Author: ChloeLovesLex
Rating: PG-13 to be safe, but more likely PG
Category: General
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or its characters. No infringement, just fun.
Authors Note: This was supposed to be for the September Fanfic challenge, but I went way over the alloted number of words and didn't want to chop this up, so here it is. Naturally it is completely AU and set way back in the 1500's or so.
Knowledge
It was Wednesday. And that'd been the best day of the week for the past two months. Ever since Chloe had scored a key off of one of the guards that always flirted with her. It was too simple really, accepting his hug upon arriving at the castle that week and lifting the key loop right off of his belt, then easily hiding it in the folds of her dress. The poor sap was obviously completely smitten with her, and had been trying to court her for months.
She'd gotten the idea when she'd heard a story from one of the ladies that Lex had once bedded. She'd told of waking in the night after their escapades to him sitting in a chair beneath a large library of books, reading. He'd sent her on her way instead of falling for her further advances. The rest of the girls account didn't matter. Chloe had caught 'library of books,' and her mind was already wandering. After all, she was at the castle with her father once a week on Wednesday's.
And so the ritual had begun.
She looked left, then right before removing the key from inside her corset and placing it in the lock. Quietly turning the knob and shuffling inside before being seen and closing the door behind her. She released the breath that she'd been holding and found herself panting from the rush of it all as she made her way through the room and over to the bookshelf.
The ornately carved wood housing leather bound copies of some of the most fascinating subjects and stories she'd ever been able to get her hands on. She quickly lifted her skirt and removed the leather cording that held her last acquisition securely to her thigh, then carefully placed the book back in the exact spot she'd found it last week.
Her eyes scanned the rows as quickly as she could. Looking for the next one to borrow and settled on one. Lifting onto her tiptoes to retrieve it. It was just out of her grasp. Damn it. If she'd have been six inches taller she'd have it in her hands and would of already slipped away unseen into the night.
She cursed under her breath and stepped closer to the bookcase. Then up and onto the first shelf. Rising up onto her toes and plucking the book from its spot. It'd been packed so tightly between the others its empty place merely made room for the others to shift ever so slightly, leaving the illusion that nothing was amiss.
She was about to revel in her latest procurement when she heard the sounds at the door. Shuffling feet and a key in the lock. Her shoes slid along the wood as her feet sought out traction in her panic to climb down from the shelf quickly. The book toppled to the floor as the door swung open, alerting the guards, a large black dog and a startled bald gentleman. Her feet gave way and she landed on the ground with a thud. The skirt of her dress tangled around her legs and hiked up enough to be considered quite undignified.
Chloe lifted her head and gasped as the dog lunged forward and the guards rushed in behind it to apprehend her. The black creature had almost reached her. It's teeth bared and growling as it approached.
"Hades! Heel!" she heard the bald man command.
"My Lord, stay back, we'll retrieve her," one of the guards shouted.
Lex noted her disheveled appearance and the book peeking out from beneath the gathers of her skirt on the floor.
"No," he directed sharply, "leave us."
The men looked back at him bewildered, but obeyed quickly and made their way back to him. Leaving hastily and pulling the heavy door shut behind them.
The great dane was still hunched down in front of her. Scrutinizing her and waiting for any word from his master to continue his assault, yet yielding perfectly as he was told.
"Hades, come." The dog stood up elegantly and instantly made his way over to the mans side. "Lay down." The black creature lowered himself to the floor and relaxed.
Chloe quickly pushed herself up from the ground and rose up enough on her feet to curtsey at him. Her eyes lowered. "My....my Lord," she stammered.
"You," he growled. "Who's sent you. I demand their name." He stalked towards her.
She peered up at him through her lowered lashes. Quickly took him in. His commanding stature. From his sleek bald head to his impeccable clothing. He was everything she'd heard he was and more. And he was obviously furious at her.
"I..." she opened her mouth and closed it. Unable to articulate with him standing inches from her in a barely-suppressed rage. While his anger was certainly reigned in, she could feel it coming off of him in waves.
He grabbed her chin in his hand and lifted her face roughly. "You will tell me or I will..."
She didn't let him finish. "Nobody sent me," she finally blurted out.
His eyes thinned at her and he exhaled impatiently through his nose.
"You are not doing your master any favors by lying to me," he bit out as he released her jaw and began to turn from her.
"But I'm not lying to you!" She didn't mean to shout it. Not only had she spoken out of turn, but she'd yelled at him. It wasn't likely to bode well and she knew it. She wrung her hands in her dress nervously.
Lex quickly turned his attention back to her and Hades' ears perked up at her exclamation, as if waiting for his next command.
