- Hm?
- And I'm such a fool...
- .........
- No, not about that circus story. I was a fool there too, of course, but I've come to my senses a bit now. It's hard to believe half our performers died, but... shit happens to us constantly. The main thing is we are safe.
- Glad to hear it. What are you talking about then?
- About this swill! - Beata waved toward the coffee mugs. - I thought we'd be hacking away at essays until morning, and I snapped. Now I want to sleep, but I don't want to sleep.
- Same here... Guess we'll just have to stay awake.
- Ha-a-ave to... I'm wondering if I want to punish you for me being such a fool, or if I don't.
- You don't. Save your strength for the coronation.
- Logical... What should we do then?
- I don't know...
- Maybe help Alaria write her essay? She seems to be stuck on it.
- Let her write. We won't distract her. You know how grueling that thought process is.
- Uh-huh... Then let's just sit quietly and think about something.
- I even know what my thoughts will be about.
- Lower Lunaria, right?
- Her, the dear... She won't leave me in peace.
- You can always vent to me.
- You always say you don't want to know.
- I don't. But you survived it. And I'll just listen. You'll feel better, and I'll manage somehow.
- Fine, but if anything—use the safe word.
- Deal...
- I can't stop thinking about that mistress of mine who summoned monsters, - Giyyon lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper so only Beata could hear.
- The one with five multi-meter tentacles and aphrodisiac lubricant? - she replied in the same whisper.
- Yeah, her. The tentacles, for the record, belonged to the monsters, not her...
- I'll bet they didn't.
- Do you know what her favorite pastime was?
- ...well?
- She would gather her friends, colleagues, female relatives, good acquaintances—depending on her mood. But a fair number of people would show up, no fewer than ten to fifteen Lunarians. They drank wine, ate treats, gossiped. And they admired how those monsters... entertained themselves with me, - Giyyon shuddered. - They sat and discussed what interesting position I was twisted into or how deep those tentacles... - he didn't dare finish the sentence, but Beata understood.
- That's f***ing insane, Guillosh, - she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. - But all that is in the past.
- And that night when I... was taken into slavery, - he sighed. - The whole fort came to watch, and many—to take part. I lost count somewhere around the second dozen... of participants, and I think at some point I just lost consciousness, while a crowd surrounded me, watching closely what they were doing to me, and everyone felt the need to comment on my state...
- ...
- And another mistress of mine loved public punishments. She'd put me by her doorstep—there were even special stocks there—and invite neighbors or random passersby to come up with how to punish me using the tools laid out nearby...
- Sh*t...
- It's just that when that spy leaked info about me today... I felt like I was back in one of those moments, only our Carneolians were among the other spectators. Erephir and Alaria are very sweet, of course, but would they still hold their opinion if they saw how I was... - he shuddered again.
- I can't speak for them. But first and foremost, I'd think poorly of those who subjected you to such treatment. You know yourself how much I love interesting horizontal activities. But to get maximum pleasure from them, everyone involved must enjoy the process. When your partner feels good, you feel good too; but if your partner is suffering, why continue? Safe words were invented for a reason.
- Because of your approach, I don't have problems with... horizontal activities now, although at one point I caught myself thinking that I could never consider this process pleasant.
- Well, I did push you at first.
- I'm grateful to you for that. I don't know when I would have matured on my own to solve the problem, or if I ever would have. This way...
- ...hero-lover, - Beata smiled warmly. - I always said you were very strong, having gone through all that shit and still living life to the fullest.
- Th-thank you.
- And again, I can't speak for them, but the more I learn about what they did to you, the more I respect you. I would have lost my mind halfway through.
- I hadn't thought of it that way. I thought about how everyone was watching me be used in the most unnatural and humiliating way, and I could do nothing about it...
- Well, you tried to fight back against the bandits, though it didn't lead anywhere good, and you were one person against a whole crowd. And your mistresses broke your will because of that damn curse; you couldn't even resist them.
- Yes, but...
- You proved strong enough physically and spiritually to survive all this and become who you are now. Even if tomorrow all those bandits and Lunarians show up in Carneol and start describing in vivid detail what, how, in what positions and how deep they did it to you, they won't change my mind. Moreover, I will personally spit in the face of every one of those sick bastards.
- Sometimes I'm afraid something like that will happen. That some... particularly spicy details of my past will become public knowledge. It's one thing just to know I was a slave, and quite another—to have a detailed idea of exactly how I was used.
- Pff, first of all, as I said, I'll personally spit in the face of anyone who dares talk such filth about you. Maybe not literally, but I will absolutely condemn them! Secondly, let them try to prove it; without proof, these are just vile, dirty rumors.
- Well, they... As far as I know, they didn't take photos. Although I wasn't in a state to remember that.
- They likely wouldn't have. Photography was invented not so long ago; it's a new thing, it doesn't just fall into anyone's hands. And even if there are photos, it's unlikely you can see clearly that it's you—there are plenty of people in the world who look like you.
- I don't want to think about it. You know, you accept me, but many people... are far from so accepting. For them, this will be proof of my weakness, not strength.
- Then those people are idiots and their opinion isn't worth a broken penny.
- ...and still, I might have difficulties with my career and life in general...
- Well, then we either move or you retrain as a househusband.
- You've thought of everything.
- Of course

- That's why I love you, - Giyyon smiled, leaning into Beata.
🏹🎪+⛓️♿=💕