A cool breeze swept around Amanda's nude body as she stepped into the deepening night ahead of her trainer and lover. Behind her, the quarters she shared with Sirinna stood in sharp relief against the sliver of purple twilight that clung to the edge of a velvet sky. The air made her shiver once, and her nipples rose in response. Her dark hair fluttered behind her for a moment before falling gently against her back.

Her platinum-haired lover and Trainer emerged a moment later. Her lips were curled into a small smile that was at odds with the clouded look to her eyes. Nevertheless, she placed her hand gently upon her charge's shoulder and spoke in a soft, lilting voice that still had a hint of excitement to it.

"Let's go, Amanda. It's best not to keep Master Roquan waiting."

"Yes, Mistress," replied Amanda.

Sirinna let her hand drop as Amanda continued ahead of her. Some of her smile faded, her eyes betraying disappointment. Amanda's voice had been respectful, dutiful, and proper, but nothing beyond that.

Sirinna fell into step behind her trainee. Her hand kept wanting to hold a chain that was not there. Despite the force of habit, she was proud that the Overlord had granted Amanda the privilege to go about without restraints or the chain. Roquan rarely did such a thing. He tended to be traditional in this regard, continuing to require cuffs and the chain until graduation.

All that remained was the collar. Even the escort was optional. Amanda had seemed pleased with her new status. Even the other slaves now paid her a great deal of respect. Even Marisa, the one that had pushed Amanda so hard, displayed proper deference to the young fifteen year old trainee.

Those good spirits had lasted only a quarter moon.

"It's an honor to be called to Roquan's quarters for his pleasure," Sirinna said, finding the silence uncomfortable. As they walked, magical lanterns along the path lit in sequence, winking out in their wake, a bubble of illumination traversing the sandy path along the west side of the D'ronstaq Manor.

"Of course, Mistress," Amanda said.

Sirinna's frustration rose. She shook her head once. A good slave was not supposed to ...

The thought abruptly collapsed. She felt a small shiver that had nothing to do with the cool air. Thinking about what a good slave should or should not do was a disturbing thought for her anymore.

"Especially considering how busy he's been lately," Sirinna continued, struggling. "And ... so very stressed. This is just the thing for him."

Amanda's gaze hardened for a moment. Sirinna did not see it, but she did see her lover's shoulders tense. Amanda opened her mouth, but shut it without saying a word.

"You seem to enjoy your sessions with him," Sirinna said helplessly.

Amanda said nothing in reply and kept walking.

It was too much for her. Sirinna reached out a hand and grasped Amanda's shoulder. "Stop."

Amanda halted so suddenly that Sirinna nearly ran into her. She swiftly turned. "Is something the matter, Mistress?"

Sirinna looked into Amanda's eyes. Amanda blinked once and drew back slightly. Sirinna let out a slow sigh. Amanda's mouth twitched.

The moment had been fleeting but conveyed much. The old defiance had been there. Amanda had tried to cover it, but not in time, and now she knew Sirinna had seen it.

"Amanda, what's the matter?" Sirinna implored.

"Nothing, Mistress," Amanda replied, her voice less edgy but no less dutiful. "Why do you ask?"

"You're acting as if this is a chore for you."

"I'm sorry, Mistress, I'll try to improve my attitude."

"Amanda, stop it."

Amanda stared at Sirinna with dark, irresolute eyes.

Sirinna took a deep breath. "Amanda, I ... I'm sorry, but the last quarter moon has been very frustrating for me."

Amanda very nearly gave her another automatic, "proper" reply. She stopped herself when she finally looked into Sirinna's eyes for perhaps the first time in days. Her own eyes clouded in guilt. "I'm sorry."

Her head drooped. Sirinna gazed at her charge with concern and affection. She lifted a hand to Amanda's chin and gently raised Amanda's eyes to hers. "Why have you been so distant?"

Pain flickered across Amanda's gaze. "I didn't meant to make you feel bad, Mi ... I mean, Sirinna ... I just ..."

She trailed off. There were no words she could use to describe what she was feeling about her erstwhile lover. They were based on a conclusion she wished she had never reached, which in turn came from knowledge that she wished she had never discovered. She didn't want to look into Sirinna's eyes anymore lest she confirm her worst fear.

But at the moment, all she could see was tenderness and compassion. And worry. It was a small measure of relief for Amanda, but did little to dispel her disturbing thoughts.

Sirinna's hand slowly dropped. "Something is bothering you and you won't tell me what it is."

Amanda bit her lip. She could see the unspoken hurt in Sirinna's eyes. She drew Sirinna into a tight embrace.

Sirinna let out a heartfelt sigh as she hugged Amanda. "Please, what is it? It can't be your training, you've been doing so well at it."

Sirinna felt Amanda tense in her arms.

Amanda drew back from the hug. She wasn't sure Sirinna would understand. That thought raised the same specter in the back of her head that had haunted her moments before.

"Please, you can tell me, Amanda. What ...?"

"I want more."

Sirinna was quiet. Amanda could see the silent struggle for understanding. Amanda's eyes teared and she shook her head, turning away. "No, never mind Just ... forget I said anything ... Let's just get to Master ... "

"You want to be more than a slave?"

