What Price Power?

He was pleased.

The girl was indeed starting to show more promise than he had thought. He was ambivalent about losing the chance to recreate their first time together. He had thought that was how he would end the lesson instead he had started pushing her to her limits. Draining her to the point she could no longer think properly on purpose. And he was pleased with how long it had taken, very pleased.

He was smiling as he entered his private chambers and found his concubine lifting an eyebrow in surprise from the couch she had curled up on. He took a moment to compare the two, one was tall with fiery red hair and milk white skin, lush curves and ample breasts. The apprentice was tiny, slender, dark hair and golden skin, barely tits enough to grab. A few years ago he could have had neither. The apprentice would have been one among many and untouchable. The concubine would have been reserved for the higher nobility.

She was rising to come toward him, her hips swayed and her body moved in a way that promised delights untold. Oh yes, this was why the Sinra concubines were so highly prized and sought after. This seemingly unconscious ability to seduce with just their presence. She raised arms to rest against his shoulders, hands picking at his hair, slow pass of her tongue over perfect red lips. Even the breath she took before speaking, that made those heavy globes rise and strain against the restraint of silk and lace was calculated. She didn't fear him in the least, no trembling, no shying away from the hand that wove into her hair and tugged her head back.

He may have demanded the kiss but she demanded his utter attention, teeth nipping hard enough at his lower lip he tasted blood. This wench shared his appetites so well he could almost have been satisfied with just her and the occasional prisoner of war. She wouldn't take half the abuse his apprentice endured without a murmur. But what she did do was meet his lust with an eagerness that was refreshing. Already his cock was twitching and rising to her open challenge.

"That was a short lesson." She purred.

"No. I just didn't claim my payment tonight. I want a warm and eager body, not an exhausted rag doll."

"Wore the poor thing out before the lesson? Naughty."

"No I ended up testing her limits. She has almost tripled her reserve in the past few weeks. I may even start working her with fire soon."

"I would be careful the little darling doesn't decide to set you on fire." Her hand roamed down his chest and cupped the swelling member, "And I don't mean in this manner."

"She knows what is best for her. She might not like, but she will do. By the time she could challenge she will be loyal only to me." He began plucking at the seemingly endless ribbons that held her dress together, trying to figure out which would send it cascading to the floor.

"You push too hard, soon she'll break instead of bend." She shifted and danced making it hard for him to catch the ribbons. "You should reward her. Make her start to adore rather than fear you. If all she ever knows of you is cruelty then eventually she'll become broken or rebellious."

His cock softened, her chiding words rang a bit to true. Damn Sinra.. you could not beat them into submission. If one was mistreated all reacted, you then had their furious masters to deal with. And now his had taken an interest in the girl. "She is my apprentice, her every need is met. She is being taught and taught well. She is better off than other apprentices and well knows it."

"No.. you meet the bodies needs because that provides for you in time, you do not meet her spirits needs and that is what is starting to suffer." She slipped from his arms and walked away, the grown fluttering and falling by bits to the floor till she was wearing only some bit of lace that covered nothing of her swollen nether lips or the perfect round ass that tempted him to redden it.

A pulse of blood rushing through his cock again and he strode forward, his hand striking one creaming swell and leaving a bright hand print, before she could turn a matching one on the other side. He grabbed her and sat on the couch, dangling her kicking over his knees like a toddler. The sound of his hand against her flesh rang through the chamber along with her frustrated cries, then moans of pleasure. A hand slipping tween her thighs found her soaking wet. She would not be abused, but a little pain was just the thing to get her distracted and ready to play. His fingers dipped into her slick folds and teased her clit for a moment, then making sure they were sodden he traced a path toward that small pucker that lay between cherry red cheeks. One, two, quickly three fingers pumped into her asshole. This was something he had yet to do with his apprentice.

Not that he didn't wish it, but he was a well endowed man and the girl was so damn tiny he was amazed she even took his cock at all. Besides, every time his finger or tongue flickered over that tiny dark rosebud she became terrified and tense. He liked having that hold over her. Oh eventually he would probably start stretching her out, preparing her for the day he would use any and every part of her. But for the moment he had a moaning, willing and usable woman in his lap.

