I'm an expert

Lord Damascus looked at the lady standing across from him and smiled, she was the same as before. When they were younger, she normally sneaked out whenever she was having problems, and mostly, her problems were always what no one would call problems. Her problems were mostly people worshipping her like some god. She was against it but there was nothing she could do to stop that.

"I shall escort you home when you are ready to leave," said Lord Damascus. He was indirectly telling her he was going to keep her company

"How nice of you, Otis," mumble Moon. She hadn't called him his name in forever. When they were in their early teenage age, she had told him how his name didn't fit him. She said he was too good-looking to be bearing Otis, instead, he should have borne the name, Aiken. Nice names for good-looking men.

When her mother heard her call Otis a good-looking man, she spanked her on the butt… shh, don't tell anyone that. Her mother had told her it wasn't ladylike for a woman to compliment a man who wasn't their spouse. She didn't quite understand why complimenting a man wasn't ladylike, because men do compliment women.

Her mother had told her that day, "Complimenting a man in his presence seems like you are throwing yourself at him. You can compliment him from afar but never at his sight, those who did that were mostly considered whores. They are the ones without dignity to keep"

Since that day, she had never complimented any man even though it was only Otis she had complimented in her entire life.

"I haven't heard you call my name for a long time, Moon," said Otis as he sat on the ground. There was a large gap between them.

"Who am I to address you by name, My Lord?" muttered Moon as she stared at the lake. She missed those times she and Otis usually played alongside each other. Those times she could never return to. Both of them couldn't even be what they were before. Friends, they couldn't be friends and if they were again, they couldn't be close.

Those rules one abides by were strict and not decent. A Lady mustn't compliment a man, A Lady couldn't be friends with a man, A lady mustn't ever speak back to a man and so much more. Women didn't have the freedom to live their life, they didn't have the freedom to oppose the decisions and actions of their husbands. Women to men are someone whose job was to conceive and satisfy their sexual urges.

But lucky for her, her parents were different. Though her mother had always lectured her about those rules she didn't care any. Love had always filled their home and she also prayed for that but….

"You are my friend," said Otis

"You still consider me as your friend? Well, Males do make friends with the females but not always," mumbled Moon

"Your reasoning has changed, Moon," uttered Lord Damascus Otis.

'How has my reasoning changed?" questioned Moon as she looked up at the sky

"You were always the one who said she did never let those rules laid down by our ancestors cloud her reasoning," said Otis as he turned to look at her.

"I did? We've grown, Otis. I made those talks because I was young but now, I don't ever want to be called a whore. I despise the word a lot," mumbled Moon

"Really? You despise the word but call the crown prince that," said Otis as he laughed

Moon glared daggers at him even though it was unladylike. Now that she thinks of it, her mother had always taught her so many things a lady must do and not do. She also had a governess who taught her writing and reading and also helped to discover her talent which was laziness.

Governess Madeline had complained to her parent about how untalented she was. She was good at sewing, knitting, and painting. She wasn't even good at dancing and instrument playing. The governess tried her possible best but gave up and just taught her the alphabet, and arithmetic.

There was also a time she had been taken to a class where she could learn war strategies. Those things weren't for the ladies but she was taken there for a day and was asked to give strategies to conquer an Empire. She tried her best and never went there again. So all those things were just to prepare her for what was coming.

Other girls also have a governess who trained them but hers were just too much.

"Have you ever seen the Prince before," asked Moon. What does he look like, she wonders. It was a new talk because those who had seen the prince usually talked about how he was quite a sight. The Ladies from the Harem had discussed his beauty and it had reached her ears and others too. None of the women who had seen the Prince wanted their daughter to be wedded to him and if any Lady were to say that, they did face the consequences of their actions from their parents.

Some of the fathers who were the greedy ones wanted to give their daughter to the prince but their attempts had never been successful.

"I have," said Otis

"How is he like? Does the rumor about his face do justice to him or was it all fake?" asked Moon. Even if she were to marry a man whore, at least he should have a nice face.

"His Highness is how the rumor says," said Otis. He reasons why Moon was now curious about the man whore who she hates. He, is the friend of the Prince, his advisor. The Prince was someone who made rash decisions and it always lead to mistakes. His job was to advise the Prince on how to go with the decisions he made and also give him some advice

"Ok, I'm heading back now," said Moon as she stood to her feet. The man who she was expecting wasn't around but she got to talk to Otis and forgot all her worries.

As Otis lead her home, he couldn't help but ask, "How did you sneak out? Aren't their guards at your home?"

"I'm an expert in this," Moon said and stopped when she was a few feet away from home. She talked in a low manner and asked Otis to leave before she sneaked into her house again without anyone knowing