I am obedient to him, always. To have him, I must be. If I want the Dark Lord to show anything akin to affection for me, I must act with the utmost compliance and dedication. Any order from him, I fulfil instantly, and if I do well, I am rewarded, albeit not always as richly as I believe I deserve. But even meagre rewards – hasty, meaningless kisses, slight smiles sent my way, and painfully brief nights in his bed are preferable to nothing at all. So I give him what he wants from me, whatever that is.