A Dancer's Dilemma

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. Just a comment that yes, this will have some dark parts. This chapter has some descriptions of torture, but nothing extremely graphic. Also, we couldn\'t resist adding a bit of solo.

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Two days after Leann left the comforts of modern conveniences and the genuine care and affection of her true love, she arrived at the Sultan\'s palace and her new life, one that would be full of disgust and submission. Her arrival immediately brought the Sultan from one of his many rooms to decide if he should have pity on the stranger.

When he entered his throne room, his eyes landed on a beautiful young lady. Even though she was in tattered clothing and her hair was in a messy ponytail, he was quickly excited by her appearance.

Leann sucked in her breath as she watched the man come towards her. She felt his eyes undress her. The Sultan was big man with a graying beard. His eyes appeared black, and she could not help but think that she had signed a deal with the devil.

\"Master, she comes from the town up north. She says that they…\" the chief eunuch began.

\"Silence,\" the Sultan said, holding up a hand and circling the new girl before stopping directly in front of her. \"If you have a tongue, tell me your name.\"

\"Leann, Sire,\" she answered, bowing before him.

Arching a brow at the sweet voice in the ragged clothing, he looked her over again. \"Why do you come here?\"

\"I need a place to stay, Sire. I\'ve been banished from the city.\"

\"A place to stay is not free, my dear,\" the Sultan informed.

\"Please, Sire,\" she begged, kneeling at his feet. \"I\'ll work. I\'ll do anything that you want me to do.\" Her heart sank as she realized that she had just sunk to groveling. She felt sick.

\"We can always use more servant girls.\" The Sultan looked at the eunuch. \"Bristo, take Ann to the servants\' quarters.\" He looked back at Leann. \"When you clean up and get the stench out of you, you\'ll report to the kitchen. Gertrude needs help after that unfortunate accident,\" he nonchalantly scoffed, clicking his tongue and shaking his head mockingly. \"Tsk, tsk,\" his voice lowly rumbled.

\"As you wish, Sire,\" Leann said, staying on her knees. She caught the tone of his voice and cringed inwardly, figuring whatever happened was not an accident.

\"Stand up, slave,\" the Sultan ordered.

She immediately stood, keeping her eyes lowered so she did not make eye contact.

\"You will address me as \'Master\'.\" He reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. Mesmerized by her amber eyes, he paused, and she thought she saw a twitch of a smile. \"Leave now.\" He released her chin, turned, and walked away; but as Bristo and Leann walked out of the throne room, the Sultan turned around and watched them leave. The new girl was beautiful, and her flawless complexion enchanted him. He imagined that after a bath, she would be even more tempting to cajole into his bed. With his mind full of lust, he called for one of the harem girls to follow him as he led the way to his private bedchambers.

As Leann was led from the Sultan\'s throne room, she could feel the chief eunuch\'s hand on her upper arm. His grip was firm, although she willingly walked with him. As they entered the courtyard, she observed the ladies of the harem. Most of them were lounging around by the flower gardens. Some were reading, some were talking, and some were massaging each other. The massages looked relaxing, but as she passed a few of them, she could hear unmistakable moans of pleasure and instruction from the girl receiving the massage.

Bristo continued to lead Leann through the courtyard. He ogled the girls appreciatively and was quite intrigued by their freedom to give pleasure to one another so openly. A few looked up as he and Leann walked by, but it was not uncommon for Bristo to be amongst them. A few looked Leann over carefully, smiling at the newcomer.

As they left the pleasant gardens, he purposely took Leann passed the yard where the eunuchs congregated. Several stopped what they were doing and stared wistfully as the chief led the new girl passed them. A few fearlessly approached Bristo and Leann.

\"Can I? Can I?\" one begged childishly, prancing from foot to foot, and reached for the tattered shirt Leann wore. His fingers quickly found a tear in her top by her ribs, and he plunged them inside, feeling her warm, smooth skin.

Leann felt his touch, and she tried to refrain from stepping away. His touch repulsed her; but if she moved away defensively, she would hamper her goal of reaching the harem and the Sultan. A finger flicked across her nipple and a thumb on the outside of her shirt clamped down on it, affectionately pinched it.

Bristo could feel Leann tense but was impressed that she did not back away from Grist\'s touch. He heard a faint noise, possibly a moan, but was unable to tell if it was from pleasure or pain. With a distinct promise in his deep voice, he replied, \"Later.\"

\"Now?\" Grist pleaded, leaning in and licking Leann\'s check. The eunuch fondled her breast more, twisting the nipple slightly and bravely grabbing the waistband of her trousers.

A low growl rumbled in Bristo\'s throat. He lifted a hand and smacked the surprised eunuch\'s head roughly. \"I said later!\"

Leann cringed as she watched Grist\'s head roll to the side. As much as she appreciated the overly excited man\'s tongue no longer touching her face and his hands no longer on her chest or ready to travel into her pants, she felt dread and fear enter her soul, wondering what she was being exposed to in this new world.

