Chapter Ten

Entreaty

The next few hours saw Ramsay in a state of irritable boredom, as he shifted around on the bed pointedly looking away from his jailor at nothing whatsoever, wishing that he could simply fall back to sleep so as to burn away the time. He wasn't going to be able to fall back to sleep, though, not with the way events left him feeling at this point.

So instead he felt the seconds ticking by in the slowest fashion possible, time dripping through the skein of aggravation so that every moment was a horrible eternity. He was almost annoyed enough to try speaking to Eroc once more… almost. Despite how his confinement and boredom made him feel though the option of talking to his keeper still shone as a worse plight.

Ramsay was fully convinced now that Eroc was perhaps just as miserably bored with the waiting as he was, but in the large warrior's case he was also looking for a good excuse or even a moderately passable excuse to enjoy passing the time by making Ramsay's time with him even more miserable than his own was.

Ramsay was almost relieved when Sansa returned, as part of him had worried that she might have been assassinated by those seeking to do him harm; not a likely event, sure, but since he still didn't know the agenda in full of those hunting him, the possibility wasn't entirely out of the question. If Sansa was killed Ramsay would have no one in the keep around that didn't want him dead.

She walked in looking tired; she had been up almost all of the night Ramsay realized, so she was likely exhausted. She glanced at Ramsay where he came to rapt attention upon the bed at seeing her form shadow the doorway, then she looked over to Eroc, "Thank you; I should be able to handle things from here if you wish to leave."

If Eroc was tired he showed no sign of it except perhaps by the slow manner in which he had been moving, and the easy drawl that he addressed Sansa with, "You still haven't told me what Jon said he wanted done."

Sansa nodded curtly even if she also did let loose an exasperated sigh, "Jon told me he would like for you to remain in guard of Ramsay in addition to myself for the time being, but I have already informed him that I can handle Ramsay just fine alone, so you should go get some rest if you need it; I understand it is late and your shift started early."

Eroc grunted, "I'm fine…" He glanced at Sansa, looking her over, "…I have no doubt that you can handle this little man; from what I've learned of him and the things I've heard, you do just fine. I think I'll stay just a little longer, though; I want to see how things go from here."

Sansa gave him a look that spoke of confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

Eroc let out a low laugh that resembled somewhere between a scoff and a guffaw, "I had to remind him of his place while you were gone; tried to talk to me like he was 'king of the north,' and I was some southern peasant for him to kick around."

Eroc went on, "Of course, I straightened him out on that number, so I doubt he'll be making the same mistake again. Been quiet as a mouse ever since."

Sansa turned to regard Ramsay, whose cheeks and ears had begun burning at Eroc's story of what had happened, insulting and truncated as it was.

He had hoped fervently that Eroc would just leave when Sansa returned, that he would go and perhaps Sansa would never have to know about the awful events that had transpired while she was gone. But Eroc apparently wasn't quite done at making him even more miserable just yet, and had surprised him by going so far as to mention the actions he had taken.

Sansa walked over and looked Ramsay over, her hand reaching out to turn his face to look at her. Perhaps she had been expecting a black eye or two, Ramsay thought. She did seem to finally notice something that her tired mind had overlooked until this point though, "Ramsay, who said that you could dress yourself?"

Ramsay's eyes widened in sudden surprise; he knew that Sansa had given command that he was to remain pantless before, but with everything that had happened he supposed that he had assumed that at least for the time being that particular command might have been suspended or at the very least put on temporary hold.

Apparently not, though, judging by the way that Sansa vindictively glared down at him. He found himself sheepishly removing his pants then, though gently as his backside was still quite raw from the very recent ministrations that Eroc had laid upon him during the big man's own bout of personal retribution. Sansa waited patiently.

Once he had been divested of his pants she grabbed him by the arm, hoisting him the rest of the way up so that she could see his bottom. Ramsay covered his face with his other hand as she marveled in surprise, "I must say, I did not expect you would do this; what made you decide to spank him?"

Eroc shrugged almost dismissively, "Seemed like a good way to go about it at the time."

"Did you do this in particular because of things you have heard about how I punish him, or was that mere coincidence?"

Eroc shook his head, "I have heard tale of how you make the little bitch holler loud enough to echo out to the courtyard, but I chose it mostly because he so obviously fears it."

