How Much is That Doggie in the Window? [M]

[Zero]

At least they were in agreement on that issue. Erik Varrys could still make his life a pain. If his daughter was willing to omit certain information, then all the better. Maybe they'd mention it after the man warmed up to him more...if he ever did.

"Mhm." It was the only real acknowledgement she was going to get to her thanks as brown-gold eyes watched her curtsy to him before trying to recover quickly - probably after realizing she had just curtsied to a slave. Bet her father wouldn't have liked that. For a man that apparently didn't have any slaves until now, he still seemed to think that Tobias should act like one. Probably thought he should be treated like one too, but he very much doubted the man even knew what most slaves were treated like.

"Do I want to go back in? Lass, you really don't know how this works, do you?" The werewolf laughed softly. "You're the boss, so when you want to go back in, we go back in. I'm just like a shadow, I go where you go."

[DragonSong]

Tessa scrunched her nose at him, frowning. "I know how it's supposed to work, I'm just not very fond of the concept." She shook her head. "Alright, in we go then, I guess." She headed for the door, glancing over her shoulder to make sure her new "shadow" stayed with her.

"I'll show you the library," she decided, making for the stairs. It was getting late, and she knew her parents would expect her to retire to her room soon, but she could usually avoid them if she hid out in the library until the went to bed themselves.

[Zero]

As soon as Tessa started moving, Tobias was off the bench and back on his feet as he followed along, grinning slightly when she looked back to check on him. As if he had anywhere else to or anything else to do.

The werewolf didn't comment on her choice in destination - after all he'd told her he would go where she went. Still, inwardly he groaned at the idea of going to a library. It was just going to be awkward and his new mistress was going to realize that he wasn't all that smart. Big, gentle, and laid-back weren't bad ways to be described, but dumb was a word he'd heard far too often.

"So I've been meaning to ask you something, lass. Why did you and your father decide to buy a slave? I know I'm supposed to protect you, from some business rival or something, but why not just hire a personal bodyguard instead of buying one?" He thought it was a pretty good question.

[DragonSong]

Tessa, who had been reaching for the door that led to the library, hesitated. "Actually...I'm not really sure. He said something about slaves...being less trouble, more- docile, I guess." She flushed, not meeting his eyes. Shame formed a pit in her stomach. "Honestly though, I think he figured the one time cost of buying a slave would be smarter from a business standpoint than paying a bodyguard's salary."

She practically spit the words out, hands starting to shake. She clenched them into fists in an effort to hide it. "He's never bought a slave before though," she continued softly, shaking her head. "I don't understand...and I hate being the reason he's doing it now." She shoved the door open with more force than was strictly necessary and walked into the library.

It was a large room that took up about half of the second floor of the east wing, rows of shelves lined up along the walls. "So, here it is," she said with a smile that was rather forced, desperately trying to change the subject. She winced internally. Yeah, he's so not going to buy that...

[Zero]

Well, Tobias supposed that some slaves were more docile, but those slaves would be useless for guarding someone. They'd be too docile, too timid, too afraid. Although he had to question the idea of it being about cost effectiveness too. If that was the case why didn't he simply only have slaves? He could save the salaries of every servant he had buy paying a one-time cost to buy slaves to replace them.

The topic was obviously upsetting the young woman he was supposed to be protecting, though he guessed protecting her emotions fell a little outside of his responsibility.

They stepped into the library and he let his eyes roam over the room, learning the layout and not much else. Shelf upon shelf was lined with books - more books than he could ever recall even seeing. Not that it mattered to him about books - Tobias couldn't read or write. In a poor, rural village like his those weren't exactly considered essential skills to know.

