This time, Selene did take Garnet back to her room. She’d made a point of sitting Garnet down and fixing her hair. “You’re to stay in here until either the Empress or I come to collect you, do you understand?” Garnet had nodded with a smile. It had been a full hour since then. It felt so good to listen to Selene, even for simple instructions like this. Every moment she realized she was doing as she was told, a warm pleasure pulsed inside of her. She loved to sink into that feeling, to just let it wash over her over and over. There was nothing else she needed to do, and it was wonderful. No responsibilities, no concerns, no anxieties.

One of Mistress Emilia’s servants brought her dinner, which she happily ate. Her Mistress always treated her so well. She wondered why that other side of her wanted to fight against her at all. It didn’t make any kind of sense to Garnet, and honestly, she preferred it that way.

We- I’m fighting because-

Garnet stifled the thought immediately. She didn’t want to have Vivian’s silly thoughts inside of her anymore, and it was getting easier to ignore her every time Mistress Emilia or Selene spent time with her. She was really starting to believe that she might soon finally be at peace, finally able to be at her Mistress’ side as her sword without causing any more problems. She made her way to the vanity.

Pink. Her eyes were a pale pink. They were beautiful. She beamed at her reflection.

I am not just going to let you take my life from me!

“Are you sure?” Garnet’s smile didn’t fade. “I can tell you love this! I’m making much better choices than you ever did, you know.”

You’re not making any choices at all! You’ve completely given up! You’re letting those two monsters take everythi–

“Mistress Emilia and Selene are not monsters.” Garnet furrowed her brow. “They’re my owners. They’re so much smarter than you ever were too! Resisting doesn’t feel any good at all. I’m just giving you what you always secretly wanted. I can remember all the times you saw Mistress Emilia, you know.”

I– just because I thought she was beautiful once or twice doesn’t mean that I wanted to give everything to her! That means you must remember everything else!

Garnet just smiled at the vanity mirror again. “I can. But now I know how foolish you were… I’m going to take much better care of us than you did. Mistress Emilia is going to make sure that you never bother me again.”

No. You can’t get rid of me, Garnet. And I don’t know how, but I’m going to erase you. Amber and the others will come for me soon. She’ll know something is wrong. She’ll be able to stop you.

“Do you think so?”

If Vivian could have shuddered, she would have. Garnet’s tone was manic, horrifying.

“If she shows up here… I think she won’t be able to handle seeing what you’ve become. And if you think I’ll let you talk to her, you’re wrong. By the time she shows up, I’ll be all that’s left.” She said, as if it was an obvious truth.

Vivian was scared that it might be.

“Now be quiet. You being around makes everything worse.”

When she said it, Vivian felt herself shrink. Garnet was getting stronger. Before, she might have been able to take a few minutes of control back. Now it was a fight just to be able to have that conversation. When Garnet wanted to suppress her, she could. It was horrifying. She let Garnet have this round, deciding to reserve what little strength she had left. She would need it if Amber really was coming. Vivian wordlessly prayed that she would.

Garnet stood and made her way to her bed. Maybe one day she’d be able to sleep closer to Mistress Emilia. She imagined being in her bed sleeping next to her and smiled, that warm pleasure pulsing through her. She undressed and slipped under her blankets, knowing that in the morning, Selene would come and take care of her.

***

It was the day before the new moon. The last two had been spent gathering as much information from the inside of the castle as possible. Amber knew she’d need every single word of it. Their spy inside had confirmed that Vivian was indeed staying in the guest wing, not the dungeon. It made Amber nervous. She still couldn’t explain what was happening inside the walls, and her spies were only truly able to keep track of Vivian’s position. She unfortunately wasn’t able to learn anything about exactly what they were doing to her. That scared her more than anything.

She pulled her channeling glove on and made her way to the outskirts of their camp. Brynn was waiting for her. They’d managed to get themselves presentable today, though they didn’t seem too pleased about it. They were dressed casually today, wearing none of the armor they had been last Amber saw them, instead wearing a simple tunic and pants. “Good morning, Brynn. I appreciate you volunteering for me to practice on.” Amber needed to practice the invisibility illusion before she actually made her way into the castle. It had been quite some time since she had disguised another living person. It was always more difficult than hiding cargo or other shipments, and required a great deal more focus.

