"Annis," said Bryndis, stopping her in front of an oak-paneled door. "of all the things you have experienced so far, this will undoubtedly be the hardest." He looked at her solemnly.
"Master, are you sure I can do this?"
"I have no doubts. My concern is your doubts."
"How do you know," she asked, now sincerely nervous, "how far I can go or how much I can take?"
"I know because tonight you will go no further than thousands of men and women have gone before you. I hold you in higher ranks than they. But," he said, smiling to assure her, "I believe for your own right as well. I believe in your strength and your determination. You will, in essence, 'perform' tonight for your peers, their new Masters, and the panel. Do you want to let them hear you scream out your failure as we heard Kendis earlier?"
"No. No, I don't. Will you help me?" she looked at him, almost in desperation.
"Oh, yes," he answered, thinking how glad he was to have to cover up her eyes. They held him captive with their begging. "I will start with the blindfold."
"I know. What then?"
"Then, you will walk into the room, and be secured onto the wheel. It is similar to the mechanism Kendis was on earlier today, but circular. Your arms will be open, stretched out at shoulder length. Your legs will be spread wide. Your face will be at the opposing side of the wheel, so you will not need to move in order to speak, kiss, and accept in your mouth what I have to give you. And Annis, you too will be strapped down. That is all I can tell you." He had gotten somehow sterner, Annis thought. Well, she too could be hard.
"Yes, sir. Blindfold me, then." He looked at her strangely, but said only "So be it," before slipping the blindfold over her eyes. Blackness engulfed her.
After he had blinded her, Bryndis stood back and stared at the beauty of her body. He thought her perfect, her face, a chiseled dream, her curves, soft and welcoming, her hair, a waterfall of blackness. He licked his lips as he saw the strawberry-red stripes of his earlier belting still etched across her cream skin. Two of those stripes were beginning to bruise. No, he thought, she would not be able to forget this day. For days, her body would not allow it.
He stripped off his clothing and opened the doors, guiding her through and inside. They were in a dressing room of sorts. There he could hang his clothes and there were rows of whips, toys, crops, leather clothing, and other mechanisms of torture and of pleasure. This time, there will be no whipping, he thought. She will have enough pain with this -- he took down a cock ring from one of the shelves and slipped it over his semi-erect member. He wanted it to increase his girth, but mostly he wanted it because this one was ringed with quarter-inch points, pointing outward. Each point would elicit a small electric shock whenever he drove entirely inside her flesh. Yes, a submission after this will be especially evocative. Then, he put on a pewter helmet. It covered most of his face, fashioned like a gladiator helm, with rams' horns circling back along the crest. His brother could have worn it and none would have been able to tell them apart. It suited him; he had used it before, but not in years. Then, knowing she would hate it, but also that she would need it, he picked up a ball--gag.
"Annis, I'm going to gag you."
She had been standing in stillness and complete silence, but at this her mouth dropped open in astonishment. "But, Master, I promise I won't--" she began. But he interrupted her.
"Annis, do not speak again." His voice was like iron. "I am not asking you, I am telling you. I will release your mouth when the initial task is completed so you may say the ritual words of submission. After that, I will present my cock to your mouth. Kiss the base first, then the shaft, then take the head into your mouth and suck until I remove it." He couldn't think about that too much; he was already hard and erect. The cock ring was doing its job. He began to hear movement above them. "That's the others joining us. I will go in first. Do not follow until I call you. I know you cannot see, but I will guide you with my voice and will not allow you any false move. Stand here," he commanded, positioning her right in front of the door, "and you will be called momentarily. He walked out and Annis was alone in darkness.
Bryndis strode into what was, when totally lit, a room built like the Roman Coliseum with the seats in a graduated circle around a central stage. Now, however, the entire room was dark; the only light was shone down on the wheel in the very center of the floor. He could not see the seats rising up on either side of the room, nor could he see the inhabitants of those seats. It didn't matter. He walked up to the wheel and removed an outside section, making it look like a pie with one slice missing. What this did was allow him to walk right up to Annis, having easy access to her body, while keeping her stretched out on the boards. Then, finishing this task, he stepped away, outside the light, on the opposite side of the wheel from the door. Then he looked to the left and right of him. There stood Ojas and Tut, waiting to help him bind her. He would not come back into the light until she had been secured. He nodded.
Etan's voice rang out, "Come forth, giolla, Kyros is waiting!"
Annis was startled to hear Etan's voice. She had not thought of him all day. That's good, she reminded herself. He is not your Master. She took a few tentative steps forward and felt the air change as she walked into the room. It was cooler, and the skin of her breasts crinkled, making her nipples stand erect for all to see. Nervous, she walked, haltingly until a commanding voice she did not recognise called out to her. "Stop, giolla, and lay face down on the altar which has been appointed for your sacrifice."
