Feral Desires

Prologue

   I ignore the sweat running down my face as I scrub the floor on my hands and knees. The duke and duchess were having important guests over tonight and everything had to be spotless before they got here. My body screams at me in pain as I don't let up. I'd received a beating this morning when I'd accidentally looked one of the duke's daughters in the eyes. After that I'd been put to work immediately. I'm still covered in blood from where he'd split the skin on the side of my head. 

   "Girl!" I hear a regal voice call and I glance up at a pair of forest green heels. The duchess. I stand, making sure to keep my head bowed so as not to incite another beating.  The duke and duchess never used my name. I don't even think they know what it is. They either called me girl or some sort of insult. 

   "Madam." I say and give her a painful curtsy. My ankle had been aching all day from the beating. I'm sure it's sprained. 

   "The cooks need more cherries. Take this and go fetch some from the market." She throws a pouch at my feet. "And don't even think of stealing, you wench." I can here the sneer in her voice as she says this. Then a sting hits my cheek and my head snaps to the side. I bite my lip to keep the tears at bay. "Make sure to clean up before you go. No servant of mine will go out looking like she was just rolling around in the mud." With that, she turns and walks away like she hadn't just slapped me. 

   I grab the pouch and the water bucket and make my way to the kitchens. My ankle screams at me with every step I take and I can't take a single step without an obvious limp. 

   When I get there Louis, the head chef, sees me and his eyes go wide. I know I look a mess and this is the first time today he's seen me. Louis is the closest thing I have to a father since the duke beat my biological father to death before I was born for spilling wine on him at one of his parties. 

   "Briar! I heard you were beaten, but I had know idea it was this bad." He takes the bucket from me and helps me over to the water basin. I pump some water out and throw it onto my face. I rub the blood and sweat from my face as Louis fusses over my ankle. By the time I'm done, he has it wrapped and feeling a little better.

   "Thanks, Louis." He shakes his head with a scowl on his face.

   "This is ridiculous." I shrug and bush up from where I'd been leaning against the wall. 

   "Don't worry about it, Louis. I'm fine. I'll be back in about twenty minutes with your cherries."

   "None sense! I'll send someone from kitchen staff." I shake my head. 

   "I'll just get another beating if the duchess finds out that someone else went when she told me to." He grunts in acknowledgment, knowing I'm right. "I'll be back soon." 

   I walk out of the kitchens and quickly make my way to the servants quarters. I go into the small room I share with one of the other maids and grab the tattered brown cloak I had for the winter. Snow had fell last night and I know the thin servants dress I wear is not going to protect me from the cold. I find my satchel and place the pouch the douches threw at me inside so that I don't drop it.

   I leave my room and start making my way to the front door. I see a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye right before someone pins me to the wall and presses his body up against mine. Frederick. He's the duke's eldest son.

   "Hey there, Briar." He says into my ear as his hands slip beneath my cloak. I have to force myself to stay still and not shiver in disgust. "Where're you off to in suck a hurry?" He starts placing kisses on my neck and my face screws up as I want to hurl. Another body comes out of the shadows and I see that it's Nathaniel, the second eldest of the duke's sons. 

   "It's rude to ignore someone when they're speaking to you, Briar." He says, walking up to us with a sick grin on his face. Frederick pauses from sucking on my neck long enough to move over a little to give Nathaniel room to press his own body into me. I squeeze my eyes closed as tears try to escape. I desperately try to think of anything to get my mind off of their roaming hands and mouths. 

   Frederick hikes my leg up and squeezes my thigh. A small, silent sob escapes my lips and they both chuckle. His hand slowly starts inching its way up my dress . . .

   "Boys." A sharp, cold voice rings out. They both let out a growl, then step back to face their father. I fall into heap on the floor. "Stop playing with the swine and get ready for our guests." 

   "Yes, father." Frederick says and I hear the duke walk away. A hand grips my chin and and yanks me face up to face Frederick. "Next time, slut, you're ours." He hisses and walks away with Nathaniel. I slowly get to my feet, shaky from nerves and the terror still coursing through my veins. They'd never gone that far before and I fear how far they would have gone had their father not stepped in. The duke didn't care that they pawed at me because he knew they had no intention of marrying me. 

   Grabbing my satchel and wiping tears from my eyes, I hurriedly make my way out of the house. I take my time on the way into town. The duke's house stood on a hill overlooking the small town and you could see it no matter where you were.

   I walk down the path to the town and smile as I take in everything. I loved going into town. It was the only time that I felt I could ever really take a breath. The snow shone under the midday sun and looked like a thousand crystals laid out on the ground. Though I hate the cold, I love the snow. 

   Walking into town, I smile at the children running through the streets. A little girl almost falls in front of me, but I reach out and catch her just before she lands in the snow. She grins shyly up at me.

   "Thank you, miss." She says and I nod with a warm smile, then she runs off. I've always wanted kids, but I would never subject someone else to the life I have now much less my own child. I would run, but I could never leave Louis behind and he loves his job. Louis isn't a slave. He gets payed and treated fairly well by the duke and his family. I think that the duchess is quite smitten with him if the giggles, compliments and flirty looks she sends his way whenever the duke isn't looking is anything to go buy. 

   I reach the market and quickly pay for the cherries and start making my way back to the house with a sigh. Suddenly an arm goes around my waist and another around my neck and I'm yanked back in between two house before feeling a searing pain in my neck.