Pathways to Submission: Becca

Part 1: Rimini

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Chapter 1: The Vestal Virgin

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The last week of our four week holiday on the Italian Adriatic coast is being spent in Rimini. By now our daily routine has been established: late breakfast; morning wandering around the shops; afternoon lying on the beach; and night partying at the various night clubs. Georgina and Fiona manage to attract a host of young men eager to fuck them. As for me, it's not that I don't like sex, but I don't lift my skirt every time a hot male walks up to me. I've been accused of being standoffish and more than one frustrated man has called me an 'ice maiden'.

"Our mission tonight is to get Rebecca well and truly laid," laughs Georgina to Fiona.

"Yeah!" replies Fiona. "How about it Rebecca? Go put on your hottest party dress and we'll go to that raunchy night club Mario told us about."

Refusing would make me appear to be a wet blanket, so I do as Fiona suggests. In truth, our daily routine is starting to bore me. We are visiting a town with plenty of ancient ruins and centuries of history. Spending the day trawling around the tourist shops, and then providing free eye-candy for the locals and visitors alike, seems to be a waste of a good holiday.

We trek to the nightclub Fiona mentioned. Our plan for tonight falls apart before it even starts. The nightclub won't admit anyone under the age of twenty-one. That isn't a problem for Georgina and Fiona, but I won't be twenty-one for another four months. Since the bouncer insists on proof of age, we are stymied. He recommends another club down a nearby street, and we decide to try it out.

The Vestal Virgin is a strange name for a night club, but we have no difficulty in gaining admission. It's busy, but we are able to find a good table easily enough. Fiona does a circuit of the club, looking for interesting men, while I'm sent to the bar to get the first round of drinks. On a good night we have attracted enough male company willing to pay for our drinks after the second round.

I return to our table with the drinks to find Fiona has already returned. She and Georgina are deep in conversation.

"This is a lesbian club," complains Fiona. "That bouncer has set us up."

I take a quick look around the room and I realise that there isn't a male in sight. While I've no problem staying here, Georgina and Fiona are keen to move onto another club.

"We'll finish our drinks and leave," says Georgina. "We can go back to the club we were in last night."

"That club is at the other end of the promenade," complains Fiona. "Anyway, we agreed that we would try a different club every night."

"Excuse me," says a beautiful fair-haired woman in her late twenties sat at the next table. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Perhaps I can help you?"

We look at the woman in surprise. She's wearing a sexy leather dress, while her two younger companions are wearing next to nothing. Their scanty black fishnet mini-dresses leave nothing to the imagination. Without a bra, their nipples are showing through the net, and their tiny thongs reveal most of their shaved cunts. The most substantial items they are wearing are the thick leather collars around their necks and matching cuffs on their wrists.

"If you are looking for male company, then Antonio and Paulo are waiting upstairs," says the woman. "Sophia can arrange an introduction and you can take it from there. They are really hot studs, if you've got sex on your mind."

The offer sounds a bit weird to my mind, but Georgina and Fiona are hooked. However, there are three of us, and I'm not into group sex. As usual, I'm the one who volunteers to stay and look after our table, and to stand watch in case this is an elaborate ruse to kidnap young female tourists. Georgina and Fiona follow one of the scantily clad young women to the far side of the club.

I'm not left alone for long. The leather clad woman and her remaining companion come over to my table. The woman sits down without being invited, while her companion stands behind her.

"I'm Heidi von Herrschaft," says the woman in a strong German accent. "Are you enjoying your stay in Rimini?"

"Hi... I'm Rebecca," I reply. "Yes, although I haven't had much time to see the sights. We spend most of our time shopping, or sunbathing on the beach."

"Ah! The usual mistake young tourists make. Are you staying here much longer?"

"We return home the day after tomorrow."

"Then Bea will be pleased to give you a tour of Rimini's antiquities tomorrow," Heidi says, indicating the young woman behind her. "Your friends can come if they wish. Bea is an archaeology student, and she knows quite a lot about Roman ruins."

"Yes, I'd like that. I'm not sure Georgina and Fiona will be interested, but we can ask them when they return."

