Part 2 Princess: "Now, spin!" I turned hard, eyes fixed on the seat before me as my body turned, then snapping my head around to lock on the same spot again, again, again until I had executed the four turns as commanded, stopping rock-solid in the prescribed pose. Mistress Sela narrowed her eyes as she regarded me. I saw her nod, an almost imperceptible dipping of her head and felt the tension drain from my muscles. "Much better, slave. Now, repeat this drill until the hour is done, and please try to keep the beat!" "Yes, Mistress," I replied, kneeling before her until she turned and left. Sela was a slave just as I, but she had been given the task of teaching me to dance and seemed to feel the first lesson I needed to learn was how to submit to her will. Mistress, she made me call her. I would have objected, but Master had given her a goad and one touch of that had convinced me to leave that battle to a later date. I practiced the steps I had been taught, repeating the spins, turns and sways that Sela had spent two weeks drilling in to me. When the bell sounded the top of the hour I was winded, sweating, but I felt good- this was starting to feel natural, even enjoyable. There was a water skin on the chair that I had been using as a focal point and I took a moment to ease my thirst. "Sister!" Anna greeted me. "Sister!" I replied with a smile, turning to see her framed in the doorway. Anna and I had become much more than friends over the past weeks and Master had made us sisters, keeping us together most of the time. Only when I was in school did Anna leave my side. "So, have you got any red marks on your rear? No? Did Sela forget her goad today?" "No, Anna, I simply gave her no reason to strike me. I am becoming quite good at this, you know." "I have heard," Anna smiled, stepping close, pressing her body against mine, "Just remember who your friends are when you are some fancy dancer strutting around the hall." I answered her with a kiss, feeling the hot rush of desire sweep through me as our lips mingled for a long moment. She drew back, grinning, eyes bright. "Get your tunic on, I have a treat for us today!" "Really? What?" My tunic was a thin, soft rectangle of cloth with a hole cut in the center. I threw it over my head then tied it about my waist with a red silk cord. The garment barely came a third of the way down my thighs and was open at the sides, but it was common garb for a pleasure slave who was out and about without her Master. "Master has given us permission to attend the Carnival this afternoon," she reached in to her tunic and drew out five copper coins threaded on a cord around her neck, "we even have money for wine." Once again I was forced to face a simple, inescapable fact: I had never been to a Carnival when I was free. Too dangerous, my mother would always say, you have no idea who might be there. Now, here I was. I grinned at Anna. "What? I am amusing?" she laughed in mock surprise. I swear Anna arranged these things only to see my reaction. She seemed to enjoy it. "We will have to be paired, come on." I was a bit nervous about being out in the city like this, but Anna had no fear. She sought out a man and asked him to pair us, which he did without comment. Our collars now chained us together with a five-foot length between us and I found reassurance in that as Anna led me to the gate of our Master's house. The gateman allowed us to pass without comment and we found ourselves out on the street. Tah-Roh-Sek was not a common city as it was not laid out in concentric circles but rather sprawled along the shore of the bay, unkempt and disorganized. The street outside Master's house was wide and carried much traffic, both on foot and wagons drawn by draft animals. Anna led me down the street, then we turned into an alley, exiting out onto a smaller street lined with what appeared to be shops of leather workers, blacksmiths and the like. I wanted to explore, to see what things were to be seen, but Anna pulled me along, winding her way through back streets and alleys until we arrived at the Commons. I could not have traced our path back to Master's house no matter how I tried. "Now this is more like it," Anna proclaimed. The Commons, normally an open, park-like expanse, was covered with tents, crowded with people. Before us a man was making a great show of taking glowing coals from a brazier and swallowing them to the amazement of the gathered crowd, and not far away there were three jugglers working hard at keeping over a dozen large knives whirling through the air. Anna pointed to a wine-seller's tent and we made our way along the edge of the crowd towards him. I had never been out on my own in such a crowd and I found the experience exhilarating. It was not just the occasional caresses of passing men; rather it was the noise, the people, and the energy of the crowd. There was a palpable air of merriment and revelry that lent itself to my own excitement. I found myself laughing as my sister and I waded through the sea of humanity towards