Free Web NovelEarly the next morning, Linhart woke up in a bed that wasn't his; the sunlight hitting his face. Opening his eyes a crack, he took in his surroundings. He was in a dorm room much larger than his own, but it wasn’t Celes’ room either. The walls were adorned with artwork and there were several shelves filled with books, as well as a large writing desk.
“Uhh… What happened last night?” he asked himself.
He remembered making love with the hot master mage for hours, until she passed out and then Maeve the Fighter had climbed on top and fucked him some more. He felt rested and his body was tingling, despite the fact that he’d gotten only a few hours of sleep.
“You kept your part of the bargain, Linhart. Do you know how pretty you look just lying there?”
He didn’t realize until a reply came that he wasn’t alone, but he knew right away who was speaking.
Sitting up in bed, his blanket fell away, exposing his naked chest. He was instantly alert. There, in a comfortable armchair similar to the one from last night, Celes was reclining with a smile on her face. She had changed into another dress, one that was equally glamorous, and she looked amazing.
“Stratega, what are you doing here?”
“I was watching you sleep,” she replied without any sign of embarrassment. She was staring hungrily at his body until he covered his bare chest up once more. “To be honest, I was thinking how wonderful it would be if I could keep you here forever, like an angel with his eyes closed. All it would take is an extended sleep spell.”
“You can’t cast spells on me,” he said, trying to act nonchalant, though her words made him nervous. He wanted to be away from the Spire as quickly as possible.
Checking under the thin blanket that covered him, he frowned and asked, “Where are my clothes?”
“They’re folded on the desk over there,” she replied with a hint of playfulness. She gave no indication that she was going to get them for him, so he sighed and rolled out of bed, extremely aware that her eyes followed his every move.
He resisted the urge to wrap himself in the blanket as he crossed the room, but then immediately regretted it when Celes 'meowed' at him like an excited cat at the sight of his bare butt. He considered briefly making her take off her clothes and show her ass in revenge, but he decided not to piss her off when she was in such a good mood.
Pulling his underwear on quickly, he spoke to her over his shoulder, trying to sound casual.
“Now that I’ve delivered on my half of the bargain, when will I get the artifacts that you promised me?”
“Right now, dear boy,” she said, and he heard some movement from behind him. It sounded like she was sliding something across the floor. “Beyond wishing you a good morning, there is a reason I’m here. I brought the artifacts and a demonstration of how they work.”
Linhart was intrigued, but he didn't want to seem desperate, so he took his time pulling on his pants, then his shirt, and buttoning it up before he turned back to face her. His jaw dropped in surprise as he saw that someone else had joined them in the room.
“Is that… Senior Maeve?”
Celes’ delighted cackle sounded like an off-pitch bell. Beside her, kneeling on the hard stone floor was a girl clothed in a black leather corset and underwear. She wore a blindfold and a sparkling black choker around her neck, which made it harder to identify her. She looked like Maeve, except that her red hair was short and messy as a mop.
“Ask her yourself…”
Linhart came closer to the girl. It definitely looked like her, but something was off. He put his hand on her cheek. Her chest swelled in excitement at his touch.
“Are you Senior Maeve?”
“Yes, I am,” came the girl’s reply. She moved her head, rubbing it against his hand as though she were a cat, the short red hair was bristly against his skin.
“What happened to your hair?”
“I cut it,” Celes cut in, her voice becoming suddenly serious. “She thought I was asleep, but I saw her fucking you last night. She touched you with that damned braid of hers, so I cut it off and threw it into the void.”
A pang of sadness struck him, as Linhart ran his fingers through what was left of her lovely hair. “I loved the feel of your braid against me…” Regret filled his heart, as he lashed out saying, “You weren’t allowed to harm her!”
Maeve didn’t speak, but a line of tears rolled down her cheeks from behind the blindfold she was wearing. She remained silent.
“Don’t you see,” Celes exclaimed excitedly, “I haven’t harmed her at all. I didn’t have to fight with her, since she’s been fitted with a necklace. She is still the same girl, but you can use her in any way you see fit!”
Linhart listened to her words, but his mind was still on the loss of the braid and imagining how badly Maeve must be feeling right now.
“Why isn’t she talking?”
“Aha, that’s part of the rule system,” Celes said with a smile. She placed her hands on Maeve’s cheeks and slapped her gently. Then she ran her finger along the girl’s neck, tugging at the necklace. It looked so unassuming, like a cute leather collar that a girl might find fashionable.
“This girl was as stubborn as any Fighter at the Academy, but since I told her,” then she lowered her head to Maeve’s ear and spoke with a hint of mirth, “You MUST not talk to Linhart or myself unless we talk directly to you first, do you understand?”
Maeve took a ragged breath, then responded, saying, “Yes Mistress Celes, I understand.”
