I still need to know more about his service contract. Is it like a sentence in prison where it ends after a period of time? Or must he buy his way out? I decide to ask.

  “It must be bought out, sir,” Loran responds politely to my question, his eyes trained somewhere around my chest area. “The state sets the original purchase price, but subsequent masters can choose to set it higher or lower. However, to end the sales contract, I must pay my current master the amount of the original purchase price, regardless of what he or she actually paid for my contract.”

  “That seems a bit unfair,” I comment. Arguably, someone could profit from getting a better price from the previous master and then forcing the slave to pay them more than they originally paid – as well as getting the person’s labour in the meantime. Loran doesn’t comment. Perhaps he doesn’t want to risk being punished for voicing disapproval of the system. “And what if the holder of your sales contract just…forgives your debt?”

  This time he actually looks me in the eyes, his expression startled. Then he lowers his gaze quickly as if he’d briefly forgotten himself.

  “That is the discretion of the master, however, I believe that my contract is held by House Titanbend so it would be up to Lord Nicholas to agree or not.” And Nicholas has made it clear that he doesn’t believe in gifting people back their freedom; they need to earn it.

  Perhaps the best thing is to do as Nicholas does – accept Loran as my…manservant and then pay him a regular, reasonable wage as soon as I have money to do so. That way, he can buy himself out – or, as Nicholas says, buy any extra luxuries that he wants. I’ll make sure he has the necessities at least so he won’t have to spend the money.

  The next question is whether I use a Bond on him. Now I have a little more idea of the kinds of politics of this country, I can understand why having the absolute loyalty of the person closest to the heir, and future lord, is important. It would be far too easy to bribe the manservant to put a little poison in the heir’s drink, or to let little snippets of information drop that could later be used for blackmail. A Bond reduces or outright eliminates those possibilities. And if Nicholas is right, I probably don’t need to worry about the Bond itself twisting his mind.

  I do have some other questions to ask, but perhaps I should do that in the Battle of Wills space – that way I’ll know whether or not he’s lying to me.

  “Loran, look at me, please?” I request, though my tone makes it clear that it’s not a question. He raises his eyes a little, but doesn’t meet my gaze. “In my eyes,” I clarify. He hesitates for a moment and then lifts his gaze just that little bit more. Dominate.

  Loran’s Willpower must be even lower than Sarran’s – I feel barely any resistance. I quickly walk forwards until I’m within arm’s length of him, then stop. Loran is fearful, though it’s different from Sarran’s fear. In retrospect, it’s very clear that Nicholas’ manservant knew exactly what this place was and what it implied. Loran’s fear is more undirected – this is something new with someone he doesn’t know, and he has no idea what might happen to him, but his past warns him that new experiences are often…painful.

  “You don’t need to fear, Loran,” I try to reassure him. “This is a space where I can choose to establish a Bond with you or not, but I won’t do so unless you agree.”

  His fear spikes when he hears the word ‘Bond’ – I suspect he knows at least something about that. Whether his knowledge stems from being in Nicholas’ house for a time, or because it’s common knowledge, I don’t know.

  I am yours to command, sir, he finally says, the fear turning to resignation. If this is your will…. He doesn’t seem to be able to finish it, even in his thoughts. Was he just hiding his reaction earlier when Nicholas was talking about it? Or did he not realise what it truly was until we entered this space and he felt the chain hovering around him, ready to bind?

  “We’ll come to that in a moment. First of all, I have some questions. What were your crimes that caused you to be convicted and given this sentence?”

  Bitterness threads the cloying fear around me.

  Theft, sir, as Lord Nicholas said.

  “More details, please.” He hesitates for another moment, and then I feel the wave of resignation flow from him once more.

