Herbs and Poisons

"Yes, I have. But pardon me, my lady. I have never allowed you to whore out yourself in my keep. I must protect your respect if you can not do it yourself." 

"...." there was no warmth in his voice but a freezing coldness that seeped in her bones at once but it was like a molten lava that burnt her core. He thinks that she was with a man. Why? Philip had not touched her like a man touched a woman. He had not touched her many times since he found her filthy. 

Then what signs could there be in her body? The look of confusion on her face was mocking him. 

"So, you better leave for your room, or I will ask my knights to drag you there." The rise in his voice told her that he was beyond reasoning at this point.

Biting her lips, she held her dress and left from there with hurried steps. Polly followed but Lenhart stopped him.

"You do not need to. The lady needs to stay alone to clear her mind. And you have other tasks to complete for us." Polly stood there alert. Her heart was churning as she knew something had happened. "Guide my men to the cellar. I am sure you have a good stock waiting for us there." 

Polly bowed her head like any other trained maid would. She did not dare to behave like she used to in the presence of Philip. She was going to endure until he found a way. Papers, there were some papers he would need. 

Then they would run away from this estate and start a new life in the foreign lands. She had already stolen many jewels from the palace. 

"John, bring the best ones." the brute man grinned as he looked at Polly. The maid started walking and he followed her. His eyes were on her hips and her body. Since she had earned affection from the lord, she had maintained herself well. Her clothes were tight though not revealing and her hair and face was well maintained.

As she took the stairs that lead to the basement, she turned to pass a glance to the man following her. The smile could only be passed as flirting when their eyes met.

"Are you going to follow me alone? Sir John without a torch in your hands?" she twisted her fingers and pointed it down there. "It will be very dark there. I am afraid of the dark." John looked at the dimming flicker of light at both walls. She followed his gaze and sighed.

"Lord had dismissed most of the staff. The left ones are hardly able to perform the kitchen duties for so many men. Cleaning and maintaining the palace is not possible." he nodded. Four maids cooking for more than fifty persons was already a big task.

"I regret, I do not have oil with me." he shrugged but did not move, suggesting he was not going to leave to bring it.

Which gentlemen did not go to bring the oil if a lady is afraid of the dark! Her face twisted as she thought of another excuse to get some time when he walked closer until he was an inch away and his hands reached for her waist.

Her eyes widened when he held her tightly.

"But i can assure your safety in the dark." he groped her ass cheeks making her gasp. "My touch would assure you that you are not alone. And if something happens, I will react at once and keep you safe." the kind of safety he was offering scared her the most.

But she did not dare to make a noise. Maids do not have the right to make a scene if their services were demanded but looking at the brute, he must be violent in the deed. 

"I do not require this kind of assistance, Sir John. I beg you to let me go." his hands started to rub the area where his nails had been dug just a while ago.

"You do not need to be scared of me, Polly. I will take good care of you. A place like a cellar… do you think any man would let go of the chance." she wanted to push him away when he leered at her. But the words of Philip when she had met him earlier in the woods echoed in her mind.

Seduce a few of his men and we will make sure that Lenhart would be killed by his own men. He had told her that he already had a plan when she showed her doubts. 

"Sir John.." 

"You have stopped walking my lady. I think stairs could be risky. How about I help you with them too." Before she could refuse, he took her in his arms and started descending the stairs with perfect speed.

He jumped two stairs at once as if she weighed nothing. While she held him tightly for her dear life. The lanterns were dying quickly. When they reached the basement, they had already lost the burning fire but they were shining embers now.

"In that room. It is full of wine, you can take your time to choose as many as you want. I will wait for you here." she offered when the man let her go and looked around.

She had never been this grateful for feeling the ground beneath her feet. The man gave her a look that scared her but surprisingly he nodded and left for the cellar. She took a deep breath of relief. Perhaps she was too scared to think properly. 

Now that she was underground, she might use something from here. Besides the cellar where the best wines were kept, there was another room where medicines and herbs were kept safe after drying them.

There were many medicines that could be used for the staff. But there was also a long line of poisons and herbs that could harm others if not take their life. If only she could find a few right ones.