A large, ostentatious, golden prison.
Ambessa had guided Caitlyn towards those golden bars, held her hand and Caitlyn with unsteady steps entered, Her heart sent a wave of pain through her entire body and as she turned to look at Ambessa, She smiled at her and let go of her hand, Caitlyn didn't look at her as she closed the bars with her own hands, The gold was so cold that it burned.
Her skin was electrified since Ambessa shook her hand when he raised her to power as commander.
Caitlyn couldn’t remember the last time she felt so important. Ambessa looked at her as if she were a work of art, as if every word she said carried immense weight. It was intoxicating. The mansion Ambessa had rented on the edge of Piltover looked like a temple dedicated to excess; every room was adorned with pieces that looked like they were straight out of a museum. Caitlyn didn’t care about riches, though. She only cared about how Ambessa made her feel.
“You are a rare gem, Caitlyn, precious and unique,” Ambessa had told her one night as they shared a glass of blood-dark wine. Her voice was low, enveloping, and Caitlyn felt those words pierce a part of her that no one had touched. “Your mother didn’t understand, did she?”
Caitlyn had nodded silently, clutching the glass in her hands. It was true. Her mother had always seen her as an extension of her ambitions, not so much as her daughter. Ambessa, on the other hand, saw her. She understood her. Or so Caitlyn thought.
“With me,” Ambessa continued, leaning close enough for her breath to brush Caitlyn’s cheek, “you’ll never have to be less than you are. I’ll make you stronger. Together we can build something no one can tear down.”
Caitlyn wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe it so badly that she ignored the way Ambessa’s hand closed over hers, not in a gesture of comfort, but of control.
...
The lamplight softly illuminated the tea room, where voices mingled in a constant murmur. Caitlyn sat at one of the tables next to Maddie, who spoke to her with an enthusiasm she found comforting, if not entirely enveloping. Maddie was warm, direct, the kind of person who lit up a room just by entering. But as Maddie laughed and handed her a cup of tea, Caitlyn couldn’t help but glance sideways toward the corner of the room.
Ambessa was there, leaning back in a high-backed chair, a glass of wine in her hand, an expression that seemed etched in marble. Her gaze fixed on Caitlyn was unmistakable, like an anchor pulling her even from a distance.
“Is something wrong?” Maddie asked, leaning a little closer. “You seem distracted.” Caitlyn shook her head quickly, forcing a smile. “No, I’m fine.”
Maddie eyed her with some distrust, but dropped the subject. “Well, I just wanted to let you know that if you need a break from all this, I’m here. You don’t have to face it alone, Caitlyn.”
Caitlyn didn’t know what to say. Maddie always found ways to offer support, but those words, while kind, didn’t carry the weight that Ambessa’s always seemed to.
Before she could answer, Ambessa rose from her seat and crossed the room toward them. She did so with the calm of a predator in no hurry, her imposing figure drawing the attention of everyone in her path. Maddie stopped talking abruptly when Ambessa reached her side, leaning slightly to set her glass down on the table.
“Maddie” Ambessa said, her smile polite but lacking warmth. “Funny how you always seem to have time for these talks. Don’t you have more important matters to attend to?”
Maddie tensed, but kept her composure. “Sometimes, the most important thing is to be there for someone in need.” Ambessa nodded slowly, as if considering the words, but her eyes never left Caitlyn. “How admirable. Though sometimes, true strength lies in knowing when to retreat.”
Maddie didn’t respond. Her jaw clenched before she stood up with a jerk. “See you later, Cait” she said before walking away, not looking back.
Ambessa took the seat Maddie had vacated, crossing her legs gracefully. “I hope I didn’t interrupt something important.” she said softly, taking a sip from her glass. "No, you didn’t” Caitlyn replied, almost automatically.
Ambessa smiled, setting the glass down and reaching out to tuck a strand of Caitlyn’s hair behind her ear. “Good. Sometimes distractions can cloud judgment. And you, my dear, have too much potential to waste on small talk.”
Caitlyn looked down, feeling that strange weight on her chest again. It wasn’t guilt, exactly. It was something darker, something she couldn't name. But when Ambessa withdrew her hand and let it rest on the table, that weight eased a little.
...
Caitlyn crossed the threshold of Ambessa's chambers, her heels clicking on the stones of the citadel. She turned and closed the door behind her, feeling the warmth of the room cling to her skin.
Ambessa had been watching her during the meeting, his piercing gaze taking her breath away. And now he was here, facing her in private. "Caitlyn, you've done a good job today," Ambessa said in her soft voice. "It's an honor to have you among us in Piltover."
Caitlyn swallowed hard. "Thank you, Ambessa." Ambessa slowly crossed the room. "But there is something I have to tell you" Ambessa whispered. "I'm not the kind of person to settle for appearances. I know you want something more from me. And maybe that's something I can give you."
