Richard glared at the woman in front of him. Her leathers were skin tight, accentuating her every curve. She was pale, her blonde hair in a long braid. The sight of her disgusted Richard.
Denna - Mistress Denna.
His body was in so much pain that he became almost numb to it. His back and shoulders ached from being held up for so long by a harness from the ceiling, his wrists in tightly bound shackles. The rest of his body was abused by the Mord'Sith, her agiel constantly making contact with his flesh. Richard didn't bother to look down at his naked torso. Although he didn't necessarily feel it, he knew his body was covered in welts and cuts, bruises and burns.
He didn't know where they were, only that the room he was confined to was small and cramped. The stone walls were bare, save the few times Denna became infuriated and splattered Richard's blood onto the walls. The stains were still there, Denna viewing them as a trophy of his soon to be broken state.
Apparently, Darken Rahl wanted to break Richard, to make Richard his personal slave - and this was Denna's duty. The thought disgusted him. Denna had once told him he would kiss the ground Lord Rahl walked on. Richard had spat at her in disgust.
That was early in his training.
Denna had made the night long and hard, beating him with her agiel until he became unconscious, only to have him wake on the floor to her boot in his ribs. He spit up blood and felt his ribs crack, Denna forcing him on his knees to allow her to kick him in his newly broken bones. It had been a week since that incident.
Now, Richard wasn't quick to be so brave. His numbness to his pain made him uneasy, welcoming the feeling of the torture rather than the void. His body was black and blue, Denna offering him very little time to recover from their sessions. She had a job to break him and she intended to do just that. She offered no leniency and barely let him sleep. She expected the tactics to affect him and cause him to break into her will faster, but the plan had backfired. Richard was now more determined to escape her hold on him, which was steadily growing stronger.
He watched as Denna casually strolled through the door, rolling her agiel in her hand and wickedly smiling at him. "Hello, my pet."
Richard lifted his head slightly, hoping the acknowledgment was enough - it never was.
She closed the distance, backhanding him and causing his teeth to cut into his lip, a slow trickle of blood escaping his mouth.
"Is that how you greet your mistress!" She yelled, Richard's mouth throbbing and his head pounding.
Richard tried to muster up the strength to respond to her. "No," he coughed as she hit him in the stomach, "no, Mistress Denna." She backhanded him again, causing the opposing side of his mouth to mimic the wound she previously inflicted. She leaned in and flicked her tongue across the blood that was making it's way down his chin.
"Delicious." She purred, taking a step back as she rested her agiel lightly on his ribs, the gentle movements sending moderate pain through his being. When she saw him wince she pressed down harder, causing the veins under his skin to darken and shoot the magic in all different directions. "I try to be kind and you grimace?" She continued to press the agiel harder into his ribs, Richard feeling the newly healing bones crack once again, undoing the repairs that were underway. He gasped for breath as he tried to shake his head. Denna let her agiel fall, the golden chain that held it to her wrist swaying. She turned and began walking around Richard, lightly tracing her hand over his wounds.
"You have been the hardest to break," she began, her voice low and seductive, "I never would have thought you would last this long." The scraping of her leather against his open wounds sent pain coursing through his veins. He jerked slightly under her touch, causing her to press down harder. Richard shuddered when she pressed the palm of her hand between his newly cracked ribs.
"I'm going to tell you to do something for me, Richard. You must promise to obey my order." She stepped in front of him, her arms crossed as her agiel swung to and fro. Richard swallowed, the metallic taste sliding down his throat.
"Yes, Mistress Denna." She smiled. It took Richard four days before succumbing to addressing her by the title, often calling her by much more vulgar language. Denna had a twinkle in her eye every time Richard had called her mistress, the acknowledgment strengthening her power over him.
"I will be leaving you for a few hours shortly," she stepped forward, placing her leather clad hand over his heart, lightly tracing her fingers over his flesh, "I need you to behave." Richard tilted his head slightly, his neck stiff. His brows furrowed and she chuckled. "I am going to be meeting the Mother Confessor, leaving you down here without my company." She leaned in, placing her lips by his ear. "I'm sure you'll miss me, won't you, my pet?" He nodded and she drew back. "The Mother Confessor must not know you are down here, so I expect no outbursts. It would end very badly, for you and her." Richard slid his eyes closed. The Mother Confessor? Who was that? He had sworn that Rahl sent quads to kill all the Confessors, why was Denna going to meet her? Why would it only end badly for her if Richard made a mistake? She must have been incredibly important - Rahl must want her.
Rahl must want the Mother Confessor like he wants him.
Richard felt a sudden pang of sorrow for the unknown woman, hoping her fate wasn't similar to his. Maybe she would meet her end much more quickly that he would meet his. He prayed to the spirits to never meet the poor woman.