Chapter Eight ~Serenity~

Meaningless conversation blurred into the pain that radiated from my arm, throbbing, tensing with each natural movement of simple breathing. It was like nothing I had ever felt outside of battle. Amidst hoards of people slaying each other it was easy to ignore such intensity, now sitting here and listening to Vondorian spin lie after lie of our many travels, the pain was the only thing that dominated my thoughts. Using all other energy to direct my outward appearance as some form of stoic mask was leaving me near exhaustion.

The bleeding had stopped long before we arrived in the dining hall, the outer wounds from my master's brutality had quickly mended but the bones, they were not so easy. Still this injury was lasting a lot longer than it should have, there must have been a lot more damage than I originally thought. The flesh was still an awful purple and had yet to fade to the more healing yellow color. For once I was thankful for the gown my master had ordered me to wear. A long sleeve number, dark blue, because it was his favorite color, low cut and form fitting. Despite the concealing nature of the arms, what this dress said about my relationship with my master made me shudder. This was just another part of his punishment, after the physical assault he started to ramble about Marcus. Accusing me of enjoying his pathetic attempts to charm me into his bed. Pulling a dress from the wardrobe he called me a whore and said I was to dress like one. Just another display to show who owned who.

It was degrading to be flashed around like some kind of sex slave, a pleasure toy that followed on his heels. I trained under many combat masters, studied the darkest of arts, proved myself as the highest ranked Vamdari, led the nation's army to glorious victory, and now I sat beside my master dressed in a gown fit for a concubine. Something that brought a smirk to the Opsona woman whom had been introduced as Rhea.

Sitting across from me she would often venture a glance in my direction, that awful grin gleaming back like inside she was bursting with laughter. Rhea mocked me, delighted at the notion I was nothing more than some kind of prostitute accompanying a noble in order to stifle the loneliness of long travel, even if she knew better. Rhea's thoughts and image of me were more troubling than the others in the manor that witnessed my shameful arrival on Vondorian's arm. What penniless servants, under-trained guards, and Marcus drooling beside Rhea thought of me, I couldn't care. Seeing that chuckle in those pale green eyes put more shame to me than I had ever felt before.

“I wonder what is keeping father,” Victoria chirped glancing at the empty chair that sat at the head of the table. “He tends to be very strict about meal times.”

“Don't worry yourself. I am sure he is just attending to some business,” Rhea reassured the young girl. “A many troubling things have taken place as of late.”

Rhea's words set an unease in my gut, a shudder of fear as that mocking glare turned to one of knowing. Like she had pulled some deep dark secret from my very being yet again and now held all the cards. That look of confidence sent a shiver through my body, forcing me to look left at my master. Did that look of hers worry him as much as it did me?

“Yes, all this trouble with those criminals. I'm sure your father will be here shortly,” my master added, not a single crack in his smooth, charming exterior. No sense of panic came from his inner self either, all I felt was a clam collected aura with a deep pleasure every time his eyes wandered onto the young Victoria. His prize.

“Oh no,” Marcus jumped into the conversation with a bright excited tone that drew my attention right away. “Rhea was referring to the creature. That mess is certainly what has our lord tied up this evening.”

“Creature?” my master repeated with some interest taking a sip of the red wine that had been presented to him earlier.

“Did you not hear?”

“That's enough Marcus.” There it was again, that mother-like tone that silenced Marcus and his foolish child-like ramblings. He straightened and cleared his throat trying to present himself as well mannered and of higher rank than was true. The boy obeyed, but not out of fear or duty, he respected her. What an interesting concept.

I had commanded thousands of men, warriors, beasts from the depths of the Underworld. Each one willing to lay down their life for our great cause, ready to strike at just a single word from my lips but they never looked at me like Marcus did Rhea. There was never any respect, loathing maybe, disgust because they knew what I was and what I wasn't. Ultimately it was fear that led them to follow my instructions, that was all I had inspired.