Even though Sirinna had managed to utter the sentence, it still did not completely parse in her own mind. She had pieced it together largely from thoughts that still seemed so out of place to be flitting through her head. Nevertheless, she plowed on. "Is that it? You want ... something more than that?"

Amanda took a moment to respond, as shocked as she was that Sirinna had managed to make the connection. Even after she had recovered, she struggled to put it into terms that sounded coherent even to her own ears.

"Sirinna, look at everything that's happened. Look at what I've been involved in. Look at the things I've done. Doesn't that mean anything to anyone?"

Amanda stumbled over the last words. She did not want to come off sounding like she was trying to brag. Her "accomplishments" were supposed to remain low-key to the world. But she had thought it would matter to Roquan. Instead, he had relegated her to her slave role once more as soon as she had been returned to the Manor by Duric.

She had thought that granting her additional privileges had been a sign of things to come. Surely he had come to realize that she could no longer be treated as an ordinary slave?

"Amanda, I don't understand everything that happened," Sirinna finally admitted, voice edged in frustration. "But I know it was important, and it certainly does matter to me. You know I've been so proud of you since ..."

"Are you really, Sirinna?" Amanda retorted and immediately regretted it. But she could not take it back, and she had to vent her pent-up anger. "It's more than just the slave stuff. It's more than just pleasing a Master or Mistress. Are you really proud of everything I've done?"

"Yes, Amanda, I am. All of it. How can I not be?"

The fact that Sirinna did not hesitate, nor did she sound anything less than sincere, made Amanda hesitate. Yet it did little to tame her fury. It simply gave her a new target. "Then try telling that to Master Roquan! He's barely acknowledged anything I've done. He won't even tell me what's going on in the civil war or Jo ... o-or anything else! Even if he won't give me anything else to do, he can at least tell me that much."

As a Trainer, Sirinna was very observant about her Trainees. More so with Amanda, since she also loved the girl. She noticed the slip and knew of whom Amanda almost spoke. She decided not to let on she had noticed. She would not admit it, but she was also frustrated with Roquan for not bringing up the subject with either of them.

For Sirinna, it was worry over Amanda's safety. That strange merchant still had a Farviewing pearl tied to Amanda. She was told that such magic could not be subverted for other purposes, but she was concerned anyway.

"Amanda, have you tried to talk to Master Roquan about this?" Sirinna asked.

"No, because he won't let me. He keeps throwing that rule in my face about not speaking unless spoken to or he gives me leave to speak. I feel like I'm right back where I started when I was first collared."

Sirinna's instinct was to berate Amanda for her insolence, but she did not have the heart to do it. Sirinna herself was already treating Amanda as different from other slaves even if Roquan appeared not to be. But he used to treat Amanda differently as well. What had changed?

"Sirinna, can you talk to him?" Amanda pleaded. "Maybe he'll listen to you."

Sirinna did not feel she had the daring to do such a thing again. She had already defied Roquan once, and still held regrets over it despite having been proven right in the end. "Amanda ... maybe ... maybe you need to do it."

"But I already said he won't ...!"

"Maybe you need to force the issue. Master Roquan will listen to you more than he would listen to me. You can say things to him I just can't."

Amanda frowned. "You mean I can be disobedient and disrespectful towards him and you can't."

"I didn't mean it quite that way."

"But that's what it amounts to, isn't it?"

Sirinna said nothing. It was neither agreement nor disagreement. She had simply reached the end of what she was willing to say.

"He'll punish me," Amanda said tonelessly.

"Then tell him I instructed you to act this way."

"Oh, no, I won't. Then he'll punish both of us."

Sirinna smiled weakly. She cupped Amanda's chin. "I don't care, Amanda, if it means seeing you happy. You haven't been happy since you returned from Master Duric."

"Yes, I was," Amanda protested, though the conviction in her voice was weak. "I was really happy to see you again."

Sirinna's smile widened. "I know. But it wasn't enough for you."

Amanda had hoped that it would be. She had hoped that being with Sirinna again would mean she could tolerate anything else that befell her.

"Master Roquan always wants to do what's right for us," Sirinna said. "I really believe that. But h-he might not know everything."

Amanda gave Sirinna a hopeful look. She could hear the catch in Sirinna's voice. Perhaps Amanda had been wrong, and that Sirinna really could think for herself.

"But give him his pleasure first. And do the best you can to please him."

"I always do that, Sirinna, you know that," Amanda said, her voice a bit more sharp than she had intended. She softened her gaze. "I actually do enjoy it, you know. And I am good at it."

"Oh, yes, you are indeed. I have heard some very, very nice things about you from Master Duric through Master Roquan."

Amanda smiled, the first genuine smile that graced her lips in nearly a half-moon. Sirinna melted at the sight and embraced Amanda tightly once more.

"I'm sorry I've acted like such a sourpuss lately," Amanda said,

Sirinna giggled. "Sourpuss?"

Amanda blushed. As much as she had grown used to the idioms in Narlass, she occasionally slipped and let out an Earth expression. "Um, I'll explain it later. We better get to Master Roquan."

Sirinna nodded and smiled. She fell into step again behind her charge, her heart feeling a lot lighter than when she left their shared quarters.

The tense silence between the two Overlords was like a band drawn taut between them, stretching even further as Roquan turned away and stepped back to his desk. His eyes dropped to the large parchment map of Oceanus spread out over it.

