WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: Amanda's Choice
Summary: A 14-year-old girl with a troubled home life is swept away to
another world by an older female lover, where she must make the
ultimate choice between love and freedom.

Part: 19 of 19
Keywords: nosex

Note: Story codes are for this Chapter. See Chapter 0 for complete list
of codes

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2005

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

/~A_Strange_Geek/novels/AmandasChoice/Chapter19.html



---------------

The silence in the Healer's office was deafening.

Finally, thankfully, it was broken when Sirinna's eyes flew open and
she drew in a long, shuddering gasp, her body shaking on the treatment
table, the color swiftly returning to her deathly-pale face.

"Easy, easy," Vanlo said, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently
forcing her back down when she tried to sit up. "Don't try to move
yet."

On the other side of the table, Roquan drew in a slow deep breath and
let it go.

Sirinna's eyes flicked back and forth. She opened her mouth and tried
to speak, but could only croak and grunt.

"Don't try to speak yet, either," Vanlo admonished. "Now that you're no
longer in danger, you'll recover shortly, and your speech will return."

Sirinna swallowed, panting, her body still shivering. She continued to
open and close her mouth, trying desperately to say something.

"Sirinna, listen to the Healer," Roquan said. His voice was firm, but
the relief behind it was obvious.

"R ... Ro ... A ...Ama ...Aman ..." Sirinna stuttered, her face growing
red with the effort to get her voice to work.

"Amanda is safe and sound," Roquan said. "She is in my quarters."

Sirinna stopped and slowly settled back down onto the table. Her body
stilled and her breathing grew normal again.

"How soon until she is well again, Vanlo?" Roquan asked softly.

"Not long," Vanlo said with a small smile. He turned and re-corked a
small vial. "Once the antidote is given, it quickly extracts the drug
from her bloodstream. She should be up and about by full night, though
I would recommend she take it easy for a day."

"I shall exempt her from her punishment for tomorrow, then," Roquan
said immediately.

"Excellent. Now, I do believe you have a hysterical outworlder girl to
calm, your Lordship. You can do nothing more here. I shall report to
you when she is well."

"Send her directly to her quarters when she is," Roquan said as he
turned to leave. "I will check on her later."



Amanda alternated between frantic pacing and bursts of tears. It was
some time before she even realized she still clutched the slave collar
in her hand that she had used to stop Yanna. She tossed it down onto
Roquan's desk.

Finally, she heard the door open, and the Overlord swiftly entered the
room. "Sirinna will recover fully," he said, having returned to his
former serious and crisp manner.

Amanda's relief was so great that her eyes watered again and she had to
take a moment to compose herself, unable to speak.

Roquan crossed the room and sat down in his chair. He waited patiently
for Amanda to calm herself down, his eyes betraying a small amount of
sympathy for the girl.

"Thank you, Overlord," Amanda said in a small voice. "For getting
Sirinna to the Healer in time."

Roquan simply nodded once. "Now, Amanda, I want to know exactly what
happened in the Portal chamber. You are to tell me everything. You can
be quite sure that I am very tired of things happening in my Manor of
which I know nothing about."

Amanda nodded quickly. "I'll gladly tell you, Roquan, now that I know
Sirinna is okay."

And she told him.



"I'm starting to feel better, Master Vanlo," Sirinna said, her words
clear but her voice still raspy. "But I barely remember what happened
when I walked into the Portal chamber."

"Not to worry, my dear," Vanlo said as he checked her pulse. "I am sure
Amanda is relaying every detail of whatever happened."

"Amanda? Oh, I should be there! I ..."

She started to rise. Vanlo pushed her back down.

"Your place is here until I say so, my dear," Vanlo said firmly.

"I want to know what happened myself," Sirinna said sullenly.

"Ah, don't we all, hmm?" Vanlo paused, and glanced back towards his
lab. "If you would excuse me for just a moment."

He turned and walked into his lab, and crossed over to his apparatus.
He lifted the flask from the table and held it up to the light, turning
it one way and then the other. He nodded slowly to himself.

"Indeed," he muttered. "As I had suspected."

