Territory Slaves

Chapter Nine - Dinner Party

Lehu returned Jahhan to his cell the day after Sesul’s revelation. Before he left, he explained Jahhan would be moved to Sesul’s suite the next day. Jahhan had barely managed to distract himself from the upcoming ordeal of being trained by Sesul when the door opened again. Jahhan stood and bowed to the slave who looked his bruised body over skeptically.

“Bathe and prepare yourself for our owner’s guests.”

Only training got Jahhan into the shower when the alcove door slid silently open. The word “guests”, like “patrons”, was a euphemism for people who would be using him and possibly beating him. As fast as their medicines healed him, Jahhan knew he hadn’t healed completely and accommodating the “guests” would be painful. Nonetheless, he prepared himself as thoroughly and quickly as he could, blushing as the slave watched his intimate preparations.

When he was ready, the slave led him to a part of the station he had never seen. The corridors had thick, deep blue carpet, soft cream walls with wood trim, and wooden doors that swung open instead of sliding. Jahhan saw no lighting system, yet the corridors glowed with a pleasant light, bright enough to see without straining, but no brighter. The entire ceiling seemed to cast the soft light.

Sesul waited for him at intricately carved, double doors. Jahhan touched his forehead to the floor. The slave leading him bowed deeply, then left. Before opening the door, Sesul told him, “Perform obeisance to Mijre,” in a voice hard enough to be a threat. As if the name wasn’t enough of a threat. Sesul opened the doors, glided forward a few paces, and bowed shallowly. Then he moved to recline on one of the couches they often used for eating, sex, even working.

Jahhan walked to the point Sesul stopped and touched his forehead to the floor in the same direction Sesul bowed until a woman’s voice spoke to him. “Come to me, slave.”

Jahhan dared to look up enough to find the speaker. A woman dressed in brilliant blue and gold lounged on a chair directly across from the door, surrounded by a loose circle of equally colorful people on couches and chairs. She held the leash of a slave wearing nothing but a short, black wrap covering him from below his waist to barely his thighs and a jewel-encrusted collar.

He could hear the people around her cease their conversations. He could feel their regard as he walked to her, trying not to appear stiff and ungainly with fear.

“Kneel. Look at me.” He hoped he wasn’t visibly shaking as he looked into gray eyes.

Ordinary.

Her features were too broad to be attractive on a woman and, while she wore clothing expertly designed to draw the eyes to the right places, age had obviously been unkind to her figure. The bright colors overwhelmed her gray eyes and drab brown hair, but gaudy colors seemed to be expected amongst the elite.

He saw a plain, powerful woman who made beauty suffer.

A flash of hot fear filled him. What if she saw unflattering thoughts in his eyes. He tried to look down again, but she caught his chin. When he looked at her as ordered, she brushed the hair out of his face gently. “So beautiful. I should have taken a closer look at you sooner, my beautiful pet. Perhaps I should have you trade places with Cai tonight.” She gestured to the leashed slave.

Jahhan glanced at him. He accidently caught the slave’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but stare for a moment. The slave’s hair and eyes were soft golden tones, and his skin was a slightly paler honey. The golden slave returned his look with an expression of complete indifference.

Mijre’s voice snapped him out of his surprise. “No, I’ll let the other guests enjoy you tonight.”

Even though he guessed the truth, Jahhan had permitted himself to fantasize that he’d be serving food or drinks. Mijre clearly intended him for another purpose.

“I certainly have enjoyed you,” she continued, running the backs of her fingers down his cheek. “I loved watching you suffer for me.”

His breath caught and she laughed at him, low and soft.

“And I will love making you suffer even more for me.” His blood turned to ice at the promise in her eyes. “Now, go visit with my Kinnet. She’s been wanting to meet you. You’re dismissed.”

He stood and turned to look for the mysterious Kinnet, knowing nothing about the person he sought and unable to look at faces. As he scanned the lower half of the guests in the room, his gaze wavered upwards and met with a pair of sharp green eyes in a face almost covered by black silk. She sat on a couch, unlike most of the slaves, and wore even more of the black silk than Sesul and Lehu.

