“One moment, Lady Diane, your laces are a bit loose,” Maria murmured, the human maid not pausing before she began adjusting the laces of the corset. The maid was taller than Diane was, her reflection in the mirror showing her pleasantly tanned skin and revealing black dress that showed her pink slave crest as she worked, with her long, dark hair pinned up in braids.

“I think it’s quite—” Diane began, only to squeak slightly as the ribs of the corset constricted, forcing some of the air from her lungs. Something had to be wrong with her, since Diane hadn’t enjoyed corsets when she first came to Kelvanis, yet now there was virtually no pain or discomfort when it tightened. Even so, she managed to continue after a few moments. “I was… was saying that I thought it was quite tight enough, Maria.”

“I do apologize, but Wenris was very specific about your appearance for today, Lady Diane,” Maria replied softly, ensuring that all of the laces were properly tightened before tying them in place. “I’m simply following her directions.”

“Oh.” Diane swallowed her protests at the explanation, wincing as she looked at the white corset and how much it constricted her waist by. After a few moments she asked, “What else did she have in mind?”

“She brought a dress and jewelry, then gave rather particular instructions, Milady,” Maria told her, stepping away and opening the wardrobe. A moment later she removed a dress, and Diane couldn’t help but blanch at the sight of it.

The dress didn’t have a broad skirt, instead designed to fall to the ankles and tight enough that it wouldn’t allow her to take steps more than a quarter of her usual stride. The dress was a bright purple and blue threaded with gold embroidery, and it would expose a healthy portion of her chest before draping down her arms in diaphanous sleeves that lightened from sky-blue to white. The waist of the dress was so narrow that there was no way Diane would have fit into it if the corset hadn’t been cinched so tight, and the purple obviously matched the colors of Tyria’s faith.

“I have to wear that?” Diane asked, incredulous. It looked entirely too ridiculous for her skin tone.

“Yes, Diane. That’s your dress for the trip to Westgate. Do you disapprove?” Wenris’ seductive tone sent a shiver through Diane, and the elf turned to face the doorway, where Wenris stood alongside Serel, appearing as a beautiful human version of herself, with a single eyebrow raised curiously. The strangest part about the demon was her necklace, though. It was a thin gold chain, with a pendant in the shape of an inch-long golden birdcage. Diane hadn’t ever seen the necklace before, but put it out of her mind quickly. It might or might not be important, and she really didn’t want to know which it was.

Diane hated her reaction, but she almost instinctively lowered her gaze, attempting to explain. “N-no, Wenris. I was… I was just surprised at the sight of it. I thought the colors didn’t fit my skin tone.”

“Hmm… I suppose you might think that, but you might be surprised,” Wenris replied, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. The demon smiled as she continued. “It helps accentuate your eyes, and the gold helps it match your skin more closely as well. With the makeup you’ll look absolutely ravishing… and the Archon is very partial to the look as well.”

The succubus gave Diane a meaningful look with her last words, and Diane’s eyes widened at the obvious message. It only took her a moment before she bowed her head and murmured, “As you say. Go ahead, Maria.”

Without a word Maria began helping Diane into the dress, which fit perfectly. That wasn’t too surprising, considering who was behind it, but it always made Diane feel strange. She was used to several fittings for most of her clothing, so not seeing an outfit before wearing it was unusual.

As Maria painted Diane’s lips a deep crimson, Wenris watched with a faint smile playing across her lips, causing a sensation of discomfort to seep through the elf. Despite her constant presence nearby, Serel seemed to almost disappear into the background, completely different from the overwhelming presence of the succubus.

It took about half an hour to fully prepare for the trip, even with the other bags already packed, and tension coiled in Diane’s stomach like a spring. Supposedly they were going to escape in the next few days, but Wenris had been so close-mouthed about her plans that Diane had no clue what they were. In fact, a small part of the elf feared that Wenris had just been trying to get her hopes up. Even so, she had little choice in the matter.

“Shall we go?” Diane finally asked, reaching up to brush the tasteful silver necklace she was wearing. She’d also been adorned with earrings and bracelets, none of which were too elaborate.