"You sound really upset about having a slave here, but if it helps at all, lass, there's no hard feelings over the whole buying me thing. Somebody was going to eventually, and you don't treat me like a thing to be used and discarded on a whim. That's more than most people in my position could have asked for." It was true, and he was grateful at least in part.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, no, I didn't mean- I mean it's not like people here will dislike you because you're a slave- but you know that, I mean you met Della. I just-" She stopped, flushing, and cleared her throat. "I'm glad there are no...hard feelings," she said finally, with a small smile. As silly and childish as it seemed, she was starting to hope they may actually get along pretty well. He was easy to talk to, and she found she was growing increasingly fonder of the way he called her "lass" instead of "Miss Tessa".

Mentally shaking herself, she turned to the shelves, eyes skating over the titles. "This is all Father's ledgers and such," she said, indicating the first few shelves on the left with a wave of her hand. "Nothing really worth reading there, unless you're dying to know how he runs his business." She walked further into the room, fingers drifting softly over the wood of the shelves.

She loved it in here. It was her escape, her sanctuary, a place she could be completely safe and wildly adventurous all at once. She began to drift out of the present, eyes searching, searching. "Ah, here!" Her gaze caught on the title she'd been looking for, on the top shelf. "I haven't read this in forever," she said quietly with a fond smile, reaching for it.

Tall as she was, she couldn't quite grab it. She sighed and looked around. "I know there's a step ladder around here somewhere..." She bit her lip, frowning, then laughed at herself, "Honestly, I'd hoped I'd outgrown needing it by now."

[Zero]

Not disliking someone because they were a slave was different than not treating them differently because they were a slave. A person could like him and still not treat him as an equal - not that he really figured Erik, Nateri, or Tessa would ever treat him as an equal. So far Tobias was fairly sure Della wouldn't treat him like he was lesser than her, and the kids, of course would just be kids.

Just thinking of how Isaac treated him made him blush softly and duck his head to hide it - yeah, no lesser treatment there. The werewolf had reservations about Jacobi, who'd seemed quite displeased with him at first sight, and he wondered about the grumpy Andrew the young lady had mentioned.

Trying to push thoughts about how he'd fit into the household, he laughed softly at his mistress as he stepped up beside her, probably the closest he'd actually been to her, so he could reach above her and pull the book she'd been after from the shelf and offering it to her with a grin. "Who needs a step ladder when you've got a giant like me around?"

[DragonSong]

Tessa grinned in response as she took the book from him. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point. Thanks." She tilted her head back to better see his face. Gods, he really is big. "You know, I'm not used to looking up at people," she joked, silver eyes glinting.

She began to realize how close they were standing and felt her face start to heat. Growing up the way she did, she hadn't had much exposure to men her own age, at least not without supervision. It wasn't considered "proper". There had been no childhood sweethearts for her, no dancing at holiday festivals. And now- well he'd never stood so close before, and she couldn't deny that there was an almost magnetic attraction about him. Isaac had certainly thought so.

She was starting to understand that maybe her upper class education had been lacking something. She was twenty-one years old for gods' sakes, and here she was as flustered as a school girl!

She stepped away sharply, ducking her head to hide the blush. "So, uh- did you want to grab something to read?" She started moving toward one of the large, comfortable chairs that were scattered in different nooks around the library.

[Zero]

"Least you don't have as far up to look as some do, lass. Not a whole lot of women I meet as tall as you." Tobias was still grinning, even as he felt a sudden shift in the tension between them. There was always tension between two people - sometimes good, sometimes not.

This wasn't really good or bad tension - maybe slightly confusing tension.

Either way, as Tessa ducked her head and stepped away quickly the werewolf appeared completely oblivious to the affect his proximity had on her. For the same reason as he'd been so taken aback and shocked at Isaac's earlier flirtation - he had no idea he was attractive. Although he was somewhat aware of the wolf's ability to draw people in - or repel them.

It was a human recognition of something primal in the wolf, something that could only be abstractly defined and felt. Some were drawn to that primalness, others were instinctively wary or outright fearful of it.

"Oh, uh...no thanks, lass. I'll just...pass on that offer." Tobias was obviously flustered as he followed Tessa, eyes trying to find a chair near the one she was heading for.

