Nimue looked at her hands.<br/><br/>“Yes, you are close to the Mother, an earthy woman. You work with your hands and create beauty, yet someone has allowed you to feel you are inferior. In my culture, you would be revered as a mistress of life.<br/><br/>"Additionally, I cannot wear the same clothing as others to show off their figure." She continued, her voice sounding shaken from her rant. "I mean I... I am not as well... endowed... As women like you... And men... They don't even bother looking my way most often.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, I-I don't usually go on like this."<br/><br/>Nimue cocked her head and held her chin in her hand as she thought.<br/><br/>“May I?” she asked, moving to the girl and reaching for the laces up the front of the gown. At first, she backed away, looking around as if someone would see, but Nimue, never to be put off very long, reached again. Samantha held her fingers still and then, nodded. The girl’s hands fell to her sides and she trembled but she did not stop Nimmie.<br/><br/>One by one the laces fell away until Nimue slid the gown off the girl’s slender shoulders. It landed in a puddle around her neat ankles. The fire light flickered off the pearly skin like tongues of light caressing her figure.<br/><br/>“You are as taut as a carved marble statue.” Nimeu breathed as she trailed her fingers over the shoulders, the back and across the round buttocks. “Your ass is as round and beautifully formed as any mare in the royal paddocks. Your legs are long, they seem to go on forever.” Nimue came around in front, cupping the small breasts in her hands, as if examining large peaches in the market place.<br/><br/>“These are exquisite. “ Nimue breathed prayerfully. “These are breasts from the Goddess. You can please a man for more than a mouthful is wasted anyway. You can suckle babes with these as many as you can give birth to and when you are old, they will not sag and sway.”<br/><br/>The girl’s face was by now a rosy hue of embarrassment but still she did not try to stop Nimue. Nimmie traced a line down her tight stomach.<br/><br/>“You have a flat stomach and a lithe form.” She stopped short of probing into the fine brown hair of her pubic region. Nimue stooped and pulled the dress back up, covering the girl. She crossed her arms and gave the girl a stern but good imitation of the Lady’s serious face.<br/><br/>“You have everything a man could desire. Faren loves you for yourself, who you are on the inside but you have an amazing gift to present to him when the time is right for you.  Every day when you wash, you must run your hands over your body as I did and you must tell yourself how beautiful you are. You must repeat how much Faren will love to nip at your breasts and bury his face in their valley.  When you come to Faren, you will come to him with open arms and a full heart. If your dresses are not made to properly show your curves, then we will go to the Tor and let the dressmakers there make adjustments. Now come, it is time for some tea.<br/>`````````````````````````````````<br/>Vivianne fussed with her hair and chose her best scarlet garment to escort Lord Varatt through the Tor. She showed him the great room with its cushions and comforts. She shared the kitchen where herbs were hung to dry and huge stone ovens wafted the yeasty fragrance of baking bread. In the solarium, she introduced him to the guardian who was gazing with sightless eyes into a pan of water. The guardian smiled at him and flawlessly extended her hand to him.<br/><br/>“I am blind, sir knight.” The guardian chuckled at his hesitant touch.” Not dead. I know where you are and where your hand is that you are extending to me.”<br/><br/>Vivianne walked him down the corridor where the women’s rooms were located.<br/><br/>“We do not allow men to live here but do entertain a few nobles such as yourself on occasion. We are not like the nuns of the Man/God. We celebrate men and the relationships that the masculine and the feminine share. But most of the time, we give ourselves to the Goddess to prepare ourselves for minding feast days and healing those who need it, body, mind and spirit. Won’t you come this way?”<br/><br/>Vivianne led him out into the gardens where the herbs grew in geometric formations and the trees swayed gently in the breeze. They stood on a rock that looked out over the lake.<br/><br/>“This is Avalon,” she said with a sweep of her hand. “ There, to the south is the Twin Springs and the monastery. We have an uneasy truce with the monks. We do our best to mind our own business and we allow them to mind theirs.” She chuckled. “Sometimes we have to help them to remember to mind their own business.”<br/><br/>They walked along the cobblestone path. In the distance was the dark opening of a cave.<br/><br/>“Oh, and there dwells our resident dragon, Nimue’s Layla. I let her sleep until Nimue needs her. The dratted creature loves that child and obeys only her. She is a good dragon and demands little. What a gift from the Goddess she is!”<br/><br/>On the way back, Lord Varatt offer his arm. Vivianne took it and was glad for his strength. She always did like a man with muscle.<br/><br/>---------------------