"Home..." Naiobe reaches out and strokes the pale hair of the poor woman, brushing strands out of her face. "You<em>are</em>home, my little dove." She strokes the albino's hair a little longer, then straightens up. "Poor thing. I don't think Corwin explained much to you. Did he not tell you that you were being offered to the daughter of Baron of Percivan, as a gift?" She moves out of sight of the woman, kneeling between Marissa's splayed thighs and dipping her fingers into a bowl of ice next to her. "At least you're pretty enough for it. If you hadn't been lovely, then you really would have gone to the kennels and nothing would have saved you."<br/><br/>She takes a piece of ice and lightly runs it over the first welt. "Hold still," she coos. "It's shocking at first... but it'll feel good." She smiles a little secret smile to herself. Many things in the castle could be described that way, really. She glances sidelong at her dryad and her smile widens, becomes affectionate.