What Price Power?

It was a scent that alerted him. It smelled like being too close to a lightening strike, energy and ozone saturating the air. It wasn't incredibly strange after a long session in the workroom for the air to have a hint of the scent. But this strong? He pushed the door open to find Mina standing in a defensive stance, not looking toward him. The air was bitter cold, a layer of frost on the stone floor. Her eyes were wide and focused on something.. no someone else in the room.

"ASSASSIN in the workroom!"

He bellowed out to his guards and they came running, boots thundering down the hall. Mina flinched, but her focus never wavered from the leather clad intruder that struggled with a wall of ice that was still growing around an out stretched arm and one leg. The shield spell.. she had not only brought it up mid attack, but had twisted it into a solid wall of ice. Even now was pouring her energy into making it stronger, holding captive the would be killer. Once his guards arrived and began containing the attacker, he wrapped an arm about Mina, "Let the shield fall. You are safe, release the spell."

She shuddered and fell against him, her body was cold from the ice. She shook from fear and exhaustion. He had planned to wear off her core and see just how much she could do. But this? He smiled and gathered her up in his arms, she was so cold. Jenyse was running toward the workroom, alarmed at his cry. "Run a bath, don't worry about heating it." He turned to his guards, "Hecat assassin, strip it, shave it and make damn sure it can't move. Gag it as well."

The captain had now arrived, "Oh I know these ones my Lord. Best to just slit its throat."

"No. I want to know why it attacked Mina. And never waste a trained beast if you can tame it. Take it to the guard house."

"As you command, as soon as we chip it out of the ice. Interesting spell my Lord."

Again he smiled down at the shivering girl he held, "My apprentice is worthy of my time I would say."

"She did this?" The captain's eyebrow shot up.

"All by herself. Now.. I'll attend to her then come out to the guard house. Send two of your most trusted to be personal guards." He strode down the hallways murmuring soft words to her. Jenyse had the soaking tub half filled he reached in to it releasing fire into the water to warm it, then not even stripping Mina, lowered her in. "Pitchers now. I can heat them faster, bring the temperature up without shocking or scalding her." Mina whimpered at the loss of his body. He was shocked for a moment, how had she taken comfort from him? Then again right now she would probably cuddle a sow if it had been the one to stop her nightmare in the workroom.

Jenyse was on the other side of the tub, slowly disentangling the gown and speaking softly, the sleek body was icy pale, the lips still bluish. He needed to be careful, even a bit too hot and she would be in unneeded pain. "Jenyse, tell the kitchen to bring me the tray I asked to be prepared for the workroom. When she warms up she'll be starving. "

The concubine was on her feet and racing to the kitchens. He brushed the dark hair away from the wide, still frightened eyes. "So my little one, you have been studying. And learning at an impressive pace. I was going to test you this morning, but would seem you have had another test. And passed it." He had been running hands over her skin, not a single scratch, not a drop of blood, the Hecat had failed utterly. "Not many can say they survived an attempt. Fewer can say they caught a Hecat."

"Whhh...at.. Heh.. cat?" Her words shaky and feeble. She was thinking though, aware, starting to process what had happened. He smiled proudly she was not afraid, curious, needing to know. Now to just get her body back to normal.

"They are from a land far south of here. Assassins trained from birth, never anything more than weapons. Extremely expensive ones, and rarely do they miss their mark. And you my little ice flower just caught one. I will break it and turn it into your guardian pet. A living warning to anyone that ever doubts your place as my apprentice." He took a sponge and squeezed the warm water over her slowly, the skin was starting to turn pink, the shivering abate. "And I will be making damn sure no one threatens you again Mina."

She leaned against the side of the tub he was on and closed eyes, "Stay awake Mina. Tell me what you did." He was stern in his warning, commanding. Slowly she opened the green eyes to look at him.

"The shield.. you said it could be made solid. Stop an arrow." Again she closed eyes and he shook her, "Had to be cold.. very cold. Draw in all the moisture and make it solid. Hand reaching through. Made it thicker. Hand stopped.. kicking..floor was slick. make the ice rise. Make it cold enough.. freeze them. Make them ice.. "

He brushed a kiss against her temple, "Little one had you been a full Magi, it would have been an ice sculpture."

