Chapter 10: New life
Vallerie slowly opened her eyes. Her memory was foggy, but, but bit by bit, she started to remember what happened.
After she surrendered, her and her companions were chained and escorted away. They had been taken away to jail. But the lord had escorted her through his mansion to a cell located in the basement. Once they got there the lord had started to talk to her.
"This cell will be your room for now. As for your underlings..." he stated first.
"They are not underlings! They are my companions!" she interrupted him no longer capable of bearing him insulting her companions.
"Fine, companions, they will enjoy my gaol for the time being. They will be treated well as long as you don't cause trouble."
"Okay," she replied meekly.
"And last. You're not a knight of the Blue order, right?"
"No, I'm not anymore. After, Emily was captured I joined them since I already knew how to fight. I thought they would help me find her because she was clearly captured by slavers. But after two years when I tried to go find Emily the higher ups forbid it. Therefore, I quit, leaving all my equipment behind," she admitted.
"And you thought it was a good idea to replace them with mundane piece of metal?"
"I knew as long as I kept to Viclardie nobody would suspect the armour to be fake, so I had a replica made but I had no gold left to have it enchanted same with my sword. I had hoped the coat of arm would be enough to keep trouble at bay."
"Yet, knowing your equipment wasn't magical, you agreed to this duel?"
"I've heard the noble living in the South were wet blankets, only good at speaking honeyed words."
"You've already said that. How long have you've been in the Southern regions? Not long I surmise" inquired Corantin.
"A few weeks, we spent most of our time in the Central plains. Your town was one of the first one we visited."
This was strange as the Auberron lands were removed and lacked any major city. Nonetheless, Corantin chose to dispel her misconception first.
"In theses few weeks didn't you notice that the Southern regions are safer than the Central plains?"
"Isn't it because the Central plains are more populated that they have more pests?"
"No, it's because most nobles in the South are militarily minded. So, they have more soldiers to catch criminals when they don't hunt them down themselves. Now, you said you came here first why is that? This town isn't exactly near a big city nor close to the central plains."
"It's because of a merchant we encountered by chance. He mentioned a woman who look like me living here so we came to see for ourselves," Vallerie answered, judging there was no point lying.
"Okay, last question. Is your collar comfortable?"
"Does it look comfortable to you?" she replied defiantly to the question, feeling insulted.
Contrary to Emily's leather and velvet choker, Corantin had clasped a heavy metal choker designed to restrain prisoners around her neck.
"If you don't like it, you better behave. If you are a good girl, just like your quarters, your wardrobe might improve."
All she could remember after the interrogation was that he had left, and Emily had brought her food and water. She ate and fell asleep.
***
Coming back to her sense, she observed her surroundings. She was in a different cell than the one she was first put in. She was currently bound to a wooden device keeping her upright in the middle of the room. Her feet were unable to touch the ground, but wooden steps ensured her arms would not be torn by her weight. The room was filled with torture devices, but what made her lose her cool was figuring out she was currently naked.
"Why am I naked? Where are my clothes?" she exploded.
A few moments later, two figures entered the room. First a male figure obviously the lord of this place, Corantin, a few steps behind hum was her sister clad in a black leather suit leaving covering nothing of what should be covered.
"Do you have a fetish for women exposing their bodies? First, you take all my clothes and armour! Now you parade my sister with her breast and crotch uncovered!" she said furiously.
"Uh-huh sister, I'm just wearing the appropriate attire for a slave during training. I'm always the one who chose my garments," replied not the man the question was directed at but his attendant.
"You and your sister have amazing bodies you shouldn't be ashamed to display them," the lord added to his maid reassurances, "Now let's begin."