She'd woken up in her bed that morning, warm under her sheets. How she'd gotten there was a mystery to her, but she felt... comfortable. Warmth welled within her, and despite herself, groggy with sleep, she smiled and cuddled her pillow, just happy to be in such a soft bed. Her hair fell in front of her face and she could feel sleep pulling her back again.

Before she could drift off, however, a knock came at the door.

"Kat." It was Cobb's voice.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, just managing to keep herself in her bed. "Yes?" she called back.

"Put on your uniform and meet us in the dining room downstairs."

"Yes S-" she paused. "Okay, Cobb."

There was clearly a smirk in his voice when he said, "Very good."

She brushed her hair back and looked around. Her room was dark, so it must've still been early. Though small beams of blue were starting to filter in through her curtains, so it seemed about right. Six, she guessed. She sat up, stood up - a tiny bit too fast - before throwing her uniform on, brushing her hair with a small brush that sat on her vanity, and heading out of her door.

She stepped out and headed down the stairs, taking a left and heading into the dining room. It was a fairly large room, with a long table set with at least ten chairs, a long table runner of rich red and gold running down its deep oaken center. At its center was a glass vase filled with potpourri, and on the walls were grand paintings of battles and castles and mountains and such. The three windows on the wall let gentle light filter into the room, the first rays of the morning sun, aided by the lit, lambent chandelier overhead.

Her Mistress sat at the head of the table, already eating, and when Kat entered, she wordlessly looked up and pointed to the right of her, where another plate was waiting for her. She came forward, took a set, and nervously eyed Mistress Alexa. Her Mistress simply looked back at her, then to her food, and nodded. Kat, mouth watering, started to eat.

In her Mistress's hand and on the table beside her were graphs, charts, reports. Kat didn't bother trying to find out what they were. It was none of her business, and the food was far too good, besides. Eventually, Mistress Alexa set her papers down and turned to Kat with a gentle smile. "How's breakfast?"

Kat paused in the middle of a bite, setting her spoon down slowly. "Good, Mistress."

Alexa simply smiled and picked her papers back up, continuing to read. "Good."

For a while, they ate in silence, not necessarily comfortable, but not uncomfortable either. Kat took small bites, but quickly, and soon her plate was empty. She set her utensil down, and sat back in her chair, looking around at the walls, the windows, the paintings, anywhere but her Mistress, really. Mistress Alexa seemed to finish when she finished, however, and Cobb stepped in and took their dishes away, leaving them in each other's company. Kat noticed for the first time that Mistress Alexa was wearing her hair down. Its auburn color glowed in the orange light. Kat couldn't help but appreciate it.

Mistress Alexa reached out and touched Kat's hand, making her wince. Still, she kept her hand beneath her Mistress's.

"Hey Kitkat."

Kitkat? Kat blinked.

"How'd you sleep?" Mistress Alexa continued.

Kat thought on it for a moment, picking her words very carefully. "Very well, Mistress. Thank you."

She smiled. "It must be nice to have your own bed now."

Kat froze. How did she know? In the care of her old Master, she'd slept on the floor almost every night. In the basement. In the cold. Only to sleep with him to... sleep with him. In fact, sitting at a table seemed a little strange to her. She was used to eating off of the floor. Eating at a table seemed almost foreign to her, despite her knowledge of doing it in some previous life, in some previous time.

Kat looked away sharply. "It is, Mistress."

She felt Mistress Alexa squeeze her hand softly, saying, "No need to feel ashamed. It's understandable. Here, why don't you come stand behind me. Can you braid hair?"

Kat quietly nodded.

"Good. Come braid mine. I want to tell you something."

Slowly, Kat stood and pushed her chair in, before taking her place behind her Mistress and, with shaking hands, tenderly pulled her hair out from behind her back and split it into three different sections, starting to fold them together. Mistress Alexa purred happily and leaned back, sighing.

"My company," she said, "Is multifaceted. I own several lines of BDSM items, four slave Auction Houses, a publishing house, and several popular websites. I have, of course, delegated much of my authority, but that is beside the point. The point is, I make a lot of money."

Four Auction Houses, Kat thought. She felt her stomach twist. How vile a thing to own. She grimaced.

But Mistress Alexa continued, "But the most important thing I own actually takes a loss almost every single year. And that, Kitkat, is a rights watch organization. For slaves, specifically."

