"Heritage"

[BigBubblehead]

"Heritage"​

"Halt! Identify yourself and state your business!"

William studied the man standing a few yards beyond the entrance to the walled village. He held a rusting, dull sword before him in noticeably trembling hands, his gaze shifting quickly between the six well armed, armored men on powerful war horses.

William ignored the wanna-be-Guardsman's demand, giving the village a good once over. If you ignored the severe damage to the Keep, Village buildings, bridges, and perimeter fences, it looked just like the drawing he'd carried inside his tunic for the past three years.

"Do you speak for this village?" William asked, his gaze not on the man he was talking to but on the slowly gathering group of villagers who, alerted by a still-ringing bell, were gathering to see what the matter was. William looked to the man and found an uncertain expression on his face. He clarified, "Who's in charge of this village?"

"I am," a second male called. An older man carrying a bow with a notched arrow ascended the mud bank where a now missing bridge had once connected the inner and outer gates. He paused when he reached level ground, turned to wave the bell ringer silent, then turned and walked forward to stand a few yards short of the six visitors. "I am Turrell, the Elder of this village. If you wouldn't mind, m'lord ... could you address the Guard's challenge?"

William smiled at the man's question. Turrell respected the frightened man for performing his duty, even if the Guardsman looked about ready to wet his trousers.

"I am William," the mounted warrior responded, "Viscount of Wildwood."

Turrell studied William for a moment. Behind him, a light murmur was floating about between the villagers, a combination of dismay, doubt, and -- possibly -- excitement at William's claim. Was it possible? Was this man who none of these people had ever seen before truly their Noble Lord...? their Master?

"May I ask, m'lord," Turrell continued with a carefully respectful tone, "What is the basis for your claim to our village?"

William dismounted and -- as he reached into his tunic and withdrew a rolled scroll -- walked casually up to the Village Elder. He handed over the scroll, and as Turrell unrolled it, he reached into his tunic again and withdrew a purse heavy with coin.

When Turrell's eyebrows rose -- not unexpected, since the scroll was devoid of words -- William tossed the purse into the man's free hand.

"Elder Turrell," William said so softly it was nearly a whisper, "Your people have suffered dearly over the years. I can bring that suffering to an end. Now ... I can either buy the loyalty and labor of your people ... and in return bring them peace and prosperity ... or--"

William rested his hand upon the hilt of his sword. Behind him, all five mounted men shifted in their saddles and -- when he glanced to them -- Turrell could see that their movements had inconspicuously made it easier for them to pull their swords or daggers or bows as each wished.

"Or..." William continued, his voice still low and only for Turrell. "...I can force their labor from them ... and deal with their lack of loyalty as I feel necessary."

Turrell looked back to William, then glanced to some of the nearest villagers, wondering whether they could hear the negotiations in which he was engaged.

"I promise you, Elder," William continued quietly, "your situation can only improve with our presence."

"You will guarantee that no harm will come to my people from your people?"

"I will not guarantee it," William said quickly, adding with a conciliatory tone, "But ... I will do my best to see that it is minimal and, when possible, both justified and -- if appropriate -- compensated for."

"Some of my people may not want to remain," Turrell said after a moment. "May they leave if they wish not to remain here under your command?"

William considered the question. Planting season was just around the corner, which meant hard work from dawn to dusk, with the benefit -- filled granaries and pantries -- months away. And, of course, the village's security concerns and reconstruction meant weeks of hard labor, much of it designed to make the lives of the six new riders more comfortable, not those of the current Villagers. In the long run, the villagers would be rewarded for their effort; but in the short term, they would see all of the hard work as being without personal gain.

"Two months," William said. "You promise me two months of labor from all with no desertions. After that, anyone who wishes to depart, may."

William glanced at the bag of coins Turrell was clutching against his chest, then looked back to the man and said, "You will distribute that in one Moon to anyone who has not run off. I will provide a second, largest purse at the end of the second month. Fair?"

Turrell glanced about himself. Some of the villagers were closing slowly, wanting to hear the whispered conversation but failing. In a very soft, non-threatening tone, Turrell said, "We could simply kill you in the night and take your coin ... m'lord. Your coin, your horses, your weapons ... everything."

William's lips spread in a wide smile. He liked Turrell's honesty. "You could, Elder. But ... do us both a favor and wait one moon before you decide on whether blood should be shed."

Turrell considered the offer, relaxed the pull on the arrow and stored it, then slung the bow over his shoulder. He took a step back, bowed respectfully to William, and said, "We are honored to serve, m'lord."

"Thank you, Elder Turrell," William responded, half bowing to the Elder, honoring the man's position.

As he returned to height, William's eyes widened at the sight of a beautiful young woman eying him from the edge of a wild growing grain field. She was petite in height but well rounded as a woman should be, and it only took a moment for William to formulate his next arrangement with Elder Turrell.

"I will require a servant, a woman to tend to my needs ... laundry ... meals and such." He mounted his horse before looking first to Turrell to gain his attention, then to the woman standing in the tall grass to indicate his meaning. "You will arrange this Elder?"

He looked back to Turrell to see the expression of concern in the man's eyes. William didn't know this woman's personal situation. For all he knew, she was married with children. He didn't care. He had taken an instant fancy to her and, as Wildwood's new Noble, it was his right to order any peasant into any form of labor he wished.

Of course, the form of labor he had in mind for this particular peasant involved her getting naked and parting her thighs. And it was obvious from Turrell's expression that he understood this detail as well.

"I will do my best, m'lord," the Elder said softly.

William urged his horse forward, and with the other men falling in behind him, directed his mount through the village, past its inhabitants, and up the far incline to the Keep that was now to be their home.

 

[BigBubblehead]

(OOC: For a visual of Wildwood -- the keep, the village, the former town, and the County beyond -- see this link.)

William and Rodrick, his oldest and dearest friend, left their horses at the bottom of the hill upon which the keep sat and struggled up the incline to the stone staircase. Despite their strength and stamina, they were both huffing by the time they reached the Keep. This was, of course, why the hill had been shaped as it was: to slow invaders while the Keeps defenders hit them with arrows, stones, hot oils, and any other weapon available to them.

William turned and looked first down on the village and then out on the land beyond it. For a mile of more to the east and west and for twice that far to the north and south, the land was open. Once it had been covered by cultivated fields of golden grains and green stock pastures. Today, after a decade of neglect, it was overgrown with wild grasses, shrubs, and small trees.

Beyond the rolling fields were thick, dark forests. Once, when they'd been under the control of the former Noble of Wildwood, they'd been an almost unlimited supply of firewood, game meat, ores, and other foraged forest products. William imagined that those woods were likely not as safe today as they had been before.

He turned to find Rodrick already half way up the stone stairway behind him. He fell in behind his friend, catching up to him just as they entered the Keep's third level. It had once been the Chapel and the Guards Quarters, as well as the only known access to the rest of the Keep. Here is where the former Noble's troops had made their stand against the King's Army ... and died.

William crossed to one of the tower's other four tower stair wells and headed downward, while Rodrick ambled across the floor and entered yet another one and headed upwards.

William emerged into the Great Hall, not that there was anything great about it today. The entire room had been stripped of anything and everything of value. Bird nests filled the stone corners, and the smell of mildew and rat droppings crinkled William's nostrils.

He moved to an opening in the floor and peered down into the darkness. Despite being unable to see anything, he knew that the space below -- once accessible by a now missing winch -- would include both the dungeon and the pantry.

It would also likely include the hidden entrance to a secret tunnel that would lead underground for as much as a mile to either the woods or a creek bed or other inconspicuous location. It was there that the Noble and his family likely emerged that fateful day that his home fell to the King's Army.

Of course, despite being hidden, tunnels were not a secret. The likelihood that the Nobles had reached the tunnel, emerged from the secret location, and escaped unscathed was small.

William checked out the kitchen area, finding it just as pillaged as the rest of the building, then headed up yet another stairwell, heading for the roof and his friend.

Rodrick had made his way to the Masters Quarters, finding the Keep's most devastating destruction. The entire floor was charred, and the very experienced warrior knew that the damage had resulted from balls of burning material being launched by trebuchets onto the wood plank roof, which was now entirely absent.

The floor upon which Rodrick stood -- once the bedroom floor of the Noble and his Wife -- was rotted from the rain and snow that had been falling upon it for the past decade. It would likely have to be entirely replaced to make the space livable.

