Psychi felt warm, safe.

As she slowly awakened from sleep, she felt large hands roaming up and down her body. Her eyes flew open. Her body was naked under the covers, her robe removed in the night.

She was cocooned within the embrace of a large body, her back pressed against Damien's chest. He was touching his lips to her shoulders, her neck, her ears...

"What are you doing?" She croaked.

"Worshipping you," he whispered.

She felt him lean his face to the top of her hair, then heard a deep inhale. One of his large palms was now on her stomach, almost covering it completely. The other one cupped her breast gently. He spent a few more moments caressing her body, before announcing, "you will come with me when I leave for the border territories today."

"Please, you highness, I am afraid to go back there..." She didn't understand why he still hadn't released her. She had served him twice already. Surely by now the novelty was over? She needed to get back on track with her own plans, instead of staying so close to him.

"You're not safe here." He stated.

Psychi felt her heart catch in her throat. Had he heard her thoughts? No! But then, how could he know? Could he know? No, there was no way. She had not exerted any of her abilities since coming to Anderra. There would be no way of sensing what she was...

"I know what you are. Magic user of Vios."

Psychi's entire body stiffened. She had been discovered. There was no point being compliant and hoping to be released now. It was kill on sight for any Vioian demon.

Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. She jerked upright, eyes focussed on the door, readying to sprint for dear life. But, he was too close. She had barely moved when his large arms had already snaked around her body, constricting her in a tight embrace, locking her in his suffocating warmth. She never had a chance.

She breathed hoarsely in fright as his arms clamped tightly over her, her head flattened against his chest, his hands already tangled in her hair. He ran his fingers through, his touch adoring, the action meant to be soothing but only emphasizing her captive state. She was trapped.

"Its ok, Psychi..." He whispered. "I will not punish you for what you are."

Denial was her only option. "I tested negative for magic ability. You commissioned the health checkups yourself." She spoke rapidly, her breaths coming out in short gasps, hoping against hope that he would be convinced.

"We did test you, and you tested negative. Even now if we test you, we will not be able to detect any magic energy from you. You have none." He was speaking over her head, his voice calm. If he truly knew who she was, he would not be so calm. Perhaps there was some way to salvage the situation...

"Yes, I do not." She affirmed, slowing her speech. She needed to sound convincing.

"Our tests are accurate, especially when done here in the palace." He said. His voice was deep, the words comforting.

She sucked in a deep breath of air.

"Unless the magic user is dying," he added. Her eyes grew wide, her body tensing again.

"A dying magic user who has a depleted magic reserve will also test negative. You depleted your entire magic reserve before you came here, didn't you?" Despite the accusation, Damien's tone was very gentle, like chiding a child.

"Sweet woman, why would you do that?" Depleting one's magic reserve was akin to suicide.

She shook her head in disbelief. He put his hand back on the top of her head, caressing her hair.

"I noticed it last night. And this morning too, when I was touching you. Your life energy is lower now than when we last slept together. Your magic core is killing you, isn't it?"

Psychi couldn't believe that he had found her out so quickly. Her hopes that sleeping with the prince would be a minor, fading inconvenience to her plans was completely shattered.

He was exactly right. All magic users had a magic core. Just like the physical body created and metabolized life energy, the magic core created and metabolized magic energy.

Whenever magic energy was exerted, the core's reserves of magic energy would be used. When given enough rest, the magic core would build up the magic energy reserve again over time. Even if no magic energy was being actively exerted, the core still burnt a low, base rate of magic energy. This was similar to the physical body's resting metabolism rate.

When the core's magic reserves were too low, it would switch to metabolizing life energy until the magic energy reserves had built up to an adequate level. Depending on how badly the core's reserves were depleted, it could take a long time for the magic energy levels to build back up to a self-sustaining level.

During this time, life energy would be depleted at a very fast rate, and the magic user's body would weaken and eventually die. It was a type of death by starvation.

"Psychi..." Prince Damien lightly cupped her chin, turning her face to look into her eyes. "Why would you deplete you magic core? What were you trying to do?"

