| Lying in the garden with my eyes closed and enjoying the warm sunlight on my skin, I hear the door at the back of the guildhall being used. The sound of footsteps follows soon after and gets closer until it stops right next to me. I open my eyes and see Alexia standing there. As I behold her beautiful figure once more, I can't help but smile a little. |
| "You certainly got accustomed quickly to wearing no clothes around here," she says, one hand on her hip. |
| "On lazy summer days, I spent a lot of time down by the river, sunbathing and swimming in the nude." I stretch leisurely. "I enjoy being naked, I just don't like to stand out too much." |
| She looks me over. "It gave you a very nice tan, I have to say. But this is no day for idleness, we have a busy afternoon ahead of us." She waves me to my feet. "And since you don't want to attract attention, we have to get dressed for your appointment." |
| I shake out my blanket and roll it up. "I doubt the examination is going to take that long. Do you have anything else planned?" |
| "I have an idea for a dress for your auction, and I hope it can be realized on such short notice," she says as we head towards the mansion. "The seamstress can be a little hard to deal with though. We'll just have to see. And who knows what might happen afterwards?" We go inside and to her chambers. "You may wear one of my dresses if you like." |
| "Really?" I ask excitedly, stowing my blanket. |
| "Sure, go ahead." She makes an inviting gesture. |
| I enter the bedchamber and open the tall wardrobe. It contains an array of dresses in a variety of colors on wooden hangers, as well as a collection of shoes on the bottom. I start to go through the dresses, beginning at the left. A lovely black one with small white gemstones at the waist and seams soon catches my eye. Showing it to Alexia, I say, "This one is gorgeous." |
| "It is," she replies with a sly smile. "That's why I'm going to wear it when we go out to celebrate the fulfillment of your first contract." |
| "That sounds wonderful," I say enthusiastically, imagining for a moment how stunning she'll look in the dress before I put it back and continue. About halfway through, I notice a colorful dress which seems to be missing half of its upper bodice, fastened on that side by a clothespin at the end of a piece of string. I present it to her, asking, "Is this part of a set?" |
| "No, it's worn on its own, with one breast bared. It was all the rage a few years ago. You should have seen it, the city was full of exposed titties! But it was out of fashion again as soon as it got colder." She takes it from me and holds it up in front of my body. "It would look good on you. Do you want to try and make the style popular again?" |
| "Not today," I reply slowly, blushing lightly. |
| "Another time then." She hands it to me and looks through her dresses on the right side. "Hurry up a bit, we shouldn't make the healer wait." |
| I replace the dress, wondering if I'll ever have the courage to wear it in public. Not much later, I discover a cute ruffle dress in bright red and slip into it. |
| Alexia put on a cobalt blue dress decorated with a swirly pattern in a slightly lighter shade of blue. The snug garment emphasizes the contours of her shapely body, and I sigh softly. I've always had an aesthetic appreciation of the female form, but Alexia has forever changed the way I view other women. |
| "You look very pretty," she says with a beguiling smile and grabs a pair of elegant sandals. |
| "Thanks, you too." I close the wardrobe and follow her out of her chambers, picking up my own sandals and my satchel on the way. While going down the stairs, I suddenly realize our lack of underwear. "We forgot our panties!" |
| Alexia only responds with an amused snort. When we reach the base of the stairs, she says, "Wait at the entrance, I'll get your documents." |
| "Works for me." I go there, sit down on one of the benches, and put on my sandals. While I wait for Alexia, I study her large painting on the back wall. It's rather tame compared to most of her others, but just as beautiful. |
| Alexia joins me on the bench shortly and says, "Here's your permit, Miss Rivers." She hands me a card with the words 'Courtesan of Arton' in bold and fancy letters at the top, my name underneath, and the seal of the guild at the bottom. "And this is a contract for a maiden's first time." She holds it in front of me. "Just give it to the healer along with your permit, and she'll fill out the relevant parts." |
