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*This story and characters are a product of my own imagination and copyrighted by me Tyvara_Panther on February 8th 2008. This has been a venture that has taken a year to come to fruition and is a completed story. I deeply hope you enjoy.*

Sunlight washed in through the open balcony windows; as it brought with it the smell of jasmine and pine, a light breeze whisked and twirled the gossamer curtains that framed the balcony. A lean vixen stood across from the opening. Her wavy onyx hair dusted the ground and she wore a long, wheat-colored gown. The vixen turned and slowly crossed the room to the window. She stood and let her gray paw trail against the curtains. As she looked out at the midday sun, she sighed sadly as she remembered what she had left behind.

The vixen Sayrea, knew that somewhere out beyond the vast forest, past the fields and lakes, was her home--No, that was not her home; it was difficult for her to come to grips with that reality. The truth was, Sayrea was leagues from her families spice plantation, and the chance she might ever see it again was nonexistent. A part of her was sad, change could be sad, but she had known all her life that it was bound to happen. Sayrea's family of gray foxes had for centuries bartered and traded women; using them as a type of live currency. She wasn't angry at her family for selling her, no purpose came from that; just as no purpose came from wishing for a different tradition, or a different family; things were as they were, and all Sayrea could do was live with the present, and use it to the best of her advantage.

A knock at the door caused Sayrea to turn as an ermine entered, silver washing bowl and pitcher in her paws. Sayrea did a double take at the white furred weasel; she still wasn't used to the look of the servants, as her town had been mainly populated by canines. The maid was slightly heavy set with curls of silver that hung about her face and gave the impression that they had once been beautiful blond ringlets. Her person was lively with the air of a female half the age of what her hair alluded to and her presence alone increased the semblance of the room.

The ermine maid crossed to the bureau, and set the bowl down before she filled it with water. She looked up and smiled at Sayrea with a curtsy as she did so and said in a voice that reminded her of a matriarchal midwife, "Good afternoon milady. I want to welcome you to the palace of Emperor Alirik. I am to be your servant, if there is anything you need simply knock on that little door over there," She pointed at a wooden door off in the corner of the room. "And ask for Willa. Call on me, day or night."

Sayrea gave a short nod to Willa, then quickly smiled as she did not want to offend; she was new, and could use all the allies within reach--and where better to start then among your own servants?

"If you'll sit here," Willa directed, as she motioned to the short stool, positioned in front of the bureau. "I can dress you for your introduction to the Emperor."

As she left her place by the curtains, Sayrea made her way to the bureau to sit on the short, cushioned stool. Willa had arranged various vanity items around the dresser to her liking, and when Sayrea was settled, she stood in front of them, and wriggled her digits excitedly, as if she couldn't decide what she wanted to do first. She settled on a hairbrush and gently began brushing the vixen's wavy ebony hair. As the ermine set to work, Sayrea stared blankly into the oval mirror in front of her and her mind slowly drifted to a more entertaining thought than that of watching her hair being brushed.

"If there's anything you wish to talk about, I'm always here for you milady." The ermine said as she brushed, "I can imagine . . . meeting the Emperor for the first time, could be quite overwhelming."

Sayrea, who slipped further into her own thoughts, gave no immediate reply for Willa was mistaken; this wouldn't be her first time she would meet the Emperor. She had seen him before; two week's prior. She had been walking through the spice fields at the time; she loved being among the growing plants; the smell of that strong tang usually cleared her head. It was from that vantage point that she had seen him as he had ridden up to her house on his buckskin horse. In his regal finery, she knew the strange white weasel had to be someone important.

"I am a little nervous but I know that, given time . . . I should recover." Sayrea said, as she came out of her nostalgic moment.

"The Emperor is a good beast," Willa replied, as she finished brushing, and began to pile hair in an elaborate style that Sayrea couldn't begin to imagine the outcome. "Living in the palace with all the privileges allotted by our ruler can certainly make for a satisfying life."

