A New Home
It was a long flight from the resort to Nav's primary home. They used the hours to talk, giggle, cuddle, and renew their memberships in the Mile High Club. Meena wondered about her new home, but Nav said nothing about it. He wanted to see her reaction.
It was, of course, spectacular. Nav's mansion was fairly modest and restrained for an oligarch, but it was still grander than anything Meena could have imagined. His jet dropped down to a landing pad, then wheeled into his hangar. Automated servants carried their luggage to the house. What a house it was.
It was substantial, but it didn't feature any of the traditional decorative elements usually found in mansions. No columns, fountains, or decorative art. No cherubs or gargoyles. Nav preferred the less-is-more architectural style that expressed beauty through the use of proportion, light, and elegant simplicity.
"I want you to meet someone," Nav said.
A very large man entered the room. "This is Feva," Nav said.
Feva was enormous. Meena was tall, but Feva towered over her. He had the broadest shoulders she'd ever seen. "I'm delighted to meet you, Ma'am," he said. His handshake enveloped Meena's entire hand. He appeared to have Samoan ancestry, which went with his traditional Samoan name. It seemed to explain his stature.
It was an illusion. "Feva is a robot," Nav said. "He looks just like a person, but he isn't. You'll find that in most ways, he's better than a person. He's smart, he's kind, and he's yours. If you need anything, have a question about anything, or want to go anywhere, Feva will take care of you. Part of the reason he's so big is that he'll be your bodyguard. He's very powerful, but that shouldn't be necessary. His size should discourage anyone who wants to bother you."
Feva said, "I look forward to serving you, Ma'am. The robots at the plantation had very nice things to say about you."
Nav didn't want to take the time to give Meena a tour of every room in the house, but he showed her the most important ones. The kitchen was suitable for anything from a meal for one to providing a staging area for caterers helping with a very large party. There were two pools - a large indoor pool suitable for year-round lap swimming, and a larger outdoor one with everything from cabanas and barbecue grills to low and high level diving boards.
"You'll stay here with me while your own home is constructed," Nav said. "I've lived long enough to know that it's not a good idea to expect a woman as cultured and creative as you to live in a space you didn't create yourself. We'll have you work with an architect and some designers to come up with a place that feels like home. Now, I want you to know we will spend a lot of time together. We'll be together almost every day. But I imagine you'll be happier if we spend that time in a place you can call your own."
A big robot. A new house. What other surprises were coming? "Will my home be near here?" she asked.
"It will be connected to the main house somehow. Maybe a corridor. Maybe a doorway. I don't think we'll use a tunnel, but that's something you can work out with the architect. Whatever suits you. But I never want to be far from you, Meena."
"That's good to hear, Master," she said.
Nav had worked hard to prepare for assuming his duties as a Master. He'd completed mandatory training before even being allowed to bid; the law required that potential masters get an explicit explanation of their responsibilities, and it was more complicated than Nav expected. Plus, when he left the plantation he got a package that some Masters jokingly called the "Slave Owners Manual." He'd signed a contract promising to regularly view tutorials that explained everything a Master needed to know.
He took her to a large room with a grand piano.
"This is where you'll perform your duties until your own home is ready. The most important duty you have is to work on your music. I value your talent, and I expect you to do your best cultivating your musical skills. For now, you will study advanced piano technique and advanced singing. Do you understand?
"Yes sir," Meena said. Nav was ordering her to do the thing she wanted most. Hearing him deliver this news in the form of strict orders made her swoon a bit.
"You will exercise. This entire wall is a display screen. You will find exercise programs suitable for your needs. You can have whatever equipment you want. If you need something, Feva will get it for you. Fitness is important, but not as important as your music. If you're too busy to do both, make the music your first priority."
"I will, Master," she said. Of course she would exercise. Meena had the athletic potential to become an elite competitor. She'd always exercised, but she'd never had a Master order it before. Bliss.
"When we were on our trip, I discovered that I love watching you dance. You will dance for me from now on. I don't know enough about dancing to tell you what to do, but it's clear to me that you are able to express your femininity through dance. Find ways to dance that are erotic. I want it to become part of our sex lives. Like a form of foreplay."
"Yes sir. I will look into it. I'll make you proud of me."
Nav was sure she would. From her reaction, he thought he'd done a good job of ordering her to do things she wanted to do anyway. It would become harder to find new ways of meeting her needs for regular orders, but things were going well so far.
He noticed that Meena kept glancing at the piano. It was a large concert grand. "I had that delivered after I bought you," Nav said. "We'll move it to your space as soon as it's constructed, but you can play here for now. I've got a sound-proof office on the other side of the house, so you can play as loud as you like."
It was beautiful. "I've never seen a real piano before," she said softly. She'd learned to play electronic keyboards that were of very good quality, but she'd never heard the sound of real hammers hitting real strings.
"Play something," Nav said, being careful to phrase it as an order.
Meena sat on the seat and lifted the cover that protected the keys. Sliding the cover out of the way caused a soft echo. This instrument was not just big, it was heavy, and it was built with materials that resonated in ways that the best keyboards couldn't duplicate. It went well with her incredible voice as she sang a song made famous by Billie Holiday.
In my solitude, you haunt me
With reveries of days gone by
In my solitude, you taunt me
With memories that never die
I sit in my chair, and filled with despair
There's no one could be so sad
With gloom everywhere, I sit and I stare
I know that I'll soon go mad
There were more lyrics, and a poignant ending. "That was lovely, Meena," Nav said. "I don't know very much about pianos, so I hired an expert and told her to get a piano suitable for a musical genius," Nav said.
"You say the nicest things, Master."
Nav's bedroom was large, but sparse. The furnishings were minimalistic. His closet was actually more impressive; it was as big as the bedroom, and had features Meena couldn't identify. The master bath had a tub, a whirlpool and two showers; the larger shower was big enough for a half dozen people to use at once.
"The bedroom has a feature I'm sure you'll enjoy," Nav said. "It's called the ArousAll, and it's a love machine." He picked up a remote control and activated the display walls and ceiling. Abruptly, the room appeared to be a little hut with a thatched room. It was on a beach, with the ocean visible nearby. They heard the sound of waves and a sea breeze. The thatching swayed as if it was moving in response to wind, but Meena couldn't feel even a trace of wind.
"Lay down," Nav said, patting a spot next to him on the bed. It was so relaxing, like a private beach. "It's pretty easy to see how pleasant it would be to make love in a setting like this," Nav said.
"This is wonderful," Meena said.
"There are so many choices, I haven't seen them all," Nav said. "This is my favorite." Holding the remote, Nav made the bedroom look like the inside of a rustic cabin. The view through the windows made it appear they were in deep, dark woods. Meena heard what sounded like rain pelting down on a metal roof. Lightning flashed in the windows. Thunder rumbled in the imaginary distance. The illusion was almost perfect. By looking very closely, Meena saw what appeared to be a thin sheet of glass separating them from the simulated walls and ceiling of the simulated cabin.
"This isn't just for sex," Nav said. "If I have any trouble sleeping, this knocks me right out."
There was a setting that made the room look like a grassy field under a starry sky. Another setting looked like an elegant room in a hotel in Paris; the Eiffel Tower was visible beyond the open balcony. Another setting gave a view of mountains that reminded Meena of the resort where they spent their first week together.
"Here's one you might like," Nav said. Instantly, the walls and ceiling turned into perfect mirrors. Meena looked up and saw herself and Nav side-by-side on the bed. It took a moment for her to visualize making love while looking at the mirrors.
She giggled. "This is . . . very naughty," she said.