I Will Work Hard Ch. 04

Then the women tried on the gowns. Some of them would have to be altered to fit well, but that wasn't too bad. At least it would give them something to do, since it seemed that they weren't meant to do farm work anymore.

And then it hit her. It truly sunk into her brain.

Hulda looked down at her recently coddled hands, and she understood that, if Ehlov had his way, she'd never plant anything, never harvest anything, never look after any animals, and never do anything more dangerous than sewing or spinning ever again.

But ... what in the world were they supposed to fill their time with?

***

Dinner was not what the family was accustomed to, not at all.

First of all, the women were asked not to help cook the food. The reason was that, while there were some lovely clogs left behind, they were made for another woman's feet, and they couldn't be altered. Ehlov didn't want the women to hurt their bare feet by walking on stone. And yes, the kitchen did have a woman's side, and it had a stone floor. Once they had new painted clogs, Ehlov would encourage them to cook with the servants, if they wanted. Johnan got to cook, though. He was excited to learn how to prepare beef.

Second of all, the women were expected to kneel on comfy blue pillows, near a low table that looked too pretty to bear plates of food. The men stood near very tall tables on their side, and they looked a bit spiffy. Ivar had been kind enough to leave behind some of his own clothing, it seemed. Even Johnan had a new tunic, although it was much too big. His sleeves were rolled up and his neckline looked like a ridiculously big hole.

Third of all, the centaur servants handed everyone their food on trays. Being served ... actually being served ... it was so humbling, so unnerving. Hulda tried to be polite. She said thank you and bowed her torso every time someone was given a tray. The servants rolled their eyes, but not in a condescending way. They seemed to be happy serving someone who spoke gently to them.

And fourth, it was such a pretty, lovely meal. It was finer than anything Hulda had ever eaten.

Hulda had to be careful. Her sleeves were longer and wider than she was accustomed to, like triangular wings of fabric. She was scared to death of soiling the clothes, or knocking something over.

Everyone went to bed early, because they were all very tired. What upset Hulda, though, was the sleeping arrangements. Ehlov said that because Hulda was the mistress, she should get one room all to herself. The other women were meant to share the other room.

And the men ... they slept on the other side of the building, behind their own walls.

There was no snuggling, no nuzzling, no secret kisses, no shared body warmth, none of that!

Even though the night was fairly warm, even though the elegant brazier near her was empty for that reason, even though she had a soft mattress rolled out on the floor with smooth pillows and blankets, Hulda thought she was cold.

***

On the next morning, the family ate a nearly sinful breakfast. There was toasted bread with pear jam, poached eggs, and beans mixed with diced onions.

Then, Ehlov told everyone that they were going to the nearest marketplace, so they could find a carpenter to measure the women's feet. They were meant to have clogs of many colors. Only brand new, painted clogs would satisfy the new master. He said as much as he led his family around in the marketplace later.

Ehlov also purchased a few bolts of cloth, small pouches of flower seeds, some jars of extra food, a single barrel of wine, and a box of charming toys for both Johnan and Dagny to entertain themselves with. Like most peasant children, Hulda had grown up playing with straw dolls she had made herself and a few rocks. Sometimes, she got to play a crudely made board game or two. She was absolutely delighted to know that Johnan and Dagny would have more variety in their playthings.

The most frightening thing, though, was the fact that Ehlov insisted that they not wear harnesses. The belts around their waists were enough. Hulda knew that if some stupid man were to snatch her up off of her husband, then that stupid man could simply be chased down. So, the harness was mostly for safety when a peasant woman was walking outside. But still ... she felt as though she had gained a piece of danger.

Nothing bad happened, though.

Ehlov went to a temple and asked if there were any clever priests willing to take on a great challenge, teaching a large family how to read and write. Two priests agreed to take on the job, and their wives even promised to teach the women how to dance elegantly and play a few musical instruments.

Well, at least they wouldn't be bored all damn day.

Later on, night came, and it was still cold, even though her body was hot, even though the room was still hot.

She missed Ehlov. She missed this hardworking man she had married. She missed how he'd hold her and kiss her and whisper all sorts of things into her ear. Why in the world did she need to sleep in a different area than him? It was so cruel!

Her body tumbled in the low, lavish bed. She kept telling herself over and over that this was all good. All these changes were good. They were living well, perfectly well.

But ... damn it!

Hulda threw the covers off of her. Then she very ungainly ran to the closest wall panel. She slammed it away, and she called out, "Ehlov! Ehlov! Where are you?!"

One of the walls in the men's side moved aside. It was much louder than the walls in the women's side. Ehlov emerged, holding a clay lamp, frowning, wearing not much more than an undershirt. He called out over the hallway to ask, "What's the matter, Wife?"

