The Ingdom

CHAPTER 7 – DELTA NOVEMBER FOXTROT

I was awoken to sound of the loud cheering outside my window. I blinked as bright morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, causing me to squint and bury my head beneath the blankets. My copy of 'A Comprehensive Guide to Slave Ownership' rested propped-open on the nightstand and a half-eaten box of Hawaiian pizza sat on top of the covers next to me. It had been a long night of studying and pizza happened to be the brain-food that I required to stay focused. Hey- while my metabolism still worked, I might as well take advantage of eating what I liked.

It had been a while since I could remember studying for anything. Despite my high aptitude scores in school, I had never been the greatest student. I consistently scored high enough to join the "gifted" classes, but ultimately ended up dropping down to standard learning due to my complete and utter lack of motivation. Uncle Henry had dropped out of high school in his senior year, which had always made me skeptical of just how important school really was. I remember being desperate to graduate and put all the "busy work" in the rear-view mirror.

But today's test was different. Unlike high school, the outcome of this particular test actually mattered. I literally held another person's fate in my hands. If I didn't pass, she'd likely end up in the custody of the woman named Annabelle and would spend the next three months being tortured. So, I had my motivation. And as a result, I was feeling

pretty

darn prepared.

I'd learned everything there was to learn about a slave's vital sign parameters, dietary needs, sleep cycles, and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy actually made up the largest portion of the book. Illustrated tutorials detailed everything from exercises to partner stretches to massages that restored blood flow to strained limbs. I was actually pretty impressed by the lengths these people had gone to educate their guests about health-related issues.

Another large portion of the book was dedicated to BDSM equipment. The text exhaustibly explained the various meanings behind different sounds and light patterns emitting from a slave's collar. There was also vast glossary of different types of knots and restraints. Towards the back were more disturbing tutorials like 'how to safely applying feeding tubes' and 'administering enemas'. I must admit, I skipped over those sections. I valued my Hawaiian pizza too much to lose my appetite...

I stretched out on the bed, arching my back and kicking the comforter off of me. With the exception of my pants, I was still fully clothed from the day prior. Ugh, I was going on three days wearing this same outfit. I really needed to get some new clothes. Pronto.

Groggily, I stood to my feet. They

still

ached from my ordeal in the woods but they were definitely feeling a bit better than they did the day before. I walked over to the window to see what all the commotion was outside. In the circle, there was a medium-sized crowd gathered around the center stage where two naked women wrestled each other, covered in mud. I rolled my eyes, turning and walked out the bedroom. On my way out, I grabbed the pizza box off of the bed and carried it into the kitchen.

Yawning, I put the box in the fridge and grabbed a mug from the kitchen cabinet. Then, I inserted a coffee pod into the Keurig and pressed start. Moments later, I was sipping on a piping hot pumpkin spice latte. Breakfast of champions.

How did humans ever survive before Keurig machines?

Walking over to the edge of the indoor pool, I sat down on the edge, placing my feet in the water. The water was the perfect temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. I flexed my toes contently as I took my sweet time finishing my caffeine.

After I could no longer justify sitting there for any longer, I stood up and made my way back to the bedroom.

Time to start the day

, I thought. Today's game-plan was to go buy some new clothes, grab some lunch, head over to the kennel, take my stupid test, and then bail out Brandy. After that, who knew?

Grabbing a tote bag from the closet, I tossed in my book, phone, key card, and park map. Once I'd slipped on my jeans and boots, I tied my hair into a ponytail and headed out. The humid air smacked me in the face as I exited the castle suite. Damn, if it was already this hot at 10am, it was bound to be a stifling day. I needed some shorts ASAP. Glancing down at my map, I quickly located the section marked '

CLOTHING/APPAREL

'.

One by one, I traveled across the faire, checking the shops off my list. It wasn't until the fourth one down that I finally managed to find a clothing store that sold something other than lingerie and leather/latex sex costumes. Not even looking at the price tags, I bought nearly a dozen different outfits, complete with undergarments and footwear. Hey- I was a millionaire now. For the first time in my life, everything was in my budget.

After I was finished shopping, I stopped to eat lunch again at

Vern's Brisket and Vine.

Or rather-

Sally's BBQ.

