Dreven City; Winter 1259
Practice on me. It had been months since that first realization that the training of a courtesan involved as much physical contact as theory, but those months had not been wasted by the innocent pair of lovers. Duncan had not been able to bear the thought of Mara touching another man, even in practice, and had proposed the daring alternative of himself as her canvas to work upon. It had taken weeks of wheedling and pleading with Elise to bring that proposal to fruition, but before Yearspass, the woman had agreed to allow it, provided they were careful not to bring those lessons to the knowledge of Duncan's class or family. As one year became the next, Mara began her instruction again, this time learning intimately her best friend and how to please him, and if at times it was awkward to have Elise there, murmuring instructions, it was better than being forced to touch and learn a stranger at her fingertips.
Such lessons were often at night, or in the earliest part of the morning, times when the nobility were not around to see the indiscretion, when no one was likely to catch the Mallory heir sneaking in and out of a young courtesan's apartments. With her best friend at her fingertips, Mara learned quickly, and Elise soon lost her disapproval of the young master who held such charms over her golden-haired charge's heart. She didn't approve of the liaison between them, but she no longer worked to keep them apart, bowing to the inevitability of young love.
A crisp morning in the depths of winter found the end of one such lesson, and Elise's voice breaking into a moment that had become too intimate for mere rehearsal. "If you two have finished canoodling together," she said sharply, though there was a smile in her voice as Mara cast her a guilty smirk. "Master Duncan, you must go before the morning truly begins. And you, little miss, have the music master to visit today."
Duncan was happy with their arrangement, at least for now, satisfied to be the object of the attentions Mara was being forced to bestow on him as she learned her craft. It was a little frustrating for him physically, but as a matter of course, he was also learning by way of experience what pleased her. Little nuances of courtship and of wooing a woman that would come to serve him well later. He learned what made her pulse quicken, what made her breath catch, what left her trembling and weak in his arms, but mostly the lessons were about pleasing him. Unlike other young men his age, he was always a perfect gentleman when in her company, not only for her sake but for Elise's. He had learned early on that if he could win Elise's approval, then the rest would be easy.
Duncan laughed at Elise's reproach, amused by her attempted scolding, when he sensed she had grown as fond of him as he had of her since she had reluctantly agreed to their little arrangement. It was dangerous, yes, but he was willing to accept the risk, and the irony wasn't lost on him that if everything went according to plan, Mara would be his wife before she ever needed to rely on her training to support herself, but for now, that was their secret. Duncan flourished Elise with a bow as he arose from the settee, practicing his own charms on the older woman and her charge. "It has been a pleasure as always, Madame," he told Elise, with a sly wink and smirk at Mara. Fortunately for him, the tunic he was wearing was long enough to cover the day's frustrations.
Elise's eyes narrowed as Mara giggled at the flourishing bow, though the older woman was smiling as she, too, rose to her feet. "You, sir, are fast becoming a silver-tongued rogue," she informed him in amusement. "Say your goodbyes. I'll see your horse is brought to the door." She nodded to the pair of them, shaking her head with a low chuckle as she swept from the room, closing the door behind her.
As the door shut, Mara burst out laughing, rising herself to wrap her arms around Duncan's neck and embrace him warmly. "I wish you could stay," she murmured. Over the months, she was truly coming into her own, the curves so newly arrived when they had shared their first kiss blossoming, and with them, her sense of adulthood beginning to loom. But still she saved her kisses, and her touch, for Duncan alone, albeit in the company of her guardian.
He laughed at Elise's response to him. He always felt happy when he was in their company, as though he had become part of the family. In truth, his own family life was dismal, and the warmth he felt from Elise - as much as the woman might try to hide it - was more affection than he could ever hope to receive from his own flesh and blood. His laughter softened into a smile as Mara wrapped her arms around him and bemoaned his leaving, as she did each and every time they had to part. "Someday soon, we won't have to say good-bye," he told her quietly, for her ears alone and not for those of her nursemaid, guardian, and tutor who might have other plans for her charge. "I promise," he whispered in her ear and brushed a chaste but fond kiss against her cheek. He had grown bolder and more sure of himself with these little visits and sure of her love and devotion to him and him alone.
"Someday soon, you'll be allowed to do more than look when I take my clothes off," she teased in reply, leaning into him, tilting her head back to lavish a kiss decidedly less chaste to his lips in answer, offering up her smile for him to taste before he had to go. She was always reluctant to let him go, and unknown to him, a nightmare of petulance and ill-discipline in the hours after his leaving, yet Elise had never once said he should stop coming. She could see the love between the younger pair, and though she knew it could not be allowed to last, still she let it go on as long as it could. They deserved a little happiness together before it was taken away from them.
"I dream of that day, as I dream of you," he replied, returning her kiss with equal ardor. Elise was right - he was slowly becoming a silver-tongued charmer, and girls closer to his station were starting to take notice of his good looks and charm. It certainly didn't hurt that his family was wealthy, but he showed little interest in other girls, as his heart belonged to the only one who'd been forbidden. He was reluctant, as always, to take her leave, and he looked forward with eagerness to each visit, whether it be here under Elise's watchful eye or in secret.
