Olan sealed another around her other wrist and then both of her ankles were encircled with the remaining gold cuffs. The trembling became worse, because she didn't know what was going to happen to her. What kind of punishment did Teacher plan to exact upon her?
He then pulled out some lengths of gold chain and attached those to each of the cuffs and then led her to the wall.
He turned her to face it, then stretched one arm up as far as it would go, adjusted the length of chain and fasted it to the hook in the wall.
She wanted to run, to scream, but this was something she had to do. If not for Teacher, for herself. To show that she was brave, not just headstrong. That she could accept the repercussions of her actions.
When her arms were tightly held in place, Olan pushed her feet apart and clamped her legs in place. And then, to her shock, he began to roll up the back of her caftan, exposing her bare buttocks. He pinned the excess material up, holding it in place.
She felt so exposed, so vulnerable. Even her pussy felt more bare than it ever had before. Yet, surprisingly, she was wet, more so than when Teacher played with her with his fingers and brought her to orgasm time and time again. Her vagina clamped repeatedly on empty space, eager to be touch, to be filled. Her stomach clenched tightly and she could smell her arousal.
Olan left the room and she heard the door shut behind her. She tried to crane her neck around to look, but was unable to turn very far.
The silence in the room surrounded her. She'd never heard silence like this before. It was not like the solitude of the desert. This was far different. She turned her attention to the wall in front of her. She now realized the material was crushed shells, not stone as she had at first thought.
Everything was so very different here from the desert. There was certainly no place like this room in her father's palace. And she had a feeling she should be very grateful for that fact.
Her arms started to ache and she had no idea how much time had passed, or would pass, before Teacher arrived. Nor did she have any idea what he planned to do.
The quiet started to grate on her nerves, her body winding tighter and tighter, making her want to scream. She was certain she could hear the beating of her heart and the shells embedded into the wall seemed to come alive, moving and undulating like snails along the earth. Her breathing grew more rapid, her imagination seeming to take over as she fantasized about the lethal water creatures coming to life, leaping from the water.
Stop it.
She would not lose control. She would not panic. Taking deep breaths, she controlled her heart rate. Was this part of the punishment? The excruciating long wait for something to happen? Anything? Well, she would not give in to these frantic feelings of panic. She was stronger than that.
Then she heard the click of the door as it opened and closed behind her. Someone had just entered the room.
Chapter 9
* * *
"Are you afraid?"
Elita stiffened when she heard his voice right behind her. She hadn't heard him walk across the floor. She felt his warm hand cup her cheek.
"Yes." She saw no point in lying. Then she gasped as she felt a thick finger swipe between her wet labia lips.
"But you're also aroused." He brought the finger beneath her nose and she could smell her own scent, saw the glistening cream on his finger. And then to her surprise he brought the finger to her lips, coating them with her own liquid and then he pressed between them.
"Taste yourself. Suck on my finger."
She did as he commanded, in no position to deny him. Not that she wanted to at this moment. It was an exotic flavor with elements of sweetness infused in the taste. Different from the male taste of moments ago in the hallway. She swirled her tongue over his digit, also tasting him, the hard, masculine heat of the man. Then she sucked in, wanting more. He added a second finger, curling his fingers, stroking at her tongue. She dropped her head back, opened her mouth wider and he thrust another finger into her mouth and she sucked them in deeply, swirling her tongue over and around them as he touched her teeth, her gums, sank deep into the cavity of her mouth, pulled out and thrust in again, and again.
She was wild for the taste of him, wanton for the feel of him. Her eyelids slid closed as she savored their flavor. Her pussy leaked her juices onto her thighs, coating them thickly as she dripped with desire. Her lips felt engorged, thickened by need, her pussy opening, wanting, yearning to be filled.
She needed him to press his slick fingers inside her, to call forth the orgasm that hovered at the fringes. Unconsciously, she undulated her hips as much as the bonds would allow in the ancient invitation of sensual welcome.
And then his fingers were gone and she cried out at the abandonment. She licked her lips eager for more of that taste.
Both of his hands now stroked across the soft flesh of her ass, pressing and separating.
"Why am I going to punish you, Elita?"
She groaned with impotence, wanting to rub her slick thighs together, but unable to do so, a nagging tickling of want gliding up through her channel deep into her womb.
Was this her punishment? The denial of pleasure? Building her to the brink and then refusing to let her dive into the depths of her orgasm? It was truly excruciating.
"Why, Elita?" His question drew her from the brink, but not far enough to allow her body to soften, to forget.
"Because I didn't do as you asked. Because I questioned you."
His hands cupped her buttocks, pressed and released rhythmically. She felt his heat surround her. She was at his mercy. She wanted him. She didn't care about "my lord," it was Teacher she needed. Teacher she wanted to embed his cock inside her and not just his fingers tantalizing her.
