{"id":824,"date":"2022-05-03T06:57:12","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T13:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=824"},"modified":"2022-05-03T06:57:12","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T13:57:12","slug":"beast-of-burden-ch-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/?p=824","title":{"rendered":"Beast of Burden Ch. 01"},"content":{"rendered":"

The meal was eaten in silence but the barely repressed anger of the host filled the room as one harried servant took the place of many.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the head of the table the host sat on a lowered, cushioned couch, his back utterly straight as he glared at his food.\u00a0 Despite the small size of the room and the meager trappings, the meal itself was rich.\u00a0 Plates of fruits lay in an elegant pattern between bowls of thick, rich stews.\u00a0 Two long baskets of bread edged the table and a large pot of scented rice dominated the center.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Spiced coffee steamed to the side of the guest’s plate.\u00a0 He waited patiently until all was set before bowing from his seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It is, indeed, a feast, Omid,” the Englishman said.\u00a0 “I’m honored that you would choose to sit with me this evening.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Please, eat,” Omid said, waving his arm.\u00a0 “I know of\u00a0 you.\u00a0 I know of the Levant Company with which you’re employed.\u00a0 I’ve traded with them before-“<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grunting, the host stroked his short beard, tugging it briefly to hide the snarl that briefly arose on his face.\u00a0 He ignored the plates set before him as he focused on his guest.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Your Persian is quite good, Oswyn,” the host continued after a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Thank you,” Oswyn replied, raising his glass to show his respect.\u00a0 “I’ve spent many years in court and trading with your beautiful country.\u00a0 It has been a privilege given to few and I’m eternally grateful for it.\u00a0 It’s a beautiful language.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Trading,” the host grunted again with a sour look.\u00a0 “With our enemies.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“With anyone,” Oswyn said carefully.\u00a0 “Luxury goods.\u00a0 Nothing suitable for war and I pay heavy dues to all in order to travel freely.\u00a0 My commission-“<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I’m aware,” Omid said, ending that thread of the conversation.\u00a0 “But, understand my frustrations.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oswyn nodded as he broke a piece of his bread to show his lack of affront.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Un usurper lives in my home,” the host continued.\u00a0 “I have been given this- this domicile as we work to reclaim our lands.\u00a0 It is nothing.\u00a0 A fraction of what I had.\u00a0 Filled with what little I could take in the night.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Your loss pains me,” Oswyn told him, softening his expression to show his empathy.\u00a0 He wasn’t fooled, despite the truth in the words.\u00a0 “But, the court whispers that you’re a skilled merchant.\u00a0 One such as yourself could trade a fig for a bag of rice and the rice for a bracelet until you’ve secured a fleet – all with a humble fig as your seed.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Bah,” Omid said, sipping at his coffee to hide his smile.\u00a0 “You seek to feed my ego but words will not feed my family.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“No,” the Englishman agreed.\u00a0 “Gold will, however.\u00a0 Traded in kind for the silk you took with you when you were forced to flee your home.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Good quality silk,” came the reply as the bearded host held his sleeves back to eat from a bowl of thick stew.\u00a0 “Finer than what you would find from my fellow displaced countrymen.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Indeed,” Oswyn agreed.\u00a0 “But, my own clients are not as cultured.\u00a0 I could sell them a bolt of cotton and claim it was silk – they would scarcely know the difference.\u00a0 I’ve been approached by others, selling their own stock of far less quality for a pittance.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Desperation drives a poor bargain,” Omid said, his jaw flaring as he stared at his guest.\u00a0 “I’m aware of it.\u00a0 Just as aware as I am of the exquisiteness of my goods.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Englishman directed his eyes to his food, giving his host a moment of silence to think on his position.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“If not for that thief,” the bearded man groused.\u00a0 “I would-“<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The servant stood from his place in the corner to refresh their drinks and the silence continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Do you know his name?” Oswyn asked, his voice as even as he could make it.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Yes,” the host said.\u00a0 “Yes, of course I do.\u00a0 Afterwards, I spent coin to learn of it.\u00a0 A Sipahi cavalryman.\u00a0 Granted my land for his <\/span>timar.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 He sits there still now, a pig wallowing in clean sheets.\u00a0 Davud bin Musa.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The name was spoken with a sudden, intense fury that made Oswyn look up.