our destination. We knelt at the wine-seller's table while he finished serving two men. Since no others approached at that moment he then chose to indulge us. "And what could the two of you be after, eh?" He laughed. "Wine, Master?' Anna asked, producing her threaded coins, "A skin, if Master finds our offering sufficient." "Is this for you, or your Master?" "For us, Master, we have been given the day." "Good enough, then, hand it over." He took the coins, unknotting the cord and collecting three, then selecting a fair-sized wine skin from the barrel behind him and handing it to me. The skin was wet, cold and heavy. "Thank-you, Master!" I smiled at him and he waved dismissal after returning the last two coins to Anna. We arose and left the seller behind, Anna seizing the skin from me, uncorking it and tilting it back for a long moment. "Hey! Save some for me!" I laughed and Anna relinquished the skin. I took a drink and found it to be of less than excellent quality, but it was cold, it had bite, and there was a lot of it. In only minutes there was a pleasant glow suffusing my body as we made our way to where the firewalkers were strolling across pits of hot coals while magicians wove their impressive illusions before an appreciative crowd. There were exotic animals performing the most amazing tricks, and many games of chance offering the opportunity to win trinkets and whatnot for a half-penny a try. Wrestling matches, trials with weapons of all sorts, soothsayers, the Carnival was a mad jumble of sights and experiences all served up for the entertainment of visitors. Anna and I were half way through our wine and thinking of food when a familiar voice came to me over the crowd. "Princess!" Griff, called, "Stand and wait!" "What does he want?" Anna wondered aloud, too much wine having loosened her tongue and she watched Griff's approach with less than welcoming eyes. "Greetings, slaves. Are you alone here?" "Yes, Master. Anna and I were given the day to go out..." "Good," he cut me off, "come. We have need of your services. Joss! Joss!" Griff turned and began back towards the center of the Carnival. Anna and I of course fell in behind him. I could tell Anna was displeased, but what were we to do? Griff led us to a large open area where a platform had been set up. A crowd was gathering and I spied Joss, Lane and a couple other members of Master's crew gathered together near the front of the stage. Griff called to them and they turned, looking quite pleased when they saw Anna and I. "What do you think, Lane? Is she worth the risk?" Anna and I fell to our knees as Lane regarded us. The others too gave us some careful regard. "Yes, I think so. Well done, Griff. What say, boys, do we sponsor the Princess? It's only a couple of tarns each." "She cannot enter in that tunic- we need to get proper attire..." It took a moment of listening and furtive looking about to realize that they were talking about entering me in a contest of some sort. The men would sponsor a girl, paying an entry fee that went in to a prize purse for the winners. Anna was grinning as Joss approached and took hold of the leash securing us together. He produced a key and released Anna. "Come with me, slave. We need a proper garment, and anything else necessary to make her presentable." "Of course, Master." "Princess, you go with Griff and start getting ready..." Griff led me to a tent located at the rear of the stage where we approached a man seated at a small table. I knelt as Griff paid the entry fee. "She is number twenty-one," the man told us, producing a numbered tag that he attached to my collar, "There are preparation facilities out back. We begin at the eleventh gong." "Very good, sir. Come, Princess." "Master?" I inquired as he led me around the tent. "Ask your question, girl." "What is this contest?" "Nothing fancy, girl. A beauty contest. You will go on stage and be displayed before the judges. The girl who wins gets a golden armlet." I considered that a moment. Slaves own nothing but what free men choose to give them. To win an ornament such as an armlet would be quite a joy to a girl, though I felt no particular desire for it. Still, to be judged in such a contest might be exciting... Anna and Joss caught up to us as we arrived at the preparation tent. There were baths, mirrors, all sorts of things and I counted better than a dozen girls there getting ready for the contest. Anna took me by the arm and dragged me over to an open spot while Griff and Joss went to re-join their friends. "Strip. We do not have a lot of time here and you need to wash your hair." "We will make it, Anna, be calm." I stripped off my tunic and stepped in to the wash tub. The water was clean and cold and I scooped up the rinsing pail and quickly wet down my hair, then knelt in the tub as Anna made quick work with the shampoo. There were several men watching and Anna admonished me to sit straight and keep my chin up. "Anna, the contest has not yet begun! Why are you so tense?" It was true, Anna seemed