Cassandra: Here She Rules: Book One

by Kat Brewer

  “I will,” Cassie said. “Now, I think I should go to help him settle in.” The women grinned broadly as she rose. Cassie bowed to the Queen before saying her farewells and hurrying home.

  When she entered her quarters, they were all sitting on the sofas, and Garen was speaking with the others. She could see from the look Mika sent her that they had made him feel welcome, and she nodded slightly to him in gratitude.

  “My loves, Garen comes to me as a gift from Her Highness the Queen for the work I did in securing the captive village. I know you have welcomed him, but Garen has had a terrible experience, and I expect each of you to be there to comfort and support him as he needs.”

  “Garen,” he looked up at her, “have no fear in my house. I believe you can tell my men well cared for and loved. This is what I offer you as a member of my household.”

  “Thank you, Mistress,” he said, head bowed.

  Cassie’s heart melted with pity for this man. It was unthinkable that anyone would abuse such a treasure as he so obviously was.

  “Stand, Garen.” He immediately stood and smiled tentatively when she advanced towards him. She reached up and removed the tie from his hair and let the glorious mass fall freely around his face and down his back.

  “Turn around, sweetheart,” she said. When he turned, she plunged her hands into the thick, silky length, twisting it softly and rubbing it between her fingers.

  “So beautiful,” she sighed, taking his shoulder and turning him back to her.

  His eyes met hers as she looked at his face, and her body throbbed with desire, that she pushed aside. She wanted to give him time to get used to her and trust her.

  She turned to the others and said, “Are we running today?” They smiled at her and replied affirmatively.

  She sent them to get ready and asked Mika if he would assist Garen. He smiled and nodded, earning him a sweet kiss from his beloved Mistress.

  Cassie went to her closet and withdrew the shorts and tank tops she had special-ordered for running. She'd had all of the men outfitted with similar apparel. They enjoyed the freedom of movement the clothes afforded, while she enjoyed the sight of their behinds in the clingy material.

  Moments later, they reappeared and were ready to go. Garen looked a little lost, so she touched his hand and led the way.

  They arrived at the running track that encircled the training fields and Cassie set off a leisurely pace. She ran next to Garen, and when his eyes frequently turned to her face, she would smile at him.

  They ran two miles around the track and then jogged around the Palace once, enjoying the sweet scent of the gardens as they passed. Garen seemed to be relaxing, and though his breathing was labored due to the lack of exercise he had experienced during his captivity, he had impressive stamina.

  When they finally got back home, the men dispersed and gathered bathing material as was their custom following a run. Cassie picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off her face and then from Garen’s. She showed him the cooking rooms and where he could find the water, and they enjoyed a drink together. The strain was gone from his handsome face, the exercise had done him good.

  Cassie took his hand led the way to the bathing chamber. Once inside, her men helped her to remove her clothes, and then removed their own. Garen followed suit.

  “Mika,” she said, “after we have bathed, I want you to purchase new clothes for Garen. Get something new for all of you, also. I have seen the Queen’s slaves wear formal attire that drapes over the shoulder, and I want you all to have some of those same garments in black.” The toga-style clothing she spoke of was short, hanging to mid-thigh, and was very sexy.

  “Yes, Mistress,” he said.

  Cassie got into the bath, followed by her men. She was shampooed and washed, and then, as they began cleaning themselves, she took the cloth from Garen and washed him herself. She enjoyed exploring him with the wet cloth and she delighted in the twitch of his muscles as she left no inch of him unclean. His body responded beautifully to her touch, which gave her hope. When his eyes met hers, she noted that there was no fear or pain in them, only curiosity and desire.

  Cassie wiped his face clean then kissed him softly on the mouth, and Garen’s lips parted slightly. A faint smile touched them before he closed them again.

  They finished up and got out, toweling each other and chatting companionably as they dressed their Lady and themselves.

  “Aidan, I am starved. Are you going to feed me today?” she asked.