He ascended the stair case to the roof, walking about the battlements and inspecting the crenellations. There was damage every where he looked, from a variety of ballistic weapons thrown at the Keep.

Rodrick wasn't nearly as concerned with the repairs to the Keep's stonework, though, as he was with the repairs to the wooden fences below. Every where he looked, there were gaps in the outer and inner fences. It would take two or three weeks to repair them and enclose the Keep once more. Trees would have to be logged, trimmed, sunk, and lashed. It was hard work and time consuming, and often as one group of men were working hard to complete the job, another group of men -- enemy troops or rogues or both -- were working just as hard to slow or stop the work.

Of course, the repair to the fence depended upon William being able to get the villagers to cooperate. Rodrick had confidence in his Noble Lord and friend as a leader of warriors. But William had never been tested in a situation like they now faced, one of peace and construction, rather than war and destruction.

"What do you think?"

Rodrick turned to see his friend ascending the final steps of the distant tower stair well and beginning his own saunter about the battlements. "I think the odds are small. William ... I have faith in your ability to lead men, but this..."

William surveyed the land below him for a long moment before realizing that his friend had stopped midsentence. "What is it, Rodrick?"

"You do not have the wealth required to rebuild a village like this," Rodrick said with great honesty, "let alone rebuild a Keep with this level of damage."

William laughed and waved Rodrick off dismissively. "It was built once. It can be rebuilt again."

"Yes, it was built with the support -- financial and political -- of the King of the time," Rodrick responded, beginning to make his way around the Keep's walkway toward his friend. "But we have neither. In fact ... if the current King learns of what we are doing ... which he will, eventually ... he will send troops to rout us. We are still enemies of the crown."

"Without cause," William clarified quickly. "We were loyal to the King, and despite his trying to have us all killed, we will remain loyal to him and prove our allegiance..."

William looked out onto the lands below the Keep and added, "...here ... in Wildwood. We will rebuild this land. We will rebuild its economy. And we will pay the King the tribute he demands. We do that, Rodrick, and he will let us be."

"And if he doesn't?" Rodrick asked, now standing just feet from his friend. "If he sends his troops to take this town?"

"Then we will kill them all," William answered without hesitation. "And then, just as he tried to do with us, his loyal servants, we will kill him, too."

Rodrick studied his friend and master in silence. He knew that if William put his mind to it, he could do just what he was suggesting, assassinate the King. And he would if he was betrayed just one more time...

 

[BigBubblehead]

Turrell watched the six men -- the strangers, the visitors, the new masters -- walk their horses casually into the village which, in essence, they had just bought with a bag of coins and a promise. They were impressive with their armor and arms and powerful steeds: Turrell had little doubt that, if William's word was good, the presence of the six experienced warriors would be good for the village of Wildwood.

He looked off to his left to the young beauty that had struck William's fancy. The Viscount may have indicated that in Cara he was only seeking a servant: a cook, a home keeper, a laundress. Yet despite never having left the smallish Wildwood Valley in all his 40+years, Turrell was a worldly enough man to understand that what William had actually been saying was that he was looking for a warm body to slake his animal thirsts.

Turrell looked away from the redhead to some of the other young females standing about, watching the warriors departure. There were a half a dozen of them who he knew would be happy to open their thighs for William or one of his cohorts -- or, for that matter, all of them. And, in most of their cases, their fathers likely would have been proud that their female child was the one to be pleasing the master -- or masters -- and, presumably, be bringing additional wealth or other good fortune to their family in compensation for the girl's services.

So, why had fate been so cruel to Turrell to make it his daughter who struck the new Noble Lord's fancy?

Oh sure, Cara was his illegitimate daughter. And, to be honest, she didn't even recognize Turrell as being part of her life, going so far as to force her mother to refuse the financial assistance the Elder had offered when he could, to ensure that the family didn't starve or otherwise suffer hardship.

Regardless what their private relationship was -- or wasn't -- their public relationship was the same as Turrell's relationship with all of the villagers: he was the Elder, and what he said was law ... or, at least, the closest thing to it.

He put off approaching her for as long as he could, but eventually -- as the excitement was beginning to wane about the village -- Turrell made his way across the road to Cara, smiling politely as she caught sight of him. He asked the young woman standing with his sort-of daughter, "Will you please give us a moment?"

The other woman gave a respectful nod of her head -- a lowly peasant to less-lowly peasant version of the noble bow -- and departed quickly. Once the woman was out of earshot, Turrell looked to Cara and said quite bluntly, "You will pack up some things and move into the Keep. Sir William had requested that you fill the role of house servant. You and your mother will be compensated, I am sure."

Before she could respond, he reached out, snatched her hand, and pressed three copper coins into it. He wanted to make sure that she understood that her services had already been paid for, that she had no choice in the matter. The coins he'd given her were likely more than her mother had made selling her goods at market in a month. Turrell could only hope that the sum would impress Cara enough that she wouldn't question him about exactly what services the Viscount was intending her to provide...

 

[summergal21]

Cara felt the coolness of the copper coins against her dry and callused hands. She had to fight her instinct of throwing them on the ground as she glanced at Turell. The thought of receiving money from him disgusted her as she wanted nothing to do with the him, even if it was common knowledge that his blood ran through her veins.

She refused to be his charity case. Her long fiery hair was pulled back in a braid, allowing her blue-green eyes to carefully study the coins in her hand. She had never held so many coins in her hand at once and her eyes grew large at the sight of them.

“I’m not looking for a new job, I’m comfortable where I am.” Cara said her eyes looking away from Turell and only on the copper coins, allowing her words to tell a fable.
“And anyway, I can’t just leave my family, my mother. She depends on me to run the house and…” she glanced at Turell, his eyes look defeated and empty, similar to when Cara told him that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Cara’s shoes already caked in mud shifted in the soft dirt and she sighed loudly. She knew enough about her Elder’s village that Turell was not wealthy enough to hand out 3 copper coins on a whim, this money had to belong to the Viscount which meant her services were already paid for, which also meant that the Noble Lord had handpicked her, but why?

Did the Viscount know that Cara was the Elder’s daughter?
Did Turell tell him that she was his bastard?

But three copper coins still seemed a lot, even for the pay for a Noble Lord’s house servant. Cara’s innocence allowed her to assume it was only because of his title.

Cara knew from the tone of her Elder and his body language that he had no say in this matter. The Viscount had chosen Cara as his house servant and that was that. If the Elder had no way to change the decision made by a Noble than a peasant like Cara would have no chance in changing the Noble’s mind. And anyway if the money wasn’t from Turell she wasn’t about to refuse it, especially when things at the market were slow and her family was having trouble keeping food on the table.

“Fine, I’ll go, but only because he is the Noble Lord.” She said finally closing her hand and accepting the copper coins.

Picking up her muddy feet, Cara made her way back to the hut her family occupied. She could feel the stares from the village people, but that was not uncommon being the bastard of the village Elder. She entered the tiny hut her family had occupied for years. A fire was keeping the tiny hut warm which currently housed her, her mother, her stepfather and her three younger siblings. She has an older brother, Brentley, but he eagerly left the hut to start his own family as he never got along with the man he had to grow up calling “father” as the two never got along. Despite the lack of bond between Cara’s stepfather and Brentley, Brentley always kept a watchful and caring eye on his mother and his younger siblings, especially Cara.

When Cara entered the hut, her stepfather was absent, which made leaving easier for her. It wasn’t as though her stepfather would have put a stop to Cara’s newly appointed position as the house servant at the Keep but she would rather not pack her things under his watch.

“You’re home.” Her mother said with a faint smile. Her mother was once known as the beauty of the village, but that title had long gone to her eldest daughter. Her younger siblings were making noise in front of the fire, keeping themselves occupied trying to forget their unsatiated stomachs.

Cara walked over to her mother and told her what had happened at the village. Her mother’s eyes quickly grew large and when she saw the 3 copper coins laying in her daughter’s hand she could only hold back the tears filling her eyes.

Cara’s mother was well aware that that position of house servant would be more than just looking after the Keep, that as a woman she would also be looking after the Lord Noble’s animalistic desires as well. If Cara’s mother could stop her eldest daughter from becoming the play thing of the Lord Noble, she would, but she herself was once the play thing of the Village Elder. And although selfish, the money would be most welcoming to the starving family.

