So these were their names, and what did he mean to play with her? So he was enjoying himself by making her squirm.
This was going to be a very long road, she hoped she would not have many encounters with them and specifically Caspian.
They were so many activities to do, so why should he waste his time on her and his own very precious time.
"How old are you Aurora?" Caspian asked.
"Eighteen My Lord."
"Interesting," Caspian replied.
"If that's all My Lord, could I take my leave?"
Caspian was surprised at her question, it was clear that this girl wanted to be anywhere but here. She had rich red hair and her eyes were striking green, they were like emeralds.
He had never taken any interest in girls till now, there was something behind her beauty that he was getting drawn into.
"Not yet." He blurted out.
She seemed surprised at his response and rightfully so, he had just instinctively replied to her but he did not know what more he wanted to say to her.
She seemed to be trembling for fear, and that fascinated him. All the women in the palace belonged to him but he wanted her to come on her own according.
He had a few women that he had occasioned but lost a taste for them after sleeping with them for a few nights.
"What were your previous duties before you were assigned to me." He emphasized the me, to show that she belonged to him.
Thoughts started to creep in as he wondered if she frequented lovers or if she had a lover, it would not be hard for men to not swoon over her.
"I was in the yard and courts duty, My Lord." She responded and her voice was velvety, it suited her so well.
"I see, you may leave Aurora."
She nodded, facing down, and exited the room gracefully.
"Are you taken with her?" Douglas asked grinning at him, Caspian knew what he was implying, that he wanted to just sleep with her.
Caspian used to think he was in love but later on, he realized the women he frequented, it was just for lust.
"I suppose."
"She will be in your bed sooner than you think," Douglas responded.
Caspian grinned, "I hope so,"
"With your looks, any girl would jump into bed with you at any chance they get."
"We shall wait and see Douglas."
"I give it two weeks at tops before she is warming up your bedsheets."
Caspian laughed, "We will see."
Aurora closed the door behind her and she sighed in relief, she went to the kitchen. She hoped she had not made a fool out of herself or gotten into trouble.
Why would he ask for their name if he didn't intend on reporting her for something? She would just have to wait and see.
She remembered Caspian the one asking her questions, the man was very handsome and from an elite family.
He was truly blessed, she needed to keep him off her mind, there was no point in swooning over a man that she could not get.
When an hour passed she went back to his chambers to get the dirty dishes but this time they were not there and she was grateful.
Dinner time came, and today they were having beef stew.
"How was your second day of work Aurora?" Evelyn asked.
"It was tense."
"How so?" Ida asked.
"In the morning everything went smoothly but when it was time for tea I finally met the masters of the room, and I was asked a few questions."
"They must have been taken aback by your beauty," Barbara added dramatically, which was greeted by a few laughs and an eye roll from her.
"Were they handsome?" Agnes asked.
"Honestly yes."
They all started to squeal, "How handsome?" Ella asked enthusiastically,
"Apollo handsome."
"Lucky you Aurora, I serve an old duke and duchess," Lucy replied.
"You must take advantage and seduce him." Said Evelyn.
"Never, I don't want to have any complications with my work."
"Pity, I would have warmed up his sheets very fast," Ida replied.
They all laughed, and Aurora set for home after finishing the last few bites of her meal and saying her goodbyes to her friends.
She went outside and pushed her bicycle out the palace gates and got on, she set out to her place.
The next morning Aurora got to the servant's quarters, got her food, and sat down with her friends.
"How excited are you to meet Apollo?" Ida asked.
"Not very, one mistake, and my head is on a plate."
"True, hopefully, he is not the cruel kind," Agnes replied.
"Much worse if he forces you to serve him in bed." Barbara chimed in.
Aurora's eyes widened she hadn't thought that far, when push comes to shove she would be forced to sleep with him if he wanted her to.
Then he would probably discard her just like trash, they belonged to the palace after all and no is not in their vocabulary, this sent shivers throughout her body.
