Chapter Text
Nestled at the end of a crooked alley not very far from the heart of the city, its entrance appeared like any other cellar doors in that neighborhood yet once inside, one would seem to be brought into a different world.
The candlelight danced upon the cold stone floor as bodies clad in naught but thin, near-transparent white linens moved. The air was heavy with the scent of wine and heady incense. Mingling laughter, murmured speech and slow, heated breath of strangers echoed freely through the hall.
A broad-shouldered man with tousled hair of silver, one of the house’s manservants by his bearing, leaned upon the bar laughing with two ladies who giggled over mugs of cider. Nearby, a petite woman with hair as pink as blossom and clad in loose linen swayed lazily to the beat of a hand-drum, caring only a little that her cloth slipped from her shoulders. In shadowed alcoves, others lay pressed together in languorous embrace.
Though it was past midnight, the streets were yet to slumber. Men dicing at a corner table, a brawl in progress further down the alley and some merchants peddling strange and unnamable wares. Along the narrow alleyway came two ladies in dark cloaks, seeking to blend among the common folk. The taller one, with hair of silver-grey and atop her head was a pair of cat’s ears, walked before the other smaller lady with snow-like hair cropped short and choppy. The smaller wore a plain black leather mask covering her eyes and hiding her true identity.
"Your Grace, we’re nearly there. Can you hear the faint sound of laughter? I believe this kind of joy is . . . not allowed within the palace court."
The cat-eared lady’s eyes glimmered in the dim light.
"Speak not so of the court. It is no place for such levity.”
The masked lady simply responded.
They pressed on. The masked lady walked in the direction her attendant led. The other lady glanced over her shoulder as her expression turned impish.
"Tonight, Your Grace would be brought into a new world. I do hope this little . . . venture shall grant you ease from your burdens a bit. I pray you find delight in what is to come."
The masked lady tapped the edge of her mask. Her eyes showed a hint of anticipation but with doubt as this was her first time going deep into the commoners' district. She tilted her head towards the entrance ahead, leaning in a little closer. They came at last to their destination.
"Now, the real question is . . . will Your Grace find this place to her liking?"
The cat attendant asked in a playful tone.
“I have asked but for some manner of diversion. Now that we came, I trust you have prepared it well. Yet I confess, Cipher. I doubt your arrangements as you have kept it hidden until this very hour.”
The masked lady eyed her companion with guarded suspicion.
"Your Grace came exactly to the right person. Do not overthink things once we are inside. Let your body bring you to new heights.”
The masked lady felt even more suspicious, not exactly knowing what to expect given her attendant's unsteady and playful nature though beneath it lay the quiet trust born of long friendship.
"I have requested for someone with gentle hands who would care for you but I must add, the beauty of it comes from losing yourself in someone else's . . . . touch. It’s not just about the pleasure they give but also the freedom, the control. You get to be you, not the King's heir who is about to inherit the throne in few more years. Not the perfect image everyone's expecting.”
The cat attendant added with eagerness and excitement.
"Cipher you . . . "
A sigh escaped the masked lady as now, she have understood the "diversion" her attendant prepared for her but nevertheless, there was no turning back. As they opened the cellar door, the music grew louder. The smell of wine and intoxicating incense became more distinct.
"Shall we, Your Grace? She’s waiting."
The cat attendant whispered at her lady with a teasing smile. The masked lady lingered for a moment, examining the room, fully realizing the kind of place they just entered.
"Lead on."
The mask hid her expression but her voice seemed to have a hint of tension. They passed through the drunken crowd and downed a shadowed passage lined with dim-lit alcoves where fair maidens and fine manservants tended their patrons. The cat attendant halted before a velvet curtain. The masked lady stayed right behind her, waiting for what's next.
"Worry not, Your Grace. She would handle you with care tonight."
The cat attendant assured with a proud look.
"Then go on about your own and await for my summon."
Even with the masked lady's calmness, she could not help but feel the anticipation because of her cat attendant's enthusiasm. With a parting wave, her attendant vanished into the house, suddenly out of sight. Perhaps out somewhere fulfilling her own entertainment.
The masked lady drew aside the curtain and saw a maiden with hair of deep amethyst. Her silk robe was falling loosely from her shoulders. In the dim light, her skin seemed to glow. Serene yet beckoning, the maiden turned her gaze upon the visitor. Her lips was curved in a faint smile. The masked lady stepped within. Her eyes were fixed but her words were failing her. The music and chatter beyond the curtain faded to a distant murmur. The maiden rose with her bare feet upon the stone as she came forward.
"Are you well, my lady?"
Her hand reached for the masked lady’s arm, drawing her close.
"I am . . . uncertain."
With their distant closer, the masked lady turned her head aside breaking their eye contact.
"Do tell what you need of me tonight, and I shall obey."
The maiden slightly bowed to meet her gaze again, seeking the truth behind the mask. The masked lady retreated a bit breaking the tension in the air as she spoke.
“Seek not to look behind my mask, only once granted.”