Sally's recipe may not have tasted quite as good as Vern's, but the BBQ was still good enough for me to return. After two sandwiches and a bit of last-minute studying, I was ready to head to the kennel. I exited the restaurant and maneuvered my way through the crowds of people on Centre Street. Though I had never been particularly confident when it came to academia, today I had an undeniable pep in my step. I was feeling well rested, well fed, and well prepared. I was ready to get this

done

.

At the kennel, a guard sat behind the reception desk. As I entered the lobby, he looked up at me and smiled. I recognized him as one of the same guards I had spoken to the day prior.

"Welcome back," he said pleasantly.

"Thanks," I replied, stepping up to the counter and dropping my shopping bags on the floor beside me. "Let's give this test another try, shall we?"

"That's the spirit," the guard said cheerily, reaching over into his filing cabinet to withdraw a manila folder. "Can I get you anything to drink before you start? Any water or tea?"

"No thanks," I replied, grabbing the folder from his hand. I bent over to pick up my shopping bags, but the guard raised his hand to stop me.

"Oh, you can leave those where they are," he said, standing to his feet. "I'll move them behind the counter until you're finished."

"Oh," I replied, straightening back up. "Thanks." Either this guy had recently graduated from etiquette school or he had a bit of a crush on me. I took mental note in the chance that someday I'd need a favor from a security guard.

Taking a seat in the same chair as before, I opened the folder to reveal the exam along with a pencil. Scanning through the first page, I immediately recognized that some of the multiple-choice questions had changed from the previous time I'd taken it. This made sense, given the sheer volume of material in the handbook I'd studied from. But I was undaunted. I answered each question with ease all the way through page 4. Page 5 threw me for a few loops. Page 8 had a question about enemas. And I'm pretty sure that the last page had a trick question in which all choices were actually correct. In total, the test took me no longer that 20 minutes.

I walked back up the guard behind the counter and handed him back my folder. "That should do it," I said confidently.

"Very good," he replied pleasantly. "Let's run this through the scan-tron and see how we did." He removed the papers from the folder and fed them into the machine next to his computer. Once complete, he began tapping away at his keyboard. "Well," he said, looking back up at me. "-you passed." I exhaled a bit in relief. "97%. Well done!" he added.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Now for the essay portion," he added.

My face fell as I stared at him.

"I'm just kidding," he replied, chuckling. "You're all good."

"Oh," I answered, forcing a smile. "Good one."

The guard smiled, visibly pleased with his lame attempt at flirting. Then, he grabbed several sheet of paper from a stack next to his computer.

"All I need now," he continued, as he placed the papers on the counter in front of me, "-is your autograph on each of these forms. This one essentially transfers Miss Brandy L. Michaels into your custody and states that you agree to all terms of temporary slave ownership. That you accept responsibility for the safety and welfare of your slave as long as she remains in your custody."

"Oookay," I replied uncertainly as I picked up the form and speed-read over it. "Sure," I added, using the pen on the counter to sign my name (Jodie's name) on the dotted line.

"Great," the guard replied, grabbing the form from in front of me. "This next form states that you accept the Kingdom's rules and regulations as dictated in our

Code of Conduct

as well as our

Discipline and Corrections Handbook

. You should have received both of those books in your welcome box. Signing below confirms that you acknowledge the jurisdiction of Kingdom security personnel and judicial authority to enforce those rules and regulations."

I gulped, realizing that I had not read either of the books he had mentioned. In fact, they remained untouched in the welcome box that was still seated on the entry hall table of the suite. "Sure," I replied, not wanting to give away that I had no idea what he was talking about. Once again, I signed the dotted line at the bottom of the page.

"And this last form states that you recognize the potential for turnabout. During your stay, either by permission

OR

against your will, your slave may succeed in overpowering you. Signing this confirms that you understand that risk as well as the Kingdom's lack of jurisdiction to intervene on your behalf should such a situation arise."

I blinked in shock, contemplating what he just said. "Wait, what?"

