Dirty Girl
They materialized in a room with a lush cream carpet that the girl quickly fell back on, crawling away from her captor as much as the chain allowed.
He was about to say something to her when a pounding on the giant set of wooden doors cut him off. “Loki, your father wants to speak with you at once!” called a melodic voice through the door.
The man, Loki, rolled his eyes so hard that she thought they might pop out of their sockets. “As you wish, mother.” His stunning gaze turned back to her, the look on his face feral. Another wave of his hand and the golden links connecting them were gone. And so were her clothes.
Letting out a yelp, she tried to cover herself as best she could while the tall man stood, chuckling deeply. “The Queen beckons me. I’ll return shortly, pet, but for now you shall remain here. This is where you’ll be staying, after all, so you might as well get acquainted with your surroundings. And I’d advise taking a bath,” he gestured to another small door to her right. “Your clothes were filthy enough, but it seems that the dirt is a part of your very skin, and I’d hate for you to get the carpet too dirty.”
She stayed curled into a tight a ball as possible as he strode out of the room in the direction of the woman’s voice. Still suffering from the shock of being naked, it took her a few moments to unwind and process everything he’d said when she was finally alone.
His mother is a queen, she realized with a start. So, not only was he handsomely dangerous and skilled with magic, but he was also a prince. Her situation was getting out of hand, and it was making her head spin.
Legs beginning to cramp, the girl stood, taking in her surroundings. The room was enormous, larger than entire houses she’d seen as a child. Opposite the set of wooden doors Loki had left from was another pair of doors, these one made of glass. They led out to a small balcony, and she could see a small pair of couches and a low table outside. Trying the handles, she cursed to find them locked, but she couldn’t say she was really surprised. She knew without even checking that he’d locked the other doors as he’d left as well.
Turning, she ambled forward into the room. On her left was an enormous bed, covered in silky sheets of green. The walls themselves were a dull gold, making the bit of lively color pop. There was also a long, tall bookcase littered with all sorts of books, as well as a thick black wardrobe and a wide matching chest. The wardrobe opened to reveal a few garments made of combinations of leather, metal, silk, and a thick, fluffy material she didn’t recognize. She snorted to see they were all variations of gold, green, or black. He was anything if not consistent.
The chest wouldn’t open when she tried, so she moved on. There was a large fireplace by what she assumed was the bathroom door, small flames calmly lapping at the few logs within it. In front of that was a large fur rug, as well as a long, wide couch and two matching chairs that sat around another low black table. She felt the material of the seating, and to her surprise the deep green cushions were extremely pleasant.
With only the bathroom left to explore, she pushed on the small door, relaxing when it actually opened for her. The room was almost taken over by the bathtub itself. It looked more like a small pool, it’s sides lined with all sorts of bottles, jars, sponges, and cloths. There was also a large sink with a mirror hanging above it, a toilet, and a full-length mirror in the room. She stepped forward, examining her reflection closely for the first time in weeks.
Her eyes were bloodshot, the bags underneath them darker and more pronounced than she remembered seeing before. Her hair was a tangled mess, knots from root to end as it fell in a heap to her collarbones. Loki had been right, of course; dirt and blood were everywhere. She poked around her sides, sickened to see her ribs sticking out so much. She’d grown too thin, more like a walking stick than a person.
That’s when she realized just how hungry she was, her stomach growling with a sudden ferocity. She rushed out of the bathroom, desperate to find anything to eat. Catching another glimpse through the glass doors, she saw a large garden on the ground below.
Maybe I can get something to grow enough to break through these doors, she thought. Then not only would she be able to get food, but she’d be free. Hope fluttering in her chest, she focused on the nearest tree, beckoning for its limbs to grow closer.
The collar around her neck began to burn so badly that she dropped to her knees, shrieking in agony. She’d been in pain before, of course, plenty of it. But this was different. It burned deep into her very being, setting fire to her nerves until she was a screaming, writhing mess on the floor. No matter how much she pulled at the damned thing, it wouldn’t budge.
The burning faded eventually, and she struggled to stand, propping herself up on the wall. At least she knew why he’d wanted the collar on her in the first place. This was the first time she was completely powerless in all of her life, and it was the most terrifying experience she’d ever had.
She began to hyperventilate, running back to the bathroom to look at the skin on her neck. Sure enough, there was a redness stretching out from the golden circle around her neck, and she hissed when she touched it. Perfect, just what I needed.
Not knowing what else to do, she rushed to the doors her kidnapper had gone out of, banging on them with her tiny fists as hard as she could. “Someone help! Please, someone let me out!”
But no one came. She wondered what would kill her in this place, the prince called Loki, losing her powers, going insane, or maybe starving to death. Frustrated, she began to pace, trying to come up with a plan.
