Kingdom of Ellorace

"I only have three pennies," she said with more firmness in her voice. The Parkins couple seemed to finally understand that she wasn't haggling, and produced two simple, teardrop opals on chains for her.

"That'll do," Mr. Parkins said, nodding to her. Kate accepted the options, placed them in the coin purse, and turned her back to the sound of the pennies scraping off the table and into the greedy hands of her traveling neighbors. Kate attempted not to let the irritation get to her, but by the time she'd reached the door of the Doctor's house, her heart beat too quickly. First her mother, then the Parkins...did people not listen anymore?

"Yes?" The door in front of her opened just a crack, enough for Kate to barely make out the silhouette of the Doctor behind it.

"Your bread delivery," Kate said, attempting to look friendly. Now this was rude. Who didn't say hello anymore?

"Oh!" The Doctor opened the door fully, letting light enter his humble home. The sunlight reflected against his glasses, and Kate shrunk at little. "I'm sorry. I'm training my apprentice right now; I didn't expect any visitors." Kate pretended that this excuse was adequate enough for her and stepped inside.

"I heard you got a new apprentice." She kicked the heels of her boots against the door frame to knock off any excess dirt and let the Doctor shut the door behind her.

"Yes, yes. He's quite a fast learner. I feel confident that he'll be a master in no time," the Doctor said, beaming. Kate nodded to him as he accepted the tied box from her. The Doctor retreated to another room, leaving her for a moment while he put the bread away.

Kate jumped at the sound of a shriek not too far away. "Doctor!" she called, turning toward the source. "Someone's hurt!"

"No, no," the Doctor insisted, moving as slowly as ever when he returned. "That's just Simon finishing up treatment on someone." Kate stared at the closed door, the source of the scream. Treatment? Now she knew why her mother was always so hesitant about this man.

"It sounds...painful," she admitted with a furrowed brow.

"Not at all," the Doctor said. "Just a regular treatment. Most patients find it very helpful."

"Why the shout, then?" Kate challenged. She finally looked to him, challenging his answer. She wasn't supposed to talk like this, but if someone was in trouble—

The door opened. Kate watched eagerly as a woman dressed in all black—a widow—made her way out of the room, breathless.

"Thank you, Doctor," she said with a nod. "Same time next week?" The Doctor agreed and led her to the door. Kate watched, still on guard, as he said goodbye to her.

"I don't understand," she admitted, diminished.

"Hysteria." An ice cold grip clutched her heart, and she raised her hand to try to warm it.

"You took out her—her—"

"Oh, nothing so medieval. No, I don't believe in something that drastic for something so simple," he insisted. "No, I'm for consistent treatment."

"Treatment?"

"Yes, Miss Baker. Not everything has to be so final." The door the widow came out of opened again, and a dark-haired and tall man came out.

"Oh! Hello," the young man said. Kate let out a little wave, but she didn't quite register what was going on. Simon, she assumed, wiped his hands on a towel and regarded his Master.

"How was that?" he asked, as if she wasn't there.

"You're a natural." When Simon smiled at the praise, a dimple appeared on his cheek, and Kate stared.

"I'm sorry, this was rude. I'm Simon Donovan." He strode toward her and offered a hand. She gently let hers rest in his, and he bowed to give it a kiss.

"I'm Katherine Baker," she said quietly.

"I was just talking to Miss Baker about Hysteria, Simon," the Doctor said swiftly. "She's been listening to rumors again."

"Rumors?" The young man stared at her with surprise; he seemed too innocent, so sweet; somehow she felt her cheeks burn at his glance.

"I'd been told that Hysteria led to—barrenness, in a way," she explained quickly. Simon understood in a moment and nodded.

"I'd heard that too, before I started to apprentice here. The Doctor is much more modern than that." Kate giggled despite herself, and let her eyes fall to the floor.

"I'm relieved to hear," she said. The Doctor stepped closer to his apprentice to accept the towel from him.

"You know, Miss," the Doctor started, stealing her gaze from the ground, "if you or anyone you care for does experience Hysteria, be assured that it does not have to lead to something like that—as long as it is treated." Kate's heart jumped in her chest. What if it went untreated? Did that mean there was nothing that could be done?

"I had only just learned about it," she confessed. "But it's a comfort to know that we have you here." The air seemed a little too thick in here, too warm for such a lovely day like this. When her eyes flickered to Simon, she realized that it might all be coming from him. She felt fine until he came into the room.

