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Heart of Ice [SK+M(=awesomeness)]
Every couple of years in a far away land where demons rule, a handful of people are kidnapped from each village by the demon lords. No one knows what happens to these poor souls, only that they are never heard from again. When a young girl is kidnapped to be a servant in a mighty demon lord's castle, can she learn to trust him? He may be the ice demon, but he'll have to melt through this young woman's heart of ice. |
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[[sorry for the delay, hun, I was in vegas last night. I thought I'd have time to post before we left :sweat:]] |
((lol "that's what you get for waking up in Vegas." it's fine, really.))
Orion calmly went about his usual routine in his room, waiting for his servants to bring him his newest capture. He hoped this time they had managed to find him a resilient one... The last one had reacted badly to the cold, and he kept his personal rooms cold enough for him to be comfortable. Carefully, he took off the jewelry he was wearing and set it into the box he kept on his personal desk. He wasn't in the mood to wear it at the moment. A knock on the door caught his attention. "Come in," he said. |
One of the guards appeared in the doorway, bowing. "My lord, I have brought you the new additions," he grumbled. "There are two cooks and a servant girl awaiting inspection." He looked over his shoulder and barked orders to the guards behind him, before bowing to Orion. |
Orion stood up and went to look over the new acquisitions. The two that were designated as cooks looked terrified; they were staring at the floor and trembling, although the trembling could be attributed to the temperature as well: he could see the soft, shuddering white puffs of their breath. The serving girl, though, intrigued him. She looked like she was trembling slightly, as well, but she didn't look cowed into submission like the other two. In fact, she looked almost curious, under the fear on her face. Absently, Orion thought she was rather pretty, compared to other humans he had seen before.
Satisfied that none of them were damaged or handicapped in any way, he waved his hand to the guards. "Take the two cooks to the appropriate quarters," he said. "And take the girl to the servants' area. They may all have the day to settle in." |
Helena glanced up as the demon spoke- he even sounded like a human. She shivered slightly as they stood around, noting how cold it was. She tried to ignore the cold, but it was pressing against her like a cat desperate for loving. One of the guards reached out and grabbed her arm, tugging her back out. |
Orion was almost impressed. The girl was bold, she had backbone. He approved. He held up a hand to halt the guards, and gestured for them to bring the girl forward. She was shivering, most likely from the cold, but he wasn't going to warm his personal rooms just for the temporary comfort of one servant.
"What is your name?" he asked after a moment of examining her. There was nothing all that extraordinary about her that would account for her unusual boldness, at least not physically. He was intrigued. |
Helena was suddenly pushed forward, the demon releasing her arm as she faced the demon lord. She swallowed, hard, then tilted her chin up defiantly. "Helena Grimshaw," she said, willing her voice not to tremble. She wondered if she should add My Lord to the end of that, but she banished the thought almost as soon as it crossed her mind. He was no lord of hers, no matter what he may think. She pushed her pale hair out of her eyes and realized her hand was trembling, and she had a feeling it wasn't because of the cold. |
There was definitely a spark of defiance in her eyes, no doubt about that. Orion got the feeling that she would not be one to break easily.
"Helena," he repeated after a moment. He motioned for the guards to take the other two out, and then looked at Helena again. She was still trembling, and he could see her quick breaths creating small clouds of steam. "I am not going to do anything to you," he said mildly. "Your care and discipline is in the hands of the senior servants." He didn't say anything more than that. He waved a hand dismissively. "You may go. You will be fitted for more... appropriate clothing when you get to the servants' quarters." |
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"Would you rather I do unspeakable things to you?" Orion asked mildly. "I heard one of the other lords has a certain taste for pretty young girls in his bed, I could always make a gift of you." Going over to the corner by his bed, he pulled the bell cord hanging there. The bell it was attached to hung in the servants' quarters. After a moment, a nearly-invisible door on the far side of the room opened, and a human woman in her forties walked in. She was obviously dressed for warmth: thick stockings, a soft woolen over-dress, and a plain shirt underneath. Her shoes were plain, sensible flats.
"My lord?" she asked demurely. "This one is a new acquisition, take her to get settled in," Orion instructed. The woman nodded and went over to Helena, taking her wrist. "Come along, now," she said in a low voice. "Best not to disobey the master." |
His words chilled her; she could only hope he really wasn't that kind of demon. Before she could speak again, he rang a bell, and seconds later a woman entered the room. She frowned as the woman reached out and took her wrist, telling her it was best to obey. She hesitantly followed her, giving the demon lord one last look before the door closed behind them. |
Orion watched the two go. Something about Helena still intrigued him, and he resolved to watch her a bit more closely in the future.
