"Um, do I want to know why?"
Bess sighed and shook her head. "Rosa, you adored Don and were so thrilled to be able to do something in his honor. The fact that you also can do something you've dreamed of for as long as you can remember is just a bonus." When Rosa remained frozen, her eyes wide, Bess left the doorway and went to sit beside her.
"Honey, you know you want to try this, and this is the safest place on the planet to do so. I know you are scared, but you've got to trust your heart." She picked up Rosa's cell phone from where she had tossed it onto the bed. As she thumbed the bar to activate it, Rosa looked at her, eyes wider than before.
"Who are you calling?"
"I'm not calling anyone," Bess said, her finger pressing a button to bring up recent calls before holding out the phone. "You just need to press the call button." When Rosa didn't make a move to take the phone, she continued. "You are at least partly responsible for Silver leaving Australia and flying to Ohio for this auction. She trusted you, and from what I heard of the conversation, she needs your support. How do you think she is going to feel if she shows up and you aren't on the auction block with her after you promised she has nothing to worry about? So, if you are going to back out, then you need to admit you're a chicken before she arrives here tomorrow. Rosa, you've got a choice to make. Call and confess, and let your dream die without a chance to discover how happy you can be, or remember your resolutions, sign the papers and have the experience of a lifetime."
Softening her tone, she continued. "I'm your friend, Rosa, and you know I want you to be happy. I'm trying really hard to help you, but this has to be your decision." Reaching out, she gave Rosa a hug before standing. "Now, you are going to either pick up those papers, sign them and come with me to hand them over, or you are going to have to call Silver and then go look Marshall in the eye and tell him you are a baby—and not in the way you want to be. What's it going to be?"
Rosa took a deep breath and let her heart guide her. "You have a pen?"
Smiling, Bess found one in the rumpled covers of the bed and passed it to her. Once Rosa had signed the bottom of the document, she took the pen and the papers from her. "You are making the right decision. By this time tomorrow night, you'll be living your dream, and, Rosie, you are going to make some mommy or daddy very happy."
"Oh, God, I never even really considered a mommy—give me those papers back!"
"Nope, you've had weeks to go through them. We've discussed this ad nauseam and, little girl, you are just getting cold feet. The choices have been made, the limits written down, and all that's left is for you to give yourself the freedom to discover if your dream is what can give you the happiness you deserve. Now, let's go turn these in and I'll treat you to a cup of coffee." Bess grabbed her friend's hand and was very pleased when Rosa finally smiled.
"I'm ordering a Venti," Rosa warned. "Thank God we have coffee available 24/7—I'm going to need gallons to get through this week."
Bess laughed, but inside she was shaking her head. Rosa might have worked in the nursery for the past year, but she obviously needed to start thinking about the other side of the equation. As they neared Master Marshall's office, she wondered what Rosa, oh, make that Rosie, was going to do when she remembered that Littles weren't allowed to drink coffee. Well, she certainly wasn't going to bring up that tidbit—at least not until the signed papers were safely in Marshall's hands. Stopping before his door, Bess released Rosa's hand. Instead of knocking, she lifted the back of Rosa's skirt, making her let out a sharp squeal.
"What the hell?"
"Oh, another thing to remember. Cussing will likely get your bottom blistered just as quickly as lying." Bess laughed at the look on her friend's face. "Relax, I was just making sure you were ready before you go inside." Handing her the papers, she gave her a quick hug. "You're ready—papers in hand and yes, you've got your big girl panties on. Now, go on. I'll be waiting right here."
Shaking her head but unable to stop a giggle at the ridiculous phrase, Rosa ran one hand across her bottom, as if to make sure her skirt was in position, then took another deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a deep voice said. The tone caused a shiver to run up Rosa's spine—this man had some sort of incredible magnetism that made every employee want to please him. Of course, the fact that there were ways for the Master of the Masters to encourage that desire helped a great deal.
Marshall looked up from his desk, where he had been going over the last of the forms needed before they were placed into files. Seeing Rosa, he smiled. "I was just wondering where your papers were. I expected them before now."
