The port-city of Erano was quite an interesting place.
In a world dominated by powerful nobles and bounds of vassalage, the only true ruler in Erano was money, plain and simple. Even a commoner could propel themselves to the top of this plutocratic society with enough coin. The ancient aristocratic bloodlines despised the so-called nobles of the city, seeing them as little better then mules. Jumped-up peasants, forgetting the rights and dues they owe to their betters.
Eranoans, as you might imagine, don't really care what they think.
In truth, only the most hidebound or foolish noble would state such opinions within earshot of an Eranoan Merchant Prince. The city was not called the Eye to the West for no reason. Erano was situated on a large island located in the center of the Great Straits, which linked the Central Sea to the World's Ocean. All trade traveling east and west had to pass through the straits and the city, making Erano quite possibly the richest city in the world.
Great wealth attracts enemies, and the Eranoans were no fools. Therefore, the Senate (staffed by the richest men and women in the realm) had invested heavily in their navy, giving the island-state the largest and most powerful fleet in the world. Only twice had the Ancient Realms attempted to attack the city, and both were one-sided slaughters.
Being too tough a nut to crack, as well as far too valuable not to do business with, made most of the Old Blood play nice.
It was here that Elizabeth, with her newfound riches, knew she would never need fear reprisal from the Bitemarsh kingdom...
******
Inigo entered the kitchen of his mistress's luxurious townhouse. The tall elf slid a lock of black hair behind his ear. Not seeing the cook, he called questioningly, "Sylvia?"
"Coming," came a voice from back by the ovens, prompting the butler to look around the corner at its origin. Inigo knew that, by human standards, she was fairly tall, although she only came up to the elf's shoulders. She had her long golden curls in a ponytail, tied behind her flour-stained apron. She was placing a freshly baked pie on the counter to cool.
Wiping her brow with a cloth she kept in her pocket, she turned towards Inigo, revealing her most impressive feature. Though the butler gave no outward sign of it, he was always taken aback by the sheer size of Sylvia's bust. Despite being nearly rail thin, she was quite simply the most well-endowed woman he'd met of any species. Even the heavy apron couldn't fully restrict the soft jiggle of her chest as she stepped lightly towards him.
"Sorry about that. Didn't dare leave that in any longer, or it'd have burnt. I take it she wants some more cherries?"
Inigo sighed. "Yes, she does."
"Told you."
"I know, I know," Inigo said as he passed a pair of brass coins to grinning blonde. "How do always know what she'll take more of?"
"My parents have had a restaurant since before I was born, and my family's been working as cooks even longer. After awhile, you just know what to look for. Besides," she winked at the elf as she continued, "it's pretty obvious she has a wicked sweet tooth."
Sylvia grabbed the tray the butler had brought with him, and opened the trapdoor to the cellar. Going into the cool chamber, she started refilling the tray from a box of chocolate covered cherries. The human called up to the butler, "So how's the Mistress's language lessons going?"
"Pretty well, actually. Her accent is still there, but nowhere near as thick as it was. She can carry on a conversation now, at least. She's still struggling with basic literacy, however."
"I'm not surprised. They say Bitemarshers won't let their peasants hire tutors or the like. And now she's got to learn a whole new language, plus 2000 odd characters? I think given all she's got to do, she's doin' stupendously."
Sylvia came up the stairs, Inigo most certainly not noticing as her breasts visibly bounced with each step. "Here ya go. How's her cocoa doing?"
"She's still at half a mug, so she'll be fine for a bit."
"Fine, fine. Just remember to warn me before she runs out. Takes a bit of prep time to make."
"Of course. What's the menu tonight?"
"Glazed hog's face, veggies with cheese sauce, and for dessert: apple pie, cheesecake, and a treacle."
The butler frowned. "Awful rich for the summer. And three desserts?"
The cook simply shrugged. "It's what the Mistress wants."
The only sign of Inigo's disdain was the barest shake of his head, and he bent forward to take the cherry tray from Sylvia. As he took hold of the snacks, he wound up looking down into her bust which he'd been studiously avoiding looking at. His eyes widened and his tongue caught in his throat as he realized he was looking down a veritable canyon of cleavage. Whether by accident or design, the top buttons of her shirt were undone, leaving a large amount of creamy white skin on display.
Inigo's stuttering brought a blush and a giggle to Sylvia's face. "Cat got your tongue?"
The normally unflappable butler was left totally speechless and left without a word. Sylvia giggled again. "It's about time he noticed. Can't stop most men from looking, and can't get the one I want to look to spare a glance. Sorry buttons, but your sacrifice was a worthy one."
Sylvia grabbed a bowl, and began mixing together the ingredients for the treacle. Along with Inigo, she'd been hired by Mistress Elizabeth six months ago, when the the red-haired Bitemarsher arrived in Erano with a pile of gold. Like most soldiers, she was quite loathe to miss a meal, and she always attacked her food with a certain gusto. Elizabeth dined at regular hours and had yet to miss. It certainly didn't escape the cook's notice that her Mistress's portions had slowly grown over the last six months, and it was becoming a rare event that she didn't have seconds.
Sylvia also wasn't shocked to find out her new Mistress enjoyed her desserts. Cane sugar was quite rare outside of Erano, and certainly wouldn't be available to a peasant or soldier, especially in as poor and rural a realm as Bitemarsh. Still, her sweet tooth was getting a little out of hand. Snacks, once infrequent, had quickly become a regular part of her day. And now three desserts with supper? Sylvia was going to have to hire some extra help just keep up with Elizabeth's appetites.
"Still, no point in worrying about it. She's such a kind and lovely thing, and she's paying me pretty well to cook what she wants, so that's what she'll get. It's not like she finishes all the desserts anyway. And besides, whatever she doesn't eat, the maids are always happy to finish off."
******
"Thank you once again for coming," Elizabeth said as she closed the door behind her Eranoan tutor. The moment the door was closed, the ginger haired woman promptly reached a hand under the outer layer of her dress. Grabbing the string tying her girdle shut, she pulled out the knot and loosened the garment. She breathed a sigh of relief as her formerly constricted belly was at last able to pooch forward.
Her lifestyle changes were certainly beginning to have an impact on her body. Where once her body was rail thin and tight with corded muscle, six months with zero exercise had seen her muscle mass greatly diminish. While her demanding belly had seen her put on a stone of fat, or 14 pounds in local measurements, it was only slightly more then her lost musculature, so her gain was so far slight. Still, she was definitely starting to look softer, the once harsh angles of her frame gradually softening over the past few months.
As it stood, Liz was as yet unaware of her weight gain. As she popped a couple of the cherries her butler brought into her mouth, she thought, "Never thought I'd miss wool. Who'd have thought silk could shrink so much? I'll have to speak to the tailor tomorrow."
Unnoticed to the Mistress, a small black book on her shelf, which she kept in the belief it was a lucky charm, glowed. Liz felt a sudden hunger pang, and reached for more chocolate cherries...
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