“Your Highness,” Lady Trigg called as she entered. She stuck a hand out as I stepped inside, and she grabbed my shoulder to halt me just inside the entrance to Princess Marissa’s pavilion. It gave me a chance to adapt to the interior.

The pavilion was lit with softly glowing lanterns, casting pale blue and purple light throughout the interior. A gray carpet had been laid out upon the ground, heavy enough that I wondered how it had been hauled. Wood and cloth partitions split the interior of the tent into rooms, with Lady Trigg and I in the receiving room, where a single high backed and padded chair stared down the entrance. A currently empty chair. It reminded me slightly of a court.

“Trinity,” Princess Marissa spoke from behind one of the partitions, her voice purer than silver. “You know you can drop the formalities here.”

“That was only when we were alone, Your Highness,” Lady Trigg answered back, sounding somewhat embarrassed. She eyed me to see my reaction, but I took care to show none.

“Is someone else here?” Princess Marissa called back.

“Your newest pet, Your Highness.”

“Bring her in,” the princess said. “Let me see her all cleaned up. Did they use my shampoo?”

Lady Trigg took a quick and almost unnoticeable sniff. “The maids did, Your Highness.”

Lady Trigg guided me around one of the partitions, and another, into a smallish room. Princess Marissa was reclining on a couch, laying upon her side, her eyes roving over me as I entered.

“Cleaned her up well, at least.”

“They did, Your Highness.”

“Did my pet cause any troubles?”

“Not that I know of, Your Highness. Though there was an incident with Sir Guardson. I believe the girl is jealous of Your Highness’s acquisition.”

“Might be worth looking into…” Princess Marissa said, tapping her chin. She was eyeing the empty left sleeve of my robe. “Any regrowth specialists in camp?”

“No, Your Highness.”

“Unfortunate, but… understandable.”

“You may leave us,” Princess Marissa said. “See to the camp.”

Lady Trigg bowed and stepped backwards until she was around the corner, when she turned and strode out, leaving me alone with Princess Marissa.

“Come,” Princess Marissa said, pointing to the carpet before the couch.

I hesitated.

“Do not request me to give the command twice,” Princess Marissa added, some steel to her voice.

As I was temporarily at her mercy, I had little illusions that I could resist the little things and have an opportunity to escape. So, I stepped forward. Slowly. Hesitatingly. There was little in this situation that excited me. And I was embarrassed. I was thankful that no one I knew and cared for was watching me submit like this. That thought reminded me that I really lacked friends altogether. A depressing thought.

I reached the couch and stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.

She continued inspecting me from her reclined position. She gave a lazy twirl with her finger. “Spin.”

I refrained from wincing, and I obliged, somewhat awkwardly. When I had my back towards her, she clicked her tongue. “A shame. Stop.”

I almost took another step in the turn before I caught her command.

“They were afraid of modifying the robe. Understandable. But that does my pet no favors. Hold still.”

I was facing away, and I was sorely tempted to peek over my shoulder. But the weight of her person left me unwilling to break her commands. I wondered if it was some magic she had in place.

There came a faint tug on the robe, and then the weight around my tail was released, allowing my tail to sway upwards, parting a new slit in the silken robe.

“Continue,” she said.

Her words, while short, conveyed her desires more fully. It was difficult to describe, but each of her words carried many more which were technically unspoken. As I described, there was a weight there.

My spin continued, slowly, per her desires, until I was once again facing her.

“Kneel.”

I kneeled and refused to grimace.

“Good girl,” she said, patting my head and then petting behind my ears. What was worse, she was doing so without a demeaning or ridiculing intent. She was genuinely petting me. As though I were a pet. Which, I supposed, to her… I was. At that thought, without intending it, despite resisting it, a shiver turned into a shudder, and my eyes watered.

Stolen novel; please report.

Princess Marissa’s eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“A name,” she said. She stopped petting me, but she kept a hand on my head, with her thumb between my eyes, tracing along the spot between my muzzle and cheek. “What to call you…” she led off, almost expectantly.

This confused me, somewhat. Was she asking me, or was she thinking out loud. I found the words with conflicting intents. But if she was seeking something to call me, I could help.

“Jackie,” I said.

“Oh?” she said, her lips curling up just slightly. There was a malicious edge. A warning ran through my mind, but it came too late. I was committed.

“Short for Jackylyn,” I added.

“And you think to issue what I call you?” She said, playfully.

“...no?” I said, slowly, confused, and wishing I had never spoken at all.

“You did. And now… you attempt to deceive me? This is unbecoming, pet.”

Her hand tightened, and from petting, to gripping the hair atop my head, pulling my face backwards and upwards, so that she was looming above me.

“A lesson is due, then. Come.”

She released me, throwing me backwards, more powerfully than I thought she should be able to, and she stood, carrying herself out of the room. Follow, pet. For your own good.”

