To Collar a Queen, page 15
People found my methods cruel and disturbing, but they didn’t see the times like this. A miserable pleasure slave was no fun. I made sure all my buyers understood that simple truth. Discipline had to be tempered with reward to create the perfect, intoxicating combination of a slave who couldn’t say no—but who also didn’t really want to.
Johanna shifted underneath me, and her sweet scent caught my nose again. Changelings grew addicted to their master’s scent if trained right, but the process could work both ways if allowed to. I never usually fell prey to it, but now, a mad urge called me to taste her sweet pussy yet again. If I hadn’t just filled her up with my seed, I probably would have.
The thought drew me to the mess of our bodies. I had to clean Johanna up. She’d been good, and I wanted to reward her with a dignified sleep in a clean bed. I’d call the servants to draw a bath and—
Another idea struck me, and even though it was completely inappropriate, I knew right away I was going to do it. The only rules I’d be breaking were my own, after all. I removed myself from the bed, dressed, and tapped Johanna lightly on the cheek. “You can’t sleep yet. You’re a mess.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and an adorable look of sleepy confusion flitted over her face. For a moment, she looked very young, and a harsh twist of guilt struck me in the chest. Life was cruel for the girls who turned young. Crueler for Johanna than for most, given what she’d lost. A deep instinct, one I struggled to place, tugged at me, and I wanted to see a smile on her face, just once. I could get things back on track tomorrow.
She swallowed and rolled onto her side. “I thought you’d make me sleep like this again”—a pause, the one she always battled with before she said the hated word—“Master.”
“I’ve got something else in mind. On your feet. I’m going to leash you.”
She flinched at the word, but it was one of the long list of things she needed to get used to. As she stood, I took a moment to admire the mess I’d made of her. Her long hair was a crazy tangle, her eyes were dazed, and our mingled come coated her thighs. A well-fucked girl. She waited, her posture wary, as I clipped the leash she despised so much onto her collar.
With a tug, I urged her toward the door. She followed with a wince, and I hid a smile. I’d left her sore. Good. As we walked down the corridor, I calculated the likelihood of us encountering another soul. Servants were likely, but they were mostly female. My assistant trainers should all be off shift, most likely enjoying an early dinner in the pub. I still hated the idea of one of them seeing her naked, though the issue grew more pressing with each day that passed. My behavior must seem very strange by this point.
For a single moment, I considered covering her in one of the thin red slips the girls wore when they were ready for sale, but I chided myself against the notion. That would be a step too far. Clothes had to be earned, and she hadn’t done that yet. I’d just have to take the risk.
We reached the outer door, the one that led beyond where Johanna had so far been taken, and I felt her attention sharpen. As I cracked the door, she said in a small voice, “Please. May I have something to cover me?”
Frantic panic edged the words, and I knew what she was imagining. Me leading her through a busy household, naked and shamed. Though the part of my brain that seemed to have gone soft today urged me to reassure her, I made myself keep a stern tone. “You haven’t earned that yet. Naked flesh is a common sight here. You won’t attract attention.”
A complete lie, and one which didn’t seem to fool her. But she stiffened her shoulders anyway, and a flicker of pride caught me off guard. There was no denying her bravery. As we passed through the locked door into the brighter, open section of my institute, Johanna’s eyes grew wide, and energy pulsed from her. Late afternoon sun streamed in through the windows, and she leaned toward it like a flower, seeming to forget all about her state of undress. I led her to stand in a patch of sunlight as I checked the corridor. No one. Good.
I tugged her onward, past the entry hall and down a side corridor toward the gardens. A maid passed, gray collar glinting, and bowed whilst staring at Johanna as much as she dared. A glare from me sent her scurrying away.
I thought I’d made it out free and clear, until a side door opened and Baric walked out. He froze at the sight of Johanna, then quickly recovered and snapped into the role he usually played at these times. The role I’d assigned him, for fuck’s sake. He let his gaze trace Johanna’s body from top to bottom, lingering longest at the juncture of her thighs. With a slow, lazy smile, he said, “You finally brought her out to play, then. When do I get to try her out?”