After Bristo slapped Grist, he tugged her arm hard, causing her to stumble into him. With a broad, leering smile, Bristo caressed her face and remarked, \"Anxious, Chere? Just be patient.\"

Her resolve gone, Leann retorted unwisely, \"Ever hear of an accident? That was completely unintentional.\" As soon as the words left her mouth, she deeply regretted speaking her mind. Her eyes filled with fear as she watched the threatening expression form on Bristo\'s face.

Bristo pulled her roughly to him and growled, \"For that, I should throw you to them.\" He nodded to the small group of eunuchs, who had gathered around Grist after he was slapped. \"You speak of an accident. Let me show you an accident.\" He pushed her ahead of him, releasing her arm.

Leann fell to her knees from the sheer force of his push. \"Get up!\" Bristo snapped, grabbing her ponytail. He didn\'t yank her to her feet, but he effectively caused Leann to stand with little resistance.

\"I\'m sorry, Sire,\" she apologized.

\"Walk!\" Bristo commanded, not acknowledging her apology.

The two walked out of the eunuch\'s yard and passed the servants\' quarters. \"This will be your home. But first,\" he paused, \"your accident.\"

Leann looked at him warily, expecting a hidden belt or whip to strike her. His facial features still looked smug. \"I told you that I\'m sorry, Sire,\" she repeated, allowing her voice to sound humble and fearful.

Bristo stopped at the corner of the servants\' quarters. \"In the future, Chere, I would advise you to watch your tongue. I\'d hate to have to cut it out.\"

The gleam in his eye told Leann that he would cut it out, and he would enjoy inflicting the pain. She nodded solemnly.

\"Good girl. See you will learn,\" he almost purred. \"Now, look at your accident.\"

She followed his pointing finger and gasped. Immediately, the bile started to rise in her throat. She looked away in horror as she closed her eyes.

\"No, Chere. Look at her. Study her. Unless you want to lose your head, you will do as you are told. You will perform your duties with grace and appreciation. If you don\'t…\" He waved his hand dismissively at the grotesque sight before them.

Leann had seen some horrible things in her life. She had been the cause of some of them, but she had never in her wildest imagination seen, in person, a young girl, probably in her late teens, stripped naked and staked to a pole with no head. The girl had been scourged severely.

A soft mewl escaped Leann\'s lips. \"What was her crime?\" she weakly asked.

\"She failed to satisfy the Master.\"

\"And you?\" she asked.

Bristo slapped her. \"I will find a better use for that tongue of yours,\" he hinted haughtily.

When Leann\'s head turned from the force of his slap, her eyes saw the unfortunate girl\'s head. It was one hundred yards from its body, staring at it, eyes open and mouth forced into a hideous grin.

\"Don\'t screw up, Chere. I\'d rather not see you end up like this.\" He turned to leave. \"Come. We have work to do.\"

As Leann turned to follow Bristo, she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Pausing, she saw the Sultan, flanked by other men, walking towards a dilapidated barn. She may be playing the part of a humble and obedient servant, but the agent inside her quickly made note of the building and the men accompanying the Sultan. Were they guards? Were they buyers? She\'d have to remember them for when the time came.

\"Do not loiter, Chere. Time\'s a wasting.\" Bristo called over his shoulder.

Leann promptly turned around and quickly caught up to Bristo.

Bristo led her inside one of the buildings. \"This will be your sleeping chambers…some of the time. All of the girls share this room. You can shower out there. Just make sure I can see you at all times.\" He smirked, handing her a towel, washcloth, and robe. \"In other words, don\'t drop the soap.\" He took her tattered satchel and swatted her on the rear. \"Go, or I\'ll bathe you myself.\"

Leann took the items and nodded. She turned to leave but stopped abruptly. She pivoted back to face him and kissed his cheek, a customary ritual of thankfulness. She had to restore some of the damage she had done with her smart mouth. Paul had always told her that her mouth would get her in trouble one day. Sadly, she knew that when he uttered them, he had no idea that his warning could come true.

After she walked out to the outdoor shower, she slipped behind a hedge that served as a partition between the stucco building and the showers and tiny yard for the servants. There was no door for privacy, but she knew she had checked her modesty at the gate when she was granted access to the world behind the stone fortress. She removed her clothes and tossed them in a garbage can. Turning on the water, it hit her refreshingly, and she relished the feel of the water on her skin. She had spent the last few days going without bathing so that she would be in character when she arrived at the Sultan\'s expansive home. The hedge hid most of her body, allowing her shoulders and head to be visible. She cast a sideways glance to check on Bristo\'s location.

Bristo watched from a window. His hands were under his robes, rubbing himself. His hard on was unusual for him since he normally needed to see a woman naked to achieve an erection, but this woman made him ache like he had never ached. Being castrated in his early teens, he had reached puberty but never experienced the true pleasure that came from the act of sex. He basically used women to relieve tension and stress. The Sultan would hand over his next concubine to Bristo for molding and educating. Bristo had no doubt in his mind that in a few days, the Sultan would give Leann to him for training.

