Author's note- Thank you for reading. I do not own any of the characters except those that you don't recognise like James. If you notice any spelling, grammar or incorrectness with the story please let me know, thank you.

Daine

The hallways of the bleak mansion, ghastly dressed up in rich colour were unable to disguise the true use of the building. The sounds of pleasure could be heard echoing of the dam grey walls deep below the ground.

Daine rushed up through the winding backstairs to meet James.

'Daine' James muttered quietly, bringing Daine out of her sleep deprived daze. She sat up and turned to face him.

"I've been thinking" he paused, like he was searching for the words. She tensed up worried about what he was going to say.

"Why do you stay here, in this god forsaken place?" he stared intently into her eyes, trying to get a truthful answer from her.

She thought about the questions for along time staring at the dirty blue wall. Why did she stay? Apart from the obvious reason of her slave collar, She stayed because she didn't have anywhere else to go. She didn't think that Numair would want her back. She was a whore; there was no hiding form it, and no one would want her broken as she was.

She realised then that she had never told James about Numair, she hadn't ever mentioned life before becoming a slave. Which was strange because that was all she thought about. She smiled at James, recognizing that the only answer to his questions was to tell him about Numair and Tortall. So slowly she began to tell him about herself.

By the time she finished talking, her voice had grown cold and empty devoid of any emotion. She didn't have any tears left to cry, it was in the past but it was her past. James held her tight, rocking her back and though. She didn't tell him about her wild magic, not because she had forgotten about it but because she had grown back into thinking that she wasn't normal and that her magic was dangerous.

Her face was pressed into his chest, but she managed to mumble

"Thank you James for being so sweet and listening to me. I can't remember the last time anyone took the time to listen"

He pulled away from their close embrace, and gazed into her eyes, with a look of intent thinking.

James

It's ever so simple it judge someone before you get to know them, James thought. When he had first visited the brothel, he believed that all the women were whores out for a quick penny. Over time his opinion changed, it changed because of Daine. In her he didn't see someone who wanted money, or sex, he saw a bird so wanting to escape, but was trapped and screaming. Every time she looked at him, he felt alive like electric was pulsing around his body. Over time he had begun to love her. She was something genuine and wonderful, she didn't belong here.

Tonight James had come to tell her that he couldn't keep visiting the brothel any more. It was partly because now that he had taken over his fathers business commanding his family's merchant fleet of ships, and because it broke his heart to see her having to flirt with other men.

He stared down at his hands, thinking about how to phrase the words. The white scars on his hands, seemed to glow in the gloomy room. He traced the largest wound with his broad thumb, noticing how the mark wasn't straight and that it hadn't completely healed even after all these months. He remembered the strong whip of the rope that he had clung onto, frantically trying to not let go. But he had. The rope had unravelled from his hand leaving vicious marks and blood on the rope, but left his father dead. In that one tempestuous night on board ship, his father had fallen over the side and he couldn't save him from decreasing into the frothy blue beyond.

" Daine I want you to come with me, leave this place when I leave tonight." James sternly said, command in his voice. He couldn't save his father but maybe he could save her.

"I can't… I can't… " She spluttered, "see this collar?" pointing at the metal that ensnared her magic,

" it stops me from escaping. The further from this place I go, the tauter is gets. I will be strangled before we even get a mile away. Its impossible."

She felt defeated, unable to do anything about her situation. Her task set by the Goddess prayed on her mind, but escape was an unattainable wish.

James observed her face, seeing the hope slide from her delicate features. The expression made her look almost innocent, it made him wonder what she was like before ending up in this horror story, before her innocence had be stolen.

Daine

"Daine you are not understanding what I am asking you" James replied patiently as if he was speaking to a child.

" I'm not requesting you to run away with me. I know what that collar does. No no, I am asking you to be my mistress."

Her eyes went wide, and her mouth parted slightly, as her mind raced at the possibility, the glimmer of freedom that was being offered.

She just nodded, to overwhelmed to utter a syllable. James clasped her hand with his own scared hands, and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek before briskly pulling her to her feet and requesting her to go collect her things and meet him down in entrance hall.

She felt relieved and optimistic for the first time in years for she had been living in the brothel for 2 years. In these years she had grown to love the girls that she lived with. They had conflicting personalities, and opinions but they were united in their loss of virtue, their loss of purity, and their loss of hope.

She had hope now, but the hard part was leaving. This building, these people were all she had had for so long, she didn't know if she could survive outside of these walls.

She slowly made her way down the metal staircase, the steps squeaking and groaning with each light footed step she took. She remembered the games they had played in these corridors, the laughter seemed to echo in her mind as she paused in front of the weak door of her living quarters. Sighing she opened the door and hastily bumbled her few garments into a ball and dashed up to the entrance hall.

Just before she reached the large oak doors, James hurried up to walk besides her, gripping her hand.

"Your free. I have paid the master, and you're free to leave. Your collar no longer holds magic, its purely ornamental." His smile was evident in his talking.

J ust before she slipped out of the door into the outside world she paused, and glanced back, just once to see the life that she was leaving behind.

The life wasn't for her it wasn't for anyone. It would destroy the girls eventually; it would definitely render them unable to have a healthy relationship with a man. She watched for a moment, the red carpet glimmered entrancingly, the girls flirted and the men gazed at the girls with lust burning as bright as the oil lamps.

Daine turned at walked out of the door, closing it quietly behind her.