receive the treat while Juliet murmured soothing words in the animal’s ear. When the time came, this horse would flee with her.
It was on one of these midnight excursions that she began to understand the true nature of the evil that permeated Castle Bathen. She had been moving stealthily through the corridors she had memorized when she heard footsteps approaching and voices, several men and a woman conversing. There was nowhere to hide. Quickly she had to run the other way. That hall was a dead end, but there was a stairway going up. She saw no alternative. She climbed the stairs into an area she had never been in before. It featured a wide hall with many doors. They were still coming so she ducked into a doorway that she thought opened into a storage room. Inside the room it was dark except that light came through narrow slots in the back wall. She peered through the slots. It was some sort of observation room. A person could stand here, in the dark, and observe all that went on in the adjacent room.
She prayed the people behind her would walk on by, and she breathed more easily once she heard their footsteps passing her doorway. Then she heard a door opening nearby. They were entering the adjacent room. Cautiously she peered through one of the slots. A pair of pretty girls stood in the center of what looked like a luxurious boudoir. A huge bed draped in silky bedclothes dominated the room, which contained other rich furnishings. A fireplace at one end burned crackling logs and soft light came from lamps in wall sconces. Chairs and divans of fine craftsmanship dotted the room and rich draperies adorned the walls. Plush rugs made from the hides of animals covered most of the floor.
The girls were young, about her age. They had been made to look exquisitely beautiful. Their hair had been painstakingly coiffed and their arms and wrists were adorned with golden bracelets and other jewelry. One girl had long yellow hair and a light complexion. Her figure was willowy, her legs long, her neck slender. The other had dark hair that fell in ringlets. She was more voluptuous in her breasts and hips than her companion, but also fair skinned.
The thing that startled Juliet most was their attire. They wore short kirtles made of some sheer white fabric that revealed everything beneath. It was almost as if they were naked. The top of the flimsy garment draped over one shoulder leaving the other bare. A dainty golden chain encircled each of their waists, emphasizing the curves of their hips.
When the party who had startled Juliet entered the room, she had to stifle a gasp. It was Morgaine, a female attendant, and two men whose dress left no doubt that they were wealthy Ieryn. Juliet saw the two men pace in a circle around the two girls, inspecting them from every angle.
Morgaine sat on a divan as the men continued the inspection. “Well, Prince Feyd, Prince Arak, are they not lovely as promised?” asked Morgaine. “These lovely creatures are Celeste and Thora.”
One of the men stroked his chin and nodded. “You did not mislead us, countess, they are both very comely.”
“Indeed,” said the other, “but have they been trained? Are they obedient? I do not wish to part with so much silk only to find that I have a surly she-cat on my hands.”
“We have a long journey back,” said the one called Feyd, “and I want a willing bed warmer, not a timid village girl fearful of losing her maidenhood.”
“I assure you that both have been trained according to my methods. They will do whatever you say… and enthusiastically,” promised Morgaine.
“How well do they accept correction?” asked Arak.
Juliet saw Morgaine smile broadly. “Merilda, hand Prince Arak your quirt.”
The stout mistress who accompanied Morgaine produced a short leather object from a belt worn at her waist and gave it to the prince. It had a handle and a short braided portion that ended in a large knot from which dangled three strands. “Pretend she
It was on one of these midnight excursions that she began to understand the true nature of the evil that permeated Castle Bathen. She had been moving stealthily through the corridors she had memorized when she heard footsteps approaching and voices, several men and a woman conversing. There was nowhere to hide. Quickly she had to run the other way. That hall was a dead end, but there was a stairway going up. She saw no alternative. She climbed the stairs into an area she had never been in before. It featured a wide hall with many doors. They were still coming so she ducked into a doorway that she thought opened into a storage room. Inside the room it was dark except that light came through narrow slots in the back wall. She peered through the slots. It was some sort of observation room. A person could stand here, in the dark, and observe all that went on in the adjacent room.
She prayed the people behind her would walk on by, and she breathed more easily once she heard their footsteps passing her doorway. Then she heard a door opening nearby. They were entering the adjacent room. Cautiously she peered through one of the slots. A pair of pretty girls stood in the center of what looked like a luxurious boudoir. A huge bed draped in silky bedclothes dominated the room, which contained other rich furnishings. A fireplace at one end burned crackling logs and soft light came from lamps in wall sconces. Chairs and divans of fine craftsmanship dotted the room and rich draperies adorned the walls. Plush rugs made from the hides of animals covered most of the floor.
The girls were young, about her age. They had been made to look exquisitely beautiful. Their hair had been painstakingly coiffed and their arms and wrists were adorned with golden bracelets and other jewelry. One girl had long yellow hair and a light complexion. Her figure was willowy, her legs long, her neck slender. The other had dark hair that fell in ringlets. She was more voluptuous in her breasts and hips than her companion, but also fair skinned.
The thing that startled Juliet most was their attire. They wore short kirtles made of some sheer white fabric that revealed everything beneath. It was almost as if they were naked. The top of the flimsy garment draped over one shoulder leaving the other bare. A dainty golden chain encircled each of their waists, emphasizing the curves of their hips.
When the party who had startled Juliet entered the room, she had to stifle a gasp. It was Morgaine, a female attendant, and two men whose dress left no doubt that they were wealthy Ieryn. Juliet saw the two men pace in a circle around the two girls, inspecting them from every angle.
Morgaine sat on a divan as the men continued the inspection. “Well, Prince Feyd, Prince Arak, are they not lovely as promised?” asked Morgaine. “These lovely creatures are Celeste and Thora.”
One of the men stroked his chin and nodded. “You did not mislead us, countess, they are both very comely.”
“Indeed,” said the other, “but have they been trained? Are they obedient? I do not wish to part with so much silk only to find that I have a surly she-cat on my hands.”
“We have a long journey back,” said the one called Feyd, “and I want a willing bed warmer, not a timid village girl fearful of losing her maidenhood.”
“I assure you that both have been trained according to my methods. They will do whatever you say… and enthusiastically,” promised Morgaine.
“How well do they accept correction?” asked Arak.
Juliet saw Morgaine smile broadly. “Merilda, hand Prince Arak your quirt.”
The stout mistress who accompanied Morgaine produced a short leather object from a belt worn at her waist and gave it to the prince. It had a handle and a short braided portion that ended in a large knot from which dangled three strands. “Pretend she
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