"Rin, be a dear and get me these volumes."
The Edelfelt heiress spoke casually as she slid a slip of paper across the table, but she didn't need volume to make her point. Which had nothing to do with the books, and everything to do with their fellow students shuffling among the shelves of the Department of Mineralogy's library.
Maddeningly, Rin's fingers twitched to obey, her intensive training kicking in like strings on a puppet. It was only with considerable effort that she kept them gripped on her notebook. Huffing, she glared at her mistr—Luvia, she hooked the name like a struggling shark before it escaped back into the sea of her submission.
"I'm sure you can find them yourself," she managed after a moment. A far cry from the hell no, you harpy that such a request would have drawn from her before, but the harsher words felt foreign to her now. Still, with everyone watching, she had to put up some token of resistance.
The blonde only smiled at her, as unruffled as the perfect creases of her azure dress. "Of course. But I'm midway through solving this proof, and as we've been getting along so very well," she said as the smile sharpened into a smirk, "I know I can rely on you to fetch them for me."
'Fetch', Rin internally groaned, as a few eyebrows lifted among the students sitting at the next table over. She really knows how to slide the dagger in.
But what was the point in resisting? The brand on her chest might be hidden under her blouse, but she could feel the gazes picking it out anyway. After her exposure at Barlow's celebration, everyone knew about the brand. Those that hadn't witnessed it themselves had plucked the knowledge from the whispers of the Clocktower's hallways, which were always particularly keen on power plays and humiliations.
The half dozen love bites on her throat, which she couldn't quite hide under concealer, only served as more proof of her subjugation.
Still Rin hesitated, as much from half-remembered instincts as any conscious show of pride. Then a subtle shifting of the blonde's fingers on the table made the decision for her. Rin recognized the implication even before she felt a small prickle of heat on her breast.
"I suppose," she said, forcing a rigid smile to her lips. "I need to grab a few things for myself, anyway."
Her shoulders fell as she rose from her chair—just a bit, but it would have astonished her old classmates from happier days at Homurahara. The various shades of contempt that passed over some of her current peers' faces didn't hurt much. As an Asian studying at the Clocktower, she was already used to encountering sneers and dismissive waves from some of the more hidebound population of the marble halls. She returned their disdain drop for drop, without so much as a smudge on her conscience.
No, it was the looks of pity that hurt the most, burned trails on her back. Rin had never wanted to be looked at that way, not from the day she'd clenched her fist over her father's grave and swore to make him proud. Sympathy was a pale substitute for admiration.
But there's someone who does admire you. The thought rose unbidden, but not entirely unwanted, as she compared the volumes on the shelves to those listed on the paper. Enough to claim you and hold you, even though she could have anyone with a snap of her fingers. Enough to show you off and defend you to people like Bartholomei and that bitch Fortin.
Involuntarily, her eyes shifted back to the table, where her mistress' pen was busily scratching on paper. Perhaps the brand's connection was less one-sided than Rin had thought, for her gaze had barely settled on the gorgeous blonde head before the other glanced up. The encouraging smile Luvia sent her way had Rin's heart doing an awkward flip in her chest. She felt torn between bitterly resenting that approval and letting it anchor her.
Wrenching away, she returned to picking out books. At least she could have the meager dignity of finishing her task quickly and efficiently.
Rin was near the back of the room, hidden among some of the more obscure treatises when she heard a shuffle to her side. Pivoting around, she found Aumont's fingers absently tracing along the leather spines of the tomes, her attention clearly somewhere other than the books.
Patience for her mistress didn't have to extend to everyone else. Rin let her stare weigh heavily on the shy girl, and felt a stab of satisfaction when the other squirmed under it.
Then Aumont seemed to find her courage, and to Rin's surprise, offered her a warm smile. "I guess you two sorted things out, hey?"
Rin's grip tightened on the books in her hands. "If that's what you want to call it," she said bitterly.
Aumont's brow gently furrowed. "But I thought… well, she's gone and claimed you and everything. I mean…" Her voice lowered to a whisper. "She wouldn't do that unless you were, um… involved, right?"
Breathing was suddenly harder as heat flared to life in Rin's belly. Involved was a vast understatement. Her neck was scarcely the only part of her body to bear the mark of her mistress' affections; love bites and scratches covered her collarbone, her back, the inside of her thighs… she shivered at the memory of how she got them.
All the worse because the sessions, as Rin mentally categorized them, were as unpredictable as the rest of her mistress' schedule was organized. While the first ones had occurred in advance of exams or major projects, that had swiftly fallen away to a more erratic pattern. A trivial mistake one day might require tribute paid on her knees in the bedroom, while a serious fault the next had her merely doing laundry. Rin wasn't a stupid girl. She knew that the blonde meant to keep her guessing, to eliminate any chance of their (lovemaking) exchanges becoming routine. But understanding the tactic didn't make it any less effective.
A little cough pulled her back to the present. Embarrassment bloomed red in her cheeks when she saw the blush in Aumont's own.
"... it's complicated," she offered at last, shrugging and turning back to the manuscripts in the hope that bustle would serve as a defense. She didn't have much else, not with the brand hot on her breast and an intangible collar locked firmly around her throat.
"That's what everyone says," sighed Aumont in sympathy. "But you do seem happier these days."
