Part 6 (2/2)
”What was that all about?” she asked, turning to Kor.
”This.” Without warning, he lifted her swiftly into his arms and began the long walk up the Grand Promenade to the reception desk.
”Wait-what? What are you doing?” Maggie demanded, but in a low voice, Kor was glad to note, since many avid eyes were watching them eagerly.
”Escorting you to the reception desk,” he answered matter-of-factly.
”But you don't have to carry me,” she protested.
”Yes, I do. That's the whole meaning of escorting you to the desk. It's the tradition here at the spa,” Kor explained. ”A mistress who doesn't have a slave strong enough to carry her at least most of the way to Reception is scorned and laughed at by the other patrons.”
But Maggie continued to protest.
”You don't know how many cupcakes I've eaten lately-I'm way too heavy.”
Kor burst out laughing. ”What? You're light as a feather, blondie. I could carry you all day.” He frowned. ”And what the h.e.l.l are cupcakes?”
”Little tiny cakes that have crazy amounts of fat and sugar and carbs.” Maggie sighed. ”Seriously though, you don't have to pretend I'm light. I nearly broke poor Jonas's back on the way from my s.h.i.+p to the chasm.”
”That skinny little slave.” Kor didn't even try to keep the scorn out of his voice. ”He probably couldn't lift a child. His weakness is no reflection on you.”
”Oh, well...” Maggie seemed somewhat mollified. ”I guess I never thought of it like that. But you know, he can't help being skinny and I can help being...uh, not skinny if I would just diet and exercise. And skinny guys aren't all bad-my fiance, Donald, is pretty, uh, slender.”
Kor frowned. ”You keep bringing him up. You'll have to tell me more about this skinny weakling you've promised to join with soon.”
”Hey!” Maggie protested. ”Donald's not-” But just then they arrived at the end of the Grand Promenade. At the far edge of the pristine white carpet the reception desk loomed, a high, polished structure made of solid black Korthinian marble. Two spa attendants-Sensorians, if their milky white skin was any indication-sat behind the desk.
”Yes, slave,” one said in a clear, bell-like voice. ”Whom have you brought to us?”
”May I present Lady Pope'nose,” Kor said clearly. He set his lady gently on her feet before the desk and then took a step back and bowed his head. Now it was up to Maggie.
Maggie wasn't sure what to do.
”Um, h.e.l.lo?” she said uncertainly, looking up at the strange beings staring down at her from behind the black, s.h.i.+ny desk. ”I'm here to check in?”
”Very good, Lady Pope'nose,” the one who had spoken first said. ”You are expected.”
”And may we congratulate you on a very fine entrance,” the second continued smoothly. ”It will surely be recorded in the annals for future contemplation.”
”Oh, thank you, I guess.” Maggie smiled at them.
At least, unlike the Sporran chauffeur, the desk attendants looked vaguely humanoid in the face. Their skin, however, was a strange milky white and both had long, white, tentacle-like hair which waved gently around their narrow heads like seaweed in some underwater current only they could feel. Their eyes were large, perfect ovals, the palest imaginable shade of pink with light blue stripes. They reminded Maggie strangely of Easter eggs.
The first attendant nodded at her. ”Your room is prepared and your luggage is already installed. Your gowns have been pressed and are hanging ready for your use.”
The second attendant frowned. ”But your slave's clothing has not been unpacked. It was our understanding from the call you made last night that you would not be traveling with a slave after all. I believe you said that the one you had planned to bring was still unbroken?” He glared meaningfully at Kor who was standing quietly behind her with his head bowed.
”Oh!” Maggie took a deep breath. ”Well, as a matter of fact, I did manage to, uh, break him at the very last minute,” she improvised quickly. ”And so...here he is with me. So I don't need any other slaves,” she added, remembering how angry Kor had gotten when the other slave had offered his a.s.sistance. Really, she had been sure he was about to blast the poor guy when he offered to help her to the reception desk.
”I can't help noting that your slave wears no pain collar,” the second attendant said. ”How can we be sure he is truly broken to your service? How do we know that he will not cause a ruckus or present problems to the other mistresses here at the spa?”
Maggie had no idea how to answer that. Luckily, Kor apparently did. He stepped forward, nodding his head respectfully to both the strange beings behind the desk.
