“It’s my pleasure, Mistress.”
“Can you call me Anna? Mistress is so...strange.”
She looked up, horrified, as if I’d asked her to strangle a kitten. “Oh, no, Mistress. Your status in the Manor is much higher than my own. That would be highly inappropriate! And Master would get very angry.”
I certainly didn’t want her or Sarah to get in trouble. “Okay. I understand...I think.”
“The conventions of this place will become natural to you in time, Mistress. We will help you.”
“Thank you, Maggie.” A thought occurred to me. “Is it okay for me to call you by your name?”
“Oh, yes, Mistress. That is allowed. We call each other as ‘Sister’ if not by our names. But the other girls should not address you so informally. We are not your equals. I believe everyone knows of your arrival by now and should know how to address you. Even the men should address you as ‘Mistress.’ Except Master. He can do as he pleases.”
I sighed. “There’s a lot to learn, isn’t there?”
“Yes, but Master says you are very bright and will learn quickly.”
“The bath is ready, Maggie,” Sarah said from beside the bathtub.
Steam rose up from the tub and along with it, a scent that I’d not smelled before. It was musky and flowery and fresh, all at the same time. Like making love outside in the sunshine. It was almost arousing.
Sarah held out her hand and helped me step into the tub. I gasped at the very hot water.
“The water needs to be this temperature to allow your pores to open. Your body will adjust in a moment.”
I sat down carefully and settled against the back of the tub where a soft cushion sat for comfort. After a few minutes, I felt my muscles relax. Oh my, this is nice!
Sarah made sure I was soaking up to my ears and then massaged good-smelling oil into my face. It felt so good I fell asleep, and they woke me when the water had cooled.
Sarah refilled the tub with hot water and Maggie washed my hair with a lavender-scented shampoo. After she rinsed my hair, Maggie spent twenty minutes working some kind of oil into it.
She ran her fingers through my hair after rinsing it with warm water. “Perfect,” she said. “Like silk.”
I ran my own fingers through my hair and grinned. The gleaming strands really did feel like silk. My hair had never been so soft before. Maggie gently pulled my head back onto the cushion and I felt her play with my hair. “I must braid it before it dries or the braids won’t stay in.”
Sarah manicured my fingers and toes while Maggie braided my hair. When they were finished, I stepped out into an awaiting pink plush robe.
Maggie pulled me in front of the mirror. “What do you think?” She grinned.
I looked up and barely recognized the face that stared back at me. My skin was flawless and glowing with health. Most of my hair hung loosely down my back, with the top part worked into many tiny braids. Maggie had pulled the braids back away from my face to meet high up on the back of my head and then drawn them into a multi-strand thin braid that ran down my back.
“After your hair dries I’ll brush the loose strands and apply some oil so it’s extra soft and touchable,” Maggie explained. “You’ll have a circlet that sits on top here after you dress.” She pointed to the top of my head. “And I’ll pull some gold threads through the braids as well.”
“It all sounds so elegant,” I said in a hushed voice.
“Master is eager to show you off, Mistress.” Maggie smiled. “The other girls will be envious of the attention you garner, but Master won’t let just any man have you. They’ll have to ask his permission. That is an honorable position for any girl. Normally, any man can use us at any time. If we say no we are severely punished.” A pained look came into her eyes and disappeared quickly. “You are fortunate to have gained Master’s favor.”
“What do the men do to us?” I asked as we walked into the bedroom. I swallowed, trying to push away the nauseated feeling that had just swept over me. Would tonight be like being back at Jack’s house?
“Sometimes they are content to have you just sit on their laps. More often than not, they want oral sex. They like it when we sit between their legs and suck on their cocks. I think it makes them feel powerful.” She paused. “Sometimes the men just want sex and other times they want something harder.” She shuddered. “But if they want something harder, they have to use the Red Girls. Not that that stops them from being forceful with us common girls. They just can’t take us into the Red Room.”
