Chapter 7: Want To Taste Your Lips

Inara opened her eyes, and noticed she was in Alexander's room. When she saw him seated, she felt joyful because she knew he was the one that carried her inside.

"Next time, I won't show you any mercy," he said coldly, and Inara gave a sympathetic nod, "I apologize for bothering you, Young Master. I'm leaving right now and…, "I didn't say you could leave just yet, since you wanted to keep me company you should end what you started,"

"Young Master, I'm not sure how to keep you company. But I'll do my best. 

That book is a war series; are you preparing for war? Alternatively, reading about...., "Not an ordinary series, I felt like it's needed nevertheless," Alexander murmured, and Inara lifted an eyebrow at him, looking for a complaint.

"Why are you preparing for war?" Inara finds herself stuttering with a trembling voice, "Not my first time, it means nothing,"

"But I've heard that everyone who goes to war is sure to perish on the battlefield; why can't they send someone other than you? 

Do they want you dead?" Inara inquired, her voice dripping with fury. Somehow, she felt it shouldn't be him; what about his father?

"Everyone has always wanted me dead, and I will die someday, "Why would everyone want you dead? Is this how horrible you are? You could have rejected the offer," Inara screamed, and when she realized she had shouted at him, she apologized.

"I apologize, Young Master; I was only looking out for you," she murmured, clutching the duvet tightly in surrender to his hard gaze on her.

"Go to your room, and don't return here tomorrow. Whether I sent for you or not, you must not appear. I don't go back on my words," Alexander answered sternly. Inara wanted to ask more, but she lacked the courage.

"Good night, Young Master," was all that came out of her mouth, as part of her was in pain from being shunned by him. 

The more his comments echoed in her mind, the more miserable she grew. Her Master is actually the person they knew him as. She wonders why she mistook him for her life savior, despite everything that had been written about him.

Inara was startled awake by a quick knock on the door; when she answered it, she saw someone unexpected, grinning brilliantly at her, "Yivanne?" she asked, surprised; Yivanne nodded giggling.

"How did you get here?" Inara squirmed, surprised, "The Young Master purchased me a few hours after you left, and I had no idea why. 

But he said I could see you if I wanted, therefore I'm here, Your Highness," Yivanne whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as they stared longingly at each other.

"Come in first, I'm too happy seeing you," Inara announced, Yivanne entered, and Inara closed the door behind her, "Is this really your room?" Yivanne inquired, her gaze focused on her room. The room was well-designed for what she had expected.

"Yes. Isn't it good?"

"Isn't what good? This is far too much for what I expected. Are you certain there wasn't a reason why he bought you?" Yivanne inquired in a disturbed and agitated tone.

"Of course, there's a reason why I'm being purchased, Yivanne," Inara mumbled in a puzzled tone, unsure how to vividly convey the situation to her.

"What are you purchased as?" Yivanne inquired with a questioning expression, but this caused Inara to bite her bottom lip and tremble. What might she say?

"I'm a Pet to Young Master, did my parents knows I'm here?" Inara inquired, raising her eyelashes to the stunned Yivanne, who for a moment couldn't utter a word and was very breathless.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hide it from you," Inara said sincerely. "Was this the reason why you wanted to go be here? Because you're his pet, and he's not ready to let you go because you were purchased to be his. Has he made love to you? Have you tried the fruit?" Yivanne questioned in a hurt and betrayed voice.

"I have not done anything with him; I am still a virgin. Would you believe me on that?" Inara asked, tears flowing down her cheeks because she felt she had betrayed her.

"Yes. I prayed it could go longer; sooner or later, he would render you unsaint. You will have to give it to him, "But I am not ready. I never wished for anything that was happening to me, and I never wished to be who I was now. 

I despise myself; he claimed he would make me into a sinner once. Do you understand what that means?"

"I am sorry, Your Highness, but I am unfamiliar with his words. You know I haven't done it either. Sorry for making you feel horrible, Your Highness. Please forgive me," Yivanne pleaded, and immediately went on her knees.