He placed the flask down carefully, making sure it did not sit too
close to an edge and get knocked over. Just in case the Overlord would
not believe even the word of his own Healer.

He returned to the treatment room. "Sirinna, I have a question for
you," he said. "When you entered the Portal chamber, was Yanna there?"

Sirinna frowned. "I'm not sure, actually," she said. "I think I
remember seeing her before I blacked out. We were supposed to meet her
there."

"Hmm. Yes. That makes sense."

Sirinna gave Vanlo a puzzled look.

Vanlo smiled gently and patted Sirinna on the shoulder. "Patience, my
dear. Now, you just rest here. I need to check on something and convey
a message to the Overlord. I will not be long."



Roquan regarded Amanda with a patronizing look.

Amanda stared back. "You don't believe me!" she cried.

"Amanda ..."

"This is incredible! Even after all this, you still won't believe
anyone other than yourself!"

"Amanda!" Roquan snapped. "This is no time for your histrionics."

"I think I have a right to be whatever I want," Amanda said
indignantly.

"Understand how fantastic your story sounds to me. You are claiming
that all of this came about through the machinations of a slave. A
/slave/, Amanda."

"And just because someone is a slave, that means they're brainless?"

"I did /not/ say that!"

"But that's what you're implying!" Amanda said hotly. "I told you that
she's working for someone. I saw her Farview someone. His name ended in
'house'. Something-house."

"Something-house," Roquan echoed tonelessly.

"I didn't hear the entire name, all right!" Amanda cried, throwing up
her hands.

Roquan uttered an exasperated sigh. "We are getting nowhere, Amanda,"
he said. "We ..."

He stopped and looked up. Amanda whirled around, her breath catching in
her throat as her eyes fell upon the Healer.

"Vanlo ..." Roquan began, fear creeping into his eyes.

"Sirinna is well," Vanlo said quickly. "She is still recovering, but
quickly. Fortunately, sleeping powder overdose is easy to treat if the
victim is tended to in time."

"Then you can assist in this endeavor," Roquan said, gesturing towards
Amanda. "I would like you to fetch a slave and have Yanna found and
brought here."

"But I told you! Yanna is not here!" Amanda cried. "She went through
the Portal before it closed!"

"Where, Amanda?" Roquan demanded. "Where would she have gone?"

"I don't know!"

"Your Lordship, if I may," Vanlo said. "I do believe you may wish to
listen to the girl."

Both Roquan and Amanda stared at Vanlo in astonishment.

"I do not believe you will find Yanna anywhere in the Manor," Vanlo
said. "And before coming here, I checked on Hiatha and Garas. Both have
been drugged with sleeping powder, though with lesser amounts, so they
do not appear in immediate danger. They should simply sleep it off."

Roquan set his face hard and stood from his chair. "Vanlo, what are you
talking about? /What is going on in my Manor?/"

"I fear, your Lordship, you will have to fire me again."

Roquan blinked. Amanda simply stepped back and listened curiously.

"I have conducted another illicit blood test," Vanlo said. "This time
on Yanna, a few days ago. The results were, I regret, only ready this
evening, too late to stop this unpleasantness. Perhaps if I had acted
faster on my suspicions ..."

"Get to the point, Vanlo!" Roquan growled.

"My apologies. Here is the point: Yanna is not a slave."

Amanda gasped in surprise and vindication.

Roquan narrowed his eyes. "Are you mad, Vanlo?"

"I am quite in charge of my senses, your Lordship," Vanlo said, a trace
of irritation in his voice. "Perhaps I worded that wrong. More
precisely: Yanna is not an outworlder. She is Narlassi."

Roquan's eyes gaped. "/Narlassi?!/"

Amanda nearly jumped at the force of Roquan's word.

"Indeed."

"Impossible!"

"The facts do not lie," Vanlo maintained. "The differences in the blood
composition are subtle, but they are there, to the one with a patient
eye. Yanna is Narlassi."

"We do not make our own into slaves!" Roquan roared.

"True. But someone wished you to believe she was an outworlder and a
proper slave."

"Why?"

"I do not have that answer."

Roquan remained silent for a moment.

"I told you!" Amanda cried. "I said there was something odd about her!"

