Possession’s Price

“Vireta almost died— mmph!”

Before Saranya could finish her sentence, Kaelan abruptly seized her by the neck. Her slender fingers, unexpectedly strong, pressed Saranya hard against the carriage wall behind her.

“I warned you.”

“That girl… she sees me as her only family… I can’t—”

“Family? Oh, so you’re saying she’s your family…”

Kaelan lifted a leg, her knee pressing into the crook of Saranya’s. Saranya’s lips instantly tightened, too terrified to utter a sound.

Pain, mingled with a faint tingling sensation, gradually spread through Saranya’s body. She swayed unsteadily, her form listing to one side. Kaelan took the opportunity to lean in, her nose almost touching Saranya’s, and with her other hand, cradled Saranya’s cheek, steadying her back upright.

“Then, little Saranya, what am I to you?”

Kaelan’s voice had softened, her movements gentle, yet Saranya felt an overwhelming aura of power, suffocating her.

“You are… my mistress…”

“Why doesn’t this s*ave of mine obey her mistress?”

“I…”

“Is it because you believe that injured blue-haired girl is more important than your mistress? She’s the problem, isn’t she?”

‘This is it.’

In that moment, Saranya realized her mistress was targeting Vireta. To protect her companion, she knew she had no choice but to comply.

‘No… simply obeying wouldn’t solve this now. I’ve already angered my mistress. I need to find a way to appease her.’

“Vireta is merely a companion; my mistress is the most important person to me…”

“Empty words! Humans truly are inferior creatures!”

‘Mmph…’

‘What do I do? Playing meek isn’t working, and trying to fool my mistress like she’s an idiot will only make her angrier!’

‘What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!’

‘Is there any way to satisfy my mistress while still retaining a shred of my own autonomy?’

‘My mistress called my words empty, meaning she resents my hypocrisy… Yes… I must offer her my true feelings. My mistress doesn’t care about anyone but me. She’s using Vireta as a threat on the surface, but in reality, she’s displeased with my defiance. So, I just need to replace Vireta with a highly convincing reason, to explain why I disobeyed her.’

‘I have it…’

Saranya swallowed hard, turning her watery blue eyes to her mistress, and with the voice of a weak, infatuated woman, she uttered words that would shake the heavens:

“Kaelan, I want you to be my dog…”

The moment the words left her lips, Kaelan’s eye twitched. Her pupils contracted rapidly into tiny points, trembling violently in the center of her irises.

“Kaelan… did you hear me…? I want you to kneel before me, to lie down and lick my feet, to lead you around on a leash… Everything you’ve done to me, I want to recreate on you…”

“Stop, stop talking…”

“I defied your orders because I don’t want to merely be your s*ave… Let me possess you, dominate you, just once… Just once… Even once would be enough…”

“Stop it…”

“Kaelan, I know, I know you want to—”

“I told you to stop!!!”

A sharp ‘smack’ echoed.

Having been slapped, Saranya felt a burning sting on the side of her face. In front of her, Kaelan’s eyes trembled, and as she gasped and lowered her arm, Saranya abruptly closed the distance, forcefully kissing Kaelan’s rose-hued lips.

“No… no… Ugh—”

Saranya raised a hand, clasping the back of Kaelan’s head, pressing her face tightly against her own. She pried open Kaelan’s defenses, invading her territory with aggressive fervor.

“Mmm… Mmm-mm… Haaah… Haru…”

Kaelan initially tightened her expression, her body rigid, but as their exchange deepened, she grew more unrestrained, slowly melting under Saranya’s forceful assault.

“Saranya…”

After a long moment, their lips parted, but Kaelan’s tongue instinctively traced outside her mouth. The young witch’s expression was hazy, her tongue drooping slightly, looking far from satisfied.

Saranya pulled her head back, exhaling a large cloud of hot, white vapor. She, too, subtly extended the tip of her tongue, her gaze meeting Kaelan’s with a viscous intensity…

At some point, both bashful maidens leaned forward simultaneously, their lips slightly parted, their breathing ragged. Bathed in unrestrained murmurs and various wondrous liquid sounds, they danced a unique social dance just beneath their noses…

Saranya couldn’t pinpoint when Kaelan’s proud, aloof demeanor had vanished, but she could now feel a hint of tenderness emanating from her mistress. A trace of surprise crossed her face as she gently wrapped her arms around Kaelan’s lower back, pulling them into a tight embrace.

“No… don’t… touch my…”

“Kaelan… Kaelan!”

Overcome by passion, Saranya fully utilized her swordsman’s physique, scooping up Kaelan’s thigh and hoisting her onto her hip. She buried her head deep into Kaelan’s hair, inhaling deeply.

“We’re almost there… Saranya… We’re almost at the tavern… We’ll be… discovered…”

“So, should we stop?”

Kaelan paused, dazed for a moment, as if deliberating.

“No… don’t stop…”

The witch was utterly mortified, yet desire ultimately triumphed. Tiny hearts floated in the depths of her pupils as she responded to Saranya in broken words,

“Don’t stop… keep going… Kaelan wants to keep going…”

By the end of the sentence, Kaelan’s voice faded, as if her last shred of reason prevented her from speaking further, forming only an indistinct mouth shape.

Of course, Saranya had been watching Kaelan’s lips the entire time, and she certainly didn’t miss the unspoken word Kaelan had intended to add at the end:

“Mis…”

“tress…”

****

“Milady, we’ve arrived at the Redwater Tavern!”

Leif reined in the horses, bringing the carriage to a halt, and projected his gruff voice towards the back.

There was no response from inside the carriage.

The coachman scratched his head, dismounted, and approached the tightly closed carriage door, knocking twice with his hand.

A soft thud came from within, followed by light, hurried footsteps. It seemed both maidens had shed their clothes and shoes, only now beginning to dress themselves again.

“What is it?”

Kaelan’s indifferent voice was the first to emerge.

“We’ve reached the tavern, Milady.”

“Alright, I understand.”

After another long pause, the carriage door finally opened. Kaelan stepped down, bracing herself against the carriage, her gown still wrinkled, several of the metal clasps on her bodice unfastened.

Saranya followed her mistress from the carriage, and the two walked towards the tavern, one behind the other, without a single word exchanged.

Entering the main hall, they ignored their subordinates’ greetings, ascended the steps leading underground, and entered the dungeon…

Compared to the clamor of their surroundings, the silence between them was strikingly stark.

It wasn’t until the iron door of the private dungeon cell clicked shut that Saranya gently embraced Kaelan from behind, softly breaking the silence:

“You owe me one, Kaelan~”

“You… you’re being ridiculous…”

Kaelan peeled Saranya’s hands away, using a tone of rare exasperation.

“Just once, and not right now… right…?”

“Yes, not now. We have important matters to attend to shortly.”

“One more thing, Saranya, you must promise me.”

“What is it?”

“Once we’ve composed ourselves in this room and step outside, we must revert to how we were before. As for that ‘one time’ I owe you, the initiative remains with me. Until… until I deem the moment ripe, you are not to launch any surprise attacks…”

“Alright, I promise…”

Saranya nuzzled Kaelan’s neck, sniffing at the old marks there, then exhaled a warm, humid breath onto her mistress’s tender skin.

“Just a reminder, Mistress, your demonic s*ave hasn’t replenished her magic in quite some time…”

The young witch sighed softly, then quietly closed her eyes:

“Bite… bite then…”