| "All right, thank you." I take the contract from her and put it into my satchel together with my permit. |
| "You're most welcome, Jenny." She takes my hand and pulls me up as she gets to her feet. "Let's go." |
| I shoulder my satchel as we leave the mansion. Alexia sets a brisk pace, and it doesn't take us long to reach the healer's residence, located in a calmer part of the pleasure district. She rings the bell and we enter without delay. |
| A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a simple blouse and pants exits a room at the end of the corridor and greets us as she comes forward. "Alexia, what can I do for you?" |
| "My friend Jenny needs her maidenhead examined," Alexia answers, one arm around my waist. "She has done her best to keep it intact and needs it verified for her first contract." |
| The healer looks at me. "No problem. Do you have the necessary documents with you?" |
| I pat my satchel. "Yes." |
| "Good, follow me." She goes back towards the end of the hallway. |
| "I'll be waiting for you here," Alexia says and walks through a beaded curtain into the room next to the entrance. |
| I hurry after the healer, and we go into a side room featuring a chair with a slanted backrest in addition to ridiculously high and far apart armrests. "Please undress and sit down," she instructs me. I set down my satchel, take off my dress, and sit on the weird chair. "And put up your feet," she adds, just as friendly as before. I do so, and the purpose of the construction becomes clear. |
| The healer turns on the tall floor lamp nearby, pulls up a stool, and sits down. The lamplight is really bright, so I close my eyes and lean back. I feel her fingers examining my sex for a short while, then she cups my mound with her hand. Her palm emanates the pleasant warmth of her powers, slowly suffusing the area of my pelvis. |
| She withdraws her hand, the sensation fading quickly, and says, "That's it." When she turns off the lamp, I open my eyes and carefully get out of the chair. "Everything is as it should be. You're healthy, the anti-conception magic is in effect, and your maidenhead is indeed intact." Though I didn't expect otherwise, I still feel relieved. |
| Once I'm dressed again, I grab my satchel, and we go to the room the healer came out of when Alexia and I entered. We sit on opposite sides of a small desk, and I give her my permit and the contract. She fills out several of the entries on the contract, then hands both back to me, saying, "Enjoy working in your chosen occupation." |
| "Thank you." Documents stowed in my satchel again, I leave the room, closing the door behind me, and go to the entrance where I part the curtain to the chamber where Alexia is waiting. "All done here." |
| Excitedly, Alexia jumps up from her chair and comes through the doorway, beads clacking. "And?" |
| I strike a theatrical pose. "Forsooth, I am a maiden still." |
| "That's wonderful!" she says and gives me a big hug. Her enthusiasm makes me smile, and I don't mind her soft body pressing against me either. "Let's go to our next destination." Taking my hand, she leads me out of the house. |
| A bit slower than before, we head towards the trade district. Since it's in the opposite direction, it takes a good while until we reach a nondescript boutique right next to the pleasure district. The sign above its entrance declares it as Francine's Finery. |
| We enter the shop. The interior is full of wooden mannequins displaying exquisite dresses, and there are bolts of cloth in a large variety of colors along one of the side walls. A friendly young woman approaches us with a greeting. "How may I help you?" she asks. |
| "I'm here to see Francine," Alexia answers in an uncharacteristically serious tone. |
| The saleswoman looks a bit uncomfortable. "She's at work in the back room at the moment." |
| "She'll see me," Alexia says confidently. "Tell her that Alexia is here concerning an urgent matter." |
| The saleswoman takes a deep breath. "Very well, I'll let her know." She leaves towards the other end of the room. |
| "I'm pretty sure I can convince her," Alexia says to me. "In the meantime, take a look at the fabrics and see which one strikes your fancy." She heads in the same direction as the saleswoman, though much slower. |
