Dominion

He stood in the damp sand, watching as the ocean tides rolled in and lapped at his bare feet. He wiggled his toes, fascinated by the way the sand grated softly against his damp skin. He looked up and out into the horizon, smiling brightly as he breathed in the fresh, salty air. The sun was rising and it painted the sky with beautiful shades of orange and violet. He never knew such a vast mixture of colors could look so beautiful together until he really took the time to watch the sun kiss the edge of the world.

He stared out at the line that connected the ocean to the sky and frowned, noticing what looked to be pieces of wood floating in the distance. He squinted his eyes to try and discern what it could be. A boat wreck maybe? Who would take their boat that far out to sea? They knew there was nothing out that far! He watched as the broken planks of wood floated closer to shore, and his eyes widened in shock.

A young girl about his age lay unconscious upon one of the larger pieces, and he began to run into the water to fetch her. He swam farther out until He was close enough to grasp the edge of the plank and then he began to pull it back to shore.

He dragged her up onto the sand and began to check her vital signs. She was breathing evenly, and her heart rate was normal. She just seemed to be unconscious,

"Hey, wake up," he coaxed as he shook her slightly, and she moaned incoherently. "Are you alright?

"

"Wha.

..

What?

"

she mumbled as she blearily looked around, her dark brown hair piled in a damp braid atop her head. "Where am I?

"

"You're on the border of Ylatm. About a mile or so west of here is Hollowood Forrest," he began as he helped her to her feet, watching her as she looked around with confusion, her amber eyes darting around As if searching for something. "So uh... What's your name?

"

"Never heard of any of those places," She mumbled in confusion, finally turning to face the young boy before her. "I'm Mila. How about you?

"

"My name's Serenad.

I

t's nice to meet you!

"

Nora woke in a cold sweat, but at least she wasn't screaming. She shot up in her bed and looked around. Something about this dream in particular felt different, though just as any other night before she could not remember a single thing that filled her slumbering mind. She yawned and then shook her head in frustration, choosing to crawl back into the cocoon of blankets she had been wrapped in.

She spent most of her days holed up in her room, and was lucky enough to have been left alone by Serenad. She scarcely ran into him, even during the short amounts of time she was forced to leave her chambers, and she had a distinct suspicion that he was avoiding her. But why? Everything about him confused her. Nothing he did made sense.

And then there was the matter of the Tourik snooping around in the Forrest. She wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't told her father about them yet. He probably needed to know, yet something told her to wait on it. She shook her head and sighed. Why? Why would she protect them? She didn't honestly know, but the way her father had been acting lately, she didn't exactly feel like he deserved her allegiance anyway. She wished her brother was there, She was sure that he would have an answer for everything. Trysten always seemed to have the answers.

She sighed and pulled the blanket over her head. He was gone now. There was no point pining for him anymore. Even if he managed to fight his way back, it would not be any time soon. She thought back to his final request and frowned. Why was he so adamant that she drag some half pint little brat from the prison to tag along behind her like some baby duckling? Surely he knew such a thing would be a nuisance? But she made a promise, and she would fulfill that promise. She owed it to him.

When she chose to get around to doing it, however, was another story all together. She sighed and opened her eyes. Why was she putting it off? He must have good reason for it, so why was she being so stubborn? She sighed again and removed herself from the bed.

Might as well just get it over with.

She began to dress herself in silence, berating herself for not taking his final request so seriously. Since when did she blow off her brothers opinions? And since when did she go back on her word? She ticked in irritation, clasping the final button on her shirt as the door to her chambers opened.

It was that

damned

Naugu.

"Nora," Serenad began quietly. "May I speak with you?"

"Do I truly have a choice in the matter?"

She heard him sigh as he entered the room and clicked the door shut behind him. He approached her slowly, as if he was afraid to be near her. She pushed away the thought as she turned to face him, watching disdainfully as he seemed to struggle with some inner turmoil. She hoped whatever it was, that it would eat him alive.

"I don't know what came over me before," He began. "I was out of line for treating you in such a manner."

"So you've come to ease your own guilt," She retorted sarcastically. "How convenient."

