by Robin Roseau
They got me to the ground, Lisbon and Gigi on one arm each and Aresht wrapped tightly around my legs, hugging with both arms and legs herself. Between them, they dragged me towards the trough.
There were eight troughs in total, spread in a large circle, and around each trough were six stakes, enough to secure two people in each. The three of them dragged me to the same trough as my slave, and then Lisbon said, “Which direction, Gigi?”
“Head towards Lisolte’s feet,” Gigi replied. That would leave my feet out of the trough but my entire upper body inside.
They dragged me where they wanted me. I didn’t stop struggling, but Lisbon and Aresht used all their weight to pin me. Lisbon helped Gigi capture a flailing arm, and once she got rope around the wrist, I knew it was all but over.
And damned, but Lisbon giggled the entire time. Gigi partially secured one arm, and then they went to work on another. Two minutes later, everyone rolled off me, most of us panting.
And Lisbon still giggling.
“You’re a shit,” I told her.
“Don’t be like that,” she said. She reached over and patted my cheek. I pulled away from her. I was mad at her. I didn’t blame Gigi, but I was mad at Lisbon. “I hope Bernadette’s faking it.”
Lisbon looked over. “She’s not faking. Gigi, could I borrow Aresht just a little longer?”
“Sure,” Gigi said. “Ari, darling. Help Lisbon capture Bernadette, but don’t risk yourself. Return to me when you can.”
“Okay, Gigi.” We watched the two of them rise and head across the arena.
“Don’t blame her.”
I shifted my gaze. “Right.” It was said coldly.
“You were willing to use her help with me,” Gigi said. “You don’t seem to have a problem with double teaming.”
“I don’t care for someone to accept an alliance and then stab me in the back,” I said. “It leaves a bitter taste. I’d have been fine if she’d just walked away, and you had beaten me fairly, or if she’d openly sided with you. Well, I’d be better if she’d been open about it.”
“Hold that thought.” Gigi moved away. I craned my head and watched as she finished fully securing Lisolte. Then she crawled back to me and lay down on her side, just outside the depression that formed the trough I was in. She began playing with my arm, giving it long, slow strokes. “It’s in fun, Claary,” she said.
“You could admit you understand why I’m upset.”
“I do understand,” she replied. “You’ve had me. You were very gracious. Can’t it be my turn?”
“Gigi, you’re not the one I’m mad at.”
“You shouldn’t blame her. At least half of us bribed her. If she was instrumental in helping us catch you, we owe her.”
“What?”
“When this is over, I’m hers for two days.”
“I’m yours for a week.”
“You’re going to love it,” she said. But she sighed. “I’d be upset, too.”
“It’s not the losing,” I said.
“It’s the betrayal by your own sister.”
“After pretending to be helping me.” I sighed. “Please help me calm down, Gigi.”
“I am,” she replied. She looked over her shoulder. “They’ve almost finished staking out Bernadette. It’s going to take Lisbon a minute and a half after that. Aresht will be here soon.”
She looked around further, and I asked about the others.
“What’s happening?” From my position, I couldn’t see very well.
“It appears some of the round one winners are waking up. I think Mellta won Sarala, and now they’re both on Slip. I didn’t see whom she caught. Becksta and Mehgra are just tying off Rondi.” She turned back. She focused on my arm for a moment, and then Aresht was kneeling beside her.
Gigi pulled her in for a kiss then whispered, “Cee is upset. Help me make her feel better. Move to the other side and find soothing things to do.”
Aresht smiled and stepped over me, they lay down like Gigi had. Apparently, sliding her hand inside my shift and teasing my nipples was her idea of soothing. Gigi didn’t correct her.
I really was angry with Lisbon, and my reaction just frustrated me further. Why couldn’t I be gracious? I sighed. Gigi smiled. I turned to look at Aresht for a moment then back to Gigi. “That’s just silly. Don’t you think you should take the tunic off?”
“Aresht, darling, remove her tunic whenever you like.” Aresht began working on that. I ignored her and watched Gigi, who was watching me.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this in broad daylight and with an audience.”
“They’re all women,” Gigi said with a smile. “And half of them wish they were down here right now. Some of them aren’t sure if they want to be me or you.” She looked up and smiled. “A few have pleasure slaves, and it seems that watching us has them rather excited.”
“They’re doing it right now?”
“You were doing it about ten minutes ago,” she responded. “Why shouldn’t they?” She stroked my arm again. “Claary, I don’t know how to help you get over being angry.”
“Will I be red?”
She laughed. “Damned right you will.”
“Will you be kind?”
“Of course. And after, we’ll talk. You’ll tell me how I did. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“You should know this: I didn’t want anyone else. I either wanted to win or lose with you.”
“Then why this group?”
“Growing it wasn’t my idea,” she replied.
“You didn’t want us,” Aresht said softly.
“That’s not it,” Gigi said. “But there’s a lot of responsibility that I’m not sure I’m ready for.”
“You’re doing well so far,” I said.
“I screwed this up,” she replied. “I should have realized you’d be upset if Lisbon tricked you. I don’t blame you.”
