Veria's reverie was interrupted when Bedrel came into the infirmary.
"My darling!" He said, coming to Veria's side. He knelt down beside her and touched her head gently. "Are you feeling better?" Veria merely nodded. "We've learned our lesson now, haven't we?" She nodded again. Bedrel sighed and smiled warmly. "I'm glad. I don't like to hurt you, my dear." Be bent down and kissed her on the mouth.

Hogwash, Veria thought. He loved to hurt her. She knew what the man was trying to do. He was trying to make her love him and fear him at the same time. He was trying to create a twisted bond between them. Bedrel was trying to make her love her master, so she would do anything for him. That would never happen. Veria refused to be manipulated by him any longer. However, she had limited options at that moment. She knew exactly how to he should die, but there was still the matter of escape. She needed to gain his trust. She needed to pretend.
Veria made her body relax. She leaned up into the kiss and gently touched his neck. Bedrel pulled away, and she saw he was smiling.
He called to the healer, "Tyron, my girl is awake. You can give her a healing potion now."
The man was sitting in the corner at his desk, mixing something in a mortar and pestle. At Bedrel's call, he picked up a small bottle and strode over to the bed.

"I was in the process of making more, sir," he said. "Tulian came in earlier and nearly cleared out my stores. I have plenty of Cure Minor Wounds, though." He held out the bottle, and Bedrel took it gratefully.
Veria sat up as Bedrel uncorked it. She let him bring it to her lips and feed it to her. It tasted odd. The potion wasn't anything she'd like to drink for fun, nor was she enjoying letting Bedrel give it to her. But every moment now was an opportunity to gain his favor. She pretended to appreciate his "kindness." She let the liquid fill her mouth before gulping it down loudly. A little bit of the potion dribbled from her mouth down her cheek. It dripped in a stream down her neck, disappearing between her breasts. It took about three gulps to finish off the bottle. Veria daintily touched the corner of her mouth where the bit of liquid escaped.
"Let me," Bedrel murmured. He lowered his lips to her collar bone and touched his tongue to her skin. He dragged it slowly up her neck to her jaw, pulling away after touching the corner of her mouth.

Veria smiled bashfully and averted her eyes from Bedrel like a blushing schoolgirl. Bedrel took the bait. He smiled and angled her face towards his so he could plant a passionate kiss on her lips. She accepted it gratefully. She was able to captivate him for a few moments before he pulled away and said quietly to her, "Later, my dear. Go now to my quarters and get dressed. I have a new dress for you there."
Veria nodded and stood. She suddenly noticed she was no longer sore, and that her wounds were fully healed. She was going to miss those red welts...


Bedrel had Veria escorted to his chambers and shut in until he could retrieve her. She quickly removed her ruined dress and looked around for the dress Bedrel had spoken of. It was spread out on the bed, and she almost mistook it for scrap leather of some sort. She held it up for measure, and spent a good few minutes trying to figure out how to put it on. Eventually, she was fully dressed and finally took a final look at herself. The dress was black, made of sturdy fabric, and extremely revealing. The top section was mostly made of strips of fabric. One looped around her neck to secure the cloth over her breasts, leaving her shoulders bare. Her back was exposed all the way down her spine, and she wondered how cold she would get with so much skin exposed. The skirt extended to the floor but the slits on either side were so wide that her thighs, all the way up to her hip, were clearly visible. Undergarments were unacceptable with a dress like this. Veria finished off by attaching the metal belt and bracelets that were also on the bed. Veria put one bracelet on each wrist, and she fingered them. They reminded her of manacles, if only a little.

The door suddenly swung open and Bedrel strode in. He stopped when he saw Veria.
"Ah, beautiful treasure of mine," he said, beholding her new attire. "You are stunning." He strode over and placed his hands on her hips, holding her intimately. "This dress is the same kind worn by the women who pleasured the ancient kings of old. No one is more deserving..." He planted a kiss on her lips, and she returned it.
As his kiss turned hotter, and his mouth parted her lips, she thought about how she would kill him. His tongue intertwined with hers, and their breathing became louder. His death, Veria decided, would by like Hyjekk's. She would lay with him one night, and in the heat of their passion she would slit his throat.
Bedrel's arms wrapped around Veria's body, and hers around his. The thought of killing him made Veria warm inside, but the plan was still incomplete. Between their kissing and breathing they both began to moan slightly. Bedrel's hands tightened and his knuckles dug into Veria's back.
"Just a quick one," he said.

