The Fox and the Wizard Pt. 03

Alayna didn't stir until well into the next morning.

She groaned as she stretched, the movement making her ache all over. The chill in the room was so biting that she curled in on herself, seeking the warmth of the bed. And abruptly sat up when she realized she wasn't chained.

Alayna looked around the room, expecting to see Xanth lurking in every corner, watching her. But he wasn't there. She was alone.

She sank back in the bed, relishing her freedom of movement, even as her pussy, ass and every muscle in her body protested. Apparently two days of sex took a toll. From the corner of her eye, sunlight glinting off glass caught her eye. She turned her head, finding a glass vial and a note on the stand next to the bed. She reached for the note.

Drink it or you'll be back in chains.

That had to be Xanth's elegant, large handwriting. He dominated the paper like he dominated everything else. She picked the vial up and debated.

While she wanted a clear head to get an idea of her situation and plot a way out, she couldn't very well do that if he kept her chained to this bed. Undoubtedly, this was not an empty threat. With a scowl, she popped the cork and drank.

Alayna forced herself out of the warm bed and into the bathing chamber, which was slightly warmer thanks to a second hearth burning. Her body felt sticky with sweat and... other things it was best not to dwell on. She needed to be clean and she needed food. Unless he intended to starve her into submission.

It didn't take long to figure out how to work the bath, steaming water soon filling the tub. Alayna took advantage of all the different soaps and oils and creams lined out for use, using everything she could to wash the scent of leather, sandalwood and man from her body. The hot water helped ease all the aches and gave her some measure of energy. She half expected the door to open at any moment, for Xanth to come striding in and demanding she get on her knees. Alayna spent her entire bath aware of every sound on the other side of that door, but it never opened.

Once she was clean and feeling a little more like herself, she thoroughly brushed her teeth and worked the tangles out of her wet hair. Searching all the little nooks and crannies of the room produced nothing to wear, so she wrapped the thick towel tightly around her body and cracked the door open.

Not a sound met her ears from the other side, so she opened it a little wider and peered in. Nothing stirred. She stepped out, finding the bedroom just as empty as it had been when she woke.

Ah, but the room wasn't unchanged. The bedding had been changed yet again, the previously open window now closed. Fresh logs had been laid upon the hearth, filling the room with a pleasant heat. On the table in front of it sat a covered platter, the smell of something roasted making her stomach rumble. Xanth's servants were certainly skilled.

She started for the plate, suddenly feeling ravenous, yet hesitated. If he came back and found her in nothing more than a towel, there was no doubt where that would lead. Instead, Alayna walked over to the armoire and threw open the doors.

She'd expected dresses. Perhaps a tunic and a loose pair of breeches, if she was lucky. Not... whatever this was.

Alayna picked at the sheer fabric, wondering if they'd mistakenly given her scarves to wear. All of it was so thin, so sparse that none of it could truly be considered clothing. After several minutes of fussing with the fabric, she finally figured out how it was supposed to be word. Two thin strips of fabric rested on her shoulders and covered her breasts, albeit barely. The fabric was gathered at her waist, hanging off her hips, two more strips meant to cover her front and back. Alayna scowled at her appearance in the mirror. She looked like an exotic dancer at a brothel.

There was nothing for it, because more searching just provided more of the same in various different colors. For good measure, she wrapped the damp towel around her body again and then went to devour her meal.

By the time she'd finished every crumb and morsel of food, the aphrodisiac potion began its work. The towel felt too heavy around her, scraping against sensitive nipples. Alayna returned it to the bathing chamber, now grateful for the light, airy material covering her.

She stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips. Escape. There had to be a way out, something he hadn't thought of. But escape meant getting to the Greenfrost and he'd already confirmed there were all manner of nasty beasts lurking there, so she needed her magic Alayna stalked to the armoire and studied the cilice in the mirror. No matter how she turned or how much light from a candle she shined on it, she couldn't find any kind of seam that could be broken. It was one smooth band of metal, not unlike her armbands. Using the utensils from her meal also did not prove effective, because the damn thing refused to budge no matter how hard she pried at it. The metal teeth lining the inside were dug in too tightly to drag it off her arm.