Psychi looked into Damien's blue eyes, noted his furrowed brows. He was worried. He wasn't reacting in fear of who she was, in anger at her trying to hide her true nature. He truly wanted to understand her.

Anderra practised slavery. She may be called a servant now, but that was just a formality. Only nations at war with Anderra were formally slaves. As a servant called into his bedroom, she much as well have been a slave.

So far, she had only performed according to the role that he had imposed upon her. Somehow, it made her feel like she preserved the real parts of herself, protecting it. Answering personal questions like this made her suffering feel more real. And, the things that had happened in Vios... they had been so painful, the memory so raw.

She looked away, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes as she whispered, "there are monsters in Vios, didn't you know?"

Despite her attempts at a vague response, the painful thoughts came unbidden into her mind. She had tried to fight one of those monsters. She and the others. But they had failed. They had failed, and the cost of failure was great, more than anyone could bear. Tears continued to fall freely from her face, her heart spiraling downwards into despair as she ruminated silently, her misery intensifying.

Damien cupped the back of her head, his hands massaging the back of her scalp, breaking eye contact and resting her face back against his chest. He stopped his questions.

The girl was now sobbing wholeheartedly as he soothed her back. When her sobs quietened down and she started using the bedsheets to wipe away her tears, he looked her into her misty eyes, using his thumb to wipe away the leftover moisture.

"I will arrange for you to receive some medicine and herbs so that you can recover your life energy and restore your magic core."

Psychi pursed her lips. He wanted to help her. He didn't want to turn her in. He didn't seem afraid.

As a magic user from Vios, she was considered a dangerous entity. Whilst magic users of Anderra were seen as blessed beings of power and majesty, magic users from Vios were believed to be sub-human creatures of darkness.

This was in part because the people of Vios had very limited interaction with the outside world. The last Emperor had pursued a policy of prolonged isolationalism. But, it was also because some of the most powerful and wide-ranging magic came from Vios. Other kingdoms of the world had forgotten the specifics of their powers, but their exploits were legendary, the stories leading to the world viewing Vioians with fear and suspicion.

"You're not afraid?" She squeaked.

She heard his smile in his voice. "No. We are alike."

Psychi released a shaky breath. He wasn't panicking, his breathing even throughout, calm. In fact, he was speaking to her as if it was normal to have magic ability.

It made sense. Prince Damien could take such a cavalier attitude because he himself was a powerful magic user. He bore the blue light of Anderra, all the Sons of Light knelt to his family. Anyone without magic ability would have been afraid, turned her in immediately.

She was grateful for this kindness from him. And guilty that she could not reciprocate it, afraid that he would begin to force more information out of her now that he knew of her magic capabilities.

Much as well be upfront about everything right now.

"Your Highness."

"Call me Damien."

"I cannot tell you what my ability is."

"I already know what it is."

Psychi's eyes opened wide in surprise, staring directly into Damien's. He knew that too? If he knew...

His sky blue eyes pierced deep into her soul as his grip on her body tightened.

"To seduce me, isn't it?"

He gripped her hand and forced her to palm his cock. It jerked in response, stiff under her small hands.

"To make me hot and hard."

Psychi jerked her hand away. He let her, a small grin plastered across his face.

Quickly, she processed the information. He wasn't going to interrogate her. He had changed the topic, another mercy to her. By switching to something so trivial as sex... he was making clear that this was not going to be a life and death situation, an intense interrogation where she would be forced to reveal more than she could give. No. He was going to look past all that.

Psychi was relieved. He did not know what her ability was, and it seemed he was not concerned, either. He probably assumed she was a low level user, of little consequence.

Damien touched her hair. He didn't want her to worry or overthink. He had no desire to torture her for things beyond her control. Executions were always excessively emotional and unpleasant. From her, he just wanted something pleasant and calming. Her presence. And sex. Lots of it.

"My body feels sore," she pleaded.