All part of the process. Some masters shared their changeling slaves with their friends, and even those that didn’t often showed them off. I had to get the girls used to being spoken of as though they were a curiosity. Something to be sampled and discussed.
Johanna shrank back with a whimper and covered herself with her hands. My blood boiled with rage, and from the flash of fear on Baric’s face, I hadn’t hidden my reaction well. Damn it all to the depths. My men would think I’d lost my mind. I racked my brain for a way to defuse the situation without sounding like a raving lunatic.
“She’s not ready for that yet, I’m afraid. You’ll have to wait your turn.” I tried to inject my tone with a lightness I didn’t feel. Baric’s eyes returned to Johanna, as if drawn by magnets, and I fought the urge to smash him into the wall with my fist. How dare he fucking look at her like that. I’d—
“I’ll be on my way then, my lord. I’ve plenty to do.” Baric’s anxious voice cut through the buzzing fury in my brain, and I forced myself to relax my fists. He was doing exactly what he was supposed to. I was the one in the wrong.
“Good evening,” I forced out, and he nodded before making quick tracks in the opposite direction. Wanting to put space between himself and me, no doubt. I tugged Johanna’s leash, and she got moving, but I caught a stifled sob, almost too quiet to hear.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, though I knew the answer.
“Are you going to let him fuck me? And the rest of them?” Her voice had a harsh, broken note I hated. “And after I’m sold, whoever buys me will do that too, right? Pass me around? Let all their friends have a taste of the queen?”
As she edged toward hysteria, I stopped at the outer door and gripped her hands. She gazed up at me, eyes round, fear and sadness etched across her face. Before I knew what was happening, I found myself saying, “No. I’m planning to sell you exclusively, with a clause against sharing.”
What the fuck? I’d never done any such thing. But she blinked, and her breathing lost its ragged, manic quality. She licked her lips before asking, “Why?”
A very good question. Searching, I managed, “It’s unseemly, a former queen being passed around. We’d be the laughingstock of other nations. I plan to find you a buyer who wants you all to himself.”
She stared at me, as if searching for the trap, then her shoulders relaxed when she didn’t find it. With shocking sharpness of thought, she said, “Did your friend there not get the instruction?”
I shrugged. “He wanted a reaction from you. He’s a sadistic bastard. Just like me.” I flashed her a sharp grin, then pushed open the outer door. “Mind your step.”
She didn’t heed me, stepping past me into the sunlight with a speed born of desperation, as though she thought I might slam the door in her face just to spite her. Once outside, she breathed deep of the chilly air and turned her face up to the sun, a beatific smile on her lips. I watched her, and my own lips curved up. Changelings were simple creatures, really. Fresh air, sunlight, decent food, and a steady stream of sexual pleasure contented most of them enough to live out their lives in peace.
I watched her for a few moments, then tugged on her leash. “Come. I won’t keep you out after dark.”
Her brow furrowed, but she restrained herself from questions and kept pace alongside me, eyes darting every way as she took in the pretty, manicured gardens that gave way to tame forest. The broad-leafed parker trees gave off a sweet, resiny scent, and she breathed it in as we walked. We came to the end of the path and pushed through into a clearing. Her gasp rang out loud in the stiff afternoon.
The tarn was small, but the crystal-clear water and abundance of fish made it a pleasant spot for swimming and fishing. Johanna looked at me, a wild, disbelieving hope in her eyes, and I knew I’d hit the mark. “Did you bring me here to swim?”
I nodded. “I told you—good behavior is rewarded. You must thank me first, though. From your knees.”
That beautiful battle raged in her eyes once again. I’d never tire of it. The desire to accept the thing she desperately wanted, weighted against the equal desire to tell me to go and fuck myself. The flash of anger, forced into unwilling submission. A perfect combination. Her face settled into resignation, and she dropped gracefully to her knees and looked up at me. I didn’t let my face display any emotion.
