Since Rue had no reason to object, they went to the wine bar. Ylre's strange feeling didn't disappear, but since there wasn't a clear threat, he didn't deal with it for now and entered the bar. It wasn't as spacious as the inn in the capital, but since half of the business was focused on wine production and only offered a few tables for customers, it was quite luxurious for a village. 

He walked over to the counter where the winemaker was bottling drinks and waiting for potential customers.

"Luck with you," Rue greeted cheerfully.

"Luck with you," the winemaker didn't even look up, "what will it be?"

"Red from Equil, the older the better," Ylre said.

"Ours is the best," the winemaker objected.

"The best is what I see fit...Red, Equil," Ylre repeated, whereupon the winemaker snorted in displeasure and went into the cellar to get an unusual drink, leaving the pair alone.

"Do you have a knowledge in wines?" Rue asked, impressed by what Ylre knew.

"As in everything," Ylre laughed and added, "at the back there is a free table, could you go there to take a seat? I'll bring the wine." he said.

"I will wait." Rue nodded and made his way to the table while Ylre waited for the winemaker. Luckily he didn't wait long and when he finally got the bottle he ordered he paid and asked for two glasses.

"And I will buy one knife," he added.

,,Buy it? We are not a blacksmith shop," he clarified.

"It doesn't matter, you have a knife, don't you?" he said.

The winemaker rolled his eyes and sold the knife to Ylre for an exorbitant price.

As the winemaker again began to ignore him and attend to his duties, Ylre slowly opened the bottle of wine and poured a similar amount of the drink into two glasses. Placing the bottle on the counter, he looked behind at Rue, who was just contentedly waiting for him. He smiled gently and took the knife in his hand. Looking at Rue with his back turned, he cut his palm and placed his hand over one of the glasses.

"Luckily," he whispered as drops of his blood dripped into the wine and dissolved into its burgundy color. As that one word escaped his lips, letting his luck voluntarily leave his veins, a warming sensation filled his inner being. 

After a moment, he clenched his palm, let the blood drip into the glass for a few seconds, and slowly pulled it away. He took out a piece of cloth from his pocket, pressed it against the bloody wound and  bandaged it. 

He took the glasses from the counter along with the bottle of wine and walked with them to the table where Rue was waiting,

"Here it is." he said and placed a glass of  wine with his own blood in front of Rue. 

"I don't know what the Wine in Equil tastes like," he remarked.

"It's the best...it's the original wine... the first wineries were from where Equil is today," Ylre said, gently lifting the glass, as Rue followed suit and made a toast.

Ylre watched as Rue drank and after a while did so himself. Rue didn't seem to notice anything strange, so he just smiled softly. 

"Does it taste good?" Ylre asked. He knew that the blood filled with luck, especially the luck in his veins, would be deliciously sweet. 

"It's very similar to one I used to drink," Rue nodded, "only it's sweeter. A bit familiar and warming...it will sound strange, but it tastes like home. " 

Ylre smiled contentedly: "It's probably of better quality."

"It is," Rue nodded and looked at Ylre's bandaged hand, "what happened to you?"

"Nothing, just a scratch," he said.

"Were you hurt during the fight?" he asked.

"Maybe," Ylre laughed, "it will heal."

"Do lacrisans heal quickly?" he asked with interest.

Ylre thought, "Definitely faster than the Rinselans...depends on luck," he  said.

"Do you have enough luck?" Rue blinked.

Ylre nodded, "So much I don't know what to do with it," he smiled.

"Ah," Rue breathed softly, "So you'll be healed in no time."

"Everything will heal someday," he remarked and hid his palm under the table, "how about we take the bottle with us and go for a walk?" He suggested.

"I would love to," Rue agreed happily, "where would we go?" he drank his glass of wine and stood up.

"Across the village, across the forest... maybe we'll find a lake like you wanted, if not, maybe we'll find something else," Ylre said.

"That sound nice... I love walking," he cheered and walked out of the establishment.

Ylre just looked at him with a soft smile: "I know."

***

Dissatisfied, Nielle listened to the report from a near village, where the Infeys had been ambushed by a group of criminals. As planned. However, the ambush wasn't supposed to fail. Now, all the bandits and two of his men ended  up in ropes and one of the bandits killed. Although Nielle wanted to use this certain group in the future, in the end he had no choice but to lock them up if he didn't want them to spread bullshit.

"You should have just caught them," he sighed, "I can't believe a bunch of guards and criminals can't do anything to an unarmed couple," he growled, "never mind...we're just getting started."

"Sir...apparently they are spending the night in the teahouse," he clarified.

"Good, let them spend the night there and continue as planned...it will be best if none of them get to Alycante," he explained, "if they do, tell everyone I'm cutting their pay. Let's catch at least one of them. "He said.