  I started by stealing food for myself and my two siblings, he starts with a sense of regretful hopelessness. Our parents died, you see, and we were starving. Then I got caught and was given a fine that I couldn’t pay. I started stealing coin-pouches and anything else which looked like it had value. I paid my fine. I should have stopped there and taken the warning for what it was. But my family and I were still hungry. I tried to get a job, but I couldn’t. So I kept stealing. Then, my brother got a job and we had enough to put food on the table, and a roof over our heads. I should have stopped there too. But I kept going. He told me not to. I sense the bitterness grow and feel where it’s directed – at himself. He and my sister begged me to stop. But I didn’t. I just… I felt it was unfair for us to have so little, when others had so much.

  I kept stealing, wanting to build a nest egg for emergencies. And then I got caught again and whipped. Almost all of what I had set aside was used on healer bills to keep me alive and without long-term consequences. I wanted to stop then – I knew what happens to third-time offenders. But I couldn’t – I’d caught the attention of a gang. They wanted me to work for them and offered a coul in one hand; a whip in the other. If I worked for them loyally, they’d make sure my family would do well, even if I got caught again. If I didn’t…they had a lot of influence in the area my family and I lived in. It…I didn’t want to risk them taking out their anger on my brother or sister. So I stole for them until the day I was caught a third time, robbing the house of a wealthy merchant.

  He’s being completely honest, both about his desperation and his own bad choices. He’s not blameless in this, that’s for sure – he had the option to quit while he was ahead, and he chose not to. But I can understand his motivations and am not sure that I would have done any differently if I were him. He took a gamble on a better life – at the expense of others – and lost his bet.

  “Did you ever hurt or kill anyone while stealing? Apart from the hurt of the theft, that is.” That’s important.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  I never killed anyone, he answers quickly. I…may have been a bit rough on a couple of street-thefts. And on the last one, I shoved the merchant’s wife out of the way in my attempt to escape – she fell and hit her head, but I’m sure she survived. They would have added that to my charges if she had not.

  So, not overly violent. I’ve personally done a lot worse than what he’s done, when looked at in a certain way.

  “Why does Nicholas think that you’d be a good manservant to have?”

  I am uncertain, he confesses, the emotions around me indicating that he’s being truthful.

  “Well, what have you been in the past?”

  A gardener, a groom, a kitchen assistant…never anything above-stairs.

  Curious that Nicholas specifically chose him, then. Unless it was just that the others available were more unsuitable. I’ll need to ask the man himself to know.

  “Alright, final question. Do you want to stay with me even with the Bond, or would you rather I ask Nicholas to find another place for you? I can try to see if he has another position in the house that you can take, but he might end up relisting your contract.”

  I would prefer to stay with you, sir, he answers after a long moment. I feel by the emotions surrounding me that he’s being honest, though I definitely get the sense that he’s choosing the lesser between two evils. But that’s understandable.

  “Why?” He hesitates and I feel uncertainty about whether he should answer truthfully or not rise within him. “I will know if you lie,” I comment almost idly and feel his emotions freeze, a bolt of hot fear going through them.

  Sir, I…I know how much worse it can get. A shiver of fear goes through him, this one icy and cloying, something that never completely leaves a person. Lord Nicholas is a kind master. I haven’t been here long, but even I can see that. I…I’m hoping that as his heir, you will be too, he admits, that cloying fear rising up as if to choke him.

  I understand – admitting to something so self-serving is probably a big no-no, even if anyone with sense should know that that’s exactly what’s motivating any slave. But I suspect that most ‘masters’ don’t want to think about that.

  “Alright,” I say finally. “I will Bind you, and as long as you serve me well, I won’t give you cause to regret your decision.”

  With that, I reach out to touch him on the forehead between his eyebrows.

  The Battle of Wills fractures around us as we exit the soul space.

  Loran blinks at me, as if not realising that he can move yet. I smile at him.

  “Welcome to the pack.” My words seem to break the spell and he flinches back into the cushions, quickly lowering his gaze to the floor.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” he says and it almost sounds like a reflex. This time, I can feel the bolt of sickening fear that comes across from his side of the Bond. It makes me clench my teeth again in anger at what must have happened to him to cause that sort of reaction. Unfortunately, some of my anger must leak through to him as his fear only intensifies. He doesn’t move, but there’s no hiding it in the Bond.

