Probation Period

NOW

With a sigh of comfort Penny slips deeper into the warm water and closes her eyes. Her fingers gently caress her body, sliding around her breasts, toying with her nipple rings before finding their way back to her lap. How long has she been made to dispense with the pleasure of touching herself there! It is a boon she has formerly taken for granted, before being forced to wear an inescapable chastity belt.

Now, she shudders with masochistic relish and the movements of her fingers become more frenetic and urgent. Down there, where for endless weeks unyielding steel has removed the centre of her lust from her reach, they once again reacquaint themselves with long lost territory. Penny bites her lower lip and moans throatily. How often have severe gags prevented her from all other vocalizations? How many times have hands not her own pulled on her nipple rings during sex and thus spiced her arousal with the necessary amount of pleasurable pain? She gasps as she climaxes, her orgasm intense and satisfying, but far less breath-taking than the previous ones.

A few languorous minutes later, she opens her eyes and studies the wrinkled skin of her hands, realising that it is high time to get out of the tub. Wrapped in her comfortable bathrobe, she leaves the bathroom a minute later. In the bedroom, she first straightens the rumpled bedspread, then collects the chastity belt and the wide metal cuffs for her wrists and ankles from the floor, where she has carelessly dropped them earlier in her frantic haste to finally rid herself of them.

After some time spent searching, she discovers the bunch of keys for her shackles under the bed. Thoughtfully she touches her collar, which she has not taken off in her impatience. She has become so used to its constant presence that she almost doesn't notice it any more.

Is Victoria using its sensors even now to monitor my bodily functions? Has she been notified about my unauthorized orgasms?

The unbidden memory of the terrible punishment she has been subjected to for indulging herself in prohibited masturbation, although only once, makes Penny shiver with terror and she snatches her hand away, as if she has burned herself on the metal. This time, however, she is safe from retribution, and so after her moment of shock passes, she puts the key ring into her gown's pocket and grinning smugly continues her way to the study. Once there, she sits down at the desk and opens her laptop.

For the next hour she is busy working her way through the masses of messages that have accumulated in her mailbox, before she leans back in her office chair with a sour smile and thoughtfully looks through the glass front of the room into the garden. The arrangements made for her absence have proven to be effective, nothing urgent awaits her personal attention and the world seems to be doing quite well without her. It is both a sobering and comforting realization that no one appears to have missed her particularly and so without pressing obligations, she is free to live her life according to her own ideas.

Or those of my Mistress!

The last six months have definitely provided her with a taste of what those might entail.

With this thought she involuntarily squeezes her thighs together. In her memory, the time she has spent as Victoria's slave is reduced to a single, seemingly infinite succession of episodes of torture, humiliation and horror, yet at the same time and inseparably connected, there have been intense moments of devotion, ecstasy and fulfilment. These long hours of almost unbearable sexual tension were always crowned by breath-taking climaxes and blissful exhaustion.

Even the times when she has been imprisoned in her isolation cell, comfortably, but inescapably restrained and leashed with nothing but her bondage to focus on, have provided an experience more intense than the mindless bustle of the daily humdrum she has lived before. In her innermost being, Penny feels that in playing with Victoria, for the first time, she has begun to assuage her previously insatiable desire for submission.

The realisation that it is now in her own hands to go even further and let her wildest dreams become reality, both electrifies and frightens her at the same time. Her fantasies have now evolved to a point far beyond mere temporary playing and culminate in genuine, unconditional and irrevocable enslavement.

As if what I've already been subjected to hasn't been extreme enough!

With a shiver she recalls the luxury cruise in the South Seas, because for her, the journey has been anything but luxurious. Instead of enjoying the tropical sun on deck, or on the white beaches of various exotic islands, she has spent 95% of her time tied up and gagged in the cabin; not that she has seen much of even that! For many hours she has languished in the (admittedly generously dimensioned) closet, often wearing a blindfold or worse a discipline hood. At least the sea has been calm and the cabin air-conditioned.

