My day started like any other, curled up under a bundle of thick blankets which practically buried the rest of my bed. Awoken by my alarm clock, letting me know that it was time to get to work for the day. It took a good while to get used to, but after some time, I was already to the point of knowing better than to let it snooze even once.

Damn was it nice to actually have a warm shower to myself. It did admittedly turn cold after a solid fifteen minutes, but only to let me know when I’d already spent enough of Candace’s time and needed to get to work. When I was done, I patted myself dry and dragged myself back to my bedroom to get ready.

Nowadays the uniform was essentially lingerie. Nice black shapewear fit me well, given my general aesthetic. The lace was pretty, especially when paired with my apron. But that came later.

Next was makeup, which Candace was actually kind of picky about. I’d never been any more than decent with the stuff. I couldn’t manage the fancier things without the help of her or one of her friends, but I could manage a look that’d satisfy her for the day without bothering her for help. I didn’t want to waste her time, after all. Thick black lashes, eyeliner wings, proper foundation, red lips. Simple, but classy.

The mistress of the house and everything in it, including me, came to unlock the door as I was sitting there. Same as every other day. She didn’t step inside, or even open it for that matter. She simply unlocked it and trusted me to do the rest.

As I waited for my hair to dry, I made sure to apply last minute touches like concealer, deodorant, and early morning mouth care. But once I was all done with that, and could run my fingers through my locks without getting wet, I brought the heated curling iron to work its magic.

Most of my time getting ready each morning was spent on my hair. I was a freak about my hair. It was precious to me. It took a while to grow it back out after getting it screwed up twice, so I wanted to take care of it. The curling iron didn’t leave the room, obviously. Hell this vanity wasn’t even mine, not like the rest of the room had been. Candace brought it in for me for the explicit purpose of keeping me looking nice. It wasn’t like the antiquated record player or the drum set in the corner was going to help me burn cute little curls into my sunny red hair, no matter how many times I tried to twist it around the drumsticks.

Finally, once I was done with everything else, I tied my apron around my waist. It was charming, the black half gown with white polka dots and red trim really brought the whole look together. I wore the same apron everyday, and yes, I do mean the exact same apron and not one of several identical copies. I would take it off once Candace dismissed me from my housework, upon which I’d usually change into something much more comfortable.

Hopefully though, if I was lucky, I wouldn’t have to wait that long before Candace decided to get me out of my clothes. With one last look in the mirror, I made sure my collar was on straight, and got to work.

“Good morning, Ma’am.” I hummed from the kitchen as I started on breakfast. Judging from the fact that Candace was already waist deep in typing away something on her digital notebook by the time I got there, I was either late, or she was busy with any number of things I wasn’t too keen on asking about. “Anything special you’d like for breakfast?”

“Not particularly. You have my permission to think for yourself, if you can manage that. I know there’s not much in that head of yours, but I’m sure there’s something resembling a brain in there somewhere.”

Candace had her glasses on, but they’d slid far enough down her nose that she was practically looking over them as she typed. She wore a combination of prescription and color contacts normally, but at home she liked to be lazy. Her soft, almost icy white hair was done up into a simple bun at the back, just enough to get it out of the way while still making her look distinguished.

“But since you asked, It would have been nice to have a drink in front of me already, had you not been too busy fussing with your hair this morning to get it to me on time.” She snapped her fingers, tapping one of her painted nails on the dining room table beside her computer. “An iced tea.”

However irked she made me, I got her drink to her as quickly as I could, along with a makeshift coaster to set it on. “Here, Ma’am. I’m sorry for being late, I only wanted to make sure my hair looked nice today.”

“Maybe give it a break next time. Your hair is about the one thing that always looks nice, I almost like it better when it’s disheveled.” Without looking up from her screen or even touching her drink, Candace reached towards me as I leaned forward to set it down, taking my earlobe between her fingers and gently rubbing some love into it. “Besides, the rest of you’s going to get all roughed up today, why spend so much of my time on your hair?”

There was a warmth to it whenever she pinched my ear. Candace got on my nerves a lot, probably more often than she didn’t. But it was almost always okay in the end. She made sure of it.

That little act alone was enough to relieve a lot of my tension, allowing me to stand up straight beside her. “You’re finally planning on touching up my brand, you mean?”

“I promised I would, didn’t I?” She teased, tipping the cold wet glass to her warm dry lips, sipping from her tea as the ice cubes clattered slightly. “You wanted my attention, and now you’ve got it. You can’t claw your way to the top of the world and plan to stay there. I’ve long since resolved to bring you back down to earth myself if I had to, and I have.”

Her voice was as lovely and as patronizing as she was. Irresistibly charming and endlessly condescending, albeit infinitely more of one than the other. Either way, it was definitely enough to make me smile. “You say a lot of flowery words, but half the time the only thing I get out of them is how pretty they sound, Ma’am.”

“You’ve been doing the same, you just haven’t noticed yet.” Candace’s smile clearly reflected from the shine found in her glass as she set it down. Her fingers were still damp as she scratched beneath my chin. “But that’s okay, you’ll get it eventually.”

Tingles shivered through my skin as she did so, locked in place by her mockery. “Humor my walnut sized brain for me then?”

“You wanted a purpose in life, and I gave you one. Beggars can’t be choosers, slave. You’ll take what I’m willing to give you whether you like it or not. Be happy that I’m sentimental enough to brand you at all.” Her fingers elicited the slightest of whimpers from my breath as they dotted their way down my throat, eventually settling on curling around the head of my collar and driving her knuckles into my windpipe as she yanked me to her and held me by the iron like an animal. “Unless I put my name on it, no one will know it’s mine. Don’t you want to be mine?”

I bit my lip, holding my breath as the heat spread through me. This woman had her claws in me alright, that much I could be certain of. If Candace wanted to put her name on me as well, she was more than welcome to it. “Yes, Master.” I finally whined through my teeth. The sound of me giving in was like music to her ears.

“Good girl.” Candace released my collar from her grasp, turning the screen of her laptop slightly away from me. “Now stop gawking and make breakfast, I’m hungry.”

A whimper escaped my lungs as she smacked my nearly bare ass and shoved me away from her and towards the kitchen. “Yes, Ma’am. Anything for you.”

