The Fall of an Empire

Chapter One: The Fall

"These are the last days of my empire" mused Queen Elinor as she stared out the tall open window of her tower study. After a long moment, she turned away from the window and looked around the empty study.

Once, this room contained lore from all over the world. Hidden knowledge from ancient times. Powerful magic was worked here. It was that power that was ultimately the downfall of the Empire.

Elinor knew well that some day, someone would covet that power and seek to ruin what she had built. But for five hundred years she ruled, her elven features belied her true age. Some thought her immortal, as Elves were very rare in this land and had the potential to live thousands of years.

Elinor sighed in the empty room. Immortal, no. All things must come to an end. To punctuate this thought a loud bang sounded far below her at the tower's only entrance. Her heart froze.

"So, they are here at last." Elinor spoke to the dust.

Another bang, and another. Elinor smiled, knowing it would take them years to take the tower by force. The smile vanished. Eventually though, they would succeed.

Finally, with one last glance she gathered her courage and left the room. Descending the long winding stairs was precarious, for the center of the tower was completely open. One wrong move and she'd fall to her doom. At this last thought she stopped and peered over the edge, contemplating.

"No!" She said firmly aloud. Echoing in the tower. "Not like this. As long as there is breath in my body there is hope." Then silently. "Besides, I have one more task to do".

She continued on. In the past she had simply spirited herself to the entrance, whenever she needed. But her power was nearly spent, she could not afford such luxury now. So she descended, finally reaching the ground breathless.

Another loud 'boom' at the door sent a shiver down her spine. Steeling herself once again, Elinor moved to the center of the floor. In the center of a vast, barely visible circle. Ancient runes and words of power were intricately drawn forming an arcane design.

Drawing in a deep breath and standing tall and confident one last time, Elinor reached out her mind for the magic.

Not long ago this was an easy task, so vast was this power that it came to her as easily as breathing. But now, it was barely a trace. The last few years she spent nearly all her power protecting her lands and people. Allowing them to escape the worst of the war.

Shifting some of her Fey and Elemental allies and friends back to their planes and worlds. Destroying other places of power so they could not be used for cruelty. Till there was nothing left but Elinor and her Tower known simply as Magus.

At last Elinor drew the last of her power and that of the Tower letting it well within her. It filled her physical body with warmth and an almost sexual elation. Then she reached out to the possibilities of existence.

A web of glowing threads burst into her view, each one a possibility. Many of these possibilities tempted her resolve, but at last she found the one she wanted and touched it with her mind.

The power she had gathered flowed from her into the thread and instantly the vision shattered. The tower simply ceased to exist. Elinor collapsed on the now empty rock ground, weeping and surrounded by bewildered soldiers.

"Call for the General!" A soldier shouted. "You two, stop gawking and grab her!"

The two soldiers slowly began to close in on the Queen. They drew their swords, wary at what magic might befall them. Elinor stood and though tears still streamed down her face, she stood tall and so commanding that the soldiers paused. She instinctively reached out for the magic, but for the first time since she discovered it, it wasn't there. She had nothing left.

The soldiers advanced even more cautiously, but when they reached her she could offer no resistance. Gaining confidence the soldiers grabbed her and roughly bound her hands behind her.

"We have her!" "The Queen has fallen!" shouted one of them.

A great cheer arose from the ranks, until a horse was spotted coming up the narrow mountain trail. The men silenced as a rider in full plate armor, emblazoned with the design of a raven sitting upon a grown, approached.

He rode up to Elinor and dismounted, removing his helmet. He surveyed the scene. Then looked at Elinor, his blue eyes seeming to pierce her very soul.

"Where is Magus" He says with a steely calm voice. Causing the soldiers to be silent.

"General Arianas. I presume." Elinor's voice was calm and matter of fact. Arianas nodded in reply.

"I have sent Magus away, into the infinite realm of possibility. Even I don't know where it will be in all the universes in all the worlds or even time itself. It is lost and so is its power." Elinor's voice cracked as if she just lost a dear friend.

Burning anger crossed the General's face. He pulled a dagger from its sheath at his side and stepped in. Elinor lifted her head, exposing her neck. Wanting to die as honorably as possible.

