Training an Elf Slave

>walking through town one evening after a hard day's work
>cross through town square, looks like some slavers set up shop
>most people here frowned upon slavery, but it was still legal as far as the Lord was concerned
>take a look out of curiousity
>there were around 15-20 elf slaves, all chained and clothed only in loincloths rounded up in front of the wagon train
>the head slaver stood up on a pile of boxes; he was a rather short man
>he called out to the crowds, offering fantastic deals for these 'mostly pure' elves
>there were a few that looked out of curiousity, or perhaps boredom, but there were a few of the merchant class that rubbed their hands and negotiated prices
>I didn't want to get involved, but as I walked on past the soapbox, the head slaver called out to me, guilting me to come and partake
>at first, I refused, but the crowd refused to let me leave; I wondered if some were in cahoots with the slavers
>the head slaver was a shrewd salesman, trying his best to charm me and goad me into buying one of his elf slaves, citing things like 'happiness' and 'free-to-do-with' and 'they're just elves'
>by the time we were finally down the line of his 'selection', there was one elf that caught my eye
>in fact it looked like many of the merchants also had an eye on her; she looked hardly older than 15 or 16
>I asked the slaver about her
>he claimed that she was one of the orphans of the war, and that she was 'desperate, willing, and able to do anything' so long as she could survive another day
>I looked at her again, she kept staring at the ground
>I looked back at the merchants, who began arguing amongst themselves over who should get whom of the elves
>I looked to the slaver, a grin across his face
>I asked how much she was worth

>after the transaction and whining outside of the merchants, I was given a contract and seal of approval; Alena was now my property, and anything I willed was my command to her
>we were escorted back to my home, a small house that sat atop a small library that I owned and operated as a business
>there wasn't much money to be made with it, but it was enough
>I had to dip deep into my coffers in my purchase of Alena, the last of my inheritance gone
>there were many prying eyes that scoffed and silently shamed me for the elf slave, but it was no difference to me
>she was still unclothed, though I had been given some more of her rags, torn and dirty, balled up and thrown in a burlap sack
>I was sure even the sack was a part of her wardrobe
>with the escort finished, the slavers unchained her and congratulated me on my purchase, hoping that I would enjoy myself
>they laughed at the comment a little too hard
>I shook my head as they left the district and around the corner, gone
>Alena was still downtrodden; she hadn't once lifted her head or spoken during the transaction, and made no effort to be modest
>the sun had begun to set, shadier and shadier characters coming out with the call of darkness
>"Come inside" I said simply, reaching towards her
>she flinched as I touched her, making me wince back; I should've expected as much
>I made my way into the library, Alena trailing a few feet behind me as we made it to the stairs
>"We'll have some soup and bread tonight. The bread's a little stale, but it's still good for another day or so, we should finish it tonight"
>...
>I looked back at her, her face still sullen and broken
>I exhaled, then opened the door to my home
>dinner was uneventful until nighttime, when I said to Alena that we should go to sleep
>she resigned to herself and bent over, presenting herself to me as if it were routine
>over the crackle of the fire I could just barely make out her crying
>I set my empty bowl on the table and walked around her, giving her a gentle pat on the head as she squealed out in suprise
>"Lets...just go to sleep."
>I set up a simple little mattress and covers for myself before retiring for the night, but it was a few minutes before I heard Alena stir from her immobility and make her way to the bed
>Specifically, my bed, the floor mattress
>she nudged herself up against me, trying to grind her nubile body against me, still expecting me to violate her
>I got up, making her fall on her bum as she raised up her arms to protect herself

