Here's the next chapter for you, I hope you like it. Istalindar.
We moved on the next morning. Éowyn and I were veiled, and our hands bound behind our backs. Then we were lifted onto camels, and guards rode behind us, and they were not reluctant to take full advantage of that. Bria's only rule when it came to slaves was that they were not incapacitated by her entourage, so the guards hands roamed free, and all we could do was stare blankly ahead through our silk veils and ignore the lascivious men sitting behind us. I saw Aragorn and Legolas both grow furious at our treatment, but I shook my head at them, and they could do nothing. They were forced to walk behind the camels that carried us, and as night fell Éowyn and I saved our water rations to bathe their feet, which were blistered and rubbed raw from the sand.
Three days into the journey, we met up with another tribe, and the king came forward, and introduced himself as Rion of the Umbari. Bria immediately called a halt and the city of tents was erected. Bria and Rion sat long, talking, eating and drinking. Then Rion called for dancing, and Bria informed him with pride that we would dance. However, I was forced to tell her that Legolas could not, his feet were too sore. So Éowyn got up and volunteered to dance in his place.
The dance we did then was different from the ones I did with Legolas. We were both aware that we danced for our lives, and that if we failed, then we would die. So instead of dancing for Bria, we danced for Rion, and if that dance had a name, it would be seduction. The drumbeat was slow, and Éowyn and I exercised stomach muscles I doubt we realised we had. I could see though that it worked. Rion's pupils dilated, and with a few sultry looks aimed in his direction, I ensured we had his full attention.
At the end of the dance, Éowyn and I sat back down. Legolas grasped my wrist and leaned forward.
"What in all hells are you playing at?"
"Keeping you alive." I retorted under my breath. I knew he would hear me, being elven.
"I can take care of myself." He snapped back.
"Your dancing is your only value." I whispered flatly. "You can't dance right now, so Éowyn and I are dancing to keep you alive." His argument was cut off when Rion stood and came over to us.
"Your beauteous and lovely queen has lent me the pleasure of your company this night." He said, his eyes unabashedly following the curves of both Éowyn's body and mine. He held out his hands, and we took one each. He effortlessly pulled us to our feet, and I ignored Legolas' angry hiss as we departed the tent.
Rion led us to his own, equally big, tent. Only his had a large couch in it. He laid us down on it, and I sent a look at Éowyn that instructed her to play along.
I have never used my body to manipulate. I have used the suggestion of my body to manipulate, but never my actual body. While nothing actually happened that night, between the two of us, we managed to convince Rion that something did. He was young, and I do not think he was much experienced with women, so Éowyn and I simply made him come a couple of times, and he was spent. I used magic to send him to sleep, and then Éowyn and I replaced our clothing and lay on the floor by the couch.
Éowyn turned towards me and cried. I wrapped my arms around her, rocking her and whispering softly to her. She had never learnt to be as cold and unfeeling as I was, turning my heart off to the feelings of those around me. To me, what had just happened was a simple manipulation of a young man unused to being pleasured by two beautiful women. To Éowyn, she had just participated in an abhorrent act that was near enough betrayal to her own much loved husband, Faramir.
"How can he ever forgive me?" she asked, looking up at me.
"He would prefer you alive, dearest, than dead. Had you not done what you did, you might be dead. It is of no matter."
"How can you be so cold?" she asked.
"Much heartache has made me cold, lovely. I am nearing a hundred, and through the death and seeming desertion of loved ones, I can make myself cold. I pray you never develop the ability." It was true. It took a lot of loss and pain to make yourself as cold as I was. Too much. If I lost much more I almost feared my heart would freeze and I would die.
*&*
Rion returned us to Bria with many good things to say about us. He sent us many bothersome looks though, that clearly showed what he thought had happened last night. I knew neither Aragorn nor Legolas had missed those looks. And I fully expected to get interrogated about them.
"But, after seeing Nierra dance so, last night, I would like to offer her the chance to dance with blades." My head shot up, and I stared incredulously at Bria and Rion. The Haradrim called me Nierra, as it meant night. Éowyn was usually known as Daimerra, or day. Probably because of our hair colour. The Haradrim weren't particularly original.
"Indeed, Rion. It seems fair. Yes. Nierra will go with you when you depart, and you shall return her to me in six months, and we shall meet again, here." Rion smiled. Legolas gripped my wrist, but I pried him off. I knew if any affection was shown between any of us, we would be separated.
Permanently.
*&*
Rion left early the next morning, and I was torn from sleep to go with him. I had not a chance to bid my friends farewell, though I was sure Legolas was actually awake when I left, though it was hard to tell as he slept with his eyes open.
I was veiled yet again, and rode on a camel before Rion. It seemed he had taken a particular fancy to me. I didn't overly mind, he was good-looking, and mostly polite. I had no one to hold me back, and my body was my own. Besides, if this was the way to get him under my thumb, so be it.