Jenyse hurried in and had the tray. "The apple cider, spoon honey into it and bring it here." The warming trick had it steaming almost as soon as he touched it. "Here, drink this." She wrinkled nose, too sweet for her, but drank it slowly. Both fed her thin slices of apple dipped in honey, strawberries dusted with sugar, strips of buttery pastries . She tried to fuss, eventually shaking head. He relented, they had probably gotten enough into her for the moment. Her skin was still pale, but her lips were again a soft red hue. He drew her out of the water, letting Jenyse wrap her in a thick cloth, he sat on a bench holding her close as Jenyse, dried and braided the hair.

Then up to his room, the two guards close behind. She was snuggled down into his bed, he lit the fireplace as his concubine continued her mothering. "Climb into bed with her, hold her and keep her quiet. Wake her every other mark to eat what will be brought. She's drained herself completely and her body will have to replace the energy. I am afraid the room will need to be hot to help her conserve her energy. I'll make sure chilled water is brought for you."

The guards took up unobtrusive watch on either side of the room and he stalked out. He wanted answers and they would be hard won. But then again, he didn't mind the fight. And he already had an idea how to break the damned creature.

_____________________

The Guards had strung the assassin up between two support beams. He was amused to see that they had been creative and the body was hanging upside down. It served one purpose in that the ankles would take more weight than wrists. It had been male he was surprised to see. It was something he hadn't known about them, and actually made sense. No distraction from purpose. "No trouble with it?"

"Some, but a good kick to the head settled it down. Won't believe the things we dug out of him. Picks, wires, can't tell you whats everywhere. Even his mouth and ass."

"Yes they are rumored to never be truly unarmed." He reached out and ran fingers over one area of the leg, "Ice did a bit more damage than I expected, she had started freezing its flesh. She was trying to do that, wanted to freeze it solid. Another year and she will be able too. It is awake?"

The guard nodded and pointed to the tightly closed eyes and lines around the gag. To tense to be unconscious. "You are a miserable example of a Hecat. Captured by an apprentice that is not even fully developed. Then again the only reason you are alive is that she is still learning. My question is did you come to kill her or me? But at the moment I don't care. Those answers will come."

One of the gardeners timidly tapped on the door frame. "Lord? You asked for these?" There was a great deal of confusion and fear in the voice. Heavy leather gloves held rose canes, thick but green and flexible, the thorns sharp looking. The other hand held dark green frilly looking fronds tipped with a dark red like dried blood. He pulled on gloves and took the leaves, "My mother had many addictions it turned out. Had something hidden in one of her green houses. Nightmare wort, interesting plant, almost extinct now thanks to its reputation. Ingested it is bitter and sickening. Dried and smoked it is euphoric. Introduced to the blood stream however..."

He trailed off and laid the leaves aside, "Just a faint scratch, brush against a leaf and you will have find yourself in agony. But a little more than a scratch.. and you will find yourself living in the worst nightmare your brain can think of. And I am going to have a great deal of fun making sure you have enough open wounds."

He picked up on of the rose canes and then gestured to the guards to do the same. They were as eager for revenge as he. They had been made fools of, they had failed and he had plans for their punishment.

The rose cane made a whistling sound and only a muted thwack as it struck the pile of leaves. The eyes opened in a sneer, he was trained to withstand pain. Then it dawned on him what had been hit. The guards all grinned manically as they followed suit. The thorns now held torn bits of leaf and the drug laden sap. The next strike was against his side, the thorns tearing into his skin, bringing the fire of the nightmare wort. Another strike, another..

He stepped back as the guards were now in a frenzy. So long as they only used the canes he was fine with it. The assassin was bloody, but the scratches and punctures were shallow. The canes were little more than tattered twigs when the guards stepped back, panting and grinning with sadistic glee. "Remove the gag. Wouldn't do to have him choke to death now."

Already the fiery drug was going through his veins and he tugged and flailed against the bonds. Soon his brain would be on fire and every nightmare, every agony, every fear would be replaying in his mind over and over. The assassin would be helpless till it wore off, and after... Well tomorrow he would be locked in a room with the smouldering leaves. From terror to euphoria, over and over, the Lord could be patient when it suited him.

