Chapter Five: Um?

***

The next morning, Bel was pleasantly surprised when her host didn't appear to annoy her. She resolved to sleep as long as possible before he decided to torture her some more. So, snuggling down happily, she yawned happily and drifted happily back to sleep.

She woke, fully rested, hours later and took a leisurely shower and dressed in easily conjured jeans and a tank top. When she was ready to face the day, she returned to the bedroom and found herself at a loss for what to do. She'd left her book back in his study so she didn't even have that to entertain herself with. She stood for a moment in the center of the room, half-expecting the beast to appear and demand that she entertain him.

He didn't appear, so she settled herself on the bed and thought for a moment. “Well I don't see any reason why I shouldn't entertain myself...” She decided. “Okay, room, I need a working television and a playstation with 'Metal Gear: Solid'.” She grinned as a rather large television appeared on a stand beside the wardrobe and the playstation settled on the shelf below it. She bounced off the bed and turned it all on and settled back onto the bed with a controller. “Time for some Solid Snakey Goodness.”

***

Two hours and a conjured bowl of spaghettios and some chocolate milk later, Belinda was bored. There'd been no sign of her captor yet that day and she was getting pissed. Why the hell did he bring her here if he wasn't going to use her? She blinked at herself. “Yes, because being used is my goal in life.” She snorted.

She sighed and conjured a different game to play. Deciding that “Resident Evil” just wasn't scary enough as it was, she requested that the lights dim down to almost blackness. She then turned the game's sound up so she could immerse herself in a fully creeptacular environment.

She had just finished squeaking in terror at the Licker creatures that attacked from the ceiling when she became aware that she was no longer alone in the room. Being as worked up as she was, she automatically assumed that it was a zombie or something worse that lurked in the dark corner beyond her wardrobe.

So, graceful, as the most beautiful ballerina, she yelped and fell off the bed. She then scrambled backward into the wall and froze there, trying to see her visitor through the dim lights. That was when she noticed that someone was laughing. She frowned. She knew that laugh. “I need brighter lights!” She demanded. Instantly the room's lighting reverted to it regular cheerful wattage and she recognized Leo leaning against the wall, arms crossed and smug grin in place.

“I kidnapped you days ago, and only now do you act frightened?” He smirked at her and she swiftly grabbed her pillow off the bed and rolled over the mattress to his side of the room. He barely had a moment to get his arms up before she was beating him with the pillow.

“You slimy evil little bastard!” She screeched. He laughed and slid down the wall to curl into a protective ball. “Horrid pig-man of stupidness!” She was struck at that moment by how much this horrible beast had messed with her life and now he dared to play normal human games with her. He behaved like an annoying brother or one of her sister's stupid boytoys that liked to tease her. The pillow fell from her hands and she was punching him as hard as she could, choking back sobs as she landed a few hits on his covered head.

Leo wasn't sure exactly when his pet decided to snap, but he was damn grateful that he'd been protecting his head when he did. He'd wondered when he'd finally see the rage. All his guests had felt it at one point and he knew that it was only a matter of time before each one snapped. This one had surprised him though. She'd managed to maintain the cold calm attitude longer than any, including the one who'd cursed him.

He quickly transported her from where she stood over him attacking and deposited her on her bed with an invisible shield between them just in case. Only then did he notice what he'd been too distracted to sense. He raised his head to stare in dread at the unseen presence in the corner. “Brietta.” He whispered. He hardly registered Belinda's sudden silence on the bed.

Brietta stepped forward, dropping her magical cloaking. She stood smirking a foot from the bed's foot board. She was beautiful, of course. He didn't think she could ever be otherwise. Her family's magics were far to powerful not to counter something so trivial as time.

She wore a long, midnight blue gown of silk with elegantly draping sleeves of matching lace. Her black hair fell in precise curls down her flawless white shoulders and was held back from her perfect face with a tiny golden butterfly clasp. Her eyes, as always, were black and piercing, impervious to any shift of humor she may have ever felt. Cold eyes.

“Your pet seems to have gotten out of hand, Husband.” Her icy voice commented, sending shivers down my spine. I saw the girl shiver from the corner of my eye. “I would not have thought you would allow such a weak thing cause you harm. Are you growing soft?”