The man nodded and left Nielle alone, after which he returned to the room. Since he got the information now, that meant the raid had happened around five hours ago. It would be morning before he heard from the teahouse, and he knew he couldn't solve anything else today. He knew he should have caught them when he had the chance. At least that rude one, deliberately provoking him. But in reality, he knew he wouldn't be able to do it alone. 

Fortunately, he wasn't alone holding a power of the well-established network of his people. Nielle was well aware that the strength lay in the number of loyal men and he intended to use them as best he could. 

He slowly walked into the chamber where he left Shane. He didn't suppose he was stupid enough to take anything. However, if something were to disappear, at least he would find out what exactly his Lacrisan was looking for in Rinsel, although he really didn't keep anything important in the chamber.

The only thing he had planned for the rest of the evening, or rather the rest of the night, was to vent his frustration on his Lacrisan.

Nielle couldn't get enough of his luck, neither the taste of it nor the feeling that filled him afterwards. Still, he wasn't torturing his Lacrisan just for his own amusement, though that was also a part of it. His first priority was to find out what this Lacrisan wanted from his land and not to let him build up the energy to try anything. So whatever state he was in, Nielle was on his way to have some fun with him again.

He didn't think some Lacrisan would ever let his guard down around him, so he was quite surprised when he saw him lying on the bed after entering the room. Nielle raised an eyebrow slightly as it had been a while since someone lay on his bed and chuckled softly at the strange feeling filled him. After a while he walked closer to Shane. 

"Get up," he said looking at his sleeping expression, which he clearly couldn't have for long.

However, Lacrisan didn't react in any way. Nielle stared at him for a moment before kicking him in the leg hanging off the bed. However, Shane only grumbled in displeasure, pulled his leg to himself and rolled onto his side.

"Hh," Nielle laughed in disbelief, "I hope you're really sleeping," he said, and after watching his relaxed face for a moment, he laughed again, "As you wish," he commented.

Walking over to the bedside table, he pulled a whip from the drawer and gave Shane one more look before whipping him roughly across his bare feet.

"Agh!" Shane recovered immediately, violently grabbing his leg where Nielle had created a nasty bleeding cut. A sharp pain shot through his calf and Shane just stared at his foot in confusion for a moment before looking at Nielle.

"Don't stare. Who allowed you to lie down in my bed?" Nielle flipped the whip into his other palm, "And fall asleep in it."

Shane slowly straightened up and stood up, "Don't you think I have the right to sleep? Do you think I can function without sleep?"

"You can sleep  when I give you permission," he said and turned to the door.

Shane stared at him, and when Nielle motioned for him to follow, he slowly went after him. He wanted to head upstairs, crawl into the uncomfortable bed and sleep. However, of course Nielle wouldn't let him and instead took him to the red torture chamber from yesterday.

Shane stopped at the entrance and sighed, "Didn't you have enough today? When you're horny, do it yourself...or take someone froom the upstairs." he stated.

Nielle laughed softly and walked over to the ropes by the wall. He loosened them easily, lowering the other end between the bed and the filled bath.

"It's up to me who I have fun with," he remarked, "and since I'm having fun with you right now, I don't need to change that," he laughed, motioning for him to come closer.

Shane didn't feel like staying in the torture chamber. He wanted to back out of the room and go upstairs on his own accord. But he knew he couldn't. He felt really bad, his whole body ached outrageously, he felt as if his luck wasn't replenishing fast enough, which was clearly the fault of the disgusting collar. And he still hadn't had time to get used to the whole atmosphere of Rinse. He could also use some food, as he hadn't eaten in a while and hadn't slept properly.

Nevertheless, he took a step closer to Nielle, and after remembering how his whining was useless and only made him feel disgusting, he walked to the prince willingly.

It wasn't that he was afraid of the pain, or that he couldn't bear it. If the prince didn't use the black collar, Shane was prepared to endure this night and maybe have his mind cleared through it. After all, it wasn't his physical condition that was bothering him, and pain was a good way to stop thinking about anything else.

"The sooner it stars, the sooner it ends." he thought.

"Take off your clothes," Nielle instructed, after which Shane slowly complied, as he didn't really want to cooperate.

"Which is more tempting to you?" he smiled, and when Shane didn't say he didn't want to choose this time, he continued, "Bath before, bath after." he looked towards the water.

Shane looked at the bath next to him, and although Nielle provoked him, he said quite calmly, "After, I don't want to feel you on me all night," he clarified. 

Nielle smiled softly, walked up to him and grabbed his wrists: "Don't worry, you'll feel me in you and on you all night whether you take bath or not," he stated and with an expert movement bound his hands together with a rope.

Shane gave him a neutral look, watching him enjoy himself contentedly, as if he couldn't wait to abuse him again. But the truth was that Nielle didn't really care about the sex itself at the moment. 

