The air in the chamber was constantly kept at a level that encouraged deep breaths. Maintained at a few degrees above room temperature, Richard's skin always felt on the verge of perspiration, edging the line between comfort and passionate. These elements were keenly noticed on the first day, but they'd become as much a conditioned norm as the constant binaural voices speaking of suggestive surrender, and his mantric exercises that kept his wits about him. Even the smallest change like a new vocal track stuck out to his senses, readying him for more manipulation.
But the moment he noticed the new vocal that resembled Elowyn's voice was the moment internal identifiers began blurring, softening awareness. She'd returned, and had triggered him somehow. A barrier of thick metal and mechanical wiring between them, Richard could still sense her smile, envisioned pearly-whites surrounded by a lush, almost shimmering burgundy lipstick shade, smiling a sweet smile, not quite feigning innocence, but not quite flaunting manipulation either. Something about it beamed confidence and cooperation, his bunkered profiling mind ruled, forgetting that he was trying not to think of her appearance altogether.
Thoughts of Elowyn recently left a tangible feeling in him, or against him. It was...like velvet. Precisely an enduring velvet, something that took attention away from the chamber opening. Nerves willingly connecting with the feeling, it could've been just her words, or the touch of her fingers against still-exposed skin, or whatever was being fastened around his neck as eyes slowly opened to a blur dressed in black making him smile involuntarily and dreamily.
"Congratulations on graduating to the next phase, my good man."
Whispered words and fingers trailing down his skin felt as velvety as her dress looked, errantly wishing for the wherewithal use his limbs to embrace his complimentary mistress.
"Follow me to the ceremony hall," Elowyn hotly whispered, tugging on his earlobe with her teeth teasingly. Richard rose past a sluggish speed he expected, revealing to him how shackled to her suggestions he was. Blurry peripheral vision revealed no guards or other chaperons around, meaning he could make a play for escape, but she was rightly confident in his will following hers. He tried to take advantage, even shifting his naked feet in another direction to trip himself over and short circuit the trance somehow, but all he could feel was the cold air wafting over his chest and colder metal on his soles suppressed by the warmth of the sight of Elowyn leading the way in a triumphant strut and hot feel of leather pants creating friction against cooperative thighs and a straining erection.
Eyes on Elowyn, Richard somewhat notices the changes in scenery around her shifting from brightly-clinical to a wooden warm. She was escorting him back into the main house. He tried even harder to notice the best areas to breakaway, to force muscles to move anywhere but forward; it proved another futile attempt as they reached a staircase, and Elowyn's hand on his shoulder and the back of his neck incentivized a protruding erection more than freedom could.
Richard was reduced to being pulled ahead, and noticing where he was on the property was much less grandiose than he'd seen before. Still kept up to their standards with aesthetics, but much smaller in scale, and tucked away from prying eyes. The climb up the stairs was at least three flights, before they reached one of the bedroom hallways, and entry was made into a large bed chamber. It looked like a stately guest room, with a fireplace, pleasant furnishings, a connected bathroom, and a private terrace where daylight brightened most of the room.
"Welcome to your new accommodations, hopefully an upgrade from what was," she smirked from behind him. Holding his hips, she gently pulled him back to whisper something else in his ear, and suddenly more than a modicum of consciousness returned to him. Suddenly more than Elowyn's form held clarity, and Richard could move independently.
"You're starting to get a little pale, darling," she reached out with a finger to comment on his skin color, and he reactively recoiled, afraid of the effect of another "simple" touch. Now it surprised him that he could move away, though his skin was still ready to receive her touch.
"Why don't we converse outside? Fresh air and sunlight could do you some good," she smirked again walking away, leaving him with the choice of following for once. Flooded with multiple options felt alien, the ability to legitimately escape, to attack or restrain her, to do whatever; as she knew he would, he calmly walked out on the terrace to join her at the table with tea ready to serve.
"Your spirits are high today," he commented, knowing he was speaking from himself.
"Are they?" she grinned, pouring him a steaming cup of earl grey. He immediately picked up the delicious scent, wondering when she became aware of his favored flavor of tea.
"Allowing me the most autonomy I've had in days, giving me access to more of the house, your confidence in my adherence to your suggestions in or out of trance; signs point to 'yes'."
"Perhaps I'm just in a rewarding mood, giving you the freedom and pleasure to do as I say." she sipped her tea.
Reduced to paltry nourishment he barely tasted while in trance, and knowing whatever was in the kettle would've affected her cup as much as his, it was hard to resist the urge to swallow his whole cup in one go, and slowly sip like his mistress did.
"Perhaps, but perhaps also whatever plans you have involving me and this party of late has gone exceedingly well. And on the cusp of the victory you've carved out for yourself, you choose to celebrate it with your apparent slave than your family."
"You still believe your slavery is merely 'apparent'?" Elowyn slyly tried to direct the talking point elsewhere, letting her shoe tease his leather pant leg coquettishly. It made Richard smile as a hand slipped down under the table to gracefully bring her foot to his lap, leaving his mistress with the uncertainty of his actions uncurving the corners of her mouth. After a large sip of earl grey, he lightly removed her heel, trying to ignore the velvet material on the shoe in favor of the manicured and well-kept foot he began massaging.
He tried not to laugh at the suspicion creeping into her face.
"'Worry' doesn't really suit a Mistress in-control of her domain and property."
"Nor does bellend tamperment suit my property, but we'll see what you make yourself eligible for," Elowyn sweetly threatened.
"Wouldn't dream of it, as I'm sure you can attest to, Mistress Elowyn." Removing bite and sarcasm from his voice to utter her title they both knew was strategy, but also let it play out as if it was genuine. She at least knew he was fighting the genuine pleasure, similar to his ministrations from massaging hands.
"If I'm remembering your financials correctly, the Parnassus slave-making venture has been very, very leveraged up, roughly up to 65% of the net now. That sounds very 'all hands on deck' to me. And when only one of the principle three are allowed to work on the biggest threat to your operation, that certainly makes a statement."
"Mmmmm," Elowyn pretended to be wholly amused, "continue to probe my good man. It's interesting to see a side-effect of my own probing make you believe in your foolish facade as auditor."
"Facade would imply that I didn't audit, which could be foolish on the part of whomever didn't review the report I left. But...I suspect an auditor was merely hired to confirm what you already expected. You believe in the spirit of this venture, but not the exorbitant cost of the assembly line, which is a staple tactic in keeping the Parnassus coffers full. They don't heed your counsel often, do they? Certainly not as much as your contribution."
Had he not been so good at working the stress out of her soles, Elowyn might've been tempted to frown and show displeasure; instead she slipped her foot out of her other heel, and placed it above the one in his lap, silently demanding both be serviced.
