Breaking Vows For My Mate

A Harlot's Daughter

"Maid Mae" a man wearing a helmet for his large skull and in armor, barged into my room while I dressed.

I had been in my polyester blue pant and my stunned body quickly reacted to his sudden entry by turning around to reveal my bare back.

He looked at me like someone who has been deprived of food and has found, not any kind of food, but his favourite one.

"What is it?" I question angrily as he had done nothing but to stare at me. Forgetful of why he came in the first place.

He blinked twice, slightly shook his head. "The duke summons you" the guard finally said before slamming the door into his face.

I get in my uniform, which is designed as a long pleaded brown gown with cream lace at the centre and hope for the best of this new day.

As I reached for the door, I pause for a moment to listen. It was just how I like it. Complete, and utter silence.

I look to the left of the hallway once I'm out and see just two maids discussing at the far end where the exit to the maid's dorm is.

It seems, that as it is early morning, many of my fellow maids are still in their chambers either taking a shower or the lazy ones, still fast asleep.

That, I consider the commencement of a good day.

I sigh and arrange my gown before gathering up the courage to walk past them.

They peered at me, as usual, with hateful gazes from each of their eyes I hope to pop out someday.

And as I made it closer to the shut doors, they could not resist but ruin the start of my day.

"Burn the witches" the first maid said "Burn the witches" she repeated the second time with an even higher pitch.

"For they are the greatest of all time b*tches" her companion added with a laugh at the end.

I told myself to pay no attention to their everyday routine. As it would only make the impatient duke mad at me for not coming in immediately after a summon.

However, I would always do this thing, where I stop for a brief moment and look at them with a death stare and a killer smile.

Just for the fun of it and more reasons to make them believe I am a witch.

"You should stop that. It looses value and becomes boring when nothing ever happens" the second maid offered her less needed advice.

"Bad things happen to people when they least expect it" I threatened now with mere words knowing that it won't do me any good when the other maids hear of my act.

When I was a young teen, of age fifteen to be precise, I'd learnt that my father had gambled me away to the duke of the dark realm, Broffet Chamillet.

The same duke to have died a year after my appearance within the castle... Lucky me.

A rumour started soon after the death of the old man. That I am the omen, the reason as to why he passed away.

The witch.

Now his eldest son, Edgar, takes after the throne.

I close the door and head for the castle. Where the duke awaits me for his early morning preparations.

The castle is located not far away from where all the maids sleep. They had built an accomodation for us in consideration of those who live far from home, have nowhere else to go. Or maybe they do, but would rather stay here.

Like me.

Despite the other maids, I'd prefer their insults to getting involved with my dysfunctional family.

My father had married a w***e and left both I, and my elder sister without requesting a divorce. Which made it legal to sign out any of his half bastard daughters to whomever he pleases in exchange for money.

I guess I was the chosen one, hehe.

I climb the stairwell to the highest floor, where the duke rests his head. Before then knocking on his doors to receive no reply.

"Maid Mae" I say behind closed doors, but he still did not answer. "Duke, I have come for your morning wash"

I stand still while looking left and right to the empty corridors. Apparently, he did not like the idea of knights standing guard outside his bedchamber. As a meaningless result, I fear sometimes for his life at night.

At this point I was getting impatient and thought twice of entering without permission when I held the door knob.

But if I leave, that could end up looking as absenteeism and disobedience to his orders.

"Duke~" I playfully sing his title in a low voice while entering in unannounced. Only when no one is around would I gather up the courage to do this.

Oh my, I exclaimed in my heart after the first audible snore.

To think that he would go back to sleep after having summoned me. Why does he do this time and time again?

No matter, I quietly walked to the bathroom to get his bath ready. When I am done, I would have to face the bigger problem, getting him up from his slumber.

He'd spread his whole body, taking the whole bed in a slanting position. His face pointed towards the ceiling and the rays of sunlight that tempts to get in struck a small portion of his face.