"Are you...all right?" the Doctor asked her. She begrudgingly found the older man's face instead.

"Yes, just a little warm." She smiled. "Thank you for asking."

"You're flushed. Do you have a fever?"

"I—I don't think so. I don't feel...that feverish," she admitted with a raised brow. She felt perfectly healthy lately, minus the odd feelings that showed up yesterday, and the warmth now. And, well, maybe a few irritations... But if that meant something more serious was going to happen...

"Mmm," the Doctor sounded, squinting. "Do you mind if I examine you? Just to be safe." Kate straightened her spine in surprise. "All free, of course."

"Oh, um...I suppose that's safe, isn't it?" There was nothing harmful about a checkup, after all. And if it was something tragic, they could help her.

"Come on into the room with us." The Doctor and Simon gestured to the room the widow came from before, and opened the door for her. "Go ahead and sit there." He gestured to a long table with a pillow on the end. Feeling foolish, Kate hopped on it as if it was a saddle on a horse. Her feet dangled above the ground, which only made her feel even more like a child.

"What do I do?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Just relax," the Doctor insisted, turning to Simon. "Do you remember what I did with the last exam?"

"Yes," the young man answered confidently. "I believe I could duplicate what you did."

"Go ahead. Kate, I'll be watching, but you're in good hands." Kate nodded and attempted to breathe evenly as Simon approached.

"I'll be checking you for signs of the Plague," Simon started. Kate gasped, but the Doctor shook his head next to her.

"The Plague hasn't hit our area yet, don't you worry. It's standard procedure these days." Satisfied, minorly, with his answer, Kate allowed the young apprentice to place his fingers on the sides of her neck. She tried to slow her breathing, but his hands were warm and soft. She suppressed a shiver.

"Have you felt warm much lately?" He pressed around her muscles, and paused just under her jawline.

"Not lately," Kate murmured, shutting her eyes tight. "Just yesterday and today." Talking while he touched her felt bizarre and unwelcome. It almost felt as if she should be silent while he dragged his fingers across her body, but his hands never left the sides of her neck.

"Any differences in your emotions?"

"No," she started to answer, but stopped herself. "Or, well..."

"Go on," he urged as he placed his fingers on her wrist. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened her eyes.

"I suppose I've been a little distracted lately. Irritated, as well. I suppose it's all the excitement for the ball." She gave a nervous smile, and the young man released her wrist, returning her expression. Her skin tingled from his touch, now suddenly colder without his gentle fingertips.

"You seem out of breath. Do you live far?" He stepped back to address her completely, hands folded in front of him.

"No, not terribly." Kate pursed her lips as she met Simon's gaze. "I'm just--just a little warm right now. It's a lovely day outside." Another nervous laugh escaped her lips, much to her disdain. Her voice was uneven, she was warm, and now she had to seriously suppress the urge to shake like a leaf in the wind.

"I don't think this young woman is ill," the Doctor piped up from the side of the room. He sounded as if he was smiling. Kate jumped a little, suddenly remembering the man's presence, and turned to him. Why did he sound amused?

"I think you're right about that, Doctor. Miss Baker, I think you have a clean bill of health." Although this was good news, part of her felt disappointed.

"You're positive?" she asked Simon, furrowing her brows. "I mean--no Plague?"

"No signs of any Plague," he said sincerely. When he smiled, a small dimple appeared on his right cheek, just next to his lips.

"Now, if you feel any different, please don't hesitate to come back," the Doctor continued, attempting to steal her attention. She glanced to him, blinking as if she just woke from a dream. "Plague, Pox, Hysteria, no matter what."

"Of course, Doctor. Thank you for being thorough." At Simon's gesture, Kate took his hand and allowed him to ease her off of the table. "But--what exactly is Hysteria? My mother said it was when a womb wandered."

"Yes, that's right," the Doctor said, opening the door to the main room of his house.

"What is that like? Is it painful?"

"Oh, no. Most women don't even know that's happening to them until they seek treatment for things like sleepless nights, irritability, tendency toward confusion, extra warmth and tingles of the body, things like that." Kate's eyes widened. "Actually, the majority don't come for treatment at first. They are usually sent by their husbands or family members." The trio walked slowly into the main room, and Kate held a hand to her chest.

