The morning sun crept through the curtains of Yvonne's room, dancing over her face the rays of sunlight played with her eyelids. The fluttering lashes flickered until the warmth of the eyes bathed her pupils. She made a yawn and stretched her weary limbs which were aching with fatigue as a result of last night's activities. The lower extremities of her anatomy felt sore as if she had engaged in vigorous sexual activities the night before. The surroundings seemed quite strange as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, the colours of the walls were dark, dreary with contrasting curtains. The exposed rafters what appeared to be cedar shingles were high, with cobwebs hanging from ceiling.
Her eyes settled on the chair in the corner of the room that contained a slim, tall man and as he felt her gaze he lifted his head and said,
"Good morning Mrs. Culchard."
"Who? What are you talking about?" she responded with a raspy voice.
Yvonne sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes just in case she was still dreaming.
"You have been sleeping a lot since our wedding last week my dear and you seemed have come down with a flu or something."
His voice was compassionate and caring as he came over and sat on the bed and stroked her hand.
"Married? Pierre, what's going on?" she asked.
"Yes, Yvonne, you are my wife. You professed your love to me and said you wanted to get married straight away and we had a small but quiet intimate wedding with your Papa and a few other guests. It took me by surprise too, but I relished the idea since I've had a massive crush on you for the last five years."
"I have so many questions Pierre, so have we…" her voice trailed off as the words just could not leave her lips.
"Hmm…are you were wondering if we already consummated the marriage? Yes, we have my love, we have been at it like a pair of rabbits. Welcome to our cottage on the Fabulous Stokes Hall Estate my dear, you will find the staff positively amazing and they are in love with you already. The owner of the plantation is an absentee one and we export one thousand two hundred hogs head of sugar a year. The staff is pleasant, and we try not to treat them as former slaves, we call them partners. Breakfast will be served shortly and I took the liberty of ordering some bacon and eggs for you. Elsa the cook made some fresh muffins for us and trust me they smell divine."
"Pierre, this is a lot for me to take in. I can't remember anything about last night much less last week. It's hard to think that I actually asked to be married, but I am starving, and my body feels so sore."
"I told you that you were sick and had a fever for a while we felt we would have lost our young bride but thankfully you were stronger than the sickness."
"I feel so strange and my head is light and giddy with a strange thirst in the back of my throat."
"Yvonne, my love give yourself time you will soon recover your strength so that we can go for a ride on that lovely black horse that your father gave to you."
"Horse, what horse?" she asked
"Oh well, let's get you washed up and ready for some breakfast my dear."
He reached for the tiny bell that was resting by the arm of the chair.
"Nancy and Tiffany will take could care of you and bathe and dress you while I check on the exports for today."
Pierre leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently.
"Wait, my servants will bathe me?" she looked around in amazement.
"Yes, of course, I also ordered a nice hot bath to soothe that lovely body of yours. These two ladies are your personal servants and they will not leave your side unless I am around."
Two Nubians pushed the door open and stepped inside the room; they were tall and strong with bald heads, thin waists and pointed breasts that were covered with white linen robes that revealed their immaculate shape and physique. Their skin was flawless and as they got closer, they smelled of rosemary and olive oil. The bed covers were rolled back to reveal the Yvonne's nakedness. She felt a little peculiar to be naked with a strange man and two women in the room. As soon as she was about to open her mouth to protest, Pierre began to move towards the door.
"I will take my leave for these ladies to take good care of you."
As soon as he left, Yvonne relaxed with the two women. Their touch was gentle and soft as they sponged down Yvonne's frame and then helped her towards the adjoining room that had the claw-footed white cast iron bath. The aroma in the room caressed her nostrils, rose petal were floating in the bath and a potpourri of flowers were nestled around the small room. The combination of warm water, scents of the flowers and the gentle touch of her servants made Yvonne feel relaxed and peaceful. Scented oils massaged her body and invigorated her mind and soul.
This is the life I wanted, she thought as Tiffany and Nancy's firm but gentle caress stimulated her body. Blood rushed to her once pale cheeks and made them blush ruby red. The women washed and bathed her entire body and their fingers went places where no other woman had ever touched. She was tingling everywhere as her senses were stimulated. She closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling of being touched.
"Mistress, we are here for your every need and if you feel the need to feed, you may as you need to build your strength," Nancy replied.
"What are you talking about Nancy?"
"Let me show you," Tiffany responded and used a small knife and scratched her forearm. Nancy took a drop of the blood on her index finger and placed it on Yvonne's full, pink lips.
