Catherine woke in the morning with a delighted smile. She couldn't recall the last time she slept so well. The bed was fluffy and incredibly comfortable. She stretched her body and took in a deep breath. The duvets were smelling pleasantly...

  Duvets? Bed?

  She froze with her hands extended over her head. How the hell does she end up in bed?! She remembered that she lay down on the ground next to her Lord, but if she was in bed... In panic, she looked around, but Lord Ives was nowhere to be seen.

  "Oh no!" She screamed and almost barged into the sitting room, but the bathrobe she was wearing opened slightly. "Where are you, Sir...?"

  She opened the doors despite that, but he wasn't there either. In growing panic, she stormed the bathroom only to find him cheerfully whistling in the bath. He closed his eyes the moment she entered.

  "My Lord!" Her voice sounded like a relieved moan. "Here you are! I was afraid that you had gone to deal with Griss Vul..."

  "Good morning, Catherine. While I somewhat enjoy your enthusiasm, I'm taking a bath now. You shouldn't be running around half naked first thing in the morning..." He smiled at her and added under his breath, probably believing that she couldn't hear him. "Not that I mind, but this is extremely distracting..."

  She fixed her bathrobe and cleared her throat. "My appearance had a very low priority for me a few moments ago, my Lord. I was more concerned with your safety."

  "My safety?" He opened his eyes in shock and looked at her anxious face. "You're probably the first person who told me that besides my Mother. I... Thank you, but it's unnecessary."

  "No! I wanted to talk with you about Griss Vul and his gang, my Lord. You don't have to do this! You can simply leave the city and no one would be chasing you." She said, determined to repay his kindness. "You don't have to risk your life to.. For..."

  She clenched her fists and breathed heavily.

  "Catherine..." His voice became uncertain but it was gentle as usual. "It's already over. I raided his headquarters when you were sleeping. Only he survived, but even that is temporary. Right now, Lord Howthorns' people are questioning him about everything they need."

  She slowly dropped to her knees and covered her lips with her hands. "Why? Why have you done something so dangerous?"

  "That man would be our enemy. But... Would you believe me if I said: for you?" He said quietly with a strange expression on his face.

  Her heart hammered in her chest like crazy. For her? He faced an entire crime organisation... For her!? She looked at him and his soft smile in disbelief. She felt like collapsing…

  "I... I want to believe you, my Lord..." She said with a choked voice.

  "I would appreciate it if we could continue this discussion somewhere else." He smiled widely but awkwardly at her and his smile quickly turned warm. "You do realise that you don't have your collar anymore?"

  Her hands reached for her neck but the collar wasn't there. She looked at him with shock. Her ears were flicking in distress making him chuckle.

  "We have already discussed it..." She huffed angrily.

  "Yes. But-" He tried to explain her new situation to her, but she interrupted him.

  "It's... Not that simple." She shook her head and stood up. She put her hands on her waist and looked at him with a dangerous spark in her eyes. "You want to play like that? Fine."

  "Catherine... What are you doing?" He asked with a voice heavily laden with suspicion as he tried to fall back in the tub, but the only thing he achieved was to straighten himself.

  "I'm a free person now, right?" She said with a smirk and made a step towards him.

  "Of course! You always were, despite that collar..." He said as he twitched nervously in the water.

  "So now I can say everything I want." She said in the sweetest voice she could muster. "I like you, totally not a noble, Lord Ives of Arcadia..."

  She started undoing the belt of her bathrobe.

  "Catherine..." He groaned nervously.

  "You can call me Cate, Lord Ives." She took off her bathrobe, entered the bathtub, and looked at the stunned man inside with her hands on her hips. Her tail was playfully flicking the surface of the water. "Face the consequences of teasing me all this time, Lord Arthur Ives."

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  After months of humiliation, it came as a surprise that she felt slightly embarrassed by her brazen behaviour right now, but... She turned around and sat down in the water, leaning her back on his broad chest. Her heart raced when she felt the warmth of his body. She tilted her head upwards to see his face and realised that he was red from embarrassment.

  "Catherine... I wasn't teasing you.... I- I..." He stuttered. "I- I didn't mean to..."

  "Cate." She smiled mischievously at him. "Friends would call me Cate."

  "Cate..." He almost whispered. "I... I don't think this is a good idea even if you like me... We have known each other for just a few days..."

  "And yet you risked your life for a complete stranger like me." She closed her eyes, still smiling. "I was scared, my Lord..."

  "Arthur." He interrupted her. "My name is Arthur."

  She giggled and felt the tip of her ear touching his muscular chest.

  "I was afraid, Arthur, and you saved me. I don't know if you planned to simply gain my loyalty but if that was just it... You have it and much, much more. My mind and even if you want, my body are yours. I will follow you to hell, Arthur. I'm not delusional and I know... I feel that someone you love waits for you in your home... But if I can ask you for anything, I would like you to take me to Arcadia. Can you take me there?"

