Hatha looked down at me and shook her head. "Dry your eyes Mistress. He has returned.
Roth.
My heart both sang and sank with that one word.
* * * * *
Hatha bathed me with special intent. This time with helpers. I sat in the copper tub surrounded by a cloud of black gowns. There were only four but it felt like so many more, their presence darkly omnipresent. With their starched winged caps and wide inky skirts they moved like a flock.
Of bats, not birds.
They washed me, my hair and my body. Working as a team they held my legs and shaved them of all hair, as they did my underarms. After I had been bathed, shaved, scrubbed and scented I was pulled from the bath to stand. Foolishly I had thought the process over and that I would be clothed, but of course there was more to come. Hatha approached me with a straight edged razor and an evil gleam in her pinched eyes. I flinched, attempted to step back but was held by three sets of hands.
"What are you doing?" I gasped as I watched the silver gleam of the blade edge.
"What the Master requires."
"What does he require with that?" I asked pointing at the razor.
She spoke not to me but the other women, "Spread her legs."
Two went down to hold my legs, rough fingers biting into my thigh and calves. The other woman, a brutish beast at least twice the size of Hatha came behind and wrapped her ham hock arms around my body, holding me in a vice like grip. My arms trapped I gave a futile attempt at freeing myself. The more I struggled the harder she gripped.
My heart raced, thumping hard against my chest. Though my soul screamed out to struggle, to escape instead I submitted. I stood mute and still. I was trapped. I had no choice. Logic had to prevail.
Hatha went down on her knees. She threaded her fingers through the thatch of golden curls between my legs and pulled hard. I bit back a gasp, a flush of shame rolled across me as I felt my sex become wet at the painful tug.
She knew. Even without a gasp or moan to betray my want. Hatha knew. She tugged again and I heard her murmured chuckle.
She grasped the hair tight and ran the razor under her grip cutting off clumps of hair. Pulling on each lip she repeated the process until all that remained on my sex was a spiky fuzz. Then she reached into the tub and pulled out the soap. Lathering my mound, she dug her fingers into the pubic bone, rough circles at the root of my pleasure until I moaned. When what remained of my hair was soaped into a thick lather she started to scrape the sharp blade across my skin. The feeling of the metal edge shaving over my taut flesh was enough to make my knees fail.
"Hold her tighter," came Hatha's command and the beast that held me gripped tighter, her meaty fists wrapping around my wrists. I moaned at the brute force. I pressed back into it. To my shame the constriction was exciting. The binding added to the wanting. I struggled again just to feel the tight press of her hold. Hatha worked in slow devastating strokes over my mound and across the slippery lips of my sex. When she finished she wiped the exposed skin with a hot cloth. I was relieved until I heard Hatha's barked order, "Turn her over."
The brute twisted me around and forcibly bent me at the waist. The two at my legs spread me wider. One of them stood and placed her fingers wide on my buttocks.
"No," I said, even as I knew I could not stop what was to come.
"Yes," Hatha said and I did not have to see her face to know her glee. I heard the evil smirk in her tone. The hands at my arse spread me wide. The brute held me tight around my bent waist, holding almost all my weight. Hatha lathered between my arse, soft slippery fingers probing at my most private place. She worked the razor quickly, scraping the hair with intent. Water washed over the bare skin, but she was not done. After the lather was gone in its place came warm oil. First dripped down the darkened crevice and then massaged on the puckered opening that nestled between. Fingers slipped in circles and then dipped in the softened hole. I didn't want to, but I rocked back into those fingers. Slick with warm oil they worked deep inside a place I did not know they could. Dark pleasure surged through me; my nipples beaded hard, my sex
clenched as did my arsehole around those wicked fingers. I was close, so achingly close to release...when she stopped.
The brute helped me to stand. My legs shook with unspent release. I ached. The hands that came to rub across my body with glittering oil did not help with the wanting. Four sets rubbed, teased, tweaked and played bronze oil across the canvas of my skin.
After I was oiled Hatha dressed me. A sheer black chemise inlaid with silver thread. I waited for the dress to cover me, but it did not come, only a silver corset that was bound tight to plump out my breasts.
She did not bind my hair this time but instead worked it with scented oils and hot tongs until it curled with wild abandon. Fine curled silver ribbon was fixed into the curls, so sheer it seemed as if it could be my own hair. The silver made me think of him. The Silver Master. Lust, guilt, longing and fear threaded through my very soul at the thought of him.
How could I think of him when finally my Master had returned?
Hatha came before me to paint my face. I closed my eyes as she swept deep black kohl across the lids. She worked for some time on my eyes and brows, with many different colors and brushes. My lips she left unpainted, just covered with a quick swipe of scented oil.
She had not touched me for a moment, but I could feel her breath close on my skin so I opened my eyes to see what she was doing. She was staring intently at the small round mark at the base of my neck.
Where the Silver Master had pierced my skin.
She placed a finger at the mark and pressed hard until it hurt.
"Have you been cutting yourself Mistress Chosen?" she asked.
"Yes," I lied, "I have missed his bite."