***
Jahhan’s eyes slid from hers immediately. She glanced at Sesul to see if he had noticed. Unfortunately for Jahhan, the set of his mouth said he had. Jahhan walked to her and performed obeisance. Mijre must have sent him. She ordered him to kneel next to her.

When he settled in front of her, she spoke confidentially to him, “I’d promise not to mention your error to Sesul, but he noticed.” Jahhan twitched. He’d certainly suffer for the fault. “I’ll plead mercy for you. I’m one of the few whose pleas he might hear, if he’s in the right mood.” Jahhan didn’t look hopeful.

She assured him he could look her in the face, but he seemed unable to quite make eye contact. Instead he fitfully looked around the room, keeping his eyes even lower than required. He was visibly frayed near his breaking point. The pain and degradation had worn him raw, and here he had many opportunities to screw up in front of important people.

Despite his nerves, his eyes kept returning to one person with curiosity. The young man kneeling in front of Mijre. Everything about him, his skin, eyes and hair, were as golden as human flesh could achieve. Kinnet thought perhaps she could distract Jahhan, if only a fraction. He’d only make more errors if he didn’t relax. She said, seemingly out of nowhere, “Breeding.”

Jahhan glanced at her, confused. “If you were wondering how he came to be gold, truly or artificially. Truly. If hundreds of years of breeding can be considered true. The historians say modification became too easy to obtain. As a result, everyone either looked identical or unnatural. The Council passed laws to return natural variation to the human form. Personally, I think the reasons were less altruistic. Regardless, unique features must be bred. Cai’s a special slave from the Otepca Province, born and raised to sexual service, highly ranked, and worth a fortune. He usually would be wearing the garments of a highly ranked slave, but Mijre’s showing him off. He’s not happy.”

Jahhan’s eyebrow rose a bit.

“Ah, how can I tell?” She guessed at his thought again. He nodded and she smiled. “When he’s happy, he actually has an expression.”

She should know. She caught Cai’s eyes, and winked at him. His expression turned the slightest bit annoyed, then haughty, before his blank mask slipped into place. She’d have to tease away his annoyance later, but that was mostly the point of annoying him.

She had almost exclusive access to him. He serviced Mijre while she watched a session on occasion, but she had others she preferred. Because of a lifetime of training, he’d respectfully submit to any sexual activity she asked of him, no matter how sadistic. Therefore Mijre had limited interest in him, except for occasionally denying him the garments of his rank and displaying him like a pet.

Kinnet and Sesul enjoyed him, and Cai enjoyed them. He honored her by expressing more pleasure in her company than his training required. Sesul frightened him, and Cai found some attraction in the fear. Sometimes, Sesul drew on her harder side, and they played with him together. Lehu could have used Cai as well, but he had no interest in men. Otherwise, Mijre enhanced his value by making him unattainable.

Kinnet returned from her mental wandering to find Jahhan looking fully at her. The distance in her eyes must have emboldened him. He truly was a beauty, even considering the standards of Territory-bred slaves. Well-defined cheekbones, straight nose, and pretty lips. The piercing dark eyes made the biggest impression on her. In one moment, they seemed to seek comfort. In the next moment, they seemed to drill into her and expose her own twisted heart.

Sesul approached. “If you please, mistress, I beg your pardon for my intrusion. I respectfully request the slave to return to my service if you have no more need of him.”

“Of course. Forgive me for keeping him for so long. Slave, return to kneel before your master’s place. Sesul, if I may have a moment of your time.” Sesul inclined his head in assent. After Jahhan had moved to kneel before Sesul’s chaise, Kinnet said to him quietly, “Must he be punished for every infraction tonight?”

“Yes. Mijre’s paying too much attention to his training.” Sesul glanced in Jahhan’s direction.

“Sesul,” she said, surprised. She saw something like concern in his eyes.

He regarded her expressionlessly. Whatever he felt now carefully hidden behind his walls.