He massaged her wrists, looking at the faint bruises from his passion the night before. He had been overexcited, hurting her with his the intensity of his desire. Although this was supposed to be her role here, warming his bed, he felt a pang of regret nonetheless. He didn't like to see that he had hurt her. It somehow pained him.

He would let her rest. She was weak and tiny, he shouldn't keep pounding into her, she couldn't take it. He sighed, changing the topic, wanting to know more about Vios, about her.

"Are even magic users refusing to bow to Emperor Kai?" Because so little was known about Vios, there was unusual credence given to ancient folklore about that country. One strong belief was that all magic users from Vio were somehow always supportive of the Emperor. The belief was supported by the evidence of Emperor Pneuma's uninterrupted, multi-centuries long rule, as well as almost no reported violations of Vio's closed border policy for the time of his rule.

In retrospect, Damien felt that the idea might perhaps have been racist. Surely, magic users would also have their own thoughts, just like any human being. He looked at the woman in his arms. He found her allure somewhat unearthly, her skin so perfect it almost shone. He may be biased, finding her so very pretty, but no matter his views on her attractiveness, she was certainly not a mindless demonic being. Not like the stories told.

"I am not loyal to him. Many magic users are not loyal to him." A strange look of angst and determination crossed the woman's sweet face. Her words stunned him. There had never been any hints of Vioian magic users revolting against their Emperor before. He had always believed it impossible. He needed to clarify.

"You, even as a magic user, are not loyal to your own Emperor?"

"I cannot be." The girl was resolute.

Prince Damien was taken aback. Why wouldn't she just swear allegiance and live peacefully in her own land? Psychi did not seem the rebellious sort. In fact, in all their interactions, she had been very obedient. She seemed to have a strong sense of self preservation.

Yet here she was, so uncharacteristically, stubbornly defiant. Ready to leave her home to become almost a slave, to even deplete her magic reserves, risking death. There must be something about Emperor Kai that she violently opposed.

This was a big revelation. The fearsome power and reputation of Vios came from its magic users. Yet now, this woman was telling him that the new Emperor Kai did not have the complete allegiance of this vitally important group. It meant that the civil conflict in Vios ran deeper than he had suspected. The entire country would be unstable under an Emperor who was unable to consolidate his power.

~~~~

The journey to Vios went smoothly. True to his word, prince Damien had given Psychi tonics and herbs to improve her life energy. Amongst the gifts was a box of treasured "mudan" herbs. These were expensive elixirs, which looked like large white pearls. They were prized for their strong tonic and nourishing properties. It was said they had such strong healing abilities that they could bring a man back from the brink of death.

The mudan balls were incredibly expensive. And rare. It was not easy to get these, even as a royal, and Damien had given her a whole box. Psychi had been surprised with the gift, but she was starting to understand how besotted the prince seemed to be with her. Or at least, her body.

They were travelling with a small crew of about fifty men to the border territories, and for the most part she travelled at the back of the procession on a small brown pony, whilst Damien was in front, leading the group on a large white stallion.

He hardly spoke, but he often slowed his horse down, just far enough so that she, at the back, would come close enough that his eyes could find her and see that she was well. Then, he would return to the front to lead. Psychi felt his care for her. His soldiers, too, treated her especially kindly. They seemed to sense their Commander's sentiments toward the girl.

It was a two day journey to Dalor. When stopping for the night at one of the taverns, Psychi pretended to sleep before Damien came to join her. She felt the hardness of his body as he pulled her into him, spooning her, his dick jutting against her back. She had tensed, her body still sore below, knowing that he wanted sex again.

She was aware that he knew she was awake. It was clear from the way he stroked down the curve of her body, the gentle way he tipped her head up to kiss her softly on the cheek.

"You're beautiful." He whispered, then cupped her breast, softly fondling it, the action gentle but possessive. Holding her close to him, he drifted off to sleep, letting her off for the night.

~~~

Damien finally arrived in Dalor. He got straight to work investigating the fantastical report that the border police here had written and sent to the palace.

