Tabitha had to fight off nerves as she presented herself at the gates of the Centaurea estate, invitation in hand. “Tabitha Green, here to be assessed as a maid,” she told the guard, proud of how she managed to keep the stutter out of her voice.

The guard, a young lupid man with shaggy grey hair, gave the letter a quick once-over before nodding to her and waving her through. “Go to the main entrance; you’ll receive further instruction there,” he told her. “My Lady is awaiting your arrival.”

His words fully sunk in as she made her way down the main path, past the exquisitely maintained rose bushes and swaying poplars. His Lady? Helena Centaurea herself would be conducting this assessment? She frantically smoothed down her best dress again, trying to make herself look nicer. She knew by reputation that Lady Centaurea took a more… hands-on… approach with her staff, but she hadn’t known she would be quite this forward. Sneaking a glance in a reflecting pool, Tabitha gave her reflection a once-over. Brown, tightly curled hair still up in a neat bun; white dress free of stains and wrinkles - or as presentable as she could make it within her limited means; not looking too weak or haggard to be a maid. Alright. Time to go in and show the sorceress what she was made of.

The front door was answered almost immediately by a short, timid-looking human woman - one who perhaps had some gnomish ancestry, Tabitha wondered - dressed in an impeccably tailored and well-kept maid’s uniform. As with the guard, Tabitha handed over the letter, the young blonde also scanning it. Giving a satisfied nod, she looked up at the visitor. “Ah, yes, Lady Centaurea’s 11 o’clock. I am Beryl; for today, I am Her Ladyship’s secretary. I shall guide you to her; please follow me.” Her voice, belying her general air of nervousness, was smooth and modulated, her little speech sounding almost perfectly rehearsed. Turning around, Beryl led Tabitha through the winding hallways of the manor; past several other workers, all dressed in impeccable maids’ or butlers’ uniforms - or a blend of the two, she noticed - and going about their work in a quiet, orderly fashion. There was a focused air to the manor; while there was still occasional chatter, it was far less disruptive than what Tabitha was used to; everyone here seemed genuinely committed to making sure their work was as perfect as could be. Other than that, the manor was mostly silent… although as they passed by one door, Tabitha could’ve sworn she heard a deep groan and a sultry giggle come from the other side of it. Beryl paid it no mind.

Clearing her throat, and trying to distract herself from speculating about what was happening behind closed doors here, Tabitha opened her mouth to speak. “Beg pardon, uh, ma’am?”

“Beryl is fine, dear.” Again, that practiced calm, so different from Beryl’s twitchiness.

“Thank you. I was wondering… why did you call yourself Her Ladyship’s secretary “for now”?”

“Ah.” Beryl was now leading them down a twisting set of corridors and turns; Tabitha could have sworn they had turned right at least five times without retracing their steps. “Lady Centaurea will be able to speak of that more, but suffice it to say that the staff here do not have exactly defined roles. Each day, or even each hour, we are assigned a new task, depending on our preferences, our capacity that day, which jobs we have done recently, and what the manor needs. It is a very effective system.”

“I- I see. How do you receive training for each new role?”

They came up to a pair of grander double doors. Beryl turned to face Tabitha, the ghost of a smile crossing her face. “As I told you, Lady Centaurea will be able to speak to that more. For now, it is time for your assessment.” Knocking on the door, she called out quietly. “My Lady? Your interviewee has arrived.”

“Show her in,” came a deep, resonating voice from the other side.

Beryl pushed open the doors, gesturing for Tabitha to enter before following her in. Tabitha stood stunned at the entrance. She could have sworn they were in the very depths of the manor, yet on the opposite wall there was a grand window, overlooking the back side of the grounds. The vista was magnificent: rows upon rows of vines and fruit trees, fruiting whether or not they ought to be in season; what almost seemed to be acres of flowers, again of all seasons; and a mirror-still ornamental pond, upon which various waterfowl glided peacefully. The room itself - clearly the Lady’s study - was no less impressive. It was decorated in rich woods and fabrics, a fire crackling merrily away on a wall to her side. The central desk was gorgeously detailed, the panels depicting various pastoral scenes from the Age of Myths. And the woman behind the desk… Lady Helena Centaurea was a tall, strikingly beautiful elf. Her snow-pale skin stood out from beneath her jet-black hair; her purple silken dress hugged her body in all the right ways; and her countenance, while currently soft and welcoming, made it clear that this was not a woman to be trifled with in any way.

