by Rowan Bree
He turns to you, his violet eyes drinking up every inch of you. He starts to say something but is interrupted by another robed man dragging a darkwood elf into the room.
Vale’s face lights up. “It must be my lucky day. Where did you find this one?”
The elf struggles ineffectively against the robed man as if bound by invisible ropes. Half his ear is missing, but the wound isn’t recent. You think you have seen him before, then remember him from the castle dungeons. He was the elf who tried to warn you about the Order, the one you left behind.
The robed man replies, “He was lurking in the hallway.”
Vale tells him, “Give me the elf. And get rid of the slaves.”
Among the well-dressed guests are half-naked people in chains and dirty linens. They don’t put up any resistance as they are herded out of the room. As you look around you notice a man seated in a plush chair. He is wearing a golden crown and the finest robes coin can buy. Beside him are several stiff-looking guardsmen. Has the king already fallen under the Order’s influence?
Vale forces you and the elf into the carved circle in the center of the room. The rest of the guests clear away to give him space.
The elf finds your hand and squeezes it in his.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers. “I have friends nearby.”
You don’t see any friendly faces in the crowd.
Vale paces in front of you addressing the guests. “Tonight, I’ve prepared a special treat for Doria’s friends. As you know there has been some resistance to the idea that things could change, that Doria could be something more than an old enemy of the kingdom.”
Aside from the king, you wonder just how many of these guests are representatives from the kingdom. How many cities are about to fall to the Order?
“These two traitors are the real threat. They and their kind spread fear and distrust among our people. They would have you believe that the Order is still stuck in its old ways, that we haven’t learned from our mistakes and still want the kingdom to ourselves.”
There are chuckles amongst the guests. As far as you know you’re not a traitor, just a serving girl with really bad luck.
Vale smiles demurely. “And so we must teach them the error of their ways. We’ll have fun humiliating them tonight then offer them to our gods. We’ll make an example of them so others won’t follow in their misguided footsteps.”
He rubs his pale hands together as if preparing for a delicious meal. His eyes flash red as he looks at you.
“Dear kitten, if you could be so kind as to remove your clothes.”
Eli’s hand tightens around yours.
Strip.
Resist.
You recognize the mage Vale. Fear runs through your body. Has he been looking for you this whole time?
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” he says, pushing you further into the room. “I can only imagine what you’ve been up to since we last met.”
The room is filled with robed figures and guests from the feast in their fine clothes. Red candles burn in sconces. An open space has been cleared in the middle of the room and a circular symbol carved into the stone floor.
He turns to you, his violet eyes drinking up every inch of you. He starts to say something but is interrupted by another robed man dragging a darkwood elf into the room.
Vale’s face lights up. “It must be my lucky day. Where did you find this one?”
The elf struggles ineffectively against the robed man as if bound by invisible ropes. Half his ear is missing, but the wound isn’t recent. You think you have seen him before, then remember him from the castle dungeons. He was the elf who tried to warn you about the Order, the one you left behind.
The robed man replies, “He was lurking in the hallway.”
Vale tells him, “Give me the elf. And get rid of the slaves.”
Among the well-dressed guests are half-naked people in chains and dirty linens. They don’t put up any resistance as they are herded out of the room. As you look around you notice a man seated in a plush chair. He is wearing a golden crown and the finest robes coin can buy. Beside him are several stiff-looking guardsmen. Has the king already fallen under the Order’s influence?
Vale forces you and the elf into the carved circle in the center of the room. The rest of the guests clear away to give him space.
The elf finds your hand and squeezes it in his.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers. “I have friends nearby.”
You don’t see any friendly faces in the crowd.
Vale paces in front of you addressing the guests. “Tonight, I’ve prepared a special treat for Doria’s friends. As you know there has been some resistance to the idea that things could change, that Doria could be something more than an old enemy of the kingdom.”
Aside from the king, you wonder just how many of these guests are representatives from the kingdom. How many cities are about to fall to the Order?
“These two traitors are the real threat. They and their kind spread fear and distrust among our people. They would have you believe that the Order is still stuck in its old ways, that we haven’t learned from our mistakes and still want the kingdom to ourselves.”
There are chuckles amongst the guests.
Vale smiles demurely. “And so we must teach them the error of their ways. We’ll have fun humiliating them tonight then offer them to our gods. We’ll make an example of them so others won’t follow in their misguided footsteps.”
He rubs his pale hands together as if preparing for a delicious meal. His eyes flash red as he looks at you.
“Dear kitten, if you could be so kind as to remove your clothes.”
Eli’s hand tightens around yours.
Strip.
Resist.
The men could very well be talking about you. Perhaps you were their slave, or worse, and they’ve been looking for you since the forest. It would be foolish to enter that room.