“An omelette, you know how I like it.” She hissed, handing me an order to follow. “You’ve dawdled enough, woman. If thinking is really that hard, I don’t want you wasting more of my time doing it. Work.”

My feet were light as they scurried towards the heated stovetop once more, letting her have the last word on the matter as I followed my routine. It wasn’t a perfect arrangement, but it was ours. Neither of us were perfect, despite how much she acted like she was while I slaved away at her side to try and get her there. We were bound to have holes in our lives that only the other could fill. Maybe a lot more literal in my case, admittedly.

Candace had her breakfast and I didn’t say a word about it. If she wanted to feed me, she would feed me. I’d apparently spent a while on breakfast already, I didn’t want to be caught neglecting the dishes.

By the time she was satisfied, I was already on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. I didn’t mind menial labor. It wasn’t fun, but it was at least better than feeling useless. Besides, on the rare occasion Candace stuck around to watch, I did at least enjoy doing it for her. However unfair that may be, as long as she didn’t work me to death, it was fine.

I paused my efforts for just a few moments to look up at her. “I’m not going to complain, I promise. I remember what happened last time.”

“Remind me, what was last time?” Candace smiled, obscuring her intent enough that I wasn’t sure whether she genuinely forgot, or if she was teasing me.

“When I whined about how much time this took and insisted that it would be done faster if you’d spare the expense of modern half-decent tools.” I reminded her, returning to the sponge in my hand. “You told me that I was already the highest end mop you could afford.”

“Can’t say I wasn’t wrong, I mean just look at you.” Candace crouched next to me, brushing the back of her hand against my cheek until I couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve never met a cuter roomba.”

I rolled my eyes, blushing as she stood up. “Am I done, Miss?”

“Yeah, how about you take a break.”

“A break?” An eyebrow of suspicion raised. “You were just complaining about me wasting your time?”

“Chloe.” She nudged me in the side with her foot. “Don’t argue.”

My head lowered slightly in shame. “Yes, Ma’am. I’m sorry.”

“Busywork is fine, but I don’t want you getting tired out for later.” Candace said, placing her dishes from breakfast in the sink. “When you’re done washing those, you can rest until lunch.”

“Of course.” I replied, standing up and facing the sink. “You didn’t need to bring the dishes yourself, Ma’am. I would have fetched them myself. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was neglecting them.”

“Hey.” Candace interrupted me with a hand on my hip and another on my shoulder. “You’re okay to relax.”

She held me to her chest and let me lean into her body, trying to calm me down. Our routine was as it had always been. We’d spent much more time together than we’d been apart, but it would never be the same as before. “Have you heard from your father recently, Ma’am?”

“Not in a while, no.” Candace shuddered for a moment. “Why?”

I looked at her like she was stupid. “Ma’am…”

“I made my decision already, lovebug. I’m a grown up, I can make it on my own. He doesn’t have anything that I can’t find somewhere else.”

The thought made me frown. “You’re not upset that he cut you off?”

“Well of course I’m upset about that, but it’s probably low on the list of things that my father has done to upset me.” She tilted my chin up with her fingers. “Topmost being letting you get away from me in the first place.”

We laughed about it for a moment before we both went quiet, gazing into each other’s eyes. Then, out of the corner of my vision, I caught a glimpse of that ocean again. Mesmerizing.

“I wish my mother could know that I’m alive.” I pouted, knowing it wouldn’t do much good. “I hate that she thinks I’m dead.”

“In time, maybe. But not right now. I’m going to focus on you first, and you’re going to focus on me. Then once we’re better, maybe. We just have to get there.”

“And if we never do?”

“It’ll be because we both tried our best for as long as we could, but never quite made it there together.”

“You make it sound like I’ll die before then.”

“I mean as far as she knows, you already are.”

“And you wouldn’t be upset if your mom thought you were dead. When really you’re just being kept as someone else’s slave, a pet or a toy?”

“If I was a slave, I would’ve been right there beside my mother.”

“Not her, Ma’am.” My eyes drifted back towards her’s. “Leah.”

Candace paused, losing a bit of that warmth at the sound of it. She let go of me, closing her eyes as she took her glasses off and tucked them away. When she opened them back up, she was staring into the ocean as well. Her eyes went blank for a few seconds, even as she did her best to keep together. I could see that ocean in her, drowning.

After a few moments of silent thought, she slipped away, packing up from the dining room table and getting ready to head off. “I’m going to be practicing for a while. I expect lunch to be promptly delivered to me in the entertainment room, and on time, unlike breakfast.”

My eyes were still stuck staring into the ocean, and she must have noticed, because after a few moments of my silence she drew the curtains closed to snap me back to it.

“Back in line, my love. Your hair is beautiful, and breakfast was quite nice, but I need your head and your heart to be in this with me.” Candace once again stepped towards me, her thumb against my bottom lip. “You’re a good girl. A few escape attempts aside, you’ve been well behaved. Don’t make me have to beat that back into you. I have a special night planned for us.”

My cheeks heated up as I stared into the ocean in her eyes, distracting me from the world at large. “You do?”

“Don’t play dumb, Chloe. You already know what’s coming. I want this to be a brand new start for us after all.”

“If you make one more brand related joke, I’m going to scream.” There was no emotion in that, letting her know that I didn’t actually find it very funny. “I’m already scared.”

Candace paused, giving me a warm smile. “Turn around and bend over. I want to get a good look at it.”

My face turned red in indignity, but I did as I was told. Candace spun me around by the hips before gently tipping me forward. Bending over the table. She didn’t untie my apron, but she did slip my boyshorts down ever so slightly to make clear the tramp stamp on my lower back.

“It’s faint, but it’s still there.” Her voice made it sound like she was smiling. “I suppose that’s what I get for failing us.”

She almost allowed me a brief respite from my worries, but we both knew it was too good to be true. I didn’t need to ask whether a faint brand was good enough, because it wasn’t. Not for her. “All I want is to give it a little touch up, okay?”

My whole body winced. “There’s no such thing, Candace.”

All of these months later and it felt like I was back at the beginning. Maybe not my beginning, but a beginning of sorts. I’d given parts of myself that I’d never conceived of. Sweat, a lot of it. I’d lost so much, both in love and labor. I’ve cried tears. Enough to learn that there was no difference between happy and sad, not for me. They’d all been tears of pain. More than I’d like, I was forced to shed blood. Not again.