"Um, yes… I mean, yes, Sir," Rosa stammered, her face beginning to heat, letting her know that the blush that always colored her face when she felt embarrassed or guilty was well on its way to letting her boss know something was up. Deciding that attempting to laugh off her concerns was not only not in her best interest, but would definitely not please a man who insisted on honesty, she forced herself to step up to the desk and meet his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know I'm late in turning them in. I really don't have an excuse, and I apologize for making you worry. I just… well, I just had…"
"Second thoughts?" he suggested, his tone soft. "Rosa, I hope you know that I think you are an excellent employee. Honey, I've had years of experience working with a wonderfully diverse group of individuals, and feel I can read a person accurately. I'm concerned that I'm not seeing the normally cheerful and excited Rosa. Let's see if we can work out why you seem to be so uneasy." He pointed to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down, Rosa. Would you care for some water?"
She sank into the chair, shaking her head. "Um, no… no, thank you. I just want coffee. I mean, I need to give these to you, and then Bess is going to… we're going to get coffee."
Marshall nodded, sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin. "That's fine, Rosa, but I'd really like you to relax and just talk to me."
Rosa discovered that Marshall's magic extended to just listening. She began slowly, but as she admitted her fears, her words started to flow more easily. "I'm scared. I know that's silly, and I have comforted many a Little, but I can't help it. What if I'm terrible at being a Little? What if someone pays money for me and then is so disappointed, he'll never want to come back to the Castle? What if I sell… oh God, just thinking of being sold blows my mind." Her voice began to rise in pitch with her anxiety. "I don't want Don to be disappointed. I liked him so much, but if I don't bring in enough, or no-one bids on me at all, I'll feel like I've let him down. I don't want to ruin everyone's fun or… or your business."
"Honey, you need to stop fretting so much," Marshall said, leaning forward. "You have my word that there is no need to worry about any of that—I promise you will make Don proud. How about we go over your form one last time to make sure you have everything just the way you want? You deserve to have the best experience you can."
Rosa was surprised at his request, but she nodded and laid the papers she had spent hours going through down on his desk. She felt her face heat again, seeing how crumpled and twisted they appeared. Flattening them with her fingers, she mumbled another apology.
"That's fine. We'll go through them and I promise by the time they get put into your file, they will be as good as new. Shall we?"
They spent the next half-hour going through the questionnaire. Marshall read each line, and would not continue until she gave him a nod. When they reached the section on what she would enjoy during the time spent with whoever purchased her, she was smiling, and even giggled a time or two when he made a comment about how she was sure to enjoy getting to choose clothing from their extensive wardrobe department and play on the playground.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy the Big girl time you will receive as well," Marshall said, noting that she had checked off almost nothing that she was not willing to participate in. Her choices told him a great deal. This young woman was definitely looking for an experience that would allow her to both regr
ess into the carefree days of childhood, as well as enjoy the sexual experiences a virile, loving young woman of twenty-six normally desired. "Now, we only need to make sure you've listed any hard limits, and then we're done."
"Um, I wasn't so sure about those," Rosa admitted. "I haven't done a lot—I mean, I don't have that much experience. Some of them, I don't even know what they mean."
"Well, it is vital that you understand them all." Marshall knew that the possibilities offered were almost endless. The perfect thing about the Castle was that people were free to pick and choose which activities they were drawn to explore. Rosa had spent a year dealing with the clients who wanted to explore the ageplay dynamic, which did offer all sorts of scenarios dealing with discipline, and even medical play, but it was now obvious that she truly had not explored the darker side of the castle… and that included the dungeon.
"Whoever is lucky enough to win you will have a copy of your file and be able to plan activities around your desires and your limits. I'm not promising that he or," he paused as his gaze flipped through the papers before he continued, "she will do everything you wish, but I do promise you that anything you've noted as a hard limit is expressly forbidden. You can stop worrying about that as well. Do you understand?"
