Marilys, a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair, full bosom, a rich complexion, stood alone in the open courtyard. The sun had been beating down on her for nearly an hour, but she didn't move. She couldn't move because she was commanded by a Master of the Crimson Mansion to stand on that exact spot until she was told to move. This was the beginning of the second phase of her training and although her legs felt weak she remained standing through the sheer force of her will. Driven by her desire to serve, to not fail the Master, Marilys knew she would endure not only this trial but all that would be expected of her in the coming months.
A cloaked figure, one of the many servants of the Mansion, fundamentally genderless and lacking any unique identity other than variances in shapes and sizes, emerged from a cloister and took Marilys by the arm. The figure led her carefully to a nearby stone bench where a bottle of water was waiting in a wicker basket. The figure was one of the frail ones. Marilys took to calling them, in her mind, the tall one, the fat one, the frail one even though there were several that could fit each description. The frail ones didn't lack strength at all, only seemed frail. The Masters merely referred to them all as the Brethren.
Marilys gratefully drank the water and sat on the stone bench. The cloaked figure stood to the side, immobile. A man, one of the Masters, dressed in a standard doublet and tights walked down a pathway towards Marilys. A pair of red leather gloves was tucked into his belt. Seeing the Master approach, Marilys slid from the bench to her knees, eyes cast downward.
"I am Master Trajon. Before being accepted to the second and most intensive level of training, you were told that you were to endure pain and humiliation like you've never experienced before. I am offering you this last chance to leave and avoid this level of training. Of course, once you quit, you will never be able to return to continue your training. You will keep the honor that you have earned to this point. As always with the Crimson Manor, what you earn is what you keep. Do you wish to leave, initiate Marilys?"
Marilys had already endured the first part of the training. Grueling work, mind numbing tasks, and punishment after punishment for every infraction made up a vast majority of her early training. She'd been flogged for breaking silence, she'd been spanked for making eye contact when not given permission, and she'd been bound and hung for incorrect shaving. On top of this, she'd been trained and taught a myriad of sexual skills to please man or woman. Marilys did not endure these things simply for the sake of doing it. She wanted to become part of the Crimson Circle. The words of Master Archas still echoed in her ears.
"What do you know of the Crimson Circle?" Archas asked of her.
"Master, I know the Crimson Circle is comprised of the most desirable companions and are gifted to the most powerful and influential people in the world," she dutifully replied.
"What is the purpose of the Crimson Circle?"
"To gather information for the Masters of the Crimson Manor and report it faithfully to the Masters when asked for it."
She couldn't give up on that dream, not when she had come this far already.
"Master Trajon, this initiate desires to continue training."
"I'm glad to hear that. Now, initiate Marilys, acknowledge that you understand that you will experience pain and humiliation unlike anyhing you've experienced up until this point." "Master Trajon, this initiate acknowledges that no experience of pain or humiliation has been like that which has been experienced until now." Trajon walked completely around her, looking her over as one would examine a piece of furniture.
"Good. Stand and follow me to your new quarters." Marilys did as instructed and followed the Master to a cloister and then to a large spartan room. The floor was completely bare except for a wooden bucket. There was no door on the room and on the walls hung sleeping pallets. Marilys recalled her first chambers. They were private, comfortable, a welcome place to rebuild stamina after a hard day of serving the Masters. These quarters were horrid, and judging from the various sleeping mats hanging on the wall, not private.
"You will sleep here with the other initiates. From now on, you no longer have a private life or moment. You will be watched and observed constantly." Trajon glanced around the room. "Bring me the bucket and put it at my feet."
Marilys did as she was told. The bucket was fairly large but squat. Marilys could smell the lingering scent of urine coming from the inside of the bucket. She set the bucket at the Master's feet.
"After nightfall you are not allowed outside this room. If you need to go to the bathroom, you'll use this bucket. Because you will share these quarters with others, you must learn to use the bucket in such a way as to not make a mess. Take a piss in the bucket, initiate, and do not let a drop miss. Do you understand initiate?"
Marilys felt a bit of worry in her throat as she answered. "Yes, Master, this initiate understands she is to urinate in the bucket without missing," Marilys lifted her skirt and squatted over the bucket. Her aim was off as the first trickle shot over the lip of the bucket to the floor before she was able to tilt her pelvis to properly target the bucket. She didn't have to pee much, so she finished quickly.
Trajon was disgusted. "You filthy sow! You and others have to sleep in this room and you defile it. Apologize, initiate."
Marilys fell to her knees, her eyes cast to the ground. "Master, this initiate is very sorry for being a sow, for defiling this room."
"This room is a gift from the Masters of the manor, you could be sleeping in the courtyard. Now, lick it up."
Marilys, still on her knees, froze. She couldn’t believe she was just told to lick the few drops of her urine from the floor. The thought was disgusting. She hesitated. Hesitation is a sign of disrespect and disrespect is dealt with swiftly. Trajon kicked the bucket over, spilling the small amount of urine onto the floor, making the accidental drop truly seem minor. Trajon grabbed her by the head and put her face onto the wet floor. "You've only increased your punishment, initiate. Now lick it all up!" Marilys fully aware disobedience could mean dismissal, began to lick up the urine on the floor. It tasted bitter but was tempered by the dusty taste of the floor. It took her several minutes to finish the task. When she lapped at the last drop, Trajon commanded her to kneel in the corner. She quickly did as she was told.
