The Courtesan's Mistress 1

8/6/2019 The Courtesan's Mistress 1

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Natalie sat back on the bed and stretched seductively.My lord, she purred. Her fingertips slowly traced their way up pasther hips, over her taut stomach and between the valley created byher pert breasts. The wisp of silk that covered her nipples, and amatching scrap of purple cloth at her pubis were all that protected

her from the wide, hungry eyes of her client. The purple clashedwith the green in her Ware tattoo, the sign of her trade. Like allcourtesans, it was a coiling serpent bracketing her groin, stretchingup her thighs and over her pelvis. She pouted, trying to catch hisgaze.Not that her client was looking at her face; his eyes roamed over herbody hungrily. Cidric, fifth child of the Earl of Lynbrook; this waswhat passed for nobility in this day and age? Natalie cringedinwardly, letting her eyes run seductively over his puppy-fat, hisgreying underclothes bulging obscenely with his desire. This wasntabout her, though; this night belonged to him. God knew hed paidenough for it; his father had probably given him the gold, butNatalie was willing to bet Cidrics mother didnt know about this. Itwas fairly standard nowadays for the richest to hire someone fromthe Guild of Courtesans for their Manhood, but it was still frownedupon in some circles.Her nipples pressed invitingly against the silk band covering herchest. The clothes, if they qualified as such, had cost her severalhours wages, no trifling amount; she was one of the best at her job,and the small ink markers on her skin advertised it, her very flesh amenu of carnal delight. But it seemed to be lost on the young lord;

he just stood and stared, panting slightly.Natalies long, painted nails traced over the tight silk and up, easinggently around her collarbone and under her chin. She tilted her headslightly, baring more of her neck; the small inked sign of a fang wasthere, her tacit acceptance of her willingness to be bitten. Suchspecifics were important; it was a clients guarantee of service.Her blonde hair fell in waves across a pillow as she threw her headback, eyes never once leaving Cidrics face. She crossed her legs,slowly and sensuously, making sure that the slight subtle sound offlesh sliding across soft flesh was audible. The only other sound inthe bedchamber was their breathing and the nearly-inaudible

crackle from a scented candle. Breathing deeply, allowing herbosom to heave in a way she knew to be most eye-catching, shewas glad of the candle; his body was not clean and, to be blunt, hesmelled.What would you have me do, my lord? she let said, letting herpainted lips roll around the words; the low gravelly tone, so differentfrom her speaking voice, had the desired effect on her client. Theman finally did something, silently moving forward, climbing up ontothe white sheets, high quality Burbrick cotton. A man? Not yet. Hehad no more than fifteen summers on him, hardly a man at all, but

this act of negotiable desire would see him well on his way. Hewould gain the Manhood Writ, a simple circular line in black,


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bisected by a red line starting in the centre, carefully andpermanently applied to his body.His quivering left hand reached out and covered her right breast, hisfingers digging in roughly. Silk creased under his grip as hesqueezed. Careful to keep her expression one of desire, Natalie

suppressed a wince. So it was going to be one of those.Suddenly the hand was gripping the silk; with a wrench, it waspulled down, her breast exposed to the warm air. There was aripping sound as one of the finely-made seams parted company.Thatll go on his bill, she thought. His hand was back, massaging herroughly, one of the nails catching slightly as he mauled her. Shearched her back and gently thrust her hips up towards him, smilingas she did so. He needed no other invitation; fingers were suddenlythrusting onto the scrap of silk at her pubic area, then pushing itaside and intruding. She was well prepared, as a Courtesan of herrank should be.Do you want me, my lord? she purred, and wrapped her legsaround his back, drawing herself down the bed, ending up directlyunderneath him. He doesnt talk much, she thought as her handsencircled his shoulders. She let them glide down the puffy flesh ofhis torso and finally, at his hips, take his underclothes along withthem. His circumcised erection throbbed, purple and glistening. Shepulled him down, guiding him; this was, after all, supposed to bepartly a teaching role on her part. Nevertheless, it took him threethrusting attempts to enter her, and she gasped as he managed it,exactly the reaction he was paying for.

The sex was short, dominated by him and without much character;he did not bring her pleasure, but Natalie was good at appearing tobe pleased, among the best. After he was done, the young Earl-to-be seemed almost embarrassed, but she knew better than toengage him in conversation; their business was concluded and, witha subtle push on a lever behind the bed, she let Raef know that hewas needed. The boy was quick to respond, knocking on the doorand bringing a small tea set on a silver tray. There was also a whitecard, a little reminder that payment was required. Most chose tosimply pay and leave. Only the most confident stayed for tea withthe Courtesans, or the most courteous. Natalie was unsurprised

when Cidric simply dressed, dropped a bag of coin on the tray andleft.

