then, though it somehow suits you even better now. You¡¯re mesmerizing.¡±


    Shit.


    She could feel her entire face flushing before she even had time to process the compliment.


    Why is he so needlessly beautiful? Stop staring at him.


    She averted her eyes indiscreetly, suddenly feeling the urge to stare at the cup still in her hands. He chuckled at her conflicted expression.


    ¡°Would you permit me to close the door?¡±


    Her shyness quickly dissipated as she narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°Nothing untoward, of course, I just feel it might be prudent for others not to overhear our conversation, for both our sakes.¡±


    As he shut the door gently, she became keenly aware of Victor¡¯s ribbon in her skirt pocket.

 Chapter 11: A Troublemaker

    Victor turned around in an elegant, dance like movement looking at her from across the room.


    How is everything he does so floaty and flamboyant?


    She picked up her coffee and sipped it, looking back at him.


    He looked like a fay of some sort, not quite human, in his balanced, but ethereal appearance. The light hit him just right to make his white shirt a little see through, allowing an involuntary peek at his slender muscles underneath. His pants clung to his legs in a way that betrayed his apparent fondness of exercise, as they weren¡¯t as thin as one would think from his overall appearance.


    Me and my beautiful people weakness.


    She lamented her shortcomings in silence, as he continued to simply observe her.


    ¡°You wanted to discuss something?¡± finally left her lips, right before she took a biscuit from the as of yet untouched tray. She was finding him increasingly difficult to deal with.


    For the first time, he wasn¡¯t smiling when he started speaking, instead looking pensive as he nonchalantly rearranged his hair over his shoulder.


    ¡°The ribbon.¡±


    He paused as he observed her reaction, which mainly consisted of eating her biscuit and trying not to look panicked, which for once succeeded.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been meaning to return it,¡± she responded and removed in from her pocket, placing it on the coffee table.


    He slowly approached it.


    ¡°It was a present, madam.¡±


    He took it into his hand and looked from it her.


    ¡°But you knew that.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, and finally looked up at his face again. It was somewhere between smug and doubtful, though she had no idea what was going through his head at the moment. Then, it changed again, as though something dawned on him.


    ¡°Did you not know at the time?¡± he looked genuinely taken aback, until his face morphed into one of amusement. He looked her in the eye, and repeated himself, ¡°You didn¡¯t know.¡±


    The jig was up, obviously. Raiva wasn¡¯t one for skirting around the issue, and she didn¡¯t have the wherewithal after last night to give it an earnest try.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± she sighed, sinking back in her chair and putting her hand to her temple, rubbing it gently. ¡°But someone was so kind as to inform me.¡±


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    ¡°Oh, that must have been¡­ Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was quite embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, madam,¡± he bowed, genuinely this time. ¡°I can see how it would be¡­ awkward.¡±


    He straightened his back again, the shame clearly having left his body as fast as it entered, seeing as his charming smile had made a return.


    ¡°But I feel I must reiterate,¡± he knelt on the floor in front of her, grasping her hand lightly. ¡°That I make it a habit not to lie.¡±


    He kissed the back of her hand lightly, causing her cheeks to redden again, and her head buzzing.


    Stop being so weak, Raiva.


    She pretended to be composed, ignoring her flushing cheeks.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Victor smiled, knowing he had succeeded this time. Getting up, he swiftly stepped behind her and put his fingers against her temples, gently massaging them for her. He had noticed the pain reliever packet and smell of herbal tea the second he had entered earlier.


    ¡°Many reasons,¡± he responded softly from behind. ¡°For one, you¡¯re beautiful. I enjoy the atmosphere around you. You wear you heart on your sleeve. Not to mention, you seem kind, but you¡¯re not a pushover. You treat your employees warmly and I know for a fact that my rent is generously low, but not egregiously so if you consider the numbers.¡±


    Too perceptive.


    ¡°And you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, since I remember seeing you with Lord Tristan back then, though I¡¯m afraid your distinctive appearance also gave it away. Mourning dress and all.¡±


    She knew that he had a point, but something still felt off to her.


    I can¡¯t pinpoint it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hire you, you know.¡±


    His hands suddenly disappeared and was doubled over laughing the next moment. It was a genuine, bellowing laughter.


    He kept laughing until a tear was streaking his otherwise flawless face.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry, I- I can¡¯t,¡± he wheezed, and struggled to get his words out, having to support himself on her desk. ¡°So blunt!¡±


    She poured herself another cup of coffee, and waited for him to finish laughing with a mildly confused look on her face.


    He eventually wound down from his outburst and concluded by clearing his throat.


    ¡°Excuse me, madam,¡± he said as he finally returned to his chair, looking her in the eye, looking entirely unapologetic.


    Sensing a pattern in this conversation, she continued to stay silent and wait for elaboration. He had a habit of turning her words into something that made her blush, and she was not about to encourage it.


    Now calmly sipping his own coffee, he finally spoke.


    ¡°I had no idea that this is where your mind was going,¡± he chuckled lightheartedly. ¡°Though I suppose I should defend myself.¡±


    She looked at him curiously.


    I obviously never actually thought he was trying to engage me as a client, but it really wasn¡¯t so far fetched that it would be this funny and surprising. Does he think I was serious?


    ¡°I apologize if I gave the wrong impression, madam-¡°


    Oh no, he does.


    ¡°Sir,¡± she cut him off, intending to ward off more misunderstandings. ¡°It was in jest.¡±


    He paused, his eyes wide open.


    She continued, ¡°I acknowledge that you have made advances towards me. But I am aware that you don¡¯t seek out clients, they seek you out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were serious when you said you have heard of me,¡± he responded, seemingly pondering something.


    ¡°Yes. And we both seem to have some bad gossip following us around.¡±


    ¡°So it seems,¡± he smiled in a bemused manner, clearly not minding it. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I feel this sense of kinship with you.¡±


    His speech was starting to get more intimate again, and his gaze shifted, causing her heart to beat a little faster.


    ¡°Are you seriously flirting with me, sir?¡±


    She emphasized the titular address, in a last ditch effort to draw the line.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing, Raiva, and it¡¯s a terrible tactic to use on someone as stubborn and contrarian as me,¡± he smiled deviously. ¡°And yes, obviously.¡±


    Damn it.

 Chapter 12: Sticky Situation

    Raiva¡¯s face was flushed as he closed the distance between them before she could react. His body towered over her, the closeness causing the gentle scent of him to reach her. He smelled like mint and something that reminded her of fresh, clean linen, hanging in the summer breeze. Heat welled up in her stomach, and she made up her mind.


    Fuck it.


    His face hovered just before hers, waiting to see if she was going to reject him or not. When she instead countered his gaze with a gentle smile, lifting her chin to better level with him, he moved his hand to the back of her head, holding her steady.


    Contrary to her expectations however, he moved his head lower, kissing her in the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her body. She drew air in, in a barely audible gasp. He continued up her neck, simultaneously reaching out an arm to close the curtains over the window directly beside them.


    The curtain ring flew to the side, blocking some of the daylight, tinting the room a soft yellow from its fabrics.


    Her breath came out almost stutteringly as he reached her ear. He began kissing it, and she shuddered when she could her his breath this low and close. She reached out to steady herself on his arm.


    He nibbled on her earlobe with his lips, causing a gasp to escape her. She could hear him chuckle in a low voice, directly in her ear, and she dug her fingers into him, trying not to reel back from the sensation.


    Then, he ran his tongue lightly up her ear, taking her by surprise.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She covered her mouth at her sudden exclamation.


    As he drew his head back a bit to look into her eyes, she saw that her reactiveness excited him and his eyes glistened at her, like a cat having found a new plaything.


    Once again, he drew his face close to hers, hovering his lips just before hers, and they could feel each other¡¯s breath, hers stocky and rushed, his calm and unchanged. His head tilted to his right, causing her to instinctively tilt hers to her own right, and she half-closed her eyes, touching his lips with hers.


    But only for half a moment, as he almost immediately pulled away, gazing at her with a teasing grin.


    Instead he grabbed her hands and pulled her out of her seat and in the same motion picked her up, so that her body was held snuggly against him, with her head above his.


    ¡°What-¡°


    She was cut off before she could get more out and was put on the short end of the desk, the one facing the window, rather than the door, and he leaned in, their heads now level, as he gently kissed her on the forehead.


    Raiva had rarely felt so confused while in what she though to be the middle of a tryst, when he quickly ducked, and she felt his hands on her legs.


    Oh lords, is he-


    He was, and soon was caressing and kissing his way up her ankles, calves, knees and thighs under her skirt.


    Already, he had made her all twitchy as she sat there, on her desk, one hand on the edge to support her, the other on her mouth to suppress her yelps and moans and sighs as he seemingly hit every sensitive spot she had.


    When he passed her knees and hit spot after spot after spot, she was nearly tearing up from the feeling of anticipation, eyebrows turned upwards and her breathing become unsteady. She was starting to feel lightheaded, but quickly tensed up when he reached her upper thighs.


    The outline of his head under the fabric of her skirt was getting closer and closer, when she was surprised yet again, this time by the feeling of smooth fabric on her skin.


    He was tying the ribbon onto her thigh.


    That hellion.


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    As though he could read her thoughts, a gentle laughter sounded from her skirt, and the vibrations and feeling of his breath against her skin gave her another sharp sensation, prompting her the jokingly close her legs against the sides of his head.


    In response, he firmly took hold of her legs with his hands and accelerated his advance. Immediately after, he spread her further, almost causing her to lose balance, and she felt his tongue licking the uppermost of her inner thighs. Struggling to hold her voice back, she moaned unintentionally loudly, very nearly making her decide to abandon this whole scenario.


    ¡°Maybe it would be better if-¡°


    Before she could finish, his lips were on her, doing a gentle sucking motion.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± escaped her before she could cover her mouth again, trying to keep her moans to a reasonable sound level.


    It simply felt too good, in a way she couldn¡¯t even begin to describe. A strange sensation, both intense, and strange, traveling all over her body, somehow surprising her every time he repeated it. The heat in her was in swirls, building up far too fast, and without getting a chance to sort herself out further she climaxed, shakily tensing her legs and arching her back from the rush.


    As she sighed, he paused, but not for long.


    Once again, he began sucking, this time delicately and deliberately slowly licking her clitoris in between each one, and her brain fog returned as she struggled to keep her voice down.


    Whenever she started getting close, he would slow down, and when she was ebbing out, he accelerated. This continued for a while, and she became frustrated.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± she whispered desperately, her body on fire.


    He pressed his finger against her, very slightly moving back, eliciting a low yelp from her.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked muffled from underneath her skirt when a knock sounded on the door.


    Raiva threw her head around, and before she could calm herself and respond, Shelly entered.


    ¡°Shelly!¡± she greeted her, her voice slightly too shrill.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, my lady, I didn¡¯t know you were in here! I didn¡¯t hear you answer,¡± she was clearly taken aback, having entered without permission, through a closed door at that. She had clearly not noticed Victor under Raiva¡¯s skirt. ¡°Are you alright, my lady? You look a bit flushed, should I open the window-¡°


    ¡°No!¡± Raiva interjected, trying not to react to Victor, currently licking her very slowly and intensely. ¡°No, I, uh, I¡¯m fine, just taking a moment in the-¡°


    She squeezed her legs in an attempt to make him stop, but his strong grip around them prevented her from moving them at all.


    ¡°Hm, uh, the dark. Yes. Would you, uh, ah, leave, please? I just need an hour or so a- ah- alone, I¡¯ll be right out for l- lunch.¡±


    ¡°Is it the migraine, my lady?¡± Shelly asked in horror, noticing something was very off, but her conclusion was, thankfully for Raiva, quite off.


    ¡°Y-yes. Please?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lady, I¡¯ll run to the pharmacist immediately to get something for you, please rest in the bedroom, if you can, I¡¯ll bring it there with lunch,¡± she went on a rather long spiel, half to Raiva, half to herself, as she scurried out of the office, carefully closing the door behind her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she exclaimed as he sucked her again and pressed his finger against her opening, once again. She whispered in exasperation, ¡°What is wrong with-, fuck, you?¡±


    He simply chuckled and continued edging her, this time even closer to her climaxes, knowing she was in the palm of his hands.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the frustration became to much again, along with the worry that Shelly would return and, this time around, notice Victor.


    ¡°Please, Victor,¡± she pleaded again, upset with the heat and the tingles that had nowhere to go, driving her into an odd state of confusion.


    ¡°Please what, Raiva,¡± he returned in an amused tone of voice.


    ¡°Please stop doing that,¡± she whispered, as he pulled her down from the nth climax.


    Suddenly, his mouth and hands were gone and he was out of her skirt in the blink of an eye. He stood up straight and looked into Raiva¡¯s bewildered eyes with a smile, no, more of a smirk. He leaned in until his breath caressed her ear and neck.


    ¡°As you wish, my lady,¡± he said in a low, satisfied tone of voice. Then he kissed her neck and walked out, quietly closing the door behind him.


    Raiva sat on her desk in a daze, in the dark, quiet office, holding a hand to her neck.


    What in the hell just happened?


    She looked at the coffee table and reached a hand under her skirt to feel the ribbon he had tied on her, to ensure she hadn¡¯t imagined it. Sure enough, it was there. She glanced and, of course, it was the same marigold ribbon.


    She felt torn in many directions. Embarrassed that Shelly had walked in on them and she had lied to her to cover it up. Upset with Victor for not only teasing her like that but also for actually up and leaving when she obviously meant for him to stop keeping her so close to getting there and deliberately stopping her. And finally, so, very, frustratingly turned on and needing to do something about it.


    Hurriedly, she got off the desk, almost stumbling on her shaky legs, to lock the door. Then, she ensured that the curtains were properly closed, before getting back on the desk, laying down the length of it, with her legs bent up.


    She thought about the feeling of his lips kissing her skin, his mouth and tongue on her, his low breathing in her ear, the sensation of his hands on her legs, the memory of the heat in her stomach swirling and building, and-


    Now, confidently sure she had lost all dignity in herself, she straightened out her clothes and left the office looking her usual self, having decided to take a long, quiet bath, and resisting the temptation of taking a bottle of wine with her to do so.


    After all, Shelly would be back soon enough, fussing over her. It would be unlikely that she would leave her rooms for the remainder of the day, to not upset her and Frederick.


    I should have come up with something other than a migraine. Damn it, Victor.

 Chapter 13: Lacking

    Raiva decided to take advantage of the situation, by taking a nap.


    While the past two days had been draining, she had been kept busy by preparations and paperwork, planning, budgeting, and so on, for many, many months already. When she wasn¡¯t kept busy by her lawyer, she was going over inventory lists for Giovanni¡¯s estate with J¨¹rgen, before he went back to his hometown.


    It¡¯s been so long already.


    With a melancholic heart, she fell asleep, exhausted.


    True to her word, Shelly returned an hour later, a knock sounding at her door.


    ¡°It is me, my lady,¡± she called out in a gentle voice.


    ¡°Please, come in.¡± Raiva¡¯s voice was raspy from sleep.


    Shelly entered while balancing a massive tray of light foods and crackers, as well as clutching a paper bag, presumably full of medicines.


    ¡°I have everything you need,¡± Shelly began in a low voice, mindful of her lady¡¯s perceived migraine. ¡°Everything here is easy to eat, and I got you enough medicine for a week, just in case.¡±


    Shelly¡¯s kindness and consideration made Raiva feel a pang of guilt in her chest. How could she tell her that it was all a lie to disguise the fact that Victor had been under her skirt, teasing her while they were talking?


    She couldn¡¯t, of course. Shelly quite honestly might have fainted at the idea, and never speak to her the same again, without double checking the outlines of her clothing.


    I¡¯ll be ¡°better¡± tomorrow, then. Yes, that should do it.


    ¡°Thank you, Shelly,¡± she responded, trying to maintain the raspy of her voice a little longer. She sat up slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It feels like a short one. Just a sudden onset, so I got a little overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± Shelly smiled a mother¡¯s smile at her, obviously having nursed many a sick person, Raiva included. She gently touching her forehead to check her temperature. ¡°You are probably right, seeing as there is no fever with this one. It is fortunate.¡±


    Raiva smiled back, ¡°Very. Thank you.¡±


    With a small nod, she left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.


    I¡¯m sorry, Shelly.


    And she was, burying her face in her hands from sheer embarrassment.


    When the next morning arrived, Raiva felt restless, having more or less been confined to her bed with constant check-ins from Shelly.


    She got up, having gotten so much sleep that she was tired from it. The restlessness in her body made her decide to go out for the day, something she was otherwise rarely in the mood for, and dressed in Tristan¡¯s tea dress, a simple, sage green one with simple white ruffles on the sleeves. The poor storing conditions it had been in had resulted in the silk being quite fragile, though she supposed there was no point in not wearing it so long as it withstand regular usage.


    The knock on the door told her that it was almost time for breakfast.


    ¡°My lady?¡± Shelly, called carefully.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± she responded overly cheerfully.


    She walked into her rooms, surprised at seeing her out of bed, in the process of putting her hair up into a quick bun with her usual steel hairpin.


    ¡°Are you feeling better today, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Raiva laughed airily. ¡°I told you it was a minor one.¡±


    She breathed a small sigh of relief.


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    ¡°Thank the lords, I was concerned it might be like the one last time. You were in bed for two weeks!¡±


    Her smile faded a bit, ¡°Yes, I know. But I told you, I¡¯m feeling much better lately. It¡¯s already been half a year since that one anyhow!¡±


    She waved her hand a bit as to make both of them dismiss the thought.


    Shelly, of course, did not want to.


    ¡°Four moons, my lady, and honestly, it was terrifying! And now I walk in here, thinking it might be that again, and you are moving around far too much too fast, and of all things you are wearing that, what if it sets it off again?¡±


    She halted for breath and looked around the dressing room.


    ¡°And really, it is so old and faded, why don¡¯t we make it into something nice and decorative? One bend and the fabric looks like it will come apart, not that I would ever suggest getting rid of it, I know how much you cherish it, but quite frankly, my lady, I think you need more clothes than this,¡± she gestured at the half-empty hangers. ¡°It will be getting warmer soon, and most of these are for cold weather! What if you have a heat stroke, and-¡°


    Oh, lords.


    Raiva zoned out, instinctively making a ¡°hm¡± at every few sentences, until, a whole five minutes later, Shelly decided she was out of clothes to criticize for state, wear and appropriateness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need more clothes,¡± she eventually responded, simply.


    ¡°You do my lady,¡± Shelly reiterated exasperated. ¡°Of course you say that you do not, but you have been either wearing home wear or that one mourning gown for two years now, and I am astounded that it has yet to fall apart at the seams.


    ¡°You need summer wear, and you need to get replacements for clothes that have not been stored correctly, and for my sanity¡¯s sake, you need a hair pin that is more than just-¡°


    Another five minutes passed as Raiva pretended to listen attentively, trying to find a reasoning that might get her to back down.


    At last, it was her turn to speak again.


    ¡°Shelly, I know you mean well, but I¡¯m not a noble, I¡¯m not a socialite, and I barely leave home.¡±


    ¡°That is no excuse, my lady,¡± she squinted her eyes at her, using her stern motherly tone of voice.


    The two stared at each other for several beats, before Raiva lifted her hand to scratch an itch on her brow, when the sound of fabric tearing filled the room.


    In shock she looked down at her arm and saw that the armhole seams of the dress had ripped, extending all the way down the side seam to her waist.


    Perplexed, the two stood there for a moment, staring at the oddly timed tear, before they both burst out laughing, Raiva loudly with her body doubling over and Shelly half subdued, with both hands covering her mouth, trying not to let the tears roll down her face.


    Heaving in air, trying to stand back up straight, Raiva finally acquiesced.


    ¡°It- oh, lords- it seems Tristan is trying to tell me something from beyond the grave, Shelly,¡± she laughed. ¡°He did always take your side!¡±


    She continued giggling, while Shelly closed the door and helpfully attempted to remove the dress without causing further damage. Her hands were shaking from laughter still, but thanks to muscle memory and experience, she managed to help wiggle Raiva out of it.


    ¡°My lord was always a very intelligent boy,¡± she chuckled in return. ¡°So! My lady. Would you like me to make the arrangements?¡±


    Raiva shook her head, smiling, while pulling out her white, lacy day dress instead.


    ¡°No thank, you.¡± She quickly continued at seeing Shelly squint at her again, though more playful than stern this time. ¡°I was feeling up for an outing today anyhow, and I don¡¯t wanna burden you with the workload, when you¡¯re already busy here.¡±


    Shelly observed her for a second, then went to assist her in getting dressed, an old habit.


    ¡°Very well, my lady, but I must insist on at least fifteen sets per season, with shoes, stockings and accessory ribbons to match, five coats and five jackets, ten shawls, and at minimum thirty sets of undergarments, with ten being for winter wear.


    ¡°I am aware that your nightgowns are in relatively good condition, but please consider another ten or so, and four more for the cold seasons, since the winters have gotten harsher in the last few years and you always fall sick. And please, my lady, if you in any way respect my sanity, please purchase at least one hairpin that is not a plain piece of metal? This is my only personal request, and I will happily reimburse you for whichever strikes your fancy.¡±


    Raiva had frozen in place, trying to remember all of those. She was good with numbers, but memorizing was somewhat of a weak spot for her.


    ¡°Uh-huh, yes,¡± she replied in a monotone voice.


    Fifteen sets per season, five coats, five shawls, thirty nightgowns- wait, no.


    ¡°Hold on, why are you so upset with my hairpin?¡±


    Shelly was already all warmed up for arguments, and plucked it out of Raiva¡¯s haphazardly pinned hair. She held it up in front of them and gestured at it.


    ¡°Look at it, my lady,¡±, she cried out. ¡°It is like a dull, overly dimensioned needle! That someone has the audacity to make this! This could have been several, excellent needles of any sort, and instead the scoundrel did this! It does not even have the charm of a simple, carved one! It is so!¡±


    She stared at it in wide-eyed, frantic frustration, clearly having had this build up over a long time.


    Raiva looked from her face to the hairpin and back, eventually breaking into laughter once more.


    I must be losing it.


    She wiped a tear form her eye and sighed dramatically.


    ¡°Fine, Shelly, to everything. Are you sure it will even fit in here though?¡±


    ¡°Of course it will, my lady! I made sure this room can fit triple that in a pinch.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did,¡± Raiva chuckled. ¡°Now, I do need that pin back-¡°


    ¡°Absolutely not, my lady,¡± she responded sternly, tucking it away in her pocket. ¡°Let us find a ribbon for you instead, and I shall put it up for you.¡±


    Rummaging through a few drawers until she found the tangled-up stash of ribbons, she picked out one made of white lace and happily got to work on the as-of-yet-not-brushed tangled mess of curls while humming an upbeat tune.

 Chapter 14: Salon Gr眉n

    Twenty minutes later, and only just avoiding perfume and a full face of cosmetics, Raiva at last escaped from Shelly¡¯s overly excited dress up for a simple solo outing.


    She was allowed to keep her attire simple with the long sleeved, white, lacy day-dress, though her hair was in a series of elaborate braids, elegantly tied in a longer braid in the back, as well as a speck of dusty rose colored cheek and lip color.


    I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I look absolutely lovely. It¡¯s just a lot of fuss before breakfast.


    Shelly, taking great pride in her work despite not being allowed to go all out, had banned her from helping with breakfast, both because of her recent ¡°recovery¡± and in case she spilled food on her dress while transporting it to and from the table.


    Too tired for even more argumentation before her morning coffee, Raiva had decided it best not to argue and simply get the meal over with quietly before heading to the mercantile district.


    As she crossed the sitting room, she saw Frederick loading food onto the table by himself, seemingly unbothered by the absence of the two. He looked up at seeing movement and smiled warmly at her.


    ¡°Feeling better already? You look marvelous today,¡± he said, teasingly. Then he directed his words at his wife. ¡°Your accomplishment, dear? Excellent work.¡±


    Shelly let out a proud ¡°Doesn¡¯t she just?¡± before rushing to set the table and help with the remaining dishes.


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Frederick,¡± she responded half-sarcastically, making her way into the kitchen to secure herself a cup of coffee. Sitting down with it at the kitchen table, she felt guilty watching the two rush in and out in a practiced manner, though she caught a few side-eyes from Shelly whenever she looked like she was about to try and help.


    As the clock struck 8.30, the tenants began taking their seats at the table. Griffin was notably absent, though Cassian and Octavia had obviously become better acquainted, discussing something unintelligible merrily with each other, with Victor occasionally adding to the conversation. While Cassian responded as one would expect, Octavia was notably stand-offish towards him.


    Curious.


    Raiva thought back to when Octavia had helped her with the ribbon incident.


    ¡°Fucking men¡±


    Oh. I guess I wasn¡¯t imagining it.


    She had a hard time visualizing Octavia saying it, though the voice saying it had without a doubt been hers, in hindsight.


    She suppressed a chuckle at the thought of her holding a grudge against Victor because of it, but it really had been his own fault in the end.


    ¡°Where is the captain?¡± she wondered quietly, to no one in particular.


    Shelly¡¯s sharp ears had picked up on it however, replying, ¡°Oh, he gets his breakfast form Frederick at 7, since he has morning drills this month, nothing elaborate, but there is usually some bread at that time.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Raiva reacted, maybe a little too surprised for prying eyes.


    He had to get up early to do drills after that? The poor man.


    She giggled to herself, ignoring Shelly knowing smirk as she finished with her busywork, and sat down to join her for breakfast along with Frederick.


    After eating in peaceful quiet, save for the low conversation carried in from the dining room and the clutter of cutlery and cups from eating, Raiva drew herself up in her seat.