This time the books did slip from Rin's hands, and she had to scramble to catch them before the priceless volumes tumbled to the floor. Steadying herself, she fixed Aumont with a glare.
"I said it before, but hopefully this time it'll sink in," said Rin sharply. "It's none of your business."
Rather than affront, another look of sympathy swept across the girl's face. It made Rin want to scream.
"No, I guess not," said Aumont quietly. "Then I'll see you around, Tohsaka."
The shelves were thankfully solid and stable when Rin slumped back against them, taking a moment to shake away the pounding in her ears. She was under constant duress, a prisoner of a magical brand and a devil in human form.
She wasn't happy with this state of affairs. She wasn't.
What did Aumont know, anyway?
—-
The stockings were silky white, and soft as new snow against Rin's fingers. The smooth rosy skin underneath was even better. She found herself lingering as she slid the cloth down Luvia's calves, as if she were unwrapping a gift rather than performing her duties as a (whore) maid.
"While your admiration is only natural," purred the blonde, laying her hand on the kneeling girl's head, "we regretfully do not have all evening. Do get on with it, Rin."
Rin bit back the stubborn barb on the tip of her tongue, knowing it wouldn't help. In the blonde's eyes, she had volunteered for this service when she'd dropped this morning's breakfast tray. Not that it was her fault - it was Luvia's, springing that damn lingerie on her! Nobody could blame Rin for being… shocked, that was it! Shocked at the utter brazenness of the woman.
(It definitely had nothing to do with the sheer silk artfully draped over the blonde's curves, more provocative than mere nudity could ever be).
Luvia's smirk had spoken to how pleased she'd been with Rin's reaction, while the glint in her eye declared that no quarter would be given.
And now Rin was on her knees before the bed, removing the last of that lingerie from her mistress' gloriously nude body. She wasn't much better off herself, clad only in the bra and panties that Luvia had instructed her to wear. They were black silk and lace of the finest quality, and Rin might have loved the velvet caress on her skin if not for the Edelfelt crest embroidered on them in silver thread. As if Luvia needed another mark of ownership, when the brand still flared on Rin's breast.
Huffing, she pulled the right stocking all the way down over her mistress' elegant toes, leaving the sculpted legs deliciously bare. A thrill of desire shivered down Rin's spine, an urge to touch all that wonderful warm skin. Run her hungry fingers up those sinful hips and over the toned stomach before latching onto those perfect breasts. Take one of the rose-petal nipples in her mouth and—
Gritting her teeth, Rin forced her hands to fold the stocking and place it aside.
"Splendidly done," laughed her mistress. She patted Rin's head as she might a favoured pet. "Now the other one."
Rin reluctantly nodded and grasped the hem of the other stocking. Like any noble, Luvia was accustomed to being helped in and out of her clothes by servants. Rin was dead certain, though, that the blonde never smiled like that at Francesca when the other maid undressed her. Luvia took a sensual joy in having Rin's hands on her, openly basking in her servant's grudging admiration.
A part of Rin shared that enjoyment, more than she dared to admit. That touching Luvia was part of the mana transfer ritual did nothing to stop the electricity it sent racing through her nerves. She craved the power in the toned muscles under her fingers, the creamy perfection of the fair skin.
Touching the blonde felt so good that it was almost worth the ache flaring between Rin's legs. Worth suffering burning arousal that would see no release until after she'd satisfied her mistress.
Almost. She bit back a groan as the second stocking slipped off.
Luvia gave a little sigh of contentment, then tangled her hand deep in Rin's hair. Rin did not melt under that touch. She didn't enjoy the gentle scratch of nails on her scalp, or the nimble fingers lovingly smoothing out her curls. Not at all.
"Such a good girl," said Luvia, and Rin hated how warm the simple praise made her feel inside. "We've finally tamed that tongue of yours." She tittered, even as the amber of her eyes darkened with lust. "How fortunate, when I have so many uses for it."
Gently but firmly, she tugged on raven tresses as she guided Rin up onto the bed with her. The Edelfelt heir reclined against the pillows, smirking as she spread her legs. Rin swallowed hard at the sight of damp blonde curls, and the wafting scent of the other's arousal.
"Let's see how well you have retained your lessons."
Rin should be disgusted. She wanted to be disgusted. But even a concentrated effort of will couldn't banish the flush in her cheeks or the flutter in her breast.
One elegant hand pulled her hair again, while the other pressed down on Rin's shoulder to force her head level with Luvia's soaked slit. The dominance behind the gesture couldn't be more clear.
Rin jerked back on instinct, some of her old pride rebelling against the idea of Luvia looking down on her while she performed such an (intimate) humiliating act.
"No… Luvia, listen..."
"Mistress," said the blonde, the steadiness of her voice betrayed by the eager way her fingers tightened in Rin's hair.
"Mistress," Rin repeated, and felt self-loathing curl around her heart for how easily it sipped out. She bit her lip. "Do you think you could, ah, lie back instead?"
Her tongue was going to be pleasuring the blonde either way, she'd already given up that fight. But looking down on Luvia as the woman came undone beneath her held its own thrill of power. It felt nowhere near as submissive as nestling her face between her mistress' thighs and gazing up at a face flushed with triumphant pleasure.
Luvia's firm touch on her head was a potent reminder of the difference. "Mmm, no. I rather prefer this view." Her charming smile could have melted sugar. "You do want to please me, don't you?"