“It hurts, Master…” My voice cracked, pleading. I couldn’t stop myself from fighting it anymore. “I know this is what you want, and I know it’s not my place to argue, but I don’t want to go through that again…”

Her fingers ran past my hair, pinching my earlobe again. There was still some comfort there. Maybe she was the one who needed that. Part of me hoped she did.

“Now where’s that brave little thing that refuses to be tamed?” Candace’s touch was warm against my skin, right where it should have burned but didn’t. “Aren’t you the very same woman that set herself on fire to burn down my sister’s house? She could stand letting herself be branded for her owner. What happened to her?”

My hands curled into fists. I wanted to punch her for that.

“There she is.” Candace’s curled into a fistful of my hair, holding me down to keep me from even trying. “Because it hurts isn’t a reason not to do it. You’re a slave, that’s your purpose. Hold onto that. Use it to your advantage. Let it guide you. Make being my slave be your purpose in life, let it be your bible.” She leaned in, whispering to my ear as she continued to hold it. Dragging me in deeper. “Let me be your goddess.”

Candace let go of me, leaving me stuck in place bent over the table. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t fight. Rather, I could fight, but not against her. What I needed was to find something new to fight against. Something I didn’t have to fight alone. Something she’d fight against by my side.

“I’ve been reading my mother’s diary, and I think I’m beginning to understand.” Candace helped me back up, straightening out my uniform before she opened the curtains anew, looking out over the ocean. “She felt the same as you for the longest time, lost without a purpose. Until her new life came around, that was. You know who ended up giving her purpose?”

Too nervous to stand beside her, I stayed back. “Your father?”

“Me.” Candace closed her eyes. “She wanted to protect me.”

I stepped forward, joining her. “Protect you from what?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t think she did either.” Candace put her arm around me, and I leaned towards her. “I never told you, because I didn’t want you to think less of me.”

“Less of you for what?” I asked, trying my best to keep an open mind.

“I was meant to be a slave when I was born, and I was.” Candace began. “My father treated me well, and never refused to acknowledge me as his child. He treated me like his son too, but there was always a difference. Mom did what she did best, she helped guide me. She took care of me. She taught me how to read, write, cook, clean, garden, organize, all of that stuff- including childcare. My father, meanwhile, he taught me the rest. He loved me from the moment I was born, and always made sure to let me know that. But I still didn’t get the same treatment that Cyrus and Claudia did. It wasn’t worse treatment, not to me at least, it was just different. Mom and dad both spoiled me, but they didn’t let me out of their sight. It was understood that if mom died, I would be there to help my father out, like she did. When she passed, I was meant to inherit her collar.”

She paused, turning to me. Candace wasn’t pained by this in the slightest. There was even a faint smile on those lips of hers. “I was never supposed to have a slave of my own, I was supposed to be one. The reason you’re number 0000 is because it was reserved for me. It was meant to be my number. I was supposed to be number 0000.”

I felt myself blush, smiling right back at her. I guess I didn’t understand what my number really meant until then, what meaning the gesture had behind it. “You gave me your number.”

“It’s your number now. More than mine. If it weren’t for my mother, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. But she’s not here anymore. You are. She changed my father in ways that made my freedom possible, and I’m determined to discover how.” She reached forward, keys now in hand, and unlocked the door to the backyard. Now open in front of me for the first time.

“The only time my mother and I got to go outside was when my father let us. I always wanted to be like him. I still do. But I’m not afraid to fight for a life like that, for us.” Candace took one last look at the ocean out there and smiled. “You’ve already changed me. I thought I didn’t want children. I was scared that I would hurt them like he hurt me, but I’m not anymore. Thanks to you. I want to have that with you someday.”

I could feel the fight inside telling me to run out there and never turn back, but I couldn’t. Not without her permission. “Ma’am?”

“Don’t get too carried away out there. I expect lunch to be done on time. If you can’t do that, you can’t have any fun tonight, alright?”

“Yes, Master. I understand.” I swallowed nervously, a blushing smile plastered over my face. “…May I?”

Candace nodded. “You may, just be careful.”

Before she was even finished with her sentence, I was on a full spring across the house. Candace had never let me outside before, at least not on my own. I didn’t get much time to have fun, as a matter of fact. I’d gotten used to playing with the cats now and again, making sure to feed them before I left. But nothing was quite as exciting as this.

“Not so fast, you.” Candace teased, still standing in the doorway. “Are you ready to go outside? Or are you forgetting something?”

I blushed, bit my lip, and then whined a little bit. But I already knew what was coming. “Yes, Ma’am…” I sighed, tilting my chin up slightly to bare my collar towards her.

With a quiet click, Candace clipped my bell to my collar. A practically little thing to help let her know where I was at all times. But she wasn’t done there. Over the months I’d spent without it, my ears had healed until they were no longer a viable home for my cattle tag, which had since been repurposed as a dog tag for use whenever I left the house. Then finally, a leash. My leash. Which Candace clipped into place and had me wrap around my arm for safekeeping.

“Behave, or I’ll send you out in full leather next time.” Candace scolded, but stepped out of my way. “I’m not afraid to kennel you either. Back to work on time if you know what’s best. Your cell misses you.”

“I’ll behave, I promise.” I pouted, planting a kiss on her cheek like the rambunctious little puppy I was, eager to get out the door. “I’d rather sleep in my human’s bed tonight.”

Candace smiled at that, smacking my ass as I stepped outside. “Then you’d best stay right where you belong.”

Threats of punishment aside, I knew where I belonged. And it wasn’t trapped within my master’s walls. It was wherever she chose to put me. When she told me to stay where I belonged, she meant to stay within the walls, but she also meant to stay focused on my master. Stay with her, where I belong.

It felt almost surreal to be doing this. Candace had never trusted me enough to let me outside on my own without trying to escape. It was nice to finally have that, but the novelty wore off after a short while.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was planning on doing out there. There was a doghouse out here, sure. But I didn’t have a good reason to play with it, not while I was outside alone. If only I had a dog to walk, it would have been perfect. The garage was locked, not that there was any reason for me to go inside.She had the pool covered up as well- and even if she hadn’t- I wasn’t about to get my work uniform wet. Besides, there was only one place I wanted to go right now, and it still felt so far out of reach.