Heidi and I engage in a pleasant discussion about our experiences in Italy. Bea stands there passively and only participates in the conversation when asked a direct question. On a signal from Heidi, Bea briefly leaves us to fetch some more drinks for Heidi and me.

Georgina and Fiona are absent for over an hour, by which time I'm on my fifth glass of wine and feeling pleasantly woozy. Georgina and Fiona are bubbling over with excitement at the wonderful time they had with Antonio and Paulo. When I raise the idea of them joining Bea and me on a tour of Rimini's Roman ruins, they laughingly refuse. Before we left home, we promised to stay close to each other to ensure our joint safety. But it will be our last day here and I really want to see the sights. I decide to take the risk and go alone with Bea. It's a decision that changes the whole direction of my life.

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Chapter 2: The Tour of Rimini

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The following morning, I join Bea outside the entrance to the railway station. Georgina and Fiona are taking yet another browse through the tourist shops before hitting the beach. The weather promises to be hot and sunny, so they are keen to show off their latest bikinis.

When Heidi made the offer of a guided tour last night, I wasn't sure if she intended to join Bea and me. However, Bea arrives alone. Unlike last night, she is dressed more appropriately for walking through town. The appearance of normality is marred only by the necklace she is wearing. Her steel chain-link band around her neck has small black letters spelling 'sklavin' on it. I suppose the lettering isn't that noticeable unless you look hard, and you understand that the word is German for a female slave.

"Hi Becca," shouts Bea enthusiastically as she steps off the bus.

I've never been called Becca before. At home, school and work I've always been called Rebecca. I could correct Bea about my name, but it seems churlish after she's offered to take me on a tour. It occurs to me that Bea is possibly short for Beatrice, so perhaps Bea normally uses diminutive forms of names.

"Hi Bea," I reply. "Thanks for offering to take me on a tour of the town."

"It's my pleasure. Besides, when the Baroness says do something, then she expects it to be done," says Bea as she links her arm in mine and guides me towards to town centre.

"Oh! Are you expected to obey her commands?" I ask, sensing there is something kinky about Bea's relationship with Heidi.

"Do you mean, am I her slave?" replies Bea, correctly guessing the underlying purpose of my question.

"Um... Yes, I guess so. The way you were dressed and behaved last night started me wondering."

"I'm her slave for the duration of the holidays," laughs Bea, enjoying the look on my face. "The von Herrschaft Foundation provides me with financial support while I study at university. In exchange, I spend the summer break with the Baroness obeying her every whim. It's a lot of fun once you get over the initial shock of the lifestyle."

"Like last night, you mean?" I ask, wanting more detail of this bizarre way of living.

"Yes. Although that was fairly tame stuff compared to some of the private parties the Baroness attends."

"Are there others?... Slaves, I mean."

"Oh yes. The foundation supports over a hundred young men and women worldwide. I don't know what conditions are attached to everyone's contract. As I said, mine requires me to spend six weeks of my summer holidays with the Baroness as her personal slave. I know Sophia's contract is different, but the terms of each person's contract isn't revealed to others unless we choose to do so. I think Antonio's and Paulo's contracts are similar to mine, but we don't have much contact with each other."

"How does Sophia's contract differ from yours?" I ask, getting curious at what Bea has told me so far.

"Sophia isn't a student. She's a full-time maid at the von Herrschaft Schloss in Bavaria. She works for the Baroness all year round. Technically she isn't a slave, but she has chosen to adopt the lifestyle of one. Her wages get paid into a trust fund that she can access if and when she chooses to leave."

We pause our conversation when we reach the first of the several places of interest Bea has decided we should visit. The domus del chirurgo is an excavated Roman villa in the ancient town centre. We spend nearly an hour walking through the villa and admiring the many artefacts that have been unearthed. While I'm interested in ancient cultures, I can tell that this is Bea's passion.

"Are these the sorts of ruins that you study at university?" I ask, recalling Heidi said that Bea was an archaeology student.

"Yes, and older ones as well. I'm hoping to persuade the Foundation to continue funding my studies for another three years so that I can complete a doctorate. It's an expensive subject to study. I'm lucky the Baroness chose to spend a few weeks touring Italy this summer."