“It’s nothing, Commander,” Brynn said with a shrug. “What do I need to do?”

“Nothing yet. I’m going to take a minute to make sure that I have a good mental picture of you, so just… stay still, I suppose.” Amber focused on Brynn. Invisibility required an understanding of the form that you were trying to conceal. Brynn was smaller than Vivian by quite a bit, which would make this easier. Even still, she knew Vivian so much better. Intimately. Every curve of her body, every wrinkle of her smile. I will get her out.

Amber took a deep breath. “Okay. I'm going to grab your arm, and if everything works, you'll be invisible to us both.” Brynn nodded. Amber stepped forward and took Brynn's arm in her gloved hand, and they disappeared.

Or, mostly disappeared. “Commander, I think you might have missed something.” Their boots, which had been obscured by the grass, were only half gone. It was exactly the kind of mistake that Amber didn't want to make.

She sighed. “Right. That was amateurish of me.” She snapped and the illusion faded, with Brynn seemingly flashing back into reality. She took another deep breath and grabbed Brynn's arm again. This time, their boots were gone, but their shirt remained.

“Commander, are you not feeling well?” The shirt turned in the air to face Amber. “You seem distracted.”

She snapped, Brynn reappearing inside their shirt. “This is a difficult illusion, Brynn, and it's even more difficult on a living, breathing person. If you don't appreciate that, I might consider leaving you half invisible today.” She tried the spell again, and again, and again, each leaving some obvious sign of the soldier's presence.

They remained quiet for the repeated attempts, but Brynn's expression didn't change the entire time. “That was not a no, Commander,” they said softly. “I understand that this is a difficult situation, but you are not doing yourself any favors by not talking about it.”

Amber pursed her lips. What could she possibly say? “You already know why I'm distracted. I was hoping that doing some practice would help, but you're right.” She sat down in the grass. “I've been turning the report over in my head. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I read it. Keeping her in a guest room could make sense on its own, if they were trying to make her capture seem friendlier than it is. But helping with supply caravans? Being attacked the same day? None of it adds together.

“That is, unless… You said it yourself before: everything about the last two weeks has been bizarre. They either had to have done something to her at the duel, or,” she paused to clear her throat. “Or, Vivian wanted to defect. And I– I just can't accept that she would want that.”

Brynn nodded. “If she defected, it would provide an explanation to much of what happened. Perhaps the duel was just a show to save face.” They sat down next to Amber and put a hand on her shoulder. “However: you and I both watched that duel, and we both know that Vivian is not much of an actor. The woman speaks her mind to a fault. Had she done anything suspicious before the duel?”

Amber shook her head and took a deep breath, fighting back tears. “No. No, she was her normal confident self. She never seemed for a second like she wanted to leave me– us, I mean.” Brynn's grip tightened on her shoulder. “Thank you. I told her that it was a trap, but she truly believed that she could emerge from it unscathed. Or at least, without bleeding out.”

“And she will. Soon.” Brynn took their hand off of Amber's shoulder so that they could lie down in the grass. “Vivian has never been one to just roll over. She has been far too stubborn for that as long as I have known her. You will find her in that castle, you will smuggle her away, and we will begin our work anew. By the time anyone has figured out what has happened, it will be far too late for anything to be done about it.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Brynn.” Amber pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. It helped to remember that she wasn’t doing this alone. She had already briefed the team they’d put together on what to expect, and on what the exit plan was. They were to stay for only as long as it took to get the forest ablaze before getting as far away as possible. The last thing they needed was to get more of their own captured. “Do you really think it will be that simple?” she asked.

“No. Of course not. But I believe in you, Amber, and I believe in your plan.” Amber smiled, not letting Brynn see her face. “Plus, it is half my plan, which means that it will obviously succeed.”

Amber’s hand touched Brynn’s calf that was lying next to her, and they disappeared.

“You should not maintain this illusion for long. You are going to need your strength for tomorrow night. We have spent enough of it today already.”

Amber snapped her fingers and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Is it hard for you? To be right constantly? To be this annoying about it?”

“No. Not at all.”

***

The next day went by without much incident for Garnet, but she was still content. Selene had come and seen her as she expected, brushed her hair, and told her that she was still to stay in her room until she or Mistress Emilia had come to retrieve her. She felt so much better after Selene had made her intentions with her clear. It was so much easier to feel like she could correct any misbehavior she had by submitting to her the same way that she submitted to Mistress Emilia. Plus, if she could help her get rid of Vivian for good, she would do anything for her.

