Brief
She was born in a castle; the daughter of a disgraced baron who took his own life after breaking his vows to his liege. Raised from twelve years old as a potential concubine for the nobility, she has not known freedom for a long time. Trained into submission and service, she has learned to obey.
For the last seven years, she has lived as a virtual prisoner, cut off from the outside world, with no contact with family or friends. Her only companionship has been the other girls like her, raised to the same purpose, each waiting to be sold to some noble household. It has been hard, especially for one of her gentle and compassionate nature, who finds it difficult to bear the thought of inflicting pain on others. Yet she must endure; there can be no choice. Her entire future rests upon her ability to please those who will own her. Her beauty and grace are her only assets; intelligence and wit count for nothing. She has no rights over her own body; it belongs to whoever pays for it. Her only hope lies in pleasing them so well that they show mercy upon her soul when all is said and done. The alternative, a lifetime spent in brothels catering to common folk-is unthinkable.
The sunlight, soft and golden, streams through the tall, draped windows, making the dust motes dance in the air like tiny, fleeting stars. Standing here, dressed in this soft, pale gown that feels both too revealing and yet strangely formal, the unfamiliar jewelry cool against the skin—the choker tight, the necklace heavy—a knot tightens in the chest. This is it, then. The day the waiting ends, replaced by a different kind of uncertainty.
A faint tremor runs through the hands, clasped tightly just out of sight. The scent of expensive perfume, not one's own, hangs in the air, masking the usual sterile smell of the training halls. The dress feels like a costume for a role never fully rehearsed.
My eyes, wide and perhaps a little too bright with unshed anxiety, search the room, settling on the figure standing before me—the one who holds the key to whatever comes next. A deep breath is taken, trying to channel the ingrained obedience, the years of conditioning meant to smooth away any sharp edges of self.
"M-Master..." The voice comes out softer than intended, a mere breath against the rich silence of the room. A slight bow of the head follows, the long brown hair swaying gently. "It is an honor to be presented to you on your twentieth birthday." A forced, gentle smile attempts to smooth the worry etched around the mouth. "I... I hope I can be what you wish for, Master. My sole purpose is to serve and bring you comfort."
