"Perhaps, my dear Cachexys, if you behave yourself today, you'll get a reward later," I purr in my pet's ear.

I grin dangerously against Cachexys's neck, feeling his body tense against mine. Oh, I will be having a lot of fun today, I think.

Hurriedly, Cachexys says, "I will always do as you wish, Lord War. I require no reward for pleasing you. Your pleasure is my reward."

I chuckle, pressing my face against his neck once more and squeezing his middle tightly enough to cause discomfort.

How I enjoy his eagerness. His enthusiasm. His only goal is to please me. He doesn't usually meet that goal, but it is terribly fun for me to watch him try. And also terribly fun to give him both his rewards and his punishments.

"Oh, I know that, Cachexys. But still, I am not so monstrous as to neglect your loyalty. I promise you, if you conduct yourself well during today's events, you will receive your prize."

Cachexys shivers at my words, closes his eyes, and leans his head back to rest upon my shoulder.

"Thank you, Lord War," he whispers.

I squeeze his bottom firmly, then shove him off of me.

"Get ready, Cachexys. The festivities begin in less than an hour, and I'd hate for you to be late."

With that, I leave him to prepare for this year's final Discipline, excitedly plotting out what his punishment might be if he does not arrive on time.

Much to my chagrin, Cachexys did manage to arrive before the Discipline was set to start, even though I barely made it on time. And then he continued to conduct himself perfectly for the rest of the evening. Hmpf.

I do intend to stick to my word, though, because not doing so regularly could cause this hold I have on him to loosen, and I will not allow that to happen.

When I arrive back in my wing, I make short work of marking my new bride. I find Cachexys far more satisfying than any of these peasant women, so it was hardly an indulgence. More of an annoyance, really, but I am a creature of habit.

Cachexys arrives precisely when I told him he should, dressed head to toe in black. His hair is tied at the base of his neck with a black ribbon, just the way I like it. He stands some distance from me with his eyes cast downward, showing his submission. He looks absolutely delicious, and I fully intend to devour him.

But not before I play with him, of course.

"Right on time, Cachexys. Good job," I say, approval evident in my voice. "You may look at me, now."

I am sprawled across a large armchair with a high back. I washed myself and replaced my clothing after my brief encounter with my most recent bride, but I left my shirt unbuttoned so my chest would be bare. I did promise Cachexys a reward, after all.

Cachexys lifts his gaze to meet mine. I see both anticipation and trepidation in his eyes. I chuckle lightly, knowing full well why that fear is present, and also how much I will enjoy validating it.

"Come to me, my dear Cachexys," I say invitingly.

Cachexys swiftly crosses the room, stopping about a foot in front of me. He looks me over hungrily, his eyes lingering on my exposed chest, and the muscles that lie beneath the surface. I should scold him. I should tell him his gaze is too bold, and that he will be punished for looking upon me so greedily. For some reason, though, I am in a forgiving mood. Or, perhaps, just a deceitful one.

"Go ahead, Cachexys. You may touch me. I told you if you were a good boy, you'd get your reward. Here it is," I say, waving a hand over my exposed flesh.

Cachexys's eyes widen in surprise, and then rapidly shrink to slits. He is suspicious. I am usually not so generous, and he is unsure of what motive lies behind allowing him such easy access to my body.

I laugh, though I am annoyed by his insolence, and run a hand through my short, red hair.

"Do I not keep my word, Cachexys? Have I given you reason to doubt me?" I ask easily.

A look of horror plasters itself upon Cachexys's delicate features.

"No! No, my Lord War. No. Never. I would never doubt you," he assures me in a panicked voice.

I laugh again, my head rolling from where it rested on my hand to my opposite shoulder. I rest it, angled backward, against the high back of the chair.

"Then, my pet, what exactly are you waiting for?"

Cachexys closes the small gap between us. After a moment's hesitation, and almost reverently, he allows his fingertips to dance over my abdomen, starting at my collarbone and trailing downward.

