The Watcher

The events of the past week danced within her mind. The realization that she was a powerful sorceress gave her new challenges with each passing moment. Her thoughts drifted between two men she adored most. Both of them held very special places in her heart. She felt an infinite happiness. The same way she felt the day she met the man who was now her husband. A similar feeling filled her with the thoughts of how her new butler was a very dear and old friend. She knew she could trust both of them explicitly with anything. She finished dressing for dinner, and departed her suite. As she headed down the hallway toward the elevator, she briefly overheard her cousin’s voice reach out to her, but nothing more. The door of her sister’s suite opened and her cousin emerged into the hallway. She stared in disbelief as her cousin slumped to the floor. She immediately ran towards her cousin’s unconscious form.

“Catherine! Ferule! I need you both, now!” she commanded with her mind. She knelt beside her cousin and quickly took notice of her cousin’s dishevelled state. Blood flowing profusely from several cuts on her cousin’s forearm. Her driver appeared next to her having run the distance from downstairs at a sprint.
“Check the room for an assailant. Quickly make sure no one else is hurt.” She commanded. She had already begun administering first aide to her cousin’s wound when she blacked out. She never saw her assailant approach her from behind, from the open door of her own suite.

She awoke more than an hour later. Her husband’s eyes smiled at her as she opened her eyes.
“What happened?” she tried to speak.
“Catherine found you face down in the hallway. Your cousin has already been seen by the doctor and is resting. She has not woken up yet.” Her husband said.
“Who or what hit me? My head feels like it’s going to explode.” She barely whispered. The effort to even project her thoughts felt like knives inside her head.
“Ferule had arrived just as Catherine found you. Your assailant had evaded him.” Her husband affirmed to her.
“Ferule, I am awake.” The pain of projecting her thought to Ferule was excruciating but she remained conscious. Ferule’s green eyes glowed briefly before the remaining light in the room reflected off his waistcoat. Ferule walked, almost marched to the foot of her bed.

“Is there anything you wish, mistress?” Ferule spoke softly, in a tone that hinted of his concern for her safety. She noticed her husband flinch slightly as though Ferule’s presence has startled him.
“No, Thank you, Ferule.” She whispered softly. “I know this is not the way I wanted to introduce the two of you. Darling, meet Ferule. Ferule, My husband, James.”
“My pleasure, sir!” Ferule shook her husband’s hand firmly. “I’ve looked forward to this for some time now.”
“Thank you, Ferule.” Her husband replied. “But Natalie has never mentioned you before.”
“Forgive me, sir, But Mistress’s new station warrants my change in employment.” Ferule stated. “I was previously employed by one of Mistress’s older relatives who passed on some time ago. I remained at her estate until I was needed here. I arrived with Mistress’s guests only this afternoon.”
“Ferule,” she fought back the sharp pain in her mind. “That may be the truth, but it’s quite a stretch. Anything more you care to add? Like… how old you really are?”
“We best save the pieces of the last seven hundred years for a more appropriate time, mistress.” She heard ferule’s voice inside her head.
“You’ve had quite enough excitement for today, Mistress. I shall have your dinner brought to you shortly. Please see to it that Mistress remains resting, Sir.” Ferule quipped. Ferule departed as though it was precisely what she wanted. She noticed her ring glowing a pale orange as she reached out for her husband’s hand. She noticed her husband’s ring also glowed in the same colour as he took her hand in his and sat down beside her on the bed.
“You shall have need of Ferule’s services this week while the family prepares for the banquet on Saturday.” She whispered, trying to hold back the tide of pain in her head.
“I shall be sequestered with your Great Grandfather in the north tower for most of the week.” Her husband replied quietly.
“I already know, but Ferule may have some interesting ideas for you.” She whispered. “He is much older than he looks, and it is part of his station to protect the family. What you will be doing, he has done for some time already.”

