by Lily White
“I’m Master Anthony. We met three days ago at the presentation.” With a genial expression, he smiled down at me, his straight white teeth flashing in the sunlight that poured in through the window. His eyes were a warm gold that matched the bronze flecks of color in his honey brown hair. A straight roman nose ran strongly down to a set of perfectly sculpted lips. With the high cheekbones beneath his eyes, he appeared exotic. I was in shock that I didn’t notice how handsome he was when I’d met him before.
Without waiting for me to reply, he explained, “I don’t expect you to remember many of the details of the other night. The sedative James used on you has a tendency to affect the short-term memory. I hear you were a psychologist before becoming a courtesan, so I’m sure you’re familiar with the effects Rohypnol can have on the mind and body.
I startled at the reference to my former life. Aiden had been adamant to strip every piece of my identity away from me when he trained me. He never referred to me as anything other than what he wanted me to be.
“Are – Are you the man who now owns me?” I forced out the words, barely able to speak from apparently having slept for three days.
“I am. I just returned from the States, so I want to apologize for the way you’ve been chained. The men who brought you here aren’t the most considerate types. You can also imagine that some women, if not chained, do crazy things. It’s better to avoid the unnecessary drama by securing them until I’m in a position to tend to them. From what I’ve been told, you’ve been in and out of consciousness anyway, so I guess you haven’t had much time to notice your chains.”
He moved about the bed removing the cuffs from my wrists and the shackles from my ankles. When I was freed, he reached behind my back, gently assisting me into a sitting position.
“Are you thirsty? The men told me that you’ve barely had any water at all since you’ve been here and I prefer that you don’t dehydrate while under my watch.” He winked and smiled kindly. “It wouldn’t look good if I allowed one of the courtesans to die while in my care.”
“Where’s…I…yes. I’d like some water.” My thoughts traveled so fast I could barely isolate them enough to speak them.
He smiled at me again and said, “That’s a good girl. I’m hoping this is an indication that it won’t be a difficult transition for you. We have much to discuss, but that can wait until after you’re dressed and had something to eat.”
Pushing up from the bed, he crossed the room and entered a small closet to my right. I watched with modest curiosity believing that he would step back into the room with a negligee or bustier for me to wear. However, I was surprised when he reemerged with a long, thick robe.
He arched his brow and I realized that he’d noticed my confusion. Smiling again, he moved to the side of the bed to hand me the robe. “Things are much different here than I hear they can be at Aiden’s house. He’s a good man and an excellent Master, but sometimes the sadistic side of him can go too far. I don’t employ those methods in my home unless I have no choice but to do so. As for clothing, you’re free to dress comfortably, unless it’s my preference that you dress more seductively. I’ll always let you know when that is the case.”
My eyebrows narrowed between my eyes and I shook my head again thinking that the drugs were still clouding up my ability to understand what was happening.
Opening the robe, he draped it around my shoulders before taking my hands and helping me up from the bed.
My head was dizzy and I would have fallen if he didn’t grab me with one arm to keep me steady. Memories came rushing back at me, as well as questions to which I wasn’t sure I wanted an answer.
He walked me through a large home with Spanish influence in the walls, flooring and the colorful artwork that decorated the rooms and halls. The ceiling was high with large wooden beams running proudly across the top. Stepping out a door, he led me outside into a small garden that sat in the center of the house and after crossing that to the opposite side, he led me back inside and into a large chef’s kitchen that included a small eating nook tucked neatly in a corner of the room.
“Sit here. I’ll get you some water and then find some food that will be easy on your stomach. I’d hate to start you off with something difficult to digest since it’s been a few days since you last ate.”
I looked up at him, completely shocked silent at how kind he appeared to be. How was this man involved with the same society as Aiden? They were like night and day.
Taking my seat, I waited quietly for him to bring me a glass. Lifting it to my lips, I was instantly thankful for the cool liquid that raced over my parched tongue and throat. The bottom of the glass clinked lightly against the table when I set it back down.
“Is Holland dead?” The question slipped from my lips on a whispered breath spoken so low, I wasn’t sure I wanted Anthony to hear it at all. The sound of my voice must have carried across the room because he stilled when he heard what I’d asked.
Turning to me, he looked sorrowful, giving me an answer before ever speaking the words.
“I’m sorry. Aiden told me about you after everything happened. He informed me that you’d been close to Holland. I am truly sorry for your loss. As a Master I can appreciate the relationship one has with their courtesan, especially if it’s a reciprocal affection.”
A part of me died in response to his confession.
His back was to me after he finished answering my question and I didn’t speak again until he returned to the table with a plate of food.
“Eat what you can, but don’t force it. You’ll only make yourself sick if you do.”
He sat quietly as he waited for me to pick at the food on my plate. The first bite made me feel nauseous, but I was able to eat more, which took away the pain in my stomach once the bread soaked up whatever was making me feel sick.
Taking my plate from me when I was done, he strolled across the kitchen and I listened to the chorus of birdsong that flowed in from the open doorway and windows. The house was very charming, open and airy, with the hint of salt in the air. I breathed deeply and listened intently to what I believed were waves breaking on a shoreline.
