She was... fuck.
Every fantasy I ever had, every woman I had ever wanted, even the forbidden desire that had led me to my death....all of it paled in comparison to what I was looking at.
Her silver-white hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves that caught the candlelight, making it shimmer like liquid metal.
Those crimson eyes.... . Her skin was a flawless pale perfection, the kind poets wrote about and artists tried desperately to capture and always failed.
And her body...
The dress she wore should have been illegal. Black fabric that clung to every curve like it had been painted on.
Cut low enough in the front that I could see the swell of her breasts, full and perfect and impossible not to stare at.
High enough on her thighs that I could see long, perfect legs crossed at the knee. The slit went up high enough to make my imagination run absolutely wild.
She looked like sex personified. Like every wet dream and dark fantasy compressed into physical form.
And she was looking at me like I was prey.
"So," she said, her voice smooth as honey, "you're finally here."
She set down her wine glass with deliberate slowness and stood.
Every movement of hers was fluid.
She walked toward me, hips swaying so seductively too, and I couldn't look away even though every instinct screamed at me to show some kind of deference.
She stopped inches away from me. But Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from her body.
Close enough to smell her.... that same vanilla scent mixed with wine and something uniquely 'her' that made my head spin.
Up close, she was even more devastating. Perfect features that seemed almost carved by a master sculptor. Full lips painted a deep red.
She was taller than I expected.... maybe 5'8" or 5'9".....but still she had to tilt her head slightly to look up at me. That small detail somehow made her even more intimidating.
Her hand reached out slowly, and I forced myself not to flinch as her fingers traced along my jaw. Her touch was soft, warm, almost gentle.
But, in a way a child touches its very first toy.
"Hmm." She studied my face like she was examining a piece of art. "You look weak..... Perhaps from the journey..... Malnourished too. Even bruised? " Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Those incompetent guards nearly ruined you."
Her hand moved, trailing down my neck, over the collar, down to my chest. She could probably feel my heart hammering against my ribs.
"But you'll recover," she continued, circling me slowly. I stood frozen as she walked around me, her fingers never leaving my body. Tracing my shoulders. Down my spine. Over my hips. "You're young. Resilient.... And exactly what I need."
She completed the circle, standing in front of me again. Her hand rested over my heart, and I swear she smiled at the rapid beating.
"Nervous, human?"
My mouth was dry. My voice came out rougher than intended. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good." That smile widened slightly, showing perfect white teeth. "You should be."
Then, without warning, she grabbed the front of my shirt and 'pulled' it.
The lacing gave way instantly. The fabric fell open, exposing my chest.
Her eyes roamed over me with an appreciation that was purely carnal. "Better." Her fingers traced the collar again, this time more purposefully. "Do you know what this is?"
"A... slave collar, Your Majesty."
"Correct." She tapped it lightly, and suddenly pain EXPLODED through every nerve in my body. White-hot agony that made me gasp and drop to my knees, my vision was going white.
It lasted only a second, but it felt like an eternity.
I knelt there, gasping, trembling, sweat already beading on my forehead.
"That," Elena said calmly, looking down at me with detached interest, "was the lowest setting. Level one out of ten. Your defiance earns you higher levels.....Continued defiance earns level ten, which will liquefy your internal organs while keeping you conscious to experience every moment. Do you understand?"
I could barely speak. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good boy." She crouched down, bringing herself to eye level. Her hand cupped my chin, forcing me to meet those crimson eyes. "But obey me, and you'll find I can be... generous. I take care of my possessions. Especially the pretty ones."
Her thumb brushed across my lower lip, and despite everything..... the fear, the pain, the absolute insanity of this situation.... my body responded to her touch.
Heat flooded through me. My pulse quickened for an entirely different reason.
She noticed....with brows slightly raised.
Of course she noticed. Her smile turned knowing. "Interesting."
She stood, moving back to her chaise, and I remained kneeling because I didn't trust my legs to hold me if I tried to stand.
Elena reclined on the chaise with fluid grace, crossing her legs in a way that made the slit in her dress fall open, revealing smooth skin all the way up to her hip.
She picked up her wine glass, took a slow sip, and studied me over the rim.
"Now then," she said softly, "let's see what I've purchased. Stand."
I forced myself to my feet, legs shaking.
"Strip."
My hands moved to my shirt. The destroyed lacing made it easy to shrug off. It fell to the floor.
"All of it."
I hesitated for only a second.... remembering that collar, that pain.... then pushed my pants down. They pooled at my feet. I stepped out of them, standing there completely naked under her gaze.
Elena's eyes traveled over every inch of me slowly, deliberately, missing nothing. It wasn't like being examined by a doctor. It was being evaluated by a predator deciding if prey was worth the hunt.
"Turn around."
I did.
"Bend over."
"Your Majesty—"
The collar pulsed. Warning. No pain yet at least.
I bent over.
Silence.
Then I heard her stand.
The I felt her hand on my lower back, sliding down, over the curve of my ass, between—
I jerked away instinctively.
That was a wrong move.
I felt purely PAIN.
Level two felt like being set on fire from the inside. I collapsed, unable to even scream, every muscle locked in agony. It lasted three seconds. Three seconds that felt like hours.
When it stopped, I was on the floor, gasping, tears streaming down my face.
"Did I give you permission to move?" Elena's voice was cold now, even..... Disappointed??
"N-No, Your Majesty. I'm sorry. I'm—"
"Silence." She crouched beside me again. "You need to understand something, human. Your body is not yours anymore. It's mine. Every part of it. I will touch whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. And you will hold still and thank me for the attention. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The words came out broken.
"Good. Now get back into position."
It took everything I had to push myself up and resume the position. My body was still trembling from the aftershocks. But I stayed still this time, even as her hands returned to their exploration.
By the time she stepped back, my face was burning with humiliation and something else I didn't want to name.
"You may stand."
I straightened slowly, keeping my eyes down.
"Look at me."
I raised my eyes to meet hers.
Something had changed in her expression. The coldness had melted into something warmer. Hungrier perhaps. Her lips were slightly parted. Even herpupils had dilated.
"Yes," she said softly, almost to herself. "You'll do nicely."
She moved back to the chaise, but instead of sitting, she reached behind her back. There was a soft sound of fabric releasing, and her dress... loosened.
She let it slide down her body in one smooth motion. It pooled at her feet.
And underneath she wore... nothing.
My brain short-circuited....yes, my brain was blank, I had no thoughts at that moment.
Elena's body was a work of art. Full breasts with pink nipples already hardened. A tiny waist that flared into wide hips. Long legs that seemed to go on forever. The small triangle of silver hair between her thighs.
She reclined on the chaise again, completely naked now, utterly unself-conscious in her perfect nudity. One leg bent, the other extended. An arm draped over the backrest. Every inch of her on display.
"Come here."
I moved forward on autopilot, my body responding to the command even as my mind struggled to process what was happening.
She reached out, fingers wrapping around my wrist, pulling me closer until I was standing directly in front of her. Her free hand reached up, tracing down my chest, my stomach, lower—
Then she stopped.
Smiled.
"Not yet. First, I want to see how well you follow instructions." Her hand moved to my shoulder, pushing down with gentle but inexorable pressure. "Kneel."
I dropped to my knees between her legs.
"Good boy." Her fingers threaded through my hair, nails scraping lightly against my scalp. "Now, let me make myself very clear about what's going to happen..."