Natale kept insisting on playing the kick-ball game alone on a Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Lorenza sat on a warm, grassy field, pondering the Magicka routine. Natale asked Lola about her past, but she answered indirectly, which didn't satisfy Natale.

  Natale asked again, "Why are you always speaking like a mystery every time I ask about your past?"

  Lorenza replied, "I suppose I don't want to give you an ear-induced post-traumatic shock. I am not sure your kind nature can handle such an unnecessary burden from me."

  Natale said, "I don't see you as a burden."

  Lorenza responded, “But I still do. Then you don’t know yourself well enough,” Natale said. “You are perfectly fine to me.”

  Lorenza explained, “Yes. There is a vast difference between a light and a lightning bug. I suppose all I meant is this: I may seem perfect on the outside, like an elegant porcelain doll, but on the inside, I am rotting with grief and depression.”

  Natale smiled and said, “Well, you don’t seem to show any grief or depression to me.”

  Lorenza said, “Because I am a professional at swallowing my emotions. I was taught to swallow anything, including my opinions and emotions, Natale.”

  Natale replied, “Well, I love your calm look. It gives you a unique style. But I still don’t know how all those luxurious things you told me about didn’t bring you joy. I would be happy swimming in all that gold and luxury. Living a rich life would be awesome.”

  Lorenza said, “I would find joy in them too, if only there were no rotten traditions and cultures surrounding them. Natale, do you know why gold coins have a pale color on the surface?”

  When Natale couldn’t answer, Lorenza explained, “It’s because every noble person is plotting something against it. Money, fame, and power are not the problems. Only the bad intentions are the problems.”

  Natale said, smiling, “I didn’t know that everyone was plotting something against you, Lola.” She moved her warm hands over Lorenza’s white skin. Lorenza smiled back, then sulked, remembering Amyr, but quickly erased the memory.

  Natale asked, “Lola, have you done anything to bring out your Magicka? You’ve been having rice and water every day for six months, and nothing has happened. I mean, don’t you need to change your approach?”

  Lorenza considered this, saying, “I suppose you are right. Maybe I should be more strict.” Natale suggested, “Maybe you should be more ‘let go.’”

  Natale reminded Lorenza of her promise to teach her how to be a good servant, and Lorenza agreed to start the lesson. They stood up, and Lorenza began to explain the La’ra tradition of being a good servant. She said:

  "You can be cute, you can be pretty, you can be sexy. But if you have your own opinions, desires, and set of rules, ethics, and values, you are a useless servant. The first rule of being a servant is to rid yourself of your own selfish desires, needs, and wishes."

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Lorenza continued, "Your master is your master, and you'll always obey and please their desires, even if you find them disgusting, unjust, soulless, crazy, or illogical, or dangerous. Your master's needs are just, and your desires and needs don't exist."

  She told Natale to close her eyes and not question her, acting as if Natale was her past self.

  Lorenza was tempted to kiss Natale, wanting her to feel the helplessness she once felt, and thought, "She had to let go of control to be a good servant. I'll act on my desires, I mean, my old teachings!"

  Lorenza La'ra came closer to Natale, feeling her warm breath on her skin.

  She took a deep breath and said, "You should never try to take charge, no matter how weird it might feel now. You must resist the desire to slap me in the face now."

  Natale nodded, shaking her head.

  Lorenza raised her arms, put her hands on Natale's face, and their lips met. Their tongues touched, and a warm sensation filled them with a mix of emotions.

  Lorenza hoped Natale wouldn't slap her, not because of the teachings, but because she loved the taste of her mouth and tongue. It was her first unforced, free-will kiss, and it tasted like sweet cherry juice mixed with apple pie and a pork chop. The slap never came, and for the next six years, it wouldn't come.

  Six years passed, and Lorenza was 21. She had found a simple, peasant-like life with Natale, who would soon be her wife. She had a good business running the inn, and the villagers loved her daily services, nicknaming her "simple-perfect-boy." Natale's father had died, and her mother, Janna, liked Lorenza like a real son.

  Lorenza had stopped worrying about the Royal Guards and Magicka, taking some precautions. Even though she hated at first. She had changed her fashion to look like a simple peasant woman, wearing red lipstick, long dresses, makeup, and lenses to hide her La'ra eyes. She also wore sunglasses and had learned to protect herself with a slingshot, although she knew it wouldn't be effective against Royal Guards and their Magicka stone armor.

  For six years, she had never encountered any Royal Guards, and following Natale's advice, she had never worried about them again. Her carefree life was all she hoped for, and she expected it to continue until she died of old age.

  Her sexual acts with Natale were no longer a source of grief or depression, unlike in the past. They had become a comfortable and loving experience, although Natale was aware of the discomfort Lorenza had endured in the La'ra kingdom. It had taken time for Lorenza to let go of the notion of rape and accept love making.

  Natale's understanding and patience had helped Lorenza heal, and almost everything had changed her positively for the better.

  But this peaceful life was not meant to last, and a new challenge was looming on the horizon.

  Lorenza La'ra was carrying a bag of warm apple pies from outside the village when she saw three Royal Guards chatting at the entrance. She was scared of being noticed, but she kept walking, disguising herself as an innocent peasant woman in Natale's long dress, with dyed brown hair, lenses, and sunglasses. She thought, "I must be calm and pass them. I've been disguising myself for years, there wouldn't be a problem."

  The Royal Guards wore white light armor made of impenetrable Magicka stone, and their faceless masks were intimidating. Lorenza walked with a cold face, trying not to show any sign of fear. As she passed by, one of the soldiers asked her to stop. She stopped and looked at them, trying not to tremble.

  The one on the right said, "Your apple pies smell great. You don't get upset if we take them all for the HQ?"

  Lorenza played the obedient, innocent peasant woman, speaking in a feminine way, "No, not at all."

  The Royal Guard on the right complimented her manners and asked if they needed women to spend time with.

  Lorenza suggested they could find what they liked at the end of the road, where "Brothel" was.