Page 19 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
He’s gagging, clawing weakly at my wrist, eyes wide and bulging like a fish caught in the shallows. And I can’t help but laugh, dark and amused. “What was that? You wanted to speak, didn’t you, little man? Go on… bark for me, you worthless mutt."
I squeeze harder, feeling his pulse stutter beneath my fingers. His wide eyes are begging now; pleading for mercy he knows he’ll never get. His heels drum uselessly against the floor, and the room fills with the sound of liquid splattering the stone.
I look down. He pissed himself.
My laugh echoes through the chamber, cruel and loud. "Well, would you look at that. You really are a filthy little puppy, aren’t you?" Without warning, I yank him down, dragging him through the bars as I crouch. My hand never leaves his throat, pulling him down with me, "Such a naughty puppy."
I shove his face into the warm mess, pressing his nose into it like you would with a disobedient dog. "Go on, puppy. Lap it up. That’s all you’re good for, isn’t it? Groveling in your own filth."
His muffled gags as I grind his face into the piss are like music to my ears. I release his throat just enough for him to suck in a desperate breath, but then I slam his head back down, harder this time. His face hits the floor with a sickening thud, and he inhales a lungful of piss-soaked air.
"Look at you," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Weren’t you just the one telling me how you were going to destroy my kingdom? My people! What’s the plan now?”
Finally, I let go, standing over him as he heaves and gags, coughing up his own filth. "Here’s a little reality check for you, puppy. The only reason you’re still breathing, the only reason your worthless heart is still beating, is because of her."
I lean in, my voice dropping to a mocking whisper. "She’s the only thing keeping you alive. And when she walks in here, strong, powerful, and absoluty stunning. You’ll watch her take her place beside me. You’ll watch as she becomes the queen she was always meant to be. And you?"
I stand up, looking down at him like the insect he is. "You’ll be nothing but the piss-soaked joke that she steps over on her way to the throne. So, enjoy that thought while you still have a few miserable breaths left."
As I walk away, I leave the door to my quarters open just wide enough so I can hear Henry’s pitiful gasps and curses echo down the hall. His cries are merely background noise, insignificant against the real vision that consumes me.
Brielle.
I strip off my tunic and sit on the edge of the bed, the weight of my desire for her pressing against my pants. I drop those to the floor as well. Henry’s cries only make my cock harder as it springs free, already dripping. Thick and twitching in my lap, I wrap my hands around my cock, fingers tightening, and I feel the surge of power rush through me. I picture her; Brielle, her fierce eyes burning with a fire that matches my own. My queen.
Henry’s voice breaks through the silence again, a hoarse, weak shout from his cage. “You’re a fucking monster!” he spits, his voice laced with desperation. I chuckle darkly, stroking absently. “ Oh, Henry, you haven’t even begun to understand the meaning of that word.”
I let my thoughts drift back to her, with her strength, her defiance, her beauty that haunts me. The way her hair falls over her shoulders, the stubborn set of her jaw when she stands against me. My hand moves faster, gripping my cock harder.
“Fuck, mmm.” I moan as I stroke faster, my grip tightening as my chest heaves with each breath. “Brielle,” I whisper, my voice thick with desire.
I imagine her here, straddling my lap, her hands on my shoulders, her lips just inches from mine. The fire in her eyes as she looks at me; equal parts hatred and desire, battling within her. She doesn’t know yet how much she craves what I can give her.
I picture the look on her beautiful face as she comes apart on my cock and I lose all control. I am stoking myself like a mad man, my hips driving forward into my hand.
“Yes, ahh..” My shuddered breathes and moans come out in short gasps as I feel my cock twitch in my hand. My muscles tense, my entire body flexing, my legs shooting out as I cum hard, the thick ropes covering my hand.
Grabbing the tunic, I wipe my hand clean as I sigh, the weight of longing pressing heavy against my chest. Soon, I tell myself. Soon, I won’t need to entertain myself with such pitiful displays. She will be here, with me; her fire, her resistance, her beauty, wrapped around me, not this sorry excuse for satisfaction.
That day is coming soon. She will know what it means to be worshiped. I lick my lips, imaging the taste of her on my tongue already. She will finally be mine, gods I hope she will have me.
nine
Brielle
I wake up with a groan, every muscle in my body protesting as I try to shift. The ground beneath me has left my back and shoulders stiff, sore in a way that makes me want to curl back up and pretend the world doesn't exist. But the harsh reality of the maze doesn’t allow for such luxuries.
"Let's get moving," Grom's gruff voice rumbles from somewhere nearby.
I open my eyes to see him standing over me, already packed up and ready to go. He’s cleaned up the makeshift camp as if it was never there. I scowl up at him, rubbing the knot in my neck.
"Okay, okay," I mutter, forcing myself to sit up. "I’m coming."
He’s already walking off before I’ve even gathered my things, forcing me to scramble after him. His long, lumbering strides eat up the ground as if the maze is his playground and I’m just someclumsy outsider stumbling in his wake. Which, I suppose, isn’t far from the truth.
“Do you ever wait for people, or is the whole ‘silent brute’ thing part of your charm?” I grumble, trying to keep pace with him. My legs, still sore from sleeping on the cold ground, threaten to betray me with every step.
He doesn’t even look back, just grunts. I roll my eyes and push forward, deciding to take a different approach. I might as well try to get to know him. Maybe if I can break through his thick skull, I can figure out what the hell his deal is.