almost as rushed as she had been during that first bath she had given me so many weeks before. "You do not understand, Princess. Those men watching? Many of them are judges; they are already scoring you. And you are not unknown in this place- your entrance will draw a crowd. You have to make a good showing or Master may be displeased." That thought had not occurred to me and I took a moment to digest that thought when a sudden commotion drew my attention to the entrance to the tent. A slave was arguing with the guard, pointing inside and I was amazed that she would be so insistent. Anna looked up to see what was going on, then sprang to her feet, running over to the guard. She knelt and spoke to him after which he smilingly issued the other slave inside. Not until she was close did I recognize Sela. She was nude, adorned with a gold belly chain, ankle bells and various leather and silver armlets, thigh bands- an assortment of body ornaments I had never imagined. It gave her a wild and sensuous appearance far removed from the stern and demanding teacher she had always seemed in my presence. "How in the world did you get in to this?" she demanded "It was Griff and the others," Anna replied as she dumped water over my head, both to rinse my hair and shut me up, I am sure, "We were out for the day and Griff corralled us." "Damn! Rinse her again and get her out of the tub. We have much to do." "Listen," I protested as I was yanked out of the tub, "I do not understand why everyone is so upset. If Master is displeased with my performance here I am the one who will face his displeasure, not you." "Princess, your Master pays my Master a good sum for your training. If you do badly he may punish you by restricting you to the house, but my Master will doubtless lay on the whip. Anna was probably told to keep you out of trouble, so a couple strokes of the lash are likely in her future as well. Unless you are going to offer yourself for a beating beside us I suggest you keep quiet and do as you are told," Sela turned to Anna and asked, "What has she got to wear...good, give it here and you work on her hair." I wanted to help, but both Anna and Sela merely demanded that I remain still while they hovered about, brushing out my hair, applying rouge to my lips, shading to my eyes and fitting the thin, silk tunic Anna had brought. Sela took the garment and began cutting it using a small blade, tearing slits in it, tattering the edges, opening the front and the sides more, then using a needle and thread to take up extra space and fit it more closely to my body. As a final touch she slipped a wide leather band off her left arm and had me wear it. In the mirror there was a girl who could have been me, but seemed far removed from the image I had of myself. The make-ups they had applied to my face were subtle, yet the effect was dramatic- were my eyes really that wide? My lips that full? Anna had applied herself to my hair with a will and it spilled over my shoulders in loose, rolling curls. "Enough self-admiration," Sela snapped, "show me how you will walk on to the stage." They drilled me mercilessly, going over walking, kneeling, smiling, speaking... all lessons I had been learning, but Sela wanted me completely focused on my task. When the call went up for the contestants to gather Sela walked me over. "Remember, never meet the judges' eyes directly unless they speak to you. Flirt with the audience, but not the judges. Think about what you are doing: you are trying to coax every man out there in to throwing you down in the furs..." "Enough, Sela!" Anna protested, "We'll be with Griff and the others. Just make it past the first cut and we should be fine." "Wait!" I cried and I seized the wineskin from Anna and took a long drink, then handed it back, "I'll do my best, sister, I promise." There were thirty of us all together and the man in charge of us had us line up in numerical order by our tags. I was nervous, but I had been on display before- after all I had arrived in Tah-Roh-Sek chained to the prow of a warship! Still, this was different- I was supposed to present myself in a way I never had before. The girl in line ahead of me was very young, barely seventeen by my estimate. Blonde and blue-eyed she seemed to tremble, her eyes moist as we waited to be escorted on to the stage. I wanted to touch her, to calm her, but we had been told to keep silent and I had no desire to begin the contest with an act of disobedience. Instead I simply caught her attention by brushing my hand against her thigh. She jumped, startled and I smiled at her, and winked. Her lips twitched in to a nervous smile, then her eyes returned to the stage where the Master of the contest was announcing the start. "And now, our contestants! Thirty lovely flowers, all eager to bring honor to their masters!" We were motioned out on to the stage and a cheer went up from the assembled crowd as we took our places and knelt at the back of the platform. The sun was bright and it was quite warm on stage with little