by C. Swallow
“If the Master wishes to wash the Slave, be my guest,” I can’t help but use his words against him. A slight cave in. If he was smart, he should not give me the opportunity to downplay his power! If he washed me, he was contradicting himself!
“Since you asked for it,” Zarcar chuckles as his hands start moving. I freeze as the hand on my rib cage, trails along my stomach and his other hand brings water up to trail down my left forearm, to my wrist, my hand and then my fingers.
He is surprisingly gentle and I’m shocked he didn’t try something more bold… like reaching between my legs. Not that I wished him to do so.
I try to relax my stiff spine as I lean back against him once more, but this time I feel a certain difference behind me. A hard prod, like velvet iron… or…
“It’s not inside you, so don’t panic yet, Chryonex,” Zarcar notices my hesitation but calms me with his short reassurance. I shrug and murmur something incomprehensible.
I simply focus on Zarcar’s hands, running along my right arm, as one palm of his cups the water and brings it up to drip along my collar bone and down my chest.
“You are so smooth I almost imagine you are performing some kind of ritual, do you do anything else but control the weather and… keep demons as pets?” I inquire, casually, but as the question blurts out into the open, my heart beats faster with a sudden desire to ask more, “How come you are permitted control of magic but not I? I have the same pull on power as you. I am a woman, yes. But so what – does that mean you expect me to completely detach myself from magic? It’s not possible-”
“…I was going to get to that next,” Zarcar’s hands grab both my shoulders as he seems to steady himself, pausing before he explains, “Your connection to magic is natural. We do not deny that. You harnessing such power is forbidden because women don’t have minds for war. Men, like me, leading men – we are strict with our magic and don’t waste it on the wiles of civilians. Love spells, small curses… are all pointless… war is always hanging upon us and magic is too rare to waste. In plainer words, sweetheart, you are forbidden from harnessing the moon, as I need you fully charged before I make love to you… it’s for the protection of this city.”
“What a joke,” I splutter it out and pull forward, suddenly losing my calm nerve. As I pull forward as much as I can, I swivel around half way to glare at Zarcar in the bath with me. I ignore his naked body to hold his gaze defiantly, “You know nothing of war,” I don’t even understand where the words come from, but I say them like it’s my first instinct.
Zarcar’s eyes narrow at my blushing face – blushing in embarrassment and anger.
“What did you just say?” he asks.
“Does it matter?” I snap, “I wish to go to bed – bathe yourself if you will. Just be careful not to fall asleep while I’m still awake. I might take your bones for my petty and useless curses,” I just say the first thing that pops out of my mouth as I stand up shamelessly. I jump out of the bath and storm my way to the wardrobe. I pull out my draw and take out a transparent night gown.
I put it on the bed and pick up a throw blanket folded near the pillows, to dry myself off. Then, I put on the transparent crimson gown and pull down the covers on the bed. I grab one extra pillow and put it in the middle.
“A middle line to protect my virginity tonight,” I whisper, irate.
“If I didn’t find that so utterly hilarious, I’d probably be spanking you for being so disrespectful of the power imbalance. You should be offering yourself freely to me for sparing you,” Zarcar’s words provoke me into turning and meeting his gaze.
He is washing himself, finishing up, while he gazes at me… completely relaxed. As if he is the king of this chamber.
“Excuse me, my dearest Master,” I murmur, “Did you just suggest I should be offering myself freely to you?”
“I expected you to, but I would never force you. Most priestesses succumb to my wiles a lot quicker. Perhaps I was more cold with them… and therefore more unattainable.”
“Are you now also suggesting, that you are being warm with me?” I ask, raising a brow, “So you are in love with me.”
“My kind don’t know if we love a woman until we taste her,” Zarcar mentions, “Not the lips on your kind face, Chyronex… the lips below. If you would allow me –”
“If you even attempt to… you will not wake up with eyes tomorrow, warlord,” I try to avoid yelling, “Goodnight,” I decide to end the conversation there, pulling the blankets over me and laying on my side with my arms out of the folds. I bring one pillow down and hold it as I rest on it, to calm my internal fire.
I wasn’t entirely sure if I wished to punch him, taste him some more… or if my body was preparing to pounce to truly gorge his eyes out. He was a pig. A swine. Handsome bastard.
I hear Zarcar step out of the bath and I close my eyes as I see him walking towards the wardrobe in front of me.
I can’t handle him being so close before me, watching me so low beneath him.
I turn dramatically to face the other way, giving him my back.
I hear a draw open. Another draw.
“What garments are you grabbing? Do you sleep in a black hood too?” I ask into the pillow, “I wouldn’t doubt it,” I scoff.
“Before we left to the dance, I mentioned a quick way to tame feisty witches… do you remember?”
“Burn them.”
“Close enough… bind them,” Zarcar murmurs it so quietly I know he has a wicked idea.