“Where are we?”
Returning to the table, he offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet, placing his other hand on the small of my back, but not letting me move one direction or the other. With his finger, he tilted my face up to look at him.
“I understand that you’ve been through a lot and I want to respect that as much as possible, but I am your new Master and you will address me as such. You are not to demand information from me unless it’s information I’m willing to give. Do you understand?”
Pink must have tinged my cheeks with my embarrassment. Of course, things wouldn’t be so different now that I was in a new house with a new owner. In my lethargy, I’d forgotten the intricate rules and behaviors expected of me. “I’m sorry, Master. I … I just thought I heard something and I wanted to know if we are near the ocean.”
He smiled, releasing me and walking towards the open doorway, expecting for me to follow behind him like a loyal dog. Once outside, the sun felt warm against my skin and I angled my face to the sky, basking in the light on my face.
Anthony chuckled from where he stood. “Are you going to follow me or were you planning on curling up in a beam of sunlight for the entire day?”
“It feels so good against my skin. The entire time I was at Aiden’s, I…”
His finger pressed to my lips softly in order to silence me before I could finish the thought.
“I’m not Aiden. I can appreciate his methods for what they are, but I recognize that you are human and need the sun as much as any other living creature. I won’t deny you what you need to survive and flourish, as long as you do as I say, you’re free to roam my property and that includes the gardens. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” A tear threatened my eye, but one of joy and not like the millions I’d shed while under Aiden’s control. I wasn’t ha
ppy to remain a slave, but I had to appreciate the kindness of this man. He wasn’t treating me like an object as Aiden had. He wasn’t degrading me and using my body for his needs without any regard for my state of health or mental well-being. He was treating me like I was human and that alone was enough to make me want to please him. I didn’t know the varied rules of the society, didn’t know if I made a mistake that I wouldn’t end up back in Aiden’s hands. That threat alone was enough to keep me quiet, to force my submission to this man I didn’t know.
He walked away and I hurried across the courtyard in an effort to fall into step behind him. Glancing at me from over his shoulder, he winked before saying, “We’re not in the United States, Claire. That much I can tell you. We’re on a small island, which is only inhabited by a community of locals and me. It’s a safe place, a place where you are welcome to explore and feel confidant that no person will harm you or mess with you in any way. Every person here is loyal to me because I bring wealth into the population. No person speaks English so I should warn you about communication issues. However each one will know you belong to me. Before long, you’ll learn the language, I’m sure, but until then, if you need anything, let me know and I’ll ensure it’s yours.
I almost tripped over my own feet listening to him. For the first time since I met him at the presentation, I was noticing the hint of an accent on his words. “May ask you a question?”
He stopped and turned to me. “That’s better. Asking permission is always a way to ensure you’ll keep me happy. And yes, ask what you’d like.”
“Are you from here? I notice that you have an accent.”
He smiled. “My mother is from here, however my father is from the States. I traveled quite often as a child and I speak seven different languages. I have homes all over the world, one of which is in the same area as Aiden. That’s why I was included in the presentation the other night. I decided to bring you here in order to let you heal. Emotional trauma can be worse for the body and soul than starvation or physical pain. You need to recover and I recognized that almost immediately when I met you.”
“Was your mother a…” Putting my hand over my mouth, I realized I was pestering him for information once again. I couldn’t help it. It’s all I did in my life as a psychologist. I asked questions to help me understand people as much as helping them understand themselves.
Looking out across the distance, his skin looked perfectly tanned in the bright light. There wasn’t a scar, mark or wrinkle that marred his features and I wondered about his age.
“My mother was a courtesan. She was respected in her position. She was a very beautiful woman and my father loved her very much. It’s possibly the reason I differ from the other Masters. I had an example of the beauty that can exist between two people, Master and slave, and I try to incorporate that into my life.”
So many questions; I realized that when he answered one, it opened the door for hundreds of others. Pushing my luck wasn’t in my best interests, but Anthony was somewhat of a puzzle, it appeared. He was a man who should be a monster, but didn’t operate with the same lack of empathy as the other men that I’d met.
The sound of crashing waves grew louder when we turned another corner, the sight stealing the breath from my lungs.
A vast ocean spread out before us, the sun sparkling off the water, making it appear as if jewels were scattered randomly over the expanse. Birds sang from the trees that surrounded us and there wasn’t a single soul walking the beautiful white sand shoreline that looked like it stretched out across miles.
“It’s beautiful.”
There was no strength to my voice when I said it. I was lost to my wonderment.
“Yes it is and it’s all mine.” Taking my hand, he turned me to face him, breaking the absolute awe I was in from the sight of the ocean. “Everything on this island is mine. Never forget that. Now come, I’ll show you the rest of the way around then return you to your room. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
A few hours passed as he led me around his property and the outlying land. From up high, we could see down into the small towns that surrounded his estate and I watched as the colorful and vibrant locals moved about happily. It seemed like a simple life for them, one where the men appeared to work while the women gathered together to care for and educate the children. By the time Anthony returned me to my room, I had an actual smile on my face for the first time since…
That’s when the dark clouds rolled across my mind, blocking the sunlight from my memory.