"No," said Roquan D'ronstaq.

A soft but clearly exasperated sigh came from the other. "Yes, I could have told Doran you would say that," said Rennis D'glounaas with a sour note to his voice just before he raised the wine goblet to his lips.

Roquan did not turn around. His eyes remained riveted to the map, tracing the notations he had made to it. "Then why did you waste your time in travel to my Manor if you knew this already?"

Rennis took a long drink from the goblet before responding. "In the vain hope that you would see the sense in it."

"It would have been better had you come for the purpose I had assumed."

"And that was?"

"That you brought word of the whereabouts of Jollis."

"I don't have any insights for you there, Roquan, I'm sorry. Not his exact whereabouts, anyway."

Roquan clenched a hand into a fist briefly, but otherwise did not react. He continued to stare at the map.

"You know, one would think you're obsessing over that scrap of paper too much."

Roquan turned, body stiffly tense in anger. He fixed an icy gaze on his friend.

Rennis returned it with equanimity. He was beyond caring about Roquan's temper anymore. He was too tired, not so much physically as emotionally.

A handful of seasons was all that it had taken. Rennis had not had any gray whatsoever when Amanda had first arrived on Narlass. Now silver streaked his hair and peppered his goatee. Roquan's edge of gray about the ears had crept up the sides of his head.

Both men were still physically in good form. Rennis was still lean and lithe, Roquan still broad-chested and muscular. But the toll could be seen on their faces and heard in their voices.

"I would not 'obsess' over it as you so indelicately put it, Rennis, if I had something substantially new to place upon it."

Rennis raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow you."

Roquan swept an arm over the document, the hem of his robe swirling briefly. "See for yourself."

Rennis finished off his wine in one long pull and set the goblet aside. He stepped across the outer chamber of Roquan's quarters and peered.

The map showed the part of Oceanus contained on the main continent, which would be the east coast of North America on an Earth map. Near the center along the coast was the Imperial Palace. Around it, chunks of land were carved by treaty-bound borders marking the lands of the Nobility. Five such areas near the Imperial Palace were shaded in ominous red.

Rennis looked up. "So?"

"You do not consider it important that nothing has happened?"

"I would say a fair amount has happened," Rennis said patiently. "The Emperor did as we thought he would. He fanned out his armies and usurped the lands of the Noble Lords that bordered him to the south and west."

"And nothing else has happened," Roquan concluded testily. "There have been no moves at all against the Imperial legions."

"Really, Roquan, you should let Lord Duric worry about that. There's a reason he was put in charge of all the Nobility's forces. If Lord Uras thinks he's up to snuff, then ..."

"If Duric would launch an attack and bring the war to the Emperor, you would not have to ask me to treat with the Urisi!" Roquan thundered. "Again!"

Rennis clasped his hands tightly behind his back in an effort to remain calm. Doran had specifically chosen Rennis for the task of speaking with Roquan because Rennis was a close friend. He could make Roquan see reason when others could not.

But with a matter so close to Roquan's heart -- his slaves -- Rennis' task was enormous.

"If you want my opinion, Roquan, I believe Duric is attempting to lure the Imperial army into making a brash attack," said Rennis.

"While leaving the north vulnerable."

"He has that covered as well. It was clever of him to leave behind a cavalry regiment to make constant border raids on the western borders. I hear he is leaving fake documents behind to make it appear he has a whole legion there."

"I fail to see how that ..."

Rennis clasped Roquan hard on the shoulder. He looked earnestly into his friend's eyes. "Roquan. Leave the soldiering to the soldiers. Please."

Roquan looked taken aback by the gesture. He finally let out a slow sigh, his shoulders slumping.

"You're the one that is so adamant about getting back to business as usual at your Manor," Rennis said mildly.

"That is what I am thinking of, Rennis," Roquan said in a calmer voice. "I am thinking of how many Overlord Manors would be overrun in an Imperial offensive."

"Yes, and don't you think the other Overlords are considering the same thing?"

Roquan snorted. "And that is their reason for dealing with the Urisi?"

Rennis turned away and refilled his goblet. Normally protocol would dictate that he wait for his host's leave before helping himself, but such traditions appeared to be crumbling with everything else in Oceanus. "The Overlords are worried, Roquan. Some have already lost business from the initial occupation. Others are seeing contracts canceled by Lords that need to keep platinum in reserve for war supplies."

"It cannot be that bad already. I refuse to believe that."

Rennis turned towards his friend. "Believe what you will. The plain fact of the matter is that they are frightened."

Roquan's jaw tightened. "And did they not realize what they were getting into when they voted for a change in leadership at the Conclave?"

"No, they didn't. They expected a swift, easy coup. That failed. Then they expected the Nobility to rally and bring down the Emperor in a lightning strike. That failed as well. Now they're stuck with a civil war that they did not want."

"Are you telling me they are reconsidering their support?"

Rennis shook his head. "It's too late for that. But I guarantee that every one of them would claim, if pressed, that they would have changed their vote if they knew it would come to this."

Roquan remained silent. His eyes grew distant.

Rennis knew his friend well enough to realize that Roquan was taking it personally, all of it. It was the equivalent of a vote of no-confidence.

"They do not need me," Roquan declared flatly.

