Reassigning Family Business: - The Castle Under the Swamp

The King in Yellow had left the newest girl in a room to sober up for the day. Once the sun had set once more, he enters her chambers to see how the chained girl fared after a meal and a good nights sleep. Once she had been handled, his newest play things would be seen to.

"Good evening."

He says after he closes the door behind him.

When fed, the little girl had shoveled her food down like some kind of savage. She slept like a rock, curled up into herself.

As the King in Yellow entered, she kicked her way backwards across the floor, scooting on her bum until she hit the wall. Beneath her tangled dirty blonde locks, clear grey eyes stared wildly up at him. Even as she cowered against the wall, she appeared as a wild animal, ready to pounce at any moment.

"My, my, my,"he purred at her as he settles on the edge of her bed, but leaves her much space.

"You are an exceptionally pretty little thing aren't you?"

He pats the area next to him. "Please, sit closer. I wish to talk. Do you have a name?"

She remained on the floor, her back arched in an animalistic sort of way. "Addison gave me no name.." Her tone was a mix between a whisper and a growl, "Orphanage call me Beast.."

"Beast is fitting, I suppose, but not very pretty. You should have a name to match your visage."

He produces a perfect apple from his sleeves and settles it on the bed next to him.

"How do you like the sound of Vulpine?"

"Vulpine - of, or relating to foxes.." She recited in the same bestial tone, though rehearsed like a dictionary, as she began to crawl forward on her hands and knees, her movements fluid. "I will answer to Vulpine from now on." Her gaze was fixed on the apple on the bed, two or three times her gaze flicked to the King's face, though only for an instant.

"Good girl, I am pleased. When you are ready, you will be bathed. Over time, you will be instructed in how best to please me. Do you know why you are here?"

"Tried to kill girl.. did not do well.. Punished for poor strategy.." She mumbled, reaching out to snatch the apple as soon as she was close enough.

He allows her to take the apple.

"Would you like to learn how to kill, little vulpine?"

She sinks her teeth into the apple, not bothering to wipe the juice that dribbled down her chin. Her eyes stayed on him as she moved back two steps on her knees, though didn't go all the way back to the wall. "I say yes, you chain me?" She asked skeptically, looking him over cautiously.

"You will be chained until I can trust you. Should you kill any of my servants or cause then harm, I will flay you alive and let you die in measures. Do you know what that means, little vulpine?"

She shook her head rapidly, uncaring that her face was covered by her tangled bangs. Her mouth opened again, as she took another large bite of the apple.

"It means, if you disobey me in this I will peel your skin off and let you die of rot. Make no mistake, I am the most dangerous being you have even known. Do you understand?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes reflecting understanding - not fear. "I understand." She mouthed, her tone no less menacing. She backed up on her knees once more until she hit the wall, apple clung in her fingers as if it were the most important thing to her. "Will not hurt your slaves."

"Excellent."

He graced her with a kind smile, patting the seat beside him again.

"The first thing you need to least, little vulpine, is to act as if you will never harm someone. Lies, charm, youth ans your beauty are your most potent tools for murder right now. You mist learn to speak and act like a little girl or a young seductress. Mask your contempt behind something pretty and soft and none will know your true purpose."

"Is that why you has blonde hair?" She asked, the growl dying down a bit - though replaced by the raspy sort of sound of a sore throat. "Addison says blonde hair prettiest.."

"It can be, certainly. Addison is a unique beauty, more doll like then practical. You could be a lithe tempter or a cute innocent, but dolls make people uncomfortable."

He smiled again. "I can appear to be most any way I please, but I have learned that blonde or brunette I get the least trouble."

The wildness in her eyes began to tame with an intense curiosity as she inched forward, "How?"

The King in Yellow smiles.

"I know two methods. One that fools your mind, and one that fools my flesh."

He covers his face with his hands and drops them in a flourish. Were a blonde white youth was, now a kindly grandfather with a long white beard and wrinkles sat. He laughs, even his voice sounds frail.

"Or my flesh."

He holds up his hand and flexes for her, long viscous bladed of bone leap from his forearm in a snicking sound.

"Do you want to learn the things I would teach you, young hunter?"

Her wide eyes now dominated by curiosity and lust for the knowledge he had, the wildness was now hidden by these things. "Yes, yes." She whispered, moving forward on her hands and knees like a lioness would approach her prey.

A fleshy thud, and the blade retracts. The old face dissolves to the handsome blonde.

"Good girl. If you would learn these things, you must first prove worthy. The best hunters blend into a crowd. You mist learn to be a small vixen, to move in ways that disarm and speak softly with promise. Come now," he taps his lips. "Give daddy a kiss and we will take you to your first lessons. When you have proven you can follow instructions and learn basic skills, I will teach you how to master flesh and kill silently. Tell me all it is you desire, and what you will do to earn it."

"I want to learn to be stealthy and how to kill well. I want to do what you do. I want to age only at my own will." Most likely the most she had ever spoken at once, the words came with some hesitation and a dry rasp.

The King in Yellow nods, "That is a start."

"Will there be more..?" She inched closer moment after moment, until she sat at his feet.

"So much more. You will be taught to sit and talk. You will be taught to please the eye and flesh. You will be taught how to slip things into drinks or knives through ribs. You will be taught how to move without noise and take what you wish. You will be taught how to master shadow and will. All these things I can teach you if you are a good girl."