>Gingerly, I picked her up in a princess carry, setting her on my personal mattress across the room and tucking her in
>This was the first time I also truly saw her face as I gently pushed her dirty blond hair out of her eyes, revealing these piercing sky blue eyes
>They were full of painful, painful memories, and as if she were afraid I would glimpse into her past, she shut them and looked away in fear
>I gently caressed and tapped her cheek, wishing her goodnight as I made my way back to my floor mattress and drifted off into dreamland
>Or at least I would've if it weren't for the quiet sobs of my new elf
>This truly must've been traumatising for her; most adults she had associated with only wanted sexual favors from her
>I was likely the first man she had met that didn't want to fuck her senseless at first sight
>After around twenty minutes or so, I finally relented, getting up from my floor mattress with a squeak of the floorboards and taking a seat at her bed, setting my hand on her head
>I gently massaged her matted and dirty hair, trailing my fingers up and down the crown before settling on her fragile and sensitive ears, stroking them affectionately
>She moaned quietly as I did this, more tears beginning to flow down her cheeks
>I continued, her sobs becoming more vocal and choked with emotion
>Slowly and tenderly, I sat her up next to me, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as she poured her pain into me
>For the first time that night, she spoke
>"W-Why?"
>Honestly, I wasn't sure. Maybe I wanted to be a hero, maybe I just felt bad for her
>Maybe I didn't want the merchants to get her, to abuse her
>Instead of answering, I went back to patting her head, bringing her in a little closer and assuring her that everything was going to be alright
>Eventually, Alena resigned to her outburst and finally calmed down, her tears becoming more like sniffles and her emotions muted and pacified
>"If you want, you can sleep with me tonight" I offered her, wiping away some of the last remnants of her tears
>She didn't answer at first, merely rubbed her head into my side, her arms wrapped around me in a vise grip
>I suppose that answered my question; we slept together that night, her grip never faltering until she finally dozed off
>And even in the dark of the room, I swore I saw her smile

>The next morning I was greeted by Alena asleep ontop of me, her breathing slow and content
>She looked very happy, almost like she was glowing in the early morning light
>But today was the start of a new day, and there was work that needed to be done, plus a store that needed to be opened
>I slowly sat up, sliding the sleepy elf onto the side of the mattress as she groaned in protest
>I set my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, covering Alena with my blanket and stretching
>I looked back down at Alena, her face taking a new emotion: fear
>She began to fidget uncomfortably in her sleep, her breathing accelerating and labored
>I set my hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently
>"Alena?"
>She gasped as she awoke, looking around and taking inventory of her surroundings
>"It's okay, it was just a dream. You're safe here."
>She looked up at me, keeping herself wrapped in the blanket as she slowly calmed down
>"I'm sorry Master...I didn't mean to wake you."
>I kept my hand on her shoulder, giving it a light rub
>"You didn't wake me Alena, you were just having a nightmare." I said as I smiled, which she weakly reciprocated
>"And you don't have to call me Master, just call me Anon."
>"O-oh, my apologies Master Anon..."
>I rolled my eyes exhaled, patting her shoulder as I walked to the 'kitchen'
>It was close enough, her calling me Master Anon
>We'd have to address that later however; I'm in no position to be called master, even if I do have a slave
>"Wait, Master Anon, may I help with breakfast?" Alena asked as she sat up on the foot of the bed, anxiously rubbing her feet across the floor
>I turned towards her and smiled
>"Of course you can, but we need to go out first, we're kinda low on food."
>I stood up and gave her a chunk of the last of the stale bread I was eating as a morning pick-me-up
>Her eyes beamed as she munched on it happily; I swear I saw her ears flutter a little
>"Okay Master Anon! I'll come when you're ready." Alena said happily, tilting her head to the side with a smile
>I ruffled up her hair a little as she giggled
>"We need to do a few things first. Can you come downstairs with me real quick?"
>"Of course Master Anon!"
>She was much more upbeat than before, even with the nightmare; had I really affected her that much?
>She stood up as we went downstairs together, and it dawned on me that she was still clothed in rags and was seemingly unaware of her immodesty
>That gave me an idea

>We went downstairs to the closet, her steps becoming increasingly graceful as we went to ground level
>In the closet were all sorts of basic amenities: extra paper, ink, wooden boxes, utensils, tools, the works
>What I was looking for, however, were the water tubs and the cleanest rags I owned
>After some digging and a bit of lifting, we found the two tubs and one ladle I needed, as well as she cleaning rags
>All we needed now was some water, so we set the ladle and rags on the checkout counter and went outside to the main square of my neighborhood, where the public fountain gave a constant stream of water
>As we went outside, I was suddenly self-conscious of walking with Alena so lewdly undressed, many prying eyes looking to us as we gathered up the water we needed and went back inside
>We made it inside and walked upstairs to the home room, setting the pails and tubs of water down next to the fireplace
>Next, I took the flint and steel and started a fire, setting some of the heatrocks in the center of the pit
>"Why do we need this water Master Anon?" Alena asked as she watched the fire slowly come to life
>"Well, you need to be clean Alena. You're going to be taking a bath."
>"S-So you'll be bathing me?" She asked timidly, her face blushing
>I held my tongue for a few moments, trying to think of the words
>"Yes. You need to be cleaned, but first we need to get some more things after the fire dies down."
>"Okay Master Anon."
>Her face was still beat red from the thought of me bathing her; it honestly made me a little uncomfortable
>But it seems like it would be a nice gesture, plus its not like she's had a bath any time recently
>Even in the pale morning I can see the thin layer of dirt and grime that colored nearly every inch of her, and the residual, offputting odor of caked on filth
>She needed a nice, warm bath
>After the fire died down, I used the metal tongs to set the heatrocks into the pails and tubs of water, warming them up to boiling
>It would take maybe 20 minutes or so for the water to cool down to a comfortable heat, so that would give us plenty of time to do the next thing we needed to do: shopping