"Uh... Are--are there other symptoms?" she stammered uneasily, furrowing her brows. "My mother says it's caused by impure thoughts, but is it possible to contract the disease without--"

"My dear, calm down," the Doctor started with a soft voice, taking hold of her free hand. She looked up to him and held her breath. "It isn't a death sentence. It is perfectly normal and common. Impurity has nothing to do with it." Her heart rested a little.

"It doesn't?" she asked.

"It doesn't. I find that it is most common with beautiful women who are meant to be mothers." She let out an audible sigh, and the Doctor continued, "Kate, are you having these symptoms I mentioned?" She bit her lips together, then slowly nodded. "I can only assume it is because you're a woman, now. It's totally normal for you to have this." Although she still felt warm, and a little flustered, the air got a little easier to breathe.

"Miss Baker," Simon said quietly from the other side, stealing the moment. Her eyes transfixed on his gentle smile, the way he folded his hands so respectfully. "If you're truly worried about it and the feelings don't go away soon, come back. If there's nothing to treat, there's nothing to charge, right, Doctor?" A nod from his superior suddenly made Kate realize she'd been staring.

"What would I tell my family?" she asked breathlessly when he took a step closer to her.

"Oh," Simon realized with a frown, his dimple disappearing. An idea seemed to strike him just as quickly, and the dimple returned. "I could use a loaf of bread. May I buy one?"

It was the day before the ball, and Kate once again found herself standing in front of her mother, holding a small box with a loaf of fresh bread inside. But, much to her dismay, she stood wearing the corset under her dress to "stretch it out."

"You said that he didn't want a loaf until after he smelled the other one?" her mother asked again, grinning from ear to ear as she finished the bow on the box. Kate cleared her throat.

"He was in the other room and didn't know about the bread until he'd finished his work while I was speaking with the Doctor. I can only assume the scent made him want to buy one for himself." It was a rehearsed answer that she played in her head over and over again as her excuse. Her mother seemed pleased.

"Or maybe it was that he didn't see that we had such a pretty daughter until you delivered it and just wanted to see you again." Kate blushed and figured her mother would come to such conclusion. Why else would she make her wear the corset without a beautiful dress on top of it? She personally thought she looked silly, wearing her normal day clothes with a corset. But the fabric was minorly more modest than her ball gown, and at least covered an inch above where the corset ended. The tingles from before ignited in her chest, begging for her to tug and play with the little buds the corset pressed on. She chewed on her lip instead.

The moment Kate let her guard down, her mother pulled a stray hair out of her side braid. She only flinched, but she was used to such things when her mother over doted. "Be polite. Ask about his family, learn all you can. He's new here, so we need to make him feel welcome. We're not the only baking family, you know." Her mother winked, but Kate took it with a nod and ducked out the door before she could get any more uncomfortable.

The air was considerably colder today. Kate couldn't help but think that even if the corset didn't make her so hyper-aware of every little bounce of her breasts, that her nipples would be at attention anyway. The combination of the cold on her skin and the boning against her breasts made the tingling almost unbearable, encouraging her to walk faster. Clouds rolled in, dark and threatening the beautiful day expected for the ball. Nothing could ruin a ball quite like rain. Still, she kept her hope high. It was windy. Maybe the wind would just blow the threatening storm by.

But thinking about the weather did not make her walk any easier. Since the other day, being reassured that she could return if she felt the need did not make her symptoms any better. They got worse. She could only assume it was because she ventured too close to impure thoughts, thoughts about how handsome Simon looked with his sweet smile, his dark and well-kempt hair, his kind eyes. She couldn't bring herself down from the clouds, and when she was forced down by her siblings, she often found it difficult to reel in irritation. And the tingling? Touching herself last night made it even worse. Especially wearing this corset, which promised to make her more desirable to desirable men. The cause of the tingling in the first place, the thing that revealed how much of a woman she felt like recently. She scolded herself at least a dozen times already for imagining Simon's gentle hands--impure thoughts!

And now that the ball was just tomorrow, her nerves skyrocketed. Would she be barred from going to the ball if she did, in fact, contract Hysteria?

A fat droplet of water landed right in the middle of her head right as she knocked on the door to the Doctor's, and she was thankful that not too many more landed on her skin before he opened the door.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Miss Baker!" the Doctor cried with a grin, welcoming her inside.