"You look petrified Aurora but you are better you don't have someone who is old or with bucked teeth," Lucy replied.
"Some do sleep with their maids to get out whatever beastly desires they have and don't want to take it out on their wives," Ella added.
This was not making her case any easier,
"The sad thing is maids are not in their social ranking range to even be made concubines, they are just used and discarded." This time it was Agnes.
Aurora felt her appetite dissipating but she doubted that Caspian or his friend would need to force women in bed as they could get anyone, just not her.
When breakfast was done Aurora made her way to the chambers and when she got there she got in and started with her work.
After an hour she was almost done,
"I thought you might be still here."
Aurora jumped at the sound of the voice that was coming from the doorway, it was Caspian and why was he back from tea early or had she taken long to clean?
She looked at the hourglass and saw that she still had some time left to clean. Caspian followed her gaze to the hourglass.
"I came back early so I could catch you Aurora." He dragged out her name.
"Is there something you need My Lord?"
"Not specifically, I just wanted to chat with you."
Aurora's heartbeat escalated, was this the moment that she would be forced to be in bed with him,
"Yes My Lord."
She tried not to shake and talk in a calm and unaffected voice but she failed miserably at that, she saw him take a step closer and she took one back instinctively, oh no she should not have done that. Was she stupid? Would he end her life there and there?
With her reaction, he stopped moving towards her, "Don't worry I won't do any harm to you, I have never forced a girl to get into bed with me."
Aurora's cheeks got some color into them,
Caspian studied her, he was intrigued, she had this innocence about her, she was clearly flustered about male attention.
She was blushing over a few words which were rare with the women that he had. Her beauty was even more to him.
He could see that she was petrified of him getting too close to her, and she wanted to create some space from him.
This was the first time a woman has ever done this, his looks always certified the deal yet this girl wanted to avoid him at all costs.
She was not charmed by him but more nervous around him, he saw her picking up the basket with clothes in them and he knew she was running away from him once again.
He knew from their first encounter that she had run away from him and pretended to not hear him, he had gone after her that day but when he turned the corner she was nowhere in sight which means she had dashed quickly so he would not be able to catch up with her.
He looked at her face, what game was she playing?
"If you will excuse me, My Lord."
He nodded, and made way for her to pass by which she did tensely, she was out the door and he would have to wait a while when she came to serve him tea.
Aurora went to the laundry room and she was relieved she had managed to dodge a bullet, she thought should be frequenting his bed but when he said he does not force women, she felt the relief course through her body and so profound at that.When she had dropped off the clothes, Aurora was glad that today she had no dishes in the kitchen which meant she could get out of cleaning in there.She had never taken a stroll in the palace and now was her chance to do so, she walked through the pathway, which on either side had long tall trees.The breeze was amazing and she inhaled it, and for once she felt free, stress-free from the daily burdens that she needed to carry.She was a bit sad that this position was not hers forever, not that she wanted Constance to stay ill forever.Maybe one day she would have enough money to build herself a small little cottage where she could live and have no one to bother her.Currently, she could not save much as she had to buy candles, and sometimes the fo
Caspian lay awake in his chambers as he remembered Aurora's eyes, from the encounter that they had.Her surprised at him being so close to her and blushing when he had touched her face fascinated him more and drew her more to him.He didn't know what he wanted from her as her eyes had made his mind go blank and he had gotten lost in them.He had been with beauties before but the way she was so reserved made him want to crush her resilience all the more.He would have his way with her, it was a matter of time before she succumbed to his charm, she was already flustered with a bit of attention from him.The previous maid was more than happy to be in his bed the minute he had set his eyes on her. She frequented his bed when he was willing to entertain her.Yet Aurora had not made a move or given him fake doe eyes or tried to start a conversation, or seduce him at that.This was the first time a girl had not come willingly to him, he could chase her a bit not that he needed to do much.A