  “I will get it immediately, Mistress. Come, Arn. Let us not keep our Lady waiting!” They scurried off and brought out the food moments later.

  They all fell on it hungrily.

  Cassie made sure that Garen’s plate remained full throughout the meal, and he ate with good appetite, even contributing to the conversation occasionally, making Cassie feel sure he would adapt to their family quickly.

  After dinner, she took them all for a walk in the gardens, as that was a favorite place of Cassie’s. They spent time admiring the flowers and enjoying the delightful scents that filled the air before sitting on the grass. They quickly fell into a rhythm of talking and laughing.

  Garen sat off just a bit from them, observing how they all interacted together. He could see the gentle, loving way his new Lady treated her men and their adoration and love for her.

  She would occasionally say something wicked and caress them in intimate places much to their delight. Their reaction showed him that her attention was something they delighted in, competed for, and were eager to have.

  He thought back to the time before the Trevians when he’d had a good Mistress, and she had been kind to him. This Mistress was beautiful, tall, and so desirable with her rich brown hair streaked with red highlights, and those remarkable eyes of hers. One moment, they were green and the next, they were blue. She gave such sweet love to her slaves and that made him glad to be hers. He felt safe with this Lady.

  The sky began to darken, so they made their way indoors and back to her apartments.

  Cassie sat on the sofa, and the men gathered around, bringing out the playing cards and looking at her suggestively. She laughed as they dealt the cards.

  Garen only watched initially, taking note of how skilled she was at the game. Her bets were sweet, naughty offerings that the men tried desperately to win.

  They soon convinced Garen to play, and when the Mistress bet something “special,” his fellow slaves made even fiercer attempts to win. Garen did not know what it was, but he soon got caught up in their enthusiasm, and when the last card was played, he found himself the winner, much to the good-natured chagrin of the others.

  The Mistress grinned at him with promise in her eyes, and suddenly, for the first time in a long time, he felt the stirrings of lust. He returned her smile, and the others looked on enviously.

  Cassie was thrilled at his response. His smile was beautiful, and when she told him as much, he flushed bright red in happiness. She rose and bid them all goodnight. Taking Garen’s hand, she led him to her room and had him disrobe and climb into her bed.

  Garen watched as Cassie undressed and lay down next to him, pulling him into her arms. He involuntarily stiffened, and his breathing hitched.

  “Garen, relax. I make no demands of you tonight. I just want you to be comfortable and learn to trust me.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” He smiled softly and relaxed in her arms.

  Cassie snuggled in and fell asleep listening to his heart beat steadily in her ear.

  Chapter Twelve

  Time passed peacefully. Cassie had worked out a schedule for each slave’s turn to come to her bed, and she found it lessened the feelings of guilt she once had regarding choosing one more than the others.

  She was still going very slowly with Garen. She told him that she wanted him to get used to her and overcome his past experiences before she took him. He seemed at once grateful and frustrated by this, and Cassie knew in her heart that she was secretly enjoying his longing.


  One afternoon as they sat lounging, doing a great deal of nothing, a messenger from the Queen came to request Cassie’s presence. She rose, slipped into some sandals, and headed to the Throne Room. She was followed closely by the messenger, who moved ahead only to announce her as she entered.

  Nera’s eyes rose from a document she was reading and motioned for her to take her customary seat next to the throne.

  Cassie made her obeisance and sat on Nera’s right.

  The room held no courtiers, only a handful of noble women and the customary contingent of slaves.

  Presently, Nera looked up again from the document she held and apologized to Cassie for keeping her waiting. Cassie waved away the apology and asked what the matter was, indicating the paper in the Queen’s hands.

  “This is a letter from the Kingdom of Serlenn. They request to make a treaty with us for the trade of goods. As you know, our leathers are the finest to be had.” At this, Cassie nodded. “Also, they seek to align themselves with us militarily, they want us as allies.”

