”I have a gift for you, my Favored One. Your very own concubine…”



It was a gift meant to show all of Hell how important Najia had become to the Prince but it was also a gift meant to pacify the impetuous young demoness who often had issues controlling her temper when Stativare spent any time with his own concubine, Eden, without her. Sabotaging the time he spent with Eden had become standard behavior on her part whenever he left Najia out of it and though it should anger him she suspected he secretly found it endearing that she would go to such lengths to retain the bulk of his attention.



Najia suspected his motives were not entirely altruistic but the magnitude of the gift was not lost on her and naturally the thought of her very own concubine held a great deal of appeal for the arrogant girl. It was when he told her just who he had chosen for her concubine that some of her enthusiasm diminished.



Talisy Aensland. She knew of the Aenslands. Her estranged Mother had gone to Dorian Aensland after divorcing Morlis, the man who sold her out to Stativare to begin with. Again he had struck the bargain with Morlis. A suitable demoness returned to Hell in exchange for a half dozen hell-born imps. The demoness Morlis offered was Talisy and Najia knew exactly why, too.



Revenge was a powerful motivator for most people but when you threw demonic impulses into the mix that only made matters worse. He had sold her out to Stativare to take revenge upon her for leaving his son, Antonio (in spite of the fact that their parting of ways was caused by members of his own family), in the hopes that Static would make Najia a slave. He had not anticipated that the half breed vampire/succubus would charm the Prince into letting her remain a free woman and even beyond that, making her his Favored.



Revenge was the motivation here as well, she suspected. Morlis never took very well to being left and Discord had divorced him and then run off with another incubus, the very same incubus who laid claim to the title of Master to the submissive Talisy Aensland. It didn’t take much to figure out that he intended to take Talisy with Static’s backing (which would negate any claim Dorian had on her) and trade her into slavery in Hell, no doubt after taking his own pleasure of her.



In the brief time it took her to deduce this she was already forming an alternate plan. The calculating gleam in her smoky lilac eyes revealed her intentions long before she spoke so when she announced she didn’t want Talisy, or any of the Aensland rejects, but that she did have a concubine in mind, Stativare wasn’t overly surprised.



Let him have his revenge upon Dorian but by taking Talisy for himself, if he wished. He would not gain the Prince’s assistance in taking Talisy beyond the removal of the binding soul collar which they had agreed upon as only a member of the Infernal Line could remove the collar other than the Master who put it there. He was on his own with Dorian otherwise should the Aensland choose to retaliate. He wasn’t being given the imps gratis, though. Oh no, there would be a price, and that price would play quite nicely into Najia’s need for her own revenge upon Morlis. It was up to the Prince to decide the cost of the imps and at his Favored One’s insistence that price would be none other than his own concubine, Xantara.



Of all his women he had held Xantara to him the longest and, in Najia’s opinion, was treated the worst. He had many women but only two whom he kept as concubines, Tessa and Xantara. Tessa was a hell born imp who had been given to Morlis for disobedience in the pits and given the small issue of Static having taken his physical pleasure on this imp in the past, Najia didn’t want her anywhere near her. That left Xantara but it wasn’t just the opportunity to hurt Morlis that drew her. Granted that was a big bonus, but Xantara was special all on her own.



When she was young her mother and step father had often left her in Xantara’s care (Morlis usually treated Xantara like she was little more than a built in baby sitter) and a friendship had been forged between them, even at her young age. Very often Najia had had difficulty controlling her blood lust as her dual heritage made things a little different for her and Xantara had never hesitated to act as a donor for the young girl, offering her blood without hesitation. She had even gone so far as to visit the young Princess at her boarding school regularly when the rest of her family seemed to have forgotten she existed.



She’d been Najia’s “Xanny pants”, her “blood dolly” and there was no one else she could think of that she would rather claim as her own and have about her all the time, no one else she felt she could trust around Stativare.



And best of all…Xanny was part demon. Mostly human there was a streak of succubus in her heritage somewhere which technically put her under the dominion of Hell and the Royal Infernal Line. If Stativare said she could take her, she could. And, as luck would have it, he found the whole proposition to be highly entertaining and approved her request without hesitation. She would claim the concubine known at this time as Xantara Desiderio as her own and there wasn’t a damn thing Morlis could do about it.



Figuring there was no time like the present a quick trip was made to Stativare’s private Oculus, which only she could access other than him, to determine where Xantara was and within moments the Eye lit up with the figure of the scantily clad concubine. Xantara rarely covered herself beyond a sheer sarong tied about her hips and that was only one of the many things Najia had always enjoyed about Xantara. As she’d grown older and sexually matured she had begun to notice how fucking sexy Xantara was and never understood why Morlis gave so much of his attention to his other women when he had Xanny ready and willing any time he wanted her.



Well, not any more he wouldn’t. Determined to claim Xantara immediately she watched on the Oculus long enough for her to be able to tell that she was at the Italian Villa and, as usual, that Morlis had left her there unattended. Satisfied that she would have no difficulty claiming Xantara (not that it would have mattered to her either way considering she had the Prince of Hell to back her up) she returned to her chambers and began to prepare. When one is the Consort of the Prince of Hell one must always look the part. The fact that she was highly vain anyway certainly didn’t play into it, not in the slightest.