Rin really did, if only to earn the mana she needed for tomorrow's resonance stress test. This was an act of necessity, and nothing more.
Taking a deep breath, she settled herself fully between the blonde's legs, and let her breath puff over the patch of blonde hair. Encouraged by the little tremble in her mistress' hips, she pressed kisses on the tender skin on the inside of her thigh.
Long nails dug into her shoulder. "Good. Now, just as I taught you."
Her mistress' voice was a little shaky under its usual composure. Rin smiled and brushed her lips over the sensitive crease between thigh and mound. There was satisfaction in knowing she made Luvia feel good. Not the conqueror's joy she had always imagined in breaking the other's control, but something warmer and softer.
It felt… nice, being praised and fondled and told that she had done well. That she had met the high expectations that her mistress set on her, both here and in the wider world. It felt warm and safe, like being held in—
Growling low in her throat, Rin banished the thought. The spike of (anger, surely it was anger) fueled her tongue's movements, lending it vigour as she teased along wet folds. She was already familiar with the nectar of her mistress' arousal, more than she'd ever imagined in her wildest dreams. Salty and earthy, with just a hint of sweetness. She licked at the sensitive flesh with precise motions, nothing like the messy bursts from weeks ago.
"Ahh… just like that, Rin. You've… ngh!...gotten better at this."
Luvia's breath hitched as Rin's tongue danced over her swollen clit. Encouraged, Rin wrapped her lips fully around the small bud and sucked, drawing a desperate moan from above. Nails dug into her scalp, almost to the point of pain. She didn't mind. A little discomfort (it definitely didn't feel a little good too, not at all) could be shrugged aside if it got Rin closer to her goal.
What was that goal, again? Everything felt hazy through the heat of her arousal and the pressure rapidly building in her core. It was becoming difficult to think of anything but the beautiful woman straddling her face and the ache between her thighs. As much as she enjoyed hearing her mistress mewl in pleasure, Rin needed her own release. God, she needed it so badly. Her entire body was trembling with frustrated lust.
Only hard-won discipline, and the hope for more praise, kept her tongue and hands focused on the blonde.
"There is still….mmm, hah!… room for improvement, o-of course," said her mistress between shaky moans and delighted gasps.
The sounds were maddeningly erotic, stoking the heat inside Rin until it felt like she might combust. One of her hands left its position on Luvia's hip to slide down towards her own core. She wanted-needed-relief from the fire suffusing her.
"... Rin…" came her mistress' warning between curses and gasps. "Did I… hah… grant you permission?"
The lust searing Rin's veins screamed defiance, but stern amber eyes— her mistress' eyes— made her obey. Reluctantly she drew her hand back and slapped it twice on the bed to signal compliance while her mouth stayed hard at work.
"T-that's it, pet." It was awful, how Rin's heart caught on those words. "Mmm, yes.. Just like that."
Wonderfully strong thighs squeezed more tightly around her, as if to pin her down and never let her go. Her mistress's beautiful face was flushed with arousal, her body trembling under Rin's ministrations as she slid closer to release.
Which was more than Rin could say for herself. Frustrated lust needled her skin and made her core clench. They needed to climax together for the ritual to work. So why wouldn't Luvia let her touch herself, already? A small cry (certainly not a whine, Rin would never) rose in her throat as she fervently licked at her mistress' core.
Please, please…
"Satis… ah!... satisfactory. You m-may touch.. mm... yourself n-now." Luvia's permission, delivered between ragged breaths and throaty moans, was an angel's mercy.
Desperately Rin plunged two fingers inside herself, the digits sliding easily into her soaked passage. Inner walls clamped greedily down, chasing the sweet friction she so desperately needed, even as she sucked at Luvia's clit with renewed vigour.
Her breathing came in shallow bursts as the pressure built to a molten peak, then crashed in a great wave of relief. White-hot pleasure fell over her, so longed for that she barely felt the icy flow of Luvia's mana flooding into her circuits.
She did feel her mistress' arms lock around her though, as Luvia pulled her close and pressed a kiss to the crown of her (pet) servant's head. Somewhere along the way, sharing the afterglow in the blonde's arms became a required part of the ritual.
Holding herself as stiff as she could, Rin forced her eyes to the ceiling. Even if it… didn't feel awful, it was yet another indignity heaped on her head. One that she should resent.
Even if the blonde's pillowy breasts felt wonderful pressed against her sides, her breath soothing and warm against her cheek.
"Let me know when you're done treating me like your teddy bear," she grumbled, and managed to glare at the infuriating blonde.
Luvia only laughed. "But I do so enjoy it. You're very warm, you know." Soothing fingers ran through raven tresses. Rin certainly wasn't leaning into it. Not a single inch. "That's a good girl. You're coming along very nicely."
Rin really hoped that Luvia wasn't overly familiar with resonance tests. Especially the detail that they only needed a tiny sliver of magical energy to accomplish.
—
It was a cold day in London, cold enough that most of the Clocktower's students sought shelter inside its marble halls and heated classrooms. Rin sat on a bench in the courtyard, watching the gray clouds tumble in the wind. She didn't mind the chill. The scarf around her neck, a token from her m—from Luvia— was merino wool, soft and warm.
Sighing in… not exactly contentment, but as close as she could get given the circumstances, Rin let her gaze stray to the windows of the Traveoi's offices. Luvia was in there somewhere, brokering a deal for access to certain rare mystic codes. She briefly pictured the blonde's confident smirk as she crushed some hapless noble underfoot through sheer presence.