“What’s the Red Room?” It didn’t sound like a good place.
She sighed. “The easiest way to explain it is to have you think back to your training.”
I grimaced, not wanting those horrible memories to return.
“That is what the Red Room is like. Going back to training, but not with a trainer. Just for the pleasure of the man. But the Red Girls have special privileges. And, unless they are forced into it out of punishment, most of them get off on the pain. I don’t understand it, but I guess I don’t have to.”
I looked at her, horrified. Why would anyone want to go back to training? But then again, Jack had shown me plenty of pornography movies with women enjoying going through what I had gone through on a daily basis. I shuddered and tried to push the pictures out of my mind. I searched my mind desperately for another topic. “What are the Gatherings like?”
Maggie seemed glad to move off the Red topic as well.
Sarah came out of the bathroom. “I will return later,” she said. She curtsied and went to the door to be let out.
“Are you allowed to sit?” I asked, motioning to the easy chair and ottoman.
“I am,” Maggie said and settled herself on the ottoman, back straight and hands in her lap.
I sat down on my bed and drew my knees up to my chest.
“The Gatherings happen every Friday night, and it is where the men come to relax or do business. We are there to please them in whatever way they want to be pleased. Sometimes there are rituals performed, such as the initiation of a new member. In that case, we wait and watch on the balconies and the men assemble on the bottom floor. When the rituals are done, we join the men downstairs. Did I hear correctly that Master took you to the Hall?”
I nodded. “It’s huge.”
“It is. Many men come to the gatherings, so it needs to be so. The formal occasions are more crowded than the informal ones. Tonight is informal.” She adjusted the folds of her dress. “We sit along the edge of the room and wait for a man to come get us.” She shrugged. “It’s not very exciting, but we are necessary.”
“Does Dev- I mean, does Master ever ‘have’ one of you?” For some reason, the thought of Devin being with someone else bothered me.
“Oh yes. Several of us during the course of the night. We consider ourselves fortunate if Master chooses us; it is an honor. Sometimes he will pick a certain girl for a certain man. He knows what the men desire and knows our skills. If he is trying to conduct business he will match up the girls with the right man to help ‘ease his way’ as he puts it.”
“Do you ever leave the Manor?”
Maggie shook her head. “We have a large yard to go out into, but we never leave the property. Well, except for the Big Gatherings. Then we get on a bus and go to the site of the Gatherings so the men can use us there. There are two Big Gatherings a year. Master is in charge of the summer one, so we go there. The other one is somewhere else and another Elder provides the girls.”
I still wasn’t sure what my purpose was in all of this. Devin had told me that I would leave Manor at times. I knew I would go to social events with Devin to help him in some way. I felt comforted, knowing that men had to ask permission to ‘have’ me. Maybe this wouldn’t be like Jack’s house. “I suppose Master will tell me what he wants me to do?”
“I’m certain he will, Mistress. I know he has been looking forward to having you here.”
The door opened and Sarah poked her head in
. “Maggie, could you help me with something?”
“Sure, Sarah.” Maggie stood and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost four. “Dinner will be ready in a few hours. Why don’t you rest until then? It will likely be a long night. After you eat, we’ll dress you for tonight. The Gathering begins at nine o’clock.”
*****
After dinner, Maggie and Sarah returned to help me dress. Maggie took me into the bathroom and sprayed me all over with an oil that smelled like the one that had been in my bath. She handed me my robe and after I put it on, she worked more oil through my hair before brushing it with a silver-handled brush for several minutes.
She stepped back and admired her work. “Perfect.”
I stood and looked in the mirror. The hair that was still loose glimmered in the light. It was so soft and silky I could barely stop running my hands through it. “I never knew my hair could feel like this.”
Maggie giggled. “That’s the idea, Mistress; to make it irresistible to men. Men love soft hair they can run their fingers through.”
If that were true then I might not have any hair left at the end of the night.
