She gives him to Jack for the night

"Well, well, look who's back." Lyra grinned, leering round Jack's muscled body. Marcus shuddered, his stomach twisting in terror. After a day with just Jack, he'd almost forgotten how scary she was. His whole body felt cold with panic, and only the collar fastened round his neck stopped him from running away. "He looks awfully clean for a boy who's spent the day in the pillory." The scarred woman sneered, her good eye drifting up and down the naked young prince. "Didn't anyone throw stuff at him?"

"A couple tried." Jack sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I stopped them." Lyra paused, her lip curling. She leant back with her hands on her hips, raising her head to stare up at him. Her scarred face was unreadable, but there was something curious in her one good eye.

"I never thought I'd see the day." She tutted at last, a mocking, sarcastic edge to her voice. "Jack Lycanion going soft. Are you sweet on the boy? He sucks your dick once and you fall in love, is that it?"

"No." The brawny man rumbled, anger flashing in his eyes. "It's not like that. The pillory was punishment enough for what he's done, especially since you didn't even bother to come fetch him. He could have frozen to **** out there, you know that! Let alone what some of the townspeople would have done to him!"

"Oh, you are mad at me." Lyra chuckled. She lent in and poked Jack's chest, running her finger over his muscles. "Tell you what, big boy, since you care so much about the sniveling brat, you can have him for the night as well. Pay whatever you want off his debt. It'll be **** than letting the others bid on him, right?" Jack stood there stiffly as she stroked his abs with her palm, his face tense. "And you, the brave hero of the rebellion, my right hand, you get to do whatever you want with the prettiest boy in all the country, imagine that?" She cooed. "You can even hit him, you know? Take out all that pain and anger you hide so well on someone who deserves it."

Still cowering behind the brawny man, Marcus glanced between the pair, trembling in fear that Lyra was going to turn on him again. He had no idea what was going on, only that he'd much rather stay with Jack for the night. It'd be far better than anything these other ruffians would do to him. Just to make sure the older man understood that, he shuffled closer, leaning in close enough his bare shoulder brushed over one brawny arm. Jack stiffened up, muscles tensing. Then he sighed once.

"Fuck, Lyra." He nodded. "I'll take the kid back to my room for the night, if that's what you want." The scarred woman nodded once, her smirk widening. She gave Marcus a satisfied leer that made the young prince sob in terror and press even closer to Jack. He even found his hand clutching at the brawny man's wrist, desperately hoping he'd get some protection from this awful woman. The thought of what she'd do to him made his throat so tight with fear he could hardly breathe. "Now that we've won though, make sure you remember what we all fought for, even around him." Jack continued, with a nod to the cowering Marcus.

"What does that mean?" Lyra snarled, drawing back like she'd been stung.

"You know exactly what it means." Jack replied, calm now even in the face of her anger. He turned slightly, shifting so that more of his body was between Marcus and her. "I didn't fight so hard to overthrow a cruel and unjust king, just to see him replaced by something worse."

"Don't you dare compare me to that man!" Lyra hissed. Her hands were shaking, her one good eye narrowed viciously. She was pale and shocked, her mouth hanging open like she could still hardly believe what he'd said. "Don't you dare!"

"I won't." Jack sighed. "If you stop acting like a kid deserves to be tortured and executed just for who his parents are. You're better than that, we both know it. Let him be punished for living in luxury while the people of this country starved, but no more than that. He doesn't deserve anything else." Lyra stood there frozen for a while after his strong voice died away, her hands clenched into tight fists by her side. Her lip was trembling, and a few times she looked like she was about to open her mouth and scream at him. Her one good eye flickered to Marcus, full of so much anger and pain it made the young prince gasp in shock. Then she slumped forward under her armor, a long, shuddering breath escaping her lips.

"You're right, big boy." She sighed, sounding tired. "You always are, aren't you? Fuck, take the kid, do whatever you want with him. You probably won't even fuck him, will you? I'll think tonight about what I've got planned for him later, maybe make sure the others know he isn't to be hurt too badly before I start letting them have him. Now get him out of my sight before I change my mind." She tossed her hair, then whirled on her heels to stalk back into the throne room where the crowd of petitioners still waited.

Jack gave the chain a gentle tug to one side, and Marcus let himself be pulled, eager to be away from her just like she said. The brawny man was quiet, looking deep in thought as he led the young prince down the corridors of the empty castle. Marcus meanwhile, found himself even more confused than ever now Lyra was away and his terror was eased. He couldn't help but think about that moment when she'd looked at him, the raw anger and pain on her scarred face. And then how she'd spoken so viciously about his Father, like being compared to the King was utterly unforgiveable to her.

No matter how much he told himself she was just awful and scary, he couldn't help but feel a strange twinge of pity. Something really terrible had happened to her, that much was obvious from the scars and injuries. Now he couldn't help but wonder if his own Father had been involved, no matter how much he told himself it couldn't be. The King would never do something so awful as burn a woman, would he?

His anxious gaze flickered back to Jack, leading him silently towards the bedrooms of the castle. What was going to happen to him now?