"You are being punished because every time you disobey, you put your life in jeopardy as well as those around you. To disobey my lord, to challenge his authority, to try to second-guess him, is a danger he cannot allow. You must learn this simple lesson. Your life is most precious to him. And he will not allow you to jeopardize your safety by willful acts. Because the men of the desert refused to reprimand you properly, your life could have been lost. My lord plans to see that fault is remedied. You must not question his commands. If an order is given, it must be obeyed. He is the commander of this land, not you."
"But what if I see something he does not? What if I might know a better way?"
"In battle, there is no room for question. There is a time and place for discussion. This is something you must learn. Do you understand? There is always a reason for what my lord directs. And a time for discussion. You must learn to yield, Elita. There can be no other way in the kingdom of the Northern Shore. My lord's word is law. Are you ready to accept your punishment for this basic disobedience?"
Anything to get it over with. "Yes. Whatever you say. Whenever you're ready."
His hands did not stop stroking her flesh and it was driving her crazy. "There are many ways of administering punishment. Many implements I might use. But this is your first time and I will go easy. A sound spanking should suffice this time. But if there is a next time--"
He left the sentence unfinished, but Elita knew he had done that on purpose. He wanted her to consider her actions in future with an unknown punishment in the offing.
His hands left her and immediately she felt cold and vulnerable. And then his hand struck, fast and swift. Two strikes to her left cheek, followed quickly by two strikes to the right. Pain shot through her, cutting a sharp path through the arousal. He repeated the pattern again and again. Her flesh grew hot and enflamed. Pain shafting through her as it seemed to go on and on. Yet somehow, through it all, an arrow of yearning cut through the pain, magnifying the burn, edging it with something more.
Her arms ached as though they were about to be ripped from their sockets. Tears poured down her cheeks, sobs broke out that she couldn't stop. Frustration, pain, and need twining and twisting inside her. She had sworn she would not cry, that she would remain stoic, but it was t
oo much, and she didn't think she could bear much more.
And then it stopped. Her flesh felt like it had been flayed raw. A hand brushed across her aching bottom and she hissed at the sensation. Her ankles were released and then her wrists. Teacher caught her up in his arms and she curled against his chest. She was totally without strength and all she could do was lie against him as he carried her out of the room.
They moved into an adjoining room, this one a cool green, and there was a sunken bath. He walked straight into the water, uncaring of their clothing. He sat down and held her in his arms, pulling the soaked caftan from her shoulders and the wet mess slapping onto the tiles when he flung it away.
He took great pains with her, washing her hair with fragrant shampoo and with gentle touches to the rest of her body. And then he just held her against him as they soaked in the warm, healing water.
Her ass throbbed, but the pain seemed to be lessening. He separated her legs slightly and slipped his hand between them. His fingers stroked through the curls of her mound, then one finger nestled between her lips, petting lightly at her sensitive clit.
"Relax, Elita," he said softly. "It is over. My lord does not take joy in administering punishment. Not ever."
She felt the length of his thick cock against her side. His fingers stroked over her inner lips and she climbed toward the summit. He pressed a fingertip into her passage, swirled the tip and stroked lightly across her needy slit. His thumb wooed her clitoris and without warning she slipped over the edge, bucking against his hand, spilling her pleasure into his palm.
When she finally floated back to the earth, he held her close and her cheek rested against his hard chest.
"What about you?" she murmured. "Do you take joy in administering punishment?"
She felt him still beneath her, experienced the thundering of his heart. "Never, Eli-ah. Never."
"Then I guess I better not require it in future, do you think? Because I don't think I enjoy it very much either."
His hand stroked along her spine and she relaxed into the touch, her eyelids fluttering closed. She felt totally boneless, so very tired.
She only barely heard his whispered response.
"If only it were that simple, Eli-ah. If only."
Chapter 10
* * *
"Tell me about him, Teacher."
They had just completed the laps in the pool and were now sharing a breakfast of fruit and toasted herb bread with delicious jam. This morning she wore a white caftan threaded with silver. It was lightweight and it hardly felt as though she wore anything at all, except when it brushed against her sensitive breasts.
There was something to be said for the free-flowing garment. She certainly didn't feel as tightly bound as she did with her usual apparel.
Teacher sat cross-legged across from her at the low table. He still had not dressed. She admired how his blue skin glowed in the sunlight. How the flesh stretched tautly across his muscular frame. The majority of his thick gold and caramel-colored hair trailed down his back, bound in a braid. Two lengths of braid framed his face, trailing down to his broad chest, the ends teasing at his dark nipples.
She tried not to focus on the arousal she felt as she looked at him across the table. Something told her time was growing short and soon the outside world, and her commitments, would descend upon her.
"What do you wish to know?"
"Well, what kind of man is he? Is he a good leader?"
Teacher chose a piece of lush fruit and slowly began to peel the tough skin away. He slit it into sections and handed her a piece of the juicy pink fruit.
"He is not perfect," he said at length, "but he does what he thinks best. He rules with honesty and concern for the welfare of his people."
