《Royal Submission》 Chapter 1 Prince Cade pressed his fingers to his temples as the woman left the room. He turned to his advisor, waving his hand at the door. ¡°Ava, why do they even bother?¡± The woman had shown up to the interviews to become his new personal servant but had spent half of the meeting criticizing the recent decrees his mother had passed. Her voice had been very high pitched and every word had grated against his brain. By the time the guards had managed to wrestle her out of the room he already had a pounding headache. ¡°I don¡¯t know sir. We made sure it was clear that any disparaging comments made towards members of the family would result in an immediate dismissal.¡± ¡°Great,¡± he drawled. ¡°So now that that waste of time is done, who¡¯s next?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got seven more interviews left to conduct. Reggie has just left to fetch a¡­¡± Ava glanced down at her wooden tablet ¡°Ms. Scarlett Amaris. 24 years old with no previous experience.¡± She flipped the page over and sighed. ¡°No real information given either.¡± ¡°So this might be another one just here to have a word with me. Understood.¡± He stretched his back and groaned as his bones cracked with the movement. His shoulders were stiff and he reached up to rub at the soreness emanating from them. His feet itched inside his boots and he resisted the pulsing desire to get up and move around the room. Instead, he dragged his boots across the ground, allowing the soles of the shoes to scrape the stone floor. He stood up when the door swung open and the guard returned with a woman trailing after him. She paused at the bottom of the steps to his throne. When he stepped down to greet her, he was surprised to find that she was only a bit shorter than him. Many of the previous women who had shown up today were overshadowed by his 5¡¯10¡± frame. He couldn¡¯t make out her face with the way her chin was tucked to her chest, but her shoulders were pulled back and her back was straight. She was being respectful of his position but not subservient to him. Red hair cascaded down past her face in waves, shrouding her features as stood before her. ¡°Ms. Scarlett Amaris, was it?¡± He held his hand out towards her, palm facing upward. ¡°It is, Your Royal Highness.¡± When she lifted her head, he was taken aback at the shockingly blue eyes that peered up at him. She placed her hand in his before diverting her eyes back to the ground, allowing her head to stay upright. His fingers closed around her thin hand before raising it to his lips. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I hear you are interested in becoming my personal servant?¡± He moved back to sit on his throne. The woman shifted her position slightly, the clicking of her heels echoing in the otherwise silent room. ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°May I ask how you heard of this position?¡± ¡°Through a family friend, Your Royal Highness. I need to find a new place to live. She brought up the position when I was asking around about jobs.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you. So, you¡¯ve been living with your uncle?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. For two years. He took me in after my parents left town. Allowed me to stay with him for as long as his sons were at war. With your recent victory, his sons have returned. There wasn''t enough space in the house, so I¡¯ve found myself without shelter.¡± Cade hummed as he waved Ava towards and reached out for the tablet. She passed it over and he scanned the scant information on the sheet. ¡°Are you a fugitive, Ms. Amaris?¡± ¡°No, Your Royal Highness.¡± Her eyes shot up to him at his words and he watched as they grew wide before quickly darting back to the ground. ¡°So is there a reason you¡¯ve neglected to provide information about yourself? You filled out your name, date of birth, and experience but that¡¯s it. You provided no information as to your family or your limits. You added no details as to why you want this job. Why is that? Do you have something to hide?¡± ¡°No, Your Royal Highness. I¡­¡± the woman paused, her shoulder¡¯s tightening ¡°I could not read most of the form. I was only taught the basics by my parents. I wouldn¡¯t have known the section about experience if it hadn¡¯t been for overhearing some of the other girls.¡± ¡°That would explain your handwriting,¡± he muttered. ¡°How did you learn to write then? If your parents didn¡¯t teach you to read, I doubt they would have taught you to write.¡± ¡°My uncle taught me, Your Royal Highness. Only the basics and only for when I needed to sign for a delivery or letter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Cade tapped his finger against the tablet as he thought. ¡°You have no experience as a personal servant?¡± ¡°No, Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°But you are aware of some of the¡­duties required of a personal servant, yes?¡± It was often well-known what role a royal¡¯s personal servant fulfilled, but there had been times before when sheltered individuals were unaware. ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± A blush bloomed on Scarlett¡¯s cheeks and began to creep down her neck as she nodded slightly. ¡°My friend explained it to me when she told me about the position. She also told me that serving you would be¡­¡± her voice lingered in the air as she struggled to find the word ¡°different than serving another royal.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been made aware of my peculiarity then. I must ask: Do you hold any interest in someone like me?¡± Prince Cade was considered a slight rarity amongst the nobility. Assigned female at birth he¡¯d never felt uncomfortable with his gender or body, only with the terms used to describe him. Several of the women he had interviewed previously had seemed especially keen on getting to service someone like him. ¡°No sir. I have no interest in anyone with a¡­¡± she hesitated before she continued her thought ¡°feminine body or presentation. My interest lies solely with men.¡± Cade grunted as he took in her words. Her eyes were still firmly planted on the ground and she held herself as stiff as a board. ¡°Would it be an issue for you to provide me with the necessary services?¡± ¡°I do not believe so sir.¡± ¡°You do not believe so? Could you expand on that a bit more?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I have never acted like that with anyone sir. However, I learn quickly and am good at following directions. If I am trained in the proper way to serve you, I am sure that I will be able to do so adequately.¡± Her knuckles were white as she gripped her hands in front of her. ¡°I still have some more interviews to conduct today. Should you be chosen, a guard will need a way to contact you. Where are you currently staying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently staying with my uncle, Your Royal Highness. He lives at a farm on the outskirts of Marang. It has a windmill outside of it, the only one in the area.¡± ¡°Okay. I believe I have all the information I need.¡± Ava nodded when he glanced over at her. ¡°Thank you for your interest in the position, Ms. Amaris.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Royal Highness.¡± The woman bowed before leaving through the main door. The door fell shut behind her and quickly after the side door closed as the guard went to gather another woman. ¡°She¡¯d be a difficult one,¡± he muttered. Ava nodded in agreement. ¡°She would need a lot of training, in a lot of areas. Service training, protocol training, reading, writing, the gods know what else.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, she would. It would take a lot of time to train her properly and Her Majesty-¡± ¡°Is ¡®requesting¡¯ that I have a servant by the next ball. I am aware. How long would it take to have her trained well enough to attend, do you think?¡± ¡°In terms of basic service: two or three weeks, perhaps. She would not be expected to know how to read and write at that time, which would allow the training focus to be put solely on her service. It would be cutting it close, but it could be done. Any additional training could be done after the ball if she performs well.¡± ¡°I think-¡± his words were cut off as Reggie returned with another woman in tow. ¡°We¡¯ll speak more later. It¡¯s time for another round.¡± --- Cade felt pain emanating through his body by the time he made his way to dinner. His throat ached after an entire day of interviewing possible servants and his back twinged when he turned. There was an incessant pounding behind his eyes and he flinched as the door to the dining room slammed shut behind him. His mother was already seated at the head of the table, her ever present personal guard Jay standing just off of her left shoulder. Ava had arrived before him and was showing his mother the tablet of notes she had taken on the candidates. He slid into the seat across from Ava, reaching out and draining the glass of water that was waiting for him. The cold liquid sluiced down his throat and eased some of the soreness. ¡°Good evening, mother,¡± he croaked out. A couple drops of water dripped down his mouth and he patted the droplets away. ¡°How has your day been?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been fine dear. I had a few meetings with some of the neighboring nobility, mainly just talks about the upcoming ball.¡± ¡°Why the talks? Isn¡¯t it still two weeks away?¡± ¡°Yes. The ladies just wanted to get together to talk. You know how they can be. How were your meetings today?¡± Cade leaned back against his seat as a servant placed a plate loaded with food in front of him. ¡°Long and at times exasperating. But overall, I think it was productive. There were a lot of candidates and some of them even seemed proper.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± His mother perked up as she stared at him. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve found a personal servant?¡± ¡°I have a few options I¡¯ve been thinking about. I was going to debrief with Ava tomorrow so that we could figure out the best choices.¡± ¡°You should really choose someone today, my dear. You need a servant.¡± ¡°I know that mother, but I need time to think through my options. And trying to do that when my head feels like it¡¯s going to burst open just doesn¡¯t feel like the right time.¡± ¡°Yes, but you really must choose someone.¡± ¡°And I know that. But if I am being made to choose someone-¡± ¡°You are. You¡¯ve heard what the nobility, and city dwellers, have been saying since¡­she left.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Cade¡¯s shoulders heaved as he sighed. ¡°Trust me, mother, I know. Like I said, if I have to choose someone then I want it to be someone who won¡¯t cause¡­troubles.¡± Cade felt heat rush up his neck, but he kept his face blank. Jay let out a light snort at his words but did not comment. Ava and his mother traded glances before looking down at their plates again. The only noise that could be heard for the next few minutes was the scraping of silverware against the plates. ¡°Did you hear about Princess Aruiana?¡± Ava¡¯s voice broke through the silence and all eyes swiveled to look at her. ¡°I¡¯ve not heard from her mother in a while. Has something happened?¡± Cade¡¯s mother leaned forward on the table. ¡°According to her last letter, her older sister has refused to take the throne. She¡¯s apparently fallen in love with some traveling musician that she met. She¡¯s already left the castle to stay with them. Aruiana is going to have to take the throne.¡± Cade¡¯s eyes grew as Ava recounted the story. Princess Auriana had been one of his closest playmates when they were younger, but her family had had to move when her parents had taken the throne after the untimely death of her uncle. ¡°Poor girl,¡± he muttered. ¡°No one prepared her for that.¡± ¡°Cade,¡± his mother sighed. He hunched his shoulders up to his ears. He had thought his words had been quiet enough that she hadn¡¯t heard. Apparently, he¡¯d been wrong. He stared down at the remaining pieces of venison on his plate. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s a grown woman and she¡¯s got her mother to help her.¡± Cade didn¡¯t respond. He just finished his dinner and excused himself from the table. Lumbering to his room to sleep the night away. He woke later that night when a knock sounded on his door. He groaned as he peeled himself off of the bed and stumbled towards the door. A yawn cracked his jaw as he pulled the door open and stared at Ava. ¡°Yes?¡± His body slumped against the door frame. ¡°We need to discuss the candidates for your personal servant.¡± Cade scrubbed a hand over his face and just stared at her. ¡°I thought we agreed to do that tomorrow?¡± ¡°Your mother is insisting upon the choice being made tonight. She wants to be able to¡­assess your servant¡¯s readiness for the ball.¡± ¡°If she insists.¡± His head ached as he rolled his eyes but moved to the side to allow Ava entrance. ¡°How many candidates were actually here for the position?¡± ¡°Twenty-seven.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he cracked his neck and sat down on a chair. ¡°Let¡¯s get started or we¡¯ll be here all night.¡± ¡°First, I think we should establish some of the key features you¡¯re looking for in a servant. Physical attributes, behavior, anything like that.¡± ¡°I want someone who will be subservient and dutiful, but only to me. No other nobles should be able to order around my servant.¡± Ava shuffled some of the papers around as Cade continued thinking. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that, Cade. It was a short interview. But I did take some notes on behaviors so hopefully that will help. Any preferences for things like height or appearance?¡± ¡°I know, but I trust you to try your best. I want someone feminine. If they¡¯re going to be serving me I¡¯d like them, us, to appear a certain way.¡± More papers were moved around. ¡°Do you want a previously trained servant?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be preferred if possible, but training a servant isn¡¯t out of the question. It would just be more difficult to have to add training into my schedule.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a good start. There were a few candidates that meet those requirements. Do you have any others?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡± he licked his lips ¡°I want someone who isn¡¯t interested in my¡­peculiarity.¡± Ava stopped her movement and just glanced up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You want a servant who isn¡¯t attracted to you? I thought-¡± ¡°I know that most nobility tends to pick people who are compatible with them. They want the¡­specific brand of closeness that comes with that. But if they¡¯re attracted to me then it runs the risk of becoming an issue. Either on their end or my own. I do not want that to happen.¡± Cade¡¯s brown eyes bored into Ava¡¯s green ones. The woman nodded slightly before consulting the papers in her lap again. ¡°Ms. Scarlett Amaris might be a good choice then. She openly admitted to not being interested in someone like you. She has no training but that can be rectified with some extra work from you.¡± ¡°Might be worth a trial run at least. Can you send someone to summon her here tomorrow morning? Say after the morning meal?¡± ¡°Of course. Is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°No, that should be all. Thank you for your work today.¡± Ava grabbed the papers in her lap and began to leave before being stopped by a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Ava, please don¡¯t tell anyone what I said about wanting someone¡­¡± he trailed off, but Ava nodded her head. ¡°Of course. Anything you say is confidential between us. Get some sleep. You¡¯ve got an interesting day ahead of you.¡± Chapter 2 Scarlett toyed with the edge of her sleeves as she stood outside of the castle doors. She had woken earlier this morning to a guard requesting her presence at the castle. She¡¯d hopped into action and packed a small bag with her most important belongings, triple-checking that her lucky marble was safely stowed away. She had eagerly followed the guard through the town and towards the castle, her fingers tapping against her leg in eager anticipation. Now that she was there, she couldn¡¯t make herself take that step. Something froze her legs and made her arms lock up. ¡°Come on,¡± the guard growled, reaching out to grab her arm. She flinched back before he could make contact. The sudden movement caused her to tangle her legs in her billowing dress and she felt the moment her right foot slid out from underneath her. The cement cracked against her skull as she tumbled to the ground. A gasp forced its way out of her mouth as the pain hit her. ¡°Martin, what happened?¡± A shadow was cast over Scarlett as the Prince leaned over her prone body. The sides of his head were shaved and his black hair was slicked back. However, one strand escaped the group and fell in front of his forehead as he looked down at her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He held out a hand towards her and golden tinted skin glinted in the early morning sun. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Scarlett sat up and blinked a few times as her vision wavered a bit. ¡°I think.¡± She reached out and grabbed the proffered hand. The Prince¡¯s hand was strong as he pulled her to her feet, reaching out to steady her when she swayed slightly. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I tripped over my dress and fell.¡± Scarlett ducked her head as she spoke, letting her hair cover her face. ¡°Was that all that happened? You just tripped?¡± Prince Cade¡¯s tone was flat as he spoke and Scarlett kept her eyes trained on the ground. After a few seconds of silence the Prince stepped back from her, letting her hand drop to her side, and tilted his head in the direction of the castle doors. ¡°Are you ready to head inside?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, Your Royal Highness.¡± Scarlett followed the Prince into the building, her eyes drifting from the floor to take in her new surroundings. The castle was aglow as morning light filtered in through several windows. The hardwood floors shone as maids scrubbed the dirt from them. Servants flitted around the place as the Prince led her through the entryway. Prince Cade took heavy, long strides as he led her through the castle. Scarlett rucked her dress up slightly so that she could keep up with him without worrying about another injury. Finally he slowed up at a set of double doors. He pulled one open and motioned for her to head in. ¡°This is our library.¡± He motioned her towards two plush seats situated by the fire, sitting once she¡¯d taken a seat. ¡°No one typically uses it around this time so I figured it was the best place for our discussion. Before we begin, would you like anything to drink?¡± ¡°No, thank you though.¡± Prince Cade leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and tangling his fingers together. ¡°Were you made aware of why you were brought here?