But the killing blow didn't come. Arianas pushed the two soldiers away and circled behind Elinor. With two swift cuts, Elinor's exquisite light blue gown falls to her feet. Leaving her bare before all.

Startled, she dropped to her knees and covered herself with her hands. Arinas said nothing, but kneeled in front of Elinor. Then taking her face gently but firmly in one hand he turned her head to face him.

"You have fought well. You have ruled. And now you have fallen. But you will not meet your end here Elinor. If you had handed me the tower, I would have granted you your just and swift death. But you have denied me that. You are Queen no longer. You are Elinor no longer."

His words were quiet, yet somehow powerful. All who were present heard them clearly. Arianas flicked the dagger across Elinor's face deftly and before she could so much as flinch a single rune appeared and glowed a fiery red.

Elinor screamed as the magical fire burned her face. After an agonizing moment the pain subsided, she clutched at her face. Feeling the still warm outline of the rune. Her eyes widened in realization.

"No.." she said weakly.

"Yes, the rune of subjugation. You are now mine. Your name, your land are mine. All who you were is no more. You no longer have a name" Arianas commanding voice brings power to the rune and the red color returns.

"Now rise, nameless. You will follow me"

Elinor felt the magic flow through the rune. She tried in vain to draw desperately upon the Magic she once had to resist such a simple spell.

But it was no use, the power radiated from her cheek to every part of her body. Tears once again streamed down her face as she felt herself rising, exposing her body to all.

"Look at these men, nameless. You will know each and every one soon. You will please each one with that perfect Elven body. You will know what it is like to be low." Arianas spat the words.

"But you will be mine first."

And with that Arianas remounted his horse and started to ride toward camp. Elinor felt an invisible tug, as if a rope was cast around her. She was forced to follow stumbling on foot until exhausted, they arrived at his tent.

She entered to see Arianas standing there waiting.

"Remove my armor" Came his command.

Again she tried to resist, but the spell took hold causing gradually more and more pain until at last she relented. Without a word she unbuckled the various pieces of armor leaving them to fall on the ground.

She looked forlornly at the dagger, she desperately wanted to grab it and stab this man but she simply could not make her hands grasp the hilt. Arianas laughed.

"Do you think I would have allowed you this close to me if I thought you could simply stab me in my back? No nameless, I sensed it when I first arrived at the circle. You have no power. I don't know why, I suspect it cost a great deal to send Magus away. All I know is you are now...ordinary."

His words stung. It seemed to make the emptiness even more complete.

"I intend to keep you near me. For if I find any way to use you to bring Magus back, I will do it. Until such a time you will be powerless to resist my commands and more importantly, powerless to harm me. Now I intend to make use of what you have left." And with that Arianas shoved Elinor backward onto a low bed.

He removed his pants and folded them neatly, placing them on a small table. Then unbuttoned and removed his shirt, hanging it on a chair. Finally, he walked slowly to the bed and stood over Elinor, his manhood swelling to an impressive size.

Elinor's eyes widened in fear, looking up at this man. Her enemy, her conqueror. And now... She shudders. Closing her eyes. But, hope remains while life is still in me.

The thought returned to her, giving her courage. Then she opened her eyes and looked up once more. Without command from the General she placed a slender elven hand upon his cock, tracing her fingertips down its length.

"That is the first good decision you have made." Arinas says softly. "Keep going, the longer you keep me happy, the lighter your suffering will be."

Elinor looked up and nodded weakly. Then began softly stroking his cock. Her small Elven hands made it look even more impressive. Then a thought occurred to Elinor, she smiled to herself. "If this is to be the way of things, I may as well enjoy what I can."

The thought is encouraging. Then grabbing his cock tightly she pulled Arianas closer and placed the tip of her tongue against his flesh. Tracing it just under the tip to the base and back. Arianas moaned in pleasure.

"I have never been with an Elf." he said breathlessly "I expected this to be cold and passionless"

Without answering Elinor wrapped her mouth around the man's cock and began slowly working it in. She struggled to get it in her petite mouth but managed. Bobbing her head up and down she slowly worked, using her tongue to enhance his pleasure.