    ¡°I was thinking of eating lunch while out today,¡± she directed at Frederick, hoping to save him a bit of work. ¡°And I thought I might ask for recommendations for boutiques and seamstresses while I¡¯m there, wait staff is usually very helpful with these things, or so I¡¯ve been informed.¡±


    She trailed off at the end, hoping that Shelly would affirm or deny this in some way, to guide her in the right direction. In response however, she simply nodded, making Raiva unsure as to whether she was affirming the notion or being an attentive listener.


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    Raiva awkwardly fell silent again, not wanting to out herself as being too clueless, lest Shelly insist on (over)doing it again. She glanced at Frederick for some kind of hint. He smiled in response and nodded after gesturing towards his wife, by tilting his head a little.


    That¡¯s a plan then.


    A few hours later, after having composed yet another letter to her lawyer mentioning the out-of-character upcoming billings from boutiques, and Shelly turning her dressing room upside down in the search for a purse, she finally departed. Accompanied by Frederick, since no one was home for lunch anyway, she made her way down the residential streets on foot, ignoring the indiscreet whisperings of her new neighbors, and steadily approaching the marvelously nearby inner city of Prievo.


    As they exited the residential area with it¡¯s wide, relatively low houses and miniature mansions, the building began becoming taller, narrower, and somehow subdued in a warm, gentle shade as the buildings effectively blocked out direct sunlight with their height. Along with the difference in scale, the facades were also becoming more colorful, going from the polite whites and browns to yellows, greens and delicate blues, lined with plants and vines, that somehow survived in the perpetual half shade.


    Raiva had been told that is was uncommon for inner cities to be built like this in Echona, and that it was a far more normal sight further west. Visitors from other parts of the country were usually surprised at the lack of parasols and hats on both the men and women here, but when even the middle of the day could not touch people¡¯s faces with its sun rays, it was generally unnecessary. In turn it made Prievo one of the few areas where a tan was envied by some of the upper echelons as signaling free time and, in particular, access to gardens and outside areas for residences in general. After all, the most an ordinary noble could boast would be a small courtyard, which naturally also received mostly shade.


    One could easily get lost in these narrow, intertwined streets, though there only ever seemed to be more wonderful places and people to stumble into as a result.


    After saying her goodbyes to Frederick, Raiva allowed herself to do just that, leaving familiar roads of high society locations behind her, waiting to stumble across a place to have lunch.


    Just as her feet had begun to tire a little, and she considered turning back, she was faced with a sign, half hidden by foliage, next to an intricately painted door in green and silver, reading ¡°The Salon Gr¨¹n¡± with a small text underneath adding ¡°a place for violets¡±.


    Peculiar. You¡¯d think they would go with something more thematic than a purple flower. Although violets are quite nice, I suppose.


    Intrigued, she entered the salon.


    Once inside, it took everything she had not to have her mouth agape in a wide eyed stare.


    The waiters, or waitresses, were all women, but dressed in men¡¯s waiting clothes and their hair worn in identically sleek and androgynous low ponytails. Every one of them was tall, at least Raiva¡¯s own height, and remarkably attractive to boot.


    The atmosphere was somehow a lively one, not the usual polite air of a normal tea salon, with large tables and about five groups currently occupying the central ones, chattering among themselves.


    While figuring out whether it was self-seating or not, she saw a few members of aforementioned groups changing tables as though they were all one big party.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she tentatively asked a passing waiter, no, waitress.


    ¡°Yes? How can I be of service?¡± she replied with a blinding smile.


    Oh, she¡¯s gorgeous.


    ¡°Is the salon currently reserved or-?¡± she nodded towards the seated tables.


    She looked back to see what Raiva was references, returning a lighthearted chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, no, miss. Our patrons are just very social.¡±


    She paused, tilting her head in a rehearsed manner, her shiny, black ponytail peeking out behind her shoulder.


    ¡°It is your first time, I take it?¡±


    Raiva was still processing the information, when among the patrons at the leftmost table, she spotted a familiar toffee-colored bob.


    Octavia.


    She stumbled over her words a little.


    ¡°Ah, yes-¡°


    ¡°I see,¡± the waitress responded, followed by a well-mannered bow and a side-step to obscure Raiva¡¯s line of sight to the dining area. ¡°Then I must ask who recommended you to visit us. We are a bit of a private salon, you see.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have anything like that, I simply saw the sign outside,¡± she replied, flustered. Before she could think of anything else, her head cloudy with embarrassment and her cheeks turning red, she uttered, ¡°But I do know Octavia? The woman with the short, toffee colored hair, at the table on the left.¡±


    The woman looked at her politely, with no change of expression.


    ¡°Would you wait here a moment, miss?¡± she asked, before stepping back to close the heavy velvet curtains, previously hidden by the door frame between them.


    Raiva was heavily considering departing at this point, feeling out of place in this apparently secret club she wasn¡¯t supposed to have entered. The room was even darker now, only lit up by a wall cone next to a mirror to her right. Attempting to calm herself, she checked her hair in the entryway mirror, and made to leave.


    Before she could turn away, however, the curtain was pulled aside, and she was startled to see Octavia¡¯s face appearing behind it.


    ¡°Oh, it is you, madam,¡± she exclaimed with a warm smile on her face, an expression Raiva had not seen on her before.


    ¡°I- Yes, I was just leaving,¡± she half-turned and gestured vaguely towards the door behind her. She couldn¡¯t have looked more awkward if she tried.


    ¡°No no, please,¡± Octavia giggled at her strange movements, and signaled her to enter with a wave from her hand. She then turned to the waitress and added, ¡°Margaret, would you show her to a table while I get my things? I suspect she could use an introduction.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Margaret laughed back, then turned to Raiva with a welcoming smile again. ¡°If you would follow me?¡±

 Chapter 15: Violets

    Margaret led Raiva to a smaller table, at the side of the dining room, a ways off from the present patrons.


    Gesturing towards a comfortable looking padded armchair, she bid her to have a seat before beginning her explanation.


    ¡°I apologize for earlier, miss,¡± she bowed her head apologetically, but quickly replaced the gesture with a smile and an elegant flick of her ponytail. ¡°But as you will hopefully understand, it is somewhat necessary in order to deter ones with less honorable intentions.


    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re acquainted with Miss Octavia, I¡¯ll keep the introduction brief and spare us both a long-winded history lesson in oppression and bigotry. As per the sign outside, this is a social club for violets, the ladies¡¯ equivalent of the men¡¯s more widely known lavender metaphor.¡±


    Oh.


    Margaret looked at her somewhat expectantly, but all she could do for the moment was process the information and attempt to remember how to blink.


    OH.


    Raiva¡¯s cheeks reddened a little as she felt a little slow, given the obvious flower metaphor. After all, her second husband and his partner had been VIP lavender members at practically every gay social club in the city.


    I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t catch on.


    So Octavia is..?


    Still not responding, she blushed harder, her face shifting between surprised and embarrassed.


    Margaret was somehow still silent, simply watching the ever-changing emotions on her face with an amused expression, only just managing to hold in her laughter.


    ¡°I see,¡± was all Raiva managed to say in a strained tone.


    She thought for a moment.


    As Margaret began to leave, presumably to laugh a little in the back somewhere at the endearingly confused display of emotion in front of her, Raiva raised her head and asked her, ¡°Uhm, Margaret?¡±


    Right away, she found her work smile again, and waited with an expression that could only be described as polite interest as Raiva carefully found the words to her question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure I can count myself as a violet, but would it be too much trouble if I stay and eat with Octavia?¡±


    Margaret chuckled lightheartedly.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re invited and vouched for, miss, you¡¯re a friend of violets. If you come by on a busy night, you might even meet some of our gentleman members,¡± she winked at her as she finally laid a menu on the table for her. ¡°Though most of them are lavenders, of course.¡±


    ¡°My late husband was a lavender member.¡±


    All these floral innuendos, I really should have caught it sooner, shouldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Your husb-¡°


    Before Margaret could clear up her confusion, Octavia finally arrived, carrying a tray of half eaten bread and a few appetizers.


    ¡°Oh, Margaret would you grab me another glass of cider?¡± she looked at the confused waitress and Raiva, who was clearly still relishing the reaction. ¡°Sorry, did I interrupt something here?¡±


    She laughed.


    Raiva focused her attention on Octavia, feeling thankful that her flushing cheeks had cooled off again. ¡°No not at all, miss.¡±


    Margaret decided to stash her questions away for another time, squinting at Raiva in a somewhat childish manner, before addressing Octavia.


    ¡°Cider, of course, miss.¡±


    She bowed lightly and walked away.


    Silence fell for a few moments, as Octavia arranged her items and took her seat.


    Raiva was trying her best not to stare at Octavia, who was somehow looking both elegant and casual in a knee length dress made of olive-green light knit material. As she was wearing no other accessories, her long, drop style earrings stood out. The real attention grabber was still the dress however, it being tight enough that her figure was clearly outlined as it seemed to hug her figure, though not so tight for it to be scandalous, like one would see with the clinging gowns of actresses playing courtesans on the stages of Echona.


    ¡°You look lovely today, madam,¡± Octavia finally stated matter-of-factly with her head cocked to the side as she picked up little fruits with a toothpick.


    ¡°So do you, miss,¡± she let out a low laugh in surprise at the nonchalant tone and way of eating. ¡°Though I¡¯m afraid the credit goes to Shelly. I have no real sense for these things, though I am appreciative of everything that go into it.¡±


    She shook her head at the thought of today¡¯s task.


    ¡°So you mentioned,¡± Octavia giggled. ¡°And please don¡¯t call me miss, not here anyway. Just Octavia is fine.


    ¡°Speaking of, I was surprised to see you here. I never took you for a violet, on account of the late husband and Victor clearly jumping at the opportunity to get a reservation in.¡±


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    Raiva was surprised at the harsh tone and crude phrasing, though it suited her, oddly enough.


    ¡°Not a violet, no,¡± she replied thoughtfully, looking around the room. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I like men, though I have a weak spot for anyone beautiful in general, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    She was not sure she wished to see Octavia¡¯s face at this moment of her embarrassing admission, and instead tried focusing on the menu in front of her.


    ¡°Oh, and the late husband you referred to? I was the third in that relationship, their legal beard,¡± she smiled at the silliness of it. ¡°They were trying to adopt, you see. I lost a friend and family member, rather than a spouse that day.¡±


    Octavia stopped eating for a moment at looked at Raiva contemplatively.


    ¡°My condolences, again, madam.¡±


    ¡°Just Raiva is fine. ¡®Madam¡¯ makes me sound so old, and I¡¯m not ready to feel old yet,¡± she replied with a quiet laughter, trying to lift the mood. ¡°And thank you. Again.¡±


    The mood was thankfully interrupted by the return of Margaret.


    ¡°Your cider, miss Octavia,¡± she said politely, her service smile having returned. ¡°And have you had a chance to look a the menu, miss¡­?¡±


    ¡°Raiva. And yes, I¡¯d like the vegetarian lunch set, a cheese plate and whatever red wine you recommend, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course, miss Raiva,¡± Margaret replied playfully. ¡°A glass or a bottle?¡±


    She chuckled in response, ¡°A glass will suffice for now.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will return with the wine and cheese momentarily,¡± she told her with a wink, before leaving the table once again as Raiva¡¯s cheeks reddened once again.


    Octavia giggled.


    Raiva glanced at her sideways, inquiring, ¡°Does she always..?¡±


    ¡°Margaret is a flirty one, yes, though she usually sticks to her type,¡± she replied in amusement.


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Pretty, older than her, easily embarrassed.¡±


    Raiva only blushed harder at the clarification.


    After receiving her order and some chitchat with Octavia about the weather, the boarding house, the usual pleasantries, Raiva took a deep breath and decided to get back on track with today¡¯s task.


    ¡°So, Octavia, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh?¡± she replied, nibbling on Raiva¡¯s cheese platter.


    Rascal.


    ¡°Shelly has¡­ talked me into expanding my wardrobe, and-¡°


    ¡°Smart woman.¡±


    ¡°And since I¡¯m not really familiar with going to boutiques I was wondering if you have any recommendations for something off of Ruby Road?¡±


    She giggled and said, ¡°You mean one that isn¡¯t mine?¡±


    Raiva looked stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Your boutique isn¡¯t on Ruby Road? But-¡°


    Why did I assume she worked in a Ruby boutique?


    Octavia was simply looking at her while continuing her quest to finish everything on the table, waiting for her to find the words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I assumed the boutique was located there, given your demeanor and, well, to be blunt, the rent.¡±


    Raiva scratched her eyebrow a little, feeling awkward.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a compliment in a way,¡± Octavia finally replied, eying the wine in Raiva¡¯s hand. She called out to Margaret who was passing nearby, ¡°Could I have the same wine as Raiva?¡±


    Margaret nodded and flitted off again, before she continued, ¡°But no, the boutique I work at is just around the corner, actually. The owner decided that since it made enough of a name for itself on Ruby Road, he might as well move it to a cheaper address, since most of our client¨¨le expects us to make home visits anyway. It¡¯s basically the same distance by carriage anyway.


    ¡°Although in a way you weren¡¯t entirely off the mark,¡± she grinned.


    Raiva looked at her, a little stunned. She felt weirdly tricked, like Octavia was pulling her in all sorts of directions, leaving her with a feeling akin to, yet dissimilar from Victor.


    No, Victor is almost antagonizing in the way he teases, her, she¡¯s like a pixie, repeatedly daring you to approach before moving just out reach. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s flirting with me or if this is how she banters.


    ¡°So I take it you would recommend your boutique?¡± she finally asked with raised eyebrows and a smile.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± she smiled back. For a second, it looked as though a thought crossed her face, though it didn¡¯t seem to stay for long.


    Margaret arrived with the wine, winking at Raiva again before making her rounds.


    Octavia continued, ¡°And since we¡¯re already well into the year, spring orders have already been fulfilled, meaning we don¡¯t have a lot of work until we start preparing for Bonfire Day. The summer fabrics don¡¯t even get delivered for another month or so.


    ¡°How much expanding were you thinking?¡±


    Raiva put her fingers against her temples.


    ¡°Uhm, 10 dresses, 15 jackets, 20 pairs of-¡°


    That doesn¡¯t sound right at all.


    ¡°In short, an entire wardrobe for use between spring and autumn, with the addition of accessories, as per Shelly¡¯s insistence. I promised I¡¯d acquire something for the winter when we get there.¡±


    Octavia choked on her wine, at the mention of the quantity.


    ¡°An entire wardrobe? For three seasons? Well shit,¡± the words escaped her lips before she could stop herself.


    Raiva laughed in surprise, and took a sip of her own wine, lamenting that she had not ordered more. For once, Octavia was the befuddled one.


    ¡°Oh, and a hairpin. Shelly stole mine. Though I am under firm instructions that it can¡¯t be one made of plain metal. I believe the phrase ¡®oversized, dull needle¡¯ was used to describe my current one.¡±


    It was Octavia¡¯s turn to laugh at the thought.


    ¡°That does sound like something that ought to be stolen.¡±


    As Raiva took the last sip of her wine, Octavia downed hers and declared, ¡°Well, it seems  my lunch break must come to a close. Would you like to come with me to the boutique now, Raiva?¡±


    She looked down at their empty plates and acquiesced.


    ¡°Gladly. Let me just get the bill-¡°


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t. With the money you¡¯re about to spend on garments, I¡¯d feel like a criminal if I don¡¯t at least pay for your lunch.¡±


    Octavia waved her hand at Margaret, who promptly made her way over, and before Raiva could protest, the money had already exchanged hands. She went to bid her prior table companions farewell.


    ¡°Oh, Margaret?¡± Raiva called out before she had left to go too far. ¡°For the history lesson.¡±


    With a wink, she handed her a silver coin. Nothing extravagant, but enough convey the gesture.


    ¡°Until next time, miss Raiva,¡± Margaret bid her farewell with a smile, though her face seemed a hint pinker than before.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Octavia began, as they turned the corner from the salon. ¡°What is your relationship with Mrs. Shelly? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of a housekeeper dictating the house owner¡¯s wardrobe, or holding their employers hairpin hostage.¡±


    Unsure of how to explain it in exact terms, she attempted to sum up their long history as they made their way down the street.


    ¡°Shelly was my first husband¡¯s nursemaid. Then when he got to old to have one of those, she stayed on as a parlor maid at his residence. She knew him his entire life, and when I came into the picture, she was one of the few to receive me with open arms. To Tristan she was just as much a mother figure as the Countess, though that¡¯s apparently not uncommon with noble families.


    ¡°When we got married, she became my lady¡¯s maid, and we spent a lot of time together every day. Despite her insistence on formality we became very good friends. In a way she is more of a mother to me than my own.


    ¡°Then the fire happened, and I sort of dropped off the map. After that I didn¡¯t see her again until news broke about my remarriage and my second husband¡¯s death. She came by, unannounced and pounded on the door until someone let her in.


    ¡°Long story short, I was not in a good place, and she helped me back on my feet, and my friend too. I¡¯m not sure where we would be if not for her, to be honest.¡±


    Raiva looked blankly ahead of her for a while.


    ¡°Anyhow, so when Shelly insists, and lords does she insist, I listen.¡±


    Octavia was uncharacteristically quiet for a bit, eventually saying with a hoarse voice, ¡°I see. Thank you for telling me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Octavia. It¡¯s a happy story in the end.¡±

 Chapter 16: Jardin de Fleurs

    Octavia was not exaggerating when she said that her workplace was around the corner. In fact, it was right across from a small park she passed by earlier.


    Having cheered up a bit since their earlier conversation, she stepped in front of Raiva and bowed politely, gesturing at a facade with big, expensively clear windows and a reddish stone wall surrounding them.


    ¡°The Boutique Jardin de Fleurs, madam,¡± she announced, in the same tone she had the first day they met. ¡°And my apologies, but in front of and inside the boutique, I must maintain proper etiquette.¡±


    Raiva had to adapt to the professional distance between them quickly.


    ¡°Of course, miss,¡± she nodded in a neutral manner. ¡°I look forward to your guidance on the matter.¡±


    The two entered through the ornate white front door, and Raiva was greeted by a strangely cool air and the gentle scent of lavender and black tea.


    ¡°Welcome back, miss Octavia,¡± a young, blond woman greeted after walking hurriedly towards the entrance, though without an overt hint of rush. ¡°And welcome, dear customer, to the Boutique Jardin de Fleurs.¡±


    The young woman, no older than 18 or 19, bowed in the same way that Octavia did, though the movement looked less flowing and ingrained, indicating her to be a newer hire in Raiva¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Thank you, Louise,¡± Octavia replied, gesturing for Raiva to have a seat on a lavish blue velvet sofa. ¡°This is madam Raiva, she is a new Saffron rank patron. Would you prepare refreshments and have Tanya join us with order sheets and sample booklets from spring through autumn?¡±


    ¡°Of course, miss,¡± she replied, without hesitation. She bowed in Raiva¡¯s direction, excusing herself. ¡°Madam Raiva.¡±


    She waited a moment until Louise disappeared behind a curtain and Octavia took a seat on a velvet puff to her left, at an appropriate distance of course.


    ¡°Saffron rank, miss Octavia?¡± she asked Octavia in a lowered voice.


    In an equally dampened voice she responded, ¡°Yes, madam. Only patrons that place large orders like yours hold that rank, though as a rule they place one regularly. As the head seamstress, however, I am allowed a bit of leeway in elevating patron ranks.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean exactly?¡±


    ¡°It means that your orders take priority, should you place a time sensitive order, such as an event or urgent replacement garment. Additionally, it guarantees service repairs where you only pay for the hours of the employees, and not the materials used.¡±


    ¡°But why-¡°


    ¡°I am not doing it for free,¡± Octavia interrupted gently in a whisper. ¡°In return I have a favor to ask. The favor won¡¯t cost you a thing, other than time and attendance.¡±


    She looked at Raiva, breaking the professional facade for a moment.


    ¡°Please?¡± she asked, her voice sweet, though there was something unmistakably devious in her eyes.


    Why do I feel like I just walked into a trap?


    She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the arrival of Louise, returning with tea and little delicate biscuit looking treats for the new high rank patron.


    ¡°I hope the tea is to your taste, madam Raiva. It is white oolong, with vanilla macrons to match the delicate flavor. Please let me know, should you wish for anything else,¡± she introduced the refreshments in a calm, unrushed manner, and bowed after arranging three sets of them on the low oval table in front of them.


    ¡°Thank you, miss Louise,¡± Raiva smiled at her.


    Excusing herself once again with a bow, she went to the back again, passing another woman as she went past the curtains.


    The woman was older than Louise by a good margin, possibly around 50, with lines at her eyes and the creases of her mouth. Her hair was mostly silvery-gray, with a few streaks of blond mixed in. She halted a few feet before reached table and curtsied, with one hand holding her skirt, while the other was holding a staggering amount of folders, booklets and papers.


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    ¡°I am Tanya, madam Raiva, the manager of this Jardin de Fleurs. I am overjoyed to greet a new Saffron Patron.¡±


    It¡¯s too late to back out now, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Thank you, madam Tanya.¡±


    Taking her cue, she carefully arranged the contents in her arms on the table, only holding onto what Raiva assumed was the order sheet.


    For a moment she was taken back to her younger days, when she was a lady¡¯s maid and accompanied her lady to boutiques with terrifying frequency.


    It¡¯s so weird to be sitting in this seat instead of the little chair in the corner, waiting with the other lady¡¯s maids for hours through wardrobe changes and measurements and rounds and rounds of tea and cookies.


    The next three or so hours were filled with endless discussion of budgets and styles and time frames and flipping through booklet after folder after booklet.


    Exhausted by the conversation, thankfully led mostly by Octavia and Tanya, after the latter realized Raiva¡¯s deference to her opinion on several topics, Raiva was staring blankly into her tea, her fourth one now, when Tanya excused herself in high spirits and went to finalize the paperwork for signing.


    She slumped back, and looked at Octavia with her eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Please tell me your favor is nothing like this,¡± she whispered. ¡°I think I might die at this rate.¡±


    Octavia was holding back laughter at the sight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen any lady so defeated by shopping,¡± she whispered back, keeping an eye on the impending arrival spot for Tanya.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t shopping, Octavia! This is talking in numbers and hypotheticals, and I¡¯ve genuinely forgotten how much I¡¯ve ordered and I¡¯m beginning to regret not letting Shelly do it and build that damn annex.¡±


    ¡°Annex?¡± Octavia replied, both entertained and confused.


    Before either could say another word, Tanya¡¯s heels could be heard clacking softly, and Raiva straightened up in her seat.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll have cashmere this winter? I noticed it wasn¡¯t in the autumn catalogue,¡± Raiva asked in her normal tone.


    ¡°Yes, madam, due to it¡¯s scarcity, we often keep all cashmere and merino for winter, though I¡¯m afraid we still tend to run out quickly due to it¡¯s equally high popularity,¡± Octavia replied in her professional tone. ¡°I personally suggest you order any garment using it by the time of the Light Festival, although we make sure to reserve some of our stock for repairs and Saffron orders.¡±


    Tanya turned the corner, and smiled in a satisfied manner.


    Taking seat again, she placed the document in front of Raiva, announcing, ¡°The contract madam. It is only necessary as a formality for orders of this magnitude, due to the upfront materials reserved and used, as well as the number of seamstresses who will be exclusively assigned to your order. I humbly ask for your understanding in this matter.


    Do people normally mind signing contracts?


    She was not expecting an apology for something as ordinary as a contract.


    Though I can think of at least a handful of nobles who would probably consider it an insult. The Lady Urlington, for one.


    She once again remembered her former employer with a bitter taste in her mouth.


    ¡°Please do not worry, madam Tanya. I understand completely. If I may have a moment?¡± she dismissed the notion and began reading through the document. Thankfully Tanya had summed it up in six pages, a feat considering all the details and logistics involved.


    46 sets, 12 jackets¡­ Shoes, matching¡­ ¡®All overtime payments necessary to fulfill the order in a timely manner shall be covered equally by the two parties¡¯?


    ¡°I¡¯d like this part altered,¡± she said to Tanya, pointing at the relevant paragraph.


    Shifting a little in her chair, she replied, ¡°I apologize, madam, but it is financially-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you, madam, but the part to be altered is the entire paragraph, not the division of cost. I would like the contract to state that no overtime is to be worked on account of the order, though a bonus of two gold will be rewarded directly to each of the seamstresses assigned to the order, in the event of timely fulfillment. ¡®Timely¡¯ meaning ready for delivery by sundown on the day prior to withdrawal of payment, and delivery before noon on the the day itself.¡±


    Tanya looked somewhat surprised at the specificity and wording of the request, but nodded in acknowledgment, noting the changes on the document.


    ¡°Any other changes, madam?¡± she asked carefully after Raiva flipped the papers back upon finishing reading the last page.


    ¡°No, thank you. Everything else seems to be in order,¡± she replied with a gentle smile, as she scribbled her signature. ¡°Do you have a spare piece of paper?¡±


    ¡°Of course, madam.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. This,¡± she jotted down the pertinent information. ¡°Is where a order confirmation and following invoice is to be sent to, with a copies to be delivered with the order itself to my residence. My lawyer will ensure that proper payment is provided and ready for withdrawal or transfer, based on your preference, at this branch.¡±


    She pointed at the relevant parts as she spoke, finally handing all documents back to Tanya, who was simultaneously surprised and pleased.


    ¡°Wonderful. Thank you, madam.¡±


    She stood up and curtsied in farewell.


    After she left, and Raiva finished her tea, breathing a bit easier now, Octavia broke the silence.


    ¡°Well shit,¡± she whispered with a blank expression. ¡°I also don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen any lady discuss contracts and payments so intently. No overtime and gold bonuses? I¡¯m afraid you may have started a war among the girls.¡±


    Raiva chuckled.


    ¡°Good luck. Just remember that I did try to pay for lunch.¡±

 Chapter 17: A Small Favor

    After finishing up in the parlor, Octavia led Raiva to a private room.