Rennis paused with his goblet half-raised. He lowered it and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I do not control them. I am not their leader. Overlords do not have such things. They are free to treat with whatever power they wish."

"You still don't get it. It's not what the Overlords want so much as it is what the Urisi want."

"To blazing hellfire with what the Urisi want."

"No, Roquan, not this time. The Urisi will hold this over us. They know the Overlords will be hurting for more business. And they have always wanted your slaves because yours are the best."

Roquan allowed himself a moment of pride. It was a small victory in a war he was rapidly coming to realize he was about to lose. "You know how I feel about the Urisi," he said in a low voice.

Rennis nodded once.

The Urisi Nation was the other "superpower" on Narlass. Located across the ocean to the east, occupying most of what was Europe on an Earth map, they dealt in slaves as well. But their slave system was very different, as was the manner in which they treated them.

Roquan was fiercely protective of his slaves. For a Noble Lord to get on Roquan's blacklist was a kiss of death in terms of slave trade. He hated the Urisi slavemasters and their methods. He despised the attitudes of the slaveowners. "Nothing but a warm body with a cock or a pussy" was his oft-repeated summary of the latter.

"Are you saying they will refuse to deal with the other Overlords unless I relent?" Roquan asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Doran said that's the impression he got the first time he inquired."

Roquan wanted to rail against the fact that Doran had usurped his authority, but that would be admitting a tacit leadership role that he had claimed he had not wanted and that did not truly exist. "Just tell me one thing, Rennis. Please tell me that Doran was not influenced by Freya."

One corner of Rennis' mouth rose. "Ah, so you've heard about that."

"I had hoped to have heard the last of that infernal woman."

He would no longer dignify Freya D'yros with the title "Overlord." She had nearly taken Amanda from him once in exchange for not exposing his secret, that Amanda had never had the Draught of Forgetfulness. It was a terrible breach of Overlord protocol to train a Draughtless slave. It was Roquan's belief -- born out by Amanda's brief time as Freya's slave -- that Freya abused her slaves in a manner similar to the Urisi.

"One would think Freya's slaves a much more attractive commodity to the Urisi," Roquan said icily.

"Oh, you can be sure that she's being motivated by platinum," said Rennis, the disdain evident. "No doubt of that. But she is stirring up feelings that the other Overlords already had."

"She is doing it to increase her own influence!"

"Then give in and cut her off. If you relent and open up the market, you'll steal the wind from her sails. You'll be seen as the progressive one, not her."

Roquan did not reply, but there was a faintly thoughtful look to his otherwise inscrutable face.

Rennis took a long pull at his wine. "In fact, you should be the one to negotiate with the Urisi liaison"

Roquan blanched. "What? Are you quite serious?"

"Very."

"I am not letting a Urisi set foot in my Manor."

"Oh, come now, Roquan. He will be a statesman, an aristocrat, not a common Urisi slavemaster."

"I have even less use for aristocrats."

Rennis laughed.

Roquan frowned. "I do not recall saying something amusing."

"You want to see an aristocrat, look in the mirror. Because that's what people see us as."

Roquan shook his head. "This is insane."

"Yes, it is. Everything that's happening is insane. It's insane that we're in a civil war. It's insane that you had a tradesman and merchant that was a spy for some unknown cause ..."

Roquan's tensed again.

"... and it's insane that you gave your Healer the secret formula for the Draught in total disregard for centuries of tradition ..."

"Now, Rennis, I told you exactly why I ..."

Rennis waved a hand in dismissal. He had not meant his claim to be recriminating in the least. He actually admired Roquan for doing it. "The point is, what's one more insane action added to the pile, hmm?"

"That is hardly the way to make an argument."

"Yes, also true. But will you do it?"

Roquan's face was stony. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really, considering Doran already told the Urisi to send someone, so they'll probably ask you to power your Portal in another day or so."

There was another moment of silent tension. Finally, Roquan let out an exasperated breath. "I should have known Doran would dare to do such a thing."

"He just knows you better than you think he does. He knows you always do the right thing in the end."

Roquan was about to retort as to his thoughts on how "right" this was when there came the gentle knock at his door. Still glowering at Rennis, he said crisply, "Enter."

As the door opened, a breeze swirled in around Amanda. It caught the edge of the map and nudged it until it was draped partially over the side of the desk. The movement briefly caught Amanda's attention with a shift of her eyes.

The wind wrapped Amanda's lustrous hair around her torso, a few strands falling before her brown eyes. Her hair settled when Sirinna came in behind her and closed the door. She brushed Amanda's hair straight with her fingers.

"Good evening, Master Roquan," Sirinna said brightly. She turned her head towards Rennis. Her face lit up. "And good evening to you as well, Master Rennis!"

Rennis smiled softly at the one that had once been his slave some time ago before selling her to Roquan. "You look quite wonderful as always, Sirinna."

Sirinna positively glowed from the praise.

Rennis' eyes dropped to Amanda. Her eyes rose to his. "You are also looking very well, Amanda. It is good to see you back at the Manor again."

"Thank you, Master Rennis," Amanda said. Duty had triggered the automatic reply, but there was a hint of warmth to her eyes. She had always liked Rennis the best of all the other Overlords. He seemed to share some of the better qualities of Roquan.