Her face scarlet, Rosa nodded, and realized that her stomach was flipping just the slightest, and that her big girl panties seemed to be getting a bit damp as he talked about the pleasures she so wanted to enjoy. She was only semi-listening as he went over the list, checking off boxes as she shook her head. While he continued, she kept thinking about the possibility of having some woman purchase her. This was the time to tell him that she wasn't the least bit interested in a female as her partner. However, something seemed to be holding her back, as if some part of her heart and soul was urging her to let go of her phobia, to be honest and acknowledge that the thought was not sending her running away, screaming from the rooftops that she wasn't a lesbian! Instead, she was wondering what it would be like to be cuddled in a woman's arms, and how that would differ from a man's. When she vaguely heard Marshall asking about water sports or blood play, her attention returned to him and she shook her head. "Ew, that sounds just yucky. I don't want to do any of those," she said, unaware that her expression was making Marshall grin.
"That's fine, that's why we have the list," he said, checking the boxes next to 'water sports' and 'blood play'. "How about implements? Do you have any that you want to mark as unacceptable?"
"How about all of them?" she asked, surprising herself as she giggled before clapping a hand over her mouth.
Shaking his head, Marshall grinned. "Sorry, but it is my experience that there isn't a Little alive who is able to avoid discipline at some point. Besides, that's half the fun of the Ageplay program. You can be naughty but know that you won't get away with it for long. You don't need to accept every implement—just list those that you truly don't want to at least experience."
Rosa took the time to go down the list again. She had seen almost everything listed before. Paddles, switches, belts, slippers, straps, tawses and even the birch were common items in the Nursery—at least for those who weren't playing at being infants. Finally deciding that any type of whip should be marked off, they finished that section.
"You've noted that you want to be in the Princess Program. Is that still your choice?"
"Yes. I thought about the Infant Program but, ugh, I really don't want to take naps all day or eat in a highchair. I want to be able to play on the swings or get a book from the library and have more fun."
"I'm sure you'll have a very nice time. You are going to make a precious Little princess."
His words made her relax completely. It was as if his reassurance that her desire to experience life as a Little was exactly what she needed to hear. Smiling, she realized that just as she had reassured Silver, her boss was now doing the same for her. "Thank you, Sir. I feel a lot better now."
Flipping back to the first page, Marshall slipped the papers into a manila folder and smiled. "I'm glad, Rosa. I appreciate your participating, and want this to be a wonderful experience for you. Don't worry; I won't let any ogres bid on you."
"Troll…"
"Excuse me?"
Rosa's hand went to her mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle a giggle. "Troll—that's what Silver said. She was afraid some troll might bid on her, but I told her that you don't allow trolls at the Castle."
"I certainly don't. Trolls and ogres are never allowed. I'm glad you reassured your friend."
"Yeah, me too. Um, I told her I'd meet her tomorrow. She's come all the way from Australia. We haven't seen each other in years. I-I hope that's okay? I'll just take my lunch break to meet her and go back to work." She looked up, her eyes brighter than they had been upon entering his office.
"That's fine, Rosa," Marshall assured her. "In fact, as of now, you are off duty. I don't expect you to even think about work until Monday. Since New Year's Eve is on Wednesday, the official auction period will end when the bus leaves at ten o'clock on Friday morning, but we've decided to give any participants who want it the opportunity to play through the weekend or, for those who work here, they can have the weekend off."
"Wow, that's great. Thanks for everything, Sir."
Marshall stood, pulled something from his drawer and walked around the desk. "You're welcome. I know Don would want the same for you—fully immerse yourself in the program. Enjoy the adventure. Live life to the fullest while you can, because we all know it is far too short."
Rosa heard the pain behind the words, and her heart ached for all of those who had known Don. Without thinking, she stood up and threw her arms around Marshall, hugging him hard. "I promise I will. Thank you for everything."
