“Is that all that I am to you?” She choked.
“No,” Thorel said and knelt beside her, still holding her shaking hand.
Thorel waited for long moments, unsure what to say or do. He could hear her weeping softly though. He'd never imagined this strong, capable woman doing that, ever. “Ari you are the most admirable person I have ever met in my life. I never even imagined meeting someone like you when I came to Vallad.”
“Do you really mean that?” She sniffed behind her wall of hair.
“Yes,” he said. He saw Ari touch him with the truth seer.
Her hand gripped his tightly. “Would you want to kiss me?”
That question caught Thorel off guard. “Um, do you want me to?”
She turned and looked directly at him. He could see the tears running down her beautiful face, but her eyes were hard. “Answer the question,” there was no mistaking the command in her tone.
“Yes,” He admitted. He knew it was wrong to do it because he had kissed Eliel too. But he wanted to. Ari was so beautiful and strong, and now that he had opened his mind to it he could feel his attraction to her. She didn't even need to answer his question now, he knew. But what was upsetting her so?
Ari stood and pushed her chair away from her with her Magik and knelt in front of him. Her hand gripped his the whole time though, not letting go. She pulled him with her to kneel as well.
He liked Eliel, but his confusion from yesterday was gone. He only hoped that she could forgive him for this, but he couldn't lie to himself now that he knew for sure.
They sat on their knees for long moments, looking into each other’s eyes. Ari wiped her tears with her sleeve and asked “So are you going to kiss me, or not?”
Thorel had actually been waiting for her to kiss him, it only seemed proper to him since she outranked him.
He leaned forward to press his lips to hers: and felt the dull thump as their foreheads collided.
“Ow! Sorry!” Thorel said, totally embarrassed.
Ari rubbed her forehead; “Do it right, dolt!”
“I'm trying, but I've only done this once!” By all the spirits, he felt like a fool right at this moment.
“Well so have I!” She said with frustration.
Ari leaned forward and touched her lips to his. Then she opened her mouth and stuck her tongue in as Eliel had: but it was different. It was not the aggressive erotic assault with her that it had been with Eliel. It was gentle and probing. Like she was exploring his mouth, not trying to conquer it.
He returned the kiss with a passion he hadn't felt with Eliel. There was a fire in his breast with Ari that she hadn't ignited. He let go of her hand and put his arms around her, pulling her to him. She did the same, wrapping him in a tight embrace.
They stopped for a breath and looked into each other’s eyes.
“I love you, Thorel. I won't let anything stand between us.” There was such a fire in her eyes when she said it; Thorel didn't need to be able to use the truth seer to know that it was true.
* * *
Ari sat in the comfortable chair that had been placed in the open room of the warehouse, waiting impatiently. It was already past the nineteenth hour. She drank her wine and waited. She had been drinking wine since dinner tonight; she was going to need a lot of it to deal with what was coming.
She was definitely feeling more than the minor fuzzy feeling now: but looking at the dark stained wooden table in the center of the room made her take another drink. Ari couldn't believe the waist high table had been stored carefully by her dead step-bitch just in case she'd felt like having Ari strapped to it again. But it would be useful tonight. She looked at the helpless spirit of her step-cunt and smiled viciously.
Fourteen of her guards and twenty of her best slaves were here. The slave men sat on the comfortable couches that her slave master had brought for the party to this warehouse. A groundbreaking celebration to recognize the service of her best male slaves is what this was. They sat and talked while enjoying the ale Ari had provided for them. Many of them toasted her, and others said she was the best owner a slave could ever hope for.
A lone minstrel sat on a barrel playing his lute. He sang a catchy song that Ari honestly found annoying. But the men seemed to enjoy it, so she held her tongue. She smiled when they toasted her, and replied when they addressed her. It was a tedious task being the Mistress tonight, but it would be far more entertaining when the guest of honor arrived. She smiled at the thought and took a drink of her wine.
