Willing Slave, Unwilling Master Ch. 03

Hey all, Thanks again for all the support for the last chapter. I'm going to try and keep to a schedule of a new chapter every two weeks. That way I should be able to stay ahead of the curve and give my lovely proofreader lots of time to suggest improvements.

Anyway, on with chapter 3.

Enjoy.

— — —

Rose

For the second day in a row I wake up alone in a strange bed, but at least this time Master's cat has found another place to sleep. Stretching out my arms and legs, I snuggle back below the warm covers. I can feel the happy rumble deep in my throat, Master called it purring last night, and the name seems to fit. I allow myself a moment of happy reminiscing of waking to the sound of my contented comfortable sisters.

The sound of movement outside my cocoon draws my attention, peeking out from under the covers I look up into the smiling face of my Master.

"Morning." He says softly, reaching out a hand to gently brush a strand of hair behind my ear. He seems to like doing that.

Acting more on instinct than good thinking I nuzzle his hand affectionately. I whimper softly as my brain catches up with my body, I'm supposed to be showing him I'm an obedient girl. I curse my foolishness silently, I'm acting like I'm still with my sisters! I will never get my collar if I carry on like this!

Master kneels down beside the bed so we are eye level, the back of his fingers gently stroking my cheek. "What did I do?" He asks softly.

I blink at him confused.

"You stopped purring and started whimpering, what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing Master!" I say quickly. My words fall over each other as I rush to explain my actions, leaving Master looking completely baffled. I've messed things up so badly that Master if blaming himself for my lack of discipline, I can't even begin to wrap my head around how this could have happened. He's going to send me back for sure.

"Rose." Master says firmly, silencing my futile attempts to explain. "Slowly this time, why are you upset?"

I take a deep breath, shifting to my kneeling position in the centre of the bed like I should have done when he first approached. "I shouldn't have pressed my face against your hand Master, it was disobedient." I say, my heart racing.

"Well, that's hardly the crime of the century. Anyway I'm not sure I want a blindly obedient slave. I want someone who thinks for herself."

I groan internally. Master doesn't know anything about Lower Vil, we can't think for ourselves, not all the time like he wants. Our minds can't take it, they fall apart. The wardens at the compound knew this well enough, it was a core part of our training. We need strong owners to care for us, we serve obediently because it's the only chance of a life we can have.

"Yes Master." I say softly.

"Right, now bathroom, shower, pee and find something to wear! I have a big day planned for us!" Master sounds excited, but it's too soon to tell if that's a good or a bad thing. "I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready."

He gives me a final gleaming smile before leaving the room.

I pause for a moment, enjoying the sound of the wind rustling the trees before hurrying to the bathroom, Master is waiting! Shivering through my cold shower, I wonder if Master might let me use warm water if I behave. Before quickly shaking my head at that foolish notion and brushing my teeth. Master has been extremely kind to me so far, but there's no telling how long that will last if I start to become a nuisance.

I approach the bags from yesterday's shopping trip with eager anticipation. But selecting a set of clothes to wear turns out to be so much harder than I ever imagined. The obvious choice would be those items that please my owner, but I have absolutely no idea which of the dozens of combinations of tops, bottoms and dresses would make him happy. I'm utterly lost.

In desperation I lay out each and every piece of clothing on the bed, trying to remember what Mistress Jezebel said about matching outfits. Perhaps I should pick at random and hope for the best? An image of Master's excited smile turning to a frown of displeasure quickly rids me of that idea. It's hopeless, whatever I do I'm going to disappoint him. Silent fat tears roll down my face as the weight of this unexpected decision fully hits me.

"Are you okay?"

I jump physically, spinning round to find a short slim man standing in the doorway. He's wearing a bright pink shirt with tiny white shorts and matching tights, the primary function of which seems to be to show off the bulge at his crotch. His endowment isn't what makes him so striking though. No, what catches my eye are the scales that run around the outside of his face and down his back. He's a lower Vil, like me. A male Lower Vil. I've never seen one before.

A gentle smile spreads across his face. "I remember that look, when Mistress first introduced me to Emily I was just as amazed."

