Fiat Justitia

She had been allowed no privacy in the day since the duel had been lost. Housed in the slave quarters, Hawke found herself moving aimlessly, isolated from the details and consequences. The elves moved with purpose, and didn't glance when she used to bucket to relieve herself. It was almost as though she didn't exist. Better than pissing myself on the side of the street, Hawke thought. One of the older elves instructed her in the ways of being a slave, and disciplined her rightly when she invariably disobeyed. She slept with them at night, and worked in the house with them during the day. Her hands were swollen from the switch, but somehow it seemed a kindness compared to what she had experienced prior to the fight. She had yet to see Anders - but she knew he lived from the whispers in the night. Hawke was ushered from the dining room prior to the mages entering to dine, and she was whipped when she lifted her eyes to look at Fenris. She swore when she as hit, spitting words at the elf who did so. When she turned on him to rip the switch away, she made it as far as the stairs before running into Hadriana. Gagged and bound, she was left on the floor as the other slaves went about their day, unable to find comfort and slowly drooling herself dry from the rope that bit her mouth. The second time it happened, Hawke was stripped of her tunic and tied with twine that itched and bit into her skin. The room they left her in this time had no windows, buried beneath the mansion, and she lost count of the time in the dark. When the door finally opened, the magelight blinded her, and her legs had been prickly for so long she could only stumble as the elves brought her before Hadriana. "Get up," the woman plainly said. Sucking air around her gag, Hawke kept her eyes down as she shifted on her knees, struggling to maintain balance and get up without the aide of her arms. She was turned towards the stairs. "Your insolence goes too far," Hadriana said at her back. "Do you think it will be tolerated? Your petty fits and tantrums?" Hawke huffed against her gag, eyes straining in the lights of the house proper. There were scruffs and bruises down her body, though thankfully she had avoided soiling herself completely. The same could not be said for basement room. "I have missed your cries, and it seems our master's patience runs thin," the mage purred, chuckling when Hawke shook her head. "He wishes to see you himself." Led into a wide room, Hawke could see the basin she had helped fill for baths before - an elf she knew was pouring water in. Orana. The girl didn't look up as she worked, hurrying to the side of the room at Hadriana's command. "You smell like a gutter rat," Hadriana admonished, and Hawke stumbled forward as she was pushed. "Into the water." Hawke hesitated as she looked at the edge of the metal basin, and lifted a leg to dip it into the water. It was cold. The exhalation of her hesitation escaped around the gag, and she looked to where Hadriana had stripped her robe. "In," the mage replied, advancing to grab Hawke by her bonds and force her into the cold water. Hawke groaned as it splashed around her, and she sunk to a knee, shivering as it chilled her already nude body. Hadriana touched the water, and with a soft word it warmed, before she reached to pull the gag from Hawke's mouth. "Have you learned enough yet in your lessons?" Hadriana said, sitting on the edge of the heavy copper tub. Flexing her mouth to finally move her jaw, Hawke licked the raw edges where the rope had bit before she quietly said, "Yes, mistress." "Then be glad for the privilege I give you," Hadriana smiled sweetly, before more coolly saying. "Bathe me." Hawke hesitated only briefly, shifting her shoulders, "I.. I am bound, mistress." She emphasized the last word almost unconsciously. "You have a mouth," Hadriana laughed, as though Hawke were a child unable to identify the sky. Hawke's cheeks coloured lightly as she looked down the woman's slender calf. Hadriana had taken her from the slave quarters a few times, and the methods she employed to mould Hawke to her will rarely gave her much choice. It left her paranoid. The woman hadn't merely told her to do something since... since she had lost her freedom. That was the truth of it, wasn't it? When was the blade going to bite her skin – when would the phantom rise in her blood to make her the puppet? She glanced about, and saw a washcloth over the edge of the tub. Hadriana leant back in the end of the tub, her legs swishing the water as she parted her knees wide. When Hawke leant to snag the washcloth in her mouth, she nodded and said, "Good girl." Blushing more darkly, Hawke clenched her teeth and bowed her head to wet the cloth, before leaning in to Hadriana's legs and dragging