Disclaimer: Drow not mine…

Alhana: Now what do you think he'd do if he knew that you call him "that master dude"? Maybe you should go and hide…or try to bribe him.

SilverWolf7: Yes I feel sorry too, but I could probably figure something out to have them rescued.

Raven: Thank you! bows I haven't read anything quite like this either, which is one of the reasons I decided to write it. :-)

Nariel: Klar sieht er gut aus. Mein ästhetisches Empfinden lässt ja gar nichts anderes zu!

C

Worthless

C

When we are both dressed once more he takes me to his rooms. I'm so dazed and exhausted that except for their strange, prominent emptiness I barely notice our surroundings, needing all energy that is left to stumble after him while struggling to keep up with the fast pace he sets.

Andy is there, kneeling next to the bed and watching me as I stagger through the door.

"Get him cleaned up and rested." Our Master commands shortly. "I may wish for both of you when I come back."

And with a swish of his robes he's gone, leaving us to lick our wounds together. Feeling unable to do anything else I just stand there swaying slightly and staring at nothing. Shame starts to color my pale cheeks when I think about my actions. Really great, what have I gotten myself into? I'm certain now that won't ever be the same after my Master is through with me. Shit I'm already calling him Master even in my own mind.

"Are you hurt?" Andy is looking at me concernedly, but I just give him a tired shake of my head.

"No, he was very… considerate." I can clearly hear the tired bitterness in my voice and Andy bites his lip as if to keep from saying something, before he takes my hand to lead me into an adjacent room, where I'm presented with the sight of what must be the biggest bathtub ever. It's designed to look like a pond, so that you can just step inside without having to climb over a high rim.

I hesitate only for a second before pulling off my shirt. It's not like Andy won't see me naked soon enough, at least not if I am to rely on my Masters words. The water is warm and soothing and all by themselves my eyes slowly start to close, but when I hear Andy moving towards the door I can feel the panic starting to rise. If he goes I'll be alone!

"No! Wait, don't leave me!"

I know it sounds utterly pitiful and ridiculous, but I can't help myself. Not after being in that room. There's understanding in his eyes though and I remember how he behaved when hearing the Master laugh in our prison cell. So softly…I understand much better now why it woke him up so fast.

"Don't worry." He says quietly. "I'm only fetching the soap."

With that he reaches for a slender bottle which is standing on top of a small wooden shelf and proceeds to get in the water with me to apply its sweet, flowery smelling contents to my skin, producing a thin layer of soft, white foam. I'm not sure if I should be this passive and give in so easily, but it feels nice to have him doing this and I'm so tired. There's no point in resisting I suppose. It would only get us both in trouble.

"Don't fight it." Andy murmurs behind me, while sliding his hands up and down my back. "In the end you can't change anything anyway. Just do what he says and it won't be so bad."

I close my eyes, trying not to cry. As far as I can see this will be my life from now on. A slave and a whore, I've certainly had better prospects. I've had worse too, but somehow I can't seem to remember those at the moment. The more I think about it, the more I resent this situation. Why does it have to be me? I didn't do anything wrong! Well not much anyway.

"So it won't be bad if I just give in and be his bitch, will it? Yes I can see that it will be great." I snap suddenly angry.

"Better than punishment."

That sobers me up instantly and I sort of collapse into a wet, hopeless heap. Of course I will do what he orders me to. The memory of the terrible blackness is still painfully fresh in my mind. Anything is better than being exposed to my own demons, without the means of escape. I continue to brood passively while Andy gets me out of the water, dries me off before I get to drink a bit of water to soothe my parched throat and then he leads me to the bed, where we both fall asleep after only a few minutes.

The first thing I hear upon I slowly returning to consciousness is my Masters voice telling Andy to wake me, which he does by running his hands down my sides and whispering in my ear. As I open my eyes and he pulls back I'm presented with the sight of our sparsely clothed Master looking down on me, his expression hungry, red eyes gleaming.

"So now that you're awake, do you remember what you promised slave?"

"Y…yes I do Master."

My faltering reply is met with a feral grin and I suspect he won't make it easy for me. Not that I would really expect him to, but the thought alone exhausts me and fills me with an uneasy foreboding.

"And you will honor your promise?"

"I'll try my best Master."

That laugh again.

"Yes. I'll make sure of that trust me."