The damage had already been done, so she continued without waiting for his permission. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I'm the one who has been coming here of my own accord." Her lip wobbled. "You have this entire library of books at your disposal." She gestured her hands over to the bookcases. "Books beyond anything I could ever dream of acquiring. Knowledge right at your fingertips. Stories to entertain you." Tears burned her eyes as she continued. "But me, I'm just a girl." She placed a hand to her chest for emphasis. "I shouldn't be interested in these sorts of things." Then she waved her hand about impatiently. "I should want to marry quickly and populate the land with children for a husband. Well, no thank you," she spat out bitterly. "I'm more than that." She met his eyes. Knew it was wrong, but if she was going to be punished for it, he'd know the depths of her soul before he did it.
She'd honestly expected him to stop her somewhere in all of that. Instead the corners of his lips tilted up when she finished, and it shattered his polished and stoic appearance. "That was quite the confession," he responded. His deep cultured voice sending ripples through her.
He began to circle her, leaning in behind her ear to ask her in a harsh whisper, "How'd you do it?"
Chloe blushed hotly. She knew he'd want to know eventually. She thought about recanting her entire story from the beginning. After all, it was a direct question, but she'd spoken enough. Instead she released the fabric she'd gathered in her hand nervously, and he watched over her shoulder as she reached gingerly between the swell of her ample breasts, producing the key to his chambers.
"I see," he responded huskily from behind, then completing the circle stopping next to the book at her feet. He leaned down and picked it up. "And what was this weeks selection?" he wandered, then quirked an eyebrow at her when he saw the title.
"What?" she remarked defending her choice.
"The Art of War? You want to read this?"
"Is it a terrible book?" The look on his face was unrevealing and if she'd made a poor choice she'd certainly like to know, now that she was caught red handed anyway. Was the book that brought her down the one she shouldn't have bothered risking her neck for?
"Well, for one, it's in French," he remarked snobbishly at her as he set it down on a small table nearby.
She snorted at him. "And?"
"And I was assuming you would have a hard time reading a book in a language you didn't understand," he mocked.
She lifted her chin at him defiantly. "And you assumed wrong."
He tilted his head slightly and placed his hands behind his back. Seemingly interested in how that could be possible, but he didn't question it. Instead he went for the jugular. "So, since you don't have these things at your disposal, you saw fit to steal them from me?"
Chloe was outraged. "Steal them from you?" she scoffed at him. "I've returned every book I've borrowed each week. You've so many, I'm surprised you noticed at all."
He stepped into her personal space and leaned forward to her ear and murmured, "I think you'll find. I. Notice. Everything."
Chloe shuddered and knew he meant it, then suddenly felt very self conscious. She loathed the feeling. Wanted to get away from it quickly. "If my Lord chooses to punish me for it, I beseech you to render your judgement now."
He exhaled and leaned back. Then placed his hands on her arms. "What is your status here?"
"My father. He is the one who works for Your Grace. Not me."
He pursed his lips and nodded. "Then it's decided. You will keep your schedule and return here to me every Wednesday evening."
She gasped. Chloe had heard of his dalliances. Knew he took pleasure in as many women as he desired, and often. To hell with that. He was not going to take her maidenhood for this and make her one of his many mistresses.
"No, my Lord," she challenged shrugging from his grasp then watching his eyes widen in disbelief. "You can strike out at me however else you want, but I'll not be made into your whore over this."
He closed his eyes in understanding and smirked when he opened them. He admired her bravery.
"My Lady, any woman who comes to my bed, does so more than willingly. I'm merely authorizing your access to my collection here." He nodded in the direction of the books. "And I'm respectfully asking for your company on your visits so we can discuss them. I assume you've not had a great many opportunities for that."
She sucked in a breath. He was offering her freedom to a large wealth of knowledge. Far from the hidden way she'd learned most of her life. Soaking up what she could learn from books unrestrained. Free from the burden of owing him something other than her company? On top of that, he wanted to discuss these things with her? A woman? For once in her life, she was speechless.
"Well?" he asked impatiently.
The evening had already been full of a great many instances where she'd acted out of her place, so what was the difference if she added another on. Instead of curtsying and graciously accepting his offer she threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight. "Thank you, my Lord," she whispered to him, choking on her tears.
He stiffened at the unexpected contact and reluctantly returned the gesture. It was obvious to him that she was clearly one of a kind, and he already kind of liked her boldness. She was unpredictable and had a brazen courage unmatched by any other woman he'd ever met. That included the ones who attempted to plot their way to his bed.
"You're most welcome," he said gently, then he released her and waited for her to follow suit, "and when we are in here, away from all others, you may address me as Lex."
She nodded mutely at his generosity.
"You'll need to relinquish your key, my Lady, I can't have you running around with that in your possession."
She smiled widely at him and he felt something odd bloom in his chest when she did. She placed the key in his hand and she closed his fingers around it for him.
"Call me Chloe."
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