I rose back up and followed, though I hesitated. This Princess frightened me.

We exited the room, and traveled further back into the pavilion, further away from the entrance, into a small room with a curious array of implements.

She pointed at a wooden trunk, somewhat travelworn. “Open that, pet.”

I waited until I had stepped past her before I gritted my teeth. I knelt and felt along the edge of the trunk, finding the beaten bronze latch. It stuck, but with a bit of force from my single hand, I was able to flip it, and the heavy lid up and open. I carefully set it backwards, preventing any unnecessary noise or damage.

When I saw what was in the trunk, my reservations grew.

In short, it was bondage gear. From gags to straps and whips. My stomach twisted.

“I-I can’t…” I stammered, falling backwards.

The Princess was quick, moving fast enough it almost looked like a blink, and she caught me firmly.

“Now, pet. Is this proper behavior?” she asked.

I lacked the courage to answer.

With firm hands upon my shoulder and neck, she guided me to a ringed post.

Why was there a ringed post there? How deviant was this woman?!

“Stay,” she commanded, before going back to the trunk.

She returned with a satin leash and collar, with a delicate locking mechanism. She held it before me, allowing me to see them. They were black and glossy and layers thick. They were also soft. It was an odd take on restraints, but I supposed for her purposes they worked.

“Now, obedience. I do so enjoy instructing new pets.” She slipped the collar around my neck, above where the sealing choker was. She tightened it, with the buckle in the back, and then slipped the leash through it, before tying the leash against the ringed post. “You will stay,” she commanded.

And then, she went back to the trunk, before returning with a black riding crop. I shuddered away from where she rested it on my cheek.

“Now, the rules…” she started. “First, speak only when permission is granted. Move only when permission is granted. Never. Never. Recoil from my loving–”

Shouting came from the outside, easily passing through the pavilion’s cloth walls.

“-embrace.” She glared at the walls, from where the noise had come. Finally, she shook her head and scoffed. “Stay here, darling.” And with that, she left. She left me alone.

I was alone.

I was only by definition restrained.

I made my move, undoing the knotted leash. It had not been tied tightly, almost asking for me to escape. Holding the leash in my hand, I crouched and snuck towards the nearest corner. The walls were tied to the ground, making it ordinarily impossible to move under. I used my claws to cut a slit up and down.

The daylight was fading. There were soldiers jeering and laughing outside, along with strong admonishing reprimands from someone that sounded official.

I needed to find the key to my collar, and then I would leave, return to the infested, and find a different path forward. This posed a challenge though. I remember who pocketed the key, and I recalled where they had gone after. The issue, though, was that they were in the Inquisition, and that was the opposite direction of where I wanted to go.

But still, once I got that key, I could cast Illusions, and it would be a breeze to sneak out.

I crouched around the side of the pavilion, ducking back as a soldier glanced my way. There was a group of them standing around, loitering, blocking my way. Rather than risking it, I went the other direction around the pavilion.

The way was mostly clear, with a few soldiers running about their task, but not keeping a careful watch otherwise.

I crouch ran towards the side of the Inquisitor’s tent, making it without drawing any undue attention. I kept my ear to the fabric, listening for any evidence of someone in there. Unfortunately, I heard movement. It would make my job of sneaking in much more difficult.

But night was coming, and I was sure an opportunity would arrive soon. I crept away from the tent, and found a set of crates, with one of them mostly empty, and only a layer of molded grain and corn at the bottom. I slipped in, and decided to wait.

Every time someone walked by, about once every fifteen minutes, I felt my hackles raise, and fear tremble my heart.

Slowly, darkness won out, and lanterns were lit.

Surprisingly, no alarm was called out when I was discovered missing. Had the Princess just not returned, or had she returned and not cared? I found it hard to believe that she would allow me to escape lying down, which left me wondering if she was making quiet inquiries, worried of looking weak or foolish in front of her people.

Odder actions had been taken by leaders in the past.

Soon, it was time for me to risk another look.

I poked my head out from the crate. The nearest lantern was moving away, marking where a patrol was. It was time. I slid the lid away and began creeping over the side of the crate, intent to keep as low of a profile as I could.

“Ready to stop playing then?” A voice asked from beside me.

I jumped in fear, my hair standing upright, my tails bushing.

How had I not noticed?!

Lady Trigg was sitting on a nearest crate, with a book in hand and a bored expression.

I bolted. I needed to escape, now.

I took off running.

But as soon as I hit the ground, Lady Trigg was there, hauling me up by the scruff of my neck.

“Let me go!” I protested.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head slowly.

“No. I don’t think I will. In fact–” she tapped the tip of my nose “-every sound from your mouth from here on out will add ten lashes. Her Highness has left your obedience training in my care, and I refuse to disappoint.”