Then gradually, Elinor increases the speed of her attention. Arianas thrusts involuntarily into her face. His cock found the back of her throat. Overcome with passion he grabbed the back of her head and pushed it farther down.

Elinor's eyes widen and she looks up in surprise, unable to breathe. She took all of his manhood, reflexively swallowing it. She breathed frantically through her nose.

Despite this abuse, she found herself strangely aroused. Realizing her own womanhood was responding sent a thrill up her spine. Then reaching down Elinor touched herself, finding her fingers slick with her juices.

"How long has it been?" She mused to herself. "Not since becoming Queen...far too busy" A harsh slap to her wrist, knocked it away from herself snapped her back to the present.

"You do not get to pleasure yourself. Your pleasure is only allowed if I allow it." Commands Arianas.

Disappointed but unable to disobey, Elinor returned her attention to the cock in her now very sore mouth. Using her hands she gently massaged the General's balls, even being so bold as to stroke just behind them. She took care not to touch this man's ass, not knowing how he'd react. "His loss" she thought.

Finally she sensed him getting close. Elinor moaned, sending vibrations down the General's cock until at last he threw his head back and moaned in passion.

Elinor struggled to take in all his seed, resisting the urge to throw up. At last he collapsed back. His cock coming out of her mouth with a pop.

Disgusted, Elinor also collapsed onto the floor gasping for air. For a long moment neither spoke. Until Arianas finally rose. Walking over, he cleaned what remained on his cock with Elinor's face and hair.

Though repulsed, Elinor did not flinch. She took this insult as best she could.

"How the mighty have fallen." He says simply. "But, you have succeeded in one thing tonight nameless. I have decided not to throw you to the men." He pauses, staring at the naked Elf before him. "But don't take that for weakness or jealousy. That would be a grave mistake"

"So you do not get illusions of running away in the night, I have something special for you" He retrieved a thick leather collar, normally used for war dogs and attached it around Elinor's neck. Pulling it tight and attached a lock on its clasp.

The stout collar made Elinor look very small. And finally he attached a thick locking chain to the collar and secured the other end to a spike driven into the ground.. The chain was just barely long enough for Elinor to lay down on the cold ground.

"Sleep well nameless". He says. Then returned to his bed, dousing the candles..

Elinor did not sleep well. In fact she did not sleep well for a very long time. Arianas was true to his word. He was not soft.

The first week was the worst, as his anger over the loss of the tower did not subside for many days and he took it out on Elinor. She was denied clothing, even as the army disembarked, heading back to Arianas' capital of Fallhold. A stark imposing castle of immense size a short distance away from a bustling walled city.

During the march she earned her keep by serving the men in the mess lines. Enduring all manor of filthy talk and unwanted touch.

Her fair skin was now covered in bruises and sunburn. But all the while, she knew...someday this would end. "I must stay alive."

The journey through her former empire was the worst. She was paraded in every town and hamlet along the way, her subjects looking to her for some kind of hope but...seeing none they turned away in shame. Some attempted to come to her aid and were quickly cut down. This hurt even more than the loss of her modesty.

Finally they reached Arianas' keep, an imposing castle of dark colored stone. The keep itself was not lavish, it was not a sprawling grand affair like the old Kings who came before. Instead the keep was a small, efficient tower with crisp, straight lines. Each stone was cut and placed precisely where it belonged.

Elinor was taken to a small room within the keep. It was not a dark and foreboding dungeon that she had been imagining but a small, out of the way storage room adjacent to the kitchen.

There was no furniture to speak of, in fact it seemed as though the original contents of the room had been recently cleared to make way for her occupancy. The only thing remaining were a few discarded burlap bags and an old wooden bucket.

"You will remain here until I have some use for you." Arianas did not look at her as he spoke, barely recognizing her presence at all.

And with that, the door was shut and locked. There was a single window set high on the exterior wall letting in a small amount of sunlight. The window was so high up however that her hopes of an escape were dashed.

