Chapter 2

Stanly arrived home with the look of one about to go on a noble quest. His parents greeted him with apprehension because he had been to the lady's castle to meet her, "How is the queen on this day?"

A huge smile lit up his face, "She is good of health, entrancing of beauty, quick of mind, and she has asked me to stay with her." His mother started to weep, thinking it was a death sentence for her son.

He knelt down beside his mother, wiping away her tears, then taking her hands in his, said, "Mother, there is no greater honor than to serve the queen."

His father glared at him, "To serve such a woman is suicidal, stupid, and foolish."

Stanly let go of his mother's hands and got in his father's face, "You don't understand her and it could mean good things for this family."

His father yelled, "The only things she has given the families of the men she takes are dead bodies."

Knowing his father was right, he backed down a bit, "I believe I can make her happy and help her. I will send you two all I can and she may choose to be generous." Saying that, he stormed off to his room and packed his things. Venomous looks were exchanged by father and son as Stanly left to find his drill instructor. When he found his drill instructor, he explained that he was going to be serving the queen, so he couldn't drill any more. His instructor nodded and wished him luck. He visited his uncle next. His uncle just nodded as Stanly told him what happened between him and his father.

Understanding his brother's temper and reason, "He's just afraid that you will die or never see him again. He doesn't understand why you wish to serve her." Stanly nodded knowing that the argument with his father was started because of love and fear and not anger. His uncle got out a sword, "I'll explain your reasons to your father. This was going to be your birthday gift, but I'll give it to you now, because you are leaving us. It is your first soulblade. I have a feeling the queen will give you one, but your family should give you your first one." Stanly strapped it on like a page that had just been knighted. He hugged and thanked his uncle, then went to the tavern.

His friends bought him tankards of ale and joked about him being a slave. He talked of his lady's beauty and agility and how any man should be honored to stand in her ranks on the field. They kidded him that it sounded like a man talking from his heart instead of the tip of his sword. He headed back to the castle late that night, for he wanted to be there when she woke.

She spent the rest of the day in the dungeon. She took inventory of her victims, as she entered. A rapist that had not changed his ways, even after seeing her quite a few times, was chained to the wall in manacles. The fellow on the rack, had beaten and cheated on his wife, and the man strapped into the chair was found stealing secrets and blackmailing a governor. She walked over to the spy, "You get it easy tonight, and all you have to do is watch and think about what you see." He managed a nod. Pleased with his response, she went over to the lousy husband.

Without a word, she checked the ropes on his wrists and ankles. She slowly turned the crank. As it clicked away the ropes pulled and stretched him tight. She stopped just before his limbs were dislocated in any way. Methodically, she beat out the list of his crimes against his wife on his body, starting with a soft leather flogger, then moving through the oak paddle with nails in it, to a whip and finally using a heavy chain. His screams of pain and repentance for his crimes were the macabre music that she loved to hear. The spy begged for him as if he were the one who was being beaten. Hearing the spy's pleas she motioned to a slave and he was gagged. After the spy was gagged and the last thud of the chain on the man's body was heard, she moved to the rapist, leaving a slave to bandage him and do the necessary healing, so the man on the rack would live.

She inspected the scar that ran from the man's cheekbone to jaw, marking him as a rapist, and the seven slashes across it showing this was his ninth trip to see her. He knew what this trip meant for him; she had warned him of that. She slowly started making precision cuts on his arms, chest, abdomen, and inner thighs, as the spy watched. She spread lemon juice and salt on his cuts, "What happened with the job I arranged for you?" He didn't answer, knowing she read his thoughts. He got bored with women who were willing, it gave him no pleasure. He loved the violence of what he did to the women he raped, the look of terror on their faces, and she knew it. She had hoped the job at the bordello of pain would placate him, but she was wrong. She knew there was only one way to deal with him. With the savageness of a wild animal she cleanly broke the lower half of his rib cage. She removed the broken ribs with the care of a surgeon and tossed them across the room. As they skittered across the floor, the spy passed out. The slave attending the spy revived him with a rank smelling cream wafted under his nose. She roughly stitched him back up, "Now do you want more or shall I just get it over with?"

The look in the rapist's eyes begged for more. She nodded to a slave and he brought over a tray with a blender-like device on it. Slowly she peeled strips of skin off his body and put them into the device. The rapist screamed in pain as she ripped his nails out, he started to cry knowing what was coming next. She lightly played her razor sharp blade over his genitals, slowly getting him aroused. Once his manhood was engorged with blood she cut it off along with his testacies and put them into the device. She caught the blood that poured out in a chalice and drank some from it, then put the remainder into the device. Both men cringed as the device was active and started making a gooey sick mix. She added various other liquids to the macabre cocktail. When she was satisfied with the mixture she stopped the device. With an evil look on her face she forced the rapist to drink the mix. The spy began to puke as he watched this and the slave guarding him removed the gag so that he wouldn't choke on his own vomit. When she was satisfied with the amount the rapist had drunk, she poured the rest on him and slowly massaged it into his body. Then she took a white-hot paddle-shaped metal poker and cauterized his wounds. She smiled evilly as he screamed in pain. When his screams were over, she poured ice-cold water over his body.

The spy started to shake and cry in fear as she walked over to him, "As I said, all you have to do is watch tonight. You did very well at that. If you didn't know, the man on the rack beat and cheated on his wife and the fellow on the wall in chains is a rapist and this was his ninth time to see me, because the sheriff caught him. Now that you understand the men you are in here with, have a good night." Through tear soaked eyes he watched her leave for the night.

The two dressing girls awaited her arrival in her bedchamber. She sat on the bench and they undressed her, slowly peeling her clothes off. After she was stripped she stepped into the bath that was drawn for her. The bedchamber slave meticulously cleaned the stress of the day off of her and soothed her body and mind. She emerged from the bath, was dried, and then she crawled into bed and went to sleep. With his mistress asleep the slave quietly cleaned the bathroom and curled up on the floor at the foot of her bed. Finally he could relax for the night.

Arriving at the castle, Stanly informed the guards of who he was and they let him in and showed him to the kitchen. He grabbed a bite to eat and made his way to Lady's sleeping quarters and crept in. He watched her sleep as he sank into a chair. He sat there basking in her peaceful, beautiful slumber until he dozed off.