  He was silent for a long moment before he raised his hand as if he wanted to hug her. But his hand hung in the air until it dropped powerlessly. He let out a heavy sigh and looked at the ceiling.

  "No one waits for me in Arcadia except for my parents and brother. Maybe a few of my friends and my fellow Inquisitors... But I know what you meant. No woman is waiting for me, Cate." He said with a tired voice and lowered his face enough to see the tip of her head. "I'm the Inquisitor... It's probably the most dangerous line of work you can have. All criminals try to kill me on sight and hundreds of people hate me for executing the monsters they have called their family members. I don't say an Inquisitor can't find someone who would love them, but I couldn't leave my home, leaving behind a fiancée or wife knowing that each day could be my last. Like now... No one knows if I died or if I'm alive... Well... Unless the Gods confirm that my soul isn't in the afterlife."

  "I..."

  "I won't sully your honour, Cate. Don't offer me your body like it was nothing... I can't do something like that." He interrupted her. "I'm happy to hear that you like me, and I'm happy to hear that you would like to go with me to Arcadia. But the situation changed for you drastically."

  "What... What do you mean?"

  "Griss Vul's testimonies made you a free woman. All assets that belonged to your father are yours now. Vul sold most of the stock and things your family owned, but there is enough gold for you to start a new life."

  "No..." She squirmed in fear. "No... Please... Arthur. I can't go back there. I can't..."

  She tried to hug him, but it was impossible in the awkward position they were in, so she almost curled into a shaking ball. Arthur lifted her, and after he helped her stand, he put her bathrobe on her. He also put a bathrobe on himself, and only then did he hug her. She started crying in his embrace.

  "What are you afraid of, Catherine?" He said softly. "Now, when you are free..."

  She shook her head in disagreement.

  "A woman can't own such huge assets as you told me are mine! Maybe if a man from my family was alive, but I'm alone in this world, Arthur! You really have no idea about the rules of this country..." She said through her tears. "A lonely woman is taken care of by the Temple. They will force me to marry someone they believe will take the best care of my Father's legacy and wealth. Not necessarily of me..."

  "What?" He said in shock. "What kind of nonsense is that?! How the hell does that make you free if you are forced to marry someone?"

  "I told you that it's not that simple..." Catherine tried to smile but only cried out more bitterly. She suddenly asked in desperation. "Who knows about this?"

  "No one..." He sighed and shook his head. "I wanted you to learn it first."

  "You promised to set me free..." She looked into his eyes in desperation. "Only by keeping that collar on my neck, and only with you as my Master, can I be free. Please, Arthur... I'm begging you! You are the only person I can trust."

  The Inquisitor nodded and opened the bathroom door. He reached for a table and picked up the slave collar. She tensed nervously when he hesitated, but stopped in front of him and waited.

  "I don't know if I'm still capable of loving someone, Arthur," Catherine said with a voice heavy with emotion. She reached with her trembling hand and touched his cheek. He was standing in silence with closed eyes. Despite that, she kissed him. "But if I could choose a man I could love, it would be you."

  "You are impossible, you know that?" He said with a sad voice and looked at her. "You are the first person on whose behalf I was so angry. I like you too, Cate. I wanted you to travel with me as a free person. Maybe one day, you could be my friend... Maybe... No. I can't say it..."

  "I am already your friend. But I don't know if I can be someone more... Maybe when I come to terms with myself." She smiled at him and blushed. "I had to use this opportunity. I had you know that what I said was honest and by no means manipulated by this collar. I really do like you..."

  He was holding the slave collar between them, and she reached for his hands. She smiled warmly at him.

  "I always know that... I'm an Inquisitor, after all." He smiled bitterly. "But I'm more accustomed to people lying to me than telling the truth..."

  "I was always honest with you. Not because you could sense a lie, but because you are my saviour. You are my friend, Arthur."

  His hands were shaking when she let go of his hands making him look into her eyes.

  "This is so unfair..." He said angrily.

  "Put this collar on me." She smiled sadly and revealed her neck. "Once you take me out of this Kingdom, you can take it off and I won't protest. But I'm afraid there is no place on this continent that would be safe from slavery."

  She saw in his eyes how hard it was for him to raise his hands. With a defeated sigh, his hands moved and Catherine held her breath and closed her eyes. Arthur closed the slave collar on her neck and she felt his hand on her cheek. Catherine was safe again, no one could take her from him.

  "Thank you." She climbed to her toes and kissed him again. "I could get used to it, Sir Arthur."

  "When we are alone, you can call me by my name." He said with his eyes closed. He was angry. "So what should we do now?"

  "Well... I guess we need to hide the evidence of my freedom, Arthur." She smiled and her eyes shone with happiness. "Arthur... It... It worked!"

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to and who edited the chapter!