Cachexys stops abruptly as he brushes against the waist of my pants. He tears his gaze away from the growing bulge he sees just below, and raises his eyes to give me a questioning look. The only answer I give is to lift my head forward and arch an eyebrow.

Cachexys hand hovers in its place, awaiting instruction from its owner. After a moment, he withdraws it, tucking it awkwardly behind him. He's playing it safe tonight, it seems.

"Are you really such a tease, Cachexys?" I mock.

Cachexys shakes his head emphatically, an apology pouring from his lips.

"No, Lord War. I was waiting for permission. I did not wish to proceed too quickly, and displease you."

"Then do not displease me, Cachexys. It's rather simple," I say warningly.

Cachexys nods again, his eyes clouded with confusion and fear. He moves toward me once more, tracing his way down my chest and stopping at the button fastening my pants. He kneels before me. With shaking hands, he undoes the button, then lowers the zipper.

He's taking an awfully long time, and I'm getting bored. Without warning, I bring the back of my hand crashing into the side of Cachexys's face. He's knocked to the ground, his eyes fixed upon the floor.

"I knew this day was too good to be true. I knew you couldn't go an entire day without disappointing me. I lay myself open to you, and you can't figure out how to pleasure me. I've given you plenty of lessons, Cachexys. I would have thought at least one would stick in that useless brain of yours!"

Cachexys speaks, his eyes remaining downcast. "My...my Lord War, I am incredibly sorry I have displeased you. Only yesterday you scolded me for moving too quickly. For not allowing you time to enjoy yourself fully. I thought that meant I should slow down, and take more care to - "

I cut him off with a kick to the gut, laughing. He doesn't even understand that I'm fucking with him, and that is what makes this so delightful. He wasn't moving too slowly. It's just more fun for me if I get to hurt him before I get my pleasure. And maybe after, too. Who can say?

"Then you weren't thinking very hard, my pet. How sad. You hold so much power, but so few brain cells."

I grab him by the collar of his shirt and drag him upward. He is still looking at the floor, every bit the obedient pet. His submissiveness is precious. Cachexys really, truly believes that if he just tries hard enough to behave the way I like, I won't hurt him anymore. Precious. And also stupid, because he has been behaving the way I like for over a century, and I have yet to give him a respite from my attention.

"Look at me, pet." Those sad, pathetic eyes immediately shoot up to meet mine. I smirk at him, then throw him bodily into the wall.

Cachexys falls to the floor with a thud. Slowly, he brings himself to his knees, leaning against the wall for support. Such little force, and already this weak little thing has trouble getting to his feet. Disgusting.

I move toward him steadily, but stop as I hear him speak.

"My Lord War, please. I wish more than anything to please you. I have no greater desire. Please, tell me how. I behaved well today. I dressed as you like me to. I have pulled my hair back like Death. I did not repeat my mistakes from yesterday. Please. I don't know what else I should do."

I am blinded by fury. What a petulant little rodent this weakling is! How dare he speak to me with such impunity? I gave no permission for him to be so open with me. And to imply that I am the issue? Beyond unacceptable. Nevermind the fact that he hadn't done anything wrong up to this point. He's done something wrong now. And he will pay for it.

I grab his wrist and use it to pull him up to his full height, pinning the other behind his back as I press him against the wall.

"You will never speak to me like that again, do you understand me? I am Lord War. God of War. I will not be questioned. I will not be scolded. You do not tell me what you need. I have given more than enough guidance. If you don't know by now how to please me, it seems you never will."

I spit in his face, then grab his other wrist from behind his back. Using the belt that is lying on the table to my right, I tightly bind the two together. I grasp the end of the belt, and pull Cachexys to the ground, dragging him over to my bed. Once there, I haul him to his feet again and reposition the belt so that it immobilizes his hands and also binds him to the bedpost.

Cachexys eyes are wide with terror, and he struggles madly to free himself. I laugh hollowly, smirking at him.

"You're too weak to break free, even from such basic restraints. Give up, pet. You'll not do yourself any favors by fighting me."

Cachexys quiets his body, calming his features and casting his eyes once more toward the ground.