We stop at a café for coffee before walking to the ancient Tiberius bridge over the old course of the river. These days the river flows further north, and the mouth of the old river is truncated stretch of water reaching inland as far as the Roman bridge.

"What about you, Becca?" asks Bea. "Are you a student or do you work?"

"I never achieved good enough school grades to contemplate further education. Until a few months ago I was a tour guide for a coach company. But they went bust last winter and I've been temping since then. I only came on this vacation because the three of us had already booked and paid for the trip. We go home tomorrow and then it's back to my sorry excuse for a life."

"Do you live at home, or with your friends?"

"Neither. My parents divorced when I was sixteen, but that didn't stop their squabbling and fighting. I left home as soon as I was able. These days I rent a tiny bedsit. Georgina and Fiona live in university dorms for most of the year, and at home during the breaks."

After mooching around the quaint houses and shops on the north side of the bridge, we reverse course and head towards the centre of town. We follow the line of the old town wall until we reach the magnificent arch at the southern end of the Piazza of the Three Martyrs. By now it is lunchtime, and we stop at a small restaurant in the piazza that Bea recommends. I'm not sure my budget will stretch to a full meal, but Bea says that the Baroness has offered to pay for our lunch. I confess that I'm eager for a proper meal. A diet of burgers and pizzas can get very monotonous, and not particularly healthy.

It's over lunch that Bea first suggests that the foundation may be able to help me escape from the drudgery of my life.

"If you could do anything with your life, what would you do?" asks Bea.

"I don't know. It's a subject I've never been in a position to do anything about except dream."

"Ah! So you have dreamed of doing something," laughs Bea.

"Hmm... I've always wanted to be a dancer, but I've never been able to pay for the training to be able to do it professionally. I've done a few spots at local talent nights, but nothing serious."

"What sort of dancing?"

"Um... danse du ventre," I reply. "Oriental style dances."

"Belly dancing!?!" says Bea, recognising the French term. "You should show the Baroness what you can do. The foundation supports performing arts as well as academics. Who knows, the foundation might be willing to sponsor your training. I can call the Baroness and arrange a time if you are interested."

This is all moving too fast for me to think clearly. Bea's suggestion is a huge leap out of my comfort zone, but it's also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The prospect of returning to my little bedsit and eking out a life doing boring jobs prompts me to agree to Bea's suggestion. Bea produces a mobile phone from her bag and makes a call. To my surprise, Heidi has agreed to watch me perform at seven o'clock tonight. Now all I need is a costume.

"We can walk through the market on our way back," says Bea, when I mention my lack of costume. "What do you need?"

"Loose fitting trousers. Some suitable jewellery would help. I can improvise with my existing clothing for the rest of the costume."

"OK. Let's see what we can find," says Bea, suddenly eager to browse through some shops.

We finish our lunch and start our walk back towards the railway station. I know my way back to our hotel from the railway station, so it makes a good end point for our tour. As we work our way through the shops, I find a gauzy skirt that will do as a substitute for trousers. The jewellery is relatively easy to find. I can't afford real gems, so I settle for cheap glass fakes from one of the tourist oriented shops. For the purposes of tonight's demonstration they will suffice.

Bea and I part company at three o'clock, and I return to the hotel to prepare. Georgina and Fiona will undoubtedly be sunning themselves at one of the many privately run beach concessions. It's doubtful they will return to the hotel before I must leave to meet Bea and the Baroness. I take a shower and prepare my costume. I'm nervous, but I console myself that I've done my dance routine several times before. I have my music on my phone's play list. Finally I try calling Georgina and Fiona to tell them what I'm doing. There's no answer, but I know they have a habit of switching their phones to silent mode when they are socialising with local men. I settle for sending them a text, with a request that they let me know where they are going tonight so that I can join them later. In all likelihood I will be back here before they are ready to go out nightclubbing, but it's best to be prepared for any contingency.

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Chapter 3: An Offer to Consider

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At six-fifteen a private taxi arrives at the hotel to transport me to the San Cristoforo villa where Heidi is staying. I've left Georgina and Fiona a note of the address of the villa in case of any problems. It's only when we are driving out of the main town and into the countryside that it occurs to me that I've no means of knowing if the address I've been given is genuine. The more I think about it, the more I realise that I could have set myself up to be kidnapped. Bea seemed genuine enough during our tour today. However, in the course of our conversations I've pretty much confirmed that nobody is going to come looking for me should I disappear. Even Georgina and Fiona might easily be persuaded that I've voluntarily gone my own way. I've told them enough times that I'm hoping to find a way out of my pathetic lifestyle.