She spent the day doing what few exercises she could manage in her quarters by herself, and the longer the day went, the harder it became not to succumb to the lust pulsing through her. It was even sweeter knowing that Vivian despised it, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to stop Garnet from touching herself while she thought of all of the most depraved things she could imagine Mistress Emilia doing to her. The longer Garnet remained in control, the better it felt to embody all of the things Mistress Emilia loved about her. She would happily spread her legs, part her lips, taste every inch of skin offered to her. She fell asleep naked again in her bed, sheets covered in sweat and lust.

***

The next morning came quickly, and she opened her eyes slowly. Vivian was surprised to see Selene already sitting next to the bed, watching her. She was doubly surprised to find that Garnet was still sleeping. She glared at Selene with her icy blue eyes, but the woman just smiled back at her. “Vivian, if you haven’t figured out that I have more control over you than you could ever hope to again, I’m happy to demonstrate. You will behave yourself for me today or I will force you back down with such fervor that you may never find your way back up.” Selene had that look on her face that she did a few days before. She could feel how much Selene was enjoying this.

Vivian sat up in bed, but didn’t move to act. She’d done enough of that so far, and it had gotten her nowhere. “Fine. What exactly are you doing here today?” She looked to the small window on the other side of the room. “It’s earlier than you usually arrive.”

Selene’s smile turned into a grin. “Oh, you don’t know? Today’s a very special day. Twelve days since you joined us, in fact.” Vivian winced at that. Not even two weeks and the magic they’d worked on her was threatening her so deeply. She put a hand to her head and looked down at the blankets covering her. “Yes, today is important. Today is the day that your sweet Amber is going to try and whisk you away into the night.”

Vivian’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t stop herself from lunging at Selene. Her position was awkward and she fell forward. Selene easily moved out of the way as Vivian fell to the floor. Selene touched her back with her gloved hand and she felt herself lock in place. “Now now, there’s no need for any of that. Remember what I told you, Vivian. I can and will lock you away. If you listen to me, I’ll even let you talk to Amber today. Doesn’t that sound like something you want?”

Vivian grunted. She hated this. The magic locking her body in place faded quickly, and she managed to keep her temper in check. “If you hurt her I swear to you Selene, I will do everything in my power to make you pay for it. You leave her alone.”

Selene offered her hand to Vivian. “Come on now, let me help you up. Whether or not you believe it, I do have a vested interest in keeping that body of yours in pristine condition, as selfish as it may be.” She pulled Vivian to her feet and brought her a nondescript robe. “Put this on. I’m going to take you to a private room to bathe, and when you’re done, I’ll be making you beautiful again. I know you’ll want to look your best for her. Follow me.”

Vivian reluctantly did as she was told, slipping the robe on. She was ashamed to find that when she did as Selene asked, she felt that same warm pleasure that Garnet felt when she did the same. Vivian gritted her teeth and followed Selene down the hallway. It really was early, the sun only just now gracing the skies. There weren’t many people out and about yet, and she was grateful for it. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this.

Yes you do! Garnet thought.

She shook her head. Garnet was not going to get to her today. Any feelings like missing her sheer dresses were Garnet’s, not hers. Even if she was disappointed that she wasn’t drawing the same looks she had when she was out and about before. Those were Garnet’s feelings, and she was– She was almost certain that she didn’t want them. Selene wasn’t looking at her, but she was certain she could feel her smiling at her still. I won’t let her win.

Yes you will! Garnet thought.

“Is something wrong, Vivian? Are you having an episode of your own?” Selene had gotten a number of steps ahead of her without Vivian noticing. She had turned back to see where Vivian was. And she had been smiling.

She shook her head and caught up quickly. “No. I’m just thinking.”

Selene walked back to her and caressed her cheek with her gloved hand. “Oh darling, don’t worry. We’ll cure that very soon.” She took Vivian’s hand in her own and led her further down the hall, deeper into the castle. There was a locked door at the end of the hallway that Selene waved her hand over, and she heard it unlatch. A magic lock of some kind, perhaps? She wasn’t sure.