***

Bel halted another shiver brought on by the woman's voice and glowered at her. One look at her eyes at told Bel that she'd get no aid from this cold creature. She had such a feeling of unpleasantness around her that Bel found herself shrinking back towards the headboard of the bed.

A glance at her captor confirmed her suspicion that this was not the time to do much more than cower. The beastly man was practically cowering, himself. He was getting to his feet, but his shoulders remained hunched defensively, as if waiting to be kicked. Husband? This Brettia had called him that. She looked from one to the other and scowled. Bet she's the one who cursed him...

“You expect me to remain strong after rotting here for centuries?” He answered her quietly, a small measure of defiance in his voice, the set of his chin. Bel almost felt bad for him. His taste in woman was rather masochistic, if she were to judge.

Brettia studied him with her creepy black eyes for a bit before turning her full regard on Bel. No matter how much she was tempted to squirm and maybe grovel, Bel stared right back at those eyes as proudly as possible. When the woman spoke, it wasn't to Belinda.

“You had better regain your strength again quickly, Husband.” She warned. “Father has decided to give you an opportunity to free yourself.” Her attention flicked back to Leo. “You have an hour to prepare, then you shall be presented to him. Go.” The man didn't argue. He vanished instantly, leaving Bel to face the sorceress on her own.

An ornate black armchair appeared, displacing the tv and Bel watched the woman settled gracefully into it. A silent part of her brained growled at the saved game she'd just lost. She'd gotten so far!

“You are his prisoner?” She asked after another moment of staring. Bel nodded. “Do you wish him ill? Do you wish him visited by such tortures that you can only imagine?” Bel blinked in surprise.

“I wouldn't mind seeing him suffer.” She admitted. The woman smiled in satisfaction.

“Then I shall provide you with the opportunity to avenge yourself.” She said. Her smile could almost be friendly if not for those expressionless eyes. “You will attend him in his attempt to please my father.” Brettia's smile grew malicious. “You will sabotage his every effort and he will know only pain. Do this, and you will have your revenge and your freedom.”

Bel frowned in thought. This woman was obviously way friggin' evil. And now she wanted Bel to assist her doubtlessly nefarious plot. “And if I choose not to?” She had to ask. Brettia's face didn't change in the slightest.

“Then you will make an excellent slave in my Father's household.” She said simply, as if pointing out something obvious. Bel stared at her in disbelief for a moment, convinced that she'd fallen into some kind of horrible fantasy RPG game that her father's company had designed. Brettia merely watched while Bel tried not to hyperventilate.

She's serious! She'll make me a slave! Okay, waking up wouldn't be such a bad time, Bel. She pinched herself on the leg but there was no change. Fine then! Stupid reality has gone all wonky. I guess I have to make a choice. She blanked the evil woman from her mind and stared down at her hands. Okay, I can go along and annoy the hell out of the furry guy and eventually get sent home, or I can be a slave. Hmmm... this is a tough one. She looked up at Brettia.

“So, what should I pack?” She asked with hardly a quiver in her voice at all.

***

Leo frantically threw his things into a hastily conjured pack, all the while trying to gain control over his temper and his fear. He would be going home. He stopped for a moment to ponder the wonder of that thought. He'd not seen his home in centuries. He almost smiled.

The thought of facing his ancient enemy, King Raynard, dampened and joy his home might bring. Brietta's father was one of the most cruel and formidable Sorcerers ever to walk the earth. The King's magic had trapped Leo all this time on barely a whim. He knew that he'd not been punished for any indiscretion towards the Princess Brettia. The King did not love his daughter any more than Brettia loved Leo. Leo knew with a certainty that if he displeased the King now, he would die a most unpleasant death.

Leo changed into a newly conjured version of his ancient court attire. A formfitting tunic and trousers of blood red with black trim and a billowing cape of black velvet. He went without his black boots as he had done since he'd changed to this beastly form and for the first time he found himself missing the precise black shine that had been a point of personal pride when he was nothing more than a foolish peacock in the King's Court.

Only after he had finished his preparation did he spare a thought for his unfortunate guest. He felt a stab of guilt when he realized that he'd abandoned her in the clutches of his less than kindly wife. He wouldn't wish such an experience on anyone. He hoped fervently that there would be something left of the girl to send home when he returned.

He spent a moment taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Then, before he could lose his nerve, he flashed himself back to the room that held his wife and his pet.