    ¡°I would like to take your measurements, if you would allow me,¡± Octavia said, having returned to her business tone once again. ¡°And if you do not mind, I would like to ask Louise to assist me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, though the thought of undressing in front of Octavia made her heart beat nervously, and she could feel herself getting a bit sweaty. Octavia called for Louise in the hallway, as the thoughts whirled in her head. ¡°Would you like me to undress?¡±


    Octavia whipped her head back, her face flushing, to Raiva¡¯s surprise.


    Oh?


    ¡°No, not today, madam,¡± she replied a little forcefully.


    She cleared her throat and continued, hiding embarrassment at her impulsive tone.


    ¡°My apologies for the confusion, madam, but at this point we only do clothed measurements. More¡­ precise ones are usually only necessary for evening wear, and particular types of lingerie, none of which were ordered by you, of course.


    ¡°We will of course be doing fittings, usually two are sufficient, barring a sudden change in physiology. Ah, Louise.¡±


    Louise greeted the two once again, carrying booklet and a pen.


    ¡°Hello again, miss,¡± Raiva greeted at she positioned herself in the middle of the room.


    Octavia closed the door, and Louise sat on a little chair next to it, staring intently at the booklet, with the writing utensil at the ready.


    A serious one, isn¡¯t she? How cute.


    Octavia noticed her little smile at Louise and pursed her lips a little as she retrieved her measuring tape and began saying a variety of abbreviations for her to note.


    Beginning with the more general measurements like height and lengths of different parts of her arms, Raiva tried her best not to think too hard about the touch of Octavia¡¯s hands. She was facing a large mirror, and could see her circling her with a stern look on her face, and practiced movements as she called out numbers and letters.


    It became harder and harder to ignore the tingling feeling as it went on however. The tape was draped around her neck, and for a moment she forgot how to breath, with Octavia face right in front of hers. After that, Octavia seemed to be deliberately slowing down as she reached under her arms to find her waist size, and seemed to brush against her more than Raiva had thought was normal.


    Focus.


    Then, the measuring tape seemed to be overly tight around the bust for a heartbeat, almost causing her to do a sharp intake of breath.


    You¡¯re being sensitive.


    ¡°Pardon me, madam,¡± Octavia¡¯s voice said in her typical polite tone.


    See? Imagining things.


    Her hands brushed against her legs, underneath her skirt, as she slid the tape up to take measurements of her lower and upper legs. She nearly gasped when Octavia reached her thigh, in order to find the inseam measurement.


    Breathe.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Despite her having become a pile a nervousness, Octavia finished her job without interruptions. Her professional demeanor throughout was a expected, though Raiva was admonishing herself for overreacting.


    Something about her just¡­ Makes me nervous, I think, in a good way.


    Something about Octavia made her nervous, and jumpy.


    ¡°There we are. I thank you for your patience madam,¡± she finally concluded as she rolled her tape back up. ¡°And tank you Louise.¡±


    She straightened her clothes a little and then gestured at the door to Raiva.


    ¡°May I escort you out, madam?¡±


    ¡°Of course, thank you.¡±


    She pulled herself together mentally, and nodded towards Louise in a farewell, and made her way out of the boutique, with Octavia close behind her.


    As they exited, Octavia spoke up.


    ¡°May I walk with you for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll be busy for a while,¡± Octavia giggled as they walked on the path in the nearby park.


    ¡°Yes, sorry about that,¡± Raiva replied with a laughter. ¡°If you want to blame someone though, blame Shelly. She¡¯s going to be ecstatic when I tell her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to thank her for the bonus we¡¯ll be getting soon then.¡±


    A shadow fell on Raiva¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t. She hates it when I do that.¡±


    ¡°What, give bonuses? Even though she insists that you buy so many clothes?¡±


    A short sigh escaped her lips, ¡°Well, she wants me to spend it on me. Thinks of it as ¡®compensation¡¯ for my ¡®trials¡¯ I suppose.¡±


    Octavia¡¯s voice became subdued, and careful.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s inheritance?¡±


    Raiva laughed a somewhat empty laughter.


    ¡°Yes, from Giovanni.¡±


    ¡°Only the second?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    Raiva was trying to come up with a way to change the topic, and decided to cling onto the first thing that popped into her mind.


    ¡°Speaking of life changing traumas, what is that favor you wanted to extort of me?¡±


    Octavia was thinking for a moment, before stepping in front of her, making her stop in her tracks. She put her hands behind her back, and looked at her with a grin.


    ¡°I want you to model for me.¡±


    ¡°Model?¡±


    What a strange favor to ask.


    ¡°Yes. For the Solstice Gala,¡± Octavia replied, her grin fading as her voice turned serious. ¡°It¡¯s my first independent participation, and I need someone with visual impact wearing my clothes.¡±


    Raiva was stunned for a moment.


    I though she meant for a boutique showing or something, even though that would have been odd in and of itself. But for the Gala? Insanity, sheer insanity.


    ¡°Octavia,¡± she tried putting it delicately, not sure how to put her hesitation into words. ¡°Are you¡­ aware of my reputation?¡±


    ¡°Of what, as a widow?¡±


    ¡°As an infamous widow.¡±


    ¡°Why? Because it happened twice?¡± Octavia looked a bit confused at Raiva, who was still struggling to put it delicately.


    Fine.


    She redirected them to a nearby bench, checking her surroundings before, explaining herself in a progressively agitated half-whisper, barely pausing to breath.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve had two husbands, and both died in fires, both were prominent members of society. I come from nothing, Octavia, and I married the only heir to the damn Count of Kreutz. Then he dies in a fire right after the wedding, and my in-laws decide that I hired someone to set the fire to ¡®steal¡¯ our home and their stupid money.


    ¡°Not that they could prove it, for the obvious reason that it¡¯s a ridiculous lie, but the rumor mill doesn¡¯t exactly care. Even my own family didn¡¯t want to associate with me, in case I ¡®jeopardize¡¯ my older brother¡¯s employment.


    ¡°So when my second husband dies in a freak wildfire accident, no one sympathizes, no one cares, Octavia, because I inherit an absurd amount of wealth, and that is something the ¡®elite¡¯ cares about. No one outside of the Ruby and Diamond districts care, thank the lords, or you would be gossiped about for simply existing in my vicinity, but those are the exact kinds of people that attend the Solstice Gala, and you know that.¡±


    Her voice was shaky and her hands clenched each other in an attempt to steady her nerves.


    ¡°Raiva-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to get so worked up, it¡¯s been a long day. Just¡­ It¡¯s not a good idea,¡± she looked down at her hands, trying to remain composed. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Raiva,¡± Octavia put a hand on hers. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    She paused for a moment, before giving her hands a little encouraging squeeze.


    ¡°You know, to be honest?¡± a smile crept back onto her face. ¡°All I¡¯m hearing is that everyone in attendance won¡¯t have a choice but to look at my model and her outfit.¡±


    She shrugged, and waited for Raiva.


    ¡°You have cold hands,¡± she finally observed. ¡°I look forward to seeing if they¡¯re any good with a needle and thread.¡±


    Octavia giggled, ¡°I take that as a yes, and a dare.¡±


    ¡°And I take it as that you¡¯re more reckless than you seem.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± she smiled and removed her hand in seeming slow motion, caressing the back of her hands as she did.


    Well, shit.

 Chapter 18: Finns Stall

    Using her final errand of the day as an excuse, Raiva bid Octavia goodbye and walked in the direction of home.


    I really need to stop it. I¡¯m already in a weird spot with Griffin and Victor. Honestly, what¡¯s wrong with me? I just had to go and mess with my boarders.


    She came across another park, situated against the city walls, where a few artisan street vendors had set up in between trees and pathways.


    Despite the early spring weather, the afternoon sun was hot, and so Raiva decided to take a stroll underneath the canopy of the trees and look around the small booths.


    It¡¯s going to be too warm again this summer. Two weeks since it rained, too.


    She stopped at a selection of carved, wooden items, and one in particular caught her eye.


    Raiva picked up a hairpin, delicately carved into a slightly curved pin, with some sort of flower at one end.


    ¡°What is this flower?¡±


    ¡°A lotus, miss,¡± the clerk, a man not much older than herself, with a well maintained beard and beginning gray temples, replied with a polite nod and a friendly smile. ¡°My wife¡¯s very fond of them. Can¡¯t help herself from putting them on anything she makes!¡±


    ¡°Your wife carved these? They¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    He puffed his chest up a little at the compliment.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they just? She¡¯s from a family of woodworkers, but her floral carvings are second to none, if you ask me. Says she can¡¯t do boring busywork while she¡¯s stuck in the snow, so she¡¯s been making these pretty little things all winter!¡±


    His boastful laugh rang out, causing a few heads to turn in their direction. She smiled in response.


    Is this what a marriage is supposed to be like?


    ¡°What kind of flower is a lotus?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s some kind from further east, where my wife is from originally, grows in mud. Pretty though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°In mud? That¡¯s unexpected,¡± she raised her eyebrows, investigating the flower once again.


    ¡°Right?¡± he laughed again. ¡°She says they mean ¡®new beginnings¡¯, ¡®cause they fold up and hide in the mud at night, then morning comes around and they pop right back out, good as new.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve convinced me,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Do you have any other hairpins?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, miss,¡± his smile widened. With a shrug, he elaborated, ¡°This one¡¯s black sandalwood, but I have some ebony and rosewood ones as well, though they¡¯re not all this type of pin. Some have these brooches they stick through, though most of those have some type of decoration as well.¡±


    He showed her one of the hairpins in question; an ornately carved brooch in rosewood, also with a lotus motif, and an equally ornate twisted looking pin with dangling beads on the end, being held on by tiny, carved wooden chains.


    She gasped, having never seen anything like it.


    That might be the finest bit of carving I have ever seen, I¡¯m not sure even Giovanni¡¯s fine metal accessories from Iboratia could boast this level of intricacy. At this rate I might start becoming interested in dressing up after all.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± he laughed once again. ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t wear them much here, since people stare too much, but I think they look incredible.¡±


    The look of fondness in his eyes was almost too much to bear.


    Alright, fine, yes, we do fashion now, I guess. Oh! The Gala! There¡¯s no way she won¡¯t be interested, right?


    ¡°May I ask for your name, sir?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Finn, miss.¡±


    ¡°Finn, would you permit me to invite you and your wife to my home in the near future? I would like to commission something from her. Oh, and I will be buying these two hairpins, as well as those three-¡° she pointed at the ebony hairpins displayed to her left, more sturdy looking than the others, but featuring delicate swirls and dotted relief patterns; two in the regular style and one of the brooch kind. ¡°-if it isn¡¯t too much of a bother.¡±


    ¡°I- what?¡± he seemed flustered for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my wife, certainly, but she doesn¡¯t really do much commissions. She¡¯s the ¡®if I don¡¯t want to, I can¡¯t be assed¡¯ type of woman, if you¡¯ll excuse my language.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it will be up to her. I¡¯m simply hoping she¡¯ll hear me out first.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so then.¡±


    He rubbed his neck, thinking something to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want a discount then?¡±


    Raiva hastily shook her hands, ¡°Oh, no no, I will pay full price for the items. Anything else would be an insult to your wife¡¯s skills and hard work.¡±


    She rummaged in her purse, looking at him questioningly.


    He smiled, grateful that he need not get into an argument over the price yet again today, though he still couldn¡¯t help but hesitate at the sum.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be two gold, eight silver, and a copper, miss.¡±


    ¡°What? Absolutely not!¡± Raiva couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice, incredulous.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the price of the wood alone-¡°


    ¡°My point exactly! For that price, even if you got leftovers from bigger production, that would barely cover expenditures including tools, let alone appropriate compensation for the sheer time spent on this! Not to mention the expertise involved or the craft she has evidently been perfecting for years and years,¡± she scratched her eyebrow while shaking her head. ¡°I will pay you four gold-¡°


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    ¡°-not out of flattery or some misguided sense of indignance, but because that is a very fair price for these, to the point that I feel like a thief.¡±


    She took out the coins from her purse and placed them firmly in his hand, which was still reaching in her direction in an attempt to stop her.


    He looked at her for a moment, seemingly trying to find a way to hand them back. In the end, his pride in his wife¡¯s craft won out, and he decided to take her at her word on the worth of the items.


    After all, neither he nor his wife were entirely sure of the marketability or fair value of the items, given that he usually dealt in furniture making and his wife wasn¡¯t accustomed to Echonan, or Prievoan, accessory prices.


    Raiva on the other hand, having been involved with the nobles and merchants for many years, knew that the only reason the price she gave him was fair, was due to the craftsperson being unknown and there being a low demand for this exact type of item among the wealthy. It was currently a novelty, rather than an easy-to-value object, though her broad yet shallow understanding of materials and labor was enough to know that anything less would be borderline exploitative.


    She looked at the pins once again, turning them over in her hands as she followed the decorations with her eyes.


    Anything short of 60 silver for each of these materials is ludicrous, and there¡¯s no way any of these took less than a full day to make, even for someone with a decade of experience, with the extravagant one being an easy week¡¯s worth of delicate, methodical carving. On top of procuring, transporting and treating the wood, as well as expenses for tools, and I presume good sharpening utensils? And you can¡¯t get around paying for technique.


    She paused as she realized how odd she was for insisting on ruining ¡°a good bargain¡±.


    Well, as he always said, ¡®invest in people, not in things¡¯. And he left it to us to do so.


    Finn stood around awkwardly after putting the money in his pouch, looking at Raiva as she pondered. She finally noticed his stare, and put the accessories back on the table.


    ¡°Would you be so kind as to wrap them in some cloth for me, Finn?¡±


    ¡°Of course, miss!¡± he laughed, letting his tension go. As he carefully packed the items in a makeshift cloth parcel, he asked, ¡°Before I forget, where should the wife and I go to meet you?¡±


    ¡°I live on Opal Street, number 17. The name¡¯s Raiva,¡± she smiled as she picked up her parcel and finally headed home.

 Chapter 19: Alone

    Upon Raiva¡¯s return, Shelly flew towards the door to inquire about the results of her venture out.


    ¡°How did it go, my lady? Where did you go? Have you eaten? Frederick should be back soon if you need to have some food before dinner. What¡¯s that parcel?¡±


    Raiva couldn¡¯t help but laugh at how normal this interrogation felt in comparison to the strange day she had found herself experiencing.


    ¡°I have eaten, Shelly, thanks. I met Octavia while finding a place for lunch, and she introduced me to her store,¡± she made her way to the sitting room and placed her parcel on the coffee table, preparing to dramatically unveil her newly acquired treasures. ¡°And I am happy to report that I went above and beyond, with a season¡¯s worth of clothing for every season this year, the spring wardrobe to be delivered in a month. That means, among other things, some forty sets of clothing, not including the order for everything that goes with it.¡±


    Shelly gasped dramatically, grasping the back of a chair to steady herself. Tears welled up into her eyes. Before she could get any more excited, Raiva gently pulled her into the seat next to her.


    ¡°And before you faint on me from joy, I want to show you the hairpins I bought. I doubt you have seen anything like them.¡±


    She opened the parcel and unwrapped them one by one, sliding them towards her on the table. The room was filled with an unusual stunned silence from Shelly until she finally found the words.


    ¡°I have to say, my lady, I- These are¡­ I was expecting, or, well, hoping for a hairpin maybe made of silver or ivory, but this, this is¡­¡±


    She picked up the rosewood brooch and pin set and couldn¡¯t quite keep her eyes from going wide or her mouth from being slightly agape.


    ¡°How does the chain¡­? Oh my stars. This is beautiful, where did you find these?¡±


    ¡°By accident, in a park, at a booth I stumbled across,¡± Raiva chuckled. ¡°His name is Finn, and where his wife is from these are supposedly fairly common. She made these out of boredom last winter, he says.¡±


    Shelly let out an indecipherable noise, somewhere between astonished and dumbstruck. She had to put the pin down carefully before leaning back in her chair and beating on her chest dramatically, apparently trying to remind her heart how to beat correctly.


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    ¡°My lady,¡± she finally said. ¡°I have no words. None. Astonishing.¡±


    Raiva laughed a hearty laugh, feeling like she had finally won in an argument against her.


    ¡°So no objections?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± she smiled and arose, gathering up her hairpins carefully, suddenly worried they might break if she dropped them. ¡°I¡¯ll count on you again next time when I go out. Ah, and for when Finn and his wife come by at some point. I wanted to commission something from her, but we¡¯ll have to see if she acquiesces.¡±


    ¡°What? When?¡± she jumped to her feet at the mention of guests.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Raiva chuckled as she walked off to her rooms, closing the door behind her.


    Carefully tucking her purchases away in a drawer  of her dressing room, a prolonged sigh escaped through Raiva¡¯s nostrils.


    She looked around the mostly empty room.


    Shelly put so much effort into all this storage space. It¡¯s an outrageous amount, really.


    Her fingers slid along the solid oak chests, drawers and display shelves, her eyes landing on the empty hangers lining the room.


    It looks so empty. Did I not notice that before?


    She took down a blue linen dress and held it in her hands.


    I still don¡¯t regret getting rid of the remaining clothes. I¡¯m not suited for those opulent dressed and coats and skirts and hats without those two next to me.


    The dress returned to its spot and Raiva sat down, arms wrapped around herself and looked at herself in the mirror a few feet away.


    I¡¯ve lost weight.


    I haven¡¯t been good to myself have I?


    I didn¡¯t plan for this.


    I didn¡¯t deserve all that pain.


    The ridicule.


    She felt a lump in her throat.


    Why did they leave me?


    Why am I the one that made it, the one that¡¯s left to pick up the pieces?


    I never wanted this.


    I never asked for this.


    An indignant tear rolled out of her teary eyes, one that was promptly erased from existence by her angrily wiping it away. She stood and brushed herself off and stood in front of the mirror, looking back at herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m worthy. I am allowed to live my life. I can be happy.¡±


    She took a deep breath.


    I will always remember them. I will never stop loving them. I am worthy of happiness. I will not be haunted by their memories.


    They would want me to be happy. I want me to be happy.


    You were right, Giovanni. Fuck the gossips.


    And fuck your parents, Tristan.


    She straightened her back and nodded to herself.


    I don¡¯t need more love that confines me. Erases parts of me. I will not hold myself back anymore. I¡¯m going to be selfish. Greedy. I¡¯m going to do whatever I want to.


    I¡¯ll buy pretty clothes and exotic hairpins and dress up and sleep with whoever I want to and not look back.


    For now, however, she just wanted to steal something edible out of the pantry and go to sleep.

 Chapter 20: Pear Brandy

    Several days passed relatively uneventfully, with a few exceptions.


    Griffin had visited her in her office the day after her outing and explained that he would be absent for a while, as he would be staying at the academy for a week to train new recruits.


    He had ended the impromptu meeting by pulling her close and kissing her gently, seemingly with no regard for the open door behind him.


    This guy.


    ¡°When I return, I would like to taste some of that gin again,¡± he murmured in his low voice into her ear, as a follow up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± she whispered back, breathy and gentle as she ran her hand down from his face, over his chest and down to the edge of his pants suggestively, caressing his skin just underneath it.


    I wonder if he has time now?


    He only just succeeded in suppressing a turned-on groan, before pulling away, and smiling his pearly, crooked smile at her when he left.


    She called after him, teasingly, ¡°Thank you for the heads up, captain.¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye she had seen Cassian approaching the kitchen, but took no notice, and decided to get back to her reading, pondering if she should go to her favorite liquor store to find something special for the occasion.


    The day after Griffin¡¯s visit, Victor had struck up conversation with her during breakfast, in front of Shelly and Cassian, repeatedly poking fun at her, trying to see if he could get her to conspicuously blush in front of others.


    ¡°I just wanted to thank you for the illuminating meeting the other day, madam. I heard you fell ill shortly after?¡± he put on his usual gallant facade, mixing in some polite concern.


    ¡°Yes, nothing serious of course. A simple migraine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I hope it wasn¡¯t caused by anything I said or did, madam?¡± he looked almost a bit distressed, though he was clearly suppressing a teasing smile, and his eyes narrowed in amusement for a moment.


    ¡°No, of course not, sir,¡± Raiva responded, almost monotonously, having tired of the interaction.


    Is that really the best you can do, Victor?


    ¡°That does, remind me, if I could ask you about something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, how can I be of help?¡±


    ¡°Do you know a good doctor, sir?¡±


    His eyebrows raised as he blurted out, ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°A friend of mine, he has problems-¡° she leaned in and whispered dramatically, ¡°-problems with performing, you see. Can only last a short while, then simply runs out the room from embarrassment.¡±


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    She shook her head dramatically and continued, ¡°It¡¯s a shame, really, since he can¡¯t even compensate with his other, well, tools, just clumsily fumbles around a while before giving up, from what I hear. It must be the young age, simply hasn¡¯t built the necessary confidence and experience to be any good, really.¡±


    She pulled back and looked at him, flashing a polite expression waiting for an answer.


    He was so stunned however, that he was holding back a burst of laughter, and barely managed to squeeze out, ¡°Oh, no, madam, I¡¯m afraid I have no good recommendations on that front.¡±


    His breathing was funny for a bit, as Raiva finished arranging the breakfast on the table, as Cassian witnessed the conversation with mild amusement, though his face did not show it.


    As she walked back to the kitchen, her gaze crossed his again, and his eyes, full of playfulness and promise of vengeance, were almost enough to make her regret it.


    Octavia had become busy with work, due to Raiva¡¯s massive order, though the two stopped to chat whenever they crossed paths, or had a moment after breakfast.


    Not wanting to be burdensome, Raiva decided to hold off on making any advances, despite very much wanting to, though she couldn¡¯t stop her gaze from falling on Octavia plump lips when she spoke, or from smiling whenever she did.


    She also could have sworn that Octavia touched her arm more than one would between friends, and she often complimented her and her appearance, eliciting an occasional blush or averted eyes from Raiva.


    She¡¯s so forward now, but would she be if she knew about Griffin and Victor..?


    Making a mental note to somehow bring it up at one point, she continued on as usual.


    Raiva continued her nightly ritual of a solitary nightcap in front of the fireplace, of course. She was pleased with how routine her days had begun to feel, and was quietly finding her peace with everything, as well as looking forward to Griffin¡¯s return in three days¡¯ time.


    I should find something he¡¯d like. Mead maybe? Or whiskey? I remember hearing something about one made on some type of nut.


    She hummed to herself, pleased with how calm she felt, even in the midst of this interpersonal chaos, for the first time in years.


    Something tells me that Victor is planning something. Thank the lords he seems busy with all the springtime tea parties and plays right now.


    She placed her snacks, some beef jerky and leftover hard cheese from dinner, on the coffee table, and got the fire going. She settled on a small fire, as she had been cutting back on her drinking, and tended to only have a single glass of wine since the incident with Griffin.


    To her surprise, she saw Cassian coming down the stairs, unnervingly quiet in his steps, as she stood in front of the liquor cabinets, trying to decide on a new port wine to open.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± she nodded, discreetly adjusting her robe to cover up her sheer-as-usual nightgown, from view.


    ¡°Good evening, madam,¡± he replied, with an enchanting smile that caught her off guard. Pulling out a bottle from behind his back, he continued, ¡°I have been meaning to make it up to you, since my rudeness in our first meeting, but I seem to keep getting my timing wrong. I figured I should take advantage of you routine and have brought a peace offering. May I join you?¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± she hesitated for a moment, but something in her told her to accept. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She smiled instinctively, and grabbed the two closest stemmed glasses to her.


    ¡°Please, have seat.¡±


    ¡°Much obliged, madam,¡± he put a hand on his chest in acknowledgment, though his aristocratic manners forbid him from bowing or even nodding his head if it could be avoided.


    Is it odd that I don¡¯t feel uncomfortable with him anymore? It¡¯s the seeing each other every day, I guess.


    ¡°Oh please,¡± she sighed with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s late, and you¡¯ve already made me call you by your name before. I know it goes against proper form to suggest it, but can we speak plainly, Cassian?¡±


    He let out a light laughter, and sat down on the sofa next to her, an unexpected choice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s. May I call you Raiva then?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± she shook her head with a smile, turning her attention to the bottle. ¡°What¡¯s you peace offering, then?¡±


    ¡°Pear Brandy,¡± he handed her the bottle, and picked up an opened from the table, ready to undo the seal and cork.


    ¡°Oh, pear? I¡¯ve had plum before, but pear brandy is new to me.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± he started as she handed him back the bottle. ¡°A little sweeter in my opinion, though it still burns like a brandy should.¡±


    She watched him pour the light liquid into the wine glasses, and paused for a moment.


    ¡°Cassian? How did you know I do this every night?¡±

 Chapter 21: Watching

    ¡°How did you know I do this every night?¡±


    Raiva¡¯s voice had come out more suspicious than she had intended, though she was very curious, since neither Victor nor Octavia had ever noticed.


    He laughed lightheartedly at the suspicion, handing her a glass.


    ¡°I don¡¯t sleep much, sometimes. Lately I¡¯ve been working on some manuscripts and end up staying up very late, and I often walk around the house to stretch my legs. I keep seeing the fireplace dirty and a single glass left on the coffee table here, so I worked out the rest.¡±


    He raised his glass at her slightly, and took a sip. He sighed peacefully after, holding her gaze with his.


    She followed suit and took a careful sip, her mouth flooding with sweet and fiery liquid. The pear flavor was stronger than she expected, and the burn in her mouth not quite as intense as she had thought.


    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± she remarked, getting comfortable in her spot, pulling her legs under her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± he chuckled, before reaching for some of her cheese. ¡°If I may?¡±


    She smiled and shrugged, ¡°Feel free.¡±


    Silence fell, as the two drank their brandy and nibbles on the cheese and jerky.


    Eventually Cassian broke the silence with a grin, remarking, ¡°You know, Raiva, it¡¯s a bit of a bad habit, but I tend to notice a lot of things.