\u00a0 Frowning, he glanced back down at his food while pushing a piece of bread around with his finger.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“The Shirvan province?” he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Yes,” Omid answered, the flesh around his tired, dark eyes tightening as he became suspicious of the direct questioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I trade near there next,” the Englishman said, biting at his bottom lip.\u00a0 “Before appearing before the Sultan.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Where are you going with this?” the host asked, scratching at his beard.\u00a0 “Not to prod me, I think.\u00a0 Not to goad me with thoughts of my homeland.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“No,”\u00a0 Oswyn said.\u00a0 “No, not that.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Speak, then!”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I could bring him low,” he told his host.\u00a0 “In exchange for a very, very favorable deal today, you would see your tormentor dishonored in front of front of-“<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“How?” Omid asked, leaning forward eagerly.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“My Lord,” the Englishman said uneasily.\u00a0 “I don’t wish to-“<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“How?!” Omid demanded, slamming the table with his fists and causing the servant to jump.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Please,” Oswyn said, pained as he raised his hands to placate his guest.\u00a0 “I hesitate to even bring it up.\u00a0 To mention details of it would- it’s- I have someone in my employ.\u00a0 Please, I beg you.\u00a0 Ask for no details.\u00a0 Know only that if you agree, it shall be done and spare yourself the details.\u00a0 You are a righteous man and I am a man of honor.\u00a0 I will not dishonor you or your house with the details.\u00a0 We can come to an agreement you and I.\u00a0 Your silk for half of your asking price and, within a fortnight, Davud bin Musa will find himself exiled from court in shame.\u00a0 And that, my Lord, will be the most lenient sentence he can expect.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Half,” the bearded host said in disbelief.\u00a0 His knuckles whitened on the delicate mug set before him until it shattered, spraying hot coffee across his clothing and the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The servant leapt with a cry to clean the mess but Omid held a single finger up, staying the youth.\u00a0 Blood coursed down his arm as he stared at his guest.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“And if you- fail?” he asked, the unsaid word ‘lie’ sitting heavily in the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I won’t,” Oswyn assured him.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“But if you do?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“If Davud bin Musa has not been exiled in shame, or worse, within a fortnight, I will return your goods and pay you four times more than what I pay you tonight.\u00a0 No official record shall be made of this but my word is stronger than parchment.\u00a0 I have never broken an agreement.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Then I agree,” Omid said finally, nodding to his servant to clean the table.\u00a0 “Let us talk no more of trade until our bellies are full.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Four elegant oil lamps illuminated the large room.\u00a0 They stood atop slim pedestals at the corners of the room – banishing shadows with the soft pool of light.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She stood before one of her most prized possessions – an oblong Italian mirror with an inlaid silver and gold frame.\u00a0 Her feet and ankles, hidden behind her embroidered buskins, protected her feet from the cold stone beneath her until she stepped onto a plush rug with a dizzying pattern of black lines against a garnet red fabric.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Turning, she parted her dress to pat and smooth the \u0161alv\u0101r she wore beneath.\u00a0 Her honey-hued tresses were pulled tight at her brow in a short, intricate pattern that loosened until her long hair tumbled freely to brush against her hips.\u00a0 Her lips curled at the edges as she admired herself and the huge room beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Imported furniture lined the room from her enormous bed to the three chaise longues peppered throughout the room and the paintings lining the wall.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A servant knelt by the door.\u00a0 It bothered her that she could see him from the corner of her eyes.\u00a0 He’d entered a few minutes ago to invite her to dinner and she’d forced him to kneel and await her readiness. Davud was hosting an important foreign guest and she was being granted a rare honor to dine with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The woman’s perfectly manicured nail touched her pale, white cheek as she leaned in to assure that, as usual, her makeup was perfection.\u00a0 Tiny white flowers dotted her hair at precisely chosen intervals made to look random.\u00a0 Her eyes, green mixed with gold radiating outward to grey at the edges, flicked around her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally satisfied with her appearance, she stepped back while gathering her dress in her small hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Lead me,” she commanded the servant while staring over his shoulder at the door of her chambers.