Inara went to her and lifted her up, "I know you were simply looking out for me. But should I call a spade, a spade? I'm terrified, everything is new to me, and I wish I could just leave these nightmares. 

I eventually kept drooling deeply into it, and I didn't want to leave his company," Inara said, causing Yivanne to raise her head in response. She doesn't understand her confessions either.

Inara noticed Loxley seated in a garden; she was bored, and Yivanne is unable to follow her around, something she is not used to.

"Hello, Inara! You're very quiet; what happened?" Loxley asked pleasantly, and Inara took a seat next to her, "Would Young Master return from the battlefield? Why does he have to take the lead?" Inara mumbled in anguish.

"He has been the one since he was sixteen. And I believe he will survive this time. But I don't know whether this is true," Loxley remarked, mumbling her final word in a completely uncomfortable tone.

"Please, tell me, "Young Master is likely to die in this conflict," she muttered, moving closer to Inara as if to reveal a dark secret. Inara's eyes widened in disbelief, and her heart nearly burst out of her chest.

"Would he die? If he had known, why did he had to leave? Perhaps his father could take over for him. It is really tough to deal with such problems at such a young age. Can we do anything to help him?"

"The battlefield is not a place we could go. Inara, Young Master, had been through a lot to be afraid of death; he knew he'd be dead before now. His father sent him to a deadly battle, and he didn't care.

Though, I don't know Young Master's plan before going to the war, but he would definitely survive," Loxley declared, fighting back tears; she doesn't want to appear weak in front of Inara, so she won't feel sober.

"Everyone despises him, but what has he done to them to deserve it? Young Master should not have gone through all of this. 

How can his own father despise him to the point of sending him to a slow-burn death?" Inara yelled in tears, and her entire body screamed rage.

"Young Master's father had an illegitimate son, and he wanted him to ascend the throne. He literally wanted him dead so that he might gain access to the throne. However, he is not the elder of the two of them,"

"Does Young Master knew all these?"

"Of course he knew. However, as the younger of the two, he has his own set of obligations. According to what has been heard, he has never seen his mother's face, either knows how she would look. She died after childbirth," Loxley mumbled, taking a jug of booze.

Inara wanted to grab it as well, but Loxley grasped her hand, forcing her to pause reluctantly, "It is not water, but 'a liquor.' You can't drink it," she said sternly, and Inara pouted her lips.

"Just let me drink it for the first and last time," she begged. Loxley arched her eyebrows at her, finding her hilarious, "That is why I am saying you can't. 

Should I tell you what happens if you drink even a sip as a beginner? You will not be yourself; your internal senses will be temporarily lost.

And you know what's scary about it? You'll undoubtedly act unnaturally," Loxley stated quietly, causing Inara to gasp.

"I apologize, Inara. I don't want you to behave like any of the things I mentioned,"

"I understand, I'm just feeling bitter, and I thought drinking it would make me feel better; I never realized it was the opposite," Inara whispered, her gaze set on the floor, her mind rephrasing many things she had heard.

Now she understood why he had returned her.

Due to her hazy eyes, Inara was spotted going drunkenly to an unknown destination. She kept wobbling on her feet until she heard a voice.

"You aren't going to the right route?" Inara looked at the figure, when she realized it was her Master, her eyes overflowed with joy. And she began heading towards him, quicker than she had ever imagined. She came to a complete halt when she was only an inch away from him.

"Young Master, you came back?"

"And that should not be your concern. Have you realized you're at my doorstep?" Alexander responded authoritatively. Inara looked attentively at the door and realized it wasn't her room.

"I am sorry, but I do not enjoy it when you ignored me, Young Master! I had been praying all day for you to return safely, but all I got in exchange was you avoiding me. It aches, but I'm glad; you survived," she mumbled sleepily before collapsing on his chest.

—-----

"Why's it every time you're always a troublemaker, yet you keeps saying you would make amends?"

"I apologize; I realize I committed a terrible crime. I have nothing to say about my offence; I know I shouldn't have drunk liquor," Inara remarked, crouching two inches away from Alexander after regaining half of her consciousness.