    ¡°Things?¡±


    Why do I have a weird feeling about this.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take it the wrong way,¡± he replied, seeming to choose his words carefully. ¡°But, well. You and the captain. And Victor. And Octavia.¡±


    No no.


    He was trying to contain a laugh, but succeeding only halfway.


    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s better phrased as what you appear to do with the captain and the escort, and what you want to do with her.¡±


    No.


    His laughter finally escaped entirely, as Raiva stared at him blankly in disbelief.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not laughing at you, obviously, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s incredible,¡± he poured both of them another glass, amused by her stare. ¡°Two out of four boarders, and the third is ready when you are, it looks like.¡±


    She wanted to retort, or say something smart, but all she managed was, ¡°Uhm. Things happened?¡±


    Another burst of laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say. Not that I judge you,¡± he smiled as he returned to his brandy.


    She took a big sip and drew herself up, deciding to open up to him for no discernible reason, other than he was the only person who knew.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to begin.


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    ¡°Griffin and I are, well, comrades of a sort. And I¡¯m not sure Victor even counts, seeing as he seems to just tease me before running away so far. Octavia is¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only ever seen one other woman in that way, and to put it plainly, it did not go too well.¡±


    ¡°That is a conundrum,¡± he smiled, listening attentively.


    ¡°I do have a question, though.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why did you bring it up? Is that why you¡¯ve plied me with expensive brandy?¡±


    His gaze remained unchanged as he considered his answer, though his eyes narrowed for a moment.


    ¡°Because I felt like it, I suppose,¡± he shrugged. ¡°And it¡¯s interesting, on top of you yourself being interesting, of course. I like interesting. Is that not enough?¡±


    She chuckled.


    Interesting?


    ¡°You figured that bit out too, then? Well, it¡¯s not so hard if you pay attention, after all. If you¡¯re a noble especially,¡± she broke eye contact and focused on the flames licking the back walls of the fireplace. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    She pondered for a bit.


    ¡°What did you mean by ¡®not that I judge you¡¯?¡±


    He smiled and fixed his eyes on his glass.


    ¡°Actors aren¡¯t exactly known for their modesty or restraint, what with all the socializing. I¡¯d gather most have been involved with more than one person at a time, myself included.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it get messy?¡± she asked.


    A memory flashed across her mind, so fast that she barely managed to perceive what it was. A man, shouting.


    ¡°Not really,¡± he replied without hesitation. ¡°If you¡¯re clear about what you want out of it and tell them before it gets serious, it could be fine. Though it¡¯s not a guarantee, it does make it easier. Especially if there aren¡¯t actually feelings involved. It¡¯s all just sex in the end.¡±


    He smiled at her again, sweeter than before, like he was verifying something.


    I was wondering when I¡¯d start feeling the buzz.


    His brown eyes and olive skin glistened in the warm light, and his dark curls fell in an almost rehearsed manner across his small face, revealing the beauty spot under his right eye. It was strange to her how a man could be so beautiful. Not in the statuesque, classic way a man was beautiful, but more delicate and pretty. Yet there was nothing overtly feminine about him, even despite his long, dark lashes, naturally rouge-looking lips and overall slim stature.


    Though I suppose most would look slim and delicate compared to Griffin. No, Cassian looks more¡­ Like a romanticist sort of man, the protagonist of a love-against-all-odds romance play.


    Noticing her soft gaze, his smile broadened.


    ¡°What, looking to make it four out of four?¡±


    Surprised she let out a light laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I dare,¡± she giggled.


    He cocked his head to the side, and pondered something for a minute as they continued drinking, steadily nearing the bottom of the bottle.


    ¡°Do you remember what I said about being clear?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she responded, wondering where this was heading.


    ¡°First, I have to establish something: I don¡¯t love.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you-¡°


    ¡°I mean exactly that, Raiva. I don¡¯t love, as in, I don¡¯t fall in love like how everyone else seems to. I like my friends, my family, but I don¡¯t feel the romantic love portrayed in plays.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Not falling in love? How¡­ Odd.


    She had no reason to doubt his words, though the prospect was confusing to her.


    ¡°Not that changes much in the grand scheme of things,¡± he waved his hand absentmindedly.


    He set his glass on the table and leaned in towards her, bringing his distractingly pretty face closer to hers. She forgot how to breathe for a moment.


    ¡°This is me being clear, Raiva. I¡¯m not bothered by being one of four. I find you infatuating, and based on your response earlier and look just now, you¡¯re attracted to me, too.¡±


    ¡°Cass-¡°


    He ignored her objection and moved closer to her face, as the fire in a strangely timely manner turned to embers, casting the two into a dim light of orange, making his closeness hypnotizing. She could feel his breath on her skin, lightly, as he continued to speak.


    ¡°So, as long as we can agree to keeping it platonic, I think we could have fun together.¡±


    She looked into his eyes, as he stopped, only a few inches from her face, having managed to smoothly get on top of her.


    It¡¯s not like I have anything to lose, do I?


    She lowered her glass to the floor and leaned in, her lips brushing his ear as she asked in a low voice, ¡°What kind of fun?¡±


    He smiled as she withdrew and he put a finger under her chin.


    ¡°Have you ever tried something¡­ less vanilla?¡±


    ¡°Like bondage?¡±


    He grinned.


    ¡°Yes, like bondage.¡±


    ¡°Then yes,¡± she replied, moving her face to put his fingertip in her mouth. ¡°And that does sound like my kind of fun.¡±

 Chapter 22: Silence

    In a gliding motion Cassian leaned over her, bringing his lips closer to hers. They finally connected, tasting the sweetness of pear on each other.


    Despite the softness of his lips and skin, his kiss was hard and rough, barely allowing her time to breathe. Despite her closed eyes, she could tell he was moving around a bit, and his hand briefly disappeared from the back of her head.


    He broke off the kiss when her hands reached his face, and sat up, smiling. In his hand was her hair ribbon, which he had slid off without her noticing.


    So that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be?


    Raiva smiled expectantly and held out her hands, causing him to chuckle lightly. In a few heartbeats he had tied them together, and pushed them above her head.


    The hand cuff one, the easiest one to get out of. He¡¯s really being considerate, isn¡¯t he?


    The feeling of being tied up as he kissed her again, was one she hadn¡¯t felt in years. Ecstasy, giving up control.


    I really should be nervous about doing this in here, but, well¡­


    It was like her head went quiet for once and she could simply let herself feel and experience what was happening right now, which currently was Cassian¡¯s breath and taste, and his hands gripping her waist, moving her torso in the rhythm of their kiss.


    It was her who tore away this time, and said breathlessly, ¡°Cassian.¡±


    ¡°Hmn?¡± he hummed into her ear, causing shivers to go down her spine.


    ¡°Safe word,¡± she gasped. ¡°Red.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he replied, with a wicked smile on his face, as he put his finger under her chin, and continued, ¡°Red it is. Starting now.¡±


    Before she had the opportunity to continue, he sealed her lips with his. He put his hand under her dress and she felt him prodding her, seeing if she was wet. She gasped as he touched her and spread the wetness around.


    He tilted his head and asked in a low murmur, ¡°Eager, are we?¡±


    Without hesitation he put his finger in, moving it around in a circular motion inside of her. Letting out a small ¡°ah!¡±, she caused him to put his other hand over her mouth.


    In a whisper, he told her, ¡°Stay quiet for me Raiva.¡±


    She nodded, but he didn¡¯t move his hand.


    ¡°If you want to stop, put your hands down and tap me, alright?¡±


    A muffled ¡°Hm-hmn,¡± escaped her before she could stop herself.


    He smiled and narrowed his eyes, as he aggressively inserted another finger, causing her to moan underneath his hand.


    ¡°I said quiet,¡± he reiterated, gazing into her eyes.


    He was bending his fingers trying to find her spot, when her breathing started accelerating and became irregular.


    Fuck, what is that?


    The feeling in the pit of her stomach was duller than she had ever felt before, but almost painfully hot at the same time. In a few seconds it had built and swirled and before she knew it, she climaxed, trying to hold in her sounds, feeling the warmth of his hand against her mouth.


    Shit.


    Before she could gather herself, he removed his hands and gently pulled her lips apart by tugging at her chin. She obeyed, albeit wondering what he was going to now.


    To her somewhat measured surprise, he removed a dark purple handkerchief from his pocket and carefully put it into her mouth and closed it again.


    Embarrassment filled her, but it only seemed to add to the heat she felt inside of her. She readied herself, tilting her hips to make it easier for him to enter her.


    He noticed her shifting, but simply leaned in to whisper.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    With no warning, he slid his fingers back in, first one, then two, then adding a third one, causing muffled, but increasingly intense quiet groans to escape her.


    It¡¯s too tight!


    He moved carefully, gently thrusting with his hand, causing her hips to move with it, before taking them out and gliding his wet fingers over her clit.


    ¡°You¡¯re so wet, Raiva,¡± he whispered, biting her ear lightly.


    He repeated the movement, causing her to arch her back from the intensity. His touch but slow, but deliberate. Careful, but harsh.


    ¡°What do you think the captain would say if he saw you like this?¡±


    What?


    The though of Griffin walking in through the door and seeing her like this, filled her with mild panic. She shook her head wildly.


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    He chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t. Just think about it. Imagine him walking in right now, seeing you here, being tied up and taken advantage of by another man.¡±


    Hot.


    ¡°Does it excite you?¡±


    His whispers were provoking her, but she couldn¡¯t help the wistful sigh escaping her. He entered her with his fingers again, this time staying in, and moving in little thrusts and circles, as he continued.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± his voice seemed to be coming closer every time he spoke, his breaths were becoming rushed. ¡°The captain, Victor, me. You¡¯re a greedy slut, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in between gasps and hurried breaths, as she began getting close again.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you, Raiva?¡±


    She nodded hurriedly, wanting him to make her cum again, something he happily obliged. He withdrew a finger and thrust aggressively, making her moan and cry out behind the muffling handkerchief, until she finally came so hard that she twitched a little, almost causing her to put her arms down.


    Noticing, he leaned in again, murmuring sternly, ¡°Keep them up, or I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    He looked into her eyes, smiling, and she nodded, a tear rolling down her face from the intensity. Wiping away the tear, he kissed her forehead and removed the gag.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± she whispered.


    She hesitated a moment, before continuing, as he sat between her legs, untucking his shirt.


    ¡°Cassian, just so you know,¡± she said in a hushed voice, not sure how to phrase things. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about¡­ countermeasures. I can¡¯t.¡±


    He paused for a moment, looking surprised.


    No pity, no pity-


    ¡°I see,¡± he finally replied, trying to look unaffected by something that would normally be considered quite shocking. He smiled, and reassured her, ¡°I would have gotten you something, but it¡¯s a relief I don¡¯t have to.¡±


    He chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive, after all.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but giggle in return, then sighed in relief.


    He leaned in and kissed her again, still aggressively, but deeper this time, tasting her tongue with his. She lifted up her leg, pressing her shin against his bulge, rubbing it teasingly, which made him moan in an almost grumble type of way.


    I wonder¡­


    Whispering into her ear once again, he grinned.


    ¡°You really can¡¯t help yourself, can you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have a chance to reply, before he had firmly gripped her waist and turned her, so she was now face down on the sofa, with her arms underneath her chest. He was leaning against her with his lower body, and his hand was pushing her hair to the side, so that he could see her face better in the dimming glow of the dying embers.


    ¡°Remember to keep it down, and try to stay still,¡± he muttered, somewhere behind her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to dirty the sofa.¡±


    She only just managed to stop herself from replying verbally, and instead bit her lip and nodded.


    He lifted her up, getting her in an embarrassing position with her arms and chest against the sofa, but her lower body propped up high by her knees. Seemingly intent on drawing out the awkward position, Cassian simply caressed her back and behind with his hands, biding his time.


    Please-


    Finally she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and she let out a muffled whimper, attempting to plead with him to go on.


    In barely a heartbeat, she felt him pressing against her, easily sliding into her with a hard thrust. She could only manage a soundless gasp, as she felt him, filling her up and grinding against her for a brief moment, shocked at the suddenness and intensity.


    Before she could readjust her arms to better, he was thrusting, hard and rhythmically, his skin slapping against hers when he did. His thrust went deep, and though it wasn¡¯t entirely pain-free, it was an odd kind of pain, one that felt hot rather than uncomfortable.


    Once again, the heat began to build, making her increasingly sensitive and the climaxes kept coming, one after another, threatening to make her cry out. She began feeling dizzy with suppressing her moans and sounds, constantly tensing up her abdomen and her throat, trying to get her tied-up hands out from under her to help muffle herself. She tried looking for the handkerchief, but Cassian¡¯s relentless thrusts and forceful hold of her hips kept her locked in place.


    I can¡¯t much longer.


    He was somehow going even harder, a little faster, and she felt every single bit of it in a whirl of senses, his hips hitting her as he thrust, the impact moving through her entire body, her tied hands helplessly trying to support herself, his intense gaze locking eyes with hers, his dampened grunts and sound of skin hitting each other being the only sound besides the crackling embers in the quiet sitting room.


    Wait, dampened?


    Her eyes tried refocusing as his thrusting continued to shake her body, and she finally caught glimpse of the handkerchief; Cassian was biting down on it to stifle his own noise.


    Jerk.


    He noticed her being distracted for that brief moment, and took the opportunity to flip her onto her back again.


    He threw aside the handkerchief, and leaned in close to her.


    ¡°Hands over your head.¡±


    She obliged, and followed by lifting her leg over his shoulder.


    ¡°Deeper,¡± she whispered almost soundlessly in return.


    She gasped as he grabbed the back of her head, with his hands pulling her hair, causing her face to sharply turn upwards.


    ¡°Say please,¡± he snarled, out of breath.


    ¡°Please, Cassian,¡± she whimpered helplessly.


    Do it already!


    He was pausing, watching her impatient, pleading expression, before thrusting into her, suddenly, hard.


    ¡°Mnh!¡±


    She felt him deeper inside of her, just short of hitting her cervix. A bit of pain, but it only made it better in this moment.


    He wasn¡¯t thrusting as rigidly as before, instead focusing on fulfilling her request, just this once. His movement was now slower, seemingly intent on making sure she felt every single bit.


    Her breathing was wild and irregular from the repeated orgasms, another one building up in this very moment. His breathing became louder, more erratic, as the two started moving in sync, intensifying his thrusts and her rocking, getting close together.


    His movement became faster and deeper, her moans very barely disguised by her breaths and finally, together, they came. The heat in her stomach exploded, tensing up her entire body, causing her to shake, his thrusts came to an abrupt end as she felt him, inside of her, quivering, filling her up, his member grinding against her as he jolted a few times.


    The two laid there for a moment, her, flat on her back with her hands still tied above her head, and him, holding onto the back of the sofa for support, one foot on the ground. The embers were almost entirely out now, quickly casting the room into darkness.


    She tried catching her breath, managing only to choke out, ¡°Cassian, the cuffs.¡±


    He took a moment, wiping his brow with his arm, and looking at her.


    Finally, he grinned, and replied with a half whisper.


    ¡°One moment.¡±


    He leaned down to pick up something, causing him to shift inside of her.


    Ah!


    She suppressed her moan, instead narrowing her eyes at him.


    He in turn pulled out of her, causing her to panic.


    ¡°What are-¡°


    ¡°Shhh.¡±


    The second he was out, she felt fabric pressed against her, getting warm and wet with his semen.


    The handkerchief.


    She sighed a breath of relief, though she was still waiting for him to remove the ribbon tying her hands together. Holding them out in front of her, he smiled at her, clearly exhausted from the endeavor.


    ¡°You do know that you can easily remove them yourself right?¡±


    She chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, but where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    He pushed himself back into his pants, slowly and carefully buttoned them as she watched, still waiting.


    Then he got up, kissed her on the forehead, and went to the stairs, leaving her, still catching her breath, tied up on the sofa, with her dress pulled up, exposing his wet handkerchief stuffed between her thighs.


    Definitely a jerk.

 Chapter 23: Morning Caller

    Raiva woke up to a gentle knock on the door. She opened her eyes, blinking a few times at the cracks of light sneaking past her curtains. They were pale and cool toned, indicating it still to be early, likely not long after sunrise.


    Shelly? This early? She¡¯s not supposed to get here until half past seven.


    Sitting up, and stretching she called out, ¡°Yes?¡±


    She suppressed a yawn waiting for a response.


    ¡°It¡¯s Griffin,¡± a deep, hushed voice replied, barely audible.


    Her tired eyes opened wide, and she quickly crawled out of her bed, shivering a little in the morning cold. She moved to open the door, hardly believing he was on the other side of it.


    He¡¯s not supposed to be back yet!


    For a brief moment she was wondering how he¡¯d react to the obvious signs of her partaking in alcohol with someone else, something he had clearly used as a euphemism prior.


    That means it means it carries connotation right?


    She felt a little hot, displacing her shivers, at the thought of seeing a jealous grimace on his face, picking her up and carrying her off to claim her as his again, wiping away the scent and trace of another.


    ¡°Raiva?¡± his voice sounded gently from the other side of the door, having heard her feet quietly cross the the floor.


    She shook her heads, banishing her silly, salacious thought, and finally opened the door.


    There he stood, somewhat hulking over her. His scent was more intense than usual, his musk stronger, but still decidedly pleasant, as it wafted towards her. His face adopted a gentle smile as she finally locked eyes with his.


    ¡°I thought you would be gone for another two days,¡± she said quietly, her lips curling into a teasing smile. ¡°You missed be that much?¡±


    He chuckled.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he answered noncommittally and ran his broad, callused hand over her tousled hair. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    She tugged at his shirt, playfully leading him inside. The door closed behind them with a soft thud.


    He pushed her against the door and without a word, turned the key to lock it.


    His lips met hers in a fierce kiss, making them both forget about the cold. She threw her  arms around his neck, drawing him in, seeking his warmth and embrace.


    Finally, he put his hands around her waist, easily picking her up and pinning her between the door and himself. His hips began moving, as if by themselves, and she could feel him getting hard, and pressing against her through her dress.


    For a moment, the two parted breathlessly and they gazed into each others eyes in the dimly lit room, only illuminated by little rays of morning light.


    ¡°Did you drink too much again last night?¡± he whispered, grinning.


    She shook her head, muttering as she stroked his hair, ¡°No, just a bit of brandy.¡±


    He tensed up a little.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Leaning close to her ear, obscuring his own face through proximity, he continued, ¡°With who?¡±


    She moaned softly at his voice so close to her, and replied half-muddled, ¡°Cassian.¡±


    He jerked his head back, and she immediately knew she¡¯d messed up.


    Shit.


    ¡°You mean Lord Lorentz,¡± he asked, tightening his grip around her. His usual frown returned to his face. ¡°Since when do you call him by his first name? Did You¡­?¡±


    Are you seriously asking me that with your dick pressed against me?


    She responded with a small shrug, and a straightforward, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He let her down to the ground and stepped back to look at her properly.


    ¡°Because I was gone?¡±


    ¡°What? No, not really. We talked and it happened,¡± she frowned at him, a little taken aback at his reaction. ¡°Why does that matter?¡±


    ¡°We-¡° he turned to pace for a heartbeat, running his hands through his hair. ¡°Last week-¡°


    What is this? He¡¯s clearly experienced, there¡¯s no way in hell this is his first fling.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she interrupted him, becoming keenly aware of the cold once again. She crossed her arms. ¡°We had sex.¡±


    ¡°And the other day-¡±


    ¡°Yes, and we were about to.¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± he seemed to want to say something, but paused, confused. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She looked at his softening, faltering expression, and sighed.


    ¡°Griffin, I didn¡¯t think we were exclusive. I¡¯m sorry. Does it bother you?¡±


    He thought for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He halted. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡±


    ¡°Why you were with him, when you and me are-¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to,¡± she shrugged. ¡°And I still want you, as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well.¡±


    Oh?


    He looked hesitant, not sure about what to say or what to do.


    ¡°We can stop if you want,¡± she said, moving towards him.


    I might as well.


    She put her hand on his chest, grabbing his shirt to make him bend a bit.


    Her lips brushed against his ear a little as she whispered, ¡°If you mind Cassian tying me up and fucking me occasionally, that is.¡±


    He let out a stifled grunt, before jerking back and growling, ¡°He did what?¡±


    Turned on, angry.


    She held her wrists up, where she was slightly bruised from wriggling out of the knots on her own.


    ¡°Tied me up, Griffin,¡± she tilted her head to the side, looking up at him. He twitched a little, furrowing his brows. ¡°Bent me over and fucked me.¡±


    Sorry, Cassian.


    He pulled her in, once again kissing her, more fervently than before. He was harder than before, she could feel, and his moans and groans more excited than last time, from what she remembered.


    His hands were almost desperate as they held her and caressed her, demanding more with every touch. Her breathing was already becoming disjointed, turned on by his arousal.


    He picked her up once again, muttering to himself, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him.¡±


    She giggled, kissing him once again, as he walked over to the bed, throwing her onto it.


    He¡¯s rough.


    In a few seconds he had undressed, showing her his sculpted figure, glistening from whatever exercise he must have been up to so early in the morning, as well as his almost feverish arousal. He was hard, and seemed bigger than she recalled.


    Shit.


    Without further ado, he pushed himself into her, fast, hard, and nearly inconsiderate.


    He was big, but fortunately she was wet enough that it didn¡¯t hurt, other than soreness from last night. She let out an intense moan, gripping his arms tightly.


    His hands were placed on either side of her head as he thrust into her, unrelenting in his force, as we wiggled and writhed, both deriving pleasure from the intensity, but also a sense of discomfort from the lack of warm up. She was still pretty tight, which made his size only just bearable at times.


    For a minute, she tried to relax, and adjust, but Griffin kept on going, an almost distant look on his face.


    She finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and urged him to stop.


    ¡°Griffin!¡± she exclaimed, her arms pushed at his chest, trying to grab his attention.


    He halted, looking confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting me,¡± she whispered gently. ¡°I¡¯m sore.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± he said hurriedly as he pulled out.


    He remained propped up over her, unsure of what she wanted him to do.


    Where did all the confidence go? Oh lords, what have I done to the man?


    Deciding on changing intensities, he sat up, pulling her onto his lap.


    As they sat there, naked, he gently kissed her shoulder, cradling her with his arms.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± he mumbled, as he carefully grasped her wrist.


    He kissed the delicate bruising, sending a rush down her spine and warmth spread throughout her body.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she whispered back, leaning against him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He continued kissing her other wrist, and moved towards her neck, as he caressed her back with his fingers. His touch was rough from his calluses, but light in touch.


    She hummed contently, and sighed.


    He put his forehead against hers, and asked, ¡°Do you want to try again?¡±


    A soft smile appeared on her face as she clasped his face in her hands and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 24: Honest Talk

    Raiva¡¯s lips met his in a gentle, slow, kiss. His lips felt softer than before, warmer and more intentional.


    His arm wrapped around her, carefully holding her against him. Hers embraced his neck as their kiss became hotter, and their tongues intertwined. His free hand caressed her inner thighs, throwing her breathing off balance.


    He broke away from her lips and put two of his fingers in his mouth, getting them thoroughly wet as Raiva watched, blushing at the sight.


    His hand made it¡¯s way back to her, and he began kissing her neck as she sighed from satisfaction. He let his index and middle finger slide across her clitoris, sending a wave of heat up through her stomach, eliciting a low, intense moan.


    She untangled her arms from around him, letting herself lean back a bit against his supporting arm, arching her spine, as his lips moved down to her chest.


    As he took her nipple in his mouth, she suddenly felt enveloped in his touch and embrace, as he began to spread her own, warm, wetness across her, removing all friction from his delicate strokes. Her climax began to build, and his breath became heavier at her reaction as he let his tongue swirl around, causing small waves of intense pleasure to coarse throughout her body, sending her thought into a blur.


    His other hand softly grasped her other breast, carefully squeezing her nipple in rhythm with his hand¡¯s strokes.


    I¡¯m-


    Before she was able to brace herself, she came, flexing her arms and back. She grabbed his shoulder to steady herself when her body started becoming overly relaxed from the impact.


    He kissed her gently again, moving his fingers to carefully press against her, hoping to feel her wetness for him to continue.


    She smiled, and gasped, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I want to feel you, Griffin.¡±


    ¡°Gladly,¡± he chuckled and replied, his breath unsteady and a little short.


    Griffin carefully laid her down, as he positioned himself between her legs.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, one last time, clearly affected by the previous attempt.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she giggled. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    He began pressing against her, moaning as he touched her and began to glide in.


    As per usual, she felt his size intensely. It was no surprise that sooner or later it would hurt a bit, but this time it felt entirely comfortable, albeit a bit full.


    Flinching from the sensation, she let out a gasp, and he began rocking back and forth, to help her adjust to him again. He put his forehead against hers and both of their breathing became ragged and hurried.


    Soon, he was all the way inside of her, thrusting with a grinding motion, making her feel every single inch as it entered and exited, setting her body on fire. She was crying out in obvious gratification, and his moans became less suppressed in turn.


    ¡°I like hearing your voice, Raiva,¡± he muttered against her shoulder as he curved his back with his thrust, in an attempt to somehow feel even more of her.


    She shrieked at the sensation.


    Stammering, she cried, ¡°Please, Griffin, please.¡±


    He continued, sending shock waves of pleasure throughout her.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    She became louder, as the feeling exploded and swirled and twisted, and just when she thought she couldn¡¯t go any higher, the barrier broke down and the fire spread and set her ablaze as she threw her hands on her mouth to muffle her screams and, at the same time, he flinched and writhed and moaned and huffed and came inside of her.


    It took a while before she came to her senses again, heaving and gasping along with him, as he caressed her head and kissed her brow.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he whispered.


    She chuckled, exhausted and with no power behind her laugh, ¡°Yes. You?¡±


    He sighed contentedly and muttered, ¡°Very.¡±


    Pulling out, he drew in his breath sharply, while she gasped a little from the feeling of him leaving her, and his warm semen immediately following, pooling beneath her.