She sighed; the sex had been all work and no play. Getting up fromthe bed she stretched, hearing vertebrae click in her back; she ran ahand roughly through her hair and scratched at her scalp. It wastime for a little treat. Raef turned from the table where he had beenquietly preparing the smoky gunpowder tea and closed the doorsoftly. None of the girls at Miffins worried about seeing anothernaked, and neither did the young boy, but another customer mightget an eyeful of one of their best at her worst; not the sort of image

expected from a Guild establishment. Behind the door hung a creamsilk robe, purchased for three silver pennies and an unlicensed roll


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in the hay during the last Winter Fayre. It was difficult not toluxuriate in its soft flowing fabric; it was her favourite garment.After lighting the extra lamps in the room, Raef poured tea from thesilver teapot into a china cup. Out of the corner of her eye, Nataliewatched as he set the cup into a matching saucer and carefully

brought it to where she had settled in one of the two armchairswarming in front of the fire. He balanced it precariously on the arm,just as he had every night for the past four years.Natalie felt perfectly at home sat in front of Raef, her legs casuallycrossed, the silk gown covering one leg, hanging loosely to the floor.Madame Miffins Guild-affiliated house of pleasure had been hishome for his entire life. Certainly he must see things that wereinappropriate for a twelve year-old, but she knew that there wereworse lives he could have lead; he was treated as a kind ofsurrogate son by the women there, and he never wanted for shelter,food or clothing. She reached into a pocket and drew out a tobaleafroll-up and lighter, and he raised an eyebrow. The expression,thought Natalie, looked strangely grown-up on his face.I only have one a night, you know. Its not like a habit, she saidwryly, in answer to his unspoken question.That IS a habit, Nat; its regular. The customers wont like it if youget yellow fingers. Or a cough. Just look at Jemming! He smokesmore than ten of those a day, always having to sweep up his ownash, and he can be heard from the palace. Do you want to be heardfrom the palace?Ha! Chance would be a fine thing. I shouldnt think they heard me

in the next room with our young boy-Earl there. Hes a wet week,that one.Natalie took a long drag on the roll, drawing the smoke deep intoher lungs, then blowing it out slowly to one side, away from Raef. Hewas a good boy and there was no real animosity between them;keeping a healthy wit and an ear for gossip was the only way to staysane in her line of work.The boy smiled and turned away. As he began to strip the bed of itssheets she settled deeper into the chair, drawing her legs up andperching her feet beneath her buttocks; it was not the mostcomfortable of positions, but she felt safest and cosiest while

scrunching herself up like this. Taking a sip of the tea, she found itto be expertly brewed, as ever; her mouth quirked up in a halfsmile. Ever since the boy had come, shed not lacked a sympatheticear or a smile on her face.Eight years, Raef said quietly. Today, that is.Natalie frowned. Eight years?Today marks the eighth year since I started here, he replied.Since I met you.Had it really been that long? I didnt know you kept count. Imsurprised you remember the day you came; you were only four,

after all.He laughed, bundling a sheet up. How could I forget? If you hadnt


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stopped that customer from stabbing meIf you hadnt been running away from Jemmings, youd have beenfine, Natalie said quickly. You were a wild thing when the Madamebrought you, but after that you grew up.You reckon? He smiled at her and she couldnt help but smile

back. Looking at him now, fine clothes on his thin, boyish frame, hisfeatures still slightly chubby with youth and his black hair neatlycombed, he looked like a shadow of the man he would become. Hergaze drifted until she stared out of the window. The sun was rising,bringing light and life to the city, a golden blanket draping itselfover flat rooftops and thatch, even the occasional steepled church,before collecting on the walls of the Palace. Natalie yawned;Sometimes, she thought, it might be nice to be awake during theday. Miffins ran all hours, but she was one of the best, and thatsuccess was a two-edged dagger. It meant that she had seen threepeople before the Earls son, and she felt tired, used-up and dirty.Raef dumped the bundled-up sheets onto the floor, a pile of finecotton now desperately in need of a wash. He affected a courtlybow, watching her face the whole time, his features set into a half-mocking smirk. Will that be all, milady?Hmmm? Natalie said, and shook herself. Her tea was still sitting,mostly undrunk and the tobaleaf had burned down to a stub. Shehad been completely lost in thought, eyes open but unseeing, andRaefs expression changed to one of concern. He put came backover to the chair and put a hand on her shoulder. Are you okay?Im fine, Raef. Im just tired, I suppose. Tired of tired of this night,