“Of course, Milady,” Maria murmured, picking up the last two bags. The rest had already been taken away earlier. Wenris said nothing, while Serel opened the door and stepped into the hallway watchfully.

Following with the short steps forced by her dress, Diane smiled as she saw Jaine and Meredith, Maria’s sister, waiting for them. Jaine’s honey-hued skin stood out from her flowing white priestess’ robes, and she smiled broadly in return. “Good morning, Mother! You look lovely today.”

“As do you, Jaine. You seem excited about our trip,” Diane replied gently, her worry that Wenris wasn’t going to keep her bargain growing slightly as she did so. Jaine just didn’t seem any different.

“I am! I’m looking forward to seeing the dedication of the temple, and to get at least a little closer to Yisara again,” Jaine explained happily. “Aren’t you? I mean, you asked to come on the trip too.”

“Oh, I am! Don’t get me wrong, it just isn’t…” Diane paused, trying to think of how to explain more delicately. It took a few moments, but finally she continued. “I don’t know what to think. You’ve changed so much since we got here, and so have I. I’m just curious, and want to stay close to you.”

“I see, well, I’m glad you’re coming with me, Mother. It makes me far more comfortable with everything, and you’ve helped keep me sane,” Jaine replied sincerely, then extended her hand. “Shall we?”

Suppressing a sigh, Diane smiled and nodded, reaching out to take her daughter’s hand, and trying to ignore the thoughtful gaze of the demon following them.

* * *

Ulvian’s eyes lit up in pleasure as he caught sight of the women stepping into the teleportation hub. Jaine was beautiful, but despite that, she wasn’t quite what he preferred in a woman. Diane was far closer to his personal ideal when one took Irethiel out of the picture, with her narrow waist and constrained movements, and how the woman had applied kohl around her eyes to accentuate them. He mostly ignored the others, though he gave Serel and Wenris slight nods.

“Ladies, you look absolutely lovely! It’s a pleasure to see you as well. Did Elissa decide to leave separately? I’d expected her to accompany you.” Ulvian spoke clearly, smiling as he took a step toward them.

Diane gave a slight curtsey, almost as deep as she could manage in her gown, while the others gave respectful nods, but the former queen gave a radiant smile as she replied warmly. “Thank you, Archon. As to Elissa, I was not told anything about her. Jaine, might you know?”

“I do. She said she would be slightly late getting here, as she had a few final preparations to make for the dedication. I doubt she will be long, Archon,” Jaine told them, folding her hands in front of her, the young woman’s own smile reserved.

“Ah, that makes sense! So how are you, Jaine? I didn’t see you at dinner last night, so I’ve been somewhat concerned,” Ulvian asked as he stepped to the side, allowing the two human maids to move deeper into the chamber.

The hub was a chamber made of heavily reinforced stone, and the intricate runic enchantments carved into the floors and walls allowed anyone to teleport to connecting cities, if they were able to provide sufficient mana.

“I’m well. Last eve I was at the temple, meditating on Tyria’s teachings through the night in preparation for the dedication. It was quite soothing,” Jaine explained, her smile hesitant as she paused, then continued softly. “Thank you for your concern, though.”

“Ahh, much is explained. I’m glad to hear that you were well,” Ulvian told her warmly, glancing over at Wenris and asking, “And you, Wenris? You’ve been quite busy of late, I’ve noticed.”

“Oh, I’ve just been keeping Diane and Maria company, as well as helping her fill out her wardrobe a bit more fully. Nothing too important, in truth,” Wenris replied with a grin, even as both of the women mentioned blushed. “I must admit to some surprise that you’re attending the dedication. Is there a particular reason why you’re doing so?”

“That’s… an unpleasant thing to speak on, unfortunately. Justicar Hall fell in battle when facing Sifaren, along with some of his most elite soldiers,” Ulvian explained, sighing deeply as he shook his head. “It’s made worse because he is, was, one of my oldest friends. I’m going to sorely miss him. It also makes a rather large hole in the command structure out that direction, so I’m joining you not just for the dedication, but also to help reinforce morale while I decide who is the best man, or woman, to fill his boots.”

