The simple clothing he allowed her was easy enough to remove, the order, the look in his eyes making her fumble the fastenings, accidentally tearing through thin, almost sheer fabric that had always seemed more like a joke than any attempt at modesty or concealment. It had been a mark of kindness to be allowed anything at all.

Still, she did as he told her, then knelt before him, trembling slightly as she struggled not to reach out before he did, because she didn't have the right. "Please," she repeated.