We camped that night, although only his tent was set up. When he led me to it, I knew what was expected of me. I pleasured him, and he tried to reciprocate, although he was obviously unpracticed. He fell asleep beside me, and I slept also.
We were inseparable. Rion would not be without me, something the rest of his harem did not appreciate. During the day we either traveled or I learnt to dance with curved rapiers and scimitars, and by night I taught Rion how to pleasure a woman, and how it was to be pleasured. I slept with him many times, and each time he grew better at making me enjoy it.
By the time six months had passed, I was near enough Rion's queen – I shared his bed and I danced for him. When we met Bria and her entourage, Rion and I arrived together on separate camels, and I controlled my own. I wore midnight blue, and I positively dripped silver-set sapphires. When Rion helped me down from the camel, I glanced over at Bria's face, and near enough saw she did not recognise me. When we approached her, I knelt before her.
"My queen." I murmured.
"You see, Queen Ismiella? I bring back your slave Nierra, as promised."
"So I see." Bria said. She sounded somewhat displeased. "I do not recall her becoming your queen as part of the agreement."
"She is not my queen. She is merely a favoured slave." Rion answered easily. "I may of course, wish her farewell?" Bria nodded irritably. I stood and faced Rion, and he kissed me. His hands grasped my head, although I did not touch him apart from where his skin met mine. Then he released me, and I turned back to Bria.
"Shackle her." Bria ordered, and the guards fastened the bronze band around my ankle. "Take her inside." They did, and once inside, they stripped me of all the sapphires they could remove but were annoyed to find that most of them were attached to the dark blue bellydancing outfit I wore. It was similar to my old red one, but this one had working straps on the bandeau top. From the bottom of the top hung a ladder like curtain of silver chains, each covered in sapphires. A silver collar was around my neck, and from it were two strands of silver-set sapphires that ran across my shoulders, then split to attach to the straps. Then loose rings of the silver and sapphires ran down my arm, with a central chain that ran from shoulder to where it met the ring around my middle finger. The outfit had weighed a lot when I first wore it, but now it seemed weightless.
That night, Bria sat in her chair and demanded to see what I had learned. She looked ill, now, nothing like she used to. She was pale and drawn, and her eyes were dull.
I danced, whirling the blades around until they near enough made their own music to which I moved quickly and agilely. When I was done she grudgingly agreed that I was good. Then she slept.
I demanded to know what was wrong with her from the others, and Aragorn explained that it looked like she was fading, and dying.
"I can see that!" I hissed. I refrained from demanding how they could have let that happen –it was hardly their fault, and they were only slaves, they didn't exactly have a lot of power.
*&*
We moved on the next morning. Éowyn and I were veiled, and our hands bound behind our backs. Then we were lifted onto camels, and guards rode behind us, and they were not reluctant to take full advantage of that. Bria's only rule when it came to slaves was that they were not incapacitated by her entourage, so the guards hands roamed free, and all we could do was stare blankly ahead through our silk veils and ignore the lascivious men sitting behind us. I saw Aragorn and Legolas both grow furious at our treatment, but I shook my head at them, and they could do nothing. They were forced to walk behind the camels that carried us, and as night fell Éowyn and I saved our water rations to bathe their feet, which were blistered and rubbed raw from the sand.
Three days into the journey, we met up with another tribe, and the king came forward, and introduced himself as Rion of the Umbari. Bria immediately called a halt and the city of tents was erected. Bria and Rion sat long, talking, eating and drinking. Then Rion called for dancing, and Bria informed him with pride that we would dance. However, I was forced to tell her that Legolas could not, his feet were too sore. So Éowyn got up and volunteered to dance in his place.
The dance we did then was different from the ones I did with Legolas. We were both aware that we danced for our lives, and that if we failed, then we would die. So instead of dancing for Bria, we danced for Rion, and if that dance had a name, it would be seduction. The drumbeat was slow, and Éowyn and I exercised stomach muscles I doubt we realised we had. I could see though that it worked. Rion's pupils dilated, and with a few sultry looks aimed in his direction, I ensured we had his full attention.
At the end of the dance, Éowyn and I sat back down. Legolas grasped my wrist and leaned forward.
"What in all hells are you playing at?"
"Keeping you alive." I retorted under my breath. I knew he would hear me, being elven.
"I can take care of myself." He snapped back.
"Your dancing is your only value." I whispered flatly. "You can't dance right now, so Éowyn and I are dancing to keep you alive." His argument was cut off when Rion stood and came over to us.
"Your beauteous and lovely queen has lent me the pleasure of your company this night." He said, his eyes unabashedly following the curves of both Éowyn's body and mine. He held out his hands, and we took one each. He effortlessly pulled us to our feet, and I ignored Legolas' angry hiss as we departed the tent.
Rion led us to his own, equally big, tent. Only his had a large couch in it. He laid us down on it, and I sent a look at Éowyn that instructed her to play along.