Rennis turned to Roquan. "And privileged as well, I see. You did well to reward her, Roquan, considering."

Amanda's teeth clenched briefly, but it was the only reaction she allowed herself. She was determined to do everything right that night. If she was to be treated like a slave, she would throw everything she had into the role. She would prove herself again.

Her gaze met Roquan's. His eyes were unyielding and evaluating. Amanda kept her own eyes soft and submissive, and her stance relaxed and subdued. She knew that word had likely already reached him of her attitude problem of late, even if Sirinna did not reveal it to him.

"I bring you Amanda for this evening, Master," Sirinna said, completing one variation of the traditional presentation. "May she give you great pleasure. Please treat her well."

That was Amanda's cue. She did not let her gaze linger. She dropped her eyes as was proper and folded her hands demurely before her. She stood perfectly still and awaited a command.

Sirinna's lips twitched into a tiny, relieved smile.

"Sirinna," Roquan said.

"Yes, Master?"

"You will see to my friend's pleasure this evening."

Sirinna was delighted. "Yes, Master, of course!"

Rennis grinned. "Be careful. I might just find more excuses to come down here if you keep doing that."

"Your company is never unwelcome, Rennis, no matter what machinations you inflict upon me with each visit."

Rennis chuckled.

Amanda took a slow, deep breath and let it go. Out of the corner of her eye she could see part of the map. From that angle, she could see that notations had been made but she could not interpret them.

Roquan looked so tired to her. So much older. Was it because things were going really bad? The Emperor was supposed to be in control of the navy, and Roquan's Manor sat on an isolated island. Why have there been no attacks from sea? Were Manors considered neutral territory?

For everything she had learned in the past season, she felt she had ten times as much still to learn.

Rennis turned away and headed towards Sirinna with an eagerness that he rarely felt anymore. He lifted a hand to her face and let it slide down one arm and around Sirinna's hip. Sirinna let out a sigh of pleasure and leaned into the touch, her sex already growing damp.

"As responsive as I remember you, Sirinna," said Rennis. "But I have one last bit of business with your Overlord."

Rennis raised his hand and teased her breast. Sirinna let out a soft moan. "Of course, Master," she said in a light, breathy voice.

"Yes, Rennis, what is it?" Roquan said.

Rennis withdrew his hand and turned to Roquan. "I actually did have a bit of news about your wayward merchant."

Amanda twitched and held her breath. Roquan's eyes flicked to her, then to Sirinna.

"I had said no one knows where he is, but that doesn't mean we don't have our suspicions about ..."

Roquan abruptly turned away from Rennis and called out, "Amanda!"

Amanda looked up. "Yes, Master?" she said, her voice quavering.

"You will wait in my spring chamber, as you will be tending to my bath tonight."

Amanda shot him an accusing look before she answered in a weak voice, "Yes, Master."

Rennis raised an eyebrow. Sirinna looked nervously from him to her Overlord as Amanda left the room.

"Sirinna, wait for Rennis in his quarters."

And Sirinna did not like it either, but she was much more accomplished at hiding her reaction. She had to be, with as many conflicting thoughts as she had had lately. "Yes, Master."

Roquan waited until both slaves had left before turning to Rennis. "Now, what was it you wish to tell me?"

Rennis frowned. "What in hellfire was that all about?"

"I do not follow you."

"Why did you send them away?"

"This is not for their ears. It is of little consequence to them."

"That's not what you thought when you used Amanda as a spy on the other Overlords at the Conclave."

Roquan's eyes burned in anger, but for only a moment. There had been no reproach in Rennis' voice. "What is your point, Rennis?"

"Slaves are never sent out of the room when important matters are spoken. Unless you started to believe your own speech about not being able to trust a Draughtless slave that made Freya give Amanda back to you."

"Do not speak such nonsense."

"Then give me a better explanation."

"You said it yourself earlier. I wish to return to business as usual in my Manor."

"Except things will never be that way with Amanda. I mean, she deserves to know this information as well, considering how close she was to him. Talk about a betrayal."

Roquan said nothing.

"You haven't told her anything, have you?"

"What purpose would it serve? It would only ... upset her."

Rennis stared in astonished silence.

"What is it?" Roquan snapped.

"You care for her that much."

Roquan took a deep breath and let it go slowly through his nose. "She is one of my best slaves. I do not wish to ..."

"That's not it at all. You care for her beyond that."

"I care for all my slaves, Rennis, you know that!"

"Stop dodging the issue. You know what I meant."

Roquan turned his head towards the curtain that separated the outer chamber from his bedchamber. Beyond that was the spring chamber. His eyes lost some of their hardness that seemed to be ingrained into them for so long. He looked back to Rennis, surprising his friend with his sudden softer demeanor.

"It is not proper, Rennis," Roquan said in a low voice. "It is not proper at all to show such strong feelings for a slave."

A corner of Rennis' mouth twitched. "That never stopped you where Sirinna was concerned. No, don't look surprised, Roquan. It's obvious that she's your favorite. Or was your favorite. You're lucky that Sirinna and Amanda are in love, otherwise Sirinna might feel bad."

It had never once crossed Roquan's mind that Sirinna might feel neglected. He felt an emotion that was so foreign to him that he had trouble understanding what it was at first. It was guilt.