The door on the other side of the room opened and she saw the freckled redheaded whore with her positively indecent green dress enter. Nearly half of her large bust showed it was cut so low. Ari's hatred burned in her.
She looked around, looking somewhat confused. When their eyes met though, she could see the whore's fear. Ari smiled broadly at her enemy.
Eliel turned to run out the door she had come in.
“Stop her!” Ari called, using her Magik to amplify her voice. The music and conversation stopped instantly.
The two guards by the door grabbed her by the arms: she struggled vainly with them. She cursed them quite thoroughly. Ari couldn't help but respect her skill with insults.
“Bring her to me,” she said.
The two guardsmen dragged her over. Ari could see the defiant look in her eyes trying to cover her fear. Ari remembered seeing that look in the mirror until her step-bitch had shown her how useless that was.
“What is the meaning of this?” The whore demanded.
Ari simply nodded to Silene. Silene stepped forward and backhanded Eliel across the face.
“You will address the Mistress with respect, woman,” she said with menace.
Eliel's face twisted in anger. She spit the blood out of her mouth and spat out; “Milady, what is the meaning of this?”
Ari set her glass down, pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. “You signed this contract didn't you? You are here to help my best slaves celebrate groundbreaking,” she showed her the agreement.
Eliel looked around; “Where are the other whores, Milady?” she asked.
“There are no others. Ah, before I forget, here is your payment,” Ari pulled a hand full of gold coins out of her pouch and counted out ten. She reached forward to hand the money to her and nodded at the guardsmen.
They released her arms with wariness; and stood ready to grab her again though.
Eliel asked, “Milady, am I supposed to take all of these slaves?” She looked around at them.
“Yes. Take your money, I grow tired of holding it,” Ari said.
“Milady, there are too many. I could handle maybe half of them, but not all of them,” Eliel said, her fear showing more readily.
Ari looked at her intently. “Let me explain your situation, whore. If you dishonor your signed contract, I will have you thoroughly beaten for wasting my time. Especially your freckled face. You would have a difficult time getting customers with no teeth I think. Or you can take my gold, honor your contract and we will honor your conditions: you will not be beaten, strangled, urinated upon, or defecated upon. My guards will ensure this.”
Ari could see the wheels moving slowly in this dumb whore's mind. “Milady, there are too many..,” she said, looking a lot more scared than she had.
Ari pulled the hand back holding the coins to give her arm rest. She took a drink of her wine and said, “Whore, do you see that table?”
Eliel turned her head to look at it. “Yes Milady,” she replied quietly.
“The dark stains are my own blood. I was barely fifteen years old, and had been a maiden until maybe an hour before my stepmother strapped me to it and let ten of her personal guard enjoy themselves with me.” Ari took a deep breath to calm her nerves and a long drink. She held her glass out to be refilled. Her hand shook steadily.
“Eliel Kwinn you are a professional whore: you gave your maidenhead to the highest bidder years ago and have been fucking anyone who can pay ever since. If I can take ten, y
ou can take twenty, you filthy whore,” Ari took a drink of her refilled glass.
The look on Eliel's face turned to one of pure horror.
Ari smiled coldly and nodded to the guardsmen by her. They grabbed her arms and held her.
“Put the coins in her pouch, and make certain the slaves honor the stipulations,” she held the coins out to Silene, who promptly placed them in Eliel's pouch. Eliel screamed and struggled uselessly.
“That dress will only get in the way,” Ari nodded to one of her personal guards. He pulled his dagger and sliced it down the front. “Silene, call household staff and have a new dress brought for her.”
“Yes Mistress,” She said obediently.
Ari got up. “Take her to the table and strap her down. Minstrel, play something lively.”
“Yes Mistress,” the older man said shaking his shock off.
Eliel's screams tore through the room. “Find something to gag her with,” Ari commanded.
Another of her guards tore a long strip from her dress. He wadded it up and stuffed it into her mouth. Two other guards came over to help strap her down. There were long leather ties on the legs of the table for her ankles, and they secured her wrists over her head.
