Chapter 1: Part 1: A Maid in the Reginald Manor

Enter the Reginald Manor and meet Sir Reginald the fox who is the proud owner of his own tea company. Along his side is his very cheerful rabbit maid Elara, who will go all ways to impress her master.

Chapter 1: Part 1: A Maid in the Reginald Manor

Rain tapped continuously on the windows, dampening the mood to a dull, gloomy aural haze. Other than the rain, only two noises dared to disturb the silence of Reginald Manor’s living room: the clock hanging on the wall, its ticking echoing against the silent stones, and the crackling of dry wood burning away in the fireplace.

These were the only sounds Sir Reginald required. That, and one of his finest imported teas to soothe a true gentleman's spirit. Alas, Sir Reginald's paw bore nothing in its grasp; he had nothing to quench his thirst.

However, in that moment, the sound of chattering arose from the kitchen, drifting all the way to Sir Reginald.

"You will be careful, my dear Elara..." Without moving his head or shifting from his seat, he knew who�"and what�"was coming. The dreadful sound of fine china rattling against a silver tray would usually cause distress to any ears. Yet, this only gave Sir Reginald more reason to grin. A long, sinister fox grin.

"My... My apologies, Sir Reginald. I-I will try my hardest next time."

Emerging from the shadows around the corner was a cream-coloured rabbit, wearing her pristine black and white maid outfit. Although Sir Reginald was facing away from Elara, he could sense the struggle she was in. This brought him pleasure; indeed, this was only the start.

"My apologies, Sir." Elara released the awkward, heavy tray onto the wooden stool beside him. "I thought because the weather is gloomy and miserable, a nice cup of�""

"�"Oolong tea..." Sir Reginald cut Elara off.

Elara stood stunned, amazed by his keen sense of smell. "Y-yes, sir! I thought a nice earthy tea would comfort you in this time."

The silver tray held everything: a teapot, a cup and saucer, a small milk jug, and a bowl filled to the brim with sugar cubes. Elara carried out her maid duties, filling Sir Reginald’s teacup. Though the tableware was overly large for a rabbit, Elara could not afford to let down her master. Despite fighting against her own size and might, her face revealed both stress and profound commitment.

Reginald's face said otherwise.

The tea was filled almost to the brim, allowing just enough room for milk. Sir Reginald’s amber eyes glared, yet with an underlying contentment. He blinked slowly, watching his maid yearn for his respect. In that moment, he scratched lightly under his muzzle, pondering what to say next. That’s when his cunning fox smile returned.

After mixing in the milk and one sugar for her master’s perfect brew, Elara presented the cup.

"Perfect!"

At that moment long, dark, slender fox paw shot out and grasped her chin, forcing her gaze straight toward his content amber eyes. Reginald’s thumb stroked continuously across Elara's lips, back and forth, while the rest of his hand kept her head tilted upward toward himself.

"My sweet, dear Elara," he purred, his voice low. "There are many maids out there, but you are mine. You're my maid, my good, reliable maid." He continued stroking across her lips, his fox smirk reflecting his dominant ego. "What would a fox like me do without my little bunny..."

Elara’s vision was now forced into the fox's gaze. She knew she should feel discomfort; she should try to resist the grasping paw. But with Elara, resistance wasn't necessary. She could do nothing but stare into Sir Reginald's amber eyes. Fear and panic flared through her mind. Yet, the sensation of her lips being touched so softly and delicately caused her ears to lower. She gently closed her eyes, turning what was a sight of fear into a sense of comfort and protection, followed by a silent, involuntary purr echoing out.

"Tea..."

"Huh..." Elara’s eyes slowly fluttered open, breaking out of her master's trance.

"I would like my tea, please."

Elara snapped back into reality, her ears springing up in shock and her eyes bulging. The first sight she captured was her master, Sir Reginald, resting his head on the same paw that had just confined her own. His smirk highlighted his mischievous behavior. But this act only served to embarrass and degrade Elara.

"Sir, your tea�"please enjoy..." She kept her head lowered and quickly stepped behind her master’s chair to keep out of his sight, hoping to hide her shame.

"I can't act like this," she scolded herself. "I’m a maid. Sir Reginald’s maid. I need to start acting like one." Her eyes remained fixed on the carpet as she reflected on herself, waiting for her master’s request.