“Take care of yourself and if you don’t want to do something, you say it.” Cara’s mother told her daughter carefully. That was the only advice she could give her, and she clung to the thought that even if Cara did become the next whore of the Lord Noble at least it was to the Viscount of Wildwood.

Cara took a leather bag and placed a change of clothes, a brush for her hair and a book. Even though she could barely read, she was driven to become literate. She then said a quick goodbye to her younger siblings promising them that she would see them soon and made her way to the Keep.

Ever since the rebellion the Keep had been abandoned and she nor any of the other villagers had any reason to visit it. She knew some of the villagers went to the Keep in hopes to find something that once belonged to the Noble family that lived there, but Cara had no interest in it. She would rather visit the forest and find herself lost in the woods. The hills up to the Keep would have tired most people, but Cara was used to the hills, she often left the village for the woods and had grown accustomed to the hilly terrain surrounding her village.

Her fiery hair still in a braid, her face and hands now lacking any speck of dirt or grime since her mother made sure of it before she left, and a dark forest green dress hugging her toned body making sure her bosom is fully covered, Cara loudly announced her entrance into the Keep.

“Hello…is anyone here? I’m Cara…the house servant you’ve requested m’lord…” Cara said making sure her voice sounded heavy and strong compared to her actual emotion of fear and weariness.

 

[BigBubblehead]

Just a reminder of what things look like:

The Keep's Exterior:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/bigbubblehead14/The%20Noble%20Man/TheKeep_zps7c4fbd73.jpg​

The Keep's Interior:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/bigbubblehead14/The%20Noble%20Man/croppedcastleinterior_zps4a6be543.jpg​

William and Rodrick had descended from the Keep's roof two levels to the floor that had once been home to the Chapel, Guard's Quarters, and Armory. They were discussing the renovations that would be necessary to make the building secure when a new, sweet voice interrupted from near the entrance.

“Hello…is anyone here? I’m Cara…the house servant you’ve requested m’lord…”

Rodrick looked to his friend and fellow warrior and smiled. "Working quickly, Will?"

William only smiled and headed for the entrance. He found Cara standing just inside the opening, holding a single leather bag by her side. William looked her over, realizing that now -- all cleaned up and out of her field-working clothes -- she was even more beautiful, more sexy, than he had realized earlier.

"Welcome, m'lady," he said with the same respect he would show a fellow noble. He neared her slowly, looking her over conspicuously, as he continued, "I appreciate your dropping your other responsibilities to serve me ... Cara, yes?"

He listened to her response, then gave her a curling finger come with me gesture as he went to one of the corner stairwells and descended to the second floor, which had once housed the Great Hall and the Kitchen. They emerged very near another doorway -- now missing its door -- and William again gestured Cara to follow him.

Once inside, it was obvious -- despite the pillaging of its interior years earlier -- that this room had once been the servant quarters for two or more Keep workers. Neither of them knew this, but this room had once been the home of the Keep's Cook and her husband, who had been a general servant to the previous Lord.

There was a wood plank bed that was in need of a mattress and bedding; and other than that it was just a stone room.

"This will be your cell," William said, using the name typically reserved to describe the rooms of individuals in prisons or monasteries. "Anything you need, you ask for ... either of me, or Elder Turrell."

 

[summergal21]

Cara carefully studied her new surroundings. She was amazed at the grandiose of the Keep even though there was much work need to be done to the place. It had been years, about a decade, since anyone other than rodents and wild animals had inhabited the building. She imagined what the place was like prior to the raid.

Beautiful and colorful tapestries telling a tale, decorating the cold stone walls. Large and ornate furniture serving their function and showing the wealth of the family. Cara allowed her mind to imagine the beautiful dresses the noblewoman wore, the soft silk dresses, the beautiful ornately beaded head dresses that showed off their wealth, the jewelry that would have ordained their wrists, their earlobes, their necks.

Cara imagined what kind of meals were prepared for the Noble family that once lived here, she tried to imagine what a feast would be like but all her mind could conjure was a plate full of meat and some leafy greens. Her mind then panicked as she worried what she would feed the Viscount and her men. She had cooked for her family but she had never fed anyone that was a Noble.

She glanced at the room where William showed her as her “cell”. She shuddered at the word as she had never heard it before aside from the negative connotations for a prisoner’s room. She didn’t see herself as a prisoner and William wasn’t treating her as one either.

Cara smiled at William as she inspected her new room. She was happy to have her own bed. She had always had to share a bed with her younger siblings and never had any privacy in her hut. Despite its current horrendous state, her cell, with major improvements could be a place she could find comfort in.

“Thank you.” Cara said, with a smile. She wanted to show gratitude to William. He had already paid for her services and she was already looking forward to her next payment from the Viscount.

She watched William say the name “Elder Turell” and she shuddered at his name. She wanted to ask William if he knew of her relations with the Village Elder, but it seemed unnecessary. Even if he did know that she was the illegitimate daughter of Turell how would that change her function as William’s house servant?

But there was the possibility that William had chosen her because she shared blood with Turell and that was something she would not accept. She would not have wanted to landed this position as house servant of the Keep because of her relations to the Village Elder. But she had already left the 3 copper coins back home, with her mother.

She knew her mother wouldn’t be upset with her if she refused the position on the count that she only got it because of her relations with Turell. Her mother wouldn’t mind her daughter’s pride but that would mean the loss of a perfectly good income.

Cara clenched her fist, she was unsure of what to do. She walked into her cell, set her leather bag down on the wooden plank bed, she wished it had a mattress but she dare not ask one as she didn’t want to sound too demanding.

“Lord Noble…Viscount of Wildwood…” Cara started to say, her voice slowly trailing as she looked into his eyes, her blue green eyes wide and innocent.

“I am more than grateful for this position as your house servant. But I must ask…” She quickly furrowed her brows, giving a perplexed look as she thought about the consequences of her next words and what that could lead to.

She then bit her lips, “May I ask why you decided to choose me? Out of all the other girls? I mean…I’m so humbly honored, but I just…” She said looking down at her muddy shoes. She felt her cheeks full of heat as she was embarrassed for questioning her Lord.

“I’m sorry, actually, I just…” Cara quickly said as she realized it wasn’t her place to question the decisions made by the Viscount of Wildwood. She should just be grateful that she was given the position.

“You and your men must be famished, if you have any game I can try to make something.” Cara said quickly changing the subject, her eyebrows gently furrowed as she tried to think of a proper dinner to feed her new master. She then looked up wide-eyed at William, showing him her obedience towards him.

 

[BigBubblehead]

“Lord Noble…Viscount of Wildwood…” Cara started to say...

"Lord William," he interrupted, clarifying, "When you first address a noble, you greet them with Lord or Lady and their given name. After that, particularly when responding to a question or request, m'lord ... or m'lady if it be the case."

William felt a little self conscious about giving the girl a lesson on etiquette concerning her interaction with him as a Noble, seeing how officially he wasn't one. But he viewed his loss of position within the Nobility as a crime, as disloyalty by the very Crown he'd served; so until the King's men took his head, he was consider it the skull of a Nobleman.

“I am more than grateful for this position as your house servant. But I must ask…”

“May I ask why you decided to choose me? Out of all the other girls? I mean…I’m so humbly honored, but I just…”

Cara diverted her eyes to the floor, and though he hadn't done so with purpose, William followed her gaze. A slight smile spread across his face as he discovered the contrast between her newly donned, beautiful, though simple peasant dress and her old, mud covered shoes. He knew that they were likely the only pair she owned, and he wondered whether recalling their condition was the reason that her cheeks were suddenly flushed with red or whether it was because of what ever it was that she was trying to say.

“I’m sorry, actually, I just…”

"You are a beautiful young woman," William cut in, giving her a moment to consider his words -- to wonder whether they were meant to be the first volley in an attempt to get personal with her -- before he clarified, "A Nobleman's court must present a specific vision to those who visit it. When this house begins to welcome others into it ... Merchants, Nobles ... possibly even Royalty ... it must be filled with only the best ... the best food, the best furnishings ... the best servants."

William took a step closer to Cara, smiled -- or maybe smirked, since his eyes took a walk over her form at the same time -- and finished, "Cara, you ... are the best I see in this village. You will be the face of the Keep's service staff, and when others set the gaze upon you ... as I did ... they will see the same beauty I saw out there this morning."