Beryl took up a position to the side of the Lady, taking up a sheet of parchment and a quill, and Tabitha shook her head slightly as she realised she’d been staring, hastily dipping into a curtsey. “M-my Lady,” she managed to stammer out. “It is an honour to be in your presence.”

Lady Centaurea laughed gently as Beryl began scratching away with her quill, clearly transcribing their conversation. “Tabitha Green, yes? I am glad you think so highly of me, but there is no need to stand on so much ceremony here. I am not a Lady by birth, but rather by - I should like to hope - merit, and I have not yet forgotten that I come from much humbler circumstances than I now find myself in. Please, take a seat.” She gestured to the chair on the near side of the desk, which Tabitha took up, before sitting down herself. “This should not, I hope, be a stressful conversation,” she continued. “I received the reference you sent from the previous head of your household, and I am satisfied that your work ethic, and the quality of your work, will be up to my standards. Rather, I wish to get a sense for who you are, and if you would be a good fit within my household. So tell me, Tabitha, why did you leave your previous employment?”

“I did not have much choice, my Lady. The former Lord Edgar Thistleweed was convicted of treason; his household was disbanded. Admittedly, I left before it was formally settled, but by the time I did so, it was clear that even if his name were to be cleared, I could not work for him any more.”

“Ah, yes, that unpleasant affair. Why did you feel you could not work for him?”

“Many of the accusations made against him, some of which he did not dispute, or even openly admitted to, showed that he could be far more cruel to members of staff than I had personally experienced. I would not have felt safe to remain in his employ.”

“A wise choice. Now, perhaps this is a bizarre question to ask, but why did you decide to work as a maid?”

“Well, my Lady…”

The conversation proceeded apace. Lady Centaurea was a very attentive conversation partner, and one who was very sympathetic to Tabitha’s story. As it continued, she could almost allow herself to forget that this was not only her prospective employer, but perhaps the most powerful woman in the land - both politically and magically. The two of them were soon leaning forward on the desk, sharing stories and complaints; Tabitha even managed to provoke another laugh out of the Lady, which made her blush with pride. Soon, however - after talking through wages and holidays, both of which Tabitha was satisfied with - it became clear that the conversation was coming to a close.

“Well, Miss Green. This has been an intriguing exchange indeed, and I believe I would be delighted to accept you as one of my staff. I have one more question for you, however. What motivated you to apply to work for me in particular? My lands are a far journey from the former Thistleweed territory; you must have spent many days if not weeks on the road to reach me. I am curious to hear your motivation for such an endeavour, whose outcome you could not have been certain of.”

Tabitha squirmed in her seat slightly. This was indeed the crux of the matter; the reason she had been so excited to meet Lady Centaurea in the first place. She was pleasantly surprised at how little her voice shook as she answered the question. “Well, my Lady, there were many reasons. The opportunity to work for a Lady, and one of, as you yourself have put it, relatively humble beginnings, is not one that arises often. What news had reached me from your staff was overwhelmingly positive; I knew that I would be treated well here, as indeed I have been. However, the greatest reason… I had heard rumours that you… are able to exert an… unusual level of control over your staff. And the particulars of these rumours… how you attain that level of control; how you use it… were exciting to me. If they are just rumours, I would still be more than happy to work for you, but… I shall not lie, they were certainly my greatest source of motivation.”

Lady Centaurea’s face was an unreadable mask as Tabitha explained herself, and for a few seconds, the prospective maid was terrified that she had irrevocably sunk her chances of employment here. However, the slightest hint of a smile then appeared on the sorceress’ face. “I believe I know what you are referring to, my dear… and I believe a demonstration would be in order. Beryl?”

The secretary, whose presence Tabitha had almost forgotten about, jumped and squeaked quietly in surprise, looking up from her page of shorthand notes. For the first time, Tabitha noticed the bracelet she was wearing: three smokey stones, one red, one yellow, and one blue, positioned evenly around a leather cord. “Yes, my Lady?” the blonde answered.