"Amanda, be silent!" Roquan exclaimed.

"No, your Lordship, she is quite correct," Vanlo said. "I conducted my
blood test on a hunch. For awhile now, I have noticed that Yanna's
mannerisms were unlike an outworlder slave. I overheard a conversation
with her and Amanda, and she spoke very much unlike any slave I have
encountered."

"This is insane!" Roquan bellowed, stepping away from the two of them.
"Are you serious? Are both of you serious? A Narlassi indoctrinated as
a slave? That is preposterous! Even if someone were to do such a thing,
neither the Overlords nor even Z'haas himself would permit ..."

"That's it!" Amanda cried suddenly. "That was the name!"

"What was the name?" Roquan asked with a tired sigh.

"Z'haas! That's the name of the person Yanna was talking to!"

Roquan regarded Amanda with a stunned expression on his face.

"Intriguing," Vanlo muttered.

"Amanda," Roquan said darkly. "Are you telling me that Yanna was
Farviewing /Emperor Z'haas?/"

"Emperor?" Amanda cried in surprise. "Well ... she didn't call him
that. She called him 'master', just like your slaves do. But the name
definitely was Z'haas."

For a moment, Roquan's eyes held a worried look, but it passed quickly.
"Amanda, that is ludicrous," he said flatly.

Before Amanda could give an indignant reply, Vanlo cut in. "Your
Lordship, please, look at the evidence," Vanlo said. "I have already
shown you that Yanna is Narlassi. She thus cannot be under the
ownership of an Overlord. Amanda witnessed her speaking with the the
Emperor. That leaves us only one conclusion."

"That Yanna was an Imperial Agent," Roquan said in a hollow voice.

Vanlo gave a smile that was devoid of humor. "Everything appears to
point that way, does it not?"

Roquan sank heavily into his chair.

Amanda looked back and forth between them. "Um ... is this bad?" she
asked tentatively.

Roquan closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. "All of this," he
said slowly, forcing his voice to remain calm. "The sabotage, the
dissent, the conflict, all the fault of the Emperor."

"And not Rennis," Amanda added. "Or Sirinna!"

Roquan took another breath. "Point noted," he said in clipped tones. He
opened his eyes. "Amanda, I wish you to return to Sirinna's quarters.
Vanlo, please escort her there."

"Sirinna is almost ready to be sent back as well," Vanlo said. "May I
reunite Amanda with Sirinna first?"

"Just be quick about it," Roquan grumbled. "Something needs my
immediate attention here, first. I will rejoin with you later."

"As you wish, your Lordship. Come, Amanda."

Amanda paused a moment, looking at the Overlord in a new light.
Suddenly, he didn't seem quite as intimidating anymore.

"Amanda?" Vanlo repeated.

"Yes, I'm coming," Amanda said, quickly following Vanlo out into the
night, where the moon had come out from behind the clouds.



When Amanda and Vanlo entered the Healer's office, they found Sirinna
sitting up on the treatment table, her legs swung over the side. Amanda
could not contain herself. She broke into a run and threw herself at
Sirinna, hugging her as tight as she could, tears trickling down her
cheeks again.

"I'm okay, love," Sirinna said, stroking Amanda's hair.

"Oh God, Sirinna, I th-thought you were going to die," Amanda cried in
a choked voice. "If Roquan and Vanlo had not shown up ..."

"Amanda, what exactly happened? I don't remember anything when Yanna
... was it Yanna?"

Amanda didn't reply. She didn't want to break off the embrace. She
didn't want to let go of Sirinna ever. She had come so close to losing
her. It had reminded her too much of her foster mother Rose. She could
not go through losing someone she loved again.

"It would appear, Sirinna, that you have recovered," Vanlo said with a
slight smile. "And I fear Amanda would not leave your side were I even
to ask, so I might as well send you back to your quarters."

"Oh, but I should talk to Master Roquan!" Sirinna said, breaking off
the embrace to Amanda's disappointment.

"These are his orders, my dear. He said he would come talk to you
later."

"Sirinna, let's go, please," Amanda said softly. "I can tell you all
about what happened."

Sirinna paused, then smiled. "All right, love. Mind you, this better be
a good story."