[DragonSong]

"Well...alright," she said, looking at him with a curious frown. Now that there was some distance between them she was feeling calmer. "Won't you be bored, though?" She settled herself into the chair with a soft sigh, mindful of her skirts, and placed the book in her lap. "I mean, it can't be very interesting to just sit there while I read-" she started.

She might have said something else, but just then Mia's voice floated into the room. "Miss Tessa? You in here?"

Her eyes went wide and she bolted up out of the chair to scramble around and hide behind it, swearing colorfully under her breath. Urgently she beckoned for Tobias to get down out of sight, hissing, "We are not here."

[Zero]

A mild panic immediately began to set in as Tobias racked his brain for some excuse to give other than the simple truth that he couldn't read. He bet the servants here knew how to read. What would they all think of him if he was the only one in the house that couldn't?

He was saved from having to come up with something by the sudden voice coming through the door, and the subsequent scramble of his mistress to hide behind her chair. Warm brown-gold eyes stared at her with puzzlement before looking around skeptically. Where did she think he was going to hide? The werewolf wouldn't fit as neatly behind a chair as her.

With a slight scowl he dropped quietly down to the floor and crawled into a nook, trying to conceal himself between a chair, small table, and a bookshelf. "Why aren't we here?" He asked in a soft voice, obviously confused by their hiding.

[DragonSong]

"Because there is a very long and complicated process involved in proper young ladies preparing for bed," Tess responded in a whisper that was barely more than a breath, "and Mia and I have a deal that if she can't find me within an hour of sunset then she'll make some excuse to both our mothers and I don't have to go through it."

The realization of how childish that sounded washed over her and she blushed scarlet. How many times today had she professed that she was a grown woman, not a child, and now here she was crouched behind her chair, hiding from her maid in an effort to avoid taking a bath.

Well, there was quite a bit more to it than taking a bath, but still.

"We've been doing it since we were kids," she muttered by way of excuse. Then she closed her eyes, sighing. "You must think I'm mental."

[Zero]

Tobias peeked from around the corner of his hiding spot to look at Tessa incredulously. They were hiding because she didn't want to get ready for bed? That was the big thing that had him crawling into a little nook and hiding like a moron?

Was he her bodyguard or her babysitter?

It was impossible for him not to snicker softly at her reasoning, especially with her face all red like that. The irony was not at all lost on the werewolf."I think you're a very funny young lady, lass."

[DragonSong]

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him with difficulty. That was all she needed to help her case. Still, she found herself smiling slightly, pleased that even after he knew the silly reasoning behind her actions he went along with them.

"Found you!"

Tessa groaned, looking up to see Mia peering over the back of the chair. "Damnit..."

"Well, that's not very ladylike," her maid said as she hopped down from the chair and reached behind it to pull her up. Then she glanced over at Tobias and shook her head, giggling. "I can't believe she got you to go along with her," she said, eyes dancing merrily. Then she added, "Oh, I'm Mia by the way. We haven't been properly introduced, but Mum told me a bit about you."

[Zero]

This time the werewolf didn't bother with quiet snickering. Tobias laughed outright at Tessa's clear displeasure at being found in the little game of hide and seek with her maid. How bad could whatever this "complicated process" really be? The woman probably got pampered every night before bed and like a spoiled child complained about it.

His laughter faded into a grin as Mia giggled at him in his own hiding spot, it took a little wiggling for him to get himself unwedged from his little nook. Trying to hide when you were such a large man wasn't all that easy.

"I remember you tried to talk to me at dinner, lass. Sorry if I was rude, was feeling about as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, what with Mister Varrys looking like he'd bitten a lemon the whole time." He stood up and stretched, still grinning. "As for your mother telling you about me, I deny everything...unless it was good, then it's probably true."

