All characters and persons involved in sexual activities in this story are over the age of 18.
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7: Heian Palace, Heian-kyō, Nipon (modern day Kyoto, Japan): AD1100
Bibia and Haruta
The new girl had been stripped completely naked when she had arrived. Standing in the middle of the dressing room, looking cold and lost and confused, the poor thing had barely known where to put her hands in a desperate attempt to hide her modesty. She could not have seen many more summers than twenty. All around her the other girls of the palace harem were tutting and staring and ogling at her like she was some new exotic pet. Which, Bibia mused, was pretty much exactly what she was, what they all were.
Because she had been a member of the harem pretty much since the day she was born, Bibia had seen many young girls come and go from the Emperor's Palace. Some were tall, strong and feisty, and fought back or tried to escape. Others were like this new little lost chick, quiet and alone in an unfamiliar world, just trying to survive in the often cruel, dog-eat-dog world of the imperial court.
This new girl wouldn't last a month Bibia mused as she looked over the slim, delicate form in-front of her. Apparently she was from the rebellious northern kingdoms which His Divine Majesty had spent the last year or so quelling. Clearly he had succeeded and this new girl was a political 'guest' at his court. Perhaps she had been some minor princess or lady-at-court in her far flung homeland. But not here. Here she was just like the rest of them, a whore.
Admittedly a well kept, well cared for and doted on whore, living in the lap of luxury in the grandest palace in all of Nipon. No other whores were so well dressed in such fine silks as those of the Imperial Harem. No other whores had access to such heavenly perfumes or delicate cosmetics. No other whores were able to bathe as many times a day as they desired in hot steaming water, or be doted on by a myriad of servants and attendants. Nothing but the best for the Emperor's own private whorehouse.
Bibia had maintained her position in the harem over the past decades through a delicate weaving of alliances, favours, debts and flat-out insults. Although she was never the favourite or most in-demand concubine of the court, she had certainly been here the longest. Besides, the most popular concubines never lasted long anyway, the Emperor always tired of them eventually and inevitably sold them off to some lowly courtier or filthy provincial ally. But Bibia had been in the harem so long that the younger girls had taken to calling her 'Mother' or 'Mommy' if they thought that she wasn't listening. But the older woman secretly loved her unofficial nickname. She was the harem's mother, loved and held in honour, but also feared and respected.
What amused her more was that she was barely a decade older than some of the other girls in the harem. At thirty-five winters, she wasn't exactly an aged crone. She still had all her own teeth, dyed stylishly black of course, and her hair was long and shimmered like black silk. A life of luxury and little sunlight had given her a perfect pearlescent smooth complexion, with not a pox scar in sight. From the base of her neck to the tips of her toes, her skin was a perfect alabaster pale.
Her lips were admittedly small, but she found that she could make this work well for her with a little applied red makeup, and her eyes were a perfect delicate almond, dark and deep like twin fishponds, only beginning to crease a little at the corners with smile lines. Her neck was long and sinuous, which ran down well to her petite breasts which were plump and round, but firm, having never had to nurse a child. And lower down, nature had given her a full and caressable rump, which many of the other girls would have given their right arms to have.
This new girl on the other hand looked like something that had fallen out of a tree in comparison. Her limbs were skinny, with tiny little hands and not a manicured nail in sight. Her body was equally slim and small of frame despite being an adult, with the occasional bruise or scratch from where she had been roughly treated on her journey to the place. The poor thing looked like she needed feeding up and a decent bath for sure. Her eyes, which were small and dark, flitted around the room, never settling on one thing for very long. And her lips were pursed in a very unhappy looking pout of utter misery.
All in all she looked like some ungainly bird which had fallen from a nest. But, Bibia mused, perhaps with a little help from 'Mommy' the poor girl could learn to survive and even thrive in her new home.
With a slow and imperious swooping walk Bibia rose from her lounging seat by the open window and made her way at last into the room where the new girl now stood. The rest of the harem's concubines saw her approaching and smiled sweetly at her with their insipid smiles, which were equal parts fear, respect and jealousy.
There were very few girls here whom she had not taken into her bed and had her way with at one time or another. That was one way that she wove her webs of debt, gratitude, jealousy and love. Where other courtiers and advisors of the crown played with politics, power and economics, Bibia played with bedroom politics, pleasure and whatever influence she could weave with her hands and her tongue. They all played the same game, just with different techniques.
With the new girl now directly before her, Bibia reached out with her long delicate fingers and took the pouting girl's chin in her hand, and tilted her head back so that she could see her face. She could see that the poor girl's cheeks were streaked with tears and she could feel her trembling from either cold or fear. But she was pleased to feel that her skin was soft and silky smooth beneath her fingers, and she evidently still had all her own teeth, as the girl attempted a nervous smile up at her.
'What is your name girl?' Bibia asked at last after looking over the girl imperiously.
'Haruta,' the girl replied timidly.
She was still standing with one arm covering her diminutive breasts, which pressed up pleasantly against her body, and the other hand was attempting to conceal her groin from the prying eyes of the other concubines still scattered throughout the room.
'Stand up straight Haruta.'
Bibia demanded, releasing the girl's chin with a dismissive flick of her wrist.
'Consorts of His Imperial Majesty should stand up straight and proud, you have nothing to hide from these women. As of today they are your sisters, and you are one of us, honoured guests of His Majesty.'
Bibia tried to keep the irony from her tongue but she saw a few of the other girls in the room also exchange rueful glances. After nervously looking left and right, as if seeking one final desperate way out, the new girl Haruta, took a deep breath and let her arms fall to her sides, and stood up straight. There were a few giggles around the room as the entire sisterhood of the harem stared at Haruta's exposed nakedness, and Bibia allowed herself a pleased smile.