"Read five novels and recount everything that happened, sequence by sequence. I want every detail," Alexander revealed, shocking Inara beyond words," Getting her to read five novels will be extremely tough due to her limited vision.

She grabbed the first book he threw in front of her, feeling a burst of boldness. The book was dancing to the rhythm of her trembling hands, as she was too terrified to overcome her fear.

Reluctantly, she read the title of the book aloud, "The Dark Salvations Of The Heaven,"

"Heaven is the earth's inner strength. However, Heaven has a dark salvation for the earth, which may be…," Inara slowly read the information, attempting to retain her past understanding of each phrase in her thoughts.

However, on her fifth effort, dhe anticipated her Master's criticisms, "You failed miserably. Write down the important terms from all five books you've read. It's your final trial, if you don't want to be physically tormented until you get it right," Alexander replied coldly, not looking at her this time.

Inara said nothing, despite the fact that she was going to pass out sooner. However, her primary internal conflict remains unresolved. She was too afraid to go through those miserable days again, afraid of being criticized for being unable to do something so easy.

"I can't write, Young Master. I've been dealing with the sickness since I was a child. Please don't let me do it," she begged, and clasped her hands together.

"Write or be burnt," he continued in a severe tone, making Inara even more scared. Is this why everyone dislikes him? Inara had never seen him so angry, and she couldn't bring herself to make a decision.

Inara approached the table and picked up the simple page, hovering a pen beside it, before standing back in front of him. Even though she remembers every line she memorized, she doesn't know how to put it into words on the worksheet.

After repeated efforts, she still couldn't get anything right; in fact, she didn't write anything.

In her kneeling position, she was screaming out to the skies for aid, tears streaming from her eyes. She was very ashamed of herself.

Suddenly, she noticed a figure bending over her level; without being told, she knew it was her Master, "Try harder; you have a limited time,"

Inara's gaze was fixed on the sheet, but she still couldn't write anything. She remembered when she was a child and how her parents ridiculed, disgraced, and degraded her.

It happened when she was five years old, and it marked the end of her attempts to write. A drop of her tear fell on the sheet and sank into it, causing a hole on its own.

"How long has this been going on?" Alexander inquired, "Since I was five years old, Young Master, "Have your parents tried to find you a cure for the disease?"

"No. My parents explained that I've always been a cursed child, which is why I'm always suffering misfortunes, "You can conquer it if you put it through constant trials on your own. Have you tried it yet?"

"I quit doing it after my fifth birthday; it has always been useless," Inara murmured. Alexander gazed at her and lifted his chin up with his palm, causing her face to meet him coldly.

"Learn in many ways; try speaking the word you want to write. It's done this manner, and it can't be done in this posture," he explained as he walked away to sit. Inara followed him and remained motionless beside him.

"You will be seated, and I will be standing. So, sit down," Inara didn't want to arouse his ire, so she instantly obeyed him without question. 

And felt a cold grip on her hand; Alexander was holding her hand in his to show her how to use the pen.

"I would try harder," he wrote, guiding her hand to match his pace, "The Dark Salvations Of The Heaven," he wrote next, and so on until Inara wrote ten words on her own.

"Read it out, "However, the Heaven has a Dark Salvation for the earth," Inara muttered, pleased to see her making progress. When she turned her back, she realized Alexander had vanished and was sitting in his favourite location.

"Thank you, Young Master," Inara said, bowing, "I guess I should be leaving now since you are quite busy," she added. After walking a few feet away from him, she felt her body pinned against the wall.

When she realized it was her Master who had pushed her against the wall, she let out a gasp, "Young Master?"

Alexander was losing control of his Demon; he has no idea what is pulling him towards her; he had a horrible need that could not be simply satisfied.

"Young Master, please you're hurting me," Inara shouted out as he pushed her hands tightly against the wall, "If you don't want me to send you away or avoid you, are you willing to learn what I desire?"

"Whatever you wanted, Young Master," she murmured, her voice trembling with curiosity, "Kiss me on the lips, Pet," he said hoarsely.

"Huh?"

"I want to kiss you really badly; I want to taste your lips, Pet," he said, causing Inara's heart to skip a beat. Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum!