The meal passed with stilted conversation and long silences. Lyzette wondered where the unusual man who had taken her on the tour of his home had gone. When the servants took the last course away, he stood up and extended his hand. She took it, reminding herself that she was his slave, and she had to do what he wanted her to.
He led her to another room that was considerably smaller and dimmer.
"What are we doing?" she said.
"You will have to attend several formal occasions with me throughout the year, so I thought we could practice dancing."
"I'm not terribly good at dancing," she said. She had no idea what to do.
"You'll never get better unless you try." Mikael wore dark pants and a coat that buttoned with gold buttons. He looked handsome. He went to a shelf and turned on music.
A song played throughout the room, and he led her through the steps of a traditional Markan folk dance. She felt like she had two left feet, but soon he had her laughing and relaxed. She squealed and clapped her hands when she finally learned it.
"You're quite graceful, Lyzette," he said.
"I'm not," she said, making a face. "My mother always told me I was as graceful as a cat taking a shit."
"Your mother doesn't sound very kind," Mikael said.
"She's not," Lyzette said matter-of-factly.
"Okay, one last dance," Mikael said, changing the music.
A slow song came on.
"Come here," he said, placing her hands on his shoulders and putting his hands on her hips.
"I don't think we need to practice this kind of dance," she said. Her breathing came faster when he was close, and she couldn't stop thinking about the way he was looking at her.
"On the contrary," he said, tugging her a tiny bit closer to him so that her nipples brushed his chest. She tried not to gasp or show any reaction as she felt them harden. What was going on with her body? "It's imperative to get this dance right."
"Because it's vertical foreplay?" Lyzette said.
He looked startled and laughed, pulling her close and hugging her. Lyzette lost her breath. After the hug, he kept his body pressed up along the length of hers.
The music was slow and beautiful. She got lost in the sound and the feeling of him. She loved the way he gazed soulfully into her eyes.
"Lyzette," he breathed.
She stared at him.
"I'm going to kiss you now."
She nodded mutely, completely in his thrall. There was no way for her to stop him. After all, she didn't want him to stop.
He slowly bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss. She felt a thrill go through her whole body, and she drew in a quick breath, opening her mouth. When she did this, she felt his tongue dart out and touch hers.
The effect of his tongue was electric and this time the thrill went directly to her core. She made a tiny sound, and unable to hold back she twisted her tongue with his. Her breathing was warm and erratic as her heartbeat sped up.
Wait.
She wasn't supposed to be letting him touch her.
She was supposed to be keeping him far away for as long possible, so he would leave her alone. He would think that she wanted him to take her jewel if she kept kissing him like this.
Lyzette pulled away unexpectedly, taking two or three steps away.
"Mikael," she said, her breathing unsteady. "I have to go."
She fled the room, not caring what he thought, but she hoped he wouldn't come after her for more.
The next morning was uneventful. Lyzette's plan was to hide out in the orchard and avoid Mikael. She knew she ought to be helping with the chores, but she promised herself that she would work harder the next few days in exchange for one day of shirking.
She wandered through acres of fruit trees and snacked on different varieties of Markan fruit. She hoped it was all edible. Otherwise, they would find her dead. By afternoon, she was sleepy and lay down in a warm spot, wrapped up in a shawl. Soon she was fast asleep.
When she woke, she felt strange and disoriented. She didn't know where she was or what had woken her.
"Mother?" she said, sitting up and looking around.
"I must have stepped on a twig and disturbed you," Mikael said. "I'm sorry. You looked beautiful sleeping there."
Beautiful? He thought she was beautiful? Attractive maybe, on a good day, with make-up on. She certainly didn't feel beautiful after getting up from a nap with grass in her hair and nothing but the sunshine on her face.
"Thank you," she whispered. She shifted herself so she could lean against a tree.
"May I?" he said, indicating the ground next to her.
Did he want to sit beside her? That was probably a bad idea. But he was her master. Who was she to tell him where to sit?