I have never used my body to manipulate. I have used the suggestion of my body to manipulate, but never my actual body. While nothing actually happened that night, between the two of us, we managed to convince Rion that something did. He was young, and I do not think he was much experienced with women, so Éowyn and I simply made him come a couple of times, and he was spent. I used magic to send him to sleep, and then Éowyn and I replaced our clothing and lay on the floor by the couch.
Éowyn turned towards me and cried. I wrapped my arms around her, rocking her and whispering softly to her. She had never learnt to be as cold and unfeeling as I was, turning my heart off to the feelings of those around me. To me, what had just happened was a simple manipulation of a young man unused to being pleasured by two beautiful women. To Éowyn, she had just participated in an abhorrent act that was near enough betrayal to her own much loved husband, Faramir.
"How can he ever forgive me?" she asked, looking up at me.
"He would prefer you alive, dearest, than dead. Had you not done what you did, you might be dead. It is of no matter."
"How can you be so cold?" she asked.
"Much heartache has made me cold, lovely. I am nearing a hundred, and through the death and seeming desertion of loved ones, I can make myself cold. I pray you never develop the ability." It was true. It took a lot of loss and pain to make yourself as cold as I was. Too much. If I lost much more I almost feared my heart would freeze and I would die.
*&*
Rion returned us to Bria with many good things to say about us. He sent us many bothersome looks though, that clearly showed what he thought had happened last night. I knew neither Aragorn nor Legolas had missed those looks. And I fully expected to get interrogated about them.
"But, after seeing Nierra dance so, last night, I would like to offer her the chance to dance with blades." My head shot up, and I stared incredulously at Bria and Rion. The Haradrim called me Nierra, as it meant night. Éowyn was usually known as Daimerra, or day. Probably because of our hair colour. The Haradrim weren't particularly original.
"Indeed, Rion. It seems fair. Yes. Nierra will go with you when you depart, and you shall return her to me in six months, and we shall meet again, here." Rion smiled. Legolas gripped my wrist, but I pried him off. I knew if any affection was shown between any of us, we would be separated.
Permanently.
*&*
Rion left early the next morning, and I was torn from sleep to go with him. I had not a chance to bid my friends farewell, though I was sure Legolas was actually awake when I left, though it was hard to tell as he slept with his eyes open.
I was veiled yet again, and rode on a camel before Rion. It seemed he had taken a particular fancy to me. I didn't overly mind, he was good-looking, and mostly polite. I had no one to hold me back, and my body was my own. Besides, if this was the way to get him under my thumb, so be it.
We camped that night, although only his tent was set up. When he led me to it, I knew what was expected of me. I pleasured him, and he tried to reciprocate, although he was obviously unpracticed. He fell asleep beside me, and I slept also.
We were inseparable. Rion would not be without me, something the rest of his harem did not appreciate. During the day we either traveled or I learnt to dance with curved rapiers and scimitars, and by night I taught Rion how to pleasure a woman, and how it was to be pleasured. I slept with him many times, and each time he grew better at making me enjoy it.
By the time six months had passed, I was near enough Rion's queen – I shared his bed and I danced for him. When we met Bria and her entourage, Rion and I arrived together on separate camels, and I controlled my own. I wore midnight blue, and I positively dripped silver-set sapphires. When Rion helped me down from the camel, I glanced over at Bria's face, and near enough saw she did not recognise me. When we approached her, I knelt before her.
"My queen." I murmured.
"You see, Queen Ismiella? I bring back your slave Nierra, as promised."
"So I see." Bria said. She sounded somewhat displeased. "I do not recall her becoming your queen as part of the agreement."
"She is not my queen. She is merely a favoured slave." Rion answered easily. "I may of course, wish her farewell?" Bria nodded irritably. I stood and faced Rion, and he kissed me. His hands grasped my head, although I did not touch him apart from where his skin met mine. Then he released me, and I turned back to Bria.
"Shackle her." Bria ordered, and the guards fastened the bronze band around my ankle. "Take her inside." They did, and once inside, they stripped me of all the sapphires they could remove but were annoyed to find that most of them were attached to the dark blue bellydancing outfit I wore. It was similar to my old red one, but this one had working straps on the bandeau top. From the bottom of the top hung a ladder like curtain of silver chains, each covered in sapphires. A silver collar was around my neck, and from it were two strands of silver-set sapphires that ran across my shoulders, then split to attach to the straps. Then loose rings of the silver and sapphires ran down my arm, with a central chain that ran from shoulder to where it met the ring around my middle finger. The outfit had weighed a lot when I first wore it, but now it seemed weightless.
That night, Bria sat in her chair and demanded to see what I had learned. She looked ill, now, nothing like she used to. She was pale and drawn, and her eyes were dull.
I danced, whirling the blades around until they near enough made their own music to which I moved quickly and agilely. When I was done she grudgingly agreed that I was good. Then she slept.
I demanded to know what was wrong with her from the others, and Aragorn explained that it looked like she was fading, and dying.
"I can see that!" I hissed. I refrained from demanding how they could have let that happen –it was hardly their fault, and they were only slaves, they didn't exactly have a lot of power.
*&*