Conclusion: A chance meeting
She was pulling the cart with this week's vegetable harvest, her master sitting directly above and behind her, her buttocks an easy target for his whip. She was naked, harnessed in place, but still with ankles and wrists fettered and joined. It was not easy stepping forward with her ankle chain joining her feet so closely. But the master liked her that way. He had plenty of time to see the cart delivered to the market place. He as usual was worried more about his slave escaping. Treating her like this helped him sleep easier at night.
A rich looking carriage was coming the other way from the center of town. She expected it to pass on, but her master pulled the reins on her, while the carriage did similarly to its horse. Someone leaned out of the carriage. She knew him! A minor but up and coming business man. She had recently knighted him for some state service. His name ...?
`Greeting Sir Justine,' her master said, `Did you want to talk now about that matter of your state dinner? Do you know your needs yet. I will keep my plumpest pigs and goats in reserve for you.'
Sir Justine failed to answer. He was suddenly distracted by the sight of the dirty bedraggled naked slave girl on the road next to him. `What could be coming over me?' he thought. He felt a distinct attraction. `Impossible. But no, I feel the erection.'
Unbeknown to Sir Justine, his finely tuned sense of survival among dangerous power relations had kicked in. Certain instincts were signaling the presence of a dangerous power, others signaled the presence of great opportunity for power to himself, and they were merged with his daylight sight into a compelling urge to dominate what stood before him.
Just knowing consciously that there was something here worth pursuing, he found himself saying, `No need to discuss that now. But this slave of yours, after her tasks for today are done, I would consider it a favor if you could deliver her to the stable of my manor. I shan't keep her long, but you may take one of my slaves back with you - I'll arrange everything before tonight - so you won't be inconvenienced while I keep her.'
The young queen heard her master's ready agreement. The carriage moved on and the whip bit into her buttocks. She stood still in shock, the whip stroke barely registering. `Had Sir Justine recognized me? Then why not rescue me?' A cascade of further lashing descended on her.
`Move worthless slave.'
This time she moved. The whipping continued. She sped up to a slow cantor, the best she could manage while pulling the cart hobbled. The whip strokes stopped. She maintained her best gait. `He - my master - seems really angry.'
`That is the first time I've thought about my master as he' she mused. `The prospect of freedom has loosened my thoughts. But no, Sir Justine just sensed something. But I'll soon be alone with him, free of this muzzle. I soon will be free, be Queen again.' The thought was too overwhelming. She cautiously pulled back into her slave self. `I have to maintain this until late tonight. But then ...' She pulled back her thoughts again and concentrated on maintaining her pace.
******
'I liked that one.'
'Which?'