“Get up, and kiss our guest as intimately as she is comfortable with. I have no expectations of how high your limit should be,” she added, addressing Tabitha. “You are allowed to refuse completely, even, if you would prefer.” The orders were delivered in a completely matter-of-fact tone, as though the sorceress was used to giving them… which, if the rumours were true, she almost certainly was.

As Tabitha licked her lips nervously, Beryl stood up. Her countenance had shifted, Tabitha realised: gone were the nerves, the downturned gaze, the meekness; in their place, Beryl was projecting a quiet confidence… and, perhaps, a slight sultriness. “How far do you want me to go?” she asked, quietly but firmly.

“I- a-as far as you’re prepared to go.”

Beryl cocked her head, a teasing smile spreading across her face. “You certain about that?”

Tabitha licked her lips again, and nodded.

Beryl, locking eyes with the brunette, strutted boldly towards her, any last hints of shyness vanishing. Tabitha almost rose to meet her, but the blonde gestured for her to stay put, instead moving to practically straddle her legs and bending over for a deep kiss on the lips. Tabitha moaned into it as Beryl’s arms wrapped around her; as Beryl settled into her lap; as Beryl’s tongue slipped past her open lips and into her mouth. Tabitha belatedly moved her own arms around the blonde, pulling her closer, into a tighter embrace, then gasping in surprise as one of Beryl’s hands cautiously traced a path up her side and towards her chest. The blonde pulled back slightly, a question clear in her eyes and forming on her lips, but Tabitha had recovered from the shock and pulled her hand directly to her chest, moaning louder as Beryl took the hint and squeezed her breast gently, and then moving her own hands down to cup her ass, giving a squeeze and getting a moan in return, and-

Lady Centaurea cleared her throat, and both women jumped in surprise again, Beryl hastily extricating herself from Tabitha’s grasp, blushing furiously and looking firmly at her feet. “That was a lovely show you put on, my dears,” the sorceress teased, adding, “Oh, don’t worry about taking notes right now,” as Beryl began to scramble for the quill. “Did you enjoy that, Miss Green?”

“I- uh- yes, I did, my Lady. That- I- that is to say, it seems to confirm the rumours I had heard…”

“And how about you, Beryl?”

“Um- uh- I- yeah- good- I-” The blonde’s entire face was bright red now, but she nodded rapidly, still looking firmly at her feet.

Lady Centaurea cooed in delight. “Aww, are you a bit embarrassed there? But you love it when I give you some confidence, don’t you?”

“Y-yes, my Lady; I-I do.”

Lady Centaurea turned back to face Tabitha, smirking conspiratorially. “Do you want to know what my dear Beryl loves even more? And I believe a demonstration would firmly show you the extent of my… level of control, as you put it, over her.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Tabitha could see Beryl trembling excitedly, biting her lip. “If you think such a demonstration would be appropriate, my Lady, then I believe I would like to learn.”

The sorceress turned back to her secretary. “Are you able to demonstrate, Beryl?”

“Y-yes, my Lady. Very, uh, very much so.”

“In that case… if Miss Green is comfortable with it… I wish for you to lift your skirts and wet yourself.”

Both other women turned to Tabitha, seeking confirmation. The brunette gulped, but tentatively nodded. A wide, happy smile flitted across Beryl’s face for a second before all emotion seemed to drain from her expression. Smoothly, she bent down, hands reaching for the hem of her dress. Smoothly, she lifted it up in the front, exposing a pale blue pair of bloomers which - perhaps it was Tabitha’s imagination, but which appeared to have a small damp stain on them already. And then, not more than a foot away from Tabitha’s face, that small stain was swamped by a much larger one, spreading rapidly across the fabric accompanied by a slight hissing sound as Beryl’s expression changed from a blank mask into a dopey grin, her eyes crossing as the dampness spread. Eventually, the flow slowed and stopped, and Beryl let out a dopey, empty-headed giggle as she presented her ruined underclothes to an open-mouthed and now very aroused interviewee.

Once again, Lady Centaurea snapped her back to reality, her smooth voice cutting through the charged atmosphere in the room. “Good girl, Beryl,” and a shudder went through both Beryl and Tabitha at those words. “Go get yourself cleaned up; Edward should be waiting to replace you.”