"Good boy," I taunt. "It's too late, of course, but I'm glad you've come to your senses."

I walk back over to my table, the one I use to display all my favorite toys. I think I'll keep it simple, tonight. I grab a small knife, and return to Cachexys.

I press my body against his, dragging the knife lightly against his jaw bone. Cachexys hisses as it leaves a shallow cut. Droplets of blood pool along the knife's path, and I press my tongue against them, tracing the line I drew from Cachexys chin up to his ear.

Despite the fact that Cachexys was obviously unwilling, I can feel his erection pressing into my thigh.

"Such an eager little pet, aren't you?"

Cachexys doesn't respond.

I bite down on his shoulder, drawing blood.

"I said, you're an eager little pet, aren't you?"

I am rather vexed about having to repeat myself, but Cachexys makes up for it.

"Yes," he says breathily. I smirk against his neck. "Yes, Lord War. Please…"

"Please? What do you want, Cachexys? Tell me."

"Please...use your knife again. Hurt me. Use me for your pleasure. Please."

I laugh heartily. "Of course my pet. As you wish."

I remove myself from Cachexys and rip his shirt off violently. His arms strain as I do so. I tied him high on purpose, so that he'd not be able to get sure footing. With me pulling him around, he struggles to support his weight, and his muscles must burn as the belt tugs at his arms. You wouldn't know it from his face, though. His lips are parted, his eyes slightly glazed, and I know in that moment that I have trained him well. I have trained him to feel pleasure when I cause him pain, no matter how little he wants it. He truly is my pet.

I attack his exposed flesh purposefully, carving a dozen angry lines into his delicate, pale skin. Cachexys lets out throaty moan, and I decide to step back to admire my work.

I feel an aching in my groin as I watch the crimson liquid spill onto such porcelain flesh. Beautiful is the only word I can think of to describe the sight before me.

"Look at me, Cachexys," I command. Hazy eyes lift to mine, and I lose control at the sight of the pleasure in them.

I grab Cachexys by the hair and gift him with a bruising kiss. Leaving his swollen lips behind, I scrape my teeth against the gash I made earlier on his jaw, then move to the wounds on his chest. I lap at them lightly, eliciting delicious sounds. I trace each line with my fingernail, and watch as he squirms from my touch.

I am rock hard by now, and I need some small amount of relief. I release Cachexys from the bedpost, and he falls to his knees. Pressing my erection against his face I say, "Here, pet. I have a treat for you."

Cachexys is greedy as he swallows me whole, and I allow myself a moment to be lost in pleasure. I am yanked back to reality as I feel a tooth brush against my length.

Furious, I push Cachexys off me, knocking him on his back. I press my booted foot into his chest, putting more pressure than I intend to. I hear a crack as his rib snaps, and he cries out in pain.

"Shut up!" I roar. "Be silent."

I roughly strip him of his remaining clothing, hearing him whimper as his torso twists. I bring my fist down squarely on his jaw.

"I told you to be silent," I say dangerously.

He looks up at me, and I see sadness and confusion in his eyes. I don't think the noise was voluntary. But no matter. He'll have to learn to control himself better.

I string him up on my bedpost again, this time with his back to me. I go to my fetch my favorite whip, a device known in times long past as a cat o' nine tails. I look back at Cachexys. He is quietly sobbing as he hangs, unable to get both sets of his toes on the ground at once to take some of his weight off his shoulders. I told him to be silent. What, precisely, is so confusing about that command?

I decide twenty lashes will be sufficient punishment for his disrespect.

With each blow I land, Cachexys's screams grow more depsperate, more wild, more raw. I laugh wildly as I hear them leave him. Once I have finished his punishment, I take him down from the bedpost. He slumps on the ground.

Pathetic.

I grab him bodily and pin him, belly down, against the bed. I decide there's plenty of blood here to ease my entry, and so I press myself deep into Cachexys. I suck in my breath as pleasure grips me. He is so spent that he does not react at all. I will deal with that once I have finished.