Sir Reginald sipped the last of his tea, savouring every drop. The fire coated him with warmth; the rain, despite being dreadful, brought him a sense of relaxation and protection. He was a fox who had it all. He let the chair support his body, his only effort being the lift of his cup. Nothing, it seemed, could interrupt this fox's peace of mind.

That was until he finished the final sip.

It took a while, but Elara began to pull herself together. "I can't let my master down; he needs me. And so do I." Elara wasn't going to let any more distractions get in her way. A maid must be prepared and focused for her master's request at any moment.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t focused enough to see the teacup suspended on Reginald’s finger.

His arm extended outwards, giving a silent request, the teacup waving toward Elara for attention.

"Elara..." Reginald spoke with his low, musky voice.

Elara immediately snapped toward the teacup. "Oh, y-yes. Another tea for you, Sir?"

At that, Reginald had no choice but to turn his head in confusion and disgust. "No, Elara. Perhaps you should look into the teacup..."

Elara swallowed in suspense and agitate peered into the china. And there it was, making her feel the full weight of her ignorance: tea leaves sat heavily at the bottom. She hadn’t filtered the tea before pouring her master’s brew.

"Oh, Sir! I did it again, didn't I? P-please let me fix this!" In that moment, she found herself in an unpleasant, problematic situation she had never encountered before. She fidgeted, frantically trying to decide if she should run to the kitchen to replace the teacup or clean the mess right there.

Reginald, who had thoroughly humoured himself in his maid’s dilemma, breathed in and exhaled another grin of pure mischief.

"Don't worry, Elara." Elara stopped in her tracks. "See, we all make mistakes. Like this�"" In one sudden, fluid burst, Reginald flicked the milk jug on the tray from his finger and thumb, splashing milk across the tray and dripping onto the carpet.

"Oh, no, no, no!!" Elara cried out, dropping to her knees. She pulled a cloth from her apron and immediately began to soak up the milk, working furiously to avoid staining the carpet.

Reginald watched her, side-eyeing her with a slight squint, entirely without remorse for his actions. He watched the rabbit on all fours, scrubbing as hard as she could. Then, the fox grew tired of the view and vacated his seat.

Elara felt a wave of calm wash over her, proud of her quick actions. She inhaled, pleased with herself, and was just about to stand up when a heavy weight pinned her back down, keeping her on all fours. Panic rose, making her nose twitch. Sharp claws embedded themselves into her back. The vile fox now had one paw resting on the ground and one resting squarely on his maid’s poor back.

Reginald's tail flared with excitement, brushing back and forth with anticipation. Elara dreaded what was to come next. She gulped, knowing she could fall flat onto the carpet or attempt to retaliate, but that would only earn a crushing paw. Instead, her body froze, knowing this pleased her master. The claws piercing her soft coat should have brought pain and discomfort. Yet, Elara felt comfort and protection, knowing this was exactly what she yearned for.

The foxy grin enticed him to go further. Reginald bent down, putting more of his weight onto Elara. Ignoring the pain she was in, he reached further and grabbed her floppy ears. Elara squealed as her ears were pulled back. The fox's hot breath exhaled directly into her ear.

"Elara, dear..."

Elara clamped up. "Y-yes, Sir?" A silent gulp followed.

"You should be more careful. You wouldn't want to damage my fine china tea set now, would you?"

With that, Reginald released her ears and stood upright, picking up the milk jug and pouring the last few drops of milk onto her head before placing the jug back on the tray.

"No, Sir... You're quite right, Sir." She squinted as the milk made its way down her forehead and rested on top of her twitching nose.

Reginald’s paw still rested on her back. But at that moment, a large flash of lightning beaconed the room, freezing both Sir Reginald and Elara in their places.

Reginald looked out the window from where he stood. "Oh, dear. The weather has definitely made a turn for the worse."

Elara’s arms were about to give out, but her master removed his paw�"not lifting it, but dragging the claws down her back as he pulled away. Elara wanted to yelp to compensate for the pain, but a maid would never raise her voice out loud. She repressed the pain back into herself and got back up with no hesitation and no complaints.

Elara's back was now facing away from Reginald, giving him a perfect view of the mark he had left on her uniform. Reginald took the opportunity to bring himself closer to her by grasping her shoulders and leaning in to whisper into her ear.

