Surviving The Dragon

Lucian retrieved Visenya from the hole later that day, surprising her by not keeping her there until the next morning like he had done before. However, he had a list of duties that he wanted her to complete by sundown. Her first task was to clean up the mess she had made in the dining room. Once finished, he assigned her to clean his lavatory, wash and hang his bedding, clean the windows, wash the walls, and sweep and scrub the floors in his bedchamber.

While the other parts of the castle had already been cleaned by the new slaves, he specifically saved his private quarters for Visenya. Exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated, she found the work even more challenging. Yet, it was still a significant improvement compared to being confined in the hole. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but yearn for a warm bath and a hot meal.

Night had fallen long before Visenya completed all the tasks assigned to her. She diligently laid down clean bedding for Lucian, allowing him to retire for the night. Then, she stood before him, bowing her head in submission.

"I have finished all of my duties, Master," she said, her voice filled with exhaustion. "May I be dismissed to my cell now?"

"Not yet," he replied, his tone firm. "There is one more thing... follow me."

Visenya fought back the long sigh that threatened to escape her lips. She lacked the energy to do anything else but comply. She obediently trailed behind him, retracing their steps back into the dining room, right to the spot where she had impulsively hurled the dog dish at him.

"Kneel," he commanded.

Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees in a swift motion, her head bowed submissively.

"Palms to the floor," he instructed, his words echoing in the room.

She placed her palms on the floor, assuming a position on all fours, her body now completely at his command.

"Kitchen slave!" He called.

The same young woman from before walked out and gently placed another dog dish filled with meat scraps on the floor in front of Visenya.

"I didn't want my dog to go to sleep without a proper meal," Lucian taunted.

Visenya remained silent, her gaze fixed on the ground as she knelt there, her hands and knees pressed against the cold tile.

"You are not allowed to move an inch until you have licked that bowl clean, understood?" Lucian ordered, his voice filled with a cruel authority.

"Yes, Master," Visenya murmured, her voice barely audible.

Lucian assumed that she kept her head low to hide the disrespectful glare on her face, but he wasn't going to let that slide. He was determined to teach Visenya her place, which meant she couldn't give him any snide looks, even when he couldn't see them. "Look at me, mutt," he commanded.

Visenya slowly raised her head and when her eyes met his, there was no anger, no sneer, and no look of contempt that he could find. What he did see, however, were a pair of the saddest-looking eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks. This unexpected sight completely derailed him. He had been fully prepared to punish her once again. Only this wasn't a look that warranted punishment or reward.

It stirred an unsettling emotion within him, an emotion he didn't like. Perhaps, she was manipulating him, attempting to gain his sympathy, but it wasn't going to work because he didn't believe she deserved it. In his mind, it was her fault that he had lost everything, and he refused to feel pity for her. All he could do was turn away and hastily walk out of the dining room.

Visenya remained in that position for hours. She would comply with Lucian's commands, bowing and kneeling in submission, carrying out any task he assigned, but she refused to degrade herself by eating like a dog and relinquishing her last shreds of dignity. She drifted in and out of sleep, her arms giving way at times, only for her to awaken and resume her stance.

In the dead of night, she was roused from her slumber by the same young woman whom Lucian had ordered to place the bowl in front of her. "My Queen, here... eat."

The woman gently placed a small loaf of bread to Visenya's lips, and with hunger gnawing at her, Visenya eagerly seized it and devoured it ravenously. Sensing her thirst, the woman also extended a glass of water to Visenya, who gulped it down in mere seconds, feeling the refreshing coolness soothe her parched throat.

"Thank you," Visenya managed to whisper, tears welling up in her eyes, as she handed the glass back.

"There's no need to thank me, My Queen. I must leave before I am discovered. The Dragon Lord keeps his vampire lackey on patrol at night, diligently checking in on us,” the woman cautioned with a hint of urgency. “Stay strong, My Queen.”

With resolve in her eyes, the woman rose to her feet and began to make her way back along the path she had traversed.

"Wait..." Visenya called out softly, her voice carrying just enough for the woman to hear. "May I know your name?"

"Emerald... but you can call me Emi," she said with a soft smile.

"I will never forget what you did for me this night, Emi," Visenya vowed, gratitude shining in her eyes.

"Just as I will always remember the day you freed me and my family from the clutches of King Lazarus," Emi replied, her voice filled with admiration.

