Audrey hated that all the responsibility to save these people now hung on her. And that it would be a full day until it happened. What if they suspected something and locked her in her bed tomorrow?
The warning about the water made more and more sense the more she thought about it. The times when she had remembered the outside world were the days where she had filled her water container from what the animals drank.
She worried about what it would take for everyone to decide to not fight. She would have to speak like the scop, spin a tale so that they would believe her and listen. And what would she do if Morcefres or any of the others started hurting them for not going to their posts? 20 minutes could be a long time if you were whipped the whole time.
The ideal situation would be if Morcefres was out of the reckoning. He had been drinking more and more lately, was there a way to make sure he drank too much mead tonight and thus would be out cold in the morning? Maybe. It was her turn to serve the dinner. If she could silently refill his mug more often than he asked for it, he would have to be carried up to bed again. If she then managed to tie him to the bed, he would have a hard time getting out of that in the morning. Depending on when the raid started, he might not even wake up.
But if the raid didn't come and he did get loose, she was almost certainly dead. Unless… she was able to do it without being detected.
-
The first part of the plan went exactly as she had hoped. Morcefres drank more mead than usual even aside from the times she managed to refill it without him noticing it. Towards the end, a disgusted Edmund, who for once had dined with the rest of them, had to help him to bed. Audrey had managed to get out of doing the dishes by complaining that she hadn't even had lunch. The cook had let her go and get something to eat, before coming back to do the last cleaning instead.
As she hoped, Edmund had just dumped Morcefres on the bed, then left. Morcefres was out like a light and snoring up a storm. He really looked pathetic. Audrey knew where he kept his ropes, and from the churl training, she knew the various knots. She started by securing his hands, tying each of them to the headstand. He had made hooks for that exact purpose, but she didn't trust those alone, in case they had a security release, so she also tied them to a bar. Then she found that he actually had made shackles under his bed, perfect for securing his feet. He had probably had them made in expectation for when he would be allowed to take theows in here. She wondered if she could gag him. Wouldn't he just shout for help if she didn't? Even though these walls were thick, someone might hear him if she shouted loud enough. There was a handy gag right in the same drawer as the ropes. It was all done within a few minutes. Could it really be that easy?
Just as she thought that, Morcefres started stirring. It sounded like he had a nightmare. Or a dream, at the least. She quickly bent down to calm him down. It wouldn't do for anyone else to come in before morning.
"Shh," she whispered as she casually stroked his hair. "There's nothing to worry about. The FBI will be here in the morning to untie you."
Just the sound of her voice made his member get stiff. She was tempted to hit it hard, but she couldn't draw attention to herself. She managed to sneak out, after locking the door, and went down to the Dining Hall, where she ate the fastest dinner she had ever eaten. No less than half an hour after she had been dismissed, she was back in the kitchen to help with the cleaning. No one seemed to suspect a thing.
She had a hard time sleeping that night, but the day started like any other. She hoped the FBI didn't dally. If she was out in the sheep pen when the raid came, she wouldn't be able to continue with her plan.
When she was walking past the kitchen, she heard Ædven and Edmund discuss which one of them was responsible for waking Morcefres. Audrey needed to make them notice her and get her to do it instead. Well, she was already known as a klutz, what was one more incident? She stumbled and almost dropped the water mug she was holding.
"You clumsy girl! Have you still not learnt to watch where you are going?" Ædven said with annoyance. Audrey bowed her head.
"Take that water mug up to Morcefres' room at once and if you dare to drop it, you will get 5 more lashes." Ædven said. Audrey bowed her head and nodded, hiding the smile. Just as she had hoped.
When she unlocked the door to Morcefres' room, she was delighted to see that he was awake. Awake and fighting the restraints like a madman. He growled when he saw her. She just smiled.
"Good, you're awake. I was afraid you were going to miss out on the entire experience. With how many people you have tied up over the years, you must have wondered how it felt? It felt just like that. The fear from being completely helpless is particularly awful. Thank you for teaching me how to best tie up someone securely."
Morcefres kept trying to get out of his restraints, but Audrey had tied them well. The hooks didn't have safety releases after all.
"Don't worry, you won't have to stay here for long. The FBI will be here within the day, they will probably release you. Though they probably have their own restraints." She sat the water mug down on the table, then leaned over his face. She stroked his hair again, wanting to torment him a little longer.
"But when you are rotting away in some prison, at least you won't have to suffer like this," she said as she stroked him down the neck and further down the torso. She saw his member get stiff again and he groaned. As she placed her hands around his neck, as if to choke him, he got even more stimulated. Then she just stood up and calmly left the room, leaving him just before he reached the climax.
"I'll tell them you don't want to be disturbed," she said. Then she heard the sound of helicopters overhead.
"Oh. It seems I don't have to worry about that. They'll be here in 20 minutes. Let's see how many of your loyal churls will actually stand up and fight without you out there ordering them."
Morcefres growled as she slipped out the door and locked it. No one was outside, so she hurried outside. Time to play the scop.