”Your pardon for my interruption but I wish to declare myself. I am a true and obedient slave to my lady. I serve her with love and devotion so no collar is needed. I vow I will not cause any trouble as long as my lady is safe.” He frowned. ”If she is threatened, however, then I cannot speak for my actions. I would give my life to defend her and kill any who offered her harm.”
Maggie couldn't help being impressed with the speech. Kor seemed like a pretty straight forward kind of guy so the flowery language was a surprise but he pulled it off well. Obviously the desk attendants thought so too. They looked at each other and then nodded in unison.
”An impressive declaration,” said one, looking at Maggie. ”But are we given to understand that you have broken this slave with no more than the power of your will?”
”I told you, I serve her from love,” Kor insisted.
”But in her call to us, your lady said you were completely intractable. She vowed you would not even kiss her foot-as is right and necessary.” The attendant frowned at Kor in an accusatory way.
Maggie s.h.i.+vered, remembering the scene between Kor and Lady Pope'nose where he had threatened to bite her if she stuck her foot in his face. And then there was the vow he had made to never be a slave again while they were talking in the hovercoach. Surely this gesture of obedience was too much to ask of him.
”Oh,” she said hastily. ”That whole kissing the foot thing is such an old-fas.h.i.+oned custom and so unsanitary, you know I-”
Kor cut her off by dropping to his knees and kissing the top of her foot gently. But he didn't stop there. Maggie stifled a gasp as his large, warm hand slid up her ankle to caress her calf. His lips followed, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses from the top of her foot all the way up to the ticklish, sensitive spot behind her knee.
”Oh,” she whispered, reaching out a hand to steady herself. Her heart was pounding and her mouth was suddenly dry. Somehow she found her fingers buried in his springy black hair, almost as if she was urging him on. His mouth was moving even higher now, inching slowly but surely up her inner thigh. The coa.r.s.e black stubble on his cheeks scratched her tender flesh but his lips were as feather-light as b.u.t.terfly wings. ”Kor,” she murmured breathlessly. ”Kor, that's...I think that's enough.”
”Indeed it is, though you have been most generous with your display, Mistress.” The high, bell-like voice of the desk attendant cut through the spell that seemed to have been cast by Kor's gentle kisses. With a little gasp, Maggie looked up at the desk.
To her surprise, she saw that the two desk attendants had changed. Their faces and forms remained the same but their pale, milky-white skin was now a glowing pink and their tentacle like hair was almost maroon. The hair waved more quickly too-whipping back and forth like a nest of snakes someone had stirred with a stick.
”I...uh...” She shook her head, completely unable to think of anything to say.
Kor was suddenly on his feet again and standing beside her. ”If you'll give us the number of my lady's room, I would like to escort her there now. I must see to her needs.” He nodded at the attendants meaningfully and they nodded back in unison.
”Of course, slave,” said one. He handed Kor an envelope. ”Here are the keys. You and your lady are installed in our Green Suite. You will find it on the second level.”
”And may I recommend that you try the spa's facilities before the Grand Banquet tonight?” said the other. ”The Dreaming Wood is especially fine this time of year and our Remembrance Pool is beyond compare.”
”Of course.” Kor nodded. He bent and picked Maggie up again, as though it was no big deal for him to carry her everywhere. She was beginning to feel like Scarlet in Gone with the Wind and it was tempting to just let herself go with the flow. But there was something niggling at the back of her mind-something she was supposed to do...
Right-of course! I'm supposed to call Ferna and Ratner and let them know I'm here and they need to come get me.
Maggie couldn't believe she'd almost forgotten it. It had been so exciting and interesting and different checking into what amounted to a five star alien spa and having her own personal ”slave” to wait on her hand and foot, that she had nearly forgotten it wasn't real. But as pleasant as it all was, she had to get back to reality.
”Um, excuse me,” she called to the desk attendants, who were still a rosy pink. ”I almost forgot but I need to make a call back to the surface of the planet. Do you have a, uh, communication device I can use?”
To her surprise, both of the desk attendants began shaking and emitting high, squeaky, bird-like chirps and their skin turned bright orange. After one horrified moment of being sure they were both having seizures, she realized they were laughing at her.
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