The Assessment of Night
Katrianne shivered once. The sunlight she laid in was growing dimmer, less warm, less protecting. She shivered again even though the cold no longer bothered her. Once again she nestled her forehead on her tightly drawn up knees.
"Sweetling." The verbal caress was followed by a very physical stroke to Katrianne's hair. God.time had run out. She whimpered softly.
"Shh, my pet. Tomorrow the sun will rise again to make you feel safe. For now the moon is up and your time is mine. Come, sweetling, stand up for me."
With a sigh of tempered surrender Katrianne rose up under the gentle tugging hands of her captor. She lifted her head proudly as well. What else could she do now?
"That's it, pet. I want to see the beauty of your face." His deft fingertips traced Katrianne's forehead.her eyelids.her nose.her lips.her jaw.and finally, her throat. "Such a magnificent find. I could hardly believe my luck when your father offered you up."
Seething with unredeemed rage Katrianne hissed, "Step-father!"
Caressing her hair tenderly the man cooed, "Calm, darling. I know you're angry at having been deceived. I won't even claim it was best for you but it was best for me. I'm afraid that will be a major factor in your life from now on, pet." His touch lingered on a strand of hair draping along her throat of just a moment too long before he continued. "Now what would best please me is seeing you eat something, sweetling. You must stay healthy. Will you eat willingly for me?"
With one last longing look out the darkened windows Katrianne bowed her head and walked to the softly lit table and it's awaiting meal. Physically she ate the delicious food silently but politely as the man watched and tried softly to draw her into several conversations. Mentally she was plotting the best ways to scrape the insufferably kind man's eyes out with the least amount of damage done to her carefully manicured nails and her now thoroughly rumpled clothing.
Almost on cue the man suddenly grew silent and surveyed Katrianne's appearance. "That simply won't do, sweetling. Please stay here and I'll find you something fresh to wear. Then you can take a nice hot bath as well. Would you like that?"
Glaring with a full measure of distain Katrianne spit out sarcastically, "I've been told that what I'd like is no longer relevant. I believe the actual question now is supposed to be, would you like that?"
"Don't play bitter, Katrianne. It doesn't suit you and I won't tolerate it. Be polite, pet and I won't push you further than you can handle."
Her skin is a palate for my pleasure yet it is no inanimate object. She resists me, fighting for what she once had but did not understand. If she did understand, she would know what she had was a cursed life. I mean only to bring her away from the hell she thought she knew, still thinks she understands and yearns for. Soon I will teach her to understand me. Already she is attuned to my desires, yet that too she does not quite realize. I want her to fight, I want her to show spirit, I want her to struggle against what she truly desires. It will make her surrender, no not surrender for she will never become some compliant concubine and for that reason I claim her for my own, it will be an opening of her mind and soul rather and only after the battle will it be a thing of beauty to behold. She will be taught to channel love, to reciprocate the tender blissful heat of passion I already admit to feeling for her. My Katrianne. I will own her heart and I'll be damned before I will betray her or give her up for the barest second. I won't sell her as her disgusting excuse for a step-father and guardian did for such a meager sum. His pet. Disgraced with such loathsome ease. He must remember to flay the epitome of bastardly greed when next the opportunity presented itself.
For now he must be content to beautify his darling as best he could with the scarce bit of control she would permit him. Letting his imagination rove, guided by an appreciating eye flowing over her disparagingly rumpled appearance he conjured up mental images of how best to dress her. His mind caught and grew disgruntled upon the seemingly stereotypical "preppy" clothing she was currently adorned with. "Sweetling, did your step-father force you to wear that for me?"
Katrianne looked up sharply. This man was even more dangerous than she first dared to fear. Already he was noticing what he should not be able to figure out. Narrowing her eyes slightly she carefully nodded yes to answer his question. Perhaps it would turn out to be a simple lucky guess. She wasn't optimistic enough to believe that but it was a stupidly comforting thought anyhow.
