Being poor wasn't easy, even in the "enlightened" Empire. There was never enough to eat, you worked all day and shivered in a rough shack at night. Mary was a peasant, she was the child of peasants and would one day be the mother of peasants. She like most people of her station, dreamed of becoming something else.

Unfortunately that was much easier said than done, as a serf she worked the land for her Lord, who allowed her to keep a small part of what she grew, but then charged her rent for her rude home. Meaning that Mary would always struggle not to become indebted to her Lord, until the day she became too infirm to keep up with the physical demands of her station and the Lord's bailiffs would evict her and she would live out the rest of the days in a hospice.

But Mary had one advantage that most peasants didn't, she was beautiful. At 5'10 she was tall for a woman, but she was well proportioned with a large (though not ridiculous) breast and a nice round bottom, her physical job and limited diet kept her body firm and trim. The sun had bleached her light brown hair almost blond and had turned her skin into honey, freckles barely visible beneath her tan. But beneath her cloths her skin was as pure as fresh milk. Big green eyes sat in a heart shaped face, with full lips and freckles framing her cheeks. Mary moved with a sensual grace and her eyes smouldered, as did her voice, slightly husky, breathy.

Being beautiful and a peasant was not necessarily a good mix and Mary had spent a large proportion of her life so far (since puberty at least) avoiding the attention of men. But some things cannot be avoided for ever and unbeknownst to Mary she was approaching an adventure that would change her life.