She held her arm out, reaching towards a man too far away to touch. "Ehlov, won't you let me go over to the men's side?"

Under the firelight, his grin looked like a demon's expression, but his eyes held the affection Hulda knew so well. "Sweet Wife, I could carry you over here, and put you on a table, so you won't have to touch the floor here."

She hopped in place, nearly tripping over her sleeves. "Please! Take me there! I need to be held by you!"

"You only needed to ask, Hulda." He sounded like he wanted to laugh at her. His thick hooves kicked up little clouds of dusty dirt as he walked over to the women's side. He handed her the lamp, and then he put his arms at her back and thighs, carrying her like she was a fairy bride or some other kind of special, darling woman.

Ehlov took her to a room with a fair bit of tall furniture. There was a tall table lined with a fluffy mattress. That was where Hulda ended up sitting. She watched Ehlov light a few other lamps to provide more light. Then he set his clay lamp onto a smaller table in a corner.

And finally, Hulda was embraced. Kisses were placed down her throat. Hands pressed up and down her back. Hulda wasn't cold anymore. She was like a piece of charcoal touched by flame, a loving flame, a flame that licked at her flesh and turned her into a crazed, panting woman.

"You can call for me whenever you want," Ehlov said to her in his warm, mellow voice, right at her ear. "There's no reason to think I won't try to keep you happy."

A reassuring feeling was building in her body, mixing in with her hopeful arousal. She tugged on Ehlov's nightshirt, eager to see him bare and proud. Ehlov happily shed the garment. Her sensitive fingers and palms kneaded and caressed his form, from the belly, to the chest, and even up to the broad shoulders.

"Ehov," she crooned, "please, please take me again. I need you."

A kiss went to her mouth. They shared their flavors with each other, their tongues wild, nearly furious. They parted only so Ehlov could help Hulda remove her chemise. Then they were together again. One of his hands cupped her breast. His hand wasn't baby soft, but the recent scrubbing had put a new smoothness there. It was a peculiar feeling. Hulda almost didn't like it at first, but as her nipple puckered and throbbed, she thought that his skin still had a manly roughness.

His other hand went to her scalp, where her wavy black hair freely hung. His thick fingers sunk deep in those tresses. She felt and heard his breath as he eagerly sniffed at the clean, upper class scent that he had put in her hair. He was a very fulfilled man. Hulda was glad to simply be in his arms.

Ehlov moved up to kiss her brow. Then he whispered, "You're a garden all on your own, but I'll plant all the flower gardens I can for you. I'll do anything I can for you."

"Hmmmm ... you're too good a husband for me," she said, wrapping her arms about him.

They spent a few more minutes praising each other, kissing each other, stroking each other with caring hands. Then Ehlov asked her to lie down. He emphasized his request with a very gentle nudge at her hips.

Hulda's back went to the seemingly indulgent mattress. The ceiling was dark and hardly visible. She felt her husband's grip on her ankles, and she was dragged down a little.

The hem of her chemise fell down, fluttering and gathering. Her lower body was raised. The shaved cheek of her kind husband slid up her leg, then to her thigh, then both thighs. Her legs went over his shoulders. Like any normal woman, she was bare underneath her chemise, and like any happy wife, she was pleased to have her spouse care for her body so well.

Air, puffs of air at her blushing pussy.

First, the dense breath from his mouth. Then, his nose, as he took in her musk.

A thick, warm tongue, slippery and determined, drew a line with its tip, down and up, parting her labia and stimulating the clitoris with a slight touch.

Hulda's toes curled, then the biggest ones anxiously brushed against the toes beside them.

And the tongue was lapping, grazing, then rippling against her panicking little clitoris.

"Ah!! Ehlov!! Yes, please!!"

It was like water rushing through a broken dam. Hulda fairly exploded against her husband, writhing, screaming, lost in sensation.

Oh ... no ...

He wasn't just licking anymore. He was sucking on her, drawing on her.

"Ohhhhh ... ohhhhhhhhh!! Oh, shit!!"

She clawed at the mattress beneath her as she reached a sharp point of insanity, blissful, intense insanity.

And he kept on, and on, and on, as if he was feeding off of her orgasm, which had her experiencing another one very soon.

That was when he stopped, giving her a single lick, and then lowering her backside to the table. Then he flipped her over and dug his hands in her hips.

Hulda hacked out dry air as she was penetrated. Then she swallowed down some saliva and cursed. "Fuck yes, Ehlov!!"

Ehlov howled above and behind her. He sounded almost like a fox or a wolf.

Hulda howled right back.

Rocking, nearly lifting the table off the ground, he pounded into her, determined and nearly feral.

She couldn't help it. Without truly thinking, she hollered out, "I love you!! Damn, I love you so much!!"

His response was to pound even harder.