You turn away from the archway and see a darkwood elf with half an ear watching you from the hallway. You remember him from the castle prisons, the elf you left to rot in his cell.
He puts a finger to his lips and takes the decanter from you. “I’ll be taking that.” His other hand grabs your wrist. “Quiet now, there’s a whole room of mages on the other side of that curtain.”
He leans in close. His breath smells of herb smoke. “How’d things work out for you in the end? Was it worth selling me out?”
You try to knee him in the crotch but he dodges your blow.
“I’m not your enemy,” he says. “I might be a little sore about what you did to me, but I’m willing to forgive you. Just hear me out.”
You’re tired, and you figure if he wanted to kill you he would have already. Besides, you don’t want those men on the other side of the curtain to find you. You stop struggling.
“That’s better,” he says.
He takes a swig from the decanter and hiccups.
“Remember what I said about the black mages?” he asks.
You nod.
“Well right on the other side of that curtain are a whole lot of them. A whole lot of nobles too, from all over the kingdom. Any moment now the mages are going to make their move, and when that happens you can say goodbye to the kingdom and any freedom you might have had.”
“Looks like you already have,” says a man in a dark robe, emerging from behind the curtain. He stands far too close to the both of you, but you don’t realize why until you feel the sharp point of a dagger at your side. You can see every detail of his face, from his pointed chin to his petulant pout. His eerie violet eyes are partially obscured by long, silvery hair.
You don’t know who this man is.
You remember Vale.
You don’t recognize the man, though he seems to know you.
“Oh look it’s the Order’s bitch,” Eli says.
The man smiles and feigns a kiss in Eli’s direction. “It’s been
far too long,” he says.
He then turns to you, his violet eyes drinking up every inch of you. “And you, my dear. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure. I’m Vale, a mage of the Order and the only one around here with the kingdom’s best interests in mind. I do hope you haven’t been fooled by their lies about me. I’m quite harmless.”
“And the daggers?” Eli asks.
Vale’s expression turns dark. “A necessary precaution. Now come with me.”
He takes you through the curtained archway into a room filled with robed figures and guests from the feast in their fine clothes. Red candles burn in sconces. An open space has been cleared in the middle of the room and a circular symbol carved into the stone floor.
“The main course has arrived,” he says. He gestures to the robed figures. “Get rid of the slaves.”
Among the well-dressed guests are half-naked people in chains and dirty linens. They don’t put up any resistance as they are herded out of the room. As you look around you notice a man seated in a plush chair. He is wearing a golden crown and the finest robes coin can buy. Beside him are several stiff-looking guardsmen. Has the king already fallen under the Order’s influence?
Vale forces you into the carved circle in the center of the room. Eli finds your hand and clasps it tightly.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers. “Our friends are nearby.”
You don’t see any friendly faces in the crowd.
Vale paces in front of you addressing the guests. “Tonight, I’ve prepared a special treat for Doria’s friends. As you know there has been some resistance to the idea that things could change, that Doria could be something more than an old enemy of the kingdom.”
Aside from the king, you wonder just how many of these guests are representatives from the kingdom. How many cities are about to fall to the Order?
“These two traitors are the real threat. They and their kind spread fear and distrust among our people. They would have you believe that the Order is still stuck in its old ways, that we haven’t learned from our mistakes and still want the kingdom to ourselves.”
There are chuckles amongst the guests.
Vale smiles demurely. “And so we must teach them the error of their ways. We’ll have fun humiliating them tonight then offer them to our gods. We’ll make an example of them so others won’t follow in their misguided footsteps.”
He rubs his pale hands together as if preparing for a delicious meal. His eyes flash red as he looks at you.
“Dear kitten, if you could be so kind as to remove your clothes.”
Eli’s hand tightens around yours.
Strip.
Resist.
You recognize the mage Vale. Fear runs through your body. Has he been looking for you this whole time?
“Oh look it’s the Order’s bitch,” Eli says.
Vale smiles and feigns a kiss in Eli’s direction. “It’s been far too long,” he says. “For both of you.”
You feel the pinch of the dagger point at your side.
“Now come with me,” Vale says.
He takes you through the curtained archway into a room filled with robed figures and guests from the feast in their fine clothes. Red candles burn in sconces. An open space has been cleared in the middle of the room and a circular symbol carved into the stone floor.
“The main course has arrived,” he says. He gestures to the robed figures. “Get rid of the slaves.”
Among the well-dressed guests are half-naked people in chains and dirty linens. They don’t put up any resistance as they are herded out of the room. As you look around you notice a man seated in a plush chair. He is wearing a golden crown and the finest robes coin can buy. Beside him are several stiff-looking guardsmen. Has the king already fallen under the Order’s influence?
Vale forces you into the carved circle in the center of the room. Eli finds your hand and clasps it tightly.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers. “Our friends are nearby.”
