Upon regaining consciousness, the first thing Caspian felt was something soft and fluffy against his back. The second thing he discovered was that the pain he'd felt before was completely gone. And the third thing he found out was that he really wanted to fall asleep again. Actually, more sleep sounded like a grand idea right about now.

Too bad life, or maybe fate, had other plans.

"So, you're finally awake, boy."

Eyes snapping open, Caspian sat up. It was only now, upon glancing at his surroundings, that he noticed his new situational altercation. He was in a bed. A very nice bed. Nicer than any bed he'd ever slept in. In fact, the entire room was nice. It sure beat the compartment he'd been using on the train ride to Ashtown. Thinking on it, it was even better than his bedroom back at Arcadia's Knight Academy. And then there was the person who spoke.

Now that he wasn't close to kicking the bucket, or caught within an imminent life or death battle, Caspian was able to fully appreciate the otherworldly appearance of the women he had fought alongside. She was, to put it in the most blunt term possible, absolutely gorgeous. From her alluring face with a single, half-lidded amethyst eye visible, to the ridiculous proportions her body was sporting, everything about her was beautiful in ways he could scarcely comprehend. It was the kind of beauty that men fantasized about and women would kill for, the kind of woman people like Julius often spoke of bedding when they became a Sorceress's Knight. This woman, she practically oozed sexuality and lust from her every pore.

She wore a dress of the purest red, a dark crimson that made him think of blood. Her arms were laid bare for the dress had no sleeves, and the v-shaped cutout in the front revealed obscene amounts of creamy white cleavage. Caspian found himself momentarily stunned.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked, a small half-smirk adorning her face, curling her lips in an expression that was as delightful as it was arrogant.

"Eh?" Caspian started, blinking rapidly. He stared for several more seconds... and then his face turned into a furnace of red. "N-no! Of course not! Why would you think such a thing?"

"Ho?" The woman's amusement grew, as did her smile. "So you weren't staring at my body, then? You weren't admiring my assets? Weren't fantasizing about the things you would like to do to me? Or perhaps... you were fantasizing about the things you'd like me to do to you?"

Caspian gulped as Erica brought a perfectly manicured finger to her face, allowed it to trail across her left cheek, down her chin, then her elegant throat and collarbone before traveling to her cleavage. It took everything Caspian had and then some to peel his eyes off her chest and back up to her face.

She was smirking, a truly devilish look that was so sinful, the Spirits who controlled the underworld would have turned green with envy.

"I don't mind if you look-ah, but you should be aware that you're not allowed to touch... at least not right now. My poor Derek would never forgive me if I allowed another man to touch me while he was still amongst the living."

"W-whatever."

Okay. Just play it cool, Caspian. Don't let this woman get to you. She may be hot as sin, but that's no reason to lose your head. You've got this.

"I-it's not like you're that beautiful."

That's right. Just lie. She'll never know.

"I've seen girls prettier than you."

"I don't believe you."

Well, crap.

"But it's fine. You don't have to admit it if you don't want to. I can see the desire you have for me clear as day in your eyes. And if your eyes weren't enough, well..." Caspian gulped when the most devious look he'd ever seen came to the woman's face, "... all I'd need to do is look down."

"Down?" It took Caspian a moment to comprehend her statement. When it did, his eyes widened in incomprehensible horror.

He looked down.

Then back at the smirking woman.

Back down again.

Back at the woman.

Back down one more time.

And then back at the woman.

"Eep!" Like a frightened mouse, Caspian squeaked as he covered himself with his hands and crossed his legs.

"Hahahahaha!" Mirthful tears streamed from Erica's eyes to run down her cheeks. She held a hand to her stomach, as if the laughter erupting from her haughty crimson lips was causing physical pain. "Oh my! What a reaction! You truly are a pure young man, aren't you? I have never seen anyone react like that before! Ah-hahahaha!"

Caspian cheeks became heated with anger and shame. This woman was laughing at him! Laughing! At him!

"Ha... ha... ha..." the woman's lyrical laughter petered out. A few more tears were wiped away before she focused on him once more. "You have my thanks, boy. Your reaction was most amusing. I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

"I'm so glad you're having fun at my expense," Caspian spat, trying keep his cheeks from becoming any more red than they already were. "Truly. Nothing brings me greater happiness than having someone I don't even know make fun of me."

"So defensive." Erica licked her lips as she gazed at him with a half-lidded eye. "You really are quite adorable. It almost makes me want to take you home with me."

"W-whatever. Are we going to discuss what happened on the train, or are you just going to keep screwing with me?" Caspian asked, looking away. It did a somewhat decent job of hiding his blush. At least he liked to think so. The smirk on the woman's face told him otherwise.