    He laid down, gently pulling her onto his shoulder, embracing her in the cool morning air. The sun had begun to rise, though the two had no intention of getting up any time soon.


    ¡°Raiva?¡±


    She startled, having nearly dozed off.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why Lord Lorentz?¡± He quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m not upset, simply curious.¡±


    She pondered for a moment, then snuggled into him further.


    ¡°I find him surprisingly comfortable to be around. And he understands the less vanilla side of things.¡±


    ¡°Vanilla?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she paused, not sure how much to elaborate. ¡°Vanilla is what we do. Sex with no extras, like ropes and role play.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not¡­ vanilla?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m both, in a way.¡±


    She drew herself up halfway, just enough to look into his eyes.


    ¡°Look, Griffin,¡± she started hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to end this, with you and me. I don¡¯t know what it is yet, but I know I like it. And the trouble is, I don¡¯t want to end it with Cassian either, even though it has barely begun.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ Typical, in my relationships. I have been, before, of course. Just me and one other person. But it doesn¡¯t feel right to me. I feel trapped, unfulfilled. I become less like me, and more what another wants me to be.¡±


    She sighed, pressing her face against his chest.


    ¡°And I just want to be upfront about it. It won¡¯t be just you and me, however this pans out, and I frankly can¡¯t say that it would be just you and me, and me and Cassian. Victor has come onto me as well, and, well, I didn¡¯t hate it. Of course there¡¯s also the possibility that it might be a woman.¡±


    At the mention of the young escort, his eyes widened a little in surprise, though his overall demeanor remained unchanged.


    ¡°I need to know if that all is acceptable for you,¡± she concluded, with a slight tremor to her voice.


    He didn¡¯t say much for a few minutes, his expression still, as she waited and began to grow cold.


    Finally, he spoke up.


    ¡°I need to think about it.¡±


    She exhaled heavily, and began moving away from him, in order to unlock the door and bid him goodbye.


    Before she could do so however, he pulled her back, and whispered in her ear, ¡°But for now, I would like to stay this way.¡±


    She was frozen in surprise for a heartbeat, before chuckling and getting comfortable in his arms again.


    I¡¯ll take that as a tentative positive.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Her mind was wandering as she remembered her original plan for his return.


    ¡°Do you want to come with me to an outing today?¡± she mumbled sleepily.


    He kissed her on the forehead with a smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With that, the two dozed off, entwined in each others arms, as the sun rose outside of the thick velvet curtain.


    A few hours later, they drowsily awoke to the sound of breakfast preparations. Raiva stretched her arms out, accidentally hitting Griffin on the side of his head when he suddenly sat up.


    ¡°Oh!¡± she whisper-giggled in surprise.


    He looked dazed for a moment, before gathering his senses and simply smiled amusedly.


    ¡°Good morning to you, too.¡±


    Silently gathering his things, he froze, glancing at Raiva.


    Before having a chance to inquire, a knock sounded on her door.


    ¡°Good morning madam. May I come in?¡± Shelly¡¯s voice rang from the sitting room.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Raiva replied in a panic.


    Dammit!


    She stared wide-eyed at Griffin, suppressing a chuckle at her own foolishness.


    Hurriedly continuing, she yawned loudly, ¡°If it¡¯s alright, would you give me ten minutes to freshen up?¡±


    ¡°Of course, madam,¡± the voice responded nonchalantly. ¡°I will return then.¡±


    Steps moving away from the door could be vaguely heard, and Griffin shook his head in self-admonishment.


    ¡°My apologies. This does make things a little awkward.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Raiva whispered back. ¡°Do you want to make it obvious or do you want to crawl out the window like a youngster?¡±


    He suppressed a chuckle at the thought, glancing dismissively at his pick of windows.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will decline the escape route option,¡± he leaned down towards her, touching his forehead to hers. ¡°I will see you later for our outing. What time?¡±


    She smiled at the reminder.


    ¡°Right after lunch, at one.¡±


    ¡°Until then,¡± he sent her a smile of ease, and walked towards the door.


    There, he waited a moment, listening, before exiting as Shelly walked back into the kitchen, keeping him out of her line of sight.


    Raiva plopped backwards onto her bed after he soundlessly closed the door behind him.


    Time to get up.

 Chapter 25: Departure

    Barely had Raiva finished splashing water on herself, before Shelly announced herself once again and entered her rooms, arms full of clothes made of varying fabrics.


    Why is she carrying that?


    Confused, as laundry day wasn¡¯t for another week or so, Raiva gave her a puzzled look, awaiting the usual wordy explanation, which she of course received promptly.


    ¡°Oh, my lady!¡± she exclaimed in surprise at the already-up-and-about figure in front of her. ¡°You are already awake? Excellent. I was just handed these this morning, oh let me just display them here for a moment-¡°


    She laid out the clothes on the unmade bed, pausing for a moment at the sight, but deciding this took precedent for now.


    ¡°I asked Miss Octavia, a few days ago before she ran out after breakfast as per usual, though I did not expect so many in such a short time, to perhaps see if we could have some of the garments you ordered delivered early. And here they are, just look at this one! Beautiful is it not?¡±


    She asked as she patted a pale sage-colored tea dress with countless white lace panels and a clearly coordinated bright white chemise and thin petticoat to go underneath.


    Raiva¡¯s eyes however, had fallen on a different piece, a sleek, creased and ironed to perfection, a-line skirt in a vivid cobalt blue with a bright white, short but puff sleeved, blouse and an accompanying cobalt hat, the kind that was worn towards the front of the head to accommodate an elaborate up-do at the back of the head.


    I know it looks a little silly by itself, but it¡¯s so pretty once it¡¯s on. The white and gray silk flowers are a little much for my tastes, but proportionate and subtle at least. And would you look at that, it even comes with gloves. Perfect.


    She let her hand glide across the almost shiny looking cotton that made up the skirt, following the near invisible stitching at the hem. Her mind wandered, imagining Octavia¡¯s petite, skillful hands working needle and thread into it, firmly grasping the fabric as she lifted it to inspect her work.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll wear this today,¡± she muttered spontaneously, not entirely noticing what she was doing.


    ¡°Of course, my lady!¡±


    Shelly jumped to work without another word, in case her mistress might change her mind and not dress up at all, humming to herself.


    In minutes, Raiva was dressed, with Shelly inspecting every button, closure and ribbon to ensure everything looked right to her.


    ¡°I do wish you would let me do it for you,¡± she mumbled as she re-tied a ribbon on the petticoat to her satisfaction. ¡°It would be much faster, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t want to form bad habits.¡±


    ¡°You keep acting as though I were going anywhere, and I am decidedly not,¡± Shelly chided her. ¡°And if I were, I would ensure that someone else capable could take over my work here.¡±


    She shook her head in discontent at the thought.


    ¡°I know,¡± Raiva quickly replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°Would you help me with the hat when I leave?¡±


    She took a seat by the mirror, to let her get to work on her hair.


    ¡°Of course! In fact, I insist,¡± Shelly chuckled, well aware of the poor job she might do with pins and placement. ¡°May I ask where you are headed, my lady?¡±


    Raiva replied with an apologetic smile, ¡°Gunther¡¯s.¡±


    Opting not to respond, her housekeeper simply frowned and mumbled something about sending Frederick out for more hangover medications later.


    Despite this, Shelly¡¯s hands moved quickly as always. She was more focused than usual though, since the accessory required a certain hairstyle to really work. It involved a series of braids and twists and coils, eventually resulting in a wonderfully voluminous, wide bun, high on the back of her head, with decorative thin braids circling it.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how you do it,¡± Raiva marveled as Shelly held up a hand mirror to show her the back, nigh brimming with pride at the result.


    ¡°And now, my lady, for the last touch,¡± she smiled as she rummaged the drawer filled with the new hairpins, eventually landing on an ebony one, covered in a floral, swirly looking pattern.


    Carefully guiding it through the up-do, and wiggling it just a little bit to ensure its proper placement and hold, she exhaled contentedly and stepped back.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raiva sighed as she stood up.


    ¡°If you are thankful, please consider letting me assist you in getting dressed, my lady.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Raiva giggled.


    ¡°The outer ones, then. I will be doing my own undergarments,¡± she conceded, having long since decided to go with the flow when it comes to Shelly.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± she smiled as she exited the rooms with her mistress to prepare and eat breakfast.


    Another morning, another uneventful breakfast.


    Octavia had already left for work, leaving Raiva to ponder if she could have stipulated something further in the contract regarding her order, since it turned out that she worked rather flexible hours, and as such couldn¡¯t be held to the ¡°no overtime¡± clause.


    Sneaky, that one.


    It was her first time seeing Griffin and Cassian interact as well, beyond that of a courteous greeting, and to her relief the two, as well as Victor, were conversing and getting along just fine.


    I need to remember to tell Victor if and when the opportunity lends itself. I¡¯ve barely even talked with him since our squabble though, so we¡¯ll see if it¡¯s even necessary.


    Frederick was in a wonderful mood, with the grocery budget increase taking quite a burden off his shoulders.


    ¡°I do think there¡¯ll be leftover, this month,¡± he told her between bites of some freshly baked spelt bread, from a bakery of course. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to deposit it when I pick up the alloted amount next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you-¡°


    ¡°No can do, dear,¡± he grinned, interrupting her usual suggestion of them keeping it as a bonus. ¡°I don¡¯t feel right keeping it, when it¡¯s just because not all tenants have been here every meal. We shouldn¡¯t adjust it down yet, in my opinion, since it might just have been an off schedule.¡±


    She sighed. Frederick was just as stubborn as Shelly after all, so there was little chance of convincing him otherwise.


    The rest of the morning proceeded quietly, with Raiva sorting through correspondence and invoices that had arrived, until Cassian arrived at her office, knocking on the door.


    ¡°You know, proper clothes really do look better on you than those old threads you¡¯ve been wearing lately,¡± he grinned, nearly blinding her with his radiant smile and white teeth.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you announce yourself?¡± she chuckled incredulously.


    So different, in such short time.


    ¡°Why, did you want Lord Lorentz?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she pushed her letters aside, placing her head in her hands. ¡°Come on in, Cassian.¡±


    He entered, closed the door behind him and took a seat by the window in the plush chair facing her.


    ¡°Long night?¡± he asked pointedly.


    Her facial expression changed to one of amusement.


    Keen eye, once again.


    ¡°No, long morning. How come?¡±


    ¡°You look exhausted. Have you considered a bit of rouge or powder to try and look more alive, if you¡¯re going out?¡± Before Raiva could respond, he continued, ¡°That, and the captain couldn¡¯t look at you without doing what I assume is his way of shyly averting his eyes. I¡¯ve never seen a man so focused on cheese before.


    ¡°That, and I saw him leave your rooms earlier, of course. Disheveled hair suits him.¡±


    He laughed in a carefree manner, clearly enjoying himself.


    She shook her head.


    ¡°How are you always in the right place at the right time?¡± she scratched her eyebrow reflexively.


    ¡°Intuition?¡± he tilted his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m not sure actually. I have luck on my side, I suppose.¡±


    Muttering as she tried to read the washed-out words on an envelope, she asked him ¡°And you took time to come in here to¡­?¡±


    To-..? ¡­-sli? Why are these letters so blurry?


    ¡°To ask if you took my advice. Does he know?¡±


    She halted a moment, then put down the envelope again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, standing up to relocate to the seat across from him. ¡°This morning.¡±


    ¡°What did you say exactly?¡±


    ¡°That I want him, but that I also want others, like you. In whatever shape it takes.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not in those words,¡± he commented, his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± she giggled. ¡°But the message was the same.¡±


    ¡°And he said?¡±


    ¡°That he has to think about it.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. As long as he needs, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± he smiled as he stood up, seemingly having concluded his business. ¡°I¡¯d better take my leave, seeing as you¡¯re busy.¡±


    I was busy earlier, too, you know.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she acquiesced, unconvinced. ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    She tugged down one of her gloves, revealing the bruising to him.


    ¡°You owe me for not removing them,¡± she smiled teasingly.


    ¡°Or a punishment for not removing them properly, when I was already going easy on you.¡±


    He shrugged and sent her a grin, his eyes twinkling with something both intimidating and exciting, before leaving the office.


    Can¡¯t wait.


    Raiva took lunch in her office, as she tried to decipher the blurry letter on her desk.


    It looks like it¡¯s been left out in the rain, but it¡¯s been weeks since the last hard rain.


    She had opened it and was now attempting to make out letters in between mouthfuls of soup, but it was all so washed out that only a few words were legible.


    Away. Entire. You.


    I hope it¡¯s not from J¨¹rgen? No, none of his name has ¡®to¡¯ or ¡®sli¡¯ in it.


    She decided to give up the endeavor and tossed in it the bin by the door.


    If it¡¯s important they¡¯ll write again. Not much I can do when even the sender¡¯s name is obscured.


    Exiting the room, she saw Griffin, waiting for her in the sitting room.


    ¡°Griffin!¡± she exclaimed, surprised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I keep you waiting?¡±


    Stupid letter.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± his lips turned upwards a little. ¡°Are you ready to depart?¡±


    ¡°Almost. Have you seen Shelly, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°In your rooms, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± she smiled softly. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    Walking through the door to her bedroom, she saw Shelly changing the bedding.


    Please don¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°My lady,¡± she greeted her, with her usual tone and smile. ¡°Is it time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Raiva affirmed, trying not to stare at the sheet, which was right there, and definitely had a stain or two, right there.


    Shelly dropped the covers back onto the bed and moved towards the dressing room to help her with the hat, as promised.


    In only a minute, the hat was on, perfectly positioned, and firmly secured with the hatpins, which were cleverly disguised as the smallest silk flower decorations that adorned the hat already.


    Raiva was about to get up and leave, when Shelly placed a careful hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°My lady,¡± she began, in a very quiet voice. ¡°I know better than to meddle, but this comes from a place of care. Please be careful.¡±


    Raiva froze.


    Her mind raced, reflexively trying to make an excuse or come up with an explanation, even an instinct to simply tell her everything.


    Instead, she took a deep breath and simply responded, ¡°Thank you, Shelly. Don¡¯t worry, I am. I¡¯ll explain eventually, I promise.¡±


    Shelly smiled a tentative smile and nodded her head.


    ¡°Of course, my lady.¡±


    With that, Raiva left her rooms, needing to escape the mood, and left the house with Griffin at her side, making polite chit-chat about the weather.

 Chapter 26: Gunthers

    The walk to town was rather quiet, until they passed the walls. Here, they encountered the usual crowds out and about on a midday, in the middle of the week; errand boys and girls, messengers, guards patrolling, aristocratic young men and women promenading, and regular folks that worked evenings and early mornings.


    Every one of the guards saluted Griffin while trying very hard not to stare at Raiva, and every one of the aristocratic youths gave her a second glance as she passed, making this a somewhat more stressful outing than it was intended.


    That¡¯s what I get for going to the West Corner, I suppose.


    She looked up at Griffin, attempting to gauge his mood and reaction to the many eyes on them. His standard issue stare betrayed nothing at the moment, though his brow furrow did strike her as a little more intimidating than usual.


    I assume that¡¯s what¡¯s keeping everyone from outright gawking, then.


    She chuckled to herself as they, in odd silence, passed another caf¨¦ veranda full of whispering young women in expensive lace and elaborate hairstyles, though for once she could compare in that regard at least. She reminded herself to sneak some coins into Shelly''s purse before she left for the night.


    Griffin gave her a funny look at her outburst, adopting the usual expression he wore around her, before noticing the gossipers and reverting to his scowl, making them whisper a fraction more discreetly at least.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t trouble yourself like that, captain,¡± Raiva sighed, strangely unbothered for once, likely thanks to his presence by her side. By now she usually walked full speed ahead, pretending not to be sweaty and out of breath from nervousness and anxiety. ¡°They¡¯ll gossip on anyhow.¡±


    He muttered something she didn¡¯t quite catch, though she was pretty sure the word ¡°brats¡± could be heard in there.


    She simply smiled as they finally made a left into a somewhat more residential area, quickly followed by a sharp right down a fairly nondescript alley.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± she announced, suddenly realizing she had forgotten to tell him where they were going. ¡°¡¯Gunther¡¯s Grogs! The best liquor merchant in Prievo, except for when Claude is in town for the Autumn Equinox.¡±


    He laughed a short, yet hearty laugh at the revelation.


    ¡°I see. Of course.¡±


    He shook his head almost imperceptibly, though Raiva decided that he definitely was smirking.


    She smiled back teasingly, ¡°You wanted some more of that gin? Well, how about we find something a little more to your¡­ tastes?¡±


    He tilted his head, pondering the exact implication.


    ¡°Meaning¡­?¡±


    ¡°Something that pairs well with brandy, I suppose.¡± She hurriedly continued, ¡°Just in case you decide to be okay with, well, whatever else might end up in, my, I mean, the cabinet.¡±


    Is this too many metaphors? I think this might be too many metaphors. It definitely is.


    ¡°Just in case,¡± he replied, promptly, to her surprise.


    He didn¡¯t say anything beyond that, so she decided to shake it off, pretend she hadn¡¯t just uttered the strangest string of words in recent memory, and entered the familiar store through the narrow wooden door.


    Inside the store was the familiar ambiance; a worn but clean wooden plank floor, with matching low ceiling, smooth gray stonewalls lined with shelves and racks and bottles.


    It was always quite dark and cool in there, something Gunther had claimed was best for alcohol of all types. Raiva suspected however, that there might also be an advantageous rent at play, seeing as the walls were bare stone and there was only a single, small window in the entire building, upstairs, located just under the roof.


    ¡°Raiva!¡± a boisterous voice boomed out from behind the counter.


    Gunther, a fairly short but burly man, had begun sporting a mustache since she last saw him. It was one of those overly well-maintained ones that curled into a little swirl on each end, and while it seemed to match his neatly side-parted hair, it was clearly at odds with the remainder of his style sensibilities. Even Raiva could see plainly that a, granted thick, hempen undershirt and suspender trousers were odd choices to go with the polish of the neck and up. Not that she was put off by it particularly, but it was quite strange nonetheless.


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    ¡°Gunther!¡± she broke into a smile as he walked up and hugged her so hard he lifted her off the floor.


    Griffin flinched when he saw the strange man act so familiar and physically forward with her.


    ¡°How have you been, my friend?¡± he clasped and patted her hand with a broad, unrestrained smile.


    ¡°Very well, thank you,¡± was all she could think to respond.


    ¡°Lies, little mouse,¡± he chided her lightheartedly. ¡°Though you have brought a friend today I see!¡±


    He stuck his hand out in a manner Griffin rarely saw; confident, unassuming, and wholeheartedly excited to make a new acquaintance.


    ¡°Gunther Eckelberg, but I go by Gunther to avoid confusion,¡± he laughed unabashedly.


    Eyes widening in realization, Griffin broke into the widest smile Raiva had seen yet, which means handsomely crooked and pearly teeth visible.


    ¡°Captain Griffin Nebental. Captain or Griffin here,¡± he replied, shaking the man¡¯s hand firmly.


    Raiva looked on in surprise.


    Griffin has a last name?


    ¡°Ah, a fellow Westlicher! Where are you from then?¡±


    ¡°Th¨¹rn.¡±


    Was that mentioned in his residential info?


    ¡°So still an Echonian! But the free city in the west is as close as you get, ne? I¡¯m from Spiegel myself, the proper West! But not to worry, mein Freund, I¡¯m not about to blame a man for his place of birth!¡± Gunther chuckled loudly.


    Griffin wasn¡¯t really thrown off at the sudden mention of a regionally tense discussion, and simply let it go indifferently.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two men were clearly in high spirits from the unexpected encounter of someone from ¡°back home¡±, more or less, and she felt bad about interrupting. But it had to be done. They were already discussing some food or plant, from what she could gather, having lamented the lack of another in detail already, and knowing Gunther it wouldn¡¯t stop until the next customer arrived. This of course would likely not be until the afternoon proper. Few go around shopping for liquor in the middle of the day, for some reason.


    ¡°Gunther, do you still have ale caskets in the basement?¡±


    He turned to look at her, beaming.


    ¡°Of course! Are we talking bottles or tastings?¡±


    Raiva began tugging at Griffin¡¯s sleeve and moved towards the stairs leading up.


    She laughed lightly in response. ¡°A tasting, of course!¡±


    After arriving at the top, she entered the middle door of three, the only room with a window.


    Griffin was silent again, not remarking upon how odd it was for all interior walls to be of stone. Not even the strangeness of the tiny, dirty window could illicit a response from him when they exited the well-lit hallway and entered the dimly illuminated private room.


    Since it wasn¡¯t particularly out of character, Raiva continued undeterred over to a cupboard on the left hand side of the room and got out a box of matches, at the same time carefully pulling out a bell and placing it on the table by the seating area.


    ¡°You should have a seat,¡± she chuckled, aware that this particular silence was Griffin¡¯s version of surprise and confusion. Lighting up a half dozen big candles littered throughout the room, she watched him walk over the seating arrangement and characteristically sitting on the leather stool, as opposed to the old-fashioned leather sofa directly next to it. She put the matchbox back before taking a seat on said sofa herself.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to sit on the sofa with me instead?¡± she smiled at him teasingly.


    He smiled bemused in response, but opted not to answer. Instead he stated the obvious.


    ¡°It strikes me you¡¯re a regular here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. After all, this is the only place to find quality liquor without attendants constantly trying to sell you their most expensive ¡®exclusive¡¯ wine instead of whatever you¡¯re actually there for. Why would I buy wine when I¡¯m attempting to buy cognac?¡±


    She shook her head lightly.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± he returned simply, still wearing his barely noticeable grin.


    ¡°Yes, you do strike me as the ¡®going to a tavern after his shift and ordering ale and brisket¡¯ sort,¡± she giggled . ¡°Then you sit there, eating and drinking alone, all gruff and taciturn, making the women weak in the knees and the men present jealous.¡±


    ¡°Do I make you weak in the knees?¡± he teased.


    She smiled back coyly.


    ¡°And then some.¡±


    He began moving, as if to stand up, but then sat still again and adopted his usual expression.


    She looked at him, puzzled, when she heard Gunther¡¯s footsteps on the stairs.


    What is it with that hearing of his?


    Sighing at the fairly expected interruption, she sat back and waited for the knock on the door.


    When Gunther did arrive, it was with a broad smile and a hefty tray of little glasses and a little bowl of jerky.


    Oh, my favorite.


    The glasses were half pint ones from the looks of it, and the liquid in them ranged in color from light goldens to deep reddish and plain browns. The room quickly filled up with a mild alcoholic and malty scent, making their mouths water a little on instinct.


    ¡°Hope I wasn¡¯t interrupting nothing!¡± the man chuckled as he placed his many objects on the round table in the middle of the room. ¡°Now! I brought you a bit of variety for starters, my personal recommendations. One brown, one stout, two pale and a red. You just tell me which ones you want when you¡¯re done; Raiva here knows the drill. I¡¯ll come running when you ring that bell.¡±


    He smiled cheerfully at the two, before exiting the room.


    The door closed silently behind him.


    ¡°Alright, so Gunther actually makes it quite simple,¡± Raiva explained, taking the opportunity to get a conversation going again. ¡°Underneath the glasses are little numbers.¡±


    She picked up a very light yellow colored one, and lifted it up, pointing to the bottom.


    ¡°This one is number four, for example-¡°


    She stopped abruptly when Griffin took the ale out of her hand and downed it. He¡¯d somehow gotten up without her noticing, and was now standing right next to her.


    Looking at the four remaining he downed them as well, before Raiva could fully process what was happening. He separated two of them from the rest and grumbled, ¡°Two and five.¡±


    Then he leaned over her, unaffected, with a stern expression.


    My portion.


    ¡°You were saying earlier?¡±

 Chapter 27: Work Emergency

    Raiva stared into Griffin¡¯s eyes for a moment, trying to discern the new facial expression before her.


    It was the usual stern one yes, but there was something else. Something in his eyes; it wasn¡¯t dominating or demanding. It was more like seeking something, affirmation maybe or approval.


    He¡¯s a bit boyish at times, isn¡¯t he?


    She suppressed a grin and instead smiled sweetly at the man towering over her. Her hand moved softly to his chest.


    ¡°About how you make me weak in the knees?¡±


    ¡°And then some,¡± he reminded her with a murmur, the slightest hint of pink appearing on his ears.


    Raiva was pondering how to continue, when sudden, loud voices rang out from downstairs.


    Griffin jerked his head up, then started grumbling something under his breath. Standing back up straight, he waited for whoever the loud footsteps on the stairs belonged to.


    A hasty, overly loud knock sounded on the door.


    ¡°Captain,¡± a young man¡¯s voice heaved from the other side. He was obviously panicked and out of breath.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    His voice was firm and emotionless.


    The door burst open and a young man stood in the doorway, wearing a guards¡¯ uniform. He was sweaty and flushed and borderline frantic.


    ¡°Captain, there¡¯s been an emergency! Please, you-¡°


    ¡°Pull yourself together, Hendrik. You¡¯re making a scene.¡±


    Griffin¡¯s voice was chillingly cold. Even Raiva jumped a little at the order and stared at him with a mixture of apprehension and fascination.


    ¡°I-,¡± Hendrik sputtered before drawing himself into a salute. ¡°Yes, captain.¡±


    Despite forcing his voice to sound more tempered, he was still breathing like a man who had just sprinted through the streets, because, well, he had.


    Griffin looked at him with a piercing stare.


    ¡°Explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain,¡± Hendrik drew in his breath and rattled a report off faster than Raiva could comprehend. ¡°The third and fourth classes are brawling at the academy, five injured at the time of my departure, the colonel sent me out to request for your assistance due to your preexisting rapport with them.¡±


    He drew is breath again to continue, ¡°Also the west wing caught fire as a result of the altercation, though it is currently uncertain why and how. I was sent to your residence, but was informed there of your actual location, and thus ran back here as fast as possible. This concludes my report, captain.¡±


    He saluted again and awaited further instruction, breath still ragged.