Kat paused. A... what? She'd never heard of such a thing. Mistress Alexa turned slightly and eyed her.

"Is everything okay?"

She shook her head. "Yes Mistress."

Mistress Alexa waved a hand. "It's alright. Continue. Anyway," she said, leaning back again and letting Kat get back to braiding, "Did you know that it is illegal to beat a slave unjustly? That corporal punishment is allowed, but abuse is not? Some people are unaware of that fact."

Kat swallowed, but remained silent. Something in her Mistress's voice filled her with hesitation.

"Article five, subsection twelve, paragraph three of the United States Thirteenth Amendment Act states that 'no slave shall be unjustly abused in a cruel or unusual way.' Another section defines corporal punishment and abuse, but that's not important. What is, is that some people do not follow these rules."

She stretched her arms out and yawned, cracking her knuckles and settling back into her chair.

"I abhor these people, Kat. And I seek to bring justice to them."

As Kat finished the braid, her Mistress turned around and locked eyes with her, forcing her to stare into those beautiful hazel marbles. "I don't know who your last Master was, but I assure you, if it were up to me, he would face justice for his crimes."

There it was again. That feeling. It compelled her this time, and she, for just a moment, pondered opening up to her Mistress about her past. About what had happened. About her Master. But it was only for a moment. In a flash, the temptation was gone, leaving her standing there silent, awkward.

Mistress Alexa chuckled. "Don't worry sweetie. You don't have to say anything."

Minutes turned to half hours turned to hours turned to a full day, and it was nothing but paperwork and learning business acronyms. It had dragged on and on, and her Mistress felt more like a boss than anything at points. Kat thought her mind would melt at one point, when they were discussing proper labeling procedures for important files versus unimportant files. Still, she tried to pay attention. It was better than letting her mind wander.

Of course, her mind ended up wandering anyway. When it did, though, it wandered back to this morning. Her Mistress's words rang within her mind. You don't have to say anything bounced around like an angry ping pong ball on the sides of her brain. Her Mistress had known. Known what was going through her mind. Known what she was tempted to say.

But eventually, she would always come to, sometimes on her own, and sometimes with a little slap on the behind and a small scolding from her Mistress for daydreaming. It always made her jump, but over time, she found it helped her come back to herself when her thoughts got too far from her.

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She could feel some piece of her returning to her, in rare moments of clarity. Some piece that knew her previous Master had been too harsh. Some piece of her that knew her Mistress was right, and honest. Some piece of her that felt she deserved better. But that part of her, she thought, was long dead. She was catching the remnants, like the smell of an apple pie after it had already been devoured.

She knelt before her Mistress's door, thinking. The smell of dinner was fresh through the house, giving it a homey feeling. Vegetable lasagna, garnished and plated beautifully by none other than the Mistress herself, who, it turned out, had a fondness for cooking. That part had nearly made Kat laugh.

It seemed absurd that her Mistress should be anything but a one dimensional character of rage and hatred. Why she still refused to use Kat, Kat wasn't sure, but it was getting uncomfortable, how nice Mistress Alexa was being. It wasn't right. It couldn't be right. They were monsters. Owners were monsters, all of them.

She sighed and shook her head, idly tracing the small collar around her neck with her thumb. That was what she was now. A slave to monsters. The metal was cold, but it didn't bother her anymore. At least it didn't bite.

Her Mistress had commanded her to wait at the door for a moment. She wasn't sure what Mistress Alexa was doing, but that strange feeling came back, filling her mind with a strange warmth. Butterflies fluttered within her, yet she wasn't quite sure why, and despite all her attempts, she couldn't get them to flutter away.

Just then, her Mistress's door opened, and she looked up to see Mistress Alexa standing above her, dressed in a plush red robe with a golden emblem on the side. "Come," she commanded."

Kat crawled, head down, into the room. Mistress Alexa walked over to her bed, sat down on it, and snapped, pointing to her feet. Kat crawled to her, kneeling before her. Mistress Alexa looked down at her for a moment, and then, stretching out her toes, said, "I could use a foot massage."

Kat eyed her feet. They were small, soft looking, pretty in a way. Her toes were painted a deep scarlet, and she had a little tattoo of a heart on her ankle. For a moment, Kat considered refusing, if only to see what her Mistress would do. But now was neither the place nor time for such foolishness.

So, gently, Kat took her Mistress's foot in her hand and began to massage her sole. Mistress Alexa purred quietly. "Mmm, good girl."

