Kingdom of Lust and Lies

Chapter Seventeen

She woke to the feeling of someone watching her.

Alayna opened one eye to see Xanth staring down at her. She had no idea how long she slept, but the stiffness in her body indicated it had been a good long while. The twins and Xanth must have been especially rough with her if her body still hadn't recovered after resting for so long.

"Fox. You need to drink your potion."

"Please." Her voice came out as a pained rasp. "I can't."

"I know, but you have to." He sat on the edge of the bed and gingerly brushed the hair from her face.

"Just give me one day. One day without it. You said you'd reward me for my behavior. This is what I want."

"I can't do that. You've been steadily taking this potion for two weeks now, sometimes multiple times a day. If you try to go without, you'll become horribly ill. In my studies, I've observed before that on occasion the withdrawal symptoms can be fatal."

Cold dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she finally opened both eyes. "I don't believe you."
He tsked. "I wouldn't lie to you about this, Fox. That's why I'm here right now, trying to get you to drink instead of letting you have the rest you've earned. I'll even list the ingredients for you."

He listed them off one by one, though he was careful not to reveal the amounts or what parts of the plants were used. Likely to keep her from attempting to recreate it herself. That sinking feeling in her stomach increased with each new plant he listed.

"Drink the potion, Fox. I don't want to see you ill or worse." He handed her the open vial.

She took it and stared at the glass for a long, quiet moment. Then tilted it to her lips and drank.

He took it back from her. "Good girl. Later, when you've had a chance to fully rest, I want to reward you properly."

She didn't say anything, just rolled over so that her back was to him. He sighed, but didn't say anything else as he left the room.

Alayna hadn't accounted for that damn potion in her plans for escape. Plans that seemed almost impossible now. She couldn't recreate the potion without the recipe and she damn sure couldn't get her hands on enough of them to make it through the Greenfrost and to the Sisters for help. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the soreness of her body, the sounds of movement outside her room and the thoughts of the people she'd left behind, people she would likely never see again.

Servants brought food and left it on her bedside table. She barely touched it. Xanth came to her throughout the day to take the edge off of her need. As if he knew her body wasn't ready for more, he would crawl into bed beside her and slide his hand between her thighs, gently stroking her clit until she came. Unable to help himself, she'd feel him moving against her backside, his cock hard and insistent, though he didn't try to fuck her.

When she woke the next morning, her body no longer felt sore and used. This should have been a good thing, but Alayna knew it meant the reprieve from his attentions were over. And what he'd said about rewarding her properly filled her with dread. His idea of reward was clearly not the same as hers.

She rose from the bed and bathed, then dressed in flimsy silks and drank the potion. Her movements were slow and sluggish, mood heavy now that any hope she had of escape had been dashed. There was no way around the potion, no way to free herself of the cilice, no way out of this fucking room.

He came to her later in the day, when she was sitting on the floor beside the wall of windows, trying to find some solace in the sunlight that streamed in.

"You're dressed. That's good." He held his hand out to help her up. "Your reward is just downstairs, if you're feeling recovered."

"What if I'm not?" She didn't take his hand, instead rising to a stand on her own.

"I think you will be for this."

He led her out of the room and down the stairs, servants and guards passing them as they went. Alayna didn't bother marking the turns or the doorways as she had before.

"I know we were very rough with you the other night." He placed a hand on the small of her back. "But only because I know you can handle it. You're capable of so much more than you think. In two months' time, I'm having a gathering of sorts and I need to make sure you're ready."

"Ready for what?" Her voice came out flat.

"You'll be the night's entertainment, Alayna. I've been so eager to show you off to my acquaintances, but I needed time to train you. It wouldn't do for my grand prize to break before the night is even over."

Another reminder that she was just a possession to him.

"Also, I was thinking... that perhaps you would like something more to do than just sit in your room and read books all day."

Three days ago, his words would have had her heart leaping in her chest. Now, however, she just felt numb.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I know you love making potions, but I can't have you running amok with all sorts of dangerous plants. There's no telling what kind of poison you'd attempt to give me." He chuckled. "But I was thinking perhaps something in the kitchens. I know it isn't quite the same as alchemy, but it's as much as I'm willing to trust you with right now."

She thought of the disastrous time she'd tried to help with dinner preparations at the keep and inadvertently made everyone sick. Beckett had—

Alayna immediately shut that thought down. Thinking of him only made her sad.

"Whatever you think is best."

"Good. You can start tomorrow. You'll be heavily monitored, of course, and your duties to me will always come first— "

He kept talking, but she'd stopped listening. The haze of hopelessness she'd been living in settled back over her, making everything numb. Like she was living in her body, but not truly there.

Outside of a set of large doors, he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Before we go in, I should make you aware of the situation. I think you should decide the fate of the unwelcome guests I told you about. Normally, I decide to either put them to work or kill them, but if you choose to do so, these three can go free. I won't question your decision."

She frowned. "Why me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, Xanth advanced on her, backing her up against the wall. He put his hands on the side of her face, holding her in place.

"You were so fucking beautiful when you getting fucked by the twins. The expression on your face when you cum... I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing it."

His lips crashed down hard on hers, fingers sliding into her hair. Alayna felt removed from herself as he kissed her, like she was watching it happen to someone else.

He lifted his head, eyes dark as he looked down at her. "You rewarded them for their hard work so well, Fox." His hand skimmed down her body until he could brush the silk aside from between her thighs. "I believe they'll ask for you again, as will many others."

His finger slipped between her thighs. She could remain numb when they were talking, even when he was kissing her, but not when he did this. Not when she hadn't had an orgasm all day. Her pussy instantly became wet for him, her arousal coating his probing fingers. Alayna bit back a moan.

But he didn't make her cum. Instead, he made sure she was nice and wet, then slid his fingers out of her and proceeded to lick the glistening arousal from them.

"Come. Your reward awaits." He took her hand and opened the doors, leading her into what looked like a throne room. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the center of the room, to the three figures huddled together.

There, chained at the wrists and ankles, bloody and bruised and on their knees, were Beckett, Gryff and Coen.