Face returning to blank neutrality, Beryl walked smoothly out of the room, Tabitha’s eyes tracking her all the way. At the door, she passed a luipd - the guard from earlier, Tabitha realised, now dressed more akin to a butler - who took up the seat the blonde had vacated and, as Lady Centaurea began talking, took up the minutes in her stead, blending into the background just as effortlessly as Beryl had before.

“So, Miss Green, I believe that should prove sufficient demonstration of the rumours you had heard, and has not turned you away from seeking employment beneath me?”

“Th-that would be correct, my Lady. I had not expected that I would see such a potent demonstration of enchantment so soon!”

“Ah. It is not quite enchantment, I am afraid; merely hypnosis, if you are familiar.”

Tabitha frowned. “Beg pardon, my Lady, but… why not? Surely for a sorceress of your talents, enchanting your staff would be easier and more effective than whatever mundane attempts have been made to replicate it?”

“That is a common misconception, and one I am willing to correct for you now, if you are willing to learn.” Tabitha nodded, and Lady Centaurea continued. “Or, I suppose, what you said is not technically a misconception, it is just not the full picture. Enchanting my staff would be easier and more effective than hypnotising them… but, as with so much magic, I believe that the downsides would outweigh the benefits. For a start, the fact that magic is more efficient makes it more dangerous if something were to go wrong. A broadsword is more effective as a cutting tool than a butter-knife, but you would not wish to use the sword to make sandwiches, would you? Similarly, producing a flame in the palm of my hand is, for myself, a quicker and simpler task than striking flint against steel… but were I to be distracted, a wayward flaming sphere is far more dangerous than two lumps of material which must be brought together to create a fire. And so, similarly, an interrupted or otherwise interfered-with enchantment might have far nastier consequences for its target than an interrupted hypnotic trance, from which one can simply awaken with little issue. Do you understand me so far?”

“I… I believe so, my Lady. But, and again forgive my ignorance, surely you could mitigate the risk of something going wrong?”

“Probably. But I am not willing to stake so many minds on that assumption. Which leads nicely to my next concern, which is for the ethics of such a scenario. While I most certainly enjoy the fantasy of all my staff serving as my mind-controlled puppets - as do all those who work for me; as do you, I believe - I do not wish to make empty-shell, yes-men and -women out of my staff. I wish to know that they are following my orders willingly and enthusiastically - as I am sure you realised dear Beryl was just now. Hypnosis, when done correctly, gives the subject the ability and the permission to say no, to refuse an order, while giving both subject and hypnotist the illusion of helpless obedience. Enchantment results in true helpless obedience, and while some of my staff may believe that is what they want, and would trust me not to cross any lines, I do not wish to even give myself the possibility of crossing such a line. There is the more pragmatic argument: keeping someone enchanted costs me some of my well of magical energy; energy that I could instead be using on more important projects than ensuring that every doorknob in this manor is a perfect mirror. And finally…” She leaned over the desk, her voice dropping into a more seductive, husky tone. “Hypnotising someone is far more personal, far more intimate, than enchanting them. If I successfully hypnotise someone into a perfectly obedient servant, it means I have come to know them, even a bit; it means that I have gained their trust; it means I have spent time in close physical proximity to them. As I am sure you have gathered from the fact that I am conducting this assessment in-person, I prefer to take a hands-on approach with my staff; in that context, sitting down with someone and hypnotising them is far more preferable than merely waving my hands, speaking words of power, and capturing their mind in 5 seconds from across a ballroom. So… I hope that makes my reasoning clear, and has not put you off.”

Tabitha squirmed again. “N-not at all, my Lady. If anything, it has made me more eager to serve you.”

Lady Centaurea smiled. “Marvellous! In that case… how soon can I get you inducted as a maid?”

“The inn where I am staying is very close by, so it would not be much time for me to bring my possessions over.”

“And if I were to send someone else to collect them, and allow you to… relax?” The suggestive tilt of the sorceress’ head suggested that the saved time would be spent doing anything but relaxing.

“I… I would be willing to start immediately, my Lady.”

“Perfect! Edward, dear, go send someone to fetch our guest’s possessions.” Tabitha handed him her key and gave him the address of the inn, which he conveyed to another worker who showed up at the door to Lady Centaurea’s study. “Follow me, my dear,” the sorceress instructed Tabitha, and led her out of the door and, she eventually gathered, towards the downstairs areas of the manor, flanked by Edward, who seemed to have snapped back into guard mode.