    Griffin held a hand to his head and mumbled, ¡°Those idiots.¡±


    ¡°We are leaving, Hendrik. Run ahead and make note of the current situation. I will follow behind momentarily.¡±


    Hendrik looked a little confused, but dared not object, so instead he turned on his heels and flew back down the stairs.


    Griffin sighed to himself. He turned to Raiva, who was sitting on the sofa with a slightly stunned expression, though bemused she had been so completely ignored for once.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± he said, his voice firm, but his expression gentle and apologetic.


    She smiled in return, and stood up.


    ¡°It sounds that way.¡±


    Tugging at his shirt she pulled him towards her and kissed him, briefly and longingly.


    The ale still lingered on his tongue, and she could tasty a mild, sweet maltiness from the ale.


    Her lips curled into a smile at his wide-eyed stare.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at home, Griffin.¡±


    He, in turn, simply nodded and turned away. As he walked out of the room in long, fast strides, she caught a glimpse of reddening ears from behind.


    She giggled and sat down.


    Before she had time to collect herself and lament the acute lack of both Griffin and any tasty beverages to sample, she heard a familiar voice calling her from the hallway. A light, clear, overly cheerful voice.


    Victor.


    The young, fair haired man strolled towards the room with leisure and a big, pearly-white grin.


    ¡°Madam,¡± he exclaimed, seemingly delighted to see her. ¡°What a wonderful coincidence.¡±


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    His beaming was practically blinding at this point, even in the dim light.


    ¡°A coincidence indeed,¡± she replied simply, weighing her options. Eventually deciding that she hadn¡¯t gotten her money¡¯s worth for the effort that was put into her appearance today, she continued, ¡°Would you care to join me? Though we¡¯ll have to ask Gunther for something.¡±


    ¡°Another coincidence, seeing as I was already requesting something when I saw the captain stride out the door looking a little flushed.¡±


    He looked at the empty glasses and the unaffected Raiva, and smiled a gentler smile.


    ¡°And yet another fortuitous coincidence that he had to leave when he did.¡±


    Raiva contemplated for a moment, before smiling with a sigh.


    ¡°Yes I suppose so.¡±


    Victor left the door open and went to join her on the sofa.


    She asked, ¡°May I ask what you ordered?¡±


    ¡°Some new cocktail Gunther is trying out, a ¡®vodka mule¡¯, and a new liquor he just got a hold of. It supposedly tastes like a lemon sweet,¡± he mused to himself as much as her.


    ¡°Gunther makes cocktails?¡±


    Raiva was taken aback at the very idea. She had only ever gotten her liquors plain, for years now.


    She pouted and leaned back in the sofa with her little bowl of jerky, and prepared to scowl at Gunther when he arrived. Thoroughly amused by this, Victor did his best not to chuckle as he began to idly chatter about the weather and some new caf¨¦ that had just opened its doors somewhere in the district.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Gunther arrived with his tray of goods, though long enough for Raiva to finish her snack bowl.


    Her glare followed him as he went to set the glasses and a miniature bottle on the table, clearing off the empty tableware.


    He pretended to be unaffected and not notice her stare, and asked ¡°Any you¡¯d like to order, Raiva?¡±


    ¡°I was told two and five,¡± she replied promptly, and increasingly annoyed at his willful obliviousness.


    Gunther muttered a quick introduction of the beverages, but Raiva¡¯s attention was caught by Victor looking at her with a fascinated look on his face. Seeing that his presence was a hindrance more than anything else, Gunther quickly excused himself to tend to the downstairs area again, shutting the door behind him.


    ¡°What is it, Victor?¡±


    He chuckled at the sudden casualness.


    ¡°Your face is very expressive, did you know that?¡±


    His head tilted sideways in an inexplicably coquettish manner.


    ¡°I did, actually,¡± she smiled plainly, and picked up one of the glasses with an almost uncolored liquid.


    She smelled it and was hit by the scent of ginger and lime, an odd combination. A careful sip revealed the vodka mule to be a fresh and slightly sweet drink, and, she suspected, stronger than it tasted. Her eyebrows raised a little in pleasant surprise.


    Unable to hold it in any longer, Victor let out a loud, hearty laugh. He picked up his own and began sipping it himself, clearly enjoying it.


    ¡°If I may be so blunt,¡± he began, in a teasing tone. ¡°You and the captain?¡±


    She looked in his eyes as the thought for a moment.


    Is there any delicate way to phrase this?


    Recalling her first conversation on the topic with Cassian, she decided to speak frankly, doing away with any vague non-answers and clumsy, overly careful explanations.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said plainly, returned his smile, and took another sip. ¡°And if I may be equally blunt, what are you doing here?¡±


    While not surprised by the answer, he was somewhat startled by the, well, bluntness of the question. He chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t arrive with a client, if that is your concern.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± she pressed with a smirk. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly a popular locale for dates, it¡¯s frankly a bit dreary and odd. But I have been coming here for years, and yet I¡¯ve never once seen you. Or is it another amazing coincidence that the first time you patronize this particular establishment is when I go here with Griffin? In the middle of the day, when you are usually busy at tea parties or napping?


    ¡°So, Victor, what are you doing here?¡±


    Victor¡¯s face betrayed no amount of surprise this time, though his frozen smile spoke volumes.


    ¡°I-¡°


    Wait.


    ¡°Did you follow us?¡± she asked, not yet sure if she was unsettled or amused.


    ¡°N- no,¡± he stammered, panicked at the accusation. The smile was gone from his face and that practiced, poised posture suddenly disappeared.


    That¡¯s the first time he¡¯s ever dropped his ¡®Victor the Escort¡¯ face.


    Doing her best not to grin at his uncharacteristically shy reaction, she demanded, ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± he tried regaining his usual air, but didn¡¯t quite succeed. His eyes still looked different, less unwavering in their gaze, and his tone of voice was a little stilted. ¡°I was looking for you earlier, and when you weren¡¯t in your office I asked the housekeeper. She said you would be here.¡±


    ¡°So you followed me, then,¡± she mused, the corners of her mouth struggling not to turn upwards.


    ¡°Well-,¡± Victor immediately let out in response. He seemed to catch himself and cleared with throat before taking a sip of his drink. ¡°I sought you out, yes.¡±


    Oh, he¡¯s going back to his usual self.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    She sipped her drink as she watched him slowly put his mask back on.


    ¡°I thought I might join you,¡± he replied, adopting his signature charming smile again.


    ¡°Even though I went here with Griffin?¡±


    He took a more confident sip this time, thinking himself to be back to normal.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t made aware of that fact, unfortunately,¡± he said in a jesting voice. ¡°So, you and Captain Griffin, then. May I inquire since when? It must be a recent event by all accounts.¡±


    She finally couldn¡¯t contain her grin anymore at his attempt at a nonchalant recovery.


    ¡°Not really, no. Since the night you all moved in, I suppose.¡±


    Tilting her head, she awaited his response.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all he could muster initially. ¡°Then-?¡±


    ¡°Yes, before you.¡±


    His mask was slipping again, as a touch of pink appeared on his alabaster cheeks.


    She wanted to see his reaction at knowing that he wasn¡¯t the first, the ribbon-tying widow charmer he wanted to be. Instead he was briefly frozen once again.


    Do I need to push a bit harder?


    ¡°And then Cassian yesterday of course. And Griffin again this morning.¡±


    His eyes went wide for a second, before he caught on.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually kiss and tell, but I thought you should know,¡± she said, lounging against the back of the sofa, entertained by Victor looking both disappointed and relieved at the same time.


    Like a child being told he can have a toy, but he has to share it with his siblings.


    It was an odd realization for her, that the cocky, libertine escort was possessive over his conquests.


    Maybe he¡¯s simply too used to being the only one they look at. Youths suddenly being the center of someone¡¯s attentions for the first time, the mature ones feeling seen and appreciated by someone young and attractive.


    Raiva felt a little embarrassed by her initial reactions to his advances, well aware that she had almost fallen into the latter category because of his incessant flirtations. She suddenly wanted revenge.


    He was still silent, sipping on his drink and finishing it, clearly thinking hard about something.


    ¡°Why, does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Of course not,¡± he smiled in an odd way, like he was only half convinced of his own statement.


    ¡°If it does, you should tell me,¡± she murmured with a soothing voice as she moved her face closer to his.


    His demeanor remained subdued, but his smile turned genuine, then into a grin.


    Victors eyes were twinkling in the candlelight. Raiva could feel herself flushing a bit at his renewed straightforwardness.


    It¡¯s that smile of his again.


    Outside, a cloud blocked the light from the sun, darkening the room. Now enveloped in a dark, warm glow, the atmosphere suddenly felt private, and intimate.

 Chapter 28: Limoncello

    Victor leaned in towards her, their faces nearly meeting, now only a hand¡¯s width apart. He swiped the small bottle off the table without looking and held it up.


    ¡°We should try this before it gets too warm.¡±


    He smirked at her, and used his teeth to pull out the little cork on top. He took a small swig, before offering it to her with an expectant expression.


    Raiva took it from him and decided to copy him.


    It was delicious, and did indeed taste like a lemon flavored sweet of some sort. It was clearly strong too, despite the unassuming flavor. She could feel heat running to her face almost immediately after swallowing the liquid.


    She looked in his eyes and purposefully licked her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    He inched closer with an almost dazed look on his face; partially due to the strong liquor, but mostly stemming from her direct, calm allure. His cheeks became tinged with a pale pink.


    He¡¯s almost making it too easy.


    She met his lips with hers, and the two fell into a long, deep kiss as they tasted the sweet lemon on each other.


    When the two parted, Raiva playfully took another sip of the liquor, being careful to let a drop slowly roll down from her lips to her neck.


    Victor¡¯s eyes became fixated upon it. He leaned in and licked it up, stopping it from touching her blouse.


    The feeling of his tongue on her skin was almost electric, garnering a mellow, low gasp from her. She sighed and tilted her head to the side, prompting him to repeat it. His breathing was just irregular enough for her to pick up on it.


    She pushed herself back a bit, slowly undoing the buttons on her blouse one by one. His stare was fixed on her fingers as they moved further and further down. A red tint began to spread on his face, as he watched the slow, deliberate movement.


    Do you like being teased, Victor?


    She smirked and murmured to him, ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    Had Raiva not been watching him closely, she would have been surprised when he bit his lip and obediently complied.


    She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket. Cassian¡¯s handkerchief, the kind that was uselessly large. Leaning towards him, she tied it around his head to cover his eyes, making him momentarily flinch at the unexpected silky feel of the fabric.


    Whispering, she said, ¡°Untie my corset, Victor. No peeking.¡±


    His lips parted in an almost timid excitement as he carefully leaned forwards, hands first, to locate the strings. He fumbled for a moment, moving his hands up the ribbed structure of the fabric. As soon as his fingers found the string tied at the top, he began to move much more competently.


    Raiva smiled at the scene before her. All at once he seemed endearingly timid at her words, but thankfully retained the competency of experience.


    The corset began to loosen as Victor pulled the strings out of its eyelets, slowly revealing her pale skin, though he himself was left to imagine the sight. He had brushed against the skin once or twice on accident, his hands nearly retracting from the surprising lack of chemise underneath. Eventually he reached the end, tugging the string out of the last eyelet and letting it drop onto the floor. Her corset shifted at the sides and sat loosely in the gap between her skin and still-tucked-in but opened shirt. It was an odd sensation.


    She eyed him and said in a low, stern voice, ¡°Pick it back up.¡±


    ¡°But-¡°


    Putting a finger to his lips she stopped him, and simply repeated herself.


    ¡°Pick it up.¡±


    He was about to protest again, when she ran her finger down across his throat, gently running her nail against the soft, pale skin.


    Victor shuddered and clumsily made his way to the floor, fishing around for it on all fours. This went on for long enough for him to become redder and more embarrassed, since she carefully tugged it just out of reach when he was close. When she felt like he¡¯d been tormented enough, she pushed it towards him. Relieved that he had found it, he sat back up, simply waiting while looking in her approximate direction.


    ¡°Good job,¡± she hummed, causing him to do a sharp intake of breath.


    Oh?


    She smirked at his reaction.


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    After reaching for the bottle again, she filled her mouth halfway with the sweet beverage and grabbed the hair at the back of his head to pull him up towards her. He let out a short groan and had to catch himself from toppling, placing his hands on each side of her as she pressed his head down towards her.


    His lips touched hers, and when they did, she forced his mouth open with her tongue, surprising him with the suddenness of it. The short delay in reaction time caused him to spill a bit of the liquid onto her chest, running down the middle, and pooling in her belly button. She grabbed a hold of his braid.


    ¡°You spilled on me Victor.¡±


    He gasped at the tugging and her firm voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You should clean it up,¡± she said, smiling at his reaction. ¡°But of course you have to ask first.¡±


    ¡°Ask-?¡± he panted.


    ¡°Ask if you can please clean me up.¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± he halted for a moment, perhaps finally fully realizing what exactly was going on.


    Come on, Victor.


    He hesitated another moment, his breathing a little ragged, before he finally gave in.


    ¡°May I please clean it up?¡± he asked in a less timid, more performatively subservient tone.


    I¡¯ll take it, I suppose. Attitude and all.


    She grinned and caressed his face with the back of her hand.


    ¡°You may.¡±


    He lowered his head, carefully feeling his way to the spill with his hands, from the waistband of her skirt and up. The gentle sensation was inexplicably intense on her skin, as his soft, delicate fingertips glided across.


    When he reached the part on either side of her belly button and accidentally spread the liquid about with his fingers, she shuddered from his touch.


    He had found the liquid, now warm from the heat of her skin, and began licking it. His tongue was wide and soft and wet.


    Each lick sent a wave of buzz throughout her stomach, soon turning her soft gasps into airy, half subdued moans.


    Raiva found herself even more sensitive than usual, which seemed to prompt excitement in Victor, who himself began moaning when he felt her react to his touch. The sounds seemed to unlock something in her mind, and she began falling into her role more. He was on his knees again, leaning over her back-leaning torso.


    ¡°Further to the right, Victor.¡±


    ¡°Up.¡±


    ¡°Again.¡±


    She began ordering him in between deep breaths and the waves of warmth. He seemed to intentionally only get the edges of the liquid, trying to tease her and draw the whole scenario out to his liking.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing a poor job at this. Left.¡±


    At her insult he shivered and twitched a little. She smirked and lifted her leg, rubbing against the bulging, hardening spot in his trousers. Flinching, he left out a whimper.


    ¡°Ah-¡°


    ¡°Do you like it when I talk down to you, Victor?¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± he stammered, gasping when she gently pressed her foot against him. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lords, this feels too good.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not worth it. Now get back to cleaning up your mess.¡±


    He shuddered before doing as she commanded, almost desperately running his tongue along her skin, finally finding all traces of the liquid.


    ¡°Well done,¡± she smiled, making her voice a little more soothing for a moment. ¡°But you missed a spot.¡±


    He seemed confused, until she moved his hands further up her torso, until they were cupping her breasts.


    ¡°Are you going to apologize for being sloppy?¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Will it happen again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then get to it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, finding her breast with his tongue.


    He moved across and around it, clearly teasing her and avoiding the center. His thumbs ran along the edges, toying with her.


    ¡°Victor,¡± she said in a low but firm voice. ¡°Are you fooling around?¡±


    She increased the pressure of her foot on his bulge, causing him to moan instinctively.


    ¡°Raiva,¡± he breathed, pleadingly.


    ¡°Do it properly.¡±


    Immediately he closed his mouth around her nipple, gliding his tongue over it, from soft to hard. His hands cupped her breasts harder, and his thumb carefully stimulated her free nipple, and the heat began rushing through her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, Victor.¡±


    Her breathing was steady but hot and shallow.


    As his nimble hands and tongue moved around and across her sensitive spots she felt a rush of pleasure, eyeing him, and relishing in the control she held.


    As the heat in her rushed and the touch of the obedient, beautiful man crouching beneath her started pushing her over the edge, she was struck by a strange sense of clarity, heightening her senses to his touch and her own pleasure. When the swirling ball of heat  built and began moving downwards, she had to grip the edges of the cushion underneath her, and her soft moans became deeper and more intense.


    His breath was fast and his mouth and hands became increasingly frantic in an attempt to please her. Just as Raiva noted this, she was sent over the edge, her orgasm like a sweet release, and all tension momentarily leaving her body as she gasped for air from the force of it.


    After taking a few moment to catch her breath, with Victor still panting from breathlessness below her, she leaned forwards, lowering herself off the sofa to sit level with him.


    She dragged her nail down his face, neck and torso, ending up at the waistband of his pants, which she proceeded to run along while watching the small gasps and shakes he produced. Then, in a more firm motion, she ran her hand over his hardness.


    He quivered at her touch and leaned his face forward desperately, trying to do or find something with his lips parted and expression forlorn.


    She grazed his ear with her lips and whispered, ¡°Is this what you wanted so desperately?¡±


    He gasped as she grabbed him and squeezed.


    ¡°I-, y- yes,¡± his voice sounded shaky.


    ¡°What do you want, Victor?¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± he breathed, confused.


    She waited a heartbeat for him to continue, but he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Do you want me to touch you?¡±


    There was no hesitation this time, when he gasped ¡°Yes.¡±


    She flattened her hand and rubbed it against him, letting him move his hips with her, finding his preferred rhythm.


    When his breathing turned from unsteady to ragged and fast, she asked him again, ¡°What do you want, Victor?¡±


    ¡°I-, ah, I- I want you to keep touching me,¡± he stammered.


    She smiled and whispered seductively in his ear again.


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    He cried out, his body taken by a sudden, intense shudder, and she felt him twitching underneath her hand, the fabric becoming wetter.


    She bit his ear lightly and pulled away, standing up on her feet.


    He was still laying there, panting, flushed, as she closed her corset roughly with deft movements and buttoned her shirt.


    By the time Victor sat up and removed his blindfold, she was taking a swig of the bottle, and moved to leave.


    She briefly made eye contact with him before grinning and exiting, leaving the door open, enjoying his perplexed facial expression.


    How the tables have turned.


    She floated down the stairs, bidding farewell to Gunther and paying the bill on her way out.


    ¡°See you around,¡± he laughed, enjoying her high spirits.


    ¡°You too,¡± she smiled, walking into the warm sunlight.

 Chapter 29: Self Control

    Raiva was enjoying the gentle afternoon glow outside as she approached the city walls. There was no commotion outside, so presumably the fire at the academy had been put out.


    I wonder if Griffin will have to stay there a while to get things under control?


    As her mind wandered to the handsome captain, she thought she heard someone call her name.


    ¡°-va!¡±


    She looked to her left, eyeing the caf¨¦ across the street, where she heard the voice and a clattering from.


    No one was looking at her however. Instead, some incident was going on, with a man and a woman arguing loudly about something that didn¡¯t quite make it all the way to her ears. The man seemed vaguely familiar, but she decided to shrug it off after having a second look.


    He looks like a few people I know, I suppose.


    But there¡¯s no reason for me to get involved in whatever in going on there. I must have misheard.


    Shaking her head to herself, she nodded to the guardsman by the gate and continued her walk home in a comfortable pace. It wasn¡¯t very late yet, so she was in no rush. Seeing as it had been a while since she had taking a leisurely stroll.


    Her walk took her to the riverbank, which ran almost parallel to the main residential street on this side of the district. Though a not insignificant detour, it was nothing that would exhaust her feet too much.


    I wonder if Victor got out of there alright?


    She chuckled to herself, as she sat down on a patch of grass. For a while she sat sat there, gazing out over the river, across to the open grasslands of the Protected Empty just on the other side.


    The air was comfortably warm, with a gentle breeze sweeping across the landscape around her. A small boat floated by on the river, a delivery from the Lake Docks further west by the look of it. The man noticed her looking and tipped his hat as a greeting, as he passed by. She smiled and lifted her hand in a return gesture, sighing to herself as he left her view.


    What a wonderful day.


    She wanted to lay down in the grass, but was worried she would get scolded by Shelly for staining her clothes and messing up her hair too much. Instead she just sat, eyes closed, listening to the distant sound of people, the whooshing of the wind and the trickle of the river in front of her.


    When Raiva next opened her eyes, the sky was tinted orange.


    Clearly, hours had somehow passed without her noticing.


    I must have dozed off.


    She stood up and stretched, then inspected her backside for grass stains.


    All good. Somehow.


    Making a note to herself of asking Octavia how the fabric was so stain-proof, she made her way down the nearest side street and began her walk down Opal Street.


    Almost every house she passed was busy with preparations for dinner. Lanterns were lit, cooks were shuffling about in side windows and important looking people arrived at their homes, in an oddly synchronized manner.


    Every one of them looked at her a little odd, like they were on the cusp of recognizing her. She even recognized a few in turn, a judge who played with the idea of letting the fire go to trial, a banker who shooed her out of his office and refused her access to her accounts.


    This isn¡¯t good.


    She looked directly ahead, convincing herself that they wouldn¡¯t realize it was her. She strode confidently, yet ladylike down the paved street and did her best impression of a regular merchant¡¯s wife, nodding demurely when someone would meet her eye further down.


    Finally, she arrived at the house.


    Home.


    The wistful thought lingered from when she gleaned it in the distance, until she noticed a familiar figure walking towards her from the other side.


    She smiled and hollered, ¡°Octavia!¡±


    The figure¡¯s head jerked up a little at the sound her voice.


    ¡°Raiva,¡± she greeted with a smile as she came into speaking distance. ¡°This is a first.¡±


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    ¡°Yes,¡± Raiva chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not usually out this late, and you¡¯re usually out later, after all.¡±


    Octavia shrugged indifferently, but gave her a quick look up and down.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you like the clothes. That outfit was one I particularly looked forward to seeing you in,¡± she said, half suppressing a grin.


    ¡°Oh? How come?¡±


    ¡°I made the whole thing, and I¡¯d like to think it shows,¡± she laughed airily as they climbed the front stairs.


    Immediately, Raiva became very aware of how and where the fabric touched her body. Of the blouse gently brushing against her chest and the skirt hugging her hips firmly. She fought the blush threatening to emerge and instead changed the subject.


    ¡°On another note, about the favor you asked?¡± she said, doing her best not to stumble over the words. ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to show you, that might be of interest. Do you have time after dinner?¡±


    Octavia clapped her hands together once in an almost theatrical fashion.


    ¡°I was just about to ask the same! I was hoping to get a fitting in for a first draft of sorts of the dress. Would you mind coming to my rooms later? At eight?¡±


    Raiva was a little surprised, but relieved at the smooth transition.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, about to excuse herself to go rest before the meal.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t eat too much before then, it¡¯ll make the fit less precise.¡±


    Before giving her a chance to respond, Octavia gave her a wave and made her way up the stairs, disappearing into the room to the immediate right.


    What?


    After relaxing in her office for a bit, looking forward to Victor¡¯s reaction at dinner, and to showing Octavia the hairpin later, she went to join dinner preparations.


    To her surprise, Cassian was there, setting out plates with a visibly shocked Shelly, whose eyes met hers pleadingly.


    Raiva suppressed a burst of laughter, and instead asked Cassian, ¡°Cassian, what are you doing?¡±


    Shelly gasped at the informality, but Raiva felt this wasn¡¯t the time to elaborate.


    ¡°Helping with dinner of course,¡± he replied simply, as though it was a silly question.


    ¡°Yes, but why?¡±


    ¡°Because you normally do, and I wanted to see what it¡¯s like. It isn¡¯t so bad, really.¡±


    He smiled his charming star-actor-of-the-big-stage smile, and temporarily rendered both Raiva and Shelly speechless.


    Shelly eventually decided to elaborate.


    ¡°But my lord, the madam-¡°


    ¡°Yes exactly, Shelly. I¡¯m also wondering why the madam of the house is doing chores while employing a housekeeper,¡± he interrupted, shooting Raiva a telling glance. ¡°Or why she eats in the kitchen?¡±


    Shelly¡¯s head turned to her now, Cassian having touched a subject they both apparently agreed on.


    ¡°You know, my lord, I have been wondering the same thing! She really ought not to, being the madam and all, especially a noble one at that!¡±


    ¡°A former noble, and in title only,¡± Raiva interjected, though she went largely ignored.


    ¡°Then one day, she tells me, no, she wants to do her part, as though that were not what she pays us for! It is baffling, my lord,¡± Shelly sighed dramatically.


    ¡°I see,¡± Cassian¡¯s smile turned into a grin, and Raiva knew she would lose this battle already. ¡°Do you suppose she would like to dine with us tenants then? We are all on quite good terms by now anyway, and it only feels proper at this point.¡±


    Raiva narrowed her eyes at him.


    He looked back at her, unshaken, as though daring her to make him say more.


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly comfortable in the kitchen, thank you. Now, Cassian, I think Shelly-¡°


    Cassian interrupted, ¡°You know just the other day, I saw the cap-¡°


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll eat in the dining room! I give up!¡±


    Raiva raised both arms in surrender and sighed at the two conspirators in front of her.


    Cassian nearly gleamed.


    ¡°Excellent. I will leave you to it then, Shelly,¡± he said as he left to do something or other in his rooms.


    Raiva looked at Cassian leaving, then back to Shelly who was now wearing a broad smile, the closest to a grin she had ever seen on her face.


    Wait, did those two-


    Before she could finish her thought, and more importantly say something, Shelly ran away to the kitchen, leaving the plates and cutlery behind.


    ¡°Treason,¡± Raiva mumbled under her breath as she finished setting up the table.


    By the time all preparations finished, Octavia had taken her seat at the table and Cassian was sauntering down the stairs, pretending not to have instigated these new arrangements.


    Raiva shot him a glare as she took her own seat at the head of the table, with Octavia on her right. Cassian sat on her left.