Surveying her reflection in the antique standing mirror she realized Xantara may not recognize her at first. It had been quite some time since she had departed the Desiderio holding and her appearance had changed somewhat since then. A little older now her figure had filled out but she was still petite enough in stature that she maintained the girlish look that she played upon mercilessly. The most startling difference would have to be her hair color. No longer was it the dark flaming red she once shared with both her mother and her sister but rather a shining red-gold hue. Coupled with her smoky amethyst eyes she looked almost angelic, a fact that amused her to no end. Eyeing the smoky lilac silk slip dress that clung to every curve of her body and ended just above her knees, the spaghetti straps leaving her shoulders practically bare, she knew she looked good, dazzling in fact, and was ready to go and get her girl.



A short time later she was stepping into the garden she had spent so much time in as a little girl, memories of her sister gardening, often with Xantara, fresh in her mind. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, though, and she was here with a purpose. It took no time at all to find Xantara sitting serenely in one of the many sunny bowers that dotted the Desiderio landscaping, all the better to seduce you my dear.



The movement of their approach alerted Xantara to their presence and as she looked up in surprise Najia stepped forward, Stativare’s presence felt strongly at her back, and she smiled. A smile that conveyed both happiness to see her childhood friend and vindictive pleasure at what she was about to do to Morlis.



”Xantara Desiderio, as Consort of the Prince of Hell under His authority I am here to reclaim you from the demon known as Morlis Desiderio. You belong to me now, Xanny pants.”

Post originally by Character_Xantara Desiderio

Sitting by herself her long golden hair fell down her spine along the bare collumn of flesh that was her bare skin. Her soft hazel eyes were fixated upon her hands on her lap. Her beloved Master had been out attending to issues and his other women. Naturally she was suprised to hear a voice behind her that she recognized. Eyes flared and she spun to look up to see that of Najia. The male with her made her lips compress and despite the sarong about her hips she nibbled her lips a bit.

"Miss Najia?" She asked softly her collar glitered where as on her breast was the embossed marking of Morlis. "You want to do what with me?" She inquired nibbling looking to the house. Tessa would expect her inside soon and she had to started to cook dinners, as she liked to make sure the house was always in readiness for Master to return home.

They talked of taking her from her Master. Her eyes widened she shook her head and turned fleding back for the house. "I Will Not Leave My Master! I Love My Master! I am His!" She screamed as loud as she could which was uncharacteristic for the small. Shadows melded a little bit as she looked for the secret passage that would lead directly for her master's chambers where Tessa would likely to be

Truely she adored Najia, the little girl was special as was all the Desiderio children, they were just like her own. The little redhead was always a favorite and it had badly hurt her heart that the girl had abandoned Antonio. But to take or even suggest leaving her master, the blond woman couldn't handle. No she couldn't, wouldn't do that not without Morlis releasing her which would shatter her world in twine. Nothing the girl said could, would make her leave as the woman refused to budge.

"TESSA!!! " She screamed out wanting help if all else failed, numbers was a good thing to keep her from leaving. The villa, being at Master Morlis's side was all that mattered to her, she needed to be there. Master needed her , she truely believed that in her gentle heart.

Post originally by Character_Stativare de Ingis

It wasn’t often that the Infernal one bestowed gifts upon anyone, much less those who served him. Najia had proved herself to be quite the invaluable commodity though, and despite the hefty reservations in him regarding praise or fondness -- he felt it necessary to grant her both. Praise in how she would be viewed by others once she possessed her own servant, and fondness in the simple fact that he was offering such a thing to her. For him to do such a thing was worlds apart from how he normally regarded his servants.

He had offered her Talisy at first, thinking one servant was just as worthwhile as the next. The persuasive half-breed had other desires though. She wanted Xantara. Had it been any other servant who attempted to make requests in the face of his great act of generosity, he would have stripped them bare and thrown them beyond his fortress walls so that they might have the time to ponder and reflect on their mistake. For her though he was compelled to oblige.

If she wished Xantara…she would have her.

The idea in and of itself amused him, though he would never say so. To have made the arrangement for Talisy, only to claim Morlis’ own submissive -- somehow it seemed poetic justice considering how Najia had come into his possession. Morlis had -sold- one he was supposed to care for, sold her at the whim of a spoiled child’s hurt feelings. Yes, to take Xantara would be fitting in many ways, thus he agreed to ascend with Najia and claim her “prize”.

This was to be Najia’s servant, and in keeping with that responsibility he allowed her to step forward and make her purpose known to the girl while he stood silently behind her, golden eyes focusing intently upon Xantara’s face with a sternness that said without speaking -- if she denied or tried to flee, the evening would not end well for her.

And of course..she fled, screaming.

His eyes narrowed and his hands raised to push the hood back from his features. Deeply tanned skin seemed to shine softly in the moon’s light, the shimmer broken only by the gentle sway of stark black hair being blown across his features. Unfolding his arms and stepping forward he began to stalk behind Xantara, walking with purpose in her direction. The girl screamed, screamed a name he wouldn’t have expected to hear.

Tessa.

The girl ran to the passageway she’d been searching for, just in time for the door to be opened by the small pink imp in question. Tessa had felt his presence the moment he and Najia appeared, and it was with trembling hands and wobbling legs that she managed to walk to the passageway and open the door. The imps head peeked from behind the door itself, seeing Xantara with Stativare moving in behind her and closing the gap between them.

Tessa was very self indulgent, and she would only do something if it held some benefit for her. With her former possessor drawing nearer, and Xantara having screamed her name, she knew then that it was not she that Stativare was after -- but Tara. Coming to that conclusion the imps eyes softened and she looked to Tara’s face, speaking in a hushed and slightly shaky voice.