“Tsk. So very calculating, Ulvian. Coming along just to make certain people don’t panic over your poor decisions?” Elissa’s clear voice echoed down the hall as the High Priestess entered, carrying a bag in one hand and a silver staff in the other, a sardonic smile on her face. The priestess was wearing the holy symbol of Tyria around her neck and a white set of robes that matched Jaine’s, both thin enough to show their brands. Her black hair shimmered as though she’d just taken a bath, causing him to frown. Elissa smiled more widely in response, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Or are you claiming that it isn’t somewhat manipulative?”

“Elissa, you’re late,” Ulvian replied, trying to ignore her verbal jab as he nodded, raising an eyebrow. “Are you ready, or can we get moving?”

“An hour is hardly going to make a difference, Ulvian, let alone ten minutes,” Elissa told him with a smirk, shaking her head at him as she sighed. “Ah, well. I’m sure you’ll come around eventually. I’m certainly ready, though, I just had a few last things to set in order. I’m deeply looking forward to the dedication.”

“Good enough, let’s get going, then,” Ulvian murmured, ignoring her comment and giving a nod to the attendant in the room. “To Westgate, please.”

“Of course, Lord Archon,” the man replied diffidently, waiting for everyone to step into the center of the room before murmuring the activation words of the enchantment.

As the words were spoken, the runes on the floor and walls began to glow with a soft blue light. Bracing himself for the teleportation, Ulvian managed to suppress any reaction to the stomach-churning jolt as he disappeared in a flash of light, then reappeared in a nearly identical chamber in Westgate.

“Here we are! While it doesn’t feel terribly pleasant, teleportation is wonderful for shortening trips, isn’t it?” Ulvian said cheerfully, offering a hand to Diane. “Would you like a tour of the city, Lady Diane? Last time you were here I don’t believe that you had the chance to look around.”

“I… did not, at that,” Diane murmured, giving Wenris a nervous glance. At the disguised demon’s nod, Diane took his arm, bowing her head as Ulvian’s smile widened, her voice soft. “I would be delighted, Lord Archon. What did you wish to show me?”

* * *

Diane didn’t actually want to accompany the Archon around the city, but in order to keep up the illusion of being submissive, she had little choice. The problem, of course, was that she was growing more submissive, if not to Ulvian himself. At least she’d grown even better at acting over the winter, or this would be more difficult.

Still, the Archon was behaving like a perfect gentleman as he escorted Diane through the city, and after a short time Diane found herself interested in the tour, as she sat in the open carriage traveling through the streets.

Before the region had been conquered by Kelvanis, where Westgate now stood had been an elven trade town named Intar. The town had been jointly ruled by Sifaren and Yisara, and had been home to the vast majority of trade between the two kingdoms. Once Kelvanis had invaded and conquered the region, they’d captured the town and added their own construction to it, which had quickly changed the city in ways that she’d never imagined.

Westgate was somewhat less cramped than Kelvanath, which helped ease the odd sense of claustrophobia that Diane felt in the streets of the human city, with wider avenues and more plants around. Some of the structures were the stone towers of Sifaren, in their flowing designs and arches, while others were the lower, homier lodges and manor houses of Yisara. Still others were the more utilitarian human structures of local materials, which tended to have sharper corners and emerge more jarringly from the landscape. In some ways it was a horrifying mish-mash of cultures, but in other ways it almost worked better. The different buildings were being used for different purposes, and despite the fact that it had been done by Kelvanis, Diane found herself fascinated by the potential.

In addition to those changes, Kelvanis had also erected a solid stone wall around the city, as well as a new city center, including a manor with a short wall around it that was the center of the government of Western Kelvanis. The manor was slightly less of an eyesore than Kelvanath’s palace, but it still wasn’t a building Diane would enjoy living in. The biggest shock had been the temple of Tyria, though.

“The temple of Medaea was abandoned when Kelvanis took over the city, and since then has remained vacant. When Tyria’s faith was looking for a temple here, they wanted a building that was centrally located, so they chose to repurpose the old temple,” Ulvian explained, an indulgent smile on his face. Diane knew he was ignoring the aspect that Kelvanis had enslaved all the priestesses of Medaea that had been captured. She knew that because she’d received the reports of one of the young women who’d been rescued from slavery in Sirshif. He continued without knowing about her thoughts, though, waving expansively. “As you can see, it’s been heavily renovated over the last few months, and looks all but new! Don’t you think it’s lovely?”

