Slave Roleplay

They ate and they got back on the road, each mounting their own horse, with Josie on his horse and her horse carrying their baggage. He held her close to him as they crossed country. "You feeling alright pet? You seem stressed."

She leaned back against him, closing her eyes as they travelled, storing any energy she could should she need it. She opened her eyes as he asked if she were OK.

"Just nervous to be anywhere near the old king... he is smart and like you has sources that can see through traps. I just don't want anyone hurt...." she said softly

"Noone will get hurt." He said. It wasn't a promise he could guarantee, but he was certain to try and make it happen. "Besides, we're going around his territory, not through it. So we should be mostly out of his reach."

She nodded softly though she hardly relaxed. The old king was extremely dangerous, intelligent and his reach spread far. She knew Max could not promise safety, he hardly knew much about this old king, but at least he tried.

"Yes dear.." she replied softly to his reassurance

He thought to her worry. This king certainly seemed to be competent so far as strategy or magic was concerned, and they knew very little about him, and that made him even more dangerous. She was right to be afraid, though he wouldn't tell her that. Luckily enough, they'd be skirting around his territory, not going through it. Which means only his navy would be an issue, and one couldn't track someone across water as one could across land. He rubbed her shoulder lightly, a silent reassurance.

She smiled softly as he continued to rub her shoulders soothingly. She thought the end the deafening silence, only the sound of thee horses hooves hitting dirt was breaking it currently. So she asked "Tell me about your life growing up, if you will... love..." she said softly, curiously

He hmmed. "Well,.it's not terribly interesting. For basically my whole life I studied two things. War and governance. Every day till I was eighteen I studied those two things, after that I was given an army by my father and sent to conquer a group of tribes to our west, that's where I got Fey. Then I just kept conquering."

She nodded... listening quietly. "And still always conquering." She chuckled, an offhand comment about all his women. She was still not sure she liked sharing, but... she was the last one as it stood right now, she couldn't really say much.

His voice helped her not think about each step their horse took, but her heart rate was increasing rapidly as they came to lands she recognized, though she'd only heard tale of them. She swallowed dryly, nervously as she looked around, watching for anything she need be afraid of darkness, the further they went, encroached on them, making her that much more nervous

He chuckled, "I suppose so."

He wrapped her in his arms and held her close. "Hey, don't be afraid. You'll be fine. You're safe with us, I promise."

She smirked at his admittance and cuddled back against him. He continued to try to sooth her nervousness but little could, with the exception of being out of these lands. He held her close, his arms tight around her. She kissed his forearm gently in thanks as she reached up and held his arms, her eyes continuing to search for anything and everything.

He rubbed her reassuringly, though he understood that not much could actually help her. So he just kept riding, and they'd go for a quite a while without incident. He doubted that bandits waited in places that weren't roads, and they were going cross-country, so bandits and brigands were no threat. The biggest threat would likely be rangers and scouts, which were dangerous but not so dangerous as to be insurmountable, and they'd notice of the same bird kept flying in the same direction, which would give away a scout sending messages via carrier pigeons. So they rode, likely in silence.

Finally they stopped again, this time it was a forested region, and they got to work setting up their tent, and getting the fire lit. "Any of you saddlesore?" He asked.

She rose a brow at the question as she slid off the horse. She was indeed somewhat sore, but she wasn't sure if that was bad or good. None of the other girls seemed to speak up, but she did.

"I am sore a bit" she said honestly as she helped to get everything set up for them. A twig snapped, she twisted her head around in alarm but nothing followed. She couldn't relax as she looked around. He reassured her repeatedly but she would never be comfortable on these lands.

When the twig snapped he turned his gaze in the direction it came from. He looked to Lizzy, she had been one of the wildest ones he'd caught, and a huntress, before he took her. "Do you see anything?"

Lizzy had heard the snap and also looked around, lifting her head slightly as if scenting the air. She shook her head in response.

"Nothing I can sense... a small animal most likely." She said.

Josie smiled faintly and kissed his cheek as she stood....

"May I go to bed? " She asked, she was uncomfortable and tired, not even hunger broke through those two things. She just wanted to go hide.

"Okay, but keep a sharp eye out. We shouldn't be taking chances." He told them. When Josephine, now Willow, asked to go to bed he said, "Yes pet, you may. Sleep well."

When she went to sleep he sat down by the fire, she was really uncomfortable here. He couldn't really blame her though. Well, she could trust them, she was family now, so they'd keep her safe.

Willow headed to bed quietly, she was exhausted, drained past empty and she curled up alone and let sleep take her away from her fright of this place. The others snuck of to join her one by one with his permission, staying if he requested their company that night, heading to bed if not.

Many of the others would join her as the night progressed, many laying down next to her in an attempt to provide comfort or reassurance. But Maximillian stayed outside, her nervousness might just be her imagination or a reasonable fear blown out of proportion, but there was also a chance that she was right to be as afraid as she was. So he'd stay up, and keep watch.

She slept through the others joining her, her sleep interrupted by nightmares of getting caught by the old king. Her muscles quivered as she slept and dreamed, deep in the darkness she woke up, all the women were asleep. She stood slowly, carefully after noticing he wasn't around and she moved to go outside and check on him. She was still tired, but she wanted to be sure he was OK. She smiled faintly.

"Hi" she said softly as she moved to sit in his lap.

"I can keep watch so you can go to sleep...x"

"Hey, are you okay? You should be asleep." He commented.

He pulled her in close to his chest as she sat on his lap and began to absentmindedly caress her side. When she offered to keep watch he shook his head, "That's the man's job. My job. My job to keep you and the others safe. Don't worry about me pet, I've done this before."

She smiled faintly as she curled up against his chest, closing her eyes. "I am fine" she said softly as he pulled her close, rubbing her side. "I understand keeping us safe is your job but with no sleep for too long, even the strongest protector will grow weak, no?" She said softly as her hand slid behind him, rubbing his back lightly.

He sighed, "That much is true, but I slept last night. Maybe Lizzy can take watch tomorrow night and I'll rest, but for tonight I'm well. I appreciate your concern pet."

He kissed her forehead lovingly. "Rest easy Josie. I won't collapse tonight or tomorrow."

She nodded softly at his words as she cuddled against him, his lips against her forehead made her smile. She continued to rub his back gently as she rested against him, her eyes still closed, still tired though she had gotten some sleep.

"Tell me about something...your childhood... your hopes... dreams... something." She said softly as she settled closer to listen, his voice soothing her.

"My childhood huh?" He said with a chuckle. "Not much to tell. I grew up as what's called a War-Prince. My people, as you may guess, are very warlike." He said this with a chuckle. "So I was raised with a very clear purpose and that was to wage war and expand my father's empire. Though I was also taught hunting, and that's where the most abundant childhood stories take place."

"I remember I was out hunting alone a while back, and a pack of wolves chased me up a tree." He gave a short laugh.