warning: dark/possessive, may be triggering for some.
Chapter 3
debt
"The nerve," she approaches him in a rage. "No, the absolute gall of that man!"
Souei dodges her kick easily.
"How dare he!" She continues, as he deflects the punch from her left fist. "Arrghh!" Her frustrated scream makes her aim sloppy, and he easily redirects the jab
of her right hand.
"I take it your visit to your father went poorly?" Even though Souei says the words neutrally, inside he's immensely pleased. He prefers having her at his side; her actually enjoying visits to the marsh works against keeping her where she truly belongs.
"He went on and on about duty," she flips backwards to avoid his attack. He admires the curve of her body as she arches midair to maneuver around his high kick.
He's almost pleasantly distracted by the lovely arch of her back, until she continues.
"He showed me photos of suitors, told me to pick one to marry, and-"
In hindsight, perhaps slamming her against the tree was unnecessarily aggressive (using his strings to tie her to it definitely was).
She gulps in the air his forceful blow stole from her, while he grips Souka's wrists to prevent her from reaching for the knives strapped at her thigh. The idea of her being gone for a few days for these occasional marsh visits is frustrating enough... the idea of her being taken forever by another man has him seeing red.
He brings his mouth to her ear.
"I saved your life." He whispers cooly. "If I hadn't, you and your kingdom would be dead." He turns his lips closer to the curve of her ear, lets his words brush along her heated skin. "You owe me a life debt, Souka."
His left hand trails up from wrist to her face. He gently strokes a stray strand of her silky hair and replaces it behind her ear. Then he lets his fingers lower and linger in the soft tresses at her neck. "Your foremost duty is to serve under me."
"I'd never abandon you, Souei-sama."
She sounds so genuine, so trusting.
"I know you won't." He truly does want to believe her... And yet...
He knows she mistakes his hunger for protectiveness, and that she mistakes his possessiveness for a fear of being alone. Perhaps maybe one option would be to let her live in ignorance for a little while longer.
Instead his grip on her hair tightens, and he tilts her neck so that wide green meets furious ice.
"Because until you pay your debt, I'll never let you leave."
Image: Original art that I manipulated to make into the cover photo is by the amazing /2466232. Check them out!