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The man climbed quickly to both feet to open the door with a bow.\u00a0 She glided through her room with her back straight.\u00a0 As she walked, she focused on a spot forever in the distance over the man’s head.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Laughter made the young woman pause.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Wait,” she said, as they approached an open doorway.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The servant flattened himself against the wall as she slid past him on her leather soled shoes.\u00a0 Conversation ceased as she entered the nearby room and two women glanced upwards.\u00a0 The youngest, a darker skinned girl displaced and discovered from an East India Company trading post, flashed a moment of annoyance that quickly vanished beneath trained obsequience.\u00a0 The second woman, older than both with a stately maturity, barely raised an eyebrow at the other woman’s entrance.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Standing in the doorway, she regarded them both before allowing herself to smile, focusing on a complex appearance of pleasure, derision and haughtiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Canhabibe,” the woman said warmly, nodding her head towards the older woman.\u00a0 She turned to the youngest and inclined her head again.\u00a0 “Nefise.\u00a0 What a pleasant evening.\u00a0 I hope the air inside the estate has not grown too stale for either of you.\u00a0 I missed you both on my stroll today.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Emine,” Canhabibe said quickly, as Nefise opened her mouth to retort.\u00a0 Her ivory complexion\u00a0 matched her nearly white, blonde hair.\u00a0 It was rumored that she was distantly related to Rudolf II – a rumor Davud fanned vigorously.\u00a0 “Indeed, the air was fine as of a moment ago.\u00a0 I wonder how we missed each other as Nefise and I enjoyed the kiss of the sun shortly after breaking our fast. Rest is vital for our beauty and, my dear, may I say you’re looking rather radiant today?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I sup with Davud and his guest tonight,” Emine replied, ignoring the barb.\u00a0 “I shall miss the utter calm you both bring with your company.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I’m sure,” the older woman agreed.\u00a0 “We’re needed elsewhere, later.\u00a0 A fine, delicate vase may be made for viewing alone but its austere minimalism means it should never feel the touch of the earth or the caress of a flower.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“And you-!” Emine began hotly before composing herself.\u00a0 “I’m needed and I won’t keep the master waiting.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She turned and left without another word, her dress flaring as she spun.\u00a0 The waiting servant ducked as he caught up to her and passed her in order to lead the way.\u00a0 Emine fumed as she stalked down the hallway and she nearly turned back as she heard loud laughter from both women behind her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The audacity of that- that- old crone!<\/span><\/i> she thought to herself, struggling to contain her quick anger.\u00a0 <\/span>They sit in their <\/span><\/i>shared<\/i><\/b> room and they think they’re <\/span><\/i>better<\/i><\/b> than me?!<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 <\/span>Me?\u00a0 I have my own room!\u00a0 Davud forbids me nothing when I ask it.\u00a0 He visits me nightly and, and, and-<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The woman’s fingers curled into her dress until her knuckles whitened.\u00a0 She paused at the door to the dining room and relaxed, smoothing the wrinkles in the fabric that were caused with her grip.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“The lady Emine Hatun bint Hasan,” the servant intoned as he opened the door and stepped inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again, Emine paused for a brief moment before quickly composing herself and flashing her radiant, sly smile while slipping past the servant to dominate the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The foreigner, a middle aged man with a row of the wrinkles lining his forehead, stood and smiled with a slight inclination of his head.\u00a0 Despite the obvious distance of his travels, he was dressed impeccably in gray breeches with matching doublet.\u00a0 She raised her chin minutely in response to his measured bow.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Please, sit,” Davud said airily.\u00a0 He was a stocky, powerful man that projected an air of laziness. Beneath the relaxed exterior, his eyes tracked both Emine and the foreigner, noting how both were received.\u00a0 “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Very much so,” the foreigner agreed as he lowered himself to the ground.\u00a0 “I’ve of course heard talk of Circassian beauty but never witnessed it for myself.\u00a0 I’m pleased to note the rumors pale when compared to the truth.\u00a0 You’re a very lucky man.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Yes, I think so as well,” Davud nodded.\u00a0 “She has been in my household for nearly two years now.\u00a0 A particularly strong convert to the true religion.\u00a0 Fierce and beautiful, indeed, but docile in strong hands.\u00a0 I had to have her as soon as I laid eyes on her.\u00a0 Expensive but worth her weight in gold.\u00a0 Which isn’t much, hah!\u00a0 She’s slim as a gazelle at the edge of an oasis.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine bowed her head as she settled herself at the table.\u00a0 As pleased as she was with her status, that period in time rankled her.