All Cats Are Grey

by The Cure

I never thought that I would find myself
In bed amongst the stones
The columns are all men
Begging to crush me
No shapes sail on the dark deep lakes
And no flags wave me home

In the caves
All cats are grey
In the caves
The textures coat my skin
In the death cell
A single note
Rings on and on and on

Daemon swept into the room like a chilly winter breeze that invigorates the body before the shock of its intensity hits. All eyes turned to him, unable to avoid giving him their attention, and Daemon took the opportunity to take stock of the witches in the room. He tried to guess which one he had been given to this evening. It was a bitter game but it was one that provided a modicum of amusement depending on his mood. And tonight he was dangerously playful.

It hadn't taken Daemon more than twenty minutes to get himself presentable again after his tangle with Dorothea. That was a new record, although certain parts of his body still throbbed as a reminder of their…discussion. He knew he would never win unless he was able to kill her but there was a certain satisfaction in frustrating her. Besides, he barely remembered the falling to the floor, the writhing in agony, the begging her to stop. And there definitely hadn't been tears this time…or had there?

Daemon put these thoughts aside and began circulating around the room. He winked and glared and teased his way through the ballroom containing delegates from various regions, near and far, all present to reassure the anxious Dorothea of their continued loyalty. He knew many of the witches here…intimately and he expertly delivered the precise facial expression or clever phrase to send each of them shivering in simultaneous desire and panic. He loved this game too when the icy rage had not yet overtaken him...when he had the presence of mind to plan his revenge before he struck.

But his business here was to find and bed his current assignment, Lucinda. All he had was her name, Dorothea liked her little games too, but he would find her because if he didn't…he had already been informed of the price for failure.

She was a young Opal-jeweled Queen from a region that had not yet fully linked itself with Hayll. The bitch was being dangled before him like a toy so that the higher ranking Queens could determine if they liked the way he played. If he behaved himself and played nice, he would find himself packed off to their court for an extended period. If he didn't, well, annoying Dorothea was always good for a laugh even if it would come with another humiliating punishment. Everything has its price.

Lucinda wrung her hands as her eyes darted nervously around the room. She stood in a loose circle between her province Queen and the Summer-sky jeweled Prince who had been allowed to escort her. The Queen's own Sapphire-jeweled Consort rounded out the circle and continued to ignore her presence as he attempted to make intelligent and informed comments to his Queen regarding the aristos around them.

Lucinda glanced at her escort, Adnar, again to keep herself for searching the room for the Sadist. Adnar was younger than her and, although he had been pleasant enough, he was in the Queen's third circle and not one of Lucinda's own males. No doubt the higher ranking Queens didn't see the need for wasting a valued male from her own court. If the Sadist harmed her or killed her, any male that Lucinda would have brought with her from her own court would have died attempting to defend or avenge her. And they couldn't allow that to happen.

The Queens of her province were all jealous of how loyal and protective her males were of her, but they failed to consider why it was that their own courts were less than enthusiastic about serving them. Lucinda's parents, now long deceased, had taught her Protocol. It was as easy as that.

The Queens had set up this experiment so that no matter what happened they would win. If the reports were wrong and Sadi could be managed in the bedroom then they would have a new toy to play with. If not, they would divide Lucinda's displaced males among themselves and teach them what service really meant.

But for Lucinda's part, she was terrified. Daemon Sadi was the most sought after and feared Warlord Prince in existence. And she was just bait.

Daemon spotted an unfamiliar Queen with an Opal jewel and strode over to investigate. As he came closer he noticed her fussing and fidgeting and his lips curled up involuntarily in disgust. She had to be the one. And she was one of those women who just couldn't wait to have her fun with a helpless male. Well, he would show her a thing or two about helpless.

Daemon stroded over to her, an elegantly deadly predator with his prey in his sights.

"Lady," Daemon crooned in Lucinda's ear and made her jump. He had snuck up close and grabbed her elbow as he said it.

"I believe you requested some entertainment this evening," he continued, making the word entertainment sound like a dirty word. The province Queen and her Consort laughed at this and whispered to themselves.

Lucinda turned to him and yanked her elbow from his grasp.

"Prince Sadi, it is a pleasure to meet," she said coolly, offering him her hand with more grace and confidence than she had thought she would be able to muster.

Daemon's rudeness had shaken her out of her self pity and awakened her sense of pride, so that when he kissed her hand and lifted his threatening eyes to hers, she returned his gaze with icy composure. She knew he was a pleasure slave and bound to be bitter, but she would demand the respect she deserved. She was a Queen.

Although, if she had known that all he saw was an arrogant, spoiled brat…she would have tempered her expression.

To be continued…

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