>I went over to the bed, Alena trailing a few feet behind me, and handed her the sheetcover
>"Wear this over your clothes for now, we're going out for a few minutes."
>Alena looked at the sheet, confused
>"But...don't you like me like this?" She said, gesturing subtly to her torn and revealing rags
>I sighed, taking the sheet from her and setting it over her head like a veil, then freeing up her face and letting the rest of it roll down her body like a shawl, covering almost everything down to her knees
>"Of course I do; I like you just the way you are. But like many of us here, I also appreciate modesty and demureness. You should respect it as well." I said, wrapping the sheet around any areas I may have missed
>I took a step back, gauging how Alena would look to the public
>She fell into the role of 'modest woman' rather easily; she even gave a gentle smile and kept her hands low and restrained, holding the edges of the 'dress' so it wouldn't fall and reveal her shabby rags beneath
>"I-I will." She said simply, keeping with the role
>"Excellent. Come with downstairs, we need to get some food from the market." I said, leaning in close and giving her a gentle peck on the forehead, making her face flush once again, highlighting her bashful appearance
>She came with me soon after, trying to fall once again into the ideal
>It was fascinating how quickly she picked up my expectations of her behavior, no doubt a holdover from her time as a slave
>You had to get by doing what you were told, regardless of what it was
>It made me wonder if there was a real Alena deep down, past all the pain and conditioning of how to act
>The slaver never mentioned how long she had been a slave, and her history was lost in the fire that destroyed her village and family
>Even her age was suspect; she could be between 13 and 18 for all I knew, and with her past it made gauging her behavior spotty and difficult
>But in the pit of my soul I felt that maybe I could find the real Alena, to give her a home she never knew she deserved, and a future she never believed in
>And on the bright side, it was only day two and we'd made so much progress; this next week was going to be a cakewalk
>As we walked out of the store and down the street towards the marketplace, my neighbors regarded us with reserved, if tenative, glances
>It was undoubtly a controversy that I had taken a slave, especially such a young one, but compared to how they responded yesterday, they were much more accepting with her clothed modestly and to the norm
>Or at least as close as possible; she was wrapped in bedsheets after all
>But one thing I did notice was that she was trailing behind me as we walked through the street, a fact that bothered me
>"Alena, come walk next to me, I wouldn't want you to get lost."
>"Y-Yes Master Anon!" she said, speeding up a little to catch up to me, matching my pace and staying close to my right side
>A few moments later, I felt the gentle brushing of her fingers against mine before sheepishly giving up
>I looked down at her as she blushed, looking away from me as if fearful for her initative
>I smiled, then reached for her soft, angelic hand, giving it a gentle yet firm grip, making her 'Eeep!' in suprise
>I chuckled a little at her reaction; she was undeniably adorable