| I go to the bolts, neatly arranged in three rows, and start to examine each material I like. A soft fabric of a light blue color similar to my summer dress is one of the first that catches my interest, and it remains my favorite until I discover a deep pink cloth with a silky texture I like so much that I don't feel the need to look at any others. |
| Happy with my selection, I amble through the store, stopping at the dummies to admire the craftsmanship of the dresses on display. They have no labels showing a price, but they certainly can't be cheap. |
| Standing close to the entrance of the back room, I hear the door open and turn my head. Alexia comes out and nods at me with a satisfied smile on her lips. The petite woman wearing an elegant black outfit who appears in the doorway a moment later must be Francine. She points at me and says, "You. Jenny!" She jerks her arm back to point behind her. "In here. Now!" She goes back inside without waiting for a response. |
| I blink a few times and hurry after her, quietly closing the door. The room contains another mannequin, a massive table, as well as several chairs and cabinets. There are bits and pieces of fabric all over the place, the floor is strewn with ornaments, and the table is a disorganized mess of large pieces of paper, some of which have fallen down, design sketches visible on a few of them. |
| "Just where did I put it?" Francine mutters, looking through the drawers of a cabinet. She shakes her head and searches another one, angrily slamming the drawers shut. Her eyes scan the room, then come to rest on me. "Why are you still dressed?" she asks sternly, and I quickly remove my dress. "Typical," she remarks upon my lack of panties, rolling her eyes. |
| "Oh, there it is," Francine exclaims when I put my dress on the seat of the closest chair and bends down to pick up the tape measure lying under it. "To the table with you," she says, again in the commanding tone she has been addressing me with. I go there as told, but not before taking a deep breath. |
| Once we're both at the table, Francine rummages through the papers until she finds a pencil, then scribbles my name on a blank sheet. She measures my waist and notes the number, leaning partially against me. Kneeling down in front of me, she puts the tape around my hips, clearly taking a good look at my pussy in the process. |
| As soon as she's back on her feet, I frown to show her my displeasure. Francine only smiles amusedly, brushing my skin with her arm as she writes down the result. She's obviously doing it on purpose, and I'm close to telling her to stop. |
| "Turn around," she says, friendlier than before. When I do so, she adds, "And lift your hair." I gather my hair at the back of my head, and I feel her putting the tape around my bust, touching my breasts more than necessary. At this point, I just want to get it over with, and I resign myself to her treatment. I'm almost used to her brushing my skin in subtle ways while she takes measurements of my sides and legs. |
| "I'm done with you now," Francine declares. She follows me as I go to get clothed and continues, "You should be thankful I'm willing to fashion you a dress in two days, though of course it will be much simpler than my usual designs." |
| I don my dress. "Yes, thank you very much," I say, trying to keep my tone neutral. |
| "That's better." She opens the door for me which somehow manages to irk me further. "Have you chosen a fabric yet?" |
| "I have." I leave the back room ahead of her and go to the assortment of bolts where Alexia joins us, pointing it out. "This one." |
| "A fine material," Francine says, running her fingers over the cloth. "You can pick up the finished dress in two days for ten gold as agreed upon." Hearing the price makes me gasp, because that's a significant portion of my money. "A pleasure doing business with you, Jenny." |
| "Yes. Bye," I say curtly and head for the exit. |
| Once Alexia and I are out of the boutique, I sigh deeply. "Ten gold?" I say incredulously. "What were you thinking?" |
| "I was thinking that the bidding for you is going to start at five times that," she replies serenely. "And that you can afford to invest in your debut since you're staying with me for free." |
| "Yes, you're right." We begin to slowly make our way back to the guildhall. "I'm sorry." |
| "You still sound a tad annoyed." She gets really close to say, "What happened in there?" |
| I feel my anger resurge. "Francine happened in there! She ordered me around as if I were her servant. Who does she think she is?" |