The guard chuckled, leaning back and spinning slightly in his swivel-chair. "Basically, if your slave gets the jump on you and manages to turn the tables, there's not a whole lot we, as security, can do," he explained. "For all we know, you two might have agreed to

switch things up

and play out a role-reversal fantasy. The only way we'd be able intervene would be if there was a rule infraction of some sort. If we should ever detect a violation of protocol, we'll always intervene. And once that happens, the reigns would ultimately be returned to whoever was supposed to hold power."

"Shit," I replied, scanning the form nervously. That tidbit certainly changed things...

"Look," the guard said in a reassuring voice, "I wouldn't worry too much about it. If Xena warrior princess

were

to ever turn the tables on you, it's only a matter of time before she'd inevitably slip up and break a rule. They always do. Most role-reversals I've witnessed are sorted out within a few hours because the slave doesn't knowing what the hell she's doing. They make a violation, our alarms go off, and then we show up on their doorstep and lay down the law.

I continued reading the form in silence.

"If it helps you sleep at night," the guard continued, "-most owners have a buddy system of sorts. Once every day or so, their buddy checks in on them to make sure that everything's normal. If you're worried about it, just find someone you can trust and make a deal."

"Okay," I replied, my pen hovering above the signature line.

This form was by far the scariest thing I'd read since I arrived. I wanted to believe that I could trust Brandy but the reality was that I hardly even knew her. And based on what I

did

know about her, she was definitely not the stereotypical submissive.

I'd just have to be careful

, I thought. My paranoia wasn't worth subjecting a person to the custody of Annabelle for three months.

Taking a deep breath, I put the pen to the paper and signed on the dotted line.

"Alright," the guard said, grabbing the completed form from the counter. "It looks like you're all set!" He placed all of the paperwork back in the manila folder and returned it to the filing cabinet it came from.

Leaning forward, he spoke into a silver microphone that sat on the desk, "Cellblock A, please prepare slave Brandy Michaels for pickup, Cellblock A, please prepare slave Brandy Michaels for pickup." Looking back at me, he added, "It shouldn't be more than a few minutes. You're free to take a seat while you wait."

"Nah, I'm alright standing," I answered, pulling out my phone to check the time. But as I looked through my home screen for something to keep me busy, I suddenly realized something... I hadn't been getting any notifications since I arrived. No emails, no missed calls, no facebook likes. It had been complete radio silence. I tapped on my facebook app, only to see a "NO SIGNAL" error pop up. The same message appeared on my mail and phone apps. But when I tapped the web browser app, it took me straight to my homepage.

"Uh, do you happen to know why none of my messaging apps are working?" I asked, holding up my phone. "I have full bars but I only get a signal on my web browser."

The guard's eyebrows raised, almost as if he was surprised that I didn't already know the answer. "Uh, yeah," he replied, "the Kingdom blocks most services for

discretionary

reasons."

"Oh," I answered hesitantly. "So, only my web browser works?"

"That and the Kingdom's official app," he answered, "You've downloaded that, right?"

"Uh, no," I said. "How do I do that?"

"Oh, you'll definitely want that," he replied. He leaned forward and grabbed a business card out of a cardholder located on the counter. Holding it up to me, he added, "Just go to this site and press download."

"That's it?" I asked.

"That's it," he replied smiling, "From there, you'll have maps, brochures, event schedules, you name it. You can also communicate with other guests straight from the app. And most importantly, it gives access to all of your slave's information. Her profile, food allergies, vitals, etc. You can zap her straight from the app, program other devices, and you can unlock her collar and restraints just by tapping the phone against them."

During the time he had explained everything, I had typed in the site address from the card and downloaded the app to my phone. When I opened it, the app asked me to place the QR code from my key-card within the camera phone's field of view. Pulling my lanyard out from behind my vest, I held the key-card beneath the phone so that the QR code lined up inside the box on the screen. A moment later, the logo of a castle appeared on the screen above the words '

The Kingdom

', followed by the words, '

Welcome, Jodie McConnell

'. Then, a brief transition took me to the home screen.

My concentration was suddenly broken by the sound of metal doors sliding open on the back wall of the lobby. I looked up to see a naked Brandy standing in the doorway next to a latex-clad Annabelle. Brandy was wearing what she wore the first time we'd met. Her arms were restrained behind her in a black arm-binder with straps that cris-crossed over her chest. Her ankles wore unshackled leather cuffs. Her head was covered in a latex hood that had openings for her eyes, nose, and mouth. In her mouth was a large ring-gag. And to finish the ensemble off, she was wearing the despised chastity belt. Whether or not the butt-plug was attached, I couldn't tell.