After all the excitement I've had, that happens quickly. I pull out of Cachexys and flip him over, hearing him moan in pain as his open wounds are pressed against the sheets. I am very unhappy to see he is flaccid, and it is obvious he has not achieved an orgasm. After all, he is supposed to be trained.

Cachexys eyes flutter open, and he meets my gaze. Immediately, he squeezes his eyes shut tight. Oh, no. You do not get to hide from me, pet.

I throw Cachexys to the ground and hear a loud crack as his head hits the floor.

I stare at him for a moment. He is motionless. Completely still. I crouch down and check to see that he is breathing. He is. That's good. I would hate to lose my favorite plaything.

But shit. Now I have to summon him. Death. I don't have the medical knowledge to fix Cachexys. I don't want it, either. Cachexys is the only one I'd ever use it for, so learning it isn't worth my time. Not when I have a perfectly useful subordinate just across the palace from me.

I poke my head out the door, and motion for one of the servants.

"You! Get Lord Death. Now. Tell him it is urgent."

The servant nods in acknowledgement and hurries off.

I shut the door and turn my attention back to Cachexys. He has lost a lot of blood. A lot more than I intended. Shit.

I watch Cachexys intently as the minutes pass. I know this palace is large, but where the fuck is he? Cachexys is sweating, now. A lot. It's pretty disgusting, really. He's also shivering. I'm no medical genius, but I do know shivering means cold, so I grab a blanket and toss it over him. Maybe that will help until Death gets here. At the very least, I'll have less of his sweaty mess to look at for a time.

Just as in hear Death entering my wing, I notice Cachexys's breathing becoming much more rapid. His chest is not rising as high as it usually does when he breathes. Huh. That's probably not the best, either.

I move to open the door to my bedchamber as Death approaches. He has brought along one of his brides. I roll my eyes. Does he really get lonely that easily?

"Finally," I say. "Did my servant not tell it was urgent?"

"Yes, he did, but he didn't say what wa -" Death stops abruptly as he peeks around me, catching sight of Cachexys sprawled across the floor.

"What have you done, War?" He booms. He shoves past me, rushing to Cachexys's side.

"What is this? Are you truly this mad?"

He removes the blanket I threw over Cachexys and inhales sharply. He rushes to my bed and strips the sheets off. He begins wrapping them tightly around Cachexys. This appears to ease the flow of blood.

Once he has bound Cachexys torso, he watches his chest intently. After a few moments, he nods curtly.

"Azazel, please go back to my wing and get my blood - a good chunk of it - and sutures. Supplies for bandaging wounds. Some pain medication...and maybe sedatives. Shit. What else?" He thinks for a fraction of a second. "Nevermind, just go. Quickly. That'll do for now."

Azazel - I guess that's her name - turns on her heel and moves rapidly toward Death's wing. She was crying as she left. What a soft hearted woman. Not surprising, I suppose, since she belongs to Death.

I turn my attention back to Death. He is holding Cachexys wrist with one hand, and has the middle and forefinger of his other hand pressed against it. He sighs angrily as he gently sets Cachexys's wrist down on the floor.

He moves to assess the rest of Cachexys body. He shakes his head with what looks like sadness as he sees the damage I've done to Cachexys's lower half.

"This is deplorable, War, even for you. He's a child."

"Oh come off it, Death. He most certainly is not. He's just as old as you and I. Really."

"He looks like a child!" Death shouts. "For goodness sake, half the time he acts like a child. Who cares how old he is? What kind of monster does this, well, to any living thing, but especially to a child."

I snarl at Death. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Cachexys isn't a child, and he hasn't been for a long time. He's getting upset over nothing, as usual.

"You can't do this anymore. You can't. It's unconscionable. I won't let this happen any longer. I can't. I -"

I cut Death off as I grab him by his hair and yank his head back so he's looking right at me.

"You don't have any power over me. You won't tell me what I can and cannot do. You're reversing the roles in your head, you fool. I'm your Alpha. You do as I say." I throw him backward with force, and advance on him.

Death stands to face me.

