Somewhere Weaknesses Are Strength

Sebastian descended the twisting steps of the mansion, stiletto heels clicking against the wooden flooring, the elegant train of her deep red dress swirling behind her. Beside her, Holly walked with her hands folded, as most handmaids Sebastian had come in contact with did, leading the princess to the dining room

It was time for Sebastian to meet Hayley for dinner. Hours had been spent in the library, the princess and handmaid chatting almost nonstop. Holly opened up to Sebastian further about her crush on the farmer's daughter, and Sebastian told Holly about her confusing feelings for the pirate. With the exception of Sebastian's island girl façade, the pair had opened up to each other.

They were similar to friends. Sebastian would venture to call their relationship one of friendship. At home, she hadn't really had any female friends. She had Anne, but Anne was her nursemaid, not her friend. Anne was more like a mother. In the castle, she had been sheltered. She didn't talk much to the servants, though she knew certain one's by name and she knew what duties to prescribe to them. Even when she left the castle, she hadn't made friends. That was not her main goal when slipping past the guards with her siblings. No, her goal was to cause as much chaos as possible.

She and her brothers were successful at that.

It was nice to have Holly as more than just a handmaid. Sebastian could confide in the young girl, to an extent.

"You look nice in your gown," Holly stated.

The deep red gown that Hayley provided her for dinner hugged her body. Its plunging V-neck and thin straps added to the sexy silhouette that Hayley would love in an instant.

Though Sebastian understood the main reason for having her change before dinner was to make her feel at home, she would never have been allowed to wear the dress clothing her body to dinner in the castle. It exposed a tad too much to be worn in front of her parents.

But Hayley enjoyed the sight.

"Thank you," Sebastian said.

"I think the only other time I've seen you fully clothed was when you first got here."

Chuckling, Sebastian said, "Hayley prefers not clothing me properly."

"Mistress Williams is a pirate. She has little to no shame and self-control."

"How much trouble do you think you'd get in if she heard you say that?"

"I'd rather not find out," Holly stated, "But I'm sure I wouldn't be able to creep my way out of it by being naked."

Sebastian was silent for a moment, searching for something to say. Her mind was blank.

"I have no comeback."

"I didn't think you would."

Shaking her head, Sebastian let a smile spread on her face. Holly had become a sort of bantering partner for her, something Sebastian had needed desperately since the death of her last brother. Having Holly around made her feel at ease. It was comforting to have someone she could be so free with.

Granted, she still had Hayley, but that didn't count for much. She needed Hayley to function properly in the house. She had become dependent on the pirate for physical gratification, which seemed to have become her addiction.

She knew she couldn't function without it now that she had, had a taste of it.

But she hadn't gotten to the point where she was comfortable enough with the captain to joke around like she had been doing with Holly. Her handmaid had laid out her life for Sebastian, something Hayley hadn't done. Sebastian knew what was needed to be known about her handmaid to become that comfortable around her. Hayley, on the other hand, was still a mystery. She knew a few things about the captain, but not as much as she would have liked.

She wanted to know everything there was to know about Hayley, to understand her and be able to care for her properly. As lady of the house, she figured it was something she needed to do. It was her job to make sure Hayley was happy.

"Do I announce you?" Holly asked as they neared the door to the dining room.

Sebastian gave her a look. Had Hayley trained her at all? Unless Hayley didn't know how a handmaid was supposed to act.

But she should have. She grew up in a wealthy family. Some form of maid would have been at her side. Maybe not a literal handmaid, but someone of similar job rank.

"Of course not," Sebastian said, "This isn't a party or large dinner, and you're not a butler. Announcing me isn't part of your job."

"So what do I do?"

"Walk in with me and Hayley will dismiss you. Then, you'll be off for the night. You can do whatever from that point, like eat," Sebastian answered, "Or visit your farm lover and milk cows."

"Touché," Holly mumbled.

"I had to get a jab in somewhere."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Holly grabbed the ornate handle of the door and pulled it open, holding it in place for Sebastian to walk through. Sebastian gave her a brief nod of thanks and walked into the dining room for the first time since she came to the mansion.