breeze for relief. The Master was speaking to the crowd again, but I ignored him as I furtively watched the crowd. The place was packed shoulder to shoulder with men and it was plain to see that they were looking us over rather than minding the harangue of the speaker, at least until he began to introduce us. Each girl was called by name and the name of her master was given, at which time she would stand and walk the circuit of the stage. At the outermost reach of the stage we had been instructed to pause and disrobe. I watched as each girl made the journey, smiling, waving, and blowing kisses, stripping to the cheers of the crowd. It was very repetitive, even silly in my opinion, until number eleven was called. "Number eleven, Mara, of the House of Cennar!" The girl stood and instantly I knew she was far different from those who had gone before. She was tall, a redhead, her hair spilling down to the small of her back like a mane of silken fire. She walked, no; she flowed across the stage, every step so carefully, so gracefully executed- it was as if she were dancing except that it seemed so natural, so unaffected. Her body was flawless, every curve, every line an exercise in perfection. The crowd seemed to pause, as if taking a huge, collective breath as this apparition of female beauty sauntered across the stage. Mara gracefully reached up and gave an imperceptible tug at the shoulder loop of her garment and it slid down her body to the floor. She smiled, not just with her lips, but with her entire face, her eyes so emerald green they were startlingly vivid even from across the stage as she turned and faced in my direction for a brief second before returning to her spot in the line. An enormous cheer went up, men applauding and whistling so loudly that the name of the next girl in line couldn't be heard and she was trembling as she walked the stage. Mara was difficult to follow and the next few girls appeared to simply be going through the motions, having already surrendered victory to her. Then number seventeen was called. "Number seventeen, Shirroe, of the House of Cennar!" She stood and I saw a second vision of beauty, only this girl was small, slender, her raven hair straight and thick, cut to fall just over her shoulders. She was delicate, like a flower, but she smiled with the confidence of one who knew she was truly beautiful and she moved with the same innate grace and sureness that Mara had displayed earlier. Suddenly it dawned upon me that the House of Cennar was probably a slave-merchant. These girls were obviously well trained and cared for, possibly even pedigreed. How could I compete against women whose bloodlines had been manipulated for centuries? I grew angry as the girls paraded before the crowd. There were two more from the House of Cennar before Kymba, the blonde in line before me was called and the crowd was wildly enthusiastic for each of them. There was no doubting their allure, but was not this contest supposed to be fair? What was the point of pitting such women against girls who were likely just like me, barely trained or even new to the collar? Kymba rose and strode the stage, obviously uncomfortable being on display like this though she was very lovely. I saw her reach the edge of the stage and disrobe. There was a man standing just beneath where she was about to turn. He lifted his right fist high and I could see the change in her- he was obviously her master and he had given his approval of her. She was much more relaxed as she returned to her place in line. When my name was called I was under the influence of burning resentment as well as the kick of that last, rather large drink I'd had just before coming on stage. "Number twenty-one, Princess, slave of Garth!" Rising from the kneeling position was something I'd practiced so much that it came to me without effort, but I intended to simply walk the stage and get it over with. Then I caught sight of Anna and Sela in the crowd. They were both staring at me intently and I could see the warning in Sela's eyes. Standing behind her was Griff, the young fool who had dragged me in to this, and he had this grin on his face as if he hadn't a care in the world. Blood pounded in my ears as I fixed my gaze on him and I walked, my stride a practiced Display Pace as Sela had instructed, but I could feel my anger at Griff oozing from every pore of my skin, so hot that there was no chance I could even pretend to contain it. I strode out to the end of the stage and paused, one leg straight, the other slightly flexed, my shoulders turned just a bit towards the side as I reached up to open the disrobing loop at my shoulder. The fabric caught, Sela having been too rushed in her quick tailoring in the preparation tent, and without a thought I simply pulled as hard as I could, the garment splitting from my shoulder to my waist as the lace gave way. I let it drop and gave Griff the most defiant stare I could muster, then I turned and strode back to my place in line, deliberately putting just a