"I thought as much. Do you mind jeweled colors terribly much or would you prefer to maintain simple black, my pet?" He hoped for the freedom to choose dark jeweled tones as well while adorning his precious. Her nearly flawless pale skin would look absolutely stunning draped in a rose scarlet and her eyes would simply sparkle if he chose to hang a matching emerald green over her lithe shoulders.
Far too dangerous. Any forming thoughts of playing with this dark god shattered painfully. Katrianne couldn't hope to compete with someone who could so clearly read her preferences. She wondered how he would react to a few acts of respectful politeness from her. Might as well experiment to find out. "If it please you. I would be grateful if you would avoid pastels, sir. They disgust me."
His eyes positively shined at her sweet tones. Well, that was one thing to be grateful for. He wasn't one of those who only desired what did not desire him. He wasn't after her simply because she resisted him. Most likely there would be no rape. The slight hope in her withered away and a short disparaging thought informed her that she was being far too optimistic for so early a point in this game.
He allowed his voice to purr comfortingly for her as a reward for her moment of charming grace. "Very well, my dear. Finish your meal and we will see how our tastes compare when you are through." If she could deem to be courteous for him then he could only return the favor and allow her simple freedoms. Gods, he relished her.
"Thank you." So he wasn't going to demand complete control over her. Best to thank him for the slight self-control. That really was comforting, nearly as comforting as the sweet drawling caress of his voice when he was pleased with her. He was so seductive. It would prove easy to become addicted to his pleasure if allowed time, she knew that already. When he was pleased he was so desirably tender and courteous. His pleasure meant her pleasure, he was the type that would be sure that remained true.
"Ah, sweetling, how beautiful this will be between us." She didn't take his gift for granted. Ummm. Delightful, charming, saccharine woman. Soon she would realize the depth of his plans. Very soon indeed if she continued her glorious civility. How was he to deny her such freedoms when she was behaving so sweetly? Soon it would become obvious to her how much control she could have over herself and, he had to admit, himself as well if she only asked, when she finally realized how little he actually denied her.
A/N: Plot suggestions welcome.
Katrianne shivered once. The sunlight she laid in was growing dimmer, less warm, less protecting. She shivered again even though the cold no longer bothered her. Once again she nestled her forehead on her tightly drawn up knees.
"Sweetling." The verbal caress was followed by a very physical stroke to Katrianne's hair. God.time had run out. She whimpered softly.
"Shh, my pet. Tomorrow the sun will rise again to make you feel safe. For now the moon is up and your time is mine. Come, sweetling, stand up for me."
With a sigh of tempered surrender Katrianne rose up under the gentle tugging hands of her captor. She lifted her head proudly as well. What else could she do now?
"That's it, pet. I want to see the beauty of your face." His deft fingertips traced Katrianne's forehead.her eyelids.her nose.her lips.her jaw.and finally, her throat. "Such a magnificent find. I could hardly believe my luck when your father offered you up."
Seething with unredeemed rage Katrianne hissed, "Step-father!"
Caressing her hair tenderly the man cooed, "Calm, darling. I know you're angry at having been deceived. I won't even claim it was best for you but it was best for me. I'm afraid that will be a major factor in your life from now on, pet." His touch lingered on a strand of hair draping along her throat of just a moment too long before he continued. "Now what would best please me is seeing you eat something, sweetling. You must stay healthy. Will you eat willingly for me?"
With one last longing look out the darkened windows Katrianne bowed her head and walked to the softly lit table and it's awaiting meal. Physically she ate the delicious food silently but politely as the man watched and tried softly to draw her into several conversations. Mentally she was plotting the best ways to scrape the insufferably kind man's eyes out with the least amount of damage done to her carefully manicured nails and her now thoroughly rumpled clothing.
Almost on cue the man suddenly grew silent and surveyed Katrianne's appearance. "That simply won't do, sweetling. Please stay here and I'll find you something fresh to wear. Then you can take a nice hot bath as well. Would you like that?"
Glaring with a full measure of distain Katrianne spit out sarcastically, "I've been told that what I'd like is no longer relevant. I believe the actual question now is supposed to be, would you like that?"