“I didn’t even know what you meant by that and I still don’t,” I whisper the white lie, refusing to glance at my captor in fear. I’m sure he was expecting me to beg eventually.
“I’m going to tie your ankles to the end of the bed,” Zarcar mentions, too casually. I hold my breath but I don’t move or make an attempt to react… please be joking… “I sleep deeply and I don’t want you abandoning your punishment to simply scale the outside walls like a monkey – potentially killing yourself and wasting your magic. I’m also locking the door.”
“As you can see,” I murmur without moving a muscle, “I am not protesting so how about you put away your bindings and trust me to –” I trail off as the blanket lifts and Zarcar gently grabs one ankle, looping rope around it.
I look over my shoulder to glare at him.
“I thought I was a guest?” I snap.
“Prisoner of war,” Zarcar shrugs a shoulder – he is wearing loose hay coloured pants, his torso still exposed, “You’ll be upgraded to a guest as a reward – when you please me, Chyronex.”
“Whatever,” I hold out my ankle willingly, hoping it pisses him off that I am amenable to his binding. Unfortunately, he simply looks pleased.
I watch as Zarcar ties one of my ankles, then starts on the other.
“My arms?” I ask, “What about them?”
Zarcar simply smirks without glancing at me.
I close my eyes and pull a pillow onto my face, wanting to scream.
I await my fate for the rest of the night. What in the moon was Zarcar going to do when he slipped into the sheets?
I wait for it with baited breath while I test my restricted ankles, finding little room to move. I shuffle down and chuckle into the pillow on my face, “…useless bindings,” I murmur, a little delirious as sleep is beginning to quickly pull a curtain over my mind.
I hear Zarcar faintly lock the door not too soon after.
As I contemplate how fast sleep will claim me, the pillow is taken from my face and I look to see Zarcar slipping into his side of the bed. He removes the one pillow in the middle, throwing it on the floor. I purse my lips in annoyance. Zarcar then reaches out and guides my head up, to put my first pillow behind me. Another strangely affectionate gesture.
Then, my captor, leans on an elbow to stare at my irate face.
“…I already know you’ll enjoy everything I have planned for you, sweety,” Zarcar nods to the ropes on my ankles, “I can sense your curiosity,” I watch him reach out a
hand and mop my stray hair to the back of my head. Just like in the bath.
“Goodnight,” I snap, hoping he stops staring at me in that way… like he was enjoying the moment of quiet from me. I turn from him and give him my back again.
A rooky mistake.
Zarcar must have been waiting for it.
He shuffles closer and smoothly rubs his hand along my thigh, under my transparent gown – he trails his hand up my hip, to my waist and then he wraps his arm forward – pulling me back into his chest.
Zarcar holds me tight against him.
I feel his breath whisper over my forehead and my cheeks, right before my hair tickles my ear.
“Sleep well,” Zarcar’s lips touch my ear, moving against my skin while his words rumble like thunder through my mind. Perhaps it was a trick of his, but I fall right into a deep slumber, encased in his tight hold. I could almost have sworn he whispered while I fell deeper, “… draconess.”
Chapter 12
The morning starts fresh and smells like spring. I only learn it’s distinctly real when I wake up and I see brand new pots of daisies growing in the window sill.
As for last night, it had been one hell of a slumber and I had only awoken when the ropes around my ankles had been loosened and removed – by maids.
It had been embarrassing to be awoken that way, but even after I shouted at them to leave the room, the maids could not listen as Zarcar had demanded they clean the place first.
So, I stood awkwardly in my transparent crimson night gown by the daises as they removed the bath, made the bed, swept the floors and dusted a few things while also replenishing the fireplace with fresh wood.
The final touch is the watering can one maid leaves next to the pots, while murmuring something about Zarcar gifting it to me.
“Are you done?” I ask the last maid and servant of Zarcar, a young woman, who nods at me and shyly reaches into a back pocket on her multilayered work dress. I narrow my eyes as she walks forward and hands me a note before running off in fright as the skin of my hand brushes against her fingers, “Close the door… please,” I call out and the maid shuts it for me before I finally let out a sigh and turn back to the bed.
I put down the note without opening it and turn to the wardrobe instead. I pull out the bottom draw and grab a bronze dress, nice and loose. It floated to my ankles while having a deep cut through my breasts. Believe it or not, it was more acceptable attire than my usual choices, but today I choose it just because I like it. Not because of him.
I grab a black ribbon that goes along with it and tie it around my waist, around and around like a corset. I finish the tie with a bow at the back.
I turn towards the bed now and the note. I was trying my best to ignore the new addition of plants in the window sill.
I think about ignoring the note but my fingers itch with curiosity. Sighing heavily, I pull myself onto the bed and pile up the pillows on the headboard so I can lean back into the mini nest of softness. I bring my knees up and rest my forearms on my knees as I hold the note.
