At first, Russ thought the worst thing that was going to happen was that Uncle Malchador was going to make her sit up properly, give her a long and boring lecture on proper behavior, and then let her go with a stern warning, or perhaps the old coot would nut up and actually give her the drubbing she'd been angling for since she was kidnapped and dragged away from her beloved Fenris Mountains. Or even better, just declare her a lost cause and let her take Bjorn and Logan back home.
Logan would make a most excellent start to her Chieftain's Harem as Wolf Queen of the Clans. She wouldn't mind getting that Kittenus boy to come along too. He was too pretty for a proper husband, but as a toy he would be rather entertaining. She liked the idea of him rubbing her feet and feeding her little sweetmeats as she judged the clans.
Unfortunately for Russ, it seemed that Malchador was far more diabolical than she gave him credit for.
"Since you inseest een béhaveng lik a raw recruit, ai shall tak you to un who 'as éxpairience een putteng le fair of le emprez into fouls and children."
Logan paled slightly at those words, which was impressive as even after all this time with the lowlanders she still had the pasty complexion of one of the Clans.
"Oh don't worry, what's the worst these soft idiots can do to us? Give us a paddlin' and send us to bed with no supper?" Russ whispered, winking at her new companion.
"No offense, Queenie, but you're dumber than that muscle brained Pride Parade if you think there's not worse horrors than anything that stalks the peeks here. These lowlanders might look soft, but they're dead diabolical when they want to be," Logan hissed back. "I just hope we're not being taken to-"
Logan clammed up, her eyes going very wide when Malcador stopped in front of a door labeled "Dean's Office."
"I know some Deans, are they of the Clan's too?" Russ asked as the door swung open.
"Dean Céléstiné? Ai 'ave déux students who could benéfit from yur insights," Malchador said as he motioned for Russ and Logan to enter.
Inside, Russ found a very neat and orderly room with spartan furnishings. The only decoration was a small shrine to the Empress, which made Russ' lip curl in disgust. To worship that bitch was sheer insanity. Why couldn't these people practice a proper religion, like worshiping the spirits?
At the far end of the room, a woman in a severe dress and horn rimmed glasses, her hair done up in a neat bun at the back of her head looked up from a paper report. Her lips thinned at the sight of the two girls, and she firmly placed the report in one of the neat stacks on her desk. "Ms. Logan. Aftair yur last visit, ai 'ad thought zere would be non furthair need fair you to speak wiv me."
Logan's knees trembled slightly, but she looked to Russ. Russ grinned, and Logan took a deep breath. "Bloody things I do for the clan…"
Standing up straight, Logan met the woman's eyes dead on. "You can break my body, woman, but you can't break the spirit of a clan's woman. I stand with Chieftess Russ, and I'll do so until my dying breath. I'm a wolf, born and bred!"
"Aye lassie!" Russ laughed, and grinned at the stern woman. She was going to do things to Logan later. The lass deserved a reward. "Logan is mine, and if you have any problems with her, you can address them to me."
"Oh? And who might you be?" the woman asked, standing and slowly coming around to stand in front of her desk, her long skits swishing.
Russ inflated at the slight and snarled, "I'm Leman Fu-"
"ZERE WEEHL BE NON FOUL LANGUAJE EEN ZIS OFFICE!"
The sudden light from the woman was blinding, causing Russ to stagger slightly, shielding her eyes. Logan cried out and fell to one knee, panting before hauling herself back to her feet, fists clenched. When Russ blinked away the stars, the woman before her was transformed, as was the office. It now gleaned golden in reflection of the radiant aura emanating from the woman and the two large wings that she had spread, filling the space with shining feathers. Her suit was gone, replaced by golden armor that shone like the sun, the iconography of the Imperium engraved upon it. In one hand was a glowing silver sword, and in the other, a whip made of braided golden strands.
Both Russ and Logan gaped in awe, wincing and squinting, but Principal Malchador stood straight, unaffected. He gave Dean Celestine a curt nod. "You seem to have them well in hand. Do see if you can help Russ with her accent as well, if you have time. There will be times when she needs to be able to communicate clearly, and I'm afraid she seems to revel in being as incomprehensible as possible."
That was actually true: Russ was capable of toning down her brogue, at least slightly, but she was currently trying to be as difficult as possible and any person with sense could understand her perfectly well. Just look at Logan.
"There's nothing wrong with how I talk, it's the rest of you that can't speak properly!" Russ shouted as Malchador shut the door. She whirled, and found a trembling Logan standing in front of her.
"R-russ is my C-chief. A-and you'll have to go through me to get to her," she snarled, raising fists to the golden angel that had manifested itself.
"Back off, lassie. That's magic that is," Russ said, gently pushing Logan aside. She didn't step in front of Logan, that would be insulting. Instead, she stepped beside her. As a proper leader should.
"ZIS EEZ NOT LA VILE SAICAIRY OF HAIRETICS NAIR LE TRIKAIRY OF CHARLETANS. ZIS EEZ LA GLAIRY OF ZE EMPREZ, ET AI AM LE CONDUIT OF HAIR GLAIRY!"
"Oh piss off. The Golden Harridan is nothing but a jumped up tyrant who's too bit for her kilt," Russ sneered. "Now come at me, you great big golden goose, and I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."
