The door to Queen Ava's chamber clicked shut, and with it, the warmth of her private sanctum was sealed behind velvet and runes.
But the stone walls were not deaf.
Just beyond the ornate blackwood threshold, four beings lingered—summoned creatures of fang, feather, and flesh. Ava had not dismissed them far. Perhaps she knew they would not go. Perhaps she wanted them to stay close.
Ash stood like a statue beside the door, arms crossed loosely, shirtless, his silver chains faintly glowing against the skin of his golden chest. His amethyst eyes flicked toward the sealed chamber, unreadable.
The tiger lay low, massive body coiled like a spring, nose nearly to the floor, tail twitching in slow arcs. The lion sat with majestic stillness, but the tips of its silver mane bristled ever so slightly with unspoken tension. And above them all, the radiant white bird perched upon the iron chandelier strung along the hall's center beam, head tilted to listen—not with ears, but with some deeper, eldritch sense.
Inside the chamber, warmth and softness reigned.
Ava's bedchamber was a symphony of sensual design—obsidian mirrors, red-gold silks, a fire crackling within a hearth shaped like a dragon's maw. The velvet chaise where Ava reclined glowed faintly under the warded light of floating lanterns.
Sil sat beside her, legs folded, posture tight. She wore the maid uniform Ava had chosen: black and white silk, fitted snugly at the chest and waist, with a flared skirt that danced mid-thigh. Stockings traced her pale legs, and the little lace choker at her throat pulsed with enchantment—just enough to remind her who had placed it there.
"You're quiet again," Ava said, her tone rich as honey.
Sil's tail curled tightly around one thigh. "I… I don't know what to say."
"Then don't," Ava purred, brushing a silver strand of hair from Sil's cheek. "Just feel."
She leaned forward and kissed Sil—gently, this time. A slow exploration. Lips soft but claiming. Her fingers cupped the girl's face, thumb stroking the curve of her jaw. Sil melted against her slowly, like ice touched by flame.
Ava deepened the kiss—never greedy, only deliberate. Her tongue teased along Sil's lower lip, and when Sil opened for her, Ava moaned softly into her mouth.
Outside, Ash's eyes narrowed. He shifted his stance slightly, chains clinking with soft irritation—or was it longing?
The tiger growled under its breath.
Inside, Ava pulled Sil closer, her hand slipping to the girl's waist, then lower—gripping the soft curve of her hip.
"You're trembling," Ava whispered against her lips.
"I… I'm scared," Sil admitted, voice breaking.
Ava pressed her forehead to Sil's, breath mingling with hers. "Not of me."
Sil hesitated.
"No," she agreed. "Not of you."
"Then trust this," Ava murmured.
She pressed another kiss to Sil's lips, then to her throat, trailing downward, never rushing. Her hand lifted to cup Sil's breast through the soft bodice, thumb grazing the sensitive peak until Sil gasped and clung to her arm.
"You're so sensitive," Ava said, amused. "Have you never…?"
Sil's face was crimson. "Not like this. Never like this."
Ava hummed. "Then let this be your first memory of want, not fear."
She leaned back just enough to push Sil down gently onto the chaise, her own body following with fluid grace. One hand braced beside Sil's head, the other slipped beneath the edge of her skirt, resting on her thigh—firm, but not invasive.
Sil looked up at her, eyes wide. Not in terror now. In wonder.
"I could take you," Ava said softly. "Own you completely. And you'd let me."
Sil swallowed hard. "Yes."
"But I won't," Ava added, brushing a kiss to her temple. "Not tonight."
"Why?" Sil breathed.
Ava's smile was a secret. "Because power is not just in taking—it's in knowing when to wait."
Outside the door, Ash closed his eyes. The emotions within him were impossible to name. Something old stirred in him—long buried beneath the chains, beneath centuries of servitude. Jealousy. Admiration. A need to be seen by the same gaze that had broken and remade so many.
The lion stood. It didn't growl. It didn't roar. But its silver eyes locked on the door.
The bird above tilted its head again, feathers rippling with quiet energy.
Inside, Ava stroked Sil's thigh slowly, her lips brushing the girl's cheek, her temple, her ear.
"You're soft," she whispered. "And strong. Like the blade beneath silk."
Her fingers traced the hem of the skirt, lifting it only slightly to reveal more of Sil's thigh. She didn't touch further—only held her there, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling the quiet beat of her pulse under her lips.
"You're mine now," Ava whispered, voice low and dangerous. "Not a slave. Not a servant. Mine."
Sil nodded, eyes wet with emotion she hadn't had time to name. "I want to be. I do."
"Then sleep here," Ava said. "With me. In my bed. No chains. No collars. No cages."
She stood, lifting Sil easily in her arms. The girl gasped but didn't protest as Ava carried her across the room, the long folds of her own gown trailing behind her like smoke.
Ava laid her gently on the bed—massive and canopied, its black silk sheets laced with protective sigils. She climbed in beside her, drawing the girl against her chest, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Sil rested her head between Ava's breasts, trembling still—but from something that was no longer fear.
Ava kissed her hair once, then whispered against her ear.
"Let them listen. Let them know. You are mine."
And in the corridor, though none dared speak, all four of Ava's summoned creatures—man, beast, and spirit—felt something shift.
Not just power.