And everything except her pulsing channel went numb.

Yet, she continued to scream out her lovesome declarations, even when her body seized up. A tiny bit of drool trickled down her chin.

Ehlov paused as his cock twitched within her, and then he moved back, gave one last thrust, and hissed out, "Shit!"

When he finally retreated, Hulda felt the liquid oozing out of her.

His voice was weak, like he was dying. "Fuck, Woman ... I love you too."

***

Ehlov said that in order to honor the good man that had sold his home to them, and to strengthen their new place in the world, they were going to take part of Ivar's surname and use it to create a new surname for the family. They hadn't had one before. Most peasants didn't.

The name that Ehlov suggested was Bellross. It made Hulda think of moss on stone. She actually liked that thought.

One day, Hulda found out that whenever it was time to manage the house's finances, Ehlov wanted her to do all the accounting, because she was so excellent with numbers. She was able to quickly figure out how an abacus worked, and she felt an odd delight in touching the smooth beads of wood, sliding them up and down their strings and making them clack against each other.

As time went by, life continued to be wonderful, almost enchanting.

Johnan still loved to cook, but he was happy to have more free time, and his new toys were very delightful for him. He also loved all the land he was free to run about in. His mother, Lili often watched him from behind a big window as she spun wool or did some light sewing.

Dagny became much steadier in her gait, and her speech improved. She was easier to look after in this gentle, cushioned world. Although, she had quickly learned how to open up the walls, and the women were determined to keep her from hopping down to the dirt floor. Lili considered creating a special harness and leash to keep the child from wandering off.

The women's skin slowly became lighter and lighter. Hulda didn't notice it at first. She had covered her personal mirror with a blanket because she was still nervous about using it. As for the other women, she had witnessed the changes in them without truly thinking of them. When you see a person every day, that person's gradual changes are much less obvious.

One morning, Hulda accidentally scratched her cheek with a needle. She rushed to her mirror, pulling the blanket away. She had wanted to see if the wound was serious.

At first, she gasped, thinking there was a ghost before her.

She still had all of her freckles. She didn't think anything could remove them.

But ... overall ... the base color of her flesh was like milk.

Like how most of the upper class ladies looked ...

Hulda spent a good five minutes staring at her reflection, wondering when exactly this had happened. Then, she looked at her hands, which had become as soft as flower petals. Her nails were clean and shiny with white lunulae.

She looked at her feet. They were similar to her hands, perhaps even softer, even cleaner, and everything was so much paler.

Hulda thought to herself, what would her former family think if they saw her this way? What would her parents think, what of her brother? Goodness, what would the neighbors of that village think?

Would they even recognize her?

Would they congratulate her?

Would they hate her?

Did it matter?

It wasn't as if they had cared much when it was decided that she was to be sold off.

Hulda sighed and looked back at her reflection, noting that her wound wasn't serious at all. There wouldn't even be a scar.

It didn't matter at all.

What did matter was when she figured out she was pregnant. Ehlov was so happy to hear the news that he bucked and ran back and forth in the long hallway beside her bedroom. He said he didn't care about the sex of the child. He was simply glad to know he'd have one soon.

About halfway through the pregnancy, Ehlov went to the women's side to present to Hulda a small wooden box, saying there was a gift for her inside. With an honest grin, Hulda opened the box.

What was inside was something she'd never, not even in her greediest dreams, imagined she would ever own.

A simple, thin band of gold, meant to be placed on her head.

Ehlov said he'd been saving up portions of his money to get it. Hulda believed him. She knew exactly how much money Ehlov typically earned, because she was the one who divided the family profits between all the adult men in the family. They certainly made more money than a normal peasant in Korelanda, but they weren't anywhere near as wealthy as the elites in Breden. There were expenses that had to be taken care of before anyone could have spending money, paying taxes, paying all the employees, caring for the cattle, tending to the pear trees and the family's private gardens, donating to the local temple, getting enough food for the family and the indoor servants, occasional house repairs, etc.

Ehlov must have saved up to get a piece of golden jewelry.

Until then, all of Hulda's accessories were of wood or fabric, and she was the mistress of the whole estate!

Her husband put the band of gold on her head, and he bent down to kiss her nose.

"You're a good wife, Hulda. That's all I've ever needed, a good wife. So, I'll keep on working hard for you, because I know you're working hard for me. Even when you didn't like me very much, you worked hard. Even when you were sad and scared. But now that I've got a nice big house, soft clothes, and all kinds of fancy things for you, I know you'll work even harder for me, because that's what you do, and I'll just have to work even harder to keep up with you."

Hulda wondered if an excess of happiness was deadly.

If so, it would have been the most blissful death in the world.

***

The End

***

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading my silly stories. I appreciate it. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think. I need to keep learning how to improve. Have a good day.