Meditatively, Penny strokes the soft fabric of her bathrobe with her fingertips. During the last six months she has rarely been permitted the opportunity to wear normal clothes. Most of the time she has spent naked or covered in skin-tight latex. She loves the material: how it feels, its smell, and above all, what she looks like when wearing it. The lust that shines in Victoria's eyes at the sight of her body encased in rubber proves that her mistress feels the same way. In return, Penny is happy to accept the inevitable sweating.

Victoria also loves Penny's nipple rings, although for her they haven't exactly been an unequivocal source of joy. Strictly speaking, piercings even violate the rules of her slave contract, yet Victoria has only realized one of her long-cherished, secret fantasies by having them done. What Penny has foolishly not anticipated is the enthusiasm and ingenuity Victoria has exhibited for including the rings in their play ever since.

The days after the previous, smaller rings had to make way for larger ones to stretch her piercings further have been especially tough. Now, the dull silvery thickness of the rings makes it impossible to confuse them with ordinary jewellery and for the initiated clearly points to their disciplining characteristics. Nevertheless, Penny still finds the presence of the unyielding metal embedded in her body and the possibilities it offers to control and punish her extremely exciting.

Almost too exciting.

Especially when she considers how much further she is willing to go in pursuit of her fantasies. After visiting the BDSM convention, the encounter with Robert and his slave Nina has more and more frequently dominated her thoughts for days on end. It is only with great difficulty that she has she refrained from raising the subject with Victoria. For sure, her mistress has only been waiting for her approval to arrange a meeting, and who knows what would then come from that ...

Penny fidgets restlessly on her chair. Within the next hours she has to inform Victoria of her decision if and how she wants to continue their arrangement. Ending it now and contenting herself as before with mere fantasies, self-bondage or occasional, carefully prepared and choreographed sessions is no longer a viable option for her. Now that she has tasted blood, going back to a 'normal' life, while possible, seems pointless. Moreover, Penny is sure that Victoria would not be available as a stand-by dominatrix for sporadic sessions; yet she is the only one who Penny trusts enough to surrender herself to absolutely.

But even continuing as before would not be a real option either for Victoria or for her. They both want more, much more. In recent weeks, she has sensed and felt Victoria's growing frustration - often on her own skin. She is sure that some of Victoria's actions have been intended to force her into using her safe word to bring about a premature end to their dead-locked relationship. She can certainly sympathize with Victoria, for she, too, has found it increasingly difficult to keep her feelings in check and not crack under the strain. However, giving in to her feelings for Victoria would have meant losing control.

Penny lets her head sink onto the desk and cools her hot forehead on the cold glass surface. No matter which way she looks at it, she has to make up her mind. Wanting to surrender herself completely while, at the same time, trying to keep control is like squaring the circle. All she can do is move forward with the only question being: How far is she prepared to go, if otherwise she risks losing Victoria forever?

BEFORE

The address contained in the mysterious invitation belonged to an impressively large, modern house that presented a fortress-like, stark concrete façade to the world, with narrow windows reminiscent of embrasures. Anyone who could afford such a property and dwelling in this neighbourhood, or anywhere else in the city, definitely had more than enough money, so maybe the paragraph of the invitation that spoke of a 'financially interesting offer' turned out to be not entirely fictitious. Nervously, she pushed a recalcitrant strand of hair behind her ear before pressing the bell and looking as calmly as possible into the camera of the intercom.

"Yes?" a tinny voice answered.

"Hello, I'm ..."

She did not get any further before the voice interrupted her: "Ah, Miss Sisking, you're expected. Please be patient for a moment, I'll let you in!"

After half a minute of tense waiting, a distinguished middle-aged gentleman opened the heavy door and ushered her into a generously appointed and surprisingly bright foyer. The bunker-like architecture was presented only on the street side of the house, while at the rear, large glass windows provided an expansive view of a park-like garden and pool surrounded by a high wall. A wide and elegant staircase led up to the first floor, so that despite the modern interior she was reminded of an old manor house.

