***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
This work will continue to feature themes of fictional rough, reluctant, dubiously consensual, or non-consensual sexual scenarios. All characters are 18 years or older.
Also, for anyone it might concern, content warning for some disordered eating patterns in this and subsequent chapters.
Chapter 7: Royal Pain (Part 4)
PREVIOUSLY...
I thanked her for considering me, touched at the gesture. Not since Father Shion had someone been thoughtful of my wants or needs in this world. I sat in contemplative silence and let her finish the chore of bathing me before she left to let me soak in private.
NOW...
Once I finished, I dried and slid on the ass-less, lace panties and matching lace bra Flos had laid out for me. I re-entered my room, careful not to disturb the sleeping prince. The doors had been closed, blocking the guards from watching me dress.
Flos helped me put on my outfit for the day. It was one of the ready-made outfits that Findel had modified for me--lavender pantyhose paired with a darker purple mini-dress. The dress had spaghetti straps that accentuated my collarbones. It clung tight at the top, plunged low down my chest, and flowed loosely at the skirt, showing off my tight waist and round hips. Flos zipped me snuggly inside, and helped me into the matching purple heels.
[SPAGHETTI STRAP MINI-DRESS EQUIPPED: +2 SEX APPEAL]
[ENCHANTED COTTON PANTYHOSE EQUIPPED: +2 SEX APPEAL]
[CLOSE-TOED 3" HEELS EQUIPPED: +1 SEX APPEAL]
I looked as tired as I felt, having had my sleep interrupted two days in a row for a drunken fuck marathon. Flos' makeup application hid the shadows on my face. Pairing that with the way she carefully styled my hair, she had made me look quite alluring.
By the time I had dressed, it was already late morning, and Flos was urging me to hurry to my lessons with Madam Hera. Skipping breakfast, I went straight to the instruction room we'd been using.
The same bird-like woman that had greeted me before was there again. Before I could perform any proper greeting, she stormed forward. Closing the distance between us with surprising speed for her age, she lashed out rapidly with her cane. Striking my outer thigh three times in quick succession, I yowled and jumped back, fighting the urge to retaliate.
"Why are you hitting me?!" I demanded, flinching when she took another step toward me.
"You think I don't have ears in this palace? That I don't get reports on your performance? I know the shameful behavior you showed Findel when you greeted him!" She moved again. I was too slowed from this morning's prolonged exertions to move out of the way in time. "A lady! Always! Curtsies!" She hit me in time with just about every word.
Uncertain of how else to stop this barrage, I dropped into a curtsy, careful not to descend too low or not low enough. Luckily for me, that did the trick. Using the end of her cane to poke and prod me into the perfect form, Madam Hera clucked her approval and turned her back to me.
From there, she had me practice various greetings for people both higher and lower ranked than myself, polite topics of conversation, and how to say farewells correctly.
Next were table manners and etiquette, for which she used the midday meal as a teaching opportunity. "A lady is expected to leave most of her food on the plate," she advised. "A waist must stay thin and dainty, so a man's large hands may more easily grasp you."
Starting with the salad and continuing to the entrΓ©e, Madam Hera relentlessly scrutinized the size and frequency of my bites. I was still hungry when the multi-course meal was over, but that didn't seem to matter. It was almost comical how little I ate as Jester compared to how I ate in my real life.
After that, I was thrown right back into more training. That time, the subject was dancing. Every step out of order was met with harsh retribution. My legs were throbbing with blow after blow, making my steps even clumsier, resulting in even more abuse. I wasn't sure if she was misjudging or deliberately hitting out of place, but she'd occasionally wallop my meaty ass or sensitive lower back. If it was the former, I recovered pretty quickly. The latter practically had me falling to the ground because the pain was so sharp.
I danced until my feet felt like they were bleeding. Then I kept dancing because slowing down meant another strike from the cane. When my whole body was shaking and every other step was a misstep, hours had passed. Finally, Madam Hera allowed me to rest. Though I wanted to collapse on the floor, I followed her out of the room to an opulent office.
She indicated I should sit at the large desk on the far side of the room, my sore ass and legs throbbing when I did. Piles of papers were stacked in front of me. I glanced at the top of one stack and noticed what appeared to be a letter of recommendation. Madam Hera moved the stack closer to me, explaining that it was a lady's duty to oversee the hiring and firing of her house's personnel, managing the budget for dΓ©cor and food, grounds management, and ensuring the home was provisioned for the various upcoming seasons.
The tasks weren't complex per se. They required basic reading and mathematics, but there was just so much of it that it was overwhelming. I did well enough with this portion of my lessons that she didn't see fit to hit me, even clicking her tongue in approval a few times as I quickly worked out figures in my head.
As the hours passed and I worked through the various tasks before me, I had to ignore my growling stomach. When Flos came to get me for supper, I thought I could eat a horse and still have room for dessert.
Unfortunately, the prince was waiting for me in the dining room, downing a hefty serving of wine. Confident he was the one that snitched on me to Madam Hera, I carefully curtsied as I entered the room. Though my legs shook from the day's exertions, I kept my form perfect. Seemingly pleased, Hubriste invited me to sit.
I cast a quick glance around the room as I took my seat. A butler was present, whispering something to the prince before standing off in the corner to oversee the meal. There were also six guards, two stationed at each doorway, and Sir Videre standing silently behind his liege. An assortment of maids, including Flos, busily set the table, carrying dishes to and from one of the doorways.