Hatha looked deep in my eyes. I drew on every trick I had ever known to keep my face calm. She nodded as if accepting my answer.
"Do not do it again. You skin is his alone to mark."
I felt a flash of anger at her words. I looked away so as not to show any emotion.
"Come now," Hatha said, holding out her hand, "He will be waiting."
Another surge of anger rushed hot at her words.
He waited? What about how I had waited?
My anger kept up hot and hard as I stalked through the halls with my bat-like entourage. It built with each click of Hatha's boot heel in front of mine. I did not even know where I was going. I was just a pet to be dragged around at his whim.
Hatha stopped at red lacquered doors. Impressively large they were easily wide enough for us to enter four abreast. Four guards were stationed at the entrance. Two opened the doors and the others announced our entrance with a volley of sound from long trumpets.
I stepped inside, nudged from behind by Hatha's hand at the small of my back. The room was a suite. Like my own but much larger, much grander. Five of my own generous room could've easily fit into the chamber. At a brief glance I saw four couples, one I knew straight off, the brother and sister that had been at my Choosing. The brother did not meet my eyes, instead raked a hot look across my body settling at the juncture of my legs.
I fought the urge to cover myself. Instead fueled with righteous anger I pulled my shoulders back and my chin up. I heard a laugh.
His laugh
. I turned and all melted away. All anger, all the other people. Everything.
Roth
.
Roth. Roth
. The name pounded through my veins.
He came forward. Arm outstretched. I swayed. Hands came to my waist.
Hatha?
They pushed at my hips forcing me down, but I did not succumb. I would not meet him on my knees. I did not know why it mattered. But it did.
I will not meet him on my knees.
I took a step forward. Out of Hatha's grasp. I stood tall. I did not hold out my hands to him, I did not take his offered hand.
He laughed again. The sound rippled through to my very bones made me liquid but still I refused to kneel.
"My Chosen," he said and went down to his knees before me, "How I have missed you."
His mouth nestled at my sex, his arms around my knees, hands on my buttocks. He kissed my newly shaved mound through the sheer fabric and I moaned. A keening sound of desperate need, it started at the base of my spine and rolled up my body to issue from my mouth almost in song.
"Yes," he murmured. His tongue came forward to lick through the chemise. To taste. I pushed my mound into his mouth, struggling to spread my legs and mount his face.
He laughed again. His hands left my arse and slid down my ankles. He stroked up the sides of my legs, drawing up the silver shot fabric up as he did. I closed my eyes and reveled at the rightness of his touch. The silky chemise dragged across newly shaved sensitive skin, cool air brushed my bare sex as it reached my hips exposing me. His big hands held me tight at the hips, crumpling the chemise in his fingers.
I spread my legs wider for him. Hot and wet his tongue came, first to sweep along the shaved seam and then up to my clitoris. I sang out in pleasure as his lips pursed to suck at my center. I rocked into his mouth, my hand coming down to fist fingers in his dark hair. Fingers woven tight in his hair I pushed him at my mound. He sucked me to my release and as I knew he would, the moment my clenching spurts came he bit down, piercing the skin with a growl. My blood and cum ran hot gushing into his sucking mouth. I threw back my head unable to contain the surge of pleasure that rocked through me at the feel of his bite. I cried out. Loud wails that seemed to bounce off the walls and echo through the room.
As the waves subsided I opened my eyes, first looking down to watch his lapping tongue clean my bitten mound and then up to gaze blurry eyed across the room. Through the fog of pleasure a flash of silver caught my eye. Shocked I opened my eyes wide and focused. He was here. Against the wall. Body slumped in a deceptively easy pose he watched me, but his eyes, his eyes burned black and silver. Hot and angry. I gasped.
At the sound Roth released me, I fell back against rough hands. I knew at once they were Hatha's, her spiteful voice murmured in my ear, "You should have just knelt." I struggled out of her grasp. I pulled my chemise down, not that it covered much. My hands shook.
The sister who had been at The Choosing came forward; she bowed low and then reached up to kiss Roth, first on each cheek and finally deep on the mouth. I watched her tongue sweep across the seam of his lips licking at the remnants of my blood.
Roth laughed at the moan she gave at my taste and pushed her away gently, "Astrid," he chastised without any heat in his voice, "that's enough."
"Yes my Prince," Astrid said without contrition, bowing once more.
He swept a heated gaze across the assembled crowd. With deliberate slowness he met each face. It came to me as I watched him what Hatha's poisoned murmur had meant. Triumph shone in his eyes as did a challenge,
see, this is mine
it seemed to say. For all my protestations at not wanting to kneel I had done it anyway. My submission riding his face like a wanton was far more complete than if I had knelt and kissed his feet.
Shame coursed through me at my weakness. I hung my head and closed my eyes as Hatha's soft laugh echoed from behind. My realization had not gone unnoticed by the malicious crone.
After he had completed his triumphant viewing of the assembled group Roth turned back to me, he held out his arm and this time I did not protest, I took the offered hand. He pulled me close his arm clasping tight around my waist.
"My Prince, what news?" The brother of Astrid, the one who had been at my Choosing asked of the Prince after an elaborate bow.