>Our first order of business was breakfast, or at the very least the foodstuffs we needed to make our meal
>The marketplace square was a busseling one, especially on this early morning Wednesday, with all amenities and trinkets perfectly contrasting the butchers and cabbage salesmen
>We just needed some fresh vegetables, flour, and freshly butchered chicken or goat
>Well, maybe not fresh, but at least doable for a hearty and filling stew
>As we bobbed and weaved through the crowds of people and barkers from behind the stands, Alena crept closer and closer to me, keeping herself as far a distance as possible from the strangers that surrounded us
>I responded with a gentle squeezing of her hand, and whispering for her to stay close and speak softly if she must; women, especially slaves, were not expected to partake in the business of the marketplace
>She responded with a simple nod, her head leaning into my shoulder as she matched my footsteps while we walked
>Purchases were as expected, and the bartering and negotiations not too outside the normal
>We went to my usual shopkeepers and standsmen, whom I'd had a reputation with as a smooth customer and good friend
>They were still skeptical of Alena; word had traveled fast through the town of my controversial purchase
>I assured them, many times, that my business was my own, and that it would be best that we kept it that way until Alena was better adjusted to our quiant little town
>The most difficult of them was the loomswoman, the woman whom we purchased Alena's first two dresses and smocks
>She was an older, traditional woman to a fault, lambasting both myself and Alena for 'desecrating her home with Elvish scum'
>She went on and on about how her late husband fought the vile demons throughout the war, and how it all started with a couple of uppity elves thinking themselves greater than powers that would be best forgotten
>It's not that she was wrong, in fact that was the story that both sides said once the news went through to even the outskirts of the Kingdom like this town
>It was a problem of place: perhaps it was not the best time to speak of such things
>The loomswoman paid my concerns no heed, but begrudgingly accepted the requests for some modest clothes for Alena
>She asked for the elf to remove the ridiculous sheets, citing once again about the 'proclivity of Elves to so lewd as the bring the bed with them'
>More insults came as the loomswoman sang a number of praises about poor Alena's rags; we had both resigned to the fact that this was just a part of the procedure

>They fit, and in fact they made her look so much more beautiful
>The dresses were earthy toned and cheaply made, but it filled Alena with a pride and happiness that seemed to drip from every pore
>She gave me a genuinely enamoured hug when the purchase was finalized, thanking myself and the bitter loomswoman again and again
>By the time we had returned to market with more bags and less coins, we were just another set of faces, another couple
>Alena stayed close as before, but clung in less of fear and more of connection
>She had a warmth to her touch that seemed to permeate her unlike before; I couldn't help but relish the feeling
>The quiet walk home was marked by the friendly waves and hello's of neighbors, but for the most part we were left alone
>Once we made it back to the library, Alena finally spoke up
>'What are we going to be making for breakfast Master Anon?' she asked as she set the bag of beets and onions on the table by the fire
>'Hardman's Brew, its an old family recipe that has no origin; all we know is that it tastes good and it gives you everything you need'
>'Can I help you make it Master Anon?'
>'Of course, but first we need to let the meat and vegetables cook, so in the meantime, we'll do the other thing that I promised'
>Alena's face went red as she looked away from me, but in the tiny crack of light her scarf revealed of her face, I could see a smile
>'U-Umm, are you sure Master Anon? Wouldn't that be rather...undignified?'
>Hmmm, perhaps the triade by that woman beat modesty even harder into my poor elf slave; but the reality remained the same, she needed to be clean
>'Yes,' I said as I pushed the larger tub of warm water towards the center of the room. 'But my wish is for you to be clean, and my wish is my command'
>'Y-yes Master Anon...' Alena said timidly as she made her way next to the tub
>She started with the scarf, gingerly untying it and setting on the chair behind her
>I moved my own chair closer to the tub, taking a seat as she removed more clothing, her face seeming to turn redder and redder
>She removed the apron next, letting it drop over the scarf
>She was about to undo the skirt itself until she looked at me sheepishly, her ears drooping down ever so slightly
>'C-can you help me Master Anon...I can't reach the strands...'
>I stood up from my chair, making my way behind her as shook ever so slightly
>Her shaking stopped as I placed my hands on her shoulders before untying the strands that held the skirt in place
>'Relax...it's just a bath'

>Alena took a few breaths and slowly began to resign to herself, calming down and letting her arms hang down as the skirt cascaded down to the floor, leaving her in a simple brownish-green blouse
>She looked up at me as she stepped out of the skirt, taking a step to the side as she picked it up and placed it on the chair
>I made my way back towards my chair until she gently grabbed my arm, using her other hand to keep her vagina covered and descreet
>'M-Master Anon...can you help me with my blouse as well?'
>Her eyes were a strange mix of fear and anticipation, she pleaded for me to stay close to her while this all happened
>I went back behind her, setting my hands on her hips just above the cutoff of the blouse, her shaking coming back at my touch
>'Relax...' I cooed as my hands wrapped around the fabric and slowly pulled it up an-
>'W-wait, Master Anon...'
>'Yes Alena?'
>'C-Can I...face you while you do this...please?'
>I nodded as I took a step back, letting the blouse fall back down her hips, just barely covering her gentials
>She turned around slowly, as if still unsure if she wanted to be undressed facing me, but her eyes said otherwise
>She ached for this sort of intimacy: for once, she could trust someone other than herself even in her vulnerability
>Alena stepped forward, much closer to me than I originally was to her
>She slowly raised her hands up to mine, clasping them ever so gingerly as she guided one of my hands up to her cheek, rubbing my hand against it
>'I really like your hands Master Anon...they make me feel safe'
>She guided my other hand onto her left hip, letting it caress her side and grasp at her blouse
>After a few moments, she gently released her grip on my cheek-caressing hand and lay it on her right hip, both arms raised up as she leaned her head down
>'I'm your's Master Anon' she said as she let out another breath to help her relax
>I swallowed anxiously as I slowly pulled up the blouse, revealing detials that I saw before, but never in such rawness