“I understand, I just wish you could have told me sooner.” Her husband replied.
“Sorry, darling, but I only just met Ferule today too.” She whispered back. Just then Ferule re-entered the bedroom with some of the kitchen staff bearing two dinner trays and a wine bucket. The kitchen staff set their burdens down before her husband and herself and quickly departed.
“Mistress is not to indulge but may have only one glass of wine after dinner. Until your doctor permits you, you shall have to be careful.” Ferule announced quietly. “If Sir will permit me, I trust he will find the wine to be an excellent vintage.” Ferule, with expert hands opened the bottle of Chateau Briande silently.
“1963 was a very good year, sir.” Ferule announced as he poured a mouthful of wine from the bottle into her husband’s glass. She gently nudged her husband to have a taste of the wine as is proper, when a butler serves wine at a meal.
“Most excellent, Ferule.” Her husband replied after tasting the wine. Ferule filled her husband’s glass after he’d set it back onto his dinner tray.
“I shall return after you’ve finished your meal, Mistress.” Ferule replied and departed without anything more needing to be said. She glanced over to see Ferule pause as he closed both doors of the bedroom. She winked at Ferule before the doors finally hid him from view.
“You ham!” she thought to Ferule.
“Thank you, Mistress. I always wanted to do that.” Ferule replied inside her head. “Quite frankly though, 1963 was really horrible for wine. But a really good year for brandy! Enjoy your glass, Mistress. I filled your glass with an old recipe that will aide you far more than anything your physician can concoct for you.
“Yuck. It looks positively disgusting!” she thought back to Ferule. “You really don’t expect me to drink something as offensive as that!”
“Trust me, Mistress.” Ferule spoke in her head. “Dragon’s blood has many uses. I would willingly sacrifice my own life for your safety.”
“Ferule seems to have thought of everything, Darling.” Her husband spoke snapping her attention back to her dinner tray. Her glass resembled a concoction of vegetable cocktail. Its reddish brown colour hinted as to it’s other contents.

“Ferule certainly has a way with culinary delights, but I think all I will try for now is something to drink.” She spoke. She looked at her glass once more and decided that she may as well get things over with and see if she could handle anything else. She picked up her glass and downed it.
“Looks like you were thirsty, Darling.” Her husband spoke to her. She felt immediately refreshed. The contents of her glass gave her a warm feeling throughout her entire body. She felt everything about herself including the child growing inside her womb. She felt as though her daughter was calling to her.
“Darling, Are you all right?” her husband asked.
“I feel very strange.” She whispered. She grabbed his hand as she felt the room begin to spin wildly out of control.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” he shouted at her.
“Hold my hand and do not let go.” She calmly spoke to him. “Can you hear her?”
“Hear whom?” was her husband’s reply. She saw her ring and her husband’s glow with a warm intensity. “There is just the two of us.”
“Our daughter, Darling.” She whispered.
“You’re pregnant?” her husband asked with excitement. “You never told me! That’s wonderful news.”
“Sorry, darling.” She whispered. “I can almost hear her calling to me.”
“I do not pretend to know everything about you, nor this sixth sense you seem to possess. Let’s enjoy our dinner together.” Her husband spoke. “Afterwards you can rest and regain some of your strength.” The truth was, the salve that Ferule had prepared for her made her feel better than she’d ever felt in her life.

“Cuddle and hold me close?” she whispered as she winked at her husband.
“There is never enough time in a day for hugs and cuddles.” Her husband winked back at her. Her husband lifted her meal tray from the bed and set it aside. The two of them curled up together and fell asleep. Neither of them heard Ferule remove the untouched dinner trays later that hour. A soft green glow filled the entire room until the first rays of dawn began to rise above the horizon.

She opened her eyes and found the morning sun blazing through the windows. She was not alone. She was still curled up in her husband’s arms. Ferule had spent the night in his true form chained to within an arms reach of her. The faint smell of brimstone lingered. She reached out and touched Ferule’s scales. Ferule’s green eyes instantly stared back at her.
“Please forgive me, Mistress.” Ferule whispered.
“You have done nothing to be forgiven for, Ferule.” She interrupted.
“Your husband may not approve of my being here.” Ferule snorted.
“Perhaps, but I think he will understand, and I feel great this morning.” She whispered to Ferule. She rose from the bed and reached over to touch Ferule’s bindings. The chains immediately fell against the floor’s carpet.
“Have you no shame, Mistress?” Ferule snorted. “Your bed clothes are supposed to remain on your body during the night, not end up on the floor.”
“I prefer having nothing between my husband and myself when we sleep,” She whispered. “And I am very horny this morning.” She fell back into bed and found her husband’s morning erection waiting for her. She immediately impaled herself upon her husband and gently woke him while his erection began massaging her between her thighs. She noticed a faint green glow mix with the sunlight as her husband opened his eyes. She immediately felt his warm tongue against her nipples.