Sayrea once again gave no response. Her life would be comfortable, indeed it would be more comfortable than the life she'd had, when she lived with her parents. There was little comparison between life on a plantation, to that of a palace. Though she was quite certain, it would be anything but satisfying. Being sold as a concubine wasn't really her idea of a worthwhile existence. Even though this thought bothered her slightly, it was still the way of her family. She had known all her life that she could be bought and sold at any time, something she had tried constantly to forget. The whole concept was something--for her--better dealt with if ignored. It was unsettling to be thought of as nothing more than an item to be purchased or traded for certain luxuries. As she thought back, it made her head spin that her worth was measured in the four cattle, two swine, the flock of geese, and five slaves the Emperor had given her parents.

The Emperor had seemed to be quite desperate to add Sayrea to his harem. She hadn't known at the time but, the Emperor seemed to have a passionate fondness for females, which had led him to acquire quite a collection of various species. On her arrival to the palace, she had seen more races just as she had walked from her carriage to her rooms, than she had seen in her entire lifetime--which in reality wasn't something to be shocked by, as her town had been filled with mainly canine species. Each encounter with all the different creatures, had immensely overwhelmed her, and would definitely take some getting used to.

Sayrea let her mind continue to wander while her maid began to comb her fur, and she began to think of her first meeting with the Emperor. She had spied on him from the spice fields as he swung his leg over his mount to descend and walked in a stately manner towards the door of her home, as if he knew he was watched. A maid greeted him at the exact moment his paw touched the door; he then disappeared inside as he followed the maid. Her heart sank deep within her, for she knew why this rich male had come to her town, why he had gone inside her house--she was to be sold. Sayrea remembered she had snuck from the spice fields to her house. Slowly she had made her way to the window that looked into the parlor. As she had spied inside, she saw the gallantly dressed male who conversed with her father. She watched for a moment as they spoke, then left the window and headed toward the town. She had run from her house and down the road, her heart taking deep, heavy beats and as she ran, her thoughts lingered on one thing--her lover Enerin.

Sayrea had been secretly seeing Enerin for about a year, since it was unacceptable for any female of her family to have relations with a male that had not purchased her. Enerin, a stalwart silver wolf, had approached her originally with the intent to court her. He had been a well-off farmer at the time, and Sayrea had noticed that he watched her as she wandered around the spice fields whenever he did business with her father. Her beauty was striking, as she was a buxom vixen with strong markings, healthy coat and bright cornflower-blue eyes. When Enerin had told Sayrea of his desires, she told him starkly that if he wanted her for a bride, he would have to go to her father and discuss her purchase. She remembered the shocked look he had worn; eyes bugged out and mouth slightly agape for he had not known.

Shortly there after, Enerin went to Sayrea's father to discuss her purchase price, but less than a week after their agreement, a fire burnt down his house and most of his farm. Enerin had lost everything, and without the agreed upon dowery, he could not take Sayrea, though this hadn't stopped him; he had gone to Sayrea's window after their engagement was canceled and asked to see her in secret. Sayrea refused, as there would be nothing to gain from their escapades. Regardless of Sayrea's refusal, Enerin continued to see her; every night he would go to her window and plead with her to come down to see him, and every night she remained in her room. This went on for months, until one night Enerin wasn't in wait below her window. Sayrea found herself desperate to hear the familiar howl of her wolf admirer, but all that was heard were the sounds of crickets. Enerin's absence wasn't what had bothered her, it was her deep despondency at his absence that had. The next night had left her in wait again, and for a week after until she had begun to berate herself for refusing Enerin's advances for so long. Almost when she had given up hope of a chance to see Enerin again, she had heard his familiar whispers. She had practically dashed to the window and looked down to see Enerin once again. With hopeful eyes he stared at Sayrea before he had tentatively asked her to come down to him. Sayrea had agreed and Enerin threw her a rope so she could climb down. With Sayrea at his side, he took her to his newly built home.

At the time Sayrea had only a vague idea of what she would do when alone with Enerin. Sayrea was not unfamiliar with mating; she had enjoyed listening to the maids and servants when they thought they were alone. Her sisters, when they had lived at home had showed her ways to pleasure herself, so she had a vague idea of what was to take place that evening.