>Her skin was marked with scars and burns running up and down her trunk and coursing around her back, at its worst near her most intimate areas
>Her body was weaned of gentle pubescence, her breasts small but with room to grow, and beginnings of pubic hair showing through in the same dirty blonde color as the hair on her head
>Thankfully, she wasn't particularly bony; even in the Slaver's abuses, she was remarkably well-fed and appeared healthy bar the scars
>And she did look beautiful, even in her broken and abused state
>I pulled the blouse over her arms and set it down on the chair with a final toss, her body open to me as she kept her eyes down and arms up
>Small tears began to roll down her cheeks as she stood there, waiting for my next words, actions, whatever would happen
>I sighed and shook my head, lowering her arms and gently grasping her chin with my hand, raising it up to face me
>With the same hand, I went up her cheek and to her temple, rubbing the supple spot with utmost care, making her gasp and look up at me longingly
>I continued along, teasing the soft, cartilingal extension of her ear, making her blush further and begin to breath more erratically
>With my other hand, I kneaded into her left hip, my thumb extending just far enough to put pressure on her navel, making her again cry out in suprise and pleasure
>I leaned in closer as I continued my sensual onslaught, whispering into her already sensitized ears from my teasing
>'You say that you are mine, right?'
>'Y-y-y-yes Master A-A-Anon'
>'Do you know what that means?' I say with mock menace as I let my hand knead into pinna of her ear, making her shrink a little into my hand as I smiled devilishly
>She merely whimpered
>'It means that what I wish, I also command of you. Do you remember what I wished?'
>'Y-You wished m-me to take a b-b-bath'
>'Good girl...why don't you get inside, the water's getting cold'
>With that, I gave her a quick pat on the head as I twisted her around and had her face the tub
>She slowly dipped her toe in, then a foot, a leg, both legs, and finally the trunk of her body
>She sighed in relief as the warm and relaxing water filled her; she looked up at me for my response
>I gave her a gentle smile as I sat down at the chair, wringing out the rag I set in the tub earlier, and beginning the cleaning of my elf slave

>I first started with her shoulders, rubbing hard enough to dig at the grime but not enough to hurt her
>With a loose lather of soaps growing, I let it grow and take over her arms and back before lightly pouring the warm water over her, letting the lather soak down into the pail
>Next I moved about her neck, taking special note of old scars just above her breasts, and tried to rub with the utmost gentleness
>Alena responded with a little jolt and gasp, her hands trailing up as if to stop me from pressing further
>I leaned in a little closer, cooing to her and stroking her head slowly, untangling the messier bits with my lathered up hands then once again pouring warm water to flush it to the tub
>She blushed as she slowly sank into the tub, bending her legs as she let the bubbles and lather float about her, her hands keeping her modest, or at least as modest as a bathing elf could be
>I moved over to the other side of the tub, setting the chair down and taking a seat, the lathering bucket set to the side as I gingerly reached for one of her feet, not taking my eyes off of her as I did so
>At first, she was a little hesitant, pulling her foot away sheepishly as I grabbed it, feeling the first glimpses of her deeply calloused and rough feet
>I frowned as she shyed away, placing my hand over her foot in the water and rubbing it softly, as if to coax it from its hiding place and into my hands
>With a quiet moan she released her small foot to me, giving me a first look into how deeply affected she was in her slavery
>'You can tell a lot about someone from their feet,' I said as I lathered and soaked her foot, fighting the urge to tickle her as I did so
>'Travellers have worn soles, as do soldiers and freemen, while royalty have soft and impeccable soles, unsoiled from a hard life...'
>She listened closely as I continued my routine of cleaning, leaning forward and hugging her knees, her shoulder length hair hanging loosely over her face even as she pushed it back every few moments
>'In the stories I read, they tell of elves having the feet of royalty, almost divine in their nature, as is their personality. But your's are so rough, so beaten and hard...'
>She frowned as I looked up; she looked down as she nearly inaudibly sighed, resting her chin on her knees
>I set her right foot down, reaching for her left one; she offered it to me with no reservation
>I stayed quiet for a few more moments, softening up her feet as best I could, returning them to pale visage of what they could be, but nonetheless an improvement over the previous dirty feet
>Next were her legs, almost marked with the same marks and scars like much of her body, some of them old and some frighteningly new
>Like her feet, they were rough and calloused, and in many spots burnt or discolored from wounds that were either deep or never fully healed; it was difficult to tell
>Once again, I tended to them with care, starting with her left leg and scrubbing just above the knee, watching as the dirt of yesteryear magically faded into the water, revealing under the scars and marks a peachy-pearl skintone
>It was an odd detail; I was suprised I hadn't noticed it before, but I was infatuated with the color, even through the dirt it made it look as if she was glowing; it was beautiful
>'Forgive me Master, but why are you doing this? How can I ever repay you for all this kindness?' she suddenly said, sitting back a little in the tub to give better leverage for the leg scrubbing, revealing more of her supple skin to be revealed
>I stopped for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts and mind myself
>'Because I care about you Alena; you're an elf, a member of a proud and noble race, accomplishments and civilzation spanning well before our own...reduced to a slave, without family or heritage, little recollection of who you are beyond pain and suffering...'
>'Maybe it's a crazy dream...but perhaps in time I could remedy that, even if it takes years from the both of us. There was a selfishness to my purchasing of you; I wanted to make you whole again.'
>She sat there, silent in the water
>'And as for repayment...all I ask is your patience and your commitment to my selfishness. It's enough.'

