Company

The longer Thor stared down at the naked, bound woman in his bed, the more reluctant he was to go to this meeting. Gods, was it important? He didn't even know what he was going to, what it was for…

His head cocked to the side as his darkening blue eyes scoured over Alyse, arms stretched loosely over her head, thighs pressed together, torso lifting and stretching as she settled herself - getting comfortable to sleep if the little yawns and closed eyes were anything to go by. She'd earned her rest. For a while, he just stood there, watching her.

She seemed to have forgotten he was even still in the room, obviously trying to get some slumber. Her eyes stopped fluttering open and she stopped stretching, tucking her legs up and to the side, getting comfortable.

The view gave Thor a full view of her backside – it was gloriously pink.

His lips twitched in a smirk of satisfaction, and he surprised himself. For all his reservations about striking her again, even at her own request, he was certainly enjoying the outcome. The braised – but far from injured – skin of her backside was making his trousers tighten again. And tethered too…

It was exactly like all the other kinky activities they'd done at the start of their arrangement, different and exciting, spicing up regular love making into something much more addictive. And that made Thor's heart leap with joy – they were back to the start. They were back to normal. The beam spread unashamed over the god's face and suddenly, all desire to leave her left his body. He wanted to stay and curl in bed with his little vixen.

Every second that passed only made his mind up all the firmer: he would stay. Duty be damned. He would feign ill-health again if he had to. But he was going to stay with Alyse.

His eyes lingered on her pinkened backside; that would be sore if he left it, the god suddenly thought. As much as he loved staring at his mark on her body – knowing it didn't hurt her yet, and wanting to keep it that way. But it would. The skin would be tight and sore by nightfall if he left it. It needed some oil, to soothe it.

That made it more than just their former arrangement – the desire to care for her. Before, he'd fed and cared enough to keep her in good health. Her comfort hadn't even crossed his mind – hence the tying to the bed before she'd even been conscious! But that had changed now. Now he wanted to care for her for more than the sake of her health; he wanted to do it because it made her happy.

His heart beat so resolutely in his chest Thor was surprised his breastplate didn't bob in time with its thumps. He didn't care. He knew what was making him react this way.

Or rather, who.

She looked so peaceful, curled up like a child. He must have worn her out, the god thought with a glimmer of pride.

His eyes lingered on her backside…he wanted to tend to her. The urge panged in his system and he visualized it in his mind – running his palms smoothly over her backside in a sensual massage, fingers stroking the cool oil into her heated sensitive skin… his trousers were tightening again just thinking about it.

He could bring her more than oil though, he realized, remembering the hour of the day. Breakfast… she hadn't eaten yet. She needed food and water, as well as the medical supplies to keep her in good health. He thought of the things he knew she liked: chocolate.. she loved chocolate. He still remembered the wonder in her orbs when she'd first tasted it. It had been adorable.

His smile widened as his plan formed in his head. Oil and chocolate. Maybe they'd have a bath too. That had been a sensual experience the first time they had bathed together…

All the plans he'd had for the day regarding meetings and princely duties were steadily getting replaced with things he could do with Alyse. Massage, bathe, eat…his heart skipped an excited beat. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to take things further. Maybe, instead of whispering secrets in her ear, he would tell her properly: that he loved her.

He was sure now. That was it. It had taken him a long time to understand, and even longer to admit it to himself in his heart, let alone breathe it aloud to Alyse in her sleep last night. But now, he felt ready.

He wanted to tell Alyse that he was in love with her.

A part of him thought it was a bad idea but he pushed it away. He didn't want to listen to that anymore, to logic or reason – he just wanted to dote on the woman who ruled his heart freely. Making Alyse smile was all he seemed to care about now, all that mattered.

He hoped that the three words he'd had stored in his heart for weeks could do that too. He would do it; he'd made up his mind.

With one last look at the beauty in his bed, the god turned and stode quietly from his chambers, thoughts and plans for the blissful day ahead forming happily in his head, curving his lips into a smile as he went.

The door nudged gently shut behind him, and Thor didn't even blink as he walked on. He wouldn't be gone long. And there was no way Alyse would be awake to notice during his absence anyway. Besides, he didn't fear her leaving again, like he might have done before. He was confident she wanted to stay with him as much as he wanted to stay with her.

Maybe she wouldn't have to leave, the god thought with a light heart as he strode down the corridor. Maybe those three little words would keep her by his side forever.

XXX

Alyse woke begrudgingly from her nap, feeling like she'd been asleep for mere minutes. Reluctantly, her eyes peeled open.