William gave Cara another slight, respectful nod of his head, indicating that he was done ... with complimenting her and, likely, embarrassing her, too.

There was a bit of a long, awkward pause, and William was searching for something to fill the void when Cara spoke up.

“You and your men must be famished, if you have any game I can try to make something.”

William half turned his head, his eyes remaining set upon the redheaded beauty as he called out, "Come down here, please."

Roderick thought he'd been slick in slipping down to listen in on William's conversation with Cara, but the slight sound of his feet on the debris ridden staircase had obviously given him away. He chuckled to himself and he descended the final couple of steps, responding, "M'lord?"

"Roderick, let me introduce Cara, the house servant," William said politely. As his friend crossed the room toward the peasant girl, William continued the introduction, "M'lady, this is Sir Roderick, my oldest and dearest friend and colleague..."

Before William could finish, Roderick had taken one of Cara's hands, lifted it to his mouth, and kissed it softly, saying with a suggestive tone, "Good to meet you, m'lady. Hoping to see much more of you in the future."

"Alright, alright," William laughed, grasping his friend's tunic and pulling him playfully back. "You'll scare off the help the first day,"

Roderick laughed and gave an exaggerated bow to Cara.

"Please take her down to the village, Rod," William continued, beginning a slow, circular pace around Cara as he spoke and ogling her from every angle. "Find Elder Turrell and arrange some fresh game ... maybe some root crops ... turnips, squash ... what ever is available."

It had been a harsh and long winter all about the Great Continent, and even in the large Cities and Towns, many people were dying of starvation and related causes. Things would change when Europe was introduced to the potato, but that was still almost a millennia away.

"Compensation?" Roderick asked, his gaze still upon the young beauty that he knew belonged to William. "Or...?"

"Ensure those providing are compensated," William said. They weren't going to begin their relationship with the peasants by stealing what little food they had. "And Cara will need ... what, bedding...? Maybe some furnishings for her cell. Anything she needs that she can't get from her home, see if it can be found. Elder Turrell should be able to inform you about which villagers have which skills."

Even though Wildwood's economy had crashed with the siege of the Keep and the burning of the Town that had once existed beyond the Fences, William was certain that there were still villagers with skills, from hunting to sewing to quilting to farming to ... likely anything. The future of Wildwood would depend upon finding and employing these people or, if they didn't exist, recruiting them from other villages and towns.

William approached Cara, took her hand as Roderick had, turned it over, and placed a dozen smaller denomination coins in it. "Please, use this to buy what you need to get yourself situated and prepare a meal for my men."

He held her hand a bit longer than was necessary, enjoying the feel of her skin in his. Her hands were rough from field work and hard life in general. That would change as she took on more inside work and, with William's assistance, purchased and used only the finest in soaps and conditioners that she'd only heard of before.

She needed to have smooth skin, of course. It just wouldn't do for the woman caressing and otherwise pleasuring his William's body to have rough hands.

He released her and urged the pair of them away to begin their day...

 

[summergal21]

Cara’s cheeks turned beet red with heat, even visible in the grey stone walls as William corrected her speech. Her main interaction was with her village people and she was clueless when it came to proper etiquette around anyone with a formal title.

She harshly bit the inside of her mouth, a nervous habit of hers as she quickly stammered her words.

“My apologies Lord William.” Cara quickly said as she gave him what she assumed was a curtsy as she bent both of her knees and clumsily hooked her right foot behind her left almost causing her to lose her balance. She only saved herself from an embarrassing fall with her quick agility. She was almost sure she heard William hold in a laugh but her focus was not on that long as she quickly strung along a few more words as she questioned him why he chose her as her house servant.

“You are a beautiful young woman….”

William’s compliment was a pleasant surprise for Cara. She had always thought her mother was one of the most beautiful woman in the village and she had been told she looked just like her mother. Cara was thankful that she was blessed with her mother’s attractive looks rather than bearing any resemblance to her father.

Cara would have liked to counter his words but she had nothing to say, he made no mention about her relation to Elder Turell which was her only worry. If she wasn’t given the position based on her relation to Elder Turell then William’s response satisfied her curiosity and made her comfortable accepting this position. Even if she was only given the position based on her beauty.

Meeting Roderick was a completely different experience for Cara. She’s never had anyone kiss her hand. By now she was sure her face would be permanently flushed with all the excitement and embarrassment.

She carefully studied the interaction between William and Roderick, they had a friendly almost playful relationship. Even with William’s title as the Viscount of Wildwood he held a strong bond with Roderick. She was sure that they trusted each other like brothers, the only difference Roderick would die for William and even though William would want to die for Roderick, he could not since he was the Viscount of Wildwood, he would have to defend his title even before his friend’s life.

"Please take her down to the village, Rod," William continued, beginning a slow, circular pace around Cara as he spoke and ogling her from every angle. "Find Elder Turrell and arrange some fresh game ... maybe some root crops ... turnips, squash ... what ever is available."

Having William circle her as he spoke was unsetting, she had no idea that he was studying her feminine body, but she let it be. She was just the house servant, he was the Viscount of Wildwood, her master.

When William gave her more coins, her eyes grew large. She was reminded how wealthy a nobleman would be and how much she craved to live a life of wealth, not only just for her sake, but for her family’s as well.

She didn’t care for nice things, she just wanted a life where her family could at least go day by day with a satiated stomach and where her mother had the luxury of not having to work. But that day would never come, or maybe it would, maybe if things went well with William and if he had the power and the ability to bring back Wildwood to the greatness of what it once used to be…then maybe, then maybe…life would be much different for Cara.

Cara and Roderick bid goodbye to William and left the Keep. The descent down to the village was full of grunts and puffs as the two were occupied by the rolling landscapes. Roderick attempted to be an aid to Cara but he was having difficulty of his own navigating the uneven terrain.

When the duo arrived at the bottom of the hill, Roderick was greeted by the horses of William and Roderick. Cara walked over to the horses as well and greeted the horses with a friendly smile. Cara preferred animals over human interaction as animals didn’t judge people on the basis of someone being a bastard.

 

[BigBubblehead]

The walk down the Keep's knoll was a difficult one. Of course, it was supposed to be: it was how you kept invaders at bay while you tried to kill them off. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked for Count Trager, Wildwood's decade-missing noble. His forces had simply been overwhelmed by the King's Army. A thousand men had laid siege to Wildwood, killing or capturing almost all 200 of the Count's men during the six days of battle.

When it was all over, there was little left of Wildwood. The Town outside the fence and Village inside the fence was burned almost to the ground, and fire had also claimed the roof of the Keep. Invading the Count's home was a snap after that, even with the King's army having to fight its way up the steep hill upon which the Keep sat.

Roderick wasn't planning on making this climb day in and day out, though. No sooner did they reach the other side of the muddy ditch that separated the Keep from the rest of the long rebuilt village than he commanded Cara, "Take me to this Turrell. I need to chat with him."

Roderick couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable expression on the servant girl's face. But he didn't know of the relationship between Cara and Turrell, so he shrugged the look of as nothing of importance.

Finding Turrell was easy: he was standing in the village square surrounded by a raucous group of villages who -- at the sight of the approaching Knight -- went silent, turned to face him, and for the most part gave polite nods or bows to the man.

"M'lord," the Village Elder said, offering his own slight bow.

"Elder Turrell, I am Roderick," the man in the partial suit of armor said, stopping a yard from the man who -- until today -- had had undisputed control of this village. "I will be Captain of the Guard from here out. Do you have a Guard?"

"Yes, m'lord..."

A quiet roll of giggles and laughter rolled through the crowd, causing Roderick to look about at the peasants -- who went immediately quiet at his scrutinizing glance.

"...in a manner of speaking," Turrell continued. "I'm sure that we are not the professional army that you and your men were once members of ... but, we protect Wildwood the best we can, m'lord."

"Very well," Roderick responded, surprised not by Turrell's answer but by his honesty. "You will gather every able bodied man in the village and have him here in the square by the time I have identified my other needs, is that clear?"

Turrell gave Roderick another head nod, turned to a runner -- a young teen age boy named Eric -- and passed him some names and commands. The boy turned and disappeared in a flash to gather those named. Turrell turned back to Roderick, then looked to Cara for a moment, giving her a polite smile. Having her involved in the management of the Keep and Village was already giving Turrell high hopes that he might be able to finally build a relationship with his daughter. His smile faded though when it wasn't returned to him by Cara. He looked back to Roderick, asking, "And your other needs, m'lord?"