Aurora made her way inside, she did her normal balancing and went up to the table and placed the tray there."Your tea My Lord."Her head was bowed as per usual and she started to turn away,"I didn't dismiss you Aurora."She stood very still at his words and hoped she had not offended him in any way with her actions, she stood there anxiously waiting for his next words or command."Is there something wrong with being in my presence?""I apologize, My Lord, I did not mean to insult you.""Talk freely Aurora and set aside rankings.""I could never do such My Lord.""It's an order."Aurora nodded, she was afraid that one wrong word and this would all end badly for her."Lift up your head."Aurora did so immediately, she didn't want to disobey him as she could decipher what he was thinking."Why do you look so worried Aurora?""I am not My......I mean I am not."It felt strange to not address him the way they were taught,"Look at me."Aurora forced her gaze on him, he was really good-lo
Caspian sat in front of his tea, Aurora was definitely something new to him. He wanted to break all her barriers.She fascinated him and he was thinking about her a lot even though he was frequenting other women who were willing to bare it all for him and that was a lot of girls willing to do so.This was a new challenge to him but Douglas was often a very accurate teller, he had said two weeks and he always set a challenge to himself to break the record and he had excelled in it.Most girls would act coy and then during the night, they would come to his room on their own after hours.He thought he had cracked Aurora and as he sat in his bed chambers, she had not come back and that surprised him, he thought she had run away the first time as she was too embarrassed to approach him but even when he did approach her, she had her guard up.He had thought she must have had a suitor or someone who is interested in her and they shared mutual feelings but those suspicions were on the low for
Weeks go by and Aurora is getting used to her morning routines but they had changed a bit, Caspian was never there when she was in his chambers.She had not seen him for a while and was happy that he wasn't accosting her anymore, he probably saw it was a lost cause to try and pursue her.There was no news from Constance, and the last time she had heard about her was from rumors speculating that she was not getting better by the day.All the maids were extra cautious as they did not want to catch it.They were called by Madam Beatrice and they all stood there,"I called you all here as this weekend we will be hosting a banquet, as you know uniforms are going to be provided for you all. Let me revise the rules..............."After two hours they were finally done and dismissed, all the maids were chatting amongst themselves and there was so much excitement in the air.She was also excited, it meant they would be eating well as there would be lots of food, and there would be extra pay,
Caspian had to prepare for the upcoming banquet for Princess Nadia, she was a known beauty so that would not be a problem on his part. He had to take lessons daily on how to host her and his parents wanted him to make an impression on her. They would not be attending the banquet this time. Weeks went by as he attended his daily classes and how to host a banquet for the first time, he had to show that he had authority and leadership. His father often said he should have enough authority that everyone wanted to impress him. The day of the banquet came and he spent the whole day in baths and being scrubbed. He put on his attire and his hair was brushed, when he walked out he could see that all the women were fawning over him and the man in awe."If I were also a woman I would be falling at your feet." Douglas joked and Caspian pushed his best friend. He waited as Princess Nadia was bought in as they needed to go in together to the banquet, Caspian saw her maids and she emerged in betw
Aurora finally made it back to her place and could not forget about the whole incident that had happened.She got into bed and her feet ached from all the hours of attending to Caspian and Nadia, the music she had heard and the food she got to taste was all worth it.Even though she had only tasted a fraction of it, she wanted to recall all of it but she was way too tired.Aurora was glad that she could sleep in as she was told to come in the afternoon in time for tea. Prince Caspian was sleeping in so she would clean then.When she got to the palace the next morning during lunch, the servant's quarters were booming with chatters about what had happened last.She went and got her meal, as she passed by the tables she could hear that she was now the center of attention.Before she could sit down her friends were already bombarding her with so many questions,"So you serve the Prince?" said Agnes."Apollo was a prince after all." Said Evelyn."I only found out last night at the same tim