  “It’s alright,” I tell him, shoving soothing feelings across our new connection. I see him startle a little when he receives them – I’m used to having emotions from others constantly flickering through me but I remember how odd it felt at the beginning. Though, thinking about it, I probably have never experienced what he is now – I only started feeling my companions’ emotions bit by bit as the Bond grew in strength and my Dominate Skill increased in level. Poor Loran – he must be feeling rather overwhelmed. I ease up on the emotions I’m shoving at him, but allow my feelings to continue to leak through though in smaller quantities. “I’m not angry at you, I promise.”

  He doesn’t answer immediately, but I sense him tentatively touching the Bond between us. His touch is very clumsy, but it’s different from what all my other Bound have done after the Battle of Wills. The rest of them have perhaps fought in the Battle itself, but after it finished and the chain wrapped around them, that stopped. A few have tried to pull against it at particular times, but none have explored the Bond itself. Loran, however, seems to be attempting to feel the edge between his own emotions and the foreign ones. If it had been a real chain rather than a metaphysical one, what he’s doing could be likened to running his hands under and over the chains to feel where they are and how much give is in them. He’s not pulling at them, but he is investigating. And it feels very odd for me.

  Then, realising that he’s practically ignoring me, he flinches back again and I sense his attention return to his surroundings. It’s mostly on me, but I feel how he’s also aware of my Bound around him – perhaps even more so than before since he can now feel them through the network of Bonds.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” he says automatically.

  “No harm done. I understand needing to feel the differences that being part of the network makes. In fact, everyone, please say hello and introduce yourself briefly,” I invite the rest of my Bound.

  Bastet is the first to introduce herself and Loran stares at me incredulously, seeming to forget his fear in his surprise.

  “They can all talk?” He quickly looks down. “Excuse my rudeness, sir.” I decide that it’s past time to address this.

  “Hold the introductions for a moment, everyone. Loran, feel the Bond between us. Does it feel like I’m angry?” I sense him touching the Bond tentatively with his mind.

  “No, sir?” he replies hesitantly.

  “Because I’m not. You’ll see for yourself in time, but as I said to Nicholas, my Bound are my friends, my family. I lead us and generally give the instructions, yes, but that’s because my companions trust me to, not because they’re scared of me hurting them if they disobey or are rude or anything. I listen to and value their thoughts and advice – I wouldn’t be alive today without many of them. They all work to help and protect the pack in one way or another, and I help and protect them too. You’re now one of us so I want you to be natural with me. The only way you could make me angry is if you intentionally do something which hurts or endangers one of the pack.”

  I don’t know why, but it seems like it’s the last bit which reassures him most. But then I suppose that that makes sense – knowing how he can mess up is a way for him to avoid doing so.

  “I value loyalty,” I continue quietly. “And honesty. False deference from fear of what I might do to you sets my teeth on edge and makes me angry at those who have taught you to expect punishment for perfectly natural reactions.” I give him a wry smile and shrug. “But I don’t expect you to overcome those reactions in a day – I’m sure you have good reason to behave in that way. I just hope that time will help you begin to trust that you can be yourself around us. As long as being yourself doesn’t mean returning to thieving, of course,” I finish by warning him.

  “Of course not, sir!” he promises me earnestly, and I don’t detect any insincerity in his words.

  “OK, good. Now, in answer to your question, not all of them are able to communicate in words. Most are, yes, and even those who can’t are generally able to get their meaning across if you interpret their emotions correctly.” With that, the introductions resume. Touching the Bond between me and the other human in the room, I smile in satisfaction – he’s far calmer than before, and there’s even a hint of hope in there.

  It’s a risk to accept him so quickly into our pack, but that’s the way I’ve operated so far – I’m not going to change my methods now. I’m aware that, as a human, he is capable of far more deception than the other Tier ones I’ve Bound, but I hope that by extending trust to him, he’ll respond with trust and loyalty. True loyalty, not forced. It worked with River.

  Time will tell if it will work with Loran too.

  here!

  here!

  here!

  here