Rhett SO kicks ass some days. Last night he sent me a pic he drew... *shiverpurrs* ...he said I could link to it from here so go check out today's link. Pretty pretty pretty!

The (slightly revised) story behind the image:

The girl is... hrm. Not a queen, too much responsibility. A noble of some sort, a petite-noble, someone with power that's not in the name she wears, rather in the things she has done and will do. She owns quite a bit of land, and quite a few slaves, and tends to take prisoners.

The boy in her arms is her latest prize; tribute, perhaps, from some smaller noble who hoped that sending his youngest son to her would keep her happy and keep her from claiming his territory and servants and life. *smirk*

The boy is scared, yes... but he presses close, knowing that to be in her arms is safer than to displease her by flinching away. At least for now, he knows she will protect him, keep him safe, feed him...

...if you look at his ribs and stomach you'll see that he seems hungry, nearly starving. She left him alone, almost no food, only a little water, for a long time before she accepted him. She's feeding him now, but she's working him hard as well. The exercise he gets uses up most of the calories almost immediately; he's always hungry.

The swords are heated, the marks the one she holds will make are burns, not merely cuts - searing the flesh as she draws it across.

The boy kneeling before her... ahh, he was her favorite before this new toy arrived. He too had started out frightened, hurting, hungry... but over time as he was fed and trained he became cocky, bold. No longer so afraid of her. And so now she brings back the fear, before casting him off, perhaps sending him to work in one of the mines, perhaps keeping him as a house slave... perhaps killing him.

He doesn't know what she will do - she has hinted at so many things but not promised anything other than pain and fear. He watches the boy on her lap, the boy who is watching him in turn... they see themselves in each other, and it hurts them both all the more.

And that pleases her.

*smiles softly*

Rhett SERIOUSLY kicks ass.