After a while, Nielle moved to the other side of the rope and simply pulled on it, forcing Shane to take a few steps forward and then raise his arms up. He continued until Shane was on his toes and when it looked like he was in a sufficiently uncomfortable position, he secured the rope.

"You're lucky today, Lacrisan," he commented and gently touched his bare back, "I'm not in the mood for  fucking you right away," he clarified, "I'll let you turn me on a little, what do you say?" he laughed and dug his nails roughly into his bare back and move to his chest.

Shane didn't react, feeling a shallow scratch form on his skin. He just batted his eyelids softly as Nielle scratched his nails down his skin to his sides, digging through the unhealed wound. Nielle smiled contentedly and slowly ran his palm below. Stroking his firm muscles, he reached his lower abdomen and stroked his groin with both hands at the same time. Shane shivered slightly at the touch and breathed out quietly, how unpleasant feeling went through his body. Of course, it didn't go without a note.

"Are you cold or are you getting horny just from being touched here? Or are you looking forward to the tools I prepared for you today." he laughed.

Shane didn't answer, he just continued to feel how Nielle's hand roamed his body, how he went to his crotch and took his unerect cock in his palm. The other gradually descended lower and ran down the inside of his thighs, gently stretching them apart, which wasn't  met with cooperation.

"Don't fight back and maybe you'll like it," Nielle laughed, but Shane didn't want to let him have his way.

Nielle laughed softly and walked over to the shelf next to them, which he opened and pulled out a rather thin leather whip. Lacrisan caught a glimpse of him only peripherally and sighed as he didn't like this unpleasant type, since it was basically comparable to a knife. Nielle walked over to the filled tub, dipped the whip into the salt water, and after soaking it for a while returned to Shane.

"I see some new wounds," he laughed and without hesitation swung Shane across his ass causing him to tighten his muscles. A long bleeding gash formed on his skin as if someone had cut him with a blade.

"Did you make them yourself? If you wanted more pain, you could jusk ask," Nielle said, whipping his ass again.

"Ngh!" Shane gritted his teeth as his ass hurt enough from today and didn't really need any more beating.

"You won't answer? Are you still playing your little game?" Nielle teased, slashing his ass again with the whip, forcing Shane to let out a painful gasp.

But he didn't answer. He really didn't feel like it after today and found that it didn't even matter what he said. He was only going to wait for the night to end, a few dozen nights, complete his missions, and then go back home after returning everything to Nielle. He was most looking forward to the ultimate part.

"Still nothing?" Nielle laughed, giving Shane's ass another hard blow. The skin split open in a second, a streak of blood running down Shane's legsmade Lacrisan wince as his ass stung.

Nielle re-soaked the whip in the salt water and stood in front of Lacrisan. He gave Shane a pleased look with a rough whip across his chest. The leather cut into Shane's muscles and made him grunt in pain at how intensely it hurt. He closed his eyelids, turned his face to the side, and when Nielle spanked him again, he moaned louder: "Nghá!"

"I'm quite fond of individuals like you who aren't afraid of pain," he remarked, whipping him across his abdomen before repeating the slashing across his chest, "it's really adorable how embarrassed you are when someone notices that you actually enjoy it." he was having fun.

Shane glared at him, but before that Nielle flogged his stomach, forcing him to scream, "AAgh!" He tried to bend over, but his position wouldn't allow it.

"Does it hurt?" Nielle was amused and scourge him in the side with another blow.

Shane swerved to the side, but Niella whipped him from the other one and he involuntarily leveled. A new wound was directed towards his thighs, another aimed at his ass again and when Nielle did the same with other four blows, Shane was beginning to feel that he really wasn't going to sit down for the next few days. His whole back was on fire, new hits landed on his bleeding ass and Shane just gritted his teeth painfully every time his skin was sliced open by a new whiplash.

"AAAAGH!" he screamed as Nielle hit him from below between the legs and forced him to squeeze his thighs together. He could feel the blood running down his inner thighs, he could feel his crotch burning, but the prince was having a good time. Nielle was whipping him further. He was adding new ones to his already existing wounds, whether from today or yesterday, forcing Shane to moan in pain even louder.

It hurt like hell, but no matter how much Shane told himself that he felt terrible, in the end he knew himself too well to keep this self-delusion.

Shane wasn't broken by the pain that Nielle was causing his body, quite the opposite. After what he had done to him today, after he had a real mess in his head and only managed to stay sane with his last strength, this kind of pain really helped him not to think about other things. In the end, it cleared his mind completely.

"Aaaagh! Ahh! Nagh-mnh! Ngh!" he bit his lips and closed his eyes as a stinging pain shot through his body. His thoughts couldn't fill his mind anymore, his insides were burning with an effort to keep his balance instead of the bitter heaviness he normally felt, and though he didn't mean to tell Nielle, the pain really helped him. 

And so he quietly enjoyed as the pain allowed his mind to sink into an undisturbed calm.