Chapter 2

Tirana walked back to the throne room, trying to piece together everything that happened. She was trying not to panic as she tried to figure out why she was so compliant after the enslavement spell was lifted ... Why Arda was so eager to make her his queen ... Why she wasn’t scared of a castle full of demons ... none of it made any sense. As she pushed the door, Tirana knew what Arda had done. And she was furious with him. She marched into the throne room raging with anger. She walked right up to him and stood with her hands on her hips.

“HOW DARE YOU!” she screamed at him. The smug look he gave her showed that her suspicions were correct. “I cannot believe that someone would manipulate a situation like that!” She paused before continuing, “Actually I can believe that a DEMON like you would manipulate a terrified and defenseless woman!”

Arda looked at her with a calm expression and spoke slowly, “I will only tell you this one time. You will never speak to me in such a derogatory manner again. If you do, I will have you sent back to Sir Oswald with the mark of a common harlot. Am I understood?”

Tirana stared at him, she was furious, but she felt the enslavement magic doing its job as she replied, “Yes, sire. I understand.” Arda’s lips stretched into a broad smile as she spoke.

“Am I to understand that you figured out what I have done, Tirana?” She gave him a curt nod. “I was hoping that you would not figure it out until we were wed, but I see that is no longer an option. Please, come sit.” He gestured to the extra space in his oversized throne.

Tirana hesitated at his offer, but decided that she should not anger him again. She sat down on the edge of the plush seat, careful not to touch him. Tirana gasped when she felt Arda’s arm touch her hip and pull her close to him. “That’s better,” he whispered in her ear softly and then he kissed her temple. Tirana turned her head to face Arda and stared at him.

“Tirana?” Arda gazed at her, his face masked with concern.

Tirana shook her head, snapping out of her trance, “Sire...”

Arda held a finger to her lips, “Please, my dear, call me Arda.”

Tirana took a deep breath as he removed his finger from her lips, “Arda ... why did you transfer my enslavement instead of freeing me?”

Arda sucked in a sharp breath, “I knew that there would be a better chance to transfer your enslavement rather than removing it completely. It was not a risk I was willing to make for my people. I couldn’t be sure that you would not be compelled to return to your past homes and inform them of our existence. Surely you must understand what it is like to be thought of as less than nothing.” Tirana looked at him, tears building on her eyelids.

“I do, Arda. I am sorry for what I said...” she trailed off into silence, remembering the past 15 years and how she was treated. Snapping out of her spiraling thoughts, she looked up at Arda, “What exactly am I supposed to do as your queen?”

Arda looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, his blue eyes piercingly bright, “Well ... typically a queen in a demon realm is a trophy of beauty. A way to impress other realms. However, I do not think you would be content with just sitting around all day, every day, for eternity.”

Tirana shook her head, “No, I am not used to that, so it would be a difficult thing for me to do.”

“Tell me ... what did King Dannet have you do?”

Tirana laughed, “If you think King Dannet is the person calling the shots in Druels, you are wrong. My father, Throm, is the man in charge.”

This made Arda’s face pale, “Throm is in control? This is news to me. I must pass that along to my advisors. Surely you see the implications this causes me?” Tirana must have made a face of concern when Arda started speaking, he was looking at her with fear etched across his face.

Tirana continued, “My father trained me to tame dragons before he sold me to Oswald. I was successful in taming 1 for my father. I was successful in taming several while I was with Oswald, but they are not loyal to him.”

Arda’s mouth fell open, “You ... you have a dragon army?” His voice was full of disbelief.

“I wouldn’t say an army exactly. More like a battalion.” This made Arda fill the room with laughter.

“A battalion of dragons sounds like an army to me!” This made Tirana giggle softly. Arda looked at her softly, “Your laugh, fills this empty room with happiness.” He leaned close and Tirana gently kissed his lips.

“Thank you, Arda, for giving me a safe place to stay.”

Their moment of softness was broken by a sudden banging on the ornate doors that opened to the hall. Arda sighed and spoke, “Enter!”