"Welcome back!" Annabelle said gleefully as she led Brandy over to me by the leash. "I believe congratulations are in order. What was your final score on the exam?"

"She got a 97%," the guard interjected eagerly with a smile.

"What a smarty-pants!" Annabelle replied with faux excitement. I really despised this woman. Everything about her seemed to rub me the wrong way. Perhaps I'd have felt differently if our first interaction hadn't consisted of her stabbing my neck with a needle and forcing me into bondage.

"Well it looks like you'll be in good hands, then, eh love?" she asked giving Brandy's leash a little tug.

Brandy nodded submissively with her head bowed. "Ech aan," I heard her say quietly. I guessed that was gaglish for '

Yes ma'am'.

"Feet together," Annabelle ordered in a deeper voice. Brandy immediately adjusted her stance, pressing both ankles against each other. Damn, Annabelle really must have done a number on her. The Brandy I'd seen just one day earlier was more likely to respond to such a demand with a growl and attempted head-butt.

"Good girl," Annabelle responded cheerfully. "As you can see, we've managed to address some of her behavioral issues but slave Brandy still has a ways to go. Isn't that right?"

Again, Brandy nodded with her head bowed. "Ech aan," she replied again.

"Yes, she'll make a fine slave girl, indeed," Annabelle chuckled as she handed me the end of Brandy's leash. Nodding toward my phone, she added, "Oh, I sent you a message yesterday. Please read it over in private and let me know what you think."

Without responding, I took the leash from her and allowed it to fall to the floor. Stepping beside Brandy, I lifted my phone and tapped it against the mechanical buckle of her armbinder. The straps suddenly sprung off of her shoulders and hung loosely beside her. Bending over, I grabbed ahold of the tip of the armbinder and tugged downward. Brandy shimmied slightly, allowing the restraint to slide off of her. Moments later, she was stretching her free arms and flexing her joints.

"You won't be needing that anymore," I said, tossing the armbinder into one of my shopping bags. "Or this," I continued, tapping the phone against the front of her chastity belt. Once the belt's mechanism unlocked, she pulled the contraption over her hips and stepped out of it one foot at a time. I took it from her hands and added it to the bag.

Annabelle blinked, looking taken aback. I imagine she hadn't expected to see her powerless slave regaining her freedoms so quickly after her release. Seeing the look of irritation on Annabelle's face was surprisingly satisfying. I could only imagine how enjoyable it must have been for Brandy.

I proceeded to tap my phone against Brandy's wrists and ankle cuffs allowing them to unlock and fall to the floor. I gathered everything up and tossed it all into the same shopping bag holding her other restraints.

"What... May I ask what are you doing?" Annabelle asked looking clearly unnerved.

"No, you may not," I replied flippantly. "Brandy's no longer your concern. Don't worry about us."

Annabelle's eyebrows raised in surprise at my response. "Very well," she replied coldly.

Brandy seemed to be having difficulty unbuckling her gag, so I walked behind her and helped her remove it. Once her mouth was free, she peeled the latex hood off of her head, sighing in relieve. She looked at me with a weak smile, her face flushed and her hair damp and matted from the hood.

"Thank you," she said breathily.

"No problem," I responded. I reached down and grabbed an outfit and sandals from one of the shopping bags and handed it to Brandy. "Go ahead and put this on."

Brandy quickly snatched the clothes from my hands and began to dress herself. "Thanks," she replied.

"Please read my message," Annabelle interrupted forcefully. Her face was now stern and unpleasant. "I think you'll find it quite intriguing."

"Actually," I replied turning toward Annabelle. "Could you please excuse us?"

Annabelle's nostrils flared as her eyes pierced into me from behind her spectacles. I could only guess that she was not used to receiving such indifference. Annabelle struck me as the type of person who relished receiving the royal treatment. But if she had anything to say about it, she kept it to herself. She promptly spun away and exited through the doorway she had entered from, her high heels clicking behind her. The large metal doors slid shut, leaving Brandy and I alone with the guard behind the desk.