[DragonSong]

Both Tessa and Mia laughed, the elder bringing her hand to her mouth out of habit. "She said the twins love you, which means you'll probably have them following you around like ducklings," Mia told him, smiling. Then she smirked. "She also said you can eat enough for three people- though seeing you standing up all tall-like, I think I understand why."

"Mia!" Tessa scolded, laughing.

"What?" Her maid looked at her, raising her eyebrows. "It's not as if him being tall would be news to him." She flashed Tobias a friendly grin, then grabbed Tessa's arm, saying, "Now if you'll excuse us, Miss Tessa and me got an evening ritual to perform. Pleasure meeting you, officially." She started pulling Tessa away.

"Would you hold on a moment?" she demanded, reaching back for the book left abandoned on the arm of the chair. Mia glanced at it, then rolled her eyes.

"You and your books," she muttered. "Well, come on, then. I won, fair and square, let's get you all prettified for bed." She scooted around behind her and began prodding at her back, herding her toward the door.

"This is a pointless endeavor," Tessa groaned, as she had a thousand times before. Glancing back at Tobias as she was shooed toward the hall she said, "Feel free to explore on your own. This...may take awhile."

"Better you than me," Mia said cheerfully.

This time Tessa failed to suppress the urge to stick her tongue out.

[Zero]

An extra warmth came to those brown-gold eyes as Tobias laughed softly at the idea of the twins loving him and following him around like ducklings. Well he certainly wasn't opposed to the young ones' company.

He laughed a little harder when she mentioned his appetite.

"Aye, lass. Been hearing it all my life, and it's been nice meeting you too." The werewolf was still rather amused by the rather childish dynamic between the two young women. Funny to know that the maid could boss around the little miss a bit! At least when it came to this mysterious bedtime ritual they spoke of. He was actually a bit curious as to what all was involved now.

"Well if I am free to explore, then if it's all the same to you I think I'll head back to my room. It's been a long, stressful day, lass. Are you going to need me for anything else before morning?"

[DragonSong]

"Probably not," Tessa said with a smile. "I'll see you in the morning then. Pleasant dreams-" The words were barely out of her mouth before Mia practically shoved her into the hallway and she staggered, demanding, "Was that entirely necessary?"

"No, it's just fun," the younger woman said with an impish grin. Tessa swatted at her playfully and she ducked away, laughing. "Come on, we really do have to get you ready for bed or Madam will have both our hides."

Tessa sighed and trailed after her to her bedroom, tossing the book onto her bed, then through the small door- set into the opposite wall from the door that led to Tobias's room- that led into her private bath.

"Let's get this off," Mia said cheerfully and set about freeing Tessa of her corset. She winced with every lace pulled free, ribs protesting the jarring.

"I can undress myself you know," she muttered. She usually preferred to, it made her feel very young to have Mia do it.

"Not with this monstrosity you can't," her maid replied, and Tessa had to admit she was right. It was a newer gown, and current fashion seemed to scoff at the idea of a lady being able to dress and undress without help. Finally the multiple layers of the damned thing were off and Tessa was shooed into a scalding hot bath. She flinched as the water touched her bare skin, the bruises left on her ribs by the corset. Mia tutted when she saw them, frowning. "Those don't look good."

Tessa nodded. "Always happens the first few times I wear a new dress," she muttered, reaching for a bar of soap. Mia perched on the edge of the tub, humming softly and slightly off-key as she retrieved a comb from somewhere and set about freeing Tessa's hair from the pins that had kept it off her face all day.

"Tobias seems nice," she commented as she worked. Tessa nodded again, splashing the now only moderately boiling water over her skin. Mia upended a bottle of some sort of scented oil- lily, she thought- over her head and combed it through her hair. "He's quite...imposing, I think is the word."

Tessa smiled. "Until you talk to him, then he seems more like a teddy bare." She giggled. "Gods, Mia, you should have seen him and Isaac!"