Sansa still hadn't allowed Ramsay to sit back down as they spoke, since she was still admiring the crisscrossed arrangement of welts and bruises adorning his buttocks which spoke testament to the sustained punishment he had faced under the big man's strong hand. Being in that position only made the words he heard that much more humiliating.

Ramsay felt sick with shame, and was immensely grateful when Sansa finally let him go so that he could hide himself from their open view. Sansa was nodding to Eroc, "He is a like a child in a man's body at times, so it's the right sort of way to deal with him when he misbehaves. I didn't expect you to punish him, but I thank you that you did not beat or abuse him, since he is so childlike."

Ramsay was grating his teeth together now, feeling a swell of rage he could do nothing with as her words continued to humble him further and further. Eroc pointed to Ramsay, who was avoiding eye contact with either of them, "I don't know why you have grown so attached to this one, but I must ask; are you to punish him now?"

Ramsay's eyes came up, widening in sudden apprehension; was he to receive the punishment that Sansa had promised him before leaving now? He was full sore from Eroc's hand at the moment, and the idea of having yet another punishment laid down on top of the tender hurt he already felt made him squirm anxiously.

Sansa nodded, making his heart skip a beat, but her words helped him to relax, even if only slightly, "I will be punishing him, but I am weary from the long day, and I will need to think on how best to punish him not only for running away earlier but also for causing you issues while I was gone."

Ramsay's jaw dropped, "But all I did was ask him to help me find you! I was concerned…" he whined.

His complaint died on his lips under the pressure of Sansa's glare. Sansa clearly did not buy into his excuse, reinforcing the notion as she replied, "I'm certain that is not all that you did… do I need to ask Eroc exactly why he punished you?"

Ramsay gulped; the question had seemed more like a threat than inquisitiveness, but he nodded anyways.

Sansa turned to face Eroc, "Why exactly then did you punish Ramsay while I was away… is he correct in his affectation that you punished him for little to nothing?"

Eroc raised an eyebrow, seeming to be a little surprised, "Well… I suppose you don't really know me, so I won't let that insult me. Tell me; with all that he has done, do I really need further reason to harm him?"

It was Sansa's turn to nod, "Yes; he is under my protection as my prisoner now, so I would only have him punished in the way of my choosing for just reason." She squinted at Eroc, "But I get the feeling you already know that. Thank you for going no further than you did."

Eroc nodded, "I suspected it, though I can't rightly say I've yet come to know the depth of your character. In answer to your question; the little shit had the nerve to think that he could actually command me, as if he was still lord of the castle despite the blood of his dead soldiers littering the ground outside these walls."

This seemed to be what Sansa was looking for and she gave him an appreciative look, "Thank you; I had the feeling it was likely something of the sort." She turned once again to look at Ramsay once more, "Having to verify what you did is only going to make the punishments you must receive for your insolence that much worse."

Ramsay's face was twisted in a look of incredulity, and he stuttered, "Wait… what? I only insisted that we go look for you because the treasonous cur refused to even consider my valid point that you might be in danger! Why would you even take his word over mine besides, nor even give his opinion merit? He is a wildling dog!"

Eroc's nostrils flared and he stood upright with his fists balled in a way that immediately caused Ramsay to cower away from him, placing Sansa in between the two of them reflexively. Sansa spoke before the large bearded wildling could though, "It is painfully obvious to me exactly how you managed to anger your guard enough to spank you."

She elaborated, "Not only are your words insulting but they are incredibly foolish, seeing how the person you insult has some power over you; perhaps I should simply let Eroc punish you again to help you understand why you should think before speaking."

Ramsay shook his head vigorously, "No! No… that won't be necessary…"

Sansa gave Ramsay a hard look, "Prove it; I want you to apologize to Eroc not only for the ignorant and demeaning things you just said but also for your behavior before."

Ramsay's jaw dropped and he looked back and forth between Sansa and Eroc, the latter of which had relaxed into a happy smile, folding his arms over his chest as he waited for Ramsay's reply.

Did she really plan on having him humiliate himself with the proposition of actually apologizing to the brutish wildling? After all, what he had said had merit did it not? Everyone knew that wildlings were an unruly and unsophisticated lot, and Eroc had only proved this beyond doubt to Ramsay in the violent way he had handled him.

