Even Servants Need Vacations

Irilyth released a little involuntary squeak of surprise when Manea nuzzled and kissed her cheek as soon as she'd laid down, causing the little fae to smile from the sudden affection. That was another thing she wasn't used to with her newest Mistress—affection and caring. She was used to being treated like a servant, used like a tool or a product. She willingly gave herself to that so that she could live. Even with all the liberty in the world to treat her as poorly as she desired, Manea simply did not. Manea insisted that she deserved much more than what she offered and though Irilyth couldn't disagree more wholeheartedly, she didn't deny her owner aloud. "Thank you for your kind words, Mistress, but all of this is a show of your ability as our leader and Matriarch," she insisted, waving a dainty paw out across the landscape of Alias Island. "This was your vision and dream realized. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into making it reality. I merely assisted you along the way." Perhaps it was a minimizing of the work she did on a daily basis, but that was just her nature. The smallest cog in the machine never asked for praise or gratitude; it simply did its job keeping everything turning.

When Manea passed her some venison steak, Irilyth happily received it, chewing into the tender meat with glee. Manea and Alastor had always kept her well fed, and even then this food was a delicacy. Manea had put a lot of effort into this surprise for her and it showed. Iri felt the warmth of Manea's side press up to hers as she larger fae snuggled up around her, drawing raspberry eyes to look up at her with gratitude. "This is the most beautiful home I've ever had," she commented idly while they watched the sun slowly begin to set over the island. "You chose a perfect location, Mistress. Truly a piece of Somnium on earth." Manea passed her the open bottle of wine and Irilyth gazed to her mistress as if verifying her permission to drink. She had drunk before once, but it had been long ago. Iri took a sampling sip of the bittersweet wine, smacking her lips while she considered the flavor. Then came another sip, then a deeper swig, until by the end of their meal, she and Manea had consumed the entire bottle of wine. Whereas Manea had a pleasant buzz, Irilyth was much more on her way to being drunk given her smaller stature and inexperience with alcohol. The sandy blonde fae was swaying gently as she lay cuddled up to her Matriarch, humming happily to herself as a pleasant warmth had overtaken her entire body.

Manea's voice pulled Irilyth's attention back to her, the intoxicated servant girl gazing up with a drunk smile on her face while she gazed at how beautiful Manea was. Alastor was such a lucky brute. When Manea brought over the wrapped up gift, Iri glanced to it curiously, tilting her head to the side while she watched as it was opened to present her with a beautiful brown leather band that bore intricately detailed and delicate embossing of Manea's white vines across it. The tiny fae gasped in awe while Manea lifted Irilyth's foreleg with no resistance from her, wrapping and tying the band around her wrist for her. Irilyth cooed softly while she studied it closer, running her other paw slowly over the vines. Though it took a great deal of effort she did her best to absorb what Manea was telling her. She belonged to Manea. This band showed she was handmaiden to the Matriarch and Genetrix of Elysium and afforded her all the protections of the alphess. But most importantly was what Manea said at the end. "You mean a lot to me."

Irilyth's heart began to beat faster when Manea placed a gentle kiss on her paw, feeling the warmth filling her body beginning to flush to her pale cheeks. She peered up at Manea, meeting stunning aqua eyes with glistening, somewhat glassy raspberry jewels as she smiled widely up to her mistress. "You mean so much to me, Mistress," she said, her words spoken slower and more deliberate, but not quite slurred yet. A soft gasp fell from Iri's mouth when she felt Manea's tail curl up around her, protecting her and possessing her, and again when Manea's lips brushed against her own, so soft and warm and so close that she could practically taste the wine on the Mendacium woman's breath. "But... But you do show it to me, Mistress," Irilyth mumbled with confusion in her eyes as she boldly and drunkenly reached both petite paws up to gently caress Manea's cheeks with their faces and muzzles so close together. "You show it to me every day you don't beat me or berate me or abuse me. You take care of me better than any other master. No one has ever done anything like this for me. I'd do anything for you." As if to prove her point, Irilyth subtly pressed her body back into the curve of Manea's side, her eyes half-lidded while she ever so slowly brushed her lips against Manea's in an advance she never would have dreamed of taking if not for the liquid courage in her belly. "Anything..."

"Irilyth"