Lifting her and forcing her to kneel on the couch, her ass facing him at the perfect height. He tugged the robe open enough to reveal the thick cock that was so eager now. A few quick strokes in the slick little clit and then pressing against the pucker.. feeling that tight ring of muscle give way and allow him to slip deep into her bowels. Yes he would have to have the girl prepared.. maybe the concubine could do it and at the same time attend to the so called neglected spirit.

A touch of annoyance surged through him and he grabbed the narrow waist and tugged her hard into his groin. For him it was bliss, for her a bit less so. "Play with that needy little cunt. Make yourself cum with my cock fucking your ass." He growled into her ear, hunched over her like an animal, Pushing and pulling her body roughly.

She slipped one manicured hand down and did as he commanded, he could feel her cunt spasm almost instantly. Oh she might bitch and complain about this, but she was as aroused as he was. It was all he could do to hold back, but he wanted to have her begging, panting and limp before he released. He needed to remind her that she was his concubine, a well paid and well compensated one. But still she was his and would best do as he demanded. Hand coming up to grip her hair, pull her head back and expose her throat to his lips and teeth. At that her body seemed to explode, she thrashed almost wildly against him, he worried for a moment she might hurt herself.. or him the way she suddenly tightened down on his cock was near painful. Then she screamed.. no howled would be a better word for it and he couldn't hold to his resolve, his cum spurting thick and hot into her body.

He pulled her with him, sitting down heavily on the couch, she squirmed uncomfortably on his lap. He lifted his hips in warning, still embedded in her ass and not yet softening. For the moment he was content to sit back on the couch with her laying against him and feel her bodies tremors and spasms. He wrapped his arms about her and growled low in his throat.

__________________

Mina had thought herself far too exhausted to sleep, but no sooner had she stretched out in the narrow bed she had fallen into deep and dreamless sleep. Morning light came in through the metal grill work of the single window. She stretched amazed it was so late and that she still felt tired. She was also ravenous. A tray sat nearby, a single roll filled with smoked meat and cheese, a single piece of fruit and a cup of some herb scented tea. Not nearly enough for the ache that tore at her. She had not known such hunger since the war camps. Even then she had been able to forage enough to keep it from being so painful. Was this why he forbid her to eat anything not brought to her? Another test? Another cruelty? She tried to slow herself, but the hunger made her bolt the food down, not even savoring the rare sunstar fruit. Normally a few segments were a treat, but this was a whole fruit, tasting like sunshine on her tongue.

The books were also already waiting in her room. As a youth she had access to her families library but had always considered it a chore. Now after years of war, books were an expensive luxury for most. The sight of the stack filled her with excitement. They held knowledge, knowledge was strength. Strength would give her freedom. She forced herself to clean up first, setting the tray outside her door and then making sure her hands were scrubbed. She Looked through the grouping and was curious. A theory study about elemental magic, a pre-war era history of the noble houses, a small tattered book about forbidden magics supposed true uses, a romance novel of a type hidden in ladies chambers before the world turned upside down.

Another was an introduction into fire aspect... that one was what caught her attention the most and she settled down at her desk with it. Not even a chapter in and a soft knock announced one of the maids. No chatter, but another tray containing again what seemed more of a tease than a meal. The maid seemed a bit in a huff, then again they were rarely ordered to wait on her. She was not one of the higher ups, nor a servant. So she fell into some gray area to herself, mostly ignored. She sat aside the book and took the tray to her bed, more fruit, another bit of bread, a soft creamy cheese, a glass of cold cream laden milk. She had not had that in years.

She stopped mid bite, this was not punishment or cruelty, she was being forced to pace herself, control the hunger. There would probably be several small rich meals through the day rather than letting her gorge and make herself miserable. She cleaned up again and found a small.. almost pamphlet that she had missed before.