Kat sighed quietly - hopefully quietly enough that her Mistress didn't hear, she thought with a nervous start - and continued to rub her Mistress's foot.

"Tonight," Mistress Alexa said, "You will sleep with me."

Kat paused, just long enough for her Mistress to notice, before she forced herself to keep going. Mistress Alexa looked down at her, frowning sympathetically. "I just want you to get used to it," she said. "You need to become acclimated to sleeping with your Owner, because you will be doing it quite a bit in this house."

"Yes Mistress," Kat stammered, trying to focus on her work.

"Get up here, my feet are fine," her Mistress said. Kat swallowed and gently let go of Mistress Alexa's foot. Here it was. The moment she'd known was coming. Shakily, she pushed herself up onto her Mistress's bed, before, as her Master had instructed her many times before, she placed her head down on the foot of the bed, and stuck her ass up, exposing her panties beneath the ruffles of her uniform.

Her Mistress watched with a raised eyebrow, and when she spoke, there was a mix of amusement and pity in her voice. "So that's how you sleep?"

Kat blinked. "Mistress?"

Mistress Alexa shook her head. "First of all, get out of your uniform. You can't sleep in that thing."

Cautiously, averting her eyes, Kat pushed herself up to her knees and did as she was told, pulling her uniform up by the skirt and over her head, rustling her hair as she did so. When she brushed her hair back with her fingers, she found her Mistress standing at the foot of her bed, looking down at her with an outstretched arm "Give me that."

Kat held it up to her, and her Mistress's fingers grazed her own as she took the outfit from her. Then, Mistress Alexa turned and walked over to her wardrobe, hanging the uniform on a hanger and setting it on the rack. Kat watched, naked save her panties, and for a moment, thought about covering her breasts with her arms, if only to preserve a modicum of decency.

She didn't hide them for long. Her Master had always slapped her when she tried, and even though she was a little cold, the memory was colder, and so she put her arms down beside her and waited for her Mistress.

After Mistress Alexa had finished hanging up Kat's uniform, she turned and strode back to the bed, sitting down behind Kat and running a finger up Kat's spine. She shivered as Mistress Alexa's hand reached her neck and gave it a little squeeze, before gently running down her back. Her fingers tickled the small of Kat's back, making her gasp, before Mistress Alexa let her hand fall even more to cup Kat's behind. Kat fought off a flinch.

"Here," Mistress Alexa said, "Go lay up there."

Kat followed her finger with her eyes. She was pointing to the head of the bed, where plump pillows in red silk pillowcases seemed to call her name. A weariness hung over her from the mind numbing day. Still, she knew, it wasn't over. This is where it would happen. Not at the foot of the bed, but at the head. At least she'd have pillows. She crawled over to them and slowly laid down, facing away from her Mistress.

Then, she felt her gentle hand once more on her back, and her warm breath on Kat's ear. "Just so you know," Mistress Alexa whispered, "I have no interested in sexual intercourse tonight."

She kissed Kat on the head, and Kat could feel her stand, hear her robe fall from her body. She blushed, but kept her head turned, simply listening. In moments, she felt the warm, soft skin of her Mistress press against her back. Her arm laid over Kat's waist, and Mistress Alexa pulled her close, and took a deep breath on her neck.

"You fear me. You fear what I'll do."

Kat froze, her breathing growing shallow.

Mistress Alexa kissed her nape. "You've been hurt. But I will not hurt you."

Kat didn't believe it. But she didn't disbelieve it either. That feeling was back.

Her Mistress rolled over and reached for the lamp. "You will sleep with me tonight," she said, turning off the bedside light and darkening the room. "And you will have sweet dreams. Okay?"

Kat chewed her lip, but nodded quietly. Mistress Alexa rolled back over and nuzzled into Kat, petting her with her left hand and shushing her.

"Goodnight, sweetie."

Kat blinked softly, the gentle stroking of her hair lulling her into a sense of safety. "I..." She paused. "Goodnight, Mistress."

Morning light filtered in through red curtains, letting Kat awaken gently. Somewhere outside, a songbird sang its morning hymn, its song filling Kat's empty mind as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still in her Mistress's bed, she knew, but something felt off. As she groggily started to come to, she realized she felt squished for some reason. Constricted. And then it hit her.