Magic, then. It had to be removed by magic.

Five minutes later, as she lay gasping on the bedroom floor, tears pricking her eyelashes, Alayna decided that was not her smartest idea.

She had to wait for the pain to clear from her head before she could get back on her feet. Unwilling to risk the cilice's ire again, she went to the windows, propping one open so she could gauge the drop. He'd picked this room with too much care. There wasn't a single ledge or awning she could lower herself onto and shape shifting wasn't in her list of skills.

No way out through the window. She strode over to the door and tried the handle. Locked, of course. She retrieved the dull knife from its spot by the armoire and tried to slide it into the opening to lift the latch.

A jolt of magic shot through her fingertips, sharp enough she dropped the knife with a hiss, shaking her fingers. Of course the bastard had warded it.

Perhaps... perhaps if she could call on only a little magic, the cilice wouldn't notice. There had been a moment of hesitation when she tried to force it open before. Alayna closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, willing her body to relax. With careful, slow consideration, she reached inside herself and coaxed only the barest drop of her power to life, aiming it at the door.

The drop turned into a trickle. Her brows knitted as she tried to will it to calm, to ease. The trickle turned into a torrent.

For the second time that day, Alayna found herself on the bedroom floor, her nails digging into the plush carpets as pain wracked her body.

She lay there for a long while. Unwilling to admit defeat, but also unwilling to face that pain again. Perhaps that was why he'd left her unchained. He probably knew she would immediately try to run and wanted to teach her that it wasn't possible.

No. It was possible, she just hadn't found the right way yet. Waking up unchained was the first step. Eventually, he would have to let her out of this room. Once she was allowed into the rest of the castle, or wherever it was he held her, perhaps she could find another means of escape.

That meant waiting. Alayna turned to survey the beautifully decorated room... and realized she had nothing to do.

She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt bored. Back at the keep, there was always something to keep her occupied, whether it was men, potions that needed brewing, or people who needed healing. She worked from sunup to sundown and often well into the night. Before joining Beckett, she stayed on the move, keenly aware that her father was still searching for her.

But now? Nothing.

She searched the room for any books that might have been stowed away, for anything that would keep her hands busy. Nothing.

Alayna occupied herself at the window for a while, trying to spy the city laid out before her, but other towers and the sheer height blocked her view. With nothing to keep her occupied, she couldn't help but focus on how heated her body was becoming, how heavy her breasts felt. With a frustrated sigh, she began pacing.

That didn't help. The motion of her legs made her keenly aware of how sensitive her clit had become. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the door. Surely he would be returning soon. He couldn't mean to keep her in here all day without anything to do.

An hour ticked by. Nothing.

By this point, the throbbing between her legs had grown so insistent that she couldn't find a comfortable position. Alayna gave the door a sidelong look.

You are no longer allowed to touch yourself.

Her brow crooked. At no point had she ever forgone touching herself if the need grew too great. Alayna scooted up higher on the bed. It wasn't as good as sex or having a man's tongue between her thighs, but it took the edge off.

Any orgasm you have will only come from me, or someone or something of my choosing.

She scoffed as she laid back on the bed, casting another look at the door. When it still didn't open, she cupped her breasts. They felt heavy, her nipples already sensitive to any sort of contact. Alayna ran her palms across them and released a sigh at how good it felt.

Any attempt to bring yourself pleasure without permission will result in consequences.

Fuck his consequences.

She brushed the gauzy material of her dress aside and slid a finger across her clit. The pleasure was so intense she gasped. Her finger already coated in her arousal, Alayna stroked a second time. Surely he wouldn't notice if she only got herself off once. Just once, to ease the ache.

With one hand still on her breast, she added a second finger to the first, gently stroking her clit. Her eyes drifted closed. She imagined Beckett was the one stroking her, his eyes on her face while he pumped his cock next to her.

"Mm..." Her hips began to roll. She spread her legs wider.

In her mind's eye, Beckett had her on her knees in front of him, steadily thrusting into her open mouth while his hand fisted in her hair, holding her there. "Ah..."