He had always been deferential to Sirinna when it came to sharing his bed with his slaves. Rennis used to gibe him about it. It was traditional for an Overlord to keep his bed open to all his slaves, as it made them feel an additional bond to the Overlord. Roquan treated his slaves well enough that they tacitly accepted Sirinna's perpetual position at the top of the hierarchy.

He knew it was not proper, nor were his stronger feelings towards her. He had conveniently ignored the impropriety of it.

Roquan looked back at Rennis. His eyes grew cool again. "Tell me what you wish to say about Jollis."

Rennis looked a bit frustrated, but he let the matter drop. "We don't know where he is, but we suspect he is working with -- or at least had contact with -- Gronnus."

Roquan's hands clenched. Hearing the name sparked the memory he would never forget, that of Amanda with a crossbow bolt in her leg, her lifeblood streaming away as she was carried to the Healer Vanlo.

And all because the treacherous Gronnus had acted as the Emperor's spy among the Overlords, and then had abetted in the first part of a plot to assassinate Roquan. He had sounded a warning to Roquan only when it had become clear that he was to lose his own life as well.

"I should have killed him when I was angry enough to do so," Roquan said.

"And you'd likely regret it the moment you were no longer angry. It's a moot point."

"What is Jollis doing with Gronnus?"

Rennis shook his head. "No one knows. We're hearing this second hand, via the merchant clans. And information from them doesn't come cheap. But get this, Roquan: Apparently we're not the only one interested in Gronnus. Seems the Emperor is, as well."

Roquan narrowed his eyes. "He wishes to use Gronnus against us again. Perhaps he has failed to understand how none of us will associate with him any longer."

"Maybe. But it's damned suspicious to me. I think something else is going on. Doran thinks so, too."

Roquan nodded once, his gaze suddenly distant.

Rennis turned away from him. "I bid you good day, Roquan. It's been a long day."

"Only one of an endless march of them, Rennis," replied Roquan. "Good day to you as well."

Rennis quietly departed. Roquan advanced towards his bed chamber.

Halfway there, one eyebrow rose as he spotted sudden, shadowy movement in the small gap between the edge of the curtain and the door frame. He stepped forward quickly and brushed the curtain aside with a sweep of his arm.

To the left was the other doorway to the spring. It also had a curtain hung across it. As he watched, the lower edge of the curtain swirled in the still air before coming to rest.

Roquan managed to quell the initial, and largely automatic, feeling of disdain over having caught a slave in an obvious act of disobedience. Nevertheless, he needed a moment to push the thought of punishment out of his head. He sighed softly as he realized he had just bestowed a privilege on Amanda that he had never done for a slave, not even Sirinna.

He crossed the bedchamber and stepped into the spring.

The circular chamber felt warm and steamy. The floor was stone, a large, round depression carved out of the center and filled with water. It bubbled and frothed at the center, where a set magic spell kept the spring constantly running clear and clean.

Amanda stood to the side. She had again adopted the submissive pose, but the quick rise and fall of her breasts betrayed her.

Roquan abruptly stepped up to her and cupped her chin. Amanda gasped in surprise as her eyes were forced upwards to her Overlord's face.

Caught off guard, she had no time to disguise her feelings. He saw it all in her eyes. Defiance. Impatience. Anger. And now fear, when she realized she had been caught.

Amanda's eyes shimmered as she waited for the expected hammer to fall. She thought it likely he would paddle her. He knew that she did not care for either its sting or the the fact that it incited arousal.

Instead, Roquan lowered his hand. His face was a rigid mask. "I am in need of a bath," he said tonelessly, reaching for the sash of his robe. "Then you will pleasure me."

"Um, yes, Master," Amanda said awkwardly as the Overlord turned away.

Amanda watched Roquan shed his robe. Her sex tingled as his naked body slid into the water. Her eyes lingered on his tight rear and the cords of muscle along his legs and arms before they disappeared into the spring.

Amanda found the soap powder and sprinkled some into the spring. As the water foamed, she was reminded of her first time here, the day after she had been collared. It was here that Roquan had taken her virginity. She had been so frightened of that moment. Now when she recalled it, her folds grew damp in anticipation.

Sponge in hand, she slid into the water. The warmth of the spring seeped into the liquid heat that had already gathered in her sex. Even as upset as she was at Roquan, his presence still could incite her desire.

Still, she did not normally feel it so quickly unless she was specifically attempting to arouse herself for him. Even then, she would do it by filling her head with erotic imagery of trysts she had truly enjoyed. All she was thinking of now was her deflowering and what she had overheard between him and Rennis.

Heat flared in her pussy again as she slipped behind Roquan and spread suds over his broad back. She wanted to be furious with him. He was keeping something from her about Jollis. He was ignoring how much she had helped him at the Conclave and Duric at the confrontation outside the gates of the Imperial Palace.

She felt she had earned the right to be treated as more than a slave.

Roquan remained maddeningly quiet. His shoulders and arms shone with a soapy film, making the contours of his musculature standing out in sharp relief. Her hands trembled as they moved along the hard outline of his body. Emotions rose in her head in escalating conflict.

Part of her was trying to deny the idea that Roquan had any feelings for her. She didn't need yet another love interest, especially one where she had no idea if she could respond in kind. Part of her wanted to revel in it, to let it spark and inflame her lust if not her love.