Vivian was ushered into a room with one of the largest baths she’d ever seen, nearly the size of a pool. Steam was rising off of the water. Emilia was waiting for her here, her short curly black hair covering one of her eyes, the other immediately piercing her from across the room. She was lounging naked in the water, and Vivian’s eyes roamed her body. The previous assessments Vivian had made weren’t wrong: the Empress was truly beautiful, black hair, red eyes, and pale skin.

The door to the room closed behind Vivian, and she heard the lock re-engage. A moment later, Selene was behind her, grabbing the robe from her shoulders and sliding it off of her body, leaving her completely bare before the both of them. She turned red with embarrassment. She hated how good it felt to be naked in front of the two of them. She felt the Empress’ eyes on her breasts and she thought about trying to cover them. Her arms wouldn’t move that way when she tried, though she could still raise or lower them. She flashed a glare at Emilia.

“What? Is something the matter my jewel?” Emilia smiled back in response, but raised her eyebrows.

“I can’t… my arms, damnit. They’re not working right.” Vivian tried to cover herself again and failed. “And don’t call me that!”

Emilia shrugged, looking to Selene and then back to Vivian. “I’m not sure what to tell you, Vivian. I’m not even wearing a glove right now. Selene only touched your clothes, not your skin, and didn’t cast anything. This one’s on you, dear.”

Vivian’s face was nearly as red as her hair. That cannot possibly be true. “Selene took my hand in the hallway on the way in, and touched my face before that. I’m not a fool, M- Emilia.” Emilia grinned back at her. I can’t stumble like this right now. I can’t.

Yes, you can! Garnet thought.

Selene gestured to Vivian to get in the bath. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, continuing until she was waist deep. It was perfectly warm, her body automatically relaxing as she got deeper in. The arousal hit her a few seconds later, causing her to pause in place. It was so strong when both of them were in the room. It was overwhelming. Vivian started walking towards Emilia. “Selene said Amber was coming to rescue me today. What are you planning? I won’t let you hurt her.”

“Hurt her? I haven’t even hurt you! Why would you assume I’d do a thing like that, hm?” Emilia pointed at the seat next to her. Vivian sat a full length away from the Empress, but Emilia simply slid herself closer, wrapping her arm around her captive. She frowned playfully at the smaller girl. “I’m hurt you’d think so little of me.”

A single pang of guilt radiated through Vivian’s chest. She lowered her head and stared into the water. She needed to hide any trace of emotion she was having from Emilia, no matter how close she got. No matter how perfect her skin feels on our own.

“I wasn’t lying, by the way. Your body already knows it’s mine, and when I’m admiring it, it knows not to let you disobey me.” Vivian felt Emilia’s hand squeeze her breast. She involuntarily moaned, then slammed her eyes shut, pretending like the sound hadn’t escaped her. “Hide all you want little jewel, but I can assure you that I already know how I’m making you feel.”

Vivian didn’t look up or open her eyes. “No. These are Garnet’s feelings, not mine. I’ll be rid of her and her weaknesses soon enough.”

Emilia laughed, loud and extravagant. “You still don’t understand. ‘Vivian’ only still exists because she’s useful to me, and Garnet is you, whether you like it or not. She’s all of your best, most obedient impulses.” Emilia leaned in close to Vivian’s ear. She shivered when she felt her Mistress’ breath, warm against her face. “I don’t lie to you, Vivian. Don’t you remember?”

Vivian felt her breast being squeezed again, and Emilia’s other hand drifted onto her right thigh, pulling it away from the other. She couldn’t stop her. The scariest part was not feeling the Empress’ magic stopping her. Or– Gods, it was hard to think when she was this horny. There was a kind of sensation with magic. Had she felt it earlier? She couldn’t remember.

“No. I don’t rem… You’ve lied to me. I think?” Vivian’s head was swimming. A thick fog had rolled in over everything, making it so hard for her to focus. She needed to get away from Emilia. Or maybe she needed to stay perfectly still?

“I’ve never lied to you, Vivian.” She was still so close to her ear. Her whispering was intoxicating. “You wanted to be here. You asked for me to take you. Why else would you have agreed to my terms? You knew it was an obvious trap. You were practically begging me to take you away from those animals. Look at how you’re letting me play with you right now.”

