Daemon held Jaenelle in a fierce gaze and just stood there shaking as conflicting thoughts ransacked his brain. He felt her presence pull on him. He felt the strange desire his father had spoken about. He wanted to be weak and rely on her strength. He wanted to go to her and cry. He wanted to press himself against her like a frightened child and be comforted by her warmth.

But he couldn't.

His own voice in his head tormented him.

*Never a kind hand, an unassuming touch. Always wanting, always demanding, always TAKING! They ruined me. They destroyed things I hadn't even known were important. I can serve in bed, oh yes, I can give my wife and Queen pleasure, can't I? I was trained VERY well. But the simple surrender to my Queen is an unspeakable horror, isn't it?*

A violent shudder ran through Daemon's body and his eyes changed from enraged to cold, calculation. The voice of the Sadist started to croon in his head.

Ah, but my dear boy, here, right here, is a female to pay the price. Hm?

And she will understand, won't she?

Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? They are all the same, aren't they? THEY ALL SCARE THE BOY!

*NO!*

Oh yes! Bury your rage in her, old son, bury it DEEP!

*NO!....NO! I have knelt and bared my throat. I have sworn. Her will is my life.*

You lied!

*…..I know.*

And so do I!

*But I yearn…I yearn for it… I am AFRAID!*

I know…I know. Let me protect you, hm? Her tender words and soft hands will only scare you…will only make the trembling worse.

*But...*

She already knows that you lied to her. You back away from the knife, don't you? She knows it. Her will is your yielding body under hers, isn't it? Your life reduced to that of a bedroom toy, her docile plaything. Just like the OTHERS!

*That's not true!*

Isn't it?

Another shudder coursed through Daemon and he took a jerking step forward towards Jaenelle, his face contorted with rage and confusion.

Jaenelle continued to watch him calmly from her spot on the couch as he took one measured step after another towards her until he was only an arms length away. He swayed as he stood so close to her, as the clamoring in his head for a decision reach a terrible crescendo.

And then with a gasping sob, he fell to his knees and buried his face in her lap. More sobs racked his body as Jaenelle leaned forward and slid her arms down his back. She rubbed her hands slow and easy along his body and kissed the back of his head.

"You are safe," she whispered to him.

"I…away…will….life," Daemon was mumbling to himself.

"Shhh."

"No," Daemon said and shook his head. He continued to seem to talk to himself but louder now so that she could hear him.

"I will not back away from the knife. Your will is my life," he said through his tears, "Press the blade closer. Your will is my LIFE."

Jaenelle began to rock him gently and hum a tune that she hadn't known that she knew. Eventually, his tears slowed and then stopped. She held him there for a long time before leading him to her bedroom. He stood there quietly with his head down as she undressed first and then he let her strip him. When they were both naked, she tucked him into bed and cuddled up close. She held him tightly until the next morning as if she were a Warlord Prince confining a cranky Queen to protective arms.