¡± ¡°No, Your Royal Highness. The guard only said that I was being summoned to the castle.¡± ¡°Okay. I summoned you here because I want to give you a trial run at being my servant. If you perform well, it will become a permanent position. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be compensated for the time spent here and you will be released. The trial will end at the upcoming ball that my mother, the Queen, is hosting.¡± Scarlett nodded her head but didn¡¯t speak so Cade kept on. ¡°Today we will be going over the contract and what will be expected of you. If you leave today there will be no compensation, though. Do you wish to go over the contract with me?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°Okay, let us begin.¡± He reached over to the table and removed two small stacks of paper. He kept one on his lap and passed one over to the woman. ¡°The first thing that has to be noted is that, should you accept the position, you will be providing services of a sexual nature to me. You will be my submissive. That means that both a safe word and a safe phrase will be established. The safe word is between us. It will be documented but the only time it should be used is with me. The safe phrase will be established between you and your chosen system. I will never know it and should it appear in any communications between you and them, it is to be assumed that I pushed a boundary. Are you aware of all of this?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. I was loosely made aware of this before applying.¡± ¡°Good. Now when you are serving me you will address me as ¡®Sir¡¯, not any other titles including Your Royal Highness.¡± He took a sip of water as he watched Scarlett process his words. ¡°Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°When you are not actively serving me, you will refer to me as either Prince Cade or Your Royal Highness. You have never worked as a servant before so I will be training you. It will likely be rigorous training as I have a ball in two weeks that I am expected to take you too.¡± ¡°What type of training?¡± ¡°Protocol and service training for the most part. For the ball, you need to be able to serve me to the standards expected of the royal family. Some of this training may also overlap with obedience training as well. After the ball, if you perform well, we will begin other forms of training.¡± ¡°Okay, sir.¡± ¡°On my mother¡¯s insistence, you will also be given time with a tutor who will teach you what you¡¯ve not learned. Reading and writing will be the first focus, but beyond that the tutor will teach you basic math and history. Other topics as well if you¡¯d like to learn them.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Typically I would send you away and have you fill out the paper you¡¯re holding with your limits and preferred terms.¡± He watched as her eyes grew wide and her fingers tensed around the papers. ¡°However, I think in lieu of your circumstances we could handle this verbally. Would you like a third-party to witness this part of the discussion?¡± ¡°Why would a third person be needed?¡± ¡°For safety.¡± He sighed and explained when he saw her forehead and nose scrunched up in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s to make sure that neither of us are pushing the other into agreeing to things they don¡¯t desire. That we both are being honest and agreeing with the terms.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Scarlett paused for a minute as she thought over the question. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring someone in then. If at any point their presence makes you uncomfortable, we can have them leave.¡± He stood from his chair, not waiting for her to answer, and stepped outside to find someone. Scarlett sat in the library, fingers fiddling through the papers, as she waited for him to return. When he returned it was with a tall man at his back. The man was dressed in the garb of a record-keeper and he held a tablet under his arm. She watched him move across the room and take the seat that the Prince had originally occupied. ¡°Hello. I am Matthias and I am a record-keeper. The Prince said a third-party witness to the discussion of limits was requested.¡± Scarlett glanced between the two and noticed that both eyes were trained on her face. She jolted when she realized they were waiting for her to speak. ¡°Oh, yes. I can¡¯t read or write so the Prince thought a third-party witness would be a good idea.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Matthias walked over to her and quickly explained what each of the columns meant. ¡°Now that I¡¯m here and you understand, you may begin.¡± Prince Cade leaned against the wall near Scarlett and held the papers out in front of him. He cleared his throat and began to read. ¡°Anal?¡± He watched as a tint of red grew on her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s a mark in curious for me.¡± ¡°Soft,¡± she whispered in response. He nodded his head and checked off the appropriate box. ¡°Arm binders?¡± Now the red was creeping down her neck. When she hesitated to answer he again prompted her by giving his own designation. Slowly they began to make progress through the list of questions. The sun had begun to set as the group began to wrap up discussions. Empty glasses of water were sitting on the table. Scarlett and Matthias had reclined in their seats as the conversation had dragged on. Prince Cade was still resting against the wall, his feet barely shuffling against the floor. ¡°Only one more thing to discuss then. Have you thought of a safeword?¡± ¡°I want my safeword to be violet.¡± Prince Cade was the first one to answer. His voice was low as he spoke and he refused to make eye contact with the other two. Matthias only nodded and jotted it down on the parchment. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Cinnamon.¡± ¡°Do you, Scarlett Amaris, agree to these terms we¡¯ve discussed and wish to take your position as Prince Cade¡¯s personal servant?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Do you, Prince Cade, agree to these terms we¡¯ve discussed and accept Scarlett Amaris as your new personal servant?¡± ¡°Yes Matthias, I do.¡± ¡°Wonderful. Then may I have you both sign, to the best of your ability, this parchment?¡± Scarlett reached over first and quickly scratched out a design. It was illegible but no one commented as Prince Cade quickly took possession of the tablet and signed his own name on the paper. He handed it back to Matthias who stood and bowed to them both. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure this gets into the record books then. Your mother will likely also want a copy.¡± ¡°Thank you for your time, Matthias.¡± The Prince dipped his head towards the man before turning back to Scarlett. ¡°Would you like to head to your bedroom now?¡± She nodded and he escorted her out of the library and through the halls. They passed several doors until he stopped and motioned towards the door. A white circle with a plus sign in the middle was drawn on the outside of the door. A small C was drawn under it. They stood outside of the room as Prince Cade fished a key out of his pocket. The metal key hung from a thin leather strip and Scarlett felt the weight of the key as he handed it over to her. ¡°This is the room you will occupy during the length of your service to me. At times we may travel so there are bags in there to hold your clothes during those times. Dinner will be served soon. When the bell rings you can head down and eat dinner with the rest of us. If you miss the bell, you can also head into the kitchen at any point and see what snacks have been made.¡± ¡°Who all will be at dinner?¡± ¡°My mother and Jay, her personal guard will be there. Most days my advisor Ava also has dinner with us. Whenever they are free our servants can also join us for dinner. I¡¯ll leave you now. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Sir.¡± He started to walk away but turned on his heel to face her again. ¡°If I don¡¯t see you tonight, I just want you to know that your training starts tomorrow after breakfast is served. Nothing extreme, just some basic commands and positions you¡¯ll need to know.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you for informing me, sir.¡± Prince Cade inclined his head towards her and left her standing there. She sighed as she watched him walk away before reaching out and opening the door to her new room. --- Scarlett lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. The room they had given her was bigger than the one she had previously slept in, with a large bed being the prominent feature. The head of the bed was pressed against the wall, a small table placed on either side of it. Scarlett had dropped her bag to the ground before sprawling out across the bed. It sank slightly beneath her weight and she couldn¡¯t reach the ends of the bed even when she stretched her limbs out as far as she could. She had never slept in a bed like this one before and she knew it was going to be a struggle to pull herself out of it tomorrow. As she laid there her mind drifted off to the contract signing. She could not believe some of the topics that were brought up. Matthias had had to explain some of the concepts to her because she hadn¡¯t heard of them before. Caning, boot worship, mummification, branding. By the end of the discussion her cheeks were a bright red and she couldn¡¯t bear to look either of them in the face. She hadn¡¯t expected to learn about so many acts that she had never heard of, much less experienced. Admitting her lack of experience to the Prince, especially with Matthias as a witness, was uncomfortable and she thought her chest was going to burst. Thankfully the prince hadn¡¯t seemed bothered by her lack of experience. As her thoughts drifted the sun began to sink and her room was plunged into darkness. When her stomach began to rumble in protest at her skipped dinner. The bell had rung a while ago but she had chosen to stay holed up in her room rather than venture down and face the other residents of the castle. Ignoring the pangs, she rolled over and tried to fall asleep. - - - The next morning she stumbled out of bed at the sound of banging on her door. ¡°Coming,¡± she rasped. Her voice was raw with sleep and she quickly threw on a robe to cover her nightshirt. She stumbled over to the door and yanked it open. The woman who had taken notes during the interview was standing in front of her. ¡°Hello, Ms. Amaris. My name is Ava and I am the Prince¡¯s advisor. He requested that I come make sure you were awake.¡± Scarlett blinked at the woman a few times before turning to face the window. The sun was high in the sky and she squinted at the bright light filtering her. She went to respond to the other woman but a yawn interrupted her. ¡°Apologies, I hadn¡¯t realized what time it was.¡± ¡°No worries. It will take a bit for you to adjust to the Prince¡¯s schedule. I¡¯ll have one of the maids swing by every morning during breakfast to wake you, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± She leaned heavily against the door. ¡°How much time do I have to get ready?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got about an hour to get dressed and eat something. The Prince will never allow you to train or serve without having eaten, with the exception of if you serve during balls or dinners.¡± Scarlett chewed on her lip before nodding at the other woman. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll start getting ready now. Where will I be meeting him?¡± ¡°His study. Go to the second floor. It will be the door with a silver knob and no markings on the door. Make sure to knock before entering. Have a good day, Ms. Amaris.¡± After Ava left the run Scarlett spun around and began to hurriedly change into one of the outfits she had brought from home. She fidgeted with the long gray dress until it sat right. She stroked the marble before tucking it in her pillowcase and sliding her shoes on. She took a deep breath before pulling the door to her bedroom open and venturing into the castle. Chapter 3 Prince Cade sat on his chair as he waited for his servant to arrive. Ava had warned him earlier that she had woken up late and may be delayed. He read over some papers as he awaited her knock. ¡°Your Royal Highness,¡± a soft voice drew his attention and he glanced up to see Scarlett standing there. She was pushing the door closed as she addressed him and he was stunned he hadn¡¯t heard the door open in the first place. ¡°Sir,¡± Cade corrected. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°My title is Sir, remember?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the woman¡¯s cheeks blushed pink. ¡°Apologies, Sir.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll learn. Typically this would be a strike against you, but right now you¡¯re still learning.¡± He waved his hand forward and motioned towards the space in front of him. ¡°A strike, Sir?¡± ¡°Yes. When you misbehave or don¡¯t follow the directions, you will be given a strike. Your punishment will depend on how many strikes you earn in a day. During your training, you will be given more leniency and understanding. You will still be punished, but not for the same infractions.¡± Scarlett just nodded and stared at Cade. He looked at her before glancing down at his papers again. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he stacked the papers and placed them on the table. ¡°Then we can get to your training. We will start with some protocol training. Do you know any signals or positions?¡± ¡°No, Sir.¡± Cade nodded and stood from his seat. ¡°We will work on positions first. These are the positions that you will be expected to take any time that you are at my side. It does not matter where we are. We can be by ourselves in the library or in the middle of the market. Unless you safeword or it is unsafe, you are expected to know and take these positions. Once you have those, we can work on adding in the signals.¡± The other woman only nodded in response. ¡°Kneel.¡± Scarlett hesitated at his words but when he motioned to the ground she lowered her body. Her knees hit the ground and she settled on her legs. His eyes roved over her body, taking in the many mistakes in her position. ¡°I¡¯m going to touch you to put you in the correct position, okay?¡± The woman nodded but didn¡¯t speak. ¡°I need verbal confirmation.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. That¡¯s okay.¡± He reached down and pulled her up until she wasn¡¯t resting on her legs but rather sitting upright. He pressed against her back until she stretched her spine and stopped slouching. Her hands were dangling by her side and he reached down to gently move them in front of her body, hands clasped in front of her. He lightly tapped his foot against hers until she slid her legs closer together. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Tilt your head down to face the ground.¡± The woman bent her neck and Cade took in the woman. He momentarily froze as he felt a small tug in his gut at the sight. ¡°This is the Kneel Present position.¡± He watched her legs shake slightly as she held the position. Her body swayed and he reached out to still the movement. Two minutes passed until he thought to give her a break. ¡°Lower yourself until you are sitting on your legs.¡± The woman slowly lowered herself, thighs shaking slightly at the movement. ¡°Lay your hands flat on your thighs, palms up. This is the Kneel Position.¡± Another two minutes passed as she held the position. Her body swayed less in the position because she had more support, but he still saw a shake in her body. ¡°Stand up.¡± She moved unsteadily to her feet. He watched as she stumbled slightly once she was back on her feet. Her skin was flushed and a light sheen of sweat dotted her forehead. ¡°Decent. When you are in Kneel Present, you are not permitted to move. Your body is not to sway or shake. We¡¯ll work on your positions until you can hold them perfectly.¡± Scarlett did not speak in response as she looked at the Prince. He pointed to her eyes and then at the ground and she moved her gaze away from his face. ¡°When you are standing before me, or any other nobility for that matter, you are not to make eye contact with us. You will keep your gaze on the ground unless I tell you otherwise.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Kneel Present.¡± Cade¡¯s voice was rough as he spoke and he gnawed against his cheek as he watched her slowly move into position. ¡°Wrong. Fix it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to, Sir.¡± Her voice was quiet as she looked down at the ground. He sighed before beginning to move towards her. He tapped at her body as he walked around her, indicating corrections that needed to be made. A tap to her back and she straightened her spine. A light kick to her thigh and she tucked her legs closer together. A nudge to her thighs and she drew herself further away from her legs. ¡°You¡¯re going to hold this position for 8 minutes. Two minutes for every mistake.