Nowhere To Run

Visenya had just finished her hunt and was making her way back to the castle when the piercing screech of a dragon filled the air. Lucian, ever watchful, circled above her, matching her every stride as she hurried back to the castle with increased speed.

"Oh no..." Delilah gasped. "He's angry."

"He's always angry," Visenya pointed out for the hundredth time.

Upon reaching the castle, Visenya headed straight for the stables to shift and dress herself. With a quick glance around, she carefully concealed the small bag filled with emberberries behind a stack of hay and began lacing up her sandals as fast as she could. Just as she was about to leave the stables, Lucian burst in, his eyes ablaze with unmistakable fury.

"Where the hell have you been?!" He roared.

"You know where I've been," she replied meekly, her voice barely audible.

"Don't play coy with me, you know exactly what I mean!" He retorted. "You've been gone an hour longer than usual!"

"Oh, my apologies," she quickly interjected, her voice filled with remorse. "It won't happen again," she assured, attempting to sidestep him with caution.

However, he swiftly grasped her arm, forcefully pinning her against him and the wall. "What the hell do you mean it won't happen again? What were you doing?" He demanded, his tone laced with anger and suspicion.

"Nothing..." she stammered, her voice trembling.

"You were going to run away, weren't you?" He accused, asserting his dominance as he loomed over her.

"No." She shook her head, desperately denying the accusation.

"Do not lie to me!" His voice boomed with intensity, causing her to flinch in fear.

"I'm not lying." She mustered the courage to speak.

A cold, ominous silence hung in the air before he spoke again, his voice dripping with a chilling warning. "I hope you know what takes you hours to run on foot takes me only minutes to fly."

"I wasn't going to run away... I swear it." She echoed sheepishly, desperately trying to convince him of her innocence.

"Good... because there is nowhere in this world that you can go where I won't find you," he warned, his voice filled with a daunting certainty.

"I know that... will you please let go of my arm? You're hurting me," she pleaded.

He glanced down at his tightly gripped hand around her arm and quickly released his hold. He couldn't help but notice the red handprint he had left behind, which she immediately began soothing with the palm of her hand. Not once did she meet his gaze; she kept her eyes to the ground, making it quite evident that she was afraid of him.

Throughout all the years they had known each other, she had never shown any fear, no matter how mean and callous he had been to her in their younger days. Even after he had enslaved her, she remained cheeky and bold at times. But this time was different. There was no doubt in his mind that she was genuinely afraid of him, and he recalled how he had once desired this. He believed that if she truly feared him, she would be more obedient and compliant. However, as he listened to her racing heart and witnessed her trembling in his presence, he began to question if this was truly what he wanted after all.

"Get inside," he finally said, and without hesitation, she scurried on her way.

Lucian trailed closely behind her until his attention was diverted by one of his male slaves. The slave gazed at Visenya as she walked by, hungrily surveying every inch of her exposed body like a delectable morsel. When the man realized Lucian was observing him, he swiftly returned to his task of chopping wood for the oven.

However, Lucian refused to let the matter slide so easily. He strode towards the slave, who trembled more with each step Lucian took. Lucian closed the distance and seized the slave by the throat, lifting him off the ground. A shriek of terror escaped the man's lips as he pleaded for mercy from the Dragon Lord.

Lucian's eyes flared with a raging fire. "There is nothing in this castle that belongs to you to warrant such leering."

The man writhed and gasped for air in Lucian's unrelenting grip, his eyes wide with panic, believing his demise was imminent. Finally, Lucian flung him to the ground like a sack of potatoes, observing as the slave prostrated himself at his feet, begging for forgiveness. Lucian felt the urge to incinerate him, to reduce to ashes any man who dared to cast a glance in Visenya's direction. But what did Lucian expect from these men when he chose to dress her in such provocative attire?

They were behaving like typical men, and his intention was to humiliate her by portraying her as a harlot. However, it backfired on him in more ways than one. He hated the way other men ogled at her, desiring what belonged exclusively to him. Things were about to change around there; he would ensure it.
———

Just like any other morning, Visenya began preparing Lucian's breakfast. However, she couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable glances she received from the other slaves. Some women looked at her with pity, while others regarded her with hostility.

"My Queen?" A soft, familiar voice spoke from behind her.

Visenya turned around to see Emi standing there, wearing the same look of pity that she had noticed in the other slaves. "What's with everyone today?" Visenya asked Delilah, but even her wolf couldn't provide an answer.

"The Dragon Lord wants me to relieve you so that you can go change your clothing," Emi informed gently.

Visenya's brows furrowed in confusion. "Change my clothing?"

