"It is so wonderful to see you again, my lovely Kendall." 'King' Anithis kissed my hand as he spoke the words, rubbing the place where his lips had touched after. He was still as handsome as I remembered but nothing like Vytex was. At the thought of the black-skinned Drow, I felt my heart sadden. And reminded myself that the man standing before me was the one who had taken his life.
"I can't say the same, Anithis." In my attempt at making my voice thick with disgust, I think I might have accomplished it too well as I was backhanded for my effort.
"Address me as King, foolish wench." His voice was imperiously close to being obnoxious and I struggled not to snicker at the insult he had tossed my way. The term "wench" made me think of a pulley and tow-cable for some reason, which made me want to laugh. But something told me I should not do that. Not now. Not until I figured out if I would be in danger or not from his temper. "Now, shall we discuss your future, my lady?"
"I suppose we should." I nodded as I rubbed my stinging cheek, wondering exactly what he had planned. I had been brought to his chambers upon my discovery and forced by a couple of servants into a long, flowing black gown with golden embroidery on the edges. It was quite lovely and I felt regal despite it being black in color.
"I will have you as my wife. I will have your full loyalty." He went to a marble throne and slouched into it, one leg dangling over loosely. The pose was that of one so assured of himself that he knew nothing could oppose him, that his demands of me would not be denied.
"I don't think so." I crossed my arms, hoping I wasn't inviting myself to a death sentence. "I won't let you touch me, you douchebag." His expression twisted into something borderline explosion as well as confusion over my insult. He sat up at least.
"What did you say?" His tone was dangerous.
"Are you deaf? I will say it slowly for your addled brain. I-will-not-let-you-touch-me, douchebag."
"Fasnas virana vuu soruniti!" The words he spoke were foreign yet familiar and the minute he finished saying them, I felt something wrap around my legs, moving upward and I glanced down to see sickly green vines crawling up my body, grasping me tightly within a vise-grip.
"Ahhhh!" I cried out in shock as the vines moved swiftly to my hands, and by sheer force lifted me into the air, until my entire body except for head was surrounded by greenery. I was a good four feet from the ground and unable to move. How the hell had he done that? "Put me down!" I struggled in vain against the vines, fighting with all I could.
"I do not believe you are aware of who you are dealing with now, my dearest." Anithis stood slowly, taking his time to walk over to where I was hovering over the marbled floor. "I met a companion of yours a fortnight ago. Her name was Marcella and she was a charming, albeit ugly woman. She is dead now, but I am grateful for her sacrifice. You see, she gladly accepted my marriage proposal and during the fullness of the moon in our marriage bed I took her life. I am now endowed with the power of the Moon goddess. I am now the most powerful druid of all of time." As his grin split his face, I felt myself saddened by the loss of Marcella's life. She might not have been my friend, but she was human and alive once. He was a double murderer in my mind. Not to mention all of the Drow warriors he had a hand in destroying.
"Now, knowing my power, how could you possibly reject me?" He stepped closer, bringing me down to eye level with a wave of his hand. "I will ask only once more. Shall you marry me and give me your loyalty willingly?" I met his questions with a reply of spittle flying into his face. As if I'd let him bully me into anything like that! The only thing he'd get from me would be my undying loyalty at making his life a living hell. It was the only vow I could possibly see myself making.
"I see." He dabbed the edge of his tunic sleeve, which hung just past his elbow, against his face where my spit had landed and turned. Facing two of his guards, he told them orders, something I could not hear, which made them leave the room swiftly, closing the door behind them. I winced in my mind as I knew sending guards away could NOT be good. Either he was going to do something to me he knew the guards couldn't stomach or he felt confident enough to be without them. I felt myself moving and struggled once more against my bonds, especially when I felt them tighten and move across me in such a way that my clothes were literally being shredded from my body.
"Stop! Stop it!" I protested, unwilling to be undressed in such a fashion. But the vines continued until I had not one shred of clothing left on me. I was then unceremoniously dropped onto the bed nearby. Relieved that I was free, I scrambled under the covers, to hide my newly naked body from Anithis' gaze. Wrapping the sheet around me did absolutely nothing as a tendril of one of his vines yanked it from my grasp, leaving me naked as the day I was born.