¡± He settled back into his chair and briefly glanced over his pages, keeping an eye on the clock and on Scarlett. The time ticked by and he watched as her thighs began to shake, her back muscles flexing as she tried to maintain her formation. "Down," he ordered and she lowered herself until her butt was resting against her legs again. "That was three minutes. Not bad for your first time." "Sir?" Her eyes stayed on the floor, but he could hear the tone of her voice. It was soft, curious. "I figured you wouldn''t be able to hold the full length of the time, but I wanted to see what you could do. With time you will be able to hold the position longer." "Yes, Sir." "Let''s practice some of your other positions now. I want you to rise to your feet." He watched as she slowly rose, clearly unsure of herself. "Now, I want you to stand with your feet together. Hands down by your side, your eyes trained on the ground." Scarlett quickly tried to arrange herself in the desired position. Sir Cade reached out and slowly tucked her arms in so they were touching the side of her thighs. Her feet were nudged into position. "This is the Heel position. When I command it, you stand just like this. Understood?" "Yes, Sir." "Now, I want you to move your feet apart and place your hands behind your back." Scarlett quickly moved into the position. Sir Cade walked around her and only gently nudged her elbow to have her arms drawn closer together. "Very nice. This is the Attention position. Your feet should always be shoulder-width apart and your arms should be tucked behind your back, just like this. Understood?" "Yes, Sir." "We''re going to run you through these positions for a bit longer. I want you to memorize these forms. It is an expectation of your service to me. If I touch you, it means your form is wrong and you have to fix it. Is this understood?" "Yes, Sir." "Kneel." He watched as she fumbled into the first position. Her back was straight and her head was bowed to her chest. Her hands were resting on her thighs, loose and facing upward. He glanced down at her legs before reaching out and tapping the top of her head. He watched her fidget under his gaze, her head and body shifting slightly as she tried to correct her posture. A small smile crossed his face as he watched her knees and legs slide together. "Fair. Don¡¯t fidget though," he muttered as he paced around her. "Attention." Scarlett''s body tensed as she tried to draw herself to her feet. The movement was slow, but soon she was standing before him. He reached out and tapped her side, watching as she drew her feet apart. He frowned at the space between them. He tapped her again and she widened her stance until her feet were at shoulder-distance. Her head stayed bowed as she corrected her position. He sighed as he gave her another tap and he watched as she drew her arms behind her back. "Passable. We''ll need to work on that form more." He spoke as he trailed around her. Her eyes stared resolutely at the floor. "Kneel Present." He watched as Scarlett slowly moved to the ground, her knees thumping against the floor as she settled. Her legs slid together as the rest of her body rose. Her arms dangled by her side, but a touch from him had her arms snapping in front of her. Another touch and her arms slowly began to move behind her back. "Good correction." He watched her form waver slightly as she held herself in that position. "Hold it." Scarlett''s back drew up and her muscles tensed as she held her body upright. He stared at her for a moment. "Heel." Chapter 4 Scarlett was sweating by the time she dragged herself into the dining hall. Her back was aching and her legs were shaking from the repetitive motions that Prince Cade had put her through. The constant up and down motion as she switched between the two kneeling positions had taken a toll on muscles she didn''t know she had. "Hello Miss Amaris," someone said as she entered the room. Scarlett looked up and saw an older servant standing in front of her. The older woman reached out her hand and Scarlett shook it. "I am Shay. Miss Ava found me earlier today and asked me to keep an eye out for you. I saw you earlier during breakfast, but you disappeared before I could introduce myself. Did you just get out of a session with Prince Cade?" "Hi, I''m Scarlett. Yes, ma''am. He dismissed me when someone came to get him for a meeting. I was hoping there was some food here." Scarlett hesitated as she looked at the older woman. "Nice to meet you, Scarlett. The dining hall is open all of the time, but sometimes the pickings are going to be slim. There are always small snacks that can be found, but full meals are only served at specific times. Miss Ava should have left a schedule in your room sometime today." As Shay led her through the room, Scarlett took in the dining hall. She had been so nervous this morning that she had only scarfed down her food before heading out to meet Prince Cade. The hall was practically empty at the moment, only a couple of servants were there wiping down the tables. Shay led her through the room and to a door in the back. "This is the pantry. Any leftovers and snacks will be here." She opened the door and Scarlett stared at the pantry in wonder. Food was scattered on the shelves. Fresh fruit and vegetables lay in bowls along the shelves. Baked items wrapped loosely in towels and placed in baskets. "I can eat any of this?" "Yes. All servants are permitted to eat as much as they''d like. The only requirement is that you eat at least 2 out of 3 of the meals and that you always eat before a scene." Scarlett reached out and pulled an apple from a bucket. The skin was a bright green color and, as she rubbed her finger over the skin, firm. She lifted the apple to her mouth and bit into the fruit. A crisp, tangy flavor filled her mouth as she chewed on the fruit. "You can grab a couple of other things to bring back to your room if you''d like. You will be in charge of disposing of them though. If bugs are found in your room, it will be reported to Prince Cade. Dinner won''t be served for another few candle marks and it''s expected that you''ll be there." "Looking forward to it." Scarlett grabbed a couple of interesting looking items from the pantry. She took another bite of the apple before speaking again. "If I have any questions, who should I talk to?" "Well-" "I can take over from here, Miss Shay." A voice cut in from behind them. Scarlett hissed as her back slammed into the door as she spun around to face the newcomer. "My apologies. I hope you''re not hurt." "Miss Ava." Shay bowed her head before scurrying out of the room. "Miss Ava." Scarlett tried to copy Shay''s bow, but her back ached and she almost dropped her snacks as she leaned into the bow. "It''s alright." Ava put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a safer position. "Would you like to sit down while I answer your question?" "Yes, ma''am." Scarlett followed the other woman over to the nearest table and the two sat across from each other. Scarlett continued to munch on her apple as she waited for Ava to say something. "His Royal Highness thought you may have had some questions. So, he sent me to find you while he took a meeting with his mother." "Oh. That was...nice of him." "He needs you to be well-trained. For that to happen, you must be well-informed. So, what would you like to know?" "How do I address other people in the castle?" "The Royal Family should always be addressed as such. For the staff, it''s different. When you are serving Prince Cade, you should address everyone as Sir or Ma''am. When you are not serving the Prince, you are free to refer to everyone by their title or their name, whatever feels most comfortable to you and them." "Okay. Where do I sit during the meals?" "When serving Prince Cade, you will be given either a chair or a cushion on which to sit. When you are not serving the Prince, you may sit wherever you please." "Thank you! That is very helpful." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Of course, Prince Cade sent me to help you. If you have any further questions, Prince Cade is who you go-to if you have any questions regarding your contract or service. If he is unavailable, I may be able to help you. You can also seek out any of the older servants if you have any questions about your schedule. I''ve left that in your room for you." "Thank you, Miss Ava." "If you have no more questions, I will be leaving. Would you like me to walk you back to your room?" "That would be..." Scarlett thought about this morning. About the rush to try and find her way to the dining room. The halls that all looked the same and the doors that she couldn''t bring herself to open. She had managed to find a group of maids and had followed them. Thankfully they had been headed to the dining hall for breakfast. "That would be really nice actually. The halls in this place all look the same." "It takes some getting used to. If you need help getting around, the guards and the maids will both be able to help you." Ava stood up and waved Scarlett to her side. "Come on. I''ll show you how to get to your room from the dining hall." "Thank you." Scarlett followed Ava down the hall, taking notes of the couple of turns that they took. The two passed a series of doors with the same sigil on them that was on Scarlett''s own door. All of them had a letter drawn next to it, some of them with a second letter. "What does that symbol mean?" Ava turned to her when she spoke. "It''s the symbol for an owned submissive. The symbol inside is used to mark the gender of the submissive. The letter next to it indicates who owns the submissive. Your door has a C on it for Prince Cade. Some of the doors have a second letter if there is more than one individual with the same first letter. The rooms of the dominants are marked with a shield." ¡°Oh, that makes sense. Are the rooms for submissives and dominants separated?¡± ¡°For the most part, they are. The rooms are first separated based on someone¡¯s role in the household. Royalty is not left near the servants and the guards don¡¯t stay next to the cooks. After that, we try to separate the rooms to allow both the dominants and submissives their space. There are cases where some submissives have a clause in their contract that they provide afterhours support to their dominants. Those submissives are housed in rooms closer to the dominants.¡± Scarlett nodded, tucking herself to the side as a couple of guards passed by. A little while longer and the two were standing in front of Scarlett¡¯s door. ¡°Head on in and open your schedule. It¡¯s been enchanted to read itself to you, so don¡¯t worry about not being able to understand it. You¡¯re expected at dinner today, but other than that you are free for the rest of the day. Any door marked with a red X is completely off-limits. You are not permitted to enter the rooms of any other dominants but, if invited, you may go into the room of other submissives. Other than that, you are free to explore the castle. Your schedule starts tomorrow.¡± ¡°Clear, ma¡¯am. Thank you.¡± ¡°Have a good day. I will see you at dinner.¡± Ava left Scarlett standing alone outside of her room. Scarlett hesitated, thumbing the weighty key, before opening the door and heading in. The previous night she had merely laid in bed and waited for sleep to take her; this afternoon she was able to take in the room she was given. Ivory curtains blocked the sun from blaring into the room. A sliver of light shone from the window onto the wooden bedframe. A dark blue sheet was crumpled on the bed, having been thrown there this morning when she woke. The rest of the room was scarce and filled with her own items. She had placed her clothes in the small dresser at the end of her bed. A few rings that she had brought with her were sitting neatly on top of the dresser. A new wardrobe had been moved into the room, tucked against the far wall where a lone mirror hung. A letter was placed on her bedside table, closed with a dark red wax seal. She hurried over to the table and carefully tore open the letter. A soothing voice began to drift from the letter. She tried to follow along as the letter was read. Dear Ms. Amaris, In the wardrobe are your new uniforms. If there is an issue with the size, let Prince Cade know. You are to wear those outfits every day that you are serving or working with Prince Cade. On your off days you may wear whatever you would like. The training necklace must be worn at all times, however, as it identifies who you are to palace servants. She turned back to the dresser and noticed a silver necklace laying next to where the letter had been. The chain was made of metal and cool to the touch. A small gold feather pendant hung from the chain. Her fingers stroked over the metal before she turned her attention back to the letter. Enclosed you will find your day-to-day schedule for this week. The only people who can alter this schedule are Prince Cade and me. If we must send a change of schedule, it will come with the same dark red seal. You will receive a new schedule, your permanent schedule, on Sunday evening. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the maids or other servants. Your schedule will be as follows: You are expected to wake before the first bell has rung. At the first, third, and fifth bell you will be checking in with Prince Cade. These check-ins will take place in the dining hall. During this time, it will be expected that you serve his meal. Between the first and third bell you will receive two hours of writing tutoring and two hours of reading tutoring. These meetings will take place in the library. After the third bell has rung and lunch has been served and eaten, you will have your training with Prince Cade. These training sessions will take place in Prince Cade¡¯s study. After your training sessions it is expected that you bathe. The baths can be found in the outer house. You are expected to eat before any training sessions. You are also expected to consume at least 2 meals a day. It is expected that you bathe at least once a day and that you keep up your hygiene. During times that you have nothing scheduled, you are allowed to roam the castle but you are expected to behave. You have free access to the library and other common rooms. These rooms will have no locks on their doors. If a door has a lock, you must have permission to enter the room. Violation of any of these rules can result in your termination. -The Prince¡¯s Advisor, Ava Scarlett stared at the note in her hand as she tried to absorb the information it contained. She had been given so many rules over the past day. How to address people and what rooms she could go into. Where she was expected to be and at what times. The positions that the Prince had taught her. The layout of the castle. It wasn¡¯t even the fourth bell yet, but her head was aching and she wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. Instead she walked over to the wardrobe and pulled the door open. Five dresses hung in the wardrobe. She carefully touched the light blue dress. She hesitated, fingers teasing the fringe of her current outfit. She slid the clothes off, folding them and placing them in the basket by the door. She slid the blue dress off the hanger, leaving the black corset still on the hook. The dress fabric was soft and silky as she slowly slid it down her body. The dress hung low enough that it would have to be arranged around her legs when she was kneeling. A conservative amount of fabric covered her breasts. The rest of the top was made of a sheer black lace, woven in a diamond pattern. A bow tied neatly at the neckline. The sleeves clung to her arms, ending right past her elbows. She pulled the corset out of the closet, loosening the ties so she could fit the material over her body. The corset laced-up in the front. Scarlett laced up the material with unsure fingers, fumbling over the lacings and the material as she did. The black leather stood out against the blue fabric. The corset covered her torse, beginning around her waist, and covered the bottom of her breasts. Scarlett stared at her reflection in the mirror, taking in her appearance. She knew that the clothing looked good on her. She had seen enough gowns and dresses to know that aesthetically, this outfit looked good. It made her look good. The blue dress complimented her red hair well. The black corset helped to highlight her assets without crossing the unwritten line of being too revealing. Everything fit well and complemented each other. But something felt off. Even though the dress was the right size, it felt constricting. The sleeves of the dress felt too tight on her arms. The flowing material was both too tight and too loose. She was embarrassed by the amount of cleavage that the dress showed. No matter how she turned to look at herself in the mirror or how much she fiddled with the material, she looked wrong in the mirror. She forced her attention away from the mirror. The collar stood out against the wood of the dresser. She allowed herself to stroke the cool metal again, small goosebumps racing up her arm. Tomorrow would be her first time being truly ¡®claimed¡¯ by Prince Cade. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t be her last as well. Chapter 5 Cade paced the length of his bedroom, turning sharply on his heel whenever he made it to the other end of the room. His eyes focused on nothing in particular, glancing over his room as he moved. It had been one week since he had taken Miss Amaris as his personal servant and his mother was going to examine her training today. I¡¯ve not done enough training with her yet he thought as he turned once again. He had spent many hours over the past week training her. Making sure that she knew the positions and the commands. Making sure that she could easily switch from one form to another. She had stumbled in the beginning but by the end of the week she seemed to be faring better. He still had to correct her though. Still had to move her arms back into position or remind her to keep her back straight. He was expected to meet his mother with Miss Amaris when the next bell rang. He ran his hands over his outfit, brushing off invisible dust and straightening out non-existent creases. This suit had been ironed the day before and he had taken special care when dressing in it, but he needed something to occupy his mind. When he reached down to polish his shoes for the fourth time, he knew that he had to get out of this room. He swept out of his chambers and headed down towards the library. A new shipment of books had come in from Onri. Ava had been ecstatic when she learned that they had acquired some new romance novels. He was hoping for something less soft. Perhaps a mystery or even a biography he thought as he swung open the door and headed towards the back. He began to thumb through some of the new books when he heard something. ¡°¡®The cat sat at the foot of the bed¡­¡¯¡± a voice whispered from a nearby table. ¡°Meowing,¡± a soft voice responded. ¡°It¡¯s a noise that cats make when they want attention..¡± ¡°¡®The cat sat at the foot of the bed, meowing at his human.¡¯¡± Cade turned towards the voices and saw Miss Amaris with her head bent over a book. Her red hair fell around her face, hiding her from his view. A young woman sat next to her, watching as she stammered over the words. Lyra, if he remembered correctly, the tutor his mother had hired for Miss Amaris. He didn¡¯t need to see the book to know the title. The Cat¡¯s Journey was a popular book amongst noble children. He could even remember his own mother teaching him to read using that same book. He grabbed a book at random, barely glancing down at the title, before quietly lowering into one of the chairs. He opened the book and stared at the page, but Miss Amaris¡¯ voice cut through his attention. ¡°¡®The cat sat on the chair. He meowed at his human, but the human did not hear. The cat¡­¡¯¡± Her voice drifted into Cade¡¯s ears but he didn¡¯t focus on the words. Rather he allowed the tone of the voice to wash over him and capture his attention. Sometimes her voice would stop when she couldn¡¯t figure out a word or when Lyra offered her a bit of praise. Cade jumped to his feet when the fourth bell rang. He had spent the entire time with a book in his hand and he hadn¡¯t even made it past page 2. Placing the book down where he got it, he walked towards the table and cleared his throat. The two women jumped at his appearance. ¡°Miss Amaris, we must go. The Queen is expecting us.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness.¡± Miss Amaris scrambled to her feet, carefully gathering her skirt to her. ¡°Thank you for the lesson today Miss Noive.¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Amaris. I will leave this book in the library. You should practice during your free time.