Once within the privacy of those wooden walls Enerin had covered her with kisses. First he began with her neck, soft tender kisses, that moved down to her chest. His paws had been busy with the ribbons of Sayrea's nightgown that kept her breasts hidden; once untied, her soft tits had popped from the newly loose fabric, her nipples hard with excitement. As the wolf's lips had moved lower, she had moaned softly, and the sound grew louder as Enerin licked and kissed her soft breasts. He sucked her nipples, first the right then on to the left; he nipped and licked and sucked, as his paws had cupped Sayrea's large, red and white furred breasts. Sayrea had rolled her head back in pleasure at Enerin's attentions, and his right paw moved from her breast to her rump; he had clutched it, and pulled her closer to him. With her body pressed to his, Sayrea could feel Enerin's hard erection as it had pressed against her sex through her nightgown. His kisses had moved from her breasts to her neck before he kissed her passionately on her mouth.

The kiss had been her first. It was delicious, the sweet taste of Enerin's mouth still lingered with her. She could still remember to feel of his soft, bumped tongue as it pressed against hers. As the kiss had continued Sayrea felt Enerin's need for her rise, his kiss had become more forceful and demanding. With quick movements Enerin had lifted Sayrea into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Once there he had gently tossed her onto the bed. She landed with a bounce and looked at Enerin with soft, slightly worried eyes. Enerin had given a lust filled growl as he ripped his shirt from him, and buttons flew across the room. His pants came off in a similar manner.

As Sayrea looked at Enerin's strong frame, she had become further aroused. He was a perfect example of farm breeding; muscled from head to toe, but that wasn't exactly what had caught Sayrea's attention--it was his eight inch penis that did. The only thing that had ever entered her was her own paws and she was afraid that she couldn't contain the throbbing red rod. Though it seemed that Enerin's mind was made up long ago, and he had practically leapt towards her, and scurried up the bed. He pushed her cotton nightgown upwards and spread her legs wide, which revealed her glistening sex, wet with desire. He had licked his lips before he brought his muzzle to her wet pussy. He licked the length of it, and his large tongue dipped between her lips as he moved. As Enerin reached her clit, he sucked on it rapidly as his tongue tickled the tip. The action caused Sayrea to squeal with delight. The pleasure was like nothing she had ever felt before; it made her mind explode, her body shake, and her sex throb with deeper desire.

Sayrea hadn't realized that her eyes were closed until Enerin stopped and she felt his hard cock against her virgin opening. Her eyes had snapped open at the exact moment his member pushed its way into her. She had no pain, but she had felt her sex stretch, in a desperate attempt to accommodate Enerin's member. Once hilted, Sayrea let out another lustful moan as she felt a pleasant, though intense feeling fill her. Enerin moaned along with her as he pulled his cock out slightly only to slam it back into her, which caused Sayrea to moan again, this time with more intensity. Enerin repeated his movements as he leaned down to clutch Sayrea to him. His moans echoed Sayrea's as he repeatedly slammed his cock into her, with each she could feel Enerin's knot swell and bump against her nether lips. The feel of the large knot as it hit her sex, and the cock tip which slammed against her g-spot, became all too overwhelming for Sayrea, and with a loud feral yip-like scream she climaxed and a rush of fluid leaked from her sex allowing Enerin's knot to slip within, tying her to him; that was when Enerin had cum. He had gripped her tightly and let out a guttural howl as his cock twitched within Sayrea, and sprayed his thick wolf seed into her womb.

As their climaxes had faded into blissful numbness Enerin had sat up, still tied to Sayrea and looked down at her with a loving smile. He planted a kiss on her lips before he had lain back down. Enerin had turned his body to one side of the bed and held Sayrea to him. I love you. She remembered that he had told her that right before he had fallen asleep, still tied to her.

He had woken sometime later that evening. They held each other for a long time. He promised that as soon as he could make enough for a suitable dowery, he would ask to purchase her again.