She tugged her scarf up over her chin, and only then realized she was grinning. Cursing, she shoved her hands in her coat pockets and glanced around the courtyard again. Fortunately, the few students scurrying to their next class paid her little attention.
Puffing out a breath, she leaned back into the bench. Solitude was a treat that Rin rarely got to enjoy these days, though to the m— Luvia's credit, the blonde was slowly relaxing her grip on her (former) rival. Instead of keeping Rin constantly by her side, as if she were a hound prone to run off at the lightest scent trail, the Edelfelt heir increasingly left her newest retainer to her own devices.
Rin tried not to think too much about what that might signal. It would probably make her angry, and unfocused rage was a privilege she could no longer afford.
The soft thud of footsteps on worn cobblestones echoed over the wind and snapped Rin's head around. Svin Glascheit was making a beeline for her seat, carrying a paper cup of coffee in each hand.
Rin smiled. A little company might be welcome, after all. Svin was a friend, one of the few students who still treated normally even after her world turned upside down. Not to mention he knew his way around coffee, and she could really use a caffeine injection right about now.
Svin had barely pressed the cup into her hand and exchanged pleasantries when he frowned at her. "Are you alright, Rin?"
She prickled under the concern in his gaze. She'd received enough pity in the last few months to choke on it. "Just fine, thank you," she snapped. "How about you? Still pining after Gray?"
A fond smile flitted across his face before his eyebrows furrowed again. "You're not fine. I can smell emotions, you know. And right now, yours might as well be a cracked oil drum."
Damn Beast powers. The entire world could be thankful that Svin was a gentle soul. There was no telling what political havoc he could have wreaked with more cunning and less morals.
"I'll manage," she said through gritted teeth. "It's just some temporary trouble, nothing more." Then added, more softly, "But thanks for worrying about me."
"You smell like Luvia, too," he blurted out. "Really strongly. Like you've been, well… "
Rin looked away. Watching red bloom in Svin's cheeks was unbearable.
"It's fine!" she insisted and took a sip from her coffee. A shame she couldn't taste any of it. "Now if there's nothing else—"
"I'll talk to the Professor for you," he interjected, setting his jaw. "He'll work something out."
"Lord El-Melloi the Second," said Rin slowly, with deliberate emphasis on the title, "is aware of my situation. There is nothing to be done from that angle."
"Then I'll talk to Luvia directly. I'm sure she'll see reason."
Rin flinched. "Svin, don't. Lord El-Melloi the Second is right," she said hurriedly, hands curling around her cup. "I got myself into this mess. I'm the one that has to haul myself out of it."
Svin's mouth pressed into a stubborn line. "We're friends right? And friends help each other out. I'm not going to let you flail on your own."
It was a nice sentiment, even if she didn't much appreciate his phrasing. "It's precisely because we're friends that I don't want you tangling with Luvia. I don't know if you've noticed," she said with a touch of her old sarcasm, "but she isn't exactly reasonable when it comes to me."
She'll punish anyone who tries to interfere.
The words hung unspoken but heavy in the sudden silence. Balling her hands into fists inside her pockets, Rin recalled the Edeltfelt heir's confrontation with Isabel Fortin on the night of Barlow's party. From the twitch of Svin's brow, she could guess the boy remembered something similarly dangerous.
"Still," he protested. "I can't just leave you like this. Not when you reek of scarlet."
Warmth washed over Rin, and with it determination. Svin was a rare magus- one with a good heart. She wouldn't see him put in danger if she could help it. Forcing a smile, she patted his shoulder.
"Thank you, but going in with a half-baked plan is worse than nothing." Her improvised ritual to remove the brand had been burnt to ashes, but not the harsh lesson Luvia had taught her from it.
"Still—"
Sternly she raised a hand to cut Svin off, then softened when he saw the hurt in his eyes. "Thanks, Svin. If I think up a way you can help, I'll enlist you. But for now… just let it be."
He didn't like that answer. She could see it in the shadow that passed over his face. But to her relief, he only sighed before they mutually steered the conversation towards more comfortable subjects; their latest research papers, recipes and restaurants, and trendy spots where he might take a certain gray-cloaked girl.
When Rin finally waved him off, it was with a smile on her lips and a pit in her belly. The truth was that Luvia was unlikely to harm Svin even if he did try to intervene. He was a good friend of the Edelfelt heir, closer to her than to Rin herself. Even if she were annoyed with him, he would have plenty of chances to pull back before she used serious force on him.
That meant that letting Svin run interference between herself and Luvia would be low risk, and potentially high reward. Her pride as Tohsaka heir hardly mattered; it was already in shambles.
So why didn't she accept Svin's offer?
Rin tugged down her shirt collar and stared at the soft glow of the brand on her chest. She didn't much like the answer that leapt to mind.
—-
One morning, Rin woke bleary-eyed to sunlight on her cheek and a warm body pressed up against hers. Yawning, she fuzzily considered getting up to pull the now-familiar blue curtains fully closed. The notion died away when her lover's arms slipped around her naked waist to pull her close, like she was a favourite stuffed bear. Soft lips murmured sleepily in her ear, then gently traced her neck.