    ¡°You¡¯re joining us? In here?¡± Octavia asked, a little puzzled at the sudden change.


    Raiva did her best not to sigh again.


    ¡°Yes. Shelly and Cassian suggested it earlier and they were very¡­ convincing.¡±


    Cassian snorted and helped himself to some potatoes as he elaborated.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this much more pleasant, Octavia? After all, I find that we see Raiva so rarely despite all of us living under the same roof.¡±


    ¡°Much more pleasant, Cassian,¡± she replied surprisingly promptly, chuckling into her soup.


    Raiva decided to ignore the two and instead focused on the food laid out on the table. Attempting to heed Octavia¡¯s request, she only grabbed some bread, a bowl of soup and some salad.


    The three chit chatted as they ate, mostly about the change of season, some new bustle trend having appeared in high society, as well as the discovery of a new crab species in the south part of the Gonten River.


    When she finished the food on her plate, Raiva was still hungry. She eyed the roast on the table, when Octavia¡¯s head shot up.


    ¡°Raiva will be modeling at the Solstice Gala for me.¡±


    Cassian¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re attending the Gala?¡± he asked Raiva, visibly baffled.


    ¡°Well,¡± she responded sheepishly, reaching out for the roast. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Clearly left wanting by this answer, he continued his wide-eyed stare.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite some favor given your notoriety,¡± he blurted out.


    ¡°And that is what I¡¯m hoping to capitalize on,¡± Octavia replied rather stiffly, pulling the roast out of Raiva¡¯s reach. ¡°We have a fitting after this, incidentally.¡±


    Cassian witnessed the interaction with amusement.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± he replied, holding back laughter at the sight of Raiva¡¯s somewhat distraught facial expression. ¡°You know, I once worked with an actress who ate nothing but vegetables for an entire month to maintain the figure a designer requested, just to attend the Autumn Gala.¡°


    Raiva had been reaching for the bread basket next to Cassian, which was promptly removed by him the moment her hand touched the rim.


    ¡°You should really wait with that,¡± he teased her, to Octavia¡¯s evident delight.


    And so Raiva sat there, at the head of the table, and silently grumbled as the two pulled baskets and platters out of her hungry reach.

 Chapter 30: Crimson

    Once dinner finally concluded, a rather peckish Raiva went to her rooms to get the most decorative of her newly acquired hairpins before meeting Octavia. She decided to take the opportunity to scour her bedroom for any stashes of snacks she might have tucked away at one point or another, but to no avail.


    No doubt Shelly would have found and put it away even if I had.


    She left her rooms with the pin and her hand scratching her eyebrow in mild annoyance at the situation.


    Raiva¡¯s footsteps on the stairs were the only sound to be heard in the house. Victor had not returned after Gunther¡¯s, and Griffin had clearly been held up by the incident at the academy. It was odd, how empty the house felt.


    Arriving at the top of the stairs she turned to knock on the door.


    ¡°Octavia? May I enter?¡±


    ¡°Come on in,¡± the voice sounded muffled somehow front inside.


    When she opened the door, Raiva was taken aback by the sight in front of her. Piles of red fabric and lace and stones were laid out on the large table in the middle of the room. A massive three part mirror stood adjacent to it.


    Raiva walked over to the fabrics and caressed the shiny silk with her finger tips. The color was one of the most vivid reds she had ever seen.


    ¡°Crimson, huh?¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Octavia grinned as she pulled out various tools and cleared space for a proper fitting. ¡°I decided to find out some of the rumors surrounding you after last time, and, well, I figured ¡¯Crimson Widow¡¯ was perfectly evocative.¡±


    Raiva hadn¡¯t been able to help but find the nickname uncomfortable, though hearing it from Octavia, it felt almost trivial to have been to bothered by such a silly name.


    ¡°And you¡¯re planning to capitalize on what exactly? That people will clamor to gossip about the Crimson Widow, and that the chatter will inevitably land on my attire, which I have no doubt will be marvelous?¡±


    Octavia shrugged.


    ¡°Somewhat. It¡¯s also really one of the few ways to stand out as a designer and seamstress, since everyone will be doing excellent work anyway. And we both know that when it comes to the little wealthy ladies of Prievo, no stone will go unturned as they gossip and analyze and evaluate every little detail of your appearance. At this particular event however, the garments have a habit of being weighted quite heavily in the chatter following.¡±


    She cocked her head to the side and began absentmindedly adjusting the tools in her little belt, as well as straightening the ones on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m also planning to attract the male portion with the Winter Ball. I suppose I should begin to convince Cassian before he finds a nonsensical reason to decline. Or better yet if I could convince Griffin. He¡¯ll be a nobleman sooner rather than later anyhow, and his imposing figure would be perfect for showcasing something more daunting than current trends.¡±


    I suppose that is true.


    ¡°How many ranks are there from captain to general?¡± Raiva asked.


    That¡¯s the rank where they elevate knights, right?


    ¡°Three, I think?¡± Octavia sounded uncertain for once. She began counting with her fingers while muttering military ranks to herself. ¡°¡­ captain, major, major general and general? Then head of generals, I believe.¡±


    Raiva raised her eyebrows. ¡°You seem knowledgeable about the military orders.¡±


    ¡°My parents were big on etiquette, polite conversation and general knowledge,¡± she replied simply and dismissively.


    There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.


    Silence fell for a moment while Raiva debated whether or not to ask, and Octavia in turn was waiting a while to see if she would.


    ¡°Well then!¡± Octavia clapped, then smiled at her with exaggerated politeness. ¡°Dear model, if you would please undress for me?¡±


    What?


    Raiva stared in stunned silence as she processed what Octavia had just asked of her.


    ¡°I thought this was just measuring again?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I already have your measurements from last time. But this this will be very form-fitting I need to ensure that every bit of the dress is fitted impeccably to you. I have a prototype for use today,¡± she said, pulling out an entire gown from a pile of fabrics next to her.


    ¡°If you would?¡±


    Raiva nodded absentmindedly, as she became increasingly aware of her unwashedness and awkward movements as she began undoing her skirt buttons.


    She was embarrassed to be doing this in front of Octavia, but to her relief, the seamstress was currently focused on writing something down in a little notebook on the table, while fondling a sample strip of eyelash lace.


    ¡°Too messy,¡± she muttered to herself.


    Octavia¡¯s gaze returned to Raiva. Immediately she noticed the flush on her face, the fumbling movements of the hands on the hooks and buttons, the averted eyes. She only just suppressed a smile.


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    ¡°Do you want some privacy?¡±


    Raiva startled.


    ¡°I, uh, yes. I would, thank you.¡±


    Octavia laid out the sample gown on the table in clear sight.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded, seemingly unfazed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this here, just try to step into it as well as you¡¯re able. Call me when I can come back in?¡±


    Raiva continued to avoid her eyes and simply nodded. She turned her back to Octavia before finally letting go of her now-undone skirt, letting it drop to the floor unceremoniously. The door to the dressing room shut gently.


    I¡¯m being far too self conscious about this. Once again.


    She tried evicting the stiffness from her body by breathing deeply. Her hands went to work on removing the remainder of her garments, as fast as possible.


    I don¡¯t want to keep her waiting.


    Raiva had not noticed Octavia¡¯s own reddening cheeks at the accidental glance of her exposed thighs as she had let go of her skirt.


    ¡°Octavia? You can come in now,¡± Raiva called out gently, standing in front of the large mirror while clasping the glossy fabric of the gown against her body.


    The back was sew-to-close and there were no sleeves on the gown, making it impossible to stay on by itself at present.


    She heard the door open, and saw Octavia emerge, unbothered and gently smiling. There was a stiffness to her jaw however.


    Is she upset? No, maybe annoyed?


    A nervous flutter began in her chest.


    Octavia was looking at the dress with a pondering expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too shimmery, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Raiva looked down at the dress.


    ¡°Oh, it is quite shimmery, yes.¡±


    ¡°The color is stunning for you, but I think a more satin finish would be better. It would deepen the color just a tad to go better with your hair,¡± Octavia half spoke to her, half mumbled to herself.


    She let her hand glide over the fabric at Raiva¡¯s waist as if to confirm something about her theory.


    ¡°Yes,¡± her muttering went on, as Raiva did her best not to do a sharp intake of breath at the delicate touch. Her waist felt hot where Octavia was touching it.


    In a much clearer voice, Octavia finally announced, ¡°Alright then, on to the adjustments. I¡¯ll copy it onto a different fabric, though we best have an additional fitting as soon as I¡¯m done with it¡±


    She gently turned Raiva by her waist to look directly into the mirror.


    Lords, why do her hands feel so wonderfully hot?


    Octavia began pinning the back of the dress, measuring and tugging at various places, while muttering to herself, taking the occasional note in her notebook.


    At last, Raiva began relaxing.


    I can make it through this fitting without making it weird.


    That is, until Octavia began working on the side seams of the dress, particularly around the hips.


    This part apparently required repeatedly running her hands over the sections, straightening and smoothing, pinning, then marking, then doing the same for immediately adjacent sections. The process felt like an eternity, as Raiva felt Octavia¡¯s hands touching and caressing and holding her.


    Before long, her entire body felt hot, and she could feel herself reddening once again.


    Stop it stop it stop it.


    Finally, Octavia finished and stood up, addressing Raiva directly.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    Her voice tore through the silence, and made Raiva jump a little. She was standing directly behind her, peeking out to the side.


    Raiva had to refocus for a moment and let her eyes properly have a look at the garment.


    It was form-fitting. Incredibly so, considering what was normally worn, even to extravagant events like the Gala. Usually the dresses went bigger or increasingly elaborate, whereas this, at its current stage, was very simple.


    I have no doubt more will be added, but¡­


    As of now, it was wildly risqu¨¦, too elegant to be inappropriate, yet still decidedly provocative. The sweetheart neckline was a little on the lower side, and especially noticeable due to the lack of sleeves and lace underlay. The skirt was entirely snug around her bottom, her hips and thighs, but relaxed in shape just around her knees, only marginally restricting her movement.


    ¡°It feels¡­ well, tight,¡± she finally replied. ¡°Not to the point of discomfort, but definitely more than anything I¡¯ve ever worn.¡±


    Like being restricted and held in place by playfully delicate silk restraints.


    She blushed at she thought, though she obviously wasn¡¯t about to say it out loud.


    Octavia chuckled at her bluntness.


    ¡°Yes, I would expect so, honestly. This is just the base of course, I am planning on adding lace from here,¡± she moved her hand to gesture to Raiva¡¯s neck. ¡°All the way down to here,¡± she continued, and without ever actually touching her, moved the hand down her neck, across the shoulder, and along the arm, only stopping at the base of her fingers.


    Raiva¡¯s eyes were fixed upon it, and in the mirror it looked as though Octavia was, in fact, running her hand along her skin.


    Goosebumps formed on the arm in question and she had to awkwardly swallow a lump in her throat.


    Lords.


    Octavia¡¯s eyes had caught this. Frankly, it was hard to miss. She let herself smirk a little and decided this was as good a time as any to tease her.


    Still standing behind her, half hidden by Raiva¡¯s tall stature, she gently put her hands on her waist.


    ¡°And here, I was thinking of adding a train in matching fabric, to add a sense of grandeur and volume, to match your voluminous curls.¡±


    Raiva breathed in as deeply as she reasonably could in the tight fabric.


    ¡°And,¡± she managed to get out without sounding as out of breath as she was. ¡°Any thoughts of adding structure to bust?¡±


    She pretended to be confident, and cocked her head to the side with a teasing smile.


    Briefly Octavia¡¯s eyebrows rose to hide behind her fringe.


    She breathed in sharply and ran her hands up Raiva¡¯s waist while fixing her gaze into meeting her eyes in the mirror.


    ¡°Incidentally, yes.¡±


    She delicately moved her hands to the front and traced an invisible line from next to her belly button with her fingers.


    Her touch felt about as hot as a red hot iron, fresh out of the fire.


    ¡°Here,¡± she murmured in a lowered voice, bringing herself to brush against Raiva from the back, her breath hitting Raiva¡¯s shoulder. She shuddered in response. ¡°I was planning to add an invisible structured corset with boning running up.¡±


    Her fingers moved slowly, steadily, up Raiva¡¯s midriff, onto her ribs and stopped just underneath her breasts.


    She was entranced at Octavia¡¯s voice, confidence, her touch.


    A scene flashed before her eyes, of her and a blonde young woman, naked in bed. The woman was laughing, while Raiva was awkwardly covering herself with a sheet and getting dressed while trying not to burst into tears.


    No.


    She hurriedly withdrew and awkwardly covered her chest with her arms. Turning to no longer look in the mirror, she began to pick up her own clothes again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Octavia asked, still calm, as she stepped closer to her again, cornering Raiva against the table.


    ¡°I- I should get dressed and go-¡°


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Raiva was avoiding her eyes and looked around in a mild panic, trying to think. Her face was flushed, her chest brimming with both arousal and embarrassment and fright.


    ¡°W- well the fitting is over, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t have to leave. Unless you want to. Do you?¡±


    ¡°No, but-¡°


    ¡°So don¡¯t,¡± Octavia leaned closer to her, hovering her face just below hers, looking up at her with those, big, almond shaped hazel eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± she blurted out, feeling her face go a shade deeper in its redness.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    Octavia¡¯s breath hit her neck as she leaned in. Her lips touched her neck in a light, barely connecting kiss.


    Raiva startled at the sensation, letting out a small gasp.


    ¡°Ah! I- How to, with a woman,¡± she whimpered, her voice small and confused.


    Octavia put her hands around her head, pulling her gently down towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± she hummed with an unconcerned smile, as she caressed her cheek with her thumb.


    She stood on her toes to reach her lips with hers, and they connected in a soft, yearning kiss.

 Chapter 31: Delicate

    Taking off the gown with all its pins and markers went surprisingly smoothly, despite Raiva¡¯s timid jitters and flushing.


    Octavia¡¯s deft hands undid any kinds of fastening and before a minute had passed, she carefully picked it up from the floor and placed it on the table. She handed Raiva her discarded shirt and waited a moment for her to slip it on and close a few buttons.


    ¡°Are you more comfortable now?¡± she asked gently, taking her hand in hers.


    ¡°Somewhat,¡± she replied with an awkward smile.


    Her heart had finally begun to steady itself and her flush became milder on her cheeks.


    Is this really happening?


    Octavia grinned.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    She slowly pulled her towards her and moved towards her bed.


    It was smaller than Raiva was used to. Bigger than a normal one-person bed, though not by much.


    I suppose there wasn¡¯t all that much room left with the work table and all the chests and drawers.


    She suppressed a chuckle.


    Octavia guided Raiva to sit on the edge of the bed, pushing her there firmly with a smile on face.


    Raiva watched as she began to undo her belt and remove her accessories and clothes one by one. First the belt, quickly undone, before being carefully placed on the side table. Then her earrings, her bracelet, her necklace, all dropped carelessly to the ground with barely a sound. In a practiced manner, she removed her boots, followed by her socks. Finally, her hands gripped the bottom of her knit dress, and she carefully pulled it over her head in one long, slow movement.


    Her body was still vaguely obscured by her undergarments, but what Raiva did see nearly made her avert her eyes in fear of staring too intently. Even in the dim corner of the room, her skin was light and dotted with fine freckles.


    Octavia¡¯s figure was even more stunning without her outer wear, with her voluptuous hourglass figure on full display.


    The hips were only half obscured by a half see-through pair of bloomer shorts, in an off white, plain silk. They were wide and rounded, and Raiva had to stop herself from caressing them. Though not in her immediate line of sight, she had no doubt that her bottom mimicked her hips, full and round.


    Her breasts were neatly held in by a black bustier, though is was clear that they weren¡¯t only held up but also tightly in by the garment¡¯s structure.


    Raiva gulped, feeling somewhere between aroused and envious.


    It was clearly visible now that Octavia¡¯s freckles extended down to her shoulders, adding a glow like warmth to them, and it was only then that Raiva became aware that the blush on her freckled nose and cheeks weren¡¯t from the pigmentation, but an actual flush.


    Their eyes met, and, realizing that Octavia had paused her movements and was now watching her reactions intently, she grabbed her by the hips and drew her towards her.


    Raiva gently caressed her legs, kissing her thighs softly, eliciting a soft outwards breath from Octavia. She, in turn, grabbed the hands on her, and drew them up her body to her waist as she carefully straddled the blushing redhead.


    Feeling the weight on her, pressing her down into the soft mattress, Raiva felt no discomfort, only excitement at the heat emanating from her.


    Octavia slid her fingers into Raiva¡¯s curls and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°Undo my bustier,¡± she said in a calm, gentle voice.


    Raiva smiled, and kissed the part of Octavia¡¯s bosom that was peeking out at the very top.


    Her mind was blank, her heart aflutter, as she undid the front closures on the undergarment. Octavia¡¯s hands caressed her cheek as she waited and simply watched the hands get to work.


    At last, only one hook remained fastened, and as Raiva opened it, she flushed at the sight.


    The bustier opened rather dramatically, letting go of its hold on Octavia¡¯s breasts. They were bigger than she had anticipated. Full, round, all at once bursting out of their confines, with dark pink nipples; all only inches away from Raiva¡¯s face.


    Octavia chuckled at the visible apprehension on the other woman¡¯s face, and neatly shrugged of the now-loose underwear.


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    ¡°Go on,¡± she smiled, leading the awkwardly hovering hands back onto her waist.


    Raiva grasped Octavia¡¯s breasts, rather timidly, and gently squeezed them as she took a deep breath. Her hands ran along the sides first, then cupping them from underneath, squeezing them once again. Uncertain, she carefully ran her hand over the nipple, causing Octavia let out a content sigh.


    Deciding to simply go by the reactions she received, as well as a different kind of first hand experience, she rubbed her thumb over the nipple, more persistently this time. Soon, it was stiff and Octavia seemed to do the tiniest flinch at her touch, as the breathing stuttered occasionally.


    As she moved her other thumb to the free one and repeated the process, Octavia breathed in sharply. Raiva flushed anew and could feel herself getting hotter.


    She threw caution to the wind and pulled her closer to herself, rather impulsively and closed her mouth around the left nipple. At first she gently tugged on it with her lips, before pressing against it with her tongue and licking upwards.


    Octavia let out a gentle moan, grabbing the back of Raiva¡¯s head with one hands and holding onto her shoulder with the other.


    Raiva could feel the hot breath on her growing unsteady, and the hand on her shoulder begin to dig in.


    She squeezed the other breast with her hand, much harder than before, getting dizzy from the sensation in her mouth and against her palm. She began flicking the nipple with her tongue now, then giving it a short, hard suck, while her hand alternated between harshly grabbing her soft flesh and stimulating that nipple with a soft pinching motion.


    After a short while of this, Octavia dug into her shoulder and let out a half moan, half whine, before tensing up, and then relaxing.


    Lords, she¡¯s quiet.


    Having climaxed, Octavia pushed herself and looked at Raiva with a smirk.


    ¡°Feel better now?¡± she asked, having quickly regained stability in her breathing.


    ¡°I, yes,¡± Raiva pressed out, still heaving from the excitement.


    Octavia stood up and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said simply, getting on her knees.


    She caressed her thighs with her hands, running them all the way up.


    Raiva¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°What are you-¡°


    But before she could finish, Octavia was back up on her feet, leaning in over her.


    Her right hand was holding onto her hair in the back, while her left was resting between her inner thighs, threateningly close.


    ¡°Showing you.¡±


    Raiva was in the process of articulating an answer, when Octavia¡¯s middle finger was pushing its way inside of her.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Raiva gasped, flinching backwards from the suddenness, but Octavia¡¯s surprisingly strong grip on her head managed to keep her still.


    ¡°Relax, Raiva, you¡¯re squeezing my finger too hard. I¡¯m gonna insert on more, okay?¡±


    Not waiting for a response, she pushed her ring finger inside as well, causing Raiva to arch her back in a reflexive manner.


    She was trying to find words to say, but Octavia leaned in close and kissed her relentlessly, as she gently thrust her fingers inside, seemingly searching for something. Her fingers felt warm, firm, yet soft. Moans began escaping Raiva¡¯s mouth as they thrust and moved and slid and caressed.


    Soon, Raiva was on her back, Octavia halfway laying down next to her, kissing her, while her fingers had begun upping their pace and finding peculiar spots.


    Raiva writhed whenever she hit a certain part of her wall; it was like a strange, intense pressure suddenly appeared, making her moan deeply and loudly before she could stop herself.


    ¡°Is it right¡­ here?¡± Octavia asked, caressing the spot inside, smiling at Raiva in a calculation manner.


    Immediately, Raiva startled, not being able to contain her intense reaction, making a sound somewhere between moaning and shouting.


    Octavia didn¡¯t stop. She kept going for that same area, continuously eliciting these instinctive sounds from the writhing, fog-brained redhead.


    ¡°I asked if this is the spot, Raiva? If you don¡¯t tell me I won¡¯t know.¡±


    It was building, fast, feeling explosive.


    Raiva barely had a few seconds to form words, feeling bewildered and dazed, before the feeling crashed into itself creating a whirlwind of an orgasm, somehow both intense and fading fast.


    ¡°Raiva?¡± Octavia repeated, a playfully stern tone to her voice.


    She resumed rubbing the spot, seemingly intent to continue.


    ¡°Y-yes, yes,¡± Raiva gasped, trying to recall human language. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s the spot.¡±


    Her words sounded labored, and her ragged breathing made it difficult to pronounce them correctly.


    Having gotten her answer at last, Octavia withdrew somewhat, returning to a gentle thrusting, while kissing Raiva¡¯s brow.


    ¡°I should see if there are any others, no?¡±


    All Raiva could do was let out a half moaned sigh, as Octavia withdrew her fingers at last and began moving towards the edge of the bed, gently landing herself on the floor. In a heartbeat, she knelt between Raiva¡¯s legs, her warm, wet fingers running along her clit.


    Raiva near choked on her breath from the gentle touch, then exclaimed loudly when Octavia¡¯s lips replaced them.


    Her tongue was even warmer, more firm and at the same time softer, slowly sending Raiva into a slowly building ecstasy.


    It was as though every single movement was planned, every touch intentional and thought out, and it was driving her mad how perfect everything felt as a result.


    Octavia ran her tongue along, sometimes licking, sometimes lapping, something pressing against her at little intervals. Every time Raiva flinched or winced or whined, she became just a notch more intense.


    Raiva¡¯s entire body felt on fire. Her toes were tingling, her thighs kept accidentally squeezing Octavia¡¯s head, causing her to moan onto her, in turn making Raiva gasp at the vibrations. Her arms felt useless as they flailed and held onto various sections of sheet. Her head had long stopped functioning and had surrendered itself to pleasure. Her chest felt numb from her galloping heartbeat and her stomach a pit of swirling desire.


    It was becoming unbearable, difficult to breathe as she somehow kept getting closer and closer to a climax than was apparently moving further away and higher up, until Octavia finally, at last, reinserted her fingers and found the damned spot once again, applying a pressure that seemed to release all of the pent of ecstasy all at once, as Raiva came, repeatedly, consecutively, writhing, screaming, arching her back, and finally, collapsing, sweaty, exhausted.


    Octavia removed her hand once again, gently kissing Raiva¡¯s thighs.


    She made her way to join the heaving redhead on the bed once more pulling her into an embrace and caressing her head comfortingly as she caught her breath.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked with a chuckled.


    Several more panting breaths were taken before Raiva replied, with a hoarse giggle.


    ¡°I believe so.¡±

 Chapter 32: Friendly Offer

    The two women were laying on the bed, entangled, having at last caught their breaths properly.


    One of them, the freckled, voluptuous one, sighed contentedly.


    ¡°I¡¯d offer to instruct you on how to return the favor, but I think that¡¯s enough exertion for you this time around,¡± she murmured, her face nestled into the vivid red hair of the other.


    The redhead giggled.


    ¡°Not to be selfish, but I am quite tired after that, yes.¡±


    She turned her head and touched her lips to the other¡¯s forehead, covered by a pristinely cut fringe.


    ¡°Thank you, Octavia.¡±


    Octavia chuckled.


    ¡°No need to thank me,¡± she pulled back to look properly at her with a devilish grin on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll work you to the bone next time, Raiva.¡±


    Raiva flushed almost instantly.


    Next time, huh?


    ¡°You almost make it sound like a threat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise,¡± Octavia sighed once again, pulling against Raiva for a squeeze. ¡°On that note, I believe it¡¯s time to bid you a good night.¡±


    Raiva laughed, exhaustion audible in her voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re kicking me out then?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±, Octavia replied in a teasing tone, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before getting up from the bed to get dressed. ¡°That dress isn¡¯t going to sew itself.¡±


    Raiva¡¯s cheeks were on fire as she watched Octavia pulling on her dress, opting not to put on any of her undergarments. It still clung to her figure, clearly revealing her form and natural curves.


    Octavia glanced over at her, smiling from amusement. She shook her head, went over to the piles of fabric on her worktable, then pulled out a stool from underneath it and quietly went to work.


    It¡¯s been barely five minutes since we finished and she¡¯s already back to working.


    Raiva got up and began to dress herself in the discarded clothes from earlier. She beheld Octavia and the concentrated look on her freckled face with a sense of awe. Already her hands were busy ripping seams and sewing, several pins having made their home between her teeth.


    Trying to hold back a chuckle, she at last had closed the last button on her skirt.


    A true workaholic.


    She walked over, and kissed Octavia on the side of her head, careful not to disrupt her too much.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Octavia did not look up from her needlework, but nonetheless smiled gently in a silent response, careful not to drop the pins hanging from her mouth.


    Raiva left the room quietly, but internally abuzz from the events of the past two-odd hours. The door closed quietly behind her as she entered the dark, cold hallway.


    So cold.


    The freezing night temperature hit her when she reached the foot of the stairs.


