She looked around the room again and took in the scene. People bustling around her, snippets of piped in jazz, waiters and waitresses navigating the crowded tables, drinks piled precariously high on silver platters. Suits and sparkling dresses. She adjusted her own dress. The fit was right, which had been a surprise to her, but she was not used to the cut: hem resting just above the knee, black chiffon obscuring the plunging neckline. She felt exposed, as if everyone in the room was looking at her. And they all knew why she was there.
A box had come with the dress. The box contained a tag and a card. The tag was a simple piece of copper, not much bigger than a coin. On it was engraved her name. Her new name. The one that she had been given by him. The one she had earned after he had tested her to see whether she was worth naming. She had done everything he asked, until she was gasping for air, until her face was burning, until the tears streamed freely down her cheeks. Until she ached to be filled, pleaded to be hurt. Until the lack of release made her half-mad.