Speechless I move towards him, holding my hand out to trace his markings. Taking a step back, his smile vanishes. "I don't think Master Dan would like to catch either of us touching, especially when you're naked."

Dropping my hand I peer down at myself, then at my out stretched hand. An embarrassed heat touches my cheeks. "I'm Rose." I stammer, trying to regain at least some control of the situation.

"Zack, a pleasure." He bows his head, and I notice his collar glitters with hundreds of tiny jewels. "I believe you went shopping with my Mistress yesterday?"

I nod.

"And now you are trying to work out what to wear?"

Again, I answer him with a nod.

"Right!" He matches past me into the room, taking a long moment to examine the bed before picking up a couple of items. "Bra and panties, your Master should enjoy the lace."

Relief flooding over me I quickly pull on the silky underwear. Next comes a white vest with a slim band running down the back, perfect to show off my maze like markings and the whole outfit is completed with a pair of small shorts.

"I didn't see you yesterday?" I say cautiously, struggling with the button on my shorts.

"My Mistress works at an immensely popular style and fashion feed, sometimes she has pressing appointments on her hands so I perform her duties in the office." He looks away, but even with my limited experience I can tell he's very proud of himself.

"Your Mistress lets you travel to her workplace without her?" I ask amazed. It's one thing to meet someone like me who's dropped off somewhere and picked back up, but to perform the whole process like a human? How can he stand it?

"Yes, I'm given a lot of responsibility. I'm very lucky."

"I could never do that." I mumble.

"You would be amazed at what you can do." He grins, "Now go little flower, before I end up whipped for detaining you."

I thank him profusely before fleeing the room. I try and imagine living a day as he does. All those decisions to be made without any guidance, without a master to comfort or protect you. I was never trained to deal with something like that, surely my already easily distracted mind would breakdown completely if I were faced with that life.

I meet Master at the bottom of the stairs. Determined to show him I can do better, and in the silent hope he won't send me away to work, I sink to my knees. Legs slightly apart and hands held behind my back I wait for him to inspect me. Without a word he places his hands under my elbows, pulling me gently to my feet.

"None of that. Just greet me like you would Emily or any other Lower Vil, okay?"

I nod mutely, but my bewilderment must show because he continues. "Tell me what's on your mind."

We are completely forbidden to lie, obviously, still, I don't relish telling my owner the truth. "Master I've spent my entire life training to please you, you're my owner, my reason for being. I want so desperately to make you happy! But I don't understand how!" I end shrilly, looking away so as not to see his reaction.

"Rose, your purpose in life isn't to make me happy. It's to find happiness for yourself." Master says, chuckling at the alarmed look I give him. "But, perhaps that's a bit much for your third day. Come on, let's go outside, it will be fun, I promise."

I follow Master to the kitchen in silence, mulling over his words. There's an older scaled women working at a countertop when we arrive. Looking up I give her a small smile, hoping to make another friend in my new home. However the look she gives me in return is so savage I physically recoil. She looks the same way the meanest warden at the compound might have had I just stamped on his foot.

"She should be on a leash if you plan to take her outside Master Dan." Her voice is flat and brutally clear, her eyes burning into mine.

She's right of course, but I secretly hope Master ignores her. I've never been as comfortable with a leash as my sisters, I think it's because I'm so easily distracted. Or rather, I find so many things distracting. Even when I'm on my best behaviour - or at least trying to be - as I was with Mistress Jezebel I still end up yanked around.

"Rose, hand." Master says sharply and without needing to think about it I present my palm, bracing for the pain of a belt or cane. But instead Master's warm fingers wrap around mine. "There we go, she won't get lost now."

Not sparing a glance for the angry women Master opens the door, and together we step out into the sunlight. I pause to blink away the sudden brightness and Master kindly allows me time to adjust, as the world materialises in a sheen of greens and blues.

"The wild flowers have started to bloom in the woods." Master points to the tree line past an extensive lawn. "I wondered if you would like to see them."

I nod quickly, setting off at once in the direction he indicated. To my horror I cause him to stumble as I rush forward, it feels like an icy dagger has been pushed into my gut as I wait motionless for his reaction. He stares at me for a long moment - the longest of moment of my life - then bursts out laughing.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're keen!"