>After the bathing and drying off, I insisted that Alena keep herself clothed in her fresh new dress, though there wasn't much insisting to say the least
>She was very estatic to be clean and in new clothes; she gave me a very genuine smile when we finished dressing her and had her do a little exhibition, twirling about the floor in the waxing of the late-morning sunlight
>Alena was remarkably graceful as she danced; it made me wonder if she truly had origins in royalty, as the slaver gave very sparse details on the nature of her family life
>For him at least, she was just another bid, another piece of property
>I shook my head of those thoughts, returning to the now, meeting a very happy Alena as she practically bounced in front of me before remembering herself and returning to her designated 'demure' nature
>Next was food, which had finally finished stewing over as we took our spots at the table
>The library would be opening soon, so enjoying the food was secondary to gobbling it down and setting up for the day, with what few customers I had per day
>Many of them were either middle class doctors and merchants or the sons of aristocrats and their teachers, who often came for texts and tomes on mathematics, geography, and the sciences
>In a blue moon, an alchemist or mage would come by as well, looking for rare grimoires and spellbooks for whatever ideas they had on tinkering with the strange world of conjuration and transmutation
>But for the most part, it was a very slow and fairly boring job, but it was nonetheless my passion, and a long-term dream that I had worked towards for a number of years after my schooling
>My thoughts were interrupted by Alena once again, this time with a question
>'Master, what do you want me to do today?' she asked, having finished her bowl of stew before I had even carved halfway into mine
>Hinging my jaw back to 'locked-in-place', I stood up with the bowl and motioned for her to follow me as we headed back downstairs
>'My home is here at a library, so all sorts of minor responsiblities fall into your lap. General cleaning, organizing, greeting, cataloging of books, scrolls, etc. Do you know how to read, Alena?'
>'No Master.'
>I froze, sighing internally as I furrowed my brow with my fingers, then turned to her with a more 'approachable' face
>'You don't know how to read?'
>'N-no Master...I was never taught'
>'Absolutely unacceptable. Alena, you're first duty as my assistant and servant is to learn how to be learned. Reading, writing, arithmitic with be your credo; I won't have a servant live in such ignorance under my roof.'
>'Y-Yes Master. I will learn...but how will I-'
>'I'll teach you! Goodness me, how come I wasn't told about this earlier?!'
>I ransacked the cupboard behind my counter, searching for loose paper, along with ink and a quill for writing
>Alena watched from a few feet away, nervously wringing her hands as I rummaged about my writing materials, finally gathering up everything and setting it on the counter, the hustle and bustle of the outside creeping through the small window by the door
>'Come, come! You're going to learn one of the first fundamentals of writing: the alphabet, and with that, how to spell your name.'