Celestine regarded Russ for a moment, then cracked her whip. "NAIRMALLY, AI ATTEMPT TO BE JEN-TELL EEN UR FIRST SEZION. AI WAS EVEN CONSIDAIRENG BEENG MAIRCIFUL TOWARDS LOGCAN FAIR HAIR ADMIRABUHL DISPLAI OF LOYALTAY. BUT FAIR ZIS HAIRESY, LA MOST SEVAIRE OF PUNISHMONTS MUST BE GIVEN, HON HON HON."
"OH FUCK YOU!" Russ snarled, and charged forward, Logan at her side.
Some hours later, Russ felt cold water splash on her face and she jerked upright, breathing hard. She expected to be in severe pain, burns all over her body, but instead she found herself whole, and laying on the ground.
"Get dressed. And you shall wear the uniform properly this time, will you not?" Celestine said, adjusting her glasses.
"Aye, ah weel- I mean, yes, ma'am. I'll wear it," Russ groaned, and carefully dried herself, then began to get dressed. Logan jerked up after Celestine dumped a bucket of cold water on her, and she frantically swore to be a model student as well.
"Good. Ai do not taypical-lee 'ave to discipline students twice. See ai do not need to see you a third time, Ms. Logan."
"Yes ma'am," Logan vowed, then began to get dressed in her uniform as well, very pointedly not looking at Russ.
"Ai expéct ze deux of you to remind yur lovair to stai een lin," Celestine said sternly, making both girls jump.
"You...you don't expect us to stop?" Russ asked, carefully and slowly announciating each word.
"Non. Though if you wish to be opén abut eet, zere are fairms to obsairvé. You are an Impairial Princéz, Ms. Russ, et weehl curt yur chosén consairt propairly. Undairstand?"
"I...don't know what that involves," Russ admitted through clenched teeth.
Celestine smiled and patted Russ's head, making her cringe slightly. It was just a gentle touch though. "I'd be 'appy to teach you. Futuair etiquetté lezons wiv mé need not bé zo 'arsh. You and Ms. Logan weehl repairt to me weekly, ai think. Tuesdais at 0900, ai think. You don't 'ave a class zen. I'll teach both of you 'ow to be propair impairial ladees."
"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am," Russ and Logan chorused.
"Vairy well. Dismissed."
Logan dropped an awkward curtsy, and Russ hastily copied her. Then both girls ran out of the room as fast as they could.
That woman...she'd thought the Empress was bloody terrifying. But that winged she-devil made the Golden Harridin seem a gentle pup in comparison.
They hadn't gone far before Logan sagged against a wall, burying her face in her hands and crying.
"There, there," Russ said, stopping and rubbing Logan's back. "It's over for now. You were brave, brave as any warrior of the clans."
"B-but I betrayed you. I-I didn't stay strong for you, m-my chief," Logan blubbered.
Russ found tears in her own eyes, and shook her head to force them away. "Are you kidding? I was on my knees begging to do what that demoness told me by the end of it. There are some battles you just can't win, Logan. That's when you roll over on your belly and admit defeat. I've done it before."
Only when the Empress challenged Russ and proceeded to utterly humiliate her in front of the Clans, not five minutes after she'd been crowned Wolf Queen. That bitch. This Celestine was cut from the same cloth, and no mistake. Pretty face, cold hearted monster beneath.
"You...you don't hate me?" Logan asked, drying her tears on her hankie. Not her sleeve like a clanswomen, but like a proper imperial lady. Bugger Celestine.
"Tell you what. Let's go to your room, and I'll show you just how I really feel," Russ said, caressing Logan's reddened cheek.
Some time later, Russ put her uniform back on, leaving the snoring Logan on her bed. She tucked the girl in, admiring her toned and athletic body as she did so. Plenty of scars on this one. A proper wifie for the Wolf Queen.
But even that session hadn't let Russ blow off the all rage and frustration that she felt. She'd been so powerless against Celestine and her vile sorcery! Again!
Russ went to her own room, up a few floors in the Imperial Suite, and changed into her more grungy and comfortable clothes. Even Celestine couldn't complain: Russ was going to hit the gym.
Unfortunately, all the lifting of weights and running in circles like a dog chasing its tail couldn't help solve Russ's deep seated frustrations. She'd been boiling over with pent up anger and impotence since being manhandled by the Empress, and now it was even worse. Bad enough to be smacked around by the demigod ruler of the mightest nation on the planet. Now her pet birdie could slap about Russ too, in addition to Horus, the perfect little doll they wanted to turn Russ into.
Was there anyone here Russ could actually match?
"Ah, ms. Russ, i'm not intairrupteng, am ai?"
Russ dropped the 500 kilo bar with a bang, turning to glare at the speaker. She paused, realising who it was.
The man who had actually managed to knock her senseless, no dirty tricks, just good old fashioned fisticuffs, smiled meekly at her. He looked like a proper idiot in his golden uniform. Such a bloody gaudy color. What idiot decided an all golden uniform was in good taste? No need to ask, who else but the Harridan.
But he did have some rather fetching scars on his face and hands. He clearly wasn't some soft pampered lowlander lordling. He was a man who knew how to fight.
"Aye?" Russ asked, her eyes narrowing as she fell back into her native accent. "What do you want?
Kittenus smiled awkwardly. "Well, ai was 'openg you could do me a favair…"
A slow, feral grin spread over Russ's lips. Oh yes. Here was a way to work out her frustrations. The Emperor's little golden boy.
Be a shame if someone broke him into a proper man instead of a dressed up poppet.
Author's Note:
"I don't know if I'll write more" appears to be my way of saying "help I have an addiction."