It was just a peek

Her submissive stance was so ingrained in her, it was unthinking. Natural. He was a hulking brute of a man. Larger than the marauders who had owned her for a time. There was something in his eyes however that reminded her of them. Something that told her if she fled, he would love her for it. Would love chasing her down and hearing her squeal. Her heartbeat picked up, and words of her Master filtered quietly in. ‘Never again.’ But he wasn’t here, he was far, far away…

“No, My Lord.” She whispered softly, her lowered eyes could still pick up the way he looked her over. Her heart squeezed, and the soft little haven that had started to build inside of her splintered. He started to move towards her, and her legs quivered, but she did not bolt. That lesson had been ingrained into her too many times. Bolting went either two ways - One, they punished her for it. And Masters could be very creative in their cruelty. Or Two, they enjoyed it, and the chase awoke something primal and cruel inside of them. They would be rough and hard in their treatment of her, and her tender places would hurt for weeks.

Her heart was thundering in her chest now, as the tyrant monstrosity closed the distance between them. “Idalia, My Lord” she whispered. He was close now, and she could see the readiness in his hard muscles. A part of her, a very small, tiny part of her was waiting for Art to appear, to fulfill his promises to her. But he was only a man, and a continent away. The part of her that had always known Knights didn’t leap in and rescue you was strangling that hope. This man towered over her. Strong, capable, and cruel. He was exactly the wolf Artorias wished her to learn to defend herself from, but she knew she couldn’t. There was nothing she could do except for one thing. Would Artorias and Briar throw her away for defying the strength they had wished to cultivate inside of her? “....What do you wish of me, My Lord?” She whispered, and watched her little dream of paradise in The Hallows slip away.

Speech