”..N..no one escapes the Infernal one. Xantara..do not deny him..it hurts less when you don’t fight. If I help you…h..he’ll take me back. I cannot go back..I won’t. No.”

After that the door was closed before Xantara, and the sound of the heavy slide lock on the other side revealed that the imp had no intentions of sheltering the girl. And as that final sound of metal clicking with metal broke the night air, he drew up behind Xantara, less than 3ft away from her.

”Whether on your feet, or your back, you are coming with us. I make this offer only because you are to be Najia’s servant and she requested I not damage you. Follow me now and you will know no suffering. Deny me..deny Najia..I will tear this miserable building apart stone by stone. I will exsanguinate every living thing inside it, and then force you to eat every ounce of their dead flesh. This offer will not be made again.”

The words themselves seemed malicious enough, but it was the tone and expression of the man that truly gave them sway. His voice was a mix of uncompromising intent, and pure, unadulterated contempt. And the look upon his face, it was that of a man who had seen and done terrible things -- yet wouldn’t hesitate to do one more.

”What is your answer?”

She ran. No real surprise there. Xantara’s loyalty to Morlis smacked of mindless and Najia was fully aware the concubine would no doubt make a break for it. There was a distinct lack of concern in her demeanor, however, when Xantara made a break for it, running for the Villa as if it were a haven they could not penetrate. She had the advantage in this situation and not just because she was a demon and Xantara a human (mostly), but because of the man standing just behind her. No matter where Xantara ran, she would never be able to escape Stativare and as Xantara neared the house, screaming for help from yet another of Morlis’ women, she felt Static move passed her to begin his pursuit of the fleeing submissive.

Najia was quick on his heels though, only a step or two behind him as they advanced on the Villa. Xantara had managed to reach the door when Tessa appeared in the doorway, Najia’s amethyst eyes glaring hatefully at the imp she despised though her glare turned to a smirk of amusement as the scared imp who had once belonged to Stativare (hence Jia’s hatred) denied Xantara admittance to the Villa, even going so far as to tell her sister concubine that she would be better off to accept her fate rather than anger Static and closed and locked the door in her face.

Soft laughter slipped from her lips as Xantara’s only chance for help turned her back on her. Stepping up behind the rejected concubine she let her right hand rise to rest gently on her shoulder, Stativare’s ultimatum hanging in the air between them. She knew Xantara would fight to the end, her loyalty to Morlis absolute even now, and rather than see her become harmed in the face of Static’s anger she tightened her grip on the other woman’s shoulder, a silent warning to remain silent if she valued her physical well being, her voice ringing out loudly enough to allow the cowardly imp hiding on the other side of the door to hear her and cutting off anything else Xantara might have said.

"Tessa, you simpleton, pay very close attention. Go and tell your Master that we have taken Xantara as payment for the General's assistance with the acquisition of the slave, Talisy Aensland. He has 24 hours to appear before me and make a counter offer, and it had better be a good one, or he forfeits all rights to Xantara forever. We will be at our estate in the North Lands."


She'd had no intention of being so generous with Morlis, originally planning to take Xantara and tell him to suck it when he came whining to Stativare over it, but something had caused her to alter her plans and there was nothing in her features that would reveal what it was. Shifting the grip she held on Xantara's shoulder she let her fingertips play over the be-spelled collar the concubine had worn around her neck for many years. She knew the properties of the collar and what it could do and with a sweetly malicious smile she released a pulse of power from her fingertips, an extension of Stativare's own power heightening hers for the time being she knew, and the collar snapped and fell free, the force of the energy rendering Xantara unconscious.

Looking again to the Villa she saw Tessa dart away from the window, off to notify Morlis no doubt, and turning to Static she let her smile finally play over her lips. She seemed as excited as a child Christmas morning, oh this was such fun! Already she was planning the next stage of their little drama and wondering who she could intrigue against next! Xantara had sunk to the grass when unconsciousness had taken her and leaving her as she was for a moment Najia eased her body into Static's, her arms sliding around his neck as she kissed him.

"I still don't get how anyone could run away from you," she whispered when they finally parted, the amused grin still touching to her lips as she stepped back from him, one hand still laced with his as she knelt down enough to grip Xantara's arm and within seconds the darkness closed in around them, a slight ringing was heard in her ears, and then the light returned to reveal the stone manor estate Stativare had purchased in the North Lands of Aleris right next to the cemetery at her insistence. Hell was fun and all but highly one dimensional which was why she spent the majority of her time when not with Static parked in front of the Oculus he had given her free reign too. It had been used extensively when planning this little venture, in fact.

Given Xantara's slumbering state she was taken to the room prepared for her down the hall from their own and locked her in. The rest of the evening she spent filling Static in on the sudden twist to her plan, which he enjoyed immensely by the way, before indulging in the carnal benefits of belonging to him.

It was late the next morning when Morlis finally arrived. Najia had been locked in with Xantara working her own brand of persuasion upon the concubine, both emotional and physical, when one of the servants kept on staff to maintain the estate in their absence knocked upon the door to announce that Morlis had arrived and was at that moment in the study with the General. Knowing full well Morlis would try to plead his side against her while he had Stativare alone she took her sweet time preparing to go down, giving him plenty of time to work himself into a lather when nothing he said moved his Lord.

