by Dagny Aldan
“What are you talking about?” Master snapped, “How is that even possible?”
“I don’t know sir, but he’s not in the prison anymore. I can’t find him anywhere.”
“You think he broke out?” asked Master.
“I don’t see how, but maybe,” said Lena, “In that case we both know what he’ll do next, don’t we?”
Master did not answer, but Isabel was sure he knew as well as she did. Hans was going to come looking for her, because he was dangerous, and obsessed, and not to be trusted. Isabel sank lower into the water, wrapping her arms around herself. She did not want to be in Hans’ presence again, she never wanted to be with anyone but Master ever again.
“All right, give me five minutes, and I’ll meet you in my study,” said Master, and Isabel heard him shut the door. She listened as he crossed the room and came back into the bathroom. “Out of the water, conquest, I need to go do some work.”
Isabel climbed out of the water, trying not to shiver as she reached for a towel to dry off with. Master dried himself quickly, then tossed the towel aside. He grabbed Isabel’s shoulder, turned her to face the wall, pulled her hips back and entered her wordlessly. Isabel closed her eyes, relieved that Master would take the time to give her this before he left to do more important things. She held still, only moving as his hands directed her.
Very soon, Master finished and pulled out of her, quickly slipping a small toy in his place to keep his seed inside her. Isabel’s eyes stung with gratitude and she peered at him over her shoulder, hoping he would let her speak.
“What is it conquest?” asked Master.
“Master, I’m sorry for bringing Hans into this. I wish I had never met him, and he had never met me,” she whispered, sinking to her knees and pressing her forehead to his toes. “I’m sorry for whatever I did to gain his attention.”
Master was quiet a moment, then he said,
“I know you are, conquest, I know. I need to deal with this quickly, and then I’ll be back. Drain the bath and wait on the bed. I’ll want you again when I get back.”
“Yes Master.” Isabel kissed his foot and then Master was gone, getting dressed so he could clean up her mess. Isabel wiped a stray tear away, ashamed of herself, and drained the bath. She finished drying herself and then went to the bed, piling her hair on top of her head to dry. She climbed onto the bed, carefully thanks to the toy, and sat hugging her legs to her chest. She tried to find that serene contentment again, but she could not get that back because every time she relaxed a little, Hans’ face came to the forefront of her mind.
The door opened again and Isabel looked up hopefully, but it was not Master. It was Esquire Justin. He shut the door quietly behind him and looked at Isabel with a strange expression, as if he was shocked she was there.
“I…Isabel?” he asked softly.
Isabel uncurled a little and lifted her head.
“Esquire Justin?”
“God, look at you!” he said softly. He gave himself a little shake and strode forward. “Come on Isabel, follow me.”
Isabel shifted onto her knees,
“I’m afraid I can’t, Master said to wait on the bed.”
“He said- yes, that’s fine, but now I need you to come with me,” said Justin.
“You cannot overrule Master,” said Isabel quietly, “I’m sorry, but I must obey Master.”
“The Grand Duke –he asked me to fetch you,” said Justin. “He wants you to join him.”
Isabel frowned. That did not seem correct, as Master had said to wait for him. He wanted her to wait on the bed. Had he changed his mind? That did not seem right. Yet if she did not obey and he was waiting for her, he would be disappointed in her.
“You… you promise Master is waiting for me? He told me to wait on the bed.”
Justin stepped closer, looking agitated.
“Yes Isabel, yes, I promise, now come on. The Grand Duke is waiting for you!”
Isabel slid of the bed and crawled towards Justin.
“Stand up! He wants you now,” said Justin sharply. Isabel startled, now suspicious again, but why would Justin lie? Reluctantly she stood up and followed Justin out of the room. Justin led her along the corridor, through several rooms and up a flight of stairs. He kept looking around and Isabel was sure they were not going to Master. She stopped walking. Justin realised halfway up the steps that she was not behind him and whirled around.
“Isabel, what are you doing? Come on!”