Holland.
He wouldn’t smile again. He wouldn’t experience life out from under the thumb of his cruel stepfather and the society of which he’d been part. He would never be a young adult who was allowed to explore all of life’s intricate truths. He would never learn to fall in love with a woman he didn’t have to view as property.
The tears I thought I could no longer shed resurfaced, welling in my eyes as I remembered our last night together. Had I changed him? Had I shown him anything other than what he’d been taught his entire life?
Was I able to give him even a few hours of peace in a reality so full of nightmares that dreams would never seem real?
I didn’t know and I’d never know because his life was cut short so quickly after discovering all the truths about what his heart was telling him, after the lies that had been ingrained into his thinking had been stripped away.
Sitting on my bed, I leaned up against the headboard and eyed the cuffs that were chained to the posts. Lashing out in my anger, I shoved them off the bed so hard that they hit heavy against the floor with a metallic clang that reminded me so much of the amount of time I’d spent in darkness.
I cried my eyes out for god knows how long, releasing every bit of pent up emotion I possessed inside me. Only when I felt hollow and empty did I lie down to pull the thick blankets up and over my body, but every time I closed my eyes, it was Holland’s face that I saw.
Life wasn’t fair. Not for me and not for Holland. Both victims to a tyrannical group of men who, through their own greed, stole the lives of other people as if we were nothing more than chattel for their selection and use.
I cried myself to sleep that first night in remembrance of a man who never stood a chance, who was never given a chance, and who I knew would be forgotten by every person but me.
…
Days, weeks, and months passed while I lived a life of luxury provided by a good and gracious man.
Master Anthony was one of the kindest and most balanced people I’d ever met in my life. He was as intelligent as he was handsome and I spent days learning about the culture of the people who lived near us, as well as basking in the beauty of nature. It as a peaceful place, one where, had I’d died alongside Holland that night, I would imagine as a sort of heaven or paradise.
I was allowed to roam the property freely and I spent hours of my time lying on the soft sandy beaches, swimming in a calm and clear ocean that never surprised me with the treasures it held. On some days, I’d explore the nearby forests, never going farther than the waterfall that was hidden amongst the luscious foliage of the bright and colorful trees and plants.
Mornings were the most beautiful of all. Waking early on most days, I would wander outside with a cup of coffee and watch the sun peek over the horizon, casting a stream of brilliant color across the sky.
This wasn’t a life that I would have expected for myself, but like any living creature that was intent on survival, I learned to adapt. Sure, my life wasn’t my own. I was expected to perform, expected to serve my Master in any way he asked and I was expected to do so with a smile on my face and with love in my heart.
I was always able to fake the smile, but I knew that deep down Anthony knew the love was not there. He couldn’t blame me because my ability to love had been stripped from me by the hands of a cruel and malicious man. He’d destroyed a part of me when he took me and trained me. Even though he reshaped me again, it was that small part of myself that he could
n’t give back.
Master Anthony never held that against me. As long as I submitted to him, he was pleased. It was all he asked for and all I could give.
“Are you ready to go? The flight will be a long one and we should hurry if we don’t want to miss it.”
I laughed. “It’s a private plane. I doubt they’ll leave without us.”
Looking up from the bags I was packing, I found Master Anthony smiling down at me with a glint of humor in his eye.
“Always the smart one.” He joked. “Either way, we still have a flight time and path we need to keep because we are traveling across other countries.”
“France sounds beautiful. I’m really excited to go there. Will we be seeing all of the sights?”
I wasn’t lying to him. I’d been excited to go on the trip ever since he first mentioned it. The only issue I had would be meeting another Master. Anthony promised that the man we would be meeting was nothing like Aiden and I had no choice but to take his word for it.
“It depends on the schedule we’ll be keeping in another Master’s house. While we are guests, we will respect his decisions about what he wants to show us in his country.”
Nodding, I zipped up the bag packed full of comfortable clothes, but also the typical sultry attire that came with being a courtesan. “Are we staying long?”
He led me out of the room and to a waiting car, settling me inside the vehicle before finally answering my question. “We’ll be staying as long as it takes for him and I to discuss and conclude our business. During that time, you will be getting to know other courtesans like yourself.” Grabbing my face softly, he turned me, forcing me to look at him. His tone was serious when he said, “If you are asked to perform, you will do as requested without argument. Do not embarrass me, Pet. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” My stomach sank at the thought of performing for another man, but in the time that I’d been on the island, I’d learned to accept my new role.
Was I completely broken? I didn’t know. I did as I was told without question, but it no longer broke me apart to do so. I performed sexual acts and took pleasure from the experience. Anthony hadn’t required anything of me in the first two weeks that he had me. He once told me that he was allowing that time for bereavement in order for me to make a smooth and non-traumatic transition into my new life.