"You can see the San Cristoforo villa on the hill to our left," says the driver conversationally.

His statement eases my immediate panic. At least the villa seems to be real, although that doesn't automatically mean that the villa the driver pointed out is called San Cristoforo. I do something I should have thought of doing earlier. I do an internet search for the villa. A wave of relief sweeps through me when I see the result. Yes, the villa on that hill is indeed the San Cristoforo villa, and it's owned by a local count.

The sign on the gate confirms the villa's name. By now I've overcome my earlier alarm about being kidnapped. Even so, I remind myself that I'm still taking a big risk by coming alone. I try calling Georgina to tell her that I've arrived at the villa, but her phone just rings out. She's probably forgotten to switch it back to normal mode after her afternoon's fun and games. I leave a short message on her voice mail.

The taxi drops me off at a side door and I'm greeted by Bea and Sophia. They are both dressed in identical costumes that reveal plenty of skin. Leather collar and cuffs adorn their neck and limbs.

"Welcome to the villa, Becca," says Sophia. "Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?"

"Yes, sure. I only need to change if you show me where I can do that," I reply, not bothering to correct her error in shortening my name.

Sophia shows me to a small room where she waits while I change clothes. It doesn't occur to her to allow me any privacy, and I'm too excited about this opportunity to make an issue of it.

"Do you have some music for your dance?" asks Sophia as I put the finishing touches to my costume.

"Yes. It's on my phone's play list. It won't be very loud. Will it be sufficient?"

"We can link your phone to the room's audio equipment, so it shouldn't be a problem. Are you ready? If we go now, you should have about five minutes to practise before the audience joins us."

"Audience? How many are coming to watch me?" I ask, realising this may be more than a private performance for Heidi.

"I'm not sure. I think Mistress has invited some friends, and Bea has asked to be allowed to watch. There may be others. Is that a problem?"

"Um... no... not at all," I say with more courage than I feel. "I just wasn't expecting a group given this was arranged at short notice."

"Hah! You obviously haven't dealt with Mistress before. When a von Herrschaft invites you to do something, you are expected to comply immediately. Mistress has many people hanging on her coattails, so a few quick phone calls is all it takes to rustle up an audience. I hope you are good at dancing or you are going to disappoint some important people."

Great! Just the sort of pep talk I need! If I didn't feel under pressure before, I certainly do now. I follow Sophia along a couple of corridors into what appears to be a mini-theatre at the back of the villa. I follow Sophia's instructions to link my phone to the audio system and I copy the music track to the system. Sophia tests the result and she is satisfied that she can start and stop the music using the audio system's controls. I leave my phone is Sophia's care while I practise my routine.

As usual I lose myself in the music and dance. It's like shifting into a different world where my daily problems no longer exist. Sophia suddenly stops the music when my audience starts filing into the room. Heidi is one of the last to enter, accompanied by an older man who could be her father or uncle. The door is closed by an unseen servant and the audience soon settles.

I'm unsure whether I need to say a few words of introduction and I look towards Sophia for guidance. She takes my action as a signal to start the music, so I promptly launch into my dance routine. The track lasts just short of five minutes, by which time I'm glistening with sweat despite the air-conditioning keeping the warm evening air at bay. I feel pleased with my performance given the circumstances. The ripple of applause when I finish seems genuine, and more enthusiastic than the polite ripple I've sometimes received at the end of my dance.

"Thank you, Rebecca," says Heidi from her front row seat as the auditorium lights gradually come back on. "What do you think, Serena?"

A woman sat next to Heidi walks up onto the stage and approaches me. I spend the next ten minutes being examined and talked about in a mixture of Italian and German. I feel as though I'm a prize heifer at a market. Several of the audience make comments, but my tourist Italian is only good enough to understand a few of their words. However, the body language of my appraisers suggests that they were pleased with my effort.