The Firelord's Honor

Chapter 56

A/N Sorry this is late. Uploading as I go makes for a more irregular schedule. WARNING this chapter has non-con moments. Mostly mentioned but the opening scene is the lead up to. I stop the memory before anything goes too far but it definitely could be triggering. If you would like to skip the worst bit, scroll to the first page break. There is another non-con scene in the last two paragraphs, it is kind of important to the plot though so..

Chapter 56

The last three months had been the worst of Ming's life. She had known that certain... distasteful things were possible when working in the palace, but never in her wildest dreams was it like this. When the Fire Lord had summoned her so late the night Sozin was born the other maids had given her pitying looks as she redressed. It was late and she had already been in her bed in the servants quarters when the summons came. Between the looks from her fellows, and the way the Fire Lord had been acting lately, Ming walked the dark halls filled with dread.

He was wearing nothing but a silk robe when she got to his room. Ming had never seen the Fire Lord look so casual. She had stood in the middle of his bedchamber, eyes downcast, as he rose from his seat to stalk toward her. A chill raced down her spine at the dark look in his eyes.

"Disrobe."

Eyes wide as she stared at the floor, Ming trembled where she stood. It was as she had feared, he had chosen her to take his wife's place in his bed.

"My... my Lord?"

Two callused fingers tipped her chin up until she met his eyes. His grin was vile and his voice was low as he enunciated slowly so she would be sure to understand.

"Disrobe."

Pulling back from her, Ozai watched hungrily as she began unfastening the ties on her dress. Her fingers shook worse with each knot, shame coiling hot in her gut. Once she was bare before him he circled her, running a hand up her backside as he went. When he stopped before her she could feel his breath on her face. Gripping her wrists, he roughly tore her hands away from her breasts. Ozai seemed to appraise her for a moment, rolling a nipple painfully between his fingers as he did so.

"You are untouched?"

Ming nodded, choking back a sob when she felt what she knew was his manhood forcefully prodding her stomach.

"Good."

His kiss was demanding as his lips and tongue roamed her chest before he dragged her to the bed. She tried to remember why she was there, why it was so important that she worked in the palace but anything she could think of was completely inadequate a reason to endure this. As her innocence was ripped away, Ming couldn't stop herself from crying and tried to focus on the coolness of the red silk against her cheek.

<ZK>

Afterward, Ming shook as she dressed and fled as fast as she could, ignoring the burning ache between her thighs. Back in the servants quarters, she was surprised to see her lamp lit and one of the older women waiting on her bed. Lu had been another one of the servants rehired after princess Azula was gone and had worked in the palace some ten years before that. That wretched night, she was sitting with her head bowed, only looking up when Ming sat beside her.

"Was he terribly rough with you?"

Tears poured from her eyes as she sobbed into her hands, but she shook her head after a moment's thought. Lu wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her until she could cry no more, the shame and humiliation and anger all threatening to consume her. Once her sobs had quieted what felt like hours later, she helped Ming to sit up and handed her a cup of tea. 'To keep his seed from taking root' she had said.