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Cade waited by the door for Scarlett to join him. Her dress was red today with a white corset tied securely around her body. She moved carefully in the dress, hands pressing at the sides to prevent the fabric from getting caught on anything. She bowed her head as she passed by him. He shut the door behind them and began to lead her through the castle to the main hall. His mother was perched on her throne when they arrived. Jay was standing next to her, heads tilted together as they discussed some matter or another. They separated when the door shut behind Cade. Calum, one of the senior guards, was standing by the wall. His armor and swords had been left behind in exchange for a simple tunic and pants. ¡°Good afternoon, my son. Miss Amaris.¡± The two walked closer as his mother addressed them from her throne. ¡°Good morning mother. Captain Jay.¡± The older woman nodded back to Cade as he addressed her. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Scarlett dipped into curtsy as she spoke. ¡°I hope the two of you have had productive training sessions. Cade, it is time to show me what she has learned.¡± ¡°How would you like this done, mother?¡± ¡°You will command her first. After that Calum will test her as well. Miss Amaris,¡± she waited until Scarlett looked up to continue. ¡°On a normal day you will obey no one but my son. Today is the only exception. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Then let us begin.¡± Cade stepped to the side and tapped his right arm, one sharp snap following the movement. He glanced over to see Scarlett slide into place next to him, her feet separating and arms tucking behind her back. Her eyes glanced at the Queen before she tilted her head and stared at the ground. He grimaced when his mother¡¯s eyes squinted at the minute slip-up. One finger pointed at the ground and Scarlett lowered to the ground. Her skirt was tucked under her knees as she tucked her feet to the side. Her legs were stacked, heels tucked to the side of her body. Her head leaned to the side, resting against Cade¡¯s leg. Cade felt a tingle in his chest as he reached down and tapped once against Scarlett¡¯s head. At the touch, she folded her hands and placed them in her lap. ¡°Hmm,¡± his mother¡¯s hum broke the silence of the room. Cade tensed, his shoulders drawing back and his spine straightening. Scarlett¡¯s head slid slightly against the side of his leg as he moved. More tingles spread through his stomach at the feeling. He snapped his fingers again and pointed two fingers down, fingers separating as he motioned. Scarlett jerked into motion, her movements stiff and clumsy as she shifted her legs to rest beneath her. She slowly rose until she was presenting, her hands clasped in front of her lap. Cade forced himself not to grimace at the display. Scarlett¡¯s movements had been clumsy and slow. Her skirt was haphazardly gathered around her legs and her body was already shaking. Her head was tilted down, but she had clearly glanced up at the Queen before getting into position. Why is this all happening now? he despaired as he stared around the room. Scarlett had gotten better at responding quickly and efficiently to his commands during their training sessions. But now that she was in front of someone, she was slipping. And this was only his mother and her guard! He couldn¡¯t imagine what her behavior would be like in a room full of strangers and servants. He glanced up at his mother and, when she made no motion for him to end the presentation, he laid his hand flat out in front of Scarlett with the palm facing the ceiling. She slowly rose to her feet. Her legs were shaking, but she managed to get to her feet without an issue. Her hands fell down by her side as she waited for another command. The Hold position was one of the easiest for her to learn and he was glad to see that she at least remembered this command. One sharp snap rang through the room. Cade¡¯s head snapped up and he watched as Calum strode forward, clearly taking over the demonstration. He stepped back, watching Scarlett as she shot into the Attention position. Her movements were quick and practiced, no mistakes or fumbling as her heels clicked together and her hands were tucked behind her back. He glanced between Scarlett and Calum before bowing his head and moving out of the way. Cade watched from the side as Calum put Scarlett through her paces. Snaps echoed through the chamber as he ran her through the positions. He let loose a small breath as she managed to remember each of the positions correctly. Her transitions from kneeling to standing were clumsy and she stumbled, but her eyes never left the ground. Her legs shook as she moved between the positions, but she never made any noise nor did she stop. Her hands trembled and hesitated as she remembered the positions, but Calum only had to correct her once on her positioning. Cade felt his shoulders loosening before Calum ordered Scarlett into a Kneel Present position. Her legs quaked before they gave out from under her. Cade¡¯s lips twitched, threatening to turn downward as he watched the display. ¡°Very well,¡± the Queen¡¯s voice halted Calum¡¯s commands. The guard dipped his head towards the monarch before moving away from Scarlett. ¡°Thank you for the display Miss Amaris. Calum. You both may leave us now.¡± Scarlett gathered her skirt to her as she headed to where Calum was holding the door open. The door slammed shut as the two left the room. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s well trained?¡± Cade glanced up as his mother addressed him. ¡°I¡­¡± he hesitated as he thought over Scarlet¡¯s performance with both him and Calum. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought she was doing well in training, but she still stumbles with some commands and transitions. Her stamina isn¡¯t great either. If any of the other leaders pushed for a demonstration, I don¡¯t think it would go well.¡± ¡°I noticed that as well. We can get away with a simple routine at the ball, but for other events she will need to be trained better.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Ava has been keeping an eye on her during meal times. According to her, Miss Amaris seems well suited to serving you. She claims she ¡®remembers your order specifics¡¯ and ¡®works efficiently¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve never had an issue with her during meals. She serves me first and then joins some of the other maids to eat.¡± ¡°Good. She will eat with you at the ball, so make sure you get her accustomed to that.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am." ¡°Now, do you think she will be able to perform all of her duties as your personal servant?¡± Cade felt heat race up his neck as he was confronted with that question. He thought back to his training sessions with Scarlett. They were always impersonal, touching only when they needed to and never any more. The closest they ever got to closeness was when Scarlett would rest her head against his leg while sitting. They did not speak or interact outside of training either. ¡°I don¡¯t know. During her interview she said she would be able to. I see no reason not to trust her.¡± ¡°Okay. You need to start training her on those services and behaviors.¡± ¡°Why so soon? I thought she was only expected to be able to look good and serve at my side for the ball.¡± Cade watched as his mother and Jay shared a glance. An entire conversation flowed between their eyes before they turned back to face him. ¡°I was insistent on you getting a servant not just because of the ball. Some of the other countries have been¡­questioning your ability to perform your duties.¡± ¡°Farwall?¡± ¡°They are one of the countries. They don¡¯t believe you can be fair and impartial if your hormones are not being¡­handled. King Landyn heard about the ball and was very offended that he hadn¡¯t been originally invited. I tried to persuade him that there was no more room but he was¡­insistent that he come along. His son as well. Especially when he heard that you would be debuting a new servant.¡± ¡°In his own words,¡± Jay cut in, ¡°he wanted to ¡®see what the Prince was allowing this time¡¯.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take more time to train her right now. I¡¯ve got so much work-¡± ¡°I will be handing some of your duties to Ava for the next week. Only the ones that I know she can handle.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Farwall soldiers have been approaching our southern border.¡± Cade¡¯s words froze on his tongue as Jay spoke. The woman stared at him as she spoke. ¡°He has not made any formal declarations, but his intent is clear.¡± Cade sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have her trained. But she won¡¯t be perfect. She¡¯s going to have a week to learn what most servants learn over the course of a month.¡± ¡°And that will be made very clear to anyone that has complaints about her service.¡± His shoulders loosened a little at his mother¡¯s reassurance. ¡°It will be done, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 6 Scarlett slowly followed Ava through the door to Prince Cade¡¯s study. The Prince had summoned her early today, sending Ava to get her right after her first tutoring session had ended. The advisor had been sparse with information, only telling her that the Prince needed to see her immediately. Scarlett had clutched her papers to her chest as she followed the woman through the halls. ¡°Thank you Ava. The papers you need are on the table. You may leave us now.¡± Prince Cade was standing by the fireplace, his hands tucked into his pockets as he turned to greet them. Scarlett moved out of the way as Ava scurried past her, hands overflowing with papers. ¡°Thank you Miss Amaris. I apologize for cutting into your tutoring, but this is an urgent matter.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Royal Highness.¡± ¡°You can set those papers down if you¡¯d like. How was your writing session today?¡± ¡°It was good. Miss Rey is helping me write a letter to send back home to my Uncle.¡± Scarlett carefully placed her papers on the table closest to where she stood, keeping the blank papers on top of the letter. ¡°And she made sure you knew how to write your phrase, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Royal Highness. It was the first thing she taught me.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad to hear that. You may wish to use it in the coming week, should training become too much for you.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I thought we were doing simple obedience training.¡± Scarlett¡¯s hands fidgeted with her skirt as she stared at the Prince. He was staring down at the ground, his posture stiff. ¡°We have to change our timeline. Other royals have RSVP¡¯d for the ball. Royals that will expect you to have reached a certain level of training and obedience. Your tutoring sessions for the following week will be reduced by an hour each. We will need much more time to make sure that you can properly serve me at the ball.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Scarlett mumbled. Her fingers clenched at her side as she stared at the Prince in disbelief. The Prince¡¯s expression was blank and he just looked at Scarlett. Scarlett felt a hint of anger build in her chest as she stared at the nonchalant expression on the Prince¡¯s face. ¡°You told me that I would only need obedience for the ball!¡± Scarlett stepped back when the Prince strode towards her, backing her against the room¡¯s door. He placed his hands above her head, barricading her. ¡°I know what I originally said. That was before other dignitaries had decided to join. Now we have a different plan.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m just expected to go along with it?¡± Scarlett gulped as Prince Cade leaned forward. His eyes hardened as he glared down at her. ¡°How is this any different from being trained in these services later? Our timeline has sped up, but you knew when taking this job that you were going to be serving me sooner or later. Just happens to be sooner.¡± ¡°I-¡± Scarlett fumbled as she tried to come up with an answer. Her cheeks were flushed in anger as the Prince leaned into her space. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Do you want to continue your service here? If not, say the word and we will end our arrangement.¡± Scarlett thought back to her uncle and nephews. To the people in her town that had encouraged her to take this position. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, what? I need full consent.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. I wish to continue serving you.¡± ¡°Very well then.¡± Sir stepped back from her, moving to sit on a bench. ¡°We will start with some new commands and positions. Our session will end with your punishment.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes were wide as she stared at him. Sir leaned back slightly, tapping his lap with his palm. Her palms were sweating as she stared at where was lounging back. A hand rested on his lap and he stared at her with his brown eyes. He made no further movement, just reclined and waited for her to approach him. ¡°You didn¡¯t refer to me by my title. In this room, during our training sessions, I am Sir. You will refer to me as such. You raised your voice at me. I can excuse a certain level of disbelief because of your shock, but this was beyond what I can allow. You need to obey me. Your current behavior indicates that I have been too lenient with your mistakes. That will end today.¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes were wide as she stared at him. His voice was harsh as he spoke to her. His words were curt, coming out fiercely. Her breath caught in her throat as she moved towards him. She wiped her sweaty palms against her skirt, trying to soothe her nerves. Eventually she stood before him, shaking slightly. ¡°Are you ready to begin your training?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Sir snapped one, pointing two fingers down at the ground and Scarlett sank to her knees. Her weight rested on her legs and she kept her eyes trained on the floor in between her and Sir. Soon she saw Sir¡¯s thumb and pointer finger. She stared at the signal. ¡°This is the signal for Bow. This position is pretty much what it sounds like. Try to place yourself in a bow position and I will adjust you as needed.¡± Scarlett struggled into the position. She tucked her skirt under her knees before bowing before Sir. Her forearms rested against the floor, hands flat on the ground. She tucked her head between her two arms. Sir touched her arms, moving them closer together until her hands were overlapping. He gently raised her head and rested it against her head. A slight tap against her thigh and Scarlett slid her legs close together. ¡°This is Bow. Your next command, Bow Present, is very similar except for your back and your legs. Your back should be more arched and your legs will be spread to the side. There is no visual signal for this position.¡± He pressed lightly against her hip with his boots. Scarlett slid her legs apart, her skirts rising up as the cloth was drawn taut around her hips. She raised her hips up until she couldn¡¯t any more. ¡°Very good. That¡¯s the correct position. While you¡¯re in Bow, a tap against the hip whether with my hand or foot or an object, will always mean for you to present yourself to me.¡± He held his hand out and Scarlett clambered to her feet. She looked at the ground, but watched him from her periphery. Sir was standing firmly, his back straight as he watched her. Four fingers pointed down. ¡°Hands and Knees. This position is precisely what it sounds like. You are expected to be on your hands and knees.¡± Scarlett quickly dropped to the ground and arranged herself into the commanded position. This position came naturally to her and she was pleased when Sir didn¡¯t have to adjust her. ¡°Good. You may wish to practice this position, the pressure on your hands and knees can be a lot at first.¡± Scarlett quickly moved to a sitting position when Sir pointed at the ground. He moved to sit next to her and she rested her head against his thigh. He rested a hand on her head and she tucked her chin closer to her chest. ¡°Tomorrow we will work on some of the sexual services you will be providing me with and how to do those in the positions you have learned. I do not want to do that today, you still have to be punished for your earlier behavior. Are you prepared for your punishment?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Scarlett¡¯s head bobbed slightly as she answered. ¡°Do you understand why you are being punished?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Very good. Since this is your first punishment, you will receive twelve blows by my hand. Any other day, this behavior would have rewarded you with twenty swats. I want you to count each one. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°After your punishment, I will administer aftercare to you. Do you have any preferred methods of aftercare?¡± ¡°No, Sir. None that I know of at least.¡± ¡°Very well. We can try having you rest on the chaise, if you¡¯d like. Maybe a snack or drink depending on how you¡¯re feeling. Does that sound good to you? Would you want cuddling or another form of contact?¡± Scarlett imagined the scenario in her head. The chaise was over by the window. It was a large white couch that would allow her to sprawl out comfortably. She could imagine Sir holding her as she was resting on the chaise and her stomach tightened in anger at the mental image. ¡°No cuddling. I just want to be allowed to rest until I feel better. Maybe a drink.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan. Now come here.¡± Sir gently pulled her up by her hand. She stood to the right of his knees, staring at his lap before bending over them. Her feet touched the floor as her stomach rested against his legs. She let her arms dangle in front of her, unsure what to do with them in this position. She held her head up and looked over her shoulder at Sir. He gripped her waist, slowly moving her until she was positioned more comfortably over his lap. ¡°Make sure to count. Don¡¯t forget to use your safe word if you need to. We are going to begin now.¡± Scarlett jolted as the first spank landed on her butt. Even over clothes, the pain was still stinging. She instinctively tried to wriggle out from under Sir¡¯s hands, but he placed his arm firmly on her back and held her down. ¡°Count.¡± ¡°One,¡± she gasped out. The pain faded to a mild stinging and she breathed lighter. Her breath was stolen again as another spank was quickly delivered to her buttocks. ¡°Two.¡± Scarlett¡¯s fingers clenched around nothing as pain shot through her body at the next blow. ¡°Three.¡± Two more blows fell in quick succession. She gasped and her eyes glazed over, but a quick tap against her lower back had her coming back down to earth. ¡°Four. Five.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Sir crooned before spanking her again. This blow was lower and Scarlett¡¯s legs jerked. Her toes were clenching in her shoes, pressing against the ground as she tried to ground herself. ¡°Six.¡± Three more blows and her eyes were watering. She could no longer make out the painting across from her. ¡°Seven. Eight. Nine.¡± ¡°Ten,¡± Scarlett gasped out as Sir landed a particularly forceful blow. Tears were streaming down her face and she could feel her cheeks grow red as she cried. ¡°Eleven.