Souria slowly came to, letting out a slight groan. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by complete darkness. He felt a thick velvet cloth wrapped tightly around his head, completely blindfolding him. His arms were bound behind him, wrapped around the back of the chair he was sitting in. His mind was racing, trying to remember how he even got into this mess, but his throbbing headache proved to be too much of a distraction. Trying to concentrate, he listened as the sound of footsteps echoed off in the distance.
"Looks like he's finally awake..." a seductive yet sinister voice chimed from afar.
The sound of footsteps drew closer, Souria's heart beating faster with each step. His eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to find some way to see through the blindfold.
"W-what do you want with me? Who are you?" he yelled in a panic.
"I think you should already know why you're here. As to who I am, you'll find out in due time." she sighed, putting a hand on Souria's shoulder.
Feeling him tremble from her touch, she stifled a laugh. Running her fingers down his collar and across his neck, she lifted his chin, softly giggling.
"What's the matter, lost your voice, or am I just choking you too hard?" she smiled, applying a little bit of pressure to Souria's neck.
"I... I really... don't remember anything... about what happened before..." Souria gasped.
The woman immediately let go, trusting his words. Letting out a sigh, she knocked on the door.
"Bring Elliot here please." she sighed.
Within moments, Souria could hear the door open and someone walk inside.
"Yes mistre...."
Before the man could finish speaking, a wet slicing sound caused Souria to tremble, followed by what Souria could only imagine were the last gurgling noises Elliot would make before he bled to death.
"You hit him too hard you fool, and for that now we have to wait for his memory to recover!" she spat.
Souria was practically ready to burst into tears as he heard the woman approach him once more. Feeling her breath on his neck, he cringed, fearing for his life.
"Allow me to refresh your memory for you. I've been watching you ever since you left Regallis Castle. You were sent to stop the war between your king, King Lionel, and Lord Byron of the Parsimmus Kingdom. Many had sent assassins to kill you, knowing your mission. I'm not sure why your king sent you, of all people. You seemed to narrowly escape death by sheer luck alone!" the woman sighed.
"But... why would they want me dead? I'm trying to stop the war, not start a new one..." Souria began.
"Allow me to finish, and maybe I'll tell you more about my own intentions, boy!" the woman snapped.
Cracking her knuckles, the woman began pacing around the room as she continued to speak.
"Many people would like to see that this war lasts as long as possible, or ends in bloodshed. Of course, as you could probably guess, I'm one of those people." the woman said with a smile.
"Then why didn't you just kill me? Wouldn't that have been easier than going through the trouble of kidnapping me?" Souria asked.
"No, quite the opposite. Perhaps once your memory returns, the answer will become clearer, but I don't feel like spoon feeding you everything right now. Right now, you are simply here for my enjoyment." she laughed, grabbing a fist full of his hair and pulling his head back.
"W-what do you mean by that?" Souria stammered, starting to tremble again.
"I love how you get so afraid every time I touch you. Don't worry, I won't hurt you too badly. Just look at it as an incentive to start remembering things, and quick." she laughed, sitting down on his lap.
Slipping her hands behind his bare back, she licked her lips as she pulled herself close to him. Letting out a slight laugh, she gently kissed his cheek. Without warning, she quickly raked her nails across his back, moaning in pleasure as he screamed out in pain. Feeling a light trickle of blood run across her fingers, her eyes lit up with excitement. A hungry look in her eye, she licked the blood off her fingertips and took another swipe at Souria's back.
"I hope that's enough incentive, kiddo. Allow me to show you to your room." the woman giggled, giving Souria a pat on the back as she untied him.
Keeping him blindfolded, she led Souria along through the halls. She carefully guided him down a staircase. A loud metallic creak echoed through the room as the woman led Souria further. Giving him a light shove, she undid the blindfold and slammed the cell door shut. As Souria turned around, he could finally see who had been tormenting him.
She was a tall slender woman, her short black hair falling just past her shoulders. She looked Souria over with her green eyes, licking her lips as she watched the blood trickle down his side. Her short black dress playfully twirled around her thighs as she smiled coyly at him.
"I hope you enjoy your accommodations. I'll be seeing you tomorrow night. Hopefully you'll be more talkative next time." She chimed, twirling her hair as she left.
Souria slumped down on the dingy old bed, rubbing his head as he tried to remember his recent past. The only thing that came to mind was having some small talk with a stranger in the tavern, presumably moments before he blacked out. He played back the scene in his mind, sitting in the small tavern. He saw the woman he had been talking to in his mind, the only thing clear being the red dress she was wearing. Letting out a groan, he tried to remember more about the conversation, but came up dry. As hard as he thought, nothing came to mind.
Getting frustrated, he gave up and sprawled out on the bed. Exhausted, he decided to at least try to get some rest. Tossing and turning, he eventually found a position that didn't aggravate the open wounds on his back. Finally getting somewhat comfortable, he closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep. He awoke to a tapping sound outside his cell. Souria felt as though he only slept for no more than an hour, and was still extremely sore from his beating. Looking over towards the door, he noticed the woman he had met the previous night standing by the doorway, gently tapping her foot against the cold stone floor. She opened the cell door and walked inside, a loud clang echoing out as she closed it. She walked over to Souria carrying a plate of freshly roast ham. She placed it on the bed next to him with a smile.
"Thought you could use some breakfast." she said, taking a seat on the bed.
Souria looked up at her in bewilderment. Was this even the same woman who had tormented him the night before? He couldn't tell for sure but something had definitely changed. He cautiously grabbed the plate, sniffing the meat. Nothing smelled out of place, but the woman noticed his cautiousness.
"I didn't poison it if that's what you're after.