Wrapped up in his kiss, Mara was only vaguely aware of voices in the passageway beyond, of Elise's voice rising as though in warning. "- sir, she is not receiving any visitors today, you can't go in -" The door, however, was opened with a flourish, and a voice she'd hoped she would never hear in Duncan's presence again interrupted the gentle passion of their leavetaking with an incredulous, furious snarl. "So you are Mallory's little whore after all, Mara."
With a gasp of shock, not least because of the insult he had given her, she pulled away from Duncan and turned to face the intruder. Stefan Del Sol, nineteen years old, and almost as red as a beetroot in his anger.
Duncan would know that voice anywhere - that of his chief rival, not only for Mara's affections, but for everything in his life, it seemed. The hostility between the Mallorys and Del Sols went back farther than anyone could remember. No one remembered any more what had caused it and it no longer mattered. Such traditions were hard to break once they were part of a bloodline, and neither family patriarch had made any attempt to make peace with the other. Duncan, for his part, had no idea why Stefan hated him so, other than for the hatred that had been instilled in him for all things Mallory since the day he'd been born.
As far as Stefan was concerned, the fact that Mara held Duncan in his favor only added insult to injury. Duncan turned slowly, purposely placing himself between Mara and the older, taller boy who was closer to becoming a man, but had much more to learn about self-control and good manners. Duncan's eyes narrowed at the insult, rising to champion and defend the girl that he loved without thought for his own safety or consideration for the repercussions of his actions. "Take that back and apologize to the lady," he told him, gray eyes flashing a warning.
Behind Stefan, Elise caught Mara's eye before the girl could open her mouth to interject, understanding more of the tension between the young men than Mara did herself. If she interrupted now, she would be hurt, even without intention, and for once, Mara did as her guardian advised, shutting her mouth as Duncan stepped in front of her.
Stefan watched the younger pair with an ugly snarl on his lips. There was not just anger in his face, but hatred too, and hurt that was leveled at the golden-haired girl who quailed under his glare. He ignored Duncan a moment longer, his eyes fixed on Mara. "You said no one had had you," he said in a heavy tone, malice highlighting the anger in him. "You told me all your time was given to lessons and study. And here I find you, in the arms of this ....this boy." He gestured derisively toward his bitter rival, someone he hated at the deepest level of his being for little reason. Someone he hated even more now he had seen how very much Mara Devine favored him. "He can't give you even half of what I can. I have been so patient, and you have been whoring behind my back!"
Practice on me. It had been months since that first realization that the training of a courtesan involved as much physical contact as theory, but those months had not been wasted by the innocent pair of lovers. Duncan had not been able to bear the thought of Mara touching another man, even in practice, and had proposed the daring alternative of himself as her canvas to work upon. It had taken weeks of wheedling and pleading with Elise to bring that proposal to fruition, but before Yearspass, the woman had agreed to allow it, provided they were careful not to bring those lessons to the knowledge of Duncan's class or family. As one year became the next, Mara began her instruction again, this time learning intimately her best friend and how to please him, and if at times it was awkward to have Elise there, murmuring instructions, it was better than being forced to touch and learn a stranger at her fingertips.
Such lessons were often at night, or in the earliest part of the morning, times when the nobility were not around to see the indiscretion, when no one was likely to catch the Mallory heir sneaking in and out of a young courtesan's apartments. With her best friend at her fingertips, Mara learned quickly, and Elise soon lost her disapproval of the young master who held such charms over her golden-haired charge's heart. She didn't approve of the liaison between them, but she no longer worked to keep them apart, bowing to the inevitability of young love.
A crisp morning in the depths of winter found the end of one such lesson, and Elise's voice breaking into a moment that had become too intimate for mere rehearsal. "If you two have finished canoodling together," she said sharply, though there was a smile in her voice as Mara cast her a guilty smirk. "Master Duncan, you must go before the morning truly begins. And you, little miss, have the music master to visit today."
Duncan was happy with their arrangement, at least for now, satisfied to be the object of the attentions Mara was being forced to bestow on him as she learned her craft. It was a little frustrating for him physically, but as a matter of course, he was also learning by way of experience what pleased her. Little nuances of courtship and of wooing a woman that would come to serve him well later. He learned what made her pulse quicken, what made her breath catch, what left her trembling and weak in his arms, but mostly the lessons were about pleasing him. Unlike other young men his age, he was always a perfect gentleman when in her company, not only for her sake but for Elise's. He had learned early on that if he could win Elise's approval, then the rest would be easy.
Duncan laughed at Elise's reproach, amused by her attempted scolding, when he sensed she had grown as fond of him as he had of her since she had reluctantly agreed to their little arrangement. It was dangerous, yes, but he was willing to accept the risk, and the irony wasn't lost on him that if everything went according to plan, Mara would be his wife before she ever needed to rely on her training to support herself, but for now, that was their secret. Duncan flourished Elise with a bow as he arose from the settee, practicing his own charms on the older woman and her charge. "It has been a pleasure as always, Madame," he told Elise, with a sly wink and smirk at Mara. Fortunately for him, the tunic he was wearing was long enough to cover the day's frustrations.
