'How did she know my rank?' The thought flashed through Ysabel's mind, quick and sudden. But it was immediately shoved aside. This woman… was full of mystery anyway.
Ysabel looked to Rosalinda, seated rigidly beside her. The princess's green eyes were wide with a mix of fear and defiance, but Ysabel saw the uncertainty flickering beneath. Rosalinda gave the barest nod, barely perceptible.
Taking a deep breath, Ysabel straightened her shoulders, she began, forcing her voice to remain steady despite the dryness in her throat.
"May I… speak to you alone? The matter I wish to discuss is… delicate." She avoided looking directly at Rosalinda, feeling the princess's gaze burning into her.
Lyssandra leaned back in her chair, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Alone?" she mused, tapping a long finger against her cup. "Very well. If that's what you desire." She snapped her fingers sharply.
The floorboards beneath Rosalinda rippled like water. Before the princess could even scream, thick, glistening tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around her slender limbs with unnerving speed and strength.
"Wha-?!" was all Rosalinda managed before she was yanked downwards, disappearing smoothly into the floor as if swallowed by a dark sea. The only sound was a muffled thump and then silence. The floor sealed itself seamlessly behind her.
Ysabel was on her feet in an instant, her steel spear clattering to the floor as she scrambled to grab it. She raised the spear, the point trembling slightly but aimed unwaveringly at Lyssandra's chest.
"What did you do to her?!" she demanded, her voice high with shock and fury. "Bring her back! NOW!"
Lyssandra didn't even flinch. She remained perfectly calm, taking another sip of water before setting the cup down gently.
"Relax, Sergeant," she said, her voice cool and smooth. "Your precious princess is perfectly safe. She's simply been… relocated. To another room within the mansion. To grant us the privacy you requested. Just as you wished."
The tendrils that had taken Rosalinda retracted smoothly back into the floor, leaving no trace they were ever there.
Ysabel stood frozen for a long moment, her spear still held at the ready. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
Slowly, painfully, she forced herself to lower the weapon. With great effort, she sat back down, her posture stiff, her knuckles white as she gripped the spear's shaft.
"Just… please," she said, her voice rough but quieter now. "Don't hurt her." She finally met Lyssandra's blue eyes, finding them unnervingly calm and deep.
Lyssandra smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it. Not without reason, anyway." She leaned forward slightly, her gaze intense and focused on Ysabel. "Now. The privacy you desired? You have it. Speak, Sergeant. Tell me this delicate matter of yours."
"It… it's kinda hard to say," Ysabel mumbled, her eyes darting away, unable to meet Lyssandra's piercing gaze.
She shifted uncomfortably on the hard chair, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson that spread down her neck. "Uhmm… it… it was…" She stammered, her usual stoicism cracking completely. Words jumbled uselessly in her throat.
Lyssandra watched Ysabel's struggle with detached amusement, a knowing smile curving her lips. She rose smoothly from her chair.
"You're quite adorable when you're flustered," she murmured, beginning a steady circuit around the table. Her high heels clicked softly on the polished floor.
Ysabel desperately tried to keep her focus on the far wall, on anything but the sound of those approaching footsteps or the memory of Lyssandra's overwhelming presence. Her heart felt like a trapped bird fluttering against her ribs.
"You want something from me, don't you?" Lyssandra's voice was low, silky, coming from directly behind Ysabel now.
Ysabel stiffened, every muscle locking tight. She could feel Lyssandra's closeness without even turning her head, smell the faint scent of something sweet mingling with her own natural fragrance.
A long, slender finger traced a lazy path across the worn wood of the table's surface, circling ever closer to where Ysabel's hands lay fisted. The sound was tiny, insignificant, yet it filled the room.
"You want to feel something again." The words were a breath against the nape of Ysabel's neck. Warm hands, impossibly soft and strong, settled heavily on her shoulders. Ysabel flinched, but didn't pull away. Couldn't.
"You want to be bred again." The declaration was made in a low purr, vibrating through Ysabel's very bones. "Bred like a dog in heat, just like before." The blunt crudity of the words struck Ysabel like a physical blow.
