She stood at the window of her room for a few minutes enjoying the cool breeze that gently lifted the pale lavender sheers to each side. In the weeks to come, the breezes would change to the hot draughts of summer or would still to nothing at all. She wanted enjoy the caress of the soft flowing air on her naked body before attending to the afternoon's business. Today began the new search, an annual event she both enjoyed and dreaded. Sometimes the single week seemed not enough and other times she was forced to continue the interviews for days after finding her choice.
She sighed and turned back to the room. Her robes were laid out on the end of her bed. The maid must have done this for her while she was in the ceremonial baths. More than an hour had passed while she had been soaped and rinsed, oiled and perfumed. Another half hour was spent in solitary meditation. Now it was time to prepare to meet the men who had garnered appointments over the next seven days.
She took up the triangle of black silk and tied the thin strings that held it in place over her genitals. Few of the men would be allowed to remove that garment. Usually, in their hurry to please, the supplicants erred enough that she dismissed them summarily. Only those men who cared more for her pleasure and for the rise of the kundalini energy would be allowed to reach the point of touching her private places and a touch was all they were allowed. She slipped the thin black shift over her head and allowed it to drift into place, the hem reaching to just above her knees.
She turned to look at her reflection in the tall looking glass that stood in its ornate frame to one corner of the room. She was definitely not the young woman who had stood here shivering in anticipation thirty years ago. She had long since taken on the form of the older Matron Goddess and was starting to show signs of becoming a Crone Priestess. This would be her last year as the High Priestess. Young Celene would step into that role right after next year's Great Rite. She would have liked it to be this year but Celene had claimed to need one more year as the Maiden High Priestess. Another glance in the mirror told her that her breasts were still full if slightly closer to her waist than once was. Her legs, thighs and buttocks were still shapely but the waistline was much thicker. She sighed at the cadence of time; it had moved much faster than her concept of self.
She moved to the small wooden door at the back of her room and rapped twice. A preparatory maid entered with bowed head carrying the special oil on a tray inlaid with gold and silver symbols. She could not remember ever seeing this cloistered servant before. The young woman set the tray on the ground before her and knelt expectantly. She could not read if the young maid was anxious about performing the necessary functions or was anticipating the act. She reached over and cupped the woman's chin and lifted the face to look at her. The young woman's gaze showed delight at the honor of looking fully upon the face of the High Priestess. Anticipation it was then. She would allow the woman to perform her duty even though she often preferred to massage her own body into pleasurable submission. Her body must be fully pleasured before meeting any of the men so that she could be as objective as possible during the trials. As well, the lingering scent of sex would test the endurance and control of the supplicants.
She leaned in and kissed the maid fully on the mouth. That signal sent a shiver of pleasure through the young woman. Satisfied with her decision, she climbed past the robes on the end of the bed and lay down with eyes closed for the young woman to proceed. The flick of a tongue on her toes was surprising. Far too many of the preparatory maids were like the men, in too much of a haste, which was why she preferred to pleasure herself. This start suggested something better this time. The young woman's tongue continued up the inside of her calf, drawing lazy circles on the skin. At her knees, there was shift of position and the young woman caressed both calves until the sensation of jellied muscles occluded any sense of being solid. The massage slid above the knees and her thighs began to melt as well. The first flick of tongue on her inner thigh was electric. Caresses and kisses continued to climb her upper legs until reaching the edges of the black silk.
She felt the bed supports shift as the young woman moved to her side. A soft delicate hand slid beneath the shift and cupped her right breast. Thumb and forefinger pinched the nipple lightly and rolled it gently. The spark of passion that had begun in her loins during the leg massage was fanned to a flame for a moment. The woman's hand continued to massage her breast and nipple while the other hand slipped under the shift to copy the movements on her other breast. A soft kiss sounded on the edge of her ear and then the lobe was caught gently between even teeth. She pulled her breath in sharply only to be answered with a withdrawl of sensation.
