[center][h3][color=lightgray]Lienna Orhhneaht[/color][/h3][/center]
Somehow, silver eyes with bright pink and blue facets managed to look dully over the ornate hall of Shadow Worth as their owner stood, waiting with a creature with all the size and intellectual capabilities of a sperm whale. This mountain of a Drakken had snatched her almost immediately after her arrival and now guarded his charge from even the slightest attention from any other in the room.  

The ride from Lienna’s village in the far north had been long and laborious, but as the long journey required earlier leaving time, she had been one of the first Gems to arrive. Like the other early arrivals, she had been whisked off to a private dressing room, stripped out of her fur-lined coat, boots and trousers and treated to a fragrant bath and a new dress. It was simple, really; sheer white lace with a chocolate brown sash and seaglass jewelry to finish it off. It was the first time she’d ever worn a dress, the first time she’d had her legs shaven (an attendant had needed to help her) and the first time she’d ever smelled like flowers (the best she’d had at home were evergreens and seawater). In fact, the only thing that had really remained the same was the ivory owl her mother had given to her, nestled in the bosom of her dress. 

She had watched the room steadily flux with attendants; a new ‘shipment’ of sniffling Gems followed by another crowd of hungry Drakken, who would whisk their choices away and restart the cycle. And all the while, Lienna stood watching, like a rock amidst the tide. 

She’d done her crying in the carriage. Her lamentation? Long before the dress was on. She saw no point in fretting now, for fighting a riptide would only serve to drown her. She knew from the horror stories that circled the country what she was in for, and while it frightened her, she had made peace with the fact that there was nothing she could do. So, instead of shivering and working herself up over her predicament, she closed her eyes and let the new, soothing smell of her hair calm her. 

The strategy must have been working, for by the time the room erupted in one Drakken’s echoing jibes, Lienna was calm. In fact, she almost could have smirked if the jokes she heard weren’t so vile. Should it have surprised her when the very laughing Drakken approached her with a guard that matched her own, clapping and grinning under his hood?

He circled her like a prowling fox, waiting for its prey to falter. He must have made three circles around her by the time he approached her from behind. 

[i][color=gold]”Well aren’t you just delectable.”[/color][/i] It was as if he had traded his voice for another, and the carnal tone it carried sent a tremor down Lienna’s spine. 

A huge, yet somehow slender hand encircled her waist, followed by another. They made their way over every curve of her body, sending shivers through her flesh and causing her heartbeat to quicken. Lienna could have sworn the now-silent and deadly serious Drakken could [i]smell[/i] her blood, feel it pulsing under her skin. It was hard not to feel strangely [i]desired[/i] as the man’s hands took in her form, hard to quell the butterflies in her stomach as they travelled to more forbidden places. It was hard to tell if her reactions were of fear or, dare she even think, excitement. Lienna decided upon messy portions of both, but hoped she would be able to somehow resign herself to the latter. Strange as it may seem, why on earth would she want to make things harder on herself than they already were? 

Finally, one of those deft hands settled over her stomach, the other moving to clear her hair from one side of her neck. She could feel the unbridled strength in the man’s arms as he pulled her into himself, pulling her slightly up with his towering height. She felt his breath on her skin, bearing an impossible heat that brought a flush to her cheeks. He seemed to pause over the flesh of her throat, and for a moment Lienna thought he was going to bite her. Soon enough though, his mouth moved upward, settling by her ear. 

[i][color=gold]"I would take you here and now if it weren't for our audience.”[/color][/i] His words, which with freely borne lust, sounded far more like a threat (or perhaps a vow?) than a passing sentiment. 

Lienna jumped as the Drakken’s sharp teeth unexpectedly cut into her ear, and her breathing grew heavy as he suckled the blood from it, her heart quickening as if trying to compensate. She could sense his desire like a thick cloud around him, and it only served to stir a fluttering warmth in her gut and a tingle in her skin. The Drakken paused, savouring, and Lienna noted that this was by far the most intense situation she’d ever experienced. She honestly didn’t know what to make of it. 

After a moment, the Drakken purred, [i][color=gold]"A little water Gem? Well isn't that just... captivating. You will do wonderfully! Your name, my sweet?”[/color][/i]

Her chest rose and fell with rattling breath as his words sunk in. But, without any real hesitation, she cooed, [color=lightgray]“Liena Orhhneaht, if it please you my lord.”[/color] Her voice was silk and savoury, coloured by an accent that licked at the edges of her words. [color=lightgray]“…And your senses are sharp, for I am a daughter of Naia.”[/color]

One of her hands found the back of his much larger one across her belly, the other darting to her chest. It lingered long enough to touch the idol resting there before sliding up to cover his other. Moving gently against his grasp, she turned to try and meet her countershaded eyes with his concealed ones, and brought half a grin to her lips. [color=lightgray]“And by what name may I have the pleasure of calling you?"[/color]



[@NarcissisticPotato]