According to the details of that report, a fresh batch of refugees had arrived along the border. The border control police were checking each of them out when they noticed one dressed very strangely. He was lanky, wearing a large cap, in an oversized robe. Also, he smelt weird, like a dog. Thinking him suspicious, border control asked him to take off his cap. This was when the man unexpectedly bolted pass them.

The border police sounded an alarm and a group of them gave chase. Suddenly, this man metamorphosized into a giant, shiny white dog with yellow eyes. The demonic wolf bit out the throats of five of the guards. All hell had broken lose and finally, ten guards had held the man-wolf down as it was clubbed unconscious on the head. The animal, once losing consciousness, had then metamophorzied back into a man. The man version of the animal was supposedly strangely beautiful, with long white hair and angular features. He was being chained in the dungeon, where he refused all food but enjoyed gnawing on chicken bones.

Damien thought that the report had sounded like utter bullshit. This was the problem when they hired uneducated, incompetent people to work in some of these roles. It was one thing to be superstitious, telling dark tales of the monsters that lurked in Vios, but quite another to put pen to paper and write an official document to the King, marked high priority, that there was a man who could turn into a dog. And to go to the detail of how handsome the dog man was, and what he ate. They had even given a sample of smelly dog hair in the original letter.

The report had to be taken seriously not only because it had been part of an official document, but also because there had been alleged fatalities involved. Nonetheless, when Damien completed his investigation and found the people responsible for this tall tale, he told himself that he would personally wring their necks out.

However, when Damien spoke to the border police at Dalor upon arriving, they had straight faces as they offered to bring him down to the dungeons to see the dog man himself. And in the dungeon, there was indeed a tall, unusually handsome man with long, silver hair chained to the wall. He was gnawing on a chicken bone when Damien arrived.

Damien looked at the man who, without fear, glared back up at him. His eyes were golden, a strange color. Damien had to agree that this man indeed looked unusual, but to say that he was a dog was a little far fetched. He more likely was simply a sick, mentally unwell man, albeit with unusual eye color and striking features.

"Has the doctor examined him?" Damien asked the two border police who had escorted him down to the dungeon.

"No, your Highness, er, Commander. The doctor says he is not a vet, and there is no vet specialized in such monsters around here. Everyone is afraid of the creature. It ripped out the throats of five men!"

The creature indeed!

"Tell the doctor that if he does not come to examine this man in the evening, I will rip out his throat and his family's throats myself."

"Yes, your highness!" The border policeman gulped. It was true what they said about Prince Damien, he was more frightening than the dog man himself.

The dog man sniffed the air and stopped chewing on the bone. He turned towards Prince Damien, and started barring his teeth.

Damien would not be fazed by a mentally ill person. He leaned towards the bars of the cell and asked, for the benefit of the two border police next to him, "are you a dog?"

"An Anderran dog asks if I'm a dog! Hah!" The man spit on the ground.

"Who wrote that report? He's clearly a mentally disturbed man." Damien turned accusingly at the two border control police.

"No, you highness. We saw him turn into a dog ourselves!" The border policeman's face turned red. If Prince Damien thought that he was lying, he could lose his head very soon. He turned to the dog man, "Hey you, tell the Prince, er, Commander what you are!"

"Hmph." The dog man looked away.

"Hey hey..."The other border policeman fished about in his pocket and pulled out a chicken bone, "Tell him and I'll give you this." He held the bone out and waved it about, trying to get the dog man's attention.

The dog man turned to him, staring mesmerized at the bone before saying, indignantly, "I am not a stupid mutt. I'm a wolf."

"You see! He admits it!" The border policeman holding the dog bone beamed at Prince Damien, who turned to him and deadpanned, "And I'm a cat. What is your point in this?"

The policeman's eyes bulged. This was no good.

Damien had enough of this nonsense. As he turned to leave, he gave the two red-faced policemen his final instructions, "get the doctor to examine him this evening and then we can wrap up with this investigation. I will mete out punishments as appropriate."

As soon as the Commander left and they heard the dungeon door close behind him, the two border policemen turned desperately to the dog man to make their case.