She had been too busy eating while naked in bed for most of the time she was there.

Her eyes glided over the room, her mind not quite processing what she was looking at. She didn't care much about the décor of the dining room. She cared more about seeing Hayley.

The pirate proved to a much more gorgeous sight in comparison to the dining room, gliding across the room in her high heeled boots.

"Mistress Williams," Holly bowed.

"You did a good job of dressing her, Holly. Thank you for taking care of her while I was occupied in my office. You're dismissed for the night."

"Yes, ma'am," Holly said before leaving and shutting the dining room door behind her.

Hayley took hold of Sebastian's hand, smiling broadly and allowing her eyes to gaze over Sebastian's frame.

"You look amazing."

"Thank you."

Hayley pressed her lips to Sebastian's. Sheer excitement passed through the princess. She liked Hayley's kisses. She could live off of Hayley's kisses.

Hayley pulled away, mumbling "Let's go sit down."

Dazed from the brief kiss, Sebastian allowed Hayley to lead her to the dining table they would share.

Did Hayley eat in the dining room alone every night? Sebastian had never seen her eating in the bed chambers, aside from the one time on the ship. It seemed awfully lonely to eat at such a large table alone. Though Sebastian didn't doubt that Hayley entertained company often, there was no way she could do that every night.

Hayley pulled out the chair on the left side of the head of the table. Sebastian took the seat, smiling up at Hayley. Overcome with a sort of happiness, Hayley leaned down and captured Sebastian's lips with hers for another short kiss.

It was nice to see Sebastian out of the room and seated at her table.

Their table?

Maybe one day.

Hayley took her usual spot at the head of the table. Almost immediately, two waiters holding dishes walked through the door of what Sebastian assumed was the kitchen. They placed the bowls in front of Sebastian and Hayley. Sebastian mumbled a quick "thank you." The waiter nodded and followed the other waiter out of the room. Sebastian took a chance to glance down at her bowl.

Soup?

"Are you planning a five course meal for dinner?" Sebastian asked.

At the castle, her father often had five course meals for every dinner. Sebastian never ate that much, normally becoming full long before dessert arrived. When she was full, she would be forced to stay at the table until her father was finished, recounting her daily activities to him for his approval. This wouldn't be entirely out of the ordinary.

But Hayley couldn't possibly eat that much food in one sitting.

"Just three," Hayley said, "Soup, a main course, and possibly a desert. My pastry chef makes the best chocolate cake in the area."

"That sounds nice."

"Considering you are to be lady of the house, I figured you would need to have at least one meal in the dining room everyday. My parents always eat dinner together. I thought we could do the same. You're not obligated to eat in here for other meals."

Lady of the house. Sebastian was having a bit of difficulty wrapping her mind around the concept. She never thought she would become lady of the house for anyone, man or woman. It was such a domestic role.

It was different with Hayley. Sebastian wouldn't be doing the same things as her mother had. She was allowed to do as she pleased, as long as she remained safe. In a sense, she was Hayley's wife. They were by no means married, but they were acting as such, eating dinner together and partaking in intimate activities. Sebastian would learn all the things Hayley liked done around the house, fall into a sort of pattern while she was there and hold herself as Hayley's wife in the event she needed to make an appearance. In return, Hayley would protect her from any evil, including King Ferdinand.

Why was Hayley so hell-bent on protecting her?

Did Hayley really like her enough to put her own safety in danger?

If so, would they marry and make the lady of the house position permanent?

Could Sebastian care for Hayley the same way Hayley did for her?

Did she already?

This relationship was too complicated.

"You should stop thinking and eat your soup before it gets cold," Hayley stated.

Broken from her thought process, Sebastian flushed and ducked her head. Hayley chuckled. She was glad, overjoyed, that Sebastian wasn't so scared anymore. Whatever happened with Holly had loosened the princess considerably.

She knew she made the right decision in picking Holly as a handmaid.