When Leann finished, she towel-dried her hair and wiped her body dry. Slipping on the light robe, she started back to the sleeping quarters. She could see Bristo\'s silhouette against the window but yelped in surprise when he roughly grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall as she entered the doorway. She tried to struggle, but his weight was too much. His hips pressed against her back, and one of her arms was pulled back tightly behind her and held, causing her shoulder to hurt from the unnatural position. She could feel his free hand bunch her robe up around her waist. Her other arm was smashed between her body and the wall, and she tried to free it, but the position in which he held her made it impossible to move. Her breathing quickened as she no doubt expected to be sodomized.

Bristo pressed a leg again the back of her knee, pinning her tighter to the wall, and kept his body firmly against hers. He reached over and retrieved the cool handle of the glowing iron rod. He pulled it out of the coals, making it sound like a sword being pulled from its sheath. As his prisoner\'s head turned to look at what made the noise, he immediately laid the orange, heated steel against her slightly tan and well-muscled butt cheek. His strength pushed it into her skin, holding it firm until the scent of burning flesh and muscle met his senses.

The searing white-hot pain shot through Leann, causing her to hold her breath and then scream from the excruciating pain. Tears gathered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she gasped for air. She could feel her legs become weak and the room started to spin. \"Bastard!\" she cursed through gritted teeth.

Bristo released her and watched her crumple to the floor. \"Possibly,\" he replied uncaringly. He carried the branding iron with him as he left the building. Walking passed the showers, he paused at a bucket by the well in the servant\'s yard. Setting the iron into the water, he listened to it hiss as it cooled. He looked up and saw the lone servant girl waiting on the other side of the yard. \"Get in there!\" he snarled at the young girl. \"Unless you want another go-around.\" He laughed wickedly as the girl scampered into the servants\' bedchambers.

Alone, Leann wept softly on the floor, her body shaking from the pain and anger building inside her. She couldn\'t think of anything at the moment besides the pain. She took deep breaths while she silently cursed Stanley and Paul, even though she had been the one to insist on accepting this assignment. She was unaware that someone had entered the room until she felt a soft hand brush against her face.

\"You must get up and get dressed. You have work to do,\" the girl urged.

Leann lifted her tear-stained face and made an effort to look at the voice. She used the girl\'s outstretched hand to help stand. Her legs felt like jell-o, and she grabbed the side of the wall for support as she clenched her teeth, trying not to cry out from the pain. Her legs felt numb but any movement sent a bolt of pain from head to toe.

The girl raised Leann\'s bathrobe and grimaced at the sight of the raw sore. \"Stand still so I can cover this for you. The last thing you want is an infection.\" The girl grabbed a package of gauze and ripped it open.

Leann turned her head to look at the hideous marking. She couldn\'t make out what it looked like. Her eyes only saw the ugly red and throbbing lesion. \"Why\'d he do that?\" she finally asked, although her voice cracked from being parched and the incredible shock to her system.

\"You are now branded as one of the Master\'s. We all have them,\" the girl answered. She laid the gauze over the marking and taped it securely. \"It will hurt pretty badly today because each time you move, those muscles and your skin will move.\"

Leann nodded. \"Thank you for your kindness.\"

\"You\'re welcome. Now, get dressed so we can return to the kitchen. Gertrude will be expecting us since the evening meal is being prepared. We have much to do since we have many guests tonight.\" She beckoned Leann to walk with her to the bed where some clothes were lying. \"My name is Kara, by the way.\"

\"I\'m Leann,\" she introduced as she slowly willed her numb legs towards the bed. She was a fighter and never gave up, but right now, she wanted to slump onto the bed and rest. She felt dizzy and braced herself against someone\'s mattress before she finally made it to her own bed. Her tattered satchel was lying on the bed, and its contents were spread out on the bed. Bristo had gone through it, item by item. Her eyes immediately checked to make sure her special book was among the items and was relieved to see that everything seemed to be there.

Kara gathered the few scattered items and placed them back in the satchel. She picked up the book and flipped through the pages. \"Something special to you?\" she asked before putting it in the bag and placing the bag under Leann\'s bed.

\"Yes,\" Leann nodded. \"My mother gave it to me before she died. It came from her mother. Those few items are all I have left.\" She pulled a pair of cotton panties on, wincing as it crossed the burning reminder that she now belonged to the Sultan. She let her robe fall to the floor as she reached for the bra.

\"I have a few photos from my past life, but nothing of importance,\" Kara revealed. She retrieved a jug of water and poured a glass. \"Here have a sip of water to wet your throat. Are you feeling better?\" She looked at Leann, staring at her tanned, round breasts. The remainder of her body was tan and lean, and she noticed a few scars but shrugged them off to life on the streets.

Leann caught the girl looking at her nearly naked body. To not come across as being rude, she took the offered glass and drank quickly, handing it back. \"Thank you.\" She quickly grabbed the supplied bra and slipped it on to cover her breasts and then put on the pants and shirt, covering herself with the customary gray burqa.

Kara watched Leann dress. When she was done, Kara led her to the kitchen and the start of her life behind the palace walls.