Kinnet ventured. “Please consider showing him leniency on my behalf.”

He nodded and returned to his chaise as the courses of their meal began to arrive. Kinnet watched Jahhan serve Sesul as she ate. He served properly enough, but without the grace of the other slaves. Sesul would take care of that in the next few months.

When the guests finished the last course, Sesul spoke quietly to Jahhan for a moment. Jahhan slumped in on himself without really moving. Another thing Sesul would deal with in training. Pleasure slaves weren’t supposed to show any outward sign of their feelings about their duties. Another slave approached and led Jahhan to one of the private rooms. Kinnet didn’t know what Mijre had planned for him. She didn’t want to know.

She heard Mijre dismiss Cai. Mijre nodded at her when she turned to look. The real purpose of the dinner gathering was about to begin.

The elite of Baceti had gathered at Mijre’s invitation, but only a handful of those were asked to attend the meeting in a secured meeting room off of the elegant dining room. Kinnet joined Sesul and Lehu as they followed the station manager, Lord Vaichi, and the ruler of Duarya Province, Prince Giole, into the meeting room.

Mijre waited for a security team to test the electronic countermeasures disabling any attempts to listen to the meeting. When they were gone, she put a communication she received from one of her sources on the wall screen behind her.

“Ardres spent 28 billion on his fleet in the last three months and Pietsi has gained quite the armada of ships,” Mijre said.

“The Council would never allow one Territory to attack another. Ardres can’t attack Baceti without Council intervention and mediation,” Kinnet continued for her.

Sesul finished the line of thought. “So Pietsi claims cause and engages Railu Station. The Council won’t intervene if the attack ends quickly enough.”

“Pietsi Province is too small to contend with our defenses,” Lord Vaichi insisted as he selected a couple of tarts. The station had been under direct attack twice since he became the station manager. Both attacks had ended quickly and badly for the attackers.

Kinnet knew the current situation differed from past confrontations. Pietsi was just as desperate as those who had attacked the station before, but Ardres’s involvement was a different matter. Ardres had certainly been considering and planning such a move for longer than Pietsi had been in danger. Ardres must have been waiting for the right prince to support.

“He spent an overabundance of money on his fleet, if you remember,” Kinnet reminded Lord Vaichi. “We have him in a vise over it. Even before Ardres’s contributions, he was well-armed for his Province size. With Ardres’s generous additions, he could be a threat to Railu, even Duarya.”

“Isn’t he concerned we’ll act first?” Lord Vaichi asked.

“We can only react,” Mijre explained. “We cannot act until the Council has processed the debtor’s property reallocation for Pietsi Province. If Baceti acts first, we’ll be opposed by more than Pietsi and Ardres’ forces.”

“Can one of Baceti’s provinces engage Pietsi Province?” The young Prince Giole hadn’t been under attack before. He hadn’t been rushed from the palace by Sesul to a meeting with Mijre before now. He had barely nibbled on his dinner, and he left the tarts untouched.

“An action by one my provinces would be taken as an action by Baceti Territory. Especially with the property reallocation waiting for processing.”

“Ardres Territory is acting, not reacting. That’s Council business,” Sesul said.

“Actually, Ardres appears to be experiencing a high number of defections.” Lehu sounded amused, but his eyes were serious. “Each defector manages to escape Ardres Territory with one or more fighters, and all defectors have spontaneously decided to join with Pietsi.”

“If the Council buys that, surely we can get around the prohibition on conflict between Territories.” Giole finally took one of the desserts, then began to pick it into pieces. Kinnet felt for him. The last attack happened months after she had been cleared to pilot a fighter during combat. She’d had three enhancement procedures and could out fly any one of the attackers, but she had been terrified. Nerves still gripped her before a fight . . . until she was engaged, then she felt exhilarated.

Mijre shook her head. “I’m under more scrutiny than Ardres because of the size and power of Baceti Territory. Many members of the Council want an excuse to declare the matter an inter-Territorial conflict and get Baceti blocked from the Pietsi Province property reallocation vote. They could then vote on behalf of Pietsi and prevent my Territory expanding further. I can gain Pietsi Province with my vote added to the votes of my allies. Without my vote, my allies won’t be able to gain the margin. We can defend ourselves against an attack, otherwise we have to wait until the vote.”