Enerin had returned her home, as dawn approached. After she was safely in her room, he told her he would return in the evening for her. He was good to his word, and every night thereafter, Sayrea would steal down the rope Enerin would bring, and they would stay in Enerin's home until first light.

After a few months of their rendezvousing, Enerin had confessed that he had purposefully stayed away from her in the hopes she would realize her desire for him, and had told her how glad he was that his ploy had worked. Sayrea had not been so pleased and had felt immensely stupid for falling for such an obvious tactic. The wolf had made considerable effort to console her by saying how he hoped that their time together had proven the attraction they shared for one another. Sayrea remembered admitting her attraction, but was angry that he had gone against her wishes, and that of her family's.

Enerin had quickly revealed that he had done so because she had seemed so uninterested in him, when he had first approached her, that he had been determined to win her affections. His words had touched her, as no one had ever been interested in persuading her to anything, since she had spent her life being told what she wanted, and after hours of Enerin's attempts at consoling her; she finally relented and agreed to continue seeing him; provided he made considerable effort to earn a new dowery.

From then on he had done everything from working as a hired hand, to performing simple odd jobs for various townsfolk, in addition to the time he spent rebuilding his farm. After a considerable amount of time, Sayrea had begun to ask when Enerin would make an offer to her father, and his answer would always be that there was not enough yet to outdo his original offer. As time passed Enerin had begun to assure her that it was only a matter of time before he had enough to go again to her father.

None of that mattered as she had run through the town to Enerin. All of their plans had been ruined by the arrival of the snow colored weasel and she had felt Enerin deserved to know first. She remembered reaching Enerin's home as he was loading a cart with grain. Sayrea saw her wolf tense at her approach, since Sayrea knew she had never come to him during daylight hours, as they were still attempting to keep their affair a secret.

Sayrea had immediately told him of the arrival of the wealthy ermine. At first Enerin looked angry, but this anger had quickly been replaced by one of sadness. He had told her to run home and he would come to her that night.

As she arrived home, the ermine was leaving. He spotted her and sauntered toward her. Graciously he had knelt at Sayrea's feet and in an elaborate motion had taken her paw in his. Sayrea remembered his words as if he had just spoken them.

"Beautiful vixen," as he began, he had gazed deep into her eyes; he had worn a confidence about him as he had caressed her paw like a familiar lover. "I have come here to your village to make you my mate. Your father has accepted my dowry and I wish to take you to my palace." He rose and ran a snow white paw through her jet colored hair. "I have been sending servants to your town in the hopes of discovering a canine beauty. When word of you reached me I was determined to come here to verify those accounts, but to see you with my own eyes . . . no creature could do you justice." He had once again taken her paws in his as he continued, "I have been told that your name is Sayrea. I am Emperor Alirik. In a week, I will send a carriage for you and you shall dine with me in my palace." With that, he had gently kissed Sayrea on the cheek. Then, after he gave a deep bow, he had mounted his horse and ridden out of town.

Sayrea remembered standing stock still, as the Emperor had left her. She hadn't known what to think. Then, everything had hit her all at once; there had been a time when she had looked at being sold with indifference, since she had known that she could not control who would buy her. She now realized why it was forbidden for females in her family to see males who hadn't purchased them; she had fallen for a male that she could never have. She had allowed herself to go against tradition, but what had she gained? All that had come out of her tabooed behavior-- was a broken heart. She had then become overwhelmed with forlornness, and having had finally found movement in her legs, she slowly walked to her house.

Her family had celebrated joyously that night and every night after, especially as the Emperor's dowry began to arrive. Sayrea felt she made a good show in front of her family, as they never seemed to suspect her true feelings; the only one who had known was Enerin. The night after Emperor Alirik's proposal Enerin had convinced Sayrea to see him again. In truth, regardless of how much time she spent with Enerin, nothing could change her feelings, let alone the situation, and Sayrea had figured that, at this stage, it didn't really matter how much time she spent with Enerin; the end would be the same.