"I just want to fix this, Nora."

"What do you want me to say?" She snapped. "That I forgive you? So you can forget all about it?"

"Dammit, no!" He shook his head and closed his eyes. "I want to make it up to you..."

He advanced on her with slow intent, locking eyes with her as he closed the distance between them. Even in her anger, she knew better than to fight back when she had no way of truly defending herself. She didn't want to admit that she feared him, but the way her heart blared in response to his approach argued the truth. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing as he pinned her to the wall and pressed his lips into her collarbone. Her eyes widened and her struggling renewed when she realized what he planned. His teeth sunk into her shoulder and she gasped in shock when his suckling sent static across her skin down to her toes. He licked the wound clean and pressed his lips over the bite mark once more.

"I knew it," He mumbled, smiling against her skin before pulling away. "it all makes sense now."

"What are you talking about?"

He said nothing, choosing instead to wrap her up in his embrace. He held her as if she were something precious to him, but that only made her angry. How could he pretend that the things he did before never happened? She didn't want his sudden compassion, and he didn't deserve her forgiveness. She wrenched herself from his embrace, glaring at him in her distrust. What kind of mind game was he trying to play? He sighed as he looked her over, disappointment lacing his features.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he murmured as he approached her again. "Truly, I am."

"That isn't good enough," She snapped, brushing past him to head for the door. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her back against him, and she struggled futily against his hold on her. He was strangely gentle in the way he held her, and she hissed in anger at his demeaning actions. She wasn't just some doll he could play with whenever he wanted! He cupped her face with his hand, titling her head to the side as he planted kisses up and down her neck. She shivered at the contact, and found herself melting into him against her will.

"Is this good enough?" his hands slid beneath the fabric of her clothes, caressing her skin with his fingertips. "Let me make it up to you, Nora."

She rested her head against his collarbone, all of her shields lowering as she inevitably submitted to him. Something about the exchange was nagging at her, but her mind was cloudy and she couldn't think. He slowly turned her around and lifted her into his arms, walking her to the bed and draping her over it. She watched him with lidded eyes as he started to remove her clothes, kissing his way down her chest to her naval as he went.

"No!" she shrieked, her mind snapping to attention as she scrambled out from underneath him. She shook her head as she landed on the floor across from him, wrapping her arms around her chest and watching him in alarm. "What trickery is this? Don't you dare tamper with my mind again, plague scum."

"I wasn't-"

"Silence!" She shrieked, "That mystic bitch fed you her blood so you could bewitch me, didn't she? Do you think I'm an idiot? Who do you think you are?"

"I am your Fiance!" He growled before turning to leave, "I should go before I do something else I regret. Go on and retrieve your friend from prison."

"How do you know about that?"

He was gone before she could finish her sentence. She huffed in irritation, trying to understand what happened. He made no damn sense!

She stomped out of her room after buttoning her shirt back up, and made her way toward the dungeon, wishing once more that she had Trysten around to decipher the confusing situation she was in with Serenad. She continued down the hall as she struggled to remember the girls name. She knew it started with an A.

Was it Aren? Arley? ...Arwen?

"Aryn," she mumbled as she made her way through the doors of the dungeon. "Her name was Aryn."

She entered the building and looked around in search of a guard. She found him reclining behind a desk reading a book.

"Excuse me," she began, and he quickly stood and saluted her. "At ease. I am here to pardon a certain criminal by the name of Aryn."

"Aryn... Hmm... Ah yes, the young Daegra girl," he said and lifted a key from it's hook. "Follow me, my lady."

He lead her through the hallway down to the first cell and looked around for the girl. She walked up behind him and did her own search, noticing the two females immediately. There was a hottie Tourik woman who lounged complacently on the bench, and a Daegra curled up on the lap of another Daegra male. They seemed to be whispering back and forth. He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Aryn Kjar, it's your your lucky day."

Both of the prisoners turned to look in her direction, and the sight of the males piercing blue eyes jogged Nora's memory. Joel Rhoades, the traitor who sent his troops straight into an ambush. She narrowed her eyes at him as the girl rose to her feet and slowly approached the door to the cell. She looked up at Nora and her eyes widened a fraction before she turned her attention back to the guard.