small, extra twisting motion to my hips, showing my disdain in the only way a slave is permitted. I turned to face the crowd just before kneeling again and I saw both Anna and Sela clapping, faces shining and it was only then that I realized that the roaring in my ears was more than the sound of my pounding heart. The crowd was cheering! It was every bit as raucous as that for the girls from the House of Cennar and I couldn't help but smile despite my anger as I fell to my knees. The grin spread across my face uncontrollably as the next girl in line was called. The remaining nine girls presented themselves in short order, and then we were ordered to stand as the judges prepared the list of those who would continue to the next round. In spite of my anger I found myself excited at the prospect of going onward with the contest and I stood in the warm sun, sweat beginning to bead on my face and breasts as the judges handed the list to the Master. "And now, the fifteen who will continue on to the next round, in no particular order! Princess, slave of Garth!" That suddenly, I was in the competition for real. I stepped to the spot he indicated and knelt, trembling with excitement as he continued to read names. All the girls form Cennar were called, as well as Kymba and several others sponsored by their masters. The remaining fifteen were dismissed, some of them openly weeping as they exited the stage. I had to suspect that more than one feared discipline from her master, but in my heart I knew that was unfair- the competition was too heavily weighted for fairness. But those girls were in my past; I had to focus on the future. "Ankle!" he commanded and I spun about to raise my left ankle for binding, sitting back upon my right foot, my arms behind me for support. "Bracelets!" "Collar!" "Leash!" "Whip!" The sun was hot now and I was sweating profusely as we were put through the Kneeling Stations of a Pleasure Slave, over and over again. Sela had often drilled me so and I moved easily through the ten positions, each time flexing my body to accentuate what she had taught me was my best attribute in each pose. When a girl stumbled, or lost her place she was removed from the line. After what seemed the hundredth time through the drill the Master called a halt. I cast a surreptitious glance to my side and noted that there were only seven of us left: myself, Kymba, and five from the House of Cennar, including the stunning Mara. The judges were talking and I knew that the seven of us would be reduced yet again. After a few moments the Master tapped Kymba on the shoulder and bade her rise, leading her off to the left as many cheered, voicing their approval of her performance. The Master took a large red flower and fastened it in her hair by her left ear, then escorted her from the stage. I could not tell if she was saddened or relieved and I dared not break my pose as I waited. The Master next tapped a girl from Cennar, escorting her from the stage in the same way. Twice more he led girls from the line until only Mara, Shirroe and I remained. Suddenly I realized that I had placed at least third! "Gentlemen, the Finalists!" the Master announced as he motioned us to our feet. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face and I could see Anna, Sela and the men cheering, Sela's left fist raised high in salute. "And now, The Dance!" Musicians had assembled at the end of the stage and they began to play. I nearly laughed when I recognized the tune as the very one Sela used in my training for what she called the Dance of Languid Seduction. It was not meant to be started nude, but I knew enough to improvise, sliding in to the middle of the routine as the Master enjoined us to dance for the judges and the crowd. I moved, twisting sinuously at the hips, my shoulders and pelvis undulating to the rhythm of the music. I tuned out the other two girls, focusing my attention on a barbaric-looking blonde in the front of the crowd, a man of sinew and leather, long blonde hair and flowing full beard. He was the center of my dance, the object of my desire. The tempo changed and instinctively my arms came up over my head as I began a series of turns. Sela's words echoed in my head from endless repetition- "Your breasts are too big for this kind of turn, you must raise your arms to pull them taught or you will look ridiculous." Doubtless the kiss of the slave-goad was just enough reinforcement. The music peaked and I twisted to a kneeling stop, leaning back on my heels, one hand on my left knee, the other in my hair. The blonde savage was grinning approval, arms crossed before him as everybody else exploded in cheers. The Master gave a curt command and the three of us returned to our spots on the stage, kneeling to await the judges' final decision. I risked a furtive glance to where Sela and my sister Anna stood and I could see the joy on their faces. My heart pounded...I could win this...I could be given the golden armlet despite the fine breeding and training of Mara and