“I believe I agree with you,” Diane replied graciously, looking at the temple with a critical eye. It’d been close to fifteen years since she’d last seen it, aside from a brief glimpse when she and Jaine had been brought through Westgate the previous fall, so her memory of the building was off, but it did look better.

The temple had been made of carefully fitted masonry that had needed little maintenance, with durable ceramic roof tiles that had been made with an eye toward making the temple seem like a single smooth dome, save for the bell-tower protruding from its highest point. The changes had startled her, with how much it had been renovated.

Four towers had been erected at each corner of the temple, with a coat of plaster applied to the structure to make it a gleaming white. Chains ran from the outer towers to the bell-tower, which had been rebuilt to rise even higher above the surrounding buildings. Gone were the statues of praying women which had framed the front door, and in their place were a pair of eerily similar statues with the women’s hands in shackles. Diane hoped that someone hadn’t just added those to the previous statues, but she wasn’t certain.

Seeing an elven man trudging along the road, carrying bags for a human merchant, Diane forced down her anger. The man was obviously once from Yisara, and his clothing was just barely passable for a human commoner. The man looked like he’d been through some very hard times, with one of his ears ending in a torn tip, and the scars from a whip visible where his skin was exposed. The unfortunate man glanced up in response to her gaze, and his eyes were tired, but widened in shock as he saw her. A moment later a swirl of people crossed between them, and they turned a corner toward the manor, leaving the man out of sight, and making Diane feel even more terrible than she had been before.

“Well, there we are! Now then, dinner tonight with the locals, and the dedication on the morrow. I do look forward to it.” Ulvian spoke cheerfully as they approached the mansion gates, Serel slowing the carriage to deal with the guards.

“As you say, Milord,” Diane agreed, bowing her head, hoping anew that Wenris would keep her word.

The gates opened as the guards let them through, into the bustling manor of Westgate, where the others were waiting for them.

* * *

Diane expected what happened when she returned to her bedroom after dinner. Ulvian had paid too much attention to her for her comfort, and he’d obviously been hoping to convince her to return to his room with him. It had taken some careful maneuvering to make it seem like she was interested in him, yet was still hesitant about going further. Considering the thoughtful looks that Wenris had given Diane, she’d fully expected to be ambushed.

The elf didn’t even yelp, though she did gasp as she was yanked sideways, farther than her short steps could have taken her, and the warm arms of the succubus wrapped around her. Wenris purred into Diane’s ear, her voice sultry. “I half expected you not to come back to the room tonight, Diane…”

“I… I was playing along with him, because that’s what you seemed to want…” Diane replied, swallowing hard as her pulse began to race, the demon’s touch igniting a fire in her veins. “Did you wish for me to?”

“No, no… I like having you all to myself, Diane. Well, and Maria, but you haven’t been interested in her much.” Wenris laughed richly, slowly pulling Diane toward the bed. As she did so, she murmured softly. “We will make our move at some point after the dedication. I’m waiting for either the rebels to attempt to rescue you, or for the right moment.”

At the information, hope surged through Diane and she opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by a deep, passionate kiss that almost made her mind go blank. After a long minute Wenris broke the kiss, her voice amused as she traced a finger down Diane’s dress and one of the ribs of the corset beneath it. “Say nothing, my dear. While such will happen soon, I’m still following the directions I was given before, at least for the time being. Which means we have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves… and tomorrow night, you’ll be mine. Won’t you, Diane?”

“As you say, Wenris,” Diane murmured, lowering her gaze slowly, trapped in the demon’s embrace. She wanted to deny it, but… in truth she’d already given up.

“So… what am I to do with you, Diane? And what is the proper term of address for me?” Wenris coaxed.

“You can do w-whatever you wish with me, M-mistress Wenris,” Diane replied softly, relaxing into the demon’s arms.

Wenris simply smiled more widely as she purred. “Good girl.”