And like that we are practically jogging to the forest.

— — —

Dan

I never knew I could be completely mesmerised by another person, but watching Rose glide between isolated meadows of wildflowers in the sparse wood is simply magical. Gone is the whimpering slave, the woman in front of me is gentle and curious, the smile never leaving her face.

You would think being born into perpetual servitude with all the despicable trappings that life entails would be enough to strip anyone of their spirit. But there's a fire burning inside of Rose that refuses to be quenched, I don't think even she realises it. She fights so hard to be someone she's not, at least not completely, that when she's given a moment of freedom her true beautiful inquisitive self emerges into the sunlight.

Finding a fallen log that will act as a suitable seat I watch Rose run a single finger over the petals of a yellow flower. It's a shame really that we don't have any rose bushes in the garden, I wonder if she's ever seen her namesake in person? Shrugging to myself I decide to ask later, she's having fun for the first time in days and I point blank refuse to be the one who puts a stop to that.

Talking about fun I pull my tablet from my pocket unfolding it on my legs. Math homework is hardly the most enticing of propositions, but if I want any chance at a decent job when I graduate next year I better get on with it. Besides Rose doesn't need me making her nervous, she'll be fine for an hour or so, what could go wrong?

... ... ...

Math takes me a little longer than I was expecting, mostly due to my inability to do it. Regardless it's done with, and now I can devote the rest of the weekend to Rose. I look around, expecting her to be knelt down in one of the sun dappled flower beds, but she's nowhere to be found. I force myself to blink, refusing to believe what my eyes are telling me. Rose has disappeared.

Panic grips my chest and I jump to my feet. Has she run? Perhaps she's just gone back to the house? But she wouldn't do that without me surely? I force myself to breathe, trying to listen over the sound of my own frantic heartbeat. "Rose!" I shout, my stomach churning with sick dread. If the authorities, no, when they find her, her life won't be living and if she's stupid or desperate enough to resist capture... Ihaveto find her.

With no real idea of which direction she went I sprint blindly into the trees, shouting her name. What on earth could have motivated her to take such a rash action? For all the world she acted like even the prospect of freedom was some terrible curse, but perhaps that was the point. Playing me for a fool until she had an opportunity to make her escape.

No, I refuse to believe she's that manipulative. Scared maybe and naive certainly. But not malicious. I shout her name as I run, almost tripping over more than once and nearly losing my head to a low hanging branch. Yet she doesn't answer, for all intents and purposes she has ceased to be.

Thankfully the trees remain sparse as I stumble deeper into the depths of the forest. But there is no sign of Rose, not that I'm expecting to see one. I'm not a hunter or tracker, she could be hidden behind a tree a meter away from me and I would never know. But I keep searching, hoping beyond hope that she's not gone forever.

Suddenly I collide with something solid which sends me flying face first a patch of soft moss. I feel like I've been run down by a deep-space freighter, but pick myself up quickly, a survival instinct I didn't know I had kicking in. Unsteady on my feet I stumble until I have my back against a tree, raising my fists in what I hope is a fighting stance. In about a tenth of a second I manage to cover the entirety of what I know about self-defence and conclude I'm basically fucked.

However before I can be beaten to death by a girl a quarter my size I see her. She sits crumpled in a heap in the middle of a natural path, starting straight ahead her eyes glassy.

Not quite the reaction I was expecting.

"Rose?" I say tentatively, keeping a safe amount of distance between us, just in case she decides to attack. "Are you hurt?"

She doesn't react at all, just stares ghost like away into nothing. What the hell? Did she hit her head? Throwing all caution to the wind I kneel down in front of her, gently shaking her arm with no effect. It's like she's a crashed computer program. I try everything I can think of, yelling and shaking her as my heart begins to hammer again, only this time with twice the ferocity.

Her eyes never move, but tears slowly start to slide down her reddened cheeks. In desperation I gently kiss her lips, my mind full of images of princesses awakening from enchanted slumbers. It's a truly stupid thing to do, she needs a doctor not a fairy-tale trope. And yet she blinks, her eyes slowly moving to meet mine.

