Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Black Jewels Trilogy. They are wonderful ideas of Anne Bishop. I only own the wonderful ideas of Nathtae and Damara. : )
SapphireEyes: I'm working on making it clear where I'm going with my story. I do know where I'm going. I hope you like this chapter too.
Dena Nehele Black Widow: I'm flattered that you think that I have Daemon's character down. I worked really hard on that. I'm glad someone noticed! : )
Chapter 3
"So, Nathtae, tell me, are you coming to the entertainment after breakfast? It's a new pleasure slave whose in the process of being taught. He refused one of my coven last night. There should be much blood shed. I thinking 50 lashes, at least. Then the Ring of Obedience, to show him his place. We'll see how rebellious he is after that. If you're lucky you might get to see him break," Dorothea asked at breakfast, with a cruel grin on her face.
Damara looked up from her breakfast. She eyed her aunt who happily nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."
"Why don't you bring your niece also?" Dorothea asked.
"Of course, Damara would love to come. Wouldn't you," she asked, hissing.
Damara did not in any way want to attend this "entertainment," especially the way that they grinned. Always fear when women like Dorothea and her aunt smiled. So she replied the only way she could without getting punished. "Yes, Aunt Nathtae."
In a couple minutes most people were finished eating and they all (by a vast majority women) adjourned to another room. It was very big and spacious, although simplistic with large windows to one side. Seats were set up in rows facing two poles in the center of the room.
All the women filed in, taking their seats. Damara sat by her aunt, and felt relieved that Daemon quickly took the seat beside her before Kartane did. She turned to smile at Daemon as he stared out in front, not looking at her. He had a bored look on his face: he knew what was coming. Damara had a chill run up her back; she really did not want to be here. Dorothea sat on the other side of Damara's aunt.
When all the women were in and seated, talking excitedly amongst themselves, Dorothea waved to the guard who left momentarily and returned with a kicking, fighting man with his hands tied behind his back. He was well built with straight red hair that fell in his face. He wore the tattered remains of tight clothes. The guard, tremendously muscular as he was, had difficulty with the slave who kicked viciously and almost broke the guard's hold a number of times. Two additional guards ran in and helped escort the man to the poles.
His shirt and pants were stripped from him and cast aside and he was tied facing the crowd--an arm and a leg to each pole. He glared at Dorothea. "You are a bitch. No one should serve you or any of the stupid whores who follow you."
Dorothea smiled at the guards and waved her hand, indicating for them to begin. The guard who had originally brought him in picked up a whip off a tray to the side and stood behind the man. "I didn't do anything wrong. She took me from my home," the man screamed as the guard raised the whip. He winced from the pain but continued to speak. "I had a life. She took me here to ring me and take away all my dignity. I never asked for this." As the guard continued to whip him, the man's speaking became stuttered from the pain, and he became more vehement. "I'll never serve any of you. Never. I would rather die! You're not fit to be Blood!" He moaned in pain and ended his tirade as he began to scream in pain. Blood poured down the back of his legs, onto the sheet.
Damara felt a tear trickle down her cheek. His screaming cut into her soul. Daemon wordlessly reached over and held her hand. She was grateful for his comfort as more tears followed, unbidden. She watched wide-eyed as Dorothea got out of her seat and the whipping stopped. She sauntered over to the man and whispered something in his ear. She pulled back with a wicked grin on her face. He closed his eyes and moaned, Damara guessed from fear. Dorothea leaned him and gave him a violent kiss.
The High Priestess turned to the guards and ordered them to untie the slave. He dropped to the ground on his hands and knees. Dorothea stood in front of him and smiled. He fell to the floor, convulsing, on his back. "Please make it stop," he whispered.
"So a little pain from the Ring and you are begging for it to stop," Dorothea said as she paced around his form on the floor. "What would you give for the pain to stop?"
"Anything," he whined.
Damara had many tears streaming down her face. She wanted to run, but saw her aunt watching her and knew leaving would be severely punished. She wanted to hold him, and make Dorothea stop. She closed her eyes and wished that she was at home safe in her bed.
"I'm glad you've had a change of heart, Prince Mikos," she said. "I take it you will be serving my coven tonight?"
He sobbed and nodded, still on the ground. The women all walked out, chattering and laughing. The High Priestess turned to the guards. "Take him away and have him cleaned up." She stormed out but paused a moment to smirk evilly at Damara.
Now alone in the room except for Daemon, Damara buried her face in her hands. "That was awful," she cried. "I feel so bad for him."
"It was a show for you," Daemon said quietly.
"A show for me? What do you mean?"
"Dorothea did it to frighten you, just like she does everyone else."
Damara was silent as she thought and finally nodded. She felt a surge of confidence and her opal jewel glowed. "Well, it didn't work."
