The Value of a Heartbeat

You will show respect to me

Quilla pulled Reilyn along as he sobbed quietly. With her expression downcast, she pushed open the door to Reilyn's old bedchamber and gently tugged him inside, shutting the door behind them. "Ros mwsen caic, Reilyn'da." |We're here, Master Reilyn.| Hesitation permeated her every word.

"Kesic." |Yeah.| Reilyn slumped his shoulders as he looked around a room he would rather have never seen again. Llyma hadn't changed anything. She left the same silk bed sheets, the same end table, desk, the few books on politics and history that she approved of him reading, the wardrobe with the clothes she forced him to wear.

Quilla untied his wrists, and as he rubbed them, trying to soothe the forming bruises, the Eyll woman unbuckled his cloak, pulled it off and hung it in the wardrobe. "Haell'kur quontis glachiumis." |Raise your arms.| She tugged at his torn and bloodied tunic. Wordlessly, Reilyn obeyed and Quilla undressed him, leaving him in only his tight black undershirt, leggings and boots.

After setting the tunic aside, Quilla gripped Reilyn's shoulders and pushed him onto his bed. It was then that Reilyn noticed an addition made to his old room. Above his head were steel shackles. Quilla grabbed one wrist and chained his arm up.

"Kyr mwsen'bois caic?" |Why are these here?| Reilyn didn't fight her. Even so, he felt cold sweat drip down the back of his neck.

"Llyma'da clybae pwyssae pebei'ailli mwod clybae caic." |Mistress Llyma ordered them to be placed here.| She chained his other arm up. "Duilla dihi ku faci don rinnfido. Tis ku mao dreacu tebogita pebei ku botem synmitter kyut duillal, duilla bo'tai mwygis lleturlius kyut ku uet kur Dyll'Anum." |She doesn't trust you. If you make her believe that you'll submit to her, she'll go easier on you, and your Humans.|

Reilyn tugged at the shackles, the position he was in became very clear. Quilla stepped back, refusing to make eye contact with him. Reilyn's eyes misted again, realising he was trapped, realising he would never see his friends again, tears dribbled down his face. "Kyr drync?" |What now?|

"Migo paresse kyut'ere Llyma'da caic. Duilla clybae carpae ku fati ute trib pebei ros ku'clybeo raerae'sus." |I have to bring Mistress Llyma here. She wished to speak to you once we brought you back.| Quilla raised her gaze to see Reilyn trembling and crying. "Rinnant re ku clybeo'timul." |Try to pull yourself together.| There were no emotions behind her voice.

Reilyn bit his lip and lowered his head. Quilla opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She gritted her teeth and left the room, closing the door behind her. In the dark, silk adorned bedchamber, Reilyn closed his eyes and held back his sobs.

---

Time trickled by. In the silence, chained to his bed, it felt like hours. Reilyn wasn't sure how long it'd been when he heard the clack of heels, and multiple other footsteps, approach his door. He looked up, crusty eyed, at the slowly turning handle, then at the light from the hallway that began to fill his dark corridor.

"Reilyn'bo." |Darling Reilyn.| A voice he wished he'd forgotten echoed, and a woman he wished he'd forgotten stepped into view.

Sauntering into the room, Llyma Li Chalos stood at five foot eleven with her four inch, silver heels. Her snow white gown draped down her full figure and down to her ankles. Slits travelled up the sides of the dress and rubies trailed around her waist and her large breasts. Contrasting the gown, and her thigh length, silver hair, her skin was deep purple, and her eyes, sharp as daggers, were a dark red. She walked towards Reilyn, her graceful middle aged face coming into full view.

"Byita, taud quont dinis, ku clybeo kyven kyut'mum kea." |So, in the end, you've come home to me.| She grinned. It took everything in Reilyn to keep from screaming and struggling as he raised his crimson eyes to meet hers.