Shirroe... "Gentlemen!" cried the Master, "A bronze armlet is awarded to...Shirroe of the House of Cennar!" He said more, but the crowd's roar drowned him out. I stole a glance at Shirroe as she stood to allow him to slide the ornament on her left arm. Suddenly it was clear to me- Shirroe was startlingly young, not more than sixteen. She was crying as she knelt again and the crowd quieted. "The silver armlet...and let me tell you this was a close one...Princess, slave of Garth!" I stood and it was as if a wall of sound descended upon me, the crowd exploding into applause as I extended my left arm and the Master graced it with a finely wrought band of sparkling silver. I knelt again and I knew he was speaking, but either the crowd or the pounding of blood in my ears drowned him out. I saw Mara rise to accept her prize, her smile brilliant. The Master motioned us to rise and Mara stepped past me to embrace Shirroe whose cheeks were stained with tears. After a long moment she released her and turned to me. I could see the emotion in her lovely green eyes: she was incensed! I had bested her chain sister and she found that intolerable. She was smiling as she embraced me, but I could feel the anger in her. I simply could not let it pass. She relaxed her hold on me and my right hand darted up to seize her by her collar the way many a man had seized me. She gasped in surprise and as her lips parted I pulled them to mine, thrusting my tongue in to her mouth as I forced her body tightly against mine. Mara trembled, then I felt her yield, our breasts rubbing together, her mouth alive on mine for a long, long moment until finally we parted and I saw that her smile was somewhat more genuine now... The Master clapped his hands and we all knelt. A man approached each of us and we were leashed, then led from the stage down the stairs in the front. From there we were drawn to an area covered with an awning where three separate beds of furs had been carefully laid on platforms of differing heights. Mara was led to the upper-most whereas I was led to the center and Shirroe to the lowest. There we knelt and our leashes were fastened to rings secured to the floor. "And now," the Master announced, "for your pleasure!" I had suspected this might happen, but now... there were so many! Shirroe squealed as she was seized and thrown to her back and only an instant later I was faced by a bearded barbarian who wasted no time tearing aside his loin-cloth to reveal his lust-bloated organ. Before he could lay his hands upon me I sank to my back in the thick furs, opening my thighs wide to welcome the inevitable. Out of the corner of my eye I noted that Mara did the same, smiling... After that there was no more time to consider others as the barbarian descended upon me, his hard organ eager and demanding against my wet flower. Moaning in delight I yielded, his penis filling me, impaling me as he thrust to his balls inside me, driving hard and hungry...I was just starting to find his rhythm when I felt him stiffen, his meat throbbing inside me as his seed jetted forth. I lay stunned on my back as he withdrew with a laugh only to be replaced by another who was equally demanding and quick to find his pleasure. It was work, real, strenuous work of the kind endured by tavern sluts and brothel girls. It lasted no more than an hour and in that time I served about ten men. The task left me trembling, exhausted and glowing. I had not had an orgasm- it had all been too fast, too jumbled up and I was almost in a state of shock. When Anna laid her hand on me I shrieked in surprise, frightening her. "Are you alright?" she asked. "Yes...yes, I think so. Help me up?" Rubbery legs eventually firmed up enough for me to stand and I could feel the sticky slime oozing down the insides of my thighs. Anna and Sela led me back to the preparation tent where they bathed me, being much gentler and soothing than before. By the time I was toweled dry I was feeling almost human again. Sela had applied an ointment to my abused flower that had instantly soothed the itching and discomfort. After a brief examination she pronounced me unharmed. "You surprise me, girl. I've seen more experienced slaves crumble under half what you endured." "Did I have any choice but to endure it? When that first one took me I was afraid that every man in the crowd would want a piece of me." "They did," Anna said, "The men running the contest dispersed the crowd, but I suspect you are going to be awfully popular whenever you are out and about the next month or so!" A man approached us and we fell to our knees. "Your pairing chain, slaves." He snapped the leash to Anna's collar, then to mine, but when he stood he drew me to my feet and pulled me close, his mouth seeking out mine. I melted to him and I was shocked to feel my body, not even an hour after such an arduous exertion, warming, tingling as his hands roamed over my naked curves. After a long minute of this he finally released me. "I would have given you the gold, girl." "Thank-you, master."