Drying off, I contemplated giving Flames an order to forget our bath together. I don’t know if such a command could work, and I never tried. I suppose the only thing worse than raping her body would be raping her mind and having my way with it, and I wasn’t going to do that. I was enough of a dirtbag already.

Going out of the bathing room, Flames snuggled up tightly to my side. You’d think she’d want to put as much distance as possible between us, but instead she only seemed concerned about me. Wasn’t she bothered at all by what I’d just did to her?

“Good timing,” Jewel giggled. “Supper’s about ready. It’s a shame you two didn’t invite me to join you for your fun,” she pouted, “but I guess a lord needs some time alone with their servant from time to time, too.”

Did she know what happened? Was it Jewel’s way of telling me it wasn’t a big deal? Or was she just making small talk? I didn’t know anymore! My own guilty feelings were tainting my reasoning.

Sticking her tongue out at Jewel, Flames pressed herself even tighter against me. “I got all sorts of special service,” she taunted.

I couldn’t sort out what was what anymore. Jewel and Flames both acted like what’d happened wasn’t a big deal. For hell’s sake, Flames was even taunting Jewel over how ‘good’ it was! Was it just her pride covering things up? A bluster so Jewel wouldn’t pity her? Had I summon used the bond and screwed with her memories?

Flopping down in my chair, I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. Flames snuggled sideways in my lap, dangling her long legs off the side, and wrapped her arms around my neck. As she nibbled lightly on my neck and ear, I slowly worked up the courage to barely wrap my arms around her.

“Training was rough today,” I groaned, honestly. “I’m just mentally drained and not really hungry at the moment. Shhhhhh,” I quietly shushed Flames. “If you guys will keep it down, I’ll probably take a nap for a bit.”

“Sure,” Flames whispered, gently rubbing her hands through my hair. I never noticed the soft white glow of magic from her fingertips, but sleep descended on me instantly.

“Did one of you bitches do something to my lord?” Eyes blazing, Flames stood up and glared around the room. “His bond has been in turmoil all afternoon, and I don’t give a shit who you are, if it’s one of your faults, I’ll fucking gut your ass.”

“Now wait a minute!” Standing up, Victoria’s eyes were blazing just as fiercely. “I’d never do a damn thing to hurt a friend, and if you don’t understand that, I’ll stomp it into your ass until you do.”

“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” Rushing in between them both, Jewel held her arms out to keep Flames and Victoria apart. “What do you mean there was turmoil in your bond?” Glaring at Flames, Jewel asked, “Isn’t that from what you did yesterday? Staying in that damn lab all day and interrupting the link?”

“It’s not my damn fault,” Flames snarled. “Something began gnawing at my lord after lunchtime, and the disturbance only intensified as classes continued.”

“Well why the hell didn’t you go see what the problem was?” Drawing back, Jewel slapped Flames full force across her face. “What type of useless damn servant are you,” she glared.

“Fuck you!” With a shout, Flames threw herself over on Jewel, knocking her to the ground. Grabbing Her hair, Flames used it to bang Jewel’s head against the ground several times.

“Get off her bitch!” Green glow engulfing the room, Victoria grabbed Flames with one hand and slammed her down upon the coffee table hard enough to shatter it and send chunks of stone spraying everywhere.

Chest crushed to the point several ribs were sticking out her side, Flames staggered up. Body healing rapidly in front of Victoria’s startled eyes, she smirked fiercely. “You’ll have to do better than that, bitch. Death has no hold on me. I belong fully to my lord.”

“Then I’ll just have to crush you until you learn to keep your ass down,” Victoria laughed, smiling excitedly at the challenge.

And, influenced by the strong sleeping enchantment Flames had cast over him, Tomas slept through the hell that erupted on the ninth floor of the family building.

Stretching, I felt much more refreshed after my nap — that is until I actually opened my eyes. Except for my chair, the sitting room was now empty; all the furniture moved and gone. Victoria still rested sprawled out in the spot where her couch used to be, but she was laying relaxed atop Flames, who was heavily tied up?

“Sleep well?” Laughing lightly, Victoria’s beaming smile seemed to be saying, ‘Everything’s perfectly normal; nothing to see here.’

“I… did?” Totally confused, I only half understood her question. “What’s going on here? Where is everything? And what’s up with Flames?”

Laughing gaily, Victoria just beamed a brilliantly sparkling smile at me. “Jewel and Red are out doing a little shopping this evening. The lid fell off the salt shaker, so supper got ruined — they’re going to pick us up something nice while they’re out.”

“And Flames?” I couldn’t help but point where she was tied up, acting like a cushion for Victoria to lay upon.

“I’m helping her with her research,” Victoria answered, without missing a beat. “She’s trying to figure out how escape artists get out of ropes, and wanted to make it as difficult as possible for a starting point for her research.”

“Oh.” Blinking several times as I tried to process my scrambled thoughts, I could believe it. Flames seemed crazy to me sometimes, the lengths which she goes to for her studies.

Laughing merrily, Victoria stretched cat-like, before easing up off Flames. Yawning widely, she stepped both feet onto the center of Flames’ back — in an obviously deliberate manner — and then stretched again. Standing on the tips of her toes, Victoria arched her back and reached for the heavens. The view of her naked luscious body a few mere feet away, was beyond divine. Even if I wasn’t eternally stiff, I’m certain the erotic scene before me would’ve made me so.