"Let's just say you were right about the collar and chain, but not in
the way you thought," Amanda said with a wry grin.



Even through the shimmering Farview, faded and flickering by a storm
passing between the two Overlords, the look of complete horror on
Rennis' face was unmistakable.

"/An Imperial Agent?/" he croaked. "Yanna? My Yanna?"

"Just where did you get her, Rennis?" Roquan asked gently. Much of his
anger had been assuaged by Rennis' appearance over the Farview. He
looked huddled and stooped, wrapping his arms about him, his clothes
damp. It was obvious he was still in transit back to his Manor and
literally stopped by the side of the road to grant the Farview
audience. That meant a lot to Roquan, and any enmity that lingered
between them disappeared.

"I bought her at auction, actually," Rennis said, somewhat sheepishly.

Roquan sighed through his nose. Rennis knew how he felt about buy
slaves with questionable pedigrees at auction. "In any case, she is no
longer here. I suspect she will need to tell her 'master' that the plan
failed."

"Ultimately, it failed, but not after a great deal of trouble," Rennis
said bitterly. "That little cunt."

"Easy, Rennis ..."

"No, I will not be easy! I do not take a slave into my Manor thinking
she deserves another chance to make good only to have this happen! I
have a right to be upset!"

Roquan was always against using verbal abuse when discussing slaves,
even more so using it to their faces. It needlessly demoralized them.
He still found it unnerving to do it even to one proven not to be of
that ilk.

"Your anger is understood," Roquan said. He paused. "I wish to
apologize, Rennis."

Rennis blinked. "Come again? You want to what?"

"Apologize," Roquan repeated. "I acted in a manner unbecoming an
Overlord towards you. Too hastily did I forget your support of me
before all this began to happen."

Rennis slowly smiled. "Surely the apocalypse is upon us if Roquan is
apologizing."

Roquan forced a brief smile at the humor at his expense. "Let us just
say that I am seeing a few things in a new light," he said.

"You do know what this means, don't you?" Rennis said, his tone more
serious. "If Z'haas is pulling stuff like this, that means he's
worried, Roquan. He thought our alliance enough of a threat that he
concocted this plan."

"I am more concerned with the fact that the Emperor is keeping and
possibly training his own slaves as agents," Roquan said. "And what
would the other Overlords think of that?"

"Oh, they would ream him for sure. He can forget about their support
after that."

"That may be our opening, Rennis. We may have finally found a means to
get the other Overlords on our side without making concessions to
them."

Rennis laughed. "Now that's more the Roquan I know."

Roquan smiled sincerely this time.

"Well, in any case, I thank you for seeing through the Emperor's
plans."

"Actually," Roquan said, pausing a moment. "I cannot take the credit."

"Oh? Then who do we have to thank?"

"Amanda."

Rennis gave Roquan a surprised look. "The outworlder girl? The one that
gave that 'evidence' against me in the first place?"

"Indeed. The very same."

Rennis scratched his chin and grinned.

"Yes?"

"You know, you really ought to reconsider making her a slave."

Roquan gave his fellow Overlord a dark look. "You cannot be serious."

"She has everything you like in a slave," Rennis said. "She's
intelligent. She's dead clever. And from what I remember, she was quite
pretty. She's sure to be a beauty when she's older."

Roquan sighed. "Rennis, that girl has to be the most unruly,
undisciplined, uncivilized, rebellious, willful, headstrong ... why are
you smiling, Rennis?" Roquan demanded.

"Well, Roquan, you did once tell me that you enjoy a challenge."

Roquan raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, I have to go," Rennis said. "They will not hold the ship for
me forever. I will contact you in another day or two. We will arrange
to meet again."

"Yes, that would be good. Our alliance is renewed, then."

"We should trade slaves again to seal it. Perhaps Sirinna would ..."

"/No./"

Rennis laughed. "Can't blame me for trying. Good night to you."

The image faded and disappeared.

Roquan picked up the pearl, feeling relieved. The truth was, he did not
feel right being at odds with Rennis, despite what he had believed the
Overlord had done. Asking forgiveness from him had been a pleasure.