She nodded.
"Are you hiding from me?" he asked. He sat beside her so that their legs touched all along the length. Lyzette was distracted and couldn't answer right away.
"No, of course not," she said. Immediately she knew she had not fooled him. "Maybe."
"You're afraid of me." He played with the grass and didn't look at her, but she sensed he was worried about her answer.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"What are you afraid of, then?" He tilted his head to meet her eye.
She didn't say anything.
He took her hand and interlaced their fingers. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.
"Does this bother you?" he said, studying her reaction.
She shook her head.
"You like it?"
"A little." She was unable to lie when he looked directly at her.
"Good." They sat there for the better part of an hour until it was time to go for dinner. He held her hand as they walked back to the house and told her stories of his adventures as a boy, completely charming her.
She had to remind herself he was her master, not her boyfriend.
That night someone knocked on Lyzette's door. She wore her pajamas and sat on the balcony sketching Mikael from memory. She shoved the drawing pad under the mattress by habit and went to the entryway.
It was Mikael, wearing plaid pajama pants and a T-shirt. He held up a pack of cards.
"Want to play?" he said.
Lyzette smiled a little. She wasn't very good at cards, but if he wanted to play, she couldn't say no. Her job was pleasing the Markanor — Mikael, she reminded herself.
"Sure." She opened the door and allowed him to come in. As his body went past hers, she felt the heat coming off of him and caught the scent of his soap. It gave her a strange feeling that she didn't recognize. She remained at the door, not closing it.
"Everything okay, Lyzette?" he said, looking as if he found something amusing.
"Yes. Everything's fine."
He sat down at the breakfast table. It was located in a corner of her bedroom, next to the desk and armchair. He dealt out the cards, and Lyzette sat across from him, watching his skillful hands flying as the cards landed neatly in piles in front of himself and her. Then he explained a Markan card game to her, which seemed to involve a lot of touching.
"I know it looks weird because you're human, but ask anyone impartial. Jol or the cook. They will tell you it's true. We're a physical people, Lyzette. You'll have to get used to it." His blue eyes were dancing.
She tried to keep the rules straight, but when she lost her first tile and had to hold her right hand on his left shoulder, she started to get distracted. And when he lost two tiles and had to put his bare foot on hers and put his left hand on her right arm, she wasn't sure if they were still playing a game. Was he making these rules up?
"Part of the fun is getting criss-crossed while you still try to handle your cards," he said, clearly enjoying himself. It reminded her of a sick cross between Twister and poker.
"There's a game that the young men and women play that involves removing clothing instead of getting twisted up. Want to play that version?" he said. He laughed and was obviously joking. Lyzette missed the joke. She was trying to figure out if she was going to lose the next tile or not, and she wasn't looking at him.
"Sure." All she remembered was that she was supposed to be agreeable. She wasn't paying attention to what she agreed to.
"Really?" he said, not quite believing her.
Uh oh. What had she just agreed to? Lyzette looked up from her cards.
"Yes, of course. Whatever you want to play," she said, hoping it wasn't too awful.
"Okay then," he said, and they untwisted their limbs.
Lyzette bit her lip and laid down three cards. Mikael winced.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he said.
"Not anymore," Lyzette said, grimacing.
Mikael laughed.
"But I'll learn faster if you don't coddle me," she said. "That's what Mother always said. She said if she made me face my lumps then I'd figure things out faster. But I never did. I guess I've lost this tile?"
"You did."
"And what do I have to do?"
"Take off any piece of your clothing," he said, watching her face to see her reaction. She felt uncomfortable, but she had played games like this before at parties.
"Like strip poker. The guys used to like playing that with me," Lyzette said.
"I'll bet," Mikael said, under his breath.
She was about to take her pants off but hesitated. She looked at him, trying to see his reaction.
"You don't have to play this version if you don't want to, Lyzette," he said.
She shook her head.