"Don't play bitter, Katrianne. It doesn't suit you and I won't tolerate it. Be polite, pet and I won't push you further than you can handle."
Her skin is a palate for my pleasure yet it is no inanimate object. She resists me, fighting for what she once had but did not understand. If she did understand, she would know what she had was a cursed life. I mean only to bring her away from the hell she thought she knew, still thinks she understands and yearns for. Soon I will teach her to understand me. Already she is attuned to my desires, yet that too she does not quite realize. I want her to fight, I want her to show spirit, I want her to struggle against what she truly desires. It will make her surrender, no not surrender for she will never become some compliant concubine and for that reason I claim her for my own, it will be an opening of her mind and soul rather and only after the battle will it be a thing of beauty to behold. She will be taught to channel love, to reciprocate the tender blissful heat of passion I already admit to feeling for her. My Katrianne. I will own her heart and I'll be damned before I will betray her or give her up for the barest second. I won't sell her as her disgusting excuse for a step-father and guardian did for such a meager sum. His pet. Disgraced with such loathsome ease. He must remember to flay the epitome of bastardly greed when next the opportunity presented itself.
For now he must be content to beautify his darling as best he could with the scarce bit of control she would permit him. Letting his imagination rove, guided by an appreciating eye flowing over her disparagingly rumpled appearance he conjured up mental images of how best to dress her. His mind caught and grew disgruntled upon the seemingly stereotypical "preppy" clothing she was currently adorned with. "Sweetling, did your step-father force you to wear that for me?"
Katrianne looked up sharply. This man was even more dangerous than she first dared to fear. Already he was noticing what he should not be able to figure out. Narrowing her eyes slightly she carefully nodded yes to answer his question. Perhaps it would turn out to be a simple lucky guess. She wasn't optimistic enough to believe that but it was a stupidly comforting thought anyhow.
"I thought as much. Do you mind jeweled colors terribly much or would you prefer to maintain simple black, my pet?" He hoped for the freedom to choose dark jeweled tones as well while adorning his precious. Her nearly flawless pale skin would look absolutely stunning draped in a rose scarlet and her eyes would simply sparkle if he chose to hang a matching emerald green over her lithe shoulders.
Far too dangerous. Any forming thoughts of playing with this dark god shattered painfully. Katrianne couldn't hope to compete with someone who could so clearly read her preferences. She wondered how he would react to a few acts of respectful politeness from her. Might as well experiment to find out. "If it please you. I would be grateful if you would avoid pastels, sir. They disgust me."
His eyes positively shined at her sweet tones. Well, that was one thing to be grateful for. He wasn't one of those who only desired what did not desire him. He wasn't after her simply because she resisted him. Most likely there would be no rape. The slight hope in her withered away and a short disparaging thought informed her that she was being far too optimistic for so early a point in this game.
He allowed his voice to purr comfortingly for her as a reward for her moment of charming grace. "Very well, my dear. Finish your meal and we will see how our tastes compare when you are through." If she could deem to be courteous for him then he could only return the favor and allow her simple freedoms. Gods, he relished her.
"Thank you." So he wasn't going to demand complete control over her. Best to thank him for the slight self-control. That really was comforting, nearly as comforting as the sweet drawling caress of his voice when he was pleased with her. He was so seductive. It would prove easy to become addicted to his pleasure if allowed time, she knew that already. When he was pleased he was so desirably tender and courteous. His pleasure meant her pleasure, he was the type that would be sure that remained true.
"Ah, sweetling, how beautiful this will be between us." She didn't take his gift for granted. Ummm. Delightful, charming, saccharine woman. Soon she would realize the depth of his plans. Very soon indeed if she continued her glorious civility. How was he to deny her such freedoms when she was behaving so sweetly? Soon it would become obvious to her how much control she could have over herself and, he had to admit, himself as well if she only asked, when she finally realized how little he actually denied her.
A/N: Plot suggestions welcome.