“Good morning, Darling.” She spoke softly. “Make love to me like you did on our wedding day.” She found her husband needed no further encouragement and soon found herself in blissful abandonment. The green glow she noticed moments before was gone though she felt Ferule’s presence was still close by. Her husband brought her to several overpowering orgasms before she felt his erection filling her womb with cum. She joined him in one last final orgasm before collapsing while still impaled by his slowly fading erection.
“I would love to remain in bed with you, Darling, but your great grandfather expects me back at the hall this morning.” Her husband announced to her. “And I am sure you have duties to be done today as well.”

“Yes, I do.” She replied. “I have my guests to attend to, as well as finding out how my cousin is this morning.”
“Shall we meet at the hall for lunch?” her husband asked.
“How about we make it dinner, instead?” she asked as her reply. “I think I am going to be very busy today.”
“Dinner it is then,” he replied to her. “At eight?”
“As always!” she giggled. She rose from her husband’s hips. Sperm immediately began running down the insides of her thighs as she alighted from the bed. Her swollen vulva trapping most of her husband’s cum within her body. She thought longingly of throwing herself into blissful abandonment within her husband’s embrace and remain making love to him the rest of the day, but her duties as the matriarch of the family precluded her from such pursuits today. She wondered what she was going to wear today, but noticed that clothes were already laid out for her.
“Ferule… I am a big girl and can choose my own clothes.” She spoke from her mind.

“Old habits, Mistress.” She heard Ferule’s voice reply. “I shall have to strive to be better.” She started dressing herself. Ferule’s wardrobe choices for her, perfectly flattered her figure. She felt a strange sensation as the material of her blouse touched her skin. She took notice of how the material shimmered like silk, but was definitely not silk. She was reaching for her skirt when her husband returned already fully clothed.

“I have to be off, darling. See you this evening at dinner?” her husband asked. She embraced him passionately though briefly.
“You’d better be ready to make love to me tonight.” She stated firmly yet playfully. “All night, if you can handle it.”
“Sounds like a challenge to me sweetheart.” Her husband quipped back. “See you tonight at dinner.” Her husband kissed her and departed as her driver Catherine entered the suite.
“Did I interrupt anything?” her driver giggled, noticing that she was only wearing a blouse.
“Ten minutes ago, you might have.” She giggled in return, while continuing to dress. “How is everyone this morning?”
“Your guests are well. They spent the night in shifts watching over everyone. I did notice that our cousin’s fiancé turned up at an odd hour in a very dishevelled state.”
“Oh?” she replied, wondering herself why that would be.
“I did have an opportunity to question him, but he had no recollection about where he’d been or what happened to him.” Her driver stated.
“Where is he now?” she asked.
“He’s down at breakfast at the moment. Your husband is escorting him to the hall this morning.” Her driver stated.
“Something about him tells me he brings a great danger to all of us.” She stated. “And I know Ferule would not dislike anyone for no reason.”
“You noticed it too?” her driver asked. “Have you tried to feel for his presence or his thoughts?” She reached out with her mind and began searching for her cousin’s fiancé. What she found startled her immediately.
“Do you remember the presence we felt when we met Ferule?” she asked.
“I remember. Pure evil at best.” Her driver stated.
“I feel it again, but somehow diminished from what it was.” She calmly spoke. “It is not our place to interfere with our cousin’s choice for a husband, but I fear he may have been unfortunate to have become a vessel for this evil to hide.”

“Perhaps your guests can be of service in finding out more.” Her driver spoke.
“Great idea.” She replied. “I’d like to stop in and see how our cousin is this morning before we go down to breakfast.” She donned the blazer, which was the last of the clothing laid out for her.
“She is still resting.” Her driver replied. “I took the liberty of checking in on her this morning. The doctor will be seeing her later this morning.”
“Wake up cousin.” She reached out with her mind. While she could feel her cousin’s presence, she heard no response. This worried her a great deal.
“Breakfast first then?” she quipped.
“You sound like you’re back to your old self.” Her driver giggled. “You always did get hungry after sex.”
“And this morning is no exception.” She giggled in return. The clothing she was wearing shifted against her skin no matter how slight the movement. Her long blond hair flowed down her back. The two of them departed the suite and headed for the atrium. She noticed the maid stationed outside her sister’s suite. No doubt Ferule had insisted that someone remain on the suite’s door until her cousin was once again awake.
“You’re holding out on us.” Her driver spoke.
“What?” she replied, not knowing what she was supposed to have been hiding?
“You’ve got a new seamstress, don’t you?” Her driver stated. The clothes she was wearing were clearly of a completely different cut than what she normally wore. The combination of fabric, and style completely flattered her entire figure. The effect was nothing short of stunning.