Caitlyn felt her skin redden, but she couldn't move. “You may sit if you wish” Ambessa said, gesturing to a large leather chair before her. Caitlyn walked over and sat down, feeling the warmth of the skin beneath her fingers as she brushed the leather.
Ambessa looked into her eyes. “Why are you here, Caitlyn?”
“Because… because I need your guidance” Caitlyn said with difficulty.
Ambessa spoke with a dangerous gentleness. “And I want to help you” she whispered. “But I need you to show me how much you want my guidance.” She leaned closer. “What would you do for it?” Caitlyn swallowed hard, her eyes locking with Ambessa’s. “I’ll do anything.” She knew what she wanted, she also knew that Ambessa couldn’t deny her.
Ambessa leaned in and her lips touched Caitlyn’s cheek, a soft kiss but not devoid of desire. “Ah, wait” she whispered. “I don’t want your loyalty…I want your submission. Will you be able to give it to me?” Caitlyn closed her eyes, feeling her body tense. “Yes” she whispered, the embarrassment and rich girl manners left behind after she accepted it.
Ambessa looked at Caitlyn with a piercing gaze, her smile becoming more aggressive. “You are so beautiful,” she said in a cruel voice. “But you are not ready for me yet.” Caitlyn tried to breathe, but Ambessa knelt in front of her and grabbed her hips. “I will make you into what I need” she whispered.
Caitlyn would not suspect that she was not just talking about sex, she was quite lost in the electricity that Ambessa’s touch was causing in her body. With surprising strength, Ambessa made her lie down on the bed. “I have you” Ambessa said, her hands sliding over Caitlyn’s breasts, each touch more intense than the last. “Let yourself go.”
Caitlyn was in a trance-like state, her eyes locked with Ambessa's as her body moved to obey. Ambessa removed her robe and got on top of Caitlyn, her warm body brushing against her skin. "Look into my eyes" Ambessa said. "I want to watch you fall apart."
Ambessa began to make her way down Caitlyn's body, smearing her with her lips and teeth, leaving red marks on her skin. Ambessa reached Caitlyn's crotch and began licking in a slow, persistent rhythm, making her body writhe beneath her. Caitlyn began to moan, her hands gripping the bed tightly.
...
That night Caitlyn stared at the ceiling, feeling an emptiness she couldn’t explain. The pain was there, like a weight on her chest, but she never knew where it came from. When she spoke to Ambessa about it, the woman reassured her with soft, almost motherly words, but she never answered her questions.
“You’re overburdened, Cait” Ambessa said, playing with a lock of Caitlyn’s hair. “The world has never let you breathe. Let me guide you. Let me take that weight off of you.”
And Caitlyn nodded, because it was easier now to let Ambessa think for her, decide for her. And even though each decision seemed to take a small part of herself out of her, Caitlyn never dared to question it. Ambessa always had an explanation, a reason, and every time Caitlyn hesitated, Ambessa’s smile brought her back into her arms.
Ambessa was like a warm, comforting fire, but every time Caitlyn tried to get too close, she felt the heat burning her.
...
Caitlyn adjusted the collar of her uniform, trying to find in her reflection a glimmer of the strength she had once had. In front of the others, she was the Enforcer she always was, a determined, unwavering woman, incapable of wavering. But now in the solitude of her room, as the clock struck two in the afternoon, her strength felt like a suit that did not belong to her.
The door opened without her having to ask. Ambessa never knocked, she simply entered, her presence filling the room like a river overflowing.
“Why do I feel so… weak?” Caitlyn asked, more to herself than to Ambessa, as she slumped on the edge of the bed.
Ambessa leaned over, resting her hands on Caitlyn’s shoulders, a touch that was both comfort and warning. “You are not weak, Caitlyn,” she said in a soft tone, almost like a whisper. “You are just tired of carrying so much alone. But remember, the world has no mercy for the weak.” If you hesitate, they will see it, and they will destroy you.”
“But sometimes I feel like…” Caitlyn trailed off, biting her lip. She didn’t know how to explain the emptiness, the inexplicable pain.
“Shhh,” Ambessa cut her off, caressing her cheek with the back of her fingers. “Don’t think so much, little one. All you need to know is that I’m here for you.”
The words were a balm and a chain at the same time. Caitlyn closed her eyes, letting Ambessa lead her to the meeting room. In the woman’s arms, for a brief moment, the world stopped hurting.
...
Hours later, the moon illuminated the room. Caitlyn turned in bed, looking at Ambessa who seemed asleep, but whose hand was still firmly holding her waist. There was something so possessive about that gesture, something that should make her uncomfortable, but instead gave her a strange comfort.