"I will be back tomorrow to check on it." He gathered the pile of bruised and battered nightmare wort tossing it into the fireplace to prevent temptation. "In the mean time I want to know exactly how it managed to get into the house unnoticed. Also clean and repair the garments, make damn sure no more weapons are in them. When it is trained I want it wearing the garments and following Mina like a puppy. Imagine the message that will send to those who might think to send another?"

"Likely the Hecats will send someone to dispose of the embarrassment."

"No. As long as they ignore it, could be a fake. They kill it and they announce to the world they failed."

He strolled out and toward the stables, He still needed to find a more permanent place to keep Rosie. He didn't want her in the house. Maybe the old abandoned guest house? It could be remade into a suitable .. he almost chuckled. A stable for horses. Why not a stable for his whores. And he knew there would be more. If Mina and Jenyse were to become exempt from his darker needs then he would need more than one sniveling brat that had passed out from a flogging.

A hiss made him stop and look down, it was one of the barn cats, rather a young kitten. Black as Mina's hair, just as shiny, the same jade green eyes.. and it was arched up ready to defend against the invader. One of the grooms quickly scooped it up trying to spare it from his anger. "Hold."

The groom held the still defiant little beast, but it was settling down at being stroked. "It is as fierce as my apprentice. Is it healthy?"

"Aye my Lord. Last litter of the year, she is a strong little thing." The eyes were wary of him.

"My grandmother kept one as a pet."

"They make right grand little companions, clean and neat. Affectionate when they are willing to be. This is a right special little girl, mischief one moment, purring the next. Going to be a long haired one." The groom was puzzled over the questions.

"My apprentice was attacked this morning. She will be fine, but it occurs to me that she has little here to comfort her. Maybe a pet would be welcomed. Gather what it would need and bring it to the house tomorrow morning. Maybe a ball of fluff with eyes can distract her for a time. Make sure it is clean and not vermin infested."

The groom nodded looking down at the purring kitten. Perhaps a little worried what fate awaited the playful creature in the house. But he knew the apprentice to be a quiet and gentle woman. She would spoil the little beast. If it survived the Lord.

If she survived the Lord.

The guest house as it was called lay in the very back of the estate. He had heard once it was a way of dealing with in laws and older relatives. It had not been used in years but he was pleased to see it was in excellent condition. His staff did not allow ruin to creep in. It was not overly large, could be modified into a prison easily enough. It was far enough from the main house, could be walled off for extra security and privacy.

He sauntered through the compact house and smiled, here would be his private harem. Here his beast could be unleashed. To the main house and world he would become the magnanimous Lord of the estate as he should have always been. His bitch mother and bastard brother be damned. For a moment he wished they had survived the revolts so that he could have made them pay. He would have to find a proper keeper, maybe some brothel keeper that was ready to retire. Someone who wouldn't care about what happened, yet could keep his future pets in decent health. He wanted one with long black hair, slender of body, maybe another with fire red hair. He shook his head at his musings, modify the building first then go shopping. There were always girls looking for a job these days. Or peasant girls no one would miss...

And when he was bored of them he could give them to his guards. He headed toward his private workroom to make up plans and prepare a few potions for the coming days. He rarely had anyone to use some of the alchemist potions on. Goldfruit.. he would have to try and get some for Mina. Being a Magi he was not limited to the common marketplace, he could arrange, exotic spices, unheard of drugs, and in this case runty yellow fruits that tasted like sunlight felt. Mina would adore them, and they would help her regain health. Even the bitter peels were useful, the scent was clean and bright, the zest added a tang to pastries.

Sunset colored the room in golden tones as Jenyse stroked the pale face, the change since morning was startling, truly frightening. She fully understood why it was called the wasting illness. Even with the constant small meals Mina was wasting away. The meals were the only reason Mina was still alive, and Jenyse was afraid they would not be enough. She glanced up as the door opened and he strode in, there was blood flecked on his shirt. In his hand was a large tray that he sat on a table.

