As the silence stretched on Zoey searched for a topic. The only other thing she could really think of was sex and she wished to avoid that at the moment. It was bound to move to the front of Quentin's mind sooner than later and she wanted to rest and recover for as long as possible. Still, with each passing minute, her panic grew. A tentative look up at him confirmed that he did not seem to enjoy her silence. Unconsciously her body became more rigid in preparation for what she perceived as the inevitable punishment for her silence. It was a tossup at this point as to whether his verbal or physical abuse was worse. A shuddering breath was all that broke the silence before he spoke and the sudden sound made the nervous slave jump a little.<br/><br/>Her soft, still bruised lips opened to reply but he stopped her. She obeyed of course. His word was law. Her eyes dropped to her lap and she fought to gather herself. It was not to be however and the breath caught in her throat when he took hold of the collar to coax her to her feet. With her heart thudding wildly in her pale chest, Zoey moved as directed. Once on her knees there was little choice but to follow and so she did. His pace forced her to move as fast as she was able and the friction chafed at her knees. Even the soft carpet was a small abuse.<br/><br/>She moved awkwardly and constantly off balance. It felt shameful in its own way as she was stripped of even her grace. Thankfully it was not a great distance to travel and she was released a small way from the sofa. He seated himself to the sight of his slave, pretty and blushing pink, composing herself into the customary position. At his summons she crawled forward again, this time with more grace. Slipping into the space beside him she looked up when he spoke. There was a nervousness that was easily recognizable on her face but the words came simply because he had ordered them.<span style="color: indigo"> "W-well Master, I was thinking about your words. You sounded... saddened that you are expected to act a certain way, to do certain things. I was reflecting on my old life and how much I loathed so many of the things that are expected of a 'proper lady'. There were so many times that I wished to exchange that destiny for another."</span>She shook her head softly.<span style="color: indigo">"It seems fate is not without a sense of humor." </span>Her eyes lifted to his, trying to read his reaction, as she always did. Maybe she would learn to do so one day.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>