The Berth of Birth (closed for spawnofdavey)

[spawnofdavey]

He wasn’t sure if he was being cruel, having her stand there while he disrobed and stank into the warm water of the bath tub, but for some reason he got a thrill out of watching her reaction. He lay back for a moment, letting his head rest against the rim of the bath, closing his eyes for a moment and imagining Alessa climbing in the soothing waters with him. His loins felt a heat that was nothing to do with the temperature of the bath water.

“Is there anything else you need?” She asked.

“Mmm, maybe another glass or two of wine for us both sister dearest?” He suggested, wondering how far he could push it tonight. “Your duties are finished Ilana, you are free to take care of your own needs, should you so desire.” He left the statement as leading and open as possible for her.

 

[asetikish]

As a professional servant, she could do anything so mechanically and logically, nothing shook her. But dealing with her master was a different beast, and with her feelings for him, it was not one she could tame. Every day was both a struggle and a reward. He was so close and so far at the same time. When ladies draped themselves around him, she seethed inside wishing she could pour their wines over their heads. When the older lords treated him like a youth without knowledge, she wanted to come to his defense. But of course, it was not her place to do any of that. And now that they were in an intimate setting with just the two of them with no one to bother them, she wanted to touch and kiss him, but again, it was not her place.

"Wine, huh? And here I thought I was relieved of my duties?" she chided him but turned to fill a couple of glasses. As she did so, she let out a silent sigh. 'My own needs? You have no idea what my needs are,' she thought.

Alessa had always heard that wine made people more courageous. She didn't know if it was true, but she did need the courage to get back in and hand him his wine. As it was, she was absolutely terrified to go back and subject herself to such bittersweet torture. She downed the glass, face scrunched not used to such a drink before pouring herself another. The heat of the wine quickly spread through her and made her a touch light-headed. She let out a breath to calm herself and headed back to the bathroom, this time, her cheeks red, not because of embarrassment, but because she had just downed a whole glass of wine.

"Here," she handed him his glass.

 

[spawnofdavey]

“Enjoying some wine is hardly a duty..” He replied mildly, wondering what was going through her head. He watched her from behind, his manhood rising in the warm water of the bath at the thought of the two of them enjoying each other more fully.

When she turned to face him Alessa’s face was flushed red, with either embarrassment or something else he wasn’t quite sure. He would have liked it to be desire, but he didn’t know if it was the wine taking over or not.

He cocked his head as she handed him the glass. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be free of the constraints of our respective stations?“ He asked her. “To be able to act on our desires without having to worry of the consequences?” He put his hand over hers on the glass. “You understand what I’m talking about?”

He hoped he hadn’t overstepped the boundary of their relationship.

 

[asetikish]

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be free of the constraints of our respective stations? To be able to act on our desires without having to worry of the consequences? You understand what I’m talking about?”

Alessa opened her mouth to speak, but some sense inside told her that this kind of talk was improper and could send her to the gallows. It...was the kind of revolutionary talk that people in the market said. The same men who were hanged a few months after one of the lord's mansions had been broken into. She knew the whole story. Both sides were at fault, but being a lord had privileges and all he got was a confiscated land while the dockworkers lost their lives. She knew the rules. She was not going to be baited.

"I do, my prince," she added his title more to help herself remember who she was talking to. Especially when she was feeling a little woozy and sleepy. And a little warm. Unconsciously, she loosened the laces of her bodice and her dress to make herself comfortable, oblivious to how her breasts threatened to spill out as they were released from the tight bindings. "But I'm sorry to say that the travel has tired me out more than it should, and I cannot respond to you as well as I think I can. As I am relieved of my duties, may I rest now? Or would you like me to make quick work of bathing you so we could both get some rest?"

 

[spawnofdavey]

He was struggling with the mixed messages he was getting from Alessa. Her words told him that she was not interested, that there could not be anything but formality between them and yet… He watched as she tugged at the lace ties of her bodice, her breasts partly freed from the tight confines of her dress.

Alessa confused him, teased him and in almost the same breath denied anything he would wish to happen between them. It was both frustrating and arousing at the same time. He sighed, resting his head back against the rim of the bath tub. He closed his eyes, replying lazily.

“You can bathe me, then you may rest and do what you wish for the night.”

 

[asetikish]

Alessa blinked. And before her rational side could process what he asked for, she knelt behind him and reached over to his chest running the sponge on his body. At first it was all mechanical as she scrubbed his arms, shoulders and neck. As she scrubbed down to his chest, she had to pull herself closer to him until she was cheek to cheek with him and her movements slowed. The alcohol in her made her crazy enough to let one hand run over his muscular build as the hand with the sponge moved lower. Her hand glided over his chest and his stomach, heart pounding in her ears breathing getting deeper as she felt his muscles under her fingers.

But before she could go lower, logic finally caught up and she let go of the sponge snatching her hand back. "Forgive me, my Prince. I think I have had too much wine."

Alessa strode away from Matt as quickly as she could red face aflame, and clothes dripping. She quickly changed into a night gown all the while berating herself for being carried away. No. She should never have wine any longer. It was making her do things that she never would have done sober. Feeling up the prince like that? Oh, the embarrassment!

Taking one of the feather pillows, she put it on the floor at the far end of the bed and laid down. As soon as her head laid on the pillow, she was asleep thanks to both the tiring trip and the alcohol in her system.