The more the two fought against each other, the more they tried to drown each other out. By the time she had finished all she could do behind him, her pussy seemed to steam as much as the water around her.

Amanda tried to avoid looking into his eyes as she crawled in front of him. She was not sure if it were because she did not want to see what was there, or that she did not want him to read her own gaze. His ability to sense the exact emotion she was feeling at any moment was uncanny. It made it nearly impossible for her to hide anything from him.

She pressed her hands to his chest. She let out a breath as her slick hands slid over hard flesh.

Stop it, she silently chided herself. You can't have any desire for him. He doesn't deserve it. He won't tell you anything. He ...

Amanda's thoughts lurched when Roquan suddenly grabbed her wrists.

She tried to pull herself free. His fingers were like steel bands. Her gaze snapped to his. Her mouth dropped open, and she stopped struggling.

Had this been her deflowering, she would have cringed in terror at what she saw in his eyes. But it was not fear that made her quake under his intense gaze. Nor did she attempt to resist when he pushed her back against the side of the pool. By the time he descended on her, even as quickly as he moved, she already had her legs open for him and quivered in anticipation.

Amanda closed her eyes and gasped as he slid into her aching depths. He had her wrists pinned to the edge of the pool, trapping her. It didn't matter, for she had already submitted, panting hard as she rocked her hips in time to his strong, deep thrusts.

Roquan let go of her wrists. Amanda uttered a ragged moan as he gathered her in his arms. The soap made their bodies slick, sliding easily against each other as Roquan pumped his manhood furiously into her willing sex. Amanda panted wildly, clutching at him, her fingers curling hard into the thick muscles of his upper arms.

She rose so quickly and powerfully before she thought to tighten her sexual muscles that it was like trying to hold back a raging torrent. Her discipline collapsed, and she let out a shrill cry as she came.

Roquan continued to pound into her with animal ferocity. Her orgasm left Amanda weak and helpless. She didn't care, as her pussy ached as much in still unsatisfied need as it did from her strong climax. She moved along with him, gaining better command over her sex, tightening herself against his onslaught.

She rose more slowly and steadily now, though it was still took a huge effort not to let go and sail to another quick climax. Roquan's breath grew short and heavy, and she felt his body tense. She wrapped her legs around him as if she were afraid he would pull back from her before he was done. Their frantic movements frothed the water into thick and cloying suds all around them.

A mighty shudder passed through Roquan's body, and he buried himself inside her with a loud groan. Amanda gasped at the force of his orgasm, his cock throbbing hard in her tight tunnel. She let go, her pussy sailing up and over the crest. She cried out in breathless ecstasy.

As their shared orgasm faded, Roquan's grip on her loosened. She settled back against the side of the pool, sliding down until the water lapped at her shoulders and neck. She was grateful for the sudden immersion, the gentle warmth helping calm her down. She felt him reluctantly withdraw from her as his manhood flagged.

Roquan cast his steely gaze upon her. She raised her eyes to his and looked resolutely back.

"You were listening in on my conversation with Rennis," said Roquan, still panting.

"Yes, I was, Master," replied Amanda, also still catching her breath.

"Do you know what I must do now, Amanda?"

Amanda betrayed no fear or guilt whatsoever in her eyes. "Yes, you have to punish me."

"And if I punished you, would you be sorry for what you did?"

"Not in the least, Master."

"So you would do it again? Despite the threat of future punishment?"

Defiance rose to Amanda's gaze. She did not make any effort whatsoever to hide it. "Yes, Master, I would. I want to know what's going on."

By this time, their breathing had settled to normal. Now the silence between them was absolute.

Roquan finally drew back and stood up. He gestured to her once. Amanda's eyes never left his as she rose from the water. He gestured again. She paused, then turned so her back was to him.

She did not bother to brace herself, yet she barely flinched when his hand cracked across her ass cheeks. But then her resignation turned to puzzlement when it was not followed by another.

"Turn around, Amanda."

She complied, looking at him curiously.

"That is sufficient punishment for your transgression."

Amanda was reminded of that moment when an angry Freya returned Amanda to Roquan. Freya had insisted that Roquan punish Amanda for her disrespect. Roquan had delivered nothing more than a single, light swat to Amanda's rear, which had positively infuriated Freya.

She barely suppressed a smile at the thought, though the corners of her mouth twitched.

"But next time, I will not be lenient," Roquan declared. "Next time you will not have that excuse."

"Excuse, Master?"

"That you wish to know what is going on, for you will already know."

It took a moment for Amanda to realize the implication of Roquan's statement. Then she no longer held back her smile. "Thank you, Master."

"Rinse and dry me off first, Amanda, and then we will talk," said the Overlord. "But I warn you, Amanda. There is little that is pleasant in what I have to tell you. I know from Sirinna how close you felt towards the merchant."

"Yes, Master," Amanda said softly. Her heart thumped. She had feared that Jollis had done something wrong, or at least something that had angered Roquan. At first she had not wanted to believe such a thing of him, as kind and sweet as he had been towards her. But the more time she had to think about it, the more it made sense to her.

That was part of the reason she was so short with Sirinna earlier. She resented how the one person that had treated her as his equal was the one person that possibly perpetrated some crime against the Overlord. For all of Roquan's faults, he was an honorable man. He would not arbitrarily throw someone out of the Manor.

