For the first three weeks she is tied to the bed. It's to prevent Stephanie from physically hurting Vulpes and it's to allow him to mentally hurt her.
She woke up in the chains the day after the slave trade event. Someone had removed her leather armour and instead uncomfortable and torn rags covered her body. A quick glance at her pip boy told her that although she wasn't wounded, she had no belongings and no files.
He came in shortly after she awoke and stood at the base of the bed. His cold eyes took in her form and he sneered. He had removed his dog head and glasses and she saw a small built frame and short black hair.
"Do you know who I am ?"
His voice was sly and he prolonged words, if not for Stephanie's predicament she would have laughed in his face. Butch would have said he talked like a girl.
"Not in the slightest."
This earned Stephanie a quick back hand against her cheek and she groaned.
"I don't even know what your affiliation is." Her eyes watered as her cheek stung but she blinked back the tears, giving him no satisfaction.
Her face became hotter as he promptly slapped her again.
"You will speak when spoken to profligate."
Confusion covered her face. Profligate. She didn't know exactly who this organisation was but her hatred for them grew further. No one in this wasteland had the right to address another in such a manner.
"We are Caesars Legion. You are currently in The Fort and I am Vulpes Inculta….your master."
Stephanie's lip turned up in disgust at the last word. She choked by all the obscenities that rose in her throat and gained composure. Her father always taught her that rudeness gets you no where. She noted that he pronounced Caesar as 'Kai-sar'.
"You mean Ceasar as in the Roman Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire literally over 3000 years ago."
Vulpes smirked and smack the inside of her thigh.
"You speak with knowledge. A commodity within these desolate plains."
She made no reply but simply narrowed her eyes and he slowly walked to the other side of the bed.
"Scientia in mulier est mortem" He whispered into her ear sending shivers down her back.
"You speak Latin. You took the whole roman stuff seriously."
Another sting makes its way to her thigh and she winces.
"My men do not appreciate women with knowledge. Women really have one or two purposes." He continues his slow walk circling her. "To carry heavy loads….or to please." His hand slips down her thigh and she fights against the restraints.
He only tsks at her attempts and gives her thigh another quick slap. Nothing is painful; he is trying to degrade her. Stephanie had spent over 4 years avoiding rape there was no way she was letting it happen now to a man in a skirt.
"You will be presented to Caesar when I have…..trained you. There you will be presented as my wife."
"And if I refuse ?"
He launches himself across her body knees pushing down painfully into her thigh and grabs her face pressing her cheek into the mattress.
"We shall see about that." He spits his face leaning directly into hers.
For the first three days she is allowed no sleep or food and only little water. A guard is kept by her, whipping her every time her eyes shut. Eventually she begins to hallucinate. Seeing men and women she had killed. She sees her father and her friends but they are quickly wiped from the room with every deep blink she gives. Figures appear blurry and sluggish and she has to squint to focus on them.
She sees the man in the dog hat approach her and blacks out for the first time.
"Vulpes !" a man shouts as he slaps the smaller man on the back.
"Lucius." Vulpes replies giving him a curt nod.
"I have seen your new play thing, the one you intend to keep. Why not just take her and be done with it."
"Unlike you Lucius I prefer my women willing."
The older man gives a large and harsh laugh.
"How do you intend to manage that ?"
"When I am finished, she will need no collar and no bindings. She will follow blindly. She just has to be broken and built back up again."
Lucius eyes him. Vulpes was capable of things no other men in the army were. Where one would barge and slaughter men. He would whisper sweet words that could convince the men to take their own lives. He was not to be fooled with though; Lucius knew he was incapable of mercy. He was a worthy comrade.
"I look forward to seeing your work." Lucius smirks "You've picked quite a beautiful slave girl."
"And she will be a beautiful and willing wife" Vulpes smirks in return.
Stephanie realises how terrible the place she resides in is when she is washed for the first time. Two frail women undo her bindings and tug at her clothes. She is too exhausted to protest and even rests her forehead against one of their shoulders.
The elder woman of the two smoothes her hair back and begins to wet it with a rag.
"You are lucky to be chosen by Master Inculta" She murmurs.
This catches Stephanie's attention and she leans back dazed and confused to look at this woman.
"How am I lucky ?" Her face changed to anger once she holds up her arms covered in red slashes and bruises.
"He never forces himself on us Ma'am." The woman nods. "He will treat you cautiously once he has presented you to Lord Caesar."
The words hit a nerve within her.
Be Cautious.
She shakes her head from the memory and continues to converse with the lady bathing her weak limps.
"Why did you do that ?" She asks.
"Do what ?" The elder replies still scrubbing the blood from her arm.
"Call me ma'am ?"
The younger of the two replies. She is barely a teenager and Stephanie can see from the red marks around her neck that she is a newer slave too.
"You got picked by an Officer. Head of the Frumentarii. That will keep you safe here."
"I won't be here long." Stephanie speaks weakly. "I'll be saved, they always come."
The two woman nod at her sullenly and dress her in new rag, if there ever was such a thing. They rest her on the bed and they bring back her bindings.
"What are your names?" Stephanie asks with fresh tears.
"I am Siri, this is Eve." The older woman gestures to the girl.
"I will save you both too. I promise."
Siri only looks at Stephanie sadly.
"If you do as you're told. Your life won't be too bad."
One the second week Vulpes comes in once more to remind her of her place. His words haunt her sleep and sometimes she finds herself believing them.
"Who is the man with this device?"
He points at her wrist. She doesn't answer but her eyes grow wide.
"We put him in the Arena today. He won all three battles, you obviously travel with only worthy people. He used that device as a weapon…. It was amusing really."
"What did you do to him?" She spits.
"Me ? Nothing. He still remains an Arena fighter."
Tears fill Stephanie's eyes her mouth silently says Butch.
"Please. Don't." She whispers.
It was the weakness of The Lone Wanderer she did important and dangerous things for people she hardly knew. The people she cared about she would die for them and more.
"Don't what?" Vulpes asks with a grin.
"Make him fight. He's won three. Please."
Vulpes grinned more as she begged. Begging was an improvement. It was a sign that she was near to breaking but he still had more tricks for the days ahead.
"I suppose I could talk to Ceasar. Mention that he is a worthy fighter put him on defence instead. Make him carry things, fix weapons."
Stephanie nodded and stared at Vulpes. He was swayed by the intensity of her gaze but continued to smirk.
"But what would you do for me ?" He asks darkly.
Stephanie pauses, staring down the man who he held the power she could not.
"Anything."
Her voice is desperate and harsh. She knows he's won.