Meeting of the Six Ings

Four Days Later...Continued

She walked along the sterile corridor as though the motion of her body was outside of her control; As though someone else propelled her forward. External forces rather than internal ones pushing her towards her future. No longer able to think clearly, her mind buzzed with a jumble of incomplete thoughts.

Two orderlies, with their hulking mass, stood just a few steps behind her, but they weren't hurrying her along. She understood that the presentation of a claimed slave was a different affair than that of one on loan. Her two guards seemed more apprehensive to push her, touch her, or even speak to her, likely for fear of damaging the merchandise in some way that the buyer would find distasteful.

She entered a large room through a rear door and paused as she tried to orient herself to the space. It was a parlor of some kind with an adjacent entrance that connected to the room through a sizable doorway. At the room's center, Catrine noticed a platform, about twelve inches tall, with a single satin pillow resting on it.

"Go forward and take your position," one of the men behind her said with a dispassionate tone.

Catrine stepped forward, setting her slippers aside and stepping up onto the platform. She lowered herself gradually to the pillow, smoothing her skirt gently across her lap. She lowered her head and clasped her hands behind her, stilling completely.

"Very good." he said lasciviously as he admired the sight of her on display. He circled her once, making sure every last detail of her presentation suitably reflected her fine training and the rigor of their establishment.

He tugged gently at her hair, letting it fall around her body. He pulled back on her shoulders forcing her to arch her back further. He stood before her pinching at her cheeks and lips to give them an added blush of color before finally running his hands over the front of her ice-blue dress, teasing at her nipples and then pinching them firmly to draw them to attention beneath the sheer fabric.

Standing behind her, he pulled out a blindfold, wrapping it securely around her eyes. He leaned forward so his lips were pressed close to her ear and said in a tone that gave her a chill, "Now...you wait here for your new Master."

Then, after a thoughtful pause she felt him lean forward, running his tongue along the side of her neck as he added, "Oh sweet slave, you are going to make someone a very happy man."

Catrine overheard them laughing as their footsteps retreated from the room, the door closing firmly behind them. She trembled there, kneeling on the platform, filled with the fear of the unknown; the quaking growing so fierce that it threatened to shake her from her position.

She closed her eyes, focusing just on her breathing. She visualized nothing more than the intake of air filling her lungs before slowly releasing it, emptying with it some of her jitters. She hoped that by limiting her attention to the simplest of acts, she could keep a hold on her sanity.

After what seemed like a lifetime, she heard a door open and close somewhere to her left and a lone set of footsteps approached her. Despite all of her efforts to stay calm, her body quaked uncontrollably as the steps neared. When the sound stopped, she lowered her head further, hoping to hide the expression of terror her face surely conveyed.

"So fearful, Pet?" said the ice cold voice.

Despite trying to stifle the sound, Catrine let out a low, anguished moan as she connected the voice with its owner.

Her worst fears confirmed. It was, indeed, King Arick and not Ryan who had claimed her.

She fought a fierce wave of nausea and struggled to breathe as the realization crashed over her. Despite knowing this to be the most likely outcome, it was only now that her last fragments of hope shattered within her soul.

She had lost so much, but she had never lost all hope. The painfulness of it being extinguished inside of her making her cry out in agony. Her chest convulsed as she literally bit back the sob that was building inside of her.

She was hardly listening to Arick's words as he began speaking.

"Of course. You are a clever girl. You have such good reason to fear me." He said, as if in answer to her body's reaction to him as he circled her like a predator.

"Now that you've been claimed," he continued, "It is my duty to convey my expectations of your conduct. You are a most costly investment and as the guarantor of your ownership agreement, I want to avoid the potential for any kind of...misunderstanding."

Stepping towards her and cupping her chin in his palm, he lifted her face and leaned forward accentuating his words. "We don't want to have any misunderstandings, do we Catrine?"

She managed to shake her head quickly back and forth to answer him. Her tears now flowed freely, soaking the blindfold and running down her cheeks.

"Very good." He answered walking to stand behind her.