Roderick began naming them, from identifying those villages with skills that could be used to rebuild the village to those who could hunt or forage to stem the near starvation that the village had suffered for the past couple of lean years. As he talked, two of the other four Black Knights wandered into the crowd and -- identified by Roderick -- took command of specific tasks.

When Roderick finished listing his needs he asked, "Is there anything you need from Lord William, myself, or his men to accomplish these tasks?"

Turrell's response was immediately -- and personal. "Yes, m'lord. It would help if I had a moment with Cara to discuss her needs for the Keep ... food stuffs ... fire wood, and such forth."

"Of course," Roderick said, again having no idea of the relationship between the two. "Cara has some instruction from Lord William as well. Please see that she is given all the support she requires."

Turrell nodded, flashing a pleased glance Cara's way. "Yes, m'lord. Anything she needs."

Turrell was expecting more from Roderick, but he noticed that the man's gaze was set upon a distant point. He turned slowly to find the object of the Knight's attention, one of the village's less-innocent peasant girls, whose right hand was gripping the front of her thin dress and pulling it down in front just enough to emphasize the shape of her plentiful breasts and the deep cleavage between them. Turrell simply shook his head and looked back to Cara as Roderick and the other Knights split off for their individual quests

"Cara," Turrell said, walking up to his daughter. He said softly, and hopefully, "It's good to be working with you ... my daughter."

 

[summergal21]

Cara kept her attention away from Turell as Roderick spoke with the Village Elder. She kept her sights away from the stares of the people and studied whatever else that caught her eye, the birds flying by in the vast sky, the unformed shapes of the clouds floating in the air, the way the tree branches would slightly move with the gentle breeze.

Cara kept her sight and her focus on anything other than Turell, but her ears were on the conversation between the duo as she didn’t want either of the two to think that she was clueless or that she did not take the role of house servant seriously.

She heard her name being said by Roderick and she turned her focus back on the two men standing in front of her. She had brought her leather bag with her and she recalled the coins that were given to her by William and the reason why she made the trek down to the village.

If she had no loyalty to William nor any care in the world she would use that money for her family, but she was instructed by William to use it to make a meal for his men, and for herself.

She had already promised that she wouldn’t use the money for herself. Although she would like proper bedding for her cell, she had made the decision that she would, for now, just sleep on the wooden frame however uncomfortable that may be. Whatever money she could give to her family, she would. She had only taken this job to aid them.

Cara glared at Turell when he asked for a moment with Cara. She made sure that only Turell could see the glare as she didn’t want Roderick to sense any tension between the two. But she had already noticed from earlier that his attention was slowly weaning from the group and had caught onto something lustful.

Cara knew well that as a woman especially with a pretty face and bountiful breasts she could find herself in formidable situations even if it is for a short time if she spread opened her thighs for a man. But Cara held tight to her dignity.

As a bastard herself, Cara had promised herself that she would never open her thighs unless she was married. She would never compromise her own dignity but most importantly place herself in a vulnerable position of being left with a swollen stomach and no man to take care of her and their unborn child.

"Cara," Turrell said, walking up to his daughter. He said softly, and hopefully, "It's good to be working with you ... my daughter."

Cara felt her jaw tighten when Turell called her, “my daughter,” if they weren’t out in public she would have made a countering comment but instead she just slandered her eyes as she looked at him and pursed her lips together, making sure he knew very well that she was not his daughter.

“I am the Viscount of Wildwood’s house servant and you are the Village Elder, of course we would be working together.” Cara said coldly.

“His men need food, any fresh game would be nice. There were some turnips and some squash I believe from the fields. The Viscount gave me some coins, so I will be able to pay for them…” Cara said letting her voice trail.

She knew the pause in her speech would be deadly as Turell was hoping to speak to her so she needed to continue to speak, but she was too late. She could already see words forming at Turell’s lips.

 

[BigBubblehead]

"Please, Cara," Turrell said, his voice low. He held a position of respect and power in this village that would continue even with the arrival of the Knights. The last thing he wanted was for those he commanded -- albeit peasant master to peasant servants -- to hear him groveling to the Lord Master's new house girl. "Is there a way that we can go about this ... a way that is without ... spite?"

A pair of excited children rushed by, interrupting him. He glanced about for eavesdroppers and, seeing the others all dispersing with one Knight or another, added in almost a whisper, "This is a chance for us to start again. To ... to be as a father and daughter should be."

He knew the chances of her accepting his plea in a positive light were slim at best. But he was desperate -- always had been -- to have Cara in his life. Of course, the reason she wasn't was that while her mother's belly was still swelling with Cara, Turrell had already moved onto the pleasures of another younger, more sexually energetic woman. Turrell deserved nothing from Cara but her hatred and fury...

 

[summergal21]

Cara raised her eyebrows, it was unusual for Turell to use the word, “Please.” She could tell from his words that the Elder was truly making an effort to foster a relationship with her, despite her constant rebuffing.

But she assumed that the majority of Turell’s desire to hold a relationship without spite with Cara was because she was the house servant for the Viscount of Wildwood. He wanted an insider in the Keep, he wanted his own eyes in the household of the Viscount.

Until today Turell held the all mighty power of the village. Of course, Turell still held his position as the Village Elder and had his own power. But now with the arrival of William and his men, the power structure had shifted. The Village Elder did not hold the iron grip as he once did.

Cara hoped that the interruption of the children would stop Turell from speaking but the interruption was only a matter of seconds.

"This is a chance for us to start again. To ... to be as a father and daughter should be."

The words of Turell echoed in Cara’s head. “To be as a father and daughter should be?” Cara mumbled the words herself as she looked right into her father’s eyes. The only thing the two shared were the color of their eyes. That was the tall tale sign that she was the daughter of the Village Elder, it was a genetic trait only shared by the bloodline of the Village Elder.

“This is not a chance for that…this is a chance for me to have a job…to be able to provide for my family and only that.” Cara said making sure her voice was only audible between the two, despite the anger brewing inside of her.

“I will never consider you my father.” She quickly added.

“If you are unable to assist me in getting the items I need to complete my tasks for the Viscount of Wildwood I will ask someone else. I need to make sure that he and his men are properly fed. At the current moment I’ve been tasked to take care of the Viscount’s needs…” Cara told Turell. Her naivety allowed her to be ignorant that her role would also encompass providing for his primal needs as well.

 

[BigBubblehead]

“I will never consider you my father.”

Turrell's stomach tightened at Cara's words. She'd said similar things over the years when he'd tried to make amends with her or her mother, but she'd never before been so blunt and certain. I will never consider you my father. it was so ... definite.

“If you are unable to assist me..."

...she continued.

Turrell hesitated for a moment, looking for some way to turn her need to his favor. Many of the villagers still looked up to Turrell, regardless as to whether or not he was still the supreme power in Wildwood. She would need his blessing to get some of the more loyal workers to provide their services or goods.

However, that might be the story now but it would be after Lord William had him executed in the square to establish his ultimate power. Turrell knew that William wasn't the true Noble ruler of Wildwood, but that didn't mean much when one of his Black Knights was quietly escorting the Village Elder out into the woods and a noose hanging from a limb.

No, Turrell had made his bed by not confronting William that first moment at the gate earlier in the day. He knew that the Village needed these men, and he'd made a choice to give the warrior a chance.

Of course, he couldn't have known that William would take a shining to his daughter, nor that that shining would suddenly elevate Cara to -- dare he think it? -- a position of power.

"You will have everything you need to serve Lord William," Turrell said softly, looking into Cara's hard eyes with a soft expression of his own. "Gregor ... he killed a doe this morning. Tell him I ordered-- No. Tell him his new Noble Lord demanded it, and if he gives you any trouble, then tell him that I sent you to him."

The peasants needed to know two things about the new power structure: that Viscount William was now in charge, and that Elder Turrell stood behind what ever the Noble asked for or ordered.

"Cara," he said, hesitating and taking a soft tone with her. "I will support you in every way. You are William's servant, and as such you are his voice on issues concerning the operation and comfort of the Keep."

Turrell felt his face go a bit white when he heard himself use the word comfort in talking about his daughter serving William. He had no doubt that that service would very soon entail her parting her thighs to him. He didn't know if she did, though.