  “If they are worthy, Your Highness, then I approve of the idea. I believe it is always best to have allies at your back whenever you must fight a major war. The increase in trade would profit our people greatly too, I think. Of course, I will support any decision you make regarding the matter,” Cassie said after considering the proposal for a moment.

  Something suddenly occurred to Cassie. “Wait, Your Highness, did you say Kingdom?” Cassie was astonished at Nera’s affirmative response.

  Nera looked up from her document, saw Cassie’s face, and smiled.

  “Yes, my friend. Serlenn is a Kingdom. They have a male monarch. Their lifestyle is slightly different. The ruling class is patriarchal. They do not keep slaves but have servants, their governing body is male-dominated, and they serve a King. The Serlenn Army is strong, numbering many thousands of men, much as ours has thousands of women. There have never been hostilities between our countries, and they have long been as accepting of our style of living as we have of theirs. But in general, we tend to ignore one another’s existence.” Cassie was dumbfounded.

  She remembered Nera mentioning other countries where the men were different, but she really hadn’t given it much thought. It came as bit of a shock to realize there were other lifestyles in this world, and she felt a little stupid for not having thought to ask.

  “As the Commander of my Army, you would be expected to play the role of dignitary and ambassador to the Serlenn delegation. They would expect to discuss and share training methods and techniques. Do you have any objection to such a role?” Nera asked.

  “None whatsoever, Your Highness. It is my honor to serve you in any capacity you may require,” Cassie replied.

  “What I am really asking, Cassandra, is how will you react to the potentially misogynistic treatment of their women and possibly even of us? Can you maintain a proper decorum under what may be a somewhat primitive mindset?” she asked, lifting one blonde brow and watching her Commander closely.

  “Yes, I can remain polite. However, please understand that I will tolerate no disrespect of you, My Lady, nor will I tolerate it for the women under my command. So, perhaps a little demonstration of our fighting prowess may be called for on the first day to inspire a measure of respect for us as warriors?” Cassie suggested.

  Nera agreed with a smile.

  “When do we expect them, Your Highness?”

  “I have sent my reply just now. It should reach them in about two days, so I imagine we will see them within a week.”

  “We will be ready, Highness. I will plan a demonstration with arms and hand-to-hand combat that will leave them with no doubts regarding our abilities,” Cassie said enthusiastically.

  “Cassandra, come and have dinner with me in my quarters. I have not had your company outside of training for too long,” Nera said.

  “I would be honored, Your Highness.” Nera rose and Cassie followed her through a door behind the throne that led directly to her personal apartments.

  Nera’s slaves bowed to the women and quickly fluffed pillows on the floors and chaise lounges so the Ladies could have their choice of seating.

  “Bring us wine,” Nera ordered. “Cassie, help yourself to any of my slaves that please you.” This was a customary concession to any favored person who was invited to be in private with the Queen. It was also a chance to taste the finest of male flesh.

  Cassie thanked her and took a moment to assess the pretty men in the room. Each one of them gazed at her with hope. She was legend in the Palace due to her treatment of her slaves, and the tales of her sexual prowess had grown to mythic proportions.

  Cassie would have died if she knew exactly what was being said. It was hearsay because her slaves would share nothing of their personal lives other than to express their overall contentment and happiness with their Mistress.

  This response only added fuel to the gossipy fire.

  A slave brought her a cold glass of wine and then smiled into her eyes in invitation. She mentally cataloged the slaves in the room and saw nothing to compare to her own splendid men. She felt the same burning attraction she always did to the native men, but she was content to drink the wine, eat the delectable food, and chat with Nera.

  Soon, an elderly female slave brought forth a gorgeous little girl with chocolate brown curls and big violet eyes. The Queen's daughter, Danai.

  Cassie had seen her on several occasions, but this was the first time she’d had the chance to talk with her. The child was charming and was very much her mother’s daughter. She was bright, loquacious, outgoing, and the Lady Cassandra was her heroine.

  She chattered on for nearly an hour until a male slave with the same rich brown hair entered and bowed to the Ladies, saying to Danai, “Come, my sweet. It is time you were in bed.”

