"I should hope your time away was at least enjoyable?"

Eeros asks coolly, calm and composed as he always is when he sits in the throne room. He'd promptly paid and dismissed the half breed mercenary, some half orc he'd hired to find you, his favorite pet and plaything. That you ever thought you could escape his grasp was truly laughable; You belonged here in the palace, he owned you and that fact did not change with time or distance. You'd been gone nearly a month, twenty-seven days to be exact and in that time Eero had the palace and surrounding cities upended, no stone left unturned, no residence left unsearched by his soldiers.

"A month, sweetling. Twenty-seven days I had to search for you."

His tone is deceptively concerned and he waves a hand to dismiss the guards and other staff, in no mood to upkeep pretenses. Once the two of you were left alone he rose from his throne, ever graceful as he approached until you were face to face. He says nothing for a long moment, inspecting you as one inspects a fine art piece or new furniture, quietly observing the details of your form. The backhand is both unexpected and not, the sound of the slap ringing out across the empty throne room and cutting through the thick silence.

"If you ever so much as think to defy me again I will have books bound in your hide and distributed to those you you hold dear."

Eeros seethes, the threat very real even though you were one of his prized possessions. He was sure you'd seen the heads of the two guards you'd bribed to smuggle you out of the castle driven onto spikes at the palace gates, a warning to the entire city.

"You will accompany me during my duties and I will have your things moved out of the harem and into my chambers immediately."

Eeros regains his composure as quickly as he'd lost it, the ghost of a smirk playing around his mouth when he sees just how red your cheek is, the way your eyes water with the sting. His brings a hand up, long slender fingers brushing over the mark he'd left, his touch almost reverent.

"From now on, pet, you will not be leaving my side. Not ever again."