It's like she's awakening from a trance, her movements are sluggish and clumsy. With the care of someone inspecting a priceless antique she draws her hand from the dirt, gently touching her lips. I scoot back, giving her as much space as she needs.

"Master?" She whispers softly, apparently just noticing I'm present.

"Hey you, welcome back." I say, my relief plain in my voice, "You had me worried."

Seeing the fear and confusion on her face I open my arms, offering a hug. After a moment's hesitation she falls against my chest, burying her face in the fabric of my shirt.

"What happened?" I ask gently, picking leaf litter from her hair.

"I got distracted by the flowers Master." She answers, her voice far away and dreamy. "I didn't pay attention I just kept finding more and more. Then suddenly you were not there, I thought you had left me in the woods, that you didn't want me anymore." She sniffs, "Then I heard you shouting and I realised I had left you, and I started running..."

"And we found each other." I grin, looking down at her.

"I struck my Master." She says as if she can't believe her own words.

"I think we struck each other sweetie." I reply in compromise.

"It's death to strike your Master." She whispers, dangerously close to slipping back into her catatonic state.

"No!" I say quickly, "Rose it was an accident, don't worry about it, okay?"

"But..." She looks up at me, even with dirt on her forehead and tear tracks down her cheeks she's beautiful.

It's impossible to tell who initiates the kiss, but our lips meet and the world seems to melt away. She clings to me like a ship wreck saviour who's afraid of being swept away, and whimpers softly as our lips gently part. I let her snuggle back into my chest as the full spectrum of just how complicated our relationship has just become sinks in.

Because I now know for sure something that, if I were being honest with myself, I would have known last night. I want to be with Rose, I want her in a way I've never wanted anyone else. Resting my forehead against the top of her head I wonder if she has any concept of a partnership that isn't one of master and slave. Stars, I hope so.

I let us both wallow in our private thoughts for what feels like a long time, before carefully rousing Rose and helping her shakily to her feet. She's still clearly worried and upset, I doubt even with her extraordinary talent for hiding her emotions she could disguise the slight trembling in her slender frame. Taking her by the hand I lead her slowly back towards the house, stopping every now and then to admire the flowers, together.

— — —

Rose

The memories pummel against my mind, becoming more and more forceful the more I try and block them out. A girl, like me, dirty and dishevelled. Begging her Master for forgiveness. Her screams as she's dragged away. The look of terror in her eyes then the gunshot and... No, no, no! I force my face between my hands shaking my head furiously.

I hear the sharp scrap of a chair's wooden legs against the stone floor and then Master's warm hand on my arm. I struggle against the tide of horrific recollection of what happens to those Lower Vil foolish enough to strike their masters. My owner stays by my side, his meal forgotten. I know if I pull my face from my palms I will be met by his reaction, and I can't face that. How can I tell him what kind of horrific memories are spiralling around my head?

I can't, I need to focus on something else. Unbidden I remember the feel of his lips against mine. Like a touch in the darkness holding onto that beautiful moment banishes some of the blackness. I can still barely process it all, my kind, sweet, wonderful Master kissed me! Like those girls in all the stories! Then he kissed me again, even though my face was covered in dirt and tears.

"I'm sorry Master." I say horsey, reaching for another slice of fruit on my plate. As if to prove by virtue of eating I am completely fine.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks, taking the seat beside mine.

"I was thinking about kissing you Master." I reply, not quite able to meet his eye. I hate lying to my owner, well, okay, not quite lying to him, but not being entirely honest either. I squirm in my seat, the wood suddenly seeming a lot harder than just a moment ago.

Despite my disobedience I feel my cheeks glow for an entirely different reason. He's done something to me. I feel so scared and so amazingly happy all at once just being in his presence. I meet his gaze and find only warmth there, the horrible memories are still floating around my mind like the aftershock of a nightmare. But with Master by my side they don't seem quite so overwhelming.

"Did you..." He pauses for a long moment, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes Master." I reply, thrilled to be giving him a completely honest answer.