Page 14 of Stripping Little Seraphina
She kissed the top of my forehead and then disappeared without another word. And just like that, she was gone, leaving the faintest trace of her perfume in the room and my chest strangely lighter.
Master E’s class was quieter than usual when I slipped inside. He looked up from his laptop, glasses perched low on his nose. He was alone since class didn't begin for another forty minutes.
“Morning, Sera.”
I smoothed my blouse nervously. “Um—I just wanted to make sure you got my email. About staying.”
His stern face softened. “I did. And I’m glad.”
Relief loosened my shoulders. “Thank you. Really. For letting me… change my mind.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank Mistress V. She clearly did something right if you’re still here.” He tilted his head. “Speaking of—does this mean she’ll be bunking with you until her cabin’s ready?”
I blinked. “Her—what?”
He frowned. “Her cabin’s not available until the end of the week. I assumed she’d stay with you. Unless she’s bunking with another guest.”
The words hit like a slap.Another guest?She hadn’t said a word. My chest burned hot with irritation as I yanked out my phone under his watchful gaze. I couldn't stop the disappointment and rage that were conspiring together. I felt out of control and betrayed. Why wouldn't she tell me she needed a place to stay?
My thumbs flew over the keys:
You didn’t tell me you needed somewhere to sleep. Are you seriously staying with someone else without even asking me first?? What the hell?
Her reply came quickly, sharp and unyielding:
Tone. Watch it. Bratty texts won’t fly. I expect respect, Sera. I’ll come to your room after class and we’ll have a proper discussion. Until then hang up your sassy fit. Focus on your class and pay attention.
The heat in my chest shifted from anger to nervous fluttering. Respect. Brat. Discuss properly. My stomach knotted.
Master E glanced at me. “Everything all right?”
I hesitated, then blurted, “Do you trust her? Mistress V?”
He leaned back, studying me. “I do. Enough to be her son’s godfather. She’s not perfect, but she shows up when it matters. She also doesn't take her responsibilities lightly. She's guilty of stretching herself thin, but I've never seen her have malintentions.”
The words settled into me like a balm, even if my nerves still fizzed. I nodded slowly.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
As I found a seat, I took out my notebook and began doodling, my pulse was a storm. Part dread, part anticipation. Later, Mistress V would be in my room. And I had no idea if I was more afraid of the confrontation… or of how much I wanted it.
Class dragged me in two directions at once. My body sat obediently in the chair, pen poised over the notebook, but my mind was tangled up in Mistress V’s text.Tone. Watch it. Bratty texts won’t fly.
The words replayed over and over, winding me tighter than a spring.Respect. Brat. Proper discussion.I’d wanted to scream at her—but instead, her message had left me hot-faced and… unsettled.
Master E walked to the front of the room, hands clasped behind his back, and the low murmur of voices stilled immediately.
“Today,” he said, his voice carrying weight, “we’re talking about respect. Not the shallow kind—the bowing and scraping, the empty ‘yes, sir, no, ma’am.’ That’s surface-level. I’m talkingabout the kind that runs both ways. The kind that honors who you are, not just what role you play.”
I blinked. My pen hovered.
“Respect,” he continued, pacing slowly, “means acknowledging your needs. It means you matter—that your boundaries, your health, your voice are as important as your Dominant’s authority. And it means when you offer your obedience, it’s not cheap. It’s sacred. Because it comes from someone who knows their own worth.”
My chest ached. I scribbled the wordsyour obedience is sacredin the margin, circling it three times.
He stopped at the edge of a desk, resting his hand there. “And for the Dominants not in the room—respect is remembering that they are not gods. They are guides, caretakers, protectors. If they forget that, if they wield power without humility, they fail not only their submissive but themselves.”
A silence fell over the room, heavy but comforting.