"Now," he began as he stroked her hair with an uncharacteristic softness, brushing it over her shoulder in the process. "As you know, you will relinquish your collar in favor of a permanent designation of your status and your Master." Without pausing, he pressed a key against her collar and efficiently pulled the gold band away from her body. Catrine was startled as it fell with a loud clank to the floor beside them.

"Dutton always chooses jewelry. Still a romantic, I suppose." he said dismissively, running his cold fingers along her neck where her collar had been. "But, I have found that it gets in the way when i feel like enacting some of my darker desires."

As he spoke these words, Catrine felt him tighten his fingers around her neck, her pulse pressing frantically at his palm as it closed on her throat. Struggling to breathe, Catrine panicked and moved her hands to his, attempting to pry his fingers from her.

He clucked his tongue at her reaction but he did release his tight hold, practically shaking her fingers off his arm as he stood erect again. "You know better than to break position, my girl. That would earn you quite the punishment in my house," he added, instructively.

Catrine frantically gulped for air. Its sudden return making her sputter and cough. Fearing the warning in his words, she took a deep breath, pushing her shoulders back again and interlacing her fingers behind her back. She willed herself to remain still, praying she could avoid earning any kind of additional punishment from this man.

"That's better." He said in appraisal. "As I was saying, I prefer to mark my girls. Much more practical than a collar and permanent too."

She could feel him closing in on her again, running his palms across the bare skin of her back and shoulders. She trembled violently beneath his touch, having some sense of what he had in store for her.

"I usually mark my girls in a more intimate place, but this will have to do for today..." He trailed off for a moment before suddenly pressing one hand down hard against her right shoulder, holding her steady as something cold, like a metal tube, pushed forcefully against the edge of her shoulder blade.

Catrine heard a click, like the release of a ballpoint pen. Then a sudden, white hot pain shot through her body. Unable to hold back, she let out a scream that captured the extent of her agony.

Her skin burned fiercely as Arick pressed, unyielding, against her skin, allowing the ink of the stamp to set fully, keeping her pinned in place between his two hands.

He finally removed the offending object, putting it in his pocket and admiring his work.

"Such beautiful skin," he said with sickening softness. "A most beautiful canvas for my work."

As his hands finally released her, Catrine crumpled forward, no longer having the strength to hold herself up. She wept openly, her mind giving itself over to the trauma of Arick's actions and the cruelty of his words.

Arick slid beside her, enjoying the extent of her helplessness. Delighting in her fear, his fingers circled the tender flesh of her fresh tattoo making her wince before trailing his palm slowly down the bare skin of her spine.

The feeling of her trembling at his feet shot directly to his groin making him rock hard. Her terrified response to his presence his most favorite aphrodisiac.

"Mmm..." He moaned, his hands running below her skirt and across the soft skin of her ass. Cupping her pussy firmly against her thin panties, he pressed his fingers along her slit.

Licking his lips, he continued, "There is really nothing better than the first fuck with a new conquest." He stroked her there, hard, a few more times, listening to the sweet sound of her sobs.

Breathing hard he added, "And you are just so delectable..."

In the distance, Catrine heard the sound of the door and more footsteps entering the room, distracting Arick from his toying with her. Arick suddenly stood, dropping her skirt but leaving her in place on the platform.

He let out a long and dramatic sigh before he finished his interrupted thought, directing his words now towards the person who had entered the room instead of at Catrine.

"Alas," he said with a great sense of drama, "if only you were truly mine to fuck."

Catrine heard the new voice in the room as he answered Arick.

As though mimicking the King's drama, the voice retorted, "Alas, my King..."

Then, lowering his voice to convey his steely seriousness, he went on, "She is NOT truly yours."

For a moment, Catrine was certain she had lost her mind and that the voice was a figment of her imagination. Surely, it was just an orderly or an official coming to finalize Arick's paperwork. Surely, she was confusing this voice with another.

Surely, there was no way he could be here now.

Curled up and blindfolded, she had no way to confirm the identity of this new presence in the room. She froze, willing him to speak again, listening intently to both sets of footsteps as they circled her at the center of the room.