But Sansa was also watching him patiently without saying anything further, making it clear that not only was her statement not rhetorical, but that she was clearly expecting him to do what she had indicated. Ramsay licked his lips, feeling his face heat under the strain of the choice he now had to make. He must comply, or Eroc would surely be allowed another go of him…

The thought of that happening was enough to send Ramsay of the edge in making his decision, and with a great deal of reluctance he opened his mouth to speak, "Uh… I… erm… I suppose that the manner in which I spoke about your people could be considered unfair, so I ask you to overlook this potential rudeness…"

Eroc raised an eyebrow at Ramsay, scoffing, and Sansa shook her head, "That isn't going to do, Ramsay; I can see that you feel some need still to validate your own sense of pride with Eroc here so I'm going to make this clear to all involved by keeping it simple; you are to kneel on the floor and beg Eroc for his forgiveness."

Ramsay's jaw dropped even wider than it had before, his eyes widening in shock at her words as she continued, "If Eroc is not convinced that you are sincere with your words, or simply that you have not shown an adequate amount of humility, I encourage him to spank you again to help you remember your place here."

The big man's smile had widened into a grin that spread from ear to ear, and he watched Ramsay in a fashion that was almost jovial now. Ramsay felt sick to his stomach with the awful waves of humiliation that coursed over him. His mouth was dry and he felt like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. How was he to do this?

Memory of how Sansa had made him apologize to her chambermaid rushed back into his mind, and he scolded himself for not seeing this coming; Sansa seemed very much to enjoy bringing him down a peg or three whenever he began to think himself someone else's better. He had no doubt after what he said that Eroc wouldn't punish him, either…

With legs that felt stiff and leaded with the weight of wavering resolve and conflicted inner turmoil, Ramsay haltingly and jerkily lowered himself to the floor until both of his knees rested under him and his head was bowed before the guardsman.

Sansa interjected before he could speak as he opened his mouth, "No; look at him when you speak."

Ramsay glanced over her way, feeling yet another blow to his ego in having to follow her strict commands, and hating that he would have to watch Eroc's gloating face as he gave the bearded man what he wanted. He did so, though, staring into the other man's eyes hatefully for several long moments.

He took a long, ragged, deep breath before speaking, knowing that there was no way that Eroc would be convinced of his humility if he was glaring daggers at the other man as he apologized. Ramsay was fairly good at faking emotion, but the anger and humiliation were making it very hard for him to focus.

Besides, Eroc intimidated him to great degree as well, and he had to wonder whether the wildling was more animal than man; would Eroc know that he was faking it if he didn't actually speak from the heart of tearful repentance? Ramsay trembled slightly as he sat there upon his knees, wondering if Eroc could also smell his fear like a wild beast…

Deciding that the safest course of action would be to put as much truth into it as possible Ramsay chose to let as much of his overwhelming humiliation pour into his voice as feasible; he didn't regret his unkind words towards the boorish man in the least, but perhaps the dolt would mistake his angst over being demeaned for humility, "I… I'm very sorry."

The big man lifted an eyebrow at him by way of response. Ramsay felt his stomach tighten with anxiety; did the warrior doubt him or was he simply inquisitive as to what would cause prideful Ramsay to apologize so easily? Perhaps the guardsman was simply surprised to see how easily Sansa commanded him.

A long and awkward silence ensued then, making Ramsay feel pointedly aware of the fact that he still knelt on the hard ground before this man he so thoroughly despised. He began to honestly wonder if Eroc was going to speak at all and whether Sansa would accept him rising to his feet again when the large wildling finally did open his mouth.

"I was more apt to believe your words when I punished you, but I suppose I can accept this lip service for now." The bearded man smiled widely at Sansa, "I love how you push him around; I can see now why you keep him I think."

Sansa blushed at the suggestion that she was keeping Ramsay around specifically to enjoy humiliating him, but she apparently decided not to argue the point.

"S-so we are all squared then?" asked Ramsay as he stood from kneeling slowly and somewhat nervously, appearing as a man who acts hesitantly, never sure if what he is doing is correct and ever ready to switch tactics should his current method of action prove wrong.

Sansa turned to address him with fire in her eyes, her lips turned down in a slight frown, "Hardly."