"I am sorry that I cannot free you now," Visenya murmured, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Don't be... we all know that you would if you could," Emi reassured her, a comforting warmth in her words.

As Emi gently smiled at Visenya, she made her way out of the dining room. Visenya's heart fluttered with a glimmer of hope, knowing that she had friends on the inside. In that very moment, she made a silent promise to herself - she would endure Lucian's tyranny. Though she was his slave, forced to obey his every command, she would never allow him to break her spirit.

Visenya persevered for another hour on her hands and knees, before exhaustion claimed her. With a final gasp, she collapsed to the ground, her body succumbing to the weight of weariness.

At the break of dawn, Lucian entered the dining room and discovered Visenya sleeping peacefully on the floor. He couldn't help but notice the untouched bowl, and it came as no surprise to him. The act of forcing her to eat like a dog was his way of degrading her, knowing that she’d think too highly of herself to ever stoop so low.

However, he firmly believed that it was only a matter of time before she gave in to her hunger. A typical human would have yielded by now but he understood that he wasn’t dealing with a fragile human. Visenya was not just a mere Lycan either; she was an Alpha, born from a Royal and ancient bloodline. Her elevated status came with an expected level of defiance, and he had fully expected it.

"Wake up, dog," Lucian's voice rang out, jarring Visenya from her slumber.

Her eyes shot open, and she swiftly scrambled to her hands and knees, her gaze fixated on Lucian's imposing figure standing over her.

"I apologize, Master. I didn't mean to fall asleep," Visenya stammered, her voice filled with remorse.

"On your feet," he ordered, his tone commanding.

Visenya immediately rose to her feet, assuming her usual submissive stance. Lucian's eyes scanned her, taking note of the dirt smudging her body and face from the relentless cleaning she had done. Her hair was disheveled, and an unpleasant odor clung to her.

"Starting today," he informed, "you will be preparing all of my meals."

"Me?" She asked, her face filled with surprise.

"Did I stammer?" He replied sharply.

"No, Master... it's just that you already have a kitchen servant," she explained.

"I am assigning you this duty, and it is not your place to question it unless you want to face punishment for insubordination," he asserted.

"No! I am not trying to be unruly," she quickly clarified. "It's just that... I don't know how to cook."

Lucian let out an exasperated huff. "So, what I'm hearing is that you're even more useless than I had originally thought?"

Visenya lowered her eyes to the ground, her spirit diminished by Lucian's constant insults. "Yes, Master... I suppose I am," she replied softly.

"Well, don't think that I'm letting you off so easily," he retorted sternly. "You better pay attention when you're in the kitchen because you're going to learn, and you better learn quickly."

"Yes, Master," she responded obediently.

"Another duty that you'll have is hunting," he continued. "Every other morning at sunrise, starting today, you'll go out and hunt enough game to last at least two days. Do not return without elk, hog, or bison. All other game will be for the other slaves. Can you handle that? Or do you not know how to hunt either?"

"Am I allowed to shift?" Visenya inquired.

Lucian scoffed. "No, I want you to hunt in this weak and dainty form... Of course, you can shift. What are you, an idiot?"

"It was just a question," she calmly replied.

"It was a stupid question," he ridiculed.

Visenya sighed in frustration, desperately wanting to tell Lucian off, but she held her tongue to avoid any undesirable consequences.

"If you have something to say, then say it, dog," he pressed.

"I don't have anything to say," Visenya muttered under her breath.

"Speak up and stop mumbling," he demanded.

"I said that I don't have anything to say, Master," she responded.

"Then why the hell are you still standing here? Get moving," he dictated.

Visenya made her way towards the front door, her heart pounding with the desperate need to escape his suffocating presence. She couldn't get away fast enough.

"Dog..." Lucian called, catching her just as she reached the door, and she reluctantly turned around to acknowledge him. "Do I need to remind you what will happen if you try to run away from here?" His tone filled with warning.

The thought of running away and finally breaking free from him seemed like a dream come true, but she knew it wasn't that simple. He had already threatened the people she cared about if she ever dared to leave. And besides, there was nowhere in this world she could go where he wouldn't find her.

"No, Master," she answered, her voice filled with resignation.

"Good," he said in a despotic tone, then stormed out of the room like a raging tempest.