"I am surprised to find you here this morning." The voice continued, the two men sharing in the formality of a hand shake. "Surely, there are more important matters to attend to than the future of a pleasure slave?"

Nonchalantly, Arick replied, "I merely came by to inspect my investment. After all, she will remain the property of the Capital."

"Yes..." the voice interjected, "But..."

"Yes, but." Arick interrupted as though annoyed. "I obviously am quite clear on the terms you negotiated."

With almost childish frustration, he ticked off the big points of the agreement that had taken them a full day to work out. "She has been leased to you for an indefinite period, while you fulfill your obligations in the southern territories. Should you exceed our expectations, at the end of the contract, her ownership will be turned over to you permanently. Should you quit or fail to meet the goals, she will be returned to the Capital and will be held responsible for your debts...."

"Really, it goes on and on," he added as though exasperated by the details.

"I needed to come by to complete the paperwork and take care of...other formalities," he said, gesturing at the burn clearly visible on Catrine's shoulder. "I had given very specific instructions for her treatment here these past few days and I wanted to confirm that had been fulfilled to my exacting standards."

"You know," he continued, "Claimed slaves have no right to think they've been handed an invitation to an easy life. I didn't want to start her off on the wrong foot with you."

The voice, which had been silent for several moments, couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"I appreciate your extensive consideration for my well being." Then, more forcefully, he added, "Though, I believe myself to be a more than capable Master and I intend to impart my own rules for her conduct going forward. I had thought all of this was settled in our discussions last week?"

"Indeed, it was," Arick said, dismissively. Then, taking a different approach, he clapped his hands and said, "So, I get the pleasure of hosting your send off!" The enthusiasm in this last sentence ringing false to everyone's ears. "You are leaving immediately, are you not?"

"Yes, that's correct." He answered steadily. "So, if you don't require anything further, I'd like to wrap this up and be on my way."

"Of course, Mr. Pierce," Arick said. "She is all yours."

The use of his name finally confirming for Catrine the impossible.

Though she could imagine wrapping herself in his arms, she could merely wrap herself into a tighter ball. Their conversation, no matter how hopeful it should have made her, only overwhelmed her already overloaded emotions. To have her last hope vanish, only to reappear so suddenly, making her delirious.

She felt herself being pulled roughly to standing and struggled to respond. Her legs hardly carrying her own weight as she stood on quaking limbs. She felt a hand pull roughly against the back of her head and with a sudden motion, the blindfold was yanked away.

Blinking rapidly as she adjusted to the bright light, she finally saw him in front of her with her own eyes.

Ryan. He was here. And he was taking her with him.

Overpowered by it all, Catrine faltered backwards, relying on Arick to keep her standing. She hyperventilated as she took in the luminous blue eyes that could only belong to one person. She could see the anger there, but also worry and sadness as he looked into her eyes.

She had been so certain that she would never see him again; the shock of his presence short circuiting her emotions. She could only cry harder, her whole body shuddering, at the sudden change of events.

Mistaking her reaction as fear, Arick tossed her roughly towards Ryan and assessed him. "I may have misjudged you, Sir. I thought you were too soft on her; that you were too lenient with her submission. But, she seems suitably fearful of her new Master after all."

Then, as he moved to leave the room, he turned to share a parting thought. "Wishing you all the best in your new chapter...and may you make us filthy rich!"

As the door closed, Ryan inhaled sharply, feeling as though it was his first opportunity to breathe since he had stepped into the room. His heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline triggered by his encounter with Arick finally beginning to dissipate slowly from his bloodstream. He ran his hand roughly through his hair as though to shake his mind free from the strain of their interaction.

He hadn't expected to find Arick there. Seeing him, kneeling menacingly over Catrine, his hand hidden beneath her skirt, his face contorted with cruelty and desire, had made his blood boil. He had practically pounced on him; his anger so white hot that he would have killed him with his bare hands had they made contact.