This made her sit down in surprise, it was a dissertation about the war. She had heard so many rumors and theories over the years she had no clue what had really happened. This told of the growing issue of magi being treated as disposable, there were so many with the mage core. Nobles were guilty of abuses and poor judgment. Then one day the mage college was found burning, a majority of the students were found murdered by poison. All the ones found were too young to control their core. All the higher level, all the teachers, all the magi were simply gone.

She frowned, realizing at her level she would have been one of the murdered students. A hand full of years passed before anyone saw a magi. By then the next generation with mage core were old enough to start dying off. The single Archmage agreed to take any that could meet his price. The nobles rushed to save their children, the common people weren't even told. One day a year an Archmage came and took away the ones who could afford it.

But none returned.

A neighboring country had attacked, and that was the start of the war. The common people accused the nobility of attacking and driving away the mages, of preventing their children from being saved, of sending them to be slaughtered. The nobles were desperate to keep control, a bit to heavy a hand.. and it wasn't the neighboring country that was the problem. Revolution swept through violently, in fact so violently that the other country retreated from the chaos. They had wanted the wealth of the country not the rabid violence that was rising now. More and more people joined the fighting, those who had nothing to lose proved deadly to the nobility.

Then the magi returned.

What few nobles remained were now puppets. The wasting illness was not attributed to it's true cause, but rather to poverty and illness. The Magi came as saviors, restoring order, peace.. prosperity in time. All you had to do was follow them, obey them, because if you didn't... She sat aside the pamphlet with a racing heart. Why had this been included? An accident? No. She knew he didn't make mistakes like this. A warning? A glimpse of what her future could hold?

As a fully trained magi, she would be one of the now elite, knowing why dozens died each year. Unable to speak out because if it became common knowledge then again there would be an uprising. The remaining nobles couldn't tell the secret, they relied ion the magi to save their children, and to keep them in power. Another knock at the door, she was wide eyed and alarmed, making the little maid frown. Soup this time and bread fresh from the oven, the scents making her stomach growl and mouth water.

How could she just mindlessly devour food after what she had read? Her body answered that, easily. The soup was rich and too hot, she was forced to slow down a little, sopping the broth with bread. More milk, cold, sweet creamy counterpoint to the meaty soup. The tray was returned to the hallway and she sat down looking at the traitorous pamphlet. Maybe everything in it was just a lie? Maybe it was a test to see what she believed.

Maybe it didn't matter?

She shivered, but it was true. No one had taken care of her except an old whore who saw her as a meal ticket. No one had saved her. No one had cared.

He was cruel. He was violent. He was perverse. He was powerful. He was teaching her. He was taking care of her. She was his apprentice. An apprentice owned nothing, not even their own body. It was not uncommon at all for masters to use their apprentices for sexual gratification.

She rose and returned to the book about fire. Calming her mind, she would just forget that she had ever read that. She would just pretend that she was ignorant of possibility. Better to fill her head with useful information that something she could do nothing about.

All through the day she read and studied the fire book. Ignoring the other books for the time. Then again, one maybe two would be left untouched. The history had no bearing she could see and the romance was nothing but a waste of time. The tiny meals arrived hourly she figured out and by the end of the day the starvation feeling was abated. The knock again and this time no tray. "His Lordship wishes you to join him in the dining hall for evening meal."

Mina sat frowning for several minutes then began a frantic arrangement of her hair and makeup. Picking out garments to wear took less time than to quell the nervous butterflies floating through her stomach. He had never invited her to share a meal. Maybe she was just being called in to ask about the books. Maybe.. gods what if he asked about that damn pamphlet? When next the maid knocked she strode out as regal as a queen, looking perfectly calm and unruffled. A still pool with a treacherous rip tide lurking beneath the surface.

The hall was dimly lit, candlelit pooled at three settings she wondered for a moment who was the third. The stood waiting. The other doors opened and his Lordship strode into the room with a fire haired woman on his arm, the concubine she had heard of but never seen. Now she was even more confused why she was here.