"Yes, he insisted that all your current attire be discarded, and that you are given new dresses... like the ones that we wear," Emi explained.

"Why?" Visenya asked, still unable to make sense of any of it.

"I'm not sure, My Queen. I'm simply following orders," Emi replied. "I've stocked your room with new dresses and discarded your old clothing. He also wants you to dispose of the attire you're currently wearing."

Visenya nodded, still feeling utterly perplexed. Despite her confusion, she obeyed Lucian's command and made her way back to her room to change. As she entered her lavatory, she noticed the dresses neatly folded beside her towels on the shelf.

They were simple, designed for commoners, falling just below the knee and slightly off the shoulders. Adjacent to them were aprons, similar to those worn by the other slaves, to protect the substandard fabric from any potential stains.

After she had finished dressing, she paused to examine herself in the mirror. The dress she wore was far from the luxurious gowns to which she had become accustomed, yet she found herself unbothered by such a trivial matter. It was as if she had reclaimed a fragment of her dignity, and a small smile graced her reflection.

As she stepped out of her lavatory, a sudden shock jolted through her body when she spotted a mysterious woman standing in her room.

"Well, now that's much better..." the woman beamed, her tone laced with a hint of mockery. "You looked like a cheap whore in those other rags."

Visenya's anger flared. "I beg your pardon?!" She seethed.

The woman's response was nonchalant. "Oh, I didn't mean anything offensive. I simply meant to imply that you look more charming like this, that's all."

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my quarters?" Visenya asked curtly.

"My name is Marienne, and I am a new slave here in the castle," she introduced herself. "The Dragon Lord has assigned me to check in on you and assist you with your chores."

"The Dragon Lord wants you to help me? I find that hard to believe," Visenya expressed skepticism.

"Well, in more or less words, yes. But it's best not to mention it to him, as he'll simply deny ever saying it," Marienne cautioned.

"Well, he has been acting rather unusual today," Visenya admitted, nervously adjusting her new dress.

"Perhaps he's feeling guilty about last night?" Marienne suggested.

Visenya's eyes widened, her cheeks turning rosy with embarrassment. "What do you know about last night?"

"Nothing that the entire castle doesn't already know," Marienne remarked.

"The entire castle?!" Visenya exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, Visenya... Everyone in the castle heard you two last night. Why else would you be receiving those looks of pity from some and envy from others?" Marienne retorted.

"Who in their right mind would envy that?" Visenya scoffed.

"Well, the Dragon Lord is a fine specimen of a man, even you can't deny that," Marienne countered. "Naturally, women are going to lust over him."

"Who cares how he looks on the outside? He's vile and repulsive on the inside," Visenya snapped.

"You know these shallow hussies don't care about any of that," Marienne said. "Just having a powerful and handsome man between their legs is all they need to feel like somebody in this world."

"Well, they can have it because I sure as hell don't want it," Visenya proclaimed.

"But we both know that none of them can ever take your place in that aspect," Marienne winked.

"What are you talking about?" Visenya asked.

"I'm talking about you being the only one he can bed. You know... since you're his complement and all," Marienne explained.

"Shhh..." Visenya urged. "How do you know that?"

"Because the Dragon Lord was known for fooling around with several slave women back in the day. You know this, everyone knows it," Marienne remarked. "Yet now, he only seeks sexual gratification from you."

"He just likes to degrade me, is all," Visenya replied.

Marienne rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised that someone like you, who's received nothing but the finest education, can still be so thick between the ears."

"How dare you insult me like that!" Visenya snapped.

"Oh, come on, calm down, will you?" Marienne said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Just take a moment to use your head and think. You've delved into both dragon and vampire history. You should be well aware that once a Dragon Lord finds his complement, she is the only one who can arouse him. It literally doesn't work with any other woman, if you catch my drift."

Visenya mulled over Marienne's words, her mind racing to recall something Lucian had mentioned the previous night. His words echoed in her memory, "It's so convenient for you mutts to reject your mates and then hop into bed with whomever you please, but us dragons aren't granted such luxuries."

A realization washed over Visenya like a tidal wave. "Oh, my Goddess," she gasped. "This entire time, he's been making it seem like he can have any woman he pleases... he's been manipulating me. That fucking bastard!"

"Yes, he certainly has," Marienne replied, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Now, you have a choice: you can let anger consume you... or you can use this situation to your advantage."

Visenya looked puzzled. "How can I possibly do that?"

Marienne let out a frustrated sigh. "Do I really have to explain everything to you? Is it not obvious?” Marienne replied, shooting Visenya a mischievous smirk. "You, my dear, own him."