"Duke Edgar"

"Mmmmm" he grumbled in response while raising his one muscular hand to the dark brown curls that likewise sheaths a corner of his face.

I am tempted to fully open the blinds but instead, I lower my head to fix the pillow.

"My duke" I whisper close to his ears. "It is time for your bath"

"Say it again" he says in this deep morning husky voice then takes me by the nape, and brings me to his stead "say that I'm yours"

He does this often and before would I remain stiff as a stick but now I'd simply laugh it off since he is a man from slumber, or in his dreams, had been in the company of a woman.

In other words, I would think nothing of it.

"Lay down with me" he mustered.

I looked at his closed lids, and think he must still be daydreaming. Thankfully he doesn't specify with a name.

"Duke" I gradually come out of his hold, reflective of how serious of an offense it is that a maid be seen resting on his bed.

"Yes Mae" he finally opens his lids and direct his gaze only at me.

He'd never called me Maid Mae... And for reasons unknown would I derive joy from that fact.

"You must have a lot of early morning errands as a duke-" I express a tiny part of my anguish because his latecoming would be a great blame on no one else but me. Only to be cut off by him.

"Good morning to you too" he sat upright and took his shirt off. Edgar then lifted himself in a stance and stretched.

I could see the shift of muscles on all corners and veins that became more apparent from his front of where I stood.

He had that satisfactory look on his face when he was done. His morning stretch must have hit the spot.

"This way please" would I always say with a smile.

I low-key looked away with a side glance when he had moved on to get rid of his underwear.

Edgar dipped himself into the bubble bath and after a short while, when the foam would have conjoined once more to conceal his manhood, I approached with his sponge.

I gently wash his neck and shoulders in a to and fro movement, working my way down the length of his body.

During this process, Edgar would normally bring up a topic, but today, it seems that he would rather remain silent.

Once I was done with his upper body, I kept the sponge aside and took my leave. Shutting the doors behind me.

Then would he proceed by himself in cleaning his privates. As he does so, I am left with nothing else but to make his bed and pick out his fit for the day.

Minutes after I am done with both chores, he still hasn't come out. I rush over to the shut doors imagining another dead duke, but once I reach out for the handle, the door swings open.

"Mae" Edgar had this sorrowful look on his wet face that easily transferred to mine.

"Yes, duke" I replied with unease.

"What do you think about love?"

It is nothing but a biased and discriminatory ingrate to those who are less fortunate, I had wanted to say when I thought of my father who had found a new lover and abandoned my wench of a mother.

But instead I thought of his title, as a duke. And how offensive it will sound as he is not amongst the less fortunate.

"Everyone's opinions differ" I casually bottled the truth and took his attire.

"And would you say I am loved by the princess?"

Ahhhh, the beautiful Princess Reana of Kingdom Terra must have really caught his attention. To speak to me on something as such was not like him.

"I see the way she looks at you" I say to the half naked man before me who only has a towel to cover his lower body part "she most certainly admires you"

A towel that could fall off his torso at any moment not far from now.

"Looks are not satisfactory, not even the ones you offer" Edgar argued cunningly. "I need the touch and feel of a woman before she can get my approval" he finalized.

I would simply smile at such erotic responses, ignore them, then move on with what we discussed... Even though, I could not ignore the recent tendency to be more than around in his company.

"How would you approve of those things when I have never seen you with a wom-" I refrain from involving in his personal matters and looked away.

Thankfully, he ignored and walked away, revealing a back full of tattoo, to take a seat on the sofa positioned at the corner of the room.

All my four years of being here, I had not walked in on him to the sight of a beauty in his arms despite being in his mid twenties. Could it be possible that he has an appetite but towards the same s*x?

"I would not want to be seen with a w***e now, would I?" Edgar said with a damning smile.

I gritted my teeth, clenched the cloth in my hand while avoiding his gaze.

Everyone knows of the famous harlot's daughters, and everyone already seem to look at it like it is something to be inherited.

Is he somehow comparing me with my mother like everyone else? Or am I misreading this and already taking it to my big toe?