“Why is it stupid women always seem to have such huge breasts? It seems like such a waste, doesn't it, Silene?” Ari said with a laugh.
“Yes Mistress,” Silene said, looking uncomfortable.
“My most honored slaves. Come, enjoy this whore that I hired for you. She was going to break her contract and deny you your rightful reward. But I would not allow that.” She looked at the slaves; some of them looked uncomfortable, but others were obviously quite eager to begin the festivities by the look of their trousers.
She looked at the whore and saw tears rolling from her eyes. Ari heard a man's voice from the end of the table ask: “May I, Mistress?”
Without looking at the man Ari said, “You may.”
Ari watched the whore's face twist painfully as the slave penetrated her. Good. Ari thought. When she looked at her like that and took her freckles off in her mind, she could easily imagine her as Marylyn Dothranan with her red hair. The thought of her step-bitch being raped by twenty men on this table brought her much more joy than crushing this pathetic whore.
Still watching the whores face twist in pain she called out: “Come, men, come enjoy her. Unless you wish to disrespect the gift that I give you.” That will motivate the laggards. She thought and took a drink.
She took her wine glass in both hands now, they shook so much. Ari turned and walked towards her chair remembering the first time she had spoken with Siri as Mistress. It was the day after the former Lord and Lady Dothranan had passed to spirit.
Ari had a list of all of her stepmother's most trusted people and was going through the list as quickly as she could to dismiss them. There was no way she could trust any of them, or forgive them for their close association with her. She sat in her audience chamber with the guards behind the walls ready with their crossbows. Siri walked in and knelt before her: she did not bow or curtsy as the others had.
Ari looked at her list to make certain she had the name right and spoke. “Siri Fenel, I no longer require your service. Take all of your possessions and leave immediately.”
“Mistress, may I speak?” Siri asked.
“You may,” Ari was curious. Others had spoken, but none had shown her the respect that this woman just had. In fact, Gorin Dar's corpse was being ground into pig feed for his blatant disrespect right now.
“Mistress, if you will give me until tomorrow night, I will give you a gift that will please you greatly. If it does please you, may I remain in your service?” She asked.
Ari considered this for a moment. Her curiosity overcame her though. “I will grant you this chance. You have until the twentieth hour.”
“That is all I need Mistress. I promise, you will not be disappointed,” Siri said sincerely.
The next evening with eighteen of her late father's personal guard she had met Siri behind a home in her Hold. After the guards had checked the basement for danger, they reported only an unarmed man and woman were in it. She went down with Siri and four of her guards.
The man and woman waiting there had a covered wheelbarrow. Siri took the lamp from the woman and pulled the canvas that had been covering the wheelbarrow off. In the wheelbarrow were ten neatly stacked and arranged heads. Siri shined the lantern light on the faces of the dead men.
“Do you remember these men Mistress?” Siri asked without any hint of emotion.
Ari put her hands over her mouth as it opened in shock. Yes, she remembered them. Each and every face had haunted her nightmares for nearly three years. She could remember the things each of them said, and the sounds they made as they raped her on that table. She remembered the horrible feeling of each of them violating her.
She would never forget those faces.
And to see them here, with their faces now frozen forever; she felt the horror of the night she lost her maidenhead drain from her. She felt her heart leap for joy the way it had when her stepmother's life ended.
“Does this please you, Mistress?” Siri asked.
“Yes, this pleases me,” she almost could not contain her joy. “Everyone leave, except you,” she nodded to Siri.
When they left, she asked, “What is your name again?”
“Siri Fenel, Mistress,” she said.
“Siri Fenel, you will be second only to me in this hold, so long as I live. Even if I marry or gain Wizards, none shall come before you. Do you accept this?”
Siri knelt and placed the lantern on the floor. “I do Mistress. I vow to serve you until death separates us.”