But now he had less of one to do. He had to apologize to a slave. And
an outworlder. Yes, Emperor Z'haas truly must be made to pay for this.

He turned away from the hearth and put the pearl back in its special
container in his desk, his eyes falling on the discarded collar and
chain. He picked it up curiously, and spied Sirinna's mark on the small
padlock, and then a spot of blood on the end of the chain. He carefully
cleaned it, and carried it with him as he left the room.



Sirinna clutched at Amanda tightly after she was done with her story.

"Amanda, you did that for me?" she asked, overwhelmed with emotion.
"You stopped her from taking me from here? From Roquan?"

"It almost got you killed!" Amanda lamented, her own voice cracking.
"If Vanlo hadn't been able to detect the Portal opening, I would never
have summoned him in time."

Sirinna looked into Amanda's eyes. "Love, I would have rather died then
to be taken from the life I know. You did the right thing."

Amanda bit her lip. "I didn't want to be separated from you, either."

"I know, love, I know."

Amanda sighed. "What happens now, Sirinna? Will ..."

She gave a start when she suddenly heard the door open. Amanda leapt
from Sirinna's bed and to her feet as the Overlord stepped into the
room, letting the door close behind him.

He paused a moment, fingering the collar in his hands. "Sirinna, I
believe this is yours," he said evenly, holding out the collar and
chain.

"Yes, master," Sirinna said. She accepted it and put it off to the side
on the bed.

Roquan hesitated a moment before he continued to speak. "It would
appear," he began slowly, "That I have committed an error."

Amanda's eyes widened a touch in surprise.

Roquan noticed this and gave her a tiny, wry smile. "Yes, Amanda, I am
admitting it. That should satisfy you."

Amanda remained silent, but her eyes flicked over to where Sirinna sat.

"I wish ... to apologize ... to the both of you," Roquan said uneasily.

Now it was Sirinna's turn to look surprised. "Master?"

"I should have not been so hasty to disregard your opinions, Sirinna.
Surely you have shown me such loyalty that I can accept a contrary
thought on occasion. You can consider your punishment rescinded."

Sirinna beamed. Amanda looked at Sirinna and smiled slowly. She was
glad to see Sirinna happy again.

"Amanda."

Amanda jerked her gaze back towards the Overlord. Her heart started to
beat fast.

"I would like to thank you," he said. "You stopped Sirinna from being
taken. You helped heal the rift between Rennis and myself. Despite our
disagreements, I cannot ignore those things."

Amanda nodded slowly. She was not sure what to say. She had done them
for Sirinna rather than the Overlord.

"Before coming here, I checked the Portal with Vanlo," Roquan stated.
"While he is not an expert in these matters, he detects no change in
the energies, other than a slight drain from Yanna's actions. It is
quite safe and quite ready to be opened to Earth and return you home."

Amanda's mouth opened, and then closed again.

"So we come to a parting of the ways, Amanda," Roquan said with a small
smile. "I can escort you to the Portal now, and send you home. You have
had a rather interesting adventure compared to what your life
experience has been so far. I am sure you will remember it for some
time to come. And ... I am very sure I will remember it as well."

Amanda again said nothing. She simply stared at the Overlord.

Roquan glanced from Amanda to Sirinna and back. "Come along, Amanda,"
he said simply.

Amanda turned her head and looked back at Sirinna. Sirinna stared back
with shimmering eyes of longing and terrible sadness. Amanda's own
heart lurched.

/I can't lose someone I love,/ she thought. /Not again. Not ... not
when I have a choice./

"Amanda?"

She turned. "I don't want to go."

Sirinna uttered a soft gasp.

Roquan regarded Amanda curiously. "Amanda, do you remember what I told
you before when I first gave you a choice?"

Amanda swallowed. Her heart pounded. "I still have it, don't I?" she
asked. "I still have that choice?"

"Yes," Roquan said. "But there is only one condition under which you
can stay here."

"I know. I can only stay as a slave."

"This is not a choice you can make again," Roquan said firmly. "You
cannot change your mind. If you do not go home tonight, you will be
collared right now. When you arise in the morning, you will be expected
to begin training."

Amanda nodded. "I understand."