"You are being pardoned by the princess, and in turn will serve her as she sees fit."

"First things first," Nora began as the girl was let out of the cell. "You do not associate with traitors anymore, do you understand? I will not have you exchanging pleasantries with that bastard, or anyone in here, for that matter."

"Yes, my lady."

"Second, do not think for a moment that I am fond of you. I am doing this as a favor for my brother," she continued as they made their way from the dungeons. "He has a soft spot for the weak and fragile. I do not."

"Understood, my Lady."

"Oh and another thing," She said as they reached her chambers. "I am not your lady, or princess, or any of those god forsaken titles. I am Nora and you will refer to me as such."

"Yes, Nora."

Nora sat on the edge of her bed and eyed the young girl with suspicion. She was pitifully skittish, and wouldn't even make eye contact. She sighed and closed her eyes, frustrated by the entire situation.

"I won't bite, Aryn," she said as she lied back in her bed. "You can do whatever the hell you want, just don't leave the room."

"Oh... Alright."

Nora spied at the girl through one eye, watching in amusement at her complete confusion. She looked around the room with a nervous expression, and she was trembling slightly. Nora sighed again and sat up.

"There are clothes in the wardrobe, I'm slightly taller than you are, but most of my clothes should fit you fine. They may be a little long in the arms and legs, but they have got to be better than that dingy rag you're wearing," She said, looking closely at the girl. She seemed appalled at the idea of wearing Nora's clothes, and it was no wonder. She probably did not expect Nora to be as relaxed as she was. "And on that note, when is the last time you bathed?"

"I... I don't know," She stammered. "Not since I was incarcerated."

"Hmm. Well we're going to have to fix that then, aren't we?" she murmured as she hopped from the bed and made her way to the wardrobe. "Do you prefer dresses, skirts, pants...?"

"Anything will do."

"I've always found pants to be far more comfortable, wouldn't you agree?" she rambled as she pulled out a pair of her loose sweats and a thin sleeveless shirt. She fumbled around until she found a brazier that was close to the girls size, and then shuffled through the clothes for something to wear as well, "Alright, let's take a walk, shall we?"

"Okay."

They left her room and began a walk through the palace, and Nora thought about ways to strike up a conversation. The girl was absolutely pathetic, and she wondered why Trysten would ask Nora to pardon her. Was he truly such a bleeding heart that he just didn't want to see her in the dungeon, or did he see something about the girl that she could not?

"So, how did you end up in the prison system anyway?"

"I... I was caught stealing bread."

"That's a strange thing to be arrested for," She replied. "Usually they just slap a bracelet on the petty thieves and send them out of the city."

"Well, I uh..." She stammered nervously as they entered the bath house. "The shop keep had it out for me. Probably payed them off in order to have me locked up."

Nora nodded silently as she placed their clean clothes into a bench near the entrance and began to undress. She peeled her clothes off and waded into the warm water, looking back to see if Aryn intended to do the same.

"Getting in or what?"

"Oh, yes of course," she said quickly, shedding the tunic she was wearing and followed Nora into the water. "I was lost in thought. I apologize."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to yourself," Nora chuckled as she reclined on one of the steps. "This water feels glorious!"

She watched Aryn wade into the pool after her, and felt a little pity at the amount of filth that was seeping from her body. Some of it even looked like dry blood, and she wondered at the reason for her injuries, however old they may be.

"So where did you live before you were locked away?" Nora asked her. "Did you have any family?"

"No, I don't have anyone else."

"Hmm, well you have me now," Nora mused. "I guess that's better than nothing."

"Yeah."

Nora frowned at her quiet attitude. She seemed very shy and introverted, and was making it nearly impossible to even speak to her. She sighed and closed her eyes, choosing to relax and give up on trying to make conversation to the Daegra girl. It seemed to be a futile attempt, and it was only irritating her, so she just gave up on it all together.

