Amatores

Chapter I.

Unedited!

Chapter I

~

"Aikaterine get thy self down here." Her mother bellowed from behind her closed door.

Aikaterine gave her lady in waiting a pointed look and let out a meager sigh, bracing her self for the tightening of her corset. They made her feel confined and felt rather excruciating to be seated in over a long period of time. She never could fathom why she was enforced to be dressed in them everyday. Why could not her attire be trousers like a gentleman?

Mary, her lady in waiting, pulled Aikaterine's bulky ivory colored dress over her undergarments and tightened the bodice with ease. Years of work made her an exceptional maidservant. She had been Aikaterine's mother's servant and her mother's as well. Passed down to each daughter thus far.

Aikaterine gathered her bulky dress in her two hands and gracefully slipped her pale feet into her heels. Her soles would feel excruciating by eventide.

She had always hated heels and corsets. Her mother often had to force her to be dressed. Mary had quite a hindrance when dressing a young Aikaterine. She used to throw quite a commotion when Mary would extend her hands out to tighten Aikaterine's bodice.

Aikaterine raised up cheerfully and placed a fraudulent smile on her face, pinching her cheeks to make them appear rosey.

"You are dismissed", Aikaterine informed Mary in a stiff tone. Typically she was not so harsh with her, but perhaps she had just risen on the wong side of the bed this foreday, forcing her to become harsh and rapacious.

Mary gave Aikaterine a modest curtsey and briskly vacated her quarters.

With a sigh, Aikaterine propped herself on the edge of her vanity and placed her head into her hands. Her head was absolutely pounding this evening. The feeling of tiny tin soldiers playing their drums in her head went on and on, seemingly lasting forever. This day would most definately feel elongated and rather tedious. She could not wait for the day to pass and turn into night. Her bed was already calling her.

Aikaterine's door opened slowly and her mother peeked her head inside. She looked quiet angry. "Are you finished wallowing? Mary told me you sent her off in quiet a hurry and you were rather rude."

Her parents threw quite a commotion when she was rather rude to the servants. They were not like other royal families. They felt as though the servants should be treated with respect as they treated us with respect when we spoke to them. It was a moral desision, but the topic did not always make the best supper conversation. Many other royals felt like their servants were not people. They were dogs sent here to do all our chores and make our lives manageable. Royals were not made to clean dishes or sweep the floor. Aikaterine always longed to roll her eyes at the families, but eye rolling was not a proper or lady like motion to perform.

"Sorry Mother. Aikaterine told her mother in a rather miniscule voice. I have just noticed that I do not feel quite like myself this day. I feel rather sick." Aikatherine finished with a brush of her hand across her forehead.

Aikaterine's mother stepped farther into the room and gently placed her hand atop her forehead. "You do feel rather warm and look awfully pale. Are you coming down with something Aikaterine?"

Aikaterine raised her shoulders slightly and let them fall almost as quickly as she had lifted them. "It is just the stress Mother. I have been under quiet a bit lately."

"What is it, that such a beautiful lady as yourself has so much she must stress herself over?" Her mother asked her in a demanding tone.

Aikaterine threw a glance towards her mother and shook her head steadily. "It is nothing Mother, just silly nonsence."

Mother gave her a slight look and let out a breath of air. "Ladies do not shake their heads, they answer with their words. I expect you will be in the foyer at half pass noon, not a minute later. We have special guest arriving this day."

Aikaterine's mother left her quarters hastily, with a slam of the door as her exit.

Aikaterine hesitated for a moment, but then quickly regained her thoughs. She grabbed a white sun hat off her vanity and placed it on her head carefully, concentrating on not disturbing her perfect brunette curls waving down her back. She had just enough time to make it to the stables before she was expected to be in the foyer.

Stepped out into the cold hallway, she rubbed the chill bumps that had just begun to rise up on her skin. It almost made her retreat back into her bed chambers and grab a cover up, but the outside would be to hot to wear such things.

She hastily made her way down the deep red carpeted stairs that led to the downstairs area and looked each direction before slipping into the kitchen. It felt rather hot and humid in the kitchen today. The servants were slaving themselves to make a supper fit for the King and Queens's guest arriving this foreday. A few servants adressed Aikaterine with a bow and turned back to their work, stirring pots that layed on stovetops.

She pushed open the heavy wooden kitchen door and stepped out onto the hard concrete. The sun shined heavily on her, already making her break out into a sweat. By the time she made it back into the main house she would be a sweaty mess, not in any shape to great guests. She took her hat off and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, wiping the moisture on the back of her dress. Her mother would be positively livid with Aikaterine if she would have seen what she just did. She could almost hear her mother's voice calling out, "ladies do not wipe sweat on their dresses."

Aikaterine made her way into the stables, petting each horse delicately as she passed them. Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes finally found him. Thomas.

Thomas wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and let out a raspy sigh. He was out in the sun since it had risen, working in the stables, cleaning the stalls and feeding the horses. It was only mid day and he already looked completely exhausted already. He worked to hard.

Aikaterine moved closer to Thomas and laid a hand on his shoulder. He turned around swiftly and grabbed her waist, pulling her body tightly against his.

"I missed you sweet Katerine." He told Aikaterine softly, placing a small featherlike kiss on the tip of her nose.

"I find that I have missed you quite tremendously to." She whispered back quietly.

Thomas flashed her a extravagant smile and placed a quick peck on her lips. "We can not do this here. We are going to get caught out here."

Aikaterine nodded her head sorrowfully and took a modest step back, only to have her body pulled against Thomas's once again.

"I said we should not do it. I never said you had to step away from me or that I did not want to feel your body on mine." Thomas told her in a husky voice.

His lips met Aikaterine's in a haste. They were soft and warm. They made her whole body quiver.

Aikaterine pulled her lips back unanticipatedly and took a vast step back. Thomas made a move to follow her, but she hastily placed the palms of her hands against his chest and slightly pushed him back.

"You are right. If we continue here we will be caught,"

Thomas nodded his head joylessly and smiled.

"You should get back inside before any one comes out here looking for you. You know you are never left alone for long. I would not be surprised if some one was looking for you now."

She let out a meager sigh and dolefully nodded her head. "You are most certaintly correct. I should be heading back to the main house. Will I see you tonight?" Aikaterine asked Thomas with raised eyebrows.

Thomas answered back saying of course and lightly kissed her hand. "Till tonight my lady."

Aikaterine blushed deeply and kissed his sweaty cheek. "Till tonight my fine sir." With a quiet giggle, she hastily retreated out of the shadows of the stables and back into the sweltering sun, praying that the day would quickly turn into night and the moon would soon rise.