"It's okay."
She removed her pants, leaving her tiny baby blue cotton panties. These were her most comfortable sleeping clothes.
She saw him draw in a deep breath. Yes, the men always liked playing this game with her. She had a feeling that if she lost this time, she'd lose more than her clothing, and she wasn't sure she would mind.
Still, she could focus and play to win. Mikael had the advantage being familiar with the game, but maybe Lyzette could be clever if she concentrated. She paid attention, and on the next round won a tile from him.
He pulled off his shirt.
She should have paid more attention to the rules of the game. Lyzette looked at his broad chest, his defined six pack, and chiseled biceps. She wanted to run her hands all over him. She didn't know what was coming over her.
He was looking at her at the same time. They watched each other secretly as he dealt. Each movement flexed muscles all over his torso. Lyzette managed to pull her eyes away to focus on the cards. She was determined to win this tile, too. The cards were against her, and she couldn't have won no matter what she did.
"I lost," she said.
"Yep. It's a shame." A corner of his mouth lifted up.
So, what should it be? The shirt or the panties? She tried to decide. Either way would bare private parts to Mikael that she hadn't planned on showing him ever. Full frontal nudity would be a distraction for him. She might win the next tile, and he would have to take off his pants.
She wondered if he was wearing anything underneath.
Making the decision, she crossed her arms over her chest and grabbed the hem of her shirt. Then with a quick, graceful movement she pulled the whole thing off and tossed it on the floor. Her breasts, she knew, were one of her best features, and her mother always taught her to flaunt them. Of course, they were usually covered, but the principle still held. She sat up straight, knowing they were full and round.
He would undoubtedly lose his tile this time.
Mikael swallowed hard, and Lyzette felt her nipples harden as he looked at her. The fresh breeze on her exposed breasts tickled, and she felt a tingle that went all the way down between her legs. Raimey had said that he wouldn't even touch her unless she begged him.
Strangely, she was beginning to feel that she might want to beg.
But not yet.
Lyzette dealt the cards this time, knowing that her soft mounds were jiggling with every throw of the card. She watched as Mikael played, knowing that she had this tile. She smiled triumphantly and played her last card.
"I win," she said.
"No kidding," Mikael said sarcastically, looking directly at her breasts on display before him. Then he pulled off his pants.
She saw with disappointment that he was wearing boxers. He must have seen it on her face.
"Are you sorry that I have underwear on, Lyzette?" He had a mildly predatory look on his face. She felt a funny feeling down between her legs again, but she ignored it.
"Yes. I mean, no. Maybe a bit. But it's okay. I'm going to win the next one, and then you won't be wearing anything."
"Or I will, and you won't be wearing anything."
"No, I've got this figured out. I'm going to win," Lyzette said.
Mikael dealt, and they both paid close attention to the cards. After a few minutes, it became obvious who would win the tile. Lyzette tried every strategy he had taught her, but it was all in vain.
"I win," he said, his blue eyes darkening.
"You did," she said. "And fair's fair."
She stood up then and hooked her thumbs in her panties. Mikael watched spellbound as she shimmied them down over her hips and stepped out of them. She lifted her chin and stood naked in front of him, wondering what would happen next and if she wanted it to or not.
His hot gaze travelled down to her breasts. They looked swollen and aroused. Then his eyes dipped lower to where her sex lay nestled between her creamy thighs.
"You're beautiful, Lyzette," he said, his voice sounding a little rougher than usual. Her own eyes dropped momentarily to his boxers, and she saw that something was bulging down there.
"What happens now?" she said, meeting his gaze anxiously.
"Whatever you want."
"So, if I told you to leave, you would," she said, clearly not believing it.
"Yes," he said, his eyes burning into hers. "Do you want me to go, Lyzette?"
She thought for a long time and finally, she shivered and sat down again.
"No. I want to play another round. And you better not lose on purpose, Mikael," she said, pointing at him.