"And you must obey the rules," Roquan continued in earnest. "Everything
you have done so far, the manner in which you have spoken to me, none
of that that will be tolerated any longer. You will be expected to act
as submissive as my other slaves."

"And loyal and sensual as well, right?"

Roquan's eyebrows lifted. He glanced at Sirinna. "Indeed, yes. Very
well, Amanda ..."

"Master, wait!" Sirinna said, jumping to her feet. She came up from
behind Amanda, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I want to
talk to Amanda for a moment about this."

"Sirinna ..." Amanda said with a desperate sigh.

"Alone, master. Please."

Roquan regarded her silently. Normally he would not hear of such a
thing. Anything that could be said by a slave could be said in front of
the Overlord. But nothing that had happened over the past few days had
any precedent. "As you wish," he said tonelessly, and stepped out into
the silvery moonlight.

Sirinna brought Amanda over to the bed and made Amanda sit down next to
her. "Amanda," she said seriously. "Do you understand what you're
doing?"

"Sirinna, I do," Amanda said in a pleading voice. "Really."

"I just want to make sure you're doing this for the right reason,
that's all."

"You're the one that kept trying to make this look so nice," Amanda
said with a wry smile. "What happened?"

"Let's just say that maybe you taught me a thing or two since you've
been here."

Amanda thought that was the nicest thing she heard Sirinna say to her.
She embraced Sirinna tightly for a few moments.

"Amanda, just make sure you know what you're giving up," Sirinna said.

"Giving up?" Amanda snorted. "What am I giving up? A foster care system
that doesn't give a damn about me? A foster father I'll likely never
see again? I don't have anything left for me back there, Sirinna!
You're all I have! It was bad enough when you almost died. How am I
supposed to go back knowing you're alive and always out of reach?"

"Love, please realize. You do this, and I will be your Trainer. I won't
be easy on you. I'll expect you to follow the rules. I'll expect you to
do as you're told. If you don't, I'll punish you. I /have/ to."

"I know," Amanda said. "But you won't suddenly stop caring for me, will
you?"

Sirinna smiled. "I could never do that, Amanda."

"Then I can do this, Sirinna. Really."

Sirinna gave Amanda another quick hug and rose from the bed. She went
to the door and let her Overlord back in.

"And?" Roquan asked with a dubious expression on his face.

Amanda stood and stepped forward. "I've decided to stay, Overlord."

"Very well," Roquan said evenly. He glanced over to Sirinna and
gestured towards Amanda. "If you would ..."

Sirinna nodded once and stepped up behind Amanda, trying very hard to
move with the proper decorum, but the excitement she was feeling was
almost too much to contain. She smiled to herself as she reached around
Amanda's body.

Amanda looked down with a puzzled look on her face, then one of brief
alarm as the gown was lifted from her body. Yet she hesitated in giving
in to the urge to pull it back down over her, which was all the time
needed for Sirinna to strip it from her, leaving her completedly naked
before the Overlord.

As Sirinna folded the gown and put it aside, Roquan's eyes flitted over
Amanda's body, seeing it for the first time in the nude. Amanda noticed
the scrutiny, her cheeks blushing brightly. She resisted the urge to
cover herself, just as she resisted the urge to avert her gaze from the
Overlord.

"Yes," Roquan commented softly. "Rennis was correct. You will indeed be
quite the beauty when you are older."

Amanda was to stunned to reply and could only stare.

She heard the clinking of the chain as Sirinna picked up the collar
from the bed. Her heart started to thump loudly in her chest. She
maintained a level gaze with Roquan, as if daring him to make a
comment. He said nothing, instead regarding her with that same
penetrating gaze that she observed he had so often seemed to use to
great effect on his slaves. She tried very hard to look calm and
collected under this scrutiny, but became flustered when she heard
Sirinna come up from behind her and gently brush her hair to one side.

"Wait," Roquan said.

Sirinna stopped and let Amanda's hair fall back into place, giving her
master a curious look. Amanda tried to read Roquan's face and failed.
Did he suddenly reconsider? Did he not want her as a slave? Did he ...

"I shall collar her," Roquan said firmly.

Sirinna smiled and handed her master the collar.