"I hope I'm not early?" she asked nervously, stepping through the door. She realized too late that she'd forgotten to kick her boots against the wall, but the Doctor didn't mind.

"No, I'd say not. He'll be right out. I have him studying whenever he isn't practicing." The Doctor turned to retrieve his apprentice from the other room, and Kate took the time to shift herself, pulling her breasts further out of the corset to rest against the lace of her dress' neckline to accentuate her shape even more. She wiped her hair down of the rain drops, tugged her dress down a little, and wiped the heels of her boots on the wall in time before Simon could step out with that heavenly smile of his.

"How are you?" he asked, accepting the box of bread from her. She watched his gaze take her in from waist to face, hesitating slightly. "You look--radiant." Kate blushed and glanced away.

"Thank you. I'm quite well. How are you?" A hand self-consciously wiped her hair to the side.

"I'm great."

"It's such a beautiful day," the Doctor announce loudly by the window, staring into the grey. Kate could see the shape of a woman in a cloak out the window, grinning and waving to the man. "I'm going for a walk. It's just too beautiful to deny a walk on a day like this, don't you agree?" Kate took a little longer to glance to the man than Simon did, blinking in confusion.

"Doctor--" she started uncertainly.

"Simon," the Doctor interrupted, "you've done examinations a million times. You wouldn't mind if I went for a quick walk, would you?" He didn't wait for a response, and instead picked up his coat and opened the door. "I'll be right back." The door slammed shut just as quickly as it opened. Kate furrowed her brows.

"Who was that woman?" she asked, attempting to catch another glance.

"Not his wife," Simon answered as he turned to watch his mentor and his mistress run out of sight. "She's visiting her sister a hundred miles away, and ever since, I've seen her show up every day at this time." Kate covered her mouth with a hand, uncertain if she should gasp or laugh. Simon was almost amused by it, but let the subject drop and gestured to the room she first went into. Her heart stopped. Right, the reason she was here in the first place--not to gossip about the kind and gentle man who offered her free assistance at the expense of his apprentice's time, but to check and see if she would ever get better.

Just as before, she hopped on the cot and faced him, lips between her teeth.

"Miss--"

"Kate," she corrected quickly. "If you're going to know everything about me, you may as well just call me by my first name." Simon smiled.

"Then you must call me Simon, by all means." She blushed in response. "Since we last spoke, how have you been?" Oh, dear. Now came the part she dreaded.

"Um, worse, I'm afraid."

"Worse?" And so much worse when she watched his gaze examine her figure, lingering on her corset.

"Yes, in all the symptoms I've described before." She suddenly became very aware that he was so close, gently reaching forward to touch her neck and feel the lumps and bumps of her muscles. He let out a thoughtful hum, took her wrist in his hands, stayed silent for a moment.

"You otherwise are very healthy, yes? Your skin is glowing, your eyes are clear, your hair..." He stopped himself suddenly, and awaited her response.

"As far as I can tell, yes. Although--yesterday I was so distracted, I forgot to eat breakfast." Simon chuckled.

"We all do that." Despite his attempt to be reassuring, she didn't feel any better.

"My family has always eaten together. I was just staring into the sky until they realized I'd not been there." Simon gently set her wrist on her lap, and her heart beat so hard she swore he watched it move in her chest. His gaze there did not do anything to slow the hammering.

"In able to be certain of what I think is the case, I need to examine more," he said quietly, seemingly timid. "But I have to let you know that it can be uncomfortable if it's not something you've had done before." She nodded.

"Whatever you need to do," she said. Simon visibly swallowed, and took a step back.

"If you end up not feeling alright with it, we can wait for the Doctor to come in."

"I'd, um, rather--I mean, I am fine with your service," she finally managed to say, although she now seemed to understand why he was so hesitant. She had a feeling he would have to examine where the tingling originated, and that part of his discomfort was that she was so much younger than his other clients.

"If you insist," Simon said, his eyes dropping to her cleavage again. "You seem--flushed," he noted, eyes returning to hers. She nodded, breath ceasing completely. "I'm going to gently touch you, now, to find where you are most sensitive, to see where your symptoms may originate." She lifted her chin for him to press his fingers where he did before, and allowed her eyes to shut on their own accord. He did this already, she thought with impatience. But then he slowly pressed his fingertips lower down her neck, to her collarbone. Kate bit her lower lip, lifting her head back even more for him to have full access. Would this mean he'd...?