\u00a0 She pushed the intruding thoughts aside as she studied the foreigner carefully, ensuring they began eating before she did.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I had thought, however,” the Englishman said, glancing at the young woman.\u00a0 “That this would be a private conversation?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Bah,” Davud grunted as he picked food from his plate.\u00a0 “You can discuss anything in front of her.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I serve at your pleasure,” the man acquiesced.\u00a0 His eyes shifted fractionally as he looked up and over to Emine without betraying his scrutiny.\u00a0 “Indeed, she must be highly regarded to dine with us and hear of our affairs.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Just so, Oswyn,” Davud agreed with a toothy smile.\u00a0 “She is my jewel.\u00a0 Canhabibe and Nefise, they are both beautiful and intelligent but common types among my peers.\u00a0 Emine is, well, a rare find.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oswyn,<\/span><\/i> Emine noted as she grazed on her food.\u00a0 The earlier frustration from her conversation with the other two women melted away at the praise she continued to receive.\u00a0 She watched the Englishman as he seemed to have an internal debate with himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“You’ve put me in a terrible position, my friend,” Oswyn final spoke.\u00a0 “You are a gracious host and the offer to accompany you on my journey to \u0160\u0101han\u0161\u0101h is one I happily accept.\u00a0 I have many gifts, including the clock I’ve already given you.\u00a0 However, I brought none for the Lady Emine.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It is nothing,” Davud told him.\u00a0 “You couldn’t have known.\u00a0 And, besides, she is mine to spoil.\u00a0 I still hope to introduce you to my Sanjak-bey and my fellow timariots.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I may,” Oswyn said with a small bow.\u00a0 “Yet I can’t help but feel I’ve been an ungrateful guest.\u00a0 And honor dictates I make amends.\u00a0 Please.\u00a0 Allow me to present another gift.\u00a0 I know exactly the one needed to complement her beauty.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“You English,” Davud sighed, shaking his head.\u00a0 He waved his hand before focusing on his meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oswyn motioned for a servant waiting on the side of the room.\u00a0 Emine strained her ears while appearing disinterested but she heard nothing as the servant nodded and left the room.\u00a0 The meal continued in silence as they waited for the return.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He is handsome enough,<\/span><\/i> Emine finally decided.\u00a0 <\/span>Clean.\u00a0 Shaven.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The spices from the food did little to hide the rough scent from Davud.\u00a0 He busied himself with training and walking the grounds or riding and the smell of sweat and earth clung to him.\u00a0 While he doted on her and was generally kind, he contained a cruel streak heightened by years of warfare and politicking.\u00a0 He was rough where she savored a gentle, loving hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After a short time, the servant returned, immediately stepping to Oswyn’s side to kneel and present a leather wrapped object.\u00a0 The Englishman nodded his thanks while holding the item.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“There is a creature,” Oswyn began as he slowly unwrapped the gift.\u00a0 “Gone now- hunted to extinction.\u00a0 On my travels through Almany, I passed a remote village where they kept one as a pet.\u00a0 They had no name for it.\u00a0 It’s skin was said to have made the most supple leather.\u00a0 Comparable to silk, if you can believe it.\u00a0 I traded fairly with the villagers and they gifted me strands of its fur in return.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The merchant lay the square of leather on the table next to his bowl.\u00a0 A necklace lay centered in the hide.\u00a0 A fine, gold chain connected to a large ring wrapped with tight brown threads.\u00a0 Emine furrowed her brow as she frowned at it.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It doesn’t look like much,” Oswyn admitted, as if sensing their disappointment.\u00a0 “However, realize that this creature no long exists.\u00a0 As you own a unique woman, I thought that a proper gift would be one just as rare.\u00a0 The creatures were thought to bring good luck and I’m sure it will do the same here.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Good!\u00a0 It is good, Oswyn,” Davud said loudly.\u00a0 “Emine, see how admired you are?\u00a0 Wear it.\u00a0 Let me see how it looks on you.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Before her hesitation could be construed as ungratefulness, Emine accepted the gift.\u00a0 She carefully reached back, conscious of Davud’s lustful eyes on her bosom, as she worked the clasp.\u00a0 Finally, she settled the large ring above her breasts.\u00a0 The brown from the fur was dull compared to the vibrant colors of her dress.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Is it not beautiful?” Davud asked, uncertainty in his voice as he tried to praise the unique gift.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Yes,” Emine said quietly as she stared down at the ugly necklace.\u00a0 “Thank you.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Oswyn,” the host said, turning the conversation away from the gift.\u00a0 “Tell me what you will bring for trade.