Elita bit down on the fruit and her mouth filled with its sweet juices. She swallowed before she asked her next question. "Does he have a lover?"
She saw the surprise in Teacher's ivory and black eyes as he considered her question. "A lover?"
She took a deep breath before continuing. "Is there someone he loves. Is this match simply a political arrangement for him?" And then in a lower tone. "Will he take another wife once the treaties are cemented?" She had not wanted to voice her deepest most intimate, concern, but she had to know. She wanted to understand where she stood right from the start.
"Is that what you think?" he asked softly. "That my lord would not see to your happiness?"
She glanced past him, unable to meet the piercing look in his eyes. "I don't know." She bit her lip. She was about to say things to Teacher she had never revealed to anyone in her life. "My father has three wives. Well, actually two wives and one concubine slave." She didn't know if she could continue. It was so personal.
"Continue. My lord would wish to know your concerns regarding this match."
Her gaze slid back to him. "But I could never tell him this. Please."
He straightened from the table, staring at her, his gaze searching. "But you will tell me."
"I-I feel comfortable with you. I trust you. I don't think you will lie to me or that you wish to hurt me. I can't say why, I just do. And I have to be able to trust someone, don't I?" She looked at him pleadingly, hoping she was right about him.
After a moment, he nodded. "Yes, you can trust me. But you can also trust my lord. He is not a harsh man."
"It's not that easy. I don't know him. I haven't even met him yet."
"Tell me your concern."
"I don't know what he thinks of me. My father...his first match was political, yet he fell deeply in love with her, and he is committed totally to his primary wife. His second wife was widowed, she was the wife of a close friend, whom he took into his household. He treats her very well and welcomes her into his bed." She hesitated before speaking, unsure if she could continue.
"Go on."
She again inhaled deeply. "The third woman in his life is a slave concubine, a gift from a grateful ally. He also welcomes her into his bed and for the most part treats her as a true wife. But there are subtle differences. They think they are not noticeable, but I can sense the differences. They have all borne him children and we are treated equally in our father's eyes. All three women are considered our mothers. But I wonder sometimes..." her voice trailed off and she bit her lip.
"What is it you are curious about?"
She looked over at him. "My birth mother is a slave." Then she blurted out the rest. "I wonder sometimes if I was allowed to run free because my father had no high expectations for me. All of my full siblings are male, I am the only female of this line. The only female born of his slave. My brother told me that Kadin wanted me for his match. But when the Underworld minions captured me, one of them was prepared to brand me as Kadin's possession." She shuddered as she remembered that moment. "I knew then that it wasn't a consort he wanted, but that I would be his slave, his property and nothing more than that. What will I be to Raoul Duarte?"
She now realized that all of her life she had expected that what had happened to her mother, would happen to her. That she would be gifted to some man, the slave daughter of a grateful leader. She had never felt totally free. And that is what she had run from all her life. The weight of that fear settled heavily in her chest as she awaited Teacher's answer.
He was silent for a long time as he stared at her. She saw his hand curl into fists and then, as though he realized what he was doing, he slowly unfurled them and lay them flat on the granite table.
"My lord is not the Dark Underlord. He knows of your parentage, but he requested you specifically for his match. I may tell you this because it is something that must be revealed to you. My lord would accept no other, and many were offered from the different provinces. You may rest assured that he will cherish and treat you with the respect due you as his royal consort. You will walk at his side, and not one step behind. No matter what other wives he may be required to take, you will never lose your place as primary wife to the Lord Guardian."
She turned a
nd looked down at the tiled floor, trying to hold back the tears. She blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. "You are sure?"
"I have known my lord a very long time. I am very certain. Your loyalty and trust will not be misplaced."
She exhaled and turned to smile at him. She reached across the table and linked her fingers with his. "What will I do without you, Teacher?"
His grip was strong and she felt surrounded by his protection. And then he released her hand. "It is time to continue your lessons."
Elita cleared her throat and finished her juice. "As you wish."
Chapter 11
* * *
"The blue room," she said as she stepped inside the same room he had taken her to the other day. And where she had questioned his authority.
"Yes. We will continue the lesson on self-pleasure which was interrupted yesterday."
He waved a hand over a small light source embedded in the wall. Immediately the door at the other end of the room opened and Olan walked through it carrying the same items from the other day.
She was surprised when Teacher pulled her backward and she landed onto the soft, silken cushions behind them. She was nestled between his legs and could feel his thick cock at the small of her back. Carefully, he removed her caftan, leaving her bare before the two men.
"My lord will provide you with pleasure in many different ways. Never fear or be embarrassed by your naked beauty. There may be times when he wishes to surprise you with delights you cannot now imagine. Know that he only wishes to please you and to enhance your joy." Teacher's hands stroked over her breasts and down her ribs, sweeping back up to repeat the rhythm as he instructed her with his mesmerizing voice.
"It's all so different. So...intimate."
"Have you been disgusted by any of the things we have done thus far?"
Azurene: Divine Seduction Page 5