You are lost in the trance / Of another Arabian night (dumb duck trio)

[lifesa_witch]

The plan seemed simple - perhaps too simple, but then, these were simple ducks.

The Sultan was well known for many things, but as far as the nefarious twins were concerned, the only important things to know about the wise and respected Sultan was that he was 1) rich and 2) alone. No one knew for sure why he'd never taken a wife, a concubine, or a harem. But he was getting up there in years, and surely he longed for the pleasures of the flesh. What man didn't?

And there could be no one more pleasurable than the Spell twins!

Poe was the one to memorize the Sultan's walks and pathways, whereas Magica laid the foundation of the trap in the marketplace. On one bright, humid day, the plan was set into motion.

"Dirty little street rat!"

The sound of a slap pierced through the normally busy marketplace. A young maiden fell to the ground, clutching her sore cheek, and her identical brother was there within seconds to hold and console her. An older man ranted and berated at them, shaking his knife at them, calling them every name under the same... as Magica knew he would.

In any other circumstance, Magica would have defended herself, and Poe would have hacked at the remains. But the play for the day? A pair of helpless, sniveling, yet incredibly beautiful victims. Woe is them. whoever could save them now?

Comments

[lifesa_witch]

They paid no mind to what they saw as a servant - a concubine would be treated much better than that, so why acknowledge him? Besides, they needed to focus on the next phase - the sultry poses in the bedroom, spreading out on the sheets, making good use of the pillows...

... Which is why they wore mirror looks of confusion when they entered what appeared to be an office space. What were they doing here? ... Maybe he just had odd ideas of pleasure, they could work with that.

"We owe you a great deal of gratitude, o Sultan." Poe said with a sweeping bow.
"Indeed... however can we... repay you?" Magica asked, crossed arms under her bust, the innuendo so obvious even the deaf, dumb and blind would have noticed.

[richestduck]

"I'm glad you asked," Scrooge said, smirking as he went to sit down at his desk. "Now then, first things first: What are your names?"

[lifesa_witch]

"I am Magica De Spell." A faint little curtsy, before gesturing to her brother. "And this is my brother, Poe."

Another flourishing, overly dramatic bow. Even though Magica had done most of the pretend bawling, he was clearly just as theatric. "It's a pleasure and an honor."

[richestduck]

"Excellent." Scrooge looked up as the door opened to reveal Duckworth and Beakley. "Perfect timing as always. These are Magica and Poe De Spell. Please see that they're fed and cleaned up. They'll be working here from now on."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the two servants said, Beakley smirking slightly in amusement.

[lifesa_witch]

The twins, again, exchanged a confused look, before seemingly "understanding" in a nod. He wants his playthings nice and clean before having his fun! That makes sense!

Mutual gestures of gratitude follow, still believing their plan was flawless. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

[richestduck]

Scrooge reached up to pick up the quill pen, flipping open the ink pot before dipping the quill in. Nothing too elaborate, just one of his own feathers that had fallen out during a previous molt. He then started in on the papers in front of him.

Taking that for the dismissal it was, Duckworth said, "Follow me."

It was said without any sort of deference. The twins might think that they were guests of honor, but Duckworth and Beakley knew better.

[lifesa_witch]

The twins walked out with the servants, and soon believed they would also be giving these lesser ones orders. Magica and Poe held hands, smiling, but trying not to give off a "too happy" vibe - no need for these fools to realize the plan, even though it'd gone by so far without a hitch.

Fancy dresses! Lavish meals! Jewels, gold, the entire kingdom in the palm of their hand! It was no less than they deserved!

[richestduck]

As ordered, they were given baths. However, they weren't anything fancy: simple soap and water. The meal was filly and delicious but also fairly simple fare.

And the clothes...well, it probably would be seen as an insult for a concubine but perfect for hard work in the palace.

[lifesa_witch]

Simple soap and water? ... Well, maybe day one was an exception - he'd probably want to bathe with them after today, hohoho. A simple meal? Maybe he needed time to set up proper meals, a grand feast after their first time making love. Average clothes? They only just got there, and Scrooge must have needed time to order and tailor proper clothes for his toys. This was all just the hurdles of a first day!

Nothing to worry about. This was fine.

[richestduck]

"Now that you two are presentable," Duckworth began, "I will assess what skills you possess and determine where you shall be placed among the staff."

Beakley waited with amusement, wondering how the twins would react.

[lifesa_witch]

"Skills? Assess?" Magica repeated, an eyebrow quirked. "What in the world do you two peons need to know?"

Poe waved a dismissive hand. "For the Sultan's health, no doubt. They need to make sure we aren't diseased and sickly..."

"And, what, that we know what to do in bed?"

"Now now, sister. While most men adore the idea of virginity, the truth is that experience counts."

[richestduck]

Beakley and Duckworth shared a bemused look, one of the rare times they were in sync.