We went back into the bedroom and Sarah helped me into a white dress with a lace-up back. The skirt draped to my ankles and there was a slit on the right side that went all the way up to my hip. I could just see my knees through the fabric.
Before I had a chance to examine any more of the dress, Maggie and Sarah pulled me over to the bed where various pieces of sparkling jewelry lay on the comforter.
Each of my wrists were enveloped in a double row of what I assumed were crystals with three crystal strands that joined to a ring on my middle finger. The anklets had three evenly spaced crystal strands leading from the middle and sides of my ankle to a ring on my second toe. Maggie pinned the circlet on my head. The chains that hung down over my hair and ears tickled.
“They’re so pretty. They sparkle!” I remarked, moving my hands in the light.
Sarah smiled. “Diamonds do that.”
“Diamonds?” I exclaimed. “I thought they were crystals.”
“Master would never allow you to appear in mere crystals.”
I grinned, unable to contain myself. “I feel so pretty.”
“Would you like to see?”
“Yes, please.”
Maggie opened up the closet door where a full-length mirror hung. I stared, not believing my reflection. That beautiful woman was me?
The diamond-studded circlet had delicate chains that dropped down to interweave in my hair and returned to the circlet. A teardrop-shaped diamond hung down into the middle of my forehead.
Earlier in the week, Devin had given me a diamond necklace to wear. He said it was my ‘mark.’ The pendant consisted of a large diamond solitaire surrounded by two concentric circles of smaller stones.
My dress was as beautiful as I’d imagined, but more transparent than I expected. The neckline plunged very low, stopping just shy of my nipples, which I could just see through the gathered fabric. Sheer straps sat just off my shoulders. The bodice was of a thicker silk that ended just above my hips. The skirt was of the same material that covered my breasts, but gathered in such a way that I could see the outline of my legs, but not much detail.
I was relieved that my pussy was not obvious through the material. Perhaps it might have been, if I’d had curls like some of the women in the porn videos. But none ever grew for me. I had asked Jack about it when I was younger and he said that I was special and would never have any. It bothered me then, but I didn’t mind now. Devin had said several times this week how much he liked my naked pussy lips.
I smiled as I imagined Devin’s pleasure at seeing me tonight. My nipples tightened at the thought.
I turned to look at Maggie and Sarah. “Thank you,” I said, smiling brightly. “I look...I’ve never looked like this before. I feel like a princess.”
They both beamed.
Maggie glanced at the clock. “It’s almost time to go.” She reached into the closet and pulled out a long cloak made from white crushed velvet. She wrapped it around me and clasped the cloak at my shoulder. I fumbled my hands in the fabric. I couldn’t get my hands free.
“You are completely wrapped. You can’t stick your hands out without pushing the cloak apart from your shoulders.”
“I have to go down stairs. How will I keep my balance?”
“Ian will help you.”
Ian. His very name made me tremble. I had barely seen him all week and was glad of that fact. The thought of him helping me down a flight of stairs was laughable. He would be more likely to push me down the stairs than to help me walk down them.
A loud knock on the door made me jump. Ian. I didn’t want to let him in.
“Shall I answer, Mistress?” Maggie asked.
I knew I had no choice. I nodded, unable to find my voice over the lump of fear in my throat.
“Come in.”
Chapter 7
The door opened and Ian stood there, towering in the doorway. He wore loose-fitting black pants, a black tunic, and leather sandals. He wore his long hair tied back in a low ponytail. His goatee was neatly trimmed.
I’d never noticed how handsome he was before. His hazel eyes met mine and I swallowed and looked down at the ground.
Sarah and Maggie both pressed their palms together and greeted him in unison. “Good evening, my lord Ian.”
He wouldn’t see it if I moved my hands, so I just bowed my head and stammered the same greeting.
Sarah and Maggie hurried out of the room and left me alone with the intimidating man. I stood unmoving, staring at the floor. I could feel him looking at me. “Good evening, Mistress,” he said, his voice deep and…sexy?
