Chapter 184: Ceremony of ownership (18+)
The council hall was nearly empty now, save for those who mattered. Fina stood by Allen’s side again, resting her crop over her shoulder like a war trophy. Rinni sat cross-legged at the base of the throne, stretching her arms with a lazy yawn, her eyes still locked on the trembling, slumped figure on the polished floor.
Soreya hadn’t moved since Allen’s last words. Her breath came shallow and unsteady, eyes wide but unfocused. Her thighs remained parted, sticky with the dried remnants of shame and attention, and the skin of her knees had turned slightly red from hours of service. A long string of saliva still dangled from her mouth, curved against her chin. She wasn’t even trying to look dignified anymore.
Allen descended the steps of the throne once more. Each bootstep echoed—measured, slow, and deliberate. He didn’t need to speak. The room itself seemed to hold its breath.
He reached her and crouched down beside her, his hand sliding along her cheek, then gripping her jaw—not hard, not cruel, just possessive.
"Do you remember what you asked me the first day we met, Queen Soreya?" he asked quietly, tilting her chin toward him.
She blinked slowly. "Y-you said... you said I was nothing."
Allen chuckled. "No. You asked if I understood what it meant to rule."
He leaned in, his breath brushing her lips. "And now I’ve taught you."
She shivered.
He gestured toward Kael. The loyal man returned with a thin metal case and offered it silently. Allen flipped it open, revealing an ornate black collar—not leather this time, but dark iron lined with runes. Cold and unyielding.
Soreya’s breath hitched. "W-wait..."
Allen pulled the wooden tags off her old collar. They clacked as they fell to the floor. Then he slowly, unhurriedly, slid the new collar around her neck. The runes shimmered faintly as the clasp locked into place.