The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

Your Strength is My Strength (Winter final)

X.

"My, oh, my," the Noble cooed. "What a horrible state of affairs. Two young, lost, sweet children running around in these dangerous woods. Did your homes get swept up in that horrible snow crash a few hours ago? A noble girl and her delicious slave?"

He leaned over her, but Madoka could have been mistaken for a statue. She was frozen in place. The monstrous pig above her let out a loose laughter and his chin flapped like fish gills out of water. The girth of his stomach at least stopped the light from blinding her. A shiver covered her and she plunged into a bleary fugue. A couple of hands lifted her with ease because she did not resist.

Just what was she doing? A slave, no less, succumbing to the fate she always knew she was destined for: To be swallowed whole by the nobles. Her heart beat against her ribs as she felt her vision pull to witness the Noble again.

"At least this one's silent and obedient!" He laughed, gripping her hair. The soldiers restrained her when he let her go with a shove. "I've taken the trouble to escaping Esmerald's silly invasion efforts to preserve my men — all the way to Rustaze here, only to have a wheel break on my beloved carriage."

"My Lord, we should not be revealing any details—" The captain began to say but the noble wave his flabby arm in protest.

"Of course, of course!" He interrupted. Madoka felt his slimy and lustful gaze wander across her body. "Hurry up and fix my wheel! In the meantime..."

The captain got on his horse and barked orders, but remained to watch the show.

Madoka could not grasp a hold of herself as she watched the man's stubby fingers travel shakily towards places they should not on her body. They looked like sausages writhing in a jar of hot water but were ice cold when they touched her. A small gasp escaped Madoka but then something caused her world to go dark. What was she doing? How could anyone find her attractive?

She felt ashamed and that somehow this was all her fault. Was she destined to live this way because this is what she deserved?

"Yes, the kind gods have blessed me with these sweet, sweet girls," He cried out in joy. Madoka felt the greedy squeeze from the sausages and the panic was far more paralyzing than she could react. "House Kieron has to continue its great lineage, even with a mute slave, I guess. And this noble girl will sell for a high price! Hehehe!"

Why was she letting this happen?

She glanced to her right. Audrey was struggling against the soldier's restraint. Her world sharpened as she recalled the bird's words: ALONE.

"Look at me and react! Is it stupid?!" the Noble Kieron waved a flabby arm as he asked his soldiers. They grunted and shrugged. The arm suddenly snapped back and lashed at Madoka. Her world tilted as the swift backhand collided with her jaw. A soldier kicked her stomach and she doubled over as a sheer reaction expecting it to hurt. To her surprise, there was no pain, but only the force caused her body to move.

Perhaps she was in shock or her opponents were not dragons were the reasons why they could not harm her. He released her after she obeyed him before he noticed Audrey. He whined but then gained a sinister tone. "It's no fun if the plaything doesn't react, but perhaps I can get a rise out of it if I were to..."

He let out an evil laugh as he waddled over to Audrey. The soldiers jeered as they gathered around her, with several pulling at Audrey's clothes and breasts. The noble observed them approvingly but they scattered when he approached her and drew a knife. Audrey kept her eyes on Madoka the whole time. The captain soldier's horse shook off snow from its back. Its thoughts were telling her it was not used to its surroundings, ears perking up at every new noise in high alert. A commotion would send its spirit in a panic.