"Yes, my lady."
“Ask me not who I am, nor what I desire beyond this night.”
“As you command, my lady.”
"This is not my custom. Yet I expect your obedience.”
"I am here only for what you need, my lady."
The maiden remained still, sensing the quiet tremor beneath the masked lady’s calm tone.
“Then . . . disrobe. Slowly.”
The masked lady hesitantly commanded but with her unwavering calm tone. The maiden moved in the soft light. She then untied the string lace of her silk garment clinging on her shoulders. The fabric slipped from her collarbone to her breast, inch by inch until it lay pooled on her feet. She did not rush. The masked lady’s gaze followed each movement. There was a burning sensation starting to build up inside her. She stepped forward and caressed the maiden’s soft skin. Her shoulders, her chest, then her arms. With hesitation in mind, she retreated to rest her hands on the curve of the other woman's waist, a bit disappointed with herself.
"You are . . . fair beyond telling. I’ve given orders almost any day. Dismissed people with a single glance, yet . . ."
“. . . I know not where to begin now.”
Her voice softened.
A bit surprised with the masked lady's confession, the maiden calmly responded with her gentle voice.
"Then let me begin. And you shall follow."
"Then, do your duty. Do as you must."
The masked lady stiffened but then nodded just this once.
"As you wish."
She took the masked lady’s hands and guided them to her collarbones, slowly hovering to her chest, letting the masked lady feel the warmth of her body.
"Begin here, my lady. Feel it. Let your hands learn before your mind hinders them."
The masked lady obeyed in silence. Every motion was hesitant yet drawn by curiosity. The tension between them shifted, no longer of dominance but of unfolding intimacy. Still hidden behind the mask, she drew a deep breath, stealing a glance at the maiden’s expression. The soft gasps awakened something within her. The maiden parted her lips and her breath quickened as she continued to guide the lady’s touch, coaxing a little more pressure. Her patron watched her closely with a flush on her cheeks. The way her body reacts to each measured stroke fueled the masked lady’s growing desire. Hesitation falls away and replaced by hunger not for power but for the maiden’s intoxicating responses.
"My lady, you are skilled in this. I - ah. . . I find your touch most pleasing.’’
The masked lady offered no further words. Instead, she lowered her mouth to the maiden’s breast as one hand tended the other side. She licked and sucked, drawing soft moans from the maiden. With each sound, her focus sharpened. What began as study becomes instinct.
"P-please. . . Do not stop. . ."
The maiden gasped while her knees slightly bent, clutching at the other lady’s shoulders. The masked lady looked up at the maiden’s expression twist in delight. The sight consumed her every time.
"Your face is . . . most exquisite."
"K-Keep going, my lady. Learn me . . . and in doing so, learn yourself."
A deep flush bloomed beneath the mask. The masked lady untied the lace of her own cloak, letting it slide from her shoulders, revealing a deep blue fine-linen top and black leather trousers. The maiden led her to the bed and drew her atop of herself. Face to face, their eyes met. The maiden smiled then guided the masked lady’s hands once again, leading her fingers down to her stomach, then into her wet core. Two fingers slid within, moving slow and steadily. The maiden clutched her shoulders, pulling the other woman closer.
"Ah - my lady . . . I wish to kiss you right now."
Without a response, the masked lady just leaned in and claimed her lips. The kiss deepened. The maiden opened her lips offering her tongue and the masked lady followed. Both were soon lost in one another. The maiden’s hand slipped to the back of the masked lady's neck, anchoring her in place.
"My lady . . . would you try me below?"
A faint grin played at the masked lady’s lips. Again, without a word, she descended from neck to chest, to stomach then to the maiden’s core. She gave a brief glance upward and found the maiden watching her. Their eyes locked for a heartbeat before her gaze shifted to the pleasure before her. She leaned in. Her tongue was working over drenched folds. The maiden’s hips rolled in rhythm with her mouth. The masked lady’s movements were guided only by her memory of gasps and every tremble of the maiden before her. She was no longer thinking but only feeling. The maiden cried out as her back arched with eyes closed and cheeks aflame. Her fingers wandered to the other lady’s head for support. By accident, it brushed the mask’s tie and slipped just enough to bare a part of the masked lady's brow.
"Do not—"
The masked lady retreated at once as her hand secured the mask.
"Ah—my lady, I did not mean to. . . . My hand slipped, I did not try to see your face."
The maiden got startled and pulled her hand back. A regret was clear in her wide eyes.
"You have shown obedience this night. For that, thank you. But I must depart now."
The mask was restored but the her voice became colder though still tinged with emotion.
"My lady, have I given offence to you? I—"
She gave no answer and gathered herself quickly, dons her cloak then left a pouch of coins upon the bed before striding from the chamber. The maiden, left unfinished stared at the coins. There was no anger in her expression but only wonder and perhaps a trace of disappointment. She dressed, took the pouch and headed for the house’s private baths. Other patrons await and the night in the pleasure house was far from done.