The next few weeks flew by without incident or occurrence; business flowed at a steady pace and soon Tivan had a substantial amount of not only new items, but new clients as well. Everything went smoothly and like clockwork, just as it had before. And yet... his conscience nagged at him. At first it was only every few days, after that every other day, then every day... now it was almost constant. As soon as he saw his slave morosely cleaning his collection, silently serving tea, or retreating almost immediately to her quarters at the close of business, he felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He hardly slept or ate at all anymore and his headaches were becoming close to unbearable, despite him not drinking. Today he had a migraine and it had been especially exhausting; he locked the doors an hour early and began to walk back through the main hall of the museum, Hanni picking up her cleaning materials without a word and not meeting his eye, as usual. He suddenly felt furious with her behavior; her disrespect was becoming a massive annoyance.

"Do not flee to your quarters so quickly anymore," he commanded.

She almost threw a petulant look, he knew it, but did not catch it fast enough to reprimand her. She nodded curtly and placed her cleaning supplies away, standing before him silently, her hands across her stomach as she stared at the floor. He walked around her stiffly as he had the first time he had laid eyes on her at the slave market; taking in her form, her demeanor, calculating.

"Meet my eyes," he barked, snapping his fingers in her face.

She looked up with a blank expression. For some reason this infuriated him further, and he began pacing in front of her.

"What do you want from me?" he suddenly shouted, whirling back around.

Hanni jumped back, startled, bringing her hands to her shoulders protectively. He leaped at her and held her in place by her wrists, his grip firm but not painful.

"What do you want from me?" he repeated, more quietly this time.

"Nothing, master," she blurted, afraid.

"I see the way you avoid me now," he said, his face barely an inch away. "You can hardly stand my presence."

I thought you felt the same about me, she thought glumly, but said nothing.

He clenched his jaw angrily, annoyed by her silence, but merely released her and waved a dismissive hand in her direction.

"You may retreat to your quarters now," he said, turning away.

"I wish I could dismiss you as easily as you do me," she confessed sadly.

Tivan whirled around and grabbed her about the shoulders. She shrank from his grasp out of instinct and he clutched her a little harder. He breathed deeply for a moment before releasing her harshly and spinning on his heels, his fur cloak swaying behind him with his dramatic movements.

"What do you want?" he repeated again.

"I told you what I wanted," she said irately, once again not sure where her bravery was coming from. "I threw myself at you, and you shunned me. You treat me like... like..."

"Like a slave?" he finished quietly.

"Yes," she sighed.

"Because that is what you are."

"Then why make any pretense about being tender?" she challenged.

"Hanni," he said stoically, a hand to his temple, "This cannot be. You know as well as I."

"Then you intentionally led me on. Was this all part of your plan? To tease me and string me along so that you'd get to play with me like a toy while I acted the part of a doting wife? Or slave?"

"I bought you," he snarled. "You are mine to do with as I please."

Hanni froze as if she had been slapped.

"That's true," she said. "But you don't have to treat me like it."

"Petulant brat," he shouted. "I've given you shelter, clothes, my food and wine – and yet you throw me a defiant eye and spit on my hospitality!"

"Hospitality?!" she snapped incredulously.

She was past caring about how he might punish her; at this point he knew for a fact she had become resentful, it was time for her to come clean.

"I was stolen from my home, trained as a slave for almost two years, and sold to YOU! You – you – you keep me penned up like an animal that fares little better than one of your other pets, you hurt me and then love me and then reject me and then you come to me and say I'm ungrateful! I clean up your messes and wait on your guests and try to fix your life and you just... just... you just used me..."

She suddenly broke down in tears; they fell thick and hot down her cheeks and once they had begun she had no way of stopping. Hanni didn't even look at her master as she dropped to the ground and covered her face with her hands as she wept. She sobbed and sobbed for what seemed like an eternity, but she eventually ran dry of both energy and tears and just sat there hyperventilating. She expected Tivan to have left, but a handkerchief to her right told her otherwise. She looked up with surprise and he sat next to her on the floor with a slight groan, still holding the tissue. Hanni took it doubtfully, but used it to wipe her eyes and clutched it tightly against her lap. They sat in silence for unfathomable minutes before Tivan finally decided to speak in a tone so low she almost couldn't hear him.

"Do you really feel that way?"

"What way?" she whispered. He looked at her in earnest with his dark, tired eyes.

"That I used you."

Hanni tried desperately not to bite her lip in nervousness. They both seemed to have calmed down, however, so she spoke frankly.

"You knew exactly how I felt about you," she said. "And you rejected me when I tried to get close. But you still got precisely what you wanted – how could I not feel used?"

"I thought you were enjoying yourself, too," he said with a frown. Hanni could have socked him, but restrained herself.

"Of course I did. The nights we spent together were wonderful," she admitted with a small smile, "But suddenly about two weeks ago – that morning you woke up shouting – after that you were cold to me." She paused and looked him in the eye. "You treated me like a slave," she reiterated.

"How else am I supposed to treat you?" he asked, irritated.

"I guess you're right," she huffed, attempting to rise, but her master held her down fast.

"No," he said. "Explain it to me."

"I thought you cared about me," she said with sadness.

"Hanni," he said slowly, "What kind of life could you possibly imagine with me? It would seem like mere seconds."

"It's not such a short time for me."

"And that makes you selfish."

"Maybe," she said, sniffling. "But at least I know what I want."

With that, she handed back the handkerchief, but he refused it and clutched her hand with his own, running his fingers along her palm softly.

"Is that truly what you want?" he asked, looking back into her eyes. "To be mine?"

"I'd be your slave for eternity just to hear you say what I'm so desperate to hear."

"Your eternal servitude isn't required," he said with a flippant wave of his hand.

"What do you want from me, then?" she whispered, aching.

"The same thing," he said, leaning close.

"Please," she pleaded. "Don't tease me any more."

"What do you mean?" he whispered, his hands around her jaw and his lips mere centimeters from hers.

"Don't... touch me..." she sighed.

The last words slipped like a command and Tivan complied, running his fingers down her cheek as he kissed her. Hanni tried to pull away, conflicted, but failed miserably. As angry and confused as she was, Tivan's touch was addicting, and receiving it was irresistible. She still managed to break away, however, holding her hand against his chest.

"Ask me to stop," he said. "If you truly want me to."

He kissed her again and Hanni whimpered with longing, finding once more that she was powerless under his touch. She wrapped her arms about his neck and collapsed against him as he picked her up as if she was weightless and carried her to his room.