Rin didn't bother trying to make out the words through the lingering haze of sleep. After long years of waking alone, someone was holding her. She was warm, comfortable and cared for. Pushing away the nagging thought that she didn't need care, Rin melted into the embrace. She could assert her independence later. For once, she would let herself relax.
More words breathed into her air, and distantly Rin understood she was being teased. She might have been irritated, if not for the affection she could sense in them. Well, if that was the game being played, Rin would just have to give as good as she got.
Her mind still muddled by sleep, Rin was free to follow her instincts instead. Shifting in her lover's arms, she cupped the woman's face and kissed her. It was warm and sweet, despite a bit of morning breath. Well, the mistress was only human—
Mistress. Luvia.
Rin abruptly broke the kiss and scrambled backwards, all drowsiness instantly banished. Her eyes snapped up to Luvia's, blue eyes locking with amber. The blonde looked a bit stunned too, fingers tracing her lips as if the touch lingered there. Then the familiar smirk spread across Luvia's face.
"Aren't you going to punish me for that?" Rin demanded, trying to pour defiance into her voice. She had to make clear the kiss had been a challenge. Because otherwise…
Sex is just sex, an exchange of fluids and mana. But a kiss is… is…
"Oh?" Luvia sat up and considered her. The possessive glint in her eye made Rin want to hide under the sheets. "Why would I punish you for offering yourself to me so sweetly?" The smirk widened. "And without even a promise or a threat. Ohohoho, how very wonderful!"
Every note of that laughter drove another nail in Rin's heart. Because she liked that unabashed laughter, wanted to join in when it had once grated on her nerves. Or maybe she'd always wanted to, and she was realizing it now that her guard had been stripped away.
To Rin's dawning horror, she found her eyes straying uncontrollably to Luvia's lips. She really wanted to kiss her again. Not as an obligation, or duress, but just for the sheer pleasure of it.
Swallowing down her rising panic, she turned her back on the blonde and moved to slide off the bed. She wanted to kiss her tormentor—worse, part of her didn't think of Luvia like that any more. Thought that maybe living here like this—in this house, in this bed, held in her arms—wouldn't be so bad. Maybe even more than that.
Rin's foot had just brushed the carpet when a hand closed around her wrist and pulled her back. She found herself hauled up on Luvia's lap, skin pressed to warm skin. She opened her mouth to protest only to have it captured in another kiss, as fierce and hungry as their earlier one had been tender. Slim hands slide possessively down her sides before gripping her hips to pin her in place.
This can't go on, thought Rin breathlessly as the kiss deepened. It can't. Or I really will lose myself to her.
That didn't stop her treacherous heart from beating just a little bit quicker.
—
Colorful strings of Christmas lights shone from the airport windows as Rin stepped out of the taxi onto snowy pavement. It was finally holiday break, and Rin wasn't going to lose what might be her last chance to slip her collar. Any longer in the Edelfelt manor, and… and she might not want to anymore.
Grimacing in self-disgust, she strode towards the entrance. That it was a small private airport, reserved for chartered flights, helped settle her strung-out nerves. Still her hand slipped into her pocket and gripped the letter for comfort.
With it, she had the Church's permission to board their monthly flight to Shanghai, and from there to Japan. Without her passport, confiscated by the mistr—by Luvia, Rin couldn't fly on a commercial airline. But as the blonde herself had observed, Rin was a resourceful girl when pushed. Nor were the Edelfelt the only family with contacts to leverage.
Admittedly the "donation" to Father Walter had cost Rin a pretty penny. She had slowly coaxed Luvia into releasing small amounts from the Tohsaka accounts under the false pretence of bribe money to secure her classes. It spoke volumes about the Clocktower's corrupted culture that Luvia hadn't doubted her for a moment. At least it was working to Rin's advantage for once.
Sharking her head, she walked up to the service counter and handed her letter over to the clerk. He read it more closely than she had expected. For a terrible moment she was sure he'd spot the brand hidden under several layers of cloth and turn her away. Then he nodded and waved her through to the security check, and Rin let out a sigh of relief.
Distantly she loaded her single bag—all that she'd been able to pack without arousing suspicion—onto the x-ray belt.
I can just picture Luvia's face when she stomps into my— that room, and finds it empty. The look on her face!
The vision of what would follow immediately after froze Rin's glee in her veins. Grimacing, she took a seat in the passenger lounge.
It's fine. You triple checked her schedule for this day. She's off having tea with that insufferable Lombard heir.
Puffing out a breath, she set her mind to the task ahead of her. In theory, she had two weeks before classes started again, always assuming she wanted to risk campus again. Realistically, she could expect Edelfelt agents bursting through the manor doors long before then.
Which meant she had only days—perhaps as little as one—to break her chain.
Rin bit her lip hard in an attempt to quell the panic rising in her chest. She could do this. No, she had to do this. The alternative was Luvia catching her up again, and if her mistress had been angry before—
Stop it, Rin. You chose to do this, remember. Now stay calm and think your way through it.
Shirou might be of some help. His magic circuits were decent even if his magus education was atrocious, and he owed her from the War. But given her last correspondence with Ayako before her mail was ruthlessly confiscated by a certain blonde, she would probably find the Emiya house empty. The idiot had left town in search of his impossible dream. Rin could only hope that it was going better than her own.
She briefly considered Sakura before shaking her head. She had no right to ask favours from her estranged sister, especially after what happened to Shinji in the War.
