Wild Avalon

14

The meal felt endless. The tartare was followed by a fresh salad, all grown on the estate Rama explained. Then a fish course, cod caught wild off the nearby shore. Then pheasant, then caribou, a cheese course. Each cheese was crafted by his servants from goats, sheep and cows raised on the land. Finally a delicate cheesecake with wild strawberries and whipped cream.

After my lean diet while hiking I had overeaten tonight. Way too much rich food, I felt overfull and sleepy. I hadn't meant to eat this much. I had been hungry at the start of the meal. After my bruises vanished I had been ravenous. Hilda explained that it was a side effect of being healed like I had been. With magic.

I sat back in my chair, not caring that I wasn't being very ladylike anymore or that my feet didn't reach the floor. I just wanted my stretched tight over full belly to be comfortable. I smelled tea brewing even though no one had moved to prepare it. Rama poured the herbal smelling green tea from a silver teapot that had appeared on the table, nudging my filled cup forward and towards where I could easily reach it.

I reached and took the delicate china teacup in my hands sipping at the warm calming tea. I needed a nap. "You must still be tired from your experience the past few days," Rama announced, not waiting for my input or response. "Rutherford will escort you to your chambers to rest,  tomorrow we will hold your coronation ceremony. The full moon is several days hence, celebrated with a mating hunt. Where I will take my Queen as I was always meant to." He said calmly. ”The timing couldn’t be more perfect.” While my eyes went wide, I only had a moment before I felt Hilda lurch forward taking control. She was enraged.

"We will not be mating the likes of you, dog. Avalon will stay tonight, tomorrow you will supply her with any supplies she requests and we shall take our leave." Clawed hands gripping the edges of the table, gouging into the wood as Hilda snarled at Rama.

Rama looked amused more than anything as I wrenched control back from Hilda. She was rash and unpredictable when she was angry. That wouldn't help us now. I needed to have a level head. "While my beast spoke harshly, she speaks true. I have no interest in mating you." I said, diplomatically. Rama seemed arrogant but surely he could be reasoned with.

Or maybe not. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. I saw his eyes shift golden, his own beast stirring below the surface. "You arrive on my land with nothing save your life," Oh no, he was angry, I watched every muscle tense. His eyes like coals staring me down. He was hot when he was angry. I saw his eyebrow raise as I rushed to turn my mind away from thinking dirty thoughts of calling him daddy as he spanked my ass raw while I was over his knee. Rama pretended he noticed nothing and kept talking.   

"You passed the test, choosing the vestments of Selene and nothing more. Presenting yourself as tribute. The fates have finally  ended my punishment and sent me a fitting consort." I watched as he raised his hand, snapping his fingers. One moment I was sat beside him, the next I fell on my ass on the floor. Returned to the room I had gotten ready in. "Sweet dreams my lovely mate. See you for the coronation." His voice booming sarcastically all around me. 

I scrabbled to my feet. Bare toes trying to run on the carpets to the door to the hallway. It slammed in my face, the heavy lock clicking shut. I smashed against it once. The door didn't even rattle on the hinges from my effort. It was too solid. There was no way I could break it down.

Turning I ran to the windows, checking every pane of glass for a catch, a lock, any way to open an escape. If there was a means to open the windows I couldn't find it. I was trapped. I crashed my hand against the heavy thick glass. It was no more affected by my effort than the door had been. I was caged by a man that could teleport me around his house at will and goddess only knew what else he could do. Worse yet, he was determined to mate me, with my consent or not. 

"Hilda, what did he mean when he said coronation and mating hunt?" I asked as I sat down on the floor by the window. "Or anything, I didn't volunteer as tribute, I'm not Katniss." My voice sounded pathetic and defeated ieven in just my own head.

'Rama is a lord of something, so if you are his consort you would also gain his title. The coronation is the ceremony to mark the occasion.' Hilda paused, thinking about something before I felt a burst of hope bloom in her. 'Mating hunts used to be common for wolves, the pack running together as one male sought his mate. Brutal custom, hunting women down in the woods to mate and mark them on the forest floor under a full moon with all the pack watching.' Hilda told me inside my mind.

"Not fucking happening." I said, a shiver of fear creeping down my spine. it all sounded barbaric.

'In order to hunt us, he will need us to run free in the woods Avalon.' Hilda reminded me. Her plan suddenly became clear. If I was let loose outside this locked room, I could escape and run. Run far far away. Get back to the tour boat, then the hotel where my larger travel bag and identification were stored and fly home on the first flight available. 

Wiping away the single tear that slipped free before I had a plan. I got to work. Braiding my long hair into a single braid I began to scour the room for anything useful. I returned to the antechamber as Rutherford had identified the massive closet.  I frowned, everything had somehow been rearranged, the place was still overflowing with formal wear and gowns but now there were normal options, pants, tops, boots along with all the fancy clothes. 

I huffed, if there had of just been pants in here before dinner I wouldn't have accidently dressed up as a damn sacrifice. I managed to find a pair of brown riding pants, tall boots, and a functional linen button up. I was keeping my body harness and all the pockets it came with. There wasn't much else in here that could be useful. I gathered up all the cords, belts and sashes that might be able to function as ropes, bundling them them up and storing them along my harness and in pockets. . 

In the main room I found a penknife in a desk. It was dull, only intended to break sealing wax or open envelopes. Thankfully the vanity also had a solid metal nail file. The file itself was useful, could maybe be used along with another piece of metal or flint to make sparks to get a fire going. In the meantime, having checked all the drawers and hiding places I began to file my penknife down. Hoping to get as sharp an edge as I could manage.

As my captor had told me my presence wasn't required until the coronation. Once I felt the penknife had a sharp enough point that I could stab someone with it, one edge filed to something close to a almost knife like edge I stopped. Folding my chosen wardrobe and supplies into a neat pile, slipping into a thin cotton slip nightgown. I crawled into the enormous four poster bed to sleep. If I was going to run back to civilization tomorrow I would need to be well rested. I had to tell Hilda to stop actively bristling as she ruminated on the indignity we had suffered tonight.