Roquan looked back at Amanda, and she saw a very small smile tug at the
corners of his mouth. "Turn around, Amanda."

Amanda hesitated just a moment before complying, casting one last
curious look at the Overlord.

She took a deep breath, but it nothing to calm her. She still quivered
with a combination of fear and excitement as the Overlord's fingers
swept her hair aside. She wanted to look over towards Sirinna, knowing
it would likely soothe her and give her encouragement, but she refused
to give into this urge. She wanted to face this herself. She wanted to
be convinced that it was her decision alone.

She closed her eyes and held her breath as the collar was slipped
around her neck, letting out a ragged sigh as the buckle was secured.
There was a brief pause, and then the click of the lock closing, making
her heart flutter.

Her eyes blinked open as the collar tugged at her neck when Roquan gave
the chain a single, brisk snap.

Roquan turned and offered the end of the chain to Sirinna. "She is
yours," he said. "Train her well."

Sirinna accepted the chain with a single, respectful nod of her head.
"I shall, master," she said, her voice low and reverent, but her eyes
shining with excitement.

And now, Amanda felt relief. It was done. She had made her choice.
There was no turning back now. She was silently thankful that it had
been short and sweet. Nothing overly ceremonial that would have given
her too many chances to change her mind.

"I suppose, in a way, you were right, Amanda," Roquan said.

Amanda turned to face Roquan again, her chain making a soft, metallic
noise.

"You did indeed surprise me," he said with a small smile.

Amanda opened her mouth to say something, but caught herself and
remained quiet.

Roquan turned to leave, but stopped and turned back towards Amanda.
"There is one last thing, Amanda," he said. "Are you a virgin?"

Amanda's heart thundered. "Um ... y-yes," she answered in a small
voice, wide-eyed.

Sirinna gave the chain a quick but light snap, causing Amanda to flinch
in surprise.

"Amanda, you need to use his title now," Sirinna admonished softly.
"Try again."

"Yes, master," Amanda said, her cheeks flushed.

Roquan looked over to Sirinna. "She will need to be deflowered."

"Of course, master," Sirinna said, smiling softly.

Amanda just stared, too nervous to react any other way.

Roquan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It has been very
trying day," he said. "I do not feel I am up to this delicate task. We
would all do better with a night's sleep."

"Shall I bring her around in the morning?"

"Yes, after breakfast. I will take care of it then. Good night to you
all."

"Good night, master," Sirinna said.



Roquan left Sirinna's quarters and walked to the main path before he
stopped, paused, and looked back, a curious expression on his face.

He had given Amanda every chance to refuse. He had granted her more
opportunity to escape this fate than any outworlder had ever received
in recent history. Yet she chose to stay. She submitted herself
willingly to the collar. The satisfaction the Overlord thought he might
receive from personally applying the collar to her was lost in the
light of the fact that it ultimately had been her decision and not his.

Even in slavery, Amanda had gained the upper hand on the Overlord.
Again.

The irony in this was such that Roquan could not help but let a very
tiny smile cross his lips. He would be most interested to see how the
girl handled herself at her deflowering.

Truthfully, he would be interested to see how he handled himself as
well.



The figure sat alone in the wide, dimly-lighted audience chamber,
staring listlessly ahead, propping up his head with one arm against the
side of the throne. After a period of silent meditation which yielded
neither answers nor peace, he sighed and drew himself upright in his
seat. He raised an arm and made a gesture towards the great gilded
doors at the end of the carpeted path to his throne.

A guard nodded once and left his post. He opened the door and made a
quick, curt gesture to someone waiting outside, and then a sweeping one
towards the throne.

Yanna emerged from the hall into the audience chamber. Her face was
solemn, a defeated look in her slightly downcast eyes. Her nose, having
already been repaired by the palace Healer, was nevertheless still
slightly swollen and red, and still ached. She was naked, having been
denied clothing by her master still, and her wrists were bound with
iron shackles with another chain leading from them to a similar collar
around her neck, having now been denied her freedom as well.

Behind her, a guard held her by one shoulder, pushing her forward,
finally to come to a stop at the first step up to the low dais
surrounding the throne.