She had snuck out of her window, like she had always done, into the waiting arms of Enerin. Retreating to her lover's home had been like a dream; she had known that she could only have so much of her former life. As he had held her in his arms, she had felt so happy--so alive--and letting Enerin caress her, touching her with his strong paws and feeling his virile maleness, had nearly made her forget that she would never see him again. They mated that night, the whole experience had left her entire body shaking with waves of pleasure, and her heart refused to cease its fluttering. As they held each other tightly, their bodies slowly came down from the night's activities, and as Sayrea lay there, held tightly in Enerin's arms, she began to cry. She had tried to stop it at first, but she couldn't keep the thoughts of despair from her mind. All she could think about, as tears slid down her face and dampened her gray fur, was leaving Enerin to be the concubine of the Emperor--not just one concubine, but she was to be the Emperor's forty-eight wife. Enerin had just let her cry. She knew that there was nothing he could say that would help anyway.

They held each other long into the night until the sun finally rose. Only then, with the sky a pallet of reds, did they leave the comfort of each other to dress, and made ready for the day ahead. Sayrea had noticed that Enerin watched her as she attempted to hook the clasps of her grass colored dress. She had seen him smile as the white and red fur of her breasts refused to behave, and struggled to be free of the garment. Enerin had stood and walked toward her. He brought his muzzle down and nuzzled her cheek. When he had pulled her close; the action had trapped her paws between them, and Sayrea let Enerin hold her, as she rested her head against his chest. His silver fur had given off a coral-like hue in the light of that morning. She remembered that she had smiled, as she took in his musky wolf smell. The overwhelming feelings inside her had caused her to cry once again; they were big, salty tears that had left deep rivulets on her muzzle and wet spots on her chest. He had then clutched her face and kissed her before he pulled back so he could use his thumb to wipe away her tears. He had told her in his deep melodic voice that in her last few weeks with him he would make sure that she would never forget him . . . and she hadn't--her heart and loins still jittered at the thought.

The ermine maid pulled a little too hard on her tail fur as she brushed, which jerked Sayrea out of her daydreams and into the present. Her hair had been arranged atop her head in a crown of ebony curls and ringlets; her fur and whiskers had been combed, and a dab of scented oils had been sprinkled on her.

Willa stood back to admire her work. "You cut a stunning figure milady, not a creature could compare."

"I highly doubt that, but I thank you nonetheless." Sayrea said as she continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror.

"I daresay you are the first vixen that Emperor Alirik has dreamed to bring home; though he has seen many. I should know; my brother is his chief guard and has gone on many travels with the Emperor. You must be the loveliest vixen in all the kingdoms."

Sayrea smiled at Willa, who had pulled out a silken, cream-colored petticoat and motioned to Sayrea to stand so she could help her into it. She shook her head solemnly as she replied, "I'm really not as beautiful as you say. I've known plenty of other female's whose beauty far surpasses my own."

After she tied the petticoat in place, Willa brought out a jade-colored corset and after wrapping it around Sayrea, began to cinch the two ends together. Sayrea may not be used to all the yards of fabric she was supposed to wear, but she was used to corsets, as it was a part of the required attire after she came of age. She took in huge gulp-fulls of air as her maid expertly pulled the corset closed.

"Modesty is an admirable quality to be sure, but vanity runs rampant through these halls and it would do you no service to belittle yourself."

Sayrea gave a breathless reply, "I shall keep that in mind."

After the corset was securely tied, Willa went to the dresser that stood across from the bureau. Opening the doors wide she looked about the clothes that hung there. Heaving a deep sigh, she turned back to Sayrea. "You'll have to wait here a moment. It seams that your bodice and skirt are missing; I'll have to go find them."

Sayrea shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly before she gave a response, "You could use some of the dresses I brought."

Willa turned surprisedly, to shake her head gruffly. "No, that simply would not do. The Emperor commissioned this gown for you to wear for your first dinner with him. Nothing else will do." She motioned to Sayrea to wait where she was. "I have a suspicion as to where they might be. I shouldn't be too, long." Willa quickly whirled around and bustled out of the room, her white weasel tail swished in a disturbed manner as she did so.