"Hey you, you have to turn back into a dog and show him."
"I cannot turn into a dog."

"Or turn into a wolf! A wolf!"

The dog man looked at the two men, then looked away with a hurrumph. "I don't have to do anything for you."

"We won't feed you if you don't do it!"

"Then we can all die together. I'm stuck here anyway." The dog man was unfazed with the threat.

"Please, please..." The policeman changed tactics now, and started crying. He was not ready to die yet.

"We beg you!" The other one's voice was also extremely distressed.

The dog man glanced at them from the corners of his eyes. He noticed the two men were now gripping the prison bars and kneeling on the ground.

"Oh mighty wolf God, have mercy on us." This was a complete change in attitude from before.

"We are only ordinary men, doing a job to feed our families."

"It is not even a high paying job! We mean you no offense."

"Please, your mightiness, you have to help us or we will die."

"Have mercy..."

The dog man's nose twitched. There was one thing he wanted from them. He had smelt her on that filthy Prince when he came in. That Anderran dog probably had his paws all over her!

"I can consider it if..."

"Yes! Anything!"

"If you bring to me the woman who came into this town with that Prince, or Commander, of yours. She should be quite petite, black hair, pale face, big eyes. She's someone from Vios, one of my own countryman."

"What if there is no such woman with the prince? We are not sure..."

"She's here! I smell her all over that filthy Prince! Find her and bring her to me." As he said this, the dog man's ears changed to become two large, pointy, fluffy ears, which he twitched at the awe-struck guards before turning them back into human ears.

"Yes, we will do that rightaway, your Grace!"

~~~

The two bumbling border police did not take long to find Psychi. Any army officer they asked knew who they were talking about when they referred to "the girl who came with the army Commander".

They found her near in one of the local stores, looking at magic stones, watched over by two young army men.

"Miss!" Shouted one of the border policeman.

"Please, come with us to the dungeon." The other border policeman also ran forward towards the girl.

Psychi put down the stone she was looking at. Why would they want her in the dungeon?

The two men were breathless when they reached her.

"A demonic dog wants to see you." The first border policeman was overweight and grabbing the stitch at his side, huffing to catch his breath, as he explained himself.

"He says he knows you."

"I... I don't know any demonic dog..."

"Please miss, if you don't come with us, he won't change back into his dog form and Prince Damien will punish us for lying."

"Please..."

Both of the policeman now knelt on the floor, sobbing. The other customers around looked curiously at the spectacle.

"He's a very handsome man, Miss. With long white hair and golden eyes."

"He likes to eat chicken bones. And praise. He likes praise."

Psychi's eyes lit up with understanding. Could it be her friend Raiha? Her heart was pounding fast in excitement. "Quick, take me to see him!"

The two border policeman's anxiety lifted and they quickly led the way to the dungeon. Seeing that she was going with the border policemen, the army men minding her let her go.

As soon as Psychi entered the dungeon, Raiha could already smell her scent. He immediately stood up and ran towards the bars of the cell, but was limited by the metre-long chains on both his hands that connected to the dungeon wall.

When Psychi saw him, she immediately leapt forward, clutching the bars of the cell as she screamed, "Raiha!"

She was ecstatic to see her old friend. But he looked in bad shape.

"Quick, let me in!" She anxiously pleaded with the border policemen.

"No, Miss, he is dangerous. He killed five men."

"He won't hurt me! I know him." Psychi was hysterical now, rattling on the cell door as she tried to force it open.

Raiha was still pulling on his chains, but they would not budge.

"I won't turn to a wolf if you don't let her in." He growled.

The two border police looked at each other, worried. If anything happened to the girl, Prince Damien might punish them. But, if the dog man did not show Prince Damien that they were not lying, then they would be dead for sure. After a brief discussion, they made their choice.

"We'll let you in but don't go too close to him. Stay out of reach of his chains."

The girl paid them no heed. Once she was in the cell, she leapt into the arms of the chained dog man, who hugged her in a tight embrace.

"You look well, Psychi." He licked her on the cheek, sniffing her excitedly all over her head and neck.

"You're hurt, Raiha. Don't exert yourself. Come, lets sit." As they sat, Psychi patted her lap, "rest your head here." Raiha had a smug look on his face as he quickly complied. Watching the two of them so intimate, the border policeman felt extremely uncomfortable. Although they knew little of the girl, they had heard that the Prince slept with her each night.

"Psychi, girl, don't stay so close to that creature, he's dangerous."

"He's not!" The girl angrily shouted back at the two men. Then, she stroked the dog man's long hair, smoothing her fingers through it as she murmured, "you're a good boy right. Such a good boy..."

The dog man's face relaxed, a blissful look taking over.

Raiha was very weak. He was weak even before coming to the border, and after the concussion on his head, his body was even more frail. Psychi reached into her sleeve and extracted a pearl shaped mudan herb.

"How did you get that?" Raiha recognized the valuable herb immediately.

"Damien gave it to me."

"Does he... love you?"

"He likes my body." Psychi held out the herb for Raiha, whose tongue flicked out to take a tentative lick.

"Its bitter."

"It will help you recover quickly."

"I smell him all over your body. Did he hurt you?" Raiha's voice was now low and menacing.

"No, he's not cruel." Psychi stroked Raiha's head again, reassuring him as she once again put the mudan herb to his mouth, coaxing him to suck on it.

