Elayna stretched her firm legs first and then her arms, the dream still fresh in her mind. She yawned, moving her graceful hand over her mouth to suppress the yawn. The chain stopped her hand. Chain?
Slowly, Elayna opened her eyes. She felt strange, not really ill but as if she had a little too much to drink last night. Last night! Her eyes flew open, taking in the luxuriant accommodations surrounding her. Elayna's hand traveled the length of the chain, ending at the hard steel of circle surrounding her neck. It was not uncomfortable but, after trying a few times, it was definitely not going to come off. The chain was latched to the circle with some sort of attachment and she could feel a lock joining the two together. The other end was held by some sort of metal hook on the ceiling that was able to move in a circular fashion.
Becoming more aware and more awake but still with a touch of a headache, Elayna sat up slowly. The silken coverlet slid from her shoulders, over her small, well-rounded breasts to pool in the vee of her legs.
Elayna swallowed deeply, gasping for air. She was completely naked beneath the elegant coverlet and deep, downy quilts. Shaking her head and then regretting it, she looked around for her things or for anything that would help remind her of the events of last night.
She remembered him, the man. Oh God! She had told him she wanted him. Elayna dropped her head into her hands, moaning softly. She could not believe she had said that, she must have been out of her mind. Never in her entire life had she ever acted like that. No one had ever even sparked the urge in her to want to say or do anything like that before.
The door at the end of the room opened quietly.
"I see you have awakened my little one. I have brought you something for the pain of your headache. I fear there is no way around that, no matter how little is used, the headache is always the end result."
His hand reached out to touch her face, but Elayna would have none of it and slapped it away viciously. She did not expect his response; in fact, she had been ready for a slap of retribution.
"You are allowed a few mistakes, at first, my little one. But listen to me and listen well. I have almost unlimited patience for most things. One of those things is the process of learning. You will be given one warning for each transgression. Should you choose to ignore the warning and accept it as a teaching tool, your discipline will be quick and thorough. Do you understand me my little one?" he asked, raising his hand again to touch her cheek.
Almost, Elayna started to swat it away, but the cold look of determination in his eyes stopped her.
Nodding her head slowly she answered, "Yes."
He did not take a breath, he did not blink.
"You will always address me as Sir, Elayna. Do you understand?" He waited expectantly, the glass of water and aspirin still held in his opposite hand.
Elayna looked up at him, at the water, the aspirin. At the other hand, now holding so very still near her left cheek. She wanted to deny him. She wanted to rebel. She wanted to, to what? She reached up to touch the metal circling her neck again, her left hand lingering on the cold chain.
"Yes," with just the briefest hesitation, "Sir," she whispered.