I sighed again. “Please kiss me, Gigi.”
She leaned forward, careful to avoid the resin. Then she took her time, caressing my face. I closed my eyes. When she finally kissed me, I was ready for it, and her gentle nature helped to soothe me. Then she whispered to me, “I want to let my slave play with you. I think I’m going to let you get lost to her while I reclaim Lisolte. Are you all right?”
“I don’t mind losing to you, Gigi. I don't mind being yours.”
“Good. I’ve wanted this, Claary. If I were going to belong to anyone, I’d want it to be you.”
“But we’re both going to be citizens, if we don’t screw it up.”
“Yes.” She kissed me again, a long, slow, sweet kiss.
“Your slave is taking liberties,” I said when next I could speak.
“You’re a little out of it,” Gigi said. “I moved her hand there.”
“Will we live in your apartment?”
“Olivia gave us that house again,” she said.
“You expected to win?”
“No, but I planned ahead.”
I gave a gasp. Gigi smiled and gave me a little peck. Then she sloshed some of the resin across me before saying, “I’ll be back. I’m going to claim Lisolte, then finish you. Enjoy what Aresht does to you.”
* * * *
I became completely lost. Of course I did. It went on far longer than it would have needed to, but I thought Gigi was taking her time with Lisolte, and so Aresht played with me.
And then there were more hands, two more sets of hands. “Hello, Cee,” Gigi whispered. “Ready for me to finish this?”
“Yes,” I whispered back.
“Good. I’m nearly as red as you are. Lisolte struggled to remain yours, and I got a little lost. But I’m here now, and you have my undivided attention.”
Then she touched for a few minutes, whispering to me some of the things we would do. I listened to her voice and let myself become lost to it.
I felt when she slipped the device into me. I felt when she climbed atop me. Her slaves helped her get arr
anged, and I heard her sigh as she settled over her end of the device.
At that point, I might have been able to win. If I could have held out like this, she’d have become mine instead of the other way around.
But Aresht had been playing with me for a long time, and I had long surrendered to what she had been doing. And then there was Gigi, who I really did like, and two slaves, stroking me. Lisolte was quiet, but Aresht had been giggling for a while.
And so I let myself be lost. Gigi whispered to me as she claimed me, and then she said, “When you become mine, tell the world. Yell ‘I am Gigi’s. I am Gigi’s.’”
About a minute later, that’s exactly what I yelled.
Time
Gigi was exceedingly sweet, and I knew she’d be a good owner. I enjoyed belonging to her. She seemed to enjoy it, too.
She freed Lisolte and Aresht a day and a half early. We spent one day soothing them, although I didn’t think they needed it. And then it was just me. I spent the entire time utterly blissed out from what we did together.
In the morning, she freed me. I begged to go back to bed, and so we did, holding each other. We lay together for a long time, an hour or two, before she said, “We’re not for each other.”
“Olivia told me there’s nothing that keeps she and I from playing together, even after I’m a citizen.”
“Really?”
I looked at her. She brushed my face and kissed me. “I wish I could keep you. Or something. Claary, I think I’m falling in love with you.”
I pulled her tightly to me. “I’m pulled in so many directions.”
“You don’t feel the same way as I do.”
“I don’t know what I feel right now. I’m still yours and will be for a few more days. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m Olivia’s, too. And I might give myself to Jessla again. But I think I’d like to love you, too.”
“They came and changed everything. Sarala is in love with you.”
“I know. I really like her.”
“Some of our new members have asked me about you. You have a reputation.”
“You will now, too. You publicly took me.”
Neither of us mentioned Lisbon.
“You need to claim someone and make her blue,” I said. “And you need to claim someone else and make her red. This was your first win, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” she said. “And you’re right.”
“After that, I want us to play more.”
“I do, too.”
“I want you to stay away from Lisbon.”
“You can’t stay mad at her, Cee.”
“That’s not it,” I replied. “During our group events, I know it’s chaotic, and things happen. But if you’re playing with her at other times, it’s weird for me. You don’t get to play with both of us.”
“I hadn’t planned to, but I owe her two days.”
“Then no more after that, and you play with someone else before seeing me. I wanted to be clear.”
“She’s half in love with Lassa, and I think Lassa feels the same way.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Rondi is completely in love with Lassa and hopes to enslave her.”
“I know.”
“Mehgra’s cute.”
“Totally.”
“Mellta, too.”
“Yeah.”
“Having two slaves is better than one.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Gigi, for now, we need to be a little careful. We need to become citizens. But that isn’t the end of our relationship.”
“Good.”
“Good,” I agreed.
* * * *
I didn’t talk to Lisbon for three days. She finally asked how long I was going to keep that up.
“When you have finished taking your reward for betraying me, we’ll talk,” I told her. “And I’d rather you not bring her here. I don’t want the reminder.”
“You like Gigi, and you enjoyed belonging to her.”
“That isn’t remotely the point,” I said. “If we’re on opposite teams, that’s one thing. I’m fine with that. But you pretended to form an alliance with me intending to betray me the entire time. You arrived at the event hoping for a chance to betray me.”