~~~

Meanwhile, Damien was conducting his investigations. There had indeed been five bodies with their throats ripped out. And many eyewitness accounts of the dog man having changed into a dog.

Perhaps the border policeman were not lying. The doctor had been present when Damien was examining the cadavers. Now that he had seen first-hand the overwhelming evidence, Damien wanted to have the dog man examined immediately. He summoned the doctor and two army officers to follow him to the dungeon.

Yet when he came to the dungeon, what he saw made his blood boil.

The two border policeman from before were standing outside the dog man's cell, gripping on the bars and staring inside at the dog man and his female companion anxiously. Inside, the dog man was lying on the ground, his head resting comfortably on the petite female's lap.

Psychi, his lover, was stroking this man's hair and even hand feeding him one of the priceless mudan herbs that he had gifted her.

"What the fuck are you doing, Psychi?" Damien was controlling himself, but everyone could hear the anger in his voice.

Raiha started to sit up, whilst Psychi reflectively hugged him closer to her chest in a protective gesture.

"He's, he's my friend." She looked up to see Damien's eyes glaring at her, driving her to sudden panic as she feared for her friend.

"Please don't hurt him. He was frightened, that's why he hurt those people." She looked back at Damien, summoning all her courage to defend her friend.

Seeing her hold the man so closely stoked Damien's anger even more.

"Get away from him, Psychi." He growled, louder now.

"No, no! You're going to hurt him."

His sweet, obedient Psychi was in the arms of another man, defying him for the first time.

Damien lost it.

He pulled open the doors of the cell and stormed in. The dog man growled at him but could do little as his hands were chained to the wall. Psychi stood up, trying to put her body between the two men. Damien easily grabbed her waist with one strong arm, pulling her to him. With his other hand, he roughly pushed the dog man back, sending him hurtling against the wall.

"No!" Psychi struggled but Damien held both of her wrists together in a death grip and marched her out of the cell.

"He's dangerous, you stupid woman" Damien snarled. It was the first time he had been mean to her.

"Cuff her." The border policemen quickly complied with Damien's orders, producing a pair of handcuffs and cuffing the girl's hands together.

"Bring her back to my room. Tie her up and chain her down so she can't run or do more stupid things."

"Yes, Commander."

Psychi started screaming and struggling in terror now. "No, please Damien, please don't hurt him, he's my friend, don't..."

Damien reached out and held Psychi's chin, gripping it roughly as he looked into her eyes condescendingly.

"I have been too soft with you," he glowered in warning, immediately silencing the girl whose face was now overflowing with tears and she was dragged out by the two border policemen, leaving the dog man at the mercy of Damien and his two army officers.