I stood at the gate that overlooked the beach ahead of me, appreciating the sunset reflecting over that ocean. After all this time, no matter how hard I tried, I still wanted to dive headfirst into it and run away forever.

Evidently, I wasn’t the only one either. A familiar feeling rubbed up against my leg, mewling for my attention. “Well hello there.” I giggled as I spotted Candace’s kitten- our kitten- trodding on up to me. “What brings you outside?”

Sophia was a tiny thing, but she couldn’t fit through the bars of the gate. She was more stuck here than I was, unable to even attempt escaping to freedom. She made an attempt, but eventually she gave up trying to squeeze her way through the gate and towards the ocean, and ended up curling up into a ball at my feet instead.

My hands grasped tightly at the bars separating Candace’s property from the outside world, still longing to make my way out there. But the gate was here for a reason. To keep Candace’s property away from the outside world- and I was Candace’s property.

We sat there for a while. The cat and I- whatever you’d like to call us- Sophia and Chloe- Sophia and Sophia. It was funny to think that there was both a Sophia Cavalier and a Sophia Saint Clair, or depending on how things played out- a Sophia Saint Clair and a Chloe Saint Clair. But I had sort of fallen in love with that cat, especially letting the day go by together.

Candace was going to have my ass when I got back inside. She warned me not to get carried away, but I ended up doing it anyway. Part of that was intentional, but a lot of it wasn’t. Lunchtime, she said, vague enough that I assumed I had time to spare. But seeing the sun getting this close to the horizon made it clear as day that my timeframe for that had long since passed, which eventually made it impossible to get myself back inside to face her judgement.

“Don’t let mom find out you snuck outside.” I mumbled to the kitten as we got inside, closing the curtains behind me. Candace wasn’t here to say anything to me about lunch being late, but after a split second, neither was Sophia.

Her food was undeniably going to be late, I couldn’t argue with that. But I did find it a bit odd that she still wasn’t here to confront me about it. After a bit of waiting, I started on preparations for dinner. I might have missed lunch, but I could at least make myself a little bit useful.

“Bring your ass to the gaming room. I expect you here before the end of this match.” I heard her voice say as the intercom clicked on, and in an instant I knew what I was in for. “Don’t make me say it twice.”

There she was, with her usual cruelness. I didn’t miss it. That was the part of her I had forgotten about while she was away, and I wish I had kept it in mind before I handed myself over to her. Willingly.

My feet started towards her voice without a thought. A little over a year ago, I had bested her in front of everyone, but nowadays I had to stop myself from personally putting myself under her boot for her. It was instinct at this point. As much as I hated to admit it, it felt natural to obey.

But maybe- just maybe- I shouldn’t be expected to.

No. There was no way I was walking into that again. We had lived this day over and over again for months, this was everyday for us, and I was sick of it. I had taken a chance when I chose to come back to her. Things couldn’t return to the way they were before, they needed to change.

The door wasn’t locked, but I wouldn’t run away. Candace knew me, she could count on that. Instead I just stood there, staring out the window, wondering what the ocean must feel like. Something in that sunset called to me.

Unless Candace Saint Clair wanted to lose me to that, she was going to have to come to me.

“I’m sorry.” Back turned to her footsteps as she approached, I whispered to her, unsure of whether or not I was lying.

“I don’t want to hear it.” She said, getting closer. “Stay put.”

It wasn’t like I was planning on going anywhere, so I agreed. “Yes, Ma’am. Any preference on dinner?”

“I was going to let you pick.” Candace replied, standing so close to me now. “You haven’t eaten today. I wanted to have lunch with you.”

My stomach wheezed, thumping angrily at me. I felt that one for sure. “I got carried away, I’m sorry.”

“Is this you being a brat?” She held me by my waist from behind. “Or is this something else?”

I frowned, unable to turn around and face her. “I don’t know, Ma’am.”

“You like master the best. Call me master. It’ll help, I promise.” Candace pinched my ear between her fingers. It helped. “Don’t punish yourself, that’s my place. Let me take care of you.”

My cheeks were blushing as I turned around to face her. “I’m not in trouble?”

“We’ll talk about it after you eat. Whether or not you are in trouble has no bearing on your needs. You belong to me, I will make sure you are both disciplined and cared for in equal measures.” Candace turned me back around, facing me towards the stove. “Right now, you belong in the kitchen making dinner. Can you handle that?”

“I don’t need you talking down to me like this.”

“No, you need to listen.” She tightened her grip on my waist, almost painfully. “It’s really hard to tell whether you’re acting out for attention, or because you’re trying to punish yourself.”

My body trembled in her hands, sure that she was going to burn me here and now. “It was an accident.”

“No it wasn’t, Chloe. Don’t lie to me.” Candace scolded further, still holding me by the waist. “You’re acting out because you think you deserve to be punished.”

I felt my heart twitch. “You’re already planning on punishing me, Master.”

We both seemed to understand at about the same time, I think. The feeling had been stewing inside of me all day, but it wasn’t until then that I realized exactly what that feeling was.

“That’s what this is about.” She spoke softly, my lower back massaged gently by her fingers. “The brand.”

“You’re already planning on hurting me. There’s no point in trying to behave. Nothing I could say or do is going to stop you. Can’t I at least feel like I deserve to be branded?”

“You already deserve to be branded, Chloe.” Candace’s smile was audible, almost like a quiet hum. “It’s not a punishment, it’s a pact.”

Slowly, I began to calm down. “A pact?”

“Your grace period is over, love. It’s time I put my foot down. If you really want some tough love, I’m happy to give it to you.” She leaned me back, placing a kiss on top of my head. “This is your last chance. If you’re a good girl for the rest of the night, you’ll get off with a scolding, and I won’t make you sleep in your cell. Try to behave and I’ll spoil you, okay?”

Something in her voice brought a flutter to my ears. “You’re giving me another chance?”

“Please don’t think I don’t love you, Chloe. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. All of this is for us. I want to have a family with you someday. Leah wanted that for us. ” Her grip tightened, voice quaking. “When she drove us to the facility to have you fixed, she begged me not to go through with it. She had always wanted a daughter, and she knew I would want one too. I’m glad I listened, because I’ve never been happier to be wrong.”

