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Author's Chapter Notes:

Sorry this one took so long to come out. My computer nearly broke on me and I went 2 weeks without internet. But it's all good now so here's the next chapter! Expect the next one in a few days too.

 

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It was Erik Ainsbarn, the 67th Attendant, who infamously quipped that massaging Alexandra’s feet was the same as working the fields of a dozen farms within the hour. Unfortunately for Emil, he quickly found that the historically infamous quote might have been an understatement. The job he had been tasked with was already proving to be more strenuous than he had ever imagined possible. Less than ten minutes at it and yet his arms ceaselessly screamed for reprieve. His heart threatened to escape his chest and his breath grew short as he weakly massaged with all the strength his sore limbs could muster.

For how well kept and easy going Alexandra appeared her feet sure didn’t quite live up the flawless image she perpetuated; calloused, moist to the touch, and even a bit smelly. They were the feet of a woman who was…well…constantly on her feet. It was clear they oft didn’t leave their boots. Countless years of journeying had left the soles tense enough that Emil mused that it would probably be easier to massage the boots instead. Emil pressed his hands into her foot as hard as he could, palms sinking into her firm flesh ever so slightly as he worked to ease her stress.

 “My Attendant isn’t getting tired already is he? You still have an entire other foot to work on after this you know.” Alexandra chuckled at his struggles, seemingly finding all his efforts amusing.

“I fear I never bothered learning how to give a proper massage. Let alone to someone of your size.” Emil heaved, leaning against the foot. It didn’t matter that her scent wafted into his nostrils. He needed the breather.

“It’s not my fault you spent more time in the fields than with the ladies.” She remarked with another giggle to follow. “Are you unable to give a poor, simple little girl like me a massage?”

He responded by hitting his fist against her arch. “There’s nothing poor, simple, or little about you.” Emil retorted in an annoyed tone.

Alexandra’s foot pushed the human back and lowered her toes near him, the big one wagging playfully in his face. “Quite the contrary. You’ll never find someone as simple to understand as me. Though I will grant you that perhaps I am not the littlest woman in the land.” She laughed and patted the top of her Attendant’s head with the sweaty digit.

Emil grimaced at the chastising toe, not even bothering to look up past it. “So you can’t blame me for not being able to offer a decent massage when your feet are several times my size.”

“Not true. I could very easily blame you. After all, I have just shy of 200 other Attendants to compare you to. Right now you’re near the bottom of the list.” The giant grinned and rested her foot on its side. “Cute as it is to see you try to reach as high as you can it’ll be much easier if I do this. No?”

Emil reddened slightly as he began pressing himself against Alexandra’s foot once again, trying his damnedest to work his hands into the thick layer of tension in her sole. The dirt beneath his shoes slowly gave way and slid behind him, kicking into the crackling fire. At last Alexandra let out a pleasured sigh. “Now you’re getting it.”

The young Attendant didn’t respond; too busy giving the massage his all. How strange that over the course of the day he began in the deepest pits of despair and ended up where he was now: Giving his all to make Alexandra happy. Though he did his best not to think too hard on it. It was just in his nature to do a job to the best of his abilities. If he had time to reflect on his choices he could instead use that extra brain power to push harder.

Alexandra watched on happily while he worked, letting out the occasional happy grunt or hum. “Perhaps I was not wrong in choosing you after all.” Her eyes fluttered shut as she exhaled a deep breath.

If nothing else Emil could take pride in doing his first job well at least. He repositioned his hands and feet and readied for more. Unfortunately, a combination of mud under his feet and sweat on Alexandra’s caused him to slip and fall spectacularly on the ground not even a moment later.

“Ow…” He rubbed his head to the chorus of roaring laughter from the giant, rising back up after a second.

“It would seem that maybe I spoke too soon.” She applauded his slapstick and giggled. “No matter, that will suffice Attendant. Though need I remind you…” As one foot pulled back the other swung overhead and hovered it’s giant self over Emil. “…That you have another?” Alexandra’s face didn’t seem quite wide enough for the grin she was sporting. Several flakes of fist-sized dirt rained from her foot onto the pitiful human.

Staring up at Alexandra’s admittedly pretty foot all, Emil could see was the next couple hours of his life. They did not look fun. “Can’t I at least get a break?” He groaned.

Alexandra quirked her lips in thought for a moment then smiled and nodded. “I think that’s fair. But in return I would like a kiss.”

Emil’s eyes had never been so wide. Was this woman serious? Was this a thing Attendants got to do? He looked up to the giant’s face, and her soft, delicate lips. “W-Well if that is what you want…” The human dismissively accepted with a shrug, trying his best to sound disinterested.

“Excellent!” Alexandra clapped her hands happily and brought the upraised foot down nearby. “You may begin when ready.” Her sole ground into the dirt expectantly.

He took one look at the toes that were eagerly tapping along the ground a few feet away. “…Oh.”

