Antoinette woke the next morning with a start. She had been so sure that the events of the previous day had been only a horrible nightmare. But when she opened her eyes, The Master was staring down at her smiling evilly and the collar was still about her neck and chained to the wall. Brilliant mid-morning sun spilled out of the windows to cover the bed. Antoinette saw everything with perfect clarity. After a moment silently bemoaning her fate she thought about her poor, dearest Richard in his cell. Despite the many horrors that Antoinette had endured at least she had spent the night in a comfortable bed.
"The sunlight makes your beauty positively, radiant, woman"' said the Master softly as he bent to kiss her. Then he gently stroked his goatee and was lost for moment in thought and continued with, "Hmm. "Sunshine" has a nice ring to it. You are the little ray of sunshine that I captured and enslaved, the fire I must tend and train. Henceforth you name shall be "Sunshine." If you ever utter your former name again you shall be severely disciplined. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Master." replied Antoinette coolly. She supposed that it was a bit better than being simply called "woman." She doubted that she would ever again feel like a little ray of sunshine, however. The Master loosed the chain restricting his slave's collar and helped her to a sitting position. The Master was still naked, his huge erection prominent. He removed a pillow from the bed and placed it on the floor before him. "Your first act every morning Sunshine will be to service me. Eventually this will be so ingrained into your soul that you will not have to even be instructed to perform. Now get to it!"
Antoinette slid off the bed and began to give the Master his desired morning fellatio. An eternity of morning performing this same task came to her mind unbidden. She envisioned the horrible night her husband must have spent and somehow, she found the strength to focus on maintaining her rhythm as she gently cradled the Master's balls. His come did not taste any better a second time, still, Antoinette forced it down her throat and displayed her open mouth for inspection.
"Very good Sunshine." stated the Master enthusiastically. "Now it is time for us break our fast, to bathe, then and for you to dress me."
The Master rang a bell and a servant entered pushing a small breakfast cart. "Eventually you will be responsible for my meals as well but that is some months in the future. Let us sit at yonder table and dine."
Antoinette still felt awkward being naked around strangers. There were never fewer than a dozen guards protecting the Master at all times, not one of them was gentleman enough to camouflage their leers of naked lust. When the covers were removed from the plates Antoinette discovered that her meal consisted of much simpler fare than what was afforded the Master. Her gaze had not gone unnoticed.
"You can't expect a slave to dine like a princess, Sunshine. Your meals will meet all of your nutritional requirements. From time to time, when your performance merits it you shall receive a more savory meal. One thing all of your meals WILL include however is a particular extract from a foreign seed that inhibits conception and halts your monthly. Slave children are such a problem to dispose of."
Many thoughts raced through Antoinette's mind but the only words that reached her throat were, "Am I to be deprived of children as well?"
After a moment the Master replied, "Perhaps not forever. In five or six years, if you have proved fully trainable and compliant I MAY have your womb graced by the seed off one of my elite guards. But that is a conversation for the far future. Now eat every morsel of food or I'll have your former husband scourged!"
Even though Antoinette did not currently want children, the realization that even her own fertility had been taken from her was devastating news. It reminded Antoinette that despite the Master's sometimes affable veneer, he was an unquestionably evil man. She thought of poor Richard and realized that his fate was the one thing she could control. Through her submission, the love of her life would live. Antoinette realized that she would never stop loving Richard, she was fated to prolong his life and Richard hers. It was a hideous see-saw ride over a chasm of pain.
In his cell, Richard changed out his buckets and wolfed down the simple breakfast which had been delivered. His skin was already crawling with the lice and fleas that covered every inch of his mattress and blanket.The food, simple and bland as it was managed to get his mind off his immediate misery. He contemplated what his wife had no doubt already gone through and concluded that he was better off. Richard need not conceal his hatred for the Master and his foul guards. He somehow knew that Antoinette was not permitted the same luxury.
After the breakfast, served cold, even the coffee, two of his guards cuffed Richard's wrists and ankles, hobbled him with short chains and marched Richard into a small stone room. In the room was a superannuated naked woman wearing a headdress of a nurse. Next to her was a tub full of warm soapy water. Under strict supervision, Richard's restraints were removed. The woman said in an authoritative voice, "We are going to do something about those lice and fleas, young man. I warn you now if you don't obey my instructions to the letter I will have these guards bash your skull in. Is that clear?" Richard nodded his head in the affirmative as he gazed at the woman.
Her profoundly wrinkled body, with its sagging deflated breasts, flabby belly and snow colored pubic thatch turned Richard's stomach. He would much preferred that the woman put some clothes on, which made him realize why she was naked. Richard entered the tub, grateful for the warmth of the water. It would be the only pleasant moment of the day.
"Fleas and lice are attracted to hair follicles, young man. To ease your suffering we are going to remove every hair from your body." The old woman smiled wanly as she wielded a well-honed straight razor.
Several hours later Richard realized how expansive the term "every" is. After shaving Richard's face, legs, back and chest, she started on his scalp. Even Richard's eyebrows were sacrificed. Because the nurse could not remove his chastity cage she sprayed a depilatory all over Richard's crotch. The hair removal agent stung like a colony of angry bees and Richard screamed in pain as the nurse laughed. At last she shot bursts of warm water over Richard's manhood, washing away the last vestiges of maturity. Richard gazed into the mirror provided and saw a stranger in the glass.