The hopeful look on Xantara's face when she heard Morlis' name announced was heartbreaking, she truly thought he would be able to get her back, and he would be given the chance but only Najia and Static knew that to get her back Morlis would have to deal with the devil and that always meant sacrifice. Drawing Xantara into her arms she kissed the concubine before releasing her and moving to the door.

"Come along Xantara, you'll want to see this. You should know what he will have to give up to get you back."

Taking Xantara with her was a last minute decision but it occurred to her that being faced with his captive submissive, her hopeful trusting eyes upon him, would only make things harder on Morlis and it certainly wasn't her intention to make it easy. Leading Xantara to the study she stepped into the room to see Morlis standing before Stativare who sat in the large winged back chair near the hearth, disdainful amusement reflecting in his gaze when she met his eyes. Morlis was as upset as she had ever seen him and the look of anger and hatred in his eyes when he turned to face her was matched only by the look she offered him.

Xantara tried to move around her, tried to run to Morlis, but Najia's vice grip on Xantara's arm prevented that and with a languid stride that said plainly she cared nothing for Morlis' anger she pulled Xantara after her to the chair sitting opposite Stativare in front of the hearth, her grip drawing Xantara down to her knees at Najia's feet. It was an action deliberately designed to antagonize Morlis and it worked quite well as he took a foolish step forward before realizing just who he was dealing with and stopped.

"You've some nerve Morlis, playing the part of the victim after the things you've done. Tsk tsk. I would call you a hypocrite but you already know what you are so I'm going to get right down to business. You pledged yourself to our Lord Stativare, a pledge which could and most likely will, implicate your entire family, and in return you have been given certain assistance. The fact that you have spent the last two weeks in isolation with the demoness Talisy Aensland as you break her in is due to our Lord because he made it possible and you know it. In return he has decided to take your concubine, Xantara, as payment. Plain and simple. You forfeited your right to argue when you entered into service to him and you know that too."

Her entire speech had been delivered in a saccharine tone that belied the undercurrent of loathing and rage she felt towards the man she had once called Daddy. There was business to tend too, emotions would be dealt with later. She could see every barbed word she uttered stinging at him, ripping into his flesh and making him bleed, her words revealing his new contract with Static to his family as Xantara heard every word. They all knew this was about revenge, that was no secret, but unlike Morlis she had a far more menacing approach and she executed it all with calculated glee, her grin as she finished speaking saying quite clearly, "suck it".

"Lucky for you I am feeling generous today and I will give you the chance to barter for her. You are being given a very rare opportunity to get back what was taken by your Liege..but not without a price. You may have Xantara back but in exchange I will take your daughter, Salome. One or the other Morlis, you choose. And I wouldn't advise fighting me, us, on this. Try anything stupid and I will lay waste to your entire family. Anyone wearing the name Desiderio or possessing a drop of your blood will be killed or enslaved, depending on their worth.

You have three days to decide."

Post originally by Character_Morlis Desiderio


He was not a man with an amazing amount of foresight. It was his biggest downfall and a flaw that was known by all who knew and loved him and in spite of this flaw many did, love him that is. He’d been away from his family for almost two weeks now seeing to the personal project he had made of the demoness known as Talisy Aensland. Revenge was indeed a powerful motivator and he was no exception, in fact he often lead the pack as far as vengeful counter-measures went, rarely considering the ramifications of his actions. Naturally it had never occurred to him that obtaining the Infernal’s help with Talisy would result in the taking of his concubine, Xantara, obviously.



He was in the “middle” of a session with Talisy when Tessa’s emergent call came through his subconscious. Tessa was the only one able to reach him when he had himself warded off from the others, for emergencies you know, and that was something of a bone of contention with his other women. She had knowledge and privileges the others didn’t and it had caused a bit of unrest among the others in his personal harem.



It was the act of warding himself off from the others to prevent them from finding and disturbing him that caused him to be ignorant to Xantara’s plight the moment she became afraid. He should have known, given the enchantment placed on the collar, but the wards were too strong and it wasn’t until Tessa punched through them that he became aware of Xantara’s distress. Tessa’s voice screaming in his mind was sufficient to distract him from what he was doing to, er, with, Talisy and within the hour he had secured his newest slave in the small cottage on the back part of the property his son had established in Aleris. He’d been in Aleris the whole time, oddly enough, making use of the guest cottage that was set discreetly away from the main house.



Slowly the situation became clear as Tessa babbled out what had happened as well as her own part in it, denying Xantara entrance to the home, refusing to help her. He knew he should be angry but he also understood where Tessa came from, that she had once belonged to Stativare, and that she feared him greatly with good reason. He didn’t blame her for what she did because she’d have had no prayer of stopping Stativare anyway. Besides, much of the circumstances that enabled this situation were because he had fought so hard to keep Tessa at his side.



He knew they were at the estate Stativare had established in the North Lands of Aleris, he’d taken his daughter Sarine there when acquiring the passel of imps that now served within the main house, and he wasted no time in getting there either. Once there he was shown to Stativare where he immediately began making his case for having Xantara returned to him. He knew Najia had done what she done out of spite because Stativare had revealed Morlis’ part in her being taken by Static. He’d had no idea she would manage to win his favor as she had, maintaining her freedom and becoming his Consort no less. Again that lack of foresight had not served him well.