The guard pushed down on Yanna. She fell to one knee, and then the
other, bowing her head deeply in shame.

Emperor Fenric Z'haas of Oceanus rose to his feet and stepped in front
of his agent turned slave. "You failed me," he said simply.

Yanna took a deep breath and shuddered. "It was not my fault, master,"
she said in a very low voice.

"Really?" the Emperor replied, conveying his doubt in the tone of his
voice.

"It ... it was Amanda. The outworlder girl."

Z'haas remained silent for a few moments. "How old is this girl,
Yanna?" he asked flatly.

Yanna's cheeks burned. "Fourteen, master."

"You, Yanna, an experienced Imperial Agent, were foiled by a fourteen
year old outworlder girl. Now tell me again where the fault lies."

Yanna trembled. "With m-me, master," she said softly.

"Ah. Better." He snapped his fingers. Yanna's guard looked up. "Take
her and have her punished. Severely."

"At once, my Lord," said the guard.

Z'haas turned away as Yanna was led out of the chamber, the doors
closed behind her by his personal guards, who at once returned to their
posts. It was then as if Yanna had never been there.

As was the situation now with the Overlords. As it was if Yanna had
never been sent in the first place.

The Emperor turned away from his throne and headed back towards his
personal chambers. There was no point in remaining in the audience
chamber brooding. He had tried a novel approach to dealing with the
growing power of the Overlords in Oceanus and had failed. He would use
this as a learning experience. He would have to set his mind to
devising another plan.

And yet ... there was the matter of that girl.

Now he sincerely regretted Yanna's failure. Yes, Yanna had likely been
careless, and took some unacceptable risks. At the same time, she was
not stupid. This girl must have some degree of intelligence to have
outwitted his agent.

And Amanda was supposed to be sent back to her own world? Not very
likely. Z'haas could not imagine the likes of Roquan wanting to give up
someone like her. No, she would likely be made to stay now, and trained
to be one of his slaves.

Z'haas had lost his agent in the D'ronstaq Manor, but he had other
means of securing information that he desired. He would be sure to
watch this girl very carefully. Perhaps another opportunity would arise
to turn her talents towards a more suitable cause.



The moon rose high over the D'ronstaq Manor, and all slept in the
peaceful tranquility of the clear, cool night. All but one, who now lay
away under the furs, contemplating the moonlight as it streamed into
her bedchamber, her thoughts unsettled and her feelings vacillating.

Amanda forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply, even as her heart
still thumped in her chest. She would calm herself, settle down to
where she would begin to finally drowse, only to shift position in the
bed, making her chain clink, and setting her heart fluttering again.

She touched her collar lightly with her fingers, running them around to
the back, brushing the small padlock that secured it to her neck, and
then to the chain that ran from her collar to the post. She paused and
withdrew her hand, sighing.

She barely remembered anything that Sirinna had told her before being
put to bed. Sirinna had been so excited that she explained all the
rules in something of a mad rush. About the only ones that Amanda
remembered for sure were the ones she already knew, such as not
speaking to the Overlord and having to call Sirinna "mistress" from
this point forward. She hoped Sirinna would be patient with her and
repeat the rules for her in the morning.

She swallowed. Not that she would be in much better condition to
remember them then, either, with what she faced soon afterward.

Amanda shuddered at the thought of what lay before her, partially from
fear, partially from curious excitement. Yet she could not quantify her
fear. She was not truly frightened of anything at the Manor. Not even
Roquan. She could not get out of her head how he looked when he saw
Sirinna so close to death. She was not just a slave to him. He actually
cared for her. It made the Overlord seem a little more human to her. It
made the thought of being "deflowered" by him bearable.

Perhaps it was a fear of what she had left behind. She wished there had
been some way to tell her former foster father she was alive and well.
He was likely the only one that truly cared.

Or perhaps it was simply a fear of the unknown. She had a new life
before her, one to which she was now inexorably committed. She had made
her choice, and despite her fears she did not wish to change it, even
if she could.

For it was not her choice that bothered her any longer. She realized
now that it was never the choice itself that was the challenge.

The greatest challenge, she now knew, would be living with her choice.



END