Thank you all for the reviews! Amazing response to the last chapter, probably the most to any chapter of this fic ever! I would also like to thank you for suspending judgement based on that one chapter because everything, as always, is part of the bigger picture. Thanks to Carolm007 for an excellent addition to one of the scenes here.
I would also like to thank the guest reviewers for their comments, many of which deserved a reply had I been able as they held valid points :)
Aussi, bonjour à Chris , merci pour les commentaires! And hello and thanks to all other non English speakers who read :)
On with the story!
Xxxxx
Thera nodded and with one last effort rammed the final knife through Emma's left hand.
"Easy, she's alright," Red still had her hand on Greta's shoulder, preventing the young wolf darting forward as the slave slumped in her bonds.
Regina stepped forward, fingers gently lifting her pet's chin. Out cold. The queen sighed and let the blonde's head drop then took her time examining each wound, each bloody and raw, oozing truckles of crimson, all except the one on her shoulder , that was pumping blood out in slow rhythm. Regina dipped her finger into the thick fluid, rubbing it over the tips before bringing it to her mouth and tasting her pet's blood, always a pleasant experience she mused.
"She stays there until sundown or until she dies, whichever comes sooner. You are to stay and watch her bleed for you then a month in the dungeon," the queen declared with a sniff as she addressed the amazon before turning her back on her pet as she gracefully swept down towards where her entourage was waiting.
xxxx
"Regina, that was barbaric!" Gabrielle berated her friend in a heated whisper the moment the queen was in earshot.
"Indeed, but an excellent punishment," the queen dismissed the reprimand with a curl of her lip. "Red, have someone watch her. The amazon must stay as well."
"Yes, Mistress," Red dipped her head in response to the order.
"Come, let us have luncheon," Regina ushered Gabrielle and the ever silent warrior along with her, seemingly unconcerned about leaving her slave to test her fate.
"Pup, take my slave and watch Emma, monitor her and call me immediately if anything concerns you," Red murmured her instructions to the young wolf.
"Yes, Red. You know I will. I just wish I could shift, I feel stronger that way," Greta tugged at her collar.
"I know, as soon as Emma is out of danger I will speak to the Queen about your training. It will be hard but you are strong and wish to succeeded, that is half the battle. I miss your wolf," Red added softly, causing Greta to flush at the compliment. The older wolf threw one last look towards her friend still strapped to the board then jogging after the royals.
Red re-joined the party as they made the turn into the queen's garden, the day warm and when the weather was such Regina liked to eat outside. Red gestured to one of the guards they passed and the woman ran off to inform the kitchen that the queen was ready to eat. It wasn't until the food arrived that the conversation became awkward.
"Don't you care if she dies?" Gabrielle was on the offensive the moment the servants left.
"It would be a mild inconvenience if my pet were to succumb to her injuries," Regina sniffed, not letting the questioning prevent her from enjoying her food as she delicately bit into a sweet pastry.
"A mild inconvenience? Gabrielle hissed. "It will bring the White Kingdom down on you if you are responsible for murdering their daughter, let alone poor Emma suffering -."
"Well," Regina huffed, knowing her friend would persist until she felt her point was well made. "Seeing as only a handful of people know Emma's likely parentage, most of who are here now, they will never find out."
"Regina, this isn't about loyalty!" Gabrielle exclaimed as she boosted to her feet, her chair falling back with a clatter against the cobbled ground. "It's how the kind young woman I first met, who helped a slave she didn't know, turned into a ruthless killer! How she turned into someone who doesn't give a damn about the only person I've ever met who compliments you so well you can't even see it!" A sigh as the amazon queen inhaled to calm herself. "You're no better than the rest of them. I've known you be wrong before, Regina, but never a fool."
Red stared dumbly at the amazon queen as she finished her tirade then looked to the queen for her reaction. Dark magic glittered in the eyes of the queen and Red recognised the look well.
"It is only because I value our friendship that I am giving you a chance to leave, friend," narrowed eyes swirled with magic as Regina stood to confront the other queen, staring each other down.
