The wooden spoon scraped against the bottom of the bowl as Tessa finished her porridge. Being locked up didn't trouble her as much as it did many others. And she wasn't completely abandoned here. A servant stopped by several times a day to give her food and water and empty her chamber pot. Sometimes they spoke a few words with her.
Tessa was used to being by herself. In fact, she liked it better that way. She had found her way to the guild at a young age. It wasn't so much a choice as it was her only option. She had proved herself despite being the youngest and smallest, and they had taken her in. Tessa had kept out of the way as much as she could, trying not to get too much attention. She had been known as the quiet and serious one. One of the other young thieves used to make fun of Tessa and called her "the silent assassin". It was silly but she hadn't minded the jokes. It was just a part of their hidden society.
Over the years, Tessa had watched and learned. She graduated from being a lookout and picking pockets to taking on her own jobs. Most often she worked alone. Even so, she had taken care to always keep up with the others to get the latest information and, just as important, to make sure she didn't step on anyone's toes.
During the weeks in the cell, Tessa had slowly lost her excitement over trying to solve the puzzle of her predicament, even with the mystery box she had discovered. All she could think was, why her? There were plenty of courtesans and pleasure slaves more beautiful than Tessa. Many of them wouldn't scoff at serving a master like Rudi despite his tastes. But here she was and no one else was going to help her.
Tessa was still sitting there with her legs crossed when she heard noices outside. The door opened and Rudi bowed his head to get through. He looked down at her for a moment before he spoke. "Tessa. My naughty thief. I shouldn't be so hard on you because I could see this coming from a mile away. Old habits die hard. But I still have to know why you decided to rummage through my things. What did you hope to accomplish?"
Tessa was ready for this. Of course he would demand to know. She looked at him defiantly. "I'm a thief, remember? I was going to find the master key so I could escape. You have no right to keep me here!"
Rudi raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? I think I have all the right in the world. I remember signing your sentence myself. But I really must caution you against escape. Whatever you may think, I have no desire to see you hurt or worse. However, actions must always have consequences. I will see you soon Tessa."
After that, Tessa knew it wouldn't be long before she was allowed back up again. She wasn't sure if she was looking forward to it or if she would rather eat porridge and stare at the walls for a bit longer. There had been a dangerous gleam in Rudi'd eyes. It was strictly forbidden to cause lasting harm to a slave unless they were guilty of a serious violation. But she certainly didn't underestimate the ability of her master to come up with something unpleasant.
Just as she had expected, a servant came for Tessa the very next day. She brought Tessa to the servants' quarters and made sure she cleaned herself very thoroughly. Rudi arrived before it was finished and watched with quiet intent. She felt the urge to cover herself although he'd seen it all before. Afterwards, Tessa stood before him with goosebumps on her skin.
Rudi gestured for Tessa to kneel in front of him and bent down to fasten a leather collar around her neck. Then he attached a thin chain to a metal ring on the collar. He tugged on it and turned to leave. Tessa started to rise to follow him. "What are you doing? You will crawl on your hands and knees until I say otherwise." She knelt down again, then placed her hands on the floor in the humiliating position. He was going to walk her like a dog! But if this was to be her punishment then so be it.
The hard stone floor hurt her knees. Tessa made small careful movements to make it easier. Rudi didn't pull on her leash and let her decide the pace. When they reached the soft carpets of the main areas, she sighed with relief. Other members of the household snuck glances at Tessa in her naked splendor. Some looked at her with pity, some were indifferent. If they enjoyed seeing her youthful forms bent in submission, they certainly didn't show it in front of the master. Rudi walked just behind Tessa now. She was aware of her butt swaying when she crawled, probably seductively. She tried to stop it but quickly decided that it wasn't really possible. Not if she wanted to keep moving forward.
There was a sudden agonizing sting on her buttock. Tessa arched her back and whimpered from the pain. She turned her head and saw Rudi holding a long thin switch in his hand. He raised it again and Tessa's stomach lurched as she embraced for the inevitable. The pain was just as bad on the other side. "Stop wasting my time time. I will teach your little ass what it means to disobey me." Tears were welling up in Tessa's eyes but she angrily blinked them away. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Rudi went ahead of her and pulled on the leash. She scrambled to keep up.
They continued to a part of the house that was seldom used. Rudi led her into a room and closed the doors. It was sparsely furnished with a few balloon back chairs along the walls and a worn sofa with embroidered cushioning by the opposite end from the door. A portrait of a solemn man looked down on them. Perhaps an ancestor or even the father. This was where Rudi would make her perform whatever lewd act he had in mind. "Are you going to be a good girl or do you need another taste of the whip?" Tessa winced, she did not want that. It wasn't too hard to swallow her pride. "Please master, I will be a good girl. I promise."
Rudi removed his clothes without any hurry while Tessa knelt beside him. He sat down on the sofa and unhooked the chain from Tessa's collar. He pointed to his lap. Tessa clambered on top of him, her ass in prime position for whatever he wanted to do. Strong hands squeezed and stroked Tessa's bottom for a while. She felt his manhood rising under her.