Chapter 19

Beth arrived at the house, tired from a horrible day of work. There had been a major car accident. She had personally attended three people, each of whom required extensive work to treat. Kelly was not in much better shape.

Beth turned to Kelly and said, “I hope the guys are home tonight. We both could use a little pampering.”

Kelly sighed and said, “You know them. When they are hot on the trail of something, it’s a no holds barred war.”

“I think we are going to have to train them on how to treat their wives like queens.”

Laughing, Kelly said, “From what I understood, Queens weren’t treated all that well by their Kings. Maybe we ought to aim at being treated like mistresses.”

“Well, let’s get our royal asses into the house.”

The women exited the car and walked into the house. They were greeted by Bill, the secretary/accountant that they had hired to take care of the bothersome tasks of dealing with telephone calls and bills. He addressed them, “My ladies, the lords of the manor have requested your presence for dinner at eight tonight. Your attendants shall come to your rooms at seven to assist you in dressing for the event.”

Beth and Kelly looked at each other in surprise. Ladies? Lords? Attendants? It didn’t make sense to them. Beth asked, “What shall we do until seven?”

Bill replied, “Wine, cheese, and sliced fruits have been delivered to your rooms. Bob and I shall be happy to give you a massage after you bathe.”

Beth smiled at the reminder. John had insisted that everyone on the staff learn how to give massages. Kelly and she had always had the women perform the massages, but she knew that tonight they would be busy in the kitchen. Beth replied, “That would be fine.”

“Excellent, my Lady. Bob and I shall come to your rooms at half past six.”

Beth and Kelly giggled and headed to their rooms. Outside their doors were trays with the pre-dinner snacks and glasses of wine. The trays were on small tables set beside the door. There was one ironclad rule in the house. No one was allowed into the private room of another without the express permission and presence of the owner of that room. That rule applied to staff and each other.

Beth opened her door and took the tray into her room. She saw Kelly doing the same thing, but Kelly took a moment to take a sip of wine. Beth closed the door and stripped. It was only a few minutes before six and she decided that she was going to stay naked until her attendants arrived. She put in an Enya CD in the stereo and turned it on to a nice pleasing volume. She sat down in her comfort chair and started on the snacks. She could feel the tension escaping from her body.

She went into the bathroom and took a shower. It was a quick shower, as she preferred to spend her time relaxing in a chair and enjoying some quiet time. She knew that Kelly would have immediately started a bath and would spend her time relaxing in it with music and her fruit. Instead, she turned on all of the jets in the shower and stood in it for a few minutes with her arms up in the air as the warm water pulsed against every inch of her body. Her whole body tingled from the sensations.

She returned to the sitting room and slowly worked on the fruit plate and glass of wine. She had gone from being tired, weary, and unloved to being relaxed, happy, and loved in just twenty minutes. Her massage would start in ten minutes, but for now, she enjoyed the private time alone.

A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie. She thought about putting on a robe, but decided that it was just a waste of time. She opened the door to find Bob with one of the portable massage tables. He pulled it into the room and quickly set it up.

“My Lady, if you would please get face up on the table while I turn down the lights. I have decided to give you a powder massage rather than a hot oil massage. I believe that will feel better under your evening attire. Does that meet with your approval?”

“Yes,” she replied as she climbed onto the table lay on her back. She loved how he worked the rest of the body before turning his attention to her back.

Bob began his massage with her face, running his hands along individual muscles. No matter how many times he massaged a woman, he couldn’t help getting an erection. The act of giving a massage was sexy to an extreme, but he never did anything to jeopardize his position. He had worked as a handyman, auto-mechanic, and gardener in the past. He loved each job, but hated doing any one of them full time. Now he had his perfect job. He was in charge of a fleet of cars, all of the gardening, and repairs to the house. He worked at his own pace, under very understanding bosses. He had learned to give massages and be a security guard. He was given his own room, with a door that opened only to his palm print. His co-workers were sexually liberated and it was seldom that he spent a night alone.

In the living room, John and Ed were talking with the group of people that had come to help them dress. John said, “We can set up reservations for you at Maria’s Cantina. It has great Mexican food.”

Greg interrupted, “We had discussed this on the way here. We brought our costumes with us. We are all very good entertainers. We juggle, play renaissance music, dance, tell stories, and act as servants. We would really enjoy playing a background role in your evening.”

Hearing the truth of their words, Ed turned to John and said, “They’re really serious.”

John smiled and then said, “That would be great. I’ll have to check with Marguerite to see what she can do about feeding you.”

Chrissy said, “We brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You don’t need to worry about us.”

Marguerite came out of the kitchen at hearing her name. “What was that about checking with me?”

“Oh, it was about feeding them,” John replied. He knew that she had probably cooked three times as much food as they would ever eat, but that she would complain about having to feed others at the last minute. He added, “but there’s no need. They brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

Marguerite exploded, “They are going to eat that crap when I, the best chef in the state, am cooking? No way, I have more than enough to feed them.”

