Lord Byron appeared the following morning, striding down the stairs with calm, purposeful steps. The Butler appeared behind him, following from a respectful distance and bowing every ti the man turned his head.
The Lord matched my mories almost perfectly, save the unsatisfied twist in his lip was gone. He had the appearance of a man who had everything he wanted, a feeling that intensified the mont his gaze rested on my huddled body.
"The new shipnt is settling in well, Master," the Butler said, gesturing to the rows of slaves. "They were underfed and weak, but they’ve shown remarkable signs of improvent this week, and I foresee them all becoming valuable assets to Milord’s establishnt."
Lord Byron nodded, folding his hands carefully behind his back. After sweeping over the rest, he settled on once more, lips curling up in a faint smile.
"That one," he said, nodding toward .
"M-milord?" the butler stamred, staring at in shock. "But she’s far too thin for you! Not to ntion her horns. What would the other-"
A loud slap rang out across the room, and the butler stumbled, clutching his face. Lord Byron withdrew his hand and glared at the man.
"Do not make repeat myself."
"Yes, milord," the butler managed hastily.
He practically ran over to my cage, unlocking it and urging out. I was weak and trembling after the whipping the previous day, but the salve had done wonders, and the angry red lashes on my back looked far more threatening than they felt.
Lord Byron’s smile returned as I knelt before him, my head lowered submissively. Or perhaps hopelessly. It was hard to tell the difference anymore.
"So, we et again," he said, "I always believed you’d find your way back to . The Sun Hero lacks the heart of a true slave master. I’m just grateful you ended up with , instead of so uncultured swine on the northern continent. While the other mbers of the Circle would certainly enjoy you, they lack the refinent to properly appreciate your spirit."
I remained silent, squeezing my eyes shut. My tail tensed, fidgeting uncomfortably, and he chuckled.
"You didn’t think I’d forget about you, did you? That’s impossible. You were my only chance of owning a hero, after all. Although you’re not technically that anymore, it’s the thought that counts."
A gasp went around the room at his words, and I shrunk under the eyes of the other slaves. Aurle, in particular, stared at in open-mouthed shock. Her gaze, more than the others, stung. had done everything I could to avoid revealing my identity, but Lord Byron seed to relish it, smiling at my discomfort.
He raised his hand, stilling the whispers. "What’s more, I heard you’re still a virgin. That wasn’t a part of the original agreent, but I find myself liking that thought more. It will make this next part more interesting."
The Butler gulped but felt it was his obligation to speak. "M-milord? Are you certain? She’s clearly been a slave for a long ti, perhaps even since the war a year ago, but without paperwork, it’s impossible to determine if she’s actually a-"
Lord Byron sent him a withering glare, freezing his tongue. "This slave is...special. She is not to be touched except by my command, not by you, other slaves, or the devil himself," he said, crouching and lifting my chin with his hand. His eyes were warm and caring, but far from loving. "I’m going to break this one myself. We have a rule here, Xiviyah, where no one’s first ti is taken from them. It must be given. I’m not going to rape you, as you fear, but instead, I’ll wait until you beg."
I shook my head, breaking free of his grip and tearing my eyes away. He laughed and stood, folding his hands behind his back once more and striking an imperious pose.
"So I ask, slave, would you like to pleasure ?"
"N-no..." I heard myself whisper. "Please, no."
"Very well," he said, not at all disappointed. "Then you won’t mind if I take this one instead?"
I followed his gesture and flinched, finding his finger pointing at Aurle. Her eyes widened in surprise, followed by horror. The blood drained from her face and her hands tightened in her lap, her ears laying back in fear.
The Butler unlocked her cage, dragging her out. Lord Byron smiled warmly, stepping forward and cupping her chin. "You’ll do nicely. Co, let us go. And Butler, ensure she gets her disciplinary action. I may not force her, but that doesn’t an she can refuse unpunished. It’s a valuable lesson, you know," he added, glancing at , "and a reminder that all actions have consequences. Are you prepared to bear them?"
And then he was gone. I remained rooted to the floor, tears streaking down my cheeks. I’m sorry, Aurle. I’m so sorry. But that was the one thing I had left in this world, the only dignity left to . If I were to lose it here, it would be the sa thing as my last life. I just couldn’t return to it.
After the Butler gave out assignnts to the rest of the slaves, he approached again. I flinched as he spat, striking my cheek with his spittle.