A low growl echoed in my mind, “No, please tell me more about this creature,” Vondorian's tone was that of curiosity, inside he directed suspicion my way.

“Such a boorish tale, why not share with us how you bravely saved our young mistress?” Rhea redirected, a challenge reflected in those pale green pools. I could see the hesitation in my master as he ran his tongue along his bottom lip, a light smile flashing to the three of them that sat across from us. He didn't want to spin another lie of how we saved another misfortuned soul. He longed to know about this creature Marcus so foolishly spoke of, to confirm what he already knew.

His scent seemed to grow thicker as he thought, no doubt flashing through different suggestions to extract the knowledge he wanted. Aggravation flooded through our subtle master-slave bond as he fumbled for something to say. When Victoria clapped her hands in delight and requested the same story he could no longer refuse. He liked that stupid child, the bright and sunny girl with perfect lips and well-sculpted body.

Your death will be slow and agonizing little angel.

“Very well,” Vondorian surrendered, but inside I could sense his intense anger, this would be the last time he surrendered to them. Sitting back in his high-backed chair with a false smile he began.

“That storm moved in on us so quickly and most of our belongings had been lost on the voyage in.”

Marcus couldn't help but butt in, adding another piece of evidence to the suspicious nature of our arrival. “Yes, this storm is something. Usually the weather in the valley is very mild. A few light rainstorms a year, a few more in the wet season, but nothing like this. Even this rain is odd, it hasn't stopped in two days.” That was just when we arrived, even though the gods had withdrew their raging tempest, in some form the endless rain seemed to be a final attempt to cleanse the land, to wash our negative influence away, a futile and half-hearted effort.

My master ignored the boy's remarks clearing his throat and continuing with the story, “We found the encampment and stopped to ask if we might join them for the night. Once inside their tent those rouges tried to rob us. Naturally my servant would not allow it and made quick work of the men. It was then we discovered the unconscious Victoria. We managed to rouse her just long enough to extract the information of her capture, then like any honorable person I returned her.”

It seemed so neat, clean, and quick. No long draw-out description of events like his other stories. He seemed much too eager to rush the details and it set me on edge.

“You were all very fortunate then,” Rhea stated relaxing back into her chair, an air of confidence about her that held a thick discomfort in the room. Master raised an eyebrow with question and slight interest; inside I could feel his need to know more. His desire to pounce upon the woman and rip the words and knowledge from her lips.

“The beast must have attacked just after you fled with our young mistress because what we found was not the civil scene you left.” Rhea's eyes shifted from my master to me and stayed locked in place. She knew. “It is also very curious they tried to rob you. The men that inhabit the northern island are peaceful, and have a long-standing trade agreement with Lord Davros. So odd they would try to steal away Lady Victoria and rob some wandering travelers."

The conversation was between her and my master, but her words seemed to be directed toward me. “I assure you everything transpired as I had recalled.” My master spoke so elegant with his new lie.

“I wasn't questioning your integrity.” She paused locking gazes with my master. He was caught, now even Marcus looked on him with suspicion. “Fortune is very much on your side, cheers,” Rhea mocked lifting her glass toward us and toasting what she called our fortune. My master nodded in acceptance but inside my mind he was snarling in anger.

“Tell me then, what did you find?”

“It's not really appropriate conversation for a dinner table,” Rhea deflected.

I had felt Master's rage before, suffered his awful moods, and survived his most awful physical punishments. The feeling boiling over from his body was nothing like I had ever witnessed before, it embedded a fear inside my body that shocked me to the very core. An awful terror that made me visually shudder, the pain in my arm forgotten, lost in the dread of what more he could and would possibly do to me.

“Victoria,” Rhea called down to the girl who was still eying Vondorian in wonder and admiration, “run along and see what is keeping your father.”

The girl rose with one last look to my master before hurrying off. I should have been delighted, overjoyed at what she would find. The torture that was about to be inflected on that young girl should have been enough to send me into a state of twisted delight, but nothing could perpetrate the seething rage rolling off my master, all of which was directed toward me.