How could I think his voice was sexy? The man terrified me!
He stepped forward and gently pulled my hood up over my hair. I waited for him to hurt me, but he simply stepped back after he finished.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded and then followed it with a soft, “Yes, my lord,” in case he couldn’t see my nod in the hood of my cloak.
He took my elbow and gently guided me out of the room. “Make sure you look up enough so you don’t trip on anything. The hood can block your view.”
He was being kind. That was...weird. “Thank you, my lord.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I lifted my head slightly and could see more than just my feet below me.
I followed him silently down the empty hallway. When we arrived at the various staircases, he took my elbow and guided me down the stairs, making sure I didn’t trip. I didn’t know what to do with this kindness, but I thanked him each time. When we arrived at the entrance to the Hall, Ian instructed me to stay where I was as he slipped through the doors and disappeared.
I stood alone in the silent hallway. What awaited me beyond these doors? I could hear low muffled voices coming from inside. Who were these men that Devin said I would seduce? My mind raced and my heart pounded. Would this be better or worse than Jack’s house?
Ian came out of the room and stood beside me. “He’s almost ready for you. When we go in, you will walk directly across the room and stop at the edge of the platform. Devin will indicate when he is ready and I will remove your cloak. At that point, step up onto the platform, place yourself a few feet in front of him and bow as he taught you. He will let you know what to do next.”
“Yes, my lord,” I said in a shaky voice. I wanted to run away and hide, but my submissive self wouldn’t let me. I had to obey.
Suddenly, both doors opened and I could look into the Hall from the hooded safety of my cloak. We stood there for a moment and I took advantage of the situation and looked around surreptitiously.
About a hundred men were scattered throughout the room. Girls knelt around the edges of the room. Some were naked, though most of them wore some sort of blue garment. A few girls in short red garments were scattered throughout the room. The men were dressed similarly to Ian, but in different dark
colors. Many girls knelt in front of seated men, heads bobbing up and down as they sucked on their cocks. A few straddled laps.
It wasn’t overly loud, but there was a definite din to the room, with an occasional cry of ecstasy. The noise lessened as Ian and I walked toward the raised dais where Devin sat easily on his throne-like chair.
He wore a white tunic and pants, the color making a sharp contrast to his tanned skin and dark hair. His dark, precisely trimmed beard and mustache made a sharp outline around his jaw and mouth where white teeth showed when he smiled. Or grimaced.
As Ian and I stopped in front of the dais, the room became silent. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited. I focused my eyes on the floor and breathed deeply to calm my nerves. After a long moment, Ian moved behind me and pulled back my hood. He unclasped my cloak, letting it fall from my shoulders, and caught it before it fell to the floor.
I took a deep breath and, remembering his instructions, stepped up onto the low platform. My right knee slipped through the slit in the dress to expose my entire leg. I heard appreciative murmurs as I walked towards Devin’s throne. After another deep breath, I dropped to my knees and bowed low, pressing my forehead to the ground and stretching out my arms in front of me.
After a moment, he spoke softly. “You may sit up, Mistress.” I obeyed and put my hands on my thighs, keeping my head bowed.
He stood and reached his hand toward me. I put my hand in his and he pulled me to a standing position. He cupped my chin, raising my face to his. I looked fearfully into his eyes but, seeing the pleasure in them, relaxed a bit.
“You look beautiful, Anna,” he murmured and kissed the backs of the fingers on my right hand. “Keep your head up and focus your eyes on the back of the room.” He turned me away from him, keeping his hands on my upper arms. I did as he said and he began to speak loudly, addressing the assembled men. “I’d like to introduce you to my newest and most precious girl, Anna.”
A murmur arose around the room as the men took in his announcement. I could feel a hundred pairs of eyes scrutinizing me. Their desire made me a dizzy.
The Life of Anna, Part 1: Enslaved Page 7