| "Well, she happens to be one of the foremost clothiers in Arton. Even the royal princess is among her customers." She gives me a nudge. "I guess she can add another princess to her list now." |
| I smile a little, my irritation slowly fading. "That doesn't excuse her actions though. She kept brushing against me and touching me in small ways. What was that all about? And it didn't help that I was completely naked while she took my measurements, thanks to you." |
| Alexia shrugs. "As far as I know, she has been picking on customers and employees alike since her lover left her. But her type will only go as far as you let them, so it's your own fault if you didn't tell her to stop, and I'm not going to take the blame for her making you feel uncomfortable." |
| "Fair enough," I say, tired of the topic. "I'm just glad it's behind me." |
| "On a more positive note," she says cheerfully, "I have a little surprise planned for you later." |
| "Oh?" I look at her curiously. |
| Alexia grins wickedly. "Well, actually it's not so little. Quite the opposite in fact." |
| I immediately have to think of Tyler. "Oh." |
| She appears somewhat disappointed. "I guess I've said too much." |
| "I'm just going to pretend I don't know anything," I say cheerfully. |
| "That shouldn't be too hard for you," Alexia replies flippantly. |
| I stare at her in disbelief. "Yeah, so easy to make fun of the dumb farm girl." |
| "Don't be miffed, Jenny. I didn't mean it that way. It was just a silly joke," she says dismissively. |
| I look straight ahead, ignoring her. |
| "All right, I apologize," she says not much later. "Are we good again?" I still don't pay her any attention, so she steps behind me and puts her arms around me, making me stop. "Say something already! I don't want you to be mad at me." |
| I notice a few people on the street are staring at us, though it doesn't bother me nearly as much as Alexia's jest did. It vexed me all the more because I like her a lot, but my fondness for her also means I'd rather not be angry with her. "Yes, we're good." |
| "I'm glad to hear it." She hugs me tightly for a moment before we continue on our way. |
| Once back at the mansion, we go up to her chambers and remove our shoes. I stow my satchel and follow her into the bathroom where she strips. Alexia puts her dress into the basket and looks at me expectantly, saying, "Why the sudden shyness? Didn't you say you like being naked?" |
| "Well, yes, but not all the time," I answer evasively. |
| "You mean, not when meeting someone new? Is that it?" Her steady gaze makes me avert my eyes. "You also said you would forget all about that." |
| I sigh. "You got me." I take off my dress and carefully place it in the basket. |
| Alexia smiles at me. "Much better. And now I need something to eat. Join me?" |
| "Of course," I say, more than a little hungry myself. |
| We go into the kitchen and load food onto a plate. "Do you think that's enough?" Alexia asks, and I nod. "Then go ahead to the gazebo, I'll bring the juice. You know the way from here, right?" |
| "Yep." I take the plate with both hands and head to the back door leading to the garden. On the way, Claire passes me, and I quietly return her greeting. She has been as friendly to me as the first time I met her and didn't bat an eyelash when Alexia told her about me being her roommate for the time being, but I still find her a tad intimidating simply by virtue of her being the guild mistress. |
| Alexia rejoins me soon after I arrive at the gazebo and sits down on the chair beside me. She brought two cups and a pitcher from which she pours us juice. I drink thirstily and say, "I used to think lemonade is the best, but it pales in comparison to this fruit juice." |
| "Freshly made from whatever the market currently has to offer." She puts an olive into her mouth. "I'll introduce you to an alcoholic variant or two when we go out." |
| "I have never been drunk," I say, tearing off a piece of bread. |
| She raises her eyebrows for an instant. "Then it's high time for you to experience it." |
| "As long as you prevent me from doing anything too foolish." I eat a few small blocks of white cheese. |
| "And where's the fun in that?" She grins at me for a bit, then says, "Nah, don't worry. I'll keep you in check if necessary." |
| I grab a handful of roasted peanuts. "All right, I'll take your word for it." |
| When we're done with our meal, we return to her chambers, sitting down on the comfortable couch to chat some more. |
