The Farmers Market

Ignatius and Luna strolled towards the bustling farmers market in the market square, Christie trailing a few steps behind, her eyes ever alert for any signs of danger. The air filled with the scent of fresh produce and baked goods, mingling with the lively chatter of vendors and shoppers.

Ignatius's eyes landed on a petite young teen pushing a wheelbarrow. She stopped at the edge of the market. Her tattered clothes and bare feet were stark against the vibrant backdrop. Her long, cascading green hair flowed down her back like the lush foliage of a forest. Her large, expressive green eyes were full of life.

Luna noticed the girl moving towards them and greeted her. "Hi, my name is Luna. What have you got there?"

The girl beamed, her positive attitude shining through. "Hi, my name is Ayla. Please, buy my peaches. One silver for ten."

The man in the stall next to her scoffed. "Little urchin, nobody wants your peaches."

Luna's gaze turned icy, and she shot the man a look that could have withered the strongest of wills. He turned his back on them.

Ignoring the man, Ignatius took twenty silver pieces from his pocket and handed them to Ayla. "We'll buy all your peaches. Could you deliver them to our coffee shop?"

Catching Ignatius's look, Christie took the wheelbarrow from Ayla with a playful grin. She goaded Ayla into the wheelbarrow and began pushing her through the market. She stretched her legs before swinging them as she stared at the stalls.

A woman selling vegetables saw Ayla and waved. "Good morning, little Ayla. Who are your friends treating you to a ride."

Ayla's face lit up, and her arms waved as she spoke excitedly. Her generously sized breasts drew the men's attention around them.

"This is Luna, misses Granger. They have bought all my peaches."

The woman looked at them and then at Ignatius. The oldest matriarch at the stalls. "Thank you, ladies. We try to support her, but business can sometimes be slow."

Luna and Christie giggled. She interrupted Ignatius's retort: "Misses Granger, my name is Luna. Please bring your vegetables to our coffee shop. We would love to buy fresh vegetables from you."

Luna negotiated a deal with the woman for her vegetables. Ignatius folded his arms as men whistled and made lude comments towards them. Luna took the whistling in her stride.

The men's attention seemed to bounce off her like water from a duck's back. She did walk with a more pronounced sway in her hips. She was forcing Ignatius to walk behind her and enjoy the show. She had slipped into his room with Christie this morning. They left an hour later than planned.

After an hour of shopping, they returned to the coffee shop. Luna invited Ayla inside and ordered food and milk for the girl. They sat at a corner table filled with fresh coffee and baked goods. Ignatius had a meat pie.

He placed his chips on Christie's plate. Christie had two meat pies, sharing one half with Ignatius. They looked like a married couple. Luna felt envy at the scene, and her determination bolstered. Christie had made her moan like never before. The fairy guided Ignatius, bringing her to heights she never knew existed.

Luna looked at Ayla kindly. "Tell us about your circumstances, Ayla."

Ayla hesitated, her expressive green eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. Finally, she yielded. "I live on a farm, in secret. I've built a shelter there. I'm a dryad and use my power to grow the peaches. I planted a seed next to my shelter; the tree is my income."

As she spoke, Luna noticed Ayla's skin. Soft and earthy like a tree's bark, she thought of white sandy beaches with palms adding to her otherworldly appearance. How did her skin remain white as milk being in the sun daily? Luna pondered. Ayla's petite figure and delicate features enhanced her charm.

Making her presence both enchanting and comforting. Her generously sized breasts made Luna wonder how she avoided assault. Suppose she had lived in the capital. She would have been a victim. Her clothes are made from natural materials. Leaves, flowers, and vines reflected her connection to the natural world.

Ayla continued, "I can look after myself." She wolfed down the food, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had a stubborn look on her face, pretending that she wasn't crying.

After eating, she insisted on leaving, taking her empty wheelbarrow and silver coins. As Ayla left, Luna turned to Ignatius, concerned.

"We need to help her, but how can we do it without insulting or making her feel powerless?"

Ignatius nodded. "We'll find a way, Luna."

"We can offer her a job at the coffee shop. Or find another way to support her without undermining her independence."

Luna agreed, feeling a sense of resolve. They would help Ayla by respecting her strength and self-reliance. As they watched the young dryad disappear into the crowd. Luna knew they had made a new friend and ally in their journey.

**********

Ignatius had a flashback. He sat with his maids in his mansion. It was their first day working for him. Their feelings towards him were neutral. They appreciated the salaries and the benefits he promised.

The fact that he had the most beautiful female face they had ever seen made them uncomfortable. They caught themselves staring at him. When he looked at them, they would look away immediately.

He lit his pipe, "Enthralling Ember", and the aroma filled the drawing room.

On their first day, they cleaned as if their lives depended on it. Zarkon, the mansion butler, had searched them out. He had visited each of their homes at night, allowing them to work as cleaners at the Thorn estate.

A year ago, the elders of Queens Town had deemed them outcasts. Rubbish, he called them, as they were barren and would never conceive. They would have to grow crops or sell goods or their bodies at the market to survive.

Their parents were also now exiled from the tribe and banned from festivals and meetings. Elven races conceived when they were old, replacing themselves to continue the race.

Baren women and men were banished as trash from the tribe, the elders hoping they would die as soon as possible. They made their thoughts vocal with an arrogant banishing before the whole tribe. Slapping the young women before their parents.

The maids felt a warm vibration flow through their bodies as the pipe's aroma spread. Each of them had an erotic dream showcasing their new Master as he made love to them.

Hearts raced as they stared at the pipe-smoking young man lounging in a chair, reading a book on mechanical devices. He was older than they were. The twelfth-year age gap made him their senior in every way.

The strange manifestation of seven young female elves being born the same year. Tested as barren, their existence unprecedented. The elders saw this as a bad omen for the elven race. Bullied through school and looked down on. They had lived miserable lives until Zarkon knocked on their doors.

Their ambitions vanished, and they were drawn to Ignatius. Morgan walked up to the Master she had met hours ago. She bowed low before him. "Master, my life is yours, and my body is yours."

"Please do not hesitate to use me as you wish."

Ignatius returned to the present as a patron dropped a spoon on the floor. He sat back, and the server brought him coffee. What an auspicious gift this was from Zarkon. He thought back to his days at the mansion and his first conquest with each of the maids with fond memories.

He researched his pipe in an old manuscript. He had discovered it at the Queen's Town Library. Enthralling Ember, the pipe captured women's hearts. Causing them to pledge their eternal love and bodies to him.

It had an aphrodisiac effect on all the women who caught a whiff of it. It is hit-and-miss; some women were affected by pledging their bodies and lives to him. Other women became aroused, seeking out a man.

Years later, he found married couples would visit Silvi's coffee shop. The secret among the townspeople was that it invigorated the women, causing them to drag their spouses to bed that same day. Many children were born when Silvi's coffee shop opened, growing the small town's population.

Ignatius had found a network of information in the young maids. They knew all the gossip circulating in and around town. It kept him from many pitfalls or traps those nobles were renowned for. Gold diggers unmasked.

He had decided that if a woman captured his heart and wanted to get rid of his maids. She would have to go, no matter how much he loved her. His maids were worth more than gold.

He loved each but knew he had to maintain the Master-servant relationship. It was one of the first lessons Silvi had taught him. He would never forsake his mother's teachings, even if they were unpopular according to the humans.