“By law, Pietsi still has another year and a half grace period to counter the reallocation with the repayment of his debt. He can act freely until then. We don’t even know his plans. We’re at a tactical disadvantage waiting for him to strike first,” Lehu added.

Mijre sighed. “We have no choice.”

“So we wait . . . for what? For him to attack? Or will he assassinate you first?” Sesul said in disgust.

“Assassination attempt first, I expect.”

“Excellent,” Sesul growled sarcastically. He may have hated her, but he knew what would happen to them without her. No one in the Territories really understood how she controlled them, and other Council members wouldn’t trust them not to turn on their next owners. They’d be killed. Of course, they’d take a few people with them.

“The excursion to Duarya with the slave was a pleasant diversion, but I’ll need you, Lehu and Kinnet to keep close to the station for the time being.” Mijre taped a stylus against the screen before her and wrote notes or comments while her guests waited for her orders. Finally, she turned to Lord Vaichi. “I want to you analyze the station defenses. See where we can improve. Sesul, compare the station fleet resources with the new additions to Pietsi’s fleet. I want our people faster and better equipped. Giole, have your security chief and fleet commanders do the same for Duarya. Lehu, you’ll be a consultant on Railu and Duarya defenses. Everyone will report their findings to Lehu.

“Kinnet, we’ll see what the network can discover about Delosa’s plans. I want to know what Ardres expects from the alliance, besides getting back at me over blocking the attempt to open Safar to free resource removal. While we wait, perhaps we can test the strength of this friendship between Ardres and Pietsi.

“Thank you,” she concluded. “You are dismissed.”

They rose to leave.

“Sesul.” Sesul stopped and turned to her. “I have one more task for you.”

Worried, Kinnet lingered for a moment before leaving with the others. Sesul and Mijre alone together could be a volatile combination, but she didn’t have permission to stay.

***
The gathering hadn’t been large, a few guests left with Mijre, some of the remaining guests hadn’t wanted a slave, and some of them wanted one of the other slaves provided. Perhaps they didn’t like the used look. In any case, Jahhan didn’t have to endure many men. Sooner than he expected, the slave who prepared him for the guests allowed him to clean himself and kneel in peace, waiting to be returned to his cell.

Instead, Sesul came for him. He led Jahhan to the room the rest had moved to after the lavish meal. He was relieved to discover most of them had left, and terrified to see Mijre remained with a small assortment of implements arranged on a table. Jahhan bowed to her. To keep slaves from constantly dropping to the floor, full obeisance was only performed to any one person once in a day.

Before he’d even straightened, Sesul took a handful of hair and forced him to the table and bent him over it. He released Jahhan’s hair and pressed him against the cold, hard surface with a hand between his shoulder blades. Jahhan wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to being treated with such contempt. Blushing with embarrassment, he gripped the other side to help him stay in position. Sesul selected a short whip.

“I’ve asked Sesul to help me relieve a little stress. He informs me you earned twenty-five lashes during the dinner. Thirty, before Kinnet spoke on your behalf,” Mijre told him with a strange warmth in her voice. She sounded as though she were speaking to a favored pet, not a man she wanted to suffer. “Don’t worry. You will receive your punishment here for my pleasure, but no more.”

As Jahhan waited for the first lash to fall, he supposed that was generous. . . for her.

***
Beautiful Cai hung from shackles, his golden eyes apprehensive. Kinnet perched on the edge of Sesul’s bed in front of him. After tomorrow, Sesul’s personal time would be filled with Jahhan’s training. So, with an implied promise of teasing away his annoyance, Kinnet had lured Cai to Sesul’s suite for the last night they could be alone. As soon as he crossed the threshold, an arm caught him, trapping his arms against his sides. A hand covered his mouth.

