Tiger's Scar

Xeta awoke, as though she were swimming through spider webbing, rather than how she usually awoke, as a wooden bowl held underwater breaks the surface.

When her head had cleared somewhat, she realized that she was cold, as well as hungry, and very, very groggy. She reached down to tuck her ball gown around her and felt... skin. She sat up and looked around. Her ceremonial regalia was gone, instead, she wore a green skirt, dark emerald in color, which came down, on one side, to her mid-upper thigh, and on the other side, came up all the way to her hip. Her top, for there was no way in which it could be termed a shirt, was merely a band of green cloth across her breasts, giving a rather generous view of her cleavage, and the barest hints of sleeves at her shoulders.

Her hair was still bound back in a braid but was now loose and messy. And at her wrists and upper arms, as well as at her ankles, she could see golden cuffs. She was certain there was one at her throat as well. She knew these cuffs, for she had studied them with Zephthease. They were power limiters, while these were on she could not change form, could not mold the earth, or use any of her powers. Above the cuff on her upper right arm, there was a golden serpent, a cobra, coiled about her arm. When she made to yank it off, it hissed at her and struck out as though to bite her. If she left it alone, it made no further noise or movement.

She turned to her left, and saw a line of wrought iron bars, stretching from one side of her stony room to the other, forming a wall. She looked about but there was no door that she could see.

Shaking her head she stood up, wobbled, and heard a clank. Looking down, she saw that her right ankle was enclosed in an old-fashioned ball and chain. It was heavy, but she could move it with some effort. Obviously, she was meant to be permitted movement, only at a slower pace.

With a sigh, she decided to look around at the rest of the enclosure. She noticed that there was a small bench, set into the wall with chains, over which hung two manacles. The manacles were made to look like snake mouths, and had fangs, which, no doubt, were meant to bite into the flesh of whoever was chained in the manacles, causing pain, with every movement, deterring struggle.

In one corner, the furthest away from the wrought iron bars, there was a chamber pot. Xeta wrinkled her nose in distaste. Obviously, whoever put her here, and she had a fair idea as to who that was, did not intend for her to leave anytime soon. But that brought to mind the question, why was she dressed in Adrial's colors, and why was she in a cell with serpentine manacles?

Further investigation showed her only the green bedding she had been asleep on. It was something like a green pad, with a plush pillow, laid out on fresh straw. There was a thin cotton blanket folded at the foot of the bedding, obviously, when she was placed here, it was not thought that she would need the blanket just yet. She wrinkled her nose in irritation as her stomach gurgled at her, and she realized that, along with being famished, she was incredibly thirsty as well.

"Why haven't you eaten, pet?" Came a familiar melodic voice from behind her. Whirling around, and sending her little skirt floating in the breeze, Xeta turned to see Adrial, standing outside the bars, clad in a green vest that lengthened into a coat of sorts, trimmed in gold, and skirt, the same green, and gold, but almost ancient Egyptian pharaoh like, finished with golden sandals.

As she whirled around to face him, she saw his eyebrow arch elegantly, and she realized that her skirt was meant to leave nothing to the imagination if she moved too much. A small smile slid across his features, and she flushed brilliantly.

Irritated with herself, she opened her mouth but had to cough a little to get her voice to work. "Eaten... what... exactly?" She was aggravated, not least of all by the fact that her voice betrayed her, and sounded something akin to a rusty door hinge swinging open after years of disuse.

Adrial made no reply but simply pointed behind her. There, beneath the bench, was a bowl of water, and another of raw steak cut up into bite-sized chunks. A hard crust of bread sat off to the side. It certainly didn't look edible, and she wasn't at all sure it was safe. She was fairly sure that her blackout the night before hadn't been entirely the fault of the wine.

"I know it's not your usual fare, my dear, but I am afraid that it's all you'll be getting for quite some time. I can't have you regaining your usual strength, but then, neither can I have you dying on me either. So, be a good pet, and eat, or I shall feed you myself."

She whirled at him, rage lighting up her eyes. "I'm not eating that crap! And I'm not your pet!" She shrieked, lunging at the bars. "And what the hell am I doing in this damned cage anyway? And why am I wearing this ridiculous outfit?!" She screamed, reaching through the bars to claw at him.

He snapped his fingers, and a slight jolt emanating from the collar and cuffs drove her back away from the bars.

"You will eat what I provide you with, pet. Naughty pets who do not eat their food are punished you see, and I would so hate to have to punish you further."