Beakley said flatly, "You aren't going to be the sultan's concubines. You're to be two more of his servants. And we're your superiors, not peons."

[lifesa_witch]

There was a long beat of silence before Magica angrily asked "Excuse me?" but, oddly enough, it didn't seem directed at the servants - she was looking at Poe.

Poe was sweating bullets, trying not to look at his angry twin. "I... believe there's been a misunderstanding. Surely the Sultan wouldn't just take us in to be your average little worker. I know full well he doesn't randomly grab citizens off the streets to be under his employee."

[richestduck]

"Oh, there's no misunderstanding. The sultan believes in giving employment to those who are desperate, let them earn a living instead of stealing it," Beakley said, thoroughly amused. "The alternative, of course, is being put back out on the street where he won't be so generous the next time you're caught."

[lifesa_witch]

It was not a pleasant feeling to have the rug pulled out from under you, and Magica looked ready to kill her brother. After a big swallow, Poe swiftly turned to Magica and held her shoulders.

"We can work with this.

"Poe, you said-"

"I know what I said, but we can work with this. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

Staring in disbelief, Magica silently gestured to... this exact scenario.

"... Besides just now. We. Can. Work. With. This." With the sort of hushed punctuation that meant 'we'll discuss this later in private'. After giving her a pat on the shoulders, Poe clapped his hands together, addressing Beakly and Duckworth again. "Well now, since we're all caught up... we do know how to cook and clean, though the former shouldn't expect anything fancy. I can sew, and she can do gardenwork."

Magica crossed her arms, glaring daggers at her brother.

[richestduck]

"Then you'll work in the laundry," Duckworth said. He looked at Magica. "And you'll work in the gardens. The leaders of those two areas will determine your exact duties.

"We'll show you to the servants' quarters, men and women are separated."

[lifesa_witch]

On the one hand, the twins showed clear displeasure at being separated - likely it was rare they were ever apart for too long.

On the other hand, Poe was kind of hoping to avoid Magica smacking him for his busted plan.

"Do we have to?" Magica asked anyway. "Be separated?"

[richestduck]

"While I doubt that the two of you would engage in anything inappropriate, there isn't anywhere the two of you can stay together. Private rooms are for the sultan, his guests, and senior staff," Duckworth explained. "If you two want to share a room, you'll need to earn it."

[lifesa_witch]

And what could they do in a handful of hours before nightfall to earn it? Nothing they could think of.

"We'll live." Poe said, perhaps a touch bitterly.

"Not like we have a choice otherwise," Magica grumbled.

[richestduck]

"Now you're catching on," Beakley said with amusement.

The servants' quarters were rather nice all things considered. Each servant had their own bed with curtains for some privacy along with a chest at the foot of the bed and a night stand. The mattresses might not be expensive, but they were comfortable with a nice blanket and pillow.

[lifesa_witch]

It was nice - but the siblings didn't want to share living space with others. Quite frankly, they didn't trust others. The only ones they trusted was one another.

There was no room in their lives for family, friends, or lovers - in this world, such bonds were as brittle as chalk. But they would obey the order of their superiors, albeit reluctantly, while thinking of ways to be alone with Scrooge. He was still the main target.

[richestduck]

Scrooge worked hard as the ruler of the land. His people were prosperous because he did all he could to make sure they had every opportunity to make themselves so. Honestly, it annoyed the nobles who'd been the toadies of the crown for centuries.

He held no grand parties unless it was for foreign dignitaries or very special occasions. Grand feasts only went hand-in-hand with those parties. He lived as simple a lifestyle as he could given the circumstances. Money that the nobles would've spent frivolously were put back into infrastructure for the common folk.

Scrooge took his role very, very seriously. It left him little time for lovers as a result though he knew he would need to produce an heir.

[lifesa_witch]

The two were separated and went to work. While every so often Magica would mutter an insult about her brother, they were otherwise silent and obedient. No questions asked, no small talk made. They were not here to make friends.

When night fell and they had to return to their quarters, those in Magica's room would notice as she bathed the various old scars on her back. Poe's, on the other hand, was untouched. But his night wasn't pleasant either, as his third plan - sneak out, sneak into Scrooge's bedroom, sex, profit - was blocked by a locked door. Dang it.

[richestduck]

Even though Scrooge worked hard to make his land prosperous, he definitely had enemies. Even among his people, he had those who wanted him dead. As lonely as his life was, he didn't want to die.

[lifesa_witch]

And so, life at the Sultan's palace with the Spells began.

Poe's plans had many glaring flaws in them, and now one of the biggest ones was making itself known - getting alone time with Scrooge was difficult, it not outright impossible. If they dallied away from work too long, they'd get the boot. Plus, Scrooge always seemed to be with someone at any given moment. Turns out the old bastard had his windows locked too. Magica made her anger at Poe known many, many times. Loudly.

The rest of the servants found themselves equally annoyed and amused at the Spells continuous efforts and antics. These two were stupid, but a harmless stupid.