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the two men talked, Emine quickly slipped the necklace out of sight beneath her dress.\u00a0 It scratched as it slid against her skin but settled smoothly against her breasts.\u00a0 The move was a risk at insulting their guest but she was certain Davud was not impressed with it, despite its origins.\u00a0 Even with it pressed against her chest, she could feel the soft hairs with every movement.\u00a0 She resolved to take it off and hide it as soon as she was back in her room.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hunger gnawed at Emine’s stomach as she continued to sample her food.\u00a0 She ignored it as she always did, scratching at her chest while taking a small piece of bread to eat.\u00a0 The conversation was dwindling as Davud and the Englishman finalized their plans for the trip.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Her stomach rumbled.\u00a0 She frowned and grabbed a cotton cloth, bringing it to her face as if to wipe a crumb.\u00a0 Instead, she burped, breathing out as quietly as possible as a sour taste filled her mouth.\u00a0 With a quick look to ensure it wasn’t caught, she wiped her mouth and placed the napkin down on the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Master,” Emine said during a break in the discussion.\u00a0 “May I be excused?\u00a0 If I am to accompany you to your Sanjak-bey, I wish to be well rested.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Of course, Emine, of course,” Davud said.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As she stood, she realized her master was leering at her openly and she knew he would be visiting her tonight.\u00a0 She sighed internally as she bowed and made her way from the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The hallway outside the dining room was silent.\u00a0 Oil lamps flickered tongues of steady flames along the passageway as she made her way.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine paused, resting her left hand against the wall as she raised her right hand to hide her mouth.\u00a0 She felt a pocket of gas moving through her stomach.\u00a0 As it rose, she tried to force it back and ignore it but, again, she burped, wrinkling her nose at the smell that came with it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Quiet conversation drew her forth. She pressed her palm against her belly and then stood straight while continuing her walk.\u00a0 As she approached the still-open doorway, she pulled the necklace free from her dress and walked into the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Ah, Emine,” Canhabibe said while resting her hand lightly on Nefise’s thigh.\u00a0 “Please, come in.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Thank you,” Emine said as she gathered her dress.\u00a0 She arranged herself as she sat opposite them in a gray chaise longue with her arm over the back and her leg tucked beneath her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“What was the foreigner like?” Nefise asked eagerly, sitting up on her knees with her hands together.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Slowly, Nefise,” Canhabibe chastised.\u00a0 “It’s like making love.\u00a0 You entice and draw him in slowly until he’s whimpering in the palm of your hand.\u00a0 You don’t simply straddle him right away.\u00a0 Well.\u00a0 I suppose that depends on your lover.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The older woman paused to look pointedly at Emine.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“And your skill,” the older woman continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Disgusting as always, Canhabibe,” Emine said, looking away while she pressed her palm against her roiling stomach.\u00a0 She felt the ghostly echo of her monthly cramps digging low in her belly but she ignored it.\u00a0 It wasn’t her time yet and she couldn’t just run away from these two.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“She has to learn,” the pale, older woman said.\u00a0 Her flawless marble skin cracked as she smiled with perfect white teeth.\u00a0 “And?\u00a0 How was dinner, Emine?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“You don’t give a damn about the dinner,” Emine retorted.\u00a0 She grimaced, squeezing her taut belly when a sudden cramp filled her.\u00a0 It dissipated, leaving behind an acidic mass that filled her stomach.\u00a0 “We leave tomorrow to visit Davud’s Sanjak-bey and the foreigner, an Englishman, will follow.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“What’s he like?” Nefise asked again.\u00a0 “Is he handsome?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Yes, he is,” Emine said, lording her knowledge over the pair.\u00a0 She swallowed and then swallowed again as saliva gathered in her mouth.\u00a0 “And sharply dressed.\u00a0 And well mannered.\u00a0 He said he’d never seen a more beautiful woman.\u00a0 He gave me a gift, even.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine smile as she grinded her teeth to keep the acid from the back of her throat.\u00a0 The other two women watched her, waiting for her to continue her story.\u00a0 She found herself growing annoyed as they failed to notice what she was talking about.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“The necklace!” Emine said finally.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“The- the gold necklace?” Nefise asked, her doubt plain on her face.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Not just gold,” Emine said while rolling her eyes.\u00a0 She scratched at her chest as she held it out before herself.\u00a0 “A gold necklace threaded with the hair from a beast no longer living.