Amanda tried not to rush in her eagerness to know. She attended to him with the same careful attention to detail as she always did.

When she had discharged her duty to him, Roquan kept his word. He showed her the map and explained of the Emperor's moves since the failed attack by Duric's army. A small shiver passed through Amanda at this point, as she was well aware that she had helped bring these events to pass.

But Jollis thought I had done very well, Amanda reminded herself, though the thought of the merchant brought its own emotional sting.

As if sensing her thoughts, Roquan proceeded to tell her of Jollis.

He told her how the Portal sense of the Healer Vanlo -- the ability to know when a Portal was being opened in the vicinity -- had been stilled by an illicit potion. He told her how Vanlo, through his wizardry with chemistry and his knowledge of genetics, had managed to uncover Jollis as the perpetrator. He told her how they had theorized that Jollis had been opening unauthorized Portals into the Manor grounds, but they knew not why.

When Roquan was done, Amanda remained very quiet and very still. His words chimed into the hollow, empty space in her mind like a mournful bell. Empty was how she felt at that moment. Her impression of Jollis -- of the kind-hearted man who had so enthralled her with his patience, compassion, and wit -- had been taken from her, and now this lie in its place.

As Amanda stared listlessly at nothing in particular, eyes dark and distant, the silence became too great for the Overlord. "I am sorry, Amanda, that you had to hear of this," he said, an edge to his voice despite the obvious sympathy in his tone.

Amanda blinked rapidly. She drew in her breath and let it go as a slow sigh which caught once.

"I fully intend to see that he is brought to justice," said Roquan. "The Overlords will not rest until he is found and called to answer for his crime."

"Y-you could be wrong."

Roquan paused. He heard the anguished quaver in her voice. He had hoped that Amanda had not grown as enamored of the man as he had suspected.

"You were wrong before, Master," Amanda said, struggling to speak against her tightening throat. "When you thought Master Rennis had brought the Jonalla into the Manor."

Roquan's face hardened. He had not wanted to be reminded of that. "Yes. I had acted rashly in that case with little proof. In this case, most unfortunately, there is ample proof to back up the accusation, and there is his own implication of guilt in the note he had left behind."

Amanda's eyes glistened. Her head knew the logic was unassailable. Her heart was a different matter.

She would not argue the point further. Not trusting the words that might issue from her lips, she simply nodded, despite it being against protocol.

Roquan accepted this, grateful to be done with this unenviable task. Guilt tugged at his thoughts, however. He wondered if he should comfort her in some way. As an Overlord, he dealt with slaves all the time. He had few social skills in dealing with females that were not slaves. He was out of his element and did not know what to do.

But the dilemma settled something else. It made him realize that he already no longer considered Amanda only a slave. It was a thought that had lurked in the back of his mind since the Conclave, but it was only now he could dare to acknowledge it.

His own words came back to haunt him. Events had indeed come to a point in Oceanus that all the old traditions were losing their relevance.

"Is there anything else you desire of me, Master?" Amanda asked.

Roquan detected the impatience in her voice. This was an awkward moment for both of them. "No, Amanda, that is all. You pleased me well this evening."

"Thank you, Master." Amanda headed quickly for the door.

Roquan watched her go. Just as she was about to step across the threshold, he called out. "Wait."

Amanda stopped, paused, and turned. "Yes, Master?"

"Tell Sirinna to come to my quarters in the morning. I wish to discuss the idea of giving you ... other duties at the Manor."

Amanda blinked in surprise. "What? I mean ..."

Roquan stepped up to her. His eyes appeared soft, almost liquid. His voice was devoid of its usual edge when he spoke. "I cannot unmake what you are, Amanda. You are a slave. That cannot change. But you are obviously more than that and always will be."

For a moment, Amanda forgot her grief over Jollis.

It shocked her into truly opening her eyes. This moment of humility allowed Amanda to see how terribly Roquan had aged in her short time in Narlass. It was as if ten years had gone by in the space of several seconds.

"I cannot grant you freedom, and the selfish part of me does not want to do it even if I could," continued Roquan in a slow, thoughtful voice. "But I can grant you privilege. That is my right as Overlord. We will discuss it in a few days hence."

Amanda nodded quickly, still stunned. She remembered herself and said, "Thank you, Master."

"You may go."

Amanda departed.

Her eyes stared ahead of her with a glazed and forlorn look to them. Her body was pelted by tiny raindrops as a rumbling chord of thunder played through the cloudy skies. She barely noticed it or the cool breeze that blew at her.

Roquan's concession was what she had wanted all along, yet now it rung hollow in the wake of the revelation about Jollis. She could not bring herself to believe it. She had to hear it from him before she could.

Yet it had been over a moon, and she had still heard nothing from him.

Amanda entered her quarters. She sighed at the empty bed. Sirinna had not yet returned. She longed for Sirinna's comforting embrace. She wanted someone to tell her that everything would be all right. Jollis would contact her and explain to her the mistake that had been made.

But until then, she was again trapped in the same limbo she had been before.

Amanda dried the rain from her body and slid under the blanket in her bedchamber. The silence was broken by a single, soft sob, and tears slid down her face and onto the pillow before she fell into a fitful sleep.

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