Elise's eyes narrowed as Mara giggled at the flourishing bow, though the older woman was smiling as she, too, rose to her feet. "You, sir, are fast becoming a silver-tongued rogue," she informed him in amusement. "Say your goodbyes. I'll see your horse is brought to the door." She nodded to the pair of them, shaking her head with a low chuckle as she swept from the room, closing the door behind her.
As the door shut, Mara burst out laughing, rising herself to wrap her arms around Duncan's neck and embrace him warmly. "I wish you could stay," she murmured. Over the months, she was truly coming into her own, the curves so newly arrived when they had shared their first kiss blossoming, and with them, her sense of adulthood beginning to loom. But still she saved her kisses, and her touch, for Duncan alone, albeit in the company of her guardian.
He laughed at Elise's response to him. He always felt happy when he was in their company, as though he had become part of the family. In truth, his own family life was dismal, and the warmth he felt from Elise - as much as the woman might try to hide it - was more affection than he could ever hope to receive from his own flesh and blood. His laughter softened into a smile as Mara wrapped her arms around him and bemoaned his leaving, as she did each and every time they had to part. "Someday soon, we won't have to say good-bye," he told her quietly, for her ears alone and not for those of her nursemaid, guardian, and tutor who might have other plans for her charge. "I promise," he whispered in her ear and brushed a chaste but fond kiss against her cheek. He had grown bolder and more sure of himself with these little visits and sure of her love and devotion to him and him alone.
"Someday soon, you'll be allowed to do more than look when I take my clothes off," she teased in reply, leaning into him, tilting her head back to lavish a kiss decidedly less chaste to his lips in answer, offering up her smile for him to taste before he had to go. She was always reluctant to let him go, and unknown to him, a nightmare of petulance and ill-discipline in the hours after his leaving, yet Elise had never once said he should stop coming. She could see the love between the younger pair, and though she knew it could not be allowed to last, still she let it go on as long as it could. They deserved a little happiness together before it was taken away from them.
"I dream of that day, as I dream of you," he replied, returning her kiss with equal ardor. Elise was right - he was slowly becoming a silver-tongued charmer, and girls closer to his station were starting to take notice of his good looks and charm. It certainly didn't hurt that his family was wealthy, but he showed little interest in other girls, as his heart belonged to the only one who'd been forbidden. He was reluctant, as always, to take her leave, and he looked forward with eagerness to each visit, whether it be here under Elise's watchful eye or in secret.
Wrapped up in his kiss, Mara was only vaguely aware of voices in the passageway beyond, of Elise's voice rising as though in warning. "- sir, she is not receiving any visitors today, you can't go in -" The door, however, was opened with a flourish, and a voice she'd hoped she would never hear in Duncan's presence again interrupted the gentle passion of their leavetaking with an incredulous, furious snarl. "So you are Mallory's little whore after all, Mara."
With a gasp of shock, not least because of the insult he had given her, she pulled away from Duncan and turned to face the intruder. Stefan Del Sol, nineteen years old, and almost as red as a beetroot in his anger.
Duncan would know that voice anywhere - that of his chief rival, not only for Mara's affections, but for everything in his life, it seemed. The hostility between the Mallorys and Del Sols went back farther than anyone could remember. No one remembered any more what had caused it and it no longer mattered. Such traditions were hard to break once they were part of a bloodline, and neither family patriarch had made any attempt to make peace with the other. Duncan, for his part, had no idea why Stefan hated him so, other than for the hatred that had been instilled in him for all things Mallory since the day he'd been born.
As far as Stefan was concerned, the fact that Mara held Duncan in his favor only added insult to injury. Duncan turned slowly, purposely placing himself between Mara and the older, taller boy who was closer to becoming a man, but had much more to learn about self-control and good manners. Duncan's eyes narrowed at the insult, rising to champion and defend the girl that he loved without thought for his own safety or consideration for the repercussions of his actions. "Take that back and apologize to the lady," he told him, gray eyes flashing a warning.
Behind Stefan, Elise caught Mara's eye before the girl could open her mouth to interject, understanding more of the tension between the young men than Mara did herself. If she interrupted now, she would be hurt, even without intention, and for once, Mara did as her guardian advised, shutting her mouth as Duncan stepped in front of her.
Stefan watched the younger pair with an ugly snarl on his lips. There was not just anger in his face, but hatred too, and hurt that was leveled at the golden-haired girl who quailed under his glare. He ignored Duncan a moment longer, his eyes fixed on Mara. "You said no one had had you," he said in a heavy tone, malice highlighting the anger in him. "You told me all your time was given to lessons and study. And here I find you, in the arms of this ....this boy." He gestured derisively toward his bitter rival, someone he hated at the deepest level of his being for little reason. Someone he hated even more now he had seen how very much Mara Devine favored him. "He can't give you even half of what I can. I have been so patient, and you have been whoring behind my back!"