certainly, Natalie replied, her voice firming up as she spoke.Are you sure? We can have Father May take a look at you if you-Ugh, no, she said, wrinkling her nose. Hes too much of a lecheven for me!The boy giggled and, reassured, gave her an impulsive hug. Shehugged him back, and then gave him a little push. Go on, scamp; Imight have been lying down all night, but even I need to sleep.Your wish is my command, milady, he said, the wry smile back onhis face and, picking up his bundle, left the room.Natalie stood up, picked up the teacup and drank from it. Her mouthtwisted in distaste; although the tea was still wonderfully scented

and flavoured, it was also cold, and there was no helping it. Shetook the cup over to the window and opened one a crack, undoingthe brass latch and raising it just enough to throw the tea outside.The city would be quiet for another hour as people shivered awake;her breath billowed out in misty clouds and Natalie wrapped thegown around her more closely. She shut the window and took aquick look around the room to make sure all was ready for Rebecca,who would be working in this Pink Room today. She left the doorajar and walked down the wood-panelled corridor to the right, thendown the stairs. Miranda, the Duty Madame, was stood at the top of

the main stairs, and Natalie nodded to her in passing. The womanturned, but at that moment, the bell on the main door trilled and a


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man walked in; he paused, looking around, evidently overawed bythe plush curtains and golden candelabra; behind her, Natalie couldhear Mirandas sigh. Natalie smiled at her, then watched herdescend. From the balcony, it was the Duty Madames job to seewho the client was, to gauge whether this was someone who would

be using one of the many named rooms up the stairs, or would be inwith the Fivers down the corridor. From the mans rough clothingand slouch, he would be warming one of the downstairs beds beforelong, and sure enough Miranda almost immediately lead him awayfrom the fancier parts of the building.At the bottom of the stairs, Natalie touched a seemingly innocuouslamp fixture; the whole wall panel recessed, allowing access to themany servants' passages that threaded their way through thebuilding. Wood panelling gave way to stone, and Natalie shivered,drawing her gown more tightly around her. The passages lead intoothers, running for miles under the city, but the way was dangerousand as far as she knew they'd never been mapped. The lamps thatlined the route to the living quarters guttered in the perpetual lightbreeze as she passed.The passage ended in a wooden door which was latched with apiece of rope over a hook. It opened onto a warm room, long andcomfortably furnished. There were no windows but there were anabundance of sofas, worn yet comfortable. There were tables, oneparticularly long one down the side with many stations for brewingtea. On the walls, artwork hung in frames, pieces that had beendeemed too old, tawdry or out-of-date for the main premises. There

were a dozen women scattered around, three or four lounging onthe sofas, and to one side a group of men were engaged in a gameof what appeared to be strip pokir.Most of the people in the room ignored Natalie as she made her waytowards the corridor at the other end. Before she had made ithalfway, though, she felt a tug on on her arm."Natalie! You had the Earl's son, didn't you?"Michelles face, flushed with alcohol was inches away from her own;she was one of the girls who regularly worked the Green Rooms,dedicated to the love of other women. It wasn't something that hadever really appealed to Natalie; she liked men, although she had

occasionally found solace in a woman's arms. Miffins encouragedflexibility in all things.Slightly irritable at being stopped so close to her bed, Natalie said"Good morning, Michelle. How has your night been?""Never mind that," the other woman replied, waving her hands as if.Her breath betrayed a few coppers spent in the local alehouse, andif she noticed the ice in Natalies tone she ignored it. "Is it true whatthey say about him?"Natalie raised one eyebrow. "I don't know; what do they say abouthim?"

Michelle snorted. "Oh, you know; those soft hands of his, thoseshapely hips he's a woman, isn't it? Everyone knows the Earl's


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desperate for a son. Four girls, that's bad luck by anyone's chalk.Does she strap her breasts? My breasts really started to ache thismorning; must be my turn for the Red Room already. How about-""I really must get to bed, Michelle," Natalie cut in, realising thiscould go on for a while. Michelle was nice in small doses, but once

she'd had a skinful she was as talkative as the night was long, andhad the gossips skill of talking without pausing for any breath orreply. "He was definitely a man, or at least he is now. Only just,though."Michelle cackled in response and wandered off to harass someoneelse. Natalie shook her head; sometimes, it seemed to her, thisplace was like a microcosm of the world outside. Some people youwanted to mix with, others you don't. Her thoughts began to,unwinding as she made her way through to the sleeping area andher own small room.It was definitely time to sleep. Natalie closed the door and let out asigh. Dust filtered through a shaft of morning light, warming the chillair and illuminating the rooms few furnishings; it wasnt much but itwas home, and it was cosy in a way the Rooms at Miffins nevercould be. Smiling tiredly, she hung her gown up in the wardrobe,and then slumped on the bed, suddenly exhausted, as the city cameto life outside.

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The Courtesan's Mistress 1