The blonde laughed uproariously at the blank stare her toes received. “You’d be amazed how many Attendants fall fo r this, too late to retreat now. That is, unless you wish to break your word…”

Somehow Emil got the feeling that that would be a very bad idea. Still, did he have to? Alexandra’s feet were nice and all he supposed but they were tense, sweaty, and the smell seemed at its worst by her toes. He had to press his lips against that? Was this some kind of bizarre jest from the giant?

“I’m waiting~” The giant teased in a singsong voice.

After briefly weighing his options Emil sighed and stepped closer. Up close a few markings that he hadn’t noticed before were suddenly apparent. They appeared to be scars, marks that decorated her toes in plentiful amounts, particularly her big toe. “Where did all these scars come from?” The Attendant couldn’t help but ask.

“Spears, swords, anything pointy really.” Alexandra shrugged. “They usually snap against my boots but every so often one breaks through.”

“I see.” He nodded. Spears. Gifts from people who tried to hurt Alexandra, people who died. A subtle reminder of who he was dealing with. It was easy to forget that this woman had lived several lifetimes before ever even visiting Windermere. How many towns and people met their ends under these very toes Emil wondered. With his face right up next to them he couldn’t help but marvel. Each toe was nearly as long as he was tall and were as wide as two men.

“Don’t worry. They don’t bite.” The giant chuckled.

“No, but you might.”

“Then I suppose you’d better hurry.”

Swallowing his pride, Emil leaned forward that extra few inches and pressed his lips to the nearest appendage. It was a little degrading certainly, but the act came surprisingly natural to him. The sensation was no different than kissing a girl’s cheek or hand. He was actually rather surprised as he stepped back. It somehow wasn’t the awfulness he anticipated.

Alexandra nodded in approval. “Break it is then. Take a moment for yourself. I’ll see if I can’t find something for dinner in the mean while.” After standing up the blonde giant offered her human companion a small wave before departing into the darkness.

Emil gaped at her. Was that woman truly leaving him alone? What if he ran away? Not that he had anywhere to go. Windermere was countless miles away and there were no landmarks of any sort. Plus even if he made it the town knew full well he wasn’t supposed to be there. On second thought, maybe leaving him alone wasn’t so crazy after all. He sighed and fell onto his back, opting to lose himself in the starry sky.

Everything had changed so quickly, literally overnight. By all accounts he should’ve been a pile of tears and pity begging to go home, but he wasn’t. It was almost a little troubling how quickly Emil had adapted to his circumstances. Granted, it wasn’t like he had a choice. Still, he was already smiling every so often, engaging in playful banter, humoring his giant master. Perhaps…he enjoyed being in Alexandra’s company?

“Nah.” The human laughed the notion off immediately. It was more likely he was in shock. Or perhaps being near a woman for the first time in a year or two was why he was so at ease.

“Damn.” Emil clicked his tongue as realization set in: Alexandra had left without her boots. Her foot was going to be filthy when she returned, and he’d probably have to clean it. Just another day as an Attendant he supposed.

Still, for all the stories of how poorly the woman treated her Attendants Alexandra surprised him. She was so…nice, almost scarily so. The Alexandra who laughed and played with children was no different than the one he had spent the day with. In a way it was refreshing that she hadn’t made some abrupt change. In another it made him paranoid something was already amiss. Maybe that would be different with time, but for a first day it could’ve been worse. It was only how all this Attendant business would ultimately end that bugged him. Impending death sort of had a way of weighing in on one’s mind.

How would Alex do him in? A stomp? Eat him like Andrei? Crush him in her hands? Dry irony suggested maybe the toe that Emil kissed would smother him.

“Back~”

Booming footsteps and the loud voice announcing her return brought Emil back to reality. “Any luck?” He asked, seeing for himself that the question was moot a moment later.

Alexandra was carrying over a dozen trees, actual, fully grown trees uprooted from the ground. Skewered through one of them were a series of oxen, freshly killed and gutted. “Sorry it took so long but I figured that we could use some firewood too while I was at it.” The giant smiled sheepishly and tossed a few of the trees into the massive fire. After stabbing two more trees into the ground around the embers and setting the skewer up to cook she leaned back and sighed. A simple meal over a campfire, just all done at Alexandra’s size; it was a sight to behold.

“And now I believe that we have some unfinished business Attendant.” Alexandra smirked, already bringing a dirty barefoot back towards Emil. “Ready?” Her immaculate sole was caked in filth.

If he had to answer honestly…No. Especially not with how dirty it now was. Emil’s arms ached and screamed at the mere idea of having to massage another foot. And to do so on an empty stomach was just cruel. His thoughts must have been written across his face since Alexandra frowned almost immediately.

“Fine.” She sighed. “I’ll be nice just for tonight. But tomorrow you’re doing both. I can’t get a good night’s sleep unless I get my daily massage.” She leaned back and smirked to herself. Meanwhile in a fit of exhausted relief Emil collapsed.

 

Thus, Emil's first day as Alexandra's Attendant drew to a close.

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