Ari extended her hand to her, Siri took it and rose. “I accept your vow, Siri,” Ari put her arms around her and they embraced. “Thank you,” she said, and let her tears flow freely.
Ari shakily took another drink of her wine as the second man mounted her dead step-bitches most deserving stand in.
***
Thorel sat in his huge room in the manor with Nigel drinking wine. Today had been the most amazing day of his life so far. He had never imagined in his wildest dreams that Ari would declare her love for him like that. They had kissed and held each other for what seemed an eternity: an eternity that when it ended seemed far too short a time.
Then they had their lesson: Ari transformed herself almost instantly from the woman who'd declared her love to the instructor he was familiar with. With one notable difference: she smiled more.
Thorel had found Nigel after they had eaten dinner. Ari told him she needed to speak with Siri privately during her dinner, so she had dismissed him. But not before giving him a light kiss on the lips with a small but bright smile that lit her blue eyes. Siri had only raised her eyebrow at the display and nodded her acknowledgment to him before he left.
He'd told Nigel of her declaration: not only that, but he knew now that Ari was the woman for him. He felt like he loved her, but he wanted to be certain before he said it. Those words were something that could not be taken back.
“Eliel's going to be heartbroken, man. But it's better to do it now. I'd beware of rocks if I were you though,” was Nigel's counsel.
“Good advice man,” Thorel conceded sadly.
That was Thorel's only regret: he couldn't lie to himself or her, but knowing it was going to hurt Eliel would make it that much harder. He hoped she could forgive him, and that they could still be friends at least.
It was past the twenty-first hour now: Nigel spoke up with a grin. “Man, I've seen that look in the mirror before, but I've never seen it without getting my noodle wet.”
Thorel choked on the drink he'd been taking. Nigel sat there grinning ear to ear, wineglass in hand.
“You've been with a woman before?” Thorel sputtered.
“Oh yeah. I don't know, ten? Fifteen times? Something like that. Might be a few I don't remember though, thanks to Mr. alcohol here,” he chuckled.
“Really? What's it like?” Thorel asked totally attentive now.
“It's the best thing in the world, I can say that. But trying to describe it? I don't think I have the words to do it justice, man.”
“Try,” Thorel said, insatiably curious.
“Well..,” was all Nigel had a chance to say before Thorel's door swung open, surprising both of them.
Ari stood there in her white dress with the red patterns. There were a few splotches of red wine on it that hadn't been there when Thorel saw her before dinner. She held an unopened bottle in one hand, and a half full glass in the other. One of her personal guards had an arm around her helping her stand.
“I'm here now. All of you guards can go away now,” Ari said with a slur.
The look on Nigel's face mirrored Thorel's: his mouth was open so far it looked as if his jaw was unhinged.
“She's drunk,” Nigel mouthed to him. Thorel just nodded with wide eyes.
Ari started struggling drunkenly with the guard helping her through the door. “Let me go, I command it! I want to be with my love.”
Thorel moved quickly to Ari. “I've got her,” He said putting an arm around her. Ari squeezed him and kissed his neck.
“Thank you, sir. We'll be right outside.” The woman stepped out and closed the door.
“This way Mistress,” Thorel said trying to guide her to the table where Nigel sat.
“I don't want to walk anymore. Carry me, and hold me, dearest,” Ari put her head on his shoulder.
Nigel got up and came over. “If you'll allow me, Mistress?” He took the unopened bottle of wine from her.
“Oh thank you, little chef. I was tired of holding that,” she giggled.
“Are you ready, Mistress?” Thorel asked.
“Why are you asking me that? Just obey me, like a good husband should!” Ari slurred.
Thorel bent with one arm around her and placed his other behind her knees picking her up easily.
Ari squealed with drunken delight and kissed his cheek.
Thorel walked with her to the table and sat in his chair. He pulled his arm from under her knees and she sat in his lap with her arm around him. She snuggled her head into his shoulder with a contented smile.
Spirit of Magik (The Dothranan Chronicles Book 1) Page 30