Marshall returned the hug, then gave her a grin that made her heart skip a beat. Handing her an envelope that would start her journey, he explained its contents. "From this moment on, you are Rosie. Make sure you put on the bracelet and the ribbon when you dress tomorrow. And, let me warn you, young lady, if you are caught without either, you will find yourself back in my office and the apology you'll be making will be after I've tended to your bottom. Understand?"
Her mouth dropped open, her tummy flipping again. She nodded silently for a few seconds before remembering she was to answer him verbally. God, she'd worked in the Nursery for a year, and knew what happened to Littles who were disrespectful. "Yes, Sir, I won't forget. I promise." His grin and nod made her want to giggle again. Gosh, who knew that Master Marshall could act just like a daddy? With that, the giggle did break through as she turned towards the door.
"Rosie, there's just one thing left before you can enjoy your coffee."
Turning back, she saw that he now had a paddle in his hand, and her stomach did a few cartwheels as her hand went behind her to cover her backside. She should have remembered the steadfast rule of the Castle. Some of the tales she had heard of what happened behind his closed door were legendary. It seemed she was just about to find that out herself.
"No submissive leaves my office without a reminder of what happens when they've been naughty. Come, bend over and let's get this taken care of, shall we?" Marshall tapped the paddle against the edge of his desk, his face stern.
"Um, but I don't really start being submissive until tomorrow," Rosa tried, her eyes locked on to the paddle that seemed to be growing by the second.
"You started the moment you signed the papers and turned them in late. Now, come along. Take your paddling like a big girl, Little Rosie."
Rosa's stomach stopped cartwheeling as her loins started clenching. This wasn't what she had expected, but suddenly it all felt exactly right. Sighing deeply, accepting her fate, she walked forward to bend over the end of his desk, with her bottom pushed out. Feeling her skirt being flipped up to lie across her back, her face heated. It heated even more when she felt her panties being tugged down. She gasped at the first stroke, and squealed at the second. The final one landed across the very center of her
rear, with a crack that filled the room and lifted her up onto her tiptoes.
"Now, go on and have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."
Rosa stood and nodded, her bottom tingling as she tugged her panties up. Clutching the envelope whose contents would set her feet onto a path she had dreamed of for years, she thanked him before giggling, and then practically skipped to the door, the weight of responsibility beginning to slip from her shoulders. Grabbing Bess's hand, she dragged her towards the cafeteria. Now that she was finally and fully committed, it was time for a Venti caramel macchiato.
*****
Marshall stood talking with Kaylee later that evening. "Poor thing, she's terrified that not a soul will bid on her—or if they do, she'll be a terrible Little and they'll be disappointed."
"Did you tell her that plans are in place to ensure all submissives are purchased?" Kaylee asked. Marshall had told her there was absolutely no possibility of any of the volunteer submissives not to have bidders lifting their paddles, as there were plants in place. Other Dominants employed at the Castle had volunteered to take place in the bidding process to make sure every submissive had the opportunity to experience the weekend of their fantasies.
"Not in so many words. I don't want her to feel as though she's a pity purchase if that actually occurs. Our Rosa obviously has no idea of how special she is. I'm willing to bet she will not only have clients bidding on her, she will most likely have more than one or two. I just tried to remind her how special she is, and what she has to offer."
"She'll be fine," Kaylee said with a smile. "Rosa is such a loving person and deserves to know how that love feels on the receiving end. I just hope that whoever does purchase her will realize what a special woman he has."
"I'm sure he will," Marshall assured her, as he gave her cheek a kiss. "With everyone at the Castle adoring Rosa, you can bet I'll be hearing from them all if anyone suspects she isn't having the time of her life."
Kaylee laughed and shook her head. "Marshall, you are an enigma, my love." As his eyebrow lifted in a way that always made her stomach tingle, she continued. "You are the most dominant alpha I've ever known. You're also a softie when it comes to those you care about." At his chuckle, she giggled. "I don't mean you won't paddle anyone that you deem has earned it, but it is sweet that you have put so much thought into making sure Rosie, as well as the other subs, will be just fine. This is going to be very exciting. Too bad—"
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