As he had suspected Static was unsympathetic to his plight. He’d known how Static was when he’d entered into his new arrangement with the Infernal so he wasn’t surprised to find him unbending but it still frustrated him visibly, something he was certain Stativare enjoyed. His family knew nothing of his new arrangement with the Prince of Hell as he knew almost every one of them would find fault with his decision but good or bad, he’d pledged himself to the Prince and in return he would gain the support and backing of the General should his family ever come under attack as well as the occasional bit of assistance such as with Talisy. That support came with a price, though, and he hadn’t planned on it implicating his family which apparently, it did. They were gonna be pissed when they found out but he would deal with that later.



He’d done it to protect them, after all. With the estrangement between himself and his sister Cahira they were weakened, he was weakened, and he knew it. He’d done what he had to do to make sure his family was protected though many on the outside looking in would assume he’d done it for his own selfish reasons and he wouldn’t like, many of those reasons played a part in his decision. But he did care for his family, very much, and this was not a situation he had foreseen nor enjoyed finding himself in.



When Najia arrived he’d taken one look at the girl and had known all of this was about revenge for what he’d done to her. Yes, he knew Sarine had been the cause of Najia’s sudden flight from their family, thus wounding Antonio’s heart, but he hadn’t really cared for the reasons. The fact of the matter was Najia had left and his son had been hurt and as most demons do he’d reacted out of anger without thinking much about the consequences of his actions but truly, who the fuck could have known that the girl standing in front of him would gain the Prince’s favor so quickly. He should have, he realized. Najia had taken over his whole home with her demands, her charm getting her whatever she’d wanted, which had contributed to why she’d been sent to boarding school. He knew keeping her around his younger children when they were brought to the villa would only spark more rivalry and chaos and he’d tried to avoid it. So much for the best of intentions.



He listened with growing anger, however futile, while Najia took her seat, forcing his Xantara to her knees beside her while she laid bare his arrangement with Stativare in front of Xantara. He couldn’t even look at his sweet concubine, knowing the despair in her gaze would be his undoing. He was not prepared, however, for the ultimatum that Najia laid down before him.



Xantara or Salome, his choice, either way he’d lose one of them or she would destroy his whole family.



The blood drained from his face and the anger nearly took control before he remembered just who Najia belonged too now. He knew he’d be dead before he’d taken a single step if he advanced on Najia in anger, he was helpless to change matters and he knew it and that helplessness only made him all the angrier. The glee she took in informing him of her “generous offer” burned and he longed to slap the smirk off of her lips but instead he merely turned and stalked out of the manor without another word. He had three days to decide.



Three days during which Xantara would be in their care. Whether he got her back or not those three days could prove altering for his concubine. She would be at the mercy of them both and he knew it was foolish to hope she would get out of this situation without having been used sexually by one or both of them, a fact that made the bile rise in his throat and his fists clench to the point that he drew blood from his palms.



He was back at the villa in record time but he did not go to the cottage that still held Talisy captive but rather to his suite of rooms within the Villa itself. He had not shared his presence there with any of his children but if they were present they would feel him there now and as he passed by Salome’s room he hesitated, his hand rising to press to the wood as if he could sense her through the door. To get his sweet Xantara back he would have to sacrifice his youngest. It was an impossible decision but what bothered his conscience the most was the simple fact that he did not immediately choose to sacrifice Xantara to save Salome. The sad fact was…



He was torn.



He was close to all of his children, he adored them all and many of his “bad decisions” had been done with them in mind, but Salome was the youngest and she’d always been close to him. The fact that he would have to sacrifice her to get back the woman who had been at his side for years was a situation he never could have fathomed. Which was part of his problem.



Letting his hand fall from Salome’s door he continued down the hall to his own suite where he closed the door behind him and dropped into the large chair in front of the hearth.



Three days. He had three days to decide just how exactly he would rip out his own heart.

Post originally by Character_Xantara Desiderio


In her opinion it was more an Infernal abduction rather then gifting. She was the one being abducted or rather nearly being abducted at first thought which was why she'd bolted and taken off screaming. Having been abducted in the past, it had always been a fear of hers, one that Morlis had done hard in the past to alleviate from her delicate shoulders.

Her hazel eyes filled with fear and terror, of course she was frightened to all hell. Naturally miss Najia was probably displeased with the girl that fled from her but honestly, she'd never known Xantara's terror.

Always one that kept silent, gentle and respectful to all, it was easy for people to not see her and for her to blend into the surroundings as sure as a catapillar in the summer when the trees were in bloom. Which was part of why she never complained when odd things ended up becoming her priority and responsibility.

Each Desiderio child it seemed with the exception of the eldest had been held to her breast and cuddled when the world was bleak, the days were gray and the rain was falling down. Her gentle loving nature made it easy for them to lvoe them all as it was the ways of her life , her world was that of servitude to her beloved family.

To Najia and Stativare yes this was probably about revenge but sometimes revenge cost a great deal more then feelings, sometimes it could destroy innocent bystanders. Long ago a man had taken Xantara from Morlis and the deSade empire and tried to keep her for his own. Morlis rather angered had sealed her collar with a spell to keep her whereabouts known to himself at all tiems, a bind between the two. A bind he strenghtened when he branded her breast with his marker that showed at all times, beautifully emphasized by her minimalistic clothing and jewelry that he draped on her to display his treasure.

A concubine, a term she rather despised as she'd entered in as a slave, a submissive and to her that was what and whom she was. It was her job to tend to her garden, her family as it was the same to her. To ensure they grew to all they were capable of. So with this developement, Morlis would feel a very very vivid feeling of terror and fear. The strong sense of something was extremely wrong and that sense of dread that came when one knew they were helpless in the tide as the ocean pulled them further and further from the shore.

