Chapter 4

We walk through the palace doors and my mouth drops open. Oh goddess it's beautiful. A very tall ceiling with the goddess painted on it, there's also colorful shapes on the ceiling. The floor even has colorful paintings and shapes. We walk forever it seems. Minutes later we finally make it to a beautiful spacious room with a big bed and a sitting area. I follow the servant to a room on the left. I step in and I don't know what I'm looking at.

At my confused expression the servant says," it's a lavatory. That is where your body waste goes", she said pointing toward the right.

"That is a tub and the nozzles on top is how you adjust the temperature of the water."

Wow I saw this on my mother's hologram, but our council members said it was the work of the vain and will poison our minds and will send the whole planet to damnation. Everything is more modern than what I'm used to. Back home I take a bath in a tin tub with water I heat up over the wood stove and fireplace. I have to walk out back to our outhouse to relieve myself.

She walks over to the contraption to the right and pushes the handle down, " this is how you flush your waste."

Wow. Just wow.

"I've heard the dark ones are a primitive bunch. I'm Jai by the way, I will be your maid. Now lets run you some water so that you can bathe."

She goes over to the handles and twists then water starts to flow and I can't wait to get in it. I love water. I start to strip immediately.

Jai laughs, " aren't you the anxious one."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling embarrassed.

"Don't be. Innocence is rare here. You go ahead and get in and I'll go grab some soap, oil and shampoo."

I wince, my hair is really hard to deal with. It's really coarse and rough, most of the time I just push it back. I've heard there are chemicals or even a flattening iron that will press it out but I haven't had the extra coin to explore more. I was going on the next market trip, which is a fortnight away. The water is still running so I finish stripping and hop in. The tub is so big you can swim in it. I hold my breath and go under. I come back up laughing and sputtering. Jai comes back in and pour something into the water and it creates bubbles. Then she turns the water off. She kneels down next to the tub and starts soaping my hair and massaging it and it feels relaxing.

"Ok let that sit for a while then wash it out, I'm going to pick out some clothes for you."

"Ok and thanks for being so nice to me."

"You're welcome and thanks for not being difficult," she smiles and walks off.

I sit back and close my eyes and relax. After a few minutes I dip my head and body and stay under until all the shampoo is out. I come back up laughing still amazed at the large deep tub.

"Glad you're having fun," a deep voice growled.

I stiffen at that remark, and wipe the water from my eyes and look up at the king.

"My lord!!,” I said and slid deeper into the water. I'm thanking the goddess that the water is soapy.

"Hello Aerasume. Stand."

"My lord please do not make me."

"Do you want a repeat of earlier."

"No!!," I said thinking about when he knocked me off the arroch.

"Then do what I ask."

I slowly stand with my eyes close. I hear him speak.

"Nice round breast, that hair would have to be removed."

My eyes snapped open at that.

I look down to where he's pointing and use my hand to cover up the hairy patch.

"Why, my lord."

"Because if I want to put my mouth down there I don't want to be choked by hair."

My body becomes still with fright. My chest pounds so bad that I can barely breathe. "My lord please don't force rut me," I said on a sob.

He walked up to the tub and grabbed my hairy patch roughly with his hand and rubbed it.

I stare at him in horror.

"I will so I can hear your cries and screams," he said then walked out.

I fall back into the tub. I cry and sob. What do I do? He wants to cause me pain. He doesn't have any plans to try and be civil. He's the elven king, I'm sure he can cause lots of pain, this is hopeless.

Jai comes back in. She sits on the edge of the tub. She rubs my shoulder and sings a melody that's soft until I stop crying.

"Thank you Jai."

"You're welcome, now come so I can shave you and comb your hair."

"Have you ever seen hair like mines before."

"Of course, we have plenty of dark ones here."

"You do!."

"Yes, now come on."

She dried me off and told me to sit on the edge of the tub. She came back with something small in her hand. She rubs some smelly liquid on my private and starts shaving it off. It feels so intimate that I become embarrassed.

Jai says, " Aerasume don't be embarrassed, we elves are sexual creatures, most of us start having sex at two and ten.

"Wow. We're supposed to remain a virgin until marriage. If you don't you will be shamed," I said sadly.

"All done," Jai said.

I look down at it, " Jai what is that on there, is that an arrow."

"Yes."

"Why is it pointing down."

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Jai will his majesty share me."

"I don't know, he doesn't mind sharing Akee, she's his future queen, but from what I hear you'll want him to share you, he's a savage beast in bed. He's a hard lover and only the most experience like it.

I freeze with terror, his rutting will kill me. I put my hand over my face and cry. What I'm I going to do?

"Do not fight him mistress, the last one to try was killed and left for the servants the next morning. They had to bury her.”

My body is so tense with terror. I pray to the goddess. The dark ones are known for being strong with smooth tough skin and fast runners. Our tough skin makes it hard for us to be killed depending on the situation. But I have no defense against this. If I wanted to fight I couldn't because he'll just become angry and kill me. I prayed to the goddess harder.

"I don't mean to frighten you mistress, I just wanted to warn you."

I nod, she sat me down and used lotions and oils to soften my hair. She flat twisted it to my scalp.

“Now we'll let that dry before I take it down.Now let's get you dressed. Since you have dark skin, we'll dress you in either, white, gold or red. I'm thinking of this white and gold one here."

The material looks soft and breezy, it's low cut in the front, all the way to the navel it seems. It's a beautiful dress, I'm just too nervous to appreciate the beauty and I hate that.

"Why can't I wear that one," I said pointing to the gold and red suite.

"Aerasume that's for when we go off world. We called it a smart suite, it's elastic and stick like a second skin. Tonight you will be formally introduced, I suggest you not wear that mistress."

"Fine, but leave it there. I will wear it tomorrow."

"Sure, now sit while I get something to speed up this hair drying process."

I get lost in my head again, what in the devil will I do about the king. There is really no one to complain to. He and the Pyre king are the strongest being on Fleekopolis. The rest of us are only subjects and squatters.

What if I don't fight and give in. Maybe he'll like me. But how do I do that? I couldn't make anybody in my village like me. How am I supposed to make the king of elves like me. I can talk to him, but I'm so scared. He's always growling and glowering like he hates me.

I will ask him about his kingdom and what interests him and I also can ask him about me setting up a herb booth. Yes, I decided I will do that.

Jai comes back with a device to blow my hair dry. I get dressed and sit down for her to finish. When she is done and takes it down. My hair is very soft and curls are everywhere down my shoulders and back.

"Thanks Jai, I look like a new person,!."

"You're welcome, now I'll push your hair back a little to put some gold eye-shadow on your eyes and gold on your lips. You are so beautiful Aerasume and your eyes are mesmerizing. Lavender is my favorite color.

"Thank you Jai, you are beautiful also." No one has ever said that to me before, not even my betroth.

"Thank you, now let's go."

I feel a little naked with this dress on. It is long but the dip in the front goes all the way to my navel. My inner breast are showing. It's a split in the dress that comes up to my thighs.

"Ok I'm ready," and we're off to the dinning hall.