I quickly sniff it to see if there are any strange curses upon the paper.
It was clean.
I snap open the note and instantly scowl.
Two stupid words.
Your reward.
I scrunch up the paper and then glare at the pots of white pretty flowers.
“Chyronex,” I nearly jump out of my skin as I glance up to see Holden peeping through the door as he holds it open a crack, “Morning.”
“Come in,” I try to compose myself as Holden cheerfully flings open the door and steps into the daylight.
“Do you like them?” Holden nods to the daisies, “They suit you –”
“What do you want, guardian of my body and soul within this tower?” I ask with a sickly sweetness.
“A request, actually,” Holden shyly coughs and avoids my eyes as he looks at his shiny brown boots, “I’m to take you into the city to watch Zarcar train.”
“Why would I want to do that?” I ask.
“To get some fresh air.”
“Has Zarcar gone mad since he fell in love with me?” My play on words shock Holden into gaping and snapping his chin up.
“Wha-?!”
“I kid,” I drawl, smirking as he blushes, “But please, inform Zarcar I will not…” I snap my lips shut, “Uh…I’m ready now,” I make a bold decision to jump up off the bed and grab Holden’s outstretched arm.
“O-oh,” Holden is thoroughly confused, “I expected resistance.”
“You have none. But I am curious how you were to persuade me?” I inquire.
“I can not say…”
“Of course you can!”
“I… I was to offer you a chance to go shopping through some nurseries where you might like to buy a few more plants for your collection,” Holden shrugs.
“Well, we shall do that too,” I smile thinly, “Let’s go.”
Holden nods, a bit flustered, but he takes me anyway.
I’m just glad he doesn’t notice the fact I’m barefoot.
It’s my little victory for the morning.
****
I sit on a bench with Holden and behind us was a marble fountain. And in front of us was a passing crowd watching Zarcar train his soldiers.
I might have only agreed to this outing to see more of Zarcar’s friends and to determine who he was closest too. I might have also gone out of my way to see if Zarcar would indeed keep ‘rewarding’ me for ‘good’ behaviour.
But who was I to say exactly why I sat here, swinging my bare feet, gazing at Zarcar who has not noticed us yet. I can see his sweat dripping down his bare back as he teaches his soldiers how to swing a long, heavy sword.
Passer’s by nod at Holden and seem to make light talk as they recognise him. I assume they are simply praising him for taking care of a dirty priestess like I.
Although after that bath…
My core heats with a wave and I frown it away.
I may be in a bit of denial, but I didn’t want to admit in anyway that Zarcar was… growing on me a tiny bit. In uncertain terms…
“Holden,” a higher tone from a female general seems to capture my guard’s attention fully and I am jerked out of my never ending mucky pool of depraved inner thoughts.
Now, I am simply thankful Holden has turned his back far enough towards me that I can get some breathing space.
I slide my feet up onto the bench, stand up silently and then hop over onto the side of the fountain behind our humble little bench.
I walk through the shallow water and then grab a hold of the tree sculptured from marble. I climb up the marble branches and wind my way through archs and bends until I reach the top.
I settle on a curve and let one leg sway and push the hair out of my eyes as the sun beams down on me. I look around and see a few passer by’s watching me in confusion. Most ignore me, but Holden most definitely loses his nerve when he sees I’m not there.
“Chyronex!” Holden screams my name, so loud I catch onto the panic and so does everyone else. I hold my breath, completely confused by the alarm in Holden’s tone – like he had just lost the only map in the world to the largest and grandest treasure chest. I’m mostly irate, however, as his pathetic screaming of my name, has everyone turning and catching note of where I am.
It also alerts Zarcar, who’s head snaps to Holden. My captor’s eyes blaze with questions and a sudden rage when he witnesses that I’m, indeed, nowhere near dear Holden.
“Up here, you turd!” I yell out to my guard and civilians laugh, except for Holden who spins around and his high handed female friend, keeps her thin lips even thinner.
I cannot ignore the usurper forever, so after I’ve gloated down at a blushing Holden, and waved at a few civilians, I finally make eye contact with Zarcar. He has already dismissed his training and is currently stalking his way to Holden.
Zarcar says nothing as he halts by the bench and raises a hand, curling two fingers at me to
suggest I get down immediately. Zarcar’s lip curls at the end, but it’s not a smile. It’s impatience. When I do nothing but smile haughtily, I see his eyes flash with humiliation.
I was disobeying him in public.
However, I didn’t want a spanking again anytime soon, so I decide to end his suffering quickly.
“Lover!” I call out to Zarcar, in a sing song tone with my hand on my chest, “I wish but to watch you from these romantic heights, while you command and teach your wisest learnings, upon your armies. Please, continue as you wer-”
“Sweetheart, get down before I come up there and force you down onto my knee… right now, Chyronex,” Zarcar’s tone is foreboding.