Following orders, we cleaned the masters’ mess and ours and finally polished Alec’s kitchen to a spit shine. Then we took our seats inside the circle of masters, compliantly waiting for more. There was a strange feeling to this domestic scene—yes, the sense of that other, Medieval time, returned; though so much of the atmosphere didn’t fit those olden days… I wanted to find another analogy but came up short.
“Glenna,” Alec spoke sharply.
“Yes, Sir,” I looked up, refocusing my thoughts and my tired limbs came back to life.
“In the center of the room.”
I scrambled forward on my knees and faced him, feeling a thousand tiny rivers of fear trickle through my body as Alec’s eyes rested on my breasts.
“Why did you pierce yourself?” he asked.
“Just a whim, Sir.”
“You thrive on your whims?”