“One of Ferule’s many talents.” She replied. “He had laid out my wardrobe last night after I had retired.”
“I wouldn’t mind knowing who he had make these for you.” Her driver stated. “I’m almost jealous.”
“Careful Catherine.” She reminded her driver. “Jealousy is very powerful and one of the evils that had cursed us for so long.”
“You are true.” Her driver replied. They had finally finished descending the stairs when she noticed her husband leaving the atrium.
“Not driving today?” she asked.
“I had made arrangements for a car to be available for your husband today.” Her driver replied.
“And he was just leaving.” She stated almost sadly.
“But we have the Ferrari to ourselves today.” Her driver giggled. “And I know how you love to drive that car.”
“Aye, and you love it too.” She quipped back. “Breakfast? I’m starved!”
“Definitely… we can catch up on some gossip too.” Her driver replied. The two of them headed for the reception hall off the atrium. They quickly seated themselves and listened to the discussions already in progress at the table.
“You’re looking well this morning, Mistress.” Commented Lady Gwen.

“Thank you, I hope our cousin feels as well as I do this morning.” She replied. “The doctor should be here a bit later to check on her condition.” Ferule himself delivered her breakfast tray. She noticed the tray contained a glass filled with what appeared to be the same contents as last night. She raised her glass and finished it’s contents with out stopping.
“Thank you, Ferule.” She acknowledged. She felt a warm sensation flood through her entire body.
“My pleasure, Mistress.” Ferule replied. “Will you be needing me anymore this morning?”
“No, thank you, Ferule.” She answered. “I believe my husband may require your wisdom during the conference in the north tower this morning.”
“He did ask for me to grace their presence this morning.” Ferule replied.
“Keep watch, Ferule.” She spoke to him from her mind. “I fear an evil hiding amongst us.”
“I have already taken the liberty of protecting several members of the family.” She heard Ferule answer back. “Your breakfast glass should be sufficient to shield you from the evil that hides from us. And please teach me how you do that.”
“Sorry, Ferule. It’s a gift, not a skill.” She quipped back with her mind. “Though I can feel your presence, I cannot hear your thoughts unless you actually reply to my thoughts. Try calling for me sometime to see if I can hear you.”

“I shall try, Mistress.” She heard Ferule answer her back. At that particular moment she felt pain and despair flood over her, as though someone was trying to reach out to her.
“Ferule? Was that you?” she spoke from her mind.
“No, Mistress, But I felt it too.” She heard him reply. “I do not know from who or where that call came from.”
“Catherine, did you feel anything strange a moment ago?” she asked her driver.
“I felt something, but I wasn’t sure what it was.” Her driver replied. She noticed everyone at the table had stopped talking and was staring directly at her.
“Did any of you feel anything strange a moment ago?” she asked. The looks of everyone present told her their answers even before they all began nodding their heads.
“Everyone, Fan out, and report back here if you find anything.” She commanded calmly.
“Ferule, Please check my sister’s suite.”

“Consider it done, Mistress.” Ferule responded as he began heading towards the atrium to ascend the stairs. She reached out with her mind directly towards her cousin.
“Wake up cousin!” she pleaded from inside her head. “Hear my voice and know you are safe. Come back to us!”
“Mistress, Come quickly. Your sister’s suite!” She heard Ferule’s voice in her head.
“On my way!” she responded back. “Catherine, Meet me there.” She bounded from the room and began ascending the staircase. Several of the others were already joining her before she reached the door to her sister’s suite. Her driver stopped her outside the door, and escorted her directly to her own suite. Her cousin lay slumped on the sofa, with two of the others tending to her cousin’s new wounds. She noticed her cousin’s arms appeared as though she had managed to defend herself against an assailant.
“I found her in the hallway where we found you both last night, and Ferule has someone trapped in your sister’s suite.” Her driver stated.
“Ferule, do you need help?” she asked with her mind. She felt a blast of air follow her towards the door.
“Do Not Enter, Mistress!” She heard Ferule’s voice command.
“Let us know if you need help!” she pleaded back to Ferule.
“Do Not Enter! That which you felt before has manifested itself. Explanations later.” Ferule roared in her head. The force of Ferule’s thoughts caused her excruciating pain. She reached out with her mind and addressed all her guests.