He decided to ensure that she understood he wasn't giving up in his ultimate quest with one last comment to her, though. "But more than that, you are my daughter ... and I wish you well."

He took a step to the side and half bowed respectfully to her, giving her a sweeping hand gesture that essentially said she was free to go about her duties with his blessing...

 

[summergal21]

A faint smile appeared on Cara’s face when Turell expressed the words,

“You will have everything you need to serve Lord William.”

She would have given him a full smile, but it was Turell, a man she despised with every bone in her body.

Cara knew Turell wasn’t an evil man despite his infidelity and the long list of women he had the joy of keeping in his bed. Even though Turell abandoned Cara’s mother once she started to show she was with child, he had always financially supported Cara’s mother. He only stopped when Cara made her mother refuse to take Turell’s money and be his charity case.

He wasn’t bad Village Elder, he cared for his village and for his people. He at times took advantage of his position, but Cara was sure that all men in power were never as moral as they seemed to be. Which would mean despite William’s good nature behavior she would have to be weary of his actions.

Nevertheless Cara still hated Turell, if it wasn’t for Turell her mother wouldn’t live the destitute life she was currently stuck in. But then again, if it wasn’t for Turell, Cara wouldn’t be alive…

"I will support you in every way. You are William's servant, and as such you are his voice on issues concerning the operation and comfort of the Keep."

Cara nodded her head at Turell’s words. She assumed that she would have Turell’s support, not just because she was his daughter but because she was working for the Viscount of Wildwood.

She didn’t know that William wasn’t the real man that he said he was, but it wouldn’t have mattered to her, she didn’t care nor know anything about titles nor nobility. All that mattered was William was currently paying for her services and allowing her to feed her family members.

“But more than that, you are my daughter..and I wish you well.”

She let the last words of Turell fade into the wind. She would have rebuffed him, but she was getting tired of doing so. All that matters was she had the word of the Village Elder of his full support towards her as the house servant of the Keep.

She watched him half bow to her, she gently furrowed her eyebrows, surprised at the sight. She felt slightly smug, as she watched the Village Elder show his respect towards her, his own bastard daughter.

After her talk with Turell, Cara quickly went her way to Gregor’s hut. Gregor was at first hesitant to give Cara the doe. Which was understandable as getting any game was never an easy task in these woods. But Cara made Gregor a fair offer with the coins William had given her, she even added an extra coin or two. She knew the sacrifice Gregor was making by giving Cara the doe.

Once she had her game, which she traveled with it via a wagon cart that she borrowed from the village, and made her way to the fields. She saw the people that she used to work side by side with, day by day, with there hands and knees deep in the mud. Cara smiled at them, but they only stared at her and whispered at each other as they watched her buy the produce they had just picked from the fields.

After returning from the fields Cara made a quick look through the market. She looked in her bag and found that she still had several coins left, which she could use for herself as William told her to “buy what you need to get yourself situated.”

She desperately needed bedding or at least a blanket, but she just looked at the coins and decided to keep them in her bag. Cara would have gone back home to give the coins to her mother but she had just given her mother 3 copper coins this morning. If Cara went home too often and with too many coins she knew her stepfather would get suspicious or even worse, use the money she had brought home for gambling or other wasteful things.

With turnips, squash and a doe, in her wagon she made her way back to the village square, in hopes to find Rodrick, but he seemed nowhere to be found. So with every muscle and bone in her body Cara made her way back to the Keep with her wagon. By the time she reached the Keep she was amazed that the wagon even kept its structure throughout its way up the hill. She quickly took the wagon and its belongings inside the Keep and placed it in the room that once used to be the kitchen.

Cara looked around the room that once used to be kitchen. She was sure that during the great days when the Keep was functional many great feasts were cooked in this kitchen. But at the present moment, cooking here, in what was once a kitchen was virtually impossible. She needed another option and she needed help.

“Sir…Lord…Viscount William? Uh…” Cara sighed as she tried to remember what the proper form was to call her new master as she walked the second floor of the Keep, making sure her voice echoed as loud as it could.

“Lord William?” Cara’s voice echoed throughout the Keep.

 

[BigBubblehead]

When Cara reached the upper most floor of the Keep and stepped out of the stair well into what had once been an elegant bedroom, she found two things that likely surprised her: a bare, pillaged bedroom with virtually no roof -- it having been burned a decade earlier -- and a very naked Viscount William of Wildwood, standing with his back to her as he ran a wet, cotton cloth over his body, doing his best at removing weeks of grime from his muscular body.

At her steps upon the debris covered hardwood, William half turned, offering her just a bit of a view of his manhood. As if there was absolutely nothing wrong with the peasant girl's presence at such a personal time, he asked simply, "What is it, Cara?"

 

[summergal21]

Cara gasped as her eyes grew wide, her mouth hung low, and the rest of her body froze. She had never seen a naked man before in her life, well other than her younger brothers but there were both under the age of 10.

She was unsure what the proper etiquette would be in the situation as such. William seemed to have no care in the world of Cara's presence but there he was in the buff with his manhood in view of the virgin girl. There was a long silence as Cara's mind tried to reconnect itself with the rest of Cara's body.

"I'm so sorry. Vis... I meant Lord William," Cara quickly stammered as she quickly turned her head away realizing that she had been staring at the muscular and naked body of William for far too long. She admired his muscular back, one could see the outline of each muscle, showing the hours, the months, the years of physical training William had put in for his chiseled body.

Her feet were still pointing toward the unclothed William but she had turned the rest of her body away from him, making sure she had no sight of his nude body. "I've come back from from the village with a doe, some turnips and squash. I was hoping to make a meal for your men but the kitchen in your Keep is unusable...I was wondering if you and your men had any pots and pans you've been traveling with and if I could have some assistance in cleaning up the Keep." Cara asked.

"Not from you though, I mean I'm not asking the Viscount of Wildwood to help me clean the kitchen since I'm sure you are far too busy for such a thing. I would ask Rodrick, but I...." Cara bit her lips, she wasn't sure how to explain that she had lost Rodrick in the village or that she was sure that he was finding comfort in the arms of a peasant woman.

"I'm sorry sir," Cara said as she slightly lowered her head, paying her respects to her master, "I didn't mean to bother you. I'll figure it out..." Cara quickly muttered as she felt the heat in her cheeks burn more and more with embarrassment.

 

[BigBubblehead]

"I'm so sorry. Vis... I meant Lord William," Cara quickly stammered as she quickly turned her head away realizing that she had been staring at the muscular and naked body of William for far too long.

William listened to the young woman stammering in shock and did nothing to alleviate her discomfort, neither turning to conceal his semi-hardened penis nor reaching for the robe that was within reach with just a bit of leaning.

"I've come back from from the village with a doe, some turnips and squash. I was hoping to make a meal for your men but the kitchen in your Keep is unusable...I was wondering if you and your men had any pots and pans you've been traveling with and if I could have some assistance in cleaning up the Keep."

As she rambled onward, William returned to wiping the cloth slowly over his body, cleaning his arm pits, sculpted chest ... then, with his eyes still firmly upon Cara, his groin and penis. Her gaze was diverted, but William -- skillfully concealing his smirk -- was sure that she had to be able to see in her peripheral vision that his hand was holding the rag down low.

"Not from you though, I mean I'm not asking the Viscount of Wildwood to help me clean the kitchen since I'm sure you are far too busy for such a thing. I would ask Rodrick, but I...."

William was pretty sure that Rodrick was already involved with the peasantry, one -- maybe two! -- of them in particular. The Black Knight may have teased William earlier about already having found a girl for the Keep, but it was Rodrick himself who was the horn dog amongst the six men. If William ever needed to locate the missing Knight, all he had to ask Cara to do was search out the most promiscuous girl in the Village, and that would be where Rod would be found.

"I'm sorry sir," Cara said as she slightly lowered her head, paying her respects to her master, "I didn't mean to bother you. I'll figure it out..."

"We will find you help in the Keep, Cara," William cut in, seeing the girl's cheeks fill with red for the second time in less than a minute. "I will leave that to you. Pick someone you trust to work hard ... to work for you. Perhaps a family member ... friend."

He leaned to wet the rag in the couple of inches of water filling the small, wooden tub. Another peasant, at the direction of a third Black Knight, had brought it up to the Keep during Cara's shopping spree; and the woman's three children had hustled up and down the hill several times with gut bags full of well water and wood for the small fire that was crackling in the hearth to William's left, heating rinse water in a small metal pot.