"Oh, well... It seems that the weather has interrupted our quality tea time together." He raised his paws from her shoulders up to her sensitive ears, fidgeting with the outer edges. "After you have finished cleaning your mess, come find me in my quarters. I think a long rest is required."

Elara tensed up as her sensitive little bunny ears were played with. Her master released her ears to droop back down. With that, Reginald left the room with nothing else to say, only the echoing sound of him walking his way upstairs.

Elara was left alone with the mess to clean up: milk floating on the silver tray, a teacup with tea leaves soaked at the bottom, and a damp, milk-soaked cloth scrunched on the carpet. "Oh, dear. Shame, Sir Reginald didn't get to enjoy his lovely tea."

It didn't take long for Elara to clean the mess. "In the Reginald Manor, I can't let any messes displease my Sir Reginald. This is his home. Our home..." With that final thought, she made her way to the kitchen.

On her way, she walked past the staircase, looking up the quiet flight of steps. "Sir Reginald is up there. I hope he isn't too displeased from his disrupted quality time." Elara stood at the bottom of the stairs, yearning to be by his side. "No, Sir Reginald gave me a request. I must do my duties first, before anything else." She paced herself straight into the kitchen.

The kitchen was a safe, yet lonely place where Sir Reginald wouldn't dare go. The cook had already left, leaving her completely alone. The tea set and tray were cleaned and polished. She drained the tea down the sink, but not before having a quick, forbidden sip of the cold brew. "This tea is good! He has such a way with tea. Hopefully, Sir Reginald will let me know all of his tea expertise. And we can both share a cup together sometime." Elara fantasied about that day as she closed the cupboard where the tea set lay.

"I can't go to Sir Reginald with empty paws. I think a nice treat should satisfy him before bed."

With that, a warm mug of milk with Honey and Nutmeg was carried on the silver tray. The aromas widened Elara's nostrils as the honey and nutmeg fused, sending a relaxing wave down her back. "My dear Reginald... I hope this can compensate for the mistakes I have made today..."

Elara stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the top step. A smile and a hopeful anticipation grew in her heart as she placed her first paw on the step. The drink, centred perfectly on the silver tray, glimmered with her hope. Sir Reginald will be so pleased...

Reginald had already begun to undress, his pyjamas folded neatly on the wooden sideboard Elara had left that morning. His clothes dropped to the floor, leaving him in only his underwear. He was about to reach for his pyjamas when he heard the light steps of his maid making her way upstairs. He clearly had enough time to change right now, but this sly fox grinned with mischief, waiting patiently for his innocent, reliable maid to enter his room.

Elara knocked on the door, balancing the silver tray with one paw. "Sir, you requested me when I was done with my duties. Should I come in?" She waited patiently behind the wooden door, feeling untamed excitement at the prospect of presenting her master with the treat she had painstakingly prepared.

"Come in..." The musky fox voice replied.

Elara opened the door, anticipating his reaction. She walked in as delicately as a maid should. But that delicate maid, has failed from the sight. She wobbled and nearly dropped the tray from the sight that was bestowed upon her.

The fox had removed his underwear; he was now just bare orange fur, fully exposed.

Reginald had his back turned away from her, pretending he hadn't noticed her. "Elara... Have you seen my pyjamas?" He obviously knew exactly where they were. He curiously played along, his tail swayed slowly back and forth, subtly attempting to hypnotise his maid.

Elara panicked, trying with all her might to avoid making any direct visual contact with her master. Instead, she placed the silver tray down on the sideboard next to the pyjamas with a small thud, making the milk spill a little over the rim. She snatched up his pyjamas and handed them to him instantly, her head bowed low, blushing furiously, still avoiding to look at his master directly.

"Ah, thank you, maid... Can't go to sleep with just my plain fur now, can I?" Reginald turned to face Elara, fully exposing his orange fur body in her field of vision. She kept her head down as his dark paws took the pyjamas from her grip. The fox looked down on his maid, only seeing the back of her head. He was clearly happy with his actions. Knowing it was teasing with her poor mind, he was curious to know how she would react.

Elara stood by the bedside, avoiding eye contact the entire time as Reginald dressed himself.