“No,” said Isabel, her heart pounding. “You’re lying about Master, he’s not looking for me. He thinks I’m still waiting on the bed for him and when he finds I’m not, he’ll be upset with me.”
“Isabel, do what you’re told,” snapped Justin, coming back down the stairs.
“No, I won’t. I’m a good slave, I do what Master says,” Isabel snapped, “I’m going back.”
“Isabel! Stop, right now!”
It was hard to ignore the order, Isabel’s steps faltered, but she kept moving, determined to go back to where she was meant to be. Justin came running after her,
“Isabel, Isabel stop, listen to me, you’re in danger if you go back!”
Isabel ignored him. All that mattered was going back to Master’s bed. Justin’s hand closed around her elbow and Isabel whirled around, punching him in his solar plexus. Justin flew back into the wall and he landed on the ground, all the air knocked out of him. Isabel stared down at him, calm and certain,
“Master said to stay on the bed. That is where I will be.”
She turned away again and reached for the door handle.
“He framed Hans!”
Like flipping a switch, Isabel could not move. She could not walk, she could not turn the handle, she could not do anything as Justin’s wheezing voice spoke again.
“He framed Hans, Ahmed had Lena film you and then planted it on Hans, to break you up. He changed your military records, to hide what happened to you in the Caliphate. He wanted you to think no one cared about you, so you’d be more vulnerable to him.”
Isabel could feel she was shaking, the words seemed to be hitting her from a distance. It was a ridiculous idea, Master would never do such a thing. He loved her, he called her his.
“Isabel, Ahmed made Lena bring you here before you were ready, because he wanted you to be afraid. He wanted an excuse to isolate you –look at yourself Isabel! Whatever about marks from scenes, this is insane. Have you even spoken to another person besides Ahmed in days? Don’t you realise how ill you look?”
“Stop! Stop it!” Isabel snapped, finally able to turn back to Justin, glaring at him. “Master looks after me, he’s made me good –you’re lying! I’m going back.”
“Isabel you were always good,” said Justin pleadingly. Isabel’s temper flared,
“What do you know of it? You don’t know me, you didn’t know me before Master made me better. I was a useless lump, a waste of flesh, who got people killed! Master will make me able to make up for that, he just needs more time. I need more time!” Isabel wrenched the door open and started down the corridor, eyes blinded by tears. Justin’s shoes slapped the floor as he ran after her.
“Isabel, come back! It’s not safe!”
Isabel threw herself through the final door, slamming it behind her and turning the lock. She heard Justin hit the wood and backed up, her shoulders heaving.
“Isabel, let me in, you need to let me in!” Justin called urgently.
“You’re wrong! You’re mad!” Isabel cried, dragging her fingers through her hair. The toy inside her was uncomfortable and she wanted to take it out, but Master said it was to stay. A beat of silence fell between her and the door, then Justin said in a calmer voice,
“Isabel, is Ahmed’s tablet in there?”
Isabel looked around, curled fingers pressed to her cheeks. There it was, on the table near Master’s favourite chair.
“Isabel, I know the password for it, unlock it and you’ll see everything I’m saying. Ahmed ha
s changed your records so you couldn’t be helped by anyone else. He sent an innocent man, a man you loved, to prison just to get you here.”
“Liar,” Isabel mumbled into her fingers. “Liar, liar, liar.”
A soft noise made her look around. A slip of paper appeared from under the door.
“That’s Ahmed’s password. You may not believe me, but that will show you the truth. Isabel, I know you love Ahmed, but this is dangerous, he’s pushing you too far, too fast. If he’s willing to do all this to get you, what do you think will happen in the future? How far do you think he’s willing to go to control you?”
“That’s what I’m here for,” said Isabel quietly.
“Isabel, look at the tablet, please,” Justin begged. “Please look at it.”
It was ridiculous, it was impossible, it had to be a lie. Yet Isabel found herself picking the scrap up, and walking over to the tablet. She unlocked it and started going through the files, unable to stop herself once she had started. A part of her was appalled at what she was doing, and she reassured it that when Master came back she would confess everything and accept his punishment.