Ed laughed and said, “So, it’s decided.”

Greg looked at the table and suggested, “Why don’t you and Ed take it easy while we set up this room appropriate for a feast for a pair of lords and their ladies?”

“Sounds good to me. When Marguerite can spare Ling, she will take you upstairs to a pair of rooms where you may change your clothes.”

Marguerite exploded and said, “I can not spare Ling. We are preparing a major meal.”

One of the men raised his hand and said, “I graduated from the American Culinary Institute in New York. Perhaps I can help.”

Marguerite looked at him in surprise and considered the offer. “Yes, come into the kitchen and we’ll get you ready to work.”

Greg sidled up to John and asked in a low voice, “Uh, just so that there isn’t any confusion, would you prefer us to act tame, randy, or wild?”

“Uh, what’s the difference?”

“Well, in a tame acts we tell jokes and do things that you would allow children to attend. When we’re randy, we tell off color jokes and sing ribald songs. When we act wild we start tame, move to randy, and then later, there’s fondling and, on occasion, some nudity or more.”

John said, “Wild of course! We want you to have as much fun as we will have!”

Ed and John headed towards their rooms to clean up and relax for a few minutes. The evening was working out better than they had planned. John wanted it to be fun, risqué, and unique. It sounded like that was going to happen.

John showered and trimmed his beard before relaxing in his sitting room. It was sparsely decorated. A single chair and small table were the entire furnishings. Some pictures drawn by Karla were hung on the wall in individual picture frames. They followed her development from the first picture she had drawn of him to the latest portrait she had painted. Looking at the pictures made him feel good.

His casual appreciation of the art was interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened it to find a smiling Greg standing in front of him. Greg was still in his street clothes. Greg rubbed his hands together and said, “Let’s get started.”

He started handing clothes to John and adjusting their fit each piece at a time. The transformation took some time, but the effect was even better than in the store. John stood there looking like a lord of old. The addition of a large ducal ring and the knife in the belt completed the look. Greg suggested, “Wear the medallion on the outside, which is how a Lord would wear one.”

John decided to have a little fun. He challenged Greg, “If you can reach in and pull it out, I’ll wear it out.”

Greg reached up and touched the chain to the medallion. Almost immediately, his vision blurred and he felt queasy. He was about to steel himself and then realized that if the medallion didn’t want to be shown to the world, that it would be best if he didn’t try to force it. As soon as he made that decision, his vision returned and his queasiness disappeared. He removed his hand from the chain.

He said, “Amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like that. Is it magic?”

John answered, “I am a Druid and the medallion is a gift from the Gods and Goddesses that I serve.”

Greg considered the answer for a minute and realized that the guy dressing Ed was a Druid. He wondered how he would have reacted to the amulet. He was about to make a comment about Jim, but decided that he would be better off not saying a word.

In Ed’s room, Ed was confronted with someone that thought he was a Druid. His truth sense told him that Jim actually believed that he was a druid. Ed decided to politely dissuade him from making the claim around John. He said, “Jim, I would prefer if you would call yourself a pagan wise one while in this house.”

Jim replied politely, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that you have a problem with Druids. I will let it be known to the rest of the group that they should address me differently tonight. I didn’t mean to cause offense.”

Ed laughed at the misunderstanding. He said, “Oh boy. You don’t understand. I am a Druid, and John is the highest ranking Druid in the world.”

Jim looked puzzled. “You should greet me like a brother then.”

Ed, still undressed, said, “Touch my medallion, if you can.”

Jim, unsuspecting, reached out and touched the medallion. For a full minute, he stood in place like stone. He fell to the floor in pain. In anguish, he cried out, “What was that?”

Ed asked, “What happened to you?”

Jim stared at him with large eyes. “I was in a meadow, next to a stream. A naked woman was there, gesturing to me. When I approached, she told me to come to her at the appointed time and place. If I missed the appointment, I would experience pain that would be unbelievable. She gave me a taste of it and then I was back here.”

“Was there a man there?”

“No.”

Ed smiled and said, “Then you are chosen to serve the Goddess. You are now an initiate and may refer to yourself as such. I will give you directions on how to make it to your appointment.”

Jim stared at Ed still in shock. With a slight tremor in his voice, he asked, “How am I supposed to address you?”

Ed smiled at Jim and then answered, “You may address me as Ed.”

The surprisingly simple answer reassured Jim considerably. He changed the topic by saying, “If I may dress you now?”

Down the hallway, Kelly opened the door to find a rather large woman standing in front of her carrying a huge pile of boxes. She had expected one of the household staff. Her surprise at finding someone that she didn’t know was quite evident. The woman asked, “My Lady, are you ready to be dressed?”

Somewhat confused, Kelly invited the woman into her room. The woman introduced herself, “I’m Sarah, my Lady. I’ve been chosen to attend to you this evening by Lord Ed.”

Kelly said, “Thank you, Sarah. What should I do?”