"I can't stay and watch the girl die because you're too caught up in your games to see what is right in front of you!" Gabrielle seethed, gesturing for her consort to follow.
"Sometimes you need to be swallowed by the darkness to see the light," the normally taciturn warrior spoke cryptically before following her lover back into the interior of the palace.
Red watched the whole exchange open-mouthed. No-one had ever spoken to the queen that way. People had lost their lives for much less. Red blinked, her mistress turning her turbulent gaze on the wolf before finding it returned it steadily. It was Regina's turn to blink as Red rose from the table, palms flat on the weathered wood as she pushed herself up, their eyes locked.
Regina gasped as her wolf turned from her and began to walk away, the queen's hand darting out to encircle Red's wrist, the action enough to halt the wolf but she did not turn to her mistress
"Knives?" Red hissed, shoulders hunched. " A whipping would have been severe enough but you had a choice!" Thewolf voiced her anger she felt towards her queen.
"Do you no longer trust me?" The question hung heavy in the air between queen and subject, mistress and pet, mother and pup.
"If I can't trust you, who can I trust?" Red replied before turning yellowed eyes on the queen, head cocked. "I will always trust you but I must now question your methods," the wolf replied.
"And so you should, that is your place now," Regina stood, releasing her hold. "But we have an understanding?"
"We always do," Red dipped her head in acknowledgement before leaving the queen alone.
xxxx
"Come on," Greta gestured to Belle, the young wolf leading the way quickly across the courtyard to where Emma was restrained. "Oh, Emma," Greta sighed as she carefully examined her friend, using her heightened senses so that she did not have to touch her. The slave was still unconscious and as her vital signs were as well as could be expected Greta did not disturb the blonde, unconscious was good the state she was in.
"I -," Thera began.
"I am not here to listen to your excuses," Greta growled. "If you had not interfered none of this would have happened. You have been here long enough to know how possessive the Queen is of her slaves and are a fool to think this would have ended well!" The wolf was young but fierce in the defence of her friend, the thought of needing to nurse Emma through another period of recovery worried her.
Thera hung her head and looked to Belle for support, the two may be amazons but Belle had joined the tribe after Thera had joined the queen's army so the two had never met. Belle said nothing and avoided eye contact with her fellow amazon. She was Mistress Red's slave now and could not condone the prisoner's actions but she bore it as a warning to tread very carefully around the queen and her favoured ones.
"You're smart," was Greta's brief compliment. She had watched the interaction and approved. This Belle was smarter than the wolf had originally thought, sure she was infatuated with Red but who wouldn't be? "And so are you, in your own way," Greta turned to Thera. "You did your best not to hurt her, we know that."
"I tried," Thera whispered, unable to look at Emma's body as it hung limply in its bonds.
"Emma is brave but foolish," Greta may be young but she held no illusions. "She stood against the Queen for me," the pup recalled Emma refusing to take her virginity despite the queen's insistence.
"And yet is still favoured?" Belle dared to speak, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"She is," Greta shrugged. "But her punishment was awful!" The wolf screwed up her nose in memory of the vile substance Emma had been covered in, the way it had burned.
"Worse than this?" Thera questioned, sickened with herself for the damage she had caused the innocent slave.
"No," Greta sighed and the fell silent, ending the conversation. Greta's attention was caught by a change in Emma's breathing, the wolf rushing over to check on the slave before either of the amazon's realised what was going on. "Shhh, rest. You have a few hours left until sunset, " soft words soothed the slave and Emma gave a brief nod before shutting down again, trusting Greta to watch over her. Greta didn't have the heart to tell her friend that it was barely after midday and still around six hours until dusk would arrive.
The thought sobered the young wolf and she settled herself to guard her friend, conversation ceased by Greta's change of demeanour.
Red strode into the courtyard after leaving the queen, keen to check on Emma. Yes, she trusted the queen but -. But it was barbaric and she needed to see for herself how badly Emma was wounded. The three young women stepped back as Red arrived, her whole aura projecting her disquiet, the alpha's magic buzzing on such a level it was almost visible.