\u00a0 Hunted for extinction from Almany, he said.\u00a0 It was-“<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She glanced down.\u00a0 The golden ring was bare and twisting back and forth at the end of the chain.\u00a0 It was simple and dull with a dent along the edge. She frowned at it as she turned it around in her fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It would appear he told the truth about that,” Canhabibe said dryly.\u00a0 “Not even the hair remains from this mythical beast.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“That’s- It was-” Emine barely had time to cover her mouth with the back of her wrist as she burped, turning her head away while her cheeks flamed red.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Are you alright?” Nefise asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I’m fine,” she replied, standing from the couch.\u00a0 “Just something from the dinner.\u00a0 I think I’ll retire to my room.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Do you think she’s okay?” the younger girl asked behind Emine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Well, to that, it’s hard to say,” the older woman’s voice followed, fading as Emine fled.\u00a0 “Oh, or do you mean physically?”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Damn them,<\/span><\/i> Emine thought as she rushed to her room.\u00a0 She was hunched over and her throat burned as her mouth filled with saliva again.\u00a0 The young woman tried to reach her wardrobe, where she kept her handkerchiefs but her stomach rebelled.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just as she feared the worst, her stomach began to settle.\u00a0 She waited anxiously, sure that it would return but the burning from her throat receded and the cramps seizing her lower belly released.\u00a0 Her exhaled breath shuddered as she felt herself relax the tension she’d been holding.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She undressed herself carefully in the middle of her room and yet the nausea and cramping still didn’t return.\u00a0 Once undressed and now feeling the cold of the evening air, she moved quickly to her wardrobe.\u00a0 As she reached for her night dress, she remembered the look Davud had given at dinner.\u00a0 The girl sighed and made her way to her bed where she slipped under the thick covers.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From her nightstand, Emine took her copy of the <\/span>Qabus nama<\/span><\/i>, pulling at the silk bookmark that lay near the beginning of the tome.\u00a0 She settled it between her knees and focused on it, her lips moving slowly as she read.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A spray of short, sand-colored hairs fanned out above her breasts.\u00a0 Her nails scratched idly at the hairs as she read from her book.\u00a0 As the minutes passed, she found herself toying with the hairs, subconsciously enjoying the light tickling it made as she rocked them back and forth with her fingertips.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She saw him from the corner of her eyes and knew not how long he watched her.\u00a0 Davud stood in her doorway, dressed in an open robe that showed thick black chest hair covering dense muscle.\u00a0 Emine froze as he grinned at her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Come,” he said, twirling to walk down the hallway.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Without hesitation, she lay her book aside and stood, following her master towards his lavish bedroom.\u00a0 Her knees throbbed as she hurried, the pain low and tolerable but noticeable.\u00a0 She wished he’d chosen one of the other women tonight but she knew he wouldn’t.\u00a0 Not after showing her off to the foreigner.\u00a0 And, even without that, she was <\/span>favored.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Davud stood by his bedside.\u00a0 The huge bed lay low to the ground and was covered in blankets and pillows that appeared to shine in the lamps.\u00a0 She shivered as she undressed herself under his gaze and she let her underclothes drop until she stood naked before him.\u00a0 Davud eyed her appreciatively from her toes to her face and she watched him grow hard through the gap in his open robe.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Again, without direction, she made her way to the bed.\u00a0 Her knees, reddened and slightly swollen, clicked twice before she turned away from him and knelt at the edge of the soft mattress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine looked back to Davud as she rested with one aching knee on the bed and her other foot on the floor.\u00a0 She supported herself with her hands and her soft breasts hung beneath her.\u00a0 Her master was stripping and she looked away under the pretense of crawling further onto the bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By habit, she turned and lay on her back as Davud crawled into bed next to her.\u00a0 She steadied herself as he straddled her legs before bending to kiss the inside of her thighs.\u00a0 The young woman pressed her lips together as his beard scratched her delicate skin.\u00a0 He moved slowly, raising himself until he kissed her belly button.\u00a0 Further.\u00a0 She grabbed the bedsheets with her fists.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Davud’s cock lay against her mound as he roughly grasped her breasts to suckle on her nipples.\u00a0 She turned her head while he rubbed against her and squeezed her.\u00a0 His smell flooded her nose – the unwashed earth and sweat converging with the spices from dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And she found herself growing aroused, against her will.