He didn’t bother struggling against Sesul. He had rank and breeding, but he was only a pleasure slave, not made for the sort of work where enhancement would be of benefit, so he’d never been enhanced. Questions filled his eyes. She glanced at Sesul, who removed his hand. Cai opened his mouth. She stuffed in the gag before he could speak.

Sesul brought him into the bedroom, two yards from the foot of the bed. He secured the gloved hands to shackles hanging from the ceiling, while she secured the slippered feet to the floor. When they had him shackled, she’d arranged his wrap so the black cloth covered everything but his eyes. She’d waited until Cai had changed into the clothing his rank required.

Cai tried to watch Sesul as he moved around the room behind him, fixing drinks, stripping to his pants, checking his screen for messages, laying out equipment, but the black silk draped over Cai’s head shifted into his eyes as he turned his head. They always did that. Kinnet hated wearing the thing, especially with people behind her.

He looked to her instead, pleading with his eyes. She smiled in response, without mercy. Finally, Sesul came to her side and handed her a cup of hot tea. They gazed on the nervous golden eyes together.

“How long do you think we can keep him before Mijre notices?” Sesul asked, leaning against the bedpost.

Kinnet answered with relish. “Days, at least.”

“Such beautiful eyes.” He paused to take a long drink. “But let us see what the other guests are denied.” He handed Kinnet his drink and strolled around their captive slowly. He gathered Cai’s long tunic to his hips and clipped it to his shirt. He eased Cai’s pants down past his hips.

Cai hated being exposed.

He’d reached the fifth rank by the age of 13. Other than the prince who held the establishment that bred and trained him, he had no owners before Mijre. He had little experience out of his layers of silk, remaining clothed even during his training. He learned to please men and women with his mouth and hands, but learned activities which would disqualify him as an expensive “virgin” less interactively. He enjoyed intimacy, especially in the care of someone he trusted, but disliked being displayed.

Of course, Sesul knew that. He teased some life into Cai’s retreating member as Kinnet watched. Cai glanced at her with an expression of humiliation, then he tried to move his hips away from the touch.

“Have it your way. I had a different arrangement in mind anyway.” Sesul said, cool and amused. He unhooked the shackles from the lines and snapped them together behind Cai’s back. “Withdraw set three lines. Lower center line. Slowly raise center line. Stop.” The center line drew Cai’s arms up behind his back.

Cai whimpered behind his gag. The position strained his shoulders, and left him vulnerable. Sesul paused to sit with Kinnet and have a drink.

“What do you think?” he asked of his arrangement.

“The poor dear. He looks cold.” The head of Cai’s penis was tucked up tight, probably more from embarrassment than cold.

“Ah. I know just how to keep him warm.” Kinnet almost felt guilty for providing him with the excuse. He retrieved the cane he’d already set on the table behind Cai. After two light taps, the cane struck Cai with a deceptively quiet snap. She heard Cai’s muffled grunt and she winced in empathy.

Sesul covered Cai’s buttocks and thighs with the blows. Cai kept tight control over himself, grunting with the fierce stinging blows, but no more. His tormentor wanted more. She knew the look in Sesul’s eyes. The cane began landing on the same tender spot between buttocks and thighs. He timed the blows so the pain from the previous would just be hitting Cai when the next struck. Cai bucked against the restraints, and the grunts grew louder until they became cries.

Finally, when Cai panted through his nose trying to replace air forced out of his lungs by the pain-filled cries, the sadist in Sesul was satisfied. She knew he fed on the pain of the person suffering intimately at his hands in a way he never could or wanted to in the session room.

His hands stroked Cai’s welted flesh gently. He applied enough lubrication on himself and Cai to make his entry comfortable for him, then entered Cai in a steady, unrelenting thrust. Cai moaned in the gag and drew shorter, harder breaths. Kinnet slid off the bed, and Sesul paused long enough for her to remove the gag.

He rewarded her gesture by moaning, gasping, and begging. But the nature of the pleas changed after he’d adjusted, driving Sesul to thrust harder, withdrawing nearly his full length before each thrust. He took his time.

