catriana_fiction

Title: Slave
Series: Original
Pairing: Oriana and Lars
Rating: M
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Chapters: 6/??
Summary: Tricked and bound by a Witch, the demon king Lars was imprisoned and turned into her slave for centuries. When she tires of him, she gives him over to the Vampire Queen Oriana, who has no need nor want of a slave. She takes him nonetheless and decides to make use of him...to make him what he was before.
Notes: This was initially a SasuHina story that got turned into an original story. TBH, I completely forgot this sucker was on my Hard Drive so I decided to share. Not sure if I'll continue it, but eh. Whatever.

Prologue

“Kneel slave.”

His mind protested as his body moved, one knee, then the other. He didn’t completely fight it, his mind reacting to the fact that if he did try to resist too much, she would speak the word. His head lowered to the ground. He could never look them in the eyes, four hundred years of being hers had taught him that.

Betrayer. He had once been powerful, once commanded legions. She had been one of his generals. In the end, she betrayed him to the enemy and locked him in this curse, taking what he hadn’t given her willingly. Four hundred years passed since then, or at least, he was sure it was that long. His mistress tended to keep him in the dark about things, only allowing him bits and pieces here and there. Now he was here, kneeling in front of another female he did not know, could not look up at. What he was here for he did not know, did not quite understand.

He could smell blood. The place reeked of it and he almost, almost dared to look up and around. But no, he could not; his mistress had conditioned him well. It was said that spurning a Witch’s love would make one wish he had killed himself instead. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to kill himself, but he had learned the hard way about a Witch and her wrath. Eliza, the traitor and his mistress, had taken slow and often painful measures to break him. In all honesty, he couldn’t remember his past life as well as he should; everything blurred and mixed together. For him, it seemed as if he had always been a slave to this woman, a toy to play with for her amusement.

“So, this is the great demon king?” It was not his mistress’ voice, but the other female. Her voice was higher and she seemed to try to force her voice to sound sexy, making her sound strained. He watched numbly as she took a few steps to close the distance.

“Make him stand,” she murmured, as if in thought. “I want to get a better look at him.”

“Stand up.” Eliza’s voice this time; a lower pitch which probably did sound sexy to others but repulsed him.

Once again his body obeyed the command whether his mind wanted to or not. He was used to the disjointed feeling that came from this, as if he were sitting and just watching everything go on like a play. His gaze still remained lowered. Hands brushed against him, his chest, arms, stomach. He breathed in once more and then understood why the stench of blood was so strong here. Vampire.

“You really are the demon lord,” the vampire breathed, wonder in her voice. “You know, everyone thinks you’re dead. Eliza, how in the nine hells did you manage to keep people from finding out?”

“I have my ways,” she did not elaborate. “I’ll need to explain to you how the curse works first, then afterwards I’ll transfer him to you. It’s old magic; I had spent a fortune and lost much to find the grimoire that held this spell. I know how to break it but…I think I’ll keep it to myself. I’m sure you understand.”

“Like I’d want to free him,” came the vampire. She sounded amused. “You have no idea what Vivian would do to get him. She’s wanted him for centuries.”

“I know,” now Eliza sounded amused. “Which is why I’m bringing him to you, Liona. That bitch Vivian still owes me and refuses to pay up. I figured giving the thing she wants the most to her rival would be poetic justice.”

Liona...Vivian…he knew those names. He had never really associated with vampires prior to his enslavement, but he still remembered the names of the two female vampire queens that ruled the western lands. In the vampire ranks, there were three powerful clans and then numerous minor clans that pledged allegiance to them. Liona and Vivian had a vicious reputation, necessary since the vampire race frowned upon those weaker than them. They had clawed their way to the top and a lot of blood had been shed, giving them their reputation. Four hundred years and they were still in power.

“She’s still mad at you for betraying him,” a laugh, “She blames you for his ‘death’. You’re not her favorite person.”

“Well, she can get in line.” Did his mistress sound…wistful? Tired, even. “In any case, I’ve grown bored of him. I spent the past four hundred years breaking him, now he’s broken and I want something new to play with. Do you want him or not? I’ll explain everything if you take him.”

“Oh no, I want him,” Liona answered. “He’ll be my favorite slave, I think. After all, how many females can claim that they own the great demon lord Lars Urathin?”

He was being sold. After centuries of enslavement he didn’t think there was any shred of dignity or pride left in him to care about something like that. So when his hand shot out and wrapped around Liona’s dainty neck, he couldn’t hide the shock or the anger in his expression.

I used to be more than this. This…this final humiliation…I won’t…

Eliza spoke one word. Lars’s cries filled the room, his entire body feeling as if it were roasting from the inside out. He hit the ground, his hands raking through his hair savagely as his mind felt as if thousands of needles were being stabbed repeatedly. Over and over the waves of heat and the stabbing pain continued, until he was writhing on the floor. Eventually the pain receded to a bearable point but did not fully fade. No, it would remain for hours, a reminder to him of who he now was.

Before he lost consciousness he could hear Liona’s voice, laughing.

“He’s still got some life left in him! Let’s see how long it takes me to finish the job you started.”

The voices turned into murmurs and then he knew no more.