A large group of demons entered the room. They were not humanoid like Arda. They were grey-skinned, red-eyed, hunched beings. That was how Tirana always pictured demons, how her father described them. They stopped at the sight of her sitting next to Arda on the throne. They looked at Arda and hissed, “Wwwhat issss a human doing ssssiting on your father’sss throne?” Their voices sent chills down Tirana’s spine. She suddenly knew why her father hunted them. She despised them.

“She is my honored visitor,” he said it plainly, but there was a tint of anger. “I summoned you here so that we could discuss what I have just ... discovered ... thanks to my lovely guest.” The demons perked up at this.

“My lord ... we are ssssorry for sssounding disssressspectful ... to your guessst. Pleassse, inform usss ... ssso we can plan our next ssstepsss,” the front demon hissed his apology and waited for Arda to continue.

“It will do us no good to kill King Dannet. My target has changed.”

This caused the demons to share alarmed looks. “Changed your target, my lord?” The first demon sounded shocked.

“What isss the meaning of thisss? We have ssspent yearsss planning the downfall of Druelsss ... we want vengeance ... for your father ... and his father ... and all the other darkssspawn that have perished before usss,” this second demon sounded irate.

Arda held up a hand, “You misunderstand, councilmen, we are still plotting vengeance. It will take longer, but the reward. Oh, the reward shall be great!” He let out a laugh that sent rows of chills down Tirana’s neck and spine. It was a cold laugh, cruel and vicious.

“We shall first sweep the lands that the humans call Brakenpine.” This made Tirana look at him. “Then we will move to face Druels.” Arda waved his hand, indicating that the demon council should vacate the throne room.

Once the demons had left, Arda looked at Tirana. “Tell me, what you did for Sir Oswald. It is not a request, it is a command.”

Tirana looked at him, suddenly ashamed of the past 15 years. She had done many things during her time in Brakenpine. “Well most recently, I was the healer and enchanter for Oswald himself.” Arda’s blue eyes bored into her own brown eyes. “That is not the position I started with. When Oswald first purchased me ... I was little more than a harlot in the guards’ quarters... :” Tirana trailed off.

“Tell me...”

Tirana continued, “I was passed around to every guard every day for a year before one of the officers took a liking to me. Once he ‘chose’ me, I only served him. Oswald approved it, so I was leased to the officer. I paid my lease by doing anything he asked. He kept me in his quarters ... I cleaned, brought him food, polished his armor and weapons. And in the evenings and nights, I was his plaything.”

Arda’s eyes brightened, “Explain this to me...”

Tirana looked at him and saw excitement etched across his face, “He would put shackles on my ankles and wrists. They were long enough I could move freely around his entire room, including the washroom. I was always naked during this time.” Tirana looked away before continuing, “I was his pleasure toy. Anything he asked for he got. He wanted me on my knees in front of him, he got it. He wanted me spread eagle on the bed, he got it. He wanted me bent over the windowsill with my breasts hanging out the window, he got it. I was powerless against him.”

“There were nights that he filled me with his seed for hours on end. My body exhausted, beaten, bruised, and he was relentless. Never stopping when I needed to, only stopping when he had been fulfilled to his liking.”

Arda laid a hand on her arm, “Tell me about one night.” This made Tirana look at him with scrutiny in her eyes. “Please.”

Tirana nodded, “Yes, sir. One day, I remember in particular, he came into his quarters raving about a spot on his armor. I had cleaned it the night before until the entire thing was glimmering as if it were brand new. There had been a scuffle he broke up, and there was a smudge on his chest plate. He blamed me for it and swore he would punish me for shoddy work. He grabbed me by the hair and drug me over to the corner he kept the shackles in while they were not in use. My dress was ripped from my body, along with my undergarments. He put the shackles on me and threw me to the ground. He removed his trousers and rammed his member into my mouth and held my head in place until I was struggling to breathe. He pulled my head back, and while I was gasping for air, he did it again. Over and over until I was light-headed.” Tirana stopped to breathe, the memory still pained her.