"I could never measure up to Princess Nadia My Lord."Caspian did not know why he was annoyed by her response, "I am not speaking of Nadia currently but about you and I Aurora."Her face was getting some color, but she did not respond. Caspian stood up from his bed and he saw that she had stiffened.He came up to her and he tilted her head, she was stunning, but something about her eyes drew him in. What were they hiding?"I don't know what I am looking for," Caspian said more to himself."If you need me to look for anything, I will gladly do so My Lord."Caspian chuckled in response to her answer this girl was really naïve and innocent, she never looked for other meanings in his words."You are way too innocent for your own good Aurora, it makes me even want you more."Aurora's face was full-blown red at this moment, he could feel the rise in temperature in her from just touching her chin."The color in your face is remarkable, sweet. Blushing over a couple of words.""Forgive me, My L
“I want this journey to not end if only we could keep going until we have explored everything.”“That would take a lifetime and even a lifetime is not possible to explore every area.”“That is the whole point Caspian, for this journey to never end.”“I did not think of it that way.”“I have always wanted to go to different places from where I was raised, even our journey back to the palace was a thrill for me as I had not been anywhere besides where I grew up.”“Do you believe that your father might be on the lookout for you?”“No, not all he has never acknowledged my existence and he is not about to start now. If was searching for it would be to execute me as he would have figured out that I helped you escape. I’m probably labelled a disgrace and a traitor.”“I’m sorry that you did this all to help me.”“It wasn’t to only help you Caspian, it was a way out for me, to have the freedom I have always craved and to be away. I was desperate that I would have gone anywhere but stay there,
Caspian had heeded Douglas’s words and he had told Rurina that they would not be stopping until they were in the clear.All he had was faith, and hope that he would find her, he felt sick at the thought of her not being where he thought she was.Only time will tell when he goes to the destination if she is there or not. The day progressed bit by and when noon arrived they were searching for an area where they could eat as they were famished.They stopped by a stream, and the scenery was spectacular, now he could see why Aurora had loved being out here, one did not want to leave.He knew by now that they might be looking for him back at the palace and he hoped that they would believe Douglas.He had left them notes, explaining to them that he needed to breathe as the palace was a bit suffocating for him. He had told his mother she was in charge of making the final decisions until he came back and resumed full authority.“Are you worried about back home?” Rurina asked him.“A bit, I don
Evening came and Caspian lay on his bed, but sleep alluded him. He could not find a sweet spot on the bed. He kept on turning but he was not finding a comfortable position.He was not finding it, he got up and got dressed. He went outside and he went back to the forest path that he walked with Aurora.The moon was full tonight and it cast soft light, the breeze was warm, how he would love to walk with Aurora during this moment, he wanted to share it with her.He remembered her words, as long as they were under the same moon they would find their way back to each other.He stood in the middle of the forest, he would never forget the moment when he had turned and saw Aurora walking down to him.Caspian came to realization that he knew where Aurora might be, why had he not thought of it earlier. He went raced back to his chambers and he took out a scroll, he was going to leave soon to go find her.He prayed that she would be where he thought she was. The next morning Caspian summoned Dou
Caspian waited for Douglas to come with Aurora’s friends, he could not go himself as that would raise a lot of speculation.It might also reach his mother and Nadia’s ear, he heard the door open as Douglas led them in, when they saw him they all seemed to be frightened.“You may leave,” Caspian said to Douglas as he went out.“You all don’t have to be anxious, I did not call you all to berate nor to punish you. I wanted to ask about Aurora, and you all don’t have to keep your heads down, you may look at me.”He could see them lift their heads, and their hands were clasped in front of them,“I wanted to ask if you knew where Aurora might be?”They all shook their heads in unison,“Do you have any idea where she could have gone to?”“No, My Lord, before she left, she was ordered to not speak nor see us.”“Who ordered you to do so?”They all were silent at his question and he knew that they were probably afraid if word got out they would get punished.“You do not have to fear anything,”