Sayrea turned back to the bureau and began to fiddle with the various items that festooned it, but before she could get too involved, a sharp knock sounded at her bedroom door. She turned, her eyebrows raised curiously. She stood and gave her tentative reply, "Come."

The doors slowly opened and a distinguished, svelte ocelot entered the room. She wore a burnt-scarlet, s-curved corset, and a slate-gray skirt. Her movements were lissome, her tail swept slowly as she gave a drawn out smile to Sayrea. "I had hoped to find you here." She said, as she floated towards Sayrea. "I'm Vartouhi. I'm here to welcome you to the palace."

Sayrea gave a short curtsy, "I'm Sayrea, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

An awkward silence followed as both females stared stoically at one another. Vartouhi was the first to speak."Forgive me, you must think me terribly rude. I'm one of the Emperor's concubines." She said as she brought a spotted paw to her chest. She used the other to clutch a corner of her gown and sweep it back delicately, as she gave another bow. "I know how awkward everything can be in the beginning, and it can be terribly lonesome, especially when you don't know anyone."

Sayrea smiled before she replied. "Think nothing of it. Though, I doubt it could get lonesome with all these women running around."

"Oh . . . they don't really do much." Vartouhi said, as she glided toward Sayrea, who sat back on the stool. Vartouhi looked around for a place to sit and quickly chose the gray divan that stood opposite Sayrea. She rearranged her dress as she did so, which revealed only the slightest hint of leg. "Most of the women here keep to themselves."

"Then, how do you fit into all of this?" Sayrea said as she placed her paws in her lap, and tapped her tail suspiciously.

Vartouhi gave a hurt look. "I only come to make friends. There was a time, when I was new, and I remember wanting nothing more than a friend."

Sayrea's expression softened. "Yes, I guess you can never have too many friends. Though in all honesty, I haven't been here long enough to feel lonely."

The ocelot batted her eyes innocently as the tip of her tail flopped back and forth. "True, but it is overwhelming leaving your family and friends, to travel to an empire you've never heard of, let alone seen, to be the forty-eighth concubine of a mammal you've never even heard of."

Sayrea's shoulders tensed as her eyes widened with surprise. "Something like that had crossed my mind."

"I felt the same way when I arrived here. Granted, there weren't so many other wives then." She continued as Sayrea opened her mouth to speak, which gave Sayrea no time to respond. "So," Vartouhi said as she sat upright on the divan. "Where did you come from?"

Sayrea smiled and her tail gave a little twitch as she replied. "A Canine colony about a week travel by carriage. My parents own a spice plantation there."

"Oooh, a spice plantation." Vartouhi said as she crossed her legs; the motion revealed the large brown spotted pattern of the fur there. "That sounds exciting. I came from a dairy farm in the Feline Empire, but that was ages ago."

"How long have you been here?" Sayrea said as she rose and left the stool, as she walked toward a small table next to the balcony. A glass pitcher filled with a deep pink liquid rested on a tray with four glasses. She took the pitcher in one paw and an empty glass in the other and turned to offer both to her guest. "Would you like some? I was told it's called sumac tea."

Vartouhi nodded as she spoke. "Yes, thank you. The sumac drink is one of my favorites." Sayrea filled two glasses and gave one to Vartouhi who took the glass as she continued. "Though really it's more like a juice than a tea." She took a sip then smiled before she continued. "They only call it a tea because they take sumac berries and soak them in water, but either way it's a refreshing citrus drink."

Sayrea returned to her stool, drink in hand and sat and stared expectantly at the ocelot. Vartouhi quickly shook her head as if she had come out of a daze as she remembered Sayrea had asked her a question. "Sorry, my mind can wander sometimes. I've been here for about fifteen years. I'm one of the Emperor's earlier wives."

Sayrea nodded as she took another sip of sumac tea before she asked, "How much did the emperor pay for you?"

Vartouhi stared blankly at Sayrea, and then gave her curious reply. "What do you mean? The Emperor didn't pay anything for me."

"You mean to tell me that you had no purchase price?"