He turned his back to Cara and continued to clean his body. He wondered whether she would take the opportunity to ogle him some more as he had done to her so often in the past hours. If she looked closely, she would see the long, narrow, diagonal scar that ran from his left scapula almost all the way to his right waist line; or the snarled skin at the back of his right shoulder. William hardly remembered the sword slash anymore, unless a woman he was naked with asked about it; but the arrow piercing -- or more specifically the internal damage that resulted -- bothered him occasionally, particularly after strenuous activity such as sword play ... or energetic sex.

"As far as kitchen ware, m'lady," he continued, "we, the Knights, have little in the way of ... what's the word...? Utensils? We are a simple people when it comes to our dining habits. I will provide you with more coins. Perhaps you can accumulate what you need from the Village."

He twisted, gesturing to the pot of water beginning to steam over the little fire. "Would you mind retrieving that for me? Half hot, half cold."

He pointed out the wooden bucket on the floor filled with cold mixing water, then simply stared upward, through the open roof at the clouds lazily drifting overhead waiting to see how the girl would react to having a naked, male stranger ask her to help him bathe.

 

[summergal21]

Cara kept her eyes away from the naked William, her eyes fixating on anything else, until he requested her to do something for him, at that moment, she had no choice but to look at what he was pointing to.

All other words he had spoken she just made quick memos in her head as she could barely pay attention as she felt utterly uncomfortable with the Viscount of Wildwood bathing in front of the her.

“Would you mind retrieving that for me? Half hot, half cold.” His demand echoed through her ears.

Cara bit the inside of her mouth hard as she wanted to deny his request but she knew that would be disrespectful to her master.

“I…you want me to…of course…M’lord…” Cara said quickly as she swiftly maneuvered her body, making sure to keep her eyes on the ground so the only thing she could see was her shoes and the floor. As she had no desire to look at the naked body of William and she was sure as the house servant she wasn’t allowed to look at her master’s naked body.

She made her way to the pot of water, still keeping her head to the ground, only catching the glimpse of William’s ankles and knees from time to time. She picked up the pot and placed the boiling water in the bucket, then carefully putting the pot of water back on the fire.

Always making sure her eyes were on the ground and not above so her eyes never met the naked body of William. Once her task was done she kept her face away from William but made sure her feet were pointing toward him. “Is there anything else you need Lord William?” She had now bitten her mouth hard enough that the taste of blood had trickled down onto her tongue.

 

[BigBubblehead]

William's eyes followed Cara as she hurried through her task. She was turning and twisting her body and bowing her head this way and that in an obvious attempt to not view his nakedness. William did his best to contain his smirk -- this was intentional, of course -- but occasionally he simply couldn't prevent his lips from widening with joy.

She mixed the water and brought the wooden bucket to the floor near her Master's feet, her face looking directly to the floor.

“Is there anything else you need Lord William?”

He handed her the rag. "Rinse this please."

She took the rag, dipped and wrung it out, then handed it back to William, her face never once raising. She was standing at his side, just a bit behind his front. If Cara had peaked up, William was certain that from that angle she could likely see at least the final few inches of his penis, somewhat swollen despite the chill in the air simply because of the erotic nature of the moment. But as he took the rag and began running it over his front, his attention was on the far wall, as if the young woman weren't even there.

Without being dismissed, William knew that Cara would likely continue to simply stand there, staring at the hard wood floor forever. He was beginning to feel rather silly perpetuating this awkward test of her and was about to send her on her way when a devilish thought came to him.

"Cara ... have you never seen a man nude before?" He gave her a moment to respond, but when she didn't, he turned to face her straight on, his now semi-hardened cock on full display for her should she look. "Cara ... it's okay to look. Your Master has given you permission. You are not in the wrong to exhibit your curiosity."

 

[summergal21]

"Cara ... have you never seen a man nude before?...Cara ... it's okay to look. Your Master has given you permission. You are not in the wrong to exhibit your curiosity." William's voice rung through her ears. William had a deep and manly voice that soothed Cara but now it sounded even more appealing even slightly arousing.

"I..." Cara slowly started to say allowing her plump red lips to slowly form words. Her eyes still on the ground.

"I thank you for the offer but I am not curious. I am an unwed woman. I have no interest in looking at a man nude until my wedding night, my Master, Lord William. Unless...but...I can still assist you here as necessary but I'm just your house servant...not your...well bath assistant..." Cara said furrowing her brows as she cocked her head to the side trying to figure out, for the first time since she decided to take on this job, exactly what her role as house servant entailed...

 

[BigBubblehead]

"I thank you for the offer but I am not curious. I am an unwed woman. I have no interest in looking at a man nude until my wedding night, my Master, Lord William."

William had wondered about Cara's innocence from the moment he'd seen her in the field and decided he would someday part her thighs for his pleasure. Now, there was no question: she was as pure as the driven snow that had been so harsh across the Great Continent this past winter.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Every man yearned to be the one who introduced a beautiful, innocent girl to the wonders of being a woman, if not for her own education than for his own entertainment and ego. On the other hand, there was nothing as pleasurable as a woman who knew what she was doing with her and her mates personals, which was probably the reason Rodrick couldn't be found at the moment, having found a peasant woman who knew her way around a man's penis.

"Unless...but...I can still assist you here as necessary but I'm just your house servant...not your...well bath assistant..."

For a moment, William wondered what Cara had been about to say when she began with the word Unless. There were a great many sentences that could have begun with that word; or, she may simply have misspoken. Who knew?

But instead of question her, he decided it was time to make it understood who was the Master and who was the Servant. With a commanding tone, he said, "Cara ... look at me. Look at all of me."

 

[summergal21]

Cara raised her eyebrows and clenched her fist. She didn't like being commanded what to do, even if she was "just a peasant girl" and currently the Keep's house servant. His commandeering tone was harsh and made Cara want to revolt. She knew the smart choice would be to obey William's order and just look at the man, unclothed and naked.

What harm can it be? He was only nude. He held no threat to her, he was in his most vulnerable state.

But she couldn't, whatever one would call it- her pride, her dignity, her spirit, her independence- had no desire to obey to William's order to look at his naked body.

So her lips swiftly moved as she kept her eyes on the floor. But she made sure that her posture was straight, her body language showing confidence and strength.

"Lord William..." Her voice echoed even with the open roof.

"I see no reason to look at your naked body at this very moment other than you having this frivolous want for me to look at you." Her words were pronounced and precise, not unweary like before.

"I can tell that you are more than capable of bathing yourself, without any assistance, if not you would have had someone in here with you to begin with." Any other peasant would have just listened to Lord William and looked at the naked man's body and obeyed his orders, but not Cara, she wasn't just another peasant and she wanted William to know that.

She knew that her disobeying William’s command could cost her, her position as the house servant at the Keep. But at the moment, she didn’t care about the consequence. Instead she cared more about her dignity.

“So unless this decision of me being unwilling to see you naked has changed your mind that I am unsuitable to be your house servant, I will like to be dismissed from here and be on my way to make you and your men a meal.” Cara said bluntly. She wasn’t the kind of person to cause problems, especially with someone that held power.

But maybe it was the stress of having to interact with Turell so often in the past several hours, she had so much tension in her that she had to let out her frustration somewhere and assert herself or else she was sure she would end up like every other peasant girl, alone,vulnerable and taken advantage of.

 

[BigBubblehead]

“So unless this decision of me being unwilling to see you naked has changed your mind that I am unsuitable to be your house servant, I will like to be dismissed from here and be on my way to make you and your men a meal.”

William stared at Cara for a long moment, realizing near the end of it that her stubborn and stead fast behavior was only causing his erection to stiffen more. He wanted her, here and now; and he knew that if he'd wanted, he could have taken her upon his bed -- if he'd had one, that is -- and had her way with her and later justify it as modifying her behavior toward a Noble.

Lucky for Cara, William wasn't that sort of Master. In a way, it was lucky for William, too: raping this girl would have had devastating consequences on his plan for Wildwood. No amount of post-molesting compensation to Cara's family would have made up for assaulting her in such a way. And of course -- still unknown to William -- was the fact that Cara's family included Turrell, even if she wished it didn't.