Alayna reached over and pulled a pillow onto her face, trying to use it to muffle the sounds she made as she fingered herself. It did little good, so she turned over onto her stomach and buried her face against it. She dragged her knees beneath her and spread them, ass in the air while she toyed with herself.

This angle sent sharp pleasure through her and she moaned again, this time the sound suitably muted. Her pussy ached for Beckett's cock to fill it. Her hips rolled as her fingers stroked in just the way she liked.

Her orgasm came on her faster than she would have liked. Alayna bit down on the pillow, her free hand fisting in the blanket while her toes curled. Clit throbbing beneath her fingers, her hips jerked as she cried out into the pillow.

When the last of her spasms died away and her clit got that too-sensitive feeling, Alayna collapsed on the bed, breathing hard.

"I hope you enjoyed that, Fox."

Her eyes flew open wide as she rolled, finding Xanth standing at the end of the bed, one hand rubbing himself through his breeches. His eyes burned hot with fury and arousal.

"Because it's the last one you'll get for a while."

***

He was not gentle as he forced her down the hallway.

His grip on her forearm dug in, fingers biting while she struggled. Alayna tried to plant her heels, but he merely gave her a hard jerk that sent her stumbling. She even resorted to trying to pry his fingers off. Anything that wouldn't cause harm, wouldn't set off the cilice.

"Where are you taking me?" She tried to keep the note of apprehension out of her tone.

"You'll see." His tone was tight, clipped as he forced her along.

He stopped outside the door to the room she'd woken up in when she first came here, one booted foot kicking it open. He propelled her inside, releasing her so abruptly that she nearly fell. Alayna righted herself and immediately made for the door, but he slammed it closed behind him. Without windows to let in sunlight, it was much darker, only a few candles burning. But there was no mistaking the cold fury that still smoldered in his eyes.

That look made her stand up straight, spine stiff. Alayna lifted her chin, unwilling to back down.

"I never agreed to your rules."

"Property doesn't have to agree. It just had to obey."

She bristled at that, but he crossed to the middle of the room in long strides before she could respond. A blanket had been draped over something raised in the middle of the room, which he now stripped off.

Her brows rose high in confusion. Alayna remained near the door, but stared at the object, trying to figure out its intended use. It looked like a saddle. It rested over a long, thick wooden beam suspended from the ceiling on each end with ropes. The ropes extended across the ceiling to the far wall, where they were tied around various hooks to keep them in place. Beneath it sat a square shape, covered with a blanket.

"What is that supposed to be?"

"Your punishment. Come here." He pointed to a spot directly beside the contraption. She hesitated. "Alayna. Don't make it worse on yourself."

She gave him an arch look, but crossed to the wooden beam. When she came closer, she saw there was a hole in the middle of the saddle, only darkness beneath. Without warning, Xanth's large hands encircled her waist and lifted her. She instinctively straddled the saddle, one leg on either side. Her bare feet rested flatly on the cold stone floor.

"Am I to have riding lessons?" she quipped.

"Something like that." His tone was still cold, still hard. He waved a hand and chains fell from the ceiling, the manacles clacking against her arms. He snatched one of her hands before she could react and lifted it up, quickly snapping a thick manacle around her wrist. He repeated the process with the other, despite her attempts to stop him.

"I don't see why you're punishing me," Alayna said as she assessed the strength of the chains. "You gave me that potion and locked me in that room with nothing to do. What did you expect to happen?"

He bent down, producing more chains from the floor that he attached to her ankles, one after the other. "I expected you to obey my rules and refrain from pleasuring yourself until I returned."

"I had no idea how long that was going to be. I don't do well with boredom."

"You'll have plenty to occupy you for the next day or two, I assure you."

His hand shot out, gripping her face. His fingers dug in cruelly against the joints on either side of her jaw, forcing her to open her mouth and tilt her head back. Without so much as a warning, he produced one of those glass vials from thin air and dumped the contents into her mouth. Alayna choked on the potion, tried to spit it out, but most of it went down her throat.