¡± She could feel her ass burning and was sure that it was going to be a bright red after Sir was done with her. Her stomach was burning as well. Her stomach had clenched every time that Sir landed another blow on her butt. Another one came down. ¡°Twelve,¡± she cried out as the last blow landed. Sir immediately smoothed a hand over her bottom. Scarlett loosened up as the motion soothed out some of the lingering pain. ¡°Let¡¯s move over to the chaise.¡± Sir gently removed her body from his lap before sliding one of his arms around her waist. He walked her over to the chaise and helped her lay down. She hissed as her ass brushed against the material before flopping down to rest on her side. Sir kneeled down in front of her, waiting for her eyes to clear up and meet his. ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± Scarlett nodded, too emotionally drained to answer verbally. She closed her eyes and listened to Sir moving around the room. He placed a glass of water on the floor by the chaise. He grabbed a cool cloth and draped it over her butt before taking a seat nearby. She sighed as the cold sunk into her fiery buttocks. ¡°Was that too much?¡± His voice was soft now, none of that harshness that had been in his tone when he was berating her. She shook her head and watched as he rested back in his seat. ¡°Good. You didn¡¯t use your safeword, but I wanted to make sure.¡± Scarlett hummed in response. The pain was leaving her and was being replaced with an aching soreness. Her butt would sting tomorrow, especially when she was in her tutoring sessions. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, we can get you back to your room.¡± Scarlett nodded slightly. Her mind was quiet, focused only on her breathing, for the first time since she had entered the castle. She wasn¡¯t worried about being anywhere on time or learning anything. She was free to breathe and relax. It wasn¡¯t long before she felt her eyes begin to slip shut. Chapter 7 Cade stared down at Scarlett where she was kneeling before him. Her dress today was shorter, barely covering her knees, and Cade knew that Ava had delivered her new uniform. More of her pale white skin was on display than before. Freckles littered her chest, covered only slightly by sheer lace. ¡°When I tap my cock, I want you to take it out and service it. If I present my fingers to you after tapping my cock, I want you to suck my fingers. Does that make sense to you?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice was timid as she looked at the ground. Her shoulders were hunched up to her ears, a stark contrast to how she had rested after yesterday¡¯s punishment. He was tempted to dismiss her, but he knew that this was necessary training. Especially with Farwall in attendance. He tapped his bulge with one hand and Scarlett shuffled forward. Her hands were cold as she fished his cock out of his pants. She moved slowly, letting the silicone material rest against the front of his pants before leaning forward. His thighs tensed as her warm breath ghosted over his skin. She leaned forward a bit more before taking the cock into her mouth. Cade¡¯s stomach tensed at the sight. It had been a while since he had been pleasured. He placed one hand on the back of her head, not forcing her forward but merely resting it there. She held his cock in her mouth, not moving. ¡°This only works if I¡¯m asking you to warm my tip. You need to take it further down your throat.¡± Cade smirked when Scarlett shot a worried glance up at him. Her blue eyes were wide and she made to pull back from his cock. ¡°I will not force you down my cock. Take it at your own pace. I¡¯m merely informing you of the difference in how you should be servicing me.¡± He watched her, not moving, as she slid a bit further down his cock. He wasn¡¯t packing anything big today, just an average-sized cock. The base of the cock pushed slightly against his clit as she sank down on it, but not enough to give him any noticeable pleasure. Scarlett gagged slightly when she slid too far too fast and he rushed to pull his hips back. She pulled off of his cock for a few deep breaths before beginning again. She moved slowly this time. Her lips were wrapped around his tip and she paused before slowly moving down again. ¡°Breathe through your nose,¡± Cade instructed. He watched her chest heave as she took in a few breaths. ¡°Good job. Keep going whenever you are comfortable.¡± Scarlett slid his cock further into her mouth, slowly moving down. When she made it about halfway, she started gagging. He watched as her throat bobbed as she tried to push past the gag reflex. Eventually she had to pull back and breathe without an obstruction in her throat. After a few more breaths and a quick clean up, she moved towards him again. She slid his cock into her mouth again and began to make slow progress once more. Minutes passed as Scarlett tried to get his cock a little deeper, but couldn¡¯t quite manage it. She would go too far down and start gagging. After having to stop and pull back three more times, Cade stopped her from sucking him again. He held in a sigh, watching as she continued to gasp and suck in air. ¡°Instead of trying to go all the way down, use your hand to stroke the rest of my cock.¡± Scarlett nodded, but didn¡¯t move to retake his cock in her mouth. ¡°Would you like a breather?¡± A small smile graced Scarlett¡¯s lips as she glanced up at him. A warm feeling spread inside his chest at the look, the gratitude clear in her gaze. He let her back up from him, resting her back against the chair behind her. Cade got to his feet and headed to the pitcher on a nearby table. ¡°Water?¡± ¡°Yes, please, Sir.¡± He nodded and filled a glass with the liquid, handing it over to her where she was reclined. Her hands greedily grabbed at the glass and she gulped down the drink, not stopping until the entire glass was drained. The two sat without talking, the only noise in the room being Scarlett¡¯s breaths as she tried to work back to a normal rhythm. ¡°How was your tutoring today?¡± Cade broke the silence after a while. He watched as she startled at the sound of his voice, jerking slightly before looking up at him. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Scarlett hesitated before answering. ¡°It was good. It¡¯s getting harder though, but I think I¡¯m making progress. At least, Miss Lyra seems to think so.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your reading tutor, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. But she¡¯s also been taking over my writing lessons as well. The Queen thought it might be better for me to have one tutor for everything.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± he muttered. He was surprised that his mother hadn¡¯t informed him about the change. Typically she kept him up-to-date with every change that went on in the castle. But she didn''t, he thought, and it was about your servant. A small swell of anger built up in his stomach as the thought sunk in. Why would she keep that from me? ¡°Sir?¡± He snapped back to the present when Scarlett¡¯s voice broke through. She was looking up at him, her head tilted to the side. Her red hair fell over her shoulder as she watched him. ¡°Sorry. Did you say something?¡± ¡°Can I try again, Sir?¡± Cade felt heat rush up his cheeks at the request. Scarlett had been slow to trust him and take his orders. She had never tried to initiate anything before. He tried to keep his face straight as he thought over her request. ¡°Not today. I think we¡¯ve put your throat through enough for the day. We can try again tomorrow. We can try some other forms of service today.¡± ¡°What else is there, Sir?¡± ¡°For the ball, you likely will only have to provide me with the most basic of services. A blowjob or cockwarming will suffice. For other events, you may be asked to perform other services. Based on what you indicated being curious or interested in: boot humping or worship, forced masturbation, exhibitionism, wearing a dildo, taking my cock in public. There are any number of things. As we experiment with these actions, we will discuss what you are open to doing in front of others and what may remain¡­private services.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the option, Sir?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ve heard about Royal Servants. It tends to vary by country, but many countries allow the servants to set those particular boundaries. It¡¯s something that my family, specifically, believes in. Consent. We want everyone to be content in our arrangements.¡± ¡°Okay, Sir.¡± ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to learn today?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sir.¡± Scarlett¡¯s cheeks were as bright as her name as she looked at the ground. Cade smirked slightly at the vision before him. ¡°We could try getting you used to using a dildo. It would open up avenues of service and punishment from cockwarming to forced masturbation or even orgasm denial. Or we can try boot worship and humping. Do either of those interest you in particular?¡± Cade watched as her blush streaked down her chest. The woman before him couldn¡¯t even look him in the eyes and kept her gaze trained on the ground. Her fingers were fidgeting with the ends of her skirt and Cade took a moment to appreciate the light blue nail polish decorating her nails. He was surprised when she raised her head and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯d like to try the boot services, Sir. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m quite ready for penetration.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. Come closer then.¡± Cade slid his right foot forward. His boots today went just past his ankles and had buckles on the outer sides of them. The leather was well-worn and hadn¡¯t been polished in a while. Scarlett moved forward on her knees, slowly inching forward until she was kneeling at his feet. ¡°Worship or humping?¡± When his question went unanswered, Cade slid his foot forward nudging one of Scarlett¡¯s knees. Her blue eyes shifted slightly as she looked at the footwear blankly, not moving or responding to Cade¡¯s encouragement. He stared at her for a while longer, taking in the glazed look in her eyes. Her eyes appeared to be focused intently on his leather boots. ¡°Do you want me to pick for you?¡± No answer came from the woman. ¡°Look at me,¡± he snapped. His voice seemed to rouse her from her trance and she glanced up at him with wide-eyes. ¡°What did I just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir,¡± Scarlett apologized. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I asked how you wanted to service my boots. You didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Cade¡¯s voice lowered as he took in the woman¡¯s posture. Her back was straight. Her head was bowed to her chest as she avoided his gaze. Her fingers were clenched together. ¡°Yes, Sir. I think so, Sir.¡± ¡°Did you just slip into subspace?¡± Cade asked about the only logical conclusion he could come to. He had only witnessed subspace a couple of times before. She had had the same glazed over eyes and had been overly focused on one particular thing at the time as well. ¡°No, Sir.¡± Scarlett shook her head emphatically, sending red curls tumbling around her face. ¡°I think I was just¡­lost in thought.¡± Cade pursed his lips, but didn¡¯t refute her. He had doubts that it was as simple as that, but he wasn¡¯t going to argue with someone that may have just been under subspace. ¡°Do you want me to pick for you then?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Place your hands around my right boot, we will slowly ease you into the act of boot worship.¡± Cade watched as Scarlett loosely wrapped her hands around his boots. He could lightly feel her fingers as they gripped around his ankle. He slowly moved his foot up until her fingers were wrapped around the sole of the boot. Her touch grounded him to the moment and he didn¡¯t have to fight to keep his feet from moving. ¡°Lean forward. Rest your head against the boot.¡± He slowly directed her into position. Soon she was prostrated before him, her forehead resting against the toe of his boot. The two of them held that position for a while. Cade luxuriated in the feeling of fingers around his heel and a weight against his foot. This action had always grounded him, but he hadn¡¯t been able to indulge since her. ¡°Good. Now move your head up so you can smell the leather. I want you to smell the entire boot, from the toe to the ankle.¡± He watched her shoulders stiffen at the request. Her hesitation was obvious, but he did not force her to move. Instead he gave her the space to back out and leaned back when she began to move. He couldn¡¯t feel her breaths through the material of the boot and his sock, but he was hyper-aware of her head. He watched as she slowly moved up his boot and then back down to the toe. He watched her shoulders heave as she sucked in lungfuls of leather. The only sound in the room was the sound as she inhaled and exhaled. After her fifth pass, he snapped and she pulled back. ¡°We don¡¯t have the proper equipment here for a full polishing, but you will act out the actions. Later I will bring in the equipment and you will learn how to polish my boots.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± her voice was quiet. He looked down and noted that her eyes were focused directly on his boots. When he shifted his foot to the right a bit, her eyes followed it. ¡°The first step is to unlace my boots. Be careful with the laces and my feet.¡± Scarlett¡¯s hands fumbled with his laces as she tugged at the knot. She fought with it a bit before she managed to get the laces untied. She pulled the string through the eyelets slowly. She wound the laces around her fingers as she pulled them out and placed them in a pile to her side when she was done. ¡°Very good. Typically you will now use a rag to wipe off the boots. Pretend you have a rag.¡± She lightly brushed her fingers against the side of his boot. ¡°Harder. You will be actively trying to get mud or dirt off of my shoes. Not dusting it off.¡± Her hands were more insistent this time. Her fingers rubbed against the leather of his boots. She worked the sides of his boot first before moving to dust off the toe area. He felt his breath catch as she leaned over him to work on the back of his boot. He forced a blush away from his face when she leaned back and waited for further direction. ¡°After that is done, you will dip a damp rag into the polish and slowly massage it into the boots. Try for small circular patterns as you do this.¡± Scarlett¡¯s hands immediately went to work on his boots. Her polished fingers stroked small circles over the leather. Logically Cade knew that he couldn¡¯t really feel her motions between the socks and the material of the boots. But between the visual and what he knew the act felt like, goosebumps grew on his arms. His imagination ran wild as he pictured a similar scene with a different woman on her knees. A different color of hair gripped between his fingers as he pulled her close. The taste of leather on her tongue as he- ¡°Sir.¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice broke through his reverie. He glanced down at her. Her head was tilted towards him, eyes flicking over his face. ¡°A brush would then be used on the boot. This movement should be vigorous, but not too hard.¡± He continued with the directions. He couldn¡¯t believe that his mind had slipped so far into the past that he had missed her finishing the previous step. Scarlett paused before beginning. Her hands roughly dragged over the leather, moving quickly and surely over the boot as she feigned scrubbing it. Cade watched as she moved, her hands easily slipping up and around the boots to cover the leather. Her hands swiped up and under the eyelets of the boot and she pulled the tongue out to massage over it. ¡°After this, you will wipe the boot down with a clean cloth. You will use that cloth to polish it until it shines.¡± Scarlett continued her ministrations, her fingers growing softer and more rhythmic as she continued working her way around the boot. Cade watched her fingers slide over the leather, watched as her fingers worked their way around his heel and towards his toes. Her face was blank as she concentrated on the work and Cade was eager to see how she would fare when actually handling the shoe polish materials. ¡°Nice job,¡± he praised. Scarlett stiffened and pulled back from his boots. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Scarlett rolled her shoulders as he asked the question. She slowly rolled her body, starting with her hands to her elbows and all the way through her body. After she had stretched her body out, she paused and closed her eyes. Cade watched as she took slow, deep breaths. Her chest moved up and down as she breathed and he forced his eyes to stay focused on her face. ¡°I¡¯m feeling good, Sir,¡± she responded. He was pleased to see her work her way through the check-in steps. ¡°Let¡¯s move to aftercare then. Would you like to return to the chaise today?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Cade gently grasped Scarlett¡¯s arm and helped her get to her feet. Together they moved to the chaise and Cade prepared to administer aftercare to the woman. Chapter 8 Scarlett tried not to fidget as her new dress was pulled over her head. A handmaiden was lent out to her to help her prepare for the ball tonight. The woman had immediately ordered Scarlett to strip and she was pulling the dress over her head once her skin was bare. The dress was similar to her daily wear, a corset with lace covering the rest of her body. It was much shorter though, just barely reaching her mid-thigh, and most of the skirt was made of a sheer lace. Only a short pair of shorts hid her privates from everyone. ¡°Breathe in,¡± the handmaiden commanded. Scarlett quickly sucked her stomach in and winced when the corset was tightened. The gold corset had been tightened twice before, but the handmaiden seemed determined to give Scarlett a very tapered waist. ¡°Good.