Chapter Text
Joachim shivered as the crisp winter air bit at his skin.
If that wasn’t enough, the guards behind him kept poking his back with their spears, trying to get him to move faster as they walked him through the forest. The shackles prevented him from being able to take proper steps, or even to speed up his pace. God, did they have to make them so tight?
He looked up as the sky turned dark, confused.
Was night falling too soon? Or had he been locked up so long that he forgot how to keep track of time?
The forest seemed endless, as if it went on forever, until finally the trees parted, and a large castle came into view.
He watched in amazement as the drawbridge lowered down, allowing the guards to escort him across it. The grand doors opened, allowing entry into a beautifully decorated main hall.
“What… what is this?” Joachim asked, confused.
The guards said nothing, looking at each other and nodding.
Then suddenly, one drew his sword, dragging the blade across Joachim’s wrists, causing him to yelp in pain.
They quickly threw him to the floor, before exiting the castle and letting the doors close behind them.
Joachim struggled to stand up, but the shackles didn’t allow enough slack for him to do much except get to his hands and knees.
So this was how he was to be executed? Left to bleed out in a strange castle in the middle of the woods?
Well, there were worst ways to die.
He sighed, shutting his eyes, and waiting for the end to come.
“Aren’t you going to beg for your life?” a voice asked, as smooth as silk.
Opening his eyes, Joachim saw a man, with hair and eyes redder than anything he’d seen before, dressed in fine, black armor, and a cape that looked to soft and delicate to be real.
The man stared at him with an interested look, with one hand on his hip and holding a finger to his mouth in thought.
“Who are you?” Joachim asked, squinting his eyes in confusion.
“Ah, forgive me for being rude.” the man chuckled, “I am Walter Bernhard, and you are?”
“Joachim. Are you going to kill me?”
“I was.” Walter hummed in thought, “But there’s something… interesting about you.”
Joachim laughed dryly, “I am but a miserable slave, Walter. There’s nothing the least bit interesting about me.”
“Tell me, why didn’t you ask them to come back?” Walter asked, walking in circles around the man at his feet, “Why aren’t you praying to your God for forgiveness or mercy when all the others have?”
“Because I prefer death to that awful prison.” Joachim answered, “And God has already abandoned me… otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”
Walter stared at him for a moment, before smirking and reaching down.
Joachim shut his eyes tightly once more, before he felt the shackles being broke.
“Come with me.” Walter smiled, standing him up and placing his hands over his guest’s wrists, “Why don’t you join me for dinner?”
Joachim blinked in confusion, before noticing the wounds on his wrists were gone, with nothing but drying blood as a sign that he was hurt.
“I don’t believe I have a choice.”
This was more food than Joachim had ever seen in his life.
Roasted pheasants and plates of finely seasoned vegetables were brought out before him.
He scarfed the food down without any semblance of manners, his primal instinct to feed overpowering any rational thought to be polite.
Walter simply watched until Joachim ate his fill, until he sat back with a content sigh and placing his hands on his full stomach.
“So, what brings you here?” Walter asked casually, leaning forward and putting his hands together.
Joachim went silent, staring at his lap.
Walter stood, striding over to his guest, before carefully pulling down the back of his tunic.
Joachim winced, knowing exactly what he was looking at.
“You were branded.” Walter observed, fingers tracing the outlines of the scars.
“I told you, I’m just a slave.” Joachim whispered, ashamed.
“What crime did you commit that was so horrid, they chose to send you here?”
“I don’t know… they just arrested me, never told me what for. All I know is that my Master asked for the arrest to be made.”
Walter pulled the tunic down further, staring at the whip strikes in thought, “Whatever it was, it must have been a pretty severe crime.”
“Severe enough to whip me, crush my thumbs, and burn my feet.” he agreed.
Walter looked down at Joachim’s hand, noticing that his thumbs were in fact twisted and crushed, the skin bruised and discolored.
“How long did they torture you, poor Joachim?”
“Too many days to count...” he whimpered.
Walter pulled the knotted, jet black hair with a gentle hand, exposing Joachim’s neck, “How awful.” he muttered.
Joachim leaned into his host’s silken touch, shutting his eyes.
Never before had he felt so relaxed, so cared for.
Walter smirked, walking in front of Joachim and lifting his chin with a hand, making Joachim open his eyes and look at him.
He liked to think that there was no one who could resist his charms and seduction.
“What do you desire?” he asked
“D-desire…?”
“What do you wish for, above all else?
He watched as Joachim paused, thinking for a moment.
What did he wish for?
He wasn’t sure, so he thought back, sorting through all his memories.
He recalled his earliest memory at three, being used by the older servants to crawl into small places and clean them until they were spotless.
He recalled being forced to work every day of his life, waking up at the crack of dawn and not going to bed until the moon was high in the sky.
He remembered desiring to slap his Master every time he laughed. He hated that obnoxious laugh.
He remembered wanting to spit in his Master’s face every time he yelled that he wasn’t working fast enough.
He remembered wanting to strangle his Master every time he embarrassed him in public, screaming at him for any and all mistakes and beating him in front of people, who did nothing but walk by, turning their noses up at him.
He wanted…
“I want to crush them.” Joachim hissed, shaking with rage, with what could only be described as loathing and hatred in his eyes.
Walter smiled, leaning forward, “Then your wish shall be granted.”
Joachim stayed completely still, still trapped in his trance as Walter leaned down, gently kissing his neck before latching on with his fangs.
Joachim gasped as he felt his neck get bit into, but it wasn’t painful. It was like a warmth spreading through his body, relaxing him from head to toe, similar to sitting in front of a fireplace after a long walk in the snow.
And then everything went black.