"This little contraption was a gift from a friend, one you'll soon meet. I have certain responsibilities that prevent me from personally seeing to your punishment, but this will do the work for me."

She didn't like the sound of that at all. The chains began to retract, drawing her arms higher and higher, until they lifted her up to the point only her toes brushed the stone floor. The chains around her ankles prevented her from drawing her legs up. The hole in the saddle aligned perfectly with her pussy.

"I'll have to spend some time calibrating it, of course."

He reached for a lever on the floor she hadn't seen before and shifted it. The sound of whirring and clanking filled her ears from the box beneath her.

All at once Alayna felt something prod at her entrance, both hard and pliable at the same time. She jerked on the saddle, the chains rattling loudly. "What the hell is that?" The chains held her at an angle she couldn't escape from it as it inched its way further inside her body. Something thick and wet coated the top, allowing it to slide easily.

"He had some name for it, but the names don't make sense to me. Suffice to say it's an inanimate cock. It's fascinating, really, the way the gears and levers work together to make it move, powered by magic."

She was only slightly paying attention to his words, because the object kept pushing further inside her, forcing her to stretch around it. No matter how she moved, she couldn't gain enough leverage to get away from it.

"Ah... It... it feels strange." She squirmed in the saddle, the sensation not entirely unpleasant, but still different.

"It's going to fuck you for me, Alayna." He gripped her chin and turned her head so she had to look at him. "But I'm going to adjust it so it won't make you cum."

He watched her expression as it inched further inside her. Watched her eyes flare as it approached that bundle of nerves, getting just close enough that her lips parted on a gasp...

He adjusted the lever and it stopped moving. Buried deep inside her, but only a hair away from touching the place she ached. Slowly, it withdrew from her body, making her shiver. When only the tip remained inside her, she heard something inside the box beneath her shift, then it began its slow climb into her folds once more.

And still Xanth studied her, gathering what information he needed from the changes in her expression, the way her breathing would become deeper or faster. He made a few more adjustments of the lever. The machine started to move faster.

Xanth released her and stepped back. She struggled, but the chains held fast, the machine moving inside her without stopping. Each time, it stopped just shy of touching the place she needed it to.

"Xan— sir," she said through gritted teeth. Gods, she hated giving in and calling him that, but she didn't want to anger him any further. "How long are you going to leave me like this?"

"Until I decide you've had enough. Until you agree not to touch yourself again. Until you realize there are worse things than not giving yourself an orgasm."

He started for the door, the machine whirring loudly. With his hand on the handle, he turned to cast a glance at her over his shoulder. "Try not to struggle, Fox. You'll only make it worse on yourself."

He opened the door and stepped out, though hesitated before closing it all the way. Over the sounds of the machine, she could just barely make out what was being said.

"... need to see," the steward was saying. "... no idea how they managed..."

"... the twins can..." Xanth's voice now, most of his words muffled. "... dungeon for a while."

The door snicked shut. The machine never stopped moving, never stopped working its way into and out of her pussy. Alayna told herself that wasn't so bad. The position of her arms above her head and her legs spread over the saddle were far more uncomfortable than the phallic-shaped object pushing inside her.

She had no idea how much time passed when she began to feel the effects of the second potion. It started with her nipples dragging against the flimsy material of her dress, of her skin becoming heated. The sensation was made worse by the machine steadily fucking her. At its deepest, it would get so, so close to that spot inside her, to the point she would just begin to feel the slightest amount of pleasure, before withdrawing again. It never increased its speed and it never stopped.

Alayna found herself trying to angle her hips just right so it would slip further inside, but he'd adjusted it well. She began panting softly, her clit throbbing for attention. From her previous experience with the potion, she knew it was only going to get worse. Sweat began to bead on her body, making the cloth stick to her. No matter what she did, she couldn't make the machine sink that last little bit inside her.

Until it did.

Without warning, it surged deeply once, taking her by surprise. Alayna gasped as the tip of it glided over that place, her body shuddering with pleasure. She held her breath, anticipating a second thrust, but it never came. The machine returned to its slow, steady pace. She rattled the chains in frustration.