In an instant, Lyssandra wrapped her arms tightly around Ysabel from behind, pulling her firmly back against her own powerful body. Her massive breasts pressed insistently against the back of Ysabel's head, enveloping her. The sensation was overwhelming – the heat, the softness, the sheer, unavoidable pressure.
The final words shattered Ysabel's fragile composure. Her mind reeled, thoughts spinning wildly out of control. Heat bloomed across her entire face, her ears burning so fiercely they felt like they might catch fire.
A strangled, unintelligible sound escaped her throat – part gasp, part moan. "N-no… Y-yes… NO!" she choked out, the words meaningless, contradictory. Her resolve dissolved completely under the onslaught of Lyssandra's closeness and the raw, shocking truth laid bare.
'Damn it! You're a soldier! Speak clearly!' Ysabel raged internally, horrified at her own loss of control. But on the outside, all she could do was sit rigidly, her face flushed a virulent red that even the deepest blush couldn't compare to, trapped between the table and the living wall of Lyssandra's embrace, utterly exposed and helpless.
"Can you strip for me?" Lyssandra breathed into Ysabel's ear. The words were soft, almost gentle, but filled with an unspoken command. Her teeth grazed Ysabel's earlobe, not a bite, just the faintest scrape, a teasing promise at the exact same moment.
Ysabel shuddered violently. The sensation shot like lightning through her, making her spine arch. With trembling hands, she rose to her feet. She didn't dare turn around, didn't dare meet Lyssandra's gaze. The heat radiating from the woman behind her was almost tangible.
Methodically, with fingers that fumbled at first but grew more determined, Ysabel began to disassemble her steel armor.
Each piece clattered dully to the floor, pauldrons, breastplate, vambraces. The clanking metal echoed strangely in the near-silent room, punctuating her unsteady breaths.
Finally, the last straps loosened. The heavy, protective shell fell away completely, leaving her clad only in a simple white tunic and fitted leather pants. She hesitated for a heartbeat, then pulled the tunic over her head in one swift motion.
Lyssandra let out a low, appreciative hum as the garment fluttered to the ground. Ysabel's naked back was now fully exposed to her view, tanned skin smooth and glistening with a faint sheen of nervous sweat. The muscles beneath were lean and well-defined, shifting subtly with every movement.
Turning slowly, Ysabel finally faced Lyssandra. She stood proudly despite her vulnerability, her chin held high even as her cheeks still burned crimson.
Hazel eyes met Lyssandra's blue gaze, unflinching now in their naked state. Her face, though beautiful, bore the hard lines of battles fought and endured. A long black ponytail, slightly disheveled, fell over one shoulder. Dark lashes framed her intense eyes, a straight nose gave her profile strength, and her bare lips were pressed into a firm, determined line.
"Tell me," Lyssandra murmured, her fingertip trailing down Ysabel's flushed cheek, tracing the strong line of her jaw before drifting lower to the pulse fluttering wildly at her neck. "How exactly do you want this to go?"
Ysabel stood frozen, her breath hitching in her throat.
Lyssandra leaned in closer, her lips brushing Ysabel's heated cheek in the softest, briefest kiss. "Or perhaps," she whispered "you'd prefer it just like the last time? Rough and raw, no holds barred?"
The words, the memory, sent a violent tremor through Ysabel's entire frame. Her body felt like it was burning up from within. A low, needy whine escaped her clenched teeth. Her nipples tightened painfully, her thighs clenching instinctively.
Lyssandra smiled against her skin before abruptly pulling back, slipping out of Ysabel's desperate grasp. Ysabel stumbled forward, her hand clutching empty air.
"Or maybe," Lyssandra mused, her eyes gleaming with dark amusement as she retreated further, putting the heavy table between them, "you miss the feeling of cold steel binding your wrists? The delicious helplessness?"
Something snapped inside Ysabel. The carefully cultivated facade of control shattered. With a low growl that came from deep in her chest, she lunged forward. Years of training kicked in, her movements fluid and fast despite her state.
She slammed Lyssandra back against the hard stone wall, pinning her there with her body. The air whooshed out of Lyssandra's lungs in a soft "Oof!".
"Don't… mess with me!" Ysabel gritted out, her hazel eyes blazing with fierce determination. She was nose-to-nose with Lyssandra, their breaths mingling hot and ragged. The heat radiating between them was almost unbearable.