Wistfully she remembered not so long ago she could have reduced the entire wall to nothing but ash and melted stone with a few words and a gesture. Now..she could barely summon the energy to slump to the ground on the sacks. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

Elinor endured this for many days. So many she lost count. Her only contact was that of a scullery boy who removed her bucket and replaced it with a new one every few days and left fresh, but tasteless food..

He was forbidden to speak with her or touch her, but he always lingered long enough to leer at her naked body. On a few occasions even being so bold as to pull his cock out and stroke till he left his stain upon the floor.

At first this angered her, but she did not retaliate. Her need to survive overriding any hope of petty vengeance. As each day passed however; she became more and more discouraged. No one talked to her, she couldn't talk to anyone else. No one touched her.

The boy was the only one who even acknowledged her very existence. She even began to look forward to the boy's lewd visits. Any time she attempted to speak with him however, sent him running from the room.

This was the state Elinor was in when a plan to escape took form. She waited till the boy arrived. On this day however he seemed content to simply leave her food and leave. But before he could do so, Elinor sat up from her usual huddled position. With her back to the wall she drew her knees to her chest then slowly spread her pale, and now very dirty legs apart.

The boy seeing this, paused and looked around suspiciously. He peeked out the door, but it was late and the kitchen staff had all left for the day. Then he focused his entire attention on the disgraced woman.

Elinor slowly moved her hands away from her breasts, exposing them as she slowly traced her fingertips along the inside of her thighs. She smiled, watching the boy reach inside his simple brown trousers and start to stroke his cock rapidly.

She teased him and herself, by lightly touching her womanhood. Opening herself to expose even more. She meant for this to distract the boy but to her embarrassment and surprise, she found herself enjoying this. She told herself she was just starved for attention, but she knew that was only part of it.

Regardless, her little display was having its desired effect. She continued touching herself, now more forcefully letting herself feel the pleasure surging through her body. But her eyes never left the boy. She held him with those deep green eyes.

He was getting close. "Damn" she thought, knowing she was going to have to deny herself. For a moment, she almost abandoned her plan to her passion.

Logic won over though, and right as the boy began to cum she sprung at him. Easily pushing past him into the kitchen beyond. Stunned and in the throes of an orgasm the boy could do nothing as he was slammed into the wall. By the time he realized what was happening Elinor had already ran into the keep.

She had no plan beyond this, pure adrenaline pushed her on. She ran randomly through the keep desperately trying to reach an exit before the poor boy was able to raise the alarm.

At last there it was, the door. She had hoped to find a side entrance but the front will have to do. She cautiously opened the door a crack and was relieved there were no guards outside. She slipped through and out into the night.

Elinor headed toward the town which bordered the castle walls. The gate was blessedly open, inviting her to freedom. She ran for it, again hoping to rush past the guards and hide in the city before they could react.

She reached the gate and began to run, but just as she entered the shadow of the barbican a solid figure stepped into the light grabbing hold of Elinor and knocking the wind...and the hope from her.

"And where are you going in such a hurry this evening nameless?"

Arianas' low voice crushed her soul far more effectively than a physical blow would have. Elinor couldn't help but sob as the adrenaline drained from her body. Leaving her cold and limp in his grasp. He smiled.

"Come now, you didn't really expect you could escape me that easily?" he said in an amused tone. "Take heart though, for you have succeeded in one thing. This little display shows me you are ready for your next job." He pushed her back toward the keep.

He let her walk on her own, but kept a firm hand grasping the back of her neck. His muscular hand nearly encircled it. She looked up at him, what new terror did he have in store for her this time?

"You will go back to your room, however you will now join the kitchen staff. You will follow whatever order's Marit, head of my staff, gives you. Without question. Failure will be reported to me and the punishment will be isolation again. Now you know how horrible that can be, I think you will be more receptive."

More time passed. Elinor grew accustomed to her role, preparing meals, cleaning the kitchens, emptying chamber pots. She was still denied clothing, still denied even having a name. And still, no one was allowed to touch her.

Until at last. One evening she headed back to her storage room, with weary bones. However this night she was surprised as Arianas met her at the door, the boy was cowering near him.