I thought it over, lowering my gaze and bowing my head in agreement. “Am I still allowed to pick dinner?”

“As long as there’s enough for the both of us, yes.” She replied, releasing my waist from her grasp. “Now get to cooking, woman.”

I bit my lip until it bled. “Yes, Ma’am…”

“Stop it with that, pouty face.” She said, “Take care of my servant. I won’t be having you kiss my boots with bloody lips.”

Frown becoming a smile, I gently bowed. “Thank you, Mistress.”

She had her ups and downs, constantly. But I can be the smaller girl and admit to when I’m being a bit unreasonable, with a little bit of prompting. A little bit of push, a little bit of pull. I made our dinner, and I slowly started to feel a bit better about myself.

“Yesterday was the winter solstice.” She said, staring with longing out towards the water as it swallowed the setting sun. “The days are finally getting longer.”

Nodding, I set her dish down first before assuming where I would sit. She gestured to it, and I proceeded to serve myself as well, sitting down next to her as we enjoyed a nice baked lasagna together. I couldn’t normally stomach much of it, but I was hungry enough to finish my platter before following her in gazing out through the window once more.

“Do you regret staying?” She asked. “Would you like to go home?”

“You are my home, Candace.” I said. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. I shouldn’t have asked to go out there. I was never going to be able to control myself. I know better than to try and escape. If I can’t handle being outside, I should stay inside where it’s safe.”

“Don’t say that. I promised I’d take you swimming in the ocean, remember? All you have to do is be here with me, and eventually, we’ll make it out there together. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“No, Ma’am. Not like. Love. I would love that.”

“I would too.” Candace stood, leaving her empty dishes for later. “Follow me.”

With a sudden excitement in my heart, I did. “Yes, Mistress.”

“On your knees.” Candace sat down at her favorite seat, leading me to the parlor and allowing me the grace of kneeling before her, as submissive as can be. She had a glint of eagerness in her eyes, I couldn’t help but admire that.

“I’ve given you time to readjust and try to center yourself since you’ve gotten home, but enough time has passed since you left my sister’s side that I finally feel it appropriate to punish you for it. What you did to my family and I this year was unacceptable, and I am not going to be as forgiving if you pull something like that again. While this may not be a punishment in name, it is certainly going to feel like it is, but its primary purpose is to keep you safe and in your place.”

I felt myself not, trying to demonstrate my willingness to participate in such to her. “I’m ready to be better, I promise.”

“Good.” She smiled. “I have a contract for you to sign.”

A knot began to well inside of my chest. “A contract?”

“The actual signing is a formality of course, but it’s just a little something formal for the two of us.” She smirked, gesturing towards a document she’d left prepared on the table beside her. “I’ve personally tailored it to satisfy both my wants and your needs. You’re to read it, out loud, for me to hear. Then sign it where I tell you to. That way I can be certain you’ve familiarized yourself enough with the rules to sign onto them.”

My hands trembled as she handed me the document book, terrified to read it. She ran her fingers through my hair once more, beckoning for my gaze to try and reassure me. “It’s gonna be okay. This is something I should have done a long time ago. I can see those gears in your head. Your brain doesn’t need guidelines, it needs rules.”

I blushed, locking eyes with hers as I set the contract down in my lap. “Is this binding?”

“As long as you’re with me, yes.” She nodded. “Go ahead and read it.”

After a few moments of silence, I took a deep breath and did just that. “Matron?” I blushed, starting into the contract. “Handmaiden?”

“That’s what I’ve taken to calling us, matron and handmaiden.” Candace savored the way the words sounded, as well as the look on my face reacting to them both. “If it isn’t already clear. I’m the matron, and you’re my handmaiden. Which makes you?”

My cheeks must have been glowing with embarrassment. “The Matron’s Handmaiden.”

“Such a good girl.” She teased, eyes dancing lovingly with mine. “Now read me your new rules.”

“The Matron’s Handmaiden…” Her choice of words made me choke, but I had to keep with it. “…Consent.”

“Try again. Without biting your words this time.” Candace ordered. “If you need to pause, you may, but I had better not hear another word from those lips until you’ve finished.”

“Yes, Master.” With that last bit of prompting, I began in earnest. “The Matron’s Handmaiden Consent.”

She knew the implication of the word, yet I don’t think she meant it to be malicious. In a way, I think she was trying to help. To make it seem like I had any more power than I really did, trying to wash away the blood between us.

One. “The Handmaiden is subordinate to her Matron in all things, and will follow her Matron’s orders without question or complaint.”

The first felt only natural. Of course that was how it worked. I was the slave, and she was my master. It made sense to have it in writing.

Two. “The Handmaiden’s purpose is to serve. She will work on her Matron’s time, everyday- cooking, cleaning, organizing, and caring for the home- only taking off to spend time at her Matron’s side.”

That was a little bit more tangible. A direction. A meaning. A purpose. Candace promised to give me a purpose, and that purpose was to serve.

Three. “The Handmaiden’s domain is the home, she will not be permitted to leave the interior of the home unless duly and properly allowed or directed to by her Matron.”

I could feel the knot in my chest getting just a little bit bigger. This was where she wrapped her claws around me. A way of forcing me to promise her I wouldn’t escape. I almost couldn’t blame her for that, not after everything we’d been through already.

Each of them had their own meaning, buried within the words, intentions I would have to glimpse behind the way she wrote every line. But the secret intention behind this one didn’t feel so secret to me, however. For all intents and purposes, I had escaped once, I wasn’t to do it again.

Four. “The Handmaiden will be expected to make herself look as attractive as possible for her Matron at all times, and she will do so according to her Matron’s preferences, not her own.”

That was simple enough. Another easy to understand rule. Look good and present myself in a way that Candace liked, not how I liked. I could do that, and was eager to. If it meant getting her to notice me, I would do anything.

And this was where I broke.

Five. “The Handmaiden will not assume authority over her own health, she will inform her Matron of physical, mental, or emotional ailments- and will take any medication given to her by her Matron, without question or complaint.”

Candace could tell what was going through my head just by looking at me. If there was any time to make good on being able to pause, it was right here. Letting those words soak in broke me in ways that I couldn’t understand. Ways I loved.