“Thank you, Master. For bringing me here to swim.” Her voice was flat, but she’d done as I demanded. I patted her head, a gesture I knew she’d find demeaning.
“There you go. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, I’m going to lengthen your leash. Don’t even think about trying to escape.”
A slight twitch of her brow showed me she’d been thinking of that very thing. Of course she had. I spooled out fifteen feet of leash, then settled myself at the water’s edge. “Go ahead.”
She didn’t wait for further encouragement but ran, diving straight into the deep, cool water. The leash jerked in my hand as she tested the end of it, then resurfaced with a smile on her lips. She remained at the surface for a few breaths, then dived again.
How good it must feel after her confinement. I itched to join her but dismissed the notion right away. Me bringing her here as a treat pushed the boundaries of normality. If one of my men were to find me cavorting with a changeling slave like a lovestruck teenager, I’d lose his respect for eternity, and that wouldn’t do. I contented myself by watching, noting the limber grace of her movements beneath the waves and the way her hair streamed behind her in a fiery cloud as she moved. A sea goddess trapped at the end of my leash. I liked the idea more than I should.
A cloud passed over my mood as I imagined another hand on the leash. Another man possessing Johanna. Someone else marking her beautiful skin and filling her tight little cunt. Someone else, perhaps addicted to her sweet taste, making her come over and over until pleasure left her dazed and pliable.
No.
The thought landed with a heavy thump, but I knew the truth of it immediately. No. I wasn’t going to fucking sell her at all. It was time to face the truth of my desires. I’d wanted her as a human, standing beside me as my wife. But to own her as my perfect slave, forever, was far better.
As soon as I admitted to wanting it, my mind deluged me with images of what it would mean. I’d train her with such care, make her behave, but I’d never break her spirit. I never wanted to see that spark of anger go out. No other man would ever know how soft her skin was, or feel her lips stretch around his cock. And she’d never again know any pleasure that didn’t come directly from me.
I’d own her in every way, body, mind, and soul. She broke the surface, gave me a look that was almost shy, and dived back down again. A weight I hadn’t known I’d been laboring under lifted from my shoulders, and I smiled. She was mine, and no one else would ever touch her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Johanna
When I finally left the water, teeth chattering, Merrick and I stared at each other, realizing at the same moment that he hadn’t thought to bring anything to dry me with. The thought struck me as funny, and I broke into giggles through my frozen lips. His brow creased as, lacking any other option, he wrapped me in his jacket. “Is something amusing?”
He didn’t sound angry, more entertained. The truth couldn’t hurt. “It’s just … I wouldn’t have thought to bring a bathing sheet either. Servants always organize that sort of thing. It just struck me as ridiculous. And now your jacket will be ruined.”
“That’s alright.” The side of his lip curved up, and he shot a glance at me. “The servants will take care of it.”
I burst out laughing again, a real laugh, without the hysterical edge I’d grown used to hearing in my own voice. I pulled the jacket close around my chilled skin and breathed deeply of the crisp air.
I wanted to stay out here forever, not return to my claustrophobic room. It wasn’t just the open space and fresh air, though, that was wonderful. It was the normality. Standing here, chatting, I could almost imagine we were normal people. If we’d married, would he have brought me here? Would we have swum together in this very pond and emerged laughing? The thought struck me hard in the chest.
Instead of ruining the moment, I gestured at the clearing. “How far does your property here extend?”
“I have fifty acres. The institute is on the city side, and my private residence is on the far side. My family home lies four hours’ ride away, on the Vasian coast.”
I knew that, of course. He’d grown up as the son of an unremarkable country lord, until he’d made his fortune through the changelings. I’d researched him when he was to be my husband. A thought seized me, and I couldn’t hold it back. “Can you imagine if we’d been married and I’d changed? People would have called it fate, or a curse.”
