The Silver Queen [AU]

[NPCs]

Hmm. What path do I take? How do I push her? She's kind to the staff. Coddles them. Aside from the prettier, softer ones. Those she's strict with, demanding. His lips quirk a little, though his eyes stay cruel. As if to chase them off, get them fired, before I can bed them. Yes, threatening her won't work but... "Silly little pet," he says with a playful shake of his head. "Trying to tease me? I know that's that what you're going to settle on and I am not in the mood for such things. Now. Make your real selection... or do I need to summon Tessa to... instruct you on how to do this? She can demonstrate, then you can repeat. I'm sure I can find a few healing wands somewhere..." he adds as just realizing how much damage that would do to Isabela.

[Coquette Blacquin]

'Yes' hangs on her lips a moment. It would be easier to give in, to let Tessa 'instruct' her, to let someone else do this, to back away and avert her eyes. But... Is that really who I am? Such a coward I'd let Isabela be hurt twice as badly, perhaps be killed, to save myself?

No. And yet... and yet... she can't... Her hand hovers over a whip, one with cruel little barbs in it, one Olocaryn loves, but she can't make herself pick it up, make herself offer it. 

[NPCs]

"Now," her master snaps, voice cutting.

[Coquette Blacquin]

She can't help herself; she grabs the whip, turning to present it to him, kneeling as she holds it up for him to take.

[NPCs]

"Very good, mon chat. Now get to work," he says implacably. "And do it properly. Otherwise, I'll demonstrate on you and you'll have to try again. And again and again if need be, until you get it right." As he gives his pet, his slave, her orders, he marshalls his powers to hit both ladies with another spell, one designed to not dull pain but increase the body's ability to tolerate it. A dangerous spell to use in battle, as it can cause a warrior to fight himself literally to death, uncaring of wounds or strain.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Her or me. Her or me. Coquette gets to her feet, shaky. She knows the right answer: let herself be beaten, save Isabela. But...

The feel of her flesh tearing open, her screams unheard, blood running down her back. Then, worse, the cool tingle of a healing wand, her flesh knitting back together, only to be rent again, the pain somehow worse than before.

It won't hurt, to whip someone else. And didn't Isabela want this? Didn't she come here of her own free will? Isn't it better to go along, to do as she's told? To give Master what he wants, and Isabela what she wants, and just let herself be a tool?

Her or me. I can only save her by dying myself. And what good would it do? There will be another, and another. I can save no-one. I am nothing but a tool. There is nothing of myself left.

Coquette grips the whip by the handle, raising it. "Yes, Master." She watches Isabela tense in fear, the sick certainty that Isabela doesn't want this churning in her gut. Then she brings the whip down, Isabela's scream piercing through the chamber.

She doesn't cry, at least.

[NPCs]

Ozymandias lounges back in one of the soft, padded chairs. He pours himself a glass of wine as he watches the scene before him with a fair degree of pleasure and pride. And there it is, the penultimate break. It'll take the rest of Belladonna's breaking and perhaps one or two more to fully set this into her soul. Then after that, all that is left is getting her to admit she enjoys all of this. Having the last of her pride and resilience shattered will make that much easier. Hmmm. Speaking of which... "Make sure she cums, mon chat. I want to watch her writhe as her blood runs."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Make sure she... how?! she's not enjoying this, is she? Is she?

"How, Master?" she whispers, shuddering. 

[NPCs]

"Touch her. Stroke her, fuck her, I don't care." Admittedly, if you were unaware of the help I've given, it would seem- and be- impossible unless my new toy was far, far more depraved than I could dream of her being. But it will... unmoor her, to see the cunt react to the pain and touches.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette stares at Isabela, mind whirling. I'm just obeying orders. I'm just doing as I'm told. I'm... I'm...

But she's not. She's been given a goal, not a command. To do this, to obey, she will have to act, to use her cunning and her wits. Gently, hesitantly, she strokes Isabela's stomach, below the whip marks, listening to her cries of protest, watching her hand twitch in a specific pattern over and over as the woman tries to use her nonverbal safeword. 

Her hand dips lower, caressing Isabela's flower gently. "You like this," she whispers, trying to push some urgency into the words. "You want this."

Then she hits her again, causing another shriek.

[NPCs]

Ozymandias scoffs lightly, giving the strong impression he's not buying Coquette's half-hearted efforts. "Take your time, I suppose. We have two days to finish breaking her into an obedient wreck. Her poor husband... I would pity him for what we'll do to his wife if it wasn't for the fact that I'll be having Belladonna kill him within the month anyway."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Two days. Coquette turns, her eyes widening. "You... intend to keep her, Master? I am... she is... to be...?"

[NPCs]

"Worried about being replaced, mon chat?" he says playfully, not answering. "Get back to work."

[Coquette Blacquin]

He's not letting her go. This isn't play. This is... this is... I am training another slave for him.

I am breaking her in, making her a slave.

I am a slaver.

Something snaps in Coquette then, and hot tears flood her eyes. She lashes out, furious, with the whip, envisioning Olocaryn beneath it instead of the woman, picturing her own hated self instead of the new toy she's been given. 

[NPCs]

He lets her go for a few moments, but eventually rises to stop her. Ozymandias clouts Coquette on the back of the head with his open hand. Sneering, he shoves her away. "Stupid bitch, if you've scarred her... Get the medical kit, useless trash." Growling, he studies Belladonna, muttering, "need more work than I thought if she's to be useful at this..."