Caspian turned and Nadia stood there, “I thought you had retired to your chambers.”“I was waiting for you.”“Is there something worrying you?”“I have been meaning to have a chat about a few things on my mind,” Nadia replied.“Of course.”“Can we do this at your chambers?”“I would rather we go to your chambers.”Nadia seemed to be overjoyed with his suggestion, “I will lead the way then.”They walked in her chambers and he saw that it was different but he really would not know as he spent most of the time at his chambers or at Aurora’s.He sat by the table, and she sat too, “I know we haven’t had much time to ourselves as you have urgent matters to attend to as the king but I was hoping we could bond again.”Caspian was too tired for all this, why could they not discuss it in the morning?“How so?”“We can select activities that we love and we share them with each other,” Nadia replied.“That’s a sound plan.”“Do you have any suggestions?” Caspian could see that she was hopeful, did
Nadia’s parents arrived, and he, Nadia and his mother stood in the forefront as they were being welcomed.“Caspian, we never thought we would see you again.” Nadia’s father held him at arms-length.“It is wonderful to see you again Sir.”“No need for formalities, you are my son and I will make your father proud.”Nadia’s mother came up to him and smiled, “Thank you coming back to Nadia, we do not know what would have happened if you would have not been able to return.”“Thank you, I see who Nadia takes after.”Greetings were exchanged and they all made it to the dining area that was prepared, and mead was served as everyone got comfortable.“Before we all have a drink, I would love to raise a toast to my son Caspian who was given back to us and the time when he was most needed. A toast to Caspian.”They all raised their glasses after Nadia’s father’s speech, “Cheers.”The night set off, and there was so much chatter, the room was full of guests yet he felt alone, sad and the mead was
Caspian walked side by side with Rurina during the night festival, he looked around but he was very distant. His mind and heart were on Aurora, he really needed to be reunited with her.“Look! Look!” Rurina said excitedly.She was looking at some sweets, they had them in the palace but probably did not know about them. He went over to the stall and got her some which she stuffed her mouth.“So delicious.”Caspian laughed at her excitement, then the next stall ahead of them was one with beauty accessories.Rurina was having fun in selecting one by one,“Sire.”Caspian turned, and Nadia was standing there with the concubines,“I didn’t know you were attending.” Nadia carried on.“I wasn’t but Rurina wanted to come so I came with her.”“Rurina we are having a concubine lunch for you tomorrow at noon.” Nadia said to her.Rurina nodded, “Alright.”Rurina took his hand before they carried on talking and she was dragging him away, she was very strong, no doubt about that.They bought some la
Douglas got into his room and closed the door, he had calmed down after his meeting with his mother.“You look strained.”“How can I not be Douglas, did you find anything?”Douglas sat down, “Can’t even wait for me to sit down.” He teased him, and this made him realize that he was free.“I will after I……….”“I know Caspian, find Aurora.”“Did you find anything.”Douglas put down a scroll on the table and opened it, it had a lot of writing and drawings on it.“There are seven possible areas that Aurora could have gone and it happened a while back, so they are not many witnesses. The other matter is that Aurora left wearing a cloak most probable.”Caspian nodded, he would not give up, “Anything else?”“Aurora seemed to have not taken much, and it seems as if she just disappeared without a trace.”“When did you find out when she was banished?”“After some moons had passed, I had tried to look into it but those who did would be harshly punished.”“Did you notice anything unusual to the we
"No, she just left and you weren't here to protect her." Elliot snapped."When did she leave?""Two years ago, and no-one has heard from her." Elliot replied in a hurt manner."Do her friends know?""No, she was banished from interacting from us and they turned her into a servant. The last time I saw her, she had dark circles under eyes and did not look like the same Aurora I once knew."Caspian clenched his fist, he walked back to his villa. He would not rest until he found her, he would search for her himself.He sat there in so much torment, he had wanted to surprise her of his return after he looked a bit better so that she would not have to worry but that all was for naught.As Caspian sat he tried to not think of the worst that could have happened to her, all he wanted was for to be alive even if it meant she had rewed and had a new life.He just wanted to see her once, just once was enough for him to see her doing well. That was all that he needed.There was a knock on the door