The question was if he would act upon that, that was not known to her, if and how he would. When tessa appeared and told her to not deny the man then barred her from her home. That sensation that would radiate to morlis shot up in several directions and all to extreme levels. Fear intensified as she heard the lock shot barring her from the home that was Hers long before it was Tessas. Anger that someone she cared for would treat her that way for once in her life her own feelings mattered at least to her. Hurt as it truely did hurt that someone she all but called sister, someone she gave to without question, without limit would hurt her like that. Then something Morlis would have never felt from her ever. Betrayal.. It rose within her like bile to the point she wanted to slide to her knees and drew them to her cheek trying to slow her breathing.

The want to retch grew and intensified with each step the man took with her back up against the now bolted door. "Please don't do this to me.. Please.. This one isn't permitted to leave without Master present it is his command and order... " She broke down starting to sob and bawl with tears streaming down her face washing out her hazel hues making her face become further and further blotchy to go with the stronge sensation of wanting to be ill.

”Whether on your feet, or your back, you are coming with us. I make this offer only because you are to be Najia’s servant and she requested I not damage you. Follow me now and you will know no suffering. Deny me..deny Najia..I will tear this miserable building apart stone by stone. I will exsanguinate every living thing inside it, and then force you to eat every ounce of their dead flesh. This offer will not be made again.”

The male's words resonated like a death sentence, to her they were. She didn't want to let down Najia, but she was terrorfied truely with everything she was at that point. Her face lifted up to whimper softly through her tears..

Then the demand for her to answer, her head lulled as she tried to get herself together enough to answer. As well as the want to kick the fucking door to the ground and break every bone in tessa's body so she'd be as useless to master as she had been to her.

Starting to pick herself apart for being weak and childish as she made herself not beg them to stop instead she rose up and it was then a hand went to her shoulder. Najia's words made her blanche and turn pale. Her gaze shifted to the woman watery shades of hazel as she shook her head. "Please miss Najia.." she trailed off. A hand went to her collar her head shook in protest. "Don't touch my..........." She went to again yell but a jolt assailed her body making her scream out before it slowly dropped to the ground, her with it as she faded to black.

Tara was not having a good day it would seem. As she was gathered up the collar that was so treasured and special to her left on the ground. The evening passed relatively in ease allthough her distress and upset didn't really leave her once. But Najia made her calm back to a small semblance of herself so when she heard that Morlis was there her eyes brightened and she looked to the door. Hope radiated as well as a faint bit of animosity.

She no longer felt that Morlis's home was her own anymore, she couldn't return with Tessa there. Not after her defection and betrayal after all these years. She'd have requested she get sent to the children or something, somewhere so she could still be at her beloved master's side without ever facing tessa again because she wished well harm for the other female with a vengeance all her own. When she was bid to follow along and the kiss that calmed the tide of her errant thoughts she nodded her head and followed with her head lowered docily and hands behind her back correctly.

The grip kept her at Najai's side but soon enough she obediantly slid to her knees where it was ordained. Her head had her eyeing the floor but her eyes kept slipping disobediantly up to look to Morlis. Truely she believed her master cared for her and wouldnt let her stay here. That he'd protect her like he promised her. Nibbling on her lips she squirmed at times her little fingers caressed the marking that strayed upon her breast that displayed whom she belonged to.

Hearing the growl of Morlis and the shift of his feet, the scent alone made her steal a few more glances at the elder demonic male. Master's business, where he had been made her flinch several times over things she'd never been privy too made her head lower all the more. Soon she was fighting back the wave of tears again, normally she didn't cry, she'd never cried in all this time, these years but the tears were seeming to sting the back of her eyes as they had the previous day making her not feel ill but she definately hurt with each word uttered.

"Lucky for you I am feeling generous today and I will give you the chance to barter for her. You are being given a very rare opportunity to get back what was taken by your Liege..but not without a price. You may have Xantara back but in exchange I will take your daughter, Salome. One or the other Morlis, you choose. And I wouldn't advise fighting me, us, on this. Try anything stupid and I will lay waste to your entire family. Anyone wearing the name Desiderio or possessing a drop of your blood will be killed or enslaved, depending on their worth."

Hearing these words she looked up sharply at Najia to where her dull blonde hair hung limp about her shoulders down her back and over her breasts. "Please miss, not something like that. It would endanger so much.. Including your own mother whom adores you so." She reminded her gently. She adored Lady Delaney a great deal as she'd been there for so long with the children, she loved each child she'd held to her. The thought of them being hurt by another of her precious'children' burned through her as sure as a dagger.

Slowly her head lifted from it's submissive bowed poise that she had used for so long to life her hopeful and trusting eyes up at morlis. The determination in her showed in those soft hazel hues. "If I am to return to you master, I require one thing of you. The only thing I've ever asked of you in my life of service. I want Tessa removed from the house and placed elsewhere. I will not live with a traitor." Her words were soft and respectful but fierce in her determination to the point her words almost had a sharp bit of a bite to them.

As Morlis walked off to think of things, a small shread of her hope in him, her trust and faith started to falter and her head fell down staring once more at the floor with nothing to her. Revenge games were destructive and they were hurting her on both ends...

"Three days to decide..." She sighed then mumbled quietly. "May this one please return to her room now." She mumbled. No she didn't want to be around najia, she needed to think and the mroe she sat there the more she was going to tear things apart. So morlis got to take her words with him, he got to think if he was able to. Decisions were always tough when it came to a game of hearts. A card game was being played, and there was no telling, who held the queen of spades. Who would win the game now played.