"Unforgivable!" she silently berated herself. "No maid should ever see what lies beneath her master's clothing. What maid am I? This is truly shameful for me."

She could hear her master changing into his pyjamas. She avoided contact the entire time. However, her eyes fought her will; the curiosity was unbearable. All she wanted was a sneak peek of her divine Sir Reginald.

As her eyes finally dared to rise, Reginald was fully clothed. Damn, too late!

"Well, is this little treat for me?..."

Elara snapped up, focusing on the fox standing in front of her. "Y-yes, Sir." Within seconds, Elara picked up the tray, presenting the offering to him. Her heart raced; this was the moment she could apologise and fully please her master. "Please, Sir... I hope you enjoy. Something to soothe you after a stressful day." Her eyes glistened, praying for her master's approval.

The fox looked down at the mug, making the milk spill visible on the sides. He made this obvious by picking up the mug and looking pointedly at the liquid on his paw after he had grasped it. Elara instantly understood his silent critique: "Stupid."

Reginald made no verbal comment. Instead, he sat on the side of the bed, with his maid waiting patiently for his response. Reginald did not sip; he drank the whole drink in one long swig. Milk soaked around his muzzle, and his long tongue licked across his mouth before he smacked his lips a few times. Elara stared at every mouth movement.

"Wonderful..." he exhaled slowly. "Perfect as always, my dear Elara." With that, he placed the mug back on the tray.

Elara's heart sank with relief. "Thank�"thank you, Sir. It was my greatest pleasure. Have a good night, Sir." This was the exciting part she had been waiting for. The overwhelming relief and joy felt suffocating. She blushed uncontrollably as she stared at the empty mug.

Reginald tucked himself into bed. Elara picked up his dirty clothing and carried both the clothes and the tray toward the door. Reginald watched her pace around the room, then noticed the stain on the back of her uniform. And smiled.

"Oh, Elara..."

Elara quickly turned her head.

"Have a pleasant evening. See you in the morning for breakfast."

"Yes, Sir... Thank you, Sir."

Elara closed the door behind her and rested her back against the hard wood. She began to giggle to herself, content with another day of pleasing her master, Sir Reginald. But this is no time lose herself. Work still has to be done. As she walked away from the door, she looked back knowing her master is pleased with her.

Elara washed the mug and silver tray, leaving them to dry for the morning. Tomorrow, the chef would be the first one in to prepare Sir Reginald's breakfast. With that thought, she turned off the kitchen lights and made her way to the washroom.

The washroom was a small space, Elara rarely entered here. Inside, there was a large copper pot for boiling clothes, a sack full of soda crystals, and a mangle. Elara opened the wicker basket where all of Sir Reginald's clothing was placed before being washed.

Elara stood there holding his discarded clothes. All the items fell into the basket, except one: his navy-blue blazer.

She couldn't help herself. She looked quickly over her shoulder, just in case. No one. Elara closed her eyes and brought the blazer up to her nose. She took one long exhale, followed by a sharp, hard inhale. His scent. A strong, musky, earthy scent. This was it�"her master's scent. She exhales with pleasure under her breath. She wouldn't dare wash this scent away. But Reginald would be most disappointed if his clothes weren't cleaned.

With true difficulty, she released the blazer with the rest of the dirty clothing. She turned the lights off and left. The entire manor now felt empty; the rain continued to tap against the window, and the clock's ticks sounded louder, truly emphasising the emptiness of the manor. It was time to turn in for the night.

Elara started to feel weary, back still aching from being stepped on. Her passion for her master was what she yearned for, but it came at a constant cost.

Elara's room wasn't very big. Other than the bed, there was only a wardrobe, a little nightstand, and a small window tucked into the top corner. Elara looked up at the ceiling, knowing her master was only a few floors above her. "Sweet dreams, my dear Reginald," she whispered.

She got changed into her pyjamas and noticed her uniform lying on her bed. She finally saw the back of the uniform where Sir Reginald had stood on her. The small tears in the fabric were now visible, along with his paw print embedded into the cloth. As she rubbed her thumb across the fabric, the emotions flooded back into her with her being crushed under his paw. The desire to be touched, but at what cost. Elara froze.

She brought her uniform close to her chest.

"I'm a good maid. I am my Sir Reginald's maid."