¡± The woman moved back to the door after she had managed to squeeze the air out of Scarlett¡¯s lungs. Scarlett looked at herself in the mirror. The gold corset looked gorgeous and the flowery design in the lace was striking. She was going to make quite the impression today, which she was sure was Prince Cade¡¯s goal when providing her with this outfit. Despite all the beauty in the outfit, Scarlett¡¯s stomach tightened as she looked at her reflection. She smoothed her hands over the front of the dress. This just doesn¡¯t seem right she thought Something about this is just off. Maybe- She was interrupted before she could dive more into those thoughts. The handmaiden had returned, this time with a small bag clasped in her hand. ¡°Sit,¡± she ordered. Scarlett lowered into the seat by the mirror and the woman stood above her. She fished out a powder and pad and began to dab it all over Scarlett¡¯s face. A dust of powder immediately went up around the two women. Scarlett¡¯s nose wrinkled as she tried not to sneeze. When the handmaiden stopped applying the powder, Scarlett twitched her nose to try and get the feeling to go away. Scarlett allowed her brain to wander as the woman worked on her face. Powders were applied to her eyelids and cheeks. A swab of color was dabbed on her lips. All the while, her mind drifted. She thought about the training sessions that she had had with Prince Cade. He had trained her to polish his boots and to hump them. They had also worked some more on her oral skills and Prince Cade had seemed pleased with her progress. ¡°Done,¡± the woman said. She immediately rushed out of the room and left Scarlett alone. Scarlett shook at her head before turning to look in the mirror again. The makeup hadn¡¯t been overdone, but she couldn¡¯t recognize herself in the mirror. She had never worn makeup when living with her uncle. She looked at herself for a little while longer, taking in all the differences, before shaking her head and moving away from the mirror. Her head began to drift away from the present and to somewhere else. She sat down on her bed and fished her paper out from under her pillow. She slowly traced over the words she had written earlier in the day. Her handwriting had begun to straighten out and become more legible during her sessions with Miss Lyra. It wasn¡¯t perfect by any means, but she had heard no complaints from her uncle since she had begun to send him letters. She had sent out three so far, but her uncle had not sent one back yet. She carefully slid the paper back under her pillow before getting up and pacing the length of her room. She paused by her bedside and grabbed a worn piece of paper. She unfolded the schedule that she had been given two weeks ago and began to scan the writing. Creases littered the paper from how many times she had opened and closed the letter, but the words were still legible. Miss Lyra had worked with her over the past two weeks to improve her reading and she was pleased that she had been able to read most of the schedule when she tried again this week. She had not been provided with an updated schedule this week and she hadn¡¯t found Miss Ava in order to question her about it. A knock on the door had her rushing to put the paper down and open the door. Prince Cade had informed her that he was going to be by later tonight in order to escort her to the ball. When she swung the door open, her lips parted as she took in Sir before her. Sir because there was no doubt that this wasn¡¯t Prince Cade, not to her right now. Sir was dressed in a long black coat with a gray shirt underneath. The shirt was unbuttoned to the middle of his chest and his cleavage was framed by the fabric. Black slacks hung from his hips with a scabbard tied around his waist. His boots were new and polished and Scarlett¡¯s tongue flicked out as she took in the sight of the leather gleaming in the light. ¡°Miss Amaris,¡± Sir¡¯s voice broke through her and she quickly lifted her gaze from the floor. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go. Do you agree to be collared for the night?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Lift up your hair.¡± She gathered up her red tresses and pulled it away from her neck, watching Sir as she did so. He reached behind her neck, unclipping her collar and placing it down carefully on the nearby table. Shivers went up Scarlett¡¯s spine as she felt the air brush across her bare neck. He grabbed something from his right side and held it up in front of her. This collar was made of two strips of leather that could be buckled to secure it around her neck. They were connected with a chain looped around rings that hung from both strips. An o-ring hung from one part of the chain. Scarlett felt her breath catch as Sir stepped close to her and slowly buckled the material behind her neck. He pulled back once it was secured and traced a finger across the leather. Scarlett tipped her head back when Sir looped his finger in the o-ring and pulled it lightly. The chain slipped through the rings and the leather strips tightened on Scarlett¡¯s neck. She whined slightly when he released the tension and the collar loosened again. ¡°This is a slip collar. I need you to be honest with me if I pull too hard or for too long. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t recognize the sound of her own voice as she spoke. Her voice shook slightly as she spoke and she was surprised Sir was able to hear her with how soft her words came out. ¡°Good.¡± He slid a strip of leather from the side of his pants and clipped one end into the o-ring. Scarlett stared at the leash as it hung from his hand. He noticed her watching and he smirked as he pulled slightly. The leather tightened again and Scarlett¡¯s eyes fluttered as she stared at his hands. Sir wrapped his end of the leash around his hand and used it to tug Scarlett closer to him. ¡°Now, when you are on my leash you are not to make eye contact unless directed to do so, but you also don¡¯t have to stare at the ground. We don¡¯t want you tripping. You will NOT embarrass me. This leash is just to make sure you don¡¯t¡­wander or need correction. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± He used the leash to tug Scarlett behind him as they made their way through the castle. Scarlett hurried to stay close enough to him that the collar didn¡¯t hurt, but far enough away so that she wasn¡¯t under his feet as he walked. None of the maids looked up as the two of them made their way through the halls. Scarlett¡¯s cheeks were filled with heat as she followed Sir, the leash and her outfit making her feel like she was on display for anyone to see. She stumbled into Sir when he stopped at the entrance to the ballroom. ¡°Be on your best behavior,¡± he whispered to her before nodding to one of the footmen. The man opened the door and Scarlett followed Sir into the room. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°May I introduce, His Royal Highness Prince Cade and his personal servant.¡± Sir pulled on her leash and began to lead her through the room. He was headed towards the back where Queen Helena was seated. Scarlett fought to maintain her composure and keep her eyes from widening when she noticed the amount of people that were in the room. She tried to be discreet as she looked around the room. Royals filled the vast chamber decked out in suits and dresses made from fabrics that she was sure she had never heard of, much less seen. Many of the royals had their servants tucked into their sides or kneeling by their feet, usually with a leash connecting the two parties. A few had their servants behind them, acting more as a guard than as a servant. Scarlett even spied a couple that seemed to have no servants present at all. ¡°Cousin,¡± a woman said as she approached the duo. Scarlett slunk back, tucking herself partly behind Sir. The other woman was dressed in a lavish green dress. The skirt was layered with different shades of green overlapping one another. The sleeves flared out around her arms as she reached out to Sir. He greeted the other woman warmly, hugging her tightly with the arm not holding Scarlett¡¯s leash. ¡°You finally got a new servant.¡± Sir chuckled as he pulled Scarlett up to his side. ¡°Yes, well, you know how it is.¡± The woman hummed before stepping towards Scarlett. Sir stepped back from her, but left her standing in front of the woman. Scarlett held herself ramrod still, eyes focused on the ground as the other woman walked around her. Heat built up in her stomach. She couldn¡¯t see the other woman, but she was sure that she was judging her. She could feel the heat of where the woman¡¯s eyes were trailing up and down her body and over the swell of her breasts. Scarlett gulped down a gasp as she felt her nipples tighten under the attention. ¡°She¡¯s¡­pretty,¡± the woman muttered. ¡°She is.¡± Scarlett¡¯s blush deepend at Sir¡¯s easy agreement. ¡°Where is your servant for the evening?¡± ¡°He¡¯s over by your mother. I left him there to come greet you and your new pet.¡± Scarlett¡¯s neck tensed at the word. The woman¡¯s tone was light, but the words seared a heat in Scarlett¡¯s belly. ¡°Don¡¯t call her that. It¡¯s not been discussed.¡± Sir¡¯s voice cut through Scarlett¡¯s thoughts and she watched the woman back off a few steps. ¡°My apologies to you and to her. I overstepped in my enthusiasm.¡± The woman looked at Sir and then at Scarlett, but the redhead was sure to keep her eyes away from the other woman¡¯s. ¡°Your mother is summoning you, I will walk with you.¡± A tug on her collar urged her to follow Sir again as he and the other woman began to move again. Sir moved them through the crowd smoothly, not stopping even when others tried to gain his attention. Soon they were nearing the throne. The Queen was dressed in a pale blue dress. Gold and silver designs decorated the fabric. A darker, fur-lined cloak was draped over the back of her throne. Scarlett thought she saw a flash of red on her sleeve as the woman gestured to her personal guard. ¡°Mother,¡± Sir greeted as he bent down to peck Queen Helena on the cheek. The woman smiled at him as he drew back. ¡°My child. It¡¯s good to see you. Mistress Grey did an excellent job on your outfit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pleased with it. She does good work.¡± ¡°She does.¡± The Queen leaned towards her child and kept her words soft. ¡°Is she prepared? King Landyn and Prince Maxwell are both eager to see her performance.¡± ¡°She¡¯s as prepared as she could be considering the rush.¡± Sir continued speaking but Scarlett¡¯s attention was dragged away as she noticed two men stood and began to work their way through the crowd. She kept her eyes on them even as Sir pulled away from his mother. Each man had a young woman on the end of their leash and they were pulling them through the crowd as they moved. Scarlett felt Sir tug on her own leash as he led her to a nearby table. Before they could sit, the men were next to them. Sir turned to slide his chair out and stepped back when he noticed the intruders. ¡°King Landyn. Prince Maxwell,¡± Sir greeted. ¡°It has been a while. Maxwell, you¡¯re looking well. The infantry seems to be keeping you in good shape.¡± Sir moved Scarlett behind him as he moved forward to greet the two men with a handshake. ¡°Prince Cade,¡± the older man responded. ¡°We were sorry to hear that we hadn¡¯t initially made the cut.¡± ¡°Especially when we heard that you had a new servant.¡± The younger man said. Scarlett looked down as she felt his eyes trail over her body. This felt different than the woman earlier, more predatory. Sir tugged on her leash until she was tucked against his side, one hand sliding across her waist. ¡°The courier must have gotten lost with your invitation. We¡¯re just glad we were able to make arrangements to fit you in.¡± Sir threw a smile their way as he spoke. The men merely stared back at him. Sir kept his hand on Scarlett¡¯s waist as the trio looked at each other. After a minute, Sir broke the silence. ¡°Have you already spoken with my mother?¡± ¡°Yes, we have. We greeted her when we came in.¡± Sir hummed, but didn¡¯t continue addressing the men in front of them. ¡°Is this your new servant?¡± The two men moved closer to Scarlett to get a better view of her and she shrunk back against Sir. ¡°Yes. This is Scarlett.¡± Sir moved one of his hands to rest on the back of Scarlett¡¯s neck. Rough callused fingers gripped the skin there and he squeezed lightly. Scarlett bowed her head at the action, moving her eyes to face the ground. ¡°She joined me only recently, but has served me well thus far. I anticipate her being around for a while longer.¡± ¡°She must be something impressive then if you¡¯re willing to keep her around.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Sir leaned forward and made direct eye contact with the man who spoke. The older man laughed before leaning closer into their space. ¡°You¡¯ve never been big on servants, not since your last one. For this one to capture and keep your attention, she must be something.¡± ¡°I was never against servants. I was against untrained servants and it seemed like every servant that applied for the position was untrained. Scarlett has managed to prove herself capable of following orders. If she continues to do so, she will continue to serve me.¡± Sir¡¯s hands gripped and released Scarlett¡¯s neck as he spoke, fingernails dragging lightly against her skin as he did so. ¡°Understood, Your Highness,¡± ¡°Now then. I believe they are about to summon us for the meal. You may wish to return to the rest of your group.¡± The two men left and Sir scoffed before leading Scarlett back over to where his cousin was sitting with a lanky man kneeling by her side. Sir sat in the chair next to her and Scarlett kneeled on the cushion in front of his chair. Sir could reach out and grab her if he needed, but the only thing currently connecting the washer leash. She heard the two royals converse above her, but she allowed her attention to drift. Instead she looked at the other personal servants in the room. They were dressed in various colors and fabrics. Some wore long ball gowns and others had been dressed in skimpy clothing that left most of their skin bare. Many of the other submissive¡¯s were kneeling by the feet of their dominant¡¯s, but a few of the dominant¡¯s had their submissive¡¯s perched on their laps. Scarlett felt heat crawl up her neck when she noticed one particular dominant had her hand tucked under the skirt of her submissive. Her hand was not visible, but Scarlett noticed the submissive¡¯s skirt moving up and down from the woman¡¯s actions. The dominant continued to make conversation with the others around the table, but she didn¡¯t stop the movement of her arm. The submissive¡¯s face was bright red and her teeth were dug into her lips to keep her from making a scene. ¡°Looks like Nyria is putting on a show,¡± ¡°She always does. That woman is insatiable and loves to have eyes on her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s definitely captured the attention of your girl.¡± Scarlett¡¯s attention flew back to Sir when he snapped twice. Her eyes roved over his face as she awaited a command or reprimand. ¡°You can watch,¡± he allowed. ¡°As long as you still respond to me.¡± The woman next to him leaned over and whispered something in Sir¡¯s ears. Scarlett couldn¡¯t make out what was said, but she watched their eyes glance over at the two men who had stopped by earlier. The men were talking, but their eyes kept flicking over to their small group. Sir snapped again before tapping his right hip. Scarlett shuffled forward, pulling her cushion forward with her as she moved. She moved to sit right next to Sir¡¯s hip, resting her side along the length of his chair legs. She tilted her head to the side, letting it rest against Sir¡¯s hip. He dropped a hand into her hair and let it rest there. ¡°That should help,¡± the woman muttered before she leaned away and addressed her servant. ¡°Good girl,¡± Sir whispered. The group continued to sit in silence as they observed the other ball-goers. Eventually a door at the front opened and a guard strolled through the door. He banged a pole against the floor twice and waited as everyone in the room wrapped up their conversations. ¡°Thank you for your patience. Lunch is served.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Cade slowly rose from the chair and tugged on Scarlett¡¯s leash lightly to get her to rise as well. He watched as everyone began to leave the room, headed for the dining room down the hall. Wren and her submissive were among the last to leave, leaving only Cade, Scarlett, Jay, and his mother in the room. One of the royal guards would come to get them in a few minutes after everyone else had been seated. ¡°Will she be serving you?¡± Cade¡¯s mother muttered as she walked over to them. ¡°I was wondering the same thing,¡± he replied. ¡°King Landyn and Prince Maxwell seem to be very interested in her presence. He said that she has to be impressive if she¡¯s managed to convince me to keep a servant.¡± ¡°So having her serve you would be a good way to showcase your dominance and her service in one go,¡± Jay said. ¡°True. However, it¡¯s not out of the ordinary for me to keep my servant by my side.¡± The group paused as they thought about the last time that he had brought another servant with him to an official dinner. Cade¡¯s jaw tightened as the memories washed over him. He heard Scarlett let out a slight gasp as she moved closer to him. ¡°Prince Cade,¡± Jay said. He looked down at his hands. His knuckles were turning white with the tight grip that he had on the leash. He had yanked his fists to his side, dragging Scarlett along for the ride. She was looking down at her leash with wide eyes, her fingers tight against her side. ¡°My apologies, Scarlett.¡± He loosened his grip and stepped away from her. He had to get better control of his emotions. Memories from the past could not control his actions in the present. That¡¯s the mark of a weak leader. He looked over at the woman, ¡°Are you alright?¡± He watched her eyes flick between his face, his hands, and her leash. She hesitated before opening her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Sir. It didn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°It still should not have happened,¡± Jay said. She moved over to Cade¡¯s side and leaned in to whisper in his ear. ¡°You need to show more control during and after lunch. You cannot show weakness with both the King and Prince of Farwall here. I am not your mother, but I know I raised you to have better control than that.¡± Cade grimaced at the harshness of her voice. Jay was usually so calm and in control, she didn¡¯t often sound disappointed. Especially not with him. Heat bloomed on his cheeks and he tipped his head in her direction. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he whispered back. ¡°Good.¡± She lightly tapped her head against his before moving back to his mother¡¯s side. Helena rested a hand on her guard¡¯s arm and the woman merely bowed her head in response. Cade watched, familiar with their way of communicating without words. ¡°So,¡± he said to bring their attention back to him. ¡°What¡¯s the plan with Scarlett serving me?¡± ¡°I think she should stay by your side. Make it a display of some sort. Have her kneeling between your legs, her head resting on your thighs. Something that seems more possessive and less like we''re afraid of a mistake being made.¡± ¡°That might work.¡± Cade tilted his head as he thought over the scenario, Scarlett had done well with serving him over the past few weeks, ut he didn¡¯t need her to slip up under the pressure today. ¡°Yeah, that will work. Scarlett will stay with me the entire time.¡± Shortly after the decision had been made, a page pushed the door open and let them know that it was time for them to be seated. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the page said. ¡°There was an issue with the seating, however.¡± ¡°What issue?¡± Cade¡¯s mom looked over at the page and frowned. ¡°King Landyn demanded that he be sat next to Prince Cade. He would not allow Duchess Julianna to take that seat. He refused any other seat that we offered. Eventually Duchess Julianna offered to take his seat just so everyone else could be seated.