    Port.


    Trying to contain her shivering, she quickly built a small fire in the fireplace, thankful to Shelly for always keeping the firewood in the sitting room well-stocked.


    She knows me too well.


    Raiva chuckled.


    When the fire had warmed her icy hands a little, she hurried into her rooms to change into something more comfortable. Not even bothering putting her clothes away neatly, she threw them off and grabbed her usual nightgown, as well as a heavy woolen blanket from the chest by the foot of her bed and draped it around her.


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    Teeth now only somewhat chattering, she scurried back into the sitting room, promptly grabbing an already-opened bottle from the cabinets, along with a small stemmed glass.


    ¡°Cheaper but keeps better,¡± she mumbled to herself, impressed by her own foresight.


    ¡°Does it now?¡± a bemused voice called out from the direction of the kitchen.


    Raiva didn¡¯t have to look in the direction of the voice to know who it was.


    ¡°Yes, Cassian, it does,¡± she replied, raising her eyebrows. ¡°Why, have you never had port wine made for the enjoyment of the common people?¡±


    He chuckled dryly at her teasing.


    ¡°I have,¡± he responded, taking a seat before her. ¡°I simply tend to not have any left over.¡±


    Raiva eyed him, taking her seat next to him.


    ¡°I forgot, you¡¯re not much of a solo drinker.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    She poured herself a glass. The dark red liquid smelled of vanilla and almonds and sat as though it truly belonged in the intricately cut crystal glass.


    Pretty.


    Holding it up in front of her, looking at the shimmers of light from the fire through it, she sighed happily.


    As she sipped the sweet, heavy liquid, she noticed Cassian¡¯s eyes meeting hers when she glanced in his direction.


    ¡°Are you getting something or are you looking to talk about something?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to be drinking to enjoy your company?¡± he joked in his haughty-actor voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she giggled. ¡°Based on your current behavior it would seem so.¡±


    Cassian eyed her carefully as he sat back against the sofa, abandoning his proper posture.


    ¡°How are things?¡±


    ¡°Things?¡± she shot back, holding the glass up to her lips for another sip.


    ¡°Yes, things. Your flirtations and courtships with all residents of your boarding house,¡± he smiled teasingly. ¡°Quite scandalous, really.¡±


    She burst into laughter.


    ¡°And yet, somehow not the most scandalous thing about me in recent years. Though a continuation perhaps.¡±


    Not sure how to respond, she cocked her head to the side.


    She took another sip before putting her glass down entirely, then slouched across the back of the sofa, facing Cassian.


    ¡°Things are¡­ fine? It¡¯s all new. It¡¯s a little overwhelming, given that it¡¯s all quite simultaneous.¡±


    He reached for her glass and stole a sip.


    ¡°My wine!¡± she objected lightheartedly.


    Ignoring her, he murmured, ¡°Oh this is quite decent.¡±


    He smiled at her, a smile she had grown to be wary of.


    ¡°If it¡¯s all too much, then how about coming to stay at my apartments in the inner city over the weekend?¡±


    Had she been sipping her wine, she would have probably spilled it in surprise.


    ¡°You have an apartment in the city?¡±


    Her wide eyed stare made him chuckle profusely.


    She continued, not having gotten her answer.


    ¡°Then why are you renting a room here? Do you really have so much money to waste?¡±


    His eyes narrowed, his smile turned crooked.


    Her stomach jumped.


    Slowly moving closer to her, he began raising himself above her.


    ¡°Yes, I have an apartment in the city. I rent a room here to stay, sleep, be provided meals, and get work done in. Finally, yes, I do have money to waste quite freely.¡±


    Raiva¡¯s eyes were fixated on his.


    He¡¯s teasing me.


    She played along and continued her questioning.


    ¡°And what do you have this city apartment for then?¡±


    He smiled, but visibly slowed down his advance, eventually hovering near her let ear.


    ¡°For privacy, and weekend getaways with lovers who could use¡­ a break.¡±


    His whisper was theatrical in its intensity and allure.


    ¡°And I¡¯m a lover who could¡­ use a break? You wish to heroically whisk me away from my troubles, my love?¡± she asked in similar whispering fashion, brushing against his ear with her lips.


    He began laughing and pulled back, ensuring he did not accidentally dropping onto her.


    She shook her head in return and once again picked up her glass.


    Finally he spoke again.


    ¡°You do seem like a change of environment might do you good. How often have you gone out since moving in?


    Raiva had to think a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, twice?¡±


    ¡°Twice,¡± he pretended to be aghast. ¡°My friend, you need to get out more.¡±


    ¡°What, into a different living quarter?¡±


    ¡°It must be better than living the life of a sad, hermit widow at least.¡±


    ¡°I am a hermit widow, Cassian.¡±


    She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°And anyhow, how often have you gone out since moving in? Once? Not at all?¡±


    ¡°I have been working,¡± he interjected.


    ¡°Working in your rooms!¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°Is this an excuse to postpone work on your manuscript?¡±


    ¡°I would never!¡± he responded, entirely unconvincingly.


    This guy.


    She continued looking at him in silence.


    He caved almost immediately.


    ¡°Fine! Yes!¡± he cried, making a pained expression. ¡°But does it not sound like a fun diversion at least?¡±


    Leaning in, he said in a lowered tone and volume, ¡°And for your information, it¡¯s entirely soundproof.¡±


    Raiva raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Entirely? That can¡¯t have been cheap.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t,¡± he chuckled, returning to his normal conversational tone. ¡°But entirely worth it.¡±


    Soundproof¡­ Away from prying eyes and ears, I assume. No nobleman would have an apartment like that where privacy isn¡¯t respected.


    She leaned back and looked thoughtfully at the fire for a while.


    ¡°For the weekend?¡±


    ¡°In two days, overnight.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    He broke into a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get instruction to you tomorrow,¡± he said, as he left the room about as fast as she had ever seen him move.


    ¡°Instructions?¡± she called out after him.


    He did not respond.


    Instructions?


    She sighed, pulled her legs up on the sofa, then poured herself another glass.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him this animated before. Just because he can skip working for a day with a half-hearted excuse?


    Raiva sipped her port.


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 Chapter 33: A Busy Morning

    The morning sun rose as always. It was undoubtedly still quite early however, to Raiva¡¯s dismay.


    Days are getting longer.


    With a groan and and a stretch, Raiva sat up in bed.


    Groggily, she rubbed her eye, trying to recall her plan for the day.


    Bank, letters¡­ The hairpin!


    Raiva near jumped at the realization. Where did she leave it? On the table, underneath all the fabric?


    Damn it. I¡¯ll have to talk to her about it later today.


    She stretched again, before fully getting out of bed. She mumbled to herself, ¡°Bank, letters, hairpin,¡± while looking through her dressing room.


    Her eyes landed on a sage-colored tea dress, the one that Shelly had clearly fallen in love with a few days prior. Along with the accompanying chemise and petticoat, she laid the dress out on the little dresser next to her mirror.


    Shelly will have fun with this. I should take her out with me, for lunch. It¡¯s been too long, really.


    Figuring it was still a while until the usual wake-up knock on her door, she drew herself a bath. Too tired after her many encounters and goings-on yesterday, she had simply gone to bed without. Her skin felt grimy to her, her hair limp, and she felt her soul could use the bath as well.


    The bath went on for longer than Raiva had planned. The water was so warm and comfortable that she simply sat, head devoid of complicated thoughts and feelings, that she was likely in the water for upwards of an hour.


    Shelly should be here soon.


    Taking a deep breath of the cold morning air, she briefly shivered in her robe. She sat on the padded stool in front of her full length dressing mirror and went to work.


    First, carefully sectioning her hair. Then, starting at the bottom, working her way up with her fingers, untangling. And untangling. And untangling.


    At last, her hair looked it¡¯s usual self, with her soft, fiery red curls framing her entirely in their long, wild, voluminous, organized disarray.


    Raiva sighed, resting her tired hands and arms. She turned around to glance out her window.


    The sun is getting quite high now. What time is it?


    She stood up and walked to the door.


    I really should get myself a pocket watch.


    Before she could open it to call out for Shelly however, a knock sounded.


    ¡°Yes, come in,¡± Raiva said, relieved.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± a voice sounded. It was clearly not Shelly¡¯s, given that the voice belonged to a man.


    Instead, it belonged to a young, blonde man.


    ¡°Victor,¡± Raiva blurted out.


    He smiled, enjoying her unfiltered surprise and, upon a second glance, her under-dressed appearance.


    She waited for him to speak, but he did not. Instead, he simply looked at her politely, waiting for her to ask.


    She sighed and shook her head, an exasperated but entertained smile on her face.


    ¡°And how may I help you, Victor?¡±


    He bowed slightly, wearing the kind of smile an overly charming waiter might have.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s about how I may help you, my lady.¡±


    My lady?


    Before she could interject, he continued, though he had clearly waited for her to draw in her breath to speak.


    Rascal.


    ¡°Mrs. Shelly asked me to send her apologies, having to leave to tend to her daughter. A messenger boy came by earlier, nothing emergent,¡± he added seeing her tense up, ¡°though requiring assistance regardless.¡±


    Raiva collected herself, but was still somewhat concerned for Vera.


    ¡°Did you hear what was wrong, exactly?¡± she gestured for him to come in, pacing around the room by herself.


    Is she sick? Should I call for a doctor? A physician? Did she get hurt?


    Raiva had known Vera, Shelly and Frederick¡¯s daughter for almost seven years now. She was a rowdy 17-year-old when she first saw Shelly chewing her out for skipping her chores to sneakily ride horses with a stable boy. Her and the stable boy, Cornelius, wound up getting married a few years later. He was steadily working his way up to Master of the Horse for one of the Knight Order¡¯s Generals.


    Shelly did of course still refer to the two as troublemakers, frequently recalling their antics when cleaning a particularly stubborn spot on the windows.


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    ¡°Victor,¡± she reiterated when he did not immediately respond. ¡°Did you hear what happened to Vera?¡±


    It was only now that he realized the depth of her concern.


    He raised his hands in a motion aiming to calm her.


    ¡°Nothing happened to her, Raiva, she just took ill quite suddenly, and needs someone at her side from what I heard. I was on the stairs headed down, when I saw and heard them talk in the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Shelly wouldn¡¯t leave if it wasn¡¯t serious,¡± Raiva murmured, fervently scratching her eyebrow.


    ¡°Raiva,¡± Victor said, carefully leading her hand away from her face. He looked her calmly in the eye. She paused a moment.


    ¡°Raiva, she is fine, I promise you. It did not sound like an¡­ illness.¡±


    Raiva looked at him wide-eyed, panic spreading again.


    ¡°What do you mean, it didn¡¯t sound like one? How does an illness sound?¡±


    He took a deep breath.


    ¡°I believe Mrs. Shelly¡¯s daughter may be¡­ in the family way. From what I heard, anyhow.¡±


    She stopped dead in her tracks.


    Several seconds passed as Victor looked at her, hesitantly.


    Then, Raiva burst out laughing. All tension disappeared from her body, as she sat down on the chest by the foot of her bed.


    ¡°I see,¡± she finally said.


    Oh, Shelly must be overjoyed. I need to confirm with her and send Vera and Cornelius my congratulations.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Raiva continued, getting back to her feet, a little tired from the whirlwind of emotions. She laughed, ¡°I suppose I should get dressed myself then, instead of waiting for Shelly.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Victor did not make to leave, instead doing another little bow of his.


    ¡°And so we return to how I may help you, my lady,¡± his smile had returned. ¡°Mrs. Shelly asked me to ask Ms. Octavia to assist in getting you dressed. She seems to have left for the day however, and so, here I am.¡±


    Raiva blinked at him a few times.


    He continued, amused.


    ¡°Ready to assist, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Assist me in getting dressed,¡± she repeated, in a confused tone. ¡°Victor, I¡¯m seeing two problems here.¡±


    She smiled as she stood up, incredulous.


    ¡°And those would be?¡± he inquired, his expression unchanging.


    ¡°For one, you don¡¯t know how to assist a lady in getting dressed and made up.¡±


    ¡°The other issue?¡±


    ¡°The other problem is that I am not particularly fond of being dressed by a man who would rather¡­ tease me, every step of the way, while I am quite vulnerable and attempting to get a practical ordeal over and done with.¡±


    His smile widened confidently.


    ¡°Then there are no problems, my lady.¡±


    ¡°No? How so?¡±


    He deftly wound his waist length braid into a makeshift bun, as he made to respond.


    ¡°The first is in no way an issue, since I do have experience in assisting a lady with these matters,¡± he chuckled when he saw her raising an eyebrow. ¡°You forget the flexible nature of my¡­ services. I have assisted many a lady with this, in all manner, ranging from near platonic to, well, a scene type of situation.¡±


    He made to enter her dressing area.


    ¡°And so we get to the second ¡®problem¡¯, which I feel is already answered. If you so desire, then my assistance will be as platonic as you would expect from a trusted maidservant. Such are my services.¡±


    She laughed at the absurdity of the situation, as he walked to her mirror and saw the laid-out tea dress.


    ¡°A wonderful choice, my lady. Very complimentary of your colors.¡±


    She shook her head once again in disbelief.


    ¡°Victor, are you trying to get me to hire you?¡±


    He looked her in the eye and grinned.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, I¡¯m not hiring you.¡±


    ¡°So you said, yes,¡± he responded unfazed. ¡°Though I believe Mrs. Shelly left you in my care, and unless you wish for me to drop this facade of professionalism and attempt to seduce you in that thin, sheer robe of yours, thereby shirking this responsibility, then you will simply have to hire me. And I wouldn¡¯t want to disappoint her.¡±


    He leaned in her direction and whispered theatrically.


    ¡°She frightens me somewhat.¡±


    Where do I even begin?


    Once again a situation involving Victor had devolved into absurdity.


    Raiva had gone from building up a strong, crimson blush, to holding back incredulous laughter at this, at times unbelievably enticing, at times oddly infantile and impulsive, young man.


    What point is there in trying to fight it anymore?


    She held back a laughter, and threw up her hands, in a theatrically exasperated manner.


    ¡°Fine, Victor, I¡¯ll take professional trusted maidservant. For this one occasion of getting dressed and made up only.¡±


    ¡°Excellent choice, my lady,¡± he replied politely, as he bowed deeper than she was used to from him.


    She walked up to where he was standing, taking the chemise and petticoat from him.


    ¡°But, as I do with Shelly, I will be putting on my undergarments myself. I will call you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± he bowed in return, stepping towards her bedroom, sliding the door shut behind him.


    It took her scarcely a minute and a half to get dressed, but she sat on the stool for another five, with the simple intention of seeing his reaction.


    Will he get impatient? Be unfazed? Maybe simply think I am oddly slow?


    She heard not a sound form him, until she stood and softly, barely audibly, said, ¡°Victor.¡±


    Promptly, the door opened softly, and he reappeared with her dress still in hand, though now prepared for being put on her. He had opened the buttons and lacing, exactly like how Shelly would have done it.


    Not that I thought he lied, but this is still quite a sight.


    He stepped towards her with a polite smile on his face again.


    ¡°May I?¡± he asked as he held up the dress gingerly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied lifting her arms forwards the way she normally would.


    ¡°If you would please lift your arms a bit more upwards?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± yes replied, briefly confused.


    She understood why when he began lifting it onto her.


    Ah, because he¡¯s much taller than Shelly.


    The dress went on smoothly, and true to habit, she turned towards the mirror while waiting for him to move her hair, and close up the dress, correcting the chemise and petticoat to sit correctly as he went.


    And he did just that.


    ¡°This is excellent craftsmanship. I haven¡¯t seen this type of lace panels before. Is it new, if I may ask?¡±


    She nearly startled at how normal his small talk sounded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, observing him closely in the mirror. ¡°Octavia designed and made it for me. I¡¯m ordering quite a few garments in order to fill up my seasonal wardrobes.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he replied in the same light tone. ¡°Ms. Octavia is an excellent seamstress it would seem.¡±


    ¡°She is, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Silence fell again, though it wasn¡¯t of the uncomfortable kind.


    Raiva simply listened to his breathing and the sound of the fabric, as she occasionally felt his fingers grazing her skin while performing his duties. He did nothing intentional, nor inappropriate, though she still felt a mild flush on her cheeks.


    Deja vu.


    After Victor finished with her dress she took her seat, letting him get to work on her hair. He did a simple crown braid, using only a white ribbon, resulting in something quite pretty and delicate in appearance.


    Far beyond my skill level.


    She admired his work in the mirror.


    ¡°You really do have quite deft hands, Victor.¡±


    Watching him, Raiva saw the slightest lifting of the corner of his mouth, though he simply bowed in reply.


    ¡°Now then, if you will excuse me, my lady,¡± he said, making to leave the room.


    She watched him leave, and just as he was about to exit the door, he turned and winked at her, then closed the door behind him.


    Chuckling, she stood up and gave herself a once over.


    Something tells me I will be hearing about this from him again soon.


    Not knowing just how accurate her assessment was, she took a deep breath and exited her rooms to partake in breakfast.

 Chapter 34: Discomforting

    After a quiet breakfast, attended by only herself, Victor, and Cassian, Raiva excused Frederick to go join his wife and daughter.


    Barely had she finished her sentence before he nodded with a wide grin on his face, dropped what was in his hands and nearly leaped out the door with the words,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in time for preparing dinner!¡±


    Raiva smiled to herself with a shake of the head and busied herself with tidying up after breakfast.


    It had been a while wince she had been ¡®allowed¡¯ to do chores herself by Shelly, and she had to admit than her speed had greatly decreased since her days as a lady¡¯s maid.


    I seem to be severely out of practice.


    She sighed as it took her over an hour to clean and put away what could be saved for later.


    At last finished with this endeavor, keenly aware of the silence permeating the usually busy house. Not even Cassian, the man who rarely stepped foot outside of his room, even for meals, was currently there.


    Her footsteps seemed loud, the air cool, the wood of the house creaking lightly all around her. Despite the time of day nearing noon, the light was gray and dull. A look outside the window told her that the skies were dark and heavy, threatening rain for the afternoon.


    Best to deal with the letters now and send them off before the weather takes a turn.


    She entered the study, closing the door behind her habitually. It was a cozy room, especially now that she was so used to it. A few light blankets had made their way into the room over the weeks, several books tucked under the sitting chairs, away from Shelly¡¯s prying eyes. Raiva knew that her trusty housekeeper had seen them of course, but was happy that they had so far escaped her, at times, overly neat tendencies.


    That¡¯s¡­ Altogether too many letters.


    The sight of her desk made her halt a moment.


    ¡°What on earth,¡± she trailed off, mumbling to herself as she took a seat and flipped through at least three dozen of the carefully ordered, by Shelly of course, correspondence.


    Only half a dozen were business letters. Invoices.


    Three letters from J¨¹rgen. Three?


    One from Cassian. Peculiar.


    A, frankly, absurd amount of letters and invites from high society members; nobility, merchants, socialites, even two by renowned patrons of elite social clubs. I-


    One from her accountant.


    And finally, two from a ¡®Marquis Ashton Isling¡¯.


    Raiva dropped the letters as though they had burned her.


    Her blood ran cold, her breath rushed. With a wide eyed stare she sat back and glared at the letters, as though they were an illusion she could break, if she tried hard enough.


    I¡¯m not.


    I have to.


    I can¡¯t.


    I should.


    I won¡¯t.


    Her mind, and heart, were racing as she stared at the expensive looking, imprinted paper. Expensive, exclusive.


    Marquis. I see he really did it.


    There¡¯s no need.


    I must.


    Not now.


    Not ever.


    She felt like time had stopped. Like this, thinking only panicked, half-thoughts, she sat. And sat. And sat.


    At last, the spell was broken by the sound of thunder.


    Raiva jumped, gasping loudly in surprise. Once she caught herself, she began snickering, which would turn into a full blown, somewhat unhinged-sounding laughter.


    ¡°Fine, Marquis Ashton.¡±


    Rain began falling, hard. It hit the window with an intense sound, enough to make her ears ring.


    She stood, and left the office, only to return a minute later with a glass, containing a clear, yet decidedly alcoholic liquid.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Grimacing, she stood in the doorway, glancing at the letters.


    ¡°To your title, your lordship,¡± she said flatly, and took a big sip.


    The vodka was almost flavorless, but left a harsh burning in her throat.


    Perfect.


    She sat down, pushed the other letters aside and took a deep breath.


    After confirming the stamped dates on the covers, she grabbed the ¡®first¡¯ one.


    Deciding he wasn¡¯t worth her decorum, she snapped the wax seal in half rather than carefully pry it off and began reading.


    ¡®Dear Raiva,


    I hope this letter finds you well. Despite my previous efforts at reaching you, I have yet to receive news of your response. I shall blame the latest storm and lazy postal workers, rather than you of course, since I know you to be better than ignoring an old friend.


    First and foremost, I wish to express my condolences, regarding your late ¡°husband¡± and his untimely demise. I know you were fond of him, as a friend and confidante. Unfortunately, I had not heard of this until last month. You see, despite its peacefulness and resources, my marquisate is quite slow to receive news of Prievo¡¯s high society. I believe you would quite enjoy it here, with the lack of gossipy rumor mills and excess formalities of the City.


    In fact, this is why I write to you; to invite you to stay at my estate, and recover from what I¡¯m sure must have been quite horrible.


    I too, have lost my wife, although she is still among the living, lords bless her. Despite our marital bliss, she decided to elope with a man, of much lower station and means, leaving all work to me, including mending her poor parents¡¯ broken hearts. We have not heard from her in a year now, which as you may not know, pronounces her deceased, and leaves the responsibilities including title and estate to me.


    As such, you need not feel uncomfortable during your stay, and can take as much time as is needed to recover from what I¡¯m sure must have been a terrible shock.


    I know how much you hate to be alone.


    Yours now and ever,


    Marquis Ashton Isling¡¯


    She sat, staring the the paper unmoving for a full minute after finishing her reading of it. The folded it together and put it back on the desk, with a restrained facial expression and a clenched jaw.


    It took her three sips of her liquor, and several more minutes, before she could make herself open the other one. This one was less polished in handwriting, with several lines and words scratched out beyond recognition.


    ¡®My dear Raiva,


    Not a day goes by where I don¡¯t fret, awaiting your response to my letters. I have contacted several of our former acquaintances, who also have not heard from, or even about, you in quite some time. It fills me with grief and worry.


    As such, I have taken it upon me to travel to the City-¡®


    She dropped the piece of paper, incredulous at the words before her. Angrily, she down the, significant, remainder of her glass and paced for what felt like an hour. As the heat of the vodka hit her face and spurred on her impulsiveness, she raced to pick the letter back up and finish its contents.


    ¡®-to the City, where I am determined to ensure your safety and wellbeing.


    I will take care of you, like I promised.


    If you receive this, please send me word at my apartment, the one with the stained-glass windows. You remember where, I¡¯m sure.


    I can¡¯t wait to see you.


    Yours in torment and devotion,


    Ashton¡¯


    Raiva reacted before she could think.


    She screamed, briefly and wordlessly, at the inanimate paper, then flung open the office door. Never had she built a fire so fast as this day, setting it alight easily despite the humidity in the air. Watching it roar with heat and licking flames, she walked slowly, purposefully back to grab the letters from Ashton.


    They burned, of course, though she did feel somewhat unfulfilled by how easily the papers, which caused her such anguish, became engulfed and swallowed by the flames.


    She sat down, staring into the flames, in a daze.


    If only it were that easy to be rid of him.


    The heat was comforting, the scent familiar.


    As her mind eased and relaxed, she felt sleepy, and laid down on the sofa.


    The rain hit the windows with a steady, drumming, sound.


    Lightning lit up the dark sky, with thunder soon behind, threatening proximity. It was unlikely anyone would return until the weather calmed down.


    The alcohol was wearing off.


    Leaning her head back, she took a deep breath.


    Closing her eyes for a moment, she enjoyed the relaxing sounds of the wood crackling, the rain hitting the glass, the rumbles in the sky. Her mind drifted.


    ¡®-va!¡¯


    Raiva sprang up.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± she spat out, remembering the vaguely familiar looking man from the caf¨¦, calling out to her.


    Ashton.


    Her heart was racing, again.


    ¡°He won¡¯t find me,¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°And even if he does, there¡¯s nothing he can do.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t matter. Didn¡¯t this morning, doesn¡¯t now.


    She was surprised by the sound of the front door opening, hastily stood up and spun around, wide eyed.


    A tall, looming figure appeared, stepping into the house unceremoniously.


    ¡°Griffin,¡± Raiva smiled with relief. ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡±


    He stopped in his tracks for a moment. Then he smiled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I have a fire going.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He cocked his head to the side with a strange look on his face.


    ¡°May I join you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seemingly listening for something, he stared off in the direction of the kitchen.


    ¡°The staff?¡±


    ¡°Gone, until the weather improves at least, I suspect.¡±


    For a moment, he seemed to be grinning at this.


    Without hesitation, Griffin threw off his clothes, carelessly throwing them to the ground.


    She looked over his sculpted, muscular body in the strange light of half blue-gray and half orange.


    If I get to keep looking at this, I hope the weather stays horrible all day.


    ¡°They¡¯ll never dry like that.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    They were both unmoving for a while, looking at each other.


    Griffin moved towards her.


    ¡°The fire smells like wax.¡±


    ¡°It does?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He arrived before her. His hands caressed her face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too well.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you smell of liquor.¡±


    She grimaced, looking to the side.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe later.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    His hand ran down her neck, which he proceeded to carefully support from the back. In seemingly slow-motion, his towering figure leaned down and kissed her, gently, warmly.


    All thoughts melted away, as she reciprocated, matching his slowly increasing intensity.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Griffin murmured in his low, rumbling voice.


    Raiva barely managed to throw her arms around his neck before he picked her up and carried her a few long strides into her office, slamming the door behind him.