I wince at the implications of this sentence. I knew of course, but hearing it spoken aloud somehow makes it more real and threatening. Then he becomes businesslike and says: "Well, I know you can be quite enthusiastic if you want to be." A dirty smirk accompanies that statement and in my mind I see myself again, desperately clinging onto him, half crazed by my own fears and guilt. Not a pretty picture.

"And it will suffice for now, but you'll still be expected to learn some things. Andy can help you with that."

"Yes Master." We both say in unison. I think I'm going to hate these two words by the end of this night!

"Do you wish to observe his training Master?" Andy asks politely, running nimble fingers through my tangled hair.

"I may. From time to time, but mainly you'll be alone. You have enough spare time after all."

My training? Suddenly I feel quite overwhelmed by the prospect of all these enormous changes my personality will have to undergo if I still want to have something resembling a life and stay sane at the same time. I'm not sure I can do this. Even though I know perfectly well that I'll have to if I don't want to end up totally broken. Bend but don't break. I'll have to pretend as good as I can and I'm very aware of the fact that it's going to be hard, terribly hard!

My Masters exploring hands run slowly over my tense body. Although he's gentle and does nothing to hurt or alarm me I can't help but become restless. It's almost a relief when he bows down to kiss my unresisting lips and I can finally react instead of just lying there passively accepting his touch. Almost by themselves my hands seem to find their way to his head and into the white hair to draw him nearer. Better to get this over with as quickly as possible. Obviously he does not share my last sentiment, because the kiss comes to a sudden end.

"Impatient are we?" He mocks and motions for me to sit up. Maybe I was too eager, but I just had to act. I've always been rather impatient and waiting is not something I like. I can feel Andy moving to sit behind me, his arm sneaking around my waist. His chin comes to rest on my shoulder and I start to feel at least a bit better. His warm presence at my back is strangely reassuring, because if he can do this I must be able to do it too.

"Do you want to know how I killed your cousin?"

And there goes all reassurance. I need to know though out of some perverse sense of duty and force myself to nod. It seems to please him, for he looks quite delighted. He probably would have told me anyway, just to see my misery.

He puts one slender finger under my chin and draws me nearer until he can whisper in my ear.

"I forced her to drink Chatai, one of the slower acting, but incredibly painful poisons. I'm sure you heard her scream when it started to take effect. Such a pity she passed out after only a few seconds."

I shiver, but he's not finished yet.

"But before that she told my some interesting things about you." No! I know what he'll say next and I'd give anything to shut him up. I don't want to hear it!

"They cast you out." I close my eyes and he continues. "Now why would they do that? Such a terrible punishment, it must have been something dreadful."

He pats my head in mock compassion, his cheek resting against mine.

"What did you do? Hmm? Tell us."

I won't do it! I won't admit a deed which I've never committed!

"I did nothing Master."

"Oh, so they cast you out for nothing? Did they think you're worthless? Yes, I guess that must be it. Nobody cared for you, you're of no value at all; just superfluous baggage they needed to get rid of."

"No!"

A hard grip in my hair, which forces me to look him into the eyes. "You're being disrespectful slave. Are you calling me a liar?"

Despite his calm tone I flinch. "No Master."

"Good. And you know I'm right. Take your cousin for example; she didn't care about you at all. She betrayed you without a second thought. So you see nobody wants you. You really are worthless. Nothing more than dirt."

I don't know why this hurts so much, but somehow after all that I've been through by now his voice cuts deep in my soul and my tired mind can only wail 'no!' over and over. I can't concentrate when I'm confronted with this hard, icy red stare and a small whimper escapes me.

"Say it slave."

"I…." I can't continue, if I say the words he'll be right.

"Say it. You don't want to disobey, do you?"

"No Master. Please!"

"Now!"

I try to look away, but he won't let me still keeping his tight grip in my hair.

"I'm… I…."

"Look at me." He hisses as I close my eyes. The grip is becoming so tight, that it is painful and the promise of that Room hangs above my head like the axe of an executioner.

"I'm worthless." I croak out defeated and instantly I am released into Andy's welcoming arms, where I start to tremble helplessly while he strokes my back in an attempt to calm me.

"And you, I hope you still know what you are." Our Master addresses him coolly.

"I'm your slut Master." Is the resigned answer.

"Yes. Mine. Make sure you remember that when Vergir comes to fetch you in a moment."

"Yes Master."

Fetch him? I'll be alone with the Master? All blood leaves my face and I have to bite down hard on my lips to keep from begging Andy to stay. I know he has no say in this either.