¡± Cade tipped his head back and withheld a groan. King Landyn had originally been sat on the other side of the dining table to keep Cade from having to socialize with the man. He knew that his cousin had likely tried her hardest to convince King Landyn to move, as had the maids. But alas, King Landyn had gotten his way. Now Cade was going to be forced to make nice with the King during lunch. And make sure that Scarlett performed well the entire time. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate,¡± his mother sighed out. ¡°But nothing to be done about it I guess. Please thank the maids for attempting to keep order and apologize to them for the inconvenience.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The page bowed before leading the group towards the dining hall. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Cade straightened his spine and tugged Scarlett to his side when they made it to the doors. He looped her leash around his fist to keep him close to him as he waited for the herald to allow them to enter. ¡°Prince Cade and his servant, Scarlett,¡± the herald announced. Cade strode through the door, leading Scarlet through the room as he headed towards his seat. His mother would be seated at the head of the table with Jya positioned, as always, at her side. Cade would be sitting at the foot of the table. To ensure equal communication opportunities for all invited his mother had said when she first approved the seating chart. He stopped at his chair and pulled it out. He guided Scarlett under the table before taking his seat and tucking the chair in. One pat on his inner thigh and he felt Scarlett''s head settle in the crux? He placed a hand in her hair and turned her face until it was facing his crotch. His hips twitched as he felt her breath wash over him. The position of her head meant that he was going to feel every breath that she took during the lunch. ¡°Queen Helena and her Royal Guard, Jay,¡± the herald proclaimed. Cade watched as his mother glided into the room. Jay followed by her side, ever the dutiful guard. His mother walked past his chair, reaching out and lightly touching his shoulder as she passed. When she reached her chair, Jay moved in front of her and pulled it out. She stepped back after the Queen was seated and stood behind the older woman¡¯s chair. ¡°She¡¯s not serving you?¡± Cade turned to face the grating voice. King Landyn was watching him, his mouth twisted in a cruel approximation of a smile. ¡°She is serving me. She¡¯s just not getting me dinner.¡± Cade kept his tone even as he responded. The pressure of Scarlett¡¯s head against his thigh worked to ground him in the present. ¡°How is resting serving you?¡± Prince Maxwell piped up from beside his father. Cade bit his tongue and forced a smile on his face. ¡°I wanted a different kind of service, but you know as well as I that we don¡¯t do that when the entire group is together. Just have to wait until after lunch. This was the next best thing she could offer me.¡± King Landyn glanced under the table at Scarlett and Cade shifted his leg out under the guise of stretching. The King pulled his gaze back up and turned to make conversation with his son. Cade reached down and ran his fingers through Scarlett¡¯s hair. She shifted closer, tucking her head further into his thigh. He looked down at the table when a plate of food was set in front of him. A large piece of chicken with bread and a side of diced potatoes. He waited until everyone had been served before slicing off a piece of chicken. The moist chicken sat lightly on his tongue and fell apart as he bit into it. He quickly scooped up some of the potatoes as well. He cut off another piece of meat and speared it with his fork. He held the fork under the table and felt Scarlett shift closer and bite it off. Cade continued to eat lunch that way. Alternating between feeding himself and passing food down to Scarlett. The woman ate everything that he passed down to her. She made sure to keep her teeth from scratching against the fork and from dropping any of the food on the ground. The only spill came from when Cade tried to give her some water and the woman misunderstood her motions. A small dribble of water dripped down her mouth, but she quickly fixed her position to drink the water. ¡°She seems to be well-behaved,¡± one woman said. She was sitting to Cade¡¯s left and he turned to face her, one hand under the table to pass Cade a piece of potato. ¡°She has her moments, but she¡¯s been doing well in her training. She¡¯s been eager to serve me.¡± Cade¡¯s words slipped out of his mouth before he could think about them. He bit his tongue slightly to keep himself from continuing. One part of him wanted to brag, to claim that Scarlett was extremely well trained. The other part of him knew better. It knew not to promise something he couldn¡¯t deliver. ¡°I wish Kris was better trained,¡± the woman sighed wistfully. Her servant was perched on the ground by her feet, her head resting lightly against her thigh as she ate. The woman¡¯s hand was tucked in her submissive¡¯s hair, carefully brushing through the short locks. ¡°She¡¯s a cute one too. The two of you look good together,¡± Cade chuckled slightly, feeling the heat creep up the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s part of why I chose her.¡± He controlled his words, offering a nugget of truth but nothing more. ¡°There were other candidates, sure. But why would I choose someone who didn¡¯t look nice? I wanted someone that would look good and would make me look better.¡± The woman nodded her head, a smile adorning her face. ¡°You did a good job at that. The two of you are a matched set-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see if they perform as such,¡± Prince Maxwell intervened. ¡°What good is a good looking sub if she doesn¡¯t know how to serve you well?¡± Cade bit back a snarl as he turned to face the man. ¡°Very true. But I would like to stress that I have only had Scarlett as my servant for a short while now. She¡¯s trained, but she isn¡¯t perfect.¡± ¡°Shame,¡± he drawled. ¡°I had Rena trained in less than two weeks. And she never fails to serve me perfectly.¡± Cade¡¯s fist tensed around her fork as she thought of Prince Maxwell¡¯s submissive. She had heard rumors of Farwall¡¯s training methods and if Rena¡¯s tight expression was anything to go off of, most of what was said was more than rumors. The woman¡¯s head was barely visible over Prince Maxwell¡¯s legs. Her eyes though, wide and focused intently on Prince Maxwell, were visible. Her back was ramrod straight and her cheek was leaning against his thigh. Unlike Kris who was staring at his dominant with glimmering eyes and an open gaze, her eyes were shuttered. Her eyes were looking at Prince Maxwell, but her focus seemed to be elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m sure she does,¡± Cade responded diplomatically. He looked around for someone else to talk to before the other man could start talking to him again. He caught the eye of another man sitting a couple of seats down from him and quickly began a discussion with him about trade routes. He kept up the discussion as the dishes were cleared away. They were discussing the newly opened routes around Grushan when the Queen stood and waited for everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Thank you everyone for joining us today for lunch. We will now be heading to the ballroom for the ball. You are free to join us in the ball, spend time in one of the rooms outside the ballroom, or head home. I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed lunch and that you enjoy the ball if you choose to stay.¡± Chapter 10 Scarlett tensed as she entered the ballroom at Sir¡¯s side. Many of the royals had chosen to stay for the ball and the room was full to bursting. Tables had been arranged along the walls of the room and people were rushing to grab the remaining seats near the Queen. Sir guided her through the room, pulling her leash as he led her through the crowd. ¡°Prince Cade,¡± one of the men from before was suddenly directly in front of Sir. ¡°I would be greatly honored if you and your submissive joined my group for conversation.¡± ¡°Prince Maxwell,¡± Sir said. ¡°I would be glad to join you but unfortunately I already promised my cousin that I would sit with her.¡± ¡°She can join us as well. We would be honored to have both the Crown Prince and the esteemed Duchess at our table¡± The man paused as he looked between Scarlett and Sir. ¡°I¡¯ll admit: my group is very interested in seeing how she performs. Now that she can perform for you, that is.¡± Scarlett saw Sir glance back t her and his shoulders tensed for a second. He nodded his head towards the man. The grin that slashed across the man¡¯s face took Scarlett by surprise. She didn¡¯t realize she had stepped back until Sir tightened her collar and pulled her closer to him. The man¡¯s grin only grew in size at the action. Scarlett cursed herself when she saw the vicious glee in his smile. She knew that she had to perform well today. Sir and the Queen had made it clear that this was a test for her, to see how she would hold up under scrutiny. Her latest letter from her Uncle, bragging about her cousins, only strengthened her resolve to stay here. ¡°Come,¡± Sir said as he began to follow the other man. A group of people were crowded around a table, a couple of empty seats left in the middle of the group. Sir sat down in one of the empty seats and Scarlett kneeled on the floor between his legs. She was under the table at this point, only able to properly see Sir and the feet of the other guests. Sir patted his thigh and she leaned forward to rest her head where he indicated. She could feel Sir¡¯s bulge just barely brushing the top of her head where it rested. ¡°What services does she provide you?¡± One of the women leered at Sir as she spoke. Scarlett did not see another submissive on the ground, so she assumed that the other woman was by herself. When the woman peeked over the table to see Sir¡¯s hand coiled around Scarlett¡¯s leash, a flash of something went through her eyes. She retreated back to her seat quickly after that. ¡°Many services. Typically she serves my food, but she will also warm me if I request it. I prefer her mouth currently, it allows for me to continue my work without having to work around another body.¡± Heat raced up Scarlett¡¯s face as she heard the way Sir was talking about her. His voice was flat, disinterested. It sounded just the same as if he was discussing the weather at dinner. ¡°You know how it is.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Prince Maxwell responded. ¡°I prefer Rena bouncing on my cock. Feels amazing.¡± the man was slouched back in his seat, his bulge prominent as he spoke. ¡°Once she gets back from the washroom, I plan on having her service me again.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Sir¡¯s cousin said as she walked over to the group. Her submissive was following closely. ¡°You¡¯ve got no papers to work on. Those of us who actually have to work understand how difficult that is to do when someone is sitting on your lap.¡± Red bloomed on the man¡¯s face and Scarlett watched his hands tense against the side of his seat. Scarlett felt Sir¡¯s thigh tense as he watched the other man. He looked prepared to push himself up when his submissive came flouncing over to the group. She immediately perched herself on his lap, grounding him in the seat. The tenseness left Sir¡¯s thigh as Prince Maxwell wrapped his arms around the woman¡¯s waist and pulled her close. ¡°Do you intend to have her service you today?¡± Scarlett tilted her head against Sir¡¯s thigh to watch him. His head turned towards one of the other people at the table and he smiled lightly. ¡°I am considering it. I¡¯ve been a bit stressed lately and I could use some comfort.¡± Scarlett resisted the urge to move when Sir spoke. She tried to focus on the floor rather than the heat that was spreading across her body. The hardwood floor was cold against her knees and she regretted that there wasn¡¯t a cushion nearby. She had become used to having something to go under her knees to lessen the pain of kneeling. Her dress today was too short to provide any real comfort. ¡°You - ah - mentioned that during lunch,¡± Maxwell moaned. Scarlett¡¯s eyes went wide when she glanced over at the man. She couldn¡¯t see his face from her position under the table, but it gave her a great view of something else. At some point he had managed to free his member and he currently had his submissive sheathed on it. ¡°I did. Now is as good a time as any, I guess.¡± Scarlett shifted away from Sir¡¯s thighs when he tapped her lightly on her head. He shifted slightly, pulling his shirt up in order to get direct access to the fly of his pants. He fished out his cock, a long silicone cock that Sir had worked with Scarlett on over the past week. By the end of the week she had been able to take most of the cock down her throat with no help. ¡°How does she serve you when you ain¡¯t got a cock?¡± Scarlett did not move from her position when a voice boomed from above the table. ¡°I¡¯ve got a cock. I¡¯ve got many of them actually.¡± Scarlett leaned forward unintentionally. She was sure that Sir could feel her breath against his fingers as he held his cock. ¡°Yeah, but that ain¡¯t the same as having a real one. You can¡¯t feel anything.¡± ¡°I assure you, I can feel the pleasure that she gives me. And, unlike some, I know how to last when my submissive has my cock down her throat.¡± Laughter erupted from above the table, but Scarlett paid it no mind. Sir moved his hand away from his cock and tucked it around Scarlett¡¯s neck. He pressed against the back of her neck, pulling her closer until she could feel the toy against her lips. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Serve me,¡± Sir commanded, cutting off the other man. Scarlett didn¡¯t hesitate as she leaned forward and took the head of Sir¡¯s cock into her mouth. Sir wrapped her hair around his fingers as she proceeded to suckle on the tip of his cock. ¡°You can have some fun, but I want the entire thing down your throat soon.¡± Scarlett moaned lightly around Sir¡¯s cock as she allowed more to slip past her lips. A gag slipped through her lips when the cock slipped too far, too quickly. She pulled her head back slightly, bobbing forward in the next moment to make it seem intentional. She couldn¡¯t look up while serving Sir like this, but she could feel the heat of other people¡¯s gazes on her. She was sure that her and Sir were the main attraction at the table currently. ¡°Good girl,¡± Sir moaned out as he tangled a hand in her hair. His nails scratched against the top of her scalp and she moaned around the cock in her mouth, her moan louder than it would have been had they not been the center of attention. She could hear feet shuffling around as people moved closer, could feel the way Sir tensed under her touch. She ran her hand up his thighs, tucking her hands under his legs to pull him further down her throat. ¡°And here I thought you weren¡¯t having her serve you because she couldn¡¯t.¡± Scarlett tensed at the mocking laugh that the man let out. She recognized the voice from earlier, when the man tried to get Sir to make her serve during lunch. She sucked harder at the voice, heat crawling up her chest at the dismissive way he talked about both of them. ¡°She can serve me just fine.¡± Sir¡¯s voice was little more than a pant as he spoke. A different sort of heat built up in Scarlett¡¯s stomach at the voice. Her stomach twisted as she pushed further, her lips meeting the base of Sir¡¯s cock. ¡°See.¡± She preened slightly, shoulders pushing back and chest arching, as Sir addressed the crowd. ¡°She did just fine.¡± Scarlett bobbed on Sir¡¯s cock as he scratched at her scalp. Conversation went on around her but she tuned them out, her attention focused solely on Sir and his pleasure. At times he would hold her head still, fingers tight in her hair and her head pulled back. Her hands remained tucked under his thighs and she moaned as she felt his hips flex. He would slowly thrust his cock in and out of her mouth before pushing her down again, allowing her to warm him once more. When he remained still she suckled on him, pulling back at times to give little licks and sucks to the tip before taking him fully again.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Can she do anything but suck?¡± Scarlett ignored the voice above her and kept her lips wrapped tightly around Sir. She sucked, cheeks hollowing as she kept her mouth around him. ¡°She can,¡± Sir responded. ¡°But why would I allow you all the pleasure of seeing her serve me?¡± The silence from above the table pulled Scarlett¡¯s attention slightly. She could hear some feet shuffling before a brave voice spoke up. ¡°Because how else will we know she can take care of your needs? For all we know the only thing you¡¯ve trained her in is sucking.¡± Scarlett was pulled out of her reverie when Sir snapped his fingers and then held his hand out, palm upward. She removed herself from his cock, waiting for him to pull his chair out before scooting out from under the table and standing in front of him. Sir stared at her and she blushed under his scrutiny. She could now see the people gathered around the table, all of them with their eyes on her and Sir. Sir crooked his finger and she moved closer until she was standing between his legs. Sir motioned at the group standing around them before addressing her. ¡°They seem to think you are unable to serve me. To take care of my needs. I consider that an affront to not only me, but you as well. How would you like to prove them wrong?¡± Scarlett¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what Sir was saying. He was giving her the option to choose. Not because he truly took offense for her, but because she had only been truly trained to suck him thus far. Scarlett¡¯s mind raced as she thought about the possibilities. She wasn¡¯t ready to take Sir¡¯s cock, no matter how much her stomach tightened at the thought. The crowd around her also made her hesitant to allow him to touch her, to derive his pleasure from claiming hers. She briefly considered allowing him to punish her, but her stomach rolled at the thought of having to strip, even slightly, in front of this many people. The area wasn¡¯t set up for her to clean his boots. His boots¡­ ¡°Sir?¡± Scarlett¡¯s voice was soft as she tilted her head. Sir watched her, his brown eyes taking in the expression that she was sure was on her face. Her slightly wide eyes, her mouth partially open. ¡°You¡¯ve chosen.¡± Scarlett nodded but didn¡¯t speak anymore. Instead she allowed her eyes to drift down his outfit until she was staring at his boots. Her legs quivered as she remained standing, something in her urging her to drop to her knees to make her intentions clear. Her stomach twisted as she waited for Sir to speak. For him to approve her request or deny it. For him to take control and lead the next part of this dance they found themselves in. ¡°Oh.