For his part Ramsay gulped, returning her reply with silence, since the subject was hardly one he wished to elaborate on after her one-word answer. Instead he cast his eyes down, feeling absolutely wretched with anticipation of what might come next as he shifted from one foot to the next, his lower half naked to a cool wind that blew through the room, igniting his pained posterior.

The silence was broken a moment later by Sansa, who yawned, seeming to let the irritation she had been feeling fall to the wayside, at least for the time being, "It is very late, and I will retire now. If you wish to keep watch Eroc feel free to do so, but personally I must retire for my rest if I am to be of any use tomorrow."

Eroc replied with a simple nod, "I'll be going for a time then, but I may return tomorrow…" he gave Ramsay a wolfish grin, "…if only to see you put it to this little wastrel." He stepped forward towards Ramsay, causing the latter to reactively flinch, and ruffled his hair with one big hand almost affectionately before turning to leave.

Ramsay glared at the departing wildling's back with a fiery hatred that had only been stoked further by the obvious display of belittling 'affection' that Eroc had displayed before leaving. He swore to himself many times in many ways that if he ever found a way to do so he would violently murder that man. He let out a dejected sigh.

After all, as much joy as rumination of slaughtering Eroc in a multitude of vengeful ways brought him, Ramsay wasn't foolish enough to think that he would ever get the opportunity to actually do such things, or even if he did that doing so would be the wisest choice he could make. He glanced over at Sansa.

She was disrobing herself, and Ramsay felt his throat go dry at the sight of it; Sansa was after all a beautiful woman, and her naked form roused him as it would any man with predilection for the female form. He found himself covering his genitalia with his hands, a maneuver he would certainly not have performed only recently ago.

He had done so almost instinctively, too, despite that fact. Sansa had certainly changed that in him, though Ramsay was fairly certain that he did not cover himself over some sense of modesty. No, it was far more likely that he was reacting this way out of a sense of fear; a thought that none the less merited no joy for him.

Ramsay had begun to display an erection at the sight of Sansa's pert breasts, the supple weave of her hips and the appealing shape of her buttocks, and he could not help but to worry over what she might say or more importantly do should she realize that the man that had raped her so profusely was even now aroused at the sight of her.

He tried his best to will the untimely and unwanted stiffness away, but it had been a long time since Ramsay had been able to relieve his own sexual needs and so therefore his member proved unresponsive to his wishes no matter how hard he tried. Therefore he was left awkwardly trying to face away from Sansa so that she would not see it.

She was close though, and as was to be expected she called him to her bed with a simple gesture that had become somewhat routine between them. Ramsay headed that way but slowly and with a great amount of hesitance. He smiled at her nervously as he approached, his cock hidden behind both of his hands.

"Dear Sansa… may I ask why I may not wear pants today? I had thought that I had graduated from that particular… treatment due to good behavior…?"

Sansa glanced back at him, seeing that he was shivering a bit with the cold. Ramsay could only hope that she would think that he covered himself due to the low temperature.

She shook her head at him as she levered herself into the bed and under the covers there. She lifted the fur blankets and gestured for Ramsay to follow, "I was allowing you to dress yourself for a time, but that was before you failed to come to me as you should have and instead tore around the keep causing trouble for everyone."

Ramsay paused at her invitation to join her in the blankets; they usually slept together, particularly after she was done sodomizing him she often fell asleep atop of him, and while in his current state he did relish the thought of coverings and a warm body to lay against, he was anxious that she would discover what he was hiding at such proximity.

He licked his lips, "I am finding it particularly cold tonight… do you think that I might be allowed to don some more clothing… please?"

Sansa's eyes narrowed suspiciously at him and to his horror eventually trailed down to his cupped hands. With a swift movement she reached out and plucked his hands away.

His member had only just begun to abate its salute despite the stress of the situation, and not nearly enough to give the appearance of anything other than raging, lustful desire. Sansa was quiet, glancing up at him after taking the sight in fully, she was met with a sheepish, awkward smile from Ramsay, "I… uh… it has been a while for me…"

Sansa let out an exasperated sigh, "Just face away from me. Now do as I told you and get under the covers already; it is in fact cold, and I don't wish to endure it any longer on account of your sudden bout of modesty."

Ramsay didn't have to be asked twice, sliding in to lie down on his side, which was how he would have wanted to lay after Eroc had his way anyhow. He was only glad that Sansa didn't seem angry, though he supposed that time would tell how it would affect their strange relationship.