"What the hell are you doing? We slaves are in this together! We all give and take, and that includes pleasuring the master. If no one causes problems, then no one gets hurt. Aurle’s been here for a year already, and she’s one of our best. She’s going to hurt tonight, badly too. I won’t be gentle today, because you need to know. If we’re to survive, we must do it together. We can’t allow selfishness like yours to threaten the lives of everyone!"
True to his word, the whip fell hard. Yesterday, the Butler had discovered my reaction to the Sunpurge. He had generally avoided it, but today he concentrated his fury on it. He didn’t stop at thirty lashes, either, continuing for what felt like hours. I lost count after fifty, and consciousness after a dozen more.
I awoke to soone shaking and looked into the eyes of the Butler. "The Lord wants to see you," he growled, then added in lower tones, "I let you rest for a few hours, and I already applied the salve, but he’s being quite persistent. I’m sorry. I really am, but you must learn obedience."
The Butler’s footsteps left alone, weeping quietly on the ground. The whip had sliced my flesh into long, bloody ribbons, and every ti I tried to move, my body cried out in pain. Droplets of scarlet blood scattered by my frenzied thrashing painted over brown stains left by countless slaves before . My entire body hurt, most especially the Sunpurge, which throbbed endlessly.
Recalling Master’s commands, I tried to rise, but fell each ti as my body gave in. Eventually, a Bearkin slave appeared and hauled to my feet, explaining he was sent to fetch . His hands and face were gentle and kind, but he seed anxious for so reason, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure we were alone, as though he were afraid of being seen with .
Lord Byron awaited my arrival in his personal chambers, going through a stack of paperwork at his desk. Behind him, on a grand, gilded bed trimd with silk, was Aurle. She was stripped naked and tied to the bedposts, eyes wide and fearful above her gag. I paled the mont we made eye contact, but she shook her head and groaned through the gag, trying to tell sothing.
"Now then, Xiviyah," Byron said, glancing up from his work. "I believe we have so things to discuss. Take a seat."
His words compelled into a plain wooden chair across from him. The slave crest tingled, a sensation I hadn’t experienced since arriving in High Valley. A familiar ring glittered on the lord’s finger, binding my soul and body to him.
"Ah, this," he said, following my gaze and raising his hand, looking at the ring. "As I believe I made clear during your last visit, I don’t much believe in slave crests. True mastery over one’s slaves can only be gained through submissiveness and finely honed through pain and pleasure. The one flaw in that philosophy is that magically inclined slaves are quite difficult to keep, as are those stronger than chains. But this ring is quite interesting. I’m grateful you were able to help the church invent this new slave bond. Now, I can train you without worrying about your magic. I hope this becos standard soon, although the process needs so refining. The casualty rate is quite high, from what I heard."
He spoke in calm, conversational tones, as though ignorant of my severe wounds and the bound, terrified girl on his bed. Looking into his cold, unfeeling eyes, I had an unsettling realization. He spoke with such care and fondness for his slaves, not as people, but as tools, the sa way an elderly blacksmith might caress his hamr, or a librarian his books.
"I hear my slaves have given you a nickna, Starlight. I’m rather struck by the na, so I think I’ll adopt it too. It will make other things easier, too. The church wants you dead, Xiv-Starlight. They told to dispose of you as quickly as possible, using whatever thods of my choosing. I was rather surprised by the offer, but it’s only natural I accepted. I’ve never owned a hero before, and I must say I’m rather liking the feeling. It would be a waste to kill you now, not when there’s so much more for us to do together. After so training, I’m certain you can be the best of my slaves, ready to pleasure at a mont’s notice."
I shivered, frozen by his anticipatory smile. His eyes raked over my bruised and bloody form, and he humd in satisfaction.
"I see the Butler didn’t take it easy on you. Soon, you’ll learn to enjoy such my training, beg for it even. A ti when that last, tiny spark winks out and you surrender yourself to , body and soul, without the need for this ring. Ah, how glorious it shall be!"
He leaned back and sighed, a dreamy expression on his face. I shuddered and gripped my skirt tightly, my tail lashing. Over his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Aurle. Her expression had softened and she wasn’t struggling anymore. The warmth and pity in her eyes stung , and I looked away, eyes wet. She was here because of . Whatever happened to her was my fault. Would she still be able to look at like that after tonight?"
Lord Byron stood and made a shoeing motion with his hand. "Now get back to your duties. I have a slave to enjoy."
Unable to so much as look at Aurle, I fled the room, filled with sha and guilt. Monts later, Aurle’s screams chased after , driving into my mind. Even after I escaped to the basent, away from the sound of her cries, her voice continued to ring in my mind, haunting . Condemning for being too weak to accept my fate.
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