"Miss Bode will see you in a moment. I'll show you the way."

While following the man in the dark suit, she looked around with interest. It was the first time in her life that she found herself in an ambience that seemed to have sprung from the pages of an avant-garde architecture magazine. The high-ceilinged rooms were flooded with light and the bright floors, combined with lots of exposed concrete and minimalist designer furniture, made the house look like a walk-in sculpture, but decidedly quite sterile. She imagined how a concealed army of domestics constantly ensured that each piece of furniture was exactly positioned at its assigned place. In direct comparison, her own small apartment resembled the epicentre of a devastating earthquake.

After rounding several corners, they reached their destination: the room was dominated by a black glass conference table surrounded by the inevitable Eames chairs. But that was not what captivated her attention. It was the young woman who now stood up to greet her with a firm handshake. She had expected someone over 40; perhaps some career woman wearing a power suit, but not an elfin blonde in jeans and camouflage tank top who must have been a few years younger than herself.

Victoria felt her mouth go dry and she had to hold on to herself not to stare at her hostess. Thanks to an amazing resemblance to a young Romy Schneider, she matched her preferences perfectly, but unfortunately not her social class, making her practically unattainable, even in the unlikely event that she happened to also prefer women.

"Welcome Miss Sisking, I'm glad you could come. Please have a seat." The young woman pointed to one of the chairs and waited until Victoria had seated herself before sitting down as well. The man took a seat a little apart, from where he watched the action attentively.

"Before we continue, we must first take care of one necessary formality." The woman pushed a densely printed sheet of paper over the table. "I must ask you to sign this non-disclosure agreement. By doing so, you agree to keep the contents of this conversation strictly confidential."

Victoria drew the sheet in front of her and skimmed the text. Violations were threatened with penalties that would ruin her for the rest of her life. Apparently, these people attached great importance to discretion.

She reached for the pen, but stopped at the last moment.

"It's nothing illegal, right?"

"No, not at all. At most, it would be considered ... unconventional," the blonde assured her while the corners of her mouth lifted. The man frowned at this answer, but when he caught Victoria's questioning gaze, he shook his head in the negative.

"All right, then." She signed the declaration with a flourish, then looked up with anticipation. "What is this all about? Your letter remained quite vague ..."

"The matter is somewhat delicate." The young woman, who had appeared so self-confident until this point, showed a touch of nervousness for the first time, but immediately had herself under control again. "To get to the point without digressing: I've done some research on you. You may rest assured that I've been fully-briefed, both as regards the public part of your life and the ... ah ... unofficial one. On the basis of this information I will make you an offer. I would like to hire you as my personal dominatrix."

When Victoria left the conference room an hour later, she still felt as though she was in a dream from which she could awaken at any moment. As she followed Alfred to the door, she tried to organize her swirling thoughts. Actually, the offer was far too good to be true, but she was unable to see any hidden catches by any stretch of the imagination.

If she accepted the proposition on offer, she would in all respects train Ms Penelope Felicitas Bode, the 22-year-old heiress to one of the country's largest fortunes, as her slave. The initial contract would be for the next six months, with the option of extending it for another six months at each term's end.

For at least the next half a year, the attractive and apparently heavily-masochistic young woman would be totally in her power; a willing victim for her sadism. Victoria would move into her own suite in the house and thus be available to take care of her protégé's education 24/7. She would also have access to a generous monthly budget to cover all expenses incurred to advance Penny's training. Best of all though, for her 'efforts', she would also receive a lavish fee, including tax-free weekend and holiday bonuses. The money would be adequate to cover her livelihood for the rest of her studies after the first six months long term already.