She was wrapped in her Mistress's embrace. Soft, warm arms cuddled her, pulling her close, burying her face between a pair of supple breasts. It was comfortable, if confining, but when Kat realized where she was, she froze. Her mouth was dry, her stomach filled with butterflies.

Slowly, she peeled her Mistress's arm off of her and slunk away from her, scooching across the bed, to the edge, where she rolled over and huddled up. Part of her still wanted to sleep, but something kept her awake. Perhaps it was the awareness that she was in a bed meant for terrible things. Maybe it was that she was afraid. She wanted to flee, but not too quickly... Not that she could, of course. Mistress had commanded her to sleep with her, and she didn't want to risk anything by leaving. So, she let her eyes wander around instead, visually exploring the room.

There was a set of drawers, finely crafted and carved wood, just before her, with a mirror attached to it, and a small, ornate jewelry box with a phoenix carved into its front sitting on the dresser's top. For some reason, she took note of that, as her eyes continued to wander. A huge TV hung on the wall across from the foot of the bed, a small set of dresser drawers sitting beneath it. Beside the dresser, to her left, there was a door, which she assumed led to the bathroom. A large wardrobe sat on the far wall, next to the main door. It wasn't too big a room, all things considered. Modest, for someone with seemingly everything.

If this were some other time, in some other place, she might've even found it homey. She might've enjoyed spending time in bed with someone here. Of course, that was not the case here. Her Mistress, sleeping next to her, was who she shared this bed with. Her Owner. Not some kind lover, like in her fantasies. Fantasies which had died, long ago. She sighed.

These people had robbed that of her. Her hopes. Her fantasies. Her deepest refuge in her mind had been robbed and mutilated. By these people. Owners. Still, if anything, she'd had a peaceful night's rest. She'd slept rather well, having, for the first time in a while, somewhat "sweet" dreams. She'd dreamt she was a flower, growing in a field where it always rained. There were times where she almost drowned, but in the end, she blossomed and the sun came out. So it wasn't so bad.

And her Mistress's bed was incredibly comfortable. She felt as though she should be honored to have slept in such a soft bed. At the very least, thankful. Somewhere deep in her mind, she knew she should be.

Her Mistress rolled, and she froze. If she awoke, the day would begin in earnest. And Kat wasn't ready for that. Best just to let her sleep. Kat held her breath for a moment, listening, before she finally heard the soft, rhythmic breathing of her Mistress beside her. Her heartbeat started to slow, and she let out her breath with a sigh.

Turning over again, she trained her eyes on the dresser drawers again. There was something she'd not noticed before; a picture sat beside the jewelry box. It showed Mistress Alexa in the sunlight, smiling, arms around a smaller girl with long blonde hair and striking blue eyes. There was something about her, something in her appearance, that was off.

And then, Kat saw it. A small silver collar sat around her neck, gleaming in the warm sunlight. This was Sarah, she supposed. The girl was cute, for sure. A little on the short side, but with a dazzling smile and a cute little nose. The two of them looked so... happy. Kat couldn't tell where they were exactly, but it looked like they were near a river, possibly the one that ran along the edge of the city.

There wasn't a single bruise or mark on Sarah. Actually, she seemed well kept, happy even. Her arms wrapped around Mistress Alexa's waist lovingly, and her breezy blouse fluttered lightly in some ancient breeze. The picture itself was set in a rather fancy looking frame, with small purple flowers lining the redwood sides. It was clearly important, that much Kat could tell.

She wondered where Sarah was. What she was like. What her voice sounded like, what kind of personality she had. When she got back, Kat would have to ask her more about her Mistress. Maybe Sarah could provide clues as to why it had been so... serene, lately. She stared at the picture for a while longer, wondering if she would ever be like Sarah, her arms wrapped around Mistress Alexa, smiling.

Something within her made her want to cry, but it was fleeting. She pushed it aside and turned away. Carefully, she turned her head to look at her Mistress. Mistress Alexa had smooth features, clever, cute even. Sleeping, she looked almost innocent, a thought which made Kat's eyebrows furrow.

Perhaps she should try cuddling? No, no, she thought. That wasn't right. Should she leave? Make breakfast? It didn't feel right leaving. She wasn't sure why, but something in her gut told her not too. So instead, she curled up in the soft sheets and closed her eyes again.

Would she sleep? She wasn't sure. But it wasn't time to leave.

For some reason, it just wasn't.