Her maid laughed with her. "Oh, I would have paid to watch that," she chuckled. She reached for a tin of white powder and Tessa stiffened. Mia gave her a sympathetic look. "It's easier if we just do it fast," she said. Tessa nodded, and she upended the tin over the water. As the powder dissolved, her skin began to itch, then burn. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, cursing her mother and her "miracle products". It was supposed to keep the skin's "youthful glow", but privately Tessa thought it might just be some diluted acid. She'd actually cried the first time Nateri made her use it when she was twelve, but now she just waited it out.

After several minutes she could take no more and vaulted from the tub, reaching for the towel that Mia was already holding out to her. "Alright," she said with a smile, wrapping it around herself. "Part One, finished."

Her maid winked. "On to Part Two."

[Zero]

Tobias watched the two women leave with a smile, then let the expression fade as his eyes began turning to a shade closer to polished amber than brown. The first thing he did was poke his head out of the library to make sure the hall was empty after the two women disappeared, then gave the air a tentative sniff to be extra sure he was alone.

For such a large individual he moved quietly through the halls, avoiding the other individuals of the house stealthily as he inspected and sniffed his way through the house. The scents of the residents easily familiarized themselves with his nose.

By the time he stepped into his room and silently shut the door behind him he was quite sure that he could recognize every person that lived or worked in the home by scent and sight.

The werewolf put his ear to the door connecting his room to Tessa's, listening for the young women. He could hear them faintly, but they were not in her room, so he opened the door quietly and did a very quick check of the room. There was the scent of someone who didn't belong there, but it was faint - old, from the previous night, or older.

Satisfied the room was empty and relatively secure, he hurried back to his room and shut the door silently. With the wolf feeling confident that there was no current threat present, Tobias was able to relax just a little.

He pulled his boots off and set them neatly beside his bed before laying down on top of his covers and closing his eyes lightly, ears still alert for sounds in the room adjacent to his.

[DragonSong]

After what felt like several dozen creams and powders to be smoothed onto various areas of her skin- all purchased from the same alchemist who continually came up with new products to sell her mother, damn him- Tessa sat on the edge of her bed wearing a nightgown with Mia perched on the mattress behind her, running a brush through her hair.

"I really can do this myself," she said, as she always did.

"Shush." Mia thumped her head lightly with the brush, then set about gathering her hair into a long, thick braid over her left shoulder.

This was where Tessa was allowed to take over. Her hair was simply too long. "So did anything of interest happen while Father and I were out?" she asked, shifting back onto the bed so she switched positions with the maid. She tied off her hair and picked up the brush.

"Of course not," Mia said, taking her own auburn hair out of its bun to allow her to run the brush through it. It was a strange little ritual they'd been doing since Tessa was fourteen and Mia eleven. "Well, Madam was running about planning something, but Marion won't tell me what." She pouted.

"Oh dear." That may be worrisome... She put the thought from her mind, smoothing a hand over the younger woman's hair as she reached for a ribbon to tie it back. "I know she has me meeting with a dance instructor at noon, I wonder if that has anything to do with it."

Mia chuckled. "I'll have to tell Isaac, he'll want to watch that." Tessa scowled and swatted at her. Of all the decorum lessons her mother put her through, dancing was her least favorite- she'd never been particularly graceful, and while her mother made tall look stately, she just felt like a galumphing giant.

Her maid leaped away, laughing, and said, "Alright then, I'm off to bed. See you in the morning, Miss Tessa."

"Good night," she replied with a wave and a smile as Mia left. Then she simply sat on the bed, eyes roaming around the room. It had always felt safe before, but now that she was alone... She wrapped her arms around herself and stood, moving toward the window to check the latch. Locked of course. Still feeling uneasy, she paced the length of the room a few times, finally ending up outside the door that led to Tobias's. She almost raised her hand to knock, to assure herself that he was indeed there, but then told herself how childish that was and hurried to her own bed.

You're fine, she told herself firmly. Everything's fine. Just go to sleep...