Master was going to take good care of me, I knew she would. This pact wasn’t just for me, it was for her as well. These words were a promise, her way of binding her to that. She was going to take good care of me.

All I wanted now was to thank her- but as I was about to learn- I wasn’t allowed to.

Six. “The Handmaiden will not assume the right to free speech. She will speak when spoken to, or she will ask for permission to speak through body language and will only speak if granted said permission from her Matron.”

Seven. “The Handmaiden will not assume the right to eat. She will ask for permission to eat, and will gladly accept whatever food her Matron provides her.”

Eight. “The Handmaiden will not assume the right to comfort. She will ask for permission to relieve herself of work, and will only do so if her Matron permits her to.”

Nine. “The Handmaiden will not assume her place to lie. She will ask for permission to sleep, and will do so wherever her Matron instructs her to.”

My hands were shaking by now, and I had to remind myself that these were more than rules. This was Candace’s way of punishing me for leaving her, but in a way that manages to be constructive, rather than destructive. I was glad for that.

Those next few rules went hand in hand with each other. Not there to tell me what to do, but to inform me of what I could not do. Nothing here needed to be deciphered. That was what I needed to feel free to operate within this world we’d built together. To know that she would tell me what I needed to be and when.

Ten. “The Handmaiden will not assume freedom of choice. If a decision needs to be made, she will defer to her Matron to make said decision for her.”

From the offset, it seemed straight forward, but it was anything but. Because I knew my master well enough to know that she didn’t like to be bothered with the little things. This meant something much different. I didn’t need to decide, I needed to think, to remember. Candace didn’t want me coming to her every moment of every day to ask for her help, she wanted me to teach me the right way to live. She wanted me to learn how she thought, and do my best to make decisions in her best interest.

Eleven. “The Handmaiden will not assume bodily autonomy. She will enjoy no right to her own body, and will submit her body to be property of her Matron. The Handmaiden will guarantee her Matron complete control and sole ownership of her body, and enable any physical contact or change that her Matron wishes for her body, without question or complaint.”

Oh how I wished she had stopped at ten. That first half of the list had been simple, concise, easy to understand. But from here, they became something more.

Twelve. “The Handmaiden will have faith in her Matron. She will trust her Matron to keep her best interests in mind when faced with decisions pertaining to her, and she will accept any outcome as being in the best interest of herself and her Matron, even and especially when she disagrees with said decisions.”

Trust. That was what she wanted from me. Trust.

This was her way of making me acknowledge and admit that I didn’t know what was best for us- and for that matter- neither did she. What was important here was trust. She would decide what’s best for us, and whether or not she made the right decisions along the way, she was ready to accept the burden of taking care of us both, as well as take responsibility for the mistakes we made along the way. And in exchange, I would trust her to do what she thinks is right.

It felt quite restrictive, but that was necessary. She knew how badly I needed all of this, and here she was to give it to me.

Sophia Cavalier had sacrificed a lot to reach Candace, and now that she was here, she needed to give Saint Clair the rest.

Thirteen. “The Handmaiden will not assume the privilege to interact with others. When faced with an individual other than her Matron, she will ask to be informed on the proper avenues of interacting with said individual, rather than assuming her place to act. If at any point the Handmaiden is unsure whether an individual is interacting with her in an improper manner, she will inform and ask to be informed by her Matron on how to act accordingly.”

Her words were all quite formal, but they were very much hers. Like I was hers. Not mine, not anyone else’s, hers. I didn’t have a lot to think about that one, not while I was worried about every word still to come.

It was a simple little thing, but it helped to know- once I’d managed to decipher what she meant- that I was allowed to come to her for help if I was ever scared that someone was going to hurt me.

That’s what this rule meant. You’re going to be safe with me, don’t let anyone else hurt you. Come to me. Defer to me. Rely on me. We both went through what happened when I didn’t.

Fourteen. “The Handmaiden will be properly disciplined and punished for her misbehavior. Failure to uphold any of her rules or any direction given to her by her Matron will be met with an appropriate amount of retribution. She will defer to her Matron’s judgement when determining whether she is deserving of penalty, and will allow herself to be corrected without question or complaint.”

The feeling of reading her tell me- I’m only hurting you because I love you- carried a lot more warmth and affection than I’d anticipated. But it meant more than that.

Candace never wanted to watch me sabotage myself again. There was no need for me to kick myself while I’m down. I’m not allowed to decide when I need to be punished. No more hurting myself because I believe that I deserve it. She will do that for me.

Fifteen. “The Handmaiden will act out of love, not out of fear. She will behave in a manner indicating appreciation and gratitude towards her Matron, and seek to show her affection for her Matron whenever possible. She will accept punishment when given to her, rather than behaving in fear of punishment.”

Suffice it to say, I was crying. That might have been my way of submitting, to let myself cry and make sure she could see me cry. But it could have been any number of things. The why was still eluding me, but I could feel tears leaving my eyes and running down my cheeks. And amazingly, my first instinct was to make sure they never reached the page.

I was afraid of her, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me.

Sixteen. “The Handmaiden will not assume the right to pleasure. She will remain chaste at all times unless her Matron says otherwise. Masturbation without permission will be strictly prohibited. She will be expected to ask to be sexually pleased, and allow herself to be pleasured however her Matron chooses.”

The simple ones couldn’t have all been at the start, she had to throw one of them in there towards the end. But it was very much appreciated- if only to lighten the mood- to read such a thing while I already had tears in my eyes. Maybe she had seen that coming.

This one made me smile. Because I knew what this meant. We were going to be closer. I wasn’t going to be the girl in the cage anymore. I was going to be her lover.

Her words were the only cage I needed.

Seventeen. “The Handmaiden will assume responsibility for her actions. She will not lie, she will not refuse punishment, and she will not act to spite her Matron. She will be honest, learn from her mistakes, and strive to behave according to her Matron’s wishes.”

The tears didn’t stop just because I was smiling, though. This was what she intended when she promised this would be a punishment. These words here were a scathing criticism towards who I had been from the start. Someone I didn’t want to be anymore. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I've learned from them.

I wasn’t going to be perfect, but I was going to be better.