She felt the familiar softness of the pillow beneath her head, the satisfying heat radiating off her backside from Thor's pleasurable assault…and the brilliant morning daylight that crept through the open balcony doors into the room, blinding her. She groaned; her body felt heavy with exhaustion and she itched to move her hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight, but found them caught by her own adapted nightgown, pinning them to the headboard.

Was that what had roused her?, she wondered. Something must have, and as far as she could tell, Thor wasn't here anymore to be the culprit. She couldn't sense that anybody else was here.

Until she heard the voice and the knock on the door.

"Thor!" the Queen sternly called through from the corridor. "Thor! Open the door, this instant!"

Alyse's blood chilled and her eyes snapped open – the Queen. Oh shit! She scrambled to get upright – and was pulled straight back down again as her tethers refused to move with her. Her legs kicked on for a moment before she realized.

Then her eyes lifted to her bonds with horror. Fuck…

"You were instructed to be present for the meeting with the missing girl's family, and yet the court are all waiting to begin an hour late, because of your unexplained absence!" Frigga barked on, rapping at the door some more with harsh strokes. Her lack of patience with her son this morning was more than evident.

Alyse just felt her heart swamp with panic. Thor wasn't here – and yet his mother was outside the door demanding his attention! What was she going to do? Would Frigga come in and try and find Thor. She was sure the Queen of Asgard would have no trouble accessing the key to her own son's chambers if the need arose. She'd come in.. and find Alyse in Thor's place. But she couldn't…

Alsye scrambled onto her knees, wrists tugging and squirming with her bonds to get free. She had to. She couldn't let the Queen see her – but Thor had made an effective restraint of the silk nightgown.

Her blonde hair fell into her eyes and she flicked it out of her face hastily, only for it to do the same thing seconds later. Vaguely, she felt her backside throb, but she pushed it aside, more pressing matters on her mind now - not that she hadn't enjoyed her and Thor's earlier intimacy anyway…

"Come on, come on," Alyse muttered frantically to herself under her breath, moving her wrists however she could to try and loosened the makeshift tie. "Let loose.."

It didn't budge.

"It's no use, Thor." Frigga sighed exasperatedly outside the door. "I can hear you. I know you're there."

Alyse swore in her head and silenced her muttering. Her wrists worked harder though. Then, in her desperation, she leaned over and sank her teeth into the silk, trying to tug it free. To tug her free so she could hide.

Gods, where was Thor? She couldn't remember him leaving. She only remembered being set down in the sheets, asking to be bound… and then drifting off without much delay. All the memories she had of Thor that morning was him standing at the end of his bed, watching her with a hungry look in his eye… but did he say he was going? If he had, Alyse didn't remember it. She prayed it was somewhere close though, so he could come back, save her..

Then the door clicked, and her hope died.

Her heart and hands froze in horror – the door was unlocked! Her head whipped round, just as the door to the prince's chambers swung wide open.

The Queen's hand shot to her mouth. "Oh my!"

Alyse's eyes were round and wide with panic, but her body froze, hands bound to the headboard, leaning forward on her knees so her pink and beaten backside was impossible to miss, her lips parted…she could feel the Queen scouring over every inch of her.

She was beautiful. Alyse had seen the Queen only rarely, but now, so close, she was momentarily fazed by how lovely she was; dressed in a flowing cream coloured gown with her honey coloured hair in gorgeous ringlets around her honest – and right now, horrified - face. Her eyes were wide and glistening as they openly roamed Alyse, taking in the image before her..

Alyse felt sick as she watched the Queen connect dots in her mind, watching the way she worked out conclusions that would inevitable spell bad news. Her stomach crawled. Her skin pricked, blood thick with adrenalin and the urge to run but she couldn't move, tied down and unable to think of how to change that. She couldn't take her eyes off the woman in the doorway. She'd been discovered. What was going to happen? What was she going to do?

Then finally the Queen's orbs settled on Alyse's face, and her hands shakily removed lowered from over her mouth. "Y-you..." she gasped. "You're the missing girl." She recognized.

The description from the girl's parents ran through her mind – little face, jagged blonde hair, brown eyes, slim and short…the girl before the Queen matched that description. And the way she was tied up made the Queen only more certain. This was her. She hadn't been kidnapped as the girls parents had feared. Well, she had – but by the Prince of Asgard.

The Queen's eyes drank in the state of the girl: tied and the skin of her backside red, traces of old wounds beneath the inflammation just about visible still… the Queen's stomach turned. Not only had her son been keeping the girl prisoner, but beating her by the look of it! Just what monstrosities had he been doing to this girl?!

Alyse didn't say anything. What was there to say? What words could possibly explain this?! She was found and the Queen looked horrified, her mind obviously made up as her eyes found Alyse's again.

Her heart sank: it was over.

A/N

A bit shorter than a normal chapter perhaps but….