He turned her around and bent her over the bed. Veria's face pressed into the sheets and squeaked, "Hurry!" Veria arched her back and he swept away the back side of the skirt. He pinned her by her shoulder blade and went in from behind. Witch each thrust Veria slid across the sheets. She gripped them tightly, and the sweat of her palms started to soak them. She groaned, allowing her cries to become louder and her breathing faster. She was suddenly reminded of anal sex with Wuunferth, and how delightfully painful it had been. She could never ask Bedrel for something like that, and made a note to do it again in the future. Veria noticed Bedrel coming to a point, and made her own noises reflect the same. He slowed and tensed. She moaned with false pleasure as he removed himself. She felt warm liquid pour down her exposed back, and Bedrel sighed.

He stepped away and righted himself.
"Clean yourself with the cloth and basin," he said. "Then meet me outside."
Veria did so and met Bedrel outside. She followed him the rest of the day and tried to think about her escape plan.


It was early afternoon and Veria was scrubbing the kitchen floor, thinking hard. If she killed Bedrel in the middle of the night, it might be easier to sneak out. But even if she could make it to the entrance unseen, it was always locked up tight and guarded. Bedrel would have them somewhere in his chambers, so the lock wouldn't be much of a problem. The real issue was the guards. Veria was neither strong or skilled enough to fight them, and sneaking by them would be impossible with how they were placed. She thought about her other options. Were there any other exits? She remembered the baths, and the waterfall. Maybe it was possible to climb up through the opening in the ceiling to the outside. She shook her head at herself. She wasn't strong enough or that. And who knows what could be up there?
Then she remembered how the water flows down deeper into the caves, probably to an underground river. But again, there was no telling where the river went, or if there was even air to breath down there. No, the baths were not a good idea.

Perhaps I can smuggle my way out, she thought. If the Black Eagles ever had any large crates to deliver for a contract, she may be able to sneak into one and be carried out. But when would they ever have anything large enough to hide in?
Veria suddenly stopped scrubbing. The skooma. Eventually they would have a huge shipment of skooma to use in their sabotage of that lord in Solitude. If she was lucky, the crates would be large enough to hide in. She would have to wait and see, and keep her eyes and ears open in the time being. It wasn't a perfect plan, not in the least. She could see numerous problems with the idea already. She sighed in exasperation. The more she thought about it, the harder it seemed to do this alone. She needed someone's help. She needed a friend.

Veria suddenly remembered Tulian. He had saved her from the Khajiit. He came to her in the dungeons. He had been watching her since her arrival. She dared to think he had been the kindest of all the men there. He was the closest thing she had to a friend. He certainly cared about her, if only a little. That much was clear. And Veria found herself missing him. She hadn't seen him in a while, not even in passing or in the mead hall. She decided that if she were to see him again, she would try to convince him to help her. It was her best chance at getting out of there.


Veria started waiting for Tulian, but he didn't appear for nearly two weeks. She heard that he was on a mission to retrieve skooma, and she became less restless. In the meantime, she obeyed Bedrel. She pretended to be his precious little dove, and did everything he asked. She pretended to have the twisted love for him that he had tried to foster, and obeyed. He was completely fooled. She truly was an expert at making men believe what they wanted to believe. Veria was curious what Bedrel had in store for her. She had the sense he had plans to use her for something, but she couldn't figure out what.

After many days of working and thinking and not much else, they arrived. Bedrel and a few other men gathered in the entrance hall. Tulian and his men entered. They were covered in dust from the road, and looked tired.
"Well?" Bedrel said. "Do you have it?"
Tulian motioned to the men behind him. They opened their bags and revealed dozens upon dozens of sparkling purple bottles and little brown sacks. Veria's heart sank. No crates at all. She should have guessed.
"Well done!" he said. "This is more than enough to incriminate Roth." He clamped a hand on Tulian's shoulder. "You've done well, my friend. Go and rest. We shall begin planning for our next task tomorrow morning."
He nodded and started to leave. Bedrel turned to the men with the bags and started giving them instructions. Veria watched Tulian go from the corner. Their eyes met, and they continued to stare at each other until he disappeared through the doorway. She needed to speak to him, and he was no doubt going to the baths. She had to get there as soon as possible, but Bedrel wouldn't stand for her just asking. How could she get Bedrel to send her?
She rolled her eyes at herself. How else?