Eighteen. “The Handmaiden belongs to her Matron, not to herself. She is her Matron’s possession, and she will be expected to treat herself as such. Any harm done to herself will be considered damage inflicted upon her Matron’s property, just like any of her other possessions. The Matron’s belongings are to be respected and protected, and the Handmaiden is to trust her Matron to care for her like a prized possession.”

Candace waited patiently for me to compose myself enough to read that out loud. She didn’t want to hear my voice whimper, stutter, or crack. She needed to hear me say the words clearly so that she could know that I understood them.

But this? This was hell to have to say out loud, not without breaking down into sobs as I spoke.

I’ve always wanted this. It took hearing myself say it, but I’ve always wanted this. To mean something to someone else. To be given meaning and purpose, allowed to be fulfilled. To be a prized possession. Her prized possession. Respected and protected. Cherished.

To be loved. I’ve always wanted to be loved.

Nineteen. “The Handmaiden will accept the privilege of being herself. Her thoughts, personality, and identity are her own- regardless of name. She is allowed to think. She is allowed to feel. She is allowed to desire. She will not, however, let these thoughts and feelings dictate how she acts, for she will act according to her Matron’s desire and not her own. She has the freedom to be herself as long as she remembers that she is not a person- she is her Matron’s Handmaiden.”

I’d never truly felt loved before her. But Candace loved me. Not just the person I was on the surface, but the person I was deep down. She didn’t want to turn me into someone I wasn’t, she wanted to help me discover who I was. She wanted me to be me, because that was the person she loved. Me. The real me. Candace loved the real me.

No one loved me like her. Her. Hers. I’m hers. I want to be hers. I need to be hers. It can’t be anyone else. It has to be her. Most relationships fall apart before they have a chance to start, but although that honeymoon period of ours had long since passed, my feelings had never gone away.

Her eyes were as filled with tears as mine. Telling me exactly what I needed to hear as I gazed into them. You’re almost there, my love. I saved the best one for last.

Twenty. “The Matron will expect her Handmaiden to follow her rules to the best of her ability, but the Handmaiden may, however, break any of these rules at any time- as long as she is doing so in good faith.”

As soon as the words left my lips, I felt my heart erupt.

“I love you.”

I was finally finished falling in love with her. I was in love with her. Candace loved me, and I loved her.

“I love you, Candace. I love you.” And I wasn’t afraid to admit it anymore. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” She told me, picking me up and bringing me to her lap to better take care of me. To hold me. “You belong here. You belong with me. You belong to me.” I heard her say as she took hold of me, allowing myself to fall into her. To be hers. “You’re going to be a good girl for me. You’re going to learn. You’re going to behave. And you’re going to help me.”

The sound of her words, told by her voice, made me smile. “How can I help you, Master?”

“You can help me become a better person by being mine.” She said, crying as she did. “I’m going to love you like I’ve never loved anyone in my life, Sophia. My Sophia. Don’t ever let me lose you again. Please.”

Unsure of what to say, I mumbled her name and said nothing else. “Candace…”

“Chloe.” She mumbled back. “My Chloe.”

Hearing her say that made me break into tears all over again. Without thinking, I curled up into her arms and began to bawl. She was my Candace, and I was going to be her Chloe.

“Now that you’re here, you can be mine again. And now that you’re mine again, I want to make sure nothing bad happens to you.” She murmured, pinching my ear to get my attention. “Sophia Cavalier is going to sign that contract, and she is going to become Chloe once and for all. Can you manage that, Sophia?”

“Yes.” I answered without hesitation. “Yes, Master.”

“Good girl.” She said, planting a kiss on my forehead. “Be my good girl, Sophia Cavalier.”

Candace didn’t need to tell me twice. If it meant being hers, I wasn’t afraid to sign that pact with her, and neither was she.

She led the way, signing her own name at the bottom of the contract, left of where mine would be- beneath the word Matron. Candace Amelia Saint Clair

And I followed her, signing my full name beside hers, promising to be at her side for the rest of my life- beneath the word Handmaiden. Sophia Madeline Cavalier

“Master.” I whispered once I had her attention, unable to keep from smiling. “Can I get your autograph?”

Candace guided me to my cell, helped me undress, then began shackling me to the wall. And I let her- willingly. I didn’t want sour memories ruining my new home, if there was anywhere in the world I wanted her to torture me, it was in my old home. Right here.

I could feel my body shaking in my chains. “Will you hold me once you’re done?”

“I’ll do so much more than just hold you, Chloe.” She promised. “Whatever it takes to make the pain go away, I’ll do it. But I have to do this first.”

“Please take good care of me, Ma’am.” I practically begged. “I don’t like feeling weak and vulnerable, but I want to try being those things with you. I want to be weak and vulnerable with you. For you. But I’m scared.”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared too, Chloe. I think I’m as scared of hurting you as you’re scared that I’m going to hurt you. But I’m the right woman for you, and I know you’re the right woman for me.”

“Candace?” I asked her. “Am I ever going to be more than just your slave?”

“If you earn the right to be, yes.” She assured me. “But you’ll always be my property.”

And I was given that autograph, head filled with thoughts and memories taking me back to that day, unthinkably long ago now. And it hurt just a little bit less than it had the last time.

“Property of CStC.” She read aloud, helping me out of my chains and into her arms again, crying. “I’ve got you now, Chloe. Your master has you.”

My voice shook as hard as my body, whimpering. “It hurts…”

“And it’s going to hurt for a while more.” She admitted, choosing not to lie. “Love hurts.”

Candace helped me into her bed with her, holding me in her arms as I again broke down into tears for the umpteenth time today. Cradling me like a baby.

But after a few moments, she helped pull me back upright to look into her eyes. “Chloe?” She spoke with a blush on her cheeks and a whimper in her throat. “Would you like to walk down to the beach with me?”

Candace didn’t even need me to answer that question for her before she was picking me up and carrying us there anyways. Because she made a promise to me a very long time ago, and she was going to keep that promise.

Because I knew what she meant when she asked that. I knew where we were walking before the first step. I’d been ready for this for a while. All she had to do was open the gate.

Candace gently touched my brand. The skin was still warm, her name freshly burned into my flesh. This wasn’t the first time she’d put her name on me, but hopefully it would be the last. “Does it hurt?”