Sarah smiled at Kelly and said, “Nothing, my Lady. Just allow me to dress you.”

“Can’t I dress myself?”

“I doubt that you could, my Lady. Lord John had suggested that you have a man servant, but he learned that the men had difficulties enough removing the clothes, and that they could do nothing to assist you in dressing.”

Kelly really looked surprised at that. She asked, “The dress tonight is that complex?”

In answer, Sarah looked through the boxes and pulled out a white silk dress. She helped Kelly into it while saying, “This, my Lady is the under-dress. You will wear two of these to help fill out the rest of the attire. Bra and panties are not appropriate for this kind of attire.”

She proceeded to put layer after layer of clothes on Kelly while telling her the function of each piece of clothing. Kelly’s delight in the clothes grew as each layer transformed her from a twentieth-century woman to a medieval babe. The clothes, particularly the girdle, pushed her breasts up and together giving her a very pleasing cleavage. The last clothing items to go on were the shoes that were more like slippers. Finally, they were done with the clothes.

Sarah opened the last box and examined the contents. She pulled out a very ornate headdress and draped it over Kelly’s hair. She selected a very long necklace that drew the eye straight to Kelly’s cleavage. The ‘hand flower’ had metal links in an intricate pattern that ran from a bracelet to a ring. The last to go on was a waist chain with little bells that tinkled when she walked.

Sarah stepped back and looked at Kelly. Her eyes were moist and her voice emotional as she said, “You are so beautiful. They must really love you to spend so much on a single outfit for a single night. Now go to a mirror and look at yourself, my Lady.”

Kelly stood in front of the mirror looking at the wondrously beautiful woman looking back at her. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She turned to Sarah asking, “Tell me, is that woman in the mirror really me?”

“Yes, my Lady.”

“Amazing. I feel like the princess in a fairy tale.”

Sarah smiled. “Yes, my Lady. You are the princess in a fairy tale. Now, if there is nothing else that you require of me, I must go dress for this evening’s festivities.”

“Go on,” replied Kelly still looking in the mirror at her reflection. She hardly heard the door close behind her. The image of walking through an enchanted forest came unbidden to her mind. She gave in to the sudden urge to walk through the atrium and the plants there. She slipped out her door and entered the nearest path through the plants.

As she cleared the last turn before the bench in the center of the atrium, she saw Beth headed in her direction. Both women cried, “My goodness, you’re lovely.”

They ran to each other and embraced. Tears of happiness ran down their cheeks. Both were overwhelmed at the surroundings and the care that had been taken to make them feel special. For the moment, they were in an enchanted forest. Beth wiped away a tear as she said, “Look at us. We’re weeping for no reason.”

“Those two are amazing,” replied Kelly. John and Ed never ceased to amaze her. She laughed, “At least we got our Royal Asses in the house in time to experience this.”

Beth laughed as she remembered the conversation in the car. She added, “We had better get our Royal Asses to the dining room.”

When they reached the dining area, a man they didn’t know, dressed in a simple costume, announced them. “Lords and guests. Lady Beth and Lady Kelly present themselves.”

Turning to the ladies, he said, “My Ladies, your seats await you at the high table.”

They entered the dining room. The tables had been arranged with one across the back of the room with a table along each end running perpendicular. Chairs were on one side of the tables only. Behind the tables, guests were bowing or curtseying according to gender. John and Ed were in half bows with a hand outstretched for the ladies to take. The women joined the men and sat down at the head table with them. The guests straightened up and then seated themselves. John turned to the women seated between Ed and him. He said, “You ladies are visions that would make angels cry at your beauty.”

Beth and Kelly each hugged the man closest to them with tears in their eyes. They were overwhelmed by the amount of effort the men had put into this evening. It made them feel guilty that they had been complaining, earlier.

Beth hardly recognized Bill when he came to the table and poured her wine. She had a small pitcher that contained wine set next to her glass. She noticed similar small pitchers next to the glasses all along the table. One of the guests suddenly stood and raised his glass. He called out, “A toast for our Lords and their beautiful Ladies! May you have a long life filled with happiness and prosperity!”

The toast was seconded by all of the guests, “Hear! Hear!”

Those at the high table took their glasses and raised them to receive the toast. A small sip later, the glasses were set down. Marguerite came out of the kitchen dressed in the peasant costume, “Lords, Ladies, and Guests. The first course tonight is a wonderful little Endive Salad with sliced fruits to wake the palate for the rest of tonight’s culinary adventure.”

Two serving wenches came out of the kitchen carrying two plates each. These were delivered to the head table. They made several more trips to provide food for each of the guests. Comments that were complimentary to the food and the serving wenches were heard around the room. The salad was simple and wonderful.

When a person finished their salad, one of the serving wenches came and removed the plate. When a glass was less than half full, Bill came by to fill it. People would get up and walk around only to stop at someone’s chair and talk. The man who had made the toast, wandered over to John. He said, “My Lord, if you would care for a little music with your dinner, I shall have the musicians brought in.”