She tried everything to distract herself from the hunger. She pulled a few books off the shelves, threw the Prince’s clothes all over the room. Pulling his sheets off the bed, she tied them around herself, creating a makeshift dress to at least hide some of her shame. She refused to take a bath. She didn’t want her captor to think she would just sit idly by and do what he told her. No, she’d put up a fight. She always did.
Her mind and stomach still tormented her, and she’d just run back to the doors to call for help again when they both burst open, knocking her back against the wall. She hit her head, crumpling to the floor, but she didn’t dare make a sound.
“Little one, I have returned,” Loki practically sang, striding into the room. She could see his jaw clench when he surveyed the state of the room, books and clothes everywhere. He growled, marching to the bathroom.
As soon as he was inside, she crawled quickly around the large doors, standing on shaky legs when her feet felt smooth marble underneath instead of carpet. She ran as fast as she could, searching for someone, anyone, to help her.
She checked behind her to make sure he hadn’t followed before turning a corner. Running straight into someone’s chest.
“Oh, I’m sorry, listen please-” she was cut off by a hand tightening around her neck, lifting her into the air. Her eyes went wide as she stared into the furious gaze of the Prince.
“Just where did you think you’re going, pet?” he asked, his voice so cold that she started to tremble. He walked them back the way she’d come, still holding her high off the ground, ignoring her feeble attempts to kick him away or claw his deadly grip from her throat.
When they got back to his room the doors slammed shut behind them and he shoved her body against the wall so hard that her head snapped back to hit it again. She groaned and shut her eyes, trying to distance herself from the pain, from everything.
“No, monster, you look at me,” he snarled. She did, afraid for her life. “I give you one task to complete while I am gone, one, and you are unable to do even that? This won’t do my dear, it simply will not do.”
“Please,” she gasped, tears springing from her eyes, “I’m sorry, please don’t kill me.”
“Kill you? Oh no, little one, I don’t plan on killing you. That would be such a waste.” He yanked the sheets off of her body, using his free hand to start tracing delicate lines along her breasts. She cried out even more, freezing at his touch. “No, I don’t intend to kill you. However, you disobeyed my orders and made such a mess in here that you will be punished severely.”
He released her, and she fell like a ragdoll to the floor, too afraid to move. Loki strolled away, prushing some dirt from his hands. “Come now, pet. Since you obviously can’t be trusted to take a bath on your own, I am forced to help you.”
“It’s Aspis,” she whispered, using the wall to gain her footing.
Loki turned, one eyebrow raised. “I’m sorry?”
“My name is Aspis. Not pet, not monster. Aspis.”
The grin that rose to his face was unsettling, making her shiver. “My dear, your name is whatever I say it is. Now, get in the bath before I drag you in there by your hair.”
Not seeing any better options, Aspis covered herself again with her arms and scurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and locking it. She started the water for the large tub, surprised that it warmed so quickly.
Her spirits fell even lower when her captor simply walked in as if the lock weren’t even there. His voice had taken on that biting, almost metallic edge again, and she started to shake. “I said I would help you, little one. That does not mean you are allowed to shut me out.”
“I can do it myself-”
“Obviously not, little girl, otherwise you would have.” She turned to glare at him, but her menacing look faltered when she saw he was completely naked. Yes he was tall and thin, but he had muscles for days, and they looked rigid, almost like stone. There didn’t seem to be any fat on his body. And then her eyes travelled lower, and she felt her blush creep down her neck. How could that possibly fit inside someone and not tear them to pieces?
She realized she was staring, blushing harder to see him smirking at her for it, so she turned and stepped into the bath, letting the water cover her delicate form. To her dismay, he followed, taking a seat beside her.
Aspis tried to get away, to cross to the other side, but Loki’s arms were long and caught her, pulling her back against his chest. She stiffened to feel him against her back, everything just as hard and firm as she’d feared it would be.
“I see you tried to use your abilities,” he cooed in her ear, making her flinch away. Loki chuckled, reaching for some of the bottles scattered around the bath’s edge. “Don’t worry, pet, I’ll let you out of that nasty little thing as soon as you start to behave.”
She stifled a yelp when he started to work whatever soap he’d chosen into her skin, gently subbing the filth away with a rag. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the floral scent, lilac she thought, and tried to let her thoughts drift.
They continued in silence for the rest of the bath, him washing her body and hair while she sat with her back to him. She wriggled and protested when he ran the cloth over her more private areas, but he simply tightened his grip on her, halting her movements. When they were done, he ushered her out and waved his hand, and both of them were instantly dry.
Aspis resigned herself to covering her body as much as she could with her arms again, drawing an exasperated sigh from the Prince. The gold chain appeared at her collar once more, and she was practically dragged out of the bathroom. She put up even more of a fight when she saw he was taking her straight to the bed, but he yanked her closer, and she fell against him once more.
“I don’t think so, you naughty little girl,” he growled into her ear. “You were a very bad girl while I was gone, and bad girls need proper correction. It’s time for your punishment.”