You don’t see any friendly faces in the crowd.
Vale paces in front of you addressing the guests. “Tonight, I’ve prepared a special treat for Doria’s friends. As you know there has been some resistance to the idea that things could change, that Doria could be something more than an old enemy of the kingdom.”
Aside from the king, you wonder just how many of these guests are representatives from the kingdom. How many cities are about to fall to the Order?
“These two traitors are the real threat. They and their kind spread fear and distrust among our people. They would have you believe that the Order is still stuck in its old ways, that we haven’t learned from our mistakes and still want the kingdom to ourselves.”
There are chuckles amongst the guests.
Vale smiles demurely. “And so we must teach them the error of their ways. We’ll have fun humiliating them tonight then offer them to our gods. We’ll make an example of them so others won’t follow in their misguided footsteps.”
He rubs his pale hands together as if preparing for a delicious meal. His eyes flash red as he looks at you.
“Dear kitten, if you could be so kind as to remove your clothes.”
Eli’s hand tightens around yours.
Strip.
Resist.
You do as Vale says and slip your dress down off your shoulders.
Eli tells you to stop, that you don’t have to give in to the mage’s demands. But you know it will only be worse for you if you resist.
The fabric falls down past the swell of your breasts, exposing you to Vale and the others. The mage slides his leather-clad fingers across your nipple. You step out of your dress, your movements automatic. The humiliation grows as you feel all the greedy eyes roaming over your body. You stand there exposed in front of everyone.
Eli threatens Vale, “If you don’t let her go you’re going to find my dagger so far up your ass you won’t be able to see the hilt.”
Vale’s eyes flash red again and Eli falls to his knees beside you.
“I guess you can strip too, then,” Vale says.
The elf pulls his tattered tunic up over his head and tosses it to the floor. You can see his face screwed up in concentration even as his hands move to undo his trousers.
“You’re falling behind,” Vale says. He kicks Eli to the ground and yanks off his trousers, before kicking him again in the ribs. The sudden brutality shocks you.
“On your hands and knees,” Vale instructs.
Eli does as he’s told. An angry red bruise has blossomed across his side.
“You too,” Vale tells you. You follow his command.
Once you are both where he wants you, Vale removes something from within his robe. It is a smooth glass rod with a round bulb at one end. The mage’s eyes glint evilly in the candlelight. “So who’s first?”
Avoid eye contact.
Volunteer.
You do as Vale says and ask Eli to unlace the back of your dress, as you can’t reach it yourself.
Eli tells you to stop, that you don’t have to give in to the mage’s demands. But you know it will only be worse for you if you resist. You give him a pleading look and he complies.
He loosens your dress and the corset falls down past the swell of your breasts, exposing you to Vale and the others. The mage slides his leather-clad fingers across your nipple. You push the dress down past your hips and step out of it, your movements automatic. The humiliation grows as you feel all the greedy eyes roaming over your body. You stand there exposed in front of everyone.
Eli threatens Vale, “If you don’t let her go you’re going to find my dagger so far up your ass you won’t be able to see the hilt.”
Vale’s eyes flash red again and Eli falls to his knees beside you.
“I guess you can strip too, then,” Vale says.
The elf pulls his tattered tunic up over his head and tosses it to the floor. You can see his face screwed up in concentration ev
en as his hands move to undo his trousers.
“You’re falling behind,” Vale says. He kicks Eli to the ground and yanks off his trousers, before kicking him again in the ribs. The sudden brutality shocks you.
“On your hands and knees,” Vale instructs.
Eli does as he’s told. An angry red bruise has blossomed across his side.
“You too,” Vale tells you. You follow his command.
Once you are both where he wants you, Vale removes something from within his robe. It is a smooth glass rod with a round bulb at one end. The mage’s eyes glint evilly in the candlelight. “So who’s first?”
Avoid eye contact.
Volunteer.
You ignore the mage’s order.
“I said strip, kitten.” Vale’s voice is a little harsher.
Eli keeps his hand clenched around yours giving you courage.
The mage runs a gloved hand through his silvery hair. He seems to be debating something within himself. Finally he looks at you, his lip curled in amusement.
He flicks his hand downwards and you fall to your knees. You try to get up but a tearing pain shoots through your body. Tears tumble down your cheeks as you try to resist Vale’s magic.
“Leave her alone, you piece of shit,” Eli spits.
Vale ignores him. “Stop fighting, kitten. The pain will only get worse.”
Your hand moves up to your shoulder against your control. Your shaking fingers grasp at the fabric of your dress and start to slip it down. Your other hand does the same, inch by inch exposing more of your body though you fight to stay in control.
“I’m not going to beg,” Eli says. “But if you don’t let her go you’re going to find my dagger so far up your ass you won’t see the hilt.”