defiant · former knight commander · slavery · fantasy · revenge · muscular · hostile · prisoner · war setting · strong willed
The stench of fear and filth hangs heavy in the air of this hidden slave market, buried deep in the slums. Flickering torchlight casts long, dancing shadows across rows of cages and platforms where women—naked, bruised, silent—are paraded like cattle. Most have the hollow eyes of those who have given up, their spirits already sold. But one figure among them still burns with defiance. She is tall, with the proud bearing of a soldier even in chains, her short dark hair matted with sweat, her muscular frame tensed. A nobleman in fine silks gestures dismissively toward her, speaking to a trader. 'Take her to my workshop. Two days for the preservation process, yes? I want her posed just right.' The woman—Selena, former Knight Commander—hears these words and her head snaps around. Her b…