Although we normally holiday much closer to home the city was lovely and exotic and Leia loved the open-air street markets. In addition to being a valued business associate Saad was also a good friend and tonight he was the perfect host, welcoming us into his home. The wine was flowing freely, especially for my wife Leia, who was giggling at everything and was more than a bit tipsy. We were still at the dinner table when Saad's steward rushed in.
"I am most sorry to disturb you, Master. The man from the bank is in the neighborhood tonight and he is doing a collateral check. Apparently when you talked to him before he said you were too busy."
"I've been traveling," Saad replied curtly. "I plan to pay off that loan when the ship arrives and the gold due me is transferred to the bank on Monday. No matter. Show him whatever he needs to see and let him be on his way."
"He wants to see the slave girl," the Steward replied.
"Bring her in! I want to see the slave girl!" Leia said, clapping her hands with glee.
The Steward's eyes narrowed. He had been filling my tipsy wife's glass all night and clearly there was no love lost between them. My wife, while lovely, can be very demanding of servants or anyone she sees as being "beneath her."
Ignoring my wife the Steward turned to Saad and continued. "There is the problem, Master. When we refinanced the mortgage last month we put the flaxen haired slave up as collateral. The banker needs to see her and verify we have physical possession of the goods we claim."
"Yes, well, then show him the girl, and let him be on his way," Saad said, his voice betraying his mounting impatience.
"Yes!" Lea said, her voice bubbling over with drunken excitement. "Bring the little slave slut in here. Bring her now, or she gets the whip!" she added, bursting into giggles at the thought.
"I cannot, my master. Your brother took the girl with him. He said..."
"He did WHAT?" Saad thundered. "That girl is part of the loan, and must remain in my possession until repayment on Monday. If the bank calls that loan they will call the others, and the other banks will join them. My business will be in knots for months!"
"Yes, I am sorry sir. I do not know what to do."
Leia held her wine glass up. The Steward looked a quite annoyed at her indifference to the crisis, but quickly recovered, bowed, and refilled my giggling wife's glass.
"Does it have to be that girl?" I asked. "You have many slave girls, my friend."
"What is her description on the banker's ledger receipt?" Saad asked. "Does the banker have her registration papers?"
"No, Sir. We have an official registration number, but she is not registered yet. The ledger merely states she is "natural blonde with flaxen hair, plain, 28, registration QR6350, slave brand on her right hip."
"She's branded on the BUTT?" Leia said, nearly blowing the wine out of her nose with her shrill giggle. "Yes, brand the little sluts, brand them all! All slave girls should be whipped, and branded, so they know their place."
My wife Leia is a woman of refinement and taste, as befits the daughter of a wealthy merchant. However like many beautiful free women she has both a hatred of slave girls and a morbid fascination with the institution of female slavery.
Leia was so cruel to our female slaves and so quick to use the whip that we now have only males in my house. Now she walks for hours in the slave markets, talking to the girls, asking them what it is like to be a slave. Her questions are demeaning and humiliating but she forces the wretched girls to answer. "What does it feel like to stand naked on the auction block? Which is more painful, a branding or a whipping? How many strange men have you have pleasured with your mouth? Leia's curiosity is insatiable!
Leia is also very vain and despite her hatred and contempt of female slaves like most free women she constantly compares herself to them. "I am more beautiful than that little bitch!" she'll sneer contemptuously as she sips her wine at the auction. "Men are stupid, and they are bidding on her because she's naked and on a slave block."
"Yes, surely you would bring more, if you were on the block," I said, agreeing with her. My answer always makes her blush. More than once she has asked me what she might fetch at the market. I tell her she is priceless, which pleases her, but does not. "Yes, but what is my PRICE?" she asks, pressing me for an answer.
Often when we make love Leia dresses herself in rags and serves me as a slave slut in our bedroom. She said she does it to please me, and to keep me from turning to a slave slut. But although she would deny it I know it also pleases her.
"Can I see the slave?" Leia asked, not realizing that the girl not being there was the crux of the discussion. "I want to talk to her!"
Again the men ignored her. "Can we substitute another girl? Surely we have another slave bitch in the house with flaxen hair!"
"Yes, Saad, we have six. But two are not natural blondes and they have different registration numbers."
"This is a disaster!" Saad said. "My friends, I am sorry I must cut our dinner short. I must deal with this now."
"But how?" the Steward asked.
"I have flaxen hair," Leia said, burping a bit as she sipped her wine.
This time the two men did not ignore her. They simply stared at her. Leia, delighted to be the center of attention, giggled as she took another sip of her wine.
"She doesn't have a registration number," the Steward observed.