herself back and forth to scrub with the brush. The mage's hand came to rest atop her head, keeping her balance with the other. She held Hawke's hair out of her face when she folded on herself to wet the cloth again. It was a pointless endeavour, and Hawke kept her eyes nearly closed as she smudged the cloth over the other woman's skin. It did very little. She could feel Hadriana's eyes upon her, and smell the scent of her sex from the little nest of hair between her legs. Hadriana's skin was unmarred by battle, smooth and giving, and easily reddening from the rough texture of the cloth. Hawke could feel her pulse rise despite herself – the warm water concealed the throb in her loins, for this woman who controlled her. Was it a lingering effect? Was it her own thoughts? Though man or woman had never really mattered much to Hawke, this woman had treated her worse than any other in her life. Hawke moved to the other leg, and Hadriana caught her dark hair, twisting her to look up. Hawke's eyes skirted away, and she could see the mage's smile. "See, sweetness, you are learning," Hadriana said, before kissing Hawke's cheek tenderly. She let go of Hawke's hair with a push, and the rogue was unable to stop herself from splooshing with her arms bound. "Clean her." Hawke glubbed and clamped her mouth shut as she sunk in the tub. She was beginning to think she might die afterall, when Orana pulled her back up to her knees (with some difficulty, albeit) and she choked a breath. "It's alright," the girl said. "Mistress is gone. I'll clean you, I won't hurt you." Shaking the hair from her eyes, Hawke looked to the elf and softly said, "Thank you." Orana was only as gentle as needed, using the washcloth to scrub dirt from Hawke's face and arms as she spoke in a whisper, "Papa doesn't mean to hurt you." "I know," Hawke whispered, hanging her head down. One of the elves training her. "He's only doing as he's told." Orana worked silently, and the water sullied around Hawke. Finally the elf steadied her bound arms and helped her up and out of the bath. Drying her off, she sat Hawke on a stool and brushed her short, black hair. "I always like the way human hair feels," Orana quietly said to Hawke. Smiling only weakly, Hawke murmured, "It's yours any time." Running her fingers into the daggers of dark hair once more, Orana put the brush away and scurried out of the way as Hadriana. A simple gold clasp held the gauzy robe about her frame, and it revealed the length of her curvy thighs as she walked to place a hand on Hawke's head. "Come." An elf in the hall pressed out of their way, clutching the linens in her grasp and bowing her head as Hadriana led Hawke to the master bedroom. She hesitated and brushed a bit of hair from Hawke's face before opening the door and directing Hawke in. The sound of sighs and skin cloying together filled her senses, and Hawke blushed brightly as Fenris turned his head on the desk, mouth open in a gasp of pleasure. The other bodies meshed together numbed through her, and she crumpled to her knees. His hand upon the elf's back, Anders rolled his head back as Danarius took him from behind, using the force to urge both their hips against the bent Fenris. How could she look away from it, seeing that face she knew so well, when her hands, when her mouth had been on his body, when he had cried her name. Catching and throwing in the same moment. She had tried to lock herself away. To leave her body to their commands and do as they asked – she had paid for resisting. It was a struggle to quell her thoughts, and an even larger one to hush her tongue. But seeing him… the man who nearly killed him. Who branded her. The elf who used her. Anders eyes chanced to lift as Hadriana cleared her throat, and the smack of his hips against Fenris' ass staggered slower. Her pulse was every bit in her senses, thudding in her eyes, in her throat, and the world trembled with the beat. It was burning in her as Danarius' hands snaked around Anders' chin and chest, holding him to roughly bite his neck and drive his buried member home with a crackle of magical energy. Scarce able to protest, Anders cried out in pleasure, letting himself be manipulated, letting his hips move at their will to pump into Fenris' ass and fill him, slicking the passage with his seed. Hawke's face dropped down, her breath huffing oddly as she listened to the men groan, the sound of their ecstasy shivering in her. Hadriana's hand was on her neck, a slender caress that gave her goosebumps. "Everyone else is enjoying their lot," the mage whispered, squatting down to kiss Hawke's ear. "So why must you be so difficult?"   ===***===***===***===***===***===***===***===***   Hawke repeated the motion, punching the stuffed dummy in the yard. The sun was setting, and it was one of the few times she had been left alone since her enslavement. She had spent a half hour trying to pick the manacle about her ankle, but only succeeded in burning her hand (damned thing was enchanted, how the fuck) and wearing the skin around it raw from the wooden dagger. Maybe it didn't matter that Danarius had wanted her to practise – had wanted her to keep her skills honed. It was satisfying none the less to be in the air beating the crap out of a practise post. Coupled with the knowledge that Hadriana wasn't lurking to drag her off to be whipped or forced into some sexual act, Hawke almost felt normal for a time. It felt good to bruise her knuckles because of something she did, to sweat because of her choice. It reawoke something she had been forcing down, cramming deep to keep from getting herself beaten more than she already did. Now if she just imagined it was Hadriana's face. Hawke tensed and did a round house to clock the post, flowing through a variety of strokes, to progressively cry out in aggravation and getting swept up Iin the moment, smashed her fist right into the wood. The pain was blinding, and she bounced back, promptly tripping on the manacle that kept her from running. "Nug-humping bitch of a hurlock!" Hawke writhed in the dirt, clutching her bloodied hand. She looked at the sky, blinking rapidly as she lay there, when a familiar sensation enveloped her hand. Knowing healing magic all too well, she scrambled to her knees, tucking her chin down. "Don't... please don't," Anders said as he stepped into courtyard. There were circles under his eyes, and he weakly moved to help her to her feet. "No?" Hawke simply said, before her expression contorted and she pushed him away. Anders cringed as she hit his chest and arms. "Come to heal me so I'm in shape for our Master? Or have you come to beat me yourself." Anders looked down, dropping his hands and exhaling, "No. They're at the harvest gala." Hawke scarce looked at him as she stooped to pick up her wooden daggers, saying under her breath, "Your new best friend didn't want you there?" "No," Anders replied. "Danarius took Fenris for protection." "Well poor you," Hawke said, and she punched the post before turning on him. "I should just stab you right now, blunt and painful. What then, Anders? No use for me when I've killed his new pet." "I'm sorry, "Anders said, closing his eyes and letting her shake him. "You just stand there," Hawke's voice cracked and her throat tightened. Her knuckles whitened and she gripped his robes, dropping her face. "How could you let this happen? How could you do that to me? I don't even know how long I've been here, Anders!" "Almost a month," he whispered, tentatively putting his hands on her arms. "Maker's balls," Hawke rasped, and she shuddered, trembling and clutching his robes as her legs weakened. She screwed her eyes tight, letting her head drop to hide the welling tears, "How could you Anders?" "I learned long ago to wait for opportunities," Anders said, his voice gravelly. "You really waited for Danarius like that," Hawke said, still clinging to him. "Or Fenris? You two look great together."      "It's not black and white, Marian," Anders hissed, shaking his head. "I couldn't... I wanted to see you. When .. when I do what he wants, I just think maybe it'll mean you'll have a normal day. Maybe he won't let Hadriana have you. Maybe he'll let me see you. I'm so sorry, Marian." "Flames," Hawke shuddered and crumpled into his arms, a crackling whine breaking into a muffled sob against him. "I don't care. I don't care, just hold me and make me forget this place. Make me forget what I did." Anders crushed her in his arms, burying his face in her hair, "No. No, it was never you." "If I'd just done my damned job," Hawke said against his chest. "If I'd never been caught, none of this would have ever happened. Varric must be laughing his ass off, Maker knows he'd never let me hear the end of it." "I shouldn't have gotten you involved. It was my weight to bear," Anders whispered, closing his eyes tight as he listened to her breath shudder. "I see you fucking other men, and what do I do, end up blubbering in your arms," Hawke whispered, trembling and lifting her face and wiping her cheeks. "Other circumstances, it might have been the sexiest thing in the world. Just... please tell me not Hadriana." "No," Anders said, almost chuckling as he caressed her hair. "She can be cruel, but Danarius will not... leave me to her the way he allows with you." "Lucky me," Hawke said with a sniff. They stood there for a while, and Anders adjusted his arms to keep Hawke fitted against his body, caressing her hair with his eyes closed. If he stood there, it almost seemed like life could be normal again. If only for a minute.