William didn't know whether he should be surprised at Cara's refusal to study his nude form, but he was disappointed. Her lack of playful, lustful interest in spying him didn't bode well for his plan of parting her thighs at the earliest possibility.

He stepped out of the little tub, his movement putting him just inches from Cara -- and putting his lower body directly in her current line of sight. He hesitated for a moment, staring down at the top of her mass of red, then turned and made his way to the clothes laid out upon an old chair. He began to redress, then -- with a casual tone that seemed to defy the tension of the moment -- told Cara, "Please see to the meal for my men, and locate this assistance in labor you speak of. A man for the heavy chores. A woman for help with the cooking ... cleaning ... other such tasks. You are excused."

He didn't turn to face her again, instead simply dressing himself slowly...

 

[summergal21]

Cara was certain her heart had stopped while she waited for William to speak. Despite the strength and the confidence of her words, she was worried, terrified that she had upset him. She knew that as a woman, and him as a man and not just any man but as a nobleman he held great power. Disobeying him was not an option, or at least not something she should do often, as it could lead to great dire consequences.

She felt William right behind her when he stepped out of the tub. She felt his breath on the back of her hair and she was tempted to turn around just to look into his eyes. She had never been this physically close to him since meeting him and she would have liked to study her master’s face as she found him quite handsome, especially when compared to the men living in the village. He was over a decade older than her, but she had to admit she found him quite handsome.

She smiled when she heard his voice. She was happy to hear that her disobedience would not lead to her termination. She knew who she would ask to help her at the Keep; her elder brother for the manual labor and her mother to help her out in the kitchen.

Cara made sure her feet was still down, looking at the unkept floor as she made her way to the stairs. Right before she was about to make her descent she turned her head, and glanced in the direction of William. “Thank you, Lord William…Thank you.” If he had looked in her direction he would have seen Cara with a genuine smile, allowing the one dimple she had on her right cheek to show and her blue-green eyes sparkling as the sun shone in through the open roof.

Cara then made her way back to the village. By now the descent down the village from the Keep was nothing more than a nuisance but the trip back up to the Keep, now that would be trouble.

Cara at once made her way back to her family’s hut. Luckily her brother was visiting, saving her the trouble to find him. Her brother was at first weary in working for the Viscount of Wildwood as he didn’t like being told what to do. He made a living as a hunter, but finding game in this woods was not an easy task. With Cara’s promise of a suitable compensation and the reminder that it would actually be her that he would be assisting, her brother, Nathaniel agreed to work for the Keep.

Cara then approached her mother about working at the Keep by helping her in the kitchen. Cara explained to her mother the dismal state the kitchen’s Keep was in and the harsh reality that Cara had no experience cooking for anyone other than her family. She told her mother that she had no right to cook for knights and especially any nobility.

Her mother promised her that she would help with what she can, but because of Cara’s younger siblings she would need the flexibility to return to the village and only work a limited number of hours. Cara assured her mother that the Viscount of Wildwood was an understanding man, she of course kept private to why she knew this.

With both of her family members with her, she then went back to the town square as she had intentions of buying more supplies at the market. But her attention drifted from her task as the odd sound of hammering, loud voices and the moving of several bodies caught her ear.

As Cara made her way to the sound, she soon realized that several of the William’s Black Knights had gathered at the town square along with several other village people with what seemed to be the goal of crafting furniture for the Keep.

It seemed that the village people were able to find old beams for the Knights to use along with some other random scraps of material and what seemed to be a table and some chairs were starting to take form. When the Knights saw Cara they all took note of her and greeted her with a gentle nod and a smile. She was unsure of how she should respond to their acknowledgement of her and she just shyly smiled at William’s men.

She assumed their acknowledgement of her stemmed from the fact that she held the title of house servant, but to the men it was because she was chosen specifically by William as the house servant. Each of them agreed that Cara was the fairest of them all in the village. The Knights knew that it wouldn’t be long till William would be in between her thighs and each were waiting for their turn with her once William found another pretty thing to bed.

There was one Knight that was missing from the group, Rodrick. Cara looked around the town square and when she finally found him he was leaving a hut in the far corner of her eye. He had a smug look on his face and it was evident that he had been undressed mere moments before as he was straightening his clothes as he exited the hut. She quickly looked away and went to the market, reminding herself that she had a task at hand and needed to make a meal for William and his men.

Using the coins she had left, she bought bowls and utensils, along with the some spices. With her goods in hand, her brother and mother by her side they made the trip back to the Keep. The climb was difficult for her mother and her brother tried his best to make it look simple while it was treacherous for him as well. Once the trio arrived at the Keep, Cara allowed her mother to rest while Nathaniel insisted he was not tired and went straight to work in getting the kitchen cleaned. Cara was thankful that her brother was here for this task as it was not pleasant.

Cara’s mother started to work on the meal, a roasted doe with grilled squash and turnips. Another meal of stew was being prepared with the leftover doe meat and root vegetables for later. Cara assisted her mother as best she could, Cara was more than happy to have her mother in the kitchen as she realized she had taken the job of house servant prematurely without fully considering her own kitchen skills.

Soon the meal was ready and she could hear the return of the Black Knights from the Village along with their newly made furniture. With the help of her mother, Cara served the meal to William’s Knights. She looked for William but he was nowhere to be found. Rodrick noticed Cara’s wandering eyes and informed her that their master was up on the roof and ordered her to take his meal to him.

Cara then carefully took a plate of the doe meat and roasted vegetables up onto the roof. She was not yet used to the stairs and found herself breathing heavily when she felt the cool air touch her skin.

“Lord William, I have your meal ready for you…” Cara said gently as she arrived at the roof.

 

[BigBubblehead]

William was lost in thought as he stared down upon what was now his County. The Keep was the highest structure in the Village; and the Village sat upon the tallest hillock in the middle of the valley; so, from here, he was able to see nearly all of the County's open lands, up to the forests that surrounded the valley.

There was a lot of work to be done, on the Keep, the Village, the Town, and the land that surrounded them all. And despite the Black Knights having only arrived 10 hours earlier that day, William could already see the work underway.

William looked down to the village. His Black Knights, with Elder Turrell's guidance, had already organized three dozen or more men and women to perform such tasks as gathering or building furniture for the Keep; cutting trees to be split for bridges, walls, and other construction; and creating tools and other devices for repairing the small but vital dikes that one supplied water for the moat and other such needs, including the washing away of bodily waste that currently had to be shoveled into carts and hauled off to the stream down slope.

William had already formulated estimates on the reconstruction, guesses that would be influenced by how well he, the Black Knights, Turrell, and the peasantry got along.

"Lord William, I have your meal ready for you…”

William turned to find Cara standing at the top of a stairwell with a platter of food. She looked incredible, bathed in the dimming red light of sunset. He recalled his failure earlier to get the girl to view his nakedness, and then thought about the whole get along with the peasantry thought.

He was going to get along with the red headed beauty soon, whether she wanted it or not. But for now, there were other issues with which to deal. He gestured he to bring to food to one of the crenellations, and after she set it there, he nibbled at it while watching her intently.

William understood the girl's desire to save herself for her husband, and he respected the thought. But ... he wanted her, and that was that.

"This is excellent," he complimented, making several comments about the individual items she and her mother had prepared. He asked as to whether she'd found the help she needed, then politely spoke about some of the specific tasks on which the trio would need to work in the coming days. "Assure you family that they will be paid sufficiently. They will have no reason to complain."

A rain drop struck William's forearm as he reached for the final slice of venison. He looked up to find just a single cloud above, but looking off to the east -- up wind -- he saw that a gathering storm was coming.

"This could get nasty before night's end," he spoke, not necessarily to Cara but certainly to his worried mind. They had work to do, and if Mother Nature did not cooperate, it would be greatly hampered. He turned and looked to Cara, whose skin suddenly erupted in goose flesh. "You should return to the Great Hall ... tend to the others ... get your mother and brother down hill before the rain makes the hill impassable."

He handed her the tray, but as she took it, he did not immediately release his hold upon it. When she looked up to him, he smiled and said softly, "I'm glad you are here, Cara. I hope you feel the same."

Once she'd responded in her way, he dismissed her again, saying, "Tell my men I will be down shortly. If there is anything else you need for your cell, have them retrieve it from the village by which ever manner is necessary. I will not have you uncomfortable--" He smiled and gave her a slight bow, finishing, "M'lady."