"Hmm?" She looked up in thought. "As much as messing with your mind and breaking you until you finally succumb to my charms sounds pleasant, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. Business before pleasure, you understand."

Caspian let out a relieved sigh.

"Of course, if you feel like continuing after our business is concluded..."

"No, no!" Caspian waved his hands in front of his face. A warding gesture. Or one of panic. He honestly wasn't sure which. "There's no need to continue."

"Very well." She leaned back in her cushioned seat, crossing her left leg over her right, the slit on her dress parting to reveal her long, creamy white legs. Her lips curled when Caspian's eyes widened and his face turned red, again, as she revealed far more leg than he had ever seen in his life.

It took a concerted effort of will for Caspian to tear his eyes off her legs. He blamed it on puberty. His gaze eventually trailed back up to her face, where he found a prominent smirk plastered there. He'd seen that smirk before, on the nobles he attended Arcadia's Knight Academy with. None of them could make it look that incredible, but he recognized the signs of someone who thought they were better than him.

Caspian nearly growled. He wanted to rip that smirk off her lovely face almost as much as he wanted to throw against the bed, tear her clothes off, and―

Whoa there! Slow down!Caspian demanded of himself.This is not the time to lose yourself to lust. You shouldn't even be feeling this way! What in the name of Odin is wrong with you, Caspian? Has puberty suddenly hit you with a vengeance?By the Spirits, he hoped not. That would not be a pleasant experience in the least.

"Having trouble with something?" Erica asked, her voice light, conversational almost, and more than just a little mocking.

"No!" Caspian squeaked, then cursed himself for squeaking. This woman was really getting to him. It didn't help that the only female he'd interacted with for any length of time was Cassidy, who he'd only met while on the train. Speaking of which, he really hoped she was okay. He hadn't seen her during the attack. "A-anyway, let's get down to business."

"We could have already been doing that, but you seem to be having some issues."

Caspian glared at the woman who merely gave him a beatific smile. "Right. So, not to be rude or anything, but, who are you?"

"I am so glad you asked." Raising a single, delicate hand, the woman placed it against her chest. "My name is Erica Demonica de Angelo. I am the Sorceress and overseer of Ashtown, and much of the surrounding cities in the northern Dystian Province."

"Ah. I see." Caspian nodded his head, pounding his left fist into the open palm of his right hand. "I already figured you were a Sorceress. It's the only explanation as to why you were able to summon a―" His mind screeched to a halt. He looked at the woman again, this time in shock. "You're Erica Angelo?!"

"The one and only," Erica preened, obviously pleased to know that he'd heard of her.

"I have a letter for you!"

That got Erica's attention. "Do you now? I didn't see it when I was stripping your clothes off."

"What?" It was only after Erica spoke that Caspian looked down and realized he was not in the clothes he'd originally been wearing. He was, in fact, wearing what looked like a very nice set of pajamas. Were these made of silk? "What happened to my clothes?!"

"Those dirty old rags were pretty much ruined during our battle with those poor mind-controlled fools, so I burnt them."

"You burnt them?!"

"Oh, relax. I'm just kidding," she said. This caused him to glare harder. "Now, don't give me that look." She smiled at him. It was a very mocking smile. "They're right over there."

Still glaring, Caspian looked at where Erica was pointing to see that his clothes were, indeed, exactly where her finger pointed at. They were sitting on a lovingly crafted wooden chair that looked more expensive than his entire wardrobe combined. His clothes really did look like rags in comparison.

Getting up and making his way over to the chair, he knelt down and searched through his clothes, eventually finding the letter he'd been tasked with delivering. Fortunately, it appeared to have been spared the devastation his clothes had.

How is that for convenient?

"Here."

He handed the letter to Erica. Upon opening the envelope and pulling the letter out, the stunning woman's eyes scanned over the content, absorbing the information that lay therein. Caspian stood there as she read, waiting with a sense of anxiety as he listened to her make small noises and exclamations. He had a feeling she was doing it on purpose, though he didn't know why.

Finally, she finished reading and set the letter on the table in front of her.

She looked up at Caspian, a smile on her face, one that reminded him of a Cheshire cat after it caught a mouse.

He tried not to shudder.

"I'm pleased to see that Arcadia's Knight Academy was willing to send someone who is at least semi-competent to be my Knight's temporary replacement."

"Eh?"

"I'll be in your care from this point on until our contract expires."

"Uh?"

"I do hope you'll take good care of my body for me. It's considered a work of art by men everywhere, you know."

"... What?"