At the beginning of the negotiations, Victoria had been sceptical. Of course, it had made her angry that Penny had been snooping into her private life, but had to admit that her people had done a good job. The dossier meticulously listed every detail of her life: her mother's early, accidental death, the tense relationship with her father, a complete chronology of her various friendships, enmities and affairs; her hobbies, sporting activities, musical preferences, favourite books, films and television series, her financial circumstances, political views and religious convictions - or rather the latter's absence. Victoria suspected that she should urgently reconsider her use of social media.

Without wanting or even suspecting it, she had gone through an elaborate vetting and application process. Naturally, the dossier compiled on her also contained her high school grades, the diploma of her training as a nurse, and the results of her university courses up to now. Above all, however, there was one area usually not covered in traditional CVs, namely her sexual history.

This was actually the focus of Penny's many questions and she had asked them with painstakingly suppressed excitement. When had she first recognized her sado-masochistic inclination? How had she dealt with this realization? Had she always felt attracted to her own gender? How did she come up with the idea of financing her studies by being a part-time dominatrix for an exclusive escort service? What, in her opinion, constituted the secret of her success? Apparently, her clients had given her enthusiastic reviews and obviously, the discretion of the escort agency was just as up for sale as its other services.

Victoria had answered thoroughly and truthfully, as she felt Penny's interest was sincere. By that point she had instinctively realized that there was volcano of unfulfilled desires seething beneath the blonde's cool façade. Her hunch had been confirmed when she was given the opportunity to read the clauses of the proposed 'training contract'.

Naturally, Penny had ruled out senseless brutality, permanent damage, or an involuntary coming-out. The use of a safe word was her last resort, enabling her to instantly terminate the contract and withdraw irrevocably from it. In the event, Victoria would immediately receive all outstanding pay, including a substantial bonus, with no further obligations. But beyond that, the other provisions were more about giving her license to do things to her charge rather than putting restrictions on her actions.

Penny wanted to spend the whole six months as a sex toy and prisoner. She would wear a specially-created, custom made collar that could be used to monitor her vital signs, and whose shock capability made it possible to control her in public. She was to spend many hours strictly tied up and gagged. The rest of the time, she wanted to be put in chains or locked up in cages or boxes. Even at night she should be prevented from escaping or resisting by suitable restraints. For this purpose, a cell was already set up in the cellar, from which escape was completely impossible. There was no overlooking the fact that Penny had a veritable bondage fetish.

Victoria would have the right to force Penny to engage in any sexual activity, although the involvement of third parties and practices involving body excretions were ruled out. She was allowed to break Penny's resistance by any means she saw fit and was, in fact, required to severely punish any lack of zeal. Conversely, she was encouraged to reward good performance accordingly.

Penny obviously believed in the proven principle of carrot and stick. In principle, Victoria had no problem with these aspects of the contract, especially since nowhere in it was stipulated

when

the reward was to be granted. In her experience, sexually frustrated slaves could be spurred on to peak performance by the promise of a climax. Anyway, she had no intention of acting as a mere facilitator for Penny's sexual fantasies, and clearly stated her refusal to function solely in that capacity. Penny had been quick to realize that such a role would indeed not meet her needs.

As part of punishment, Victoria was allowed to torture Penny in any manner she desired, provided that the treatment caused no lasting damage and left no permanent marks. Victoria was strictly prohibited from giving in to any and all begging, tears or pleading, except for use of the safe word. On the contrary, when she was faced with such blatant lack of discipline she was required to proceed with particular severity.

She had grinned inwardly at this point. Obviously, Penny had no idea what unbearable torments Victoria could inflict on her, and yet remain still within the framework of rules she had set. Penny appeared to be bent on being taken to her limits, perhaps to prove something to herself - Victoria knew of such cases.

She had no difficulty in recognizing the unfulfilled longings and secret fantasies of a still inexperienced masochist in the clauses of the contract, who, after long hesitation, had finally decided to give in to her repressed passions. She would either find fulfilment in them, or, if she did not like the experience, be able to settle the matter once and for all, without having any doubt afterwards that she had not seriously tried.