Most of Cai hung limply by the time Sesul finished with him.

Now Cai belonged to Kinnet.

They tried not to get into a routine, so Cai couldn’t know what to expect next, but truth be told, Sesul preferred to cause the hurt, and Kinnet preferred to soothe the hurt. Sometimes, though, they coddled and petted him softly and sweetly. Sometimes, they each took their turn inflicting suffering on him. Sometimes, very rarely, Kinnet caused the hurt, and Sesul soothed.

So, not knowing what she intended, he whimpered as she approached. As Sesul released the shackles one at a time, she massaged the aching muscles. After the last shackle clattered to the ground, she drew Cai into the bathroom. She lifted him easily and set him gently on the cushioned bed in the shower and removed his clothing.

Cai’s wary eyes watched her as she indulged herself by stroking his smooth, golden skin. So young still. Only 21. Cai glanced over her shoulder, and blushed. She turned to smile at Sesul, watching them from the doorway. Just a bit more petting, then she took pity on him and removed her own layers of black silk and knelt by him on the shower bed.

She tilted the face cover in position to keep water off his face, then started the warm rain of water. Water ran into her eyes as she washed him, front and back, but she didn’t mind. He protested her act of service to him, but wisely didn’t move to stop her. They had him for the night. He could only surrender to their desires.

Silken locks of golden hair slid through her fingers as she lingered on washing his hair. No one not bred in Opteca had such perfect hair. Soft and thick, with perfect ringlet curls. In a perfect contrast to his pretty face and hair, his body was all masculine. She finished washing him, and allowed Sesul to usher him to the bedroom in a oversized towel.

She washed herself quickly and let the dryer take the moisture out of the air and off her body. Cai stood by the bed, dried and waiting for her when she emerged. Sesul left them to wash himself.

“Lay on your stomach,” she ordered. Still looking wary, Cai settled on the bed. Sesul had been kind enough to leave the lotion she needed on the stand next to the bed. She dabbed it on him gently, then massaged it into his abused skin in caressing circles. The lotion would soothe the pain and speed the healing of bruises. Sesul hadn’t broken his skin, though, so a stronger medicine wasn’t needed. Cai sighed with pleasure, wariness lost in her touch.

She granted him what he craved: warmth, touch, being wanted, being desired. His upbringing was designed to make him yearn for a bond with his mistress or master. Mijre had tormented him, though not in a violent manner as with her other pets. She showed little interest in him. He remained a virgin to intercourse two years after his purchase, only allowed to use his tongue to please her on the rare occasion. He believed he had shamed himself, failing in his one purpose in life, being a pleasure slave. Mijre even allowed him to think she would resell him to his trainers in disgrace.

Finally, Kinnet boldly asked for Cai’s services. Hinting, or well, actually saying the game was petty. Mijre granted the request, then ordered a long strapping for Lehu that didn’t exceed the bounds of their agreement which allowed for punishment, but not torture. Lehu often became the unfortunate soul targeted for punishments. Sesul was too stony and Kinnet had a higher pain tolerance born of being a masochist. And they both would have preferred to take the pain themselves. Kinnet felt terrible, but Lehu approved of her cause, though he strongly requested she not call Mijre petty again.

She finished applying the lotion and lay next to him, drawing him into her arms. He kissed her first, and she didn’t pull back, so he knew she’d allow him to lead the dance now. She let him show her his craft, what he could accomplishment with his hands, his mouth, his body. Sesul joined them without her even being aware of him until he stroked her breast. He touched her and Cai, but otherwise seemed content to watch them.

Before Cai entered her, he looked at Sesul with the same soft look he gave her. Nothing compared to having Sesul’s full attention and being the sole object of his sadistic desires in the moment. She knew. Cai never looked so happy as he did after Sesul used him cruelly, and Kinnet petted the pain away.

---
DrkDreamer: Most pleasure slaves would start much younger, but Jahhan is novel because he's a celebrity even in the Territories. Thank you for continuing to review. I'm fighting my way through the middle section now.

***