The Black Unicorn

" Master... What am I to you?"

" Now everyone! Everyone! I know you are scared and we assure you everything is alright. Now you are all going to be gutted and roasted on a spit if you do not GET OUT OF THIS HALL!!!!" His usually serene and gentle voice dropped a few octaves as he yelled at the frightened people.

I had forgotten that Dracal had a dark side, and how scary it was to see it. Many people screamed as they tore out of the hallway, many getting trampled.

Dracal's intimidation tactic worked though, no one but he, the guards, and the Master, and I was in the hall only after a few seconds.

Master Ambrose shifted me around so that I was in both of his arms again as he started walking forward again. Dracal cracked his head to the side with a stiff jaw, a clear look of anger and dissatisfaction in his features.

The Master did not even stop to look at Dracal as he walked past. Though Dracal turned and kept stride with us. Speaking up about certain things.

" Everything that you requested is ready Master. I will make sure these servants are punished for their disruption." He promised. Which caused me to go in a fit and struggle in the Masters's arms.

" No! please... don't hurt them, they're just scared." I whimpered out. Dracal was silent, but I could still hear his footsteps following us. Master Ambrose let out a small growl.

" As the lady wishes." Dracal finally said, turning around and heading back down the hallway. It was now mostly silent other than the Master's footsteps as he continued to stride down the hall, up the stairs, and to the doors of his chambers.

The large metal doors flung open before us without getting touched. He moved to the side and went straight for the bath chamber. I did not miss the book that I had been reading in the library that was set on one of the nightstands. Gently setting me down at the edge of the bath that was filled with steaming water.

He took his gloves off and cupped the side of my face, gently turning my head and stroking my right cheek. I flinched back, I had not noticed before how stiff the flesh was there, and how much it was hurting. I could only imagine how it must have looked right now.

The cloak was pulled off of me and tossed to the side. My eyes drifted down where Bernards's blood practically soaked the front of my dress.

At the sight of it, I started shaking and crying again. Hunching into myself as I brought my hands up to cover my mouth. The master growled and ripped the dress off of me. Flinging the shredded piece of fabric away where the cloak was and pushing me back so I entered the warm water.

I straightened up and turned for the door but I shouted and quickly grabbed onto his arm. He froze as he looked at me with wide eyes.

" Please don't leave... I don't want you to leave." I cried. I actually meant this. truly for the first time, his presence comforted me rather than scared me. I knew that with him here, nothing would even think of trying to hurt me.

He continued to look at me for a moment longer. I did not care that the water was clear and nothing about my body was hidden. His eyes were only on mine though.

His lips opened slightly and he whispered out a very faint word that sounded like ROK. At his command, the armor around him fell off in its pieces, piling down at his feet in a thunder of screeching metal. Even his boots were somehow off of his feet.

I moved to the side as he stepped into the water behind me. His arms rested on the rims of the bath and I let myself sink onto him. Resting my head and one of his palms against his chest. My fingers getting tangled up in the wet brown curls there.

Since I was in so much shock, our position did not bother me. Though it normally would considering that I was nestled in between his legs that were slightly bent up to give me a little more room.

The steady beating of his heart helped lure me into the closest to relaxation that I could get right now. My body slowly bobbing up and down from his breathing.

The warm water made the bite mark on my hand sting. Even though there was no more venom in it, it was still a puncture in my skin.

In the silence, my mind was racing. Who were those people?! Why were they so willing to easily murder Bernard and Andela. Just thinking about their names made my heart ache for them. They did not deserve that. They were only servants of the castle, they did nothing wrong.

The Master shifted slightly and my mind turned to him. He found the book that Charot wrote about him. Which meant that he knew that I knew about his past. He did not seem to be angry about that though. If he was angry with me would he be with me now? comforting me in my time of need.

I found myself turning around so that I was facing him. My breasts were squished up against his chest. He looked down at me. The steam dripping off of his face was making it look like he was crying.

I tenderly reached both of my hands up, gently stroking his neck. I did not know what I was really doing. A few days ago I would never have even thought about doing this. Yet again I did not think of him as once being an innocent human a few days ago.

I had always just thought of him as a cruel evil person that had always just been that way. Now that I knew what he had been through, he was different now. That still did not justify all the things he had done, but it gave me a new perspective. Even his action from earlier helped with it when he told Dracal to listen to me and not hurt the servants.

" Does... it still hurt?" I asked tenderly. Gently running my hands down his throat. At my question, he visibly swallowed. Since my hands were right there, I could feel how the lump struggled for a second to go down his throat. That answered my question enough.

I continued to gently trace my fingers down it, hoping the action was soothing and not hurting him. If it was he made no indication of it.

After a few more moments of silence and thoughts, my hands reached up and found his beard. I looked back up into his eyes, Determination shining in my E/C orbs.

" Master... What am I to you?" I had never been so forward with him, But I had to know. I obviously had a different place among all the other servants, the last few days have especially proven that. But I had to know exactly, I was so tired of being in the fog.

There was no sound for a long moment. He did not even blink as he looked down at me. Is face as emotionless as it usually was.

He suddenly dipped his head down to me. Our eyes never breaking as he stared into me, our noses practically knocking. I had never experienced this before, but I knew in my heart what was coming.

My jaw dropped slightly open, and his own lips parted as well. Our lips locked and my eyes could not help but flutter shut. My hands gripped onto the hair of his beard even tighter and I could feel it slightly scratching my face.

It was a still kiss, but it lasted for a long time. He pulled away first and almost flustered and shocked expression on his face, his mouth still open as he slightly panted and his eyelids drooped. It was an expression so unlike Master Ambrose. An expression that told me just how willing he was to drop his guard around me.

I layed my head back down on his chest. My fingers playing with hair above his heart. I had my answer. I knew, truly knew now that I was more than just a servant to my Master.

A small smile creased my face. With my new understanding of him, maybe this did not have to be a bad thing.