Instead, he forced himself to focus on her; Her beautiful body laying nearly lifeless on the floor. The situation was worse than he had imagined. He had once again underestimated the King's capacity for cruelty.

Ryan tightened his arms around Catrine, pressing her possessively against him. With distress, he looked down and took in the sight of her. She was too frail, too small, and too still in his arms. She had stopped crying, but her eyes remained shut tight and she breathed quietly against him. She rested there, almost lifeless; her arms limp at her sides. He could feel her trembling as he supported her weight. He had the suspicion that she was relying on him entirely to keep her standing.

It had only been a few days since he had last seen her in the parlor and yet, she was in such terrible shape. He could hardly believe how fragile she appeared. He could feel the protruding bones of her ribs, as though she hadn't eaten. He could see the dark circles under her eyes, as though she hadn't slept. He was sickened by the site of Arick's mark, burned cruelly into her skin.

He felt the all-too-familiar sense of powerlessness creeping into his mind as he realized that he had failed her yet again. The Kings had promised him that they would make appropriate arrangements for her. They had assured him that she would be safe - off-limits they had said - and well cared for as the transition paperwork and payment terms were arranged. That this was simply a matter of procedure.

Their false promises made his skin crawl. Arick's devious ploy to participate in her presentation; his sick way of branding her, made him furious. He let out a growl, expressing his desire to protect her and his frustration that he had been thwarted at every turn.

Still, he directed his harshest anger towards himself. For days, he had gone about his own affairs, packing his boxes and attending overly-lavish going away festivities. All the while she had been here, suffering and alone. He wanted to apologize to her a thousand ways; wanted to kiss her and reassure her that he would finally, once and for all, make things right.

But, he didn't trust himself to speak to her. Not here. Not in this building where walls carried whispers. Not until they were far beyond the reach of the Kings.

He steadied himself, knowing that this time, finally, he had opened the door to her escape. He could only hope that by offering her everything he had, he could begin to undo the damage that had been done.

He just needed to get moving.

He gently brushed his hand across her cheek, swiping his fingers along her neck, grasping her gently but firmly in his palm. He traced the outline of her lips with his thumb, a favorite gesture, feeling their softness beneath with his fingers.

"Catrine," he whispered quietly, but firmly. "Look at me."

Her eyelashes fluttered as though trying to focus on the command before she slowly raised her eyes to meet his. His heart thumped in his chest as their eyes met, initiating the familiar current of their connection. He stared hard into her brown eyes, willing her to trust him; to shut out the rest of the world, leaving only the security of his embrace and the intention of his heart.

Catrine felt hypnotized by Ryan's piercing ice-blue stare. It was as though her mind began to settle as his gaze warmed her from the inside out. She stared back at him, meeting his intensity with her own.

They remained frozen in place, spellbound, as Ryan inhaled deeply, slowly, encouraging her to synchronize her breathing to his. He continued to brush his thumb against her cheek, helping to soothe her ragged mind.

"That's it." He whispered, "Take a deep breath."

She saw him nod subtly as though asking her tentatively if she was okay. Catrine took one last deep breath before nodding subtly back to him. Then, she took a small step backwards, supporting her own weight for the first time. She sought his hands and grasped them tightly to maintain their connection.

Once she felt steady, she lowered her head and asked quietly, "What do you request of me, Master?"

Ryan regarded her there, astounded once again by her courage. He squeezed her hands gently before he answered her, his tone carrying deliberate weight and authority, "My car is waiting outside. Do you need to collect anything before we leave?"

"No sir. I have nothing here." She answered gravely. Ryan's eyes closed understanding the honesty of her words, renewing his vow to give her the world.

He reached towards her, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her swiftly towards the door. Catrine felt relieved to be carried, not sure she had the stamina to follow him on her own two feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder, recognizing, for the first time that day, his familiar and wonderful smell.

She kept her eyes open as he made his way quickly down the corridor, praying that this would indeed be farewell to the vile prison that had been her home for two years. She saw the guards at the door rise to unlock the final heavy metal gate that stood between them and the world outside.