“What would you do if I couldn’t go through with this?” Caitlyn whispered into the air, barely daring to speak the words.
Ambessa wasn’t asleep. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at her with that intensity that always made Caitlyn feel like the world was shrinking down to the two of them. “Follow what?” Ambessa asked, her voice low, dangerous.
Caitlyn hesitated. “This. Everything. Sometimes I feel like I’m not enough for… for anyone.”
Ambessa sat up, her eyes sharp as blades. But her tone, when she spoke, was almost sweet. “Don’t you ever say that again, Caitlyn.” She leaned down, catching the young woman’s chin between her fingers. “You’re enough for me. You’re all I need. But if you start to doubt, if you start to weaken, then you’ll be useless. And you’re not useless, are you?”
Caitlyn shook her head, her throat tight with the tears she didn’t dare shed. “No, I’m not.”
“Exactly,” Ambessa murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead. “As long as you’re with me, nothing will harm you.” In the darkness, Caitlyn clung to Ambessa’s warmth, ignoring the chill building inside her.
...
Night was falling over Piltover, and the cold wind was blowing through the windows of Ambessa’s private training room. Caitlyn held a rifle in steady hands, aiming at the target across the room. Shots rang out like metallic echoes, each one more accurate than the last, but not enough to satisfy Ambessa.
“Faster,” Ambessa ordered from behind her, her tone authoritative, but not harsh. “In a real engagement, you won’t have the luxury of taking your time.”
Caitlyn gritted her teeth, adjusting her stance and firing again. The next hit was perfect, dead center.
“That’s it,” Ambessa murmured, moving close enough for Caitlyn to feel her presence behind her. “Never forget that on the battlefield, every second matters. You’re fast, faster than you think. You just need confidence.”
Caitlyn lowered her weapon, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm the shaking in her hands. “I’m not sure I’m as strong as you think I am,” she confessed quietly.
Ambessa laughed softly, a sound that echoed like distant thunder. She placed a hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder, firm, but with a touch that seemed to envelop her like a warm blanket. “Strength is not measured by what you already have, but by what you are capable of building,” she said. “And you, Caitlyn, have more potential than even you can imagine. But you also…”
Ambessa gently turned Caitlyn to face her, her deep, calculating eyes meeting the young woman’s. “You are also something that must be protected. Make no mistake: you are strong, but even the strongest can break if not properly cared for. That is why I am here. To ensure that you never break.”
Caitlyn did not know how to respond. There was something about Ambessa’s words that made her feel powerful and small at the same time, like she was a newly sharpened knife made of glass.
“Another round?” Caitlyn asked, trying to break the moment, though her voice came out weaker than she intended.
Ambessa smiled, picking up Caitlyn’s rifle and placing it carefully in her hands. “Of course. A warrior is not made in a day.”
...
Caitlyn looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting the high collar of the black dress Ambessa had chosen for her. The fabric was expensive, heavy, and her reflection projected an elegant, almost intimidating image, very different from her Enforcer uniform.
“That color suits you,” Ambessa commented from the couch across the room, her tone calm but firm. Caitlyn couldn’t help but wonder if she really had a choice to choose something different.
“It’s a little tight,” Caitlyn murmured, turning to observe how the dress hugged her figure.
Ambessa set her wine glass on the nearby table and approached with measured steps. “Clothes are a weapon, Caitlyn. The way you present yourself can disarm or intimidate others before you say a single word. And you, my dear, need to learn to use all the weapons at your disposal.”
Caitlyn nodded, accepting the explanation without too much question. Sometimes, it seemed strange to her how Ambessa had an opinion on every aspect of her life: the dresses she should wear, the foods she should eat (“No sugar before an important meeting; it dulls the mind”), even the places she could frequent and who she could talk to. But all of those things seemed so small compared to what Ambessa offered her: direction, purpose, a way to feel seen.
As she adjusted a loose strand of her hair, she remembered something Maddie had mentioned days ago: “Don’t you find it strange that I make it so clear how you should live?” Caitlyn had laughed at the time, dismissing the concern as an exaggeration. “Ambessa just knows what’s best. She’s experienced.”
Of course she was. The age difference between them was obvious, but Caitlyn saw it more as an advantage than a barrier. Ambessa knew things she didn’t, things that could make her stronger, more capable.
“Ready for dinner?” Ambessa asked, placing a light hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the door. “Yes,” Caitlyn answered automatically, though she wasn’t hungry.
“Perfect. Keep your chin up. Don’t let anyone think you have any doubts,” Ambessa instructed gently. Caitlyn obeyed, as always, not realizing that the fragility Ambessa claimed to protect was, in fact, something she herself was shaping in her own way.