"My Lord, she is..." Jenyse was at a loss for words.

"She is alive still, so she will recover. I did not chose a weakling. I have chosen the strongest youth I have seen in years. Her core is eating her body to recover its self. But as long as she keeps getting small meals and sleeps she will be fine. And stronger for it." He smiled down proudly, "She had started to turn the would be assassin into an ice cube. Any trouble with getting her to eat?"

"Only with the waking up. She is ravenous the moment she is awake. And asleep the moment the plate is cleaned. I could send to the House for a healer."

"Perfect. And there is nothing a healer can do." He turned and lifted the lid from the tray, handing one of the two plates to Jenyse, "Eat, I will feed her this time."

Taking the second plate to the bed, "Mina. Sit up." His voice was a command, but not cruel. It cut through the fog and she reacted without fully waking. Moving to sit upright. Jenyse started to move to assist but stepped back. The girl was doing fine on her own. Jenyse sat at the table and began picking at her own meal, realizing suddenly she was ravenous, having skipped meals through the day.

Mina whined as she awoke and the hunger started making demands on her. He chuckled as she fussed, batting her hand gently away and bringing a sliver of fruit to her lips. "You did very good this morning. Now trust me to take care of you." It seemed slow and torturous but he drew out the feeding for a time, getting her to eventually talk between bites. Jenyse smiled, he was getting her to eat more. And he was being protective of her. This could work to make the girl start trusting him.

Soon the eyes closed and body swayed, He handed the plate off to one of the guards and pulled her to rest against him. "Sleep Mina, you are safe now. " He stroked the black hair, soft and silky, he swore he could feel her ribs through the garment, one of his nightshirts he observed. Jenyse must have raided his closet. He liked the look of it, she was tiny and lost in the soft linen. He liked the feel of her against him, but he would have to release her to his concubine and go clean up. He wished for a moment he had someone else to watch her and drag the concubine into the bathing chamber again.

No his wish was to pull the sleep shirt up and bury his cock into the tiny body of his apprentice. To feel her warm and alive beneath him, to have her yield and give to him her whole self. She would be denied him for a time now, he cursed his choice to not take her the night before. "Jenyse, come and settle down beside her. I need to make one more check on the guard house then bathe." He was reluctant to hand over the warm little body but soon he would be back.

The guards changed places and he followed the two day shift men out. The Hecat was no longer dangling but rather stretched out on the floor. Limbs pulled tightly in an X shape, it writhed and shrieked and chattered away in an unknown tongue. Several more bruised marred the creature. "Move it to the barn but keep four guards, two watching in and two out. Else no one will get any sleep tonight."

The Captain motioned to several men, assigning them watch times, "Been right interesting to watch, but would make for a hard night of rest to have him squealing."

"Said anything that makes sense?" He watched as they roughly manhandled the eunuch and carried him out the door.

"Not a word that any of us understood. Lot of praying to something for a time. How long till the poison runs out?"

"Early morning, but I do not want it to sleep. Don't kill or maim it, but keep it awake."

"Mind if a few of the boys use it?"

"I didn't know they were interested in such. Again does not matter what they do so long as it is tightly chained and alive."

"Any tight hole is a usable hole to most of them."

The Lord shrugged, "As they wish. Maybe I should send Rosie out to relieve the boredom if they find that interesting. Have you found how it got in?"

"Yesterday there was a shipment of hay and grain for the stable. We found one of the sacks open and spilled this morning. Talked to the merchant, he didn't notice anything wrong. Seems he had loaded the wagon the night before and left it in his barn."

"And short of stabbing everything that enters, how are you going to prevent it again?"

"Hounds. There is a family in the town that trains them for various purposes. I would like to obtain a pair to start checking the wagons as well as patrol at night."

"Do so." He was impressed, the idea of hounds made sense. "I will be bringing in a construction crew soon. I have some renovations to make. If you have any suggestions for the house let me know."

"A few things, most to the outer walls and the area beyond them. I'll make up a list."

"Good." He noticed the Hecat looking up at him, eyes wide and muttering something. "We will play more tomorrow. Soon you will be the perfect little companion for my apprentice."