"Not really, no. The Emperor had servants scouring the area where I lived, though it wasn't all that obvious. His servants act more like spies, viewing a town from a distance, so I wouldn't have known either way. Those servants returned to the Emperor and told him of the women in the town who had a reputation for exceptional beauty, and I happened to be at the top of a very short list. The Emperor came, viewed the women and selected me to be his fifth wife." Vartouhi's tail twitched as she reminisced. "I really didn't need that much convincing. I was working as a dairymaid. It wasn't too hard for me to decide between continuing the life of a dairymaid or be the wife of an Emperor."

Sayrea's mouth opened slightly, but she quickly closed it, then opened it once again. "You didn't mind being a fifth wife?"

Vartouhi shook her head as she spoke, "Not really. See, my options were: stay a dairymaid and try to find a suitable husband who wouldn't care that I had nothing, or be wife to a rich emperor. Honestly, I would have gone with the Emperor that moment, had he not insisted that I wait for a carriage to bring me. The Emperor is all about ceremony." She said as she rolled her eyes and gave a short laugh at her apparent inside joke. "You seem so appalled that I would want to be a fifth wife, when you're here as the Emperor's forty-eighth."

"I didn't have much of a choice. My parents sold me."

Vartouhi's shoulders slumped with surprise and she tilted her head bewilderedly, and gave a look to match as she spoke. "Your parents sold you?" She gave a long pause as Sayrea nodded. "How could they do that?"

Sayrea shrugged as she answered. "That's just how it works in my family. Women are kind of like currency."

"Wow." Vartouhi took a moment as she seemed to mull things over. "Did you even want to come here?"

"Not really, no." Sayrea said, as she kept her thoughts of Enerin to herself.

"Wow." The ocelot swirled the liquid in her glass, seemingly too dumbfounded to give any more of a response.

A knock sounded at the door and Sayrea's ermine maid, Willa, walked in. She almost dropped the dress that she carried upon the encounter of Sayrea's guest. She quickly gathered herself as Vartouhi finished the rest of her drink, and rose from the divan as she said, "I should be going now." She gave a cold look to Willa as she continued to speak to Sayrea. "I'll keep in touch." She turned back to Sayrea, and smiled sweetly as she finished. "I think there could be a wonderful friendship between the two of us."

"I'd like that." Sayrea said, and gave a short curtsy, to which Vartouhi responded similarly, before she quickly left the room.

Willa waited until the ocelot female had left, before glaring coldly at the door. She turned back to Sayrea and stiffly shuffled toward her, dress in paw. "I see you've met the mistress Vartouhi."

"Yes, she seems very nice."

Willa laid the dress on the bed. "Yes, she seems that way." Willa said with a slightly bitter tone.

"What do you mean?" Sayrea asked as Willa brought the pine-green skirt to her. She opened the waistband wide for Sayrea to step into. Sayrea gathered the petticoat as she did so.

"She's a sly one, that Vartouhi. Just be careful of her. I wouldn't reveal anything I'd rather keep secret if I were you."

"I take it you don't like her very much." Sayrea said as she marveled at the skirt, which was embroidered and beaded with malachite, tourmaline, peridot, and green garnets.

"I have a personal vendetta against the lady." Willa said curtly. "That's all I'm willing to say on the subject." Willa brought out the long-sleeved, pine-green bodice that matched the dress. The stone beading on the bodice was more elaborate than the skirt and done in curling patterns to give the impression of lace. The bodice slipped on like a jacket and with hook and eye clasps, fastened just below the breasts revealing much of the embroidery on the jade corset. When Sayrea was dressed, Willa stuck both paws in her pocket and removed a large, flat box. Willa's expression as she pulled out the box had softened to a contented, happy one which persisted as she presented the box to Sayrea. "Emperor Alirik had this made for you. He would like it if you would wear it tonight."

*Comments are welcomed. Please comment. I love comments, comments make me want to post more often and work harder toward completing stories. Anything is welcome, questions, comments, critiques, all these things help me become a better writer so please, let me know what you think--and even if you all hate me, then I'll know whether writing is even something I could pursue publicly -- Thanks ^ ^ *