Veria moaned loudly. "Oh, my master...my master..." she breathed.
Bedrel lay on his back, the red sheets of his bed tangled up under him. Veria's knees were drawn up high, and she used her arms for support as she moved upwards and downwards. With one final moan she removed herself and let him fire across her belly. She sighed heavily and touched the substance like it was holy, rubbing it into her skin and up towards her breasts.
"Thank you...Thank you..." she panted weakly.
Bedrel caught his breath and said, "Go wash yourself off at the baths. Return to me in the war room."

Veria slipped on her dress and headed straight out the door. A familiar man at the door was waiting to escort her there. Once at the baths, she was left alone. She removed her dress and plunged into a pool. She glanced around, but no one seemed to be there. She remembered where she first spoke to him and looked to the shadowy side of the room. She peered into the dark, and eventually made out the shape of a reptilian man sitting in the water.
She gripped the side of the pool. "Tulian!" she said.
The shape shifted. "Veria..." it grumbled.
Veria was suddenly lost for words. What could she say? How could she convince him to help her? Something told her he wouldn't accept pleasure as payment. He was too smart for that. And besides, something made her think it wasn't fair to him, or something like that. She wasn't entirely sure.

She snapped back to her senses when he slipped out of the shadows and into the lighted side of his pool. He was looked at her expectantly.
Her mind raced for words. "Your back."
His stony expression didn't change. He was clearly unimpressed with her opener.
"I mean," Veria continued. "I didn't see you for quite some time."
"We had to go many places."
"So I gather." The conversation, if it could be called that, died. Silence stretched on between them.

Finally she said, "Tulian-"
"You should not be speaking to me, slave." Tulian averted his gaze from her.
Veria was taken aback for a moment, but then she recovered. She scowled and climbed out of the pool she was in. As she strode over to Tulian he continued to avert his eyes, even more so now that she was out of the water.
She climbed into the pool and sank into the water up to her collar bone. She jabbed a finger into Tulian's chest, who was still looking away. He seemed to have a sudden interest in the stone walls.

"Hey, you." She said angrily. "Don't be giving me the cold shoulder now." He didn't respond. "What is with you, anyway? You do the strangest things. You've been almost...kind to me, lately. Why?"
He didn't budge nor say a word. Veria stared at him, frustration weighing her expression down. What was his deal?
"That night," she said firmly. "With that Khajiit...You knew I was in trouble because...well, you had to have been watching over me. Why?"
Tulian's gaze fell to the water next to his shoulder, and he remained silent.
"Tulian...What in the world..."
He looked around the pool for a moment before muttering, "I...well..."
When he didn't complete his sentence, Veria touched his chin and guided his gaze to meet hers.

"Tulian," she said. "Do you...care about me?"
He looked back and forth between her eyes, then said very quietly, "Yes."
Veria drew back slightly. "Why?" She asked.
"I don't..." he caught her fingers, which were drifting near him. "I don't know why. All I know," He pressed her fingers into her own chest and let them go. "Is that you belong to Bedrel."

Her fingers tightened into a fist. "I belong to no one, Tulian."
"Is that so?" He said. "That's not what I see."
Veria touched the necklace around her neck that bore Bedrel's symbol. She barely noticed it was there anymore. But that's not all Tulian was talking about. He had most certainly heard the stories of the new Veria, in love with her master and obedient in every way.
"I make Bedrel believe what he likes," she said. "He will never be my true master. And one day he will pay for what he's done, and I'll be free."
"And what about me?" Tulian said. "I have done things just as terrible as Bedrel. Bedrel is my friend."
"You helped me. You never did those things to me."
"So," Tulian continued. "That is it, then. It doesn't matter what we've done to others. What matters is what we've done to you."
Veria sighed. "Yes. I suppose so."

Tulian paused a moment and chuckled once.
"Maybe you shouldn't leave," he said. "You fit right in here."