She got up and walked out of the room.
SapphireEyes: I'm working on making it clear where I'm going with my story. I do know where I'm going. I hope you like this chapter too.
Dena Nehele Black Widow: I'm flattered that you think that I have Daemon's character down. I worked really hard on that. I'm glad someone noticed! : )
Chapter 3
"So, Nathtae, tell me, are you coming to the entertainment after breakfast? It's a new pleasure slave whose in the process of being taught. He refused one of my coven last night. There should be much blood shed. I thinking 50 lashes, at least. Then the Ring of Obedience, to show him his place. We'll see how rebellious he is after that. If you're lucky you might get to see him break," Dorothea asked at breakfast, with a cruel grin on her face.
Damara looked up from her breakfast. She eyed her aunt who happily nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."
"Why don't you bring your niece also?" Dorothea asked.
"Of course, Damara would love to come. Wouldn't you," she asked, hissing.
Damara did not in any way want to attend this "entertainment," especially the way that they grinned. Always fear when women like Dorothea and her aunt smiled. So she replied the only way she could without getting punished. "Yes, Aunt Nathtae."
In a couple minutes most people were finished eating and they all (by a vast majority women) adjourned to another room. It was very big and spacious, although simplistic with large windows to one side. Seats were set up in rows facing two poles in the center of the room.
All the women filed in, taking their seats. Damara sat by her aunt, and felt relieved that Daemon quickly took the seat beside her before Kartane did. She turned to smile at Daemon as he stared out in front, not looking at her. He had a bored look on his face: he knew what was coming. Damara had a chill run up her back; she really did not want to be here. Dorothea sat on the other side of Damara's aunt.
When all the women were in and seated, talking excitedly amongst themselves, Dorothea waved to the guard who left momentarily and returned with a kicking, fighting man with his hands tied behind his back. He was well built with straight red hair that fell in his face. He wore the tattered remains of tight clothes. The guard, tremendously muscular as he was, had difficulty with the slave who kicked viciously and almost broke the guard's hold a number of times. Two additional guards ran in and helped escort the man to the poles.
His shirt and pants were stripped from him and cast aside and he was tied facing the crowd--an arm and a leg to each pole. He glared at Dorothea. "You are a bitch. No one should serve you or any of the stupid whores who follow you."
Dorothea smiled at the guards and waved her hand, indicating for them to begin. The guard who had originally brought him in picked up a whip off a tray to the side and stood behind the man. "I didn't do anything wrong. She took me from my home," the man screamed as the guard raised the whip. He winced from the pain but continued to speak. "I had a life. She took me here to ring me and take away all my dignity. I never asked for this." As the guard continued to whip him, the man's speaking became stuttered from the pain, and he became more vehement. "I'll never serve any of you. Never. I would rather die! You're not fit to be Blood!" He moaned in pain and ended his tirade as he began to scream in pain. Blood poured down the back of his legs, onto the sheet.
Damara felt a tear trickle down her cheek. His screaming cut into her soul. Daemon wordlessly reached over and held her hand. She was grateful for his comfort as more tears followed, unbidden. She watched wide-eyed as Dorothea got out of her seat and the whipping stopped. She sauntered over to the man and whispered something in his ear. She pulled back with a wicked grin on her face. He closed his eyes and moaned, Damara guessed from fear. Dorothea leaned him and gave him a violent kiss.
The High Priestess turned to the guards and ordered them to untie the slave. He dropped to the ground on his hands and knees. Dorothea stood in front of him and smiled. He fell to the floor, convulsing, on his back. "Please make it stop," he whispered.
"So a little pain from the Ring and you are begging for it to stop," Dorothea said as she paced around his form on the floor. "What would you give for the pain to stop?"
"Anything," he whined.
Damara had many tears streaming down her face. She wanted to run, but saw her aunt watching her and knew leaving would be severely punished. She wanted to hold him, and make Dorothea stop. She closed her eyes and wished that she was at home safe in her bed.
"I'm glad you've had a change of heart, Prince Mikos," she said. "I take it you will be serving my coven tonight?"
He sobbed and nodded, still on the ground. The women all walked out, chattering and laughing. The High Priestess turned to the guards. "Take him away and have him cleaned up." She stormed out but paused a moment to smirk evilly at Damara.
Now alone in the room except for Daemon, Damara buried her face in her hands. "That was awful," she cried. "I feel so bad for him."
"It was a show for you," Daemon said quietly.
"A show for me? What do you mean?"
"Dorothea did it to frighten you, just like she does everyone else."
Damara was silent as she thought and finally nodded. She felt a surge of confidence and her opal jewel glowed. "Well, it didn't work."
She got up and walked out of the room.