Aryn sighed in relief as she sunk deeper into the water. She was glad that Nora had given up on talking. She wasn't sure how well she would be able lie, and was afraid of delving deeper into conversation about her personal life. She tried not to resent Trysten for what he did, she knew he was only trying to help. But now that she was forced to move about the castle, the chances of her running into a brotherhood member who might recognize her had increased. Not to mention if Nora found out who she was, she might rather end up with the brotherhood than deal with her wrath. She heard the hinges of the door swing ajar, and opened her eyes to see who had entered the bath house.

Her eyes widened, and she almost bursted into tears right then and there. She could recognize those cruel yellow eyes anywhere, and they way they pierced her almost physically hurt from the intensity. Serenad's gaze flicked between Aryn and Nora a few times before he regained his composure and began to undress. By then Nora had opened her eyes, and was watching him with a curious sort of dread.

"You can stay the hell away from me, plague scum," She snapped. "Sit across the pool and pretend I'm not here, understood?"

"As you wish, my lady."

"I'm not anybody's damn lady," she grumbled irritably, but closed her eyes and relaxed. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Aryn watched Serenad with wide, frightened eyes as he entered the pool near her. She tried to scoot closer to Nora but he snatched her by the wrist and yanked her back over to him. Taking a shaky breath, she closed her eyes and wished she could just curl up and die.

"Relax, Arwen," he sounded so calm and inviting, but she knew better. Now that he knew where she was it wouldn't be long before he took her back to her place in his collection of experiments. "I wondered where you had gone. How clever of you to have hidden in plain sight, I would have never thought to look for you in the dungeons."

"I know," she whispered, flinching away as he wiped tears from her eyes. "She doesn't know the truth. I go by Aryn now. Please-"

"I wouldn't dare snatch away my betrothed's new toy. What kind of husband do you take me for?" she opened her eyes and watched him smile warmly at her. No, he was deceiving her, it was all he was good at. He wanted her to let her guard down.

"Please let me go."

He released her wrist and she scooted away, wrapping her arms around her chest and watching him nervously as she moved to sit by Nora. He continued to watch her with that piercing stare, his body still as stone. She felt uncomfortably exposed under his scrutiny, but tried to forget he was there as she scrubbed viciously at the dirt and blood caked on her body. She looked up at him again and found him watching her still, and though she returned her attention to her bath, she couldn't help but be drawn back to his gaze as he continued to watch her blatantly. A half smile curved on his lips, and he stared as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. She wanted so badly to escape, but she knew leaving Nora's side was a terrible idea, so she decided to simply pretend he wasn't there, and lean back against the edge to relax like Nora had. She could still feel his eyes on her, so she took a peek and found him motioning for her to come closer. She shook her head but he silently insisted, holding his hands up as if he meant no harm.

As if she was going to believe that farce.

Still though, curiosity won out, and she found herself edging closer to him, doing her best to stay out of range. He looked at her in exasperation and reached out, snatching her wrist and yanking her back to him. She held back a yelp and stared at him with wide eyes as he forced her to straddle his lap. He kept a firm grip on her hips, and she pressed her hands against his chest to try and break away.

"Relax, little one," she stilled at his words, avoiding eye contact as his hands roamed up her sides. She felt bile rise in the back of her throat. "You wouldn't want your new saving grace to find you so scandalously perched on top of her fiance, would you?"

She shook her head, silently berating herself for even buying into his games. Stupid Arwen! Stupid stupid stupid! She shivered at his touch, frightened of what he intended to do.

"It seems we are off to a bad start," he continued lightly. "You have no need to fear me, Canary. As long as my sweet love is entertained by you, I have no reason to take you away."

She understood the underlying meaning of his words. If Nora ever got tired of her or sent her back to the dungeon, she wouldn't be there long. Now that he knew where she was, he would come for her. The thought was sickening, and she held back tears at the idea of it.

"Hey, leave her alone, scum," Nora snapped from across the room, and Arwen jumped at the sound of her voice. "Come here Aryn. Lets go."

"Why must you call me that?" he growled, his grip tightening around the frightened girl in his lap. "I am to be your husband. You should treat me with more respect."