Then she found a folder with her birthdate on it. Trembling, refusing to believe it was anything but an innocuous folder, she opened it. There were hundreds of video files, and she could see on the thumbnails her own image… hers and Hans.
“No…” Isabel whimpered, scrolling through the hundreds of files. There were other video files, ones from her time in the military that should not have been on this tablet. How had Master gotten them? There were pictures of her in school, there were her medical records, her school records.
Everything about her was on this tablet.
Her fingers were shaking so badly she was barely able to move to the emails, finding the emails between Ahmed and Lena. Her eyes stung again as she read the discussions between them about her. About Hans and what was to be done about him. About ensuring Isabel’s parents keep their distance.
“No, no, no,” she gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Isabel? Please let me in,” Justin begged. The tablet slipped from her numb fingers, cracking on the stone floor. Master had lied to her. No, he had not even needed to do that, he had just seen her vulnerabilities and took advantage of them. Everyone had lied to her. Ahmed had tried to cover up her terrible failure, tried to erase the names of the people who had died to save her.
Isabel buried her face in her hands, sobbing so hard she struggled to breathe.
The faces of her teammates swam before her, their expressions before they died, the way they had all told her she had to run, had to be safe for the sake of their home. She had failed them, she had failed again and again.
Yet Ahmed had told her he would look after her. Is that what care was? Lying and tricking? No, it had to be more than that. Isabel pushed her hair back and sat up. No one could be trusted, not Ahmed, Lena, the others, not her parents or Hans… no one could be trusted.
Isabel surged out of the chair and ran to the window, wanting to throw herself out, wanting it all to just stop, please just make it stop. Something made her pause as she looked through the glass. Killing herself would throw her nation into chaos. They needed her, they needed a leader. She could not deprive them of that, but she could not stay here. She had to leave.
“Isabel? Isabel are you listening to me?” called Justin.
Isabel wiped her face and closed her eyes. The hate she turned on herself was suddenly pointing in other directions. How many people had manipulated her, used her, for their own aims? How many times was she going to let them? What kind of leader does that?
Isabel touched the welts on her thighs, considering her options, when she heard Justin’s voice again.
“Grand Duke!”
“Justin. What are you doing?” demanded Ahmed. Isabel shoved the tablet under the chair and rushed to unlock the door.
“I’m just checking on Isabel,” said Justin simply. “I haven’t seen her in a while and I thought she might need some tidying up.”
“She’s fine,” said Ahmed curtly, “Now if you’ll excuse me-”
Isabel threw herself on the bed, wincing as the toy jabbed the wrong way. She lay on her back, one arm thrown over her face, legs open. The door opened and Ahmed and Justin came in. Isabel opened her eyes and blinked at them, before smiling as wide as she could.
“Master,” she gasped, feeling a genuine sense of relief at the sight of him. Ahmed frowned as he approached, and Isabel realised her crying must be visible. “I had a dream that I disappointed you. I woke up and feared I wasn’t worth your time anymore.”
Ahmed’s face cleared at once.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Isabel, I need to tell you something.”
Isabel sat up, scooting to the end of the bed.
“Yes Master?”
“Hans Mikaelsson has broken out of prison.”
Isabel tried to look alarmed, her hands leapt to her face, and she shook her head behind them.
“How? H-how did he-?”
“I don’t know,” said Ahmed bitterly. “But I promise you, you are safe here. I won’t let him hurt you again.”
Isabel slid off the bed and crawled over to Ahmed, wrapping her arms around his knees and looking up at him.
“Master…” she sighed, hoping she was convincing enough. Ahmed smiled slightly and stroked her hair.
“My conquest, don’t be scared.”
“I’m not scared Master, I’m with you,” said Isabel, resting her chin on his thigh. Ahmed’s shoulders relaxed even more and he drew her to her feet, kissing her hard. Isabel pressed closer, unable to stop herself. Despite learning what Ahmed had done to her, she still found herself wanting his attention.