“You see?” she said, addressing Linhart. “She responds to keywords, and the rules you set are as stiff or relaxed as you want them to be. And only the person who placed the necklace around her neck can set the rules, so you needn’t worry about others interfering.”
“So… Maeve is obedient to you, not to me?”
“Well, I have set a few rules for my benefit, but most rules, you will find, are to help you and keep you safe. By the way, that reminds me…”
She turned again to the redhead and asked in a shrill voice, “What’s your name?...”
Just a moment’s pause and Maeve responded, “My name is Cow-tits, Mistress Celes.”
“And why do you call yourself that?”
“...Because I have huge unsightly tits, which would look better on a cow.” Maeve reached down into her leather bodice and cupped her tits, jiggling them up and down. The motion should be sexy as hell, but it made Linhart feel sick. These rules must be killing Maeve inside.
“Why are you doing this to her? She hates the name Cow-tits!”
Celes looked at him, as if he were insane. Her face was as innocent as a child's, but in her eyes he could see she was taking great pleasure in Maeve’s suffering.
“Why?... I’m just demonstrating the power of the necklace. You can do anything to her and she will have to be okay with it.”
“Cancel that rule please… Can you cancel it?”
Celes sighed then said, “Fine… you may be pretty, but you’re no fun at all!”
“Cow-tits, you MUST no longer call yourself Cow-tits, your name is once again Maeve Thales… except when you’re visiting the Spire. Here you are still Cow-tits, because I like it so much!” She ended in a peal of laughter.
Linhart groaned, then his hand started to work at Maeve’s blindfold, looking for a way to take it off so she can see again.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you…” Celes warned.
“Why not?”
“I gave her a couple of ORDERS… those are the strongest rules you can give. I told her that if she looked at you again, here in the Spire, she’d have to jump down the elevator shaft.”
“Godsdamnit!” Linhart cursed so harshly that Celes actually looked surprised, then she continued.
“The other order I gave was that if she hears my true name… said by anyone, anywhere… that she would kill herself in the worst possible way.”
Linhart was stunned. Celes had done it. She’d nullified his most powerful defense. The shield that prevented Celes from doing anything that she wanted to him… to them. She knew there was no way he would risk Maeve’s life, so he could no longer speak her true name.
“May I have the other necklaces, please, Stratega Celes?” he asked quietly and respectfully. I’d like to leave now… with her.”
Celes nodded. That damned all-knowing look was back on her face. “Here are four more, as promised. You’ve already used one in the demonstration.” fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Linhart didn’t have the strength to argue, so he nodded in acceptance.
She handed him a small wooden box with a leather strap wrapped around it, which kept it firmly shut. The box felt light in his arms as he clasped it to his chest; his precious cargo. Her demonstration may have been crude, but she’s shown how powerful these artifacts could be in the hands of an unscrupulous owner.
“I’ve also given her a few other orders. She has to protect you with her life whenever you’re together. And there’s one other rule you’ll find out soon enough…”
Linhart must have looked crestfallen, because Celes put her hand out and patted him comfortingly on his head. He looked up and once again saw the beauty in all her actions.
She smiled, saying, “Don’t be sad, Linhart. The rules only apply when she’s in the presence of you or I, so most of the time she can proceed with her mundane Fighter existence. Punching things… or whatever she usually does.”
“Thank you, Stratega Celes.” Linhart didn’t trust himself to say more. He felt so conflicted with the terrible things this girl had done in the name of their agreement.
She embraced him suddenly, seemingly unaware of the mixed feelings he had for her. “Take care, lover! Next time you visit, you will have to fulfill the second part of our bargain,” she hinted.
Linhart, confused, walked away wondering what part of the bargain he had not yet fulfilled. It wasn’t until they had left the Spire and were out in the open air that he felt it was safe to talk with Maeve again.
He turned to her and threw his arms around her. Her body was hot as a furnace, as always, and when his hands yanked the blindfold off her face, she didn’t resist.
“I’m so sorry that I brought you here, Senior Maeve! Next time I speak to Celes, I’ll convince her to remove the artifact from your neck.”
“It’s no trouble,” replied Maeve. Her beautiful green eyes glittered in the light of the morning sun, but she refused to make eye contact. In fact, she turned away as she spoke to him. “I’m glad we shared a passionate night up there.”
She wasn’t shivering or scared. She didn’t seem to be showing any emotion at all. She had fully accepted the terms of the necklace. What was this insanely powerful artifact, and how could he use it to his advantage?
“Well, I’ll never bring you back here! That way you never have to obey that vicious woman again.”
“Oh, that’s not possible,” she said, turning back to him and embracing him, though her eyes were fixed on the ground. “I have to return here and bring you back with me tonight, and every other night. Otherwise, I must kill myself.”