“Who cares?” My body was already thrumming. I hardly had to force a smile onto my face. It hurt, but I wasn’t about to let it ruin my excitement. “I’m ready. Let’s go now.”

“Please answer my question. I don’t want to do this if it’s just going to make it worse.”

“We don’t know if it’s going to make it worse until we do it. You don’t know, it might help make it better.”

Her face lit up at the thought of that. “I hope it does.”

“Master?” I whispered, standing back as I watched the gate finally open, fixated on that beautiful blue ocean as the sun set beneath it. “May I?”

“Not without me.” She smiled, stepping towards me and taking my hands. “But we can go together.”

My eyes locked with hers, getting lost in them more than they’d ever gotten lost in anything. There was no way of expressing what I felt just then, and I could tell she felt the same looking into my eyes as well. She was my ocean, and I was hers.

And despite all of my months of anticipation, it still felt as wonderful as I had hoped it would.

Candace kicked off her shoes just inside the grounds, walking barefoot with me across the warm winter sand. We stood at the edge of the water, waves gently washing over our toes. She was still dressed. Our arms were locked together. I clung to her, naked and shivering as the slight breeze blew across her button up and waved her fancy business skirt around. Bless this place and the sunny climate it has, that’s the one thing I will give the south. Even in the dead of winter the water here was still welcoming.

I nudged her. “You’re getting in with me, aren’t you?”

“What, already? What happened to taking a walk on the beach first?”

“You said you would take me swimming, Mistress.” I took a few big strides into the water on my own before turning around, taking her hands. “You promised me the ocean.”

Candace rolled her mismatched eyes. “Run inside and grab me a swimsuit, then. You’re not about to see me swim naked.”

“Oh yes I am.” I quickly skipped behind Candace and shoved her forward, watching her fall quickly onto her ass in the shallows.

“Cheap shot.” She hissed. “Get over here, punk.”

Candace leapt to her feet and ran after me, hauling me off of my own and carrying me in her arms over to the depths proper, finally throwing me into the water I’d longed for all this time. Happily floating in it, I watched as my mistress aggressively stripped off what garments she still had on and swam away from her as she chased me through the water.

My wet body ached for her. Try as I might to put up a fight, Candace had no trouble putting down my fussing. She grabbed me by both wrists and slammed them down with a splash. Hair splayed on either side of my face, letting my owner take a good long look at me as I lay there, desperately longing for more.

She leaned in for a bite, kissing me until I was out of breath, and continuing until she was too. Breathing down my neck, she gently nibbled my ear. Candace whispered. “Mine.” And my loins ached at the word. “You’re mine. No more fighting. No more running away. No more escape. You belong to me. Do you accept that?”

I nodded my head, yes.

Her forehead met mine, shoving my head further back into the sand. “Speak when you are spoken to.” She commanded, smashing our heads together- and for a brief moment- letting the water take my breath. “You belong to me. Tell me that you accept that.”

Coughing up water, I replied. “Yes. Yes, Mistress. I belong to you.”

“Prove it.” She said. “What are you?”

“Yours, Ma’am.”

She shook her head. “Not the answer I’m looking for.”

“A slave?” I asked. “Your slave?”

“Too obvious. Try again.”

My breath quickened. “May I have a hint, Ma’am?”

“No. You should know this.”

I bit my lip and mumbled. “I belong to you. A belonging?” I said. “Property?”

“Property of?”

“You!” I nervously stammered. “You. Your property?”

I could feel the excitement in her. “No. You’re so close, get it right! Property of who?”

Tears stung the corners of my closed eyes, yet somehow I could still feel the difference between them, the water around us, and the feeling of her spit in my face. “Property of you?” I asked. “Property of Candace Saint Clair? CStC!” I finally shouted. “My brand, Master. Property of CStC!” Feeling intense satisfaction with my answer, I opened my eyes and smiled with pride. “Did I get it right, Ma’am?”

“Yes. And don’t you dare forget it.” She said. “Does it hurt?”

“No, Master. The water is helping.” I smiled happily. “Thank you.”

We ended up laying in the sand, bodies pressed together as Candace pinned me to the waves and kissed me up and down. She locked lips with mine, and I soon felt her inside of me.

“You will never betray me again.” She spat. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”

“So have I, Master.” Rewarded at long last with the feeling of my master’s sex against my own, my cheeks light up with anxious anticipation. “So have I…”

Moans welcomed Master as she entered me, my cunt wet and awaiting her cock long before I’d reached the water. Candace flew in and out with ease, shoving me down and slamming into me at full throttle. It took all of my might not to push back, but I resolved to lay there and take it. Her hands released my wrists, but not for a second did I give myself permission to move them, my open hands stayed put.

“Now that’s more like it.” She teased. “Candace on top, and Chloe on the bottom.”

I bit my tongue at her taunts, holding back my lip before it got me in trouble. “Just how things should be…”

“Atta girl.” She commended. “Now where’s my brat?”

“She’s right here, Ma’am.” I moaned. “Just begging to be broken.”

“Follow my lead.” She said, placing her hands on my breasts, letting me do the same. “Be a good girl and help me break you in.”

I arched my back at her command, laying back on the beach as she fucked me. It felt so wrong and so right at the same time to let Candace take complete control, despite how badly my body wanted to play along. My cunt ached as she slid in and out, growing hotter and hotter with every thrust until I just couldn’t take it anymore. Tears tore free from my eyes, crying at the sensations.

Like a good girl, I came first, breaking for my mistress. I wouldn’t have to wait long for her to do the same, however. My orgasm was more than enough to push Candace over the edge, filling my vagina to the wall with cum. Loud, sobbing moans cried out for more as I felt my insides contract, pussy squeezing her dick dry.

We nearly collapsed onto the sand together when Candace pulled me into her arms, still yet to pull out of me. I took her hands and gently began to bounce, not giving a shit how I looked trying to ride out my orgasm in her lap.

Candace did the same inside of me until eventually- once we were both satisfied- she pulled out and held me there, allowing me another round of kisses before letting go.

With a smile on my face and a blush on my cheeks, I rested my head against her chest, swimming in her arms as I finally felt the sun set around us. “You win, Candace Saint Clair.”

“That’s Master to you, SoCavalier.” Candace purred. “Welcome home.”