"Very well." said their master at last. "I am afraid you have been summoned. The Queen wishes to see you in her chambers after you have bathed and dressed." With that, he bade her go, looking long after her as she left for the bathing chamber.
When they were alone, the princess marveled at the changes in his appearance. Though she noticed his stock-white hair first, on closer inspection, other differences came to light. For one thing, he seemed almost.... fuzzy.
The princess found she could not even describe the change to her own mind. The fibers of his cloak seemed as though they'd been dragged over sharp rocks, but as she pondered them; they appeared exactly as they had. His mask as well; the golden filigrees seemed faded, though when the light struck them, they gleamed as they always had. The curves of his mouth seemed indistinct, but as he spoke, they curled as they always had.
At last, she could stand it no longer. "What has become of you, my master. What evil has leeched the color from your beard and your hair?" Despite herself, she found her hand reaching up to softly pass though the rich whitened curls. It felt as she remembered, but the look of it filled her with dread.
"Do not trouble yourself, my dear." He spoke, backing away from her gentle touch. "All will be well in time. These last days have been.... taxing."
All at once, his gentle demeanor shifted, and he was once again the imposing Inquisitor. When he turned to face her, his eyes had taken on a hard edge. He looked the princess up and down, seeming to contemplate his next move. As they stood, she could hear the fall of water from the bathing chambers, and in her minds eye, she could envision the maid's supple body exiting the warm waters.
He listened to the soft sounds from the antechamber for a moment, and then turned again to regard the princess.
"So, my princess... You have returned from your errand for our Queen. I trust you found the outlanders...to be good hosts?" His voice was strong and low, his eyes drinking in the sight of her before him. "Our Queen may have sent you to them... but does your bond still belong to me?
"Yes, my lord." she said, bowing her head low.
"Very good, my princess." he hissed. "I know that you went with a fearful heart, but you obeyed as commanded?"
"Yes, my lord. I did all that was asked of me." The princess blushed in spite of herself, remembering the night's revelry, the men before her as she pleasured them one after another. Her coyness was not lost upon the Inquisitor.
"We shall see, my dear." said the Inquisitor thoughtfully. "Our Queen has demanded audience with your beautiful maid, and has commanded me as well."
"Commanded, my lord?"
"Oh yes, princess. You are to be... instructed. Your Queen believes you belong to her now, and she is... jealous, shall we say, of your affections. Though your bond belongs to me now, I cannot say I am above such emotions either."
"Your body belongs to me now, though the Queen believes otherwise, and I may do with it as I please. But I will acknowledge a slight sting when I picture you pleasuring another..." He let the words hang like smoke.
"I have been remiss in your lessons. Other duties have called me away, and I have had to entrust much of your instruction to the lovely Chrysanthemum. Tell me, did you enjoy my machines?"
Again the princess's cheeks burned as she stood before her master. Her body recalled the intense pleasure the Inquisitor's machines had given her, her mind remembering the devices he'd used on her. Though some were more pleasurable than others, their memory triggered an instant arousal within her.