Gracefully striding the short distance separating us, Victoria turned her back towards me. Pulling her curvy golden locks of hair up above her neck, she leaned back and sat down in my lap. “I think this is how it’s done,” she laughed, lifting her hips slightly, while rocking them left and right until she was centered over my shaft. With one final thrust down, she “sheathed my blade” fully in her backside, and then warmly snuggled her back against my chest.

“Vic… Victoria?!” All I could do is gasp in utter surprise. Never once had I actually imagined she’d do such a thing.

“Yes?” Laughing lightly, she dropped her hair finally. Taking my hands, she pulled them around her sides and cupped them around her breasts. “Did I do it wrong? I’m new to this,” she whispered softly, sounding embarrassed.

“Well… umm…” I didn’t know how to respond. After everything that happened today, I wasn’t prepared at all for anything like this. “You’re supposed to drape you knees across the armrest of the chair,” I told her, defaulting to my half-joking, half-harassing self I usually showed her. “That’ll slide you back to fully sheath my blade as deep as possible, and allow me to enjoy any bit of you I might desire, with my hands.”

“Oh…” With a single graceful athletic movement, Victoria did almost a complete split. Sprawling her legs across the armrests of the chair, she used her arms to shove her body tight against mine. “Like this?” She asked, reaching back with her arms to play with my hair gently — her front now completely exposed and available for my hands.

“Uhhh… That… That’s perfect,” I half stammered. When the hell will I learn to not joke around with these girls? Just like Jewel’s black leather hooker outfit, they take everything I say seriously!

“Then do me a favor,” Victoria whispered, tilting her head to look back at me.

“Sure. If I can,” I promised.

“Put her to sleep.” Nodding her head forward, it was obvious she was indicating towards Flames.

“Sleep, Flames.” I didn’t understand the reason why, but it was an easy enough request to grant.

“Now,” Victoria laughed, tilting her head to look back at me again. “There’s just the two of us in here,” she said suddenly all serious. “I’m naked, open, and fully available for you. I’m hiding absolutely nothing from you. Can you do the same for me?”

“I’ll try,” I promised, defensively. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up softly, as I had the sinking feeling I was the one helpless under her hands, and not the other way around. Reflexively, I began to caress and kneed her body, in an attempt to distract her body while my mind struggled to sort out what she wanted.

“What happened today?” Completely ignoring my probing fingers, Victoria stared directly into my eyes, seriously awaiting my answer.

“With Flames?” Blushing bright, I shamefully hung my head. Apparently the girls all knew what an ass I’d been to her.

“Before that.” Victoria shook her head slightly from side to side. “What happened this afternoon?”

“This afternoon?” Blinking stupidly, I had no idea what she was talking about. “Nothing really,” I shrugged. “I was in class.”

“And how was class?” Victoria was persistently digging for some answer, but I had no idea what she wanted to hear.

“It was hell,” I told her honestly. It wasn’t like I was particularly trying to hide anything.

“Why?” Eyes blazing, Victoria’s face looked hard as she stared back at me. Gulping, I had the impression that a wrong answer might be dangerous here. Unfortunately, I had no clue what the right answer might be.

“Just everything, I suppose.” Shrugging, I decided to opt with pure honestly. As she said, she was being completely open (with her body) with me. The least I could do in return, is try and be open (with my heart) with her.

“The girls drove me batty once they learned I was a self-healer,” I sighed, deeply. “The healer teachers acted like I was nothing more than a living practice dummy, and the warrior trainers felt like they could go out and show off all their skills, since I’d just heal from them anyway.”

“The boys either worshiped me like some sort of undying god — one dumbass even offered to let me have his sister as a slave, as long as his family could have her children — or else they regarded me as the hellspawn out to steal their woman.”

“Not a single one treated me like an actual person,” I sighed, squeezing Victoria tightly. “I just bounced from beating to beating, getting praised for my perseverance and healing ability, the whole time. All I can say, is it was simply hell,” I whispered the last part, trying to hold back tears from my eyes.

“I see.” Victoria’s face was stern and hard, and her voice was firm and unemotional. Makes sense I guess. She’s a true warrior at heart. Of course she’s going to be disgusted by my pansy assed whining!

“What’s worse,” I moaned, not able to keep the emotion from my voice, “is what I did to Flames afterwards. I assaulted her in the tub and raped her.” After coming this far, I wasn’t going to hold anything back — even if it led to Victoria hating me!

“I used our bond to control her body. I ravaged and ravished her,” I admitted, crying lightly. “I forced her to be my plaything, and I played incredibly rough with her, completely ignoring her feelings. I was an ass and took my anger and frustrations out on her innocent body,” I admitted pitifully. I wasn’t rubbing or caressing Victoria now. All I was doing was clinging tightly to her and crying into her hair.

“Well good,” Victoria laughed, completely nonplussed by my confession. “She’s truly yours,” she stated matter-of-factly. “It’s only proper that you use her to help settle your heart.”

“But I’m not that type of person,” I cried, defensively!

“You were today,” Victoria laughed. “If that’s not someone you want to be, simply don’t be that type of person ever again. It’s not a big deal,” she shrugged. “In fact, it’s a good thing, if your servant can help you grow as a person. You should be proud of her and give her a nice treat,” she suggested.

Half laughing, half crying, I couldn’t figure the girls out at all. All I could do at the moment is squeeze Victoria tight, sob softly into her hair, and be grateful she was there.