¡± Sir¡¯s voice was tinged with curiosity as he watched her gaze drop to his boots. He shifted his legs slightly and watched as her eyes trailed after his boots. ¡°You wish to serve me on your knees.¡± ¡°Yes Sir.¡± Scarlett¡¯s answer was gasped out as she spoke. ¡°Then serve me.¡± Sir didn¡¯t have to motion before Scarlett was dropping to her knees. She carefully moved forward until she was kneeling right next to one of Sir¡¯s boots. Her eyes focused only on the shiny boots before her. Her chest heaved slightly as she waited for Sir. He remained silent as she kneeled there, his eyes on her as he folded his hands in his lap. Scarlett tightened her fingers in her dress to prevent her from reaching out or moving forward. ¡°You may continue.¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t hesitate to move as soon as Sir approved her actions. She moved forward until her knees were on either side of Sir¡¯s boots and she leaned forward until her chest was pressed against his leg. He reached down and moved her hair away from her face, urging her face up until she was meeting his eyes. ¡°Put on a show for me, why don¡¯t you?¡± Scarlett felt her stomach twist at Sir¡¯s words and she nodded before lowering herself onto his boot. She bit down on her lower lip when she felt the first press of Sir¡¯s boots against her core. The thin underwear she was wearing did very little to block the feeling of Sir¡¯s boot against her core. Her heart was pounding as she pressed forward, pressing securely against his boots. She bit back a moan as she felt his laces press against her core, one small shove pressing the laces against her clit. Her breasts were brushing against his leg as she slowly shifted herself forward. She felt her nipples hardened as she pressed forward. The feeling of Sir¡¯s trousers brushing against her exposed breasts had her biting her tongue. The softness of his trousers teased her breasts and she leaned her head forward to rest it on Sir¡¯s neck. She could faintly feel his cock from where she was leaning, the weight of it brushing against her head as she moved. Scarlett was surprised by the feeling that overcome her body as she moved. She expected to feel embarrassed, to want to hide away. She didn¡¯t expect to feel wetness build up in her body. She wasn¡¯t expecting for her heart to begin thudding against her chest and for a blush to work its way down her body. She wasn¡¯t expecting for the feeling of Sir¡¯s fingers in her hair to cause her to thrust harder, move quicker. She tried to tamp down the feeling building in her, but there was no use. Each time that her hips rolled forward and back, she could feel her pleasure build more. The feeling of Sir tugging on her hair brought her back down to the present, if only for a minute. He wore a small grin as he watched her hips continue their movement. ¡°Move away from my leg. Show our guests that wonderful blush as you continue.¡± Scarlett moved on instinct. She pulled herself back and forced herself to change positions. Her chest ached as she moved away from Sir¡¯s boot. She tucked her legs under her and held her arms behind her back. She made sure to thrust her chest out forward. Once she was in position, she lowered herself again. It was harder to keep pace now that she had to hold a specific position. She could feel her arms and legs already beginning to ache. The position wasn¡¯t comfortable, but she was still able to feel Sir¡¯s boot. She was able to move without losing her position, even if it was a slower pace. Her chest was bright red and she couldn¡¯t make eye contact with any of the guests. Instead she kept her eyes focused on Sir. Those brown eyes were trained on her a she moved. Soon she was gliding back and forth on his boot again. Her underwear were wet and she was hesitant to see the sort of mess that she would make after she pulled away from Sir. Her hips were thrusting erratically as she moved. She could no longer feel Sir¡¯s laces pressing against her clit, but pleasure was still rocketing up her spine. Her skin was becoming clammy with sweat as she moved. She allowed herself to focus on only Sr and the pleasure that she was feeling from his boot. ¡°Is she ever going to cum?¡± One of the guests groused. Scarlett was abruptly pulled back to the present at the sound of his voice. Her hips stuttered as her brain took in the amount of people around her. The number of strangers that were watching her chase her pleasure wantonly against Sir¡¯s boot. Her stomach sank at the realization. She was still wet, but she no longer felt the build up of pleasure. Instead she felt nauseous. Her stomach turned as she tried not to shrink away from the gazes of the people. ¡°Her pleasure does not come from her orgasm. It comes from debasing herself for my pleasure and amusement.¡± Sir kept eye contact with her as he spoke. She could see something glimmering in his brown eyes as he addressed the crowd. ¡°She will not cum for you, but she will deny herself for me. Won¡¯t you?¡± Scarlett¡¯s head was nodding before she realized what she was doing. The tightness in her stomach loosened somewhat. She was not going to be made to cum in front of all of these strangers. Not quite yet at least. Sir was letting her off for the day. Her brain fogged over as the thought lingered in her mind. Her hips were still moving, their actions instinctual as she chased a different sort of pleasure. Her body sank slightly, chest still pushed out but muscles relaxing. Sir tugged lightly on her hair and he moved her back to lean against her leg again. A gentle hand on her head pressed her against Sir¡¯s thigh. Scarlett sighed softly as she hid her face from the rest of the guests. Sir kept a possessive hand on her head, fingers tangled in her red locks. ¡°Good girl.¡± Sir¡¯s voice washed over her. Her mind drifted as her focus on performing waned. She no longer cared about the crowd around her or the scene that she was sure she was making. She no longer cared about who may be watching her. She cared only for the feeling of Sir¡¯s boot between her legs, the pleasure that it gave her. Her mind was focused on the scent of Sir, a mixture of leather and rain that had her breathing deeply to take more of it in. The sound of his voice as he murmured praises to her as she continued to move. Scarlett felt the hand in her hair tighten and she released a gasp against Sir¡¯s thigh. He shifted his foot slightly before tapping her thigh with his boot. Her hips stopped immediately. ¡°Good girl,¡± he muttered. Her brain was hazy as the compliment swept over her. A part of her stomach sank slightly, but the pleasure of serving Sir overrode that feeling. ¡°That''s all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sir¡¯s voice was final as he spoke. ¡°She served me just as I asked her to. I never asked her to provide you with your pleasure. Only to provide me with mine. If your servants aren¡¯t fulfilling your needs, I¡¯m sure I can help you find someone else.¡± Scarlett rested against Sir¡¯s thigh as he spoke. Her breaths were coming out in puffs as Sir stroked her hair. She was still straddling Sir¡¯s boots, hips no longer moving but rather resting as she caught her breath. Her mind slowly began to come back to her and she winced at the feeling of wetness against her thighs. Her legs stuck to Sir¡¯s boots as she shifted slightly to pull herself away. Her cheeks darkened when she noticed the shininess of Sir¡¯s boots. She risked a glance up at him and caught an amused smile playing on his lips. ¡°Now,¡± Sir said as he stood and held down a hand for Scarlett. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I need to take care of my submissive.¡± He pulled Scarlett up to stand beside him and wrapped an arm around her waist. She sunk into his side, her legs shaking as she tried to hold herself upright. Slowly he began to lead her out of the room, stopping only briefly for Sir to make his goodbyes. Chapter 11 Cade avoided making eye contact as he led Scarlett out of the room. When Prince Maxwell had challenged his training, Cade had found a swell of anger. As much as he wanted to dismiss the man, he knew that he couldn¡¯t. Too much was riding on that night, that interaction. He couldn¡¯t do anything to risk his country or his family. So he played nice. He hadn¡¯t expected the feeling that washed over him when Scarlett served him in public. He knew that the woman looked good with his cock in her mouth. Knew that she looked good on her knees. But he hadn¡¯t expected the sheer arousal that twisted in his stomach when she did all of that in front of other people. He had lost control of himself. He had lost himself in the pleasure that she had given him. The feeling of dominance that took over him. He tried to avoid letting his thoughts drift to that. He had almost let the feeling overwhelm him when it was happening, he didn¡¯t need to give it that much power after the fact as well. Instead he focused on the weight of Scarlett against his side. The woman was leaning fully into him, her head tucked against his shoulder. He had an arm around her waist and he gripped her waist as they walked. The feeling of the material against his hand sent shivers up his spine. It had been a long time since he had held someone like this. Not since¡­ he cut off his thought before it could fully form. He waved away one of the servants as she approached him. He carefully maneuvered Scarlett around a couple of corners and past a group that was in the act of leaving the castle. He called his goodbyes as he hurried past them. ¡°Mmm,¡± Scarlett breathed out against his neck. Goosebumps rose on his skin as her breath skimmed over his skin. ¡°Where¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you to your room. I¡¯m going to clean you up and help you settle into bed. Okay?¡± He spoke slowly, not sure how much of this she was actually retaining. She hummed against his neck and nodded slightly. ¡°Yessir.¡± Cade suppressed a chuckle as she responded, words slurring together as she spoke. Her voice was light, a tone that he hadn¡¯t heard from her before. It sounded as though she was drifting off to sleep. Or like a drop. At the thought, Cade almost stumbled over his own feet. He had never had a submissive drop before, but he had heard of it happening. A submissive getting so into the zone, into the pleasure, that they just sunk into the bliss of it all. He dragged his thumb over her side as he carefully led her up the stairs and towards her room. By the time they made it to her door, Cade could feel sweat dripping down his back. He shifted her to lean against the wall, the woman zoned out so much that she didn¡¯t make any noise at her change of position. Cade pulled her key out from around his neck and inserted it in the lock, pushing the door open before returning back to Scarlett. ¡°Come on,¡± he muttered as he grabbed her hands and pulled her close. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside.¡± Scarlett hummed in response, but followed when Cade pulled her through the door. ¡°Can you get to your bed?¡± He let go of her hands and watched her sway in place slightly, but she remained upright. He grinned and moved over to the bucket of water in the corner of the room and peered into it. The water still looked clean and there was a rag next to it. Someone must have prepared this for her after the ball. Cade turned around just in time to see Scarlett begin to make her way to the bed that was mere feet away from her. She moved slowly, her eyebrows scrunched together as she stared intently at the floor. Cade smirked as he watched her take small steps, slowly closing the distance. As she neared the bed, one of her feet caught on a pair of shoes that had been left on the floor. She rocked forward and Cade hurried over to catch her before she could hit the ground. He wrapped his arms around her waist and felt her head collide with his chest. Scarlett moaned in pain at the impact and Cade winced. That couldn¡¯t have felt good. ¡°Sir?¡± Cade looked down when he heard Scarlett¡¯s quiet question. Her eyes had cleared up and she was now staring at him in confusion. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We will talk about that more tomorrow. I want to make sure you¡¯re fully¡­¡± He released one of his hands to wave in the air. ¡°...aware when I explain the situation. It¡¯s nothing serious, just a conversation best had when you¡¯re wide awake.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Scarlett mumbled the word out, her eyelids beginning to flutter shut as they stood there. ¡°Are we in my room?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Yes.¡± Cade jerked back slightly at Scarlett¡¯s question. He had forgotten where he was. He gently urged her into a standing position and shifted her over until she was hovering over the bed. She allowed her legs to give out from under her and she thumped down on the bed. ¡°Can I clean you up? Is there anything you want from me?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Scarlett leaned back against her pillows and stared at Cade. A blush bloomed on his cheeks as she watched him without saying anything. Her eyes began to glaze over again slightly. ¡°Yes to the cleaning, please. My thighs are¡­sticky.¡± Cade was no longer the only person in the room blushing. He could see the red creep down her neck and settle on the top of her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t know about anything else.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me know if you think of anything.¡± Cade moved away from Scarlett and grabbed the rag, dipping it into the water. He made sure to wring out the excess water before moving back towards where Scarlett was reclined. She had managed to toe off her shoes and was sitting upright. Her fingers were currently fumbling at the back of her dress, trying to loosen the ties. Cade dropped the rag over his shoulder before stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders. Scarlett stared back at him, her eyes wide and glazed. Cade tried to keep his voice soft. He wanted to offer, not force. ¡°I can help.¡± He didn¡¯t receive a verbal answer but Scarlett moved her hands away. Cade slid his hands down her arms until he was leaning over her, fingers resting on the ties at her back. Cade began to work on her laces until he managed to free her of the dress. He slowly pushed the dress off of her body, hesitating to look down until he saw a hint of the slip she was wearing underneath. Scarlett hummed lightly as her skin was bared to the air. Cade guided her to sit down on the bed and watched as she curled up into a ball. He knelt down on the bed next to her. He grabbed the rag and began to dab at her skin. He could see where sweat had dried on her skin, giving her skin a shimmery appearance. She squirmed as he wiped at her shoulders. He could see goosebumps appear on her skin as he slowly worked the rag down her arms. After wiping at her arms, he hesitated. He had tried to avoid looking at Scarlett¡¯s chest while he worked. The slip only covered so much of her chest and he avoided looking at the bare flesh in front of him. He focused instead on her neck as he lightly brushed the rag against her chest. He watched her neck bob as he worked, When he was done with cleaning her arms, he got up to wet the rag again. Scarlett¡¯s eyes were shut when he made his way back to the bed. Soft exhales were the only sound in the room. His eyes trailed over her body momentarily as he debated where to settle to work on Scarlett¡¯s legs. Cade watched her for a bit before shaking his head and moving to the bottom of the bed. He studiously avoided looking at the strip of skin visible where the slip ended. Instead he focused his attention on her knees. He knelt at the very edge of the bed and began to wipe the sweat away from Scarlett¡¯s legs. Cade worked methodically. His hand slid the rag up one side of Scarlett¡¯s leg, pausing at her thighs. He then slid the rag down the other side of her leg. He moved slowly and tried to keep his attention from drifting north. He knew what he would see. When he finished with her one leg, he moved over to her other leg. Scarlett squirmed again and Cade gulped as he felt the rag slip and his fingers brush against her bare leg. He hesitated after washing the sweat off of her legs. He knew what was next, but he needed Scarlett to be aware. ¡°Scarlett,¡± he said. She only squirmed in response, her legs shifting as she rolled to one side. He tapped at her leg and waited for a reaction. ¡°Scarlett.¡± He had to repeat her name a few more times before she finally grumbled and looked at him. ¡°Hmm,¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t say anything but stared at Cade as she groaned out a response. ¡°Your arms and legs are clean. Do you need me to clean anywhere else?¡± Cade held his breath as he waited for Scarlett to respond. He didn¡¯t know what answer he wanted her to give. Scarlett didn¡¯t respond verbally. She flopped on her back and spread her legs. Cade¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he saw the wetness gleaming on her inner thighs. ¡°Do you want me to clean you there or do you want to do it yourself?¡± Scarlett only murmured a response and Cade watched her. He needed verbal confirmation. He couldn¡¯t do anything without it. ¡°I need you to speak up honey. I can¡¯t do anything without verbal permission. You know this.¡± He hoped that she hadn¡¯t caught the pet name that had slipped out without permission. He didn¡¯t mean to, but something had brought him back to another time. Another person in bed, ¡°Yes please.¡± Scarlett answered. Her voice was soft as she spoke and Cade could see the ways her eyes were still shut. The way her body was sinking into the bed beneath her. ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick so you can get some sleep.¡± Cade quickly leant forward until he was able to comfortably reach Scarlett¡¯s thighs. He could smell her arousal as he leaned over her to work and he held his breath to keep himself from being distracted. He stroked the rag over her thighs and wiped away the wetness. His eyes shut when Scarlett began to moan and groan in response. He could feel her thighs tense against his hand as he worked. He tried to keep himself from reacting as he cleaned her. When he was done wiping at her thighs, he hurried to climb off the bed. ¡°You¡¯re clean,¡± he muttered. He rang the rag out in the water and draped it over the edge of the bucket. ¡°Get some sleep.¡± Scarlett only moaned in response before flipping over and tucking her face into her pillow. Cade felt a smile tug at his lips as he watched her. He gathered up her laundry and the water bucket before heading out of the room. He stopped when he saw a letter sitting on her bedside table. It was tucked under a green stone. ¡°Do you want me to give this to a courier?¡± Scarlett didn¡¯t respond verbally. She only tucked her blanket closer to his chest. He hesitated before leaving without the letter. He could ask her about it tomorrow. He scooped the bucket back up and left the room, slowly pulling the door shut to keep it from slamming.