  The child pouted, kissed her mother, and then, to Cassie’s delight, kissed her on the cheek as well before leaving with the man who was so obviously her father.

  “I believe I told you before she would adore you, you are her idol,” Nera said, smiling.

  “No. I think she likes me very much, but you are her idol. Do you not see how she mimics your movements and expressions? It’s too precious! She has your beautiful face and her father’s hair.” Nera looked up at this in question.

  “You knew he was her father?” Nera asked.

  “Yes, I could see a bit of him in her too, and she seems extremely fond of him,” Cassie replied.

  Nera smiled ruefully. “Quinn has always been my favorite. I am sure you will understand when I say that one must not favor one slave much over the others if only to keep one’s house peaceful, but I do love him dearly.”

  “I understand, Nera. I have tried to be fair and not show much favoritism, but there are some of mine to whom I am drawn more intensely than the others." Cassie said. "Not that I don’t adore each one in their own way."

  “You will find that feelings will change a bit, but usually there is a special one or two that you will care a bit more for.”

  Cassie thought a moment of how her flesh zinged when Mika and Taylyn touched her. Then, there was her sweet Aidan. They made her life so easy, so beautiful. She truly adored them all, but those three… She was forced to admit to herself that they were special to her. Arn's raw passion and Kai's sweetness still drew her like a moth to a flame.

  Now, she had Garen. He exuded raw sexuality and she didn’t know how long she could keep herself from him.

  Cassie grinned.

  “You’re thinking of them now, are you not?” Nera asked with a smile.

  “Yes, I am,” Cassie replied. “I astonish myself with how quickly I have left behind my old life and embraced this one.”

  “I am so happy that you are content here, Cassie. I can no longer imagine my country without you.” Nera took Cassie’s hand and squeezed it, and Cassie squeezed back.

  “I am truly happy here, Nera. I don’t think I would go back now even if I had the chance.” Cassie surpr
ised herself with this.

  “That is good because I have absolutely no intention of relinquishing you.” The women embraced after Cassie rose, saying she would get up early and start working on the display for the Serlenn visitors.

  “Yes. I wish for them to be completely in awe of our prowess,” Nera said, kissing Cassie on the cheek as the women said goodnight and each sought her own bed.

  After a grueling week of extra training, Cassie felt confident in the display of fighting skills her warriors would put on for the delegation.

  As Commander, Cassie’s skills would be showcased. She and Kara had worked hard on the individual parts as they would fight one another.

  Cassie had no ego to stroke, so she was willing to allow Kara the win, but Kara convinced her that as Commander, she should be victorious.

  Kara privately believed Cassie to have the superior fighting skills, and Cassie was flattered by the respect her friend showed her.

  Nearly a week to the day had passed when the second messenger arrived bearing a notice that the delegation from Serlenn would arrive in two days’ time. The Palace slaves were instantly in an uproar, beginning the process of making sure every inch of the marble sparkled and that there was not a speck of dirt to be found.

  Rooms had to be prepared, food ordered, and slaves assigned to every imaginable task. Even Nera herself was showing signs of nervous energy upon receiving the message, while Cassie felt surprisingly calm. After all, this wouldn’t be her first encounter with dominant men.

  After the Serlenn messenger had ridden off, she excused herself from Nera and headed to her chambers.

  Stripping off her clothes, she headed straight to the bathing room to remove the training field grime from her body.

  Garen silently appeared behind her, picking up each garment she tossed aside, and sensing him, she turned a bit and asked him to bring her some clean clothes.

  She could hear the sound of her other slave's voices waft in from the terrace as she closed the door to the bathing room. Not bothering to wait for a bath, she used the waterfall and scrubbed herself clean. As she toweled off, Garen entered with her clean clothes. Having chosen her a suit of clothes in forest green, he helped her to dress. She was fastening the snug vest over her breasts when she looked up into his electric blue eyes.