"Why, haven't you noticed, dear?" the woman replied when Helena asked about the cold. "The lord is a master of ice." She led Helena to the servants' quarters. "You don't need to worry, we'll have you dressed properly in no time. My name is Winnifred, though mostly everyone calls me Winnie." The talk was light and easy. It was clear that Winnie had been there for a long time. "Don't be afraid of the master, dear. It's in his nature to be cold and distant. Besides, better him than the lord of fire, or the lord of earth. They go through servants very quickly. Our master is really very kind to us." |
"Oh," Helena said, her voice soft as the woman led her down the halls. "I'm Helena," she offered, when the woman told her her name was Winnie. She frowned when the woman said their lord was kind, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Kind enough to kidnap a girl from her home," she asked cynically, her voice soft and low. She lowered her head to hide the tears that suddenly stung her eyes, thinking of the home she'd probably never see again. Of her siblings, Rosemary and Jacob. She shook her head slightly, closing her eyes for a moment. When she lifted her head again, the tears were gone. "What is he expecting me to do, Miss Winnie," she asked, following the woman. |
"The master really isn't as bad as he seems," Winnie replied softly. She led Helena into the servants' quarters. It was much warmer there, more comfortable. Obviously, it was for the comfort of the servants. "Come, there are some empty beds left, you can choose one for your own, and we will find you some proper clothing to wear. Can't have you getting sick from the chill, after all."
Orion couldn't get Helena out of his head. Something about her appealed to him, and he had no idea what it was, or why. He had never had such an interest in a human girl before. He had always considered humans to be fragile. They were good as servants, but their dispositions were delicate when it came to changes in temperature. Still... Something about Helena called to him, and he intended to figure out what it was. |
Helena frowned doubtfully, but only nodded as she followed the woman to the servants quarters. There, she picked a bed and was given warm clothes to wear, similar to Winnie's- warm stockings, a dark over dress, and a plain white shirt. She picked out a pair of boots that would keep her feet warm, smoothing her hands over her dress as she got to her feet. She felt instantly warmer, but she couldn't help but notice how pale her hands were against the dark cloth. |
Once Helena was suitably dressed, Winnie outlined her basic duties. Since she was so new, she would essentially be following Winnie around for a while to get the hang of things.
"More than likely, you will be one of the more public servants," Winnie said. "You're a lovely girl, you know, and I'm sure the master will want to display that, at least for a little while." She paused for a moment, thinking. "The rules really aren't complicated... Obey the master above all else. Try not to anger him. The last girl who made him truly angry... Well, she's no longer with us." Winnie said it casually, but it was clear that the girl hadn't just been 'let go.' "You are allowed time to yourself once your chores are done for the day. That time is yours to do with as you please, as long as you don't get in the master's way." |
"It seems easy enough," she said, doubtful about the whole thing still. She couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks when Winnie mentioned she was pretty- it was common enough to hear it from the neighbors, but she'd grown up with them all. To hear it from a stranger was new. She wondered about the girl who had been "let go", but her attention was snagged when Winnie mentioned free time. "I'm allowed to do what I please," she asked curiously. "What is there to even do here?" She crossed her arms over her chest, looking around her to try and get acquainted with her new surroundings. |
"Well..." Winnie thought about it for a moment. "The master keeps a rather extensive library that anyone is allowed access to... And the gardens are rather lovely." Winnie smiled a bit. "None of us have figured out how the master crafted such perfect flowers out of his ice, but that's the master for you. There are some real flowers and plants, of course, but only the hardier types that can handle the cold. Holly and such things. But when the sunlight hits the master's crystal-clear roses just so... It's truly breathtaking."
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"Crystal roses," she wondered, before catching herself. "Ah, and a library, you say? I guess I'll have to see it when I have the chance," she added rather lamely. Helena loved roses; really, any flowers, but roses were her favorites. She rarely ever got the chance to see them. "Should we... get started then," she asked almost hasilty. "I mean, aren't there chores to be done?" |
"There are," Winnie replied. "The master usually gives new arrivals the first day to get settled, but if you want to tag along, I have no complaints. The extra pair of hands might be useful." Winnie grinned a bit. "Perhaps if we finish early, I'll show you the way to the gardens." She had seen how Helena's eyes lit up at the mention of the crystal-ice roses.
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"That would be... lovely," Helena said, trying to keep her voice neutral. "What will we be doing first?" She probably should have just taken the day off, but she was feeling restless and needed work. If she was doing something, maybe the ache in her heart from being taken from her home would go away, if only for a little while. |
Winnie went over to a basket on the wall and pulled out two pairs of soft, warm gloves. The gloves had the fingertips bare, and a curious flap buttoned onto the back that, when pulled over the fingers, turned the fingerless gloves into mittens. She handed one pair to Helena.
"Just in case," she said. "I know some of the others end up needing them after the first few hours." She tucked her own gloves into the pocket of her dress. "Come along. The first thing we do is tend to the master's study. Cleaning, dusting, replacing supplies, things like that. Once the master is out of his chambers for the day, we go in and straighten them. It isn't difficult, the master is a tidy person, but we must do things like make the bed and see to it that his clothing is all back in its proper place." |
"Thank you," Helena said, examining the curious little gloves. They were softer then anything she had ever owned; Helena's family had never been rich, as happy as they were. "Is he ever away from the castle," she asked, following after Winnie. It was a large place, and she feared she'd never know her way around. They made it to the study rather quicky, the large doors looming over the two as they approached them. |
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