\u00a0 She breathed deeply by reflex and she could <\/span>see <\/i><\/b>the dirt and sand surrounding their estate.\u00a0 She could almost taste and feel it and the thought of him there, riding his horse set her nerves afire.\u00a0 In her mind’s eye, she saw him practicing with his sword while wearing his sweat-soaked cuirass.\u00a0 She wanted to bury her nose in him.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine moaned, releasing the bedsheet to grab Davud, who froze in surprise.\u00a0 Quickly, he recovered, moving down to feel her wetness against the head of his cock.\u00a0 He growled in surprised but as he began to guide himself into her, Emine, placed her palm against his chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Wait, wait,” she gasped, twining her fingers through the dense forest of his chest hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The girl moved, twisting to go to her hands and knees.\u00a0 She’d never taken control – had never shown initiative with him but she suddenly <\/span>had<\/i><\/b> to have him over her.\u00a0 She pushed her ass back, raising it as his cock pressed between her thighs.\u00a0 It was an extremely unusual position for her but she wanted to feel his hair on her skin and his weight against her back.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That thought brought another loud moan forth as she pictured him above her, pressing down on her.\u00a0 Bearing his weight.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The defined lines of Emine’s back, bought with hard dieting and self control, began to slowly fill out as fat deposits formed.\u00a0 Her back grew smooth as Davud guided himself into her.\u00a0 The man’s thick, wide thumbs pressed deep into the swollen, fatty flesh above her hips as the head of his cock slipped between her slick pussy lips.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Yes, like that!” Emine cried out.\u00a0 She took his wrist and pulled him forward, hoping he got the hint.\u00a0 Praying he would go to all fours above her.\u00a0 “Like that!\u00a0 Yes!”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Davud entered her easily and she shuddered as she gripped his cock with her pussy.\u00a0 When he didn’t press down against her, she raised herself up into him, rubbing her skin against his body.\u00a0 She couldn’t get enough of his smell.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wish, oh yes, oh yes!<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 She thought to herself as she shoved herself back.\u00a0 <\/span>Wish.\u00a0 Wish this was outside.\u00a0 In the dirt, Oh.\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 All fours, yes!\u00a0 Davud above me.\u00a0 Sweating in the sun.\u00a0 Mixing our scents!\u00a0 Covered in- oh yes!\u00a0 YES!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine moaned and the sound distorted, lower in pitch rather than her normal sweet high voice.\u00a0 She could feel him trembling as his breathing grew erratic.\u00a0 She knew he’d be close already.\u00a0 Her pussy clenched around him as she worked her hips up and down against him, eyes closed as she pictured herself being held down in the grass and dirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Wait,” she gasped.\u00a0 “Back.\u00a0 On my back!\u00a0 Cum!\u00a0 On my back, please!”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She gibbered, close to the edge and losing herself in the moment.\u00a0 She was fastidious.\u00a0 She always washed after a session and cleaned herself thoroughly but now she wanted nothing more than to feel his hot cum against her skin.\u00a0 To feel it against her body.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Davud grunted and then pulled out.\u00a0 Emine reached back, grabbing for him, already forgetting what she’d begged for him to do as she felt the loss of his cock and the press of his body.\u00a0 His fist closed around her hair and he pulled, forcing her to cry out at the painful, animalistic roughness.\u00a0 He’d almost always treated her more gently than not but he seemed to lose himself in her directions and the passion she showed.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gouts of warm cum washed over her skin.\u00a0 The young woman cried out, reaching beneath her body to rub her swollen, aching clit as Davud coated her.\u00a0 She surprised herself with a sudden orgasm as she lost herself in her daydream – picturing herself awash with Davud’s sweat and the dirt below as he covered her body with his semen.\u00a0 She kicked and her throbbing knee clicked loudly as she collapsed, breathlessly, to the bed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Emine’s smooth back shook gently as the fat deposits quivered with the motion.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She panted on the bed as Davud lay next to her.\u00a0 Her eyes closed as his heavy arm settled against her and his right leg pressed against her thighs.\u00a0 His absence was painful – she ached deep within and wanted him inside of her still.\u00a0 Yet, as she lay there with his weight on her, she felt a strange thrill.\u00a0 She pictured him above her, pressing into her again but the image kept slipping and showing him atop her – as if he was somehow riding on her.\u00a0 It was disconcerting and she kept forcing it back, only for it to slip again and show him astride her body.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And the thought of him there was driving her wild.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A sudden, loud snort snapped her out of her reverie and the images dissolved.\u00a0 She lay beneath her master, covered in his cum as he began to snore next to her.