"I am not your pet! Don't you dare call me that again, Adrial!"

"Ah... ever stubborn Princess." He said with an elegant sigh, before tilting his head slightly, as though a thought had just occurred to him.

"I beg your pardon, I mean, Your Royal Highness, the High Princess of Tigers. That is your new title, after all. Last night was, after all, your first Ritual as an adult. In fact, I do believe, your eighteenth birthday as well, am I right?

"At least you got a nice party out of it. I am so sorry to do this to you the day after your birthday, dearest, unfortunately, I saw a chance, and simply had to take it. As for the accommodations, until I know I can trust you, you shall remain here. As long as you behave, I promise your stay shall be quite comfortable.

"And lastly, the outfit..." He let the silence hang for a moment, his gaze wandering over her scantily clad form, making no effort now to hide the desire in his eyes. "I find it quite fetching, and I must say, I find you quite... irresistible in a collar and cuffs, my little pet."

"Pervert!" She spat ruthlessly. "You should have been crowned the Prince of Swine, not the Prince of Serpents, you miserable pig! I'm not some sort of... of... sex doll for you to dress up for your disgusting fantasies Adrial! I'm Xeta, your colleague, you've known me forever! How could you do this to me?"

"How?" He snarled at her, eyes blazing. "You dare to ask me how? For years I've tried to woo you, and you've never given me so much as the time of day, never missing the opportunity to belittle or deride me." He took a deep breath, pausing to regain his self-control.

"My apologies for my unseemly behavior, lovely one. You can be quite the aggravating little thing when you choose. Not that that's any excuse for my behavior, you are what you are, sometimes I think you more minx than tiger, really, but you wouldn't be half so enticing if you were not, after all, you. Aggravating and maddening as that may be."

Xeta took a deep breath, reaching out to hold the bars of the cage. "What is it that you want from me, Adrial? Why am I here, truly?"

"Ah beautiful one," He sighed as he walked through the bars, and into the cage. "You know what it is that I want. I want you." He lifted his hand and cupped her chin tenderly, she tried to jerk away, but his grip was stronger than she would have supposed.

"Be mine, pet. Marry me. And I swear that no harm shall ever befall you, prophesy or no."

She shivered, trembling uncontrollably. She wanted to blame the drafty cell, and the scanty clothes, but somehow she just couldn't seem to convince herself of that.

"Think about it..."

She spat in his face, taking the opportunity to jerk away, as he wiped his face with a sleeve. "I will never be yours!" She cried as she retreated as far back as she could.

He advanced on her until the backs of her knees were pressing into the cold stone bench.

"You will regret that, my pet. By the time I am done with you, the pleasure I offer will seem as Heaven to you, and each refusal throw you deeper, and deeper into Hell. Though as much as I hate to mar such a perfect body, I can see that you will not give in to me without some... shall we say... persuasion?" He let forth a dark chuckle and smirked at her.

She lunged, intending to bite and claw him to shreds, one of her nails sliced him good on the cheek, and he slapped her as hard as he could. She staggered back, tripping over the bench, and hitting her head against the stone wall. He sighed as he knelt down to her, and felt the back of her head, his hand coming back slightly bloody.

"I'll need to clean that up, and she'll need a bandage now too. Fortunately, it'll take a lot more than that to kill her. That would be such a waste." He leaned forward, and brushed her forehead in a gentle kiss, before pressing his lips to her ear.

With a soft sigh, he murmured, "In time, my beauty, you will see that I do this because I know what is best for you. You will see, in time..."

Then, shaking his head, he turned and left the cell, the same way he had entered. A short time later, he returned, with a bowl of clean water, a rag, and some bandages. After cleaning the wound, and wrapping her head securely, he knelt down, and picked up her pillow and pad. She would keep the blanket, for now. But further misbehavior on her part would see that privileged revoked as well.

He lifted her off the dirt floor where she lay in a crumpled heap, and laid her out gently on the straw bedding. Leaning down again, he tucked the blanket securely around her. He had noted earlier how she had trembled, and he wasn't certain whether it had been from the cold, or his proximity to her, still... he didn't wish to take any chances.

He sat there for a while, caressing her cheek, before finally tearing himself away from her side. He was hungry, and he had business of his own to take care of. They would know by now that she was missing, and if he wanted to avoid suspicion, he needed to make sure he kept up appearances.