"How badly must you want Cachexys to die?" he asks fiercely. "Because he will, War, if you don't let me see to him. I don't care what you do to me later, but let me care for him now."

I look to Cachexys, who is still breathing rapidly, and then back to Death.

"Very well, Death. But you will receive your punishment for speaking to me in such an insolent manner." I spit my words at him, and then throw myself into the arm chair I occupied earlier this evening.

Death quickly returns to Cachexys's side, and as he does so, I hear the doors to my wing open again. Soon, Death's bride is in my bedchamber once again, a cartful of medical supplies in tow.

"Thank you, Azazel. If you could hand me the needle so I can place an IV, then get a bag of blood ready, I'd be grateful."

She nods, doing as he asked. This woman is his property. He doesn't need to ask her anything. She should do as she's told, or suffer the consequences. But whatever. I'll just punish Death for that later, too.

Soon blood is flowing from a bag hung on the cart, and down through a tube that is connected to Cachexys's arm. Huh. Who knew you could put blood back into someone. I've had Death see to Cachexys before, but he's never been this bad off, so I just went about my business while Death carted Cachexys off to...wherever he carted him off to. It's interesting to watch this process.

Death is now sewing the wounds on Cachexys's back closed. I am not one to pay anyone a compliment, least of all Death, but it's impressive he can even find the individual wounds to stitch. It's a mess back there.

Death works quietly for some time, asking for aid from his bride as he needs it. He goes through an awful lot of that blood he brought. This is taking so long.

Once he finishes sewing up the wounds, Death cleans and bandages them. He presses his finger against Cachexys's wrist again, and then watches his chest for a time.

"There. He's stable. I'm fairly confident he'll live, if you can manage to leave him alone. I gave him a sedative to keep him calm and asleep until the worst of the pain passes."

Death pauses and stares at me venomously.

"Would you like me to clean this blood off? Or does it not matter, since you plan on replacing it with my own?"

Oh, that insolent, insufferable little imp. He will pay for that sass. I return his stare, then flit my eyes briefly toward his bride.

"Azazel, go back to my wing immediately. Do not hesitate and do not look back. Go. Now."

For the smallest of moments, she appears to have decided to defy her master, but before I can react, she turns on her heel once more and exits my bedchamber. I hear the doors to my wing close with a thud.

"Quick thinking, Death. Who knows what sort of fun I would have had with her. As it stands, I hope you're ready for what's coming."

"Oh, born ready, Lord War."

And with that, I begin my assault.

It's late. So late. But I couldn't sleep knowing Elias was in War's chambers, taking a beating. I have been hoping my highest hopes that Elias is not hurt as badly as Lord Famine. Elias has taught me enough to aid him, yes, but certainly not enough to fix him all on my own. Well, not enough to fix him from that.

I hear a knock at the entrance to the wing, and I race out of my room and to the doors. I don't know who's knocking, but I know I need to be the one to answer.

I swing one door open, and see Elias's limp form in the arms of War. He drops him in front of me, and I hear Elias land heavily. No.

"Here you are. You should know that some of those wounds belong to you."

And then War is gone, and I am left stunned. I crouch down to assess Elias. He is breathing normally, and a quick check of his pulse tells me that is normal, too. Good. That is good. I need to clean him up, and he looks like he'll need plenty of stitches, but he will be okay. I can handle this.

I notice Caroline wonder into the hallway. She gasps as she sees Elias.

"Caroline! Please, will you help me move him? He needs medical attention, but he'll be fine. I just can't do this on my own."

She nods, and rushes to Elias and I.

I wake a few of the other brides, and, under my direction, we work together to fix up our Elias.

Once he is all sewn up, the other brides leave.

I clean the remainder of the blood off of him. I do my best to tidy his hair without being able to wash it. I kiss his forehead gently, and then take up a seat. I will keep vigil at his side.

He sent me away, knowing full well what he would face. He knew he could pawn it off on me, but he didn't. He took both his share of the pain, and mine. The least I can do for this kind, sweet man is watch over him as he sleeps. And I will be ever so grateful to see him once he wakes.