No matter. There were other magi she could bargain with, even if the price would be high. And she would have access to her leylines and books, and an entire chest of of inheritance from her family's ancestral mentor. She would surely find something to help her.
Rin glanced up at the clock. Twenty minutes to go before the flight.
If this goes well, I'll be free. She clenched her hands in her lap. I'll never have to serve the mis-that harpy tea again. I'll never have to fold lingerie more… more fit for a cow, or shut up and listen to that damnable laugh.
She'd never again engage in idle chatter as she accompanied Luvia around the manor grounds. Never sit comfortably together studying in the library, never wake up to glorious sunlight and warm arms, never again feel wicked lips burn her skin as they plunged together into sinful darkness—
Cheeks burning hot, Rin glanced around the lounge. A few people were settling in the chairs around her. They were representatives of the Church, judging from their habits and the shawls covering the womens' hair. Rin exchanged polite greetings and went back to watching the minutes tick by to quell the tumult of her heart.
At ten minutes to go, two security guards walked into the lounge. Dread churned in Rin's gut as they surveyed the room. Sure enough, they approached as soon as they spotted her.
"Miss Rin Tohsaka?" said the taller one, a brawny man that looked about forty.
She nodded thickly.
"Please come with us to the office. There's a small issue with your paperwork."
"What paperwork?" she snapped before she could stop herself. Only the bored look on his face stopped her from reaching into her pocket for one of the last gems left to her name.
"The passenger list from Father Walters doesn't include you," the man drawled. "Just need to sit tight while we give him a call and verify."
From what she knew of the priest, that sort of carelessness was plausible. But the timing also made it deeply suspicious. Her tongue burned with incantations, but she managed to swallow them down. There were quite a few people watching them now, too many to deal with this cleanly. She would follow them to their office and wipe their memories there, possibly after breaking a few bones if necessary.
They were a few steps from the office door when Rin changed her mind. Some buried magus instinct warned her, even before the brand burned hot on her chest.
"You know what? I'm feeling a bit sick anyway, so I'll pass on the flight for t— gah!"
Pain flared from the brand and coursed through her body in agonizing waves. She would have fallen had the guards not caught her. Gasping and writhing, she distantly felt them carry her into the office and prop her up in a chair.
Rin sat there for a few long moments, panting hard as the agony slowly faded. When she shakily wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up, she wasn't surprised to find Crown growing down at her. And seated in the desk directly across, hands steepled…
She had seen Luvia angry before. Even furious, when she'd returned from certain missions covered in blood and soot. But never this icy rage, cold eyes boring into her from a face that looked carved from stone.
The tension in the air was razor wire, so sharp it almost hurt more than the brand had. Rin couldn't bear it. Even though she knew it was a mistake, she opened her mouth as the Edelfelt heiress leaned over the desk towards her.
"Did Lombard not—"
Her cheek exploded in pain as Luvia slapped her hard. Without reinforcement to weather the blow, it staggered her to the floor.
Okay, thought Rin as she got to her knees and rubbed at the sting. I had that coming.
There was no chance to offer apologies or excuses, even if Rin had thought for a moment they might help. Strong hands grabbed her under the armpits and hauled her up like a ragdoll. Then fingers slid under her chin and forced it up so she was looking right at Luvia. For all their fights, and all the discipline she'd suffered at this woman's hands, it was the first time Rin found herself truly frightened by the dark intensity in the amber eyes.
"You're mine," hissed Luvia, and her grip on Rin's chin tightened until it hurt. "You belong to me."
Rin couldn't look away, paralyzed like a hare before the wolf. The worst part, the absolute worst, was that she wasn't shivering from fear alone. The possessive edge in the mis-Luvia's voice brought an unwelcome but familiar stirring low in her belly.
If the blonde noticed, she was not appeased. "Every time I think you finally understand," she growled, "that you have finally accepted what we both want… I no sooner turn my eyes away then you defy me."
One of Luvia's hands slid up Rin's jaw. She forced herself not to flinch, even as she expected a sudden blow to the head. Instead, the blonde delicately tucked a strand of raven hair behind Rin's ear. She shuddered again, feeling sweat beading on her forehead.
"It is not admirable anymore," said Luvia coldly, even as her fingers lingered on the strand. "It is an affront. One I shall repay accordingly."
Magus' intuition and animal instinct both scream at Rin to make a break for it, however desperate. There will be no lulling Luvia into complacency again - the fierce hunger underneath the heiress' wounded rage promises as much. But the scorching heat of the brand on her breast, and the subtle tension in Luvia and Crown's muscles, warn against it.
And not all members of the Church were like that damned Kirei. If they saw Rin struggling, they might try to intervene. In Luvia's current mood, it wouldn't end well for them. Rin didn't share Emiya's bleeding heart or malformed ideals, but even she couldn't put bystanders at risk for her own mistakes.
Gritting her teeth, Rin inclined her head to her mistress. When they left the office and strode through the building towards the car port, she waved with false reassurance at the raised eyebrows directed at them. That didn't stop Luvia from keeping a tight grip on her arm the whole way.
The black sedan had a spacious and comfortable backseat, as expected from a vehicle owned by the Edelfelt family. Rin still curled her shoulders in and kept her hands firmly in her lap. Fury rolled off in waves from the heiress seated next to her. Luvia's jaw was tight as she glared out the window, as if willing away the kilometres left to the manor. Rin's hope that she might calm down now that she had her prize firmly back in hand vanished like spit on a hot pan.
Rin should stay quiet. She knew she should stay quiet. But curiosity had always been one of Rin's greatest flaws. The car had barely swung onto the M25 before she turned to the blonde.
"How did you figure it out?" she asked quietly.
Luvia's face darkened, and for a moment Rin thought she would hit her again. Then the blonde stiffly drew an envelope from her breast pocket and handed it to her.
Swallowing hard, Rin pulled out the letter and barely caught the paper strip that drifted up into the air. She glanced down at it and nearly choked.
"The Diocese of London thanks you for your generous contribution. This letter will serve as a receipt for your tax purposes—"
She didn't need to read the letter to know it was from Father Walters. It would warmly thank her for the donation, express his best wishes, and inevitably remind her of the flight date and time. Correspondence written with the best of intentions and duly delivered to her old flat. The flat which — Rin's face paled — still served as her official address, and so of course was monitored by Edelfelt goons.
I fucked up.
She should have specified that she didn't want a receipt. Another fatal eleventh hour mistake, courtesy of the Tohsaka curse.
Her throat felt like a desert. She glanced up at Luvia, but the other might have been carved from marble. Closing her eyes, Rin tucked the letter away and waited out the rest of the ride in silent agony. That a treacherous part of her felt relief as they approached the familiar red-brick walls of the Edelfelt manor was little comfort.
Crown opened the door for their mistress. Though Luvia didn't so much at glance her way as she strode up the front walk, blonde curls trailing in the wind, Rin could feel her anger almost as a physical weight on her shoulders.
I really can kiss my grades goodbye this time, she thought as her heart hammered in her chest. It was easier thinking about than the more direct punishments promised by the ominous twitch in her mistress' fingers, punishments meant to break her. But not before she leaves me to sweat for a few hours.
Or even overnight, depending on how long it took for the flame to dwindle, and she recovered enough composure not to scratch her toy's eyes out.
Franchesca must have spotted them approaching from the window, for she held the door open to let their mistress through. The hurt in the maid's eyes when she turned a disapproving frown her way made Rin's skin prickle with unexpected guilt.
She's blaming me for this. She's honestly blaming me for making a run for it.
And Rin's world really had been spun irrevocably into madness, because she understood why.
When Crown came to a halt in the great hall while Luvia continued up the stairs, Rin automatically stopped at his side. Her stomach churned as she braced herself for the inevitable flogging before the blonde really tightened down the screws, an even harsher one than what she'd endured the first day she'd set foot in this house. The day the cage truly closed shut. She'd been a fool to think—
"Did I give you permission to stay behind?" The steel in Luvia's voice cut across Rin's thoughts. She glanced up to see the blonde glaring down at her.
"No, mistress." Impossible to argue under her mistress' scowl.
"Then follow."
Every step felt like Rin's feet were made of lead as she followed the blonde up the a wild moment, she thought she wouldn't mind finding Berserker at the end, massive stone blade and all. At least it would be quick.
Dread and awful anticipation curdled in Rin when Luvia led her straight to the master bedroom. It meant that the burning flame of the blonde's anger had stripped away even her ironclad patience. Rin might have felt proud if not for the cold sweat dripping along her hairline.
"Stand there."
Rin moved to the middle of the room as directed. The click of the lock behind her held a terrible finality.
"Do you remember what I told you, Rin?" She could hear the blonde approaching her, even with the thick carpet muffling the footfalls, and held back a shiver. "The day I burnt your ritual?"
Biting her lip, Rin looked determinedly away from the mirror of the vanity facing her. Blood was already pounding in her ears. She didn't need her mistress' wrathful reflection to make it worse.
"That… that I hadn't learned the most important lesson," she said quietly, then flinched when her mistress's hand descended on her shoulder.
"Indeed." The word dripped ice. "And what did I tell you then?"
She closed her eyes, but surrendered to the inevitable. "That you'd f-fix that."
"Quite right." The hand slipped under Rin's shirt to trace the line of her collarbone. She shuddered under the touch, but did not resist. "As you conducted yourself well, I thought we had reached an understanding. I was prepared to be indulgent."
Rin didn't dare look in the mirror. The betrayal cracking under that frigid voice… she didn't think she could bear seeing it, even in the glass.
"I was mistaken," said Luvia in what was almost a whisper.
Then she inhaled sharply, and suddenly she pressed hard into Rin's back. An arm locked possessively around her waist. At the same time, the hand under her shirt dropped to her breast and squeezed, drawing a pained whine from Rin's lips.
"You're mine, Rin." The voice in her ear turned harsh. "If my brand isn't enough to convince you, then I'll force my mark on every inch of your flesh. Inside and out."
"M-mistress," breathed Rin, shamefully close to pleading. "Please, I'll do—ahh!"
A sharp pinch on her nipple made her cry out.
"Silence," said Luvia "You had your chance to prove yourself obedient. Since you're set on being a bad girl, I shall discipline you as one."
"I— yes, of course." Gingerly she reached up to the collar of her shirt, expecting the command to strip.
Only for the blonde to swat her hands away. "No. You need a reminder of just who is in charge here. Starting with your body."
Luvia carelessly undid the buttons of Rin's blouse, then slid it off her shoulders. The blonde roughly caressed every inch of exposed skin in a deliberate challenge, daring Rin to protest. She bit her lip and held her silence, even as her heart hammered in her chest and shameful arousal flickered in her core.
The clasp of her bra came undone and the garment fell to the floor, followed by her skirt and stockings. Rin's breaths grew shallow as more and more of her skin was bared. While undressing her mistress was one of her many duties, Luvia doing this to her felt nothing alike. Rather than superior, she felt desperately exposed, vulnerable, prey for the taking.
Soon she was entirely nude in her mistress' arms. Long nails slid down the length of Rin's stomach and traced her navel, pressing down just enough for discomfort.
"I… please," said Rin. "P-please, mistress. I didn't mean…"
She was afraid of the blonde's hands, so adept at delivering pain and pleasure alike. She was afraid her mistress would touch her.
She really wanted her mistress to touch her.
But just as the fingers brushed lightly over her inner thigh, and she thought she might get wanted she (dread, wanted, oh please), the woman abruptly pulled away. All the wonderful softness of her mistress' breasts pressed into her, the scorching heat of her breath, gone.
Instinctively she turned to follow, only for Mistress to grab her roughly by the shoulder.
"Hold your tongue, and don't you dare move. I already have more than enough incentive to hurt you."
The threat both froze the blood in Rin's veins and kindled an uncomfortable burn between her thighs. She pivoted back around and bowed her head in a gesture of submission.
That would have earned her praise as a good girl in the past. Humiliating, but she longed to hear it now. Instead, her mistress grimly walked over to the chest of drawers and opened one.
The sound of rustling cloth and clinking metal proved irresistible. Cursing her own curiosity, Rin moved her head to watch from the corner of her eye. There was the whip, as she had feared, but also ropes and gags, and something thin and silver…
Trembling, she forced her eyes back to the floor in front of her. If she just held still and let the blonde's fury wash over her, then surely it would eventually cool. And maybe it was worth it, if it meant being allowed back in that heavenly golden bed...
Fuck. Those were exactly the kind of thoughts that had caused Rin to flee in the first place.
No. I won't surrender to this. Rin's shoulders went rigid as Luvia approached again. I'll… I'll just let myself float above this. Disconnect, so I can keep from falling.
There was a ruffle of silk in her peripheral vision. Before Rin could say anything, the cloth slid over her eyes and pulled tight. Her startled cry cut off when her mistress's hand clamped over her mouth.
"I said silence." The words rang out like whip crack. "You haven't earned sight. And seeing what you do with it… perhaps you never will."
Rin yelped as fingernails raked over her back. Cut off from sight, every other sense felt more sensitive than ever. Fear shivered over her skin even as desire, hot and treacherous, pooled in her she felt herself roughly shoved forward. Her knees hit the side of the bed, and with a cry she fell awkwardly onto silk sheets.
She had just begun untangling her limbs when the wolf fell upon her. Strong hands mercilessly flipped her over so she was flat on her back, spread-eagled and vulnerable. Without her eyes or her reinforced strength, she couldn't hope to defend herself from the assault.
Assault was the word. Mistress' weight pressed down on her, pinning her in place with hands and thighs. Nails dug cruelly into her back, hard enough to draw blood. Bites and harsh kisses were pressed all over her body, pressed so mercilessly that Rin knew she would be wearing the marks for days to come.
She gasped, she mewled, she pleaded. All the while, the wolf's brand blazed on her breast. It's searing heat burned hotter and hotter every time Mistress brushed a hand over it, until Rin was screaming with the pain of it.
So you don't forget me. Ever again.
Then she was roughly dragged down, down, until her mouth brushed against the arch of her Mistress' foot. Eagerly she peppered the warm skin with kisses, hoping for forgiveness.
You can do far better than that, Rin. Fingers dug into her hair and yanked to make her gasp in pain. And you will, as many times as I wish it.
She was made to worship every inch of her mistress body, run her tongue and lips until all she could taste was the salty-sweet taste of the blonde's skin.
Beg, Rin. Beg to put your unworthy mouth to use for my pleasure.
Rin begged. She whined and pleaded, all dignity forgotten between the vicious bites and scratches making her beg Mistress to stop, and the burning lust in her core begging her to continue, to take her, please, please….
She kissed down the length of her mistress' thighs, pleading and mewling for the chance to make up for her mistake. Then rough hands pushed her down to the soaked folds between the powerful thighs. Mistress bucked her hips almost viciously against Rin's mouth, even as her hands ruthlessly pulled on Rin's hair to urge her on.
You belong to me. Every part of you, mind and body, to do with as I please.
Y… yes Mistress. Forgive your… ah… your unworthy whore of a servant...
Her mistress' thumb harshly circling her aching clit, driving her mad with frustrated arousal, bringing her higher and higher without ever granting satisfaction until it was a torment, and Rin screamed out her submission, her devotion —
Cry my name, Rin! Who do you belong to?
Y-you, Mistress! Only you, please, I beg of you—
Only for her blonde goddess to grab her arms and tie her to the bedposts. Left her there, marked red with bites and bruises, begging and crying and aching with frustrated desire while she coolly walked into the bathroom.
And as Rin helplessly listened to the distant sounds of the running shower, all she could think about was how much she wanted Mistress' hands back on her.
And how she couldn't even hate herself for it.