“I will go over this in more detail with you later, but I wish to make some further things clear. First, and this is important, while I do have, as you have gathered, a very free sexual relationship with many members of my staff, I do not have any expectations or make any demands of you on that front. Nor will agreeing to join me in the bedroom win you any favours. I understand that there will always be something of a power dynamic at play, but I wish to make your choice as free and unburdened by outside considerations as possible. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my Lady. That sounds highly agreeable to me.”

“Good. The other point is that, as I believe Beryl suggested to you, you will not be serving in the same role day in and day out, but rather be reassigned and re-trained daily, as I and my staff see fit. There is no permanent hierarchy between staff members; no-one other than myself is your superior unless you know they have been put in that role. A large portion of your hypnotic commands, therefore, will be on how best to do each job; assigning you your job for the day; and ensuring that, if you end up in a more monotonous task, you do not grow bored or flag in your duty. To that end… have you noticed the bracelets each staff member wears?”

Tabitha took a proper look at Edward’s wrists, and realised that he was wearing a bracelet of identical design to the one she had seen on Beryl. “Ah. Yes, I have, my Lady.”

“You will be issued with one just before I begin to hypnotise you. They have been imbued with a minor spell - a permanent, fixed piece of magic, which has moved through all the dangerous stages of its existence already, like how iron bars are forged from red-hot metal but are now cool - which will supplement your memory; convey orders to you telepathically, without my needing to be in-person to issue them; and will allow you to more easily slip into trance. You will be required to wear yours during working hours, but not at any other time.”
“I understand, my Lady.”

“Very good. Ah - we have arrived. You may leave us now, Edward.”

The lupid took his leave, and Lady Centaurea led Tabitha into a small, quiet room. A fire quietly crackled on one wall, surrounded by plush armchairs and sofas; a faint scent, vaguely herbal, permeated the room. The sorceress gestured for Tabitha to move towards a sofa, retrieving some things - a pendant and one of the bracelets, Tabitha realised - from a drawer to the side. She bustled back over to the human, gesturing for her to raise a hand; Tabitha did so, allowing the elf to slip the bracelet onto her wrist. She thought she felt a subtle shift in her state of mind, but perhaps that was just her imagination.

“Now then, my dear,” and there was a fondness in Lady Centaurea’s voice that Tabitha had not heard directed at herself previously. “I could just begin the induction now… but, and do correct me if I am wrong, I believe you found the prospect of being under my control… thrilling. Arousing, even.”

“Th-that is correct, my Lady.” Tabitha could barely keep the excitement out of her voice and bearing; the sorceress, clearly picking up on this, chuckled slightly.

“In that case… do you wish to get yourself more comfortable… and perhaps allow the two of us to become somewhat more intimate?”

Lady Centaurea had barely finished speaking before Tabitha was nodding eagerly. “H-how do you want me, my Lady?”

“As bare and as close as you are willing, my dear.”

“How would you want me ideally, my Lady?”

“You are an eager one, aren’t you? I appreciate that very much. Ideally… ideally, I would have you naked aside from the bracelet, upon my lap… and allowing my hands to roam your body. But if that is a step too far for you…” But Tabitha was already moving, easily shucking her dress, followed by her shoes, her socks, and her underclothes, allowing the elf to run her gaze over her supple form. “Eager indeed, I see. In that case…”

Lady Centaurea sat herself down on the couch, patting her lap in invitation, and Tabitha eagerly sidled onto her, spreading her legs enough to give the elf access. She heard another chuckle in her ear, could feel it through her back, and then the pendant was being held in front of her, and the sorceress’ free hand tracing a gentle path down her side. “I believe I will very much enjoy having you in my employ, my dear Tabitha. Are you ready to become my perfectly obedient maid?”

“More ready than I’ve ever been, my Lady.”

“Good girl. Allow yourself to relax. You are safe… you are free to act however comes naturally to you. So take a deep breath… and focus on the pendant for me.”

And as her Lady’s hand slipped between her legs, Tabitha allowed herself to give into her control, and be inducted as her newest maid.