\u00a0 It was a scene that played many nights and she normally extricated herself quickly in order to wash him and the deed off of her body but she found herself distracted.\u00a0 Still empty and wanting and enjoying his body against hers.\u00a0 And the earthy smell of him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still, she gently moved under him and gathered her underclothes.\u00a0 It seemed not as cold as it had before and she gave a final look to her master before walking from the room.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Only when she was halfway to her own room did she realize she walked the hall naked for any passing servant to see.\u00a0 Stifling a surprised shriek, she ran the rest of the way to her room.\u00a0 Pain flared in the joints of her legs with each jolt of her bare feet against the rough ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine gasped as she hurried into her room.\u00a0 Once inside, she hesitated, on the verge of calling for a bath as she had every night.\u00a0 She should, she knew she should but, for some reason she wanted to keep Davud’s smell close.\u00a0 His cum had dried on her back and, as she moved, she could feel it flaking.\u00a0 She should’ve been disgusted by it but she felt herself growing warmer as she remembered the feel of it – being on her stomach as he treated her roughly.\u00a0 As he manhandled her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glancing at the door, she dropped her clothes and crept naked to her bed to slip beneath the covers.\u00a0 Her routine, after a bath, would be to sleep but her hand trailed down her body, brushing patches of almost invisible brown hairs.\u00a0 Her golden pubic hairs were slick with her wetness.\u00a0 She looked again towards the doors as her cheeks brightened to betray the lust that was rising in her body.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A single finger slipped between her slick lips and she bit her lip to hide her reflexive moan.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The rough treatment from earlier rose in her mind again as she fingered herself.\u00a0 Davud’s hand in her hair, pulling her hard as she pushed against him. Yanking at her head as if her hair was the rope tied to a halter.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Ohhh,” Emine sighed, losing herself in her pleasure.\u00a0 She rolled to her side and then her belly as she tried to recreate the moment.\u00a0 “Ha-harder.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In her mind, Davud smacked her ass and she bucked, raising her hips beneath the covers at the thought of it.\u00a0 A second finger joined the first.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Harder!” she gasped out loud as her fingers sped up.\u00a0 She could feel her pussy drooling and coating her fingers and wrist.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a rod now, in her mind’s eye.\u00a0 Striking her ass hard enough to leave a mark.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine bucked and shrieked as she came yet she didn’t stop and a third finger joined the others.\u00a0 The rod struck her side as Davud showed his impatience with her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Ye-ye-yes!” the girl moaned.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bones groaned in Emine’s legs as they slowly lengthened.\u00a0 Stretch marks appeared around her knees and shins before the skin healed to show smooth, perfect skin.\u00a0 Her delicate knees continued to swell.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A single sand-colored hair pushed through the skin of her mound.\u00a0 It twisted around the slick hair surrounding it.\u00a0 A second and third hair joined it, the darker hairs mixing with the soft, light hairs until her pubes were a tangled mess of light and dark.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More rough hairs emerged from her thick kneecaps.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emine pressed her face into her bed as she screamed and shook.\u00a0 The imaginary rod struck her side.\u00a0 Davud held it as a faceless man mounted her in her mind.\u00a0 More waited their turn behind him.\u00a0 Their turn to use her as her master struck her.\u00a0 As he beat her like he’d beat a willful animal needing to be broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The fat along her back shook as a powerful orgasm took her. Her pussy spasmed, ejecting her fingers away from her tight opening and she spasmed on the bed, kicking her knobby knees and long legs from the aftershocks that rode through her.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Panting, her eyes fluttering from the intense feeling, she sighed and fought unsuccessfully against the sleep that began to claim her.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The meal was eaten in silence but the barely repressed anger of the host filled the room as one harried servant took the place of many.   At the head of the table the host sat on a lowered, cushioned Continue reading Beast of Burden Ch. 01<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[468,74,466,9],"class_list":["post-824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-story","tag-camel","tag-historical","tag-story","tag-transformation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42NMN-di","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=824"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":825,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions\/825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hidden-shelf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}