“That’s not true.”
“You had your agreements!”
“No,” she said. “I’d received bribe offers. I hadn’t actually agreed to accept any. I don’t know what I would have done if it had been someone else. But it was Gigi. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. But Claary, you look at her the same way. You’ve had her, and it was her turn, and you know it.”
She folded her arms. “And I’m not going to take my reward, either. If it were someone else, I probably would.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Tell Gigi ‘no’? Because you get weird if we play with the same person, even if it’s at different times. I don't want to mess that up between you and Gigi. I’m going to tell her we need to avoid each other at our group events. That shouldn’t be that hard.” She paused. “You’ve shut Lassa out, ever since she and I got cozy. You used to look at her and Gigi both, but you stopped, and now you barely talk to her.”
“We’re business partners. We talk all the time.”
“About business. But when was the last time you treated her like a friend? Claary, I really like her. Why can’t you treat my girlfriend like a friend?”
I stared for a minute then nodded. “You’re right.”
“What?”
“I said you’re right about that. You’re right about how I treat Lassa. You’re right about Gigi and me. I don’t think you were right to help her, but it wasn’t that you helped, but how. I should be able to trust my own sister.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan it. I was stupid. I knew she wanted you. I made up my mind without much time to think. But once I did, I wanted to ensure success, and I wasn’t sure you couldn’t beat both of us if I was open. I should have been smarter. It was three to two, and you were more out of it than she and I were. I’m sorry, Claary, but I’m not sorry you were hers for a week.”
“Neither am I,” I said. “But that’s not the point, Lisbon. Can you envision me tricking you that way?”
She paused a moment then hung her head. “No.”
“I’m not sure I would tell you if people tried to get me to team up against you,” I admitted. “But you just told me you’d be okay if I went along with it. How does that make you feel?”
“Pretty shitty,” she said after a pause. She looked up. “I'm sorry. I wasn’t going to do it, but it was Gigi, and I made a snap decision without considering any of this.”
“If it had been anyone but you, I wouldn’t have felt half as betrayed, Lisbon. I would still have felt betrayed, and it could have cost me a friend.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Claary.”
“I believe you, Lisbon. But you need to consider something. You and I need to be able to depend on each other. I think you know you can trust me. I need to know I can trust you, and I don’t anymore.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Claary. I won’t do something like that again.”
“Not even if it’s Gigi,” I said.
“Not even if it’s Gigi. For her, I’ll openly betray you rather than doing it behind your back.”
“Funny.” I smiled. “Good talk.”
She laughed, and we hugged. “Will you be friends with Lassa?”
“Let’s the three of us have dinner, maybe tomorrow.”
“The four of us,” she corrected.
“Okay. The four of us.”
“I’m going to go find her and tell her I’m declining the bribe, and I’m telling her why.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t mind if I tell her why?”
“No.”
* * * *
Dinner was nice. It felt good to have friends. Gigi stayed the night.
* * * *
A week la
ter, Gigi asked me on a date. She arrived at the inn, and she wasn’t alone. Mehgra was with her, along with Captain Bess. I raised my eyebrow. She gestured to a table, and the four of us sat down. “For the record,” Gigi said. “Mehgra doesn’t know what’s going on, either.” She pulled out a paper and set it on the table. Mehgra and I bowed our heads and read it together.
“I want an event, the three of us, duration until morning,” Gigi said. “If you both agree, sign the paper and we’ll give it to Captain Bess. I have everything waiting. Lisbon knows about this and will see to things here tonight and in the morning. You’ll be back by lunch.”
I didn’t ask any other questions. I signed using the glass pen Bess handed me, dipping into the ink to sign my name, adding my flourish.
“Why me?” Mehgra asked.
“Because you’re really cute and you seem sweet,” Gigi replied.
“Everyone knows the two of you are in love.”
“We’re not completely in love,” Gigi said. “And we both need to become citizens. This is how we get ready.”
“It’s also how we learn to treat slaves,” I added. “And they can tell us later how they felt about their treatment.”
“Or we can experience it for ourselves,” Gigi added. “Mehgra, either you’re going to lose, and you’ll belong to one of us, or you’ll win, and you get both of us. I have a fun event prepared. But maybe you’re not remotely interested.”
Mehgra focused on reading the paper again. I think she was buying time. Gigi and I exchanged glances. Then Mehgra accepted the glass and signed, but I didn’t think it was with joy. It looked like resignation.
“You don’t have to,” I said.
“It’ll be fun,” Mehgra said. “Sure.”
Gigi nodded. Captain Bess took the paper, pen, and ink back and wished us fun. The four of us headed for the front door. Captain Bess turned in one direction, and we turned in the other.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. Gigi led us to the house that seemed to be becoming ours, the one Olivia had first loaned me, and then had loaned us again. Now we had use of it a third time. Gigi let us in and led us through the house.
She had everything set up. She explained the game, and then she said, “I’d like us to help each other undress, and I think we should be sweet together. Is that okay, Mehgra?”