Would it really be so bad to stay a bit longer, she wondered as Ahmed started pushing her back to the bed. Maybe it was better for her to stay and let Ahmed continue his work on her. But it was hard to justify that thought, when she knew he had tampered with the law and her records. Ahmed’s hand slipped between her legs and tugged the toy out, pushing her onto the bed and opening his trousers.
Isabel’s stomach flipped with anxiety, and for a moment she fought the impulse to kick him away. Then she looked up at his face, and was struck by the look in his face.
Ahmed really thought that he loved her. Maybe he did love her, maybe he thought what he felt was love and it was not. Isabel wanted that. She wanted someone who looked at her with love. Reaching up, she hooked her hand behind his neck and pulled him on top of her. As he entered her, she moaned and arched her back, clinging to the blankets above her head, her heels digging into his ass as they moved.
“Isabel, my Isabel,” Ahmed groaned.
“Master,” she groaned, lifting her head and peering over his shoulder. Justin was still there, watching with a horrified expression. Isabel pressed her open mouth to Ahmed’s shirt, her eyes fixed on Justin’s face, enjoying the fact that he was so confounded by her actions. Let him be confused, let them all be baffled by her, Isabel was done caring about the opinions of others. What had it brought her but misery?
Isabel bucked her hips, clinging to Ahmed as he dug his fingers into her skin.
“Come now Isabel, come with me inside you,” Ahmed ordered and Isabel’s body obeyed before she could think. Her orgasm crashed down on her and her vision went black. Ahmed followed quickly, his teeth sinking into her collarbone.
Isabel sank back onto the bed, panting beneath Ahmed, her eyes fixed on Justin again, a smirk flickering across her face. Justin looked alarmed and backed out of the room. Ahmed pushed himself off her and lay on his back next to her. Isabel rolled onto her side and pressed against him, resting her head on his chest.
“Master…” she sighed again, a word she wished she did not feel such intense emotions for. Ahmed wrapped his arm around her, dropping a kiss on her brow.
“Ah, Isabel, you have no idea what you do to me,” he said softly into her hair.
“Good things I hope,�
�� she replied.
“Very good things,” Ahmed chuckled. Isabel closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of this man that had taken control of her mind and heart. How long had she been here? How quickly had Ahmed and Lena manipulated her compared to all the others? Or were they comparable? Justin had said Ahmed had done these things to her, but he didn’t say anyone else was in the same trouble.
“Master?” she asked quietly.
“Hmm?”
“Why me?”
Ahmed stiffened under her cheek, then forcibly relaxed,
“What do you mean?”
“What made me worth your personal time?”
Ahmed huffed softly, wrapping her hair around his finger.
“Fishing for compliments, conquest?”
Isabel shook her head,
“I want to make sure those things are what I work on the most for you.”
Ahmed laughed,
“Well, there’s one. You’re determined to do your best to please. You’re beautiful, and you’re brave enough to face your weaknesses and ask for help eradicating them. You make me feel so… validated. Having you in my arms just makes everything I have worked for worthwhile.”
Isabel turned her face into his shirt, trying to hide fresh tears.
“I love you Master,” she whispered, because it was still true, even if she knew this had to be stopped.
Chapter Twenty-Seven –Isabel
Isabel waited for Ahmed to be sound asleep before she made her move. She had already determined that he was a heavy sleeper, so when she was sure he would not wake, she climbed out of the bed and picked up the cuffs he had used on her so many times. Carefully, she wrapped them around Ahmed’s wrists and ankles, then chained them to the bed. Her heart was hammering so loudly it was all she could hear, and she felt sick to her stomach. Yet her hands were steady as she tied her Master to the bed. Then she went to the wardrobe, picking out some practical trousers and shirts, pulling them on. Her skin tingled discomfortingly at the sensation of clothes, but she ignored it. She rooted around in the wardrobe for anything useful, and was surprised to find a box that contained a letter and a gun.