Vivian’s mouth fell open without making a sound. She opened her eyes and stared into her reflection in the water. Blue eyes, red hair braided behind her, letting her greatest adversary finger her in a bath. “I don’t… I can’t? Em-” she stopped herself as Emilia’s fingers brushed over her clit. “Wh– Why do you want Amber to come here?”

Emilia reached down and gently pulled Vivian’s head back, forcing her to make eye contact. “I want her to come here so she can see what I’ve made you, my jewel. I’ve polished you to a beautiful shine, and she deserves to know the truth about you: That you’re a slut who absolutely adores your Mistress. That you’ve completely given yourself over to my will. You're my sword.”

Her eyes. She needed to look away, to get away, to try and salvage any kind of dignity she could manage. “I'm not–” another brush of Emilia's fingers, another quiet moan– “I don't adore my… You. I don't adore you. I haven't given you anything!” She pushed her captor's hand away from her. Vivian moved to stand and found that Emilia didn't try to stop her. “I didn't want any of this. You're twisting my words!”

Yes, you did! Garnet thought. She was getting louder. I'm a part of you. You wanted this!

“No I didn't!” Vivian cried out, putting a hand on her head. She stood still, barely having made it two steps from Emilia.

Emilia raised an eyebrow. Vivian could have sworn she saw a flicker of that smile still on her face as Emilia stood, seemingly concerned. She guided Vivian back to the sitting position next to her. “This must be very difficult for you to accept.” The Empress’ arm snaked back around Vivian, though she refrained from any other touching. “You fought for so long. You don't need to fight anymore. You're just fighting yourself and the inevitable.”

Vivian couldn't move. There was no magic here, just fear. The more Emilia spoke, the more she was afraid that she wasn't lying. She was tired. She had been leading for years. It never got any easier. Every loss hurt just as bad as their first. “Please, stop. I can't… I am tired, but-”

Emilia leaned in close again. “Exactly. You're exhausted. You can't keep fighting a losing battle, Vivian. Not when the defeat you crave tastes so sweet.” Her hands were back on Vivian's body. She made no move to try and stop her. It was too much. Emilia was right. It felt so good to give up. It felt so good to let her do what she wanted with her.

“I'm… but… But what about Amber?” Vivian’s words were soft, barely escaping her lips.

“I won't do anything to her, my jewel.” Vivian's heart skipped a beat. “She will come here tonight, and we’ll treat her well. And you'll have an opportunity to try and convince her to join you. To join us.”

Vivian was breathless, gasping at each touch of her skin, every word her… her Mis-

Say it!

Every word her Mistress spoke. Vivian felt Garnet beaming, wherever she was. She almost felt like they were slowly melting into each other. The lines were getting blurrier between them the longer Emi– the longer that Mistress Emilia spoke to them. The more that Garnet accepted that Mistress Emilia was right. Her Mistress’ hand brushed her cheek, and Garnet realized that there were tears running down her face. She wasn’t sure why. She looked back up at the Empress.

“There there, darling. I’m taking care of you now. Things are going to be so much easier now, Garnet. You’re going to be so much happier now than you’ve ever been outside of these walls.” She took Garnet’s hand and squeezed, then signaled for Selene to rejoin them. Garnet had forgotten about her again. She’s very good at staying quiet and out of sight when she wants to be. The other woman approached with a basket of various soaps and perfumes. “Selene, take my crown jewel and prepare it for our guest tonight.”

Selene bowed. “Of course, my Empress.” She turned to Garnet and gave her a smile, and for once Garnet felt that it was genuine. Selene began to undress, then joined Garnet in the water. She began to take a few different items out of the basket.

Mistress Emilia stood and kissed Garnet on the head. She leaned forward to whisper in her ear one more time; Garnet couldn’t help but take one last long look at her Mistress’ naked body as she did. If she had been beautiful before, now she appeared divine. “Behave yourself, Garnet. Remember what it means to be my sword.” She put her hand under Garnet’s chin and forced it to look into those beautiful red eyes.

“A sword doesn’t make decisions on its own. A-a-and-” Mistress’ Emilia’s other hand was groping her again. “And, it knows how good it feels to obey you,” she whimpered.

“Good. It will feel just as good to obey Selene.” Garnet nodded eagerly. Emilia looked up at her attendant. “I told you, Selene. I knew it wouldn’t take as long as you did to break.”