Sitting on her bed brushing her hair, a familiar scent had crossed her nose but she was being fanciful probably. The young impish succubus shifted a bit allowing her bare form to undulate upon her silken comforter a few moments as she kept brushing her shining pink tresses. Andras roamed around the room prowling like a caged tiger when she laughed and thumbed the door. "Go work down at the Corner for a few hours, service a few of the pretty ladies. I'm not in the mood yet for your minstrations and your pacing is driving me nuts."

She laughed softly as she rose up walking across her room for her closet. The door left open when he left as she had told him he was to close it but since he was pouting the quiet defiance would be dealt with later probably. The door open she smelled that scent again and walked for her door. Her little face went to the wood and sniffed at it. "Daddy?" She murmured softly and rubbed her cheek on that spot a moment or two.

Surely she was being fanciful after all, daddy was away on business as always. Or as Sarine would put it, he's busy sowing the wild oats of his millions of pastures. Never the less she couldn't help but wish he was there, really she missed her time with him when they talked or he cuddled her to him. Rine and Tonio had been busy it was in those times she missed her parental.

Never the less back into her room she went closing her door as she turned her little music box on and let the soft melody play as she went about finding something to wear for the evening. To which she made after several moments consideration. The white sheath of white satin hugged her body to where it laced up her side. Her little form laced tightly into it as she kept yanking the ribbons that pulled until her body was clearly defined.

A silver collar fastened around her neck that fastened with a white ribbon that matched the dress, slave style bracelets were fastened and spiked heels that hiked her up four more inches over her natural height putting her at 5'2 instead of her usual diminuative height of 4'8 unfortunately she shared the height of her mother, much to her chagrin.

Her pink hair pinned back with the diamonette hair pins her father sent her for her birthday then off she went again. Pausing at her door she again rubbed her face against it and headed down her hall to the carriage that would take her to the Siren's corner. "I miss you daddy." She mumbled to herself her childlike playful loving nature seeping out of her like the exotic perfume she wore of lotus and orchids. Pausing by a maid she held up a finger. "If my whereabouts are inquired , I'm at Siren's Corner for work this evening. Remind my brother Antonio that he promised to stop in sometime and check up on his investment." Her laughter rang out and she stepped into her carriage and was gone from the home that her brother had set up for them all.

Naturally she was oblivious to the world or rather the shadow hanging over the family.

The confrontation with Morlis turned out to be far more entertaining than she could have anticipated. His anger was a palpable force on the air and she knew to her very core that if he did not fear Stativare’s retaliation he would have lunged for her a dozen times over with the intent to do her serious physical harm. Gone were the days of being cuddled on the lap of her “Daddy”. Now there was only anger and hatred, on both their parts, and she was determined to make it clear to him that he had fucked up when he’d come after her.



In her opinion she was off to a fabulous start.



Hearing Xantara speak out of turn it occurred to her to censure her temporary pet but the words uttered by the concubine only heightened Morlis’ obvious distress as she informed him that she would never return to live with Tessa, even if Morlis regained her. The smile on the lips of the Princess grew in response, amethyst eyes meeting Morlis’ with amused condescension showing plainly in their smoky gem-like depths. She’d won and they both knew it. No matter what decision Morlis made now, he would suffer for it.



It wasn’t until she heard Xantara’s softly spoken words of caution about vengeance upon Morlis’ entire line including that of her mother. With a slight shrug she met Xantara’s gaze briefly, her voice flippant and unconcerned when she spoke.



”You’re forgetting my sister Amyraliss too, but I really can’t be bothered with such trivialities, Xanny pants. They are the ones who decided to lie down with a dog so now they must deal with the fleas. Besides, neither of them wear his name any longer nor were ever his blood, so they’re safe. Morlis knows who I mean, don’t you ~Daddy~”?



Her voice oozed pure venom as she spoke the affectionate title she had once gladly afforded him. Oh yes, Morlis knew precisely what she meant. Sacrifice one child, or all of them? Give up one concubine or see his sisters laid to waste? Morlis finally took his leave, her laughter mingling with his anger and frustration in his wake. A moment later she heard Xantara request permission to be given leave to return to her chamber and with a soft touch of her hand to Tara’s hair she gave her leave to depart.



Once alone she was on her feet and across the room in an instant where she threw herself into Stativare’s arms, her girlish laughter filling the room as she crowed over her success. For the next several hours Static showed her just how happy he was with her machinations and when they finally emerged the vigor with which he displayed his pleasure was evident in her tousled appearance and languid, content, demeanor.



Being the Prince of Hell and General of Hell’s armies Stativare naturally had plenty of duties to occupy his time so they went their separate ways with his parting instructions demanding she be in their chambers before dawn. He had plans for her and a tingle of anticipation made her wish for dawn to arrive as quickly as possible. Left to her own devices she was charged with the task of finding some way of occupying her time before dawn came. Xantara obviously wanted to be alone and a moping concubine didn’t really interest her at the moment. There would be time later to have her way with Xantara’s lush body; she would have her for at least three days after all.