Or I’d have burned him to a crisp when my power surged. For once, I managed to restrict myself from voicing the thought. Well done, me.
An odd look settled over his features. “Are you religious?”
I paused before responding. “Yes, in my own way. But not through the temples and the rituals. I believe Dara lives in the ocean, and that’s where I speak to her.”
“Did you talk to her now?”
I had, of course. I’d begged her for a way out. For my father’s escape plan to work, and to be free of the hated collar forever. I don’t know if she’d heard me, but the asking had felt good. I nodded. “I asked for freedom.”
“Of course you did.” As if to reinforce my lack of it, he wrapped my leash tightly in his fist and tugged. “Come. We need to get back. You can keep the jacket until the tree line.”
I followed after him, the silence heavy. All the lightness I’d felt in the water drained away as we approached the edge of the trees. The collar lay heavy on my neck again, though I’d grown used to it. I couldn’t work Merrick out today. Was there a reason he’d decided to treat me kindly? An ulterior motive? But it made no sense. I couldn’t do anything for him. I wasn’t worth anything in here besides the price he put on my head. He didn’t seem inclined to talk either, appearing deep in thought as he took the jacket from my shoulders and led me, naked, back to my prison.
Knocking woke me from a dead sleep. The first real sleep I’d had since I arrived. The combination of fresh air, exercise, and an overload of pleasure left me exhausted, only too happy to collapse into bed and let sleep carry me away from my thoughts. Once disturbed, though, I broke the surface of consciousness with a rush, adrenaline seething in my veins. Was it tonight? Had my father come for me?
“Johanna.”
The voice and the faint scent confirmed it was the same man. I tried to sit, but my bonds pulled me back down. I’d complained when Merrick fastened them, but he’d only laughed, telling me I wasn’t well trained enough, “yet,” with an anticipation I found ominous.
“I’m awake,” I whispered. Was there a chance someone was watching my room? I couldn’t worry about that now. “Is it time?”
“No. And I’ve got bad news.”
My heart plummeted toward my heels, a nauseating sense of panic invading my body. The thread of hope, which had kept me calm and coping, wavered. Forever—the rest of my life in this hopeless captivity—stretched before me with all the finality of a door slamming shut. Only years of diplomatic training allowed me to keep my voice steady. “Tell me.”
“The escape is planned five days from now. But tonight, Merrick informed the staff he intends to keep you. He’s going to pay the Crown a hefty price to cover what their proceeds of your sale should have been and take you himself. Do you understand what I’m saying? If he takes you to his private residence, we’ll struggle to get you out. I’m your father’s only contact, and I don’t work there. It could take months for him to find a way … if ever.”
Like a punch to the gut, his words landed heavy in my stomach, a swirl of emotions along with them. He meant to keep me? Why? He’d wanted me as a wife, and now he meant to keep me as his obedient little pet? Why me? Why fucking me?
“Johanna, I don’t have long. Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” I managed. “Please, can you get me out sooner?”
“No. I’m sorry. We’d never make it out. You need to stop this. Piss him off. Convince him you need more training before he takes you to his home.” He paused, and his voice was subdued as he added, “Attack Elena. Nothing makes him angrier than that.”
“But that’s not—”
“You don’t need to hurt her. Make it a catfight. Pull her hair, scratch her. Throw your food in her face. She’s had worse, trust me. Some of the girls are like forest cats, all teeth and claws. Show a bit of that side. With any luck, he’ll take you to the dungeon to teach you a lesson, then leave you alone for a few days to think about it. It’s your only hope. I have to go.”
“But—”
The outer door slammed, and he was gone, leaving me shaking, my mind whirling. Merrick had been kind to me today. Was this the reason? He planned to keep me and wanted to show me I could have periods of happiness under his rule? Provided I knelt when he told me to, spread my legs at his command, and never, ever, dared touch myself, because Dara forbid I might try and take a little happiness under my own terms.