She could not explain her reaction, but something inside her craved the taste as her tongue licked off the drop of Nubian blood. She felt a rush of excitement spreading through her body, the drop tasted like fine wine that had been crushed from the finest French grapes and stored in oak barrels for centuries. Butterflies flittered around in her stomach as the feelings of freshness and the wind blowing through the room were filled with the scent of freshly baked muffins. Yvonne, however wanted more of what she had just tasted.
"More," she whispered as two drops were placed this time and her appetite was opened.
"Feed my Queen, feed," said Nancy as she placed her forearm on Yvonne mouth.
"Ahh!" Nancy moaned as Yvonne's teeth sank into her firm muscular arm that spewed red, juicy fluid quenching the thirst that played at the back of her throat.
The blood was fresh, clean and pure like the driven snow yet had a fine vintage to it. With her eyes closed she could feel the glow in the pit of her soul rise and she wanted more and more. Her eagerness to suck sustenance surprised her as Nancy started to become weak and lethargic.
Tiffany said softly, "Have mine Mistress," and removed the cloth that covered her left breast.
Ecstasy exploded from her tongue and invaded her entire body as the older woman give her the most succulent breast to feed on. Drops of blood trickled from the side of her mouth and fell into the warm bath water. Yvonne's once pale skin was perfuse with colour and her full, rounded breasts heaved as she drank her fill from Tiffany.
"Enough Mistress, you could drain us," the two women smiled as Yvonne's eyes glowed Caspian red.
"You are ready Mistress. Stand up and let us prepare you for the day with Master."
With loving care, respect and adoration every inch of Yvonne's body was dried and aromatic oils from Egypt massaged into her skin.
"Look at yourself," Tiffany said.
"Wow I look amazing; I feel full of energy and my hair is so full of body, voluminous and glowing bright red. What has happened to me?" she asked shyly
"Master will explain everything but welcome to the family Mistress, he has been lonely for a very long time," replied Nancy.
"He seems happy and for days all we could hear about was this red-haired lady that he had met and was going to marry."
"Shut up now Tiffany, be careful, you know how private our Master is."
"What!" replied Yvonne. "I need to know what has happened and why am I this way."
The double French doors to the room suddenly flew open and Pierre said, "Out."
Nancy and Tiffany bowed their heads in reverence and backed out of the room towards the adjoining veranda.
"Come my love," and he beckoned to Yvonne to take his hand. "I have a surprise for you, this ring has been in my family for 300 hundred years , it was worn by a Culchard woman and finally I have you to wear it on your finger. The ring was encrusted with precious stones with a red sapphire as the centre stone, as long as you are going out in the daylight hours this ring must never leave your finger or your body."
"Why Pierre?" Yvonne asked.
"The ring has a special gift and it protects you from harm and danger, just call it your guard ring."
"My body feels so alive, but different, I have a thirst for blood and Nancy and Tiffany fed me earlier, it was like nothing I ever had before."
"Come my beloved, I have a lot to tell you, but we have forever to get to know and love each other more."
"What about my family and friends and when are we going to look for them?"
"My wife that is what we have to speak about, your father has gone back to England and the plantation has been sold."
"Oh my God, how could this happen so quickly, how long have I been out of it Pierre."
"I rescued you Yvonne, there was a revolt on the neighbouring plantation and Roselle was already engulfed when I arrived just in time save you from a mob of angry slaves. The Militia was called and a number of the blacks were killed including your mother and Benjamin the Blacksmith."
Her tears stained her cheeks as the words from Pierre assaulted her ears.
"I need to see for myself Pierre."
"No, Yvonne, it would be too painful for you. Listen, you were away for almost nine years so Roselle is behind you, and I am your future now."
Yvonne's fury boiled over and pigmentation in her skin changed from hog-pink to rose-apple red.
"What gives you the right to determine what would be too painful for me to handle?"
'Yvonne, I am your husband, what I say goes and that is final," Pierre replied.
"The last time I checked you are not my father and as a grown woman in this country I am surely free to go wherever I desire and certainly Roselle as far as I am concerned is my home."
The laughter from Pierre could be heard from the gate of the plantation almost a half a mile away. Shame crept across Yvonne's face at the fact that such a boisterous and awful sound could have emanated from the man that was allegedly her husband.
"Yvonne Culchard, you are now mine and you are only allowed to do the things that I want you to do and whenever I say they must be done."
"Pierre, what gives you that right to determine my fate? You sir, are a heinous villain if that is the case."