Veria had nothing to say in response. She sat back and was silent. Tulian sighed and shook his head. The silence stretched on. Veria looked at him intently. She touched her fingers gently, thinking about what he had said. He cared about her? Just how much, exactly? Did she care about him? She thought about missing him while he was gone. She thought about every single interaction they had so far. Maybe. Just maybe...

She suddenly stood up with a splash, exposing her body down to her belly button. Tulian straightened his back and looked into the water next to him. Veria approached him. He didn't look up at her, yet, he did not move. She stopped right in front of him. She took his face between her palms and turned it to face hers. He resisted a little, but not enough. She knelt down into the water. His legs were between hers and her head was only slightly higher than his. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips into the tip of his nose. He closed his eyes and held his breath, but she moved her lips to his closed mouth. His mouth cracked open, and his hands touched her waist.

Before she could kiss him again, he pushed her away. He sprung out of the water and to the little river, disappearing into it's depths. Veria knelt in the pool, alone, with an odd shakiness in her bones.


Veria didn't see Tulian the rest of the day. She returned to Bedrel and he went about planning for the next step in the plan. The next morning, Bedrel gathered a large group of men in the common area. Maps of Solitude and the surrounding area were spread across a large table in front of the fire.
"Men!" He said, commanding the attention of the room. "The time has come to finish Lord Roth's career for good. Tulian and his men have acquired enough skooma and moon sugar to fill every one of his caravans. But Roth has become suspicious, and more careful. He has recalled his caravans for inspection and restocking." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Here is his depot. This is where his caravans go to be restocked and inspected. He gives the caravans their destinations and they depart with some guards to watch over them. The caravans will all be in the same place at the same time, making it easy for us to plant the skooma."
He shifted the papers to a timetable. "However," he continued. "Our window of time is short. The caravans will be there in three days time. They will all remain there for only day before they scatter. We have only that day to plant the skooma in at least twenty caravans."

He pulled out a map of the depot and pointed out large open space. "This is where the caravans will be. They will be lined up this way, outdoors and in broad daylight. Fortunately, Roth employs only a few guards to watch the entrances. They pay little attention to the inside of the property. Our only real problem is the Overseer. His name is Denleif, and he has complete control of the compound. There is a building there that serves as his office and his home. There is a perch there from which he watches the caravans. When he isn't there, he is walking among the caravans, inspecting them personally with a guard in the perch. He has the eyes of a hawk, and he is a problem. We can't kill him, or even render him unconscious. It must look like no one else was ever there."
"We need to keep him distracted, somehow?" One of the men said.
"Exactly," Bedrel responded. "And I already have an idea."

Veria was standing against the wall, in Bedrel's shadow. She had been absently following their words, but was taken aback when Bedrel suddenly turned to her.
"My girl," he said. "Veria."
Veria hadn't been expecting this. She glanced around the room. "Me, sir?"
Bedrel smiled and held out his hand. "Of course, my dear." She stepped forward and took his hand. He drew her in close and said quietly to her. "You'll do this for me, won't you, my dear?"
Veria decided a delicate stammer was in order. "O-of course...my lord. What do you want me to do?"

Bedrel turned back to the map and spoke so the rest could hear.
"When everyone is in place," he said. "You will wait until Denleif comes down from his perch to walk among the caravans. Reveal yourself to him a starving, lost girl who has just escaped imprisonment by a pack of Forsworn. Get him to take you into the building. Once inside, seduce him."
"Y-you want me to-" Bedrel cut her off with a firm grip on her shoulder. She continued, "But, my master..." she drew close to him. "I belong to you...only you..."
"That is right, but do this for me, little dove." He took her chin between his fingers. "Obey me," he finished softly. Veria pretended to get lost in his eyes, then finally nodded.
"It shouldn't be hard," Bedrel said. "My sources tell me he is fond of pretty little things like you. He is easily taken with them."
Veria nodded again, and Bedrel pushed her aside. He began to go over the rest of the plan to the men, and Veria slowly drifted back to her place behind him.

In the crowd, she caught Tulian staring at her with and unconvinced expression. She gave him a cocky wink and looked away. So this is what Bedrel needed her for, she thought. He probably wasn't planning on it all along, but he was no doubt trying to turn her into a special kind of weapon. It was certainly going to be an interesting mission. And there would no doubt be plenty of opportunities for escape.


Author's note: Make this story into a mod of Skyrim and I'll be thoroughly impressed.