"Oh Emma, what has she done?" Red murmured, eyes flicking towards the amazon but her words referring to her mistress. Keen eyes examined each wound and also the amount of blood pooled on the floor beneath the slave's feet, the copper tang nauseating the wolf. Not yet fatal but still far too much when coupled with the slave's grey complexion and shallow breathing.
Red positioned herself in front of her friend, Greta by her side as they stood guard. Belle and Thera keeping out of the wolves way.
Time ticked on and the sun moved through the sky. As it began its turn towards the horizon a crowd began to assemble in the courtyard, respectfully silent as they came to observe the slave guarded by her wolves.
As the sky began to darken Regina walked to her balcony and surveyed the scene below her. The space now filled with palace guards, amazons and other bodies that had nothing better to do except ogle her pet. When Red sensed the queen's presence she looked up, receiving a nod from her mistress. Barely managing to hold back a strangled sob of relief Red whirled around to face her friend, eyeing the wicked knives still embedded in the slave's flesh.
They had to free her and do it quickly, as soon as the blades were removed the bleeding would intensify.
The audience watched as Red reached back to free her hair from its ties, the long leather strips in her hand. The wolf hastily tied makeshift tourniquets around Emma's uppers arms and the tops of her thighs but there was nothing she could do for the shoulder wounds. A gesture and two of the guards ran forward with a stretcher, on which rested a small bag, that they placed on the floor in front of the still bound slave.
"You two," Red gestured to Greta and Belle. "As soon as I remove the knives the bleeding will start. You are to press the bandages from the bag against the wound to stop as much blood as possible. You need to do this as I move her and until I tell you to stop. Understood?"
"Yes, Red. Yes, Mistress Red," the girls replied, both had received basic medical training but apart from the odd cut and burn had never dealt with anything more serious.
The alpha glanced to see if everything was ready, deciding it was now or never she eased each knife out of her friend, starting with her ribs, then thighs eyeing the sluggish pump of blood warily. Next, and ever so carefully, the blades were slid from Emma's hands. It was only then that Emma showed any signs of being aware of what was going on, a low moan breaking free as she opened her eyes.
"Easy there," Red soothed the slave, hearing her friend's voice and knowing she was safe Emma gave in and the weight of her lids closed her eyes once more. "Now, press." Greta and Belle stepped forwards, using the bandage pads they held to put pressure on each of the shoulder wounds as Red removed the blades, tossing each one away from her, fingers tingling as she did.
Red still needed to move quickly, every second was more blood lost. Shifting claws onto one hand the wolf sliced through Emma's bonds, cradling the blonde against her as she fell forward. Carrying her precious cargo to the stretcher and with the aid of the same two guards, one on either end of the contraption, led the way off the platform into the palace. Their progress was met with silence, all the soldiers present standing to rapt attention as they watched the wolf pass. It wasn't until Red was inside that the courtyard erupted in a cacophony of howls and weapons beating against whatever surface they could find in a salute for the slave.
Red broke into a run, the guards keeping pace as Emma let out a rattling breath, probably caused by her change in position but she was unconscious again and this worried the wolf.
"Leave us," Red barked, scooping the slave up in her arms and dismissing the guards, her actions throwing Greta and Belle's best efforts, shaking her head at the young slaves indicating that they were not to follow before bursting into the queen's chambers looking frantic.
"Put her on her bed," Regina gestured to Emma's open doorway but Red just shot her a look.
"No, your bed, we both know she will end up there anyway," Red growled, calling the queen on her recent sleeping habits. Regina was startled by the wolf's audacity but let it go with a curl of her lip and an inclination of her head, following the pair through to her bedchamber where Emma was carefully laid out on top of the furs.
"Pass me my medicine box," Red hurriedly grabbed the ornate wooden box that housed the queen's special healing potions.
Xxxxx
Next on The Collar
"Here," Regina reached for Red's hand, the wolf allowing it to be taken and pressed palm down over where Emma's heart lay, safely ensconced in her chest. "Concentrate, breathe," the queen urged and Red focused, reaching out with her magic to sense the slave's life force.