Thinking about the possibility that she may be sending Xantara back to Morlis in three days time only to acquire his daughter, Salome, she was struck with sudden inspiration. Since Static had granted her free access to the Oculus on his level of Hell she had used it extensively. Hell was interesting enough but the places she could travel too were limited for the time being. She’d refused Stativare’s mark for the time being, demanding to remain a free woman who chose to stay at his side, and without that mark she could not move freely about Hell without fear of being accosted. And it wasn’t the minor demons Stativare was concerned about, either. Given that she was a race of demon that shouldn’t exist she was something of a trophy in Hell, according to Stativare, and he didn’t wish her to gain the attention of Lillith or even his father until she accepted his mark and became officially his, which she would not do until it was offered to her as his wife, not his slave. All in good time.



The Eye had afforded her the chance to view the world she’d left behind, watching those she now considered enemies whenever she pleased as a means of better planning her revenge upon them and in the course of her watching she had seen Salome working at the Siren’s Corner on more than one occasion. It was originally just a brothel but Salome had turned it into a place where all manner of pampering could be indulged in and it seemed like now would be the perfect time to partake of what the Corner had to offer as well as take a look at the girl who could quite easily become her property before the week was over.



Returning to the lavish chambers she shared with Static she changed from her sex-rumpled clothing into something more appropriate. She had no intentions of telling Salome who she was initially, her decision to go to the Corner for recon purposes only, though if the opportunity arose and seemed like it would better serve her plans, she would tell all to the young woman. However, at first, she would present herself as nothing more than a very rich Princess seeking a bit of pampering. She’d appeal to the fact that Salome was a business woman and she was going to be dropping quite a bit of money in her establishment and go from there.



From what she’d seem from the imp/succubus half-breed she had no preference in gender for her sexual partners so naturally she dressed with to entice. Her red-gold hair was brushed until it gleamed like burnished antique gold, a band of amethyst and gold pulling it away from her face and giving her the appearance of wearing a tiara without actually donning the ostentatious ornamentation it resembled. With the assistance of one of the skeleton crew of servants who always lived at the Aleris estate she laced herself into a dress that consisted of a corseted bodice of dark lilac satin that cinched about her waist emphasizing her curves and leaving her shoulders bare, her cleavage even more noticeable given the tight fit of the garment. The skirt was made of panne velvet in a lighter, smoky, shade of purple and clung to her hips before skimming down her thighs to end at the knee. Amethyst, diamonds, and gold glittered at her neck and wrists. Donning matching heels with a single strap that secured around her ankle she was ready to go and called for the black carriage that bore the mark of the Infernal on its side.



She was off to visit the Siren’s Corner.



Aleris was a huge realm and the Siren’s Corner was located in the Eastern Lands of Aurora that bordered the North Lands of Elysia but Static’s carriage wasn’t a mundane conveyance by any stretch of the imagination and the horses with the eyes that burned red and noses that snorted sulfur were able to get here to the Corner in what would most likely be considered record time.



The lavish carriage pulled up in front of the Corner and within moments the door was opening and the driver’s hand was extending to help her down the steps, his eyes carefully averted from the Infernal’s Consort lest he lose his eyes over letting his gaze linger too long as had happened to some. Descending the steps she gave instructions for the driver to wait nearby and with all the fanfare of a Grand Princess arriving at Court she swept into the foyer of the Siren’s Corner, almost every eye present coming to rest upon her as her presence surpassed her diminutive figure and filled the entire room.



One pair of eyes she recognized, Andras, and it was through sheer force of will alone that she kept her face from revealing that she knew who he was and knew also that he had been the price for her. Him, one single male imp was all it had taken for her so called family to barter her away. Turning her gaze deliberately from him she let her cool gaze scan the remaining people. She knew better to identify herself as Najia Ambrose as it was a name that would be recognized easily enough so when her voice emerged and filled the otherwise silent room it was a different name she gave, different but no less her own.



”I am Princess Jia de Ingis. I am here to partake of your spa facilities. I assume you have someone that is up to my standards available to see to my needs?”

Post originally by Character_Morlis Desiderio


The sounds of Salome preparing to leave for her position as Mistress of the Siren’s Corner reached him and he very nearly called out to her, on the verge of pouring the entire situation out to her but at the last minute he held his tongue. They wanted to take one of his children or his concubine and on some level it shamed him that his first instinct had been to take Xantara with him and barter away his youngest. Even more shameful was that the guilt he felt was no where near as deep as it should have been.



He heard Salome leave the house and sighing rose from the chair he currently occupied he made his way from the sitting room into the large bedchamber that housed a bed large enough to sleep six people comfortably, a detail that wasn’t so amusing when one realized that it was entirely possible that six people may be sleeping in the bed…or doing other things.



Right now though his focus was on one woman and she wasn’t there to share the bed with him. Laying back he closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep and enter the realm of dreams as all demons of his breed could and once there he began his search for the familiar energy signature that belonged to Xantara. While at the manor in the North Lands he had noticed that Xantara’s collar had been removed but his mark still graced her supple skin and through that he should be able to reach her. Assuming she was asleep of course.



Luck was finally on his side it turned out because he managed to find her after several minutes of casting his awareness into the aether. She was asleep but even in her slumber he could sense her distress, her pain and anger, and it only heightened his own distress. Moving through the foggy realm of dreams until he found her particular consciousness he found her dream figure sitting upon the ground, weeping quietly as she struggled with her situation and the betrayal she felt from Tessa.


Easing down behind her his arms enclosed her nearly nude body and drew her back against him, his head bowing to allow him to burrow his face into her silken tresses.



”Don’t cry baby…I’m going to get you back. I promise.”